The sound of shoes slowly stepping along the moist pathway were the only sounds heard above the light rain shower and its gentle patter on the green lawns and shingled roofs of the neighbours in the quiet suburban town. Those same shoe steps drew steadily close to a small house, situated near the end of a cul de sac.
It was a far smaller venue than what the owner of those shoes was used to. He had previously been used to visiting his friend in a sizable two-story home, one with considerably more class than this, in the visitor's opinion.
The man's brown eyes glanced over the quaint, clean exterior of the home, and those surrounding it - in quiet observation as he approached. He drew his legs up, one after the other, and casually stepped up the two front steps of the porch ahead of him, turning around to glance at his parked car behind him. It remained adjacent to the sidewalk, as he'd left it. What did he really expect? William pursed his lips.
A moment or two of silent thought passed before the man lifted his hand away from the crinkling object in his grasp, long sleeve sliding up his arm a bit as he extended it over his shoulder behind him and gently knocked at the door he stood in front of. He knew it might be a while.
His far-off gaze stayed momentarily focused on his car before it drifted up, staring at the porch light directly above him; under an extension of the roof that serviced as a shelter from the rain for the moment. Fast moving bugs flew wildly around the light, excitedly hopping against the ceiling to the temporary intrigue of the man below.
They seemed more than eager to acknowledge that they weren't actually able to gain anything from the light - how could they? It was just a man-made source of light that didn't supply any nutrients or benefits other than creating a source for the bugs to throw their hope onto and end up disappointed.
And it was also just...there to create another light source, so that people could see in the dark.
William Afton, a tall, thin, and well-dressed man with a seemingly natural pleasant aura to him, turned his gaze away from the light. He found himself staring ahead at the door, now, and furrowing his brows as he mulled over abstract, vague thoughts to occupy his mind.
It took him a moment or two to remember to check if the bouquet - the crinkling light weight in his arms - had gotten wet. His brown eyes flicked directly down to a much more worthwhile and captivating sight than the moths and flies swarming around the light above - the flowers he'd picked up a while ago. A bit expensive, but pretty.
He'd done so exclusively in hopes of delivering them to his friend, who just so happened to be the individual he was currently visiting. Or...would be visiting, if he ever opened the door.
William grasped the damp flowers in his arms, leaning a bit more onto one thin leg as he stood in waiting. His short, curly brown locks were neatly combed today, and his dusty purple button-up served to compliment his black pants and shoes rather well; especially considering he had a rather attractive bouquet in his arms at the moment. His thin, pale face and dark eyes peered with expressionless anticipation at the black door before them, eyelids lifting a bit when he heard distinctive clicking noises.
The door opened. An instant soft smile appeared on William's face as he stared down at the shorter figure before him, his genuinely kind and welcoming expression now in stark contrast to the melancholy and drained-looking man in front of him.
"Henry," William breathed, crooked smile widening as he hoisted the flowers a little higher, staring down with kind eyes. "It's...been some time. I apologize that I didn't call you first."
"...And I'm sorry I've had to take off for so long. It's just b-been...hectic, you know?" his friend replied in a soft, tired-sounding tone. His eyes didn't quite meet with William's, and it was obvious he was experiencing a torrent of negative emotions. Anxiety, embarrassment, and emptiness all came to mind. "Wh...what happened with...y-you know, then moving, then just the...the astronomical drop in business since everything - w-which I'm not exactly ungrateful for...because I'm not sure I'd want to go over there myself for a long time." he paused briefly, inhaling and closing his eyes. "It's too much."
William was quiet as he listened to the trembling man speak, furrowing his brows as he processed his words. When his friend finally trailed off and ended his explanation, the taller leaned forward and stretched his bouquet out slightly, again offering a smile.
"Here. I got these for you today. I hope you like them."
Henry drew his attention to the flowers in William's arms as if he hadn't noticed them until now, looking stunned for a moment. He reached out and gently pulled them away from the visitor, glancing down at each flower quietly.
