Deceiving

By dEBB987

Usually, when he dropped by the manor the doors would open by themselves the moment he passed through the house gate, Black Hat somehow alerted of his arrival. Thus, when he made it all the way to the entrance and these remained closed, Alan couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.

Even after knocking, there was no immediate answer.

"Is the house empty?" He wondered out loud. He had the bad habit of talking to himself when alone. "Maybe there was a request like the VVV one, and there was a show worth seeing…"

Click.

The door finally opened from the inside, revealing the adorable 5.0.5. The maid outfit was missing, sadly.

"Oh, hey buddy!" Alan greeted the failed experiment with open arms, which made the other baw! happily before bending down to trap him in a literal bear hug, careful of his strength.

The cute mammal was so round and plush-like, Alan was tempted to just remain there and take a nap. The blue bear, as if reading his mind, lifted him off the ground so he was using a fluffy shoulder as a pillow and carried him inside, purring contentedly. Alan snickered, mildly wondering what part of the mixed DNA was responsible for the feline trait.

"Tempting, very tempting." He admitted when a big paw started to rub his back, silently lulling him to sleep. "But it's a bit too early for that, don't you think?"

No matter. Was the soft response, the bear manhandling him until he was in a bridal-style carry, cold nose nuzzling at his forehead. It was sweet enough to give anyone diabetes.

"Hah! Wish that were true. Thanks, but please let me down bonito pachón."

A small, complaining noise, but the soft ball of fluff did as requested; blue paws patting him down as if to straighten his clothes for him. Alan took advantage of the bent position to rub behind the bear's ear in gratitude, which made the other halt to close his eyes and purr. Absolutely adorable.

"We're alone, aren't we?" The closed door, followed by the fact that this interaction had yet to be interrupted were obvious indicators, but 5.0.5 confirmed it all the same. "That's… kinda unexpected, I guess. Why did you stay behind?"

Unneeded. The bear stated with a saddened sigh, bouncing his head against Alan's palm in a silent request for head pats he just couldn't refuse.

"Don't be sad buddy. We can pass the day together!" Alan winked, stopping his ministrations to take hold of one massive paw. "I know you see it on the daily, but for me it's been a while since I last toured the manor. Want to be my guide?"

He received a cute baaw! of affirmation, followed by 5.0.5 pulling at his hand to immediately start the journey. Alan hadn't planned on holding hands — paws? — for the tour, but the endearing fluff seemed so happy he didn't have the heart to break the hold.

The blue bear was a bit on the clingy side today, but he let it slide. After all, it wasn't every day that they could spend time together like this, with no one else in the manor. The solitude meant there was no judgement, no witnesses, and no unexpected, cartoonish situations like a lab exploding or blustering music to interrupt.

A segment of the lab was downstairs, the one that handled the heaviest equipment since those couldn't be kept in the upstairs section. His tour guide wasn't tech savvy in the slightest, but there was no need for it either way. His objective was not to get familiar with the multiple experiments, products, or projects in progress.

"What do you think, something to be added here?"

I wouldn't know.

"Hmm… I guess Flug has it handled, so I'll just add a few more airplane adornments. Gotta balance with the demoralizing posters, right?"

5.0.5 made a sound of agreement, pointing at a few things here and there with his free arm. Alan nodded, mentally taking note on what could be improved before he deemed it done and pulled at the paw in his hand to take them to another room.

This process was repeated with each new room they visited, but soon enough suggestions were not the only topic on their conversation. The speech pattern also became noticeably peculiar, but Alan decided not to mention it.

"About Demencia? Well, she can be unruly, but that's just how she was meant to be. I love her chaotic nature and strength— I suppose I gave her the piece of me that likes to do things just because. In the spur of the moment, you know?" He answered distractedly as he noted things about her guitar, and other belongings that were obviously hers. "I just wish she would stop greeting me via kidnapping, that's gonna bruise one of these days."

