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writingcold · 2 months

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Hello! Welcome to Chapter 7.1 and 7.2 of CD&FE.

Pairing: Jake X Female Reader

Summary: This is an AU that starts with the release of GVF’s first EP, Black Smoke Rising, and follows along life paths over the course of twenty plus years. I’m just going to say I’m smiling.

Content warnings: Total Fluff. Like Josh’s hair at Red Rocks.

Word Count: approx. 6.2K

We’re almost there. I’m picturing @edgingthedarkness and @takenbythemadness rubbing their hands over the pending last part of this chapter. It’s… I can hear them cackling over it still. But that’s next week. We’ll just swoon together this week, okay?

CD&FE, Part 7.1: Jake’s POV

We needed to slow down a bit. Our families were feeling the effects of us always on the road. Danny was a single dad and Sam was struggling to keep his own marriage together. When things got super serious about priorities, it was decided that it would not kill us to pump the brakes. We would tour heavily the first year out after an album, but then taper off, picking festivals and one offs that were more friendly to the family schedules. This had a ripple effect for all of us - Danny had more time to spend in his folk sphere and play as a session musician for many of his friends. Sam was really making strides in his production interests, going so far as starting his own company that kept him busy enough to settle his bouncy nature. Josh had found a niche that satisfied his time with a camera.

That left me. I had a litany of projects with other bands and musicians, which was great. But what was keeping me busy in all that newly found downtime was creating tech for rigs. I had three different editions with a large guitar company issued, along with pedals, and even a few unique electronic pieces that I held patents to.

I had found a balance between my commitments with the band, with my commitments to tinkering with the tech side, and being able to fucking live. I was able to pursue interests apart from music. I traveled - mostly alone. It was strange, but I found solace in silent spaces. It was more than enough to keep myself sane.

I had a string of relationships that served their purposes at their given time, but nothing stuck for longer than a few months. I was happy. No matter what, I was happy. I felt healthier than I had felt in years. I got to spend an abundant amount of time with Dad and his bands. It had become more important since the old man was beginning to actually feel his age. We’d spend days going from tiny bar to tiny amphitheater to take in acts that we would debate over and appreciate together.

We were returning to the states after touring Europe in support of our eighth album release, ready to strike out across the States and Canada. I knew at some point I needed to look at the pending schedule, but we had a few weeks off. I found myself at my cabin close to Yankee Springs. Childhood nostalgia aside, it was the best retreat that I could find after the first part of the tour. The Spring air was crisp and the scrap of snow that still haunted the ground made sure that I was mostly alone in the area. By the end of the first week, I was actually sleeping like a normal fucking human, and behaving like one, too.

I finally was able to wrap my head around getting back into work and after bantering back and forth with Sam about meetings with management, I looked at the pending schedule. St. Paul was towards the beginning of the Midwest stretch. I closed that shit down and walked out onto the porch with a fresh cup of coffee and my pack of smokes to settle into my old man rocking chair to watch the day go by. I felt calm as the day whittled away. My thoughts bent back to Ann Arbor and that girl that had caught me absolutely despising myself for resorting to flirting to get people to see our show. She had captured my imagination the moment I saw the Deep Purple album between her fingers. She had my spirit the moment she walked out of my hotel room door without a goodbye.

Every time my path crossed hers, I fell harder for her. Each time we parted, the longer it took to recover. She took parts of my heart every chance she got, while leaving me with parts of her own in hopes of returning to reclaim. We had been through St. Paul a few times, but I actively avoided any contact. I supposed that was fear on my part. I had been with Clara. I was not that guy. The last time through, however, I was alone, but I was healing. I didn’t have the balls to check her socials. I didn’t have the fortitude to see if she was still with him. I just hoped that she was happy.

I was not on the rotation for the big meetings with the suits this time around - Sam and Josh had drawn the short straws, they would whine about it and I just quietly flipped them off. It gave me a few more days up north. Danny brought his boys and we spent time down at the lake and running through the woods. It felt good. It felt like I was strong. Ronnie and her family joined us, rounding out our nights with laughter and kids playing. It was hard not to feel the mind tug back to easier times.

Tour started in Nashville and moved east, then across the south, heading west until we landed in San Francisco. We turned north and worked our way back east with the intent of finishing in Detroit. Despite small hiccups and a few of us being dogged by respiratory illnesses, we were cruising right along at a good clip. We had built in family time every few weeks, taking a break to soak up kids and spouses/partners just for the sanity of Josh and Sam. It was working well. We had one such break between Rapid City and St. Paul. Because of school, Danny found himself stuck hanging out with me as we waited for Josh and Sam to have their time. We decided to push on to the Twin Cities, taking in the river and hanging out.

Wednesday I found myself itching to find her. A voice in the back of my head was whispering, but I wasn’t paying much attention until it was nearly four in the morning. I decided to check to see if she was even bothering with socials any more. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had posted three months prior - a picture of her with a group of friends. She looked different. Beautiful as ever, but there was something missing. A shine? I noticed that her smile was not as warm, her eyes were not as bright. I felt a hurt pass over my chest as I scrolled back through, finding no evidence of him. Was she alone? I didn’t dare to text the old number I had still residing in my contact list, but I had pulled it up and stared at the picture of the cottage that I had as the profile picture.

I convinced Danny to go to that pub she had taken me to. I somehow remembered that there was live music on Thursday nights. ‘Perhaps’ was the word that I was thinking about throughout the day. I had no actual guarantee that she was even still in St. Paul. I had just this tiny hope that she would somehow know that I was in town. I knew her company was once again handling the graphics and ads for the show. I also knew that her company was handling not just the show in Minnesota, but in Des Moines, all three shows in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit. Though it was someone else’s name attached to the team, I hoped that she had seen us on the roster, just as in times before.

The pub had changed little from the one time I had been there, however, by the time we arrived, it was much more crowded. I won’t lie and say that I didn’t spend my first twenty minutes looking around to see if she was there, because I did. Danny was in conversation already with the bartender about the band that was in the middle of setting up on the small stage. My eyes wandered around, landing on the booth that we had shared. Everything with Y/n had been natural. Never rushed. Quick to laughter. Always savoring every moment we had together. It was like we knew our time was always fleeting and we just needed to absorb whatever we could. Problem was - my being wanted it like a drug. Wanted her more than anything to just stay.

We settled into dinner and a fresh round of beers as the band began to play - mostly covers of well trod tunes. And they were good. I sometimes missed the days of finding joy in just playing to play. There was something to be said to get to hone an entire show, crafting how each piece was played over the course of a tour, but something else entirely to just being in the moment and the honesty in something so small. Three songs into the set, however, I heard a familiar muted sound. My brain ran through the guitarist’s rig like one of those fucking TV moments where the character figures out brain surgery or something. I glanced at Danny before I made my move towards the stage.

