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Freddy was one lucky son of a bitch.
Vanessa had come up to him during the middle of their last meet and greet of the day, whispered something in his ear, then he said good bye to his line and got to leave early. Now, Bonnie loved talking to the kids and doing autographs and all that fun stuff, but it was past 11 pm at this point and he just wanted to change into something comfy, get the stupid makeup off his face, and go to sleep. He couldn’t do that yet, of course, so he kept the smile on his face and kept signing autographs.
After they had made it through the line of people, he, Chica, and Roxy said goodnight to the crowd, and left with the security guards assigned to them. When they were safely out of the crowd’s line of sight, both Bonnie and Roxy took off their ears. Not their actual ears, of course, but the fake ones that were a part of their costumes.
For Bonnie, his ears were big and heavy enough for them to throw off his center of gravity. It was always a relief when he could take them off. Roxy just hated the way the headband her ears were attached to dug into the sides of her head. The ears had to be tight so they wouldn’t come off during performances, so wearing them for long hours like the band had to caused a fair amount of headaches. Freddy didn’t seem to mind his ears, though as Roxy had pointed out, they were smaller than hers and Bonnie’s. Chica was the only member of the band that didn’t have to wear fake ears, since she was replacing the chicken animatronic, and chickens didn’t have ears like that. It was something Roxy and Bonnie grumbled about often.
Somehow Chica had just as much energy as she did first thing this morning and talked his and Roxy’s real ears off about the day’s events as they walked through the back tunnels to Rockstar Row. When they arrived, the security guards left to begin their rounds for the night and left the performers to their own devices. They entered the common area behind their green rooms through Freddy’s since it was the closest. Freddy wasn’t in the common room when they entered, so Bonnie assumed he had gone home for the night. Maybe he’d text him later to see what happened and make sure he was ok.
“Guys, it was so cute! These kids came up to me and asked if they could make a TikTok with me! They were so polite and sweet that I just had to, and it turned out so good!” Chica was explaining, recounting the event to Bonnie and Roxy
“That’s great, Chica.” Roxy said halfheartedly. She looked about as tired as Bonnie felt.
“Did you do a dance with them?” Bonnie asked, leaning against the back of one of the couches.
“Oh no, I…” Chica paused as she tried to gather her thoughts. “Ok, so you know that sound where it’s that reporter and Megan Thee Stallion, but someone is playing piano over their words?”
“Oh, the ‘you know it’s your girl’ sound?” Bonnie asked. He tried his best to keep up with recent TikTok trends and sounds, but definitely not as well as Chica. She nodded vigorously at his words.
“Yeah! And I was Megan Thee Stallion! It was so cool, I think that’s the highlight of my entire life !!” Chica gushed. Bonnie could swear he saw hearts popping up around her.
“Did they say what their TikTok was?” Roxy asked, pulling out her phone from the back pocket of her costume.
“No, but they’ll probably tag either me or the group account in it.” Chica assured, taking out her phone as well.
“Or it’ll get spammed on our Instagram and Twitter by other people.” Bonnie added. Chica gasped, then started frantically typing on her screen.
“You’re right! I gotta check our other platforms!” Chica exclaimed. Roxy groaned impatiently, rolling her eyes.
“Well I wanna see it now . Should I search for the sound or for ‘OMG WE JUST MET CHICA AND MADE THIS TIK TOK WITH HER AND IT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!’” Chica laughed at Roxy’s mock excited voice. Bonnie laughed as well, then yawned, which reminded him that it was like 11:30 and he had been awake since 8 in the morning. It was really time for him to get to bed.
“Honestly, just search Chica’s name, it should come up eventually. I’m gonna get this shit off my face and knock the fuck out. Send me the video if you find it.”
“Will do, Bon Bon.” Roxy mock saluted him as she continued to scroll through the videos on her phone.
“Goodnight Bonnie!” Chica smiled and waved at him cheerfully. Bonnie grinned and waved back.
“See y’all tomorrow.”
Bonnie walked away from them, stepping into the elevator that led him into their rehearsal room. It used to be a parts and service room for the animatronics back when they were still around, but it had been renovated to accommodate the new human performers. Now the room was carpeted, well furnished with comfortable couches, had a mock stage, and a mini bar stocked with snacks and drinks. (and if some of the staff members stashed a few beers in the back of the mini fridge, no one had to know.)
