Thanatophobia| MICHAEL AFTON x READER

14| neurodivergent brain

1st person Michael Afton POV

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They haven't been at work for the past few days.

And they haven't answered their phone either. I recently added them into mine since I planned on seeing them more often. I tried going to their building, but they never answered the buzzer.

This worried me. Very very much.

until Friday, when they FINALLY showed up to work, a grin wide on their face. I felt so unreasonably mad that I locked myself in my office until 5 pm. This just put me through longer hell with these vent demons.

I had to face them sooner or later though, and I know that my rage for this week-long ghosting isn't exactly understandable...

But, when I stepped out of the office, I saw their face light up. They approached me quickly, nudging me with their hip as they came to stand by me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. It made my head feel light.

"Where have you been?" I stared down at them, my expression looking blank from the mask on my face.

"Sick." They shrugged. "And my power was out, the whole building was, so I had no way of communication without my cell being charged." I nodded as their arm looped with mine, pulling me into the back staff room. I got chills when I looked at Lefty, which hadn't moved.

"I Was worried," I said slowly, flinching when their grip on my arm tightened. "It's okay, I'm glad you're alright." I shrugged them off. "Just worried."

"Are you okay?" I felt their hand rest on my jaw while the other one grabbed the bottom of my mask, lifting it up slightly. I stared at them for a moment, then turned my gaze to the wall behind them.

"Yeah, Y/N, don't worry." I chuckled softly, grabbing their wrists and sliding my hands into their hands. I saw them grin, and they intertwined their fingers with mine. "Just...try to get ahold of me next time."

"It seriously never crossed my mind, Mikey." They shook their head, withdrawing their hands from mine. "Im glad you're alright though. This won't come out of my pay, right?"

I almost laughed. "We'll see."

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At 6 pm, I was pulled out of the back employee room by a very unhappy mother. She wanted to speak to me directly due to something that was, as she said, very important.

Apparently, Mr. Hippo hit her child in the head with his microphone...problem is, Mr. Hippo doesn't have a microphone...He only waves his arms around and moves his torso. This is why this problem confused me so much when I was met with a sobbing, snotty-nosed child and a fuming mother.

"Er...Well, He doesn't have a microphone..." I said slowly, flinching when the mother raised her voice again to tell me what an idiot I was, jabbing her index finger in the direction of Mr. Hippo, who was completely innocent.

"Are you calling my child a liar?" The mother jabbed her finger in my direction.

"Well- No...but-"

"But you're saying he's wrong!" She snapped again.

"Because He is! God!" I threw my hands up in the air, then grabbed at my hair, groaning. "My God, Woman, the Hippo didn't hit your kid unless he was up on the stage, where it is roped off, and he managed, SOMEHOW, to grow tall enough to where Mr. Hippo's hands can reach him. The kid can barely reach his waist!"

The woman looked like I had smacked her in the face. She clutched her child, slowly shaking her head as she took her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Im going to post a horrible review of this place on Yelp! So help me, you and your business are SO DONE!" Her voice shrieked.

"One bad review isn't going to send me out of business..." I huffed, shrugging as she stormed out of the building. I backed up from the stage, my index finger tugging at the knot on my tie, pulling it away from my neck as I strode back to the staff room, where Y/N was waiting. Their face fell as I came in.

"Not good?" They said.

"No shit." I snapped. They flinched when I did that, so I withdrew, my hands landing on their shoulders. "Sorry. Stupid people."

Their hands took the bottom rim of my mask and pulled it up so my face was exposed. They left it sitting on top of my head, making my hair bunch up on my forehead. My skin ran warm when they cupped my cheeks.

"It's okay." They said finally. "We get lots of those. They don't usually cause any harm though. I've never seen you this agitated before."

"She was awful." I shook my head.

"Sounds like it." They did the same, letting their hands slide off my face and down onto my arms. My head tilted to the side as their right hand rested on my shoulder, then to my jaw. I shivered.

"Stop that." I huffed, making them pull their hands away. I turned my back to them, raising my arms to pop the joints in my shoulders as I walked to the other side of the room. We had a game of go fish set up, but we stopped halfway because of that lady.

"Should we continue?" They asked, but I shook my head.

"Won't be as fun now..." I said cooly, swiping all of the cards into a pile and stacking them back up so they were neat. I then wrapped them up with an elastic band. Then I sat down at the table. "Love, come sit in front of me, please." I looked at them.

They were already pulling the chair out.

I had a notebook already on the table and a pencil to go with it...all I needed was Y/N. I practiced art throughout my entire life- I've gotten good with blueprinting and whatnot, but I've enjoyed doodling and sketching things in my spare time. (Canon)

I stared at them for a moment...I almost forgot what I was doing when they started back at me, but when they finally blinked, my eyes went right back down to my parchment. I've drawn them multiple times...most without their consent, but it's mostly side angles and moments I've caught in the kitchen at their place or when we watch movies together. The way they sit down, or the way they cock their hip in one direction while standing in front of the stove...I find it oddly attractive, and I can't help but keep my hands busy while waiting.

I do this by drawing them.

Only this time, they're modeling for me. they were sitting slightly sideways in the chair, their right elbow leaning on the table, their chin resting on their palm. their legs weren't crossed, but their ankles were. Their hair was i/l, and it was i/c.(If you have no hair, ignore that part). Their eyes were i/c, and they stared intently at me, giving me that woozy, light feeling in my stomach whenever I would look up to admire than before returning my gaze to the drawing.

I turned the notebook and pushed it towards them when I was finished. They stared at it for a while, biting their lip and squinting their eyes as they analyzed every bit of it...I'm assuming...they were smiling, though.

"You are very talented, Mike." They said softly, pushing the notebook back towards me. I just shrugged, accepting the compliment. "YOu could sell stuff like that."

"I don't know about that, dear." I stood up and tucked my notebook back into the employee lockers. "I don't want to do it to make money. I just want it for the fun."

They nodded as I turned my head to look at them. I approached them and pulled them to me, my arms around the smell of their back. Their hands reached up to my face, where they pulled down a small part of the bandages to kiss me. When they moved the bandages back into place, they pulled my mask back down.

"Time to get back to work...I can't keep you back here all day." They insisted, pushing me by the small of my back.

"You need to work too, Y/N." I opened the door, pushing them out first. "I pay you, remember?"

"Right right...keep that attitude, Mikey." Their voice hitched, and I felt my skin heat up. It made my whole body itchy.

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