Chapter Text
William Afton was a businessman. He dreamed of making a name for himself. He wanted to stand beside the greatest names in history, to feel the same amount of pride and confidence they did. He pictured his own gleaming statue, his own photos on the front cover of a magazine.
He never really thought of having a family, if he was being honest. His college years were spent studying every aspect of robotics and engineering in general. Sure, he made a longtime friend, but other than that, emotional connection was a challenge. He’d barely socialized with anyone.
After graduating, however, Henry decided that it was time for William to enter the dating scene(why he thought that was any of his business, William would never know.).
Through his friend, William met a woman named Clara. She was an upbeat ray of sunshine who never shied away from making herself known. She was like a breath of fresh air for him, with her short, blonde locks and rosy cheeks. Her voice was like a song that played inside his head, one that he never wanted to stop. He recognized the glint in her eyes. It was one full of determination, full of dreams.
Needless to say, the two hit it off. Their personalities clashed from time to time, but they found solace in each other’s company. The man and woman would take turns choosing date settings. Clara primarily chose concerts and karaoke, while William looked through high end restaurants. Maybe that was where he got the idea for…
Anyway, to cut to the chase, the two of them married a year and a half later. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a venue in a church with only immediate family and friends.
The hardest part of it wasn’t saying the vows, or walking down the aisle, or making sure he ate neatly. No, the hardest part was admitting that this was nice. Marrying the woman of his dreams. Having his best friend be by his side for all of this. The scrumptious food. The laughter. It was all so…nice.
After the wedding, nothing was ever the same. Suddenly, there was someone else to take care of. William’s dingy apartment, while usually spacious, seemed to have shrunk a great deal. Suddenly, the dining table was littered with home cooked meals instead of take-out. It was a new experience.
And then came the idea. An idea concocted from the brains of both William and Henry. The two of them had been studying robotics, design, and expanding features for years now, but had no idea how to use them to gain profit. One night, they’d decided to try catering to children. After all, these days, you can rarely see a slightly older couple without at least one kid.
There wasn’t much to think about after that. They knew children liked food. They knew children were enamored with any kind of oddity, like robots for example!
And then, Fredbear’s Family Diner was born! A family diner with family favorite foods, like pizza, pasta, burgers, and more! There would be arcade games and prizes! And the main attraction… two functional robots that doubled as suits(to save money, of course).
William was beyond ecstatic! Imagine the publicity, the profits! His career would skyrocket and he’d be known throughout the world(or just Hurricane) as a visionary! His name would finally be known throughout every household.
“William Afton, technological extraordinare!” That was how things were supposed to be.
That was, of course, until Clara got pregnant.
William played with his fingers nervously, his eyes never leaving the hospital door. The tips of his shaggy hair swung about his line of sight. His eyes opened and closed rapidly as he fought to stay awake.
The person sitting next to him reached out, wrapping his palm around his shoulder. A smile wove itself onto his face.
“Excited, Bill?” He asked. Henry hadn’t really changed much from when they were in school. His hair was still a scraggly ginger, overlayed by his slightly plump build and glasses. William was more rough-looking, with saggy eye bags and pointed brown hair.
William thought about how to answer that question. If he was being honest, a child wasn’t the best thing right now. Henry and him were finally getting somewhere! The Spring Bonnie prototype was nearly finished. Even a few investors were piling in, wanting to see how far this business would go.
This new and brilliant idea would capture hundreds of audiences, and yet here he was, with a child on the way. He didn’t even want children in the first place. Children made messes. Children kicked and screamed when they didn’t get their way. Their little bodies would trip and fall over everything, and they never seemed to know the concept of personal possession or space.
It wasn’t even smart economically! Now, there was another mouth to feed and another set of clothes to buy. There was even college tuition to worry about! Imagine the endless amount of electrical and water bills on the way.
Needless to say, William did not want to be a father. But, he knew better than to say that out loud. He bit back a sarcastic retort and tried to keep his expression blank.
“I’m beyond excited, Henry,” he said poorly. His eyes stared blankly at the ground. He grinded his teeth as the minutes ticked by and his wife’s screams grew louder. Shallow breaths escaped him as he tried to calm himself down.
After what felt like hours, a middle-aged nurse opened the door and leaned her head out. “You can come in now!” Her bubbly voice bounced off the hospital walls. William didn’t know why, but for some reason, he felt like strangling her.
The burly man picked himself up, shaking his head for help from Henry. He hesitantly walked into the room and took in the sight before him.
Clara laid on her back under a heep of white sheets. She heaved breathlessly against the mass. Her face was a cherry red, overtaken with sweat and exhaustion. Stray hairs attached themselves to her temples and cheeks like glue.
