Chapter Text
You were a pretty level-headed person most of the time. It was hard to get you angry or upset enough to get any real reactions from you. Sure, you would grimace a little around screaming kids, and your blood boiled just a tiny bit when Karens harassed you and your co-workers (robots included), but you really were so tolerant with everyone. You were a bit of a people pleaser, most would assume. At least out in public where people could see and complain about it to your boss.
But you were really starting to get fed up with everything today, and Freddy was starting to notice.
To be fair to yourself though- today had been shit. You'd been working all day, giving tours of the Pizzaplex as well as directing customers. On top of that, one of your 'friends' asked you to cover their shift. And by asked I mean they basically told you. The excuse they gave was definitely a lie too, because you could hear a crowd of people giggling and faint music in the background.
To add on to that nice pile, your partner had been texting you all day. They kept asking when you were off work- which in any normal relationship would mean that they wanted to see you. But this was your life, and your s/o was bothering you because they wanted to go to the bar and needed someone to drive them. You'd sent a reply earlier in the day that you wouldn't be getting off until way later than normal, and that you were going to be exhausted- But it didn't keep them satisfied for long.
For a bit, they played the supportive partner role very well. After you sent that text, they started sympathizing with you, apologizing and saying how much that sucked. Every few hours they had sent you a text, asking how you were doing and how the tours were going. And honestly, you'd felt a little better from how much they were checking in on you. It had made you feel cared for at least, and you were even considering the idea of grabbing a few drinks on your way home. Just so you two could indulge a little and have a nice night in. But you quickly threw that thought out the door when- as soon as you said you were feeling a little better- they had asked you to take them to the bar again.
You were so pissed at them that you nearly chucked your phone at the wall, you wanted to cry from the frustration of it all. It wasn't like you didn't know they treated you like flaming garbage, but it was better than being alone- right? That's why you let people take advantage of you, push you around. It was still better to be treated like shit than to be all alone again like when you were a kid. And as far as you knew that was just life. Compromising. At least for you.
You'd even reasoned in your head that it was fine to be like this. After all, you were using all of them to starve away the loneliness- just like they were using you. Even though at the end of the day they had their shift covered, or a glass in their hand, and you still felt alone- you were sure you were just as bad for what you were doing. You were just as fake as the animatronics in the Pizzaplex.
After your near-meltdown with your partner, you decided to just shut off your cellphone and get back to work. Grin and bear it. Little did you know another type of bear had been watching you, and was starting to get worried about what was going on.
Without any meet and greets scheduled for the rest of the day, and no performance later tonight, Freddy decided to keep an eye on you. You didn't even think twice when you'd caught him loitering around during your tours, instead naturally taking the opportunity to introduce him to guests and have an impromptu photo and signing session. The animatronic was glad that you were still doing your job well and easily, but he was still able to notice how you'd unconsciously ghost your hand over the pocket your phone was in. Clearly, you were still bothered by whatever had happened.
Now, Freddy had been watching you- but he hadn't been reading your texts. He felt that was incredibly rude, even if he was worried about you being upset. So he didn't know what was actually bothering you. He tried to think of things that usually upset people. Maybe your pet had died? Or you didn't get a raise? He wasn't sure really, and he wouldn't know unless he asked. So during one of your short breaks in-between tours, Freddy approached you.
"Hello there, (y/n), how are you doing today?" You had been completely zoned out when Freddy walked over to you, so when he spoke it made you jump a little. After you turned around to look up at the tall robot, you gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed at the back of your neck.
"Ah! Hey Freddy, I'm alright. Long day today. How are you doing? You getting bored without all the usual events?" It wasn't until he walked over just now that you'd realized how much he'd been out on the floor instead of his room. You still weren't suspicious of anything though, and you were just trying to make small talk with the bear. I mean, he was staring at you kinda intensely, but he was also a robot, and his face was just stuck like that for the most part- so you brushed it off as just some uncanny valley thing.
"I am doing alright as well. I am not too bored, I enjoy being able to greet guests outside of the regular visiting events." Freddy was trying to decide the best way to get his answer from you- without upsetting you further or getting himself caught eavesdropping. You clearly weren't telling the truth about being 'alright,' and he was worried that keeping his cover might be a difficult task. "Are you sure you're not working too hard (y/n)? It seems like you might be a little stressed." There, short and simple, and well-meaning enough to not be suspicious.