He crossed the rehearsal room quickly, but as he opened the door to the dressing rooms, he began to hear voices coming from his and Freddy’s dressing room.
Bonnie was confused at this. There was a huge staff meeting going on right now in the basement of the Pizzaplex, no one else should be here.
He couldn’t make out what exactly the voices were saying, but one of them did not sound happy. He slowed his footsteps, sneaking closer to the doorway to hear the voices better. Trying to see inside the room was out of the question, since the dressing room’s door was open, so he just listened from around the corner. He could hear that one voice dominated the conversation, or argument based on the tone. The other was smaller, trying to placate the other voice, and sounded familiar.
“-selfish bitch!
“Please, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to wake you up!”
“Don’t fucking lie to me! You left at 5:30 when I know your first show wasn’t until 11! You wanted to get away from me, didn’t you?”
“N-no! Of course not!”
“Lying bitch!” A sickening crack echoed through the hallway, and the other voice cried out. Bonnie gasped quietly, placing a hand over his mouth as he continued to listen. He could hear the person land two more hits, the receiver hitting the wall with a thud and sliding to the ground. There was a few seconds of silence, and Bonnie tried hard to remain quiet. One of them said something too quiet to make out, and the other whimpered. Bonnie quickly moved further into the corner when he heard one of them start to walk out of the room, hiding behind a shelf of some sort. A man stormed out from the doorway, walking towards the tunnels. Bonnie only had a few seconds to look at him, but he recognized the man regardless.
It was Freddy’s boyfriend.
Bonnie had met him once after a show.
If that was Freddy’s boyfriend, then…
was he talking to Freddy?
More importantly, did he just hit Freddy?
Cold dread filled his body as he watched the man leave through the tunnel doors. As soon as the doors shut, he quickly moved from behind the shelf and ran to the dressing room.
Inside, right by the door, was Freddy on the ground, hands cupped in front of his face, holding a huge amount of blood that was still pouring from his nose. His eyes were wide, one of them bloodshot with the beginnings of a black eye forming around it, which confirmed Bonnie’s theory.
He did have the slight urge to run back and find the guy who did this to Freddy and beat the absolute shit out of him, but the wellbeing of his friend took priority over revenge.
“Holy shit, Freddy?” Bonnie kneeled down next to him, trying to see the damage. “Freddy? Can you hear me?” Freddy trembled, sniffing to keep more blood from spilling into his hands.
“I… I can’t get blood on my costume. I need…I need to-” Bonnie put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Don’t worry about the costume, you can wash it. Come on, we need to get you up to Sun and Moon, they can fix you up.” Freddy shook his head frantically, some of the blood in his hands splattering on the ground.
“No, I’m serious, I can’t get blood on this. I-I could get fired. I c-can’t…” Even though Bonnie was sure Freddy wouldn’t be fired for getting a little blood on his costume, he looked around for something to stop the bleeding. He saw a towel on one of the shelves in the room and grabbed it. Freddy had positioned himself on his knees so the blood would trickle onto the concrete floor instead of anywhere on his costume, so Bonnie started to soak up the blood in Freddy’s hands and on the floor. Once most of the puddle was gone, Bonnie directed Freddy to hold the towel against his nose. He winced as the towel was pressed against his nose, but kept it there as Bonnie instructed.
“Do you think you can stand up?” Bonnie asked. Freddy tried to nod, but quickly realized that wasn’t a good idea. As he tried to stand up, Bonnie kept his hands on his arms for extra support if he needed it.
“Ok, Come on, the daycare isn’t far if we use the tunnels.” Bonnie tried to pull Freddy towards the utility tunnels, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Bonnie, I really can’t get anything on this costume.” Bonnie wanted to argue that his health came before a stupid costume, but when he saw the absolute terror in Freddy’s eyes, he realized, with a stab, what exactly Freddy was afraid of. If Freddy got fired, he’d have to spend all day at home.
The home he shared with his boyfriend.
Bonnie took a deep breath.
“Alright, hold on.” Bonnie walked over to his duffel bag on the counter and began to sift through it. He found his container of makeup wipes and took one out, bringing it over to Freddy. “Hold out one of your hands.” Freddy obeyed, releasing one of his hands from the towel. Bonnie used the wipe to get rid of the drying blood on his hands, removing as much as he could. When he finished, he switched hands, wiping the blood off the other as well. “You got a change of clothes in your bag?”
“Yeah, it should be on the top.” Bonnie opened Freddy’s bag to see a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants at the top.
