Archive of Our Own

"F-Father…" Michael muttered, stumbling towards William from the stairs. His father was watching television on the ripped blue couch, stained as a result of raising three children. Now one was turning eighteen in a couple of months, and the other two— the twin siblings— were gone. God, what William would do to have a kid to care for again, to save him from the disheveled mess he had become since the losses of Evan and Elizabeth.

In fact, that made two of them. Michael had been in a depressive episode since handling his younger brother's death, which was followed by the disappearance of his little sister, which certainly didn't help his horrible grief. He was failing school, the scars on his arms only got worse, and his father was almost completely absent from his life. He didn't even have his mother to lean on— she'd killed herself years ago. God, everything in the Afton family was a shit show. The one thing that brought Michael Afton as close to joy as he could get was spending time with his girlfriend, who he never got to see because he was too depressed to get out of bed and go to school.

William's eyelids were heavy, even though it was only 5pm. A scowl was permanently painted onto his face, and even as he lifted his head to face his son, his expression didn't melt away. He twisted his head a bit to the side to express his intrigue.

"Yes, Michael?" His voice, low and rich, prompted his son from across the room. In response, Michael stumbled a bit closer, timid as he fidgeted with his hands. It was severely unlike him to act so shy. Small, even. While he seemed fragile, as though a single push would send him toppling over into a puddle of tears, he also seemed… scared. Something most certainly felt off. William took note of this quickly, and promptly stood up from the couch.

"Is everything alright?" His concern only grew when Michael refused to respond verbally, simply shaking his head from side to side, swishing his fluffy mop of unbrushed hair. Eventually, his hands loosened up from their fidgeting and shifted to a folded position as he crossed his arms, as though to hug himself, shoulders hunched. Before William could question further, a small, high-pitched sound escaped from his son before…

Michael collapsed onto the floor, instinctively covering his face with cupped hands as he broke down into sobs.

"Michael!"

William quickly rushed over towards his son, kneeling down onto his knees to find what was wrong, but there was nothing. Nothing external, at least. But when he saw his son, curled up and crying, trying and failing to comfort himself…

Without warning, William pulled his son towards him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him as firmly as he could, caressing his hair to soothe him like he always did when Michael was young. Michael pulled his hands away from his face, no longer feeling the need to hide. He leaned into the embrace, resting his head on his father's shoulder he let out little hiccups between sobs. He was crying like a little child, with the pitch to prove it.

"Daddy, 'm sad," Michael whispered when he could catch his breath, slowly collecting himself the more that his father ran his hands through his hair. William didn't question being called "daddy" again by his eldest son, nor did he mind the childish tone Michael spoke in. All he cared about was making sure his son felt safe.

"I know, kiddo…" William spoke gently, stroking Michael's hair softly. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"Mm-mm." Michael shook his head a little his father accepted the answer. His son was in fact quite fragile right now, and all he needed was comfort. It'd been a while since Will had done this kind of thing, but it was a welcome change.

"That's alright, little one," William spoke through a smile. "It will all be alright. You're quite brave, you know that?" He'd finally picked up on what was happening. It was a trauma response. Michael was acting like a child because, in this moment, he truly felt he was one, and that was okay. If it meant his father could offer him just the slightest protection from his woes, he'd support and care for him in any way that he could. Michael rested a soft cheek on his father's shoulder, his sobs having dissipated completely.

"How about we play a fun game?" William said softly as he tilted his head and pulled away a little bit to grin at his son. Michael's face was a bit red from crying, and his nose a bit snuffly, but his eyes were beaming with curiosity.

"Whaz da game?" Michael asked in a small voice. He still felt rather timid, but interested enough to reach out of his comfort zone a little bit to play with his father.

"It's a surprise. Would you like to come with Daddy to get the toys for it?" William allowed Michael the choice. If he'd like to accept, William would get a better grasp on the extent of Michael's circumstances, and if he denied, he could continue comforting his son. Win-win.

"Mikey wants to go wit Daddy," Michael whispered, excited and intrigued. It made William chuckle a bit, watching his son be filled with childlike wonder that he hadn't had in so many years. He placed one hand on his knee and pushed himself up, reaching his other hand out to his age-regressed son. Michael tentatively reached out his hand and tenderly wrapped it around one of his father's fingers. Once he stood himself up, William began walking towards the staircase to the upstairs as Michael wobbled beside him, barely keeping up. He was also gazing around his surroundings, making little trips over his own feet every few seconds as he tried to take in how interesting everything looked.

Once they'd made it up the stairs, they proceeded hand in hand towards William's room, if you could even call it a room anymore. It was just an office with a bed now. Despite that, they strolled inside together, comfort washing over Michael in an instant. He hadn't been allowed in here for the past decade, but now he was finally back in the room he always ran to when he had nightmares. William looked at his son, who was quietly observing the bedroom with wide eyes. He had an idea.

"Does Mikey want to cannonball?" William asked playfully, catching the attention of his son, who was nodding intently before letting go of his father's hand to throw his arms towards the sky.