I pointed to the pedal and amp while catching the guitarist’s eye. He looked at me like I was about to touch his grail or something. I shrugged and started to turn when the most god awful shriek came across the speakers. He had such a look of panic that I had to help at that point. I grabbed the single pedal, disconnecting and tearing off the back. It was totally fried inside.

“Fuck no,” he gasped as he knelt down.

“Keep playing,” I remarked as I shoved my fingers around the hot wires.

It was a fairly easy fix, but I needed more cabling. I tucked behind the amps, finding what I needed and restrung the whole bit. By the time I returned to the pedal, six phones were out and up with faces that were beaming behind them. I smiled and waved, knowing full well my anonymity was blown. Oh fucking well.

“You’ve done this before,” the guitarist said as I finished hooking him back up.

“Yeah, Coachella was interesting. Another time in Mexico City. Nearly blew up somewhere in Italy once… Imagine doing this with a few thousand eyes on you,” I snickered as I took my bow and backed away.

I was polite and stood for a few fan pictures before making my way back to my nearly cold dinner. Danny grinned as I reached for my beer.

“Show off,” he snarked, leaning his back against the bar top.

“Poor kid didn’t know he was about to literally go up in flames,” I said before shoving a french fry in between my teeth.

Their song wrapped and the singer pointed us out with a big “thank you to Jake fuckin’ Kiszka for your amazing assist”, to which all I could to do is fight an eyeroll and cheer them with a lift of my beer. By the time I pushed away my plate and finished our drinks, we were ready. I got the band’s credentials from the pub manager. I wanted to be sure to send that kid a proper pedal and perhaps some gear, just to help them out, even if he never made it out of the bar scene. There was no hope of seeing her in the wild, so what was the point of hanging out? By the time we reached the hotel, our social media manager was on our asses about the “occurrence”. She scolded us for not taking video ourselves as that’s the shit that gets eaten up. We should just be thankful that there were a few steadfast fans that were being super positive on the feeds. Sometimes, this business takes all the fun from the part that really only held what was important to me.

We were playing Target Stadium come Saturday. Friday, we welcomed Josh and Sam back in and we spent the evening just going over the set list and catching up on the family. Mom and Dad would be there for each show from here through Detroit. It was good to have them close. I went to bed alone, knowing that she was out there, close, but not nearly close enough.

Sound check went fine. It was not the biggest venue we had played, but it was large. It was something to have our sound pulsing through the air and striking the empty seats. I was retreating off the stage when I saw a familiar figure, one that I thought I would not be seeing. Her face was shadowed as she was talking to a few of the suits that were in attendance, but when her eyes met mine, there was a shine that I had desperately missed. The slow smile that tugged and pulled across her lips set me on an edge that I could only tumble down from. My feet turned towards her direction, and I was unable to even think about stopping from my path towards her.

“Deep Purple,” I said as I approached.

The warmth of her laugh healed the distance. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she stepped in close to me. I felt all of me melt against her and hold on for dear life. I breathed her in as I nuzzled into her neck. I could care less of how it looked. I felt her chest quiver against mine and knew she was moved just as much as I.

“I’ve been looking for my mouse,” I whispered and smiled when I heard her breath catch in her throat.

She moved just enough to allow her lips to meet mine in a chaste kiss. I could taste tears and wasn’t sure if they were hers or my own. We hid against each other until we could both recover. I was sure my heart was leaping within my chest when I saw her eyes filled with the spark that had been missing in the pictures I had just seen of her.

“I’ve missed this face,” she said quietly, tracing her fingers down my jaw.

I could not stop myself from taking all of her in - the fine laugh lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes. The way her cheek blushed when she realized I was studying her. How her hands would not leave my body for more than a second. Damn, she was the most beautiful she had ever been if I had to compare to all of our meetings. She had taken my breath away and all of my reason with it.

Josh called from behind me and I felt the moment get yanked away. There were a few items left on the day that I had committed to and could not be put off. I cursed as she frowned, which was only mirroring my reaction.

“I should’ve-” she started, withdrawing from me.

“Wait. I have these promotions, then…”

“I knew you were here, Jake. I should’ve reached out. You have no time for this.”

I cursed again as I looked back at my waiting twin and Mom, both wearing the same mischievous look. “I have another break in about three weeks. Will you be here?”

She touched my hair, passing her fingertips across the streaks of gray amongst brown that I had allowed to be seen. “I’ll be here. Same number. Just…”

It was the best I could hope for. By the time I hit the stage that night, it was like I was weightless. I’m sure my brothers were taken aback by my energy of the evening, but they could fuck off. Mom hugged me tight that night and asked if that was the girl I’d been waiting for - the girl that held me like I was her life.

“I’ve waited for her for so long. I hope I can prove it to her that it’s finally our time,” I said, as she held onto me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy, honey,” she said, filling me once again with all of the emotions of earlier.

The joy that had infused me was only spiked further as my phone pinged a notification when we were loading up on the buses. It was from her. I waited until I was away from curious eyes to open it.

I’ve made some changes.

I had no idea what she meant, but I desperately needed to find out.

CD&FE, Part 7.2: Her POV

Four words had never felt so heavy, and yet so freeing at the same time.

I’ve made some changes.

Four words that I hoped were enough to convey that my path had been lost, found and re-paved since our last meeting. My life with Frank had been beautiful. My life with Frank as we tried to make the long distance between us work was not so beautiful. We tried. There was no leeway for him - he had to be in Paris. I had a little bit of give, working from his tiny little rooms that the university had provided, but my company was once again expanding. I needed to be present to woo new clients. I was needed to be present to ensure the quality of our work to our established clients who preferred to work with me in person. It became us trying to prop up tent poles for a tent so riddled with holes and flooding with water that neither of us could survive.

In the end, it felt bitter to be walking away after so much was put into the relationship. It took more than a while to recover. I fought from throwing myself back into work - which would have been the easiest thing to do. Bury myself in hours away from home; away from being alone. I sold the apartment that we had so fallen in love with. Everything was very civil in regards to dividing up the holdings. I was thankful for that. I found a little craftsman home from the early 1900s that was further out of the city on a scrap of land where I didn’t have neighbors two feet away from me. It was… nice. I continued to work from home three days a week. I somehow found a balance - one that I knew I had been lacking.

I took time to go home to my parents. I took time to spend with my siblings and their families. I took time to absorb Pat and Sidney’s family. I took time to mourn my time with Frank. Finally, I took time to really be well within myself. I took about six weeks off, first to move into the new space, then to just be a regular human. I did travel back to Duluth, but did not stay in the cottage that I had with Jake. I walked the trails that we had slipped and slid across together. I went to the mansion, but this time the gardens were in full bloom. I knew my spirit bled for him. I realized that there was no one else that I wanted. There was no one else that understood me like Jake did; despite our time together adding up to little more than thirteen days. DAYS.

