Work Text:
Tenna thought he was having a heart attack when he got his soulmate. How else was he supposed to interpret his heartbeat suddenly doubling? He immediately cut the shoot short and checked on his heart in the privacy of his dressing room. The star on a chain pulsed faster than usual, but it wasn’t going as fast as the rapid hum in his wires. That was when he realized his soulmate had been formed.
He was ecstatic! Nearly all soulmates were Darkners whose Light World objects had a relation to each other like the weather duo. Tenna had resigned himself to having none when he was formed and could only feel his own heartbeat. Now, though, he would never be lonely!
Tenna had searched through the entirety of TV World for the new Darkner, but he found nothing. His view into the Light World didn’t give any clues either. It was a bit disappointing, but he simply had to put his faith in the Angel to bring him and his soulmate together.
Although he hadn’t met his soulmate yet, he was still able to figure out a few things about them. Their heartbeat had a faster resting rhythm, so they were probably much smaller than Tenna. That didn’t rule out much, but it was something. He knew about their abysmal sleep schedule (though, Tenna couldn’t really judge them because his was pretty similar).
That was all he really knew for a while. He thought he would have to wait for them to meet, but he instead learned something months later: his soulmate was calming.
It started with an absolute train wreck of a week. Half the studio had burned down because a night shift employee couldn’t properly put out their cigarette before throwing it away. Tenna and Elnina had to wake up at 2 AM to fight the fire. Thankfully, Tenna and Mike kept copies of the important paperwork and scripts, but production was still delayed by two days as everyone worked to replace equipment and sets.
They had to rush several episodes. Everyone was exhausted, and Tenna could hear them all complaining. Ratings dipped to an all time low. Tenna’s Lightner family were out on vacation, so he couldn’t even take comfort in entertaining them!
The moment shooting was done, Tenna locked himself inside his office. He would’ve started taking out his frustration on his employees if he stayed out there for any longer. He knew he was spiraling and would probably overheat soon. Everything in him buzzed erratically.
…No, not everything… Beneath his thumping heart, his soulmate’s heart pulsed a steady rhythm. Tenna found himself fixating on it. Before he realized it, his own heart had slowed as if trying to sync up with his soulmate.
For the first time that week, Tenna felt somewhat calm. He sat down at his desk, his electronics slowly cooling. He could properly think now, and it was all thanks to his soulmate. The peaceful mood lasted for the rest of the day.
Tenna soon developed a habit of relaxing by listening to his soulmate’s heart. He found himself being way more groovy and way less glooby. His crew were a lot happier because of it. It always calmed him down. Tenna wasn’t sure what he’d do without it!
He wondered if his soulmate did it on purpose. His soulmate's heart rate slowed down often enough that Tenna decided it couldn't be a coincidence. The TV tried to return the favor. He'd take deep breaths whenever his soulmate's heart beat too fast. Tenna didn't know how helpful it was, but he liked to think that they were supporting each other.
While Tenna certainly daydreamed dozens of possible soulmates, this was the only solid knowledge he had of his soulmate for years… Until Kris and Noelle brought a laptop home.
Tenna learned that Spamton was his soulmate during their first meeting. His antennae were sensitive enough to feel others' heartbeats even if they weren’t touching. He should’ve won an acting award for not immediately jumping for joy when he’d realized halfway through Spamton’s introduction. Tenna could've told Spamton right away, but he was happy to let the salesman talk for a while. He wanted to know how the salesman would act before he knew about the connection between them.
They chatted comfortably for hours. Spamton maintained a bit of professionalism throughout their talk. Tenna would usually appreciate that had this been any other situation. Instead, he planned a way to break down that wall. People tended to let down their guard if you surprise them in a certain way, and Tenna certainly had a surprise for Spamton.
“The black suit is real classy, but should at least add a bit of color to your outfit.” Spamton commented. “You’re a color TV, why not promote that?”
“Ah, I’m actually blind, so I’m not really good with colors.” Tenna felt Spamton wince, and he continued before the salesman could try to recover from his blunder, “My antennae sense all sorts of things, so I hide it pretty well. There’s some disadvantages with things like color and digital screens, but I can actually ‘see’ more things than most people. For example, I’ve been able to tell that you and your soulmate’s heart beat matches mine!”