The blue bear looked down at him with palpable concern. Ever been really hurt?

"No, I just get dizzy." Alan huffed with a fond smile. "And carried around like a human-sized doll, I guess. She doesn't like me walking on my own, for some reason."

Another room, another focus for the inquiries.

"Flug… well, he's the most relatable for the audience, right? Poor guy is always a nervous wreck though, I should compensate him one of these days…" He muttered vaguely, using his free thumb to measure the nearby window before mentally adding another note. "At least he's been doing better now that I can see him more often, but the scientist is always working on a volatile experiment when I drop by. The number of things I've had exploding in front of me— hah! I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

A worried sound, followed by another hurt? Inquiry. He squeezed the paw on his hand reassuringly, shaking his head negatively.

"It just gets really dirty. His closet now has a few spare clothes for me since it's starting to become a pattern."

There was a whole area where the bear didn't mention anything, even though something was obviously on his mind. Alan didn't break the silence, not wanting to pressure him.

The next question made him understand why the fluffy guide had hesitated for so long.

"Black Hat, eh?" So many things could be said about him. "Well, he doesn't have a last name but if he did, it would probably be Contreras! He likes to do the opposite of what others want."

Alan had never heard the bear-equivalent of a snort, but there was a first time for everything. His tour guide seemed amused when he asked him to elaborate.

"Yeah, like, if the person he's meeting with is scared of him and wants to stay as far away as possible, then he would probably get uncomfortably close for as long as it amuses him. On the contrary, people like Dementia that relish on the closeness get a more distanced treatment."

An inquiring sound, followed by a tilt of the head. Same with you?

"Partially, I guess… comparing Demencia with me is not exactly fair. I'm his papa after all!" Alan grinned, straightening with pride as he boasted, "I'm probably the only being he can tolerate for extended periods of time— well, without wanting to murder, torture, or devour anything, that is."

The blue bear nodded in understanding — or agreement, maybe. It was hard to tell. He didn't have much time to ponder on it since one of the living armors sneezed, which made the axe move dangerously close to his head.

In the blink of an eye, his tour guide moved to grab him by the waist, pushing him behind protectively with a short, scolding growl to the elegant body armor. The empty helmet nodded apologetically.

"It's ok, it was just an accident." Alan spoke when the blue ball of fluff refused to move, still staring at the, now sweating, armor. "Please don't pull a Black Hat on me."

The bear turned to face him at that, blinking a bit too innocently — and adorably, he had to admit — with a confused baw?

Alan cooed loudly, making the other smile, but the blue bear silently sat down and stared attentively at him, which meant the tour wouldn't continue until he answered.

"Ah, well, for someone like him everyone else is made of paper, so that's probably why he gets a bit… overprotective, sometimes."

His tour guide gave him a disbelieving snort.

"Oh no, no with the crew!" Alan couldn't help but laugh, "Just me, I think. At first I thought he was just being greedy with me, but after spending more time with the others in the manor— well, they can get a bit rough sometimes. I've never been truly hurt and probably never will, but their shenanigans are kinda… uh, chaotic, compared to the relative calmness of Black Hat's office."

The bear looked at the ceiling with a pensive hum.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy spending time with everyone, but I gotta admit that with him is much calmer. We can just sit down and talk about a bit of everything— like red eclipses and old-time dealings, or just things that happened in the animation studio that week. It's very interesting."

"Baawr?" Then he's the favorite?

"A special spot, I would say," Alan acknowledged fondly, "and then of course, we have 5.0.5. the best hugger of the world! No contenders there, right?" He added with a small tug at a paw, the free arm making a "come here" motion. The bear didn't need to be told twice, standing up to engulf him in an embrace with a contented chirp, nuzzling at his shoulder.

Alan laughed at the ticklish motion, turning his head to give a quick peck at the bear's cheek.

