Chapter Text
Bendy wakes up, the feeling of fabric under his body instead of ink. Oh yeah, he's HERE. As he slowly drifts more into consciousness he can hear lots of chatter outside his room, and the can smell the smell of bacon. He groans, sitting up in his bed in the dark room. He looks around at the bare room. This is still all very new. His feet hit the wood of the floor as he stands up. He slowly walks out of his room, preparing for what might be on the other side. For a bit he fears once he steps out, he'll wake up back alone.
The sunlight blinds him as he steps out, beginning to shield his eyes. All the jumbled voices finally separate into everyone's voices. When he finally peeks out from behind his arms, he sees everyone hanging out in the kitchen as Henry makes food. What a parent that guy is. Bendy's never really got to know the guy that much, all he knows is that Henry is brave, admirable, and his actual creator. Not Joey. Henry.
Everyone looks over as Bendy enters, conversation stopping for a little bit before they all start talking again. Bendy just stands there awkwardly, he knows everyone's still trying to get used to him not... Being evil and murderous. Knows they all need time but goddammit, does he wish it went faster. He just wants friends. He leans against the wall, observing. Old habits die hard, even if that part of him is technically 'dead', or so they all think. He has no group to go in, no one to talk to that isn't already talking to someone... No one but Henry.
Bendy stops leaning against the wall, walking over to Henry, who is making stupid amounts of bacon for everyone. "Hey, sir?" Bendy asks very politely, trying to not scare the man.
Henry looks down at Bendy, flinching slightly and tensing up before remembering that everything is okay now and calming down again. "Hey Bendy, what's up?" He asks calmly, smiling joyfully.
Bendy smiles, his smile polite and forced unlike his usual grin. He doesn't want to scare anyone, he really doesn't. He doesn't want to be know as the 'Ink Demon' anymore. Just Bendy.
"So..," Bendy hums, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Whatcha doin?" Bendy asks, smiling.
Henry smiles slightly wider and more endearing, noticing the try in engaging polite small talk. "Well, just making breakfast for everyone, as you already can see. Do you like bacon?" Henry asks, flipping over some bacon.
Bendy nods. "Yeah I do," he answers softly. "I mean, you either hate it or love it after only having bacon soup for decades," he says casually, shrugging.
Henry chuckles slightly. "I'm pretty sure everyone here has made themselves like bacon," he says with an amused smile.
Bendy hums in agreement.
They both stand there for a moment, listening to the sound of sizzling bacon. Bendy just watches Henry with curiosity. Henry doesn't notice as he just continues to cook the bacon and listen to whatever conversations the others are having.
Henry feels the small pair of eyes on him and he looks down to see Bendy watching him. He chuckles. "Wanna help?" He asks, gesturing to the bacon.
Bendy nods quietly. "But I can't reach....," Bendy says awkwardly, pointing to the stovetop.
"Want me to hold you?" Henry offers, putting down his spatula and wiping his hands off on a small rag hanging from the handle of the oven.
Bendy freezes at the offer, surprised Henry would do something like that for him. "You'd.. do that for me?" He asks timidly, fidgeting with his glove.
Henry nods, looking at him tenderly. "I mean, why wouldn't I?" He asks softly.
Bendy shrugs. "Well maybe because I am... Well, uh, because I'm an.. Ink Demon? Well, THE Ink Demon," he mutters, wrapping his arms around himself.
Henry sighs, putting a hand on Bendy's head and rubbing between his horns. "That wasn't really you, Bendy. That was something else, something soulless," Henry comments firmly yet caring.
Bendy huffs. "Well, I'm still soulless!!-" he exclaims, throwing his arms up in the air.
Henry gives him a firm pat on the head.
"You don't act very soulless," he says to Bendy reassuringly.
Bendy just looks up at Henry when he says that. How can someone who's been through so much torture, seen him at his worst, been torn apart by him, been through horrors unimaginable, believe in him, The Ink Demon?
Henry just sighs and grabs Bendy by his armpits, pulling him into a comfortable position in his grip.
Bendy yelps, squirming slightly before just resting in Henry's arms. He can't believe he's in the arms of someone, he's never been held like this... Bendy's face is one of contentment as he watches Henry cook, clinging onto the collar of his button-up long sleeve.
Henry sighs contently, handing Bendy the spatula. "Wanna try?" He asks Bendy, looking down at the devil in his arms.
Bendy nods. "What do I do?" He asks obliviously for he has never cooked anything before.
Henry gently grabs the spatula back. "Watch," he says, demonstrating how to flip the bacon and when to flip it.