“You mind getting blood on these?”
“No.” He grabbed the clothes out of the bag and zipped it closed again.
“Alright, here’s how we’re gonna do this. I’m gonna hold the towel to your nose while you get the top part of your costume off, then I’ll help get the hoodie over your head, ok?” Freddy hummed in agreement. “Ok, let me grab this from you,” Bonnie switched with Freddy in holding the towel to his face. “Tilt your head up, it should help stop the blood.” Freddy did so slowly as Bonnie followed with the towel. Freddy began to unbutton the dress shirt under his show jacket with shaking fingers, fumbling with each button as he couldn’t see where they were. Once the shirt was unbuttoned he carefully removed the jacket and the shirt together, leaving his torso bare. He carefully set the costume piece down on the table next to him. “Take the towel back for me please.” Freddy obliged, switching with him as Bonnie grabbed the hoodie he had in his bag. “I’ll try my best to be gentle, but this probably won’t be easy. Just focus on keeping the towel on your nose, ok?”
“Ok.” Bonnie stretched the opening for the head as far as it would go before carefully trying to fit Freddy’s head inside while avoiding touching his nose. After a bit of finangling, he was able to fit Freddy’s head through the hole, and he held the towel in place as Freddy fit his arms through the arm holes. The process was similar as Freddy took off his show pants and changed into the sweatpants he brought, Bonnie holding the towel with one hand and helping Freddy balance with the other.
After moving the show clothes to the other side of the dressing room, Freddy allowed Bonnie to get a closer look at the damage to his face. Freddy sat in one of the chairs while Bonnie stood above him, keeping his head tilted back as he moved the towel to the side.
His nose was swollen, definitely broken, and would probably need to be set properly to avoid any cosmetic consequences, but other than that wouldn’t need too much medical attention. The bruises would heal on their own. Freddy wouldn’t meet Bonnie’s eyes as he checked him over, looking quite ashamed. Bonnie replaced the towel beneath Freddy’s nose and guided his hand to the towel so he could hold it again.
“You definitely have a broken nose, but everything else should heal in time. I’d patch you up myself, but I also want Sun and Moon to get a look at you, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.” Freddy shifted in the chair, looking nervous.
“Do I have to?” Bonnie hesitated. He knew Freddy wouldn’t want anyone else to see him like this, but Sun and Moon were officially certified in first aid, unlike him. Patching up his brothers from a scuffle at school was one thing, they were just kids. Adults were a lot stronger and a lot meaner. He knew that from experience. He also couldn’t help but think he was forgetting something important, something important he had to check, but he couldn’t think of what it was. Bonnie needed another head thinking clearly, and the twins could do that.
“No, you don’t have to but it would make me feel better. Plus, we can get you an icepack from their first aid station. That should help the pain and swelling in your nose.” Freddy thought for a second.
“Fine.” Freddy stood up from the chair and followed Bonnie out of the dressing room. When they got to the double doors that led into the tunnels, Freddy froze, looking at the dark halls with wide, watery eyes.
“I can’t do this. I can’t fucking do this.” Freddy stumbled back, tilting so dangerously backwards that Bonnie lurched forward to catch him before he fell. Once he was upright, the tears started pouring down Freddy’s face and he started to hyperventilate.
“Hey, woah, hold on. It’s ok, breathe. Just breathe, sweetheart.” Bonnie put his hands on Freddy’s arms, Freddy using his free arm to grab Bonnie’s as well. “It’s gonna be ok, alright? I’m here for you.” Freddy nodded shakily, breaths slowly evening out. Once Freddy had calmed down, Bonnie slid one of his hands off of Freddy’s arm, but the other just migrated down to his free hand, grasping it firmly. Bonnie made sure Freddy was looking right at him when he said “I’ve got you, yeah?” Freddy still looked anxious, but eventually nodded and followed Bonnie through the doors, hand still in his grasp.
The performers almost always traveled through the tunnels to avoid getting ambushed by guests, so they both knew their way around pretty well and was able to navigate with relative ease.
Unbeknownst to Freddy, Bonnie was also listening for any sounds other than them in the tunnel. He hoped that asshole had left by now, but if he had gotten lost and was wandering around down here, it would be a huge problem. Luckily, the tunnels were quiet save for their steps, and they didn’t run into anyone else. When they reached the steps Bonnie knew took them to the daycare, they went slower, switching hands so Freddy could use the railing. There was a door at the top of the stairs that would lead them into the room underneath the daycare theater.
