Work Text:
Rain thundered down against the rusted tin roof, a leak dripping somewhere amongst the clutter. The electronic hum of the motionless security cameras filled the room.
Another mind-numbingly boring night.
Ever since Vanessa had chucked his sleeping pills into the ditch, sleep had been hard to come by. He was a little pissed at the time, he had to fight with an uptight pharmacist to get those, but maybe in hindsight it was for the best. He couldn’t afford to lose this job. He would lose the house, lose Abby, lose himself - just the thought sent him spiraling. He groaned and thumped his head against the desk, begging for the throbbing pain to be a distraction, however temporary. At least if he had his pills he could be doing something somewhat productive.
The time dragged on. Sometimes he convinced himself he saw the hand of the clock spin backwards, trapping him here like some sort of nightmare. Didn’t even need a poster for that.
The sharp buzzing of the intercom cutting through the steady rain made him jolt up. Without much thought, he grabbed a flashlight and made his way through the dilapidated halls, faded posters of kids in party hats smiling down at him. This was the worst part of the job. He always felt so exposed.
Standing at the door was an indistinguishable figure. Their hood was up and they were looking down, obscuring their face. Mike felt a sense of unease wash over him, as his hand hesitated over the lock.
The figure looked up and they locked eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Vanessa. Who else would be insane enough to actually want to come to this creepy ass bando in the dead of night.
He quickly undid the lock and pulled the door open, a gust of howling wind seeping through.
“I was starting to think you’d leave me out there all night,” Vanessa stepped inside, eyeing Mike. She always seemed to be searching for something, psychoanalyzing him since the night they met. Probably trying to see if he bought more pills to slack off on the clock. Though he didn’t know why it’d matter so much to her anyways.
“No, no of course not,” he rubbed his eyes, willing his mind to be more cognizant.
“Well, I finished my usual rounds early, not many people stupid enough to be out in this storm. So, thought I’d stop by to check in. Make sure you weren’t slacking off,” she raised her eyebrows while Mike avoided her gaze, taking up a sudden interest in the dust bunnies that littered the floor.
“I don’t-” Mike began to protest, until he shifted his focus back to the cop in front of him. She was taking off her drenched raincoat, which hadn’t done all that much to keep the undershirt dry, as it clung to her body. The sleeves strained against her muscular arms as she slid the coat off, resting it on a nearby hook.
He quickly shut his gaping mouth as she looked back towards him.
“Sooo,” he blurted, hoping the dim lighting would hide his faint blush, “should we go check on the animatronics?”
She looked him up and down quizzically, but if she noticed anything off, she didn’t push it.
Before even waiting for a reply, Mike began walking towards the main room. He took her delayed footsteps as an agreement. Everything felt jittery. He stopped in the center of the main room, awkwardly shifting his weight from leg to leg.
“They look just like how I remember them,” Vanessa’s voice was thick with emotion. The statement sounded much too sentimental for someone who was here just last week.
“You came here a lot as a kid?” he looked over, met with her side profile. Long shadows stretched across it, making her frown appear even deeper.
“Yeah,” she kept her gaze fixed on Freddy, “basically grew up here.”
There was a beat of silence, then,
“Some things are just hard to let go of.”
“I understand.”
Vanessa looked over then with glossy eyes, eyebrows low in a puppy dog expression. Almost like she had never heard those words, never had someone to know what it felt like to replay an event over and over in your mind to the brink of insanity. But in that quiet they shared an understanding. Different, yet the same.
“Everything was better before growing up. I mean, what they say is true, ignorance is bliss. This place was a kid’s escapist dream. Then you get older and the things you love shut down and part of you does too. Or maybe nostalgia is just a dirty liar.” she offered a small smile, gaze dropping to the floor. Mike felt a pain in his chest. Vanessa always seemed so strong, put together (well most people compared to mike appeared that way, but still). Seeing her hurt on such a raw level was nothing short of devastating. An idea struck him.
“Hey, we never got that dance,” he strode over to the wall, pressing the inviting red button. The curtains drew back to fully reveal the old animatronics as they came to life. beginning their robotic dance moves that were unsettling if you paid too close attention. The 80’s song that Mike was unfamiliar with, yet couldn’t get out of his head since that night, blared out of hidden speakers.
Vanessa arched a brow, crossing her arms in a defensive stance Mike had become well acquainted with.
“Remember? Our first night here together you offered me a dance. You still owe it.”
“I didn’t know my word was legally binding.”
“You’re a cop, of course it is.” he deadpanned, “Now, may I have this dance?” he made a dramatic show of taking a deep bow, back arched, hand outstretched. If he wasn’t mistaken, he thought he could make out a faint laugh. Vanessa placed her hand in his, and it surprised him just how soft it was. He expected a calloused, rough feel from years of work. Instead it was soft, gentle. Not delicate, but trusting, like it could shapeshift and become dangerous at any moment, yet chose not to.
