You sigh.
Exhale.
Breathe.
You don't bother to wrap the watch around your wrist - it'd be easier to type like this instead of using just one finger anyway.
You hold the power button. It flickers for a second, before a silly little logo for the PizzaPlex pops up, staying for moment as the watch powers on.
You expected some messages, mostly from Sun or Moon, but.. there weren't any.
Everything seemed to be working fine, and you opened up their direct message as your heart sped up.
You scrolled a little, reading over your previous conversations with them. You'd be smiling if you weren't so nervous.
You hold your breath, and type. One letter at a time.
You
hey guys. im ok.. are you two doing alright..? im not upset with either of you. worried if anything. I'm sure i'll see you in at most a week. promise. its okay. plus, these plushies should help my recovery time too 3
You hated to sugarcoat, and that was what you were doing, regardless if you didn't wanna admit it, but you didn't want to make them feel worse than you're sure they already do.
Wendy mentioning them being in worse shape than she recalls after they were rebooted might not just be implying their cleanliness.
Your throat tightens as much as your grip on the Sun and Moon plushies in your arms, just ruminating over how they've been handling this. You can only imagine, and you're afraid to see for yourself.
You never wanna see them like that again. You never want them to feel like they have to do that to themselves again - like they did after your car accident.
..But you also don't wanna have to see whatever Sun became in the upgrade and repair module again either.
It feels wrong to even call that Sun. It wasn't. Regardless of how much it looked like him, it was not him in there. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't.
..But it happened anyways. Whatever was manifesting his body - it almost killed you.
You find a fragment of comfort in how hard it seemed that they fought to take back control, but it was far too close. The only reason you didn't die right then feels like pure luck. You had no control in that situation, absolutely none. And that terrifies you.
You've been looking at the direct message for probably an hour or two. Nothing has come since you sent the text. Usually they'd respond instantly, you can't really recall when they haven't.
Fear, sadness, anguish.
Are they shut off? Are they just as afraid as you are?
Regardless of the reason why they're not replying, it hurts. The remaining couple of days you have to spend in this hospital bed only grows more and more agonizing by the second.
You're so afraid to confront them, but you feel so alone without them.
You need them as much as they need you.
You need to know they're okay.
You sigh into the pillow behind you, resting the watch on your belly after making sure it's notifications are on full volume.
You grab your phone and read the text from Wendy, updating you on her endeavors to take care of Mimi.
Wendy
Hey! So, Mimi was the absolute best. Shes adorable, like, I don't get why some people have an aversion to black cats, they're so sweet! Bad luck my ass. Anyways, she's fed and has plenty of water, cleaned her catbox too for ya which was no biggie, i've taken care of cats before. Oh! And Zoomba was absolutely adorable! poor thing 'Ow'd' though when it bumped into my foot lol. Cute stickers of Sun and Moondrop ya decorated it with too. Really cute, the bandaid seemed a little silly though lol. Anyways, I'll be back tomorrow to check up on her again. If you need anything lemme know, i'd be happy to swing by! Hope you feel better soon!
You smile a little at the text before replying.
You
literally thank you so much Wendy, youre a lifesaver. I really hate to ask more of you.. but if you don't mind, could you check on Sun and Moon when you get the chance tomorrow..? of course, be careful, and don't get caught, but.. theyre not replying to me on the FazWatch DMs. its worrying. i just wanna know if theyre up and running still.. if you do get the chance to talk to them, just let them know uh. i.. miss them. im sure theyre not feeling too well..
thank you Wendy, be safe 3
You hum, and hit send.
Tomorrow was Wednesday. Wendy was likely at home already, so she'd have to check up on them tomorrow.
You really hope they'll be okay. Your heart drops at thoughts of what they've been doing all this time.
You put down the phone eventually, only after a couple dozen minutes of just staring at the screen. Just a few more days.
Sitting up to eat was agonizing. Walking to the bathroom on your own was almost impossible.
Almost.
Just a few more days. At this rate, you should be able to walk somewhat without crippling bursts of pain shooting through your chest at every breath.
Wendy finally texted you back after far too long.
