Chapter Text
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oh, what now.
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╭◜◝ ͡ ◜◝╮ ⋆╭◜◝ ͡ ◜◝╮. ⊹
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╰◟◞ ͜ ◟◞╭◜◝ ͡ ◜◝╮ ͜ ◟◞╯. ⊹ ⋆
. ⋆ ♡︎ ⊹ ( .◜◡◝ ) ₊ . ⊹ ♡
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of course, she would be trouble, just like chell. of course, nothing would go her way, and
of course, that little idiot would be stuck to her like frosting on a cinnamon roll.
"what is this. some tea party? where did you come from?"
a series of questions commences after GLaDOS comes to check on the test subject. it was still a pain that she could not be two places at once. while she desperately wanted to, her trust issues towards humans would not allow her the slightest bit of rest. not that she ever had time to rest when she was doing so much for this world just to see the face of wheatley again after she had tossed him away to god knows where. she almost forgot that he was made with a material stronger than the average turret.
the girl next to him smiled, hoping to finally get some acknowledgement for her 10th test chamber being surpassed, but instead, she was frowned upon. her smile quickly fades, noticing the growing tension between the frosting looking android that stood beside her and the sour GLaDOS that spoke from a mere camera. honestly, she has not seen GLaDOS to give a good description of her, except for the ominous, cherry looking camera. with wheatley, she didn't need to look far as he stood there just an inch shorter than her.
wheatley only laughed, wrapping his arm around love's torso to show how much he admires her more than GLaDOS. "what a lovely question, Glad-OS." his voice drips with sarcasm, butchering her name for its complexity. not that his name is any better, but still.
love didn't respond, nor did GLaDOS. neither were willing to fight and, in GLaDOS' words, this was all in the name of science. it was silent, too silent for the girl's liking when she was surrounded by technology that she could not quite understand. GLaDOS would be watching, no doubt. wheatley might have just sealed their reputation with the infamous, co-founder of aperture. she could be watching as they stood there, listening and trying to get a further reaction from the two to justify her sick desire torture.
a small reminder to not spill any secrets out loud.
the squeeze of wheatley's hand makes love come back to her senses at the warm feel despite how cold his outer shell appeared. a hand so unwavering that provided the right amount of pressure to help her come to her senses without cracking like a reese's pieces' outer shell. just like that, she was whisked back to reality and looked towards the android in question of what he was doing to her. without saying a word, he removes his arm from around her like it was nothing. he was frustrating to comprehend when he was all over the place. wheatley pressed the side of his head against various walls throughout the chamber, his built-in hearing mechanisms in full effect. the sake of finding cracks or slip-ups kept him going strong in order to find and help chell as he had said he would.
"wheatley, she's still watching us," love tries to tell him, but he is persistent, loyal, and she has mixed feelings about it.
wheatley's mind plays out all kinds of scenarios for when he finds a way out, especially the thought of introducing the two girls to each other. the possibility of the two getting along and understanding each other pushes the robot to go past his limits. he knocks against certain spots on the wall to pinpoint where a way out could have been previously. his lips curl up into a slight smirk as he remembers something. while GLaDOS had all the knowledge in the world, a flaw of hers would be that she couldn't control or move the catwalks that would remain still as they always have. GLaDOS could command as many of these sentient panels as she wanted, but she could not move the catwalks. wheatley would not give up to find chell, she was like ice cream that was slowly melting, and all he could do was hope to prolong its cold, slow demise. even if GLaDOS was watching, he would surely have the upper have with his experience outside of the test chambers.
"she was watching us," he corrects her, briefly glancing at the camera.
quickly, love looks towards the same camera that he was, confused and in disbelief. like it was trapped in a gelatin state, the camera did not change and kept it's gleaming red dot. it was just how she expected it to be which only made her question how sane her companion was. the android predicted that she wouldn't believe him and took this opportunity to show off his intelligence, just a little.
"it's an illusion. she likes to save power."
he whispered, his voice confident and personal against her ear.
she was staring so intensively at the camera to witness any changes that she failed to sense him coming up to her again. it was truly fascinating how technology and electricity operated in the facility to keep it running for so many years. in fact, it was even more fascinating that wheatley was here, telling her all of this, and doing all of this in the first place. speaking of, she quickly leans away from him as she realizes she wasn't just imagining him saying those things into her ear. it was so unexpected, it made her question his true motives, and if he actually had a mute, brain-damaged friend named 'chell'. he shrugs it off, trying to play it cool even though he just invaded her personal space.
she could feel her heartbeat picking up speed. she needed to keep calm. he couldn't know that she felt this way because of him!