"They're...something else." Henry proceeded to mumble awkwardly, smiling down at them with tired eyes. "What I mean to say is - thank you. They're beautiful. I just didn't expect them..." he paused a moment, seeming to zone out a bit as he touched the crinkly wrapping paper that held the bouquet in place. Before long, he looked up, his own dark eyes staring into William's briefly before he pushed the door open wider. "Come inside, hm..? I'm really glad you stopped by, Will."
William graciously accepted his offer, nodding softly and stepping past the man into the small living room of the tiny home. He glanced around, peeking over at the kitchen counters nearby, which seemed to be pretty barren of any signs of food. They had a few moving boxes of varying sizes cluttering them, but it wasn't as much of a disaster as he admittedly expected. He drew his eyes back over to the couch, which had been the first thing he'd fixated on previously. He could tell it was new - well, at least to Henry. This was most definitely a fairly cheap, used couch.
He stepped over a few paces, turning his body and sitting on the arm of the dusty blue piece of furniture with a furrow of his eyebrows. He felt the fabric for a moment, lost in thought for a moment before Henry's voice drew his attention.
"Make yourself at home, friend - you know my home is still your home despite the fact it's changed location." Henry said, now a short distance away - in the kitchen. He had opened up a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of what William could only assume he was spending more than enough of his hard-earned money on these days.
"Thank you." he answered gently, calm voice seeming to warm the room a little more. It'd been the first one that wasn't from TV that Henry had heard in weeks, and he paused his movements a little every time William spoke as if to assure himself that he was real.
"Care for a drink?" the shorter asked, turning his head and staring over his shoulder at William, who had remained propped against the arm of his couch.
"Erm...in any other situation I would say yes."
Henry paused a moment, having already taken out two wine glasses. He'd finished pouring the first before William had the chance to answer his query. The man seemed to stay still for several moments, but to the two of them - especially to Henry - it felt like an hour. He slowly sat the bottle of wine down, dark eyes staring into the deep red liquid in the glass as he stood at the counter.
"I can't recall you having ever offered me a drink when I've visited you on other occasions. I normally don't offer you anything either...we save that for our luncheons." William noted, fingertips grasping the sides of the arm rest slightly as he casually leaned back on it, tilting his head back a bit. "N-not - not our luncheons at Fredbear's, I mean restaurants that sell...you know what I'm saying." he chuckled softly, reaching up and scratching his chin softly.
The room's atmosphere remained cold. William frowned a bit, furrowing his brows and staring at the floor with a soft sigh. "...How many of those have you had this week? Out with it."
"Tch." Henry seemed to flinch, shoulders hunching a small bit as he stared down into the glass, feeling a knot form in his stomach the longer he held a stare with the liquid. "...Will, you don't have to worry about me. I'm an adult. I may not be good with p-people but I...can still take care of myself."
"Take care of yourself?" William echoed, chuckling softly and boosting himself up to a standing position again, starting to walk over. Before long, he'd moved his feet from the carpet to the tile floor; a rather jarring break in the floor texture in the middle of the room.
He soon had his arm around Henry's shoulders, standing behind the man arched over the counter. "I know you better than that." he said slowly, gazing down in hopes his friend would meet his eyes - which he didn't. "Taking care of yourself is only a strong suit of yours when-"
"When I had her to worry about?" Henry finished with a slight snap, voice shaking a bit.
William faltered a moment, craining his neck down a bit to look at Henry's profile before he stepped back and gently turned him around by the arm. The taller stared down into his eyes, the two of them holding a gaze for the first time since William had arrived. He breathed out a heavy sigh, disappointed expression appearing on his pale face.
"God, you look like you haven't slept in weeks..."
Henry was silent.
"We...should talk about this. We can talk about anything." William mumbled, sliding his hand up Henry's arm and squeezing his shoulder softly. "I...didn't properly get a chance to say much at the...event." his voice quieted a bit, glancing away from Henry momentarily. He probably shouldn't have brought that up. When he looked back to him again, he stared into his friend's now-teary eyes.
"...S-she was crying," the shorter squeaked out between harsh shakes, "f-for the whole time. I-I couldn't...I couldn't say anything to h-her...I didn't know what in the world to tell h-"
"She understands." William spoke abruptly, a bit louder than he meant to. He held his stare. Henry didn't seem convinced by his words.
