⇜The Running Gag⇝

[Dip]

The night and the nights following the deal were rarely anything other than few and far between. There was no rest for either of them. It was either training in the gym one day, or learning in the library the next. Everything moved so constantly, and none of it had any time to shift or change slowly. Edd clearly showed that part. He noticed that he ran just slightly quicker, and for slightly longer aswell. He was a little more toned where it counted, and the small packets of fat he had on him were almost gone.

Kevin showed progress in himself, as well. His grades were improving little by little, but not at the speed he wanted it to be at. Sure, he was learning and retaining the information like he ought to be, but it wasn't as quick as he wanted it, either. While everyone in his Chemistry were mastering the fundamentals of chemical equations, Kevin was just learning it. Edd didn't much like that, but he did have a solid C+ in that class.

...Alright, he had a solid C+ in all of his classes. It made Edd cringe whenever he looked at it, but Kevin seemed pretty impressed with it. Edd always talked about how B's or even A's were better yet, but Kevin would just go on and on about his C's like they were trophies. Really, they kind of were, but Edd was a little less than impressed with it. While Edd was dissapointed with the grades, Kevin was upset about Edd's so called 'lack of progress'.

Sure, Edd was a little faster and a little more toned, but he supposed he wasn't enough to make it on the highschool team. He was fast, but he had to be the fastest. He was skinny, but he had to be muscular. He was keeping his pace even and his breathing steady for as long as he could, but he had to extend that longer and longer yet. The training and the learning both came with equal and even problems and solutions, but more so issues and real ways to solve them.

But soon, the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. Pumpkin reigned supreme for a short while. Peppermint and vanilla overthrew the world. The training took a more indoor approach as snow littered the Cul-De-Sack like a vandal littered trash over the parks and roadways. It seemed like more and more tutoring sessions were accompanied by hot co-co.

⇜It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas⇝
​

School had been out for a few days now, and he had been alone for most of it. Minus Kevin being in and out, it was only him and himself. Eddy went to visit his bother- no suprise- for the holiday season, and Ed was too wrapped up in wrapping presents to even think about coming over. Edd was currently sitting in a decorated kitchen, with a cup of hot chocolate to lift his spirits. Any moment now, he would be getting a call from his mother telling him that her flight was landing, and that she would be home.

It was a little too late to have the phone be ringing-- it was about nine thirty, but Edd was sure it was just the holiday rush. it was Christmas Eve after all! Edd took a sip of his hot chocolate, but nearly spat it out as he heard the phone ring loudly behind himself. Edd couldn't get up fast enough. He raced towards the phone, and picked it up quickly.

"Mother?" He asked quietly. He would usually answer with something like "Vincent household, how may I help you?". He would simply because many business persons would call, expecting either Marion or Lance.
"Eddward? Oh, Edd," Marion started on the other line, almost as if she was out of breath.
"Good evening. You're calling pretty late. I trust your flight in was great?"
"Edd, let me--"
"I bet traffic is going to be horrid yet. Would you like me to get dinner ready?"
"Please, listen--"
"I set up the tree and everything, so there is no need to fret about that."
"Eddward." Marion finally broke out, interrupting her blubbering son. Edd zipped his lip for a moment, and let his mother speak.
"Edd... I don't wish to bear you any ill-will this season, but I don't believe I'll be home in time this year."
Edd swallowed hard. "W..W-What?" He stuttered in reply.
"I have to stay back for a few more weeks... I know, I promised--"
"You did more than promise..."
"I know I did more than promise, but Edd, you have to understand that you can't have everything go systematically."
Edd was quiet for a long time. He felt like crying, actually. Sure, this was the moment that most people would come right out and call him a 'mama's' boy, but really, it was more than that as of then. It wasn't just his mom, or Lance, or Eddy or Ed, or anyone! It was about himself, as much as he hated to admit it, and about how he just wanted to have someone with him.

