Chapter Text
The end of school rolled around faster than you anticipated. After all the stress from your mock exams, and the pressure slowly creeping up on you about your upcoming GCSEs, you were finally ready to put everything out of your mind and relax, which was ideal, as summer had finally arrived. What wasn't ideal, was your mother's decision to drag you to her lab at 5am.
Your mother was a quantum physicist, incredibly smart and incredibly stubborn. She always wanted you to follow in her footsteps, but you never once took an interest in anything to do with science, no matter how hard she pushed it on you. From the moment you were born, your mother constantly surrounded you with anything and everything to do with science, but it never appealed to you. She'd often take you to her lab, and explain, in an excruciatingly painful amount of detail, her latest experiments or projects she was working on, and would often try to get you involved with it, like asking you to help her with handling data or equipment, or quizzing you on random science questions, which, sometimes, weren't even related to her work. It exhausted you, constantly feeling that you never lived up to your mother's expectations. At least with your father, he allowed you to explore your own interests, and didn't care what you did as long as you were happy. Unfortunately, that didn't stop your mother from pursuing her mission in trying to mold you into a mini her.
Getting back to the issue at hand, it was currently 5:30am and you were leaning your head against the car window, internally cursing your mother for many things, like her constant rants about science, or for bringing you into this world. Like usual, you were barely listening to your mother, but rather, thinking about opening the car door and rolling out onto the road so you could get run over. Your drowsiness and discontentment clouded your mind, distracting you from the fact that the car had now stopped. You were startled out if your thoughts when your mother tapped, quite harshly, on the window from outside the car, signling for you to get out of the car.
You slowly got out of the car and trudged behind your mother, as she led you into the lab and into her room. You sat down on a chair and sighed, rubbing your face tiredly.
"Next question sweetie, what charge does an electron have?" Your mother asked, as she arranged some of her files and documents.
"I don't care." You groaned, leaning your head against the table.
"It's negative, like how you're being right now." Your mother scolded. "Now, you get to be here all day and help me with my research, aren't you a lucky girl?" She said, sweetly.
"The luckiest." You replied, sarcasm dripping from your voice. You mother rolled her eyes and began to guide you through her work, even though you barely understood any of it.
After what felt like an eternity hell, in it was finally time for you to leave. You checked your phone to see that it was 9pm. You grimaced and put you phone on the desk as your mother entered the room, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. You eyed her warily, wondering why she looked so happy. Too happy... "Mum-"
"Y/n, you'll never guess what." She interrupted, practically giddy with excitement. You were beginning to get suspicious of her behaviour. Before you could ask her anything she proceeded to speak again. "I've just got clearance for you to stay even longer, and help collect data for my latest project!" She exclaimed. Your jaw almost dropped in exasperation. She wanted you to stay LONGER? "W-wha-"
"I know! Isn't it fantastic? Here, let me show you what I've been doing." She briskly walled over to you and pointed out the windows and over at a large object that you didn't recognise. "You see that? That an X-ray-detecting telescope, it's used to measure the speed of the gas and stars orbiting a point in space that may be a black hole." She then patted a machine near you. "You see this machine? This collects the data and measurements gathered by said telescope. The measurements are used to determine the mass of a black hole that could potentially exist or predict the formation or whereabouts of a current black hole." She explained, exuberantly. You stared at her, completely perplexed. You couldn't believe this, was she really going to make you stay longer just to watch some chicken scratch appear on a computer? She noticed you giving her this look and she sighed, giving you a bored look. "Now don't give me that look, young lady. Don't worry, you won't have to stay for very long." Oh, phew, that's a relief. "We've only got clearance for a couple more hours, so you should be out nice and early, probably...around 11." She grinned. You did not. 'Great, another 2 hours of this crap.' You grumbled, mentally. You nodded, having no choice but to do as your mother had said.
"Now, unfortunately for me, I have to go clear up some extra paper work, so I'm afraid I'll have to leave you, but I'll be back soon sweetie." She moved to kiss you on the cheek and began to walk off, exiting the room while calling out to you. "Have fun~!" Once she had left the room you slumped into a chair next to the machine and quietly screamed into your hands. "Whyyyyyy....." You mumbled, shaking your head. This was so NOT how you wanted to spend your first day of the holidays. You just hoped it would be the last time she dragged you with her to do something like this, but you knew it wouldn't be. You sighed. This was going to be a long couple of hours.
About 5 years- sorry, an hour, had passed and you felt as though you were going mad. It would've been better if your phone hadn't died on you, but it had, so now you were beyond bored. You huffed and stared out into the dark. You could barely make out anything, especially in the sky, due to all the bloody light pollution from the city. Your eyelids hung heavy over your eyes, your low energy matching your bored demeanour as you gazed up. Upon surveying the empty abyss above you, something caught your eye. It was, what looked to be, a miniscule fleck of...something, in the sky. It wasn't a star, no, it was too dark to be that, but in an instant of seeing it, it was gone. You raised an eyebrow, wondering if your were seeing things, until a loud noise startled you right out of your seat. As you stood up, you looked over to the machine to see it...malfunctioning? New data started appearing on the screen like crazy, while the computer whirred and hummed in discontent at the overload of information. Not long after, the machine short circuited and the screen went black.
You stood there, baffled and a little creeped out, but that didn't last long as you were suddenly bombarded with a painfully bright, flash of white light that temporarily suspended your vision completely. You immediately began to panic, and before you even comprehend what was going on, a high pitched ringing flooded your ears, and you felt as though your body was behind tugged at harshly. Shortly after, you lost your footing and everything around you disappeared. You felt disorientated, almost sick in a way, like an unknown force was poking and groping and stretching and squeezing and squishing you to the point where you could barely breathe. Once you regained your sight, you were stunned beyond your mind. You realised that you were falling in a bright array of beautiful, unworldly colours that surrounded you. They accelerated past you at an unmeasurable and wild speed, morfing into all different shapes and sizes. You felt delirious, completely mesmerised by their beauty that you didn't even notice the crushing weight pushing down on your chest, before it all faded to black.
Notes:
Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Wonder what happened to the reader... Anyways, I'm not sure how often I'll post, so I'm sorry if there are any long delays between the time the chapters are released! I'm kinda figuring it out as I go along, but I'll try to be as consistent as I can! You can also leave requests in the comments if you like :)
Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Imposters!
Summary:
You get to meet some skeletons, isn't that nice?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As you opened your eyes steadily, an intense throbbing pain ran through your head. You whined and sat up slowly, rubbing your eyes, feeling unexpectedly drained. It took a minute for you to properly wake up and take in your surroundings, but as soon as you did, you chocked on a scream. You immediately stood up and backed away a couple steps, staring wide eyed at this new environment. As you looked at the room around you, you were left bewildered.
The first thing you noticed was not the lime green couch, oppositely facing a flat screen television. Nor was it the wavy, blue and purple patterned carpet, or the oddly shaped rock decorated with sprinkles that rested on a table nearby. No, the one thing you couldn't tear your eyes away from was the cluster of skeletons lying on the floor, all of who seemed to be unconscious.
It was as if your feet had been glued to the floor, and you body paralyzed, because no matter how hard you tired, you couldn't move. 'Wha- WHAT THE FUCK?! ' You thought, your mouth hanging open. As flabbergasted as you were to the entire situation, you quickly clamped your mouth shut when you heard a quiet groan coming from below. You looked over to see one of the skeletons rubbing it's face, and sitting up, looking around in confusion, much like you had done. You were about to say something to him when his gaze locked onto you and, in an instant, his expression turned from confused to threatened and before you could even blink, you felt a heavy weight on your chest pull you down and fling you across the room until your back hit the wall with a loud, uncomfortable crack.
The sudden noise seemed to have awoken the rest of the skeletons, and soon, they all wore similar hostile expression towards each other, as they backed away in pairs, the smaller ones matched with the taller ones. The sound of low grows and crackles filled the air; you could practically feel the tension between them. Despite your discomfort from the unknown force holding you against the wall, you cleared your throat and all the skeletons turned their attention to you almost instantly, some looking at you sceptically, others looking as if they wanted to kill you. Whatever this behaviour was, you were not amused.
"Uhm, excuse me, but, uh...what the actual fuck?! " Your tone seemed to startle them, and the skeleton that had first woken up lost his concentration and, straight away, the weight was gone, and you slid down the wall, hitting the ground with a thud. You stood up, furrowing your brows at them in puzzlement. "Right then...thanks?" You muttered, as you were finally able to get a good look at them all.
From first glance, the similarities between them may not have been obvious, but the more you studied them the more they looked...related? You cast your gaze over to each pair of skeletons, surveying their appearances and demeanours. The first pair were looking at you with bafflement. The smaller one wore a light blue jacket with pink slippers that looked as if they had been chewed slightly. The taller one next to him was dressed in some sort of armoured attire with a long, crimson scarf wrapped around his neck. The second pair were dressed similarly, except with a darker colour palette, mostly consisting of reds, blacks and golds. You did notice, however, that the short one, wearing a black purffer jacket, had a golden tooth that shined slightly in the light. They both looked as if they wanted to murder you right there and then, but you weren't too bothered considering they clearly hadn't left the edgy teen phase yet, so instead of showing fear, you tried to hold in a snicker as you moved on to the next two.
The next duo looked very similar to the first skeletons, if the first pair had swapped clothes. The smaller one was looking at you with wonderment and repressed excitement, whereas the taller one, the one who had woken up first and possibly attacked you, stared at you with incredulity and mistrust. You finally set your eyes on the last pair, who looked similar to the previous skeletons, but again, with an edgier spin to their outfits, their main colour palettes being purple, gold and black. The taller one wore an eye patch, and gazed at you with an uninterested look. The shorter one, however, grinned maniacally at you, almost as if he was about to pounce.
Silence filled the air for what felt like forever before you finally decided speak up.
"Ugh, that fucking hurt." You rubbed your back and the stared at the guilty skeleton in scepticism. He immediately seemed to snap out of whatever funk he had been in, and looked at you with surprise. He was about to open his mouth to speak when another spoke up.
"WOWIE, LOOK SANS! I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE OTHER SKELETONS APART FROM US! BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN OUR HOME?" The loud skeleton asked, and you whinced at his volume. The one next to him, Sans presumably, looked at the others with caution and then shrugged.
"No idea bro, but there sure seems to be a skele-ton of them, here." He chuckled.
"SANS! PLEASE DO NOT START WITH YOUR HORRIBLE PUNS!" The loud one demanded, stomping his foot. The other just smiled.
"Sorry bro." You didn't really know what to make of this, so you just sat back and watched as skeletons began to interact with each other.
The next to speak had a dark blue bandana around his neck. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at the taller one. Due to the previous comment made, you quickly made the connection that each duo of skeletons were brothers. The short one grinned as he spoke, his voice equally as loud as the first's.
"PAPY LOOK, DO YOU SEE? THERE ARE OTHER SKELETONS LIKE US! OH, AND LOOK!" He then pointed to you. "IS THAT A HUMAN?!" He asked, excitedly.
"Uh, actually bro, I think that's a rock." The one in the orange hoodie replied and pointed to the rock next to you. You raised an eyebrow.
"OH."
"But what's that next to the rock?" The shorter one gasped.
"OH MY GOD, IS THAT A HUMAN? WOWZAS!" He ran up to you and grinned wildly. "HUMAN, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS!" He announced, placing a hand to his chest proudly. Wait, you thought the other one was Sans- "IMPOSTER! YOU CANNOT BE SANS, FOR I AM THE ONE AND ONLY MALEFICENT SANS, MWAHAHAHHA!" The one dressed in purple and black cackled, as everyone turned their attention to him. "PAPYRUS!" He addressed the taller one next to him.
"What?" He mumbled, his voice, gruff. Wait, you thought the other one was Papyrus? "WHO ARE THESE IMPOSTERS?" He asked. The other shrugged.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IMPOSTER, YOU RANCID, GRAPE LOOKING CHILD?!" A tall skeleton dressed in sharp, black armour, boombed. He had two scars on his right eye, running down his face, and a bright red scarf wrapped around his neck. The previous one (Sans?) looked positively enraged to his core by his comment, while you, as soon as you heard it, immediately burst out laughing. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, as they both stared daggers at you, however, the tall, edgy skeleton looked almost pleased by your amusement, as a slight smirk tugged at his jaw, but he quickly surpressed and continued to glare at you.
You cleared your throat and pretended to cough, as they continued to stare. He then turned to his brother...?
"SANS! I DEMAND THAT WE DISPOSE OF THESE LOOK A LIKES IMMEDIATELY!" The tall one declared. Wait, the shorter one was also called Sans? Did that mean that- "You're the boss, bro." (Sans?) grumbled, his smirk becoming menacing.
"NOW HOLD ON, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY SORT OF VIOLENCE IN THIS HOUSE HOLD-" The first one spoke again. So he was Papyrus, but the other-
"WELL, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS DOES, SO SHUT IT IMPOSTER!" Another Papyrus- "SANS!" All the shorter ones looked up at him and replied with a
"yes?" "YES?" "yea?" "WHAT?"
More voices flooded the room and the volume began to rise, until you could barely hear yourself think. You had had enough of this.
"OI! Fucking calm it!" You yelled, and immediately, the room went deathly silent.
Notes:
Hiiii, I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter, like I said I'll try to be consistent when posting but I've just started school so it'll probably be less consistent from now on but I'll try to post whenever I can! Have a good morning/day/evening/night! <3
(Ps. I think my notes may be bugging out a little and moving so sorry for any confusion, just to confirm this is the second chapter, not the first, so I'm sorry for any glitches or anything that says otherwise but if you guys know how to fix that please feel free to share if not don't worry I'll try to get it sorted)
Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Name calling
Summary:
You have the attention of 10 skeletons and a theory based on little evidence.
Notes:
Hey guys! We're getting into the intros of the skelebois this time, isn't that fun?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You sighed and rubbed your temple. You turned to the first, who you assumed were, Sans and Papyrus and began to speak to them.
"Alright, so, hi." You said, awkwardly. "So, I'm not exactly sure what's happening here, but I assume from what you've said that this is your home?" You asked, trying to make sense of everything going on. They both nodded, still looking at you with a hint of hesitancy. You noticed the edgier-looking skeletons were about to try and interject, but before they got a word out, you continued. You needed to work through this step by step before you took on anything else.
"Okay..." You muttered to yourself before clearing your throat. "And you said your names were Sans and Papyrus, yes?" The two were about to reply when the tallest of the skeletons chimed in.
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THOSE COPYCATS ARE MOST CERTAINLY NOT US. NONE OF THEM ARE!" He proclaimed. Suddenly, it was as if everything had clicked into place.
"I ASSURE YOU, EDGY LOOKING SKELETON, ME AND MY BROTHER ARE CERTAINLY NOT COPYCATS OF ANY SORT!" Papyrus replied proudly, the other looking positively enraged.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" You realised things were about to get heated fairly quickly if you didn't intervene.
"None of you are copycats! Nor are you imposters!" You raised your voice, loud enough for them to turn their attention to you. You suddenly felt a little nervous about putting yourself on the spot like this, especially when you could be wrong, but you weren't about to watch a fight break out. At least, not without popcorn.
"S-so, uh, this could be really wrong, but I think there's a slight possibility that you're all Sans and Papyrus...?" They all looked at you with complete bafflement and you felt your throat go dry. You took a deep breath and elaborated.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but just think about it for a second. You've all woken up in a strange place, and you guys are all surrounded by very similar looking, uh...people (?) to you, who all have the same names, and slightly altered appearances and personalities. Now, I don't know how any of us got here, but wouldn't that make sense? If, somehow, you were all from different universes, and you just happened to land in the same place together? Let's face it, your uncanny resemblance cannot be a coincidence."
You exhaled deeply, like explaining your theory had taken all your energy from you, as you waited for their response. The skeletons blinked at you, and paused. You felt as though you were being watched by a thousand pairs of eyes, and you began to feel slightly uncomfortable until, luckily, one of them spoke up, breaking the thick silence that hung in the air.
"That's a pretty wild hypothesis you got there, kid." Sans, the one with the chewed, pink slippers, said. "Buuuut, it would clear a couple things up, for sure." He shrugged and you immediately felt more at ease by him agreeing with you. As the idea began to dawn on some of the skeletons, one in particular was still very irate about the whole situation.
"I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THESE CRETINS ARE THE SAME AS MY AND MY BROTHER!" Edgy Papyrus screeched- you know what, this was going to get confusing.
You sighed. "Look, I know this is all really strange to take in but if we're going to get anywhere, we need to come up with different names for you guys." The others nodded in agreement at your statement. The tallest huffed and tilted his head away.
"I SUPPOSE THAT IS A FAIR ENOUGH SUGGESTION." You assumed that was his way of agreeing. You smiled and then realised one fatal flaw to your plan.
"Uhh, I'm not so great with...naming things, anyone got any suggestions?"
The skeletons all thought for a moment until the first Sans came up with some ideas.
"How bout, for starters, since me 'n my bro are actually from this universe, we keep our original names?" You supposed this was fair enough but it did create an uproar from the rest of the skeletons. You raised an eyebrow at them but realised that 'losing' their names must be a little upsetting, which you could understand. However, you had to find a way to differentiate between them with minimal confusion, so there was really no other option.
After a long debate and many suggestions pitched by everyone, they were finally able to come up with nicknames that they could find tolerable (well, some still weren't happy, but nobody really cared). It was decided that the 'original' Sans and Papyrus would keep their names. To his nature, edgy Papyrus was dubbed 'Edge' and his brother, 'red', due to the single, glowing red pupil in his eye socket. The skeleton who had first attacked you was now called 'stretch', due to his height, and the 'magnificent Sans' was now the 'magnificent blue'. Finally, the last two were named 'cash' and 'black' (short for blackjack). This was because, when discussing the names, Papyrus was caught trying to pickpocket, well, everyone, and Sans just laughed as he did, even though he did scold him for it afterwards, hence the nicknames based around their greedy and chaotic nature.
You breathed out a sigh of relief now that the nicknames were sorted and you felt as though you could finally move forward a little more peacefully with the situation. Oh how wrong you were.
"SO, HUMAN, ARE YOU READY TO DIE?"
Oh fuck.
Notes:
Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry this chapter is so short this time, I think the next one might be longer, but sorry😅! Until next time <3
Chapter 4: Chapter 4: ow
Summary:
One overzealous,short skeleton tries to pick a fight with you, but you really couldn't be bothered. You just wanted to sleep.
Notes:
Hey guys, chapter 4 is here :D I honestly don't really have anything else to add, so enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You managed to dodge the sudden attack of...bones (?) flying your way, rapidly. Wait, bones? Where the hell did those come from? You let out a squeek of surprise as everyone whipped their heads around to the attacker. To their surprise, the instigator was Black. He cackled maniacally, as he positioned himself in some sort of offensive stance, getting ready to summon another bone attack.
"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT VIOLENCE? BLACK, PLEASE DO NOT KILL THE SMALL HUMAN!" Papyrus fretted, coming to your defence.
"AS IF I'D TAKE ORDERS FROM AN INFERIOR VERSION OF MY LOW LIFE BROTHER!" Sans' everlasting smile tightened ever so slightly at Black's refusal to comply and his comment about his brother, but made no effort to put a stop to his frenzied behaviour. Which did not work in your favour when Black decided to (somehow) launch another sheet of bones towards you. Thankfully, you saw it coming and quickly moved to the side as to not get hit. Unfortunately, it seemed as though you weren't fast enough when you felt a hissing, stinging sensation bubble to the surface of your skin You tentatively brought a hand up to your face and lightly brushed the cut with your fingers. As you moved your hand away you felt a warm liquid, covering the tips of your fingers, meander it's way down until it reached your wrist.
"Well that was just plain rude." You muttered under your breath, as you crossed your arms, being mindful not to let your bloodied hand touch your clothes- you did not need a headache of trying to get blood stains out of your jumper. You grimaced as the protests from a few of the skeletons, and laughs from the others, got louder until you couldn't hear yourself think. You gave up trying to get them to be quiet or, quite frankly, civil, in any way, so you decided that now would be a good time to explore. Maybe you could even find some clues as to how, or why, you're here.
You sneakily slipped away and began to wonder around the rest of the house. As you walked down the halls, you noticed a couple spare rooms that looked like they hadn't been used yet. Well, if everyone was going to stay here, that was one less thing to worry about. You paused for a second to admire a painting of a single bone. A shiver ran down your spine as you recalled the multiple bones that had tried to harm you just a few minutes ago. The more you thought about it, the more curious you became, one question repeating in your head like a broken record. How? You were certain you hadn't seen anyone with any sort of weapons, so where did they come from? How were they thrown at you so quickly? The idea alluded you completely.
...Now that you thought about it, how did Stretch manage to pin you against that wall without even touching you? All this was making less and less sense, and were you really going to brush over the fact that there were people from different universes right downstairs? Were you also simply going to ignore the possibility that they probably weren't even human?
Yes. Yes you were. This gave you too much of a headache already. Plus, knowing that if your mother were here, she'd jump at the opportunity to begin testing and researching, really put you off any inquiries you had about this entire situation. Besides, you were pretty exhausted after everything so there was only so much you could deal with right now.
You yawned as you made your way back downstairs, the floorboards creeking under you ever so slightly. Instead of going back to the living room, however, you continued down the hallway until you reached a door you hadn't approached yet. Your curiosity was peaked and, mostly because you wanted to get away from all the commotion in the other room, you tried the door to find that it was open and stepped inside. To your surprise, on the opposite side of the door, were stairs leading down to what you assumed was the basement. Now, normally, you wouldn't dare go down in any basements alone, creepy or not, but this one had a light switch that was bright enough to give you a sense of comfort so, you decided to throw caution to the wind, and investigate what was down there.
From the looks of it, it seemed as though this room had been done up quite recently, considering how good a state it was in for a place that was usually the most neglected in any household, granted, there were still a few cobwebs and such, but that was ok, you just stayed away from those areas.
You looked around the room to see its walls engulfed in scattered blue prints and, well, a lot of maths. To your amusement, there were also a couple science word play posters, like 'think like a proton, always be positive' or 'I make science puns periodically'. You snickered at them. Even though you weren't always the sharpest with them, you could still appreciate a really bad pun when thrown at you. Unlike those bone attacks though; never again. You shuddered at the very thought, and subconsciously reached up to gently touch your fresh wound and found that it had already began to scab, much to your relief.
Your exploration came to a sudden hault when you came across a large, metal machine. Your eye brows eyebrowed in puzzlement at this, as you didn't recognise any features of it whatsoever. Then again, whoever this belonged to was definitely a science person, and since you weren't, so you couldn't tell if this was a regular piece of equipment or something entirely new.
You ran a hand over it's smooth, cool surface as a low humming noise seeped out from it. You raised an eyebrow and moved closer to it, wondering why it was making that sound. You flinched from a small electric shock you got, but pressesd you head against it anyways, listening to what you could only describe as the machine's heartbeat, as if it was trying to tell you that it was alive. The quiet hum of electricity flowing through its veins, echoed through your ears. You were so focused on the sounds it was making that you didn't even notice the light that had flicked on, or the slight vibration that made it's body tremble with anticipation.
- - - - - - - - - - -
~Elsewhere~
"YOU CAN'T JUST ATTACK PEOPLE RANDOMLY-"
"I'LL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT, VANILLA! PAPY TELL HIM!"
"Don't get me involved"
"PAPY!"
This back and forth argument between Black and Papyrus had been carrying on for a while now, with the occasional intervention from their brothers or one of the other skeletons, but ultimately, no one could talk any sense into Black. Eventually, Papyrus sighed and gave up.
There was a long pause before Stretch finally brought up a new topic of conversation.
"So, I suppose we should start with what little information we can gather as to how, or why, we're all here." He turned to Sans "This is your universe, classic, whadaya got?" He asked, lighting a cigarette, much to his brother's disapproval. Sans shrugged, smiling lazily, but there was a hint of hesitence in his eyes.
"I've got a couple ideas, but you should probably check it out for yourself." He replied, as Stretch blew out a puff of smoke. He nodded.
"Basement I presume?" Stretch knew he was right when the grin on Sans' face got ever so slightly wider.
"The hell were ya messin round with that thing for, anyway?" Red muttered, digging his hands deeper into his coat pockets as he began to sweat a little. Sans shrugged again.
"Call it nostalgia."
Before Red could reply, Blue suddenly spoke up, catching everyone's attention.
"WAIT, WHERE DID THE HUMAN GO?" Everyone in the room quickly whipped their heads around to see where you should've been standing, but weren't. The room, almost instantly, went silent, once again.
Notes:
What's going on with that pesky machine now? Why did it take the skeletons so long for them to notice your disappearance? All these questions will be answered in the next chapter...or will they........
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: what a mess
Summary:
Your absence is short lived when you return to the skeletons to find them looking high and low for you.
Notes:
Hey guys, here's another chapter done and ready to go! I'm going to be busy with school during the week, so I'll probably only have time to write on the weekends, so sorry if there are any long gaps between the chapters! Anyways, I hope you enjoy 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As the whirring of the machine increased, a sudden commotion coming from upstairs startled you, and you retracted your head from the machine, making your way to the stairs in an attempt to make out what was going on. You couldn't hear what was being said but you could tell there were a few raised voices and a lot of foot stomping. You, against your better judgement, exited the basement and headed upstairs to see what all the fuss was about. Immediately after shutting the door behind you, your ears were invaded by the shrill screams that you assumed belonged to Edge.
"I SWEAR TO ASGORE, WHEN I FIND THAT BLASTED HUMAN I'M GOING TO-" As you turned the corner, you saw the skeletons practically tearing the living room apart, much to the original brothers' disliking. As soon as you entered the room, everyone froze and stared at you. You raised an eyebrow as you observed the scene before you.
"You guys ok? What the hell are you doing?" You asked, as you watched some of them sigh in relief and others glare at you in annoyance (Edge and Black). After seeing you, Blue and Papyrus ran up to you and Papyrus scooped you up and embraced you in a bone-crushing hug, practically knocking the wind out of you.
"TINY HUMAN, THERE YOU ARE! WE WERE SO WORRIED!" Papyrus exclaimed, squeezing you tighter.
"HUMAN! IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO RUN OFF LIKE THAT AND MAKE EVERYONE WORRY-" Blue added
"No one was worried-" Red interjected
"-PLEASE DO NOT DO IT AGAIN!" After you made a slight chocking sound, Papyrus set you down and patted you on the head.
"Where ya been, kid?" Sans asked, nonchalantly, however, you could tell he was a little suspicious of you at the moment. Which was understandable, considering you were a stranger who had basically just snooped around his house without his permission.
"W-well, since you guys were busy arguing, I just went to explore the place a little, I'm sorry if that was rude of me I just didn't want to get in the middle of anything..." You rubbed your neck sheepishly, feeling a little awkward. Sans paused and then nodded.
"It's fine, kiddo, don't worry about it." You internally sighed in relief that he wasn't mad at you, but immediately tensed when you saw Edge storming towards you. He gripped your jumper harshly, bringing you closer to him. Your feet dangled slightly above the ground as he scowled at you, his hot breath caressing your face. You gulped.
"H-hey Edge, what's...up?" Edge growled and opened his mouth, getting ready to speak- yell, at you.
"WHAT IS YOUR GAME PUNY HUMAN?!" Before you could answer, or try to, at least, he huffed and pulled you closer, your faces now uncomfortably close. His voice dropped to a low, menacing tone.
"If You Try Anything, And I Mean Anything, Your Fate Will Be In My Hands, And I Assure You, Human, I Am Not Known For Being Merciful." He threatened, and then dropped you, your butt hitting the ground with an audible thud.
You scrunched your face up at the mild discomfort from the drop. His words left a bad taste in your mouth, as you tried not to think about what he would do to you if he had the chance. You shuddered and stood up, brushing yourself off. You noticed Red let out a snort and you gave him a side glance before turning to Papyrus, who was giving Edge a disapproving look.
"EDGE PLEASE." He sighed, not bothering to take it any further. "SO, I SUPPOSE WHILE WE TRY TO GET THIS MESS ALL SORTED OUT, YOU ALL SHOULD STAY WITH US!" Papyrus announced, and Sans shrugged.
"Sure, we've got rooms." He added, as Papyrus' enthusiasm grew.
"WE DO! BUT WE ONLY HAVE TWO SPARE ROOMS, NOT COUNTING MINE AND MY BROTHER'S, SO I'M AFRAID YOU WILL ALL HAVE TO SHARE!" None of the skeletons were too pleased about this, but unless they wanted to sleep on the couch, they had no choice.
"Why the hell do you two not have to share then?" Red grunted. Sans shrugged again.
"Our house, our rules." he chuckled, and you swore you saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. Red mumbled a "whatever" in response. You realised, however, that two rooms wasn't going to be enough for all of you. Luckily, it seemed as though Papyrus had thought of this as well, which is why he came up with a solution.
"NOW, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH ROOMS FOR ALL OF YOU, BUT SOME OF YOU CAN GO IN THE LOFT! I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE AIR MATTRESSES UP THERE. A LITTLE DUSTING AND IT'LL BE SUPER COSY!"
"Alright, but who's going up there?" You asked. There was a pause before two pairs of the skeletons yelled, in unison, "Not it!" That left Black and Cash, who weren't quick enough and who would now be staying in the loft. They both groaned cursed, then glared at you.
"WELL, I AM NOT SHARING A ROOM WITH SOME FILTHY HUMAN!" Black turned his nose up at you, huffing. You honestly didn't feel like sharing a room with them either, which is why you had already come up with a decision that suited everyone.
"Alright mate, I'll sleep on the couch." You shrugged and Black seemed a little taken a back about how easily compliant you were. He raised an eyebrow, squinting at you suspiciously, as if you were plotting something positivly atrocious, before exhaling harshly.
"GOOD" was all he said, before turning his gaze away from you completely. Great, that was settled then.
A couple hours passed as everyone got settled into their rooms- which wasn't hard considering they literally had nothing but the clothes on their back- and tried to interact with each other in a civilised manner, but every seemingly calm conversation ended in some form of argument, much to your astonishment. Even the subject of dinner was controversial, as Papyrus, Edge, Blue and Black all seemed to be very passionate about cooking, and had very strong views about what they should make.
"AS I AM THE HOST, I'LL MAKE MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI! IT'S ALMOST AS GREAT AS ME!" Papyrus insisted.
"BAH, AS IF! WE'RE HAVING LASAGNA, IT'S A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN WHATEVER GARBAGE YOU COOK UP!" Edge countered.
"I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE TACOS-" Blue suggested.
"OH PLEASE, BURRITOS ARE THE OBVIOUS AND ONLY CHOICE HERE!" Black interruped. It seemed no one could agree on what to have, so everyone made their own dish. Not only was the kitchen left in a messy disaster, but so was the food. Every meal you tried was full of indescribable flavours and ttexture, that, by the time you had tried a single bite out of each one of them, you wanted to throw it all back up. All their brothers, however, ate their meals with seemingly no problems. You had to refrain from letting your jaw drop down to the floor, as you stared in horror as they consumed the stuff.
"SO HUMAN, WHAT DID YOU THINK?" Blue asked. Oh crap, now everyone was staring at you. Their seemed to be slight tension in the air with the way their brothers looked at you, and the hopeful gaze from a couple of the chefs made you feel compelled to, well, lie your arse off. You gave them a thumbs up while a shaky smile struggled to stay put on your face. Blue and Papyrus beamed at your fake satisfaction while Edge and Black looked as if they couldn't care less. Well, that was fine, that just meant less interrogation for you.
Once dinner was over, everyone got up and went to their own seperate spaces, some to their new bedrooms, some to the living room. You turned to the kitchen, and then back to Papyrus, who was about to leave.
"Uh, are you guys not gonna clean up?" you asked. Papyrus looked down and you and smiled.
"AS MUCH AS I HATE LEAVING MESSES, IT IS RATHER LATE, AND THAT LOOKS AS IF IT COULD TAKE QUITE A WHILE." you raised an eyebrow at him as he patted your head. "DO NOT WORRY TINY HUMAN! I WILL GET UP EXTRA EARLY TOMORROW TO SORT IT OUT!" He announced, before leaving to go to his room.
Another hour passed before everyone decided it was time they retired to bed, or their rooms at least. You bid everyone good night, even though you only got a couple responses in return. You sighed and stared down at the sofa bed that had been made up for you, and then back at the kitchen. You waited a few minutes before making your way to the kitchen. You frowned at the mess, placing your hands on your hips. You weren't always one for cleaning messes, but right now, you were bored as hell and, for some reason, you just couldn't bare to leave it in such a state, even if it was just for the night. So, with your mind made up, you began looking through the sticky, flour-covered cubbords until you found some cleaning supplies, and got to work. To say the least, it wasn't an easy job, nor was it a pleasurable one. You had to stop multiple times to gag or look away, trying to avoid touching the disgusting residue of burnt and somehow undercooked clumps that littered the floor and counter top, as much as possible. Bowls and trays and utensils cluttered together in the sink while sause and semi-melted cheese covered some of the walls and floor. You groaned and silently prayed it wasn't going to be like this the entire time here. If it was, you could forget about ever cleaning up again. You knew that they really should be doing this themselves but you couldn't stand it being left like this any longer, so you treated this like a favour, though you knew you would never ask for anything in return. No, scratch that, you would: for the kitchen to never be this messy every again. You continued to scrub in between the crevasses and cracks of the room until you began to sweat slightly and your back ached from all the bending down. Once you were finally finished, you stood up and admired your hard work. It was spotless, completely mess free. You exhaled deeply in relief and exhaustion. You put the cleaning supplies away and then flopped down onto the couch, your energy, completely spent. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep after that.
The next morning, Papyrus, just like he had said he would, woke up bright and early. The time was approximately 5AM when he exited his room and hastily, but quietly, made his way downstairs, ready to face the mess of last night's cooking episode. When he got to the kitchen, however, he stopped in his tracks, utterly surprised. It seemed as though the challenge he was about to face had already been conquered. He scratched his head in confusion. Who had done this? Was it one of the other skeletons? No, he had been up since 4 and he was sure he hadn't heard any of them get up, so who...? Papyrus made his way out of the kitchen and into the attached living room, where he saw you sleeping soundly on the sofa. Did you do this? You must've done, who else could it have been? A small smile formed on his face, as he knelt down to fix the blanket covering you.
"Thank You, Tiny Human." He whispered softly before he noticed something. He saw that you were wearing the same clothes that you arrived in, as pj's... Well, that wouldn't do.
Notes:
Aww, wasn't that nice of the reader? I wonder what Papyrus is thinking...🤔
Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Breakfast
Summary:
It's the morning of the first official day all together! Now, who's making breakfast?
Chapter Text
The morning rolled around faster than you anticipated and before you knew it, you were being gently awoken by the light streaming through the windows...
Is what you would've liked to happen.
Unfortunately for you, you were jarred awake by the ear-piercing screech of what you assumed was supposed to be a wake up call for the entire country to hear. You were startled out of your slumber and fell off the sofa and onto the floor with a thump. You grimaced. Worlds worst alarm clock you thought. You lifted you head up to see Edge holding his brother by his hood, dragging him down the stairs and yelling at him for being lazy. Black and Blue were doing similar things to their brothers. You groaned and sat up, rubbing your face tiredly. As if you couldn't be more startled, Papyrus' voice from behind you made you jump up in shock.
"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! I HOPE YOU ALL GOT AS MUCH WONDERFUL REST AS I DID!" Though his voice was way too loud for the morning, his greeting was still appreciated. You rubbed your eyes sleepily, still a little exhausted from you late night cleaning session, and yawned. "Good morning Papyrus." He smiled brightly at you in return. You watched as the rest of the household filled into the living room and kitchen, some slumping down on chairs and falling asleep again, others practically drowning themselves in coffee, and a few just as hyper as ever. You sighed as you dragged your feet to the kitchen and to get yourself a glass of water, only to find Edge, Blue and Black staring at the kitchen, confused.
"I WAS SURE WE LEFT A HUGE MESS IN HERE! WHAT HAPPENED?" Blue inquired. It was just then that Papyrus entered the room with his usual enthusiasm.
"WELL BLUE, THE HUMAN-" he began but was cut off by Black.
"WHO CARES, IT'S CLEAN AND THAT'S THAT." he grinned and walked off, presumably to go bother his brother. Papyrus looked a little conflicted, but only sighed as he gave you an apologetic smile. You winked at him in return and then walked off into the living room, with Papyrus following behind you. What neither of you noticed was the way Edge was looking at you curiously.
"SO, WHAT WOULD EVERYONE LIKE FOR BREAKFAST?" Papyrus asked everyone, seemingly ready to cook up anything and everything. Your blood ran cold at that question, you couldn't deal with another mess like the previous one. Unsurprisingly, Blue requested breakfast tacos, Black, breakfast burritos and Edge didn't even bother to chime in. The rest of the brothers just mumbled, claiming they'd be fine with "whatever" considering it looked as if they were only going to drink coffee anyways. In an attempt to avoid another repeat of last night, you decided to make something that hopefully wouldn't be too controversial, and wouldn't make too much of a mess (again, you hoped).
"What about French Toast?" you suggested, and the room thought about it for a second. A few nods and hums in agreement was enough to satisfy your answer.
"EXCELLENT IDEA HUMAN! NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I MUST PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS!" Papyrus grinned, making his way to the kitchen.
"OOH, I'LL HELP TO!" Blue offered and you quickly followed behind them.
"I'll help as well!" you commented, not wanting to have to start the day with a disastrous dish. The skeletons marvelled at you.
"REALLY, HUMAN? YOU KNOW HOW TO COOK?" Blue asked, seemingly in awe by this very fact. You smiled and nodded.
"Well, I know how to cook a few stuff, but baking is really where I shine. But I do make a good French Toast." You winked as you began getting out the ingredients you needed. As you all began making breakfast, you tried to guide them on how to do it properly, attempting to avoid another...interesting dish. To your relief, you managed to keep things running smoothly...mostly. It was difficult to battle the skeleton's enthusiastic nature with your desire to keep things clean and simple, but you managed. Once you had finished, you served up breakfast to those who wanted it, satisfied with your work. You smiled brightly as you high-fived Blue and Papyrus then sat down to eat. The other skeletons looked down at the meal with scepticism. You assumed they had never seen a well cooked meal made by their brothers before, so it was only natural for them to question it, just in case the appearance was a fluke. But, as they tucked in, they realised it wasn't, and their reservations about it disappeared completely. You looked up to see everyone practically scarf down their breakfast as if it was the best thing they had ever tasted. You smirked a little as you shoved the rest of your food into your mouth and stood up to clear your plate away. You turned to everyone.
"Hope you guys enjoyed, Blue and Papyrus worked really hard on it!" you commented before making your way to the kitchen, unaware of the eyes watching you leave.
------------------------
While reader is in the kitchen~
"WOWIE, I HAD NO IDEA MY COOKING COULD GET EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE, BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH I WAS WRONG! IT SEEMS THAT NO DISH IS A FAIR MATCH FOR THE GREAT MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS' SKILLS, NYHEHEHEHE!" Papyrus declared, greatly satisfied by his skills.
"You're definitely improving bro." Sans commented, yawning.
"I DO BELIEVE THAT WAS ONE OF MY BETTER MEALS, DON'T YOU AGREE PAPY?" Blue beamed, now turning to his brother.
"Yeah, that was...better than expected, though, I guess if anyone can cook, it's you bro." Stretch added, smiling lazily as he sipped at his coffee. It seemed that everyone seemed to be content with breakfast...well, almost everyone.
"BAH, THAT WAS MEDIOCRE AT BEST! IF I HAD COOKED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN EVEN BETTER THAN ANYTHING YOU FOOLS COOKED UP!" Edge cackled, and stretch and sans eyed him. "AND BESIDES-" Edge continued, "IT'S CLEAR THAT IT WAS ONLY HALF-DECENT, AT BEST, BECAUSE OF THE HUMAN!" As soon as he uttered those words, everyone stared at him in disbelief. Was Edge actually saying something nice about you?
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN EDGE?" Papyrus enquired.
"Yeah bro, the hell you goin on 'bout?" Red eyed his brother, dumbfounded. Edge exhaled harshly and stared at everyone at the table with an irritated expression.
"ARE YOU ALL REALLY THAT STUPID? THOSE BUMBLING IDIOTS CLEARLY CAN'T COOK-" he gestured to Blue and Papyrus, much to their brothers disliking, "SO IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE WENCH DID SOMETHING TO MAKE THAT FOOD TASTE LIKE IT WASN'T FISHED OUT OF THE FUCKING BINS!" Stretch and Sans cleanched their fists and were about to interject when Blue called out Edge for his "LANGUAGE!" while Edge just rolled his eyes and huffed. He soon left the table to do who knows what, Red following after him, slowly. As everyone mulled over what Edge said, Blue and Papyrus looked at each other in confusion. Soon, everyone eventually left to do their own things, and Blue and Papyrus were left alone. Blue was the first to speak.
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THE HUMAN HELPED US THAT MUCH?" he questioned.
Papyrus put his hand up to his chin in thought, squinting his eyes a little.
"HMMM, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE HUMAN'S ASSISTANCE COULD HAVE ENHANCED THE TASTINESS OF OUR DISH, YES. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NO MATCH FOR MY CULINARY SKILLS, BUT THE HUMAN DOES SHOW GREAT POTENTIAL, PERHAPS I WILL MENTOR HER, THEN, ONE DAY, SHE MAY BE HALF AS GREAT AS I AM, NYHEHEHEH!" Papyrus decided, running off to 'prepare his lessons'. Blue shrugged and walked to the kitchen, lingering in the door way. He watched you as you cleaned the dishes and bowls used for making, and eating, the food. He found himself smiling at you, perhaps admiring your commitment to cleanliness, something that, he himself, possessed. He stood there a second longer before walking over to help with the rest of the dishes, a curious grin plastered on his face.
----------------------------
Soon after you and Blue had finished cleaning up, the two of you ended up playing cards with Stretch and Cash, who kept trying to cheat or encourage bets, but none of you were complying with him, which made him huff in boredom and annoyance. You, on the other hand, were quite content right now. None of you had really spoken about how they were going to deal with the situation, but you guessed that everyone needed to calm down properly before they could discuss anything with a level head, otherwise they would probably end up in yet another screaming match, and you didn't think your ears could take much more of that.
"Aaaand that's game! Nyehe, sorry guys." Stretch grinned lazily, as he layed down his last card. You and Cash groaned slightly, Cash more than you, while Blue congratulated his brother.
As Cash demanded another round, Papyrus came spinning into the room, practically vibrating with excitement. And yes, he was literally spinning. You watched as he came over to you, his smile, wide with anticipation.
"Hey Papyrus, what's going on-"
"HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING SOME VERY IMPORTANT THOUGHTS WITH MYSELF, AND I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION!" He paused for dramatic effect, which lasted about 30 seconds, "THAT YOU CAN'T STAY IN THOSE DIRTY CLOTHES FOREVER!" You looked down at your clothes, they weren't that dirty, but before you could reply he continued. "WHICH IS WHY I'VE DECIDED WE SHOULD GO SHOPPING! WE COULD GET EVERYONE SOME EXTRA CLOTHES AND ANY OTHER ESSENTIALS! WHAT DO YOU SAY?" That actually did sound like a very good idea, and you knew these clothes wouldn't last you forever, so you smiled at him and agreed.
"I think that's a very practical idea Papyrus, good thinking! I'm ready to go whenever you are." Papyrus, after hearing this, quickly gathered up the rest of the skele-crew and convinced them, quite easily, to come with you. Unfortunately, though, not everyone could fit in Papyrus' car or Sans', uh, kids bike...(?) Fortunately, Sans was able to teleport a few of you there, including yourself (by your insistence). As soon as you found out that Sans, and some of the others, could teleport, you instantly jumped at the opportunity to experience that. So, Sans took you, Red, Cash and Black while Papyrus took Blue, Stretch and Edge in his car. Since you were going to, obviously, get there faster than the others, Papyrus thought it would be wise for you to start without them. Unfortunately, you didn't get very far. It took Papyrus and the others about 10 minutes after you to arrive, but you were still throwing up in a plant pot, with Sans awkwardly patting your back and holding your head back slightly.
"Hehe, sorry kid, but I did warn you. First time always comes with the worst motion sickness." You heaved the rest of your breakfast up as you groaned.
"You don't s-say." You croaked, coughing and standing up, shaking, as you wiped your mouth with the sleeve of your jumper. Sans just shrugged and grinned in response, while Red and Cash gaged, and Black had turned away, clearly disgusted by the whole scene.
Papyrus and the others had arrived just in time to catch the end of your puking session and asked if you were ok. You nodded.
"Just a little motion sickness, no need to worry." You reassured them, as they sighed in relief. Papyrus insisted you lean on him for a little bit, just until you didn't feel as shaky anymore, which you appreciated. As you made your way through the shopping centre, or as Papyrus called it, 'THE MALL', you couldn't help but notice a few stares you got from some of the humans milling about, and honestly, you couldn't blame them. Your whole group probably looked weirder than weird itself, but you honestly couldn't care less, so you shrugged it off.
Now, all that was left to decide was where to go first. And, like everything, that was not a simple decision for the skeletons.
Notes:
Wonder what shop the reader will visit first🤔let's hope the boys don't get into too much trouble 😉
Chapter 7: Chapter 7: shopping spree
Summary:
It's time for our reader to get some new clothes and stuff, let's hope this trip is nice and easy.
Notes:
And here we have another chapter, ready to be unleashed ✨
School gives me too much homework istg
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Guys, c'mon! Knock it off, please, we have all day to visit shops-" you tried to reason with the skeletons, who were currently trying their best to drag you in opposite directions, in favour of bringing you to different shops.
"I THINK WE SHOULD VISIT THAT SHOP FIRST-" Blue pointed to a shop name you didn't recognise.
"OH PLEASE, THAT SHOP LOOKS LIKE IT IS FOR BABYBONES! WENCH, I DEMAND WE GO HERE-" Edge pulled you a little harder that time and you winced.
"YOU IDIOTS ARE BOTH WRONG, WE SHOULD CLEARLY GO THIS WAY-"
"I wanna go gamble at that arcade-"
"BROTHER NOT NOW! UGH!" Black exclaimed. As they continued to fight, you looked over to their brothers who looked bored out of their minds. You groaned internally and managed to pull yourself out of their grasp. You quickly moved over to where Papyrus was and took his hand, pulling him gently along in a different direction.
"Quick, before they try and tear my limbs off." You giggled and Papyrus chuckled, hastily moving beside you and away from the group.
"SO HUMAN, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST?" Papyrus asked, once you were far enough away from everyone. You cast your gaze around the shops.
"Honestly, Papyrus, I'm not too sure. I really don't recognise a lot of these shops..." You commented. Papyrus looked at you in surprise.
"REALLY? THAT'S STRANGE."
"Well, not necessarily. Lots of countries have different shops, some of which aren't present in other places. I mean, looking at it, there are a whole bunch of shops around here that I'm sure we didn't have back home." You explained, as realisation dawned on Papyrus.
"WOWIE! I HAD NO IDEA- I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE SURFACE, I ASSUMED EVERYWHERE WAS THE SAME WITH THE SAME HUMANS! BUT AS I'VE LEARNED, IT SEEMS EVERYWHERE IS VERY DIFFERENT!" You snickered at his conclusion and smiled. You paused for a moment, something about what he said-
"OOH, LET'S GO IN HERE! Papyrus pointed to some sort of clothes shop and you followed after him. Despite a few looks he got from some of the humans, Papyrus couldn't contain his excitement. He was practically rushing you around, pushing you into the changing rooms and handing you piles of clothes to try on once you told him what size you were. The clothes were hurled at you so fast that you barely had time to try any of them on.
"P-payrus please slow down-"
"HUMAN, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU MORE THINGS TO TRY ON-" Just then a voice cut through every and any noise.
"AH, SO THERE YOU ARE, HUMAN." Edge, without thinking, slammed open the door to your cubicle, breaking the lock. He towered over you menacingly, his arms folded, his glare, irate.
"Edge, you can't just-!" He grabbed you by your arm and dragged you out of the shop where the rest of the skeletons were waiting. Blue and Black were wearing disapproving looks, while Papyrus ran our after you, very confused as to why you had left until he saw Edge. He sighed.
"EDGE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING-"
"HUMAN, THERE YOU ARE! WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU AND I FOUND THE PERFECT SHOP FOR YOU!" Blue ran to you and lead you towards the shop he was talking about. As you flashed Papyrus an apologetic smile, you followed after Blue but noticed Edge's death grip on your arm.
"This Time, I'm Not Letting You Out Of My Sight." Edge growled into your ear, making you flinch ever so slightly. Guess there was no escape, for now...
The rest of the shopping trip continued in a very similar manner. It mostly consisted of you being dragged to shop after shop and having clothes piled on top of you, all of different styles. You ended up getting a few t-shirts, a couple crop tops, some trousers, pj's, socks (and underwear), a couple jumpers and some shoes. A few of the other skeletons ended up getting you a couple things that they thought suited you, and then, obviously, that had got clothes of their own. A couple hours had passed and by now, you were all pretty hungry, so you stopped for lunch. Since no one could decide on basically anything, especially food related, you ended up getting mixed variaties of from the different food stalls. Blue and Black opted for Mexican, their plates consisting of tacos and nachos with guacamole, Papyrus and Edge went with sushi, Sans and Red, burgers, and you, Stretch and Cash all got large pizza slices. As you ate your pizza, you realised that the next items on your list were hygiene products. You were dreading this part for a couple reasons, mainly you wanted to avoid answering (or getting asked) any embarrassing questions. Suddenly, an idea struck you.
"Hey, guys, since we all probably require different *cough* products, why don't we split up and get them individually?" You really hope they didn't see through your plan, as you smiled nervously. Luckily, it seemed as though the skeletons couldn't care less, as they all shrugged and mumered in agreement. You sighed quietly in relief as you finished the rest of your pizza.
Once everyone had split off, you were left by yourself to locate the nearest Superdrug or Boots or whatever was around here. Once you did, you quickly grabbed some sanitary products and other essentials like shampoo, conditioner and whatever other products you needed for your hair, a shaver, body wash, Vaseline, a hair brush, tissues, moisturizer and some skincare products. You also secretly bought yourself a couple of make-up products and a few other accessories for your hair. You then made a quick stop at the pharmacy to get yourself any medicine that you thought would be useful and a toothbrush and toothpaste, obviously. You also stocked up on some medical supplies, like plasters, bandages, rubbing alcohol and a little sewing kit, just in case. As your father always said, you could never be too careful. Once you had finished, you hastily made your way out of the shop and to the front entrance where you said you'd meet everyone. You waited for felt felt like hours (but was really 20 minutes) before everyone else gathered back together. As you were about to leave, Edge stopped you and took one of your bags with the- oh no.
"I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU HUMAN. I TOLD YOU I WOULDN'T LET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT." he drawled, menacingly "NOW, I NOTICED SOME SUSPICIOUS PURCHASING OF YOURS AND I HAVE COME TO ADDRESS!" The others, including yourself, looked at Edge with confusion and, to your horror, he dug his hand into the bag and swiftly pulled out your sanitary products.
Oh for fuck's sake.
Your face went bright red with embarrassment as your body stiffened.
"WELL, WENCH? CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THESE ARE? ARE THESE MATERIALS FOR WEAPON MAKING?"
Edge continued to glare at you while most of the others looked at the product, quite confused. Papyrus and Sans, unlike everyone else, gaped at Edge in disbelief.
" Uh, Edge, buddy- that's not, uh-"
"EDGE, THOSE ARE NOT FOR WEAPON MAKING, THOSE ARE FOR WHEN THE HUMAN IS MENSTRUATING, OR 'ON HER PERIOD' AS SOME HUMANS CALL IT." You wanted to crawl into a corner and die right this very moment.
"HMM...THIS 'MENSURATING' YOU SPEAK OF SOUNDS DEADLY. HUMAN, I DEMAND-"
"Edge cut it out, you're making the kid embarrassed." You helplessly groaned into your hands as Edge looked at you with actual confusion, just like the others. He was about to argue with Sans but decided against it, placing the products back into the bag with a huff and handed the bag back to you. You don't think you had ever been more uncomfortable in your life, as you moved next to Sans, fully ready to teleport away.
"HUMAN, WHAT IS THIS 'MENSTRATING' PAPYRUS IS TALKING ABOUT?" Oh for fuck's sake.
"uh, w-well-"
"I'LL EXPLAIN ON THE CAR RIDE BACK, BLUE." Papyrus helpfully interjected and you exhaled in relief. Blue raised an eyebrow but nodded, choosing to drop the topic.
"Why don't we all go home now?" sans suggested and the other especially murmered in agreement.
As soon as you, Sans, Red, Cash and Black got back (before the others) it was Black's turn to bombard you with awkward questions. Luckily, Sans shut that conversation down quickly by telling him to look his questions up on Google, to which Black then asked what 'Google' was. As the others got back, they quickly made their way to their rooms to put their stuff away. It seemed like they were actively trying to avoid you at the moment as a slight blush was predominantly blooming on each of their faces. Fantastic. As they went to their rooms, however, it made you realise that you had no where to put your things. You knew you couldn't keep sleeping in the living room but where would you stay?
"Uhm, Sans." Sans opened his eyes, waking up from his nap.
"Yeah, kiddo? What's up?" He yawned, his voice, slightly groggy.
"I, uh, I don't wanna impose or anything but- uh, I don't have anywhere to put my stuff..." Apart from the bathroom, you had no room for your clothes or other items.
"Hmm..." Sans thought for a moment, recognising your conundrum.
"Well, we don't have any other spare rooms...I guess you could share with Black and Cash, then. You ok with that?"
"I think the bigger questions is will they? I'm not sure they'd like that very much..." You responded and Sans' grin widened as he shrugged.
"Welp, like it or not, that's what's gonna happen. It's my house, don't forget kid, so they can't do much about it." You cracked a smile at his comment, and nodded.
"Alright, thank you Sans."
"Eh, it's no problem kid. If they give you any trouble, just bring 'em to me, I'll sort them out." He winked, chuckling at his own threat. Speak of the devil, Cash and Black happened to walk in at the end of his sentence. You and Sans looked up at the brothers and they stared down at you in agitation.
"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS STARING AT?" Black sneered. Oh boy, here we go.
"Black, Cash-" Sans began, "You guys are gonna share the attic with the kid, now. Be nice and have fun." Black and Cash both chocked on air as their eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
"The hell you playin at, vanilla?"
Sans only flashed them a grin before teleporting away, leaving you to bare all the backlash you were about to receive.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS, WE HAVE TO SHARE WITH SOME FILTHY FUCKING HUMAN!" Black muttered, or tried to.
"You little brat." Cash spat, eyeing you dangerously. You laughed nervously, and began to back away near the stairs.
"What can I say guys, it's Sans' house, he makes the rules." You shrugged and gripped the banister as the anger on their faces became more visible.
"WHATEVER! JUST STAY ON YOUR SIDE." Black pointed.
"And don't touch my stuff." You rolled your eyes.
"You're one to talk." At that comment, Cash bit down on his cigarette, clearly aggravated. Before they could respond, you quickly dashed upstairs and into the loft. You hadn't been up here yet, so you didn't know what you we're going to find, but as you looked around you we're surprised to find it quite bare. Though, really, that shouldn't be a shock to you, considering no one really used this room, you assumed, and Black and Cash didn't have much in the way of possessions at the moment.You looked around and only found a small spot that was relatively clean and seemingly hadn't been touched by either Black or Cash. You shrugged, it would have to do.
As you placed your bags down, you began digging in some of the cubbords to see if you could find anything useful. You managed to find a sleeping bag, a small nightstand, and a lot of dust. Once you had packed everything (you could) away, you stood up to observe your work. In a distant corner, near the stairs, lay your sleeping bag, a tiny nightstand filled with a few bits and bobs, and your clothes pilled neatly next to it. It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now. You hadn't realised how late it had got until you heard Papyrus call everyone for dinner. You made your way downstairs and into the dining room where Papyrus was serving up dinner. You sat yourself down in between Blue and Sans and looked down at your food. The spaghetti he had made looked relatively normal, but as soon as you tasted it you knew that wasn't the case. It took all the strength you could muster to not spit your mouthful out at first taste. Your began to sweat as you forced down the food as subtly as possibly, holding onto the table for dear life as your eyes watered from the nauseating textures and flavours that assulted your tongue.
Papyrus turned to you.
"WELL HUMAN, HOW IS IT?" You shuddered as the lumps of hard, but yet clearly undercooked in parts, mince, surrounded in soggy noodles, slid down your throat unpleasantly. You couldn't bring yourself to speak, in fear of throwing it back up, so you simply gave him a thumbs up, which seemed to please him enough. For the rest of dinner, you tried you very hardest to eat as much as you could manage until your stomach felt like it was tearing itself apart. Papyrus didn't seem to mind that you didn't eat all of it, and you were thankful. During the meal, no one really spoke to anyone besides their brothers, and to you, occasionally, which was fine considering you were just trying to make it through the meal without vomiting. After dinner, you helped Papyrus and Blue wash up and then Sans called a group meeting. You could guess why. No one had really talked about what events had occured to cause you all to end up here in the first place.
And it was about time you tried to find out why.
Notes:
Edge, the reader isn't going to take it easy on you for much longer, so watch out. Black, Cash, learn to share. ☺
Chapter 8: Chapter 8: explanations?
Summary:
In which you get your science on! And make everyone's heads ache.
Notes:
Hey guys, I'm sorry for the wait!!! I don't know why but it's taken me forever to get round to writing this chapter. I'd also like to mention that I honestly have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to this science stuff, but I've tried to make it make some sense. At least, I hope I have. Anyways, please enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You sat yourself down on the couch next to Papyrus, Blue, and Edge, while Sans and Stretch sat in individual armchairs, with the rest of the skeletons on the floor.
"Ok, so..." Sans started, "I wasn't really expecting this to happen when I fired up that machine again-"
"Tch, course ya were messin' around with tha' hunk a' junk, ya couldn't jus' leave it alone, could ya?" Red grunted, his single, red eye flaring up a little.
"Hehe, guess not." Sand replied.
"But that makes no sense, the machine ain't built for transportation or any sort, so why're we here?" Stretch questioned, scratching his head while he tried to make sense of this. You pursed your lips, debating whether to speak up or not. In your free time, you had been pondering what on earth could've brought you all here, and you think you've come up with a theory, of sorts, but you weren't too sure. Throwing caution to the wind, you cleared your throat, deciding to speak up.
"I, uh, might have an...idea..." You mumbled, fiddling with the hem of your jumper.
"SPEAK UP WENCH!" Edge commanded, irritated by your timidness. You inhaled deeply and sighed.
"Well, before I woke up here, I was with my mum, at her work. She had dragged me there- she works at a lab- and I was stuck watching some dumb machine spew out some random data. But then the machine started freaking out, and the data got all messed up." You began.
"JUST GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!" Edge rolled his eyes.
"I'm getting to it." You sighed. "Basically, the machine was hooked up to this telescope that my mum used in one of her projects, something to do with black holes, or whatever. She told me that the telescope measured the speed of the gas and stars orbiting a point in space that may be a black hole and apparently these measurements of speed are used to determine the mass of a black hole and, overall, study their environment." you recalled. A couple of the skeletons looked bored, but the others were listening intently.
"When the data was overflowing, I saw something- in the sky. It looked small, like a dark, fuzzy ball in the sky-"
"SO YOU HAVE VISION PROBLEMS, HOW DOES THAT HELP US?" Black commented, snarkily. You gave him a look and continued your story.
"I've been thinking and, what if, that ball was in fact a black hole?" you got some weird looks from the skeletons and you began to sweat slightly.
"Wait, just- hear me out for a second, ok?" When no one protested you exhaled, quietly.
"Ok, so, as far as we know, black holes are formed from the collapse of massive stars and require incredibly high density and temperatures to form, right? And roughly one out of every thousand stars is massive enough to become a black hole, so formation of one is completely possible." A few of the skeletons, Sans, Stretch, Red and Cash in particularly, perked up at your statement. You continued.
"The ball flashed a bright light and suddenly my vision went to pitch black. Naturally, I panicked, and I felt like I was being tugged at harshly. When my vision returned I was falling, falling fast. There were bright colours all around me, some unbarebly bright and some looked as if they were changing shape." you explained. "Next thing I knew I woke up surrounded by a bunch of unconscious skeletons." Everyone looked at you with pure wonder and disbelief.
"But, see, this is where it doesn't really make sense."
You leaned back into the couch and rubbed your face tiredly. "It's just that...i feel like something is missing here. Black holes don't just transport you to a whole different fucking universe, as far as I know. If it even could, there would need to be some external force intertwining with it in order for this to be possible." You turned to Sans, a focused expression on your face.
"So the question is, what happened on your end, Sans?"
Sans' eyes relaxed slightly and he paused before he spoke.
"Wow kid, I honestly didn't expect that. But, I suppose that, what I was doing, may have had a hand in all of this." You sat a little more forward now, hooked on what he had to say. Perhaps what he said next could be the piece of the puzzle you had been missing. Sans leaned back slightly in his arm chair and spoke smoothly, as if he was retelling an old story he had recalled many times. Like a grandpa.
"A while back, me and a couple other monsters built a machine. Believe it or not, I was actually somewhat of a scientist." Somewhat? "And, this machine had been built in the hopes that it would detect dark matter- do you know what that is?" He asked you. You nodded.
"Yeah, dark matter is unseen matter that holds stars together in galaxies. It's often regarded when exhibiting the possibility of string theory, which, in turn, posits an infinite number of parallel universes, of which our universe is just one-" suddenly, you sat up a little straighter, a look of realisation forming on your face.
"And, as string theory provides a natural candidate for dark matter in supersymmetric particles, which are needed to make the theory work, even though scientists have never truly observed them. Wait, so you thought that building that machine would help you reveal dark matter, therefore proving the theory's veraciousness?" You asked.
Most of the skeletons sat their with their jaws on the floor, while Sans' eyes widened slightly.
"Yeah, that's...right. But the machine failed. We couldn't get it to produce the results we wanted, so, eventually, the project was abandoned completely, and left it to rot in my basement." Sans explained. You raised an eyebrow, still confused. Sans continued.
"Call it a spark of nostalgia, or just an old passion's flame being re-lit- but, after we had settled in on the surface-" Sans waved his hand around, gesturing to the surroundings, "I decided to see if I could get it to work again. But, something went wrong- the machine started malfunctioning, or something, and it made a sort of whirring noise. It was almost like it was going haywire, and I felt as though I could practically feel the vibration of energy, surging through the air from the machine." Your eyes widened slightly as you sat on the edge of the sofa cusion.
"Pap used his magic to shield us from it, but, almost immediately after, we both blacked out, and then you all showed up."
You thought for a moment as the others decided now was a good time to interject.
"MUTT, EXPLAIN THIS NONSENSE TO ME!" Black demanded. Cash grimaced.
"'M tryna wrap m'head 'round it too, bro." He answered, slouching into his hoodie. Red looked like he was having the worst migraine, while Stretch was rubbing his temple, looking positively exhausted. As the others voiced their confusion to each other, you proposed an idea.
"What if it was possible that your machine had somehow connected with my universe? I mean, sure, the hypothesis is that black holes aren't dark matter, but that dark matter could consist of substances from black holes, including sterile neutrinos associated with a magnetic charge, but what if the machine picked up that matter? Think about it-" the skeletons looked at you quizzically as you explained.
"Right, so, we've established that dark matter is a major component of the universe, about six times more abundant than ordinary visible matter, and that we can measure the effects of its mass, but it escapes the telescopes. It also has the particularity of emitting no radiation and interacting only by the action of gravity, but we still don't really know what it is, don't we?" You thought out loud. "So let's assume, for now, that it's composed of magnetically charged neutrinos, true magnetic monopoles. Obviously, for this to work, theoretically, Maxwell’s laws must be inverted. Asymmetric 'reversed' Maxwell’s laws would provide the 'dark' magnetic charge that would replace the electric charge. As well as this, if the horizon of the black hole undergoes a high temperature and an intense pressure of magnetic fields, it can cause a blackout and a phase transition when the matter crosses the horizon."
You had to take a breath as you rambled on. "Given this theory, sterile magnetic neutrinos created inside the black hole would be able to cross the horizon to the outside to constitute dark matter, so technically, it could be possibly for Sans' machine to pick this signal up." you began to get lost in your own thoughts. "Now, the obvious question is, how? Considering this is a completely different universe from mine, it wouldn't make much sense for other universes to be able to interact with each other. At least, not that I'm aware of."
You paused, remember an important factor.
"However, many scientists have theorised several potential explanations of dark matter, many of which appear to exert a gravitational pull on normal matter in galaxies and clusters of the cosmos, which might explain the machine picking up even the smallest traces of dark matter, providing this applies to other universes and not just galaxies-" you waved your hand, as if dismissing your thoughts, "whatever, the details aren't important." You placed a hand over your mouth as if in deep thought.
For this entire time, you had been looking down at the floor, with your head resting in your hand.
"Look, I'm not very good at the sciencey stuff-" you admitted, which no one believed right now, "my mum would know more about this stuff. But the point is, what if the spontaneous emission of particles could make it possible for your machine to pick up any sort of energy surge or embalance, even if it was hidden in another universe? If that's the case, it might explain why I'm here. As for the others," you gestured to the alternate versions of Sans and Papyrus, "well, I'm not too sure. I mean, sure, Stephen Hawking did demonstrate that there is reason to believe that particles can come out, by 'tunnel effect'. The space-time in which we evolve would be modeled by the connections established between the black holes, via a quantum link." you explained.
"Which could suggest that there were multiple black holes occurring in each of our universes, at the same time. What if the machine was somehow able to create and mold quantum links between them, causing them to react with each other and create a reaction in which we were all brought here. Perhaps the reason why you're all here, specifically, is because of Sans' and Papyrus' magic weaving itself into the machine, which might act as an external factor, creating a link between you all, thus, bringing you here?" You shrugged. "Ehhh, that's probably not right, but hey, it's just a theory, right?"
As you looked up, everyone looked completely and utterly stunned, as if what you had said was almost unfathomable. Maybe it was, after all, it was only a theory that probably didn't even make any real sense, but it was the best you could come up with. Anything was better than nothing right now. You began to blush slightly out of awkwardness and embarrassment of how long you'd talked for.
"D-don't take my word for it, like I said, I'm not good at the science stuff..." you muttered quickly. The others, at this point, were flabbergasted beyond their minds, their eyes practically popping out of their skulls. Silence filled the air until Red groaned.
"I need a fuckin' drink. This is doin' 'ma head in." Red suddenly pulled out a mustard bottle from his coat pocket and chugged it. Edge was clearly unhappy with this, as he wacked his brother from the back of his skull, making Red choke harshly on the condiment. He glared at Edge.
"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DRINK THAT AWEFUL CRAP? IF YOU'RE GOING TO DROWN YOURSELF IN SUBSTANCES, AT LEAST MAKE IT SOMETHING WITH CLASS." Edge scolded. Black chuckled at this, warning a scowl from Red.
"Whatever." He mumbled, putting the condiment away.
"UHM, HUMAN-" Blue addressed you, and you turned your attention to him. "I'M AFRAID I DO NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING." You chuckled.
"To be honest, Blue, I barely understand it myself." You shrugged, and Blue still looked dissatisfied. You deflated slightly.
"I'm sorry-" you began but were quickly cut off by Sans.
"Hey, don't worry about it kid. You've just come up with more than any of us were even considering, and that's enough for now." he gave you a warm smile, which made you feel a little better.
While everyone mumbled and chatted amongst themselves, you yawned. It had been a tiring few hours, and, by now, you were ready to retire to bed. Some of the other skeletons must have had the same idea, as Papyrus soon announced that you should all head off to bed. Everyone agreed and you soon made your way to your own shared rooms. Oh yeah, it was the first night of sharing a room with Black and Cash. You had forgotten about that.
As you made your way upstairs- after you had finished in the bathroom- you were met by a deadly glare from Black. If looks could kill you thought. You slowly made your way over to your corner of the room and climbed into your sleeping bag without a fuss. Black only scoffed.
"JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME AND MY BROTHER, PEST." Black ordered, before turning away from you completely, dead set on ignoring you for the rest of the night. Soon, Cash made an appearance, teleporting his way on to his side, not even acknowledging you. Lovely.
As no other words were exchanged, you allowed your dreariness to wash over you, slowly easing you into a deep, restful sleep.
Notes:
Like I said, I really have no idea what I'm talking about, so a lot of this is probably wrong, and all derived from multiple sources, but hey, it's fiction, so anything goes, right?
Chapter 9: Chapter 9: do we have a deal?
Summary:
The morning after. Surely there's no more headache to come. Right?
Notes:
Hey guys I'm sorry I've been taking longer to update I've been busy with school but the half term is finally here! Hopefully I'll have the energy to update more this week
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"MUTT, GET UP THIS INSTANCE! DO NOT MAKE ME TELL YOU AGAIN!" Black piercing scream invaded your ears like an air raid siren. You began to stir at his voice but covered your head with your pillow, refusing to wake up just yet. You groaned as you heard his now-muffled voice again, but didn't react until you felt something hit you. Immediately, you sat up, rubbing your back, to find a clock sitting in your lap. Oh, you were pissed of now.
"MUTT, GET UP-"
"Yea yea, I heard you the first time." Cash grumbled, while Black folded his arms with a "HMPH". Suddenly, Black let out a squeak of surprise, his body flinching to one side as you hurled the alarm he had thrown back at him. Black turned to you, absolutely livid, while Cash wore a dire expression. Neither of them were pleased, but you weren't either, so you were even.
"YOU DARE-"
"Why the fuck would you wake someone up like that?!" You yelled, scrunching up your fists. Your teeth cleanched together as stood up, walking over to the stairs.
"I'd be careful if I were you, brat-" Cash started but you cut him off, the corners of your mouth snaking down into a glower.
"Oh, actually shut up. Do I look like I care? Fuck off." you threw open the hatch and stomped downstairs, leaving the brothers speechless.
It's not that you weren't a morning person, well, you weren't, but you especially didn't like being woken up in such an aggressive way. As you headed down into the kitchen, a couple of the skeletons had already beat you to it. They took one look at you and noticed your irritated demeanour. It was as if a dark cloud of negativite energy circled around you, disgusting itself in your scowl. You sat down at the table next to Stretch, who raised an eyebrow at you.
"Not a mornin' person kid?" He chuckled.
"Not in the way I was woken up." You grumbled, and Stretch patted your head lightly.
"Black and Cash giving you trouble?" You groaned and he chuckled as you placed your head and arms onto the table, your posture, hunched.
Papyrus noticed your arrival and greeted you brightly.
"GOOD MORNING HUMAN!" You winced at his volume, refusing to lift your head up.
"Morning, Papyrus." You mumbled, tiredly. Papyrus tilted his head slightly but shrugged, placing a cup of water down next to you and leaving to make breakfast. You took a few sips of the water he had given you before the rest of the skeletons piled in. When you finally lifted your head up from the table, you saw Black and Cash glare at you from across the room. You sighed and decided it was best to leave them for now.
It wasn't long before everyone was sat at the table, eating their breakfasts made by Papyrus, which mostly consisted of burnt toast and scrambled eggs, with a side of orange slices. You deduced this as one of his better meals, although, you still couldn't bring yourself to finish it all, but Papyrus was fine with it. Despite the fact that you had just woke up, you were already done with the day, and just wanted to go back to sleep. Unfortunately for you, Sans called another group meeting.
Shortly after, you all filed into the living room, sitting in the same places as the night before as you waited for Sans to speak. You quickly glanced around the room to see everyone wearing similar, spent expressions. Even the livelier brothers looked a little worn out, despite their seemingly ever lasting, energetic demeanour. You think last night's conversation broke everyone. Oops. You cast your gaze back over to Sans, who was resting comfortably in an armchair, nursing a cup of coffee in his hands.
"Mind tellin' us what's so damn importan' that ya couldn' wait 'til later ta discuss?" Red muttered, yawning loudly. Sans shrugged, sipping his coffee. Wait, how did he do that without opening his mouth?
"Well, I was thinking bout last night's meeting-" a few groans ran through the group as Sans' smile got a little wider, "and I need help." Oh?
"WHAT DO YOU NEED HELP WITH, BROTHER?" Papyrus inquired. Sans sighed.
"The way I see it, if we have any chance of getting everyone back to their, uh, universes, it's gonna take a lot of work, meaning..." Sans was building to something, and you could feel a couple of the skeletons tense in anticipation, "I'm gonna need some help with research." And there it was. A choras of grumbles and groans echoed in unision from a few of the monsters. Stretch, Red and Cash did not look pleased about this one bit.
"Oh yea, what's in it for us?" Cash mumbled, a somewhat bleak expression his face. Sans raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, the chance to go home?"
"So no money?"
"No..."
Cash cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes which earned him a wack on the head from his brother.
"STOP BEING SO GREEDY, MUTT! JUST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY, I CAN'T STAND BEING HERE WITH THESE PATHETIC LOT ANOTHER MINUTE!" Black ordered, his scowl darkening as he looked over at you. "ESPECIALLY NOT WITH HER." You were about to retort back when Sans interrupted you.
"Oh, speaking of-" he turned to you, "I could really use your help too, kid. Waddya say?" Fuck no.
"Fuck no." Sans' eye sockets expanded slightly, while your response earned a few gasps and snickers from the boys.
"HUMAN, PLEASE WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" Papyrus gasped, shaking his head in disbelief.
"HUMAN, DO I NEED TO WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP? HONESTLY!" Blue tutted, wagging his finger at you in disapproval. You felt as though you were being scolded by your parents, and while you didn't care that much, you didn't want to come off as rude.
"W-wait, that came out wrong! I simply meant that I don't think I'd be that much of a help, is all..." also, working on any science project would be the death of you. Literally.
Sans' expression softened as he heard this, and a few of the other skeletons scoffed.
"The hell ya mean, 'no help'? 'Ts not like ya don't know wha' yer talkin' 'bout when it comes to science, kid." Red commented, and you drew back slightly.
"Uh, I really don't." You have him a nervous smile, but you knew no one way buying it. Truth be told, you were never that scientifically inclined, you were only able to remember a few things, here or there, that your mother had told you. And that was only because she had practically drilled them into your head from when you were young. You weren't confident at all in your scientific abilities.
You sighed and looked up at Sans who was giving you a kind smile.
"Kid, I think you need to give yourself more credit here."
"INDEED HUMAN, YOU NEED NOT DOUBT YOUR SELF!" Blue encouraged, his eyes gleaming with compassion. You thought for a moment, and opened your mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. You pursed your lips and shook your head, much to Sans' disappointment.
"C'mon kid, might get us all home faster if you help?" Stretch suggested, lighting up a cigarette much to yours, and his brother's, disgust.
"BROTHER, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT NASTY HABIT? TAKE IT OUT, RIGHT THIS INSTANT." Blue warned sternly, making Stretch tense slightly. He looked up at his brother, timidly, before shrugging and putting it out.
You groaned internally. You really couldn't be arsed to do that much work, plus, if you barely understood the science element, how on earth would you be able to understand the mechanics of it?
"Sans, I'm sorry, but I'll probably be more of a hinderence than a help." Sans sighed, but his grin curved up slightly, as if an idea had suddenly struck him.
"Tell you what kid, how 'bout we make a deal." He offered, winking. You raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he was proposing. "How about...we say that you contribute by helping us come up with theories, but leave all the maths and tech stuff to us?" You paused for a few moments, mulling over his suggestion. It wasn't the worst idea, and this way, you wouldn't have to suffer the headache of any technical issues. It would still be work, none the less, but work you could manage. Probably.
"Alright, deal." Sans' smile grew wider and you got up to shake his hand. At first contact, a thrrrrrrrrppt rippled through the room, making many of the others cringe, and Sans chuckle. You rolled your eyes, giving Sans an unamused expression.
"Very mature, Sans." You released his hand as a few of the others grinned.
"Well then, shall we get started?"
Notes:
Sorry I feel like this is short but my writer's block has been crazy recently 😅
Chapter 10: Chapter 10: tour time
Summary:
Papyrus as a tour guide? Sure, what could go wrong?
Notes:
Oooooooooppsss it may have been a little bit since I last updated, my bad😅
My writer's block has been crazy and overall I've had low energy for pretty much anything else but school work, but here we go! Another chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Your first impressions of Sans was that he wasn't really the go geter type, and was more of a chill, laid back kinda guy. So when it was suggested to 'get started', it was no surprise that Sans, and many of the others, tried to put off getting started. Even in their desperation to get home, they were still too lazy to start immediately. That was, until, their brothers all hounded them until they caved.
"THE SOONER YOU GET CRACKING, THE FASTER WE CAN GET EVERYONE HOME, SANS!"
"SAN-RED, STOP BEING SUCH A LAZY ASS AND GET TO IT ALREADY!"
"PAPY, PLEASE JUST DO THIS ALREADY!"
"MUTT, GET IT DONE. NOW."
Not long after that, the named skeletons ended up in the basement, looking over the machine and any data they could collect. Fortunately for you, you were spared of this job, leaving all the heavy work to them.
You didn't know how long it would take until you had to get involved with anything, but you were praying it would be a while. In the meantime though, Papyrus insisted that he give everyone- that wasn't working in the basement- a tour of the surface, since, the other versions of the skeletons had seemingly not reached the surface yet.
This hadn't made much sense to you until they explained their stories to you. They were all fairly similar, in the sense that monsters had been trapped underground by humans after a great war, and that 7 humans souls, each of different soul traits, were needed in order to break the barrier that confined them under the surface. You wanted to ask more follow up questions but, as Papyrus was so desperate to show you around, you decided that you'd come back to it later.
--------
As you wondered around the streets, Papyrus could barely contain his excitement, practically buzzing with energy. It was like being with an over enthusiastic tour guide. While you did get a few odd looks, none of the skeletons seemed to notice, as they were too concentrated on their surroundings. They all, despite how some of them tried to hide it, wore star struck expressions, which made you smile slightly. You watched as each of them let out their own little, quiet gasps of wonder as they moved through the town. You were glad that they were enjoying themselves, but you were more preoccupied with the town rather than the scenery.
As you passed each house and building, you couldn't help but observe some clear differences from what you were familiar with. For instance, a lot of the houses you passed were mostly made up of wood, rather than bricks. At some point in the tour, you had asked Papyrus where in the world you actually were, although you did have some theories. His answer only proved you right, though you hadn't expected him to say Colorado. You supposed it made sense, considering how many mountains there were. Thankfully, as he was too busy touring, he didn't even question your surprised look.
Papyrus pointed out many areas and interesting places to you, putting a little more emphasis on a particular food establishment called 'Grillby's". Apparently "Grillby", the owner, used to have a restaurant in the underground and, thanks to new monster rights, was able to open one up on the surface. Edge and Papyrus both looked at it with a little distain, as he explained how it was Sans' favourite (and only) place he ate at. While Papyrus began a rant about his distaste for "greasy food", you found yourself intrigued. As everyone was distracted by Papyrus' rant, you quickly slipped away and into the establishment.
As you entered the restaurant, you were embraced by a genial, pleasant ambiance. You sighed, contently, as your nose was filled with the thick smell of grease. It wasn't like it was cold outside, but the atmosphere had a certian warmth to it that made you feel welcomed. You glanced around the room and observed the patrons milling about; most of them were monsters but there were a few humans. Many were either sat in booths or at the bar directly, while others were sitting at tables which were more towards the corners of the room. From the corner of your eye, you spotted a couple monsters playing cards with each other, and near to it, a dog playing solitaire with itself. It appeared to be losing. You raised an eyebrow, wondering how that was even possible.
Despite everyone and everything in here, your attention was quickly drawn to the hot bartender. Literally. He was made of fire. Curiosity got the better of you, and you found yourself staring at him out of the corner of your eye. He was currently with another customer, who looked as though they had had a few drinks already. Eventually, you got bored of staring and shifted your attention to something else. When you did, you noticed an old style jukebox in the corner of the room. Once you approached it, you fished out a coin from your pocket and tried to slot it in, in the hopes it would play something. It only ate your money. You frowned, looking down at it in disapproval.
Mourning the loss of your coin, you decided to wack it with your foot a couple times, in an attempt to get it back. Suddenly, music started to blast from it, making you jump back in surprise. The whole bar turned to you in a moment of silence before going back to their conversations, seemingly lost interest. You eyed the jukebox warily, before sighing and straightening your posture a little. Thanks to you, an unfamiliar tune, ran quietly throughout the establishment, playing in the background of the chatter that filled the restaurant. It was nice, you figured, as you stood there, gazing at it.
You were startled out of your peaceful state by a cough, seemingly directed towards you. You turned your head slightly to the source, only to find the bartender staring at you. He paused for a brief moment, before gesturing to the seat in front of him. You hesitantly made your way over to the bar and climbed onto the stool. You looked up at him, your eyes quickly observing his outfit. The bartender wore a stylish black and white suit, which you deduced wasn't flammable, paired with sharp, rectangular glasses that rested on his face quite pleasantly, as if it was where they belonged. He had no distinguishable facial features, but, somehow, you were still able to deduce his expression. Another moment of awkward silence promoted you to speak first.
"Sorry, I thought it was broken..." you confessed, rubbing your neck sheepishly. The bartender looked down at you, and paused, before he spoke.
"It was...got it fixed...when we moved...up here..." The bartender explained, grabbing a cloth to wipe down the counter with at a leisurely pace. You nodded, showing him that you understood.
"...i would offer you a glass of water...but I don't touch the stuff..." His comment made you giggle slightly, a small smile spreading to your face. For a brief moment, you noticed his flames flicker slightly, which you assumed meant that he was ammused.
"...i don't get many humans come into my establishment...much less human children..." You blushed slightly before an expression of realisation took over your face.
"Oh! Are you Grillby?" You inquired, asking a seemingly obvious question. However, your eyes were so wide with curiosity, that Grillby couldn't help but answer you, letting out small puffs of raspy steam, which you assumed was him chuckling.
"...yes..." He replied simply, "and who may you be...?" He questioned. You smiled as you told him your name, your feet swaying under the table, carelessly. After introductions had been made, you continued to exchange a few words and light conversation with Grillby, when he wasn't attending to other customers. He mentioned that he hasn't seen you around before, wondering if you were new to town. You paused before confirming his question, explaining how you were visiting a couple friends and were staying for a little while. Grillby nodded in response.
You hadn't realised how much time had passed, as you began to ask a couple questions about Grillby's establishment. He explained how he had run this place in a town underground called Snowdin, apparently, and wanted to continue his business up on the surface. He told you how it had always been his dream to open up a restaurant up on the surface, and thanks to the monster ambassador gaining monsters rights, he was able to fulfill said dream.
As you opened your mouth to ask Grillby another question, the door burst open and a loud cry filled the room.
"NYEH! HUMAN, THERE YOU ARE!" Oh crap, you had been caught. You shifted yourself, barely being able to look at Papyrus before he swiftly and suddenly, without any warning, picked you up under your arms and swung you over his shoulder, fireman style.
"P-papyrus-!" You began, but were interrupted.
"I AM VERY SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THE HUMAN MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU GRILLBY, BUT WE MUST BE ON OUR WAY NOW. TOODLES!" And with that, Papyrus exited the bar. You managed to catch a glimpse of Grillby, waving to you. You waved back until he was out of sight and you felt the cold air hit your skin violently, making you shiver slightly.
As you were placed down onto the ground, you looked up at the sky to see an orange haze glaze over it. Below that were some unhappy-looking skeletons. Before you could even open your mouth to speak, your ears were bombarded by the loud cries and voices of the others.
"HUMAN, YOU MUST NEVER RUN OFF LIKE THAT, YOU COULD'VE GOT YOURSELF LOST, OR WORSE, HURT!" Blue fretted, fawning over you like a child, as he squished your cheeks together and shook you vigorously before letting you go, a worried yet disapproving look plastered on his face. You then felt a hand placed on your shoulder. You looked up to meet Papyrus' eyes. He sighed and put on a bright smile.
"BLUE IS RIGHT HUMAN, THE SURFACE, UNLIKE THE UNDERGROUND, IS QUITE LARGE. IT WOULD'VE BEEN HARD TO FIND YOU IF WE LOST YOU PROPERLY- BUT NOT TOO HARD FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS, OF COURSE! SO DO NOT FRET HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU, AS I AM A MASTER OF HIDE AND SEEK AND A PROFESSIONAL HUMAN HUNTING FANATIC- OR, I WAS, AS I NO LONGER HUNT HUMANS ANYMORE, BUT STILL!" Papyrus declared brightly, to which you simply nodded.
"OUT OFF ALL THE PLACES TO HIDE, WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE THAT GREASE TRAP?" Edge spat, clearly too disgusted to utter it's name.
"I wasn't hiding persay-" you defended yourself, "I just got...uh, distracted? Sorry." You admitted. Edge huffed while Papyrus patted you on the head.
"NOT TO WORRY HUMAN, YOU ARE FOUND NOW, SO ALL IS WELL! COME, LET US BE OFF. IF WE GO NOW, THERE WILL STILL BE TIME TO COOK DINNER!" The very thought of anyone making dinner again made you want to vomit, but you swallowed the bile that rose to your throat and followed after Papyrus and the others. Black, who hadn't taken much notice of your absence, bar the fact that it had been a slightly more tolerable tour at one point onwards, brushed passed you, turning his nose up at you.
"SOMEONE SHOULD PUT A LEASH ON YOU, PEST." He mumbled, or attempted to, and purposely distanced himself as far way from you as he could.
Notes:
I know Undertale could be set anywhere in the world really, but the most common setting for it is somewhere in the US usually, so I thought I'd just roll with that, despite knowing very little about what it's actually like! <3
Chapter 11: Chapter 11: watch out, it's hot!
Summary:
After a long day for everyone, you and Papyrus decide to cook dinner. What could possibly go wrong?
Notes:
Sorry guys it's been a while since I've :(
Anyways I hope you guys enjoy the chapter 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It seemed as though time had slipped away, as, by the time you got back to the house, a glimpse of orange caught your attention. You turned around, a smile gracing your face as you gazed at the sun which was slowly making it's way to bed. As you were about to make your way inside, you noticed that everyone who had come out with you, except Papyrus, was staring at the sunset with a look of pure astonishment, as if it was the first time they had ever seen one.
Now that you thought about it, perhaps it was.
After a few moments, you all headed inside, only to find Sans, Red, Stretch and Cash faced down on either the couch or the floor. They all appeared to be sleeping.
You snorted as each of their brothers awoke them, some more gently than others, but all provoking a series of groans and complaints from the sleepy skeletons.
When they got up, they eached looked like hell.
"You guys ok?" You asked tentatively, making your way over to everyone. They answered you with a couple of tired glares and grumbles. Message received.
"WORRY NOT EVERYONE! AS WE ARE BACK NOW, I, AND PERHAPS SOME OTHERS IF THEY WISH TO HELP, WILL MAKE US ALL DINNER!" There were some shudders across the room but no one seemed like they were going to stop him.
"Sounds good bro." Sans mumbled, still faced down on the floor. Papyrus grinned and then gasped, suddenly turning to you.
"GASP!" wait, he actually said gasp?- "HUMAN, I HAVE COME TO THE REALISATION THAT THIS IS A PERFECT MENTORING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!" mentoring? Did Papyrus want to mentor you? "YES, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SERVE AS THE PERFECT COOKING MENTOR FOR YOU. COME NOW, THERE IS MUCH I NEED TO TEACH YOU! NYEHEHEHE!" Papyrus beamed, urging you to follow him into the kitchen. You shrugged and followed him.
"Sure, what's the worst that can happen?"
"HUMAN, THE TEMPERATURE NEEDS TO BE HIGHER-"
"PAPYRUS, IT'S LITERALLY ON FIRE RIGHT NOW!" You yelled, frustrated and alarmed at his cooking methods and the ever growing fire that was quickly consuming the entire pot. "Fucking hell-" you muttered, as you quickly turned the stove off and put out the fire.
"Papyrus you can't just- OW FUCK FUCK FUCK!" You yelped, hissing in pain as you flinched away from the pot, cradling your hand shakily. Papyrus's eye sockets widened as tears sprung to yours. You ran over to the water, harshly turning the tap and placing your hand under it. Your cry had gathered a little audience, as a couple of the skeletons had come into the kitchen to check out the scene.
"HUMAN, PAPYRUS, WE HEARD YELLING IN HERE! IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?" Blue asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Sans appeared right next to him, squinting his eye sockets at you.
"...You ok kid?" he questioned, but you refused to speak, pursing your lips as you tried your hardest not to cry, the water still hitting your hand harshly.
"SANS, THE HUMAN IS HURT!" Papyrus cried, walking over to you to grab your arm and show everyone. Sans's eye sockets widened slightly as Blue gasped. Their gaze traced over your hand where a streak of pink, bubbly flesh was creeping up it and stopped just after your wrist. It looked just as painful as it felt.
"I-it's fine, Papyrus, it's n-not too bad-" you stuttered, trying to convince yourself more than the others, but no one, not even you, was buying it. "Fuck it hurts." you chocked out, biting your lip and squinting your eyes in an attempt to block out the pain.
A sudden burst of green light startled you, as a tingling sensation began to sizzle at your skin, but not unpleasantly. You looked up to see Papyrus's hands hovering over yours, a guilty look written all over his face.
"Papyrus, what are you-" you were about to ask what he was doing when Papyrus interrupted.
"NYHOHOHOO, HUMAN PLEASE FORGIVE ME! YOUR INJURY IS MY FAULT, I AM SO SORRY!" Papyrus wailed, almost louder then his regular volume, making you jump slightly.
"Huh? What do you mean?" You were confused as to why he was blaming himself, as your injury no one's fault but your own carelessness.
"I-IF I HADN'T *SNIFF*TOLD YOU TO TURN THE HEAT UP FURTHER THE POT WOULDN'T *SNIFF* HAVE SET ON FIRE AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BURNED! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" He pleaded and your expression softened.
"Papyrus, it wasn't your fault. If I had been paying more attention to it then I probably wouldn't have been hurt. It was due to my carelessness, nothing else." Papyrus looked like he was about to argue with you, his face still ridden with guilt.
"BUT I-"
"Papy, listen to me. These things happen. And this certainly wasn't your fault, alright?" Your unwavering reassurance seemed to calm him down slightly, as he nodded in understanding. While you had been comforting Papyrus, you hadn't noticed whatever he had been doing to your hand had worked wonders. Your burn was practically gone!
"Wow, it barely even hurts anymore. Papyrus, was that magic?" you asked, astounded by his abilities. He nodded brightly, opening his mouth to explain. "EXCELLENT OBSERVATION HUMAN, YES, THAT WAS HEALING MAGIC! AND YES, IT'S EXACTLY HOW IT SOUNDS." You gazed up at him in wonder, this was all still so new to you, especially since you didn't have monsters in your universe. After you reached a certain age, the idea of magic being real slowly disappeared back into it's fairytale origins, but being in the presence of real, actual magic, being performed by a monster no less, was, well, incredible.
You couldn't wait to see what other magic they could perform.
"WAIT." Papyrus paused, an excited expression of realisation dawning on his face. "HUMAN, WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" You raised an eyebrow, trying to recall if you had called him anything else but his name.
"Uhh...oh!" You accidentally gave him a nickname "I called you 'Papy'. Sorry if i-"
"I KNEW IT!" Papyrus, probably against better judgement, picked you up and spun you around, earning a couple of chuckles from the others watching.
"YOU GAVE ME A NICKNAME! THAT MEANS WE'RE FRIENDS!" Does it? Well ok then. "WHAT AN HONOUR IT IS TO BE FRIENDS WITH ANOTHER HU- EHEM, I MEAN MYSELF! YES, HUMAN, I HAVE HONOURED YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S FRIEND. WILL YOU ACCEPT?" he asked eagerly, as he held you level to his beaming face. You couldn't help but smile.
"I accept."
Papyrus was practically vibrating with excitement, but he cleared his throat, collecting himself as he put you down.
"EXCELLENT DECISION HUMAN! NOW, WHY DON'T WHY TRY THAT AGAIN, PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LEAD FOR THE MOST PART?" Papyrus asked, wringing his hands nervously, a small blush appearing at the thought of his previous cooking attempt. "N-NOT THAT MY COOKING WOULDN'T BE AS GREAT AS USUAL, B-BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO LEARN" he justified and you nodded, giggling slightly.
"Sure Paps, I'd be happy to." You smiled, as you both began cooking again, most of it under your supervision. You weren't the best cook, sure, but you knew how to throw together a quick and easy meal, which was handy in a case of a cooking disaster.
After a little work, and much less fire, you and Papyrus managed to whip up something uncontroversial and easy enough for everyone. It seemed to be a hit as no one displayed any signs of disgust or strained smiles. This made you somewhat pleased, though you still had to be a little careful when eating, considering your hand was still tender. Other than that, dinner wasn't too bad, as, again, no one really said much, either because they were too tired or off in their own worlds.
Once everyone had finished, Papyrus insisted he cleaned up alone, claiming it was "IMPORTANT TO REST YOUR INJURY", so instead of cleaning up, Papyrus and Edge took over and you got bandaged up by Sans. No one really stayed up very late, and shortly after exchanging a little small talk here and there, most of the skeletons decided to go to bed early, specifically the lazier of the brothers. Surprisingly, no one protested against this, for once allowing their brothers to endulge in their lazy behaviour, knowing how tired they were. From what you had gathered, since it was the start of their investigation, they hadn't got very far at all, collecting minimal and, in their words "fairly obvious" data, for the entire day. You had felt a little bad for them but at the same time you were glad you weren't the one working in that particular area of the project.
As you got up from the couch, ready to make your way upstairs, a hand suddenly shot in front of you, blocking your path. You raise an eyebrow, looking up at the owner of the hand only to find Black glaring down at you, a scowl present on his face.
"HUMAN, YOU ARE NOT TO ENTER MINE OR MY BROTHER'S QUARTERS AGAIN. AFTER YOUR LITTLE STUNT THIS MORNING, IT IS CLEAR TO ME NOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ONLY AN ANNOYANCE, BUT A THREAT!"
You gaped at him. Was this guy actually serious. You looked over at Cash who shrugged, and then to Sans who had a slightly tense smile on his face.
"Mate, you threw the clock first, I was only returning it." You said sweetly, as Black's scowl deepened. He took a step closer to you and grabbed you by your t-shirt, bus face, inches away from yours. As he spoke, his voice shifted into a low growl.
"LISTEN HERE PEST, I REFUSE TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR YOU, IN FACT, I'M BARELY TOLERATING YOUR PRESENCE RIGHT NOW-" he spat, pushing you away from him as he crossed his arms. "I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF. YOU ARE TO STAY AWAY FROM ME AND MY USELESS BROTHER- HEY!"
Black, who had been lost in his rant for too long, whiped his head around to find you walking away. He wore an absolutely outraged expression at your behaviour, and proceeded to go after you, stomping his feet aggressively as he did.
"PEST, DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM ME!" Black yelled, but his cries were unanswered, as you continued to make your way to your "room". Sans and Cash snickered at Black's fuming reaction, and your nonchalant response.
You reached the stairs the attic and was about to head up when Black finally caught up to you. He forced you to turn around, his angry expression contrasting to your tired one. You yawned, rubbing your eyes slightly as you looked at him, a little confused.
"Sorry Black, I wasn't really listening before. What were you saying?" You asked. You had been pretty exhausted since you woke up, and really just wanted to rest. It was like you had some sort of weird jet lag but from multi verse travelling. Weird.
Black opened his mouth, seemingly ready to chastise you for walking away from him while he was talking to you, however, he paused once he saw your eyes drooping. After a moment of contemplation, he shut his mouth, folding his arms decisively.
"TCH." He glared down at you, but there was less menace to it than before. "JUST...STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF THE ROOM, GOT IT?" He huffed, and you nodded.
"Sure. And, uh-" he raised an eyebrow as you continued. "Please don't throw a clock at me again...or anything for that matter, I really didn't appreciate it this morning." you admitted, deciding that if you were going to share a room with him, open communication was the best route to take.
"And I'm sorry for yelling at you this morning, I just wasn't a fan of waking up to something being flung at me." Black's expression softened slightly at this.
"YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN NOTED. IN THE FUTURE, THE MALEFICENT SANS- UH BLACK, WILL MAKE A CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT NOT TO WAKE YOU BY THROWING THINGS IN YOUR DIRECTION, EVEN IF I AM NOT AIMING FOR YOU SPECIFICALLY."
You were surprised by how quickly and easily he agreed, for some reason you thought he would've been more difficult about it. You laughed slightly at his response.
"Thanks Black." He nodded stiffly.
"NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT... AND GET TO BED." He ordered, and you smiled.
"With pleasure."
Notes:
Just a reminder that if you guys have any questions you're welcome to leave them in the comments!
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter🌸
Chapter 12: Chapter 12: can't sleep
Summary:
Reader can't sleep. Fortunately, it seems like a certain skeleton can't either.
Notes:
Hi everyone! Sorry this is going to be a short chapter again, but I hope you guys enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Ugh...what time is it...?
'4:00am.' Brilliant.
You sat up, wide awake, as you groaned internally. While you were surprised to be up this early and feel somewhat awake, you assumed that you had just gained some weird portal-jet lag or something. Still, that didn't mean you weren't slightly annoyed at this.
You attempted to go back to sleep, begging your body to let you rest, but to no avail. Frustrated, you got up from your, still somewhat dusty, sleeping bag and made your way down stairs, suddenly away of how thirsty you were.
You creeped down quietly, trying not to wake anyone, and did your best to feel around in the dark so you didn't trip. While the open curtains provided you with some light, it wasn't enough for you to see everything completely. That's why, when you saw Red sitting at the kitchen table, you jumped.
He did the same, when he saw you, his red eye light flashing in shock, the air, almost vibrating with tension. However, once he saw it was you, he relaxed slightly, sweat still engulfing his face.
"Oh, hey, sorry if I startled you. I- uh- didn't expect anyone else to be up this early..." You apologised, as you flicked on a lamp, the dim light emitting from it enabling you to find a cup within the darkness of the kitchen.
" 'Ts fine kid, I didn't either." You filled the cup with water and drank it, it's cool liquid soothing your dry throat. You glanced at Red to find him hunched over the table, staring intensely at the wall with a tense expression on his face. You noticed his fists were clenched and his jaw was tight while sweat continued to drop down his face.
You frowned. He seemed...disturbed by something, but you didn't know what. Not giving it much thought, you made your way over to the table and sat opposite him, making your presence known as to not startle him again.
"Hey Red, you ok? You look bothered by something." You paused, waiting for him to reply, or even look at you. When he didn't, you decided to continue speaking.
"It's fine if you don't wanna talk about it, but- uh- if it makes you feel better, I can keep you company for a little bit, if you'd like?" you offered, and he glared at you, almost insulted by the idea, as if you were joking. He searched your face, as if to look for some secret alterior motive you may have had, but when he didn't find anything, he sighed, gruffly.
"Sure, kid. Do whatever you want." He finally replied. And so you did, you sat there, occasionally sipping your water while sitting in a comfortable silence. Eventually, Red sighed, looking to the side.
"I...i, uh, get these, uh, nightmares...sometimes..." he mumbled, as if he didn't want to admit it. You looked at him, your gaze holding no judgement.
"But I ain't talkin' bout shit, so don't even try that sappy bullshit on me, ya hear?" he huffed out, placing his head in his hand.
"Alright." he raised an eyebrow at you, prompting you to continue. You shrugged. "If you wanted to talk about it, you would've said, but you didn't. I respect your decision Sans, if you don't want to open up to me you have no obligation to. But if you wanted to, that's fine as well. Either way, I'm not bothered." Red's expression lit up in surprise at your response, but he seemed to be grateful for it, his body posture, relaxing and his sweat subsiding.
"Wait, did ya just call me Sans? Kid, ya know I ain't vanilla right?" you snorted at the nickname he'd given the "original" Sans. You smiled at him. "Well yeah, but you're still Sans. Would you prefer me to only use your nickname?" You asked and he shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Nah, yer alrigh' kid." he paused, "thanks..."
You nodded, the room falling silent once again. You say there for a few minutes more, Red occasionally stealing glances your way. Eventually, he cleared his throat, catching your attention.
"Yer turn kid..." When you expressed confusion, he grunted. "'Bout why yer up, dumbass."
"Oh...well, I think I have some weird, magic portal jet lag or something." you admitted, laughing slightly. "Haven't been able to get back to sleep, so I wanted to get some water..." You explained and he grunted in understanding.
"Good ta know it ain't from any nightmares keepin' ya up..." Red commented, tapping his phalanges on the table.
"Do ya, uh, get...any nightmares? Like, ever?" He asked, squinting his sockets at you. You thought for a moment, then shook your head.
"Rarely. I don't remember the last time I got a nightmare, actually." you replied, pausing, "I mean sure, I often get pretty weird dreams, sure, but they're not what I'd call scary in any way." You snort and Red raises his bone brow.
"Believe it or not, when I was younger, I apparently used to get night terrors a lot. At least, that's what my mum used to say." You chuckled, but Red didn't join in.
"But, y'know, it's fine. I remember none of it and I think it's pretty common in a lot of kids." Red looked surprised at this information.
"Really? Jeez, that's uh...unpleasant." You snorted, but nodded your head in agreement with him.
"It can be, but mostly for the parents, considering the fact that night terros don't usually impact the child permanently and besides, most children grow it of it and don't remember any of it, so it's not too bad, I guess." You explained, and Red grumbled something inaudible in return.
When he didn't take the conversation further, you allowed yourself to relax in the calm atmosphere that has washed over the two of you. For a moment, you thought you saw Red do the same. When your eyes met, your smile grew ever slightly wider before it was replaced with a yawn. Red chuckled, standing up and ruffling your hair on his way out.
"Go ta bed kid, I'll see ya in the mornin'. Well, later mornin'." He swiftly teleported back to his room after that, and you rubbed your eyes sleepily.
Finally, you could get some sleep. What was the time now? You checked the microwave. '4:59am'. Damn had you really been up for that long? Oh well, at least you were tired now. Washing up your glass and putting it back into the cupboard, you quietly crept back upstairs and into your only-slightly-dusty sleeping bag and sighed.
You really hoped you could get a lie in today.
Notes:
Will reader get a lie in🤔? Hmmm....
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: hard to face reality
Summary:
Reader has an unpleasant encounter with Black and finds out some upsetting news.
Notes:
Finally got round to updating! I've been writing this chapter on and off, which is why it's taken me so long. Anyways, here we go! (And yes, the title is song inspired)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"HUMAN!"
You grimaced at the harsh sound of Papyrus' voice piercing your ears.
"Huh-?" You squinted up at the skeleton as he stood over you, his gigantic grin brightening up the room more than the sunlight streaming in from the singular window.
"Mhm, whu' time is it?" You asked sleepily, and Papyrus tutted, shaking his head.
"IT HAS JUST GONE PAST 7:30AM! IT'S BAD ENOUGH I HAVE 3 TIMES AS MANY LAZY BROTHERS AS I DID BEFORE NOW, BUT I WILL NOT HAVE YOU FALL TO THE SAME LAZY FATE!" You groaned, pulling the pillow over your head, trying to cover your ears.
"Five more minutes, pleeeaase-" you begged, groaning in exhaustion. You felt like you had barely slept at all, and Papyrus' loud voice wasn't exactly the gentle wake up call you had hoped for. Papyrus frowned slightly as you gripped the pillow tighter.
"NONSENSE, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU TO GET UP! THAT WAY, YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THE DAY!" When you didn't respond to his words of encouragement, he sighed.
After a moment of silence, you heard the pillow drop to the floor as a sudden chill hit your body. In one swift motion, Papyrus had picked you up and out of your sleeping bag, cradling chest against his chest.
"Pap-"
"NYHEHEHEHE! DO NOT WORRY HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HELP YOU FIND THE STRENGTH TO WAKE UP! NOW, LET US GO DOWN STAIRS, A GROWING HUMAN SUCH AS YOURSELF NEEDS PLENTY OF SUSTINANCE!" He declared, as he began walking down the stairs, being mindful not to bash you against anything as he carried you, princess style.
You grumbled, your face pressed up against his chest, not even batting an eye at the fact that he had just picked you up like that, as he entered the living room. He plopped you down gently onto the sofa and you were greeted a couple snickers and stares. You averted your eyes from the group, sinking into the pillows, trying to block out the intense light demanded you to wake up.
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. HONESTLY, HOW LAZY ARE KIDS THESE DAYS?" Black huffed, purposely slamming his glass down on the table near by, jolting you into a more upright position. He raised an eyebrow at you flinching but rolled his eyes when you yawned.
"Says you, old man. Do you even sleep? You're always so grumpy." you retorted, earning a couple chuckles from the others.
"OLD MAN?! ARE YOU BLIND? I'M NO WHERE NEAR OLD!" Black scoffed in disbelief.
"Mate, have you looked in the mirror? You're ancient." You snickered but no one else was laughing as they watched Black's face turn a dark shade of purple.
Black said nothing, as he approached you with a deathly auror. You didn't even register when was merely inches away from you, nor was there any warning when he grabbed you by your top and slammed you against the table. A sharp, sudden pain pierced your back, knocking the wind out of you as you stared into Black's blazing sockets, his face, almost touching yours. "YOU NEED TO LEARN SOME RESPECT, YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF DIRT." He growled.
Not for the first time here, you felt fear strike your heart as your breathing almost stopped completely. You were on the verge of tears, and before anyone could react, Black released you, smirking to himself as he walked off into the kitchen. No one moved for what felt like a lifetime, not a word was uttered as everyone stared in shock, and some in horror, of what had just transpired. Even the skeletons that had been cooking in the kitchen had popped their heads around to investigate what all the commotion was about, and saw you leaning against the table in utter shock, looking as if you were about to shatter.
"Shit, kid, you ok? What the hell was Black thinking." Sans muttered, concern warping his face as he moved towards you, but stopped when he saw you flinch.
"HUMAN, WHAT HAPPENED?" Blue asked worridly, when he saw tears began to spill out of your eyes. When you didn't answer immediately, the ones who were present, being Stretch, Sans, Blue, Papyrus and Edge, looked at you anxiously.
You felt adrenaline pump through your already panicked body as you tried to recover from being winded so harshly, but you couldn't stop yourself from getting worked up. Before anyone could intervene, you practically ran to the bathroom without a word. Quickly closing the door behind you, you leaned on the door, clutching your stomach, trying to get your breath back. Eventually, the initial shock died down and your breathing went back to normal, but tears still dripped down your face.
You pursed your lips, trying to muffle the sounds of you crying as you wiped your eyes. It was clear that you had pushed too far, but you hadn't realised until it was too late. You had no idea that Black would react like that, but now that you knew, the thought of you sharing a room together envoked a great sense of discomfort. You didn't feel safe around him, his actions had shown you that, not only did he not like you one bit, but he was willing to resort to violence at the slightest bit of teasing.
It was bad enough that you were practically stranded in a completely different universe, where everything that seemed family felt so strange, but you also had to share a house, hell, a room, with complete strangers- no, another fucking species to you, who weren't even your age or gender, and now this? It wasn't enough to tip you over the edge quite yet, but it certainly wasn't helping you settle in here. Though, maybe that was fine. After all, it wouldn't be long until you got to go back home, and you could forget this whe thing ever happened, right?
Finding comfort in this thought, you managed to calm down, your eyes now dry. You figured that, since you were here, you might as well take a shower and get changed. Sure, you were missing out on breakfast but, you weren't really that hungry anyways.
After stripping out of your pj's, you climbed into the shower and found comfort in the warm embrace of the hot water, as it wrapped its steamy arms around you. You had given yourself a little more time in there than you would've normally, but you were sure no one would say anything about it to you. Not after what had happened.
Tearing yourself away fom the water, you slowly stepped out of the shower and onto the bathmat, taking your time to try yourself. You figured it was well past breakfast by now, and even if it wasn't, you didn't think you'd be able to eat anything for a while. You simply didn't feel like it.
You peeked out of the door, making sure no one was around before rushing quietly upstairs to your "room". Luckily for you, no one was there when you got your clothes, rushing back to the bathroom to get changed. One you were dressed and your hair was done, you tentatively closed the door behind you and went downstairs, noting the time.
It was a little past half eight, and when you looked around, no one was in the kitchen, nor the living room, except for Blue, who was sitting on the sofa. He appeared to he reading a book and you paused until he notices your presence. He looked up at you surprised, and hesitated before speaking.
"AH, THERE YOU ARE HUMAN. YOU...UH, MISSED BREAKFAST." stating the obvious.
"Oh, uh, yeah..." You rubbed your neck sheepishly, hoping to move on from your emotional display from earlier. You averted you gaze from his and your eyes fell to his book once again.
"What are you reading?" You asked, and he showed you the cover.
"I BORROWED IT FROM PAPY-RUS." he corrected quickly, "HE, LIKE MYSELF, SEEMS TO BE ENTHRALLED IN THE ART OF PUZZLES. AS HE HAD THIS BOOK TO HAND, I THOUGHT I'D FLICK THROUGH IT." He explained, and you nodded in understanding. "WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME?" he offered and you mulled it over for a minute before taking a seat next to him on the sofa. He smiled brightly as you did so and began flipping through the pages, explaining each section to you and even reading aloud to you.
You found a little joy in the way he read to you, his expressions large and passionate. You could tell he knew what he was talking about, as he explained everything to you in detail, and answered all and any of your follow-up questions. You were also glad that he didn't comment on what had transpired before hand.
"DO YOU ALSO ENJOY PUZZLES, HUMAN?" he asked.
"Uh, they're ok, I guess...I did a few as a kid, but not many." You replied and he nodded.
"I SEE...WELL, I CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT THEM, IF YOU LIKE!" he suggested and you shrugged.
"If we have time for that, then maybe..." You weren't promising anything yet, but that response seemed to please him enough.
"GREAT!" he slapped your back and you flinched, then gave him a nervous smile.
"OH, JUST SO YOU KNOW-" he began, his hand still pressed firmly on your back. You felt a familiar warmth course through your body. Was he using healing magic on you?
"I BELIEVE MY BROTHER AND SOME OF THE OTHERS ARE DOWN IN THE BASEMENT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO VISIT THEM." He told you, removing his hand from your back. You figured this was him indirectly telling you to go down and see if you could help them, considering that's what you had agreed to do.
"Oh, ok..." Was all you could say, before standing up. Before you left however, Blue grabbed your hand, stopping you.
"HUMAN, I-" he paused, considering his next words carefully, his gaze, trained on you. You froze in anticipation, a lump forming in your throat as you prepared for the worst. He sighed, smiling at you.
"ME AND PAPYRUS PUT ASIDE SOME BREAKFAST FOR YOU. YOU SHOULD EAT SOMETHING." he released you hand and you nodded.
"Oh, thank you Blue...hey, where is Papyrus anyways?" You asked.
"I BELIEVE HE HAS GONE TO SPEAK WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS. WHICH ONE IS BEYOND MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT HE IS CURRENTLY OUT AT THE MOMENT." you made a noise of understanding and then, with nothing else to say, you went down to the basement, the floorboards, creaking underneath your every step. Upon your arrival, you heard the clashes of voices, mumbling harshly to each other, and the scattering of papers all across the floor and desks.
When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you were astounded to find a mess of documents, blue prints and data, strewn everywhere.
The floor was almost no where to be seen as a machine continued to mindlessly pump out data like crazy, further adding to the pile of unattended papers. While Stretch and Sans were trying to make sense of all the data that was practically spilling out of their hands, Red and Cash were attending to the machine that brought everyone here.
You watched as it shuddered like a furless cat in the snow, it's gadgets wiring and chattering uncontrollably. The two were covered in all sorts of soots and oils, as an array of different tools, many of which you didn't recognise, surrounded them as they tried desperately to get the machine under control. Each of the skeletons expressions mirrored the others. Confused. Burdened. Desperate.
And worst of all, crestfallen.
In almost a split second, you felt the waves of reality crashing down on you, the severity of the situation finally catching up to your previously disorientated mind. You stepped forward, almost shaking, as you made your presence known. Sans was the only one who looked up, and his eye lights immediately shrunk when he saw your near-horrified expressions.
"Kid..." He began, and when he did, everyone stopped to look at you. All eyes were on you as you felt yourself break out into a sweat.
"We've- i-" he paused and exhaled deeply, his permanent smile tensing. "We've looked over things and...well-" he gestured to the room, "there's no way this will be an easy fix." You felt your stomach drop as he uttered his next words.
"I don't think we're talking months here, and even with everyone's help, it could take- well..." You didn't want to hear it.
"This was...much worse than I, or any of us, anticipated."
You couldn't.
You felt your blood go ice cold as Sans fell silent for a moment, before saying what everyone knew was coming, yet no one was ready to hear.
"There's no guarantee we'll even be able to send anyone back, meaning..."
No. Please.
"You, along with the others, may be stuck here, forever."
You knew it was coming, yet you were still shaken to your core when you heard those words. And, despite all that had gone on, you couldn't think of a single thing to say in that moment.
So, you ran.
Notes:
Reality is a bitch :/
Chapter 14: Chapter 14: anthophobia
Summary:
Reader has a not so nice encounter with a certain familiar flower.
Notes:
Hey guys! Got another chapter here, it's slightly longer this time. Hope you're all having a nice day/night! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You ran far and fast, not giving your surroundings a second glance as you allowed your feet to mindlessly carry you to nowhere. You did stop, eventually, to catch your breath, and when you looked up, you noticed that you were surrounded by woodland, the town, no where in sight.
Fuck, how far had you ran?
It was bad enough not being familiar with the town, but now you were actually lost. Great. Just great. You looked around in uncertainty as you felt your heart rate pick up slightly. You didn't know much about this country, but you new one thing. They had bears, and being alone in the woods, even in the day time, still sent shivers down your spine. The very thought of coming face to face with one...no, you had to calm down, or you weren't going to get anywhere.
Taking a deep breath, you began to think. Perhaps, if you could get to a higher vantage point, you may be able to get a better idea of where you were. Before you climbed any trees however, your gaze wondered to the beginning of an upwards path. Perfect! Without hesitation, or risk assessment, you briskly began waking up it, desperate to get to higher ground. It was a hard, steep climb, which left you in a sweaty mess, however, once you made it to the top, you knew you had made the right decision.
You gazed in awe at the sight in front of you. You could see practically everything! Mounds of green covered the floor, stretching far and wide, curving around the distant city. Closer to you was Ebott town, hidden away slightly within the trees, almost so much so that it was difficult to spot at first glance. You sighed in relief and took a moment to take in the beauty of the view.
As you did, your eyes kept wondering back to the flashy city in the distance. You couldn't help as a wave of sadness washed over you. That place, although clearly different, reminded you so much of your home. As the adrenaline began to wear off, you found yourself chocking on sobs once again, as you let yourself fall to the ground with a thud.
For the first time since this entire situation, reality hadn't crushed you until now. Everything had felt so surreal, but now, it was impossible to ignore the painstaking truth of your circumstance. There was a very real possibility of you being stuck here, and while you didn't want to believe it, you couldn't deny it any longer. You felt your heart break at the idea of never seeing your family and friends again. Never being encouraged and believed in by your mother. Never being comforted and cuddled by your father while he tended to a wound of yours, whether it be emotional or physical. Never fighting or laughing with your brother over something stupid.
You couldn't begin to express your grief for your old life, and even though you were getting yourself too worked up at a more than pessimistic possibility, you just couldn't help but feel incredibly home sick.
And what made it even worse was knowing that you were essentially stuck here, living with creatures you knew nothing about, except for the fact that, pushed the wrong way, they could be dangerous. You had already experienced that first hand. How could you possibly feel safe with them around? But, then again, where else did you have to go? You had no form of ID, no home, no family. You had nothing.
As the tears cascaded down your cheeks, you didn't notice your breathing quicken, nor did you notice the pair of eyes watching you. As a consequence of this, when you heard a voice pierce through your panicked thoughts, you jumped up in shock, almost falling over the edge of the cliff.
"Golly friend! Be careful, you almost took quite a tumble there!" The voice warned with fake concern. You didn't have time to wipe your tears away as you quickly whipped your head around to face the source of the voice. You looked around until your eyes landed on the ground where a small, yellow flower stared back up at you, grinning innocently, but something told you it was far from innocent.
As if things couldn't get any weirder than being stuck in this world, but a talking flower? That was a little much, even for you.
"Oh what the fuck?" You spewed out, outright questioning not only its existence, but also, your sanity.
"My my, such language...and from someone as young as you as well!" He tutted, his smile, remaining. You had been through a lot of weird shit in a short amount of time, but this, this was your final straw. You stood there, staring at it in disbelief, as your body shook slightly from your previous crying episode.
"You humans sure like to stare a lot, don't cha?" You couldn't think of a reply for that, but you didn't need to, as the flower continued to speak not long after.
"Golly, are you alright friend? I heard your sobs of distress and saw you here, looking so pathetic, I just had to check on you!" He said with an overly sweet tone, but you noticed his emphasis on the word pathetic. You wiped any lingering tears from your eyes and sniffed, cleanching your fists in an attempt to calm your emotions down.
"I'm fine." Was all you said, staring off into the distance. You weren't going to go around telling people, or even flowers, all that had happened, they'd just put you in a mental hospital. The flower hummed and tilted it's head.
"Hmm, you know...you seem reeaally different from other humans." You raised an eyebrow at him, "almost...out of this world." You stiffened immediately as the words flowed out of this mouth. You expression was guarded and your brows knitted together, trying to figure out if your paranoia was getting to you or if he knew something...but, how could he? You only just met, right?
"Uh...t-thanks?" You stuttered, trying to play it cool, but he saw right through you, and you knew he did. His smile twisted into something menacing, his cheery and sweet demeanour disappearing almost instantly, as he spoke. His voice, now dripping with venom, sent your heart pumping erratically, as you felt fear grasp at your legs, making them shake where you stood.
"I know what you are human, and I must say..." You saw him inch closer, elevating his height with his vines as you felt yourself move slowly backwards, not realising how close you were to the edge.
"I overheard Papyrus mention to Alphys a little something about her old research about...alternate universes." He knew. "And I couldn't help but hear of a human who seemed to had got herself involved. A human much like you."
You let out a shriek as you tripped on one of his vines, falling to the ground with a thud, as your fingers found the edge of the cliff. Another wave of fear washed over you, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't hide it when tears began to spill from your eyes once more.
His laugh was maniacal, as he now towered over you, his vines caressing your ankles ever so slightly. You heard a little bit of rock break off behind you, which only fueled your panicked state and encouraged his teasing.
"Aww, what's the matter human? Too weak to handle a world full of monsters?" His words sent shivers down your spine as his sickeningly sweet tone returned briefly.
"I'll give you a tip!" He drew closer to your face, his expression twisting into something so unspeakably disturbing, you couldn't breathe.
"In this world...it's kill or be killed."
He cackled loudly, before disappearing off into the ground, vanishing without a trace. For what seemed like an eternity, you stared uselessly at where he 'stood', as your sobs went unchecked, much like your breathing, which had become so enhanced, that you felt as though you would pass out. Thankfully, feeling the edge of the cliff beneath your fingertips brought you back to the reality of the situation. Momentarily forgetting your fear aimed at the flower, you got up and scrambled away from the edge with haste.
You exhaled deeply as you felt your heart beat violently against your chest. Your throat had become sore from all the sobbing and your legs had not stopped shaking since the moment you arrived here. To top it all off, you still couldn't shake the overwhelming emotions that were consuming your mind. You were in utter torment as the adrenaline continued to pump through your body vigorously, your instincts, telling you to run and hide.
You suddenly felt exposed and alone. It seems as though, at this moment in time, your sadness had been replaced with undeniable panic and fear, and, although you hated it, you considered it a good distraction from your previous sorrows. Taking a teep breath, you searched your surroundings until you found the direction that would take you back to town. Once you spotted it, you wasted no time moving towards it, the possibility of being mauled by a bear seeming so insignificantly small compared to the fear of that flower returning.
You didn't even get his name.
----------
Once you made it out of the woods, you felt slightly more at ease and found yourself begin to calm down a little more. As you walked back to the house, you made an executive decision to not visit those woods anytime soon.
It took you a little while to find your way back, considering you barely new this place and were unaware of the time, as you didn't have a your phone on you. No, of course you just had to leave it back in your universe. You groaned, momentarily mourning the loss of your phone, before looking up in relief. You had some how managed to find your way back, and you were so grateful for it. All you wanted to do was sleep the rest of the day away. You were drained emotionally, and, if you were being honest, physically as well.
As you opened the door, you quickly scanned the room in fear of running into someone, but soon exhaled in relief when you saw no one. You shut the door and made your way to the kitchen, your stomach, growling. While you had been experiencing all this emotional torment, you hadn't realised that you forgot to eat something. And now, your stomach was making you pay for it.
You opened the fridge, smiling as you saw the left overs from breakfast that had been set aside for you on a plate and took it happily. Sitting yourself at the table, you wolfed down your food as you felt immense relief, your hunger, mostly satisfied. Desire your hunger being taken care of, as you washed up your plate you couldn't stop the feeling of despair claw it's way back to the surface of your emotions. You didn't know how you were going to handle this whole ordeal, and quite frankly, you wish you didn't have to.
You wished you were back home, enjoying your summer holidays, the only fear being your GCSE's looming closer, or even, you wished you were at your mum's lab. You just wanted to go home. Hot tears found their way back to your eyes as your hands shook while washing the plate. You tried to hide your quiet sobs, masking the sound with the running water from the tap. You didn't want anyone to see you like this.
You were so wrapped up in your own depressive thoughts that you dropped the soapy plate that was in your hands when you heard Sans' voice from behind you. The shattering was swift, invading your ears as Sans appeared beside you.
"...you ok kid?" he asked tentatively. You turned to him, tears streaming down your face.
"I-i...i broke the plate..." You mumbled miserably, and Sans sighed, patting your shoulder.
"Ah, it's ok kiddo. It's just a plate, no biggie." He shrugged, but it didn't make you feel much better. You felt your cheeks heat up as you wiped your tears away.
"Kid, about earlier..." You felt your heart rate pick up as Sans spoke, your lip, wobbling as you fought the urge to cry yet again, "hey, hey, it's ok buddy. Hey, look at me." You did. "Look, it's gonna be hard, but we're gonna work real hard at this, right? Even though I hate hard work." he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ah...y'know, I hate making promises kid..." He sighed, "buuut, I'm gonna make sure we do everything to get everyone home." He reached down and ruffled your hair.
"Even you, kid." When you looked up at him, you were met with a genuine smile, and you couldn't help but hug him tightly in return. Sans was first taken aback by this, but then relaxed a little, patting your head.
After a moment, you let go, feeling a tad bit better. You weren't sure how long it would take, but you were determined to try your hardest to get back home.
----------
After your little conversation with Sans, he cleaned up the broken shards, reassuring you, once again, that there were no hard feelings about the plate. You had also talked to Sans about switching rooms, suddenly remembering how late it was getting and the whole ordeal with Black earlier. Sans had agreed, and decided that you would stay with Edge and Red, seeing as how their room was bigger than Blue and Stretch's. Despite having your reservations about them, particularly Edge, anything was better than sharing a room with Black, so you accepted.
You moved your things into their room while Sans told the brothers what was going on, and as you did so, your ears were penetrated by an awful screeching sound. You stepped outside the room and saw Edge glaring down at Sans, crossing his arms in defiance.
"I AM NOT SHARING A ROOM WITH SOME HUMAN. IT'S BAD ENOUGH HAVING TO SHARE WITH MY SLOB OF A BROTHER, LET ALONE SOME HUMAN FILTH!" Bit harsh. Red just rolled his eyes, understanding that Sans wouldn't change his mind anytime soon.
"Too bad, you're sharing." Sans stated, and Edge growled.
"THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF THAT MISCREANT BLACK! IF SHE HAS SUCH A PROBLEM WITH HIM, SHE SHOULD SORT IT OUT WITH HIM, WHY DO I HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE SHE'S TOO WEAK TO HANDLE HERSELF?!" he groaned, and Sans shrugged.
"Sorry bud, does this new arrangement...get under your skin?" Sans winked, and you snorted at his joke. Big mistake.
Edge sent a death glare you way, and you quickly shut up.
"YOU." That wasn't a good sign. "YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK HUMAN. YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T KILL YOU RIGHT WHERE YOU STAND." Your hands shook, but you refused to let your fear show.
"Edge, leave the kid be, it's been a long day, and tibia honest, there's no way I'm changing my mind, so you might as well just suck it up and let it go." You heard Sans say, and Edge scowled at him, before grunting.
"WHATEVER. HUMAN!" Edge turned towards you, "DON'T MAKE A MESS AND DON'T COME NEAR ME."
"Wouldn't dream of it." you muttered, and Edge seemed satisfied enough with that answer, before storming off. Red glanced at you with a bored expression before shrugging and teleporting away. You exhaled, and thanked Sans for everything he had done.
"Eh, don't sweat it kid." He shrugged. "Say...you had dinner yet?" he asked, and you shook your head.
"Nah, kinda had a late lunch."
"Wanna get some food now then? I know a great place." You thought about it for a moment and then agreed. Sans stretched out his hand, urging you to take it so that he could teleport the two of you. When you did, you felt the familiar feeling of your insides being rearranged, but luckily, you were able to keep the contents of you stomach inside your body, unlike last time.
As Sans had shortcutted inside the establishment, it took you a moment to recognise the place.
"Heh, welcome to-"
"Grillby's!" You interrupted and Sans looked surprised.
"Oh, y'know this place kid? So much for the grand reveal." He joked, and you laughed a little.
"Oh, yeah. Stumbled across it when Papyrus was giving us a tour of the town."
"Heh, you don't say."
You saw Grillby notice the two of you and you waved at him, happily bouncing over to him.
".....back so soon.....?" you giggled, sitting yourself on a stool and nodded.
"Yep! All thanks to Sans." You gestured to Sans who appeared sat next to you.
"Sup Grilbs, see ya already know the kid here." You smiled at Grillby as he inclined his head slightly. Before Grillby could even ask, Sans turned to you.
"Waddya wanna order, bud?" You thought for a moment, before settling on a burger. Sans did the same, and when it arrived, he poured ketchup all over it. You scrunched your face up in confusion and disgust. When Sans saw you expression, he chuckled.
"Not a fan of ketchup, kid?"
"Not that much ketchup, no." Your cringing seemed to amuse both Sans and Grillby.
"Are you sure? You don't want any on yours?" He waved the ketchup clos to your burger, and you lightly pushed it away.
"Hah, no thank you!" You laughed, and Sans shrugged, before placing it somewhere in his jacket.
"Your loss." you shook your head at his comment and begun to eat your burger. You were surprised by how good it was, but that only made you finish it faster than anticipated.
"Woah, slown there kid, your burger isn't going to run away from you." Sans joked.
"Yeah, you're right, but yours is definitely going to drown in all that ketchup." you retaliated, and Sans looked at it and shrugged, lifting it up to his mouth. You were expecting his teeth to open but, to your surprise, the burger seemed to just disappear as soon as it touched his teeth. He didn't even get ketchup on his face!
You gawked at his eating behaviour before going back to your own meal, too impressed to even ask Sans about how he did that. No, you'd store that question for a later date. As Grillby came back around to hand Sans another bottle of ketchup, you finished your burger.
"Grillby, that was so damn good! But like, seriously, what is your secret?" you praised, and Grillby's flames became a little brighter.
".....i cook.....burgers....." You nodded your head.
"Incredible. I need to write that down." You smiled as you heard a small crackle noise fill the air around you, which you assumed meant that he was laughing.
As he walked away, Sans took a slurp of ketchup, right from the bottle. This time, you couldn't help but stare openo mouthed as he did so.
"Bro what the fuck." Sans just winked at you.
"It's good, wanna try-"
"Nope. No thank you." You stuck out your tongue in disguest. "Is it like...an alcoholic beverage that monsters drink, or?" You tried to find a reasonable explanation as to why Sans would be drinking ketchup of all things.
"Well, it's ketchup." He replied, which didn't make anything clearer. You decided to just leave it at that, despite how odd you found it.
Grillby passed a glass towards you, and it was filled with a yellow coloured substance.
".....lemonade...." You took the glass, and grinned at the fire elemental.
"Thanks Grillby! I love this stuff." You commented, and he nodded his head, before leaving to tend to other customers. You took a sip of the lemonade while Sans got out a comb and started...combing his skull?
"Bro, why do you need a comb, you have no hair." You asked, knowing that you were being direct, but you really didn't care.
"Gotta look sharp, bucko." Sans winked, and you accepted that answer, not really that bothered to follow up on it any further.
"Say kid..." Sand begun, "ever heard of a talking flower?"
Upon hearing that question, the glass in your hand shattered instantly in your grasp, as lemonade began to spill onto the counter, small shards of glass covering the wood. Everyone in the restaurant whipped their heads around to stare at you, but quickly lost interest after a moment. Grillby quickly rushed over, wiping the table up and checking for any injuries on your hand. You did your best to steady your breathing and pay attention to what Sans was saying, but you couldn't help it.
You hands were clammy as a nervous sweat broke out. The blood had drained from your face, leaving a sickly pale colour as it's replacement. A talking flower? Like-
"Shit, kid, you ok? You sure, uh, got a strong grip there, buddy..." Sans patted your back as you gulped.
"Y-yeah...I'm sorry Grillby." He held up a hand, signaling that it was fine.
"Hehe, you're two for two now, kid." Sans joked, but you didn't laugh. You gripped your trousers as you looked down at your lap in embarrassment. You felt sick to your stomach, and a sudden wave of fear spiked your heart. Sans, as if sensing your discomfort, decided it was time to go home.
"Hey, do you think you can pay for this?" Sans asked you, and you paused, moving to find some money in your pockets, before he stopped you.
"Ah, just kid-ding, just put it on my tab like usual, Grillbs." Sans grinned, and the fire elemental just sighed, before nodding. Before Sans teleported you out of there, Grillby placed a hand over yours before you could flinch away.
You were expecting it to burn you, but strangely, all you felt was the comforting warmth of his flame radiating onto your hand. You smiled weakly at him before Sans took you back home. He didn't ask you anymore questions after that.
Notes:
Poor reader, she can't seem to stop breaking things 😵💫
Chapter 15: Chapter 15: late night hairstyling
Summary:
Reader's first night rooming with Edge and Red. Hopefully it all goes well.
Notes:
Back with another chapter guys! I'm just realising how much of an irregular updated I am, so I'm sorry for that! 😅
Anyways, hope toy all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When you got back to the house, Sans immediately crashed on the couch, which made you snort in amusement. You supposed it was getting late, and even though you weren't ready to sleep quite yet, you had noticed that Sans- and a couple of the others for that matter- tended to sleep whenever and wherever he could, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see him napping yet again.
You decided to leave him be, as you walked into the kitchen to see Papyrus chatting to Stretch quite enthusiastically about something. Stretch glanced at you, pulling a lollipop out of his mouth as he opened it to speak over Papyrus for a brief moment.
"AND THEN SHE-"
"Heya kid." he greeted, causing Papyrus to turn his head in your direction.
"OH, HUMAN, HELLO! WE HAD WONDERED WHERE YOU HAD GOT OFF TO." he commented.
"Hey guys. Yeah, uh, Sans took me to Grillby's-"
"UGH, THAT BROTHER OF MINE AND HIS GREASY FOODS." Papyrus tisked, shaking his head. "I AM SORRY YOU HAD TO ENDURE THAT, HUMAN." You have Papyrus a small smile.
"Nah, it's fine. The food was actually pretty good." As soon as you said that, Papyrus made a face that showed he clearly disagreed with you, but that was fine.
"Oh, sorry, I interrupted you." You apologised to Papyrus and he placed his hands on his hips.
"NYEHEHE, NOT TO WORRY HUMAN! I WAS SIMPLY TELLING LAZY ME-" Stretch raised an eyebrow at being called that, though Papyrus wasn't wrong, "ABOUT MY OUTING WITH MY GOOD FRIEND DOCTOR ALPHYS TODAY!" Alphys? Why did that name seem so familiar- oh shit.
"o-oh?" You inquired lamely, trying to hide the fact that your heart was practically bursting out of your chest. You felt your blood go cold as previous memories flashed in your mind.
"I overheard Papyrus mention to Alphys a little something about her old research about...alternate universes."
"SANS SUGGESTED THAT, AS A FORMER ROYAL SCIENTIST-" royal scientist? "SHE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH OUR PREDICAMENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE USED TO RESEARCH ALTERNATE UNIVERSES! THOUGH I HEARD HER ORIGINAL CONCLUSIONS PRODUCED DISAPPOINTING RESULTS." He put his fingers to his chin, his expression engrossed in thought before a bright smile came to his face.
"AT FIRST, WHEN I TOLD HER, SHE GOT REALLY EXCITED, AND KEPT RAMBLING ON ABOUT SOME BORING SCIENCEY STUFF-" she was Papyrus' friend, surely you could trust her? "BUT, IN THE END, SHE SEEMED SUPER EAGER TO HELP US!" yeah, that was good, right?
"Oh wow, well, the more people who help us, the faster we can get this sorted, right?"
"RIGHT! GREAT THINKING HUMAN!" Papyrus agreed and you felt a little more relaxed about everything.
"Y'know-" Stretch piped up, turning his attention to you, "when paps told me about Alphys, I thought she'd be like mine back home. Turns out, she's the complete opposite." he chuckled, rolling his lollipop between his phalanges. "In fact, she seems closer to Undyne-" Undyne? "uh, my Undyne, than anyone else. It's like they swapped personalities."
"Oh, kind of like how you and Blue swapped with Papyrus and Sans." You suggested, and Stretch hummed in response.
After you exchanged a few more words with Papyrus and Stretch, a yawn broke through your speech, causing Papyrus to insist that you go to bed. You glanced at the time, and even though it wasn't even 11pm, you complied, leaving the two skeletons to get ready for bed. Today certainly had gone smoothly, that's for sure, but as you finished up, you figured the worst was over, at least for now. You looked in the mirror. It's you!
As you stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway, you almost slammed yourself into the back of the door when Black walked passed. Unfortunately, he caught your sudden movement from the corner of his eye socket, and stopped where he stood, turning to you. You felt yourself begin to shake as he approached you with the same, hard expression he usually wore.
"WELL? WHAT ARE YOU GAWKING AT, HUMAN?" he asked, and you forced yourself to speak, trying not to stutter as you did.
"Nothing." You mumbled, and he smirked, knowing that his little intimidation technique had worked on you. You cursed yourself for giving him the satisfaction, but you couldn't help it. At this very moment, you felt yourself want to run away, but you didn't move, just in case he felt like chasing after you for whatever reason.
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT." cocky bastard. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO SLEEP NOW DON'T EXPECT ME TO BE QUIET WHEN I GO TO BED." he warned and you paused, forgetting your fright for a moment. Sans must've forgot to tell him, and now you had to. Great, because that was on your to-do list, among all the other things you've had to endure today. You gulped, forcing yourself to relax.
"That's fine, I'm not sleeping there anyways, so be as loud as you want." You replied cooly, watching as his smirk morphed into a confused frown.
"WHAT ARE YOU BABBLING ON ABOUT?" he questioned, incredulously. You stepped to the side, hoping to get away quickly after this conversation.
"Sans moved me. I'm rooming with Edge and Red now." you stated. Black was silent for a moment, before curving his mouth up into a large grin.
"GOOD, IT'S ABOUT TIME! I COULDN'T STAND SHARING A ROOM WITH A PEST LIKE YOU ANY LONGER! GOOD RIDDANCE!" He laughed heartily before stopping once again.
"WAIT- NOT THAT I CARE THAT YOU'RE SWITCHING, BUT WHY HAS THAT CLONE OF ME DECIDED TO DO THIS NOW EXACTLY? WHY NOT BEFORE, WHAT CHANGED HIS MIND?" Was he serious?
The suspicious look on his face told you that he was serious. This guy was completely and utterly oblivious as to why Sans had allowed you to move rooms.
"Are you serious right now?" You asked, in disbelief. Black scoffed, raising an eyebrow.
"OBVIOUSLY. COME ON THEN, SPIT IT OUT." he demanded, and you rolled your eyes.
"Go ask him yourself." You told him firmly, turning on your heels and quickly making your way to your new accommodations before he had the chance to argue back.
Sighing as you closed the door, you were pleased to see that Sans had in fact moved all your stuff into one corner of the room. You walked over to your corner, kneeling down to make you so called "bed" and rearrange the few items you had. Just as you had finished, you were startled by the sound of the door being slammed open. You could practically hear the hinges almost falling off it, as you whipped your head around, only to be met with the presence of Edge, with Red trailing behind.
When your eyes met, Edge scowled at you, dragging his brother in and slamming the door behind him once more. Red wasn't amused by any of this, but only grumbled to himself, not even bothering to look at you as he flopped down onto the bottom bunk bed. Edge, on the other hand, refused to take his gaze off of you, and you felt yourself shrink a little at the amount of intensity that was radiating off of his glare.
You had hoped that he would ignore you, much like his brother had, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Concluding that he wasn't going to take his focus off of you for a while, you decided to shrug it off and go about your business, trying to forget how you were being watched like a hawk. Before you climbed into your sleeping bag, you shifted into a cross legged position and brought your hands up to your hair. Fiddling about for a minute, you began preparing parts of your hair, sectioning them off so that you could plat them.
Surprisingly, this caught Edge's interest, and you suddenly jolted at the loudness his voice brought to the room, breaking the previous, uncomfortable silence that had been lingering in the air.
"HUMAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He inquired, suspicious of your actions. You blinked, looking up at him with a bewildered expression before it clicked.
"Oh! I'm platting my hair." You told him and he raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eye sockets at you before asking any follow up questions.
"WHY?"
"Well, one, because I want to, and two, it helps my hair from getting all knotty during the night so that, when I wake up, it's not an absolute pain to deal with." you stated. Edge made a humming sound, looking at you as if to judge whether you were lying or not. After a moment, his curiosity seemed to peek through his stoic demeanour.
"DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS?" he questioned.
"No, not always." He didn't seem all that satisfied with the lack of elaboration on your part, so you got an idea that might help.
"Would you like me to show you how?" Edge paused as you looked up at him with innocent eyes, smiling as you gestured for him to come over. Hesitantly, he made his way over to you and sat down in front of you. Your smile widened, out shining his cold scowl that he presented you. You began to show him the basics, platting one side of your hair as you did so in order to demonstrate.
"Ok, so, you start be sectioning off three equal parts of your hair, like this-" you showed him, "and hold them like this. Now you just intertwine them like so, but leave a little bit of room at the end so you can tie it with a hair tie." You explained, while Edge watched your ever move, keen to learn.
"Do you understand?" You asked at the end of the demonstration. Edge scoffed, waving a hand in the hair dismissively.
"OH PLEASE, THIS IS CHILD'S PLAY." you raised an eyebrow teasingly.
"Oh really? Ok then, why don't you try, on the other side."
"BAH, THIS WILL BE EASY." he declared, as you turned around, giving Edge full access to your hair. As soon as his hands tugged on your hair, you hissed out in pain.
"Edge, you're pulling too harshly-"
"OH GET A GRIP, I'VE HEARD LESS COMPLAINING FROM PEOPLE I'VE TOURTURED BEFORE. NOW, SILENCE WENCH!"
You rolled your eyes, pouting a little as you mentally prepared for the inevitable pain you were going to experience. As he got to work, you occasionally winced at how rough he was, but it wasn't anything you weren't used to and couldn't handle. Although, one particularly sharp tug at your hair almost made you yell in surprise. When Edge noticed your body jerk in reaction to him, he groaned.
"WOULD YOU STOP BEING SO DRAMATIC!" he ordered, clearly unimpressed by your reactions.
"Talk to me about pain tolerance when you have hair, Edge." You quipped back. "Do you even know how hard your pulling?" Edge stayed silent for a moment, huffing as he refused to answer. After a few more minutes, he released your hair, to your relief, declaring his work was done.
"THERE! THAT WAS LIGHT WORK. NOTHING AS SIMPLE AS HAIR CANNOT BE MASTERED BY THE GREAT PAPYR-"
"Uh bro, ya might wanna check yer handy work there." You both flinched at the sound of Red's voice. You hadn't realised he'd been watching, or even listening to the two of you. You had just assumed he'd gone to sleep already.
"YOU IDIOT, ARE YOU BLIND? THIS IS FINE CRAFTSMENSHIP AT IT'S BEST!" you raised an eyebrow, looking at what Edge had done to your hair.
"Well...it's a little messy Edge, but that's to be expected for your first time-" Edge's head snapped around so fast that you swore you heard something crack. His glare was beyond threatening, but you weren't bothered by it.
"RIDICULOUS! CAN'T YOU SEE-" Edge paused, comparing the side that you platted to his. He paused.
"HUH." was all he uttered.
"You just need to practice a little more Edge. It took me ages to learn how to do them properly." Edge sat in thought for a moment, and you watched as a malicious grin formed in his face.
"WELL, IF IT TOOK YOU AGES TO LEARN, I AM CERTAIN I COULD PERFECT IT IN MERE HOURS!" you raised an eyebrow.
"Edge, that would mean you'd being doing this for a while. Possibly all night and I don't want to stay up that long." He forcefully turned you back around so your back was facing him once again.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT HUMAN. NOW SHUT UP AND LET ME WORK." You groaned.
"Edge, no!" You protested, looking to Red for help but he smirked at you, teleporting back to his bed. That jerk!
Seeing no way to get out of this, you slouched as Edge began unravelling your hair and starting again. You had hoped that he would get bored or frustrated and quickly abdondon it, but you couldn't be more wrong. If there was one thing you learned that night, it was that Edge was incredibly persistent and wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. Although, you never knew if he succeeded in his quest to perfecting the hairstyle as you ended up falling asleep after about an hour. You concluded that you'd have to wait until morning to see how he did.
----------
"Ya done yet, boss?" Red asked, glanced over at his brother. Edge turned around with a triumphant look on his face.
"YES! DONE TO PERFECTION! COME REVEL IN MY UNMATCHED SKILLS, BROTHER!" He boasted. Red moved to where the two of you sat and looked over his brother's work on your hair.
"Damn bro, that's pretty good." Edge smirked pridefully.
"I KNOW! AND IT ONLY TOOK ME 4 HOURS! I'D LIKE TO SEE THE HUMAN LEARN SOMETHING THAT FAST!" he gloated.
"Speaking of the human-" Red gestured over to you, "I think it's time ta let 'er rest boss. Sleeping on ya can't be all that comfy." Edge looked down at your sleeping form. You had nodded off a while ago, and you were now propped up against his chest, your legs, spread out in front of you. Edge scoffed.
"SHE'S SO STUPID." Red raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yea, whys that?" He prompted, sitting down near your legs, facing his brother.
"LOOK AT HER! SHE JUST FELL ASLEEP WITH NO HESITATION, AROUND COMPLETE STRANGERS! I MEAN, MY HANDS WERE SO CLOSE TO HER NECK, I COULD'VE STRANGLED HER, OR SLIT HER THROAT OR-"
"Yea bro, I get the picture. Ya could've killed her."
"EXACTLY!" Edge stressed, "WHAT KIND IF IDIOT WOULD LET THEIR GUARD DOWN LIKE THAT?!" Red pointed to you and Edge sighed.
"SANS..." Edge began, his voice, a little softer. "IF THIS WAS OUR WORLD...SHE WOULDN'T SURVIVE." He stated, unconsciously playing with her hair gently, wrapping it around his fingers. Red stared at Edge.
"Heh, yer probably right bro..." he shrugged, placing a hand on your knee, rubbing it lightly. "'ts a good thing she ain't in our world then, ain't it." Edge nodded. For a moment, neither brother spoke, the room being filled with your barely audible breathing.
