Home For Two

Start writing your story

It had been taking quite a while for Matt to go retrieve the mail, but this was typical and Edd and Tom were used to it. Like a lost puppy or cat, he would always return home, even if he was gone for three days or more. Even though they would be gone for a while, they would always manage to return home.

As usual, Edd and Tom were sitting on the red sofa in the living room, watching TV.

Tom sighed heavily, obviously bored with television. "This is boring." He grumbled. "You're boring." Edd answered swiftly while keeping his eyes fixed on the television. With a grimace, the small man turned to face his friend and questioned, crossing his arms, "Why do you always reply like that? Are there any other right ways for you to respond besides saying those things?" The other man was puzzled by this and looked over at Tom, raising an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say? Like what in response?

"Like- you know what. Forget it." With a big frown on his face, the man sagged into the couch and fixed his gaze on the television. Edd looked at him for a few seconds, then shrugged and turned his head to look at the TV. It was silent; the only sound coming from the detective show they were watching. It wasn't Edd and Tom's favorite thing, but they had nothing else to watch. "This show is so confusing; how have they not caught him yet? Their proof is blatantly obvious," Edd grumbled.

Tom groaned, "Yeah, they're really dragging it out. I wish they would just catch the guy already." The other man nodded in agreement and added, "It is clear who the guy is; it's that idiot who always wears the yellow hat. He's so obvious, they should just arrest him." The short man, Tom, snorted at that remark. "Yes, it's possible that they're trying to be dramatic or something. These shows are as you know them." He shrugged, not quite persuaded by his own words. After a few more minutes of silently watching the show, Edd abruptly sat up straight on the couch. The short man felt his friend shift on the sofa and turned to look at him. His gaze strayed over Edd's body as he observed his movements, soaking in every detail. As soon as Tom realized what he was doing, he felt his cheeks heat up and turned back to the TV. "What's wrong?" Edd asked curiously, observing the other man's fleeting glance back at the TV. "Nothing, just got a weird feeling," Tom shrugged. Why was he staring at his friend that way? His heart was pounding and he felt very strange. Is that how you normally look at your friend? Perhaps it is. Tom was really embarrassed.

This was how Tom had been feeling for some time now; he would find himself staring at Edd, his best friend, all the time. Not just any type of staring, but a strange jumble of feelings that he couldn't quite place. Was he drawn to him? Not at all! Pfft—why would he find himself drawn to the man he spent so much time growing up with and living with? That isn't how it is. Is it, though? Tom had always assumed that Edd and he were only friends. However, he had just now begun to pick up on small details about his friend that he had never noticed before.

"Finally! They caught the man!} Edd exclaimed with a broad, silly smile on his face. Tom looked at the television; he paid little attention to what was on the screen. He had been lost in thought, staring at nothing. He noticed the smile on his friend's face as he turned to look at him. He grinned a little, but he always felt that the man wearing the 'Smeg Head' shirt looked stupid when he smiled. He liked gazing at that smile though, it made his heart race. Tom quickly snapped back to reality and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind, that's all."

Edd nodded, sensing Tom could be holding something back in his life that he wasn't quite ready to discuss. "Well, whatever it is, I'm here to listen if you ever want to talk about it." He said, offering his friendship and support. Tom experienced a surge of warmth in his chest upon hearing his friend's remarks. It seems like he meant it sincerely. Through thick and thin, Edd had always supported him. Perhaps he ought to confide in him; perhaps he could help him in understanding what was wrong with him. Tom sighed deeply and chose to tell the truth. He gave a frown and met Edd's gaze. "You're right, I do have something on my mind. I've been feeling really weird lately, like I'm not really sure how I feel about you." Tom trailed off, his heart racing as he said the words. He couldn't believe he was admitting this to Edd of all people.