He didn't want to say so soon, but he had been alone for a long time. It was simply the lack of human contact that made him crave even a telephone call. Edd looked down at the wall, and continued to talk to his mother from a different country away.
"Maybe it isn't about things going systematically, mother." Edd uncharacteristically snapped.
"Excuse me?" Marion started, almost breaking out of a tired trance.
"Maybe I just wanted to be with my family. Did you ever think of that?"
"What, don't you think I want that too, boy?" Marion snapped back at him. "You're my only son, and I--"
"Oh yeah?" Edd started, only fanning the fire of his rage. "Why don't you begin to act like it, then?"
There was a long silence, before Marion started in a low voice. "Fine." She said simply. "I see how this is. You're trying to make me feel like the loser here, aren't you?"
Edd didn't respond. Marion continued.
"Well fine, Eddward. I'm a goddamn loser. Do you hear that? It's so damn hard, Eddward. You have no idea how hard it can be. I try every DAMN day to make sure you're okay. It kills me inside knowing you're all by yourself. Does that make you feel better, son?"
Edd could feel tears welting up in his eyes right then. He gripped the phone tightly, and spat harsh words into the speaker. "You know what, mother? You're right."

He slammed the phone down, and crumpled to the floor.

Edd felt angry tears stream down his face as he brought himself up towards the table. He couldn't catch his breath-- he could hardly breath. It was like running with Kevin in the icy mornings all over again, but there was no breaking free from any of it. Fat drops of water fell from his face to the table as he tried to get steady on his shaky legs. He was shaking, mostly out of rage and anger. All Edd ever wanted was his friends and family close to him when it really mattered. Was that too much to ask? Maybe it was Edd's duty to be the butt of the joke.

It almost felt like Edd had to do something crazy in order to get control of his life back. He was losing control, and he didn't like that one bit. As he trampled up towards the steps, he managed across a hall closet that he knew had stocked the Christmas presents he would have to open himself. He looked at it, with red-stained eyes, and opened the door. The first thing he saw upon opening the door was the bottle of Strawberry Wine, with a tag that said, "To my love Marion - Lance." On the bottle, it read to be about sixteen years aged. It was about as old as Edd was.

It almost felt like Edd had to do something crazy in order to get control of his life back.

Edd stared down the bottle for a long time, before tears seemed to slow down and he reached for the neck. He spent a long time just staring at the bottle as it rested in his hands. It wasn't long before he slowly stumbled into the kitchen, and placed the bottle on the counter. It looked it up and down, and decided that yes, he was going to get control back. He pulled a bottle-opener from the drawer of the kitchen, and grabbed a wine glass.

As Edd popped the bottle, he felt something else pop inside himself. It was strange, as if there was someone watching him perform this act. He felt as if he was being judged, but in his angry stupor, he hoped whoever was watching was enjoying the show. Edd poured a good amount of the pink-red liquid into the large glass, and inspected it like an insect. It took him a while, but almost quickly, he knocked the entire glass back with one flick of the wrist.

And my god, he loved it.​

 

[Taichou]

It was the season for giving, for caring, loving, family, and all the absolute above, all wrapped in a nice red ribbon present, right underneath the Christmas tree--

"AAAA-CHOOOO"

The ginger jock sneezed in a crippled, and cold manor on the bumpy, roaring bus ride home. It was December, the beginning of winter, along with the beginning of the two week Winter Break for all the Peach Creek students in the culdesac. Kevin, having to roll up the bike before the winter wave hit the neighborhood, he was stuck with the only transportation available at 6:30 in the morning, the local school bus that almost everyone takes to school. Sitting next to Naz, who claimed the window seat for her own, ever since they started becoming seat buddies, Kevin was the unlucky one who got the aisle seat, who was unfortunately cursed with sitting across the aisle from Sarah and her little baby henchman, Jimmy.

Morning after morning, and afternoon after every single afternoon bus ride, from there to back home, he heard every single problem that got to Jimmy, whether it was unsolved buisness, that Kevin would rather not recap to himself, at home, or how Jimmy is getting bullied in every shape and form at school. But, who would blame the bully? Jimmy is practically a child trapped in a school full of growing teenagers, into adults. Who wouldn't want to beat the crap out of him for being undeveloped? As bad as that sounded, at least it kept his thoughts occupied while the bus would make its rounds. At least Nazz had her headphones with her, humming her own songs while leaving Kevin with the burden to hear how Sarah was going to 'beat the shit out of anyone who dared to touch her precious little Jimmy again'.

Pfft, yeah right.

Everyone knew Sarah was all talk, the only person she could take down by force was the Ed's, but only because they were natural weaklings by default, one look she gave them, would just knock them out right away.

"Hey--" Nazz said, with a nudge to Kevin's forearm.