"Up, pease!" Michael requested. William chuckled. He was such a sweet kid. He'd also be a difficult kid to pick up, but that wouldn't stop him.

"Lovely manners, little one," William praised as he scooped his hands under the arms of his son before promptly picking him up with all of his strength and tossing him onto the mess of a bed. Michael giggled, a huge smile strewn across his face as he laughed. Eventually, he pushed himself to sit up straight, kicking his legs that dangled off the edge of the bed, despite his height. William grinned down at his son, who beamed back at him. All of his exhaustion, all of his stress, instantly melted away at the sight of his son being… happy again.

"Stay there, little one. Daddy is going to fetch some toys for you, okay?"

"Mhm!" Michael nodded, continuing to kick his feet as he shifted his attention back to gazing around the room. William walked around the bed towards its side and knelt down, reaching one hand beneath it. As soon as he felt the rim of a box, he pulled it out, revealing a container of oversized plushies of the characters from Fredbear & Friends. One of them was Evan's Fredbear stuffy. William decided to pull that one out and tuck it back underneath the bed. He didn't want to give Michael anymore negative memories. The next stuffy there was of Foxy, soft and fluffy. From the box, he took out Foxy and Spring Bonnie before pushing himself back up to walk over towards Michael again.

"Which one would you like, Mikey?" He prompted, holding out the fox and bunny plushies. Michael gasped, his eyes quickly lighting up with excitement.

"Foxy, pease! Foxy!" He reached his hands forward, making a grabby motion with his hands to request that he have the stuffy. William knew he'd love the oversized Foxy. He figured it'd help him stay feeling small without bringing any bad thoughts to his mind. He happily handed over the fox, feeling a warm feeling in his heart as his son quickly hugged the plush to his chest. "Tank you," he whispered through a smile as he looked back up towards his father. Left with just the Spring Bonnie in his own hand, he got an idea.

"You're welcome, little one," William spoke gently before asking his next question. He didn't know much his son was aware of his current life, but it was worth a shot. "How would you like Vanny to come over and play?" Michael's eyes widened with eagerness.

"Vanny! Can she pease come over? I wan pay wit her," Michael asked sweetly, excited. "Can we give her Mango?"

William couldn't suppress his smile, chuckling with amusement.

"Yes, Mikey. I'll invite her for a sleepover, how does that sound?"

"Yes! Yes! And then we can pay wit Foxy n' Mango?"

"Of course, I'll find a Mangle just for her."

Michael smiled, full of wonder and anticipation as his father strolled towards the phone on his work desk. He pulled the corded beige landline off its stand and began to dial Vanny from the array of cards with phone numbers scattered around the table. The phone buzzed with a couple of rings before someone picked up.

"Heyo! Who's this?" Asked a girl on the other end of the line. Vanny.

"Hello, Vanny. It's Michael's father."

"Mr. Afton! What's up? Is… everything alright?"

"Everything is quite lovely, don't worry. I just hoped to ask if you may be willing to come stay the night with Michael. He's in quite a… state, at the moment. You'll understand when you're here."

"Oh! Yeah, I— Yeah! Totally, I'm super free. I can't believe that this is actually… Wow, okay, yeah, I'll be over there soon! Thanks, Mr. Afton! I'll go get ready right now!" Vanny sounded ecstatic before she quickly hung up the phone to go prepare, leaving William to hear the buzzing of the terminated call before he placed the landline back on its holder. He never allowed anyone in the Afton home, but this was an exception. It was important to him that Michael be happy for however long this would last. Meanwhile, Michael watched his father intently, waiting for what he'd say.

"Vanny will be here in a short time. We could wait downstairs if you'd like. How does that sound?" William asked.

"Okay!" Michael replied happily, scooting off of the bed to stand up, still a bit wobbly like before. He kept his Foxy hugged tightly against his chest as he straightened out Elizabeth's bow that rested in his hair. William took a minute to find a Mangle stuffy somewhere in the box before he returned and held out a calloused hand to his son once more, who, of course, wrapped his own around one finger. They took a short walk back downstairs until they arrived back at the couch. William was a bit alarmed by how quickly it had gotten dark outside, but that was alright. Michael looked up at his father expectantly, refusing to sit on the couch until his father did something. William quickly realized what he wanted. God, I'm to weak for this, he thought reluctantly, and he was right. He was weak in two ways: physically, and emotionally. He couldn't deny his son. So, he scooped up his son once again and plopped down on the couch, sitting Michael on his lap before turning on the cable to a light-hearted kiddy show. Michael watched with incredible attention.

Once the show was about halfway through, the doorbell rang. William kissed his son's hair before moving him off of his lap and onto the couch. Once he was standing at the door, he gently twisted the knob, and creaked it open. Outside stood Vanny.

"Hey, Mr…" Vanny began before her eyes drifted down. William was still holding onto the Spring Bonnie plush. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Hello, Vanny. I'm happy to have you here."

"Where's Michael?" She asked. William hesitated.