William inched over to her with a resolute look on his face. His fingers removed the hair from her face, letting them fall at her side. He swallowed a compliment. Before saying anything more, he looked beside his wife at their newborn son.
And what he saw was… unexpected, to say the least. He was small, very small. His cheeks were the same rosy shade as his mother, and he had the same chocolate brown hair as his father. Unlike his mother, however, he was very awake. His sky blue eyes scanned his new surroundings with growing wonder.
Tentatively, William put his hands around the baby and scooped him up. He was weirdly careful, not wanting to accidentally squish his delicate frame. The boy softly exclaimed in surprise as he looked upon his father for the first time.
William expected a lot of things that day. He was a wiry man, with bags under his eyes and a permanent frown sewn onto his face. His height was intimidating and his stare was one that burned.
And yet, that boy’s pudgy little fingers scraped his hairy chin with a smile on his face. A laugh escaped his tiny mouth. His eyes bore into his own, and they never looked away.
A warm feeling coursed through William’s veins. It was like sunshine on a bright day. Like sweet dewdrops of honey on his tongue. It was like birthday cakes and pizza and childish laughter all rolled into this new creation of his.
William brought his son closer to him, feeling his dainty breath on his chin. He didn’t know what this was. He didn’t understand what he was feeling. It wasn’t like the mild friendship he had with the ginger outside. It wasn't like his confusing feelings for Clara, who never seemed to understand him.
This boy was William’s son. Not once did his newborn face shy away from his own. Instead, he firmly grasped the man’s pointer finger and played with the nail. His son sighed in content, unknowingly making the man before him love him even more.
This new feeling, whatever it was, was one he would cherish until the end of time.
It wasn’t all rainbows and kisses from there. As first-time parents, William and Clara Afton had a lot to learn. Michael was a healthy baby boy, but his curiosity seemed to get the better of him.
One day, the toddler crawled into William’s workshop. He increased his speed with vigor, his arms and legs pounding against the floor. His tiny frame inched closer and closer to the large behemoths that stood before his father’s desk.
They towered over him, these hulking masses of metal and fur. There were two of them: a yellow bear, and a yellow bunny. The bear had a small black microphone in his hand, its swollen fingers wrapped around it. Circular disks covered with yellow fur made up its ears. A bright, purple top hat sat on its head. A bow tie with the same entrancing color was attached below his neck. The robot beside it was shaded in the same lemony color. Its floppy ears were raised high above its head. Its teeth were large and held the pearliest shade of white.
Before Michael could crawl any further, William rushed into the room. His chest heaved up and down. His eyes were wide and wild. He swung his head from side to side before they landed on his son.
“Mikey…”, William said in chastisement. “You know not to come here.” He bent down and picked him up, watching the animatronics carefully.
Actually, he knew that Michael would never understand the warning. He was a baby, after all. But the dangers the two of them posed were there, and he did not want his son to experience them.
He knew he was being selfish. After all, he was fully aware of how dangerous Fredbear and Spring Bonnie were. And yet he was still going to expose them to the public. But really, who cared? No one was expected to care for every child in the universe. If something happened, something happened. With the obvious oncoming stream of revenue, he’d be able to fight any lawsuits coming his way.
William held Michael in his arms as the two of them left the workshop. He carefully placed the small boy on the living room couch.
“Stay here, okay?” William asked. He scoured the room, his eyes landing on the television remote. He picked it up and turned it on, looking through different channels until he found one that was playing childhood reruns. With a smile, William ruffled his son’s hair and holed himself up in his office until dinner.
About an hour later, William left his little cave. The dampening smell of metal was replaced with the warm scent of meat and stew. He smiled despite his saggy form and brushed his hand through his hair.
And then he heard it.
“There ya go, Mikey! You got it!” It sounded like Henry. And the following sound, a twinkling little laugh that brightened William’s day, was Michael. William swallowed, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions from his best friend.
He entered the living room, with its quaint little peach-colored couch and boxed television. A round table sat at the end of the couch, with a tan desk lamp perched on it. Two figures sat on the couch, deeply ingrained in a game of Patty Cake. Henry was hunched over, his reddish yellow beard making way for a hearty laugh. Michael, ever the sweet boy, laughed merrily at his uncle’s confusing antics as he tried to make sense of this new game.
Nothing but a father hanging out with his son.
William gritted his teeth. “Henry! Didn’t think you’d be here. Without you saying anything to me.” He tried to lighten up his voice, but ultimately failed to do so. Henry, always the oblivious one, simply chuckled. “Sorry, Bill. The little guy was so excited that I had to play with him!”