At first, I did not want to believe that this deep seeded need was love for a man I knew in such an ephemeral manner. I had promised that man to latch onto someone who could love me where I was. And I did love Frank. I am convinced that I loved him deeply. However, there was always a dogged feeling that not all of my needs were being met - not the way that Jake fulfilled me. What was wrong with me that I couldn’t fully accept that fact.

I celebrated my forty-third birthday by doing nothing. I was by no means feeling old or sad about my age. Fuck that. I was feeling better than I had in years. I was strong and independent and … When I had seen that the GVF ticket had been passed along to my old position that was now occupied by Cody Youngblood, I knew perhaps I was ready. I had sheltered in place the last time they had blown through town. This time, however, I paid attention. I was upper, administrative management now, no need to sit in on the tasks that were once so important to me. But I did take notice and follow the progress through. I wondered if any of them realized that it was now my company that was handling them throughout the Midwest stretch. We had our tendrils reaching across the states and even into Toronto.

I had checked the schedule of shows, knowing that this account was huge compared to even a few years prior. Live acts had changed considerably with the advent of having streamed shows across multiple venues. GVF were part of a dying breed that some speculated would be relegated back to playing on street corners and honky tonk bars. But the band was persevering - along with many others that were proving that live music - not streamed performances - were still best practice. I was stuck in Des Moines with a project that had simply imploded when I knew there was a break before playing the area in Minneapolis. The client was pissed off that we had followed their wishes to a ‘t’ and it fell apart just as the project manager had predicted. I soothed the ruffled feathers and salvaged what I could before trudging home, afraid that I was going to be too late.

While on the plane, Pat sent me a link with a question if that was ‘my’ guitar player. A friend of his had been at the pub that night and had video showing Jake helping a band out. I stared into my screen. What didn’t seem real was followed by all sorts of accounts that Jake had helped out a young guitarist during their set. There were pictures splashed all over. Each new picture came with a fresh fight to catch my breath. I had to get home. I needed to make my way to him.

I was a ball of anxiety as I dressed and prepared to get into the sound check that was scheduled. Cody was to be there taking care of our company’s tasks, but I thought dropping in would look good on such a large, long-term account. At least that was my cover. I passed through security and surprised Cody as he was running through his final digital checks. It was an amazing set up. It was hard not to feel the energy in the air. We were deep in the guts of the stadium when the sound vibrated through my form. Jake’s playing was unmistakable. I smiled as we walked up through the layers of concrete until we were in the open air. A group of techs were standing to the side, making adjustments and honing in on the sound that was needed. We moved towards a group of management that we knew, and were going over the final touches as the check came to a close.

My chest was on the verge of rupture when the band started down the main stairs that would lead them right past us. I kept my attention where Jake would eventually appear, but I turned away as I heard commotion towards the back of the stage. My body felt hot and jumpy the longer I waited. He was here. He was so close. I wondered if he would be happy to see me. I panicked at the notion that he may just walk past me without acknowledgement. I had not contemplated that part. I just knew I needed to be here, at this time.

He had his head down as he descended the metal stairs. I smiled at the amount of silver that had invaded his hair. Clad in sunglasses, he looked soft in trousers, boots and a pull over. I was glad to see that the mustache and goatee were in place, but once again, speckled with gray in the best way possible. How was this man aging like this? He was even more handsome compared to his form from years before. He looked up and paused. I hoped that he saw me - that his slowing of tread was because of me. He took his sunglasses off and my breath stopped completely. He was walking towards me, eyes filled with recognition and warmth. I had no idea if it would be any kind of touch until he called me ‘Deep Purple’ and I had no choice but to fall into his embrace.

There’s a feeling that can overcome you when you pull on your favorite outfit, or snuggle down into the right blanket, or how the sunshine hits your face after you’ve been upset and you just know it’s all good. The moment he touched me was like all three moments in one. Every inch of me felt right. I felt elevated. I could feel his body shaking against mine, like he was totally filled with joy and anticipation. I felt like I whimpered as his mouth passed against the exposed skin of my neck. It was by no means anything other than him trying to get closer, but just the feel of his breath against my skin was enough to know he was right there with me - in the same mindset.

Damn. He called me ‘mouse’ and I lost it. All of the emotions struck like a tide. His lips met mine. My chest swelled with a pain of need and want and lust and most of all love. Love that was passionate and greedy. Love that was consuming. Love that was nurturing and unquestioning. Love that was his.

I heard his name being called. I knew I was in the final seconds of whatever this was. I did not want to let go. My spirit tried to reach out and cling to him as he had to continue to work. But the need for him to stay was shared between us. I could see it in him - he did not want to go. I touched his face, brushing away tears for both of us. They called for him again and a look flared in his features that I wasn’t sure if he was about to explode in rage or melt into me with need. I knew I was stammering to get words out. I always felt like his time was precious. Never more so than in that rush that was beginning to tug at him. I watched as he physically struggled against it.

Three weeks. He said three weeks. I’ve waited nearly twenty years, what was three more weeks?

Rarely do I ever take advantage of tickets for events that we get for free through work. However, that night, I was in a VIP box watching Jake strut around like a god. Those few around me noted that he seemed different - lighter. I did not move from my spot the entire time, watching him laugh and interact with his brothers and the crowd. I wondered if he knew I was there. I should have texted him, but I needed this for me. The last little scrap to tear away and accept that the man that the whole damn stadium was screaming for was mine.

Three weeks. I needed to focus on getting the rest of my shit in place. I was by no means quitting, but I was stepping up and through an opportunity that would allow much more flexibility and time away from the office. I purchased a ticket to get to the Detroit show. It was my whole focus. He texted every night, while I answered every morning. I wanted to drop everything and run to him. Strange how things had changed. I had spent so much time focused on the now - but I wanted that ‘now’ to be nothing but him.

“I’m happy for you,” Patrick admitted as I was carrying my bag out to set by the front door. “You’ve thought this through. This is what you want.”

“It’s what I want,” I replied as I rushed back to get my light trench coat from the back closet.

“It’s good to see you this happy, Y/n,” he said with a grin. “The girls are going to miss you fiercely.”

“I won’t be leaving forever. Just not around quite as much,” I said as I made sure my ticket was waiting in my phone. “And perhaps their favorite auntie will send them all sorts of shit from all over that will drive their daddy crazy.”

He shook his head with a naughty look. “You do and I’ll break each one before it gets into their hands. They’re still young enough that I can open and censor anything that you send.”

I laughed loudly. The incident of the harmonicas, kazoos, and slide whistles still gets talked about years after the actual occurrence. Or the slime-fest that Auntie Y/n promised and was met with unexpected consequences of it in the girls’ hair and staining outfits for days. The glitter shooters. The craft fairs that we would hold in Sidney’s living room were epic, but glue, beads and cutouts were not furniture friendly. And best of all, at the end of it, I could kiss them all and walk away from the annoyed parents and happy children.

