Chapter Text
William’s Midnight Motor was not in the driveway when Michael left for work. That was typical but it felt more foreboding than usual.
Mike had insisted on looking after David and Elizabeth this week to avoid any accidents happening, so Michael was leaving them alone at home for a while. He intended to go check up on them during his lunch break because, while legal, it was still more stress on Mike than he was willing to dish.
Michael himself wasn't feeling too great. The last two days he’d been sent home for being too tired but he couldn't help how little sleep he was getting. Between the near-constant nightmares, the stress of being in the same house as William, and having to take care of the kids, his energy levels were quickly depleting. That left his body feeling heavy and his mind fogged.
Completely counterintuitive to what Michael was trying to accomplish, but it couldn't really be helped. Taking sleeping pills would leave him vulnerable to any move William wanted to make and would mean he wouldn't exactly be receptive to any of the kids who wanted some midnight reassurance.
He knew he was likely to be sent back again, but he didn't want to give William any chances to make a move at either of the restaurants. Without Michael there, William had free reign. Getting sent home wasn't ideal but at least turning up seemed to put William off, knowing that he could show up at any time regardless of his own health. Henry was also there, watching over and ready to report to him, which William knew.
Michael also just wanted to be around Henry. He got to spend so little time with him as it was and missing out on it more made him sad.
Just as he was closing his car door to drive off into the drizzly weather, Henry’s car pulled up next to him. Henry gave him an exasperated look from the driver’s seat, making him smile sheepishly.
Charlie jumped out of the back seat and Henry followed. Michael sighed as the man tapped on the window and gestured for him to get out. Michael was nothing if not a simp, so he did as told.
“Michael, come on… you look even worse than yesterday.” Henry said, worry evident.
Michael felt guilt swirl inside him, making his shoulders sag. The thing was, he couldn't even tell Henry why he was so insistent on going to work while run off his feet. He couldn't explain why his sleep was so bad either. And as horrible a boyfriend he was for making Henry worry about him, he couldn't let anyone else lose their lives to the monster that was hellbent on taking them.
“Gee, thanks.” He replied wryly, earning him a stern stare that made him deflate. “Sorry, yeah, I know. It’s just… I have stuff to do. And I’ve been stressed lately, not sleeping right, but I can push through. Really, I can!”
Henry shook his head and took him by the hand, leading him back up to the front door which was open from letting Charlie in.
“We’re heading off to the restaurant now, you kids be safe!” Henry yelled out.
Michael’s eyebrows raised as he listened to the round of assent from the children. After all that, Henry was still taking him to Fredbear’s? Or Freddy's? That was unexpected.
After locking the front door, Henry herded Michael into his car and hopped into the driver’s seat himself. The turn he took at the end of the street told him that they weren't going to Fredbear’s but back to the Emily household. Michael felt like facepalming. That, he should have expected. There was no way that Henry would let it go.
Despite all his negative emotions, it still sent some warm, fuzzy thrill through him that Henry so obviously cared for him. It made him chuckle at his own obliviousness, looking back. Henry had been visibly flustered over his pirate costume and what did Michael think? ‘Wow, Henry must like pirates too.’
Neither of them made a move to exit the car once they parked in the driveway. The energy in the air was the same as when Michael’d had a panic attack in that same driveway, not even four days ago. It was Thursday now and the panic had set in on Monday.
Tomorrow was the big day. Fuck.
Fuck, he hadn't even thought about it like that. Michael had one more day to get his affairs in order. Shit… fuck!
He didn't even notice that his hands were trembling until Henry took them both into his own hands. Michael forced himself to breath slowly. He’d feel even more like shit if he had another breakdown. His head was pounding, his eyes felt like they were going to drop out of his head, his chest felt tight and his brain was going to melt if he had to do any difficult thinking.
The two of them remained in silence until Michael’s hands stopped shaking. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. Luckily, Henry came through on that for him, as he usually did.
“William confessed to me yesterday, after we sent you home, before I went to check on you.”
Michael’s blood turned to ice.
“What?”
“He confessed. And what he said…”
Michael’s chest constricted. No. He couldn't have told Henry. Not about the time travel.
“What did he say?”
“When I told him that I wasn't interested, he said that… maybe I could learn to love him that way.” Henry admitted, unease, bordering on fear, all across his face. He could practically feel his boyfriend’s discomfort.
Oh. It wasn't about the time travel but that was so much worse. Michael could live with things being awkward between him and Henry, but Henry being made to love William? Being put in such an uncomfortable situation with someone he dearly trusted? He remembered his conversation with future Henry about him only saying yes because of his grieving state, knowing that Henry sorely regretted it afterwards, how disgusting it made him feel… Michael wouldn't be having that.