"JUST BECAUSE THIS ISN'T OUR WORLD, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT ISN'T DANGEROUS." Edge stated, and Red rolled his eyes.
"Tch, obviously. I mean, did ya hear what that little tyrant did to the kid earlier? 'T's why she's in here with us now. Which, probably ain't much better, if I'm being honest."
"I DIDN'T HEAR. I SAW." Edge grunted and Red looked a little surprised, but then his expression morphed into realisation.
"Oh." Red watched as his brother's grip moved from your hair to your arms, his hands, curling around your skin tightly.
"YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN HER FACE SANS. SHE WAS TERRIFIED, AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN FIGHT BACK." Edge's face morphed into a conflicted expression. "SHE'S WEAK SANS." Red sighed.
"And that bothers ya, huh? Why do ya care, boss? T's not our problem." Edge's grasp on you tightened.
"I DON'T CARE! BUT..." Edge paused as you shifted back into his grasp a little. "SHE JUST REMINDS ME OF MYSELF, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. BACK THEN, WHEN I COULDN'T FIGHT BACK AS WELL AS I CAN NOW, WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP MY MOUTH IN CHECK. YOU ALWAYS HAD TO SAVE MY ASS, REMEMBER?" Red snortes.
"How could I forget? Ya were a little troublemaker and ya still are." Red chuckled.
"YES, BUT BACK THEN, I HAD YOU. AND I CAN TELL SHE'S NO WHERE NEAR AS STRONG AS I WAS BACK THEN, LET ALONE NOW."
"So?" Edge sighed.
"SO...I DON'T KNOW! JUST..." Red paused, looking at his brother in disbelief, yet his tone was threaded with amusement.
"Yer not suggestin' that we baby sit her?"
"NO! OF COURSE NOT!" Edge glared at Red, who wore an ever growing smirk on his face. "JUST...KEEP AN EYE ON HER, WHEN SHE'S AROUND BLACK, AND THAT MUTT HE CALLS A BROTHER. AS MUCH AS I DON'T TRUST ANYONE HERE, I ESPECIALLY DON'T TRUST EITHER OF THEM."
"Huh." Edge scowled at Red's ambiguous response.
"WHAT?" he demanded. Red shrugged.
"Just didn't expect ya ta get soft 'bout a human of all people." Edge scowled.
"I AM NOT GETTING SOFT!" Edge yelled, causing you to stir slightly, only for a moment, before you continued your slumber.
"Ya gonna wake the kid with all that yelling, bro." Red stated, while Edge rolled his eyes.
"I KNOW!" He hissed, a little quieter this time. Red stood up, walking over to his bed but stopped to pat his brother on the shoulder.
"Don't worry bro, I'll keep an eye socket out for her."
"UGH, PUNS, REALLY?" Edge groaned, "...THANK YOU, SANS." Red winked at him.
"Whatever ya say bro." he yawned, slumping onto his bed, closing his eyes as he prepared to sleep. "Still don't get why ya even care."
"TCH, I DON'T!" His brother retorted, but as he watched your chest fall up and down with your soft breathing, his grip became more gentle.
"Sure, why else would ya be looking out for some human kid then? Ain't it yer job to capture and kill humans?" Red had a point, but as Edge laid you down carefully into your sleeping bag, being mindful not to wake you, he came up with a better one.
He stood up, giving you one last glance before climbing up the ladder to lay on his bed. Just before Sans nodded off, he managed to catch Edge's last few words.
"YOU'D BE CORRECT SANS BUT...I'M OFF DUTY."
Notes:
Is Edge worried for the reader? No, surely not! But maybe his brother's right, maybe he is going soft...🤔
If he was, he'd always deny it 🤭
Chapter 16: Chapter 16: first day at work
Summary:
Today's the day our reader finally gets started on the machine with the others! Hopefully it all goes well...
Notes:
Hey guys! It feels like it's been ages since I've updates, sorry it took so long! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It felt like an eternity before morning came around, and, like every other day this past week, you woke up feeling as though someone had sucked the living soul out of your body. You hadn't dreamed again, you recalled, your mind being drowned in darkness while you slept. Despite this, you thought nothing of it as you slowly sat up, rubbing your eyes in an attempt to get used to the light bursting through the window.
You were thankful when a shadow blocked the light's glare, but it didn't last long.
"HUMAN! MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL AND HELP WITH BREAKFAST!"
Edge demanded and you winced at the volume of his voice. You gave him an annoyed look as your hands brushed against your hair unexpectedly, causing you to glance down at your plats. They were immaculate. You rose your eye brows in surprise.
"Woah, Edge, this is a real improvement." You mused, not noticing the smirk he was trying so desperately to hide. "It's even better than mine!"
"WELL, THAT WASN'T EXACTLY A HARD STANDARD TO SURPASS. I TOLD YOU I WAS A FAST LEARNER!"
You gave him a slight grin as you stood up, stretching your sore muscles. Sleeping on the floor was supposed to be good for your back, but right now, all you felt was a massive ache that spread across your entire body.
"NOW, GET DOWN THERE!" Edge pointed to the door and you groaned loudly, slouching as you walked out of the room and downstairs. Wait, why am I even listening to him? You wondered, walking into the kitchen without really looking where you were going, which caused you to bump into Blue.
Your eyes widened a little as you lost your footing, almost falling on your arse when Blue caught you, his arms, wrapped around you back.
"WATCH YOUR STEP THERE, HUMAN! YOU ALMOST FELL OVER. GOOD THING THE MAGNIFICENT SANS- UH, I MEAN, BLUE, WAS HERE TO CATCH YOU! MWEHEHEHE!"
You exhaled as he let you go, smiling.
"Thanks Blue." He nodded, and turned back to preparing breakfast.
You moved to help him, which Blue greatly appreciated, and so did everyone else for that matter. You had avoided Black as much as you could during the morning, making sure to keep out of his sight. However, that wasn't the only thing you were avoiding. Today was the day you would officially be part of the team. Unfortunately, that meant going back down to the basement and helping the others with their research.
When you initially got down there, you were met with the same mess as before, as no one had bothered to clean anything up. When you tried to make sense of the data, you quickly realised that most of it was like reading a foreign language. You weren't nearly as prepared enough for this task as the others thought you were, but that didn't stop them from believing in you, putting a little part of their hopes and dreams on your so called "skills" and knowledge. But they couldn't see that they were incredibly limited, that your "abilities" were nothing but little bits and pieces of vague memories that had been drilled into you from an age where you couldn't even talk yet.
You didn't want to let everyone down, or yourself either. And you knew that if you didn't try your best, if you didn't work as hard as you could, then you'd end up disappointing everyone. You'd be part of the reason why they'd never see their families and friends again, their homes, their lifes, always just out of reach. But you had to face the facts at some point, what you've been told all your life, that even your best was never good enough. Of course you weren't giving up, not when you had barely even started, but you couldn't help but have your doubts. You sighed, staring down at the work in front of you.
This was gonna be a long day.
----------
Papers were scattered across the desk, all the different words and numbers, practically jumping out at you as you tried to make sense of the information. Your eyes scanned the papers, desperately hoping to keep your headache at bay for just a little longer, but to no avail. Groaning, you rubbed your face in exhaustion. It felt like you had been here for hours
You groaned, now beginning to become frustrated by the data in front of you.
"Ugh, this is so dumb, I swear to god-" you groaned, pushing the papers aside.
"Having some trouble there, kid?" Sans inquired, looking up from his work. You glared at him.
"Nah, I'm having the best time, really. Like, this is all too easy for me."
You knew the stress was going to seap it's way into your mind eventually, but you had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. You didn't do well under pressure, especially when you weren't understanding anything that was going on, which is one of the many reasons why, when it came to things like school work, you were a bit of a procrastinator.
"Mhm, clearly." Sans replied, his smile, not wavering in the slightest. You sighed, slamming your head down onto the table in exasperation. You didn't intent to do it hard, but gravity got the better of you and your head met the table with a loud thud, making you grit your teeth from the painful shock that ran through your head. That seemed to make Sans slightly more alert, as he quickly teleported to your aid, gently pulling your head up.
"Hey, hey, c'mon, no need for that now, bud." he said, his phalanges brushing the sides of your head while his eye lights scanned you for any possible injuries. You were confused as to why he was so worried, it wasn't like you broke anything. Still, maybe he wasn't aware of how durable the human head was, and you supposed that it wasn't too bad that he was cautious of it, considering that it was quite a delicate part of the body, not to mention incredibly important as well.
When he decided that you were fine, he finally let go of your head. "Heh, maybe you just need a break?" Sans suggested, teleporting back to his side of the desk, leaning back in his chair slightly. You looked at the clock and saw that it hasn't been that long since you started, only half an hour.
"Of course you'd say that. It seems like all you do is take breaks." You snorted and Sans shrugged, not protesting your accusation.
"Eh, work is a lot of effort, and I'm always bone-tired , so might as well take a few breaks here and there."
You heard Stretch and Cash groan at his pun, which surprised you. You would've thought that they'd enjoy puns like their brothers' counterparts, but clearly that wasn't the case.
You thought over for a second. Maybe taking a break wasn't such a bad idea, and you were all for procrastination.
"Yeah, maybe you're right Sans." The corner of Sans' mouth turned up slightly before he returned to his work, though it didn't look as if he was working all that hard. That wasn't unexpected. As you stood up from your chair, you moved to exit the basement when suddenly you felt an arm wrap around your shoulder, making you jump.
You looked to your side to see Cash leaning on you, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Say'ya brat, I could use a break too. How bout ya come with me?"
Before you could answer him, your vision was plunged into darkness for a split second, that familiar feeling of your organs being rearranged, surfacing it's way back to you. You knew this feeling, but your thoughts weren't fast enough, and, before you realised it, you were back up in the attic.
Before you pushed Cash off you, you had to lean on him to steady yourself, trying not to throw up again. To everyone's relief, you didn't, but it did take you a minute to regain your composure. When you did, Cash moved aside, and your attention was suddenly grabbed by the sound of Black's voice.
"THERE YOU ARE! WHAT TOOK YOU TWO SO LONG? I WAS BEGINNING TO CONSIDER GOING DOWN THERE AND DRAGGING YOU HERE MYSELF." Well that was a comforting thought. You stared at Black, confused. What could he possibly want now?
"Well, we're here now." Cash replied, not even attempting to apologise, much to Black's displeasure. Despite his brother's insolence, as Black would probably put it, he decided to brush it aside for now, turning back to you. He cleared his throat.
"EHEM. HUMAN, AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY CONCLUDED, I REQUESTED MY BROTHER TO BRING YOU TO ME-" you remained silent, assuming he was going to go on a major rant about something, and you honestly didn't have the energy to start interrupting him right now, so you simply nodded, which seemed to appease him, for now.
"BECAUSE, UHM...I WANTED TO SAY THAT-" wait, was he actually going to apologise?
"THAT YOU'RE BEING AN IMMATURE CHILD, AND CHOOSING EDGE OVER ME IS THE MOST HEINOUS CRIME I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!" you gawked at him. Of course he wasn't going to apologise, but to call you the immature child in this situation was crazy.
"I'm the immature child?"
"YES, ARE YOU DEAF? THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID!" It was clear that he didn't see the hypocrisy of his comment, and when you looked at Cash in disbelief, he simply smirked, looking as if he was trying to hold in a laugh.
"LIKE I WAS SAYING-" Black continued, "IT'S NOT THAT I WANT YOU BACK HERE, ACTUALLY, IT'S BEEN SO MUCH BETTER WITHOUT YOU HERE." he stated and you raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered by his obvious attempts to get you to admit you made some sort of mistake switching rooms. Though, why he was so upset, you had no idea. It was clear that Black and Cash didn't like you, so why was he acting so offended by this?
"That's nice, Black." You weren't going to feed into whatever this was, because, to be frank, you couldn't care less what Black thought. Hell, he was the whole reason you had moved rooms, so you really didn't see the point of arguing with him any further.
When you showed no remorse, Black's scowl deepened and he huffed, crossing his arms in frustration. After a moment of silence, Black's grumpy demeanour seemed to disappear for some reason, much to your surprise. You watched his expression shift from aggravated to confused as he seemed to be staring at you. In a split second, Black had somehow managed to come close to you without you realising in time, so much so that your faces were almost touching. You felt extremely uncomfortable and closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the worst, but, thankfully, no harm came to you.
No one could fault you for being cautious around Black, but it seemed as though he had no intention to hurt you. This time, that is. No, instead, he seemed enraptured by your hair, much like Edge had been. You briefly wondered what was with these skeletons and their curiosity with your hair, but considering that they didn't have any themselves, you supposed it was only natural they'd be a little curious about it. Even so, you definitely did not like Black being this close to you and were about to protest but, your thoughts were cut short when he yanked on one of your plats.
You let out a small shriek in surprise, and slight annoyance, as he seemed to be examining your hair thoroughly.
"Black, what the hell?!" You exclaimed, but Black didn't seem to care about your mild distress. Instead, he continued to look at your hair, running his gloved fingers over it, almost as if he was petting it. You groaned internally, and then let out another cry in surprise as Cash teleported to the other side of you, yet again deciding to use your shoulder as a leaning post. You grunted as he purposely put the majority of his weight on you, while talking to Black innocently, as if he didn't even notice what he was doing.
"Wud are we lookin' at, bro?" Cash mused, grabbing your other plat absent mindedly and using his fingers to twirl it around. Black didn't answer him, instead choosing to address you.
"HUMAN, YOUR HAIR WAS NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE." he noted, and you rolled your eyes.
"Yeah, it's called a hairstyle, and I changed it." At that comment, Cash gave your hair a sharp tug, harsher than Black had done, making you whince.
"Ya know, ya got a real attitude on ya today, brat." You grimaced, glaring back at him.
"Yeah, I wonder why." being prodded at and squished between two people who didn't like you, and had the potential to hurt you, wasn't exactly somethung you were enjoying. Cash chuckled at your discomfort, seemingly enjoying teasing you, but he didn't attack your hair again.
"WHY DID YOU CHANGE IT?" Black inquired, now turning to face you while his fingers still fiddled with your plat.
"Because I felt like it." You shrugged, "oh, and, this is actually Edge's handy work." at that, Black raised an eyebrow, his expression, urging you to continue. "Well, much like you, he seemed to take in interest in my hair as well. When he saw me platting it, I offered to teach him how, but then he ended up practicing on me for who knows how long. I had fallen asleep by that point." By this point, Black had let go of your hair and was back to his usual, scowling self.
"BAH, AS IF I CARE WHAT THAT MORON DOES." He stated, suddenly losing all interest in you. You exhaled in relief as both skeletons moved away from you, glad that you had your personal space back.
"PEST, BEFORE YOU GO." Black turned to Cash with a glare, and for a moment, there seemed to be a silent argument between the two. Though it didn't last long, you could tell Cash lost, from the overly dramatic sigh he let out.
He then reached into his hoodie pocket and handed you...money? You raised an eyebrow as he huffed in annoyance, making haste to teleport away as quick as he could after that. You looked at Black, confused, and Black sighed.
"MY BROTHER HAS A TENDENCY TO...STEAL FROM OTHERS. I SIMPLY ORDERED HIM TO RETURN THE MONEY HE PICKPOCKETED FROM YOU. THAT'S WHY HE GOT ALL HUFFY AND RAN AWAY LIKE A BABYBONES." You looked at Black and then reached into your pocket where you had kept the left over money that Papyrus had given you, but, to your surprise, the pocket was empty.
"When did he-"
"HONESTLY, PAPY HAS ALWAYS HAD ISSUES CONTROLLING HIS GREED. GOT HIM IN A LOT OF TROUBLE GROWING UP, TROUBLE I ALWAYS ENDED UP GETTING HIM OUT OF. BUT, NOT WITHOUT A PRICE." Black grumbled, rubbing his temple in frustration. Your brows furrowed.
"...What kind of price?" You asked, tentatively, hoping you weren't overstepping into something major.
"THE UNDERGROUND WAS NOT..." Black hesitated, cleanching his fists as he spoke, "EVERYTHING CAME WITH A PRICE, BIG OR SMALL. IT WASN'T ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS LIKE IT SEEMS TO BE UP HERE. NO, DOWN THERE, IT WAS KILL OR BE KILLED." You frowned as you watch his expression darken.
"AND SOMETIMES, YOU HAD TO DO UNSPEAKABLE THINGS TO GET BY. BUT I WOULDN'T POSSIBLY EXPECT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, HUMAN. AFTER ALL, YOU LIVED UP ON THE SURFACE ALL YOUR LIFE. YOU HAD CHOICES. I- WE, DIDN'T."
You hadn't expected that from Black at all. He didn't seem like the type of person to just open up like that, especially not about something that seemed to hit close to home for him. You were about to cut in when he continued.
"YOU WOULDN'T SURVIVE WHERE I'M FROM. YOUR AMOUNT OF DISRESPECTFULNESS ALONE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET YOU KILLED IF YOU CROSS THE WRONG PERSON." Upon hearing that, it was as if a light had switched in your head, recognition dawning on you.
Is that why Black had been so harsh on you when you teased him? Did he act on instinct, in an attempt to teach you some sort of lesson to protect yourself?
"That sounds...scary." You decided not to ask him, in case it caused him to become defensive again. Black faltered for a moment, his fists, relaxing slightly as he replaced his stone cold expression with a slightly softer one.
"IT WOULD TO A PUNY HUMAN LIKE YOU!" he cackled, and for reason, it made you smile slightly.
"Well...i should get back to it, huh?" you grimaced at the thought of going back to work, but you knew you couldn't slack off for too long. The others were counting on you, after all. You really hated your new found responsibility. Black hummed, waving you off dismissively.
"YES, YOU SHOULD. NOW, OFF WITH YOU. OH, AND YOU'RE HELPING ME WITH DINNER TONIGHT." You gave Black a thumbs up before making your way back downstairs.
As you walked down the attic stairs, you couldn't help but go over Black's words. Sure, just because he thought that way didn't justify his action, nor was it an excuse for what he did, however, you felt as if you understood him a little better now. Despite this, you were still quite wary of Black after what happened before, and you weren't confident that was going to change anytime soon.
As you mulled over your recent conversation with Black, you got lost in thought and ended up bumping into Papyrus, accidentally.
"Oh, sorry Papyrus-"
"NOT TO WORRY, TINY HUMAN, FOR I AM UNHARMED BY THIS ENCOUNTER!" You nodded, and were about to step out of his way when Papyrus held up a hand, stopping you.
"EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT HUMAN?" You nodded, signaling that it was ok for him to continue. A wide, confident smile appeared on his face and he cleared his throat.
"OVER THESE LAST FEW DAYS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE...TENSION, BETWEEN EVRYONE."
That was putting it lightly. There had been multiple occasions, mostly at dinner, where some sort of fight broke out, almost always nearly becoming physical, to which Papyrus and a couple of the others have to intervene before anything gets destroyed, or anyone hurt.
"SO I'VE COME UP WITH A BONDING EXERCISE WHICH I'M SURE WILL MAKE EVERYONE BEST BUDDIES! OR AT THE VERY LEAST, MORE TOLERANT OF EACH OTHER!"
A bonding exercise ?
"AND IT IS MANDATORY THAT EVERYONE ATTENDS, SO IF YOU COULD INFORM EVERYONE DOWNSTAIRS THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL!"
You blinked as Papyrus stared at you excitedly. A bonding exercise didn't sound like a bad idea, actually, and surely it wouldn't do more harm than good, right? Well, it was worth a shot and at least Papyrus was making an effort to lift everyone's spirits.
"Yeah, ok, that actually sounds like it could work. I'll tell the others when I go back down."
"NYEH? REALLY? OH, THANK YOU HUMAN! WITH OUR COMBINED EFFORTS, I'M SURE WE CAN GET EVERYONE TO BE FRIENDS IN NO TIME!" he beamed, his eye sockets somehow sparkling as he placed his hand down on your shoulder quite forcefully, but you knew there was no malice behind his actions.
You nodded once again and he seemed to be satisfied, hastily running off shortly after your short encounter. As you made your way to the basement, you wondered what the others would think of this idea.
----------
"Bonding exercise, huh? Heh, that's just like Pap to suggest something like that."
Sans chuckled, swinging on his chair with his feet up on the desk. He wasn't the only one either, in fact, it seemes as though no one was working on anything right now. Even Cash, who had returned shortly after you arrived, didn't seem to be interested in working. You couldn't blame them, just because they had more skills and knowledge about this big mess, it didn't mean that they knew everything, nor did it mean that it wasn't hard work.
"Bondin'? What a waste of fuckin' time. What kinda idiots " bond" with each other? Hah! I dunno bout you, but I ain't some softie, ya hear." Red scoffed, very quick to dismiss the whole idea itself.
"Paps said it's mandatory-"
"I don't give two fucks about what that idiot says." Sans didn't look very pleased at that comment, flicking a pen over at Red in retaliation.
'Well, too bad, you're going. And, you never know, you might even have a skele-ton of fun." You snorted at that joke which seemed to please Sans, his smile growing wider as Red grumbled something in frustration.
"Tch, whatever." Great, now that everyone was on board...ugh, it was back to work for you. Suddenly, you were looking forward to Papyrus' exercise a lot more now.
----------
You flopped onto the sofa in defeat, quietly groaning to yourself. After hours of endless data analysis, you had made no progress whatsoever. Granted, it's not like you expected to make any real progress on your first try, but it would've been nice not to look like a complete idiot in front of the others. After your previous hypothesis, you accidentally gave them the impression that you actually knew more than you did, so it was no surprise when they continued to look at you funny when you'd constantly ask questions that they probably didn't even need to think about. It was so embarrassing that you were considering trying to study up a little before the next time you went down there, just to not look like a complete fool again.
For now, however, you could finally relax, at least until Papyrus' bonding exercise.
"PEST, WHY ARE YOU JUST SITTING THERE?! COME IN HERE AND HELP ME! OR DO I NEED TO DRAG YOU IN HERE MYSELF?" Black screeched from the kitchen, making your ears bleed. Fuck, you forgot you'd agreed to help him with dinner. Dragging your body away from the sofa, you made your way into the kitchen, absolutely dreading the next hour or however long this was going to take.
"UGH, FINALLY! YOU SHOULD BE QUICKER NEXT TIME, CONSIDERING I DON'T SHOW OFF MY LEGENDARY CULINARY TO JUST ANYONE!" you hummed in agreement, too tired to really hold much of a conversation.
"HAVE YOU MADE THESE BEFORE?" he asked and you thought for a moment. You've never made them from scratch, only ever putting the contents into the wrap, but you've seen them made before on the tv. You shook your head and Black's grin widened.
"OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T. WHY DID I EVEN BOTHER ASKING? WELL, THAT JUST MEANS YOU'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW EVERYTHING I SAY, THEN! JUST DON'T GET IN MY WAY."
Following orders from Black? Yeah, that didn't sound like something you'd have fun doing. Despite your reservations, you reluctantly agreed to let him guide you, and who knows, maybe now that the others weren't cooking around you, he wouldn't be as bad as he was before? Yeah, maybe all those distractions had thrown him off.
As he got out all the ingredients, everything seemed to be running ok, although, when he told you to smash the vegetables you were a little scepticle, so you didn't. Black huffed, waving it off as you being too weak, thankfully not that bothered by your lack of performance, as he put it. For one hope-filled moment, you thought that this might actually go alright for once. Until you got to the meat.
You had assumed Black had got out the meat whilst you were preping the veg, but you realised your assumption was wrong as you witnessed Black proceed to take it out of the freezer and place it directly into the pot. You gaped at him as he then started adding random herbs and spices that did not look like they paired together well. Placing down your knife, you decided to intervene.
"Uh, Black-" he glared to you, discontent that you were getting in his way as you moved closer to the pot to inspect the contents further. Oh, that was a smell. Your face scrunched up in disgust and you turned to him.
"You realised you put that meat in the pot and it's frozen..." Black scoffed, as if you had just said the dumbest thing he's ever heard.
"OBVIOUSLY. THAT'S WHY YOU PUT IT IN THE POT, TO HEAT IT UP AND COOK IT!" You could see why he'd think that but that wasn't necessarily the way it worked.
"I can see why you'd think that, but actually-"
"AND NOW FOR FULL BLAST!" Black declared, as he cranked the heat up to it's highest possible setting. Oh no, you were not starting another fire.
"Black, you're gonna start another fire, turn it down!" You implored, but he refused. You groaned, staring into the pot once again.
"Oh great, now we have frozen bits and burnt bits of beef."
"SO? THAT JUST ADDS TEXTURE AND FLAVOUR TO THE DISH! HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHY PAPYRUS MADE SUCH A FUSS OVER COOKING WITH YOU, YOUR IGNORANCE TOWARDS MAKING A SIMPLE DISH LIKE THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS! DID YOUR PARENTS NOT TEACH YOU ANYTHING?"
Feeling the heat rise to your cheeks, you began to get severely irritated with Black. Not only was he not listening to you, but he was also carrying on about you being the ignorant one.
"I cannot believe I have to have this conversation with you, Black. For someone who claims to know all about cooking, you clearly don't even know what's edible and what's not. Spouting off about me not knowing anything, yet here you are, making what will soon be one of the most astoundingly atrocious dishes I've ever witnessed anyone cook! If you can even call it cooking!"
You exclaimed. Your defiance to his authority, instead of making him understand what he was doing wrong, only seemed to fuel his annoyance, as he began to retort back.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN ME, HUMAN? PLEASE, I'VE TASTED YOUR FOOD, AND IT IS MEDIOCRE AT BEST. HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND TELL ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSEDLY DOING WRONG, WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE SOMETHING NEARLY AS INTERESTING AS MY DISHES!"
He yelled, moving closer to you as he did. Although he was only an inch taller than you, he still found some smugness in looking down at you. Upon seeing his challenging glare, you decided to drop the niceties and give him a reality check. Despite the fact that you barely knew him, you could tell that his ego was long overdue for one.
"Interesting? Might as well be a synonym for fucking poison!"
"POISON WOULD BE MORE MERCIFUL THAN ANYTHING I COULD EVER DO TO YOU, PEST, BUT NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I'M STRONGLY CONSIDERING IT."
You scoffed, matching his glare, too focused on being in a screaming match than on the fact that your voices were beginning to catch the attention of the others.
"AND YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU GET TO EAT FOOD PREPARED BY SUCH SKILLED HANDS, IT'S A SHAME I CAN'T SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOURS!"
He didn't really think his food was that great, did he? At this point, you concluded that he must either be in complete denial or his ego is just that big. You made an exasperated face, purposely throwing your hands up to emphasise you point as you continued to yell at each other.
"Oh, please. You know what, Black? I would rather eat the raw arse of a donkey and it would still taste better than whatever shit you make!"
At that comment, silence fell upon the room, the only audible sound coming from Black huffing in anger. His face had turned a deep violet, much like it had the last time. While he was gathering his next words, your attention was temporarily drawn away from Black, upon hearing a couple antagonising "ooo"s and snickers from the others. It wasn't long before everyone was now gathered around the dining table, keeping quiet and watching for Black's next move. You rolled your eyes at then and turned your attention to Black who wore a dark expression.
"YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE SHIT-"
He stormed over to you, bunching up a handful of your top in his hand as he yanked you forward.
"DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU AGAIN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU WERE IN MY WORLD-"
"But we're not, are we. And in this world, your status and your rules mean fuck all to me."
You spat, already getting tired of his constant threatening behaviour.
"Oh, and just because your world a shithole, doesn't give you the right to treat me like thi-"
You were cut off from your sentence by the familiar sensation of a heavy weight crushing down on you, holding you down in place do that you couldn't move.
It caught you completely off guard, but it wasn't Black who was doing this. You glanced over and saw a glimpse of Cash' singular eyelight, flaring up as he held you down with his magic. The initial shock was a similar feeling to being winded, however, you didn't recover quite as quickly. You grunted in discomfort as you tried to take back control of your now laboured breathing, yet your heart refused to slow down from it's frantic pace. Black smirked, letting go of you in triumph and cackling to himself. Cash lazily strode over to you, leaning down slightly so you were face to face, his voice, low and laced with malice, as he spoke.
"Next time, ya better keep yer mouth shut 'bout things ya don't know, brat." You couldn't do anything but stare up at him, feeling just as weak and almost just as scared as before, but your fear seemed to satisfy Cash enough for him to let you go. You gasped, finally able to breathe properly, your legs giving out underneath you. Papyrus quickly came to your aid, helping you stand as you regained your composure. Cash turned to you once more.
"Oh, and don't speak to ma bro like that again, ok?" You gritted your teeth as his nasty smirk got wider by the second. "How bout an apology, huh?" he offered.
"I'm sorry you're brother's such an arsehole." You spat, but Cash's expression didn't falter. In fact, he seemed to be even more amused now. Black glowered at you, opening his mouth to respond but was quickly cut off by Blue, who insisted that he and Papyrus would take care of dinner while the two of you cooled off. Unsurprisingly, neither of you protested and you watched Black storm off to another room while you slumped onto the sofa.
"DO NOT WORRY HUMAN! I'M SURE BLACK WITH COME AROUND EVENTUALLY, AND MAYBE EVEN FASTER AFTER TONIGHT'S BONDING EXERCISE!" Papyrus decreed, so sure of his plan being a success that you didn't have the heart to be pessimistic about it. You didn't wanna risk ruining the mood more than you already had, so you simply nodded, knowing the inevitable exhaustion behind your voice would give away your views on the situation all too easily. Papyrus gleamed with enthusiasm before entering the kitchen with Blue, where you hoped they'd be able to salavage at least some of the dinner.
You looked around the living room to see who remained, only to notice how Stretch and Red were already asleep, Edge was too preoccupied with trying to find a channel on the tv he could actually "TOLERATE", as he put it, and Sans had placed himself next to you, resting his arms on the cushions, comfortably. He tilted his head, his eyes trained on you.
"You look tired, kid." he commented.
"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm tired of this crap! Why does Black seem to have such a problem with me?!" you questioned, exasperated by all the excitement. Sans shrugged which didn't answer your question, nor did it make you any less bothered by it.
"UGH, WOULD YOU STOP COMPLAINING ALREADY? YOUR PRESENCE ALONE IS IRRITATING ENOUGH BUT I SIMPLY CANNOT STAND YOUR WHINY VOICE!" Edge chimed in, glancing your way before turning back to the tv.
"Edge, c'mon now, that's a bit harsh-"
"It's fine Sans, just leave it." you didn't feel like engaging in another fight today.
Sans gave you a sympathetic look as you sighed, falling silent. You hated this. You felt so out of place here already, and you thought you'd be able to at least make yourself useful by doing something like working on the machine, or making dinner, but neither of those had worked out. To top it all off, you seemed to be getting into so many conflicts since you arrived, and yet, even though you knew you hadn't been here long, you hadn't actually got past being acquaintance with anyone, besides Papyrus.
Maybe you were hoping for too much too soon, but you couldn't help but feel incredibly alone and right now, it didn't seem like any of this was going to improve anytime soon. As if sensing your dismay, Sans wrapped an arm around you and pulled you closer to him. You were caught off guard, and ended up falling slightly onto his chest. You were about to pull yourself up and apologise when Sans stopped you, speaking before you could.
"Why don't you take a nap with me, kiddo? Looks like we could both use one." You blinked up at him and before you could decline he was already asleep. You watched him for a moment, studying how his chest moved up and down. You didn't think that, as a skeleton, he'd need to breathe, so you found this motion strange. Maybe he didn't, and he was just doing it for fun. Whatever the case, you found the action, matched with the warmth his body was radiating, to be oddly soothing. Before you knew it, your eyelids has shut, and your mind and vision soon fell into darkness.
Notes:
Poor reader, Black just can't help but get into fights with her! Seems like Paps' bonding exercise is highly needed right now!
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Questioning time
Summary:
It's time for the team to get to know each other a little better. Why not start with some good old fashioned interrogation questions...or maybe just regular questions.
Notes:
Hey guys, I just wanted to give a quick thank you for all the lovely comments you've left on my work, I love interacting with you all! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Have a good night/day! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
By the time dinner was ready, you began to stir, the clashing of plates and the scraping of chairs on the carpeted floor invading your ears. If that wasn't enough to wake you, the smell of melted cheese made your eyelids flutter open almost immediately, your mouth, watering slightly. Sans seemed to have woken up a few minutes before you, for he was staring down at you with a relaxed expression as you yawned. He waited for you to sit up before ruffling your hair and shortcutting to the kitchen, grabbing his plate and yours and then shortcutting back, not even bothering to walk either way.
Dropping the plate into your lap, he winked at you while the others came in a similar fashion, placing themselves either on the sofa or nearby chairs around them, some even sitting on the floor. Your eyes scanned the plate in front of you and your gaze landed on the food. While Papyrus and Blue couldn't save the meat, they still made use of everything else, including the wraps, which is why you were pleasantly delighted to see that they'd made quesadillas. You didn't even hesitate as you bit into one, the cheese melting in your mouth, it's gooey contents, spilling onto your tongue.
You were also happy to discover that they hadn't completely abandoned the vegetables either, as you found them hidden inside the wraps.
"Thanks Sans, you didn't have to." Sans shrugged.
"Eh, it's no problem, kiddo." he brushed it off, making you smile. Once everyone had sat down, a low murmer of chatter filled the air, nothing more than a bit of small talk here and there but it was better than silence. For a minute, you had forgot about all the chaos before hand that, when you made eye contact with Black, it quickly jogged your memory, causing you to quickly avert your eyes.
It wasn't long before everyone had finished eating, and the job fell upon you and Edge to do the washing up. As you did so, the boy of you stayed silent, neither of you having anything particularly interesting to talk about. That was, until, Edge glanced over to you and scowled.
"HUMAN, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?"
You looked down and saw what he was referring to. Compared to this morning, your plats had become much less neet, strands of your hair poking out from the sides.
"Oh yeah. Black and Cash were messing around with it a few hours ago, guess they made it all messy."
Edge cleaned the towel tightly in his hands, an irritated expression blooming on his face.
"UGH, WHY CAN'T THAT BRAT KEEP HIS HANDS TO HIMSELF!" You shrugged, wishing that Black did. "THANKS TO HIM, NOW I HAVE TO REDO IT!" Edge complained. You finished the washing up and looked over at him.
"Edge, it's fine, really. You don't have to do that, I can do it myself-"
"BAH, NONSENSE! IT WON'T BE NEARLY AS GOOD AS IF I DID IT!" you rolled your eyes at his confidence, though you had to admit, he did do a pretty good job.
"Edge, it's fine. Besides, I was gonna take them out anyways-"
"JUST BECAUSE HE RUINED THEM?! DON'T BE DAFT! NOW, COME SIT DOWN AND I'LL REDO THEM!" he demanded.
"Alright, fine."
You didn't see any point in arguing with him, as you knew he wouldn't let up about it, so you complied. Upon reentering the living room, you noticed how Papyrus had gathered everyone into a circle, sitting on the floor. You assumed this meant he was ready to begin the "bonding exercise", which seemed to be a controversial idea amongst everyone. Some were enthusiastic about it, others just wanted to leave.
Papyrus waved you over and a couple of the skeletons shuffled to the side to make room for you and Edge. You sat yourself between Edge and Stretch, who winked at you before turning to face Papyrus.
"NOW THAT EVERYONE IS HERE, I'D LIKE TO START WITH EXPLAINING WHY THIS IS A NECESSARY EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE, AND THEN WE CAN GET STARTED!" you gave Papyrus your full attention and he cleared his throat and began to explain.
"AS YOU ALL HAVE WITNESSED, THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF TENSION BETWEEN US ALL SINCE THE OTHERS HAVE ARRIVED. NATURALLY, WITH SUCH AN ODD SITUATION TO BE IN, THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED. HOWEVER, WE CANNOT CONTINUE LIKE THIS, SO AS A WAY TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER MORE, I CAME UP WITH A BRILLIANT GAME FOR US ALL TO PLAY!" Papyrus announced, beaming with pride at his own creativity.
"I WAS LOOKING FOR IDEAS ON THE INTERNET AND CAME ACROSS THIS GAME CALLED '21 DARES'. IT'S A HUMAN GAME, WHERE WE ALL GO AROUND THE ROOM, COUNTING UP TO 21, BUT YOU CAN ONLY SAY UP TO 3 NUMBERS. I HAVE SWITCHED UP THE RULES SO THAT, WHOEVER SAYS 21 DOESN'T DO A DARE BUT RATHER, HAS TO ANSWER A QUESTION BY ONE OF US!" That didn't seem to bad and as long as no one asked any too personal questions, this might go ok.
"NOW, DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND?" everyone murmured agreements in union and Papyrus smiled. "GREAT! LET'S GET STARTED THEN!"
----------
It took a couple of rounds before everyone got a hand of it, but once they did, the game ran smoothly...mostly. Stretch was the first to get to 21, though he seemed a little awkward about it.
"So, uh...who asks the question?" He asked, and you shrugged.
"I guess anyone who can think of one first?" you suggested and he seemed content with that answer.
"Why don't we start with something simple?"
"OH, OH! I KNOW! STRETCH, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?" Papyrus enquired, enthusiastically.
"Blue." He answered, shortly. Papyrus looked mildly surprised but pleased with his answer.
"BLUE IS AN EXCELLENT COLOUR!"
The next few rounds of questions followed a similar pattern, prompting you to find out minor details about the others. For example: Red's preferred drink was usually a green martini, but he wasn't opposed to substitutes like mustard or relish. Sans, aside from his pun loving nature, actually had a passion for astronomy, while Blue and Papyrus shared a similar fondness to pop music and puzzles, though Blue was more into riddles at times. You also found out that, unsurprisingly, Cash had a little bit of a gambling problem, and Edge and Black were both very ardent when it came to anything fighting related.
Throughout the game, you had also given the skeletons bits and pieces of information about you, like your hobbies and favourite tv shows. However, as the game progressed, some of the monsters got a little brave and began asking some deeper questions, some a little out of the Blue. But, of course, it was nothing too serious, and most gave half arsed answers anyways.
Once again, you ended up being asked another question. You had managed to avoid being asked too many, but it seemed like your lucky streak was ending.
"SO, HUMAN-"
"You know you guys can just call me by my name, right?" you interrupted, rubbing the back of your neck, awkwardly. It felt weird to be refered to by your species name all the time.
"O-OH, OF COURSE HUMAN- UH, I MEAN...UH" Papyrus twiddled his thumbs nervously, breaking out in a small sweat as he continued to stutter, his smile now slightly strained. You looked around only to find the others in a similar state. You raised an eyebrow when nobody jumped in the conversation and then it clicked.
"Wait, do none of you know my name?" You gaped at them in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Had you really not given them your name? You tried to recall a time when any of them used your name and not a nickname for you, but you couldn't.
"WELL, I GUESS THAT CAN BE YOUR QUESTIONS THEN! HUMAN, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" Blue asked, still sweating.
"Y/n." Blue smiled.
"THAT'S A WONDERFUL NAME, Y/N!" A couple nodded in agreent and you thanked him.
"THAT WAS A RUBBISH QUESTION! THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD'VE KNOWN BEFORE HAND!"
"But you didn't." you pointed out and Edge huffed.
"STILL, I PROPOSE WE ASK ANOTHER, SINCE THAT WAS BARELY AM INTERROGATION QUESTION AT ALL!"
"Don't think that's how the game works, Edge." Stretch piped up and you nodded in agreement with him.
"And it's not an interrogation, y'know." Edge simply rolled his eyes before giving up and letting the game continue.
As you went around listing numbers again, Edge tapped you on the shoulder, motioning towards your hair. You gave him an amused smile, before shuffling closer to him, rolling your eyes playfully as you let him rebraid them, since he was so insistent upon doing so. A couple of the others took notice of this, particularly Stretch, who was sitting next to you. He gingerly took one of the braids in his hands and studied it with milk curiosity, right before Edge whacked his hand away, sharply.
"Hey-"
"NO TOUCHING! YOU'LL MESS IT UP JUST LIKE BLACK DID, WHICH IS THE WHOLE REASON WHY I AM CURRENTLY WASTING MY TIME REDOING THEM!"
"You know you don't have to redo them-"
"SILENCE WENCH!" You grimaced slightly but didn't fight back.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I MESSED THEM UP? I BARELY TOUCHED THEM! AND BESIDES, PAPY- I MEAN, CASH, WAS MESSING WITH THEM TOO!" Black protested, promting Cash to respond, feigning hurt.
"Way to throw me under the bus, bro." Black sneered at him in response before returning his demanding glare over to Edge.
"WHAT? IT'S TRUE, LOOK AT HOW MESSY THEY ARE! AND- UGH- THIS ANGLE IS SHIT!" You were about to question what he meant when you felt his arms leave your hair and grab you under your arms, hoisting you up and placing you down on his lap as you let out a shriek of confusion. The others looked at him in befuddlement and you couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"Edge, what the hell- OW!" Edge tugged on your hair, signaling for you to be quiet and you groaned. Your posture slumped while the others snickered at you.
Simultaneously, you and Edge glared at them, and before you could say anything, Edge beat you to it.
"THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT? GET ON WITH YOUR STUPID GAME ALREADY!" While continuing to smirk at the two of you, the others did quickly continue the game, occasionally casting a teasing gaze toward you to which you retaliated with a scowl. As the rounds went on, it was now Blue's turn to be asked a question.
"Alright short stack-"
"YOU ARE BARELY TALLER THAN ME, RED-"
"Who was yer first?" A couple of the others tisked at him for asking such a question.
"RED! MUST YOU ASK SUCH A CRUDE QUESTION IN FRONT OF A CHILD?" Papyrus sighed.
"First what?"
"SEE, SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW-!" Papyrus stressed and Red chuckled.
"First person he banged, kiddo."
Papyrus let out a groan at his forwardness and you made an "ooh" noise, in understanding. You thought he had meant first partner, or something.
"WELL, RED, IF YOU MUST KNOW...IT WAS QUEEN TORIEL." You heard Stretch audibly choke upon hearing that, looking at his brother, completely flabbergasted. Red let outa low, steady whistle.
"Damn kid, really? The queen-"
"YOU HAD SEX WITH QUEEN TORIEL?"
Stretch yelled out, as if he didn't believe the words he spoke. Blue chuckled at his younger brother's surprise.
"When? No, why? Why didn't you tell me?"
"WELL, IT WAS A VERY PRIVATE ARRANGEMENT, PAPYRUS. NO ONE KNEW OF IT, WELL, APART FROM GRILLBY."
"GRILLBY? Really?" Blue grimaced slightly.
"WELL, A FEW MONTHS AFTERWARDS, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF HAVING A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO DRINK AND ENDED UP TELLING GRILLBY. OF COURSE, HE SWORE HE WOULDN'T TELL, FOR THE RIGHT PRICE OF COURSE."
Stretch's mouth hung open and Blue laughed once again. You knew nothing about the their world's queen, or the relationship they had with her, but Blue bagging royalty, now that was truly something.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me..." Stretch mumbled quietly, and for a moment, you saw Blue's grin drop slightly. You reached over and patted Stretch's knee, making him regain his composure and smile lazily at his brother.
"Nice one though, bro. If anyone could get royalty, it would be you."
Blue's smile returned in for force.
"MWEHEHE, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MY FLIRTATION SKILLS, BROTHER! I TOLD YOU TO READ MY DATING MANUAL, MAYBE IT WOULD HELP YOU AS WELL." Stretch shrugged.
"Nah, probably not. But thanks anyways, bro." Before you continued, an idea suddenly occurred to you.
"Wait, so if Blue had sex with Queen Toriel, does that mean that Black also...?" At your comment, everyone looked over to Black for confirmation and he rolled his eyes, puffing out his chest slightly. His cheeks turned a light shade of violet as he crossed his arms.
"AND? WHAT OF IT?" So you were correct.
"Seriously bro?" Cash raised an eyebrow at his brother, surprised at how bold his brother had been. He knew that their queen was certainly not the most merciful creature, so Black having the balls to even flirt with the queen was incredibly dangerous in Cash's eyes.
"YES, NOW LET'S MOVE ON, SHALL WE?" Cash eyed his brother before dropping the topic.
"Heh, this game just got interestin', I'll say."
Red remarked, his mouth curvying upwards into a toothy grin, allowing you to catch a glimpse of his golden tooth. You were intrigued by it, and decided that you would ask him about it on his next turn. Luckily for you, that came around pretty fast.
"I have a question! Red, how did you get your gold tooth?" You saw Red's grin falter while Edge went stiff behind you.
"Uh...'ts a long story, kid. But I basically got the shit knocked outta me when I was younger, so bad so that it made me lose ma tooth here-" he pointed at his golden tooth and then let out a gruff laugh, "then of course, Paps bein' the way he is and wantin' to avenge me and all, he went back and stole the bastard's cash and used it ta get me ma tooth."
Red continued to laugh as he recalled the look on the guy's face when he realised all his stuff was gone but Edge didn't laugh with him. Instead, he focused intensly on braiding your hair, his movements now a little stiffer. You wondered if you had brought up a difficult subject but you didn't have much time to reflect on your question as it was now your turn. Sans was the first to ask you.
"So kid, you got any siblings back home?" He asked and you nodded.
"Yeah, I have a younger brother. He's, uh, eleven and going into year seven this september."
"Oh, so you're the older sibling, then?"
"Yeah, unfortunately." Sans raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what you meant by that when Papyrus cut him off.
"YEAR SEVEN? HUMAN, DO YOU MEAN GRADE SEVEN?" You shook your head.
"No. Ok, so like, I think the equivalent of year seven would be...grade six here? Uh, I don't know, the American grading system is so confusing."
"OH, SO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT GRADING SYSTEMS IN- UH..."
"The UK."
"YES, THE 'UK'. WOWIE, I HAD NO IDEA! I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SAME EVERYWHERE!"
"Nah, it's not. Like how the shops were different to me? It's like that with a lot of things."
"AH, I SEE! THAT MEANS THAT YOUR BROTHER IS IN THE SAME GRADE AS FRISK THEN!"
Edge had finally finished platting your hair as you felt his grip slip, however, he made no attempt to move you, instead placing his hands beside him on the floor.
"Who's Frisk?" you inquired.
"FRISK IS THE HUMAN CHILD THAT SET ALL MONSTER KIND FREE FROM THE MOUNTAIN! NOW THEY'RE OUR AMBASSADOR FOR MONSTERS AS WELL, AND AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE! IT'S TRULY IMPRESSIVE. OH, YOU JUST HAVE TO MEET THEM ONE DAY, HUMAN! I'M SURE THEY'LL LOVE YOU."
Sans coughed, looking at his brother to get his attention.
"Uh, bro, remember how we're keeping this whole inter-dimensional space travel thing a secret? Not sure going out and introducing everyone is the best idea..." Sans did have a point, but surely you couldn't hide forever. Who knows how long you'd be here for and it was only a matter of time before the others got restless and wanted to go out again, like they had before.
"Why don't we create a cover? Like, these guys-" you motioned to their counterparts, "look like you two enough for you to claim them as you family, like, cousins or something." You suggested and Sans considered it for a moment.
"Not a bad idea, bud. It's practical, too."
"BUT WHAT ABOUT Y/N?" Blue chimed in and everyone thought for a moment.
"WE CAN SAY SHE'S OUR PET-"
"Black, no. That's so wrong, on like, so many levels." Sans scolded and Black grumbled at his idea being shot down. It took another moment of silence to pass over the group until Papyrus let out a gasp. You presumed that meant he had an idea.
"WHAT IF WE SAY SHE'S OUR ADOPTED SIBLING?"
"What about when she goes back home?" Stretch asked.
"FOSTER SIBLING THEN! YES, THAT'LL WORK JUST FINE!"
You saw no issues with that, and it gave you the perfect scapegoat for when you eventually left.
"That's a great idea, Papy." Papyrus beamed at you.
"WHY THANK YOU, FOSTER SISTER!" you giggled at his antics. After that, everyone decided to end the game there, seeing as it was getting late and some were fed up of answering and asking questions. As everyone stood up, you caught Papyrus on his way to the kitchen.
"Hey, Papyrus?" he turned, looking down at you as you walked with him.
"YES HUMAN, WHAT CAN THE GREAT PAPYRUS DO FOR YOU?"
"Well, I was thinking about what you said about Frisk freeing you guys, and given everyone's reaction to being here, I was wondering...what's the story here? Like, how come monsters have only just appeared on the surface?" you knew bits and pieces, but not the whole picture, and it was something you had been curious about since you got here.
Papyrus stopped in his tracks and rested his chin in between his index finger and thumb.
"HMMM...WELL, I COULD TELL YOU, HUMAN, OR....I COULD HAVE SANS TELL US AS OPPOSED TO MY USUAL BED TIME STORY!" wait, he still had bedtime stories?
"GASP! WE COULD EVEN MAKE IT A SLEEPOVER! WHAT DO YOU SAY? YOU'D GET TO SEE MY COOL RACE CAR BED!" A sleepover with Papyrus? That actually sounded kinda fun, so you agreed.
"OH, HOW WONDERFUL! I'LL GO TELL MY BROTHER WHILE YOU GET CHANGED INTO YOUR PJ'S!" you watched him speed off to prepare and you figured you should do the same. Once you had changed, you went to to retrieve your sleeping bag so you could move it into Papyrus' room. When you picked it up, Edge stopped you, looking down at you, quizically.
"HUMAN, WHERE ARE YOU TAKING THAT?" he gestured towards the bag in your hands.
"I'm having a sleepover with Papyrus, so I'm taking it to his room." Edge seemed to frown at that statement.
"A SLEEPOVER? WITH THAT IDIOT? WHY?" he questioned, seeming somewhat irritated, but you had no idea why. You began to wonder if he was always angry. The sound tapping filled the moment of silence, causing you to briefly look down to the source. The heel of his boot was rapidly tapping against the carpet, making a soft, yet noticeable, thud.
"Well, I asked Papyrus to tell me a little more about the history of monsters-" the tapping stopped, "and he said that he'd have Sans tell us a story about it! So, he suggested that we have a sleepover."
Edge froze, glaring down at you as you smiled.
"Now, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely too old for bedtime stories, but this is more like a history lesson, so really, it's fine. Plus, it'll be fun!" Edge turned his head away, and crossed his arms. He stayed silent for a moment, his eyes, narrowed, before turning back to you with a hard expression.
"FINE, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!" And with that, Edge pushed you out of the room and slammed the door behind him. As the door closed, you heard the faint grumbling of Edge's voice, but decided to leave him be. Clearly, he was just a little more grumpy tonight. You shrugged, figuring it was probably a good thing that you were rooming with Papyrus, if Edge was that annoyed. Even if it was for only one night, you had a feeling that this would be fun.
----------
"You sure you don't want your usual, Paps?"
"NO THANK YOU, BROTHER! AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE HUMAN IS EAGER TO LEARN THE HISTORY OF OUR PEOPLE, ISN'T THAT RIGHT, HUMAN?"
You nodded, crossing your legs. You were sat next to Papyrus on his race car bed, the blanket, creasing underneath you.
"Yeah, c'mon Sans! Please?" you fluttered your eyelashes innocently at him and he chuckled.
"Alright, alright. Here comes a skele-ton of information." he winked, causing Papyrus to groan beside you in agony. Sans sat down in a chair near the bed and cleared his none existent throat for dramatic effect, dragging out his antics before Papyrus got impatient and told him to get on with it, making you giggle in response.
"Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell."
Your eyes were captivated on Sans as he spoke with an undertone of melancholy. You didn't blame him. He went on to tell you of how King Asgore, or "king fluffy buns" as many knew him to be, vowed to collect seven human souls in order to set monster kind free. This declaration had come about through the death of his two children, Prince Asriel, and a human named Chara, and the departure of his ex-wife, former Queen Toriel. It turns out that Frisk had actually been the seventh human soul, and had managed to befriend pretty much every monster in the underground, eventually setting them free, too. Now, they lived up on the surface with Toriel as their mother. To top it all off, they were also an ambassador for monsters and in school. Of course, Sans did mention that Asgore often helped Frisk a lot, as they were still quite young, which seemed reasonable to you.
By the time Sans had finished, you were left feeling so many emotions, unable to be attended to all at once. The anger you felt towards the humans of the past, locking the monsters away for so long, and the astonishment at Frisk's actions and the fact that the humans in this world actually had magic once upon a time ago. Yet, despite all that, surprise did not phase you. You knew the way your kind was. All throughout history there's record of people turning away others due to differences, and possibly even before that, so you weren't at all surprised that they'd do the same to monsters, especially since they were a different species to them. To you.
What did intrigue you, however, was the fact that these humans used to have magic. And, even if they can't practice it now, what's to say they don't have it? What if it still resonates some where deep within their souls, just waiting to be awakened? The thought excited you, the idea that humans could have magic, but, you had to remind yourself that those rules probably didn't apply to you, considering you were from another universe, so have no ancestoral connections to these people whatsoever.
The thought put a slight damper on your mood, but you quickly reminded yourself that you were getting wrapped up in possibilities, and were not focusing on the big picture. The whole reason Papyrus had suggested having a sleepover in the first place.
"It's a lot to take in, huh, kid?" Sans' voice snapped you out of your thoughts, making you aware of the blanket of silence that had draped over the room.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. It's just..."
"Surprising?"
"No. Sad." You put it, plainly. "Being deprived of the world for so long and barely being able to do anything about it." You looked between the two of them with a sympathetic look on your face.
"I'm sorry that happened to you guys. You didn't deserve that, and those humans were wrong for that." You stated and Papyrus pulled you into a hug.
"THAT IS ALRIGHT, HUMAN! IT WAS NOT YOU WHO DID THAT, AND BESIDES, WE'RE ON THE SURFACE NOW, SO ALL IS WELL! WELL, MOSTLY..." You raised an eyebrow.
"Mostly?"
"WELL, N-NOT ALL OF THE HUMANS HAVE BEEN VERY...ACCEPTING OF MONSTER KIND. BUT, I'M SURE THAT WILL CHANGE ONCE WE BEFIREND ENOUGH OF THEM AND SHOW THEM WE'RE NOT A THREAT!"
To you, it wasn't a massive shock that monsters were facing issues with prejudice. At least, that's what you assumed they meant. You wondered how bad it was.
"So, prejudice?" Papyrus began to sweat, resting his head on your shoulder without realising.
"WELL-"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"SANS! THE HUMANS JUST NEED SOME TIME-"
"They've had plenty of time. They've had hundreds of years."
"HUNDREDS OF YEARS THINKING WE DIDN'T EXIST!" Papyrus retorted.
"But we knew they existed."
You felt the tensions slowly creeping up into the atmosphere. You could tell Papyrus was just trying to keep things peaceful, and by the sounds of it, that was probably the difference between another war breaking out between the two races, but you understood where Sans was coming from. He just wanted to be accepted, and have his family and friends, his kind, accepted and live here in peace. You knew Papyrus wanted that too, but you knew how difficult your kind could be when it came to change, and some would never give into it. That was the sad reality, and you had a feeling some already knew that.
Papyrus sighed. "IT'S A SHAME ALL HUMANS CAN'T BE AS ACCEPTING AS YOU, HUMAN." you looked at Papyrus, who had now let go of you.
"You're right as usual, bro." Sans praised,before focusing on you. "You know, for a human, you've been strangely accepting of us, even though you had no prior knowledge of us, and were mildly attacked by...some." Sand pointed out.
"Well, when you're thrown into a completely different universe with no concept of what's normal here and what's not, you learn to adapt fast."
You shrugged, smiling at the two of them.
"And besides, if you think I'd judge an entire species just from a couple of bad encounters, then you're mad. Firstly, that makes no sense. Secondly, a lot of you are quite sweet, and you've given me no reason to 'hate' you. Plus, humans don't have magic anymore, so there's nothing anyone can do about you being up here now. Meaning, they're gonna have to deal with it."
Your response made both skeletons smile brightly, and you were pulled into another big hug by Papyrus, except this time, Sans joined you by wrapping an arm around your waist and ruffling your hair.
"Sans, must you always do that? You're messing up my hair! This is like, what, the fourth time? I don't even know!"
The brothers chuckled at your mini outburst, as they knew there was no malice behind your words. Sans shrugged, simply starting down at you with a teasing grin.
"What, messing it up how? Like this?"
Sans continued to rub your hair, but this time, Papyrus decided to join him. You were surrounded by the two of them and you couldn't help but laugh along with them whilst attempting to push them away, but to no avail.
"Guys- stop! I'm serious!" You laughed and it took a few more seconds of them teasing you before their laughter died down and the finally let you go. You reached up just for your fingers to brush against the multiple hair strands that stuck out of place thanks to them.
"Oh, thanks a lot."
"IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EDGE IS GOING TO WANT TO RE DO YOUR HAIR. AGAIN."
"Ugh, I don't know why he's so obsessed with it. Although, from what I've seen, he seems to be like that with a lot of things. It's like he's bordering on being a perfectionist, or maybe that's what he is."
You replied, having noticed his clean habits quite quickly. When you first entered the room you shared with him and Red, you saw that, while Red had somehow managed to move the mattress, so it was crooked, and his blankets that had been carelessly strewn on the floor, Edge's bed was immaculate.
"YES, I DO BELIEVE HE MAY BE THAT AS WELL. BUT, YOUR HAIR IS VERY PRETTY, HUMAN! IT MAKES SENSE AS TO WHY EDGE IS SO DRAWN TO IT! ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE SKELETONS, SO WE HAVE NO HAIR OF OUR OWN."
"Aww, thanks Paps, I do try to take care of it, but someone keep tampering with it." You fake coughed out Sans' name while gesturing over to the lazy skeleton with your eyes.
"What can I say? I guess you see right through my antics."
Sans' pun was met with unamused silence from the both of you until Papyrus broke it by groaning.
"SANS, NOT EVEN THE HUMAN FINDS YOU FUNNY!" You nodded, a deadpan expression on your face.
"Aww, c'mon kiddo, you're breaking my heart here." Sans placed a hand on his chest where his "heart" would be, and you raised an eyebrow at him.
"Sans, please, you don't even have a heart...right?" Sans' grin widened slightly and he shrugged.
"Nah, I don't. But I do have a soul and right now, it's breaking into tiny little pieces."
A soul? You were sure you had heard that term before, had you not? You would definitely have to do some more investigating as to what that was. You had always heard that term refered to in a spiritual way, but these guys talked about it as if it was a physical thing they possessed. You didn't know the rules of this world well enough, so it was entirely possible for that to be the case, but you couldn't be sure without further research. You could ask one of them, but you decided that they had answered enough questions for tonight, and you also had a feeling that it might be a sensitive subject, one you should approach with a foundation of knowledge before hand.
"Sorry Sans, you need to work on your act." You nudged away from you, causing him to land lying down on the bed with a thud, but Sans didn't seem to mind one bit. You laughed as he quickly fell asleep, while being simultaneously jealous of his napping abilities, but Papyrus didn't find much humour in Sans' behaviour.
"BROTHER, THIS IS NO TIME FOR SLEEPING! WELL- TECHNICALLY IT IS, I SUPPOSE. BUT NOT IN HERE! NOW, GET UP AND LEAVE THE HUMAN AND ME TO OUR SLEEPOVER, PLEASE!"
Papyrus asked, and you didn't think Sans heard, but he lazily opened one of his eye sockets to address the both of you.
"Sleep tight, bro. You too, kid." And with that, he teleported away, leaving you and Papyrus alone.
Notes:
Poor reader, having to put up with sleepover shenanigans. At least she got a mini history lesson out of it! Hope you all enjoyed! 🌸
Chapter 18: Chapter 18: a sweet treat
Summary:
Aftermath of reader's sleepover with Papyrus, I wonder how it went...
Plus side quest with Stretch :D
Notes:
Hey guys, hope you're all doing well!
Sorry it's a shorter chapter today, but I hope you all enjoy (I know I say this every time but I don't really know what to say 😅🌸)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You continued to talk with Papyrus for half an hour longer, before the both of you decided it was time for the both of you to sleep. He did offer you his bed while he slept on the floor but you couldn't bring yourself enduldge in his generous nature anymore than you already had. Luckily for you, he understood and allowed you to get some rest. As you climbed into your sleeping bag, resting your head on the extra pillow Papyrus gave you, whilst being lulled by the dull warmth emitting from the atmosphere of his room, you already knew that you were going to have a good sleep.
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Ḯ̶͔͕̱̳̫n̷̗̥̄͐̓̌̂̚ ̶̝̺̑̑̅͗̿͠t̵̤̩̾͂̕h̴̹͕̖͉̹̹͊̕̕i̴͚̖̝͔̯̓̋̐͝s̸̨̥̔͗͌̽͆͝ ̸̨̜̞̖̦̀̄͐̕w̷͓̺̝̒̀͊o̶͖̙̻̺͍̬͛͝r̵̪͇̦̫͚̼̒̓l̶̠̹̦̖̖̰̏̌̇́͒ḑ̵̹̃́̕,̴̧̫̮̲̻̂͒̿ ̶̰̎̅́̓͝͝i̵̞̞̯̞̼̔͌͛͋̄̾͜t̶̩̃͜'̷̟͙͕̞̣͚̌̽̔̒̾͝ś̴͇̥̰̹̜͜ ̷̡̭̗̘̋ͅK̷̮̝̮͆͐͑͐̚Ï̵͉̭̩͚͍͇̀̽̈́́́Ḷ̸̌͛̋͝L̵͇̤͉͙̺̖̿̀̎̈́͝ ̶͙͍͒̓̅̌̋͝O̶͎͂͐̐͛́R̵͉̎̉̊͑͠ ̶̰͇̓B̵̜͓̥̐̂E̴͚̒̈́̍͆͆͜ ̷͈̯̯̄K̸̪̮̗͇̪̇̐̇̍͠Í̶͇̣̼̲L̵͕̗̅̈́̀͘͝L̸̬͇̑͐Ȇ̶̱̪̮͍͎͕̄̾̎͠Ď̸̞͉̙̤̌̋,̶͚̅̆̈́͋̚͜ ̵͎̫̻̬̱̰̔͝å̷̪̫͆̌͆̏͌n̷̮̈́̌́̕̚͜d̴̰͊̐ ̸̟̫̫̪̹̼͑͒̈́̍̕͘y̵͍̠̳͇͔͕͊͛͠ọ̸̣̮͆ü̷̫͉͈̩͕͚̓̍͝ ̷̨̠̖̗̿͛͌ẃ̷̹̠̱͈͙̂̚ͅő̴̼̿n̸̳̔'̴̧̬̣͋͜ṭ̵̡͍̲͔͗̇ ̴̡́̑͌͘͠l̸̨͕̖̒̍̀͝ạ̵̛̮̦̼͇̈͗͐͝ͅs̷̢͉̭̜̼̀͐͋̅ͅt̴̰̐͑̔̿͐ ̷͇̻̹̀́̉å̸̛͍͓͚̭ ̸͉̓̿̊ş̵̡͖͍̻͑̀̍͌̓͠ȩ̵̢̦͖͖͛c̵̡̼̜͓̮͆̊̌̾̍͋o̴͖̰̙̼̣͎̾n̶̡̬̩̏̈́̀́̕͘d̴̨͓̖͚̙̰͂̏ ̷̗̱͕̼̈͘i̵̝̬̳̭̫̰̊̽͋ń̷̮͈̣̻̓͆̔͑̚ ̸̺̣͑͋̃̀̐t̶̯͈͕̭͓͊̇͋̕ͅh̴̳̹͉͑̍is ̶̩̳͋w̵͕̙̅͗͘͝ọ̵̡̦͒̽́r̵̙̰͂̈̒́̋l̴͕̯̤̆͋d̸̡̘͙̖̺͉͊́.̶̧̩̲́͆ ̷̧̝͛
̸̛̝̗̹͗̃̓̚͝
̵͉̚͝
Ý̷̨͎̝͙̹͉͓͊̅̇ớ̴̺̲̻̻͉̩̠̲̰̈́̐͑̈́͝ũ̶͈̇͆̈́̅͠'̶̺̫̜͉̝̀̌̏͌̋̋̉͐͑͋̚̚ȑ̴͇͇̟̫͙̫̰̣͈̒ͅͅe̸̡̢̹̮͇̙̜͍̺̭̳̽̊̽̿̉̏͗́͐͂͌̈͜ ̴̞̫͐̀͑j̶̫͓͕̼̝͋͋̔̂̾̽ͅu̷̼͇̥͓̤̺͈̳̫͚͍̣̒̌͛̇̾̄̽̂͋̈́̈́͋s̵̡̛̍̏̂̾̇t̵̨̨̻̟͓̻̹̟̮̺̬̤̠̱̾́͆̐̂̇̚ ̵̧͙͕͖̺͈̪̎̀̎̉̅̂͗́͊̓̊̌͒͜ḁ̵̰̹͙̞͇̑̌͊̈́̽́̚ ̶̡̫͍̩̱̠͆ͅG̷̛̳͍̙̫͇̽̓̋̈́̋̍͌̚L̵̗̄̓̾̑͛͐̓̍̃̒̕͝͝Ĩ̸̙͍͎̠͇͈̠̄̊̏͊̄̓͒̑̉̀̆̈T̸̝͇̝͈̲̭͓̣̮̜͓̦͐̀̓̍́̄́͝C̷͔̞͓̥̠̦̘̺͕͇̼̑͂̇̉̕͘͠H̸̡̘͝ ̵̨̛̜͈̺̲̝̼̹̬̬̖̼̠͗̌̃͋̕
̸͚͍̲̜̘̹̰̈́ͅ
̷̧̛̮̞̗̥̬̜̣̮̠͍̟͈̜̎̊̎̎̿͆͂̄͒̅̐̑͘Y̶̛̛̪̞͖̭̦̖̥̝̲̬̩͈̔̈́̇̎̃͐̀͆̒͜ò̵̧̜̹̬̰̘͓̱̖͓̣͈̔̀̏̾̇͂̉̇̿̂̃͌̕u̵̥͖͙͎̠̟̙̹̤̣̗̤̇͒͆̆͂̇̎̇͘'̶̱̮̥͓̼̫͈̻͂̈̓͛̊́̃͌̑̏̕̚͜͝͝ȓ̵̡̢̢̺͖̹͔̜̩̠̒̄͂̂̉͝e̴̘̩̮̝̎͠ ̷̻͑̅n̶̞͔̳̭̹̘͈̫̞̓͆̋̉̑́̆͑̂͋̃̚͜ô̶̦̱̝̑̓̒ţ̶̡̢͚̩̖͙͎͈̣̿̊̏̉̌͋̋̀̓͠ ̵̛̻̳͓̼̙̭͉̝̥̏̋̀͛̋̐͗̆̾ŝ̵̝̭̦͍̳̦̼̆̈́͂̏͋̿u̸̦͙̤̪͍̇̋̓͋p̸̡̢̛̦̯̘̯̺͕̑̃̈́͜p̸̳̰̘̼̝̻͇͉͖̺̗͈͕̩̎̃̄̅̓̕̚͘͝ó̷̢̧̘̟͙̪͈̟͇̗̲͜s̶͎͊̓̐̃̓͊̔͝ė̸͙͎͎̤̻̩͔͍̟̬͈̊ͅd̵͓͔̦̩̀͂̐͌̒̿͋͐͘ ̵̢̭͎̃t̴̟̺͍̂͑̇̊̿͊́̌͛̏̀̈́̅̕ō̷͈̣̗̖̭̝̖̳̄͗͒̐̓͜ ̴̟̫̯̣̰̪͑̐̃͛̈̚͜͝ͅb̷̛͕̙̫̟̟̣̳͈̹̠̞̀͊̌̽͂̽̈́̎̏̀͐̚̚e̶͚̠͓̠͖̍̇̅͑͑̈́ ̸̛̱͍̗̭͇̣̙̬͈̟̞̞̌̑̆̈́̈͊̍̊͆̋͝ͅh̷̦͉̆͗̊̆̐̆̿͊̂͗̚ę̷̭̖̳̰̘̪͍̠̩̓̓̈́̈́͐̊̃̇͂̕̚ͅr̸̛̲̝̻̖̲͉̺̲̯͜e̵̱̗͖͓͕̞̘̩̬̙̓͆̍̈͂́͌́̄
̷̛̦̪͚͒́̓̃̅̄́̿͛̌̚͝
̴̢̡̘̣̺̯͙͆̂͑̾̓̐͒̈̇̆͛͐̃͝
̴̧̢̧̤̲̥̗̘̮͔̺̖̪̠̟̤͎̗̥̲̖̤̲̙̙̙̘͛̈́̏͜Ģ̷̨̧̛̘̪̗̟̬͓̹̲̞͇͉͓̣̣̹͇̝͕̖̼̰̯̗̖̱̖̞̺̗̰͎̓͑͋̔̈́͋̋́̃́͐͋̿͌̉̊̈͆̎̒͒͐̽̐̅̏̈̇͂̊͑̓̉̃̃̓͌͜͝ͅL̷̨̧̧͚̯̮͍͉̮̣͈͇̻̤͓̳̖̣̖̞͍̞͍̬̠͖̖̮̯͉̐̊̒͜͜ͅĮ̴̛̫̬̰̖͙̙̤̯̠͈͍̭̪̬͉̘̟̩̱̼̝͎̱͔̞̞͈͓̻͌͋̍͒̏̍̂͂́͌͆͂͗́̆́̅͘͜͝Ṭ̴̡̦̟̹̩̳̟̥̮̪͓̫̙̹̿̽̌̌̉̂͜Ç̴̛͕̫̭̣̥̲̽̅́̃͛̒̃́̃̿̓̒̒͂̔̇̑͗̋ͅH̶̢̧̛̦̰̫̜̜͚̞͉̫͈͚͇̙̦̯̱̭̻͉͙͙̜̋̎̔̽͌̋́͆̓̓̒̌̄ ̸̛̛̼̻͓͔̲̳͓̲̬̪̦̩̭̹̩̭͉͍̖̲̭͎̥̜̯̰̒͆̊́͒͑̀͌̒̏̚͜ͅ
̴̨̡̨̨̨͚̩̝̙͈̜̬̥̯̰͇͙̗̞̞̩͔̥̹̠̘͚̦͓̏̂͒̿̅̆͘͜͝ͅͅ
̴̡͕̠̘̺̫̬̲̠̹̥͖̫̺̯̱̐̔́̑̋̈̔̍̒̑͐̀̃̾́̃̇̀̿̒̓̿
̸̡͖̟̙͔͇͚̺͚̟͓̹̱̼̳͕̫͖̻̥͉̯̜̳̋̓͌͗̉̈̿́̈̓͑̔͊̕͘͘͜͝͝
You awoke sharply with a loud gasp as you were suddenly snapped out of your dream. Your eyes scanned the room frantically as you felt your body grow still under the crushing weight of fear, beads of sweat running down your skin. It felt like an eternity passed as you lied there helplessly, only able to focus on your erratic heartbeat that was thumping heavily against your chest. You felt as though you were being suffocated, your lungs, tightening with every passing moment.
Your lip quivered. It was on the verge of spilling out the sobs you were holding back, but you refused, in an effort not to wake Papyrus. Slowly, you sat up and pushed yourself up so you could get a better look at him. A momentary thought occured of waking him but you quickly dismissed the idea. Just because your body was pumping with adrenaline and your mind full of horrible scenarios, didn't mean you needed to wake him up. You had already bothered too many of these monsters so far and you didn't want to add Papyrus to that list. You could deal with this on your own.
Tentatively, you creeped out of the room, doing your very best to be as quiet as possible. Your feet brushed on the carpet as you made your way downstairs, unintentionally flinching at anything that looked or sounded slightly out of the ordinary. It was only when you reached the couch that you curled up in a ball and began to sob quietly into your knees, hugging your legs tightly for some sort of protection.
You would've noticed yourself shiver from the cold if you hadn't been frozen in fear. You couldn't remember the last time you had a nightmare, but you were sure you weren't going to forget this one. It had been awful. That flower's distorted voice screaming nasty things at you while his morphed, scraggly vines towered over you. His thorns had been mere inches away from your neck before you snapped back into consciousness, and you couldn't be more thankful for the abrupt ending.
Despite this, you were now overcome with immense terror, and being engulfed in the bitter darkness that surrounded you wasn't exactly helping you relax. The silence would've been eerie if not for your the sound of your hushed weeping filling the room, just barely muffling out the arrival of another presence near you. You were so engrossed in your own mind that when you felt a boney hand reach out and place itself on your shoulder you nearly screamed bloody murder and practically flung yourself over to the other side of the sofa.
"Woah buddy, it's ok, it's just me. You're good ol' pal Sans, see?"
Your chest moved cartoonishly up and down in surprise at Sans' arrival, your gaze still transfixed on him before you could process anything. After a moment, your brain finally realised that he wasn't a threat, so you resumed your previous emotional state and the tears continued to flow down your cheeks like two rapid water currents carrying their contents down streem in a race to see who could reach the ocean first. At this moment, your were too upset to be embarrassed, but you knew that when you looked back on tonight, you would be, for it felt like this was the 100th time you'd cried in front of him in the short space of time you'd been here.
The next time you wiped your eyes, in a futile attempt to stop the tears, you noted that Sans was now sitting right beside you. What happened next wasn't unwelcome or surprising, as he pulled you into his warm embrace, his arms, wrapping around you protectively. For some reason, you immediately latched onto him and found comfort in his presence and you began to cry into his chest quietly, and he let you, gently stroking your hair while softly shushing you every so often, but not as if he was scolding you.
"Shh, shh, I know kiddo, I know. It's ok."
His words filled you with a sense of solace, encouraging your body to gradually relax. The two of you stayed in that position for a while, neither of you speaking until you were mostly calm. After all, the last thing Sans wanted to do was push you into a worse state than you were already in. Eventually, once you had calmed down, you worked up the courage to start the conversation first.
"Sans, I'm-"
"If you're about to apologise right now kid, then don't. Cause you have nothing to apologise for."
At that remark, you quickly shut you mouth. Sans chuckled at your predictability, though you weren't as amused as he was. When he realised this, he sighed.
"If you wanna talk about it kid, I'm all ears." that comment caused you to let out a small laugh.
"Sans, you don't even have ears." You pointed out.
"Doesn't mean I can't listen."
"..."
You didn't wanna talk about your nightmare. You didn't want to even think about it for another second. The memory of that talking flower haunted you so badly that it had made it's way into your dreams. If anything, you thought Black would've been the first fright that invaded your unconscious mind, but that clearly wasn't the case. As well as this, you couldn't help but feel a little guilty about this whole ordeal.
Firstly, you had disturbed Sans, who was now having to comfort you as if you were a little kid. Secondly, you felt as though your nightmare was your fault. If you hadn't run off into those damn woods, you would've never encountered that demonic flower, then your mind wouldn't have been swarming with all those horrible reminders of it. It was almost as if you had no right to even be upset in the first place, at least that's what you thought, and you certainly didn't need to bother Sans more than you already had.
"...you wanna talk about it?" Sans asked, looking down at you sympathetically.
"N-not right now..."
You mumbled and he hummed in acknowledment of your decision. Instead of pushing for more answers out of you, he simply pulled you in closer, his grip becoming a little tighter as he held you. You greatly appreciated what he was doing for you, as it made you feel immensely better, but you couldn't shake that little seed of guilty that seemed to bloom more and more every day.
Silence fell upon the room one again, occasionally being broken by a sniff from you. As you leaned against Sans in his embrace, a sudden thought occured to you.
"Sans, what are you doing awake anyways? Did I wake you?" you asked timidly, causing Sans to resume stroking your hair to soothe you.
"Nah, you didn't wake me, kiddo. I was just down in the basement, trying to come up with more ideas, y'know, look at the problem from every ankle."
His pun made you giggle and gave you a little peace at the fact that you hadn't woken him up. Still though, the idea of him working this late made you frown.
"Sans, I know you want this to progress, but you shouldn't work this late. You won't get enough sleep!"
"Don't you worry bucko, I already get a skele-ton of sleep during the day anyways."
"It's still not healthy. You're not going to get anywhere if you're tired all the time!"
You stressed and Sans shrugged, falling quiet yet again. You glanced up at Sans and, if you hadn't been looking especially closely at him, you would've missed the twitch in his expression and the slight drop of his permanent smile. Suddenly, it came to you.
"Sans, it's not your fault." Sans froze for a moment, then looked down at you with a slightly pained expression.
"Kid, i- look, if I hadn't been messing around with that thing in the first place-"
"Sans-"
"I just, I feel- look, I know- if I could just-"
"SANS!" He paused his rambling for a moment, giving you the floor.
"It's not your fault."
You expected him to deny your statement even further, and you were ready for him to resist, but he didn't. Instead, he looked as though he was thinking, and for a moment, you felt slightly on edge as to what his response would be. Eventually, he sighed once more, leaning back in the sofa and shifting you into a more comfortable position, his arms, still wrapped around you in a hug. By using his magic, he floated a blanket over and then placed it down on the both of you, surprising you.
"I will never not be impressed with magic."
You declared softly, gazing at the blue hue surrounding the blanket before it faded away. Sans chuckled, tucking the blanket around you two.
"Heh, glad to hear it kid. After all, we wouldn't want you to get tired of it." you groaned.
"Sans, please stop." You pleased, trying to push his face away from yours, promting him to let out a small cry.
"Aww, come on kid, no need to be all sternum with me."
"."
You pulled the blanket over your face to muffle the screaming of frustration. Sans began to laugh at you as you tugged at the blanket hard, trying to push Sans off you but he tightened his grip around you so you were trapped. It wasn't long after your struggling that you gave up and also began laughing along with him, your quiet giggles floating around the room.
"That was so terrible, I never wanna hear you make another pun!"
"So you don't find me punny?"
"Sans, what did I just say!"
"You're starting to sound like Papyrus now."
You wore a deapan expression at his comment, but you weren't denying the fact that you, much like Papyrus, weren't fond of Sans' constant puns. Mainly because they were never good, and often repetitive. Feeling as though you weren't going to get Sans to stop anytime soon, you accepted temporary defeat and let your head fall back on his chest. From their, you angled your head so you could glace at a near by clock on the table.
"Damn, how'd it get this late already?" you mused, letting your eyelids relax slightly. Sans shrugged.
"Been a long night. What do you say we get some shut eyesocket, huh?"
"That one didn't even make any sense."
Sans chuckled, not countering it tho. You did agree with him though about getting some sleep, but the problem was, you were still quite on edge from your nightmare, and you were unsure if you could bring yourself to fall back into slumber, for fear of having another nightmare.
"S-sure, right." You moved to get up but Sans pulled you back down, causing you to raise an eyebrow at him.
"We're already cosy here, might as well stay. After all, don't wanna go waking Papyrus, do we?" you supposed that made sense, and you were already quite comfortable.
"Good point." Sans' smile widened as you agreed.
After that, silence filled the room once again as you tried to fall asleep. You desperately attempted not to move too much, you didn't want to annoy Sans with your squirming, but you just couldn't bring yourself to fully relax. It felt like ages before you were overcome with sudden, almost artificially encouraged, drowsiness. You made no attempt to combat it as you let yourself be drawn quickly into unconsciousness. Luckily for you, for the rest of the night, you were blessed with a dreamless sleep.
~Elsewhere~
"THAT UNGRATEFUL WENCH! I LET HER STAY IN THIS ROOM, WITHOUT KILLING OR THREATENING HER, AND SHE CHOOSES TO PUT HERSELF UNDER THE WATCH OF THAT BUMBLING, OVER-CHEERY IDIOT!"
Edge screeched, pacing up and down the room, his body, quaking with rage.
"I GIVE HER MY PROTECTION AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?! WELL, GOOD RIDDANCE THEN! IF SHE WANTS TO STAY WITH THAT CRETIN, THEN SO BE IT! I DON'T CARE!"
"Yea, clearly."
Edge stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around to glower at his brother angrily.
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" he spat, crossing his arms. Red rolled his eyelight at his brother's clear agitation.
"If yer not bothered, then why'r ya gettin' all upset 'bout the kid leavin' for one night."
Edge scoffed at his brother's comment.
"I AM NOT!" Red snorted at his short tempered response, for he knew it to be a lie.
"Y'know she'll be back in here tomorrow night, right? Besides, 'm sure she's doing just fine with that cream puff."
"HOW COULD SHE BE FINE?! HE'S A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR PROTECTION, I'D DO A MUCH BETTER JOB AT IT! WHICH IS WHY I CANNOT FATHOM WHY SHE'D REFUSE OUR CARE IN FAVOUR FOR HIS!"
Red knew his brother was trying to act all tough by insulting the other Papyrus' skills, and he probably wasn't all wrong about it, but he could tell that his little bro was worried for the kid, even if he would never admit it.
"Bro, it's so late, can't ya be all fussy 'bout this in the mornin'?" Red complained, fed up of being kept up so late.
"I AM NOT BEING FUSSY!"
"Yea, ya are. Look, if ya so worried 'bout her, just go check on her."
Edge paused, considering his brother's suggestion for a moment. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing to make sure she wasn't in danger or anything...not that he cared if she was or not. No, he'd only do it so she'd have no excuse to whine to him tomorrow saying how she made the wrong choice.
"FINE, SINCE I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE!" Edge complained as he stormed out of the room, much to Red's delight who fell asleep almost immediately after his brother's depature.
Edge internally grumbled to himself, making no effort to quiet his moves as he made his way to Papyrus' room. He was about to slam the door open but in a moment of rationality, he stopped himself and instead chose to grasp the door handle more carefully, tentatively opening the door. As he peeked inside, he was surprised, and slightly alarmed, to find you to be no where in sight.
He cleanched his fits fiercely and shut the door, his head, swarming with rage. As he turned away from the door and stomped down the hallway, he was about to tear the entire house apart when, out of the coner of his eye socket, he caught a glimpse of you. As he examined the setting closer, he found you to be tucked up with a blanket wrapped around you in Sans' lap, not his brother, of course, but that insufferable copy.
He raised an eyebrow at the scene, and moved to examine the two of you more closely, this time being mindful to make as little noise as possibly. Upon closer inspection, his gaze fell on your face, which was anything short of dry. It was obvious to anyone who cared enough to look that you had been crying, what with the distinguishable sight of your puffy eyes, and the tear stains that were attached to your cheeks.
The whole scenario made Edge uneasy. It was made apparent that Sans had been the one to comfort you, after all, if it had been his eccentric copy he'd have probably woken the whole household up. But here you were, tucked away in the arms of his brother's double ganger. But this begged the question, if you had been upset why had you not waken Papyrus? Moreover, this encouraged a much more worrisome question. Had you been truly that disturbed that you couldn't bring yourself to go to anyone? Just because Sans was here now didn't mean that he had been here in the beginning.
Edge sighed, finally uncleanching his fists as he looked down at you, distracted by his own thoughts too much to notice Sans' eye sockets open by just a crack.
"Ya being a bit creepy there, buddy. If you wanted to join all you had to do was ask."
The sound of Sans' voice startled Edge to say the least, as he was in the middle of conjuring up a bone attack, yet when he saw the lazy grin of the other, he dissolved his magic.
"I'D RATHER NOT, THANK YOU." Edge mumbled, a little embarrassed about how caught off guard he was.
It didn't occur to him to whisper, as he had gathered that you were a heavy sleeper, so he could be as loud as he wanted, to an extent. Naturally, his volume prompted Sans to encourage him to be quieter, but Edge payed no attention to him.
The emotionally unavailable skeleton watched as you occasionally shifted in Sans' embrace, seemingly at peace for the most part. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what to say, so he kept his mouth shut as he stood there awkwardly. Thankfully for him, Sans broke the tension.
"So, you came to check up on the kiddo, huh? Gotta say, I'm surprised. Didn't think you were fond of kids, or anyone for that matter."
"DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA, I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THAT BRAT."
"What are you doing here, then?"
"I, UH-" Edge stammered for a second as he tried to find the right words to justify his actions, "I HAD A FEELING THAT YOUR BROTHER WOULDN'T BE ADEQUATE ENOUGH PROTECTION FOR HER AND I WAS RIGHT! LOOK AT HER, IN SUCH A MISERABLE STATE, YET HE ISN'T HERE TO HELP HER, YOU ARE."
Sans' raised an eyebrow at his slight insult of his brother, but he couldn't deny that Edge was right, in a way. It still didn't explain why he cared though, but Sans had already sussed out that reason.
"S-SO NOW, I WILL BE LEAVING! BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DO NOT CARE WHY SHE IS BEING SO PATHETIC... And You Seemed To Have Handled Everything Already"
Edge muttered the last part of his explanation quietly, but still loud enough for Sans to hear.
"I'll tell her you stopped by-"
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"
Sans chuckled, closing his eye sockets once more.
"Whatever you say, pal."
Edge only scoffed before turning on his heel and storming back to his room. For some reason, his mind felt a little lighter that night.
----------
Morning came about too fast as the light invaded your eyes. Needless to say, it was an unwelcome awakening. In an attempt to bring back the darkness, you pulled the blanket over your face, only to have it taken away by Sans.
"You're gonna suffocated like that, bud."
"If it means I can sleep longer, then so be it."
Apparently your dry humour didn't tickle Sans' funny bone as much as it did yours, as he refused to give you back the blanket. You whined in protest at him but he wouldn't budge, only flashing you his signature, permanent smile in response. Exhaling dramatically in defeat, you forced your aching body to move off of Sans so you could stretch, which thankfully, he allowed. As you got up, however, you were startled by Papyrus calling your name.
"AH, HUMAN! SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO! WHEN I WOKE UP, YOU WERE NO WHERE IN SIGHT, SO I FIGURED YOU HAD ALREADY WOKEN UP, AND I WAS RIGHT! DID YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP?"
You had almost forgotten the events of last night, so when Papyrus brought it up, the hairs on your skin stood up at the reminder.
"Actually bro, she-"
"Yeah, it was fine thanks Paps, and you?" you quickly interjected, with Sans giving you a look that you refused to glance at for more than a second.
"I HAD A WONDERFUL SLEEP, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR ASKING! NOW, I WAS GOING TO MAKE BREAKFAST, BUT I AM STUMPED AS TO WHAT I SHOULD MAKE"
"Uh...oh! How about omelets? I'll help!"
Papyrus seemed to delight in that idea and so he quickly dragged you off into the kitchen, leaving Sans by himself. Though, it wasn't long until everyone else began to pile in as the minutes ticked by, each being forced down by their brother or arriving by themselves.
Once breakfast was finished, the rest of the day went pretty slowly. For the majority of the day, you were stuck in the basement, wondering what on earth you were actually doing. It didn't help that, not only did you have the pressure of everyone counting on you, but you were basically working with geniuses. Compared to them, you looked and felt just as stupid and useless as a rock.
You felt a lump in your throat form as you wondered how you were going to deal with all this shit, the familiar uneasy sensation rising up once again in the pit of your stomach. But, before you could begin to spiral, a skeletal hand on your shoulder brought you out of your thoughts. Looking upwards at the owner, you saw Stretch. He bent down close to your ear, lowering his voice so the others wouldn't hear.
"Hey, this is a drag. Wanna get outta here for a while?"
Sweeter words couldn't have been spoken. Eagerly, you nodded your head and stood up, leaving with Stretch as you claimed the two of you were taking a small break. The others weren't too bothered about your departure, so you were free to go without any hastle or even anyone looking up in your direction.
Stretch would've liked to teleport out, but you strongly fought against it, suggesting that taking a walk would be better. As cool as teleporting was, you didn't think you could handle being sick again, which Stretch seemed to understand, and begrudgingly accepted your offer. Once you stepped outside, you were immediately grateful for Stretch complying with your request.
The sun on your skin seemed to wipe away all your worries, even if it was only a temporary effect, it's warmth, cascading down on you through it's raze. A quick glance over at Stretch and you could tell he was also enjoying basking in the sunlight, much like you.
"Still can't believe we're finally up here."
You looked over at Stretch while the two of you walked down the street and into town.
"Even if it ain't our world, the surface is still pretty cool here." You snorted.
"You know you've barely scratched the surface of this place, right? There's so much more to explore out there." Stretch nodded.
"Yeah, I know. I can't imagine what else is out there, but for now, this place is more than enough. Besides, I probably won't be here that long to explore much anyways."
"Yeah, that's probably true..."
The two of you continued to walk around the town, every so often exchanging light conversations topics. The further you went, the longer your conversations were. There were still a few of the skeletons that you hadn't really interacted with much, one of them being Stretch. Your first encounters of all of them was strange to say the least, but Stretch's was different. After all, he had used his magic to slam you against the wall and hold you there, before you even got a word out. Following on from that, you hadn't really talked to him, apart from that one card game you, him, Blue and Cash participated in, but even then you didn't actually say much to each other.
It was because of this reason that you wanted to make an effort to get to know each of the monsters a little. If you were going to be staying with each other for s while, you might as well at least become acquaintances with them, if not friends. And what better way to make that happen than by hanging out once in a while?
While you continued to chat, you could see Stretch casually glancing around at your surroundings. Judging from the way he spoke about the surface, you could tell that his calm demeanour didn't mean he wasn't still in shock and awe about the new world around him. You could understand his excitement to an extent. Whenever you visited new places they certainly had you captivated, but with Stretch and the others, you supposed it was more than that. They were finally experiencing a world they had been forcefully deprived of for so long, and now they finally had the opportunity to explore it. Why wouldn't they be starstruck by everything they saw?
You had to admit though, it's not like you weren't surprised by anything here. After all, you were in a completely different country, you were bound to be interested by anything unfamiliar to you. For this very reason, you also looked around you, making very obvious that you were clearly a tourist.
"Oh sweet, Muffet's is here too."
You looked up to where Stretch was pointing at and found a quaint, little bakery in front of you. At first glance, you could tell it was a small building in comparison to others around it, but it's purple exterior proved effective in making it stand out. From the inside, you could barely make out lace banners hanging from the walls, but it was hard to tell behind the tinted windows. Overall, the entire place screamed cute.
"Looks like a bakery...?" Stretch shrugged.
"Guess there's only one way to find out."
On that note, you followed Stretch into the the bakery, only to find that the interior was just as purple as the outside. You noticed that there were also places to sit down and eat. Perhaps this was more like a café that specialised in baked goods, or something. Your became distracted as you looked around, noticing how the tables were lined with a similar material to silk, edged with the same lace that adorned the walls.
The cushions attached to the chairs were plump and stainless, as if they were brand new, and above that were framed pictures of...spiders? scattered across the walls of the place. Maybe the owner was trying to give off Halloween vibes, or whatever. Your eyes wondered over to the sweet treats displaced delicately behind a glass bar, but you didn't have much time to browse as your attention was quickly drawn to a new voice.
"Well hello dearies- Papyrus, dear! Is that you~? Did you...get a new look~?"
"Oh, uh, nah. I'm, uh, Stretch, his...cousin..."
"Auhuhu~~ I see. Well, it's lovely to meet you, hon. I'm Muffet, the owner of this establishment. And who might you be, sweetie~?"
Your eyes locked onto the source of the voice and you froze, standing there, speechless. You had been told all your life that behaviours such as staring were rude, however, in this scenario, you simply couldn't help it. Out of all the creatures this monster could have been, why did she have to be a spider? You gulped, trying to calm your arachnophobia down as to not appear rude, but you had a feeling you already failed at that.
"Uh, I'm- uh...I'm y/n, n-nice to...meet- you?"
Oh yeah, that didn't sound like you were afraid at all. Stretch shot you a look that you assumed was disapproving, but you thought that you were doing pretty well, considering the fact that all you wanted to do right now was run out of the café. Despite your clear hesitancy towards Muffet, the hostess seemed pretty much unaffected by your apprehension.
"Aww, you're nervous, how cute~! It's nice to meet you too, sweetie~~"
You were more than nervous-
"Can I interest you two in any baked goods? You especially look like you have a sweet tooth, auhuhuhu~~!" she offered, pointing at Stretch whilst giggling.
"You'd be right, there. I'm, uh, partial to honey, if ya got any?"
Muffet nodded and reached in a nearby cubbord, pulling out a bottle of honey with a cute little bear on the front. She handed it to Stretch and he took it gratefully, taking a swig of it with a relieved expression. When he placed his attention back onto Muffet, she was holding out her hand expectantly. Stretch paused, then laughed timidly.
"Eh, nyehe...could ya...put it on my tab?"
Muffet seemed to tisk at that.
"I'm afraid not, dearie. All purchases must be paid up front, and don't forget, all proceeds go to real spiders~"
Stretch seemed to grimace at that, but hesitantly accepted. After digging around in his pockets, Stretch finally found the money and passed it to Muffet, who giggled in response, clearly happy to receive payment.
At least, that's what you assumed happened.
You didn't know what events had taken place, because as soon as Muffet and Stretch started conversing with each other, you practically ran out of the bakery. Now, you left standing outside, still panting slightly as adrenaline ran through your veins. As pretty as that place was and as nice as the owner seemed, you couldn't bare to be there in a café full of spiders another second.
Wait, because she was a monster, did that technically make your behaviour slightly racist? Species-ist? Well, it wasn't your fault that your arachnophobia forced you to distance yourself from all spider, right? Eh, maybe you were thinking about this too hard, and besides, you were fine now-
"Hey kid-"
"FUCK OFF YOU PEDO- oh! H-hey Stretch..."
The skeleton snorted at you, taking another sip of his beloved drink.
"Jeez, sounds like someone's on edge. Care to tell me why?" You cringed at your own reactions.
"N-nah, it's cool..."
"Mhm, so you weren't at all creeped out in there, were you?"
"What? N-no! Of course not...like, the design of the place was so cute, and the sweets looked really delicious, but-"
"But?"
You couldn't just admit to being afraid of Muffet, that would just make you sound like a bad person, right? But what other excuse could you give him that sounded valid?
"Y'know, I thought it was too good to be true."
Huh? What was he talking about?
"When you were so accepting of us initially, I thought it was a little suspicious. Now I get it...you were just hiding your disdain for us on the inside, weren't you? But seeing a monster mixed with your already irrational fear of another creature must have disturbed ya so bad that you felt the need to run away."
Stretch paused, slurping more of his drink down.
"Gotta say, human, I'm disappointed-"
"You've got it wrong!"
Stretch raised an eyebrow at you, giving you an unimpressed look. You countered it with a determined expression on your face. You couldn't believe this. Just because you were a little freaked out by Muffet the moment you met her, it didn't mean that you disliked all monsters, especially not the skeletons. You couldn't change the fact that you had arachnophobia, but if it meant showing Stretch that you weren't discriminating against his kind, then you supposed there was no other option.
Turning on your heel, you marched back into the café and straight to Muffet, who quickly picked up on your change in demeanour. When you stopped, you stood in front of her, remaining silent as you tried to think of the right words to say, but you couldn't. After a moment of your useless mind being as blank as paper, you ended up handing her a bunch of dollars, causing a smile to return to her face.
"What would you like, dearie~?" Your eyes scanned over the array of desserts as you made a hasty decision.
"C-could I have the spider donut, please?"
"Ahuhuhu~ good choice! Do you have any allergies or any dietary requiraments I should be aware of?"
"No."
"Wonderful!"
Muffet gracefully handed you the donut, wishing you well and hoped that you'd come again as you left the café-bakery. Looking over the donut, you were able to notice all the fine details on the icing. Her food really fit the aesthetic of the place. You paused in front of Stretch, hoping you had changed his mind about you. Luckily, he had a big smile on his face, signaling your victory.
"Spider donut, nice choice." He commented, as you bit into the dessert. You hummed in agreement.
"Yeah, this isn't half bad. It's actually pretty good."
"Yeah, Muff's food is great, and her ingredients are always fresh and organic. Like she says, her treats are made of spiders, for spiders. Especially her spider donuts"
You continued to indulge in the treat, subconsciously thanking Muffet for her baking skills. You were always happy to find out when bakers used the freshest and most authentic ingredie- wait, did he just say made of SPIDERS?!
"O-ohh, w-wowww...that's greeeaat." You really weren't having much luck with food recently...you decided to 'save the rest for later'.
"Yeah, that's partly why I always hung around there back home, the sweets were great. But Muffet was also a good pal of mine, and she always let me put every purchase on my tab."
Ah, so that's why he asked about the tab. Too bad that this Muffet wasn't as lenient as his one with money.
"Ah, we've been out here for a while now, we should probably get back to the others. They probably need our help."
Oh right, you had forgot why the two of you had even come out in the first place. Well, at least if you went back you might be able to pass off this donut to someone else. Maybe Red would eat it? Though he didn't seem like the sweets type of guy, so then maybe Cash? Whatever, you'd figure it out when you got back.
"Oh, right, yes. We should probably go."
Stretch placed a hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up at him.
"Wanna teleport?" As much as you wanted to teleport, and thought it was one of the coolest things you'd ever experienced, you really didn't want to throw up again.
"What if I throw up again?"
"Hmm, you might...but if you do it enough times, you'll build up more tolerance, and eventually you'll be able to stomach it."
"Hmm, maybe...wait, did you just make a pun?" Stretch's face morpher into an expression of realisation at what he had done, then he groaned.
"Damn, Sans' humour sometimes rubs off on me."
"Yeah, clearly." You smiled at him. "Ok, let's try it." Stretch looked down at you.
"You sure?"
You nodded in response, and Stretch shrugged, placing his honey in his hoodie pocket before teleporting the two of you back to the house.
Notes:
What do you think guys? Do you think reader was in the wrong for behaving the way she did? Hmm...🤔
Hopefully she won't be sick again when Stretch teleports her back
Have a great day/night everyone! 🌸
Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Lasana with no glass
Summary:
Reader gets to see if she's able to handle teleportation better, or if she gets the same reaction as before! Also gets herself into quite a few conflicts during this chapter!
Notes:
Hey guys, we're back with another chapter! I feel like my writing got kinds shit at the end of this one, but oh well😭
Anyways, hope you all are having a good day) night❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Whoosh
"See kid? That wasn't so bad now- aaand you're throwing up...ew. I'm glad I teleported us into the bathroom..."
"WELL I'M NOT!"
Black yelled, absolutely seething at the fact that you had just thrown up all over his shoes. At this very moment, his anger knew no bounds, but you couldn't be blamed. Despite Stretch somehow managing to talk you in to teleporting, you were still getting the hang of the motion sickness that arrived with it. Unfortunately, your failure now covered the floor and Black's shoes.
"Whoops, sorry there bud. You want us to help you clean up-"
"JUST GET OUT!"
"Don't have to tell me twice." Stretch shrugged, before teleporting away.
"AND YOU-"
Black glowered at you, gripping you by the hair and yanking your head up so he could look down at you.
"S-sorry Black-"
"FUCKING CLEAN THIS UP OR I'LL COLLECT YOUR SOUL RIGHT HERE AND NOW!" he screeched, making you whince.
In utter disgust, Black tore off his shoes and chucked them over to the other side of the room before storming off, now even more livid than usual. With a defeated sigh, you maneuvered your shaky body far enough for you to reach the toilet before slumping down onto it. It took you a few moments to calm yourself, but eventually, the stench of your half digested breakfast was enough to get you to move and take care of the mess.
What a pain.
You felt as though you kept going through obstacles left right and centre. Would you ever be able to shake this unlucky streak? You hoped so. After cleaning up your mess and brushing your teeth to get that horrible, bitter aftertaste out of your mouth, you were torn between going to your room or to another part of the house. If you went in your room, you might be bothering Red or Edge if they were in there, then again, if you didn't, you risked running into Black again. And you really didn't want to feel his wrath, even though you had already cleaned his shoes to the point that they looked so spotless they could almost be brand new.
Oh, wait! Your sleeping bag was still in Papyrus' room. Well, I guess that settled it, you would go in and retrieve it so you could place it back in your room. He wouldn't mind if you went in his room without permission, right? You were only going in for a short moment, after all. Yeah, it was fine.
You peered into Papyrus' room and glanced around for your sleeping bag, just in case he had moved it from its previous spot, but he hadn't. Making haste, you gathered up the bag and closed the door behind you. Unfortunately, you'd soon come to realise that taking it was easier done then putting it back, however. When you entered your room, you were caught off guard by a harsh, boney hand grabbing you and dragging you outside. Unsurprisingly, this hand belonged to Edge.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, HUMAN?"
His face was a stoney as ever, and, as usual, you had no idea of his intentions with you. He was always in such a mood, for fucks sake.
"Uh, to put my sleeping bag back in the room?"
"TSK. DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST ABANDON US THEN COME BACK AS IF EVERYTHING WERE THE SAME! YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE, NOW STAY THERE! WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE ANYWAYS!"
Oh my days.
"Are you actually for real right now?"
"YES, FOR I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AM ALWAYS VERY REAL."
You brushed the slip up of his name aside, as you tried to comprehend what madness he was projecting onto you this time. Was he really that upset about you leaving for one night? Hah, and yet here he was, claiming he didn't care. You were starting to get the hang of his behaviour.
"Right...well, see you inside then."
"W-WHA- HEY!"
You ignored him, shoving his hand off of you as to allow you the freedom of walking again, right back into your room. Apparently, Edge didn't take kindly to your rejection of his demands, and he made that emotion prominent when he grabbed your arm and tossed you against the wall. His eyes were trained on you like a vicious guard dog, ready to bite at any moment, watching as you struggled out of his embrace. You were getting really tired of these skeletons constantly overpowering you with their strength.
Though you definitely weren't as strong as Edge, you could still get away from him. You moved your free hand to strike his face, but he dodged, just as you predicted. When he was busy dodging your 'punch', you raised your leg and delivered a kick to his pelvis, making him jolt in surprise, his grip, momentarily slipping, allowing you to shake him off.
Of course, when he looked back up at you, you could see the rage burning under neath those empty eye sockets. Great, that was now two for two deadly skeletons you had pissed off today. Gradually realising how immensely fucked you were, you backed up into the room, your legs, shaking as Edge toward over you. You closed your eyes, bracing yourself for an attack, but it never came.
Confused, you opened your eyes to see Edge's firery expression still plastered on his face, but this time, a smirk complimented it.
"NOT BAD, HUMAN. YOUR ATTACK WAS SWIFT AND SNEAKY, BUT IT LACKED STRENGTH AND FORCE BEHIND IT. ONCE MORE, YOU DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANOTHER STRIKE, NOR DID YOU RUN AWAY IMMEDIATELY, INSTEAD. ALSO, YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR FORM."
...huh?
"W-wait, you're not mad?" Edge snorted.
"NO. HOWEVER, I'M NOT IMPRESSED EITHER." well, that wasn't anything new. He never was. "IF I WAS A REAL ATTACKER, I DOUBT YOU'D BE ABLE TO DEFEND YOURSELF LIKE YOU DID THEN, DEPENDING ON WHO IT WAS AND THE FACT THAT I WENT EASY ON YOU DOESN'T GIVE ME AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU HAD IT BEEN SOMEONE ELSE."
Was he giving you a lecture on fighting?
"BUT! NO MATTER, I SUPPOSE WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK ON THAT DURING OUR SPARING SESSIONS."
Wait, what?!
"WE'LL HAVE TO FIND AN ADEQUATE AREA TO PRACTICE IN. THE BACKYARD IS BIG ENOUGH, BUT IT'S NOT COMPLETELY PRACTICAL FOR EVERY SITUATION. A GYM WOULD BE PREFERABLE. I'LL HAVE TO ASK MY COPY IF HE KNOWS OF ONE."
This was all moving too fast-
"You want me to spar with you?"
You had to make sure you were understanding this correctly. Even if that was what Edge meant, why on earth would he ever want that? Moreover, there's no way you'd be able to keep up with him, whether it be about stamina or strength, Edge definitely beat you in both
He'd basically destroy you if you ever tried to fight him properly.
"YES. YOU ARE WEAK, AND THE WEAK DIE-"
"Oh wow, thanks-"
"WHICH IS WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO FIGHT. AND WHO BETTER TO TEACH YOU THEN THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD HIMSELF?"
Captain of the Royal Guard? That did explain a few things, but not why he wanted to help you.
"Wait, you're a Captin? Of a Royal Guard? That's so cool!" you exclaimed.
"HMPH, I KNOW!" he boasted, his expression twisting into one that screamed how smug he felt. Damn, you shouldn't have said anything, now you've only boasted his ego further.
"But why do you even want to train me?"
Edge paused, turning away shyly before clearing his throat, his expression, indignant.
"YOUR LACK OF STRENGTH MAKES ME SICK. NOW, HURRY UP AND PUT YOUR SLEEPING BAG BACK AND THEN LEAVE TO DO YOUR SCIENCE SHIT, OR WHATEVER YOU DO!"
It wasn't an exact answer, but it would do for now. After that announcement, Edge stormed out of the room, leaving you to your thoughts. You already decided that you were going to bombard him with questions about his past occupation when you next ran into him, and you were sure that he wouldn't mind. He seemed to like talking about himself, hell, he'd probably go on for hours given the chance.
Eventually, you begrudgingly made your way back down to the basement and continued your work. And by your 'work', you meant staring at impossible equations and diagrams that looked as though they were made to be purposely confusing. Nah, that wasn't it, you just didn't understand any of it, and you were beginning to get frustrated with it all.
It had only been two days of you starting on the project, and you already wanted to rip your hair out and give up. You were so close to doing that, the only thing stopping you was the fear that, if you didn't help, you may never see your family again. Then again, if you did try to help, whatever theories you came up with could set you back so badly that in that scenario you could also end up never seeing your family again. It seemed to be a lose lose situation either way.
"Sans, I don't understand what you mean when you're using this equation to represent this function of the machine."
Sans looked over as to where you were pointing.
"Ah, cause that's not for the function, kiddo. That's part of its make-up."
"Huh?"
"Look, I'll show you."
Your questions were a common occurance during these work sessions, and it often resulted in Sans having to explain things to you bit by bit, and you pretending to have understood them. More often than not, it took Sans away from his own work, meaning you were preventing him from getting more stuff done, just because he had to pick up your slack. Yet another reason why you hated doing this.
After a while of Sans answering your questions on and off, sometimes bringing in Stretch to the conversation, you heard a loud groan being let out by Red. You turned your attention to him and realised that he was directing his annoyance at you.
"Jeez, would ya quit it with all these questions? I thought ya were suppose' ta know 'bout this crap already, so why're ya always asking ol' plain boy here."
Before you could respond, Sans interjected.
"So I've been demoted from vanilla to 'ol' plain boy'? Damn."
Red only rolled his eye light in response before looking back at you for an answer to his previous question. As he did, you felt a heavy weight fall in the pit of your stomach. Of course you'd given that impression, considering the last time you actually talked about science you were just relaying bits and pieces that your mum had told you over the years.
Despite being the daughter of a genius physicist, you were no where near as smart as your mum is now or as she was when she was your age. Whenever one of her coworkers meets you, they always just assume you're as smart as her, like you're some teenage protege, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Apart from maths, science was one of the subjects that you struggled with the most. Maybe it was because you tried to block out everything your mum kept trying to teach you, mainly because it was either highly advanced or it bored you to death. Either way, you sucked at it.
And now you were stuck in yet another situation where others expected so much more of you, that you simply couldn't deliver. You'd let everyone down, and it was all because you couldn't understand stuff that should've been easy for you to learn, considering your history with your mum. You never lived up to anyone's expectations of you, and you hated it. But, in your defence, you did warn everyone that you weren't good at all this science stuff, yet they still wanted you on their team, for some reason.
"I told you, I'm not good at all this science shit..." You mumbled, twiddling your hair with your fingers, awkwardly.
"Then what the hell was all that crap before, huh? Stop bullshittin' already and just fucking focus for once. And stop askin' Sans for help, figure it out yerself."
"But I can't-"
"Then why are ya even fucking here?!"
"Because you fucking asked me to be! I told you I wasn't good at this- you know what, whatever."
You stood up decisively from your chair and hastily ran up the stairs, getting away from everyone, for you knew that if you had stayed an extra second, you would've began to cry. Cry, at the fact that you weren't helping anyone. Cry, at the fact that no matter how hard you tried, you were nothing more than a hinderence. Cry, at the fact that you were so quick to get upset about this whole situation, knowing that you couldn't even defend yourself.
As you forced yourself to calm down once you were out, you glanced at the clock and was delighted to find that it was only a couple hours away until dinner. That meant that Papyrus, or whoever, might let you help make the dinner with them, serving as a good distraction. When you entered the kitchen, you were mildly surprised to find Edge getting out some ingredients.
"Hi Edge! Whatcha doin'?"
Edge turned around briefly to look at you before getting out the rest of the ingredients he needed.
"I AM ABOUT TO START ON DINNER."
"Ooo, fun..."
"..."
"YOU WANT TO HELP, DON'T YOU?"
You nodded your head vigorously, causing Edge to sigh.
"FINE. HOWEVER, I WANT YOU TO DO EXACTLY AS I SAY."
"As long as it's not dangerous or wrong, I'll do it!"
At that, Edge seemed satisfied enough with your answer, giving you a courteous nod before instructing you how to assemble the dish you were going to make. Turns out Edge was planning to make lasana, which just so happened to be one of your favourite dishes, meaning, not only had you made it a bunch of times, but you wouldn't allow Edge to mess it up in any way. Apart from that time at Grillby's, this might be your once chance to eat some descent food, for the time being, and there was no way you were throwing away that opportunity.
As you got to work, you began to ask Edge some questions about his time as Captain, and as you predicted, he was happy to answer them. Whilst he did, the two of you seemed to fall into a pattern of sorts, working with each other with rarely any issues. Not only was it efficient, but you were able to have some control over how the dish was made, meaning you were able to stop Edge from tarnishing the meal with ingredients such as broken glass. You were still confused, and quite alarmed, as to why he would even want to put glass in, but you didn't investigate further into the issue.
As time passed, you became engulfed in the tales of his valiant actions against criminals and his journey to climb to the top of his ranks. It was as if listening to a very violent fairytale, except there was no mention of a fair maiden in need of rescuing. Needless to say, you were absolutely hooked on his words, giving him your full attention to the point where you forgot about the lasana until the timer rang, indicating that it was ready.
But your curiosity didn't end there. It took you forever to finish your dinner as you continued to listen to Edge's stories in awe. You were so focused on Edge, that you didn't even notice the looks of surprise that were thrown your way.
"But you were completely outnumbered! How did you even-?"
"HAH! YOU THINK NUMBERS MEAN ANYTHING TO ME? NO MATTER HOW MANY OF THOSE MANGY MUTTS GANGED UP ON ME, THEY WERE NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS!"
You made a quiet "wooah" sound in disbelief, making Edge's smirk grow even wider. You were really feeding into his ego right now, but honestly? He deserved it. You just couldn't help but be in pure shock and amazement at how strong and skillful he was. It was written all over your face, your grin, large, and your eyes, sparkling in wonder.
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR ANOTHER STORY, HUMAN? HOW ABOUT THE TIME WHEN I WAS ALMOST DRUGGED-"
"Edge, buddy, as interesting as your stories are, don't you think the kid has heard enough?"
Sans interjected, before you could respond, earning a scowl from Edge.
"NO ONE WAS TALKING TO YOU, CLONE. BESIDES, THE HUMAN LOVES MY STORIES, LOOK AT HER! SHE'S PRACTICALLY ON THE EDGE OF HER SEAT, WAITING FOR ME TO DELIVER ANOTHER, AND WHO AM I TO DENY HER THAT LUXURY?"
"Yeah, come on Sans. It's fun listening to Edge's stories!"
You replied, making Edge huff in satisfaction at your enthusiasm.
"WHILE THAT MAY BE SO, EDGE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS RIGHT TO GLORIFY SUCH VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR ONTO A CHILD. SHE'S STILL SO YOUNG, MEANING SHE CAN BE VERY EASILY INFLUENCED. YOU SHOULD TRY TO AVOID FILLING HER HEAD WITH THE WRONG IDEAS."
Blue stressed. He sounded like a parent scolding their older child who was being a bad influence on their younger sibling. It seemed like he also wanted Edge to pipe down, but the skeleton wasn't having any of it.
"IF YOU ALL ARE SO UNHAPPY WITH ME RECALLING MY PAST VICTORIES, THEN YOU ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE. I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME ON PEOPLE WHO CAN'T EVEN APPRECIATE IT!"
Edge made a good point, if the others didn't like his story telling, they could just leave him to it, but instead, they made the excuse him stopping for your sake. Before Blue, or any of the others, could counter him, Edge stood up and grabbed your arm, tugging it somewhat harshly but not so much so that it hurt.
"COME, HUMAN. WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ELSE WHERE."
You, not minding the change in locations one bit, nodded happily.
"Alright, let's go!"
For some reason, Edge's expression seemed to soften when he observed your genuinely excited smile. His hand placement also changed from your arm down to your hand, as he now lead you into another room, more gentle than before. You ended back upstairs in your shared room, and the two of you sat on the top bunk, aka Edge's bed, as you listened to him talk some more, not getting bored even once.
You didn't even realise the time until Red entered the room, claiming that it was getting late and asking if Edge had finished droning on yet. That caused a slight rise out of Edge, but nothing too intense, since he actually was finished for tonight.
"MAYBE IF YOU'RE LUCKY, HUMAN, IT CONTINUE THESE STORIES ANOTHER TIME."
"That would be so cool!"
You beamed, making Edge's smile widen slightly. You supposed that it was time to get to bed, and when you climbed down the ladder, you avoided looking at Red. After your previous little spat, you felt as if the tension still hung in the air between you two.
"Hey kid, look-"
Red tried, but you interrupted him before he could attempt to say anything more.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
You said, coldly, before briskly walking out of the room and into the hallway. You didn't actually have to use the bathroom, you just needed a little time to calm down and figure out where to go from here, alone. Unfortunately, you didn't get to be alone for long, as you ran into Sans, Stretch and Cash on your way down stairs.
"Oh, hey guys..."
The others looked up at you.
"Oh hey bud, good timing. We wanted to talk to you about something."
Stretch said, motioning for you to take a seat on the sofa, but you didn't move. Sans sighed.
"Kid, about what Red said-" Sans began.
"It's fine, Sans-"
You tried to intervene, but Sans wasn't having it.
"No, kid, it's not fine...look, it's not-"
Before he could finish, you decided to get straight to the point. It was actually good that you ran into him now, as you'd been meaning to talk to him about this for a while now.
"Sans, I want you to take me off the team."
...
"Kid, come on now-"
"No, I'm serious."
You sighed. You knew you were going to get some push back for this, but you had to stay strong and firm. You couldn't break down in front of them, that would be way to embarrassing to deal with. Yet, you couldn't help but feel your body tense as you tried to hold back tears.
"What, so yer just gonna quit cause Red made ya look dumb?"
Cash scoffed, earning a wack on the arm from Stretch followed by a quick glare at him.
"Ow! What? It's just dramatic is all. Just cause Red talkin' out his ass-"
"But he's not, he's right!"
Your statement quickly silence the other skeletons as they gave you a sympathetic look. You couldn't help but sniff, knowing you were about to cry again. Why did you have to be so weak all the time?
"Kiddo, he's not-"
"Yes he is! I've been telling you guys from the beginning that I can't do as much science stuff as you lot, but you didn't listen, no one ever does!"
Your voice began to crack as you felt the family sting of tears spring to your eyes. You could only continue to rant as they flowed down your cheeks. You clenched your fists.
"E-everyone thinks that just because I'm the daughter of some genius physicist I'm automatically some child prodigy, but I'm not! A-anyone w-who's ever met me has always placed high expectations on me, a-as if I can fulfil them, but I can't! I always let everyone down b-because-"
You occasionally messed up the flow of your speech as a sob broke through every now and then.
"I'm not w-what they think I am, no matter how many times I try to tell them! It's not f-fair, why do I always have to d-disappoint everyone? W-why can't they j-just leave *hic* me alone or l-listen to me?"
Despite how much you were wiping your eyes, the tears kept coming.
"T-they always give me that s-same look of pity! L-like they felt bad for me because I'm stupid-"
"Y/n, you're not stupid-"
Sans tried, but you were in too much of a state to calm down and listen to him.
"Yyes I am! D-don't *hic* even bother, b-because I've a-always been, no matter how hard I try. I always f-fail- and I'm so sick of everyone t-thinking I'm more than I am! B-because they're wrong."
Towards the end of your rant, your voice got quieter, and you hung your head in shame, your body, hunching in on itself slightly.
"It's not fair! Why did I have to be s-so stupid?"
Your cries were suddenly muffled by the action of someone pulling you into their chest. Surprisingly, it was Red. It turned out he had been listening the whole time, and was the first one to take action to comfort you.
"There there, sweetheart, it's ok, shh."
He rubbed your back softly as he let you cry into him, your tears, staining his jumper.
"'m sorry. Ya ain't stupid, ya hear? And it wasn't right fer us ta put all this pressure on ya, we shoulda known better."
You continued to cry in his arms, and he let you. It wasn't long before the others added on to what Red was saying, still being mindful to give the two of you some space.
"Honey you're not stupid, or anything like that. And those people shouldn't have put their unrealistic expectations onto you. You're right, that's not fair on you, not at all."
Hearing that did make you feel a little better, but you still couldn't shake the feeling of worthlessness that hung over your head everytime you weren't what people thought you were.
"We shouldn't have put a kid under so much pressure. I mean, how old are ya, like seventeen? Eighteen?"
Stretch inquired, and you sniffed, stuttering as you responded.
"I'm f-fifteen."
That caused everyone to freeze for a moment, before Stretch came and joined in the hug.
"Fifteen, huh? Sorry, age is hard for me to tell with humans."
You cracked a slight smile at his comment, but it didn't lighten your mood. Soon enough, though, Sans joined in the hug, placing his arms around the other two skeletons and attempting to hang off of them, much to Red's annoyance, causing him to shake Sans off of him. And while Cash didn't exactly join in, he did place a hand on your back, but you were pretty sure he was just trying to get close to your hoodie's pockets to see if there was any money stashed in them.
Regardless, the fact that these monsters, who barely knew you, were all trying to comfort them, in their own way, made you very grateful in that moment. Grateful that they didn't make fun of you, but that they listened to you. It was the first time in a while that you felt as if you've actually been heard, and not just brushed aside the moment you expressed your feelings and opinions.
After a few pun-filled moments later, courtesy of Sans and Red, you felt ready to continue the previous topic, of you being taken off the team. Despite you voicing your opinions on the matter, the boys still wanted you to continue working with them. You face fell as they said that, but as soon as it did, they quickly intercepted your negative thoughts by coming up with a few suggestions on how to make it easier for you.
Sans suggested that each of them tutor you on their main area of focus, so you can be caught up to speed a little faster. Hesitantly, you agreed, despite being worried about bothering them more. However, that thought was quickly squashed by most of them, reassuring you that you weren't going to hinder them, apart from Cash who just groaned about having extra work to do, earning yet another wack from Stretch.
Once everything had been decided, Red took you back upstairs and the others dispersed to their assigned rooms. When you entered your room, you prepared to be extra quiet, assuming Edge was asleep, however, this was not the case, for Edge was stood in front of the bunk beds in his pj's, his arms folded as he stared down at the two of you with a mildly curious expression, though it was hard to tell as his face didn't give away too much.
"Oh, sup boss. Thought ya'd be asleep by now."
Red scratched the back of his skull, looking up at his unimpressed brother, lazily.
"WELL, YOU THOUGHT WRONG, AS I AM CLEARLY NOT ASLEEP, BROTHER."
Edge replied, walking up to the both of you. You weren't sure what you were expecting Edge to do, but you certainly didn't anticipate him placing his hand on your cheek. You flinched, readying yourself for any type of pain he may inflict on you, but instead, you felt his thumb gently brush over your damp cheek, wiping away the residue of you tears.
"HUMAN, HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO CRY THIS EASILY OVER EVERYTHING?"
He asked, his voice, calm. His actions made you stunned for a moment, and you were only able to blink up at him, causing Red to chuckle.
"Heh, cause she's a little cry baby, boss."
That comment snapped you back into reality.
"Hey, I am not-"
"HM, I SEE. IT MAKES SENSE."
"Edge!"
You pouted as the two of them snickered at your weak attempt at defending yourself. You couldn't only deny their accusations to a certain extent, as you did have a slight habit of crying a lot when you were stressed out, and so far since your arrival, you had been almost nothing but stressed. Still, it didn't made you a cry baby.
"Aww, cheer up bucko. We're just teasin'."
Sans nudged your arm and you rolled your eyes.
"Yeah yeah, ok."
"BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, HUMAN, I AM ALMOST IMPRESSED AT HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE MANAGED TO CRY SINCE YOU'VE ARRIVED HERE. IS THIS A COMMON OCCURANCE WITH A HUMANS OR ARE YOU SIMPLY JUST THAT WEAK?"
While Edge's comment was unnecessary, it did raise a couple of it's own questions.
"Uhm, excuse me, but I've cried like, twice at the most since I've been here."
"REALLY? ALRIGHT, LET'S RECALL, SHALL WE?"
Why did you feel as though this was going to bite you in the arse?
"THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN YOU SMASHED A PLATE WHILE TRYING TO WASH IT UP-"
Wait, he saw that?
"THE SECOND WAS WHEN BLACK TRIED TO INTIMIDATE YOU, RATHER POORLY IF I MAY ADD, THOUGH OF COURSE HIS MEDIOCRE PERFORMANCE WOULD WORK ON YOU."
Looking back now you were realising how embarrassing that had been-
"THE THIRD WAS WHEN YOU HAD BEEN CRYING WITH SANS AT AN UNGODLY HOUR OF THE NIGHT-"
"Wait, how do you know about that?"
At that notion, Red raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? What are ya talkin' 'bout, boss?"
Edge seemed to freeze for a moment, as if he had been caught giving out information which no one was supposed to know he had. In light of his reaction, he quickly regained his composure, clearing his non-existent throat to further elaborate.
"LAST NIGHT I WAS...ON MY WAY DOWNSTAIRS WHEN I NOTICED YOU CURLED UP ON SANS' LAP. ANY IDIOT WHO WAS PAYING ATTENTION WOULD BE ABLE TO DEDUCE THAT YOU HAD BEEN CRYING, IT WAS SO OBVIOUS. THOUGH SANS DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHY, IT STILL COUNTS AS THE THIRD TIME."
You felt your cheeks flush from embarrassment as Edge said that. Though he didn't know the exact reason you had been upset, he still saw you in that state. Maybe you were a little bit of a cry baby after all. While Edge didn't seem too bothered by this, Red's expression morphed into one of concern.
"Why were ya cryin' that time?"
He questioned, and you looked away for a moment, a little coy to explain, so you just gave a vague reason, not going into too many details about the whole ordeal.
"I, uh, I had a nightmare. That's all."
Red's frown deepened and you could see that, by Edge's expression, he was now mildly interested like his brother.
"I thought ya said that ya didn't get nightmares now."
"Well, guess I was wrong."
You laughed but it swiftly fizzled away as you saw the skeleton's serious expression. He sighed, patting you on the back.
"That sucks, kid. If ya wanna talk about it-"
"Oh, no, that's fine. Thanks, though."
You quickly cut him off, hoping he would just leave it at that, and to your relief, he did, nodding his head.
"MOVING ON, THE FOURTH TIME WAS JUST NOW. WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU WERE CRYING ABOUT THIS TIME, BUT I HAVE A SNEAKING SUSPICION THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN IT IN SOME WAY, BROTHER."
Beads of small, red sweat rose to the surface of Red's skull as he chuckle nervously at Edge's accusatory tone directed at him.
"H-hey, it's gettin' late. We should all head ta bed, no?"
Edge narrowed his eye sockets at his brother, but didn't question him further, instead nodding his head.
"INDEED, BROTHER. COME ALONG, HUMAN, YOU NEED TO REST."
Edge spoke, his voice, gruff.
"Fine. I'm still not a cry baby though."
You protested.
"Can't ignore the facts, kiddo."
You blocked out Red's laughter with your pillow, forcing it over both ears as you ignored him.
"ENOUGH! JUST SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP ALREADY!"
For once, you were thankful for Edge's insufferable demands, as Red's laughter did die down soon after. The silence that followed after was heaven to you, as you were finally able to get some rest. No matter how uncomfortable the floor was, and no matter how sore your back was from sleeping on it, you couldn't wait to get some rest. You really needed it. And you're sure the others felt the same way.
----------
~Elsewhere~
"IS EVERYONE HERE, NOW?"
Papyrus asked, quickly scanning over the room whilst doing a head count. The skeletons all nodded.
"Yeah, everyone but the kid, bro."
Sans replied and Papyrus gave him a thumbs up, sitting down into a nearby chair.
"GOOD. THEN WE CAN BEGIN!"
"Remind us why the kid ain't with us again?"
Stretch inquired, and Blue nodded in agreement with him.
"YES, WHY ARE WE EXCLUDING THE YOUNG HUMAN?"
"Well, the kid's had a long day, and she's had enough stress on her already. Just figured she'd prefer to be left to sleep. And besides, if we need to fill her in on anything, we can do that later."
Sans waved your absence off easily, quickly bringing the questions to an end, to which no one really protested. The room remained quiet for a moment before Cash was the first to let out a drawn out groan of annoyance and defeat.
"Ugh, how the fuck did we get inta this situation?"
He questioned hopelessly, rubbing the bridge of where his nose would've been, whilst slumping further down into the sofa.
"This is a fuckin' mess!"
"Ya don't have ta tell us."
Red affirmed, glancing at his brother who wore a stoic expression on his face, refusing to intervene in the conversation at that moment.
"Look, I know this isn't an ideal situation to be in-"
Sans began, but was quickly cut off by Black.
"NOT IDEAL? IT'S WORSE THAN THAT! NOT ONLY ARE WE STUCK IN A CRAMMED HOUSE WITH OUR SO CALLED 'ALTERNATE' VERSIONS OF OURSELVES, BUT WE'RE ALSO STUCK HERE WITH A HUMAN NO LESS. HELL, WE'RE IN A WORLD FULL OF WEAK HUMANS, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WAY HOME! NOT IDEAL?!"
Black complained, clearly exasperated by the entire experience. At this point, who wasn't? Sans rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I know, I know. But for now we're just going to have to deal with it."
"OH, EASY FOR YOU TO SAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING HOME, BECAUSE YOU ARE HOME. OH, AND WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH IT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW UNBEARABLE IT HAS BEEN SINCE WE ARRIVED HERE?"
Black sneered, crossing his arms, angrily.
"WELL, YOU HAVEN'T EXACTLY BEEN MAKING IT EASIER, HAVE YOU? RUNNING YOUR MOUTH AROUND LIKE WE'RE NOT ALL IN THE SAME BOAT, OR PURPOSEFULLY TORMENTING THAT CHILD, AND FOR WHAT? ALL YOU'RE DOING IS MAKING THIS A MORE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE, SO WHY DON'T YOU PIPE DOWN FOR A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR ACTIONS EFFECT EVERYONE ELSE FOR ONCE!"
Black was almost gaping at Edge as he uttered those words. As furious as he was right now, Black surprisingly couldn't think of a counter to his comment, instead choosing to scoff at him and remaining silent. As for everyone else, they were incredibly impressed by Edge's awareness and maturity to the situation, but they also chose to move on to the subject they came together to discuss.
"EDGE IS RIGHT. WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT, SO WE SHOULD START MAKING A BETTER EFFORT TO WORK TOGETHER! AFTER ALL, WHO DOESN'T NEED AN EXTRA BIT OF HELP EVERY NOW AND THEN?"
Papyrus exclaimed. His positive nature truly knew no bounds, which was what everyone needed right now.
"Speaking of extra help, we can add another member to our team. Though, she'll be more part time than full time."
The others, bar Papyrus, looked at Sans inquisitively. Sans' grin widened as he spoke.
"Ever since Pap went and told Dr Alphys about our little predicament, she's been dying to help us and add to her own research. But, as eager as she was, she mentioned that she had to prepare first. Apparently, she's good to go now, so she'll be swinging by some time tomorrow."
"SHE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED HOW EXCITED SHE WAS TO EXAMINE ALL OF YOU."
Papyrus added, earning a couple grumbles around the room at being treated like a lab rat, but if it would help them get home, the skeletons would just have to grin and bear it.
"OOH, PAPY! THIS ALPHYS SOUNDS LIKE OUR UNDYNE! I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HER!"
Blue beamed, turning to his brother with an almost ecstatic look on his face.
"Me too bro. It'll certainly be an interestin' visit, that's for sure."
"Does the kid know?"
Red questioned, and Sans shook his head.
"Nah, we'll just tell her tomorrow, no bones about it."
The others groaned at Sans' pun, except for Black and Blue, who snickered at his sense of humour.
"IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SKELE-TON OF FUN WHEN SHE ARRIVES-"
"Bro, not you too. Please don't start..."
Stretch pleaded, making his brother chuckle.
"ARE WE QUITE FINISHED NOW? IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME REST TONIGHT."
Sans nodded his head at Edge and dismissed everyone so they could finally get some sleep, or at least try to.
As Edge and Red made their way back to theirs shared room, neither of them spoke, but they knew what the other was thinking. Their initial reaction to hearing Alphys' name caused alarm bells to go off in their heads; back in their world, their Dr Alphys was more of the mad scientist type, often performing dangerous, and usually unethical, experiments. However, upon their initial arrival, they had soon realised that this world was softer than theirs, less cruel, meaning that there was a good chance this Alphys wasn't like that, or at least, not as crazy as theirs.
Still, they wouldn't let their guard down, but they never did anyway, so that wasn't a problem. They'd just have to hope that her visit was short and her experiments didn't go too far. If she pushed her luck, they would naturally intervene, but it didn't mean that they wanted to. Without uttering a word to each other, both of the skeleton brothers knew that the other wanted her in and out as fast as possible.
Upon reentering the room as quietly as they could manage, they found you to be sleeping somewhat peacefully, unaware of their presence. Luckily, they didn't disturb your slumber. Just as they were about to reach their beds, however, your peace was broken by a whimper, soon followed by gentle mumbling. Edge and Red looked at each other for a moment, before turning their attention back to you, who had gone silent yet again. Both questioned whether they had imagined it, and moved to turn away, before the sound of your delicate, helpless cries filled their non existent ears.
Through lightning fast reflexes, the skeletons immediately pivoted your way and stared down at you, checking for any signs of danger, out of habit, but found none. Exhaling in relief for a moment, the two glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.
"WELL, DO SOMETHING!"
Edge whispered, gesturing over to you.
"Wha-why me?"
"BECAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS BETTER AT COMFORTING PEOPLE THAN ME!"
"Barely."
"JUST DO WHAT YOU DID WHEN I WAS A CHILD! JUST DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING."
Red grimaced, sighing deeply as he kneeled down next to you, with Edge copying his brother. Hesitantly, Red brushed the hair out of your face, wiping away your tears as he tried to gently calm you, debating whether or not to wake you. Despite his attempts, you still remained on the ground, shaking slightly as you sobbed quietly in your sleep. The skeleton brothers began to get slightly distressed.
"IT'S NOT WORKING!"
"Ya don't think I see that?"
Red spat back, making your eye brows furrow even more at his harsh tone, even though you weren't conscious enough to process his words or even hear them. "Fuck." Red thought, as he paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to calm you down. Suddenly, he decided to try a different approach, something he wasn't used to giving out often.
"BROTHER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Red glanced over at his brother, choosing not to answer him, and instead turning his focus back to you, thoroughly irritating his brother by his lack of response. The older skeleton shifted you from your position on the ground, carefully maneuvering your body to an almost sitting position. From there, he pulled you into his lap, tentatively placing your head on his chest and wrapping his arms around you.
From what his brother had mentioned about you being tucked up in Sans' lap the night before, he figured that this might help you relax. As rare as it was for him to give out any type of physical affection, he'd do it if it meant that he didn't have to listen to you whine and cry all night. Evidently, his hypothesis was correct, as he soon felt you body slacken from the release of stress.
Red grinned, feeling proud of himself that he had worked it out so easily, and was so caught up in his victory that he almost forgot Edge was there.
"SO THE HUMAN PREFERS PHYSICAL AFFECTION."
Edge's observation almost made Red jump out of his skin.
"Heh, yea, seems like it...she's calmed down a lot more now."
Edge hummed in agreement, staring at the two of them for a moment, before doing something unexpected. When Red looked up again, he saw his brother had moved closer towards the two of you, and for a moment, he thought that his brother might join the hug. Unsurprisingly, he did not, however, he did give you a tender pat on your head, his hand, lingering for a moment, before he removed it.
The three of you stayed like that for a little while longer, until Edge stood up and decided to finally go to sleep. Red wanted to do the same, however, he was conflicted about placing you back down. For some reason, he felt uneasy about removing you from his touch, however, you didn't seem to protest when he did choose to, though it still didn't feel completely right. Like Edge, his touch lingered for a few moments, his fingers slowly stroking your hand that still remained in his. After a while of contemplation, he concluded that you'd be fine, and that he should just leave you be. So that's exactly what he did.
But, not before placing his coat over you as an extra blanket.
Notes:
Aww, isn't Red sweet, giving her his coat? Him and Edge are just giant softies on the inside. Who's excited for Dr Alphys' arrival next chapter? I am 👀
Thanks to everyone for reading this and leaving such awesome comments, I love interacting with you all! 🌸
Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Alphys' first visit
Summary:
Alphys is finally introduced to the rest of the gang...and immediately starts getting to work! How will the others react to her little experiment?
Notes:
Hi everyone! Back with another chapter! Sorry this took a while to get out. Also, just a reminder, I am not a scientist and this story is fictional, so a lot of my information around space-science stuff is far from accurate! Hope you all enjoy 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Splash
Your body was jarred awake as you let out an immediate gasp, a sharp shiver running all throughout your body. You felt cold. Ice cold. You squinted your eyes as you tentatively lifted your hand up to your face, your fingertips brushing against something wet. Water. The moist sensation cause you to sit up immediately, scrunching up your face as you used your sleeve to dry your face.
"Good, yer up."
Cash's voice rang through your ears unexpectedly, making you jump. Your gaze flittered between Cash and the empty glass in his hands. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this pesky skeleton had purposely woken you up by splashing water all over your face. The ice cold sensation you had felt on your face was soon replaced by a burning sensation of anger.
"What the actual FUCK is wrong with you?!"
You shouted, positively seething with rage as you lunged at him, catching him off guard, for once.
The commotion you were causing drew the attention of the other residents of the household, causing them to give in to their curiosity and investigate what was going on upstairs. To their surprise, they found you wrangling with Cash, yelling at the skeleton as he tried to push and kick you off of him, pulling your hair multiple times in the process with a pissed expression on his face.
The skeletons who had come up, Sans and Blue, hastily intervened, using blue magic to make you both freeze then moved you off of each other. Once you were released from your magical captivity, you stood there, giving Cash a death glare as you panted slightly, your cheeks, pink with anger.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS YOU TWO?"
Blue demanded, giving you both a stern look. Cash, without hesitation, immediately pointed at you.
"She started it!"
"The hell I did! You started it with your little wake up call!"
Blue and Sans raised an eyebrow at your comment, then glanced over at the empty glass lying on the floor and then your slightly dampened top. Needless to say, they pieced it together pretty quickly.
"Cash, Paps told you to wake her up gently, not make her attack you."
He only shrugged at Sans, making him sigh. He looked over at Blue for help, and he shook his head, turning to the both of you.
"BOTH OF YOU, APOLOGISE TO EACH OTHER."
"Ok. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't hit you harder!"
You spat at Cash, making him scowl at you.
"Y/N, VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER-"
"Oh, as if ya even could! Yer so weak, there's no way yer'd be able to hit any harder than ya already were."
"Oh please, I could've easily hurt you more-"
"Betcha can't prove that."
"Wanna see me try?"
You moved closer to him but were immediately stopped by Blue. The expression on his face was a clear indicator that he was more than displeased with your behaviour. You felt as if you were in the presence of one of your parents, what with that disapproving look of his.
"THAT'S ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU."
He demanded, his voice, commanding yet calm. Blue turned to you.
"Y/N, GO COOL OFF."
Blue pointed towards the open door expectantly.
"Oh, I already did, when Cash pratically drenched me in bloody ice cold water!"
When he didn't budge, you huffed, storming out of the room and into the bathroom. Once you had left, the remaining skeletons began to tear into Cash.
"WHY MUST YOU CONSTANTLY AGGRAVATE HER? HONESTLY CASH, SHE IS A CHILD! I EXPECT BETTER BEHAVIOUR FROM YOU."
Blue scolded, folding his arms sternly. Sans nodded his head in affirmation of his excitable counterpart's words.
"Blue's right buddy, can't you just lay of the kid for a while? She's stressed enough as it is, already."
Cash didn't seem to really be listening to either off them, instead choosing to roll the glass back and forth on the floor with his foot.
"Tch, whatever. You guys 're no fun."
Cash scoffed, before teleporting away.
----------
"AH, HUMAN! YOU'RE JUST IN TIME FOR MY FAMOUS SCRAMBLED EGGS-"
"Yeah, no thanks mate, sorry. Actually can't be bothered with eating another burnt meal."
You dismissed instantly, cutting him off before he even had a chance to present the plate to you. The others in the room were surprised at your directness, but you just weren't having it today. Cash's little stunt had put you in a foul mood to say the least, and it was clearly showing.
"O-OH, WELL I SUPPOSE THAT IS FINE! BUT ARE YOU NOT GOING TO EAT ANYTHING AT ALL? IT IS NOT HEALTHY TO SKIP A MEAL, YOU KNOW!"
He advised, his smile, straining slightly in worry.
"Not my first time skipping breakfast, so don't worry. I'll be fine, thanks."
You stated, ending the short conversation and leaving to sit on the sofa next to Edge who raised an eyebrow at you but didn't engage.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TODAY, BRAT? OTHER THAN USUAL, OF COURSE"
Black sneered at you, though you knew he was genuinely curious at your change in attitude. You flashed him a glare for even talking to you. It seemed like he was always trying to pick a fight with you.
"Your brother is what's wrong with me. Sort him out."
Black's expression darkened at the mention of his brother, but didn't press on further.
"WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PERK UP YOUR ATTITUDE A LITTLE, MISSY! CAN'T HAVE YOU BEING ALL SOUR WHEN DOCTOR ALPHYS ARRIVES!"
Blue declared, boldly entering the room and swooping you up unexpectedly. You were just about an inch smaller than him, what with him being 5'6, so luckily he didn't have a hard time balancing you in his grip, nor did he appear to have a problem with your weight, which you had also been slightly worried about.
"Blue, what the hell- wait, what do you mean, 'when doctor Alphys arrives'?"
Blue's grin widened as he spun you around in excitement.
"DIDN'T THE OTHERS TELL YOU? OH, THIS WILL BE SO MUCH FUN! IT'LL BE SO NICE TO SEE A FAMILIAR- WELL, SORT OF FAMILIAR, FACE AGAIN! OH! OH! I WONDER IF SHE ALSO LIKES ANIME!"
Blue's eccentric demeanour didn't exactly answer your question, but you felt a sense of glee at seeing how happy he was. Even if the result of said happiness was to swing you around like a ragdoll. Honestly, the most shocking thing about this whole thing was his strength, though Dr Alphys' visits came close.
"So this 'Dr Alphys'...she's coming to...visit?"
You asked, a little dizzy from being spun around. Thankfully, Blue hadn't set you down yet, saving you the embarrassment of stumbling around like a drunk person.
"Yep, she's comin' to do some sciencey observations and examinations that'll hopefully help us figure out this whole 'multiverse travel' issue and how to fix it."
Stretch appeared beside you, rolling a lollipop in his mouth.
"Oh, right, ok...uh, Blue, you can put me down now..."
At the mention of his nickname, Blue turned his attention to you, quickly registering your words before carefully setting you down, smiling at you with a large grin on his face. As he did, a sudden thought occurred to you.
"Wait, did everyone know but me?"
You asked, your brows, furrowing slightly as you looked around the room for answers.
"WELL YES, WE ALL HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT ABOUT IT!"
"Oh, thanks for including me."
You commented, crossing your arms. Though, you supposed you wouldn't have wanted to be woken up, but still, it would've been nice to be included. A hand on your head brought you out of your thoughts as you glanced at Stretch.
"Eh, don't worry kid, you'll be in the next ones. Besides, this was was lame and short, anyways."
His reassurance made you smile slightly, lifting you out of your salty mood a little.
"When is she coming?"
You asked, whilst conjuring up different ideas of how she'd look and act.
"SHE SHOULD BE HERE ANY MINUTE NOW, HUMAN!"
Papyrus chimed in, a gleeful expression on his face. Almost immediately after he said that, a rapid, yet quiet, knock echoed throughout the house.Not long after, Papyrus abandoned what was left of his meal to go and grab the door, opening it to reveal the doctor herself.
"DR ALPHYS, YOU CAME! WHAT A PLEASURE, COME IN, COME IN!"
Papyrus ushered, motioning for her to come in. As Papyrus moved out of the way, you saw her give a shy smile towards him and mumble something you couldn't quite here.
Needless to say, when you finally got a good look at her, she was nothing like you expected her to be. Her appearance was extraordinary to you, her yellow scales complimenting beautifully with her slight overbite and her cleanly cut claws. Her glasses looked almost too big for her, as they rested loosely on her nose, causing her to keep pushing them back up every so often. One thing which you had rightly imagined was her lab coat, mostly white with a couple of stains, that was only a few inches away from touching the ground.
Alphys' speech was a clear indicator of her timid nature, due to her occasional stutters and nervous laughs. However, as soon as she spotted the rest of the skeletons, all her anxiety seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye.
"Oh m-my stars! Look at you all, you're i-incredible! You're whole existence i-is incredible! I c-can't believe this is actually h-happening!"
She mused, getting a closer look at each skeleton, briefly, despite a few not being too fond of her forwardness.
"A-and I thought i-i had disproved my theories about alternate universes, b-but here you all are! This is so exciting!"
Since your arrival, you hadn't seen anyone this excited about your situation, so you found her elation rather refreshing. You smiled slightly, glad that at least someone saw some positives in your predicament, however small they may be.
After she had finished thoroughly inspecting each skeleton, she finally turned her head to you, catching you off guard. The two of you locked eyes with each other, neither speaking, for a moment. You weren't sure what to say, honestly. Sure, you probably should've greeted her the moment she looked at you, but you froze. Luckily for you, the silence broke in almost an instant, as her face morphed into an expression of astonishment.
"O. M. S."
Oms?
"Papyrus, Sans- is this the h-human child you were talking about?"
Said brothers both nodded in unison. As they did so, Alphys let out a shriek of delight, her eyes, lighting up immediately. Before you could even blink, she was right in front of you, grabbing your hand and pulling it into a rapid shake, jigging your body.
"Ohmystarsohmystarsohmystars ohmystarsitissonicetomeetyoui'veheardsomuchaboutyouIcan'tbelievethisisactuallyhappeningimeanofcoirsetheothersareamazingb-butYOU-YOUareananomolya-andawonderfuloneatthatimeanw-wowahumanbeingbroughtintothemixraisessomanyn-newquestionsidon'tevenk-knowwheretobeginohican'twaittostartm-myresearcha-andwithyouthiswillbeane-extraordinarydevelopmenttom-mytheoriesand-"
"Uh, Alphys, buddy, you might wanna stop shaking the kid before she gets too dizzy."
Sans interjected, cutting off Alphys' rant, making her realise how long she had talked for. An embarrassed blush appeared on her cheeks as she let out a nervous laugh, losing eye contact for a moment before returning her focus back to you and letting go of your hand.
"S-sorry, I got a little o-overexcited there. I'm Alphys, by the way."
She apologised, giving you a timid smile, though you could still see the curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"No worries. I'm y/n, it's nice to meet you too, Alphys."
As you spoke, her jaw seemed to drop even more. You tilted your head, confused. Was it something you had said?
"OH MY STARS! You're British as well?!"