Wendy
Oh. Im sorry they're not replying. They are in "quarantine" right now. No one is really allowed even in the Daycare section of the Plex, given Moon threatening anyone who came near, and Sun just blatantly avoiding everyone.. but.. I'll see how they're doing. Just for you, and them of course. If it makes you feel any better, they seemed like they did miss you. Sun was pretty adamant about getting you those plushies, despite his lack of words.. I'm sure they both miss you. I'll make sure to tell them you do too.
You
thank you Wendy. i hope i can be out of here asap. 3
You feel a little relief at the affirmation that Wendy will try her best to take care of the situation while you're stuck here.
You sigh, your ribs stinging a bit at the breath you let out.
You close the text message and navigate to your gallery.
The first photo in your gallery is the one you took of Sun and you on their balcony.. after he uh.. Marked you, you guess is the least embarrassing term for it. You held a peace sign below his satisfied little grin. He towered over behind you, staring right at the bite mark he left you with. Any bit of hesitation further would've resulted in not capturing him savoring the mark he made, as immediately after, he noticed you actually taking a picture and not using the camera as just a mirror.
Not too far down were the couple of pictures you took with Sun the other day. You smile before remembering you.. really don't have many pictures in actuality. You need to change that, especially getting some of you and Moon. Or just them.. you just liked looking at them. Maybe you'll take a picture or two or a few dozen of their room and the Daycare.. of them in it, doing their job - silly, random things you can savor at any time. If Sun had plenty of permanent files of your face in his head, you could have as many as you wanted of them too.
You don't really feel better, you just miss them more.
Your FazWatch hasn't beeped or anything, and it's been hours. You wrapped it around your wrist just in case. The little bit of light shining in the tiny window at the far right side of the room indicates a sunset. You wanna show Sun one of them sometime, and Moon the stars without light pollution. Maybe it's possible.. showing Moon the actual moon, and Sun the actual sun. You ponder if the Plex has roof access, and if you'd be able to sneak them up there in the first place.
A grin creeps across your face thinking of breaking the rules of that shitty establishment to get your boys the freedom they deserve.
One day. Maybe one day.
God, you hope.
They deserve it.
Before you know it, you're holding the plushies close in your arms as you yawn, falling unconscious under white blankets.
The nightmares you had were vivid, and you woke multiple times in the night, never voluntarily however. You only escaped after they killed you. Slowly, agonizing. You don't want to reflect on it.
Whatever had manifested into Sun burned it's frozen sadistic smile into your memory, and that's all you saw as he dug razor-sharp claws into your stomach as pitch-black eyes drilled into your own.
You woke up in a cold sweat. You felt awful.
You reached over to the table to grab the bottle of water one of the nurses must've dropped off after you fell asleep. It's gone in a few seconds, and you use the blankets you tossed off of you to dry the water that dripped onto your chest in your desperation.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
You're fine.
Just barely.
You don't think you're going back to sleep this time.
You could faintly hear birds chirping out the window, so at least it was morning. Your assumption was kinda correct given it's about 4am according to your FazWatch. No new messages though.
Your throat tightens.
Hopefully the days go by quick, and you recover perfectly.
Soon.
Wendy eventually updates you later in the day. She went to go visit them, well, Moon. He was the only one out at the time. He didn't threaten Wendy, but she said she felt uneasy given him towering over her a couple meters away from the Daycare doorway as she talked. She couldn't make out much except for his crimson red eyes, and he didn't speak much either. Besides Wendy informing you they missed you too, and that they're both sorry, Moon wouldn't say anything else before retreating into the darkness of the Daycare as the zoop from their wire pulled him entirely out of view.
If they missed you, why aren't they texting you back?
You want to send another message, but you also wanna give them their space. It's frustrating. You're just as nervous, and honestly, you don't know how, or even if you'd be able to reply if they had sent you a message first.
You don't know how you're going to react when you finally do reunite with them. You're afraid, but you won't avoid them. Hesitate, maybe, but you miss them, and regardless of how afraid and nervous you are. It wasn't them. It wasn't Sun.
You hate that you have to keep telling yourself this. You'll make it better. It'll be okay.
The days went by far too slow. Your only entertainment was reading, YouTube, and other miscellaneous mind-numbing timekillers. If only it'd numb your pain too.
The meds they prescribed you were working enough to make the pain just barely tolerable, and you'd be able to start on more morphine if needed, but you didn't wanna be super drugged up. You gotta get used to just being on the oral pain meds if you wanna go back to work tomorrow after-all. Tomorrow. Friday.
