Of course Freddy felt affection. It was an essential part of his programming, especially when interacting with children.
So, of course he felt affectionate towards the dirty, sassy child hiding in his stomach hatch. It was a programmed response. It wasn't anything different than what he'd felt with other guests, though he was certainly concerned that the child was in his stomach hatch and had no guest profile and no apparent supervision.
And then it...grew. It was the only way Freddy could think to put it. Somehow, the affection programmed into his systems had been amplified. Each time Gregory ran up to him with one of his finds and a victorious smile, his circuits warmed in an unfamiliar way.
He'd never felt before. Each child that came into the Pizzaplex would eventually leave. Freddy had learned long ago that getting attached would only lead to a foreign feeling in his circuits that would inevitably lead him to a reboot in Parts and Service.
But there were no technicians around to take note, and Gregory was Freddy's responsibility until the doors opened.
Maybe he could be selfish for the few hours he had with this boy. Just this once.
"So...head into Monty Golf to find the Fazcam?" Gregory said presently, squinting at the tiny map on his Fazwatch. "Sounds simple enough. I can probably get a security upgrade while I'm down there."
"The Fazcams will most likely be stored in the security office," Freddy agreed. Gregory lowered his arm, nodding as he started towards the garage door leading to Monty Golf. Freddy automatically followed, though Gregory stopped to look back at him, raising an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "You need to go charge. Besides, I'll be faster by myself."
"I have ample charge," Freddy replied, almost indignantly, his ears lifting, "and while you may be faster alone, you would be safer with me. Monty is arguably one of the most dangerous of my friends, and in his current...condition, he is also the most aggressive. I do not want to take unnecessary risks."
"If I need you," Gregory said, lifting his Fazwatch. He tapped the call button lightly. "I'll just call you."
But what if I do not get to you in time? Freddy tamped the thought down. "Alright, superstar," he responded instead. He reached forward, ruffling the boy's hair. Gregory huffed and shoved the animatronic's hand away, turning and taking off towards Monty Golf. "Be safe!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Gregory waved his arm in response, but didn't look back. Freddy's ears lowered slightly.
He waited until the garage door closed behind Gregory before turning on his heel to find a recharge station. A quick glance at the map in his system directed him to the nearest one on the next floor of the atrium, and he started towards it, all the while trying to sort out the mess in his processors.
Freddy had never allowed himself to want something before. Well, he supposed he wanted to bring joy to children, to their families, he wanted to see them smile as he sang and danced across the stage, but it was all programmed. He was a robot; he wasn't supposed to want things.
But wasn't him wanting something the same as Roxy's need to be the best? Or Chica's constant hunger, despite the technicians' best efforts to rid her programming of it? Or even Monty's aggression, brought about by constantly being second to a decommissioned animatronic?
Now that Freddy thought about it, was that why the others, his friends, sometimes glanced at him with what he could only call jealousy? Because he was the perfect performer, the picture perfect mascot of the Pizzaplex?