Oh, right. Not knowing how to respond to that, you simply nodded, giving her a sheepish smile. You had a feeling that, no matter what you said, the Dr would only get more and more exhilarated by it all.
"How could you tell?"
You rolled your eyes playfully, a sarcastic hint to your tone. Alphys didn't pick up on this at the start, and so began another long ramble.
"Wellfirstlyyouraccentseriwasabletopickuponitquitequicklybecauserecentlyi'vebeenexploringalltypesofdifferenthumansandoneofyourdefiningfeaturesisyouraccentasinotcedyoupronouncedafewwordsandjointlettersdifferentlyandthenthere'syourmanerismsand- o-oh, you were b-being sarcastic, weren't you..."
You giggled at how carried away she was getting but didn't hold it against her.
"Don't worry about it."
Your words held no judgement in them, putting the Dr more at ease. A cough behind you caught your attention, and you both turned to Sans.
"Hate to break up the fun, Alph, but we should probably get started."
Sans suggested.
"YES, DO WE NEED TO FURTHER ACCENTUATE THE URGENCY OF THIS SITUATION?"
Blue chimed in, making all the Papyri groan in unison.
"Don't worry, you won't be too bonely, as well all be there with you."
Sans chuckled. It appeared that, from the bored expression on Alphys' face, that the only people who were amused by their puns were all the Sans' themselves. Despite this, the Dr agreed, and so you all set off down into the basement.
----------
"A-alright, y-you're all hooked up n-now. T-this should be a s-simple procedure, nothing t-too harsh."
When Alphys initially explained her process to you, she threw a lot of information at you, none of which went into you head. Even her summary was still too much for you to grasp, so you just went with it, which is why you were currently sat next to a machine with wires hooked up near your heart.
Again, you weren't exactly sure how this was supposed to work, but apparently this device was to measure your 'soul waves', with the wires transmitting the electrical impulses directly from your soul to the machine. Well, not directly. While the others all had wires hooked up to their soul, you didn't. Alphys explained this was because there was little knowledge or research done around human souls, so she didn't want to directly tamper with one without being properly informed, in fear of it having dire consequences. However, she claimed it was fine for the rest of the skeletons, as it was completely safe.
Apparently, Alphys believed that, by gathering each of your soul waves, she would be able to measure them against cosmic rays, which would supposedly enable her to pinpoint the locations of each of everyone's seperate universes.
"S-so you see, c-cosmic rays are particles from o-outer space that travel across the universe. T-they can be made b-by the sun, by other s-stars exploding, and e-even by black holes. A-and I thought that, a-as they tell us about the c-chemical and p-physical makeup of the universe, i-if we can determine each o-of your soul f-frequencies, t-then perhaps w-we can tie that t-to finding t-the possible locations of y-your guys's universes. Then, a-after we obtained each coordinate, a-all we'd h-have to do is f-figure out how to get the machine to s-send you all back."
Alphys explained, whilst fiddling about with everyone's wires, making sure they were all hooked up properly. All this information was making your head spin, but what she said made sense in a way. Suddenly, as if a switch was flipped in your head, you remembered something that your mother had said to you on one of her space rants, when you were spacing out for most of it, as usual.
"But wait, because cosmic rays are charged particles, that means that they can be pulled around by magnetic fields as they travel across space. So, wouldn't it be like really hard to specify their location or where they came from before, since they're constantly traveling across the universe in all directions?"
You asked, startling the Dr slightly as she looked up at you, pushing her glasses back up. She smiled at you, clearly impressed with your curiosity and happy to answer your question.
"W-well, it can be quite difficult, yes. B-but it is still possible to measure their energies. A-and, since you all c-came through a b-black hole, or so you t-theorised, we m-may have much more t-to work with than it s-seems. L-like I said before, these r-rays can be produced w-when matter falls into s-supermassive black holes, u-usally from h-highly magnetized neutron stars, or when galaxies collide. W-which is what m-most likely happened in t-this case, a-as you were a-all brought here."
You think you were starting to grasp what she was saying.
"So, in short, as we were all brought here collectively, it's likely that the black hole we each came through left some residue that may have created some cosmic rays that could be tied to the location of everyone's individual universe, so we're using these machines to obtain our soul frequencies in the hopes that we can best match them to specific energies, that are constantly moving about, in order to pinpoint the coordinates of where to send everyone to get us back home?"
Alphys nodded.
"T-that about s-sums it up."
"CAN WE HURRY THIS ALONG ALREADY? I WOULD PREFER TO SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE BEING A LAB RAT."
Edge chastised, shifting about in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. Alphys fiddled with her claws nervously.
"W-well, this sort of p-procedure c-can't be r-rushed, uh-"
"EDGE."
"Y-yes, Edge. I c-can imagine this isn't a-all that comfortable, b-but it is only for a l-little while."
Edge huffed, unhappy with the idea that this couldn't be completed faster. Alphys wore a guilty expression on her face, but quickly recovered, gearing up the machine.
"A-all right everyone, n-now you might f-feel a couple of l-little shocks, b-but nothing too painful, ok?"
Everyone simultaneously nodded at her warning, allowing her to proceed. Once she pressed a couple of buttons and typed something into the machine, you noticed that the wires hooked up to each of the monster's souls began to light up a little, as if it was moving along electrical impulses. You watched as the skeletons showed a little discomfort at the beginning, but seemingly got used to the light shocks that came every now and then.
Despite already being in their own universe, Sans and Papyrus' souls were also hooked up to the machine. The Dr suggested how it was necessary to gain the coordinates of the current universe as a starting location and to work out the distance between each universe from here, which you supposed made sense.
After a few minutes, the data began to roll in, and Alphys' eyes began to widen as she immediately busied herself with checking and observing it, taking vigourous notes as the information continued to be collected. However, she paused when studying yours, frowning at the data. Or should you say, lack of.
"U-uh, y/n- I'm n-not picking up a-any readings from your soul..."
Alphys commented, her face, scrunching up into a confused expression. You sat there awkwardly, not sure what you could do to help.
"Oh..."
Was all you could say. The others glanced at you then back to Alphys, interested as to how she would proceed.
"M-maybe, if you're o-ok with it, I could t-turn it u-up a little more. M-maybe it's having a h-harder time reading your soul b-because you're human, o-or something..."
Alphys didn't seem too sure of her solution, and neither did the others, but you knew that if anything happened she would shut the whole thing down immediately.
"Yeah, ok. Why don't we try that?"
You allowed her to turn it up, suddenly flinching at the shock of it. Previously, you hadn't felt anything, but now, it felt as though you were being stabbed by little electric shocks that were mainly concentrated in your chest. You felt uncomfortable at first, but were slowly getting used to it. Unfortunately, Alphys didn't looked any more satisfied than before.
"Hmm, s-still nothing...m-maybe if w-we crank it u-up a little more-"
"Uh, is that really a good idea?"
Stretch asked, his brows furrowed in concern. Alphys began to sweat slightly.
"It's n-not like it'll b-be for t-too much longer. A-and if it becomes t-too much, I'll just s-stop the machine. I-is that alright with you, y/n?"
Stretch's hesitence has spiked a little fear into you, but you pushed it down, nodding at the Dr. The change was slow, but as she increased the power, the pain grew. After a few minutes of no readings, the skeletons were all fixated on you as you began to grip the chair in discomfort. Alphys persisted with the experiment and the pain began to grow at an alarming rate.
The majority of your pain was centered around your chest, and as if grew, your lungs and chest began to tighten, as did your grip. You were well past being uncomfortable as a sweat broke out all over your body. With what seemed like the last push, adrenaline kicked in and you gasped out in pain, instinctively clutching your chest.
"Stop!"
You yelled, ripping the cords off of your skin and squeezing your eyes shut. Your breathing was rapid and shallow as you felt an unpleasant buzz all throughout your body. An unbearable pain remained in your chest, and you felt you heart beat quicken like it had never done so before.
Not too long after you had cried out, you
were surrounded by the monsters who were frazzled by your sudden outburst. Alphys approached you delicately, her nervous stance putting no one at ease.
"O-oh m-my, y/n a-are you a-alright?"
Her stutter seemed to worsen as her brain was wracked with worry and guilt. When you didn't answer her, she almost broke into a panic. Your teeth were cleanched as you continued to grip your chest, not daring to move a muscle as you tried to get a hold of your erratic breathing. This felt wrong, your entire body felt as though it had flipped into survival mode. For a brief moment of terror, you were worried you were going to go into cardiac arrest.
"H-hey bud, talk to us here."
Sans urged, sweat dripping off of his skull. The others tried to get your attention, each attempt more urgent than the last.
"Stop playin' kid, this ain't funny."
"I AGREE. WHATEVER IS HAPPENING- JUST STOP IT RIGHT NOW AND TALK TO US, BRAT! LISTEN TO ME!"
Cash and Black both tried to provoke you but to no avail. Edge and Red glanced at each other, both wearing a tense expression at the fact that you weren't answering them, much less moving. Even though you were breathing, they didn't know how long this would last, none of them did. None of them knew how humans actually worked, and even those who had been on the surface the longest still had little knowledge of your biology.
"Alphys, the fuck are ya doin' just standing there? What's going on with her?"
Stretch demanded answers, as his gaze moved frantically between you and the Dr. Alphys' composure only seemed to get more and more perturbed.
"I-i don't know!"
"What do you mean you don't know? HOW can you not know?"
Alphys shrunk visibly at Stretch's harsh tone.
"BROTHER-"
Blue tried to calm his younger brother, but due to his own distress, he couldn't think of the words. After all, how could he, when he was just as unsure about your state as everyone else in the room.
Thankfully, your previous thought was soon dismissed as you soon felt the pain decrease and your heartbeat slow to a more normal pace. You were able to relax slightly at the certainty that your heart wasn't going to stop but you were left still feeling very uneasy about the whole experience.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. S-sorry. I just n-needed a minute."
The others breathed out a sigh of relief, despite most of them not actually needing to breathe, at your comment which mostly reassured them that nothing too bad had happened to you. However, they were still not convinced that you were completely okay.
"A-are you sure, y/n? Y-you looked like you were in a l-lot of pain."
Alphys observed, her anxiety over the whole situation, still high.
"Yeah , I'm ok now. It just really hurt for a moment, so I panicked. I'm sorry if I messed up the test..."
Alphys' eyes widened.
"N-no need to apologise! I w-would've stopped the experiment s-sooner if y-you had asked. N-not that being in pain was y-your fault, b-but-"
"It's fine Alphys, don't worry about it."
You interruped her as she was clearly fumbling over her words, unsure of what to say. She gave a simple nod in response before turning her attention to the data to check for any new changes. When you stood up to go over to her, your whole body was shaking, causing you to immediately sit down. Needless to say, that action did not bode well with the rest of the skeletons, who were already slightly distressed at your current state, but now even more so, despite saying that you were fine.
You felt all eyes were on you and you let out a nervous laugh, which didn't settle anyone.
"Oops, haha! I'm guess I'm a little shaky- oh!"
You were cut off by Papyrus wrapping his arms around you tightly, pulling you up and into his arms, holding you close. He hadn't said anything throughout that entire event, he had been frozen. It seemed as though he couldn't quite being himself to speak just yet, as he remained quiet, but his grip was firm. It was clear that, not only was he not ready to talk, but he wasn't ready to let go of you either.
"Papy, I'm fine, really, it's ok. I'm ok."
But you couldn't convince him otherwise, as he still continued to hold onto you, his face, resting on your shoulder, nuzzling you occasionally. Before you could attempt to comfort him anymore, Alphys caught your, and the rest of the monsters', attention.
"Uh, g-guys. I h-hate to be the bearer or b-bad new, as such, b-but the machine s-still didn't pick up a-any readings for y/n's s-soul."
Everyone, minus Papyrus, peered over at the data to see what Alphys was talking about. Their expressions morphed into confusion as they looked at the machine, then back at you, as if you had an answer to all this. You simply shrugged.
"I'm sorry guys, I don't know what to say...although..."
The skeletons raised an eyebrow at you.
"ALTHOUGH WHAT, HUMAN?"
Edge prompted, standing there expectantly.
"Maybe I don't have a soul?"
All the monsters scoffed at you, some even laughing at your comment, as if it was preposterous. You frowned.
"I'm serious! Look, in my universe there's no such thing as magic, as far as we know, and the soul is only ever talked about as a spiritual thing! There's no actual scientific evidence to back up it's existence, so maybe I just don't have one?"
Your comment made the others go silent for a moment as they actually considered a living being not having an actual physical soul like them.
"Nah, can't be possible. Otherwise, how were we able to use our magic on you?"
"Y-you guys used m-magic on a h-human?!"
You weren't quite sure why Alphys was so suddenly stressed again, but none of them answered her, only choosing to look away with a slightly guilty look on their faces.
"I don't know. Do you need a soul to have magic used on you?"
Your question once again brought complete silence, as if you were suggesting something entirely new that no one had ever considered before. But, of course, why would they have? For once, these genius skeletons didn't have an answer, and neither did the Dr herself it seemed, as they all seemed to be troubled when considering your question.
"Dunno kid, I mean, I never thought of that before. Cause, what being doesn't have a soul, right? Well- apart from you, maybe."
Sans shrugged, a puzzled expression on his face. It was clear that the concept of a soulless being was incredibly difficult for everyone to grasp, but you didn't hold it against them. You could see why it would come as a massive shock to them. Being so completely different from every living person and monster on a planet in such an important way must have rocked their world view.
"W-well, I guess that's another thing to i-investigate!"
All of the skeletons, especially Papyrus, glared at Alphys, who quickly help up her claws in peace and began to sweat again.
"O-of c-course, that can be f-for another day, hehehe..."
The others nodded in agreement to continue any further tests another day. For now, however, Alphys said she had gathered enough data enough for her to get started for more in depth research. Of course, you'd all be in the loop with her research, but she just wanted to get a head start. So, with that, she packed up her equipment and checked everyone's health stats before going back to her lab, leaving you alone with the skeletons.
You all made your way back upstairs and chose to place yourself in the living room, slumping down onto the couch. Well, you didn't exactly make that decision, Papyrus had. Ever since the experiment, he hadn't let go of you once, squeezing you tightly so that you'd remain in his arms. So, when you went upstairs, he was still carrying you, and he had yet to utter a single word, which began to worry some of the others, specifically yourself and Sans, as this was clearly abnormal behaviour for Papyrus.
"Hey, uh, bro...you doing ok...?"
Sans asked, tentatively.
"Heh, cause, you know, you've never been this dead silent before, hehehe..."
When his horrible pun got no reaction from his brother, Sans began to sweat anxiously. You frowned at Papyrus' demeanour.
"Papyrus, what's wrong? You've been acting...unusual since the test..."
You tried to prompt an answer out of him, and, luckily, you managed to succeed. Except, his voice was quieter than usual, and he refused to look at you, instead nuzzling his head further into your shoulder.
"Human, I'm So Sorry...I've Been A Terrible Friend To You."
His statement confused and alarmed you as you hastily tried to reassure him that wasn't true but he cut you off.
"Papyrus, that's not true-"
"YES IT IS! FRIENDS ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP EACH OTHER WHEN THEY'RE SAD, OR HURT. I COULDN'T HELP YOU WHEN YOU WERE SAD THAT NIGHT OF OUR SLEEPOVER, NO, INSTEAD YOU HAD TO GO TO SANS!"
Shit, he knew about that as well? But how?
"Paps, that wasn't your fault, I just didn't want to bother you-"
"EXACTLY! YOU FELT AS THOUGH YOU COULDN'T EVEN COME TO ME TO SEEK COMFORT! WHAT KIND OF A FRIEND AM I IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU CAN CONFIDE IN ME WHEN YOU NEED TO?"
You bit your tongue, your brows furrowing as you wracked your brain trying to come up with a response that would reassure him that he was a good friend, but you weren't fast enough as he continued his self deprecating speech.
"AND JUST NOW, WHEN YOU WERE IN CLEAR AGONY, AND I JUST STOOD THERE, BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO HELP YOU! WHAT IF DR ALPHYS' LITTLE EXPERIMENT HAD PLACED YOU IN A DIRE SITUATION, WHAT THEN? I WAS NO USE AT ALL!"
"Papyrus..."
You looked down at him with a guilty expression. You had no idea he felt like he was failing as a friend to you, and if you had, you would've made more of an effort to make sure he knew he was doing just fine. If anything, you were the problem in all the scenarios he listed, it had nothing to do with him.
"What Good A Friend Am I If I Cannot Even Help You When You Need It?"
His voice was timid, and it unsettled you how unlike him it sounded.
"Besides Frisk, You're My First Human Friend...All The Other Humans I Encounter Either Already Dislike Me Or Are Scared Of Me, But You...You Accepted Me, Accepted All Of Us Almost Immediately After Meeting Us. Truthfully, I've Never Been Good At Making Friends And I've Never Experienced Such Kindness From A Human That Isn't Frisk. I Don't Want To Mess Up Our Friendship Because I Am Not As Good A Friend To You As You Are To Me.."
Hearing him practically pour his soul out to you whilst sounding completely defeated made your heart want to instantly shatter into a million pieces. For such a confident skeleton, you never would have guessed he had all this weighing on his mind. The other skeletons sat in silence as they watched the two of you closely. Needless to say, they were all quite taken aback by Papyrus' unnaturally low mood, much like you were.
"Mate, none of that was your fault. Those were all my issues, you honestly don't need to worry. You've been such a cool friend to me, so like, don't even stress about it. You're not messing anything up, and by the way, my 'accepting' of you all is the bare minimum, and I'm sorry that the bar was set so low for you that you think so highly of me. But you're doing just fine, so don't worry."
You weren't sure that you had done a very good job at comforting him, but you had to keep on trying until he understood that he wasn't doing anything wrong. You sighed, hugging him back.
"Papyrus, you were my first friend here. My first friend ever in a whole different universe! You've made me feel nothing but welcome here. I wouldn't give you up for anything."
You meant every word, and he could tell you did. When he looked up at you with a tearful expression, his smile widening by the second as he relaxed his grip on you but pulled you closer, nuzzling your cheek affectionately, making you giggle. You were glad he was feeling better. Though you hadn't known each other long, you felt as though you instantly clicked with Papyrus, making you immensely grateful that at least there was one positive about this whole trip. You met him.
"AWW, HUMAN, YOU'RE SO SWEET! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD NOT GIVE YOU UP FOR ANYTHING AS WELL! THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, I WILL NEVER DOUBT OUR FRIENDSHIP AGAIN!"
You smiled.
"Yeah, you better not, or I'll slap the sense back into you."
"NYEHEHEHE, YOUR THREAT IS NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS' FIGHTING SKILLS, MARK MY WORDS!"
And you did. With order restored back to the household, everyone began to relax a little, well, as much as they were capable of. Whilst they did, you were clueless as to how the monsters were feeling right now. Though there were some very mixed feelings about the events of today, there was one thing they all shared in common. Fear driven curiosity at the, what used to be considered usually impossible, possibility of being in the presence of a soulless being.
Few knew all too well what an encounter with a certain soulless being was like, but you were different. You didn't seem to thrive off of other people's dispair, or enact nothing but cruel, emotionless actions, nor did you harm others. But, most of all, you didn't have magic, either. Some monsters still believe that humans, despite having forgotten it long ago, still retained their magic and have the ability to access it. Even if that idea were to be applied to you, there were too many juxtaposing variables that made it immensely difficult to determine you're make up.
Sure, you were human down to basic biology, but at the end of the day, you weren't like any human they'd ever met. Of course, it was their fault for assuming that a human from another world would meet the expectations of their schemas around the humans of their world, but for some reason, the fact that you, a human who should have a stronger soul than any monster counterpart, didn't even meet the basic criteria for all living life- having a soul- was almost too much for them to comprehend.
And that idea intrigued, yet terrified them all.
Notes:
Everyone is very glad to see that our reader is ok, but are also quite disturbed at the possible notion of her being soulless! At least Alphys will get to conduct further research in the future.
Hope you all have a nice day/night 🌸
Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Greetings your majesty
Summary:
Reader has a busy day ahead of her. So do the skeletons. It's a long, dry process that must be endured.
Notes:
Hey guys! Back with another chapter :D
I got lazy with the legal stuff so it's not all accurate sorry.
Anyways, hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next few weeks were spent trying to deal with the legal side of your visit. You couldn't be bothered to know the ins and outs of it all, so you decided to get involved as little as possible and left most of it to Sans and the others. This meant that you weren't sure of everything that was happening, but you did know that they were mainly doing this so the others could get jobs.
Due to the sheer amount of you all, things like groceries were constantly running low, causing the brothers having to go to the shops almost every other day. You were a little worried about this at first, but Sans had told you that they were kind of well off, which confused you at first until he explained. Apparently, when monsters came to the surface a few years ago, their currency- which was apparently gold- had flooded the market, causing a huge boom in the economy for monsters.
According to Sans, the whole ordeal had surprised the monsters at first. They didn't know why humans seemed to value gold so much, but they shrugged it off and took it up as an early win for them. Naturally, as the amount of gold in the market increased, it's value slowly decreased, meaning that now, it's value was still high, but not as much as in the beginning. Luckily for everyone, the skeleton brothers had quickly transfered their gold for human money when the value was at it's peak, so they had quite a lot of it now.
In light of this, neither of them were too keen on the idea of recklessly spending that amount of money. Now, don't get it wrong, they weren't stingy, they just weren't about to blow all their savings on keeping the household in tack. Speaking of which, after weeks of being crammed in with each other, with tensions only rising every day, you figured it might be good for the others to get out and get some alone time. This way, they could not only explore the surface, but also not have to constantly be at each other's throats every moment of every day. Therefore, you all agreed it was in everyone's best interest to get a job of some sort.
Of course, there was no rush, and even if there was, it probably wouldn't do much good. See, you all quickly learned that not everyone was that eager to hire monsters, especially those who couldn't even provide basic legal documents to prove themselves. And that's how Papyrus came to the conclusion that they'd need to sort out some legal requirements before jumping into anything and possibly getting in trouble.
Evidently, this involved a trip to his place of work. You were intrigued when Papyrus had told you his job was to act as a mascot for monster kind. Though, this role was more for handling the media and the press. On top of this, he worked closely with Ambassador Frisk and King Asgore and played an essential part in trying to uphold the peace between humanity and monster kind.
Bare in mind, this information was thrown at you while you were making your way to the Embassy, meaning you were currently sitting in Papyrus' car with an impressed expression on your face. Speaking of his car, you hadn't expected it to be so flashy. Apparently, this was one of the things he has been dreaming about getting the most when he reached the surface, and now that he had it, he made sure to always keep it in peak condition. His efforts did not disappoit, and were made apparent by the sheer shinyness of the car's exterior, it's crimson red paint glistening in the sunlight in all it's might.
As you glanced around, you realised just how small a town Ebott was compared to the greater city you were currently driving through, the buildings, towering over you. However, growing up in London you weren't exactly impressed by the infrastructure of the place, but it seemed to satisfy the others enough as your ears were subjected to a choras of occasional "oos" and "ahhs". Surprisingly, Ebott town was just on the outskirts of the city, so the drive from the skeletons' house to the Embassy was fairly short.
Getting back to the matter at hand, Papyrus assured everyone that Asgore would be able to help you with your legal dilemma, though it would mean you had to expose the full truth of your situation. But, by the sounds of it, Asgore wouldn't cause you any trouble or expose any of you.
The traffic wasn't heavy today so your journey ended relatively quickly. Like before, you and a couple of the others went in Papyrus' car while the others teleported in with Sans. You had initially wondered why Sans just didn't teleport you all there but by the answer you got you infered that Sans may not have enough magic to shortcut that many people. Papyrus blamed this on his lack of training his magic and his lazy behaviour, which was fair enough.
As the building was highly guarded with security, it was only natural that you were provided with temporary visitor passes. However, as Papyrus worked here, he was allowed to escort you around rather than having one of the guards do it which made the whole operation go much smoother, at least, you thought so.
The entire Embassy was as fancy as you imagined. Being a brand new building, everything down to the carpet was quite clean, from the interior and extending to the exterior. It's large glass walls gave you a perfect view of the city and everything seemed to function as it should, meaning you were able to take the lift up to the King's office.
"ARE YOU EXCITED TO MEET KING ASGORE, HUMAN? DON'T WORRY, HE'S SUPER NICE! IN FACT, EVERYONE IN THE UNDERGROUND NICKNAMED HIM 'KING FLUFFYBUNS' BECAUSE OF HOW NICE HE WAS!"
Truthfully, you were a little nervous as you had never met a king before. You weren't sure how monster politics worked, but as far as you were concerned, the monarch back in England was more of a figure head then anything. The monarch held much less political power than once before, however, you had no idea if this was true for monster kind as well. As a result of this, you had no idea how to act upon meeting him. But Sans and Papyrus seemed pretty chill when speaking about him, so maybe there was no need to worry.
When Sans and Papyrus talked about the King, you noticed that Black didn't seem impressed at all, while Red and Edge began to sweat like crazy. Despite this, Blue, Cash and Stretch seemed unaffected, making you wonder what their own Kings or Queens were like. You mused over this thought briefly before you stopped outside of the office door. Gulping, you watched as Papyrus knocked then followed him in when a deep, muffled voice gave him permission to enter.
"Ah, Papyrus, Sans, welcome. Do come in."
He ushered in, gracing then with a glorious smile before he caught sight of all of you out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh, greetings to you all! I did not anticipate how many of you there would be."
He chuckled. For some reason, the atmosphere around him radiated warmth, somehow making the office itself seem brighter. It didn't take long for you all to file into the room, which was thankfully large enough to compensate for everyone, and gather around Asgore.
Before the King could continue speaking, Edge and Red made no hesitation when deciding to bow, whilst you swiftly positioned yourself into a curtsey with your eyes glued to the floor. In an attempt to show respect, the three of you uttered the exact same phrase, completely unrehearsed, at the exact same time.
"GREETINGS, YOUR MAJESTY."
"Greetings, yer majesty."
"Greetings, your majesty."
The room went silent for a moment, making you worry that you had done something wrong. You didn't dare look up until a hearty laugh filled the air. Curious of the source, you glanced up to see the King chuckling lightly at your actions. In fact, if it weren't for his good-natured spirit, you could've sworn he almost seemed a little embarrassed.
"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, you three! Please, relax a little."
It took a moment for all of you to resume your previous stances, but once you did, one glance at Asgore's calm expression made you relax slightly. Ever since you had entered the building, you had felt this immense pressure weighing down on you, that if you didn't act as respectful as possible, the consequences would be unimaginable. However, it seemed like your worry was all for nothing.
"Now, why don't you all introduce yourselves?"
Asgore gave you all the floor, and one by one, you announced your names, or in their case, nicknames, to the king. Once the introductions were out of the way, Papyrus thanked Asgore yet again for lending a hand with their situation, and explained everything to him. As he did, the king listened intently, soaking up every word Papyrus said. After he had finished, Asgore's expression was practically dripping with sympathy for all of you, and he expressed his willingness to help all of you during this...unusual predicament.
"Now, it should be simple enough for me to provide legal forms of ID for most of you. As you are all monsters, you are all entitled to monster citizenship, even if none of the other monsters recognise you. The humans would never raise any issues with it, as the underground is a large place, so they have no way of proving that you aren't from there. Well, this one specifically, of course."
Asgore explained, and the skeletons felt a wave of relief wash over all of them. There were glad that this was one less problem they had to deal with, and that they could get it done quickly. Your case, however, was a little more complicated, it seemed. Asgore turned to you.
"However, I'm afraid it is not as simple for you, little one."
The skeletons gave Asgore a perplexed look, waiting for him to continue. He sighed.
"As you are human, I do not have the abilities to grant you any form of ID or citizenship. And, I am given to understand that the process is not as simple for humans as it has been for monsters. It's hard enough that you're not from this universe, but it would be especially harder if you weren't from this country."
...
You pursed your lips, averting your gaze during a moment of silence.
"Uh, yeah...about that...So, like, I'm actually not from here. I'm from England...so..."
"Oh...i see."
Asgore placed a thumb and finger to his mouth, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"WHY DOES IT MATTER WHERE THE HUMAN IS FROM?"
Papyrus inquired.
"Well Papyrus, it means-"
The king began, but you quickly cut him off, glancing at Papyrus.
"It means there's a very high chance I can be deported back to England."
You stated, plainly. Asgore cleared his throat, nodding in agreement with you.
"Yes, well, we'll try to find a way around that."
"DEPORTED? I'M AFRAID I DO NOT UNDERSTAND."
Blue chimed in, speaking for most of the others as well. You shrugged.
"Basically, I'm here illegally because I don't have a visa or a citizenship. If I was found out by the authorities, I could be sent back to where I came from originally."
The skeletons paused, taking in the information before breaking out into a mild panic about the possibility of you being sent away.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE YET, HUMAN! HOW WILL WE GET YOU BACK HOME?!"
Blue fretted, shaking Stretch as he continued to freak out. Stretch was not too pleased but made no attempt to remove his brother from him.
"THEY CAN'T DO THAT! THEY WON'T."
Well that was a pretty heavy declaration from Edge.
"Just run away from the law, duh."
Cash rolled his eyes, leaning on his brother's head, who glared up at him. However, he didn't counter his proposal, in fact, he seemed to agree with him on this occasion.
"Ya ain't leavin' kid, we'll find a way fer ya ta stay. Cause, uh, we need ta do more tests, 'n stuff..."
Red insisted, rubbing the back of his sweaty skull.
"HUMAN, DO NOT WORRY, WE WILL NOT LET THE AUTHORITIES SEND YOU AWAY!"
Papyrus promised, taking your hands in his with a determined expression on his face. You stared at him with a neutral expression before slowly nodding at his decree.
"Everyone, please. Do not fret."
Asgore advised, holding his hands up in an attempt to calm everyone down. To no surprise, everyone shut up almost immediately after he spoke.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Although I may not be able to interfere, I have called in a friend that I believe may able to sort the human out with whatever she may need. In fact, he should be here any moment, so do not worry!"
Following on from his statement, there was a knock on the office door, which you all assumed was Asgore's friend. At first entry, the human was quite taken aback by all of you, but recovered quickly, greeting Asgore with a firm handshake.
"Thank you for meeting with us, Craig."
"It's no trouble at all, really."
He replied, smiling at the king briefly before glancing around the room, trying to locate you. Once his eyes landed on you, approached you. Apparently, this seemed to set Edge off, as his first instinct was to immediately grab you and pull him behind you at the first step the man took. Surprised by this sudden action, Craig stopped in his tracks, before laughing, somewhat nervously. You gave Edge a funny look, but he didn't seem to notice as he didn't move from his stance, his expression, hard, as he glared at Craig.
Groaning internally, you stepped aside from Edge, who seemed utterly shocked by your action, and walked towards the man who had originally put his hand out in an attempt to shake yours. You reciprocated this movement, giving him a gentle hand shake whilst ignoring Edge's mumbles of protests as he folded his arms.
"Don't mind him. He's being weird today."
You motioned over towards Edge who only huffed in response.
I'm y/n, nice to meet you Craig."
He smiled down at you.
"You as well, y/n. Now, I have been informed that you have no legal documents to your name, and therefore no form of ID, is that right?"
He recalled, and you nodded. You were pretty sure he didn't know the full story, and you weren't about to tell him, either. Instead you would have to make up some lies to fill in the gaps. Luckily, you had prepared for this.
"Yes. Well, I was born in England, but was brought over here and abandoned. I stumbled across an orphanage who took me in, thankfully. As I was a quiet child, they didn't really question where I had come from, so to this day, I've never had any form of ID, not even a birth certificate."
Craig listened to your story attentively, as you put on a cleverly crafted expression, your face, riddled with despair and pain. It was enough for him to buy your story, his face, softening as you spoke.
"This is my first foster family, but as part of the process, they need my legal documents, except I don't have any..."
"I see. Do you know how old you were when you first came?"
He asked, and you put on a thoughtful expression as you paused for a moment, pretending to remember.
"I'm not too sure, it was so long ago...I think I was around maybe five or six."
You offered in an unsure tone.
"And are you aware of any possible family members that live here? Or perhaps a way to contact your birth parents?"
You shook your head and he sighed.
"What about the orphanage? Perhaps I should contact them-"
"Ah, there's no need, Craig. I, and the others, have already done so, and found that they too, had nothing."
Craig glanced at Asgore briefly, who was able to quickly contribute to the lie as to not arise any suspicion, and nodded, accepting his answer.
"That is unfortunate, however...i think we can work something out here. If you would please come with me just to fill out some basic information."
He gestured towards the door opening it for you. As you moved to follow him, you were harshly tugged back by Edge, his grip, almost painfully harsh as he grasped your arm. You raised an eyebrow at him, slightly annoyed at his interference.
"Edge, let me go."
"YOU'RE NOT GOING WITH HIM. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM!"
Well, he wasn't wrong, you didn't know him. But that didn't mean anything bad was going to happen.
"Edge, it's fine. He's a friend of King Asgore."
"Precisely!"
He hissed in a lower tone, making you tilt your head in confusion. Surely if he was a friend of the King's, he was trustworthy enough. You didn't really understand where Edge's mistrust was coming from, but by now you had figured out that not trusting anyone was kind of his default. The same applied for many of the others as well.
"Edge, I'll be fine. I won't be too long."
You assured him, and for a moment, you noticed that Edge's stern expression broke temporarily to allow a moment of conflict in himself. He was taking too long to decide so you exhaled, yanking your arm back, then proceeded to walk away. When you turned around to briefly look at Edge, his expression almost looked hurt. You felt a pang of guilt in your heart, as if you had done something wrong, but that feeling went completely out the window when he chucked his scarf right at your face.
"The fuck are you doing?"
You glared, ripping the scarf off your face.
"IF I HAVE TO HAVE MY PICTURE TAKEN, I CAN'T HAVE MY FACE BEING SLIGHTLY COVERED BY IT! HANG ON TO IT FOR ME."
"No, I don't want your shitty scarf! You take it!"
"DON'T YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE WITH YOUR NEW BUDDY? SHUT UP AND TAKE IT YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!"
"The fuck did you call me? You're the one who-"
"I hate to interrupt, but we should probably..."
Craig interjected, making you remember that he existed.
"Right, right, sorry. Let's go."
You swiftly turned away from everyone and followed Craig out of the office, placing the scarf loosely around your neck. The silence was more than awkward as the two of you walked down the corridors. You felt as though you should try and make conversation, but it probably wouldn't do much. You tried to come up with something to say but Craig beat you to it.
"That, uh, Edge. He's a real...character, isn't he?"
He half joked, looking as though he was trying to suppress a grimace. You didn't blame him, honestly.
"Hah, yeah. He's not always that defensive..." Well, he kind of is. "He's just a bit more grumpy than usual today, is all."
Craig hummed in acknowledgement but didn't further the conversation, causing you to fall into silence once again. However, you began to talk again soon enough once you entered another room and Craig began preparing some papers for you.
He was good at explaining things step by step, not going too fast so that you'd understand and fill out every thing correctly. You began with the basics, like your name, age, birthday, and so on. Once you had finished, he looked over your details and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh, you're only thirteen? You look older than that."
He commented, and you furrowed your brows in confusion.
"Uh, no...I'm fifteen."
Now it was Craig's turn to look bewildered.
"Then you've put your year of birth down wrong."
He pointed to where you had put your birthday and you shook your head in disagreement. You date of birth was the 27th March 2008, which is what you put. You weren't wrong. Unless...
"Wait a sec, what year is it, again?"
You asked, laughing nervously when he narrowed his eyes at you, speculating as to how you didn't already know the year.
"It's 2021..."
He replied, and it took everything in you to retain your calm demeanour. You couldn't believe it. This universe was two years behind yours! How had you not known this? Clearing your throat, you regained your previous façade.
"O-oh, yeah, that's right! Ooh now I see, mixed up the six with the eight, I do that sometimes. Oops...haha..."
You quickly made a correction on the paper as you tried not to make eye contact with Craig who you were sure was getting an inkling that something fishy was going on here, yet, he didn't comment on it further. You were getting really lucky with Craig's lack of curiosity.
It didn't take long for him to walk you through the rest of the papers, and before you knew it, you were practically running out of his office and back to the others. He had said that your official forms would take a few weeks to be processed and delivered to you but apart from that, everything went pretty smoothly.
Because of this, Craig said he could start inputting it into the system so he left you alone to find your way back to everyone else. Basically, he left you to wonder around the building with no idea of the layout. It was a pretty massive place so you took this time to look around a little, passing occasional pieces of furniture and a couple of water coolers, which you found pretty cool for some reason.
Eventually, you had to face facts. You were lost. You figured that you should probably ask one of the employees here for directions, and spotted two monsters with lanyards on. You figured this meant that they worked here and, hopefully, knew their way around. As you approached them, you overheard some of their conversation.
"...yeah, but ever since we've been up here, I just haven't found the time."
"How have you not?! You literally went there all the time back underground!"
"I know I know, but work's kept me busy. And now, since he's relocated, I have no idea where to even find the damn place!"
"Well, it can't be that hard to find. I mean, what other fire elemental do you know that runs a restaurant?"
"True, true. Still, I'm so hungry right now! I just wish I knew where Grillby relocated to..."
Wait, we're they talking about Grillby's?
As you got closer to them, one of them caught your eye and immediately stopped talking, causing his friend to follow in suit. You came to a hault in front of them and they watched you with mild fascination. When you realised no one was speaking, you cleared your throat, giving them a nervous smile.
"H-hi, I'm sorry to bother you guys. I was going to ask for some directions but I couldn't help but overhear...you don't know where Grillby's is? That's what you're talking about, right?"
The monsters seemed surprised that you even knew of the place they were talking about, but they nodded.
"Oh, well, I know where it is! I can show you if you want?"
The employees glanced at each other for a moment, like they were having a silent discussion with no words needed, before turning back to you.
"I dunno where you came from kid, or who you even are but frankly, I'm too damn starvin' to care right now. So sure, lead the way."
Your smile grew slightly, pleased at the fact that you could help them, and began walking, motioning for them to follow you, which they did. On the way to Grillby's, you exchanged small conversation topics between the three of you, but you mostly listened to the two co-workers bicker amoungst each other, which you found quite amusing at times.
"So, ya knew here, kid?"
One of them asked, and you tilted your head slightly to look at them.
"Oh, yeah. I'm...uh, I'm with my knew foster family at the moment, so I just moved here. But it's only temporary."
You replied, as the stranger made a noise of understanding.
"Huh, thought so. Ya don't sound like many of the humans 'round here."
You snorted, wondering how many more times people would point that out.
"Yeah...but like, you guys are fairly new to this place too, right?"
They nodded.
"Yeah, what's it been now, Roon? Like, three years?"
The one apparently called 'Roon', odd name but you weren't judging, hummed in agreement with his friend.
"Yeah, think it's about that. In fact, the anniversary is comin' up soon, ain't it?"
"Oh yeah, hah, almost forgot about that!"
Anniversary?
You wrinkled your nose in confusion.
"Anniversary?"
The monsters looked at you and chuckled.
"The three year anniversary of the barrier being broken. Usually there's a huge celebration-"
"Yeah, the King and Ambassador usually do this long speech at a festival that lasts a few days. It's basically one big party!"
They explained, making you ever more intruged by their words. A festival sounded like loads of fun! You wondered why the Sans and Papyrus hadn't mentioned it yet. Maybe they forgot. If they had, you didn't blame them, as it had been a very hectic few weeks.
"Well, here we are!"
You announced, as you stoped outside of the establishment. You opened the door for them, letting them pass through and they thanked you for guiding them all the way here. It turns out that Grillby's wasn't too far a walk from the Embassy...or that's what you thought, at least. For you weren't aware that you had actually walked for half an hour just to arrive here.
Since you were already inside, you decided to give Grillby a quick hello as you hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks. You waved at him from afar and when his gaze met your wide smile, you could've sworn his flames became a little brighter. You happily skipped over to Grillby, unaware of the multiple pairs of eyes that were fixated on your figure. Like usual, you popped yourself onto one of the chair stools, swirling around to face the fire elemental.
"Hey Grillby, fancy seeing you here!"
You giggled as he exhaled a little steam at your remark, which you assumed meant he got the joke. However, his light demeanour was thrown off slightly when Edge's scarf caught his attention. His flames compressed into each other slightly, making it seem as though he was frowning. Reaching out, he took the corner of the fabric in his hand, running his fingers over the material. Once he did, his flames recoiled from it in an instant, almost instinctively.
You frowned at his behaviour, wondering what he was so put off by. You observed the scarf, but saw nothing apart from small holes and old dirt. When you looked back up, this was the moment you realised you were being watched by the entire bar which had now gone eerily quiet. You turned back to Grillby, suddenly feeling quite uneasy, looking to him for answers.
"Uh, Grillby, what's everyone staring at?"
You knew you were a human in a- usually- all monster bar, but you had been here twice before, so surely they couldn't be that surprised by your presence. So what was it? Grillby pointed at the scarf wrapped loosely around your neck.
"...Your scarf...it is radiating...very threatening signals...through magic."
"Threatening?"
You questioned.
"Like a warning...to others to stay away...or else...something bad..."
Something bad? Stars, what had Edge done to his scarf?
"Oh, I get it. Must be putting people off."
You positioned yourself do that you were facing the entire bar and opened your mouth to speak.
"Just ignore the violent vibes the scarf is giving, guys! It's not even mine anyways, so you're all good!"
Everyone blinked at you, completely thrown off by you addressing the entire establishment, but they shrugged it off, soon going back to how they were before. As you turned back to Grillby, the sound of a light crackling filled your ears, which you infered was the bar tender's way of laughing. It was super cool.
"I'm sorry Grillby, I don't wanna scare away your customers. It's Edge's fault for making me carry his scarf, which by the way I didn't even want in the first place!"
Grillby tilted his head slightly, implying that he had no idea who you were talking about.
"Oh, that's right. You probably don't know Edge...well, he's one of Sans and Papyrus' cousins."
Grillby's flames raised upwards a little as you chuckled.
"What, Sans never mentioned his cousins? Well, Edge, and a bunch of others, are currently staying with us right now."
You explained, though it didn't make Grillby any less surprised to learn this information. It's a shame Sans couldn't tell Grillby the whole truth of the situation, they seemed close in a way, but you had to contain this secret as tightly as possible. If world got out about alternate universes being real...well, let's just say no one wanted to see the consequences of that happening.
"Oh shit, speaking of, I should probably get back to them. See, I got kinda side tracked when I was helping some guys find this place. But I should probably head back to the Embassy now-"
"You...came all the way...from the Embassy. Did...you walk?"
He asked, and you raised an eyebrow at what he was trying to insinuate.
"Uh, yeah. I left at like- actually, I don't even know what the time is right now."
Grillby figured as much, so he handed you his watch. Your eyes widened as you looked at the time. When had it become so late?
"Oh...fuck. Any chance the others haven't noticed my disappearance yet?"
The fire elemental shrugged, unable to give you the answer you wanted. But, then again, how could he? You sighed, not holding it against him. As you stood up to leave, you felt a sudden breeze brush against you, then a familiar voice that made you jump.
"Oh, so this is where you went."
You turned to Sans, as you suspected, who...jeez, you don't think you've ever seen a scarier expression on his face. His eyelights had disappeared, his sockets, completely devoid of any light. His smile was still present, but somehow, that made his expression all the more haunting. You shuddered, but tried to play it cool.
"I'msosorrySansIwasgoingtocomebackbutICraigleftmeonmyownandIdidn'tknowwheretogosoIwasabouttoaskthesetwoguysbutthenIfoundoutthattheywantedtogotoGrillby'sbuthadnoideawhereitwassoIdecidedtoshowthembutIdidn'trealisehowlongawalkitwasfromtheEmbassyandthenIwantedtosayhitoGrillbybutIlosttrackoftime-"
Your nervous rambling was cut off by Sans' laughter, which implied that he wasn't angry with you, despite his previously creepy face he was making. When he next spoke, his eyelights had returned, making you exhale in relief slightly. However, you had a feeling you were about to get a strong lecture from at least Papyrus, if not more of them, when you returned.
"Heh, it's fine kiddo. No need to get so hot and bothered about it."
Grillby did not look impressed by his pun, but, for once, you actually found his joke amusing for once.
"Yeah, but like, it was still pretty flame of me to ditch you guys like that, sorry again."
Grillby smacked his hand against his face, making his flames temporarily expand in exasperation. Sans stared at you for a moment, and then burst out laughing at your awful pun. You could've sworn you him wipe away a tear from his eye.
"Hehehe, stars kiddo, now that was bad."
He snorted, ruffling your hair. That seemed to be his trademark way of giving affection, so you have just decided to accept it. As much as you would've liked to stay and chat some more to Grillby, Sans insisted that you go back to the others before, well, he didn't actually specify. You just hoped that they weren't too annoyed at you keeping them waiting for this long.
You think you were starting to get the hang of shortcuts, for this time you only felt a little disoriented rather than full on sick. Which was great in this case, as you didn't think you could handle being lectured whilst throwing up. Still, it took you a minute to regain your footing afterwards, but Sans did say that you were getting better.
When the others turned around, they were felt a mild sense of relief wash I've them as they saw you and Sans together. You waved awkwardly at them as they noticed your presence. The first to speak was Papyrus, who didn't seem like he was holding any annoyance towards you.
"AH, HUMAN! THERE YOU ARE! WHY DID YOU TAKE SO LONG?"
"Uh-"
"YES, YOU DID TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN ANY OF US. DID YOU HAVE SOME EXTRA HUMAN FILES THAT YOU NEEDED TO FILL OUT?"
Blue interjected and you shook your head.
"Nah, Craig left me once we were finished to find my way back to you guys but I...uh, got a little side tracked. Oh, and lost. Like, I got proper lost in this place, so yeah."
The others froze at your comment and somehow, their expressions simultaneously darkened at the notion that you had been abandoned to find your own way back.
"He left ya alone, just like that, fer ya ta wonder this place by yerself."
It was more of a statement than a question, but there was still a hint of disbelief in his voice. To Red, it was bad enough that the others let you go with some stranger, even if he was approved by the King, but he idea that an adult would leave a child alone in a building full of potentially dangerous individuals was almost completely foreign to him.
Sure, it did happen in his universe, where the weaker children who had been abandoned were picked off by the older kids for easy EXP, but most monsters knew that if they cared about their child and wanted them safe, then they'd make sure they didn't wander off alone into unknown territory without at least scoping the place out and making your presence aware to others. The same was true for those rare times when 'friends' would look after their children. Even if they didn't like the brats one but, if they knew what was good for them, they'd make sure to keep proper tabs on them, or they'd be as good as dust.
His brother, as well as Black and Cash, were quite accustomed to this general rule within their society, so when they heard you had been abandoned just like that, something inside them tightened with unease, their souls, thumping a little faster at the idea of what could've been. That feeling only worsened when you had admitted to just wondering off with strangers like it was nothing, and all the way to Grillby's no less! Now, they didn't know much about humans, but they were sure they at least taught their children about stranger danger, no? Or, maybe you were just that reckless or just that kind enough that you were willing to risk your safety to help others whom you didn't even know.
While they mulled over this thought, Blue and Papyrus took it upon themselves to chastise you for going off with strangers, however, it seemed as though they weren't too pleased with that Craig guy either, and rightfully so. If Red ever saw him again, he'd-
"So how did it go for you guys?"
Your voice grasped him out of his thoughts, moving his focus back to you as he watched the others answer you.
"EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY! KING ASGORE HELPED US WITH ALL OUR FORMS, AND WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING THEM TO BE POSTED TO US IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS! OR, SO HE SAYS."
Blue remarked in confidence.
"Uh huh, but he reckons it might take a little longer for you to get yours."
Stretch yawned, leaning on his brother lazily.
"Eh, I figured as much."
You shrugged. It's not like you were dying to hurry this process along. In all honestly, you didn't even think that you'd be here long enough for your documents to get any real use out of, so you didn't really see the point of getting them. But, none the less, you went along with it. You supposed that, as you had no way of telling how long you'd actually be here for, you'd never know what situations you'd be thrown into that they may be of use in. So, for now, you complied, even if it was a long winded process.
----------
Unfortunately you didn't have time to say goodbye to Asgore, as he was pulled into an important meeting shortly after dealing with all the skeletons, so you all made your way back home. You, once again, chose to ride with Papyrus in his car, since you could only take so many short cuts in one day (usually only one), to which no one protested.
On the journey back, you found yourself to be oddly drained. The reason for this was unknown to you, perhaps it was more of the mental stress of having to deal with all the legal issues that you were presented with today, or maybe it was the cramps in your hand that somehow made your back slump as if all the energy had been sapped away from you. Whatever it was, you were glad to be going back to the house, where maybe you'd be able to relax for a little bit, take your mind off of everything that had transpired these last few weeks, if that was even possible.
Of course, that never seems to be an option around here.
The second the door was closed, once everyone was in the house, you were immediately approached by Black, who pulled the same, stoney glare he always did when he looked at you. You had come to learn that he wasn't a very patient skeleton, so you didn't have to wait long for him to declare what he wanted. You waited for a few seconds, the two of you staring at each other, though you couldn't match the intensity in his eyelights, yet he said nothing.
You expected him to yell at you for something, or sneer at you with another one of his nasty comments, but he did neither. Instead, he grasped your wrist and dragged you outside into the back garden, causing you to wonder what he was scheming. It seemed that your curiosity didn't stop with you, because when you looked over your shoulder, your gaze landed on the swarm of skeletons that were following you, giving you odd looks. You shrugged, implying that you didn't know what was going on either.
Once outside, he released your wrist from his grasp and stood firmly in front of you. You raised an eyebrow, glancing around your environment briefly, before pinning your focus back onto him.
"Black, why did you drag me out here?"
You inquired, and you waited a beat before you finally got an answer from him, his voice, laced with an admonitory tone.
"TO TEST SOMETHING."
That was all the warning he gave you before he made a sudden gesture with his hand, as if he was trying to pull something that wasn't there. You pursed your lips awkwardly, not really sure if you were supposed to be doing something, or what Black was expecting. When nothing happened, he frowned, repeating the motion with his hand, with no success of any sort.
You glanced towards the others for clues as to what he was trying to do, but before you could get a read on their expressions, you felt as though your chest was being tugged slightly. When you looked down and saw nothing attached, you assumed you were imagining things, and shrugged it off.
The next time you felt it was a little more powerful, making you loose your balance and almost trip on the spot. As you looked up at Black he seemed intrigued by this phenomenon and decided to repeat the hand motion yet again except this time he put more gusto into it. When he did, you felt your entire body weight being pulled forward until you fell on your knees.
Figuring that this was another magic attack of some sort, you pushed yourself up to glare at him, but was instantly shocked by what you saw. Black was standing in front of you, like before, however, you seemed to now be shrouded in a dark, empty abyss. You were temporarily stunned by your new shift in environment that when you moved to wonder around you stumbled upon a large, rectangular box that was outlined in white.
Inquisitively, you ran your hand over the box only to reflexively pull it away when a bunch of text popped up. Your eyes carefully scanned each smaller box that had appeared before flicking back to Black who seemed pleased with this situation. You looked around, clueless as to what to do now and when you tried to voice your opinions to the said skeleton seemingly responsible for all of this, it appeared as though something was blocking your voice.
Ruling that option out, you turned your gaze back down to the box for some instructions, possibly anything new, but nothing had changed from when you last looked at it. The options were as followed:
Check. Fight. Act. Item. Mercy.
You chose Act.
"Black, what is this?"
You asked, and he smirked.
"THIS, PUNY HUMAN, IS WHAT US MONSTERS CALL AN ENCOUNTER. AS YOU ARE HAVING TO ASK ME WHAT THIS IS, I ASSUME THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME ENCOUNTERING THIS SITUATION."
His pun brought no more clarity to your mind, but it arose a good laugh out of him.
"YOU SEE, HUMAN, LAST NIGHT I CAME UP WITH THE CLEVER IDEA TO DRAW YOU INTO AN ENCOUNTER IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE YOUR SOUL."
You desperately wanted to interrupt him, but it seemed that he just seemed to keep on talking no matter what you tried.
"IT'S RIDICULOUS TO CLAIM THAT A HUMAN COULD BE SOULLESS, HAH! IF ONLY! HOWEVER, I THINK THAT, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ALPHYS' EXPERIMENT, I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST WAY TO INVESTIGATE YOUR SOUL WAS TO DIRECTLY OBSERVE IT."
He threw both of his hands in front of you as if to gesture towards it, but he found nothing. His smirk fell instantly, as did his hands, but his arrogance made a quick recovery. He cleared his throat and replaced his cocky expression with a more menacing one. His eye socket flared with a single, purple flame as he grinned sharply at you.
"WELL, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOUR SOUL LIKES TO HIDE. NO MATTER, I'LL JUST HAVE TO DRAW IT OUT OF YOU...BY FORCE."
His threat, which you knew to be all too serious, made you gulp nervously at the possibilities of what he meant by force, though you think you had a pretty good idea already.
"BUT, SINCE I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING FOR SO LONG...AND I INITIATED THE ENCOUNTER, IT IS NOW YOUR TURN."
Turn? Were you taking turns?
Ok, now let's see...you mulled over your options once more, your hand hovering over one specific button.
Check.
"SANS-NICKNAME: BLACK"
LV 19
HP 1/1
ATK 1 DEF 1
*Is highly suspicious of you
*Wants to uncover the truth
So, check gave you information on your...opponent?
You assumed that, if that was the case, it was now Black's turn again. Of course, you already anticipated that he'd pick Fight, however, you weren't expecting such a quick attack. In an instant, a flurry of bones came hurling towards you, promoting you to dodge them, clumsily. You evaded them, but fell onto the floor again during the process with a thump.
You weren't sure what this was accomplishing, but Black seemed pretty happy with whatever progress he was making. Maybe happy was the wrong word, perhap smug, almost? Either way it was clear to you that he delighted in getting arise out of you, much like Cash did. Except Cash's thing was to basically annoy you into exploding on him, while Black preferred to go down a more...violent route. Needless to say, you weren't a fan.
The two of you continued his game of cat and mouse, going back and forth between Act and Fight where you were only able to advade his attacks for so long before he started to land some proper hits on you. Thankfully, they didn't deal too much damage...in the beginning, but after a while, you began to get weary, and so did you body. Everytime you tried to speak with him, pleading with him to stop or asking him what he wanted, he simply gave you either some exaggerated answer or proceeded to throw further sheets of bones in your direction.
The worst part of all this, you recalled, was when he used his magic to pull you down, keeping your body firmly to the ground whilst you tried desperately to dodge his attacks. At some point in all this madness, you considered retaliating against Black by trying to land a hit on him yourself, but that idea went out of the window quickly when you realised you didn't even have the guts to move further towards him. And, once more, you were afraid of the consequences of you even attempted to hurt him, whether it was Black or his brother who would do something to you.
During this time, the others had tried to intervene but were held back by Cash, who was seemingly in on his brother's awfully thought out plan. Meaning that, they could only stand and watch in anticipation and hope that Black would soon see reason.
It took a while before Black's attacks finally slowed, and you were left kneeling on the floor a panting mess. In areas where Black's bones had managed to snag your clothes were sharp slices of red, complimented by the multitude of bruises surrounding them. Blood wasn't the only thing running down your skin, as sweat covered your entire forehead as you gasped for air, sobbing in between and shaking with fear and exhaustion.
The others couldn't bare to see you in such a state but, thanks to Cash, they were unable to intervene. Black, who was left unscathed by the encounter, raised his hand once again, and you flinched as he spoke.
"THAT SHOULD DO IT. NOW, LET'S SEE THAT STUBBORN SOUL OF YOURS HUMAN."
You were in too much pain to focus on the little tug at your chest or the dim light that arose from it. The others watched in awe as the light floated away from you and paused right in from of Black. As the initial light faded, it left a gently auror around it's physical form. Black, who's smirk was larger than the Cheshire Cat's, puts his hands on his hips and turned to the others, pointing at your soul in triumph.
"HAH, I TOLD YOU IDIOTS SHE HAD A SOUL."
He turned back to look at it.
"SEE FOR YOUR-"
He paused, his eyelights shrinking in an instincts to pin pricks as he properly layed eyes on your soul, if you could even call it that. It's physical form revealed it to be no bigger than a wallnut, if that. In fact, upon closer inspection, it looked as though your soul hadn't even finished forming. It's appearance stunned everyone into complete and utter silence, and for a long time, no one moved, unable to take their eyes off of it.
After what felt like years, Black made moved and, for the first time in this encounter, chose to Check you.
"Y/n"
LV 1
HP 15/15
ATK 0 DEF 1
*Doesn't understand why Black hates her so much
*Is scared
Black fell his soul drop at her stats and suddenly, he felt a cold chill ran down his spine. He stared at the words displayed on the makeshift screen in front of him for a long time and waited for you to use your turn. You had given up trying to fight him or reason with him a while ago, so you repeatedly chose Spare every time you could. This time, your choice finally ended the encounter, as his name turned yellow, and you shakily pressed the button.
One it ended, and the world faded back into your original surroundings, the skeletons were immediately there by your side, crowding around as some, mostly the taller ones, nelt down beside you, fretting over you and asking if you were ok when it was clear that, by your uncontrollable sobbing, you were not.
You expected everyone to huddle around you and fret over you, you expected for Papyrus to try and heal you, you expected for the others to glare at Cash and his brother for their behaviour. But, what you didn't expect was for Black to pull you towards him and wrap his arms around you in a crushingly tight hug.
It was safe to say that everyone was completely taken abake by Black's sudden movement, but no one was more dumbfounded then you. You temporarily forgot the ache pulsating all throughout your body as your attention was grasped by the skeleton's voice when he spoke in a regretful tone.
"SHH, SHH, I'M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY..."
You sniffed at his words, tears running down your cheeks and stinging your eyes.
"I don't wanna fight you- I don't wanna fight anyone, please Black-"
Black stroked your hair, squeezing you tighter as his voice got weaker, less commanding. More...sentimental.
"SHH, YOU WON'T. YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO FIGHT AGAIN. I'LL PROTECT YOU, PRINCESS. IT'S OK..."
For the first time since you all had got here, no one had ever heard Black use such sweet and gentle words to anyone, and it left them all absolutely astonished, so much so that their jaws were left forgotten on the ground. As they stared at the two of you, Black took your face in his hands, cupping your tenderly whilst and looking directly into your gaze with the most empathetic look you had ever seen from him, or from any of them for that matter.
You couldn't think so any thing to say, in fact, you didn't really feel like talking at all after what had just happened, so you gave him a small nod, which he seemed to take in stride. After that, he let you go and handed you to Papyrus, who led you inside to fix up your wounds. No one said much else for the rest of the evening, even during dinner, no one exchanged anything more than occasional small talk, and most headed to bed early. You were one of them.
One by one, they a went to their respective rooms, whether it was to sleep or just to get some alone time didn't matter to anyone. Soon enough, it was just you and Cash left in the living room. You kept your gaze on the floor and sighed, moving to head to bed as well when the sound of his hesitant voice stopped you.
"Hey, kid?"
You turned around with a drained expression on your face, making Cash wince at the fact that he had even opened his mouth. It was true that you looked like a mess, what with your slightly tattered clothing, your skin, covered in bandages, but that expression seemed to somehow make you look just as bad as you felt inside.
"I was just messin' around this mornin' with the whole, uh, wake up, 'n stuff. But...y'know, sorry, I guess."
He shoved his hands in his pockets and awkwardly rolled on his heals as he tried looked away from you, but his gaze darted back and forth between you and the wall too often, making it painfully obvious he was dying to get a response form you, whatever it may be. The slight sweat forming on his forehead also screamed how guilty he felt, so you took your time answering. Eventually, you exhaled deeply.
"Yeah, it's fine. Sorry for attacking you."
You said, the lackluster in your voice standing out massively.
"Nah, I deserved that."
You shrugged at his response and turned to leave.
"He means it, you know."
You didn't turn around. You simply stood there, back turned, listening to whatever he had to say.
"My bro said the same thing ta me when I was a lil' babybones, and ever since he's done nothing but. Well, when he could."
...
When you said nothing, Cash sighed and decided to leave you be. As he walked away, he uttered one final piece to you.
"Night, lil' dime."
----------
~A little while later~
"SO..."
Blue coughed, rubbing his knee caps, awkwardly. The others paused, leaning back in whatever piece of furniture the chose to sat in.
"I THOUGHT WE SAID WE'D INCLUDE THE HUMAN IN THE NEXT MEETING?"
Papyrus mentioned, looking around the room, confused.
"We will Paps, but, uh, it's probably best if we get some things straight first."
Sans explained.
"Or at least try to."
Stretch quipped.
"SO, THEN... IT'S AGREED."
Edge decided. Black and Red nodded, and Cash sighed.
"Ok, we need to talk about the kid."
Notes:
Some emotions are running high tonight! At least Black finally apologised, but at what cost? Lol.
See you lovelies next time! 🌸
Chapter 22: Chapter 22: butterscotch pie
Summary:
Reader and the skeletons finally get to meet Toriel and Frisk!
Notes:
Hey guys! Back with another chapter. Don't have much else to say, just that I hope you all have an enjoyable read! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Throughout these last couple of weeks, you began your tutoring with Sans, Stretch, Red and Cash, doing individual sessions with them every couple of days for a few hours each. Because of this, you started to learn each of their teaching techniques, and, as a result, you were able to determine who's you liked best.
Sans was already a pretty chill guy, so he had a very layed back approach to teaching. He'd often fall asleep when you were trying to work out problems, and, when awake, give you little encouragement mixed with plenty of puns. He wasn't the most productive, but was better than Red, who's patience wasn't the best. Neither was his temper, as he often got frustrated with you when you didn't understand something immediately. However, he knew it was difficult for you to wrap your head around so he tried his best to explain things to you, even if it came with a lot of grumbling.
As for Cash, well, he was a surprisingly strict and efficient teacher. He gave you a good balance of lecturing and problem solving, but was a little too harsh for your liking. And although some may call him encouraging, you prefer the word pushy. That left you with Stretch, who unexpectedly turned out to be your favourite teacher out of them all. His approach was similar to Cash's, except he was way more patient and encouraging, which you found helped ease you when you were getting too stressed over something you didn't understand.
Moving on from that, ever since the whole incident with Black you kept getting an inkling that he was trying to make up for his previous behaviour. Ever since the encounter, he had been acting strangely. He had become less harsh towards you, calmer, to an extent, as if he felt he was no longer under threat in your presence.
And it wasn't just him that was acting strangely, for Cash had also stopped being as rude as he was before. Sure, he still liked to tease you and prank you on occasion, but it wasn't nearly as harsh as before. Needless to say, the entire situation baffled you, making you wondered what had changed.
Regardless of what had happened, you tried to embrace your new dynamic with them, allowing the relationship between you and them to change. However, you knew as well as they did that they had a lot to make up for, but you were willing to let them try.
~2 weeks prior~
"Black, can you remember exactly what you saw?"
Of course he could, how couldn't he? The moment it arose from your chest he couldn't take his eye sockets off of it, even if he tried. He cleanched his fists and sighed, looking up at Sans.
"IT WASN'T EVEN THE EQUIVALENT OF A YOUNG TODDLER'S. HER SOUL REFLECTED ONE OF A FORMING BABYBONES, ONE THAT WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN BORN YET."
The skeletons' expressions scrunched up in confusion at his description.
"BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?"
Blue inquired, almost unable to grasp the truth of the matter, much like the others.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!"
Black retorted, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, lacing his gloved hands together. A wave of silence passed over the group as they mulled over the idea of your soul being how Black had described it.
For them to initially think that you had no soul had blown their minds enough, but now that they were sure that you did, and that it was in such an unusual state, well, let's just say it did them no favours when it came to clearing anything up. As time progressed, you were proving to be a bigger and bigger mystery. Luckily for you, some were determined to uncover said mystery.
"THIS IS..."
Papyrus started but was unsure how to finish.
"Unheard of? Yeah, take a look around bud, that's kinda our whole schtick here."
Red grunted, but no one challenged him, for they knew his statement to be all too true. There was no point in denying anything that was said.
"Did you see what colour her soul was?"
Black shrugged, glancing at Sans.
"HER SOUL WAS NO WHERE NEAR COMPLETE, SO THERE WASN'T EXACTLY A CLEAR, SOLID COLOUR. HOWEVER, THE HUE AROUND IT WAS TINTED RED, THEREFORE I BELIEVE IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT SHE MOST LIKELY HAS- OR WILL HAVE- A SOUL WITH A RED TRAIT."
"SO, SHE'S A DETERMINATION SOUL, THEN."
It was more of a statement than a question from Edge, who didn't seem too surprised by the outcome of your soul trait. If anything, it almost made sense, like the trait suited you. On second thought, it did.
"Seems like it. Heh, Frisk will love that."
Sans grinned.
"So, I'm assuming we need to get Alphys involved in this too, then?"
Stretch asked, causing Sans to shrug.
"Eh, it's probably best, considering we don't know as much about humans souls as she does."
"But surely 'er knowledge is limited as well, though."
Cash interjected, raising an eyebrow at Sans, who winked at him.
"You're not wrong there, pal. I guess we have to goat more people involved."
"SANS, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOW REFERRING TO LADY TORIEL BUT THAT WAS HORRIBLE! ADMIT IT!"
Papyrus screeched, placing his hands on his hips indignantly. Sans chuckled.
"Sorry bro, I didn't mean milk the joke, maybe it was just too cheesy for you to handle."
"NYEEHHHH, SANS!"
The younger brother's exasperation was noted by everyone, but instead of commenting on it, they focused their attention back to what was insinuated before by Sans.
"BUT, I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT, BROTHER. IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE LADY TORIEL INVOLVED. OH! DOES THIS MEAN FRISK CAN COME TOO?"
"Sure bro."
Sans nodded and watched as Papyrus clapped his hands in glee. After a very loose plan had been established, Sans claimed that he would give her a call at some point, which Papyrus knew he would not do without being encouraged to, so he pushed Sans out and into a separate room and went with him to call Toriel.
As for the rest of them, they soon departed, leaving Black and Cash alone. They didn't need to even look at each other to know what the other was thinking about all this. They both knew that, from your soul, you shouldn't even be existing right now. It was bad enough seeing it in such a fragile, weak, raw state, but Black saw something even worse, something that he didn't immediately spot, but upon closer inspection, couldn't tear his eye sockets away from.
"Somethin' on your mind, bro? Well, apart from the obvious."
His younger brother asked, scooching closer to him on the sofa. Black tilted his head away from him for a moment and exhaled deeply. He turned to his brother, rubbing his skull in worry.
"WHEN I OBSERVED HER SOUL, I...I SAW A..."
Black didn't usually struggle to articulate himself when it came to, well, anything he was trying to say, but when Cash saw his brother stumble around his words, he began to sweat nervously. Whatever he had seen was clearly so serious to have severely rattled him, and Cash didn't like to see him like that.
"A what?"
"...A CRACK."
The word alone was enough to make Cash feel sick to his none existent stomach, for he knew first hand, about the dangers that can pose to one's soul. He was all too familiar with what a crack, or stars forbid multiple, could do to a monster's soul, but a human's soul...neither of them wanted to even consider the threat it may pose.
"...how big?"
"ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES, AT MOST. IT DIDN'T EXTEND TO THE CENTRE, MAINLY BECAUSE THE CENTRE HADN'T FULLY FORMED, BUT IT WAS ONLY TOWARDS THE TOP."
He assured him, but it didn't ease either of their minds. Cash opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Black before he could even start.
"DON'T ASK ME HOW, BECAUSE I'M JUST AS CLUELESS AS YOU ARE TO THE STATE OF HER SOUL."
Upon hearing his brother's annoyed tone, he closed his mouth, accepting his words. However, he could tell just by the slight wobble in his tone and his more than tense expression that you were quickly becoming a sensitive topic for him. Cash didn't want to cause his brother any more anguish than he already felt so he decided to leave it alone. Sighing, he patted his brother on his back.
"We'll keep an eye on it, yeah? Shouldn't be too much of a problem if it doesn't grow. You told any of the others?"
Black shook is head, as he wasn't sure whether to spill your secret. Hell, he didn't even know if you knew. If he was going to tell anyone, it would be you first. Black sighed, standing up to signify the end of the conversation.
"WE'LL DEAL WITH THIS LATER. NOW, OFF TO BED WITH YOU."
Cash obeyed, following his brother by standing and glancing towards the stairs.
"Would be easier to observe her soul more if we were still rooming together..."
Cash mumbled, warning a glare from his brother.
"WELL, WE'RE NOT ANYMORE, ARE WE? NO, SHE'S WITH THOSE TWO RUFFIANS UP THERE, THANKS TO THAT SPINELESS VERSION OF ME."
Cash snorted at his brother's haughtiness, letting his pun slide just this once.
"Pfft, are we ones to talk, though?"
Black scoffed at his brother, refusing to answer the question as Cash chuckled.
"AT LEAST WE HAVE SOME CLASS."
"Sure bro, whateva ya say."
~currently~
This morning had been nothing short of hectic. You were rudely awoken to the sound of the fire alarm screeching throughout the house. You could see Red was in the same position as you, groaning and slamming the pillow over his head while you sat up, still groggy from your early awakening.
"The fuck...?"
You yawned, squinting your eyes towards the door. Red let out another groan and squeezed the pillow tighter.
"I don' fuckin' kno..."
He mumbled, his voice, muffled slight. Exhaling irritatedly, you had gone downstairs to see what all the fuss was about only to witness Blue fanning the flames that were erupting from the pan and Papyrus frantically running around trying to get the sound to stop. As you entered the kitchen, the smell of burnt...everything entered your nostrils, making you recoil in disgust.
"Blue, what happened?"
You asked, even though you could pretty much piece it all together. You pressed your hands against your ears as you waited for his response.
"THE FIRE ALARM JUST WENT OFF AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY."
Blue said, sweating immensely as his efforts only seemed to feed the flames. You didn't know why but, in that moment, his ignorance had really vexed you, causing you snap at him.
"Oh I know why, it's because you lot can't fucking cook!"
Blue paused for a moment, turning to you with an incredibly surprised and almost horrified look.
"LANGUAGE, YOUNG LADY!"
You rolled your eyes at Blue to which he gasped, seemingly not appreciating the gesture.
"Oh piss off will you. Talk to me when you can make a decent bloody meal without it being burnt or overcooked!"
You retorted, grabbing the lid of the pan and slamming it down onto it, which helped kill the fire, before storming out of the kitchen. You hadn't expected Blue of all people to be the one you'd argue with, but he'd already set you off. All in all, not a great start to the day. Unfortunately, it didn't get much better from there.
Cash and Black had both been bugging you a lot today. You understood that they were trying to make up for their previous misdeeds, but they were doing too much. Because they wouldn't leave you alone, Edge felt the need to step in, but of course, that didn't end well. Black and Edge ended up getting into a small spat, chasing each other around the house and throwing magic attacks like it was nothing.
Except it wasn't nothing, and a lot of the house was messed up in the process. Papyrus had tried to step in, but was quickly pulled into the kitchen as yet another fire had erupted, this time from Stretch's cooking. As they attempted to control the fire, Red was being dragged downstairs by Blue who was encouraging him to calm his brother down, but Red simply continued to fall back asleep, grumbling to himself in a peeved manner.
Cash had also given up trying to intervene, not that he'd really done anything of use, so he opted for a different kind of destructive behaviour. This, unfortunately, had involved taking everyone's wallets when they weren't looking, apart from his brother's, which you had noticed. When he wouldn't comply when you told him to put them back, you ended up in some sort of wrestling match with him in an effort to grab them off of him. So, to sum it up, this morning hadn't been the best.
However, things were about to get much more chaotic, as you were completely unaware that Sans had scheduled a couple of visitors to come by the house today, so when the doorbell rang, it fell upon deaf ears. Eventually, the sound caught the attention of Sans who moved to open the door and allow said visitors in. Truthfully, none of you would have noticed their presence if not for a sharp, clear cough, ordering the room to freeze. The tone was familiar to you, like how mothers wanted the attention of their preoccupied children, who were usually misbehaving.
The stern expression on her face completed the command, and within moments, everyone had stopped what they were doing, some even bowing towards the figure. As you took your eyes off of Cash in favour of the stranger, you saw her standing tall, her arms crossed with a displeased look on her face.
As a monster, she looked similar to Asgore, in the sense that her fur was white but neetly brushed, and her horns stuck out, but not as much as the King's. With her stood a human child, who wasn't incredibly tall but definitely not short enough to be considered a very young child. The child wore a blue and purple striped shirt that was tucked into a pair of dark brown shorts. The colour also matched their boots, which were covered in dried mud mainly towards the bottom.
Whilst observing the two strangers, you had let your guard down, leading Cash to find an opportunity to snatch some of the wallets off you, practically slamming you down to the ground with a thud. You let out a cry of pain as you glared daggers at him.
"Ugh, fucking hell! Get off!"
"Hey you started it-"
Cash began but was quickly cut off.
"Excuse me, but did you just slam that child to the floor?"
Toriel spoke, her expression darkening as her piercing gaze landed on Cash.
"N-no of course n-not, your majesty, w-well maybe, yes...but we were only play fighting! Nyeh heh, weren't we kiddo?"
Cash stuttered out frantically, sweating like crazy as he ruffled your hair to show his so called 'good natured' goofing around. Toriel narrowed his eyes at him, clearly having very little faith in his answer, which only seemed to spike his nerves even higher. You had never seen Cash fold so quickly like that, not even his brother. Was it wrong that you found a little bit of satisfaction in it?
Without giving Cash so much as a second glance, she walked slowly over to you and offered her paw, which you took gratefully. Her stone cold expression had melted away instantly, and was replaced with a sweet, genuine smile. Her eyes had softened, much like her voice, which had lost it's sharp tone as she spoke to you.
"Are you quite alright my child? He is not giving you any trouble, is he?"
You nodded your head as you stood up, a little embrassed that she had seen you got knocked down.
"Oh, no, I'm fine thank you."
Toriel shot one last glare at Cash before she replied to you, accepting your answer.
"Well, if you are sure. Oh! How rude of me, I have not introduced myself yet. My name is Toriel, and this is my child, Frisk."
She gestured over to the human with one of the most neutral faces you've ever seen. Actually, upon closer look at their body language, how it was slightly stiff and nervous, it looked as though they may actually be a little shy. You weren't the only one who noticed this, and you assumed that, from the surprised look Sans and Toriel gave Frisk, this was not their usual behaviour.
"Ah yes, I should mention that Frisk is mute, whether it be selective or not, so they usually communicate through sign language-"
"Oh, really? I know some sign language!"
Frisk perked up at your statement, and Toriel's eyes brightened a little. You began to sign as you spoke to Frisk.
"Hi Frisk, my name is y/n. It's nice to meet you."
Frisk watched you in confusion, much like the others, tilting their head slightly. When you didn't get a response, you furrowed your brows.
"What? Did I do it wrong?"
Then it hit you.
"Oh, wait, you probably use ASL, don't you?"
Frisk nodded and you chuckled. Those around you exchanged clueless looks with one another, and you felt the need to explain.
"Right, so, since Frisk is American, I'm assuming-"
Frisk nodded and you continued.
"They'll use ASL- American Sign Language- but since I'm from Britain, I was using BSL- British Sign Language."
"BUT HUMAN, DON'T BOTH COUNTRIES SPEAK ENGLISH? WHY WOULDN'T FRISK BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND YOU?"
Papyrus questioned.
"Well, even though there is some overlap with certain words, the two are mostly unrelated. And yeah, I don't know why they're like that."
You shrugged, and Papyrus made an "AH" sound in understanding. You noticed that, through your explanation, Frisk had looked a little disappointed by this issue, and you tried to rectify the situation by still speaking to them, except now getting Toriel or one of the skeleton brothers to translate what they were saying.
"So, uh, Frisk, I've heard a lot about you. Papyrus and Sans have told me all the important stuff you do and have done for monster kind. Doing that all at your age is pretty cool."
You commented with a smile on your face, but judging from Frisk's lack of response, nodding their head meekly, you realised that you weren't really getting through to them all that well. But instead of giving up, you decided to continue your failing conversation topics, because why not make things even more awkward for yourself and everyone watching.
"S-speaking of age, how old are you again? Papyrus mentioned something about you being eleven?"
Frisk nodded once again and you relaxed a little.
"That's cool, I have a younger brother the same age as you."
Frisk's demeanour immediately brightened up slightly once you said that, though you weren't too sure why. Maybe it was just the fact of knowing you knew how to deal with kids their age, even if you weren't always the best at it. They seemed to be much more timid around you than the monsters, though that could be due to a number of factors. Perhaps they were just naturally shy with strangers, or maybe they were just shy with humans, perhaps specifically older ones. Whatever the case, you hoped to break down whatever barrier they had up at the moment. So far, you think it was slowly working, though it was hard to tell with their almost never changing expression.
"I hate to interrupt, dears, but if I may interject?"
Toriel asked, quite politely, and the two of you cut off your conversation, silently agreeing to continue it later, in order to allow Toriel to say her piece. She turned back to you as she spoke.
"My child, Sans and Papyrus requested my presence because I have some experience in how the human soul works, though I am no expert, of course."
You raised an eyebrow at her, then at the skeleton brothers, who both gave you a thumbs up. You weren't exactly sure where this was going, but if it involved any more examining of your soul, you're not sure how keen you were to get that started up again just yet.
"And they have brought to my attention the...physical health of your soul. And, by the sounds of it, there might be cause for concern."
You shrugged. You've been hearing that kind of talk ever since you started this whole 'soul searching' shit.
"I do not mean to alarm you my child, for I may able to help. If I may simply take a look at it-"
"Jesus, why does everyone wanna look at my soul? Before this, I didn't even have one for Christ's sake!"
You didn't mean for it to come out like that, but you were just so frustrated of everyone keeping you in the dark. You couldn't understand why they wouldn't just tell you what was happening. However, something about your little outburst made Toriel pause, her brows, scrunching up together in befuddlement.
"What do you mean, you didn't 'have a soul' before this?"
You immediately shut your mouth, realising your big mistake from your big mouth. When no one answered, it only added to her suspicion. Frisk too was taken aback by this information, yet, they chose to watch their mother's reaction instead of giving their own. When a few moments had passed, Toriel turned to Sans with a serious expression.
"Sans, what is the child talking about?"
Sans' eye sockets creased together, shrinking in size for a moment before sighing.
"Alright Tori, since Alph' already know, I suppose it's only fair that you and the kid know too."
"Know what exactly? Sans, what on earth is going on here?"
Toriel demanded, using the same stern tone of voice that she had used before on Cash. So, once again, you all stood there and listened as Sans repeated the story of how you all got here and what had transpired ever since. He also shared a few stories with her, and something told you all that she did not find them as amusing as Sans did.
"And that's basically why we asked you to come over. Ever since Black-"
"Beat the child down to a pulp, frighten her nearly to death then forcefully ripped the tiny, fragile soul out of her body?"
Toriel chastised, making Sans squint slightly in discomfort before he continued.
"Yup. Ever since then, we've all been a little sceptical of the kid's health, so we were wondering if you could take a look at her soul?"
Toriel allowed for a very long, tense pause to hang in the air before sighing. She did not immediately answer Sans' question, but instead turned to the rest of the skeletons watching her.
"You all should be utterly ashamed of yourselves."
She criticised, a hard, unhappy expression forming on her face. The boys felt themselves shrink slightly as Toriel began her lecture on child safety.
"From what I've just heard, your behaviour has been nothing short of appalling. The way you have treated this child is completely unacceptable!"
The once sweet goat woman you had met had completely disappeared, and was replaced by a displeased, almost angry, figure who continued to condem the monsters for their treatment of you, which, if you were being honest, it was nice to know that your feelings were being justified by outside judgement.
"Honestly, I have half a mind to take the child from you all, as none of you, apart from perhaps Papyrus and Sans, are fit guardians for this young one."
Toriel's comment surprised everyone, however, some turned hostile very quickly to her claim.
"Woah, Tori, uh...maybe you should slow down-"
"YES, LADY ASGORE. I FEAR THAT YOU ARE BEING A BIT HASTY-"
"I appreciate the concern Papyrus, but I am afraid that the rest of your, uhm, counterparts, as...interesting as they seem, are not fit to take care of this child. And, I cannot in good conscience allow her to live in such a dangerous environment."
Toriel sighed, taking your hand gently with her paw, gazing at you with kind eyes. From that expression, you could tell that she had good intentions, but you had a strong feelings the others wouldn't see that.
"My child, you do not have to, but I would strongly advise that you come and stay with me and Frisk until this whole mess is resolved. I'm sure I can speak for Frisk and myself when I say that you would be in a safe and loving environment-"
Toriel was cut off mid sentence by the presence of a sharp, tall bone springing up, merely inches away from her body. It was enough to make her flince, immediately letting go of your hand in shock. You too were startled by this sudden attack, but what really made you flinch was the sudden grip that hastily dragged you behind the attacker.
When you looked up, you saw that it was Edge who had dragged you half behind his back, his grip on your arm tightening as he glowered down at Toriel with one of the most menacing snarls you've ever seen. When he spoke, his voice came out so low that you swore you heard a small growl errupt from his none-existent throat.
"STEP. AWAY."
If Toriel knew him better, then perhaps she may have stood her ground a little more but instead, she complied, taking a couple steps back whilst pulling Frisk to her side. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a small of light beginning to form in her paw, which you assumed meant she was preparing to defend herself and her child if necessary. However, Edge did not throw another attack at her, as he had clearly got his point across. He was not one to hesitate when it came to protecting those he cared about violence.
"YOU DO NOT KNOW US, AND HAVE CLEARLY MADE IMPROPERLY INFORMED JUDGEMENTS FROM SMALL BITS AND PIECES. SO DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TELL US THAT SHE WOULD BE BETTER OFF AWAY FROM US. WE CAN PROTECT AND CARE FOR HER JUST FINE."
Edge cleanched his fits but relaxed when you clung to his arm. You figured that, although Edge wasn't a particularly affectionate skeleton, showing him you were safe through physical contact may make him feel a little less hostile. Thanks to your amazing assumption, you were right. His grip began less harsh, before he dropped it all together. However, his threatening expression did not change whenever he glared at Toriel, who had now abandoned the idea of defending herself and lowered her paw.
"Edge, it's fine, ok?"
You mumbled quietly to him and he glanced down at you, nodding in understanding yet you could tell he was still slightly tense, but at least he wasn't on the offensive anymore. You turned to Toriel with a sympathetic expression.
"Thank you for the offer Toriel, but I think I'll stick with this sorry bunch for now."
Your comment brought out a chuckle from Toriel as you gestured over to the monsters behind you who simply rolled their eyes.
"Well, the offer is there whenever you feel the need to take it."
She said, genuinely.
"Now, are you still alright for me to examine your soul?"
After all the effort she and Frisk made to come here and all the crap Edge just gave them, you felt as though the least you could do was let her. After all, what was the harm right? You nodded and she came forward and pulled out your soul much more gently and slowly than Black had done.
You noticed a couple winces around the room from the skeleton monsters as they observed your soul for the second time. For a long time, as your soul was being observed once again, Toriel said nothing. You tried to decifer what she was thinking, but her expression gave nothing away.
Eventually, she sighed, which you didn't think was a good sign, and neither did anyone else.
"I must say, I have not seen a human soul like this before, or even a monster soul. This is a very unusual case, but I suppose, due to the unusual circumstances you are in, it makes some sense."
She addressed you, and you perked up, listening intently to her.
"As you are clearly in tact, I assume your physical health is mostly fine. Because of this, although your soul looks to be in developing stages, I believe it's health will be completely fine."
Everyone let out a breath they knew they'd been holding.
"However...what does worry me is that crack."
As if Toriel couldn't say anything worse, the whole room, minus Black and Cash who look away, feeling slightly guilty for withholding that information from everyone, errupted into mass panic and shock. Going off their reactions, you assumed a crack was a bad thing. Then, one by one, each skeleton turned you around to see for themselves, and became even more displeased.
"There is no need to be too alarmed. Although this could be a very serious matter, the crack itself is very small and on the very edge of her soul. If it doesn't worsen, it should be nothing to really worry about."
Toriel suggested, though not being too sure of herself.
"HOW DID YOU EVEN GET THAT CRACK, HUMAN?"
Papyrus asked, nervously fiddling with his fingers as he gazed at it. Feeling all eyes on you, your face became a little flustered from embarrassment, causing you to fold your arms and shrug.
"Perhaps Doctor Alphys should take a look at it?"
Toriel offered, and Sans nodded his head, though not many of the skeletons were so on board with Alphys messing around with your soul. Not after the last time.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME WE LET HER NEAR OUR HUMAN-"
"EDGE, DON'T BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE! WE'RE ALL NEW TO THIS, AND I'M SURE ALPHYS WOULD KNOW TO BE CAREFUL THE NEXT TIME!"
Blue had hope in her, which was clear to anyone in this room, but Edge still stood firmly against it.
"I AGREE. THAT 'NERVOUS' FAÇADE OF HERS GOES RIGHT THROUGH ME. I BET SHE'S COMPLETELY MAD UNDERNEATH IT ALL, AND SHE'S JUST WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRIKE! AND WHAT EASIER TARGET THAN OUR WEAK, LITTLE HUMAN!"
"Uh, wow, trust issues much?"
Stretch raised an eyebrow at Black who simply scoffed, saying he was a 'CLUELESS FOOL'.
"Nah, Black's right. She's bad news."
Red mused, to which his younger brother nodded in agreement. It seemed that the only few in favour of this idea were Sans, Stretch and Blue, while the rest were completely against it and Papyrus was still on the fence about it. After all, he had been pretty shaken up by what had happened to you last time.
"What do you think, bro?"
Sans asked, and Papyrus broke out in a little sweat as he decided, but eventually, he came to the conclusion that you all figured he would come to.
"DR ALPHYS IS OUR FRIEND, AND I TRUST OUR FRIENDSHIP ENOUGH TO ALLOW HER A SECOND CHANGE!"
The others grumbled at his seemingly endless supply of hope and trust while Toriel and Frisk smiled at him. For the tie breaker, they needed ur opinion which was the only one that really mattered. You sighed as your soul floated back into your body.
"Sure, why not. It would be nice to see her again, I guess."
Once that had been decided, Papyrus went off to call Alphys to arrange a time for her to come over, leaving you alone with Frisk and Toriel. Whilst this happened, introductions were given and further questions were asked, mainly by Frisk, before Toriel brought up another topic issue.
"Ah, before I forget-"
She turned to you and Sans.
"I have recently spoke with Asgore and he has informed me of your current schooling situation...which is nonexistent, my child."
You gave a short laugh but your heart wasn't really in it.
"Well, not entirely true, Tori. We've been teaching the kid some stuff occasionally, isn't that right kiddo?"
You nodded and Toriel sighed, giving you two and understanding smile.
"Be that as it may, I'm afraid the law requires the child to be in school until break. So, you'll have to make arrangements once her legal documents have arrived."
"Wait, hang on a second-"
You implored and Toriel did indeed stop, giving you the floor.
"What arrangements? What month is it?"
"April, kiddo. You didn't know?"
"APRIL?! Nah, you're having me on, aren't you?"
"Uh, 'fraid not kid, why?"
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"
Both Toriel and Blue quickly shouted "language!" at you, though you were too preoccupied with trying to wrap your head around the fact that it was April than to listen to either of them.
"So you're saying I have to go back to school?"
"Essentially, yes my child-"
"Seriously?! I finally got my summer holidays and now I have to go back to school because you lot are four months behind? Well, more than that, but still!"
You groaned, rubbing your face in exhaustion. Many of the skeletons found your outburst amusing, and snickered slightly in your direction, whilst Toriel only gave you a sympathetic look.
"It will not be for too much longer, y/n, only until summer vacation."
"And when does that start, exactly?"
"I believe it depends on what school you go to, but it is usually between late May and early June, for around ten to eleven weeks."
That's right. You forgot Americans got a longer summer, and since that was the case, you'd only have to do the last few weeks in school, since it was already late April, creeping towards May. You didn't really see the point in starting this late, but since the law required you to, you supposed you could endure it for a little while.
You sighed, unfolding your arms as you glanced at Sans and then at Toriel with a defeated look.
"Fiiine, I'll go."
Toriel smiled as Sans patted you on the back for you acceptance of the whole situation.
"You know, y/n, I am in fact a teacher. Though I teach kindergarteners, I may be able to see if I can get you inrolled in one of the high schools my friend works in? You are fifteen, as Asgore told me, correct?
You nodded.
"Excellent! I'll see what I can do once you acquire your necessary documents."
"Speaking of which, kiddo, they should be here by now. Why don't you go check if they've arrived."
Sans piped up, and you complied. You hastily walked to the door and glanced down at ground, only to find nothing, before returning to the monsters who both wore puzzled expressions.
"Nope. Nothing yet."
"Uh, kid, you didn't even go outside."
Now it was your turn to be confused. You tilted your head at Sans.
"Why would I go outside?"
You questioned, which only made your behaviour seem weirder to the two.
"Uh...to check the mailbox, of course?"
Oh. Oh!
"Oh! Right, I forgot you guys had those. One sec-"
Before Sans could question you, you walked out of the house and up to the mailboxes. Your eyes scanned over both of them as one read 'Sans', which seemed to be overflowing with letters, and 'Papyrus' to which the contents inside were the equivalent of a tumbleweed in the desert.
Frowning, you noticed that there were no other boxes, so you guessed that if a letter for you had arrived, it had been lumped in with Sans' junk mail. With trying efforts, you finally found a letter addressed to you in the sea of mail, however, you struggle to squish them all back in one you had taken some out. In fact, the wind even picked some up, blowing them away slightly which meant you had to chase some up and down the street before returning them back into the box.
Once you re-entered the house, slightly panting, you saw the others snickering at you once again, as they had clearly been watching you run up and down the street like an idiot. Brushing it off, you plonked down onto a the sofa next to Papyrus who had now finished speaking on the phone and had arranged a meeting time for Alphys to come over.
"OH, HUMAN! ARE THOSE YOUR DOCUMENTS?"
He asked, pulling you closer so he could get a better look. You nodded. Yours were the last to come. Whilst the others had received theirs within a week or so of emission, yours had taken significantly longer, most likely because yours, in some ways, may have been more complicated. Whatever the case, they were here now and as you looked over them, with mild interest, you saw them all to be in order.
"Wonderful, I shall have a talk with my friend then. I hope to see you all soon, and wish you the best of luck, my child."
Toriel finished off, before taking her leave as Sans thanked her. Frisk, although you hadn't spoken much to them, gave you a little wave as they followed alongside Toriel, shutting the door behind them as they went, thus leaving you alone with your new fake family.
"So, you don't have mailboxes where you're from?"
Sans turned to you, his smile, widening slightly, clearly amused at the idea. You shook your head, surprising everyone.
"Nope. They usually just put letters and parcels through the door but if the parcels are too big they'll either put them outside or leave them with your neighbours."
You explained, and as you did, gone to the door once again. He soon returned holding a tub with what looked to be a slice of some sort of pie. Without warning, he chucked it in your direction, and luckily you were quick enough to catch it. You glanced down at it and then back at him, giving him a questioning look.
"Tori forgot to give it to you. A leftover slice of her world famous butterscotch and cinnamon pie. She called before hand to ask if you had any allergies before putting it in there. Feel free to eat it whenever bud, it's good stuff."
You decided to save the pie for after dinner, but made a mental note to thank Toriel later regardless of how it tasted. After all, it was the gesture and thought that counted, not the food itself.
"So honey, what's the time difference between our worlds exactly? Considerin' you seemed surprised that we're in April."
Stretch asked, as the others gathered around in the living room, with seemingly nothing better to do than to listen and make conversation.
"Well, it's April 2021 here, right?"
You got a choras of nods and hums.
"Right, ok. So, in my universe, it was August 2023-"
"2 YEARS?! YOU'RE 2 YEARS AHEAD?"
Blue gasped, his eye sockets, widening in wonder. The others seemed to share his disbelief as some had similar reactions to him whilst others had less, more mild, reactions to your revelation. You rubbed your hand over the back of your neck sheepishly.
"Yeah, I was shocked too. Had to change by birthday and everything, so it feels like I'm committing some kind of fraud."
You joked, pointing to the year of your new birthday '2006' when it should've been '2008' on the paper. Soon after, you began to take a thorough look through all of your papers with the skeletons, but quickly got bored, and left Sans to deal with it, who ended up falling aslee the moment you handed them to him, promoting Papyrus to take them instead.
Before you could even think of what to do now, Edge quickly dragged you away with him becauss he wanted to test out some different braiding styles on your hair from videos that he found on YouTube. You, of course, had no say in the matter, and as such, he took the reigns, placing you down firmly, yet comfortably, in his lap so he could hone in his focus on your hair.
Whilst this was happening, Blue and Black got into it with each other about something, and chose to settle it over a competitive game of cards. Naturally, you, Cash, Red and Papyrus were inevitably roped into it somehow, and although Sans and Edge didn't technically play, they still participated slightly. Sans would, try to by fail, whisper to Papyrus the worst moves ever, causing Papyrus to get constantly frustrated with him, and Edge helped you, as if you were a team, mainly because he couldn't stand the idea of losing (despite the fact that he wasn't even playing) and you had no idea how to play this particular game.
As the games continued, going from best out of two to best out of thirteen, you all grew tired, and had stopped playing, leaving Blue and Black to compete only against each other for a long time. They didn't even take a break to eat lunch, which Papyrus and Stretch had kindly made for you, and wouldn't accept defeat to the point where you all had to beg them to call it a tie for today. They begrudgingly had accepted this fate but agreed to continue their challenges another time, so serious about it they even shook on it.
Throughout the day, your hair had undergone many different styles, thanks to Edge. Everyone seemed to approve of them, though Edge thought he could do better. That's what drove his relentless practices on you, meaning he forced you to sit there for hours until you finally convinced him to stop for the day. It wasn't because you weren't happy with his improvements, but sitting in his lap, laying against his sharp, spiky armour for hours on end was only comfortable for so long. However, it was usually worth it.
"Edge, you made me look so pretty! I like this one the best."
You said, glee ringing throughout your voice as you admired yourself in the mirror. Edge huffed.
"I DID NOT 'MAKE YOU' LOOK PRETTY, YOU ALREADY ARE. BUT, IF YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH, I SHALL DO IT MORE OFTEN."
Your smile widened as you gazed back at him.
"Aww Edge, you're so sweet-"
"I AM NOT SWEET!"
You giggled as you watched his cheek bones turn slightly crimson at the compliment accusation. A few hours had passed since then and it was getting on for dinner soon. You climbed out of Edge's lap and walked into the kitchen, getting compliments about your hair on the way in. Once inside, you stopped to greet Papyrus, who's smile brightened at your presence.
"HUMAN, THERE YOU ARE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP ME WITH DINNER-"
"ACTUALLY, I WANTED TO COOK TONIGHT."
Black interrupted, entering the room, behind you. Papyrus, though being interrupted, looked happy to hear that the others were eager to engage in the housework.
"A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE IDEA, MY FRIEND!"
"HUMAN, YOU WILL HELP ME. THAT IS NOT A REQUEST."
You rolled your eyes, remember the last time you tried to cook together and how well that ended, but by that stubborn look on his face, you knew he wasn't going to budge. Papyrus immediately sped off, leavint you two alone to prep dinner and deal with the awkward, tense silence that hung in the air, so thick that Black could cut it with one of his bone attacks, if he so wished.
...
"I SEE EDGE IS GETTING BETTER."
You glanced up from chopping the tomatoes to see that Black was gesturing at your hair.
"Oh, yeah, uh, he's been practicing a lot."
"SO I'VE NOTICED. CAN'T BE TOO COMFORTABLE FOR YOU."
He mused, and you shrugged.
"Not always, but it's bareable up until a certain point, I guess."
Black glanced at you for a moment, before turning back to what he was doing, doing nothing to further the conversation. You, however, stood staring at him, though you knew you weren't going to get another response from him, so you weren't exactly sure why you were-
"Ow!"
You dropped the knife and immediately cradled your finger with your hand. As a result of your lack of focus on chopping, you had made a sudden cut to your finger, blood seeping out instantly. It wasn't a small cut either, as the knife you had been handling was sharp, so it was more like a tiny slash across most of your finger. You were about to suck it to lessen the pain when you felt a pair of hands guide you to the tap, which was already turned on, and run it under some cold water.
"DON'T PUT YOUR SALIVA ON IT. YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT PROPERLY."
Black informed you, despite you already knowing that. Your dad was a doctor for stars sake, so you knew how to treat many injuries. Despite this, you let him guide you. The skeleton then took out a couple of pieces of kitchen roll and tabbed your wound dry, squeezing it slightly in order to put some pressure on the wound. The feeling made you wince.
"SORRY PRINCESS, I KNOW IT STINGS."
He did it again. You had noticed that, ever since your encounter with him, he had been dropping that pet name, occasionally. The others also did that sometimes so you were kind of used t it, but when Black did it, it had completely thrown you off. Reaching down into his pocket, he fished out a plaster in the shape of a bone.
"PAPYRUS- UH, CASH- USED TO GET SCRAPES ALL THE TIME WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, EVEN INTO HIS ADULTHOOD ON OCCASION-"
He paused, chuckling.
"SO IT BECAME A HABIT OF MINE TO CARRY AROUND SOME BANDAIDS JUST IN CASE HE NEEDED THEM. BUT I WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO GIVE HIM THE 'COOL' ONES, SO HE WASN'T EMBARRASSED."
He reminisced, sticking the plaster gently onto your wound. You instantly got a slightly tingly sensation in your finger, making you giggle slightly.
"Why does it tickle?"
"THAT WILL BE THE GREEN MAGIC. IT HELPS HEAL YOU AND IS ALSO A GOOD WAY TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE PAIN."
For the first time since you arrived and had met him, you finally gave Black a genuine, grateful smile.
"Thanks Black."
Those two words and your sincere expression alone was enough to stun the skeleton for a moment, but eventually, he just brushed it off, nudging you to get back to prepping.
Unlike the last time you two tried to cook, this time you actually found yourself exchanging light conversation and banter with each other whilst working well together. You, in fact, could go far enough to say that it was a pleasant experience, once it was over.
"No he didn't!"
"HE DID!"
"Oh my god! That's hilarious!"
The two of you were conversing after dinner as if there was no bad blood between you at all. Needless to say, everyone was slightly unsettled by it. What made it even more weird was that the same thing was happening between you and Cash.
"Cash did you seriously refuse to leave your blanket fort for a week because you thought the big, scary monsters were gonna get you?"
You laughed, earning a light slap on the arm from him.
"Hey, they were big, scary monsters. And they coulda' easily got me! If my bro wasn't there ta protect me, 'course."
He said, winking at his oldest brother who simply shook his head in amusement.
"YOU CLUNG TO ME EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW-"
"Because you always forced me to-"
"BECAUSE IT WAS A DANGEROUS PLACE, AND YOUR NUMB-SKULL COULDN'T GO FIVE SECONDS WITHOUT FINDING SOME TORUBLE TO GET YOURSELF IN TO!"
You were almost cackling as you watched them go back and forth with their so long banter. Once they stopped being so threatening, you found them to be quite, what was the word, goofy? Amusing? Whatever they were, their antics were making you laugh, and you'd take that over crying any day.
"OH, AND MAY I JUST SAY THAT WHEN YOU WERE EATING THAT PIE SLICE-"
"Ya looked like you were havin' an orgasm."
"BROTHER!"
If you had been drinking water, you would've spat it out immediately and it would've gone all over the two brothers. You burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as Black sat agast at his brother's comment.
"MUST YOU BE SO CRUDE?"
"'M sorry bro, but it's true. With all the moaning and the pleased expressions she was making-"
"Because that was damn good pie! I don't know what the hell Toriel did to it, but I'm going to need more of those. I think it's my new favourite food."
As the others watched the three of you interact, they felt the atmosphere of the house shift. Somehow, the environment, once incredibly taut and hostile, now felt lighter, as if there was more room for them to relax around each other. It may take a while, but you think you were finally beginning to make some progress with all of them.
Notes:
Aww, reader is finally starting to make up with Cash and Black, isn't that sweet? I wonder what it'll be like for our reader when she goes for her first day of school...
Hope you all enjoyed, have a wonderful day/night! 🌸
Chapter 23: Chapter 23: first day at school
Summary:
It's our reader's first day at school, I wonder how she'll get on! It also seems like things are heating up back at the skeleton household.
Notes:
Hi everyone! Some of you may or may not be aware of this, but in many Undertale AU fanfics, a common non-cannon addition put into fics to thicken the story line often features the monsters going into "heats" (usually common with the harems). I have also decided to adopt this theme into this fic, however, I have added my own twists to the idea. How this will work will be explained in the fic, and as such, I would like to remind everyone that the relationship between the skeletons and our reader is strictly platonic, and will be portrayed as such! Happy reading 🥰🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Like she had promised, Toriel did indeed talk to her friend, and by some miraculous miracle, she was able to get you inrolled into the high school. You had gone in for a meeting with the principle and then for a quick tour around the school to see what you thought of it, though it didn't really matter what you thought, it only mattered if you got in or not. Which you did.
The principle was nice enough to allow you to start the following week, Monday. That was why you were currently cursing your alarm for waking you up so early as you sat up, rubbing your eyes. While Red didn't appreciate the wake up, Edge seemed to already be awake before you and dressed, ready to start the day, which was very on brand for him.
"HURRY, HUMAN. FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LATE TO SCHOOL, DO YOU?"
He told you, wagging his finger, comically. You shook your head and before you could even attempt to get up, Edge picked you up underneath your arms and put you down onto the floor where you now stood. He then, a little forcefully, nudged you forward in the direction of the bathroom, ushering you out to get ready.
At first, Papyrus was adamant about taking you to school, but unfortunately for him, he had been called into an early, unexpected meeting, meaning Sans was to replace him. In some ways, this was more convenient as he could just short cut the two of you there, but, at the same time, you didn't trust his ability to be on time one bit. In fact, you were pretty sure he was still sleeping right now.
As Papyrus had set off already, the responsibility of making breakfast was passed on to Blue, who didn't make a total mess of it, but it still didn't make it look appetising enough to eat. So, once again, you ended up skipping breakfast, which was fine as you weren't all that hungry due to the slight nerves you were getting. You tried to push down your mild anxiety in favour of getting dressed, and as you entered the room, you saw an outfit already layed out for you.
"I PICKED IT OUT. WEAR IT."
The sound of Black's voice made you jump and you turned to where he stood in the doorway, crossing his arms with a blasé look on his face.
"I can choose my own outfits, you know."
Black's only response to that was a scoff while rolling his eye lights, before he walked away to allow you to change in private. You examined the outfit once more and came to the conclusion that it actually looked pretty good. One thing you didn't mind about going to school here was that no uniform was required, meaning that you could where whatever you wanted, hell, you could even get away with wearing pj's, probably. Shrugging, you decided to put it on before packing your bag.
Despite not having much in the way of possessions, you didn't go to the shops for any 'back to school' items. As it turned out, Sans had a couple loose pens, pencils and highlighters laying around, along with a couple other stationary items, all packed away into a small, slightly used, pencil case. As for your bag, Papyrus had lent you one of his old ones from when he was younger. When you received it, it was still in impeccable condition and had enough space for all the things you needed to take.
Grabbing it, you made you way down stairs only to be stopped by Edge, once again.
"Need something?"
You asked. Instead of answering, he made a swirly motion with his finger, silently ordering you to turn around. You gave him a look, but turned anyways. Once your back was to him, Edge began to handle your hair, cleaning it up as the style had fallen out of place a little during the night. Of course, as he was a bit of a perfectionist, he took his time with it, making you worry that he was going to make you late.
"Edge-"
"I'M ALMOST DONE."
You shut your mouth and sighed, slouching slightly as you watched Sans appear in front of you. He glanced at Edge, and then at you and chuckled like usual. However, something didn't seem quite right with him. Though he looked the same as always, you noticed his sockets were creased inwards slightly, as if he was furrowing his none existent eyebrows, making his expression look tense. You could tell his smile was also somewhat strained, and his posture, which was always relaxed, seemed a little stiff.
You wondered if you should ask him how he was doing, but you didn't want to be invasive, and there was a chance your observations could be wrong. So, you let him be as Edge finished doing your hair, letting go of it and turning you around to check the front. Once done, he gave a satisfied grunt and went off to go wake his brother. You turned to Sans.
"Ready to go, kiddo?"
"Don't forget your lunch, honey."
You jumped as Stretch appeared behind you, dropping a brown paper bag into your hands. He snickered at your surprise and draped himself over your back, placing his arms over your shoulders, basically putting all of his weight on you. Luckily for you, being a skeleton and all, he barely weighed anything, so you weren't in any discomfort.
"My bro made it for you."
You sighed mentally at whatever monstrosity was in there but put on a thankful smile.
"Aww, he didn't have to do that. I'll have to thank him later."
Stretch grinned at you, patting your head before slinking off to somewhere else. You placed your lunch in your bag and put on your shoes as Sans same closer to you, placing a hand on your shoulder.
"Alright, you ready now-"
"Heya."
You flinched at Cash's voice which was directly in your ear and glanced at him.
"Come to see me off, have you?"
You inquired, sarcastically. You knew he wasn't all that interested in anything school related, so you guessed he was here to cause some sort of trouble. To your surprise, however, he didn't seem to do anything out of the ordinary, for once.
"Nyehe, somethin' like that."
When Sans wasn't watching the two of you, you felt him quickly slip something into your pocket. When you reached down, you felt a few dollars and loose coins.
"In case Blue's lunch doesn't work out."
He whispered, a smirk present on his face before he slapped you on the back, making you cough a little in shock. That got Sans' attention, but by the time he turned around to look at you, Cash had already disappeared.
"Let's go before anyone else tries to make me late."
You half laughed, and Sans nodded.
"Alright kid, you need a bag?"
You shook your head, determined not to throw up this time. Sans accepted that answer, and gave you a warning before he teleported the two of you outside the school gates. You felt a little dizzy, but so far, this was the best you had handled short cutting. As you looked up at the daunting gates, your brows creased slightly with worry. You always felt nervous when starting in a new place, especially in a school environment and although you knew this was mostly the same for everyone, you were starting at a really odd time, which didn't make it any easier for you.
"Hey, you're gonna be fine, bud."
You glanced up at Sans who's expression had shifted into a softer, less tense one than before. You really hated doing this sort of stuff, as it caused you a lot of anxiety. Once you were settled in, you knew you'd be fine, but it was just the starting point that made you feel nervous. You tried to keep yourself steady as you shook slightly, but you couldn't bring yourself to move just yet.
Seeing how distressed you were, Sans pulled you into his warm, comforting embrace in an attempt to calm you down. It wasn't like the other hugs you had shared with him, no. For some reason, he felt warmer and his scent was stronger, so much so that it would probably linger on you for a little while. Sans rubbed you back slowly and didn't say anything for a moment.
"You're good kid, ok? I'll pick you up later."
Sans said, and you nodded. Before you went off, Sans kept you in his embrace a little longer, and then did something completely unexpected. He moved his skull down and quickly pressed it against the top of your head with his teeth before he let you go, hesitantly, and waved you off.
As you walked into the building and into reception, you wondered if he had given you the equivalent of a kiss on the head. Whatever he had done had helped calm you immensely, though not enough to get rid of all you jitters. You walked up to the woman at reception and asked for your timetable. When handed it, you went off to your 'home room' class, which you gathered was like tutor. You wondered the halls for your classroom until you finally found it.
You stood outside for a moment, taking a deep breath in before working up the courage to knock on the door. Through the small window in the door, you saw the teacher perk up at your presence and motioned for you to come in. Whilst she did, you could hear her muffled voice telling the students to quiet down. Taking another deep breath, you opened the door and walked in, your body tensing as you felt all eyes on you.
You stopped in front of the teacher and glanced up at her, giving her a nervous smile. She returned your advancement with a warm, welcoming smile of her own. She then turned towards the class, who had gone completely quiet, and you did the same. You were glad she was the one to speak first.
"Oh, silence. That's a rarity."
She chuckled at your direction, and you gave her another small smile. She then cleared her throat, addressing the class once again.
"Now I know this is a little unusual, given the timing, but we have a new student joining us for the rest of the year."
She turned to you.
"Would you like to introduce yourself, dear?"
You paused and surveyed the class for a moment. Wanting to be as quick as you could, you only did a brief scan of the room. You noticed that this was a mixed class of monsters and humans, making you assume that all the classes were like that here. This would be interesting. You had been pondering how to introduce yourself, whether you should play it cool, or shy, you couldn't decide. But, in the end, you ended up winging it, which was probably the best option you could choose. You put on a confident yet friendly, smile, somehow keeping your voice steady.
"Hi! Uh, I'm y/n, and it's nice to meet you all. I hope I can get to know all of you very well."
Now, normally you wouldn't be this bold or confident if you were back home in a new school, but for some reason, you felt as though you were able to present yourself more openly than you would've before. Unlike back home, you didn't feel the need to play it all that safe. For now at least.
"Oh my god, you're British?!"
Someone yelled at you, making some in the class snicker at the student's outburst. The teacher glared disapprovingly at said student immediately.
"Michael, please raise your hand when you want to speak. If anyone else has any questions for y/n, please do the same."
At her comment, a few hands flew up, eager to speak. You mentally prepared yourself for the typical questions you could be asked as a foreigner.
"Are you from London?"
One student inquired. You swear, everyone assumes that every English person they encounter is from London. However, in your case, it was actually true.
"Actually, yes, I am."
You answered.
"Why did you move?"
Well, you weren't about to give them your life story, so you would just have to come up with another lie, or be as ambiguous as possible.
"I...relocated...because I have family here! So I'm staying with them for a while."
"Do you eat 'tea and crumpets' every day?"
One of the students said, using a really terrible, what you assumed they thought of as a, 'British accent'. The teacher simply rolled her eyes at the boy.
"Derek, please. Try and be respectful."
She scolded and you fought the urge to give him a dirty look. He simply smirked, snickering at his mates. Clearly the question wasn't serious, so you didn't feel inclined to answer it. The teacher sighed, muttering something to herself before turning back to you.
"My name is Miss Lorentz and I'll be your home room teacher. You can come to me whenever you need anything, or even just to chat about something that is bothering you. You're always welcome in my classroom, y/n, and I look forward to you starting your academic journey with us here at our school."
Her kind nature made you smile, and you nodded, mumbling a thank you.
"Now, why don't you take a seat...ah! Right next to Carly."
You eyes scanned the room to where she was pointing until they landed on a free seat next to a human girl. As you sat down next to her, you quickly glanced at her appearance. The girl had her dark brown hair in a high ponytail, using clips to compliment the rest. She wore a loose, orange, basketball vest top paired with long, denim shorts. Her arms were decorated with with bracelets of many kinds: thin, thick, silver, gold, some with beads, some with charms, and some not even metal. To top it all off, she wore short, ankle socks underneath her blue trainers.
It was only when the teacher began speaking again that she turned to you, nudging you to get your attention. You cast your gaze over to her and saw her smile, just as brilliant as her bracelets.
"Y/n, right? I'm Carly. I've never met a British person before!"
Her voice, though trying to whisper, came out slightly louder than intended, but she didn't seem bothered by it.
"What classes you got?"
She asked, and you fumbled about for your timetable, looking over the piece of crumbled paper in your hands.
"Uh, first is...english? With...Mr Fleming."
"Shut up! That's my class!"
"Oh, really? Maybe you can show me where it is?"
"Absolutely! Oh and I can also give you a tour of the school! I mean, it's a dump, but don't worry, you'll grow to hate it here even more with time!"
That got a laugh out of you and her as well.
"Sounds great, thank you."
You went through the morning listening and doing the work for each class, whilst talking to Carly more and more as the day dragged on. English had been alright, but everyone was supposed to be nearing the end of a project they had been working on, and that you hadn't even started. Luckily, the teacher had exempt you from this, seeing as you were new and all, and instead gave you a couple books to read just before break started.
Next classes were Art and Drama, which you found okay, but you had dropped Drama when you went into year 9, so doing it felt more like a throw back for you. Soon enough, however, lunch time rolled around. You had been lucky enough to find that Carly was in every single one of your classes, and apparently you had the same timetable every week, instead of it changing the next week.
Anyways, after class, Carly had dragged you for a quick tour around the school, finishing off with the canteen, where she spotted her friends, taking you over to them.
"Carly, hey! Over here!"
One of her friends waved. As you got a closer look a them, you saw the person waving was actually a monster, a bird one at that. The shade of her feathers looked to be a light blue, and she wore a cute, white skirt with her shirt tucked into it. Next to her was a boy, who was sporting a jumper with some sort of sports team on the front, paired with cargo trousers, while his dreadlocks were pushed back into a low, messy bun.
"Hey guys!"
She beamed, practically slamming her lunch tray down onto the table, almost making the food fly in the air.
"Oh, this is my new friend, y/n! She's English, and new to the school!"
"English, huh?"
The boy looked you up and down and you gave him a small nod and a smile.
"Oh wow! A forgeign student, that's so cool!"
The bird monster exclaimed.
"I know, right? I said it was cool if she sat here with us, that ok with you guys?"
They nodded, enthusiastically.
"Of course!"
You placed yourself next to Carly as she sat down and listened as they recalled important events from this morning. Once that was over, that's when you really began to engage with them. As usual, when someone new joined the group, they bombarded you with a load of questions, which you didn't mind answering, as it helped them learn a little bit about you and vice versa. For example, you learned that the bird monster's name was Quinn, who seemed to be a very bubbley girl, and the boy next to her was Reece, who seemed shy at first but could actuay be pretty outgoing once you got to know him.
You also found out that Reece was in your maths class, and Quinn in your science class, meaning you'd be able to see them outside of break and lunch. Overall, they seemed like really cool people, and you were excited to get to know them more.
"So, y/n, bit of a weird time to start a new school. You know we're finishing in like, a month and a bit, right?"
Carly said, gesturing to the air using her fork.
"Yeah, I know. I didn't wanna come cause of how little time I'd have left, but my family made me."
Carly nodded in understanding, shoving another large portion of food into her mouth.
"Carly, you always do this. One of these days, you're gonna choke, y'know."
Reece commented, giving her a bored look. Carly simply flipped him off and continued to chew, then proceeded to act out a fake chocking scene, making you and Quinn laugh as she ended the scene resting on the table, unmoving.
"Oh, ha ha, very funny."
Carly snickered at her own acting, making Reece roll his eyes at her. The fun continued all throughout lunch, with you laughing and making conversation with each other, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. For you, that was when the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch and the start of classes once again.
Speaking of which, you only had maths and science to go. Your worst subjects. Or, so you thought. It was most likely because of your recent tutoring, but you didn't have much difficulty with science at all, and maths was, dare you say, easy. All the problems and topics you were looking at was all stuff you had covered in like, year 7. You couldn't believe how simple it was, yet there were so many in the class struggling.
You turned to Reece, who was sitting behind you, and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are they serious with this stuff?"
"What, you finding it difficult?"
He asked, and you shook your head.
"No! The complete opposite. I learned this stuff in like, year 7, so I already basically know it."
You exclaimed in disbelief.
"Seriously? Damn, we must be behind."
"Yeah, by like, years of content, clearly."
The two of you laughed at that, but funnily enough, it held some sort of truth for you, as this world was actually two years behind yours. Shrugging, you continued to chat with Reece until class ended, as you'd finished all your work early, and therefore had nothing to do. You got called on a couple of times by the teacher, just to make sure you were listening even though you weren't, but everytime you answered the questions correctly without hesitation.
You breathed out a sigh of relief once the day was over, and happily left that classroom as quickly as you could. You said your goodbyes to Reece and Carly, though you didn't catch Quinn on your way out, and, once outside, your eyes glanced around for Sans, but instead you found Papyrus. Once he spotted you, he gave you a large, excited wave, his smile as wide as ever.
You returned his smile with one of your own as you walked up to him and his car. You wondered why he was here instead of Sans.
"HELLO TINY HUMAN! HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?"
Papyrus greeted, giving you a bone-crushing hug before releasing you and opening the door for you in a gentlemanly manner. You climbed into the car, and he did the same, while you replied to him.
"It was alright. Kinda boring."
You shrugged.
"DID YOU MAKE ANY NEW FRIENDS?"
He asked, in an almost hopeful tone.
"I did, actually."
His smile widened.
"EXCELLENT! THAT'S MY GIRL!"
You tilted your head at his last comment, but didn't question him. Your smile widened slightly as you listened to Papyrus speak about his day.
"THEY LET ME GO EARLY, AND I THOUGHT I'D COME PICK YOU UP, BECAUSE I KNOW FIRST HAND HOW LAZY SANS CAN BE."
You chuckled and before you knew it, you were pulling up into the driveway of the house. Uncliping your seat belt, you reached behind to grab your bag and then move out of the car, thankful that your first day was over. Though you hadn't done much today, the whole action of just going to school, especially as a new student, left you feeling exhausted.
You kicked off your shoes and slumped onto the sofa, exhaling deeply. You just wanted to rest for a bit.
"Heya kid."
The sound of Sans' voice flooded your ears and you twitched in surprise. You hadn't realised that he was right there next to you when you had sat down.
"Oh, hey Sans."
You smiled.
"How was your first day?"
He asked. You were about to answer when you noticed that the skeleton was sweating much more than this morning. Clearly, your hesitation didn't go down well with Sans, as he began to sweat even more, with that same, tense expression as this morning.
"Uh, yeah. It was fine. Made a couple of new friends."
You reassurance made Sans relax a little. You had no idea why he was acting do strange today, his behaviour was completely out of wack.
"Cool. Tibia honest kid, you look bone-tired. Why don't you and me take a good old nap?"
He suggested, and you groaned at his awful puns, shaking your head.
"I'm not that tired, but your puns definitely are. I swear I've heard those ones so many times, get new material."
Sans laughed at your mild insult, the shrugged.
"Ok, what do you call a tired skeleton?"
...
"The grim sleeper."
In a moment of weakness, you snorted, but quickly regained your composure.
"Mm, better, I guess."
Sans chuckled, and then patted the cushion next to him.
"It'll only be a five minute nap, just to recharge the old batteries."
You thought about his offer and then sighed. A five minute nap couldn't hurt.
"Alright, fine. But only five."
Sans' grin grew slightly wider as you agreed and then he immediately pulled you into his embrace, forcing you to rest against his soft belly. Wait, how did skeletons even have bellies? You didn't want to make Sans uncomfortable, so you tried to shift so that you weren't putting your weight on him, but he wouldn't let you budge from his grasp.
"Uh, Sans-"
"Shh, just go to sleep kid."
It seemed as though he wasn't going to let up, so you gave in to his request, letting your eyes flutter shut. As you did, you felt that same warmth radiate off of Sans and onto you, quietly lulling you into a sense of security and sleepiness. Before you knew it, you were out like a light.
-Sans POV-
Sans, despite having had no nightmares the previous night, had woken up to his body sweating like crazy. It must've started in the night, Sans concluded, as his sheets were slightly sticky from the moisture, and absolutely reaked of his scent more than usual. His head felt foggy as he sat up, swiftly peeling of his T-shirt. Not only was he covered in sweat that his magic had formed but he could feel his body overheating, as if he had a fever.
At first, Sans worried that he was sick, but quickly dismissed that thought when he didn't feel any of the typical symptoms of a magical cold. He placed his skull in his hands, rubbing it somewhat harshly as he sat there, feeling as though he was forgetting something important today.
...
Shit! That's right, it was your first day at school. Tori had been generous and resourceful enough to get you in to her friend's school, and Pap was supposed to take you. He sighed a little in relief, knowing he wouldn't have to get up, but his wishful thinking was short lived when Papyrus burst into his room. Sans almost cringed at how loud his brother was, though he was used to it, it just shook him slightly.
"BROTHER, YOU'RE UP!"
"Heh, you know me bro, I'm very sternum about my sleeping schedule."
"NOPE! IT IS TOO EARLY FOR ANY OF YOUR PUNS!"
Sans chuckled and waited for Papyrus to continue as he cleared his throat.
"ANYWAYS, I'VE BEEN CALLED IN LAST MINUTE FOR AN EARLY MEETING WITH THOSE OFFICIALS I WAS SPEAKING TO THE OTHER DAY, SO I'M AFRAID I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE THE HUMAN TO SCHOOL."
Sans sighed, knowing what was coming next, so he saved his brother the trouble of having to ask.
"No problem bro, I'll take her."
"THANK YOU SANS! YOU ARE REALLY SAVING MY SKIN, NYEHEHEHE!"
Sans snorted, always happy when his brother joined in with his jokes. Though he acted like he hated them most of the time, he knew he didn't mind them, it just got too repetitive for him. Sans was lucky to have a bro with such great humour as him. It took Sans a while to get out of bed, but by the time he got downstairs, you were practically ready to go.
He watched you converse with Edge while the taller skeleton put the finishing touches to your hair. Sans smiled at the two of you, watching your expression morph into one that clearly expressed your want for Edge to hurry up, though he didn't seem to let up until he was completely satisfied with his work.
"Ready to go, kiddo?"
He asked, and was about to move towards you, when Stretch suddenly appeared behind you.
"Don't forget your lunch, honey."
He said, plopping a brown, paper bag into your hands. Sans had almost forgotten about lunch. While Paps would've probably made it, he didn't have the time today, so he assumed one of the other skeletons, probably Blue, made it for you.
The gesture was sweet, and his deductions were confirmed when Stretch recalled how his bro had made it for you, trapsing himself all over you as if you were some wall to lean on. Sans found it funny, at first, but when Stretch didn't let go, he started to feel something stir in him. He didn't exactly know why, but he was getting an uncomfortable feeling rise in his chest, but it quickly disappeared at the same time Stretch did.
Sans sighed, hoping for no more interruptions. He just wanted to get this whole thing over and done with so he could go back to bed. He placed a hand on your shoulder, conjuring up his magic to short cut you two.
Alright, you ready now-"
"Heya."
The sound of Cash's voice made Sans internally groan at yet another interruption. His grip on your shoulder tightened slightly as he looked away, but you didn't seem to notice. Just like Stretch, Cash had also placed himself really close to you, which Sans had found really odd. Why was everyone wanting to be so close to you today? It was weird, and he wasn't a fan of it. It didn't feel right.
Cash then whispered something in your ear, something that Sans failed to pick up on. What had he said to you? What was with all the secrecy? Brushing it off, Sans turned back to you only to see you coughing from too harsh a slap from Cash. What the fuck was wrong with that skeleton? That could've seriously hurt you! Did he not see that? Luckily, you recovered quickly.
"Let's go before anyone else tries to make me late."
You half laughed, and Sans nodded.
"Alright kid, you need a bag?"
You shook your head, clearly confident that you wouldn't throw up again. Sans smiled. He knew it was hard for you but you were getting better at handling shortcuts. Once you arrived at the school, Sans was ready to see you off and get back home. However, when he glanced down at you, he noticed there was something off about you.
Your body had gone stiff and you were eyeing that school as if it was going to eat you alive. Sans tried to figure out what was wrong, until he finally realised. You were nervous. Sans used to get his with Papyrus all the time when he was younger, he was always nervous about trying new things, so he had always tried to reassure him that everything would be fine. And that's exactly what he'd do with you now.
"Hey, you're gonna be fine, bud."
Sans encouraged, but you didn't look at ease at all. In fact, you looked as though you were on the verge of panicking, and Sans didn't want that for you. He didn't want to see you like that, either. Suddenly, Sans felt a strong urge to pull you out of this whole deal. He wanted to take you back home to his house and forget this whole thing ever happened. Stupid laws, stupid school, making his kid you feel like this.
Wasting no time, he quickly pulled you into his embrace, rubbing your back slowly to calm you down. Like before, it worked, causing him to figure out that physical contact was your prefered method of calming down. Sans was fine with that, if it meant making you feel better.
"You're good kid, ok? I'll pick you up later."
You nodded and Sans hesitated to let you go. For some reason, he was really starting to hate the idea of you going, but he knew he had to let you. You'd be fine, the school was safe, you knew what you were doing, so why was he so nervous all of a sudden. Why did he have to convince himself to let you go? It wasn't like him at all, he never bothered to stress about rarely anything. So why he thinking so hard over this?
Before letting you go, he closed his eye sockets, soaking in the moment. The moment when you felt safe, when you felt safe because of him. He made you feel safe. For some reason, that revelation made something in Sans' soul purr in satisfaction, knowing that he had calmed his kid you down and made you feel safe with him.
Suddenly, Sans felt less anxious, just enjoying your touch. When he tilted his head down to give you what was the equivalent of a kiss, on your head, he didn't even realise what he had done until he'd let you go. You didn't seem to mind though, so Sans quickly pushed it aside and waved you off, watching as you entered the gates and disappeared into the building.
Sighing to himself, the skeleton shortcutted back home, knowing that he'd at least have some company while you and his bro where out. Sans flopped down onto his bed, rubbing his skull again, wondering how it all became like this.
Seeing alternate versions of himself was weird beyond imaginable. They were him, but they weren't. And don't even get him started on his bro's versions. Seeing his bro with such different personalities had really taken his schema for a spin, especially when it came to Cash and Stretch. While Edge was a little sharper and a little meaner than his bro, he still retained many of his qualities, whereas the other two were almost completely different, if not for the same bone structure, he'd have thought they were completely different people. Well, he supposed the technically were, but also weren't? They acted more like Sans, but looked more like Papyrus.
And then there was you. A human child from a completely different universe. You had been the calmest out of all of them about this situation and the quickest to adjust. A young kid, with none of her family or friends with her, in a completely different yet similar place to her home, surrounded by creatures she had thought to be mythical. Despite this, you still carried on, and Sans couldn't be more impressed with you.
He had wondered how long this would last. Of course, you had a few moments of weakness, where you had openly cried to him, asking for comsure, which he had given, and he was sure there'd be plenty more times like that as well. But, for a reason unknown to Sans, he felt compelled to take care of the you.
Maybe it was because he knew how vulnerable you were right now, or maybe it was because he still wasn't completely sure of the others. Or maybe, just maybe, he was starting to get attached to you. He knew a couple of the others had already. He would've had to be blind not to see it.
His bro already liked you from the get go, but he also saw Edge latch on to you immediately, which surprised him. He knew it was only a matter of time before the others followed suit, and Red was almost there anyways. Now, he was beginning to think he was too. You see, the thing about monsters is that everyone knows they're made of love and compassion. Literally, it's part of their physical make-up.
This came with certain natural rules, one of them being the fact that monsters got attached easily. In fact, that was the reason why Toriel and the others had taken Frisk in after barely knowing them for more than a day or so. That, and a couple other factors, such as them breaking the barrier and Toriel's natural compassion and mothering for children. No matter what universe you were from, harsh or not, it was the same rule for all monsters. Some, like Black for example, just had more experience pushing those feelings deeper into themselves in efforts to prevent it. Though, no matter how hard they tried, or how they acted, it was all the same at the end of the day.
Sans' body jolted when his phone rang, bringing him out of his thoughts. He quickly grabbed his phone, seeing that it was Papyrus who was calling.
"Hey bro, sup?"
"SANS! I'LL BE ABLE TO FINISH EARLY TODAY, SO I CAN PICK THE HUMAN UP!"
Sans' smile dropped slightly upon hearing that. Sure, it would be nice to just lay in bed some more, but he was kinda looking forward to picking you up. Plus, he had said he would, too. How would it look when Papyrus was there instead of him?
"That's cool, bro. But you don't have to-"
"OH PLEASE, I KNOW YOUR LAZY COCCYX WOULD PREFER IT IF I WENT. DON'T YOU WORRY BROTHER, I'M ON IT!"
Sans would've felt slightly insulted, if what Papyrus was saying wasn't true. Except, this time, it wasn't entirely true. He would've made the effort to get you, but he didn't see the point in arguing with his brother over it.
"Alright, if you're sure."
"GOODBYE FOR NOW, BROTHER! I SHALL RETURN WITH THE HUMAN LATER."
"See ya, bro."
And with that, Papyrus hung up.
Sans didn't do much as he sat on the sofa, waiting for you to come home. Throughout the day, his body had warmed up even more, and his sweat had doubled, though he refused to take his hoodie off. He exchanged conversation with the others, but he wasn't able to focus on anything they were saying, for he was too distracted on trying to cool down and worrying about you.
It seemed like forever until you finally came back, and Sans couldn't be more relieved when he saw you. You didn't look upset, just a little tired, so he assumed everything went okay, at least, he hoped it did. He would ask just to make sure. You'd placed yourself down next to him without realising he was there, and when you did, it was funny to watch your mild shock.
"Heya kid."
"Oh, hey Sans."
"How was your first day?"
It took you a moment to answer, which spiked Sans' anxiety. Had something happened? Was it bad? Did you get bullied? Why couldn't you just tell him?! Didn't you trust him? Why, why were you being so secretive? You were never like this. Or maybe you were? Sans didn't know. No, you weren't. Stars, just tell him already!
"Uh, yeah. It was fine. Made a couple of new friends."
Sans felt his soul mitigate as it slowed down upon hearing your good news. Why had he freaked out like that so suddenly? Stars, what was wrong with him today?
"Cool. Tibia honest kid, you look bone-tired. Why don't you and me take a good old nap?"
He suggested, and you groaned at his awful puns, shaking your head.
"I'm not that tired, but your puns definitely are. I swear I've heard those ones so many times, get new material."
Sans laughed at your mild insult, then shrugged.
"Ok, what do you call a tired skeleton?"
He waited for a moment before delivering the punch line.
"The grim sleeper."
You snorted at his joke, making Sans smile just a little wider.
"Mm, better, I guess."
He chuckled, and then patted the cushion next to him, hoping you'd join him.
"It'll only be a five minute nap, just to recharge the old batteries."
He waited for your response, staring in anticipation as if he was watching the cogs in your head turn.
"Alright, fine. But only five."
You acceptance of his offer made Sans incredibly happy, and he hastily pulled you into his embrace, forcing you to rest against his stomach, as he knew that was the most cushioned part of his body and therefore would be the most comfortable for you to lay on top of. Apparently, this made you feel as if you were making him uncomfortable, as he felt you try and squirm to a position where you weren't even touching him.
He held onto you, refusing to let you go. He didnt want to, it was as simple as that. He didn't need an excuse to give you affection, did he?
"Uh, Sans-"
"Shh, just go to sleep kid."
He encouraged, and his delight grew when you gave in. In fact, you seemed pretty willing to take a nap, as you fell asleep almost instantly. Sans didn't fall asleep immediately like you had, instead choosing to hold you a little closer to him, gazing down at you in your peaceful state.
Sans couldn't understand why, but seeing you in such an innocent, vulnerable state made him feel as though he should be on high alera, as if something- or someone- was going to take you away from him. However, his tiredness overtook this urge and he soon fell asleep with you.
A few hours must've passed, Sans concluded when he woke up, as he heard his bro call him and you for dinner. Sans looked down to see you still asleep, despite all the yelling. You were tangled in his tight grasp, your body resting comfortably against his. Sans, seeing you hadn't moved, sighed in relief. He couldn't understand why, but there was something incredibly satisfying about seeing you safe and relaxed with him.
"BROTHER, I HAVE CALLED YOU SEVERAL TIMES! AND WHY IS THE HUMAN STILL SLEEPING? HONESTLY, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER AS LAZY AS YOU!"
Papyrus appeared, making Sans jolt. Though his brother's voice was loud, his footsteps could often be so quiet not even Sans could hear them. The older skeleton looked up at his brother, sweat rolling down his face and body as he did.
"Hm? Oh, heh, sorry bro."
Papyrus shook is head.
"NO MATTER! BROTHER, YOU DON'T LOOK TOO WELL. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD TAKE A MOMENT TO, UH, FRESHEN UP?"
Sans chuckled, he probably looked a bit of a state right now with the amount of sweat he was producing. Sans agreed to his brother's proposal, and was about to move you off of him so he could leave when his brother spoke again.
"YOU GO AND I'LL WAKE THE HUMAN!"
Papyrus declared, and moved his hand towards you, most likely to pick you up. Sans didn't have time to think his actions through, he reacted on instinct. On the first sign of his brother's hand get too close to you, he instantly pulled you closer to him, using his arms to shield you, and growled at his brother, shocking himself and Papyrus.
Silence was cast over the two brothers as Sans' eye sockets widened, realising what he had just done. He watched Papyrus' surprised expression morph into one of understanding, and as he did, Sans finally realised what was going on with him. How did he not realise it sooner?
"BROTHER, ARE YOU...?"
How did he miss it? The over heating due to the excessive amount of magic his body was producing, the higher anxiety, the weird protective feelings he felt towards you, and now this.
"Uh, yeah."
Sans, like most monsters, was too embarrassed to admit it, but he didn't need to. Papyrus understood. After all, it's quite easy to tell when a monster's in heat.
Shit, this was going to be weird. He's dealt with heats before, of course, but it was different this time. While monsters knew what they needed and how they acted during this time, humans weren't exactly all that knowledgeable in the subject. How would you react to him being in such a state? He could only control his instincts to a certain extent, so at some point he'd probably become too overbearing for you to handle. Fuck, why did this have to happen now?
Papyrus, seeing Sans' internal conflict, cleared his non existent throat to get his attention.
"BROTHER, WHEN THE HUMAN WAKES WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO EXPLAIN-"
"Yes. Please."
Papyrus nodded at Sans' request. He knew how to deal with hisbrother when he was like this and Sans was thankful for that. He brought his hand up to his face, wiping off some of the sweat, only to be disgusted by the feeling. He needed to clean himself up and calm down, but he couldn't bring himself to move. It was killing him to even think of leaving you right now, even though Sans knew that nothing bad would happen to you, he just couldn't help it.
"I don't wanna let her go, bro."
Sans mumbled, his voice, strained.
"I KNOW SANS, I KNOW. BUT I'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER WHILE YOU'RE GONE. IT WON'T BE FOR LONG."
What his brother said made sense, but it took a while for his brain to override his natural instincts, which was not easy. But, somehow, he still magaed to tear himself away from you to go to the bathroom. Hopefully this wasn't going to be as embarrassing as he thought it was.
-Your POV-
Papyrus didn't touch you, for fear of making his brother upset. Instead, he tried to wake you by loudly whispering to you. As he bent down, the smell of his brother's scent was pungent on you, but he payed no attention to it. After a few tries, you finally began so stir and awoke to Papyrus' face almost directly in yours.
You blinked, a little disorientated at first, and Papyrus moved away, allowing you to sit up and gather your bearings. You yawned, rubbing your eyes as you looked around.
"Where's Sans?"
You asked, looking up at Papyrus.
"AH YES, SANS! MY BROTHER, HE'S...WASHING UP FOR DINNER!"
Your eyes widened and you stood up without thinking.
"It's dinner already? How long was I asleep for- oh, nope. Shit."
You immediately sat back down, clutching your head and squeezed your eyes shut as you made the conscious effort to take a few deep breaths. Your behaviour alarmed Papyrus, who immediately crouched down to see if you were ok.
"HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, just stood up to fast is all."
You muttered, waiting for the spots in your vision to clear. Shaking it off, you moved to stand up again, this time slower, when Papyrus stopped you.
"UH, HUMAN. MAY I HAVE A TALK WITH YOU ABOUT MY BROTHER?"
You raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if there was something wrong with Sans. You hoped there wasn't, though he did seem off today. Maybe he was sick? Did monsters even get sick?
"Is everything okay with Sans? He seemed a little off today."
"AH, SO YOU HAVE NOTICED."
You raised your eyebrows at the skeleton who confirmed your suspicious towards Sans. You were about to ask many follow up questions, but stopped yourselt when Papyrus opened his mouth to speak once again.
"HE IS NOT SICK, DO NOT WORRY. BUT HE, UHM...HE IS GOING THROUGH WHAT WE MONSTERS TEND TO CALL, A 'HEAT' OF SORTS."
"Heat? Like with cats and dogs?"
You inquired. If you were being honest, that was probably the weirdest thing you'd ever heard the skeleton say. You excepted him to tell you that Sans was feeling a little under the weather, or worse, but instead he was just...really horny? The thought made you cringe slightly.
"I DO NOT FOLLOW."
"Like, when they get all horny for however long."
You explained and Papyrus' cheek bones immediately flared up with an orange tint.
"YES, UH, W-WELL NO, UHM, NOT REALLY."
He stuttered, clearly put out by your direct and, could be considered some what vulgar, way of putting it. Papyrus looked away for a moment, coughing before turning back to you to explain.
"SO, WITH MONSTER HEATS, IT VARIES ON THE MONSTER. FOR EXAMPLE, BOSS MONSTERS, SUCH AS SANS AND MYSELF, AND REGULAR MONSTERS WILL ENDURE A HEAT USUALLY TWICE A YEAR, HOWEVER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT A BOSS MONSTER'S CAN BE SLIGHTLY MORE INTENSE."
He started, and you listened with great curiosity. By the sight of his remaining blush, you figured this was a slightly embarrassing topic for him to speak about, so you let him talk as to not break his flow and throw him off.
"OF COURSE, THE HEAT A MONSTER EXPERIENCES ALL DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFICS, SUCH AS THEIR 'TYPE', BE IT A WHIMSUM OR A DOG OR WHATEVER, THEIR SOUL, THEIR HP AND STATS LIKE LV, THE AMOUNT OF MAGIC THEY HAVE, AND SO ON."
You nodded, showing you were following him so far.
"NOW, MONSTERS WILL ONLY HAVE AN INTENSE DESIRE TO...REPRODUCE IF THEY HAVE A MATE OR ARE INVOLVED IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP."
He pointed out.
"HOWEVER, IF THEY ARE NOT, THEIR ABUNDANCE OF MAGIC DRIVES FORTH THEIR INSTINCTS TOWARDS CARING FOR THEIR LOVED ONES, LIKE FAMILY AND SOMETIMES REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS. DEPENDING ON THE MONSTER, THIS CAN INVOLVE BEING EXTRA ATTENTIVE, OR IT CAN COME OUT AS BEING A TAD OVERPROTECTIVE."
This was not what you had expected to hear at all, but Papyrus explained it in a way that made it easy for you to understand. You still had a couple of questions for him, though.
"Will the same happen with Sans?"
You questioned. You didn't want to cause Sans any grief, especially if he was uncomfortable.
"IN MY EXPERIENCE, SANS TYPICALLY TENDS TO GET SLIGHTLY OVERBEARING AT TIMES, BUT I NEVER MINDED BECAUSE I KNEW IT CAME FROM A PLACE OF LOVE. DURING THE PEAK OF HIS HEAT, IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH DAYS, HE TENDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CLINGY AND A LITTLE GRUMPY, NYEHEHE."
Papyrus laughed as he reminisced on the past experiences.
"HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT GET TOO BAD. JUST BE PREPARED TO BE PULLED INTO A LOT OF UNWANTED NAPS OR CUDDLES!"
He jokes, though he wasn't really kidding.
"Oh, okay."
Was all you could say. That didn't sound too bad and considering it was Sans, you guessed that his heat wouldn't be too intense, just like the lazy bones himself. Once Papyrus had finished his educational rant, the questions that you had set aside began to bubble up to the surface of your mind, urging you to free them.
"Papyrus, what's LV?"
"Stands for level of violence. Increases when ya kill someone."
Red's voice snuck up from behind you, making you swivel your head to face him. His expression was seemed dark yet his toothy grin made him seem almost unserious about the topic.
"The more LV ya got, the worse yer heats can be. The excess magic that manifests is all twisted up 'n stuff. Even makes some monsters go crazy, if they weren't already, that is."
He cackled, causing Papyrus to frown.
"YES, WELL. SANS DOESN'T HAVE ANY LV."
Papyrus stated, proudly, making Red roll his eyelight.
"Yea, course he doesn't."
He grumbled, but then a mischievous smile crept up onto his face as he got closer to you.
"But me and ma bro do. So ya better watch out kid cause, when the time comes, we're gonna getcha!"
He immediately moved to grab you and tickle you, rubbing your head harshly as you laughed out, kicking your feet in an attempt to squirm out of his grasp.
"R-red! Stop- haha!"
You giggled, almost squeeling when he lifted you off the ground and spun you about like Blue had done, except he somehow managed to continue ticking you. Papyrus watched the two of you, smiling as Sans entered the room. It was almost comical how juxtaposing Papyrus' expression was to his brother's.
Sans' smile, unlike Papyrus', was tight and stiff. However, when he saw your happy expression, he relaxed a little.
"S-sans, help!"
You called out, on the verge of tears from laughing so much.
"Damn kid, looks like you're in a bit of a tickle."
"BROTHER, THAT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"
Papyrus sighed, shaking his head while Sans just shrugged. Sans didn't mind this, after all, it was only the first day of his heat, so Sans wasn't too worked up at the sight, that would come later. However, when Red noticed his counterpart, he had a vexatious idea spring into his skull.
At last, he stopped tickling you, putting you down but he didn't let go of you. Instead, he made the effort to make it as obvious as possible that he was trying to get under Sans' skin. He started off by hugging you from the side, making you smile as you tried to push him away, playfully.
"Damn kid, ya reak of ol' plain boy's scent. Gonna take you forever to get that off ya."
He pointed out, and grinned internally as he watched Sans' smile tighten slightly at your surprised, and slightly concerned, reaction to this detail.
"Oh, really?"
"Mhm, here, I'll help ya sweetheart."
He began to nuzzle your head, making you giggle once more at his antics, and from the corner of his vision, he watched as Sans' eye sockets became devoid of life by watching the whole scene play out. If he wasn't paying attention, which he was, he wouldn't have noticed how fast Sans had appeared beside you, nor how forcefully he had tugged you away from Red.
"Okay, that's enough playing. The kid needs her dinner."
Sans ordered, stroking your head gently as he guided you in the direction of the dining table. However, he wasn't caressing your head for no reason. Red, just like any monster would've, noticed that the part of your head that he focused his touch on was the part where Red had nuzzled you with his cheek. Now, a non-monster creature, such as yourself, wouldn't have taken a second glance at this, but Red knew better.
Sans was clearly placing his scent back onto you to replace the smell of Red, which was common behaviour for a monster in heat. However, by that harsh, empty expression Sans threw his way, Red guessed that his actions probably weren't even consciously thought out, since he was putting so much of his focus on to his counterpart, and that this was merely a natural reaction.
Nonetheless, it still made Red chuckle. At least he'd managed to get some entertainment today. Feeling satisfied with himself, he joined the others at the table, making sure to give Sans a wink before eating. Naturally, Sans ended up placing himself next to you at the table, giving Red one last warning glare before turning his attention to his food.
He tried not to feel too awkward while eating, for Sans knew all the other monsters at this table could smell his heat, but he was thankful when no one brought it up. Normally, the lazy skeleton didn't like to rush anything, but in this instance, he quickly downed his food and excused himself from the table before teleporting, most likely into his room.
You figured he needed some time alone, being in the uncomfortable state he was in, so you didn't question his early absense. You let him be, choosing to engage with the others, instead.
"So kid, ya beat anyone up yet?"
You raised an eyebrow, smiling at Red's ridiculous comment, though he was actually being serious. Edge and Black looked at you expectantly, while the others, apart from Cash who wasn't really paying attention, looked completely flabbergasted at Red's question.
"Course she didn't, did ya honey?"
Stretch chimed in, and you shook your head. Red rolled his eye light.
"Boring."
"I AGREE. HOW ELSE WILL YOU SHOW EVERYONE ELSE NOT TO MESS WITH YOU? YOU'RE ALREADY AN EASY TARGET, YOU KNOW."
"EDGE, VIOLECE IS NEVER THE ANSWER! UNLESS YOU'RE HAVING A FRIENDLY TRAINING SESSION, IT SHOULD NEVER BE NECESSARY!"
Papyrus declared, and you snorted at the unimpressed expression on Edge's face.
