Chapter Text
Pugsley, to be frank, was exhausted.
He was in desperate need of a nap so long it could be called a coma, and the usual hurricane of electricity running through his veins had quieted to a dull static.
He drove in silence, Eugene in the seat next to him and both Mother Ottingers in the back seats, still fast asleep. Pugsley didn’t dare break the impounding quiet, sensing that anything he said would only make things worse right now. He was starting to get used to the ever present feeling of guilt, and had decided it was a good thing that he felt guilty. It showed how much he cared about Eugene.
Not just cared. Cared wasn’t quite a strong enough word to describe what he felt for Eugene. He spent more time these days thinking of ways to make Eugene happy and to keep Eugene safe than he spent breathing. He even forgot to breathe sometimes when he got lost in the forest that was Eugene’s eyes. And what bliss it was to be asphyxiated by that intoxicating gaze.
Gods, he was starting to sound like his dad when he was talking about Morticia.
The drive wasn’t terribly long. Turned out they were only about 10-15 miles out of town, and the moment they were back on the main road, there were signs pointing home.
So Pugsley drove back to the cafe and parked the car in some nearby alleyway that didn’t look suspicious at all with a big white van stashed in it. Especially not when he and Eugene dragged Mrs and Mrs Ottinger's unconscious bodies out of the van and into the back entrance of the cafe.
They remained silent until they had settled both of Eugene’s moms onto their bed, locked all the doors and windows, made sure the sign for the cafe read “closed”, and returned to Eugene’s bedroom where they were safe.
Pugsley collapsed onto the floor mattress with a sigh of relief. His bones ached terribly and he could really, really go for a nap now.
But he sat up almost immediately and got his first good look at Eugene, who sat on his own bed, rubbing his eyes.
“Are you doing alright?” Pugsley asked, another unusual statement was starting to get used to now.
“Me? Well, I’m about as good as I can be considering both me, my moms, and my best friend were all kidnapped and threatened just now.” Eugene stated.
“...I’m your best friend?”
Eugene rolled his eyes, a smile twitching onto his face. “Of course you are, Pugs.”
Pugsley grinned and hoisted himself up to sit next to Eugene. “I was sort of worried you were mad at me for all this.”
“What? I was worried you would be mad at me!”
“Dude, getting kidnapped is like a hobby of mine at this point.” Pugsley gave him a look that translated to you-should-know-better-by-now.
“Well, yeah, but like…” Eugene huffed. “Anyway, this was my fault. I was the one that ticked the guy off by shooting him with an army of hornets.”
“It was me that stole the car.” Pugsley reminded him.
“Okay, but it was me that decided to take you to the mall of all places. I should have known better.”
“Mhm, but it was me that sent you a letter about visiting you over the summer, which implies showing me around town.”
“It was, but I was the one that told you that you should visit in the first place, so that puts me at fault.” Eugene crossed his arms.
“True, but I was the one that charmed you into liking me by being endearing and charismatic.” Pugsley winked. Or tried to, anyway. He ended up just twitching his eye really hard.
Eugene snorted and tried to push him away. “Idiot.” He teased.
Pugsley only grinned wider, letting himself be shoved into the pillows. He loved it when Eugene got just a little violent when he was embarrassed. He loved how Eugene would call him names. He loved how at any moment, Eugene could decide he’d had enough and send a swarm of bees to sting Pugsley until he was one giant blister.
What’s more, he loved how Eugene’s eyes lit up when he talked about his dear insects. He loved how Eugene would melt into any soft touch Pugsley offered. He loved how Eugene’s nose would wrinkle when Pugsley said something particularly weird or annoying. He loved how Eugene’s smile danced with light reflecting off his oh-so sharp metal braces.
There were so many little things Pugsley could name that he completely adored about Eugene, but at its root, it was simple.
Pugsley…loved Eugene.
A lot.
It made his insides boil delightfully to know that. He felt as if he could spend the rest of his life completely and utterly dedicated to him and he would never get over how much Eugene made his heart light on fire. He would die for Eugene. He would kill for Eugene. Either way, what bliss.
