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Wile E. Coyotes likes to think he's an honest guy.
Hiding bombs or traps under huge piles of bird seed doesn't count as lying in case you want to argue that point, because he's honest with himself about his intentions in wanting to get his paws on that blue menace of a bird's bright and well-kept plumage, even if from the outside it might look like he's being not quite truthful in what's on offer in order to try and fool his feathered rival.
Wile E. is honest when he says he's a genius because he'd like to see some other coyote come up with the traps and tricks he does to try and capture the Road Runner. It's not a lack of smarts that means he doesn't catch the beeping bird - he didn't take ACME to court for no reason, after all.
And he's honest in that he will travel to get the job done; often traversing miles of desert around his cave that he's made home, in the hopes of pouncing on Road Runner and getting his mouth on him.
It's just, Wile E. is starting to realise that he might not have been entirely truthful with himself or anyone else when he said all he wanted to do was eat the insanely fast bird.
Ever since they went to Congress and Road Runner appeared in a whirlwind of dust and legal papers, and told everyone watching that he'd been there to witness every attempt Wile E. had made to capture him and failing each time, (without laughing at his misfortune too which had been sort of surprise), and also when asked if he had any questions, the only thing he felt important to say was, Are you coming back? while looking right at him and well—
Wile E.'s been doing a lot of thinking.
Because that look in Road Runner's big, shiny eyes, and the fear on his chirpy face that Wile E. might leave him out in the desert alone, it had left the coyote feeling like he'd swallowed butterflies. And he hadn't. He can 100% confirm no butterflies had been consumed. He'd actually been quite hungry at that point, but the thought of cooking Road Runner and feasting on him hadn't even entered his brain.
Which was odd and alarming.
No, instead of picturing an appropriately large knife and fork in his hands with which to take his time devouring the tasty looking bird, his arms had instead twitched with the urge to wrap Road Runner in a fucking hug. His lips had tingled with the need to brush them against his feathery cheek, teeth well behaved, not breaking skin. The revelation had left Wile E. feeling like his world had turned upside down.
Because if he didn't want Road Runner for food but he still wanted the bird in his life, then what did that mean?
And why, if this was a feeling that had come on so suddenly, why when Wile E. actually sat down and pondered his feelings did it feel like nothing had actually changed, and he'd felt this way about Road Runner for years and just hadn't admitted to it to himself?
The questions and what the answers maybe, probably, most definitely meant had rattled Wile E. so much he decided the best course of action was to hide in his cave and see if it, the feelings swirling in his belly that he thinks might be love, just...went away.
It's been three days and the feelings are still there.
Wile E. rolls over to his side, back to the mouth of the cave. He's not hungry and he can barely sleep. All he can think about is Road Runner and how when he pictures his life a day, a month, a year from now, all he can see is blue feathers, golden beak, and pink tongue.
His life revolves around Road Runner and being honest, it has done ever since he first saw those clawed feet making tracks in the dusty sands and heard that chirpy Beep Beep, that haunts his dreams so.
Wile E. always thought the bird just made him crazy with hunger, but after lounging around his cave and playing a slideshow of memories in his mind of all the times he’s chased Road Runner, it's clear that the bird just plain makes him crazy.
Makes his mouth water, his heart flip flop in his chest. Makes his stomach flutter with his nerves and his dick throb between his bandy legs.
They're different species. Rivals. Predator and prey (though which is which he's not entirely sure considering his success rate). Nothing about their partnership should work or make sense outside of the concept of him enjoying the feathered menace in a nice Road Runner stew. And yet—
The idea of spending his life with anyone else, chasing after anyone else is just incomprehensible.
It's Road Runner or no one.
And that's fucking terrifying. Because what if the bird doesn't feel the same way as him? What if it's just a fun game to him? Like, yeah Road Runner supported him in Congress but at the end of the day that's just business really; doing it so he doesn't have to find another Coyote to humiliate on a daily basis with his speed and agility. And he gets that, he does.
What Wile E. isn't sure about, is if Road Runner wants more than just running around with him. Does he want to cuddle up together right here in the cave? Would he let Wile E. rasp his tongue over his beautiful plumage and pluck out ruffled stray feathers while he grooms him? Can Wile E. kiss him? Rub his dick against him and mark him in a way that means no one else could mistake him as anything other than Wile E.'s?
He's tying himself in knots just worrying about it all.
Longs to hear Beep Beep echo in his ears against the desert breeze.
"Beep Beep!"
That was so loud and clear in Wile E.'s large brown ears, it's almost like the bird is right here with him.
"BEEP!"
