TITLE: Close, Closer, Apart
AUTHORS: Magican
RATING: PG-13 (slashy, dark themes, language)
SUMMARY: Jack is going through a rough time because Rachel broke up with him, so both Eric and Jack have to deal with that situation - and a whole lot more.
SETTING: AU, later seasons, slightly out of character- Jack and Eric live together in an apartment in a small city, studying at different universities in the surrounding area. The rest of the gang is living within driving range, with Cory and Topanga being happily married and Shawn and Angela in an unstable relationship.
FEEDBACK: I have to admit it. I do not own Boy Meets World (didn't Disney have that luck?) nor am I in any way associated with the show in real life. But in my fantasies – now that's a whole different story…
NOTE: Please be gentle and constructive with the criticism… No flamings, okay? I know my grammar isn't the best out there. On the other hand, I can take some harsh words. Now and then. ;)

1. Close

Eric was already hanging on the couch when Jack entered the living area. Jack, still half asleep, with swollen eyes and a pounding head, walked over to the bar and opened the fridge. Eric flipped channels every two seconds, until he accidentally encountered a documentary about birds. The fluffy yellow ducks caught his immediate attention, and Jack knew trying to start a conversation right now was quite pointless. He sighed.

"Good morning," he started, forcefully cheerful - hoping for the best.

"Hmmm," Eric replied with a faint smile, never turning his eyes away from the screen.

That was more than he'd expected, but still. He felt awful. He needed someone.

Jack sighed again and decided to try to lure Eric away from the ducks with his second favorite thing: food. He took out some eggs, closed the fridge and noisily took a frying pan out of the cupboard.

No response.

Only when Jack put some butter in the pan and the smell of warm butter started to spread throughout the room, Eric finally gained consciousness and turned around on the couch to see what Jack was doing. His smile returned as he saw frying pan, and the eggs lying on the kitchen table. It worked.

"Hey, g'morning bud!" Happy and bouncy as ever, Eric jumped off the couch and quickly approached the small kitchenette. "How'd you sleep tonight? … Did you sleep at all?" He patted Jack on the shoulder, then reached for some slices of bread.

So, he hadn't forgot after all. Last night, Jack had had the strong impression Eric wasn't listening to him at all, as he had still been full of the Disney movie they went to before Jack broke the bad news. Eric had persisted on going to that particular movie, while Jack really wasn't in the mood to do anything at all, after what happened earlier on the day. But, as always, Eric had talked him round and they went. He actually had had some fun after all, but coming home had plunged him right back into his depression. And Eric not being the slightest bit supportive made him feel even worse.

"Not too well, actually," Jack replied as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the melting butter. But despite his effort, his sight got blurred and tears started to burn behind his eyes. The nightmares kept dancing around in his head, as well as the real break-up. It just was too much.

Eric turned around at hearing Jack's broken voice, and saw his best friend fighting against his tears. He doubted just for a second over a playful reaction, but then decided to be more supportive than he had been last night, and reached out for Jack's arm. To his surprise, Jack immediately turned to him and hugged him tighter than he had ever done before. He softly sobbed into Eric's blue sweater, his shoulders shocking with every gasp. He clasped him, and Eric simply folded him arms around Jack's back. Just holding him. Comforting him.

It seemed like hours before Jack finally let out a few shaky sighs and let go of Eric. He hesitantly took a step back with a blushing face.

"I- I'm sorry for that," he started to apologize, eyes to the floor. 'It wasn't… I'm just-"

"You are very upset and I understand completely," Eric said softly. Jack looked up at him with a look of surprise – Eric had never sounded so seriously in all this time they were friends.

"Eric, man, I-"

"You needed a friend, and I wasn't there," Eric continued, unusually self aware. "I was being such a jerk last night, rattling on about some stupid kid's movie while my best bud was ready to throw himself in front of a train… I should have held you last night, not this morning. I'm a worthless friend. I don't even earn to be called a friend." Now tears started to form behind his eyes too.

Jack started to protest. "No, Eric, listen, you can't possibly be a worth-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Eric's face broke into his usual grin. Jack immediately felt his own mood rise two levels. He produced a faint grin as well, and quickly wiped his eyes, knowing things were settled.

"Look at us, whining like some eight-year olds," Eric laughed. "You shouldn't be so upset over a girl that's obviously not worth it. She dumped you? Too bad for her. Right, bud?" he playfully slapped Jack on the back and turned to his breakfast.

Jack could see the logic behind that, but that didn't stop his heart from aching. He couldn't just not think about it, like turning off a switch or something. He really thought that for once, he had had a good thing going on in his life – he just knew he would have loved that girl for ever. She made him feel like he was worth something, and every time they met, he just felt that spark. Well, actually flame was more of the right definition. And then, she broke his heart. Then, Rachel broke his heart.

"Yeah, guess you're right. I'll get over her soon enough," Jack mumbled to Eric's back. He was not convinced at all, but Eric's support and brighter look on things did lift his spirit some. Maybe he was going to live through it after all.

Then, a penetrating smell caught his attention, and he saw that the butter in the pan turned into an ugly, distasteful brownish mess. He let out a cry of surprise. The flames underneath the pan already started to lick the butter-mess, so Jack kind of panicked. Eric turned around and bursted into laugh over what he saw, but Jack didn't find it that funny. What if the whole apartment burned down?

Further more, it stinked to high heaven, and so he hurried to put out the gas and flush the pan with some hot water, while Eric – still laughing - ran to open the only window the apartment had. He tried to lead the thickening, black smoke out of the room - without much success by the way. Then he returned to the kitchenette to help Jack clean up the mess in the sink.

It took almost an hour before the air had totally cleared, but the two men were still coughing and waving with their hands to eliminate the last imaginary clouds.

"I begin to think this smell will never ever leave this room again," Eric said, his laugh getting stuck in a cough. "Man, in the future, when you have a mental breakdown, make sure you haven't got any cuisine projects going on at the same time!"

"I will remember," Jack finally laughed. Strangely enough, the whole thing had actually cheered him up a bit. And the accident wasn't as bad as he first thought. No flaming pans, no black ceiling, no burned-down apartment. Yeah, he'd live.