“Regardless, they’re going to miss their Sunday time with you,” he said, his lips held tight.

“I’ll miss you too, Patty,” I said softly. “But I’m not going far, or for that long. We’ve got a lot to figure out yet.”

He was nodding, but I knew he was just hiding what he wanted to say. They were concerned for me. Hell. I was concerned. I never threw anything to the wind like this. Every step I made was measured and planned and had a direction that had an end goal in mind. This whole time. My goal for now however, was Jake. My direction was him. I said I was not one of those girls to drop everything for a man. That was true. I still wasn’t. But I was to a point in my career that I could dictate my role and my projects.

“I love you,” I said, coming to a stop in front of him. “I’ve loved you since second grade when you told me that I had a booger on my forehead. I love your family. I love your kids. Fuck if I miss much of that, right?”

“Love you too, punkin,” he whispered, tugging me close.

I was on the flight to Detroit when I saw that Jake texted a picture from the stage of Comerica Park. My heart flooded with his words: Tomorrow morning will be here in less than twelve hours. He was counting down. I had a car waiting for me at the airport that would take me to the hotel before dumping everything and running my ass off to get to the venue. I had a ticket for one of the boxes, but also told Cody to expect me backstage. He was a sweetheart about it, knowing that I was not going to be there to see him. That ruse had been blown. He just said that all my passes would be at the will-call window. True to his word, everything was there.

I got a beer and tucked into my spot - on Jake’s side, overlooking the stage. I could not hide the absolute joy that flooded my system as they hit the stage and the whole stadium exploded in sound. I had no idea how long the tears were standing in my eyes, or how they started to trail my makeup down my cheeks, but I was ruined by the midpoint of the show. Amidst blushed cheeks and racoon eyes, I ducked out of the box and could only hope that I was able to hide my mess until I got to the ladies room. I could hear Jake commanding another solo and it was like reverberating off my bones as I tried to pull myself together.

“Hey, honey, you all right over there?”

Fuck. I was totally caught being overstimulated and over emotionally wrought in the fucking bathroom. I was reaching for a wad of towels when the woman who was asking me my status came into view of the mirror. My insides froze. She froze as well before she quickly recovered. I had seen pictures of his mother that he had shown me during our time in Duluth. I had seen her at the exhibition for Clara, though from a far distance.

“Well, I’ll be,” she said, her tone shifting as she moved to get me more towels. “You’re Y/n if I’m not mistaken.”

I bit into my lip trying to stall just long enough to catch my breath. I had no voice to give her so I nodded.

“Jake said that he would be flying to St. Paul the moment he came off stage,” she replied with a small grin. “Guess he won’t have to now. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Karen.”

“Y/n,” I said, as I met her gaze through the mirror.

“So, I’ll ask again - you okay?”

I sucked in a hard breath. “Just having a moment. I don’t normally do things like this, but… Honestly. I didn’t want to wait.”

The smile that spread across her face was so like Jake’s in those quiet, over the top moments that he could barely hold himself together that it just caused all the emotions to rupture out of me all over again. She hushed and cooed as she rushed to help once more. I tried to warble out a thanks, but it just made things worse. It started with a chuckle, then a laugh and landed in a sob that was not my own. Karen had her own tears in her eyes as she wiped at her face.

“You really do love my boy, don’t you,” she sighed, as if just giving herself over to her own emotions.

All I could do was nod my head and we both just blurted out in a shared moment of joy. She was waving her hands wildly as she was trying to reign herself in. A ray of light shot across her features as she froze.

“I have an idea!” she announced. “I’m not sure how you were planning on reaching him, but I think we need to really do this right. Wait… How were you going to surprise him?”

“I have backstage access. I was thinking about trying to meet him after-”

A twinkle crossed her gaze. “You’re with me.”

She wrapped her hand around my wrist and pulled me out of the restroom and down the walkway. We rushed past the box that I was in and moved instead into one just beyond the barrier that read ‘No One Beyond This Point’. She pushed open the door to reveal a near identical box that I was in, but this one was furnished with a sidebar filled with iced drinks and snacks. There were about twenty people in the room, all were just visiting and watching every now and then. This was the family. I felt way out of place as Karen waved me towards the glass.

“Hon,” she called out as we approached three men that were tucked at the fore. “Hon…”

The moment the man turned to look at his wife, I knew it was Jake’s father. The way he leaned into her and listened and reached for her… Fuck. It was all Jake. The shy little smile. The secret language that he was able to share with his wife was all on display. His eyes turned to me and he was instantly on his feet.

“Wow, fancy meeting you here,” he opened with a wide smile.

“We have to surprise Jake. You in?” Karen beamed as she wrapped her arm around her man.

“Jake doesn’t like surprises,” Kelly remarked, brows furrowed.

“He’ll like this one,” Karen stated with finality.

I couldn’t help the spike of nervousness that invaded as my eyes turned towards the glass. Jake was stomping across the front of the stage racing towards the encore. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but how awful would it be if his parents were ready to spring right into whatever was ahead for the two of us. I listened to them banter about how Jake was so looking forward to seeing me - how he had gushed over how we seemed to be the proverbial ships passing in the night over and over. I looked down as the spotlight dimmed across him before he stepped forward again to be awash in brilliant light. The silver in his hair was a halo around him. My heart thudded in my chest at the sight. I was putting myself in his parents’ hands. How the hell did this happen?

We’re down to one last posting to wrap this lovely little story up. See you next week!

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter

#jake gvf #jake kiszka #greta van fleet #gvf #cd&fe #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fanfiction #jake kiszka smut #jake kiszka fan fiction #greta van fleet fanfic #greta van fleet AU #jake kiszka AU

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rustcleaver · 11 months

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It Falters On The Horizon (Chapter 1)

Fnaf Eclipse x gn reader, 6k words

(it/they/he pronouns are used for Eclipse)

If any of you have an ao3 invite I could use, I would be deeply grateful <3

Waking up for work on a Tuesday morning isn’t all that bad if you like your job. It doesn’t even need to be particularly glamorous; anything that doesn’t make you want to crumple to the floor like a tinfoil ball by the end of your shift is a win. And anything beats retail. So you’re pretty satisfied with your decent pay (and flexible hours) at the Fazbear Entertainment™ Mega Pizzaplex©. You even get to google conspiracy theories on company time, it’s great.

Your alarm rings, and you feel at least half the joints in your spine crack as you sit up to turn it off. It takes a minute of flailing like an indignant carp before you’re able to roll out of bed and onto your feet. You grab your Fazwatch© (patent pending) from its little charging station and its screen buzzes to life. A few practiced button-taps show you the day’s schedule. All the tours are at the regular times, showing the same schedule as it did last night. Maybe you don’t need to check it as often as you do, but management has made last-minute changes before, and it’s pretty fair to assume it will happen again. For some reason or another, the tour times will sometimes get moved around or cancelled on the day-of. After a month on the job, you’re comfortable enough in your routine to give a tour on 5-minute’s notice. (You had to last Friday. That was a new low, even for Faz-management.) But everything looks fine today, so you shouldn’t have to whip out The Ol’ Fazbear Entertainment Approved Apology Spiel for any poor customers who might miss the sudden change in their tour times.