Bonnie checked his phone for the time. It was 11:45, so all the kids should be out of there. He opened the door for Freddy and entered the room, careful to avoid the security bots roaming around. Since they worked there, the bots wouldn’t bother them, but he didn’t want them to run into him or Freddy.
After walking up a few more sets of stairs and crossing through the daycare’s theater, they finally made it to the big wooden doors outside of the daycare. They entered cautiously, looking around the brightly lit area.
Usually, the daycare was full of children, playing in all the structures, running around, or sitting down at the tables, coloring or doing a craft. This late at night, however, it was eerily empty and quiet, the peppy theme song associated with the area the only sound to be heard.
“Sun? Moon? We need your help.” Bonnie called into the seemingly empty daycare. A blonde head popped out of the ball pit to look at them. After seeing the blood splattered towel pressed to Freddy’s face, they gasped and rushed over.
“Oh my STARS! Freddy, are you ok?! What on earth happened?!” The hyperactive attendant grabbed Freddy’s face and turned it side to side, trying to see the damage. Freddy squeezed Bonnie’s hand tighter as Sun took the towel away. “Ohhhh! That’s a broken nose. Yep! Definitely broken! Come come, to the first aid station!” Sun took Freddy’s other hand and began dragging him to the first aid station on the left side of the daycare. Freddy kept holding Bonnie’s hand, dragging him with them all the way to the first aid station.
Sun sat Freddy down in one of the chairs and went over to the sink to wash their hands and put on a pair of medical gloves. Bonnie sat in the chair next to Freddy, still holding his hand. Sun returned to the pair, kicking a rolling stool over to where they were seated and sitting down on it.
“Ok, tilt your head down for me.” Freddy obeyed, but cringed as blood began to trickle down his face. “Yeesh! How did this happen?” Freddy froze, not meeting Sun’s eyes.
“I… I tripped. And fell.” Bonnie looked at him in confusion, but Freddy avoided his gaze. Sun tilted their head at him.
“Hmm… you took quite a nasty spill then…how long ago did this happen?” Freddy scrunched his eyebrows together.
“10ish minutes ago, I think? I don’t remember.” Sun squinted at Freddy suspiciously.
“Did you hit your head at all?” Freddy winced as he recalled the events that had led him here.
“Kind of.”
“Hmm.” Sun had him hold the towel up to his nose again as they tilted Freddy’s head forward to examine the back of his head. They felt around for a bit, then told Freddy to look forward again. “There is a small bump on the back of your head… are you sure you just… fell?” Freddy hummed affirmatively, still not making eye contact with them. Sun didn’t look convinced, but moved on, holding up their finger. “Follow my finger with your eyes?” Freddy did as he was told, following Sun’s finger as it moved in an X formation. Bonnie recognized this as a concussion test, something he hadn’t thought about when he saw what had happened. That must have been what he was forgetting about after he had examined Freddy’s nose. He internally kicked himself for forgetting something so important. Sun asked Freddy a few cognitive questions to double check, then nodded, satisfied.
“Ok, ok ok. Good news! You don’t have a concussion! Probably. Let me grab Moon real quick just to confirm. Two heads are better than one I always say!” Sun poked their head out of the curtain. “MOOOOOOOOON!! I NEEEEED YOUUUUUUUUU!” A few seconds later, Sun’s twin came through the curtain, looking much less energetic than their other half.
“Sun. It’s fucking midnight. No one else is here. You don’t need to scream.”
“Just come help me!” Moon rolled their eyes before going to wash their hands and put on a pair of gloves.
“Alright, what’s the damage?” Moon asked their twin as they rolled over to Freddy on another stool, beginning to examine him. “Damn, that’s nasty. How’d you manage to do this?”
“I tripped and fell.” Freddy sounded more certain this time. Moon snorted.
“Yeah, no you didn’t. It looks like you got into a fight with someone. Did you piss off Roxy or something?” Well at least Moon could see through the bullshit. Freddy’s eyes widened when Moon saw through his lie, but shook his head anyway.
“No, Roxy wouldn’t do that, and you know it.”
“Ok, then did bunny boy over here do it? Is that why he’s here?” Bonnie glared at them, insulted that they would even think that. Sure, he would punch someone. If they deserved it, but Freddy was an angel. He didn’t have a single mean bone in his body. Bonnie couldn’t think of one thing Freddy could say or do that would make Bonnie want to hit him. Before he could defend himself, Freddy shook his head gently.
