Warning: Possibly triggering for those with Eating Disorders!
"Hey, Buddy."
Henry's stomach falls. "Oh, uh...hey, Dad. You usually don't pick up the phone."
There's a laugh from the other end but it does nothing to sooth Henry's nerves. "Yeah, your mother went out for groceries and I figured I shouldn't leave you waiting." Is that the only reason he bothered to pick it up? No, Henry's sure it's not. "Well, anyway. How've you been? Your classes are up and running again, right?"
"Yeah. I've been pretty busy lately, but it's not too bad." What else should he say? Mom's usually the one that carries the conversation and...well, he hasn't talked to Dad since just after Thanksgiving. "Um, how are you and Mom?" He says quickly, trying to keep the topic light.
"Pretty good. Nothing special going on. Jen left for the city again a little while ago, so it's just me and Molly." Henry worries he'll say more, that he'll bring up the big issue, but he doesn't. "Henry, how's Fredbear coming along? I know you were really excited to get it finished."
"Oh, I'm almost done, actually." It still sounds unreal and Henry knows there's plenty of work left to do, but he's finished making the robot itself. "I tested out the suit part too and it works great. I just have to finish coding it, which has been harder than I first thought, but I'm getting used to it. That robotics class has really helped." Henry smiles as he remembers watching Fredbear turn from side to side. It was so simple but it felt like he had climbed a mountain.
Dad laughs and this time, it's nice. "It sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, huh." There's a pause, then a sigh. Oh no. "Henry, I've been thinking a lot. Your mother told me what you said about Jen and...I think you're right. She hasn't hurt anyone and...if she doesn't want to be a part of the church anymore then I can't force her. I probably should've been harder on her before now, but I can see that it's too late to change her."
That's not what he said at all. It was hard enough to watch them argue every Sunday morning, telling her to dress properly. Henry learned to hate Sundays because he knew what would happened. The solution was never to be more strict on Jen, but at least he isn't making her move in with them again. He can be grateful for that.
The silence drags out and Henry realizes he never responded. "So, Buddy." Dad continues. "I've been wanting to see you again. When's your next break?"
Good. A change of topic. That's good. "Um...President's Day, I think. It's only for the one day, though. I won't get a full break until Spring." With how the weather's been, he feels like the season will never change. Henry likes snow, sure, but he's getting really tired of it.
"Oh. Well, that's too bad. Maybe..." Dad goes silent for a moment and Henry just waits. "Anyway. Um, have you started dating yet? College is a great time to get to know people. I'm sure there are some cute girls who like robot nerds."
Henry covers his face even though no one's around. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about dating anyone." He hasn't even tried making any proper friends yet, let alone setting up dates.
"I think it would be good for you, Henry." Dad continues, sounding less lenient on the subject. "I want you to meet a pretty girl and get married eventually. Don't you want that too?"
"I mean, yeah, but-"
"Then start now." He hears Dad sigh and Henry feels sick again. "Look, you're always going to be busy. That's just how life is, so you learn to make priorities. If you have to, set Fredbear aside. It can wait a little while, can't it?" Henry wants to argue but he can't. He can't cause more problems for the family. "Look, I know you love that robot, but machines aren't what life's about. It's about family and you'll see that eventually. So, until then, just trust me on this, okay?"
"Okay." Henry answers quickly. "I'll...I'll look into dating."
"Good. Well, I have to go, but keep me updated, okay? Don't expect this to work out immediately."
"Yeah. Bye." Henry puts the phone back and just stands there for a minute. He doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to put his own personal project to the side for something he isn't interested in. Who would he even talk to about this? Dad obviously won't be giving him many pointers and Henry doesn't really want them either. Mom might know, but she'll probably tell him so many things that he'll just end up feeling hopeless. He could also ask Jen, since she likes girls, but something tells him she wouldn't really know either.
Great. Just great. He'll have to do this all on his own, then.
Henry jumps when he hears someone knock on the booth door. He looks up at a younger woman who looks very impatient and he quickly steps out. "Sorry! I...sorry." He ducks his head and walks back to the dormitory, still completely lost.
Where would he even find someone to date? He has a few girls in his classes, but he doesn't want to just pick one at random. They probably wouldn't like that either, having some random fat guy walk up to them and ask for a date. It should be someone he knows well enough, like a friend. But the only girl friends he has are in New Harmony and they're probably all getting married already.
