Chapter Text
It's the deep, throbbing pain that wakes him up, just like the day before that. And the day before that. He slowly sits up and pulls his bad leg closer, rubbing the dark metal with a miserable sigh- not that it helps much.
"Your leg is still hurting?"
He startles and turns to Sun, finding his roommate regarding him with worry and sympathy as he sits up, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Unfortunately, yes. But- but maybe it will get better tomorrow?"
"I doubt it, Ruin," He sighs softly. "It's been hurting you for over a week now without getting even a little better. You need to come with me to the Pizzaplex so Thackery can take a look at it- that's what we agreed on."
"… I know, but I just- I- okay." He stops protesting before he truly starts, knowing that Sun wouldn't accept any of his excuses.
"It will be worth it when you get repaired and you're not in pain all the time. Right?"
He nods a bit and mumbles, "Right."
Sun gently squeezes his shoulder before he gets up, getting their day clothes and bringing Ruin's over. "Do you need help getting dressed?"
"No, thank you. I can handle it today." He accepts his clothes and starts to pull off his hoodie as Sun starts to change into his own clothes. Once they're dressed, Sun takes their night clothes to the hamper and helps Ruin to the kitchen.
As the daycare attendant makes breakfast, his companion sits at the kitchen island and stares at the countertop. Stop being so nervous, will you? It's just going to be a little checkup and repair job. If Thackery can find anything wrong…
He lets out a quiet breath, glancing over to Sun and pausing as he finds the other watching him. "Are you alright, Ruin?"
Knowing he can't exactly get away with a lie, all Ruin can do is give a little shrug. "I don't really know what's wrong with me this morning."
"Does it have to do with your reluctance to go back to the 'plex? It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm here to listen if you do."
"… It is, at least a bit," He murmurs, looking back at the counter. "It feels silly, considering I lived there for months, but I feel nervous to go back."
"It's not silly. I still feel anxious to go in sometimes- mostly because of Moon." He flips the pancakes and bacon over as they continue cooking, the kitchen filling with a nice aroma that comforts only a little.
"Yeah. Especially after the other day."
Sun sighs softly and mutters, "Yeah. That wasn't great to deal with. But hopefully he doesn't bitch and moan while we're there and he leaves you alone."
"Hopefully so. Especially because-" Ruin pauses, not sure if he should mention it. The other looks back at him with a frown.
"Especially because what?"
"… I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal, but he asked me something weird." He sighs and rubs the back of his neck as he mumbles, "We were talking about the neighbors and he said it was odd that none of them had any children so I pointed out they're all settling in. But I did say it would be nice to see the neighborhood alive with some lovely children growing up… And- and he asked if I would ever want to bring a child of my own into the mix?"
Sun almost drops the spatula as he turns back to the other, eyes slightly wide. "What?"
"Yeah, it was- odd." He sighs, meeting the other's gaze. "I have no idea if he was trying to hassle me or if he was genuinely asking. Maybe the former, because when I told him that I don't have a partner, he scoffed at me. And given what he said when you got home…"
"… Uh, y- yeah. He was definitely hassling you," Sun mumbles, turning back to the stove and busying himself with pushing around the bacon so it doesn't burn. So if he did have a partner, he would want to have a child? Is that possible for him? He is bio-organic like Freddy and Toy Chica…
Neither of them say much after that. Sun focuses on finishing breakfast and pushing all thoughts of Ruin having a partner and child out of his mind. He serves Ruin a plate with syrup and powdered sugar on the pancakes, smiling softly when the other thanks him and sitting down with his own plate.
The two eat in silence. Not completely unusual but admittedly uncomfortable this time. Sun can't help glancing at Ruin out of his peripherals. Wishing he could ask more about it but acutely aware of the other's unease.
It might not have been uncomfortable just because it was Moon asking it, so let it go, Sun. He looks down at his plate with a frown, poking at his food. Besides, being too interested in whether or not he'd want to start a family after what you said to him the other day would just… Complicate things.
