The Bond

Ch 113

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

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

=o^o=

Michael paced the living room uneasily, biting his knuckles anxiously as he glanced over and over again at the curtained window. Then Michael sat down on the sofa, his head bowed as he planted his fingers in his brown hair, tugging at it in frustration. He really didn't like this feeling, he was afraid that something would happen to Lucy.

"Afton, calm down." Ennard came in shortly after, a faint look of concern appeared on Ennard's face when Ennard looked at him.

"I don't know," Michael replied quietly. "She left this morning and it's almost dark now. Where did Lucy go anyway? She said she would only buy flower seeds and it wouldn't take long!" Michael lifted his legs up onto the couch and hugged his knees to his chest tightly.

Ennard was silent for a moment. "Maybe, she went on a sudden date with that girl?"

The eldest Afton bit his lower lip, he wanted to believe Ennard's assumption but he didn't want to lie to himself that bad things might have happened. Michael exhaled tiredly and hid his face in his knees, all these worries made him feel dizzy, he couldn't think straight. Michael pursed his lips together, his fingernails starting to dig into the skin of his arms fearfully.

He felt Ennard sitting beside him, then Ennard's hand holding his gently, made him feel more at ease. His shoulders slumped and he leaned against Ennard's body lightly, while the red-haired man wrapped his arms around his neck and brought him closer.

"That's all right," Ennard said to him. "I'll make sure everything's okay."

"can't promise." Ennard looked into his eyes solemnly. "But I can try so that nothing happens to you."

"To Lucy?"

"Fine, to Dawson too."

Michael chuckled a little, before he nuzzled his head under Ennard's chin and ended up in his lap, wrapping his arms around Ennard's neck before burying his face in the man's broad shoulders, hugging Ennard tightly. "Thank you for not leaving me," he whispered.

For a minute Ennard was silent, just gently stroking Michael's brown hair. "I won't leave you again, Michael."

Michael smiled behind their embrace.

Before he was confused when Ennard pushed him away until he returned to his original seat and Ennard stood up from the couch. "Where are you going?" Michael asked incredulously, watching Ennard walk towards the door after picking up the jacket hanging on a coat hanger in the corner of the living room.

"Looking for Dawson." Ennard held the doorknob and instead of opening it he turned to Michael. "Stay here, if I don't come back in two hours, go to the attic and hide."

Michael didn't answer anything, he seemed like he wanted to stop Ennard from leaving but he couldn't say anything else, so he nodded. Ennard smiled at him briefly, then the man came out of the house and closed the door, he heard the door being locked from outside. Michael jogged over to the living room window and opened a crack in the curtains to see where Ennard had gone—Ennard was walking quickly, he no longer showed himself in the crowded streets, so Michael could only hope for Ennard that he will be okay.

-EC-

In this area there was only one flower shop nearby, Ennard glanced left and right a few times to keep an eye on the people passing by. His sensory system was active, information about them appeared like a hologram inside his head—only basic information. They were all just strangers and there was no sign of any scientists or Halbergs around. Ennard stepped into the flower shop, the bell jingling as he opened the door.