Work Text:
BEEEP. BEEEP. BEEEP.
Hugh Morris slowly opened his eyes to the sound of an alarm clock. That same, monotonous alarm clock that forced him awake at 6:00 AM sharp every day since the wedding.
He reached out to turn it off, then rolled over to nudge his wife's shoulder. Dr. Winters only responded with a weak groan, "5 more minutes..."
"Hey, c'mon...don't you know the early dolphin gets the basilisk?" Hugh forced a smile, almost pushing her with his nudges. She only let out another groan and pulled their shared blanket over her head, leaving him stuck awake with no one to talk to.
He couldn't stand staying in bed, so he trudged his legs to the kitchen to make himself breakfast in silence. When Winters wakes up, he'd give her an extra plate he made for her, and she'll get right to work on writing lesson plans, grading assignments, and whatever else she had to do for her students. He'd have plenty of time to go out and enjoy island life, but...
He didn't feel happy anymore. He wasn't living the dream.
Hugh thought back to what started his new life here. He came to this island seeking friendship, always making sure to cheer everyone up and keep a smile on their faces. It's no surprise he started taking after a jester, and he had a lot of fun doing it.
He had no idea that keeping such good relations with everyone would eventually attract so much attention. One day, he agreed to an amusement park date with his good friend Angie, not knowing it would turn into a love confession from not just her, but her friend Jess and Dr. Winters as well.
"Pick one of us, once and for all."
Those were Dr. Winters' words. The whole situation put him into a panic. He already couldn't bear to reject a friend, but after that, he felt forced. He closed his eyes and turned to Dr. Winters at random.
It had now been a couple months since then. Angie started feeling considerably better after moving in with Mocha, and Jess was looking to adopt a kid with Patrick. Everything was going great for everyone else on the island, while Hugh Morris still had to live with his regret. It's a good thing he knew how to act.
Being lost in his thoughts seemed to speed up the day around him at least. All of a sudden, the sun was setting, and Hugh found himself sitting on a bench alone at that same amusement park. His time for recollection was over, and he had to return home to cook dinner.
Just when he lifted himself off the bench, he felt a firm hand on his back. It was Patrick, flashing him a happy, friendly smile with his eyes closed.
"Hugh Morris! Didn't expect to see you out here this late, how's it going? Winters treating you well?"
Hugh froze up for a second, but quickly forced a smile like he always did and tried to mutter out the first sentence on his mind. "Oh, haha, you know women-- always..swamped up in their work...and all!"
Patrick just stared at him, his smile fading after that sorry excuse for a joke.
"Are you all right, man?"
"..."
"I haven't spoken to you in, like, a week, and neither has Jess or Angie. It's as if you're avoiding people."
"Well...you know Jess and Angie-- they-"
"I know about the ferris wheel thing. They forgive you, Hugh. They... We miss you. We miss our friend."
Hugh's facade broke completely. He turned to face Patrick, and ended up entranced by his eyes. His gaze began to wander inexplicably-- to his golden wavy hair that seemed to glow in the sunset, to every chisel of his face, and lastly, his soft, kissable lips.
He expelled the thought immediately. He was a married man now-- and so was Patrick. There was no excuse for this level of...frivolity. And yet, something about how a man this handsome was offering this much attention and worry lingered in the back of his mind. He wondered if this was the same feeling that led Angie to confess to him in the first place. He wondered if this was the feeling he was trying to return to Dr. Winters for so long.
"I'm sorry." Hugh barely mustered, embarrassed at how out of character it felt to be this serious.
Patrick let out a light chuckle. "Hey, c'mon, there's nothing to feel sorry about. We just wanna see you more!"
"But I-"
"Tell you what, Hugh, I'm gonna walk you home, and the next time you're free, let's go out together. All four of us. We can laugh and hang out just like when we first got here. That way you don't have to feel so bad anymore."
"I've just been feeling so...trapped lately. I don't know if I deserve that."
"Of course you do, man! We care about you. You could even talk our ears off if you need to."
"I...I'd like that. Thanks."
"Of course! It's what friends are for."
Patrick tossed his hand over Hugh Morris' shoulder, laughing and joking as he led him out of the amusement park. Despite swallowing down the electric feeling from his touch, Hugh allowed his head to find comfort on his shoulder the whole walk back.