He was in love.
Eugene was glad to have a quiet moment after the constant chaos, but Pugsley was being too quiet, laying there after Eugene had jokingly pushed him, without so much as twitching.
Eugene laid down next to Pugsley. “Did I push you too hard or something? You’ve been laying there without moving for a full minute.”
Pugsley let out a breath he had apparently been holding. “Guess you could say I…fell for you.”
Eugene sat up quickly, turning away from him. “Cornball.”
Pugsley rose and pulled Eugene to face him. He grinned at Eugene’s flustered expression, tucking a curl behind his ear. “Caro mio…” He said, voice dropping an octave or two.
Eugene felt his face reach fire hazard temperatures, but he didn’t move. “Stop messing with me like that.”
“Who said I was messing with you?” Pugsley gently slid his hand up Eugene’s wrist before taking his knuckles to his mouth and gracing them with a gentle kiss.
Eugene’s eyes widened. He tried to hide his face in his free hand.“Oh my gods, Pugsley, you can’t just do that kind of stuff!”
Pugsley pressed kisses up Eugene's arm, his loose dark curls tickling Eugene’s skin, giving him goosebumps.
“Can’t I? Why’s that, caro mio?” Pugsley said, peppering kisses across a set of scars on Eugene's arm while not breaking eye contact.
HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYFREAKINGSHIT OH HELL was all that went through Eugene’s mind in that moment.
“U-um…I-...um...” He responded intelligently.
Pugsley's shit eating grin was especially slapable, and Eugene congratulated himself for having so much self control. Pugsley abandoned Eugene’s arm in favor of his face, showering it with a generous amount of kisses.
Eugene felt like he’d been spun around 50 times blindfolded and then promptly dropped off a cliff onto a roller coaster. His natural fear response to things like this, unfortunately, was giggling like an excited child, so Pugsley’s ambush of affection only got worse, and so did the giggles, resulting in a horrible cycle of each giggle resulting in more kisses and each kiss resulting in more giggles.
Pugsley paused momentarily to consider Eugene. “Hm. You’re cuter when you giggle than when you scream.” He noted.
“Pugs- don’t…don’t say it like that…” Eugene’s face was so warm you could not only fry but overcook an egg on it.
Pugsley’s gaze softened from mischievous to something sweeter. Affectionate, maybe…
No, Eugene couldn’t imagine Pugsley could feel true affection. All this touchy-feely stuff was purely out of some sick fascination for torturing Eugene. Pugsley was so socially unaware of everything, he probably thought this was normal.
Pugsley's eyes shifted to Eugene’s mouth, dark iris’ set there like he was hypnotized.
Oh…
Eugene self consciously wetted his lips. He then realized he could taste his own breath. Had he brushed his teeth last night? He couldn’t remember. He had guzzled a glass of water when he got home, but that didn’t really get rid of bad breath. His lips were so chapped. Not to mention they kept getting stuck on his braces. Oh gods, he could die then and there-
Pugsley leaned closer.
Eugene was tempted to lean away.
He was saved from making the choice (hurray!) by the door swinging open abruptly and mom walking in (Oh shit!)
Eugene jumped away from Pugsley like he’d been electrocuted.
“Mom! Hi! You’re…you’re uh…” He studied his moms face. Her brow was set low, in a serious-mom way that worried Eugene.
“We need to have a talk, Eugene.” She said.
Pugsley wasn’t allowed in on the conversation, so he sat outside the door like an abandoned cat. Eugene and his mom had been arguing for about 10 minutes on the other side, shouts muffled by the thick walls.
Pugsley had good hearing though, so the message came across just fine.
Pugsley was being sent home.
Apparently Janet blamed Pugsley for all that happened to Eugene, from getting stuck in the woods overnight, to being arrested, to being stalked, to being kidnapped, to being threatened by some madman. Pugsley couldn’t fault her. He had been the one that caused all those things, so the clear solution was to get rid of him.
