Chapter Text
Shit.
That was the only thought that managed to make it through Wifies' head.
His foot was caught.
Not just caught- wrapped.
Seaweed had wound itself around his ankle and lower leg, turning the ocean floor into what he could only describe as a forest of long, green, slimy tendrils. Every time he tried to pull himself free, they seemed to tighten around him.
Wifies yanked his leg again.
Nothing.
His eyes squeezed shut.
The saltwater burned.
It hadn't bothered him much before. He'd spent enough time underwater that he'd gotten used to the sting, but now his eyes felt like they were on fire.
He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.
The surface shimmered somewhere above him.
It looked impossibly far away.
20 seconds.
His heart thudded.
19.
He pulled again.
18.
Nothing.
17.
His fingers slipped against the seaweed.
16.
Wifies kicked.
Nothing.
15.
His chest tightened.
14.
He looked up again.
The surface was still there.
He just couldn't seem to get any closer to it.
13.
His hands were shaking now.
He clawed at the strands around his ankle, trying to find some way to loosen them.
Nothing.
12.
His thoughts were becoming strangely distant.
11.
He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of salt stung them.
10.
He needed to get out.
9.
He kicked harder.
Still nothing.
8.
His breathing became more frantic.
7.
His thoughts slowed.
6.
Maybe...
Maybe Wifies really wasn't cut out for this.
5.
The thought was almost funny.
He'd spent so long investigating things that were better left alone. Chasing clues. Following trails. Asking questions that probably should have remained unanswered.
Putting himself in places he had absolutely no business being in.
And now, of all things, this was what finally caught up with him.
4.
His eyes drifted toward the surface one last time.
3.
Everything seemed quieter.
2.
He stopped fighting.
1.
Wifies closed his eyes.
There was no one coming.
No muffled voice calling his name in the waters
No hand reaching down through the water.
Nothing.
For once, there was no mystery to solve. No clue to follow, no one else.
Just Wifies, alone.
Wifies respawned somewhere familiar.
For a few seconds, he simply stood there.
His ears were still lowered, his clothes slightly disheveled from the whole ordeal. He rubbed at one eye before noticing Hummer a short distance away.
Hummer was staring at him.
Not joking.
Not moving.
Just staring.
“...What?”
Hummer's screen flickered once.
“Where were you?”
Wifies blinked.
“I—”
He hesitated.
“...I died.”
The screen went dark for half a second.
“I figured.”
Something about Hummer's voice made Wifies straighten.
“What?”
“I pulled the elevator up earlier.” Hummer looked down at his hands. “You weren't in it.”
“Oh.”
“I waited for you.”
Wifies' ears slowly drooped.
“I thought maybe you'd gotten off somewhere,” Hummer continued. “Then I thought you'd gone ahead.”
He gave a small shrug, but it looked forced.
“And then you weren't answering.”
Wifies didn't know what to say.
Hummer's fingers tapped lightly against his arm.
“I was worried.”
“You were?”
“Yeah.”
The answer was so immediate that Wifies looked up.
Hummer's screen displayed a small, uncertain frown.
“More than I probably should've been.”
Wifies' tail gave a tiny movement behind him.
Hummer noticed.
“I thought something happened to you.”
His voice was quieter now.
“And I hated not knowing.”
Wifies looked away.
“...Sorry.”
“Don't.”
Hummer stepped a little closer.
“You don't have to apologize for dying.”
Wifies' ears flattened.
“That sounds like something you shouldn't have to say.”
“I know.”
There was a pause.
Then Hummer's screen flickered.
A tiny heart appeared.
Wifies stared at it.
“Did you just put a heart on your screen?”
“No.”
“You did.”
“Prove it.”
Wifies squinted at him.
“You're such a liar.”
“And you're alive.”
That shut him up.
Hummer's screen softened into a small smile.
“That's all I wanted.”
Wifies' tail started wagging again.
He quickly turned around to hide it.
“...Don't say things like that.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
Hummer's smile widened.
“Because you're cute when you're embarrassed?”
Wifies' ears shot straight up.
Hummer's screen softened into a small smile.
“That's all I wanted.”
Wifies stared at him for a second.
Something warm settled in his chest.
He quickly looked away.
“...You're being weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
“You're being... nice.”
Hummer tilted his head.
“I can be nice.”
“Not like this.”
“Like what?”
Wifies tugged at the end of his sleeve.
“I don't know.”
Hummer watched him for another moment.
Then his screen changed.
A tiny heart appeared in the corner.
Wifies noticed immediately.
His ears perked.
“Did you just put a heart on your screen?”
“No.”
“You did.”
“I didn't.”
“I can literally see it.”
Hummer turned his screen slightly away from him.
“You can't prove anything.”
Wifies stared.
“Are you seriously hiding your face from me?”
“I'm not hiding anything.”
“You're a television.”
“And?”
“You just turned your entire screen away.”
“Coincidence.”
Wifies snorted.
“That doesn't even make sense.”
Hummer slowly turned back toward him.
The heart was still there.
Wifies pointed at it.
“See!”
Hummer's screen immediately went blank.
“See what?”
“You're such a liar.”
“I think you're imagining things.”
“I am looking directly at you.”
“And?”
“And your face had a heart on it.”
“Allegedly.”
Wifies' ears twitched.
“...You're annoying.”
“Yet you're still standing here.”
“I was going to leave.”
“Then why haven't you?”
Wifies opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
His tail gave a small, involuntary wag.
Hummer's screen lit up with a smug little smile.
“Oh.”
Wifies immediately glanced behind himself.
His tail betrayed him again, wagging a little faster.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was just looking.”
“Stop looking.”
“I can't help it.”
Wifies pulled his hood over his head, hiding his ears.
Hummer's screen displayed another heart.
Wifies peeked out from underneath the hood.
“...You did it again.”
“Did what?”
“The heart.”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“You're horrible.”
“And you're cute.”
Wifies froze.
His ears slowly disappeared beneath the hood again.
“...Shut up.”
Hummer laughed softly.
“Okay.”
A beat passed.
“Cute.”
“Hummer.”
“Sorry.”
Wifies tried to glare at him, but the corners of his mouth were already betraying him.
Hummer noticed.
His screen softened.
“There you are.”
Wifies looked down.
“...What?”
“Nothing.”
Hummer paused.
“I'm just glad you're here.”
Wifies' tail went completely still.
For once, he didn't have a comeback.
He simply stood there, fiddling with his sleeve.
Then, very quietly—
“Me too.”
Hummer's screen displayed one final little heart.
Wifies sighed.
“Okay. You can keep that one.”
“Generous.”
“Don't push it.”
“I wouldn't dream of it.”
Wifies smiled despite himself.
And for the first time since he'd respawned, he felt completely okay.