Kevin blinked a few times, his head that leaned back on the cold grey leather seats of the rickety, old bus, he rolled it over to see her bright blue eyes look up at him, her blonde bangs pushed to to the side for a clear view, and her red lipstick as vibrant as always. "Sup'?"

"I was talking to you and you weren't listening.."

"Ah-- Sorry Babe. Got lost in my thoughts, I guess. What'cha say?"

Nazz paused a bit, her eyebrow raising up in a way where she didn't want to believe him at first, but, decided to push past her instinct, and repeat what she said before. "What are you doing for Christmas? My parents are having a little dinner date out of town, and I'm home alone.. Decided to have a party with the cheer squad, and invited some jocks too. And-- since you are a jock by default, you are invited."

Kevin cut a grin on his, once bored, facial expression. "Sounds fun. Knowing my folks, they are gonna' want some time with me. I'll come a little later, if that's cool with you babe?"

Nazz nodded, smiling, before putting her loose earbud back in, listening to her bubblegum pop music for the rest of the way home.

Kevin was invited to a party. And for him, that was a step up, since all it has been lately was sleeping, running, school, eating, studying, and then repeat it all for the entire first semester. To put it short, it has been Hell.

Kevin needed this party.

⇜It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas⇝
​

It was the day of the party, and Kevin was in the kitchen; with his dark plain red Christmas sweater he wore, with a dark green flannel underneath, both his sleeves pulled up, he was washing the dishes after his families big Ham Christmas dinner. Left with the shorter end of the stick to clean the kitchen, along with a long rant on how his Mother "slaved" over this perfect meal all day, and cleaning it would basically ruin her, practically pushed Kevin into doing this. Not only that, if he didn't do it, the party that he was invited too last week, on the first day of Winter Break from Nazz, would be out of the question.

Kevin was desperate, lets put it this way.

With the last dish in the dishwasher, setting it on the wash cycle, he dried his hands with a towel, and went over to a jacket rack that hung outside the kitchen archway. Picking up his leather jacket, along with his signature red and black baseball cap, placing it rightfully on his head, he swung his jacket around, slipping his arms into it, and letting it loosely hang open. He didn't bother zipping it, only because Nazz was a few houses down from him, but still, the bitter cold awaited him, along with the slow fall of winter flurries. A quick pep in his step would keep him warm enough.

Turning to the front door, his hand on the glass handle, as he looked back to see his Pop in the upstairs bathroom, already prepping to go to bed, and his Ma's room, awaiting him. Kevin decided not to say he was going out, for he very much knew the curfew, and if their was any problems, texting would, and always subvised.

He entered the winter wonderland. The two inches of snow covering both sides of his lawn, on the roof of his house, and the Christmas lights his father put up by himself, almost fell of the ladder, and blamed it all on Kevin for not even being concerned, and just laughed it off. It was a beautiful sight, besides the fact that this wasn't Kevin's favorite season due to this insane cold, and the snow that stripped him away from his motorcycle riding privileges, moments like these made up for it.​

The time Kevin left his house, it was hitting 10:30pm. The party started 30mins ago, and kids were starting to pull in fashionable late. He saw a few close buddies in Football roll in with a heavy bass sound coming from their hand-me-down, second hand car, as they packed about six kids in four seater car.

Now that was talent.

Turning the key to lock the door behind him, then returning his house key back into the pocket of his leather jacket. He started down the stairs, his eyes slightly stinging from the low cold breeze, and his nose, along with tips of his ears already getting bitten by the low temperatures. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he walked leisurely out into the culdesac circle, into the night, over to Nazz's house.

The silence was peaceful, but the close he got to Nazz's house, you could hear the sound of un-festive music playing from her house, along with the loud chatter of the invites entering her house. He didn't know when he started to grin, but all of a sudden, he curled on him. Kevin was excited for this. It felt as if it was forever since he has done something outside of school that wasn't an obligation. Hitting the curb from across the street, Kevin stopped, for his eyes that were dazing upon his ticket to the time of his life, shifted over to a house that became all to familiar to him.

"Dammit."

He could see it, the glowing first floor of the two houses down neighbor of Nazz, Eddward's house. Kevin swore under his breath, the perspiration causing a small cloud in the air. He sighed deeply, making a puff of hot air into the cold.

