Broken Down (A Bendy & The Ink Machine Story)

Chapter 3: Henry's Mac & Cheese Is The Best Mac & Cheese

By the time Henry made it to his street, Bendy, had fallen asleep inside his shirt, and the man had to cradle him carefully so he wouldn't fall out, gaining odd looks from passersby. He had unzipped his jacket a little to allow some breathing room for the tuckered out ink demon, and Henry could hear his soft snuffling noises as he slept, and the small steady thump of his heartbeat. 

Bendy was alive, and it was such an odd thing to think about. How had Joey made him? Magic? A weird recipe? Maybe some chemicals had fallen into a barrel of ink? Bendy appeared to be made of the same inky substance he had used to draw with, so perhaps the Ink Machine had something to do with it. But from what Henry remembered, the Ink Machine had never been on, it had just gathered dust in the corner.

Henry looked down again to check on Bendy as he neared his home, smiling at how adorable he was asleep, his gloved hands still clinging to him, and his cheek rested on his chest, face smooshed into the fabric.

Linda thankfully was still at work when he arrived, and he set to work tucking Bendy into a soft blanket and changing his ink stained clothes for something better. After a quick nap himself he started on dinner, thinking Linda would appreciate some hot food after a long day.

Bendy woke to delicious smells wafting into his nose, the ink demon untangled himself from the blankets someone had wrapped in him, and followed the warm scent, leading him to the kitchen. Henry was standing over the stove, humming a tune from the radio playing on the window sill "H-Hello," Bendy called, trying not to scare the poor man. Henry turned with a smile. "Sleep well?"

Bendy nodded, Henry held up whatever was boiling absently in the pot "Hungry?"

Bendy nodded again. The Cartoonist smiled. "Mac and cheese will be ready soon, okay?"

"O-Okay" Bendy did not understand what Mac and cheese was, but it sounded nice, it definitely smelled good, that's for sure. He hoped Henry would give him some, but it was highly unlikely. Whenever Joey cooked he never gave what he made to Bendy, the man had told him the cans of Bacon soup in the storage room were entirely acceptable for him and he was not going to waste good food on the ink demon.

Bendy waited patiently, fingers tapping quietly on the table, and his feet swinging underneath his chair, Henry had set a few pillows under him so he could see above the surface, and had set the table as the mac & cheese bubbled away in the oven. Three bowls and three spoons, it was looking likely that he was getting some. But Henry could be tricking him, Joey had done that before.

After a good half an hour of waiting, Henry finally pulled it out the oven, the cheese grilled perfectly, the bacon pieces crisp, and one ink demon drooling and desperately hoping to eat some.

Henry chuckled at the eager look on Bendy's face as he scooped some up into a bowl and placed it in front of him, the demon's eyes wide, an entire bowl!? Just for him!? Really!?

Bendy looked up at him with a slightly surprised look on his face "You can eat bud, but just be careful, it's hot, blow on it before you take a bite" he said, spooning some into two more bowls, he covered one and set it back in the oven before sitting down opposite Bendy.

The ink demon carefully picked up the silver spoon beside the bowl and scooped some up, blowing on the cheesy goodness until the steam it gave off died down. He gave Henry another hurried glance before shoving it into his mouth as fast he could, barely chewing the contents as he ate. Henry mentally frowned as Bendy's arm automatically snaked around the bowl protectively and brought it closer, did Joey take away his food too?

"Is it good?" he asked, adding ketchup over his, just the way he liked it.

Bendy nodded blissfully.