Mangle eased into the Prize room, spotting her target sitting comfortably in the box, a thoughtful look across his mask. Endo lightly willed forward, leading them quietly towards the puppet.
Marionette didn't seem to notice them, or if he did, he didn't seem to care. "...Evenin' to ya, Strings." Mangle greeted, lowering down from the ceiling. "How ye faring?"
The puppet didn't answer, keeping quiet as the mass of wires dangled above him. The fox tilted her head, giving Endo a worried glance before slinking a foot or so away from the box. Usually the puppet would give some passive aggressive retort, some elegantly devised snark to deflect her away, or just let muse in her company, giving a short answer from time to time.
But with tonight's recent events, it was clear the puppet was in no mood for chatter. Mangle blinked. "Saw a lil' mouse scurry out here not too long ago..." She commented, searching for an reaction. "Surprised ya didn't hold onto 'em. Just let 'em loose to the wolves..."
The puppet hardly moved. "Saw a wolf too, ya see. Just mad, I tell ya. Rabid...Looked as if it was ready to tear himself apart..." She continued. "He be huntin', no doubt bout it. Though I don't believe it's treasure he be searching for..."
Not giving any sort of acknowledgment, Marionette kept his mask tilted towards the ground, contently listening to the music box as it played. The notes were slow in rythem and almost nostalgic, but it was still a melody he could follow.
Worried and unsure, Mangle watched as the puppet ignored them, trying to keep his focus solely on the music. "Stormin' seas tonight, Strings. Can't seem to see the end of it...." She spoke, her tone growing more serious.
As expected, the puppet paid them no mind. Endo twisted his neck, craning down directly into Marionette's line of sight, much to Mangle's disapproval.
Metal teeth bent into a grin. "That little doll of yours is going to be torn from limb to limb-"
"Mangle, control your other half."
Said fox nodded. "Aye" Her body convulsed, whipping Endo back up to his place. She gave him a glare, to which he only sprung his neck in a mock shrug. "Stay ye words, Endo." She sneered, looming over the head. "A sentence like that again and I aughta plank ye"
Endo rolled his eyes, turning back to the puppet. "Well, ya don't leave us hanging..."
He gave a yelp as he was whipped back behind Mangle. He spared a angry glare at her before shutting his teeth. Sighing, the fox set her sights back on the puppet, eyeing how he hasn't moved so much as an inch. "Pay him no heed. He speak nothing good, M'friad. Just a bunch of bolts and springs, truly..."
Marionette sat still. "I can tell"
A moment of silence passed between them. "I know ye had a soft spot for the wee lad..." Mangle announced A tiny shimmer of light shined in the mask eye's before disappearing No denial, she supposed. "Don't blame ye, really...even a siren could listen to a voice alike his own...."
Marionette twitched, his mask slowly lifting to stare Mangle from the ground. The light had returned, a dim glow in his eyes. The fox inwardly smiled, feeling pleased with the progress. "We can all hear the songs that lad sings in the night. Quiet melody, a lil' hum if nothing more. But it pretty, ain't it?" She chimed, Endo watching with interest from behind her.
She thought for a moment "Only does it when the wolf ain't here, it seems. Shame... a bit lonely if ya ask me-"
"-and no one did, Fox"
Her wires spun in a playful gesture. "Ah...there's the ole' String talk I was lookin' for" That familer disembodied voice that hung in the air was a relief to her. A small victory for the broken animatronic, but it was progression noneless. "The lad wit' the balloons worried about ye, asked me to come find ya"
Mangle paused for a moment, observing the unmoving puppet. "...Can't say I'd argue wit' him either. Ye looking as if someone tangled ye heartstrings in a knot. Knit-wit job, I'd say..."
The Marionette gave a little shrug. "I'm waiting" A look of confusion was his response, even the Endo dimming at the lack of explanation "For what? The music to play out?" He chuckled.
Marionette stiffened. "Hopefully, no"
The fox spared a glance to her other half, shrinking him away before leaning closer to the puppet; a show of comfort. "What's troublin' ya?" She asked, eyeing him carefully. Much to the Mangles displeasement, he didn't answer, only giving the slight shake of his mask. He didn't want to speak, supposedly.
Well, Mama Mangle wouldn't stand for that. Marionette may play the master puppeteer in all things, but even he had his own winding wails.
