Work Text:
“Do you trust me?” Shawn had asked Wally, out of breath from running around looking for him, holding two notices that were little more than ‘we quit’ one for each of them if Wally would sign.
Do you trust me? After dancing around each other for so long. After becoming friends? After Shawn had inexplicably become the clumsiest person in the studio, second only to Wally, just so Wally would have to come clean up his messes. So Wally would spend hours more than he should in the Heavenly Toys workshop as he found anything he could to keep him down there where he and Shawn would talk for hours about anything they could think of.
Do you trust me? After pulling a few too many pranks on Sammy that they’d both would have been fired if Sammy had anything to do with it. Moving his desk, pretending that they didn’t know where all the sheet music went when it was all hiding in Wally’s closet. Putting Sammy’s keys, before Wally lost them, into the cooler in the break room. And hiding cutouts of Bendy’s face all over the music department.
Do you trust me? After subtle looks, and teasing banter unearthed the truth about their feelings. When a stuffed Boris, given as a gift, received a kiss on the nose from Wally while he looked into Shawn’s eyes. When they did the best they could to have little dates, from baking cakes they always burnt, to seeing movies together, to going to eat at cheap little dinners. Always careful to keep enough distance between them so they wouldn’t get thrown out, or worse.
Do you trust me? When they got a little bolder, when they shared a single cigarette on their walks home after work. When, on rare occasions when they were alone, holding each other’s hands or squeezing the other’s shoulder at work. When they came up with nicknames that sounded like insults to everyone else but made their hearts warm. When they took breaks together, and Shawn brought small pastries for them to share while hidden away in the workshop at lunch.
Do you trust me? When Wally had confessed he’d never kissed another man before. When in quiet voices they talked about what it was like while holding hands on Shawn’s couch. When they finally did touch lips for the first time, and despite how forward he’d been until then Wally’s anxiety almost got the better of him. When they hugged gently within the privacy of their own homes or cuddled together listening to the radio. When they slow-danced behind closed curtains and pretended that it wasn’t hard to hide like this.
Do you trust me? When they finally said, I love you. When it led to tears and hugging and soft kisses. When they developed their own special signal to say it without words so they could express it wherever they liked. When Wally would mop the studio and Shawn would walk by, and Wally would drum his fingers along the mop handle. When Wally would pass by Shawn's desk and Shawn would stop what he was doing to examine his work and drum his fingers along the desk. When Wally, naturally touchy with everyone, would rest his elbow on Shawn's shoulder while harassing him, and drum his fingers on Shawn’s arm. They knew what it meant.
Do you trust me? When after so long they finally made love? When inexperience led to awkwardness and kisses and passion. When they knew it was a crime and didn’t care. When they did it time and time again, behind locked doors and closed curtains, as quiet as they could be for worry of arousing suspicion with the neighbors.
Do you trust me? After Wally ‘accidentally’ forgot to renew his lease on his apartment and spent a week complaining to everyone in the studio about it before Shawn 'surprisingly’ agreed to ‘let him rent a room’ in Shawn’s small apartment. When they moved in together without help from anyone else so that the one-bedroom apartment wouldn’t arouse suspicion. When Wally got a P.O. box so he could have a separate legal address from Shawn while still living together.
Do you trust me? After trading rings that had to be kept on chains around their necks underneath their clothes. Rings that held no legal binding. Rings that could get them in so much trouble. Rings, each had been separately bought. Rings that had an S engraved on one and a W on the other. A silvery chain with a W on it around Shawn’s neck and a copper chain with an S around Wally’s. Rings to signify something the law forbid and the world called a sin. Rings that were often brought out and looked at fondly when alone and left to let their chains tangle each night as the two men sleep.
Do you trust me? With your friendship, your companionship, your anxiety, your love, your future? With your life? The answer needed no second thought. Wally snatched a pen out of one of his pockets and held the notice against the wall to sign. They would turn them into Joey together.
Do you trust me? Shawn had asked.
Wally handed back the paper. “Completely.”