Work Text:
Wifies was staying at Hummers place while they looked for another server to hop to in search of the Leviathan, after dying and thus getting banned from Arronax’s server. Because of that, Hummer needed to transform his house he had built for himself into a 2-bed/bedroom house. The pair having run into this issue quickly after dark fell over the server.
Initially, the duo had talked about maybe having Wifies crash on the couch, but the thing wasn’t wide enough for him to lay down without worry of falling off. He and Hummer shared a quiet laugh as that very incident played out during testing, with Wifies landing on the floor with a loud ‘THUMP,’ quickly followed by Hummer breaking out into giggles, with Wifies following suit.
Now, the two are looking for Hummer's old mattress, hoping it’ll be good enough to last for a few nights.
“Oh, that’s…” Hummer trails off, after opening the door to the storage closet. Only to be met with the most disgusting and putrid scent imaginable, rivaling that of Hummer's ship, which constantly had the mild scent of rotting fish. Wifies distantly wonders how he got here, and why he’s doing this. It’s because he really wants to bag Hummer.
“Yeah uh… no offense dude, but absolutely not.” Wifies says to Hummer, grimacing.
“Got it, none taken, that’s uh… that’s gotta be sorted out, at some point…” Hummer trails off, slowly closing the door.
He and Hummer apparently come to the same conclusion, because they both turn to look at each other slowly.
“Uhm… you could use my bed? Only— Only if you want to of course! We uh, we can keep looking for a solution!” Hummer waves his hands (hands? He’s made of metal) around as he talks, eventually, Wifies has to interject.
“Hey, it’s fine man, I can just sleep on the floor or something, hell I’ve pulled enough all nighters in my time it shouldn't matter that much.” He says, giving Hummer a solid thumbs up. The TV head pauses for a moment before responding.
“Wifies… I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor, I can take the floor, I’ve got enough extra bedding it shouldn't be a problem” Wifies immediately disagrees, he’s not gonna make the guy who literally built the house sleep on the floor, that’s stupid. He says as such.
“Yeah no that’s stupid. Look, genuinely, it doesn’t bother me to sleep in the floor, or not at all. I’m staying at your place, I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor” Crossing his arms, Wifies stands his ground.
The pair bicker about this for a bit longer, going back and forth ‘you take the bed!’ ‘No YOU take the bed!’ before Wifies has an idea.
“…Hey, you mentioned having extra bedding earlier, right?”
“Uhm… yeah? Why?”
“If you’re up to it.. we could just share the bed, and use the extra bedding to make a barrier.” Wifies can tell he won, because Hummer pauses a moment, screen briefly showing more static than normal, before he sighs.
“Alright, sure. I’m fine with that.”
“You sure? You don't sound very sure.”
“Jesus— yes I’m sure! Let’s just get the bedding, alright?”
—
The pair work together, crafting a barrier that’s thin enough to not push Wifies off the edge of the bed, nor squish Hummer against the wall, while being the right thickness to keep the pair apart.
“We’re adults. We don’t have to make this weird, right?” “Nonono— it'll be fine, Wifies.”
After a few test runs, (lock in lock in lock in lock in—) the barrier is complete, Hummer and Wifies both change into their respective night gear, and settle in.
It’s… awkward, to say the least, a quiet tension running through the air thickly, but eventually, Wifies finds himself drifting off, muttering a ‘goodnight’ to Hummer, not hearing if he replies or not, and falls asleep.
—
Warmth is the first thing Wifies registers, barely awake and curled up comfortably.
Sighing, Wifies curls further into the bed, pillows having warmed over time and stillness, with moonlight leaking through the window behind the bed.
It’s comfortable, Wifies drifts off again.
—
Wifies wakes up slowly, his mind dragging itself out of the ocean of rest, senses coming back online slowly. He’s curled around a pillow, latched on tightly with his head buried in it. He faintly registers the smell of sea salt and fish.
Creaking an eye open, a Herculean effort, Wifies sees something unexpected.
Instead of the grey bedding he and Hummer had used, he instead sees a dark blue sleep shirt, close enough to see the cracks in a repeating fish print.
This is… not a pillow, this is Hummer. The realization hits him like water breathing running out, and suddenly he is wide awake.
How. How had this happened. They had been so careful! Wifies can notice it now, his legs had become hooked around Hummer's own, arms wrapped around a mechanical torso. Hummer's arm is draped over his back.