There it was, the feeling, the feeling he was trying so hard to suppress was suddenly stabbing at his conscious, his body, and his heart. The obligation was attacking him, and all it took was to just look over to see the empty drive way, of what was expected to have at least one car there.

"So, she couldn't make it after all."

Although it was months ago, Kevin still remembered that day. The day Marion promised Edd that she would be home to celebrate Christmas with her only, and very miserably lonely son. But, maybe a Christmas miracle couldn't reach the Dweeb this time. His eyes shifted back and forth to each house. Between the lively one with all his friends, or the other one that was depressingly quiet. With a groan, Kevin began running the opposite direction of Nazz's house, going to the loser who apparently didn't have any friends in the first place to be with him on Christmas.

---

He reached the door step, his breath hot, and exhaling out in slow, and long intervals. His hand, balled up into a fist, the tips of his fingers dyed red by the cold catching on to him, he pounded on the white door, only to stand there waiting for him to answer. His body shaking, slowly progressing into a freezing, violent shake, as he stood there, waiting for the Double Dork to answer his door, wondering to himself how long could it take one person to open the door.

It then clicked open, Kevin looking down at the Dweeb with a cold, irritable look.
"Took you long enough, Dork. It is freezing out here.."

 

[Dip]

Edd drank his first glass of wine alone. It summed up his holiday season if you asked him. As he sat at the table, he folded his hands over his face as he tried to gain control of his breathing. He was doing a mixture of both hyperventilating and hiccuping. He decided that yes, it was a bad idea to get drunk during an excremental crises, previous to a fight with one of the only people who loved him unconditionally. Well, that was shattered to all oblivion. Eddward tried breathing deeply as he tried to gain control of his life again, but the warmth in his stomach was filling a void that had never been filled previously.

Eddward knew plenty about being drunk, and plenty about alcoholism. He knew that alcoholism and loneliness both went hand in hand when it came to ruining someone's life, and Edd had said previously that he didn't need alcohol to be happy, but now, it felt like the fuzzy feeling he felt when he drank the wine down like it was going to kill him was something that can be only achieved with Black Velvet's Aged Strawberry Wine. He rubbed his eyes, sighed, and took the bottle. He poured another helping into the red-stained glass, and set it shakily on the table. He stared at it for a long time before it looked drinkable.

In Edd's stupor, he thought over all the events that led to this. Maybe it was Eddy, who was too good to spend time with his best friend. Maybe it was Ed taking the other's side. Maybe it was his own fault. Edd's head lifted from the table, and he stared off in the distance. Maybe it was his fault. At first, he dismissed this idea as just him discussing absolute nothingness, but the more he dwelled on it, the more it began to fall in place. His mother sounded so upset when he called because she WAS upset that he called. Ed and Eddy never miss out on a Christmas party at Edd's. They used to love it as a kid, but maybe they were more mature than Edd.

Edd froze.

Was it possible that everyone else had matured faster than himself? My god, he was a late bloomer, sure, but was he really that late? Edd took the wine glass, and knocked it back. He drank about half of that cup before his vision felt a little fuzzy. He placed the glass down, and focused on it until he only saw one glass. As Edd focused on the glass, he gently slipped from his chair. Maybe he was just so desperate for friends, he would go to such lengths as to suffocate Ed and Eddy for all his life. That very thought made him sick. He gently gripped the glass, and tempted to drink the rest of the fluid. His stomach was empty, and he wasn't too keen on emptying the contents of his little emotional outbreak all over the floor, so he simply refilled the glass and tried to keep a steady hand.

The hyperventilating had stopped almost as soon as it had started, but that didn't mean Edd was cured from his sadness. His breathing came with short fits of hiccuping, and a fit of dizziness. He was cursed, he supposed. He guessed that he deserved the feeling of wobbly-ness and complete communicability. Edd took his hat off, something he rarely did, and sighed. He let the cool chill inside his house run past his scalp as he was deep in thought. He thought about his life, and his friends and his future. He gently thought about Kevin, but only for a second. Why would someone like Kevin worry himself over someone like Edd? They were just using eachother.

As he thought to himself, he nearly forgot that someone had been insistently knocking at his door.

In the dead of night.

On Christmas.

