Work Text:
playlist with songs I listened to while writing
Wile E. Cóyotl feels like he's starting to go crazy, because he's seen that person with wavy blue hair running out of the classroom with some of his things in hand or entering university facilities without authorization and after hours.
And he always runs after him, trying to catch up, but Wile is... a little clumsy. And he always ends up falling, bumping into something, or colliding with someone and keeps losing track of him.
Wile, moving his hands quickly, explained the situation to his teammates. At first, they all looked at each other, confused, and questioned him, asking for proof.
Since Wile didn't have any, and he doesn't even know the name of the guy with blue hair he's accusing... so they just ignored it.
And when Wile kept insisting and claiming he was telling the truth, rumors began to spread among his classmates, saying he was crazy, that his behavior was obsessive, that he was a pathological liar, and many other things besides. But Wile wouldn't give up.
"So... you're saying you walked by him and he... looked at you...?" asked Bryce "Bugs" Barnes. Bryce was a guy with silver-dyed hair who was studying sociology. He’d known Wile for years and was used to how obsessive and explosive his friend could get, but this was on another level. He’d been trying for seven months to catch this guy—whose name he still didn’t know—red-handed. He had become a little paranoid, immediately putting his things in a locked box because he was afraid that "Runner"—as Wile called him—would come and steal more of his stuff.
Wile was welding with meticulous care, his hair pulled back into a half up with layers sticking out the sides. Before Bugs could answer, he lifted his welding mask and, with a smile, pointed at his friend. 'Exactly,' he signed, and then mimicked, with exaggerated expressions, someone looking at him mockingly.
"Ohh, and he smiled at you! How rude of him...?" said Bugs, with a slight questioning tone at the end, but Wile didn't seem to pick up on it.
'Right? That's what I've been saying!' Wile's hands moved at breakneck speed through the air, without catching his friend's sarcasm.
"No, he's charming, you are just... crazy." Said Lucas "Daffy" Rivero, a slender boy with jet-black hair with his cell phone in his hand, looking at Wile with a raised eyebrow.
Wile looked at Lucas, narrowing his eyes and fighting the urge to hit him, his hands shot up into the air with violent speed. He pointed at Daffy with a stiff index finger that almost grazed his nose, shaking it furiously before his fingers dropped to slice through the air in frustration.
'What exactly are you doing here?' His arms spread wide in a sweeping, exaggerated gesture that encompassed the entire campus, and he repeatedly and sharply pointed at the ground with both palms, as if stamping his foot visually.
His eyebrows furrowed even deeper, and air rushed noisily out of his nose as he spelled out the last word with restrained anger.
'You don't even go to this college!'
"Bugs dragged me out here, and well, he's my ride, so..." Lucas stuck his tongue out at Wile and turned his attention back to his cell phone.
Wile had to stop himself from jumping on Lucas and ruining the whole look that—as Wile knew—his friend had worked so hard to achieve. But just as Wile was about to get back to work, Bugs put a hand on his shoulder.
"But in these 7 months, haven't you been able to get a single photo of him stealing or sneaking into the college?" Bugs said
Wile nodded, making an adjustment to his project.
"Does he always walk past this lab?"
With another nod, Wile bent down to look for something in his toolbox.
"He's always looking at you and smiling... in a way that you find mocking?"
Wile went back to his project.
"And every time you try to catch him, he runs off before you can even ask his name?" Bugs fell silent, waiting for some response from Wile, thinking that his friend had realized where their questions were leading. "Wile."
The man with brown hair looked up and gazed at the man with silver hair, raising one eyebrow.
"I'm absolutely sure that guy is flirting with you, in a weird way, but it's still flirting."
Wile dropped the welder onto the floor with a resounding thud, got up silently, and looked at Bugs with an expression that said that conclusion was the most idiotic, most incorrect thing anyone could have drawn from the situation.
He made a gesture. A direct and definitive 'No.'
"Wile, I'm being serious—"
Wile shook his head no.
"The eye contact, the smiles he gives you, the way he always does something whenever you're around..."
Wile raised a hand and signed, with a patience that was starting to wear thin. 'Whenever he can, he sneaks into classrooms without permission, knowing I’m watching him. He’s stolen MY THINGS, and since he knows I can’t catch him, every time I fall or bump into someone, he peeks out from the side of the hallway to give me a smile full of satisfaction and malice. That’s not flirting! It’s as if he wants to make me an accomplice to his crimes—I can’t stop thinking about it.'
"Well, the point of flirting is that you can't stop thinking about the person..." Bugs said, a little cautiously.
Wile ran his hands over his face, tired of his friend's nagging. 'You're an idiot.'
"All right, all right, I'll drop the subject," said Bugs, raising both hands and smiling that confident, mischievous smile. "Actually, I came all the way here because I wanted to invite you to a party."
Wile looked at him with an expressionless gaze. 'What? Why?' he gestured.
