Chapter Text
Working as a security guard wasn't that bad, usually. Nights were quiet and even though you had to walk around a ridiculous amount, the pay was more than enough to keep you happy. Most of the time, you could just hang in one area and talk to whoever else was on shift,maybe swipe a few snacks from the food court and be one your merry way. Like you said, it usually wasn't that bad.
Except today. For some god awful reason, today had sucked big time. Management had been up your ass the moment you stepped in the building, going on about something you had forgotten to check yesterday- then someone called out sick, so you had to take up their shift right after yours.
You knew something like that was going to happen. Despite shelling out crazy large paychecks, extra staff members apparently weren't in the budget. You had even said ahead of time that you weren't gonna be able to take up the extra shift but look at where that got you.
"Jesus, I can walk on my own!" The trespassing teen jerked out of your grip as you dragged them to the exit, far too annoyed to care if they could keep up with your pace.
This was the second time they had stayed past closing, and if you knew any better you'd say they were trying to piss you off. Stealing merch was something you couldn't tolerate unless you wanted it to come out of your paycheck.
They stalled behind you with in infuriatingly slow pace. By the time you reached the entrance you all but pushed the kid out of the door. They almost tripped as you did it, getting a small huff from you and the hope that they hurt themselves in the process. Finger crossed they don't get you fired for that or something.
The teen turned around, shouting some insult as the doors began to slide shut. what a way to start the night shift, huh? You had to stifle a laugh, waving to the stunned teen right as the slats closed. At least something good happened tonight.
You leant against the wall and let out a small sigh. And then, almost out of earshot, you heard the faintest little scuffle.
Oh, god, not another one.
you didn't think you had the willpower to chase after another straggler.
You would've prayed that another coworker caught up to them before you did, but you can't really do that when you were scheduled by yourself. Stupid corporate and their stupid scheduling issues.
The wall sounded far more comfy than dragging yourself over to the problem, but if your job had anything to say about it it wasn't really an option to just sit here. With a foggy brain and tired eyes, you trudged in the direction the noise came from.
The scuffle, as you drew closer, slowly morphed into the pitter patter of tiny foots steps, far too small for an adult but far too quick for a child.
You grumbled nothing to yourself as you rounded the corner, barely managing to dodge a map-bot with a well placed duck. Shaking off the sudden irritation, you listened out for the sounds once again.
A mew, to your left.
You turned sharply at the sound, scanning the room as you looked down slowly. A single, black kitty, mewing lightly as it chased after a torn piece of paper the STAFF bots had missed.
Well then.
You reached down, scooping the cat up with little to no protest from the dark fuzz-ball. Turning it over, you caught the smallest glint of a collar buried within the fluff of it's neck. Just how in the hell did it get in here?
It wasn't exactly a new situation, the pizzaplex was privy to all types of animals accidentally making their way in. Birds, raccoons, even a coyote once. The kids really went wild on that day. You had never gotten a cat though.
Not one with an owner.
Your first thought was that some pesky kid had snuck their pet in, but with how thorough security checks had been recently you quickly dismissed the idea. Perhaps it just wandered in on its own? Or it could be someone's support animal- last you recalled, the higher-ups had tentatively let people bring them in. You hoped it wasn't the latter, your bosses would be up your ass about the potential lawsuits.
"What in the world should I do with you?" You sighed idly, staring it down as it dangled from your hands. The fluffy critter only mewed in response.
Protocol with these things was usually to drop pets off at lost and found, and if no-one picked them up they'd be transported to the closest rescue centre... Not that anyone ever followed through. By the end of the day they would be dumped them back outside, left to fend for themselves on the off-chance they'd somehow find their owner again.
The cat wriggled around as it became more restless, and you realised you had been standing in the same spot for far too long. "Okay, okay- jeez." You hushed the cat as you plopped it back down.
And as if it had been perfectly timed by the gods, you were plunged into darkness. You jumped. Was it already that late? You couldn't recall the power cycles ever changing this quickly, but the power rarely turned out on its own… outside of the daycare, at least.