It took a moment for what Tenna said to sink in. The TV internally giggled at the dumbstruck expression on Spamton’s face. He patiently waited for Spamton to process the sentence. Suddenly, the salesman grabbed one of Tenna’s hands. He ripped off the glove and pulled down the sleeve to feel Tenna’s wrist.
“Undressing me already, Mr. Spamton? At least buy me dinner first!” Tenna’s tone managed to remain light and playful despite his inner giddiness… and the fact that Spamton’s forcefulness was awakening something within him, but now wasn’t the time to focus on that.
Spamton spent a couple moments feeling Tenna’s pulse before finally speaking again, “Wha- How [long, long ago] did you know?”
“When we shook hands.”
“Why didn’t [You, yes YOU!] say anything?!?”
“I was a bit distracted by the handsome man in front of me.” Tenna delighted in how Spamton’s heart rate kicked up a notch. Acting in all those romance films was paying off right now, though Tenna’s own racing heart probably gave him away.
Spamton sputtered a bit in a mix of embarrassment and rage. He eventually managed to speak coherently. “Now, listen here [Boob tube]!” The salesman grabbed Tenna’s tie and yanked him down. Tenna’s heart rate skyrocketed, and they stared at each other in shock for a second. Yep, I’m definitely learning something new about myself. Judging by the growing smirk on Spamton’s face, his soulmate was learning right alongside him.
That night was very informative… And no, it wasn’t just because of the amazing time they had in the bedroom. Tenna actually got to know Spamton. His mailman had an adorably small stature, but a larger than life presence. His horrible sleeping habits were a result of his incredible work ethic.
It took a bit of coaxing, but Tenna got Spamton to admit that he had been purposefully lowering his heart rate for Tenna. He also learned that his efforts helped Spamton as well. They were supporting each other before they even met. If that wasn’t a sign of how perfect they were, then the years of partnership that followed surely was.
Tenna was certain that they could do anything together. One thing was keeping them apart, though. One secret created a divide. If only Tenna could learn that secret… There would be nothing in their way. They would be big shots together! All he had to do was get Spamton to sign a contract…
By the time Tenna gave up on the phone, he could tell Spamton had already left TV World. Why did he LEAVE?! We’re supposed to face this together!!
Tenna wanted to be angry. He was angry to some extent, but he was mostly just worried. He had never felt Spamton’s heart go so fast. Tenna tried to slow his own heart, to signal that he wasn’t angry, to tell Spamton that it was okay to come back.
The TV couldn’t follow Spamton to Cyber World. He needed Spamton to come back.
Spamton's heart became erratic. It kept starting and stopping, until there was a sudden decline in its strength. In the span of a few seconds, it disappeared completely. Tenna sat there, waiting for it to restart.
It wasn’t restarting.
Tenna didn't know how long he sat there waiting for that heartbeat. He was shrinking, static tears dripped from his screen. His body was reacting to something his mind couldn’t yet comprehend. Tenna knew there was only one heartbeat pulsing through his wires. He knew he was on the precipice of a horrid realization. He managed to balance on the edge. The only thing he could do was hope that something would change before he plummeted. So, Tenna waited.
The weather duo were the ones to find Tenna hours later. They probably tried to say something, but it sounded like his antennae were buried in cotton. He didn’t respond. He felt bad for worrying them, but moving and speaking felt impossible. Tenna perked up a bit when he heard Spamton’s name, but his mailman didn’t come in.
They eventually began to check if anything was physically wrong with the TV. Lanino paused when he felt Tenna’s pulse. There were more words that he couldn’t register. The couple pulled Tenna into a hug. He still couldn’t figure out what was happening. Why did Spamton leave? Weren’t they supposed to be together?
Why does it feel like he’s further than ever, now?
There was a knock on the door. Tenna was about to make a phone call, but he could tell that it was the weather duo on the other side. The both of them had been pretty anxious lately, so Tenna decided to let them in. “Come in!”
The couple shuffled into Tenna’s office. Their gaze flickered to the rotary phone Tenna was using.
“Hello, Tenna. We wanted to check in on you.”
“Oh, well, thank you! I’m doing alright, but I’m starting to think this phone might be broken, haha!”
"And why do you say that?" Elnina asked.
"I’m trying to call Spamton, but he isn’t picking up! There’s got to be something wrong with the connection because he wouldn’t just ignore me, right?”
Their faces fell at that. Tenna understood that he was being a bit clingy, but he still had to try. They needed the salesman back at the studio, and he would always give in if Tenna pushed hard enough.
