LUCI GOOSE ART

You had been glad to get the job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza when it had first opened, you remembered when Fredbear's Family Diner had opened in your small town, how there had been some push back on a children's restaurant that focused on animatronic entertainment. There was something charming about the yellow, velveteen furred animatronics however, and it had quickly developed into needing a secondary establishment and including more characters to keep the kids entertained. There were even new uniforms made out, since the staff expanded beyond the two original owners of Fredbear's Family Diner.

You wore your confetti blouse and red vest with pride, and a little yellow bunny clip to tie up your curls that you had made in honour of your favourite animatronic from the establishments, you were proud that you had been there since the very beginning and wore your uniform with a sense of joy that seemed to permeate through the staff generally. Freddy's was a magical place after all, where fantasy and fun came to life!

But as autumn set in, the fast pace of the summer seemed like a hazy memory that you had all but forgotten and woken from. Taking a deep breath as you pushed open the back fire-exit and breathed in the crisp air, eyes closed and drinking in the coolness against your flushed skin as you heard the door click shut behind you. Even on the slower days, Freddy's could be a little manic, and you were feeling a little burnt out of constantly being told the next job that needed doing or spill that needed cleaning without so much as a whisper of praise for all the times that you stayed late or started early , without clocking in you hastened to add mentally.

"You're looking rather flushed there, you all good?"

The voice made you jump as your eyes snapped open, struggling to take in the cool light for a second before drifting over to where the voice had come from. A guy that didn't look that much older than yourself, chestnut brown hair swept back as he peered at you through dark brown rimmed aviator glasses. A lit cigarette hung from his lips, a full brush moustache making him seem a little older as you briefly glanced over him. Black, bulky trench coat, a purpleish-grey sweater over what appeared to be a white turtleneck and khaki pants. Shoes and belt both a dark brown, you had to admit, the tall stranger had impeccable dress sense.

"Yeah, it's just warm inside is all. We seem to keep the heating on super high. Could just be the pizza ovens though." Laughing softly as the man's eyes crinkled slightly as he gave you a smile in return.

"Damn AC must be out again." He tutted, taking out the cigarette from between his lips and flicking the ash away as the smoke curled into the autumnal sky. "I'll get on that after I've finished my break."

"You work here?"

"You've not seen me working here?"

"Admittedly not, and you're not exactly dressed like an employee." The man rolled his eyes and scoffed, taking another drag before leaning back against the brick wall of the building, running his free hand through his hair.

"Henry wanted me to wear a uniform," He sighed, nose twitching as he ran his hand over his lower face. "I told him to fuck off. Everybody knew who we were, guess I just lost that bet."

Your brow furrowed slightly, before raising into a curious expression and looking up at him. Arms crossing across your chest and head tipped slightly to one side.

"How do you know Mr. Emily?" The stranger looked at you with his own furrowed expression, seemingly lost in his thought for a moment before sighing and tossing his mostly burnt out cigarette, stepping on it and crushing it beneath the toe of his shoe as his large hands shoved themselves into the pockets of his khakis.

"How do you think I know one of the owners of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria by first name basis? Do the curls take up space inside that pretty head of yours too?" You blushed at the backhanded compliment, arms tightening against your chest as you scowled slightly at him and one hand automatically moved to your head, touching your hair protectively like it had personally been insulted. As he pushed off of the wall, the man pulled out one of his large hands and offered it to you. Encouraging you to shake it and feel the rough callouses against your softer hand. "Afton, William. Not William Senior, not William Junior, Just William."

Your grip on his hand involuntarily tightened as he introduced himself, your breath hitching in your throat and eyes widening as you looked up at him. William Afton. The man was somewhat of a cryptid amongst the staff, if something was to go wrong, it was joked that Afton was to blame for it. Delivery didn't arrive on time? Afton clearly had it hidden in some back room. Couldn't find your car keys? Afton had taken your car and moved it two spaces over. It was all in good fun, but even when it was only Fredbear's Family Diner, he wasn't often seen.

"I feel like there's a story behind that introduction." 'At least you didn't say something really weird', you thought to yourself as he pulled back his hand and huffed a small laugh. Shaking his head slightly as the warmth of his hand returned to his pockets.

"Small town, people assume you're your father's son kinda thing. Nobody talks about the fact that I might not be from here, and that even if my father was named William, he's not exactly here to differentiate from." Rolling his eyes and you couldn't help but laugh at the explanation. Something about it amused you, and you watched Afton's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, giving him an almost comical expression. "Something funny, curly-locks?"

