Chapter Text
ERIC FORMAN’S BASEMENT
‘ If You Leave Me Now ’ by Chicago is playing on the record player while Eric’s sprawled out on the couch. Saturday Night Live is on TV, though with Eric’s half-open eyes it seems like he isn’t paying much attention. There’s a half-eaten sandwich left on the table. It’s been a few days since Donna and Eric broke up, and it’s safe to say that he isn’t taking the break-up well. His days have mostly consisted of eating, sleeping, watching TV, and moping. It wasn’t the best schedule, but it was working (for the most part).
The basement door opens and Hyde walks in. Fez follows behind, holding an almost empty pack of candy. Hyde wrinkles his nose when he notices Eric and sits on his chair. “Jesus, Forman. You look like shit .”
“Yeah. Thanks, Hyde,” Eric murmurs. He sits up and makes some room for Fez.
When Fez sits down, Kelso practically comes running in, almost dropping the bottle of coke he has in the process. He catches his breath and looks at his friends, excited. “You guys, Pam Macy is throwing a party this weekend,” he says enthusiastically. “There’s gonna be beer, and hot chicks, and more beer —”
“Beer and hot chicks? Sounds like my kind of party,” Hyde cuts in, resting his legs on the table with a smile.
“Ooh, maybe I can try out my new moves,” Fez says. He crushes the candy bag and tosses it onto the table.
“What new moves?” Eric asks, reaching over to grab his sandwich.
“I’ve been practicing some new pick-up lines,” Fez explains. He gets up and clears his throat. “Like this one” — he pauses to get into position: hand on hips, eyebrows arched up and his lips curled up into a smirk — “‘Wow, your eyes sparkle like the stars on a starry night. And your skin — it’s so smooth, like a porcelain doll.’”
There’s a couple seconds of silence before Hyde, Eric, and Kelso all start laughing. Fez, confused, looks at all of them. “What’s so funny?”
Hyde shakes his head. He doesn’t stop laughing. “Nothing — it’s nothing,” he cackles. “It’s great, Fez. Maybe you can wear some breeches and one of those frilly collars while you’re at it.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s gonna work,” Eric adds, trying his best to stop laughing. “I think the ‘porcelain’ bit is gonna scare them off.”
Fez huffs as he sits back down, arms crossed. “Fine, Eric. Let’s see how you get women then,” he scoffs.
Eric slowly stops laughing. “What? Oh, I’m not going to the party,” he says.
“Really? You’re just gonna sit here and mope?” Hyde groans. “That’s pathetic.”
“Yeah! I mean, when I broke up with Jackie all I did was party, and it totally helped me get over her,” Kelso says, sitting down next to Fez.
“What? No, it didn’t,” Hyde says. “When you and Jackie broke up, all you did was cry like a baby.”
“No, I didn’t!” Kelso yells in defense. “I was crying ‘cause I was just, uh, thinking about sad stuff. Like, y’know, animals dying.”
Hyde scoffs. “Sure, Kelso,”
Kelso rolls his eyes. “Don’t listen to Hyde, Eric. Partying really helped me get over my break up.”
Eric chews on his bottom lip, setting his sandwich back on the table. “Uh, no offense, Kelso, but I don’t think I should take advice from you.”
“Come on!” Kelso groans. “I’m being serious! If you go, you’re gonna forget about Donna completely!”
Hyde sighs. His sunglasses are on the verge of falling off, so he pushes them up against his eyes. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he starts, “but Kelso’s right.”
Eric crosses his arms. Really, going to a party doesn’t sound that bad, especially since he doesn’t do much these days anyway. Though, there is a chance that Donna will be there, and if she is that’ll mean it’ll be insanely awkward and Eric will most likely be miserable the whole time. Still, maybe Kelso is right: maybe going to the party and drinking beer and hooking up with someone will make him forget all about the redhead. That, and he needs to get out of the house (at least, according to Red. Eric is perfectly fine with staying at home).
Eric bites his lip and sighs in defeat. “Fine, I’ll go,” he murmurs.