A tiny, mechanical click was all the warning you had before a hand hit your shoulder. You jerked away with such force that you had to catch yourself before you stepped on the cat. A statiky hiss of a laugh taunted as you steadied yourself, and you glared back at the offender over your shoulder. Moon.
That sudden irritation came flaring back. "Why are you here?" You huffed, minding the cat as you turned. The animatronic let out another snicker, clearly delighted by the annoyance in your tone.
"Ooohhh, did you already forget?" Moon tilted his head at an angle you could never copy, his permanent grin seeming to widen as he stepped slightly closer. "I'm suuure they told you when you started-"
"Yeah, I get it. You double as security." You scoffed with your arms crossed, not at all intimidated by his charade. You had the same conversation every time, though on your better days you could take a jab or two, maybe throw one back even. Today was not one of those days.
The cat reminded you of its presence as it mewed, weaving through your legs to press itself against Moon. If he was expecting it, he certainly didn't look like it– The animatronic tensed, standing straighter and looking more uncomfortable than you'd ever seen him before.
"Animals are strictly prohibited... Care to explain?"
You rolled your eyes, but let out a small smile. "look at you, being a stickler for the rules. I'd almost think you follow them or something with that attitude."
The red glow you were bathed in dimmed as Moon tactfully stepped away from the cat, and subsequently you. You scooped it back up before it got a bit too close to the animatronic.
"...Avoiding the question." He muttered. If he could you knew he would narrow his eyes right now. Another tilt of the head, subtly redirecting his gaze of disdain towards the animal.
You shrugged, basically cradling the cat. "Not mine, it just turned up but it's got a collar and everything. I don't really know what to do with it yet- probably contact the people on it's tag?"
"What about protocol?" Moon hummed, clearly disapproving in his expression but barely voicing it. You just shrugged again, glancing back the way you came. "Do you expect me to just leave it outside?"
The animatronic gave you a look like he did, making you scoff internally. Moon hating something wasn't new, but... was Moon afraid of cats? The seven foot something murder animatronic? The sudden image of Moon, terrified for his life while a cat chased him, caused a small chuckle to bubble up from you.
"What?" Moon huffed, unamused. "Find something funny?" You quickly shut up, but the grin stayed.
There was a moment of silence between the two of you. It threatened to grow awkward and in an attempt to stop it, you tossed out the first idea that popped into your mind. "...How about we leave them at Lost and Found? I could pick em up at the end of my shift."
The suggestion meant Moon would have to spend even more time around the unwanted animal, but he accepted it anyway, giving you a rather reluctant nod.
It wasn't too hard to navigate without any light, the paths were familiar enough and even though you wouldn't admit it, Moon's eye light helped you to not trip over your own feet. The walk was mostly in quiet, interrupted only when Moon's presence suddenly disappeared with a small click and the sound of rope. You turned quickly and a moment later, neon lights blinded you.
The cat seemed to get spooked too, becoming more alert. You blinked the spots away from behind your eyelids, glancing around and then up. Two red pinpricks stared down at you from the shadows of the support beams above. You stuck your tongue at him, the look he gave you back basically coaxing you to do it again and see what happens. Typical Moon behaviour.
You continued walking as he followed you above the rafters. By the time you made it to Lost and Found, the power cycle had kicked in (correctly this time) and Moon was able to rejoin you.
Lost and Found was a bit of a mess, but when was it never? Tubs of unclaimed items overflowed onto the floor, coming dangerously close to a spill no-one bothered to clean. Whoever had been at the computers last had left half of their lunch behind. How Fazbear even stayed afloat with all these hygiene problems astounded you.
Moon followed behind you, pointedly ignoring the mess in favour of sitting against the security desk and probably gloating in the fact that he couldn't smell. You sat the cat beside him, brushing back it's fur so you could read the tag.