“He wouldn’t do that either.” Moon sighed.
“Well don’t leave me hanging here, Fred, who the hell did this to you?”
“No one!” Freddy snapped, glaring at the twin. “I tripped and fell. It was my fault. It was just an accident. No one else was involved.” Moon looked at Freddy strangely, before turning their gaze to Bonnie, raising an eyebrow at him. Bonnie shook his head and mouthed “drop it” at them. Moon shrugged and returned their attention to Freddy’s face, examining him closely. Sun stood over them, watching as Moon examined Freddy. Their eyes were flicking between Moon and Freddy quickly, before they leaned down closer to Moon’s ear.
“His nose is broken.” Sun told them gently. Moon froze, then sent a sideways glare towards them.
“I can see that, Sun.” Moon snapped. Sun put their hands up in surrender. Moon sighed, finally leaning away from Freddy’s face. “Get me some ice. That’s gotta hurt like a bitch.” Bonnie squeezed Freddy’s hand encouragingly. Sun grabbed an icepack from the station’s freezer and a small towel and handed it to Moon, who showed Freddy how to hold it against his nose. Moon looked at Freddy, then at Bonnie, obviously contemplating something. They turned to Sun. “Did you do a concussion test?” Sun nodded vigorously.
“Yup! Everything looked good to me!” Moon raised an eyebrow.
“The balance ones too?” Moon looked at their twin pointedly, clearly trying to convey a message to them. Sun looked at them for a moment, then gasped, understanding what they were trying to do.
“Ohhh, yes! You’re sooooo right! I should do those!” Sun lied. Moon looked like they were trying not to strangle their twin for being the most obvious person in the world.
“Great. You do that.” They gritted out, a forceful smile on their face. “Bonnie?” Bonnie looked at them, confused. “A word?” They gestured outside the booth, stripping off their gloves and throwing them in the trash. Bonnie nodded, feeling Freddy tense next to him. He squeezed his hand reassuringly.
“I’ll be right back, ok?” Freddy nodded, reluctantly letting Bonnie’s hand go.
They both missed the warmth the other’s hand provided.
Bonnie stood up and followed Moon outside the booth, hearing Sun tell Freddy to stand up so they could test his balance. Moon took them a decent distance away from the first aid station, ensuring that they wouldn’t be overheard. Moon turned to face Bonnie, looking at him in that no-nonsense way Moon was known for.
“What happened to him?” Moon asked bluntly. Bonnie hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to tell Moon without Freddy’s permission, but at the same time, this wasn’t the type of thing that should be a secret.
“It was his boyfriend.” He admitted. Moon’s eyes widened. “They were having an argument, he accused Freddy of lying, then I heard him hit Freddy. He stormed out, and I found him like that, kneeling on the ground.”
“His partner’s fucking abusing him ?!” Moon practically yelled, before realizing they were too loud and clapping a hand over their mouth. “How long has this been going on?!” They whispered angrily. Bonnie shook his head.
“I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve heard or seen anything suspicious. He never talks about his boyfriend, it just never came up.” Moon sighed, pinching their nose in an attempt to dampen their anger.
“Fucking hell. We have to call the police, right? We have to report this!” Bonnie’s eyes widened. Shit.
“Hold on, Moon. I haven’t even talked to Freddy about what happened yet.” Moon’s anger returned, and they glared at Bonnie disbelievingly.
“What? Why not?!”
“Because his fucking nose is broken and was pouring blood, Moon! It was not the time for an interrogation!” Bonnie snapped. Moon sighed sharply, as close to an admission as Bonnie was going to get.“We can’t call the cops before we’ve talked to Freddy. That isn’t fair to him.” Moon looked apprehensive, like they didn’t quite agree with what Bonnie was suggesting, but eventually nodded.
“You gotta figure out what the hell’s happening here, Bon, cause he wasn’t saying shit to me.”
“I’ll ask him, he might open up if we’re alone.” Bonnie assured. Moon nodded, satisfied.
“Fuck. Poor Freddy, man. He doesn’t deserve this shit.” Bonnie shook his head.
“No, he doesn’t. He definitely doesn’t.”
“Do me a favor?” Bonnie raised an eyebrow at them.
“What?”
“If you see that son of a bitch? Deck him twice for me.” Bonnie laughed.