“That’s the spirit, Forman!” Hyde roars, slapping Eric on the back.
THE FORMAN’S KITCHEN TABLE
Kitty sets some mashed potatoes on the center of the table and sits down, placing a napkin on her lap. “So, Eric and Steven, what are you guys gonna do this weekend?”
Hyde stuffs a mix of chicken and mashed potatoes into his mouth. “We’re gonna help Forman find a new girlfriend,” he says in-between bites.
The tips of Eric’s ears turn bright red. “I don’t need help finding a girlfriend,” he says with a scoff. “I can get one by myself.”
“Really? Then why don’t you have one right now?” Hyde says with a quiet laugh.
Before Eric can defend himself, Kitty cuts in. “Well, I think it’s a great idea,” she says with a giggle. “It’d be nice to get out of the house. All you do nowadays is sleep and mope around.” She says the last part with a wave of hands.
“Mom, you’re supposed to be defending me,” Eric groans, chewing on some chicken. “Besides, I can definitely get a girlfriend on my own. Watch me.”
“Whatever you say, Forman,” Hyde says, though it’s clear and obvious he didn’t quite believe Eric. Even so, he kept quiet, eating the leftover chicken that’s sitting on his plate.
PAM MACY’S HOUSE
The smell of beer instantly hits Eric’s nose as he walks in Pam Macy’s living room, along with Kelso, Hyde, and Fez. There’s loose lights and decorations hanging from the ceiling, which are clearly very early Christmas decorations. Hyde is already gone by the time they reach the kitchen. Kelso’s probably off making out with Jackie, and Fez is trying (and failing) to flirt with some girls, so now it’s just Eric. Well, it’s just him until he sees Donna, who’s talking to a few girls. Eric immediately tenses up; he knew there was a chance that Donna would be here, but he didn’t prepare for what he'd do if he saw her. Nevertheless, he walks up to her, grabbing a can of beer in the process.
Eric clears his throat. “Donna. Hi,” he says, voice firm. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”
Donna looks over at Eric, and her happy expression falls to a neutral one. “Oh! Hi, Eric,” she says, hands on her hips. “I didn’t expect you to be here either.”
“Oh. Well, you know. Hyde, Kelso, and Fez wanted to go, so I decided to tag along,” Eric says. He taps his fingers on the beer can.
Donna nods, biting her lip. “Yeah, same. Jackie wanted to come and she kinda dragged me along with her.” She taps her fingers on her belt. “So, uh, you having fun?”
Eric slowly nods. “Yeah, yeah . I’ve been, uhm, talking to a lot of girls,” he lies. He tries to sound confident, but it isn’t working that well. “You?”
“Yeah, same. I mean — I’ve been talking to a lot of guys here, too.” Donna clears her throat.
“Cool,” Eric says.
“Cool,” Donna repeats.
There’s silence in the air as the two try their best to not share contact. The only sounds being produced are from the talkative teens nearby and the loud music. Clearly, they’re still in the awkward stage of their breakup: not being able to hold a conversation without wanting to cry or hide. It’s hard to try and talk again because of this, but if they want to stay friends they have to get over it. Somehow.
Even with that, it doesn’t mean they have to get over that awkward stage now . So, Eric comes up with an excuse to run and hide. “Well, I’m gonna go try and find Hyde, so, see you.”
Donna lifts a few of her fingers up to wave, mumbling out a soft ‘see you’ as Eric walks away. He uses this as an opportunity to actually try and find Hyde, but he ends up bumping into someone in the process.
The beer from his can spills on the other person's shirt. Eric immediately apologetic, and as he looks up he recognizes a few things from their face: big, brown eyes, dimples, black hair that swoops to the side —
Oh . It’s Buddy Morgan.
“Buddy!” Eric exclaims, after a few minutes of apologizing. “Hey, sorry about that, man. I didn’t see you there.”
