In Reality || Wheatley x Reader (PORTAL 2 FANFIC) By Leisugar

Humanity

"WHEATLEY!"

I ran towards him without thinking, just wanting to give him an embrace from being so shaken up a while ago. But when I tried wrapping my arms around him, my arms fell through; gravity almost pulling me down as well. "Wheatley?" I said, quieter. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that uhh.. I'm a holagram. my actual body's in the room over there." Wheatley said, pointing to a corner next to some testing rooms. It was larger than the others, giving me the idea that this is more than just a testing room. "Do you live down here?" I asked, walking over. I didn't notice the sound of the hologram quickly fizzing out then powering back on next to me; in the corner of my eye I could see him which made me jump. I yelled and bumped into a table next to me, the walking space I was taking seemed a lot smaller now.

"Oh- shit I'm sorry. Are you alright? Where does it hurt?" He asked, trying to hold me. "Wait I can't touch you- Shit, uhm.. Keep going to the room I think there's some OH SHIT-" I saw him trip over and the hologram fizzled out, the sound of a thump came from somewhere not too far form me. "Wheatley!" I said again, quickly making my way to the white door, twisting the knob open.

The room was simple, almost every piece of furniture was simplistic; bed, bedside tables, study area, and a few boxes labelled with a black cross that I assumed was for medical purposes, etc. "I assumed this room was for storing medicine for humans and such, as well as y'know, my clothes and stuff-" Wheatley walked over to a station next to a dresser that had a small light, photos, and a familiar little orb. "-And this is what fixes me whenever I y'know, break my nose or something." he held the two poles supporting the top of the contraption. My expression faltered to embarrassment and sorrow, remembering what had happened. "I'm-"

"Don't worry, love! I'm fine! look-" he let his weight pull him forward, now being eye level with me. "-do you see any dents? Anything?" He asked. My faced began to burn but I still shook my head. "Exactly!" he pulled himself back up beaming; I hadn't noticed I was holding my breath, finally sighing. "This thing has saved my ass time and time again, so, you don't have to worry about me-" he said, getting off it. "-or cry over me." That's when I snapped, the smug and happy look on his face no longer bringing me relief. "I was worried about you!" I said. "I'm an android, (Y/N). It's not like I'll die anytime soon, at all- actually." he reassured. "Could you at least acknowledge that I was afraid?! That I thought I had?! How could I have known that this existed?" I said, even if he didn't take my feelings into consideration.

"..you do have a point-" "That's it?! I have a point?!" "Look I'm not good at human emotions, alright?! You expect me to understand how you feel like it's the back of my hand!" He retorted. "You're a goddamn robot! You can compute calculus faster than it takes me to learn it." I said, pushing a finger into his chest. "You're a real person! So start acting like one and stop being so self-centered!" I yelled, staring him down with a scowl on my face. It felt like my voice echoed slightly in the silence; I only stood there without my bubbling hatred faltering, looking at the surprised but also hurt expression on Wheatley's face. He shifted his stance but held tight onto the pole, his shoulders tense but not from anger but fear.

"..I'm sorry." He said. His eyebrows drew together, shifting upwards slightly. It hurt to see, but I wasn't going to back down from this so easily. He needs to know how I felt, how much it hurt me to see his corpse laying still propped up against that table back in the canteen. We stood there a bit longer, he stood as still as possible and rubbed the metal support his hand was wrapped around. "I don't- I don't mean to be, really." He began; my face softening after recalling he had apologized. "I heard you, before I shut down. I don't blame you for what happened, it was an accident.." at this point, he was trying to pick up pieces of what he knows about why I'm upset and apologize for it. Even being a robot I know he's not smart enough to try and guilt trip me, especially with how he acts more and more frightened when I haven't given up the dreadful stare.

