Chapter Text
They needed a way to pass the time other than snuggling.
It was sad, but true.
The weekend came around again, and Wile E. knew that Kevin and Paige were out of office. Because, of course, he now had access to their digital calendars thanks to Paige. This meant that he knew what the two of them were doing at all times. Well, almost.
Kevin hated it, and that’s why Wile E. loved it. But, he was still courteous enough to not bother them when they had something that seemed important, like ‘Meeting,’ or ‘Yoga,’ or ‘Dinner With Mom.’
Therefore, he had no guilt when flooding their group chat.
Wile E. (Genius)
[An attachment of an image of Road Runner, sitting with his chin resting on his wing next to Wile E. on the couch; Wile E.’s leg can be seen in frame next to the Road Runner, brushing against his partner’s uninjured leg.]
Paige A. 💗 :
Roadie looking cute!! 🥰
Kevin Avery:
Why is he sitting like that?
Wile E. (Genius):
BORED
Kevin Avery:
You could have just said that!
Paige A. 💗:
Hmm… do you have any games you could play?
Paige A. 💗:
I absolutely crushed uncle Kevin at Mario Kart last time we played.
Paige A. 💗:
WILE E.! Send me a picture of the front and back of your tv!
Wile E. (Genius):
[Attached is the requested pictures of the out-of-date TV.]
Wile E. (Genius):
VIDEO GAMES?
Paige A. 💗:
You got it! I think I could get a Gamecube hooked up to that, but I’ll have to find one secondhand first. That shouldn’t be too hard. If they don’t include games, there are retro game stores all over Albuquerque, and one of them has to have Mario Kart…
Kevin Avery:
Why don’t we just get a deck of cards and call it a day? Your idea sounds like a lot of steps. We can get a deck of cards anywhere.
…
And, sure enough, about two hours later, Paige and Kevin showed up with a Gamecube with controllers, games, and all the bells and whistles, in addition to a regular deck of cards, an UNO deck, and an array of snacks- all non-perishable, pleasantly, so that they could save some to eat later.
“This was all Paige,” Kevin relented, raising his arms at the quirk of Coyote’s eyebrow toward him, questioningly. “She found it on Facebook Marketplace.”
[ GREAT. NOW ALL OF THIS IS HERE. ]
Wile E. rolled his eyes, but there was a fondness to it. After all, it seemed like Roadie was excited; he bounced in his seat, watching Paige set up the video game console from the couch.
It only made him seem outrageously stubborn the more he tried to deny it: his Road Runner was damn adorable.
“Alright! It’s all set up for you two to play Mario Kart, and if you like it, you can try one of the other games by pushing this button and putting the game disc in where the other one was– oh, but don’t forget to take the other disc out first– and make sure you put them back into their cases, otherwise they’ll get scratched–”
Wile E. impatiently nodded, though he was polite enough to listen and not interrupt. After all, a creature with his brand of intellect could figure out how to use a human video game console and play a silly game.
“Okay, well, bye, you two!” the younger lawyer concluded. “Uncle Kevin and I will leave you two to bond now!”
Kevin followed after her, albeit confused.
“Wait, but… there’s four controllers– was the plan not to stay and play for a while?”
“Nope! These two lovebirds– well, lovebird and lovecoyote– need to spend some more time alone!” she supplied, pushing her uncle out of the cave and chiding him, her voice gradually fading out of earshot.
Wile E. blushed at her comment, looking down at the controller in his hand.
Well… they might as well try it.
Beep Beep was already set up with his own controller, holding it in one hand when Wile E.’s gaze met his again.
In his other hand, the Road Runner held up a sign that read:
[ YOU’RE GOING DOWN ]
Ah, so he was ready to throw down. Smirking, the coyote signed in return:
[ I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I? ]
And so, the two of them dove into a brand new experience for both of them: playing a video game.
They chose their characters and maps easily enough, using unsure thumbs to press into plastic buttons. An interesting human invention, for sure, definitely not designed for toons’ hands (or paws, or… wings?).