Buddy shakes his head. “No, it’s okay,” he laughs. He grabs a few napkins nearby and tries to wipe the beer stains off his shirt, but it’s unsuccessful. “How’ve you been, Eric? We haven’t talked in a bit.”
The last time they talked was a few weeks ago (and, honestly, the last time they’ve really hung out was maybe a month or two ago). Since then, they’ve only shared a few ‘hello’s’ here and there when they pass by each other in the hallway. Honestly, it’s mostly Eric’s fault — he isn’t the best at keeping touch (though, it might also be because it’s been pretty awkward between them, because of the… incident that happened a few winters ago).
“Yeah, sorry. It’s my fault. I’ve just been busy.” Eric smiles sheepishly.
Buddy nods. “It’s fine, I’ve been pretty busy too,” he says. “So, what have you been up to?”
Eric shrugs, clearing his throat. “Uh, nothing much. Donna and I just broke up.”
“Oh, man, I’m sorry.” Buddy frowns. “That sucks.”
Eric shakes his head and presses his lips together. “It’s fine. I mean, I am totally over her,” he says.
Buddy slowly nods. “Really? Well, that’s good.”
Eric nods in agreement. “So, anyway. How are you?”
“Eh. I’m doing well.” Buddy shrugs. “I got a job at a bakery.”
“Why? Aren’t you super rich or something?” Eric asks, curious.
That earns a laugh from Buddy. It’s probably one of the best sounds Eric has ever heard. “Yeah, well, my dad has practically been begging me to get one, to ‘prepare me for the real world’ or whatever,” he says with air quotes.
Eric chuckles. “Really? I’m sure you can cruise through the real world with your good looks." He says it as a joke, but it’s not a lie either. It’s basically a well-known fact that Buddy Morgan is a good-looking guy.
There’s a faint tint of pink on Buddy’s cheeks. “Thanks, but unfortunately my dad doesn’t buy it,” he says. “Hey — maybe you can visit me sometime. I can write you the address.”
Eric nods with a grin. “Sure, that sounds great,” he says. “Uh, hey — do you wanna come over to my place tomorrow? We can hang out in the basement.”
Something glistens in Buddy’s eyes. He nods. “Yeah, that sounds good,” he says.
Eric nods. “Cool.” Buddy smiles, and Eric can’t help but smile back.
ERIC FORMAN’S BASEMENT
Gilligan's Island is playing on the TV, though the volume is so loud you can barely hear it. Buddy and Eric are sitting on the couch, knees vaguely touching, looking visibly bored. Fez, sitting on his chair, has an almost pitiful expression on his face. “Oh, Gilligan,” he sighs in despair, hands clasped together.
Eric sighs and glances at Buddy, who seems like he’s ready to doze off. He bumps his shoulder against Buddy’s. “So, uh, do you wanna do anything else?” he asks.
Buddy thinks for a moment before answering. “We can go to my house.”
Eric’s heart leaps. “ Really ? Yeah — let’s go!”
He practically jumps up from the couch, but Fez speaks up again. “Oh, so you two are just gonna leave me here?”
Eric glances over at Buddy before looking at Fez. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I mean, you can watch your show until the others get here,” he says. “Or go upstairs.”
Fez sighs, arms crossed. “Eric, no offense, but I am not in the mood to hang out with your elders.”
Eric bites his bottom lip, trying to think. He mumbles a ‘sorry’ to Buddy before speaking again. “My mom can bake you cookies,” he says.
Fez considers that for a moment, his frown turning into a smile. “Well, I do love her cookies,” he says. He frowns again, looking up at Eric. “Fine. You can go.”
“…Yeah. Thanks, Fez,” Eric says slowly, before going upstairs with Buddy.
BUDDY MORGAN’S HOUSE
Eric doesn’t remember much about Buddy’s house, but what he does remember is that it’s big as hell, probably as big as Jackie’s house (from what Kelso has said). There’s plants in almost every corner of the house, some big and some small. There’s about a million chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
“I forgot how big your house is,” Eric comments as they walk upstairs to Buddy’s room.