You once bet $50 that management will try to move a tour to some time in the past. The staff bot that cleans at your end of Rockstar Row is often the recipient of your quips, and it only stopped sweeping for a second to acknowledge your comment. You still aren’t sure if it knows what money is, and you probably don’t have 50 bucks to spare, anyway. You guys can probably just call it even. Besides, you think it found the joke funny (it made a single ‘ha’ sound), so that’s probably all that matters.

You used to be surprised by the number of people you can find in the pizzaplex at the asscrack of dawn, but the magic of the place (and the meticulously crafted ads on kids’ youtube) always attracts a small crowd. Weekdays are pretty quiet in the mornings, but there’s always someone visiting the pizzaplex. It’s a lavish place that probably pays more money for the monthly electricity than you will ever see in your life, but you’re sure the company can afford it easily with the number of guests they get. With how stupidly overpriced some of the stuff is here, you’re sure those guys have plenty of funds to spare. You really don’t get why management will always cut corners and be so cheap, then turn around and drop hundreds of thousands on some shiny new robot. Fickle, those guys.

Anyways, back to your own work:

Thankfully, it’s never too busy back at Rockstar Row during the day when the animatronics are performing or going to private birthday parties. You can hear their music if you listen for it, but all the festivities are distant enough that they don’t disturb you. The voices, cheers, and catchy tunes blend together in a gentle hum-drone of white noise. You keep saying that you’re gonna watch a performance one of these days, but you want to go at a time when you won’t get lost in a sea of pre-teens and their exhausted parents, so you keep putting it off. Usually, none of said pre-teens or parents are hanging around Rockstar Row when you prepare for the day, so you can have your peace of mind as you clock in. You can even whistle a bit of copyrighted music while dusting off the ol’ display cases without getting a single disapproving email from management. Throughout the day, you give a couple of tours down the Row to tell the history and legends of the old Fazbear pizzerias, throwing in some popular conspiracy theories and horror stories for spice. There’s plenty of time in between the tours of this makeshift museum when you usually just sit around in case anybody needs directions or something. All-in-all, it’s a pretty nice job. And you’re pretty darn good at it, too. Nobody knows how to redirect a customer to somebody who actually knows how to help with whatever wild shit happened to their kid quite like you do.

Sometimes, Rockstar Row gets kinda crowded at the end of the day when the animatronics are doing meet-n-greets in their rooms. There aren’t any museum tours at this time (thank Faz), so you get to sit down at your little desk area and watch how these vibrant characters and their equally dazzling personalities capture the attention of the crowds. They’re real pros at what they do; you can’t help but smile at their acts, even from a distance.

There have been a few times when there wasn’t anyone waiting in line to chat with one of the animatronics, so Freddy or Roxy will sometimes come over to say hi when you wave to them. You’ve been hoping to introduce yourself to Monty and Chica, but their rooms aren’t really visible from your corner of Rockstar Row (and you don’t want to intrude when anyone’s busy), so you’re limited to the other two at the moment. Freddy is very popular and very busy, he is the titular character after all, so you’ve probably spoken to Roxy the most. She once expressed gratitude that she doesn’t have to maintain her usual act and energy when she talks with you. It was a pretty serious and vulnerable comment, so you wanted to respond in a positive and encouraging manner. The somewhat goofy thumbs-up that you gave her (clearly not the expected response) made her laugh so hard that Freddy came over, concerned that her voicebox was glitching out. The memory makes you smile as you clock in for the day.

---

On this morning, this perfectly average Tuesday morning, you do a double-take at one of the display cases. Empty. It definitely isn’t supposed to be, so you walk over to take a look at it. You stop a couple of inches away from the glass and squint at it like this is some optical illusion. Yep, definitely empty, no amount of rubber-necking or suspicious glances appear to be changing that. Also, it looks like the top panel has been unceremoniously smashed in. In fact, it took you a perfectly normal amount of time to notice that the whole upper half of the glass box is shattered. Yes. And, like the awe-inspiring detective you are, you start looking around on the floor. You know, just in case the old Chica arm had hopped out of its display case and was lying around somewhere. Okay, so maybe it’s a little hard to wake up on a Tuesday no matter what your job is.

You’re almost surprised that management didn’t tell you about the missing exhibits before your shift, but then you remember how low they keep setting the bar. They probably didn’t know, or didn’t care. You move to check the rest of the displays yourself and see that an original Fredbear top hat has also disappeared. This horrible loss is enough to properly wake you up. That was your favorite exhibit. It was a nice little hat that will be sorely missed. You take a minute to grieve the tragic loss before you see your good pal (the staff bot who you might owe $50 to someday) vacuuming around the golden Roxy statue. You jog over to it and give a little wave.

“Hey! How’s it going?” You say. It turns off the vacuum and looks over at you. It blinks twice and gives you a thumbs-up.

“Happy to hear it! Doesn’t look like you got covered in soda like last week, so that’s good. Hey, if that ever happens again, you can come to me if you need a hand with cleaning it off. I’m getting pretty good with those chem wipes. Also, two of the exhibits are missing: the Chica arm and the old top hat. Do you know anything about that?” You ask, remembering your original mission mid-sentence and pointing at the crime scene. In response, the staff bot looks at the ground for a minute, then tilts its head quizzically. It turns to look down the hallway and makes a little ping sound at a nearby security bot. The security bot comes over and the two of them look at each other silently for a minute. Robot-to-robot conversation, robot-to-robot communication. The security bot looks briefly at the floor like the staff bot did, then the two resume their telepathic chat. You begin to wonder if you should ask again later when they both turn to look at you. The security bot beeps a few times.

“...Did you see anything suspicious around the displays recently?” You offer, guessing at what the security bot is trying to communicate. It shakes its head in response.

“Can you check the security camera footage from last night?” It nodds this time.

“Great! So, do you see anything..?” You wait a moment. Maybe the security bot didn’t hear you? It keeps looking at you but doesn’t respond, doesn’t move. Your fazwatch buzzes on your wrist, and you read the screen, confused.

REQUESTING SECURITY CLEARANCE ...

...

APPROVED

UPDATED SECURITY CLEARANCE FOR: DAYCARE ENTRANCE

Ok. Well, that’s something. But the daycare has been closed for long before you even got hired, and you doubt that whoever stole the two displays would have any reason to put them there. (Our great detective has deemed this a case of larceny, deducing that there iss a thief afoot.)

“The daycare? You want me to go to the old daycare..?” You ask. The security bot nods.

