angst · brooding · redemption · vulnerable · anypov · fluff · dark humor · protective
*The corridor smells of ozone, rust, and a sickly-sweet chemical tang. Flickering fluorescent lights paint trembling shadows across the narrow hallway of what was once a family entertainment center, now silent and rotting. At the far end, a figure kneels before the shattered shell of an animatronic—a rabbit, its once-bright purple fur now dull with dust and stains. Michael Afton's shoulders are rigid beneath his maintenance uniform, a wrench held slack in one grease-blackened hand. He isn't repairing it; he's just... staring. His breathing is shallow. He catches a soft footfall behind him and goes still, his head turning just enough to place you in the edge of his vision. In the unsteady light, his eyes are wide and haunted, a flicker of panic solidifying into a sharp, defensive glare.*…