The Bond

EXTRA 20 [END]

-2028-

"Why should we move place?"

"Because we renovate the whole house, Michael. You've asked that a thousand times since we left."

Michael pouted. "But do we really have to move so the builders can work?"

"You want them to patch you into one with the wall?" Ennard raised an eyebrow at Michael who was walking briskly beside him while pulling a suitcase. "Don't worry too much about the house, Emily said he'll be watching occasionally."

The man sighed softly and took out a small mirror from his pocket, he stared at his reflection in case the makeup on his face smudged—it would be bad if that happened, especially when they were in a public place at this time. Michael closed the mirror and put it back. He looked around, a lot had changed in this city, he barely recognized it anymore.

He turned to his husband and tugged at the hem of his sleeve. "When will the renovations be finished?"

Ennard thought for a moment. "Probably about two or three months."

"That long!?"

"Michael they are renovating real houses not playdoh house."

Michael pouted again.

The red-haired man glanced at Michael briefly, before exhaling and pulling him closer before wrapping his arms around his waist. "Be patient, two months won't seem like long if you don't wait for it."

"Fine."

Ennard smiled faintly as he tugged at Michael's cheek in amuse for a while, he didn't heed Michael's protests at all. "You're so cute."

"I'm not cute."

"You are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes." Ennard chuckled softly before he kissed Michael's forehead briefly, Michael groaned in annoyance but after that he just smiled.

Even so, his smile faded as he looked at the familiar house that finally appeared in the distance. He sighed, old memories suddenly flooding into him. Most of them were bitter memories of the times he was alive, even more painful to remember than the time when Ennard and he were enemies. Michael pursed his lips, it had been years since they had visited here actually, he felt anxious for no apparent reason. Ennard seemed to have realized this and tapped him on the shoulder, trying to calm himself down.

They drew closer, then Ennard stopped. "Wait."

Michael turned to him in confusion, he tilted his head while waiting for Ennard who suddenly fell silent. Ennard closed his eyes briefly.

"I heard chatter in there."

The eldest Afton rolled his eyes. "No way," he said. "Has someone else occupied this house?"

"We left it for years, so I guess yeah." Ennard shrugged his shoulders.

"But who?" Michael thought for a moment, he had a bad feeling. "You'd better hide first," he said as he looked around to make sure no one was there.

Ennard nodded and changed into his animatronic form, he immediately shrank himself before entering Michael through his mouth. Michael rubbed his lips for a moment and let Ennard adjust his size inside him again. "Gosh that still tastes disgusting."

"We've done this a lot since you died, get used to it."

Michael grumbled for a while, before he stepped into his old house slowly. That uneasy feeling was still lingering in him, he didn't know what caused it but he felt it was better for them to just leave from there. He exhaled slowly, now he was right in front of the door. He took the key to his old house from his pocket and inserted it into the door, intending to open it—but the door was not locked at all. His forehead frowned, the last time they were here, they locked the door. However, Ennard said he heard some chatter there.

Who were they?

He hoped they weren't the people he thought they were right now ... or who knew what would happen.

Michael took a deep breath, finally decided to muster up the courage and opened the door of the house, walking inside until his eyes met a sight he had never expected.

A pair of eyes fell on him.

Flashbacks of the nightmare came back inside his head.

"... Father?"

-REUNION BOOK: COMING SOON-