Nevertheless, the first race started.
It only took Wile E. a beat to figure out which button made his car accelerate, thankfully; and with that, he was whipping ahead of his partner, who stayed stuck at the starting line.
“Beep beep…?!”
Frustrated, Roadie tried everything before finally landing on the correct button– but now he wasn’t going straight! How was he supposed to make it actually move forward?
Too proud, he simply tried on his own to translate hand movement to movement in-game, falling frustratingly behind Wile E. in the process.
He hadn’t even realized just how far behind he was until his sweet, smart coyote lapped him, firing a red, round object from the front of his kart into Roadie’s.
Too distracted by his own success, Coyote raced to the finish line, arms held over his head in victory.
He had beaten the Road Runner, for once! Of course, he hadn’t made first place (first time jitters), but he’d cruised into fourth over his companion’s dead last, behind even the computer-generated racers.
And then he got third place. Then second. He successfully improved each time, timing the release of his power-ups better, drifting more efficiently. It was a true feat for a cartoon coyote, who weren’t particularly well-known for their Mario Kart skills.
After several races, a large, golden trophy appeared on the TV screen, along with the unmistakable word:
“CONGRATULATIONS”
He did it. He won! He got the most points, therefore winning first place in the cup! A-ha! These video game things were easy.
Triumphant, he swings an arm around Road Runner in a silent laugh. He hasn’t been this happy since–
Well, since he kissed his sweet, adorable birdie the first time.
Glancing at said birdie, he frowned. Why did Roadie look so… sad?
Ah, wait. He had lost. He seemed to… not be used to that.
Attempting to keep the air light, Wile E. squeezed the other, planting a quick peck on the side of his head, and signing:
[ I BEAT YOU ]
His Road Runner nodded, eyes cast downward again.
[ I COULDN’T FIGURE THE GAME OUT ]
At this point, the bird was actually pouting. How much of this was actual sadness and how much was played up just to make Wile E. melt? No one could know for sure.
But melt he did.
[ I’M SORRY ]
The coyote nodded in sympathy, hugging the other toon with both arms and kissing his tiny forehead.
[ I CAN TEACH YOU? ]
Feeling much better after the affection and the offer to help him understand the mechanics of the game, Roadie nodded eagerly. He scooted into Wile E.’s lap, slotting into the space easily.
“Beep!”
So Wile E. taught him how to steer, drift, and use his item by pointing to the controller, explaining via sign what each button did. They practiced a few times, the coyote reaching over to adjust Beep Beep’s feathered fingers a few times, an action that made him shiver and coo happily.
They spent hours playing like this, not bothering to race each other, opting to instead perfect each map together. Many tries later, they had earned first place for each cup. It had taken all day, but they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company all the while, signing to each other every so often.
It was late at night, past 2 AM, by the time they stopped. Wile E. slowly moved to turn off the console and clean up, leaving the TV on as it had become the only light source in the cave. Roadie blinked sleepily, watching his coyote. They had been together for a week– a lovely, nearly perfect week, and they had slept separately every one of those nights. Well… except for the very first night. But that was on the couch, and not so comfortable.
Hatching a plan, Roadie beeped softly, earning the attention of his coyote.
[ CAN I SLEEP WITH YOU? ]
Wile E.’s face heated up, his eyes widening in shock.
How bold!
But as he went to refuse, he looked over at the precious Road Runner, illuminated by the hazy television screen. He had the same damn smile he always wore, but it was… a bit softer. Sleepier. They were both tired, after all. But the bird looked impossibly cute like that; it made the coyote’s resolve fade away instantly.
[ FINE ]
He sighed, picking up his Road Runner and hauling him to his old, ragged bed.
It was more spacious and comfortable than the couch, but not by much.
They fell asleep tangled in each other’s arms, brown paws buried in soft blue feathers and wings grasping a gaunt, bony chest.
It was a good day. And they had more games to try tomorrow, and the next day.
It was better than any Mario Kart trophy.