"Tenna... You know he won't pick up.”
"He'll have to pick up eventually, even if it's by accident. You know how obsessed he is with answering phone calls, haha!"
Lanino frowned. "You know he can't answer the phone, Tenna. He's-"
"Busy! He left in such a hurry— he must've gotten a great opportunity! He'll pick up eventually. I know him. He has to answer my calls eventually." Tenna automatically reached his hand up to his chest. A wave of dread made him stop. Why didn't he want to feel Spamton's heartbeat? It was... It was because he wanted to rely on Spamton less. Right. He could calm down by himself, without relying too much on his soulmate. His mailman was too busy right now to coddle Tenna, anyways.
"Maybe we should just leave him alone for now, amor..." Elnina whispered.
“I’m just worried that he won’t get better unless we intervene.”
“But what if we do tell him and he can’t handle it?”
One of the TV’s antennae twitched in annoyance as they talked like he wasn’t right in front of them. He let it slide, though. He didn’t need their attention right now; he needed Spamton’s. The phone went back to voicemail. He hung up, dialed again, and waited.
When it went back to voicemail, Tenna interrupted the weather duo’s muttering. “Is there something else you wanted to talk about?”
The couple stared at him for a few seconds before Lanino let out a resigned sigh. “The weather should be good for the game this weekend. Do you think Rudy will come to watch with Asgore?”
“He should! Their Alma Mater is playing! Asgore went to the Holiday’s house last time, so it should be my turn now,” Tenna excitedly rambled about his Lightners.
He ignored how the weather duo still looked conflicted. He ignored how grateful he was for a distraction from the constant dial tone. He ignored how he felt half dead because the hum in his wires had been cut down.
Just for now, just for a little longer, he could ignore it.
These awkward attempts at an intervention would come up every now and then. Tenna was able to keep up the act, and his employees didn’t push far enough to break the illusion. Most of them were willing to play along for the sake of their jobs.
The weather duo, however, weren’t just his employees. They were his friends, and sometimes friends had to talk some sense into each other.
Lanino burst into Tenna’s office. “Spamton is dead and you need to accept that, Tenna!”
“Please knock next time.” Tenna responded. "And, I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Feel your chest, Tenna.” Elnina pleaded. “There’s only your heartbeat now."
Tenna did as asked and felt the dual heartbeats. "It feels like it should be. If you don't believe me, you can feel it yourself."
Lanino reached out to feel his chassis. His eyes widened in surprise. "What? When did...?"
Elnina quickly grabbed Tenna's wrist to feel his pulse. After a moment, she said, "I only feel one."
Tenna sighed. "Right, I haven't quite gotten around to fixing that yet."
"Fixing...?” Elnina questioned. “Tenna, what did you do?"
"Nothing." Tenna responded too quickly. I’m supposed to be a better actor than that.
The weather duo felt the inconsistency between his chest and wrist. "Open your chest." Lanino ordered.
"That's pretty personal! You know Mike is the only one allowed to do my maintenance."
"Tenna. You can't pretend he's alive forever.” Elnina spoke.
“You'll have to face the truth eventually, and the longer you wait, the more it'll hurt." Lanino continued.
"I'm an actor!” Tenna insisted. “I'm made to pretend."
"Tenna, please-"
"No, I don't want to hear this." Tenna stood and walked away. They called after him, but he didn't listen. The only thing he would listen to now was the steady heartbeat next to his own. It calmed him down, like always.
Tenna wasn’t sure what he’d do without it.
Unfortunately, The weather duo were right: Tenna couldn't pretend forever. The pressure built up like a kettle, and Tenna would be forced to release that pressure every now and then.
Uncoiling his heart chain’s tight grip around the fake heart was a physically and emotionally painful process. Even when he’d managed to rip it from his chest, his heart would try to follow. The second that Tenna turned it off, though, the illusion was broken. The star on a chain fell, all of its energy suddenly gone, and it slithered back into his lonely chassis.
Tenna clenched the fake heart with a mix of anger and sorrow. It wasn't a perfect replica. No matter how many times Tenna edited it, it never felt quite like Spamton’s. He wanted to crush it. He had destroyed several before, but he would always make them again. He just couldn’t function without it.
Tenna was the ruler of this world. Everyone and everything here was relying on him to keep going. He couldn’t afford to grieve, especially now that he’d been unplugged for so long. These quiet moments where he cast away the act had to be enough.
