The Bond

Ch 83

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

"Do you think Mark has stopped trying to break into my house now?"

Ennard turned his head from the direction of the stove at the question, Michael stood not far from him with a look of curiosity, also anxiety. Michael glanced the other way after that, his lips pressed together tightly and he played his fingers behind his back. Now his concern was obvious. Ennard lowered the temperature of the fire in the stove, then turned around to face the eldest Afton.

"I don't really know," he answered the question matter-of-factly.

"Then I'll check it out—"

He grabbed Michael's wrist quickly before Michael could walk away. That made Michael give a startled gasp and he was pulled backwards, Ennard caught both shoulders to keep him from falling over. "Too dangerous," Ennard half whispered, his bicolored eyes glancing at Michael who was looking at him. "We don't know what Halberg can do."

"But my house—" Michael pouted, he turned around and puffed out his cheeks. "What if something happens to my house?"

"Well you're going to be homeless."

Michael smacked Ennard's arm in irritation, Ennard laughed softly.

Ennard shifted toward the stove again. "Nothing will happen to your house, your house won't run away. They also don't have the authority to demolish it, or even inspect the inside. It's against the law, they can be sued. If something happens, just sue Halberg." Ennard shrugged and snorted, he turned up the heat again so that the water he was cooking boiled quickly.

"Can I just sue the scientists?"

"If you want their boss to bribe your lawyer and make you lose your appeal and arrest you before taking you to their laboratorium, so go ahead."

"Damn it."

"Don't worry too much." Ennard turned off the stove and shooed Michael away from the counter because Michael was blocking a cup with the ground coffee he had prepared. "I'll check your house later. Halberg won't recognize me."

Michael stared at Ennard who was busy carefully pouring hot water into a cup, then a faint smile of meaning spread across his face. "Thanks, Enn."

"Save that for later and buy me a soda."

"Aren't you making coffee now?"

"I'll mix it up."

"You're crazy." Michael looked at Ennard who was rolling his eyes in disbelief, but it seemed like it was just a joke from the red-haired man. Then Michael grinned and chuckled. "You will get drunk if you mix them together and drink it."

Ennard raised both eyebrows. "What is the most likely possibility that I'm drunk?" he asked indifferently.

"Making a fuss, crying non-stop, being more annoying. Who knows?" Michael said, enumerating the possibilities that could happen if Ennard were drunk—after all, do animatronics get drunk? He thought of other possibilities that could occur. Triggering a fight can occur. Then other things like ...

... being romantic? He had once seen his father drunk, and the man had changed even more romantic towards his mother. It was disgusting to remember, but could Ennard be like that too? Saying sweet things, pulling him close, holding him tightly, pressing their lips together, bed—

"Afton, whatever you're thinking, stop. You look like a pervert."

"I don't think about anything!" Michael exclaimed in embarrassment, his face heating up violently. Ennard looked skeptical, very skeptical, he puffed out his cheeks in annoyance at that and smacked Ennard's arm a second time, not caring about Ennard's protests after that.

"No, no. Ennard is right, you seem to be thinking perverted things."

Michael turned around in surprise and found Lucy sitting at the dining table with a crooked smile and a frown. The blush on Michael's cheeks grew thicker, creeping up to his ears. "Why are you even taking his side!? You accuse me of nothing!"

The girl raised both eyebrows. "But it's obvious from your face ..."

"Argh shut up!"

She giggled. "By the way, I just realized that you always call people by their last names," Lucy said to Ennard who then frowned. "You never call us by first names."

"Not worth it."

"You bastard."

Michael pursed his lips, he was still a little annoyed by their accusations but what Lucy said was true. "Enn, say my first name."

The man glanced at him. "Eggs."

"That's not my name, jerk!"

"HandUnit says it itself." Ennard shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Don't talk about useless things. Dawson, you said you wanted to make some tea, here." He handed the teapot to Lucy, Michael stepped aside a little to avoid the hot surface of the teapot.

Lucy got up from her seat and approached them. "Right, thanks," Lucy said with a grin as she took the teapot from Ennard.

Michael watched the two of them in silence, the irritation that had subsided earlier exploded when he saw their hands touching.