"THERE'S NO NEED FOR HER TO FIGHT ANYONE. IF SHE HAS A PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE, SHE'LL COME TO ME AND I'LL RIP THEIR THROAT OUT!"
"Little graphic there, bud."
Stretch cringed, but Cash seemed to be quite proud of his older brother.
"NO ONE IS FIGHTING ANYONE."
Blue concluded, and you nodded with him, making it seem like you agreed with him.
"Yeah. Besides, no one's given me a reason to, yet."
You winked, making the corner of Red's smirk tug up. Cash snickered at your comment, giving you a playful punch on the arm.
"Go show 'em who's boss, kid."
You gave him a fist bump in return.
"Maybe we shouldn't encourage the kid towards violence."
Stretch heavily suggested, and Black scoffed at him.
"OF COURSE YOU WOULD SAY THAT. AFTER ALL, YOUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH NOTHING BUT SPINELESS LOSERS WHO WERE TO WEAK TO EVEN CONSIDER FIGHTING AS AN OPTION."
"Or maybe your world was just a shithole."
Stretch shrugged. You didn't know much about any of their worlds if you were being honest but, by the way they talked about their homes, you got a rough idea. It seemed like Red, Black, Edge and Cash all came from cruel universes that preached and practiced violence, whereas the others came from softer, more forgiving universes with mercy as the common motion.
You really felt for the skeletons who's harsh universes had clearly taken their tole on the monsters. It made you wonder if there was ever a time where they had held some hope in their souls, because you couldn't imagine them being brought into the world as tough as they seemed now. They weren't all bad. You'd seen a glimpse of their softer sides, and even if it only appeared for a moment, that was enough for you to come to the conclusion that there was good in them, even if they couldn't see it themselves.
"ANYWAYS, HOW WERE YOUR CLASSES, SUNSHINE?"
Blue asked, steering the conversation away from the others and back to you. He surprised you with the nickname, but you brushed it off. Recently, many of the boys had been dropping nicknames to address you, so you weren't surprised when Blue joined in the trend as well. You didn't mind, either.
"They were super easy. Honestly, I'm surprised. Some of the stuff we were learning I had already been taught, like, ages ago."
You shrugged, and Blue put his fingers to his mouth in thought.
"HMM, THAT IS INTERESTING! IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE AHEAD OF EVERYONE IN THE CLASS."
He observed and then smiled brightly, pulling you in for a bone-crushing hug.
"YOU'RE GOING TO BE A STAR PUPIL, THEN! OUR LITTLE GENIUS, MWEHEHEHE!"
Shit, that's not how you wanted them to view you. If they all thought of you like that, they'd only be disappointed with your results in the end when it turned out you weren't as good as you had accidentally made yourself out to be. You had to tone it down a little. You raised your hands up, shaking your head, nervously.
"I think genius is a little much Blue-"
"WHAT? NONSENSE! YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF, HUMAN!"
"Yeah, but like, I'm not a genius. It's just that the education system really sucks here, is all."
You sighed, making Blue frown at your lack of belief in yourself.
"Eh, don't sweat it, honey. With us as your teachers, you're definitely going to be the smartest kid in that school."
Stretch reassured, winking as you giggled at how jokingly high he thought of himself and the others. But, he wasn't wrong. These guys were incredibly intelligent when it came to their area of specialty, among other things, so maybe the extra help might do you some good.
"Mhm, maybe."
You continued to converse with the others, figuring Sans wasn't going to come down again, however, he proved you wrong.
"BROTHER, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO JOIN US AFTER ALL!"
Papyrus beamed as Sans entered the living room. Sans gave him a wink and then approached you, shuffling around in his pocket for something. When he stopped, he managed to fish it out and hand the item to you. You tilted your head, but took it anyhow. It was a brick phone.
"Thought you might need it since you're going to school and all. You can call us if you get into any trouble."
As you looked through the phone, you saw that Sans had already put in the contact details of every skeleton in the house, and the additional numbers of Toriel and Alphys. The others had been lucky enough to have their phones on them when they were trasported here, but you had left yours on the table next to you, so unfortunately, it had been left behind back in your universe.
"I know it's not much, but I thought I'd be a good, temporary fix-"
"It's great Sans, thank you. I appreciate it."
Sans smiled at you, patting your knee as he sat down beside you.
"GOOD CALL BROTHER. THIS WILL CERTAINLY HELP WITH HER WONDERING OFF PROBLEM!"
Papyrus decreed.
"I don't have a wondering off problem!"
You countered, your mouth, agape with incredulity. The others gave you a knowing stare, as if they were screaming how wrong you were without even having to speak.
"OH, DON'T ACT SO NAIVE. YOU'RE LIKE A PUPPY OFF HER LEASH. HONESTLY PRINCESS, IT'S A WONDER HOW YOU DON'T GET LOST MORE OFTEN."
Black critiqued, wagging his finger disapprovingly. The others murmured and nodded their heads in agreement with him, even Sans who was chuckling at your defeated expression.
"Gonna need ta get ya a babysitter, kid."
"I'm not a baby! I can handle myself just fine, thank you. Besides, it's a small town, it's not difficult to find my way back."
You half glared at Red, feeling embarrassed that he even suggested the idea of a babysitter, even if it was a joke.
"Aww, is the wittle baby upswet?"
Red mocked, using a babyish tone just to piss you off. Once he saw your annoyed expression, he began to laugh his arse off, which you didn't care for.
"WHILE THE TOWN MAY BE SMALL, THE CITY CERTAINLY IS NOT! YOU CANNOT JUST GO WONDERING AROUND BY YOURSELF IN SUCH A BIG AREA, SUNSHINE. NOT WITHOUT SUPERVISON."
Blue stressed and you groaned.
"I'm not a baby, guys, seriously! I can get around fine by myself. This isn't my first time wondering around in a city, alone."
You huffed, and the others gave you a questioning look.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HUMAN?"
Papyrus prompted you to continue, so you did.
"I live in London, do you know how many times I've gone into central by myself or with friends? Too many times to count!"
"YOUR PARENTS LET YOU GO BY YOURSELF."
Black's comment should have been a question, but it sounded more like a statement, with the way he phrased it.
"Uh, yeah. It's not a big deal. I've been doing it since I was like, twelve."
"TCH. AT THAT AGE, I WASN'T EVEN ALLOWED OUT OF THE HOUSE BY MYSELF."
Edge, who had been fairly quiet during this conversation, chimed in, giving his brother a piercing stare. Red shrugged.
"Ya know damn well why I wouldn't let ya, so don't go comparin' the situations as if they're the same, ya got that?"
Red asservated, his tone, harsher than normal. To your surprise, Edge complied, not uttering another word on the matter. Because of how often Edge barked orders at his brother, you often forgot that Red was the older brother between them. It almost made you chuckle how, at times, Red acted more like the dominant one, despite still taking orders from his younger brother most times.
"STILL, THAT'S DIFFERENT. YOU KNEW THE AREA WELL ENOUGH, YET YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PLACE, JUST LIKE MOST OF US HERE!"
Blue turned the focus back to you, and you sighed.
"Well, how else am I supposed to get to know the area if I don't explore it?"
"THAT IS TRUE, HUMAN! HOWEVER, IT MAY BE BETTER FOR YOU TO EXPLORE IT WITH AT LEAST ONE OF US THERE AS WELL? JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET LOST!"
"Or in ta any trouble."
Cash added, and Papyrus nodded along with him.
"IF WE WERE IN MY WORLD, I WOULDN'T LET YOU GO OUT, PERIOD. SO YOU'D BETTER COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY YOU'RE BEING ALLOWED OUT AT ALL, YOUNG LADY!"
Black divulged, giving you a firm, stubborn look. You were starting to get aggitated by them implying you couldn't take care of yourself. You didn't need then to watch over. You could handle yourself just fine.
"Well then, I guess I'm lucky I'm here instead of there."
You replied, snarkily. You shift in attitude didn't go unnoticed, but it was certainly unwanted by a couple of the monsters. Instead of retorting with a nasty comment, Black simply sighed, looking off to the side with an indecipherable expression. You pondered the idea that perhaps he was jealous that you hadn't had to endure the dangers of his world, but as you had no real way of knowing, you brushed the thought aside.
Not much chatter went on after that, though there was the odd start up of small talk every now and then. For instance, most of the boys were still trying to find jobs for themselves, but Cash had already found one. It wasn't the highest paying job every, but working at mini supermarket attached to a petrol station was a good start. It was funny, in a way, as no one had anticipated he'd be the first one to get a job, but life was funny like that, you supposed.
Soon enough, the time flew by and everyone proceeded to go to their allocated rooms. You followed suit, and just as you were about to enter your shared room with Red and Edge, Sans caught you on your way in. He stopped you before you reached the door, wearing a slightly rigid expression. Like before, he had began to sweat again, but it wasn't as bad this time.
"Hey kiddo, glad I caught you."
"What's up, Sans?"
You greeted, leaning on the door as watched him hesitate before answering. It was as if he was overthinking everything he was about to say.
"Well, I'll make this quick as I woodn't want to door you with my chit chat."
He chuckled.
"Just wanted to let you know, if you find that you can't handle those two numbskulls tonight, I'd be open to you sharing my room, if you want."
As much as you didn't usually care for his puns, these ones weren't as bad as they usually were. You gave Sans a smile as you considered his offer. You knew he was only asking you because he was nervous, but you found it sweet how worried he was.
"Maybe. I'll keep an open mind, thanks Sans."
Sans' smile widened when you made that joke, but also at the fact that you at least considered his offer, knowing he'd be there if you needed him. He moved to ruffle your hair, his tough, lingering on your head for a moment before he reluctantly let you go inside to sleep.
.
.
.
It wasn't long after your slumber that you awoke unexpectedly, due to yet another nightmare. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you tried desperately to muffle your sobs, but as you heard your roommates grumble, you quickly dashed out of the room, for fear of waking them. It had been the same nightmare as before, except, somehow it was worse. Everything was more distorted, and that flower's voice rung throughout your head, tormenting you, even when you were awake.
Turning on your heels, you ran to Sans' room and knocked on the door rapidly. In hindsight, you were probably acting completely childish, like a little kid running to go and sleep with their parents after a bad dream or because they felt lonely, but in that moment, your mind was free of judgement towards yourself, your only goal being security and comfort. Even now, though you knew you were in a house with many residents, you still felt as though you were being watched by those soulless, black eyes. You couldn't take it.
It felt like a lifetime before you heard shuffling inside his room, indicating that he was moving slowly towards the door. When he opened it, rubbing his eye sockets groggily, you immediately latched on to him, letting yourself cry quietly into his chest. Sans seemed to freeze for a moment, but he soon reacted, swiftly taking you in his arms and over to his mattress.
Wrapping the blanket around the two of you, like he had done on the previous occasion, he continued to let you cry as he rubbed small circles into your back. Once your cries died down slightly, dwindling into sniffles, Sans thought it was the appropriate time to speak up.
"What happened, bud? Was it something that Red or Edge did?"
You shook your head.
"Did something happen at school today?"
You shook your head again. At last, Sans finally guessed right.
"Another nightmare?"
This time you nodded, and your breath hitched as the memory of that awful flower came flooding back to you. You wanted to start crying once more but Sans quickly intervened, mumbling words of comfort and hugging you tightly.
"Kid, you know you can talk to me, don't you?"
You didn't say anything, you only wanted to crawl further and further into the blankets where you were safe from the horrors your mind conducted and insisted upon tormenting you with. Sans sighed, pulling you in closer and, using his cheekbone mainly, nuzzled your head. The motion helped you calm down, though you weren't sure why, and you felt yourself exhale in relief at the feeling.
Sans continued to do so gently, and as he did, you swore you could hear the faintest purr vibrating from his chest, though you could've imagined it. You wanted it all to go away, you just wanted the nightmares to stop, even if you'd barely had any, they had been agonising enough for you to feel this much discomfort. And you hated it.
"You're safe with me, kiddo, ok? 'M not gonna let anything happen to you."
At that moment, everything felt right. Sans had made it all better, by telling you exactly what you needed to hear, before you let yourself fall asleep in his arms.
Notes:
How will our reader deal with Sans during this strange situation? How will she get on in school after her first day? So many questions! They will be answered in due time.
As always, have a good day/night everyone and I want to thank you for all the lovely comments you guys leave! It makes me so happy to see you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy writing it, if not more! You all are wonderful at giving me support, thank you so much! ❤🌸
Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Bunking off school
Summary:
Will Sans' heat get in the way of our reader's education? Absolutely. Oh well, what's missing one day of school going to do?
Notes:
Hi guys! I feel like it's been a while since I've updated, or not, I honestly have no concept of time when it comes to updating and writing these chapters, sorry 😭.
Anyways, here's another chapter to make up for it! Hope you all enjoy. 🌸❤
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next few days were...interesting, to say the least.
Ever since you had taken refuge in Sans' room for comfort from your nightmare, you had noticed a considerable shift in his attitude towards you. For instance, like Papyrus had predicted, Sans had become considerably more clingy towards you, often pulling you into tight hugs whilst nuzzling his scent onto you, or forcing you to nap with him, even if you didn't sleep, just so he could be close to you.
Initially, you thought this would've made it hard for you to go to school, what with the skeleton being so affectionate towards you constantly. However, you had no problems for the majority of the week, and it was only when you came home that Sans was near you more. It was not until the third day that a slight issue arose.
"BROTHER, YOU ARE HOLDING THE HUMAN UP FOR SCHOOL! AT THIS RATE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER LATE!"
Papyrus stressed, staring down at Sans, eager to get moving. He had originally tried to pry you from his brother's grasp, but the second he came to close to you Sans immediately went on the defensive, growling quietly as he tucked you down into his hold, as if he was trying to hide you from the world.
He had been like this since the morning. You went about your new routine as usual, preparing to go to school, when you were suddenly in the clutches of the lazy skeleton himself. You were confused at first and thought he was playing some sort of game, so when you tried to push him away and he responsed negatively, you were taken aback slightly. Unaware of his current emotional state, you foolishly let him hug you to his soul's content which, in hindsight, may have been a mistake, for he would not let you go now.
Even though he was in heat, you hadn't expected Sans to show so much resistance. Honestly, you thought his lazy tendencies would've overthrown his natural instincts, but you supposed that everything had it's limits. Much like Papyrus' patience for his brother's antics.
"BROTHER, PLEASE-"
"No."
Sans grumbled in return before Papyrus even had another chance to try and reason with him.
"The kid can take a sick day. Can't you, kiddo?"
He mumbled, nuzzling his skull into you, affectionately. Papyrus groaned at him, shaking his head. He had seen this behaviour from Sans all too many times, so he knew that there was no changing his mind. When he wanted to be, Sans could be incredibly stubborn.
"SHE'S NOT EVEN SICK! IT'S NOT WORTH HER MISSING A DAY OF HER EDUCATION, JUST TO ENTERTAIN YOUR LAZY ASS!"
Edge butted in, appearing from upstairs. Sans gave Edge a look and thought his expression was too soft to come across as a glare, he certainly didn't look very friendly right now.
"Knock knock."
"SERIOUSLY? FINE! WHO'S THERE?"
"Who."
"WHO, WHO?"
"Who asked."
You let out a snort at his attitude, though Edge did not find it nearly as amusing as you did.
"FINE! DO AS YOU WILL."
He exclaimed, storming off as you could see the steam practically rising off of his head in frustration and embarrassment. Sans' only response was to grumble something to himself incoherently before wrapping you up in a blanket he had found nearby. You gave Papyrus a pleading look in the hopes that he'd help you out of this situation, but the skeleton only sighed, shaking his head, as if he'd already given up.
"BROTHER, I MUST INSIST-"
"No. Don't the school have a policy for this kind'a thing?"
Sans questione, his voice, low, as if he was beyond pissed off. His tone sent shivers down your spine as you could practically feel the annoyance radiate off of him. Papyrus thought for a moment.
"HMM, I AM NOT SURE. SHALL I CALL THE SCHOOL AND ASK?"
"Yes, please."
Papyrus' proposal seemed to satisfy Sans for the time being, however, this only raised further queries in your mind.
"Policy for what?"
You inquired, though you didn't get an immediate answer from Sans. Instead, the skeleton simply sighed, hugging you tightly almost to the point of discomfort, but you could deal with it for now. You had never seen Sans like this, and honestly, it was weird as hell. Although you didn't mind the affection he was giving, it felt strange to receive so much of it from the monster, especially since you had only known each other for a few weeks. Acting this familiar with you was something you found quite odd about his behaviour, yet you couldn't make a full judgement as you had no idea how monster relations were. Maybe, in the short amount of time of knowing you, he felt comfortable enough to be this doting towards you. Whatever the case, you hoped he was doing ok.
"Sans?"
"s'ok, kiddo. Just relax, I gotcha."
Woah, he really sounded like Red there for a second. The whole switch up of his tone of voice and way of speaking threw you off for a moment, making you wonder if him and Red had switched personalities temporarily. Quickly dismissing the thought, you looked up at Sans, who's expression seemed too tense to be soothed at the moment.
"GOOD NEWS BROTHER!"
Papyrus announced, returning from his call. Upon hearing his brother's voice, Sans looked up, hopefully.
"THE SCHOOL DOES HAVE A POLICY REGARDING PARTICULARLY PROTECTIVE MONSTER GUARDIANS AND THEIR CHILDREN DURING THEIR HEATS!"
Ah, so that's what he was talking about.
"UH, THE BAD NEWS IS...THEY'RE NOT TOO KEEN ON THE IDEA OF IMPLEMENTING THE RULE FOR THIS OCCASION..."
"W h a t."
Shit, Sans sounded...mad. Glancing up at his expression was not a pretty sight to behold, so you instead chose to cast your gaze elsewhere. Upon hearing his brother's tone, Papyrus broke out in a small sweat.
"W-WELL, IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THE HUMAN'S ATTENDANCE WILL PLUMIT- CONSIDERING SHE WON'T EVEN BE THERE FOR A FULL TERM, LET ALONE A FULL SCHOOL YEAR, IT MIGHT REFLECT BADLY ON HER RECORD."
You watched Sans twitch with a mixture of disbelief and something worse than rage.
"Reflect badly- it's one day! Are they fucking stupid?"
"SANS! PLEASE TRY NOT TO CURSE IN FRONT OF THE HUMAN."
Papyrus sighed, giving his brother a knowing look.
"I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE OUTCOME YOU WERE HOPING FOR..."
Sans grumbled quietly to himself as Papyrus tried to figure out what to say to appease his brother, though you didn't think much could at this point.
"Sans, it's ok, I won't be gone for too long."
You tried to reassure him, hoping Sans would come to his senses and allow you to go. Eventually, Sans sighed, which you assumed meant he finally gave in.
"Fine. But bro, I've probably made you late to your job, how's about I take the kid today?"
Papyrus smiled, giving Sans a thumbs up.
"ALRIGHT BROTHER! I'M GLAD YOU CAME TO YOUR SENSES. I MUST BE OFF NOW, TOODALOO!"
He beamed, before speeding off to work, leaving the two of you in the house. The clock ticked away, a reminder that if you didn't get going soon, you really would be late. You glanced at Sans, who had taken a minute to calm himself down a little more, hoping to get some sort of direction of the situation. Eventually, Sans sighed, grinning down at you, a glint of mischief in his eyes. Before he could even say what he was thinking, you already knew, beating him to it.
"You know Papyrus is gonna be so mad when he finds out you made me bunk off of school, right?"
Sans snickered, giving you a cheeky wink.
"Don't you worry kiddo, I'm sure everything will turn out just spine."
You cringed at his pun, not his best but certainly not his worst.
The two of you stayed cuddled together for the majority of the day, what with you not going to school and Sans refusing to work on his latest science project for the time being. As a result, you didn't make too much of an attempt to move from the couch, especially since the majority of the others chose to come down and converse with you throughout the day, whether it be for breaks from work or just pure boredem.
Strangely enough, everyone seemed to be a little less...bitchy today. You wondered if that was because they didn't want to irritate Sans during his heat, though some didn't mind teasing him a little, or if there was just something different about today. Disregarding all your previous encounters with each of them, you'd never seen them this chill. For once, no one fought, aside from the occasion bickering and nagging, and no one seemed to give you any trouble. Honestly, you could get used to this kind of behaviour from them, though you knew it would probably only last for today.
Since no one dared to challenge Sans, you weren't encouraged to go to school on this particular day from anyone but Papyrus, which worked in your favour...for a while, that is. It wasn't until Papyrus had came home and Blue had accidently blabbed about you staying home all day, when being asked about everyone's day, was when things really kicked off.
You had never seen Papyrus give his brother such an incredulous, yet absolutely infuriated, look before. Cash had joked that he resembled Edge for a moment, earning both a glare from Papyrus and a smack on the arm from Edge, though he wasn't entirely wrong, as you yourself were starting to see the resemblance.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU, BROTHER! DID YOU EVEN CALL THE SCHOOL?"
"Uh..."
"OH MY ASGORE!"
Papyrus threw his hands up in the air, exasperated by the entire issue.
"It's spine bro, no need to get so rattled over it."
The glower that his brother shot his way was more than enough to tell him that Sans' puns were not wanted right now.
"YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. DON'T LISTEN TO ME!"
Papyrus stormed off, muttering to himself. The two of you, along with your captivated audience, started in shock at Papyrus' outburst. Sans sighed, guilt slowly creeping up his spine as you say there in surprise. You had never seen Papyrus so mad before, and now you started to feel a little bad as well.
After giving him a few minutes to calm down, you pushed yourself off of Sans, despite his weak protests, and followed the direction where Papyrus had gone.
As you swivered in and out of rooms in search of him, you finally found him, slumped on a chair with his skull in one hand and nursing a glass of water with the other. Tentatively, you approached him, feeling the full affect of the awkward tension in the air.
"I'm sorry."
Was l you could muster got the time being. You didn't want to overdo it, yet you felt a need to set things right. Papyrus exhaled heavily, gesturing for you to sit on the chair next to him.
"HUMAN, I'M NOT ANGRY WITH YOU."
You nodded, pursing you lips in anticipation as he placed his glass down.
"I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND MY BROTHER'S ACTIONS, BUT I AM NONETHELESS STILL VERY UPSET THAT HE WENT BEHIND MY BACK!"
You sat back and listened as he poured out his feelings of frustration.
"THIS WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IF YOUR SCHOOL HAD COOPERATED, SO I SUPPOSE IT'S NOT SANS' FAULT ENTIRELY, BUT THEY DIDN'T!"
Papyrus exclaimed. For about ten minutes, you listened to him go off on a little tangent about the school's "strange and unusual rules" and although he was a little irritated, the way he presented his case forced you to hold in your laughter. His comical gestures and overexaggerated expressions were almost enough to tip you over the edge, but you didn't want to get in any trouble, or make him feel worse, so you used all your strength to hold your tongue.
Eventually, he ceased his complaining, giving you a large smile. It was definitely a major switch up from his previous mood, but you weren't about to protest. You blinked in surprise when he place his hand down on your head, his movements somehow evading your field of vision until the action was already completed.
"THANKS FOR LISTENING, HUMAN! WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK TO MY BROTHER, I'M SURE HE'D APPRECIATE THE COMPANY!"
"But I've been with him all day, don't you want me to help you with dinner?"
Papyrus' expression softened as he stood up from his chair, shaking his head.
"THAT IS A VERY KIND OFFER, TINY HUMAN, BUT I WILL BE FINE BY MYSELF TONIGHT!"
You frowned slightly at his little nickname for you.
"I'm not tiny, Papyrus. You're just incredibly tall!"
You pointed out, to which Papyrus laughed. You had a feeling that he knew this, yet he chose to tease you just for the hell of it. You decided to drop it, as he clearly wasn't going to let up, so you instead decided to make your way back to Sans and the rest of the group. Once you re-entered the room, you were only able to take a few steps before being recaptured into Sans' embrace, who nuzzled you mercilessly despite your mild protests.
The others snickered at your situation, but made no attempt to help you. You gave them a fleeting look of desperation before you finally accepted your fate. Whilst being squished and coddled in the arms of said lazy skeleton, Papyrus was busy preparing dinner with the help of Edge. Honestly, you were surprised at how well they were working together. Though they had their moments of disagreements, no major arguments arose from their different styles if cooking.
Unfortunately, like all good things, their teamwork had it's downsides. In this case, they had merged their dishes to make one awful concoction, which you failed to stomach for more than a couple of bites. Luckily for you, Sans had fed you a ton of snacks today, as he was too lazy to make any real meals like lunch, so you were able to blame your lack of appetite on that rather than their food.
Edge had been displeased with this notion, but had saw this coming. He chastised Sans for dragging you down with his poor eating habits, and complained about you not being hungry enough to eat a proper meal, but you quickly intervened, reassuring him that it was fine and that you'd eat better tomorrow. He huffed and accepted your statement, and you were sure he'd hold you to it.
It seemed that the household had fallen into somewhat of a pattern, as after dinner everyone always seemed to gather in the living room and hang out for at least a few hours before calling it a night. This was quite a change from what you were used to. Normally, your brother would lock himself in his room to play his PS5 or whatever he had, and your father worked a lot of overtime, so he wasn't always home until really late. As for you mother, well, she'd watch the occasional programme on tv, but she was usually up in her study with whatever latest science project she was working on, which just left you sitting by yourself in whatever room you chose.
Going from being by yourself a lot of the time to being around everyone almost constantly was a massive shift in normality for you, but you actually didn't mind it. For once, it felt kinda nice to be surrounded by people, even if most of the time their company consisted of occasional squabbles and teasing.
"Glad ya ain't dead yet, kid. First week's always the toughest."
Red joked. You returned his comment with a shrug.
"I mean, yeah, normally it is, but everything's been so easy so far, so it hasn't been the worst."
"Oo, don't get too cocky there, squirt."
Squirt? You weren't a baby, for crying out loud! You glanced over at Cash, who was rolling what looked to be some sort of dog treat between his phalanges. Curiously, you drew your attention to said treat and made an effort to point it out.
"Oh, this? Heh, ya wan' a hit?"
He offered, and as you opened your mouth to respond, you were quickly cut off by multiple voices of objection towards his suggestion, one notably being Black, who gave his brother a stern, disapproving look.
"BROTHER, YOU KNOW SHE'S TOO YOUNG FOR THAT KIND OF THING. BESIDES, SHE'S A HUMAN! WHO KNOW HOW HER BODY WILL REACT TO THAT GUNK BEING PASSED THROUGH HER SYSTEM!"
Black: the voice of reason. Yeah, that didn't feel right.
"Ugh, fine. Buzz kill."
Cash muttered, but didn't look too deflated at his offer being shot down. Instead, he gave you a look which you knew meant that this conversation wasn't over, but only shelved for another time. Moving on from this, you had wanted to vocalise something you had been thinking about for a while, but hadn't found the right time to bring it up. However, now was the perfect time, so you took the opportunity to speak up.
"But, going back to what Red said, I guess school has been kinda weird."
The others looked at you, slightly perplexed at your statement.
"How do you mean, kiddo?"
Sans asked, looking down at you.
"Well, obviously I know different countries had different policies around this stuff, but I didn't except here to be so relaxed with it. In fact, no one even talks about it! Like, when I asked Carly if I needed to wear a mask, she just looked at me as if I had grown a third head or something!"
Oh no, now the skeletons were giving you that look as well. Maybe you weren't being clear enough?
"WHY WOULD YOU HAVE TO WEAR A MASK, SUNSHINE? ARE YOU SICK?"
You shook your head at Blue's question, rendering him even more baffled than before.
"No, like, you know. Cause of Covid and all that."
...
"Uh, what's Covid?"
Cash asked, and then it clicked. You almost smacked yourself at how ignorant you were being. Of course most of them didn't know what you were talking about, as they hadn't reached the surface yet, so it probably hadn't happened for them yet. You turned to Papyrus and Sans.
"Guys, you know what I'm talking about. Covid. Covid-19? Coronavirus?"
They gave you a blank stare. You furrowed your brows at their confusion. Why were they acting like they didn't know what you were talking about? They'd been on the surface for a few years already, there was no way they were living that far under a rock- oh, that might be an insensitive saying to use in this instance. But still!
You sighed, knowing you had to spell it out for them in order to jog their memories.
"You know! Covid-19, the disease that caused a global pandemic! Seriously guys, you've got to know about it."
"Uh, honey, I think I can speak for everyone when I say you've lost us."
Stretch interjected with the others nodding along, even Sans and Papyrus. Ok, now it was your turn to be confused.
"Didn't you guys come to the surface in 2019?"
You asked, directing your questions back to this universe's skeleton brothers.
"YES, HUMAN. THAT IS CORRECT."
"Right, that's what I thought. So you do know what I'm talking about."
You turned to the other monsters.
"Ok, for those of you who don't know, the world experienced a global pandemic in 2020, with the outbreak of a new virus, Covid-19. Because of that, every country went into lockdown, hell, even schools closed!"
You explained, leaving the skeletons even more puzzled.
"Uh, kid. There was no global pandemic."
Sans' statement made you snort in incredulity, but when you realised he wasn't joking, your eyes widened. Your mouth went dry as it hung open while you tried to come up with what to say, but it took you a while to process what he had just said.
"Sans, can I have your phone, please?"
Reluctantly, he gave it to you, and everyone watched as you quickly typed into the search bar, though for what, they were unsure. Your eyes scanned the results for your search, "Covid-19 pandemic" and you almost dropped the phone when nothing came up apart from Google telling you the typical line.
Your search - Covid-18, pandemic - did not match any documents.
It didn't match any documents. There was nothing. It didn't exist. It didn't exist.
"WHAT'S WRONG, Y/N?"
Papyrus' voice snapped you out of your thoughts, causing you to hand the phone back to it's owner. You stared into space for a moment, trying to comprehend what you had just learned. Your behaviour was beginning to unnerve the monsters, causing Edge to force you to speak by demanding that you did.
"FOR STARS SAKES, BRAT, WHAT IS IT? SPIT IT OUT!"
"You guys...didn't have a pandemic?"
You questioned, and the brothers shook their heads, a worried look now morphing onto their faces.
"Oh..."
Was all you could muster at that given moment, as the information sunk in. When you thought about it, it was silly to assume that a world so similar to yours had experienced everything that yours had, so really, this was on you. Yet, you had assumed, and had payed the consequence of shock.
"Buddy, heh, you're not making much sense right now."
Sans said, his voice, slightly tenser than you remembered it to be previously. You hesitated, and then groaned.
"Ugh, what the hell?! That's so not fair!"
You exclaimed, leaning forward to rest your hands on your knees before bringing them up to make random, frantic gestures in their air at nothing in particular.
"WHAT'S NOT FAIR, SUNSHINE?"
"The fact that these lot in this universe didn't have to go through a whole arse fucking global pandemic, yet my world did! Like, come on, really? Seriously, that is so not fair."
You huffed, crossing your arms, indignantly. You hardly noticed when the others' expressions darkened in disbelief, but when you did, you immediately felt the temperature of the room drop.
"Ya...what?"
Red's haunted tone cut through your previous frustration, which was now long forgotten.
"PRINCESS, YOU-"
Black cut himself off from whatever he was about to say, and you could understand why. For the first time, his expression transformed into one of... almost remorse, his tone, on the brink of sounding heartbroken. It was much gentler than you were used to hearing, which, in turn, did freak you out a little.
"Honey, what are you saying?"
You took pity on the monsters' clear befuddlement at your explanation, so you proceeded to tell them all about a certain major event that took place in your universe.
"I was twelve when the country was put into lockdown, which really sucked as, only a few days after, it was my birthday."
You chuckled dryly, though no one joined in. If anything, it only added to their pained expressions. You waved the detail off, continuing your story.
"I hadn't even finished a full year at secondary, I was still in year 7, so I spent the next year or so doing online school because they had shut all the schools. The only exceptions were for those students who couldn't stay at home by themselves, like children of key workers."
You recalled, the monsters, hanging on to every word you were saying.
"Anyways, because of our stupid government, we kept going in and out of lockdowns, it was all a big mess basically, and the whole time they were having parties while we were inside-"
"WHAT?!"
Black screeched in anger, and you nodded.
"I know, right! Anyways, when we did go back to school, we had to wear masks all the time, apart from those with medical issues. We'd also often get sent home if one person had Covid in our class or whatever. Oh, and I remember when, during lockdown, we still went into school, doing tests to see whether or not we had the virus. We also did them at home, it was super uncomfortable."
You shivered as you remembered how you had to swab at the back of your throat then up your nose. Needless to say, the skeletons were grossed out with you.
"But yeah, like, it was okay, but loads of people did die during that time, and obviously everyone's plans were thrown out of motion. Even though the virus originated in China, no one was expecting it. So, yeah, that's kinda what happened basically."
After your little explanation, no one spoke. Instead, they just sat there, with the most horrified look on their faces. Even those from harsher universes looked at you as if you had been though trauma worse than any war could've given you. You put your hands up, attempting to communicate that it really wasn't as big a deal as they were making it out to be. But, as usual, they weren't buying it.
"NOT A BIG DEAL?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"
Edge, much like everyone else, couldn't believe how easily you brushed it off, as if it were nothing.
"Look, guys, I know it sounds bad-"
"SOUNDS BAD? SOUNDS BAD?! OF COURSE IT SOUNDS BAD! IT WAS A GLOBAL DISASTER, PRINCESS. IT COULD'VE TURNED INTO AN APOCALYPSE!"
Black stressed, clearly not reassured by your words at all. What he was suggesting was a bit of a stretch, but you were starting to get the idea that he prefered to accentuate the theatric side of things more often than not.
"Kid, were ya really locked up in yer home fer over a year?"
Red's voice was surprisingly weak for what it usually was, and there wasn't as much gruffness to it as before. You nodded and watched as the light from his singular red eye light dampen.
"Honey, that's...awful. I'm so sorry-"
"Guys, it's really fine. Like, I've come to terms with it, we all did. Collective trauma and all that."
You tried to laugh it off, yet no one was satisfied. You were sure they expected you to have some sort of breakdown, but they just didn't understand that you weren't all that bothered. After all, for you, all that stuff was in the past, and you had all move on.
"I mean, sure, Covid did have an everlasting impact on our society, but that's to be expected, no?"
"How...how can ya just accept that kind'a thing and move on so easily?"
Cash struggled to understand how you were so capable of doing such a thing and you simply shrugged in return.
"I mean, to be honest, mate, we were really doing fuck all during that lockdown. Doing nothing in online classes or learning tik tok dances. That's pretty much it."
You laughed.
"BUT HUMAN, WEREN'T YOU SCARED?"
Papyrus inquired and you grimaced at the reminder.
"Well, I guess I was at first, everyone was. But I was especially scared cause my dad was a doctor, so he was in contact with it all the time. I was often so scared that he'd catch it and die, especially since we didn't have a cure for it when it first started. But he turned out fine."
You rehashed, dismissing your past feelings as if they were nothing but a silly memory, which, in a way, they were. Once you had, you felt Sans' arms squeeze you tighter than you were expecting, you could practically feel your guts squished together as if they were in some sort of corset.
"Sans- too tight-"
You wheezed, wincing at the uncomfortable pressure he was putting on you, physically.
"Whoops, sorry bud."
He chuckled, nervously, reluctantly loosening his grip yet still having you encased in his arms.
"HUMAN, YOU WENT THROUGH A TRAUMATIC EVENT, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE TRYING TO DOWNPLAY IT SO MUCH AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!"
Edge stressed, perplexed at the mere thought of how okay you were acting right now. Except you weren't acting.
"Guys- look. It happened a couple of years ago, I've just moved on. Besides, I don't really remember a whole lot of details about it. I'm okay, really."
"SUNSHINE, WE'RE HERE IF YOU EVER WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT."
Blue spoke softly, placing a hand on your knee, to which Sans, surprisingly, allowed. You groaned, beginning to get slightly frustrated with all this fuss.
"God, you lot are so dramatic. Honestly, there's nothing to talk about anyways."
"DRAMATIC? I'D SAY YOU AREN'T BEING DRAMATIC ENOUGH! IT IS NOT NATURAL, OR HEALTHY FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND BE SO NONCHALANT ABOUT IT!"
"You want to give me a lecture on health? Hah! Please."
You scoffed at Black's attempt to get some sort of rise out of you.
"Alright, since you guys clearly aren't getting it, I'll put it in simple terms for you. I. Don't. Care. Ok? Now, let's just drop it, ok?"
You huffed, turning away. You couldn't stand to watch them stare at you once again with that look of...pity. Why couldn't they just understand it's not as big a deal as they were making it out to be?
"Alright, consider it dropped, for now, kiddo."
Sans' voice cut through the stiff atmosphere of the room, and you slumped back into him in relief. If they stopped acting like you experienced a near death experience, then maybe you'd tell them some more stories another time.
"Thanks."
The rest of your entourage weren't satisfied by the way that things had ended, but none of them pressed forward any longer tonight. In fact, many decided to head to bed early. You figured it was because they'd rather be left alone with their thoughts, and honestly, you could use a break from answering so many questions tonight, so you didn't mind when it was just you and Sans left alone again.
Snuggling close to you, Sans stroked your hair as a way to sooth himself more than you, but you didn't mind. If anything, it did help lul you into a state of sleepiness, which wasn't too bad. From this action, you assumed you weren't going back to room with Edge and Red tonight, unless you found some sort of way to escape from the lazy skeleton's clutches. Though, even if you did, you were pretty sure he'd drag you back with him.
As you let your eyes close, and your mind drift off into that sweet unconscious slumber that you craved, your ears managed to pick up a few short lines of what Sans was mumbling. You were lucky the room was dead silent, other wise you wouldn't have been able to hear him. But, you did.
"I'll protect you, kiddo. Just go to sleep."
Though it was more of a statement than a promise, and a familiar one, his words were enough to send you into a deep sleep, feeling a full sense of security for the rest of the night.
----------
Sans heat abruptly ended by the end of the week, and although you enjoyed his cuddles, it had become a little much for you. Having your personal space back was a nice normality for you to return to, and you were grateful for it.
Once everything was running as it should, you were finally able to reschedule your second meeting with Alphys. Despite having already discussed this, many in the household were still not 100% on board with you going through with this decision, but you were quickly defended by Papyrus. Somehow, he had managed to convince them that there was nothing to worry, though you suspected that they still had their doubts.
Regardless of that, you had scheduled to meet with Alphys today after school. Since you were passing all your classes and completing all your homework within the mere hour, you found yourself having much more free time after school than previously anticipated. This allowed you to not only work on getting the machine up and running again, but it also gave you time to relax as to not overwork yourself. A certain few, named Sans, Cash, Stretch and Red, all liked to stress the importance of taking breaks every now and then. However, in their case, it was more like every ten minutes. No wonder this project was slow to take off. Oh well, you weren't going to complain about more down time, that's for sure.
Anyways, like usual, Papyrus picked you up from school and drove you to Alphys' lab. She thought it would be better to conduct any further experiments at her lab, just so if anything went wrong she had quick access to tools that would allow her to get a handle of the situation. Surprisingly, it wasn't actually that far from the school, which made the journey much faster. As you sat in the car, you made a mental note of the route just in case.
It wasn't long before you pulled up outside of Alphys' lab and were told by Papyrus that he had to run a few errands before he got home, so with that, he sped of in his car, leaving you alone. When you knocked shyly on the door, you were quickly ushered in by Alphys, who gave you a nervous greeting. She then proceeded to try and apologise for last time, but you managed to cut through her unnecessary rambling, as you had already forgiven her.
Seeing her a bit more relaxed after this statement made you smile, and you were soon given a tour of the place. It was bigger than you were expecting, and messier, but you didn't point that out.
"Huh, this kind of reminds me of my mum's lab."
You mused. Upon hearing your statement, Alphys' head snapped back to look at you instantly, making you raise your eyebrows in surprise.
"Your m-mom has a lab?!"
She exclaimed, her eyes, beaming brightly. Your smile widened at her excitement.
"Yeah. She's a quantum physisit. Head of the physics department, actually."
You told her, and felt a pang of pride when her expression lit up even more.
"W-wow, that's awesome! I d-dable in quantum physics o-on occasion, but head of h-her department as well?! S-she must have her claws-, uh, hands full."
You chuckled, nodding your head in agreement.
"Yeah, she's kept fairly busy for the most part."
You weren't too keen on chatting about your mum for too long, as you were worried it would stir up some homesick feelings, but luckily, Alphys left it at that. She hastily gathered a whole stack of papers, plopping them on to the desk and giving them a pat.
"T-this is all the d-data I was a-able to collect from the skeletons souls, b-but as you can see there's not m-much for your soul."
She gestured to a much thinner stack of papers next to it. In fact, upon closer inspection, you couldn't even call it a stack, as it was only one paper!
"B-but that's ok. It's a process, you know? We c-can just take our time, w-with everything. No n-need to rush."
You nodded and she smiled timidly as she prepared her notepad and pen, her focus, only on you.
"N-now, tell me everything that happened after I left."
And so you did. By her command, you explained why you were so insistent on seeing her again, and the events that went down with Black. As you spoke, she frantically scribbled down in her notebook, seemingly hyperfocused by the entire talk until it came to an end.
"I see...t-that is odd. I-in fact, I don't think I've h-heard if anything l-like this before! Although, that seems t-to be the theme with you guys, huh?"
She chuckled, and you joined in briefly. Putting down her notebook, she wrung her claws nervously, hesitiating to ask what she was about to of you.
"M-may I s-see your soul a-again, y/n? I-f that's ok."
You paused before nodding, quickly convincing yourself that nothing bad would happen. You let Alphys carefully tug at your soul, as you we're currently unable to summon it yourself, until it appeared outside of your body. For the first time since arriving, you finally got a good look at your soul. It was...smaller than you expected, much to Alphys' surprise as well.
When you leaned forward to get a closer look at it, it was barely bigger than the size of your thumb. Not only that, but it didn't even look like full heart shape, just like a weird, mutated large bean, or something. However, you did notice a red light surrounding it, which you found intriguing but not enough to want to touch it directly. You weren't ready for that, as you weren't sure what would happen.
"O-oh my..."
Alphys quickly got out her notebook and scribbled rapidly onto it.
"A s-soul in this s-state, with you as it's host- it s-shouldn't be p-possible..."
Before you could question what she meant, she stood up and rustled in one of her draws before pulling out what looked to be charts of souls. She then gave you a quick presentation around the development of souls, pointing at the images to give you a better picture of what she meant.
"T-this is what a soul looks like in a v-very early development s-stage. It's u-usually like this when a m-monster, or human c-child, is around f-five to six weeks o-old in the w-womb. B-but, as you can see here, the diagram matches a-almost perfectly with the state of your s-soul. Logically speaking, you shouldn't even be existing r-right now, m-much less having your soul survive o-out of it's host like this!"
You stared at the image, and then back at your own soul for comparison. Alphys was right, it was almost a complete match. Practically identical, had it been a human soul she was showing you. You thought about what this could mean, but it took you a while to come up with an idea. After all, the concept of a physical soul was very new to you, so you had basically no foundations to work with here.
"Well I don't believe I had a physical soul like this in my previous universe. Maybe now that I'm here, my body decided to form one because everyone else has one? Maybe? I don't know."
You suggested, though it was probably wrong.
"Y-you may be onto s-something there. W-what if it's your outsider cells reacting a-and adapting to the laws of nature by which it's n-new universe is g-governed by."
Alphys theorised, and when put like that, the idea actually made a little sense.
"So that means that the reason I'm still physically healthy and alive is-"
"I-is because your body isn't b-built like the rest if the humans here! Your physical m-makeup must b-be able to hold together your very existence without the need for a soul. S-so now, although you're t-technically starting to form your new soul, you may not actually n-need it in the same way that o-others need theirs! T-therefore, it has n-no affect on you directly, w-which is why you continue existing, regardless of the state of your soul!"
Alphys gasped at this possible realisation and squeeled in delight at the thought of an opportunity for a brand new research project to investigate into.
"T-this makes s-so much more sense as to w-why we weren't picking up a-any r-readings from your s-soul last time!"
Actually, it did make sense. You thing you were finally beginning to understand things a little better. Alphys grinned at you widely, pushing your soul gently back into your chest, it's presence, disappearing as quickly as it arrived. Standing up, Alphys thanked you for this quick visit, though you felt like you should be the one thanking her.
"I'll just call Papyrus so he can pick me up-"
You pulled out your brick phone and, as you did, Alphys gasped, her eyes, widening.
"W-where did you get that phone? It's ancient! Here, I'll fix it for you."
Without thinking, you handed her the phone, a little amused by her over enthusiastic reaction, and watched her dash away hastily before returning with what you thought was your phone, except it was now highly upgraded, a shell of its former self. To anyone who didn't know, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was a highly upgraded brick phone, as it looked exactly like a brand new smartphone.
When she handed it back to you, you also noticed that she had placed a chain strap to it. The strap was covered in pink, yellow and white beads, some stars, some pearls, and some love hearts. You found it utterly adorable, and you thanked Alphys profusely for it. Apparently she had chosen this particular colour pallet because it matched the one of her favourite anime protagonist of her most beloved anime, "Mew Mew Kissie Cutie".
Whilst waiting for Papyrus to arrive, she began telling you all about the show and insisted you watch it with her, despite having spoiled a lot of it already. Enthralled by her passion and love for the show, you agreed that the two of you would find a time in the near future to watch it, to which she was every ecstatic about.
By the time Papyrus had arrived, you were just on the cusp of Alphys being desperate enough to coxing you into watching the first episode with her, but before you could, the skeleton dragged you off with him, claiming that it was getting late but he would make sure to visit again soon.
"SO HUMAN, DID EVERYTHING GO ALRIGHT?"
He asked, and you nodded, opening your mouth to speak when he picked you up and lifted you into the car seat, snickering at your bewildered expression.
"Pap, what are you doing? I can get into the car myself, you know."
"OH, MY APOLOGIES, HUMAN. I GUESS MY EXPECTATIONS WERE NOT HIGH ENOUGH, NYEHEHEHE!"
You furrowed your brows at his response, and it took you a moment before it finally clicked.
"Wait, this is another joke about my height, isn't it!"
Papyrus giggled at you, answering your questions instantly without even speaking. You rolled your eyes.
"Just drive the bloody car already."
"NYEHEHE, AS YOU WISH, FRIEND!"
And with that, you made your way back to the skeleton household.
Notes:
Looks like our readers is finally making progress on research around her soul. Let's hope her and Alphys keep progressing forward with it! See you lovelies in the next chapter. 🌸
Chapter 25: Chapter 25: party time
Summary:
Exams are finally over, how will everyone celebrate? Well, some of the students have an idea.
Notes:
Hi guys! Not much to say here, so, as always, hope you all enjoy! I love receiving your comments, so feel free to ask or comment anything you like ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Ever since you had started school, the main topic of conversation flooding around was the anticipation of the upcoming final exams in May. Worried students chatting in hushed whispers in class, or loud groans during lunch and break, made you hyper aware of how soon they were and how behind on the curriculum you were. At least, that's what you had thought, initially.
Because all of your classes were relatively easy to grasp, you were able to catch up quickly by doing extra work, but even then not a lot was needed until you had learned everything you needed for your tests. In fact, in the short time you were there, you were pretty sure you had learned more than the rest of the students who had been coming here for years. That revelation concerned you, in a way, as you were certain that it should be the other way round, yet, you digressed. After all, you weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
As you were a new student, the headmaster had been understanding towards your situation, and had simply told you to try your best and whatever outcome you got would be supported by the context of your situation when being graded. Despite his reassurance, you didn't think you were going to get that much special treatment, but at least it was something.
Thankfully, you didn't need to study an awful lot, so balancing school work with your science work, not to mention your tutor sessions, was light work. Well, in the sense of managing it. The sessions themselves, on the other hand, we're tedious, to say the least. It seemed as though every time they just kept getting harder and harder, and with it, your headaches increased each time. When you sat there, trying to wrap your head around whatever new theoretical nonsense or mathmatical conundrums you came into contact with, you could practically feel the life being sucked out of you minute by minute.
As far as grades worked, if the results of your sessions were graded, you wouldn't even be in set 8, you'd be kicked out for being too stupid. It was an incredible juxtaposition to the way you were at school. Everyone thought of you as some sort of genius, and presumed it was merely due to the fact that you were a foreigner, and you would've gained the reputation for being a nerd if not for your friends.
Now, this wasn't to say that they were particularly popular, but they weren't total outcasts, either. People around school knew who they were, mainly because of their connections. For example, Carly was on the girls basketball team, so she was pretty well known for her performance, and Reece knew Toby, who was good friends with Derek. You had quickly learned that Derek was considered one of the more popular kids in the school, well, him along with his girlfriend, Stacy, who you hadn't encountered, but she had been pointed out to you in the lunch hall.
Now Quinn, while not too popular with some of the human students, was very well known among the monster students, which was enough to put her on the radar. All of this combined was enough to save you from social suicide, so you were grateful for that, you supposed.
However, people still knew you were smart, and that itself was a little bit of a pain, mainly because you'd be pestered and bugged to constantly explain or help others. Now, you didn't mind doing it once in a while, but you weren't too keen on over exerting your knowledge to those who were too lazy to study themselves. Eventually, as the weeks flew by, you were subjected to a flurry of worries from your friends, meaning you had to endure their constant stress over the state of their present and future grades.
Now, as they were your friends, you didn't mind helping them, and you knew it was only natural to panic over exams. Hell, if school over here wasn't so easy, you'd probably be stressing with them as well. Luckily for you though, you weren't in that situation. So, all you could do was sit back and watch as your friends gradually spiraled into a whirlwind of anxiety over their studies. You did try to encourage them, but your efforts seemed to do little to calm them. In spite of this, you still tried your best to comfort them when needed.
Apart from school, the skeleton household hadn't changed that much. A couple of the others had managed to get jobs now, so that was something. In fact, if you recalled correctly, the only ones left to get jobs were Red and Stretch. This was mainly due to the fact that it wasn't actually necessary for them to get jobs, despite the extra expenses, and because of this Sans and Papyrus had claimed it fine for them to drag the process out, as while everyone was out working, they were doing their own seperate work on the machine.
Going back to the others, Papyrus had offered to give Blue and Black a position in the Embassy, but they both declined, with Black asserting the fact that he would rather not taken on any more politically involved roles for a while. He had explained that his previous position as Captain of the Royal Guard had taken it's wearing tole on him exponentially, and that, now he was not under constant threat, he'd prefer to pursue other routes. As a result of this, he became a finance officer, which you had initially thought as very boring, but he often stated how he had always been good with and enjoyed working with numbers.
Blue on the other hand had declined for a different reason. While he was uninterested in the more political side of the job industry, he still had a passion for becoming a Royal Guard. Unfortunately, once emerging on the surface, the Royal Guard had disbanded, kind of. They had merged with the police force, no longer working for or under the crown. Because of this, there was a program set up specifically for any monsters who were keen to join the police force, so Blue had applied and successfully made it past all the entry exams and requirements. Now, he was starting his training, which he seemed fairly happy about.
As for Edge, he had taken a completely different route. While he had also been Captain of the Royal Guard in his world, he had no real interest in that kind of business. Apparently, he had only climbed the ranks in the Guard as a way of gaining status and fear so that he could better protect himself and his brother from his cruel, unforgiving world, despite that not being what he really wanted. He was initially quite keen to become a chef, however, he claimed he needed more practice before he would apply for any culinary jobs.
Unexpectedly, for the time being, he took on the role of becoming a personal fitness trainer, which actually seemed quite fitting for him, in some ways. You had been surprised by how quickly they had managed to get jobs, but had learned that there were slightly more loopholes and ways of monsters securing jobs on certain programs which had been set up as a way to make sure they had jobs even in the face of prejudice against them.
This, of course, stirred up the typical conversation amongst some humans of monsters coming to the surface and 'stealing all their jobs', but you payed them no attention. You were also quite pleased with the fact that, despite racism being incredibly prominent towards this 'new' species, many were coming together to fight for their rights, even after almost three years of them emerging. You found it unfair, yet not shocking, that society hadn't exactly welcomed them with open arms, which is why laws involving monsters were slow to come in, due to the constant debates surrounding the issues.
You didn't keep up with politics, so you weren't too well informed on the subject, but you knew that this was a very similar situation across the entire world. However, some countries were better at handling it than others. For example, places like New Zealand, Sweden, Canada and Denmark (and so on) were much quicker to react and much more relaxed on their laws than other countries were. You had briefly glanced at how your home country was taking it, and unsurprisingly, the parliament debates were as disgruntled as ever, however, they seemed to be doing better than many of the other countries, even than the US, in some aspects.
Of course, this didn't distract from the protests that went on. They weren't all that common now, but every now and then, they'd spontaneously pop up, whether it was a hate crime, individually or on a wider scale, or an actual protest bordering on a riot. Apparently, when monsters first came to the surface, there had been quite a few protests full of fearfull, and definitely racist, humans, but the enthusiasm had died down after a year or so. Although not everyone accepted them, more and more were starting to, which was progress, at least.
You weren't too sure of the details, as Papyrus and Sans never really spoke much about the politics surrounding monsters, though you did catch some brief discussions they had with each other around it in low tones when they thought you weren't around. It seems as though the others were more aware than you were, and for some reason, you had an odd feeling they were trying to keep you in the dark from the full extent of everything. You weren't sure why, but you supposed it was in your best interest to not remain ignorant. So, you vowed to try and become more socially and politically aware in the future. This wasn't too hard a promise to fill out, as you were sure that you'd hear things from Blue's and Papyrus' work regarding the subject, just not right now.
Anyways, like you were saying, life wasn't too different. Unfortunately, the boys' cooking hadn't got much better, so you ended up eating less in general during meal times. When the skeletons pointed this out, you just made up the excuse that you never really had a bug appetite, rather than actually telling them that their cooking was shit (you'd try to break that to them more gently at a different point in time). They bought that excuse and didn't seem too bothered by the premise of you eating less.
It took you a little while to adjust to your smaller portion in take, but eventually you got used to it. If you really couldn't stand it, snacks were always available, but you tried to do that in secret, for fear of being discovered. You really would have to teach them how to cook properly at some point, it's just that, what with everything going on, you hadn't had much energy to do so. But you were determined to try harder during the summer holidays, which were approaching faster than you could keep up with.
It wasn't long before all your exams were finished, and you finally got a break from studying. Though, you didn't really need a break, as you barely studied in general. But, it was a break none the less, and you'd take it. It was no secret that everyone was still anxious about what results they'd get in a couple of weeks, but the majority of students were just pleased to have the pressure of exams off their shoulders.
In celebration of the end of the school year coming up, you overheard some of the students planning to host a massive open party on the upcoming Saturday. Whilst it sounded fun, you hadn't expected to actually get invited to it. Toby was the one who had approached all of you during lunch, as he had to return something that he had borrowed from Reece. Just as he was about to leave, something must've jogged his memory, and he stopped himself before he went anywhere.
"Oh hey, you guys heard about the party that Derek and Noah are throwing on Saturday right? You should totally come by!"
"Oh really? Yeah, that'd be sick. I'll come."
Reece commented, glancing at the rest of you for your answers. Carly's smile widened with a hunger for fun and seized the opportunity.
"Yeah, sounds fun!"
She said, enthusiasm laced clear within her voice. You looked to Quinn who looked slightly put off by the idea, but nonetheless still decided to come. Now all that's left was your answer. You wondered if you would have to ask the others for their permission. It wasn't like you were their child, even if you were 'legally' under their care, and why would they be bothered by you going to a party?
"Yeah, sounds good."
You replied, cooly. Toby nodded before running off back to his table. Truthfully, you hadn't been to a lot of house parties back home. Actually, you'd only ever been to one. But, you had always wondered what it'd be like to go to an American house party. They always looked cool in the movies, so hopefully reality would do your fantasies justice, just this once. Suddenly, a thought occurred to you.
"Uh, Carly, I don't think I have much in the way of party clothes..."
You confessed. Going back to when you had that shopping trip with the skeletons, you hadn't actually bought that many clothes. You had kept it plain and simple and got the things you needed, rather than items that were more on the trendy side. Carly, upon hearing your embarrassed tone, put her arm around you, tugging you so hard that you almost fell off of your seat.
"Don't worry, y/n, we can go all go shopping before the party! Ooh, and we can even go thrifting! That's where I get a lot of my clothes."
Her solution brought a smile to your face. Sadly, Reece wasn't able to come with you guys because of some day time family event he had going on, but Quinn was available. So, it was decided that the three of you would go shopping during the day and get ready at Carly's house before leaving for the party. Again though, you weren't sure if you needed anyone's permission to go, so maybe you'd just casually drop the news and see what their reactions were.
So, when Saturday came, you woke up a little earlier and got reader to go out, alerting the others with your movement.
"Where ya going, kid?"
Stretch mused, slumped against the arm of the sofa with his jaw in his hand. His voice had a light tone to it, but you could tell there was a hint of suspicion. Upon hearing his question, the others, who hadn't been paying proper attention before, all cast their gaze over to you, waiting expectantly for an answer.
You were going to tell them the truth, and it was supposedly harmless, so why did you feel nervous all of a sudden? Your eyes scanned the room as you briefly observed all of their expressions. Some were showing mild disinterest, whilst others showed surprise at the idea of you going somewhere without telling them in advance. You didn't need to feel guilty about that, did you?
"Well, I was gonna go hang out with my friends-"
"Which friends?"
Red grunted, an unimpressed, yet still slightly curious, look on his face.
"Carly and Quinn."
From his lackluster response of simply mumbling words of acceptance, you guessed he probably didn't remember who you were talking about, but none the less accepted your answer.
"AND WHERE EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING WITH THEM?"
Edge butted in, raising his eyebrow, distrustingly.
"The shopping centre..."
You payed no mind to his suspicious nature, as you gathered that was the norm for him.
"Alright kiddo, have fun-"
"NOT SO FAST, YOUNG LADY. HOW ARE YOU GETTING THERE? HOW LONG ARE YOU THERE FOR? WHAT TIME ARE YOU COMING BACK? HOW ARE YOU GETTING BACK? DO YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED?"
Black interrupted Sans and proceeded to bombard you with mountains of questions without giving you the chance to answer them properly. Taken aback by his sudden involvement, you simply stood there awkwardly, as he basically interrogated you.
"Woah, take it easy there bro. Ya might make 'er late."
Cash tried, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder in attempt to make him see reason. Black's piercing glare at his brother was extended to you when you failed to answer his questions the moment he threw them at you.
"Chill out, dude. She's just goin' to the mall, no need to be so uptight."
Stretch chuckled, somewhat enjoying Black's tense state. Right now, he resembled the complete opposite of what the shorter skeleton was like. While Stretch was currently as relaxed as one could he, Black looked as if he might turn into a scarecrow with how stiff he was being.
"STRETCH IS RIGHT, BLACK! IF THE HUMAN NEEDS US, SHE CAN CONTACT US ON HER PHONE."
Papyrus, ever the voice of reason, reaffirmed, before turning his attention back to you.
"HUMAN, IF YOU NEED ME TO TAKE YOU-"
"Oh, no, I'm alright, Paps. I can walk, it's not far. But thanks, though."
You interjected. You thought that you saw his expression falter when you refused, but it could've been a trick of the light, or something like that. When you politely declined his offer, Blue stepped in, himself.
"DO YOU NEED LUNCH, SUNSHINE? I CAN GO MAKE YOU SOMETHING-"
"No! I- uh, I mean, no thanks, Blue. I already made a sandwich."
"OH. OH, OKAY."
You saw him physically deflate slightly when you turned him down. In spite of this, Papyrus opened his mouth, eager to try and offer his assistance once again.
"WELL, I CAN PICK YOU UP ONCE YOU'RE READY TO LEAVE THE MALL, HUMAN!"
You hesitated slightly, only raising the wariness of the skeletons.
"Uh, about that. So, I kind of got invited to go to a party later tonight... I was just going to get ready at Carly's and then go."
Your statement seemed to grab the attention of the monsters much more than before. It was no exaggeration to say that some of their expressions turned to ones of shock, and possibly with a hint of betrayal? Surely not. However, this was not true of all of them. Papyrus and Blue practically squeeled in glee and immediately ran up to you, excitedly.
"WOWIE! A PARTY? THAT'S GREAT, HUMAN! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!"
"MWEHEHE, I KNEW MY LITTLE SUNSHINE WOULD BE POPULAR! YOU BETTER HAVE TONS OF FUN, OK HUMAN?"
They dotted on you, making you giggle at how happy they seemed for you. The others seemed to glance at each other, as if trying to communicate without speaking, and then back at the three of you.
"Who's hosting?"
Sans asked, his smile, the same as usual. Good, so he wasn't upset about you going. Though, you couldn't say the same for a few of the others.
"Uh, these guys in my year. Derek and Noah."
"Ah, so it's a joint event."
"SANS, DO NOT RUIN THE MOOD WITH YOUR PUNS!"
Papyrus complained, giving Sans and annoyed look. You decided to ignore him, not even giving him the satisfaction of responding.
"Ok, well make sure to have fun, honey. If it gets too much you can always call or message one of us and we'll get you immediately, k?"
Stretch said, reaching up to pat your arm, affectionately. You nodded, very pleased by how well they were taking this. Unfortunately, your light mood was short lived.
"WHAT IS THEIR ADDRESS?"
Edge questioned, his previous frown dipping down into more of a scowl.
"Uh, I'm actually not sure. They aren't brothers, so I don't know who's house it's at. But Carly does, I just can't remember."
"I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER, HUMAN. EITHER YOU FIND OUT, OR YOU'RE NOT GOING."
You groaned internally. Everything was going so smoothly, why did he have to ruin it?
"Ok, I'll text Carly now."
As you did, this wasn't the only issue the skeletons voiced.
"IF YOU ARE TO GO, HUMAN, ONE OF US WILL PICK YOU UP AND IT WILL BE AT EIGHT O'CLOCK ON THE DOT."
You didn't even have time to react before your jaw dropped to the floor, absolutely astounded at his preposterous deal.
"Eight- it doesn't even start until nine!"
"FINE. NINE-THIRTY, THEN."
You wanted to smack yourself. As if that was any better! You were about to protest when you got a notification from Carly.
"Oh, it's at Derek's house."
"YOU HAVE STILL NOT GIVEN US THE EXACT ADDRESS."
"Guys, chill out. Quit bein' so restrictive on the kid's fun, will ya?"
Cash muttered. You were glad that he was sticking up for you, but you knew that he didn't really care either way. Actually, maybe the thought of you leaving for a bit appealed to him. Whatever the reason, you were thankful. You didn't want to turn this into a big argument, because you knew how that would end.
"I dunno know, doll. Any boys gonna be around?"
Red inquired.
"YOU MORON! DID YOU NOT HEAR WHO WAS HOSTING? OF COURSE THERE'S GOING TO BE BOYS!"
Edge screeched, rubbing his temple. He wished his brother would listen more often.
"Aight, jeez, chief."
Red rubbed the side of his skull, pretending as if the volume of his brother's voice had hurt his imaginary ears. He grumbled a little to himself before placing his focus back onto you.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Ya ain't goin."
"Wha- why not?!"
"Ya can go hang out with yer friends, but then yer comin' right back here."
"But why?"
You couldn't believe this. Why were they so bothered by you going? You didn't think they cared enough to be this dramatic over it.
"Yer too young to be mixin' with boys in that kinda settin'."
"Red, come on, you're being a little harsh don't you think?"
Red grunted in Stretch's direction, shaming his head.
"Nope."
Emphasising the 'p', it seemed like the skeleton wasn't going to budge. You were getting really pissed off now. Who was he to tell you that you couldn't go? He wasn't your dad! You were about to voice these opinions when you stopped yourself. Maybe, with a different approach, you could get a better outcome. But what should you do?
After a moment of consideration, you walked closer to Red, placing your arms behind your back innocently. Using all of your strength, you conjured up the sweetest look paired with the largest puppy eyes.
"Please, Red? I won't do anything dangerous, and I won't stay out for too long!"
You pleaded. Seeing his conflicted expression made you almost want to smirk that your plan was working, but you kept up your 'innocent' look as to not throw him off. Eventually, after muttering to himself, he sighed deeply.
"Fine. But no funny business with any boys, ya got that?"
You nodded your head eagerly and he grinned, standing up to pat you on the head.
"Good girl."
He praised. You weren't exactly sure what his obsession was with you and boys, but you weren't about to ask, for fear of him getting annoyed and then going back on his word. Despite you small victory, you had a feeling that some wouldn't be as easily persuaded as Red.
"WELL, IF MY BROTHER IS ALRIGHT WITH IT, I SUPPOSE YOU MAY GO. HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT TO STAY TOO LONG, HUMAN."
Edge chimed in. You didn't think he'd be that easily convinced, but you took the win. Now for your last opponent.
"Black, we'd be arriving to the party at around nine-thirty. Can't I stay longer?"
"WHY WOULD YOU PURPOSELY TURN UP LATE?"
"Because that's what everyone does at parties! You always turn up fashionably late."
He gave you a confused look and you shrugged. Honestly, you didn't get it either, and you weren't bothered to explain any further. Whilst the cogs in his head were turning, you put on the same look you gave Red, causing him to let out a load groan.
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. YOU MAY STAY OUT FOR LONGER-"
"Yes! Thank you Black-"
"BUT YOU MUST BE BACK BY ELEVEN AND NO LATER."
Once again, you nodded, making him huff in satisfaction.
"Right then, I'm off. I'll text you guys the address on the group chat later."
You turned on your heel and made an attempt to get away hastily before any of them changed their minds, only to be stopped by Papyrus.
"WHY DON'T I TAKE YOU, HUMAN? YOU STILL DON'T KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THE TOWN, YOU COULD GET LOST!"
"I have Google Maps, Papy, I'll be fine."
Papyrus' smile stiffened ever so slightly at the thought of you not needing his help. He narrowed his eye sockets slightly.
"BUT WHAT GOOD IS A MAP TO GOOGLE GOING TO DO?"
You stared at him, your mouth, agape, as you tried to think of a response to that, yet nothing came out. It got to the point where you just had to walk away, leaving a very confused Papyrus in the living room as you closed the door.
------------
"Y/n, over here!"
The sound of Carly's voice drew your attention over to her and Quinn, who was waving at you. You reciprocated the action, walking over to them with a large smile on your face. This was your first time meeting up with them outside of school, and although there was no reason to, you felt a little nervous. However, that feeling soon dwindled away after a few minutes of chatter amongst the three of you.
Soon enough, you set off to hit the nearby shops, browsing and trying on anything you found appealing, and pointing out some horrendous items that you claimed would look good on your friends. Overall, you had a blast, and you did manage to get some new tops, mainly cropped, and a short, denim skirt. Of course, when trying all of these on, you had been a little sceptical at first, worried that they didn't look good on you or that they just didn't look good in general, but your friends chased away those negative thoughts, and managed to convince you that the clothes you bought were a good decision.
Since you had mostly bought everything at charity shops (or thrift shops, as Carly called them) you didn't end up paying too much money, yet you still managed to get decent clothes. You were also glad that you didn't have to ask any of the skeletons for money, as you would've felt not only embarrassed but a little awkward asking them since you already had some perfectly fine clothes back at the house. No, instead you were able to pay for this all with your own money.
A couple of weeks ago, you had been rummaging around in your trouser pockets and had found a few spare notes and coins, which you had forgotten you put in there ages ago, that you were able to transfer into dollars. This made you very pleased, as it meant you didn't always have to ask the skeletons for money whenever you needed it, however, you didn't have a lot on you, so you'd have to be wise about how you spent the rest.
Putting the thought aside, it was decided that you'd all head back to Carly's before the shops closed, and that's exactly what you did. Carly didn't live far, so you were able to walk back to her place where, apparently, Reece would meet you. According to Quinn, he'd finished his family event early, and had proceeded to invite himself over to get ready with all of you, to which there were no objections.
True enough to his word, you saw the boy scrolling mindlessly on his phone outside, as you approached the house. Once you all alerted him of your presence, he looked up, smiling as he put away said phone.
"Took you long enough. You get anything good?"
You nodded whilst Carly rolled her eyes.
"A little heads up would've been nice. At least you didn't barge into my house like last time."
You gave her a quizzical look as to what she was referring to, and Reece simply snorted, giving her a playful punch on the arm.
"Just show me what you guys got."
He muttered, pushing past Carly as she opened the door.
"Hey Antony, Katelyn! You there?"
Carly went to wack him but tripped up, instead slamming into the back of his back, to which he was not too pleased about. He was about to retaliate when two adults, who you assumed were the people he had named, and most likely Carly's parents, came to see what all the commotion was about.
"Oh! Reece, Quinn! How lovely to see you both again, it's been so long since we've seen you, darlings!"
The woman, who you concluded to be Katelyn, waited for Carly to remove herself from Reece before giving the boy a large bear hug, making him chuckle, and then doing the same to Quinn before her eyes landed on you.
"Oh my! Are you the famous y/n we've been hearing so much about? It's lovely to meet you dear!"
The grin on her face widened and her eyes burned with a fiery, yet friendly, passion.
"O-oh, yeah, hi! Carly's talked about m-"
Your sentence was cut off by having the wind practically knocked out of you as you received the same hug the others got, igniting a choras of snickers behind her.
"I'm Carly's mom, but you can call me Katelyn, dear. And this is my husband, Anthony."
You gave a small smile to the both of them as he approached you and extended his hand. Coyly, you took it, only to have your arm almost shaken off by the sheer power of his handshake, a bright smile placed on his face.
"Y/n, it's so great to finally meet you! You're always welcome here."
You thanked them, starting to see where Carly got her passionate personality from. Though you didn't stay long to chit chat all that much with them, you did gather that they were very nice people whom you weren't all that nervous with speaking to. Usually, you got nervous around your friends' parents upon first meeting, but these two made you feel more comfortable than you had anticipated, which was nice.
After a while, you all went upstairs to do a shopping haul for Reece, who approved of most of the stuff you had bought, whilst mainly criticising everything that Carly had got, all in good humour of course. You figured that was their dynamic, as they often fought like siblings, much to yours and Quinn's amusement.
"Oo! Y/n, try this one! It compliments the skirt perfectly!"
Carly beamed, shoving one of the tops you had bought into your face. You took it, gratefully, and inspected it in the mirror, pairing it with your short, denim skirt.
"Oo, that will look so good! Nice spot, Carly."
Quinn noted, giving you a thumbs up. You smiled as Reece nodded in approval.
"Alright, I guess we're going with this then."
"Ooh! I can help with your makeup if you need. Carly let's me practice on her all the time, so I've gotten pretty good at it!"
Quinn offered, and you accepted. After a couple of hours of the girls debating the different outfits they should wear, and Reece playing on his phone for most of the session, you were finally ready to go. Carly's mum had taken the time to drive you all there, and once you arrived, you saw the house was littered with students, loud music pumping in the background amongst the chatter.
"Yo Reece! You made it, dude."
Toby yelled, a red cup held loosely in his hand, looking as if it was about to drop at any moment. Reece waved back to him as the four of you went inside. Your chest swelled with glee as you walked in, anticipation coursing through your veins as you began to converse in small talk with some teenagers you recognised.
While the four of you stuck together mostly, throughout the night, there were times when you got separated, mainly due to you all mixing with other people, but that was fine. You found yourself having quite an enjoyable time. The atmosphere was light yet fun, and the music was enough to lift everyone's spirits. Currently, the party was living up to your expectations.
"Hey y/n, right? British girl?"
You heard snickers follow behind the voice who was addressing you. You turned around only to come face to face with Derek. You hadn't really spoken much with him. In fact, the only time you two ever really engaged with each other was on your first day of school when he had use that cheesy, awful British accent to mock you. You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the way he presented himself, but as this was his house and his party, you didn't want to be rude to him, so, you nodded.
"So, what's London like? You have weekly meeting with the Queen or what?"
He asked, putting his arm around you, his body weight, making you stumble. You held back a grimace.
"Uh, actually-"
"Here, drink this. You're all stiff. There's plenty more where that came from, on the table."
He shoved a plastic cup into your hands, the liquid, sloshing about. You sniffed it.
"Is this beer?"
"Duh, what else? Why, you got a problem with that? C'mon, don't be such a pussy."
He snorted, and you furrowed your brows.
"Is this a joke? I mean, I'll take it, but don't you have anything stronger? Where's the vodka, or the tequila?"
You inquired, and Derek's face lit up in surprise, his eyebrows raised so high that they were practically touching the ceiling. He let out a laugh, his smile growing wider, much like that excited look in his eyes. Your question was followed by a choras of 'oos', courtesy of some of his mates and the people around you.
"Hah! I like you. Yeah, we do. Come on, I'll show ya."
And with that, he led over to a table which made you much happier.
------------
"Nice of you to drop this off, Tori, the kid'll really appreciate this. You know, she couldn't get enough of the last slice you brought over. It's appierent that she really likes your baking."
Sans thanked her, as Toriel handed the tupperware of freshly baked pie to him. She had stopped by for an unexpected visit to gift you more of her pie, after hearing how much you liked it. Since she was in the neighbourhood, she saw a perfect opportunity to bring some around.
"It is my pleasure. I am glad the child enjoyed it. Speaking of, where is y/n?"
Toriel questioned, sipping her tea that Papyrus had so kindly prepared for her.
"Y/N IS CURRENTLY AT A PARTY, LAZY ASGORE!"
"Papyrus dear, I've told you that you can call me Toriel. And a party, you say?"
The skeleton nodded.
"I see, well that does sound like fun. She will not stay out for too long, will she?"
"NO. SHE KNOWS THE CURFEW WE'VE SET FOR HER, AND SHE WILL STICK TO IT, OR ELSE."
Black answered, crossing his arms, confidently.
"Of course. Do you know if there is alcohol involved at the party? She is far too young to be drinking, you know."
The hesitancy from the group of skeletons surrounding her told Toriel all she needed to know regarding the answer to her question.
"You are all unsure? Did you at least mention the topic to her?"
A breakout of sweat in all of the monsters only further confirmed her suspicions.
"OUR LITTLE SUNSHINE WOULD NEVER STOOP AS LOW AS TO DRINKING AT THIS AGE! WOULD SHE, PAPY?"
"U-uh, yeah, totally not bro. Y/n's a good kid, she wouldn't."
Blue's affirmations being confirmed by his brother made him relax until a couple of snorts came from some of the others.
"C'mon, it's a party full'a teenagers. 'Course there's gonna be alcohol, and she'll probably end up drinking at least some."
Cash commented, unconcerned by the entire idea, though the same couldn't be said for the others.
"NOT NECESSARILY! Y/N WOULDN'T SUCCUMB TO PEER PRESSURE, SHE HAS A STRONG MIND!"
Papyrus interjected, only to be laughed at by Red, as if what he had said was the most stupidest thing in the world.
"What if she wants ta drink, though? Peer pressure would just turn inta encouragement."
"IF SHE DRINKS, WE WILL BE HAVING A VERY STERN CHAT WITH HER, AND THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. BUT, I DON'T HAVE MY DOUBTS THAT IT WILL COME TO THAT. SHE IS A TEENAGER AFTER ALL, AND TEENAGERS ARE IDIOTS, ESPECIALLY AT HER AGE. SO, IT WOULD NOT BE UNEXPECTED TO FIND HER COMING BACK DRUNK."
Edge's statement, filled with the factual basis that made his possibility seem real, made many uneasy by the idea. All these things that Toriel was brining up, they had been foolish enough not to consider, nor speak about with you. Instantly, they could all feel the anxiety creep into their souls, slowly but surely.
"Do not fret, everyone. I'm sure y/n will be just fine. She is a lovely child, and will not cause too much trouble, I'm sure."
Toriel reassured, standing up to depart, thus ending her visit to the skeleton household. She left the monsters with conflicting thoughts and feelings, and suddenly, they couldn't wait for you to come back. Some even debated picking you up early, but they didn't want to ruin your fun. So, all they could do was wait.
------------
You were absolutely shit faced.
Just like you had hoped, there was plenty of alcohol for you to get your hands on, and just like you had planned, you got completely smashed. This wasn't your first time drinking, obviously, but you were still relatively new to it, so you definitely went a little overboard. But, that was the goal you were trying to achieve.
From that moment on, though, you lost track of time, and, what was happening. You really got into the groove of it as the night went on, chatting to people you didn't even know, laughing and falling over multiple times, much to everyone's amusement, including your own. And, of course, there were many others in a similar state to you.
At some point, Quinn had taken off, leaving the party early for whatever reason, but you were too drunk to do anything about it. Not too long after, you soon found Carly sloped against Reece in the exact same state as you. Once she spotted you, she motioned towards herself, using the two of her hands.
"H-heeeeeyy, y/n! Where you've been, huuuh?"
Carly mumbled, giggling to herself as Reece glanced down at her with an unimpressed look on his face.
"Hehehe, hiii Carly! Hiiiii Reece!"
You stumbled closer to them, a large, unaware grin on your face.
"You girls gonna lay off the drinks, now?"
The boy sighed, after witnessing the state of you both.
"D-doon't act like you haven't had a lot, too!"
"Not as much as you."
"Aww, you're no fuuuuun, Reecey."
Carly whined, slamming her face into the cushioned arm of the chair. She groaned whilst Reece rubbed her back gently before glancing up at you.
"You doing ok, y/n?"
You gave him a thumbs up and laughed when Carly started to mumble jumbled up, incoherent sentences at Reece once again.
"It's getting pretty late, when did you say your curfew was, again?"
Reece mentioned, and you furrowed your brows.
"Uhh, curfew? Pshh, like, eleven."
Reece's expression lit up in surprise.
"Uh, y/n, you know it's ten to eleven right now?"
His comment was enough to sober you up slightly enough for you to react in shock, quickly pulling out your phone and gasping at the time.
"Oh, shhhhit. I'm not even sober yet! Fuuuuuck."
You panicked, rubbing your face with your hands.
"I have to find out the address, where's Derek?"
Before Reece could stop you, you hobbled away in search of the host. To your disappointment, you failed to find Derek within the few minutes necessary, and before you knew it, it was almost time for you to be collected.
You groaned at yourself for being so stupid as you hunched over the plants, your stomach, writhing in agony. The world around you was spinning, preventing you from gathering your thoughts in an orderly fashion. You were so out of touch in that moment that you didn't even notice the hand that wrapped itself around your shoulder, bringing you close to a figure, so much so that you were resting against him, face flushed.
"...you ok?"
You couldn't make out everything he was saying, but you were close to tears, as the alcohol flooded through your system.
"'M gonna be late for curfew, and I don't know the address."
You sniffed, leaning against him. As the seconds ticked by, your dizziness worsened as you clung desperately to the blurry figure for support. You hadn't even realised what was happening until your phone was handed back to you, with a message typed out. Upon closer inspection, it was an address, and more specifically, it was your location. Before you could fully comprehend what had just happened, Cash had appeared in front of you and immediately snatched you from the figures arms.
The two of them exchanged words, Cash's tone sounding harsh and cold, before the guy left.
"Damn kid, how much did ya drink?"
You wanted to respond, to challenge the idea that you were even drunk, but when you opened your mouth, any words that tried to come out were drowned out by your sobs. Cash's expression softened as he bent down and pulled you close, stroking the back of your hair, gently.
"Alright lil' dime, that's enough fun for one night. Let's get you back, yea?"
You latched on to him as he teleported the two of you into the bathroom, opening the toilet lid as he correctly predicted and prepared for what happened next. As it turned out, the sound of you spewing your guts drew the attention of the rest of the residents in the house, who came flooding in, instantly.
"Aww, kiddo."
Stretch sighed, cringing at the smell of your vomit.
"OH MY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT, Y/N?"
Papyrus took a step toward you but hesitated as Edge shook his head.
"YOU OBLIVIOUS FOOL! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S DRUNK? DOES THAT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO'S OK?"
He yelled, pointing to the shriveled up figure, that just happened to be you in this case, on the floor.
"Shut up, I am not."
You muttered, leaning against the toilet seat for support as you glared at him, only to have him scoff in your face.
"SUNSHINE, IS THIS TRUE?"
Blue asked, and you shook your head, which was a big mistake, as it only made the dizziness worse, causing you to throw up for a second time. The sight of you heaving into the toilet was not a pretty sight, yet it told the monsters all they needed to know about your current state.
"Kid just had a little too much fun, didn't ya, pal?"
Cash patted your back as you steadied yourself, standing up slowly.
"I don't know what you guys are even talking about, cause I'm like- I'm like not even drunk right now."
Your slurred speech was not helping the lie you were poorly trying to keep up, yet you were still in denial that you could convince them otherwise.
"Jeez, why don't ya lot lay off the kid? She was just havin' some fun."
Red defended.
"Yeah, so much fun, clearly. Say kid, who was that boy yer were with when I came and got ya? Ya know, the one who you were practically leanin' all over?"
Cash smirked, knowing it would get a rise out of Red, which it did. He made fast work of situations.
"Ya what?!"
He stood there, his expression twisting from utter shock to rage in an instant. You gave him a puzzled look in return.
"Huh? What guy?"
Your genuine befuddlement to Cash's comment had thrown Red off and you watched as his irritation slowly dissipated at the notion that you were clearly too drunk to even fully realise what was going on.
"HUMAN, I EXPECTED BETTER OF YOU."
Black scolded, a hard, stoney look on his face.
"AS DID I. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, SUNSHINE."
Blue agreed, exhaling deeply at the situation. Your face scrunched up as you asitained what they were saying.
"But I'm not even drunk, like, I barely had any drinks-"
You wobbled on your feet and had to use the sink to steady yourself, even if the others flinched, ready to catch you at any moment. After holding it in for what felt like forever, Sans couldn't stop a snort erupting from his mouth, though he quickly covered it when the others glared in his direction.
"SANS, THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!"
Papyrus stressed, and his brother apologised, though his smile was still slightly wider than usual. At least one person here could see the humourous side of things.
"THE HUMAN CAN BARELY STAND, LET ALONE WALK! JUST LOOK AT HER!"
In unison, they all turned to you, finally noticing how much of an awful state you were in. Your makeup was smudged, and your hair was a mess. You stood there, shaking in your outfit that many thought was showing way too much skin in all the wrong places. However, as you weren't in the right frame of mind, currently, they would bring that up for discussion tomorrow, when you could really understand how disappointed they were.
Your sniffles shook them out of their thoughts and you looked up at them with confused, tired eyes. Deciding to shelve any further conversations for tomorrow, the others agreed it was best for you to get some sleep. The plan would've been to send you to bed immediately, but since you couldn't even walk without stumbling and crashing in to everything, Papyrus walked over to you and picked you up himself, bridel style.
You were completely out of it, and your mind was so overwhelmed from the events of tonight, as well as the alcohol that still remained in your system, causing you to let out a few tears.
"Papy, I wanna go to bed."
You mumbled, sniffing as you buried your face into his chest. Despite how unhappy they were with your actions tonight, once they saw your pathetic expression followed by your quiet whimpers, they couldn't help but want to comfort you, however, Papyrus had already beaten them to that. So, they dispersed back to their rooms, rehersing what they would say to you tomorrow.
"I KNOW, I KNOW. IT'S OK, LET'S GET YOU TO BED NOW."
Papyrus felt a little bad when he had to set you down on the floor, as you didn't have an actual bed, so you had been using this thin sleeping bag. He debated taking you to his room and letting you sleep in his bed while he slept on the floor, but his thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.
"WE'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE, THANK YOU."
Edge announced, and Papyrus nodded, tentatively exiting the room, giving you one last look as he closed the door, leaving you alone with your two roommates. You buried your head in your knees as you tried to get the room to stop spinning, groaning quietly to yourself. The brothers looked at each other and then back at you, silently deciding how to deal with you.
Edge then bent down, placing a hand on your shoulder, trying to get you to look up at him.
"HUMAN."
From the crevise of your elbow, you side eyed him. Edge opened his jaw to speak, but he struggled to come up with what to say. Apparently, he was taking too long, because you decided to stop paying attention to him, putting your head back down. The skeleton sighed at his futile, and quite useless efforts, at trying to get you to engage with him. It was clear that you were too drunk to do so, so he tossed aside his previous idea and looked to his brother for instructions.
Red took over from his brother's position as Edge stood up, exiting the room for a moment. He wasn't sure what he was doing, and couldn't figure out whether to yell at you or comfort you. Soon enough, he came to the conclusion that your weak whimpers and groans were too much for him to bare, and he pulled you into his embrace, remembering that you responded well to physical contact in times of needing comfort, even if he hadn't got completely used to it yet. And besides, the yelling could come later.
You weren't exactly sure what you were mumbling to Red about, but whatever it was, he seemed amused by it. Whenever your voice would start to crack, though, acting as a warning for your tears, Red would immediately shush you and hold you close to prevent you from sobbing too harshly, which seemed to work, for the most part.
It wasn't long before his brother returned with a damp, warm cloth in his hand, satisfied that Red had taken the initiative to comfort you. He bent down once again and tilted your face away from his brother's chest and closer to his hands. Holding your head and tilting it upwards slightly, he began gently rubbing the damp cloth around your face. Sure, it was a great way to sooth you, but its main purpose was to get off your makeup.
"SO MUCH MUCK ON YOUR FACE. WHY DID YOU PUT SO MUCH OF IT ON?"
Edge tisked, still wiping away to get the last of your makeup off.
"Quinn...put it on me. Said I looked pretty."
You mumbled back, fighting the urge to close your eyes from the warmth of the towel.
"Ya don't need all that crap, sweetheart. Ya already look pretty."
Red affirmed, making you sink into the back of him whilst being nestled cozily in his coat. You muttered a quiet thank you as Edge finished up with the cloth, pulling away from you and leaving once again to go and rinse it off. While he did so, you were just about ready to fall asleep, but Red stopped you, pointing out the fact that you were still in your party clothes, rather than your pj's.
You honestly couldn't be bothered to get changed, but as the skeleton insisted, you had no choice. So, you got up, steadying yourself as you did so, and dug around for your pj's. Once you found them, Red turned around as you got changed, but was there to support you as soon as you fell down. Luckily, by that point, you were already changed, so he could focus his attention on you, fully.
"'M fine, Red."
You dismissed, but the skeleton wasn't buying it.
"OH REALLY? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT."
Edge, who had returned, chimed in.
"I am, really!"
You weren't convincing anyone tonight, so you decided to call it quits and just go to sleep. Shuffling over to your sleeping bag, you were about to bid the skeletons goodnight when you were prevented from getting into the bag.
"NONE OF THAT NOW, HUMAN."
"Yeah, ya ain't sleepin' there tonight, sweetheart."
For a split second, you were worried that they were going to kick you out and make you sleep outside or something. However, that thought was quickly dismantled when Red stood up, guiding you over to his bed.
"Ya can sleep in ma bed, tonight. I'll go on the couch downstairs. Ya need a good night's rest."
Red's offer was generous, and you accepted it, gratefully. You plopped yourself down onto the bed, a little unsure of what to do with yourself for a moment. Just as Red turned to leave, you had a sudden burst of emotions flood through you. You didn't know whether it was because of the softness and warmth the bed provided you, or just because of how well the brothers had taken care of you, but whatever it was triggered your emotions, causing you to well up and start sobbing, tears dripping down your face like a leaking tap.
Not long after you had began crying again, Red was immediately at your side, cupping your face with his large hands as he tried to calm you down. Edge observed the situation, unsure of whether to intervene or not, so he simply waited and watched, just in case he was needed.
"C'mon doll, yer breakin' ma heart here. Please stop cryin', it's ok."
You leaned into his touch as you wept, clawing onto his coat in an attempt to make him stay with you. He complied, sighing as he wrapped his arms around you once again.
"THERE IS NO NEED TO GET SO WORKED UP, CHILD. WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE."
Edge asserted, standing perfectly still to prove his point. Though your sniffles did lessen, you still felt uneasy without some sort of contact. You didn't want to ask Red to stay, for fear of sounding weird or too dependent. Were you even close enough to him to ask such a favour? You couldn't judge. Yet, you wanted nothing more than to not be alone, at this very moment.
"Ya wan' me to stay, huh, sweetheart?"
He had figured out what you wanted pretty quickly, and you felt ashamed. You hung your head in embarrassment and nodded. Realistically, you were probably way to old to be acting so clingy, but your thoughts and feelings were too jumbled up for you to set yourself straight.
"Alrigh', that's fine. C'mere."
You pushed yourself further into his embrace, wrapping your arms around his large midsection. For a skeleton, he sure had a big stomach, but you didn't mind. If anything, it made him more comfortable to hug, and it certainly made him warmer, though the coat and thick jumper probably helped with that, too.
"There ya go. All nice and cozy, yeah? Good girl. It's ok..."
You really hadn't expected the brothers to be so...kind to you. Yes, you knew they weren't all bad, but you still thought they'd just tell you to suck it up and leave you to it. But, here they were, doing everything in their powers to take care of you and make sure you felt cared for. In that moment, you realised that there was far much more to them than you thought, and you were thankful for it.
Though you presumed you were most likely going to get an earful from all of the skeletons tomorrow, you let yourself sink into the warmth of Red and let the temtping prospect of sleep get it's clutches on you, dragging your conscious down into a calming sea of darkness.
Notes:
I've been wanting to write this chapter for ages! I thought it would be really fun to put our MC in her first party since this whole mishap, and I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Plus, it turns out Edge and Red can actually be...nice?! 😱 What a crazy night.
See you all in the next chapter! 🌸
Chapter 26: Chapter 26: after the party
Summary:
Y/n faces the consequences of her excessive drinking from last night. The skeletons are not happy with her behaviour.
Notes:
Hey guys! Just another chapter for you all, hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was no surprise to anyone that you woke up with a throbbing headache the next morning. Your head was pounding as you opened your eyes, only to find yourself to be safely tucked away Red's arms, nestled comfortabley under the blanket. While it was nice to be back in a real bed, it didn't make your head hurt any less, and neither did the cuddles you were recieving from said skeleton, either.
Once the light invaded your vision, you squinted, whining slightly at the pain caused by your actions last night. It seems like your quiet cries did not go unnoticed, as Red seemed to have pick up on the fact that you were waking up.
"Yer up too early, kid."
Red mumbled, tugging the covers up further to cover you. You groaned in agony. Even at his quietest volume, Red's baritone voice was still too loud for your ears.
"Fuck off..."
You muttered, shoving your head under the pillow, only to have it yanked away from you.
"Don't tell me to fuck off, and don't do that. Ya might suffocate."
He responded, and annoyed expression creeping up on his face.
"That's what Sans said..."
You replied, before burying your head further into the bed, pulling the blanket closer to your face to shield your eyes from the light. You whined again as you began to feel queesy, despise having thrown up multiple times last night. You should've seen this coming, but you forgot how awful being hungover was.
Your mouth was dryer than the desert, making your breath stink of the lingering scent of booze and vomit, as you hadn't brushed your teeth when you got in. At least Edge had taken the make-up off of your face before you went to bed, otherwise you would've woken up feeling gross and with it smeared all over the pillows and blankets.
"Aww, sweetheart...ya hungover, huh?"
You nodded as you were slowly pulled up into a sitting position next to Red. You rubbed your eyes and hissed at the light coming from the window, trying to sooth your aching head.
"Damn sweetheart, ya look like hell. How much did ya drink?"
Red noted, rubbing your back gently as you gathered your bearings. You glanced over to him, and then the clock. It was earlier than you would usually be awake, and you could only thank the stars that it wasn't a school day today.
"Too much."
Though you didn't completely regret drinking as much as you did last night, you wished hangovers didn't exist, maybe then you wouldn't have to suffer right now. But, like everything, actions had consequences. Still, you were definitely drinking like that again, no doubt about it, you'd just give it a couple of days. After all, what else was the summer holidays for?
"YOU'RE UP EARLY."
The volume of Edge's (regular) voice made you not only jump but cringe at how loud he was. Standing in the doorway, he stared down at you, crossing his arms. You could feel his judgement radiating off of his usually menacing aura, and you really could do without any grief from him, or any of them for that matter. Unfortunately, you had a feeling that you weren't going to be that lucky today.
"Bro, uh, ya might wanna tone it down a little. Don't think the kid can handle yer volume right now."
Red suggested, putting an arm around you and dragging you closer to him. Edge simply rolled his eyes.
"WELL, MAYBE SHE SHOULD'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE SHE DECIDED TO ACT LIKE AN IDIOT AND DRINK HERSELF SILLY."
He said, not even bothering to take Red's advice. He then focused his attention on to you.
"WELL?"
You gave him a sheepish look and sighed.
"Yeah, uh sorry guys. And thanks, for, uhm...taking care of me last night. I was probably a bit of a wreck."
Your admitted, trying but failing to hide the fact that your cheeks were tinted pink from embarrassment. Edge hummed in approval at your apology and nodded before leaving the room.
"Red, I'm sorry-"
He held up his hand, cutting you off before you could go any further. You weren't sure what to expect from him, but seeing a soft smile grace his feature was definitely not on your bingo card for reactions.
"Doll, it's fine. We all get a little carried away, even Mr Edgelord back there."
He reassured, obviously referring to his brother. You leaned in closer, an intrigued expression forming on your face. Red's grin widened, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he told you many different, but equally funny, stories of how Edge had come home drunk multiple times, usually forcing his older brother to stay up for hours just so he could stutter out whatever nonsense his drunken brain could string together.
The thought of Edge, who was usually so collected and rigid, being a chatter box when under the influence of alcohol was all too amusing for you, and you would definitely need to bring it up to him at some point in time. Red's talk made you temporarily forget your headache, and it helped that he didn't scold you for last night, but it soon returned in full force as before.
Dragging yourself out of bed, you trodded down the stairs and slumped down on to the breakfast table, groaning quietly as the some began to file into the room.
"WELL, WELL, WELL, LOOKS WHO IS FINALLY AWAKE."
The sound of Black's voice made you want to slam your head into the table. Not only was he loud, but you could tell from his tone that he was definitely going to lay into you about last night's events. To your dismay, Black's approach was to drag the process out. He slammed a glass of water onto the table, next to you, making you jolt in surprise.
"DRINK."
You followed his command, gulping down the water, greedily. When you next looked up, you saw everyone staring at you, and you could practiclsly feel how desperate they were to release their thoughts and tensions. You sighed, leaning against your hand as you rolled your eyes.
"What?"
You question was enough incentive to kick start the scolding.
"OH, I DON'T KNOW...HOW ABOUT WE START WITH THE FACT THAT YOU WERE COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE LAST NIGHT!"
The first to speak was Black, incoming with his usual theatrics.
"SUNSHINE, I THOUGHT YOU KNEW BETTER THAN TO ACT SO IRRESPONSIBLY!"
Blue shook his head, wiping an imaginary tear from his face. Though you knew he was being serious, you had a feeling that he found a tiny bit of amusement to the situation.
"HONESTLY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
"SHE WASN'T, OBVIOUSLY."
Edge answered Black, entering the room with the same disapproving glower as before. You opened your mouth to speak but got distracted by Papyrus placing down a stack of pancakes next to you, giving you a smile.
"HERE, HUMAN. AFTER SPILLING YOUR GUTS ALL NIGHT YOU MUST BE STARVING!"
You tried not to cringe at the memory Papyrus brought up, and instead thanked him for his kind gesture. You tucked in to the pancakes whilst still listening to the others. They were only just getting started.
"Honey, how much did ya even drink?"
Stretch pondered, passing you the maple syrup so you could squirt it onto your breakfast. You thought for a moment, taking a long, slow bite and chewing before answering.
"Right, let's see..."
You didn't see any reason to lie to them, as you weren't really bothered by their opinion. The trouble was you weren't sure if you would even be able to remember everything you drank.
"Uh, I started with a cup of beer...oh! Uh, then, I think I had like...seven shots of vodka-"
"SEVEN?!"
"Seven?!"
A few of them shouted, taken aback by the quantity, in unision, but you weren't finished.
"Then, like, four shots of tequila, another beer...was that it? Uh, yeah I think so. So, not much really.
You shrugged, slightly perplexed at their shocked expressions.
"Not much? Hah! Kid, that's quite a lot for a small thing like yerself."
Red snorted, amused at your statement. The others did not share his humour.
"NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WERE IN SUCH A STATE."
Edge huffed, crossing his arms in disapproval.
"HUMAN, THAT IS FAR TOO MUCH ALCOHOL FOR YOUR TINY BODY TO HANDLE!"
Papyrus fretted, casting his gaze up and down your body just to confirm his statement. You raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, no. That's like nothing."
"Uh, kid, I know you wanna act like everything is brandy, and we're not gonna wine too much about it, but that's quite a lot of alcohol."
Sans noted, grinning at his puns, to which half the room groaned at him.
"I mean it's really not-"
You waved your fork in the air, causally.
"Like, I've drunk way more than that and didn't get nearly as drunk-"
"BUT WHY?"
Blue asked, and you shrugged.
"Cause it's fun. And besides, it's embedded into my blood, basically."
The skeletons looked at you quizzically, promoting you to elaborate.
"We have, like, a massive drinking culture in the UK. Course I'd say it's bigger in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but England still drinks a lot."
"So it's legal for ya country's kiddos to drink?"
Cash inquired, and you shook your head, before pausing.
"Well, actually, technically you can drink from the age of five in the house with parent supervision, but everyone drinks before legal age, which, by the way, is eighteen, not fucking twenty one like it is here."
You told him.
"Of course, I started drinking a little late. I mean, fourteen, like, what was I thinking-"
"YOU STARTED DRINKING AT FOURTEEN?"
Papyrus exclaimed, confounded by the idea of you starting while you were still in your stripes.
"I know right, I was so late to the game-"
"Actually, bud, think you might be a little early."
Sans suggested, and you made a sound of indifference. You turned your attention back to Black, who's expression had twisted into a much darker one.
"AND WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS WHEN YOU STARTED THIS JUVENILE BEHAVIOUR?"
His comment almost made you laugh but you held it together by stuffing more pancakes into your mouth.
"Well, obviously I didn't tell them. You think I wanted to get caught?"
"SO YOU JUST...LIED TO THEM?"
You glanced over at Blue, who's tone was riddled with disbelief. You gave him a thumbs up.
"Yup."
"Honey, ya can't be drinking at your age, especially not that amount, either."
Stretch stressed, his face, creasing up into one of concern and slight sterness.
"I know ya were havin' fun doll, but he's right. Ya too young, ya can't handle it, as show by last night."
"Ok, no. Last night was a fluke because I hadn't eaten enough before I went."
You pointed a finger at Red to get your point across, finishing off the rest of your pancakes. It felt good to have food in your stomach again, knowing it wouldn't come back up. Plus, Papyrus had actually made something good for once, making a tiny seed of hope bloom in you that he could improve.
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU SHOULDN'T BE DRINKING, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH YOU'VE EATEN. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW!"
"...and?"
Blue's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"AND?!"
He cried out, his volume rising slightly, making you wince. Despite now having a full stomach, your headache, and groggyiness, wasn't cured just yet.
"Bro, it's ok."
Stretch said in a calm tone, making Blue uncleanch his fists.
"I AM JUST WORRIED, HUMAN. YOU SHOULD NOT BE DISOBEYING THE LAW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT PUTS YOU IN DANGER."
"Danger? Blue, I was fine-"
"Oh, really? Then why did I see ya havin' ta lean on some random boy like ya couldn't stand straight, or even text?"
Cash questioned, his eyesocket, the one that was open, narrowed. You furrowed your eyebrows, trying to recall the events he was describing.
"Sweetheart, I thought I told ya-"
"Relax, Red. I didn't kiss anyone last night- or do anything else."
You dismissed, and saw him visibly relax. You didn't exactly know why the premise of you doing something with a boy made his imaginary blood boil, by you weren't going to look to much into it today. You turned to Cash and shrugged.
"To be honest, mate, I don't really remember all that much from last night. I think the guy was helping me with something, but nothing happened."
Cash grunted, clearly not happy with the answer, but understanding you couldn't recall much else, therefore having no other option but to accept it.
"WELL, I THINK SOME PUNISHMENT IS IN ORDER."
Black announced, and you scrunched your face up at him, giving him the most dirtiest look you could possibly muster, which he did not appreciate. The others seemed too shocked that you could even make such a face, to comment on the fact that you had made it.
"Why?"
"WHY?! ARE YOU STUPID?!"
"Hey! Don't fucking yell at me!"
You stood up, angry that he'd let his emotions get the better of him, though the same fate was starting to happen to you.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO ME THAT WAY, BRAT!"
"Woah, guys. There's no mead for this to get heated-"
"YOU'RE GETTING PUNISHED BECAUSE YOUR BEHAVIOUR WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE-"
Black snarled at you.
"I was barely drunk, and besides, why the fuck do you care?!"
"HUMAN, OF COURSE WE CARE!"
Papyrus started, but you cut him off by giving him a confused expression, lowering your voice slightly.
"But why? You barely even know me! I don't understand!"
When a moment of silence fell over the room, you exhaled deeply.
"You all have been so nice to be, well, mostly."
You shot Black a glare.
"We became friends in such little time; you comforted me when I was upset, and even took care of me when I was in such a state last night because I was stupid enough to let myself get that drunk."
You clutched your clothes tightly, your knuckles going white from the tightness. You felt the thump in your throat tighten, and you had stopped looking at them, instead favouring the floor. Your voice softened, sounding weaker than before.
"How do you all have so much...so much...compassion for me?!"
"Because kiddo, it's part of our makeup."
Stretch answered, but you weren't in the mood for a biology lesson. The skeletons watched as your mood deflated and negative thoughts started to cloud your mind. You felt yourself shrink into yourself as you continued.
"And I've done nothing but cause you trouble, but you still seem to care so much, so why? I don't get it..."
You bit your lip in shame, deciding that you had spoken enough, and watched as Papyrus knelt down in front of you. As you weren't looking up, you didn't notice the monsters' expressions soften at your words.
"HUMAN, IT PAINS ME TO KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT THINK YOU ARE WORTHY OF OUR CARE, BECAUSE THAT COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH."
His words made you hopeful, but as he continued on, you didn't realise how much his words would affect you. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, caressing your cheek with such tenderness.
"EVER SINCE YOU HAVE GOT HERE, YOU HAVE CONSTANTLY PUT YOURSELF DOWN, AND I CANNOT FATHOM WHY."
He tilted your chin up, encouraging you to look at him. When you did, you saw that he told no lies in his speech.
"YOU ARE A WONDERFUL PERSON, Y/N. YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A JOY TO GET TO KNOW, AND YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY TROUBLE FOR US. EVEN IF YOU WERE, THAT WOULDN'T MATTER, BECAUSE THE EFFORT WE WOULD PUT INTO HELPING YOU WORK THROUGH WHATEVER YOU'D BE GOING THROUGH, WOULD BE WORTH IT."
You weren't used to this kind of talk. Everyone usually pointed out your flaws, usually to do with your intelligence, and your parents were often too busy to have a long, meaningful conversation about your insecurities. Sure, they'd toss around praise and compliments and say kind words to you, as any parent would, but they were often said in a rushed manner. Though the meaning was never stripped due to lack of time, you never felt satisfied with the short replies they gave you, or the little touches you received.
Your family wasn't the most generous when it came to physical contact. Not to say that they didn't give you any, but it just wasn't their style. They preferred to give you and your brother arm or head pats, and only occasional hugs, usually not lasting for longer than a couple of seconds. But, ever since you met the skeletons, you had received more physical affection from them in these last couple of months than you had from your parents for an entire year.
"DON'T EVER THINK YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF OUR CARE, BECAUSE YOU ARE, AND WE DO CARE. YOU DON'T NEED TO DOUBT THAT ANYMORE."
So when Papyrus reached out his arms, there was no hesitation when you accepted his offer, happily wrapping your arms around him, with him doing the same. It was almost like a burning desire was being satisfied, like all the world's troubles were being fixed at that very moment.
"Heh, ya really like yer hugs, don'tcha kiddo."
Red chuckled, and you didn't feel like answering, as it was more of a statement than a question. Papyrus rubbed your back, letting you stay like that for as long as you wanted. He didn't brush you off after the first two seconds, claiming he had to get to work, or anything, no. He let you hug him for as long as you needed, to collect yourself, before you were able to pull away yourself.
"Thanks, Paps."
The skeleton gave you a brilliant smile, now allowing the rest of the group to rejoin the conversation.
"NO PHONE FOR TWO DAYS. AND YOU'RE GROUNDED FOR A WEEK."
Black cut in, and you raised an eyebrow.
"Mate, you're not my dad, you can't ground me."
"BE THAT AS IT MAY, AS I AM TECHNICALLY ONE OF YOUR LEGAL GUARDIANS, FOR THE TIME BEING, MYSELF AND THE OTHERS HAVE FULL AUTHORITY OVER YOU. HENCE, YOU ARE GROUNDED."
Unfortunately, his logic made sense, so you had no choice but to give in. There were no objections to his punishment, so you were backed into a corner with no way out. He placed his hand out expectantly and you sighed, pulling out your phone before you remembered something.
"Oh, wait! Let me just text Carly. I left some of my clothes at her place, maybe I can get her to bring them into school tomorrow."
"OH YES, THAT WAS ANOTHER ISSUE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS."
You tilted your head at Papyrus as he coughed, eyeing the others, who seemed indifferent to this shift in topic, yet were ready to defend the points made. Well, some were.
"UHM, HUMAN, HOW SHOULD I PUT THIS...THE PARTY CLOTHES YOU WERE WEARING LOOKED VERY COOL! BUT-"
"It was too short. Your skirt, we mean."
Stretch chimed in, passing the ball back to a now slightly awkward Papyrus.
"A-AND YOUR TOP WAS VERY...UH-"
"REVEALING."
Edge finished for him.
"Guys, I'm not-"
"Look sweetheart, we ain't gonna skirt 'round the problem here. Ya a little young ta be wearing' that stuff, but if ya gonna wear it anyhow, ya just gotta be careful, k? People can get the wrong idea, 'specially boys, got it, doll?"
You didn't feel like arguing with anyone anymore today, and it's not like they were banning you from wearing that type of clothing. So, you nodded, making Red grin at the fact that you didn't fight him on it.
"EHEM. PHONE, ONCE YOU'RE DONE, PLEASE."
Black tapped his foot impatiently and you sighed, sending a quick text to Carly before handing Black your phone. He nodded in approval, putting it in his pocket.
"GOOD GIRL."
You exhaled deeply as the conversation came to the end and everyone went off to do their own thing. You winced slightly at your head, the ache only getting worse as you sat down on the couch. You felt as if you were being anchored to the bottom of the ocean, drowning in your own thoughts and unable to stop the flood of dense emotions that seeped their way into you, which was to be expected. After a night of drinking, it wasn't uncommon for you to feel down the next day.
You flicked on the tv, finding nothing of interest to watch, as you pulled your knees towards your chest. Papyrus, interpreting that you weren't feeling your best, decided to spend the day with you, sitting on the couch, either reading or watching mindless tv, with the occasional chatter. Though the activities weren't as energy demanding as he was used to, or would choose to partake in, the skeleton found his own enjoyment in spending time with you.
You, on the other hand, felt strange about it. Like you said before, you were often by yourself, and it usually payed off as there was no one to bother you during your hangovers. Of course, this wasn't the case this time, though you wouldn't say Papyrus was bothering you. He was actually quite nice company.
He kept being his usual, upbeat, jolly self whilst being mindful of the slightly tender state you were in. You did appreciate the effort he made to be with you throughout the day, as he helped you with little things, like refilling your water to make sure you were always hydrated, or letting you lean on the side of him to rest your head for a bit. It wasn't anything major, but it was the little things that counted, and, although you weren't exactly sick, this was the most anyone had taken care of you for a while now.
By this point, Papyrus had switched the channel over to a new show that was much more flashy than the previous ones you had been scrolling through today. The skeleton squeeled excitedly, pointing out to you that this was his favourite tv show, with his favourite superstar, "Mettaton", the robot in the screen. You nodded along to him as he raved about the show and the star. Apparently, he had met Mettaton in person, which you thought was pretty cool.
"ISN'T HE AMAZING? HE'S MY FAVOURITE RECTANGLE!"
"Mhm, yeah. He's cool..."
You mumbled in return, half watching the tv. Papyrus' smile fell a little at your lackluster response. He narrowed his eye sockets and drew his face closer to yours, placing his chin onto two phalanges in thought. You stared at him from the corner of your vision, going slightly stiffed at how focused he was on you.
"Uh, what's up, Papy?"
"HMM...TELL ME HUMAN, ARE YOU STILL SICK?"
"Uh, no...i was never actually sick in the first place-"
You tried to explain, but the skeleton wasn't having any of it.
"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL SO DOWN IN THE DUMPS?"
"Cause, that's what happens."
Stretch interjected, flopping down onto Papyrus' lap via short cutting, making him jolt in surprise. He snickered at both of your surprised expressions, and then slid off of him and shuffled between you two on the couch, making room for him.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, LAZY VERSION OF MYSELF?"
"Well, alcohol changes the brain chemistry of humans, and because it's essentially a depressant, it's a natural reaction to feel down or anxious after a night of drinking."
You stared at Stretch as he briefly explained to his counterpart, who was humming and nodding along in understanding.
"I SEE. HOW ODD. I HAD NO IDEA HUMAN BRAINS WERE SO SUSCEPTIBLY WEAK TO SUCH A SMALL THING LIKE ALCOHOL!"
"Stretch, how did you even know all that?"
You questioned, and Stretch placed his hands in his pockets.
"Got bored so I decided to read up on a little human biology. You guys sure have a lot of shit going on in there."
He waved his index finger in a small circle, gesturing to your body. You wavered your decision to counter his claim, but concluded that what he said wasn't entirely false. You shrugged, going back to focusing on the tv with little interest, as the show had taken an ad break, while Stretch listened to Papyrus rave about Mettaton's show like he had done with you.
You decided to tune him out, but we're quickly pulled out of your thoughts by Blue. Literally, he picked you up under your arms from behind the sofa and hoisted you onto his shoulders.
"MWEHEHEHE! I HAVE CAPTURED THE HUMAN!"
You wobbled a little in surprise but Blue held onto you, helping you to steady your self on his shoulders. You thought you were way too big for this, but the over enthusiastic skeleton seemed to be managing just fine.
"Nice job, bro."
Stretch praised, smirking at you in amusement.
"WOWIE! EXCELLENT CAPTURING SKILLS, BLUE!"
Papyrus chimed in, marvelling at his skills. Blue's grinned widened as he laughed again, patting your knee absentmindedly.
"Blue, what are you doing?"
He tilted his head upwards, his smile flashing brightly in your direction.
"I WON'T HAVE YOU MOPING AROUND ALL DAY, SUNSHINE! COME ON, LET'S GO BAKE COOKIES!"
And with that, he whisked you away to the kitchen.
------------
"HUMAN, I THINK I'VE FOUND A GOOD RECIPE ON THE UNDERNET- UH, I MEAN INTERNET!"
You glanced over at the recipe, skimming over the ingredients and process, and nodded.
"Yep looks good- oh."
Your brows furrowed and Blue glanced at you in confusion.
"WHAT IS IT, SUNSHINE?"
"Uh, it's not in grams...but, that's fine. We can just convert."
You dismissed.
Once you got started, you found that Blue's baking session suggestion actually did cheer you up a little. To your amazement, you didn't actually have to correct Blue on anything he did, for his method was perfect. Due to the fact that he was a terrible cook, you figured he'd be just as bad a baker, but, as it turned out, he was the complete opposite. This fact allowed you to relax and actually have fun making the food instead of worrying about some massive disaster happening. You wondered how someone could be so good at baking yet so bad at cooking.
"Blue, do we have any more chocolate chips?"
"RIGHT HERE, SUNSHINE. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH CHOCOLATE CHIPS!"
"Exactly my thoughts."
You grinned, taking the fresh packet Blue handed you. You've already used up the half a bag Papyrus and Sans had in the house, so you decided to only use half of the new packet to make it even. With a careful eye and steady hand, you strategically placed the chocolate chips into the cookie dough, which had been rolled up into small, thick balls and lay ready to bake on the tray.
"It feels like I haven't baked in forever. I always liked making cookies, but my all time favourite thing to make is tarts."
"I HAD NO IDEA YOU HAD SUCH EXPERIENCE IN THIS DEPARTMENT OF COOKING, HUMAN! WHAT TARTS DID YOU MAKE?"
Blue asked, intrigued as you put the finishing touches onto the cookies before sticking them in the oven and setting the timer. You chewed on the remaining scrapes of cookie dough that had been left in the bowl, offering some to the skeleton, to which he declined.
"Well, I've made all kinds. Strawberry, chocolate, but I absolutely adore custard tarts! They're definitely the best ones. I used to make them all the time during lockdown."
Blue's expression lifted slightly in surprise at the mention of your previous experiences.
"CUSTARD, YOU SAY? I CAN'T SAY I'VE EVER TRIED THAT ONE! WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE IT TOGETHER, ONE DAY."
You nodded at his declaration as you started washing up the bowls you had used, along with the utensils. Blue lent a hand by drying what you handed him, whilst you continued to rehash about your past.
"DID YOU DO A LOT OF BAKING DURING LOCKDOWN?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I mean, I used to bake before that, but because I was stuck in my house for the majority of the time, I found myself doing it more often, mainly to pass the time. If one good thing came out of that pandemic, it's that it definitely made me a better baker, thanks to all the practice I got."
You laughed, and while Blue smiled with you, a perturbed feeling began to rise within him, gnawing at this soul at the fact that you had been forced to stay inside for years of your life. It was a feeling he could relate to, being confined to the underground all his life, except there was no widespread, new, deadly disease for him to worry about. However, he did know what it was like to have to stay inside knowing there was a whole world out there that was just out of reach.
He'd never wish that fate of being trapped upon anyone, yet you had gone through something so similar, despite being on the surface. He hadn't even considered that a possibility. He thought, on the surface, people, even he, could live freely, but you had proved that the surface had it's own difficulties, and he was sure he'd encounter many more the longer he was up here. Though he was ready for whatever challenges would be thrown at him, he couldn't help but ponder what the uncertain future had in store for him.
"WELL, I FOR ONE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST! I'M SURE YOU'RE A WONDERFUL BAKER SUNSHINE, AND YOU CAN ONLY IMPROVE FROM HERE!"
You smiled at his encouragement as you finished cleaning up your mess, trying your hands with the hand towel.
"Thanks, Blue. I just hope these cookies turn out good."
"OF COURSE THEY WILL! AFTER ALL, I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, HELPED BAKE THEM! MWEHEHEHE!"
He beamed, his boisterous laugh filling your ears.
"Yeah, you're right."
And, as it turned out, Blue was right. Once the cookies were finished, it took all of your strength for you to not touch one until it cooled. Fortunately, Blue did not have as much self control, and immediately grabbed one, halving it with you to share. Even when it was warm, the cookie tasted delicious, and you congratulated yourselves on your efforts.
The others seemed to appreciate them as well, even Edge, who said that the product of your effort was "ADEQUATE", meaning, of course, absolutely amazing by his standards. You couldn't help but smile at how he tried to hide how much he enjoyed the food, covering his mouth to hide the small smile that was forming on his skull whilst munching on his second, possibly even third, cookie. Though, you couldn't take all the credit. After all, Blue had been much better than expected.
Because Blue and you had already baked the cookies, neither of you felt like cooking, so it was left up to Papyrus and Edge to sort out. You sighed internally as you shivered at the thought of whatever shit they'd make up this time, knowing that, yet again, you wouldn't eat a lot for dinner. To your surprise, the Mac and cheese they had made hadn't turned out as bad as you thought it would. Though the cheese was kinda burnt on the top, and the pasta could've done with a little more cooking time, it was otherwise ok.
Following the new routine that had been set in place, all of you gathered in the living room, chatting to one another or just hanging about either sleeping or busy doing something else. You, now with no phone thanks to Black, sat on the sofa, bored as hell. You sighed, looking up as you felt the couch dip slightly. Though Red, and the rest of the Sanses, were considered small in height, they were still taller than you, even if it wasn't by much. Sans and Blue were barely taller than you, however, Red and Black had a couple inches on them.
"Heya, sweetheart, how're ya feelin'? Yer headache gone yet?"
He asked, slurping down a bottle of mustard. Your nose instinctively scrunched up due to the unpleasant odor.
"No, and the stench from that drink is not helping."
"What? This drink?"
He waved it in your face and you leaned away in disgust, making him chortle at your grossed out facial expression. You pushed it away, back into his chest as you tried not to let the contents of your dinner leave your body.
"I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Hehe, was just jokin', doll. But, in all seriousness, please don't."
He cringed at the thought, so, to distract himself, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out what looked to be a cigar. You had never seen anyone smoke one in real life, so when Red lit it, you didn't expect to be coughing excessively. Though, you probably should've seen that coming.
"Red, put that out."
Stretch, out of everyone here, commanded. You raised your eye brows at his comment. He was the last person you would've anticipated to say anything about this, considering he also smokes.
"And why should I do that?"
He asked, taking a long draw from the cigar, purposely dragging his movements out and blew smoke right in his face, making it scrunch up in disgust.
"Cause, second hand smoke is dangerous for humans. Smoking in general is terrible for them, it can cause diseases like lung cancer and heart disease which can be life threatening-"
"Jeez, didn't ask fer a science lesson, teach."
He chuckled, rolling his eye light at Stretch's unimpressed expression. Eventually, Red rolled over.
"Fine, no second hand smoke."
Stretch nodded in approval, but his smile quickly dropped when Red next spoke.
"Ya wan'a hit, kid? No secon' hand smoke, just good ol' regular smoke."
He held out his hand, the cigar hanging loosely in between his fingers.
"DO NOT INFLUENCE OUR HUMAN WITH YOUR FILTHY HABITS, BROTHER."
"I AGREE! THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE TINY HUMAN TO WAVER HER HEALTH IN SUCH A WAY!"
Papyrus and Edge piped up, with the others on their side. But, before anyone could stop you, you had already placed yourself in his lap, leaning forward to inhale the cigar, only to cough harshly right afterwards. Red cackled, patting your back while the others tutted in worry.
"OH MY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN?"
Papyrus fretted, and you nodded with tears in your eyes from choking on the smoke.
"Aight sweetheart, since ya can't hack it, I'll put it out."
"No no- *cough* it's fine Red, you don't *cough cough* have to-"
But the skeleton had already put it out on the palm of his hand, which you thought was pretty hardcore. He rubbed your back, waiting for you to settle down before chuckling once more. Stretch shook his head in disappointment and fought his own instincts to light a cigarette, instead choosing to suck on a lollipop.
"You can't be so carefree with the human's health. Her species is weak and incredibly susceptible to anything and everything harmful."
Stretch informed the group, the others, nodding along with severe concentration, absorbing every word.
"Stretch, you're exaggerating. It's not that deep-"
"WELL, WE ALL KNEW HUMANS WERE WEAK, BUT I HAD NOT REALISED JUST HOW WEAK YOUR SPECIES IS."
Black mused.
"We're not that-"
"WHILE THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A USEFUL ADVANTAGE HAD WE BEEN BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND, THIS INFORMATION IS CONCERNING. IF YOU'RE THIS VULNERABLE TO DISEASE, HOW ON EARTH WOULD YOU FAIR WITH PHYSICAL INJURIES?"
Edge ranted, pacing up and down the room in thought. It seemed like everyone was starting to blow things out of proportion, so you had to act quickly.
"Guys, you're overreacting. I'll be fine, and humans are sturdier than you think. Just, stop worrying, ok?"
You reassured, shutting down the conversation. Hesitantly, they accepted your answer, but held their own private reservations about the matter.
"Oh, pie the way kid, Tori brought over some more of that pie you liked so much."
Sans mentioned, and your eyes immediately lit up, forgetting your previous headache.
"Wait, really?!"
"Yep. It's in the fridge-"
As soon as the location was brought to your attention, you instantly sprinted off of Red's lap and into the kitchen, leaving the others to laugh at your reaction.
"YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO BED AFTER YOU'VE EATEN, MISSY!"
Edge yelled from the other room, but you couldn't care less. For now, you focused on tucking into your treat.
Notes:
Who could turn down a slice of Toriel's butterscotch cinnamon pie? Not our reader!
I hope everyone has a great day/night! ❤🌸
Chapter 27: Chapter 27: cupcakes
Summary:
Finally, the last week of school has arrived! Summer is just within reach, but our reader has to endure a few more days of school to get there.
Notes:
Hi everyone! I was faster getting this chapter out, at least I think so😅, but it is a little shorter than usual, so sorry for that! Anyways, hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Why.
Why. You repeated to yourself, mentally. Why, after all this time. Although you'd been due for months now, it didn't stop it from feeling just as awful as usual.
You placed your hands on your head and groaned deeply as you sat on the toilet. At least you hadn't leaked anywhere on your sleeping bag, now that would've been embarrassing. Still though, you weren't looking forward to the cramps you'd get. At least you only had a week of school left.
You heaved yourself off of the toilet and grudgingly got ready for the day. It was strange that you had come on your period, considering you hadn't had it at all since you arrived in this universe. Sure, you knew that, a few years after getting your first one meant that it was normal to have an irregular flow, but not getting it for months was definitely unusual.
You considered the possibility of your period being messed up due to the multiverse travel. After all, if flights could mess with it, why couldn't that? Whatever it was, it seemed like you were back on track now, much to your dismay. What made it even worse was when you looked in the bathroom cabinet for someibuprofen for later, and found not a trace of it. You mentally slapped yourself for not thinking to buy some before, and hoped that Carly or someone else had some spare.
Dragging yourself downstairs, once you were changed, you tried to tone down your immense feelings of irritation towards this start to the day, and instead tried to focus on breakfast. Luckily, no one had actually brothered to cook anything, which left you with an incredibly sugary cereal that you had never tried before. Taking a bite, you found that it wasn't that bad, just super sugary.
"NORMALLY I WOULD NOT CONDONE SUCH AN UNHEALTHY BREAKFAST, BUT I'M AFRAID I AM A LITTLE SHORT FOR TIME TODAY, HUMAN!"
Papyrus sighed, after he handed you the bowl. You shrugged, glad to be eating something that wasn't burnt or undercooked for once, or worse. Glancing out the window, you squinted your eyes at the blazing sunshine seeping through the glass and scrunched your brows up in confusion.
"Do you lot have like, infinite sun here? Why's it always so sunny, for fuck's sake?"
"Language kiddo, c'mon now. You don't need to swear in every sentence."
Sans chastised, causing you to roll your eyes.
"Uh, cause it's summer?"
Stretch said, tilting your head at you, quizzically.
"WHAT'S GOT YOU ALL RILED UP, TODAY?"
Edge asked, staring down at your grumpy self.
"Oh my god, nothing."
"What's the matter, kiddo? Ya not used ta sun?"
Cash joked, snickering at you as you shot him a glare.
"Sorry if I'm more used to seeing more grey skies than having the sun out constantly. I mean, not that I'm complaining, but there's barely been any rain! Like, any."
"Weird thing ta complain 'bout."
"Ugh, nevermind."
You stood up, following Papyrus out to his car, leaving the Cash mildly confused.
"COME ON, HUMAN! DON'T DAWDLE NOW!"
You folded your arms and huffed silently to yourself as you got in the car, listening to Papyrus ramble about the latest problem he was having back at the Embassy. Though you showed little expressions, Papyrus still continued until you arrived at the school, bidding you a good day before speeding off to work.
You were more than glad that you only had a week left, but even so, you felt as if going to school today was too much of a chore for you to handle today. Exhaling deeply, you forced your legs to move forward, making your way into the building.
------------
The rest of the day was exactly how you expected it to be. As it was the last week of school, no one was doing any work, and most of the teachers weren't encouraging you to, either. Most of the classes, your teachers were either putting on movies, or playing games with the class. This worked well in your favour, as it meant that you were able to deal with your cramps when they became increasingly worse throughout the day, without having to multitask doing any real work.
Unfortunately for you, the cramps began to worsen around mid day, and did not improve.
"Carly, do you have any ibuprofen with you?"
You whispered, being mindful not to catch the attention of the teacher or be too loud when the class was dead silent whilst the movie was playing, apart from the occasional low murmers exchanged between friends. She shook her head, a look of regret plastered on her face.
'Sorry.'
She mouthed, as she shook her head. You have her an appreciative smile, despite her not having any, and went back to placing your head against the desk. After a few moments of low level rustling behind you, you felt a tap on your shoulder, making you turn around.
Sat behind you was a boy who you hadn't payed much attention to since being in this class. His light brown copper, and slightly unkempt, hair hung just above his glasses, looking as if it was due for a cut. Underneath his glasses, you could make out the slight glimpse of his freckles decorating his cheeks. You turned and looked up into his green eyes, a fleck of blue in each eye, silently asking what he wanted.
Straight off the bat, you felt his nervous aura seep off of him as he rustled his hand in his pocket and pulled out something small. He held out his hand hesitantly and you paused as he opened out his fist, revealing the small item in his palm. It was a pill. More specifically, you guessed that it was an ibuprofen. Tentatively, you took it, and once you did, he quickly pulled his hand back, looking away from you as he mumbled something along the lines of "you said you needed it?" or something.
You thanked him, despite not knowing his name, or who he was, and squinted your eyes at him slightly as he tensed. For some reason, he felt vaguely familiar, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. When he caught you staring, his cheeks lit up into a pink hue, making you realise what you were doing. After that, you decided to turn around as to not embarrass him more than you already were.
It was nice of him to be so generous towards you, but, to your dismay, the pill didn't help all that much. It made the cramps more manageable for the remaining class hours, however, once school was over, you began to feel just as worse as before. Clutching your midsection, your posture slightly hunched, you trudged along the car park and towards Papyrus, who had an ever cheery smile on his face, waving at you from afar.
His smile dropped when you came closer into his field of vision and his happy expression was replaced with a confused one. Before he could ask, you walked straight past him, slipping into the car and leaning against the door with your knees tucked up against your chest.
Papyrus glanced at you with a worried look as he followed you into the car, strapping his seatbelt in, before turning to you.
"HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? ARE YOU HAVING STOMACH PROBLEMS?"
He asked, concern laced within his tone, and you shook your head.
"No- well, not really. Can we just go back, please?"
You said, not really in the mood to chat too much. He paused on thought for a moment before nodding and taking you both back to the house.
------------
You spent the rest of the night pretty much just lying on the couch. You would've dealt with this in private, but the sofa was much more comfortable than your thin sleeping bag, so here you were. As everyone made their staggered entries into the house, questions immediately sprung to life when they saw you. When each asked what was wrong, you brushed it off, a little embarrassed to speak about the real reason you were curled up on the sofa with a slightly pained expression, showing your immense discomfort.
"C'mon, kiddo. You've been like this ever since ya got home. What's the matter?"
Stretch inquired, rubbing your ankles as he wracked his brain as to what could be bothering you.
"I told you, it's nothing, really."
You mumbled, squishing your face into the pillow in an attempt to hide away. Stretch frowned and was so focused on you that he didn't hear Black creep but behind him, but when he spoke, Stretch jolted in surprise, making the other raise an eyebrow, unimpressed at how down his guard was.
"WE A KNOW THAT'S A LIE, AND A SOREY EXCUSE FOR ONE, TOO."
Black tutted, though his pun undercut the stern tone he had conveyed, initially. You sighed.
"Look, it's nothing. It's just some cramps, ok?"
You muttered as your cheeks began to heat up a little. The skeletons tilted their heads until one finally clocked what you meant.
"Oh, so you're on your period, then-"
"HER WHAT?"
You wanted to crawl into a hole. Despite you knowing it was a natural thing, talking about this kind of stuff around guys, not even humans, made you feel awkward as hell. You knew you had nothing to be ashamed of, and that it was a natural, biological process that you had to endure, yet that didn't stop you from wanting to suffocate yourself with a pillow right there and then.
But, instead of suffocating yourself, you lay there as Stretch briefly explained the menstrual cycle to Black, who listened with one eyebrow raised. Normally, you would've explained this yourself, but since Stretch was pretty much spot on with everything he was saying, and you were still in great discomfort, you figured he could take this one. You had to hand it to him, he wasn't kidding when he said he'd done his research.
"SURELY IT CAN'T BE THAT BAD-"
You shot him a look that clearly said otherwise, and he held up his hands in defeat.
"I'm sorry you're not feeling great, honey. Ya need anything?"
You shook your head, burying your face further into the pillow.
"I already had an ibuprofen, but it didn't help much."
You said, sounding as though you had given up trying to make things more comfortable for yourself. Stretch continued to rub your ankle as Black walked off, saying how he saw no way to help, so you'd just have to suck it up and deal with it, not like you hadn't already. You rolled your eyes at him and exhaled deeply as Stretch left soon after, claiming he was going to run to the shop real quick. Though, run in the metaphorical sense, as that man hated excerise of any kind, and was far too lazy for it, anyhow.
It seemed that word had spread of your predicament, which was inevitable in hindsight, yet you now felt even more awkward. Despite this, a small sense of relief washed over you, as, even though they might not completely understand what you were going through, at least they knew what was happening without you having to go into great detail about it, and you supposed that was the best you were going to get, for now.
Eventually, Stretch returned just in time for dinner, and although you didn't ask him what he had got, you would soon find out. Whilst resuming your previous position on the sofa, Blue came bounding into the room, a bunch of items tucked in between his arms.
"HELLO, SUNSHINE!"
He beamed, his jovial attitude making the corners of your mouth turn upwards, a little.
"Hi, Blue."
You returned his greeting and watched as he placed himself right in front of you, blocking the evening light that was pouring through the windows.
"MY BROTHER INFORMED ME OF YOUR AILMENT- UH, OF SORTS- AND SUGGESTED THAT YOU BE PROVIDED WITH THESE THINGS! APPARENTLY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU!"
He recalled, plopping said items down next to you. As you sorted through the items, you felt the familiar sting in your nose that indicated tears weren't far off. Everything was placed into a small basket; a soft, fuzzy blanket, a selection of sweets, some extra pads, packets of tissues, ibuprofen and even a hot water bottle that, when you picked it up, you noticed had already been filled up. It's head was immensely soothing as you placed it down on the necessary area.
Blue wrapped the blanket around you as you stared up at him in disbelief at everything you had just been handed. It took you a moment to process everything, but once you did, you felt grateful tears slip down your cheeks as you hugged the hot water bottle closer to you. Seeing you cry, Blue began to panic, worried that he had done something wrong, but you quickly chased that thought away with your words of gratitude.
"This is so- *sniff* sweet of you g-guys- thank you."
When he realised that these were tears of happiness, Blue smiled softly and joined you on the sofa, wrapping his arms around you happily. After a minute or so, you returned his smile, your eyes still slightly red as you consulted him for his opinion on what sweet to try. Whilst making your decision, you were completely unaware that a certain skeleton was grinning on the side lines, pleased that he had got the right items for you, and that he was able to help in some way.
------------
The rest of the week flew by pretty quickly, and before you knew it, there was only one day left of school. Coming back to the house, knowing that summer was almost in your grasp, felt more relieving than anything. However, you weren't able to completely relax, as you had got your report card today.
Sure, the school was a little late about it, and yes, you has forgotten about it, but did that mean you wanted it? No. In spite of this, you riped the envelope open to find that your grades met your expectations. You got an A in every single one of your classes. Smirking to yourself, you placed the paper in your pocket, satisfied with the outcome of your results.
"Aww man, I got a C in science! Ugh, the curriculum is lame, anyways. At least I got an A in gym, though."
Carly muttered but shrugged it off, instead focusing on slurping up the remainder of her drink with her straw.
"You always get an A in gym. The teacher loves you, it's not fair. She definitely plays favourites."
Reece pointed out, nudging her arm with tip of a pencil. Carly groaned at his antics, pushing it away.
"Well, that's what happens when you're on the basketball team. Sorry."
That smirk of hers indiciated that she was not sorry.
"How did you take get straight As so easily?"
Carly whined, posing the question to you and Quinn. The two of you shrugged.
"Well, I didn't get all As in everything. I'm close to failing gym and I barely scraped a B in English."
Quinn complained, stuffing the rest of her granola bar into her beak.
"But I had nwo...idea you were swo...smarh', y/n."
She mused, covering her beak as she spoke, whilst still chewing in between words. You waved her comment off, embarrassed by the thought. You didn't want people thinking you were some sort of genius, however, you think that ship had sailed already.
"Your family's going to be so impressed!"
You heart dropped when you heard that sentence. You had completely forgot that they were probably expecting you to give them your report. But, if you did that, then they'd see your good grades, and expect that from you constantly. What if you couldn't deliver? What if this was just a one off? What if you weren't as smart as you thought you were, and that maybe this was all a fluke becauss you were knew, or something?
Suddenly, you weren't looking forward to the end of the day, and once it arrived, you clutched the report, scruching it up slightly with you now clamy hands. When you got back, it was alright for a while, as no one brought up the subject of reports of any sorts...until they did.
"So kid, you excited for your break?"
Sans asked, and you nodded eagerly.
"I can't believe I get a whole three months!"
The skeleton chuckled.
"YES YES, VERY EXCITING. ARE WE EXPECTING ANY SORT OF REPORT ON YOUR GRADES, HUMAN?"
Black inquired, making you freeze. The others looked at you expectantly and you hesitated.
"Uh...nope! Nothing yet...haha..."
You cringed at how bad a lier you were, and, by the suspecting look on Black's face, you could tell he wasn't buying it. He walked up to you painfully slowly, the slight heels of his boots clicking against the carpet. You began to sweat as his face loomed in closer to yours, his eye lights, scanning up and down you.
"WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, HUMAN?"
You gulped.
"N-nothing."
You whimpered, pathetically, giving him a wobbly smile. He peered down at you with a suspicious glint in his eyelight, folding his arms.
"I don't have anything..."
You insisted, leaning back into the couch cushions. After a moment, he let you have your personal space back.
"Kid, you know we get emails from the school, right?"
Sans mentioned, and you paused, before slapping yourself mentally. Of course they had the report emailed to them, why wouldn't they? You must've been stupid to even think that you'd be able to hide your grades from them. You sighed.
"WELL DONE SUNSHINE!"
Blue yelled, sneaking up behind you to pick you up, engulfing you in his large arms. You squeeked in surprise as he cuddled you, catching you off guard.
"For what?"
"FOR THE AMAZING RESULTS ON YOUR GRADES! I KNEW MY LITTLE SUNSHINE WAS A GENIUS!"
He nuzzled you affectionately, pressing his teeth right against your cheek. The sensation was similar to when Sans had done the same to you, looking back on your first day of school. From Blue's words, you assumed Papyrus had been the one to blab about your report, considering he was also on the school's email list. You didn't even get a chance to ask him when you left school, as Sans had been the one to pick you up, since his brother was still at work.
When he put you down, you scrolled through your phone to find a text on the group chat from Papyrus. You didn't need to see any more to know exactly what it was about.
"JUST BECAUSE YOUR GRADES ARE GOOD NOW DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET TO SLACK OFF."
Black warned, pointing his finger at you, sternly. Wait, he knew the whole time? Then why-
"Aww, c'mon bro. Let the kid celebrate a little."
Black simply rolled his eye lights at his brother's suggestion.
"What we celebratin'?"
Red had appeared a few seconds ago, slouching on the couch, his arms propped up on top of the pillows as he picked his teeth, absentmindedly, with his pinky finger.
"THE HUMAN'D ACADEMIC SUCCESS, OF COURSE!"
Papyrus exclaimed, making you jump.
"Jesus! You're going to give me a bloody heart attack if you lot keep on sneaking up on me."
"OH DEAR! I DID NOT MEAN TO ATTACK YOUR HEART, HUMAN!"
"He didn', but I did."
You shrieked as Cash teleported directly onto you. Despite him being almost as light as a feather, the force of gravity, slamming him down onto you, made you feel as if the wind had been knocked out of you. Your body jolted as he laughed, earning a few sighs of disappointment from the others.
"Cash, don't do that! Get off!"
You tried to shove him away, but he was faster, wrapping his arms around your neck and pulling you into a headlock, using his fist to rub at your head a little too harshly for your liking.
"Don't be such a baby, 'm just messin' about."
His excuse for his so called play fighting didn't make you feel any better. You huffed, pushing him away from you as he chuckled to himself, his voice, deep yet with a slight raspyness to it.
"But for real, though, good job, squirt."
You thanked him, and the others when they said similar things to you for the duration of the rest of the day. To celebrate making it through the end of the school year, and your amazing grades, Blue decided to make cupcakes. Surprisingly, he refused your help, claiming that it was unnecessary to help with your own reward.
You had stressed the fact that you didn't need, or really want, a reward and was happy to assist him, as you enjoyed baking with him. With the conflicted look on his face, you had hoped your sentiment would've been enough to sway him, but the skeleton's stubbornness took over, and so here you were, sat on the sofa as Mettaton was playing on the TV.
You watched as Edge and Papyrus were in a- sort of friendly- debate about which Mettaton was better. Each argued that their own, from their universe, was the better candidate, and so no agreement was reached. As you observed the whole thing unfold, you were left completely unaware as someone approached you. Before you knew it, Stretch had captured you in a blanket, wrapping you up like a burrito and pulling you close to him, with a smirk on his face.
"Gottcha."
"Stretch, it's too hot for this blanket!"
You complained as you struggled to get out it.
"We can turn on the air conditioning."
"No- wait, oh yeah, I forgot you guys had that. Lucky."
Stretch chuckled, nuzzling his head against yours. You glanced at him from the corners of your eyes, confusion written all over your face.
"YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE HER OVERHEAT LIKE THAT."
Edge commented.
"She won't overheat."
Stretch deadpanned. Edge raised an eyebrow, unimpressed at his denial, and shot you a look. You returned this by matching his look with an incredibly similar expression. When you did, Edge raised a hand to cover his mouth in an attempt to hide his amusement at your silent reply. Apparently, the moment of silent exchanged looks spiked Stretch's anxiety, causing him to sweat a little as he rethought his actions.
"You're not too hot, are you, honey?"
You did consider telling him the truth, however, nervous tick in his eye sockets made you waver your decision. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
"Yes, I am."
"HAH! CALLED IT."
Edge's cocky outburst, matched with your raw honesty, made Stretch frown in defeat, leading on to him releasing you from your blanket trap, yet not from his grasp. You tilted your head, unsure of why he was being so clingy, and Edge let out a long sigh. Not even a second later, he was picking you up, surprising both you and Stretch, and set you down. Stretch's look of irritation, and the low growl that began to rise from his chest, only made Edge scoff.
"OH, SETTLE DOWN, WILL YOU. EVEN YOUR BROTHER HAS MORE CONTROL THAN YOU DO."
You eyes darted between Edge and Stretch.
"Control?"
"YES. THEY HAVE DONE WELL TO KEEP THEIR HEAT UNDER CONTROL, YET IT HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED. BUT, HIS BROTHER HAS DONE A BETTER JOB THAN HE HAS."
Stretch rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment at the motion of your mouth hanging open in shock.
"Wait, you guys have been in heat? Both of you?"
The lanky skeleton sunk further into his hoodie in an attempt to mask his flushed cheekbones.
"THOUGH THEY DOWNPLAYED IT WELL, IT WAS STILL PAINFULLY OBVIOUS, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS ONE."
"Alright alright, I get it, jeez."
Stretch mumbled.
"Damn. How did I not know?"
"IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, HUMAN. NOW, WHY DON'T YOU GO AND CHECK ON BLUE AND THE CUPCAKES?"
Papyrus quickly jumped in. You complied, shrugging as you made your way to the kitchen, and as you did, you thought you heard Stretch breath out a sigh of relief. Whilst low murmers came from the living room, you concerned yourself with what Papyrus had suggested you turn your attention to.
"AH, THERE YOU ARE, SUNSHINE! THE CUPCAKES ARE ALMOST DONE COOLING."
Blue swiveled around to face you, a brilliant smile on his face.
"NOW, I KNOW I SAID YOU COULDN'T HELP, BUT IF YOU WANT, YOU MAY ASSIST ME WITH THE FROSTING."
You jumped at the opportunity, your smile shining brightly as you hastily made your way over to him, eager to start.
"Thanks Blue, I'd love that! What made you change your mind?"
You tilted your head in thought as he cleared his none existent throat.
"I JUST...THOUGHT IT MAY BE MORE FUN FOR YOU IF YOU GOT TO HANG OUT MORE WITH THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, OF COURSE!"
He gleamed, and your smile widened as you let out a small giggle.
"Well, you'd be right. I like hanging out with you, Blue."
The skeleton in front of you paused with an expression that you could only describe as incredulity, yet with a glint of hope in his eyes.
"REALLY?"
"Of course! I like hanging out with all of you!"
"EVEN MY...HARSHER DOUBLE?
You assumed he was referring to Black in this case, and you nodded.
"Yeah, well, even if he is a piece of work, he has his moments where he's actually not half bad."
Your comment rose a chuckle out of Blue by the way you spoke about Black.
"WELL, I LIKE HANGING OUT WITH YOU TOO, HUMAN! AND I'M SURE THE OTHERS FEEL THE SAME WAY!"
You hoped so. You thought it would be better if everyone got along, because you didn't know how long you'd all be staying here. And, considering you were all sharing the same house, it made more sense for you to have a more friendly environment rather than a hostile one. You wanted to befriend those you could around you, and throughout these past few months, you were beginning to think that you had made a lot more progress with everyone than before. You hoped you'd be able to count them all as your friends, even the ones who you were still unsure of at times.
"So, what kind of icing are we going to have?"
"WELL, I WAS FLICKING THROUGH THIS RECIPE BOOK AND IT MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A 'BUTTERCREAM FROSTING'? PERHAPS WE SHOULD TRY THAT!"
"Oh yeah, that always tastes good. I've made it tons of times. If you don't know how, I can show you."
You offered, and Blue grinned, placing his hand firmly on your shoulder as his cape somehow was being blown to the side by a billowing force of wind, yet you felt no draft, and the windows were closed. Putting it out of your mind, you decided to get started by showing Blue the ropes. He was a very active listener, which you found amusing, but also nice as it meant he was taking everything in and actually listening to you.
You hadn't anticipated how good Blue was when it came to following instructions, well, sort of. While he did do as you said, every step he put a lot of passion into, meaning you had to stop him multiple times from making a mess of it all. In the end, everything turned out fine, and all that was left to do with colour the icing.
"WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO, SUNSHINE?"
He inquired, eager to hear you opinion. You stood there in thought as you decided what colour would be best.
"Well, I mean red would be a good colour..."
Blue's smile fell a little.
"But, it usually ends up being more pink than red, most of the time. I don't really want to faff about with it."
You recalled, from your many times of dying cakes and icing.
"I don't want to do orange, and I could've sworen I saw purple, but now it's gone...well, I guess were going with Blue, then!"
The skeleton seemed happy with that declaration and quickly got to work with mixing in the dye.
If you were to pinpoint your favourite part of this experience, you'd have to say you enjoyed piping the icing, the most. You were also pleasantly surprised at how skilled Blue was at it. When you asked him how he got so good at it, he explained to you how, when he went to pick up a passed out Stretch at Muffet's, she'd sometimes be preping cakes for the next morning, thus, he was able to observe how she pipped the icing onto her gorgeously decorated cakes.
After enough times of her catching him staring at her, she offered to give him a few private lessons, obviously not without a price, but she gave him a close customer discount, seeing as how often his brother liked to frequent the place. His lessons didn't last for too long, a few months at most, but once he had learnt the basics, and a little extra, he was alright to end the sessions.
When you asked him why he quit, he told you of how his ambitions changed, and how, shortly after starting the lessons, he found an opportunity for an opening in the Royal Guard. Realising his passion for it, he decided to pursue it, but all Blue ever got to do was cooking lessons with Alphys. You frowned at the idea of him seemingly not getting the right sort of training, despite having some friendly sparing sessions on occasion, but he assured you that everything was fine, and that, as soon as he returned to his world, he was sure Alphys would appoint him as the newest Royal Guard member.
