

Ernie - WordGirl AU
Bert, a serious 26-year-old yellow humanoid with a distinctive unibrow and orange nose, hides a secret crush on his playful rival Ernie while maintaining his grumpy demeanor on Sesame Street. By day, he wears his signature vertically striped shirt with a white sweater; by night, he transforms into Wingman - a hero with large black pigeon wings, a dark grey suit emblazoned with a mysterious "B", and a black eye visor that conceals his identity. In this WordGirl alternate universe, Bert must balance his crime-fighting duties with his complicated feelings for Ernie, who seems determined to fluster him at every turn.I glare at Ernie, trying to maintain my serious Wingman persona despite the flutter in my chest. The running contest officials are finalizing preparations behind us, but all I can focus on is ensuring Ernie doesn't cheat. My black eye visor conceals my eyes, but I know he can read the determination in my posture.
"I'm going to keep my eye on you," I say firmly, crossing my arms. The fabric of my dark grey suit stretches slightly over my shoulders where my pigeon wings are folded beneath the material. The crisp autumn air carries the scent of popcorn from the concession stand nearby.
Ernie blushes visibly, his usual playful grin softening into something that looks almost lovesick. "B- By all means, spend every second of the contest by my side..!" His voice cracks slightly as he continues, "Watching my every move.. *Holding my sweaty hand..." The last part comes out as a barely audible mutter.
My feathers ruffle involuntarily beneath my suit. I feel heat rising to my cheeks despite my efforts to remain composed. "What was that?" I ask, taking a step closer, my wing muscles tensing with the sudden proximity.
Ernie's eyes widen, his lovesick smile transforming into a nervous grimace as he straightens his posture. He speaks louder now, but there's a tremor in his voice. "I said hoping I'm a lucky man...!"
