Chapter Text
Split had been in the elevator all afternoon. Mannequin Mark and Scag were also inside. Some relaxing music played as the regretevator ascended, the lights flickering once or twice as it went.
Scag was making fun of Mark for something he’d done earlier, presumably involving his divorce with Wallter. Split wasn’t sure exactly what. She was busy thinking about what to write for this weekend’s Splitsville program. She’d been in a bit of a writer's block recently, unsure of what to do, and time was running out.
The elevator rang out, causing Split to lose track of her thoughts. It opened to The Jermpop Factory. She could hear Jermbomination stomping around, tossing boxes on the floor. She decided to hide in a box and leave the work to her two friends.
Split hid in the box for a while before she heard footsteps running towards the elevator. The fast pace, the panting as she ran, the little gasp as she hid from Jerm; Split could tell who this was. Bive!
She heard the footsteps stop in the elevator. Then she heard Bive whip out some paper, furiously writing something down. As soon as Split was sure Jermbomination was nowhere near here, she hopped out of the box and made a run for the regretevator.
Bive, who had been absorbed in whatever she was writing, didn’t notice Split standing there for some time until she spoke.
“Hehe, hey Bivey!”
“ACK! Oh! Uh, hello Split! What are YOU doing here??”
“Oh, y’know, just riding the elevator. I was stressed about work, but I’m hoping it’ll ‘lift’ my spirits!”
“OH. Well. I can, uhm, ride with you. BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT ME TO.”
“Sure! I like having you around!”
Bive’s cheeks flushed a bright red as Scag re-entered the elevator. She happily put on Mark’s hard hat as she wheeled in.
“Hey, where’s Mark?” Split asked.
“I think he got found. He wasn’t winmaxxing today. Probably because he spent all morning crying about his stupid breakup. Yawncore.”
“Oh. Alright. Hey Bivey, what are you writing about?”
“I can NOT share this information! It’s top-secret! IT’S NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE TO KNOW!”
“C’mon, pleeeaaassee?”
“Well… FINE.” Bive glanced around the elevator, glaring at both the camera in the corner, and Scag, who punched in the buttons for the Floppy Shoppy using her claw while glaring back in retaliation. Bive then leaned in close and whispered in Split’s ear.
“It’s about the CLOWN MILITIA!”
Split giggled as Bive went back to writing. She was writing at such a fast pace that Split wasn’t sure if it was a paragraph or a chapter book. She started staring at Bive as she continued scribbling. God, she looked so pretty today.
The doors opened to Scag’s store. She didn’t move for a second, watching Split, who was still staring at Bive intently, mesmerized.
“Cringeyyy,” Scag said as she rolled out.
Split didn’t notice this comment. As the elevator started moving, she realized she’d been staring too long and turned to look at the floor instead.
Bive stopped writing and put her things away. She started tapping her fingers together in an anxious manner.
“So, what’s happening with the militia? Did they get too big for their tiny clown car? hehe!”
“NO. They are WATCHING. RIGHT NOW.”
Bive pointed dramatically at the security camera. She continued fidgeting with her hands as she continued speaking.
“THROUGH THERE! I’ve formed a theory the camera is for THEM and they have OTHER SECRET HIDDEN CAMERAS! Maybe even MICROPHONES! They could be listening any time, and — SORRY. I’m probably boring you, HA.”
Bive quickly stopped fidgeting. She stood completely still, clasping her hands and staring at the ceiling.
“No, no! I like hearing you talk. It’s so interesting. You’re so passionate about your interests, Bivey!”
“HAHAHA. HA. HAHA. HEE HEE. UHM. Thank you. Thank you, Split.”
The elevator came to a sudden halt. The overhead speakers rang out with a sharp beep before someone started speaking.
“Hey guys. So like, the elevator’s full, you know? So. One of you’s gotta go. Got it?”
“Wait, but the elevator isn’t—”
The doors opened to reveal a large pit. Split could barely see a large mouth at the bottom.
“QUICK GRAB ON TO THE RAILING!” Bive shouted, running over and grabbing it tightly. Split did the same. They both held on as the floor dropped out from beneath them.
“SPLIT! ARE YOU OKAY?? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’RE SLIPPING!”
“I-I’m fine, I think!” Split said, but her hand was indeed slipping. “Or maybe not. I think I got it…”
One of Split’s hands lost it’s grip. She hung there, quickly trying to grab back onto the rails. Bive looked back and forth between her hand and Split’s for a bit before letting go with one hand and grabbing hers.
“I GOT YOU! WE CAN HANG, UHM, TOGETHER!”
The elevator floor started to move back up. They both clung to the rails, still holding hands, until the floor was high enough that they could hop down.
“You saved me, Bivey! You did it! You solved the problem! Like with the militia mystery! Guess you’re good at ‘cracking the case!’”
“OH. I, HAHA. GUESS SO. HA!”
As they rode, Bive started fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket. She did this for a while before finally speaking.