"oh? what else?" she asks, wishing to know more of what he knew about GLaDOS. she did not know much from the time she spent in each chamber, but it was enough to understand her position within aperture science, what she stood for, and her ability to insult people.
this stumped the android for a moment, he tries to remember other things that he picked up. of course he knew her, who didn't? but, the more he thought about it, the clearer it became that the woman that he knew was formed from rumors. rumors that were told around the area that he worked, eventually managing to get his attention while he watched the smelly humans. they were all like sourdough in the making, forever left to ferment. no one had expected GLaDOS to take over back then, and yet, she did it. sometimes, he misses the old days with his core buddies who kept swearing they were only being nice to him because of the robot manual.
they all were told to share it and read it, which he did! he was very thorough when he did, but his core buddies.. not so much.
they were all so unique, and silly, and perfect for keeping aperture running smoothly. even if they could be a bit harsh on wheatley, he knew that they meant well. he always saw the world as this big, beautiful cake with multiple mixed flavors in each little slice. though, out of all of them, his favorite has to be strawberry shortcake.
he inhales, nervously responding with, "everyone knows her. she runs the whole place.. though- to be honest, i don't think anyone actually likes her."
ah, it makes more sense now. the tension, she thought.
wheatley finally finds a weak spot against the wall, prone to exactly what they needed to do. he didn't hesitate to shove his metal arm through the frail wall. he watches the panel come undone from his hand with the flakes of moon dust infused into the wall breaking a part from the force. he ripped the entire panel from it's hinges and revealed the catwalks to the two. suddenly, love wasn't just testing, she was looking at the outside perspective. it was a refreshing sight compared to the harsh testing track. not that it was much better, but the world was much more darker and easy to look at when she wasn't jumping through portals.
the air was filled with the lively buzz of technology and tubes carrying objects to where they needed to go.
meanwhile, wheatley was still shocked by his own strength and what other cool, secret abilities he never thought he could use. He looks at his arm with wide eyes while love's hand reaches over and gently brushes off the small bits like frosting crumbs from a cinnamon roll. carefully, the android regains his composure in order to quick lead the girl out of the chamber and away from her boring tasks. this was happening and nothing was going to stop the two of them. wheatley led his dear friend, walking along the catwalk, confident that he knew exactly where they were going. he always had a habit of keeping to himself, but upon seeing the way that love walked beside him with such grace made him falter a little. his gaze falls on her figure, half-lidded eyes filled with wonder. he watches as her hands hover over the rails, carefully taking in aperture science for all it had to offer while making sure she doesn't trip.
would he catch her if she fell?
the thought caught him off guard, but he doesn't think too much about it except that he...
...
he doubts it.
'bring your daughter to work' day, the event that was meant to help raise money for the company. it did the opposite. everything went to hell in the span of a whole day. that was the same day that GLaDOS was going to be on display for the first time. let's just say, it did not end well at all. to think that the scientists had lives outside their work and would innocently bring their daughters to this place. big mistake. that is the thing about humans, they make so many mistakes without even realizing it.
in fact, the moment they were out of the test track, GLaDOS was notified. she immediately sent the area into a chaotic frenzy. they screamed, gunshots fired, little turrets chasing them with open fire and thin, stubby legs. everything came tumbling down as the chambers crashed into each other and ripped the catwalks to shreds. wheatley acted as a shield from the multiple bullets being fired. thank god, they weren't powerful enough to break his vital spots, let alone hit them. the two felt like dough being stretched out until they were about to break, never allowing a moment to rest.
the impact of the catwalk sent the two into the lift as it gave out just seconds after they managed to escape. a piece of metal from the catwalk chipped off, sharp and forceful, aiming for the girl's eye. it was so quick and sudden that she almost mixed it if it weren't for wheatley using his forearm to block it. she doubts she would have survived if not for wheatley protecting her with the same speed of the turrets bullets. this was all because of wheatley. whenever she wasn't quick enough, he would grab out and pull her out of reach. he was always wrapped around her somehow like a cinnamon roll that refused to come undone to anything. she imagines that a fork could stab him and he would still cling with his own sugary mess being the glue.