There was a brief pause before William closed his eyes, hands remaining on Henry's shoulders as he drew in a deep breath. "...Elizabeth is as upset as any child would reasonably be, being put in this situation. At the moment, I'm considering moving more into town - if not to be closer to you, then to be closer to the diner; even if its fate is still up in the air. I'm also considering this option for her benefit, too - so that she can have the opportunity to make new acquaintences around here."
"Will..." Henry breathed out, voice still shaky, "T-they...were together every chance they got. T-they were tied at the hip and more...they would have insisted on moving in together at my place i-if not for Charlie's visitation with her mother! I-I can't imagine what she's going through. D-don't try and downplay her reaction...p-please." he continued, trying to hold eye contact with William and feeling anxiety choose to manifest through shaking and a red face.
"Will...t-this - I know this isn't something a child can get over easily." Henry continued in a soft voice, attempting to gulp down a lump in his throat unsuccessfully. "...Especially not if her best friend's father spends his time after the incident moving away...selling all his furniture, giving away h-her belongings and just - everything that reminds me of her. I know Liz isn't alright. How do you expect a little girl to be able to just move on so fast when I'm a gr-grown man and I-I can't even go to sleep without j-just lying awake for hours thinking about wh...what I could've-"
"Henry, stop." William tightened his grip on the man's shoulders, staring intently into his eyes as his brown curls fell lightly over his face. He stared down with intensity in his eyes, the kind Henry rarely saw from him and didn't ever quite know what to make of it. "I worry about Elizabeth, and you worry about yourself. Can you please do that for me please, old friend?"
There was a brief pause.
"...C-can...can I vent to you?" Henry finally managed to squeak out, William observing that his anxiety levels almost reminiscent of how they were when the two had met...seemingly ages and ages ago.
So much had happened since then. A budding friendship between a British exchange student and a shy college freshman had taken off, what seemed like eons ago, and the two young entrepreneurs soon agreed on something big. After their bond had intensified throughout their years in business school together, it seemed almost insane to not take advantage of the opportunity sitting clearly right in front of them: why not try and combine their efforts and try to make something truly amazing with the ideas they had?
They made it.
They loved it.
But now it might be gone. Was it thanks to him that -
William shook the thought away from his mind for the moment, squinting his eyes slightly at Henry and focusing intently on him. He remained silent for a moment or two before he cocked a small grin; undoubtedly because he was happy to be confided in, Henry mused to himself.
His following "Of course you can." confirmed this.
Henry inhaled slowly, eyes closing momentarily before he pulled away from William's touch slowly, turning to glance at the one empty and one full glass on the counter. He then turned, walking across the large room - which was really just two very small but necessary rooms smashed into the same room. William thought it was bizarre that Henry could handle a downgrade from such a big home to practically nothing.
Before long, the two were seated on the couch, Henry picking absently at the seemingly permanently present stubble on his chin. William had his arm on the arm rest, his lanky upper body leaned over to the side as his eyes glared down pensively into his lap. Henry tried to organize himself enough to talk about the situation, clearly antsy - though not as antsy as he'd be with any other person.
After a few minutes, a soft, anxious "I don't know what's going to happen." came from the distraught man, the other's eyes turning to look at him over his shoulder with arched brows.
"You mean to Fredbear's? You don't have to worry. I'm working on it."
"Even if that location hadn't been ruined f-for me - our whole business ruined for me - at the prospect of children DYING at our establishment...it definitely has been now. Could this ever...h-happen again? They haven't even caught the one who DID this - what's to stop it from happening again?" he asked, not prepared for the silence that followed his inquiry.
William remained still next to him.
Henry was aware that his friend was thinking over his response, and was probably unsure about how he should respond. Though he couldn't see his expression, Henry knew by the lack of response that he was pensive. He absently started playing with his own fingers, gulping back the lump in his throat that had been present there for weeks.
After a moment, William spoke.