Janet didn’t want Eugene seeing Pugsley anymore, and Pugsley could understand that. He wanted to be selfish and find a reason to stay, but he loved Eugene too much to keep putting him in harm's way like this.
With a heavy heart, he heaved himself to his feet and slowly dragged himself back to Eugene’s room to begin packing his things.
He didn’t turn around when the door creaked open a few minutes later. He just kept stuffing things back into his duffel bag.
“Pugsley, my mom-” Eugene stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Pugsley. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer, crushing the last shirt in and zipping the bulging bag closed.
Eugene’s footsteps padded closer. “Pugsley?
Pugsley was still so tired his bones felt heavy and his eyebags felt like they carried dumbbells. He used to enjoy sleep deprivation, but right now, he was just sick of it. With great difficulty, he pushed himself to stand with his duffel bag in tow.
Eugene stepped right up to Pugsley. “...Were you listening to me and my mom?”
Pugsley looked away. “A little…”
“...You do know I don’t-I completely disagree with my mom, right? I don’t want you to leave, Pugs. I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had in my life with you here.” Eugene affirmed.
“Your moms right, Eug.”
“What??” Eugene looked like he’d been doused with luke-warm water, shocked but not horribly upset per-se.
Pugsley sighed and set his bag down. “I don’t want to put you in danger anymore. I’m not used to all this…guilt that is now practically the default, but it’s a sign that I need to get out of here before I get you hurt, or worse, killed, Eugene. So I’m leaving. I’m removing the most dangerous part of all this. Myself. I don’t care what you say. Don’t lie and tell me you’re having fun. You’re too normal for that…” Pugsley meant normal as a compliment. He was starting to really wish he was more like that. An average teen who doesn’t take pleasure in gruesome violence and terrifying situations would be perfect for Eugene.
Eugene’s brow pinched. “That’s not fair. Shouldn’t I get a say in this? I want you here, Pugsley.”
Pugsley tucked one of Eugene’s curls behind his ear, and just briefly, his vision changed, and it was him and Eugene, standing just as they were now but much, much closer, not a gap between them, especially not their faces…
Just as soon as it came, it was gone. Pugsley slid his hand away from Eugene's face. “I want you to stay safe.”
“Okay, so just…I don’t know, be safer! You don’t have to leave!” Eugene’s eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “Please…don’t make me grovel like this. I can convince my mom to let you stay. I just…” He wiped his eyes, half chuckling-half sobbing.“Oh, gods, this is embarrassing, but you make me not hate myself so much. You make me…like myself, Pugsley. I don’t feel scared anymore. Well, sure, I feel scared when we’re being kidnapped and stuff, but I don’t get nightmares with you around, and I don’t wake up screaming from images of the hyde slicing my guts open. So please…stay.”
Pugsley just stared for a moment. His stomach felt like it was filled with fluttering moths. His heart raced like he was wearing nothing but raw meat in a cage full of hungry werewolves, and he loved it.
He…was important to Eugene? He hadn’t actually considered that. He loved Eugene…he loved him so much. But he hadn’t pictured the idea that Eugene loved him back even an ounce as much.
But here Eugene was, with that look in his eyes like Pugsley was worth all the trouble he’d put him through and more. But was it real? Did Eugene really love him, or did he love having someone there? What straw on the camels back would make this all come crashing down in an instant?
“I…don’t know.” Pugsley answered finally.
Eugene bit his lip. “Okay…okay, I’m gonna do something stupid then, if that's what it's gonna take.”
He slid his hands onto Pugsley's wrists, then up his arms, to his shoulders. He brought himself onto his tiptoes to better meet Pugsley's height. His eyes shifted down to Pugsley's mouth…
“May I?” Eugene whispered, voice shaky.
Oh…
Pugsley dipped his head in the briefest of nods and Eugene’s mouth was on his.
It was…
Well, awkward.
Their noses bumped. Eugene stumbled and Pugsley had to grab his arms to stop from toppling over. Eugene's braces were more involved than his lips.
But it was bliss all the same.
They parted, both gasping for air.
