A/N: Ed's main theme. This song is Patience by Take That. This song somewhat shows Ed's untrusting nature to others. He demands patience from his peers if he's too complicated to understand, as he 'tries to heal' from his past.

***

Sunny.

As I woke up in the morning and watched the TV downstairs, the weather lady predicted that today is going to be sunny. The temperature was around 78 degrees, which was pretty warm and ideal for me to go out. Hearing the news, I shot up from the sofa, feeling so pumped up. My heart was beating as fast as it could go.

Why, you might ask? Because sunny days meant that I could hang out as long as I could with my friends!

From the mirror on the living room, I could see my blue eyes shining with might. I grinned, showing my sets of white teeth, to my reflection, before putting on my black beanie.

Today, I planned to spend some time with only Rena and Raphael. Buttercup said she can't come because she was going on a vacation with her parents. Lynn and Seb had the same reasons, with Lynn specifically telling that she will go to California for her dad's business.

Well, if only my dad took a break, then I could travel to the other states in America, but I guess he's too busy with his work.

That didn't stop me though.

Some of my friends were still around, such as Rena and Raphy, so today, I invited them to play. Mom had told me that they were on their way, and so I came prepared. I was skimming through TV channels to watch an interesting movie, when the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Mom called out, hurrying towards the door. I followed after her, feeling so energetic and all. As Mom opened the door, I brightened up. There stood Rena and Raphy, bringing some stuff on their swimming bags.

Rena fidgeted her arms as her mom ushered her in. She was wearing a big straw hat that hid her face, and a simple dress. Raphy seemed as pumped as me, like usual, and was accompanied by his dad. He was wearing some sort of a scarf around his neck, with T-shirt and shorts.

As the parents greeted each other and did some hugs and a handshake, I went after my friends.

"Sup, Chris?" Raphy greeted. At this, I chuckled as we did a fist bump.

"How in the world did you get that, Raphy?" I teased, nudging his shoulders.

"I've seen people doing it and I think it looks cool!" He answered between his laughs, and I could only react with a grin. Typical Raphy right there.

I turned my attention towards Rena. When she saw me, I grinned at her, to which she smiled back. She looked a little bit nervous, but she shouldn't be. I bet she would have so much fun today, because I already planned some activities, specifically for her.

I decided to lead them to the living room, where the TV was still on. Raphy comfortably slouched down on the sofa, while Rena simply plopped herself on a spot. I decided to sit between both of them, squeezing in.

"What are you watching Chris?" Raphael asked, looking at the TV.

"Dunno." I answered, shrugging my shoulders as I resumed clicking on the remote. Rena was looking at us, while she gently swung her legs. "I was going through some channels to look for some good films."

"Have you watched Transformers yet, by the way?" Raphy asked, looking so excited and all. "It's in the cinemas yesterday!"

"Not yet." I shook my head, stopping at a random channel. "I only saw the trailer, and I think it looks cool with all the robots and stuff! How about you?"

"Yup, and it's really awesome!" Raphy nodded, "I watched it with my sister as soon as it came out!"

I never really got to see Raphy's older sister, though. He said that she always loved to hang out with her friends, hence her absence every time I visited his house. All I knew was that she was way older than Raphy and loved to play with him.

"Whoa, that's fast..! You know, I've been lying on my bed the whole day yesterday since Mom's busy. Seb, Buttercup and Lynn are on vacation as well..." I huffed, pushing my lips forward and folding my arms. "Hmph! I could watch it with Rena the next time we play, right, Rena?"

"Eh?" Rena was playing with her hair when she was shocked by my statement. Her eyes blinked once, then lowered her head down. "I... I g-guess so..."

"Just watch it before it's gone, Chris!" Raphael gave me a shoulder bump, then proceeded to playfully tried to threaten me. "Or else I'm gonna spoil you everything!"

"Haha, as if!" I guffawed. Like anybody tries to challenge a dude like me!

..but Rena looked really nervous... I tilted my head, as confusion washed through me. I don't know what's going on, but I couldn't make this last longer!

"Anyway, let's start off the day!" I stood up and turned the TV off, placing my arms on my hips. Mom was still talking to Rena's mother and Raphy's father, and they seemed to be so engaged in their conversation like they had forgotten about the time they spend. Well, I guess that's just how adults are, after all!

"Yeah, let's!"

