Cendre

A Fateful Evening

Edd strolled into the ballroom, glancing around from behind his black domino mask. Others in masks danced or chatted over food and drinks. Blondes, brunettes, and ravenettes alike filled the room, but Edd was looking for a specific redhead. Kevin Barr. That was the name they told the raven-haired boy anyways. The heavy dagger in his pocket was a painful reminder of what he needed to do, but if it would save his parents, so be it.

"Kill Kevin Barr"

Those words were still fresh and clear in his mind. It shouldn't be too hard to kill a man you don't know... right? Edd sure hoped so, he hoped he could go through with this. He just wanted his parents safe. Lost in thought, Edd had zoned out while he walked, literally running into someone who was walking the other direction, causing him to fall back. Strong arms quickly wrapped around his thin body, stopping him before he hit the ground. When warm green met striking blue, both boys felt a spark.

"Hey... Are you alright?" The redhead asked. Edd nodded.

"Y-Yes, thank you... uh..."

"Kevin. The name's Kevin."

Kevin... this must be the man. He certainly matched the description. "Thank you very much, Kevin. I'm Eddward. Some people call me Edd or Double D though."

"Double D? Why?"

"Because there are two Ds in my name."

"Weird," Kevin replied and Edd nodded a little in agreement. He had to admit, it was a little strange. "Would you like to join me for a drink?" Kevin's voice brought back Edd's attention from the spelling of his name.

"I'd love to," Edd smiled a little, showing a bit of his gap. Kevin smiled back and led the shorter man over to the drinks, getting each of them a glass, handing Edd's over to him.

"I haven't seen you around here before," Kevin commented, taking a sip. "Did you just move to the area?"

Edd shook his head, "No, but I've never been to a soiree before so I've had no reason to be in this part of town until now."

"Oh really? Well, what do you think now that you've been to one?"

"It's been lovely so far, though I've only been here long enough to run into people." Edd smiled and Kevin chuckled. The two soon finished their drinks and set their glasses down. Kevin waited for the next song to be played before offering his hand to the sockhead.

"May I have this dance?"

"Why of course," Edd smiled shyly and set his hand into the other's, allowing himself to be led onto the dance floor. They danced until Edd's legs grew tired, the ravenette was beginning to feel like he was in a fairytale. Cinderella. That's who he felt like, captivated by the magic the ball cast over him.

Though, just like Cinderella, his fairytale would end at midnight, the magic would wear off, and his prince gone forever. The white-masked redhead began to lead Edd off the dance floor when the smaller man stopped.

"Kill him. Do it now. Take away everything he has. He doesn't deserve it anyways. Do it. Do it now while you have the chance."

He looked around, finding himself being stared at by many different couples, all of them wearing the same light blue mask and the same fake smiles. Their stares spoke for them, screaming at him to do it and warning him of the consequences if he backs out of it. Kevin noticed how much paler the young man was and how anxious he seemed.

"Edd? What's wrong?"

"H-Huh? Oh... I'm just getting a little sick of this crowd..." Edd gave a half-hearted smile of reassurance. Kevin held out his hand to him, his outstretched fingers luring him to follow.

"Let's go outside then, there won't be anyone else but you and I."

Edd set his hand in Kevin's, the two of the hurrying from the room as if taking their time would shatter the night and separate them. They sat on a marble bench once they reached the courtyard, Edd sighing softly in relief now that he could no longer hear those pressuring voices. He lifted his gaze to the clock tower and fought tears that threatened to spill over as he realized he only had a few more minutes until his fairytale became a tragedy.