That earns a small smile from Buddy. “Yeah. My dad’s always wanted a big house,” he says.
Eric slowly nods. “Speaking of — where are your parents?”
“My dad’s at work right now, and my mom is probably hanging out with her friends,” Buddy says, “so it’s just us.”
Ah . Home alone with Buddy. Eric’s never been alone with him before; usually, his mom is home, too, making snacks for the boys or telling Eric some stories of when Buddy was a kid (sometimes, she would sneakily show Eric baby photos of her son. Both of those things would leave Buddy embarrassed). He can’t explain why, but knowing he’s home alone with Buddy right now makes his face feel warm. Maybe it’s just the heat.
When they reach Buddy’s room, Eric realizes one of the reasons why Buddy is better than him in every possible way: his room is much nicer than Eric’s. There’s no giant posters taped on the wall or clothes scattered on the floor. There’s a record player on his desk with a stack of vinyl records next to it.
“Oh, shit — you listen to Aerosmith?” Eric asks, brushing his hand on the vinyl record packaging.
Buddy nods in response, holding his hands behind his back. “I knew I liked you for a reason,” Eric says. He doesn’t notice the pink that has appeared on Buddy’s cheeks.
“Your room looks way better than mine,” Eric continues, sitting on his bed.
“Aw. I like your room,” Buddy laughs, sitting on the bed next to him. “You have your Star Wars posters and little G.I. Joe toys. It’s cute.”
“ Finally someone who appreciates my action figures!” Eric exclaims proudly. “My sister always makes fun of me for having them.”
“Really? She has no taste,” Buddy says with a giggle.
Eric laughs in agreement and starts to play with a ball that was laying around. He rolls it in his hands. They don’t talk for a few seconds, but it isn’t awkward. It’s a comfortable silence. Eric turns his eyes to look at Buddy, studying his face. His red-tipped ears and the dimples on his cheeks. The small bit of freckles that are painting his face. His smooth yet somewhat messy black hair that’s swooped to the side, only slightly covering his right eye. He looked peaceful, and beautiful.
“This is nice — you know, hanging out here, just the two of us,” Eric says after a moment. “We haven’t hung out like this in a while.”
Buddy nods. “Yeah. I’ve missed it.” he looks up at Eric. “But hey — at least we’re doing it now.”
Eric grins in response. His eyes quickly glance over to Buddy’s lips. Eric has the sudden urge to kiss him, but he looks away before he can even act on it.
ERIC FORMAN’S BASEMENT
The next few days pass by in the blink of an eye. For the most part, the days consisted of Eric and Buddy hanging out, either at Buddy’s house, The Hub, or Eric’s basement with his friends. He missed hanging out with Buddy, so it was nice to spend time with him again. Kelso, Fez, and Donna had all gotten used to Buddy hanging around in Eric’s basement, though Hyde still wasn’t that thrilled. Jackie, however, was very excited when she first saw Buddy hanging out with them.
Hyde, Donna, Buddy, and Jackie are all in the basement, though when Eric comes back from getting some muffins he sees Buddy on his feet, throwing on his leather jacket. Eric, confused, asked, “Whoa — where are you going, Buddy?”
Buddy shoots him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I have to go,” he says. “I promised someone I’d meet with them at The Hub.”
Now, Eric’s more curious. “Who?” he asks, setting the muffins on the coffee table. The muffins disappear from the plate, now all in the hands of each one of his friends.
“Bruce Stone,” Buddy says. “The football player. He asked me out yesterday. You know him?”
“Oh.” Something hits Eric’s heart: jealousy. “Yeah, I know him — I mean, not ‘know’ him know him, but I’ve seen him around.”
Buddy nods, slightly smiling. “Yeah. Well, I gotta go. I’ll see you around later?”
Eric nods in response. Buddy waves at him and his friends before going upstairs. Eric sighs and looks at his friends, who all seem to be hiding some laughter. His eyebrows instantly raise. “What?”
Hyde’s the first one to answer. “You jealous that your boyfriends hanging out with another guy?” he teases.