Blue fur bristled from head to toe in response, the hold becoming a bit too tight for a second before it immediately relaxed again. The blue bear slid down with a short gruffy whine, hiding from view in Alan's chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to— I did it without thinking. My bad." He apologized sincerely, patting a huge arm in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. If he could reach, he would rub comforting circles on the back too.

The bear remained silent, hiding as much as he could for a being his size. It wasn't an easy feat, but the blue ball of fluff managed to keep Alan from seeing his expression. Perhaps, if there had been anyone else in the manor, someone would have been able to stumble on them and let him know, but alas the house was deserted.

"Take as much time as you need." Alan agreed to the unspoken request, hugging the other's neck since that was the only thing in reach. The bear relaxed in his hold, making a grateful, bear-like grunt. "Would you rather leave? There's only one floor left, you don't need to accompany me."

A short, negative shake of the head, face rubbing at his chest with the motion.

"Then we wait." He stated, an arm moving to pat the huge head. "Let me know once ready."

(x)

It was, now that he thought of it, one of the "forbidden" floors.

Contrary to what others may believe, the manor's inhabitants didn't have free access to the whole building. There were some off-limits areas the eldritch didn't want anyone in, not even for cleaning. The one at the top, for example, was where Black Hat's room was located, with a balcony that led outside covered by red-tilted windows just like the ones in his main office. It was easy to spot from the street.

This floor was the one just below that. Still restricted… for some reason. Not even him knew why.

Alan hesitated at the top of the staircase, reluctant to step into the carpeted floor. The bear gave him an encouraging little push, but he remained rooted to the spot.

"You know this floor is off-limits, right? I don't know if…"

Yours. His guide clarified with another gentle nudge at his shoulder. Alan looked disbelievingly at his companion.

"I… there's a whole floor for me?" A nod, accompanied with a happy ~baw~ squeak. "No ma— aaah, uh, no manches. I wouldn't know if you didn't mention it!"

Secret? The bear inquired with an innocent expression; a bit too attentive to his reaction. Alan huffed, turning to look at the deserted floor in front of them.

"I guess. But why would I need a whole floor in the first place? This doesn't make any sense."

Take a look. Go.

"Hmm... yeah, come on, let's take a peek." Alan relented at last, sighing exasperatedly. The blue bear perked up, taking hold of his hand to guide him once more.

(x)

The floor was certainly dedicated to him.

The portrait he had custom-made for his dramatic son seemed to have been used as reference for ordering more. There were several paintings he hadn't drawn, all featuring the both of them in different scenarios and postures. Each painting had two metallic body armors — all with hat and tie — at the sides, as if guarding the pictures from any potential harm.

Alan didn't count them, but if he had, he may have realized it matched with the number of photos he had taken with Black Hat's muscular clone, Black Hot, back then.

"This is… a very nice gesture." He was so touched. There was nothing more flattering than having another's efforts dedicated to him or his show, and whoever made these portraits was very good. He wondered where his eldritch son had ordered these from.

Your eyes are glassy.

"Happy tears, don't judge me." Alan requested with a soft sigh, closing his eyes to prevent leakage. The blue bear stepped closer to deliver a comforting hug, and he took the chance to press his face against soft, fluffy whiteish fur.

"Thanks… I needed that." He admitted after a while, stepping back so they could move on.

At the end of the long hallway filled to the brim with portraits, there was a set of gigantic Mahogany doors leading to what was probably the only room in this floor.

Opening the doors revealed a luxurious apartment, very over the top and not something he would ever pick for himself in the real world. He could almost feel his bank account shudder at the notion of ever setting foot in a place like this.

"How elegant." Which was a huge understatement, but he didn't know how else to describe it. "My son has exquisite taste, eh?"

His tour guide gave the top of his head a friendly rub, making a sound of agreement.

Good enough?

"Better than anything I've ever seen before." Alan admitted, still looking with awe at the huge space. The confession brought a feline-like purr from his companion, which made him snort and snap out of his stupor. "Come on, we can rest here for a bit."

Won't visit the Master bedroom?