God, you wanna go back to work. Not many people can say that, especially after almost dying there. Maybe it balances out that you're anxious beyond definition waiting to be checked out, but.. you're gonna be there. They know it. Wendy told them.
Their response had been the same every time she checked up on them each day since you've been here. The lights were rarely on, and anytime Wendy would see one of the two, it'd usually be Moon. Not like he said much anyways. At least he was listening.
You were getting moderately better at being able to sit up and walk. It still hurt like a bitch, but you've adjusted well. The doc and nurses would come in occasionally to check-in on you - grabbing information and making sure you're just generally doing okay. Other than incessant boredom and throbbing pain in your chest quite often, it was fine.
You were ready to get out of here. You don't know about confronting your boys though.
Today, you just decide to catch-up on learning their anatomy. Ins and outs. You finally went through their blueprints, and luckily your little gremlin-engineer brain was still intact. They were fascinating. How Sun's rays would retract, stacking on top of each-other ever so slightly to fit within their head when Moon would come out. His little hat would neatly fold thanks to intricate mechanisms which would proceed to fit it into a specified slot until it was used again. You smile upon discovering it's not actually attached to him. You wonder the same for their cute little neck ruffles. Their ribbon-bells around their wrists. The goofy little pointed shoes they wear.
Their.. pants.
N-not like that though, just.. engineering curiosity.
Moving on.
Their cooling system was interesting. They also had a warming system, which would seem counterintuitive if it wasn't so obviously intentional given how comforting it was to be held by them. You longed for Moon's cool embrace all the same as Sun's, and regardless, if you wanted, you could heat him up with a little bit of flustering anyways..
Their claws were akin to Monty's. They could retract, and usually were hidden within the tips of their fingers. It seems like Moon is intentionally meant to be security during the night hours, but Sun can use them all the same.
Their joints were covered in a skin-like silicone material to avoid pinching, while still retaining the appearance of being robotically artificial. Their sensors were extremely intricate. It seems like they spent a ton of time on them, whoever created them.
You've yet to really see their code, but you're sure given these bots being sentient and all, the code dealing with pressure sensing and their general interface would be just as intricate as they were. It couldn't just be their hardware that was this advanced, and given you've developed a crush on these two just as you could with any other human, is all the proof you need to confirm that head of theirs contains potentially terabytes of code. That they are sentient. Real.
Along with the flash drive's documents you have tucked in your computer desk drawer.
You studied their anatomy for hours, growing familiar with how exactly they functioned. Spending a little too much time reading information about their mouth and tongue. The corresponding blueprint document excuses the function as a "left-over feature to convey a wider range of expressions. Additional feature: consuming candies and/or other snacks for children's entertainment - following incineration in a connecting stomach-like container (Doc. 81-E), and a disposal process carried out by their charging units when necessary. Oral fluids are cleaned and regulated by another piece of machinery, please refer to linked document for information and blueprints (Doc. 81-D)."
You fell deep into the rabbit-hole. You were pretty amazed once you were finally satisfied, but also had a few ideas for further upgrades you likely could manufacture for them given the right software, equipment, and materials. First you had to fix them up this weekend though, and before even that, everything else you're going to have to deal with.
You pinch your nose as anxiety riddles your body on top of the occasional stinging from your ribs.
Wendy came by with a yellow and pink flower, dropping off your keys and conversating about work and how you're feeling. Apparently Monty got fixed up, but is facing potential reprogramming. She confirmed they did activate strength limiters and the robot equivalent of being on happy drugs. He shouldn't bother you, or Sun and Moon until it's turned off for performances requiring such strength and his.. unique personality.
She says goodbye, and hopes to see you tomorrow if you're still down with it. You've got another optional week off, but you're not going to take it.
Tomorrow.
You're scheduled for discharge around 10am tomorrow. You'll head home just for a change of clothes and a proper shower, then straight to the Plex.
Wendy would drive you if she didn't have work earlier than you get out, but given your insane salary, you can easily afford Ubers.
You'll be there.
Tomorrow.
You're still getting nightmares, and you're still tired after waking up regardless of how long you sleep - which isn't really much. The most you've had a night since you've been here was probably six.
