Chapter Text
Derapchu stared at his phone. Not because something shocking had happened. Not because there was bad news. Just because the name at the top of the notification made his chest do that stupid thing again.
Wifies.
Hey, are you busy?
Three words. He rubbed a hand over his face.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered to himself.
Because it was ridiculous. Wifies texted him all the time. Random memes at 3 p.m. Unhinged thoughts at 11 p.m.
Voice messages that started with “Okay, hear me out—” This wasn’t unusual. Nothing about this should’ve made his pulse speed up. Except things weren’t normal anymore. Not after he’d realized it.
Not after that stupid, life-ruining revelation two weeks ago. He liked Wifies.
No.
Liked wasn’t even the right word. He was absolutely, hopelessly, catastrophically in love with him. And that sucked. Because Wifies was his best friend. Because Wifies trusted him.
Because they streamed together, laughed together, spent hours talking about absolutely nothing together. Because ruining that wasn’t worth the risk.
And because there was absolutely no guarantee Wifies felt the same way.
So Derapchu had done the sensible thing.
Pretend. Pretend nothing had changed. Pretend his heart didn’t jump every time Wifies called. Pretend he didn’t know exactly what his laugh sounded like. Pretend he didn’t save clips from streams because Wifies had said something funny and he wanted to hear it again. Pretend he wasn’t gone.
Completely gone. His phone buzzed again.
Hello????
Derapchu are you alive
Don’t tell me you’re asleep already old man
Despite himself, he smiled.
Derapchu: rude
The typing indicator appeared immediately.
WIFIES IS TYPING…
Too fast.
Always too fast.
WIFIES: THERE HE IS
WIFIES: I need your professional opinion
Derapchu: I don’t have professional opinions
WIFIES: Wrong
WIFIES: You’re my emotional support guy
Derapchu blinked.
His smile softened before he could stop it.
Derapchu: emotional support guy???
WIFIES: yeah
WIFIES: you’re like emotional support water but a person
WIFIES: actually that sounds weird
WIFIES: forget i said that
Derapchu laughed quietly.
God.
He was doomed.
Derapchu: what crisis are we solving today
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then:
WIFIES: no crisis
WIFIES: just wanted to talk
And that— That sentence.
It shouldn’t have done anything to him. But it did. Because Wifies had friends. Tons of them. People he could call. People he could message.
And yet, somehow, at one in the morning, he’d texted him. Just wanted to talk. He leaned back against his headboard. Maybe it was pathetic that those four words made him stupidly happy. Maybe it was dangerous.
But he couldn’t help it.
Derapchu: okay
Derapchu: what’s up?
This time, Wifies didn’t answer immediately.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Which was weird.
Wifies usually replied before Derapchu even finished breathing.
Another minute.
Then:
WIFIES: actually can i call
Derapchu froze.
A call?
Now?
He glanced at the clock.
1:14 a.m.
Nothing good happened after midnight.
Except maybe talking to Wifies.
Derapchu: sure
His phone rang before he’d even sent the message.
He answered so quickly he nearly dropped it.
“Hello?”
“HI.”
Wifies sounded far too energetic for one in the morning.
Derapchu snorted.
“Why are you yelling?”
“I’m not yelling.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I’m enthusiastic.”
“At one a.m.?”
“Time is a social construct.”
“There it is,” Derapchu said fondly. “There’s the sleep deprivation.”
Wifies laughed. And just like that, some of the tension left Derapchu’s shoulders. That laugh. Every single time.
“You know,” Wifies said, “I called because I was bored.”
“Bored.”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing else?”
“Nope.”
“Not dying?”
“No.”
“No emergency?”
“No.”
“No world-ending catastrophe?”
“Nope.”
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You called me because you were bored.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s your reason.”
“Yeah?”
Derapchu smiled.
“You know other people exist, right?”
There was a brief pause.
Then Wifies answered so casually it almost didn’t register.
“Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you.”
Silence.
Not on Wifies’ end.
In Derapchu’s brain.
Because surely…
Surely Wifies didn’t understand the effect statements like that had on him. Because Wifies said things so easily. Because Wifies cared about everyone. Because Wifies was affectionate with his friends. Because Derapchu couldn’t let himself read into things.
“Hello?” Wifies asked.
“Sorry.”
“You lagged in real life.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
Derapchu laughed.
“Shut up.”
“No, because I said I wanted to talk to you and you blue-screened.”
“I did not blue-screen.”
“You totally did.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Mhm.”
Wifies sounded suspiciously smug.
“So,” he continued, “what are you doing?”
“It’s one in the morning.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I’m existing.”
“Wow.”
“Very productive.”
“Proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
And somehow, like always, the conversation drifted.
Nothing important. Everything important. Streams. Videos. Some random internet drama neither of them cared about.
Wifies complained about accidentally staying awake for twenty hours. Derapchu told him to sleep. Wifies ignored him. Normal. Everything was normal.
“Derapchu?”
“Hm?”
“You know you’re my best friend, right?”
His breath caught.
“Yeah.”
“No, like—”
Wifies hesitated.
Which was unusual.
Wifies never hesitated.
“I mean it.”
Derapchu swallowed.
“Yeah. You are too.”
Another pause.
And then Wifies laughed softly.
“Good.”
Good?
Good what?
Good because— No.
Stop. Don’t overthink. Don’t do this to yourself. He’s your best friend. He’s saying best friend things.
That’s all. But still—Still—
Derapchu smiled helplessly into the darkness of his room. Because even if that was all it was…
Even if Wifies never loved him the way he loved Wifies…
Even if he had to spend forever pretending—He thought maybe he’d be okay with it.
Because Wifies was here. Laughing over the phone. Talking about nonsense. Existing. And maybe that was enough. Maybe.
Unfortunately for Derapchu, fate had a terrible sense of humor.
And Wifies, completely unaware that he’d already stolen Derapchu’s heart, was about to make everything infinitely worse. Or infinitely better.
Neither of them knew which.
Yet.