Author's Note: This is art imitating life as it were. I just got my wisdom teeth out. Feeling better today than I did Friday, that's for sure! And because I'm feeling better, you know I had to make it A Thing™! Can't wait til I can eat real food again either...

"Geeze, Dee. You look like shit."

Edd rolled his eyes at Eddy while Big Ed gave him a gentle hug.

"Shut up, Eddy!" Ed grumbled. "His lil face hurts," he cooed.

Eddy snickered as he shoved his way inside and Double Dee rolled his eyes.

But he had to admit that their tallest friend was right.

His face did indeed, hurt.

A short lifetime of near perfect dental care didn't stop his wisdom teeth from growing in crooked. The number 32 tooth was trying to come in completely sideways while the other three were doing their best to come in rightnextto their neighboring molars.

His parents didn't understand it as everyone else in his family either got their wisdom teeth with little pain, if they came in at all.

"I just woke up one morning in college and they were all there," his father told him when he first started to complain and his mother took a peek in the back of his mouth.

It was swollen, red, and Edd would swear it was literally pounding, like tiny little jackhammers into his gums and jaw.

"Well, you're going to wake up tomorrow morning and take him to the dentist," his mother had replied as she quickly booked him an appointment online.

The dentist took several x-rays, made a referral to an oral surgeon, and two days later, he's got four extra holes in his swollen face.

The long Columbus Day weekend meant he wouldn't miss school, but he did miss the football game against Lemon Brook, the drama over Rolf ogling one of their cheerleaders, Kevin's crazy touchdown, and Johnny using Plank to whack the shit out of some posers from Appleton who were there to cause trouble because they were bored.

So Ed and Eddy dropped by with gossip and some soup from Ed's mom and pudding from Eddy's.

But all Double Dee wants to do is sleep and hopefully wake up with no pain.

Ed suggested a movie, but their toothless friend was asleep before the opening credits were done.

Two hours later, he's awake because his face is on fire and Ed's feeding him his painkillers in pudding.

The doorbell ringing piqued their attention and Eddy ran to the door when Edd's Google Home monitor showed who was outside.

"Hey, Stud," he absolutely gushed, doubling over in laughter when Kevin pushed him aside and damn near stormed in.

"EDD!"

"In here," Ed called back as the Ed in question was sipping soup, his jaw too sore to respond to anyone.

"Damn," Kevin said softly as he sat the plain brown bag in his hand on the counter and opened his arms for a hug. "How you doin?"

Edd shrugged in his embrace before wiggling away because his tea timer went off.

"He hasn't said shit to us and we've been here two hours," Eddy explained when he walked into the kitchen and then to the fridge to help himself to a soda that was off limits to his host for the next week or so.

"Yikes."

Edd cut his eyes at all of them and they all gave him a knowing look back.

"Mah fa hurt," he complained as best he could, even stomping his foot for emphasis and his friends just laughed at him which made him feel worst til Kevin gave him another hug.

"Listen, we get it," the redhead said into his beanie, "but you gotta admit that this is weird."

"Wha ever," Edd said softly before grabbing the bag Kevin brought in off the counter. "Wha dis?"

"Oh, yeah!" The redhead perked up. "Just some reusable ice packs mom made for ya and some tea because you said you liked it."

The beanie clad one nodded as he peeked inside and saw the homemade ice packs and tea bags along with a couple tins of loose leaf tea from the locally owned tea shop in the city.

"Tell ha tanks for me?"

The red head grinned with a slight blush because oh mah gawd could he be any cuter?!

"Yah, sure. And she said you can have some shepherd's pie just as soon as you can eat real food again."

"I like shepherd's pie," Eddy said as he slid up to him and batted his eyes.

"Fuck off, McGee!" Kevin groaned as he shoved him away.

"Guys," Edd drawled and Kevin and Ed jumped up to catch him as his knees buckled.

Eddy tsked and shook his head as his best friend leaned into his former enemie's embrace.

"Time for bed, Lil Edd," Ed said as he scooped his friend up in his arms and Kevin took his tea mug from his shaky hands.

Eddy led the way upstairs, Kevin behind him, hands filled with Edd's tea mug, ice packs, and meds, Ed taking up the rear with the drowsy patient in his arms, muttering about how he wasn't sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.

Eddy's phone pinged a few times while they got Edd in bed, and then Ed's phone rang.

"Hello?" Edd answered before falling back into bed, dizzy as all get out.

Ed groaned when he looked at the screen, then said, "I gotta go," to no one in particular before running down the stairs, answering the blaring call as he went. "Yeah, yeah! I'm coming! Shut up, Sarah! I said I was coming! I'm just at Double Dee's -"

The door slamming jerked Edd up again and Eddy quickly jumped to get him to lay back down.

"Shh, shh, it's ok. Just Sarah bugging Ed."

Edd's face clouded over angrily, but with his swollen cheeks it looked like a miffed off pout and the short Ed had to snicker. Edd shoved him away and yanked the blankets over his head and Eddy outright laughed.

Kevin shook his head as he lined Edd's meds and ice packs on his nightstand, then set the tea on the warmer next to his lamp.

"You got him, Shovelchin?"

Kevin looked down at the short Ed in front of him who was tapping away at his phone.

"Wha?"

"You got him?" Eddy asked again, a bit more incredulously this time. "I gotta go and his parents are still gone at work or whatever and I know we both think he can't be by himself so…"

"Yeah, yeah. I got him," Kevin said softly, nervous as hell at the responsibility but wanting to do it all the same.

"Cool," Eddy said as he walked out the room. "I'll see y'all later."

Neither boy answered, Edd too busy enjoying a drug induced, pain free slumber, Kevin too in shock at the opportunity in his lap.

Edd woke up a good five hours later to Kevin on his bed, tapping away on his phone.

"K-Kevin?"

"Hey, hey!" The redhead said brightly. "How you feelin?"

"Mah face…"

"Got it."

Kevin jumped up, ran downstairs to the kitchen, and while he got Edd a glass of water, Edd did his best to sit up, stretch, and gather his bearings.

"You need anything?" Kevin asked when he came back and Edd took his meds.

"Food," the other replied, eyes wide at the fact that he took his meds on an empty stomach.

The bright lights of a couple cars on the street, then one swinging into Edd's driveway let them know that food was on the way.

"Looks like your parents are back," Kevin said as he peeked out of the bedroom window and Edd sighed gratefully. "And apparently mine are, too."

A soft, disappointed squeak drew his attention back to the boy behind him and he smiled.

"Listen, we still on for next Thursday?" Kevin asked as he pulled his hoodie back over his tshirt and toed on his shoes.

Edd nodded and then gave him a sly grin as he asked, "We actually gonna tudy dis time?"

"I dunno...it's anatomy. Again," Kevin grinned back as he crossed his arms and Edd groaned into his hands.

"I'll see you later, Dork," he snickered and a forehead kiss later, he was gone.

Edd couldn't wait til next Thursday.

Maybe this time, they'd get further than their faces and Kevin's abs.