Chapter Text
Wifies came to a stop.
A large building stood in front of him; maybe a house, maybe something else. He looked around. Empty. No one in sight.
Where was he? Had he really come all this way for nothing? A complete waste of his precious time?
The server was dead silent. Maybe he should just look around a little and then lea—
"Hello?"
Wifies turned around.
There he was.
Hummer5718.
He stood maybe seven feet tall, his head replaced by an old television, soft static flickering across the screen.
He wore a white dress shirt under a deep green vest, neatly buttoned, with a black tie hanging down to the belt at his waist. Brown pants and black boots completed the look. A thick cable swayed behind him like a tail.
Wifies stared for a second longer than he meant to.
Lord, Hummer looked gorgeous.
Not that he'd ever admit it.
Wifies cleared his throat.
"Uhm... hello. I was worried you wouldn't show up."
-
"So this is where I keep all the information!"
Wifies tilted his head, taking in the room.
Books. Everywhere. Shelves overflowing, stacks on the floor, notes tucked between pages. It smelled faintly of old paper and something electric.
Hummer's back was turned to him, hands on his hips, standing tall and proud of his work. The cable-tail swayed slowly behind him, side to side, almost relaxed.
Wifies's eyes lingered on it longer than they should have. The way it moved was... distracting. He forced himself to look away and stepped closer to one of the shelves, pretending to examine the spines.
Hummer suddenly appeared beside him and shoved a book into his hands.
"Here! This is the earliest date I've found, 2024."
Wifies took it carefully, fingers brushing against Hummer's for half a second. His pulse jumped. He focused hard on the pages instead.
"2024?" he said, trying to sound normal. "That's way earlier than anything I've got."
He looked up and held the book back out.
Hummer took it, and Wifies immediately missed the weight of it in his hands.
"So... how long have you been doing this research?"
"Oh, quite a couple of years!"
"Hm." Wifies watched the static flicker across Hummer's screen. "Sounds like you're really dedicated."
Hummer placed the book back on the shelf. "Hmm... wouldn't say that."
Wifies blinked, confused. His brows drew together.
"Oh-! Well, yeah, I guess I am dedicated! Y'know...? I've been searching for Levi for a while...!" Hummer let out a nervous little chuckle, the cable behind him twitching.
"Levi?"
"Oh- sorry. Leviathan." Hummer turned his head away slightly, fidgeting with the edge of his vest. "It's just a nickname I have for him..."
Wifies felt a soft smile tug at his mouth before he could stop it. Something about the way Hummer got flustered was unfairly cute.
"Hmm. Levi," he repeated quietly. "Sounds cool."
"Oh.. thank you!
Hummer's screen flickered a little brighter at the soft smile on Wifies's face. He cleared his throat, the sound slightly distorted through the old television.
"Right... well." He rubbed the back of his neck, cable-tail giving a small, self-conscious flick. "I've been at it for years, really. Properly dedicated, I suppose. Just... never felt right calling it that out loud."
Wifies watched him carefully. The way Hummer got all awkward about it only made the whole thing worse. His stomach did that stupid little flip again.
"You don't have to downplay it," Wifies said, voice quieter than he intended. "It's impressive."
Hummer's head tilted, static shifting. "You think so?"
"Yeah." Wifies looked away quickly, suddenly very interested in a random book spine. "I mean... you've got way more than I do. And you've been looking for Leviathan longer. That's... kind of cool."
There was a short silence.
Then Hummer stepped a little closer. Not enough to touch, but close enough that Wifies could feel the faint static charge in the air.
"You're sweet, you know that?" Hummer said, voice softer. "Most people just ask what the hell's wrong with my head and leave."
Wifies's face burned. He kept his eyes firmly on the shelf.
"...I'm not most people."
Hummer let out a quiet, amused huff. "No. You're not, are you?"
Hummer gently took Wifies's wrist and tugged him out of the building.
-
A soft white glow washed over Wifies's face as he leaned against the railing. Below them the deep blue ocean lay completely still. They'd been standing there for a while now. The moon hung high, stars scattered across the midnight sky.
It was... beautiful.
Hummer stepped up beside him. "Wow... it's properly gorgeous out here."
Wifies nodded, eyes still on the water. "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
"I suppose so."
Hummer rested his hand on the railing right next to Wifies's. So close. Wifies glanced down at it, heart kicking hard against his ribs. Slowly, carefully, he started inching his own hand closer...
Before he could close the gap, Hummer stepped away.
"We should head to bed."
Wifies blinked. "Uh- you sure? We were still enjoying the view-"
"Come on," Hummer said firmly, already
turning. "Let's go."
"...Okay."
..
The beds had been placed side by side.
Wifies lay down next to Hummer, close enough that he could feel the faint warmth coming off him. Everything was quiet except for the soft, steady whirring of Hummer's internal fans.
Wifies stared up at the ceiling for a moment, listening to that quiet mechanical sound. It was strangely comforting. His eyes drifted toward Hummer's screen, still faintly glowing in the dark, before he quickly looked away again.
He shifted a little, hyper-aware of every inch of space between them.
Then, slowly, his eyes drifted shut.
-
Wifies woke slowly, the soft whirring of fans still in his ears.
It took him a second to realise why he couldn't move.
A heavy arm was draped across his waist, holding him firmly against a warm chest. Hummer's screen was pressed close to the side of his head, static faintly humming. The cable-tail had curled loosely around his leg sometime during the night.
Wifies's entire body went rigid.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
His face burned so hot he was half-convinced Hummer would feel it. He barely dared to breathe. Every point of contact felt electric, Hummer's arm locked around him, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the quiet mechanical whirring right against his ear.
Wifies squeezed his eyes shut again, heart hammering so loudly he was terrified it would wake the other man.
Hummer only shifted closer in his sleep, tightening the hold with a soft, contented sound.