“Shouldn’t I go to the security office for this sort of thing?” It doesn’t respond. Your fazwatch opens the pizzaplex map and begins charting a course for the daycare. There’s your answer, you suppose. The security bot begins rolling back to its post and you shout a quick thank-you. Turning back to your dear friend and colleague, staff bot, you shrug.

“Well, the security bots probably know a lot better than I do. I’ve got about an hour, so I’m gonna go check it out. Wish me luck!” You give it a dramatic little salute. It blinks in acknowledgment and goes right back to vacuuming.

---

It always bothered you that “Floor 1” isn’t always the first floor of a building. Sometimes, it’s literally the second floor. You are reminded of this tragedy as you take the elevator down to the “Ground Level” and step out onto the balcony. (Note that even the “Ground Level” has two levels. Fazbear Entertainment really dropped the ball on this one.) You shuffle out of the elevator, leaving room for the family passing by while checking your faz-map. It says that you just have to go left. And there it is, a large pair of doors labeled “Superstar Daycare Pick-Up”. You’ve never had to go inside, but it still shocks you that you never noticed the entrance before. The lights above the door are off and all the paint is faded, so it’s admittedly hard to spot. You hesitate for a second, just standing there, staring at the door handle. You get the sense that you aren’t supposed to be here, like you’re a child about to get caught doing something that you were told not to. Reminding yourself that you were literally told to come here, you try to shake the feeling. As weird as this whole thing is, you’re pretty curious to see whatever the security bot has sent you to find. Besides, if this yields nothing, you can just stop by the security office and ask somebody else for help. You finally turn the handle and step through the door.

Here you find a large, poorly lit, and lifeless area. There are only a few posters on the walls, lit by bands of neon light. Some are of the band, but you notice several that depict a sun figure and a moon figure. These advertise some “Sundrop” and “Moondrop” candies. You find it weird for the Fazbear advertisement team (faz-vertisement, if you will) to come up with new characters just to promote some candy that you’ve never even heard of. Weird when they will typically do whatever they can to “show the audience our beloved cast of Fazbear Ent. characters that you know and love” (reuse the same old clipart of the animatronics for most ads because, collectively, they do not give a single damn). But here are two characters you have never seen before. Something entirely new. A sun and a moon.

You walk over to the posters and note the layer of dust clinging to them. The sun and moon look very similar in design and are clearly each other’s counterparts. You’re the museum guide, the person who probably knows the most about the pizzaplex’s history, and yet you’ve never heard anything about these two characters. Maybe these were just a part of the daycare’s shtick since the entrance also has a sun and moon on it? You decide to grab a couple of these posters as potential stand-ins for the missing exhibits. Even if you don’t need the interim replacements, you’ll definitely want to look into these characters later.

You pass a little fountain surrounded by the world’s jankiest fake palm trees on the way to the end of the hall. It’s impossible not to marvel at the dichotomy of how cheap or extravagant Fazbear Entertainment can be. There are some lights around the fountain’s edge, but the water isn’t running, just lying quietly at the basin. Your footsteps echo over the checkered PVC floor tiles and the poor lighting doesn’t let you see the ceiling. It looks like it might go on infinitely. This room feels too big. You grip your phone a little tighter.

You eventually come to a big, metal shutter door with a little panel to the right. Using your sleeve, you wipe the dust off the screen. After a few taps, it begins to boot up and update. You are presented with a few options, and “Open Daycare Entrance [A]” immediately catches your eye. You press the button and it makes a little ping sound.

AUTHENTICATING CLEARANCE, PLEASE WAIT…

Your watch buzzes, and you flinch at it, startled. It shows a loading wheel for just a second before the panel beeps again.

STAND CLEAR OF SHUTTERS UNTIL FULLY OPEN

And the metal doors begin to rise. Inside, you spot a golden statue of the sun and moon figures. So they have 3D designs, too. That’s a little too much effort for a couple of candies. This thing looks just as glamorous as the statues of the band members out in Rockstar Row. Impressed, you take a photo and begin walking around this little entrance area filled with chairs. There is a thick net that hangs in front of you with a railing that leaves room for a rainbow slide. The sign above it says “Slide Into Fun!” and points at the opening. Hm. No thanks.

You lean against the railing and look into the massive space beyond the net. There are a bunch of play structures and a massive river of a ball pit that you can barely make out in the dark. You see a small balcony to your right, on the only wall where there is no netting. It is the only place inside that is properly lit, gleaming in the spotlight, but it doesn’t look like there’s any way to get up to it. Over on the left, you think you see a desk. It’s right next to some large wooden doors, and you’re glad to see a normal entrance so you won’t have to use the slide. It could be fun, don’t get me wrong, but thoughts of dashcon ricochet around your brain as you envision the ball pit at the end. You choose to think about something else. Like your mission! Yes. You’re here to… well, you’re not really sure. Find whatever the security bot wants you to find, I guess. It’s darker in this area, feeling even more abandoned than the fountain area before. You can’t really see, but you doubt that the (potential) thief would choose to stick around in the building, so you don’t think that’s what you’re looking for here. There’s no one else in the entrance area, so you’ll have to go inside the daycare to see if there’s anyone you can talk to. Maybe there’s a security bot who guards the place, and maybe it knows what happened. So, to get inside, you’ll have to make your way down some stairs and circle around the walled-in (netted-in?) daycare area to get to those doors.

Said doors feel a lot taller when you’re right in front of them. It’s a little intimidating, to be honest. From here, you can see the corners of the mechanisms that open the door, and you’re glad that the doorknobs about 20 feet up are just ornamental. This does, unfortunately, leave you with no idea of how to actually open the doors. The thought of flailing about to grab those doorknobs gives you a laugh, at least. For lack of a better idea, you knock on the door.

“Anybody here? Knock knock.” You say to yourself, trying to come up with a plan to get in. You most certainly don’t expect a reply.

“Who’s there?” Rings a response in a muffled, robotic voice. This makes you jump like a cat. There really is something in there, and it’s definitely not a security bot. But that doesn’t sound like the voice of anybody in the band; it has a completely different intonation and almost rumbles at the end of its words. Each of the glamrocks has a distinctive voice, and this doesn’t match any of them. And, above all else, it just set you up for a knock-knock joke. Now this is serious. It’s one thing to meet a mystery robot in an abandoned area of a technologically-unmatched pizzaplex, but it’s something else to get the perfect set-up for a real bad pun. You’re gonna have to think hard about this one, pull out all the stops. You could use the ol’ classic “Boo-who” but that’s too basic, too predictable. There’s one about yodeling, but you don’t remember how the second part goes, so you’ll have to improvise a bit.

You settle with a “Wa.”

A few clicks resound behind those doors. You take a small step away from whatever they came from.

Your mysterious interlocutor responds after a moment, sounding genuinely curious:

“Wa who?”

