The noise seemed to be getting louder, Spring thought as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

He knew these noises; they were familiar to him. He knew that these voices belonged to his friends, but whatever they were saying, he couldn't understand. Did he want to understand? Springtrap wasn't sure what he wanted. His food sat in front of him, half-eaten and cold. The desire to eat had been quenched, yet he felt… empty. It was a lingering hunger, but for what, he wasn't sure. Nobody took notice of his timid, quiet attitude. There was nothing out of the ordinary at a glance, but Springtrap was petrified. The rabbit responded to questions whenever the sound of his name pulled him out of his haze, but for the most part, he sat; quiet and still.

The time finally came to leave, and Springtrap was ready to get out of the diner and return to the safety of his home, but he was also petrified of what may follow. Did Will overhear their plans to meet here somehow, or did what the hare say actually have some merit to it?

What was Will? The more Springtrap wondered that the more he wished he could put his curiosity to rest. There was no way someone should have been able to appear in that bathroom without him seeing them walk in. Will hadn't been in the stall when Spring had looked, and there was nowhere else that Will could have been hiding in that dark bathroom.

The hare could seemingly hold his breath forever, and his eyes were otherworldly and petrifying.

Pupils seemed to form at will… and they glowed. Springtrap didn't know of any contacts that could have possibly given off that effect.

Last night at the party, Will had snuck up on Springtrap silently. Either the man was incredibly light on his feet, or he was able to materialize out of thin air. With a dejectful huff, Springtrap shook his head, and his thoughts, away. People were standing to leave, and if he didn't follow, he'd be left behind. Gold wouldn't actually leave him, he knew. That man would wait on him for as long as Spring needed. The thought made the rabbit's heart flutter, and he turned to look at Gold, who was about to stand and follow Bonnie and Freddy out the door. Springtrap wasn't sure if they were going over to anyone's house; he had been far too spaced out to catch any details, but he knew that he didn't want to leave just yet. His hands found their way to Gold's jacket, and he held on with a gentle, pleading expression. Gold's smile momentarily fell. He was clearly confused and afraid that something wasn't alright. Bonnie gave a glance back at the two, wiggled his nose and nodded to Gold. This wasn't the first time that Springtrap and Gold had stayed behind, so there was no explanation needed. Half of the time it was due to Spring being upset or nauseous, but being surrounded by the entire group was the last thing Bonnie assumed Springtrap needed. Spring needed space, and he already had Gold with him to soothe and comfort him. Gold flashed Bonnie an appreciative look, then turned his full attention back to Springtrap.

"What is it, bud?" Gold asked in a soft, low voice. He wasn't sure what had upset Springtrap, but he was going to be there for him, no matter how small the problem. Springtrap sucked in a small breath and stared at Gold's mouth for just a moment too long. Either Gold didn't notice or didn't care, and for that, Springtrap was thankful.

"We…. we should get milkshakes." he finally managed in a quiet mumble. Out of reflex, Springtrap nearly flinched, half expecting to be told off and scolded for mumbling and slurring his words. Gold had never once chewed him out for muttering, though. No one in the group had, and that was why Springtrap found himself comfortable and happy in their presence. They didn't judge him, and they actually cared about his feelings. There were no insults thrown his way from any of their mouths, and never once had they shown anger directed at him.

"Milkshakes?" Gold asked as his ears perked up. His smile quickly returned, clearly relieved that all was well, and he gave Springtrap a quick nod in response.

"Milkshakes sound good." He beamed.

When the waitress came to clear the dirty dishes from the line of tables, Gold grabbed her attention and ordered both of their milkshakes. Chocolate for Springtrap, and a banana for himself. The line of tables were pulled apart and returned to their normal positions, leaving Gold and Spring sitting side by side at a singular table. Gold would have moved to the other side so that he could face Springtrap, but the rabbit's gentle hold on his arm kept him grounded.

Spring obviously wanted to be right next to Gold, and the bear wasn't complaining.

The two sat in relative silence for what seemed like an eternity. Springtrap's hands had slowly but surely made their way down to Gold's, and as he grabbed onto the bigger man's paws, his lingering nausea began to fade. Spring's heartbeat began to return to normal, though the fear still lingered from his unpleasant bathroom trip. He hadn't told anyone at the table about encountering Will, and he didn't intend to. It was just him and Gold now, anyway. Will wasn't here, looming over him and sending shivers down his spine. The group was gone, either heading home or to someone's house to stay out just a little later, but none of that mattered. It was just Gold and him, just like he had wanted. Springtrap didn't want this night to end, but he knew it would; probably much quicker than he would have liked.

Gold knew that Spring had something to say, so he remained quiet and patient as he waited for him to muster up enough courage to speak

"I…" Springtrap fell quiet again, and his hold on Gold's paw tightened just a little. Spring's free hand was resting on his own lap, and he gripped at his pants nervously as he tried to find his courage. His confidence had faded away yet again, leaving him with anxiety and butterflies.

