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“Gregory…” Chica’s voice sounded in the distance, but still too close for comfort. Gregory, panicked, teary-eyed, and mind beginning to shut down after the hours of non-stop adrenaline, scrambled into a bin to hide. He flinched as heavy footsteps thudded nearby, clamping a hand over his mouth. He counted the steps and listened for any voices. Thankfully, the steps grew fainter and fainter, until he couldn’t hear them anymore, and his hand fell to his side in exhaustion.
However, his breathing wasn’t as subdued. As soon as he allowed himself to breathe again, he choked out a gasp, tears pooling in his eyes. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Gregory desperately tried to contain his sobs, but they kept collapsing off his tongue and destroying the silence around him. He was fearfully aware of how much noise he was making. He curled in on himself, muffling his cries with his knees as he rocked back and forth, trembling like a fawn without its mother.
He was so terrified of leaving; he didn’t want to go out and face the pizzaplex anymore. He was tired of the constant need to run and fight for his life. He just wanted it all to be over.
What did I ever do? he thought, a fresh, new stream of tears soaking his clothes. He tilted his head against the side of the bin, mouth twisted into a pitiful frown. The question repeated in his tired mind, wrenching a whimper out of him.
Somewhere in between, he had called for Freddy on his Fazwatch, searching for any source of comfort he could get. He still didn’t want to leave, and he wasn’t sure what had to be done, but he knew he needed Freddy. His gut still twisted every time he saw the bear’s metallic body, but over time the yellow of the animatronic became less and less of an omen of death, and more of a promise of relief. Freddy was kind to him—kinder than anyone he’d ever met, honestly. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t human. To Gregory, he was the only friend he’d ever had.
Which was why he was mumbling Freddy’s name when the animatronic found him. Gregory hadn’t heard Freddy approach, too caught up in trying to stop his new wave of tears.
“Gregory, are you alright? It was a bit harder to find you, I didn’t know you’d be in a bin—oh.” A light shone down on Gregory, grabbing his attention as he tilted his head frightfully. Upon seeing the familiar bear, he leapt to his feet and threw his hands around Freddy’s neck, having to reach up on his tiptoes.
“DAD!” he sobbed, making Freddy freeze, shut down, reboot, and short-circuit all at once. Tentatively, Freddy wrapped his arms around Gregory and lifted him out of the bin and into his arms. Gregory wailed, eyes tightly shut. Freddy didn’t have a heart, but if he did, it would’ve disintegrated at the sound of the boy’s cries.
“There, there, you’re safe with me, remember? I’ve got you, superstar,” Freddy said, patting the boy on the back with one hand. He nuzzled Gregory’s head, humming quietly as he allowed him to cry into his shoulder. Freddy was alarmed by how much Gregory was shaking, but as the minutes passed, Gregory soon calmed down. He had snot and tears all over his face, but now the only noise disturbing the silence was the faint sound of music coming from the stage and elevators.
“Are you alright?” Freddy asked, rubbing circles on Gregory’s back. He wasn’t sure what soothed children, as he’d never been in a situation like this before, so he could only hope that he was helping.
“Y-yeah. Thanks Freddy. Sorry if I made you all yucky,” Gregory said, voice slightly raspy from crying.
“Do not worry, Gregory. I do not mind. Whatever you need, I promise I will do my best to supply it.”
“It’s okay, you being here is enough.”
Freddy smiled. “That is good to hear. However, I just have one small thing I am curious about.” Gregory hummed in question.
“You… um… you called me ‘dad’ earlier. Is that how you see me?”
Gregory moved backwards in Freddy’s hold to look at him, a look of embarrassment crossing his features.
“I did what?!?”
“I do not mind, Gregory, I am merely curious.”
“Well… I guess I do.”
A soft chuckle came from Freddy, and he patted Gregory on the head.
“That makes me happy, superstar. You can keep calling me dad if you would like.”
“Sure… thanks… dad,” Gregory said sheepishly. Freddy beamed at him, his ears waggling. The bear moved to place Gregory on the floor, but Gregory quickly tensed up and shook his head.
“N-not… yet. If that’s okay.”
Understanding dawned on Freddy, and he held the boy closer to him instead. “That is no problem. You can stay up here for as long as you would like. Now… where shall we go next?” Gregory pointed, regaining the sparks in his eyes that had been flooded by his tears, and off the two of them went.