"Because you never go out? You never have any fun. Besides, it would be really cool if—"
"He doesn't want to go to Lola's house alone, even if it's just for a party," Lucas said, earning a withering glare from the silver-haired boy.
"Yeah... and that too. Thanks, Daffy, for being such a good friend," said Bugs, smiling irritably, one eye twitching. "But please, Wile, Lucas already told me he didn't want to. Please, please..." He kept repeating, his hands clasped in front of him, pleading.
Wile knew his friend hated being alone with Lola, even though Wile liked her, but every moment Bugs spent with her was... awkward. So he sighed and sign, 'All right, but I'll be there for less than an hour.'
"Oh! Thanks so much, Wile!" Bugs hugged Wile, and his friend pushed him away with a mixture of gentleness and irritation.
Bugs smiled triumphantly at him, and as he backed away, he stared at Wile, a slightly softer smile playing on his face. "Hmm... it suits you..."
Wile looked at him, squinting.
What?
"The beard—though if I were you, I'd trim it a little." And with that, Bugs reached out his hand toward Wile's jaw, touching his unshaven beard. Lucas coughed a little, his brow furrowed, but he couldn't get Bugs' attention.
'What's this all about?' Wile asked, his gestures fluid and elegant; a trace of genuine confusion flashed across his face—he didn't understand what was going on with Lucas or Bugs.
"Oh, nothing.., I just wanted to give you a compliment..." Bugs moved closer and closer to Wile, his smile growing more and more mischievous, but Wile still didn't pick up on the subtext of the situation.
Wile’s mind was just beginning to process the situation. He looked at Bugs—the way he was leaning toward him, the way the silver-haired boy’s hand was caressing his jaw—and realized, with some surprise, that Bugs was flirting with him.
His brain froze, unsure of what to do. He knew Bugs was… a flirt; he’d met many of Bugs’ girlfriends and boyfriends, but there were so many that… he couldn’t remember any of their names. So Wile knew this flirting didn’t mean anything.
But even so, Wile was all dirty from working on his project, looking disheveled and having skipped lunch, so he didn’t know how to react to Bugs’s usual behavior. Besides, he could swear that Bugs had a thing for Lucas…
So, without saying a word, he pulled away from Bugs, grabbing his wrist and moving his hand away from his face.
'I’ll see you at the party—now please leave,' he signed, and when he finished, he pointed toward the door, wanting to spend what little time he had left alone.
"Okay, okay, see you at the party, Wile!" said Bugs, grabbing Daffy by the arm and dragging him to the door.
Wile was leaning against a streetlight in front of Lola's house, where loud music was playing and people were standing in the front yard talking, well he was waiting for Bugs.
Wile's hair, which was a long shaggy style featuring two colors; brown on top and a whole section of bleached-blonde thats hidden underneath and peeks out at the back of the neck, around the sides, and right beneath the bangs for a high-contrast look,it was somewhat styled, as if Wile had tried to fix it but hadn't quite managed to. His outfit was pretty basic: he was wearing gray sneakers, loose-fitting blue jeans, and a tight turtleneck shirt that subtly showed off Wile's physique. It wasn't like the brown-haired guy went to the gym very often—since he was so unlucky and clumsy, he got hurt a lot—but when he did go, he gave it his all, and one could tell just by looking at how that shirt looked on him.
When Bugs arrived, the boy with silver hair walked over to his friend and stopped abruptly, his jaw almost dropping to the floor. Wile was confused.
'Is something wrong?' Wile signed, his face clearly showing his confusion in case his friend didn't understand.
"I thought I was the only one who went to the gym..." said Bugs, glancing between his own chest and Wile's obviously well-toned chest. He knew their body types were different, but geez, how could it be more obvious on his friend -someone who doesn't get enough sleep and eats poorly- than on him, who was even on a diet!
'What do you mean?' Wile gestured, still not grasping what Bugs was getting at. Until Bugs fell silent, looking at him in surprise and then glancing down at his chest, causing Wile’s gaze to follow suit, and realizing just how tight—by Wile’s standards—the turtleneck fit him. The brown-haired boy blushed and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Bugs with irritation and embarrassment.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm just kidding." Bugs laughed, that mischievous smile spreading across his face as he looked up at the taller one, then leaned toward him, closing the gap between them a little. "Or maybe not?"
Wile pushed him away with one hand, rubbing his eyes, and with weary movements, signed, 'Let's just go in, okay?'
What they didn't know was that there was someone outside watching them with a mix of jealousy and irritation.
A boy who was a bit shorter than they were with a slim but athletic build, golden-brown skin, and wavy blue hair tied back in a messy bun. He was wearing a blue hoodie with orange stripes on the sleeves and baggy blue sweatpants. His eyes—black as a void—were half-closed as he watched Bugs and Wile enter the house.
