Robotic Hearts, and The Terror Soon To Come

Honey That's Only The Beginning.

Moon's mumbling worsened over time, becoming mostly incoherent. You didn't have much time to worry for him though, as he hastily and unexpectedly stood up. Slowly, you were lowered to the ground, getting a steady footing before he fully released you.

"I.. I need to do something... Would you like to come with me..?"

You nodded, eager to do, anything really.

"Good, very good."

Moon left you there briefly, coming back with your dirtied clothes in a little box. He nodded, box tucked under his arm. Your hand was grasped gently and the two of you headed out. He peaked around every corner before turning it, but it didn't seem to bother you. Your little escapade ended in one of the lowest levels of the building, a room filled with rather large washing machines. There were those funky foam things from the daycare scattered about. You'd have to remember them, they were prime fort making material.

Your eyes drifted back to Moon, who had put your clothes and a few of the foam shapes into one of the machines. He beckoned for you to come closer, to which you complied happily.

"This one turns it on..." He tapped at one of the buttons, then at a knob. "This controls how fast it goes." Moon sat there for about a minute or two, just explaining how to use a washing machine. It didn't really matter if you already knew how to or not. He just wanted to feel like he was teaching you something, like he was setting you up for a good future. Not that he planned on letting you go once you were an adult, it was more so for the sentiment.

After running you that, and actually starting the load, Moon decided it was time to dance. He grabbed your arm and spun you around, brimming with joy when it elicited laughter. For nearly half an hour you would dance and spin and be thrown up into the air.

Moon knelt down in front of you, arms outstretched. "Come to Moony.." He called out softly.

You ran into his arms, being swung around and then held to his chest. He rubbed your head as he started back to the daycare. Sun was sitting up there, seemingly waiting for the both of you.

"Ohh, there you two are!" He clapped.

"Mhm, me 'n little were washing some clothes.."

"Aww, you 'n little huh? You get softer by the day." He poked Moon in the nose, giggling to himself.

Moon scoffed and adjusted to hold you on his hip. "If you say so.. Anyways, I was thinking of trying to bake something with m- our little star.. Would you like to tag along?"

Sun gasped. "Oh absolutely! .. But our snack time area doesn't have a stove.."

"Kitchen."

"A-are we allowed in the kitchen?"

Moon shrugged. "The bird goes in there all the time."

"Bird, what bird?..." Sun gave him the most disappointed look his barely expressive faceplate could manage. "Moon don't call her that, it's rude..."

"You knew who I was talking about."

"Yeah but-"

"Do you want to go bake or not?"

Sun huffed a bit, but that was the end of it.

...

Moon kept you on his hip as he collected the ingredients, having you hold some of them. He handed you a half full bag of chocolate chips and rubbed your nose. Sun disappeared the second he saw the state of the area, and you didn't see him again until Moon had gathered everything he needed. You two would come back to him scrubbing down every surface he could see. He was already done with a surprising amount.

"What.. What's all this?" Moon asked amusedly.

"This kitchen is FILTHY!" Sun threw his hands up in exasperation.

Moon chuckled and started setting up.

"No no no, what are you doing!?"

"Sunny.. We only need this one part.."

"But it's dirty!"

"And it's not your job to clean it."

"Well... Well... I'll be telling someone about this!"

Moon chuckled. "Okay then."

He put you down and laid a loving hand on the side of your face.

"We're going to make cookies, does that sound good, little one?"

You nodded, oh what could be better. Moon did most of the actual cooking, but tried his hardest to make it both fun and educational for you. Sun continued on cleaning, this time focusing on things you needed in the moment.

Moon gently cradled the back of your hand in his and stuck an egg in it. He delicately guided your fingers until he felt they were in the right place.

"Alright, baby-est... I want you to hit it softly on the counter..." He whispered.

You did as you were told, looking up at Moon in search of approval. He nodded and continued.

"Now.. Try and pull the two sides apart for me..."

