No one ever leaves the factory

Chapter 5

It was deep night as you heard a little fist knock on your door.

Five days had passed since you had first woken up in this bed. By the time you were even brought fresh Clothes of the highest quality.
Oompa Loompas had asked you to make requests for what they should bring you, even after you said for the fifth time that you wouldn't need anything. To be honest, you started to enjoy this lifestyle more and more. Despite Wonka being strange, he was a friendly man, and this place was big enough to find something new every day. You were now being taken care of by a wealthy man, who brought you candy and small gifts like flowers and jewelry whenever he had the chance. You began to feel more comfortable around him with each passing hour.
However, the conversations between Willy and you stayed the same. He would be joyful and talkative until something - you hadn't figured out yet what triggered him yet - left him in silence. Then he would either change the topic or leave without saying anything else. It was weird, but you would not judge people for mental illness or whatever made him act that way. A Trauma? You didn't know. What you did know was that he felt bad for interrupting the conversations. Each time he tried to speak but couldn't, you could see the guilt in his eyes.

So as soon as you heard the knock, you got up and opened the door. An Oompa Loompa dressed in a suit stood there. He tugged at your pajama pants. Confused, you kneeled down to listen.
"Come." He simply said.
-"where are we going?"
"To Mr. Wonkas living area." The little man turned around and walked along the corridor until he was at the small door with the W-sign. Taking a key, he unlocked it and pushed it open. You had to crouch to fit through. Why on earth would anyone want a door so small?
Inside, it was pitch-black. The Oompa Loompa, though, knew his way around and urged you to follow before your eyes could adjust to the darkness. After leading you through about three other rooms, you finally arrived at your destination. You could make out a bed and a figure curled up and lying on its side. Willy Wonka. This was his bedroom. Your heartbeat quickened. Oh no, you made a mistake trusting him. Now you would be forced to sleep with him.
Your knees began to feel weak. "Willy?"

-"Darling... please. Come here." A quiet voice answered you.
You contorted your face in discomfort, taking a few steps towards him. "In your bed?"
-"Yah..."
Despite your aversion, you carefully climbed into bed, laying down with your face turned away from him. Your body was stiff, and your breath was shaky in a desperate attempt to calm yourself. Please don't hurt me, please...

Expecting him to touch you immediately, you were surprised when you didn't even feel a single touch for a long time. After moments of awkward silence and tension, a hesitant hand reached out to touch your shoulder. In a gentle motion, Willy's hand started to stroke your skin, as gentle as if you were made of glass. You heard uneven breathing, signaling that he was trying to say something again but failed to find the right words. "Why are you afraid?" His voice finally came out very quiet.

-"You know exactly why, Willy; I know you have intentions with me." You answered coldly. The spark of sympathy you felt for him threatened to get swallowed by the dark. You didn't know why, but you kind of wished that, against all laws of men's nature, Willy really just wanted to sleep with his hand on your shoulder instead of raping you.
"What intentions?" The genuine confusion in his voice made you snap out of your thoughts.
-"Ugh.. Don't play dumb now." You answered. "You want to sleep with me."
"Well yah I do..."
You felt your heart sink. So this was it? Your eyes began to water slightly from fear and something else... heartbreak? Betrayal? Why that, you had nothing to expect from this creep from the first place, huh?
„I'm so sorry. But I'm scared. You don't need to be close to me at all, but I would like it if you stayed next to me."
-„huh?" Then why did he say that he wanted to sleep with you.. Did he really just mean sleeping next to you? Was he really that innocent? The spark of sympathy reignited, stronger than before. You even smiled.

All that Willy heard from you was silence, as you were lost in thoughts. He didn't see the smile on your face and wasn't close enough to feel your body relax. He pulled his hand back, turning around as quickly as possible. It had been a bad idea. He thought. It had just been a panic attack, and how could he have expected you to feel comfortable in a bed with him? No one wanted to comfort a broken man. And of course, you would be shocked when he would show you his real self without the smile.
You didn't know all the things that made him have this anxiety. And he hadn't known either until the kids had reminded him of his father. Since then, more and more flashbacks had come, especially at night, when he couldn't distract himself anymore. They made his heart race in the most uncomfortable way ever. He had thought that with you there, the thoughts would stop. But it only made it worse because he knew that you were uncomfortable here. Yet, he did not have the courage to let you go. He was desperate; he wanted to cry. But tears wouldn't come. He was frozen and unable to speak or move. His mind was racing, yet his body was still. He needed help. Someone to take him back to the surface of this stormy ocean he called his mind.

It was when you realized he had fallen into his quiet state again. A flashback? A moment of uncertainty? It was hard to tell. But one thing was sure:. Willy Wonka did turn quiet when he felt deeply uncomfortable. Stupid common sense. He was not dangerous, and he was not making you uncomfortable anymore. He held you captive, but did you care? Did you actually still care? Deep down, you knew that you liked the factory. And that you liked him.
„I'm sorry. I can sleep here with you, okay?" You whispered.
You heard the sheets rustle as Willy turned around. As you turned around as well, you two were facing each other. With a questioning look, he reached out to touch you. And this time, you leaned into his gentle touch. As careful as him, you reached out too, touching his back. He responded with a soft noise and a shiver, yet allowing the touch and even leaning into it.
Somehow, he reminded you of a shy cat. Your mother used to say:. Let them come to you first. They should make the first move, and then you can try to touch them carefully.
And now you did as she had told you. You waited patiently until he dared to make the next move, running his hand down to your back. Clumsy and way too gentle, he tried to pull you closer.
"Yes." You gave him a nod of approval to hug you. His eyes glistened happily as he shifted closer and hugged you. No one said anything, but you understood each other anyway. Now that you were finally close to him, you realized how good he smelled, how soft his hands were, and how tender and loving he caressed you. And as the minutes passed, you fell asleep in each other's arms. Both happy and calm.