William raised his brow. Excited? Why was Michael excited to see Henry? The boy barely knew the man. Aside from the one hospital visit, they’d never interacted. So why…
William looked over at Michael, who sat close to Henry. Too close, in William’s humble opinion. The boy’s arms hovered in the air, stretching out for Henry’s. He laughed jovially when their palms collided.
William felt his chest tighten.
“It seemed like a crime to just pass by the guy, ya know?” Henry told him absentmindedly, his eyes trained on Michael. William fought back a seething reply. “He seemed bored. Could probably use the company.”
“I see. Thank you, old friend. Now, what was it that you needed to discuss with me?”
Henry rolled his eyes. “Always work with you, isn’t it? Let’s just relax for now, Bill. And besides, Mikey here still hasn’t gotten the hang of Patty Cake. Have you, Mike?” He rearranged his hands so his palms stood facing the toddler. He smiled in anticipation.
Michael babbled a laugh, showing off his tiny baby teeth. William studied the carefree boy, not used to this detour of affection that he was usually given. He watched as Henry’s already bright smile grew wider. The man held up one of his hands and let it hover over the boy’s head. He wanted to pat his head, William realized. And Michael wasn’t doing anything to stop it.
Without thinking, William quickly picked up the toddler. Michael immediately grasped William’s pointer finger like he did most of the time, simply enamored by the much larger finger. William, meanwhile, tried his best to keep from seething. “It’s “Michael”, Henry. His name isn’t “Mike”.
Henry chuckled in exasperation. “It’s just a nickname, William. Something people call you when you’re close with them—“
“But you aren’t close with him, are you?” William’s piercing blue eyes bore into Henry’s green ones. His chest tensed with a boiling anger that he’d never felt before. He stared quietly at this…this child stealer! No-wait… he was acting crazy! So what if his friend wanted to grow close with his son? They were practically uncle and nephew! This was natural!
And yet, William couldn’t shrug off the images he just witnessed, of a giddy and loving Michael having the time of his life with someone who wasn’t him. Someone who wasn’t his father. It was like Henry was his easy, much better substitute. William was not someone who could be easily substituted for.
Seeing his one and only child staring at the other man with a mix of adoration and curiosity sprang…negative emotions, to say the least. Negative emotions that encouraged quite gruesome behavior.
“You should leave, Henry. It’s been a long day, and I’d like to rest idly with my family.” He gave him a pointed look that practically said: “Get out of my house.”
“Ah…sure,” Henry muttered back. He went for the door, opening it slightly. “See you tomorrow, Bill.” He looked over at Michael. “And you too, little man. See you.”
William bit back yet another retort. He swallowed harshly when Michael waved his hand in a giddy farewell. How sweet.
Needless to say, the opening of Fredbear’s Family Diner was a success! Children and adults alike flocked to the new restaurant, eager to witness William and Henry’s revolutionary technology.
Party tables and play areas were abuzz with conversation. Children jumped high above the ground in giddy motions as Fredbear and Spring Bonnie jerked about. The smell of pizza tugged on everyone’s nostrils.
William stood at the very back of the main room, watching the robots carefully. He studied their movements, documenting every wrong turn or lagging lip sync. His stomach lurched every time a child got too close. Not now. Any time but now.
“Look at that, Bill,” Henry smirked next to him. “After all that hard work, we did it!” He leaned against the wall, taking in the whimsical atmosphere. Ever the optimist, that one.
William simply nodded, his gaze turning to the front door of the diner. The little gold bell that hung above it jingled merrily, signaling the arrival of a customer.
It was Michael. And Clara, but also Michael.
William smiled warmly as he tore himself from his fixed position. He made his way to the front, his hands outstretched. Clara nodded and, without a word, gave their son to him.
Michael Afton, now four years old, cuddled against William’s chest. He beamed up at his father and showed off his glinting teeth.
“What do ya think, Michael?” William asked the boy. He held him up to give him a full view of the festivities. Michael scanned his surroundings with awe. His small head swerved from table to table, wall to wall. He drank in every person, decoration, and dish the loud space had to offer. Finally, his childish eyes landed on his favorite thing in the world.
“Pizza!” He cried in delight. “Want pizza!” He stretched out his arms, opening and closing his hands in a frenzy. A large deep dish pizza sat at the end of a party table. William chuckled in amusement. “Okay, we’ll get you some pizza.”
Clara shook her head. “He already ate macaroni and cheese, Bill. I don’t want him getting an upset stomach.”
William scoffed. “A little bit of pizza never hurt anyone. Especially not this strong boy!” He spun Michael around, his feet floating in midair. Laughter filled the room.
