Work Text:
"Good night, darling", Henry softly cooed to his daughter, Charlie. He closed her room's door and sighed. Ever since his wife had passed away, things had been difficult, especially him constantly feeling lonely. This often lead to him hanging out with his dearest best friend, William. They had known ever since middle school, them both sharing the same interest in show business and animatronics had gotten them this far.
He briefly glanced back at the house if there was anything he'd missed, but decided to throw his jacket on and walk to his car. He trusted Charlie alone in the house, since he had safety systems that should alert him if anything were to be wrong. It was cold in the car, as the weather outside was freezing. The engines rev'd as he started driving, heading to his friend's place that he'd memorized his way to.
His pocket emptied of the keychain, he browsed through the keys to find the right one. He had marked it with a purple spot, William's favourite color, to recognize it. He could ring the doorbell, but knowing the Afton, he'd probably be doing something of more importance, even though it was late. Henry shamelessly entered and dusted his shoes before taking them off, leaving his coat in the hangar.
There was a warm yet cold atmosphere in the house, where at the same time it felt like there was no color anywhere, yet rich tones stained the walls. He saw an empty Foxy animatronic head on the couch as he walked past, probably the oldest son's doings. The house was almost fully dark, except for the light beaming from William's workroom.
Henry knocked on the room's door in a polite manner and heard the British voice reply to him: "Come in."
He proceeded and saw the somewhat empty room populated by bits and pieces of animatronic parts and equipment for working on those. He was somewhat impressed since it was usually Henry himself who did most of the hard work.
"What brings you here, friend?" William leaned back in his chair, revealing to Henry his work, a wiring of an endoskeleton's head.
"Too much energy for just staying at home. It's already this late, shouldn't you continue work tomorrow?" Henry rested his hand on the table, trying to seem casual, even if he was a little nervous. He had no idea why, either.
"It's meant for tomorrow so I have to finish this before bed. Want to help me? You've always been a much better mechanic for sure", William flattered his buddy.
"You taught me in the beginning, and you only learn from the talented", Henry threw the compliment right back at him and sat down on a stool he grabbed from a side table. "So what are you working on right now, exactly?"
"I completed wiring the eye movements, so I haven't gotten far", William handed the circuit board along with the rest of the junk to his friend. He took a good look at it after adjusting his glasses.
"Hmm... any pliers on hand?" Henry received a pair and tweaked one of the wires, as it had been misplaced.
"See, you're the mechanic of this house, Hen", William chuckled and watched Henry's expression change.
"Stop calling me that, I'm not a chicken", Henry smiled at the stupid nickname he was always teased with.
"But I don't have any other nicknames for you. What should it be? Harry, Huck..." William listed some possibilities.
"It's Henry", he stated as he looked up at the other.
"Okay, if you so wish", William adored his eyes, whenever he looked straight into his own, he almost got chills. The emerald green stare captivated his attention.
William took another part of the project to work on, in which he was more experienced and had to do less with precision. The room reigned quiet, no conversation being spoken.
"So how is Charlie doing?" William casually asked.
"She's alright, she's dealing with her mother's death, like we both are. She's been quiet but has assured me she's fine", Henry spoke while working.
"Glad to hear it. Elizabeth has been good too, except she's a little too nosy at times, wouldn't want her to get in danger. And Mike, that damn brat, always terrorizing his little brother", the Brit complained about the complicated family.
"I can imagine how exhausting that is", Henry sympathized.
"It is", William looked at his friend's stale face. "You said Charlie's doing well, but what about you? How have you been feeling?"
Henry was sort of taken by surprise of this suddenly compassionate question.
"I mean, I've been better, thanks to your company", Henry wanted to sincerely thank his business partner.
"You humble me, is that why you came here?"
"Might be", the man looked away for a split moment.
"I appreciate it, Henry, I really do. I'm glad to be of help. I've been feeling lonely too, so it's good to have you", William wanted to see any and all reaction on Henry's face, but the man kept his stoic expression.
"Thank you, it's unexpected of you", Henry smiled a little, feeling warm on the inside. It got quiet again as Hen focused on a very precise task, not wanting to ruin anything. William got a little carried away from the work he was supposed to complete. He ran his fingers through Henry's hair and gave him a small kiss on the cheek and didn't linger for any longer, instead continuing to work right after the fact. Henry blinked once or twice to make sure he got that right. His face flushed a bright red and he looked away.
"Will, come on, that's highly unprofessional", Henry was secretly happy at the surprise. William just smiled and couldn't have expected Henry crashing his lips against his own. They kissed for a solid moment before stopping. "At least kiss me like a real man if you're going to at all."
A blush crept on William's cheeks, a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. Will chuckled: "You bastard."