The only thing that brought this full circle was that it was Edd's house. Edd took his hat and fastened it onto his head. As he tried his best to stand, he stumbled like a doe. He grabbed hold of the table, and soon wobbled over towards the door. His stomach was screaming at him to sit down, and his head was spinning. Who could it be? Was it Eddy and Ed? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe his friends didn't hate him, or forgot about him, or lied to him, or any of that! Maybe he was cared about. Maybe it was his mother, and Lance, or someone. Anyone. He wanted someone to share in his silence so badly, he would even go so far as to say--

Kevin.

Kevin.

He only knew it was Kevin because he was the only person to knock so persistently, and with such effort. Edd's cheer instantly sank dramatically. He was probably just there to rub it in, or something like that. He almost didn't answer the door, but even in a stupor, he wasn't rude nor was he a coward. Edd grabbed the handle, and hung onto the door frame like it would save his life. Edd let a tendril of cold air into his face as he saw Kevin, looking like he was nearly frozen to the bone. Edd swayed on his feet as he looked at Kevin. He had nothing to say to him, so he simply said,

"Kevin."

 

[Taichou]

"Kevin."

"Flesh and blood." Kevin said, looking the boy with chocolate brown eyes up and down, only to return back to his ghost like stare. He frowned slightly, as the two stood there frozen in the drifting time together. Kevin, outside, practically freezing his ass off, started to fidget, looking at Double-D impatiently, expecting for something to come out of the 'in a trance' teen. But, the more the winter's chilling bite got to him, manors in a situation like this wasn't going to last long for him.

"I'm coming in." Taking the first forcible step, pushing past Edd's shoulder gentle, entering the house that was almost as close to a paradise's warmth, a sigh of relief came to him. "Damn.. It was cold out there.." Kevin said into his balled up hands that cupped his mouth, gathering the blast of heat that went on in Edd's house, and through Kevin's heated breath. His back was towards the nerd, until the door closed and Kevin turned around, only to get the damage control of what was going on with the Dork. He wanted to get in and out, there was a party going on only a few houses down, and Kevin didn't dare to miss it-- so to him, this was basically a quick check in and check out, maybe if the lights are still on in this house, he will check in after the party. Who knows, but time wasn't on Kevin's side, that is for sure, the consistent tapping of his foot made it clear.

Kevin looked at the confused, and slightly disconnected Edd. Raising an eyebrow at this, Kevin's jaw slowly opened to speak in this new investigation-- only to be cut off at the slight smell of something different drifting in the house. With a turn of his head, his eyes staring at the dining room kitchen, only to see a cupboard ajar, a bottle of what looked like some fancy wine, and a half drunken glass poured with what would be the wine that sat on the other side of the table. Kevin stood there, frozen, his thoughts trying to connect the dots that made a simple line, but yet, Kevin still tried to figure it out in a way that was so far from just connecting two and two together.

Edd was drinking. He did drink. How much? How many glasses? How many bottles did he go through?

Kevin could've asked all the questions in the world to why this was happening, he could even come up with a few simple conclusions on how this all came to be, but in the end, it wouldn't be same unless he got the story, along with a pretty good damn reason why Edd was doing this.

"Honestly.. Why?"

A sigh came from deep in the pit of Kevin, blew past his tired, and slightly irritated lips, while he rolled his head back to the wobbling virgin of strong alcohol. His own eyes, staring into the doe like brown eyes, stained with the redness of past tears-- he didn't know what to feel. He didn't know what to think. He didn't want to think about it. There was a party out there, waiting for him-- Nazz, even she was waiting for him-- but, instead, he felt as if the world, and all its fate was already shackling his ankles to this house, his wrists already restrained from wanting to punch the Dork back into reality, and his feelings.. His feelings were basically saying this this kid, this short, scrawny, to smart for his own good kid, needed him.

All that, made Kevin just want to scream.

It was as if his mind was just cursing all over the place, regretting even coming over here. The background noise was to loud full of yelling responsibilities of having to take care of Edd, and in his own defense against the logic that surrounded the two of them, all Kevin had to go against his thoughts was, he just wanted to go to a party.

You could already tell, which one won the debate.

Kevin started, going into the dining room, grabbing the loose cork that was on the kitchen floor, grabbing the neck of the wine bottle, only to push the cork in and placing the wine back in its home. The next thing to get rid of was the half glass of wine. Everything had to go, nothing could stay, even if Edd was bound to go hysterical, Kevin didn't care.