God, this is too much, it’s too much! He’s so glad Hummer isn’t awake, it’s the middle of the night.
He.. he looks beautiful in the moonlight. God, Wifies? More like Whippedfies, fuck his chud ass life, bro… What does he do? Obviously Hummer is gonna freak out, they're cuddling together like they're dating!
But… he also is very comfortable, and doesn’t want to untangle himself, both for fear of waking up Hummer, and for his own desires.
God, fuck his baka ass life.
In the midst of his turmoil, Wifies hears the sound he dreaded the most, shutting his eyes immediately, he hears Hummer grumble in his sleep, unconsciously clutching Wifies closer.
His screen gets brighter, and the pink tint all but vanishes. He’s awake.
“Wh… huh.? Wait.. huh??” Hummer starts to sputter, his hold on Wifies getting tighter from shock.
“What..!! What..!!! how did— thank goodness he’s asleep… goodness gracious I— oh my god…” Hummers shocked sputtering is forcibly quiet, Wifies hears Hummers TV head plop against the pillows, exasperated.
“How do I… ugh…” Hummers frankly pathetic, if quiet, whine, almost makes Wifies crack his facade. It takes some serious dedication to keep his poker face up.
“How did this happen… we were so careful… ugh, Wifies, why does this have to happen now of all times…” Huh? What does he mean? Wifies has never been more glad to be good at pretending to be asleep.
“I just… I need to get over you, and this happens? God, it’s like Levi wants this to happen.. hah, like it would ever… I’ve never seen an investigator like you before, really… It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life for us to meet.”
Hummers arm moves from Wifies’ back while he quietly talks to himself, absently running his fingers through Wifies’ hair. He lets out a quiet sigh, the sensation making Wifies almost fall asleep again, if not for his iron grip on lucidity, he need to hear this. Hear Hummer.
“I just… ugh, it’s so hard to get the words out… I know what I want to say, but now how… I dunno if that makes sense.” It makes perfect sense to him, Hummer. “I should really tell you soon, how I feel… I think, I think I’m scared, Wifies. I’m scared of your reaction. Even though I have faith it'll all be ok…”
“I don’t think I could keep going as I am without you, Wifies.” Hummer finishes, scratching Wifies’ scalp lightly.
He makes a dumb decision, during Hummer's monologue, Wifies had grown… pliant, tired, his brain searching for the easiest and best course of action possible, and so, he makes himself known.
He cracks an eye open. “Mm, I don’t think your wrong t’ be nervous, you can just tell me..” Wifies mutters, looking at Hummers screen with eyes full of peace and warmth, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
Hummer.. appears to blue screen, pausing every movement for a second.
“You— your awake.??? You heard all of that?? Ohmygod—“ Hummer curls up, not retracting from Wifies, but curling nonetheless, hiding his screen in embarrassment behind his hands.
Wifies laughs, propping himself up just enough to gently reach out and grab Hummers hands.
“Hey, it’s ok man, I feel the same, have for a while now…” He says, smile turning warm. Hummer lets his hands be slowly drawn away from his face revealing the same screen as ever. Though Wifies would swear up and down that the screen looked warmer, almost pink tinted.
“…you do? Really?” Hummer says quietly, disbelief coloring his words.
“Yeah, really. I uhm… I think it started after we first met, you just… you looked so passionate, it’s genuinely really admirable.” Now it’s Wifies turn to hide, bowing his face, cheeks tinted pink. Now it’s Hummer's turn, he reaches out with one hand, gently guiding Wifies’ face up to look Hummer in the eye— screen? To look Hummer in the face. Wifies can hear the smile in Hummer's voice.
“The same for me, I never expected anyone to actually notice that the screenshot was fake. I think that attention to detail was what started it in myself.” Neither have to mention their time at Arronax’s server, they both know that only solidified what was already there.
The two sit in comfortable silence together, just looking at each other. Eventually, Hummers screen dims, and Wifies eyelids grow weary. They settle into a new position, with Wifies tucked under Hummer's chin, Hummer's hand tangled in Wifies’ hair, and the two curled around each other.
“We’ll talk more in the morning, alright? Let’s just get some sleep for now, Hummer” Wifies mutters, eyes slowly closing. But not before hearing Hummer, just before drifting off.
“Alright… love you, Wifies.” Hummer mumbles, screen going dark, with Wifies following suit, drifting off to sleep.
"love you too, Hummer..."