"After we sort out the legal situation, we're going to start all of this over - no matter how long it takes. We'll get a new, and bigger location that's less out of the way. I don't think that rebranding completely will be necessary, but...we know if there's ever an incident like this again, we can always j-"
"Will...I don't know if I can do this." the shorter brunette breathed out shakily, head turning to face his friend and eyes locking onto the other's face. "It's n-not just Charlie - it's the fact that children in general could very well actually die at the expense of us living out this dream. I-it's my fault that Charlie-"
"Listen to me. It is not your fault that Charlie is gone." William cut him off abruptly, turning his head and staring with furrowed brows. "It's not your fault, it's not her fault. It's no one's fault." he said with firmity clear in his speech.
Henry leaned to the side, resting his arm on the opposite side of the sofa. "It may not be, but I still never could have imagined that I-I would LOSE MY DAUGHTER in the b-blink of an eye, at our diner that's been a dream of ours for years! I lose t-the most important thing in my LIFE a-at a place that's supposed to make not only children - but us - happy! I can't d-do-...I can't-" he choked in a deep breath, William observing that he was strenuously fighting back a heavy sob.
"Henry...I'm not insisting that we go through with business related matters now, especially not if you completely discard your needed grieving time. Who do you think I am? I understand. I know that this abstract concept of a dream is of much less value to you - to any sane person - than their own child. I have three children, I really understand..." his soft spoken voice continued, "I want you to mourn, but I don't want you to give up."
William had moved his hand over and slowly placed it on Henry's hunched shoulder.
Henry remained silent, his friend's touch almost breaking the dam. He felt his chest tighten further, anxiety twisting fiercely into his stomach; not any bile left in him after a full week - or was it two? - of repeated panic attacks, nightmares, crying fits, drinking...whatever got him through it.
"I'm not...g-giving up."
"Then why aren't you letting yourself work through your issues? Fredbear's isn't going to collapse out from under us overnight. I'll handle it...and, more importantly, I'll handle you." he hummed softly, words making Henry turn to gaze up at him with wide eyes. They both stared at each other in silence, William's thin lips pressed together in a neutral - if not slightly pitying - expression. Henry seemed unsure of what to say.
"Henry...let me help you." William mumbled, sliding his arm further around his friend's backside and leaning toward him, taking his other arm in his thin hand and pulling him close with it. "It's been a while since we had this, and I can see in your eyes that you need it. Badly."
A few seconds went by before William had pulled a leg up on the couch, and had Henry nestled up against his soft, purple button-up. The latter's warm cheek pressed through the thin shirt, warming the chest of his companion's underneath. The two sat in silence, William's brown waves of hair hanging over his face slightly as he stared quietly down at the man in his arms. He'd stopped shaking, and to William it appeared that he felt...numb, now.
"...Did you miss our lazy evenings on the couch? Charlotte and Elizabeth getting ready for bed whilst I held you downstairs, not ready to leave your house for the night~? I always stayed as long as I could to make sure you'd be alright."
Henry was silent for a moment before he chuckled, dry throat making his noises sound even more drained than they were in reality. His stocky body pressed near to his companion, eyes closed and soft smile on his face.
"I may be bad at taking care of myself, but I'm not a child...why did you leave your daughter over with us if you thought of me as an incompetent person? Hm?"
"Well, Henry-" he laughed a bit, rolling his brown eyes and leaning his head back. "You see, you take care of yourself perfectly well if you're in the presence of children. There was a stark difference between how you functioned normally versus how you functioned when Charlie was with you for the week." he paused a moment, glancing back down at the man in his arms with a gentle smile. "Do you think I didn't notice? I'm the one who dropped by outside of work at the diner to make sure you weren't overworking yourself in that rustic little basement of yours. Animatronic parts everywhere, dust bunnies and rags-"
"Oh please- after you helped me get it clean one time, it stayed clean, okay? I'm just bad at organizing, i-it doesn't make me bad at functioni-"
"Henry. You forgot to eat sometimes."
"I-" he paused, a long silence filling the room as the growing smile on his face rapidly disipated. "...well, yeah. It's hard to eat when your stomach is in knots all the time..." he said awkwardly, curling his legs up a bit.
"Ah," William chuckled, voice low and seeming to grow more smooth and soothing by the minute. "While a valid excuse, that doesn't make it alright."
"You know me," Henry snorted sadly after a moment, shrugging, "it's been this way for a long time."