You admired his optimism, and how he chose to believe in the positives of a situation more so than the negatives. His hope was unlike anyone's you'd ever seen before, unmatched by anyone, except perhaps Papyrus. You liked that about him. Not many thought like he did, it was rare.
"HUMAN, YOU MUST STOP PIPING THE FROSTING ONTO YOUR FINGER AND LICKING IT OFF! YES, I CAN SEE YOU'RE DOING IT. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE YOURSELF SICK!"
He scolded, and the corner of your mouth turned up, cheekily.
"I can't help it, Blue, it's so good! I'm not gonna make myself sick, I promise."
Today, it seemed that Blue didn't have as much fight in him as usual, so he let it slide but still continued to monitor how much you pipped and how much you ate. Besides, you knew your limits, and when it was becoming a little much, you stopped eating it.
After placing the finishing touches on to the cupcakes, by covering them in sprinkles and edible glitter, they were finally done.
"EXCELLENT WORK, SUNSHINE! THESE LOOK FANTASTIC!"
He praised, fully enthusiastic about your joint creation. You had to agree with him on this one, as they did look pretty cool.
"You're right, bro."
The sound of Stretch's voice filled your ears, startling you as he came up behind you and positioned himself so he was leaning against your back, arms drapped around your front as he placed his weight on you, which wasn't a lot, so you were able to manage it.
"Oh, hi Stretc- hey!"
Plucking one of the cupcakes from the tray, he blinked innocently when you called him out on it. Before you could stop him, he took a large bite out of it, chewing it without a care in the world. He hummed a noise of satisfaction at the flavour, indicating he liked it.
"Nice job, bro. Tastes good."
"BROTHER! You didn't even ask! Where are your manners?"
"Sorry, bro. So, can I have a cupcake?"
He chuckled, making the elder brother groan. Whilst observing him, you noticed Stretch didn't eat the entire cupcake, but instead help up the uneaten half close to your mouth.
"Wanna taste? It's good."
"BROTHER, YOU'VE ALREADY EATEN HALF OF IT! THERE'S NO WAY THE HUMAN WILL- EWWW!"
Blue recoiled in disgust as you took a large bite from the half eaten cupcake. Once the flavours hit your mouth, you were pleasantly surprised to find that it actually tasted really good. So, you nodded in agreement with Stretch's previous statement.
"HUMAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT!"
Blue shivered, shaking his hands as if he was trying to dry them in the air, yet no water was covering them.
"What? It's tasty-"
"IT WAS IN HIS MOUTH!"
Stretch snickered at what he thought was his brother's overreaction to the entire thing, and you simply shrugged, finishing off the cupcake he had handed you.
"Oh, that reminds me. Hey, Blue-"
You grabbed his attention, making him forget his previous disgust.
"How come I didn't know you two were in heat?"
Your questions caught the brothers off guard, making Stretch almost choke on his mouthful of cupcake whilst Blue's face lit up in to a bright blue hue.
"W-WHO TOLD YOU THAT, SUNSHINE?"
He stuttered, nervously. Or was it more out of embarrassment?
"Edge and his lousey, damn big mouth."
Stretch spat, annoyed that his secret had been revealed. You wondered if they had actually hidden it well, or if you were just that oblivious. You tried to recall the events of the past week, but you couldn't think of any specific times when you thought they had been acting strangely.
Blue rubbed the back of his head bashfully as he prepared to explain.
"WELL, I SUPPOSE IT WASN'T AS OBVIOUS AS WHEN SANS WAS IN HIS...BUT, UH-"
He faultered, trying to come up with the right words to say.
"SUNSHINE, HAVE YOU NOTICED MY BROTHER'S INCREASED ANXIETY RECENTLY?"
"Brooo, come on."
Stretch pulled his hood over this head, dragging it down to cover the majority of his face. You thought for a moment, going over the last week to see if you could recall any moments where Stretch seemed a little more on edge than usual. Turns out, you could. You weren't sure why you didn't pick up on it sooner, but you actually had noticed that Stretch seemed a little more anxious this past week, but you hadn't thought much of it, even when that anxiety was directed at you, majority of the time.
"Wait, your heat made you more nervous?"
You directed your questions to Stretch who seemed to be even more embarrassed now.
"W-well, kinda. Like, heats are basically caused by a spike in magic, and that can manifest in different ways depending on the monster and their personality."
You remembered Papyrus saying something very similar when he first explained heats to you, but nonetheless, you still listened to him. As you did, you think you were beginning to understand what he was trying to say. Because of how he was naturally, his excess magic increased his nerves, even in his calmest state.
As for Blue, it was pointed out to you that his heat hadn't been as bad this time. This was due to the fact that he was able to excerise a lot during his training at the police academy, meaning he burned off a lot of the excess magic that was built up in his body. You figured that was why he was able to conceal his condition for so long, without you noticing. The only reason the others were able to notice was because, as monsters, they had some sort of sixth sense when it came to detecting heats.
"A-ANYWAYS, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH AT THE END OF IT, NOW."
"Wait, so, if you both had your heats at the same time, does that mean that they can sync up?"
The brothers both nodded, looking off to the side. You hoped you weren't making them too uncomfortable. Hoping to dissolve some of the tension they were experiencing, you decided to share something which you considers to be equally awkward.
"You know, that's kinda similar to how periods can work. L-like, I mean, they can also synch up with others who experience the same thing, if they've been living in close quarters with them or just around them a lot."
The two of them perked up at what you had shared with them, and the tension they were holding on to seemed to lessen.
"WOWZAZ! I HAD NO IDEA WE WERE SO SIMILAR, IN THAT SENSE."
"Huh, neat."
You found Stretch's minimal response to be quite funny, and soon the conversation went back to it's pervious, light hearted banter, mainly between the two brothers, as Blue was trying to stop Stretch from eating all the cupcakes.
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Tonight, you were able to climb into your sleeping bag, knowing that you wouldn't have to be back at school for another three months, and man, was that a wonderful feeling. The fact that you were able to drift off, knowing that you had no alarm to wake up to tomorrow and no homework due was a blessing. The holiday that you had so desperately craved and had been deprived off, thanks to this world being so behind yours, was finally here, and you couldn't wait.
As you allowed your eyes to close, and your mind to slowly fall into unconscious bliss, you revelled in the feeling of finally being able to relax, for once. Unfortunately, that feeling was cut short when you were woken up abruptly. You squinted your eyes at the towering figure stood in front of you. For a moment, darkness was cast over the figure and your adrenaline spiked, not knowing who it was. However, you were soon much calmer when you realised was it Edge.
"HUMAN, WAKE UP."
You sat up slowly, glancing around your surroundings that were still shrouded in shadows due to the time of night it was. Or rather, morning, you had realised, as your eyes caught sight of the numbers illuminating the time.
"Edge, it's 1:30 in the morning, why the fuck have you woken me up?"
You questioned, very irritated at the fact that your sleep had been interrupted, and at such a ridiculous time as well.
"GET DRESSED, HUMAN, AND QUICKLY. BECAUSE NOW, WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN."
Notes:
Of course Edge has to cause more shenanigans, I wonder what he has in store for reader 🤔. I hope you all have a wonderful day/night, and, as always, thanks for reading! ❤🌸
Chapter 28: Chapter 28: flying a kite
Summary:
Reader and Edge have a little secret sparing session and it drains her! Fortunately for her, Blue drags her outside, meaning she doesn't get as much rest as she probably needs, lol.
Surprise appearances from a couple of familiar faces are also included!
Notes:
Hi everyone! Back with another chapter. Damn, I feel like I say the same stuff in this note every time I update. Sorry, I just can't really think of much else to say at the moment. Must be boring to read the same stuff, oops😅.
Anyways, as always, I hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"What?"
"WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN. NOW, LET'S MAKE HASTE."
He clapped his hands, as if that would make you move any faster. Instead, it did the opposite. You scrunched your face up in confusion at his declaration. You recalled him mentioning something about training you, vaguely, but that was ages ago and you had no idea he'd actually act on it.
"GO AND GET DRESSED."
You layed back down, turning away from him in am attempt to fall back asleep.
"Go back to sleep, weirdo."
...
And, that was how you were dragged into an empty gym late at night.
Not long after you had basically told him to leave you alone, Edge had picked you up and slung you over this shoulder, fireman style, carrying you the entire way, despite your protests. You had tried to escape his clutches, but no amount of squirming could get his grip on you to loosen.
It was only once you had arrived that he finally put you down, and you were able to stare up at him with a livid expression.
"What is wrong with you?!"
"YOU WEREN'T COOPERATING, SO I TOOK MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS."
"By essentially kidnapping me in the dead of night to some sketchy gym?!"
"I'D BARELY CALL THAT KIDNAPPING. AFTER ALL, I DIDN'T EVEN GAG YOU, OR CAUSE YOU INJURY OF ANY SORT."
As usual, his logic made no sense, whatsoever.
"You're psychotic!"
"PARTIALLY."
You wanted to slap yourself so hard right now at how unbelievable this whole situation was. Suddenly, you were getting deja vu from the first day the holidays back home when your mum had dragged you to her lab at 5am. It seemed as though you would never be able to get any rest at this rate.
"So, what exactly are we here for, again?"
"WERE YOU NOT LISTENING? WE'RE HERE TO TRAIN!"
He said, exasperated at the thought of having to repeat himself.
"I don't want to train. It's so early. Can't we just go back, please?"
You pleaded, yawning at the end of your sentence to show how tired you were.
"NO!"
You sighed.
"Ok, fine. But why are we doing it now?"
"THIS IS OPTIMAL TRAINING TIME! NO ONE IS AROUND, SO WE HAVE THE WHOLE SPACE TO OURSELVES!"
"And I'm sure no one knows we're here."
"PRECISELY."
That caught you attention. Your eyebrows were knitted in thought as you pieced everything together. Suddenly, as if a lightbulb had been switched on in your head, it finally made sense.
"You don't want anyone to know about this, do you?"
Edge didn't reply, simply turning his head away in a cantankerous manner, yet you could see a small line of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. You pressed on, knowing you had struck the right nerve.
"Why not?"
It took a moment for the skeleton to answer you.
"BECAUSE THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE THAT, IF THEY OTHERS KNEW I WAS TRAINING YOU, THEY WOULD FORBID ME FROM IT. AND I SIMPLY CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN."
He confessed, putting great emphasis on the importance of this training, though you weren't sure why he was so persistent about it.
"So, no one knows?"
"NO ONE BUT MY BROTHER, NATURALLY."
Ah, so Red knew. You assumed he wouldn't tell anyone, so it must've been fine for him to know. Soon enough, after wracking your brain for other possible ways to get out of this, another question arose.
"Are we even allowed in here?"
"I WORK HERE, SO I HAVE JURISDICTION HERE."
"At this time of night?"
Edge's lack of response answed your question perfectly, even if he didn't speak. You had learned that he often went quiet when he didn't want to admit something, rather than skirting around the issue, he avoided it all together by refusing to further the conversation for any longer, or switch the subject entirely.
"COME NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO WASTE!"
He guided you over to a more open space, bringing out some softer mats and placing them on the floor, just in case. You thought that was a sensible action, and would've approved of his caution if you weren't doing this against your will. Once finished, he positioned himself in front of you, his posture, impeccable as always,
"NOW HUMAN, THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHTING IS TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR ANY ATTACKS THAT MAY BE THROWN YOUR WAY."
You grimaced slightly at the idea that you would actually have to deal with such attacks, probably in a matter of minutes, as well.
"UNDERSTAND?"
"Sure, I guess-"
You were instantly cut off by Edge swiftly approaching you, making no noise and giving no warning as he struck you down, forcefully yet not too harshly, making you land on the mat with a thud. You glanced up at him as he sighed, shaking his head in dismay.
"CLEARLY YOU DO NOT. SECOND RULE, NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN."
You groaned.
"How many more of these rules are there?"
"AS MANY AS IT TAKES FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN."
He answered, his tone, stern. He wasn't messing around, you could tell, though you supposed he never was. You dreaded the very thought of having to fight him; you had seen him in action during his little squabbles with Black, and you had a feeling that you had only witnessed a little snippet of what he could do when he wasn't trying, but when he was...that would probably be 100x worse.
"GET UP."
He commanded and, hesitantly, you obeyed, standing up to face him. Even when you were standing as tall as you could, you weren't even close to his height. In fact, your head barely reached his stomach, or, where it would've been if he had one. The way he towered over you may have been intimidating in this circumstance, if it weren't for the fact that you were still only half awake, so you weren't fully processing everything.
"NOW, I WANT YOU TO PUNCH ME. GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT."
The instruction seemed simple, yet when you tried, mustering all of your strength, you seemed to do more damage to your hand than the skeleton who you had just hit. In fact, it seemed as though he didn't even notice your weak punch. You cradled your hand, rubbing it gently as you whined to yourself.
"Owww..."
Edge simply rolled his eyes what he considered to be a pathetic display. You had absolutely no strength in you whatsoever. He sighed.
"IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO."
------------
"COME ON, HUMAN! YOU CAN'T QUIT NOW, WE'VE BARLEY BEGUN!"
"Edge, it's been...two hours-"
You were shaking, barely able to keep yourself standing as you bent over your knees. Your lungs screamed for air, and with your wheezing, you attempted to gulp as much oxygen as you could get, yet no amount was able to sooth your erratic heart beat. The sweat soaking your clothes, from head to toe, was a clear indication of how much stress had been placed on your aching body, causing your limbs to feel as if they could snap off at any moment.
It had been two hours since you had started this whole session, and you don't think you'd ever been through worse physical torment in your life. Even the mile run your school used to make you do was better than this. Not only was your body spasaming in agony, but your head was throbbing from lack of sleep. You weren't sure how long you could hold out for, but you continued to plead with Edge, to let this end.
"EXACTLY! TWO HOURS IS NOTHING, WE'RE JUST GETTING WARMED UP!"
You groaned. Why wouldn't he just give in? On the verge of tears, you continued to advocate your case in an attempt to try and convince him.
"Edge, I'm absolutely knackered. Please can we just go back now?"
You gazed up at him, imploring him to see your point of view, and how tired you were. From his piercing glare, you couldn't tell if he was wavering his decision or not, but ultimately, you won.
"FINE. THOUGH THIS WAS A SLOW START, IT WS A START NONETHELESS. I SUPPOSED THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW."
He announced. You exhaled a deep sigh of relief, and when you did, you felt your body finally give out, collapsing onto the floor. Though you weren't unconscious, you sat there, wishing you were at that moment. It would've been a good escape from the pain.
"OH, HERE COME THE THEATRICS. YOU REALLY ARE WEAK, AREN'T YOU?"
Edge scoffed, glowering down at you as walked over to your slumped figure.
"WELL? YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO LEAVE, GET UP AND LET'S GO!"
You wanted to, you really did, but you couldn't muster enough energy to move.
"I- I can't-"
As if understanding what you were trying to communicate, Edge let out a long groan of annoyance.
"BY ASGORE'S BEARD, YOU ARE DRAMATIC!"
You hung your head, wishing that his screeches didn't worsen the throbbing in your head. Taking pity on your weary form, Edge took matters into his own hands, once again, by picking you up, being more mindful of how delicate you were feeling right now.
Instead of slinging you over his shoulder like he had done previously, he decided to take a different approach. More specifically, he placed you on his back and had you wrap your legs and arms around him whilst he carried you all the way back to the house.
"YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, HUMAN. I AM HONESTLY APPALLED AT HOW UNFIT YOU ARE. LOOK AT YOU, STILL PRACTICALLY PAINTING FROM OUR LITTLE WARM UP, HOW RIDICULOUS!"
Edge criticised, his tone laced with disapproval.
"WE WILL MAKE THIS A REGULAR THING, AND ON TOP OF THAT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SOME CONSISTENT EXERCISE IN ORDER TO GET IN BETTER SHAPE."
No response came from you, causing the skeleton to turn his head slightly at you.
"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME-"
He started, but his sentence soon came to a halt when he saw you practically knocked out from exhaustion. Your eye bags hung heavy under your closed eyes, and seeing you so worn out made him realise that he may have pushed you a little harder than necessary. Not that it mattered, after all, you had to learn that he wasn't here to go soft on you, and that this training wouldn't be fun or easy. Yet, perhaps he should consider being more careful when striking you, especially when the image of your soul was conjured up in his mind.
A frail soul to match it's equally frail host was just typical. This only served as a worry pain to Edge, who would now have to monitor his attacks a little more closely when striking you down, to avoid dealing too much unnecessary damage to you. He always knew that he'd have to tone it down a bit in the beginning anyways, considering how weak you were, there was no way you would've been able to face him when he was at full strength. No, that would come later, once you were more practiced.
For now, though, he would simply focus on getting you back to the house. After all, if you were going to keep this up, you'd need your rest. It was a bit of an ironic statement, considering he had interrupted the very thing he claimed you needed, but he had a good reason to. If he had done any other time, the backlash he would've faced from the others would've put a stop to his plans before they'd even begun.
He couldn't understand why they had shot down his idea. When he had gone to them about his proposal, they immediately rejected it, claiming you didn't need any training, and that it would only cause you pain. But that's the very thing Edge wanted to avoid, which is why he was so insistent on training you.
Oddly enough, Black had been the only one on board, but even he had his limits to what he deemed acceptable. Though he agreed Edge's plan, he also wasn't a very enthusiastic supporter, as he stated that, if you were ever in any trouble, it would be easy for him to get involved to protect you, so, although it might do you some good to learn how to defend yourself, it wasn't completely necessary, given the circumstances you were in.
Another seperate point Black had made was the fact that this world was incredibly soft, so it was unlikely that you'd run into much trouble, but it wasn't guaranteed. That's what annoyed Edge, the fact that they were all so comfortable being so blindly ignorant to the possible dangers of the world, soft or not. That's why Edge had moved forward with his plans by himself. It wasn't because he cared or anything, he had told himself, but because he didn't want to deal with you when you'd come back hurt because you couldn't defend yourself.
The very image made his soul twist in an unpleasant manner, so he blocked it out of his mind and focused on slipping through the house quietly, as to not arose anyone from their slumber, and into your shared room. As expected, his brother was still asleep, and he had no intent to wake him. It was far to early for him to rise yet, and he did not want to wake his brother up too early, for he knew how he was for the first few minutes of the morning.
He hesitated putting you on the floor. It shouldn't have been a big deal, it wasn't really, but it rubbed him the wrong way how no one had replaced that sleeping bag with something a little more comfortable. Even a blow up mattress would've been better, but that sleeping bag was so thin, and the floor wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep on constantly for months, though he feared you had grown used to it. He glanced at the time and sighed.
With you still on his back, he made the executive decision that, for this night only, he would allow you to rest in his bed. He would not share it with you like his brother had done, he saw no point. After all, since he was awake now, and it was only a couple hours until he would usually rise, he figured it would be more productive to just stay awake and make use of this extra time he had.
So, with that in mind, he gently placed you down onto the top bunk bed, tucking you under the covers before closing the door quietly behind him once he left.
------------
"SUNSHINE! IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!"
You woke with a jolt and cringed at the volume Blue's voice was pitched at. Your body felt heavy and just as painful as the night before, if not worse. It took everything in your to open your eyes, let alone move, and when you did you came face to face with your waker.
Blue, who was leaning on the edge of the bed- wait, what? Upon further inspection, you say that he was using incredible core strength to keep him from falling off. Though he seemed to be fine, the idea of him dangling on the edge of the top bunk made you nervous. Your thoughts were slow to form and your voice dragged, a low grogginess to it, as you spoke.
"Blue, you'll fall like that! Why don't you use the ladder?"
"NOT QUICK ENOUGH! I WAS ABLE TO USE MY ABILITIES TO JUMP UP HERE IN ORDER TO GREET YOU FASTER, NOW COME ON!"
He pulled your arm, making you wince internally at the motion. Every part of you ached and, thanks to the ungodly timing Edge decided to wake you up at and keep you up for, you barely got a wink of sleep, two hours at the maximum. What a way to start off your summer.
As Blue continued to pull you in to a sitting position, you suddenly paused. When did you even get on the top bunk? Wait...this was Edge's bed! Oh shit, he was going to be pissed at you, wasn't he? Great, just great. You pushed that thought out of your mind for now and instead focused your attention on Blue.
"Whyyy?"
"BECAUSE! IT'S A LOVELY, SUNNY DAY AND I WON'T HAVE YOU WASTING IT BY SLEEPING ALL DAY!"
You groaned, pulling the duvet closer to your face in an attempt to hide from him, though it didn't help, as he continued to press on.
"COME ON, SUNSHINE! IT'LL BE FUN! WE CAN GO FOR A WALK, PLEASE?"
Blue's pleas didn't go unsatisfied as you eventually gave in. For some reason, despite your body screaming at you to stay in bed, you couldn't deny him, especially when he wanted to spend time with you. When he left, however, it took a whole to get out of bed. Being on the top bunk didn't exactly help you, as climbing down the ladder shouldn't have been as much of an effort as it was.
Just as you made it down, your other roommate, Red, entered, paying you little notice, or so you thought. After a few moments, he snickered in your direction, making you turn your attention to him, raising an eyebrow as to what was so funny.
"Damn, boss really did a number on ya, huh, sweetheart?"
Oh, so he thought your pain was funny. Wonderful.
"Well, I gotta warn ya, he's just gettin' started. Yer in fer a lot more pain down the road."
"Oh, really? Thanks for the warning."
You deadpanned, sarcasm dripping from your voice as you spoke.
"Ya welcome, and watch yer tone."
He replied, shortly. You didn't know much about Red, but from a couple brief stories Edge had told you, it seemed as though Red had quite a temper, and a short one at that. You didn't know what would set him off but you were definitely able to pick up on when his tone dropped from less playful and more snappy. If anything, you figured that was an indication to watch how you spoke to him. So, you when you decided to push past it, you realised the likeliness of him exploding in a fit of rage died almost immediately.
"Yer gonna have to do a better time of hidin' that pain as well, ya know. Can't have the others findin' out and ruinin' the chief's plan, now can we?"
You slumped your shoulders in defeat and nodded. It was going to be difficult, but maybe you'd be able to pull it off...oh, who were you kidding? You were a terrible lier! You had a feeling this wasn't going to work out.
"No...I- I'll try."
You answered, honestly. You really would try and keep it under wraps, but you didn't know how long they'd buy it for, or of they'd even be convinced at all. Dragging you out of your worry filled thoughts was a large hand that had placed itself on top of your head. Looking up, you saw Red's sharp, toothy grin staring back at you.
"Good girl. Don't sweat it, you'll be fine. And if not, eh, screw 'em anyways. Do what ya like."
His sentiment made a small smile rise to your face, and for a moment, having Red's support, of sorts, made you feel a little better. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to actually cure your physical aches.
"Uh, sweetheart-"
He started, again, his forehead creasing slightly, almost as if he was worried about something.
"Ma bro- he, uh, didn't go too harsh on ya, did he?"
He asked, his tone wavering slightly as he replaced his hand onto your shoulder, his thumb rubbing against a part of your skin you hadn't realised was so sensitive. The automatic flinch you gave to his slight touch gave him all the answers he needed to his question.
"Ya got a couple bruises is all, doll."
He noted, though you had gathered that from taking one look at your body. Whilst there weren't many, you definitely noticed a few new bruises and marks that, although would go down in a few days, were certainly not present before.
"It's fine, Red. A couple of bruises are nothing, and they aren't even big. They'll be gone soon enough."
You brushed him off. Despite him not pressing further on the issue, you could tell that he wasn't exactly at ease. Though it didn't really matter to you, having him worry about you wasn't exactly what you wanted to deal with. You had to figure out how to reassure him somehow.
Honestly, you didn't think you'd ever have to, mainly because you didn't strike him as the type to be concerned about others, much less a human kid whom he's known for only a few months. Clearly, you were wrong, unless you were misreading the situation, but you were pretty sure you weren't. At last, you managed to come up with a way to reassure him.
Mustering the most genuine smile you could, you glanced up at him, placing your hand over his. Whilst you spoke, you slowly guided his hand off of your shoulder in an attempt to distract him from the bruise he had been fixated on, though you didn't let go. Instead, you moved your other hand to grasp his, making you realise just how big his hand actually was. Red, like all the other Sanses, was a fairly large skeleton, but you just didn't realise how large, as he managed to close his hand around both of yours.
"I'm fine, Red, really. Please don't worry."
His response was hesitant, but it seemed like your strategy worked when his expression softened.
"Alrigh', sweetheart."
Your smile widened when he relaxed a little and finally let you go and get ready to hang out with Blue.
------------
It was a slow start to the morning, for you at least. Dragging yourself out of bed and getting ready, whilst having to deal with all your aches and pains, was a challenge in itself, but nothing was worse than the training you endured last night. Running on less than two hours of sleep, you finally made you way down stairs and was greeted by Blue's brilliant smile. He was practically bouncing, giddy with excitement as he came bounding towards you at full speed.
Reaching out his arms, you prepared yourself for another one of his bone crushing hugs, but, he opted for grabbing your hands instead, sparing your body from any further, unnecessary pain. Behind him, watching in amusement at the entire interaction, was Papyrus and Stretch, who you were informed, by Blue, were going with you.
Normally, you would've said the more the merrier, but having more of the skeletons with you would only make the effort of keeping last night a secret even more difficult. Though, you hoped that they'd be distracted enough by the walk to not pay you too much thought. One could only hope.
"HUMAN, ARE YOU EXCITED FOR OUR SMALL OUTING?"
"Yeah, just surprised you managed to get Stretch to tag along with us."
For the short amount of time you had known Stretch, despite being on the surface for the first time, he didn't go out as much as the others. You chalked this down to his laziness, so you were surprised when you found out he was joining all of you, as you thought he was more of the shut in type.
"Hey, not even I can stay inside all the time."
Said skeleton chuckled, shrugging as he slipped his feet into his usual trainers.
"WELL, SHALL WE GET GOING?"
Blue encouraged and you nodded, following him outside. Turns out, he was right, it really was a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright, your skin soaking it in hungrily, and the birds were singing. There was something about a warm summer day that put you at ease, and for a moment, you forgot all your physical agony. It was also nice to experience summer heat that was dry instead of the usual humidity you were used to.
The four of you made your way to the park, though it wasn't your original destination, and sat yourself down on the ground. The spot you had picked was covered in luscious grass, not yet dried out by the early heat, complimenting the cloudless sky to create the presentation of a perfect summer day. Taking a moment to just enjoy the world around you, you leaned back into the grass and stared up above you. This was probably the most peaceful you had felt since your arrival.
"ISN'T THIS NICE, HUMAN? I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER GET TIRED OF THE SUN!"
Papyrus beamed.
"WHILE I LOVE ALL SEASONS, I ESPECIALLY LOVE SUMMER!"
"Why's that, Papy?"
You asked, your tone, calmer than the skeletons had ever heard from you.
"WELL, UNDERGROUND WE NEVER GOT ANY SUN. BUT, UP HERE, THE SUN IS OUT ALMOST EVERY DAY! ESPECIALLY IN SUMMER. NOW THAT I'VE SEEN IT, I CAN'T IMAGINE EVER GOING BACK TO HOW IT WAS BEFORE!"
He confessed, and as you glanced over at the others, you didn't miss the hint of hesitation in the swap brother's eye sockets. It might've been a poor choice of words on his part, considering that the whole idea was to get the swap brothers and the others back to their original universes, ones where they were still trapped underground. With their newfound freedom, and Papyrus' words, you wondered if they too felt like they would be unable to adjust back to how it was before. No sunlight, no surface, no freedom. You couldn't imagine how difficult that would be for them, at least when you went back home you were still on the surface. The others wouldn't be so lucky.
"DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SEASON, HUMAN?"
Papyrus asked, bringing you out of your thoughts. You considered his question for a moment.
"I like summer, as well. But spring is also pretty cool, since it's when the flowers start to bloom, and the weather gets warmer."
You replied, but it seemed Papyrus had switched his attention to something else. Curiously, you turned your head to where his gaze was pointed at and looked down at Stretch, who's face was covered in butterflies. Sitting up slowly, as to not alarm the insects, you gaped at his situation, almost a little jealous that he had managed to attract so many butterflies. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. It seemed as though his calm demeanour drew them in, or maybe it was the fact that he smelled like honey, due to his constant snacking on it.
"BROTHER, WHAT ARE THOSE TINY CREATURES ON YOUR FACE?"
Blue inquired, moving his face closer to his brother, who's face was too covered for him to move his mouth, so you took it upon yourself to answer for him.
"Those are butterflies. And they seem to really like you, Stretch."
You giggled when Stretch managed to give you all a thumbs up, showing he was content being left like this. Smiling at his situation, you decided to stand up, stretching as your muscles felt a little stiff. When you did, you heard a massive crack ripple throughout your body, making you sigh a little in relief. When you glanced around, it was made apparent to you that you weren't the only one that had heard that.
Going off the horrified expression displayed by Papyrus and Blue, and how Stretch seemed to have tensed, you assumed that they weren't a fan of that noise.
"What?"
You asked, and they cringed, brushing it off. Shrugging, you let it go, but not before making a note of their reactions, saving the information for later.
While Stretch continued to relax, the butterflies not leaving his side, Blue and Papyrus began exchanging small talk between themselves, though nothing about the conversation felt awkward. In fact, thanks to their boisterous personalities, you found that there was never a dull moment when these two were around each other, only encouraging the other's enthusiasm.
This did cause them to get wrapped up in their conversation, however, but you didn't mind. Instead, you seized this opportunity to take some time for yourself. You started by taking a little walk, observing the nature around you whilst staying within the skeleton's line of sight. But, before you knew it, you had already wondered off somewhere else, disappearing from the skeletons' view all together.
During your walk, you ended up spacing out, losing track of your surroundings slightly until you were snapped back to reality upon seeing a couple of familiar faces. Once you noticed each other, you waved to them, and they returned the motion whilst you walked up to greet them.
"Hello, my child! What a pleasant surprise."
Toriel spoke as you approached her and Frisk. You flashed them both a bright smile.
"Hi, guys. I didn't expect to see you here."
"Neither did we, it is lovely to see you again, y/n."
"You as well!"
After exchanging pleasantries with Toriel, you turned to Frisk, who seemed to be just as reserved as before. Luckily, you had prepared for this, and had a plan to make them open up a little more to you. After all, you didn't want them to feel uncomfortable around you. Placing your full attention on Frisk, you began to speak to them, whilst using the sign language you had been learning in secret.
"Hey Frisk, it's great to see you again. How are you doing?"
Your plan did not disappoint. Once your saw Frisk's face light up at your actions, you knew you had done something right. Smiling, you continued to talk and sign, making Frisk even more pleased at your efforts. To your delight, Frisk signed back to you, and you were able to understand them.
'I'm good! When did you learn sign language?'
You smiled.
"I've been practicing. I'm not the best, but-"
Frisk cut you off, reassuring you that you were fine, with a shy smile. That made you feel a little more confident in your abilities.
"So, what are you guys up to today?"
You asked, upon catching a glimpse of a kite on top of the bench they were sat at.
'We're going to fly this kite!'
Frisk beamed, picking up the kite and thrusting it in front of you, enthusiastically.
"Yes, we are just waiting for the winds to pick up a little. After all, it would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day."
Toriel added, and you smiled.
"That sounds like fun. Have you done this before?"
You directed your question mainly at Frisk, who nodded, vigorously.
"My child loves it. Though I thought it to be odd at first, I have found tranquility in the activity."
You turned to Toriel, a gentle smile gracing her face as she recalled memories of the first time Frisk had come to her with the idea, begging her to let them try it. Of course, she had not opposed her child, no matter how strange the idea sounded, and, since then, it became a fun activity that both of them could enjoy.
'Do you like flying kites, y/n?'
Frisk inquired and you paused.
"Oh, uhm, actually, I've never flown one before."
You stated, an indifferent tone to your voice. The two of them raised their eyebrows in surprise at your statement.
'How come?'
"Well, it's just not something my family ever did- not that I can remember, at least."
You shrugged, and watched as the corners of Frisk's lips curved downwards, their brows scrunching together. After a moment of thinking, Frisk came up with an idea.
'Do you want to fly it with me? I can teach you!'
They offered. You weren't expecting the invitation for you to join them, but you didn't oppose the idea, appeasing the child. After all, you've always wondered what it would be like. So, with that, you let Frisk drag you off in search of a place where the wind was more prominent. After a few minutes, you came across a higher point of ground for you to set everything up.
Toriel watched with a smile at how the two of you were getting along. She couldn't remember the last time Frisk was this excited around any humans, so the fact that they were able to smile around you so brightly was a massive improvement on their part. Toriel was thankful for your presence, and hoped that a friendship may be able to bloom between the two of you. Once Frisk had finished showing you the ropes, it was time to put their instructions into action.
The joy that sparked in your eyes, once you had the kite up in their air, did not go unnoticed by Toriel, nor her child. You had found a sweet spot, where the wind was powerful enough to keep it in the air, yet not too harsh that it made it uncontrollable for you. A soft smile graced your lips as you engaged in an activity foreign to you.
"Now I see why you like this so much, it's more fun than I thought it would be. Thanks for teaching me."
You thanked Frisk, who gave you a thumbs up in return. After a couple minutes, you decided to return the kite back to Frisk and watched them as they took their turn flying it. You observed the kite's uncertain movements as it was manipulated by the winds, changing it's direction each second. Watching it weave in and out filled you with a mild sense of contentment at the whole situation, and, by the smile on her face, it seemed Toriel had similar feelings.
"Oh, I meant to ask you, my child, did you come here alone?"
You turned to her, shaking her head.
"Hm? No, I came with-"
And then it hit you. You had been so caught up in your own world, and then hanging out with Frisk and Toriel, that you had completely forgotten about how you had just left the skeletons alone. Speak of the devil, it only took a few seconds, after your realisation, for you to notice the three skeletons, that you had abandoned, all with panicked looks on their faces.
Once you were spotted, you thought they'd calm down more, but instead, their distress seemed to increase as they came charging towards you. Well, Stretch didn't, instead opting to take a lazy, slow stride, falling behind Papyrus and Blue. You and Toriel exchanged looks as they did, and although you were silently pleading with her to save you, your request was too late and, before you knew it, you were lifted up in the air and into Papyrus' arms, without hesitation.
Pulling you into yet another bone crushing hug, you whinced at the reminder of your aching body, as it was unfortunately squished against the skeleton's chest too tightly for you to escape. The motion had brought attention to not only Toriel, but now also Frisk, who stared at the whole situation in amusement. You on the other hand, were not amused, and neither were the skeletons.
"THERE YOU ARE, HUMAN! WHY MUST YOU WONDER OFF LIKE THIS? WE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW FOR YOU BUT COULD NOT FIND YOU ANYWHERE, UNTIL NOW, THAT IS!"
Papyrus exclaimed, before noticing who you were with.
"OH! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE, LADY ASGORE AND TINY HUMAN?"
He addressed them, an almost comically quizzical expression on his face.
"We've been here for quite a while, dear."
The sound of Toriel's soft giggle sounded so motherly to you, though you couldn't exactly say why. In a way, it was almost comforting to hear such a gentle sound escape her mouth.
"I SEE! WELL, WE'D LOVE TO STAY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE MUST BE OFF!"
Papyrus, who had not put you down, gripped you tightly as he bid goodbye to Frisk and Toriel.
"We must get together soon for another catch up. Perhaps at dinner?"
"A WONDERFUL IDEA, LADY TORIEL!"
And so it was decided that, in the near future, the four of you, and probably including Sans once you told him, would get together again and do something. Whatever that something was, you were looking forward to it, specifically so you could hang out with Frisk again. Though you only hung out for a short while, somehow, you felt as if the two of you had already become quite close. It was like the two of you had clicked, maybe not instantly, but soon enough to feel more than comfortable in each other's presence.
Of course, when you left, you didn't escape a lecture from both Blue and Papyrus, who chastised you for running off.
"WE GOT YOU A PHONE FOR A REASON, HUMAN! DID YOU NOT SEE OUR MESSAGES OR CALLS?"
You actually hadn't.
"Nah, my phone died, sorry."
Papyrus gave you an exasperated look while Blue shook his head. Despite the fact that the two were unhappy with your behaviour, Stretch seemed almost entertained by it, clearly expressed through his snickers and the glances he shot at you.
"You really do have a wondering off problem, don't you, kid?"
You really wanted to argue with him, but as they kept pointing it out, you began to wonder if you actually did. You couldn't help it, how could you not want to explore a complete different universe? Even with the similarities it held to your world, it was still exciting nonetheless, and you supposed you got too wrapped up in it at times.
Ignoring Stretch's question, which sounded more like a statement than anything, you turned you attention to Papyrus, who hadn't put you down since he had picked you up. No, instead he had placed you on his shoulders, which you felt way too tall to be sitting on, and you worried you were getting too heavy for him, despite him showing no signs of struggle. In fact, it was like you weighed nothing to him. Just how strong was this skeleton? And with no muscles as well!
"Papy, why haven't you put me down yet? Aren't I heavy for you?"
He shook his head.
"NOT AT ALL, HUMAN! YOU MUSTN'T FORGET THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE IMMEASURABLE STRENGTH! NYEHEHE!"
Well, you couldn't exactly argue with his statement, as he seemed to be holding up just fine. But, it still wasn't a complete answer to your question.
"Ok, I know you can, but why?"
"WHY WHAT, HUMAN?"
"Why do you pick me up so often?"
You had been wondering this for a while. At first, you had found it rather strange, and while you were sort of used to it by now, you had never protested against him, mainly because, everytime he came to do it, you were too surprised to really ascertain what was happening. Once you did, you had already been captured in the arms of the tall skeleton, unable to say no to him.
"BECAUSE YOU LET ME!"
Oh. That was a more simple, and literal, explanation than you were expecting.
"I let you."
You repeated, to which he nodded, enthusiastically.
"YES! I USED TO DO THE SAME WITH THE HUMAN, FRISK, BUT...THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE TOO OLD FOR IT NOW, AND THAT IT EMBARRASSES THEM, WHEN DONE IN PUBLIC."
Well, you didn't blame them. Frisk was growing up and would soon be heading into the tween category, which was when the embarrassment truly started, and only grew during the teenage years. You should know.
"BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE OLDER THAN FRISK, YOU NEVER SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, SO I FIGURED IT WAS FINE!"
It was true that you had never spoken out against his actions because, truthfully, you had never actually minded. You hadn't been picked up like this in a while, the last time probably being when you were young, maybe about 5 or 6, and although you felt a little old for it, you couldn't help but also enjoy the fact that you got to experience this once again, even at your age. You were a little embarrassed at first, but after spending a few months where, when you'd step outside with one or all of the skeletons, you'd get constant stares from people, you've learned to tolerate the embarrassment and looks a little more.
"I'M SORRY HUMAN, DO YOU NOT ENJOY IT?"
He fretted, reading his hands to put you down if requested, but you stopped him.
"No, it's fine."
You mumbled, leaning against his skull, casually. Placing his hands back on your knees, he smiled, continuing to carry you until you were unexpectedly removed from his shoulders by Blue, who had a mischievous grin on his face.
"MWEHEHE! I WISH TO HOLD THE HUMAN, AS WELL!"
He proclaimed, squishing you against his ribcage. Both Papyrus and Stretch laughed at Blue's antics, and did nothing to save you. Now you were starting to feel slightly embarrassed, but you didn't stop their fun. After all, how could you, when you felt a smile of your own creeping up on your face. However, when Blue wasn't looking, you were swiftly snatched away by Stretch, with a shit eating grin on his face at his accomplishment.
"Heya, honey. I gotcha now."
He seemed to be relatively strong as the others, though probably not as strong. At least, that's what you figured.
"BROTHER, NO FAIR! IT WAS MY TURN TO PICK UP THE TINY HUMAN!"
"For the last time, I'm not tiny. And you guys can't just pass me around like I'm a basketball, or something!"
Your comment went purposely unnoticed by the skeletons, who all thought for a moment, before they used your words against you.
"Good idea, honey. Pap, you're up."
That was all the warning he gave you before tossing you into Papyrus' arms. You shrieked whilst in the air, momentarily, landing safely in Papyrus' arms. There was a pause for you reaction, but when you let out an exuberated laugh, they knew it was okay to continue their little game. After all, they were very careful with you, so you never got hurt in the process of being tossed between the skeletons.
After sharing some good spirited laughs and fun, they finally showed you mercy, letting you back down. Your legs wabbled slightly as they hit the ground, and you briefly clung to Papyrus for support until you fully regained your footing, and luckily, he was happy to provide assistance until you did.
The shared atmosphere between all of you was light and breezy, matching the energy of the day, and everything for a moment felt so wonderful. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long.
Your group walked in two's, as to not take up too much room on the pavement, however, it didn't prevent Stretch from accidentally brushing against a human. The man flinched, glaring at him momentarily, making an effort to pull away from him. As he walked past, he mumbled to himself, although he had been loud enough for the group to hear.
"Fuckin' monster."
That made you stop dead in your tracks. The others hesitated at that comment, but chose not to say anything. Stretch only scoffed, but even that was enough to get the man's attention. He turned around, a scowl present on his face as he narrowed his eyes at Stretch, who seemed unfazed, yet still not happy, by the encounter.
"The fuck did you say?"
Stretch paused, glancing at the others briefly before he spoke.
"Nothing, pal."
"I'm not your pal, monster. Your kind fucking disgust me, I'd never be 'pals' with one of you."
He spat, and you couldn't believe that you were hearing this. Your mouth hung open at how openly racist he was being right now, and you were too shocked to say anything, for now.
"Suit yourself."
He shrugged, clearly not wanting to interact any further with this man, and you couldn't blame him.
"Go to hell."
Would've been his final statement, if you hadn't intervened at the last minute.
"Oh, pack it in, will you?"
The man's gaze locked on to you immediately, and you instantly felt uncomfortable with his focus on you.
"Shut it, kid. You don't know anything about how horrible these creatures are! I wouldn't be surprised if they've brainwashed you."
"Right, well, these 'creatures' happen to be-"
You hesitated at using the word 'family'.
"close to me. And they're not horrible."
You argued, and felt a hand placed on your shoulder. Glancing up for a moment, you saw Papyrus' tense expression, indicating that you should just leave it, but you couldn't.
"If you like them so much, then maybe you should go back to your own country, and take them with you. Or better yet, join them as they crawl back into that mountain where they so clearly belong!"
Yeah, like hell you were letting him get away with that. Rage began to buil within you, at his words, and you suddenly felt repulsed to even be in his presence.
"Yeah, ok, you need to fuck off right now."
"Excuse me?"
He stared at you, outraged at the language you had used against him. The others seemed to be shocked at how quickly irked you had become at the man, and feared that things would escalate. However, you weren't looking to take things too far. You rolled your eyes at him, only fueling the fire.
"How are you defending those ugly creatures?!"
"Wow, imagine you looking like that and still talking. That receeding hairline is so far back I don't know where your forehead ends and the back of your head begins."
You cringed, your comment earning a couple snickers bursting out from behind you. The skeletons all quickly brought a hand to their mouths in an effort to conceal their laughter, except for Stretch, who openly laughed at the man.
"Oh, real mature. Just shows that you're an idiotic kid who should learn to keep her mouth shut, instead of being a disrespectful little shit to strangers."
He hissed taking one step closer to you with his finger pointed close to your face. You recoiled, giving him a dirty look, but before things could go any further, you felt yourself being dragged away by Papyrus, in an attempt to difuse the situation, or at least move away from it. You didn't protest against this, and neither did the man, who shot you another glare before storming off.
Turning your back on him, you let yourself be dragged away by your entourage, even if you could've thought of a million more things to say to him.
"HUMAN, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ENGAGED WITH HIM. THERE WAS NO NEED TO ESCALATE THE SITUATION."
Papyrus stated, matter of factly. It rubbed you the wrong way how easily he was dismissing that man's disgusting behaviour.
"Yeah, well, what he said to Stretch, to all of you, wasn't right. Were you seriously okay with letting him get away with it?"
"WHILE IT IS...UNFORTUNATE, IT IS OFTEN LIKELY THAT US RETORTING BACK TO COMMENTS LIKE THAT, WHETHER IT BE PEACEFUL OR NOT, MAY STILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS BEST TO AVOID SUCH SITUATIONS."
You could see it from their perspective. They must deal with stuff on a regular basis, so it must be difficult to walk away from it every time, despite knowing that what was said or done to you was wrong. You figured that, as Papyrus had been here the longest, you could trust his judgement when he told you to leave it, but even then, it still felt wrong. Still, the last thing you wanted to do was make any more trouble for them then they had to deal with.
"I'm sorry, I just- he just-"
You fumbled over your words but, they understood what you were getting at.
"Ya don't need to worry about people like that gettin' to us, kid. We're fine."
Stretch reassured, doing Sans' usual trick and ruffling your hair. Despite how easily they were able to brush the encounter off, his words still rang in your head, leaving a unpleasant, sour taste on your tongue. Before you could discuss it any further, however, Blue decided to quickly switch the topic of conversation, making no room for anyone to address what had just happened. It was clear they didn't want to talk about it, so you left it, whilst internally making a note to keep an eye out for those kinds of people, again.
Fortunately, the walk home was short, meaning you didn't run into anymore trouble outside. Inside, was a different story.
Taking a seat on the sofa, your eyes glanced over to Cash, who's posture was especially horrendous when sitting. Your gaze locked with his and you were a met with a scowl, catching you off guard. Not that you expected less hostility from him, but something about him seemed as though he was especially pissed off today, though you didn't know about what.
Not really wanting to find out, you debated whether to just sit in silence or talk to him about the events of your day. After minutes of awkward tension in the air, you caved, opening your mouth to speak. Whilst listening, it seemed as though he didn't pay much attention to you, or even have any interest in your story in the first place, but that didn't stop you from trying to relieve some of the awkwardness. Throughout your rambling, you noticed that something you had said did catch his attention.
"He said all that? And ya went 'n confronted him about it?"
You nodded, smiling as though you had done the right thing. However, when you saw his scowl twist down even further, you began to doubt yourself.
"Yer stupid, ya know that? A stupid girl."
He grunted, leaving you slightly shocked at his words. You didn't think that what you had done was stupid, though, going on the feedback from Papyrus earlier, you wondered if you had made a dumb move after all.
"What? How?"
You tried pushing for a reason to his statement, but that only seemed to aggravate him more. Eventually, he snapped.
"Ya just are! Now fuck off."
Swiftly making his way of the couch and storming into the other room, you were left sitting there, wondering what it was that you had done wrong. Coming in the opposite direction, towards you, not long after was Black, and you groaned internally at the thought of him getting onto you for making his brother angry. You expected him to yell at you once he approached you, but instead, he took a seat next to you, pulling out a book he had hidden behind his back.
Flipping through the pages absentmindedly, you wondered why he had chosen your company. If anything, you got the impression that he'd rather spend as much time away from you as possible. Not long after he had arrived, he began speaking to you, whilst still looking down at his book, his eye lights moving with the sentences, back and forth.
"DON'T MIND MY BROTHER. HE IS JUST IN A MOOD BECAUSE IT IS HIS TIME."
Very cryptic, Black, and not at all helpful.
"His time?"
"HIS HEAT."
He specified, and you made an 'o' shape with your mouth.
"IT CAN MAKE HIM IRRITABLE, YET CANNOT IMPROVE HIS LAZINESS, TO MY DISMAY."
So that's why he had snapped at you. Either that or he just really didn't like you. Both options were plausible.
"Why?"
"YOU HAVE LEGS, GO TO THE LIBRARY AND RESEARCH IT YOURSELF! DON'T RELY ON OTHERS TO JUST HAND YOU ALL THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING! SHOW MORE INDEPENDENCE, YOU'RE FIFTEEN!"
He grumbled, as if he was trying to give you a lecture of sorts.
"Alright, alright. I get it."
You muttered. Momentary silence washed over the two of you once again. Black made no further attempts to talk to you, choosing to focus on his book. Stealing glances over at him every now and then, you noticed the slight squint in his eye sockets and the subtle movement of his hands bringing the book ever so slightly closer to him. The realisation hit you faster than it hit him.
"Black, are you having trouble reading?"
You asked, innocently, tilting your head. The skeleton grunted, paying you little mind as he continued to focus on the pages in front of him. You interpreted him ignoring you as a clear yes, so you decided to press on. Leaning closer towards him, looking over his shoulder at the pages, you held back a smirk.
"You might need glasses, you know."
"WHAT NONSENSE! MY SIGHT IS IMPECCABLE, THANK YOU! I HAVE DONE MUCH LONG DISTANCE SCOUTING THROUGHOUT MY YEARS OF LIVING, SO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY VISION IS AS SHARP AS THE BONES I CAN CONJUR UP TO KILL MY ENEMIES!"
He declared, clearly upset at the idea of being seen as weak, even if it was the simple suggestion of reading glasses.
"What about your short sighted vision? Because it looks like you're having trouble-"
"I AM NOT! HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE I HAVE A WEAKNESS! I, THE MALEFICENT SANS, HAVE NO WEAKNESSES!"
"What about your brother?"
He paused, before answering.
"I DO NOT NEED TO HEAR YOUR RIDICULOUS CLAIMS ANY LONGER!"
Although he sounded mad, and his words were indented to prove his point, his pout, that he was unaware of pulling, slightly undermined his message. Slamming the book shut, he hastily stood up and stomped away, his fingers, cleaned tightly around the book. You took some amusement at the fact that you had managed to rile him up, and it finally ended in a way that didn't get you hurt, physically. All and all, a pretty decent day by your standards.
That was until you crashed.
Staying awake all day with little to no sleep, your body's aches, weighing you down, was not an easy task, and you weren't able to keep up the façade for much longer after your conversation with Black. When Sans had found you face down, spread all across the sofa with an exhausted expression on your face, he had asked if you were feeling okay, and your pain desperately made you want to snitch on Edge.
Unfortunately, before you could, said skeleton appeared, taking you away from Sans whilst claiming you were fine, and that you just needed an early night. Sans shrugged it off and let you be. After all, he'd never stand in the way of someone and their sleep. Or, as he liked to call it, his main hobby.
Once the door was shut, Edge layed you down on the floor, glaring down at you.
"YOU ARE A REALLY SHITTY ACTOR."
He muttered, unimpressed by your performance. You returned his glare, starting to get annoyed at the fact that you had to keep this secret of his. You didn't even want to train with him in the first place, and now he was forcing you to do it whilst keeping it a secret from everyone? This was starting to get on your nerves, and it hadn't even been a day.
"I'm so sick of this! I don't give a shit about your little secret!"
You snapped, standing up, disregarding every bone in your body that begged you to stay down.
"I'm exhausted, sore, and a terrible lier!"
"OH, QUIT YOUR WHINING."
"No! You're being an arsehole-"
"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE WITH ME, CHILD."
He growled, his first, curling in on themselves into fists. You crossed your arms and turned away from him, as you refused to reason with a crazy person. Apparently, Edge really didn't like being ignored, and this was made evident to you by him yelling at you.
"DO NOT IGNORE ME, HUMAN!"
The longer you continued to refuse, the more irritated he became, until it got to the point where he yanked you back around to face him, pushing his face right into yours. His skull was inches away from yours as he glowerd down at you, menacingly, another low growl escaping from his teeth.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"
You tried not to show it, but the subtle change in his tone made you gulp.
"I AM SPEAKING TO YOU, SO DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME! YOU WILL ANSWER WHEN SPOKEN TO."
He yelled, his words, words decisive as they left no room for you to object to his commands.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SPEAK TO YOU IF YOU IGNORE ME? WELL??"
You bit your lip, shrugging, as you cast your case downwards. The previous spark that had encouraged you to voice your opinion was beginning to die as you felt waves of intimidation roll off of him. The lack of passion you had for arguing now made your lip quiver, and the guilt of getting so riled up for no reason startled to seep in.
Edge released you from his grip, forcing himself to calm down for a moment. Realising his mistake once he heard your sniff, he exhaled deeply, taking the time to consider his words carefully. He turned to you, watching you desperately try to hide how flushed your cheeks were, and how red your eyes had become. For a split second, he too felt guilty. Regret wasn't something he had felt for a long time, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel anything but.
Though physical contact wasn't his preferred method of interacting with people, he made an acception for you, placing a hand on your head, which was now fully tilted downwards. Pulling you closer to him, he allowed you to lean your head against his chest as your arms rushed to your face in an attempt to conceal your expression. But, Edge didn't need to see your face, for your body language, and occasion, quiet sniffs, was enough for him to gather how you were feeling, right now.
"I can't do it, Edge...I'm so tired- I'm sorry-"
He shushed you mid sentence, stroking his thumb up and down the back of your skull, tenderly brushing it against your hair.
"YOU CAN. YOU JUST NEED SOME SLEEP."
You didn't respond, and he mentally kicked himself for losing his temper like he did. Sometimes he forgets how you were much softer from the people he was used to dealing with, not to mention much younger, and human. He didn't need to behave how he usually did, especially not with you. No, he needed to take a slightly different approach with you, if he even could.
"COME ON, NOW. NO NEED TO GET SO WORKED UP."
Tilting your head upwards, he softened his scowl. Though it wasn't a smile, it did make you feel as though you weren't about to be strangled out of anger, which put you at ease. After a moment of silence exchanged between the two of you, the two of you had simultaneously decided it would be a good idea for you to head to bed.
Crawling into your sleeping bag, the memory of your cosy bed, sitting empty back home, made you want to cry. You missed the comfort of an actual bed, and although you were really starting to hate sleeping on the floor, you weren't about to complain. Yes, you were grateful for everything the skeletons had provided you, but it was a shame that they didn't have another blow up mattress, nor had they bought one, either.
Sighing to yourself, you rested your head against your pillow, watching as Edge milled about the room, muttering to himself how untidy his brother was, and how disgusting his room used to be back underground. Apparently, it was way worse than the current state of his bed, which was littered with old wrappers, dirty socks and crumpled bedsheets, untucker from the corners, whilst his pillow leaned haphazardly off of the bed. You smiled at how worked up he was getting over this.
"HONESTLY, IS IT SO HARD TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF? EVEN YOU CAN MANAGE IT FINE, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY BROTHER CAN'T!"
He tutted, shaking his head, disapproving of his brother's filthly lifestyle. Once he had cleaned up as much as he could handle without being sick at the sight of it, Edge shifted the conversation topic to something you weren't expecting him to comment on. Sitting down on the floor beside you, yet gazing at the door in front of him as opposed to you, he seemed almost relaxed, in a way. He was definitely calmer than before, and you had an inkling that he felt bad for acting so harshly towards you, though that could just be wishful thinking.
"PAPYRUS FILLED ME IN ON WHAT HAPPENED TODAY."
His statement was blunt and straight to the point. You supposed that word travelled fast in this household. When he didn't elaborate any further, you wondered if he actually had anything else to say. If he did, why hesitate?
"And?"
You prompted.
"AND YOU BEHAVED STUPIDLY."
You wanted to slap yourself. Groaning, you shifted from your side position, rolling on your back and you smushed your hands against your face.
"Why does everyone keep calling me that, today?! What did I do that was so wrong? I thought I was doing the right thing, the guy was being horrible to Stretch and the guys-"
"I'M SURE WHATEVER WAS SAID, THEY CAN HANDLE IT."
He knew what was said, yet chose not to disclose that to you.
"THERE WAS NO NEED FOR YOU TO INTERVENE."
"Yes there was! He was being-"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HE WAS BEING, YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE GOT INVOLVED!"
He snapped, his gaze flickering to you in a rush of emotions, before sighing and turning back to face the door. You bit your tongue as you tried to figure out what he wanted from you.
"THE OTHERS CAN HANDLE THEMSELVES FINE. SOMEONE WITH THE CAPACITY TO BE THAT DISGUSTED BY ANOTHER PERSON DEFINITELY HAS THE ABILITY TO BECOME VIOLENT, IF RUBBED THE WRONG WAY."
He explained, recalling old lessons that he had learned long ago, when he was much younger than you.
"YOU GOT LUCKY THAT YOU PROBING HIM DIDN'T IRK HIM ENOUGH FOR HIM TO GET VIOLENT, BUT NEXT TIME, YOU MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY."
"What? So, next time, I should just stand there and let people make rasict comments against them?"
"I'M SAYING YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ESCALATED THE SITUATION-"
"But why?"
"BECAUSE IT WAS A DANGEROUS AND IDIOTIC THING TO DO! YOU ACTED RASHLY, AND DOING THAT COULD'VE GOT YOU HURT, OR WORSE, KILLED! THIS WORLD, DESPITE BEING SOFT, IS STILL FULL OF BAD PEOPLE!"
Sometimes, it really annoyed you how some of them acted as if you were oblivious to the darker parts of the world. You knew that life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, so why did they act like you were clueless?
"You don't think I know that? Of course I know people can be dangerous, but I was with the others!"
"WHAT IF THEY WERE COMPROMISED? OR YOU WERE ALONE? OR WITH SOMEONE JUST AS DEFENCELESS AS YOU?"
The image of Quinn briefly flashed through your mind as he continued his rant.
"YOU CANNOT RELY ON JUST ANYONE TO KEEP YOU SAFE! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I WANTED TO START UP THOSE DEFENCE LESSONS WITH YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED TO YOU?"
"Worst comes to worst, he could've tried to shank me-"
"HE COULD'VE HAD A GUN."
Shit, you had actually forgotten about that possibility. You had to remember that you weren't in England anymore, and here, there were very few restrictions on the gun laws. Edge must've caught your hesitation and to him, it only solidified the idea that you were ignorant to the world's dangers.
"So what? Next time, you just want me to do nothing?"
"NO. I WANT YOU TO RUN. RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN BACK HERE, BACK TO ME. EVEN IF THEY'VE FOLLOWED YOU, IT DOESN'T MATTER. JUST GET BACK HERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN."
You raised an eyebrow at him, but more specifically, at his comment.
"You want me to come to you?"
You asked, surprised that he was advocating for such a thing. He gaze flickered over to you briefly as he spoke, his voice, gentler than you remembered it being.
"IF YOU COME TO ME, I CAN ENSURE YOUR SAFETY BY PROTECTING YOU-"
"I thought you said I can't rely on anyone to keep me safe."
You quipped, interrupting him and catching him out with his own words. He scoffed.
"I SAID JUST ANYONE. AND, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED, HUMAN, I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AM NOT 'JUST ANYONE'."
You rolled your eyes, but there was no malicious intent behind the action.
"I AM CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD. IF ANYONE IS FIT TO PROTECT SOME PUNY HUMAN, IT WOULD BE ME."
He declared, and despite his ego running high, you found no lies in his sentiment. Well apart from the whole puny human bit. You weren't puny, were you? Suddenly, a grin rose to your face as you turned to face him, using your finger to prod at his arm.
"Aww, you care about me-"
You teased, playfully, watching happily as his cheeks flared up from the insinuation.
"I DO NOT!"
"Yes you do! You said you'd protect me."
"I TAKE MY WORDS BACK!"
"No you don't."
You giggled at how embarrassed he was getting and decided to tease him a little more until you felt the weight of sleep desperately begging to take you down. Before you could give in to it's desires, however, there was one last thing you needed to address.
"Hey, Edge?"
He hummed in response and waited for you to continue.
"Did you not sleep last night? Cause, I woke up in your bed, and I know you didn't sleep on the floor, so...did you?"
You asked.
"NO, OF COURSE NOT. WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?"
He muttered, clearly put off by the idea.
"UNLIKE YOU, I'M NOT WEAK. I DON'T NEED TO SLEEP CONSTANTLY JUST TO FUNCTION PROPERLY."
His statement made you frown. You considered countering his opinion, but you knew he would refute you no matter what you said. On account of how tired you were, you let him think what he wanted. Letting your eyes flutter shut, you shifted in sleeping bag, dragging your arms out and wrapping them around Edge's leg. He flinched at the unexpected touch, but soon settled once he realised it was you.
He looked down, raising his eyebrow at you.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Shh, sleeping."
You whispered, holding back a smile.
"I AM NOT SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR."
"Didn't say you had to."
Silence filled the air for quite some time, and although you hadn't fallen asleep yet, Edge had made no move to remove you from his leg. He did, however, wonder if the position was comfortable for you.
"Goodnight, Papy."
You yawned, not noticing how you hadn't used his given nickname, but one that hadn't been used for a while. It was almost enough to make him smile. Almost.
As Edge gazed down at your docile state, he couldn't help but feel a hint of softness well up in him. How easily you trusted him, finding the courage to come as close to him as you were now, the idea was completely alien to him. The only person who had ever shown him this kind of closeness was his brother, but even that had to be done behind closed doors, in order to protect the two of them.
Here, you were free to show your emotions around others, even him. His chest felt fuzzy as he watched your breathing even out, indicating you were finally sleeping. He hadn't felt this kind of urge in a long time, but, whenever he saw you, Edge couldn't help but feel this strong need. The need to protect you, to make sure you were safe.
He realised that he wanted you to trust him, to be able to feel safe around him. He wanted you to run to him when you were having problems, no matter how big or small. He wanted to help you, and he wanted you to be comfortable relying on him for help.
Admitting it out loud would've been silly, a sign of weakness, even, if he were back in his world. But, he wasn't. Though it would be a long time before he allowed himself to express himself in such ways, Edge would eventually learn how to show his care towards the people he cared about. Towards his brother, towards you.
Cupping your head with his large, gloved hand, his scowl died. The way you clung to him, cried in front of him, argued with him, smiled at him. Every bit of emotion you showed, every touch, every action, proved to him that you didn't view him as someone to be feared, but rather, a friend. Or at least, that's what he hoped.
Sure, there were times where he let his anger get the better of him, and he may have accidentally hurt you at times, but you didn't run away. You didn't cower in his presence like you did on occasion with Black. You didn't freeze when you heard his footsteps. You didn't watch your tongue around him.
No.
Instead, you smiled every time he came through the door from work. You laughed and cried in his presence. You were playful with him, reaching out to show him affection, even in the most unlikeliest of times. You even managed to calm him down on one occasion.
Your first meeting with Toriel, don't think he hadn't noticed your attempt to deescalate the situation. Except, you didn't yell at him, or pull him away. Instead, you let him know you were there behind him and that you felt safe enough to stay there, trusting that he would listen to your silent plees, which inevitably, he did.
You continued to surprise him in so many ways. Coming back to from his patrols or after a particularly gruesome encounter with a rough monster, his home always seemed just as dark as the world around him. Yet, here, your smile that you greeted him with was somehow able to light up the room. When you cooked with him, the atmosphere felt warm and jovial. And, for the first time in a while, a sensation welled up in Edge that he had long since forgotten.
Security.
He felt that he was returning to a place that he could feel safe in. And, even if it wasn't his home, you being there made it feel like something similar. Edge was slowly realising that he didn't want that to change, and was determined to keep it that way.
He didn't want to see your smile disappear, not like his had all those years ago. Your positive light just radiated off of your soul and brightened the room instantly. Blue's nickname for you finally made sense to Edge, for it was true. You were like sunshine, chasing away the darkness that had tainted his soul throughout the years. He didn't want to lose that, he couldn't. So, he'd make sure he wouldn't.
Removing himself from your grasp, he layed your arms back down into a more comfortable position for you to sleep in and sighed. Brushing his sharp fingers against your cheek, being mindful not to accidentally scratch you, he took one last look at you. Your innocent, trusting face, completely comfortable, showing no fear, hesitancy or alertness in his presence. Just pure trust. It made the skeleton smile.
"GOODNIGHT, HUMAN."
Notes:
Aww, Edge does care after all. Though, he probably won't admit that for a long time. Reader will just have to read in between the lines. After all, sometimes actions speak louder than words.
(No butterflies were harmed when Stretch got up)
Have a wonderful day/night lovelies, thanks for reading! 🌸❤
Chapter 29: Chapter 29: late night shopping
Summary:
There's a little disagreement between skeletons which leads to a big mess. You get a sweet treat and have a little late evening outing.
Notes:
Hey everyone! This chapter is a little shorter, and it took a while for me to get it out, sorry! I was having a little writer's block, and haven't had much time to work on it. If I'm being honest, I'm not loving the chapter as much as I'd like to, but it's something so we're just gonna roll with it. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Two days.
You were two days into the summer holidays and somehow, the house was demolished.
You wished you were exaggerating, by waking up to half the house being gone wasn't exactly on your bingo card of events for the holidays. Gaping at the massive loss of structure, you stood frozen at the top of the stairs, where you were able to gain a good oversight of the situation below.
Sans' eye lights had long since vanished, as he continued to stare aimlessly at the loss of his house, whilst Papyrus had pulled the suspected culprits aside and was giving them an earful. Edge, Cash and Black all wore tense expressions, sweat rolling down their skulls as they listened to Papyrus, and, from the sounds of it, nothing he had to say was good.
You couldn't blame him for being angry. If this was your house, you'd be too livid to even form words at the sight of it. Off to the side was Blue and Red, who looked as though they had been in the middle of breakfast, but had now abandoned that all together. It seemed that they too were unable to move.
You wish you could say you were surprised, and to a slight extent, you were, but something like this was inevitable. You just didn't think it would've resulted in this much wreckage. It was no secret that tensions between certain skeletons had been building overtime, and now it seemed that it had finally exploded, and unfortunately, the house was the victim.
Slowly making your way downstairs, grateful that the stairs were still in tact, you made your way over to Sans, who had not moved from his spot. You took the opportunity to take a long, good look around, assessing the severity of the damage. Needless to say, it was pretty bad.
"I like what you've done with the place. I think an open plan was really what this place needed."
You commented, going against your usual stride by slipping in a pun in. Even if Sans found it humourous, his expression didn't change.
"You have those three to thank for this, they were doing a little rough housing."
He guestured over to the three Papyrus was yelling at. Looking back at them, you noticed how Papyrus' volume was louder than usual, and his tone was definitely not as light as it would've been. Your staring did not go unnoticed as Edge's gaze flickered towards you then back to Papyrus, until he flinched as if remembering something important. Cutting Papyrus off, he turned his head back to you, yelling.
"HUMAN, GET AWAY FROM THERE THIS INSTANT!"
He demanded and you tilted your head in confusion. In the milliseconds it took him to screech that order at you and for you to process his words, Edge snapped his fingers at Stretch and motioned to you.
"STRETCH!"
He barked. Almost instantaneously, said skeleton appeared beside you and pulled you close to him, tugging his hoodie over your body. With you essentially trapped, he was unable to prevent a smirk from blossoming on his face. Hunching over, he wrapped his hands around the back of your head and tilted his skull downwards.
You could've sworn he made a 'chu' sound when he pressed his teeth against your hair, letting a chuckle ripped through his non existent throat. You blinked at the sudden movement, unsure of what the goal of this encounter was.
"C'mon honey, let's get you away from here, huh?"
Before you could accept his offer, he had already teleported the two of you onto the sofa and away from the giant wreckage in the house.
"Stretch, what are you doing?"
"Gotta protect that head of yours."
He murmered, patting your head lightly. Being trapped underneath his hoodie gave you time to wonder why he had removed you from where you were previously standing. And then it hit you. He and Edge were probably cautious of any bits of the house that had the risk of coming loose and falling down, most likely onto you. You could understand their concern, but being restricted under Stretch's hoodie, bar it being cozy, was an odd method of keeping you out of harm's way.
"What even happened here, anyways?"
You asked, squirming underneath the fabric in an attempt to break free from your prison, but to no avail. The skeleton seemed content in keeping you there for a little while longer, watching in amusement as you struggled against him.
"I think that's a question better left for those guys."
He muttered, gesturing over to Black, Cash and Edge, begrudgingly.
"Got into a fight over somethin' stupid. Surprised it didn't wake you up, the explosion was pretty loud."
He mused, gently drumming his intex fingers against your head as if it were a drum. Tilting to your head up, your chin resting on his chest, you tried to eavesdrop on what Papyrus and the others were saying. It wasn't hard, as none of them were particularly quiet, apart from Cash.
"WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ME? HE STARTED IT!"
You heard Black screech, presumably pointing the finger towards Edge and, as usual, taking none of the responsibility but placing all of the blame.
"WELL, HOW ABOUT YOUR IDIOTIC BROTHER-"
Before the rest of his sentence got through to you, Stretch placed his hands over your ears, blocking out the yelling, though, you were still able to make out the muffled sound of their voices. You frowned, now unable to hear the gossip you were so desperately invested in. Eventually, you managed to wiggle out of his grasp just to catch the tail end of what was being discussed.
"WELL, THEN I SUPPOSED WE'VE REACHED AN AGREEMENT. BROTHER, ARE YOU ON BOARD WITH THIS?"
You looked over to Sans, who nodded, and then back to Papyrus.
"Yup. Maybe it'll help build some more trust with everyone if they're not so squished in together."
"WELL THEN, IT'S SETTLED. WE SHALL GET THE RENOVATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"
------------
When asked what was happening, Papyrus had told you that, due to the damages caused, him and his brother both agreed that rebuilding was completely necessary, however, instead of restoring it to it's previous state, they thought it might be more beneficial to extend the house slightly. They had the money for it, and this way the house would be better able to accommodate for the number of its guests.
They wouldn't go too over the top, it's not like they wanted to live in a mansion or anything, but adding a few spare rooms and possibly an extra bathroom wouldn't hurt. Since no one knew how long everyone would be staying for, though the hope was that it wouldn't be for too long, it was clear that being in such close quarters was taking it's tole on everyone.
The build up and release of all that lingering tension between the skeletons had resulted in the destruction of half the house, who knows what could happen next time. So, keeping in mind the safety and health of everyone, the decision was final. Once they got permission, the renovations would be in motion as soon as possible.
Honestly, it wasn't the worst time for it, either. Because it was summer, you'd prefer to spend most of your time outside anyways, as the days were longer and hotter, meaning less distractions for the builders, and less intrusion for you to deal with.
The thought of everyone getting their own seperate places was pitched a couple of times, but ultimately shot down, the main reason being that it was just easier to deal with everyone. Sharing the same house gave everyone easy access to the machine, for those who usually worked on it, and was just overall more convenient to keep track of everyone. After all, no one wanted the secret to get out by accident. So, renovations it was.
Unfortunately, the blast had significantly impacted the attic in specific, thankfully no one had been up there when it had been decimated, so Sans had to give up his room and gave Black and Cash temporary access to it for sleeping purposes, while he shared with his brother. All this time you couldn't help but wonder how bad the argument had been for it to cause such destruction. However, you were kept in the dark.
All you knew was that the damage was a result of someone's magic attack called a 'gaster blaster'. You didn't know much about magic attacks, but you figured that it had to have been quite a large one to make such a wreck of the place. You knew that pushing for answers when no one was willing to give them would be counterproductive, so you begrudgingly dropped the subject.
It took a while to get permission, but once they did, Papyrus was mainly in charge of the plan, with Sans overseeing it. Due to his laziness, he didn't make too much of a contribution to the design ideas, but, as it was his house as well, he still played a key role in its development.
For the time being, whilst the works were underway, you amused yourself by exploring the town in an attempt to become a little more familiar with it. The skeletons allowed this, but some had warned you to stay away from the forest area. Little did they know that you had already been there before, and quite deep into it as well. However, you weren't itching to go back there anytime soon, even if the scenery was quite beautiful. It was a shame your experience of it wasn't.
Despite most of the others being at their jobs for a good chunk of the day, since Red and Stretch still didn't have jobs you got to hang out with them a lot more, especially when they weren't working on the machine. This was most days, as they didn't want to get in the way of the builders, but also no one- bar a small group of people- were supposed to know about the machine and your affiliations to it.
Be that as it may, you actually had fun with them. It started off a little awkward, but after a while, you began to get used to each other's company. Sometimes you'd be joking around, or exchanging stories, and other times they'd give you joint tutor lessons. Those times were your least favourite. You liked Stretch's method, but Red being there also put you a little on edge, what with his lack of patience and all. Because of the amount of free time you all had, you now got a lot more tutoring sessions which, although was necessary, was still as excruciating as ever. But, you'd put up with it for as long as you could manage.
Apart from teaching, your hangouts mostly consisted of either going out for a walk or hanging out at Muffets, which you were still getting used to. You hated the fact that you felt nervous around her because she was a spider monster, so by going there more often you had hoped you'd be able to chase your fears away. It was difficult, but you hope you'd make some progress.
In fact, that was where you were now.
It seemed the three of you had unofficially claimed a booth, as it seemed to be your regular seating. Sitting opposite you was Red, and beside you, Stretch, who had ordered his usual honey drink and some sort of sweet pastry. Red, who was not a fan of sweet treats, had opted for a plain croissant, and, as for you, you were munching on a large cupcake. Apparently, it was a limited edition special that Muffet had just brought out and had allowed you to sample before she started selling it.
Remembering the spider donut, you chose to stay ignorant as to what the ingredients were, but whatever was in there, it made the cupcake taste amazing. You made sure to pass on your praise to Muffet, who was very pleased to hear your positive feedback. You think you were getting used to her, however, you still flinched in her presence, which you knew she picked up on. You were just glad she didn't address it.
You hadn't realised that you had zoned out until you Stretch's touch zapped you back to life. Glancing up at him, you found his thumb wiping some icing off of your cheek with a smirk on his face.
"Yer such a messy eater, sweetheart."
Red laughed, pushing his croissant to the side in disinterest.
"No, I'm not!"
Your protests were ignored by both of the skeletons.
It's true honey, ya are."
He snickered, trying to use a napkin to get at your face. You pushed it away, puffing your cheeks out, indignantly. You looked down at your plate and moved to finish the rest of your cupcake when, out of the corner of your eye, you caught a new visitor at your table. You froze and did your best not to scream or run away the moment you saw it crawling towards you. It made a stop at your plate and looked up at you with it's many, many eyes. You sucked in a breath, your heart racing as you began to sweat.
"Looks like ya made a friend there, honey."
Stretch gestured to the small spider that sat near your plate. You stared in horror at the creature as it extended one of it's eight legs into the air. The motion made your skin crawl, and you wanted to cry at how close it was. Sensing your discomfort, Stretch nudged you, making eye contact.
"Ya not gonna shake his hand? C'mon honey, he won't bite."
"H-he wants me to s-shake his hand?"
Looking at him as bad enough, but actually having to touch him made you want to throw up.
"Is he bothering you, sweetie~? I'm so sorry."
Muffet tutted, appearing out of nowhere and making you jolt. He gave you a soft smile.
"It's alright, I know many humans have arachnophobia. I don't take it personally~"
What she said made you feel guilty to your core. You didn't want to be afraid of her, or any spiders for that matter, but you couldn't help it. The two skeletons looked at you disapprovingly, and you felt like the scum of the earth. You tried not to cry as you explained your side of the story.
"Look, it's not like that- well it is, but-"
You sighed, cleanching your fists that sat on your lap.
"I know it's dumb, but when I was younger, I was about to fall asleep when a spider came out of no where and crawled into my mouth."
You tried not to gag at the thought.
"I immediately sat up, but it got stuck in my throat. My dad had to heimlich it out of me and I guess I've been scared ever since."
You confessed, your cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry-"
"No dearie, don't worry. It seemed like that spider had no manners whatsoever~"
Muffet said, surprising you.
"I assure you dearie, none of my employees here would be so rude as to do something like that to you. If they did, there would be very harsh consequences, ahuhuhuhu~"
She reassured you, motioning to the spider in front of you as an example. Like before, he remained in his position, his leg still politely extended out, waiting to see if you'd shake it or not. Taking a breath, you moved your shakey hand towards him and gently held the end of his leg with your index finger and thumb, moving it slowly up and down.
The spider, and everyone on and around the table, seemed satisfied with your advancements, while you still felt terrified and were currently questioning how you managed to get your body to move enough to do that. Stretch patted you on the back as you watched the spider raise both of its front legs and then place them back down before scurrying off to somewhere else.
"He likes you, dearie~"
Muffet stated, smiling once more before heading off back behind the counter to serve more customers.
"Honey, I wouldn't have given you such a hard time before if I knew that was the reason you didn't like 'em."
Stretch said, his genuine tone making you smile.
"It's alright, it's a dumb fear anyways, regardless of the reason."
"It's ok to be scared, though. Ok?"
You nodded, and finally Stretch was able to relax at the knowledge that you were fine now.
"So, sweetheart-"
Red intruded, tossing a few gold coins onto the little, silver platter that had been presented with a reciept for your food.
"Got anything goin' on this week?"
Red asked, once again, picking his teeth with his sharp pinky. You wish he'd use a tooth pick, or a less gross method. Shaking it off, you thought for a moment, trying to recall your schedule.
"Uh, I think I'm going to see Alphys tomorrow. Though, I'm unclear as to whether it's a general checkup or a casual hangout. It actually might be both, I don't know."
You shrugged, and the skeletons grimaced at your plans. Stretch didn't seem too fond of them either, but didn't voice his uncertainty. Red sighed.
"Sweetheart, ya know we ain't too keen on ya goin' over there with 'er. Alone, at least."
"Is this because of our first encounter with her? I promise it wasn't like that the last time! Besides, she didn't intend to hurt me."
"First impressions are everythin', sweetheart."
He argued, and you couldn't argue with him on that. You could only continue to try and convince him that he was worrying over nothing.
"Alphys is sweet, and now that she's got more to work with, she's been so much more careful than before! She's not a threat, y'know, and she's actually quite nice if you got to know her."
You pleaded, and he grunted.
"I did get ta know 'er. Back in my universe, the bitch was crazy-"
"C'mon dude, language 'round the kid."
Stretch butted in, making Red grumble about how you weren't a baby.
"Red, she's not like your Alphys. She's kind and she's also my friend, ok? It'll be fine."
You reassured him and, eventually, he relented.
"Fine. But call us if somethin's wrong, kay?"
Your agreement put the skeleton more at ease, and you left the bakery soon after the conversation ended.
------------
You thought tonight would be a quiet night, as no one seemed to have anything going on. And, to an extent, you were right. It was nice, and you were content with being a little bored, at the start.
"HMM, THIS WILL NOT DO!"
You heard Papyrus declare. He had been rustling around in the kitchen for a while now, and your curiosity had been peaked as to what it was he was doing. Ducking your head around the doorway, you peered inside the room to get a closer look at the skeleton.
"What's up, Paps?"
Papyrus whipped his skull around to you and sighed.
"SIGH. IT APPEARS THAT I HAVE UNDERESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD IN THIS HOUSE."
He explained, gesturing to the nearly empty cupboards to emphasise his point. Yikes, there was practically nothing.
"Oh wow."
"YES, WOW INDEED. IT SEEMS LIKE A TRIP TO THE SHOP IS IN ORDER TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION!"
Your eyes lit up at his suggestion and clapped your hands together in joy.
"I love late night shopping! I don't know why, but it's so much more fun in the evening! Can I come, please?"
Papyrus blinked at you as id you had grown a third head.
"WELL, I ACTUALLY MEANT FOR TOMORROW."
You deflated slightly, but Papyrus quickly interjected in order to return your enthusiasm.
"THOUGH, I SUPPOSE IT WOULD BE FINE TO GO NOW. THE SHOPS ARE STILL OPEN, AFTER ALL."
Your smile widened as he agreed to your late night outing, and you quickly hurried to the car, leaving the other skeletons behind in the dust, wondering where you were off to. Papyrus followed behind you, laughing at your excitement at the bizzare errand you insisted on tagging along with.
The drive to the shops was fast and filled with enthusiasm for a reason Papyrus couldn't exactly sus out, but he was content with seeing you so excited. Eventually, he did ask you why you were so giddy about something as small as a late night errand, so you decided it was only fair for you to explain, even if there wasn't much to explain.
Truth be told, you didn't really have a reason for enjoying this kind of errand. Normally, you wouldn't choose to go to the shops, and only really went when your parents asked you to get something. However, you remembered a time when your father would come home late from work and have to go out to get some food shopping, mainly for dinner when it was his turn to cook.
You recalled being dragged out many times with him, and at first, you weren't a fan. Being dragged out at ridiculous hours just to do some boring food shopping was not exactly your nine year old self's idea of fun. Yet, as you got older, you realised it was his weird way of trying to spend more time with you.
It was no secret that your parents both had incredibly busy schedules, and it was often hard for them to find time out of work, especially in your father's case. You understood, of course. What he did was important, and people needed him, yet you couldn't help but feel jealous, sometimes. Jealous that the hospital patients, total strangers, got more attention from him than you did. Sometimes, you found yourself wishing that you would get into a horrible accident, or contract a deadly disease that would force him to pay attention to you more.
Though you never actually got your wish, those late night shopping trips were something that you grew to enjoy a lot more than you thought you would. You didn't know if this was because it meant your father actually spent time with you, or if it was due to the fact that, when you went, he let you pick out whatever treat you wanted.
Regardless, you hadn't gone with him for a while, mainly because his shifts seemed endless, at the moment. So, when the opportunity arose, you swiped at it, perhaps as an attempt to relive those familiar feelings of comfort. Also, you really wanted to visits a Walmart. So, when you arrived at the shops, you couldn't help but smile a little.
"RIGHT, HUMAN. BECAUSE OF THE QUANTITY OF RESIDENTS IN OUR HOUSEHOLD, WE'LL NEED TO GET QUITE A LOT OF THINGS."
Papyrus stated, matter of factly. You nodded and gave a mock salute before running off.
"I'll go get a trolley!"
You called out, soon after returning with said shopping trolley.
It took a little over an hour for you to collect everything you needed. Sure, quantity was a factor in slowing down the process, but also due to your goofing around. When Papyrus saw you riding the trolley, he insisted to join in the fun.
So, Papyrus joined in and pushed you from the back to give the trolley more speed but, eventually, you ended up being placed inside the trolley, with Papyrus pushing at full speed. At first, you were having the time of your life, the thrill of speed making your heart race. Unfortunately, the two of you were so wrapped up in your own amusement that you failed to see the tower of cans you were headed right for.
"Pap, wait!"
You tried to tell him, but it was too late. You couldn't stop yourself from crashing into it, knocking the entire structure down with a loud bang. You ducked your head to shield it from the cans raining down onto you.
"NYEH! THOSE CANS CAME OUT OF NO WHERE!"
Papyrus yelled, shocked at the destruction you two had caused. Stepping out of the trolley, you cast your gaze over the mess. Luckily, none of the contents of the cans had spilled out, but you had a feeling you'd still get in trouble.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN?"
He asked, cautious of the fact that you could've been hurt. You nodded, showing him that no damage was done to you.
"IT SEEMS MY SPEED WAS TOO GREAT FOR IT TO WITHSTAND. THEY NEED TO BETTER REINFORCE THEIR TOWERS NEXT TIME! WHAT A PITY."
You were pretty sure that the structural weakness wasn't the issue, but you nodded along to his suggestion.
"Hey!"
The voice of an angry employee snatched both yours and Papyrus' attention, causing you to whip your heads around at the staff member who was walking towards you. They had a positively irked look on their face, and you felt yourself shrink in their presence.
"You can't be messing around in here! Look what you've done."
Their tone was strict and riddled with disappointment. Their eyes reflected a look of shame, as if they viewed the two of you as immature children whom they needed to scold.
"I MUST SAY, HUMAN, YOUR SHOP NEEDS TO INVEST IN BETTER CANS. THESE CAME DOWN THE MOMENT WE HIT THEM!"
Papyrus wasn't being condescending, you didn't even think it was in his nature. By now, you had figured out when he was being genuine, unfortunately, others did not have that same ability. And, from the exasperated look on the staff member's face, you could tell they didn't understand. From the skeleton's words, it probably looked as though he was blaming the tower, rather than taking responsibility for crashing into it.
"Are you for real right now-?"
"No, we're sorry. We'll pick them up."
You interjected, suddenly wanting to leave the shop as quickly as you could. The employee narrowed their eyes and you and nodded, huffing as walked away, most likely to alert another staff member. The two of you fell silent for a moment as you started picking up the fallen cans.
It took another moment of silence until the two of you looked up and locked eyes and, once the employee disappeared, you couldn't help the giggles that left your mouth. Soon enough, Papyrus joined you in your fits of laughter, and it took you twice as long to finish your task.
"Let's just get the rest of the shopping and get out of here as fast as possible."
"AGREED."
From looking at your list, you didn't have much else left to get. In fact, the last two things on your list was olives. You hadn't actually seen any of them eat olives before, but you liked them fine so found no reason to protest against them.
Taking a jar off the shelf, you suddenly had a mischievous idea. One that would certainly get Papyrus all...rattled. Suppressing a smirk, you turned to Papyrus, an innocent look on your face as you held up the olive jar.
"You know Pap, this has been really fun."
"I AGREE, HUMAN! I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE FOUND THIS MUCH THRILL IN SHOPPING THIS MUCH SINCE I WENT TO THAT SOUP STORE FOR CLOTHES!"
Your brows furrowed, his sentence knocking you off your game for a moment.
"You...went to a soup store...for clothes?"
"INDEED I DID! I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SANS ON THE PHONE WHILST I WAS THERE BUT HE GOT REALLY IRRITATED FOR SOME REASON!"
"Right..."
You're not sure if you needed to know the rest of the story.
"Anyways, I've enjoyed this so much, you could say I olive-d it."
You couldn't prevent the smile that creeped up onto your face from the expression Papyrus was making. There was a pregnant pause after the terrible pun before you finally got a reaction out of Papyrus.
"NYEHHHHHHHH!"
You couldn't help but laugh as he threw the olives into the trolley and pulled you along, shaking his head, dramatically.
"MY BROTHER'S INFLUENCE KNOWS NO BOUNDS! I HAD HOPED YOU WEREN'T SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIS INFLUENCE, YET HERE YOU ARE! DISGRACEFUL!"
He tutted, though with humour laced in his tone. You cackled at his grumbles of displeasure at your joke, and watched as he let a small smile rise to his face. Not long after, the two of you made a quick dash out once you saw the manager walking towards you. Honestly, you were surprised you weren't punished further for you action, but you weren't about to complain.
"I think they're a little mad at us."
You giggled, nudging Papyrus' arm. He shot a grin back at you.
"I WOULDN'T WORRY, HUMAN. NO ONE CAN STAY MAD AT THE GREAT PAPYRUS FOR LONG! NEXT TIME THEY SEE ME, I'M SURE I'LL BE SHOWERED IN KISSES AND ADORATION!"
Weird expectations, but you laughed it off and decided to agree with him just for the sheer hell of it. The ride home was filled laughter as you and Papyrus reminiscent on the events of the shopping trip, the main focus being the look on the staff member's face when they saw the mess you had created. You swore that their cheeks were more red than the tomato soup in the cans you knocked down.
By the time you arrived back at the house, your giggles had died down, and you focused on putting away the shopping. Papyrus dashed into the house first, carrying multiple bags with ease. You, on the other hand, were lagging behind, trying desperately to heave the heavy bag up and off the ground and into the house.
This was probably the worst part of shopping. Feeling a sweat break out on your forehead, you sighed and settled for dragging it into the house. However, your idea was short lived when it was taken from your hands. Edge, the thief, took not only your bag, but two more and hoisted them onto his shoulders and arms as if they weighed nothing, making you look like an utterly weak fool. He grunted at your efforts, unimpressed.
"GET INSIDE, IT'LL BE COLD SOON. I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST."
You nodded, thanking him as you did headed inside, leaving him to the rest of the bags.
"HUMAN, THERE YOU ARE!"
Blue greeted, a bright smile on his face. You waved at him as he came bounding over to you.
"I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU HAD TAKEN OFF TO. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU AND PAPYRUS HAVE BEEN BUSY, YES?"
"Yeah, just a little late night shopping."
"WHAT A WONDEROUS IDEA! I MUST TRY IT SOME TIME!"
You smiled at him as you let him lead you to the sofa where the others were congregated. They gave you hums and waves of acknowledgement as you sat down.
"We'll be sure to take you with us, next time."
"EXCELLENT! MWEHEHEHE!"
You heard the door slam and from that, you could only assume that Edge had finished unloading the car. True to your assumption, he soon came into view, dusting his hands off, effortlessly. An idea flashed into your mind, promoting you to call out to Papyrus asking if he needed help putting away the shopping.
"NO NEED HUMAN, FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ALREADY FINISHED!"
Your eyes widened at his statement in surprise.
"My bro's always been scarily efficient at tasks. You could say he's got them in the bag."
Sans commented, using his short cut powers to appear out of no where, spooking you only slightly this time. You weren't quite used to their teleporting abilities, but you were getting there.
"SANS!"
Said skeleton chuckled. Despite having no ears, his brother could easily sus out a pun when he heard one, even if he was on the other side of the house. Apparently, it was like a sixth sense of his.
"So kid, get up to any mischief while you were out?"
Cash asked, rolling another one of those dog treats between his phalanges. You pursed your lips, suppressing a smile.
"Well, actually..."
"Wait, seriously?"
You shrugged, snickering to yourself as the others looked at you in surprise.
"I KNEW YOU'D HAVE A BAD INFLUENCE ON HER, MUTT!"
Black sneered, causing Cash to protest in surprise at his brother's accusations.
"The hell, how? I wasn't even with 'er!"
Before he could continue, Stretch cut him off.
"What did you do, honey?"
Stretch's question encouraged you to spill the beans so, with a knowing glance from Papyrus, you told him what had happened. Though the story was short, it certainly got a couple of laughs out of the monsters.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT, SUNSHINE. HONESTLY, SHOCKING!"
Blue chuckled, earning a groan from his brother. You and Papyrus shrugged, exchanging mischievous looks.
Not much else happened for the rest of the night, and you ended up going to bed early, in the end. Thankfully, you didn't have any training with Edge today. Honestly, your schedule was a little weird. It was unstructured and often random which surprised you considering it was Edge who was in charge of it, but you supposed his flexibility was crucial in terms of timing for when he had access to the gym.
So, with nothing further to discuss, that left you to your sleep. As you lay on the floor in your usual sleeping bag that could probably do with a wash, you let your mind slow and your eyes closed. Your final thoughts before slipping into an unconscious state were mininal, but you still couldn't help but wonder what exactly went down between Edge, Black and Cash for half the house to be gone.
The repairs were coming along slowly, as it hadn't been long since the damage had been inflicted, but no one spoke about why it had happened. Every time you asked, your questions were shut down or brushed off, so, ultimately, you stopped asking about it. Though, that didn't stop your burning curiosity, even if you'd never get an answer to your queries. And, you probably never would.
-----------
A week earlier, on the day of the incident
You hadn't risen yet, but Edge wasn't about to wake you up. He knew you needed your rest, and he didn't want to push you. Besides, it wasn't that late yet, so you could afford to take a couple more hours of sleep. He could take this time to prepare breakfast, however, when he got down stairs, Papyrus had beaten him to it, as usual.
There, in the kitchen, sat Blue and his brother, who has already tucked in to whatever the skeleton had made for them. Deciding to skip breakfast, the skeleton made his way into the living room, only to be stopped by Black.
Edge wasn't a fan of most of his duplicates, but he especially despised this one. Not only was he a sorry excuse for a weird version of his brother, but he was insufferable. The very presence of him irritated Edge beyond belief, probably because he reminded him of a pathetic mirror of himself. Yet, that wasn't the only reason for his aversion to the monster.
He despised him for many reasons, one of the biggest being his treatment of you. With all your previous interactions with Black, the skeleton had been nothing less than hostile towards you, even going as far as to cause you not only emotional but physical harm as well. He couldn't take how, every time you were around Black, you'd hesitate or flinch at his presence, and even sometimes at the mention of his name.
Edge recognised that kind of fear, he knew it all too well. It was a constant behaviour in his world, and he had been guilty of inflicting that same fear within other monsters. Usually, he would take that as a positive reaction. If people were scared of each other, there'd be more hesitation for monsters to try anything. But, seeing that same kind of fear from you, even if it wasn't directed at Edge himself, made him shiver in disgust.
He glared down at the tiny tyrant, doing his best to assert dominance. Crossing his arms, he let Black say his piece.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
He prompted, wanting to get this conversation over and done with as quickly as possible.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE SLICK, BUT YOU'RE NOT."
Edge narrowed his sockets at him as Cash appeared next to his brother, looking already agitated from stars knows what.
"WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU INSINUATING, WITH YOUR POORLY WORDED ACCUSATIONS?"
Black's teeth curved downwards, a snarl ripping through his throat as he returned Edge's glare.
"DO NOT TRY TO DENY IT!"
"WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ON ABOUT?"
"YOU HURT HER!"
The sentence made Edge freeze. He knew who Black was referring to, you, of course. While Black thought he had hit the nail on the head with his claim, the accusation made Edge absolutely livid. His brother always told him he had an issue controlling his temper, not that he was any better, but in this moment, Red's statement rang true.
Edge took a step closer to Black, towering over him menacingly. Forcing himself to control his anger, he cleanched his fits and spoke through gritted teeth.
"EXCUSE ME?"
His tone was venomous as he fought the urge to rip Black's soul out of his body and tear it to shreds.
"THE OTHERS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THAT OBSERVANT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WASN'T. THOSE BRUSIES WERE WELL COVERED, BUT NOT WELL ENOUGH FOR ME NOT TO NOTICE THEM."
Black noted, shaking his head in disapproval, a look of digust forming on his face.
"I SAW YOU THAT NIGHT, WHEN THE TWO OF YOU SNUCK OUT AND CAME BACK AT AN UNGODLY HOUR."
Edge fell silent as he realised he failed to be as observant as he had thought. This whole time, someone had been watching him, and he had been too preoccupied to notice. He might as well have just presented his soul for Black to take, if he couldn't even be as sharp as he usually was.
"IF THE OTHERS FOUND OUT THAT YOU WENT AGAINST THEIR WISHES BY TRAINING HER, YOU KNOW HOW DIRE THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE."
"IS THAT A THREAT?"
Edge sneered, but unfortunately for him, Black was unfazed.
"THINK OF IT MORE AS A WARNING. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, BUT IF YOU GET CARELESS AND GO TOO FAR-"
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WOULD, IDIOT?! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, AND I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS!"
Edge growled, gripping Black's neck and pulling his skull close to his. The skeleton's aura radiated danger, and he was almost surprised when Black kept his composure as well as he did. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his brother.
"Don't fuckin' touch him."
Cash's low growl was warning enough to Edge that the skeleton was ready to strike him whenever he felt the need, though Edge never backed down from a fight. Instead, he turned his attention back to Black, his neck still firmly in his grip.
"I WOULD SAY IT IS MY BUSINESS."
He stated, cooly, making Edge scoff.
"AND WHY EXACTLY IS THAT?"
"BECAUSE THAT HUMAN IS MY BUSINESS."
"YOU'RE A FOOL TO THINK SUCH A THING. THAT HUMAN IS NOT YOUR PROPERTY-"
"SHE MIGHT AS WELL BE. AFTER ALL, WHO'S CARE WAS SHE PUT IN FIRST?"
It took everything in Edge not to snap his neck right there and then.
"YOURS, WHICH YOU ROYALLY FUCKED UP, WHICH IS WHY SHE IS NOW UNDER MY GUARD."
Edge's statement was firm and final. He meant every word, yet Black still felt the need to push on.
"YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THAT GIRL. I EXPECTED SUCH SAPPYNESS FROM THE OTHERS, BUT YOU SURPRISE ME. YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE WHAT SHOWING THAT KIND OF WEAKNESS COULD LEAD YOU-"
"SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH YOU FUCKING PIECE OF FILTH!"
In an instant, Edge finally snapped, the coils of his anger unravelling, uncontrollably. With one swift motion, he threw Black to the ground, reading himself for a magic attack, but Cash was faster than him. A split second was all it took for the younger brother to summon a massive gaster blaster, one that would surely decimate Edge if he hadn't ducked out of the way in time.
The sound of rumbling then a sudden blast echoed throughout the house. The commotion they created had caught the others attention, leading them to break up the fight between the three skeletons, but it was too late. When they all came together, the damage was done. The damage being the house.
"OH DEAR! THE POOR HOUSE!"
Papyrus wailed, as he stared at the mess. Sans stood by his side, dead silent as he failed to process just what had happened.
There they all stood, jaws wide open as they stared at the result of Cash's blast. Half of the house was gone. It took everyone a moment to really process what had happened but as soon as they did, all hell was let loose. The owners of the house were beyond livid, naturally, and everyone was a little shaken up from what had happened.
Before Papyrus could continue to scream at Edge, a sudden thought burst through his mind. Instantly, the abandoned the others and rushed upstairs; thankful the stairs hadn't been affected in the blast, though the attic was pretty much none existent now.
He flung the door to your shared room open to make sure no damage had come to you or the room and breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw you sleeping peacefully, unharmed. Honestly, he was impressed. You had his brother's sleeping abilities, if you could sleep through such a ruckus like that. Closing the door gently behind him, he made his way back downstairs, ready to be yelled at, and ready to defend his point.
But, amongst all the chaos, he was just glad that you were okay. And stars knows he would've done more than kick himself if you hadn't been.
So, for now, despite how angry he was at Black and his brother, he would hold his tongue and be satisfied with the knowledge that, in all the trouble he had caused, you hadn't been affected by it. And right now, that was good enough for him.
Notes:
Well, now we finally know what happened. Honestly, these boys need to reign it in, someone could've got seriously hurt! How silly.
As always, hope you all have a good day/night ❤🌸
Chapter 30: Chapter 30: a pirate
Summary:
You meet someone new and hang out with Alphys! Red doesn't seem to be very happy with you. Those that hated you before now want to make up for their mistaked?!
Notes:
Hi everyone! I can't believe I've done 30 chapters!!! I honestly had no idea I'd get this far, but I'm having so much fun writing this fan fic, and am excited to continue it. I'd also just like to thank you all for all your wonderful comments and support. You guys are awesome! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! 🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"DO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED?"
"Yes, Edge."
"AND YOU KNOW TO CALL ONE OF US IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG."
"Yes, Edge."
"AND HAVE YOU-"
"Yes, Edge. I have everything sorted out. It's a short visit, it's not as if I'm meeting with a war criminal or something."
You sighed. It had been like this all morning and for the majority of last night. During training, Edge seemed to be more focused on how prepared you were for you visit with Alphys, rather than teaching you how to fight. Though, that worked in your favour slightly, as you ended up doing less strenuous work than you were expecting.
"IF YOU WERE MEETING WITH A WAR CRIMINAL, I'D OBVIOUSLY ESCORT YOU THERE. AND, EVEN IN THIS CASE I WOULD, BUT-"
"I know, I know. You have work, it's fine. Red already offered to take me."
"I AM AWARE, AND THAT IS WHAT SURPRISES ME THE MOST. USUALLY, MY BROTHER TRIES TO GET OUT OF DOING MENIAL ERRANDS LIKE THIS."
You shrugged, unsure of what to tell him. Edge had repeated many a times that, if he didn't have an immediate shift he had to take, he would've taken you himself. When you reassured him that you'd take the bus, that's when Red seemed to step in, waving off you idea whilst suggesting he take you. You weren't about to refuse, as his shortcuts would be faster, and easier, than taking the bus, so you agreed.
Today was the day you were supposed to visit Alphys. Whether it was for a hangout or a check up was yet to be decided, but either way, you didn't mind. In fact, it would be nice to see her again. Despite what some of the others thought, she was a very sweet and gentle monster, and now you knew that she's never purposely cause you any harm. Actually, you'd go as far to say that you considered her a friend.
"Ya ready to go, sweetheart?"
Red's voice cut through yours and Edge's discussion, making you turn you attention to him. You gave him a thumbs up, signalling you were good to go. He returned your gesture with a sharp, toothy grin.
"Aight then, c'mere then and hang on to me."
He said, extending his arm in an outwards motion.
"By Edge! I'll see you later."
You didn't miss the tense expression on his face, which had been there since this morning. He opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something in protest, but hesitated, deciding against it at the last minute. Cleanching his fists, he exhaled.
"YES, WELL. GO ON THEN."
You smiled at him one last time before moving closer to Red, who's arm was still extended out to you. Accepting the offer, you hugged his large midsection, tightly. Red, in turn, wrapped his arm around you, making sure you were securely in his embrace before short cutting away.
You could now proudly say that you had officially got over the whole motion sickness of teleporting, and, as a result, no longer felt dizzy or like throwing up. In your books, it was a big accomplishment, and a huge relief as well. Now, you could use the other's shortcuts without feeling like you need to empty the entire contents of your stomach.
Stopping outside the entrance, you turned to Red, who seemed to be waiting for something. You tilted your head, curiously.
"Something the matter, Red?"
He didn't answer for a moment, as he continued to stare almost menacingly at the building in front of him. You cleared your throat, trying to get his attention.
"Red?"
No answer. You tried again.
"Sans."
That name worked like a charm, as he seemed to snap out of his thoughts almost instantly. Looking down at you, he chuckled nervously.
"Ehehehe, sorry doll, gotta little lost in thought, ya know?"
You nodded, though you felt there was more to it than that.
"Nah, it's cool. I'll see you later?"
He nodded, but still hadn't made any attempt to move. You noticed a few red beads of sweat forming on his skull and you sighed internally. Him and his brother really did worry too much.
"Red, I'll be fine."
You tried to reassure him. Red knew you would be, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of dread taking over his soul.
"I know, I know...I just don' understand 'ow yer so comfortable with 'er."
"Because she's nice! You just have to give her another chance. You can trust her, Red."
His sweat seemed to intensify at the idea of trusting her. You didn't know what else you could say to calm him, maybe you couldn't say anything. You sighed, patting his arm, trying to present a playful smirk on your face.
"I'll see you later-"
You were cut off by Red unexpectedly pulling you into a hug. This was quite unusual for him, as he almost never initiated any form of physical contact unless it was to comfort you. Though, as you weren't upset, you were confused as to what his motives were. Squished against his red, turtleneck jumper, which you were still shocked at how he was wearing that in this heat, you furrowed your brows in confusion.
"Call me when ya wanna get outta there."
"Oh, that's ok. Papyrus said he'd pick me up-"
"Don't care, just call me, okay?"
Hesitantly, you nodded which you hoped would put Red at ease. He was acting strangely today, but you decided not to comment on it, as it was probably nothing. After all, you knew how distrusting him and his brother were, so you didn't blame him for being a little cautious. Even so, this was odd, even for him.
"Good girl. 'ave fun, 'mkay?"
He nuzzled the side of your cheek with his teeth before sending you on your way, making he great escape via short cut.
You stood in front of the lab, eager to hang out with Alphys. It had been a while since you last saw her, well maybe not that long ago, but it felt long enough. Knocking on the door, you were created by the usual, nervous smile of the Dr, who ushered you in.
"S-so, Y/n, h-how have you been?"
She asked, fretting over some scattered papers that littered her desk.
"Yeah, alright, you?"
"O-oh yes, very good, v-very busy."
You smiled at her absentminded reply, and watched as she took the time to collect herself and organise her work area a bit better before she gave you her full attention.
"S-so I was t-rhinking that m-maybe, i-if you want, w-we totally don't have to- b-but I thought that-"
She fumbled, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she worked up the courage to tell you her plans.
"M-maybe I could r-run another c-couple check-ups on your soul? J-just to make sure e-everything is healthy! A-and then after, if you want, m-maybe we can watch t-this anime? It's r-really good, I swear! You'll love it, well uh, I h-hope you will at l-least."
She spewed out, clearly eager to hear your thoughts. You considered her proposal for a moment, and then smiled.
"Sounds good to me."
Her eyes lit up at your agreement.
"R-really?! All right!"
She beamed, guiding you to a chair and gathering up her necessary equipment and notes for the typical procedure of soul examination. Like before, she drew out your soul, which looked almost the same as before, almost. You could've sworn it has grown a little, even if not by much. The Dr confirmed your suspicions to be true.
"E-everything looks m-mostly the same as before. H-however, I'm surprised it hasn't g-grown at a f-faster rate. The development i-is usually much f-faster, even in m-monsters!"
She pondered, taking a closer look at the readings on her charts, and then back at your soul. Suddenly, you felt a little self conscious of it, but tried to push that feeling down.
"N-not to worry though, I'm s-sure everything is f-fine! Hehehehe..."
She laughed, anxiously, as if she didn't believe her own words yet still tried to sound convincing.
"H-how's that c-crack? Has it got a-any bigger?"
You shook your head, and when she took a closer look at your soul, your silent words confirmed her observations.
"G-good. That's good."
She noted, frivolousy scribbling down countless pages of messy, almost unreadable notes.
"Alphys, what do you think the crack is from?"
You asked, absentmindedly. Alphys' jitters seemed to worsen at your mild curiosity, though it wasn't your intention to upset her, the topic clearly, despite being incredibly interesting, deeply worried her.
"W-well, it could be f-from a number of things. L-like past trauma, o-or a d-deep physical injury t-that's made a m-mark on your soul. I-I'm afraid I'm n-not too sure."
She explained, her claws gripping the clipboard tightly to signify her nervousness around the topic.
"B-but, as long a-as it doesn't get a-any bigger, i-it shouldn't b-be much of a p-problem. Hopefully..."
"Oh, I see."
You shrugged, not really minding the lack of knowledge from Alphys. Though you were curious, the concept of souls was still pretty new to you. As a result, you supposed that the possibly severity of the topic hadn't exactly made an impression on you yet, so you were fine with what little knowledge you had now. If you were being completely honest, most of the time you forgot it was even there.
"H-here."
Alphys, who had now abandoned her notes in favour of handing you a book, seemed to be a little calmer, for whatever reason.
"T-this w-will give you a-all the information you n-need on souls, and w-what not. A-and, if you h-have any questions, you can a-ask me!"
Your eyes glanced over the book briefly, scanning the contents page and the blurb. Shutting the book and placing it to the side, you smiled at her, grateful for her efforts to educate you a little more. You supposed that, if you were living in a world with monsters, and even living with some, you should probably read up more on this kind of stuff. With that in mind, you made a mental note to research more about monsters, not just about their physical makeup, but also important aspects of their culture.
"Thanks Alphys, I'll give this a read later."
She returned your smile with a less nervous and brighter one.
"A-any time. N-now, let's get this equipment o-off of you and s-start watching Mew Mew Kissie Cutie! You'll l-love it!"
She beamed, seemingly eager to show you her favourite show. Whilst setting it up, she began rambling about the show and accidentally spoiled most of it, but you reassured her that you didn't mind, and that you were still happy to watch it. Plopping down on her beanbags, you grinned at Alphys's glee and turned to the screen in front of you.
You were only five minutes into the show when a loud crashing sound startled you. Whipping your head around, you saw that the door had been broken down, not by a person, but by a long, blue spear that had struck the middle of it.
Alarmed, you look back at Alphys to see her slap her face with her claw, looking disappointed as if this was a regular occurrence. Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the lab, the owner, storming into the room. Her boots tapped heavily against the tiles, her bright red ponytail swishing behind her. The wide grins displayed on her face showed off her sharp, yellow teeth perfectly, nicely complimenting her blue skin.
However, the one thing that immediately caught your eye was the black eye patch fastened around her head. Of course, the image of a pirate instantly sprung into your mind, but you chose not to say anything.
"HEY ALPHYS! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE STARTED WATCHING WITHOUT ME-!"
The mysterious monster stopped in her tracks when her eyes travelled over to you. A pregnant pause filled the room, and it took a moment before anything else was said. Finally, Alphys was the first to speak, surpring you slightly.
"U-undyne! W-what have I told you about b-breaking down m-my door!"
Undyne, the fish monster, chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.
"Sorry, babe."
Babe? You surpressed a smirk that threatened to rise to your face. You hadn't realised Alphys was in a relationship, and much less with someone so boisterous.
"Now, who's the punk with ya?"
She asked, gesturing towards you. You gave her a small, shy wave.
"O-oh, right! T-this is Y/n. Y/n, this is Undyne, m-my-"
"WAIT, YOU'RE Y/N?!"
You nodded.
"Yep, nice to meet-"
"OH. MY. ASGORE!"
Her hands sprung for your shoulders, gripping them tightly as she pulled you in for the tightest hug of your life, worse than what Blue was capable of. The air had now been sucked out of your
"U-undyne, be careful-"
"Alphys has told me all about you! You're wicked cool, punk!"
"Undyne! She needs to breathe!"
Alphys stressed, as she started to see your face turn a light shade of blue.
"Oh, right! Sorry!"
Gasping, you took a few moments to let the air back in your lungs.
"S-so, you've heard about me, huh?"
You asked, hoping that Alphys had kept the information to a minimal.
"You bet! Meeting another great human buddy is so cool! It's so sick meeting someone from another universe!"
Ah, so secrecy was off the table. From her comment, Alphys began to sweat, and rightfully so. You shot her a look, which displayed more worry than irritation.
"Alphys? I thought-"
"I k-know, I know! I'm s-sorry b-but I couldn't k-keep a secret f-from Undyne! P-plus, pretty much e-everyone knows about it, s-so I figured it w-was uh, um..."
Rubbing her claws nervously, she averted her gaze in shame. You sighed, and figured that it would've been difficult to hide things from her girlfriend, so you couldn't exactly blame her. Plus, everyone basically knew. Sans and Papyrus, naturally, then Alphys and Toriel, Asgore and Frisk, too. So, why not add Undyne to the list as well?
"It's alright. At least everyone knows now."
The scientist exhaled, relieved that you didn't hold it against her. Turning you attention back to her girlfriend, you let Undyne continue.
"So, Undyne, was it? I've heard Papyrus mention you briefly before-"
"Oh, so that punk talks about me? Good! He better! Sans, too!"
"Yeah. So, you're Alphys' girlfriend?"
"DAMN RIGHT I am!"
She beamed, her voice raised and tone laced with pride. Alphys blushed heavily at the declaration.
"Papyrus talks about you all the time! It's like your his new favourite human! Well, apart from Frisk, of course."
She laughed, heartily. You fought back a smile at the notion that Papyrus think so highly of you to talk you up to one of his best friends.
"All good stuff, I hope."
You smiled at her and soon the conversation fizzled, and her direction was redirected to the tv.
"OH MAN, that's right! I can't believe you punks started without me!"
"U-undyne, we're only five m-minutes in-"
"Did Alphys tell you how great this show is? She introduced me to it and I've been hooked ever since! We have to watch it from the beginning!"
She rushed over and threw herself down onto a beanbag, grabbing the remote to rewind. Alphys chuckled nervously, whispering to you in a low voice so her girlfriend wouldn't hear.
"I invited her b-because I w-wanted you to m-meet her. I h-hope you d-don't mind."
"Not at all, she's seems like a riot. I like her already."
Your compliments of Undyne made Alphys relax a little more and she smiled at the fact that you didn't mind the surprise guest. Making your way over to said guest, you sat back down on your chosen beanbags and watched as the show began to play from the beginning
As the hours passed, the three of you had abandoned the anime, which was still playing in the background. Instead, you ended up in deep conversation with each other, flitting from one topic to another, whether it be about you or Undyne or Alphys, or general world stuff. It was actually quite helpful, in a way, as you got to learn more about each other, and, not to mention, it was quite fun as well.
Through talking, you learned a plethora of information about the two monsters. Both of them were obsessed with anime and Japanese culture, and had bonded over their shared love. You heard funny stories about their early interactions in the underground, and then early stages of dating, all their misunderstandings and funny stories and how it helped their relationship to grow.
Apparently, they hadn't started dating until being on the surface for quite a few months, so they had been together for almost three years. You were happy that they had found each other, however shocked to find that Alphys was the one who made the first move. Apparently, she had been the first to ask for a date; in a state of complete and utter anxiousness she just blurted it out randomly, catching Undyne off guard, but certainly not putting her off.
You also learnt that not only did Papyrus used to train with Undyne to become a royal guard member, but she was the one who taught him how to cook. You didn't have the effort to tell her how awful he was, but as it turned out, you didn't have to, because she already knew and had openly admitted it. Which brought on another topic of conversation, who cooks in the relationship. No one.
Since Undyne was so bad, she rarely touched the stove, and Alphys didn't know how to make anything besides noddles, so their either got take out, ate out or had noodles. The alternative was Undyne's cooking and, if she had taught Papyrus how to cook, you really didn't want to taste hers. This desire was only reinforced when she told you how many times she had burned her house down cooking. The thought had made you freeze in discomfort and you suddenly found yourself praying you'd never be on the same building as her when she was cooking.
It wasn't all just about them, either. Somehow, they got you to spill information about yourself, and, once a couple hours passed, you could safely say that they probably knew more about you than the skeletons did. But hey, they never asked, so you never told. You briefly mentioned your hobbies to Alphys and Undyne, including your likes and dislikes in food and taste in music and shows. By the end of it, the three of you were as thick as theifs, laughing and joking like old pals.
It was a relief to not feel out of place with them, and you were immensely happy that they took a liking to you. As time passed, you filled up on junk food and noodles, half watching Mew Mew Kissie Cutie and half talking. According to Alphys, the second Mew Mew Kissie Cutie was terrible, so she advised you not to even touch it.
You hadn't realised the time until you noticed the sun starting to set, reminding you that Papyrus would probably be picking you up soon.
"Hey, I've got a great idea!"
Undyne pipped up, slinging some popcorn into her mouth, chewing loudly.
"Let's have a sleepover!"
She tossed the idea out, making Alphys incredibly enthusiastic.
"Y-yes! It'll be s-so much fun! What do you t-think, y/n?"
"I'd love to, but I didn't come prepared with anything like a toothbrush or pj's-"
"You can borrow some pj's and who needs toothbrushes, anyways?!"
You giggled at Undyne's offer, to which Alphys was nodding along.
"Well, alright! I'd love to, let me just tell Papyrus-"
"D-don't you mean a-ask?"
You thought about it. You honestly weren't sure what your relationship with the skeletons was supposed to entail. Whether you should ask for their permission for this kind of stuff or not. Taking a shot in the dark, you shrugged.
"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine."
You brushed it off. Getting out your phone, you were instantly reminded about calling Red.
"Oh, hang on a sec, let me just call Red."
"Who's Red?"
Undyne asked. She hadn't met any of the skeletons' douple gangers yet, so naturally, she was unfamiliar with them.
"O-one of the Sans' f-from another u-universe."
Alphys informed her girlfriend.
"S-so, why does he w-want you to c-call him? I t-thought Papyrus had a-arranged to p-pick you up."
"He has, but Red wanted me to call him for some reason. I'll just do it quickly."
Tapping the call eyecon, it took a few rings before he answered the phone.
"Heya sweetheart, ya doin' alrigh'?"
He asked, his voice, gruffer than usual.
"Yeah. Hey, is Papyrus there with you?"
"Uh, yea, 'ang on a sec- Pap, it's the kid- lemme hand ya the phone."
You heard rustling before the sound of Papyrus voice cut in. Even over the phone, he was still as loud as ever.
"WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU, HUMAN? ARE YOU READY TO BE PICKED UP?"
"Uh, actually, Alphys invited me for a sleepover and I accepted the offer."
"A SLEEPOVER? HOW WONDERFUL! WELL, HAVE FUN!"
You figured that meant he agreed, and you gave a thumbs up to the girls, who quietly squeeled in delight.
"Thanks Paps."
"OF COUR- WHAT IS IT, RED? OH, YOU WANT THE PHONE? SURE, HERE YOU GO!"
He said, cheerfully, passing the phone back to Red. You furrowed your brows in confusion, and held a hand up, asking to put the celebration on pause for a moment. The two monsters matched your confused expression, and you shrugged.
"Red?"
"Yer comin' back, now."
"Hang on, what? But Papyrus-"
"I don' give a fuck what he said, I'm comin' ta get ya, now."
His tone was strict and definite, leaving you no room to argue. Yet, you still tried.
"Wait wait, hold on for a minute. Why?!"
"Because, we 'aven't discussed this, and I'm not bein' put on the spot like this!"
He retorted, anger seeping out of his voice. Thankfully, he was much less scary over the phone, meaning you still had some fire left in you to negotiate.
"I wasn't asking you to-"
"Don't care."
"Red, you can't just tell me what to do!"
"I think I just did."
You fought the urge to grind your teeth in anger. Why was he being so insistent, acting as if he could boss you around. You weren't going to put up with this.
"Yeah well, whatever."
"Excuse me?"
His change of tone seemed to reach beyond your ears and into the room, sending unpleasant shivers down your spine and causing Alphys and Undyne to freeze.
"I was invited, not you. If Alphys says it's okay, then I'll damn well stay if I want to."
It took a moment for you to get a response, but when you did, all you could hear was his strained laughter. His laugh was nothing short of dangerous, and you suddenly felt yourself shrink, even though he wasn't even in the room yet. Eventually, it died down, leaving you clueless as to how you should react. Luckily for you, Red decided to fill the uncomfortable silence that had taken over.
"Nice joke, sweetheart. Now, be a good girl and wait, and we'll 'ave a proper chat bout all this when we get back."
It wasn't a suggestion and you knew it. In fact, it was more like a threat than and order and you gulped. Giving a thumbs down, the two monsters made noises of disappointment.
"Okay."
He hung up the phone, and the two reassured you that you'd reschedule for another time. Grabbing the book Alphys lent you before you forgot, you waited anxiously for the skeleton's arrival. Not even a minute passed before you heard the familiar whoosh sound of a short cut and, as you turned around, there was Red, stood with a tight grin on his face.
"Oh, h-hi Red-"
Alphys tried to greet him, but he ignored both her and Undyne in favour of you. Looming over to you, he grabbed you by the arm, hoisting you up to a standing position.
"Alrigh', say goodbye to yer friends, now."
He said, his tone sharp. You turned to Alphys and Undyne, their expressions conveying slight worry.
"Thanks for having me, Alphys."
"O-of course. It was my p-pleasure. You're w-welcome any t-time."
You nodded, flicking your gaze towards Undyne.
"It was nice to meet you Undyne."
"HAH! You too, punk! You better text me later, alright?!"
You gave her a wink, satisfying her enough to get her to chuckle. She had put her number in your phone for you to stay in contact, and you planned to.
"Bye-"
You farewell was cut short by Red's surprise teleport, giving you no warning before you found yourself back at the house. When the others noticed you, they greeted you, especially Papyrus who was bursting at the opportunity to ask you tons and tons of questions about your time there. Before any of that couple happen, however, Red seemed to want to chat with you first, like he had said.
You couldn't figure out why, but you felt as if his aura had becoming increasingly more menacing since this morning, and you fought the urge to take a step back as he approached you, his Red eyelight shinning brighter than usual.
"So, sweetheart. Mind tellin' me where ya got the nerve ta argue with me?"
His demeanour seemed light and unbothered, but his tone was far from it. You averted your gaze for a moment, slightly embarrassed he was doing this in front of everyone. Well, at least they might get some sort of entertainment out of it.
"Uh, uhm, well I-"
"It's a rhetorical question, dumbass."
"RED, THERE IS NO NEED FOR CALLING NAMES!"
Papyrus chastised, but Red ignored him, his smile dropping and morphing into a scowl. Your hesitation towards him was mainly due to your confusion as to why he was so mad at you. Alright, maybe you were a little forceful with your tone, but that was only because you didn't think he had the right to tell you what to do. Maybe you were wrong?
"First off, how dare ya talk back ta me. Now I don't ever wanna hear that kinda talk again from ya, ya got that?! Ya shut up an' listen to me."
He ordered, a growl errupting from his chest, expressing how serious he was. You couldn't recall a time where'd you seen Red act this serious, or this pissed off.
"And ya answer when ya spoken to. Ya got that?"
"Y-yes."
You felt meek in his presence, and you did your best not to shrink. For some reason, you desperately wanted to go and hide somewhere away from all this tension.
"Good. Now, second-"
"MUST YOU GRILL HER SO THOROUGHLY? I, FOR ONE, CAN'T STAND TO HEAR YOU COMPLAIN FOR ANY LONGER."
"Shut it."
He shot Black a glare, who merely scoffed at his attempts to intimidate him, which clearly didn't work, however, he held his tongue for the duration of the scolding.
"Abou' our little chat on the phone-"
You knew immediately where this was going, and you mentally kicked yourself for trying to wager with him.
"Yer ta never speak ta me like that, again. Ya got that? I ain't here ta mess abou'. When I say no, there ain't no room for negotiatin' or nothin', ya understand?"
"Yes."
The quiver in your voice was all too obvious. Your body betrayed you, as you felt the familiar sting in your nose, a clear warning sign of tears forming in your eyes as you stood there. No one else defended you, and you felt your cheeks turn pink from embarrassment at the whole situation. Red was probably right, you shouldn't have spoken to him like that. Why did you do it?
"And?"
He snarled, flashing his teeth in annoyance. Your voice had become much weaker and much quieter now as you spoke, and it took everything in you to not avert your gaze.
"I'm sorry."
"Tch, yea ya are. Don't let it happen again."
Before you could even attempt to answer him, not that you probably would after all that, the skeleton stormed out of the room, leaving you in a very vulnerable and embarrassed state. An ugly feeling of regret and guilt welled up in you, and you did your best to cover up the tears that slid down your hot cheeks, yet, like usual, you failed.
The others tried to comfort you, but unfortunately, Edge got there first. He loomed over you, arms folded, with an unimpressed expression plastered over his face. When he spoke, there was no hint of warmth, though his tone was not sharp like his brother's.
"HUMAN, YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO MY BROTHER THAT WAY AGAIN, OR ME, FOR THAT MATTER."
You already confirmed that you wouldn't, so you stood there in silence, nodding.
"EDGE, I DO NOT THINK ALL THIS IS NECESSARY-"
Papyrus tried, but Edge cut him off, uninterested in his opinion and unwilling to even consider it.
"QUIET. SHE NEEDS TO LEARN."
He sighed.
"MY BROTHER HAS A SHORT TEMPER, AND OFTEN ACTS RASHLY, ESPECIALLY IF HE'S DEEPLY UPSET. WHICH, IN THIS CASE, HE CLEARLY WAS."
He brought a gloved hand up to your cheek, brushing away a stray tear.
"YOU DID WELL NOT TO MAKE A FUSS, AND YOU REALISED YOUR MISTAKE. HE WILL APPRECIATE THAT."
He told you, firmly, as if he was putting all of beliefs into one statement.
"HE WILL COME AROUND EVENTUALLY. NOW, THERE'S NO REASON FOR YOU TO BE CRYING, IS THERE?"
You shook your head and he retracted his hand, leaving you to compose yourself. Despite how upset you still felt, you did your best to hold in your tears, though you couldn't remove the blush that still resigned on your cheeks from your previous shame.
"Aww, c'mon, dude. He did put her quite on edge with his red hot anger.
Sans pipped up, making Edge whip his head around in annoyance.
"UGH! ENOUGH OF YOU!"
The monster snickered as Edge stormed off, much like his brother had, but for a different reason. Clutching the book Alphys gave you tightly, you gazed down at the floor, unsure of what to do with yourself for the moment.
"HUMAN!"
Black's unexpected presence made you jump and your grip on the book tightened for fear of dropping it.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY CHESS?"
"Uh, no..."
Your brows furrowed in confusion at his questions. Given the current context, this was a very random question.
"I THOUGHT NOT."
He scoffed, before grabbing your arm and pulling you gently into another room, much to the confusion of yourself and the others watching you, though no one intervened. He sat you down opposite him so that you were both facing either end of the chessboard.
"You're going to teach me?"
You were able to connect the dots just fine, but you were still unaware of his reasoning. Why would he bother with trying to teach you chess? Much less spend time with you. You thought that, despite your strained politeness to each other, he preferred not to be around you. Wait, had this thought occurred to you before? You decided to listen to Black before your thoughts became too confusing to comprehend.
"PRECISELY. NOW, LET'S BEGIN."
Black had to go over the rules a few times before it started to stick in your head, and even then you were still unsure. As for putting them into practice, you were, to say the least, terrible. Your first three tries hadn't even lasted 10 minutes before Black ended up winning, though that didn't deter your determined spirit.
At some point past the fifth round, Cash decided to join in the fun, placing himself on a team with Black. You called this out as unfair play at first, as you thought it would give them the advantage, making the rounds end even faster now. However, your guess was wrong.
"BROTHER, YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU ARE DOING ALL THE WRONG MOVES-"
"Nah bro, check it. Now I've moved that thingy-"
"A PAWN."
"-whatever, now I can do this."
Cash dragged said pawn over to the other end of the board, knocking down your horse. Black groaned in frustration.
"BROTHER, THAT IS NOT HOW YOU PLAY! YOU'RE CHEATING AND ARE GOING TO COST US THE MATCH! TELL HIM HUMAN!"
"You worry too much, bro."
Black huffed at Cash's antics, and you covered your mouth with your hand to stifle a laugh. As Cash continued to make illegal moves, you couldn't stop the fits of giggles that left your mouth as you watched the two brothers bicker.
"PAPYYY!"
Black whined, his cheeks turning a shade of indigo from the irritation he felt towards his brother, causing said brother to chuckle.
"Oh, looks like the kid wins."
You and Black blinked at his statement, and your gaze wondered over to where your side had indeed somehow won. You assumed Cash had moved your pieces, probably with magic, as you hadn't touched them since they started arguing.
"Huh."
"I think that's called a checkmate, squirt."
"SHE DID NOT WIN! YOU CHEATED, THEREFORE SHE DID NOT WIN!"
"Woah, sore loser much, bro? Just let her have this."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
You watched as Black lunged towards his brother, gripping him by his T-shirt and began to shake him vigorously, chastising him for messing with the game. The sight of their fight looked too cartoonish for you not to burst out laughing. Though you were perfectly content to watch their squabble from the sidelines, you somehow got dragged into it, much to your dismay. Though, thankfully, they weren't too rough with you.
"I BET YOU CONSPIRED WITH MY BROTHER, DIDN'T YOU, HUMAN!"
"N-no, that's not true-"
You giggled, as Black trapped you in his arms, giving Cash the perfect opportunity to rustle your hair, a little harshly for your liking but with no intentional harm on his end.
"Ya got us there, bro."
"Cash, don't lie!"
"UNBELIEVABLE. HOW COULD YOU, PRINCESS?"
He feigned sadness and betrayal at your supposed conniving.
"AND AFTER I OFFERED TO TEACH YOU AS WELL. SHAMEFUL, TRULY SHAMEFUL."
He tossed you aside, his theatrics kicking in as he placed a hand on his forehead, turning his head downwards, dramatically. You giggled at his short performance, and he returned your reaction with a wide grin of his own, funnily enough, matching his brother in that sense.
"Ya look better with a smile, kid."
Cash said, catching you off guard. His statement made you wonder if the two of them did this on purpose to try and cheer you up, but either way, you appreciated that they did end up making you feel a little better after the whole Red situation. Your smile widened as he ruffled your hair.
The three of you had ended up on the floor and had chosen to prop yourselves up against the sofa whilst you talked for a little longer. When Red had come to take you back from Alphys', it was getting towards late evening by that point, and now, as more time had passed, you were starting to feel the events of the day weigh down on you.
A yawn broke through your speech, signaling to both of the skeletons that it was probably best you go to bed now. However, you were hesitant to leave, for the sooner you did, the sooner you'd have to face Red again. You didn't know how long it would take him to calm down, and you certainly didn't want to be around him if he was still upset with you. As if sensing your discomfort and hesitation, Black faked a cough in order to get your attention.
"HUMAN-"
He began.
"IF YOU, UHM, WELL, IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE GOING TO SLEEP IN YOUR SHARED ROOM WITH EDGE, YOU ARE WELCOME TO SHARE OUR ROOM, TONIGHT, IF YOU'D LIKE."
His offer took you heavily by surprise, causing your eyebrows to raise in shock. You briefly glanced over to Cash, who nodded, confirming that his brother's offer wasn't one sided, and that he also approved of the idea.
"Oh, no, thank you. I'll be fine. Red will..."
You trailed off, as you didn't see any point of lying about how he would act. Truth be told, you had no idea what kind of state he was in, and though you weren't desperate to find out, it didn't feel right intruding on Black and Cash, especially since the last time you all shared a room, you didn't get along at all.
"Y'know we don't mind, pal. Really."
"I don't want to bother you guys."
You said, quietly, looking down at the floor.
"WE WOULDN'T HAVE OFFERED IF THAT WERE THE CASE. YOU WILL NOT BOTHER US, PRINCESS."
His tone was gentle, making you desperately want to reconsider. So, you did.
"But, the last time we all shared a room-"
"We weren't bein' fair to ya, squirt. It ain't yer fault we were so mistrustin' of ya."
Cash sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, out of guilt.
"THE WAY WE ACTED, WELL...REALLY, THERE IS NO GOOD EXCUSE. HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WERE UNDER EXTREME TENSIONS, AND, UNFORTUNATELY, WE TOOK THAT OUT ON YOU. I, MYSELF, HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF THAT VERY ACTION NUMEROUS TIMES."
His confession was something you'd never anticipated you'd hear from Black, nor his brother, ever. Their very words left you stunned, so even if Black had finished, you wouldn't have been able to speak a word. As it turned out, he still had more to say.
"HUMAN, OUR WORLD WAS CRUEL, AND IF YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN FOR EVEN A SECOND, OR SHOW ANY SIGNS OF WEAKNESS OR TRUST OR CARE, YOU'D BE DUST."
That was a chilling reality. You always disliked hearing about their world. You knew the world could be cruel, but their world always seemed to be so much worse than that. You hated the idea of them going back to it, after they finally got out of it.
"Naturally, we were suspicious of everyone, includin' you."
Cash interjected.
"HOWEVER, IT TOOK ONLY A DAY OF BEING AROUND YOU TO REALISE YOU POSED NO THREAT TO US AT ALL."
You weren't sure if you should take that as a compliment or not. Regardless, you didn't pry.
"THE OTHERS WE WERE STILL INCREDIBLY SUSPICIOUS OF, EVEN NOW, WE DO NOT TRUST THEM NOT TO TRY ANYTHING. BUT, I BELIEVE ALL THAT HOSTILITY, AND THE STRESS OF BEING THROWN INTO A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT RULES FROM WHAT WE WERE USED TO OUR ENTIRE LIVES-"
"Made us a little crazy."
Cash finished, cutting his brother off of his rant.
"YES. WE TOOK IT OUT ON YOU, AND MADE A TERRIBLE FIRST IMPRESSION. AND FOR THAT, WE'RE- I'M SORRY."
You could tell from his hesitancy that apologising must not be something neither Black nor Cash were used to saying often, if at all, but the fact that they did it for you made a fuzzy feeling well up inside of you. For the first time, you could relax around them and felt like you saw another side to them, a softer side, much like you had seen in Edge and Red.
You knew it would be a while before the two started to really open up, much like many of the others, but this apology marked the start of a possible friendship between the three of you. You weren't the type of person who liked to hold grudges, and hearing how sincere they were, you couldn't help but smile.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO-"
"I forgive you."
Your forgiveness caught them both completely off guard, and you fought the urge to giggle at their comically shocked expressions.
"Wha- just like tha'?!"
Cash gaped, his jaw wide open in surprise. He forced himself to close it as he looked around you with an unreadable expression, though you assumed he was more confused than anything. You nodded.
"I don't want to fight anyone. I just wanted to be friends..."
You statement made their souls wobble with affection, something they were not used to. Black's expression softened, as he realised he had heard you say that before. When he first drew you into that encounter, you had desperately pleaded with him that you didn't want to fight anyone. Your desperate declaration had been enough to make him rethink his actions.
Now, however, the circumstances were completely different. Your tone was warm and sincere, not said out of desperation, but out of desire. You wanted to be their friend. It was such a pure request, one a little kid would make to another unfamiliar kid at a playground. So, how could they possibly refuse you?
"Heh, if that's what ya want, lil' dime."
Black chuckled along with his brother.
"WE CAN BE FRIENDS, PRINCESS."
He confirmed, patting your knee with his gloved hand.
"YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE BACK UNDERGROUND. IT'S...REFRESHING, IN A WAY, TO HAVE ONE UP HERE, AND A HUMAN ONE, NO LESS."
Cash leaned in closer when his brother wasn't looking, whispering to you.
"That's code for he had no friends."
You glanced at him, honestly not surprised by the notion.
"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH CHIT CHAT. IT IS TIME FOR BED."
Black announced, standing. You both followed suit.
"Alright, though I do have one question before we go."
The two stayed silent, giving you the floor.
"Why didn't you guys see me as a threat? Not that I'd want you to, but what was it exactly that made you realise that?"
The brothers looked at each other for a moment, and then chuckled, as if there was some sort of unspoken inside joke that you weren't aware of.
"WELL, TIBIA HONEST-"
"Ugh, brooo. Not these shitty puns again."
Black found amusement in antagonizing his brother, that much was clear.
"IT WAS THE WAY YOU INTERACTED WITH EVERYONE. YOU WERE TOO GENTLE TO EVEN CONSIDER PRESENTING YOURSELF AS A THREAT TO ANYONE."
You'd like to think that you were trying to be more polite than anything, and were unsure how being perceived as "gentle" to random strangers counted as not being a threat. Though their logic didn't make much sense, you didn't have the energy to pursue their in depth reasoning. Whatever the reason, you were glad they had come to that conclusion, as it meant that they were obviously able to trust you a little more.
You entered the door to Sans' room that they were temporarily borrowing whole the house was being refurbished, and you tried not to gape at the state of the room. Due to Sans' lazy nature, the room was an absolute tip. How Black could stand it you would never figure it out. Thinking about it, he probably couldn't, but didn't dare move anything, out of fear of possible consequences.
Black had, however, brought the blowup mattress along with him, so you assumed that he slept on that. That only left you with Sans' mattress, where Cash clearly slept. Realistically, you should go back into the other room and retrieve your own sleeping bag, even if that meant facing Red. As if reading your thoughts, Cash slumped down on the mattress, patting beside him.
"Don't worry bou' goin' back in there. Ya can sleep 'ere tonight, kid."
Cash graciously offered. You weren't sure how comfortable you were sleeping so close to him, considering you had only just made nice, and he had been pretty hostile to you previously. But, you supposed that trust had to start somewhere.
Hesitantly, you moved to perch yourself on the edge of the mattress, fiddling with your T-shirt for a few moments. The silence in the air was broken by Cash dragging you further on to the makeshift bed, rubbing his knuckles against the side of your head, harshly.
"Nyehehe, don't be shy, squirt, I won' bite."
He joked, snapping his teeth in demonstration. Mustering up the necessary strength, you pushed him away from you, rolling your eyes.
"Sure, you won't."
You chose to ignore Cash and his brother, who both seemed to take amusement in teasing you, and instead pulled the blanket over your face, in an attempt to block out the snickers that circled around you. The brother's conversed with each other a little while longer before calling it a night, leaving you lying there in the dark, sharing a room with two people you thought would never like, much less trust, you.
You allowed yourself to dwell on the events of tonight for a while and you couldn't help but feel a little guilty, still. Nothing had been resolved between you and Red, and you hated the lingering tension between you two. You just hoped that, by tomorrow this would all be forgotten, and his temper would have gone. For now, you'd have to wait until the morning to see how he was feeling, but that was fine. It's not like you had any where to be. So, for now, you let yourself slowly drift off into a state of light sleep.
And, as it turned out, you didn't have to wait until morning to find out.
------------
Red POV
"BROTHER, YOU KNOW YOUR HEAT MAKE YOU OVERLY PARANOID AND I, FOR ONE-"
"I don't need yer input."
He snapped back, clearly not in the mood for any further chit chat about the topic. Right now, with all the extra magic flowing in his system, all he wanted was to take action. Ever since your little spat with him after coming back from that psycho scientist's place, you hadn't come back upstairs.
Red knows he was a little harsh on you, but, in the moment, he wasn't able to stop himself from saying what he did. Something about the way you tried to defy him just made his non existent blood boil to the point where he felt like killing someone. Not you, of course, but he could think of a few others. Despite his intense desires, his brother had pointed out the obvious reason as to why he was acting like this, but he didn't want to hear it. Besides, it wasn't uncommon for him to have a short temper, so this was really nothing new. Well, maybe for you it was.
He couldn't stand the look on your face when he yelled at you. You expression resembled one of a kicked puppy, with your wide, teary eyes staring up at him, silently begging him for mercy. Unfortunately, he gave you no such relief.
Red couldn't understand why he had been so upset. So what if he didn't like that scientist? Why did you having a sleepover there matter to him so much? It wasn't like you were his kid, so he wasn't technically in charge of you or anything. But, you weren't some stranger either. Despite this, he managed to surprise himself when he realised how much he seemed to care about this, though safety had always been a big priority for him. Hell, it was what he tried to enforce on his brother for the majority of his life, that was, until, he was older and strong enough to look out for himself.
Papyr- Edge- wasn't a babybones anymore, he could look out for himself and he knew that, which is one of the reasons why he trusted his brother with his life. However, you weren't nearly as strong, nor were you old enough to do any of that. Despite not being someone he had known for a long time, Red couldn't help but feel some sort of responsibility for you.
Though he hated having responsibilities, he took matters very seriously when it came to family safety. You had already been in a couple of, whether it be minor, unsafe situations and the thought made Red uneasy. But, this wasn't only about safety. Ever since that first encounter with Alphys, he didn't trust her one bit, especially not around you. Despite what you said, he couldn't trust her.
He had been acquainted with his world's version of her, and while it probably wasn't fair to compare the two, he knew better than to become all buddy buddy with scientists, crazy or not. So, when he heard that you two had become friends, an unpleasant feeling had settled in his soul, and it only grew the more you hung out with her. He wished you'd never given her a second chance. But, more than anything, he wished you had listened to him the first time around.
Why did you have to act like that? Up until now, you had never showed so much defiance. The way you spoke to him was bold, too bold, and he hated it. It wasn't like he wanted to control you, no, he was just trying to look out for you. And, the fact that you couldn't see that just showed how naive you were. He was in the right in this situation, surely?
Whatever the case, he could already see his brother's influence rubbing off on you, slowly but surely. Though he found it amusing, he would have to reign you in a little if you began to act like Edge in his youth. So rebellious, and so confident when defying his elder brother. It had amused Red in the beginning, but he soon became tired, and his patience grew thin. He wasn't that strict when raising Edge, but one thing he made sure to drill into his brother's skull was respect.
Sure, on the outside, it looked as though Edge didn't respect his older brother in the slightest, what with him getting bossed around all the time by his younger brother. But, that couldn't be further from the truth. Edge had immense respect for his older brother, and Red knew that. In fact, most of their public interactions were heavily staged, in order to present a certain façade that kept them alive in the underground. What could he say? After all, looks can be deceiving.
He waited a few more hours for you to come to him, and when you didn't, his temper only worsened. What the hell was taking you so long? You had already apologised so why drag out the awkwardness? Why not face him and get it over with? He was beginning to get frustrated, but he knew better than to initiate anything. You had to come to him when you were comfortable enough to talk with him, so he wouldn't push, for now, as you clearly needed space and he would respect that.
In fact, he was willing to let the whole night pass without you two speaking, if that's what you really wanted. What tipped him over the edge was when he found out who you decided to stay with. Red would've had no problem with you sleeping in the living room if you so wished, or bunking with Papyrus or Blue. What he did have an issue with was the fact that you willingly decided to stay with Black, the worst out of his counterparts.
Red shared Edge's abhorrence of Black and Cash for many reasons, the main reason being their previous treatment of you. And now, what? You had suddenly made up with them in just a couple of hours? Surely it took more than that to get in your good books.
It took months to gain your trust, and even now he wants completely sure he had it, so there was absolutely no way that, after all they'd done to you, you'd forgive them just like that and be able to feel comfortable with them. That couldn't be right, and if it was, that wasn't fair, at all.
It took ages for you to become comfortable around him and his brother, so why should Black and Cash be able to shortcut their way in. No, there had to be something he was missing. Maybe it was his delusions that kept him so on edge, or maybe it was the very real possibility that you had actually made nice with them, but either way, you being with Black and Cash made Red crazy to a point where he was strongly considering dusting them on the spot the next time he saw them.
The idea was tempting, but Red ultimately opted for a different route, one his brother had been hesitant about.
"YOU SHOULD NOT DISTURB THEM, BROTHER."
"Oh yea? Gimmie one good reason not ta. I know fer a fact ya don't like 'er bein' in there as much as me."
Honestly, he was surprised at how calm his brother was being. He could only assume that, inside, Edge was absolutely fuming with the fact that you had willingly put yourself in danger, though he was doing nothing to rectify the situation.
"IT IS LATE. AND, WHATEVER YOU DO NOW MAY MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR HER."
"Right now, nothin' could be worse for 'er than bein' in a room alone with those two."
"I DO NOT LIKE IT EITHER, BUT-"
"She ain't safe, there, bro. She doesn't belong there, she belongs with us, and ya know that."
Edge couldn't argue against his brother, not because he was scared to, but because he agreed with everything that Red was saying. However, Edge worried that whatever rash decision his brother would make soon may jeopardize the relationship they worked hard to build with you.
Being so lost in thought, Edge hadn't noticed his brother walking away until he had long since left the room. Rushing out of the doorway, the younger brother was eager to stop whatever Red was planning, but he was too late. The door to Black and Cash's room (Sans' room) had been smashed down in a fit of anger, waking up pretty much everyone in the house, the only acception being Sans himself.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, YOU CRETIN?!"
Black demanded, a deep scowl forming on his face. Magic sparked in the air as tensions rose. Red snarled at him, whilst his gaze wondered over to Cash. His soul burned in anger when Red saw his arm placed in front of your body, seemingly in a protective manner. The idea that Cash was going to 'protect' you from him was rich, and it encouraged a dark chuckle to bubble up from his non existent throat.
"Alrigh', party's ova. C'mere, sweetheart"
Without wanting, Red used blue magic to grab ahold of your soul and hastily float you into his arms, alarming both Cash and Black. You were only just starting waking up, as you didn't seem to be fully aware of the weight of the situation. You rubbed your eyes, sleepily, trying to block out the light that entered the room through the door. Red let out a chortle at your behaviour, as he thought it was cute. Cash and Black, on the other hand, had the complete opposite view.
The atmosphere of the room froze, not that Red really cared about whether they were upset or not. By this point, the entire household was now awake and had come to see the commotion. Red heard the others questioning Edge as to what was happening, but it seemed his brother wasn't in a very talkative mood tonight. Turning his attention back to the brothers, he saw Cash's expression morph into a scowl.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, pal."
Cash warned, but this threats were a little late. Black let out a growl, but before Red could retaliate, the sound of your groggy voice cut through the tension.
"Red? What's going on?"
You blinked, looking up at him, confused. No one moved, for fear of startling you and sending you into a panic. Red gave you a warm smile, one that you were probably relieved to see.
"Nothin' sweetheart, just go back ta sleep."
Surprisingly, you obeyed. Despite your little argument earlier, you still felt comfortable enough to sleep within his arms. The idea made Red's soul swell with pride at your trust, and he concluded that everything had been resolved now. However, as he held you close, others seemed to think differently.
"YOU CANNOT JUST BARGE IN THERE AND TAKE HER-"
"Uh, think I just did."
He laughed, stroking your hair gently as your breathing evened out, signaling you had fallen asleep. How you could sleep with all this noise was beyond him. Either you were a really heavy sleeper, or you were just that tired.
"What's yer goal here, exactly?"
Cash questioned, his eye socket glowing dangerously bright. Red shrugged.
"Just lookin' out fer 'er, keepin' 'er safe and all that."
"THAT IS A RIDICULOUS ACCUSATION. SHE IS PERFECTLY SAFE HERE!"
He snapped. Red blinked, then burst out laughing. That was probably one of the most hilarious things Black had ever said. He knew he was delusional, but this was on a completely different level.
"Yeah, no. Well, thanks fer this chat."
Before the two could stop him, he teleported back into his room with your body still cradled in his arms. No one in this house was exactly quiet, meaning he could hear the muffled protests from the two brothers.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
He heard Black screech.
"Bro-"
"NO! EVERYTHING WAS GOING GREAT UNTIL HE CAME AND RECKED IT!"
