Heyyyyyy! It's meeee! Here for another Boy Meets World request. Can you do a Eric Matthews x longdistance!girlfriend!reader where she said that she was going to NYU, meanwhile he is staying in Philadelphia and close to his family. But, turns out, before the year could start, she couldn't be without Eric. So she surprises him and says that she is going to college at Pennbrook University? Thank you, queen! I am so sorry about you finishing boy meets world. i still watch it over and over again. You could do like Full House or Gimme a Break. Something like that!
₊˚⊹౨ৎ ₊˚⊹Crawling Back to You
Summary: You were gonna go to NYU, but you needed to be with Eric
Pairing: longdistance!girlfriend!reader x Eric Matthews
Warning: Small fluff
Notes: This is so sweet. I love Eric. He’s so cute. Enjoy!
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Eric had been pretending he was fine for exactly three weeks.
Ever since you’d told him you were going to New York University, he’d been doing this weird, overly supportive thing.
“New York is great!” he’d said, smiling too big. “Big city. Yellow taxis. Statue of Liberty. Probably pigeons with ambition.”
Meanwhile, he was staying right here in Philadelphia, going to Pennbrook University, close to his parents, close to Cory, close to everything he’d ever known.
Close to you — except not anymore.
Or so he thought.
The night before you were supposed to leave for New York, Eric was sprawled across the Matthews’ couch, dramatically staring at the ceiling.
Cory sighed from the armchair. “You’re not dying.”
“I might be,” Eric muttered. “Long distance is like… emotional cardio.”
The doorbell rang.
“No one get it,” Eric groaned. “If it’s happiness, tell it I moved.”
Cory rolled his eyes and opened the door.
And froze.
“Uh,” Cory said slowly. “Either I’m hallucinating… or your girlfriend is here.”
Eric shot up so fast he nearly tripped over the coffee table.
You were standing in the doorway with two suitcases and the biggest, most nervous smile on your face.
“You’re supposed to be packing,” he said immediately.
“I did.”
“For New York.”
You took a breath.
“Not anymore.”
Silence.
Cory’s head whipped between the two of you like he was watching tennis.
Eric blinked. “I don’t… what?”
You stepped inside, setting your bags down. Your heart was pounding so loud you were sure everyone could hear it.
“I tried,” you said softly. “I really did. I went to orientation. I looked at dorms. I walked around campus.”
You swallowed.
“And all I could think about was you.”
Eric’s face changed — the joking, dramatic mask slipping away.
“I kept imagining four years of phone calls instead of movie nights,” you continued. “Four years of missing birthdays. Missing stupid arguments. Missing you being… you.”
“You love me being me?” he asked weakly.
“Unfortunately.”
Cory made a soft gagging noise and slipped toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna… not be here.”
The door swung shut behind him.
Now it was just you and Eric.
“I called the admissions office,” you said, your voice trembling just slightly. “I transferred my enrollment.”
He stared at you like you’d just spoken another language.
“To where?” he asked.
You smiled.
“To Pennbrook.”
For a second, he didn’t react.
Then his brain caught up.
“Pennbrook?” he repeated. “Like — my Pennbrook?”
“Your Pennbrook.”
He stepped closer slowly, like if he moved too fast you’d disappear.
“You’re not going to NYU?”
You shook your head. “I couldn’t be that far from you. Not if I didn’t have to be.”
Eric ran a hand through his hair, eyes wide.
“That’s… that’s like, a big deal,” he said. “New York is very… New York-y.”
“I know.”
“You sure this isn’t just because I make excellent waffles?”
“You burn waffles.”
“Emotionally excellent waffles.”
You laughed softly — and that was it. That was the sound that broke whatever restraint he had left.
He pulled you into his arms so suddenly you squeaked.
“You’re staying?” he said into your hair.
“I’m staying.”
“Like, same city staying?”
“Yes, Eric.”
“With me?”
“With you.”
He leaned back just enough to look at you, his expression unusually serious.
“You didn’t have to choose me over your dreams.”
“I didn’t,” you said gently. “I chose a different version of them. One where I don’t have to miss you every day.”
His eyes softened.
“You’re not giving something up and secretly resenting me in five years, right?” he asked cautiously.
You reached up and cupped his face.
“Eric Matthews,” you said firmly, “I am choosing you. Not sacrificing for you.”
His grin slowly spread — bright and unstoppable.
“Okay,” he said, nodding once like he’d just solved a major life puzzle. “Okay. I can work with that.”
Then he hugged you again, spinning you a little this time.
“You realize this means you’re stuck with me for college,” he said.
“I know.”
“I’m gonna be very cool.”
“You’re not.”
“I’m gonna try.”
You rested your forehead against his, smiling.
Philadelphia suddenly didn’t feel small.
It felt exactly right.
And for once, Eric Matthews didn’t have to pretend he was fine.
Because you were staying.