"W-what a-are we g-gonna do t-today?" Rena asked, as she gently hopped of the sofa. "Um... I-I brought my s-swimming s-stuff if you w-wanna swim..."

"Same!" Raphy joined. "I wanna go swimming like right now!"

"We can go swimming this afternoon. My dad bought me like these cool kites that he got from a festival!" I planned, leading my friends towards the spot where I stored the unique-styled kites. Based on their expressions, they looked impressed, fortunately Rena as well. She still seemed a bit fidgety, though. "Isn't it cool?!"

"Whoa, I never seen a design like this before!" Raphy stepped forward, gently taking the kite from its place and observed it carefully. It shaped like a cross, adorned with a colorful design. Thankfully, I haven't open them yet, and so they were new.

"It's c-cute..." Rena whispered, a small smile was forming on her lips. At this, relief instantly washed my mind while I rejoiced inside.

"Right?!" I grinned. "I was so excited to play with them, but then it won't be fun without you guys!"

"Well, then let's fly it!" Raphy suggested. "I wanna see how this one works!"

"That's what I was about to say!"

***

Raphy was able to maintain his kite without problems nor falling down. It flew in the skies far beyond mine and Rena's, and to the point where I can't see the kite clearly. As he continued controlling the string, Raphy turned his head and grinned at me, as if he tried provoking me into doing something.

"Try to make yours fly further than mine!" He challenged, as what I had expected. "I will buy you lots of bread if you did so!"

"Ha, that's easy peasy!" I snorted, immediately accepting the mission. "Once I did that, make sure to keep your promise! Don't just buy me one bread!"

"Don't worry, I'll always keep my promise." Raphy stayed positive, as he smacked one of his fists onto his chest. The corner of my lips twitched, before I returned my attention towards my kite. It was still on its way to catch up with Raphy, but I noticed something weird.

Rena's kite was not there.

Where did it go?

I thought it was just right beside me....

I quickly looked around, before I came across her kite, which was swirling down, blown away by the wind.

Oh no!

Rena's eyes widened with fear, and she looked really horrified as she tried her best pulling the kite up, but it didn't do anything good. Rena opened her mouth to let out a gasp as the kite drastically came down, like that of a lightning.

My instincts quickly kicked in.

I dropped off my kite, not even minding about it. I almost tripped, but I was able to regain my balance easily.

Before I knew it, I was holding Rena's hands. I heard her breathing heavily behind me as I controlled her falling kite. She was, indeed, scared, as her hands were somewhat shaking.

Thankfully, I was able to save it right before it crashed into the roof of my house. I pulled it up using her hands, and the kite was up again, soaring in the skies.  When I saw that she was able to do it by herself, I released my grip off her. I let out a deep breath, and wiped a sweat from my forehead.

"I... I-I'm s-sorry..." Rena stuttered, her face filled with regret. "I g-got distracted..."

"Don't worry!" I tried comforting her. "Things like this happen all the time. All you need to do is to get used to it!"

"...but a-are you o-okay? You kinda t-tripped j-just now." She looked down at my foot.

"I'm all fine!" I smiled, scratching my head. "It's nothing to be worried about!"

Rena was quiet for a moment, her blue eyes timidly scanned my face. "R-really?"

"Of course!" I stretched my mouth, showing her a grin. A grin that showed her that I am fine and all good. Fortunately, she didn't seem to react negatively, although her cheeks appeared to flush pink.

She probably felt that she was annoying me and all, but I didn't feel that way. She needed help, after all, and if I didn't help her, not only will the kite end up getting stuck in the roof, but Rena would definitely not be happy. I definitely didn't want that, especially when she seemed a bit off today.

Besides, we are friends, and friends always support each other!

***

After what felt like hours submerging in the darkness, I was finally able to swim back up, breathing the air of consciousness. The aching pain from earlier still pierced through my head, although it was not as worse as before.

As I struggled moving a muscle, I came to realize that I was lying down on a comfy surface, causing my muscles to gradually relax. Other than that, something was definitely covering my body, imparting me the warmth that I needed.

Tearing my eye open, white dots continuously fluttered and vanished in my vision. It hurt at first, but it was nothing compared to the suffering I had earlier. The spots were then slowly replaced into something gray. While attempting to focus more, my ears then caught an ongoing conversation happening right beside me.

"I think he's having a high fever..."

