@eddsworldweek‘s Day 6: Teensworld! In which Edd is willing to fight a heatwave to get that cola ice cream goodness.
On AO3
Today is sunny, minimum amount of clouds dotting the sky, and oh, yeah, hotter than a damn frying pan. And that’s without mentioning the humidity of it all.
Edd would regret dragging him and his friends outside, but the prize is worth braving through the summer’s first heatwave. It absolutely is worth becoming uncomfortably sticky and melt-y, flushed red skin giving him a resemblance to a brown-leafed tomato, fingers burning from touching equally burning hot surfaces. It’s a mantra to steel his resolve during the wait for the city bus. His hoodie is tied around his waist, an extra layer of protection against the cooking bench, and he is this close to risk public indecency by taking off his shirt. Though, that’d leave more exposed skin for his friends to stick to, determined as they are to avoid touching all but the necessary spots of plastic, metal, and lacquered wood of the bus stop.
Tom leans heavily against Edd, hair drooping despite its products. “Why are we suffering?”
“Cola ice cream.” Edd half-heartedly elbows Tom, accepts his new existence as a human lean-to.
For some reason, Tord stubbornly wears his black coat. Tom and Matt were sensible enough to take their hoodies off, but Tord? It’s like being in a furnace just looking at him. The weather doesn’t seem to affect his attitude in the least.
“You need an intervention if your cola addiction is this bad.”
“Says the guy in black in 30° heat.”
Tord scoffs. “It’s called fashion, Edd, keep up.”
“Black’s in now, but I like my purples better.” Matt confirms, his tall stature somehow conforming to Tom’s side and spilling over his lap.
Tom swats at him, groaning, “Stop talking about black clothes; just thinking about wearing any is melting my bones.”
The bus rides into view down the street, parking at the boys’ stop. There’s a bit of a scramble to get on what with Matt and Tom almost boneless in the heat and Tord needing frequent breaks from helping Edd support them. It’s satisfying yet guilt-inducing to shoot him “I told you so” looks every time he stops for a breath.
Once inside and in their seats, they spread out more from each other, skin temperature too hot in the cool vehicle. Tom and Matt are still useless dead weights and probably seconds away from falling asleep, but their blissful expressions are funny enough to energize a chuckle from Edd. Tord’s less likely to drop from heat stroke, though his hair did in his steed. It’s strange to see him without the little horn tuffs, just as it is seeing Tom’s hair not defy gravity.
It seems like mere seconds pass when they reach their stop, and his friends don’t hesitate to voice their disapproval. But they follow him off the bus, if only because he’s a human walking cane for two out of three. Finally, the ice cream shop is in sight. Its sale signs announces all the flavors available for a discount, including his precious cola flavor. Going into the store is as tricky as the bus, but they make it work. They have to make it work this time; failure when dessert is literally right there is not an option.
“Whew, thought we’d never make it!” Edd sighs, drinking in the cold and the menu behind the cashier.
Tom tugs on Edd’s sleeve. “Ice cream. Now. Before I die.”
Matt pipes up, weaving a hand through his hair, “My hair’s fizzing.”
Tord slings Matt’s free arm over his shoulders and sets an easy pace to the counter. “Stop talking and start walking.”
They place their orders, then Tord takes Tom and Matt to a table, leaving Edd at the register. This wait is nerve-wrecking since his goal is so close yet so far. As though as all the energy the weather sapped out of him is returned tenfold, and he strums his fingers on his forearm. A tray is filled with bowls of different ice cream, Edd eyeing the light brown one like a starving wolf, and he picks it up carefully, wanting neither wrath nor spilled sweets. The walk to his group is slow and steady.
The bowls are distributed once they arrive and they dig in, Edd finally melting after taking that sweet first bite. He’ll never let them convince him his cola ice cream quest isn’t genius after this.
