It was so very, very wrong.

If he had known, would everything have gone differently? He might have been more careful. He might have tried to stop himself.

Though it would've failed. Lewis had always been fascinated with the unknown, and Wilbur Robinson was so simply unknown that Lewis couldn't help but like him.

As a son? Not at all.

As a friend? Yes, or at least that was what Lewis kept telling himself.

Now this boy stood before him on a rainy night, his raven-coloured hair dripping with water. Lewis couldn't help but smile a little; Wilbur's pointed hair looked even more ridiculous when wet.

"You good?" Wilbur said softly.

Lewis nodded, a slight jerk of the head. "I know my future now."

But did he?

"I wish you could visit me," Wilbur said suddenly. His bottom lip was trembling dangerously. "I'll make you a time machine. I know I can do it. I mean, I'm no genius like you, but—" He shrugged, looking at his sneakers.

They hugged each other, though it was unclear who moved first. Wilbur's shoulders were warm, but they were shaking so hard that Lewis felt his hands vibrate. Then somehow Lewis's hands were brushing into Wilbur's soft hair, and Wilbur was holding his waist. They stared into each others' eyes, both of them thinking, thinking.

Wilbur's gentle kiss tasted like rosemary, oddly enough.

"You are a genius. It's why I love you," Lewis murmured.

Three words. So easy to say, yet so striking in the aftermath.

"I love you because your hair is silly-looking."

They both giggled, nervously.

"Oh, heck, this is so messed up," Wilbur whispered, yet his hands were still holding Lewis tightly. "What are we supposed to do, Lewis?"

"I...don't know." Lewis sniffled. "I...I can't think of any invention that can make you right for me, Wilbur."

This was wrong. So wrong. But that piece of wrongness in the undeniable rightness only made it...right.

"I know we can't be together, but—I'm glad I met you, Wilbur Robinson," Lewis told him softly.

And it wasn't a lie. He was glad that he had met the mystery named Wilbur, a mystery that could never be solved as long as either of them lived.

But sometimes, mysteries were like that.

"You know, somewhere, in, maybe, an alternate universe, we might..." Wilbur began, then trailed off.

"We might be together?"

"Yeah." Wilbur stared up into the rain, and Lewis looked up too, as though they might be able to see a better future for themselves. "There are so many galaxies. Maybe things work differently in one of them."

Slowly, as they watched the sky, the rain faded, stars twinkling out to take its place.

Some questions might never be answered.

But that was what made them excellent in the first place.


Hope you liked this story! This particular ship always fascinated me, because it was so impossible but so sweet too. I hope I've captured the feeling properly.