"H-have you measured h-his temperature yet?" I recognized that gentle voice immediately.

Rena... A cold hand then brushed against my forehead. It made me jerk a bit, probably due to the difference in conditions, but otherwise it cooled my burning head down.

"Yeah..." Another voice came in, but I couldn't really figure out who was it. "He's around 102 degrees."

"W-whoa... that's really high..." There was a concern in Rena's tone. "N-no wonder his breaths a-are unusually w-warm. He's b-burning as well."

The hand then left my forehead, to which I try to deny, but I couldn't. It was replaced by a soft cloth, which was really moist and cold. It came trickling down the sides of my head, cooling me off the heat.

"Then he should really go to the hospital." Someone suggested. "Have you called his parents yet?"

"Mom is t-trying to call them." Rena answered. "She said that Ed's mother has been busy dealing with stuff, and Ed's father also is busy with work."

"Honestly, his parents are workaholics. I mean, back when I used to play with him, his father was either out of town or doing some business. His mother... well, I met her a lot of times, but she seemed to be busy too."

"Yeah, I g-guess so. I m-met them a few times, though, and they're really nice."

Rena... 

Despite the pounding pain, my mind called for her, repeatedly pleading me to see her.

"Myla seems to be so worried too. Just look at how she barked and cried when we helped Ed."

"Y-yeah... the p-poor dog..."

That's right... Myla...

Where is she...?

Everything was still a bit hazy, but I was able to identify the ceiling above me, indicating that I was, indeed, inside a room. The area was absent of lights, noticing that they were switched off. When I hovered my stare to the side, I could see Rena and her best friend, Alyssa, sitting on the chairs, still discussing about me.

There in Rena's lap, I saw the puppy, and she was petting her furry head. She then let out a bark when she turned her head at me, and this quickly drew their attention.

"Rena, look, he's awake!" Alyssa exclaimed, informing her friend.

"Ed...!" Rena then moved out from her seat and crouched near me. Myla then jumped towards the bed, slowly observing every of my features.

When I came across Rena's distressed blue eyes that I easily got lost into, I felt my heart fluttering. I tried saying something, but it came out as a croak. My throat was gravely dehydrated and in need of water, causing me to cough and hack, making them even more concerned.

"Ed... please d-don't force yourself..." Rena reminded.

"I will get some warm water downstairs!" Alyssa volunteered.

"Please do!" Her friend instantly left and closed the door, leaving Rena and I alone, with Myla sitting beside me.

"Rena..." I forced myself to speak out, although it came out dry. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble..."

"Y-you're not, Ed..." She replied. "I-I'm more concerned about your condition rather than that... Can you tell me w-what happened?"

"I d-didn't sleep quite well last night," I told her, "so when I went out for some... fresh air, my headaches worsened."

I actually wanted to her about what exactly happened today, especially about Raphael fucking up with my head.  However, even though she said she was okay with me, I was not.

Not that I didn't trust her completely. Of course I trusted her, but it had always been the same reason: I didn't want all of my problems to fuck with her head. A girl like her didn't deserve to be exposed to complicated problems. She would be torn apart, just like before, and obviously, it pained me seeing her like that.

I decided to cover up some details and only reveal her the surface of the problem.

"...I-if you know you're feeling ill, you s-should have stayed back home... " Rena sounded like she was scolding me. Well, after all, she didn't know the true reason why I left my house.

And I just can't tell her why.

"I thought everything was going to be fine, but... I guess not." I replied, trying to pet Myla as she neared me.

Right after that, Alyssa re-entered the room, now with a glass of water in her hands. She firstly handed it to Rena, who then lent it to me.

"Here, d-drink this." She spoke. "Make sure to finish it."

I slowly raised myself up from the bed and took the cup. Immediately I drank all of the contents at once. The water came hitting against the walls of my sore throat, alleviating it little by little. It was warm as well, which further enhance the effect. Placing the empty glass on the nightstand, Rena told me to lay down again, and so I did.

"By the way, your mom told me that she had called Ed's parents, and they said that they're still quite busy to pick him up." Alyssa informed.

"Oh... um, okay..." Rena nodded. "I-I will wait here until they picked him up. W-what's Mom doing, anyway?"

"She's cooking porridge in the kitchen, and she said it's for Ed."

For me...?

