The Fall of the Aftons

042: William Afton

William didn't get home till it was close to 11 PM. He hadn't stayed that late at work in years, and boy, was he exhausted. He seriously wanted to go to bed. But first, he had to check on Terrance and Michael. Check that they ate dinner, did their homework, completed any chores that need to be done, et cetera. Usually, when he got home, he was greeted by Michael offering him dinner or asking how his day was and Terrance watching the television or talking to Apollo if it was tutor day. But today, he wasn't greeted like that. He wasn't worried. It was late. The boys were probably upstairs, sleeping.

He went upstairs and set his work bag in his office, then went to Terrance's room down the hall. The door was closed, but streams of light were coming out from underneath it. Why was he still up? He should be in bed! Both boys had school tomorrow.

William quietly knocked on Terrance's bedroom door. "Terrance? Could I talk to you?"

No response. But he went inside anyway.

He quickly found Terrance. He was at his desk, draped over it. His open backpack was thrown across the room, with unfinished homework and test papers with Cs and Fs written in bright red ink. Some of them had small notes written on them. Some of them didn't. Either way, he was crying. Pretty loudly, too. It was most likely over the homework sloppily organized on the desktop, but it could be about his grades in general.

"Oh, Terry," William mumbled sadly. He rushed to Terrance's side and rubbed his back in a caring manner. Terrance flinched--he hadn't heard William come in--and looked up at him with the eyes of one who is ready to give up. 

"C-Can you help me?" Terrance asked quietly. He wiped his eyes with his arm, but it only smeared his tears across his face. "I-It's getting easier--Apollo's been helpful--but it's still really, really difficult--I have so much stuff left to do--and it's getting late, and I just can't focus--and it doesn't help that I have a headache from all of it, and I--"

"Woah, woah, woah! Settle down!" William exclaimed worriedly. He pulled his nephew up onto his feet and wrapped him in a huge hug. "I'll help you, okay? You know I always do."

Terrance reluctantly backed away from the hug, then wiped his eyes again. "T-Thank you, Uncle." He sniffled, then sat back down in his chair. "It means a lot."

William smiled sadly. "Not a problem."