“That’s… a disgusting thing to say. I’m sorry…” It was Michael’s turn to hold Henry’s hands to prevent them from shaking. “I’m so sorry he said that to you, Hen. I’m sorry that I wasn't there to help or stop it. He won't try anything with you, I’ll make sure of it.”
Without putting too much thought into it, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the hard drive. He pushed it into Henry’s palm and closed his fingers around it.
“Keep this for me, please?” He asked when Henry looked at it in confusion.
“Sure… why?” Henry asked in return, his voice weak. “Michael, what’s on here? What’s going on?”
Michael was going to have to tell him. As wild as the truth was, he had to. He was going to explode if he had to somehow lie his way out of this. He wasn't even expecting to live through tomorrow and Henry deserved to know. He wasn't going to tell him about everything, he wasn't even going to mention William’s active role in his stresses, but most of it.
Including how Henry was dating the older version of a kid that he saw as a nephew. Including how awkward it would surely be.
Michael prepared himself for the inevitable break up that such a confession would lead to. There was no way that Henry would be comfortable dating Michael after this, especially with William’s alarming words still fresh. If Henry even believed him to begin with, that was.
“There is something that we’ve been keeping from you and Charlie.” Perhaps not the best start, given Henry’s cautious stare, but it was something. “Both William and the kids know about it. It’s to do with how I spontaneously appeared out of nowhere.”
Henry frowned, fiddling with the hard drive. “Are you not who you say you are? I don't know how that would be, since you’re very visually similar to the others.”
Michael smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. “I don't know if you’re going to believe me, but the kids and Will will back me up on this. Time travel exists.”
Henry blinked, his frown disappearing. “Okay… that's definitely not what I thought you were going to say.”
Michael chuckled humourlessly. “I wouldn't have expected that either. But I want you to think about the implications of that for a moment. You’re smart, you can figure it out.”
Henry fell quiet and Michael could almost see the cogs and gears turning inside his brain. After a while, Henry’s mouth fell open a little and he looked like he was seeing Michael for the first time again.
“‘The original Michael Afton?’” Henry recited Michael’s first introduction. “If you’ve time travelled, then that would mean… you’re Mike?”
He winced despite the smile still on his face. “Yep. All those similarities between me and younger Michael were no coincidence. I… I’ve seen a different set of events than the ones we’ve seen here.”
“All those incidents… you saw what would happen if there was no interference.” Henry realised, understanding bloomed but it was shortly followed by dread. “You know what was supposed to happen. Charlie would have… and Elizabeth…”
Michael nodded and began the explanation of what had happened; from David’s death all the way up to being brought back in time. Excluding the details about William and the gory descriptions, such as getting his internal organs and several bones removed by a mechanical scooper or Springtrap’s entire existence. He explained the existence of remnant and ghosts, and how their entire family had been stolen from them.
Henry was just as horrified and guilt-ridden as Mike had been. Michael took a deep breath and braced himself for what was to come.
“I’m sorry for dumping this all on you, Henry. I know it’s a lot and it’s very disturbing. But you deserve to know. Especially now that I’ve been running myself ragged trying to prevent all that stuff from happening and I couldn't explain to you why…” Michael chewed on his lip, considering his next words.
“If it’s too much, or too weird that you’re dating… well, me, Mike, then…”
“You think I’m going to break up with you.” Henry stated.
Michael risked a shaky grin. “Are you not? I realise how this is. I knew my crush on you was inappropriate when it developed and now that I actually had a chance with you, I took advantage of how you didn't know it was me. I’m…”
Henry grabbed his chin firmly, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “Don't you dare say you're no better than William. You didn't try to force me to love you. You were given a chance, something he hasn't been. You've shown me how real your feelings are. You didn't choose to make me love you, you treat me with respect and care, and I know that if I had rejected you that you would have held no ill will.
“And I don’t care that you're the older, future version of Mike. You're Michael Afton, the man who takes care of the kids like they're your own, my daughter included, who’s sacrificed his life for them on multiple occasions, who did his damnedest to atone for a mistake he made and bring his family back together again. You're different from the Mike we have here. You're an adult, for one thing.”
Henry winked at him and Michael felt his face warm alongside his chest. For all that Michael thought he could expect from Henry, he always kept surprising him. He should have known that the man who had stayed with him to tend to his living corpse, had planned to help him commit mass-arson, wouldn't be so scared by a little dubious morality.
Henry loved his family, just as Michael did.
“Let me know how I can help.” Henry begged.
Michael just beamed and kissed him. “Will do, but for now leave it to me. You're what I need right now.”
Henry laughed. “No, some sleep is what you need right now. How about we pick up the kids and we all have a sleepover here?”
“That sounds perfect.”