FIC!
Title: Some Days
Author: theniwokesoftly
Fandom: Fanboys
Pairing: Eric/Linus (unrequited)
Warning: Canon character death
Author's Note: guest_age asked me for Eric angsting after Linus dies. I originally thought I could throw myself into an angst-fest where Eric is completely non-functional and I stewed on that for a couple of days before realizing that that's not how Eric reacts to things. So I hope you like this, darling! The first scene is also based on guest_age's marvelous theory presented in the ship manifesto which can be found here.
While they're high on peyote, Eric tries to talk to Linus. Tries to apologize, but falls all over himself. He's not as high as Linus, but he's definitely not sober. Linus breaks and tells Eric he loves him. And not in classic "I love you, man" fashion, either. A true confession of love. Eric is stunned. And thrilled. He wonders if either of them will remember this in the morning.
When they get back to Ohio, Eric wants to bring up what Linus said, but is too scared. Eric just isn't good at this sort of thing. Linus is better at it, but he doesn't say anything. Eric figures that Linus doesn't remember, and tries to get over it.
After a while, they're not doing much other than watching movies. More often it seems that they're just sitting together, no need to say anything. The night Linus can no longer hold a controller to play video games, Eric goes home and cries himself to sleep.
After Linus' death, Eric is surprisingly stoic. Zoe and Windows worry about him. A lot. Hutch decides that it's just the way Eric deals, but Zoe at least is convinced that he's going to break down completely, and she's waiting to catch him.
At the funeral, Eric doesn't speak.
Rather than breaking down, Eric throws himself into writing Rush, to the exclusion of everything else. He doesn't spend any time with Windows and Zoe and Hutch anymore. Some days, he can't stop thinking about Linus and how he wishes he'd had the balls to tell Linus how he felt. But slowly, the comic takes shape. As it does, Eric starts to function outside himself a little more every day.
Zoe and Windows throw a party at the shop for the release of Eric's first issue. Hutch is there, of course, as is Chaz, which is slightly surprising but nice, as well as a whole bunch of other people who either don't know Eric very well or don't really care about comics. When they pour (really cheap) champagne to toast Eric, he picks up two glasses and looks around for Linus before remembering that Linus isn't there. That Linus will never be there. He doesn't cry, but he also doesn't speak. Windows notices but freezes. Zoe notices but doesn't know what to do other than take away the extra glass and give Eric an awkward hug.
After Rush is released, Eric manages to work back up to normal human interaction, or at least as normal as he'd ever been. The others are visibly relieved, enough so that Eric's rather embarrassed, but nobody says anything about it. They're not pretending that nothing happened- they all loved Linus enough that they can't do that- but they're all ok.
When everyone is together for the screening of Episode I, Eric looks around at his friends and his brother and takes a deep breath. This is what they've been waiting for, this is perfect, except... "Guys?" Everyone looks at Eric. "What if the movie sucks?"
Author: theniwokesoftly
Fandom: Fanboys
Pairing: Eric/Linus (unrequited)
Warning: Canon character death
Author's Note: guest_age asked me for Eric angsting after Linus dies. I originally thought I could throw myself into an angst-fest where Eric is completely non-functional and I stewed on that for a couple of days before realizing that that's not how Eric reacts to things. So I hope you like this, darling! The first scene is also based on guest_age's marvelous theory presented in the ship manifesto which can be found here.
While they're high on peyote, Eric tries to talk to Linus. Tries to apologize, but falls all over himself. He's not as high as Linus, but he's definitely not sober. Linus breaks and tells Eric he loves him. And not in classic "I love you, man" fashion, either. A true confession of love. Eric is stunned. And thrilled. He wonders if either of them will remember this in the morning.
When they get back to Ohio, Eric wants to bring up what Linus said, but is too scared. Eric just isn't good at this sort of thing. Linus is better at it, but he doesn't say anything. Eric figures that Linus doesn't remember, and tries to get over it.
After a while, they're not doing much other than watching movies. More often it seems that they're just sitting together, no need to say anything. The night Linus can no longer hold a controller to play video games, Eric goes home and cries himself to sleep.
After Linus' death, Eric is surprisingly stoic. Zoe and Windows worry about him. A lot. Hutch decides that it's just the way Eric deals, but Zoe at least is convinced that he's going to break down completely, and she's waiting to catch him.
At the funeral, Eric doesn't speak.
Rather than breaking down, Eric throws himself into writing Rush, to the exclusion of everything else. He doesn't spend any time with Windows and Zoe and Hutch anymore. Some days, he can't stop thinking about Linus and how he wishes he'd had the balls to tell Linus how he felt. But slowly, the comic takes shape. As it does, Eric starts to function outside himself a little more every day.
Zoe and Windows throw a party at the shop for the release of Eric's first issue. Hutch is there, of course, as is Chaz, which is slightly surprising but nice, as well as a whole bunch of other people who either don't know Eric very well or don't really care about comics. When they pour (really cheap) champagne to toast Eric, he picks up two glasses and looks around for Linus before remembering that Linus isn't there. That Linus will never be there. He doesn't cry, but he also doesn't speak. Windows notices but freezes. Zoe notices but doesn't know what to do other than take away the extra glass and give Eric an awkward hug.
After Rush is released, Eric manages to work back up to normal human interaction, or at least as normal as he'd ever been. The others are visibly relieved, enough so that Eric's rather embarrassed, but nobody says anything about it. They're not pretending that nothing happened- they all loved Linus enough that they can't do that- but they're all ok.
When everyone is together for the screening of Episode I, Eric looks around at his friends and his brother and takes a deep breath. This is what they've been waiting for, this is perfect, except... "Guys?" Everyone looks at Eric. "What if the movie sucks?"