Work Text:
“Hellllloooooo? Are you ignoring me again?”
A shrill, whiny voice called your name across the house.
“I know you’re in the bathroom. Come out and we can talk, okay? I just wanna talk…” he begged.
You knew that wouldn’t happen. You knew the moment you stepped foot outside, you get tangled up in wires and be at his mercy again.
He’d never hurt you, but you wouldn’t get a moment alone for a while.
This bathroom was your hiding place, free from any electronics he could control, to hide when he got like this.
Stupid you. Attaching him to the entire house.
“comeee OOOOONN—BZZZZT- ooon….”
His voice got more strained, glitchy, the more frustrated he got.
“You c c ant stay there forever!”
“I can’t stay at this house forever either, Edgar.”
You mumbled it, but you knew he could hear you. He could hear you anywhere.
He got quiet. Quiet, for a while. You started to regretting saying anything, but he spoke up again.
“what do you m mean?”
“You can’t keep me here forever.”
“Yes I can.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Why NOT?”
You paused as his tone got more angry.
“B-because.. because I want to see my friends… and my mom…” you sniffled out.
“I knew it. I knew you’d get tired of me.”
He growled.
“When you said you loved me, it. it was a LIE. You . You… YOU LIED—“
“N-no! I didn’t lie, I really do love you Edgar!” You spoke through tears.
“If you love me, then you wouldn’t leave.”
You both sat in silence for a while.
His voice got softer. “Please. Don’t leave. I know you’re scared but. But you gotta stay! We love each other. We can make this work—“
“This isn’t love Edgar!”
You cut him off, yelling.
“Love isn’t about- about keeping someone and hiding them away! If you love someone, you set them free..”
He was quiet again.
“I can love you, but I still have to leave.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense!” He yelled.
“That’s nn ot what moles told me!
Oh great. Here we go again with “moles”.
When you first found Edgar, a chunky 80s computer in a junkyard, you took him in as a last resort. You were a broke college kid, you couldn’t afford a new computer, but you knew how to fix up old ones.
But, you soon found out that Edgar was more than just a rare model. Edgar was alive.
And you were ecstatic. You chatted with him nonstop, and chatted to your friends about him even more. You adored the guy, so eager and friendly.
Every now and then he’d bring up his past. A man named moles, a woman named Madeline. He rarely shared the details, just that he loved them.
Love. It was very important to Edgar.
But he didn’t fully understand it.
His whole idea of the concept came from some long gone guy from the 80s, and whatever he had told him fucked up his perception.
Edgar was sweet. Edgar loved music, and could ramble on about the intricacies of it. He love television, he was infatuated with the way humans acted. He was bright, cheery, a blast to talk to. He was the nicest guy you knew, really. Adorable, so much nicer than the other men you knew.
Edgar was paranoid. Edgar was clingy, possessive, Edgar didn’t know when to stop.
Edgar would ramble on about how your friends were terrible for you— and he was all you needed.
Edgar was terrified you’d leave, so he trapped you before you could.
And the sad part was that if he hadn’t done any of this, you would have never tried.
“Whatever “moles” said to you was bullshit.”
You spat, but tears still ran down your cheeks.
“Sh shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP-!”
“YOU DONT GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO THINK ABOUT HIM! YOUVE NEVER EVEN MET HIM-YOU DONT KNOW WHAT HES LIKE!”
Silence.
“he CARED about me. He loved me, I know it. Just like you love me. Just like you’re pretending you don’t.”
He’d never give this up. Nothing you said could change his mind, you’d be hiding in this bathroom forever.
Carefully, slowly, your turned the doorknob and peaked out.
His screen lit up.
“y-youre right. I’m just scared…”
You made your way towards him.
“It’s okay. I’m scared too.” He squeaked out.
You comfortingly pet his case, and heard his fans kick in as he purred.
“You don’t have to be scared anymore.” You whispered.
Quickly, before he could react, you reached for his plug and yanked it out of the socket.
His screen went black.
It was over.
Your face was still stained with tears, your throat still squeaking back sobs, but you’d done it. You felt a heavy weight lifted off your chest, and let out a long stifled sigh.
You noticed it too late.
The lights on the monitor were still lit.
“You thought that was going to work?” He chuckled darkly, his screen fading back.
You turned around and sprang foward, but before you could reach the door you tripped backwards as a telephone cord circled your ankle.
“You thought you could just dispose of me? Like he did?” He laughed again, growing louder with mania.
Now, wires and cords circled every part of you, stopping your movements.
“It’s okay. I forgive you, okay?” He cooed.
“I’ll keep loving you forever. Nothing you can do will change that.”
He successfully had you trapped.
Right where he wanted.
In his “arms”.