Grey Noon

A/N: Hey everyone, this idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I'm writing it now. Some Wilson angst alongside Wilson and Wolfgang bonding.

Enjoy!

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I'll have to go back, eventually. Wilson was sitting under a birchnut tree. The sky was cloudy. It didn't look like it was going to rain, but he wouldn't get his hopes up, not even a little.

To get away from his gloomy thoughts, he fiddled around with a device he had in his hand; a small red box with different-sized knobs and a single curling wire on top like an antenna. It was an old thing from his earlier days in the Constant, never worked really. This was from what he managed to salvage and should have been a distraction, but it only served to remind him of his failures.

"Wilson, we worked on that farm for days. That food would have helped us a lot this winter!" Willow looked away. "And you were warning ME about setting our camp on fire?"

His Science Machine had exploded this morning. He didn't how, didn't know why, having done thorough check-ups to make sure it functioned properly every day, but it did and took out a chunk of their camp with it. Their farm, two chests of supplies…all wrecked.

Their home took a heavy blow today and it was his entire fault.

"I-I don't know what went wrong. It was working fine moments ago!" Wilson said, wringing his hand together.

Woodie huffed as he wandered about, picking up a stray board, half-brunt by the explosion. "What difference does that make? We still have to start from scratch,"

"I'm so sorry…"

Then there were those who weren't really angry with him. Webber and Wendy sat by their tent quietly. He wished they would be mad at him too, felt deserving of it, but instead they just looked upset and disappointed. And that honestly hurt him more than anything else.

Accidents and experiments failing were nothing unusual for Wilson. He witnessed many of those in his lab back home, but at the time his workplace was all that suffered from them and he only had himself to blame. His failures never harmed anyone else before now.

The sound of shifting grass behind him made Wilson jerk away, terrified of what it could be before realizing it was Wolfgang. Considering how huge the man was, Wilson was amazed he didn't hear his heavy steps until now. It embarrassed him to admit that the thought of it being one of his friends right now scared him almost as much as a monster would have.

"Wolfgang, w-what brought you here?" he stammered, avoiding eye contact at all cost.

"Wolfgang go mine. Need more stuff," he said, showing off the pickaxe in his hands. He frowned. "Why is science man here?"

"Oh, I just…wanted to be alone for a bit," He mumbled, but deep down he was waiting for a bitter remark or an angry sneer. Wolfgang had been devastated at the loss of their potential food. The scientist wouldn't know what to do if he found out the strongman did indeed resent him. To his surprise, Wolfgang quirked a brow and asked.

"Science man sad?"

He had no idea how to respond to that. On one hand, he was flattered by the concern, but at the same time, he was just confused more than anything. "No! I- well…aren't you upset about happened?"

Aren't you angry with me?

Wolfgang's brows knitted together, thinking this over. "I'm sad food gone, but it is accident. Back in troupe, happens too. Poor troupe mates get hurt, but no helping it,"

Of course, Wolfgang didn't see the full picture of Wilson's failure. He was too soft, too kind to be mad at anyone for long. Who did Wolfgang ever resent? A thought then came to Wilson and he gulped. "What are the others doing?"

"Rebuilding. Children and fire lady clean. Wood man gets more wood,"

Wilson felt a stab of guilt knowing his friends were trying their best to fix his mess while he was out here sulking alone.

"Science man should go too," Wolfgang set a hand on his shoulder, but they both began shaking the more he thought about it. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I can't…I can't…!"

He couldn't imagine how he would face everyone or how he could ever begin to apologize for what he cost them. It was dreadful to think of sitting around the fire and eating with them with the weight of his mistake hanging over their heads. The damaged side of the camp would be a constant reminder of that dreadful morning. He might end up spending the next few days hiding in his tent to save himself from the scornful glares or seeing the defeated looks on their faces. "I failed them. Everyone has been working so hard and I ruined everything!" he lowered his head. "I wouldn't blame them if they tell me to leave,"

What good was he after that disaster? What if he messed up again? It was better for them to get rid of him now before he cost them much more.

"Friends are just upset. They will forgive science man," Wolfgang said, patting his shoulder lightly. His eyes lit up. "Come with Wolfgang. Muscle work should make you feel better!"

"I don't think that would- Hey, put me down!" Wilson flailed as he was lifted off the ground and found himself seated on Wolfgang's neck with the strongman gripping his legs tightly. His head spun from just how high up he felt. "Wolfgang, please. This isn't funny!"

He couldn't see the entirety of the strongman's face, but he could tell he was smiling. "No worry. I be with science man when meeting friends again. I will help,"

"You…you would?"

Wolfgang nodded viciously, nearly knocking Wilson off. "Science man survive longer than anyone cause he's smart," he then added a bit embarrassedly. "Wolfgang is the mightiest, but not very smart. If anyone can help us, it's science man!"

Stop it. Wilson bit his lip hard and his chest swelled. He wanted to protest that the strongman's claims were na?ve, misguided, foolish even, yet he sounded so sure of what he was saying, like he would stand his ground against anyone who would say otherwise. Wilson could almost see the wide, dorky grin on his face that would tell him he still had an unwavering trust in him despite all his mistakes.

And it was too much. He pressed his sleeve against his eyes as his face became soaked with flowing tears. "Stop it, you big goof…" he choked up.

"Here, almost forgot," Bending down just enough to grab the pickaxe on the ground, Wolfgang held it up to Wilson. "We go now, yes?"

Wilson hesitantly accepted the tool and sniffed, cracking a weak smile. "Of course, we don't have all day, after all,"

"Yes!" Wolfgang gripped Wilson's legs hard and rushed the two of them through the fields with the scientist's frantic warnings for him to slow down.

Things might not be all right. There was still much to do, much to make up for on his part, Wilson thought.

But it's a start, and he was glad.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!