"If ye truly torn by the wee lad, maybe I should fetch him for ya" She commented, "Poor fellow, easy prey for that scandalous dog. Scared out his wits, I tell ya. Could hear his heartbeat from across the building"
The music box's notes slowed, easing into the final set melody. Marionette felt his limbs go slack, a shimmer of hope drain from his being. He quickly recollected himself, reminding himself that there was still a certain two headed fox in the room. "He's brave..." He heard himself say, "I have faith in him"
"Aye, but ye scared too, aren't ya?"
Surprisingly, the puppet reacted. Standing from his corner in the box, the slithered to eye level with Mangle with snake like movements. A calm, collected gesture, a display of assurance. Though the fox could see through the mask of confidence he was inwardly agreeing with her assumption.
"Don't see why ya couldn't have just found the dog and finish him..." She continued, knowing full well she was working on his nerves. "Demented he is, but flesh and bones still. Should be easy enough to end him. Save ye and the wee one some trouble..."
"Even if the body dies, the soul with live on. Right now, that man is nothing more than a vessel for a monster, one who's waited for a long time for someone of equal agony to come along." The puppet retorted, his tone carrying heavily in the air. "Benjamin had tainted that man with a foul rot, a illness of the mind that will eat away at him until there is nothing left but a hollow shell carved into his perfect fit. He is a parasite, Fox, one bent on draining dear Micheal until he has given into the sickness"
Endo piped to attention. "Then's there nothing that can be done, right?"
Marionette paused. "It's a atrocious disease, but it can be cured."
"Oh, is that so?" Mangle chimed in, a playfulness lacing her tone. "And ye think the wee one to be the cure? Because he's lookin' more alike to a dog bone at this point..."
"Don't speak of him so lightly. Little clover is of more than what meets the eye..." The Marionette snarked, body going stiff.
Mangle leaned back and pulled an expression of playful mockery, Endo following suit. "Don't get ye strings tangled now. Ye might tear a stitch" She giggled, returning to her stance. Even if he wasn't happy, it was good to see him back to his normal self.
A shadow of a frown fell across his mask. Marionette spared a glare to the two, before slinking back down into his corner. The music box was approaching it's final stage now, a dreadful pause in between each note.
Mangle crawled off the ceiling, easing into the prize box with the puppet. It was big enough to hold something of her size, though she could curl into herself just enough to allow the Marionette much needed space. Endo inwardly protested at the motion, but Mangle ignored him, sitting quietly with the two bots.
"We'll wait with ye, Strings" She comforted, "Might as well, seeing how we ain't catching mice tonight"
The Marionette, although a bit irritated, let out a sigh. He gave them a tender look. "Your company is...appreciated"
Endo gagged. "Don't mention it"
-
Jeremy walked cautiously down the hallway, eyes darting anxiously from side to side. The lighting was dim, the only source of illumination being the flickering lights scattered all over the building. Even so they weren't much help, providing some light for a few seconds before shutting off again, leaving the teen in an ever growing darkness.
He strained to stop his quivering lip. The flashlight was left behind with the puppet, too late to turn back now.
He huddled into himself as he walked, nervously playing with the wrist watch. With his footsteps being the only sound in the eerie silence, it made the tick of time from the watch pound louder in his ears. Tense, he glanced down to check the time, something he's been doing for the past ten minutes. Not much longer until 6AM. Giving a shaky breath, he turned the corner to peek inside the security office. Jeremy froze.
There was a tiny, plastic, blood stained name tag sitting innocently on the desk, placed oh so carefully next to a ringing phone.
Jeremy blinked, approaching the telephone with unease. It wasn't the usual time, he thinks to himself. And it's been so long since there's been a call. So why now?
The name tag caught his eye as he stepped up to it. Swallowing, he ignored the tag, inwardly hoping that the blood staining it's edges didn't belong to whom he thought it did. Though, he knew his hope was misguided.
The phone continued to ring as he surveyed the room. The puddles of blood had dried, creating dark red pools in the tile, the occasional crimson shoe print next to them, too big to be his. There still was an indication of where Freddy's head smashed into the wall, a scrape in the wallpaper, back when him and Mike were attacked...
Wasn't the table flipped over when that happened. Who flipped it upright?
Biting his lip, Jeremy shook the worry from his mind, reaching out towards the phone. He hesitated, pulling it off it's hook and pressing the dial. With a deep breath, he raised it to his ear. "H-hello?"
