William Afton x Reader: Victorian Era AU

Chapter Five: More than You Bargained For

William Afton's words elicited a cynical smirk upon your lips. You tossed your head to the side to avoid eye contact with him.

"What options do I have?" You scoffed at his question of what you would do now that you knew the truth about him: that he was a murderer. "I join you or I die?"

"While dying is certainly always an option, it is an elective choice, and I would not do something so drastic without reason." William seemed amused, as if he was toying with you despite the serious nature of the question. To make certain that he was aware that you noticed this, you turned your head back toward him and gave him a subtle glare.

William's smile faded in response and his tone became more apologetic. "You always have free will to decline and go back home." He told you with a sincere gaze. His voice was lower and tinged with heartache. "No one would blame you for walking away."

His shift to sincerity caused you to falter, silently attempting to make sense of his motives in your mind. You looked upon the sadness etched in his face, of which he usually hid so well.

"Alternatively," William's charming mask whisked away his sorrow once more, and his eyes fell upon you softly. "You could come live with me in my castle." He offered.

Somehow, you were not surprised by this reveal. He had several times hinted toward wanting you in his life, yet, still you remained unconvinced as to why that was.

Sensing your apprehension, William looked slightly nervous, which struck you as odd and only increased your suspicion; wondering to yourself, 'What does he have at stake which could cause such a powerful man to fear losing someone so ordinary?'

While you wordlessly ruminated, William diminished the silence with an attempt to persuade you. "You'll have all the time you'd ever need to attain your dreams and live the way you'd always longed for." He assured you in his best debonair display. "Your happiest days are ahead." His voice was confident, however his eyes betrayed his worry. "I offer you all of this and immortality, merely in exchange for your amity, forever." He took a knee before you, reaching his hand to you, with a mild distress flawing his usual composed and self-assured manner.

"First off, I don't need anyone saving me;" You made clear. "Even if my life isn't where I want it to be and I don't know how to improve it- that doesn't mean that some day I won't figure it out. You're offering me a convenient solution, but you're also asking me to overlook a lot, too." You explained to him. He listened quietly, hanging on your every word, nodding with understanding. "Furthermore, why would you ever do all of that for me?" You asked with an air of mild exasperation, shaking your head.

William's gently distressed and hopeful expression did not shift even slightly, as he looked upon you with eyes full of anguished longing. "I enjoy your company." His words were hushed, genuine and open. "I have endless time, abundant resources, all of which further the pursuit of my passions, yet no one to share my research and discoveries with." He lowered his extended hand slowly.

From this perspective, with such a tower of a man kneeling beneath you, he appeared to you as if he were exposed and vulnerable. You felt a sense of power, realising that your rejection of him could inflict scars that would not ever heal. Perhaps you were the only one who could truly harm him. Despite this knowledge, it was abundantly clear now that you were unable to deny his honesty, and you now felt more conflicted than ever.

The option of this whole encounter being some elaborate scheme- masterfully woven by a con man- was fading away, leaving you with a stronger sense of ignited intrigue. There was more he was not telling you, that much was certain; and you aimed to discover what he was hiding.

William allowed his eyes to drift away from you, flicking briefly across the people still dancing nearby. "This is the life I dreamed of, however, in the passing years I've realised- one thing lacking in my life is someone to cosset. Although I am averse to showing weakness, I admit... that I am lonely." He continued to dismally scan the merry crowd.