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"Red really yelled at me, Forman."
". . . Yeah, um. Get used to that," Eric said, doing his best to stifle a grin. He knew Hyde was angry with him, but- he knew his friend well enough to tell he was relieved to be out of that empty house.
It was like a daily reminder that maybe he really wasn't good enough.
He did feel guilty for exposing Hyde to his parents, though. Just a little bit.
"When I was living at home," Hyde continued, shoes scuffling against the wood floor as he paced behind Eric, "I didn't answer to anybody. I made my own rules."
Eric hears him move to the side of the couch, barely in his peripheral view. At least, enough to see him lean over some and point accusingly at him.
"You screwed me, Forman," Hyde amdonished. "I. . . I told you this was none of your business."
Eric nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. Less so because he was ashamed, and entirely because he knew the obvious smirk on his face would only spur Hyde on.
He goes back to pacing when Eric doesn't give more of a response, and Eric almost feels a wave of anxiety suddenly drowning the room.
He finally turns to look over at Hyde, who's stopped pacing and is now feverishly clenching and unclenching his hands.
"Hyde?"
His friend won't look at him, even after having tried to get Eric to look him in the eye just moments ago.
"I don't-" Hyde starts and stops, his brow furrowing. Eric sees him frown, notices the way his hands have begun trembling just slightly.
"I can't-" Hyde stops again, huffs, like he's frustrated with himself. "Look, it's not. . . "
"Not what?" Eric says, trying his best to sound open and encouraging.
Hyde slips his glasses off, drops his head into his hands, and sighs deeply.
It's long drawn-out and utterly despondent, and Eric decides to wait a moment, let him gain his bearings. He loves Hyde, a lot- he knows how much the man values his pride and privacy. He isn't going to tell Eric anything he doesn't want Eric to know.
"Forman?" Hyde says after several moments, quiet and tired.
"Yeah?"
"Can you get your mom- I think I'm having an anxiety attack."
Eric forces himself to not jump up, instead mumbling an affirmative and swiftly moving to run up the stairs.
Before he's even at the first step, the steps creak, and he makes eye contact with Kitty, who's making her careful way down, a plate in either hand.
Cocoa and cookies. Of course.
Eric would smile if he weren't so worried about Hyde.
"Oh, good," he says, not bothering to hide his relief. He reaches out to take the plates from his mom, who lets him only out of sheer confusion.
"Eric, honey, what-?"
"Hyde needs your help," he explains softly, urgently, and Kitty must see it in his eyes, too, because then she's jumping into action, squeezing past Eric and cutting the rest of the way down the stairs.
"Steven?" Kitty prompts worriedly. "What is it?"
Hyde's sitting on the couch now, one hand on his stomach and the other gripping the edge of the soft couch cushion.
"Oh," Kitty says softly. She moves to sit on the couch with him, whispers something in his ear. He nods, though Eric can see the hesitance in it as he quietly desposits the plates atop the nearest side table.
Kitty asks Hyde something else that he can't hear, and again Eric sees Hyde nod.
"Eric, honey, come sit here by your friend," Kitty coaxes quietly, quieter than Eric has ever heard her.
"Oh, I don't know if-" Eric stutters, feeling frozen in place. "I think he'd probably want me to go, actually."
"No, honey, he said he wants you to stay," Kitty reassures. She waves her hand, urging him over. "Now, c'mon, sit. Steven needs you right now."
"O-oh. Okay."
He sounds nervous, but really he's both surprised and delighted. Not that Hyde is suffering like this, but that he trusts Eric enough to see him like this. He knows how close Hyde keeps things to his chest.
He strides over quickly and sits as close as he dares to Hyde, hesitanty puts a hand on his back. He isn't sure what he's doing here, just that Kitty is helping his friend to breathe.
Hyde isn't hyperventilaing, exactly- it's more like he's breathing normally, and then just accidently forgets a few of the breaths in between. One of his legs is bouncing furiously, his hands shaking visibly.
Eric's seen Hyde nervous before, but never this nervous.
Kitty is murmuring softly, telling Hyde to breathe, using a pattern he's heard her use plenty of times before in the hospital.
Eric isn't surprised that his mom knows breathing exercises- he's lost as to how naturally Hyde responds to Kitty's prompting, like they've done this before.
He wonders suddenly how many times Hyde has had attacks when his friends aren't around, but is hanging out at the Forman's because he can't be alone.
Does it happen a lot? Has he ever been alone in it? Had he ever had one when they're all hanging out together in the basement?
Eric's mouth tastes like bile, now- he can't get that thought out of his head: how many times had Hyde silently panicked while they were all laughing and yelling and making jokes?
"Well done, sweetheart," Kitty says, drawing Eric out of his thoughts. She's talking to Hyde, who's breathing better now. His leg is still bouncing, but not as much as before, and his hands aren't shaking anymore.
"Do you want some water?"
He nods wordlessly, and as Kitty walks off to get it, Eric can't help but think how worried he is. He's never seen his friend like this before. He never wants to see him like this again.
Not because he's scared, but because he hates that Hyde has to endure something so awful and clearly debilitating.
Hyde clears his throat, glancing over at Eric, who starts, quickly drawing his hand away.
"No, uh," Hyde says, clearing his throat again. He does that when he's dreading his next words. "I need. . . Um."
He trails off, sighs, and looks away as if he's getting ready to tell Forman an embarrassing secret.
Instead, he puts a hand out, palm up and open.
Eric understands immediately, not even giving a second's hesistation as he puts his hand in Hyde's, squeezing in reassurance.
Reassurance that he was here, that he didn't mind, that he wanted to help in any way he could.
Hyde squeezes back but still refuses to look Forman in the eye.
"Thanks, Forman," he mumbles, rubbing the heel of his free hand down his thigh.
"Thought you didn't like-?" Forman asks, just because he's curious. The more he knows, the better he can help the next time this happens.
"'S'fine," Hyde says, picking an invisible lint ball off his jeans. "I always need it. . . after- y'know."
"Yeah," Eric says, and he means it. "Yeah, I getcha."
Hyde meets his gaze for the first time that night, and Eric smiles at him, hopeful and genuine. Hyde smiles back at him, though it's much smaller and much softer, and his expression is partially dulled by the glasses he'd slipped back on at some point.
"I'll be here next time, okay?" Eric promises, and he sees Hyde's eyes soften, just a little.
"Okay," Hyde says, soft and worn-out. "Thanks."