Edd frowned and asked, "Did I do something wrong?" He tilted his head to the side as he asked this question. Tom shook his head quickly. "No, of course not! I mean, I'm not sure if this is the right way to put it, but I think I'm... maybe attracted to you." He paused, waiting for a response. His heart was pounding in his chest, nervous about how Edd would react. Edd was silent for a moment, processing what Tom had just said. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he looked down at his hands, clearly surprised but not entirely shocked by Tom's confession. "W-well, I um..." He stammered, searching for the right words. Tom watched as Edd fumbled with his words, a mix of emotions coursing through him. Part of him was relieved that Edd wasn't upset, but another part was nervous about how he would react.

"I know this is probably weird," Tom continued, "but I've always thought of you as more than just a friend. I mean, you're my best friend, and I love spending time with you, but recently, I've been noticing things about you that... Well, they make me think about you in a different way."

Edd looked up at Tom, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as well. He took a deep breath before responding, trying to find the right words himself. "I... I'm not sure how to respond," he said softly. "This is kind of unexpected, but I'm really flattered, Tom." Tom smiled shyly, relieved to hear that Edd wasn't completely freaked out by his confession. "Really?" He asked, hoping he wasn't reading too much into it. "I mean, I don't want to ruin our friendship or anything, but I just thought I should be honest with you." Edd nodded, "Of course, Tom. I appreciate your honesty, and I have to admit, I've felt something similar towards you too. It's just... we've always been friends, and I didn't want to mess that up." Tom felt a wave of relief wash over him as he heard Edd's response. "I understand," he said softly. "It's just been really hard for me to figure out how I feel about you. But now that I've said it, I guess I feel a little better."

Edd smiled softly at this, reaching out to take the shorter man's hand and gently squeezing it. "Tom, don't worry," Edd comforted him. "I don't want us to lose that because things are a little different now; we've been through so much together. Let's take it slow, okay?"

Tom nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.

Edd leaned in and gave the other Brit a peck on the cheek. "We'll take this a step at a time, alright?" Tom blushed brightly at the gesture, his heart racing even faster. He nodded eagerly, "Yeah, of course. Let's just... see where this goes." They shared a moment of silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they processed the new information about their feelings for each other. "You look stupid with that blush on your face." Edd suddenly said as he grinned, clearly joking around. This made Tom roll his eyes. "Oh, shut up," Tom said with a laugh, trying to play it cool but unable to hide his embarrassment. "You're one to talk, with that goofy grin on your face." Edd laughed too, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Guilty as charged," he said, his voice filled with warmth.

The two guys continued to watch TV together, their hands intertwined on the couch. As they watched, Tom couldn't help but steal glances at Edd's smile, feeling a strange mix of confusion and excitement in his chest. The other man seemed to sense this, and he gave Tom's hand a reassuring squeeze. The rest of the night passed in a blur for Tom and Edd. They watched TV together, laughed at the same jokes, and even shared a few more quiet moments like the one they'd just shared. As the credits rolled on the show they'd been watching, Tom turned to Edd with a newfound sense of curiosity. "So, um..." The British man looked up from where he'd been absently playing with the remote, raising an eyebrow in question. "Yeah, Tom? What's up?"

"Well, uh, now that we've sort of acknowledged how we both feel about each other," Tom started nervously. "I was thinking we could, you know, do something about it." Edd looked at Tom for a moment, processing his words. He couldn't deny that he'd been wondering the same thing himself.

"You mean, like, go out on a date or something?" He asked tentatively, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Tom nodded eagerly, his heart pounding in his chest. "Yeah, exactly! Just the two of us, maybe go grab some dinner or something." The man smirked. "Well... Matt will most likely be gone for a day or two to get the mail, so we'll have some time to ourselves." Edd said to the shorter Brit. Tom grinned back at Edd, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of spending time alone with him. "Sounds perfect," he said, reaching over to give Edd's hand a quick squeeze. "Let's make it happen." Edd smiled warmly at Tom, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

And with that, Edd and Tom had spent their time together. They enjoyed their date and discovered new things about each other as they grew closer. Their friendship had evolved into something more, and they cherished every moment they spent together. As the nights turned into days, their love for each other only deepened, and they knew that they had found something truly special.

The end.