You managed to separate the sides of the eggshell, only getting a little bit of it in the bowl. A wave of anxiety hit you upon seeing that you'd gotten some shell in the bowl. But Moon didn't seem upset in the slightest, he just rubbed your side with one hand and picked the pieces out with the other.

"Thanks for the help, little one..."

Moon let you pour in a lot of the ingredients, carefully measuring out each one before handing them to you. He even let you mix it, again, with his assistance.

The cookies were put in the oven to bake, and you were scooped right back up. Moon sat on the floor, setting you on his lap, sheltering you in his arms. A soothing melody left his voice box, Sun swayed around you two, dancing and humming to his brother's song. They did that for the whole fifteen minutes. Occasionally breaking out silly voices, performing little skits.

Once that was said and done, Moon stuck the finished products in some random container he'd found. Sun led you out the door as Moon stopped and thought. Oh, how in a perfect world he'd have a nice cookie jar. In a perfect world he'd have a nice little house to put it in. In a perfect world he'd have a nice little house to hold his family in...

Moon was pulled from his thoughts by a sudden crash. He jerked his head towards the noise, eyes landing on none other than Glamrock Chica herself. They stared at each other for a few seconds, neither one expecting to be found, both knowing they were doing something wrong. Moon sighed after a moment, shoved a cookie into her beak, and put a finger over his mouth. Chica seemed to understand, she nodded a few times as she walked off. Moon hurriedly ran to catch up with you and Sun.

You had your treats, you had your fun. The twins told you numerous stories, acting them out to their fullest. And then it was time to rest. Moon sent you to go get into some pajamas in his room while he spoke to his brother. You did as you were told, found what needed finding, wore what needed wearing, all with a smile on your face. As you skipped back to your party, you stepped on something that nearly sent you flying. But alas, here you were on your feet, so why not investigate.

A picture, of you, that you did not remember being taken. You tried to see where it came from, finding a box of similar items knocked over under Moon's bed. You froze up, the urge to dig overwhelming the one to scream. The comforting sound of Sun and Moon's banter hit your ears. ... Surely they wouldn't notice if you were gone for a little while longer. So you dug through the spilled contents of the box, finding even more pictures of you. You found every craft you'd ever made in that daycare. You found that knight helmet you'd played with. And you found a drawing, not one of yours, made in colored pencil. It displayed you, Sun, and Moon, all sat together. It was surprisingly detailed, and contained no signature. It simply had the word 'Family' written in blue, cursive lettering.

You stared, and stared, and stared, and then crammed it all back under the bed in a panic. You couldn't hear Sun or Moon anymore, only your heartbeat and trembling breath. You sat on the floor, sniffling, crying into your sleeve. It was terrifying, you didn't quite know why, but something in you was screaming danger at the mere thought of it all. And, subconsciously or not, a lot of the moments in those pictures felt private to you. You didn't even think about the possibility that someone you knew took those pictures and managed to get them printed. Maybe it just hurt too much.

You sat there crying for a good few minutes, as quietly as possible.

Moon burst into the room, gathering you into his clutches immediately.

"Oh, no no no, I'm so sorry, little one!" He sounded frantic, but that was the last of your concerns.

"Hey, hey, talk to me, honey..."

You couldn't, you just couldn't. It was all too much, you just wanted what you saw to go away.

Sun came in, clearly concerned, though not as much as Moon was.

"Oh dear.. Are they okay?"

Moon kept his eyes on you.

"I.. I think they're just tired.. But it can be hard to tell.. I think I'm going to lay down with them for a while.."

"Okay, if you're sure.."

He wasn't sure at all, not in the slightest. But, you couldn't be sad while you were sleeping, right?

"Yeah.. I'm sure.. I-I washed some of the kid's clothes downstairs.. Can you hang it up for me? ... It should be down now..."

"Alright... Good luck, Moony."

And with that, Moon would rock you, he'd sing, he'd shush. And you'd end up crying to sleep in his arms. He cupped your sleeping, tear stained, face, whispering as faintly as the wind.

"I'm so sorry I didn't hear you sooner... Sleep well, my little love..."