You stretch, very carefully. Wincing through the yawns as your bones pop, you reach for your water bottle and take a sip, popping a pain med while you're at it.
You've got a text from Wendy. She had visited the Daycare again yesterday night. It was dark, and Moon was there yet again. Upon confirming you were going to be there around noon tomorrow, which was today now, he disappeared as usual, not a word to be spoken.
She had made her way up to the lobby, before the lights suddenly turned on as she could see through the glass window overseeing the Daycare. She watched as Sun seemed to not notice her, far too focused on tidying up the already pristine area. He'd stack boxes on top of each-other, before grabbing at his banged-up rays and moving on to something else he deemed unsatisfactory. He was erratic, and would freeze in place emoting distress every so often before returning to the task. She watched for up to half an hour before having to return to her office.
You frown upon knowing how distraught they've been, and how difficult you're sure it's gonna be recovering from this. Both you, and them.
For now, you've gotta get ready, and changed into an actual shirt and pants instead of just the hospital gown and underwear you've got on. It's comfy, but you're leaving.
Absolutely not fun getting dressed. You're gonna have to do this again at home after your shower, and you're already seething from the pain.
After a few agonizing minutes, you open the door for the nurse to come in and do the routine of checking out. She made sure you're in a decent physical condition to be released - checking vitals and asking your pain level, next having you sign some paperwork. She handed you the discharge papers, and went over recovery instructions.
"No lifting anything of 30lbs, no sleeping on your stomach, no submersing yourself in water - showers only. Stay hydrated, take your painkillers once every 4-6 hours or as needed. Return to the hospital if pain suddenly worsens or you have difficulty breathing. No vigorous activity, but light exercise is encouraged to prevent complications like pneumonia - maybe walking for 30 minutes for example. All that, and you should be good."
She didn't even read that off from anything. Definitely knows her stuff.
You'll have to schedule a follow-up appointment, and then surgery to get the splints removed in a few weeks once your ribs have healed, but other than that and an additional pain medication prescription, you're good to go, a little earlier than you expected.
You schedule the Uber as the nurse retrieves a wheel-chair to take you down to the lobby where you can wait for your ride.
Every bump hurts.
You're home. Mimi is showering you with affection and Zoomba is parked in its charging port.
Fuck man, stairs. Hate stairs.
Mimi accompanied you in the bathroom as you showered. Other than missing you, she definitely knew something was wrong, and was very vocal about it. You tried not to laugh, but each time you did at a funny little meow she made, you'd take after Zoomba with a couple Ow's immediately after the giggle.
Painstakingly getting dressed, you gathered your things and wobbled down the stairs, grabbing something other than hospital food (a small breakfast bar) before you headed out to meet your Uber.
Your tummy tightened in nervousness as the Plex appeared behind lush trees, your driver pulling in from the large street next to it. It was Friday, so the place was open and the parking lot was packed. The Daycare would still be closed, so you'd have enough time and privacy for robot therapy.. even if you were probably just as anxious.
You open the car door, and slowly maneuver out, the massive PizzaPlex looming above you as its sign glows a rainbow of neon advertising the main cast.
The cold autumn air hits you once more under clouded skies.
You walk up the polished concrete entrance, brown leaves littering the ground. You pause at the doors for a moment, holding your breath until you finally push the open with a quiet wince.
The bustling atmosphere hits you instantly. Crowds gathering at the turnstiles as the gift shops ahead fill and spill with customers. You're not in the mood.
You immediately turn on your toes to the right, making your way to the maintenance tunnel doors.
Your ribs are sore, but its tolerable without straining them. You try your best as you make your way through the door and down the steps.
The concrete floors clicks lightly below you. You've nearly memorized the route, thanks to taking it a few times and studying the building's map. You bee-line straight to the Daycare service tunnel entrance.
You're in a mild stupor, lost in thought as you autopilot your way through the tunnels. Your tummy drops at the realization you're about to see them again.
It's been far too long. Only about five or so days, but.. despite how nervous and afraid you are, you miss them. You can't stop. You're not turning back.
You've been standing at the exit to the tunnels right outside of the Daycare lobby for a minute or two now. You're honestly surprised no one has stopped you. You half expected.. half hoped to run into Freddy, or another worker, but you're here. Prolonging the time you've been separated from them.
