Chapter Text
The engine of your brother"s car is annoying, but the sound of silence after it parks makes you wish it was roaring again. Your brother had driven you to the mall, but you kinda changed your mind on where you wanted to be in the moment. Regardless, you step out of the car and into the parking lot, shutting the door behind you. Your brother follows after you, excitedly leading the way towards the entrance of the mall as you trail behind, watching out for cars. You saved up $200 while living in Maine, and you stole another $50 on the way to Utah, so you"re absolutely ready to treat yourself to some new accessories and knickknacks.
Your brother pushes open the door, and immediately, you"re met with the sound of loud chattering, out of date music, and children screaming and crying. It"s obnoxious, but it"s familiar. The horrible sounds that come from inside of malls seem to be the one thing that this place has in common with your old home. You take a few steps inside, loving how many stores there are, and relishing in the scent of the food court. The line for the elevator trails all the way back to the entrance, as if the escalators just didn"t exist. You walk around aimlessly, looking at all the different stores, not really paying attention to the names, just the clothes and accessories. You immediately dart for the first high quality clothes you see, not wanting to waste any time. You look around, picking up pairs of jeans, backpacks, shirts, shoes, anything you could want. You stop when you notice a young girl walking around the store anxiously, as if she"s confused.
She has auburn hair, tan skin, and green eyes. She"s wearing a pink dress and matching mary janes. She can"t be any older than seven. She notices you looking at her, and she takes a few steps forward. She seems too trusting for her own good.
"Uhm.. hello, sir... uh... I"m... I"m lost, and I can"t find my dad..."
She"s clearly on the verge of tears. Great, you just got to the mall, and you"re already dealing with a lost kid. Begrudgingly, you take her hand and get down on her level, speaking in the softest voice you can.
"Hey, kiddo... I"m gonna help you look around, alright? I"ll take you to my brother, and he"ll help us find your dad."
The girl just nods, clearly placing her full trust in you. She lets you lead her out of the store and past the crowds of people cluttering around other groups of people. You push your way past other teens and adults, eventually finding your brother talking to a man. He has dark brown hair with grey streaks, sickly pale skin that almost looks purple from the veins underneath, a lanky figure, and heterochromia. One of his eyes is blue, while the other is green. The man turns to see you, and his eyes seem to light up at the exact same time as the girl"s.
"Elizabeth... there you are..."
He has a British accent. Ew. The girl walks towards him and wraps her arms around him, but he doesn"t hug her back. So, her name"s Elizabeth and her dad knows your brother. Great. Your brother turns around to see you, immediately smiling and introducing the man.
"Oh, this is William Afton, he"s my boss! Mr Afton, this is my brother!"
"Really? Good... I thought some random person had started walking around with my Elizabeth..."
His voice gives you chills. He isn"t even attractive to make up for how unsettling he is.
"Thank you..." The words drip from his lips like wine. The chances of him meaning it is slim, especially with how bitter he is towards his own daughter. Your brother doesn"t seem to notice how cold he seems, though. He"s always been to optimistic.
"You"re welcome, sir." You respond blankly. He gives you a grin, and maybe for a split second, you can see why your brother is so oblivious to his uncaring nature. His smile looks so warm and friendly. It"s strange. If only he wasn"t so ill looking, maybe then you"d consider trying to engage conversation.
"It"s perfect that I ran into you, Mr Afton! I"ve been wanting to introduce my brother to you for years now! I"m so glad I finally got the opportunity!"
"Please, the pleasure is mine. Honestly, I"d love to invite you two to dinner at my house tonight, to thank you for helping find my daughter... and as a little welcome gift to town."
You never said anything about being new in town. This guy"s strange, that"s for sure. But hey, free dinner is always a:
"Hell yes!"
Your brother gives you a glare when you say that, but William just chuckles. His laugh seems so sweet and familiar. Another thing that puts you off is the fact that William didn"t even try and cover Elizabeth"s ears. Most parents would try and keep their children from hearing words like "hell". Maybe he just isn"t that quick, and knows that there"s no use. Your brother begins to profusely apologize for your fowl language, but William just keeps laughing and insisting that it"s okay. He"s so unsettling and homey at the same time. Maybe he"s a Gemini?
He doesn"t seem to be interested in the conversation as much now that you"re here, and that might be the only thing that your brother isn"t too dense to understand. William says goodbye, and begins walking off with Elizabeth, seemingly trying to leave as fast as possible without wasting any time. Your brother seems to really like his boss, and telling him that he"s creepy would probably make him feel bad. You keep your mouth shut and head towards the food court, deciding that you should get something to fill your stomach after refusing to eat anything else this morning.