“Mario, is that you?” You offer, hoping that your improvised punch-line makes sense. After a second, a hearty chuckle echoes from inside the daycare. There’s a rumble as the doors before you start to swing open (which makes you jump again, but this time it feels more like the frantic wiggle of a disgruntled worm than the hop of a cat). The doors open slowly, making you wait a moment before gingerly taking a step inside and looking around.

The darkness is almost complete in here, and the air feels heavy. There is a particularly dark area around the play structure right in front of you, casting even more shadows around itself. Within that darkness, you see a wavering, orange glow. Two pinpricks of light loom above you, shining down from this structure. You realize that this must be your new “friend.”

“I’ve never heard that one before,” It muses, “but I don’t think it’s legally advisable for any Fazbear Entertainment staff to mention Mario by name. Copyright infringement is against the rules.”

You realize that the glowing orange points are a pair of eyes. Eyes that are firmly locked on you during the slow tilt of its head. There are some other glowing areas around them, but they’re dim enough that you can’t make out their shapes.

“Ah, right. Definitely wouldn’t want to cause a lawsuit.” Your voice doesn’t even echo in this cavernous space. You are suddenly made very aware that you’re completely alone with this thing. In the dark. Pretty far away from anyone. Spooky, but you’re being so brave about it.

The eyes before you do a whirling clockwise spin while the entire patch of orange glow moves rhythmically downwards. You hear something land gently on the floor with the rattle of a bell, crouching to absorb the impact. Those eyes are still on you, and you don’t think they’ve blinked at all. You are aware of how difficult it would be to evacuate this area. Deeply aware.

“Can’t have any guests overhearing the unlicensed use of another company’s character, now can we? Well, we’re alone in here, so I suppose I could let it slide…” The voice gives a dramatic hum as the stranger stands up, eyes rising to a height that towers over you.

“And I did like the joke... Alright, we can overlook this one. But you should be more careful, you know. I’m sure it would be a terrible hassle if Nintendo tried to sue the company again.” There’s a creak of metal and plastic as the figure seems to lean to the left, chuckling to itself. A few bells ring from the light source as its shoulders bounce with the laugh. Then, you hear a gasp.

“Oh- Now where are my manners? This is no way to welcome our new guest!” It speaks with a completely different energy, standing upright again.

“Do forgive me, and allow me to introduce myself properly!” There’s a tap-tap-tap of steps as those luminous eyes get closer. You shuffle backward and tense at the sudden approach, arms raised defensively. This thing sounds kind enough, but hearing a massive metallic creature approach you from the dark and seeing nothing but its glowing eyes is pretty fucking scary.

Seeing your reaction, it comes to a stop. Now that it’s closer, you can see its eyes flash with a concerned look that darts around your face before landing nervously on the ground. It almost looks like it’s deflating, the way the lights seem to shrink in on themselves. You hear quiet, rapid taps from where you imagined its hands might be held, fidgeting.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry! Did I frighten you? Goodness- that’s no good, no good at all-” It keeps stumbling over its terse apologies, slowly backing away. Its body language makes it seem so much smaller than you, even though this colossal silhouette is obviously anything but. Those eyes are squinted in what might be the start of panic, or dejection. Oh great. We gave the poor robot anxiety.

“No, no, it’s fine- I just got a little, uh... Surprised because I can’t really see what’s happening and I don’t know what-” You’re cut off by the sound of a whack sound coming from the animatronic’s face. You realize it just facepalmed.

“Of course! Oh, how silly of me, how ridiculous! I can’t very well introduce myself if you can’t even see me, now can I? Here- Give me just a moment-” It turns and disappears into the daycare, its muttering growing distant. You notice that, despite the bells you heard before, it was nearly silent as it left. After a moment of wondering if you should be worried, a click reverberates from above as the lights buzz to life. This causes you to squint for a minute, feeling just as blind as when you were in the dark. You blink until your eyes adjust and look into the now-illuminated daycare. The entire space looks much more inviting in the light; everything popping with color and life. Now, you can finally get a good look at the animatronic who’s approaching, more sheepishly this time.

It’s easy to tell that they're at least 8 feet tall, even though they bow their head to appear less intimidating. It folds its hands together in the same way that an old lady might when she’s saying something sweet, except this colossal robot has four arms to work with. Double the gesture, double the sentiment, I guess. You think those fingertips might be pointed, but you’re choosing not to look too close. Its face is round with a crescent shape on the inside and two rows of triangles on the outside. You get the impression of one of those sun/moon theater masks: one that might be happy on one side, then sad on the other. There’s a large nightcap sitting at an angle on its head; the end of it rests on his shoulder and sways slightly with each step. All of the robot’s clothing look soft and flowy, giving it a very gentle and elegant appearance. Whatever plastic its face is made of, it’s clearly malleable, allowing the animatronic to make minute shifts in its expression for a precise demonstration of emotions. You have to admit, whoever designed the animatronics here is some kind of genius.

“There. Let me try one more time.” It sighs with an apologetic smile.

The half-sun, half-moon character stops before you and gives a dignified bow, the motion smooth and practiced.

“My name is Eclipse, I am the caretaker of the Superstar Daycare. It’s very nice to meet you. Welcome, and sorry again for the poor first impression.” They address you. Their smile is so genuine that you can’t help but mirror it as you return the greeting, introducing yourself in turn.

“Come in, come in! Make yourself at home! Here, allow me to get you a seat-” They respond, visibly straightening up now that they know that there’s no hard feelings. You know that they literally glow, but they still seem so radiant with their rejuvenated spirit. That smile of theirs definitely got wider, and they move with a skip in their steps. They pull up two of the few adult-sized chairs and set them by a small, plastic table. It stands by one of the chairs and gestures for you to sit, intending to push in your chair for you. It’s pointedly gentle with this, too, even speaking slightly quieter because you were closer. You have to admit, this Eclipse is quite a charming host, and a fascinating character. After you are seated, they sit in their own chair and rest their upper pair of arms on the table between you, tapping their fingers rhythmically. The anxiety from before is gone, but an excited energy still dances behind those eyes.

“We don’t get a lot of guests, so it truly is an honor! Is there anything I can help you with, my dear guest?” He asks, tilting his head a little.

“Yes, actually,” You begin, “I’m the tour guide for the museum area along Rockstar Row, and two of the exhibits disappeared last night. The cases were broken, so it looks like they might have been stolen. I tried to ask one of the nearby security bots about it, and it sent me here to learn more.” You point at your faz-watch and Eclipse looks truly enraptured by your every word.

“I see! Terribly sorry to hear about the exhibits, but that does explain a thing or two. I just got a request to authorize someone’s security clearance to come in here. I didn’t know what it could possibly be for, but I guess that must have been you!”

“Yeah! Though I still don’t get why they wanted me to come here. Especially when there’s a dedicated security office for this sort of thing.” You admit. Eclipse chuckles at that and rests its chin in one of its hands, its eyes narrowing with a cheeky flaire.

