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It felt like the whole world was made of cotton when Mike woke up, bundled up in blankets that he was quite sure weren't his. So either one, he was at a friend's house and had just forgotten when he fell asleep, or two, he was fucking kidnapped.
He didn't have any friends who had sheets this nice, or any friends in general, really. Not since the biting incident.
And he was sure he would've remembered being kidnapped, he wasn't that stupid.
Mike huffed softly and rolled over on his side, blinking sleepily at the room around him. It was unfamiliar, but it was definitely a hotel room, with another bed to the left of his, a small closet that connected with the wall, a small TV on top of an also small table in the middle of the room, an old loveseat shoved in the far corner, and two dingy lamps on the left side of each bed. There were two suitcases laid out on the bed next to his, the only familiar thing in the room since it belonged to his dad and him.
Then the memories came crashing back, sharp and pointed like thorns digging into his brain.
He was fucking kidnapped by his own father. So he was stupid.
Mike's eyes immediately began to search the room, expecting to see his father- no, not his father- William waiting for him in the room, maybe leaning against the wall or sitting on the loveseat and watching him sleep, since that seemed like a thing he would do. But his dad- William was nowhere to be found, so Mike slowly got up from the bed, wincing as his footsteps made a creaking sound, and tiptoed to the bathroom, checking in there. His fath- William (he really needed to stop that) wasn't in there either, so Mike quickly did his business before going back to the main room.
He went over to the suitcases, grabbing his, and opening it, not surprised to find all his clothes there, and dug through them, wondering if William had brought any of his other stuff with him. His heart nearly stopped when at the bottom of his clothes, laid the Fredbear plush that his little brother used to adore so much. That fucking bastard placed it with his stuff. Mike growled and roughly grabbed the toy, throwing it across the room where it hit the wall and landed somewhere behind the TV.
Good, he didn't want to see it, to be reminded of his mistake.
He then checked William's suitcase, also filled with clothes, but on top of that, there was a knife. Not an ordinary, butter knife, no, an actual, definitely a weapon kind of knife. Right, William had confessed to him about murder when he was breaking the speed limit earlier. And kidnapping Mike. He murdered five children. His father murdered five children.
Mike could feel his heartbeat picking up, and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and think. He swiped the knife, keeping it close to his side. If William came back unexpectedly then at least he'd have a weapon to defend himself with.
Wait...Mike remembered that William also had that stupid bunny suit in the car, but it was nowhere in the room, so where the hell?-
Mike's eyes snapped over to the closet, its doors shut tight. Surely he didn't actually...
He strode over and opened the closet door, jumping back when he came face to face with the hollow rabbit suit. Looking closer at it now, he could see old blood stains tinting around its eyes, and also in the smaller joints where no one could reach. The blood that he saw on it earlier was still there, but less pronounced than it was before, so William had obviously washed it.
That still didn't make it less creepy, and the need to run, to get out of here as fast as he could, washed over him. He needed to be gone before William returned, that man was unpredictable and unstable, what if he tried to kill Mike next? Maybe that's why he dragged him to this shitty hotel, just to murder him and leave him here.
Mike grabbed his suitcase and went over to the door, having to shuffle his knife over to his left hand as well in order to check the door. Shockingly, it was unlocked, and he quickly peeked outside. It was night time, and all the rest of the rooms had their curtains over their windows and lights out besides the ones outside, but there was also still no sign of William.
First of all, who the hell leaves their sleeping son in an unlocked hotel room in the middle of the night?? If he isn't going to die from William, he's definitely going to be dying from some creep trying to get into hotel rooms. So much for making sure Mike never leaves him again. Mike paused, remembering that moment, the feel of his father's warm embrace surrounding him, feeling safe, more safe than he'd ever felt in years.
Then he shook his head. William was not his father, not anymore, and he didn't need him. He didn't need anybody. He just had to get out of here, maybe get a lift off the side of the road or something? Anything would be better than hanging around like a sitting duck and waiting for William to return.
Mike softly closed the door behind him and paused, his mind racking for what to do next. His main priority would be to head to the nearest road and hope someone stops, but he also felt uneasy going there in the dark, so could he lie low until William leaves, but what if he tries searching for him? Mike stepped into the parking lot and looked around, grinning when he saw a gas stop nearby. That's it! He'll just stay in there until William leaves, maybe hide out in the bathrooms until morning, then be on his way. He could try to get to the nearest town and start a new life there? He'll have to get used to being homeless, but he was sure he'd be able to survive on his own just fine, he did it for a while when William was gone most of the day.
With a determined nod, Mike began to head over to the gas stop, only to remember he had a knife, and had to unzip and stuff it into his suitcase. He probably wouldn't be needing it at the moment anyways, its not like someone was going to attack him in a gas stop.
