The Bond

Ch 66

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

["You've arrived home, haven't you?"]

"If I wasn't home I wouldn't be able to answer your call, Lucy."

Michael rolled his eyes tired of hearing Lucy's question on the other end of the call, then Lucy's nervous laugh was faintly heard. Michael couldn't understand why Lucy was so worried about him today, from telling him to go home early and taking a detour to calling him to make sure he got home okay.

Luckily the landline was still working fine, Michael felt suspicious that Ennard was fixing the old phone here. Michael glanced down the kitchen path for a moment, making sure Ennard was still there.

"So, Lucy, I'm going to your house tomorrow."

["You'll come the day after tomorrow."]

"Why!?"

["Because I don't want anything to happen to you for now!"]

Michael's brow furrowed deeply at Lucy's words, and he could sense the worry again—Lucy had been looking really anxious lately. "You'll have to explain everything to me later."

["Don't worry."]

"I should be the one telling you that, you've been so weird lately." Michael exhaled tiredly and tucked the receiver between his ear and shoulder as his fingers fiddled with the phone cord. "Weird."

["You don't have to say it twice."]

"Weird."

["Now I understand why Ennard sees you as an annoying bitch."]

"Hey!"

"She's right."

Michael turned around in surprise when Ennard suddenly stepped into the conversation—how long had Ennard been standing behind him anyway?!

"Eavesdropper!" Michael said annoyed.

Ennard didn't look offended at all. "Dawson's right."

"No need to repeat it!"

["Karma."]

Michael's cheeks puffed up after Lucy joined in with a mischievous voice. "I'll just close it, bye."

["M-Mike wait a minute—"]

The eldest Afton had already closed the call.

Ennard gave a small snort. "You're so childish," he said half mockingly, while Michael stuck his tongue out at him. "I wonder how you can go from being vindictive edgy to childish moron like this."

"Thanks to you."

Ennard raised his eyebrows at Michael's reply, it was clear on his face that Ennard didn't understand at all. "What?"

"You won't understand, you're an idiot."

"There's a mirror in the bathroom, should I stick your face in there?"

Michael once again stuck his tongue at Ennard.

The animatronic finally let out a small sigh and chose not to argue further with this shorty. "Don't try to bother me tonight."

"Why?" Michael tilted his head, a speculation formed in his head and Michael narrowed his eyes sharply. "You don't intend to repair the endoskeleton, do you?" he said suspiciously, but Ennard shrugged nonchalantly. "Enn!"

"I don't have any intentions!" Ennard retorted in exasperation. "But maybe, well, maybe I'll fix it."

"Ennard!"

"Shut your mouth."

"Get your face down to mine then."

A blush immediately took over Ennard's cheeks while his bicoloured eyes widened in disbelief at Michael who seemed completely unaffected after replying to his words. "Are you crazy?!"

"Hmm, maybe."

"You are crazy!"

"I'm just kidding." Michael laughed, the corner of Ennard's eyes twitching in anger. "Besides, I didn't expect you to blush so easily."

The blush on Ennard's cheeks grew even thicker. "You bastard!"

A grin spread across Michael's face, Ennard gritted his teeth in annoyance. "It turns out that an animatronic like you can be flustered too," Michael teased—that was his reason for teasing Ennard every time Ennard was in his human form, he wouldn't be able to see Ennard feeling nervous and visibly flustered in his animatronic form.

And Ennard suddenly changed his form.

Honestly Ennard looked scary now, but Michael was still grinning happily, of course he was used to Ennard's real face which is a robot with incomplete units with a slightly cracked clown mask.

"Just watch, Benedict, I'll make you regret it by completing that endoskeleton without your permission."

The grin on Michael's face disappeared. "Bet," Michael said seriously, his eyes narrowing again at Ennard. "You can't, hah!"

"Bet."

Michael pressed his lips together tightly, now he looked angry. Ennard lowered his head only to look right into Michael's purple eyes, he seemed to be giving the eldest Afton a mocking look. They just exchanged hate glances at each other for a few minutes, until Michael suddenly jumped up with a hand outstretched to Ennard's face and—

He pressed Ennard's round red nose until it made a sound like a rubber duck.

Ennard was dumbfounded, Michael smiled widely.

"You'll regret that."

Michael jumped again to press Ennard's nose, an imaginary crossroad appeared on Ennard's forehead.

"Benedict!"

This was the third time Michael pressed his nose and Michael immediately darted away from Ennard while laughing out loud, running from Ennard who started chasing him.