The Bond

Ch 105

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

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

=o^o=

"So, what's your last question?"

Ennard glanced out of the window at Michael who was approaching curiously, then the animatronic looked back at the scenery outside—nothing, just the front lawn with tall weeds from long neglect, accompanied by the sound of crickets in the silent night. "I thought you forgot."

He shook his head. "No, you forgot." He pulled up a nearby wooden chair and sat down not far from Ennard. "And it's been two days and you haven't said anything but wanted a soda at three in the morning."

"Why do you always remember unimportant things?"

"Everything that related to you is important."

"You're crazy."

"You're crazier because you keep taking care of my madness."

The animatronic seemed to raise his eyebrows upwards before nodding slightly. "You've got a point."

A grin plastered on Michael's face, he kept his gaze fixed on Ennard who was again staring at the yard. He let Ennard think for a moment, perhaps Ennard was deciding whether he should ask or decided that this was a waste of his time and shoo him away.

The eldest Afton moved his eyes up and down, as if he was scanning Ennard from head to toe. Ennard wasn't in his human form considering he had just woken up from charging this afternoon. He pulled a small chair closer to Ennard, then his hand reached for one of Ennard's wires that was sticking out tentatively. Ennard did nothing but glance at him briefly, this was probably a good sign. So, he held on to the cable more courageously after obtaining Ennard's approval.

Honestly, he wasn't going to do anything to the cord, just glanced at it carefully before turning to Ennard again. Ennard was harder to read in his original form, but he could tell for a fact that the animatronic was feeling relaxed and unbothered. Thinking back to their past feud, of course it came as a surprise to him that they had become close.

"Afton—hey!"

Michael flinched in surprise as Ennard's wire he was holding earlier and he twisted moved quickly to swat his hand away hardly. "What?" Michael frowned at Ennard, but Ennard narrowed his eyes sharply. Michael blinked, a thought came to mind. "Did—did that hurt?"

"You think?" Ennard gave an annoyed snarl, the cord swinging aggressively before hiding behind his massive body. "They are still part of my body."

The smaller man's shoulders drooped back, remembering the time they had been chased by the scientists with Lucy. Ennard used his wires to repel the bullets, some of them completely destroyed. "Sorry," he mumbled incoherently.

The robotic blue eye glanced at Michael for a moment, then he let out a low, silent sigh. He moved another cable towards Michael—at least it made Michael slightly astonished, staring at him with a wide grin before returning to hold the cable again and play with it. Ennard shifted his gaze again, he didn't know how long these mixed feelings would last. He realized he was starting to care about this idiot, since a few months ago he realized it.

But liking him?

He hesitated. He was afraid of this feeling. Repeatedly reminding himself that this was wrong no longer works. Every time he spends time with him, he falls deeper and deeper for him.

"Afton."

"Yes?" Michael answered without even looking at him. "By the way, does your wire leak oil like this?"

Ennard immediately turned his head. "No," he replied irritably. "You played it too rough that you broke the surface, it's a thin wire, use your brain." He did come back to snap, but he gave Michael a new cable to hold on to.

"Did it hurt?"

"No, just tickled."

Michael raised his eyebrows in interest, then he focused on the wire swinging slowly in front of him. "What's your question again?"

"Why were you so angry when you found me fixing that endoskeleton?"

Michael stopped reaching for the cord to play in instant. "Why?" He repeated the question quietly, then leaned his back against the head of the chair and folded his arms across his chest, Ennard glared at him. "I don't really know, all I know is I felt angry you tried to fix it. Then you said you did that to get away from me, so I wouldn't depend on you. I don't like it." Michael hoisted his legs up onto the chair before hugging his bent knees.

"That's what you want."

"Was." Michael lifted his face to exchange a glance with Ennard. "Now? Nope. All these incidents made me depend on you, you made me feel comfortable around you, you made me feel confused, and you think you can get away and underestimate it all just like that? As if my feelings are nothing?"

There wasn't a word from Ennard, he just didn't move, and there was silence but he knew Michael would continue what he was saying.

"You're just an A.I, but you make me feel safe, Ennard." Michael smiled crookedly, his voice lowered. "I just don't want to lose something I've desired. But with you? That does sound crazy, you killed me." Michael laughed briefly, before he stopped and glanced at Ennard meaningfully. "But that's the truth, that's what happening to me right now. Then I was afraid when we fought over that stupid endoskeleton, I don't want to lose the only person who never left me even in difficult circumstances."

Michael exhaled heavily, he pursed his lips together and glanced the other way. "You took my life, we always argue, I hate you." Michael narrowed his eyes at the animatronic in front of him. "But I can't lie to myself any longer."

The eldest Afton rose from his seat, Ennard stared at him with a look that could not be interpreted at all. Michael gave him a warm smile before turning around and leaving him alone in the living room. He watched Michael leave until he was completely out of sight, before long he turned his face out the window again and was lost in his own thoughts.

Maybe that's enough for him now.