“Will do, Moon.” Moon smiled at him, then nodded back over to the first aid station, crossing over to it, Bonnie right behind them. When he entered, Freddy was back in the chair, listing off some numbers for Sun. Bonnie sat down next to Freddy, grabbing his hand again. Freddy noticeably relaxed when Bonnie’s hand gripped his, and he intertwined their fingers together, squeezing Bonnie’s hand as he continued to list numbers. When he was finished, Sun stood up, nodding at their twin, who nodded back. Moon looked at Freddy, scanning his face before speaking.
“Alright, that’s about all we can do for you. As long as you’re breathing ok, you should be fine. See a doctor if the bleeding persists or you start to have trouble breathing. Ice it 4 times a day, for 10 to 15 minutes to help with swelling, take Advil or something if you need it, and try not to… trip and fall anymore, capisce?” Freddy flushed, but nodded his head, quietly thanking them. Moon nodded in recognition, then left the first aid station. Sun pulled a lollipop out of their pocket and handed it to Freddy. He put the icepack on his lap to take the candy from Sun.
“You were so brave, sunshine!” They patted Freddy on the head then skipped out of the first aid booth, leaving the two performers alone. Freddy slipped the lollipop into the pocket of his hoodie before putting the icepack back on his nose. They sat in silence for a moment, Bonnie gathering his thoughts for what he wanted to say.
“So, are you gonna fill me in on what happened?” Freddy froze, glancing at Bonnie quickly before looking away.
“What do you mean?”
“I saw him leave the dressing room, Freddy. I heard what happened. He hit you, didn’t he?” It wasn’t really a question. Freddy was silent, staring at the ground. He slowly took the ice off his nose and set it on the empty chair next to him.
“It was my fault.” He whispered, squeezing Bonnie’s hand unconsciously. Bonnie rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb comfortingly.
“No it wasn’t.”
“Yes it was.” Tears began to fall down his cheeks. “He was right. I wanted to get away from him. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted to feel safe.” Bonnie moved closer as more tears fell down his face. “I know that’s wrong, and that I brought it on myself, but… Bonnie he locked me in the bathroom last night. I didn’t- I don’t remember what I did wrong.” In an instant, Bonnie engulfed him in a hug. Freddy melted into it immediately, burying his face into Bonnie’s neck, full out sobbing now. “I don’t know what to do! Everything I try just makes it worse! I can’t make him happy anymore and it hurts! I just- I don’t-” Freddy dissolved into more sobs, clinging onto Bonnie for dear life. Bonnie moved a hand up to stroke his hair and hugged him tighter.
Sun poked their head in to make sure everything was alright, but Bonnie shot them a look that said “get out and shut your mouth or else.” Neither Sun nor Moon bothered them after that, save for the hastily scratched “Take as long as you need!” note Sun had quietly taped to the wall without sticking their head in. They sat there for a good 10 minutes, Bonnie hugging his sobbing friend, whispering comforting things to him as he calmed, mostly along the lines of “I’m here for you” and “you’re safe with me.” Eventually, Freddy sniffed and gently pulled away from the embrace, looking embarrassed.
“I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to… to burden you with that.” Bonnie cupped Freddy’s face in his hands, rubbing his cheeks with his thumbs.
“It’s ok. I’m glad you shared that with me.” Freddy closed his eyes and leaned into one of Bonnie’s hands with a hum.
“I also might have gotten blood on your jacket. I’m sorry,” He quietly admitted. Bonnie laughed softly.
“That’s fine, darling. It’ll come out.” He assured. It was quiet for a bit.
“I’m so sorry Bonnie.” Freddy tried to duck away from him, but Bonnie held his face firmly.
“Stop apologizing. You haven’t done anything wrong.” Freddy’s hands reached up and grabbed Bonnie’s wrists. He thought Freddy was going to pull his hands away, but instead just held them, gripping them like a lifeline.
“You shouldn’t have to deal with me or my problems. I–I tried to keep you and, and everyone else out of it. I tried to separate this from my home life. But now…” Freddy sighed, finally looking up at Bonnie with tear filled eyes. “...now you’re involved, and Sun, and Moon, and it’s ruined everything. It wasn’t supposed to get this bad. You should be asleep, a-and Sun and Moon should be going home, and I…” He tapered off, tears once again spilling down his face.
“You should be dealing with this on your own?” Bonnie asked quietly. The silence that followed spoke for itself. Bonnie sighed, wiping away Freddy’s tears with his thumbs.
