Summary: Abed's never had any friends before. And neither has Troy. Not really. One-shot.
Disclaimer: I do not own Community or any of its characters.
It was around middle school when kids started making fun of him, calling him weird and a variety of other names. He didn't care much. It bothered him a little, sure.
But he had his TV shows to keep him company.
And he could ignore that pang of jealousy he always felt in the pit of his stomach when he watched the characters in all his shows and movies bond and create friendships.
He was an observer, not a participator.
/
By the time he got into high school, kids just knew his name. He didn't know how or why, they just did. Even older kids.
But people liked him, so he didn't care.
And when he made varsity sophomore year, one of the youngest players on the football team, everyone screamed his name at the games and Lily, the cute cheerleader he tried to talk to back in sixth grade but was immediately shot down by, suddenly noticed him.
It was around that time when he discovered friendship in high school, when you're a popular football players, means drinking on the weekends, playing wingman, and laughing it off when the seniors make racist jokes about you.
No matter how much it hurts.
/
In college, he found that people could ignore how weird he was and be his friend anyway. Like Britta, who worried about him. And Shirley, who was too nice not to be his friend. And Jeff, who was using him at first but actually genuinely liked him now.
And Troy, who liked to mess with him at first, but then decided friends aren't really supposed to mess with him.
And suddenly he realized he wasn't the only one who was just getting the hang of this friendship thing. The entire group was a little broken in one way or another.
So maybe, he and Troy could how to be a good friend together.
/
At some point, his definition of cool switched from jocks who throw massive parties on the weekends in their parents' house while they aren't home and who wear letterman jackets and have hot girlfriends they cheat on to guys who consistently compare life to pop culture and are unbelievably self-aware while simultaneously being completely unaware of how socially unacceptable his brutal honesty is.
Guys who like movies like Kickpuncher.
Guys who like to imitate fictional characters.
Guys who seem to know what he's thinking. All the time.
Guys like Abed.
/
In high school, he got shoved into lockers a lot and guys like Troy were usually behind it. At least, guys like Troy when he was in high school.
In college, he builds blanket forts and laughs a lot with guys like Troy. At least, Troy in college.
High school Troy wanted Abed to do stuff for him and let him play pranks on him without having Abed do the same back.
College Troy thinks Abed is the coolest person ever and always wants to hang out with him.
He's glad Troy changed. This Troy; this is what real friends are like.
/
In high school, he walked in on Jason Kellerman sleeping with his- Troy's- girlfriend. He was hurt and pissed. But he knew how he was supposed to react. Either punch Jason in the face or high five him for getting laid.
Jason was the coolest kid in the school and he invited him to all the cool parties and he hung out with Troy a lot. He said they were best friends.
So Troy gave him a high five, because when Daniel Marsh punched Mike Hayden in the face last year for sleeping with his- Daniel's- girlfriend, people didn't like Daniel as much anymore. Mike was cooler, and that's how high school is.
In college, Troy doesn't date much, but when he does, he knows Abed would never do anything like that to him.
Because Abed's a real best friend.
Abed's never had any friends before. And neither has Troy. Not really.
/
But now, it's TroyandAbed.
And in those moments, when it's the two of them, in their room, talking or laughing or playing games or whatever, TV shows and letterman jackets and bad, miserable memories don't matter. As long as they've got each other.