Each lonely beat of his heart felt like a stab. The pain wasn’t enough of a punishment. He was a demon who had killed his soulmate. This loneliness wasn’t enough of a punishment. Tenna knew what he deserved, and yet he ran from it. Was he really doing this for the Darkners in his world or was he just selfishly trying to avoid the consequences of his actions?
Tenna was so wrapped up in his grief and self-loathing that he didn’t notice when another heart began to beat alongside his own. It gradually grew until it couldn’t stay hidden any longer. It took Tenna a moment to realize what was off, but he eventually did.
At first, he felt a burst of joy. A miracle was happening! But then, the doubt crept in. What if this was just him losing his grip on reality?
Tenna had been lying to himself for so long. He couldn’t trust himself… But there were two people who would tell him the truth.
Tenna teleported right to the weather duo’s house. He frantically knocked, barely keeping himself from breaking down the door.
Elnina was the one to answer the door. Tenna didn’t waste any time on pleasantries. “You have to check my heartbeat.”
“Tenna, what-”
“You can check my wires, whatever you need to, just tell me if this is real or not.”
Lanino entered the room with them. “What’s going on?”
“I was… There’s this…” Tenna almost wanted to leave and hide what was happening because the thought of them telling Tenna this was just another act terrified him. Not knowing whether this was real or not would surely drive him insane, though, so Tenna had to take his chances.
“I feel a heartbeat that isn’t my own… And I don’t think I put it there. I think… I think it might actually be… I know how this sounds, but I really think it could be him! That’s why I need you two to confirm it.”
The weather duo stared up at the TV in concern. Tenna was worried that they’d immediately dismiss him, but then Lanino gestured for Tenna to sit on the couch. The couple carefully checked Tenna’s wiring. He tried his hardest to sit still, but the anticipation was killing him.
When it seemed like they’d finished their inspection, Tenna asked “Is this real? Please tell me it’s real.”
“Nothing looks out of place…” Lanino started.
“... It seems to be real, Tenna.” Elnina finished.
Tenna sobbed in relief. He felt the heartbeat, still too fast, but it was actually there. Somehow, his soulmate was there. He hugged the weather duo as joy, confusion, and gratitude flowed through him.
Tenna nearly panicked when the heartbeat stuttered and slowed. It didn’t completely fade, though. It settled into a steady pace. It was slower and weaker than what Tenna was used to, but that just made it feel more alive. He marveled at how it would change on its own unlike the fake heart he’d used before.
It had to be Spamton, right? The weather duo warned Tenna that it could be a new soulmate, but he couldn’t imagine it being anyone else. It was still possible for him to have been petrified. Sure, most Darkners didn’t come back after being petrified for a year, much less a decade, but Spamton wasn’t like most Darkners. This had to be Tenna’s opportunity to make everything right again.
Not too long later, the Roaring Knight approached Tenna. They claimed that he would get all the eyes on him that he wanted. Of course Tenna loved having a crowd of adoring fans, but there were only a few people he really wanted to watch him. His Lightners and his soulmate. He’d do anything to get that back, so he accepted the deal.
He should’ve learned by now that these were the kinds of deals you couldn’t break without dire consequences.
When Tenna woke up, there was a rat sleeping on his chest. His first instinct was to shove it off, but his shoulders screamed in pain the second he tried to move his arms. He ended up barely moving and giving a very high pitched whine. The noise made the rat shift, and Tenna immediately tensed. He didn’t want to wake the rat up, but he also needed help to get it off. Unfortunately, no one was around.
To distract himself from the situation, Tenna habitually focused on his and Spamton’s heartbeats. A wave of happiness still flowed through him whenever he felt it. It felt a bit off, though. It was… Stronger on his chest? Specifically in the area where the rat was laying. Tenna angled his good antenna down to examine the feeling and he picked up the creature’s heart beat.
… It matched Tenna’s.
It took a few moments for this fact to settle in. Once it had, Tenna immediately panicked. My soulmate isn’t Spamton?? It’s some kind of RAT?!? Or did Spamton reincarnate as this creature? Is this considered beastiality? Can he even talk, or will he just squeak? How can he say “I love TV” if he can’t talk!?!?