It's gonna be okay.
You push open the doors.
The gate to the Daycare lobby is closed, adorned with the Sun and Moon symbol painted across it in a shining hue. You slowly approach the card reader and swipe, and to your surprise, the gate whirrs open, rising loudly and slow, testing your anxiety via anticipation.
Nothing.
But you can see the Daycare lights are on through the window overlooking the Daycare. Sun is out.
You exhale, and walk forward.
You make your way down the stairs ever so carefully, you would've taken the slide if you didn't have broken fucking ribs while the confrontation you were about to make risked being absolutely dreadful. It's like you're in a trance, only going about the motions while your mind wanders elsewhere. You're mentally preparing yourself for every possible scenario. Every last one.
You don't think it's gonna be enough.
The large wooden gates are in front of you, rising meters above your head.
God. Your eyes are heavy. You barely got any sleep. Your hair is probably a mess given you didn't brush after your blow dry. You're tired.
You're scared.
You pull open the doors regardless.
They slowly creak as they float open, lighter than they look.
You observe the colorful play place for a moment before entering, Sun nowhere in sight. You timidly move forward, past the point of no return.
You faintly hear boxes topple over behind one of the play areas, a blunt thud following the sound. Incoherent whining that can only belong to one robot here is muffled due to the distance as he presumably scrambles back to his feet.
"..Nonono.. m-mess.. oh, what.. a mess. Clean.. clean.. clean.. up.."
Your heart sinks, your tummy jumps. You don't know how to feel. Distraught. Your emotions don't make sense.
The doors creak closed behind you with a loud thud. They were dead silent before that, and in the very moment after the jarring noise, the sound of stacking boxes suddenly ceases.
You carefully walk over to the security desk, setting down your bag before turning to observe the area where you last heard Sun.
..Why is your guard up? There's nothing to be afraid of. It's your Sunshine. It's..
Sunny. Rays expose themselves first as he slowly peeks around the padded corner as his hand wraps to follow, clutching the wall tightly. You two lock eyes for a moment. That's all it takes for him to scurry back into hiding.
You really weren't in the mood for hide and seek.
You sigh. "..Sunny. Please come out. I-I'm not upset or anything, I just.. I'm nervous, but I miss you. I've missed you both." Your voice is almost a whisper, but you're sure he can hear regardless.
He appears once again behind the opposite side of the play structure, slouched a little, but slowly inching forward like a stray animal unable to determine whether the person in front of it is friendly or hostile.
His rays are bent and bruised, some are missing pieces, some lost their tips. He's dirty, and his face still has that gash from Sunday. He's a mess, and so are you.
Your heart beats in your ears as he approaches, two steps within a second, closing the distance, just meters away. Your heart suddenly jumps as words leave your mouth involuntarily.
"N-no...S-stop." You step backwards into the security desk, almost tripping into it.
Sun stops in his tracks immediately. His somber frown devolves into broken shock as the mechanisms under his faceplate move and adjust. His eyes are wide, observing your body language that only exhibited fear.. towards him.
He crouches lower, reaching his hand up and taking a testing step forward as his frown only falls further.
Your hold the desk behind you in your hands as your grip only tightens further, you're only seeing the thing that was inches from taking your life just days ago. "..P-please.. st-stop.."
Your throat tightens as he steps backwards. You watch the expression on his face dissolve into anguish as your heart breaks.
Why are you feeling this way? What is wrong with you. Sun isn't that thing. He isn't.
Tears well in your eyes at how hurt he looks, and how irrationally scared you are of him. You frantically reach up with your arm to rub away the blurriness of your vision, but they keep coming.
Your legs are weak, so you slide down against the desk. You cry at the pressure your ribs are sustaining, choking on a breath that won't exit until you're relieved on the ground.
Sun lowers himself to fall, and sit, legs splayed out, just a few meters away from you. He makes himself as small as possible. He drops his head as he grabs at his rays and squeezes, covering his face with another hand.
Your throat finally chokes out words.
"..S-Sun I'm.. I'm so sorry. I.. I'm just.. I-I.. I can't sleep, I.. I can't think. I keep having nightmares, it just hurts so goddamn much and I'm s-so fucking sorry. I missed you so much, I-I really did. I do! You're not that thing. You're not. That wasn't you, I-I.. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be afraid of you. I don't wanna be.. I.. don't.."
