Thanatophobia| MICHAEL AFTON x READER

37| timely fashion

1st person Michael POV

I will fix the typos super soon.

====

Y/N finally is joining me for work today. they're feeling good. they slept well, had a great breakfast. we haven't had any conflict in the last 25 hours, and they held my hand on the way there. They smiled ate when I opened the door for them.

"has that poster always been there?" They questioned, pointing to the random poster hanging where the hole in the wall is. they don't know about that.

"no. I got a new sponsor, so I had to hang up some posters." I hooked my arm around the small of their back, showing them around the building. the floors were new, the stage was fixed up with new lights, Number One Crate now had the spotlight, and a new animatronic stood in its old place.

I love the number one crate.

"What's with you and that crate?" Y/N said, wrecking my happy thoughts about Number One crate.

"He was the first animatronic here. he's special." I explain.

"it's a plastic crate with foam hands and googly eyes..." They laughed. "but whatever makes you happy..."

"you didn't even notice the new guy I have up there!" I pointed to the elephant, which was orange and yellow.

"Ohhh he's very dashing." They said cooly, giving me a thumbs up. "I'm glad to see the place hasn't gone to crud since I've been gone."

"you've been gone like...maybe a few days..." I sigh. They just shrug and walk to the other side of the room, where the employee workroom was.

"That smell is back...oh and- ew..." They turned on the water fountain on the wall. the water came out brown. "the water is brown again..."

"I can go to the back and see what's up with it...I'll bet it's from all the rain- the pipes are probably muddied up."

"I'll come with you-" They said, but I held up my hand, stopping them mid-sentence.

"I'd rather you didn't."

"why? how will I know what to do if you aren't here?" They protested.

"I-" I stopped to think. "Ask someone else- why wouldn't I be here?"

they shrugged, turning off the fountain.

"please? I'll just stand there and watch, I don't want to be left in here alone...remember what happened last time?" They shuddered. I felt my body tense.

"well...I guess...but stay close, okay? this place was built weird, so the pipes are outside in the back alley." I approached them and hooked my arm with theirs. "let me mess with all of the stuff. I know what everything does."

"Are you scared I'd break something?"

"no! well maybe- I just don't want anything to be messed up." I shrugged. "We have to take this back door here, okay?"

I only reassured them because they had never been in the room before. the room that only had a table and a couple of chairs. the only light being the small hanging ceiling light. They didn't tense whenever I pulled them in despite the darkness, however, I felt their hand squeeze my arm for a moment.

"I didn't know this room-"

"shhhhh" I hushed them, pulling them to the other side of the room and out of the back door, which led to a musty back alley. It was trashy, dark, and smelled of moist bread and day-old trash. It felt warm. "the pipes are right there." I pointed. "Watch your step. metal parts and wires sometimes get left out here."