"Sockhead, get a move on! We're gonna miss all the good stuff!"

Edd trailed behind his friend, staggering under the weight of the lawn chairs and cooler Eddy had thrust at him when they left the cul-de-sac. He silently cursed Sarah for making Ed her pack mule and thus preventing him from being Eddy's pack mule. He was not built for this kind of distance carrying, but Eddy forged ahead nonetheless. Weaving through the crowd in downtown Peach Creek, Edd spent more time apologizing for bumping into people than watching where he was going, and it wasn't long before he realized that he had lost sight of Eddy. He stared around for a few moments, searching the crowd before letting out a sigh. It didn't matter anyway. The Ed's always watched the fireworks from the same parking garage roof, year after year. He would just meet Eddy there.

Stepping carefully off of the curb to cross the street, Edd was suddenly grabbed from behind in a hug. He gasped, scrambling to keep his hold on the cooler before it spilled. The arms wasted no time in scooping him up, lawn chairs and all, and carrying him across the street. At first he thought it must be Ed, but these arms were bare and lacking a trademark (and smelly) jacket. When he could, he maneuvered the cooler into a position that would allow him to look back at his captor.

"Oh! Greetings, Nathan!" he said brightly.

"Hey, sweetcheeks," Nat said with a wink. "Where're you headed? Maybe I can give you a lift." He waggled his eyebrows, an exaggerated and suggestive motion that had Edd laughing.

"I'm supposed to meet Ed and Eddy at the parking garage on 7th. I really don't mind walking, however. You needn't trouble yourself."

"Nonsense," Nat replied. "It's not trouble, and you looked like you were going to fall over under the weight of this shit. Where's Ed, anyway? Shouldn't he be carrying this stuff with his super strength or something?"

"Ah, yes, under normal circumstances he would. However, Sarah roped him into carrying her things, and you know he can't say no to Sarah."

Nat nodded understandingly. The pair chatted amiably as they made their way to the parking garage. At the entrance, Nat gently set Edd down and saluted before disappearing into the crowd. Eddy pushed off from the wall and stomped over.

"Where the hell were you?" he demanded. He took the cooler in one hand and the front of Edd's shirt in the other. Edd barely managed to grab the lawn chairs before Eddy was pulling him up the stairs.

"I lost sight of you, and then Nathan found me and assisted me. Have you seen Ed yet?"

"Nah. He texted me to tell me that he'll be up later. Sarah's making him buy her food and shit."

At the top of the stairs Eddy released Edd's shirt and they set up the lawn chairs on the far edge of the lot. Settling down in one of the chairs, Eddy grabbed a soda from the cooler and cracked it open. Edd offered to go get some snacks, but Eddy waved him off.

"Let Ed get them. You know he'll bring a bunch of stuff when he comes."

Edd nodded and took a seat. He pulled his messenger bag over his head and opened it to make sure he had everything he needed. Camera? Check. Bug spray? Check. Water bottle? Check. And finally, his ear plugs. He squished the soft buds between his fingers and sighed. To think that he, of all people, would be afraid of something so illogical as the noise of fireworks…it was enough to tint his cheeks with embarrassment just thinking about it. Oh, well. Nothing to be done about it, he thought. He was just glad that his friends hadn't made a big deal out of it.

Ed joined them nearly half an hour later, out of breath as he slumped into the far chair. "Sarah sure is needy, guys."

"So ditch her next time," Eddy said dismissively.

"I can't do that! She's my baby sister! Plus she'll tell Mom."

"Ed, I think it is quite admirable how devoted you are to your sister. We're just glad you could finally join us," Edd said. He leaned over Eddy to pat Ed's knee. "You arrived just in time, too. By my calculations, the show should begin in approximately ten minutes."

"Hey, dudes!" a voice shouted from behind.

The three Ed's turned to see Nazz skipping up to their chairs. Eddy's face turned red almost instantaneously. She perched herself on the edge of his chair and leaned in.

"How's it going? You guys excited for the show?"

Eddy mumbled something noncommittal and Ed shouted his confirmation. Edd sat back in his chair, a small smile on his lips. He enjoyed watching Eddy grow flustered around Nazz. It was a side of him that no one brought out except the cutesy blonde from the cul-de-sac. He heard Nazz ask Ed where Sarah was. Ed immediately jumped up and ran toward the other end of the lot to show her. She insisted that Eddy come as well, but Edd declined to follow. He watched them for a moment before turning his attention back to the town. In the quickly diminishing daylight, the streets almost looked as if they were on fire. It was really quite beautiful.

Very suddenly everything went black. Edd yelped at the pressure of the blindfold and moved to snatch it away. Strong hands trapped his arms by his sides and lifted. He felt himself carried down the stairs and out onto the street. He was unceremoniously tossed into the back of a truck where he was pulled back into a soft embrace. He breathed deeply and smiled. He would know that scent anywhere.

"Greetings, Kevin," he said. He moved to take the blindfold off, but warm fingers slid into his, preventing it.

"Keep that on, babe. It's a surprise," Kevin said into Edd's ear. He nibbled at the lobe, hugging Edd tightly.

A few minutes later, the truck came to a stop and Kevin threw Edd over his shoulder. He carried him for a few moments and then set him down on a blanket. He turned to wave at Nat as he drove away and then removed the blindfold. Edd gasped. They sat on a secluded hill overlooking the downtown area. The view was stunning.

"Kevin! You set this up for me?" he asked, pulling at Kevin's jeans.

The redhead sat down behind Edd and pulled him back against his chest. "Yep. Do you like it?"

"Of course!" Edd nodded.

"Good. Looks like we were just in time, too."

The sound of the national anthem played through the streets, announcing the beginning of the fireworks show. Edd reached into his pocket for his ear plugs, biting his lip and glancing back at Kevin. Surely Kevin would know better at this point than to tease him for it, but… Oh, no. Edd reached for his other pocket, eyes growing wide as he realized that he must have left the buds in his bag at the parking garage. His stomach twisted into a nervous knot.

"Um, Kevin…"

The first rocket went off in a burst of red and blue, and when the thunderous boom echoed through the town Edd jumped and let out a small scream. He barely had time to recover before the next one hit. He turned and buried his face in Kevin's shirt, pulling his hat down over his ears.

Kevin stared at him, concerned. "Double D? Are you…afraid of fireworks?"

"Just…just the s-SOUND!" he shrieked as a quick succession of explosions sent him scrambling for cover.

Kevin caught him around the waist and pulled him back. He flipped him around to face forward so he could see. He slid his hands up under Edd's hat and pressed his palms against his ears. He waited for a break in the fireworks before lifting his hand slightly and murmuring, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. We can leave if you want."

Slowly, Edd's shaking receded. He was pleasantly surprised to realize that Kevin's hands acted as a sufficient barrier to the sound. "No, it's alright. If you'll cover my ears, I'll be alright."

Kevin grinned and nodded. "Of course, babe."

They watched the fireworks together. When it got particularly loud, Kevin pressed his lips to the back of Edd's neck and rubbed his fingers gently back and forth through the soft hair. The show ended sooner than Edd was expecting, but they didn't move, enjoying the moment together. Kevin slid his hands up, taking Edd's hat off with it, and ran his hands through the hair, pulling Edd in for a kiss. Edd kissed him back, pressing him down into the blanket and climbing on top of him. Kevin's hands trailed lazily down to rest on slender hips while Edd's dipped along the curves of a well-defined chest. After a while, Edd pulled away to lay his head over Kevin's heart.

"Happy Independence Day, Kevin."

"You, too. Dork."