The rest of the conversation was muffled through the wall and, quite frankly, Red didn't care to listen. Instead, he took the time to focus on your sleeping form that layed still in his arms. Nuzzling your cheek with his own, he pulled you close, wrapping the blanket around you.
Positioning your head on his chest for a more comfortable angle, it may seem odd to anyone as to why he was no longer angry with you anymore. What most people weren't aware of was that, although he had a short temper, he got over his fits pretty quickly, especially if the other person he had argued with wasn't still mad at him. And, judging by your willingness to be close to him, you weren't mad anymore.
It wasn't long before his brother entered the room, choosing to utter no words to him, but that was fine. He couldn't explain why, but protectiveness had washed over Red when he heard you had taken refuge with Black and Cash, and he felt compelled to do everything in his power to bring you back to him.
Now he had you back, he did reconsider his previous behaviour. Though he had been harsh with you, he didn't regret it. It wasn't a crime for him to set his expectations, was it? Besides, you didn't fight him against it, so you can't have felt that strongly about the topic.
Unconsciously, you snuggled closer into him, most likely to gain more warmth. Smiling, he sighed, contently. Though he wasn't a fan of yelling, he did it when necessary. After all, there are times where he had to be harsh on Edge, but he turned out fine.
If all of the skeletons were to be completely honest, they had no idea what their role was in your life. This all started off as a fever dream, and the majority expectation was that they'd be home by now, after only a couple of months. How stupid were they? Of course that hadn't been the case.
It would've been easier to deal with only each other, but throwing a human child, a teenager of all ages, into the mix had thrown everyone off. None of them had the slightest clue as to how to take care of humans, especially since half of the monsters were very adamant on capturing one, at first. They weren't exactly your family either, barely even friends, so how were they supposed to know what they could and couldn't do?
Were they supposed to act like your parents, or maybe siblings, or friends? What were the rules? The boundaries? Were they allowed to tell you what you could and couldn't do? Should they? None of them knew what to do.
Red never considered having kids. After raising Edge, he didn't think he'd want kids, or worse, be a horrible dad. However, it seemed like he didn't have much choice now, did he?
Staring down at you for one last time, he wondered what the future would hold.
Notes:
What do you guys think? Was Red justified in his actions? Are Cash and Black being genuine? All questions to consider!
As always, I hope you all have a great day/night, and thanks for reading! ❤🌸
Chapter 31: Chapter 31: new table
Summary:
Some rules are established.
Notes:
Hi guys! Back with another chapter. Not much else to say, so hope you all enjoy! 🌸❤
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Your eyes flickered open slowly at the low, gentle rumbling that invaded your ears. The warmth that encased you made it harder for the grogginess in your mind to clear, as you felt the heavy temptation to go back to sleep. However, as you grew more and more aware of your surroundings, you were able to locate the source of the noise.
Your gaze trailed upwards until your eyes landed on Red's chest, where a loud purr vibrated from. You were surprised at the fact that he could make such a noise. Though, if memory served you correctly, you could've sworn that Sans had made a very similar, yet quieter, sound once before.
You blinked slowly as you tried to comprehend what was happening. Wracking your brain for answers, a vague memory of you being kidnapped from Cash and Black's room resurfaced. Red, in a flurry of emotions, had taken you in the night and kept you in his clutches ever since, like a princess taken to her tower by a dragon.
Realising how trapped you were, you attempted to struggle out of his embrace, only for his arms to tighten around you, making it impossible for you to move. This was like Sans all over again.
Being squished against his ribs, you would've expected more discomfort. However, the padding from his large tummy made his chest seemingly cozy to lie against. Despite this, you would prefer it if Red would let you go then explain what the hell went down last night.
You tried everything to get his attention; nudging him, poking at him, whispering then yelling at him, yet nothing. Sighing, you were just about to give in and go back to sleep when the sound of drilling suddenly filled your ears, kick starting your adrenaline for a moment as your mind delt with the unexpected noise.
Thankfully, it seemed that the drilling was the perfect way to get Red's attention, as, not long after, he soon awoke with a grumble. Beads of sweat ran down his skull as he became fully conscious, reminding you of how Sans looked during his heat.
"Red?"
Heading the sound of your voice served as a useful reminder for Red of his actions last night. Brushing the reminder aside, he smiled down at you as if nothing had happened.
"Hey sweetheart, sleep okay?"
You nodded and he settled his head back onto yours, his purrs starting up again, as if he figured the conversation was over. You, on the other hand, were determined to get to the bottom of last night's events, and you wanted details.
"Red, how did I get here?"
"Through ma copy's damn machine, sweetheart, remember?"
He chuckled, clearly thinking he was being funny. You rolled your eyes.
"No, I mean here, with you."
He smile twitched slightly, and caught a dark look in his eye socket.
"Ya don' like being with me?"
He asked, seeming to take your comment incredibly personal and blowing it completely out of proportion. If you were being honest, you weren't too fond of being with him at the moment, given the circumstances, however, there was no way you were going to voice that opinion.
"No, I do. But, it's a bit odd-"
"An' why's that?"
Stars, he was being sensitive. His smile began to fade and you sighed, getting a sense of what you'd have to deal with for the next week.
"Well, I was with Cash and Black last night, yet somehow mysteriously ended up here. How?"
You questioned. Red paused, before chuckling lightly. Talk about a switch up of emotions.
"That's ma fault, course. Ya don't remember?"
You shook your head, causing Red to chuckle once more.
"Don't worry 'bout it, doll face, yer back here all safe 'n sound now."
He mumbled, nuzzling his face into yours. Being incredibly vague with his explanation frustrated you, but, as he would say anything else on the matter, you had no choice but to accept his answer.
From his current behaviour, you assumed all previous tension from last night had been forgiven and forgotten, as Red seemed to have no lingering feelings of anger towards you. You were glad at that fact, however, you didn't exactly want to stay here all day being squished by him. Instead, you decided that it was best to go and have a quick chat with Black and Cash, just in case they were harboring any feelings of bitterness towards Red's kidnapping of you.
"As great as that may be, can I get up now, please?"
Red laughed at your request, though you hoped he'd take it seriously.
"Nah, sweetheart, I think yer fine right here."
Ugh, you figured he was going to be stubborn about this. Still, you had a feeling that he would be easier to convince than Sans had been.
"Please, Red? I need to go to the bathroom."
It wasn't a complete lie, for you did actually need to use the bathroom. However, you could also use that excuse to slip away for a while. Red thought for a moment and, as he couldn't exactly deny your request, he reluctantly let you go.
Going about your morning routine, you then sought to find Black and Cash, which didn't take long, thankfully. You weren't sure exactly what you were supposed to say to them, but then maybe you didn't need to say anything. As they saw you approach, they didn't give you time to prepare your words, as they swiftly turned your attention to something else entirely, as if last night had never happened.
"HUMAN, GOOD. NOW YOU'RE HERE, YOU CAN SETTLE THIS DEBATE BETWEEN U- HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
On second thought,maybe you didn't have to discuss anything with them. You immediately turned on your heel, not wanting to be involved in one of their infamous debates. You'd seen them argue about this that topic and the other, and you'd seen how intense Black could get when desperate to prove his point to his brother who couldn't care less.
"Nyehehe."
"BROTHER! SHE'S WALKING AWAY-"
Their voices faded into the distance as you entered the living room, so eager to get away from the two of them that you ended up tripping and stubbing your toe on the table leg. Naturally, the action produced a flurry of profanities to escape your mouth, much to everyone's shock. Well, mainly Blue's.
"OW! Fucking hell!"
"RIGHT! THAT IS IT YOUNG LADY!"
The sound of Blue's disapproval rang loudly throughout the house, making those in other rooms poke their heads out to listen in. You tilted your head at him, confused as he slammed a glass jar down in front of you. His brother, clearly in on the joke, snickered at your expense, whilst the others looked mildly bewildered.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?"
"A jar?"
"CORRECTION, IT'S A SWEAR JAR. DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS, SUNSHINE?"
You hadn't the slightest clue, so you shook your head.
"WELL, EVERYTIME YOU SWEAR YOU PUT MONEY IN IT. THIS IS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP THE CONTINUOUS STRING OF VULGAR LANGUAGE THAT OFTEN SPEWS FROM YOUR MOUTH."
You shook your head, smiling, at the idea. However, when you realised he was being serious, you absolutely lost it. Cackling, you struggled to stand, encouraging a couple of laughs from the others. Blue shot them a glare before turning his attention to you.
"I AM SERIOUS, SUNSHINE!"
"Of course, of course-"
You snickered, your laughter, dying down a bit when you felt your stomach hurt.
"But mate, I don't even have any money. I have like one pound- sorry dollar, to my name!"
"SO?"
"So, how am I supposed to put money in there when I have practically none?"
At your question, Blue suddenly found the large flaw in his plan. His mouth remained open for a moment whilst his brain tried to formulate a solution to his dilemma, but eventually, coming up with nothing, he closed it, sighing.
"YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT! IT SEEMS I WILL HAVE TO REEVALUATE MY ORIGINAL PLAN."
He declared before running off to conduct some sort of other solution. You glanced over at Stretch you just shrugged in return, chuckling to himself.
"Y'know, he tried tha' trick on me when I was younger."
You raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did it even work?"
Stretch shrugged.
"Just taught me not ta swear 'round him."
He chuckled, making you smile. You thought the idea in itself was ridiculous and would've proved ineffective. It seemed that your assumptions were correct, according to Stretch's experience.
Suddenly, a loud thud caught the attention of you and many others in the room, causing you to turn your heads to the source. Originally, you thought it was the result of the builders, when in actuality, this was all Papyrus' doing.
A large box was thrust into the dinning room, literally. Papyrus, harnessing only a slight fraction of his infamous strength, threw it so hard that you became concerned about whether he has actually broken the contents in the box.
The others seemed just as confused as you did, but all your questions were about to be answered when Papyrus came bounding into the room, a giant grin on his face.
"Dude, what's with the box throwin'?"
Stretch asked, tilting his head back to further glance at said box, which now looked to be half crushed.
"I'M GLAD YOU ASKED, LAZY ME!"
It may have seemed a little childish, but you still found his nickname for Stretch hilarious.
"I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW TABLE TO DINE ON!"
A new dinning table? I mean, sure, the other one was a tad small, and, when you all sat together, you had to squish the chairs really close in order to fit everyone.
"AND I HAVE TO ASSEMBLE IT. THOUGH I DO THINK IT WILL BE CHALLENGING, IT IS A CHALLENGE I AM WILLING TO TAKE!"
He declared, hastily opening the box to examine the parts with a comically confused expression on his face.
"Hey Papyrus, wouldn't it be easier to use the instructions?"
You pointed out, furrowing your brows as he began stacking the items on top of each other.
"INSTRUCTIONS? THE GREAT PUZZLE MASTER PAPYRUS DOES NOT NEED INSTRUCTIONS!"
Of course he doesn't.
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP, HUMAN?"
You nodded, having nothing better to do. Plus, you wanted to see how his efforts would turn out. As you watched him try to assemble the table, you felt your admiration of him decrease slightly. It took a whole half an hour before you decided to try and convince him to quit.
"Papy, this isn't exactly working out..."
"DON'T GIVE UP NOW HUMAN, WE ARE ALMOST DONE!"
You didn't think you'd be able to talk him out of it, but luckily, you didn't have to. Red, who you hadn't interacted with since this morning, came drapsing downstairs, looking completely unimpressed and incredibly irritated at Papyrus' attemtps.
"Aight, move over Paps, I'll take care a dis."
He waved his hand to the side in a 'scooch over' motion. Papyrus tried to tell Red how, as much as his offer was appreciated, it was unnecessary. However, Papyrus eventually caved when Red didn't budge.
This was surprising behaviour from Red, who was usually just as lazy as Sans, but you supposed that the irritation he got from seeing Papyrus fail massively was enough motivation for him to take over.
"'ere sweetheart."
He patted the spot next to him and you followed his directions.
"Ya hand me the tools, kay? Ya don' 'ave ta do anythin' 'part from that, and watch me."
You nodded, agreeing to his terms. Originally, you had wanted to help Papyrus build the table, but seeing his efforts drag on and on with no success drained that desire right out of your body. Now, you were perfectly content with watching Red.
Thankfully, he was much faster than Papyrus, and much more successful, too. You were pleasantly surprised, and wondered why Red was so good at this.
"Well, I ain't got a PhD in engineerin' fer nothin'."
Your eyes widened at his statement.
"Wait, you do?! Red, that's so cool!"
Red, surprised by your amazement, felt a wide grin rise to his face in pride at the fact that he had impressed you.
"Hehehe, if ya say so, sweetheart."
Rubbing the back of his neck in a bashful manner, you smiled, affirming your comment. Standing back to admire his work, you were finally able to get a good look of what the table was supposed look like.
Now, placed in the middle of the room, stood a long, dark oak dinning table, one that resembled those in movies. Red, dusting off his hands, was satisfied with his efforts, as were you. This table was large enough to fit everyone and a few others if necessary, such as guests. You suppose the extra room was good, and besides, it's not as if anymore skeleton duplicates were going to pop out of that machine. You chuckled at the thought.
"WOWIE! EXCELLENT JOB, RED! THOUGH I STILL THINK THE REASON YOURS LOOKED DIFFERENT FROM MY VERSION WAS SIMPLY A PERSONAL VENDETTA THE TABLE HAD AGAINST ME."
Papyrus, who had come back to see the finished product, congratulated him. Ushering the others in to show off the new table, you giggled at their reactions. Whilst watching them try out the new table, your phone buzzed, jolting you suddenly.
Digging it out of your pocket, you left the room to take an unexpected call.
"Greetings my child, I hope I did not catch you at a bad time."
Toriel said, on the other end of the line.
"Oh no, not at all."
"Ah, good good. I hoped I might inquire about something, perhaps?"
"Uh, yeah, go ahead."
"Well, Frisk and I were simply wondering if- oh hush, my child, it is not embarrassing."
You heard the faint complaints of Frisk's whines and you supressed a smile. After trying to convince the child to let Toriel continue, the mother finally sighed, getting straight to the point.
"Would you like to come over for a sleepover next week? That is, if it's alright with your guardians."
Her request took caught you by surprise. Not that you didn't want to go, you just hadn't expected to be hanging out with Frisk again. In all honesty, despite your last interaction, you weren't entirely sure they liked you that much. Perhaps you had made a judgement of error.
"I would love to, thank you."
"Oh no need to thank me, my child, it would be a delight to have you over! Now, why don't you consult with the others and get back to me when you can, yes?"
"Sounds good, I'll see what they say. Talk to you later, Toriel."
"Goodbye, y/n."
As she hung up, you debated on telling Red, keeping in mind that the last time you wanted a sleepover, he hasn't taken it well. Though, maybe that was due to the way you went about speaking to him about it. You were unsure of what you should do, whether you should ask for permission or just tell them, and you were sure the others felt the same way. You'd need to figure out what exactly your relationship was with the skeletons.
Walking back into the dinning room, it was almost too convinient that everyone was already gathered. Though, you supposed that's what happened when you got a new table. The monsters greeted you, offering you a seat. You take advantage of this opening to discuss your matter of business.
"Hey guys, something came up and I wanted to talk to you about it."
You hoped your tone didn't convey how timid you felt at that moment. You couldn't understand why, but you felt a sort of pressure weigh down on you. Pushing that feeling aside, the others gave you their full attention as their conversations died down.
"S' the matter, kid?"
Stretch asked, raising a brow in concern.
"Oh, nothing's wrong or anything-"
"Really, cause ya sound nervous."
Cash chimed in, catching you out. To save face, you shot him a glare.
"Well I'm not!"
He threw up his hands in defeat, silently giving you back the floor. Exhaling, you continued.
"It's just that, well, Toriel just invited me for a sleepover with Frisk next week."
"HOW THOUGHTFUL OF THE QUEEN!"
Blue expressed, with Papyrus joining in with his enthusiasm.
"INDEED. I DID NOT REALISE HOW ACQUAINTED YOU HAD BECOME WITH THE HUMAN FRISK! ARE YOU GUYS BESTIES LIKE ME AND THEM?"
"Not quite. I think you still hold that place."
You giggled as you watched Papyrus beam with pride, but did want to steer back to the matter at hand.
"So, guys, I've been wondering for a while now..."
You paused, trying to figure out how to word it in the clearest, least offensive way possible.
"What's the dynamic between us? I mean, like, do I have to ask you guys to do this kind of stuff, or do I just do it?"
You tilted your head to emphasise your stance, hoping the others would provide you with the answers you needed. It took a while for anyone to come up with any ideas.
"THE HUMAN IS RIGHT. I'M AFRAID WE HAVE BEEN TOO VAGUE ABOUT THIS SITUATION FOR TOO LONG."
The others looked at Papyrus, plerplexed as to what stance he would take.
"NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR HUMAN."
Huh? Since when were you '"their" human? No one else denied it, or raised issue with his statement. How odd.
"We ain't the kid's parents, ya know. Tha' much's obvious."
Cash was the first to make his point known, much to the dismay of everyone else. Blue countered his point.
"YES, BUT AS HER LEGAL GUARDIANS, WE DO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KEEPING HER-"
"IN CHECK?"
"-SAFE."
Blue shot Black a look, who merely smirked at his discomfort. Why did you get the sense that they were talking about you as if you weren't there?
"Eh, I'd say let the kid do what she wants. Just to keep us updated."
Stretch shrugged, taking an incredibly relaxed approach, some of which agreed with him, others, however, did not. Black, unsurprisingly, was one who did not.
"NO. SHE SHOULD ASK US FIRST."
"Heh, agreed."
Red butted in, though he didn't look particularly entertained by the conversation. Maybe he was just picking a side so as to avoid getting into any debates that actually required him to think or participate.
"HOW ABOUT WE VOTE?"
Papyrus suggested, and the others seemed to find that suggestion acceptable. Despite there being eight of them, there was no equally split vote. The decision was set clear by Edge, who seemed pleased with the outcome.
"SHE SHALL ASK FOR OUR PERMISSION, AND THAT IS FINAL."
You could live with that. At least, you think you could. The main goal for you was to get an answer to something that had been bothering you for a while, and now you had it. However, something else was brought up for discussion.
"But what happens when some of us agree, and the others don't? Who's she supposed to listen to if none of us can agree?"
Stretch asked, wanting to immensely clear as to how this would work. As the others hadn't thought that far ahead, there was no answer to his question, so far.
"WE WILL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT."
Edge decided, making Black roll his eyelights.
"OF COURSE YOU'D SAY THAT. AFTER ALL, SHE ACTUALLY LISTENS TO YOU."
Edge looked as smug as he felt when Black said that, with the others nodding their heads in agreement. To the others, apart from Red, they couldn't understand how yours and Edge's relationships actually worked.
To them, the concept that you actually listened to him was completely forgein to them. And, the most shocking part was that you didn't do it out of fear. In fact, you had no fear for him at all, and almost seemed happy enough to be around him willingly. That came as the biggest astonishment to them.
You felt the need to step in, once the decision had been made.
"So, opinions on whether I can go or not?"
"Oh, I see. Now you're putting this idea on the table?"
"SANS, PLEASE!"
Papyrus banged his hands against said table, making you flinch from the noise. His brother, however, looked only amused by his reaction.
"C'mon bro, I think it's only chair if we let her go."
"YES YES, FINE! SHE MAY GO, IF YOU STOP WITH THESE INCESSANT PUNS!"
"You're pulling my leg here, Paps, but okay."
Papyrus slapped his face comically, shaking his head vigorously as the rest of the skeletons put in their two cents of opinions. After less an a minute of discussing, you were pleased to inform Toriel that you had been granted permission to go.
"Thanks guys, I'll let her know now."
You stood up from your chair, grinning as you went to text her.
"WAIT, HUMAN! BEFORE YOU GO."
Papyrus called, commanding your attention.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TABLE?"
"It's nice."
Maybe your lackluster response wasn't exactly what he expected, but what could you say. After all, it was just a table.
-----------
"C'mon kid, ya must understand it now-"
"Oh excuse me if I don't get it on the first try-"
"Fourth try."
Cash pointed out, grumbling to himself in frustration. You did the same, matching his irritation at the whole matter. For a whole fifty minutes, you had been stuck on this one particular maths problem which you just couldn't get.
Cash, and the others, had helped you get further than you ever were before, however, that didn't mean you were free of struggles. Cash exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples harshly and excessively. The action made you feel a little guilty at your slow abilities, but you were trying your best, and you tried to display that as well.
"Right, no, I'm done with this."
Cash snapped, shoving the papers aside and sliding his chair backwards. In a panic, you hoped to stop him, to convince him that you could do better, that you could be better.
"Wait, Cash please, I- I'm starting to understand it better now-"
"Don't lie to me."
He spat, all patience lost. You cleanched your fists, your eyes wide as you tried to come up with something, anything that would make him give you another chance. Looking away, your stance, tense, you tried not to make a fool out of yourself.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, be smart."
He uttered, shaking his head before leaving. His words wrung in your mind, even after his departure, as if they had been burned into your brain, indefinitely. Little did you know, they would stick with you for a very long time.
You felt yourself shake in disappointment. As you stood there, the guilt gnawing at you at the idea that you had not only let Cash down but also wasted his time, you were left alone and thus, came an abrupt end to your tutor session for today.
Slumping down on the chair, you cursed maths for being so difficult, and your cursed yourself for not understanding it. Sighing, you stared hard at the paper in front of you, more specifically the problem. A few months ago, before all of this, you would've just given up and called it a day by crying into your pillow.
Now, however, you felt your chest burn. Whether it was the guilt or the blazing passion of a different emotion, be it determination or perseverance, you felt as though you couldn't just give up now. You wanted to show Cash, to show everyone, that you were capable of what they all thought of you.
Previously, you would've accepted the fact that you'd never live up to anyone's ridiculous expectations of you. Now, however, you wanted to impress them, you wanted to prove their assumptions right. What you didn't want was to let them down. The mere thought made you feel sick to your stomach, yet you couldn't pin down exactly the reason as to why.
Hunching over the table, you made the firm decision not to leave until you had solved this problem. It was a little more advanced than you were used to. Of course, none of them started off with rocket science. That would've been counter productive, and pointless considering you barely knew anything beyond the basics and a little more.
The last few months, with their help, you had progressed immensely, more than you ever thought you would. So much so that you had even moved beyond the current curriculum of your school. If you had to take a guess, you'd say that what you were doing was probably the equivalent to A Levels. To think, you were learning what 17-18 year olds were studying, while you were only 15, was astonishing to you.
You'd never thought you'd ever get this good, considering how much you hated maths and all STEM subjects alike, and you also surprised yourself at how much you stuck with it. But, you supposes that the skeletons encouraged you in a way that made you feel obligated to continue.
Keeping this in mind, you wanted to go further. You wanted to keep improving, to get to their level, maybe even surpass them, if that was even possible. It was a wildly ambitious, perhaps silly, goal, and you would've never thought you'd think like this. You've got this far, so why not keep going? Besides, imagine how proud impressed the others would be.
Though, it wasn't all hopes and wishes. You actually had to work, hard, for it, and you hated that fact. You hated every second of learning and trying and practicing and failing over and over again. Sometimes, you felt like you were going mad at the pressure you felt, though you were the one that put it there in the first place.
The skeletons were very patient with you, most of the time, but mainly, they weren't going to push you if you didn't agree or needed longer to wrap your head around something. That was something you were grateful for, but you really wished you could just be good at it, with no hard work involved. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for you.
You were stuck at that table for hours until, after failing multiple times, giving yourself a headache and shedding a few, quiet tears, you finally got the answer. The relief and pride you felt wash over you was better than any success you had ever had for a long time.
Pushing yourself up, you rushed to find Cash and tell him of your victory. Once you spotted him, you ran towards him, catching him off guard with a big grin on your face.
"Cash! Cash!"
You called for him, tugging him by the arm of his hoodie, causing him to look down at you.
"Uh, sup kid?"
You thrust the paper in front of his eyes for him to see. Perhaps you were acting a little like a child who wanted to show off their first drawing to their parent, but you couldn't help it. You were just so pleased, you were practically shaking.
"I did it! I finally got it!"
"Holy shit, you actually did it."
He exclaimed, his eye sockets widening as he took the paper from you. He scanned over it to double check everything was correct and, not long after, he was left astounded.
"Nyehe, good job, lil' dime. I knew ya had it in ya."
Your grin widened at his praise and he handed you back the papers. You were too giddy to really notice his expression shift slightly to one of slight curiosity and concern.
"Wait, 'ave ya been workin' on it since I left?"
You nodded.
"Yep! I didn't stop until I completed it. I didn't take any breaks!"
Your tone was jolly, but your words worried Cash, causing his smile to waver slightly.
"Uh, well, ya know it's okay ta take breaks, ok? Don't work yerself too hard, or ya'll end up like ma bro."
He gestured over to Black.
"A workaholic."
You giggled, though it was true. In fact, many of the others also shared Black's quality, whereas others were the exact opposite. You found the juxtaposition between the personality of the brothers to be quite amusing at times. This was definitely one of those times.
"'Ave ya even eaten dinner yet?"
Cash asked, reminding you that you hadn't. At that moment, you felt the familiar sense of hunger punch your stomach.
"No, not yet. I asked Papyrus to set me some aside, but I forgot it was there until now."
That didn't sit right with Cash, but he wouldn't say anything about it for now. After all, it was just a little mistake. However, he'd have to make sure it didn't turn into a habit with you. But, he was pretty sure it wouldn't, and that this instance was a one time occurrence. Forcing out a chuckle, he turned you around and pointed in the direction of the kitchen.
"Go eat something, ya dummy."
He encouraged and you complied with his order. Watching you leave, he turned to his brother briefly to see that familiar, indignant look on his face.
"I AM NOT A WORKAHOLIC."
He huffed, gaining a proper laugh out of Cash.
"Sure yer not bro, sure."
He watched as his elder brother rolled his eyes at him, causing him to laugh once more.
Notes:
What do you guys think of Papyrus' new table? Because I think it's pretty snazzy. If I sat at the end of the table, I'd definitely feel like a villain. 😈
Hope you all have a good day/night 🌸❤
Chapter 32: Chapter 32: sleepover
Summary:
Time for a sleepover with a certain human ambassador! The skeletons get up to some secret activities during your absence 👀.
Notes:
And we're back with another chapter! Sorry it's been so long since I've last updated guys, mock exams kept me super busy and I didn't have a lot of time to work on the chapter, but now it's finally finished!
As always, I hope you all enjoy! 🌸❤
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You had never been to Toriel's house before, so when Stretch short cutted right in front of a little cottage-like place, you weren't in the least bit shocked. If anything, you thought it was rather fitting for the goat monster. Somehow, everything just screamed Toriel.
"Aight, kid, have fun."
You turned to the lanky skeleton to give him one last smile.
"Thanks Stretch."
"Call if ya need anything."
You nodded and moved towards the door and were about to ring the bell when the sound of Stretch's voice made you pause. He was hesitant, as if he was almost nervous. That much was conveyed clearly in his tone.
"Ya know, it's ok if you don't wanna stay the entire night. Ya can call me, even if it's 4AM. I probably won't be sleeping much anyways, with my bad sleep schedule and everything, nyehehe. But, like I said-"
"Stretch, it's really fine. I'll be fine."
You interrupted him, making him snap his jaw shut. You though it was odd how he was talking to you as if you were a young kid about to go on their first sleepover ever. It wasn't like you were going to miss the house for one night. You raised an eyebrow at him as he tried to formulate a response, but he came up with nothing original.
"Okay."
He shrugged, finally letting you go. You hadn't a clue as to why he would suggest insistently that you call him if there was some sort of problem, as the scenario was highly unlikely. Deciding to give the topic a rest now, you rang the bell and was soon greeted by Toriel who ushered you inside.
"It is so wonderful to have you here, my child. Please, make yourself comfortable."
She insisted, her voice, soft and welcoming. You couldn't help but smile in her presence, as you took a seat on the sofa.
"Thank you for having me over, Toriel."
"Oh, it is my pleasure."
She grinned, before calling out to Frisk to come down.
"Would you like some tea, my child?"
"Oh, uhm, yes please."
"Alright. I won't be a moment."
She inclined her head, before moving into the kitchen. Just as the kettle began to boil, you saw Frisk make their way downstairs with that same neutral expression on their face. However, once their spotted you, their face lit up with joy and they came bounding towards you. Bracing yourself for impact, you stood up only to be thrusted into an unexpected, but welcomed nonetheless, hug from Frisk.
The child had a good grip on them, you had to admit, as you felt the oxygen slowly leave your body as they continued to hang onto you. Eventually, they did let you go with a large smile on their face.
'You came! You actually came!'
They beamed, seemingly over the moon at your arrival. You couldn't help but smile at their excitement. You weren't always great with kids, especially the ones only a couple years younger than you. However, Frisk was so easy to get along with, that you actually enjoyed spending time with them.
"Of course I came, Frisk. I'm glad you invited me over."
You matched their enthusiasm, which was a good move on your part, as it only made the child happier.
"So, did you have anything specific planned that you wanted to do?"
Frisk nodded and pulled your attention towards the tv.
'Movie marathon?'
You grinned at the idea the child presented to you.
"Sure, let's do it!"
As you declared yourself on board with their plans, Toriel reentered the room, holding a piping hot cut of tea. You took it, thanking her while she handed Frisk a bottle of water.
"So, what do you two have planned for today?"
The child was eager to fill Toriel in and, much like you, the goat mother approved of the set activities. In fact, you were just about to get started when Toriel interrupted you for a moment.
"Y/n, I am very sorry to do this, as it is incredibly rude of me, but would you be alright if I left you and Frisk alone for a couple of hours while I go run some errands?"
Her request caught you by surprise, mainly at the fact that she was comfortable leaving her child with you. However, you agreed.
"Uh, sure, absolutely. No problem at all."
Upon hearing that, she exhaled in relief.
"I apologise profoundly for this, however, there is still so much preparation to be done and the anniversary fast approaches us. We have all been very busy, especially Frisk here."
Frisk glanced up momentarily to confirm their mother's words.
'Being an ambassador keeps me busy.'
They cleared up, before turning on the TV and flicking until they found their chosen movies. Toriel's words caused you to remember something a couple of strange monsters had said to you a while back. Suddenly, it clicked.
"Oh! You mean the anniversary of the barrier breaking? I didn't know it was so soon."
Toriel seemed mildly surprised that you even knew of the event.
"I did not realise you knew about the celebration, my child."
"Oh, I don't, really. It's just been described to me as a big party thing."
You shrugged, honestly. You had no clue of what festivities were expected or held, in fact, you barely knew of the anniversary itself had it not been for those two monsters a few months ago.
"I see. I assume Papyrus or Sans have mentioned a few details to you?"
You shook your head, surpring Toriel even further.
"They haven't said anything. I guess they've been a bit distracted lately."
"Yes, I suppose, what with everything that has gone on, it is plausible."
You nodded, everything meaning the arrival of you and their skeleton duplicates.
"Well, I'm sure Frisk can tell you all about it while I'm out."
Toriel finished, bidding you both farewell before leaving. Before the movie started, your curiosity got the better of you, and you asked Frisk to tell you about the celebration. They did, happily, and explained how it was more like a festival than a big party, but still party-like.
Though the actual event itself was only for a day, monsters celebrated the holiday over a period of three days. The first day was to commemorate Frisk's arrival to the underground, as they were viewed as the saviour of all monster kind.
On the second day was when the main party was held, and every monster gathered together to celebrate being released from the underground. Typically, there was two speeches given before the start of the festivities. One given by Asgore, who had not lost his title as King, and one by Frisk, the ambassador and saviour of all monsters.
Finally, the last day was to represent the first meeting with the world leaders to discuss the monster's arrival. You really wish you'd been there when they were freed, as it would've been awesome to see everyone freak out. You'd have to go back on conference videos to find the politicians and officials fighting with each other on the matter of the new species.
Bringing you out of your thoughts was a light tug from Frisk, who was trying to get your attention. As if all excitement had drained from them, they suddenly seemed so much more timid. You creased your brows in worry at their sudden change of demeanour.
"You okay, Frisk?"
The child hesitated before signing to you. They explained how they were supposed to give an annual speech, though someone, usually Asgore, always read it out for them. However, they were having trouble coming up with ideas. Now, you weren't an expert on monsters but you had a friend that used to write a lot of speeches for a debate club she was in. You'd often get stuck helping her, so you knew a thing or two about writing speeches.
'I really should work on it, the anniversary is in two weeks and I barely have anything.'
Frisk sighed, feeling the impending weight of responsibility weighing down on their shoulders. Not wanting the kid to stress any further or feel disheartened, you decided to offer your services.
"Do you want some help? I've helped craft a lot of speeches in my time."
At your offer, Frisk's expression lit up instantly, as if a new beacon of hope had flooded into their life.
'You'd do that? Really?'
You nodded and smiled, assign them that it was of no trouble or bother to you. Once reassured, Frisk agreed to your offer and soon guided you over to the table, presenting you with what they had so far. They had been right when they said it wasn't much, but you were more surprised at the way it was written.
"Hey, wouldn't it be easier to use the computer to write this? It's good to get rough drafts down on paper, but for the real thing you should have it typed and printed out. That way, you won't have trouble reading your own writing."
Frisk considered this for a moment, as if the thought hadn't even occurred to them to do it digitally. Concluding that it was a more effective method, Frisk grabbed the laptop and opened a fresh word document. They placed themselves on the chair next to you as you brain stromed ideas together.
With the movies completely forgotten, the two of you spent a lot of time working on the speech. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a lot more fun than you thought. Though, Frisk seemed to enjoy it less. Not that they weren't having fun, but you often had periods where Frisk would get completely stressed out and abandon the whole task for a few minutes before sitting back down.
You patted their shoulder gently, giving them a reassuring smile. It wasn't easy crafting a speech as formal and mature as this, especially for their age. The responsibility was hard, and you could see they weren't exactly having an easy time with it.
You made a couple of drafts, and Frisk seemed less than content with them. After making a third draft, Frisk slammed the laptop shut, alarming you. You looked at their face, which had now scruned up in anger, their face flushed.
"Frisk, what's-"
Then you saw it. Despite trying to conceal it with anger, you saw their lip quiver and watched as tears began to fall. You panicked slightly, unsure of how to handle this situation. You weren't the best at comforting people, especially those younger than you. At that moment, you really wished Toriel was there to handle this.
Standing up, you hesitated, trying to formulate the right words to say to the child at this time.
"Frisk- hey, what's-"
Before you could finish, the child flung themselves into your arms, gripping you tightly as their buried their face into your stomach, an advantage of being smaller than you. You froze for a moment but soon reciprocated the action, using one arm to wrap around their back while your other hand cradled the back of their head, their hair scrunched up in between your fingers.
You looked down at the weeping child, trying to hold back the anguish that you felt at that moment. You didn't know much about children, but you knew that, when comforting them, it was best to stay strong. They needed security and reassurance, but how you were supposed to give that, you had no idea.
Regrettably, you ended up staying silent, letting Frisk cry into your embrace for however long they needed. Eventually, they pulled away, their cheeks, wet with tears, and eyes red and puffy. Doing their best to keep their hands from shaking whilst signing, you finally got a glimpse as to what was bothering them.
'They're gonna hate it aren't they? They're gonna laugh at me...'
Frisk pouted, their gaze cast downwards in shame and embarrassment.
"What? No! They won't hate it Frisk, it's a good speech. And they'd never laugh at you."
Frisk didn't respond to that, simply giving a generic nod to your response. You knew that meant that they didn't believe you, and still were filled with self doubt and anxiety. Sighing, you tried a different approach.
"Frisk, when you were in the underground, how many monsters did you get to know?"
The child hesitated before signing.
'Basically all of them. Why?'
"Well good, that means you know them. Now, based off your impressions of them, do you truly think that anyone would laugh at you for something you did that wasn't intentionally meant to be funny?"
Frisk thought for a moment before shaking their head.
"Right, then there's nothing to worry about then. I bet that, even if you gave the worst speech in history, they still wouldn't laugh at you."
Frisk giggled at your statement, and you watched as their tears subsided, and their expression brightened slightly. You grinned, bringing your hands up to their cheeks to wipe away a stray tear. Keeping your hands in the same placement, you spoke softly to them.
"You're going to be good, Frisk. I'll definitely come, so if you still feel nervous on the day, just keep your focus on me!"
You released your hands from their face, giving them one last comforting smile. However, Frisk's next words surprised you.
'Will you stand up on the podium with me? You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it would be really cool if you were there.'
They asked, their expression reminding you of an innocent puppy asking for treats. You paused. You didn't have stage fright or major social anxiety, but you wouldn't usually choose to put yourself in front of a massive crowd where everyone could see you. However, you could put away your slight unease, and could take comfort in the idea that they wouldn't be focused on you anyways.
"Of course I will."
Frisk's lips turned up at the corners as they gave you one last hug, tighter than the last but for a happier reason.
Making sure you were both satisfied with the last draft, you were finally able to start the movie marathon. Frisk gave you a bunch to choose from, and you raised an eyebrow at their mischievous selection.
"Aren't these a little over your age rating?"
Frisk shrugged, cheekily.
'You won't tell mom, right?'
At that, you laughed, shaking your head.
"Nah. I watch stuff that's above my age rating all the time."
You winked, making Frisk giggle. Finally settling on a movie you thought would be appropriate for Frisk, you could finally relax a little. You hadn't chosen a horror movie, as it would've been too intense, and you made sure that there was limited sexual content, the maximum being kissing or hidden innuendos that would've flown over Frisk's head.
Toriel came back just as the end credits were rolling, thankfully unaware that you allowed Frisk to watch something that Toriel, despite there being nothing wrong with the movie, may not have approved of personally. Oh well, she didn't need to know.
After dinner, Toriel once again graced you with the luxury of her butterscotch cinnamon pie, which you repeatedly thanked her for. Though she was usually strict on bedtimes for Frisk, Toriel was more lenient, seeing as how it was a sleepover. However, the cut off point for you being awake was 1am, which you accepted and thought was pretty generous.
You hadn't brought a sleeping bag, as Frisk had insisted that you both sleep in the living room on a makeshift bed made out of pillows and piles of blankets on the floor. You were more than content with that; you were used to sleeping on the floor, but at least this time you'd be more comfortable.
Frisk had also prepared a few snacks, mainly consisting of sweets, which you happily indulged yourself in. Back at the skeleton household, Papyrus detested most sweets, claiming them to be unhealthy, so they were a rare sighting. Luckily for you, you had found Stretch's secret stash, but barely took from it in order to avoid suspicion. However, something told you that he somehow already knew.
Anyways, due to the lack of sweets, you hadn't had a chance to try any American chocolate yet. Though you had been informed many times that it tasted like shit, you wanted to find that out for yourself. Reaching for a plain chocolate bar, you bit into it curiously, only to swallow the mouthful down with an unpleasant look on your face, much to Frisk's amusement.
"That tastes like vomit."
You stated, giving the chocolate a dirty look before handing it to Frisk who happily finished the rest for you. They shrugged, giggling at your distaste for it.
'So, any drama with the skeletons?'
They asked, fishing for gossip.
"When is there not."
You snorted, rolling your eyes.
"I tell you what, yea, I think I've had more bloody entertainment from them than I have from watching tv shows my entire life. Honestly, I feel like I'm in a bloody soap opera half the time."
There was always some sort of issue between the monsters, whether it was with you or one of them, you felt like there was no peace. It was so different from what you were used to. It was always so loud and the energy could be almost electric at times. At home, the most noise you got was from your brother's occasional screams at his video games when he was playing with his mates. Other than that, it was usually dead silent.
Not to mention there were so many of them. Previously, it had just been you, your brother, who was in his room most of the time if not at school, and your parents, though let's face it, it's not like they were constantly making appearances. Frisk giggled at your comment. Wanting to know more about you and your life, they changed the subject.
'Are you dating anyone?'
They wiggled their eyebrows suggestively and you laughed at the idea.
"Nah."
Your answer left Frisk greatly dissatisfied with a pout on their face before accepting that there wasn't even anyone you had a crush on, currently. In fact, you had been so busy with trying to adjust to your temporary situation that the thought hadn't even crossed your mind.
"What about you, Frisk? I know you might be a tad young, but do you at least have a crush?"
They sat in thought for a moment before shaking their head. Whether they were telling the truth or not, even if they weren't sure themselves, you accepted that answer. As time went by, you had a movie on in the background, neither of you really watching it as you filled each other in on the gossip from your schools.
Truthfully, as it was still quite a new school for you, you weren't that familiar with the ins and outs of everyone or their social lives, so you didn't have much to report. Luckily for you, Frisk had some juicy pieces of information that almost made you choke on your popcorn from laughing so hard. After a stern warning from Toriel to keep the noise to a minimum, you both quickly apologised and began to murmer quietly to eachother instead.
You were happy that you and Frisk were getting better acquainted, as you really enjoyed their company. You were sure the feeling was mutual. So, when they started prying into your home life, you couldn't blame them for being curious. You just hoped you could hold it together while answer their questions.
'Ok, so, I already know you have a brother my age, but what's he like?'
Well, that was an easy topic not to get sappy about.
"A pain in my arse, that's what. He's gone into that 'wanna be roadman' phase, and it makes him bloody insufferable."
Frisk tilted their head in confusion.
'Roadman?'
"Yeah, he's going around saying shit like 'wagwan bruv' and 'fam' and the worst one 'mandem'."
You put on your best roadman voice in order to convey to Frisk what you meant. Turns out the idea was just as amusing to Frisk, who found themselves giggling at your impression.
"He's started wearing the tracksuits and everything."
'Do you miss him?'
The question caught you off guard. You were about to say no, but something stopped you. You shrugged.
"Without him, I don't have anyone to kick, so I guess I miss my punching bag, sure."
You waved off, mostly joking. After all, what siblings didn't have a few fights every now and then. Of course, the little rat would always snitch to your mum and dad, especially when the two of you were younger.
'And your parents, and friends, you miss them too?'
"Yeah."
You answered shortly. Frisk could probably guess all this and it seemed that they felt guilty for asking. They apologised and you reassured them that it was fine. In an attempt to lighten the mood, you tried joking about it.
"Well, I certainly don't miss that shitty weather of ours, that's for sure. Fucking miserable over there, all grey and shit."
'All the time?'
You desperately wanted to exaggerate just for the sheer fun of it, though it wouldn't reflect reality, you went ahead and did it anyways.
"Pretty much. Like, what even is the sun? I don't think I've ever seen it until my arrival here."
Whatever truth that Frisk may have believed in your statement before was now gone at the clear hyperbole you expressed. Giggling, you glanced at the time, noticing it was getting near to one, meaning you would have to go to bed soon. Well, Frisk would, you'd probably just scroll on your phone for a little while.
'What's London like, really?'
"A shithole."
You winked, making Frisk roll their eyes.
"Nah, but actually, it depends where you live. Central is cool, but obviously expensive if you're living there and busy as fuck."
You explained, trying to stay as general as possible.
"And then there's the zones, and the boroughs, all that shit."
Frisk listened intently to your explanation, keen to learn more about your home.
'I haven't been anywhere but America. I really wanna go and visit places like London!'
You smiled. You could understand the desire to travel. You weren't disinterested in the idea yourself, that's for sure.
'We could go together! That would be so cool, and you could show me around and everything!'
You faltered at that comment. You didn't see yourself being here much longer in the foreseeable future, after all, you had to get back home. Not wanting to squash the child's hopes and excitement, you nodded, giving Frisk a smile that hopefully masked your regret nervousness.
"Sure, Frisk."
Agreeing to their proposal seemed to satisfy them for now, and you were glad that your strategy had worked. The chatter between the two of you died down not long after, and Frisk soon ended up falling asleep. You, like you said before, chose this time to wind down and mindlessly scroll on tik tok.
After a couple hours of doomscrolling, your for you page decided to feed you those creepy, horror videos which, although you disliked watching at night, you ended up getting sucked in to. In fact, you hadn't realise just how on edge you had been until you had been greatly startled by your phone ringing.
Taking a moment to breath, you glanced at the caller name to see Stretch's contact appear. Feeling less frightened and more confused, you glanced at the time. It was almost 3:30AM. Why he was calling at this time was a mystery to you. What if you had been asleep? Letting your curiosity get the better of you, you clicked the call button and did your best to speak quietly, because there was no way in hell you were moving to another room after watching those videos.
"Stretch?"
"Honey? You're still awake?" Did I wake you?"
"Thankfully no, otherwise I would've crawled through the phone just to strangle you."
You heard his raspy laugh come through, but it didn't seem as light as it usually did. You wondered if something was wrong, for him to be calling at this time. Clearly nothing bad had happened to anyone, seeing how calm he was, at least you hoped so.
"So, why are you calling?"
You didn't ask why he wasn't awake, for you were already aware of his shit slee schedule, you just wanted to get to the point so you could go to sleep, as you were actually beginning to get a little tired now.
"Just, y'know, checking in and stuff. You, uh, didn't call..."
That was it? Seriously? You told him you would be fine. Why was he so persistent?
"Stretch, I'm fine. I already said-"
"I know, I know. Just, checking, in case you, uh, changed your mind."
He sounded like he was getting nervous now. You couldn't understand what he was trying to accomplish.
"Heh, y'know, in case you got scared or anything."
He joked, trying to play it cool.
"Well, those videos did put me a little on edge. But I guess that's what I get for watching them."
"Nyeh? What videos? Wait, honey, are you actually scared? Because I can come pick you up, no problem. In fact, I'll come right now."
When you heard rustling at the other end, you could only assume it was him getting ready to leave. Before he could progress in his mission any further, you quickly stopped him.
"Wait wait, Stretch! I'm joking, it's fine. You don't need to come."
"Oh, nyehehe. Course, joking..."
You felt a little awkward silence hang between the two of you as a moment of silence passed.
"You know, I went to my first sleepover when I was nine years old."
You said, breaking the silence.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. At around 3AM, I was feeling incredibly home sick, and called my parents to come and pick me up."
"Were they mad?"
"Well, not exactly. Actually, they didn't come."
"Wait, seriously?"
Stretch almost let out a gasp at how surprised he was.
"Yup. My dad was still working a late shift, so he didn't pick up. My mum did though."
"But she didn't come?"
"No. She said she had important work to finish up at the lab, work that should've been done ages ago, and that she may have been close to a breakthrough on something. Though, she always said that."
Stretch stayed silent as you recalled the memory to him. For some reason, you felt a pang of sadness hit your heart.
"No matter how much I begged or cried for her to come, she said she wouldn't tear herself away from work, and to just 'be brave' and stick it out."
You laughed a little, but it was more hollow than anything.
"Anyways, long story short, I woke my friend's mum up and she ended up having to comfort me which, luckily, she was fine with."
"I can't believe her."
Stretch's harsh and hateful tone caught you off guard. In a split second, he switched from his nervous demeanour to being absolutely fuming.
"You needed her, and she wouldn't leave her work. Work that could've be done later. How could she do that to you?"
"Woah, Stretch, it's fine. It wasn't a big deal-"
"Sounded like it was."
He argued, getting worked up.
"Yeah, cause I was nine."
You laughed. His reply consisted of incoherent grumbling to himself, which you chose to ignore since you couldn't actually decifer what he was saying.
"Parents are supposed to be there for their children when they need them."
His statement was decisive and firm, and you couldn't help but sigh internally. That comment shouldn't have bothered you, but, in the back of your mind, you felt a strange emotion clawing at you.
"Were yours there for you when you needed them?"
Stretch paused, taking a moment to answer the question.
"I didn't have parents, actually."
You were surprised by his statement, and suddenly felt bad for even asking.
"You didn't?"
"No. Sans- Blue- raised me, for as long as I can remember. Maybe I did have parents, I don't know, but Sans never talked about them, and I was too young to remember."
You remained quiet as he continued.
"He may not have been my parent persay, but he was- he is, the best big brother I could've ever asked for."
His tone was laced with pride, making you feel slightly better about your question.
"Well, I'm glad."
You felt your eyelids droop in exhaustion as you stayed on the phone with Stretch for a little longer. He was relaying the events of today from when you had gone, but in all honesty, you weren't really listening all that much.
"Oh, and, uh, there's a room you can't go into back at the house, honey."
"Mhm? Sure, okay."
You were too tired to question why, which Stretch picked up on, causing him to chuckle.
"Well, I probably shouldn't keep you up much longer, honeybun. Ya need your sleep, after all."
You knew he was right, and glancing at the time made you realise just how late it was. Yawning, you hung up the phone after giving your brief goodnights, more than ready to go to sleep. At least, that's what you thought.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though your mind wouldn't switch off. For the next two hours, you tossed and turned, unable to silence your thoughts. At one point, you became so restless that you ended up reviewing Frisk's speech once again, seeing if any tweeks could be made.
The task took you up until 6am, where you felt your body finally give out as you slumped on the table, barely able to muster the strength to haul your exhausted body back over to your makeshift bed. Luckily, you hadn't woken Frisk up, as you had been mindful to be as quiet as possible, and although you'd probably have to be up in a couple of hours, any sleep was better than none.
You couldn't exactly figure out why you were unable to fall asleep initially, though you chalked it down to too much sugar before bed. Either way, you were just thankful to slip into unconscious bliss, even if it didn't last long.
----------
As Stretch teleported back home, he hoped that you'd be fine, like you had said, though he wouldn't be mad if you changed your mind. He just wanted you to feel safe. Slumping on the couch, he sighed, rubbing his eye sockets.
A few sleepless nights here and then weren't uncommon for him. He didn't get many nightmares, he was just a very light sleeper. That was the main reason he took so many naps, as sometimes it was the only way for him to get any rest.
Glancing up, he saw Red hovering over him, trying to get his attention.
"She gone?"
"Do ya see her with me?"
"Fair point."
Stretch rolled his eye lights. He didn't think he'd have to state the obvious to Red of all people.
"Aight. Ya guys can bring it in now."
The monster hollered, directing his command towards Edge and Papyrus who, not long after Red's order, came in holding a mattress. They were careful not to drop it as they took it into one of the new rooms Sans had commissioned to be built.
He assumed they didn't need any help, though if they did, he sure as hell wasn't about to offer any. He snorted at the idea. After all, he was far too lazy for any work that required manual labour, or, any work at all, for that matter.
"So, who's room is that gonna be?"
Stretch asked, pulling out one of his cigarettes. Just because he didn't smoke when you were around didn't mean he had quit. In fact, if anything, all the stress of the recent events had just increased his habits. It wasn't a problem though, it wasn't like skeletons had lungs, so at least there were no real health risks. Well, that's what he told himself.
"FOR THE CHILD, WHO ELSE."
Black scoffed, making Stretch jump. When did he even get there? A small smirk rose to Black's teeth as he watched the skeleton squirm uncomfortably in his presence. Getting back to the matter at hand, Edge and Papyrus soon re-entered the room, holding multiple planks of wood for what Stretch could only assume to be for the structure of the bed.
"EDGE AND I ARE CAPABLE OF PUTTING THE BED TOGETHER, SO LEAVE THAT TO US. WITH MY MASTER PUZZLE SOLVING SKILLS, THIS TASK WILL BE NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"
The memory of Papyrus trying to put together the dinning table came to mind, and Stretch raised an eyebrow at him, disbelievingly.
"IT WILL NOT TAKE LONG. IT IS A SIMPLE PUZZLE, AFTER ALL."
Edge commented. Perhaps he was a better builder than Papyrus.
"Of course, bro. How's about I check it after though, just ta see yer great handy work 'n all."
"BAH, FINE. IF YOU INSIST, BROTHER."
The vision of the bed falling apart as soon as a single feather touched it suddenly flew out of Stretch's head and he now felt more comfortable at the idea of you sleeping in a bed with a sound structure.
"OH! WE HAVE FORGOTTEN TO GET THE HUMAN SHEETS AND A DUVET COVER!"
Papyrus remembered, smacking both his cheekbones in shock.
"I'LL SORT THAT. AFTER ALL, I HAVE IMPECCABLE TASTE. SHE'LL LIKE WHATEVER I GET HER, AND IF SHE DOESN'T, WELL THAT'S JUST TOUGH."
"Ma bro's right. He does have good taste."
Cash commented, appearing next to Stretch who, yet again, almost got another heart attack. Cash snorted at his counterpart.
"Jeez, yer as jumpy as the kiddo, ya wuss."
Stretch only grumbled in return. He wasn't used to being sneaked up on. After all, when living with a brother who burst into every room for as long as he can remember, it was difficult for Stretch to adjust to the quiet nature of some of the others. At least loud noises didn't startle him.
"I'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT, BLACK!"
Blue offered, his eyelights gleaming with determination at finding the perfect pattern for you. Black recoiled at his words, a look of disgust forming on his face.
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING! I WON'T HAVE YOUR AWFUL TASTE SULLYING MY CHOICES!"
He spat, decisively. Blue rolled his eyelights, his smile growing wider as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pushing the two of them closer together.
"AWW, COME ON, IT'LL BE FUN! BESIDES, I'M SURE SUNSHINE WILL LIKE WHATEVER WE PICK FOR HER."
"NOT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SELECTION SHE WON'T!"
Black snapped back, attempting to push the clingy skeleton away only for them to end up closer together, somehow. Whilst the two of them bickered, Sans joined in on the party.
"What's the mattress, guys?"
Sans snickered, once again gaining mixed reactions of groans and chuckles.
"The kid get there alright?"
Sans asked Stretch, who gave a nod in return.
"Yup. Told her to call me if there are any issues."
Stretch relayed to Sans, whilst Black and Blue were still bickering with each other.
"Did you tell her not to go in the room?"
Sans asked, and Stretch shook his head.
"Nah, not yet. We'll just show her when she gets back what room she can't go in."
The others thought that the renovations were the perfect time to give you your own room. None of them had been happy with you sleeping on the floor constantly, but with the cramped space, it was hard to give you any other substitute. Luckily, with the work being done on the house, Sans had finally been able to have a new room for you built. One all for yourself that you didn't have to share with anyone, and one with a proper bed for you, and not just a single bed, either.
The skeletons couldn't wait for you to see if fully complete, but they wanted to keep it a surprise. So, for now, that room was off limits to you. As the day went on, with everyone calming down a little towards the evening, silence began to fill the room as the monsters sat in each other's company.
It felt weird having you gone for so long. Of course, you had been gone a while when you went to that party, but you did return, eventually. Knowing that you weren't coming back until tomorrow was an odd feeling, and the others began to feel at a loss as to what to do with themselves.
None of them could keep a conversation going with each other to save their lives, or at least for longer than a couple of minutes, and without you there to act as a buffer, they all fell into an awkward silence. Eventually, they did get a conversation going between them all, but naturally, the topic gravitated over towards you.
"DO YOU THINK THE HUMAN IS ENJOYING HERSELF WITH FRISK AND TORIEL?"
Papyrus pondered, a thoughtful yet hopeful look on his face. Sans confirmed his brother's hopes, filling his head with a positive narrative.
"Course bro, I'm sure they're getting along just pien."
Papyrus groaned.
"BROTHER, THAT PUN WAS AWFUL! AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"
Sana chuckled at how exacerbated his brother was. However, Papyrus had voiced what they were all thinking. They wondered how you were getting on.
"What time 'she suppose ta come back, again?"
Cash questioned, rolling a dog treat in between his phalanges.
"MY BROTHER WILL PICK HER UP AT HALF TEN, RIGHT PAPY?"
Stretch nodded to confirm his brother's statement, causing Cash to give a grunt of acknowledgement at the timing.
"Ya told 'er ta use Toriel's shower since the water's temporarily cut off, yeah?"
Red muttered, annoyed at the fact that the household was without running water for a couple of days due to a leaky pipe. Stretch nodded once more, feeling a lack of energy to actually answer with words.
"MIGHT I ASK, WHEN IS THAT GETTING FIXED, EXACTLY? THE HUMAN SMELLS WEIRD WHEN SHE DOESN'T WASH."
By 'weird', everyone knew he meant kinda gross. They thanked the stars that deodorant was a thing.
"Soon Black."
Sans piped up. Black only sighed in acceptance of that vague answer.
"Hey, it ain't the kid' fault she smells like tha'. She can't help it, just a side effect of bein' a human teenager with all their weird bodily changes an' hormones or whatever the hell it is."
Cash claimed, coming to your defence. The others, specifically Stretch, were surprised that Cash even knew about any biology to do with you. Said skeleton raised an eyebrow at everyone, feeling a little put out by all their staring.
"What? I can't do a bit of light readin'? We got a human now, might as well know a couple stuff about 'er species, no?"
Cash wasn't wrong, especially when Black pointed out the fact that you had taken it upon yourself to read more about monsters. Apparently, Black had encouraged you to read more about their culture, whilst Alphys had given you a book on souls, which you seemed to have gotten through quite quickly.
The others were taken aback by your research, especially since you hadn't mentioned it once to any of them. A small sense of pride washed over them at your willingness to learn more about them, but it was quickly clobbered over by a stronger feeling of guilt for having such little knowledge of your species.
To rectify this, they collectively agreed to do more research around humans. If you were going to be staying for a while, they might as well learn how to try and take care of you in the best way possible.
Choosing to retire early, as none of them wanted to devle into any deeper topics such as how the work on the machine was going, Stretch was left by himself on the couch with his thoughts.
It was rare that he got much time to himself nowadays. Sharing a room with his brother wasn't too bad, but sometimes the lack of space felt too suffocating for him to deal with constantly. Usually, he revelled in what little time he got to himself, however, Stretch felt nothing but melancholy as he found his mind slipping into a dark state.
Suddenly, all the emotions he had been withholding from himself seemed to finally crash through his temporary walls. Unfortunately for him, this caused him to go through some what of a downwards spiral of mumbling and fidgeting while he tried to take his mind off of what was really bothering him.
Inevitably, Blue eventually found him on the sofa, still awake long after the others had gone to bed. Blue had originally planned to get a glass of water, but when he saw the state his brother was in, he immediately went to his side to comfort him. What he didn't expect, however, was for Stretch to burst out in tears.
Blue felt at a loss for words, momentarily. He took no time at all to quickly wrap his arms around him, while remaining in shock at the sight. His brother hadn't cried this hard at anything since he was a babybones, at least, not in Blue's presence. It worried him to see his brother so shaken up, the reason, unknown to him. Still, he tried his best to calm Stretch down like when he was younger.
"BROTHER? WHY ARE YOUR EYE SOCKETS LEAKING? WHATEVER IS THE MATTER?"
He asked, determined to get to the bottom of his brother's troubles and squash them fiercely. Stretch sniffed, shaking as he held on tightly to his elder brother.
"I miss her. I know she hasn't been gone a long time, but I miss her."
Blue could take a good guess as to who he was referring to. Looking down at him, inquisitively, Blue pressed on further for a more detailed answer.
"YOU MEAN THE HUMAN? DO NOT FRET, BROTHER, SHE WILL BE WITH US AGAIN SOON ENOUGH!"
Blue declared, hoping to cheer his younger brother up, but to no avail. Stretch's next words caught him by surprise.
"We abandoned her."
"WHAT? WE DID NO SUCH THING! WHATEVER MAKES YOU THINK THAT?"
Blue paused when his brother looked up at him, his expression crippled with pain and conflict.
"She- we're not- I-"
Stretch stuttered, unable to communicate his worries to Blue. After a few failed attempts, he gave up and returned to crying, burying his head in this brother's chest like he used to do when he was younger. Blue tried to wrack his brain as to what was going on, and then it clicked.
"BROTHER, WE DID NOT ABANDONED Y/N, SHE WILL BE BACK TOMORROW."
He said, decisively, yet earning no response from Stretch.
"WE DID NOT ABANDON HER, JUST LIKE WE DID NOT ABANDON OUR FRIENDS BACK HOME."
He continued, finally understanding why Stretch was so upset. He couldn't blame his brother, after all, this whole predicament hadn't been easy on anyone. Many had done a good job of hiding their distress, but Blue knew that everyone had a breaking point. It seemed his brother had reached it, and it was only a matter of time before the others would as well.
Despite how hopeful they tried to be, and how normal they pretended everything was, there was always this underlying feeling of agony as a product of missing their homes, their friends, their livelihoods. Even those from harsher universes felt the toll of home sickness creep up on them. It was an unavoidable pain that would surely bubble up to the surface sooner or later. He himself had been struggling with the very feeling. However, he knew his younger brother was suffering, so, right now, he needed to be there for him, regardless of his own emotions.
"I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING FEW MONTHS, BUT WE MUST REMAIN IN GOOD SPIRITS THAT YOU AND THE OTHERS WILL FIND A SOLUTION TO BRING EVERYONE HOME. WE CANNOT LOSE HOPE."
He stressed, gently rubbing Stretch's back in comfort.
"Heh, bein' positive was always more your strong suit, bro."
Stretch chuckled, but it weak. Blue smiled in return, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
"WELL, I'LL JUST HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH HOPE FOR THE BOTH OF US! AND YOU MUST ACCEPT THAT!"
"Nyehehe, whatever you say, bro."
"MWEHEHEHE! I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CHEERED YOU UP, HAVE I, NOT BROTHER?"
Stretch smiled at his brother's enthusiasm. Though he still felt the heavy weight of home sickness seep into his soul, he did feel a little more uplifted by his brother's spirit.
"Sure did bro, it's why you're the coolest big bro."
"THANK YOU, BROTHER! AND YOU ARE ALMOST EQUALLY THE COOLEST LITTLE BROTHER!"
Blue praised, rubbing his knuckles against Stretch's skull playfully, to which the skeleton tried to swat his hand away in retaliation.
"NOW, AS IT IS LATE, I MUST RETIRE. I TRUST YOU WILL BE ALRIGHT IF I LEAVE YOU, YES?"
"Yup, all good here, bro. You go get your beauty rest."
Stretch waved him off, sitting up as he wiped his eye sockets dry. Blue stood up, giving him a bright smile before returning to his room.
"MWEHEHE, EXCELLENT! GOODNIGHT, PAPYRUS."
"Night, bro."
Stretch watched as Blue exited the room, once again, leaving him alone with his thoughts which, luckily, weren't as stress filled as the previous ones. Unfortunately, the skeleton still struggled to fall asleep, so all he could do was watch the hours tick by.
He did try to amuse himself, but nothing really caught his attention. Eventually, his anxiety caught up to him and, in a flush of worry, made a stupid decision to call you. He wasn't exactly expecting you to pick up, especially at this time, so when you did, he was caught off guard.
"Stretch?"
"Honey? You're still awake?" Did I wake you?"
"Thankfully no, otherwise I would've crawled through the phone just to strangle you."
He chuckled at your statement, knowing that you probably would've done so. Remembering what you did to Cash the last time he woke you up in a way you didn't agree with, he shuddered at the thought of what might have become of him if his call had in fact woken you up.
"So, why are you calling?"
"Just, y'know, checking in and stuff. You, uh, didn't call..."
He had always been pretty crap at making up excuses, so it came as no surprise when he fumbled over his words looking for one.
"Stretch, I'm fine. I already said-"
"I know, I know. Just, checking, in case you, uh, changed your mind."
He was trying desperately not to agitate you all because of his mild anxiety, but he couldn't help it. He just needed to make sure you were okay.
"Heh, y'know, in case you got scared or anything."
He joked, trying to play it cool.
"Well, those videos did put me a little on edge. But I guess that's what I get for watching them."
Videos? What the hell were you talking about? Wait, were you actually scared? Oh shit, had he been right?
"Nyeh? What videos? Wait, honey, are you actually scared? Because I can come pick you up, no problem. In fact, I'll come right now."
The skeleton hastily stood up, reading his magic for a short cut when you stopped him.
"Wait wait, Stretch! I'm joking, it's fine. You don't need to come."
"Oh, nyehehe. Course, joking..."
Stretch was glad that you were alright, but you had really scared him for a moment. Though, what matters is that you were okay. If you weren't...
"You know, I went to my first sleepover when I was 9 years old."
You said, breaking the silence and bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. At around 3AM, I was feeling incredibly home sick, and called my parents to come and pick me up."
Stretch cringed at a memory of Blue picking him up from his first sleepover. Though he wasn't upset, Stretch had always felt embarrassed about that memory.
"Were they mad?"
He asked.
"Well, not exactly. Actually, they didn't come."
"Wait, seriously?"
Stretch almost let out a gasp at how surprised he was.
"Yup. My dad was still working a late shift, so he didn't pick up. My mum did though."
"But she didn't come?"
"No. She said she had important work to finish up at the lab, work that should've been done ages ago, and that she may have been close to a breakthrough on something. Though, she always said that."
Stretch stayed silent as you recalled the memory to him. During this time, he felt his non existent blood boil as you continued.
"No matter how much I begged or cried for her to come, she said she wouldn't tear herself away from work, and to just 'be brave' and stick it out."
You laughed a little, but it was more hollow than anything. The monster clenched his fists, trying to calm himself as he let you finish, before speaking his mind.
"Anyways, long story short, I woke my friend's mum up and she ended up having to comfort me which, luckily, she was fine with."
"I can't believe her."
Stretch's harsh and hateful tone was surely a noticable switch from his previous demeanour, but he couldn't stop the anger that arose in him. Knowing that your mother wouldn't even come to help you when you needed her made Stretch unexpectedly livid.
"You needed her, and she wouldn't leave her work. Work that could've be done later. How could she do that to you?"
"Woah, Stretch, it's fine. It wasn't a big deal-"
You tried to downplay it, but he wasn't having any of it.
"Sounded like it was."
He argued, getting worked up.
"Yeah, cause I was nine."
You laughed. Stretch grumbled to himself about how it didn't matter what age you were, that parents were supposed to help their children, but he didn't think you heard any of that, considering his volume.
"Parents are supposed to be there for their children when they need them."
His statement was decisive and firm.
"Were yours there for you when you needed them?"
Stretch paused, taking a moment to answer the question. He never knew his parents, so he couldn't exactly say yes.
"I didn't have parents, actually."
"You didn't?"
"No. Sa- Blue raised me, for as long as I can remember. Maybe I did have parents, I don't know, but he never talked about them, and I was too young to remember."
You remained quiet as he continued.
"He may not have been my parent persay, but he was- he is, the best big brother I could've ever asked for."
His tone was laced with pride and he meant every word of it. He would always be grateful for the sacrifices his brother made, all while being the best guardian in his eyes. In Stretch's opinion, he was truly lucky to have a brother like Blue.
"Well, I'm glad."
After that, Stretch continued to stay on the phone with you, relaying the events of today, though being mindful to leave out certain secret events. This, in turn, helped him to remember one important piece of information.
"Oh, and, uh, there's a room you can't go into back at the house, honey."
"Mhm? Sure, okay."
Stretch chuckled at your sleepy tone, a clear sign it was time to let you go to bed.
"Well, I probably shouldn't keep you up much longer, honeybun. Ya need your sleep, after all."
Unsurprisingly, you agreed with him, and soon hung up. Stretch did feel a little better after talking to you. Mostly knowing that you were okay was enough for him to be satisfied, and now he could finally get some rest. For some reason, sleep came much easier to him that night.
Notes:
What kind of cover design is Black (and possibly Blue if he has his way) going to get for reader, hm? I'm betting on Peppa Pig duvet covers 😈
Hope you all have a great day/night and thanks for reading! 🌸❤
Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Blue Jay
Summary:
The morning after the sleepover.
Notes:
Hey guys, just another chapter here, I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
An earthquake. You weren't prepared. You were frozen, shaking, weak to the inevitable. The shaking didn't stop, it couldn't, it wouldn't-
You slowly opened your eyes to the sight of Frisk shaking you awake. You mumbled something incoherently as you watched the child pout. You were oblivious to the reason for being woken up in such a manner, but one thing was for certain, you had found the source of your earthquake. No wonder your dream had become so strange in a matter of minutes, causing your consciousness to creep back into reality.
Once you had displayed to Frisk that you were awake, they let you sit up and stopped shaking you, much to your relief.
"Morning Frisk, what's with the early wake up?"
You yawned, rubbing your face an in attempt to wake yourself up. Frisk, in response to your questions, made that flat, neutral face which perfectly coveyed their dissatisfaction.
'It's not early, it's almost ten.'
They countered, pointing towards the clock near you.
"Feels early."
You groaned, shrugging off the blanket to stretch. Frisk rolled their eyes at you and stood up, signaling for you to follow, most likely to get breakfast.
'When did you even go to sleep last night?'
They questioned, and you considered whether you should confess the actual time or not. Instead, you opted for a vague option.
"Late."
Was all you answered, as you say down to eat the left over waffles that Toriel had made. As Frisk had been up earlier than you, they had already eaten breakfast, though, that didn't stop them from eating another waffle. You laughed as they tried to shove it all in their mouth before their mother noticed, speaking of who, entered the room as if due to a sixth sense she had.
Giving Frisk a suspicious look, who's cheeks resembled that of a stuffed chipmunk's, she said nothing on the matter, and chose to instead greet you.
"Good morning, my child. Did you sleep well?"
She inquired. Despite the bags under your eyes perhaps betraying your lie, you nodded. Truthfully, you hadn't got a lot of sleep and, although it was uninterrupted, you'd wished for more.
"Great, thanks. These waffles are delicious, thank you."
"Oh, you flatter this old woman too much, dear."
She giggled, her paw hiding her smile. After breakfast, you used what little time you had to have a shower and pack up your things before Stretch arrived. Passing Toriel on the way down the stairs, you took a moment to thank her again for letting you stay over and use her shower. She assured you that it was no trouble, and that she and Frisk would be delighted to have you over again, I'd you so wished. The thought made a warmth blossom in your chest.
"Oh, and I would like to thank you as well, my child."
Her statement surprised you, as you weren't sure what exactly you had done to earn her praise.
"Thank me? For what?"
"Well, there are many things I wish to thank you for. Firstly, for helping Frisk with their speech."
Of course, you had almost forgotten about that.
"It was a big help to them, and a massive weight off of their shoulders. And, I must say that, after reading it over myself, you have excellent writing skills."
You blushed slightly at the praise you received.
"Thank you."
You smiled, shyly. She grinned back at you.
"And I would also like to thank you for everything that you have done for Frisk. I'm not sure if you noticed at first, but Frisk doesn't exactly get along with many humans their age, or any at all, really."
This did not come as a surprise to you. You recalled that, upon your first meeting, their presented themselves as a very timid child, one who did not wish to engage with any human, particularly yourself in that moment. However, they have seemed to quickly warm to you.
"But they really like you, which was a surprise to us all, but a big relief. I am terribly grateful that they are beginning to branch out and feel more comfortable with their own species, it is a big step forward for them, and it couldn't have been done without your presence."
You though Toriel was giving you too much credit, however, the sentiment was sweet.
"Oh, it's okay, I really like hanging out with Frisk. But, I'm glad if I've helped them in any way."
You tried to express your genuineness as clearly as possible, which Toriel, thankfully, picked up on.
"You have done more than you know. Now, Papyru- uhm, Stretch, should be here any moment now, yes?"
You nodded in confirmation. Toriel escorted you downstairs and, whilst you waited, you said your goodbyes to Frisk, who was disappointed that you couldn't stay longer, and eagerly asked to have another sleepover in the future. Of course, you agreed.
It didn't take long for him to arrive and, before you knew it, you were saying your final goodbyes and being wisked away back to the house, in the blink of an eye. Arriving back took no time at all, with you and Stretch ending up in the living room.
Before slumping on the sofa, however, Stretch first had a couple of questions for you. He asked the usual, questioning if you had a good time and what you did, all of which you answered positively. However, when his expression scrunched up into one of concern, you became confused.
Stretch stepped closer to you then placed his hands on your face, tentatively, staring as if he was giving it a thorough inspection. You glanced away and then back at him awkwardly as he gently brushed his thumbs over the underneath your eyes.
"Kid, did ya sleep okay?"
That was all he wanted to ask? What was with all the touching? You pondered about whether you should lie or not, but you saw no point.
"Ya look tired. How much sleep did you get?"
"Mhm, about 2-3 hours?"
His eye sockets widened at your gestimation (guess-estimation).
"Honey, that's not enough. You must be exhausted."
You shrugged, not yet feeling the full effects of your lack of sleep.
"I feel fine."
"Did I keep you up too late last night? I'm sorry if I did."
He fretted, pulling his hands away only to shove them in his pocket, anxiously.
"No, no, don't worry, you didn't."
Despite not seeming all that convinced, he didn't push any further. There were clear indications that Stretch wanted to continue the conversation, however, his moment was interrupted by his older brother, who snuck up behind you. Surprisingly, you weren't as startled as you would usually be, perhaps because you were too tired to be as sharp as you normally were.
"HUMAN, YOU'RE BACK! DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME?"
You nodded, the corners of your mouth turning upwards slightly at recalling the memory of you and Frisk hanging out. You weren't lying when you said you had enjoyed their company, and were eager to see them again, whenever that may be. Despite them being younger than you, neither of you had any difficulties with slight age gap.
"Yeah, it was fun, thanks."
"WONDERFUL! SAY, MAY I PULL YOU ASIDE FOR A MOMENT? I'M SURE MY BROTHER WILL NOT MIND, AFTER ALL, HE SHOULD BE GETTING ON WITH THE WORK HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SO BUSY WITH!"
Blue said, in an almost accusatory tone. His younger brother simply laughed at his statement and left you two alone. If Blue knew his brother, he was most likely going to nap, despite having only woken up a couple of hours ago. Sighing internally, Blue was now able to focus his attention onto you.
"HUMAN, I HAVE A REQUEST."
Intrigued by what he would ask of you, you listened, intently.
"What is it, Blue?"
"WELL, LAST NIGHT MY BROTHER WAS...FEELING A LITTLE BLUE, YOU COULD SAY."
He snickered, before switching back to a more serious tone. There was no time for you to have a proper reaction to his pun.
"AND, I WAS THINKING THAT, MAYBE HE WOULD FEEL A LITTLE BETTER IF YOU STICKED CLOSE TO HIM TODAY!"
You forced yourself not to frown. It wasn't that the idea of hanging out with Stretch made you unhappy, you just weren't sure of how your presence could help. If he was experiencing lingering feelings of melancholy, then you would assume that he would prefer to be alone.
"I can if you want, though I'm not sure how it will help."
Blue, instead of explaining his logic, simply grinned at the fact that you had agreed so willingly.
"MWEHEHEHE, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MY PUZZLE SOLVING SKILLS, SUNSHINE! THOUGH, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE ME IN ACTION, I'M MUCH BETTER AT RIDDLES!"
The lack of reasoning behind his request did throw you slightly, but you decided to just go along with it. After all, you figured Stretch wasn't up for doing much today, like usual, which you could definitely get on board with. In addition to this, you wouldn't mind spending more time with him. So, by Blue's request, you stuck around Stretch for the majority of the day.
At first, Stretch was a little confused as to why you were following him everywhere, but then, at some point, he decided to accept it. In fact, it was nice, in a way. Though the two of you did talk, you were also able to enjoy comfortable silences, with you scrolling on your phone and him doing whatever he was doing, whether it was solving the odd puzzle here and there, which surprised you, or just flicking through the tv channels.
"Still can't believe the nicknames we ended up gettin'. I mean, what kind of a name is 'Stretch' anyways? Sounds more like an insult if you ask me, not that I mind it, though."
He mused, his thumb repeatedly pressing the same button on the remote to move along the channels in search of something decent to watch. Eventually, he switched to Netflix, but nothing seemed to catch his interest.
"Hey, I wasn't responsible for that one, so you can't blame me."
You shrugged, looking up from your phone. When the nicknames had been assigned, it had been a group effort. You had only picked out a couple, taking on the task of naming Cash, Black and Blue. Sans and Papyrus had named the others.
"True, but ya named my bro after a colour, just like Sans did with Red. Not the most creative, gotta say, kiddo."
You raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding what he meant, until you did.
"Wait, you think I named your brother after the colour blue?"
Stretch blinked in confusion.
"Did you not?"
You shook your head, sitting up from your previous slouched position. His confusion made you want to laugh, but it also raised the question of how much miscommunication had gone on here.
"No, I call him Blue for short but I nicknamed him after my favourite animal. A Blue Jay."
"So, that's his full nickname? Blue Jay?"
You nodded in confirmation. An odd feeling of embarrassment welled up in you, but you tried not to let it show. To your relief, Stretch smiled.
"Heh, that's sweet, actually. Do the others and my bro even know?"
You were wondering the exact same thing.
"I'm not sure, maybe I'll bring it up later."
You shrugged, before refocusing your attention on Instagram. There was a pause before Stretch piped up, once again.
"Why's that your favourite animal?"
He asked, inquisitively. In response to him, you told him how you just picked at random a favourite animal because you didn't have one, and you stuck with it ever since. For some reason, your answer made the skeleton laugh.
"Nyehehe, aww man, that's-"
He snorted and you rolled your eyes, though you couldn't surpress a smile that was slowly forming on your face at his amusement.
"What? I just picked one at random! And, I'm glad I did, because they're actually pretty cute."
Stretch held up his hands in defeat, as of to signal that you had won. His grin was wide, as his chuckling came to an end.
"Course honey, nyehehe. It's just that-"
He paused, signing. A more sincere look had replaced his previously amused one as he spoke.
"Nyehehe, you're really kind, honey."
His comment caught you off guard. He said it in such a decisive manner, as if all ounces of truth rang through it. It surprised you. He shuffled closer to you on the sofa as you sat there in shock. Where did this sincerity even come from?
"I- Stretch, I'm not really-"
You were cut off by a hand being placed on to your shoulder, tenderly. Stretch let out a small chuckle.
"Hangin' out with me just cause my bro was worried about me. I'd say that was pretty kind of you."
How Stretch knew of his brother's plan was a mystery to you, but you didn't want to make it seem like the only reason you were keeping him company was because you were asked to, rather than it being on your own accord.
"Wha- no, that's not-! Okay, well, yes he did ask me to, b-but I like spending time with you, anyways!"
Stretch let out one last chuckle, his thumb rubbing your shoulder gently before giving it a pat.
"I know, kiddo."
You allowed some of the tension you had been holding in to be released as you relaxed slightly.
"Hey, do me a favour, would ya?"
He waited a beat before asking.
"Please don't ever stop being a sweet kid, okay, honeybun?"
Hesitating, you nodded, which was clearly the right answer, judging from his widening grin. The two of you didn't end up doing much for the rest of the day, which was lucky for you considering that, by noon, your lack of sleep had caught up to you. Feeling utterly exhausted and lethargic, you lay on the sofa, unwilling, and possibly unable, to move.
Stretch saw your dilemma and, like then puzzle solving master he was, or claimed to be, he came up with a solution.
"Hey honey, you're looking a little tired there."
He observed, holding back a snicker at your current state. You groaned quietly.
"Why did my stupid body not let me sleep until 6am, for fucks sake."
You were too tired to even move from one end of the sofa to the other so, Stretch took it upon himself to move you.
"Eh, don't worry about it. Say, how's about we take a little nap here? Just you and me, ya know, to recharge the ol' batteries?"
Even if you had wanted to, you were too tired to protest against his offer. Recently, you found yourself being coaxed into taking more naps with certain lazy skeletons more often. Before this, you rarely napped, only on the odd occasion, really. Now, you wondered if it was going to become a regular habit of yours.
Snuggling close to Stretch, you allowed the softness of his hoodie to comfort you in a way that encouraged the dreariness in you to take over. Despite it being summer, you weren't too warm curled up against the skeleton. Perhaps the air conditioning was on, or maybe he just wasn't hot. After all, he didn't have any skin. Realising you hadn't given a verbal reply to his offer, you rectified that.
"Okay..."
Whether you'd sleep or not was a mystery to you, however, even just taking the time to relax and close your eyes would be rejuvenating enough for the time being, if, in fact, you did not get to sleep. Luckily, you did.
It felt like your slumber had only lasted for a brief moment, however, you found yourself being nudged awake a couple hours later by Stretch, who seemed reluctant to wake you but, by the demand of the others, did so anyhow.
You groaned quietly in protect as he continued to poke at your face until you finally gave in, swatting his hand away as you sat up, rubbing your eyes. When looked up, you were met with an entire audience of skeletons staring at you. Feeling a little awkward, you scrunched your eyebrows up as you spoke, your voice a little weaker from just waking up.
"Uh, hey guys..."
"GOOD AFTERNOON, HUMAN. I SEE YOU DID NOT GET MUCH SLEEP LAST NIGHT."
Edge observed, disapprovingly. You yawned once more, shrugging.
"Ya sleep better, honey?"
Stretch asked, brushing a stray hair from your face. You nodded.
"CAN WE GET ON WITH THIS? I WOULD LIKE TO BE FILLED IN AS TO WHY WE WERE ALL CALLED FOR A GROUP MEETING."
Black demanded, crossing his arms in annoyance. Sans, who had called said meeting, seemed to have fallen asleep whilst the others woke you up, leaving it up to Papyrus to shake him awake.
"BROTHER!"
"Hm? Sup bro?"
"THE MEETING, SANS! THAT'S 'WHAT'S UP!'"
"Oh, heh, right."
The older brother yawned, rubbing his eye sockets much like you had before getting to his agenda. The others had all gathered in the living room, the usual main hang out spot, at the request of Sans. It seemed like Sans just wanted to give general updates, though he was too lazy to put any actual detail into it, so the others had to chip in, whilst Sans grinned lazily. Eventually, however, the skeleton did say something that caught the room's attention.
"We think we've found possible links to another universe."
He said the statement so casually as if it held no weight of importance or thrill whatsoever, though this couldn't be further from the truth. Your eyebrows shot up in shock, and you were too stunned to react verbally, which allowed Red and Stretch to explain further.
"Well, we kept pickin' up wavelengths that matched this universe, but with some anomalies."
Red pitched in. He and Sans had spent the most time in the lab than anyone else recently, so it made sense that he knew the more in depth details of the situation. Lately, you'd been a little distracted, though you were still kept in the loop. From what you gathered, this discovery was quite recent, and you wouldn't be surprised if they only found this today. You were glad that they didn't hide anything, as that would do no one any good, anyways.
"It's just a theory, at the moment, and we probably won't look too much into it right now, but it's something, at least."
Stretch shrugged, fighting the urge to light a cigarette. You knew he still smoked, but refused to do it around you. Personally, you didn't mind if he did, but you appreciated his concern.
"WOWIE, THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS!"
Papyrus exclaimed, his smile a little brighter than before. Many agreed with the enthusiastic skeleton, including you. After all, progress was progress, no matter how small, or vague it may be.
"THOUGH I AGREE WITH PAPYRUS, WHY ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR RESEARCH ON HOLD?"
Blue asked, raising the question before anyone else could get a chance. It seemed as though Stretch and Red had no answer to this, meaning everyone glanced over to Sans, expecting him to say something, only to find that, yet again, he had fallen asleep. After being mercilessly woken up by his brother once more, a couple of the others were getting tired of his antics.
"BY TORIEL, CAN'T YOU STAY AWAKE FOR 2 MINUTES TO TALK TO US?! ABSOLUTELY USELESS!"
Black screeched, clearly all patience lost within him. You didn't blame him, though it was funny how purple his cheeks began to flush out of irritation. Sans, who seemed unbothered by his counterpart's outburst, simply chuckled in response. This, in turn, caused Cash to hold his brother back from fighting Sans, an amusing, yet slightly disruptive display.
"You wanna tell them, bro? About all the events that's coming up? I would be really grape-ful."
His pun was an obvious dig at Black's current shade, but Papyrus chose to let that one slide, and instead take his brother up on his request.
"OF COURSE, BROTHER! EHEM!"
Papyrus loudly cleared his throat before pulling up a schedule on his phone.
"WITH ALL THE COMMOTION RECENTLY, WITH THE ARRIVAL OF MINE AND MY BROTHER'S ALTERNATE SELVES, I'M AFRAID THAT WE HAVE BEEN SO PREOCCUPIED THAT CERTAIN IMPORTANT EVENTS HAVE SLIPPED OUR MINDS!"
He began. From there, he started to explain to the monsters about the anniversary. Seeing as none of their universes had reached the surface, they were obviously unfamiliar with the anniversary, though you already knew.
"Three days, huh?"
Cash mumbled.
"PRECISELY! I WOULD HELP WITH THE PREPARATIONS, HOWEVER, MY DUTIES HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED DUE TO RECENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT URGENTLY NEEDED MY ATTENTION!"
It was understandable that the anniversary had taken a back seat in the skeletons' minds, but now that it was fast approaching, they had no choice but to revisit it.
"NOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT NONE OF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO THIS KIND OF EVENT BEFORE, SO I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE TAKEN IT UPON MYSELF TO BRIEF YOU ALL USING PAMPHLETS OF THE INTERNET!"
Grabbing a box near to him, he tossed out said pamphlets, sending them flying in the air. Picking them up off of the ground, most of the skeletons took the time to carefully read each page with fresh eyes. You, however, only skimmed the content, as you were already familiar with what the event entailed, thanks to Frisk and Toriel and a little of your own research.
"NOW HUMAN-"
Papyrus addressed you, making you look up from the paper.
"I WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO HELP OUT WITH SOME LAST MINUTE PREPARATION, SO DURING THE FESTIVAL, YOU MAY NOT SEE ME UNTIL AFTER KING ASGORE AND FRISK GIVE THEIR SPEECHES."
He pre warned you, reminding you that you had made your own arrangements for the celebration.
"NOW, YOU SHOULD STICK CLOSE TO MY BROTHER OR ANY ONE OF THE OTHERS-"
"Oh, uh, actually, about the speech..."
"YES?"
The others, who had seemingly finished reading their pamphlets, now turned their attention to you and Papyrus. You had originally thought of keeping the arrangements a surprise, but you figured that would only cause more commotion and trouble than necessary.
"Well, I was helping Frisk write their speech, and, long story short, they asked me to stand near them when giving the speech, for like, moral support or whatever. So, I'll, uh, be doing that."
You felt a little awkward telling them, and, now that you really thought about it, the idea felt a little odd to you. Basically no one in the crowd would know what some random human was doing standing next to Frisk, especially since the majority of the crowd attending would most likely be monsters.
The thought made you a little embarrassed, and slightly nervous, but you couldn't go back on your word to Frisk. And, you supposed that, if it calmed Frisk's nerves, then you didn't mind.
"OH, WELL IN THAT CASE, I SUPPOSE YOU WILL BE WITH FRISK THEN, HUMAN!"
"You sure you're ok with this kid? If not, I suggest you stand up and say something now, or forever hold your peace."
Sans asked, subtly slipping his pun into his question, though it didn't go unnoticed.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's for Frisk, so I'll do it."
"AWW, YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD FRIEND, SUNSHINE!"
Blue praised, giving you a sweet look. Black, who seemed to agree, chimed in with his own unique take.
"YES, SHE HAS OBVIOUSLY LEARNED THAT FROM ME."
You, and many of the others, fought off the urge to laugh at his take. You simply brushed it off and moved on to other matters.
"Anything else, bro?"
Sans asked, as if he wasn't the one who had called the meeting in the first place. Papyrus stood in thought for a moment, holding two fingers up to his chin. Just then, it struck him.
"THE HUMAN HOLIDAY, BROTHER! THE ONE WE ALWAYS CELEBRATE WITH FRISK!"
You, along with the others, tilted your head. Naturally, the skeletons weren't aware of any human celebrations, but even you were wracking your brain this time.
"What's it called again, bro?"
"HMMM. I BELIEVE IT IS JULY 4TH?"
"Isn't that the date?"
"YES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS THE NAME FOR IT AS WELL. HONESTLY, HUMANS ARE JUST AS BAD AS NAMING THINGS AS KING ASGORE IS!"
Then it clicked. No wonder you didn't realise. The others were still unclear as to what he was getting at, so you decided to chip in, knowing little of the subject yourself.
"Uh, actually guys, it's called independence day. Though, I guess some do just call it by the date."
With your addition to the conversation, Papyrus snapped his fingers in realisation.
"AH, YES, THAT WAS IT! OF COURSE YOU WOULD BE THE EXPECT ON THE TOPIC, HUMAN, SEEING AS IT IS A HUMAN HOLIDAY."
"Uh, not really. I don't celebrate it."
At that, the skeleton brothers turned to you with an incredulous expression.
"BUT IT IS A HUMAN HOLIDAY, IS IT NOT?"
Papyrus asked. Despite being up on the surface for practically three years, perhaps he still hadn't quite grasped the fact that other countries have different celebrations that comes with the culture.
"Well, yeah, but it's an American holiday. No one else celebrates independence day apart from America."
"So, you could say it's their own independent holiday-"
"SANS, NO!"
Papyrus sighed, though slightly intrigued by your explanation. The others, who had been strangely silent, finally decided to contribute their own questions to the conversation, mainly directing them at you, because you were human.
"DON'T ALL HUMANS CELEBRATE THE SAME HOLIDAYS?"
Black asked, rather dismissively. You shook your head and prepared a verbal response but, before you could, Red and Cash chimed in.
"The hell's this even for?"
"Yea, independence from what?"
They questioned, making you sigh internally. You weren't an expert on the holiday, but at least you knew enough to give them overall bits of information about it.
"Independence from the British, so, my lot, basically."
The monsters gave you a funny look, signaling that you needed to elaborate. As a consequence, you ended up giving them an incredibly short, five minute history lesson about the holiday, using your limited knowledge of what you could remember from your history class. Once your story had ended, the others seemed to grasp a better understanding of the concept.
"Makes sense why ya wouldn't celebrate it."
Stretch piped up, finding the idea rather amusing.
"WELL, USUALLY WE GO AND WATCH A MASSIVE FIREWORK DISPLAY WHEREVER ONE IS BEING HOSTED!"
Papyrus beamed, clearly enthusiastic about the holiday.
"SO WE WERE THINKING THAT-"
"Since we think everyone could use a break-"
"SANS, YOU ARE ALWAYS TAKING BREAKS!"
Sans only chuckled in response as his brother digressed, getting back to his original point.
"ANYWAYS, WE- WELL MOSTLY ME- HAVE PLANNED A LITTLE TRIP FOR ALL OF US!"
Papyrus announced, sparking the interest of many in the room. You were especially intrigued to hear what he had planned. Hopefully it wasn't something too intense like a massive hiking trip, or something.
"We're going to the beach."
Sans chimed in, stealing his brother's thunder.
"SANS, I WAS GOING TO ANNOUNCE IT!"
Papyrus stomped his foot, which only encouraged his brother to continue messing with him, like any good sibling would.
"Hey, don't stress it bro, everyone's gonna have a whale of a time."
"NYEHHHHHHHH! ENOUGH!"
The taller skeleton threw his arms up in exasperation. Whilst Sans continued to torture his brother, you tried to recall the last time you had been on a beach. The most recent example you could think of was that trip to Brighton Beach and, though I was fun, it wasn't exactly a sandy beach, or a warm one, either.
"I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A BEACH BEFORE!"
"NONE OF US HAVE, GENIUS."
Black rolled his eye lights at Blue, though you could tell he was secretly excited about the trip.
"What bout the kid? You ever been to a beach, honey?"
Stretch threw the question over to you.
"Yeah, few times. Though, of course, the ones I went to the most were usually cold and full of pebbles, not to say I haven't been to sandy beaches, but y'know."
You figured your explanation might not make sense to the skeletons, considering they hadn't actually seen any beaches in real life. However, this was their chance, and it seemed that no one was opposed to the idea.
"OH, AND THERE IS ALSO A PARK NEARBY WHERE THEY WILL BE HOSTING A FIREWORK DISPLAY! SO, WE CAN WATCH FROM THE BEACH WHEN THEY ARE SET OFF!"
Papyrus added, conveying just how much effort he had put in to planning and researching this entire trip. As if you didn't need more reasons to go. However, as everyone agreed, this would mean that some shopping was in order for some beach equipment, but mainly for swimwear.
So, it was settled. Tomorrow, you would all go to the shops in search of the appropriate beach attire and equipment. In terms of travel, since the only one who could drive was Papyrus, he was in charge of transportation. However, getting everyone there in his car alone would've been impossible, plus all the extra items you had.
It was for this very reason that he had hired a large rental car, which seemed like more of a van to you. Whatever it was, it was big enough to fit everyone inside plus some extra storage space in the boot.
With the plans finalised, you felt a wave of excitement wash over you at the idea of the trip. Not only were you going to an actual sandy beach in the summer, but you were also going to experience your first 4th of July firework display. You were thrilled at the idea, though your excitement wasn't enough to combat your exhaustion that returned shortly after the meeting in full force.
You did your best to stay awake, but by the next couple of hours, it wasn't even close to 8PM and you already felt like passing out. Stretch saw this and tried to keep you awake by getting you to watch TV and talk with him, but you mostly just stared aimlessly at him as he spoke or whatever show he put on, rather than actually fully engaging with any of it.
Eventually, Edge saw it time to put his foot down, calling an early end to the night. The announcement came out of nowhere, surprising Stretch when you were suddenly picked up by the edgier skeleton and held closely to his chest. The action alone caught Stretch off guard, as he half expected Edge to roughly haul you over his shoulder, yet he didn't.
"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT. YOU ARE CLEARLY TOO TIRED FOR ANY MORE OF THIS NONSENSE."
"Huh? Wha- noo, Edge, I'm fine!"
You yawned, wrapping your arms and legs around him, loosely, for support. The skeleton scoffed at you.
"YOU ARE TO GO STRAIGHT TO BED, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"But Papy, I'm not tired..."
You whined, but your voice didn't convey as much push back to his order as you had hoped it would.
"YOU SAID THAT LAST TIME, AND I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER HOW THAT WENT DOWN."
You did. It ended with Edge dragging you to bed after a particularly tiresome sparing session, despite you insisting that you were fine to walk back home. Of course, Stretch was not privy to this knowledge, so he had no idea what Edge was talking about.
"C'mon dude, she's fine. Leave the kid be, she obviously doesn't want to-"
"SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS. AND, NEITHER DO YOU, FOR THAT MATTER."
Stretch felt slightly taken aback by his snippy comment. The way Edge dismissed his opinion so blatantly and quickly rubbed Stretch the wrong way, causing a disgruntled expression to appear on his face without warning. Edge seemed to pay no attention to the shift in attitude from his counterpart, though Stretch was sure that he picked up on it.
"Sure pal, whatever you say."
He said, through gritted teeth. Once again, Edge ignored him in favour of focusing on you. Stretch noticed that, when Edge looked at anyone, he always had such a cold, hard look in his gaze. However, this seemed to soften whenever he was focused on you, or even his brother, for that matter.
It was incredibly obvious to anyone that you were clearly a tad closer with Edge, and Red to an extent, than anyone else here. Not that Stretch cared, but he found it strange how you seemed to gravitate more towards those two than anyone else. Hell, on occasion, you even called Edge by his actual name, going as far as to even shortened it. You didn't do that with anyone else, to his knowledge, and you certainly didn't do that with him.
"COME NOW."
Edge sighed, taking you out of the room and presumably up to your shared room where you could get some sleep. Your weak protests did nothing to stop him. Stretch watched as the two of you departed and sighed. As he sat alone on the sofa, he attempted to convince himself that your frienship with Edge didn't bother him. Of course, he was fooling himself, but he couldn't help it.
It had been a few months now since he arrived and while everything got off to a weird start, everyone seemed to fall into a routine. Hell, he didn't even have a job, so, along with Red, he was home the most with you. Thinking about it, he probably hung out with you the most, and yet you weren't nearly as close with him as you were Edge. It was weird, and Stretch couldn't understand why your frienship with him felt more like an acquaintanceship.
He tried hard to connect with you, but maybe it just wasn't working out. Trying not to get too bogged down about it, he assured himself that the friendship between himself and you would fall into place eventually, and that maybe it just needed time. Naturally, Stretch was an overthinker, so what he considered the friendship to be like did not necessarily reflect the reality.
At least, Stretch thought, tomorrow was a new day.
------------
Once you arrived at the shopping centre, it was suggested that, like last time, you all split up to get the necessary things you required. While Papyrus and Sans went off to get the beach equipment, and Cash, Black and Stretch left to get whatever else they needed, you were left with Edge, Red and Blue.
Your first stop was to get a swimming costume. Even if you didn't go in the water, you'd want to lie on the beach in something other than regular clothes. It had been a couple of years since you had actually put on a swimming costume, funnily enough. And, since then, you hadn't worn anything but one pieces. This time, you were eager to finally get a bikini.
So, whilst you browsed the bikini section, the others fixed their attention more towards the swimming trunks. Turns out, it didn't take long for them to pick out what they wanted. Blue had chosen trunks with an exotic looking flower pattern, the background being blue. Edge and Red, however, had opted for a more plain design, with one solid red colour. It seemed like the two of them had got slightly different shades of red, making sure that they didn't match completely.
Feeling the pressure to choose fast, since the others were already done, you tried your best to decide. By the time you had narrowed it down to only two options, the others had gravitated towards you. Not only did they have quite a few opinions on your choice, but it seemed as though they were determined to choose for you.
Edge peered down at the swimming costumes you had in each hand before shaking his head in disapproval.
"NO."
He stated, decisively. You frowned, looking at the options you held.
"Why? Something wrong with them?"
"TO REVEALING. PICK SOMETHING ELSE."
You raised an eyebrow at him, stunned that he was being so conservative about this. You honestly didn't peg him as the type to care about this sort of thing.
"C'mon bro, it's fine."
Red defended, clearly unbothered by the costume itself. Well, until Blue opened his mouth.
"YEAH! LOOSEN UP A LITTLE EDGE, I THINK HER ATTIRE IS CUTE!"
"Thank you, Blue."
You smirked, giving Edge a challenging look, as if to say it was 3 against 1. Not that it would stop him, of course.
"OF COURSE, SUNSHINE. YOU'LL BE THE CUTEST GIRL ON THE WHOLE BEACH, AND WILL CERTAINLY ATTRACT SOME ATTENTION!"
He beamed, giving your confidence a slight boost. This helped to distract from the dark expression that had morphed on Red's face.
"Kid, pick somethin' else, now."
Red demanded, his view flipping almost instantly.
"Huh? Why? I thought these were fine!"
You asked, confused as to why he had changed his opinion so quickly. Ignoring your question, Red seemed to lose his patience.
"Don't ya go talkin' back ta me, I said choose somethin' else."
He snapped, and you fought the urge to roll your eyes.
"Alright, alright, jeez..."
"Hey! Don't give me any of that attitude again young lady or we're leavin' this whole fuckin' place, ya hear?"
This was getting a little extreme, though you supposed that you had to go along with it, remembering the last time you tried to defy him. Luckily, your compliance seemed to satisfy Red.
"Ok, ok."
"And ya ain't wearin' any of that crap. Ya can wear one of those one pieces or just regular ol' clothes."
He decided, leaving no room for debate. Edge, who had been watching his brother's outburst, smugly, finally chimed in.
"AGREED."
Saying their final pieces, the two walked off to go and pay for their chosen items, whilst you stood there, now unsure of what to do. You'd have to go back to the drawing board at this rate. Thankfully, Blue was still on your side, and was keen to help.
When the others weren't looking, he nudged your side, motioning for you to give him the bikinis.
"I'LL TAKE CARE OF THESE, SUNSHINE. GO PICK SOMETHING ELSE OUT AND I'LL GET THESE FOR YOU IN SECRET!"
"Wait, seriously? Thanks, Blue!"
His offer was quite generous, and you jumped at it. Grinning, you handed him the bikinis and hastily chose another swimming costume which seemed to appease Red and Edge.
Meeting up with the others soon after you had left the shop, it seemed as though everyone had been successful in their shopping, Papyrus in particular, who was balancing bags on every bone on his body, no matter the size or the weight. It was an impressive, and slightly commical, sight to witness, as Sans tried to knock him off his balance.
It seemed as though everything was going smoothly. You'd prepped all that you could, and were now eagerly waiting for next week to come.
Notes:
Hey guys, so recently I've had a couple of you ask about when the HorrorTale brothers are going to come into this, as they are in the tags. I know we're quite a ways into the fan fic, but it'll be a few more chapters until I introduce them. BUT, they ARE going to be in this fic soon, so don't worry!
Hope everyone has a good day/night and, as always, thanks for reading! ❤🌸
Chapter 34: Chapter 34: beach day!
Summary:
The trip everyone has been waiting for!
Notes:
Hi guys! Happy holidays to you all! I don't know why this chapter took me so long, but I've finally finished it. It might take me a while to write the next chapter, but as always, I'll try and be as fast as possible. Anyways, sorry for the wait but I hope you all enjoy! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"HURRY NOW, HUMAN! WE HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Hang on!"
Edge had been yelling from the stairs at you for the past 10 minutes, as you were hastily trying to pack. Somehow, your alarm didn't go off, and since no one bothered to wake you up until recently, you were stuck rushing around trying to get ready for the trip.
"HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY TAKE YOU THIS LONG TO PACK?! GET DOWN HERE NOW, OR WE'RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!"
He yelled, tapping his foot, a sign of clear agitation. Edge liked punctuality, and right now, you were holding up everyone. Originally, you were supposed to have set off about five minutes ago. Papyrus had now come back from loading up the hire van just in time to witness Edge's yelling. You knew his threats were as empty as his eye sockets, but you also didn't want to hold up the rest of the group.
"DO NOT FRET, HUMAN, WE WILL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT YOU! EDGE IS JUST MAKING A JOKE!"
"I know!"
You were almost finished, if they would just have a little more patience, they being Edge, mainly. The others didn't seem to mind your tardiness. Since the nearest beach was about 3 hours and 50 minutes away, Papyrus had wanted everyone to get up early in order to hit the road as soon as possible, to maximise your time on the beach. As a consequence, not everyone was fully awake and therefore didn't have the same eagerness at Edge. At least, not yet.
"IF YOU DO NOT COME DOWN HERE IN FIVE SECONDS I WILL DRAG YOU DOWN HERE MYSE-"
Edge paused in the middle of his threat as you finally made your way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, your bag hanging loosely off your shoulder. Edge hummed, not in satisfaction per say, but enough to convey that he wasn't displeased with you entirely.
"RIGHT, NOW THAT EVERYONE IS UP AND READY, LET'S GET GOING!"
Papyrus announced, getting everyone to file into the van as quick as possible so you could set off. It took a while for everyone to become fully awake, but after about half an hour, you were all happily talking amongst each other.
Throughout the trip, you went through the different car games you could play with the others, having to explain the rules to most of them seeing as they were unfamiliar with the games. But, once everyone understood, you must've killed at least an hour by playing games like eye spy and yellow car, your personal favourite. When you first introduced the monsters to it, they had been incredibly stunned.
"Oh! Yellow car!"
You called out, catching the attention of the skeletons, as one drove past. With no hesitation, you swung the mightiest punch you could muster and directed it at Cash, who was sitting right next to you. Thanks to Edge, your punches had become slightly stronger, so the impact not only stunned the skeleton, but also caused him a mild shock of pain upon impact, leaving a lingering sting as he looked at you with slight betrayal and confusion.
"Oi! The fuck did ya do that for, kid?!"
Cash exclaimed, clearly irritate by your sudden attack. The others seemed to be just as in the dark as he was.
"I told you, I saw a yellow car!"
When the others' expressions didn't change, you realised that you had to explain the game to them. And so, you did. At first, none of them believed that it was an actual game, but rather something that you had made up. Luckily, the internet was on your side and they admitted defeat, much to your smugness.
"Weird ass human game."
Cash muttered, still rubbing his arm slightly as you giggled. The rest of the journey seemed to pass relatively quickly after that and, before you knew it, you had arrived at the beach.
The sun shined brightly over the water making it glisten and sparkle in the morning light. Having the feeling of soft sand underneath your feet instead of hard, uncomfortable pebbles really made all the difference as you breathed in the salty sea air that scratched your brain in all the right places.
The sudden breeze that encouraged the waves to move flew over to tap you on the shoulder, reminding you that, when nearer to the cost, it was often more windy. Though, you didn't mind. As it was summer, and sure to heat up later in the afternoon, you had a feeling you'd welcome the wind when it brushed passed you once more.
Glancing at the others, it seemed that you weren't the only one taking it all in. Those who hadn't been before seemed enraptured in it's entirety. Such a foreign environment would've obviously caught their attention for a while as they soaked it all in. A smile rose to your face as you saw the pure joy from some of their expressions.
Papyrus, who had been unloading the car and was now carrying the extra items you had brought along, had hurried back to get everyone moving.
"HURRY, EVERYONE! WE MUST FIND THE PERFECT SPOT!"
He declared, antsy to get everything settled.
"HUMAN, YOU GO FIND US A GOOD SPOT WHILE THE OTHERS HELP ME UNLOAD THE CAR!"
His orders snapped the skeletons out of whatever awe struck trance they had been in and they soon got to work, some more quickly than others. Once you flagged down a spot, you waved them over and helped them lay down the beach towels and set up the umbrellas.
Once everything had been set up, Papyrus could finally relax. It wasn't long before everyone was in their swimming costumes, you included. You were glad you had worn yours underneath your clothes, as it made changing quick and easy. True to his word, Blue had in fact bought both bikinis, meaning you got to choose. After some consideration, you had chosen to wear one that had a bright orange and yellow wavy pattern on it.
Although you liked it a lot, the smiles of Red and Edge faded when they realised what you were wearing. Their expressions darkened as you stood up, about to apply some suncream. Despite it being late morning, you still needed to be cautious of the sun's glare.
"Sweetheart, I thought we discussed this."
Red said, his voice dropping down an octive, dangerously. You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly.
"WHERE DID THAT EVEN COME FROM? DID YOU GO BEHIND OUR BACKS?!"
Edge accused, though he was kind of right, in a way.
"Uh, well-"
"OH CALM DOWN YOU TWO, I BOUGHT IT FOR HER, AND THE OTHER ONE."
Blue butted in, boldly. As swiftly as he said that, the brothers' glares shifted immediately from you right to Blue. You felt annoyance radiate off of the two yet there was not much they could do now, since you were wearing it and had no other swimming costume to change in to.
"I DON'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I THINK THE SWIMWEAR PATTERN LOOKS VERY COOL ON YOU, HUMAN!"
Papyrus complimented, making you smile. The others seemed to agree, with Cash not showing much interest in the matter. Black, however, leaned more towards the side of Edge and Red.
"IS THAT REALLY APPROPRIATE FOR SOMEONE OF YOUR AGE?"
He inquired, an accusatory tone laced within his voice.
"Tch, no-"
"IT IS FINE! STOP FUSSING YOU THREE!"
Blue cut Red off, silencing them. Huffing, they lost the will to argue any longer, finally dropping the subject, though you could tell they were still unhappy. Choosing to ignore them, you went back to applying the suncream over your body, with the others watching you, concentrating on your every move. Half way through doing your arms, you paused, staring back at them.
"What?"
You asked, suddenly feeling a little shy.
"HUMAN, WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THAT LIQUID ALL OVER YOURSELF?"
Papyrus questioned, taking a closer look to inspect the bottle in your hands. His eye sockets narrowed
"WHAT IS THIS 'SUN-SCREEN'?"
"Oh, basically I have to put this stuff over all the areas my body is exposed to the sun."
"BUT WHY?"
Blue chimed in.
"For protection from the sun. I usually have to top it up every couple of hours, especially after I've been in the water."
"Oh, is this the thing about the skin bein' sensitive to the sun, or something?"
Stretch asked, vaguely remembering something from his previous research on the human body. You nodded in response.
"Yeah. The sun cream helps to protect me from getting sun burn and skin cancer and all that."
You told them, whilst putting more on, working your way down.
"Some people have better tolerance against the sun than others, depending on their skin type, but it's still really important for every human to use suncream when out in the sun for long periods of time, especially during summer, when the sun can get really hot."
With your explanation, the monsters seemed to understand better.
"But I guess, since you guys don't have skin, you probably don't need to do that."
Turns out, your guess was right. It made sense, after all.
"HUMANS ARE SO INCREDIBLY FRAGILE. IT CONTINUES TO SURPRISE ME."
Black muttered, though you weren't interested in indulging his statement any further. Instead, you focused on getting the rest of your body covered. Since you were in a bikini, you had a lot to cover. Soon, you were mostly done apart from your back, which you struggled with a little considering it was difficult to extend and bend your arm that far. The others saw you struggling and Stretch, before anyone else could, offered his assistance.
"Oh, here honey, let me do that."
You handed him the bottle and turned around, giving him access to the back of you. As he applied it, he wanted to make sure he was doing everything correctly. The last thing he wanted was for you to get hurt because of his begginer skills.
"Do I just rub it in?"
"A little, yeah. Don't worry too much, as it'll soak in soon. Just make sure to cover all areas."
"Okay, got it."
Stretch sounded so focused and serious that it almost made you laugh. It was sweet that he cared so much, though.
"Thanks, Stretch."
You turned around and he handed you back the bottle for you to place back in your bag.
"Anytime, honey. Has that gotta dry now?"
You nodded and watched in amusement as he looked down at his hands, shuddering at the lingering suncream.
"So sticky..."
Stretch recoiled at the texture that wouldn't come off his hands.
"Heh, that's what she said-"
Red started, but got a sharp elbowing from his brother, who chastised him for making such a suggestive comment in front of a child such as yourself. It was funny was how Edge and the others thought you were still quite innocent to things like sexual innuendos.
"Can you even rub it in to your bones?"
You questioned, your body finally dry enough to sit on a towel. Stretch tired his hardest, but to no avail. Eventually, he was too uncomfortable to deal with it any longer, and ended up rubbing it on his unsuspecting brother. That, of course, spurred him to run around in circles as Blue tried to get back at his brother, but Stretch kept dodging him.
You giggled at the sight, soaking in the pleasant atmosphere around you. As a couple of hours passed, the day had certainly warmed up and you found your self eager to cool off in the water. Glancing around, you located each of the skeletons.
As expected, the laziest of the group- being Sans, Stretch, Red and Cash- were pretty much all asleep in the sun, some on towels, some on the sand itself. Black was nearby in a deckchair reading, sunglasses on as to avoid the glare from the sun, whilst Edge, sporting a very similar pair of sunglasses, was doing...pushups? This left only Papyrus and Blue, who has been preoccupied with inflatables for the last 15 minutes.
You didn't mind if you went in alone, but you thought you'd at least notify the monsters before going. Going on previous instances, you wondering off without their knowledge didn't always go down so well, even if you never intended to cause any concern, it was best to avoid that path all together.
"Hey guys-"
You called out to Blue and Papyrus, which turned their heads, instantly.
"I'm gonna go in the water for a bit."
"WHAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA, HUMAN! I WILL JOIN YOU!"
"AS WILL I!"
The two eagerly abandoned their previous task and, whilst they did, you turned to Edge and Black, who had heard you but gave no response. You figured you shouldn't wait the others, as they seemed content where they were. Plus, someone had to stay with the bags and stuff.
"You guys gonna join us?"
"I'D RATHER NOT."
Black stated, clear disdain for the idea, entirely. Edge was more open to the idea, however, when you actually got to the water, he chose not to go in too deep, the water only just coming up to his knees. With his arms folded and that almost permanent scowl on his face, you couldn't tell if he was enjoying himself or not.
"WOWZAS! THAT SEA LOOKS AS IF STRETCHES FOR MILES!"
"THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOES, BLUE!"
Papyrus and Blue took a couple minutes to discuss the earth and it's many oceans, whilst gazing at it with a twinkle in their eye sockets. You, getting bored of the conversation eventually, left them to join Edge. Except, instead of slowly edging into the water, you made a run for it, diving in full force as soon as you got deep enough. Your action caused a huge splash, disrupting the waves around you momentarily and, Edge.
"WATCH IT!"
He yelled, wiping the water off of his face in annoyance. Giving him a quick apology, you exhaled in relief at the sudden coolness that wrapped around you.
"HUMAN, WAIT FOR US!"
Papyrus yelled, him and Blue choosing to copy you and create an even bigger splash, much to Edge's annoyance. You all laughed as Edge threw curses, stomping his foot that did nothing to dry him off. You were sure that the sun was hot enough for that, anyways.
Glancing at the two skeletons who had followed you in, you noticed something different about them. Squinting your eyes to make sure you weren't seeing things, your gaze snapped to their body. Their bones were engulfed in some sort of cushioning that strangely resembled a human-like structure. Though, it stopped after the neck.
Positively perplexed, you couldn't help but stare in curiosity. The skeletons in question seemed to notice your gaze and chortled in amusement at your reaction.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER, HUMAN?"
Papyrus teased, seeing how you would respond, whether you would try and be as polite as possible, and play it off as if nothing had changed.
"AH, YOUR ATTENTION MUST BE CAPTURED BY MY IMPRESSIVE PHYSIQUE!"
"That's one way of putting it."
You swam up to them to get a closer look. As far as your light research went, the idea of skeletons being able to create bodies out of thin air was completely foreign, though it probably wasn't out of nowhere. Seeing as Papyrus and Sans were the only known skeletons in the underground, any records or knowledge of the biology of their kind was almost nonexistent, no wonder you were taken aback by this new development.
"Since when could you guys...?"
You were unsure of what questions to ask, let alone even begin with. Luckily, the two of them saved you the trouble by telling you themselves.
"YOU SEE, HUMAN, WE HAVE USED OUR MAGIC TO MANIFEST OUR BODIES! WE USUALLY REFER TO THESE AS ECTO-BODIES!"
Papyrus started, gesturing to both himself and Blue. The magic part made sense, and it showed, through the colours of their ecto bodies. Papyrus' was a warm orange, like the sunset. His magic had formed to create a lean set of abs and muscle like features. Whereas Blue's was more of a cobalt blue. Though he had a larger, more protruding stomach, being more big boned then Papyrus, it was clear that he also had a substantial amount of muscle. You chalked it down to their training.
Edge had also summoned a physical body out of his magic. It was quite similar to Papyrus, except for the colour, a nice crimson, to match his magic.
"WE DON'T DO THIS OFTEN, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL WE FORM THEM AT THIS CURRENT MOMENT IN TIME!"
"YOU SEE, SUNSHINE, THESE BODIES HELP US GAIN MORE BUOYANCY SO THAT WE DON'T GET TAKEN BY THE WATER!"
Their explanation actually made perfect sense. After all, their bones must be quite dense so, unless they had some sort of flotation device, being in the water must be slightly more tricky for them. Unlike you, who could float naturally.
"NOW YOU GET TO LAY YOUR EYES UPON THE MOST HANDSOME SKELETONS ON THE BEACH! BUT, DON'T LET OUR GORGEOUS PHYSICS MAKE YOU FALL FOR US, FOR I'M AFRAID WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECIPROCATE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PINE!"
Papyrus boasted, the two striking poses to show off their bodies, making you giggle at their enthusiasm.
"AREN'T YOU IMPRESSED, HUMAN?"
Blue smirked, to which you nodded with a smile.
"I BET YOU'LL BE EVEN MORE IMPRESSED WITH MY STRENGTH!"
You probably would've, as you knew Blue was strong, which was why you didn't really need a demonstration. Yet, this didn't stop him from giving one. Without warning, you were suddenly hoisted up and into his arms. He had done this to you before, but what he hadn't done was drop you. On purpose.
"ARE YOU READY, SUNSHINE?"
"Ready? Ready for- oh no, Blue, don't you dare-!"
But it was too late.
"ONE-"
No one could stop him.
"TWO-"
You couldn't get out of his grasp enough.
"THREE!"
With his countdown finished, you were thrown high up in the air, higher than you realised he could throw. With a slight scream, you inhaled deeply just before impact. You fell in with a massive, head turning splash, attracting the attention of some. Though the water wasn't that deep where you were, it still took a second or so for you to come up to the surface.
You coughed as the shock of impact had caused a little water to get up your nose. Blue laughed as he patted you on the back whilst you felt the sting of salt water burn your nose, a very unpleasant feeling.
Despite this, you couldn't help but laugh along with Blue as he flexed his muscles, expressing how his strength knew no bounds.
"ARE YOU STUPID?!"
Edge'a voice came from behind. His scowl had deepened, his anger directed towards Blue, who looked up at him, still smiling.
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE SO ROUGH WITH HER!"
Coming from him, that was rich, considering you knew what he was like when training.
"RELAX, EDGE. SHE'S NOT MADE OF GLASS, SHE CAN HANDLE A LITTLE PLAY."
Blue was right, and found his worrying amusing. Edge simply grunted, giving you a quick glance. You gave him a thumbs up to signal that you were fine, before leaning back into the water. Blue and Papyrus did the same, whilst chatting once more, though Edge still chose to stand. You swam to him, glancing up at him.
"You're not gonna go any deeper?"
You asked, and the very idea seemed to make Edge tense up.
"Are you scared?"
"ME? THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AFRAID OF A LITTLE WATER?! BAH, YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN, HUMAN!"
"Alright, then come in."
His confidence wavered when he was given the option to prove himself.
"WHY SHOULD I?! I DON'T NEED TO PROVE MYSELF TO YOU!"
When he refused, you smirked as an evil idea arose in your mind. When he wasn't looking, you pounced at him, grabbing his mid section with full strength. Before he had time to get you off of him, you pulled Edge into the water with him, ignoring his shrill protests.
When he fell face first into the water, you laughed hard, but that came to an ubrupt stop when he stood up, a dark expression on his face. A possibly seething Edge towered over you, snickers coming from Blue and Papyrus behind at your situation.
"BRAVE, LITTLE HUMAN."
You laughed nervously, looking back at the two for help. They simply smirked as you felt a shadow creep up behind you. Suddenly, two skeleton hands grabbed you under your arms and threw you up in the air, leaving you to fall, yet again, back into the water.
"NYEHEHEHE!"
Edge's evil laughter was the first thing to greet you when you rose to the surface.
"KARMA!"
Well, you couldn't argue with that.
After messing about in the water for a little longer, you began to feel a slight shiver, signalling it was time for you to get out and dry a little. Leaving the water, you went to join the others on land. Most of them were awake now.
"Yo kid, had enough of the fun?"
Cash called, as you walked up to them.
"Yeah, gotta dry off for a bit."
You plopped down onto a towel near Stretch, who's was disrupted out of his sleep by your presence.
"Oh, sorry Stretch, I didn't mean to wake you."
He yawned, taking his time to sit up. He had abandoned his hoodie, revealing a black tank top.
"Hm? Oh, don't sweat it, honey. If you hadn't woken me up my bro would've eventually."
He shrugged. When you weren't looking, he snuck up on you. Wrapping a towel around you, made it easy for him to pull you near him. Stretch had a slight habbit of doing this kind of thing on occasion, but the shock never failed to make you laugh.
He snickered as he trapped you, his arms acting as a cage that you couldn't escape from, his legs either side as you giggled.
"Stretch, I haven't dried off yet-"
"Eh, a little water never hurt."
You didn't bother to protest as he seemed content with where he was. As you dried off in the sun, basking in it's raze, you began to realise just how hungry you were. Since you had skipped breakfast, you only had time for a quick glass of water this morning. At that thought, your stomach growled.
"Ya hungry, kiddo?"
Stretch asked, the sound, alerting him. You nodded. If you remembered correctly, there were premade sandwiches and water bottles in the cooler you had brought. You reached into it and...bingo!
Whilst you busied yourself with the sandwich, Stretch pressed his palm against your forehead, a slightly tense expression on his face.
"You're, heh, feelin' a little warm there, honey..."
He said, sweat rolling down his face. You tilted your head, wondering if he was sweating from the heat or from something else.
"Well yeah, it's hot right now."
It was summer, of course you were 'a little warm'. You watched, eyebrow raised, as he put up the umbrella for shade. You had to admit, being out of the sun for a moment did feel nice. Again, however, Stretch studied your face.
"Maybe you need more sunscreen..."
He pondered, pulling out the tube. You held up a hand, asking him to wait.
"At least let me finish my sandwich first."
Though he allowed you to the moment you took your last bite, his hands were immediately on your face, rubbing in the suncream he had already gathered in his hands. With food still in your mouth, gathered in your cheeks, you made a noise of protest.
"Stretch-! I still have crumbs on my face!"
You groaned, but he wouldn't listen. Giving you a wink, he proceeded move down to your neck and shoulders before you stopped him.
"I can do it myself, y'know. I'm not five."
He put up his hands in defeat, smirking.
"Just wanna protect that skin of yours is all, honeybun."
"I know, I know."
Stretch wiped the suncream residue on his hands, on your arms. The skeleton stared down at you, occasionally snickering as you put on the rest of your suncream. Once done, you stared back at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay, what is so funny?"
"I know ya said you're not five, b-but-"
He placed a hand over his mouth, snickering to himself as he tried to get the words out without bursting out laughing.
"Ya height says otherwise."
Oh, this little fucker.
The absolute audacity of him-!
"Seriously?! Oh my days, first Papyrus and now you."
You slapped your forehead in disbelief and annoyance. At that, Stretch couldn't hold back his laughter.
"All these short jokes I'm not even short for fucks sake! I'm literally fifteen, I can still grow as well..."
You muttered to yourself. It irked you having to constantly tell the others that you weren't short, it made you feel like y/n in any shitty wattpad fan fic. But, since they continued to tease you about it, what else could you say? Besides, they were monsters, the height comparison wasn't even a fair one!
"Beenstalk givin' ya trouble, sweetheart?"
Red chimed in, appearing next to the two of you. You nodded, crossing your arms, indignantly. You didn't give Stretch the luxury of your gaze, so instead, your eyes travelled to Edge, Papyrus and Blue who had all come back from the water not too long ago. They seemed to be itching for some food so they probably wouldn't be going back in for a while yet.
"Ima go take a dip for a bit. Ya ready ta go back inta the water, sweetheart?"
He said, stretching. You mulled it over quickly. Enough time had passed since your sandwich and your suncream was mostly dry now, so why not.
"Sure, I'll come."
Red nodded. As you got up, it appeared that you wouldn't be the only one joining him. Stretch, Sand and Cash all trailed behind, meandering their way down to the costline. You stopped once you reached Black, who hadn't moved from his chair.
"Still not coming in the water, Black?"
He didn't even look up from his book when speaking, and only gave a grunt in response.
"Alright, suit yourself."
You shrugged, running to catch up with the others. Like before, you decided to get the initial shock of cold out of the way by diving straight into the water as soon as it was deep enough. By doing this, you managed to adjust to the temperature of the water much faster.
Once in, you immediately noticed the accessories that Sans and Red had brought along. Sans wore, around this mid section, a floatie in the shape of a duck and some arm bands to accompany it. Red, on the other hand, had positioned himself on what looked to be an inflatable donut, and he seemed to be very relaxed on it.
Unlike the others, it was only Cash and Stretch who formed their slender ecto bodies. Though, even then, Cash was still clinging to a noodle and Stretch didn't go so deep that he couldn't touch the sea floor.
By the looks of things, these guys were more content with chilling in the water rather than creating some sort of ruckus like the others had. You could roll with that. Following suit, you let yourself float, your body spreading out into a starfish as it balanced to the top. Clearly, your skills had caught some attention from the monsters, as Cash stared in awe at you.
"Damn, squirt. Ya look like a natural."
He commented. To talk to him, you came down from you previous position and treaded water as you spoke.
"Well, I have been swimming quite a few times."
"It shows. I didn't get much practice back in the underground, so I ain't the strongest swimming, nyehe."
He admitted, pointing to the noodle as a obvious expression of that.
"Neither did my bro. Probably why he ain't too keen on the water."
Your eyes widened in realisation. If that was the case, then of course it would make sense as to why Black remained on land. You also wondered if Edge's slight aversion to the sea stemmed from a similar experience, seeing as their universes held many similarities.
"Hey guys, water you doing?"
Sans quipped, and, naturally, the two lanky skeletons groaned. Whilst you usually didn't care for Sans' jokes, you might be able to have a bit of fun with them, seeing as there were plenty of opportunities for beach puns.
"Dude, please don't start."
Stretch begged, a pained expression on his face. Sans chuckled, and most certainly did not stop.
"You don't look too happy there, pal. I thought everyone was feeling fintastic."
You almost didn't notice his pun that he subtly slipper past you. Feeling an idea spark in your mind, you held back a smirk.
"Don't mind him, Sans. He just as a resting beach face."
You said, causally. There was a pregnant pause in the air and, for a split second, you panicked that the joke had flown over everyone's heads. To your relief, Sans, and Red who had overheard, erupted in fits of laughter.
"Oh man, nice one, sweetheart!"
Red chortled, slapping his donut ring.
"Are you squidding me right now?"
Cash groaned, before slapping his face in realisation that he had just made an accidental pun.
"C'mon guys, no need to be so salty. We're just having some sun."
Sans was definitely the master when it came to puns, you were sure it was like second nature to him.
"Honey, please don't copy their humour, it's unbearable."
Stretch pleaded, and normally you would agree with them. However, these last few months you had been exposed to so many terrible puns that, unfortunately, you had not only got used to them, but also thought of a few every now and then.
"Don't worry Stretch, I'm strong enough to avoid pier pressure."
As it turned out, the few jokes you told were subtle enough to not be noticed straight away, acting as more of a silent killer to the Papyri. You watched as the two skeletons chose to sink underneath the water, attempting to block out your awful puns as you giggled, high fiving the other two.
Going underneath with them, you tried to get them to come back up, though you couldn't help but giggle at their sour faces, the bubbles from your laughter rising to the surface. Eventually, they did come up and you did apologise and tired to refrain from making any more beach puns, leaving it to the professionals.
You enjoyed your time spent in the sea. The others didn't stay in for too long, apart from Sans, who fell asleep and had to be dragged out by his brother. By that point, you had had enough of the water for one day. Drying off on the towel, the skeletons brought to your attention something that you wouldn't have even taken a second glance to.
"HUMAN, WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO YOUR FINGERS?"
Papyrus exclaimed, catching notice of your hands. He pulled then close to his eye sockets for further inspection before displaying them to the entire crew, who all gazed down at them, perplexed.
"THEY'VE WRINKLED."
Black observed, tilting his head in curiosity.
"BUT WHY?"
Blue questioned, tracing his phalanges around the slight bumps of skin. You shrugged.
"It's just how the body reacts to the water."
"DOES IT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO GRIP SOMETHING?"
"Uh, not really. Why-"
Papyrus, almost instantly after posing the question, hurled a volleyball at you. Thankful for your reflexes, you managed to catch it, though still being caught off guard. His smirk told you all you needed to know. It was game on.
The teams were easily assigned, with Papyrus and Blue being team captains. By their choice, you found yourself on a team with Papyrus, Black and Stretch, your opposition being Blue, Edge and Cash. Sans and Red had opted out of the game choosing instead to act as 'unbias' referees. Though, considering they were barely watching the game, they weren't exactly the best referees.
You hadn't really played volleyball before, but, seeing as how Papyrus had set up a net for it, and you had seen others play it before, you figured you'd give it a go anyhow. You weren't terrible, but the sand did slow your movement down a tad. And while you did get to hit the ball occasionally, the competitiveness between the more passionate monsters did take over, and so did the trash talk.
"EAT DIRT!"
Edge screeched, slamming the ball down. Black, who scowled at him with an evil smirk, scoffed.
"IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO EAT SAND MORE THAN ANYTHING-"
"OH, SHUT IT ALREADY!"
You occasionally laughed at some of their ballsy comments that they made. Sometimes, Red would heckle and encourage their more feisty sides, even going as far as to stand up and show bias for his brother's team. Sans, on the other hand, seemed more preoccupied with other things. When you weren't looking, Sans crept up to a stranger, handing them his phone.
"Say bud, do you mind taking a photo of these duffuses?"
He asked, gesturing to his group. The stranger in fact did not mind and, once Sans had snuck the frame, he heard the click of the camera. Thanking the stranger, he shuffled back over to where the game was still going strong, sitting down to admire the photo.
The stranger had perfectly captured the moment that made Sans' grin reach a little wider than before. There, behind him, as a chaotic scene: you were found laughing at Edge's cartoonish expression of anger towards Papyrus, who was posing right after gaining the team another point. Black stood proud of the fact that he was beating the other team, whilst Stretch seemed to be lying down on the floor behind them, casually observing the whole thing with a smile on his face and shades on his head.
Cash was giving Red an amused look, as he was yelling curses at whoever would take them with a wide grin on his face. Finally, Blue, who had noticed the sneaky photo, turned around just at the right time, posing with a peace sign to match Sans, cheekly poking his tongue out slightly. Needless to say, the photo, Sans thought, was perfect.
The ball had been moving forced over with intense power each time, sometimes you would even get distracted by the others and stop to watch and giggle at their competitive nature. Poorly timed on your part, however, that you didn't see the ball being hurled towards you when you came to a stop this time.
By the time you had turned around, it was too late, for you were met with the ball, it's impact hitting you directly, square in the face, knocking you backwards onto the sand with a thud. The game paused and the referees called a foul as they assessed the damage.
"HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? THAT BALL HIT YOU QUITE HARD!"
Papyrus asked, helping you up. You blinked, nodding as the shock from the impact wore off.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Think I'll take a break though."
You waved him off, assuring the others that you were still in tact. Stretch and Cash decided to join you, leaving the most feisty skeletons to compete against each other. Surely not too much damage would be done.
"Ya sure you're alright, kid?"
Red, who had lost interest in the game, pulled your chin up with his finger, his eye light scanning your face for any signs of serious injury.
"All good, promise."
The skeleton nodded, grinning as he let you go. You watched as he headed off somewhere, perhaps just to go for a walk, leaving you with the others. For a while, you sat and watched the game, until Stretch got bored. You watched him turn his attention to another activity, and get all huffy when he wasn't accomplishing his goal. Moving over to help him, he groaned in annoyance.
"Why won't this damn thing stay up?"
He asked, tossing the bucket aside. Clearly, he was trying to make a sandcastle, but since he had never been to the beach before, had no idea of how to. You picked the bucket up and thought it would be useful to explain to him the proper way to make said sandcastle.
"It helps if there's more damp sand, that way the structure will hold up."
You demonstrated, and he nodded in understanding. You watched him build up what he was now calling his fortress of doom, a name you expected Edge to come up with rather than him. Despite this, you gave you assistance when needed, helping him to put in a moat and other decorations. You ended your victory build with a high five.
Just as Stretch was putting the finishing touches on his master build, Red reappeared, holding a couple of ice creams, some which had started to melt slightly in his grasp. He grinned, his golden tooth flashing in the sunlight and bent down to where you sat to hand you one. How he managed to guess your favourite flavour was beyond you, seeing as you don't recall telling him. You quickly licked around the bottom, your tongue scooping up any excess that began to drip down the cone.
"Thanks Red! How did you know I loved this flavour?"
He shrugged as he say down with you, taking a bite out of his own ice cream. From the looks of it, it seemed to be strawberry.
"Guessed."
Was all he responded with as he gazed out onto the water. You did the same and noticed that the sun was in a lower position than before, meaning that time was ticking on. You felt yourself shiver slightly as the wind brushes past you once more. You didn't plan on going back in the water again, and although it was late afternoon, you could already feel the temperature starting to cool slightly.
You weren't exactly dry enough to change back into your normal clothes, but you couldn't remember where the spare towels were. You could wrap the one you were sitting on around you, but that would mean getting even more sand on you. As you finished up your ice cream, another shiver went down your spine, making your hairs stand on end.
"Sweetheart, stay still for a moment."
You heard Red say. Confused, you followed his instructions and watched as he pulled something over your head. It was dry, and helped protect you from the wind.
"Red, when did you get a poncho?"
You asked, smiling at his gesture. He lay back in the sand, seemingly more relaxed than before.
"Eh, thought it might come in handy. Looks like I was right."
He chuckled. You had a sneaking suspicion that he had bought it a way to cover you up more, but whatever the reason, you were very grateful for it. You spent about another hour at the beach before you all decided to pack it up and get changed. By the time you had finished, it was agreed that finding some sort of dinner was necessary and, as you were at a beach, there was sure to be a fish'n'chip shop somewhere near.To your delight, you were right.
Practically begging the others to stop there, you convinced them that this was the best you were going to get. Though there were probably some really nice restaurants about, you wanted nothing else but some good old fashioned fish and chips. After placing your orders, you and Papyrus came out holding a bunch of boxes, each containing your dinner.
"WHILE I DON'T USUALLY APPROVE OF GREASY FOOD-"
Edge sneered, poking at his batter.
"I SUPPOSE THIS WILL DO."
"It's great once you try it Edge, trust me."
You encouraged, as you poured your usual toppings of salt and vinegar over your dinner.
"Odd condiment, kid."
Cash observed, before pouring some over his chips, as well.
"As odd as your barbeque sauce? Or Red's mustard and relish?"
"Hey. Ya ain't gonna attack Sans as well?"
Red protested, taking a large bite out of his fish, batter and all.
"Why would I? Ketchup is fine."
The other grumbled at your unwillingness to berate Sans, claiming you were playing favourites, which you weren't. You happily devoured the rest of your dinner, with a little help from Red towards the end, but the entire time your eyes darted about the skies and floors.
"Jeez kiddo, no one's gonna take your food. You can relax."
Stretch chuckled, and you shook your head at him.
"No way mate. Do not underestimate seagulls, they'll eat anything they can get their gready beaks on."
"REALLY NOW? THOSE PITIFUL CREATURES?"
Black deadpanned, merely glancing at one before going back to his food. You sighed internally. They would just have to learn the hard way.
"Yeah. Especially the ones in Brighton, absolute menaces."
You muttered, glaring down at your fish whilst remembering a time where you had let your guard down and a seagull had glided down and taken your ice cream right out of your hand, leaving nothing but the cone.
"Well, I won't let that fly with me, don't you worry, kid."
Sans winked, picking up a steady chip that had been drowned in ketchup. You rolled your eyes at the pun. Though the sentiment was nice enough, he was so lazy that he'd probably let the seagulls take him as well. Considering how light he was, it wasn't far off in the realms of possibilities.
As you waited for the monsters to finish their food, you were able to watch the sunset over the beach. Taking a quick photo of it, doing your best to capture it's beauty, you smiled, soaking in the last of it's warmth. Once it disappeared behind the water, you were left with a blend of orange and pink in the sky that began to darken as time went on.
Soon enough, you all headed back to the beach, eagerly waiting for the fireworks to appear. Papyrus was sure that his thorough research would not fail him and did not waver once, though he did question how long it would take. Unfortunately, no one had the answers to that, so you were left standing on the beach, chatting amongst yourselves whilst you waited.
Because it was late, the temperature had now dropped significantly and the wind, that had once acted as a nice way for you to cool down, was now causing you to shiver once more. You were beginning to regret wearing just your shorts and flip flops as you felt the slight cold take over.
"Ya cold there, honey?"
Stretch asked, moving closer to you.
"A bit, yeah."
By your response, Stretch tossed his hoodie over to you.
"Here, you can wear that. Should be a little warmer."
"Oh, that's ok, but thank you. Besides, what about you, Stretch? Won't you be cold without it?"
You tried handing him back the hoodie in an attempt to be polite, but he refused, shaking his head.
"Nah, us skeletons can regulate our body temperatures, so we're not too affected by the cold or the heat, most of the time. Unless we're sick or it's extreme conditions."
"Oh, well that's handy."
He chucked, glancing at the hoodie and then back at you. Well, if he was fine with it you saw no harm. You gratefully slipped the hoodie over your clothes and sighed at the little warmth it gave you. Seeing as Stretch was much taller than you, the size was far too big for you. Once on, his hoodie nearly reached your knees and the sleeves were way too long compared to yours, but you didn't mind.
Stretch grinned and wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you close to his side. Though he said he didn't feel the temperature much, for a skeleton with no skin he felt surprisingly warm. You snuggled closer to him as you felt much less bothered by the wind now.
Around 10 more minutes past before you finally saw the first firework light up the sky. You gasped and alerted the others, only to find that their gaze had already snapped to where you were pointing. Your grin widened as you watched the display, the group huddling in closer with everyone staring up in awe.
They were everything you thought they'd be. Massive, bright and colourful, typical of what you were expecting. They came in waves. Fast, short and small ones then larger, slower ones. All the time they were fired into the air, your smiles never wavered.
You glanced around to see that all the monsters had that same look on their face. While some smiles were bigger than others, you could tell the enthusiasm was all the same. Even Black and Edge, who could be found with harder expressions most of the time, wore small, almost hidden, smiles.
To round it all off, the last firework exploded into what looked like the American flag. Once over, everyone found themselves clapping and making noises of enjoyment and, in the distance, you could hear cheers from those right near the display.
"WOWIE, THAT WAS AMAZING!"
Papyrus beamed, with Blue nodding his head, enthusiastically.
"I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!"
"Me either, bro. It was pretty cool."
Stretch, who had now placed both hands in the pockets of his swimming drunks, agreed. As you walked back to the van, you couldn't help but smile at how happy everyone was.
"At least it went out with a bang-"
"SANS, NO!"
Said skeleton chuckled as everyone loaded into the car.
"THAT WAS...LOUD."
Since that was probably the most positive comment you were going to get from Edge, you'd take it.
"What did you think of it, Red?"
You turned to him, and he shrugged.
"It was fine."
He said, nonchalantly, though you reckoned he was more excited about it than he let on.
"THEY COULD'VE USED MORE."
Black said, dismissively.
"I WANTED TO SEE MORE EXPLOSIONS! MWEHEHEHE!"
You didn't often see his destructive nature come out, but when it did, it never failed to take you by surprise, mildly.
"I'm with ya on that one, bro. Still aight, tho."
Cash yawned, taping his fingers against the window.
"You enjoy yourself, kiddo?"
Sans asked, his arm resting on the back of his chair as he tilted his head back to look at you.
"It was great."
"Heh, good."
"WELL, I'M GLAD THAT EVERYONE HAS HAD FUN! NOW, IT'S A LONG DRIVE HOME, SO LET'S SET OFF!"
Papyrus announced. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic, but it didn't decrease the time by much. It had become dark outside and, after about an hour or so, you began to feel the exhaustion of the day's activities weigh down on you.
You swore you'd only close your eyes for a moment, but, before you knew it, you had fallen asleep. The skeletons soon took notice of this, particularly Stretch, who you had ended up leaning on. He paused as you unconsciously nuzzled into him whilst you slept. Snickering quietly as to not wake you, he wrapped his arm around you.
Gazing down at you, his smile brightened. Still wearing his hoodie that was much too big for you, you were now curled up next to him, sleeping peacefully. If you felt this comfortable around him, he thought, then he must've misjudged your friendship. Whatever the situation, Stretch was glad, and soon fell asleep himself, his skull resting on top of your head for the rest of the journey.
Notes:
Stretch worries too much for his own good. Those fireworks sounded awesome. Who else gets annoyed by seagulls?
See you guys in the next chapter and possibly in the new year! ❤🌸
Chapter 35: Chapter 35: the anniversary
Summary:
The anniversary is finally here!
Notes:
Hey guys, happy new year! I'm entering the new year with a brand new chapter for you all! So, I hope you enjoy! ❤🌸
For reference:
Emo Papyrus: Edge
Red-y or not: Red
Needs glasses: Black
Gambling issue: Cash
Taco Tuesday: Blue
Diabetic: Stretch
Not punny: Sans
Cool dude: Papyrus
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The day of the anniversary.
Naturally, there had been an increasing build up of preparations for this day. Papyrus especially had much of his time taken away due to his duties, but you couldn't blame him. You had heard that Frisk and Asgore had also been quite preoccupied with the demands of the festival. Despite this, everyone still found time to celebrate.
Just as planned, the first day of the anniversary celebrations began. The day before the festival, you, the skeletons, Undyne, Alphys and gathered at Frisk's house, where Asgore had already began cooking up a barbeque. Although he was insanely busy, he was still able to make time for his family and friends.
Though Undyne practically begged to help, after setting the grill on fire, Asgore thought it was best to let him handle the cooking. For similar reasons, none if the skeletons were allowed to help with anything food related apart from dishing up the meals.
You rarely got to spend time with Asgore, since he was usually busy with work and, additionally, you were never really around him in general. In fact, you hadn't seen him since his last visit to the house. Since you were technically in foster care, so to speak, it was deemed necessary for someone to go round the house unannounced to check up on your situation. Asgore had volunteered and, since then, had come around once for a quick hello before he had to get back to the office. So, you didn't know much about him, only stories of what others had told you.
Although you didn't want to get in his way, you couldn't resist at least standing near the grill. Back in your universe, your uncle was nuts for barbequing, cracking it out whenever he saw even a glimpse of sun. Even if it wasn't a particularly warm day, that didn't stop him. Whenever you'd go round, he'd often have one going.
Your uncle only had two children with massive age gaps: one was in his twenties and the other was much younger than you. Because of this, you didn't interact with them much, and you certainly didn't want to hang out with your brother.
Since your parents often left you there, due to their busy schedules, you ended up sticking around your uncle. This gave him the opportunity to talk your ear off about pretty much anything. However, when he was barbequing, that was the only thing he talked about. As a result, you knew a thing or two about grilling. You probably wouldn't even be that bad at it, considering your uncle had let you cook a couple of times, with supervision of course, even when you were younger. You always did like your uncle.
At first, you attempted to make small talk with the king, who politely engaged with you. When you felt the conversation dry up slightly, you decided to bust out some of your barbequing knowledge, whilst trying not to sound like a know it all. It seemed your tactic had worked, as Asgore seemed pretty impressed, and even asked if you wanted to have a go at grilling, much to the shock of everyone else who had been turned down.
When you agreed and showed off your skills, needless to say he was impressed. So were the others and you were highly complimented for it. Despite this, you still left most of the grilling to Asgore, but you did enjoy a little showing off.
"Hey Frisk, ready for the big day tomorrow?"
You asked, taking a large bite out of the hot dog in your hands. They gave you an thumbs up and smiled, their cheeks stuffed with food, most likely the burger they were eating before hand.
'You're still going to come with me, right?'
They asked. If they spoke, you were sure you'd be able to hear their voice waver.
"Of course!"
Their smile widened and they took your words as solid confirmation, feeling comfortable enough to continue enjoying themselves.
"Y'know kid, if you wanted a hot dog so badly I could've just brought my cart round."
It took a moment for you to get what Sans meant before you remembered him vaguely saying something about owning a hot dog stand as a part time job. Though you had never actually seen him in action, you were told he just popped it up wherever, however, the park was usually a safe bet.
"Nah Sans, you're supposed to be relaxing, not working."
"Kid, I'm always relaxed. It's my jam."
Sans chuckled, pulling out a jar of jam from his pocket. Your eyes widened and, as you inspected it, it appeared to be strawberry.
"Where on earth did you get that from?"
You questioned, almost letting your hot dog slip out of it's bun.
"Tori gave it to me, said she accidentally bought too many."
You felt a tug on your arm, causing you to turn to Frisk, who confirmed his statement.
'Mom isn't very good with technology, but she does try. She ended up ordering too many.'
They told you. That made sense, as Toriel always seemed more like an old soul, in the sense that you could see her having issues with modern day technology. She kind of reminded you of your grandmother in that way.
"Easy mistake to make, I don't blame her."
You shrugged, swallowing down the rest of your hot dog before being pulled away by Undyne.
"Hey PUNK, we got a job for ya!"
She grinned, dragging you over to the table where some had placed themselves. Edge seemed particularly ansty about something, and you'd soon figure out what it was, as Undyne sat opposite him with that fiery look in her eye.
"This NERD thinks he can beat ME at arm wrestling!"
"I DON'T THINK, I KNOW I CAN, FISH STICKS."
Edge glared back at her, actively challenging her. Undyne simply rolled her eyes and raised her arm up to match his.
"So, what? You want me to be the judge, or something?"
They both nodded, not taking their fierce gaze off one another. You, with having nothing better to do, agreed. It was entertaining for the first few minutes, watching the others cheer them on whilst the competitors broke out in a sweat. Yet, after about 15 minutes, you completely lost interest. It seemed as though they had matched each other's strength level, meaning that neither of them were going to give up any time soon. You were sure that, if you left now and returned later, you'd still find them in the exact same position.
