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Laying awake in bed, the clock barely 4am, shifting and turning constantly, Harley Sawyer put his glasses and left. Uncaring if he was seen or not.
The factory had parts that allowed specific people to stay over for the night, Harley always stayed. Always strolled around deep in the night, the night guard long accustomed to his night strolls.
Today he couldn't sleep, not like he could ever. Normally it would be due to his parents, whose faces and actions deeply ingrained in his brain. Other times, memories of Young Geniuses Program school would haunt him.
The labs where the toys lived was today's place of strolling. The atmosphere calmed him on usual. Toys asleep, just the right quietness. He could see Experiment 1170 curled into itself, like a child.
Perhaps how it used to sleep when it once lived. 'It's alive still' he thought, doubt joined immediately. 'Perhaps not'
Yarnaby's room, the place where he stopped. The yarn lion slept alike a cat, and a fond smile appeared on his face before being replaced with a scowl. It reminded him of his cat.
His fist tapped the glass gently "oh Yarnaby... " he muttered, the toy jumped up before assaulting the glass with it's paws, as if trying claw through. Like his cat.
Separated by the glass, Harley's hand meet Yarnaby's paw. 'If only there wasn't the glass' they would've been able to hold hands, he quickly shook his head 'you would be dead without the glass'
A part of him still yearned for that touch.
Normally he hates touch, especially Pierre's, it repulses him. Being touched by stray dirty hands. Yarnaby... He never minded the textures of the toy.
Its big sad eyes were nearly crying with how furiously it pawed the glass. It awakened a feeling in Harley. And without meaning to, he entered the room.
As expected he got jumped the next second, the big lion nearly suffocating him, its mouth wide open, its paws all over him. Yarnaby wouldn't hurt him, this was a greeting. His hands tangled in the lion's yarn hair, the head bumped into his.
The night guard must've seen the cameras for an alarm sounded through. He could see from the corner of his eyes, toys awakening confused at the sound. He didn't care, he just nuzzled his pet.
"Oh Yarnaby" he muttered. Before closing his eyes, he wondered since when was there an orange light in the lion's.
He'll think of it later. Guards opened the doors, one of them dragging Harley as they shocked Yarnaby with a machine Harley never used therefore didn't understand it. "Stop it! " he yelled, kicking, trying break free from the grips that attempted pulling him out of the room. Yarnaby whimpered and looked at him with desperation.
And so he broke free out of the shocked guard's hold, and immediately punched the guard that had been electric shocking the toy, taken by surprise, the third guard got eaten by the angry and possibly starved lion.
Pierre was going to have his head. Blood ran on the floor, sprayed over his face, the guards ran, leaving him in there alone with a locked door.
"Oh Yarnaby" he crouched, petting the scared toy "You did good, dear" he held the toy for dear life, it cried, it's mouth opening and closing as it gnawed on an arm. "Poor you..." He whispered.
Fuck Leith Pierre, he was sleep deprived and a cat lover. He just knew if Yarnaby had a tongue, it would be over his face like a big dog. Instead the head rubbed at him, painting his face a deeper red with all the blood. He didn't care how he must be looking or how hard it will be to take off the blood.
----
"Do you even understand what you did? " Pierre yelled at the now rested Harley, surprisingly, Yarnaby let him sleep there. No more nightmares and intrusive thoughts. And no one dared to bother him, for the lion made sure for theconsequences to be known.
"Oh please, whats one man? We kill kids on a basis! " Pierre of course didn't want that snarky retort, the slap respounded through the room. Stella and Eddie sat on their chairs uselessly.
"The kids' deaths have purpose. You killed a man because you keep venturing through the night! What were you doing in that toy's room? "
"Yarnaby wouldn't had eaten him if he hadn't hit it. Clearly I can see who's at fault and it's not my Yarnaby" never his Yarnaby, it had to eat one way or another. So what if it was a guard? They can get another.
"Your Yarnaby? " he hissed "I do not recall you every remembering a toy's name, or if he was ever yours" Harley fucked up. Alas, he didn't really care, he knew the toy since it was a human, it was his best creation.
The meeting went like this, Pierre yelling at Harley as the doctor had more snarky retorts. Stella looked horrified and Eddie would jump in with a complaint. About money of course.
Only when the last two left did anything changed. Pierre towered over the sitting Harley, both angry still. A hand rested on his neck, Harley's eyes narrowed, remembering clearly how the head of innovation had choked him not too long ago this week. "Dont you dare" he hissed.
"Don't tell me what I can or can't dare to! I tell you what to do " the other hand joined "not vice versa" a light pressure had been applied and Harley was forced to reconsider his words.
He could easily back down now, apologise and beg, but blame it on his ego because he was not backing down any time soon. "Considering I bring you money, that my project saved your company, I believe I can order you around" he relaxed, best look composed.
Pierre saw red as he lunged, knocking the doctor on the floor, hands pressing on the neck. Harley kicked, trying get his legs out from under the legs of his supposed higher up. A knee driven itself in the doctor's stomach.
"You" his breath ran short "Listen" the knee rammed itself into his stomach again, pain doubled and reflexively tears gathered in the corner of his eyes "To me! "
A whimper escaped him, trying to get rid of the intense flashbacks he was getting, he could feel the hands stopping choking him, raised instead, as if to slap him. If Yarnaby was here, it would've protected him, from everyone and everything. Thats why he needed Yarnaby, why can't everyone stop existing?
An actual snort escaped Pierre's mouth, leaving the doctor confused before realization downed upon him. He fucking whimpered. He hadn't done that since moving out of his father's house to college dorms. He did it again, and only because of Pierre. Pierre and his constant touching and hurting.
Pierre fell off him, not being able to control his amusement. Harley scrambled behind, his face burning with embarrassment, his knees instinctually going up to hide his face in. Oh fuck it all. He had forgotten how his body reacted to pain like this, fuck, and now Pierre knew. He gritted his teeth, he shouldn't be feeling embarrassed for being in pain considering the other had assaulted him.
He got triggered by his boss and went back as the weak child he used to be. A child that could only take the hurting because he had no one. Pierre had no right knowing that child. "Not a word" he spoke loudly, still unable to reveal his face to the world. Feeling instead Pierre's presence. Too close again. He felt sick.
"Oh do not worry" amusement read in his voice "not a word, wouldn't want people knowing hm" fingers cradled the back of his head, letting Harley lift his head in confusion. He would keep it secret? Something wasn't right, he frowned.
He didn't like the look on the man's eyes as he hold his chin. Feeling the breath of the other, his face too close. He tried back down but found himself unable to. 'You cornered yourself, backing into the wall, didn't you learnt nothing Harley?' His conscience screamed at him.
A knock interrupted the scene. "Yeah? " Head of innovation yelled out. "Tech! " called out the person on the other side. Pierre groaned but got off and went outside. Leaving Harley to recollect himself before subtly leaving the room. Walking past Pierre and the tech.
The tech looked worried, seeing his panicked face.
That night he dared not take a stroll nor sleep. Instead choosing to work overtime. To get his mind off the incident