This was important. Someone he knew was hurt and making stupid choices. While Kevin tried to fix the damage, all he knew was, if this were him, he would only hope Edd would do the same for him.

That is all that mattered.

 

[Dip]

After Kevin practically bullied himself into the building, Edd stumbled and watched him warm himself as effectively as he ought to. Eddward was dumbfounded as to why the jock would visit, let alone what compelled him to at night in the middle of winter, but he didn't ask. How could he without sounding weak? He simply collected his thoughts, and looked him over as he inspected the house all for himself. It looked like Kevin caught on to the mood that he had recently interrupted, and began to speak, but something must have pulled a fast one and in turn, interrupted the ginger jock. Edd already knew what it was-- who wouldn't? The smell of fermented grapes wafted through the entire home, and even in Edd's stupor, he could smell it. And honestly, it was quite inviting. He wanted to go and finish the rest of the glass that sat heavily, simply because he felt the warmth in his figure to be depleting from himself. He felt as if there was a gap that he was now obligated to fill, and at the sight of Kevin taking complete action was a little bewildering.

Edd wanted to demand what the hell Kevin was doing, and he wanted to know what he was even suppose to be doing there, but Edd was too tired, and that was the truth. He was so emotionally drained, it was affecting his composure and destroying his motivation to take control back into his life. Edd watched him work like a disappointed mother, and he almost felt as if he was being judged by this man-- this man who didn't really deserve an explanation for his actions. He felt almost insulted when he asked 'why' at the first sign of the wine bottle. Edd looked him over when he was done, and chewed on his lip nervously. He wasn't in the right mindset to play Twenty-Questions with that testosterone-lump, but Eddward knew that if he wanted him out of there, he could need to elaborate. He wanted to string together beautiful words, he wanted to explain himself poetically, to make it seem as if his actions were justified, but what fell from his lips was possibly the least beautiful thing to ever occur.

"Why... not?"

Edd sauntered over towards the kitchen, and he pushed past Kevin's shoulder. Much like how Kevin did at the beginning of the night. He grabbed the bottle he so rudely put away, and looked at Kevin with subtle anger etched into his features. "You know," Edd started, leaning on the counter for support. It seemed like the only support he was going to get in a situation like this. "I don't see the point anymore," Edd slurred gently as took the neck of the bottle, but he didn't bother to open it. Forget what he said earlier about being too tired to put up a fight-- he was fuming now. He was ready to start a fight with this man-- this man who was fully capable of killing him if he really wanted to. "I don't need your pit-- p-pit.. I don't need a baby-sitter, Kevin." Edd couldn't sum up the correct words to elaborate how he felt. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't find it in his vocabulary. "I am seven-teen god-damn years old, and I can drink if I want."

It wasn't like Edd to curse, he had worked so hard to ditch that habit, but now was different. He wanted control, and he didn't want to be laughed at for wanting something like that. He wanted to be taken seriously for the first time in his life. Edd sighed, and ended up breaking character. He lifted himself quite easily onto the counter, and sat himself there. Not only would he, being sober, never allow himself to sit somewhere where food belong, but he wouldn't even let the thought cross his mind. Edd let out a sigh, and stuck a nervous hand through his hair under his hat. "Seven-teen." Edd said gently, feeling tears come again. "I've had a four-point-o for seven-teen years. I always have to be perfect. But you know what? No one will care." Edd pried the cork out of the bottle, and took a small swig of it.

"I'll go to the college of my dreams-- I'll get the job I've always wanted. I'll be happy, but no one will give a fuck about me." The real tears started falling now. "I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life. Not even my best friends have the time to care anymore-- THEY aren't my friends! They-They feel sorry for me... Everyone feels so damn sorry for Eddward, but will they help him out? No!" Edd covered his face with his hands, and heaved a breath. "Some days I feel like I could die, and no one would care. I-I could jump into traffic, I could do anything, but I bet no one would come to my funeral." Edd wiped alligator tears from his face. "My sorry excuse of a parent would say she was too busy and have her secretary bring me flowers..." He muttered to himself. It wasn't too long after that before Edd started targeting Kevin once more.

