Chapter Text
“Troy and Abed on the Radio!” They sang, in sync in the car, followed by their handshake. The driver eyed them in the front mirror, out of curiosity more than anything- he’d never known passengers like these two.
It was the week before their first show, and they had a string of interviews up and down the country. This morning their day began with a few radio shows. It was early in the morning, the sun had only just risen, fuzzing the world with a chilling fresh air.
Usually, the mornings would have had Troy grumpy, grumbling at his roommates and pulling the duvet back over his head. Today, however, he feels giddy with excitement. He’d stayed in the bunk beds over at Abed’s so they could leave at the same time and it had him awake in an instantly good mood. To have the first person he sees in the morning to be Abed Nadir? There was no reason to grumble. Abed made them waffles for breakfast (as in, he cooked up some frozen waffles from the back of the freezer) but both were so excited that they could barely eat at all.
The car pulled up outside a radio station and Troy and Abed met a young woman at the turn style doors. She began to explain the rundown of the interview as they made their way along the halls, lined with photographs of radio djs with some celebrity or other, and they were distracting. Neither of them were truly listening to the woman. It didn’t matter.
It wasn’t the first time Troy had ever been on the radio, but it was the first time with Abed, which made it all twenty times more awesome. The microphones lining the round desk, the headphones, all the wires and the people on computers behind soundproof glass.
“And, joining us today in the studio, Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir,” the DJ introduced them. “A footballer and a filmmaker starting a TV show together, now how did that come about?”
Abed answered. “I’ve been working closely with the Community Network for a while, I’d heard they’d been looking to start a new morning show with people already known to the public somewhat. Although I hadn’t expected them to follow through, or choose me to host it.”
“Oh well I think they’ve made a great choice in hosts,” the DJ replied. “And Troy? How did you react to the offer?”
“Oh I was so excited! I’d met Abed, a while ago and ever since I’d kept up with his films and blog posts because he’s-”
“Wait you have?” Abed cut in.
“Hmm?” Troy blinked up at him.
“You’ve… kept up with my films? Even my blog?”
Troy swallowed, though he wasn’t sure why he felt suddenly nervous. “Course, Buddy.” It felt strange to lean into a microphone to speak to the wide world of listeners at the same time as speaking directly to Abed. “You’re a great writer! And director, and your movie opinions are always so right . That’s why I wanted to work with you, you’re awesome.”
A small smile slipped onto Abed’s lips. “Thanks,” he paused. “You’re awesome too.”
Troy forgot, for a moment that they were on air, that people were listening, and he found himself frozen in Abed’s gaze. Caught in something .
“Well that’s very sweet,” the DJ sliced the moment in two. “And you know, from the trailer, I think we can all tell that you two have a great connection.”
“We do,” Abed said. Troy was glad he said something, because he couldn’t think of anything. “Usually people don’t spend that much time with me, I find it difficult to make friends, but Troy…” Abed glanced at him, “Troy’s very quickly become my best friend. I usually write alone, but working on this with Troy… I’ve never bounced ideas off of anyone like that before. You’ll see a part of the show that’s scripted, co-written by the both of us. It’s a crazy, jokey kind of show but it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever written.”
“ Abeeed ,” Troy said, in a soft, small voice.
“What? It’s true,” Abed answered. “Batdude and Spiderguy… it’s very special to me.”
“Batdude and Spiderguy?” the DJ echoed, “Could you tell us a bit about that?”
“Sure,” Abed said. “It’s the only scripted section of the show, a couple minutes of a story every other day. The premise is Spiderguy, discovering a wormhole and falling into the darkest timeline. With no one to save the world with but Batdude. You’ll find out more on the show.”
“Crazy, crazy and the guest stars,” the DJ continued. “I see you have actress Britta Perry.”
“Yes, a good friend of both of ours,” Abed answered. Troy smiled weekly and let him continue. He chimed in a few times but he felt nervous now, like somehow he’d put his foot in it, said something he shouldn’t.
In the car on the way to the next interview they were quiet for a while, the sound of the car rumbling along the main roads flooding Troy’s ears.
“I didn’t know you enjoyed my movies so much,” Abed said, breaking the silence and somehow filling it with something worse.
“Abed…”
“No it’s just… I wasn’t sure if you liked me, after we first met. You were in my movie. And we got lunch and we had a good conversation. But then you left… and I didn’t hear from you again.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Troy replied, looking at the small seat between them. “I just… I’m not very good at communication.” There was also the fact that Abed made him nervous, when he thought of him after. He was so cool and they got on so well it made him feel… something. Something weird that he didn’t understand. So he ran away from it.