“Freddy… that’s just it. You shouldn’t have to deal with this on your own. I would much rather be here, making sure you’re ok, then being in bed, oblivious. I think Sun and Moon feel the same. They don’t mind that you’re here. We can take as long as you need, ok? We have time.”
Freddy’s eyes flew open, and he jerked away from Bonnie’s hands, looking around in a panic.
“W-what time is it?” he asked. Bonnie checked his phone.
“12:15. Why?”
“Oh shit. Shit shit shit shit!” he stood and paced around nervously. Bonnie stood too, confused as to what caused Freddy to act like this.
“What’s wrong?”
“I missed the bus! I’ll never make it home in time! Fucking SHIT!”
“Freddy, It’s ok-”
“No it’s not! I have to be home by 1, he said so! If I’m not… I-I don’t want to find out what he’ll do, Bonnie. I h-have… I have to-”
Bonnie grabbed his arms and shook him gently.
“Freddy! I can give you a ride home. You’ll be home in time. You’re gonna be alright, just breathe.” Freddy nodded taking deep breaths to calm himself. “Let’s go back to the dressing room, get you cleaned up, and then I’ll take you home, yeah?” Bonnie did not want to take Freddy home, not when that man was there and could hurt him again, but if that’s what he wanted…
Freddy nodded again, less frantically this time. “Ok, let’s go.” Taking Freddy’s hand again, Bonnie led them out of the Daycare and back into the tunnels of the Pizzaplex.
Back in their dressing room, Bonnie had Freddy go to the locker room off of the rehearsal room to wash his face off while he changed out of his show costume. There was a little bit of blood on the collar of his show jacket, but with a little bit of the hydrogen peroxide that he kept in his bag to clean his earrings, the stain washed out completely, leaving no trace of the incident.
After washing the rest of the blood off his face along with his face paint, Freddy returned to the dressing room to grab his things. As Freddy was zipping his bag closed, Bonnie realized that his nose wasn’t centered quite right. With the swelling down thanks to the icepack, it was easier to see that Freddy’s nose had not only been broken, but dislocated. The way it was at the moment would leave Freddy’s nose noticeably crooked, and Bonnie didn’t want him to remember this night every time he looked in the mirror. He had Freddy sit down so he could make the slight adjustments.
“Just hold still for me, ok? This’ll only take a moment.” Bonnie’s soft voice relaxed Freddy, and he nodded, allowing him to grab his nose gently, the other hand holding his face steady. Carefully, Bonnie began to turn Freddy’s nose clockwise, trying to get it into the proper position. Freddy hissed in pain, gritting his teeth as Bonnie worked, but stayed still as he asked. Bonnie couldn’t get it to turn enough, so he twisted harder to try and pop it into place, but Freddy yelped as too much pressure was applied, tears coming to his eyes. Bonnie stopped, pulling away from Freddy’s face. “I’m sorry, it’s at a weird angle.” Bonnie tried to explain as Freddy held his face in pain. Bonnie hesitated before asking, “Do you want me to try again?”
“Yeah, just give me a minute.” Bonnie waited patiently as Freddy tried to relax again. After a minute, he sniffed and looked back up at Bonnie. “Ok, I’m good.” Bonnie nodded and put his hands back on Freddy’s face to keep him still.
“I’m gonna pull your nose out a bit so it’s easier to move, ok?”
“Is it gonna hurt?”
“Yes, but only for a moment, I promise.” Freddy took a deep breath to prepare himself.
“Ok. Do it.” Bonnie nodded, then slowly pulled his nose forward, gently guiding it back in line with the rest of his face. Freddy whined in pain as this was happening, but Bonnie encouraged him the whole time.
“I know, I know, almost done, sweetheart.” Finally, the broken pieces of his nose fit back together, and Bonnie was able to let go of the nose. “Good job, superstar. You did so well!” Bonnie praised as Freddy rubbed the bridge of his nose to try and dull the pain.
Bonnie grabbed the emergency first aid kit out of his bag and took out some gauze and tape and applied it to his face. “You should be fine without it, this is just a precaution. To make sure it heals right.” Bonnie assured, packing Freddy’s nose with the gauze, then securing it with tape. Once Bonnie had finished, Freddy hung up his costume correctly while also checking for any stray drops of blood, and got ready to leave the Pizzaplex.