As always, you weren't too tough to break down. You had a little bit of a soft spot for the animatronics, Freddy especially. He was just so polite and seemed to genuinely care about everyone. You sighed in defeat and crossed your arms, knowing you'd been caught in a fib. You weren't about to spill everything to Freddy, but you did open up a little bit more to the bear.
"Oh no, was it that obvious?" You frowned ever so slightly. "Well, I'm not super thrilled about working two shifts in a row. I've been here since opening at 7 and instead of getting to go home by 2, I'm stuck until closing."
If Freddy could frown, he would. He wasn't very happy that you'd been stuck here all day- And now that he thought about it, you hadn't taken a proper lunch break, had you? He knew it was very important for humans to eat in order to keep energized. The long hours paired with improper rest might have been a good part of why you didn't seem like yourself today, but that didn't explain why you were upset at your phone. You'd checked it around 4- a few hours after you'd started your second shift- so he knew it wasn't the text from your co-worker that made you upset.
"Ah, I am sorry to hear that. Have you considered canceling the tours for the rest of the day? I'm sure you want to go home and get something to eat." Fred tried to nudge the conversation where he wanted it to go again, succeeding almost fully this time as you both started to walk together. You were heading to the entrance area downstairs for the next scheduled tour, and it seemed dividing your attention worked in the bots favor.
"Mm... yes and no. I'd like to sit down for a proper break, but I'm covering for my co-worker and it'd be coming out of their paycheck- not mine. And I'm not in a huge rush to get home right now. At least not anymore." You were starting to get a little suspicious of all these questions now, especially when Freddy didn't leave. It wasn't like he needed to, nobody was here for the next tour yet and he had no place to be either. But a part of you was worrying that someone was watching you through Freddy's eyes- or maybe one of your bosses was actually using Freddy to interrogate you for some reason.
"I see... That is very kind of you to worry about your co-worker. But you should also take care of yourself. Aren't you already doing them a favor by covering their shift?" Freddy took a slight pause, letting you think about what he said a moment. "Also, may I ask why you don't want to return home? If there is a serious issue, I can help you file a rep-"
"Whoa whoa- alright, calm down." You quickly shut that comment down, there was no need to start rumors about your personal life. "It's nothing like that Freddy, but thank you for caring about me so much. I promise there's nothing horrible going on at home, my partner is just being a bit... rude, I guess? Today isn't going too great for me, I'm sorry about worrying you." You'd known as soon as Freddy started to suggest there might be... violence at home... -that it was all the robot asking these questions. Your employers we not concerned with guest or employee safety- except when there could be a lawsuit filed over it. You glanced up at the animatronic before looking down and rubbing at your face. It made you feel a bit guilty that you'd worried him so much, his ears were even drooping slightly. And you absolutely hated that sad expression- you didn't even know he could do that!
"I apologize for being so intrusive (y/n), I just wanted to make sure you were okay"
"Its alright Freddy, thanks," you took a pause to look around the room. The night was starting to slow down now- it was around 6:30, and with no show later tonight, it seemed not many people were planning to visit the mall. "If no one turns up for the tour in the next 10 minutes, I'll take a proper break okay?"
Freddy nodded at you, glad you were at least considering taking care of yourself. He was still concerned however- it felt like there were a few details of the story he still didn't have, but he wasn't going to pry any longer. The bear couldn't imagine someone as composed as you nearly breaking your phone over someone being rude. He'd seen you get worked up with rude customers- but never to the point of tears or near violence.
Despite wanting to stay longer, waiting those 10 minutes with you, Freddy felt it might make you uncomfortable after your conversation. Maybe a little time to yourself would be good for you. Not that he wasn't going to check on you later and see if you were okay. For now though, he felt it might be good to visit his friends, sit down in his room for a little while.
When Freddy actually got to his room, he was surprised to see one of his friends had actually found him first.
