A/N: yeah i think too much about a goofy 90s game. keep scrolling. i started this fic WAYY back in early 2025 but didn't finish it til now! mainly cuz i got sidetracked with.. other fics.
ToeJam woke up in a tired haze. His eye stems laid on a pillow, the rest of his body draped across the big and comfortable couch. His eyes immediately meet the TV. It was playing music videos from an era long gone. He wasn't sure if he fell asleep watching them, or if Earl switched to them once the reruns were done.
He looks to the coffee table. There was a remote that was nicely placed where both he and Earl could reach. A popcorn bowl that was just transparent enough to see inside. Based on the vague silhouettes, there were only seeds and some mildly burnt pieces left.
Then, he looks to Earl. He fell asleep hours ago. The sounds of his snores drowned out the music coming from the TV. Not like he was paying attention. What mattered was this moment of stillness.
And then, the day ToeJam met Earl replayed in his head..
Funkotron is a planet known for it's hedonism. It was fueled by the concept of funk- a perpetual state of casualty and living in the moment. A series of snappy snares and smiles all around. Despite this, not every alien lived a happy life.
ToeJam's species are known for being particularly frail and weak. This made him an easy target for bullying in his youth. Though he was able to grin and bear it, one day it was just too much.
That was when Earl stepped in. Earl may not have been the brightest, but he was kindhearted and was willing to spend time with ToeJam.
When he lost his family- his everything at the time.. Earl was there to take him in. And from then they lived together as roommates. When he had nothing left, Earl was there to help him. They were almost always seen together. They made music together. They've done everything from recovering ship pieces, to catching humans on their planet, and even saved Funkotron from the Anti-Funk.
More memorie came to him. His first love- Lewanda. A wonderful woman who was incredibly supportive of him no matter what. And then there was the fleeting crush, Latisha. She was bold, a great friend with zero tolerance for bullshit. He did a lot of stupid things to win her over, things he came to regret. Despite his pathetic efforts at wooing her, Latisha was still his friend.
If only he knew how things would turn out.
Then, Earl started dating Latisha, he couldn't help but feel a little pain inside. He couldn't do anything, and even worse.. He was happy. If Earl was happy, he was happy too. Even despite the heartache.
But why? Shouldn't he be happy for his best friend? Why was he so.. Jealous? Why did he want Earl to himself? Did he possibly feel the same during his past relationship?
Could it be?..
ToeJam sits up and reaches for the remote. His finger quickly glides to meet at the red button. With a press that leaves a small click, he turns the TV off.
Maybe he was in love. That he wanted to be Earl's boyfriend. That maybe they'd get married and have some kids. Sure, it was a guarantee they'd grow old together by how close they were. But possibly, they could be more than friends.
Perhaps he'll tell him someday. Not now, not tomorrow.
Eventually..