“HEY! YOU. DO YOU LIKE, UHM, ANY MOVIES?”
“I guess just any ones that I find appealing!”
“OH. HA. YES. SO, HA, WHAT KINDS?”
“Well, I like mystery’s. And romances.”
“REALLY?? I also enjoy those! I like the one movie where the culprit is a DOG! HAHA! HA.”
“I guess they ‘sniffed out’ the criminal! Hehehe!”
“THEY DID! HA!”
The doors opened to Squishy’s. Knowing Gregoriah, this probably wouldn’t go well. The intercom crackled to life as they walked into the room. Bive grabbed Split’s hand in fear, before realizing what she’d done and quickly letting it go with a squeal.
“Hello Hello! My name is… Oh! Bive and Split! It’s nice to see you! Hey, you guys dating yet?”
“WHAT?? WHAT?? NO. UHM. NO.”
“Oh. Too bad. What if you—”
A buzzer rang out, cutting Gregoriah off. He went silent. Split already knew what was happening. She grabbed Bive’s hand and dragged her to the entrance of the playplace.
“ACK!”
“Gregoriah! Open the door!”
“Climb up fast!” Gregoriah said as the intercom shut off. The doors lifted, and Split pulled Bive up and around the place. Jumping on platforms, going up ramps, until they were near the end.
The end was up a steep ramp. They were almost there, but the green smiling balls were already up to their knees. Bive started sweating and tried to claw her way up the ramp faster to no avail. Split took her hand, pushed her in front of her, and tossed her up the ramp.
“SPLIT! What are you doing??”
“Just trust me!”
Bive, realizing Split was intending on sinking in the balls, leaned over the edge. They were up to her waist. Bive knew she would just be sent to another floor, but she wasn’t ready to leave her yet. She nervously extended her hand.
“GRAB ON! IT’S OKAY!!”
Split took her hand, collapsing on top of Bive when they were at the top. She could feel Bive’s chest moving up and down as she panted, out of breath.They both laid there for a second. Split started to laugh. After a minute, Bive quietly joined.
They sat there laughing until the green orbs retracted into the floor. The speaker screeched as Gregoriah came back.
“Okayy, sorry about that. You can both—awww, lovebirds! You guys should really date or something.”
Bive started giggling again out of nervousness. Split finally rolled off of Bive. She stood up before pulling Bive to her feet as well. They both walked back down the play palace to the regretevator, holding hands. Neither of them wanted to let go.
As the elevator ascended, Split couldn’t help but think about Gregoriah’s words. She’d noticed other elevator occupants saying the same thing.
They thought Split was into Bive.
Was she? I mean, she hadn’t really thought about it before. Maybe she was. Maybe that’s why she got so nervous around her. Maybe that’s why she felt her face go red when they laid on each other and held hands at Squishy’s. Maybe that’s why she wanted to hang out with Bive as much as possible. Maybe that’s why she thought Bive was so pretty all the time, and why she maybe sort of kinda wanted to kiss her, and—
Oh god. She was in love.
The elevator rang open once more to the Backrooms. Bive started to step out the elevator before turning back.
“Oh. Are you not, uhm, leaving? Because I have to leave here.”
“No, I’m afraid not. But I’ll see you later, Bivey! Maybe tonight I’ll watch that movie with the dog you were talking about. Hehe! Sounds ‘paw-some!’”
“HAHAHA. HA. OKAY. UHM, BYE SPLIT!” Bive said, waving.
Bive’s whole face had gone red. You could tell when she was blushing even through her fur. She stepped out of the elevator, looked around for a second, waved back at Split once more, and then ran away as fast as possible. She was so cute for doing that all the time.
Split thought about their day. Okay, maybe she did like Bive. And maybe Bive liked her. Was that why Bive was visibly nervous and shaky around her? Why she always laughed unnecessarily? Why she blushed so hard all the time? It would make sense, right? Or maybe she was overthinking this.
Split decided she needed to ask Bive out.
Later that night, while laying in bed, Split couldn’t sleep. Her mind was racing, still thinking about her day with Bive, and contemplating ways to ask her out. She was pondering the idea of recruiting Mark’s help, when her shell-phone buzzed on her nightstand. Split saw Bive’s name in her notifications and immediately snatched the device off the table.
Bive: HELLO. ARE YOU AWAKE.
Split: Hehe, Yes! What’s up, Bivey?
Bive: WELL. I just wanted to say. I had a fun day. With you. Today.
Split: Aw, me too! We should hang out more often!
Bive: HAHA. OKAY. LETS HANG OUT TOMORROW. IS THAT ALRIGHT?
Split: Of course! See you then!
Bive: okaybyetalktoyoulatergoodbye
Split put her phone down with a contented sigh. Maybe tomorrow she could ask Bive out. But where would she take her? Crem’s? One of the many shops in the elevator?
She dozed off thinking about this, and had a peaceful dream of her and Bive hanging out at the beach, holding hands, the waves sloshing between their fingers.