Eric’s face turns to a suspicious shade of red. “No, of course not. He’s not even my boyfriend.” He moves to sit on the couch, keeping some space between him and Donna.
“Not yet ,” Donna sings, letting a small laugh escape her lips. She and Eric still aren’t on the best terms, but that doesn’t stop her from teasing him.
“ God , Donna. Buddy Morgan can’t possibly like Eric,” Jackie cuts in with a scoff. “I mean, no offense, but he’s totally out of your league.”
“Uh-huh, none taken,” Eric murmurs, annoyed in his tone. “Look — guys, he’s not my boyfriend. I’m just, y’know, worried. That Bruce guy is… jocky.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Hyde asks, leaning in his chair.
Eric crosses his arms. “You know, he’s rude, really full of himself, and not very… bright.”
“Eric, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Donna reassures him. “And if you’re so worried, you can go and make sure he’s okay.”
“ What ? No. I’m not gonna do that. That’s creepy.”
“Well, then just hope that Buddy’s gonna be okay. Which he will be.” Donna gives Eric an awkward, but comforting pat on the arm.
“Yeah. And who knows — maybe Bruce and Buddy will work out,” Hyde cuts in. “Think about it: the dumb jock with the smart rich kid. A tale as old as time.”
Jackie nods in agreement. “Also, who could blame Buddy for liking him? Bruce is very attractive. Of course, not as hot as Michael, but — ”
“Yeah, yeah. We know,” Hyde cuts her off, waving his hand at her.
“Honestly, that doesn’t help,” Eric mumbles. He says it mostly to himself, but Donna hears him.
“So you do like Buddy,” Donna teases, looking at him.
Eric’s face turns red again, but he doesn’t deny it. Right now, all he wants to do is dig a hole for himself and lay there. Maybe that’ll save him from the embarrassment he’s feeling right now. He gets up and grabs his jacket. “You know what? I’m gonna go to The Hub to check on Buddy.”
His friends look at him with grins, with Donna wiggling her eyebrows. Eric just rolls his eyes and goes upstairs. He can still feel their eyes on him.
THE HUB
When he walks in, he’s greeted with a mistletoe hanging from the door, followed by early Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling or walls. He instantly notices Buddy, who’s sitting in the corner of the booth with a large plate of fries. What he first notices isn’t the food, though. It’s the fact that he’s sitting all alone, despite him saying he’s gonna meet with that jock.
He walks over to Buddy, who is currently playing with a straw wrapper. Buddy looks up at him, eyes wide in both shock and confusion. “Eric? What are you doing here?” he asks.
Eric rubs the back of his neck. “Oh. Well, uh, I was just here to see if your date is going well,” he laughs awkwardly, “but I see that Bruce isn’t here. Where is he?”
Buddy’s face falls. He looks somewhat uncomfortable, and Eric regrets asking. “He didn’t show up,” explains.
“Wait, like he stood you up?” Eric asks for clarification.
Buddy nods in response. Something stirs in Eric’s stomach, both sadness and anger (though the anger is mostly towards Bruce). Eric furrows his eyebrows together. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that,”
Buddy shakes his head with a sigh. He throws the straw wrapper in the trash. He has terrible aim, so it doesn’t go in. “Nah, it’s fine. I didn’t like him that much anyway. When I talked to him yesterday, he was too…”
He trails off, trying to find the right word to describe Bruce. Luckily, Eric’s here to help. “‘Jocky’?”
Buddy smiles. “Yeah. Jocky,” he repeats. He sighs and rests his back against the seat. “You know what else sucks, too? I ordered this big plate of fries for us to share, but now I don’t have anyone to share them with.”
Eric glances over at the fries for a quick second before looking back at Buddy. “Oh. Well, uhm, I wouldn’t mind staying here and sharing them with you.”
“Really?” Buddy cracks a smile and passes some fries over to Eric. Their fingers brush against each other briefly. Eric feels his stomach flutter. He wonders if Buddy’s feeling the same.