"Which was precisely why I accused you of not being able to take care of yourself, Henry." William countered with an audible smile, squeezing him close and rubbing his arm gently as the two resumed their silence. Though the stillness of the room was indeed very prominent, it wasn't nearly as splitting and uncomfortable as the moments prior.
The one sitting in his arms knew he had William's gentleness and empathy to thank for that. It made him feel safe and soothed, even if he did feel like a nuisance for making his friend aware of his unstable lifestyle. Despite trusting him more than anything, Henry always felt like any hint that he was going through a hard time would inevitably bothersome to his friend. Was he on his last straw with him? Was he tired of him yet? The day where he told him this never seemed to come, but that didn't stop him from worrying about it.
William tilted his head a little, angling himself a little better so he could at least make out Henry's expression from his current position. He stared down at him for several moments, holding his calm, charming smile until his friend turned to gaze up at him, their dark eyes meeting with each other. Henry's cheeks warmed a little as the two stared at each other, William's expression practically spelling out a gentle, but loving, "What am I going to do with you?"
A little time passed before the shorter blinked a few times, turning his eyes away momentarily - but unable to hold them away for very long. William had, meanwhile, draped his arm over the side of the couch beside him, gentle smirk seeming to warm the room's atmosphere. It was actually comfortable now.
Before long, Henry had relaxed his head up against William's chest again and dared to open his mouth to vent, as he'd promised to do earlier. He began to speak, obvious insecurity lining his voice.
"I...don't know what we're going to do. I don't even really know what I'll do. I'm just...c-completely alone now, and I never ever thought I'd be without Charlie. Her mother hasn't spoken to me since she cried her eyes out on the phone with me a week ago about how hard it is to bury your daughter." Henry sighed, reaching up and wiping his face with a soft sniff. "...D-does she think Charlie isn't my daughter, too? D-does she think I wasn't there with her? Ever since we've been apart, she's always thought of my attachment t-to my own daughter as fake and unwarranted. S-she won't even let me help her...run errands for her, do something. She's just as self destructive as I am."
His friend listened with a patient stare down at him. Henry had ceased to make eye contact once he started freely letting himself open up. William listened to him pensively for a moment, furrowing his brows and nodding a few times throughout.
"Does she...blame you?"
"Ironically, she b-blames me for everything but this." Henry chuckled dryly in reply, sniffling and closing his teary eyes tight. "Deep down she knows I love her as much as she does, but you know her..."
"Mm." William nodded, breathing out a sigh.
"She - Charlie - was the...light of my life. It feels like everything is empty and c-cold with her gone...I-I feel lost. Whether she knew it or not, she helped me get through the day when she was over, you know?" he mumbled sadly, closing his tearful eyes tight. "I've...never seen a girl w-with as bright a smile...as c-caring of an attitude as her."
"She was...certainly optimistic. About everything. Wasn't she?"
"Mm," Henry gulped, smiling bitterly, "even when I was working in that basement...she always came down to check on me. She always had this big smile on her face, e-especially when she was proud of herself for finishing all her homework. Sh-she was so smart...rarely needed help from me on any of it. God, I swear, if her mother let her, she could've j-just skipped a grade...which i-is a far cry from how good I was in school at her age." he mumbled on slowly, melancholy expression occasionally breaking into a little bit of a smile as he thought of her.
"And..." he went on, inhaling shakily and blinking a bit more frequently, now, "she never even got to make it to her tenth birthday."
Silence followed.
Henry's moist eyes closed again, his brows furrowing and lips seeming to tremble the more he tried to force himself to fight back tears.
"W-why is the world so...evil...?" he managed to choke out after a moment, sucking in a weary breath. William couldn't see, but Henry knew that he was aware of the tears rolling down his cheeks.
"...I'm sorry it had to happen this way." William spoke softly, concern lining his voice as he squeezed the man's shoulder softly. "But Henry...I promise to help you through it. You're the...most important part of my life, and most definitely deserving of my attention and services, as you've always been."
"Services?" Henry mumbled softly, wiping his face and sniffling as he tried to relax. He shifted his gaze and let himself stare absently ahead at a banged up cardboard box, lying unaccompanied on the carpet floor. The box was situated under a vintage - and well-used - coffee table.