They finish eating and Sun washes the dishes, then they turn out the lights and head out to the car, the door locked behind them. Sun helps Ruin into the passenger side before crossing back to the driver side, starting the car and the drive to the Pizzaplex.
It's quiet as it always is in the morning. Peaceful, even. It settles Ruin's nerves a bit as he and Sun make their way to the daycare, using the escalator to get up to the second floor. In the daycare proper, the duo waves to Lunar downstairs and Sun calls to him, "I'll be down in a minute, I want to get Ruin to the theater first."
"'Kay! Hi, Ruin!"
"Hello, Lunar!" Ruin replies with a small smile.
They make it to the theater lobby, the door rolling open as they step inside. Thackery turns away from the snack rack he's setting up and faces the duo, his confusion quickly abating as he sees Ruin. "Oh. Hey, guys. I take it the leg isn't doing any better?"
"Unfortunately," Ruin murmurs, and his expression softens sympathetically.
"Sorry to hear that. Let me grab my tool box and take a seat, I'll look at it."
Ruin nods, letting Sun help him over to one of the stools in the lobby. Thackery comes back with his tool box and kneels in front of him, asking, "So, what caused the pain? Was it the, uh… The crash?"
Sun turns his head as the mangled animatronic shakes his head a little. "Mmn-nm. It was a blow I took from Bloodmoon, they kicked me there again. I tried repairing myself in the aftermath but I couldn't find anything wrong with my leg on the surface."
He nods in understanding, starting to carefully examine the endoskeletal limb.
After a couple minutes, the door rolls open and Sun glances over, trying not to outwardly groan as Moon approaches. "Morning," He mutters to the other.
"Morning. You gonna come down and help Lunar finish morning prep?"
Sun sighs softly at that and glances to Ruin, who offers a reassuring smile. "It's alright, dear. Go help Lunar."
He hesitates, looking to Moon and asking, "You coming with?"
"I finished my morning prep."
"Tch, of course." He glances at Ruin and mumbles, "I'll come back once morning prep is done."
"Okay, dear." He continues to smile, and Sun musters a small smile back before reluctantly leaving the lobby. Ruin's smile fades once Sun is gone and he glances at Moon uncertainly. "I assume there's something you'd like to say to me about?…"
"Not particularly, said everything I needed to when I talked to Sun. I'm just curious what's wrong with your leg," The other responds, shrugging as he looks at Thackery. "Find anything so far?"
"I believe so. Ruin, your leg wasn't always dented between the middle and upper support rings, right?"
"My leg is dented?" Ruin immediately questions, pulling his leg up and twisting it to try and examine the area. Thackery points to the spot and the mangled animatronic starts to squint. "I think I see it now, but it's hard for me to tell."
Moon leans down to examine it as well, muttering, "It's definitely hard to notice with how thin the metal of this part of your leg already is, but yeah. That's pretty bad. Think it nicked an internal wire?"
"I think so, yeah," The mechanic murmurs.
"Er, h- how are we supposed to fix that?" Ruin asks nervously. "We don't have to replace my whole leg, do we?"
"No, I wouldn't say we have to, though it would be a more sustainable repair in the long run. But a quicker way to repair it would be to temporarily open the metal casing and then replace or fix the wiring within before welding it shut again." He glances up at the other, checking to affirm how Ruin feels about that. "Which option would you prefer?"
"Th- the latter, honestly."
"Are you sure, Ruin? I don't know if I could shut off your pain receptors during the procedure and it would hurt for a while even afterwards. It would take a week or so to recover."
"That's fine, I can manage that. Can't be any different than what I've been managing this past week. I just- it's easier on you, and I- yeah. Yeah," He mumbles, his gaze shifting away as his rays retract.
"I'd rather do what's best for you than what's easiest for me, though…"
"It's fine. I really prefer the second option."