"And you," He said, wobbling into a stance and pointing a finger lecherously into his chest. "You have tortured me for twelve years. You-You shattered my confidence, make me feel like an IDIOT, isolate me from any chance of self-confidence I could have had," Edd looked at him dead in the eye, and used all the courage he could to not make his voice waver. "An-And you think you can come in and play hero? I know for a fact you wanted to make yourself seem righteous. You wanted to boost your self-esteem just a little higher so you have something else to hang over me, but you know what? I-I don't need you to make me feel pathetic, I can do that enough on my own."

 

[Taichou]

Edd was... Hysterical. Kevin, who was frozen in between that, what was, a closed bottle of almost completely drunken wine, and the Dork that muttered to himself as he wobbled himself over to the bottle of wine, only to grab it by the neck, with all the intention of downing it all. Kevin wanted to reach out, to stop this kid from making the worse mistake he could possibly make at this moment, taking a sip of that, even just one swig of it, would cause that kid to fall to the ground, pass out, and call what this shitty holiday already, to end.

But, on the other hand, maybe it wouldn't that much of a problem after all?

As the drunkard began to speak, Kevin only watched him calmly, as if he was completely ignoring what the intoxicated Edd, who smelled heavily of expensive wine, and whatever else he made tonight to fill his stomach, was saying. But, with each word that slurred past the gap of his teeth, he realized that every word was coated in some sort of hysteria, mixed with a little aggression. It took Kevin a back, a bit. While he furrowed his brows, looking at Edd with a bit of uneasy shock. Kevin, looking at the vivid Eddward, as his aggression slowly turned into something more, turning away to the hostile intentions, only burrow into the ground of his own self-pity, and what almost could be considered as depression.

His expression turned soft, almost innocent, as he spoke to Kevin in such a vulnerable state, almost as if being drunk caused an epiphany of the sort-- and here Kevin was, watching it all unfold, becoming a piece of art right in front of Kevin's eyes. Although, it brought some sort of bittersweet twinge to Kevin, the cork being popped out, along with the swishing sound of the alcohol exiting the bottle, into the body of a scrawny kid. Kevin took action, he snatched the bottle from Edd's already unraveling hands. As his fingers wrapped around the bottle, as he gotten close to Edd to retrieve the bottle, Kevin realized that Edd was crying. His eyes, glossy, turning a bright red as the tears began to pour out without a care.

Edd was sobbing, and all Kevin did was hold the bottle, and watch as Double-D crumbled right before his very own eyes.

He felt awkward, almost. For this state where Edd was, was way out of Kevin's reach of understanding. The thought of being alone on Christmas was something that Kevin wouldn't mind, due to the heavy grip his father has had on him ever since he was a child, safe to say, Kevin never knew what it was like to have all the freedom in the world, and not knowing what to do with it. Kevin never knew what it was like to be alone all the time. The only thing Kevin knew was how to be suffocated by people who loved him unconditionally. Stepping into a new light, as he stood in front of Edd, was something so foreign to him, all he could do was watch it crack and shatter-- Until the finger was then pointed at him.

The sting that the finger of the slurring, hysterical, girl before him, was attacking him. Edd, barking at the bigger dog for all the wrong he has done. Kevin widened his eyes in shock, uncomfortable, uneasy, and maybe a bit awkward, shock.

"You have tortured me for twelve years. You-You shattered my confidence, make me feel like an IDIOT..."

Kevin swallowed uneasily. Standing there, frozen as Edd went on and on with his allegations, his justifications, and his misery that he had to go through because Kevin, caused it all. Kevin ruined it all for the sake of his own good. Poking fun at the little guy, because he was bored. Not at all was it for his own self-confidence boost; to be honest, Kevin had all the confidence in the world, he didn't need three dorks to make it any higher-- or was he making excuses?

Kevin shook his head vigorously, furrowing his brows, as his irritation shown through his glare as he looked down at the finished Edd. Placing the bottle on the counter, his hand going for the collar of his shirt only to stop part way, only to stop Edd from making more negative points about his character. Kevin huffed a sigh out only to begin his statement. "You're drunk, hysterical, and depressed. Anything you say, I'm not going to listen to you, because you won't remember it by morning, anyway." He grabbed Edd's forearm, gripping it a bit to tightly than he attended too, only to forcefully pull him towards the stair well. "I'm putting you to bed," Kevin began with his back turned towards the other, "so just shut up and don't bitch about it."