"Hey there superstar, whats going on with that tour guide you've been following around?" Sitting at his vanity, combing frayed and burnt hairs from her hair, was Roxie. The usually polished to perfection wolf looked a bit scuffed up, and apparently the surprise on Freddy's face was pretty obvious. "Ugh, I got distracted trying to figure out what you two were doing when i was in the middle of a race. Flipped the cart on accident, kids loved it though- so its worth the scuffs I guess" With a flip of her hair over her shoulder Roxie stood up, crossing her arms as she moved to sit on Freddys red sofa. She picked up one of the many scattered Fred plushies, examining it before turning it to the real Fred bear and taunting her friend with it. "So, c'mon- why are you suddenly so obsessed with (y/n)? You know I love gossip"
Freddie chuckled at Roxanne's shenanigans, grabbing the toy away from her and putting it on the table. Then picking up the jumbo plush that took up half the couch and set it aside to sit next to Roxie. Normally he'd be against 'gossip', and would refuse to tell her anything that wasn't her business- but he did actually intend on asking her for advice.
"I am not suddenly obsessed with them- I am concerned. I would do the same thing for any of our friends." Roxie was looking at her hands, studying her purple claws. Freddy knew she was paying attention to him though, so he continued. "They have been acting strange ever since they got upset at their phone. Something about their partner being rude to them. But I don't understand why they would almost destroy their phone over something as simple as 'being rude', they deal with customers way worse than that all the time." The bear let out a huff and slouched over a bit, giving Roxie time to give a little insight.
"Huh, you know that is kinda weird, (y/n) didn't even get mad that time some little kid stole a ball from Monty's and chucked it at their head. Hm... well, i know that it hurts my feelings more when Chica is mean to me than when Monty is. I'm a lot closer to her after all, it makes sense that (y/n) would be more upset about the person they're dating being a jerk to them, than if a random stranger was being a jerk." Freddy let out a hum as Roxie looked over at him. That seemed to make sense, maybe he was just overthinking things- he had a habit of doing that sometimes.
"Was that the only thing? You've been following them around for a few hours, I thought it'd be juicer than that. You sure you're not madly in love with them, waiting to sweep them off their feet from this awful and pathetic human partner?" That one got a good laugh out of Freddy, who used the mini him he put on the table to smack the wolf. He whirred slightly and got a little hot, but he honestly wasn't attracted to you despite the robot equivalent of a blush.
"Hey now, you've been listening to too many telenovelas. That wasn't the only thing- but it's not because I have some sort of crush. Another thing they mentioned was that they're working double shifts today to cover for their friend. (y/n)'s been here since opening and is staying until closing- and they haven't taken a break to eat yet or rest. I suggested canceling the rest of the tours for the night but they said they didn't want to go home anymore." Now it was Roxanne's turn to hum as she leaned on the armrest, head in her hand as she turned her eyes to look through the walls at you. She could see why her friend was worried now- humans weren't meant to work that long without resting, and the part about not wanting to go home set of a few child safety alarms in her programming.
"Now that's a bit more worrisome. Did they mention anything about taking a break after this tour?" Roxie's eyes were still focused on you as you started to walk towards their special rooms. Only Chica was in her room and visible right now, since Monty was in his golf game and Freddy's curtain was closed. She looked back over to Freddy when he sighed again.
"Oh dear, I take it some folks did show up then? (Y/n) said if no one showed up in the next ten minutes then they would go take a break. Today really isn't their lucky day..." The wolf next to him gave him a sympathetic look as she reached over to pat Freddy's back.
"Aw c'mon, its getting later and later- soon barely anyone is going to be coming in for tours. Then maybe we can get Chica and sneak (y/n) a little pizza party. I think that'd make you both feel better... and you can confess your love another night." Fred smiled and shook his head as he stood up from the couch, peeking out the curtains to glance at you and your small group of teens as you passed by.
"I think that would be nice to do, can you really convince Chica to share her favorite food though?"
"I'm sure she'll short circuit at the concept someone hasn't eaten all day and be eager to help. Especially when I tell her what's going on. Besides, its been a really long time since we got to all hang out with an adult that doesn't see us as objects... Maybe Monty will wanna come too, if he's free from mini-golf by the time (y/n)'s taking their break." Roxie stood now too, standing a little behind Freddy with a hand on her hip. Her head tilted to the side as she watched Freddy watch you. "I'm going to go touch base with Chica now, maybe you should recharge a little- you've got 15 ish minutes until the next hour starts" With one last pat to her friend's shoulder, Roxanne left the room and made her way to the other girl member of the band, leaving Freddy and his worries with himself. He really hoped you got your break soon.