"Behind you"
The line cut abruptly as footsteps grew rapidly closer from behind.
Jeremy swiveled around just in time to dodge the attack. The phone however, suffered from his action; broken and smashed. A lump arose in the nightwatch's throat as he watched two hand take both ends and bend, breaking it in half. The pieces fell to the floor in a clatter, the destroyer wearing an immoral smile.
"I don't recall inviting any other players to our little affair..."
Benjamin twisted Mike's face into a laugh, soaking in the fear that flooded the teen's face. "Though it doesn't matter anymore I suppose...it's almost over"
Jeremy shivered, backing away. His hands shook as the man slowly approached at an agonizing slow pace. "It was a good game, if I do say so myself." He chuckled. His fingers tapped against the wooden desk as he stalked, an action of the impending chaos. "Surprised me, Fitzgerald, truly. I would have never guessed you'd be so good at hiding..."
The edgy smile never faultered. "But I suppose you're used to blending into the background by now, aren't you?"
Jeremy felt his rib cage expand with his racing heartbeat, staring wide eyed as the man made his way in his direction. His feet were frozen to the spot, unresponsive to his racing mind's screaming orders to run. He looked down to Mike's hands.
"You don't have a weapon..."
Benjamin paused, giving the boy a thoughtful look. Probably didn't expect him to say anything, to just cower instead. The light in Mike's eye glimmered, bringing his hands up for the nightwatch to see. "No, I don't..." He waved his empty palms playfully, tilting his head with a grin. "I don't need one"
Swallowing, Jeremy inched away. "If you don't have a weapon..." He breathed, his voice soft. "Then what do you plan to d-do?"
Benjamin's grin widened. "I have a special way of doing things, Fitzgerald. Call it tradition, if you'd like"
"T-tradition...?" Jeremy bit his lip. "You've done this before..."
"Oh, yes..." His answer was smooth, almost prideful. "I've done this before. Longer than you could imagine, even. Don't get me wrong now, I still find the use of sharp objects to be incredibly useful. Even blunt ones provide me what I need. But am I not allowed a favorite method of execution?" He laughed as a look of horror flew across Jeremy's face.
"Though, I don't think you'll like it very much..."
Suddenly, the man lunged forward, snatching Jeremy's collar in his grasp. The nightwatch choked out a scream as he was forcibly pinned to the wall, his feet rising from the floor. Instinctively, he kicked towards Mike, only to hit air. Benjamin held Jeremy at an arm's length distance, angled to far for the poor teen to counter.
Jeremy brought his hands up, trying to pry the grasp away from his neck. Benjamin hummed while he struggled, feeling the light scratches raking across Mike's hands. "I'll be honest with you. You really would have won if you'd lasted a bit longer" He chimed. "I just couldn't find you, really. Almost convinced me those sore animals of yours beat me to the prize..."
The grip raised higher, Jeremy letting out a sputter as the collar tightened around his neck. "But it seems it all evens out in the end, don't you agree?"
"M...ike"
The sinister smile the older man wore twitched at the name, and for a moment Jeremy thought he could see a flash of blue inside the blackness. He blinked, and it was gone. "He can't hear you" Benjamin asserted. "He can't help you"
Jeremy yelped as his back was lifted off the wall, swinging upwards to harshly slam back onto it again. Breath left his lungs, coughing in torment as the pressure increased. His rib cage convulsed and throbbed around his lungs, matching the pace of his quickly pulsating heart.
His bones pressed against his skin. "P-please...."
The plea went unacknowledged as he was struck, his head bashing against the wall as he choked. Benjamin hummed as the teen withered in his hold, pain vibrating through his skull, traveling down from the base of his neck to his spine. His vision grew blurry.
Still, he managed to wheeze a breath. "Mik...ey"
The bashing halted, Benjamin frozen. Jeremy pried open his tear filled eyes to stare into a harsh haze, shocked to be greeted by a look of equal horror.
Then, the reaction disappeared. Fading away and replaced by Benjamin's signature glare. Only this time, his smile was twisted into a disgusted sneer.
"Stop that" He snarled, "He's gone. Give up"
Despite the threat's heavy weight, a spark of determination rose in the brunette. Gritting his teeth together, he hoisted himself upwards just enough to breath. Benjamin frowned, quickly pulling him back down, unaware of the nightwatch's means.