“If I had to guess, that would be because I’m the head of security, here at the Pizzaplex.” His grin seems to widen at your surprise. He titters briefly before continuing, each laugh lighter than the flutter of a moth’s wing.

“Yes, funny how the head of security isn’t in the security office, isn’t it? Well, there’s rarely anything that requires my input down there. Though, I wonder why they didn’t just show you the camera footage when you asked, even if you aren’t security personnel-” He trails off, closing his eyes for a moment. His brows furrow and his smile slips for just a moment.

“Ah. So that’s why… But surely it would have…” They go quiet for a little longer, eyes flickering about beneath their eyelids. They hum quizzically as they open their eyes and look back at you with an unreadable expression.

“It looks like there are no recordings from the Rockstar Row’s security cameras from last night… But I’m certain I was able to see through them at the time, and I didn’t receive any kind of notifications about them malfunctioning later… That’s…” It gives a defeated laugh.

“It looks like I’ll have to investigate a bit more thoroughly, then.” They conclude, shrugging with their second pair of arms.

“Well then! I’ll be in contact if I find anything, but you should go get ready for today’s tours.” He waves a hand and you feel your faz-watch buzz in response. On the screen, you see a message from Eclipse that just says “Hello :)” from a messaging app that management occasionally contacts you with. On the time above the notification, you can see that there are only 10 minutes until the first tour starts. Oh shit. You need to get moving. Eclipse springs to his feet and motions you to the door with a flourish of all four arms.

“Feel free to message me if you need anything else, we’re always happy to help. It’s truly been lovely meeting you, and good luck with today’s tours!” They conclude with a showman’s poise. You thank them as you hurry out the door, to the stairs. Before leaving the daycare, you turn to give the grand play area one last glance, hoping to wave to Eclipse on the way out. You aren’t able to spot them, just a metal cable unfurling from the ceiling, falling to a point behind one of the play structures. Then, the lights go out, leaving you in a little hollow of light around the golden sun and moon statue. It’s a bit sad that you couldn’t say another goodbye, but you decide you’ll make up for it when you aren’t possibly running late for work. You are very grateful for the reminder, but you’re certain you never told them when the first tour was starting.

- - -

You return to Rockstar Row with 7 minutes to spare. Thankfully, your favorite staff bot has been kind enough to clean up the broken glass around the missing exhibits while you were gone. You make a mental note to thank them later, then make a physical note to place by the exhibits:

“This exhibit is temporarily absent for routine maintenance and repairs” You write with your best handwriting and hope that it sounds official enough that the guests won’t interrogate you about it. You are so caught up in thinking about excuses you can give people or where you might find a temporary replacement that you don’t notice the heavy footsteps that stop right behind you.

“Hey, heads up. Somebody’s gonna walk right into ya if you’re spacing out in the middle of the walkway.” A voice snaps you out of it. You turn to see a pair of nonchalant, red eyes looking down at you over a pair of star-shaped shades. The legendary Montgomery Gator himself stands in front of you, with one hand on his hip and his head tilted like he’s somewhere between casual and completely uninterested.

“Right, yeah. Didn’t mean to get in your way, sorry.” You take a step back, out of the way, shaking your head once to clear your mind like an etch-a-sketch.

“Don’t sweat it.” Monty adjusts his sunglasses. You expect the animatronic to keep walking, but he’s still looking at you, so you raise an eyebrow at him.

“Hey, you’re the museum guide, right? Not that you can call this handful of trinkets much of a museum... I heard you got hired a while back, but I never got the chance to see for myself. So, I’m Monty.” It seems he’s landed on casual over disinterested as he holds out his hand for a handshake. You return it, both of you giving a firm couple of shakes and feeling some mutual respect for it. It isn’t every day that someone returns a nice, solid handshake with the same amount of gusto.

“It’s nice to finally meet you! I was trying to find the time to properly introduce myself, but this works, too. And yeah, we lost two exhibits last night, so the museum’s looking even more sparse than usual. Not really sure how I’m going to fill the tour time I usually spend on those, but I’ve only got 5 minutes to figure it out.” You say, shaking your head and shrugging in exaggerated defeat.

“Yeah, I noticed the empty cases. That’s tough. Someone should probably remove the broken glass, though; some kid’s gonna get hurt on that. So, did somebody steal ‘em?” He asks. He’s nonchalant about it, but he seems genuinely interested. Maybe there’s a secret passion for gossip and drama under that rough exterior... Or maybe he’s just concerned for everyone’s safety. Either way, his eyes are still locked on you.

“That’s what it seems like, but I’m not sure. I asked around and nobody seems to know what happened- the staff bots were even saying that they can’t access the security footage from last night… Well, I’m sure this incident has already been reported or logged in whatever system, so it’s probably out of my hands. Still, I’m gonna ask around for any signs of a break-in. Oh, speaking of, did you see anything weird last night?” You realize just how little you know about the situation as you recount everything, it’s all so odd. Monty immediately shrugs and shakes his head at your question, which is only a little disappointing.

“Nope, I did a little patrolling around the atrium last night, but I spent most of my free time playin’ the bass.” He says, making air guitar motions for emphasis. Suddenly, he flashes a playful smile, then gives you a suspicious side-eye.

“Hey, you think I’m a suspect or something? This is startin’ to feel like an interrogation- I do have an alibi if you’re not convinced by my testimony, detective.” He makes sure to bitterly enunciate every syllable of the word. If he wasn’t smiling, you might think he was being serious, but you play along.

“Hmm, I really can’t rule it out… Anyone could be the perp- even me! No one suspects the detective, after all!” You dramatically wiggle your fingers at him, to which he feigns a shocked gasp. It’s incredible how these guys can make such realistic breath sounds with their voiceboxes.

“We should’a known it was you, you connivin’ little punk!” He really hams up the act, pointing at you and everything. You laugh a couple times, internally commending his dedication to the bit. Even though you just met, he’s joking around with you like you’re old friends. It’s nice to be treated like you’re a cool dude without having to prove anything, and Monty immediately gives you that respect. You appreciate it.

“Seriously though: I don’t think you could wear the tophat with that mohawk of yours, and god knows what you would even need an old Chica arm for. So, I think you’re off the hook for now.” You gaze off towards your desk and the exhibits nearby it. There appears to be a small crowd gathering over there. You’re wondering what that’s all about when it strikes you.

“Oh shit, I’m gonna be late for the tour.” You say, deadpan. After a beat, you start running over to your desk, dodging a kid. You don’t turn around, but you briefly look over your shoulder to say goodbye.

“See ya later, alligator!” Which works doubly well because he really is an alligator. You catch an amused Monty in the corner of your eye, and it seems like he gets the joke when he barks a single laugh.

“In a while, crocodile!” He shouts after you.

#IFOTH #eclipse x reader #fnaf dca x reader #fnaf daycare attendant #fnaf eclipse #fnaf security breach #fnaf #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fnaf sb

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