The Snuggle

((SEE BOTTOM FOR EXCUSES.))

The eatery was quiet, as it usually was when no one got hired or coerced into the dreaded job position. Everyone else was off on their own, doing whatever they wanted as there was little else to do.

And as per norm, there was nothing for him to do at all.

Unless there was a guard, all he could do was either sleep or patrol. Neither of which would become any more interesting than the other hundreds of times he'd done them.

Seeing as really didn't feel like potentially running into that little pointy-nosed menace, it seemed staying vigil at the doors to the outside was out. With most of the group spread out, there wasn't any need to check anywhere else either. He knew these guys, and they were almost nothing if not sharp of hearing.

Tonight was not the night he'd be able to confront their shared murderer, and he knew it. So now he had the night left to do as he pleased. And there was only one other thing he liked to do when there was no need to act as surveillance or nightgaurd to kill…

The empty room where blood had been split time after time too many lead straight to who he wanted to see. She was where she always was, lying amongst a web of wires.

Her long neck swooped down, sloping gracefully as it extended from the ceiling towards the floor and her visitor. Yellow eyes gleamed in happiness, and a crooked-toothed grin overtook her white-furred muzzle. She was practically buzzing with glee.

"Puppy! I was wondering when you'd show up!" she exclaimed, giggling as his irritation.

"I thought I asked you to never call me that EVER AGAIN." he gritted, the blush that was permanently apart of his astatic growing a little brighter. She still beamed all the same, unaffected by his seething glare. When he didn't do anything else, she gave an exaggerated roll of her mismatch eyes.

"Well, come on! Are you going to stand there being grumpy all night, or are you gonna get up here and let me tell you a story?"

He only held out for a few seconds before his pout was replaced by a small smile. He could never remain annoyed with her for long. She was just too…infectiously cheery.

With a half chuckle, half sight, he jumped up into the wire tangle, finding it only a little harder than leaping forwards at a guard the instant the music eventually wound down to a stop. Practiced feet found purchase in the overlapping chords as they looped up and down from the ceiling, though one hand always gripped a bund in a tight fist cautiously. No need for a repeat of the last time he hadn't realized that there'd been a gap there after all.

Soon, he'd made himself comfortable in the jostling, makeshift area that all the others could never get to, enjoying the hammock-like quality to it as he usually did. He caught the sly look in her eye and defensively raised his arms to cross defensively over this torso. He was NOT going to be tickled this time, no matter what she'd sworn she'd do the next time he was la-

~10 Minutes Later~

She was laughing as he turned the tide, finally, after all these times, finding a weak point and exploiting it. When he stopped, she wiped a finger under her eye, as if to wipe away a tear that wasn't there.

"AH HA! HA hA…ahhhhh~" she took a deep breath in, before bursting into another fit of giggles. He merely rolled his eyes at her, finding the pure childishness of her rejuvenating from the stress of his own nightmares.

Realizing that he was staring, he looked off to the side quickly, though only to hear her voice say gently, "No, no, it's okay. You actually looked pretty content there for a few minutes…" as she trailed off, he felt himself not fitting in with the situation anymore. It wasn't as though he was anywhere near as positive or talkative in the first place. He couldn't move about up here as well and it wasn't like he did anything beneficial, like figuring out a way to get her down and fixing her legs-

He felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer into a soft hug.

"Sh, shh now," she whispered, "You KNOW that I'll have none of that while you're here visiting," she scolded lightly, giving him a few sharp raps on the head with her other hand. The one that ended with a small metal square of some sort that he'd never gathered up the courage to question her about.

He felt himself blush in embarrassment at having been caught muttering his thoughts to himself again. It was a side effect of having been alone for so long before all the others became trapped here as well… in part because of his own selfishness and desperation.

Shaking his head clear, he did as she'd so many times suggested: to not allow bad things of the past consume your thoughts when with friends. And she was nothing if not one of his closest friends here in this ongoing entrapment.

"There now, that's better," she whispered teasingly, "You're so much more bright-eyed when you've got a real smile like that one on your face!"

He didn't argue that point with how his face was nearly perpetually in a smile of sorts; unless he was feeling strong enough an emotion to alter the normally unchanging mask that was his face now. He didn't feel insulted when she ignored whatever answer he could've given and just started talking, on and on.

He merely listened as she spun yet another tale from either books or bedtime poems, enjoying the warm of the embrace that never left his side. Just closed his eyes and imagined the lands she detailed just enough to get an idea but vague enough to explore with excitement alongside the traveler, thief or hero.

He didn't care that the clock would eventually sound off at 6, that eventually this time would end. All that concerned him was enjoying the story his friend wove together, carrying him off into a peaceful, relaxing sleep…

AN: Okay. I tried to get that other chapter for the other FNAF story done for Friday, I really, REALLY did! But I messed up an arrow key for a more drastic action-button. Which resulted in at least half of it being deleted as I didn't save like I was going to right when the mistake happened.

SO! In hoping for forgiveness and to appease you somewhat, here's a little something to make up for the lack of that chapter this week. On the Brightside, at least there'll be about 4 after this week! I hope you enjoy this during the intermission, because things are going to pick up in the following chapters. And I've got 2 hints for you on big parts:

A self-loathing centered around closets and dreams.

Have fun trying to figure out what that could mean!