Henry steps into the room and sits on his bed, not bothering to look up. He could try someone at church. His dad would really like if he started dating girls in the same religion, but what if they don't like him either? They're even less likely share his interests.
With a frustrated shout, Henry falls back on his bed. He looks over to William's side of the room, about to apologize for making so much noise, but then he gets an idea.
"Will?" He asks and William looks away from his notebook with some reluctance. "Do you..." The embarrassment comes in strong waves and Henry has to force each word out. "...Do you know about girls?"
William suddenly looks very uncomfortable. "Girls?" He says it almost like he doesn't know what the word means and it would be kind of funny if Henry weren't in a state of complete misery.
He sits up, his shoulders hunched. "My dad wants me to start dating, but I don't know anything about that. I can't ask my mom or sister, because...well, it's weird. And I don't have many other friends, so you're my last hope."
"I'm sorry, but I've never done that sort of thing before." William says simply, looking ready to go back to his writing.
Henry stares at him for a moment, then boldly says, "I don't believe you."
William's eyes snap back to him, wide with surprise. "Excuse me?" He asks, clearly offended.
"I don't believe you." Henry repeats. "I mean...look at you! You're always dressed nice and you're British! Girls love that sort of thing, right?!" He's heard Mom talk about her celebrity crushes. He knows this at least.
"I'm sorry but I can't help you." William looks away, his eyebrows furrowed.
Henry groans in frustration. "Come on! I can't just figure this out alone! I mean...I'm not really a good catch. I'll probably go through every girl in the city before I get one date." Maybe it's an exaggeration, but it doesn't really feel like one.
William stops writing again, his eyes narrowed as he looks forward, then to Henry. "You aren't going to stop bothering me about this, are you." When Henry eventually shakes his head, the man sighs and starts putting his notebook away. He sets it down on his desk, then sits on the bed again, facing Henry. "Alright, fine, but I already warned you that I won't be much help."
"Just...tell me where to start." He must know that at least.
"Well..." William's face slowly turns genuine as he thinks on it. "Do you know how to talk to women? Without sputtering and making a fool of yourself, I mean." Henry glares at him but it holds no real heat.
"Yes. I can talk to them." But when he starts to think about it, he grimaces. "...But I could probably get better at it."
"So, that's where you start. Learn how to properly talk to women, then move onto the other things."
William starts to turn away but Henry doesn't let him drop the subject. "What about after that?! What do you do on a date?"
The notebook is suddenly back and William rips out a page, much to Henry's shock. "I have an idea. Why don't we write down everything you need to learn? That way you can acquire these skills before you are expected to preform them." Without looking up, William starts to write something down and Henry hesitantly moves over to the other bed, sitting down beside the man. William gives him a look, but he eventually moves over to give him more space.
Henry looks at the paper and sees four different categories sectioned off from each other: Speaking, Attraction, Courting, and Physical. The second feels the most intimidating, but Henry ignores it to point at the last. "What's that?"
"The physical skills you might need when in a relationship." William gives no further explanation.
"...Like, how I look?" He guesses that makes sense. He needs to be attractive in order for someone to-
"No." William cuts him off. "It's...kissing and other things like that. You should learn how to pleasure a woman before you get into that situation."
Oh. Henry feels warm as he looks away. "Well...I don't know if I'll need that so soon. I mean, I'm not getting married for a while."
"But you should still know it." William looks directly at him and Henry can't meet his eyes. "Henry." His stomach turns at William's tone. "If you don't want to...have sex with your partner, then that's fine. But in the case that you do, it's important you know how to please them as well."
Henry looks up but only for a second. "How do I even practice that?"
William sighs and erases that section. "Fine, we'll forget about that for now, but don't think you won't need it. It's up to you whether you prefer letting her teach you or not." Then, the topic switches. "Alright. Talking."
They both go quiet, looking lost. "Um, I guess I could just...talk to more girls. I should probably make more friends anyway, right?" William nods along and writes it down. Then, they go to the second part. Henry looks at the other man, hoping for some insight.
"Attraction. It really does depend on the person you decide to be with, but there are a few rules that apply to everyone. Such as..." Silence. "Ah! Being funny."