Tenna’s mind raced between increasingly wild theories about his soulmate and the logistics of dating an unidentifiable creature. He didn’t notice that his heart rate had increased so much until the creature shifted again. Tenna’s thoughts screeched to a halt as their strange smile was pulled down into a grimace. The TV’s heart beat thudded in both of them. And then they muttered “… s’okay, An’… calm down…”
That was Spamton’s voice.
Suddenly, it all connected. The long nose, the small stature, the slicked back hair… Tenna wanted to grab the man and violently shake him. Or maybe he wanted to crush Spamton in a hug. He wasn’t sure, but moving his arms was still impossible.
He settled on getting Spamton to wake up. “S- Spamton?”
His soulmate grumbled a bit but remained asleep. Tenna called out a little louder. “Spamton? Can you wake up now? Please?”
That got Spamton to open his eyes. He stretched in a similar way to a cat but immediately stilled when he noticed that Tenna’s screen was on. They were locked in some sort of staring contest which was really bad because Tenna didn’t have eyes and Spamton didn’t need to blink. What if this staring contest lasted forever?! Tenna had to say something to break them out!
“Are you a zombie?”
That was horrible. -100 points. Z-Rank.
“[I’m a what, now?]??”
“I mean- uh- Obviously you aren’t a zombie because zombies don’t have beating hearts, haha! And I can tell that your heart is beating! It’s actually the same as mine which means we’re soulmates and you’re Spamton!! Which is! Great!!”
“SO YOU [fin]ALLY RECOGNIZE ME?”
Tenna winced a bit at the unexpected volume. “Uh… What does that mean?”
“YOU [sights unseen] ME EARLIER. WITH THE [pipis].”
“With the…?” Oh. The “creature” he had sprayed with foam was Spamton. Nevermind him asking Spamton if he was a zombie, Tenna should go bankrupt and invent a rank below Z for that performance.
“I GET IT, [cathode]. I [times are changing] TO0 MUCH. I;M TOO [some kind of RAT]. I’M TOO [CREATURE?].” Tenna shrunk as Spamton replayed his own voice. “I’LL [get outta dodge]- GET RAL.;sEI.”
Spamton hadn’t even moved to leave the bed before Tenna shouted “WAIT!! Don’t leave! Please!”
The TV was shaking like a chihuahua with separation anxiety. He felt like a chihuahua with separation anxiety. Tenna had shrunk significantly and Spamton was about to leave again. How could he get Spamton to stay? “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have made you sign that contract! Please don’t leave again! I’ll give you whatever you want, just don’t leave me!!”
Spamton hesitated for a few moments. “… YOUR ARMS HURT, [Rite]? I NEED TO GET [The Prince of Darkness] TO HEAL YOU.”
“Why can’t you heal me?” What was Tenna saying? Of course Spamton wouldn’t want to heal him.
Tenna braced himself for Spamton to snap and spit vitriol at him. Instead, Spamton sighed. “I’M STILL [empty tank] RIGHT NOW. I’LL BE RIGHT [back to back]-“
“NO!! That’s what you said last time! A-and then you… You disappeared, and your heart s-stopped…” Tenna was sobbing now as he remembered that awful night. “I f-felt you die, Spammy… You can’t leave. Please don’t leave…”
The puppet looked down at Tenna, who was now smaller than him. For a second, Tenna thought Spamton might stay. But then Spamton hopped off the bed. “I’LL COME BACK, [Idiot box]!!”
Spamton ran out of the room. Tenna tried to follow, but he was still too weak. He started to hyperventilate. He habitually sought out Spamton’s heartbeat. It wasn’t as rapid as it had been that night. This is different. This isn’t a phone call. He’s going to come back. Tenna desperately repeated those thoughts.
Tenna nearly passed out with relief when Spamton returned, dragging the prince with him. “SEE? [I told you so!] IT WOULD BE QUICK!”
Ralsei looked at the bed in confusion before he finally spotted the TV. “Oh! Mr. Tenna! You’re awake! I’ll heal you up.”
The healing magic washed away the pain in his arms, and Tenna was left feeling numb and tired. He still managed to reach out for Spamton.
“ALRIGHT, [CRT], I’M HERE.” The puppet clambered back on to the bed. The moment he was in reach, Tenna clung to him. He soon felt Spamton gently hug him back. The silent reassurance that Spamton still cared about him and the soothing thump of Spamton’s heart combined with his exhaustion lulled Tenna to a peaceful sleep.