They just…stood there for a moment, looking into each other's eyes, panting.
“...Can I try again?” Eugene asked.
Pugsley moved first, cupping Eugene’s and twisting it slightly before diving into his lips, eyes shutting. Eugene let out a startled giggle before returning the kiss.
Their mouths took a second to adjust to each other, but they quickly found a steady rhythm, their lips meeting and parting in unison. Eugene placed his hands over Pugsley's, thumbs stroking his pale knuckles. Pugsley sighed happily against Eugene's mouth, loving the way Eugene’s metal braces dug into his lips a little.
“Caro mio.” Pugsley whispered between kisses. Eugene just giggled, pulling away. Pugsley's lips chased his, but were met with air. His eyes fluttered open.
“...You see now?” Eugene said through a few heavy breaths. “I…think I’m in love with you.”
Pugsley grinned like an idiot, kissing Eugene on the cheek. “Mm…are you now? I could say the same about myself.”
Eugene’s face broke into a wide smile. “Cornball…” He tucked his face into Pugsley's shoulder. “...Stay with me.”
“...Okay.”
Arguing with his mom was no easy task for Eugene, but it was worth it for Pugsley.
His mom had now involved his mama in the discussion, which Eugene was both relieved by and also 50 times more terrified. Sue was a loving woman, and less strict than Janet, but she was just as fiercely protective.
After hours of arguing, bargaining, pleading, and a little crying, Eugene and his moms came to an agreement:
Pugsley could stay one more week, and then he was going home.
And Eugene packed as much as he could into that week. He and Pugsley did everything, went everywhere, and spent every single moment together. They went to arcades, amusement parks, skateparks, open mic nights (He had to tear Pugsley away from that after he started talking about an unsolved crime one of his family members had allegedly been involved in), restaurants, graveyards, theaters, and together they went on walks, tried baking, cuddled together to watch movies, did karaoke, ran from a pack of guard dogs after sneaking onto private property, tried a ouija board, etc, etc, making the most of every moment.
When the moment came that Pugsley had to finally leave, Eugene stood with him with one arm holding his bee place close to him, and the other outstretched with the hand tightly wrapped around Pugsleys, fingers laced together like a safety net, as the familiar black hearse rolled to a stop on the curb and lurch stepped out.
Eugene tightened his grip on both Pugsley and the plush, which he’d decided to name “Lightning-bug.”
“...I’ll miss you, Pugsley.” Eugene said.
“I’ll miss you too, caro mio. Not even death can keep us apart.” Pugsley brought his hand up to kiss his knuckles. Eugene sighed softly, smiling.
“You’ll write me?” He asked.
“No.” Pugsley said. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll text.”
He pulled a phone out of his pocket. Eugene gasped.
“Where did you get that from? Actually, no, I don’t wanna know.” He took the phone from Pugsley and put his contact info in. He turned his gaze back to Pugsley’s terrifyingly dark eyes. “You’re a nightmare come true, Pugs…”
“You flatter me so, mi cielo.” Pugsley squoze his hand again, pressing a soft kiss to nose.
Lurch opened the passenger door for Pugsley, silent as ever. Eugene sighed and turned to Pugsley, scanning him over, trying to memorize this moment. He felt his eyes water a little, which was dumb and weird of him.
Pugsley traced a thumb over his cheek, swiping away tears. “I may be leaving, but a part of me will always be with you. I am never truly gone.” He said, almost like a threat. Eugene could’ve swooned.
“I love you.” He blurted out.
Pugsley paused. Then he grinned his insufferably attractive grin. “I love you too, mi tesuro.” He kissed Eugene one last time, which Eugene reciprocated, before pulling away and letting his hands drop from his.
He dragged himself away from Eugene and over to the car and climbed inside, not looking away from Eugene. Eugene didn’t look away from him either.
He watched as the car sputtered alive and drove away, and he didn’t stop watching until the car was a tiny blip on the horizon and eventually disappeared.
His phone buzzed with a text.
“Miss you already, caro mio.” -Pugsley.
Eugene smiled.