Thankfully, whoever owned the cat actually managed to put their personal information on the collar. "Paper, please." You nodded your head towards a notebook on Moon's opposite side, out of your reach.
For a minute it looked like he was considering just not helping, but he relented and passed over the note pad- if a little harshly. You jotted down the first few numbers with the pen from your pocket.
It felt odd to think of how you ended up in this situation, with someone else's cat and a murderous animatronic in a corporate abomination of a business with you. After all the stuff you've dealt with until now you still managed to find questionable memories that would no doubt concern your family in conversation. There had to be some sort of record for that, right? None of this would've happened if something went differently, like Moon coming across the cat earlier.
...Actually-
You stopped scribbling on the notepad. "Shouldn't you have been able to hear the cat before me?"
"Potentially." He let out a snicker as you broke the silence, like he was in on some secret you had never been told. You frowned slightly. "So you let it just continue walking around? What if- I don't know, it got stuck or something?" You held the creature a little closer at the thought.
"Would you have liked me to pick them up?" The animatronic asked. you could sense the taunt in his voice before he even finished. "Last I recall, I'm not licensed to handle animals." Was that a threat? For once, you couldn't exactly tell. Moon usually took any opportunity to cause mayhem- since when did his programing ever stop him?
"Well... O-okay, I guess technically you shouldn't have." You admitted with a mumble. "You coulda notified me or something though."
Moon hummed with a small shrug, the closest you would probably get to an apology. Dropping the issue, you ran your hand through the cats fur. How was this thing so impossibly fluffy?
You felt Moon shift beside you, leaning forward slightly until he had a better view of the cat. It was almost concerning with the way he stared it down. You tilted your head in a silent question, one that wasn't answered when Moon looked away a second later. He almost seemed unsure. A sudden curiosity came to you.
"What would you name them?" You asked, catching the jester's attention. "Hm?" At least he acknowledged you, right? You repeated yourself. "The cat, I mean. If you owned them, what name would you pick?"
Moon pondered the question, taking his time before finally settling on an answer. "Lune." You laughed lightly. "Of course you'd pick something space related." And he chuckled along, out of character to his usual sinister snicker. "I think it's rather fitting." In a way, you agreed too.
"Yeah, I reckon you're pretty similar actually." He tilted his head with a short click of metal on metal. "Oh? How so?" The smile was hard to wipe off your face. "Dunno, you're just very... cat like." The indignant sound Moon made made you grin harder, teasing him more.
"You sneak around like one and even though you're mean at first, I know you secretly love me." He made a tutting noise but his voice gave away his amusement. "Sure, sure, believe what you want."
Your smile softened and you turned to lean on the desk, looking out at the rest of the room without taking anything in. "Why'd you hate cats anyway?"
Moon stayed quiet for a moment, and you were almost afraid that he just wouldn't answer. "Sorry-"
He shook his head, voice low but jovial. "It's fine. I just never thought about it." He copied your own posture against the wall. "Most cats that have been found were feral, or carried some disease. Unclean and unsafe." Moon's tone changed to sound irked. "I assumed most were like that, like how many people enjoy snakes despite the danger they pose."
You nodded along, somewhat understanding. Moon may have access to the internet, but there was only so much you can learn there before having to experience something for yourself. You'd be wary too if an unfamiliar creature wandered into your home. You glanced down at the animal in your arms, holding it up slightly as if trying to give him a better view. "So what do you think about this one?"
Moon made a dismissive noise, not exactly happy but seemingly indifferent compared to earlier. "I couldn't say much."
Maybe you could change that. You bit the inside of you cheek, barely considering if it was a bad idea before you stuck the cat out impulsively. Moon flinched back at the motion. "You wanna hold him?" You offered, and he looked at you like you were insane. You pushed anyway. "He won't bite, promise. Unlike you probably."
Moon clearly didn't believe you for a second, but he slowly held out his hands in an awkward cupping motion. You lowered the cat, and god did it look tiny compared to him. The little fluff-ball was basically encompassed in his hands.