Thackery frowns in concern, but he simply relents with a nod and stands up, offering his hand. "Okay then. Let's go down to parts and services for this, then- my regular tools aren't precise enough for this." Ruin accepts his hand and the mechanic helps him up. He links arms with him and starts helping him walk, making sure to go slow so he doesn't drag the other along. Moon separates to head down to the daycare, and as they pass the play enclosure Sun calls out,
"Is everything okay?"
"Oh, yes! Everything is fine, we just need to go to parts and services for the repair job, no worries!" Ruin replies, smiling brightly and waving.
"It's a more complex procedure than my personal tools are adept for handling responsibly," Thackery clarifies. "But it will be okay."
"Alright. See you in a little bit, then…"
The trip to parts and services is short-lived and quiet. Thackery helps Ruin onto the red chair before he goes to retrieve the proper tools. When he returns, he rounds to the other's back and checks his head-plate. "Is there any way to access your internal computer?"
"I don't believe so, not like you or the others have," Ruin mumbles, watching as Thackery circles back to his front. "But it's okay, I can tolerate the pain without squirming."
"… I really don't like the sound of that, but alright," He sighs, patting the other's shoulder. "Just let me know whenever you need a break."
Ruin nods, taking a breath to mentally prepare himself as Thackery gets the tools ready. As the other begins to cut into his leg he grits his teeth but holds still, gripping the sides of the chair. Thackery murmurs an apology as he continues to open the dented metal and the support rings.
"Shit, the wire is completely cut and there are a couple more nicked. That's a bit more complicated to fix- but I can still manage it. Just needs some time."
"I- I understand," Ruin grunts. "Just… Do as needed."
"Got it." He lowers a couple of the repair chamber's mechanical arms, activating them and getting to work on fixing the wires. Ruin bears with it, focusing on taking deep breaths as the other murmurs an occasional affirmation.
"You're doin' good, man. Just let me know if you need a break."
"I'm alright. I'd rather get it over with." Thackery glances up as he hears the leather of the chair creaking under the other's claws, rays pulling in slightly. But he focuses back on his work, trying to be careful so he doesn't cause his friend more pain than necessary.
We'll need to find some way to get him effective pain relief before the next time he needs repair… He is bio-organic, right? I'll have to get in contact with one of the Freddys about how they handle long-standing pain.
But in the meantime, he just has to keep working on repairing the wires, listening closely in case Ruin ever asks for a break. He doesn't. Guy's got a hell of a pain tolerance, that's for sure.
His concentration becomes more keen as the silence persists, working steadily until at long last, he's able to weld shut the metal parts he cut open and buff down the welts. From there, he sits back and says, "Okay, that's it. You're done now." He stands up, looking at Ruin in concern. "Just in time. You're looking rough…"
"I- I'm okay, just tired. Very tired," Ruin murmurs, rubbing his eyelids.
He glances the other over and mumbles, "I don't blame you. I'll be frank, I don't think you should walk back upstairs like this. Is it okay if I carry you?"
"Um- I don't mind it, but are you sure? That wouldn't be comfortable for you, would it?"
"Sure it would. I doubt you're heavier than I can handle." He steps over to Ruin's side and carefully lifts him up into his arms, unbothered. "Yeah, see? You're not heavy at all."
"Ah, alright… Thank you, Thackery," He murmurs, holding onto the mechanic's shoulders as he's carried out of parts and services. The daycare is in full swing by the time they make it back, children screaming joyfully as they run around and play games with the attendants watching over them.
Thackery reluctantly steps into the play enclosure and stands at the security desk with the mangled animatronic still in his arms. Luckily, Sun notices quickly and rushes over, rays retracted as he asks, "Ruin? Are you okay?"
"Yes, dear, I- I'm fine, just tired. We couldn't shut off my pain sensors, so the procedure was a bit draining," He mumbles with a weary smile.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about that- is your leg better now, at least?"
"The damage is fixed, though because of the nature of how I had to repair it, he's going to need some time to heal, so to speak. It will hurt for a while longer but then it will be better. Just in the meantime, he'll need to rest and support whenever he does get up and move around," Thackery answers. "I think it would be best for us to find a place here to set him up so we can keep tabs on him until it's time to go home."