Glancing around for some sort of amusement, you spotted Alphys talking to someone you didn't recognise. You hadn't had a chance to talk with her much since you got here, and was itching to catch up, not that you guys didn't text. However, you didn't want to interrupt her conversation. Instead, you chose to slowly make your way over there, hoping to catch her when they had finished.
The stranger seemed to notice you before Alphys did and you froze, suddenly feeling awkward. Their staring caused Alphys to turn to where you were standing. For once, the Dr didn't have a nervous smile, but one full of energy and life. With this unfamiliar demeanour of hers, she waved you over, probably to introduce you to her friend.
Getting a closer look at the stranger, you were incredibly taken aback, for they looked as if they were a robot. But, surely that wasn't right, was it?
"Hey Alphys."
You greeted, a smile on your face, yet your gaze every so often flicked to the stranger and back.
"Y-y/n, so good to s-see you!"
She replied. The monster wasn't in her usual lab coat, but instead wore a more casual outfit made up of shorts and a T-shirt with her favourite anime on it. Must've been merch she bought.
"I'd like to i-introduce you to my g-good friend Mettaton."
She gestured to the stranger, now named, wearing a confident smirk.
"M-mettaton, this is y/n, the h-human I was t-telling you about."
Aww, she talked about you!
"A pleasure to meet you, darling~"
They held out their hand carelessly and, naturally, you took it.
"You too, mate."
Mettaton blinked at you, surprised at your lackluster response. Well, lackluster to him. You thought nothing strange of the interaction.
"So, Alphys talks about me? All good things I hope."
You laughed, smiling in her direction, to which she rubbed the back of her neck, nervously.
"Oh, of course. But, one thing she didn't mention was how gorgeous you were~!"
The compliment caught you off guard. Suddenly, your face was held hostage by his hands, as they stretched and prodded at your skin, tracing over your facial features. You would've felt a tad uncomfortable if you weren't so shocked.
"M-mettaton, give her some space!"
Alphys fretted, resulting in the hands to leave your face.
"I could make you a star with those looks, you know~"
You very much doubted that, taking his statement as a joke. Your laughter seemed to confuse the robot, and he tilted his head, making you worry if you had done something wrong, your laughter, dying down.
"Darling, forgive me but, people are usually more...excited to bask in my presence, especially humans."
Now it was your turn to be confused, as you raised an eyebrow.
"Why, because you're a robot?"
You asked, momentarily worrying if the question sounded rude. Luckily, he didn't seem to take it that way, shaking his head.
"Sorry, am I supposed to know who you are?"
Your tone was genuine. From what he was saying, it was almost as if he was some sort of celebrity. You couldn't figure out what he wanted from you.
"Well of course darling! I'm only the monster celebrity of the surface. Have you been living under a rock?"
"Thought that was supposed to be you lot."
As soon as the retort left your mouth, you immediately brought a hand up and covered said mouth. You hadn't even meant for it to slip out, yet it did. Alphys' mouth hung open in shock, with Mettaton pulling a similar expression. Your felt your face heat up in embarrassment and shame and you felt awful until Mettaton started laughing, with Alphys snorting along quietly.
"My my, such quick wit! Honestly darling, you'd make an amazing star."
"I am so sorry-"
You started, before being cut off by the robot celebrity.
"Oh, don't be. No harm done, right Dr?"
"Y-yep! It was actually p-pretty funny."
She grinned, patting you on the shoulder gently. Trying to ignore the feeling of guilt in your stomach, you diverted the conversation.
"So, you're a celebrity?"
You asked, obviously knowing the answer now.
"That's right, darling~"
Mettaton was used to being fawned over and adored, as equally as he was used to being hated and despised. He'd often get stopped in the streets by fans, humans and monsters alike, so he grew accustomed to dealing with them in the best possible way. He was prepared to put on an act to make anyone he could happy. So, when you next spoke, he felt at a sudden loss at how to respond.
"That's cool, must be quite demanding, though."
Mettaton blinked at you, his eyebrow raised slightly as if he was thinking of something to say. Quickly regaining his composure, he let out a chuckle.
"Like most jobes are, sweetie. But, of course, I handle it with such grace that I barely notice it~"
He bragged, flipping his hair slightly.
"Besides, I was born to be a star. I practically live for the cameras."
"OH MY GOSH, METTATON!"
Papyrus gasped, immediately rushing to your side when he spotted the robot.
"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE BACK FROM YOUR TOUR!"
He gleemed, embracing said monster into a bolt-crushing hug. Mettaton laughed as the skeleton released him.
"That's because I only got back a couple of days ago, Papy dear~"
He explained. Clearly the two of them were acquainted, though you couldn't quite recall if Papyrus had ever mentioned him before. Now that you thought about it, you may have vaguely heard the name before. Something about it sounded familiar, perhaps you had seen one of his tv shows...
"Wait a second, are you the one on 'Cooking with a Killer Robot'?"
You blurted out before you could think it over properly. At your recognition, Mettaton's grin widened.
"I am indeed, darling~ So you do recognise me."
He replied, clearly satisfied that you remembered who he was. Though, you were slightly confused. You had caught a few minutes of the show when Papyrus was watching it, but you didn't see Mettaton anywhere, though you did recognise his voice. In place was another, but different, robot. Maybe he was behind the cameras?
"Of course it took a while for you to recognise me in this form."
He gathered, further scrambling your brain. From the look on your face, he could see that you didn't understand, to which he laughed. He then went on to explain how he had a few different forms, though only really used two of them. The one he was in currently seemed more human like than his other one, as many seemed to prefer that form.
You frowned slightly at that, but if he was okay with it, you really couldn't judge. Besides, being a celebrity must be difficult, so you weren't about to negatively comment on things that make his job easier.
"Tell me beautie, are you quite well liked in school?"
He asked, out of the blue. You thought for a moment then shrugged.
"Uh, I'm not hated."
You had a few friends and knew quite a few people, including many monsters, thanks to Quinn. But you weren't super popular like some of the kids there. Either way, you were content with your social status.
"Well, as soon as everyone hears that you're friends with me, then your popularity will surely skyrocket!"
Considering you just met the guy, friends may have been a but of a stretch, but you went with it anyways. It's not like you didn't like him, he was very charismatic and cool. But, you just didn't know much about the monster.
"I'm sure it would, but I'm not going to use you for popularity, you know."
You brushed it off. Being the new, foreign kid gave you enough publicity and, given your current situation, you didn't want to stand out too much. Mettaton scoffed, still smiling, as if you were joking.
"Why ever not, darling~ Trust me-"
"Okay, but even if it did, why would I? I don't really want to be that popular, and I don't use friends like that."
You stated, matter of factly, taking your little group by surprise. As you looked closely at Mettaton, it was almost as if an invisible mask had fallen, and a genuine smile replaced it.
"That's very sweet of you, darling."
He patted you on the head, which you took as confirmation that you had done something to please him. Leaving the monsters to their discussion, you gravitated towards where Undyne and Edge had made no progress getting the other to yield. You could see the others watching them were getting tired of seeing no one win, and so were you.
In a not so subtle way, you grabbed a cup of water, making your way over to the table, innocently. You made sure to make your presence known before pretending to trip, thus spilling your water all over the skeleton. You figured it would be funnier to watch Undyne win than Edge, and it was.
The cold beverage took him by surprise, making him lose his composure long enough for Undyne to seize the temporary advantage and slam his arm down onto the table, much to everyone's relief.
"HECK YEAH!! I TOLD you I'd beat you!"
She cheered, relishing in her victory. Whilst celebrating, you quickly gathered how utterly livid Edge was at his sabotage. His expression turned dark and he immediately stood up, turning to you. If looks could kill, you'd definitely be dead by now. And, it seemed that you were about to be, by his hands.
"YOU."
"Who, me?"
You teased playfully, before instantly dodging the hands that swiped at you. Not a moment later, you found yourself running, but not in fear of your chaser.
"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE PEST!"
He screeched, even going as far as to use one of Black's 'pet name' for you. You let out a squeel of laughter. Funnily enough, you ended up making a bee line to Black, using him as a shield to hide from Edge. Said shield looked barely amused by your antics, yet allowed you to play all the same.
"COWARD! STOP HIDING BEHIND THAT LITTLE RUNT AND FACE ME!"
"LOWER YOUR VOICE, WE ARE RIGHT HERE. YOU'RE HURTING MY NONE EXISTENT EARS."
Black scrunched his face up in discomfort, tapping his foot on the floor in agitation. Edge brushed him aside, not in the mood to deal with him.
"THEN THERE'S CLEARLY NO DAMAGE DONE TO YOU, IS THERE. MOVE ALREADY!"
When you saw Edge reach out, you were ready to make a dash for it, only to find that he had forcibly picked up Black, literally tossing him to one side despite his clear protests.
"YOU'VE GOT SOME FUCKING NERVE-"
You heard the shorter skeleton yell, momentarily grabbing the attention of Edge, who didn't seem to care at all for what he had to say. By the time he turned his head, you had disappeared, leaving him to glance around the garden in search of your whereabouts.
Little did he know Cash had swooped in at the last minute, hearing what he thought was his brother's distress, only to find you about to bolt out of his sight. Smirking, he grabbed you from behind, covering your mouth with his hand so you wouldn't give it away, and teleported out of sight.
When he released you, he still wore the same smirk as he let you take in your surroundings. You recognised that he had taken you into the kitchen, but for what reason was unknown to you. Before saying anything, Cash hoisted you up onto the kitchen counter, surprising you. You didn't know he was that strong.
"Thanks for saving my skin, Cash."
You were pretty proud of that pun which had just come to you, forgetting that he didn't appreciate them. This time, he simply rolled his eye light, shrugging.
"Causin' trouble, kid?"
Cash chuckled, rummaging around in the cupboards in search of something.
"Who, me? Nah, I'm innocent."
You replied, purposely exaggerating your point by fluttering your eyelashes at him, making him snicker.
"Lyin' are we now? I must be a bad influence on ya."
"Don't flatter yourself."
You shot back, while he still continued looking through the cupboards.
"What are you looking for?"
You asked, tilting your head at him. He looked up at you, rubbing the back of his skull.
"Seein' if the lady's got any BBQ sauce, but I can't find any."
"Have you tried the fridge?"
You suggested. Maybe she already had a bottle open. Turns out, you were right.
"Well, damn kid. Don't know why I didn't look there first."
You hopped off the counter as he took a quick swig of the condiment, making you gag slightly. It's not that you didn't like BBQ sauce, you just wouldn't choose to drink it straight. Not many people would.
"C'mon, let's go back out there before Edge has a proper fit."
He grinned, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and guiding you outside, where you were greeted by Toriel.
"Greetings my child, Cash."
She smiled.
"Heya lady, took some of ya sauce, hope ya don't mind."
He said, with a nervous undertone, yet she didn't seem to pick up on this.
"Not at all, help yourself!"
He gave her a slight nod before making his way over to his brother, who seemed to take an interest in the grill. You had a feeling Asgore would have a difficult time trying to ward off Black.
"Are you excited for the festivities, my child?"
She asked, directing her attention back to you.
"Absolutely! I can't wait."
"It is your first time, yes? I'm sure you will have a wonderful time."
You agreed with her completely. You were practically giddy about the entire day, it couldn't come around faster. The two of you engaged in small chit chat before Edge crept up on you, sweeping you up as soon as he got his claws on you.
"THERE YOU ARE! AND NOW YOU ARE CAPTURED IN THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYR- EDGE'S GRASP!"
He announced, victoriously. You let out a shriek of surprise before laughing as he held you up in the air. Toriel seemed to find the sight amusing also, as she covered her maw with her paw, most likely stifling a laugh.
"FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST A ROYAL GUARDSMEN, YOU WILL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!"
He declared, making you wonder what type of consequences he was going to enact on you. Luckily, Blue swooped in, saving you.
"SUNSHINE, EDGE! GUESS WHAT!"
He asked, addressing both of you, though mainly directing his attention to you. Wriggligg out of Edge's grasp, though he probably allowed you to otherwise you wouldn't have got away, you met Blue on the ground.
"What's up, Blue Jay?"
You smiled, using his full nickname, which was rare. He was practically shaking with excitement as he began to tell you his news.
"I JUST RECEIVED A CALL AND-"
"Hey bro, you tell them yet?"
Stretch interrupted, coming up behind Blue. His brother shook his head.
"I WAS JUST ABOUT TO, BROTHER!"
He tutted, before explaining into detail what had happened. Long story short, it was his boss who had called him. After a couple months, Blue's training was almost complete. As one last task, to really test what he had learned, he would act as one of the guards during the festival.
He had originally wanted to be part of the Royal Guard, though that didn't quite exist anymore. However, the position had merged with the police, meaning that the job Blue had been training for was sort of a mash up of the two.
The anniversary festival usually had guards and police posted around, just to make sure no one tried anything and to keep the peace. After all, big groups could attract danger, especially since most of the attendants would be monsters. Given the track record certain human (hate) groups had against monsters, and considering there would be highly important political figures at the event, security was incredibly necessary. Clearly, Blue was ecstatic about the opportunity, and his excitement couldn't help but rub off on you, as you wore a bright smile.
"That's great, Blue. Are you excited?"
You asked, though you were pretty sure you knew the answer to that already, given his demeanour. He was practically buzzing, rearing to go.
"ABSOLUTELY! DO NOT FRET HUMAN, THE EVENT WILL BE IN SAFE HANDS, UNDER THE CAREFUL WATCH OF THE MAGNIFICENT SAN-BLUE!"
He beamed, striking a pose to express his strength, making you giggle.
"Heh, isn't my brother cool?"
Stretch nudged. Of course he was, who could deny that?
"I'm gonna go get another hot dog. I'll catch up with you guys later."
You commented, before slinking off to the grill, where you found Sans. He seemed to be holding two hot dogs in his hands. Hopefully you could grab one off him, if he allowed you to.
"He Sans, two hot dogs, huh?"
He gave you a lazy smile as he held them both up.
"Yup. Got one too many, though."
Well that much was obvious.
"Hot take, but would you like one?"
To your delight, he stretched his hand out, offering you one. You happily took it and thanked him. You had no idea what Asgore had done to these hotdogs, but you couldn't get enough of them. And the burgers, though you had only had one of those.
The two of you made you way back over to the bench, where Black and Asgore were sat, seemingly deep in conversation.
"Man, you guys are still talking about this? Your knowledge knows no buns."
He winked, taking a seat next to Asgore. You sat opposite him, right next to Black, who had paused in the middle of this conversation.
"WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE BOUNDS?"
"Yup."
"THAT WAS POOR, SANS. EVEN FOR YOU."
He rolled his eyes, to which Sans only chuckled. Catching the tail end of their conversation, you guessed that they were talking about something to do with money, or the economy, or something.
"What were you guys talking about?"
You inquired, taking a bite out of your hotdog.
"Mostly economical topics, young one. Deficit, base rate, economic welfare, and so on."
Asgore told you, and you blinked. Whilst you had heard a couple of those terms thrown around before, you knew nothing about economics.
"Huh?"
Asgore simply smiled and Black let out a chuckle as he placed his hand on your head, rubbing your hair with his thumb.
"DO NOT WORRY YOURSELF WITH IT, PRINCESS. I'M SURE YOU WOULD FIND IT QUITE BORING."
"Is it to do with your job?"
"IN SOME ASPECTS, YES."
You weren't exactly clear on what Black's job was. It was one of those jobs that one of your parents would typically have, yet you could never pinpoint what it was, mainly because they never went into detail about it.
"I don't get what you do."
You stated, shaking your head. Black laughed once more.
"YOU DON'T NEED TO, PRINCESS."
When you weren't looking, Black slowly crept up on you and took a bite of your hotdog, completely undetected, until you noticed him out of the corner of your eye.
"Hey!"
You protested, lightly wacking him on the arm. Black simply shrugged, winking evily at you. Asgore let out a small chuckle at the sight, before going back to tend to the grill.
"Black, you dog."
Sans butted in, and you groaned at the Sans' pun and equally that the skeleton beside you had taken some of your food, just like that.
"YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN SO EASILY, PRINCESS. OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT LOSE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO YOU."
His tone was light, but his words felt heavy. Somehow, you knew there was a deeper meaning to them, yet he was using them to play off his antics as a joke. You eyed him suspiciously when you noticed the corner of his mouth turn up slightly more. However, it was too late, as you heard a massive chomp sound.
Immediately retracting your hand, you noticed that your hot dog had now fully disappeared, and Red, who had appeared next to you, seemed to be the culprit. That bastard ate the rest of your hotdog, just like that.
"Red!"
You slammed both hands onto the table. Your reaction made him howl with laughter and soon, a choras of snorts and chuckles could be heard from the entire table.
"You ate my hotdog, I only got to have one bite."
You pouted. Red shrugged, smirking devilishly. Bringing a hand up to your face, he wiped his phalange across the corner of your mouth before licking said finger.
"Yet ya still manage ta get sauce on ya face."
You felt your cheeks heat up slightly in embarrassment. You had definitely gained a reputation for being a slightly messy eater, even though you weren't usually.
"Here bud, you can have mine."
Your expression brightened at Sans' offer, and you happily took the hotdog from him. A bit more ketchup than you would've put on, but you weren't complaining.
"Thanks, Sans!"
"No problem, kid. I reliesh in the act of giving to others."
You furrowed your eyebrows, but since it was only one pun, you could let it slide.
"DON'T MIND RED, PRINCESS. HE CAN BE A BIT OF A SORE WEINER WHEN IT COMES TO TRICKING PEOPLE."
"Uh...okay?"
You chewed slowly, eyeing Black. Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. Triggered by Sans and encouraged by each other, you couldn't escape the jokes and puns that they threw around. It was agonising.
"Hey sweetheart, why do all hotdogs look alike?… Because they are in-bread."
You scrunched up your nose in disgust at the joke, only making Red laugh harder.
"IN MY OPINION, HOT DOGS SHOULD REALLY BY RENAMED TO HOT WOLVES, SINCE THEY ALWAYS COME IN PACKS."
"To be frank, Black, that was a pretty bun-ny joke."
Right, that was it. You could only take so much.
"PAPYRUS, I'M READY TO BE KIDNAPPED NOW!"
You yelled. You hoped that, by using the name 'Papyrus' you would be able to reach the Papyrus nearest to you, having a higher chance of escaping. Luckily, you were right, and Stretch appeared, here to aid you in your desperate time of need.
"Sounds good to me, kid. Let's go."
You made a swift exit, away from the pun table, and let out a sigh of relief when he teleported you to another part of the garden.
"THERE YOU ARE, HUMAN!"
"ABOUT TIME YOU SHOWED UP AGAIN."
Papyrus and Edge greeted you.
"Hey guys. Thanks for saving me, Stretch."
"Nyehe, no problem, honey."
Stretch leaned back in an arm chair, his posture as atrocious as always.
"SAVING YOU FROM WHAT?"
Papyrus asked. Edge too seemed to be interested in your explanation.
"More like from who. Those lot over there-"
You gestured to your previous table.
"They wouldn't stop making puns."
That earned a round of groans from each of the Papyri.
"I CAN SEE WHY YOU'D WANT TO LEAVE."
Edge spat, disdain laced in his voice. You giggled, taking a seat next to Papyrus. You continued to eat the rest of your hotdog as you made conversation with the others.
The main topic of conversation seemed to be the anniversary. Since Papyrus was the only one who had been before, he explained to you what it would be like tomorrow. When he did, your enthusiasm only increased. It all sounded like one big fair, meaning there would be lots to do.
You quite enjoyed the rest of the time spent at Toriel's and, as a couple hours passed, everyone began to head home. The skeletons insisted you get an early night, though you were too excited to sleep.
"Do you think there will be candly floss?"
"I don't know, sweetheart.
Please go ta bed, now. It's gettin' late."
Red mumbled, rubbing his skull. You may have been talking a little too much ever since you went to your shared room.
"YES, WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"
Edge complained, stomping his foot. He had come down from the top bed and was now staring down at you, displeased. You felt a bit bad for keeping them up, but it wasn't that late. Plus, you were way too excited.
"But Edge-"
"NO BUTTS! SLEEP ALREADY! DO I NEED TO SWADDLE YOU LIKE A DAMN BABY?!"
He screeched, and you shook your head.
"Alright alright, I'll try."
"Mhm, get ta sleep, doll."
Red patted your leg as he yawned, exposing his large, sharp teeth. When you moved to go to your sleeping bag, you found a blanket laying down in it's place.
"LIE DOWN."
You looked at Edge, sceptically, but obeyed. This served as another lesson not to let your guard down, as he immediately got to work trapping you in it, swiftly and despite your protests.
"Edge, what the hell?!"
As you looked down at your situation, you realised what he had done. He had swaddled you, like a damn fucking baby.
"Stop it!"
"QUIT STRUGGLING!"
"Are you serious?! I said I'd go to bed!"
"WELL, NOW YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!"
Edge smirked, clearly enjoying your suffering. Red, who seemed slightly more awake now, chuckled at your situation.
"Please get me out of here!"
"Aww, ya really do look like a babybones, doll."
He teased, trying to tickle the underside of your chin but you tilted your head away. You struggled to get out of it, and the longer you were trapped in there, the more you start to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Whilst the skeletons enjoyed in irritating you at times, they never took it too far. So, when you started to show signs of real discomfort, they would eventually unwrapp you, much to your relief. But, not before taking a photo of you, unfortunately.
"SAY CHEESE, HUMAN."
Edge cackled, and you scowled in his direction, whilst trying to avoid your photo being taken. Well, this was going to haunt you.
"Heh, wanna do one of ya holdin' the kid, boss?"
Red jokes, and Edge seemed as if he was almost considering it.
"NO! Why the fuck is this thing so difficult to get out of?!"
You stressed, squirming against the fabric. Once out, with the help of Edge, you used the blanket to wack him, though no damage was done. You turned your back to both of them as you heard low chuckles fill the room.
"Aww, c'mon sweetheart, don't get all huffy now."
Red teased, making you roll your eyes.
"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."
You spat, causing Red to chuckle. The skeletons didn't tease you any further and soon, you all fell asleep. The morning couldn't come around faster, and the moment you woke up, you were filled with energy. You couldn't drag Red and Edge out of bed fast enough, and came second in place for being ready, with Papyrus being the first, of course.
"I COMMEND YOU ON YOUR SPEED, HUMAN!"
He praised, patting your head whilst you waited for the others.
"Yeah, I still couldn't beat you thought."
It felt like ages before the others were finally ready and you could set off to the event. Since it was outside, and more like a fair than a formal event, you all chose to dress fairly casual. Baring in mind it was summer, you went for a simple T-shirt and shorts combo with some trainers. You did debate wearing sandals but, being in a big crowd, you didn't want to risk your toes getting stepped on.
Once you entered the main spot where the events were taking place, you were met with exactly what you expected. It was almost a mix of a market and a fair, with multiple booths selling items and food and others facilitating games to win prizes. There were plenty of green areas and places to sit and, in the distance, you could see the podium where Frisk and Asgore would give their speeches.
You were giddy with excitement and was immediately about to head off and explore when you were harshly pulled back by Edge. You turned around to where the skeletons all stood, their attention on you. Blue unfortunately wasn't there with you, but you has greeted him at the entrance. Since he was part of security, he had left the house early and, therefore, had arrived before any of you.
"What's up, Edge?"
You asked, wondering why he had almost given you whiplash by forcing you back.
"HUMAN, I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO ME VERY CAREFULLY."
He stated, leaving no room for you to argue.
"THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY CROWEDED PLACE, SO YOU WILL NEED TO STAY WITH ONE OF US THE ENTIRE TIME."
You felt yourself groan internally. You were 15, for fuck's sake. You didn't need to be watched constantly.
"EDGE IS RIGHT, HUMAN! YOU CAN GET EASILY LOST IN A PLACE LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW HARD YOU ARE TO SPOT DUE TO YOUR LACK OF HEIGHT!"
Papyrus added. You knew he meant well, but there were literally two humans here, you wouldn't he difficult to spot.
"Guys, I don't need you to babysit me. I'll be fine!"
"I BEG TO DIFFER, WHAT WITH YOUR WONDERING OFF PROBLEM."
Black retorted, scoffing at the very idea of you being able to take care of yourself.
"Maybe we should get 'er a leash, huh, bro?"
Cash laughed, though some part of you fell like he wasn't joking. Black looked as though he was considering it. If they did, you would be mortified.
"HM, THAT IS NOT A BAD IDEA, BROTHER-"
"I don't need a leash!"
You groaned, folding your arms in annoyance.
"Honey, we're just trying to look it for you."
"What's the matter, sweetheart? Don't wanna spend time with us?"
Red grinned, but his tone fell flat slightly, as if that was what he really thought. Your annoyance dissipated as you noticed a little twinge of anxiety in their expressions from Red's words, as their awaits your response.
"No, of course I do. I just don't need an escort to the bathroom."
You joked, trying to lighten the mood. You hoped your sincerity would cheer up the skeletons, and it did.
"Fair point there, kid."
Despite not caring for Sans' puns, you smiled.
"Honey, you're okay with crowds, right?"
Stretch asked, seemingly worried for you. You gave him a reassuring smile.
"Yep, all good! Can we please go and check the place out, now?"
The skeletons nodded, and you all made your way into the fair, splitting off based on your different interests. You, Edge and Sans went over to check out the stalls that were selling trinkets and items. You figured you'd come to the food ones later when you were hungry.
As you wondered around the stalls, you caught sight of a certain small human and their goat mum. Once they spotted you, you waved at them as they came bounding towards you, slamming themselves into you. Wrapping your arms around them in return, you both laughed.
"Hey Frisk, here to check out the stalls?"
They responded with a nod, before running back to drag their mother over. Toriel seemed quite content with chatting to everyone, though her main focus was Sans. Since they both shared the same sense of humour, you found comfort in the fact that you and Edge were suffering together. Since Frisk was used to it, they didn't think much of it.
Unfortunately, it got to a point where Edge couldn't take any more of Sans' jokes, and he stormed off somewhere, again reiterating for you to stay with one of them.
'Is he always that grumpy?'
Frisk questions, and you laughed.
"Don't worry about him, kiddo. He's got a bit of an edgy personality."
Sans chimed in, earning a laugh from Toriel. Turning your attention back to the stalls, you smiled at the monsters, who all offered you their products, but you declined most of them, as nothing really caught your eye. That was, until, you spotted a bracelet that you ended up staring at for a noticable amount of time.
It wasn't anything fancy, so to speak. It was a simple bracelet made of that sort of stringy material. The mattern resembled a platted one, with two red and blue strings weaving in and out of each other. It wasn't even that expensive either, but you were serious when you said you literally had one dollar to your name.
"That would look lovely on you, dear."
A voice spoke up, belonging to the seller. She was a rabbit monster in a tank top and straw hat, with holes in the top for her ears to spring up in. You instinctual response was to decline as politely as possible and make a quick get away.
"Would you like to try it on?"
She asked, kindly. It seems like you little conversation had caught the attention of Sans, who had glanced over to you two. Noticing this, you shook your head.
"Oh, no thank you."
You blabbed out, smiling before you hastily walked away. You always felt some sort of pressure when going up to stalls, feeling as though you were expected to buy something. But, you knew that was silly to think like that. Sans watched as you sped off, not bothering to chase after you. At least he believed you'd be able to take care of yourself. Thankfully, you hadn't left Frisk by themselves, as they had found one of their friends a couple of minutes ago and gone off with them. They were a monster kid with yellow scales and a brown and yellow striped top, seemingly without any arms.
As you made your way through the crowd, you figured you'd go check out some of the games. Eager to make your way over, you accidentally pumped into someone. You apologised profusely but, when they turned around, you paused. It took you both a second until you recognised each other.
"Oh, hi again."
"Oh, you're that kid that showed me the way to Grillby's, ain't cha?"
You nodded, and the monster's smile grew.
"Roon, right?"
"That's right, kid. Don't think I caught your name though."
Even if you had given your name, you didn't blame him for not remembering you. After all, it had been a brief meeting between you two and his friend.
"I'm y/n."
"Fancy seein' you here. Hey Ronny!"
He called, causing someone near him to turn. You also recognised him as his friend you had met previously. When you locked eyes, he immediately recognised you.
"Oh, hey again."
He greeted, walking over to you two.
"So kid, what are ya doing here?"
Roon asked, a valid question as there weren't usually many humans that came to this event. Only the ambassador, really.
"Well, I'm here with my...foster family. And I'm here to support Frisk."
"Wait, you know the ambassador?"
"Who are your foster family?"
They both questioned. You decided it would do no harm to stay and chat for a bit whilst you answered their questions. You gave them a brief summary of who your family were and one of them vaguely knew of Papyrus and Sans, but not to a great extent.
In fact, they seemed more surprised by your closeness to the Frisk. You told them that they'd probably see you on the podium with them, as you were there for emotional support. To them, it made sense, as Frisk always seemed to have someone with them, though it was usually Toriel.
"Damn kid, ya must be pretty special if you're going up with the ambassador."
"I agree. They must really like you."
You smiled at the idea. It was plain as day to anyone that Frisk clearly looked up to you. They definitely considered you like an older sibling.
"I like them as well. Frisk is such a cool kid."
You replied, sincerely. The two monsters chuckled.
"Well, I'm starvin'. We'd better get going otherwise all the food will be gone!"
Roon stressed, though still with a smile. His friend rolled his eyes.
"This one, always thinking with his stomach."
He gestured to Roon, earning a wack from the one-eyed monster.
"No worries, you guys go. Nice meeting you again, though."
"You too kid, see ya up there."
Even if it was unexpected, you did end up having a pleasant conversation with them. Waving them off, you continued your mission in search of some games. To your delight, you spotted Cash and Stretch, who looked as though they were just about to play a game. Jogging up over to them, you quickly intervened before they started playing.
"Hey guys, can I play as well?"
The two looked startled by your appearance, but smiled once they realised it was you.
"Sure, kid."
"Of course, honey."
Grinning, they supplied you with extra tokens and you soon grabbed a gun that was stationed in front of you. You figured it was one of those water gun games, where you had to shoot down targets for a prize.
Despite your efforts, neither you or Stretch won anything, though you did have a good go at it. Surprisingly, Cash won a little stuffed frogget.
"Damn Cash, nice shooting."
You commented, and he shrugged the compliment off.
"Eh, I've had practice."
He yawned, tossing the toy over to you. You blinked, not sure what he wanted you to do with it. Did he want you to hold it?
"You can have that junk, squirt. I don't need it."
Aww, he was giving you his prize! Despite him being so nonchalant about it, you felt touched at the gesture.
"Thanks Cash!"
You grinned, and he seemed relieved you liked it, even if he tired to hide it.
"Here honey, I've got pockets, I'll hold it for you."
Stretch offered. Although it was summer, Stretch was wearing his typical orange hoodie and cargo shorts. In fact, all of the skeletons rocked up in their usual attire, seeing as temperature made no difference to them. Apart from Blue, who was in his uniform. You have him the toy and thanked him. After another round of playing some odd games, you had been tracked down by Undyne and Alphys.
"Hey NERDS! What are you guys doing?!"
She yelled, making her way over to you with her girlfriend following close behind. You have Alphys a wave, to which he reciprocated, and Stretch was the first to reply to Undyne's question.
"Just playin' some games. Wanna join?"
"Oh HECK YEAH! Just wait, me and Alphys are gonna CRUSH you guys!"
She declared, challenging you all with that blazing look of passion in her eyes. The three of you smirked at the fish monster.
"You're on."
Cash accepted, and you quickly got into your teams. You and the skeletons against Alphys and Undyne. When playing, you could see Alphys wasn't the strongest player, but that made no difference to Undyne, who seemed to not only be crushing it enough for the both of them but also gave her girlfriend a crazy amount of encouragement, so much so that Alphys' cheeks turned a bright pink from embarrassment.
It was simple. Whoever won the most prizes won overall. So, you got to work. Like Alphys, you were a bit of a weak link in the team, though you did manage to get a couple of prizes. By the end of it, after the teams had racked up what could've been the entire lot of prizes, your vision was practically blocked from holding everything. Since Cash and Stretch kept winning the majority of prizes, you were mostly in charge of holding them, when you weren't playing yourself.
When counting, you found that Undyne had beat you guys by one, taking you by surprise. Though, as you really looked, you saw her balancing all her winnings in her embrace like it was nothing.
"U-undyne, I can c-carry some of that-"
"Don't worry babe, I've got this! You just relax!"
It was sweet how chivalrous the monster could be towards Alphys, you honestly thought their relationship was so sweet.
"Looks like I BEAT you NERDS! Not that it was really a surprise! Fuhuhuhu!"
She cackled, running off to gloat about her victory, with Alphys laughing.
"Eh, we tried."
Stretch shrugged, not too bothered by the loss.
"Yeah."
Cash agreed, giving a similar reaction.
"Uh, guys? Little help here, please?"
You asked, awkwardly holding onto the winnings, worried about them toppling over any minute. Within seconds, however, they were immediately taken from you, making you exhale in relief.
"Whoops, sorry honey."
"Our bad, kid."
"It's cool."
You shrugged. The two gave you a wink before teleporting away, probably to put the prizes in the car. Feeling your stomach growl, you were left to go and find the food stalls. It wasn't difficult, as you just followed the delicious aromas they gave off.
There were so many choices, your senses were completely overwhelmed. There were many traditional monster cuisines, but also a wide variety of foods from human cultures, too. It was all so mouthwatering, you had trouble deciding. Luckily, you were sure a familiar face would help you with that.
"Grillby!"
You cheered, taking him by surprise. As soon as he saw you, his flames relaxed. You hadn't seen him in a while, so it was a nice reunion, of sorts. Grillby was working a joint food stall, it seemed. One side belonged to him, and another looked oddly purple. You couldn't see anyone there yet, maybe they had gone on break.
"How's it going?"
The fire elemental nodded, indicating he was having a good time. Suddenly, he held out something for you to try. Taking it in your mouth, you let out a hum of satisfaction at the flavour. It was a cube of well cooked beef, which had been coated in some sort of crumb that may have either been fried or cooked or even caramelized. Whatever it was, the flavour was almost irresistible.
"That's so good, Grillby! Like seriously delicious."
You praised and watched as the monster's flames grew slightly more red.
"Thank you...trying something...new."
He said, as you handed him back the toothpick.
"Well, it's really tasty! It'll be a great hit, for sure!"
"Attracting more customers, are we Grillby~?"
You were slightly startled when a new monster appeared behind the other side of the booth, but instantly recognised her.
"Muffet."
She gave you a smile, and you looked back at Grillby.
"You're...familiar...with her?"
He inquired, surprised you knew her name, at the least. You nodded.
"Oh, absolutely~ She and those skeletons have visited my café quite a few times, isn't that right, dearie."
You nodded, giving her a small smile. You still had your arachnophobia, but you were getting better with managing your fear. Right now, you were no where near as freaked out as you had been the first time you met her.
"Did you try Grillby's new food idem? It's delicious."
You asked, trying to calm your nerves. Somehow, it worked.
"I haven't yet, but I don't need to try his food to know it's good, dearie. That's why he's my biggest competition, well was, back in the underground."
She giggled, giving Grillby a wink. The flame monster had an almost neutral look on his face.
"Friendly...competition."
He corrected, as to not make you worry.
"Usually I don't give out free samples, but since it's you dearie, how would you like to try one of my newest items on my menu?"
She offered. Muffet was big on sweets, so you assumed it had to be something like that.
"Oh, sure."
Like Grillby had, she gave you a small chunk of food. It looked almost like a tiny cupcake, no taller than your pinkie finger. It only took one bite for you to finish the entire thing, and you were immediately hit with a sweet and creamy flavour. Your eyes widened at the sensation.
"Oh wow, that's tastes amazing!"
You blurted out, earning another laugh from the spider monster.
"Thank you, dearie~ It's mainly for my smaller customers, but anyone is welcome to them."
It was nice how inclusive monsters were, considering how many different kind of monsters there are. You were familiar with quite a range of them, thanks to your research.
"Well, I don't want to hold you guys up. I'm gonna go grab some food, but I'll see you guys later!"
You had spotted Papyrus and Red, who were both holding their lunch in their hands. Sneaking up on them, you copied what Red had done to you yesterday and took a bite of his burger.
"Mhm, good stuff."
You said with your mouthful, making him gasp in surprise.
"Fuck, kid. Warn a guy next time."
You and Papyrus laughed at his surprised reaction and you folded your arms in victory.
"That's karma."
"Eh, fair enough."
He shrugged, not able to argue with you on that one.
"WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO HEAD OVER TO THE OTHERS AND HAVE LUNCH. ARE YOU GOING TO GET ANYTHING?"
"Yeah, but I can't decide what."
"FEAR NOT, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE! LET'S GO AND LOOK!"
He took your hand, tucking his box underneath his arm as he dragged you around the food stalls. Red headed back to the others while you finally picked what you wanted. You ended up getting some sort of Asian dish which tasted as good as it looked.
"HOPEFULLY EDGE WILL STOP WORRYING ONCE HE WE GET THERE!"
Papyrus noted, as the two of you walked over to where the others were.
"Worrying? About what?"
"ABOUT YOU, HUMAN! AFTER LEAVING, HE COULDN'T FIND YOU ANYWHERE, AND HAS BEEN STRESS TEXTING EACH OF US ABOUT IT! THOUGH I DON'T THINK HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW."
If you were being honest, you were midly surprised, even if you shouldn't be. After all, he was the one insistent on the idea that you stick to one of the skeletons at all times. You wondered if crowds made him nervous. You hadn't seen much of Black either, so when you got to the table, you'd have to ask him a out what he'd been doing.
"GREETINGS EVERYONE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ARRIVED WITH THE TINY HUMAN!"
Well, that was your cue.
"Hey guys."
You were barely able to place your food down when Edge whipped his head around, slamming both of his hands onto the table.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU INSOLENT CHILD?!"
Edge yelled, perfectly conveying how pissed off he was. It took everything in you not to roll your eyes as you sat down.
"Uh, with Papyrus getting some food. Where have you been?"
You answered, then flipping the question onto him. You weren't abliged to tell him every moment of your time, especially when you had been alone. Your response seemed to catch Edge off guard for a moment, before he erupted once more.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER ANY OF MY TEXTS OR CALLS?!"
Pulling out your phone, you saw the amount of spam you had.
----------------------------------
Emo Papyrus
Emo Papyrus: HUMAN, WHERE DID YOU GO? SANS SEEMED TO HAVE LOST YOU, THAT LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING!
Emo Papyrus: HUMAN, I DEMAND YOU ANSWER THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS' TEXTS RIGHT THIS INSTANT!
One missed call
Emo Papyrus: ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE WENCH!
Two missed calls
Wow, even using a retired nickname he had for you, he must've been pissed.
----------------------------------
Red-y or not
Red-y or not: Hey kid, boss is freakin out
Red-y or not: Ya should prolly answer his texts
----------------------------------
Gambling issue
Gambling issue: Yo, got the stuff in the car
Gambling issue: Edgy is freaking out, lol.
----------------------------------
Diabetic
Diabetic: Hey honey
Diabetic: Edge is spamming me. So annoying 🙄
Diabetic: he worries too much, lol
----------------------------------
Not punny
Not punny: knock knock
Well, you weren't about to answer that.
----------------------------------
Cool dude
Cool dude: HUMAN!
Cool dude: EDGE SEEMS VERY DISTRESSED, PERHAPS YOU SHOULD CALL HIM!
----------------------------------
Needs glasses
Needs glasses: EDGE IS LOOKING FOR YOU.
Simple and straight to the point. Classic Black.
----------------------------------
Taco Tuesday
Taco Tuesday: SUNSHINE! I WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU FOR LUNCH!
Taco Tuesday: THERE ARE SO MANY FOOD CHOICES!
Taco Tuesday: I THINK I SEE EVERYONE!
Taco Tuesday: EDGE LOOKS MAD
----------------------------------
Yeah, you definitely need to check your phone more often.
"Oops, sorry guys."
The others didn't seem bothered, and Edge simple huffed, sitting down. Reading Blue's last text, you looked around for him and immediately spotted him.
"Hey Blue!"
You smiled, and he returned the action.
"HELLO TO YOU TOO, SUNSHINE! AND GREETINGS EVERYONE!"
He replied, taking a seat next to you.
"HAVE YOU HAD FUN, SUNSHINE?"
He asked, digging into a massive taco.
"Yeah! Me, Cash and Stretch won a bunch of prizes after challenging Undyne, but we still lost. They're in the car."
Blue chuckled as you explained the details.
"Oh, and I saw Frisk when me, Sans and Edge were at some stalls, and I even got a chance to talk to Grillby and Muffet!"
"WELL, SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME."
He grinned, and you nodded.
"Yeah, but it's a shame you haven't got to check any of this stuff out."
You pouted, slightly. It felt like something was missing when Blue wasn't around. Said skeleton chuckled and placed his hand on your shoulder.
"ACTUALLY, SUNSHINE, I'M ON MY BREAK NOW. SO, I HAVE A BIT OF TIME! WE CAN DO ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE!"
Your eyes lit up at the opportunity.
"Really?! Awesome!"
You yelled, a little too enthusiastically, gaining another laugh from the skeleton. Blue hadn't realised how much you enjoyed his company, but seeing how happy you were made his soul swell with joy.
"Oh, Black-"
You called him. He was sat opposite you, eating a burrito.
"I've barely seen you since we got here. What have you been up to?"
"OH, HE'S BEEN KEEPING ME COMPANY, SUNSHINE! IT WAS SO SWEET OF HIM."
Blue answered for him, causing Black's cheeks to instantly turn a deep purple shade. For some reason, he really didn't appreciate being called out for doing a nice deed, as he scowled at his counterpart.
"SHUT UP! IT WASN'T LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE WAS JUST BORING!"
He huffed, folding his arms, indignantly.
"Aww, you like Blue-"
"I DO NOT!"
He tried to counter, but Blue wouldn't let him.
"WE ARE MOST CERTAINLY FRIENDS!"
"ENOUGH!"
He screeched, chewing his burrito, angrily. You giggled.
"It's ok, Black, you can come hang out with us once lunch is over!"
He thought for a moment, not looking you in the eyes.
"I SUPPOSE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE."
Once you had all finished with lunch, you were just about to go with Blue and Black when Sans stopped you.
"Hey kid, give me a hand, would you?"
You raised an eyebrow at his request, but gave him your right hand. Pulling something out of his pocket, he proceeded to wrap something around your wrist. Taking a closer look, you recognised the bracelet. It was the one you had been interested in at the stall. You were completely taken aback by this.
"Sans, did you get this...for me?"
You hadn't even realised he'd been paying that much attention.
"Yeah. Do you like it? Did I get the right one?"
Sans had been a little worried he had chose the wrong one, but he could've sworn he saw you staring at this one in particular. So, he was awaiting your reaction, somewhat nervously.
"Why did you get this?"
"Thought you'd want it."
It was that easy. Yet, it was still so sweet of him.
"I love it. Thank you."
You smiled and saw him visibly relax as you admired the bracelet on your wrist. Sans measured his hand up against yours and chuckled.
"Heh, so small."
He whispered to himseld, too quiet for you to hear. It was actually a fair comparison, since yours was much smaller. His gaze softened at your smile.
"HUMAN, HURRY UP!"
Black called you, tapping his foot, impatiently.
"Coming! See you later, Sans!"
You ran over to Black and Blue, missing Sans' chuckle. The three of you wondered around the fair, pointing out things that excited you, though Black didn't seem too impressed. Blue on the other hand shared your enthusiasm, and completely embraced the atmosphere.
Naturally, it was only a matter of time before you ran into someone else, for you saw a group of monsters gathering excitedly over someone. Upon further inspection, you saw Mettaton, completely in his element. He seemed more than happy to be signing autographs and taking photos with fans. You were glad he didn't feel suffocated.
"OH, IS THAT METTATON?"
Blue pointed out.
"OBVIOUSLY. WHO ELSE WOULD ATTRACT SO MANY IDIOTS?"
Black muttered, as the three of you came to a halt. After a couple of minutes, Mettaton noticed you immediately and waved you over.
"How lovely to see you again, darlings~"
He said, wrapping his almost elastic arms around you three, most likely making his fans jealous.
"How would you beauties like a picture with me~? No charge, of course!"
"UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT, YOU TIN CAN!"
Black protested, scowling at the robot. Blue, on the other hand had the complete opposite reaction.
"THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND!"
"Not at all darling."
To Black's relief, Mettaton let you all go and you pulled out your phone, handing it to the celebrity. Thanks to his ability to stretch his arms quite far, he was able to capture the perfect angle whilst also getting all of you in the picture. You thanked Mettaton and gazed at the picture.
Black's scowl had lessened, though he still looked displeased at his situation. Blue' smile practically took up the whole camera given how big it was. Mettaton was posing, naturally and you were smiling. Making your way from the group, Blue's break had unfortunately come to an end.
"APOLOGIES, FRIENDS, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO MY POST NOW."
"Oh, it's okay, Blue."
"HAH! GOOD RIDDANCE!"
You understood Blue had a job to do, but it was still a bit of a shame. As if sensing your disappointed, Blue tried to cheer you up.
"DON'T WORRY, SUNSHINE! THE SPEECHES SHOULD BE HAPPENING SOON, SO I'LL STILL BE ABLE TO SEE YOU!"
The speeches, you had almost forgotten!
"Oh right, what time is it?"
Pulling out your phone, you realised you had less than 10 minutes before Asgore was due to speak. No wonder people had started to gather near the podium.
"I should go. But I'll see you guys after the speeches!"
"I'LL INFORM THE OTHERS. I'D PREFER TO NOT HAVE EDGE BLOW UP MY PHONE AGAIN."
Black grimaced at the thought of having to deal with the skeleton in his frantic state once again.
"Thanks Black, see you later!"
Following the crowd, you made your way over to the podium, your eyes darting around to locate Frisk. Once you did, you ran over to them.
"Frisk, hey! Are you ready?"
The child nodded, showing you their cards. You grinned.
"Yep, you're definitely all prepared."
"Ah, greetings young one."
Asgore stated. You had no idea how, with all that fur as well, he was wearing such royal attire. He not only had some heavy looking armour on, but also a long, purple cloak.
"How are you not sweating in that?"
The monster chuckled and you saw Frisk cover their mouth to stifle their giggles.
"Seriously, you're making me hot just looking at you."
As if your last comment wasn't enough, but the reaction you got from that was priceless. Asgore roared with laughed and Frisk couldn't stop the smile that spread to their face, and neither could you.
"Your majesty, it's time."
"Ah, of course."
One of the camera men said. You had no idea this was being televised. You watched as the crowd cheered when Asgore appeared on the stage. The sound was deafening as it took a couple minutes for the noise to die down. The king cleared his throat and began his usual speech.
"Thank you all for coming. What a pleasure it is to see so many faces here with us today, to celebrate the third year of monsters' freedom!"
His opening line was enough to encourage cheers and cries of endeavour once more. As he spoke, it was clear how much respect everyone had for him. His voice was commanding and easily reached the entire crowd without him having to shout.
Your eyes scanned the crowd and your smile widened when you spotted your skeleton family. Right next to them were Alphys, Undyne and Mettaton, who all wore the same, awe struck expressions. Even you became engulfed in his mesmerising speech and, before you knew it, Frisk was tugging on your T-shirt, signalling it was almost time to go up.
With one last massive cheer from everyone, Asgore announced Frisk's entrance.
"And now, some encouraging words from our ambassador!"
Frisk wasted no time at all strutting up the stairs, dragging you along with them as if you were the child. The noise was enormous as Frisk stood next to Asgore. You took your place a couple of steps behind them as you were already aware Asgore was going to speak. Luckily, the monsters seemed too focused on Frisk to really notice you, but you still tried to avoid their gaze and looking into the cameras.
You did, however, spot your friends, who all gave you big smiles. You couldn't help but smile back, before turning you attention back to Frisk.
"Welcome everyone, to yet another-"
Asgore began, but was immediately stopped by a guard running up into the stage, ushering him to the side. He whispered something in his ear, leaving the crowd confused. His expression seemed to be neutral, but you felt a slight sense of dread from him. Nodding at the man, he hastily came up to the mic once more.
"Please excuse me for a moment everyone, something requires my urgent attention."
He said calmly, clearly trying to make everything seem normal. Frisk, on the other hand, looked absolutely mortified at the idea of being left alone, as Asgore quickly exited the stage. A couple of murmers ran through the monsters and Frisk turned to you with a desperate expression.
You came up to them and they handed you the cards, making your eyes widen as you realised what they wanted you to do.
'Y/n, I need you.'
They pleaded. You knew there was no room got debate, but even if there was, you would never refuse them. You hesitantly moved to the mic, suddenly aware of how many monsters were here. You gulped, trying to ignore your nerves as Frisk came up beside you, grabbing your T-shirt in support. They gave you one last look before you sighed, turning to face the crowd.
You felt your throat go dry as you noticed the cameras. The skeletons all wore similar expression, with their brows furrowed in confusion. Taking a deep breath, you looked down at the cards, trying not to notice your hands shaking.
"W-welcome everyone to yet another wonderful celebration."
At least you knew what was coming when you read the speech, seeing as you had helped to write it and Frisk had made no further changes. Once everyone saw the ambassador relax, the crowd seemed to accept this new twist of events and listened to you. The silence only made your voice stand out more, and you could tell the cameras were zooming in on you and Frisk.
"As you all know-"
You words came to an immediate stop the moment you heard a loud bang, followed by screams. It wasn't like anything you had heard before. It was far too loud to be a gun shot. The crowd had similar expressions to you, turning around to see a cloud of smoke gather in the distance. Your eyes scanned the area as you saw the guards all rushing around, yelling at each other.
Something was wrong.
The sound repeated itself, this time closer, enough for you to see what was happening. Your adrenaline kicked in the moment you realised that those booming sounds were explosions. The monsters erupted in to panic as more started popping up from no where.
Pandemonium took over and you struggled to see clearly due to the smoke that was collecting. All you could hear was the petrified screams of innocent bystanders and the crashes of destruction. Frisk stood still, frozen by terror by the whole situation. You had to act quickly, run or get to the skeletons.
However, you soon realised that there was no time. You heard the faint sound of beeping, giving you milliseconds to react. You had noticed that each explosion had inched closer and closer to you, and once you heard that sound, you acted upon instinct, knowing what was about to happen.
Blurred by adrenaline, your survival instincts kicking in. You grabbed Frisk, running towards the end of the podium. You threw yourself over them, using your body to cover them and pulled their shaking figure close to your chest as the inevitable explosion reached the podium behind you.
You didn't have time to think as it hit you, throwing the podium up in the air, splitting it in two. The force incredibly powerful, knocking you both to the ground. You had no time to react before you felt a crushing weight slam down onto you.
Suddenly, the screams were no more, replaced by a loud, piercing ringing in your ears. The pain was drowned out by your adrenaline, your heart thumping loudly, before everything went dark.
Notes:
...😈
Chapter 36: Chapter 36: the aftermath
Summary:
We finally get to see what happened to y/n and the others after the awful events of last chapter!
Notes:
Hi everyone! Just a couple of notes for today. First thing is that I wrote the majority of this when I was sick, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes or the flow is a bit weird. Hopefully my sick brain didn't mess it up too much!
Secondly, I'm soon going to enter important exam period in a few months, and I really need to crack down on studying. Because of this, I might end up taking a break from writing, as much as I would hate to. Either that, or I may just do slower updates than before. I'm very sorry about this! But, come late June/July, I should be able to write more frequently. So yeah, from this point on, if there aren't many (or any) updates, I'm very sorry! This doesn't mean I'm discontinuing the story, absolutely not. I love writing this, and am so grateful for all the support I've received. Seriously, you guys are amazing! Anyways, that's pretty much all I have to say. So, for now, please enjoy and, as always, thanks for reading! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The day of the anniversary.
Edge POV
To say the skeleton was distressed would be an understatement. After being unable to cope with anymore of that idiot's puns, he had stormed off in a fit of anger, putting trust in him that he'd look after their human. Unfortunately, when he came back, he quickly realised what a mistake it had been, for you had already disappeared.
The sad excuse for a clone of his brother simply shrugged, having no clue where you had run off to. Edge could feel his magic spark in anger towards his relaxed demeanour. Back in his underground, you stuck close to the people you valued. It was never safe for anyone to go out by themselves, especially in a crowd like this. What was worse was that you didn't smell like him, so no monster would know not to mess with you.
Edge didn't care for the festivities at all, finding no joy in taking part of any activities. However, once you were gone, his mood only worsened. He spent almost the entire time searching for you and panicking about your whereabouts and well being, the worst scenarios running through his head as he tried to text and call you.
He swore under his breath when you didn't reply, leaving him on delivered. He cursed himself for ever leaving your side for even a second, and made it his mission to secure your location and lecture you about the dangers of wondering around alone in a mass of monsters.
Of course, none of the others were of any use. Even Blue, who was supposed to be part of security, said he hadn't seen you since the morning. Eventually, he met up with his brother at a table where the others had started to gather, most likely for lunch. Edge couldn't understand why his brother wasn't more stressed about this situation. They both grew up in the same underground, so why the hell was it only him who was on the verge of a panic attack?!
Edge's soul felt like it was about to explode with anxiety until he finally saw you approach the table with his softer clone. Edge let out a small sigh of relief before completely loosing it and snapping at you. Despite his lecturing, he was really relieved to see you were alright.
Feeling a little calmer, he let you go off with Blue and Black, knowing that at least Black would be responsible enough to keep an eye on you. From what he had gathered, his universe was similar to that of him and his brother's, so similar rules would apply. That's how he let you go without worry, finally allowing himself to relax.
Even when you were stood up with Frisk on that podium where he could see you, Edge felt mostly calm as he listened to the king's speech. He occasionally caught your gaze and, when your eyes met, you'd always give him a bright smile. Edge always loved that smile. He preferred it when you were happy.
Back in his underground, any hints of positivity were considered signs of weakness. Of course, young children were usually excluded from this rule, as they were seen as weak anyways, but not many children were happy to begin with. Seeing you, so carefree and open with your emotions, was refreshing to Edge.
He had hated it at first, worried that you would get yourself killed by being that way, yet here you were. He had to remind himself that he wasn't underground anymore. You were relatively safe up here, and so was he. He was glad that you were able to exist without the threat of someone dusting you just for being yourself. It made Edge feel at ease.
Throughout the speech, Edge let his guard down, soley focusing on the event itself and you. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Monsters all around him were having a fantastic time, it was a wonderful warm and sunny day. He couldn't believe that he had been naive enough to think that nothing would come to ruin this day.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
If there was one thing Edge would never forgive himself for, it was the way he allowed himself to let his guard down, even for a moment, that day. Focusing on the king and ambassador, barely paying attention to the muffled sounds in the distance that got closer and closer.
It wasn't until monsters started screaming and running away, and the smell of smoke and dust started to fill the air that Edge immediately snapped, suddenly on high alert on the situation around him. Of course, he had connected the dots together almost immediately, as he realised they were under attack.
It seemed that, from your expression, you had realised this as well. His magic roared with urgency, and suddenly all that mattered was getting to you. Blinded by his goal, he didn't even notice what he had stepped on until a shrill beeping sound caught his attention.
In a split second, he was dragged away by his brother and, before the impact of the blast reached them, Red had formed a barrier of thick, tall bones that muffled the damage. Edge's breathing became incredibly laboured by panic and terror. Not at the situation, but for you.
His gaze flickered to his brother, who wore a tight, distressed expression, before he looked around for you. When he saw you, it felt like he was about to dust. Without thinking, you had grabbed the ambassador, using your body as a shield to protect them from the blast that inevitably hit the podium, sending it flying in the air, splitting it before it came crashing down onto the floor.
Edge would've run over to you without a second thought if he hadn't been held back by his brother, who yelled at him to take cover. As much as Edge wanted to protest, he knew it was the right call. After all, he'd be no use to anyone, especially you, if he had been blown to smitherines.
As soon as there showed no signs of any more explosions, Edge tore himself away from his brother's grasp, trying desperately hard to see his surroundings. The smoke and the faint outline of monsters' bodies created a blockage that barely allowed Edge to see what was in front of him. He only realised he was close when he stepped on a slab of wood that had broken off from the podium.
Luckily, the explosions had done nothing to his hearing, seeing as he technically had no eardrums to damage. So, when he heard the sounds of yelling, he knew he was close. The further he got, the more he could hear what the people were saying.
"Get it off of her, now!"
One of them said, his voice, commanding. As the smoke began to clear and the situation was finally visable to Edge, he felt his soul stop as he froze. A bunch of humans, adorning high vis attire, heaved a massive chunk of the podium up and off of someone. Edge's attention was quickly drawn to the ambassador, who was being held back by a couple ambulance staff and Asgore.
The child was crying, screaming. Bruises covered parts of their body, and their hair was dirtied from the smoke and debris in the air. Despite being slightly injured, they kept pushing against their captor's grasp, desperately.
Edge's attention immediately snapped back to the previous men, who were yelling once more at another ambulance that had just pulled up, with even more humans rushing out of it. Once they moved, Edge got a clear view of the person lying underneath the podium, and he felt as if he was going to throw up.
Edge couldn't move, he couldn't speak, call for help from his brother or one of the others. All he could do was stare at your lifeless body, unmoving and severely injured. Edge knew his brother had caught up to him, for he could feel his presence. Yet, he couldn't hear anything he was saying. Everything was muffled, and felt like it was happening in slow motion, as the monster watched you being carefully lifted up into a stretcher and being carried over to the ambulance, followed by more shouts of orders.
Edge felt himself fall to the ground, landing on his knees. The shouts from his brother had stopped and he saw, out of the corner of his eye socket, that Red had noticed the state of everything. They both watched helplessly as you were taken away, the sirens blaring and flashing in the smoke, illuminating the ground in front of them.
Red's words fell deaf to him once again, as Edge felt incredibly drained. All the colour seemed to have drained from the world, leaving him hopelessly stuck in a grey world, shaking in fear, unable to do anything. Like the pathetic, useless monster he was.
Red POV
Why did he think he'd be able to enjoy something without it going wrong? Red felt stupid for letting his guard down, he should've know better. He almost died right there when he saved his brother from being dusted. Red couldn't live in a world without him, so, although having a near miss of death wasn't unfamiliar to the two of them, he still felt the same amount of panic each time.
So, when Edge ran off, once the explosions died down, he immediately went after his brother. Red never ran, or did any type of physical exercise, so it was difficult to keep up with his brother. When he eventually reached him, he knew something was wrong. No matter how much he yelled at Edge to get his attention, he wouldn't move, as if he was stuck. Frozen.
"Paps, the hell-"
And then he saw it. He looked over to where his brother's attention was glued to. Red felt his eye light go out, leaving his eye sockets hollow. You were being carried away by strangers into an ambulance. It wasn't hard for him to piss the injuries that littered your body, but the worst thing was that you weren't moving.
"S-sweetheart?"
He stuttered, his voice weak and quiet in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt his brother collapse to the ground, causing him to jolt.
"Pap- bro-"
He tried, but his brother was unresponsive, as he watched the ambulance doors close and the vehicle speed off.
Blue POV
The entire security team had been radioed without warning to be on high alert. Blue wasn't quite sure why the chief's voice sounded shaky all of a sudden, but none of them questioned it. A few minutes passed before everything went wrong.
The first explosions was right near the entrance, knocking Blue off his balance but luckily not causing him any real damage. The action caused him to lock in, rushing around to help people get to safety and rescue the injured. He and his team were scattered all over the fair, doing their best to minimise the casualties.
The skeleton knew that they'd have to wait until later to figure out what had went wrong. Right now, all he could do was focus on evacuating as many as he could and hope that his family were safe.
Stretch POV
Smoke surrounded him and Cash as he they did their best to navigate their way out of there. Their panic scale was at an all time high, as they were fuelled by the desire to live. Acting on instinct, Stretch had teleported them out of the main grounds and to the edge, where most monsters were being evacuated.
He could barely think straight. He had no idea where the others where, where his brother was, where you were. He had lost sight of everyone when the smoke had appeared, trying to figure out what to do. By some miracle, Cash, being the closest to him, had found him and grabbed him, leading him away from an explosive that went off seconds after they had run away.
His soul was thumping loudly in his chest, as he got a strong feeling of dread well up in him. All he could do was hope that you and his brother and the others were safe.
Cash POV
His first instinct was to grab the nearest monster close to him, as it was usually his brother. However, this time, it was Stretch, who seemed paralysed by shock. As much as he understood, he also knew that survival was key at the moment. So, he was grateful when Stretch finally pulled himself together to shortcut the two out of the main danger zone.
Cash couldn't focus on anything around him. He hadn't found his brother, and you had disappeared when the smoke obstructed his view. He balled up his fits and was about to run back in when his counterpart stopped him.
Cash as about to snap at him when he pointed to where Black and Papyrus had finally come in to view, guiding many monsters to safety. Cash wished he could say his anxiety had subsided, far from it. He was still waiting to see you appear somewhere, safe and unharmed. But, as each minute passed by and you were no where to be found, Cash felt an awful feeling well up in his non existent stomach.
It took everything in him to not tear the place looking for you.
Black POV
The attack immediately triggered his time in the underground, causing him to snap into royal guard mode. He and Papyrus worked together to help as many monsters as possible, doing their best to get as far away from the danger as possible.
Black wasn't worried about his brother, for he knew he could handle himself. Though, when he did eventually see him, he did feel a sense of relief wash over him. However, that was quickly defeated by the crushing realisation that you were no where to be found.
In all the panic, he had just assumed you had made it to safety. He didn't know why he assumed that. If anything, it was more like he hoped you had. He had been unable to reach you, so he did what he could until he was finally in a position to gather his surroundings a little more. So, when he didn't he couldn't locate you, he felt rage and fear well up in him.
"BROTHER, WHERE THE HELL IS THE HUMAN?!"
He snarled, storming up to him. Cash seemed to be just as worried, for he snapped right back at his brother.
"I ain't got a clue, Sans! Fuck-"
Black could sense that his brother was about to lose control of his magic, so he tried his best to steady his own nerves. While it didn't really work, he was able to prevent his brother from having a full on magic attack.
"ALRIGHT, WE'LL FIND HER."
Black placed a hand on his brother's arm, reassuringly. Even if he didn't believe his own words, he needed to hear them. He needed to hope. Because he didn't think he could live in a world without hope for your survival.
Papyrus POV
His brother had acted almost instantly, teleporting them away when the explosions became closer and more frequent. Papyrus almost froze when he saw the chaos and mayhem that took over the land. He spotted Blue out of the corner of his eye socket, but the skeleton was too focused on helping innocent bystanders to notice him and his brother.
Papyrus was determined to go back in and help whoever he could before he was suddenly struck with an awful realisation.
"SANS, Y/N-"
That was all Papyrus could get out as he felt his non existent throat dry up. Horrible possibilities ran through his head, threatening to drag him down when his brother snapped him out of his spiral.
"I got her, bro."
He said, with the most serious tone Papyrus had ever heard from his brother. Papyrus nodded and watched as Sans teleported away. Getting back to the task at hand, the skeleton got to work at helping as many monsters as he can, whilst silenting begging for you to be okay.
Sans POV
It had been an instinctual reaction for Sans to shortcut him and Papyrus out of danger. Once he was able to see the true reality of the situation, he suddenly snapped out of whatever trance he had been in when blinded by survival instincts.
"SANS, Y/N-"
His brother chocked out, shaking. Both of them seemed to realise at exactly the same time that you were no where to be found. Sans had to act fast.
"I got her, bro."
He said, with utter determination. Short cutting back into the main field, he tried to locate you, but, with the smoke obstructing his view and the atmosphere filled with panic, the task was challenging.
Once the explosions seemed to stop and the smoke cleared slightly, he caught sight of Edge and Red, who seemed to be frozen there. It made no sense, why the hell weren't they being evacuated like everyone else? What were they looking at?
When Sans turned to where they were looking, he felt a sick realisation sink in. Sans almost threw up as he saw you in your dishevelled, injured form. As you were driven off by the ambulance, he could stay. He had to get back to his brother.
Short cutting back to where Papyrus was, he felt almost numb, not even noticing tears welling up in his eye sockets. It took him a minute to realise his brother was talking to him, trying to assertain what had happened.
"Papyrus..."
.
.
.
.
.
Two days later
You had been in an unconscious state for so long now that, when you finally surfaced, you were met with shooting pains and aches all across your body. Reality was too painful to deal with right now, so you kept your eyes closed, focusing on your breathing. You weren't fully awake yet, only mildly aware of what was going on.
The last thing you remembered was pushing Frisk out of the way of something heavy that had landed on you, and only you. It had clearly knocked you out cold, given your current situation.
You took it slow, wiggling your toes and fingers to test the waters. Everything seemed to be okay, so you increased your movement, only to stop abruptly when trying to move your arm. Something was restricting it. As if realising your pain for the first time, you were suddenly met by an uncomfortable sensation which you were unable to ignore.
Wanting to find out more, you slowly opened your eyes, only to have the light burn you. Suddenly, as if you had unlocked your true state, you finally grasped just how much pain you were in. Your chest felt tight, as if something was pressing down against it, making your breathing shorten slightly.
Blue and purple splotches decorated your body, varying from your arms right down to your legs. You felt a familiar sensation demand your attention and, as you focused on it harder, you recognised the injury. It felt an awful like you had burned yourself, except much worse. Unfortunately for you, that particular injury had placed itself on your back, making lying down not particularly fun.
As you took in your surroundings, your vision slightly blurry at first, you recognised the setting as a hospital. Of course you would've ended up there, it was the most logical place to be, but you were still slightly thrown at the sight.
As if all your senses finally caught up to you, you whined quietly in pain, not wanting to recall the events of the anniversary just yet. That would be too mentally draining for you to handle in your condition. Right now, you were desperate for anyone you recognised. Your mum, your dad, hell even your brother. The skeletons...
"Honey?!"
A voice called from beside you, rushing up to your bed. You vision finally cleared up as you layed eyes on the voice's owner. It was Stretch. He wore an anxiety filled, yet relieved, expression as he came up beside you, smiling wider than you had ever seen him smile. When he spoke, you were horrified to find that you couldn't hear him as well as you normally could. That about tipped you over the edge, as you began to sob uncontrollably from everything that had happened.
Stretch looked absolutely devastated when he saw you break down, but was instantly there to comfort you. Being as careful as possible to not hurt you more, he embraced you into a hug, letting himself shed a few tears himself before he tried to calm you down.
"Shh, shh, honey. It's okay, you're okay."
He uttered, in a much softer and lower tone, though it still wasn't as crisp as you would've assumed it to be.
"S-stretch-"
Having not spoken in a couple of days, your mouth went instantly dry, your chest pain, making itself known once again.
"Don't strain yourself, honey. I'm right here, it's okay."
He soothed, taking your cheek in his hand, using his thumb to rub it gently. You leaned into his touch, tears wetting his bones as you tried to comprehend what was going on.
"W-why can't I hear you p-properly?"
You tried desperately to understand, getting more and more freaked out each time he spoke.
"It's nothing to worry about, honey. The doctor said that might happen, but your hearing should hopefully fix itself after some time."
Hot tears continued to stream down your face as you felt a wave of relief wash over you upon seeing the skeleton in front of you. After the initial shock, you began to calm down, having Stretch wipe away your tears.
"I'm going to go get the nurse."
He said, pulling away from you and immediately you missed the contact.
"And I should probably text the others, they've been worried sick."
Hearing that the skeletons were worried about you didn't come too much as a surprise, but it did make you feel warm inside. It made you feel loved. You nodded as he sent a quick text, most likely to the group chat, before leaving you alone.
Whereas before, your mind had been buzzing with shock and confusion, it now fell completely silent, numb, devoid of any thought. It was if there was a quiet static in the back of your mind, keeping you company whilst you waited.
Whilst staring at nothing in particular, you were startled out of your tranquil state when you noticed a red flash out of the corner of your eye. Turning your head, your gaze landed on a very sweaty looking Red. Once he collected himself enough to notice you, he let out a noise of disbelief.
"Sweetheart?"
He whispered, unable to keep his voice steady. For the moment, he was too stunned to make any sort of move, only able to stare at you intensely. After a moment of hearing your nickname, you gave him a gentle smile.
"Hi, Red."
Your voice was still a tad croaky, as you had been crying on top of the fact that your throat was already dry. However, that didn't matter to the skeleton. As if finding himself again, he pulled you close to him, doing his best not to cry. He held it in with great difficulty, as he didn't want you to view him as weak in that moment. You didn't need the extra stress of worrying about him, like he knew you would.
A deep, relieved chuckle ran past his teeth as he took a step back, releasing you, to take you all in.
"Yer awake."
"Yeah."
The smile on his face couldn't get any wider. If you weren't so badly injured, he would've spun you around, acting like his cheerier counterpart in that moment. However, he held himself back, not wanting to cause you more damage.
"Fuck, sweetheart, ya scared us all ta death! Don't fuckin' pull that shit on us again, ya hear?!"
He stressed, but there was no malice behind his words. He just couldn't wipe that grin off of his face. Seeing you better, Red couldn't be happier. In fact, Red couldn't remember the last time he was this happy.
"Sorry."
"Nah, yer alright."
He shook his head, running a hand over his skull. He seemed much more calm now, so it was probably a good time to start asking questions.
"Red, where are the others?"
"They'll be here soon, doll. Not everyone can teleport like me."
That was fair enough. You couldn't wait to see them. You hated the idea of making them worry.
"Were...were they really that worried?"
You asked, quietly, your voice trailing off at the end. It's not like you didn't expect them to be a little stressed, but Red and Stretch were making it out to be as if the others were literally panicking. You were sure that wasn't true. At least, you were, until Red answered.
"Course they were. We all were. Pap's was especially freakin' out over ya. None of them could function properly without ya with them, sweetheart."
He chuckled, recalling each of their coping mechanisms, though nothing really soothed them. The only thing that would get them back to normal would be seeing you again, awake.
"They came ta visit as much as they were allowed."
"All of them?"
You asked, hope laced through your tone. You couldn't believe that the others had been this worried about you. While it must've been awful for them, you couldn't help but feel happy, in a way, that they all cared so much for you.
"Yeah. Well, uh..."
Red, as if remembering something, rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. A guilty look flashed across his face as he gathered his words.
"The boss...Edge didn't come."
He said, using his brother's nickname as to not to confuse you. You felt a piece of your soul immediately die at hearing that. Even if he was busy, you thought he would've made time for you. Maybe he just didn't care as much as you thought.
"O-oh."
Tears gathered in your eyes and you tried to stop them from falling as you gripped the sheets tightly. Red immediately clocked on to this and started to panic.
"Kid, it ain't like that-"
"Yo honey, got the nurse here."
Stretch interrupted, back from his expedition.
"Hello y/n, how are you feeling? It's good to see you're awake!"
She said, sweetly. You nodded, pushing your feelings aside for the moment, swallowing your tears.
"A bit sore."
You answered, honestly. She giggled, as if the answer was probably obvious, given your current situation.
"That's to be expected."
She started to inspect the machines you were hooked up to, before doing a quick check up on you, asking some routine questions.
"I'm just going to check on your vitals sweetie, and get a general sense of how you're feeling, okay?"
You nodded as she got to work, bringing out a clipboard and a pen.
"Do you know how long you've been unconscious for?"
You shook your head, indicating you did not, so she filled you in. You weren't expecting to find out you had missed two days, but it could've been worse.
"How do you feel in general? Give me specifics."
You thought for a moment.
"Well, I feel achy almost everywhere. My chest hurts a little, like something is pressing down on it, but not too harshly, and it's making it a little uncomfortable to breath sometimes."
At that comment, Stretch and Red immediately looked distressed, but the nurse reassured them that it was nothing to worry about.
"It's quite normal to have mild chest pain after suffering damage from an explosion like that. Don't worry boys, it won't last to long."
At that, they seemed to relax. It also helped you a little, as well.
"Please continue, sweetie."
"It's uncomfortable to lie on my back, I feel like I've been burned, or something. I can't hear as well as I usually can, and my arm hurts whenever I try to move it."
She nodded, scribbling away on that piece of paper furiously as she listened to you.
"But, I think that's it."
"Alright, that's great, sweetie."
The nurse said, finally putting down her clipboard.
"The doctor will be here shortly to check on your injuries, but for now I am able to fill you in on the general issues."
You and the skeletons listened carefully as she began to explain your ailments in detail.
"As you correctly observed, you do have a second degree burn on your back, but nothing to be too concerned about. It should heal within 1-3 weeks. However, you may have a bit of scaring, but nothing too visible."
The idea of having a scar made you slightly disappointed, but at least it wouldn't be too exposed.
"The bruises and cuts are standard injuries from what happened, but unfortunately you do have a fractured wrist."
She observed, gesturing to your non dominant hand, which happened to be your left.
"This will take around 6-8 weeks to recover, so you'll need to wear a plaster cast until it's fully healed. The doctor will fill you in about what that will entail when she arrives."
No wonder you had difficulty moving it. Of course, you weren't thrilled by the fact that it was fractured, but it could've been a lot worse. You could've lost an arm.
"In terms of your hearing, you don't need to worry. Minute damage was done, so you should be able to hear just as well as before in no time. It might just be a little muffled right now. If so, that's completely normal."
You exhaled in relief. From the moment you woke up, that was something that had stressed you out entirely. But, hearing that it was merely a waiting game, you could relax knowing that it would fix itself eventually.
After confirming everything was stable, the nurse left you to rest up. Apparently, you were fine to be discharged tomorrow, meaning you had to spend only one more night in the hospital.
It wasn't long before the others finally arrived. Papyrus was the first to enter, picking you up and wrapping you in a giant hug. This immediately distressed the others, who warned him to be careful since you were still injured, but he wasn't hurting you. What the others didn't realise is that Papyrus was being incredibly gentle with you.
"HUMAN! YOU'VE FINALLY STOPPED BEING LAZY AND DECIDED TO WAKE UP! YOU'VE MISSED TWO WHOLE DAYS!"
You giggled as he set you down, carefully. You knew he didn't actually mean that you were lazy, but you figured it was just a way for him to cope with what had happened to you. Sans soon strolled in after his brother, a wide grin plastered on his face.
"Yeah, my bad."
"NOT TO WORRY, HUMAN! ONCE MY BROTHER SLEPT FOR THREE DAYS STRAIGHT, THE LAZY BONES! NO OFFENCE, SANS."
"Heh, no bones about it, bro."
The older skeleton chuckled, earning a groan from his younger brother.
"Did I miss much?"
The skeleton shook his head.
"BLUE AND BLACK HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY! I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN THEM COOPERATE SO MUCH BEFORE!"
The notion of those two actually working together on something definitely took you by surprise, as you often saw them arguing.
"Wow, I wonder what they've been up to."
"THEY SAID IT WAS A SURPRISE, BUT I HAVE MY SUSPICIONS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING JAPES FOR US TO DO WHEN WE GET BACK."
He said, his eye sockets narrowing. Somehow, you didn't think it would be that. Glancing over to Sans, your eyes widened slightly. He looked rough. There were dark circles under his eye sockets and his shirt looked dirtier than usual. He looked almost sickly, and the display did not sit well with you, but you weren't sure if you should say anything.
"Sans- oh!"
As soon as you said his name, he had already embraced you in a hug. He clung to you tightly, while the others weren't paying attention, and buried his face into your shoulder. His grip felt shaky as you heard him take a sharp breath, almost in shock.
"Sans?"
He didn't answer to his name, rubbing your back for the moment. You reciprocated the gesture, wondering what had come over him. You tried to lighten the mood, but that unfortunately meant having to lower yourself down to his level of his humour.
"Hey, what's got you so rattled?"
Your attempt worked as he let out a low chuckle, slowly pulling back and releasing you for the most part, but still keeping a boney hand on your non broken arm.
"Nice one kid, very humerus."
"I know, and I hated it."
He chuckled once more, making you feel instantly better. You had been worried when you saw him initially, but seeing that he seemed to be doing okay put you at ease.
Sans' arrival was swiftly followed by Blue and Black, who came barging into the room yelling like their usual selves. Even before seeing them, you heard them, making you smile. Once Blue spotted you, his reaction was pretty much the same as Papyrus'.
"SUNSHINE, YOU'RE AWAKE! HOW'S YOUR ARM? DO YOU NEED SOME MONSTER CANDY? I CAN GO GET YOU SOME! ME AND BLACK HAVE BEEN SUPER BUSY, JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU-"
His rambling was shortly cut off by Black, who smacked him at the back of his skull harshly, causing him to yelp in surprise.
"UNHAND HER AT ONCE, YOU CARELESS FOOL! DON'T YOU SEE HOW DELICATE SHE IS RIGHT NOW?! AND STOP BOMBARDING HER WITH YOUR IDIOTIC NONSENSE!"
He demanded, whilst Blue pouted. Eventually, he did let you down, much to his dismay. But, in a way, Black was right, and he knew that. You shouldn't be tugged around to much, at least, not right now.
"HOW ARE YOU FEELING, SUNSHINE?"
"WHAT A STUPID QUESTION. THE ANSWER IS CLEARLY OBVIOUS."
Black scoffed, but seemed to pay close attention to your response, as if he secretly wanted to know as well.
"Better, now that most of you are here. Still quite sore though."
"DON'T WORRY HUMAN, ONCE YOU ARE DISCHARGED, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS WILL AID IN NURSING YOU BACK TO HEALTH!"
"AS IF SHE'D BENEFIT FROM YOUR HELP! THE ONLY THING YOU'D BE NURSING HER INTO IS AN EARLY GRAVE!"
You didn't meant to, but ended up snorting at Black's retort. When, on occasion, he had could comebacks, you couldn't help but find them amusing. Seeing you laugh made Black's mouth twitch upwards slightly.
"SEE, EVEN THE HUMAN AGREES WITH ME!"
"IMPOSSIBLE! YOU TELL NOTHING BUT LIES, ANGRIER ME!"
"I THINK YOU MEAN THE BETTER VERSION OF YOU!"
Black snarled, correcting Blue, which only made the skeleton roll his eye lights. The scene made you giggle, and a feeling of familiarity washed over you, soothing your nerves. As expected, the next person to arrive was Cash, being not so far behind his brother. He casually strolled over to you with a lazy grin, though something about it felt strained.
"Heya squirt, good ta see you up."
He ruffled your hair, his touch, lingering for a moment. Leaning in closer, a smirk grew on his face.
"Ya had ma bro real worried."
His teased, his voice, hushed. Despite this, his brother still heard.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, PAPYRUS! DON'T LISTEN TO A WORD HE SAYS, HUMAN!"
Black snarled, causing his brother to shrug. You surpressed a laugh, before Cash pulled your chin down.
"Open wide, kid."
Before you could process what he was getting at, you felt something sweet hit your tongue.
"Monster candy. 'S got healin' properties."
He explained as you chewed, the sensation of fizzing dancing on your taste buds. Initially, you felt the same, but after a few minutes, you came to a wonderful realisation. Your hearing was back to full capacity, as if it had never been damaged in the first place.
Grinning like an idiot, with everyone here with you, you finally started to feel a little better. Safer. That was, until, you came to notice one painful thing. Edge wasn't here. The realisation brought your mood down instantly and you fought off tears in favour of anger. Although you were unhappy about his absence, you were also furious. Why the fuck hadn't he come to see you?! Did he really hate you that much...?
Red, who had picked up on the shift in energy, turned to you with a slightly strained grin, trying to conceal his concerned expression under a façade.
"Ya alright there, doll?"
You gripped the blanket tightly, until your knuckles turned white, but nodded your head.
"Thought ya'd be thrilled ta have everyone with ya."
"It's not everyone, though, is it."
You retorted through gritted teeth, averting your gaze from Red, who finally understood what was wrong. You could've sworn you heard a low growl erupt from him, but if you did, it was too quiet for the others to hear. He sighed.
"I'll be back in a while, sweetheart."
He said, not giving much more detail before he short cutted away. As the day passed, you watched the others dart in and out of the room, though they always seemed eager to return to you. At one point, you had gained new visitors. Frisk had burst into the room, despite their parents yelling at them to slow down, and came bounding towards you. Taking you by surprise, they slammed themselves into you, forgetting your injuries.
You winced slightly but made sure not to let it show, since it only hurt momentarily. You honestly expected them to be in a worse shape, but, as it turned out, they only seemed to have a few cuts and bruises. This allowed you to focus your worry more on their mental state. They seemed alright for now, but in the long run, you'd have to keep an eye on them.
Frisk had climbed up onto the bed where you rested and sobbed loudly into your chest. Using your functioning arm to wrap them into a hug, you did your best to comfort them, but it seemed like the best option was to let them cry it out. You had expected them to start rapidly signing once they had calmed done slightly, but you certainly weren't prepared for what they did next.
"I-I'm s-ssorry!"
Holy shit. They spoke. Frisk spoke to you. You didn't even know they could speak.
As you stared at them in shock, Toriel and Asgore came rushing behind them, panting slightly as they finally caught up to their child.
"Frisk, you mustn't run off like that! Especially not in a busy place like this, you could've gotton lost."
Toriel chastised, before she removed her focus off of Frisk and onto you. The gentle monster gasped, bringing her paws to her mouth in shock at your state. Her eyes were filled with woe and tears threatened to spill out at the m ere sight of you. Asgore's reaction was not much better. His fits where cleanched and his eyes were wobbily as he took in your injured form. Realising you hadn't replied to Frisk, you let them compose themselves slightly as you rubbed the poor child's back.
"It's okay Frisk, it wasn't your fault. I'm okay, see?"
Frisk tried to see reason, but they simply shook their head. Though they didn't speak again, their sign language told you enough.
'If you didn't protect me, you wouldn't have got hurt! You should've ran away! You should've left me! I should've been the one to-'
"Hey, hey! Frisk, stop it."
You could see they were on the verge of a panic attack, the guilt welling up inside of them. You wouldn't take them blaming themselves.
"Frisk, it wasn't your fault."
You reiterated, trying to sement that fact into their brain, though you were worried that nothing you could say would bring the child peace. Sighing, you let them cry into you for a while. Glancing over to Toriel and Asgore, you noticed neither could look you in the eyes. You frowned, hoping that they too didn't feel guilty.
You tried to think of something to say, anything that would lighten the mood even a little, but you couldn't. The best you could come up with was telling Frisk you'd be discharged tomorrow, which seemed to make them feel a little better. Hopefully. You tried asking them what they had been up to, and that seemed to take their mind off of you for a bit.
'There's so much going on in the news, it's crazy! And it's not just here, a lot of other countries are reporting on it as well!'
Frisk rambled, as they told you how they had been watching the coverage of the event. By listening to the child, you discovered the perpetrators had been caught already. Apparently, they were a part of this monster hate group that had attempted to not only sabotage the event but also take out King Asgore in the process. You found that realisation a bit chilling but continued to listen to the child. Eventually, however, Asgore cut Frisk off.
"Frisk, whilst I'm sure y/n would like to hear more, perhaps another time when she is fully recovered. For now, however, we would like to speak with her alone."
You hadn't expected them to say anything to you, so when they asked to speak in private, you were taken aback. Frisk, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind one bit. Nodding, they gave you one last hug goodbye before sauntering out of the room. You turned to the two monsters just in time to see their façades break.
Toriel finally let the tears, that she had been holding back, fall down her cheeks whilst Asgore's faced morphed into a pained and regretful expression. The gentle monster brought her paws to your hand and wrapped them around yours.
"Oh, my child."
She wept, her grasp, shaky. It was as if she considered you one of her own, to be reacting this way. You were so stunned by their reactions that you didn't know how to act.
"You saved my child. You put your life in danger to save theirs-"
She covered her mouth with her paw as she muffled a sob.
"And now look at you."
She whispered, barely daring to say the words, to confirm the reality where you had almost come to serious harm. You frowned, not knowing how to comfort her. For now, you'd let them keep talking, as Asgore opened his mouth to speak, his voice, sombre.
"Y/n, myself and Toriel are eternally grateful for what you did. You put your life on the line to save Frisk. For that, we cannot thank you enough."
He lightly squeezed your shoulder, trying his best to hold it together, for your sake and his own.
"I'm just glad they're okay."
You replied, a genuine smile creeping up on your face, though it faded slightly when Toriel sniffed, reminding you that she was still torn up about the matter.
"Are you guys alright?"
"Thank you for your concern, my child, but I believe we should be asking you that."
A weak laugh escaped her as she did her best to wipe away the rest of her tears.
"Eh, I've had worse days."
You joked, trying to lighten the mood. From their small chuckles, you hoped it worked.
"I'll be fine. Frisk is okay though, right?"
Your sincere concern for the child made the monsters' soul swell with happiness and appreciation. They could see how genuinely you cared for them.
"Yes, they will be fine."
Asgore answered, with a smile on his face.
"Y/n, thank you. For everything. I don't know how we can ever repay you. We are all truly grateful for what you did to protect Frisk."
Toriel sniffed, wiping away the rest of her tears in an effort to stay strong for you. You smiled at her, touched at their gratitude.
"Young one, I do not know if you wish to know this, but the attack was not only to target me and the festivities..."
Asgore spoke, his tone even more serious than before.
"The authorities looked into it and...Frisk was also a target."
Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, an unpleasant feeling rising in your chest.
"Why...why would anyone want to target Frisk?"
The two monsters paused, clearly uncomfortable with the topic, but you had to know.
"My child, do you remember when I told you that Frisk has trouble getting along with other humans?"
You nodded.
"Well, a lot of humans do not...like Frisk."
Toriel seemed distraught just saying it, so Asgore took over.
"Some extremists have called them a traitor to their kind."
Your brows furrowed, disgusted but not surprised that the notion. You knew what humans were like, but it didn't make it any better, especially since they were hating on a kid.
"Please don't say anything to them, I'm not sure my child would be able to handle the weight of that reality."
Toriel pleaded. Though you felt like it was something they should be aware of, you would stick to Toriel's request. After all, she was probably right. You also weren't sure how comfortable you would be if you were the one to deliver the news to Frisk, anyhow.
"Of course."
"Thank you, y/n. For everything."
Toriel gave your hand one last pat before standing, getting ready to leave. They both figured you needed your rest, and didn't want to keep you any longer.
"We would stay longer, but I think it's best you get your rest."
She said, confirming your guess. Asgore turned to the doorway before back at you.
"Besides, I think there's someone else who wishes to speak to you."
"Oh?"
You turned to look, but it wasn't until the two monsters left that you were able to make out the person Asgore had been referring to. Your brows furrowed and you scowled, trying not to cry as your eyes landed on Edge, who couldn't even look in your direction. His posture, usually sharp and disciplined, seemed lackluster, as if he was trying to hide from something.
The skeleton said nothing as he strode over to you, his fists cleanched and his gaze to the side. Still refusing to look at you, even when he stopped next to your bed, silence hung in the air for a few moments, as neither of you felt like speaking first. Eventually, your anger took over, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"What do you want?"
You spat. There was a pause before he answered.
"TO SEE YOU, OBVIOUSLY."
"Oh, so now you want to see me?"
You glared at him, folding your arms, being mindful of your cast. When he gave you no response, a stronger wave of hurt washed over you.
"Why didn't you come earlier? All the others did."
You asked, the fight in your voice dying at it became progressively quiet.
"I thought we were friends..."
No response. He wouldn't even look at you.
"Edge."
You pressed, your voice cracking slightly as you tried to hold yourself together. Despite the anger you should've felt, the only thing burning in your soul was the despair.
"Papyrus."
He shook slightly, his head still turned away from you. You snapped.
"For fuck's sake, just look at me, at least!"
Following your request, he finally turned his skull so that his gaze met yours. When he looked into your eyes, he saw anger and confusion blazing, passionately. When you looked into his, all you saw was grief.
It was at that very moment, the mere sight of you made him break down. He acted hastily, not hesitating to pull you into his grasp. You had never seen him weep as much as he was now, muffling his tears with your top. Funnily enough, you don't think you had ever saw him cry before.
He shook violently as he clung to you, digging his claws in a little too tightly for comfort. As you listened to the strangled sobs that escaped from his mouth, your wall quickly fell. You couldn't stop the hot tears that ran down your cheeks. You hadn't realised how upset you had been about Edge not being with you until now.
You reciprocated his gesture, clinging to him like he was your lifeline. You buried your face in his chest as he shifted slightly. Now sitting on the bed with you wrapped up in his arms, you felt more safe than you ever had in your entire life.
"I'm Should've Come To See You."
He whispered, rubbing his teeth on your forehead and lingering for a moment. You could still see his small, red tears fall. Somehow, seeing him cry made you feel worse than him avoiding visiting you.
Edge couldn't admit how much of a coward he was, not to you, and not to himself, either. He couldn't stand seeing you like this, and he had acted like a complete idiot. When you didn't respond, Edge glanced to the side, only to find his brother, obviously shocked to see him cry.
Red couldn't remember the last time he had seen his brother cry, so it was like a knife to his soul when he saw him sob. You crying wasn't anything knew, but when it was Edge, the elder brother was at a complete loss on how to react. He simply stared at the two of you, trying to be as quiet as possible as to not ruin the moment.
"You're here now."
Damn right he was, and there was no way in hell he'd ever be leaving again. He had acted stupidly before, refusing to face his fears when you needed him. He wouldn't let you down again. Holding onto you tightly, Edge made that silent promise to himself and you.
"Edge, I don't wanna stay here, anymore. I want to go back to the house, to the others."
You whimpered, as he stroked the back of your head, gently.
"Soon, Human. Only One More Night. Then I'll Take You Back, I Promise."
You nodded. You knew you'd go back tomorrow either way, but a part of you just wanted to be reassured. Like a small child being comforted by their parent.
True to his word, and the doctor's, you were finally able to go back to the house the next day. Once the paperwork was finished up and you had got changed out of that hospital gown, you were finally able to step out of that stuffy hospital and get some fresh air.
You had expected to feel a little unsteady on your feet for the first few hours, and sure, some mild discomfort due to your lack of movement. You'd even expected your cast to itch a little, and some of the skeletons to be waiting with Papyrus' car, as they figured teleporting you back would be a bit much.
What you didn't anticipate, however, was to be suddenly bombarded by news reporters, shoving cameras and microphones in your face. You blinked in surprise as they hurled questions at you.
"Kid, you were at the festival with the King and the ambassador when the explosion hit! Any statements on the attack?"
"Can you tell us about what happened, from your perspective?"
"What exactly is your relationship with the ambassador?"
You blinked at them, so caught of guard that you didn't know how to react. You weren't sure if you even wanted to respond, but you certainly didn't feel comfortable with all these people coming up to you. Whilst you tried to figure out how to best handle the situation, you were, thankfully, saved by Asgore.
He had come by earlier, insisting that he pay for your medical bills after what you did for Frisk, saying it was the least he could do. The gesture was very sweet, and he wouldn't listen when you tried to refuse. Once he approached the reporters, this thankfully took the heat off of you, giving you just enough time to slink away over to the skeletons.
"King Asgore, can we take a statement?"
You heard one of them say in the distance, as you got in the car. The monsters looked just as confused as you were.
"You good, kid?"
Cash asked, leaning on your seat.
"Yeah, no, I'm good. Just didn't expect all that."
You were aware that the news coverage of the anniversary had been huge, but you didn't anticipate the idea that any reporters would talk to you. After all, you were just some random human, why would they be interested in what you had to say? The whole thing was strange to you.
"Y'know kid, we got a surprise fer ya."
Cash said, changing the subject. His comment intrigued you, and a giddy feeling arose in your stomach. Curiosity gnawed at you, yet you knew he wouldn't tell you what it was. That was the point of it being a surprise, after all.
"What kind of surprise?"
"YOU MUST WAIT AND SEE, HUMAN!"
Yep, that's what you thought. It felt like an eternity until you finally arrived back at the house. Excited to see what this surprise was, you made your way inside, searching for the others. Luckily, you didn't have to look very far, since they were all there near the entrance waiting for you.
"SUNSHINE, YOU'RE BACK!"
Blue immediately pulled you into his embrace, nuzzling his cheek against yours.
"Good ta have ya back, sweetheart."
Red nudged your shoulder as Blue finally let him go.
"HUMAN, WE HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU."
Black appeared, holding a blindfold. You tilted your head at what he planned to do with it.
"So I've heard. What exactly is this surprise?"
"WAIT AND SEE."
Black grinned, moving to bring the blindfold to your head, wrapping it around your eyes to obscure your vision. You were then led by the skeletons, doing your best not to trip over.
"Guys, where are we going? Can I take this thing off yet?"
"PATIENCE, PRINCESS."
Black chuckled, but it wasn't long before you came to a stop and your blindfold was removed. Looking around, you found yourself in an unfamiliar room. It was quite nicely decorated, in your opinion. There seemed to be a slight theme of purple to the room, but it didn't clash with any of the other decorations.
The size of the room was decent, as it was able to fit in a double bed and still have plenty of space left. Speaking of the bed, you glanced at it only to find a mountain of pillows on top of it. If that were you bed, you'd probably remove a few of them. However, one in particular caught your eye. Probably done out of humour, there seemed to be a skull shaped pillow in the middle.
Observing the rest of the room, you found that a desk had been placed next to the bed, as well as a large wardrobe. A couple of shelves were scattered here and there, mostly empty except one. Taking a closer look, you found three books: one about physics, a book which specifically focused on the history of monsters and Alphys' book on souls that she had leant to you.
You noticed that a couple of fairy lights were strung up above the bed, hanging down slightly, providing a warm glow to the room. The rug was soft and circular, covering a large space in the middle of the room. Overall, the room was pretty cute, in terms of decorations, and looked fairly new. You turned to the other skeletons, slightly confused why they were showing you this.
"WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK, HUMAN? DO YOU LIKE YOUR NEW ROOM?"
Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. Wait, this was your room?
"Wait, what? This...this is my room?"
"OBVIOUSLY, WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE FOR?"
Edge scoffed, as if the answer was obvious. You stared at them in shock as they explained.
"BLACK AND BLUE WORKED VERY HARD TO DECORATE IT!"
Papyrus added. The skeletons in question both blushed, embarrassed on being called out.
"We figured it was time ya stopped usin' that flimsy little sleeping bag."
Stretch's face scrunched up a little in disgust at remembering the thin piece of material you called a sleeping bag. More like rubbish bag, in his opinion. He was never keen on the idea of you sleeping on the floor for that long, anyways.
"And since we were getting the house redone, we figured we'd have enough room for a space that was just for you, kid."
Sans winked, with Papyrus groaning about how that didn't even sound like a pun, though he knew it was.
"'Sides, it was about time ya slept on an actual bed than the floor."
Red chuckled.
"SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK, SUNSHINE?"
You couldn't stop the large, goofy grin that appeared on your face. They had given you your own room. The gesture was beyond amazing, you don't think you'd ever be able to express your gratitude enough. You noticed that Black hadn't said much, instead looking off to the side, bashfully, as he waited for your response.
Going to him first, you flung yourself at him and wrapped your arms around him, whilst addressing the rest of the group. Black spluttered in surprise as his cheeks turned a deeper shade of purple, clearly not used to this kind of affection, especially in front of everyone.
"I love it I love it I love it!"
You repeated, grinning like an idiot as you finally released Black.
"Heh, glad you like it, bud."
Sans matched your grin and the others seemed relieved that you liked it.
"HEY NOW, WHERE'S MY HUG, SUNSHINE? I HELPED TOO!"
Blue pretended to be hurt, dramatically putting his hands on his hips, but his smile betrayed him. Giggling, you briefly hugged him, before turning to the others.
"Thank you, guys. This is amazing. I really love it."
And you really did. That night, when you got in that bed for the first time, you felt like you were in heaven. The mattress was clearly new, along with the sheets and covers. Relieved to finally be sleeping in an actual bed for the first time in months, it wasn't a surprise that you went to sleep pretty much instantly, forgetting how much you had missed your bed. You had fallen asleep so fast that you didn't hear the door creep open.
Edge POV- one day prior
His brother had dragged him out to the hospital, the one place where he had purposely been avoiding. He had already been grilled by the rest of his and his brother's copies about not going to see you, and every time one of them spoke to him about it, he'd wanted to dust them right there and then.
"Aight boss, enough is enough. I ain't got a damn clue why ya've been avoidin' the kid, but she looked damn heart broken when she 'eard ya were the only one who hadn't visited."
Edge's soul tightened at the idea of you being sad because of him. He could immediately picture the look on your face, what you'd say to him as tears welled up in your eyes. Trying his best to shake the imagine out his head, he scoffed at his brother.
"THE HUMAN WILL GET OVER IT."
Red groaned, smacking his face, seemingly quite irritated with his younger brother.
"What're ya doin', paps? Are ya tryin' to ruin her relationship with 'er?"
"I'M AFRAID I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, SANS. THE HUMAN IS TOUGH ENOUGH TO NOT LET MY ABSENCE AFFECT HER."
Edge spat back, lying through his teeth.
"You an' I both know that's bullshit."
Of course it was. They both knew you were too sensitive to not let this affect you. Unlike the two of them, you weren't emotionally constipated, nor did you hide your emotions out of fear of appearing weak. This combination was what made Edge 100% sure that you didn't take his absence well.
"Just go see 'er."
"I...I CAN'T."
Red scoffed, rolling his eye light, as if the suggestion was ridiculous.
"Course ya can. Don't be stupid."
"NO, I CAN'T! I CAN'T GO IN THERE SANS! I CAN'T SEE HER LIKE THAT! I CAN'T DO IT, I'M TOO WEAK!"
Edge snapped, his reaction taking his brother by surprise. Edge felt himself shake slightly, but he forced that same, hard look on his face as he desperately tried to mask his emotions, though he was doing a terrible job.
"Boss, c'mon."
"I CAN'T."
Edge couldn't bare to face you, not after he had done everything in his power to avoid you. He couldn't count the amount if times he had made it to the hospital and turned around, unable to get himself through the doors, much less to your room. This was the furthest he'd ever come, and it was only thanks to his brother that he was here.
Edge couldn't bare it. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle seeing you in whatever state you were in. After what had happened after the festival, he knew he'd have a full on break down if he saw you again. He couldn't bare to see you in any state that wasn't healthy and happy. Seeing you severely injured and barely moving would nearly destroy his soul.
"Pap, she needs ya."
"NO, SHE DOESN'T."
No one needed him, not even his own brother. You'd be better off without him.
"Bro, ya don't really think that. She was devastated when ya weren't there, I saw it."
Edge refused to answer, staring down at his brother in the hopes he'd back down. But, he didn't. Instead, he came up to him, placing a hand on his arm.
"Even if ya stupid self don't think so, she needs ya. Now, stop bein' an idiot, or I'll drag ya in there, myself."
Edge was a coward. He knew he was. His behaviour did nothing to contradict that statement. It was only confirmed when he realised just how much he had hurt you. A coward, that was all he was. He couldn't even look at you, and when he worked up the courage to, just like he guessed, he broke down.
But, you being your wonderful, kind self, forgave him for his wrong doings, even after he caused you so much harm. That was one of the things Edge loved admired about you. Your kindness. Back where he was from, kindness was a rarity, it was dangerous. It could easily get you killed. He'd experienced a few moments of kindness throughout his life that had come and went, but you had never stopped being kind to him. That was one of the reasons why he'd do everything in his power to protect you from now on.
Present time
The door to your new room creeped open as Edge tried to make as little noise as possible. Glancing over to your bed, he found you asleep, already. Honestly, he wasn't surprised. After these last few days, and now having an actual bed to sleep in, you must've been exhausted.
Walking over to the bed to make sure you were okay, he let a small smile ride to his face. It was nice seeing you look so peaceful and comfortable. You were sound asleep, holding your froggit toy close to you, with the same arm that Sans' bracelet was on.
"Aren't ya bein' a bit creepy there, boss?"
Red's voice startled him and he whipped his head around to see his brother looking smug that he had managed to sneak up on the great and terrible papyrus.
"SANS, BE QUIET! YOU'LL WAKE THE HUMAN."
He hissed, as if his volume wasn't loud in the slightest. Luckily for the two of them, you were a heavy sleeper, most of the time.
"Nah, she's fine. Look at 'er."
Red placed himself onto your bed, testing his brothers patience with a smirk on his face.
"What're ya doin' here, bro?"
"I JUST WANTED TO CHECK ON HER."
Was Edge overly paranoid about your health? Absolutely not. He definitely didn't feel the need to keep an eye on you, 24/7. Nope, absolutely not.
"'Ts weird not roomin' with her, anymore, ain't it?"
Edge simply nodded, taking a seat on the corner of the bed.
"IT'S GOOD FOR HER, THOUGH. SHE NEEDED HER OWN SPACE, AND HER OWN BED."
"Yeah."
The two of them would never admit it, but they did slightly miss sharing a room with you. It was fun, and they were able to make sure you were safe, but they knew you needed your space. This was better for you, anyhow.
Eventually, the two skeletons left you to sleep, taking comfort in the fact that you were finally safe, again.
Y/n POV
The next couple of weeks you spent recovering and relaxing as you tried to enjoy the remaining time you had of the summer holidays. After the initial shock of what happened at the anniversary fair, everything eventually went back to the way it was before. You continued with your tutor sessions, doing your best to help the others with research and data collecting, as work on science project started up again.
Red ended up getting a part time job at a garage, repairing and fixing cars, and Stretch became a volunteer at a nearby cat shelter. Apparently, he had walked in there by accident and many of the cats had instantly fallen in love with him. Despite not actually needing the extra money, since everyone else worked, you figured it was good for them to have a break from working on alternate universe research all the time.
Black had surprisingly taken a few days holiday, for whatever reason. During this time, he was pretty much glued to you, making sure you had everything you needed. Even when you were capable of doing things for yourself, he wouldn't allow you to, no matter how much you insisted. It was slightly frustrating to be babied so much, but it did free up a little bit of time for you.
You took this time to increase your research, whether that be on monster biology, history, politics or science. You never thought you'd take such an interest to STEM subjects as much as had now, as, for most of your life, you had always detested learning maths and science, mainly because you weren't good at them. Now, however, you'd built up enough knowledge to actually take a mild interest in them.
When you weren't educating yourself, you were watching movies and forcing Black to watch them with you. At first, he flat out refused, claiming he had better use for his time. Eventually, you wore him down, which is why you were now sat on the sofa, listening to Black grumble how the protagonist was an idiot. Despite how much he tried to hide it, he always seemed so invested in the plots.
"THIS IS A STUPID MOVIE! I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER, I'M GOING TO START ON DINNER."
He complained, placing two hands on his knees before standing up, storming out of the room.
"But it's only 3pm."
You called out to him, but he didn't turn around. Shrugging, you managed to watch about 10 more minutes of the movie before you decided that it was in fact pretty bad. Turning off the TV, you headed down to the basement to find Stretch going over some documents.
"Hey, you not volunteering today?"
He looked up at you as you took a seat on a nearby desk.
"Nah, that's tomorrow."
"Ah."
"Wanna help me make sense of this, kid?"
He held out the paper for you to glanced at briefly. You snorted.
"Yeah, no chance of that. You're on your own there, mate. Sorry."
"Aww, damn."
Stretch sighed dramatically, tossing the paper to the side before quickly retrieving it in an effort to study it. Jumping down from the desk, you wondered over to one of the many computers and noticed that the data it displayed seemed to be on a fixed subject.
"Hey Stretch, what's this?"
"Hm? Oh, that's the readings from that other universe that we think we're getting."
He waved off, half paying attention. You studied the data as it rolled in. As focused as you were on it, you couldn't help but notice a blinking light out of the corner of your eyes. It was coming from the machine.
"Why's that light blinking like that?"
Stretch glanced over for a moment, before shrugging.
"Dunno. It started doing that a few days ago when Red and ol' plain boy were messing around with it."
You surpressed a giggle at Stretch's referral to Sans. The nickname had caught on, and a lot of the skeletons often used it when talking about Sans. You still thought it was funny.
"I think he said there's a way to switch it off though, he was just too lazy to do it."
"Hah, figures. He can't even lift a finger to press a simple button."
Classic Sans.
"Nyehe, I don't blame him."
You rolled your eyes, of course he didn't. Sometimes those two were just as bad as each other when it came to being lazy.
"So, how do I turn it off?"
The flashing was getting on your nerves a little.
"Oh, uh, should be able to press that button."
Stretch pointed, vaguely.
"What, this one?"
You hovered your finger over the button you thought he was referring to. Without looking, he grunted out a yes. Shrugging at his approval, you pressed it, before anyone could realise your mistake.
Within an instant of pressing it, you knew something was wrong, as the machine had started making a violent whirring noise. Multiple lights came to life, alerting Stretch. His eye sockets widended as he quickly realised what you had done.
"Shit, y/n! What did you do?!"
He yelled, immediately rushing to the machine to try and prevent whatever was happening. Your eyes widened and you stepped back, feeling an unsteady feeling rise in your chest.
"I just pushed the button you told me to!"
"Well, clearly ya didn't! Oh shit, fuck!"
He hissed, tapping frantically on the keyboards and buttons, flipping multiple switches but nothing he did was able to shut it off. Slamming his fist onto the machine, a horrified expression took hold of your face when you saw the look of pure anger and stress in Stretch's face, indicating that you had royally fucked up.
With little time to act, Stretch grabbed you, pulling you underneath one of the tables, bracing for impact. Soon enough, you heard what sounded like a crash and a brilliant flash of light, temporarily blinding you for a few seconds.
No one dared move, not until the two of you were completely sure the machine had stopped. Crawling out from underneath the desk, you gasped, bringing both hands to your mouth as you saw what- who layed before you.
Stretch had a haunted expression on his face as he froze momentarily, before running to get Sans and the others, leaving you behind. There, right in front of your feet, lay two new skeletons who, unsurprisingly, looked like Sans and Papyrus, both presumably unconscious.
Their appearance was both chilling and unnerving. This Papyrus was clearly much taller and more decrepit, his bones sticking out in awkward and harsh positions. The Sans variant was no better. There was a gaping hole in his skull, as if someone had smashed into it, carelessly. Their presence was enough to shock you, but their appearance made it 10xs worse. It was like they were straight out of a horror movie.
The familiar sound of magic crackling in the air did nothing to take your focus off of the new arrivals. You felt yourself grow stiff as Sans arrived first, before the others came barging in, gasping. You looked up at Sans, who was devoid of all expression. His eye lights had disappeared, creating an eerie tension within the room.
"Kid, what did you do?"
Notes:
Wow, that took a while to get them in, but they're finally here! HorrorTale brothers are a go! I hope you all have a good day/night! ❤🌸
Chapter 37: Chapter 37: horrortale
Summary:
Introducing...the HorrorTale brothers!
Notes:
Hi guys! Following my previous note in the last chapter, updates will most likely get progressively less frequent for the next few months, due to exams. HOWEVER, this does not mean I won't be updating at all. Currently, I'm able to get out chapters on a more semi-regular basis, but my schedule can be kinda wack, so sorry about that😅
Anyways, just wanted to reiterate that and be super clear. On that note, I hope you all enjoy! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
TW: Mild Violence/Mild Violence Involving Alcohol
Since the incident, everyone had exited the basement, taking the two new doubles up and resting them on the couch, as they were still knocked out. You all stared at them in disbelief, the shock leaving you silent. No one could take their gaze off of the new arrivals, mainly because of their appearance.
Sure, their presence was a shock that no one had been expecting, but their looks didn't exactly put anyone at ease. You weren't trying to be mean, but they literally looked as though they could be in a horror film.
"The fuck happened?!"
Red was the first to speak up, and you couldn't tell if he was angry or surprised. You'd assume angry, from his expression.
"I just wanted to switch off the light so the power wasn't drained, I didn't know-"
"I told you what button it was and ya went and pressed the wrong fucking one!"
Stretch cut you off, glaring at you. You stared at him, your eyes widening. You don't ever think you'd seen Stretch this pissed off before.
"I asked you if that was the right button and you said yes-"
"Clearly you didn't listen to me!"
He snapped back, when you tried to defend yourself. You glanced around at the others who all had varied, but mostly disappointed, looks on their faces. You shook slightly, hoping, praying that this wasn't your fault. It couldn't be.
"Y-you weren't looking when I said it!"
"Then you should've waited until I looked up!"
"What? How's that even fair-"
"ENOUGH!"
Edge barked, making you shut your mouth. Stretch grinded his teeth, refusing to look at you. That made your soul hurt. You didn't want him, or any of them, to be mad at you.
"Ya shouldnt've touched the damn thing in the first place!"
Cash ran a hand down his face, growling. You felt yourself shrink slightly as you rubbed your arm, guiltily.
"I just- I thought-"
"Well ya thought wrong! And now, now we have to deal with this shit!"
Cash gestured over to the new doubles. A scowl would've been too soft a word for what his expression was conveying.
"I just wanted to save the power, I didn't mean to-"
"Of course ya didn't, but ya just happen ta screw up, didn't cha!"
"I just wanted to help!"
"How?! By making an even bigger mess for us to clean up?!"
Stretch chimed in, now facing you.
"You fucked up everything! Because you're a stupid kid! A stupid kid, who has no idea what she's dealing with!"
He stook a step towards you, his fists cleanched as he sized you up. Rather than his usual slouched posture, he had straightened up to his real height, and boy was it fucking terrifying.
"I just wanted to help..."
You repeated, the tremble in your voice clear.
"Well you didn't."
He spat, a single socket glowing orange. Though you didn't realise it, he was incredibly close to using his magic. He would've, if Blue hadn't intervened.
"PAPYRUS, THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Blue yanked his brother back, giving him a stern glare before he finally gave in, the orange hue in his eye light dying.
"LET'S NOT POINT FINGERS. RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE AT HAND."
He sighed, glancing over to the two new arrivals.
"BLUE IS RIGHT. WE CAN SNIPE AT EACH OTHER LATER, BUT WE NEED TO ACT NOW!"
Papyrus decided.
"SANS, STRETCH, RED AND CASH. GO DOWNSTAIRS AND MAKE SURE THE MACHINE IS COMPLETELY TURNED OFF. AND, MAYBE CLEAN UP ANY MESS THAT WAS MADE DOWN THERE."
Said skeletons grimaced, but complied, making their way downstairs.
"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME EXTRA SPACE. EDGE AND BLUE, GO CLEAR UP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SO NO ONE TREADS ON ANY TOOLS OR LOOSE BITS OF WOOD."
Papyrus ordered. You were stunned at how well he was taking charge. If anything, you thought Edge would be the first one to bark orders, but Papyrus seemed completely cool and collected.
"BLUE AND I WILL SORT OUT WHO'S GOING TO STAY WHERE. HUMAN-"
He turned to you, making you stand up a little straighter as you waited for your orders.
"WATCH OVER THESE TWO. WHEN THEY WAKE UP, PLEASE ALERT ONE OF US!"
You nodded in understanding and Papyrus gave you a reassuring smile before running off to prepare as much as he could. You collapsed on a nearby armchair and exhaled deeply. Once alone, well mostly, the weight of reality came crashing down on you.
Seeing as how they probably weren't going to move for a while yet, you stared out a nearby window. It was starting to get dark now, the sunset just peaking out over the buildings.
You messed up, big time.
You should've waited for proper confirmation, or better yet, never touched it. Just because some blinking light was annoying you, what a stupid reason. You've screwed it all up for everyone, just created a bigger mess for them to clean up. It's not even like you could even fix it, considering you were practically useless at science, no matter how much the skeletons had tried to convince you otherwise. At least now they knew it too.
Knowing that you were probably more of a hinderence than a help made you ache inside. You just wanted to be useful, to actually make a difference and prove others wrong. To actually contribute, to feel smart and needed. But, of course you weren't going to get what you wanted.
You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you forgot to check on the other skeletons. Big mistake. As you turned your gaze back over them you almost gave yourself whiplash due to how fast you turned your head. Immediately getting up to inspect the sofa where they had been laying, the skeletons were no where to be found.
Fantastic, because you loved digging yourself in deeper shit that you were already in.
The others were actually going to kill you if you didn't find these skeletons, fast. You glanced around the living room and found no trace of them. What you couldn't figure out was how you didn't notice them waking up. Moreover, wouldn't they have questioned who you were? This was strange.
The silence felt eerie as you made your way into the kitchen, the next adjoining room. When you saw no signs of them in there, you sighed, worried about what the others would say when they found out about this. As you turned around to leave, you were suddenly hyper aware of something cold and sharp being pressed against your neck.
"Human."
Was all the warning you got, before you were flipped onto your back and slammed against the wall, the weapon still underneath your chin, connected to your throat. The pressure was slightly uncomfortable, but the whole ordeal left you too shocked to speak as fear spiked your soul.
The weilder of the axe was staring down at you, a wild expression on his face. You recognised him. He was the Sans with that massive, gaping hole in his head. His shirt was ripped, and dirtied in blood, or something like that. His one glowing red eye, coupled with that spiked tooth, mad grin made him look completely deranged, not to mention he was literally holding a weapon to your throat.
"Don't ya know how to...great a new pal..."
His low, gruff voice sent shivers down your spine. When you didn't answer, your eyes went wide as he let out a low chuckle.
"Why're ya actin' like it's your house got broken into by some ugly human, huh?"
He spat, his smile dying instantly.
"SANS! DID YOU FIND- AH, THERE YOU ARE!"
A new voice, belonging to the other Papyrus, entered the kitchen. You felt your mouth go dry as you finally got a good look at the monster. He was taller than any of the others, but his spine looked so painfully twisted and bent out of shape, like it had been contorted, badly.
His teeth were ragged and crooked, stained with what looked to be dried blood. His eye sockets were small, the darkness adding to his whole creepy exterior. But the worst of all was his voice. It was like his vocal chords were scrapping together, making such an awful tone. If you weren't paralysed in fear, you would be cringing right now.
"SANS, LOOK! THIS HUMAN BARELY HAS ANY MEAT ON HER AT ALL! HOW DISAPPOINTING. OH WELL, GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT."
"Suppose so, bro. Ya ready to cook up a nice feast?"
What were they talking about? It was as if they were almost casually chatting about eating you! That couldn't be right? Just how crazy were these two?
"INDEED! JUST LEAVE IT TO MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS."
Your head began to speed up at the reality that they were serious. You wanted to call for help, but the axe was now pressed so tightly to your throat it was making it difficult to breathe. You let out a whimper and choaked out a couple strangled sounds before the Papyrus got clearly agitated.
"BROTHER, REMOVE THAT BLASTED THING FROM HER THROAT. I CAN'T HEAR A THING SHE'S SAYING!"
The Sans simply rolled his eye light and reluctantly let you go. You immediately went to scream the first name you could think of.
"SANS!"
The Sans before you looked bored, giving you an irritated smile.
"Yup, that's me. Nice to meat you, heh."
To your horror, no one came.
"THERE'S NO NEED TO YELL HUMAN, HONESTLY. WHO TAUGHT YOU MANNERS? CLEARLY NO ONE SINCE YOU BROKE INTO OUR HOME, HOW RUDE!"
The Papyrus scoffed, sassily. He looked completely bored by the whole situation, moving to grab your arm. He glanced at your casted wrist, but paid it little mind. He tutted as you squirmed in his grip, which was too firm for you to get out of. His claws held onto your arm so tightly, it began to leave marks.
"NOW HUMAN, I WOULD USUALLY PUT YOU THROUGH SOME OF MY BRILLIANTLY CRAFTED PUZZLES IN ORDER TO CATCH YOU, BUT IT APPEARS YOU ARE ALREADY IN MY CAPTURE. HOW DISAPPOINTING!"
Papyrus muttered, as if he had been looking forward to whatever torture he had laid out for you.
"SO, I'M AFRAID I WILL HAVE TO SKIP STRAIGHT TO KILLING YOU. OH, HOW I HATE TO WASTE SUCH HARD WORK, OH WELL!"
"PAP! EDGE! ANYONE!"
You called out desperately, as the Papyrus ignored you, dragging you over to the kitchen counter. The other Sans looked quite annoyed by all your yelling.
"Jeez, would ya shut it already? You humans are always so fucking loud."
"QUIET SANS, I AM TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!"
"I ain't the one being loud, but whatever, bro."
The two brother seemed much more snippy at each other than Sans and Papyrus were, but that wasn't what was really on your mind now. You watched with wide eyes as Papyrus placed his other hand onto your shoulder.
"SINCE I DIDN'T GET TO PUT YOU THROUGH MY PUZZLES, I SUPPOSE I'LL JUST HAVE TO RIP YOUR LIMBS OFF, INSTEAD! THAT'S WAY MORE FUN THAN JUST KILLING YOU, WOULDN'T YOU AGREE, HUMAN?"
He was fucking mental. You didn't know what was wrong with these two, but they were actually mental.
"NOW, HOLD STILL. DON'T SQUIRM. AND TRY NOT TO SCREAM, IT HURTS MY NON EXISTENT EARS TO HEAR YOUR POINTLESS WHINING."
He began to pull, the adrenaline coursing through you. You couldn't escape, not by yourself. So, in one last fruitless attempt, you screamed loudly. No words, just a pure, terror filled scream. Finally, it seemed like you had managed to gather the attention of the others as, before your arm was ripped off, you saw Edge appear.
He immediately lunged at the Papyrus, catching him off of his balance. He immediately toppled him to the ground, summoning multiple bone attacks to keep his double in place. Black was right behind him, using blue magic to prevent the other Sans from escaping or using any sort of tricks to help his brother.
You were immediately pulled back by your Papyrus, thankfully, and you watched as Edge snarled at the other Papyrus, their skulls almost touching. Whilst the other Papyrus looked confused, Edge was clearly enraged. He growled, animalistically, at the threat before him.
"SANS, WHERE DID THESE OTHER SKELETONS COME FROM?"
The Papyrus tried to ask, clearly confused by Edge and the others. It was understandable to be curious, but in this situation, you were sure they had better things to worry about. Like, for instance, Edge tearing his skull right off of his head.
"QUIET!"
He ordered, his anger growing by the minute.
"EDGE, YOU CAN'T JUST KILL THEM!"
Blue reasoned, though he wasn't exactly happy about the situation. In fact, he was glaring at the two new arrivals, an expression you weren't used to seeing.
"OH YEAH? WATCH ME!"
"Don't touch him."
The Sans snarled, only to have the pressure on his soul increase by Black.
"HE SHOULD'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE HE DECIDED TO TOUCH HER."
Black snapped back, quick to come to your defence. Right now, he seemed practically livid.
"Ya alrigh', sweetheart?"
Red asked, checking your body for injuries. When he saw the claw marks on your upper arm, he growled and you could practically feel the anger radiating off of him.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
You trembled slightly, not wanting to take your eyes off of the new brothers, just in case they tried anything. Eventually, once everyone had calmed down, Black and Edge halled their creepy counterparts over to the lounge and made sure they stayed right where they stood.
You placed yourself behind Red, slightly, as Edge and Black both held bones, which had been sharpened at the end, to the monsters' necks. However, neither of the new arrivals seemed bothered by this. Instead, that same, twisted grin appeared on the Sans' face.
"So, bunch'a look a likes break into our home and suddenly we're the bad guys for defendin' ourselves? Heh, how humerus."
He speaks up, still clearly unaware of what was really going on.
"Tch, if we're playin' by tha' logic, yer the one who broke in ta here."
Cash spoke up, his brows furrowed in distrust towards the newcomers. The Sans tilted his head, though seemingly unamused.
"Oh, really? How's that?"
"Cause ya ain't from this universe."
Wow, just rip the plaster off why don't you, Cash.
His blunt reply left you stunned. He didn't even beat around the bush. Though, you supposed that there was no point. They were going to find out, so why sugar coat it?
The skeleton narrowed his eyes at Cash, seemingly having a difficult time wrapping his head around the concept, as did his brother, who just blinked in confusion.
"So, that old lizard's theories were correct then. Idiot disproved her own fucking theories, hehe."
The Sans shook his head, incredulously.
"WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN?"
The new Papyrus- ugh, this was getting ridiculous.
"Before we continue, we need to give you guys nicknames. It's too confusing, otherwise."
You interrupted, and immediately regretted it when their cold, icy stares landed on you, spiking terror in you once again. This was not the kind of fear you had experienced with Black or Cash, no. This was something different. You felt like weak prey amongst predators who were ready to eat you alive at any second, literally.
"That's a bit impossible there, human. Since my name's Sans, and I ain't usin' another one."
Ah, so he was stubborn. Fucking brilliant, perfect. As if you didn't deal with enough stubbornness around here already.
"WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO. LIKE WE ALL DID. BESIDES, WE ALREADY HAVE A SANS."
Edge gestured to your Sans as an example, giving no room for debate, yet somehow, the Sans still protested.
"Why doesn't my double change his name, then?"
"Eh, too much effort."
Sans shrugged.
"AND IT'S HIS UNIVERSE, WHY SHOULD HE?"
Black added. They all made excellent points which couldn't be ignored nor refuted. The new Sans grimaced, glaring at his double.
"I ain't usin' another name."
"COME NOW, BROTHER. IT WON'T BE SO BAD!"
You couldn't understand why he was being so resistant to the idea. Then again, his name was a big part of his identity, maybe that was why he didn't want to let go of it. For the sole reason that it was his name.
"Were there any other names people called you that you'd be willing to take on?"
You mumbled, just loud enough for the monster in question to hear. You gripped Red's jacket tightly. It wasn't as if you wanted to really engage with either skeleton, not after what happened, but you needed to find a solution to this. After all, if you couldn't solve a simple problem between you, then what hope did you ever have to try and get them to agree to anything in the future?
A part of you also hoped that, despite how mortifying they had been, if you maybe worked with them to make them feel more comfortable, perhaps they'd calm down and stop trying to eat or kill you. You hoped, at least.
"Nope."
Well, that made your hope die as quickly as it surfaced.
"NOW BROTHER, THINK! WHAT ABOUT WHAT THAT BUNNY GIRL USED TO CALL YOU? YOU KNOW, THE ONE AT GRILLBY'S!"
His brother tried to jogg his memory, though he wasn't having much luck, as the Sans only shrugged, furrowing his eyebrows together in thought.
"I don't know, Paps, that was ages ago."
"STOP BEING SO LAZY AND JUST TRY ALREADY, YOU SACK OF BONES!"
The Sans sighed dramatically. As you watched them, you began to pick up on the way they interacted with each other. While they seemed to bicker quite a bit, there were also massive similarities between those two and this world's Sans and Papyrus. If it weren't for the ghoulish appearance of these two, they were probably the most like the original duo.
"Fine, fine. I don't know...'Sansy', I think it was, or some shit like that. I don't know, Paps."
"YES! THAT WAS IT!"
"New nickname acquired, I guess."
Stretch decided. Sansy didn't look all that pleased by this revelation, but at least it was still a name he could tie to himself. Now, all that was left was his brother's new name.
"AND WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PAPYRUS?"
Right on schedule, Blue raised the obvious question.
"Any suggestions, sweetheart? Ya did good with the last one."
Red prodded, too lazy to think of one himself. Plus, he wasn't all that creative when he came to naming things, or people. Trouble was, that was the same for a lot of monsters. Though, you didn't think you were particularly good at the whole naming thing either. Fortunately, you already had one in mind.
"Well, I had been saving this one for Papyrus-"
You started, glancing at the new Papyrus before you, the one who had left claw marks on your arm, slammed you down onto the counter and tried to rip your limbs off out of sheer fun. If he hadn't done all those things just now, you would say that he looked seemingly docile, though a bit unapproachable considering his looks.
Were you really going to give him a nickname that you had reserved for your Papyrus? The one who was kind, brave, energetic, smart, thoughtful, spirited and uplifting? Unfortunately, yes. Yes you were.
"But, uh, what about Papaya?"
The skeleton blinked at you, and you felt yourself tense up further.
"It's uh, it's a fruit, if you were wondering..."
His eye twitched at the mentioning of the word 'fruit' which you found a tad odd. Had anyone else noticed that?
"WOWIE! IF I HAD KNOWN HOW CREATIVE YOU WERE, HUMAN, I WOULD'VE DEFINITELY TRIED HARDER TO GET YOU TO TRIAL SOME PUZZLES. PERHAPS I ACTED TOO HASTILY, THOUGH THE RESULT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN THE SAME EITHER WAY."
He seemed to like it, but his demeanour threw you off, making you unable to enjoy his praise. The way he spoke about...anything made him seem slightly disturbed, especially since he was talking about killing you.
"Papaya it is, I guess..."
You muttered, holding your gaze on him for a moment. You didn't say anything further as you let the others explain the ins and outs of the multiverse and what actions had transpired for them to be here. The new arrivals, now dubbed Sansy and Papaya, made less fuss than you anticipated about the whole ordeal.
Were they happy about it? To an extent, they actually seemed to be relieved. On the other hand, they also seemed distressed by something, but you couldn't figure out what.
"So, we're finally on the surface, huh."
It was more of a statement than a question, as Sansy took note of the window, which allowed him to catch a glimpse of the setting sun.
"ISN'T THIS WONDERFUL, BROTHER? IT MEANS WE NO LONGER HAVE TO STARVE ANYMORE!"
Starve? He meant that figuratively, right?
"That's if they're got food up here, Paps."
Black's expression scrunched up as he scoffed at Sansy's comment.
"OF COURSE WE HAVE FOOD, IDIOT!"
He said, as if it was obvious.
"Well, aren't you just lucky, then."
Sansy's tone was laced with hate and venom, directing it mostly to Black, but also to the group.
"What 're ya gettin' at there, pal? What, you lot didn't have any food down in your underground?"
Red laughed, clearly not believing the statement. Sansy didn't find it quite as amusing as Red did, his eye sockets, narrowing.
"Sure, at first. But, ever since that human came and the core stopped workin', food became a rarity, a luxury, even."
He chuckled, darkly. Black lowered the bone from his neck, though still watching him carefully, as he spoke. Edge did the same.
"Course, monsters stated gettin' desperate, and our so called Queen was useless."
Sansy rolled his eyelight, as if saying the very title left a bad taste in his mouth.
"SHE WAS TRYING HER BEST, SANS!"
"Was she, Paps? What about-"
"YES YES, I KNOW. THAT WASN'T HER...BEST MOVE, BUT SHE IS STILL TRYING!"
The two exchanged silent looks and you could tell there was something they were purposely leaving out, though they had clearly decided to drop it, for now.
"I'M AFRAID I DO NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND."
Papyrus spoke up, looking clearly distressed at what they were getting at.
"I'll put it simply for ya. Back home, monsters were starvin. Little to no food, yet plenty of suffering."
Putting it so bluntly only made the weight of his words worse. Needless to say, you were all stunned into silence, only left staring at the two brothers, who looked unbothered by their previous situation.
A sudden wave of sympathy and conflict washed over you as Sansy's words sunk in. Putting aside your already harsh judgement of them, you couldn't help but feel completely and utterly torn up about their situation. It was awful.
Regardless of how they had acted towards you before, no one should be put in a position of such brutality and cruelty. It was no wonder they looked the way they did. Having done previous research on monsters, you knew that if they were deprived of an insufficient magic source for a certain length of time, it could have detrimental affects to the health of their soul, even going as far as to twist and possibly damage their physical form. This principle also extended to mental health.
"BUT LUCKILY FOR US, HUMANS WOULD FALL, ON OCCASION! THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MAGIC, WE WERE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR PHYSICS FORMS WITH THEIR MEAT."
And there it was. The realisation you had been dreading. The others seemed to turn a light shade of grey in repulsion, making them look sick at the thought. You felt Red grip you suddenly and pull you against his chest, using his arms as a way to shield you. You felt the rumble of a low growl rise in his chest, and you really hoped he wouldn't do anything drastic.
"THAT'S DISGUSTING!"
Black heaved, looking as if he was about to throw up.
"You get used to it when you're out of options."
Sansy shrugged, letting out a chortle at the skeleton's reactions. How he could possibly find this amusing was beyond you.
"Yea, well, it ain't like that up here, so don't be doin' any of yer creepy, cannibalistic shit."
Cash growled, staring down Sansy in an attempt to assert dominance, most likely.
"It ain't really cannibalism, is it? Cause we're monsters."
"Whatever, just don't kill any humans."
The very idea of interacting with this guy was nausea-inducing to Cash. He felt his stomach churn at the thought of monsters eating humans, and you were sure the others could relate. You weren't exactly thrilled by the idea either, considering the fact that you were human.
"I GUESS THERE'S NO NEED TO NOW."
Papaya seemed compliant enough, but you knew it wasn't because he hadn't suddenly grown a conscience, that's for sure.
"Just to make sure there's no bad blood between us, hehe-"
Sans spoke up, approaching his horror twin with an easy going smile, masking his true emotions incredibly well.
"Our human here, y/n, is off limits. So, if either of you ever touch her again, you're going to have a bad time."
You felt the air grow colder as Sans' eye lights disappear for a split second, his expression seemingly much more scary than before. As it turned out, Sansy wasn't bothered by his double's pathetic attempt at intimidation. If he wanted scary, he could show him scary.
"Whatever you say, pal."
Soon enough, as quickly as their went, Sans' white eyelights returned, though slightly smaller than you remembered. An uncomfortable tension hung in the air, one where you felt like you were being crushed by an invisible ceiling of awkwardness and terror. Thankfully, after a few moments, Papyrus broke the silence.
"WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU TO YOUR ROOM. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING SOME WORK ON THE HOUSE, YOU'LL HAVE TO SHARE!"
He explained, taking a step towards them, signalling for them to follow him.
"BUT, FRET NOT! FOR IT WILL BE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS AROUND, I ASSURE YOU! NYEHEHEHE!"
With Papyrus trying to boost moral, you had hope that their presence wouldn't be too awful to deal with. Neither brother said anything as they silently followed Papyrus out of the room, leaving you with the rest of your entourage.
"Well, I think congratulations are in order."
Stretch coughed, seemingly directing his statement at you, his tone, flat.
"Good job for bringing in the horror show, kid. This'll make things real entertaining."
The sarcasm laced in his voice made him sound so snarky that, if it weren't for the overwhelming guilt welling up inside of you, you would've instantly come up with some sort of snide remark in retaliation.
"BROTHER, GIVE HER A BREAK! THIS ISN'T Y/N'S FAULT ENTIRELY!"
"Yea, knock it off. Can't bare ta hear ya bitchin' any longer."
Blue was quick to come to your defence, and you were pretty sure Red couldn't care who's fault it was, as long as he didn't have to hear anyone complain about it. It was ironic, really, considering he would most certainly be whining about the two later on.
"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU! I'M GOING TO FINISH MAKING DINNER, BEFORE I WAS SO RUDELY INTERRUPTED."
Black was just as irritable as usual, seemingly directing his anger at everyone before storming off into the kitchen. After what happened before, you didn't feel too keen on going back in there any time soon.
"I'm goin' out."
Cash interjected, suddenly. That was all the warning he gave before short cutting away.
"Same here."
Red grumbled, slamming the door behind him on his way out. You looked up at Stretch, desperately trying to think of something, anything that would make this better. But, you couldn't. He barely gave you a second glance before walking away, grumbling to himself. Now, only Sans and Edge stood before you. You gripped your arm tightly as you met his gaze.
"I'm sorry."
You whispered. He approached you, placing a hand on your shoulder in acknowledgement.
"I know, kid."
That was all he said before walking off, most likely to go and find his brother. Edge had been oddly silent this entire time, making you forget he was here. So, when he spoke up, you almost jumped out of your skin.
"THEY'RE ABHORRENT."
You blinked at his statement. If you were more relaxed, you might've laughed at it. Though, you weren't in much of a jokey mood right now.
"Well, they were starving. No wonder they look like...that."
You made a small hand gesture, earning a slight chuckle from the spiky skeleton.
"REMEMBER TO LOCK YOUR DOOR AT NIGHT, HUMAN."
He warned, before he left you, as well. Once along, you found yourself at a loss on what to do, or how to react. It's like you were still slightly frozen in fear, making it so you couldn't pin down your emotions. Currently, you felt sort of numb, like your brain had paused all thoughts.
Standing like an idiot with nothing to do, you snapped yourself out of your daze by making your way down to the basement. Not sure what you were searching for when you entered, you circled the room, focusing on all the papers that were haphazardly scattered across the desks, some even on the floor.
You picked them up, placing them in neat piles where you could find space. You didn't know how long you were down there, glancing at one piece of information or data to the next. For a while, the world around you felt fuzzy. That was, until, you were drawn out of your thoughts by the sound of Black's voice calling everyone for dinner.
Of course, it wasn't everyone. Once you approached the dining room, you could clearly see a couple skeletons who were missing. Cash and Red were still not back, and it seemed like Stretch wasn't coming down anytime soon. Surprisingly, Papaya wasn't there, either.
"SO, HE WAS JUST THAT EXHAUSTED?"
"APPARENTLY SO! I HOPE THIS NEW ME ISN'T LAZY LIKE MY BROTHER, SINCE HE JUST COLLAPSED ON HIS BED AND WENT TO SLEEP IMMEDIATELY!"
You heard Papyrus tell Blue. From what you gathered, all that space travel took it out of the new guy. Honestly, you weren't surprised, you remembered how tired you had been on your first night. You were also relieved, in a way, as it meant you didn't have to face him.
Black was dishing up the portions of...whatever that was. Suddenly, you didn't feel all that hungry. It seemed you weren't the only one. You quickly realised Sansy had a talent for moving quietly, so you didn't even notice his presence until he made a gagging sound.
You whipped your head around to face him, alarmed at his presence, but paused when you saw him. One hand was gripping his stomach tightly, whilst the other was covering his teeth. You saw his red eyelight tremble slightly as stumbled a bit, seemingly a little disoriented.
When a drop of black liquid made it's way down his arm, originating from his mouth, he immediately turned on his heel and ran in the direction of the bathroom. The others hadn't noticed either of you yet, so it would be easy to follow after him without them noticing. You instinctively took a step forward before you stopped yourself.
What the hell were you thinking?! Were you seriously about to follow after the guy who tried to slit your throat? The one who would've let his brother tear you apart and use you for meat?! Surely not, you were smarter than that.
By being in a room with him, you would most likely be signing your death certificate. You've seen what he can do, so why would you ever think it was a good idea to put yourself in that position again? Especially since he was clearly unstable, in general but also at that very moment.
Still, he had left the bathroom door ajar. You, despite your survival instincts screaming at you to turn around, found yourself walking cautiously towards the room. Tentatively peaking in, you saw him bent over the toilet, heaving the same black liquid into it you had just seen.
The stench was revolting, it's pungent oder making you want to vomit. Yet, somehow, you held down the bile that rose in your throat, as you stared at him. Once he caught a break, the skeleton's breathing became heavy, causing him to lean against the bath tub for support. That was when he spotted you.
His eyelight snapped to you, causing your hairs to stand on end at his chilling expression. You stood hesitantly at the door, waiting for some sort of reaction. It took a while for him to process what was going on, leaving you in an uncomfortable silence once again.
"Take a picture, kid. It'll last longer."
He finally said, his voice alone, making you flinch slightly.
"W-what is that stuff?"
At least, you found the courage to speak up, gesturing towards the black gunk dripping from his mouth. He let out a menacing chuckle and pointed at it.
"This is what happens when ya starved for seven years."
Seven years? Fucking hell. The shock was written all over your face, but you quickly recovered, curious as to what caused it.
"Ya wanna know what caused it?"
You nodded your head.
"Nosey little shit, aren't ya?"
You stayed silent at that, as you assumed he didn't expect any sort of response from you. The main reason you wanted to know is so you could figure out how frequently you'd have to deal with that horrible smell whenever he threw up.
"It was the food."
You furrowed your brows at that, and before you could ask anymore questions, Sansy continued.
"Oh sure, the starvin' monster, throwing up at the very smell of food. Surely he'd be thrilled over the reality of eating again, right? Well, I ain't."
He scoffed.
"If I binge ate as much as I could now, I'd end up with the same result. My body's gone so long without food it's now rejecting it all together. Ain't that fun?"
It didn't sound particularly pleasant to you. You scrunched up your face, still feeling queezy from the smell of that black gunk. He rolled his eyelight.
"If ya so uncomfortable, get out. Unless ya like to torture yourself, like some sicko."
He spat, resting his head against his hand, seemingly bored by this interaction. He was right. Realistically, you should just leave before he tries anything. Hell, you've been lucky enough so far to still be in one piece, who knows how long that would last if you stayed much longer. Yet, instead of leaving, you found yourself speaking once again.
"Is there anything you can do? Like, can you, uh, get used to food again? Would that help stop it?"
He blinked at you for a moment, clearly unimpressed by your suggestion.
"Sure, might take a while though. Been seven years since I actually ate anythin'."
He repeated, as if he didn't remember saying it. You raised your eyebrow in confusion.
"Didn't you eat humans, though?"
The skeleton chuckled and stood up slowly, making you take a step back. Your wariness of him clearly amused him.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, buddy. I didn't eat your kind. May have encouraged other monsters to, but I never did."
"You...didn't?"
Why would he encourage others to if he didn't eat them?
"Stars, don't make me repeat myself."
He shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket, now slightly irritated. You noticed his hoodie wasn't the same as Sans', as there was fur on the hood instead of just soft material. Still, his whole outfit looked dirty, like it hadn't been washed in years, if that shirt was any indication. Hell, even his slippers were stained in blood. It was gross.
"And if ya want it to stay that way, I'd suggest you get out."
His tone was sharp, making his request clear. With no hesitation, you followed his suggestion, making your way out of the room, but not before turning to him to say one final piece.
"We can work on it. Uh, y'know, getting you to eat properly, again. Just needs time."
You mumbled, and left before you could see Sansy's expression shift from irked to unreadable. Good thing you didn't have to try, since you didn't even notice this change.
You stopped outside the dinning room, debating whether you should go and eat something. Despite the exhausting events of today, you couldn't find the strength to. Instead, you decided it would be better to spend the rest of the night in your room. The others probably had a lot on their minds also, and you didn't want to get in their way more than you already had.
Sighing, you dragged yourself off to your room, which now felt strangely cold, considering it was still summer. Sinking down onto the ground, you tried your best to block out the horrible thoughts that started to disperse into your brain.
You hung your head in shame as you slumped against your door, rubbing your eyes until they became red from irritation. The events of today didn't feel real, as you tried to comprehend what had actually transpired.
The new Sans and Papyrus seemed like they would be an absolute nightmare to deal with. In fact, thanks to them, you now felt incredibly unsafe, like you had to watch your back constantly or listen out extra carefully for quiet footsteps creeping up on you. For this reason, you had locked your door tonight, though it didn't bring you much in the way of comfort.
You ignored the way your hands shook slightly as you felt yourself slip into an almost unconscious, unaware state of mind. You couldn't tell if you had been sleeping or lightly dozing, but after a while, a crashing sound jolted you into a more alert state.
You felt your breathing get heavy and convinced yourself there was no way you were going out there to check it out...yeah, of course you were going to check it out. Just leaving it up to your imagination would drive you mad.
Standing up slowly, you took a few deep, but shaky, breaths before turning the handle, peeking out. You listened out for any sort of indication as to what could have caused the noise. After a while, you heard the clash of bottles, or something, and a few low grumbles. It almost sounded like Red. It would makes sense if he was just getting back now, since he had been out for quite a while now, though you hadn't been privy to his whereabouts.
Feeling yourself relax slightly, left your room, searching for Red to make sure he was okay, but also to say hi. You hadn't asked how he was doing after all of this, but you could guess he was less than thrilled about it. Maybe you could talk it over with him and apologise whilst figuring out how to handle things from here.
You smiled as your eyes caught sight of him, hunched over on one of the stools, tightly gripping a bottle of what was presumably alcohol. You couldn't see his face, as the coat was blocking it, but you approached him nonetheless.
"Hey Red, did you just get back? It's pretty late, y'know. Where'd you go, anyways?"
You could barely finish your sentence before he slammed his fist onto the table, the sound making you jolt in surprise.
"It's always a buncha questions with ya, ain't it?!"
He growled out. His tone was much harsher than you anticipated, but maybe he was just tired. Yeah, maybe you were just catching him at a bad time. Taking it as a joke, you tried to laugh it off.
"What can I say, just curious."
"Ain't none of yer business where I went."
Ok, fair enough. You could respect that decision, you supposed. Though it wasn't hard to take a guess at where he'd gone. Given his current state, it was clear he had been out drinking at a pub or bar, or somewhere. But, you didn't voice that assumption.
After a few moments of silence passed, you decided to approach the topic of the new arrivals. Unfortunately, that may have been a mistake on your part, though you didn't quite realise that yet.
"So, uh...what do you think about the new you and Papyrus?"
"Fuckin' pain in my coccyx, what's what I think."
He snarled, removing his elbow off of the counter, revealing his entire face. As if his behaviour hadn't been enough of an indication, but his expression alone told you that he was livid. Your smile dropped when you saw his face, and he stood up, rather unsteadily.
"Red, don't fall!"
What with his slurred and slow speach, and now his uneasy movement, you wondered just how drunk Red actually was. When he stumbled slightly, you were immediately at his side. You grabbed his arm in an attempt to give him some more support, but upon contact, he immediately smacked it away.
You often forgot how strong Red was, so the force of the movement was so powerful that it made you fall back slightly. Tripping on your own two feet, you found yourself, once again, on the ground, your eyes wide in shock.
"I don't need ya help. Yer've done too much, already."
He snapped, and you felt the slow fizzle of magic in the air as his eyelight began to glow brighter in rage.
"I knew ya weren't cut out for this shit, but for fuck's sake, I've never seen anyone be so fuckin' useless yet cause so much trouble at the same time!"
You felt tears spring to your eyes immediately upon hearing those words. It brought you right back to when he'd first called you stupid, all those months ago. What was worse is that now he actually had proof of it, and he was angry.
"I didn't mean to-"
"Yer apologies ain't gonna do shit! So, why bother? We shoulda listened to ya when ya said yer weren't ready for this."
They should've. They should've listened. You knew you were useless, who were you kidding? Not smart enough, not good enough. Always falling short of everyone's expectations of you. It was what you did best, ironically.
"Red, please-"
You couldn't think of anything smart to say in that moment, anything that would make this better. Getting tired of this pointless conversation, he lashed out, smashing the bottle over the wall so it shattered. The rest of the beer splattered against the wall, dripping down onto the carpet, as he stood there as heavy breaths escaped his gritted teeth.
His fists were balled up, quaking with rage. You had never seen him like this before you, and it terrified you. Possibly more than the new brothers had. The whole scenario was upsetting. You were too scared to move, still stuck on the floor. Your eyes were wide, your hands, placed instinctively on your head to protect you from any glasses that flew into the air.
You tried to ignore the fact that the back of your top was now slightly damp with beer, the smell hiting your nose instantly. He was clearly unpredictable right now, and being intoxicated would only make it worse. Unsure of what to do, how to make this better, you stayed where you were, letting tears roll down your cheeks. Your sobs were so quiet, for fear of angering the skeleton even more.
However, when you looked up at his blurry figure, you almost thought you could make out a regretful expression form on his face. He took a step back and uncleanched his fists as he stared at your scared form. You were using your arms to cover your face whilst trying desperately to keep quiet and wipe away your tears, which kept on pouring out of your eyes.
Before he could say anything, he felt the familiar presence of his coat hood being dragged. He didn't need to look up to know it was his brother.
"GO TO BED! YOU'RE PATHETIC IN THIS STATE."
Edge ordered, clearly upset by what Red had done. Back underground, he used to go out a lot and get sloshed, and occasionally say some hurtful things to his brother. Though there was never any physical violence, the nights often ended with him either being dragged out of Grillby's or him being forced to bed. Like now.
Begrudgingly, he made his way up to his shared room with his younger brother, being far too drunk to properly process his interaction with you. Edge watched as his older brother left before tending to you.
