Author's Note: More Chelley, And this time it's the result of reading a ton of Chelley by a writer I'm a fan of, Msfcatlover. And when I read a bunch of fics about my OTP, I break into a fit of giddy laughter and want to roll around on my bed like a freak. So instead, I write fanfiction. Oh, if you're reading this yourself, Msfcatlover, thanks for being so awesome! Also, I wrote this in the middle of the night. xD
WARNING: This fic contains Chelley, with Mute!Chell and Core!Wheatley. Mostly because I find Core!Wheatley with Chell cuter than Human/Android!Wheatley. I think.
There was something that Chell noticed right off the bat about Wheatley the first night from their escape from Aperture. He stared. A lot. In fact, it was actually pretty creepy, but in another way it was very comforting. It was odd when he just looked and didn't speak, and Chell did not really like it, but it wasn't that bothersome. Of course, she would prefer to hear him speak than this, but it was late at night and she was very tired.
That wheat field actually turned out to go on for miles upon miles upon miles, and there was no way that Chell could cover the entire thing in one day, especially while carrying Wheatley. He was actually very heavy. So she had no other option than to lie down in the field to rest under the inky night sky and shimmering stars, under that big bright moon. The cool night air was very refreshing, like drinking a tall glass of cold water. Water... Chell wished she hadn't thought about that, now she was incredibly thirsty.
Although, she was much more tired than thirsty, for the adrenal vapor no longer charged her system and she couldn't remember the last time she had a nice, long sleep. Actually, she could. The last sleep she'd gotten like that was the one Wheatley woke her up from.
Speaking of Wheatley, he was still staring. Chell glanced to her side, still curled up on the cool floor to look at the core. He was a few feet away, staring at her with that blue optic and not saying a single word. It was... odd. Usually, he would never shut up, but now that he had finally quieted, it made her miss his voice.
That charming British accent, his rambling, his optimistic nature...
Wheatley continued to stare, and Chell found herself staring back, looking over every crevasse of his metallic body. Her expression remained unreadable, for she was always a stoic person. In truth, however, her mind was racing with thoughts.
She wished he would just say something. The atmosphere felt empty and meaningless without his voice to fill the air. She knew that he was staying quiet because he was supposed to be sleeping, but he could see her looking at him. A few words wouldn't hurt.
But he rambled. That was a fact.
A sudden breeze washed over the field, making it ripple and wave like a golden ocean bathed in moonlight, and sending Chell into a uncontrollable fit of shivers. The woman curled into herself a bit more, hoping to conserve body heat but it was fruitless attempt. She was still cold. The fact that she was wearing a tank top did not help.
She did the sensible and unknotted the jumpsuit from around her waist and pulled it on over her torso. It helped, but she was still cold. Of course it had to be the coldest night of the week that she decided to escape on. Nevertheless, she was still grateful.
Wheatley continued to stare. So did Chell. Neither of them broke their gaze unless it was to blink. There was an uneasy silence around them, which bothered Chell to no end. Sure, the silence was peaceful, but it was still weird. She wanted to hear a voice, he needed to hear a voice. She was not sure why she wanted to badly, but she was not going to rest until the sound of her friend's voice filled her ears.
She could easily do that, he always spoke. She had a number of choices to make him speak, whether it was if she flailed around on the floor like a fish out of water(however, that was not going to happen unless she had a sudden seizure) or jumped to her feet and roundhouse kicked him across the field.
No, she did not like any of those ideas. So, instead, she began to rise to her feet, or at least tried to. Her body was overworked and exhausted, and it felt like she was trying to move with an elephant on her back. So, instead, he inched over to the core, not breaking her stare.
Wheatley blinked, but said nothing still.
Chell was right next to him now and she put an arm around the bot, pulling him into a gentle hug.
"Wha..."
Victory.
"What are you doing, luv?"
She only snuggled into his metal body as a reply.
"O-Oh, um... Did you just want a hug? Well... You aren't letting go, so I am not quite sure what you're doing. Unless your hugs are always this long, not that it bothers me. In fact, it is quite... Enjoyable. If I had arms
l'd hug you back, I would, but since I haven't got any I guess that's out of the question."
A smile tugged on Chell's lips and, for the first time, she gave in. She smiled, letting Wheatley go a bit, and backing up enough for them to have a decent amount of space between them.
"You're smiling. I've never seen you do that before, you're always so stoic. Again, not a bad thing. But look at you! Your smile is beautiful! It's wonderful, you really should do it more often. You know what it's like, it's like... It's like.. a meteor shower! They don't happen every day but when they do and you actually see one, it's beautiful and mesmerizing... You just want to stare at it forever. Yes, that is exactly what it's like! Except I have actually never seen a meteor shower before, but that's what the file says so I'm just going to go ahead and go with that. Ah, look, you're smiling even more now!"
Chell couldn't hide it, she really was. He was just too charming and oddly cute for a metal ball.
"Ha, this really proved to be an eventful day, hasn't it? We overthrow Her, escape nice and peacefully, and now your smiling. It's the perfect day, I'm telling you." The lower lid of Wheatley's optic rose in a unmistakable smile. "I really love this, don't you? Being free, together, that is. I have to say I am really enjoying time with you."
Chell did not hesitate to agree in the slightest. Wheatley was her best friend. She reached out a hand and touched his side, still smiling softly.
"Hm, what's that? My side?"
Chell didn't do anything to reply, she only moved her hand slowly up to the top of his body and then pulled him into another hug.
"Ah, another hug," Wheatley said. "You seem to like those tonight."
She did, didn't she? Since when was she so touchy-feely? The last time she checked, she wasn't so high on bodily contact, but Wheatley made her feel warm inside. It was like she couldn't help herself.
"Y'know, I've been getting this weird... Feeling lately," Wheatley said. "My files are telling me that it's close to something that humans feel, if not exactly the same. Ummm... It's sort of a warming feeling, it feels kind if odd, too, honestly. Not necessarily in a bad way, but... Augh, I don't know. Never mind, forget I brought it up."
Chell released Wheatley from the hug and gazed into his optic, her heart leaping into her throat. Her smile melted away, and for a few seconds, there was a deep uncomfortable silence. Chell nibbled on her bottom lip for a bit, and then moved inward.
She planted a kiss between his optic and his handle, and Wheatley was obviously shocked.
"Wha...that... That was a kiss, wasn't it? Oh, I know it was. You just... You just kissed me! You, Chell, just kissed me, Wheatley! You... I..." Again, his unmistakable smile returned.
Chell smiled at him and then pulled him into another hug and kissed him again.
He was right, it was a rather eventful night.
Wheatley was now giggling madly. "Luv, you are just the most amazing person in the world, and I mean it! You are simply wonderful. And that is why I l...lo... Uh, and I thought that you wouldn't return the feeling because, well, I'm a core and you're human. But it wasn't true, you lo...l... Yeah! I have never been happier. I thought lov...eehhh was just for humans, but I guess not. Because I... I LOVE you! I, Wheatley, love you, Chell. Aaahh, it feels great to get that out. I've been holding that in forever."
Chell wondered just when Wheatley had fallen in love with her, but at that particular moment, she just wanted to hold him forever and listen to his voice and look at him.
Eventually, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
And Wheatley just stared.