"The rumors were true... that sociologist really is a whore," thought Ray "Runner" Carter, taking a sip from his glass, without really listening to the conversation going on around him. After a few minutes, he decided he should talk to the people inside the house, yes, of course, that was why he'd gone in...
When Ray walked in, he saw Wile standing alone in a corner, looking around, clearly already wanting to leave. “That shirt really suits him,” thought the shorter one, smiling to himself. But those thoughts were interrupted when Bugs walked over to where the brown-haired guy was standing, carrying two glasses—one for each of them. Ray’s expression hardened again as he tried to control himself—there were too many people around to go, grab Bugs by the hair and drag him away from Wile.
So he simply went to pour himself a stronger drink and drown his jealousy in alcohol. It wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but if he let his thoughts take over, maybe Wile would get mad at him and stop flirting with him.
But instead of focusing on his drink, he was keeping a close eye on when Bugs would walk away from Wile. Not to go talk to Wile—they didn't need to talk to keep their agreement—but Ray wanted to "chat" with the silver-haired guy. And the opportunity presented itself when Bugs seemed to say something to his friend and began to walk away, leaving the taller one alone again. Ray decided that this was the perfect moment to talk to the sociologist, so he followed him.
He found him leaning against the wall across from the bathroom door, clearly waiting.
The hallway was slightly lit —thank God—enough for Bugs to see the signs Ray would use to communicate. So Ray walked up to him, his face was calm and kind, when the silver-haired guy notice him, he smiled and wave at him.
"What's up, doc?" Asked Bugs, with that with that mocking, self-assured, and extremely charismatic smile that defined him so well.
'Hello,' Ray signed, forcing a hollow smile that didn't reach his eyes.
With slow, elegant movements, his hands spelled out the message without losing their fluidity: 'I wanted to tell you that he's not available okay?' He made a questioning gesture, raising an eyebrow ironically. Then, his fingers spelled out each concept with an unsettling calm 'I don’t like to repeat myself, so I hope this is enough to make you stay away.'
When he finished, he interlaced his fingers in front of his chest and held his gaze in silence, waiting for a response.
Bugs looked at him, confused. “Who are you talking about?” Ray pointed to the boy with brown hair and faded blonde highlights who was looking around, seeming a little uncomfortable being alone. “Wile?”
Ray nodded, smiling, he was glad that Bugs understood.
Bugs was struck by the reality of what the blue-haired guy was saying. "Is that right?" Now the silver-haired guy was smiling, curious to see where this conversation was going.
Ray nodded, now a little more cautious as he recognized the other man's smile. 'I just want to say, I know the reputation you have, and well, I just wanted you to know that he's already taken.' he signed.
"Taken?" Repeated Bugs, now he was choosing his words very carefully, somenthing unusual for him.
The blue-haired nodded again.
"Oh, i see.. by you?"
Ray sighed heavily, his face contorting with irritation. 'I thought I made myself clear earlier, but since you need me to confirm it, yes,' he signed, and quickly changed his expression.
Bugs nodded slowly, looking at Ray with a raised eyebrow. "Does he know that?"
Ray's smile didn't waver; his expression remained calm. 'We have a little agreement,' he gestured, his face blushing slightly. Clearly, Wile must have known—he’d been following him for months, trying to take pictures of him and letting Ray get away so they could get back to their routine tomorrow.
"I see... well, I was just wondering why he has never mentioned you or complained when I flirt with him." Bugs smiled with feigned kindness and innocence.
Ray's smile faded, his eye twitched and his jaw tightened.
"Not even once! Besides, I'm pretty sure he plans to come with me afterward... since I have the house all to myself." Bugs' smile widened even more, becoming even more smug, and his eyes scanned the shorter man from head to toe.
Ray looked at him, his eyes widening while his brow remained furrowed. It felt completely strange for things not to go the way he wanted. That confidence he always carried with him felt like a porcelain cup falling to the floor and shattering into a thousand pieces. He tried to smile again—though it looked more like a grimace—and his hands moved: 'What do you mean by that?'
Bugs shrugged, still smiling at Ray. That smile made the blue-haired boy’s blood boil and his hands itch, his mind fighting the urge to grab him by that perfect hair and slam his face against the wall behind him.
Ray's hands moved steadily and quickly. "I know it's difficult for you to close your legs and satisfy yourself alone, just like it's hard for you to keep your mouth shut, but let me make this clear: I won't be nice if I have to repeat myself to you in the future, okay?" His hands were trembling slightly by the end; the shorter one tried to smile, but he was so upset that he couldn't even manage to feign surprise.
"Clear as water." Bugs smirked, only to turn his back on Ray and walk away, heading toward where Wile was standing. Runner could feel his fingernails digging into the palm of his hand; his expression no longer tried to hide the rage he felt, and to avoid making a scene in public, he decided to go drown that anger in more alcohol.