Automatic

Chapter 49. Come What May

Kevin slept in Edd's bed that night.

Christine had gone home to sleep in her own bed for the first time in months that night after bringing Kevin a pair of sweats and a clean outfit for the morning. So the hospital room was silent, all except for Edd's heart monitor among the humming of some other machines.

Why didn't you tell me?

The words bounced around in Edd's head violently, his anxiety ever growing as Kevin waited for his answer patiently. Swallowing the sudden guilt into his gut, Edd opened his mouth only to find that the words were stuck in his throat. "I-"

Kevin hummed in acknowledgement but did nothing more as continued to wait. "I- I watched the news, Kevin." Edd said, absently twisting a small tube in between his fingers. "There was something about bombings...I can't remember."

"Yeah, those." Kevin muttered to himself, trying not to think about any of that. He was with Edd now and Kevin really didn't feel like reminiscing about war and lost comrades.

Edd sighed, let go of Kevin's hand, and started to push himself up into a sitting position. Kevin immediately sat up and helped him knowing that the man hadn't moved in nearly three weeks. Regardless, the raven waved the red-head's fluttering hands away and turned to look into those forest green eyes that he missed so, so much. "I didn't want to distract you."

"Distract me? Edd, listen. I would've rather known-"

"Known that I was dying? In the middle of a war? Really, Kevin. Be reasonable." Edd said, his voice still sounded raw in the few hours that he had been awake. "You can't possibly say that you'd want to..."

Kevin frowned as Edd's words faded out mid-sentence and his eyebrows furrowed as his lips became pursed. "That I'd want to what?" the soldier asked, his own face mirroring Edd's as confusion and hurt filtered through him. "Edd?"

"I don't know. I forgot."

The hurt feelings disappeared as soon as they came once Edd's face turned into one of despair. "Edd? Baby, you alright?" Kevin asked, putting his large hands on the other's shoulders in a comforting fashion.

Edd placed a hand on his forehead and let out a little sigh. "Yes, I- I just seem to have a hard time remembering."

"You should lay back down," Kevin said softly, pulling back on Edd's thin shoulders. "We don't need to talk about this anymore, it's okay. Get some rest Babe, I'll still be here when you wake up in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too." Edd said once his head hit the pillow, his bright cerulean eyes clouded over with confusion and worry. Kevin quickly settled back down into the bed himself and tugged the blanket over the two of them. Edd scooted closer so that his head rested in the crook of his unofficial fiance's neck and placed a small kiss on the underside of his jaw.

Kevin gathered Edd in his strong arms and returned the kiss to the good side of his head. Soon the sounds of slow breathing touched the red-head's ears and he let out a long breath through his nose. He should have known. Just when things are getting better, something comes along to ruin everything. Perhaps it was just a fluke- a one time thing- but what if it wasn't? What if the doctors fucked something up in Edd's brain? Kevin frowned deeply at the onslaught of terrible thoughts that ran through his mind and shivered.

Pulling the blanket up more to cover up Edd's shoulders, Kevin noticed something odd. The blanket wasn't one of the hospital's, it was a quilt. His mother's quilt, to be exact. A strong sense of nostalgia filled his senses as he felt the plush fabric in his hand, thinking back to when his ma would curl up with him in front of the fireplace and watch Christmas movies when he was little. Then Kevin thought back to when he and Edd did the exact same thing last Christmas- but then later abandoned the movies and quilt on Eddy's living room floor to take a late walk together. But things were different this year, that special time had passed with the two worlds away from each other. Looking over at the clock and seeing it click to twelve made Kevin chuckle the tiniest bit.