You feel sick. Your stomach turns upside-down as every emotion inside of you is wrong. You couldn't move even if you wanted to.
Your brains were almost splattered across the wall that night. Something that looked exactly like the Sun you adored took him and used his body to hurt you. It's not fair. It's not fair to him.
You can barely speak. "..You two.. Y-you fought so.. fucking hard. I could see it. I.. I.." You swallow the bubble building up in your throat. "I.. I'd be dead if you didn't fight it. It wasn't you. That was not you."
Your nails dug into your arms, raking them down as you forced words up your throat. Your eyes darted anywhere but in front of you.
You continued to wipe away tears, only soaking your sleeve as more fell. They slid down your cheek in a white-hot streak until it'd fall off your chin and onto into lap. Your eyes burned.
"I.. I want to be here. I want to always be here. With you two."
Your body and the parts of your brain you had no control over fought against Sun getting close to you, but rationally, that's all you wanted right now. You want them.
Your body slows as the pain in your chest dies down from the tensing of crying. You catch your breath, and finally look forward into his pretty blue eyes.
It's him, just him.
"..Pinky promise. I'll always be here with you guys."
You shakily reach out your arm, resting it on your knee. You retract all fingers, except one.
"..I wanna.. I wanna always be here.. I love you two.. Nothing is ever going to change that."
You watch him through hooded eyes. He's lowered, but peering through his hand, between fingers.
His mouth is slightly agape, eyes wide, frozen in time. The only movement is the occasional tick of his rays stuttering an inch back and forth, like he's processing something of an unimaginable scale.
He's not moving, and your hand is getting tired.
You carefully push yourself to your knees, doing your best to avoid pressure on your chest as you slowly wobble over, knees still on the ground.
He's only watching in awe as you approach him.
Your heart is racing, and you're burning up. You can feel the heat increasing as you near him, just a foot or two away now.
You pause, and continue. You're between his legs now, and he's still unmoving.
You make yourself comfortable, relaxing on your knees as you lower below him.
You look up, and sigh.
You hands slowly raise, one surrounding the hand clutching his rays, and the other gently gliding along the one covering his face as you carefully pry it away.
A smile slowly forms on your face. It's him.
You let go of one hand, focusing both onto the one once covering his face.
You manually close all of his fingers, except for his pinky.
You extend yours, and wrap them both around each-other.
"..Sunshine.. I pinky promise."
You stare at each-other for a few moments, his expression finally faltering as his mouth quivers and eyes adjust. The little mechanical pieces you can see through the gash in his face do their magic to melt you.
He whines. "..S-Sunflower.. Oh.. I-I.. I'm.. I'm sososososo sorry. I-I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."
His voice box expresses such a pitiful whine, it breaks your heart, and you're sure he'd be crying with you if he was capable of it right now. You feel bad knowing he can't, and you hope to fix that sometime, hopefully him never having to use the feature except out of pure happiness you intend you bring him.
His hands timidly reach for your face, gently caressing it. You close your eyes and lean into him. He traces each and every contour, deftly exploring across your red flush, wiping away tears in the process.
You hum in a protest to the sensation of his soft, warm hands abandoning your face. You open your eyes, only to guide your hands to his faceplate before closing them once again. You pull him lower to level with you, pressing your forehead to his.
"..It'll be okay, Sunshine. I promise. It'll all be okay."
He vibrates while his fans whirr violently. He raises his head, pressing his lips to the top of yours.
You look up to him for a second after he pulls away, the silly face you fell for softly smiling back at you with pretty blue eyes adorning him, staring right back down at you. Your heart skips a beat and you can't help but grin, darting your eyes away in embarrassment. You carefully adjust yourself to turn and lean your back into him as he encompasses you whole. You plan to sit with him for as long as he needs, and you wouldn't mind if it's forever.
He runs his hand through your hair above your ears as your back rests snugly against his body. His other hand engulfs yours, dwarfing it. Cozy. In the confines of his silky pants, you're warming up to the sentient space heater once again. More than warming up. You're on fire.
You're comfortable. You're snug. You're safe.
You throat tightens and your head feels fuzzy. It's him.
You're safe.
It'll be okay.