"I.. just please stop staring at me like that, you're scaring me.." he whimpered, taking step back. My expression softened a lot more, only a frown upon it left. I sighed and glanced at his hand; his arm was shaking. "I'm just happy to be back, okay?" My eyes came back to his face and saw a single tear drip down. Was he that shaken up? I grew concerned that I had scared him too much. I knew I did. That's what I wanted.. right?

"Hey.. it's okay I understand-" "I'm sorry I made you mad again after everything that's happened to you.. I'm sorry for being so rude I-" I pulled him into a hug, embracing him as tight as I could. I began regretting everything, no matter what I felt or how I was feeling I don't know what he's been through. What if he-

"I just thought we were friends.."

This. After everything he's said, this brought me so much more heartache than anything. I even began tearing up myself- Wheatley began mumbling apology after apology, holding onto me just as tight as I was. I heard his glasses fall to the floor, then the sounds of him crying. It sounded like he was holding back; he didn't want to cry but he was. The phrase 'I should've held back' played over and over in my head; that partnered with the situation made me start crying myself. I held in any whimpers from me, however. I knew I had to do something, I needed to comfort him.

"I'm sorry. We are friends you don't have to worry about that-" I patted his back. "You're a great friend, and you were just excited. That joke hurt, for sure, but that's who you are.." I laughed a little; "I'm like that sometimes too." I said, a thin smile was brought to my face. "I should've been more sensitive.." he said. "Things happen. And you had good intentions. You're just as human as I am, Wheatley." I said. He was calming down; I could hear him sniffle. "It's alright." I said.

•••

"How are you feeling?" I said, watching his place back on his glasses. "Alright. Just numb.." he said, his gaze lowered. No matter the reassurance he was still afraid to look me in the eye, probably afraid I'll yell at him again. I looked around the room one more time, now noticing the slight mess it was in. "How long have you been down here?" I asked, turning to Wheatley. "..ever since I was made?" He said, unsure. My eyes widened at this; was Doug and Charles the only people he's ever known? The silence drew in once more, leaving me to think as he stared blankly at his hands fidgeting.

"I.." he began. "I've never had other friends before. Dr. Davis and Dr. Rattmann were always either busy with their work, tired and asleep, or too concentrated on testing parts of me to get a word across." He explained. "That day when I met you, that was the very first time I actually talked to someone other than them-" he said; "-it wasn't a yes or no, nothing about how I'm functioning, about leaving to get parts, it was.. different." He said, looking up finally.

"And even though it was short, it made me feel happy when I finally thought about it." He said smiling thinly. He chuckled; "Hell, Doug had to point out how much I was grinning." He said. It got me to stifle a little giggle. Seeing him smile again.. it felt rewarding. A sliver or serotonin, a sudden feeling of happiness. "I'm glad I made your day." I said. Wheatley nodded.

A calm silence fell over us again, not too long before he began to speak again. "It might be a bit much, but I feel like Doug and Dr. Davis have.. high expectations for me." He said, averting his gaze in thought. This confused me; "Why's that?" I ask. He was quiet for a moment, before replying. "I over heard them saying that I was the first time in a long line of prototypes that actually worked-" he started. "-so I felt like I needed to prove myself; prove my worth to who I assume created me. I mean, I was created for a reason right?" He said. "I just.." he stopped himself.

"I just don't know why, exactly." He looked up to me. I cupped his cheek, and just like last time, he held it in place tenderly with a half-lidded gaze. "Whatever you were made for, it no longer should define who you are now." I stated. "You've got more humanity than any android or robot I've seen, and if there's anything I know about humans-" he looked up at me. His features were soften and loving; "-it's that we choose who we wanna be." I smiled.

He removed my hand from his cheek, the cold air from the air conditioning in the room suddenly rushing at my warm palm. Wheatley then pulled me into another hug, his head leaned against mine. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck, content.

(( Just know while trying to think up this scenario for this chapter was hard, because I kept overthinking emotions, and that I nearly started crying at one point- I just want their feelings and reasonings to be as real as possible so bare with me if it isn't perfect. I hoped you enjoyed crying. I am not sorry if you did. ))