“It’s okay,” Abed said. “It’s not like I contacted you either. Usually, when I think I have a chance at a friend I get clingy, apparently. People tell me I get annoying. I didn’t want to do that.”
“Abed...” Troy started. “You’re not annoying. I’m just stupid.”
“You’re not,” Abed replied at once. “Also, sometimes I may have… put on some football to see if you were playing.”
Troy couldn’t help break into a grin. “You hate football.”
“I think it’s confusing, and boring. You’re not boring.”
“But I am confusing?” Troy said, but he was teasing.
“I find everyone confusing to some extent,” Abed answered. “But you… not so much no.”
Troy smiled and leant his head back on the car headrest. He felt warm. Giddy inside all over again. “Hey, Abed?” he turned lazily to him in his seat, still pressing his cheek against the leathery seat material.
“Yes?”
“I’m really glad we’re doing this. Not just for my career I’m… it’s been good being around you.”
“It’s been good for me too.”
They smiled at each other, the driver glancing over at them in the mirror briefly before turning back to the road.
“Do you feel like I gave too much away about Batdude and Spiderguy?” Abed asked, changing the subject suddenly.
*
By the end of the week, going over the same explanations and concepts four times a day grew tiring. On Thursday, it felt like a normal early morning for Troy. He groaned and grumbled and pulled the duvet back up over him when Abed, from down below, tried to reach up and pull it down.
But by Sunday he was back to excitement and nervous butterflies. Abed and Annie hosted a modest party at theirs, inviting Jeff and Ian Duncan, Britta and a few other friends (and, of course, Troy). Craig Pelton hadn’t been invited but he had somehow got wind of it anyway, and swanned in with a bottle of champagne to offer in reparation for the gatecrash (at least that’s how the others took it).
It was a good night, and although Troy was careful not to get drunk, the euphoria of the night had him a little carried away. When he woke up, he thought he remembered, at one point, kissing Abed on the cheek. But perhaps that was a dream, or one of those just-before-falling-asleep thoughts (the fact that he may have been having such thoughts about kissing Abed was something Troy simply decided not to address.)
Then, after thinking that, in the hazy moments of reassuming consciousness, it dawned on him. Today was the day.
“Abed?” Troy called and shuffled on his bed. “Abed!” He hurried down the bed to the ladder, half throwing himself down and falling the second half of the way to the floor. Abed wasn’t in his bed. It was neatly made, his pyjamas folded under the pillow, an edge of the orange shirt sleeve poking out.
Troy quickly pushed it back under the pillow so it couldn’t be seen (that was the way Abed liked it) then hurried out the pillow fort. He strolled straight across the apartment to the Dreamatorium, sure Abed would be in there, freaking out or something.
The room was empty. And cold from the chilly night. He slipped out again.
“Abed?” he called, a little louder than before.
A door across the house, a soft pattering of footsteps. “Morning Troy.”
Abed stood in the hallway, dressed, holding a toothbrush with a small round blob of toothpaste sitting on the brush.
“Hey! You’re up early.” Troy said, which meant ‘are you okay?’
“Woke up from the excitement then couldn’t get back to sleep.” Abed replied before holding up his forefinger then turning and wandering back to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Troy shrugged and hurried into the pillow fort to get dressed.
*
They shared a dressing room at the studio, but it was large and had plenty of space to get changed quietly. Abed wore a cardigan, white and slightly stripy with bright blue buttons. He wore a teal coloured bowtie, too, and it suited him. He looked like he was made for this, was bouncing excitedly on his feet.
“You look cool,” Abed told Troy. It made the latter swallow nervously. He looked just fine, he thought. He was wearing a suit jacket over a shirt with the top button undone.
“You think?” he asked. “You’re sure I don’t look too casual?”
Abed shook his head. “The show is partly casual though Troy, it’s hardly black tie.” He looked him up and down again, quickly, as if trying to be subtle. “You look good.”
“Okay. Alright.” He turned back to the mirror.
“Nervous?” Abed asked, tilting his head, trying to read him.
Troy looked back at him. “Yeah. You?”
“Terrified.”
It made Troy feel a tiny bit better, that he wasn’t alone in the nerves.
“We’ll be okay, though,” Troy said, almost like a question.
Abed nodded. “I’ll still be right next to you,” he said, “no matter what.”
Troy beamed. They did their signature handshake before there was a knock on their dressing room door and Annie’s voice called them.
“Troy? Abed? It’s time!”