He stared down at it owlishly. "Go on," you coaxed. "Try petting him." With a small side glance, moon hesitated before raising a hand to run it through the cat's fur. He seemed to be extra careful, touches light and almost ghostlike. Either way, the cat seemed to enjoy the attention judging by all the purring it was doing.
He looked at you again and you gave him a thumbs up in encouragement. It seemed to love him more than it did you, and you would be lying if it didn't make you a bit jealous.
Eventually Moon let up on the petting, more comfortable with it in his lap than earlier. "...it's kind of cute, I guess. I can see why you humans like them." He admitted softly.
You didn't expect that- It almost felt unreal how fast his opinion seemed to change. Maybe he didn't hate cats as much as you thought.
You fiddled with the pen now that your hands were free. "...So, did I turn you into a cat lover?" You teased him. Moon hummed, neither agreeing or disagreeing as he let the cat curl deeper into the warm fabric of his pants. Progress.
The two of you sat like that for a long time, enjoying the quiet while the night passed slowly. Eventually though, the twice as long shift hours were starting to get to you again.
At some point you had ended up sitting on the desk, leaning against Moon while scrolling idly through your phone. You yawned, covering your mouth instinctively.
Almost immediately you felt Moon's fans whir louder, making you freeze at the realization- "You should sleep." He stated it more like a fact than an offer. You groaned. "Can't, I'm on shift."
It was a weak excuse and he knew it, chuckling as if you had told a particularly good joke. "Who would know? You're the only one on shift, I'm certain you have time for a small nap."
" The facts that only I'm on shift is the problem." You rolled your eyes, turning your phone off to look at him. "what if something goes wrong and I'm in here?"
"Oh, I'm sure they told you when you started..." The callback gave you a small smile that you had to fight to wipe off your face. he doubles as security.
You struggled to find a worthwhile comeback. "...fine" you relented. "But if you don't wake me up I swear-" he hushed you. "I will, I promise."
He carefully passed you the cat, who had at some point started drifting off itself. Moon exited quickly, most likely off to gather blankets or similar while leaving you alone.
…Not for long, though. If he was human you would've had a word or few with how fast he came back, but it was almost the norm for Moon to be ridiculously good at things. Like interacting with animals. Yep, still salty about that one.
Moon entered with a flourish, arms full of various pillows and blankets that you vaguely remembered from the daycare. For a second his eyes darted to the floor, but he quickly decided on setting them on the far cleaner table. Realising where he planned to set up the blankets, you brush the rest of the junk off the desk to make some space.
"There wouldn't be enough room." You muttered, looking at the length of the table. Your legs would end up dangling off the end. Moon grinned in response, sitting on the edge anyway and putting a pillow on his lap, creating a few inches of extra space.
You raised an eyebrow, tentative. Really? It wasn't exactly something you expected him to do. Regardless, you set the cat back down and hopped up on the edge of the desk, adjusting so your head was in his lap.
Moon grabbed one of the blankets, laying it over you and tucking it around you with practiced hands. Despite being in your clunky uniform on a tiny ass desk, he still managed to make you feel comfortable.
There was a crinkle above your head, and you shifted to see what it was. Moon was offering you one of the candies that always showed up in those ads with him and Sun, the blue one. You recalled that it aided with sleep, and you shook your head in polite refusal. He pocketed it once more, leaning back. You yawned again.
In the silence, you could hear the cat wandering around, barely louder than the soft sound of Moon's fans.
"Hey Moon?" You looked up slightly, trying to keep your eyes open for a moment longer. "Hm?" He seemed to like doing that a lot, favouring small sounds over words.
You squinted up at him. "Will the cat be okay? If I'm asleep?" What you really meant was 'will you be okay with the cat?' and it seemed that Moon knew your true intentions too. "I'll be fine." He assured you in a whisper, rubbing you back soothingly. "Rest."
And so you did. The last of your hesitancy melted away as you turned, finally closing your eyes and letting yourself gently drift off.