madwoman || william afton

chapter seven

Stretching her legs, (Y/N) watched William arch his back into the backseats, unbuckling Evan from his booster seat.

On Thursdays, Evan didn't have preschool, explained Afton. It was rather inconvenient considering his circumstances, but it was what it was. His baby boy would come to the diner twice a week, in comparison to the other two, who were only available to turn up on Saturdays. It wasn't all that bad, he'd added, stating that one of the employees just so happened to double as a babysitter, and kept watch over Evan while his father worked. Not a big deal.

Pulling out the baby, he set him down, shutting the car door. Evan gripped onto two of his dad's fingers, reaching his other hand out to (Y/N). Understanding what he was asking for, she lended him two fingers of her own which he gratefully accepted, wrapping his chubby little hand around them. He giggled, waving his arms to and fro in a pendulum-like rhythm. It was so cute... the (H/C)-ette could've melted from how adorable Evan was.

Stepping into the diner, Henry was the first to greet them, smiling brightly.

"You guys look–look like one happy family!"

(E/C) scanned Emily's skinny frame, a warm feeling bubbling in her chest. She glanced down at Evan, and up at William, a shy smile spreading across her face. If Henry kept saying things that pleased her ears, perhaps she'll have to delay his murder. Hearing those sorts of things... yes, she wanted that more often. God damnit, why couldn't other people mistake them for a husband, wife and newborn son, too? She enjoyed the tingling sensation it gave her.

"Yes, well." William coughed, eyeing the empty pizzeria, trying to find a certain someone. "Where's Alice?"

"Al–Alice? Alice resigned, err, at the beginning of the week, I think. Didn't, um, didn't you know?"

"I did not, no." William frowned, scowling. "That's unfortunate. Where in the Hell am I going to find a—"

(Y/N) connected the dots right at that moment, cutting off her boss to mention, "I can keep Evan!" She grinned sheepishly at Afton's directed glare at her for interrupting him. She didn't let him finish, regardless, finishing herself, "It's only for today, right? Not too hard for me!"

"Are you sure, love? Evan isn't like—"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda!" (Y/N) blabbered, snickering at William's glower from being cut off a second time. "He loves me, don't you Evan?"

"Yah! Yah! Yah!" Evan mimicked, beaming up at the woman and tugging her. He let go of his father's fingers, who blinked at the loss of contact, rubbing his cold digits with a foreign look in his eyes. She couldn't quite decipher what it was, but it put her on edge, the slightest. Blinking away the gloom, William ran those fingers through his hair, nodding at his counterpart.

"Keep him safe, alright, darling? If he gets irritated, bring him to my office immediately. He's not a cryer, but if he does, again, bring him to my office. Don't give him any of the pizza, I don't want him food poisoned. Make a trip to the toilets every hour or so, he's a cheeky man who won't tell you when he needs it." He listed, chuckling under his breath at the last part.

"Whatever you say, William." She responded playfully, with some seriousness in her tone to reassure him.

"Yes, it is what I say, and you'll follow my orders." He wasn't in the mood for jokes, or it had flown over his head. But why was he so oddly commanding, more so than often, to begin with?

"Yeah? I planned on anyways."

"Mm, obedient dog."

"I will bite you."

"Don't threaten me with a good time."

"Uh, guy–guys... let's not..." Henry winced, standing between them like a peacemaker of some sort. Even he found the aura to be quite... strange.