#which is a good call bcuz gene is a shaving expert

[br1ghtestlight]

For the WIP ask, I'd love to get more info on "Gene teaches Rudy to shave"- that sounds adorable!

haha that was a fic I was working on for geneuary actually!! rudy is like 13 and starting to grow facial hair but he feels too awkward asking his dad how to shave so instead he goes to their apartment and asks if gene can teach him (everybody else in the family is working in the restaurant but gene is "busy doing homework" aka watching tv) its like a male bonding fic kinda?? but also I just love their brother dynamic they're the cutest <3

Gene was eating another handful of popcorn when Rudy finally spoke up. "Gene, uh, you know how to shave your face, don't you? Didn't your dad teach you?"

"Yup!" Gene said with his mouth full of popcorn. "Dad taught me how to shave my face, and Mom taught me how to shave everywhere else. I still prefer getting waxed, though. My pain tolerance is, like, CRAZY high."

Tina hadn't shaved since that incident with her leg hair when she was thirteen and Louise wasn't interested in shaving at all, so Gene was the only child that Linda ended up teaching to shave, even though Bob was the parent who taught him how to shave his face. He didn't mind growing a bit of scruff or leg hair every so often, but sometimes growing facial hair made him uncomfortable and he liked the smooth feeling that he got after he shaved his legs. It had become a monthly ritual at this point.

Rudy looked away from Gene before he spoke. "I'm, uh—I'm starting to grow facial hair… and I really don't want to ask my dad to teach me how to shave. He would make it into a weird male bonding moment and I REALLY don't want that to happen. It would be super awkward. Louise is my best friend and I'm already over at your house a lot of the time, so you are the only person I could think of who might… be able to help me? I took a few razors and a can of shaving cream from my dad's house, so I wouldn't need to use anything that you own. I tried following online tutorials but I ended up doing it wrong and I cut my cheek."

Rudy pointed to a band-aid that he'd put on his lower cheek in embarrassment and Gene nodded thoughtfully. He wanted to help his friend with this milestone, even if he'd never taught anybody to shave before. This could be good practice for if he ever had to teach his own children!

He knew that Rudy was feeling awkward and uncomfortable about this situation so Gene decided to do what he always did in situations where people were feeling uncomfortable, and try to have fun and keep the energy upbeat. He would try to make jokes and help Rudy feel as comfortable as possible. They would have fun together and before long Rudy would forget why he was nervous in the first place!