I flipped over to the wall, hearing my stomach growl loudly at the same time. The girls' eyes immediately bored through my back, probably they caught the noise as well. I barely ate anything this morning, only a piece of bread that Lu gave me. Ever since my past came to haunt me, my appetite had been decreasing. Without knowing it, it was almost gone. Not that I wanted to eat, but I couldn't ignore what my body needs.

"You haven't eaten since morning... do you?" Alyssa was the one who asked first. "That sure was a loud growl."

"...I did..." I hesitantly answered. "...I only eat bread."

"One bread's not enough, Ed." Rena  coached. "You g-gotta eat some more, especially when you're sick."

I didn't say anything, and my only response was to clench my hands on my blanket. Meanwhile, Myla simply cuddled along with me, and closed her eyes, probably taking a nap.

"...Well, I'm g-gonna go help Mom then..." She breathed. I heard the chair creaking as Rena stood up. At the sound, I quickly whirled around, seeing her fixing her straw hat and brushed her hair, ready to leave. She situated the chair back to its place and proceeded to go for the door.

"Right, I'm gonna take care of Ed until you're done." Alyssa confirmed.

Now, my guts were tensing up, and implored me to say something that will stop her. To put it bluntly, I literally wanted to prevent Rena from leaving. I could feel my body yearning for her, as she was the key to the emptiness that was building inside of me this morning. She was the one filling the missing place in my heart.

Ugh, I fucking sound so desperate...

I couldn't be so selfish, and that sounded like I wanted her for myself. I took a deep breath, and let out through my mouth.

Personally, I didn't really like porridge that much, but with Rena's assistance... probably... just maybe... it will taste better.

I was already heating up from the fever, but I felt my face burning more at the passing thought. You shouldn't be thinking about weird shit, Ed.

And so, I observed Rena as she opened the door and disappeared into the hallway. Seconds later, I sighed, feeling its hotness touching against my skin, before meeting with Alyssa's piercing, emerald eyes. She placed her hands on her lap and even from the bed, I could see her tensing up.

"Well, where to start..." Alyssa pushed out a chuckle, and I shit you not, it sounded really forced. I blinked, simply waiting her to say more, but it took a minute for her to find a topic to talk about. During her contemplation, only awkward silence surrounded both of us. I was sure that only Myla's silent breaths and my rhythmic heart beats were audible.

"... So, about our meetup days ago..." She started. There, I immediately remembered about that park scene with Seb and Raphael. I didn't want to recall it, but considering Aly's request, I decided to.

"What about it?" I found myself being a bit curious at what she will be talking about.

"Sorry for not helping you that much." She apologized, looking away. "I was so focused on bringing down Sebastian that I didn't pay attention to anyone else."

"At least you helped." I responded, putting my hand on the wet cloth that either Rena or Alyssa set on me. "I really have to thank you for saving me. I was about to shout, and if it weren't for you, I would have snapped and punched Seb."

Alyssa threw me a look of confusion, but her face lightened up in delight as soon as epiphany seeped into her mind. She slumped back into her chair, and folded her arms.

"Sebastian is sure a pain in the ass. Dealing with him is like trying to break an unbreakable rock." She snickered in a sarcastic manner, shrugging helplessly. "Well, why should I care? He's an immature brat, just like back then."

"...You sure despised Seb so much." I commented.

"Despise him?" Alyssa sneered. "More like to the point where I wanna throw him into the ocean and let him drown for all I care."

I sighed loudly, feeling that my headaches were starting to dissipate. Ever since Alyssa and Seb met, neither wanted to touch each other with a ten inch pole. They hated each other's guts, and had always been bickering and fighting about useless things that could be solved easily. Usually Seb started by making a remark that angered Alyssa.

Only God knows when will they stop.

...but, like Rena said, they sure get along well.

"Anyway, Ed, you still haven't answered my question yet..." She muttered, staring  down to the floor. I raised my eyebrow and crinkled my forehead. So far, I have no memory of her questioning me and that I haven't answered her yet.

"Which one?" I dared myself to ask.

She shuffled her legs altogether, stealing glances between me and the tiles below.

"... Whether you could call me Buttercup again."

***

A/N: Dun dun dun! It's that question again. I wonder what would be Ed's answer to Aly's request... hmm... What do you think will he answer? Well, you gotta find out on the new chapter next week! Hehehe XD

As always, what are you thoughts about this chapter? :D

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to leave a vote and comments!

- Tara