Inside, there seemed to be only two people, the tired cashier who mumbled a greeting at him and a man who seemed to be sleeping in one of the booths they had. Mike strolled through the aisles, pausing to grab some stuff he thought was interesting before putting it down and continuing on. It's not like he had any money to buy any of this crap anyways, but his stomach still growled with hunger as he eyed all the snacks there. Gas stops used to be somewhat of a safe haven for Mike and his friends when they were younger, always going to the one nearby after school and just hanging out there, since the no loitering sign never really stopped anyone from loitering. He remembered getting drinks with his friends and just goofing around, shoving each other to try and make their drinks fall out of their hands or annoying the cashiers until they were kicked out.
He felt a pang of bitterness swell inside him, staring blankly at the packet of chips in front of him. Why the hell did this have to happen to him? Why couldn't he have just come from a normal ass family whose parents had normal ass jobs instead of the nutjobs he was stuck with? Why did William have to kidnap him? He could have just left Mike on his own, he would have been fine, but no, the bastard just had to show up and make life difficult for the both of them!
Angrily, Mike kicked the shelf, noting with disappointment that he didn't even make a dent in it.
"No destroying property." The cashier's tired voice rang out, though he sounded like he didn't care, but it still made Mike jump, remembering that he wasn't alone here. He went around the aisle that was facing the window, looking out of it. He could easily spot William's car out there in the hotel's parking lot, but the man was still nowhere in sight. Where the hell is he? And why hadn't he left already?
Mike huffed, crossing his arms and was about to go back to looking at the stuff on the shelf, when he realized the man sitting at the booth was now awake, and staring right at him. An uncomfortable, slimy feeling slithered through his spine as he tried to ignore the unblinking man, trying not to shuffle his feet uncomfortably. Even after five minutes, the man continued to stare, until Mike couldn't take it anymore and moved to the other aisle, his skin crawling. He didn't want to be close to that man, but he couldn't just walk out of the store, since William might find him, so he went to the only place he thought was safe, the bathroom. Most gas stop bathrooms were small and locked from the inside, so it should be the safest place to wait out the man and William.
His hand had just wrapped around the handle when a hand grabbed his shoulder, making Mike freeze.
"Hey," it was the man from earlier, his wide eyes staring down at the teen." you travelin' alone, boy?" His voice was deep, and not the pleasant kind, making Mike feel like a bunch of ants were crawling all over him.
"N-no, my father's at the hotel, I'm just picking stuff up for him." He lied nervously. Well, technically it was a half-truth, William was at the hotel, he just didn't know that Mike wasn't.
The man hummed, continuing to stand there, practically towering over him. Mike felt his heartbeat begin to race again, and his palms were becoming sweaty. What the hell was this guy's problem? What did he want from him? He couldn't even try to catch the attention of the cashier since they were way in the back, with about four aisles blocking them from his view.
Mike glared up at the man, trying to stand tall." Listen, man, I need to get by, if you don't fucking move-" He began, then yelped when the man's hand suddenly grabbed his wrist in a painful grip, so tight that Mike wasn't able to squirm away." Hey, let go of me!" He kicked out at the large man, but it didn't seem to do anything, and the man just continued to back him into the bathroom door, and Mike could feel it sliding open behind him. With a jolt of horror, he realized the man was trying to get him alone, in the bathroom.
Mike struggled even more, even going as far as biting down on the man's hand, which finally got a reaction out of him as he let out a grunt of pain, but then his backhand connected with Mike's face, and he felt like the world was spinning, his cheek stinging with pain. No, no, no, no...
He really wished his father was here, his father would protect him, right? Unless he actually was going to murder Mike...but at least he wouldn't have allowed this guy to hurt him, his father was just that possessive.
Just as that thought went through his head, something slammed against the man's head, and he crumpled to the ground, body limp and the back of his head bleeding. Mike scrambled back, eyes wide, before he looked up, freezing when he saw William standing at the doorway, eyes blazing as he stared down at the man, and a dirty shovel in his hand.
"W-what? How did you-" Mike began, but his father didn't let him utter another word, instead grabbing his wrist and dragging him out of the bathroom." Of all the dumb, idiotic things you could've done..." William muttered, checking over Mike, his hand gently brushing against his cheek, making Mike recoil and hiss with pain.
"It's not like I was about to just sit there and wait for you!" Mike yelled, glaring up at William." Also, why and how the hell do you have a shovel? Did the cashier really just let you bring it in?"
"Waiting for me was exactly what you were supposed to do, though I didn't expect you to wake up so early." William sighed, leading Mike to the front." One of our neighbors was getting a bit too...nosy for her own good, so I had to bury something near the road, and the cashier isn't at the front, so there's no worries about if I can bring a shovel in or not."
William was right, the young man wasn't at the desk anymore, but the door behind him was slightly open, so that might explain it.
When William began to take him out of the gas stop though, Mike dug his heels into the concrete, glaring up defiantly." I'm not going back to the fucking hotel with you, you...you psychopath." He spat.
William's eyes immediately narrowed at his behavior, and he let out a loud, overly dramatic sigh." Why must is always be like this for you, Michael? Every time I try to do something, you always have to fight tooth and nail with me! I'm just trying to keep you safe." He growled.
"Safe? Safe? I'll never be safe when I'm around you, you child murderer! You kidnapped me, from our own home!" "Technically it was a hill-" "Just shut up! I never wanted to go with you, you just...you just...argh!" Mike stomped his foot, hating how childish he must look.
