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As the first survivor in The Constant, Wilson has been through it all. Everything random has been researched enough to be protocol, most days boiling down to a simple formula, survival coming first. While the introduction of different survivors has spiced up life in The Constant, Wilson still can’t fight the repetition of it all.
The Constant is named fittingly. Wilson couldn’t name it better, and he’s tried.
The morning sun washes over the sky, letting Wilson know it's time to work. Even as the first survivor, the others don’t seek him out for advice or help. Leaving the camp has very few repercussions, Wilson hates to admit.
Sometimes it’s like he doesn’t exist.
But that doesn’t matter now. He needs to work, there are no lazy days in The Constant.
Picking up an axe, the gentleman scientist leaves the camp and begins his journey. The best trees are far away from the camp; Wilson has mentally written down the different growth times of every tree he has planted in this world.
Nobody wishes him good fortune, so he leaves with a glum disposition.
As Wilson walks off to work, a certain mime takes notice.
CHOP CHOP CHOP… THUD!
Another tree falls to the ground, letting Wilson pick up more logs. He plants two pine cones and goes to the next tree, repeating the process. Chopping down trees has become a mind numbing task, Wilson spending the time thinking about the life he left behind.
The house he left behind… the privacy and freedom he left behind… the—
POP!
Wilson blinks, snapping out of his trance. He looks around the forest, anticipating a treeguard or something of the type. Yet the forest has no monsters. On the floor lies the remains of a balloon.
Wilson walks around, eventually noticing another balloon not too far away. It has the shape of a heart with pink color. With some annoyance, Wilson goes to pop the balloon. Then, within eyeshot, stands another balloon. A very obvious path of balloons goes deeper into the woods, one which Wilson begrudgingly follows.
At the end of the balloon path is a tree stump from which Wes sits upon. Wilson is close enough to see the obvious smile on his face. Wes sits with passive ease, his hands waving at Wilson as he appears. There is also a collection of heart balloons all around him.
Wilson almost smiles at the scene. Almost. He waves at Wes before going to the nearest tree and continuing his work. As another tree falls to the ground, Wes frowns.
Just before Wilson goes to chop down another tree, he smells something. Something warm, meaty and tasty.
Wilson looks to Wes. In their hands is a plate of bacon and eggs, kept perfectly tasty thanks to a bundle wrap. Wes wafts the smell of the food to his face, smiling with joy.
Wilson almost drools at the sight. Almost. He shakes his head, focusing on chopping wood. He can always eat once he’s done. Wes frowns at this action, one last trick up his sleeve.
Putting the bacon and eggs on the tree stump, Wes gets to work. He quickly crafts a party balloon and a speedy balloon, running to Wilson. Wilson swings his axe against a tree, but right before contact is made, Wes sticks a party balloon between him and the tree.
POP!
Wilson flinches and recoils, covering his face with one hand. When he looks at the tree again, there is a falling cloud of confetti. With a sigh, Wilson goes back to chopping the tree down.
He swings his axe, and…
Nothing.
There is no axe in his hands.
Wilson looks over to Wes. They pantomime chopping down a tree with his axe, then wipe off pretend sweat from their forehead. They do all of this with a smug smile.
Wilson gives up, groaning while walking over to Wes. He picks up the plate, sitting on the stump while Wes hands him a knife and fork. Wes holds his hands next to his face, smiling with his iconic flare.
Wilson digs in, popping the yolk of the eggs while taking a piece of the bacon and dipping it into the yolk. Moving the piece of bacon to his mouth, Wilson allows the smell of bacon and eggs to clear his nostrils.
It’s nostalgic. It’s overwhelming. It’s delicious. It makes Wilson sigh with sadness, reminding him of times before The Constant in a visceral way. The act of kindness comforts Wilson, filling him with the same warmth the bacon and eggs give him.
Wes puts their hands and head upon Wilson’s head, physically showing how Wes wants to be close with him. Everything he’s done has been a show of love, something Wes specializes in.
Wilson looks up from his meal, seeing the balloons around him. This act of… kindness isn’t new. The two have grown close, closer than Wilson may have anticipated. But the balloons, the food, the smiles… slowly it dawns on Wilson that maybe…
Wilson stifles a sob, feeling his emotions open up the waterworks. Wilson covers his eyes and tries to physically hide, but Wes notices.
Wes moves to kneel down in front of Wilson, moving the plate of food to the floor so he can comfort the gentleman scientist. With the leverage, Wes slowly pushes away Wilson’s hands, exposing the sight of fresh tears.
Wilson looks at Wes, his vulnerability shown in full. Wes delicately holds Wilson’s face, knowing this moment is rare. Wilson tries to stop crying, but he can't.
This feeling, something Wilson can’t understand, overwhelms him. Years and years gone unloved by family, abandoned by friends, isolated in an empty, dirty shack, and even in The Constant it’s like he’s surrounded by those who hardly seem to care about him.
But now?
Someone loves him.
It feels impossible, it feels unreal. Yet in his heart… It is perfect.
Why me? He wanted to cry.
Why someone as pitiful as me?
But the answers don’t matter. Wilson decides to listen to his heart. This joy gives him a burst of confidence, letting him do something more brave than challenging Dragonfly alone.
Cradling Wes’s cheeks, Wilson pulls him in to close the gap between them. He closes his eyes out of nervousness but feels their lips meet.
The sensation is… new.
Wilson quickly pulls back, feeling his cheeks heat up. He covers his face in embarrassment but peeks through his fingers with an awkward smile to see Wes’s reaction. The mime is, justifiably, frozen in place. Wilson starts to worry that this advancement may have been too brash…
But Wes smiles brightly, almost breaking character to laugh silently. He stands up and extends a hand to Wilson, letting him know that everything will be okay. When Wilson is pulled upwards, Wes holds his face like before. The space between them is small, something both Wilson and Wes want of change
Without any need for words, they kiss again.
This time, it isn’t so awkward.
It is just calm… and warm.
After a few moments, the two pull away, but still hold each other.
“…you're unpredictable.”
Wilson whispers, putting his forehead against Wes’s. In The Constant, unpredictability can lead to either life or death. Yet here, Wilson can’t help but enjoy it.
His mind is still full of questions, the big one being why? But nothing else matters.
He just wants to hold this moment.