Bendy watches intently, listening and hanging onto every word like it's gospel. "Hmm.. okay, I think I got it!-" Bendy says confidently with his Brooklyn accent. He makes a grab for the spatula and snatches it.
Henry smiles as he watches Bendy and supervises, making sure Bendy is doing this all right which he surprisingly is doing well on for his first time.
Alice, Allison, and Audrey are watching with smiles, having paused their conversation at the table to watch the scene. Alice looks at Audrey and Allison with a smile.
"Told you they'd get along," Alice mutters to the two with a grin.
Allison giggles softly. "Y'know, I never expected the two biggest rivals to get along so well. But at the same time, do you see the way Bendy looks at Henry?" Allison exclaims, looking back over to the pair cooking bacon.
Audrey shrugs. "I kinda saw them getting along, especially after being with Bendy in the real world for that long amount of time after me and him escaped the cycle," Audrey says casually.
"Still don't know how you did that..," Allison says with shock, putting a hand on her head and shaking her head.
"Trust me, I'm about as confused as you," Audrey sighs.
"Maybe it's because you're.. technically Drew's daughter?" Alice asks, trying to help put it together.
"Maybe, but technically wouldn't Bendy have been able to get out on his own, too, if that was the case since he is technically made fully by Joey like me," Audrey says, making it deeper and more confusing.
Allison ponders for a second before speaking up, "Well, you're the only one Joey technically called his 'child', so maybe that direct label has something to do with it?"
"Maybe.. maybe...," Audrey says, looking at the table while thinking. But all three of the women's thoughts are quickly cut off by the sound of Sammy arguing with Tom. Ever since Tom got his voice back, he and Sammy have been at it.
"Sammy, for the last damn time, stop getting near the damn Ink Machine! Trust me, you don't want to be near that thing," Tom says sternly, glaring at him and crossing his arms.
"But the Ink Machine! It's my home, my Lord needs me, unlike you incompetent beings!-" Sammy yells, spreading out his arms.
Great. Just what everyone needs. Sammy having a psychotic episode at the damn crack of dawn while the coffee is still brewing.
The Projectionist's headlight flickers and makes a whirring sound of exasperation as he listens to the arguing. He and the others are just waiting for damn Jack to come and help Sammy. But when he looks around, he sees Jack is still somehow asleep through the noise. He sighs, his sigh sounding like static. He gets up and walks to Jack's room, pounding on the door.
"JACK..," The Projectionist calls out, his voice sounding like an old phone overlayed with slight static.
There's a groan from the other side of the door as well as some unintelligible muttering.
"JACKKKK... SAMMY NEEDS YOUU...," The Projectionist says louder, sounding frustrated.
Jack groans, shuffling out of his bed and opening the door, the Searcher looking pissed and tired.
"What could he possibly need at this hour?!..," Jack asks, his voice a bit hollow sounding due to his form.
"Sanity..." The Projectionist comments, making it clear what's going on with Sammy.
Jack sighs, running a hand down his face. "Really, already losing it THIS EARLY?" He asks, sounding a bit upset.
The Projectionist nods.
Jack shuffles past. "Don't worry I'll deal with this...," he mutters tiredly, going over to Sammy.
Sammy and Tom are still fighting but now Alice and Allison are trying to calm the two down while Boris cowers in a corner.
Jack gets in front of Sammy. "Sammy Lawrence," he says tiredly, catching Sammy's attention.
Sammy huffs. "What could you POSSIBLY need, Jack? I'm in the middle of a 'conversation'!" He says sharply.
"I need you to calm down," Jack says simply, crossing his arms and glaring daggers into Sammy.
Sammy glares daggers back. "I am COMPLETELY calm, I am the calmest being in this building! I am the sanest as well-" Sammy says, gesturing wildly and being very expressive.
Bendy looks at Boris cowering in the corner and paused flipping the bacon.
"Henry, is Boris okay?" He asks Henry, looking at Henry with a concerned look and slightly pointing to Boris with his head.
Henry looks over at Boris, having been watching the whole episode instead of looking at Boris.
"Buddy just gets startled easily, I think we all can get startled easily with all this new. We can go check on him after this batch of bacon, if you'd like. We can bring him the fresh bacon to calm him," Henry says calmly.
Bendy nods feverishly. "Yes please!! I don't like seeing him like that!!-" Bendy says, leaning over Henry's shoulder to look at Boris, pressing the greasy spatula up against Henry's clean shirt.
Henry cringes slightly at the feeling of the grease but doesn't comment, liking to see Bendy care and want to help. "Okay buddy, I do too, but we gotta focus on the bacon for a second, okay?"