THE FORMAN’S KITCHEN TABLE
Kitty doesn’t notice when Red walks in the kitchen, holding a newspaper in his hands. She’s too busy frosting some cupcakes. “Honey, where’s Eric?” he asks. “He was supposed to mow the lawn, but now I can’t find him anywhere.”
She wipes her hands on her apron. “He’s at The Hub,” she answers, “he’s hanging out with Buddy.”
Red gives a low hum in response. He cracks open a beer and sits at the table, opening his newspaper. “He’s been spending an awful lot of time with that Buddy kid,” he murmurs in a low voice.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Kitty asks, placing her finished cupcakes on a plate. “He’s getting out of the house, he looks really happy — besides, that Buddy seems like a good kid.”
Red sighs and closes his newspaper, turning to look at his wife. “Look, I’m happy he’s getting out of the house, too, but that doesn’t mean he can just ignore his chores,” he says. “Like yesterday, I asked him to clean out the driveway, but when I came back outside, he was gone! And then Donna told me he was hanging out with that Buddy boy.”
“Oh, come on, Red. I’m sure he’s not doing it on purpose,” Kitty soothes, “you know, ignoring his chores like that.”
“Trust me. He is,” Red says, opening his newspaper again. “When he comes back he better finish his chores, or I’ll stick my foot up his ass.”
BUDDY MORGAN’S DRIVEWAY
There’s a small breeze in the air while Buddy and Eric are sitting on top of Buddy’s car, giggling about a story Eric’s telling. They’re holding half-empty Coke bottles with some leftover fries sitting next to them. The stars and moon lit the sky up through the darkness.
“—And when we got through the haunted mansion, Kelso almost pissed himself,” Eric says in-between giggles. “We couldn’t stop laughing.”
Buddy plays with the straw that’s dancing around in his bottle. He laughs. “Was it really that scary?” he asks.
Eric shakes his head. “It wasn’t! I mean, there were just a few scary decorations and jumpscares. It wasn’t that bad.” He takes a small sip from his bottle. “Kelso’s just a chicken,” he adds.
Buddy grins, tapping his nails against the clear bottle. Eric glances over at Buddy, letting a soft, happy sigh escape his lips. Even though they’re outside and it’s pretty chilly, he still felt warm. Maybe it’s because Buddy’s sitting right next to him, their fingers slightly touching in a way that makes his stomach flip.
“I’ve missed this,” Eric sighs. “You know — hanging out at your house late at night, just talking. It’s nice.”
“Same.” Buddy smiles, bumping his shoulder against Eric’s. He looks at his lap, deep in thought before looking back at his friend.
He looks scared — or, well, maybe not scared , but worried. Like he wants to say something, but he’s afraid of Eric’s reaction. Or maybe he’s wondering how to say it, trying to find the right words and all.
Buddy clears his throat in preparation to speak, his hands practically sweating. He looks back at his friend. “Eric, I really wanna kiss you,” he murmurs rather quickly.
Eric turns to look at him, silent for a moment. “I’m sorry, what ?”
Buddy immediately tenses up. He shakes his head and looks away. “Oh, no, nevermind. I didn’t say anything —”
“No, tell me,” Eric interrupts. He puts his Coke bottle on the car. “What did you say?”
Buddy hesitates and doesn’t say anything. He sucks his lips in, looks at his lap, then back at Eric, who’s looking at him curiously. He presses his palms together. “I really wanna kiss you,” he repeats. “But, you know — it’s okay if you don’t want to. I know you said you’re straight. I just, uh, I just want you to know.”
Silence fills the air as both of them don’t say anything. Eric’s shocked; Buddy’s terrified. Buddy opens his mouth to speak, but before he can say anything Eric’s lips crash against his. Their lips perfectly fit together like puzzle pieces. Buddy’s lips taste like Coke, whereas Eric’s lips taste like a mix of Coke and weed. Buddy moves closer, allowing Eric to gently caress his cheek. When Buddy pulls away, he’s breathless. Cheeks flushed red, he studies Eric’s face, whose eyes are wide in shock.