Suddenly, a red rimmed watch, worn and wrongly configured, was shoved into his view. It set innocently around the nightwatch's wrist, slightly too big, signifying it probably didn't belong to him. Jeremy held his hand firm and waiting, holding his breath.
Benjamin's only reaction was a raised brow, staring at the tiny hands as the ticked on. "Interesting..." He mused. He gave Jeremy a unamused glare, the teen falling back into panic. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish-?"
His sentence cut abrupt, mouth slightly parted in a gape as the eye's widened, a deep blank rolling over his pupils.
The grip on the collar slacked, still hover over the shirt as the younger male's feet touched the floor. Jeremy bent at an angle, clutching his chest. His lung were burning, the pounding pulse shooting through his veins wasn't helping either.
Blue eyes stared him down as he gasped for air.
"That's mine..." Mike whispered, eyeing the watch. His gaze lingered on the teen's wrist before flowing up to meet fearful green eyes. "...mine"
Those green eyes began to tear up. "M-mike?"
They shared a long, unmoving stare, neither of them sure of what to do. Jeremy opened his mouth to speak, fighting the wheeze creeping up his throat until his hope dimmed, much alike the blue darkening. He whimpered as the gaze inverted, now glaring at him with nothing less of pure anger.
The body bent his head down, a low, sinister rumble sounding from it's chest.
"Who are you?"
Hands flung out and roughly snatched the nightwatch, flinging him across the room. His heels skid across the tile, desperately trying to steady himself. His back hit the corner of the table, tilting back and taking the nightwatch with it. Jeremy cried out as his back hit the floor, shaking blurry eyes to see Benjamin angrily stalking towards him.
"Answer me, Fitzgerald!" He fumed, "There's no reason to hold back!"
Jeremy sat up, scooting away from the maniac. "What the hell are you talking about?" He cried, cringing as his back his the wall. His answer only made Benjamin rage, grabbing hold of the end of the desk and pushing it roughly away. The teen winced as it smashed against the opposite wall.
"You know full well what I mean..."
A hitch in his pulse, Jeremy tried to dart away, only for a hand to reach out and snag the back of his shirt, pulling him back and slamming him into the wall. Back to square one.
Flailing as his neck was crushed, his vocal cords strained to sputter, a trickle of blood trailing over his ear. The sound of his own panicked breathing grew louder. "I-I do..n't!"
"Do not lie" He heard Benjamin threaten, "We both know that's not the truth"
"I'm n-not l...ying" The brunette sputtered. "I s-swear-"
"Then explain to me why you have this....control, Fitzgerald" Benjamin barked, pressing harder. He listened to the teen whimper. "Because I'm quite convinced it wasn't the watch that did this..."
Jeremy gutted, his mouth going dry. "Fr..iend..." He coughed, "F-f-frie...nd"
His limbs were going numb.
The Purple Man seethed with anger, displeased with the answer. "That's certainly not how Mikey feels, Fitzgerald"
The nightwatch hardly heard his sentence, a pounding his ears as he turned paled. He opened his mouth to speak, inwardly crying as he only produced dry air.
Benjamin continued; "You know absolute nothing, do you?" He spat. No answer, just tears running down flushed cheeks. "You have no idea..."
Jeremy was beginning to turn blue as the grip around his collar lightened. It was hardly an improvement towards escape, but it gave him enough room to breath. The moment the pressured eased, he took a deep gasp for air, coughing his weight as color slowly flooded back into his skin.
But this was no mercy from the killer, only a show that he wanted to play the game a little bit longer, if to just squeezed more suffering from his victim.
He still held Jeremy in a cold grip, itching to strike him again. "You're quite the anchor, aren't you?" Benjamin raised the teen to eye level, careful to give him just enough air to listen. "Quite the nuisance, indeed..."
Jeremy still clawed at the hands, managing an uncharacteristic sneer of his own. "S-screw you!" He wiggled, kicking out his legs in hopes of slipping away. "Give Mike back!"
The man stalled as his hostage flailed, a snarl etching it's way back onto Mike's cheeks. "It's funny how you actively seeked me out for his safe return, Fitzgerald" He twisted his grip, causing the nightwatch to cry out in pain. "You have no idea to what extent of trouble your beloved Mikey has gone though to prevent me from finding you..."