she was only a human, she could only take so much running. like dough rising to the top before deflating completely, her adrenaline caught up to her and made her throat burn. they may have survived, but how could she ever repay wheatley who guided her to the very end. he could have left her to die, but he never thought to do such a thing. she was precious to him, and they both needed to escape, not just him. without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him to show her gratitude while she was still gasping for air. she felt his hand against the back of her head and it was more than enough to seal their trust in each other.
he had crawled into her life by accident, and yet, he was happy to stay. his lips pressed to the crown of her head to soothe her and remake the very dough that had failed to rise fully. he was not upset at her for not doing anything or angry that she hadn't risen to her limits. the turrets never aimed at him. the buildings never came onto him. hell, GLaDOS mostly wanted to kill love. he wouldn't let that happen; he wouldn't let any of them hurt this special cinnamon roll of his. she needed him as much as she needed him, as frosting and dough with her cinnamon sugary personality.
his embrace meant everything.
she was worth the risk.
"if i was a worm, would you take care of me?" love suddenly asks.
the random question shocks wheatley who laughs, "what? why a worm?"
he did not respond, but the question definitely caught him off guard. the two continued to move through the different rooms without any rush like earlier. they took this moment to relax and talk while looking at the many projects made for the 'bring your daughter to work' day. wheatley provides some helpful insight on how it all had gone down, and this moment really makes love realize just how much she enjoys listening to the british android speak. she was surprised to think she could listen to him for hours. however, what really caught her eyes was one of the projects, a potato growing into the ceiling like a giant monstrosity. she couldn't help but be drawn to it from the size alone.
the vines harshly bulged again the ceiling and ripped through it with the presentation cardboard just barely visible behind it. she uses the light that wheatley provides on his chest to see the name at the bottom corner. he leaned in to see as well, the core of his chest providing light from his very source of power.
"chell..."
so, he wasn't lying about that.
good to know, especially since he had so sweetly kissed her head when they had gotten onto the lift.
... it was a very emotional moment for the two. one that she doubts she will ever be able to stop thinking about.
as soon as she said the name, wheatley was already peering over her with heightened curiosity. he never expected chell to have been involved with aperture's most gruesome event. after all, he thought of her like his partner in crime, their crimes being a secret that he would never tell another soul. he blinks, trying to process the sight in front of the two. it was so obvious, but the robot opted for denial at the first chance. he was always like that, too understanding for his own good. some could call wheatley selfless, possibly naive.
he is stumped, "chell must be a common name."
it is not.
"well, what are we going to do when we see her?" she asks him, hoping to distract him from the possibility that chell had something to do with GLaDOS.
wheatley began to think about it in more detail, effectively distracting him, "hmm. once we find chell.. okay! first things first, we have to stop GLaDOS. we can't let her continue killing any subject she gets her grimy hands on. we have to put a stop to her and i think i know how! then, we can escape this hellish place. we could find a nice house, and- oh! we could get a pet!" he exclaims, confidently.
the two make their way down a few sets of stairs without the fear of GLaDOS trying to end their lives. wheatley was actually quite smart when planning this as she listens intently to him go off on a rambling spree. she did not mind, nor did she stop him. he would look at her, making sure she felt included in the conversation. she notices the way his voice softens when he looks at her despite how bold his claims were. did he even know the effect he was having on her. she quickly adds oblivious to her mental note of the core. surely she was crazy for having feelings for this robot, but how could she not when he has done nothing but good for her this entire time.
the scent of strawberries, the details inside his eyes, his personality, and the scratches against his thigh held so much depth that she so desperately wanted to know more about. his eyes and his core gave light to the darkest parts of aperture science. he was the perfect support and guide that she never knew she needed. she would subconsciously adjust her ribbon when his gaze fell on her. he says the management rails allowed cores to travel better, but something about the way he looked at it made it clear that he could care less about using it. they continue, all the same, with wheatley laughing and gently shaking her shoulder when he makes some random joke about the turrets.
at one point, love takes a risk and holds his hand, "we can do this."
her voice is soothing to hear and the meaning behind her words hits him like they were etched onto a cake, meant to be seen and heard. her hand, warm and squishy while it held onto his firm palm. slowly, his fingers curl around her own hand, holding it close. to finally have someone validate his half-assed plan made his heart melt from the gooey, wholesome sweetness between the two. he genuinely smiles at her as a result of the adorable energy she brought. it was like nothing could take her down or ruin this spirit she had within her. he gently swayed their hands back and forth with a sense of peace and teamwork.
if he could, he would be blushing right now.
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"nobody knows what i see."
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