"I like spending time with you," Spring muttered softly. Gold's ears perked up in interest, but he didn't speak. There was clearly more that Springtrap had to say by the look on his face, and he didn't want to interrupt him and keep him from saying what he wanted to say.

Springtrap took a second to continue, but he did eventually speak up again.

"I think I…. I think I like you more than I should."

Gold's eyes widened ever so slightly, and his heart sunk as his chest fluttered.

Springtrap shrunk in on himself just a little, both unsure of himself and fearful of Gold's reaction. The bear's face was hard to read, and Springtrap wasn't sure if he should continue, but he did anyway. His arms were trembling a little, and it was a miracle that he had been able to keep his nausea at bay, but he didn't cave. He had more to say, and he was going to say it.

"I… I know I've never said it before now, and I'm sorry."

Gold remained silent, taking in what he'd just been told. Springtrap, miraculously, had somehow managed to hold eye contact with him this entire time. He was trembling from anxiety and fear, and when Gold opened his mouth to speak, it only scared him more. He was preparing for rejection; he was bracing himself for disgust.

The sound of two glass cups being placed on the table made Springtrap perk his ears up, but he didn't break eye contact with the bear in front of him. The waitress said nothing and left the shakes on the table, not uttering a word to the two. Gold seemed to be at a loss of words for once, and the silence was maddening. Springtrap sucked in a small breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Gold's. The bear froze up, unsure of how to react to the sudden public display of affection. Gold pulled his hand from Springtrap's grip, and it made the rabbit's heart sink. Before tears could well up in his eyes, however, Gold leaned forward and pulled him into a tight hug; nearly falling out of his chair in order to do so. Springtrap's heartbeat only quickened when he was pulled against Gold's chest in a tight embrace. The beating of the bear's heart was a soothing feeling, and the rabbit's hands found their way onto Gold's back as he buried his face in the man's shoulder. He wanted to cry, but not from fear or anxiety. Springtrap felt an overwhelming sense of love and security, and he couldn't hold back the tears gathering in his eyes. It was late, and the diner was nearly empty now. Nobody was staring at them… Nobody was judging them. Springtrap sucked in a shaky breath as Gold muttered back a small, sincere,

"I like you too."

Springtrap held tight to Gold's paw as they walked together, hand in hand with huge, dopey smiles plastered to their faces. Even though the group had left to gather elsewhere for games and movies, all Springtrap and Gold wanted was to spend time with each other. Chica wasn't here to excitedly squeal and chew their ears off. Bonnie wasn't here to shoot them playful little looks. It was just them, and for once, they weren't burying their feelings. The parking lot was barren apart from a few uninteresting vehicles, one of them being Gold's. It didn't take long to reach the car, but when it finally came time to let go of each other, there was hesitation. The calm of the night was reassuring, though, so with a good conscience, Springtrap allowed Gold's fingers to slip away from his. They clambered into the car, still shivering from the cold outside and the rushed consumption of their milkshakes. The heat was flipped on without hesitation, and Gold shivered as the vents began blowing cold air out. It would take a moment for the car to heat up, but in the meantime, Gold reached over with an open hand; inviting Springtrap to return his smaller hand into his own. Springtrap didn't need to be coaxed, and instantly placed his hand where it belonged on top of Gold's. The bear looked over at Spring with a soft smile.

It had been years since they met, and Gold had often wondered if anything would ever become of their little crushes. He was glad that something had blossomed from their youthful affections; the wait was well worth it. Gold had never expected Springtrap to make the first move, though.

That was a surprise, but a pleasant one. Springtrap looked tired but happy in the passenger seat, staring over at Gold with a sleepy grin. They sat there for a minute, just smiling and holding hands. It was quiet and still in the parking lot, and the moment felt like it would last forever. It eventually had to come to an end, though, but when it did, Springtrap wasn't upset.

He knew that there was so much more to come.

The passenger window had been rolled down to allow a nice, cool breeze to flow into the car.

Springtrap was leaning out the window, letting his ears blow in the wind. His left arm was outstretched, and he was holding onto Gold's arm loosely. They arrived back at Springtrap's apartment much too soon, and Springtrap's mood soured ever so slightly as they pulled into the parking lot. The rabbit turned to face Gold with a somewhat sad expression. It was evident by the look on his face that he didn't want to go just yet, and Gold shared his hesitance to call it a night. There was nowhere they could go. It was late, and showing up this late at whoever's house the others had gathered at would only raise questions. Why had they taken so long to get there? Even though nothing had truly happened between the two, Springtrap didn't want to hear the teasing and playful accusations. The group wouldn't mean it in a hostile way, but the teasing would be embarrassing; it was something he didn't want to deal with.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Springtrap asked with a hopeful wiggle of his nose.

Gold blinked, not expecting to be offered more time with Spring, but he nodded almost instantly. The night could have been warmer, but he had Springtrap to keep him warm, and that was enough for him. "Of course…"