"That makes it sound like I pay you to look after me. Why the hell do you do this stuff for me, anyway?... It's not like I ever do much back for you in return." Henry reasoned with himself bitterly, feeling a squeeze at his arm and glancing up. "...And I'm sorry for that."
"You know what I mean. And also, I do it for you because I care deeply about you and your well-being." William spoke, soft accent making Henry melt a little further into him. "You're not my favourite person for no reason...you actually listen to and heed my advice, and supply me with hours of fun interaction. You're a careful planner and you're creative; you get so much done when left to your own devices to make and explore your passions." he had a smile on his face, now, and although he couldn't see it, he correctly assumed that Henry had one too.
"Speaking of which, uhm...guess what's broken?"
Although not the response William thought he'd get, he lifted his eyebrow and gave a soft, questioning "hm?", gazing around the room for a moment.
"Th...the puppet. I mean, I guess. I don't know if I already told you this - I really can't remember." he paused to wipe his cheeks again, relaxing a bit and sighing out. "It broke down in that downpour that day, tr-trying to...get to her. At least it seems to have been broken for quite some time. A-after I got it back from the authorities, it seemed generally unresponsive to my tests. But I just...put it back in its box at the diner anyway. It's still there, but I don't know if I can ever-"
"I see," William cut in, brows still furrowed as he stared down at Henry, "I think it would be best if you stayed away from working on animatronics for the time being, although I know it's hard for you to not want you to work on them."
"I view it as a destresser..." Henry replied softly, shrugging absently. "I...I-I made a few brief cosmetic changes to the puppet when I got a chance to see it again, but that's really all I was able to manage before getting misty eyed. A-and I don't know if I should just throw it away or try to build something new b-because it's just going to remind me of Ch-"
Henry's shoulder was squeezed by the taller in a firm, but kind manner.
"Maybe that's okay. I don't think you should put any of your creations to waste. All of them are awe-inspiring, especially those springlock suits, you know. Don't do away with your dreams." he mumbled, reaching up and taking Henry's cheek in his hand. He tilted his head up slowly, smiling when their eyes met. "It may seem bad now, but giving up is the last thing I want you to do."
"You know what's best." Henry muttered, clearly more absorbant of his words, now.
William gave him a smile. "Mm. I'm glad you remember that. Do you really believe it?"
"Of course," Henry confirmed, nodding, "you knowing best has always been beneficial to me, you know? You keep me from...g-going insane. And you always let me speak my mind and have a say. Y-you take amazing care of your kids...and that sometimes includes me. You're right, I can be as mindless and careless as a kid sometimes..."
"And I truly help you discern what's right? Even outside of Fredbear's?" William asked, with lopsided, calm smile making Henry feel better than he had in a considerable length of time.
"Y-yeah...you are the smart one." Henry chuckled, giving him the brightest smile since he had been there - which wasn't saying very much, as he very clearly had tear stains on his cheeks...but it was progress.
The other man chuckled softly, rolling his eyes and tilting his head a little.
"Maybe I am~" he cooed teasingly, the two sharing a moment of soft laughter before William found himself...staring. He kept his eyes trained on Henry in the half-lit, cozy living room; the solitude of it all making the atmosphere feel comforting and safe. It was the first time this week that Henry's house truly felt like house, and not a prison to him. While it was certainly a downgrade from what he was used to - not to mention what William was used to visiting him in - it felt safe now.
Despite everything, to William, Henry was still the same old kind, anxious soul with good intentions. He had a certain charm to him that only William got to truly see. Henry knew his friend was fully aware that it would take a while for him to recover - that is, if he ever really did. It felt impossible to him.
He felt himself tear up a little, though for a different reason. He remained lost in William's deep brown eyes; his best friend's eloquence and gentle words truly setting in and making him feel the first glimmer of positivity he'd felt in weeks. Positivity he'd been desperately needing.
"...William?" he spoke, not fully realizing the fact that their foreheads were touching.
"Yes?" his calm voice uttered in reply, eyes never straying from Henry's as he opened his mouth again.
"More than anything, I..."
"Hm..?"
"I trust you."
The End . . . ?