Henry's funny, right? He thinks he is. But even so, he lets William write that down. Then, he tries to think of an idea. "Um, maybe maturity? No one likes someone that can't have a serious conversation." He certainly wouldn't like that. Being in a relationship is about growth, right?
William taps his pencil for a moment. "What are your parents like?"
The question seems random and it takes Henry a moment to find a response. "Um, I don't know. They're kind of odd. They both cook and clean, but Mom usually took care of me and Jen."
"No. I mean, how are they to each other? Do they have a healthy relationship?"
"I...have no idea. They don't fight all the time. They don't hate each other." Sure, they have their faults and they don't always get along, but they aren't toxic toward each other, right? They've always seemed healthy to him. Henry suddenly looks to William. "What about your parents?" If he's being asked the question, he might as well offer it back.
William's eyes narrow but he doesn't look offended. Just serious. "I wouldn't know. I only grew up with a mother."
"Oh." Henry bites at his lip, suddenly feeling horrible for asking. He shouldn't have assumed, especially since William has never mentioned his father before but he just...thought everyone had two parents. Well, not everyone. Obviously there are people who don't, but after growing up in a town where every family looks mostly the same, he never really thought he would know someone like that. "Sorry." Henry mumbles, looking down.
"It's fine." William sounds genuine and it helps lighten the mood. "He paid child support and that seemed to be all my mother needed, so it's fine." That doesn't really sound fine, but William doesn't leave room for a response. He quickly turns back to the paper. "Anyway. I asked because most children base their relationship off of their parents. If your parents aren't healthy, then you may end up the same."
He never really thought of that before. It makes sense, though. "So, should I think about what I want my relationship to look like?"
"To an extent. You can't control your partner and if you try to make them fulfill your every fantasy, then it will never work out. Just...be aware of your own flaws and set a standard for yourself. Think of your boundaries."
"Okay." Henry watches William write that down in the "courting" section. Then, they go back to the attraction one. "So...I should probably be more attractive, right? I could try trimming my hair more." He's already growing a beard out of his own neglect. It doesn't look too bad, thankfully, but he shouldn't let it keep happening. What girl would want someone who can't take care of himself?
William nods along, writing down a few other ideas that they half-talked about during the shopping trip. Henry could definitely wear the outfits he got more than just once. And maybe he could learn how to brush his own hair the way William did.
Henry's eyes fall downward and he frowns at the way his gut pokes out. "I should probably lose weight too."
"No!" Henry jumps and looks up at William, surprised to be met with an angry stare. It's been a while since he last saw William this mad and now that Henry isn't in the heat of things, it's kind of terrifying. As the man starts to speak, his voice drops dangerously low. "That is a stupid idea. You should never change yourself for someone to like you."
He is almost too afraid to speak. "But...I should do that anyway, right? I'm fat."
"So?!" Henry feels his heart grow faster, but his stomach starts to sink. "What does it matter if you're fat? Is that really a bad thing?"
"William, it's not healthy."
"You..." William struggles to find an argument and it seems to only get him more upset. "Trying to change your insecurities won't make you feel better."
Henry gapes. He shakes his head, not sure what to even say to that. Then, he finally finds his words. "Why do you care so much? Why do you care if I want to lose weight?!"
"Because I like how you are!" They're close again and if Henry moves any further back, he'll fall off the bed. So, he just sits there, staring back at bright eyes. He watches William's anger melts into something else entirely, only for it to be hidden with a stubborn glare. "You have flaws. Everyone does, but trying to get rid of them won't make you happier. It will only make you afraid of them coming back."
The sinking feeling lightens and Henry's heart gets faster. "I...You really like this?" He gestures to himself, his mind running through every one of his insecurities. His big nose, his double chin, the way his stomach pokes out, his squared feet, and his short arms. He thinks of all of them at once, combined into making him look the way he does and he imagines someone actually liking that. It feels impossible.
But William doesn't falter. He looks right into Henry's eyes and says, "You're interesting and I feel the world lacks that. It lacks people like you."
This isn't what he thought would come out of this conversation, but Henry can't deny the way it makes him smile. He looks away, still now sure how to process this. "Thank you." He says, his voice quiet but sincere.
They don't go back to talking about dating, but Henry does look through the list again, already feeling more optimistic about this.
If it sounds like I'm projecting, then don't worry about it.