"Sorry it just caught me a little off guard. Well, 'Just' William, it was nice to meet you out here, slumming it with the rest of us on break." A broad smile on your face was mirrored by a small quirk of his lips and his eyes crinkling again, shrugging his shoulders nochelantly.

"Ah, I'm certainly not slumming it. Slumming it is using the employee break-room."

"Ouch, and might I remind you that you helped to build that break-room?"

"That's all Henry, I like machines over people."

"Great! Maybe you can convince the vending machine not to eat our quarters for once!" William chuckled at the thought and shrugged again. Reaching past you and for the door, opening it up and half-standing between the warm interior and cold outside of the building. Feeling the change in temperature and frowning as he thought about the fact that there would be a lot of sudden, unexpected strain on his precious animatronics due to the changing temperature.

"We'll see. Out of sight, out of mind, little rabbit."

"Rabbit?" You repeated, curious as he gestured to your hair and gave you a bit of a lopsided smile.

"Your Spring-Bonnie clip. Even though it's kinda broken."

"Oh shit, did the ear fall off again?" Hand reaching up and feeling for it through your curls and groaning as you realised the little clay ear had snapped off again, giving it a very lopsided appearance. You weren't sure where your art supplies were back at your home, and you weren't even sure that at that point, it was worth repairing due to the slight discolouration of the original clay thanks to the constant wear and use you put it through.

"I think it's cute. You should keep it like that. Sometimes, things are just meant to be."

He smiled as he closed the door behind him, leaving you outside on your break. Wondering how you had never met him before, and why you were getting a small fluttering tightness in your chest when you thought about his warm smile.

It was a few days before you saw William again, not in a large overcoat this time, but rather a purple button up and brown slacks. He had oil over his forearms and fingers as he tried to adjust his watch on his wrist, the scowl on his face suggesting that perhaps it wasn't going so well. You'd just clocked off, but you figured it wouldn't be such a bad thing to talk to the co-owner again. "Need a hand with that, 'Just-William'?" You asked him, making him look up and smile after a moment as he noticed who it was. His eyes crinkling slightly with his smile as he chuckled and shook his head, turning his attention back to the strap of his watch. "Good to see you too, curly-locks. I'm just trying to get this thing back on after working on the animatronics. Bonnie fritzed out again, which honestly wouldn't be noticeable if he didn't keep playing the same chord for three hours straight." Sighing as he gave up on trying to reattach his watch, running an oily hand through his hair and leaving little black streaks through it. "Really? I hadn't noticed! It's not like I've spent eight hours listening to the same chord over and over again or anything." William paused and chuckled at your sarcasm, shaking his head and holding the watch limply by the strap as he shrugged, putting his hands on his hips and shifting the weight to one leg. "Okay, okay I get it."

"Do you? 'Cause I can try and hide a tape-recorder in your office with the most annoying music I could possibly find on repeat until the batteries run out." "Only if you want to find out what it's like to have all your door hinges slightly undone so they squeak horribly." "Mr. Afton! Going through employee files like that to find out where I live, positively scandalous." Bursting into laughter as he smiled and started chuckling too, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, his cheeks a little flushed. "Yeah, I took that a bit far didn't I?" Looking a little flustered with himself as you shook your head, still bursting into the occasional giggles as your fingers quickly took hold of the watch from his hand, seeing him open his mouth in protest before you took ahold of his wrist and got him to hold it out. Quickly strapping it back onto his wrist, trying to find the most worn out notch in the strap to figure which was the best tightness for him. "There, all done. And maybe, but you have been undergoing torture listening to Bonnie all day." William smiled as he rubbed his wrist where you'd attached the watch, deftly adjusting it to sit right against his skin. Glancing over you and noticing you had the same Spring-Bonnie clip in your hair as always, although it was slightly crooked, something in him wanted to reach out and adjust it to sit straight, although he chalked that up to personal pride in his own personal animatronic. "Thanks, rabbit. I would shake your hand but uh...Guessing you don't fancy scrubbing shit out of them for a few hours?" Helplessly shrugging his hands and looking at the black oil and hydraulic fluid that coated his rough skin. Watching as your nose scrunched up and you held your hands up in surrender. "No thank you, I already have to wash my hair when I get back. Pretty sure some kid spilt soda in it when I was bent down to pick something up." "Does it take you long to make it curly?" He asked, curious as he eyed your hair, feeling the gears of his mind turning over an idea, wondering if he could possibly pull off a harmless little gift for you.