Eric clears his throat. “Uh — I gotta, uhm — I gotta go,” he stutters out.
He jumps off the car, almost tripping over in the process. Buddy jumps off as well, asking, “Do you want me to drive you back home?”
“No, I can go by myself,” Eric gulps, even though his house is a good walk away from Buddy’s. Even so, he starts walking (or, rather he starts speed walking).
“Wait, Eric —” Buddy starts, but it’s too late. Eric’s already gone.
THE FORMAN LIVING ROOM
When Eric walks back home, he practically books it up to his room. He wants to be alone, but unfortunately when his mother’s around it’s not possible. Kitty noticed him as she’s folding some clothes. “Hi, honey,” she greets, “why are you in such a hurry?”
Eric stops in his tracks. He contemplates on whether or not he should tell Kitty what happened; on one hand, he’s not exactly sure on what Kitty’s reaction will be. On the other hand, he can’t keep this thing bottled up, and while he can talk to his friends, they don’t exactly have the best advice.
He studies his moms face. Honestly, her reaction to this can’t be bad. She’s always been a progressive and supportive woman, even when her husband is not.
Eric moves over to her, his hands migrating to his belt. He gulps. “Uh, can I talk to you about something?”
“Oh, of course honey!” Kitty smiles, patting the seat next to her. “What do you need?”
God. Is he really about to tell his mom that he might be attracted to guys? What’s gotten into him? He’s never been this brave before. Did someone secretly mix beer in his Coke bottle or something?
Eric gulps down some vomit. He sucks in a breath as the words, “Mom, I think I like boys,” stumble out of his mouth.
Kitty stays silent, her lips pressed tightly together. Eric’s afraid; what the fuck is she gonna say? And what the fuck is he gonna do ? At this point, he can’t back out, so he’ll just have to be a man and explain these feelings to his mother in a calm way (which, really, isn’t ideal — he doesn’t wanna be stuck having this conversation. He just wants to get over it).
“Oh,” is all Kitty says, before asking, “how do you — how do you know?”
Eric fumbles with the stray piece of fabric that’s sticking out from one of the pillows. He stares at his lap for a few seconds. “I, uh, I kissed Buddy,” he mumbles.
Kitty raises her eyebrows as he continues speaking, “I — we were hanging out at his place, and we were just, you know, talking — and then he said he wanted to kiss me, and I just — I don’t know. I mean, at first I didn’t know what to do, you know? But then I kissed him because I really wanted to.”
Kitty still doesn’t say anything, and now Eric is panicking. He feels his heart leap out of his chest. He bites his lip. “Mom, are you mad at me or something?” he whispers.
Kitty immediately shakes her head. “No, no , I’m not mad. I’m not mad at all, I’m just… surprised, I guess,” she sighs. She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I just don’t know what to say.”
“It’s fine, Mom. I get it.” Eric squeezes her hand for comfort. He stares at his lap, struggling to find the words to describe how he’s feeling. “You know, at first I was a hundred percent sure I like girls. I mean, I was in love with Donna for practically my whole life . But now I have no idea.”
Kitty puts her hand on Eric’s arm, her other hand still on Eric’s. “Honey, you know no matter what I will always love you, right?” she asks softly. “No matter who you like, or who you'll end up with. I will always support you.”
Eric gives her a small smile. “I know, Mom,”
“Right.” Kitty pats her lap. “Now, do you like this Buddy kid?”
Eric thinks for a moment. Honestly? He does. There’s a reason he even kissed Buddy in the first place. And how could he not like him? His hair, eyes, smile, humor, his entire personality, everything about him — it’s like whenever he sees Buddy, his day just gets way better.
He nods in response. “Yeah, Mom. I do,”
Kitty smiles. “Well, how about tomorrow you go and tell him how you feel? You know, you can walk up to him and tell him you like him, and maybe he can help you with figuring out where you fall in this… spectrum.”
