!ANGST WARNING!
!DEPRESSION WARNING!
!ABUSE WARNING!
!SELF-HARM WARNING!
!SUICIDE WARNING!
Freddy clung to Gregory like he was his only chance of survival. And in a way, he was. He felt Gregory's sobs against his chest, and he felt them coming to him, too. Mourning the loss of both of their loved ones felt almost comforting. But comfort wasn't the right word. As much as he wanted to believe it was, comfort was past him. For now.
"I-" He heard Gregory choke. "I'm sorry, Freddy-"
"Gregory, you do not need to be sorry. It is perfectly normal to express emotion in this way. Talking it out helps me, would you like to talk about it?" He suggested. He had a feeling Gregory would decline, but he had to put it out there.
"...I guess so..." The boy muttered. Freddy stood up and felt Gregory's hand falling into his own. They walked out of the open elevator, hand in hand, then stopped. Freddy scanned the perimeter, just in case there was anyone else there. Reading it as clear, he allowed them to walk forward, towards the utility tunnels. Gregory made sure to keep quiet until they were there, so no one (Roxanne, especially) could hear him.
Gregory's grip on Freddy's hand got tighter as they approached the big, red doors. Freddy pushed them open and inside they stepped. He waited patiently for Gregory to speak, for he knew how hard it was.
After a while, he spoke up.
"...When I was little, my dad... he wasn't around much. And the few times he was around, he'd be drunk and... hit my mom. I..." Freddy watched as tears pricked the corner of Gregory's eyes. "...I was so young... but it's not all about me, I had to remind myself that every day. If I had it bad, I couldn't imagine how my mom felt..." He choked on his own words, a few tears trickling down his face. Freddy just watched and listened.
"...One day he just... left. There was yelling, and my mom had bruises and blood on her, and he walked out the door and... never came back." Freddy saw as fire ignited in Gregory's eyes, fueling his pure hatred for the man he used to call his father. "It was a good thing. He was the worst." He gritted his teeth as their eyes met. "Then it was just me and my mom. We both had some... issues with depression and stuff. He left a big scar on the family. My mom would... cut herself and... one day she... she..." His voice fell along with his eyes. Tears flooded down his face like a mini tsunami.
Freddy knelt down to hug Gregory again, putting one hand in his hair and the other on his back. He felt Gregory loosen a bit, and heard him sigh.
"...I found her dead in the living room... hanging from the ceiling fan." The boy spat out, wiping his eyes with his left wrist.
Freddy's eyes widened. That was horrible... Gregory shouldn't have gone through so much at such a young age. He knew it was terrible to go through that at any age but...
He felt Gregory's arms tighten around his neck as some tears of his own escaped from his eyes.
"I am... so sorry, Gregory..." He murmured, gently pulling away. He got up and they started walking again.
"It... it's fine, Freddy. I don't really..." Care? I said that too. I did not mean it. I know you do not either.
"She..." he hiccuped a bit, taking a peice of paper out of his pocket. "...She left me this before... before... that happened..."
Curiosity got the best of him and he took the note into his hands, carefully unfolding it.
Gregory,
If you are reading this, I'm dead. I'm so sorry, my love. I wish you didn't have to go through any of that. I know things are hard right now, but you'll find a better family. I know you will.
I'm so, SO sorry for every pain he caused you. The only thing I don't regret from that relationship is you.
I'm sorry that you had to see me like this every time you looked in my direction. He got me. He won. But you won't do that, little lovebug. I know you won't, you're determined like that.
If you ever see him again, run. Run as fast as you can, as far as you can. Never stop running. Do anything you can to get away from him. Please. For the both of us.
I love you so, so much, lovebug. I hope you make the best of your life, stay safe.
I love you,
Mom
Freddy's hands shook involuntarily as he looked down at Gregory. He'd been through so much...
"Gregory, I..." was all he could say. His mouth moved but nothing came out. Gregory's eyes avoided his own as he looked at his shoes.
"...I did see him again. He was holding a knife and... and... he was cornering this lady in an alley. The cops came and took him away, but our eyes met and... he gave this wicked grin, I... I just can't get it out of my mind..." Freddy put a hand on his shoulder making Gregory flinch a little.
"I ran, just like she told me to. I ran and ran until... I found myself here..." His head lifted as he motioned to the lobby
"I... I just wanted to feel like a normal kid, y'know? So I... I snuck in here through the vents. When I saw your show and you fell... my body just urged me to crawl inside your stomach hatch. I'm not sure how nobody noticed but... here I am, and now I've got myself stuck in this shit situation." He said the last part a bit quieter so Freddy wouldn't scold him. He did hear, but knew Gregory was going through a lot right now.
What took Gregory by surprise was when Freddy knelt down again and gave a smile. A genuine, sweet smile. He thought he'd never see one of those ever again.
"It is... truly amazing how you have gotten this far." Freddy spoke, putting his hand on Gregory's shoulder. "I have been thinking... I know you have only been here a few hours and all, but now that I am aware of your backstory then I guess it makes sense to ask you this."
Gregory stared into Freddy's kind, blue eyes, wondering what he would ask.
"I know that it will not be a... sufficient living place, but... when this is all over, would you like to live here? With me?" His words stunned the young boy.
Live here? With him? What... why?
"...W...why?" Gregory asked, playing with his fingers.
"Because you are such an extraordinary child, and you have been through so much. It would be heartbreaking to see you have to return to the streets. I truly believe that you will be better off here than out there."
Gregory felt his eyes tear up. Did he really mean that? No, no, it had to be a joke. It had to. Nobody had ever called him "extraordinary" before. And most certain no one had ever taken him in.
"Are- are you sure? I- I don't wanna live here if it'll be a burden-"
"A burden? No, of course not! We have much food to spare, many clothes from the gift shop, and there are a decent amount of living supplies here. Un-unless, you do not want to, of course. I-I just believe it would be better for you to stay somewhere instead of a makeshift home..."
"No, I..." Gregory felt a true, happy smile form on his face for the first time in years. "I would love to!" He hugged Freddy once more, feeling happy tears slide down his face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
It melted Freddy's "heart" to see the child so happy. He always loved making children happy, but Gregory was... different. In a good way, of course. He felt a more... fatherly approach to him than with any other child.
Gregory pulled away, the smile disappearing. "But wait, what if Vanessa catches me? Or one of the animatronics? Then- then I'll get killed and I-"
"Gregory, do not worry! You will not be killed. Besides, I have a hunch about who is doing this."
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Word count: 1393
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Forever Lost To Passing Time {A Fronnie Story}
Fanfiction{COVER BY ME} {I HATE WATTPAD CROPPING} "No..." was all his voicebox could croak out. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. No, it couldn't be. This shouldn't be happening, he told himself. But it was. He was too late. {#1 in #TheyreGayYourHonor...
