Work Text:
Eugene had requested that Pugsley remain out of their dorm, just for a couple hours, while his new bugs settled in. His other pets tended to scare newcomers with tales of the black and white boy who attempted to eat them while Eugene wasn’t looking. This usually ended in escapees. Eugene had figured out that he could prevent this by keeping the boy away for a few hours while the bugs got used to the new space; they were less frightened when they realised how many others were there- uneaten -and usually accepted Pugsley more willingly later on.
Just a few hours.
That’s all he asked for.
So why was Pugsley inside their dorm, wandering around collecting bits and pieces of scrap metal whilst screaming to whatever music was playing in the background?
Why could he never just listen?
Eugene walked over to the record player that sat at the end of Pugsley’s bed and switched it off.
“Oh, hey ‘Genie!”
“Don’t ‘hey ‘Genie’ me. What are you doing in here?”
Pugsley cocked his head,
“I’m making a little guillotine for Thing! He asked me for a new one since his old one broke when Wednesday tried using it for-”
“No, I mean why are you in the room at all? I specifically asked you to stay out; not even for very long, just a few hours. Why can’t you listen?”
There was a long pause before Pugsley’s face fell, seemingly in realisation.
“Oh. I’m sorry Eugene, I- uh- I forgot. I’ll leave now.”
He dropped the metal on the desk and began walking towards the door. Something in his expression confused Eugene- he didn’t seem to be lying, but how could he forget something so simple so quickly?
Eugene grabbed his arm and pushed him to sit on the bed, not allowing him to escape just yet.
“You forgot? I asked you this morning; not even 3 hours ago, and you forgot?”
Pugsley hadn’t met his eyes, even when he gave a small nod, his eyes stayed glued to the floor between them.
“You really expect me to believe that?”
Eugene was fed up. Ever since the school year had started- scratch that, even over the summer -Pugsley hadn’t listened to him. Always claiming to have forgotten whatever it was he asked him for, but remembering other things of the same nature. It was exhausting.
“Yes, I do. It’s the truth.”
Eugene rolled his eyes,
“So, you’re able to perfectly remember the lyrics to that song, how to make a guillotine, where all the parts for said guillotine are, the fact that Thing asked you for the stupid bloody guillotine, but you can’t remember when I ask you to stay out of the room?”
Pugsley seemed to deflate even further, curling in on himself slightly. This sent a wave of guilt crashing over Eugene. He hadn’t meant to make his roommate sad, but it truly was tiring to be heard but never listened to.
“I tried ‘Gene. I even wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget! But then I forgot that I wrote it down until just now.”
His head sunk further, dropping into his hands,
“I’m sorry; I’m really, really sorry.”
Eugene sighed, taking a seat next to him. He placed a hand on Pugsley’s back, rubbing circles into the rough fabric of his sweater.
“I used to be better at this stuff.”
Had Eugene not sat down right beside him, he probably wouldn’t have heard Pugsley at all in that moment.
“What do you mean? Did something happen that affected your memory?”
Pugsley huffed a deep, painful sigh. He lent into Eugene’s side, head falling onto his shoulder.
“Have I told you the full story of what happened at Iago Tower last year? Or- has Wednesday?”
“No, but Agnes told me she saw you guys in the forest that night, said you were all shackled and gagged. It sounded horrible.”
Pugsley chuckled lightly,
“That was actually the only fun part.”
He fiddled with the torn ends of his sweater before adding,
“I have some idea of what might have messed with my head, and it happened that night.”
Eugene readied himself for the worst. He knew that Pugsley had almost died that night, Wednesday told him that much, but he’d never heard the specifics. It wasn’t exactly something he wanted to bring up either, so he had just settled for remaining blissfully unaware.
What Pugsley told him next would change the way he viewed the boy forever. Such a traumatic event, told in such a calm manner. He had been tortured, his very being almost entirely sucked out of his veins, and he was still somehow here. Pugsley was lucky to be alive right now, and all Eugene had cared about was the fact that he’d forgotten to stay out of their room for a little while. He felt so selfish.
He couldn’t bring himself to talk just yet, instead opting to wrap his arms tightly around the boy before him. He clung to his roommate, afraid that if he let go he may disappear.
The reality of it all struck Pugsley like a bolt of lightning in that moment. His mind was permanently damaged. He was permanently damaged; and there was nothing he could do to fix it.
His family had treated him as if he were useless his whole life; what would they think now that he couldn’t even remember simple instructions?
The tears fell slowly at first, rolling softly down his rosy face. Then they began pouring like small waterfalls, soaking through Eugene’s thin t-shirt. His shoulders heaved as he tried to stop himself from sobbing. As he gasped for breath, he heard himself whisper a ‘sorry’ into his roommate’s shoulder. Eugene simply continued rubbing his back, his other hand now scraping soothingly through his hair; humming soft reassurances into his scalp as he rested his chin atop Pugsley’s head.
When the tears finally did cease, Pugsley muttered another apology, beginning to pull away. Eugene, however, did not feel that he had held the boy long enough, yanking him back towards his chest. He pulled both of them onto Pugsley’s mattress, tangling himself around his roommate like an octopus.
Pugsley didn’t fight it, he melted into the touch, burying his head into the crook of the bee boy’s neck.
“Thank you, ‘Gene.”
Eugene simply placed a soft kiss to the boy’s nose, lifting a hand to swipe away the remaining tears.
“You have nothing to thank me for, love. I’m sorry I got so upset, I had no idea you were going through so much. Promise to tell me when you need this next time, alright?”
“Alright.”
Before long, Pugsley fell asleep. Eugene couldn’t help but cry himself. He sobbed softly into the silence, keeping his breathing as steady as possible so as to not wake the boy who laid nuzzled into the side of his neck. He had no clue how much his roommate was suffering, how terrified he must have been- must still be.
Eugene vowed to never get upset at Pugsley’s forgetfulness again, instead deciding to offer gentle reminders.
~~
Over the next few days, Pugsley noticed that Eugene had been acting slightly differently towards him. He was being more clingy than usual, not allowing Pugsley to move any more than 4 feet away from him before grabbing onto his sweater sleeve and following after him. Not that he was complaining, but it was strange. He had a feeling it had to do with the fact that Eugene now knew about what really happened to him last year. Pugsley could tell he felt bad for something, but he couldn’t think of what.
At lunch that day, he pulled Eugene to the side, assuring him he was fine and didn’t need all this pity.
“It’s not pity, I just care about you.”
“You can care from afar, you know? You don’t have to force yourself to be that close to me all the time.”
“I’m not forcing anything; I just don’t want you to forget that I love you.”
Pugsley froze at that. He didn’t know what to say. His face flushed warm, chest thrumming with electricity.
“I’ll never forget. I love you too, ‘Genie.”