Autistic Characters in Love (Ray x Egon)

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

"Egon is going to break up with me," Ray says and immediately bursts into tears.

"The hell he is," Winston can't actually believe Ray just said that. "Pull over, okay?"

Ray is hyperventilating from trying not to cry too hard while driving. There's a bank parking lot up ahead they can pull over into. He stops Ecto 1. Drops his head to the steering wheel.

"Let me drive. You talk. Okay, Ray?" Winston leans down trying to catch Ray's darting eyes. Can't be done.

Zedd gets out of the car and walks around to the driver's side door. Ray is still slumped behind the wheel. He opens the car and looks down at Ray kindly. "C'mon, buddy."

Ray stands. Misery incarnate.

"Can I hug you?" Winston asks. Ray nods, tears and snot aflow. Winston hugs him tight and soon Ray's arms can float up and hug back. Some cars have slowed down but then driven on. The benefits of New York, right? The most famous car in the country stopped on the side of the road and two Ghostbusters in full uniform, hugging it out while one of them sobs. Nothing to see here. A few people honk and wave but no big deal. Winston waves back with the one hand that isn't patting Ray.

After a minute, Winston pulls back and puts his hands on Ray's shoulders. Squeezes. "Raymond, I promise you, Egon is never breaking up with you. You're perfect for each other. He'd go nuts without you. Can you get in the car and tell me what happened, okay?"

Ray trudges around to the passenger side and slides in. Winston settles behind the wheel.

He tries not to sound even slightly exasperated or judgemental with his tenderhearted buddy. "Ray, did he actually say he was breaking up with you?"

"No-o-o-o," Ray's voice wavers with tears.

"Did you have a fight?" Winston asks, wondering what those two would even fight about. From the outside they seem to share one brain.

Ray shakes his head, "Un uh."

"Then what happened?" Winston is gentle and concerned.

Ray draws a wobbly breath and says, "He's being weird."

"Egon is being weird? Did I hear that right?" Winston listens.

"Yeah. Frowning and stuff," Ray says, grimacing.

"Egon is being weird and frowning," Winston repeats. "Ray, you've met Egon. Weird and frowning is his thing."

"But it's not the regular frown. It's one of the bad ones," Ray tries to explain but no one else would get the infinite variety of Egon microexpressions that guide how Ray navigates the world.

Winston thinks they're probably safe to drive on now and he starts them rolling back home.

"Did you ask him about the frown?" Winston loves the way you have to wrestle this old car through traffic without power steering. It really feels like Driving.

"Yes," Ray is sighing and calmer now. He looks out the window and watches the scenery blur by. The visual input helps. "He said he was fine."

"Is he fine?" Winston asks.

"No," says Ray. His eyes are stinging still.