"That's a good idea, but first I'm gonna try and see if I can take off for today and watch over him at home," Sun says, rushing off again before Ruin can protest.
"… I can manage on my own, it wouldn't be a problem," He mumbles to the mechanic, who sighs softly and carefully lowers him into one of the chairs.
"I don't know, Ru, it would be a long time to be home alone and there's a lot that could go wrong with you trying to bear it on your own. You could fall and get hurt, or you wouldn't be able to get up and get water or food when you need it. Better to play it safe."
"Well, you said I'd just need help when walking, right? Maybe I could get a cane, or a crutch or something…"
At that, he raises a brow and hums thoughtfully. "Actually, yeah. That's a good idea, Ruin."
"Oh. Ah, thank you," He replies, surprised the idea was met with a positive reception. He honestly expected it to be scoffed at and told he didn't need any such thing and that suggesting it was stupid of him.
Sun returns to the security desk just then, looking frustrated. "Moon says there's no one who can cover my shift."
"So for today, maybe I can set Ruin up in the theater with me? It will be a slow day up there so I don't think he'll be bothered by anyone," Thackery suggests.
"And I want to look into getting a cane so I can rest at home without any trouble getting around by myself. If that's okay," Ruin adds quietly.
"Of course that would be okay. If you feel like you need it then we can absolutely get you a cane," Sun answers without hesitation, smiling kindly as he holds Ruin's hand. "And while you're here resting, don't hesitate to ask for anything you need, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, dear. I heavily appreciate it." Though I really don't plan on taking advantage.
Then they hear a child yelling with joy and the mechanical honk of tumble barrels, well, tumbling. Sun's rays snap up as he looks over, cursing under his breath. "No, no, no…" He sighs, glancing back at his friend with a small smile. "Well, duty calls. I'll check on you in a bit."
"Alright, Sunny. Good luck," Ruin chuckles weakly, watching the other go to restack the barrels. Then he holds onto the chair as Thackery wheels him along, murmuring, "They only have uncomfortable stools to sit on in the theater, so we're stealing this for a bit."
They use the lift to get upstairs, then they make it to the theater lobby where the mechanic parks Ruin behind the desk, near one of the computers. "It's a bit slow, but you can use that to do research. Or play games, either or."
"Oh, alright. Thank you very much, Thackery," He replies, smiling a bit before turning to the computer and starting to do some research, looking up basic but necessary questions while Thackery continues setting up.
After a while, Ruin stops with a quiet hiss and pulls his leg onto the chair, rubbing above the weld marks. This is going to be a long week…
"I could get you an ice pack or something, see if that maybe helps?" Thackery suggests, and Ruin nods a bit.
"Yes, please, it's worth a try."
So the mechanic heads into the back to get some ice, wrapping it up in a towel and bringing it back, watching the other gently press it to his leg with a soft hiss. "… Do you think a distraction might help a little more?"
"I wouldn't mind talking at all, if that's what you mean," He chuckles weakly and offers a brief smile. Thackery nods a bit. "What, ah, would you like to talk about?"
"… If it's okay to ask, why didn't Sun tell us about what happened?" Ruin's smile fades and he lets out a soft breath. "It's- sorry, we don't have to talk about that."
"It's fine, I just-" Ruin looks at his leg, adjusting the ice as he mumbles, "Unfortunately, I don't have a very good answer. Sun was trying to keep everyone from worrying and keep from burdening Moon but… As good as his intentions were, they didn't really carry through his actions."
Thackery grunts quietly, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares at the floor. "Yeah, they really didn't. Leaving us in the dark just so he doesn't bother Moon leaves a lot to be desired, frankly."
"I have to agree, even if I wasn't affected. I just know I'd be… Rather upset if I were in your position."