They took the employee’s exit out to the side parking lot of the pizzaplex, where Bonnie’s car was. It was raining outside, further dampening their moods. Freddy plugged his address into the GPS and they were on their way.
The car ride was silent for the most part, the only sounds being the rain pattering against the windshield, Bonnie’s windshield wipers swiping the water away, and the GPS occasionally telling Bonnie where to turn.
Freddy was curled up in the passenger’s seat, hugging his bag to his chest with one hand and holding the icepack to his nose with the other.
Bonnie tried his best to focus on driving but his mind was racing, becoming more anxious as they got closer to their destination.
“Thank you for fixing my nose, Bonnie.” Freddy’s quiet voice finally said. Bonnie glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, seeing him still staring at the floor of the car.
“No problem.”
“How’d you learn how to do that anyway?”
“My brothers used to get into fights all the time growing up, and we didn’t always have the money to go to a doctor to get them fixed up, so I learned how to set bones in place. I can do broken noses, arms, legs, dislocated joints, pretty much anything. Noses really were the hardest. It’s so noticeable if you fuck it up.” Freddy nodded absently. He was anxiously glancing at the distance meter on the GPS, watching it tick down. He grew more anxious as they got closer to their destination, hugging the bag tighter to his chest. Bonnie couldn’t take it anymore. He had to do something. “I don’t have to take you home, you know.” Freddy looked at him quickly.
“What?” Bonnie glanced at him seriously.
“I don’t have to take you home. I can turn around and take us back to the Pizzaplex. You can stay there while you figure something out, or you could just live there with me, Chica, and Roxy. You have options. You can leave”
“I-I… I can’t.” Bonnie growled before he could stop himself, glaring at the car in front of him.
“He hit you, Freddy. You can’t deny that. It’s only a matter of time before it happens again. And when it does it could be a lot worse than a broken nose.” Freddy was silent, and Bonnie instantly regretted his tone. He sighed. “I’m telling you this because I care about you. You’re not safe with him anymore, and you know that.” Freddy stayed quiet for about a minute, and Bonnie wondered if he went too far. But when Freddy spoke again, though it was still soft, his voice was as firm as it could be.
“I appreciate it Bonnie, I really do. But right now, in order for me to stay safe, I need to go home. It’s not the right time.” Bonnie glanced at him again, seeing tears beginning to form in his eyes. “One day I’ll get the courage to leave. But it’s not today, it can’t be today. It’s too risky.” Bonnie reached over and grabbed one of Freddy’s hands.
“I understand.” Freddy looked back over at Bonnie to see tears falling down his face. “Just don’t let one day be too late. Don’t make me lose you.” Freddy squeezed his hand.
“I won’t. I promise.” Bonnie pulled into the parking lot of Freddy’s apartment building, parking in the closest spot to the door.
“We’re here.” Bonnie said unnecessarily. Freddy involuntarily whimpered as he looked at the building, a sound that broke Bonnie’s heart. Freddy took a few deep breaths, then took the icepack off his nose.
“Would you mind giving this back to Sun and Moon? It’s… best that I don’t hold onto it.” Bonnie swallowed, then nodded. Freddy handed the melting icepack to him, tears starting to well up in his eyes again. Bonnie dropped the icepack on his lap and took both of Freddy’s hands and faced him.
“Freddy, if you need anything. No matter how big or small, call me. If you decide that the moment has come and that you need to go, I will drop everything to be here, ok? You are not alone, no matter what he or anybody else tells you. I am here for you, and I always will be.” Freddy stifled a sob as he looked into Bonnie’s eyes. He could tell he was being serious and knowing that overwhelmed him. He dropped his bag onto the floor of Bonnie’s car and reached over to embrace him. Bonnie returned the gesture, and they sat like that for a moment, enjoying one last moment together. Eventually, Freddy happened to glance at the clock and saw that it was 12:50, and realized he needed to go. He pulled away gently, and hesitantly put his hand on the door handle.
“I’ll see you Tuesday for rehearsal, yeah?” Freddy nodded.
“Two days.” He sounded like he was reassuring himself.
“I can pick you up if you’d like?” Bonnie offered, secretly hoping he’d say yes. Freddy thought for a moment.
“I’ll let you know.”
“Ok.” Freddy took a deep breath.
“Thanks again, Bonnie,” and with that, Freddy opened the door and left the car with his bag, walking into the apartment building through the dreary rain, leaving Bonnie alone with the half melted icepack in his lap.