Bendy nods, leaning off his shoulder and pulling the spatula off, there being a grease stain on the cloth in its place. "Oh! I'm sorry, did I do that?" Bendy asks, already knowing the answer and feeling bad.
Henry smiles contently. "It's okay Bendy, it's not that much of a worry of mine," Henry answers, shrugging it off.
Bendy furrows his nonexistent brow. "You sure?" Bendy asks, feeling very very bad still.
Henry nods. "Of course, I'll just use this shirt specifically for making breakfast!" He says cheerfully.
Bendy nods. "Okay..," he mutters, beginning to stare at the bacon and flip it with urgency, as if that'll make it cook faster.
Henry grins. "Y'know, being so anxious won't help with anything," Henry explains as if that wasn't already obvious.
Bendy pouts. "Well, I just want it to go by faster so we can comfort Boris!" Bendy yells.
Henry nods empathetically. "I know I know.. and as I said, we can give him this fresh bacon when we finish it," he says comfortingly.
"Only a little bit longer...," Bendy says, practically bouncing in Henry's arms.
When the last bacon is finished, Bendy practically jumps out of Henry's arms and runs over to Boris. Henry makes a plate of bacon and a glass of orange juice for Boris with a small napkin before also walking over to Boris.
Bendy is standing next to Boris, who is sitting on the floor, knees up to chest, hands over ears. Bendy is comforting Boris, slowly easing him back to being calmer. Henry sets the food and drink next to Boris and sits next to him. Bendy sits on the opposite side of Boris.
"It's okay, Buddy. Me and Bendy are here. Everyone's fine, it's just... A bit... Chaotic," Henry says calmly, patting his shoulder.
Boris whimpers, looking up at the two.
"I just... I can't handle this! They're so loud, are they mad? Why are they crazy?! I thought we were safe!-" Boris exclaims, putting his head in his hands.
Bendy sighs, mirroring Henry and putting a hand on Boris's other shoulder. Boris flinches under Bendy's hand though, so he pulls back and just sits there, thinking for a moment.
"Well, they're all just broken. They needa little time to heal and recover from all they've been through. Like you, me, and even Henry!-" Bendy says tenderly, having gone over this in his head what felt like a million times to make it feel right.
"We're all... Broken," Henry says, agreeing to what Bendy said. "But that's okay."
Boris looks up again, sniffling. Bendy pulls a handkerchief out of nowhere (probably the hammerspace) and hands it to Boris. Boris blows his nose, calming down slightly.
"T-thank you, Bendy...," Boris mutters, looking a bit calmer but also tireder.
Bendy nods. "Anytime."
Henry smiles at the two interacting before sliding the bacon slightly closer to Boris. "Eat some, might make you feel a bit better. You'll probably feel sick if you keep crying on an empty stomach," Henry says softly and Bendy agrees with a hum.
Boris starts to take a small bite of bacon before starting to quickly devour it. Henry is chuckling and Bendy is having full on, stomach-grabbing laughter.
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Sammy eventually comes over to apologize to everyone as they're eating, he's a lot more lucid and and sane, his mask off and expression tired. Everyone shrugs it off, including Boris, they all seem to be weirdly calm about it.
Sammy is surprised by this. "Why are you all.. so .... Forgiving?" He asks, genuinely confused since he's usually not used to forgiveness.
Jack sighs, shrugging. "Well, I mean, aren't we all trying to heal?" He asks. "And that comes with helping each other heal."
Tom nods. "Even if sometimes people are a pain in the ass..,' he says, glaring at Sammy with a soft strictness.
Sammy chuckles nervously, fidgeting with his overall straps. "Yeah well... Thank you guys," he mutters nervously.
Alice chuckles, "Well, isn't that what friend's are supposed to do for each other?"
Henry nods.
"Or family," Bendy says, showing how he views them all.
They all go silent. It's awkward at first but then it turns wholesome, with everyone chuckling and smiling.
"Yeah, family," Audrey says, smiling and looking at everyone, memorizing them and their smiles, the ones that are usually so rarely seen.
The silence now is comforting, like a warm, wool blanket having been wrapped around the group. It feels familial and caring, as if they all thought of each other the same with the same care and love. The silence stretches for a comfortable amount of time, before Bendy softly breaks it.
"Now... Does.. anyone.. wanna.. play ... UNO?" Bendy asks, giving a sheepish grin.
"I would be opposed..," Tom comments, looking around.
The Projectionist nods.
Allison agrees.
Everyone agrees that it'd be fun to play UNO.
Now, chaos ensues.
But it's a good chaos.
A comforting chaos.
What's to come? Who knows.
But for now, they will bask in the present. They will protect and support each other through anything, and that's all this group needs.