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How did I… get here…

Wrapped in the velvety darkness of her room, alone. Her arms around him. Her beak against his lips. It was nonsensical. Irrational. And yet, here he was. After countless nights of tentative visits, friendly quarrels, and her continued persistence to get to know him. Somehow, she kept coming back around despite his attempts to keep her away. Somehow, he ended up wanting to know her too. Wanting to be known by her. Somehow, here he was, returning her embrace.

Moon ran his fingers through her neck feathers, movements somewhat stiff, unfamiliar with intimacy. His claws kept wanting to squeeze out. He felt Glamrock Chica respond to his touch, pressing closer with a small coo, and his mind spun wildly. This feeling…

UNKNOWN ERROR: SYSTEM OVERHEAT

ALERT: OXYGEN LEVELS LOW 

Moon broke the kiss with a shaky sigh, and drew in a long breath. The sensation of air cycling through his body in this way was still bizarre and foreign. It had to be some sort of malfunction in their processing of information. They weren’t real. They weren’t alive. If he focused hard enough, he could feel the internal fans of his cooling system running.

And yet, when the animatronics of the Mega Pizzaplex were in the company of only themselves or each other, things felt… different. It had been some time ago now that everyone had started to notice in their own ways. Things they shouldn’t be thinking. Senses they weren’t programmed with. Emotions, wants, dreams, and even bodies that seemed… Organic.

Normally, Moon would trouble himself over this phenomenon for much longer. But right now, overwhelming those thoughts was the feeling that burned through him like a falling star. All from her touch. Her smile. Her laugh. Her presence. Chica…

A small movement, a rustle of feathers, and then Moon felt her warm palm against his cheek. The tip of her beak brushed gently against his nose. It sent waves of color through him. Yellow, blue, purple, pink. Chica.

She kissed him again, slowly, gently. It was dizzying. Neither of us even actually have lips. This… This is… The thought, already muffled by emotion, was consumed before it could be finished. Some time ago, he would have ended the sentence with “stupid” or “illogical”. But he already knew it was far past the point of pretending, even if Moon still wanted to try and fight what he wanted.

He didn’t want to fight anymore.

Moon was dimly aware of his body relaxing. Everywhere she touched felt as though he was melting into clouds. Chica. At some point he felt his back pressed against her couch, Chica’s weight snuggled atop of him. The pressure was unexpectedly comforting, like a blanket of gravity. She was so, so soft. Her feathers smelled like frosting.

Chica pulled back and nuzzled her beak along the edge of Moon’s jaw, sending electric chills through him. She slid her hand down from his face to his chest, and began to run her claws through his clouds. Chica. Moon clenched his teeth against another large sigh. Something deep inside him was racing. I don’t have a heart. It was as if Sun’s fire was threatening to burst from within. Chica.

In their shared mindspace, Sun blissfully savored their newfound freedom of expression. The uncertainty, embarrassment, and fear that kept him and Moon in their internal struggle had been slowly stripped away. It lingered still, but could no longer control them. I want this. He wants this. We want this.

As one, they pulled Chica tighter against their body with their wings. She returned the gesture, giggling, and hearing this lifted the corners of Moon’s mouth. Chica. He felt her hand move underneath his head, brushing the clouds beneath his hat. Moon took a long, deep breath, tilting his chin back to press into her claws. His stomach felt like a lightning storm. Chica.

Suddenly, a new sensation. First, her breath tickled the clouds on his neck. Then her beak ran gently through them, preening closer and closer, until she lightly kissed the fur above the ribbon of his collar and just beneath his jaw. The storm ignited into a wildfire. Stars above. Moon couldn’t control the gasp that escaped him. Chica. 

He felt her smile, and could picture it on her face perfectly without opening his eyes. It was the smile she always gave him when she knew she’d gotten under his skin. It was the smile that, ultimately, he fell in love with. Chica.