Clara merely smiled, knowing she wouldn’t be able to win a fight with her husband. Meanwhile, William and Michael rushed over to take their seats, specifically ones that were close to the stage. As always, they sat across from each other(mostly to give him space, but also so William was able to look at his boy without any trouble.).
William watched his son in anticipation. The boy’s blue eyes bulged with excitement as he gazed at the intricate creations his father made. He looked from the long, matted ears of Spring Bonnie, to the eccentric purple top hat of Fredbear. Finally, his eyes landed on the bear’s microphone.
“Sing?” Michael pointed in questioning. His vocabulary was still small, with him only saying a few words when he spoke. Nevertheless, it was adorable to everyone around him.
“Yes, Michael. They sing”, William found himself saying, “They sing all kinds of songs!” It felt alien to him at how happy he felt. What he was feeling wasn’t a smug sort of pride. It wasn’t him just gloating about himself. It was pure happiness, and it was because of his son.
Of course, that wonderful father-son bonding moment was broken soon after by none other than Henry. The bushy haired man plopped down in the seat next to Michael. He waved to the boy almost comically, grinning widely when the wave was returned.
“Say, Mik-Michael, which one’s your favorite?” He gestured to the two robots in turn. “Spring Bonnie, or Fredbear?”
William scoffed internally. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Michael would choose his father’s adorable bunny robot, the one he’d put his heart and soul into. That was just what children did. They had biases towards their parents.
William couldn’t help but smile. Of course he’ll pick Bonnie. There’s no way he won’t-
“Bear!” Michael exclaimed. His hands shot up in the air, grasping at the air between him and the massive animatronic. “Want a bear!”
William stopped smiling. His shoulders tensed up and his lip quivered. What…?
“Awww, Fredbear’s my favorite too! Hey, I’ll tell you a secret.” He leaned closer to Michael and cupped his hand next to his mouth, as if he was telling him a secret. A familiar glint went off in his eyes. “ I made Fredbear.”
Michael’s ocean eyes went wide in a childish type of glee. He looked from Fredbear to Henry. Henry to Fredbear. Back again, front again. Like William wasn’t even there. “Bear!”
Henry chuckled. “Yep, I’m pretty awesome, aren’t I? Took me a long while, but I did it. With your father’s help, of course.”
William didn’t answer. He didn’t even acknowledge Henry’s presence at this point. As far as he was concerned, that man wasn’t here anymore. His gaze was solely focused on Michael.
“You like the bear, huh?” He asked through gritted teeth. He fought back a scoff when his son nodded eagerly. “Alright then, what if I told you that you were wrong?”
Both Michael and Henry looked at the man in confusion. Michael obviously didn’t understand the situation. Bless his heart, he was just too simple-minded. Henry, on the other hand, seemed just as confused. Leave it to Henry to be oblivious to the problem at hand.
William knew he was being childish. There was no reason to make a fuss about a child’s passing comments, but something inside him was aching. Truth be told, he didn’t like that his son chose Fredbear over Spring Bonnie. What was so great about Henry’s robot that outshined his own? Was it the simple fact that it was a bear? Was it because it had a microphone? Was it not the bear, but the bear’s accessories that caught Michael’s eyes? Did he like the color purple that much?
“You heard me right, you’re wrong”, William told him, “Fredbear isn’t your favorite. Spring Bonnie is.”
Michael shook his head, clearly sure of his decision. “Bear!” He seemed angry that his opinions were being looked down on, but William couldn’t find it in himself to care. He had to set the record straight that his son was wrong . That he was just confused by Henry(he’d obviously manipulated his son somehow, there was no other reason).
“No, Michael. You’re wrong. You made a mistake and that’s okay, but I’m going to fix it for you. Now, repeat after me: I like Bonnie.” He was leaning over now, his face mere inches from his son’s. He could feel his fingers bunching up together, forming hard fists.
“Where’s this coming from, Bill?” Henry asked, “Are you alright? You’re not the type of person to be serious about this sort of thing.” He exchanged looks with Michael, who seemed to be having his own negative thoughts. William inwardly cursed for causing his son such distress. He’d deal with Henry’s growing influence later.
William nodded. “Right, you’re right. Sorry, I’ve just been really tired.” He looked at his son again, a sad smile on his face. “Sorry, buddy. You’ll forgive me, right?” It wasn’t a question. Michael had to forgive his father.
Michael nodded slowly. “Mhm, it’s okay.” William smiled, feeling the tension leave his body. He was able to wrap this altercation into a nice, neat bow, on his own terms. However, there was one loose threat to tie up: Henry. William had no idea how to do it, though. He and Michael seemed attached at the hip, so how could he speedster the two?
That answer came in the form of Henry’s wife, Laura, who came up to them at the end of the day with the best news she had to offer.
She was pregnant.