His frown twitched up into a grin for a split second before dropping. "Yet, here you are"
There was a moment of pure silence as Jeremy registered the information, only to break the quiet with a broken scream.
With one hand still wrapped around his collar, a palm calmly rested over the nightwatch's chest, landing directly on the spot where his heart would be. Benjamin ground Mike's teeth together, tapping his fingers lightly on the teen's chest, feeling the skin hidden underneath the shirt. Then, sparing horrified green eyes a glance, he began to push.
Jeremy screamed. Louder than he's ever screamed before.
He shut his eyes tight as the pressure increased, his hands switching from one hand to pry at the other, desperately trying to remove the weight. His back pressed against the wall as the palm pushed forwards into his center, his heart beating against his skin, crushed by the force.
Jeremy could hear his rib cage slowly breaking. He wasn't worried about breathing anymore.
"Every time..." Benjamin breathed, watching the teen wither. "Every time I wandered a hallway...Every time I rounded a corner, every fucking time I even so much as thought I'd caught a glimpse of you...he would wake. He would watched as I'd hunt you down...screaming and shouting and begging for me to just let you go..to let this end. Even if it meant his own demise."
His words were drowned out by the sounds of Jeremy's whimpers "...please s-stop..."
Benjamin twisted his palm, driving his hand deeper. He relished the pain filled cry he received in return. "He knows how this game will end, Fitzgerald, and he's accepted it. All your efforts were futile. Any hope you had: worthless...I've had this game planned from the start, you see, and your nothing more than a stray pawn. A used wild card to dice up the play...The only purpose you served was for my entertainment"
His pushing halted, fingers tapping against the nightwatch's shirt. Jeremy looked up, tears flowing down his cheeks and into his mouth, leaving a bitter sweet taste on his tongue.
"But you..." Benjamin growled, glaring down the teen with glowing eyes. "You had to fuck everything up. Something I realize you do quite often it seems." He drawled, his tone low and laced with disgust.
Soaking in the agonizing throb in his heart, Jeremy felt his body slowly grow slack. His legs dangled towards the ground, the effort of kicking was an idea that he was too hurt too bare. So he hung, his tingling arms still trying to desperately remove the two grips that strangled him, the weight of his consciousness increasing by the minute.
Jeremy looked up into inverted eyes, a dazed blur over his own. He opened his mouth, letting a shaky sound escaping his throat. "You talk...too much...."
Benjamin's frown deepened, pinning the teen harder as his left hand left the collar, rising to cover his mouth. Jeremy flinched as his back slid down the wall, a hand still planted firmly in his chest, ready to break him at any given moment. His whimper was muffled by Mike's hand, pressing hard enough that he could taste the flesh against his teeth.
"Hush and listen, Fitzgerald..." The Purple Man spoke through grinding teeth. "I am the very last thing you'll ever hear"
Shaking his head frantically, Jeremy tried to remove the hand from his mouth, his pleas muted by Benjamin's snarls. "How dare you...." He began, "...to dare call yourself his friend when everything denies it, from the way he reacts to how your voice give me such an aching headache..." As if to ponder on the theory, Mike's body ran his tongue over his teeth, comparing to the feeling of Jeremy's saliva against his palm.
"I can feel it..." Benjamin trailed off. "A sense of passion from him. Warm and fluid, but a bond too invincible to break. Something alien, something...sickening" He wrinkled his nose as he speaks this. "...and what I find most interesting is how it's all for you."
Benjamin scoffs. "Disgusting"
Jeremy froze in his movements, nails still digging into Mike's hand as he stared wide eyed. He blinked, clearing away the tears to look at Benjamin clearly. Mike's body held a thoughtful look, as if he was in a trance. The only give-away that he was still aware of himself was the stinging pressure in his chest.
"I could finish you..." Benjamin ponders, giving his fingers a light push. "I could end you. Right here, right now..." Jeremy heaved, teeth digging in Mike's skin as his rib cage cracked. He shut his eyes tight as a shock wave of pain traveled up his spine, hands twitching as they hovered over the guard's grip.
"But that's only making Mike screaming louder..." The older man sneer, "How is it that he's so willing to kill himself to save an insignificance like you?"
Emotion flooded the nightwatch's face as the purple man exhaled, pondering on his own question. Wetness streaked freely down pale cheeks, broad emerald eyes staring in absolute shock as his breathing stopped.
