Blood in the Water

Chapter Six

Kevin did not know French, at least not more than any normal American speaking citizen (because he was in full belief that he did not speak English, the language of tea and crumpets, but American, the language of freedom and baseball). However he did know one word in French thanks to Edd - when they were younger he had heard him say Mere whenever he referred to his mother. Earlier that morning as he stood in the man's doorway listening in on a conversation he knew he should not have been there for he heard Edd repeat that word over and over again, a slow chant, a quiet plea. Watching Edd's body doubled over, his hand covering his face as if ashamed of his very existence, Kevin felt his heart breaking.

True to what he expected however, Eddward lashed out when he returned to his senses. Kevin had been appreciative of the shadows in the room, he was happy that he could not see the loneliness often masked in his blue eyes. But even though he had not seen it, he could imagine it.

That thought had distracted him on the way to school and made him have to veer sharply to avoid hitting a car, resulting in honks and angry name callings; a few middle fingers were shown. America, the land of entitlement. He was not going to complain however.

By the time he pulled into the gate he knew he was early, and was glad for it. He found Nazz's car and parked his bike beside it. The woman was inside, listening to her radio as she performed her morning ritual of applying her war paint - or as many women called it: makeup. She glanced over as Kevin cut the engine and hung it on his handlebars.

He invited himself into the car, settling down into the passenger seat as he listened to the disc jockey talk about a pileup on the northern thirty-two.

"Hey Kev, what's up?" She reached out and turned the radio down to a quiet murmur before returning her attention to the visor mirror for her makeup.

Kevin settled back in his seat and kicked his feet up on the dashboard, staring at the half undone lace on his left shoe. He was composing his words carefully while Nazz patiently waited. "Hey Nazz, what..." he sighed, "How do you know..." No that would not work either.

"You like Edd."

"What?!" He flinched, scrambling, "But how..."

The woman flipped her visor up and capped her mascara, "Kevin, I have never seen you worry and fuss over anyone like you did with Edd. You are a tough guy but you went through two years of therapy after seeing him hurt - you already have a connection with him. You didn't have to be around him until recently, so now that you're being forced to confront him on a more personal level you're discovering that you have feelings."

Kevin just stared for a long minute, mouth agape as he parsed Nazz's shockingly precise words. "When did you figure all that out?" He shot.

"Call it a woman's intuition." She mused with a grin, "And Marie told me that Edd confessed you two made out the other night." She shrugged, "But I always had a feeling. Marie and I made a bet on this about a year ago, you two were just way too uptight with each other."

"Since when are you and Marie so buddy-buddy!" Kevin shot.

Nazz shrugged some, "Since our two best friends started trying to kill each other in the most subtle homoerotic ways."

"I'm not gay! I mean... I feel bad for Edd, I don't know what happened last week," or less than two hours ago, he mentally confessed, "But I don't want in his pants!" Well that was the most bold faced lie he had ever told anyone.

She sighed, "Then what are you after Kev? You look pretty flustered."

Kevin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He remembered the feel of Edd's hair, surprisingly soft, the sound of that purr echoed in his mind and pooled fire straight in his abdomen. He blinked and realized he had gone silent, cleared his throat, "I want to help him."