"He's… watching television, at this moment. Just— be gentle with him. He happens to be in a fragile state of mind currently and needs all of the comfort he can get."

"Is he alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, perse. He just… feels like a child right now. It seems to have been stress-induced. He said he'd love to play with you, though. I hope this is alright with you."

"Oh!" She hesitated, processing the statement for a few seconds. However, instead of backing off, she stood taller. "God, I thought you'd say he was trying to kill himself. Ya know, I used to take care of my little brother Cassidy all the time. I'm pretty great with kids! So I think this will go fine," she smiled, melting William's tension as relief flooded over him. She was a good girlfriend to his son.

"Thank you, Vanny. I appreciate your arrival. Please, come in," he expressed his gratitude before stepping to the side, allowing her to stroll through the doorway and spot Michael sitting on the couch, huddled up in a ball with his Foxy plush cuddled up by his face. He twisted his head a bit to see what was going on, bouncing up from the couch the moment he saw his girlfriend.

"Vanny! Vanny!" He called as he skidded across the floor, rushing to envelope her in a big hug, almost knocking her over.

"Hey kiddo! How are you?" She grinned as she hugged him back, placing one hand on the back of his head to run her hands through his hair.

"'M good! Do you wan pay Foxy n' Mango wit me?" He pulled back after a few moments to look her in the eyes. Even though he was quite a bit taller than her, her heart melted at how small he seemed. It was sweet, endearing even. She hadn't seen him so excited in such a long time.

"Absolutely! Where do you want to play?"

"Les pay over here," he bounded over towards the couch, dragged Vanny by the wrist. She giggled, happy to see him so eager. Just like William, she also missed looking after a kid. Her brother had been missing for a while. Before she knew it, she was sitting at the coffee table playing with the Mangle, giving silly voices to the stuffies as they each made them interact. Michael giggled at every unfunny pun she made, and she smiled with contentment. Meanwhile, William was poured apple juice into one of the old sippy-cups Evan used, covered in images of little cartoon bears. He chuckled to himself, confused but glad to be in these circumstances. It may not last, but for the time being, he was looking after his son again, and that was more than enough to help him feel a little bit like his past self.Les pay over here," he bounded over towards the couch, dragged Vanny by the wrist. She giggled, happy to see him so eager. Just like William, she also missed looking after a kid. Her brother had been missing for a while. Before she knew it, she was sitting at the coffee table playing with the Mangle, giving silly voices to the stuffies as they each made them interact. Michael giggled at every unfunny pun she made, and she smiled with contentment. Meanwhile, William was poured apple juice into one of the old sippy-cups Evan used, covered in images of little cartoon bears. He chuckled to himself, confused but glad to be in these circumstances. It may not last, but for the time being, he was looking after his son again, and that was more than enough to help him feel a little bit like his past self.

As William brought the sippy-cup to Michael, he noticed his son letting out a yawn in the middle of his playdate with Vanny.

"Here you go, kiddo." He placed the cup in front of Michael, who quickly picked it up and started chugging. Such an oddly comforting sight to see your nearly adult son drinking out of a sippy-cup again. "Is Mikey getting a little sleepy?"

"'M not… sleepy…" Michael spoke softly between sips.

"I dunno kid, I think it might be sleepytime. Are we ready to brush our teeth?" Vanny prompted, setting Mangle down on the table. Only just now William realized that Michael was wearing the rainbow hair extensions that were usually laced throughout Vanny's chocolatey brown hair. She was a sweet caregiver.

"Mm-mm," Michael shook his head from side to side, but his eyes said otherwise. "I wan stay down here wit you."

"Hmmmm…" Vanny hummed, thinking. "Well, how about we make a pillow fort to sleep in down here? We can play 'Camp!'"

Michael gasped. "Yes pease!"

Soon enough, with William's permission, they were pulling apart the couch cushions and building up a fort. William retrieved some blankets from the closet and in no time they had a completely, full functional, up-to-code fort. Michael kept clutching his Foxy and sippy-cup as he crawled up into the fort and collapsed onto the pillows, clearly exhausted. Vanny started to crawl in after him, but paused, turning around to facing William.

"Come on, Mr. Afton," she prompted, beckoning him forwards. Him? In that small fort with the both of them? He'd wake up with his back in shambles. But…

"Ahh, fine. After you," he waved his hand, and Vanny crawled in under the blanket-roof. In a few moments, William was inside as well, shocked by the fact that Michael was already almost asleep. His eyes were heavy with tiredness as he stared up at the dark ceiling of the fort. Vanny laid down beside him.

"Nighty night…" Michael whispered as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, little one," Vanny spoke softly, turning her body to wrap an arm around Michael. Still sitting up, William began to run a gentle hand through his son's hair, pausing every few minutes to rub his thumb back and forth across his son's face. After a while, the two teens were asleep in each other's arms. Michael's eyes were heavy from having cried earlier, but he slept peacefully. Comfortably, even. He wasn't restless the way he had been for the past few months. William smiled before leaning down to kiss his son's forehead.

"Everything's alright, kiddo. I love you."