Wile E. jumps about five feet in the air; the loud chirp bouncing off the stone walls and making his heart race. He lands on the ground with a thump.
What gives? He scowls, holding up his hands in confusion. The bird is scant inches in front of him and yet he has no desire to chase him away. Wonders why he’s not running back to the desert already, daring Wile E. to catch him.
None of this is following their usual pattern and it's rather confusing.
Road Runner glares at him, stomping his claw on the ground. "Beep beep beep beeeep?”
Where have you been?
Wile E. shrugs. Busy, he says honestly. If you count laying around thinking as being busy. Which he does.
The bird's frown becomes deeper, obviously unimpressed with that answer.
Why does it matter where I've been? Wile E. asks holding up a sign. Scrubs out the words and writes, Don't tell me you missed me...
He grins to show he's joking but Road Runner doesn't smile. Just looks at him seriously and nods.
"Beep Beep."
Yes.
Oh.
Wile E. swallows thickly, feeling like his heart is in his throat. Really?
"Beep Beep," Road Runner says, nodding again. Yes again
He holds up another sign. Why?
Road Runner holds up one back. Because it’s not worth running, if you’re not chasing me.
Wile E. turns away from Road Runner, wiping at his teary eyes. Feels shattered into a million pieces without the help of any ACME dynamite this time. Doesn’t want Road Runner to see him so vulnerable, so very heartsick as he is. The bird must think he’s pulling away though, because Wile E. feels a beak nudge at his shoulder, and then Road Runner is in front of him again.
On him.
Plopping his feathered behind in Wile E.’s lap and getting all up in his face, like he’s not spent years speeding off in the other direction, laughing when Wile E. can’t catch up.
Wile E. blinks at him in shock; Road Runner’s golden beak so close to the tip of his muzzle. He just stares wondering what is going through that bird brain of his, when Road Runner sticks his tongue out at him; the damp end of it tickling his nose. Licking him almost like he’s claiming him. Wile E. jolts and huffs out, what was that for?
“Beep.”
Mine.
The coyote stares bewildered and painfully hopeful. Points to his own chest and then the tip of his black claw lightly pokes Road Runner’s puffed feathery one. Yours?
Road Runner nods vigorously, smiling widely.
Wile E. points at Road Runner and then himself. Mine?
Instead of nodding again, Road Runner makes that chirpy beeping noise that Wile E. is so fond of and smacks a wet kiss to his snout. Wile E. feels like he’s been hit by an anvil (he’d know how that feels) and then wrapping his arms around the bird, he rasps his tongue over Road Runner’s cheek and then kisses the top of his head.
Road Runner vibrates on his lap almost like an purr and it takes a long moment for Wile E. to realise he has him in his arms. Road Runner isn’t going anywhere. He’s not running off waiting to be chased. Wile E. bites his lip and then asks tentatively, stay?
”Beep Beep.”
He breathes out a sigh of relief and then rearranges them both so he’s curled around Road Runner, protective and greedy just to hold him. Road Runner tucks his head under Wile E.’s chin, and the coyote strokes his paw over those blue feathers again and again.
They stay tangled together as night falls, and though Wile E. wants more, wants everything with Road Runner, he doesn’t ask for it just yet. Wants to see if this a one time thing, or more. Content just to feel his heat seep into his bones while they sleep for now.
When he wakes; the crest of feathers on Road Runner’s head tickles his eye and he shifts a little to look at him. Road Runner is already awake. Staring at him.
”Beeeeeep,” he says, and pressing a kiss to Wile E.’s cheek, he then skeedaddles off. Wile E. presses his paw to the freshly kissed fur, amazed the bird had stayed the night and kissed him again, and then speeds off after his love not wanting to give him too much of a head start.
Thinks a bird seed pile in the shape of a heart will do the trick this time of luring him in ready to be caught.
It doesn’t.
Road Runner manages to escape his grasp again. Remains uneaten. Uncaught.
And yet, when Wile E. returns to his cave after spending his day in pursuit of his rival, it’s not long before he feels feathers pressing against his fur, and the smile of a bird happy to see him. It doesn’t matter if Road Runner dashes off with the sunrise, or if Wile E. never catches him, because it’s not about that. Never has been. Because if he catches him, then it ends. And neither of them want it to ever end.
A pause is fine though. A stop in time where they can touch and kiss and play—
A coyote and his pretty bird, always walking the same path in the hopes the other is there, knowing the journey is never the same if they’re alone. Because it doesn’t matter what they do in life, only who they choose to do it with.
And Wile E. will always choose his Road Runner.
Just like Road Runner will always choose his Wile E. Coyote.