Slowly, Mike's hand lifted from Jeremy's mouth, a line of saliva trailing from the palm. "I'll ask you again, Fitzgerald" Benjamin eased. "Who. Are. You"
Jeremy breathed, his mouth wet and his heart crushed.
"No one"
A wild, satisfied smirk fell onto Mike's face as Jeremy seeped into grief. Benjamin basked in the reply, his tone reverting back to the sinister joy it once held. "That's what I like to hear..."
His palm drove deeper into the nightwatch's shirt, fingers curled and nails digging into the fabric. Small pricks of red began to appear at the contact, ready to tear away any defense the teen had left. Benjamin angled his palm, ready to end his life.
Defeated, Jeremy's limbs hung limp. He didn't even flinch.
"I'd like to say it's been fun, Fitzgerald, but you've been too much of a annoyance for even me to enjoy..." Benjamin smiled, blood stained teeth glinting in the flicker lights. "But I hold good sportsmanship...and it goes against my manners to not allow you some finality" He began to laugh; a deep, insane laugh.
"So..." He gave the boy a light shake, liking how the color seeped out of the innocent eyes. "Any final words? A dying wish, perhaps?" He chuckled. Even his manner came out mangled and winded by his laughter.
Jeremy looked up with half lidded eyes, a soft smile on his face. "Just...one..."
"Oh?" The Purple Man raised a brow, losing himself in his own booming laughter. Victory was a sweet, sweet prize to have. "And what would that be, hmm?" He chuckled.
"...Tell Mike that I'm in love with him"
The laughter cut short, the room falling into a tense silence. Jeremy gave a shaky breath. "Please..."
Gently closing his eyes and slumping his shoulder, he awaited the pain. The seering sensation of his heart being torn from his chest. Literally.
It wouldn't last long, he told himself. Probably hurt like hell, but it would be quick; and right now that's all he really wanted. Wanted this to stop. To end. To play his final cards and accepted the fate he's brought onto himself. It was his own fault, no one else. Not Mike's, Not the Marionette's, but his and his alone.
And so he waited.
But nothing came.
Curious, Jeremy peeked from one eye, both of them flying open at the sight before him.
Mike stood as a statue, all color drained from his skin. The expression he wore was nothing alike what Benjamin was capable of; he could never pose this kind of emotion on the body, not even if it was his own.
Eye's wide and black as the night, Jeremy froze as the white turned blue.
And they stood there: Pinning each other's gazes down as the air stilled. Nothing moved.
Mike's face twisted into something horrific.
Jeremy felt the nails retract from his chest. His back roughly lid down the wall, returning his feet to the floor. His hands rose to clutch at the marks as he dropped to his knees, bending over to curl into himself as his rib cage returned to it's natural size. It was a painful process, but the relief was more than welcome.
He looked up as man backed away from him, holding his own look of pure terror. Jeremy blinked, watching as the guard stared at both of his palms, anynalizing the spit and blood on his skin. A trickle of liquid fell from beneath his cap and he raised a hand to his face, shielding one of his changing eyes.
Benjamin twitched violently.
"What have you done"
Catching his breath, Jeremy shuddered at the comment. "...I.....I didn't..." He slowly rose to his feet, keeping one hand grasped protectively on his heart. He took a step closer, surprise to see the man take a fearful step back "...M-Mike?"
Dark eyes flashed to the name, pupils shrinking as the nightwatch came closer. The guard's chest rose and fell in a rapid pace, struggling to keep up with his needed breath. "Get away from me..."
Furrowing his brows, Jeremy inched another step closer. "Are you-"
"I said get the fuck away from me!" The guard screamed, almost tripping on the broken desk as he backed away. Much to his terror, however, the nightwatch only walked forwards. "Are you fucking deaf, Jeremy?" He snarled.
The teen paused, keeping a cautious gaze on the olderman. Benjamin never really spoke his first name before.
The guard opened his mouth to yell again, only to turn to the side and cough a mouthful of blood to the ground. It splattered across the tile and trailed along the floor, seeping into the nightwatch's shoes as he edged closer. "M-Mike..?" He reached an arm out while the guard was distracted, a tender touch on his shoulder.
Mike violently flung back at the touch, his eye's painfully morphing shades. His hat fell to the ground in the action, but he payed no mind to it. "Don't come any closer...Just..Just stay away!" He ordered, his lungs heaving. He bit his bloody lip." I might kill you...."