William raised an unimpressed eyebrow, and continued to drag the teen back to the hotel, despite his loud protests. Mike was annoyed that none of their neighbors even tried to see what was happening, most of them probably didn't care what was going on outside as long as it didn't affect them.
Once inside the hotel room, William roughly sat him down on the loveseat, locking the door behind them, before turning back to Mike, his arms crossed over his chest with a stern and disappointed look. It reminded Mike of the times in the 3rd grade where he'd pick fights with other boys and being called into the principal's office, always fearing the looks of disappointment on his parents faces.
Now though, he just huffed and glared back, daring William to say something.
"You can put the suitcase down now." William drawled, eyeing the suitcase that Mike had completely forgotten he was holding in the first place, and he realized with embarrassment that he probably could have used it to fight against the man, or at least take out his knife and fight back.
Mike roughly shoved the suitcase to the cushion beside him, before crossing his arms and scowling at the wall, ignoring William as he let out a deep sigh.
"Honestly Michael, you act like such a spoiled child whenever I try to do something nice for you. I rescued you from that home, to give you a better chance of life in a new place!" William explained, moving to sit beside Mike, who shuffled further away. He let out a small noise of protest when he felt William's hand grab his chin, forcing him to meet the man's eyes, surprised to find concern and love in his gaze." I took you because you are my son, Mikey. We are family, and despite our flaws, family stick together."
Mike felt conflicting emotions in his heart, wanting to curl up with his father and wanting to get far away from the man as soon as possible." You're just saying that to make me obedient." He spat out." You're...you're planning something, and if it's to kill me, then do it already, you coward. Don't play with my emotions, don't fucking act like you care. I saw that knife in your suitcase, I know you didn't just keep it in there for show, so just fucking do it."
William sighed again, running his other hand through his hair." I'll admit, I didn't plan on you finding the knife, Mikey. Not because I was planning on killing you, but because you seem to have some sort of fascination on...giving your skin scars." He practically spat the word as he glared down at Mike's arm, which was littered with scars, venom coating his voice before it turned soft again." I would never do anything to maliciously bring you harm, my son, you're the most precious thing to me right now, and I will do everything it takes to keep you by my side." His father tugged him closer, and wrapped his arms around Mike, causing the teen to tense, his mind racing with thoughts and his heart with emotions.
He wanted to punch this man. He wanted to scream and kick until William let go of him. He wanted to kill himself, he wished he had killed himself on that fucking hill.
But Mike did none of those things, because what did it matter on what he wanted? He might as well take what he is given, and he melted into his father's hug, burying his face into the man's warm chest and wrapping his arms around him as well.
"There's my precious boy," His dad murmured, combing his fingers through Mike's hair. He felt them tighten slightly as his dad leaned down, whispering in his ear." I don't wish you any harm, Mikey, but if you keep trying to escape me, I will break every single bone in your legs, and if you attempt to crawl I will break your arms as well. I will never let you go again, I promised that, didn't I?"
Mike should've felt scared, or disgusted, but instead he just buried his face deeper into his father's chest and nodded slowly, not bothering to fight him. His father hummed, letting go of him and getting up from the loveseat and went over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A moment later he returned with a cup of...something in his hand, passing it to Mike, who looked down at it, confused, before looking back at his dad.
"It's apple juice, your favorite, you must be feeling thirsty after sleeping for most of the day." The man explained, his voice slightly teasing.
Mike raised an eyebrow." Why do you just have apple juice in the bathroom?" He asked, sniffing the juice. It did smell like apple juice, and it looked like apple juice, so why did his gut tell him not to drink it?
His dad laughed softly." This hotel room didn't come with a refrigerator, so where else would I put it?"
He guessed that made sense, so Mike gulped down the apple juice, realizing after the first sip that he was very thirsty. After getting the last few drops from the bottom of the cup, Mike yawned, suddenly feeling tired. The events that happened tonight were probably getting to him...
His dad took the cup from him and ruffled his hair." Aw, looks like my little man is getting tired. How about we set you down on the bed and just watch the telly until you fall asleep, hm?" He cooed, and Mike nodded sleepily, so his dad placed the cup on the table next to the TV and picked him up, as if he was a little kid again, shuffling over to the bed before gently setting Mike down on it." Hold on, I'm sure the remote was somewhere near the table..." He watched as his father went over and checked, hearing him chuckle." What's this doing here?"
Mike didn't realize what he was talking about, until his dad pulled the Fredbear plush from where it had laid abandoned behind the TV. He brought the Fredbear plush and the remote over to where Mike laid, and after some shuffling about, Mike had his head laid on his father's lap, the Fredbear plush hugged to his chest as the man flicked through the channels, humming while he tried to find something interesting.
He could feel himself falling asleep, his eyes closing before snapping awake again every few moments, until his dad began to comb his fingers through his hair, and Mike sighed softly, burying his face into the old fur of the golden plush, and the world around him began to fade, the sound of the TV and his father's soothing voice the last things he heard before it all went dark.