"What, Black Hat's? Oh no, there's a reason entry is forbidden, you know? Not even I would enter without invitation!" Alan said good naturally, gesturing for the bear to follow him inside.

Finally moving from the luxurious entrance, they passed an office filled with tasteful and exotic furniture, every single piece being of exquisite design and decoration. The carpet upon the floor was thick and soft, swallowing their footsteps as they went through a piano room, what could be described as a "room for drawing" with an imposing desk and some old-fashioned lamps, one that might as well be spacious enough to hold a ball in it, a kitchen, a dinner room, and many other pointless spaces — when was he supposed to use all of this? — until they finally reached the bedroom.

The mattress was so unnecessarily large it could fit him and the huge bear with space to spare. Actually, probably all of the manor's inhabitants could have a sleepover here and still fit comfortably in the single bed.

"Now I can take that nap." Alan stated approvingly, picking the edge of the covers so he could slip in, and then wiggled closer to the middle of the bed to make space for his companion at the edge.

The blue bear looked a bit lost, as if doubtful on what exactly he was expected to do. Alan patted the space beside him invitingly. "I know you usually curl kinda like a cat when you rest, but maybe you could lay down like me this one time? I'd love to hug you!" He was so cute and fluffy it would probably be like squeezing a giant plushie. "Or I can hug a pillow, whatever is better for you. No pressure if you don't—"

Baaw! A huge paw waved dismissively at his concern, carefully climbing up — Alan was mildly surprised that the bed could support the weight without any issues, dipping just like it would under normal pressure — over the covers, passing a single blue arm around him in a semblance of a loose hug.

Alan turned to face him, wiggling closer to the whiteish fur, and started to softly talk about the animation studio, the overall excitement that the first season brought, the ideas on how to prepare for the future of the series, and pretty much whatever came to mind as he started to get sleepy. His breathing pillow didn't seem to mind, contentedly purring at specific parts of his anecdotes.

It was only once Alan was practically asleep that the bear finally spoke once more.

Stay?

"Mm-hmm." He was too tired to move, of course he was staying.

No… permanently. Live here?

Alan blinked sleepily at the fur in his field of vision, giving a small, confused frown at the notion.

"I can't… live here. My visits are just…" A yawn interrupted his sentence. "Visits…" He closed his eyes again.

Could… make a deal with him to stay.

He felt a chill of apprehension run down his spine. Something akin to alarm injected his mind, but the drowsiness didn't go away. Waking up was... unnaturally difficult. He came to the realization that this lethargy was not his own, but was too tired to do much about it, so he closed his eyes once more, humming noncommittally.

The massive paw around him shifted so it could pat the top of his head, a poor attempt at combing his hair. Alan turned his head to give a peck at the fluffy wrist, giggling incoherently when blue fur bristled once more, this time accompanied with a short bear-ish groan.

5.0.5 was known to manage to speak full sentences with a single sound, but of course, that's something Black Hat wouldn't have noticed. With how much he hated the bear's mere presence, it wasn't like the real 5.0.5 would speak much in front the villain.

All day he had gotten nothing but short sentences, which were very uncharacteristic of 5.0.5... other than that, his son's shapeshifting could have really fooled him.

His last thought before sleep won him over made him unconsciously hum. He wondered how much of their interaction today had been the real eldritch and how much it was just a performance, according to his interpretation on how 5.0.5 would act.

Getting so many hugs was nice. They just… needed to talk about the impossible request sometime after he woke up.

He was not staying permanently here.

AN:

Chan-chan-chan-chaaaaan. What do you mean this story actually has a plot? The scandal!

Next chapter is almost done, but comments make me write faster :D

And sadly, most of the fanart that inspired this fic came from Pinterest, which is NOT the best source when it comes to tagging the actual creators QwQ If you know the artistic mind behind the pictures I'm missing in the overall fic please let me know so I can properly credit them! (Pics i same title and username)

Thank you! See you around~ dEBB987.