Eric grins, whispering out a quiet ‘thank you’ as he gives her a hug. Kitty hugs back tightly, softly and comfortably rubbing his back. “No matter what, I will always support you, and I’ll always love you.”
“I know. I love you too, Mom,” Eric whispers.
THE FRENCH BAKERY
He’ll be forever grateful that Buddy remembered to give him the address to his job, otherwise Eric probably wouldn’t be able to talk to him until after school (honestly, he can’t wait that long to talk to Buddy. Especially about this). When he walks in, he’s immediately overwhelmed by the amount of food that’s in here. The walls are a cream color, and the cakes are practically staring at you from their cake stands. There’s dozens of pastries in here that Eric barely even knows about (he can only count a handful of pastries he can name. Fez probably knows all of them).
He spots a worker behind the cash register. He immediately walks towards them, trying to look as calm as possible. He grins. “Uh, hi,” he greets, “does Buddy Morgan work here?”
The worker gives a nod in response. “Why? You know him?” he asks.
“Yeah, he’s my… friend,” Eric responds. He doesn’t know if ‘friend’ is the right word to use after what happened, but it’ll have to do. Besides, you never know how people will react if you say something else. “Do you know where he is?”
The worker — Dan, Eric learns from his name tag — motions over to the other side of the bakery, where Buddy is politely talking to a customer. His bright smile can be seen from where Eric’s standing. He thanks Dan before walking over to the boy.
Eric nervously taps his shoulder. When Buddy turns to look at him, his expression turns from bright and happy to shocked. “Oh. Hey, Eric.” He gives a small wave.
“Hi,” Eric says, “can I talk to you? In private?”
Buddy thinks for a moment before nodding. “Sure. We can talk in the break room,”
Eric follows him to a room behind the counter. It’s a somewhat small room, with a table, a few chairs, and some photos on the wall. There’s a half-eaten donut laying out on the table. Buddy closes the door behind him and turns around to look at Eric, arms crossed. There’s an expression on his face that Eric can’t exactly read. Shock? Anger? Fear? He doesn’t know.
“So,” Buddy starts, “what did you want to talk about?”
Eric looks at his feet before looking up again. His hands are in his pockets. “I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday.”
“Oh. Right.” Buddy slowly nods, though he doesn’t say anything else.
“Look, I’m sorry I ran away after that,” Eric apologizes. “I guess I was just shocked? I don’t know how to explain it.”
“I get it, Eric. It’s okay.” Buddy gives him a comforting pat on the arm. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“I do,” Eric protests. “I kissed you, then ran away. It’s a pretty shitty thing to do.”
Buddy gives a sad smile. “I mean, if I didn’t say I wanted to kiss you, you wouldn’t have run away.”
Eric furrows his eyebrows together. “Buddy, it’s not your fault,” he comforts. “You were just being honest. You shouldn’t have to apologize.”
Buddy keeps quiet. Eric sighs and licks his lips, holding Buddy’s hands in his. “I just — I just don’t know what I am, or what to call myself. Like, I know I like girls, and I also like you, and you’re a guy, so…” he trails off.
“It’s okay, Eric,” Buddy reassures. “I understand. But you don’t have to rush stuff like this. You’ll figure it out eventually.”
Eric smiles at him. “Thanks,” he whispers softly, squeezing Buddy’s hand. “Hey — this… might seem like awkward timing but, do you wanna go out on a date with me?”
“Go out on a date with you?” Buddy repeats, playful. “I thought that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Eric rolls his eyes in response, but he doesn’t stop himself from laughing. Buddy grins. “In all serious, though, that sounds nice. Going out with you.”
“Great. How about next Tuesday?” Eric suggests. “We can take my car. You can drive around in the Vista Cruiser.”
Buddy nods rather quickly, excited and happy. “Sure. Yeah, that sounds fun,” he says.
Eric’s heart leaps. “Cool.”
“Cool,” Buddy repeats. He’s still smiling. Eric can’t help but smile with him.