Chapter Text
Joel took out his communication device and private message Pearl, saying it was urgent.
SmallishBeans: Pearl, come over. I need your help now, it's about Etho.
PearlescentMoon: Etho? On my way
About 10 minutes had passed since Joel received her text when he heard a knock on his door. Joel ran to the door as quickly as he could and opened it to see Pearl. He sighed, relieved. Joel took her wrist and sat her down on his couch. Pearl was extremely confused, he never went to people about problems. Especially about Etho.
" Let me first start this entire thing off by saying that I'm not homophobic. Scott is gay, and he's my best friend. We all know this and I never felt weird about it during any series. I never felt weird about him when he dated Jimmy so this is all coming out of nowhere. "
Pearl groaned as she heard the first sentence, she didn't know where he was going with this. Where could this go, starting with him saying he's not homophobic? Mentioning Scott? What did any of this have to do with Etho? Pearl just decided to not think about it and let him talk.
" So Etho was my soulmate, and I still sometimes feel like he still is. We all knew he was gay, he was pretty upfront about it. Especially when he dated Bdubs. "
" Joel where are you going with this, it's concerning. "
" Let me finish! "
She sighed and closed her mouth, this seemed to be going in a bad direction already.
" During Double Life at some point we were both pretty chill with it, even made some jokes. Sometimes he pretends to flirt with me, I don't find it weird at all. I love it, I'll even pretend to flirt back as well, y'know with the neck kisses and obsessed bit. "
" I'm straight, and he knows that but I don't feel threatened by him flirting with me. He says " Oh most straight guys do " and this is where the entire problem started to come from. "
Pearl stopped him for a second, trying to grasp what was currently being told to her. It felt like a whole bunch of random things being spat out, and that's what it sounded like too.
" Wait. So what you've told me so far is that you think Etho was jokingly flirting with you this entire time and you're still in denial about being like head over heels with him? "
Joel stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds before turning a little red. He aggressively shook his head and started flailing his arms around.
" He was always joking! He was never serious! And I'm not in denial, I'm straight and always have been. I just don't like when he hangs out with other guys. "
Pearl perked an eyebrow up and she started to have suspicions about what was happening.
" Whatever you say, Joel, what was the problem that came out of this though? "
Joel took a second to remember where he was in his story before he continued on his little rant.
" I see Etho around the server with a lot of the guys, especially Bdubs since I joined Hermitcraft. When I first saw this I thought I was okay with it since it's not my business who he talks to. He's not up in my face about it so I don't have to deal with it all the time, just when I'm out and about. "
Pearl started to understand what was going on here, she gained a little grin that Joel didn't notice.
" But now I'm feeling weird when I see him with other guys. I don't know when it started but one time It sticks out to me is when I saw him and some other Hermit flirting in the shopping district. I don't know how to describe how it felt to see that, except that for a moment I felt so bad I thought I was going to throw up. "
Pearl couldn't hold it in anymore and she started laughing at him, not in a bad way but in an "Oh my god this guy has to be joking" way. Joel looked at her, confused and a little hurt. When Pearl calmed down she wiped a tear from her face. She looked back up at Joel and started giggling again.
" So you were jealous of the guy? Is that what you're telling me right now Joel? "
" No Pearl!! I wasn't jealous, It felt like disgust but I don't think it was. I think they just caught me by surprise. "
Pearl just gave him a very sarcastic " Mhmm.." and crossed her arms. Joel started to get a little more angry by the second, it felt like Pearl wasn't taking him seriously at all.
" It wasn't a one-time thing though, I started feeling that every single time I saw him with another guy. "
" The other day, I went to Etho's for something, and Tango was just there. He was very polite and nice but I just accidentally ended up being a little too mean. Etho asked if something was wrong and I just said ' No ' and left. "
As Pearl was intently listening the Tango part had surprised her. She remembered Tango saying something about it when she saw him that day. Joel continued on his little rant about the entire thing to Pearl for a couple more minutes before he ended it with him asking.
" What do you think? It seems like this is all a big joke to you so- "
" Well Joel, I think you're an oblivious shit-head. It sounds like you have the biggest crush on Etho known to man, like we've all told you. You always deny being obsessed with him but you have pictures of him on your wall, after two years since Double Life you cannot get over him, and you weren't even together. You still kept all the old clothes he gave to you, and you always just found a way to gravitate towards him. Maybe you're not as straight as you think you are. "
" Well, I didn't think about it that way. I thought we all felt like that after Double Life though. Well maybe not you, with Scott and everything- "
Pearl just stopped him and nodded her head, Joel had to think about everything Pearl just said for a bit. He had to admit he wasn't as straight as he thought. But him trying to wrap his head around liking Etho? That was something. He didn't like the fact everyone around him was right all along, but at least he figured himself out.
Pearl got up off the couch and started to walk towards the door, right before she left she turned to Joel.
" Tell me when you're ready to talk to Etho, we'll mail him a note together. "
Joel got up and waved Pearl goodbye, watching her walk off. He needed a day or so to think about this.