Chapter Text
[1] Mr. & Mrs. Matthews
Eric can scarcely recall having ever been this nervous to tell his parents something before. He's sure there've been times, but now that he’s here, sweating bullets on his parent’s front step, it’s hard to call any to mind.
They spent a lot of time talking about who they should tell first, who to tell together and who to tell separately. They’re still deciding about some of their friends, but it was pretty easy to agree that Amy and Alan should be told first, and together. They’ve been like surrogate parents to Shawn, and they are Eric’s parents, it felt like it would be ungrateful not to tell them first. Not to mention, Eric is more afraid of his parent’s rejection than anyone else’s. Better to get it out of the way first, if they’re okay with it, he knows things will be okay, no matter how everyone else reacts. Shawn is still more nervous about Cory, he can tell, but he’s happy to tell Amy and Alan first, out of respect, if nothing else.
They'd figured that if they told his parents they were coming to visit, on their own, without Cory and Topanga, it would've probably just made them suspicious and worried and they'd start asking if something was wrong and maybe even ask Cory and the whole thing would be a mess. Of course, they could've always just asked Cory and Topanga if they'd have liked to come along but then they'd have had to tell everyone at once and spend the entire trip down pretending that they were just friends and roommates and the whole thing just felt a little too overwhelming. So, in the end, Eric had requested a weekend off and Shawn had shuffled around a few of his shoots and now here they are.
Shawn runs his hand over Eric's back and drops it down to the hand clenched at his side give his fingers a light, reassuring squeeze. It's just enough to pull him away from his thoughts and give him the push he needs to take a deep breath and raise his hand to knock. The door swings open a few moments later, during which Eric isn’t sure he breathes at all, and Amy greets them with a wide smile and open arms. Though, Eric doesn't miss the slight confusion colouring her expression.
"Boys!" She exclaims, leaning forward and pulling them into tight hugs one by one along with a quick peck to each of their cheeks. When she pulls back she raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms "Not that I'm not delighted to see you both, but should I be worried?" Eric forces out a laugh and does his best to sound casual.
"Hah! No, what? Why would you be worried!? Nothing to worry about here, right, buddy?" He punctuates the end of his sentence by clapping Shawn on the shoulder and does his best not to cringe at how severely he's pretty sure he just failed to reassure his mom. Judging by Amy’s expression and Shawn’s sigh, he’s pretty sure they agree.
They’re being ushered through the door and onto the couch when the kitchen door creaks. They’re joined in the living room by Alan a moment later.
"Eric! Shawn!" He’s smiling wide but his expression falls slightly when he picks up on the boy’s shared nervousness and the slight concern edging Amy’s expression. He takes a seat on the arm of the chair where Amy sits, to the side of the couch, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. It occurs to Eric in some distant part of his mind that it's something he's caught himself doing to Shawn, now and again. Wonders idly if if looks as comfortable on them as it does his parents. Hopes it might, someday.
"Is everything alright?"
Eric releases a shaky breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. He’s lost for how to continue, but Shawn rests a reassuring hand over the small of his back, and speaks with a much stronger voice than Eric thinks he could summon, right now.
“There’s something we need to tell you.” Both eyes directed at them narrow lightly, but their expressions remain open. Eric is quite sure he didn’t imagine his mother’s eyes dropping quickly to the space between them, or lack thereof.
"Alright, you’re making us a little nervous, but you boys know you can tell us anything, go on." Alan prods, gently.
They glance at each other, and Eric wishes they'd decided ahead of time who would do most of the talking. Eric knows he should be the one, they are his parents, after all. And Shawn already has to be strong for so many people in his life, and he knows he’s not that much less nervous than Eric, right now, he doesn’t want to add to that. Shawn looks ready to take the plunge but Eric grabs his hand, quickly, squeezing, looks back to his parents and speaks before he can scare himself out of it.
"We're dating." He feels Shawn squeeze his hand in return as he says it. He takes a deep breath and repeats himself, more steadily. "Shawn and I, we're together. We have been for a while, now." He can't help grinning slightly through his nervousness when he says it and glances over to Shawn, who is looking at him with such appreciation he has to look away to stay in the moment. It fills him with a reassuring warmth as he turns back to his parents. He can’t quite decipher either of their expressions.
He's just about to say that he really wishes one of them would say something because it's only been a few seconds, he's sure, but they've been the longest few seconds of his life.
"Oh, boys." Amy sighs, her eyes go glassy and her voice wobbles, but it doesn’t worry him. They aren’t angry tears or even sad tears.
Alan shakes his head and sighs, before looking back to them.
"I- well I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say we didn't see this coming." For a moment Eric's nerves rise, but Alan continues "But I hope you didn't think for one second," he looks them in the eyes, placing emphasis on every word "That we would ever love you any less for this. You’re family." Eric wants to laugh, somehow, before Alan turns his attention to Shawn. “That means you too, Hunter. We love you like our own son, this doesn’t change that.” Shawn chokes out a thank you, voice strangled by emotion, and Eric wraps an arm around him, pulling him close for his own sake as much as Shawn’s.
Eric promised himself he wouldn't cry, so he doesn't speak. He feels so full of emotion right now he's pretty sure if he opens his mouth he won't be able to hold back.
"So," Shawn speaks, after a moment. There's only the slightest waver to his voice now and Eric can't help but lean in closer to him "You guys are really okay with this?" Amy lets out a laugh and reaches forward to grip their clasped hands.
"It'll take some getting used to, I’m not going to lie, but of course we're okay with it. As long as you make each other happy, that's all that counts."
"Besides," Alan joins in "This way we don’t need to worry about either of you ending up with someone who’s not good enough for you."
Amy pulls them both into a hug and after a moment Alan joins as well. It's a bit corny, but Eric can feel the relief washing through him. It's a minute or two before they pull away.
"Mrs Matthews, Mr Matthews, I really can't tell you how much this means to both of us." Shawn’s voice still isn’t entirely steady, but it’s lighter. "Eric, especially, of course. But- you guys have always treated me like family, you've been like parents to me and you've always accepted me into your lives. Into Cory’s life, and now into Eric’s. So, just- thank you. It means more than I could ever tell you." And of course that's his parent's queue to pull Shawn back in for another hug and remind him that he's always welcome in their home, that in their eyes he's family, and doesn't he think it's about time he started calling them by their names, Alan asks him with a laugh. Overall, things couldn't have gone much better.
They spend the night, and for a moment or two the subject of sleeping arrangements is a little awkward, but the moment passes and once he's curled up on the spare bed with Shawn he knows that there will be more awkward moments and conversations with his parents, he knows that they've still got other people to tell. But he knows also that the hardest part is over. His parents know, they still love him, they still love Shawn.
There was never any real doubt that they would, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been able to stop his fears from spiralling towards the worst. But, now he's here in his childhood home, and he's in the arms of the person he wants to be near more than anyone else, and he knows that however things end up, it's going to be alright.