He straightened up and pulled her in, taking the lead. They fell into a fast-paced rhythm, clumsily tripping over each other's feet, both unable to stop their laughter from bubbling over.
I hear the secrets that you keep
“I never knew you were so uncoordinated,” Mike snorted as he saved Vanessa from tripping for the third time.
When you’re talking in your sleep
She squinted at him then broke away to twirl him. Taken off guard, Mike just went along with it.
“Aren’t you just so pretty,” she teased, a shit-eating grin creeping onto her face.
“The prettiest.” he shot back, smiling.
When I hold you in my arms at night
Vanessa laughed and shook her head, drawing near again. Their motions slowed, falling out of rhythm with the song, but into a new one of their own. He tentatively rested his hands on her hips, acutely aware of the new territory he was entering. Mike's heart pounded in his chest. And for the first time in a long time, it was because of an emotion other than fear. She was so close, and the light touch of her arms wrapped around his neck was dizzying. She rested her head on his shoulder, and it fit like it had been missing all his life, the final puzzle piece to complete him.
“It's a shame you never got to see this place in its prime. You probably hate it now, some crappy overnight job.”
He looked down at the woman in his arms, and couldn't summon up even an ounce of animosity towards the run-down establishment. Instead, a wave of affection washed over him. It was warm and comfortable, and you could drown in it if you stayed too long. But Mike wouldn’t have minded too much even if he had. She had been right, this diner was an escapist’s dream.
Don't you know you’re sleeping in the spotlight
Mike hadn’t even realized he’d stopped swaying until Vanessa pulled back, arms still secure around his neck.
Captivated by the colorful lights sparkling in her eyes, he allowed himself to get lost in her beauty. His eyes wandered down to her lips, before quickly shooting back up to her eyes. He felt a little guilty for not noticing the dark bags underneath them before.
“When was the last time you slept?”
“Uh,” she averted her gaze, “not that long ago.”
At that moment the electricity gave out, abruptly ending the vip performance, and conveniently obscuring Vanessa’s face.
“C’mon,” Mike took her hand and maneuvered around the tables in the dark, disregarding weak protests that she was ‘fine’. He knew what it was like to live on very minimal sleep. It was hardly living. While he didn’t know much of her home life, it was possible she lived in an environment where sleep was a luxury. Maybe she had loud upstairs neighbors in an apartment, or lived with an abusive boyfriend who kept her awake. Maybe the black and blue weren’t just bags... He shook his head to rid the thought. Vanessa would shoot a man for less, there was really no need to worry. Still, it lingered in the back of his mind.
“Welcome to my palace,” they entered the small security room, and Mike pulled a cushioned rolling chair from the mountain of clutter, narrowly dodging falling trinkets. Vanessa reluctantly sat down.
“This chair is uncomfortable.”
“Well it'd be easier to sleep if someone hadn't sunk my sleeping pills to the bottom of a ditch.”
A blush crept up Vanessa's neck. “Sorry about that,” she replied with a grimace.
“Consider it water under the bridge,” he winked as he slipped off his jacket, and it almost looked like the blush deepened. He handed his jacket to her, she hesitated for a moment before taking it and slipping it on.
“Thank you.”
“Now I can prove to you I’m a very hard worker. I am extremely dedicated to this job which I so dearly value and appreciate.”
“Settle down, I can’t fire you.”
Mike chuckled as he plopped into his own seat. The atmosphere had subtly shifted. This room was usually cold, vacant, at worst a little creepy. Mostly just a venue for his greatest mission in life. Now, the air was lighter. Vanessa’s presence just seemed to have that effect. Over people, places, the freaky animatronics. He briefly wondered if she realized the extent of her influence.
Mike eyed the screen in front of him, solely focusing on Vanessa’s reflection. She was stiff for a moment, looking at Mike, but ultimately curled up in the chair, tugging his jacket tighter around her.
Who knows if nostalgia is a liar, but Mike certainly is. He does slack off on the job. Indulging in daydreams so frequent and intense that if someone broke in, he wouldn’t know until the shotgun barrel was pressed against his head. When you’re touched starved for so long the slightest bit of attention will do that to you. One dance already had him wanting to have their first dance as newlyweds. He’d carry her into their new mansion and make sweet, sweet love. They’d have ten kids or twenty, Abbey would be happy to have friends other than her imaginary ones. It was a win-win situation for all parties.
A light snore broke him from his train of thought.
that’s so cute
Tough cop Vanessa was a snorer. It may be a problem when they’re sharing their king-sized bed in their master bedroom…
Finally snapping out of his idealistic fantasy, Mike chastised himself. He didn’t have time for romance, he had responsibilities. To his siblings, his passed parents, to everyone counting on him to make things work this time. The weight of it was already almost too heavy to carry. He just couldn’t handle more.
But looking at the reflection of Vanessa’s curled up form, so peaceful, filled him with regret so intense that if she asked him to run away with her in that moment, he would say yes.
Really, he would always say yes.