Another kiss against his neck, and Moon inhaled sharply. The stars exploding inside him grew brighter. Chica. Another kiss, even brighter still. Chica. Another, and the light outshone everything else. Moon wanted to remove his collar. Chica. Her name wove through him like music. Chica. It was like a heartbeat. Chica. She switched to the other side of his neck. Chica. So close to her. Chica. He felt like he was glowing. Chica. No one knew him like this. Chica. No one… but… Oh, Chica…

“What was that?”

Moon jumped at the sound of Chica’s voice, startled out of his dreamlike state. He blinked his eyes open to see her staring down at him, her flushed cheeks rounded with a wide grin, eyes sparkling. 

Chica saw the question on Moon’s face without him needing to say it. She wrinkled the skin above her beak mischievously, and leaned in closer. “Did you just… whisper my name?”

Moon snapped his mouth shut, just realizing now it had been open. …Did I??? His face burned like his night light feature had been left on for hours. Chica cocked her head, still smiling, as she waited for his answer. Stars, she’s so cute. He couldn’t look at her.

“Nmm… Ngh…” Moon’s vocal mechanisms felt like they were sticking to each other. It was so difficult to speak around her. It always was, but especially with how many unfamiliar feelings were ricocheting through his systems. Moon ground his teeth together. She would never let this go, and would torment him with it for the rest of existence. Like when she got him to admit he liked her music. Or when he first smiled at her. Or the first time he laughed at her joke. Or finally hugged her of his own volition. Or all those other times she’d gotten past his walls and wouldn’t let him forget it. Ughhhh, kill me.

“No,” Moon growled, despite himself. He knew she wouldn’t believe him, and she didn’t.

“You’re a horrible liar, Moon,” Chica teased, laughter dancing at the edge of her voice. He glanced back at her, but had to turn away from her bright smile before it became contagious. 

He forced his lips into a sneer instead. “You must have misheard.”

“Oh REALLY?” Chica was never deterred by Moon’s sarcastic jabs. If anything, she seemed to delight in returning them right back. “Maybe I should tell our mechanic that I’m having audio hallucinations of your voice, then?” Moon scowled and narrowed his eyes at Chica, who stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t.”

Chica doubled over giggling, and Moon felt that tug at the edges of his mouth again. He couldn’t even pretend to be mad at her. Not after everything they’d been through. Not with all the ways she was beautifully, brilliantly, unapologetically herself. And the way that she, in turn, saw Eclipse come into being.

“Fineeeeee,” Chica rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. He knew she was just playing around by the large smile on her beak, and her wagging tail feathers. “Can I hear it again at least?”

Moon wrinkled his nose, trying to ignore the strange flipping sensation in his stomach. “Hear what.” Trying to ignore that he already knew what she was talking about. Trying to ignore the way he felt as she leaned in to brush her beak against his cheek.

“My name,” Chica said softly, “In your voice. I like how it sounded.”

“EW. NO.” Moon impulsively sat up and pushed himself away. His face was running an even higher temperature now.

“Even if I ask super nicely?” Chica giggled and batted her eyes at him. Her cheeks looked as bright red as his own felt.

“Yegch,” Moon made a retching noise and crossed his arms. “You’re so WEIRD.”

Chica giggled again, and Moon struggled to arrange his expression into a frown. He lashed his tail half heartedly as Chica scooted closer. With one claw, Chica lifted Moon’s chin, and that thing in his chest went into overdrive. “Guess I’ll figure out a way for myself to hear it again,” Chica said.

For a brief, dizzy moment, Moon couldn’t move. Then he snapped back from Chica’s reach, as if coming awake from a spell. “Don’t you dare threaten me,” Moon snarled, but his voice didn’t match the tone he wanted. He couldn’t land on an expression, so he glared at the curtains covering her green room window.

He heard Chica try to hold back a snort, then burst out laughing–a sound that made the stars of the whole universe glitter with joy. He turned to face her again, and could see her feathers shaking from laughing so hard. Between breaths for air that she didn’t even need, she said “Okay okay, I’m sorry. I’m just teasing you. I wouldn’t make you do something you don’t want to do.”

“I know.” But the reminder meant everything.

Chica smiled at him in a way that made him feel safer than anywhere else. “I love you, Moon.”