The air still as his voice echoed throughout the room, flowing eveningly into the nightwatch's ear. Then, a tearful smile of relief eased onto Jeremy's face. That was Mike's real voice.
"I-I thought you were dead..."
"I am dead, Jeremy..." Mike retorted, "I might as well be..." The teen gave a baffled look. "W-why-?" He asked, inching a little closer. The olderman was too busy catching his breath to notice this time. "I..." He trailed off, looking down at his hands.
He could feel them. The wetness of Jeremy's spit, the blood trailing down his mouth, even the sting on the back of his hands left from the nightwatch's scratches.
They weren't good feelings, no, but they were there. And they were his. Real, true sensations; not just the tingling numb that pulsed through his body for the last couple of hours, but honest pricks on stretching nerves. His body was his again.
"I was dead..." He breathed, soaking in disbelief "I was dead and now I'm back...."
Without warning, a pair of arms wrapped around his mid-section. He choked back a gasp at the action, looking down with fuzzy vision to see a familiar tuff of hair pressed against his chest. Blood from his face trailed down and landed in the brunette's locks, the owner seemenly not caring as he squeezed tighter. Jeremy buried his face deeper, no plans to let go anytime soon.
"I thought I lost you..." He cried, all dignity going down the drain. "I-I...thought you were g-gone..."
Mike's arms hung to his side, exhausted. Within the sounds of his pounding head, he heard Jeremy softly begin to cry, a wetness seeping into his undershirt and on his skin.
Carefully, he wrapped around the nightwatch, ignoring the ache in his back and the own wetness trailing from his eyes. Jeremy snuggled into the touch, making tiny whimpers against his shirt as Mike held him. Among his own sobs, he could hear Mike's struggle to hold back his own tears.
"God, you're so fucking stupid..." He wheezed, craning down to nestle into Jeremy's hair. "So fucking...stupid..." He placed a hand on the lower of his back, pulling him closer as his other palm softly gripped the base of Jeremy's neck, fingers running over the scalp as he clutched the held the crying nightwatch.
"I hurt you..." Mike whispered. "I could have killed you"
Jeremy shook his head against him "I don't care"
They stood like that for a moment, basking in each other's presence, soaking in the relief. Jeremy kept his ears pressed to Mike's chest, listening to the solid thumps of his heart beat while Mike breathed in his scent, biting his lip to keep from crying himself. Even now, he still had a bit of pride.
Finally he pulled back, just enough to rest his forehead on the brunette's. He straightened his expression, swallowing the dry sob in his throat down. Gently cupping Jeremy's face, he inched nose to nose with him
"Never do that again..." He whispered. "Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again or so help me I'll come back from the grave and fuck you up myself..."
Despite the current circumstances, a soft, broken laugh came from the nightwatch. "B-but I won the game..." He giggled nervously, his cheeks rising to a red bloom. "Didn't I?"
His response was a tiny nod, another sigh of relief. "Yeah..." Mike mused, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Funny how this all plays out.."
Jeremy paused, frozen from the amused glimmer in Mike's gaze. The white surrounding icy blue in his eyes held a clear sanity, which provided no help for the embarrassment creeping up in the nightwatch.
Glancing away, Jeremy struggled to keep his blush under control. "Y-you're not going to hold that against me, are you?"
Mike smiled as he brushed his bangs back, landing a kiss on his forehead. "I might"
-
Marionette felt a heavy grief leave his being as the music box tuned back to life, a stronger, steady stream of notes flowing through the air and into his box.
Mangle watched as the puppet untensed, baffled as to why the operation of a toy could provide him with such relief. "Ye fancy box of noise is playing again.." She piped, observing the puppet as he slithered in joy. Whatever it was, the reason behind the music seemed to make him bright, something she hasn't seen him be for a long time.
That mask of his may wear a smile, but it was as the name says: a mask.
Though , as the puppet leaps joyfully from the gift, giving the music box a thoughtful look and a hint of hum in the air, there wasn't there wasn't a wire you could pull to make her believe he wasn't truly happy.
"Ye be all knotted for something..." She noted, curiously tilting her head at him. "What news do the notes tell ye?" She asked, both her and Endo equally peering in interest.
Marionette swiveled back to the fox, a bright light shining in his eyes. "The little clover lives"
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