"Upset isn't even the half of it. I'm- can I be honest?" The mechanic waits for his companion to nod a bit in affirmation, then he point-blank states, "I'm pissed. Not even about him keeping a secret, but about what he kept secret. You two got attacked. You were in a car crash. But we all had to hear about it from Killcode! Because- because Sun doesn't trust Moon, and we- Lunar and I, we had to pay for it, too! How is that fair?!"
"It's not."
"Exactly! I- I hate that you two had to go through that, and we couldn't even check up on you. You could have already been healed up by now if Sun just told us everything sooner. And knowing that he hid that crash just makes me worry you two are hurt worse than you let on."
"I assure you, Thackery, aside from my leg, the damage was all fixed by myself and Killcode. I wouldn't hide anything that could threaten Sun's health, not from you."
"… Promise?"
"I promise," He says softly, holding out his hand and smiling a bit when the mechanic gently holds onto it. "I was hesitant about coming in for repairs for… Admittedly silly reasons, but if it was ever life-threatening, I wouldn't do you the disservice of refusing your help. And I'd drag Sun in kicking and screaming if I had to."
"What?"
Both of them look to the door, where Sun stands and stares at Ruin with understandable alarm. Ruin stares back for a moment before flashing a toothy grin.
"Making sure you're in perfect health, always! Even if you get a little stubborn streak in you, dear. Teehee!"
Sun snorts in amusement and a warm smile spreads over his face as he walks over. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I promise I'm fine. Honestly, I'm more worried about you." His smile fades as he looks at Ruin's leg where he's still pressing an ice pack to the metal. "You doin' okay?"
"Er, yes, just trying to see if this helps. And distracting myself with a- well, a conversation that needed to be had."
Sun looks to Thackery, who avoids his gaze as he nervously squeezes Ruin's hand. "… Everything alright?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine," He mutters, well aware he's not fooling anyone.
He sighs softly. "It's okay if you're pissed off. Lunar already gave me a piece of his mind while we were setting up."
"… What did he say?"
"That I had no right to hide Bloodmoon getting caught, and that the people I love have a right to know when I get into a crash of all things. And that he cares about Ruin, too, so it wasn't right for me to hide what happened to him, either. Said it was the shittiest thing I've done in all the time he's known me and that having to hear about it from Killcode made him feel like a terrible brother." Sun sighs heavily, his rays lowering and his eyes closing and as he adds softly, "And that he hated not even realizing how close he was to losing another sibling."
"It hurt, but I needed to hear it. Honestly, with Moon it's getting to where I just… Can't bring myself to care about anything he says, but hearing the effects of my actions from Lunar woke me up to how much this actually hurt you two. You… Don't have to tell me anything if you just don't feel comfortable, but if it would make you feel better to tell me, then don't smother yourself for my benefit. I know I didn't do right by you both. It's okay to speak your mind."
"It's just-" Thackery ducks his head further, squeezing Ruin's hand again. The mangled animatronic pats his hand in turn again. "I told Ruin, to be honest, but it's- it's not fair to Lunar and I that- that because you don't trust Moon, we got left in the dark, too. I know you didn't want to "burden" us, least of all him, but- at least Lunar and I want to be able to help you!" He faces the daycare attendant, who meets his gaze with clear remorse. "You did to us what Moon always does to you, Sun. How is that right?"
"It- it's not," He admits quietly, his guilt worsening as he realizes the mechanic is exactly right. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't fix it, but… I'm sorry. I won't do this again, I swear."
Thackery frowns, rays lowering as he turns his head away. "I hope you're being honest. Because I- I can't… I can't bear losing anyone else either. Not after…" He sucks in a sharp breath and covers his eyes as his voice quakes.
Sun feels like he's been struck in the chest with a hammer, not for the first time today. He skirts around the counter and gently pulls the other into a hug, his guilt deepening as he feels the mechanic tremoring in his arms. Thackery hesitantly returns the gesture, blinking back tears as he holds Sun closer.
"I'm glad you two are okay," He whispers, his voice hoarse. "Even if I'm pissed at you, Sun, I'm so, so glad you're both okay…"