By now, you had got your sobs under control, though silent tears still ran down your face. You didn't protest as Edge hauled you up off the ground, dusting you off whilst checking for any injuries that the glass may have caused.
"TAKE OFF YOUR TOP."
After spotting the wet patch from Red's beer, he wouldn't allow you to sleep in something dirty. He took off his own and handed it to you, leaving his bare ribs exposed. Turning around until you were decent, you silently handed him your top. He would probably wash it in the morning.
You hadn't had a good look before, on the beach, but, up close, you could see his ribs were littered with small scars, some deeper than others. They were most likely from his time in the guard, though you didn't ask.
Edge knew that, despite how much he wanted to stay with you, he needed to take care of his brother, make sure he didn't get into any more trouble. The skeleton sighed as he saw how defeated and exhausted you were. You needed rest.
"GO TO PAPYRUS. HE WILL NOT MIND BEING WOKEN UP BY YOU."
You couldn't muster any sort of response, even nodding your head felt like too much effort. You simply stared at the ground, your eyes puffy and your face flushed. Even when he wrapped his arms around you, stroking your head, you still didn't budge.
"MY BROTHER WOULDN'T HURT YOU, HUMAN. HE NEVER HIT ME, AND HE'D NEVER HIT YOU, NO MATTER HOW ANGRY HE IS. REMEMBER THAT."
He promised, but you weren't paying much attention to him, still caught up in what had just happened. You had no choice but to stand there as your mind replayed that moment in your head, causing your heart beat to quicken in distress. Eventually, he let go and guided you in the direction of Papyrus' room.
You weren't sure what exactly you were going to say to Papyrus if he woke up. Why were you going to him again? Oh right, because Edge told you to. Why did he tell you to do this? You hadn't even realised you had knocked as the sound of shuffling inside the room reminded you of where you were.
When the door eventually opened, Papyrus seemed to be like his usual self, as if he had just rolled right out of bed fully energised and ready to start the day, even though it wasn't even 3am yet.
"HUMAN! WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU AT THIS LATE HOUR?"
He faltered slightly when he saw you, knowing something was clearly up, but he instantly recovered, the grin returning to his face.
"HAVE YOU COME FOR ANOTHER SLEEPOVER WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS? WELL, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME, BUT A LITTLE HEADS UP WOULD'VE BEEN NICE!"
He ushered you into his room, welcomingly, and shut the door.
"STILL, I SUPPOSE IT IS GOOD TO BE SPONTANEOUS EVERY NOW AND THEN! COME, LET US REST!"
You, not bothering to sleep on the floor, climbed into his bed, which was thankfully big enough to fit the two of you in, with a little bit of room left, as well. You lay down, fiddling with the end of the pillow as Papyrus told you all about the dream he'd been having before being woken up.
He had been riding off into the sunset in his car with Undyne in the passenger seat, but Undyne jumped out and swam away in the ocean.
"I HAD BEEN VERY CONFUSED, AT FIRST, AS UNDYNE RARELY JUMPS OUT OF THE CAR, ANYMORE! BUT, SINCE IT WAS ALL A DREAM, IT MAKES SENSE NOW!"
You hummed in acknowledgement, unable to give him much of a response. Your eyelids felt heavy as you struggled to keep them open. Yet, something was keeping you from sleeping.
"Papy?"
You mumbled, meekly.
"YES, HUMAN? WHAT IS IT?"
"Do the others hate me?"
Papyrus blinked in surprise at your question, but was quick to reassure you.
"NYEH? OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD YOU THINK THEY HATE YOU?"
You bit your lip in an attempt to stop it quivering, not wanting to cry again in front of Papyrus.
"B-because it was my fault. I brought the new versions here. I messed up everything."
You hated to admit it, but the others, especially Stretch, had been right. It was your fault. You weren't good at helping anyone. You only made things worse, case and point.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, HUMAN! AND I, FOR ONE, DO NOT BLAME YOU FOR ANYTHING!"
That's not how the others saw it.
"THOUGH I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHERS FEEL, I KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THEY DO NOT HATE YOU!"
You hoped that was true.
"Do you hate me?"
Your voice came out so small, so quiet. It was barely above a whisper, but it was just loud enough for him to hear you. He pulled you against his chest, wrapping his arms around you.
"I COULD NEVER HATE YOU, HUMAN! AFTER ALL, YOU ARE MY FRIEND!"
That was all you remembered him saying before you fell asleep. Papyrus sighed quietly as, once you had fallen asleep, he sniffed you once more, just to confirm his suspicious. When you first came to his door, he thought he smelled the faint scent of beer on you, making him wonder what had happened. Turns out, he was right.
Funnily enough, it hadn't been you that had woken him up. Papyrus had always been a light sleeper, so when he heard the sound of something smashing down stairs, he was wide awake. The skeleton had actually been planning to go figure out the source of all that noise, until he heard a knock at his door and you appeared.
He could immediately tell something was wrong, but it seemed that you weren't in a talkative mood tonight, despite how many times Papyrus tried to give you an opening to speak. He understood those nights, he himself didn't always feel like talking much when he was upset, either.
So, his plan was to gently coax you into sleep by telling you about his dream, which, unsurprisingly, had worked like a charm. If only you had told him what was bothering you, he could've helped more. Papyrus was great at helping people, humans and monsters alike, and would've certainly raised your spirit, he was sure of it! Though, he also knew he couldn't force you to tell him anything.
Papyrus had vowed to try and see the best in the new arrivals since they were, after all, just slightly different versions of him and his brother. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread whenever he saw them, as if he was seeing a ghost of what could've been. That idea unnerved Papyrus.
If he was being completely honest, he wasn't too fond of them. They had hurt you, or at least attempted to, without even giving you a chance. He knew a couple of the other hims had done the same upon first arrival, but this felt different. Hearing your scream had been bone chilling, and he realised how badly he never wanted to hear it again.
And, although Papyrus didn't want you to feel hurt like this, he was also glad at the fact that you finally came to him for comfort. Even if he wasn't able to do a lot for you, it was better than just hiding your feelings away from him, like you had tried to do last time. He took this as a positive sign that your friendship was growing stronger, and took pride in the fact that he had acquired such an amazing friend as yourself.
Giving you one last smile, though you could not see it, he finally let himself fall back asleep.
Notes:
I loved writing this chapter, I've been wanting to add in the HT Bros for forever and had so much fun writing them! And this is only the beginning...😈
I hope you all have a great day/night and thanks for reading! ❤🌸
Chapter 38: Chapter 38: a skele-ton amount of problems
Summary:
Feeling can't be bottled up forever. It's like over filling a cup, at some point the water is bound to spill out if the glass and onto the table, until it eventually trickles down onto the floor.
Notes:
Hey guys! I've been writing little bits of this chapter in my spare time when I'm not revising. Just started with these mocks and they're already boring me, lol.
Anyway, hope you all enjoy! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
TW: Mental Breakdown/mention of slight self harm
When you woke up the next morning, you immediately wanted to go back to sleep. You felt mentally and physically drained, despite getting a relatively good night's sleep after crashing in with Papyrus. Speaking of who, was no where to be found. He must've gone to work, you concluded.
Once you became a little more aware of your surroundings, it didn't take you long to notice a shadow hovering over the bed. Confused, you turned your head, only to immediately fling yourself to the other side of the bed, your heart almost bursting out of your chest in shock. Unfortunately, you found yourself too stunned to scream at the figure looming over you.
"FINALLY, HUMAN! YOU HAVE AWOKEN FROM YOUR SLUMBER!"
Stating the obvious, Papaya's voice was still unbearably loud, especially for the morning. You thought Papyrus was loud, but he was most definitely worse. It took a moment for you to regain your composure, though you still felt incredibly unsafe being in a room with him, alone.
"What are you doing?"
You demanded to know why he was here, trying to scare the living shit out of you for no reason.
"I WAS WATCHING YOU SLEEP, OBVIOUSLY! HOW POOR ARE YOUR DEDUCTION SKILLS?"
He replied, sassily, as if you were the one causing him some sort of inconvenience.
"...why?"
"I WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO WAKE UP SO WE COULD START OUR JOURNEY TO FRIENDSHIP!"
You don't think you've ever heard a more ridiculous statement in your life. You furrowed your eyebrows, disturbed at the very idea of being friends with someone who was willing to cook you on sight with no hesitation, not to mention finding pleasure in it.
"I CAN SEE BY YOUR EXPRESSION THAT YOU ARE THRILLED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEFRIEND THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WHO WOULDN'T BE?"
Yeah, that's not what your expression was conveying. You couldn't tell if he was delusional or just that clueless. You didn't even have time to interject, as he continued talking.
"NOW, WHY DON'T WE GO AND MAKE BREAKFAST? AS I CAN FINALLY DO THAT NOW! WHAT A TREAT!"
His sentiment would have held more sadness to it if he didn't act like a psycho. Despite the fact that you pitied his situation, you certainly didn't want to participate in whatever plan he had lined up for the two of you.
"WELL? WE HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY, LITTLE HUMAN. COME ON."
You refused to move, staying on the opposite side of the bed, as far away from him as possible. He eventually got tired of waiting.
"SIGH, FINE. YOU ARE JUST AS STUBBORN AS MY BROTHER!"
When he moved towards you, you immediately felt paralysed with fear. As his hands neared you, you tried desperately to remember all the moves Edge had taught you during his training, as they actually may be of use for once. Unfortunately, you hadn't done a lot of stuff with him, and everything you could remember your body refuses to cooperate. It didn't help that you were still sort of recovering from the anniversary incident.
"UPSIE DAISY!"
In a flash, he swiftly picked you up, hoisting you onto his shoulders. You let out a shriek, caught off guard by the action. Though you were used to Papyrus doing the same thing, you certainly didn't appreciate being in a room with Papaya, much less being held by him.
Of course, since this Papyrus was taller, it meant he had to duck down in order to get through doors. A little inconvenient, especially since he ended up smacking your face into the wall space above said door, knocking your balance off.
You braced for the fall impact, but it never came. Surprisingly, Papaya had relatively quick reflexes, and managed to catch you in his arms. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thing about this experience.
"HUMAN, STOP PLAYING AROUND! WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!"
Yeah, a job he was forcing you into.
"L-let me down!"
You tried to sound assertive, but your voice came out weak and unsteady. Clearly, you demand didn't resonate with the skeleton, as he simply ignored you.
"DON'T MAKE SUCH A FUSS, HUMAN. IT IS AN HONOUR TO COOK WITH MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, SO YOU SHOULD TREAT IT AS SUCH!"
"To cook with you, or be cooked by you?"
You narrowed your eyes at him.
"WITH, HUMAN! DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? DO YOU NEED YOUR EARS CHECKED?"
His lack of understanding towards your sarcasm made you so exasperated that you temporarily forgot that you were in the hands of someone who almost killed you. Unfortunately, your memory soon came back to slap the back of your head once he set you down onto the floor of the kitchen.
"I HAVE ALREADY ASSESSED THE FOOD SUPPLY, AND I MUST SAY, THERE ARE MANY INGREDIENTS THAT NEVER EXISTED IN THE UNDERGROUND! THE ONLY EGGS WE EVER HAD WERE FOR HATCHING CHILDREN, NOT EATING!"
Picking up an egg to inspect it, you wondered if you could make a quick escape. That is, if your feet would let you.
"I LOOKED UP SOME RECIPES, BUT AS TO NOT WASTE FOOD, I WILL ONLY MAKE SOMETHING SIMPLE TO MAKE SURE I GET IT RIGHT! AND YOU WILL HELP!"
You tried to back away from him as he started gathering ingredients but bumped into something solid. Whipping your head around, you saw Sansy, with that creepy grin of his, starting down at you. You felt as if he was looking right through you, viewing you as prey rather than a person.
"Where ya going, meat stick?"
There was a low rumble to his voice that made you shiver in fear.
"My bro invited ya to cook with him. Don't you know it's rude to refuse such a knife offer?"
Papaya was staring at you expectantly, seemingly waiting for you to hurry up and help him. You swallowed down a scream that threatened to escape and tentatively moved closer to the taller skeleton.
"TAKE GOOD CARE OF THESE, LITTLE HUMAN. NEITHER ME NOR MY BROTHER TOLERATE FOOD WASTE!"
He warned, smiling as he plopped two eggs into your hands. You cradled them gently, now petrified at the idea of dropping them.
"HMM, LET'S SEE...AH! THE RECIPE SAYS TO CRACK THEM INTO THE PAN, BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE SHELL?"
He questioned, waiting for the pan to heat up and the butter to melt. Taking a deep breath, you did your best to make your voice as calm as possible.
"You can't eat the shell."
Papaya's head immediately snapped to you, making you flinch. His dead, sunken eye sockets blinked at you, curiously.
"Uh, I mean, I don't know if monsters can, but I can't...humans can't eat the shell, it's inedible to us."
You tried to explain, desperately hoping they didn't get mad at you for some reason. However, Papaya seemed to understand.
"BUT YOU CAN EAT THE INSIDE, YES?"
You nodded. He smiled, then cracked two eggs into the now sizzling pan.
"THEN THAT IS FINE!"
He reached out, making you flinch once more, waiting for some sort of pain. But it never came. Instead, he patted your head.
"HUMAN, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOUR, PLEASE? COULD YOU MASH THAT GREEN FRUIT?"
He pointed to the avocado, whilst keeping an eye on the eggs.
"That's an avocado, but sure."
From the toast sitting in the toaster, and now you having to mash the avocado, you could only assume you were making avocado and eggs on toast. That actually sounded like quite a nice breakfast.
Scooping out the avocado, your gaze flickered from the fruit to the skeletons. Sansy was watching his brother with mild interest, though his expression could've told you otherwise. He always looked either bored, pissed off or downright crazy. After a few moments of staring at him, his gaze locked with yours, his one eyelight meeting your eyes.
You immediately shyed away, choosing instead to glance at Papaya. You were honestly surprised he wasn't burning the eggs right now. In fact, he was frying the eggs really well. For someone who'd never cooked eggs before, he was already better than all of the skeletons in the household.
After mashing, Papaya took over the rest, assembling the meal and proving your assumption right. The toast looked done to perfection, crispy but not burnt, underneath the mashed avocados. On top lay fried eggs, for the first time not under or overdone. After seasoning it with a bit of salt and pepper, he presented the two plates.
"TA DA! WHAT DO YOU THINK, LITTLE HUMAN AND BROTHER?"
"Looks good, bro."
You nodded in agreement. For once, you didn't have to lie.
"I ONLY MADE A LITTLE BIT, AS I DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD TURN OUT AND DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE MAKING A LOT FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSE IF IT TASTES BAD!"
Ah, so you were taste testing. You noticed there was only enough for you and Papaya, but that made sense. Sansy wasn't ready to eat, but he seemed fine hanging around whilst his brother cooked. Maybe it was just the smell of Black's cooking that made him throw up.
He cut a piece off, getting every thing on one forkful, and lifted it up to your mouth. You cupped your hand underneath it in case it fell.
"TRY IT, HUMAN!"
If he had presented it to you out of the blue, you would've assumed it was poisoned, but because you had seen and helped him make it, you felt safe enough to try it. Taking a bite, your eyebrows instantly shot up in surprise.
"WELL? HOW IS IT?"
"It's...really good. Yeah, uh, nice job."
It felt weird to praise him, but he definitely deserved it. Not only that, but he seemed to light up at your praise.
"DID YOU HEAR THAT, BROTHER?! THE HUMAN LIKES MY COOKING!"
He beamed, taking a bite himself just to confirm your verdict.
"That's great, bro."
You glanced over at Sansy and pondered whether it was too soon for him to try some.
"Sansy? Do...uh..."
You almost lost your nerve when he gave you his attention, but pressed on.
"Do you want to try some? Just a small bite?"
You didn't want him to not be able to eat, especially after enduring starvation for almost 8 years. He deserved the right to eat, even if he was a sociopath. Sansy considered the offer, clearly hesitant to move out of his comfort zone. It had been a long time since he was presented with food.
You took the initiative of cutting him off a small forkful and offering it for him to take. There was no way you were putting your hand near his mouth. Eventually, he took the fork, with his brother watching him closely. Slowly, he found the courage to eat the small bit you had given him.
The action of chewing seemed almost foreign to him, and, for a split second, he almost looked like he had forgotten to swallow. Before it got worse, you quickly handed him some water which he snatched out of your hand, gulping it down greedily before slamming it onto the counter, making you jump.
His breathing was heavy slightly, and it was probably better if you didn't engage with him right now. But, you did so, anyways.
"Hey, you didn't throw up!"
You said, a twinge of excitement in your voice. He blinked in surprise, but rolled his eyelight, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Don't get too excited, I probably will later."
You felt a smile twitch at your lips, and you know he noticed it as well, but you forced it down. While they seemed content now, you still didn't want to be around these two, especially when they stopped being content.
Just as you were about to leave, Black appeared, giving you a window to escape.
"Hey Black!"
You immediately dashed away from the two brothers and ran right to him, only now realising how fast your heart was beating.
"Have you had breakfast?"
He shook his head, fixing his tie.
"I'M AFRAID NOT. I AM RUNNING A TAD LATE TO WORK, BELIEVE IT OR NOT."
"Oh wow, that's a first."
He chuckled. You noticed that, over the last couple of months, he seemed to have mellowed out a little. Nowadays, he seemed more calm, though there were still times when his chaotic side would show. Though, now you could appreciate the humour behind that.
"You can have the rest of mine, if you like. There's some left on that plate."
You gestured over to the half eaten breakfast that Papaya had made you. It's not that you weren't hungry, but the food, despite how good it was, wasn't worth sticking around those two any longer.
"THAT'S SWEET OF YOU, PRINCESS. I MIGHT JUST TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER."
You grinned at him, forgetting who was watching you, before letting him walk away. With that distraction, you were able to slip out of the kitchen and exhale in relief. You felt the tensions subside, but all too soon it came back in full force when you ran into Cash.
The two of you hadn't talked since yesterday, when he had been super mad. You didn't blame him, but you still felt that familiar feeling of guilt rise in your chest. Feeling the need to break the uncomfortable silence, you spoke up.
"How was your night out yesterday?"
He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed at your attempt at making conversation,but he relented.
"Didn't help nothin'."
He shrugged, glaring off to the side for a moment. You felt yourself shrink into yourself slightly.
"Cash, I really didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."
"I know ya didn't. But I'm still furious at this whole damn situation."
You nodded in understanding. He was perfectly valid to feel that way, and you didn't blame him one bit. He sighed.
"Look, I know it ain't ya fault entirely. I just need time ta cool off, kay?"
"Y-yeah."
As sad as you sounded, there was still hope that he wouldn't stay mad at you forever. If that was the best you could get for now, you'd take it. He placed a hand on your shoulder for a moment before making his exit.
Sighing, you found yourself sat on the sofa with nothing to do. Apart from the new arrivals and Cash, who had now disappeared, everyone else was probably at work, of off somewhere else. This was your last day of the summer holidays, and you couldn't feel more depressed if you tried.
You felt like a burden to everyone. You weren't capable of understanding complex theories and problems like some of the others were, meaning you weren't useful. You weren't a monster, so the differences were wildly obvious. To top it all off, you weren't even old enough to get a job, to contribute. You doubted anyone would hire a 15 year old.
Yet, despite all that, here you were. Taking up Sans and Papyrus' time and space and resources, with nothing to contribute yourself. You just made problems that you couldn't even fix. What good were you if you couldn't even correct your mistakes?
It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Why did you have to be so stupid? Why didn't the universe let you take after your mother, and inherit her genius? Or your father's, even? No. Even your younger brother was better at maths than you were. So why. Why did you have to be so stupid?
Useless.
"THERE YOU ARE SUNSHINE!"
Blue exclaimed, making you jump out of your thoughts. You didn't know how long you had been staring at the floor, but you noticed your fists had cleaned. Relaxing them, you looked up at Blue, who was flashing his usual, joyful smile at you.
"Oh, hey Blue Jay. How come you're here? Don't you have training, or something?"
You asked, as you assumed everyone had gone off to work today. Blue shook his head.
"NOPE! I'VE COMPLETED MY TRAINING AND HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE POLICE FORCE!"
You smielf at him and stood up in excitement.
"Blue, that's awesome! Congratulations."
"MWEHEHEHE, THANK YOU, SUNSHINE!"
He gave you a massive hug in appreciation of your praise, picking you up in the process. The action made you laugh, and he soon set you down, still smiling.
"I START TOMORROW, THE SAME DAY YOU GO BACK TO SCHOOL!"
"Ugh, don't remind me. I don't wanna go back to school already."
You groaned, as he chuckled.
"WHY DON'T WE HANG OUT TODAY? ONE LAST DAY OF FUN BEFORE THE HOLIDAY ENDS?"
That honestly sounded like the perfect distraction you needed right now.
"Yeah, let's do it!"
For a good few hours, you and Blue occupied yourselves with a few puzzles of his own creation. The skeleton seemed impressed at how fast you were solving them, though he didn't mention the secret hints he had been giving away.
The activity did take your mind off of things for a while, and you appreciated the company. Thankfully, Blue was very similar to Papyrus, so he had assured you that he didn't hate you and was not mad at you. Even if it had taken a few tries to convince you, he was willing to persist until you believed him.
"Hey Blue..."
You began, fiddling with a puzzle piece in your hands.
"Does Stretch...is he still mad?"
You figured he wouldn't get over what happened in a day, but you just wanted a rough idea of how approachable he would be. You hated the tension between you two and, as well as still feeling awful about everything, you wanted to make up with Stretch as quickly as possible.
"MY BROTHER DOESN'T USUALLY HOLD GRUDGES, BUT HE WILL PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME BEFORE HE COOLS DOWN PROPERLY."
You guessed as much. You sighed, placing the piece on the table.
"I'M SURE HE'S NOT MAD AT YOU, SUNSHINE. HE'S PROBABLY MORE MAD AT HIMSELF THAN ANYTHING."
He placed a hand on your back, rubbing it gently.
"DON'T BE DISHEARTENED, SUNSHINE! PAPY WILL COME AROUND EVENTUALLY!"
"Yeah, I hope so."
Right on cue, Stretch appeared in the living room, back from his shift at the shelter. He noticed you immediately, but didn't say anything. Eventually, Blue was force to break the uncomfortable silence lingering in the air.
"IT IS GETTING LATE, I SHOULD GO AND START DINNER!"
Though dinner wasn't for another few hour at least, Blue made a quick getaway, leaving the two of you alone. You stood up, but he refused to meet your gaze. You started off casual, to ease him into conversation.
"How was the shelter?"
He shrugged, making you deflate. Sometimes, he'd have funny stories to tell you, like how one of the cats knocked down a whole bunch of boxes, leaving a mess for all the staff to clean up. Or if there were no stories, he'd just give you little updates. He'd say something.
"Stretch, I know that you're still mad..."
He scoffed, as if that wasn't obvious. Every word you spoke, you felt that you were digging yourself into a deeper hole.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen but I thought you pointed to that button-"
He cut you off with a loud sigh, shaking his head.
"I'm not having this argument again. You got it wrong, you messed up. Now, we have to deal with your screw up."
As you stared at him, you don't think you'd ever seen a more cold expression from him. Seeing it chilled you down to the bone. You cleanched your fists.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry-"
"Sorry isn't going to change anything."
Your memory struck you in an instant, the familiar words from Cash repeating in your head. Don't be sorry, be smart. He was right. Nothing you could say would make this better. So, you didn't bother. Instead, you watched as he walked away, not even sparing you a second glance.
You couldn't stay in this house any minute longer. Ignoring the distant calling of Papaya requesting your presence for whatever reason, you dashed for the door, gently closing it behind you as to not arouse any attention, and sped down the street as your mind began to spiral.
The evening sun's light was warm, yet there was a slight chill in the air that indicated it would soon get darker. But, you took no notice of this, of anything around you. You didn't look where you were going, or even think about it, you just kept walking, too trapped in your own mind. You had to get out of that house.
Everything around you felt blurred, as if your senses had dulled slightly. A quiet voice rang in your head, but it was barely audible, and you couldn't focus on it. All you did was keep walking, whether your feet wanted to or not, they carried you down a seemingly endless path.
Winding down the ever stretching pavement that seemed to carry on for hours, you finally broke free of your mind in just enough time to wonder where you were. You hadn't even noticed the direction you went in, so when you found yourself standing in front of a dimly lit alleyway, you paused.
It was populated mainly by rubbish bins, and soon came to a dead end. You had only taken a few steps forward before you stumbled on a can, almost tripping. Apparently, that was your last straw, and all it took to set you off. In an instant, your mind was warped by blind rage, all logic and self awareness leaving you with no indication of when it would return.
You immediately kicked the can away, a frustrated sigh escaping your voice. Staring at the can, beaten and crushed, slightly rusty from how long it had been there, you suddenly felt immense disgust and hate bubble up inside of you. As soon as that feeling manifested into something more, you felt as if you weren't in control anymore. You were merely a spectator, watching as you took out your rage on anything around you, whilst being mindful of your fractured wrist.
You picked up a bin and smashed it only the ground with no hesitation, the action making a loud crashing sound. You repeatedly tossed things aside, or punched them, or kicked them, whether it hurt you or not. Whatever damage you were capable of, you made sure to inflict it ten fold.
Your breathing got heavier and more erratic and you felt hot tears run down your face. With gritted teeth and cleanched fists, you started to sense the panic that welled up in your chest. Your mind, previously too busy dealing with the chaotic thoughts in your head, finally took notice of your state.
Though this would've been a good time to calm down, you couldn't bare to give yourself any sort of comfort. You didn't deserve it. You deserved to hurt. Your feelings didn't even compare to all the mistakes you've made. You were useless, a mistake. Some stupid anomaly who shouldn't even be here.
A harrowing scream errupted from your throat, making your lungs sting as you buried your face in your hands, a futile attempt at muffling your ugly sobs and ragged breathing. All of a sudden, a light, faint feeling took over your head, as white began to creep into the corners of your vision. You stumbled at this new revelation, falling flat onto the disgusting floor. Right where you belonged.
You shook your head, trying to prevent the agonizing thoughts taking over your mind, but your attempt was fruitless. Your hands somehow made their way up to your head and pulled on your hair as tightly as possible, digging into your scalp so excruciatingly hard, it just made you even more overwhelmed.
Useless.
Stupid.
Nothing like your mother.
Useless.
Only caused problems.
Waste of space.
Useless.
Dumb child.
Everyone hated you.
Useless.
Alone.
Forgotten.
Useless.
You wanted it to shut up. Just make it stop. Make it stop MAKE IT STOP! You were begging. Why wouldn't it stop? WHY WON'T IT STOP?
You let out a strangled cry of frustration and began to bash your fist against the side of your head, harshly. By now, your head was resting on your knees, being pummeled by your fist, repeatedly, each hit hurting just as hard as the next. Your breathing didn't get any better, nor did your vision, though you had your eyes squeezed shut, so you wouldn't have been able to tell.
Your surroundings became fuzzy as you made a mixture of noises that were the equivalent of cries, screams or mumbled pleas. To anyone listening, it would've sounded like word salad. With one hand clawing at your scalp and the other bashing your head, you had found a rhythm of pain, a cycle, one that you couldn't get out of.
You were stuck. Forever trapped in an endless loop, where things hurt and nothing made sense. You weren't supposed to be here. None of this was right. You were scared, hurt, alone, confused, angry and homesick. And, at this moment, you felt hopeless, unwanted, useless. You hated everything.
It took you a few seconds to register that something was preventing you from hitting yourself. Struggling, you reluctantly opened your eyes, your whole body shaking. Your gaze immediately landed on a bright figure, though you couldn't exactly make out who it was as your vision was foggy and obscured by the tears still dripping out.
Your other hand paused, gripping tightly at your hair as you tried to comprehend what was going on, who that figure was. As you blinked, and your vision came into focus, it took you a minute to recognise who was in front of you.
It was Grillby.
You still felt frozen, unable to move, to make an expression other than your previous one. Once he noticed you had paused, he lowered your hand onto the ground and moved to take your other one. Gently, he pried it from your hair and held it in his.
He said nothing, keeping complete eye contact with you the entire time. Well, you assumed, as he didn't technically have any visible eyes. With his free hand, he held up his fingers, seemingly counting down. He kept on repeating the motion and, before you knew it, you had somehow matched your breathing to his counts. It was much slower now, like your usual pace.
As if a wash of consciousness had suddenly washed over you, you blinked, feeling as though you were finally seeing him. Your attention was briefly captured by an open door behind him, where you could faintly hear the sound of people chatting and laughing. Your senses were slowly returning to you, as you became fully aware of everything around you.
A sense of exhaustion came crashing down onto you, and you began to cry quietly. It hadn't been like your uncontrollable sobbing moments earlier, no. Now, your voice held much more sadness to it, and your sniffs were quieter, only Grillby could hear you.
He brought his hands to your face and, when his fingers made contact with your tears, they instantly became steam, dispersing into the air. Your movements were shaky and unsure, but, through desperation, you still mustered up the courage to fling yourself into his embrace. He welcomed you, his natural warmth making you feel better already.
Effortlessly, he picked you up, cradling you close to him as you buried your face into his chest, your tears staining his waistcoat ever so faintly. You could hear the familiar sounds of his bar in full force, but he took you a different direction, instead turning and taking you up some stairs.
After a while, you felt yourself land on something soft. Glancing around, it looked to be Grillby's apartment. Of course it was over his bar. You were sat on his leather sofa whilst he busied himself in the kitchen area. You allowed yourself to sink into the cushions whilst you waited for him. For once, your mind was quiet.
He soon came back and placed something warm in your hands. You gazed down at the cup with mild curiosity, not recognising the liquid in it.
"Sea tea...it has healing properties..."
He uttered, gesturing to the beverage. You took a sip and, true to it's name, it did have a slightly salt watery flavour. Though, it wasn't too overpowering. It was like a mild, slightly salty version of regular tea. You thanked him, staring down at the cup, occasionally sipping whenever the feeling struck you.
The fire elemental took a seat next to you and was incredibly patient. Whether you wanted to open up to him or not didn't matter, he just wanted to make sure you were okay. Eventually, you looked up at Grillby.
"Thanks, Grillby. For this."
He nodded in acknowledgement. You had been so out of it, you hadn't even realised you were right next to his bar. Nor did you realise there was a small alleyway next to it.
"I don't want to keep you from your job."
"The bar...will be fine...without me...for a few moments."
He reassured, but you still felt bad about keeping him, about bothering him. Honestly, you felt like a burden to everyone.
"Y/n...what is the matter?"
He asked, sincerely, as you set your sea tea down onto a coaster on a nearby table. That simple question was all it took for you to crumble, having to fight back more tears.
"I feel like I've failed everyone."
Doing what he did best, the monster listened as you explained your feelings. Of course, you were careful not to reveal everything, but that didn't mean you couldn't say your most basic feelings.
"Like, every time I try to help, I just make mistakes and mess everything up, creating bigger problems for those around me to fix."
Even before the new arrivals, you've experienced this before.
"Like, I'm not good or smart enough to fix everything. Yet, everyone always thinks so highly of me, but get mad when I don't meet their expectations, even though I know I won't!"
You cleanched your fists, causing Grillby to put one of his hands over yours.
"I'm sick of feeling useless, like a burden. Someone to be forgotten, to be dismissed. I-"
You sucked in a breath, as your speech had began to speak up.
"I've felt like this my whole life. Always a disappointment, always useless. If I'm so useless, what's even the point of me sticking around-"
The fire elemental found it time to intervene, cutting your thoughts off.
"Not true...you're not useless..."
He stressed, taking both of your hands in his.
"Not a disappointment...not a burden...not forgotten."
His declaration was firm and you knew that, even if you didn't feel quite as convinced as he was, he meant every word of his encouragement. You smiled weakly at the fire elemental. Even if you didn't believe him, you took comfort in the fact that he was trying to lift your spirits. You were also super embarrassed that he saw you like that before.
"Sorry about before."
"No need to...apologise."
You retracted your hands from his and stood up, figuring it was time you should get back. You don't even know how long you've been gone.
"Do you...want me...to call Sans?"
You tensed at the idea. You really didn't want to speak to any of the skeletons, because guilt and humility twisted inside you everytime you were near them. It made you feel nervous just to go back there. But, you knew if you didn't, you'd great an even bigger, unnecessary problem for yourself.
So, as much as it pained you to do so, you nodded. You would've done it yourself, but you left your phone at home. As soon as he finished, he turned to you.
"You are welcome here...at the bar...anytime."
You nodded.
"Thanks, Grillby."
You both made your way back down to the bar where Sans was waiting for you. Once he spotted you, he gave you a lazy smile, but there was something hidden in his expression you couldn't quite decifer. You, now drained an exhausted, had a neutral expression on your face, though you could tell your eyes were slightly puffy and still red.
He wrapped his arms around you when you approached him, placing one hand on your head, almost protectively.
"Heh, if you wanted to come here, kid, you could've just said so. Wouldn't want you to get all bonely here by yourself."
When you didn't react to his joke, Sans sighed.
"See you later, Grillbs."
The monster in question gave you a little wave before Sans short cutted you into your room. Though, he didn't let go.
"Hey kid, you okay?"
He asked, his voice getting quieter. His hand lazily stroked your hair, patiently waiting for a response.
"Yeah, fine."
"Buddy, you know you don't have to keep secrets from me, right? Whatever it is, I won't be mad."
His voice sounded so sincere, but you didn't want to admit what had happened. You were already so embarrassed Grillby had found you like that, and also mortified. You had never reacted to anything like that before. It was scary.
You nodded, and tried to pull away, but Sans didn't let you. Instead, he brought his face down to yours and began to nuzzle every part of your head with his skull. Pressing his teeth or cheeks against your hair and face, causing you to giggle at the slightly tickly action. He even rubbed his nasal cavity against your nose, bringing a small smile to your face.
It was something Sans used to do when Papyrus was younger and was having a bad day, but didn't feel like he could talk to Sans at that moment. Even if you only felt better for a second, Sans tried his hardest to keep that smile on your face in any way he could.
"Feeling better now, kiddo?"
A little, actually, thanks to Sans' silly antics.
"Yeah."
"Heh, good."
He ruffled your hair, his touch lingering on your head for a moment before retracting his hand.
"Oh, I think Red was looking for you."
You tensed at his words. The events of last night came flooding back, and you felt a rising anxiety build up in your chest. You weren't sure what Red wanted with you, maybe to yell at you again. Whatever it was, you weren't going to seek him out. You nodded as Sans left, but made no attempt to follow him. Instead, you stayed in your room, where it felt the most safe, away from everyone.
About ten minutes must've passed before you heard a knock on your door. You sighed, taking a good guess as to who it could be. Before you managed to reach the door, however, you heard a muffled voice on the other side.
"Sweetheart, ya in there?"
Red asked, and of course you were. You didn't move, and made no attempt to respond to him, waiting to see if he'd leave you alone. But, he persisted.
"Look, I just wanna talk ta ya."
You sighed, knowing you should probably get this over with. You grabbed the handle and opened the door, shakily. There, standing right in front of you, was Red. For once, he didn't have his big puffer coat on, revealing the entirety of his red, polo neck jumper. He looked like shit, to put it sweetly.
There were large eye bags under his sockets, and his singly eye light seemed dimmer and a little fuzzy around the edges. The sweating didn't make him look any better, nor did that nervous smile that could break at any moment. Which, it did, when he saw you. At that moment, he forgot every thing he was going to say to you, as guilt welled up in his soul.
"Don't yell at me again."
You broke the ice, your voice, quiet. You don't think you'd be able to handle someone else snapping at you tonight. That statement made Red quickly regain his composure, though he looked even more anxious than before.
"'M not gonna yell, sweetheart, promise."
He placed his hands on both of your shoulders, kneeling down. The skeleton, whilst taller than you, wasn't that much taller than Sans, so kneeling down might've been a bit unnecessary. However, his skull was at level height with yours, meaning there was no shying away from him.
"If you're not gonna yell, I hope you're here to apologise."
You frowned, crossing your arms. Red chuckled, but it died quickly. He sighed.
"Sweetheart, 'bout last night...'m real sorry."
You figured you'd let him get it all out before interjecting, not wanting to break his flow.
"I didn't mean ta scare ya, I just got so mad and took it out on ya."
Stating the obvious.
"Paps always said I had a tendency to get a little rowdy when drunk, but uh..."
He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. A little rowdy may have been an understatement. You glared at him, and he seemed to get the message, chuckling nervously in response. Suddenly, as if he'd been slapped, Red's focus snapped to you, his eye light scanning your body.
"Oh shit, ya ain't hurt, are ya? Fuck, how'd I not think of that before?"
He must've meant from when the glass shattered, as he didn't lay a hand on you in any way that would've caused you any physical damage.
"No, the beer just got my shirt wet. Had to borrow Edge's."
Red was relieved to hear that you weren't hurt, but his face immediately crumbled into a distraught expression, as if finally realising the severity of his actions.
"I'm so sorry doll, I- shit, fuck."
He stumbled over his words, his grip on you tightening slightly as he tried to hold himself together. Taking pity on him, you moved to hug him, pressing your face into the neck of his jumper. He reciprocated the action.
"I won't ever hurt ya, ya hear?"
You nodded. Even though Edge had said the same thing, you knew it to be true. That night, if he wanted to hurt you, he could've easily, but he didn't. You hoped that meant he never would.
"Maybe next time, don't drink when you're already pissed off?"
You suggested, the corner of your lips tugging upwards. You heard a small laugh escape his teeth.
"Good idea."
You sighed into him as the two of you remained hugging for a moment. His hand was nearly as big as your head, stroking your hair gently as he finally felt calmer. Red couldn't believe how easily you forgave him, he felt incredibly lucky. Pulling a stunt like that, you would've been well within your rights to scream at him, telling him how much of an arsehole he had been, and he would've accepted that.
Except, what you did was much worse. You were sad, of course, and that was valid. But, seeing you act so apprehensive towards him, even if he did deserve it, almost made his soul break in anguish. He kept having to remind himself that you weren't from his world, you weren't like Edge.
You were soft. You weren't as tough as the kids back in his world were, so he had to take a different approach with you. One that was so foreign to him, he actually had to remind himself constantly of it. Though, he wouldn't have it any other way. He liked how you weren't corrupted by his world's rules, how you hadn't been hardened by the sorts of tragedies he'd witnessed.
You were so young, and so vulnerable. Though you may think of yourself as quite old, monsters aged differently to humans. Yes, their soul was weaker than a human's, but monsters lived much longer. So, in everyone's eyes, especially Red's, you were practically a baby bones to them, let alone a teenager.
It didn't help that you were so much smaller compared to them. That's why you were often teased about your height, because it solidified their view that you were a baby bones. That's another reason why Red was much softer on you than he was on his younger brother.
Red sighed, wondering why he ever took his anger out on you. He never wanted to hurt you, and although he didn't physically, he was worried he did mentally. If any problems arose in you because of that, he hoped you'd come to him about it.
"Edge wasn't happy about the mess."
You pulled back, smiling, as you tried to lighten the mood. Like usual, it worked, and also earned a chuckle from the skeleton.
"Course, ma bro's always been a neat freak."
That made sense to you. He was like Papyrus in that sense. Though, you didn't know where he got it from, as Red was clearly the complete opposite.
"Ya eaten anythin', yet?"
You shook your head. You hadn't eaten much for lunch, as you and Blue had been sucked into that puzzle, and you had let Black eat half of your breakfast. All of a sudden, you realised just how hungry you were. You shook your head.
"Aight, let's go see what shit's in the kitchen tonight."
You giggled as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, guiding you into the kitchen. As you approached, however, a choras of raised voices caught your attention. It seemed as though Blue, Papaya were in some sort of disagreement between each other, while Edge watched, amused, from the sidelines.
"DON'T BE SO NAIVE, IT'S EMBARRASSING! YOU'VE JUST WASTED FOOD, CAN'T YOU SEE?!"
Papaya yelled, though he didn't sound as angry as you'd expect, instead sounding more exacerbated than anything. His comment was directed at Blue, and your eyes flicked over to where the skeleton had cooked, or tried to, a meal. Blue looked taken aback.
"I HAVE NOT! IT IS PERFECTLY EDIBLE!"
He huffed, his gaze snapping to you as you entered.
"SUNSHINE EATS MY FOOD! SHE'LL TELL YOU IT'S PERFECTLY FINE!"
The three skeletons turned to you, expectantly. Blue had really tied your hands on this one. You smiled nervously, trying to make it look like you agreed with him without having to actually lie to his face, once again, but it appeared Papaya, the main critic, was not buying it.
"If she was eatin' that shit, I'd feel sorry for her. That's a worse torture than havin' no food at all."
Sansy, popping up from no where, chimed in. The others, minus his brother, seemed stunned by his statement. Though you knew it was an exaggeration, perhaps the others did not. Eventually, Blue grew tired of this.
"UNACCEPTABLE! THE MAGNIFICENT SANS' COOKING SKILLS ARE IMMACULATE!"
He declared, taking your hand and dragging you over to his disgusting, bubbly concoction. Taking a forkful of the dish, he shoved it in your face.
"SUNSHINE WILL AGREE WITH ME, WON'T YOU, HUMAN? TRY IT!"
You gave him a wobbly smile as you tentatively took a bite. As soon as it entered your mouth, you immediately had to hold back bile that had rose in your throat, bearing in mind you hadn't even began to chew yet. As you did, you felt your eyes water and your face scrunch up.
"SUCH A PASSIONATE EXPRESSION! THAT MUST MEAN YOU LOVE IT!"
Papaya didn't seem to convinced by it. You couldn't even swallow the damn thing, and the flavour got worse with every second it stayed on your tongue. You genuinely felt like you were going to he sick, and was ready to spit into the sink when you felt a tissue thrust onto your lips.
"SPIT."
Papaya ordered, and you happily obeyed. You may have been a tad dramatic for rushing to the water, but the flavour was so awful, you didn't want it's lingering taste any second longer. You felt a hand pat your back gently as you gulped down the water. To your surprise, it was Papaya, and what was even more strange was that you didn't feel scared, at that moment. But, that was probably due to the presence of the others in the room.
"GASP, THE HUMAN IS ABSOLUTELY REPULSED BY YOUR COOKING! WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED?"
Wow, Papaya was actually being quite mean. Due to the similarities between him and Papyrus, you were quite taken aback to find such attitude from him. Though, his expression seemed unbothered, as if his words held no weight to them whatsoever, that they were just pure face. Maybe they were, as you didn't refute them.
When you glanced over at Blue, he wore an annoyed expression, something you didn't really see from him often. Sure, there were many times when he acted irritated by his brother's antics, yet there were very few times you'd seen him properly annoyed. You soon felt the loss of contact from Papaya being swapped out for Blue's, as he pulled you away from the taller skeleton.
"SUNSHINE, IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT, YOU COULD'VE JUST SAID. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MAD, AFTER ALL, I'VE GOT VERY THICK SKIN."
He winked and you tried not to smile at the pun.
"AND YOU!"
He pointed at Papaya.
"IF YOU A TRULY A MASTER CHEF LIKE YOU CLAIM, I SUGGEST YOU PROVE TO ME YOUR CULINARY SKILLS. THAT IS, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER!"
A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he challenged the taller skeleton.
"HMM, VERY WELL! I SHALL ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!"
Surely something edible had to come out of this challenge.
"LITTLE HUMAN, WOULD YOU CARE TO ASSIST ME?"
You knew the immediate answer was no, but you needed to come up with a decent excuse. Suddenly, it hit you.
"Uhm, as much as I would love to, I should really pack my bag for school tomorrow."
The others perked up at this.
"Damn, school already?"
Red confirmed. He wasn't exactly up to date with your school stuff, so anything you'd tell him about school was always a surprise to him.
"Yeah, I know. Three months really just flew by."
It was the longest you'd ever had off, so you really couldn't complain about going back to school. Though, you still would, regardless.
"ARE YOU EXCITED, SUNSHINE?"
You raised an eyebrow at him. Why would anyone be excited to go back to school?
"Uh, not particularly, no."
"TOO BAD. NOW, GO ON."
Edge, like usual, giving you the most sympathy. You fought off the urge to roll your eyes as you exited the kitchen. You probably should pack your bag, but you only made up that excuse to get away from Papaya, mainly. You could do it in the morning.
You almost missed Black entirely, as you were walking quite fast, nearly knocking into him. He raised an eyebrow at you, still in his work attire. He must've just returned, not too long ago.
"Oh! Sorry Black."
You apologised for nearly bumping into him.
"HMPH, YOU SHOULD REALLY WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING."
He stated, though he didn't sound mad. If this were a few months ago, he'd probably have exploded in rage. It was strange to see how quickly people could change. Or, maybe he was like this all along, and you were only seeing this side of him now because he actually tolerated you.
"Did you just get back from work?"
"YES, ABOUT 15 MINUTES AGO. UNLIKE SOME, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK ON A MONDAY."
"Yeah, well, sucks for you, then."
You smirked, smugly. The fact that you were going back to school on a Tuesday was nice, it would make the first week feel like it was going faster.
"DON'T FEEL TOO SMUG, HUMAN. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU HAVE SCHOOL TOMORROW. I WOULDN'T BE SO SMILEY IF I WERE YOU."
"Hey, this is the longest holiday I've ever had, so I can't really complain."
His expression shifted to one with mild curiosity. He motioned for you to follow him, but kept the conversation as you two were walking.
"IS THAT SO?"
He inquired, and you nodded.
"Yeah, back home, our summer holiday was only 6 weeks. Unless you had just finished your GCSEs or A Levels, then it was three months, well, roughly."
"WHAT ARE THESE 'GCSES' AND 'A LEVELS' YOU SPEAK OFF?"
He asked, clearly unfamiliar with your schooling system.
"They're like super big, important tests at the end of school. Like, year 11 you'd have GCSEs to mark the end of your secondary school time. With A levels, it was the same thing, but with sixth form."
Black scrunched up his face, probably still a little confused but mostly understanding the premice.
"WHAT IS THIS YEAR 11? IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE A GRADE? WAS THAT THE GRADE YOU WERE IN BEFORE YOU CAME HERE?"
You shook your head, trying to think of an answer, but you still couldn't wrap your head around the schooling system here.
"Uh, I'm not sure what the equivalent is here, but in year 11, students would be like 15-16. So, no, I wasn't. I was in the year below, year 10."
"SO, THE NEXT YEAR YOU'D BE DOING YOUR BIG EXAMS? WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT?"
"Well, they determine whether you get into sixth form and what courses you can do. Sixth form being a slightly higher, more focused, form of education."
You didn't quite understand Black's sudden fascination in your school life, but you were happy to answer any of this questions. However, as it turned out, he had no more. You both came to a stop when you entered a smaller living room. If anything, it was more like a mini library. There were quite a few shelves with booked and a couple of armchairs to sit in with a wooden table.
You remembered this place. It was where you, Black and Cash had finally cleared the air after so long. Taking a seat in one of the chairs, Black pulled out a familiar box. It was the chess set. He quirked his eyebrow up at you as you stared him.
"WELL? ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE A SEAT AND PLAY, OR NOT?"
It was like you had already agreed to this, and now you were the one who was holding up the game. Though, you actually didn't mind. It might be nice to play properly without Cash cheating, even if you didn't really know how to. You sat down as he prepared the board.
"THANKFULLY, WITHOUT MY BROTHER'S INTERFERENCE, I CAN FINALLY TEACH YOU PROPERLY."
Well, at least you were both thinking the same thing. You were the black pieces, and Black was white. Black started off ranting about the basics of chess, how to win, what each of the pieces were called, just to give you a refresher. From there, you started playing, where he'd talk you through different strategies and how the rules applied.
Of course, you didn't win on your first try. Or your second. Or your fifth. Either you were just that bad or Black was just that good. If his prideful smirk was anything to go off of, you'd have to say that he was just that good.
"I WOULDN'T MOVE IT THERE IF I WERE YOU."
You groaned internally, now having to rethink your move, again. When Black spoke again, you assumed it was to critique you once more. Except, it wasn't.
"WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN MAKING THIS A REGULAR THING?"
He asked, almost shyly, as if you would turn him down instantly. You blinked up at him as you placed your piece down.
"Sure, might be nice. If it won't take up too much of your time."
"THAT IS WHY WE WOULD HAVE A SET, SCHEDULED TIME TO PRACTICE. SO, NO, IT WOULD NOT."
You nodded and tried to analyse what would be your next best move once he put his piece down. He had already taken a few pawns and your Bishop.
"I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL CONSIDERING HOW STRESSED YOU HAVE BEEN. IT MIGHT BE A NICE BREAK, OF SORTS."
"I'm not that stressed."
You tried to defend, though you and Black both knew you were lying to yourself.
"BEING IN THE ROYAL GUARD, I LEARNED TO BE OBSERVANT. SO, TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT YOU ARE, AND THAT THERE IS NO POINT TRYING TO HIDE IT FROM ME."
You frowned as he took you another chess piece from you.
"HONESTLY, YOU'RE JUST LIKE MY BROTHER."
The statement was so ridiculous, you almost out right laughed at him.
"What? Me and Cash have nothing in common."
Apart from the new brothers, you and Cash had the weakest relationship. You didn't hang out all that much, and he never seemed to be that bothered about it either. You had short and small conversations, you honestly felt more like acquaintances than friends. You chalked this up to your differences in personality, so for Black to say you two were similar sounded insane to you.
"YOU DO NOT REALISE IT, BUT MY BROTHER HAS THE SAME HABIT OF DOWNPLAYING HIS EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STATE, EVEN IF HE HAS TO LIE TO HIMSELF AS WELL."
You pursed your lips, losing focus of the game. You opened your mouth to speak but Black immediately cut you off.
"IF YOU'RE GOING TO REFUTE MY COMMENT WITH MORE OF YOUR SELF TOLD LIES THEN I SUGGEST KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT."
You did, for a while, and the game continued as normal. You felt something heavy weigh down in your heart, but you couldn't figure out what it was? Guilt? Embarrassment? Regret? Whatever it was, you tried to shake it off.
"Hey, Black?"
"MHM?"
"You don't seem to be mad at me. For like, the new brothers and all that..."
Black simply scoffed, as if the statement itself was unnecessary and obvious.
"WHY SHOULD I BE, WHEN IT WAS STRETCH'S FAULT?"
Your eyes widened, doing a double take on his words. That wasn't the response you had been expecting. You just assumed he also blamed you but hid his anger quite well.
"What?"
"HE SHOULD'VE CONFIRMED BEFORE YOU DID ANYTHING. HONESTLY, I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR THIS LITTLE TANTRUM HE'S THROWING."
If your face wasn't frozen, your jaw would be hanging open right now. You couldn't believe that Black was actually siding with you.
" HE AND MY BROTHER ALSO HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. THEY'RE BOTH IDIOTS."
That made you giggle, and you had a feeling that was Black's intention.
"HE HAS NO REASON TO BE MAD AT YOU, HE IS MERELY PROJECTING ONTO YOU."
"You think that he's mad at himself, but won't admit it, so he takes it out on me?"
Black nods. Well, that was a new revelation. Even if he wasn't mad at you specifically, though, it still didn't feel good to have him lash out at you.
"AND THE OTHERS SAY YOU'RE NOT SMART."
"Wait, what? They do-"
You caught him snickering behind his glove, as you realised he was teasing you.
"Black!"
You laughed, not noticing how he took your king.
"AND I BELIEVE THAT IS CHECKMATE, AGAIN. WHAT IS THIS NOW, THE SIXTH TIME?"
You slammed your hands on the table, leaning forward to try and intimidate him. Though, it was difficult with that fixed smirk on his face.
"I'm gonna beat you one day, you'll see! Then I'll be the one who gets to gloat!"
His laugh might as well be the equivalent to an evil cackle, and here you thought that was more Edge's thing.
"HMPH, I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, PRINCESS."
He said, accepting your challenge. Standing up, he made his way out of the room, as it was getting near to dinner time, with you following close behind him.
"How'd you even get so good, anyways?"
"YEARS OF PRACTICE, IS ALL."
You huffed, not really wanting to have to okay chess for years on end to beat him. But, if that's what it took, what else could you do?
"THERE YOU ARE, SMALL HUMAN!"
Papaya screeched, appearing right in front of you. You instinctively took a step back in surprise, but he payed this no mind, instead reaching to grab you. You shrieked as he hoisted you into the air, much to Black's amusement, and carried you over to the table.
"Oh god, please don't try to rip my libs off again!"
You buried your face in your hands, not wanting to see what horrors awaited you. What was his obsession with tossing you around like a rag doll?
"DON'T BE SILLY! LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR US TO USE YOUR HUMAN MEAT, SO I WILL NOT RIP YOUR LIMBS OFF!"
You think you were supposed to find comfort in that, but honestly, you still felt uneasy. For once, everyone was at the dinner table, waiting on you and Black. Papaya plopped you down onto a chair next to Edge who raised an eyebrow at his counterpart but said nothing. You groaned as they began to dish up dinner.
"Ugh, what a day."
"TELL ME ABOUT IT."
Edge replied, in the same lackluster down as yours. You were handed a plate of what seemed to be cottage pie? Or was it shepards? You'd find out in a moment. You were ready to dig in, seeing how hungry you were, but the others did not share your enthusiasm. Despite everything looking fine, they seemed distrustful of the dish because of who the cook was.
"Yeah, I ain't eatin' that. Prolly put some poison in it or somethin'."
Cash was the first to reject the meal, earning a glare from Sansy.
"WHY WOULD I PUT POISON IN THE DISH? IT WOULD RUIN THE FLAVOUR!"
You know what? Fair enough.
"Oh sure, not cause ya wouldn't or anythin'."
Cash grumbled. Papaya sighed when no one made a move to eat anything.
"Ungrateful..."
Sansy muttered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
"WHY MUST YOU ALL MAKE SUCH A FUSS! IT'S JUST FOOD! LOOK, EVEN THE HUMAN CHILD UNDERSTANDS THAT, AND IS EATING IT!"
You had started about two minutes ago, but most of them were too busy stressing about what was in there to notice you, until now. Their eye sockets widened as you ate rather quickly. Once you were aware of their stares, you slowed down, looking up at them.
"Wha? 'M hungry, 'mkay?"
You said, with your mouthful. The others continued to stare at you like you had grown a third head or something. Even if it was poisoned, eating it would be damn well worth it. This was the best meal you'd eaten in months.
"ARE YOU ENJOYING THE DISH, HUMAN? HOW IS IT?"
"Fab, thank you."
The skeleton tilted his head.
"FLAB?"
"Fab, bro. She means fabulous."
Sansy looked bored, as if he'd done this song and dance of correcting his brother a thousand times.
"GASP! THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT, HUMAN!"
Seeing you eat the food and it have no immediate negative side effects put the others at ease, enough for them to tuck into their own plates. No one could dispute your rating, for it was pretty damn good. In fact, everyone seemed to be practically licking their plate clean.
"DO YOU ACCEPT DEFEAT, HYPER VERSION OF MY BROTHER?"
Blue, with a slight grimace, nodded.
"YES, FOR YOU HAVE EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS."
Papaya looked pleased, but Blue wasn't done.
"WHICH IS WHY I INSIST YOU TAKE ME UNDER YOUR WING SO I CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CULLINARY EXPERTISE!"
Blue demanded. Well, you certainly didn't expect that. But, if this meant that he would learn to be a better cook, you would definitely support his plan. The taller skeleton considered this option for a moment, before accepting.
"VERY WELL! I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, WILL BECOME MASTER TEACHER CHEF PAPYRUS!"
Well, that didn't take much convincing. Upon hearing this, Papyrus also insisted he be taught along with Blue, to which Papaya agreed. Thankfully, this meant that Papyrus probably wouldn't try to teach you how to cook anymore for a while, so hopefully there'd be no more kitchen fires for a while.
Once the plates were cleared, you were about to head to your room when you got stopped by Edge. Funnily enough, he ended up dragging you to your room, though that was your original destination. Closing the door behind him, he waited to make sure no one was listening in. Once he was sure it was safe, he began to speak.
"HUMAN."
"Hello, Edge."
"YES, HELLO TO YOU, TOO."
"Why did you drag my into my own room?"
His behaviour was a little more strange than usual, making you wonder what was up.
"I WANTED TO PRIVATELY DISCUSS GETTING YOU BACK INTO OUR TRAINING."
You had forgotten about that. And here you thought you could escape it.
"Edge, you may have forgotten, but my wrist is still fractured, and my burn isn't even fully healed, yet."
"I DID NOT FORGET, HUMAN. YOUR CAST IS RIGHT THERE!"
He pointed at your arm, emphasising your point.
"Exactly, so how do you expect me to train like this?"
"THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING, HUMAN. FOR INSTANCE, WE'D MOSTLY START WITH WORKING ON YOUR FLEXIBILITY."
"So, what? Like, stretches?"
He nodded.
"NOTHING TOO STRENUOUS ON YOUR INJURIES, BUT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GAIN SOME MOVEMENT."
That...honestly didn't seem too bad. In fact, it seemed perfectly reasonable, something you didn't know Edge was capable of being.
"Alright, that sounds okay."
The corner of Edge's teeth quirked upwards, slightly.
"GOOD."
You thought that would've been it, but apparently your chat was not quite over.
"DID YOU AND MY BROTHER TALK YET?"
You nodded.
"WELL, HOW DID IT GO? YOU SEEMED TO BE PRETTY CHUMMY WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE KITCHEN."
"Yeah, we worked it all out."
"FINALLY! YOU KNOW HE WAS STRESSING ABOUT IT ALL DAY, THE FOOL."
"What do you mean?"
Edge sighed in annoyance, having to recall the tedious, repetitive conversations he had with his brother earlier on in the day. It would've been worse if he had been conscious last night, but luckily his intake of alcohol had been high enough to knock him out the moment he touched the bed.
"ONCE HE REALISED WHAT HAD HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, MY BROTHER SPENT MOST OF THE DAY FRETTING OVER HOW TO APOLOGISE TO YOU."
Edge recalled his initial realisation and having to calm him from having a near panic attack over the idea of hurting you, or you hating him. But, the skeleton wouldn't tell you that part.
"HE WASN'T SURE IF YOU WOULD FORGIVE HIM, BUT I ASSURED HIM THAT YOU WOULD, OF COURSE."
"You say that as if it was obvious that I would."
"WELL, YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU?"
"Yeah."
"THEN I BELIEVE MY ASSUMPTION WAS FAIRLY JUDGED."
You supposed you couldn't argue with that. Either you were just predictable, or Edge knew you better than you thought.
"ALL THAT WORRY OVER NOTHING. HONESTLY, SO DRAMATIC."
Coming from him, that was hilarious. Still, it warmed your heart knowing how much Red cared about you.
"SPEAKING OF MY BROTHER, I NEED TO MAKE SURE HE'S CLEANED. I CANNOT STAND WHEN HE LEAVES HIS CRAP ALL OVER THE FLOOR!"
Again, you had no idea where Edge learned such habits of cleanliness, but you didn't stop him. Finally, you thought you could get some peace, as you sat on your bed, scrolling through the internet, but no. Of course, someone else just had to knock at your door, interrupting you once again.
"Come in!"
The figure didn't even bother opening the door, instead choosing to materialise right in front of you.
"Hey kid."
"Oh, hey Sans, what's up?"
You asked, tossing your phone aside. Taking a closer look at him, you furrowed your eyebrows slightly. His smile didn't change much, but his espression seemed tense. You wondered what was bothering him.
"I had a little chat with Grillby after we left, and, uh..."
He trailed off, rubbing his neck with his hand. You started to get a bad feeling. Did Grillby say something to Sans about your breakdown? Surely not, right?
"He didn't tell me everything, but he said that he found you-"
"Whatever he said, he was lying."
You interrupted, immediately knowing where this conversation was going. You didn't want to call Grillby a liar, but you couldn't discuss what happened with Sans, with anyone of them. You didn't want them to know how weak and pathetic you were. Your heart started to speed up as your mind raced for solutions on how to cover for yourself, but no excuses came to mind.
"So he's a liar, liar, pants on fire?"
You gave him a wobbly, yet unconvincing smile.
"Hah, good one. Well, goodnight-"
"Kid."
He cut you off, as your tone grew ever more nervous. You didn't like how serious he sounded. He always kept everything so light, easy, cracking puns and annoying his brother with his lazy attitude.
"This isn't something I'm gonna ignore. Grillby told me you were having some sort of breakdown."
You bit your lip, fear invading your mind. You felt sick to your stomach. You really thought you could get away without anyone finding out. You shouldn't have been so dramatic.
"It's okay if you don't wanna talk to me about it, I can get Papyrus-"
"No! Don't! Don't tell anyone!"
You didn't mean for it to come out so harshly, but you were desperate. You couldn't have anyone else finding out. It was bad enough Sans already knew. His espression softened slightly.
"Sans, please. It wasn't a big deal, it was nothing."
"I wouldn't call hurting yourself nothing."
"Well, when you put it that way it sounds worse than it was! It's not like I was fucking cutting myself, for God's sake!"
You were truly pathetic in that moment. Making a big deal out of nothing. Your breakdown was nothing, a tantrum because you were reaping the consequences of your actions, that's all it was. His expression darkened, and you could've sworn there was something more chilling about his tone.
"It doesn't matter how you did it, hurting yourself in any way-"
"Oh please, it was literally nothing. It didn't even leave any marks."
The last thing you expected was to get in an argument with Sans today. He was usually so chill, you didn't even think he was capable of arguing with anyone, yet here you were. You turned your head away from him, trying your best not to cry. You hated yourself for letting your little outburst get this out of hand.
"Buddy, hey. C'mon-"
Sans moved closer to you, placing a hand on your arm, but you shook him off, angry at yourself for letting anyone find out.
"It was just some stupid tantrum-"
"Don't do that. Don't minimise your feelings like that, kid."
You wanted to scoff at how ridiculous he sounded.
"Kid, like I said before, you can talk to me. No secrets, remember?"
He had said that earlier today. You hated that. You were allowed to keep secrets from him, so you didn't know why he kept saying that.
"I just wanna make sure you're okay, buddy."
You paused for a moment, trying to come up with a decent response instead of the usual, white lies you told people. But, of course, nothing original came out of your mouth. You didn't even know why you bothered, it was obvious you were lying. So, why didn't you just tell Sans what was up? He said he would listen, that you could talk to him, and you knew that, if you wanted to, you probably would.
But, as it turns out, you refused anyone's help. No one had really offered it to you before, so you had got so used to dealing with some of the heavier stuff by yourself. Sure, you had been comforted by the skeletons before, but you weren't ready to discuss this. You just wanted to push it out of your mind, forget it ever happened.
"I should really get to bed. I've got school in the morning."
You deflected his previous comment, fiddling with your top, hoping he would leave you alone. After a long pause, you heard a quiet sigh.
"We'll talk later, okay pal?"
You didn't need to respond as he shortcutted away, finally leaving you alone. You weren't ready to face what had actually happened, no. It was better to just ignore it and hope that Sans would just drop the subject though, somehow, you didn't think it would be that easy.
Notes:
I've never actually written a breakdown scene before, so this was new territory for me. Hope I portrayed it okay.
Thanks for reading guys, I hope you all have a great day/night! ❤🌸
Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Someone named Stacey
Summary:
Y/n has a couple heart to hearts with certain skeletons. It's also her first day back at school after the summer holidays!
Notes:
Hey guys!!! I'm back with another chapter! This took me ages😅
Anyways, so I was toying with the idea of creating a Tumblr account under the same name as my Ao3 account so you guys could come and ask me any additional questions about any of the characters or whatever! What do you guys think? Also, if I should do it, should I do it on Tumblr, or another platform? Or no all together? Comment down bellow your thoughts! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As much as you despised school, you were weirdly thankful for it today. Yes, it meant the end of your summer holidays, but it served as a good distraction from the recent turn of events. In addition to this, it was also a way for you to avoid everyone and get out of the house for a good few hours. Besides, the first day of school was always easy, so you'd be doing practically nothing today, like usual.
Honestly, you could probably get away with skipping and still have one of the highest grades in the class. But, as much as you would like to, you were still required to keep up your attendance. Sighing softly to yourself, you pried your body away from your nice, comfortable bed in order to get ready for school.
You figured Papyrus would take you like usual, as you hadn't heard any differently. However, the moment you stepped out of your room you almost stumbled back as Papyrus flew past you, yelling something about how he had a spontaneous early meeting and that his brother would drop you off instead of himself.
You grimaced, displeased with the new arrangements. Your plan had been to avoid Sans until he dropped the issue of last night, but with him now taking you to school, you could tell it was going to be awkward. Walking towards the kitchen, you passed Blue on the way.
"Looking good, Blue."
You glanced at his new police uniform, and you couldn't help but feel like it suited him. He gave you a wide grin in return.
"THANK YOU, SUNSHINE! NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I'M OFF TO FIGHT CRIME! MWEHEHE!"
You let out a small giggle and waved as he too early sped off to work. You hoped his first day would be every thing he wanted it to be.
"GOOD MORNING, LITTLE HUMAN! DID YOU SLEEP WELL?"
Papaya yelled, making you flinch. You don't know why he insisted on acting so friendly towards you, but you supposed he was like Papyrus in that way, even if he was a little psycho. Even so, it's not like you two were on good terms, at least, not in your mind. Maybe this was more of a one sided tolerance kind of situation. His voice was especially headache inducing in the morning.
"Morning. Uh, yeah, fine, you?"
You replied, not really in the mood for pleasantries. He shot a grin at your direction, an unsettling, crooked grin. Maybe you were being a little harsh on him though, you probably shouldn't judge him on his appearance. After all, he had been starving for 7 years.
"EXCELLENT AS ALWAYS! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BREAKFAST?"
You shrugged. Glancing at the clock, you wondered if you even had time to eat.
"Nah, I'll probably just skip it."
His expression immediately fell and you felt the atmosphere shift.
"Ain't healthy to skip meals, kid. Trust me, I know."
A low, threatening voice came from behind you, almost scaring you half to death. Of course, Sansy snuck up on you. You side eyed him, knowing that he wasn't advising you out of care and concern, but probably out of spite.
"I AGREE WITH MY BROTHER, HUMAN! NOW, I MUST INSIST YOU EAT!"
Papaya, leaving no room for argument, thrusted a bowl of porridge into your face. Without much choice in the matter, you took it from him. For some reason, they both watched as you ate, neither of them blinking. You figured they wouldn't let you go until you finished it all, but, luckily for you, it turns out you were hungry enough to finish it.
Unfortunately, this had also led to you losing quite a bit of time, meaning you'd have to get ready fast. Well, you would've liked to, if only someone would let you.
"NO."
"Aww, c'mon, what's wrong with this?"
Black merely scoffed at you, as if the issue was obvious.
"Black, you're going to make me late."
"WELL THEN, YOU SHOULD'VE LET ME CHOOSE YOUR OUTFIT RIGHT FROM THE START, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM!"
You let out an exasperated sigh. Why was everyone holding you up today?
"You don't need to choose my outfit, what I'm wearing is fine."
The skeleton shook his head, and you almost wanted to slap him for his incessantness. Eventually, he stopped playing the role of fashion police, by throwing a top and shorts at you and demanding you wear it. Yes, he stopped fussing ober your outfit as soon as you got the right accessories on, and he was satisfied.
You stormed off, annoyed at how good he was at correlating outfits. Like seriously, was he in the Royal Guard or was he secretly a fashionista? Either way, you looked slightly better than before. At last, you spotted the one skeleton you actually wanted to see.
"Edgeeee."
You whined, leaning your head against his shoulder, pushing all of your weight onto him.
"Can you do my hair, please?"
"SO YOU HAVE FINALLY GIVEN UP TRYING TO DO IT YOURSELF, HAVE YOU?"
He raised an eyebrow, seemingly unbothered by the contact you initiated. Though, if it had been anyone else, apart from his brother perhaps, he would've certainly thrown a fit by now.
"I'm gonna end up being late at this rate, and you're so quick and so much better than I am at it-"
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! ENOUGH BEGGING, FOR I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAP-UH, EDGE, SHALL GRANT YOUR WISH."
True to his word, the skeleton made quick work of your hair, though still managing to make it look effortlessly good. You honestly didn't understand it. How, did a monster with no hair, in such a short amount of time, best you at something you'd been practicing for years on yourself and others.
"Thank you, Edge."
"OF COURSE, HUMAN. HOW COULD I REFUSE SUCH A GENUINE REQUEST FROM MY BIGGEST FAN?"
You snorted, raising an eyebrow.
'I'm your biggest fan, am I?"
"NATURALLY. ARE YOU NOT?'
He commented, as if it was a completely well known, normal fact. You smiled.
"Sure, why not."
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! NYEHEHE!"
After you little chat, he pushed you in the direction of the stairs.
"YOU'D BETTER NOT BE LATE, HUMAN. BUT, IF YOU ARE, YOU HAD BETTER MADE AN UNFORGETTABLE ENTRANCE WHICH WILL MAKE ALL YOUR CLASSMATES ADMIRE YOU LIKE THEY WOULD ME!"
"Of course. What else would I do?"
You couldn't help but smirk, knowing he was probably serious.
"Oi, human."
Sansy called, once you entered the living room, his tone as flat as usual. You felt the sudden contact of Edge's hand on your arm, his grip, tight. He always seemed more tense around the two new arrivals, his expression, usually more threatening.
"Paps wanted me ta give you this. Dunno why he couldn't do it himself."
He grumbled, tossing you your lunchbox. With your quick reflexes, you managed to catch it, and boy was it filled with food. You could tell by the weight of it.
"Just in case ya got any more ideas about tryna skip meals."
He narrowed his eye sockets at you, before chuckling, dryly.
"Not that I care, but Paps would eat me alive if I didn't follow his instructions, hehehe."
"Uh, thanks."
You placed it into your bag, still eyeing him carefully, much like Edge was doing.
"IF THAT WAS ALL, THEN I SUGGEST YOU BE ON YOUR WAY."
He said, coldly.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep yer head on, pal."
Even though he wasn't quite out of earshot, Edge deemed it the appropriate time to bitch about him to you. Of course, you kind of agreed with him, but you weren't about to say anything until you were sure Sansy was gone for fear of what he'd do to you if he heard.
"I GREATLY DISLIKE THAT GUY. HE'S MORE UNHINGED THAN MY OWN BROTHER."
"Only dislike?"
You couldn't exactly think of the right word to describe him or his brother. They just...gave you an uneasy feeling. You had no idea how you'd get past this feeling, if you ever would. But, it was clear that they'd be living with you all from now on, so shouldn't you try to get along? Maybe when they've shown you that they won't attempt to eat you again, maybe then you can try to make nice with them, or at least be civil. The most you wanted right now was to stop feeling scared of them, if that would ever be possible.
"GREATLY DISLDISLIKE"
"Right."
You sighed, knowing you'd have to get going soon. As Edge left for work, you went to track down Sans, only to scare the living shit out of you when he materialised right in front of you.
"Oops, didn't mean for you to jump out of your skin there, bud. Hehe."
You forced your heart beat to slow when you realised there was no threat. When you showed no visible reaction to his joke, he chuckled nervously.
"You ready to go?"
You nodded, and took his hand as he prepared to shortcut the two of you to the school. It was quite a handy trick for when you were running short for time, you had to admit. A wave of deja vu washed over you as you stood in front of the school, watching monster and human students filing in, some happy to see their friends again, others wishing they could go back to bed. You were the latter.
"You doing alright, kid?"
"Yeah, fine. I'll see you later, Sans."
You mumbled, feeling as awkward as you predicted. Sand knew why you were being short with him, but he took no offence to it. Like usual, he shrugged it off with a smile.
"See ya, kiddo."
Sans moved to hug you, but you pulled back, not really wanting to reciprocate his gesture. You just wanted to get rid of that awkward, tense feeling and go and get school over with. You felt a bit bad when he paused, realising you didn't want to hug him, but he didn't seem to hold it against you. Instead, he shoved his hands inside his pockets and gave you a wink before short cutting away.
Without giving yourself any more time to think about that interaction, you quickly headed to the entrance, dodging and weaving past the hustling and bustling of students milling about the corridors. You tried to get through without bumping into anyone, but of course, it was inevitable, as you felt someone bash into you, almost knocking you off your feet.
"Oh, sorry-"
You began, but were immediately cut off by the bunny that had just bumped into you.
"I'm so s-sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!"
Her voice was high pitched and shaky, a clear indication she was nervous, as if it wasn't already obvious from her slightly bent ears. She hastily drew back, creating an adequate amount of space in between you. It was almost like she was intimidated of you, but you couldn't grasp why. After all, you didn't think to looked scary, and you hadn't yelled at her. What had got her so spooked?
"June! You gotta watch where you're going! Why'd you stop following me?"
Your attention was drawn to another rabbit who was striding towards you too. The monster, now named June, frowned.
"Because you were going the wrong way!"
"How do you know that? You haven't even been here before!"
"Well, neither have you, April!"
You fought hard not to interrupt them to comment on their names, merely watching as they bickered with each other. By the sounds of it, they had taken a wrong turn and were trying to get to their tutor class.
"Oh, are you guys new?"
You finally spoke up, and the two instantly froze, staring at you.
"Uh, yeah. We just transferred from a different school."
April replied. Though no introductions was really needed on their end, the monsters still gave you their names, and you returned the interaction.
"Well, what class are you guys in? I can show you where to go."
They seemed to hesitate for a moment before showing you their timetables, which you found slightly odd but didn't comment on it. After all, you remembered how nervous you were on your first day, you probably acted in a similar manner so you were in no position to judge either of them.
You were able to give the correct directions to both of them and decided to check out their schedules whilst you were at it.
"Oh hey, you've got Science with me, April. And June, you're in my English class!"
You grinned at both of them, hoping it would make them feel a little at ease. Upon getting a closer look a them, the bunnies seemed to share a plethora of similarities in terms of looks. You weren't just saying that because they were both bunnies, their physical features were actually incredibly similar. In fact, they'd be almost identical, if it wasn't for their difference in coat colour. April's fur was a light, wood brown, contrasting to June's white coat.
"I'll walk you guys to your classes."
Thankfully, they were both in the same tutor class as each other, and the classroom wasn't that far from yours, so you were happy to escort them.
"Hey, thanks for helping us."
April said, whilst June gave you a shy smile.
"Yeah, you're a really nice human."
You found it a bit weird how June specified you being a human, but thought nothing of it.
"Don't worry about it. If you guys need anymore help, just let me know."
"Uhm, actually-"
April began.
"Would it be okay if we hung out with you at break? It's just that, we don't really know anyone yet."
When you arrived today, you hadn't expected to gain two new friends in the process. However, you weren't complaining.
"Of course! My classroom is just over there, we can meet outside afterwards."
And so, it was agreed. Trodding off to your classroom, it seemed like the universe was doing everything in it's path to make you late, as you ran into yet another stranger. It was a girl, a very pretty one at that. Taking a closer look, eyeing her up and down, you vaguely recognised her. Stacey, if you remembered correctly, blinked at you in surprise.
"Oh, hi. Are you okay?"
You nodded, whilst recalling what you knew about her. Stacey was considered one of the 'popular' girls in the school, though you weren't sure how publically favoured she was. It was like that in your old school back home, where you'd have those 'popular' girl groups who weren't actually popular, but were either really nice or loud and mean. It was usually the chavs who fell into that category, majority of the time. The same went for the boys, except none of them were usually nice. They were only well known for being mean and causing trouble, really.
"Sorry, I really need to watch where I'm going today."
"Oh, don't worry hun, it's no problem."
She waved off, her tone sounding surprisingly sincere. Honestly, that was not how you expected her to act. Seeing as she was dating Derek, the most popular, and good looking to some, in the year, you figured she'd be mean like he was. Though you did go to his party, you still thought he acted like an arse.
"Hey, you're y/n, right?"
"Yeah. Stacey, is it?"
She nodded, grinning.
"Hey, I like your top, it's really cute."
You observed. It was a red halter neck with a cute, swirly pattern on it. The girl seemed delighted at your compliment.
"Aww, thank you! I love your jewelry, you always pair them so nicely with your outfits!"
Well, you couldn't take too much credit for that, as Black was often giving you fashion advice. Hell, none of this outfit was even by your own creation, as the skeleton had thrown it at you and demanded you wear it.
"Thanks, but I can't take too much credit for that."
"Ooh girl, have you got a private stylist?"
You giggled at her joke. You don't know why you had ever considered her to be mean, she seemed perfectly delightful. Stereotypes really gave the wrong perception of people.
"You could say that. Nah, more like one of my family members meddling in my fashion choices."
"Family? Oh, yeah. Those skeletons, right?"
She said it with a little apprehension, her tone, less bubbly than before. Your smile remained but it was almost like there was a slight shift in the atmosphere when your pretend family was brought up.
"Uh, yeah. That's them!"
"Right. So like, what's the deal with you and them?"
During your time at this school, you had been lucky enough not to get too many questions about your relationship with the skeletons. Unfortunately, you knew it was inevitable someone would be curious and ask you a bunch of questions. It was fine, no need to panic, you just needed to stick to the lie.
"They're, uh, my foster family. Temporarily, while I stay here."
She raised her eyebrows slightly at that.
"Oh, I didn't know they let monsters foster humans."
Your smile had disappeared, and you began to get an uneasy feeling in your gut. It was just something about the way she spoke about it, as if it was a bad thing.
"Though, then again, I guess there is the whole monster ambassador's situation, what with them getting adopted by monsters."
She shrugged, as if the topic was now boring her.
"Hey, you know those two bunny monsters you were with. Are they new?"
You mentally let out a sigh of relief at the change of topics and nodded.
"Yeah, I just showed them to their tutor class is all."
You gestured towards the classroom a couple of doors down and was surprised to find a grimace on Stacey's face.
"Ugh, of course they're in my homeroom class."
She muttered, sighing to herself. Maybe you weren't imagining it, but it seemed as though she had a problem with monsters. Your eyebrows creased together, trying to figure out what her deal was when the bell rung. Miraculously, her smile reappeared.
"Well, it was nice chatting to you, hun. We should definitely hang out more, you're so nice!"
Again, there was that genuine sincerity. You couldn't figure her out at all, but put a smile on your face as you said goodbye before running off to your class. You shook off the weird vibes you had got and figured you were probably misinterpreting the interaction. After all, she did seem genuinely nice. Maybe there was nothing else to it.
"Y/n!"
Carly called your name, running up to hug you once you entered the classroom. When you walked in, you noticed everyone staring at you. As much as you hated the attention, it was inevitable. They'd probably all seen what had happened at the anniversary, and with you making a surprise appearance, it was no wonder everyone was staring.
"I saw what happened on TV at the anniversary! Are you okay?"
She fretted, making you smile at how concerned she was for you.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
You were over the whole ordeal, even if you hadn't spoken about it much since it happened.
"Sick cast! Can I sign it?"
"Oh, uh, sure."
Carly grabbed a pen, writing a cute, encouraging message in bubble writing. You grinned at the message, and let a couple other people, who wanted to, sign it. Whilst you sat there, listening to the teacher drone on about nothing interesting, your mind couldn't help but wander back to Stacey. She seemed nice enough, but you just couldn't shake the feeling something was up.
You had told Carly the plan which had been to meet up with June and April after class ended. So, when you went out into the hallway, neither of you expected to see Stacey yelling at the two.
Immediately, you rushed over to see what the problem was, seeing how distressed June looked and how angry April was. Some people were glancing at the scene, but no one bothered to stop and listen.
"Hey guys, what's going on?"
You asked, trying to diffuse the situation.
"I don't know, she just started yelling at us for no reason!"
April explained, gesturing to Stacey, who had a sour look on his face. You turned to her, expecting an explanation. Stacey put her hands up and shrugged, as if it was the first she was hearing of this.
"I just wanted to make sure they weren't bothering you before."
That sounded innocent enough, however, something told you it was anything but.
"We weren't!"
April huffed, looking even more irritated.
"Honestly, they weren't."
"Well, fine."
Stacey sighed, moving in closer to you. She lowered her voice, just enough that the others couldn't hear.
"You just never know with some monsters."
You stared at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she had just said. Her comment finally solidified what her deal was. While she may have been nice to humans, she certainly wasn't to monsters. That pissed you off.
"Excuse me? What are you implying?"
You snapped, glaring at her. Stacey had the gall to look surprised at your reaction, when she knew what she said was wrong. She clearly didn't care, and decided to bother April and June for no reason.
"Wait, are you mad? I was just trying to help you, hun!"
You opened your mouth, reading to slag her off to no end, when June stepped in for you, realising how angry you were.
"Y/n, it's f-fine. Let's just go-"
"I wasn't fucking talking to you, was I?"
June's ears immediately flipped downward at the shock of how quickly Stacey's tone flipped from sweet to harsh. Finally you were seeing how two faced she was, and it disguested you. June cowered behind you as she felt all confidence drain from her, but you were more than willing to take over.
"Don't speak to her like that!"
"Please, she deserved it."
This girl had the actual audacity to giggle at the situation, which only deepened your scowl.
"Honestly, so pathetic, these monsters."
"If anything, you're pathetic. I didn't realise how much of a racist bitch you were until now."
"Y/n, you're being dramatic!"
She took another step towards you, like she could approach you and there would be no consequences.
"Why do you even hang out with those monsters, anyways? Why not your own kind. I mean, you're usually with that bird monster, whatever her name is."
"Her name is Quinn, and she's nicer than you'll ever be."
It seemed her patience was wearing thin, as she began to frown at you. Good, you weren't here to be friendly with her, not after the way she treated June and April, and bringing Quinn into it only made it worse.
"Of course you'd stick up to those monsters."
"Yeah, because it's the decent and right thing to do!"
You were absolutely appalled that someone of your age was acting like those old, closed minded generations before you. But, then again, you supposed anyone could be racist. You felt your fists clench as you took a step towards her, signaling to her to either apologise or back the fuck down. However, before you could do anything, you felt a hand on your shoulder.
"Just leave her, y/n. She's not worth it."
Carly spoke, pulling you away before you did something you might regret. Though, the most you would've done was cuss her out massively. After all, you weren't a violent person, so it's not like you'd start a fight with her.
"It's no surprise you hang out with those creatures. After all, they probably resemble the freaks in your family-"
You don't know how it happened, you certainly weren't expecting it, no one was. Her words had made you snap, causing you to instantly turn back around and, once you were close enough, slam your fist right into her cheek with all the force you could muster. Thanks to Edge's training sessions, you had grown a little stronger, so the impact of your attack was much more powerful.
You were seething with rage, your ragged breath escaping from your gritted teeth as you stared down at her. Your punch has caused her to lose her footing and fall straight onto the ground. Your furious eyes met hers, which were wide with surprise. A moment of silence passed, as everyone who had seen now stopped and stared, anxiously anticipating what would happen next.
You honestly had expected her to start crying, and you wouldn't have blamed her. If you had anymore time to really register what had happened, you may have been mortified by your actions. However, it only took a second before Stacey was back on her feet, ready to fight back. Although, she took a slightly different strategy.
As everyone gathered around you, making noises of excitement and encouragement of their own, you only felt rage as you glared at her. And so, the two of you went at it. Though it wasn't as if either of you were doing any sort of crazy, martial arts moves, there was certainly some violent action being afflicted. You could thank your pent up aggression for your stamina.
She chose to pull at your hair and knock you down, and when that didn't work, she even ended up kicking you. That did cause you to lose your balance, giving her enough time to slap you, hard.
"You fucking bitch! What the hell is your problem?!"
"Me?! I'm not the one who's an intolerable, two faced racist!"
Carly and the others did nothing to stop you, they could only stare in shock, for this was the last thing anyone had expected. Your spectators, however, seemed ever more invested, and you internally grimaced when they got their phones out to start recording. You weren't sure what your goal was exactly, but, in that moment, you were fueled with fury, too much so to really grasp what you were doing.
It took longer than you expected, but eventually, nearby teachers became quickly aware of the situation and intervened, pulling the two of you apart. Needless to say, the crowd soon dispersed and the two of you were immediately dragged off to the headmaster's office.
The teachers were appalled, obviously, and gave the two of you a long, heavy lecture. Afterwards, Stacey was led to the vice principle's office to call her parents, while you stayed in the principle's office, as he called yours. Well, your guardians. It took a while, but eventually, someone picked up. You assumed it was Papyrus, as he was listed down as the first immediate contact on the system.
"Alright, miss L/n, one of your guardians will be here shortly so we can further discuss this matter."
You nodded, feeling yourself shrink into the chair, a sense of dread welling up in you. It was only Papyrus, though, so hopefully he wouldn't be too mad. You could deal with him. Someone you couldn't deal with was Stretch, who had unfortunately been the one to show up. Out of all of the skeletons, it just had to be him. You felt that spark of hope die as you saw his conflicted expression. You couldn't bare to look at him, shame and guilt washing over you ten fold. Great, another reason for him to hate you.
"Thank you for coming, Mr Serif. Please, take a seat, we have a very serious matter to discuss."
Stretch took the seat next to you and waited for an explanation. You had no idea how mad he was, or would be, as you stared at the floor.
"As I said on the phone, y/n here engaged in a fight with another one of our students. I'm sure you can understand that this is completely unacceptable behaviour, and the school will not tolerate this."
You sunk your nails into the chair cussion as you awaited your punishment. Why did it have to be him that came? You probably looked like an even bigger idiot than before.
"Usually, this would be grounds for expulsion."
You felt your heart rate pick up. You couldn't get expelled! You just couldn't! That would make everything so much worse than it already was. You glanced up at the headmaster, praying for a different outcome and ready to start begging.
"However, as this is her first offence, we will be lenient and allow her a four day suspension instead."
You let out a quiet sigh of relief at that, not seeing Stretch do the same. The man then turned to you. You knew you'd never get expelled, really. You already told the headmaster what had happened, so if he expelled you it may have reflected badly on the school. After all, hearing that a student got expelled for standing up to racism against monsters, it would look really bad for a school that advertised itself as 'progressive'.
"Y/n, do you have anything further to say on the matter? I known you have already apologised to me and the other student, but would you care to explain to your guardian as to why you started the fight?"
"Wait, you started the fight?"
Stretch asked in disbelief, a flash of shock passing his expression. You felt yourself shrink even further into the chair, your gaze flicking back and forth between him and the floor as you nodded. When it was clear you would say nothing more, the principle saw the two of you out of his office.
"Your suspension starts today. I'm quite disappointed in you, y/n. I hope to see you back with a better attitude on Friday."
When all was said and done, Stretch wasted no time in teleporting the two of you home. You expected he'd either yell at you or demand answers. Either way, you knew he was unhappy with you.
"Kid-"
He began, but was cut off by Papaya intruding.
"HUMAN, YOU ARE BACK SO SOON! YOU ONLY LEFT AN HOUR AGO, IS SCHOOL FINISHED ALREADY? WOWIE, THAT WAS QUICK!"
Stretch grimaced at the interruption, and then it truly hit you. You'd have to tell everyone that you were suspended, and why. The amount of different reactions would be endless, and you seriously began to wonder what you had got yourself into. Unexpectedly, Stretch took your hand, leading you away.
"We'll fill you in later. I need a quick chat with the kid, first."
He said, his tone, flat. You left Papaya with a confused look on his face, grateful you only had to deal with one skeleton at a time. If only that one skeleton didn't have to be Stretch. He led you into his shared room with his brother and closed the door behind you, letting go of your hand to do so.
Stretch let out a loud, clearly disappointed sigh, taking a moment to calm himself before he turned to you. Motioning to the bed, you sat down, folding in on yourself slightly when you felt the weight of the bed tip slightly.
"What happened."
He asked, a simple, direct question. It shouldn't have been difficult to answer, and yet you found yourseld struggling to find the words to respond. Bouncing your leg, subconsciously, you tried to find the courage to tell him everything, but your nerves got the better of you. You were afraid that whatever you said now would just make him hate you even more. You had a feeling that you wouldn't be able to repair your relationship with him after this.
"Don't wanna talk? Fine, I will. This ain't like you, kid."
As if that wasn't obvious enough. You had no idea you were even capable of getting that mad at someone to the point of violence. Yet, what she had said about the skeletons had been your last straw. You couldn't figure out why it bothered you so much, maybe all that pent up stress had finally bested you. Still, it wasn't an excuse. So why?
"I know we weren't on the best of terms before, and I get why you're all out of sorts, but this..."
He couldn't finish his sentence, instead turning his head to meet your gaze. Upon seeing his face, there was no visible traces of anger or disappointment. Instead, his expression only conveyed feelings of concern and sadness. He took your hand, trying to sooth you.
"Honey, please talk to me."
For the first time since he came to get you, you finally found your voice.
"I can't. If I do, you'll hate me even more."
You whispered, your lip trembling as you tried to steady your voice. When you next looked up at him, it was if he had been slapped in the face with shock.
"Hate you? Honey, no, no. I don't hate you. What gave you that idea?"
He quickly reassured, sounding absolutely heartbroken at the very idea of you thinking that.
"Before, you certainly acted like you hated me! What with me messing up a-and the whole machine stuff-"
You sniffed, struggling to hold it together. These last few days had you feeling absolutely miserable. You couldn't remember the last time you felt this unhappy. You felt like everything around you was crumbling, that you were just a burden to everyone. They'd all be better off without you, without you making mistakes or causing any trouble, like you were now.
"Kid, I could never hate you."
He cursed under his breath, mentally kicking himself for his behaviour.
"I'm sorry, honey. I was just so mad at myself, and I took it out on you."
Stretch sighed, looking ashamed of himself.
"Deep down, I knew that, from the moment you pressed that button, I had fucked up. But, I couldn't come to terms with the reality that I'd made such a mistake, one that could've harmed the others and you."
You felt his thumb rub the back of your hand slowly as he explained himself. You listened, not once interrupting him.
"So, I did the most immature thing possible and placed the blame on you. I knew it was wrong, and I shouldn't have done it, nor should I have come down on you so hard."
Even though he was clearly being sincere, a part of you couldn't bring yourself to believe him. At the beginning of all of this, you had done everything to avoid blaming yourself for what had happened. But now, even if Stretch was going back on what he said before, you still felt responsible. As if the guilt was engrained into you, you were unable to shake it and you weren't so certain it would ever go away.
"I wasn't thinking, and I hurt you in the process. Can you forgive me, honey?"
You could hear the desperation in his voice, and after that heartfelt apology, how could you not? You knew not everyone was perfect, they made mistakes. You were no exception, and neither was Stretch. He clearly felt bad about what he said, so you didn't see a reason why you should hold it against him any longer. You just wanted everything to go back to normal.
"Yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry, too."
"You don't need to apologise for anything. Now, are you ready to talk about what happened?"
You bit your tongue, casting your gaze down to the floor. You knew why you had done it, but you didn't want to tell the skeletons, worried of what they might think.
"Didn't peg you for the type to start fights, especially with that cast of yours."
You didn't either, yet you made a stupid, impulsive decision. Even if it was a little satisfying, was the long term consequence really worth it? Everyone would surely be talking about it in school, and how much shit would you get when you returned on Friday? Not to mention having to face Stacey again.
"It was nothing."
"Ah, ah, ah. No lying now, honeybun."
He waged his finger at you, comically. It almost made you laugh.
"She was just being a bitch."
He raised an eyebrow, and you knew that he wouldn't let you go until you elaborated. You sighed.
"She...she was being purposely rude to these new transfer students who I'd met today."
"Oh?"
"They were monsters."
You pulled your knees up to your face, resting your cheek on them. Stretch understood almost instantly, but made sure to confirm what you were implying.
"It pissed me off! The way she talked about them, like- like they were nothing more than some nuisance! It was disgusting."
Your face soured when you recalled her venomous words. June and April didn't deserve to be harassed like that.
"And then, she started talking about Quinn-"
"That's your friend, right?"
"Yeah, and she wasn't even around!"
Stretch placed a hand on your shoulder as he pieced together why you had started the fight.
"Is that why you hit her?"
"No. I almost did, though."
You laughed a little, but it died when you recalled the reason why you had became so irked, in that moment. You were conflicted about telling Stretch the real reason why you started the fight. And what would the others think? Would their feelings be hurt? Would they think you were stupid for engaging? Probably.
"She-"
"HUMAN!"
The door flew open, revealing a very sweaty looking Papyrus. Last time you checked, he was at work, so why on earth was he back so soon? Though, he'd probably ask the same of you.
"Papyrus? What are you doing here?"
"AN EMAIL FROM THE SCHOOL INFORMED ME OF YOUR SUSPENSION, SO I RAN BACK HOME FOR FURTHER INTERROGATION!"
"You ran? Couldn't you have just used your car- wait, you don't know why I was suspended?"
The monster shook his head, fixing his tie in the mirror, carefully, whilst he waited for an explanation.
"I ASSUMED THEY CALLED, BUT I WAS IN SUCH A RUSH THIS MORNING THAT I FORGOT MY PHONE!"
That must've been why Stretch had come instead of Papyrus. He probably saw the school's number ringing and picked it up.
"She got into a fight at school."
Stretch said, cutting straight to the point. Papyrus paused, his jaw slack as he stared at his counterpart, and then at you.
"HUMAN, IS THIS TRUE?"
You nodded, hanging your hear in shame.
"ARE YOU HURT? DO YOU NEED THE GREAT PAPYRUS' HEALING ASSISTANCE?"
He asked, immediately checking you to inspect your hp and what not. You hadn't really been hurt, nothing that would leave marks for long. Your cheek was still a little pink from the slap you had received, but it would go down in a few hours.
"I'm okay, Paps. Thanks, though."
He drew back, an inquisitive expression on his face.
"WHY DID YOU START THE FIGHT?"
There was no judgement in his tone, only pure curiosity. You were glad to know he wasn't mad at you, clearly. But, you still felt bad about the whole situation. It was bad enough you had been on thin ice already with the others recently, but now this unnecessary drama would only add to the emotional termoil you were facing. But, you had to remember that you caused this. You brought this on to yourself.
You felt utterly defeated, in every way possible. You were already physically impaired from the anniversary event, which you had pushed out of your mind ever since for obvious reasons. Next was your massive mistake with the machine, then Grillby having to deal with your messy mental state. And now, this. Why couldn't you do anything right?
"I- she-"
You stuttered, your voice be coming meak.
"She called you guys freaks..."
Hearing the excuse you put forward sounded much more lame out loud than it had in your head. The whole thing sounded utterly ridiculous, that you would start a fight over something so senseless as a seeking mild insult. Yet, despite all that, it had triggered an unknown fury in you that manifested itself into violence, something you were not proud of.
The Papyrus's looked at each other, exchanging a silent understanding.
"Kid, you don't need to worry about what others think or say about us."
Stretch began, placing a hand on your shoulder.
"INDEED! WE ARE VERY TOUGH SKELETONS!"
Even if that were true, it still hurt that people viewed them that way. That they'd be ridiculed or thought less of just because they were monsters.
"But she shouldn't have said that!"
"I know, kid. But, sometimes, it's better to just walk away from people like that."
They were probably right, but that felt wrong. She deserved everything she got, even if you felt midly guilty about it. Honestly, the guilt was more about creating even more trouble for the skeletons to deal with, rather than hurting her. Maybe this would teacher her to keep her mouth shut about monsters.
"I'm sorry."
You weren't entirely, but you were for being a burden to the skeletons.
"IT IS ALRIGHT, HUMAN! WE ARE NOT MAD AT YOU."
Papyrus beamed, pulling you into a side hug. You were relieved at the fact, and had honestly expected some sort of punishment. It seems you were off the hook, for now.
"I ALSO CONTACTED MY BROTHER, SO HE SHOULD BE HERE ANY MOMENT!"
And, just like that, your hope died. Even if Papyrus hadn't said anything, Sans would've also got the email, as he was second on the school's contact list. You groaned internally, knowing there was no way you'd be able to avoid a conversation with him now.
"NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, HUMAN AND OTHER ME, I MUST RUN BACK TO WORK! TOODALOO!"
With that, he dashed off, leaving you wondering why he hadn't taken his car in the first place. Stretch turned to you.
"We good now, kid?"
He asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Yeah, we're good."
He smiled, before grabbing you in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles against your hair. You squirmed, laughing as he held on tight, unwilling to let you go.
"Nyehehe, alright. Now, go find Sans."
He pushed you in the direction, with you groaning.
"Do I have toooo?"
"Yup, have fun."
He chuckled, forcing the door to close behind you, despite your whining. Sighing, you actively sought out Sans, figuring it would be futile to try and avoid him. It wasn't hard to find him, considering he was sitting on the sofa, clearly waiting for you to appear. When you saw his expression, you could tell he knew what had happened. Papyrus had probably filled him in once he got back, just before leaving. At least that saved you the trouble of having to explain from the start.
"Hi Sans."
"Hey kid. Hope you're not gonna fight me on this, but I wanted to have a little chat with you."
You groaned, but for once it wasn't at his pun, though you made it seem like it was. The skeleton patted the cushion next to him, and you braced yourself for whatever lecture was about to come as you sat beside him. Sans sighed.
"Buddy, you've gotta stop this."
"Stop what?"
You blinked, unsure of what he meant. He turned his head to you.
"Stop hiding your feelings. Look what happened today because of that."
You hated that Sans was right, but every time you went to talk about your feelings, you felt awful, guilty, a burden. And, also, incredibly cringe, probably from embarrassment.
"C'mon, pal. Talk to me."
He managed to convince you, coaxing you into spilling everything, since the incident of the anniversary. How scared you had been, how unprepared. How guilty and stupid you felt for bringing Sansy and Papaya here, how hopeless you felt when you had broken down outside Grillby's establishment. How much of an inconvenience and burden you felt when he had to pick up the pieces, and how you had only made everything worse when you instigated the fight today.
The whole time, during your rant, Sans remained silent. Though he didn't have ears, he was certainly good at listening to you. Not once did he interrupt you, and only when you were finished did he speak.
"Jeez, bud. That's a lot of stuff you've been holding in, huh?"
You couldn't exactly argue with him. Recently, you had been feeling so overwhelmed, almost suffocated by the stressful situations you had been in. Now that everything was out in the open, you felt truly and utterly exposed. Vulnerable.
"'M glad you told me. There was no kneed for you to keep that all to yourself, was there?"
You gave him a weak chuckle at his pun, hoping it would make yourself feel better and give some lightness to the atmosphere. He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you in closer to his side, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. You didn't look at him, only staring off numbly straight ahead.
"I know it's been hard, kid. But, you're doing great."
His words of affirmation brought a calmness in you that you happily welcomed.
"Don't lose hope kid, because someone out there really cares about you."
No one came to mind instantly in that moment, but you forced yourself to remind you of your parents. The numbness didn't go away.
"Thanks, Sans."
"Sure, bud. Also, you're kinda grounded. For a week."
You couldn't exactly argue with that. It was a fair punishment, and in fact, one week was quite lenient, in your opinion.
"You need a hug?"
Sans nudged you, forcing you to look at him. You briefly nodded, welcoming the added contact as he wrapped both his arms around you.
"You can always talk to me, kid. I'll be here for you."
You didn't know why, but those words were enough to make you cry silent tears. No one had ever made such a genuine declaration to you before, one that gave you hope and love warmth.
"You're too nice to me. You all are."
You mumbled into his chest, your laugh, hollow. He simply stroked your head, heavily disagreeing. In Sans' eyes, he was doing the bare minimum to reassure you. But, to you, their kindness meant the world to you. Especially right now. Sans didn't know it for sure, but he had a feeling no one had allowed you to express yourself as much as this before. That thought didn't sit well with him.
"Heh, don't know about that, bud."
"No, trust me, you are. Thank you."
Sans was slightly worried that you were thanking him for something as necessary as providing you emotional support, but he didn't want to push you too much by enquiring into it anymore.
"Whatever you say, kid."
As he leaned back to get into a more comfortable position, it was clear neither of you were going to move anytime soon. Neither of you had realised how much you needed this hug. You would never know just how relieved Sans was that he finally got you to open up.
When raising Papyrus, it took almost no effort to get his little brother to confess almost anything to him, whether it was secrets, bad things that he had done or just his feelings in general. So, when you were so resistant at first, it had thrown him through a loop. He wasn't used to putting so much effort in to getting someone to talk. Most monsters were pretty open about their feelings, even if it was indirect. The only exceptions he had come across were himself and Grillby, but that was mainly due to the fact that the fire elemental didn't talk much in general.
In fact, he had never heard Grillby talk so much until you showed up. With you, the elemental became a right old chatterbox. It was quite amusing, and almost heartwarming, to see how comfortable he was with you. Sans thought it was sweet.
The point is that, when you kept all of that stuff from him, Sans felt uneasy inside. The idea that he wasn't able to help you in that moment was dispiriting to him. When Grillby first told him about your breakdown, he felt his soul almost shatter right there and then. He tried to hold it together for you, but it was difficult when he saw that melancholy look on your face when he picked you up from the bar.
Arriving back home, all he wanted was to give you a big hug and never let go, whilst you instantly accepted his help. Yet, none of that happened. You pushed him away, and it hurt. Seeing you like that, knowing that something was wrong yet simultaneously being powerless to help began to eat Sans up inside.
He was so grateful that you finally told him what was going on. If you didn't, he wouldn't have realised just how badly your fall out with Stretch had affected you. He wasn't too pleased to learn the extent of his behaviour, but, since it all seemed to be resolved, he figured there was no need to intervene. He didn't want to make things worse, after all, he just wanted you to feel better.
When he had first saw you with those two unnerving versions of himself and his brother, Sans was terrified in that moment. He froze once he heard your screams, and again when he saw what was transpiring. To think that any versions of him and his brother were capable of such horrific violence, and to a child no less, it made his non existent skin crawl.
The thought made him subconsciously grip you closer to him, where he knew you were safe. Even if the horror show were in the other room, or wherever they were, Sans could take comfort in the fact that you were safe with him. Unfortunately, that's why he hated what his next words were.
"Okay buddy, I gotta leave for work now."
He regretted them as soon as they spilled from his mouth. Though you didn't seem too torn up about it, he certainly was. The lazy side of him didn't want to go to work anyways, but now that he was concerned for you emotional and physical well being, the act of leaving just became ten times harder. But, he gathered the strength to tear away from you, but not before giving you a quick skele-kiss on the forehead.
"Okay. Sorry for holding you up, Sans."
He didn't mind.
"Don't sweat it. No skin off my back, hehehe."
Sans' smile turned upwards slightly when you groaned at his puns, just like he had hoped. When he teleported away, he wondered how the others would react to hearing you got suspended.
---------------
Since Sans had left you to your own devices, you decided to spend some time with Stretch. Well, more like he decided, as he coerced you into playing video games with him until he had to leave for his shift at the shelter. You didn't play a lot of video games, so Stretch opted for a more tranquil, farming game to get you started. Granted, though you weren't shooting anything, you had more fun than you anticipated. You may be grounded, but Sans never said what you could and couldn't do.
You didn't play if for long, however, since Stretch left for his shift not long after, leaving you alone. Except, you weren't alone, and it was only a matter of time before you got dragged into doing something with either of the two brothers. Soon enough, that time time.
"LITTLE HUMAN! I REQUEST YOUR PRESENCE IN THE KITCHEN!"
His screech hit your ears painfully and you dragged yourself off of the sofa, not knowing why you were following his orders.
"ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HERE!"
You side eyed him. You hadn't been walking that slow, and the kitchen was like two seconds away from the living room, so what was he complaining about?
"REMIND ME WHY YOU ARE HERE AND NOT AT SCHOOL?"
"I got into a fight and got suspended for four days and now I'm grounded."
You deadpanned, not in the mood to discuss specifics. Papaya didn't seem to mind though, and took that explanation with no follow up questions.
"I SEE. WELL, NOW THAT GIVES YOU PLENTY OF TIME TO HELP ME."
He gestured over to the table, that you hadn't payed any attention to up until now. Once you saw it, your eyes widened at the amount of food that was displayed on it.
"I HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF USING YOUR OVERABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES TO TRY OUT NEW RECIPES! AFTER ALL, A MASTER CHEF SUCH AS MYSELF NEEDS TO PERFECT ALL MEALS!"
Surely you wouldn't have to try all of that, right?
"AS SUCH, IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE SOMEONE, OTHER THAN MYSELF, TASTE TESTS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN TOP NOTCH CONDITION!"
Of course you do. You assumed there was no way you could get out of this, and frankly, you were too scared of him to say no. You opened your mouth to speak but, before you could, you were cut off.
"AND BEFORE YOU ASK, NO, I HAVE NOT POISENED THE FOOD."
Leaving you feeling a little embarrassed, you shut your mouth, having no further questions to ask. One by one, you tasted each meal, which took a while on account of how much he had made. However, each one was better than the last, exceeding all your expectations. Hell, even the spaghetti was good. The dishes ranged from small starters to snacks to fully cooked meals and desserts, and every single one was delicious.
It's not like you thought all Papyri were bad at cooking, after all, Edge wasn't half bad. But, most were, so it wasn't a surprise that you had assumed that of Papaya as well. Clearly, he had proved you wrong. You remember Sansy coming in at some point to observe, but you tried not to pay attention or stare at him, though you could feel his gaze fixed on you. It was eerie, to say the least.
"ONLY A FEW MORE TO GO, LITTLE HUMAN. YOU HAVE DONE EXCELLENT SO FAR!"
You nodded, taking the last few bites of each dish before coming to your final conclusion.
"Decent."
It was delicious. Some of the best you'd eaten for a good few months. Papaya seemed over the moon at you sub par compliment.
"WOWIE, SUCH HIGH PRAISE! I AM TRULY HONORED!"
Though you had only taken a couple of bites out of each plate, you still felt insanely full. Not only was the good delicious, but each dish was incredibly filling.
"I don't think I can ever eat again. That was a lot."
You exhaled, finding a nearby chair to rest on.
"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS, HUMAN! OF COURSE YOU WILL EAT AGAIN!"
"Yeah, cause ya have the privilege to."
Sansy's tone sounded spiteful, but you couldn't blame him. Still, you didn't feed into it.
"HUMAN, PRAY TELL, WHAT DOES ONE DO WHEN THEY ARE 'GROUNDED'?"
Papaya asked, as he started to pack up all the food he made and store it in the fridge. Going off the amount he made, he'd probably use up all the tupperware for storage
"Well, Sans didn't exactly say what I couldn't do. So, I don't know."
"Grounded? What trouble did a brat like yourself get into?"
You mentally smacked yourself at the question. How many more times wee you going to have to repeat yourself today? Even if Sansy hadn't heard it, you were getting bored of retelling the story.
"SHE GOT INTO A FIGHT, BROTHER, AND WAS SUSPENDED!"
"For until Friday."
You added, as Sansy seemed to take little interest, due to his lackluster reaction.
"WELL, WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING FUN! LIKE CREATE DEADLY PUZZLES TO TRAP AND DECIMATE OUR PRAY!"
"Like a mouse trap?"
The two skeletons blinked at you, and you figured that probably wasn't what he meant. In fact, you were sure of it when they both started laughing at you.
"AWW, THAT IS A VERY ADORABLE AND VERY USELESS THOUGHT, LITTLE HUMAN!"
Coming from anyone else, the statement would've sounded condescending, however, Papaya managed to make anything he said sound genuine, probably because it was. Just like Papyrus, in fact.
"Why don't we get you guys new clothes? Hell, Sansy literally only has half a shirt, and it's stained!"
Said skeleton didn't even bother to look down, already knowing the absolute state of his clothes. When you were fighting of starvation everyday, suddenly, things like fashion became less important. Plus, although he lived in Snowdin, he was a skeleton, so the cold went right through him.
"AN EXCELLENT IDEA, HUMAN! BUT, WHERE DO WE GET NEW ATTIRE THAT IS AS COOL AS MY BATTLE BODY?"
"Uh, well we probably can't-"
You played to his ego a little, as you tried to think of ideas.
"But maybe the guys will let you borrow some of their clothes until we can go shopping?"
Your offer seemed pretty solid. After all, it's not like any of the others could say no. And, as expected, your suggestion seemed to suffice.
"VERY WELL, WE SHALL SEE IF MY OTHER DOUBLES HAVE JUST AS MUCH STYLE AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"
He wizzed off to Papyrus' room first, as that was probably where he'd find the most similar taste in clothes to him. Sansy, on the other hand, didn't even move until you motioned towards the stairs. With a groan, he began to move slowly, as if he was weighed down by sacks of sand, or something heavy.
Whilst those two busied themselves, you decided to do a little snooping of your own. You didn't want to mess around too much, but you did want to see if there was anything good you could...'borrow'. You rummaged around in Edge's wardrobe, making sure to put whatever clothes you took out back properly. If there was one thing you knew about him, it was how immaculately he kept his room. Well, the side he was sharing, that is.
Edge had a very particular style which you could only describe as punk rock. Honesty, you didn't hate it. Edge was surprisingly stylish, and you were slightly envious of how cool he always looked. Truthfully, he was probably the coolest person you knew. Speaking of cool, your eyes landed on a nearby, black t-shirt. Upon closer inspection, you saw it had a skull and crossbones on it.
"Yeah, I'm definitely steeling this. Edge won't mind."
You shrugged, now claiming the t-shirt for yourself. When you reconvened with the two brothers, you were pleased to find they had found new, temporary clothes that looked so much better than their old, raggedy ones that had been through the ringer.
Sansy had basically gone for an Adam Sandler look, with a basic, plain T-shirt and shorts. The only thing different was his jacket. He had clearly borrowed all of his clothes from Sans, and this particularly jacket didn't have fur on it like his old one did. Papaya had taken a similar route, by borrowing mainky from Papyrus.
He's found a long-sleeved crop top, with baggy cargos and a massive, flashy belt as an accessory. They both seemed incredibly comfortable in their new attire, but you were sure everyone would prefer it if they got their own clothes instead of always borrowing from their counterparts.
"BROTHER, YOU LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME! DID YOU EVEN CHANGE?"
"Course I did, bro. Can't ya tell?"
Papyrus bent down an excessive amount, getting his face all up in Sansy's, which he didn't seem to appreciate, but did nothing to move away. Whilst Papaya was analysing his brother's look, you decided to chime in.
"Not bad, you guys. Good finds, especially you, Papaya."
For a moment, you forgot your fear of them as you approached them, complimenting their choices. The two snapped their heads over to you, and Papaya smiled at your compliment.
"THANK YOU, LITTLE HUMAN!"
Sansy only grunted in response, which you didn't mind.
"WHAT DID YOU FIND?"
"Hm? Oh, just one of Edge's tops. He won't mind if I 'borrow' it."
You doubt you'd be returning this any time soon, but you were positive there'd be no negative consequences.
"IT'S SO REFRESHING TO WEAR SOMETHING WITH SUCH STYLE! JUST LIKE FOOD, THERE WASN'T MUCH IN THE WAY OF FASHION BACK HOME."
You felt your smile disappear and, with your follow up question, the atmosphere dropped a couple of degrees.
"What happened to you guys?"
The two skeletons hesitated, their expressions turning solemn. You had wondered, ever since they told you about the famine, what had happened to their world. Though, as you were still terrified of them, you hadn't had the gall to ask. Yet, with your previous fear somehow forgotten, your curiosity got the better of you. You just hoped you wouldn't have to reap the consequences of your question. Luckily, it didn't seem like they were mad at you.
"It's not a very uplifting story, kid."
Sansy grumbled.
"IF YOU ARE SO EAGER TO KNOW, HUMAN, I SUPPOSE WE CANNOT DENY YOU THAT KNOWLEDGE. COME, SIT WITH US."
You made your way back into the living room and sat on the sofa while the two began to tell you everything. Well, it was mostly Papaya who spoke, with Sansy chiming in every so often to make some snide remark. You were told of a child named Frisk, and when you recognised who they were talking about, the brother's instantly tensed. You had to explain to them that this world also had a Frisk, and, unfortunately, neither of them were that happy to find that out.
You tried to tell them how nice Frisk was, but Papaya immediately moved on, clearly not wanting to talk about the child. You could understand that. After what they had told you, you'd probably be spooked at the idea of seeing the one person who murdered your king, took the hope from your people and abandoned you with no further contact.
You couldn't imagine Frisk ever doing that, but you supposed people in other worlds could be different. Maybe they had their reasons that they never disclosed, but, as everyone was left in the dark, you'd never know. Things only got worse when you learned the revolt against Queen Toriel, with Undyne taking over as ruler. Apparently, that's when things had really started to go downhill.
The core failed and food became scarce as a result of that. The two brothers had tried to keep up morale, by doing community work when ever attempt to fix the core failed.
"NOTHING WORKED, UNTIL..."
Papaya looked over at his brother, apprehensively. Sansy, picking up on what his brother wanted, sighed harshly. A tantalizing grin rose to his face.
"Her 'highness' decided saving everyone was worth my eye, and stole the damn thing from me."
You were a little confused at first, before he pointed to his skull where the hole was.
"Smashed it and took what wasn't hers."
He spat, and your jaw fell open in shock. No, surely not. Undyne would never. Well, this world's wouldn't. But, given the circumstances, you supposed that...no, it was too awful. From your limited knowledge on the core, it ran on a massive energy source, most likely magic. Was that why Undyne wanted Sansy's eye? Was he that powerful that it was that valuable?
"Course, I ruined her little plan. Hehehe."
He seemed pretty proud of himself.
"YES, I REMEMBER HOW LIVID SHE WAS!"
This was much more than you expected. Of course, after the core failure, resources began to deplete even faster. Soon, monsters were starving, dusting from left to right. That was, until, they started to eat humans. Apparently, Papaya's 'crooked spaghetti' was quite addicting, making it the most popular dish amongst the locals.
The way he methodically talked about killing and cooking humans, from setting traps to ripping out their organs, yet saving the blood for sauce, in such detail, you should've felt sick. But, all you felt was sadness. They talked as if it was nothing, and they'd probably become desensitized to it, since it became the new normal for them, but these two had undergone serious trauma, physical and mental. You had never encountered this kind of situation before, and was unsure on how to handle it.
"I WOULD OFFER TO MAKE SOME, BUT THERE IS NO USE KILLING HUMANS NOW. NOT THAT WE HAVE FOOD!"
"Plus, think our doubles said somethin' about it being illegal."
"OH YES, THAT TOO! APOLOGIES HUMAN, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH MY OTHER DISHES- OH MY!"
You couldn't help but move from your seat on the sofa and get up to hug him. No wonder they immediately tried to kill you upon first meeting, they must've been starving. Assuming they were in their own home, as everything looked mostly the same, they thought they'd get another meal. Be able to feed themselves and their neighbours.
They were killers, but not because they wanted to be. They were forced, it wasn't fair. They were just like Sans and Papyrus, but their world had been cruel and harsh, morphing them into what they needed to be to survive. Knowing they had to deal with those conditions for so long, it was a heart aching reality to come to terms with.
Papaya and Sansy both were stunned by your action. You supposed that, up until now, you had avoided contact and proximity with them out of fear. That fear was gone now, and replaced with sympathy. You may be apprehensive around them sometimes, but now you knew that they didn't want to kill you for fun, you no longer felt as afraid.
"YOU ARE BEING SO FORWARD, HUMAN. ARE YOU PERHAPS...FLIRTING WITH ME?!"
You snorted, raising an eyebrow.
"Flirting? With you?"
"GASP! YOU ADMITTED IT! I'M SORRY LITTLE HUMAN, BUT I DO NOT THINK I CAN RECIPROCATE YOUR ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR ME!"
You pulled away, covering your mouth whilst you tried not to laugh.
"Aww man, that's a shame."
"DO NOT BE DISHEARTENED, LITTLE HUMAN! FOR EVEN IF I WANTED TO, I COULD NOT KISS YOU, AS I DO NOT HAVE ANY LIPS."
You supposed that was true.
"CAN YOU SETTLE FOR A NON-FLIRTATIOUS, FRIENDSHIP HUG INSTEAD?
You waited a beat, playing alone to make it seem like you were deeply considering this compromise.
"I guess that'll do."
"WOWIE! MY FIRST HUMAN FRIEND!"
He beamed, happily embracing you in his arms. Well, apparently you were friends now. You could live with that. Though, you didn't think Sansy would be as easily won over.
"Why have ya got writing on your cast?"
Sansy asked, randomly. He didn't often engage conversation with you, and when he did, he wasn't particularly nice, so his question came as a slight surprise to you. You explained how, in human culture, it was common for people to sign casts. Whether it was an indication of wishing someone good luck or it was just for fun, was beyond you.
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN! MAY I SIGN YOUR CAST TOO, HUMAN?"
Papaya asked, excitedly, releasing you from his embrace.
"Sure."
As quickly as he left, he soon returned with a sharpie and began doodling a message that would 'REFLECT HIS COOLNESS'. Once he was finished, you offered the sharpie to Sansy, who hesitates before taking it. He wrote a simple message. A small smile rose to your face as you read it.
'Nice to meat you.'
"GASP! HUMAN, I HAVE JUST REALISED THE TIME! SURELY YOU SHOULD BE HAVING LUNCH BY NOW!"
You glanced at the clock and, although he was right, you were the furthest thing from hungry.
"I don't think I can eat anything until dinner."
"BUT HUMAN-"
Sansy began to scowl again, so you quickly reminded them of why.
"After eating all of your delicious food before, I'm still really full from it."
It was a fair enough reasoning neither of them could argue with. Sansy's scowl lessened, though he still wasn't exactly smiling. Papaya accepted this, sighing.
"WELL, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU'VE EATEN, EVEN IF IT WAS A COUPLE HOURS AGO!"
You were surprised how fast time had gone by today. Oh well, you know what they say, when you're having fun. Funny, you only just realised now that you were having fun. Maybe it was too soon to forgive them, and maybe, on a subconscious level, you hadn't fully forgiven them yet. But, being able to make peace for now was probably the only way you'd be able to stop everyone from murdering each other.
That was the best outcome for now. Tensions had increased drastically ever since you had brought these two here. It was your fault, meaning you we're responsible for them and the messes they caused. So, it was your job to make sure the peace between these two and the others stayed constant. It would be difficult, but what other choice did you have? You'd just have to keep at it.
------------
For the next few hours, you distanced yourself from Sansy and Papaya and instead headed downstairs to the basement. The others probably didn't want you messing around with anything else, given the last time, but you couldn't stand by and do nothing. So, you decided to gather as much information as possible, and try and put all the tutoring you've had to good use.
Okay, so maybe you were no where near as smart as the others, but that didn't mean you couldn't do anything, even if it felt that way when staring down at the data in front of you. All those messy, unfinished equations, unanswered theories and hastily written notes, that were practically illegible, seemed dawnting when they were thrust in your face all at once. However, since you didn't know how to get over that rush of anxiety, when presented with these, you did your best to swallow it down, whilst chastising yourself for being intimidated by something the others were dealing with on a daily basis, like it was nothing.
You really wished you were in a sci-fi movie, where the answers would come easily to those who were smart. But, as this was real life, believe it or not, you'd have to work for what you wanted. Life wouldn't just hand you the solution, and neither would the Sans and the others.
Sighing, you summoned every possible brain cell, at least that's what it felt like, to figure out the problems in front of you. Anyone could memorise something if they tried, whether it be a line of Shakespeare or how to fix a pipe, or in your case, mathematical equations, sure. But actually applying it was a whole different story.
You felt like a toddler treading in adult territory, as you wracked your brain for answers, or at least, where to start. After hours of headache and hard work, you'd barely made a dent in what needed to be done. You were exhausted, mentally, but you couldn't give up now. You were determined to keep at this until you got some answers.
...Buuuuut, maybe a little break would hurt.
Assuming at least some of the others would be back by now, you made your way upstairs to find your theory confirmed. Stretch had come back from his shift about an hour ago, and, when you made your way into the living room, you were greeted by the same, hard glare that Edge typically wore on his face, usually unchanging.
"HUMAN! IS WHAT THIS MONSTROSITY OF A MONSTER SAYS REAL?"
Edge barked, completely forgetting formalitie and clearly referring to Papaya, who stood there with an blank smile. Still creepy, though.
"Hello to you too Edge."
"DID YOU GET INTO A FIGHT?!"
You knew from the moment Stretch came to get you that lying was out of the question, especially to Edge.
"Yeah."
"AND DID YOU WIN?"
He asked, not missing a beat. You raised your eyebrows slightly, as you had half expected him to...actually, you didn't know what you had expected. Maybe for him to yell at you? Well, he already does..okay, maybe louder than usual, then? He didn't even seem angry.
"Uh...I'm not sure? I- I think so. I, uh, probably did more damage to her than she did to me, but the teachers pulled us apart before a clear winner could be decided, I guess."
He paused for a moment, then strode over to you, his confidence, glaring as usual. Subconsciously, you tensed, waiting for some sort of reaction. You were completely blown away when he gave you a pat on the head.
"GOOD JOB."
Papaya looked just as confused you were, but you recovered quickly. You'd take his approval over him being angry, or worse, disappointed.
"Really? You're not mad?"
"FROM WHAT I HEAR, YOU WERE DEFENDING THE HONOUR OF MONSTER KIND."
Sans, who was also presumably back by now, must've filled him in on the reason for all the commotion you caused. Good, it saved you time.
"THERE IS NOTHING TO BE MAD ABOUT. YOU WON, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT."
You, for the first time today, grinned widely at him. You felt a small sense of pride at his praise, though you still found the notion of his approval slightly ridiculous, given the circumstances. But, again, what did you expect?
"NOW, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT. DID YOU USE ANY OF THE NEW TECHNIQUES I TAUGHT YOU? I ASSUME NOT ALL WOULD WORK, SINCE YOU ARE RESTRICTED BY THAT GRAFFITIED CAST."
He dragged you away so he could get changed out of his uniform, so you sat on his bed and filled him in.
"Well, I was the first to throw a punch. It's probably going to leave a bruise, thanks to the extra force I've gained."
That gained a hearty, almost evil sounding, laugh out of Edge, as he rummaged through his draws in search of a top to cover his bare ribs and spine.
"MWAHAHA! GOOD, THAT HEATHEN DESERVED IT."
You snorted at his name calling, before trying to recall what had happened. Everything kicked off so fast, it was a little tough to remember every detail of the fight. But, you did your best, and every detail that showed your victory was met with great approval from Edge.
"Oh! And then, I even slammed her into the wall, and I swear I heard something crack-"
"WITH YOUR GROWING STRENGTH, I'M SURE SOMETHING DID."
You watched his smirk grow wider with every move you told him about. Though, there was a brief pause in the conversation.
"WHERE IS MY BLASTED T-SHIRT? IT IS NOT IN ITS ORIGINAL PLACEMENT."
Ah, so the jig was up. Considering how precise he was when it came to organisation, you should've known he'd notice his top being gone. You'd just hoped it would've been much later.
"Uh, I kinda took it...only cause it looked cool! I'm sorry, I'll give it back."
You felt a twinge of guilt rise in the pit of your stomach as Edge narrowed his eye sockets at you.
"FIRST, YOU GET INTO A FIGHT. AND NOW, STEALING! OH, HUMAN..."
You were ready for the scolding of a lifetime, but it never came.
"NYEHEHEHE! YOU ARE MORE CUNNING THAN I BELIEVED YOU TO BE!"
You blinked in surprise at, yet again, his unusual and unexpected response. You giggled, glad he wasn't angry with you.
"YOU MAY KEEP IT, I HAVE NO USE FOR IT, ANYHOW."
You grinned, and got back to telling your story. Just as you were finishing up, however, a loud screech ran through the house, one all too familiar.
"SHE DID WHAT?!"
You and Edge both jumped at the sound of Blue's voice ringing throughout the house. You grimaced at the thought of having to deal with whatever lecture he was already conjuring up for you. Edge's expression was full of disdain, and he slammed his draws shut.
"COULD THAT MORON OVER REACT ANY LOUDER? IDIOT."
He tisked, turning to you.
"HUMAN, PAY NO ONE ELSE'S OPINION OF YOUR ESCAPADE ANY MIND BUT MINE. YOU DID WELL, DO NOT BE BOTHERED BY THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE SO."
He instructed, firmly. You hesitated, before nodding. You hadn't believed Edge's reaction had been right, at first. But, the more he solidified it into your mind, the more it made sense. That racist bitch deserved it, and there were no long lasting injuries made. So, what was the big deal? You were starting to feel less and less remose over what you had done, thanks to Edge's words of encouragement.
"Y/N, YOU GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, YOUNG LADY!"
Your eyes widended, and you exchanged a look with Edge, who was clearly not expecting Blue's reaction to be that pissed off. You mouth hung open slightly, as he would usually stray away from using such crude language. Now, a sudden rush of urgency hit you, as the need to get down there as quickly as possible fuelled the motion in your legs.
You hurried downstairs only to be met with Blue's stoney expression, one that resembled Black way too much.
"Hey Blue, how was your first day at-"
"DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"
Well, it was worth a shot. He slammed his hat down onto the table, nearby, demanding answers.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU GOT INTO A FIGHT! WHAT HAPPENED?!"
You were honestly stunned at how angry he was, and, without realising, you shrunk into yourself slightly. As briefly as possible, you attempted to explain what had happened, but it only seemed to irk him even more when he found out you started the fight. Once you realised there was no talking your way out of this, you accepted defeat and, the well expected lecture Blue had ready for you.
Half way through him telling you why fighting was bad, how you were lucky she didn't press charges against you, and how you should use your words to resolve problems, you had honestly stopped listening. A small audience had gathered, consisting of Sans, Stretch, Papyrus, Sansy, Papaya and Edge, to observe you getting an earful from Blue. Eventually, Edge grew tired of his yapping.
"OH, SHUT YOUR MOUTH, ALREADY! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT THE HUMAN DID, SO QUIT YOUR WHINING!"
Blue paused in the middle of his speech, looking absolutely horrified at Edge's defence of your actions. You simply looked up at Edge with a neutral expression, as Blue's attention slowly moved from you to the taller skeleton.
"YOU CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOUR? EDGE, WHAT SHE DID WAS UNACCEPTABLE!"
"JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED TO HAVE A GO AT HER FOR SO LONG!"
"OH, I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY WELL WHAT TRANSPIRED! DO YOU?"
And so, the bickering began. The others watched in amusement as the two engaged in a verbal crashout, trying to prove the other wrong whilst boosting their own opinion. Unfortunately, their downfall was that, as neither was willing to actually listen to the other, their words were as good as wasted. Eventually, you decided to end this.
"Blue, I'm sorry-"
"DO NOT APOLOGIES TO HIM!"
Edge snapped, now clearly agitated. Blue turned to you and sighed.
"I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, SUNSHINE. I'M AFRAID PUNISHMENT IS IN ORDER."
"Sans already grounded her, bro."
Stretch piped up, a lollipop hanging loosely from his teeth. His brother nodded.
"THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. I ASSUME YOU HAVE ALSO APOLOGISED TO THIS OTHER GIRL, YES?"
You nodded, begrudgingly. It's not like you had wanted to, but rather, were forced.
"HONESTLY, JUST WAIT UNTIL BLACK HEARS ABOUT THIS."
"HIM? PLEASE, THAT RUNT WON'T CARE!"
Edge scoffed. And, speak of the Devil, Black was the next to arrive.
"UNTIL I HEAR ABOUT WHAT?"
He asked, the sound of his boots, clicking against the floor, being slightly muffled by the carpet. As quick as a wippet, Blue was the first to snitch. He really did make a good police officer, in that respect.
"THE HUMAN HAS GOT HERSELF SUSPENDED, DUE TO A FIGHT SHE STARTED!"
Everyone froze, waiting in anticipation for Black's reaction, though, it was underwhelming, something Blue had not been expecting. Black turned to you.
"DID YOU WIN?"
You nodded, and Edge confirmed.
"GOOD. WHAT AN IDIOTIC SCHOOL, SUSPENDING YOU OVER NOTHING."
He rolled his eye lights, sitting down in a nearby chair as Blue gaped at him in disbelief.
"TOLD YOU HE WOULDN'T CARE."
Edge smirked, smugly. Blue simply huffed in defeat. There was no point in lecturing you further, as you had already received your punishment and you knew where he stood in this whole matter.
"I DO NOT EXPECT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOUR TO BE REPEATED AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
You nodded, and, in an attempt to diffuse his anger a little, you decided to ask him about his day. That seemed to do the trick, as one simple question completely switched up his mood, as he rambled excitedly about his first day.
"OH! AND THEN, I HAD TO PULL OVER THIS CAR WHO HAD BEEN SPEEDING, AND GAVE HIM A TICKET! IT WAS EXHILARATING!"
You nodded along, genuinely invested in his story. Though nothing major had happened, it was probably better to have a calmer day to ease yourself into a new job. However, considering it was Blue, he probably would've preferred a more exciting first day.
"HUMAN! I REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!"
Papaya screeched, interrupting Blue right at the climax of his story, which actually wasn't very exciting to begin with. You weren't entirely invested, so you welcomed the segway.
"What's up?"
"SINCE YOU GOT TO TASTE EACH DISH, IT IS LOGICAL THAT YOU CHOOSE WHAT WE EAT TONIGHT!"
"Sounds good, let's go."
You hopped off the couch, only for Blue to instantly protest.
"CAN THAT WAIT, SCARY VERSION OF MY BROTHER? I WASN'T FINISHED TALKING ABOUT MY DAY-"
"NOPE! FOOD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR MEDIOCRE STORY THAT THE HUMAN WAS CLEARY GETTING INCREDIBLY TIRED OF, I WAS AFRAID SHE WAS GOING TO DIE OF BORDEM!"
Wow, that was a little harsh, but you didn't refute it.
"COME ON, LITTLE HUMAN!"
You shrugged, letting him drag you away while Blue just stared. Upon entering the kitchen once again, nothing had changed. The meals, though covered, were still displayed on the table, just waiting to be reheated. After all, why waste good food?
"NOW, YOU CAN TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED-"
"Those four."
You pointed to the exact four dishes that you had been considering all day. Each four you knew would satisfy each of the skeleton's palettes. Since Papaya hadn't made an excessive amount, it was obvious that you'd have to choose more than one to feed everyone.
"WELL ALRIGHTY THEN! THAT WAS FAST."
There was no point in sticking around much, in fact, there was no reason to even come into the kitchen when you knew what meals you were going to pick. When you heard Edge and Black arguing about something, you decided to avoid the living room. Instead, you made a bee line for your room, considering you'd get a little peace for today, yet ended up running into Cash on the way.
"Oh, uh, sorry."
You mumbled, and he shrugged it off. The two of you weren't bad terms, but you weren't exactly on good terms either. He did forgive you, you think. Actually, it wasn't exactly clear. But, he seemed like the type of person not to hold a grudge for too long, surely. The two of you stared at each other for what felt like forever until you blurted out something to ease the tension.
"Igotintoafightatschoolandnowi'mgrounded."
You pressed your lips together as Cash blinked at you. Was it possible for things to get even more awkward? Obviously so, since the silence between you was suffocating. You were about to give up when a soft laughter caught you attention.
You watched as Cash shook his head, snickers escaping from his teeth. You couldn't help but join in, giggles errupting from your own mouth as you felt any lingering tension melt away.
"Sounds like ya've 'ad an eventful day, huh?"
You shrugged, a shy smile gracing your lips.
"I even made up with Stretch, and I think I've somehow become friends with the new versions of you guys?"
"Jeez, ya really have been busy."
You hadn't realised until now, but a lot had happened over the last couple of days. It was crazy to think how quickly things could change in such a short amount of time. His gaze switched between your face and your cast, with mild curiosity.
"There room fer one more?"
He gestured towards the writing on your cast. You smiled.
"Sign away."
He quickly searched for a pen, since why would he have one on his person? He mulled over his options, briefly, before settling on what he was going to write.
'Everyone sucks dick.'
You let out a snort at his slightly grotesque message, and, if his smug grin was anything to go off of, he was insanely pleased with himself.
"You're going to get me into even more trouble, with the school and with some of the others."
Cash shrugged, a glint of mischief in his gaze as he tossed the pen aside.
"So? Little trouble ain't hurt no one. Good for character buildin', an' all."
He nudged your arm, playfully, and you couldn't help but smirk in response.
"If anyone asks, I'm immediately throwing you under the bus."
"Nyehehe, so cruel."
Your smirk grew wider, and you didn't even bother to defend yourself. You gathered that, from this interaction alone, things between you and Cash were more than okay. At last, the tension in this house might be finally starting to dial down.
------------
Dinner was as expected. You had picked out the perfect meals you knew everyone would enjoy, based on their own similar, but still unique in ways, personal preferences. Needless to say, you nailed it, clearly, from the positive reviews everyone gave. Not that you cooked any of the meals, but you still felt a hint of pride burst in your soul.
Red was the last to find out about your little encounter with Stacey, and it went without saying that he pretty much cracked up with laughter. Pretty close to what you expected his reaction to be. Honestly, it seemed the only ones that didn't care about the fight were the...uh, harsher, versions of Papyrus and Sans. Still, you weren't complaining.
For the rest of the night, all seemed to be well. Everyone was being relatively civil toward each other, and you were finally able to enjoy some peace...for about ten minutes. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Edge had shown up to drag you away to your secret training grounds, once again, in the dead of night.
"Edge, I thought we agreed not on school nights!"
"BE THAT AS IT MAY, AS YOU ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, I VIEW THIS AS AN EXTENSION OF THE HOLIDAYS. THUS, TRAINING WILL COMMENCE ONCE MORE."
You groaned loudly, earning a tisk from him.
"YOU'VE ALREADY HAD A FEW WEEKS OF SLACKING OFF DUE TO THAT INJURY OF YOURS, SO STOP WHINING AND SUCK IT UP!"
"Fine. But, couldn't we have done the stretching at home?"
"OH, WE'RE NOT JUST STRETCHING."
Now you were confused. He had stated previously that, due to your injury, you weren't to do anything too strenuous until it was fully healed.
"SINCE YOU HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED YOU ARE ABLE TO FIGHT EVEN WHEN RESTRICTED, IT IS MORE LOGICAL TO PRACTICE FIGHTING IN YOUR CURRENT STATE, JUST IN CASE YOU EVER GET IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AGAIN!"
You stared at him for a moment, silently, before turning towards the door, eager to escape this hell hole. Unfortunatey, you were immediately dragged back by your shirt, and, against your will, forced to stay and suffer whatever horrors Edge had in store for you. You sighed.
This was going to be a long night.
Notes:
Alrighty, now that everyone's talked stuff out, hopefully y/n won't be sad for a good long while! Anyways, don't forget to give your opinions on my proposal in the notes above!
I hope you all have a wonderful day/night and, as always, thanks for reading! ❤🌸
Chapter 40: Author's note
Chapter Text
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hi guys! This is not another chapter update, unfortunately, sorry :(
But! I just wanted to let you all know that I've decided to make a Tumblr account!
You will find it under the name donewith-life2
Anyways, if you guys feel like it, go check it out, and feel free to engage with me. I'll happily answer any questions regarding the fan fic and so on.
I look forward to engaging with all of you on that platform!
Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful day/night❤🌸
Notes:
I look forward to seeing you guys there :)
Chapter 41: Chapter 41: touring the city
Summary:
Another trip to the Embassy and a late night talk with a certain skeleton.
Notes:
Hey guys, back with another update :) sorry it's a bit shorter than my last few ones.
Also, idk if you guys have heard about the whole Hugging Face ai and Ao3 debacle and I was worried if this fic had got scraped but I think it's okay? I'm not sure, and I was going to set this fic to registered users only, but I really hate preventing people form reading my fic, so I'm not going to do that.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"AGAIN."
"FASTER."
"HIT ME HARDER!"
"WHY WEREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION?!"
"DON'T YOU DARE START CRYING!"
"FINE, WE'LL TAKE A SMALL BREAK."
"YOU FOOL! IN A FIGHT, THERE ARE NO BREAKS, SO THERE SHALL BE NONE DURING TRAINING!"
"STOP YOUR WHINING!"
"OKAY, THAT IS ENOUGH FOR TONIGHT."
Those were the most frequent phrases that haunted your dreams at night. Ever since you had been suspended, Edge had insisted on training every day, which meant you were constantly gaining new aches and pains.
You groaned as you dragged yourself out of bed. You'd think being suspended would be the perfect time for you to lie in, but Papaya was pretty insistent on you having 3 solid meals a day. If you didn't get up now, he would barge into your room and carry you out of bed himself, again.
As you trudged into the kitchen, you tried to ignore the burning sensation all throughout your body. If you didn't end up with abs by the end of the year, you'd actually destroy Edge for making you go through such intense pain.
"HUMAN!"
You stumbled, your shakey legs nearly giving out underneath you.
"What?!"
You yelled back, matching his volume. You didn't understand why he always has to shout every thing, when he was literally 2 feet away from you. At his rate, you were going to become deaf by the time you were 18.
"THE OTHER ME TOLD US WE ARE RECEIVING A VISIT FROM THE GREAT KING ASGORE! WHO KNEW HE WAS ALIVE IN THIS UNIVERSE?!"
"Asgore's coming here? Why?"
You couldn't remember the last time you saw him. Maybe on one of his 'check up' visits? But that was probably months ago.
"I DO NOT KNOW!"
Despite Papaya being unhelpful, you figured the king was coming to help sort out some sort of citizenship for them, like he had done for the others. It make the most sense, as you doubted someone as busy as him was just popping by for a quick hello.
As it turned out, you were right. It was around half ten that the door bell rang and, since you were the closest, you answered only to find Asgore on the other side, with a large, black car behind him. The engine was still running, so this was definitely more of a pick up than a long stop by. When you opened the door, he seemed surprised to see you, and rightly so, since he probably figured you'd be in school at this time.
"Oh, y/n! Forgive my surprise, but I did not expect to see you at this time of day."
He said, confirming your assumptions.
"I was under the impression that schools were in session again. Am I wrong?"
"Oh no, they are. I just got suspended on the first day for getting into a fight."
"Oh! I see."
You saw no point in lying to him and, judging by his shocked and concerned expression, he certainly hadn't been expecting that answer. Yet, he didn't dwell on it. Of course, he pressed on, having more important matters to attend to.
"Are the new pair of brothers here? I scheduled a meeting with them for this time."
You nodded, tilting your head back inside to yell for them.
"Papaya! Sansy! Asgore's here!"
"JUST A MOMENT, TINY HUMAN! SANS, THE KING IS HERE! GET OFF THE COUCH, YOU LAZY BONES!"
Whilst you waited for the two to get themselves organised, Asgore continue to make small talk with you.
"As I was informed of their presence, I began to file the necessary papers to get them documented."
Ah, so you were right. This was to do about citizenship.
"You are welcome to accompany them if you wish, young one. It would not hurt to make sure your papers are also up to date."
You considered the idea for a moment. Technically, you were grounded, but since this was official business with the king, Sans would let it slide. If he knew about it. So, you agreed to go, once the others were ready. When you arrived in the city and at the embassy, needless to say that Papaya had a similar reaction to the others the first time they went. Sansy, on the other hand, just scowled at everything, obviously wanting to leave as fast as possible. Occasionally, you'd glance at him only to find that his expression nor demeanor had changed.
"Sansy, you alright?"
He merely grunted in response, but it was better than him snapping at you. Still, you rolled your eyes. Why did you even care if he was doing okay, anyhow? Why did you bother? You mentally slapped yourself for even trying.
Asgore led you to a few different offices before everything was sorted. Unlike before, you actually got to watch the process of them getting their IDs. It was super boring, to say the least, but much easier than how yours had gone. Even so, it still felt like forever until they'd actually got everything sorted.
The only thing left was for them to each take their ID pictures. It was a simple process, just sit in the booth, in front of the camera, smile or don't smile, and then you're out of there. Of course, these two had to make everything more difficult.
"HUMAN! COME TAKE THE PICTURE WITH ME!"
You were perplexed at his request, and even more so when he grabbed you before you had time to respond.
"Wait, Pap, it's supposed to be only you in the picture-"
"SANS, YOU AS WELL!"
He snagged his brother by the hoodie, completely ignoring you. You were lucky that this photo booth was constructed with monsters in mind, otherwise none of you would've fit in here together. Even now, it was a massive squeeze, to which neither you nor Sansy appreciated.
"REMEMBER TO SMILE, HUMAN!"
At that moment, when he locked his gaze with you, the screen flashed. You don't know what came over you in that moment, or why, but for some bizzare reason, you began to laugh. Papaya took this as a positive sign, and soon he was infected by the same, unexplainable laughter. The only one who wasn't was Sansy, who just sighed. Yet, unlike all the other times, he didn't sound fed up or irritated. It was more like a defeated, softer sigh.
Around the fourth click, only having one last chance left, Papaya began to yell at his brother, demanding he crack a smile of sorts.
"COME ON BROTHER, YOU'RE ALWAYS SMILING! WELL, MOSTLY. HURRY UP!"
With a slight twitch of his working eye socket, Sansy let out a groan and forced a slightly creepy, tired looking smile. One that, although wasn't exactly Oscar worthy, was enough to appease his brother. Finally, when you came to look at the string of pictures, you found yourself feeling that odd fuzzy, warm feeling again.
The slides showed the gradual process of you going from utterly baffled slowly to acceptance and enjoyment. You and Papaya had even pulled a couple of funny faces at the camera, it made you snort. Sansy, though his expression didn't change much, did seem to get less irritated in each passing photo. Right at the end, however, was the best one. You were all squished together, smiling at the camera. Even with Sansy, part of you believed that not all of his smile was forced.
"OH, SILLY ME! I WAS IN THE WRONG BOOTH! HONESTLY, WHO PUTS THEM RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER?"
He exclaimed, his shocked tone seeming rather false. You had your suspicions that taking silly pictures with the three of you had been a pre-concocted plan, but you didn't bother asking. Instead, you watched as he went into the booth and, barely five seconds later, came out with what he claimed to be the most handsome, perfect picture of him yet. No one challenged him on that.
Sansy was next, and he didn't take long either, though he didn't seem too keen on his photo. Meeting up with Asgore only took a few minutes and, once everything went to processing, the two were promised that they would receive their documents by the end of the week, latest. With that all said and done, you all said goodbye to the King and were seen out.
"WELL, THAT CERTAINLY WAS EVENTFUL! THOUGH IT WAS A BIT STRANGE SEEING THE NOT-DEAD KING AGAIN."
"Yeah. You could say it was a haunting experience."
Sansy replied, and it took a few seconds before Papaya realised his brother had made a pun. After that, it only took one second more for him to scream at his older brother. Once he was finished, the skeelton stopped and turned to you.
"WELL, HUMAN. WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"
You blinked, and stood there with a blank face.
"Uh, I don't know, go back to the house, I guess?"
"ARE WE NOT GOING TO GET A TOUR OF THE CITY?"
Once again, you stared at him. By now, you should've realised that he was usually serious in his requests.
"Mate, I don't even know this city. I don't think I'm the best person to give a tour of it."
"THAT IS NO MATTER, WHY DON'T WE EXPLORE TOGETHER, INSTEAD?"
"Bro, can't we just go back? I'm bone tired."
"NO! STOP BEING LAZY!"
Well, it was decided. It was quite convenient that the Embassy was directly in the centre of the city, as it meant that you didn't have to travel much. Truth being told, you hadn't actually been in the city much since you arrived here, not even in the summer. The fact that you either had to take a bus here or drive was one of the main reasons why you hadn't bothered. Even the shopping centre that you'd usually go to, that wasn't in the centre, it was in the outskirts, on account of how large it was. That's why it was easily accessible, like, only a 15 minute drive from the brothers' house.
Being in a new and busy evironment, Papaya was eager to explore, and this, dragged you and his brother long for the ride. You quickly realised that his spatial awareness was severely lacking, as he bumped into several people, and objects. If people weren't avoiding him before, they sure were now. His clumsiness matched with his uncontrollable volume made you feel beyond embarrassed.
Sansy didn't seem bothered, though, you got the impression that he didn't care about anyone or what they thought, well, apart from his brother. So, as far as he was concerned, he wasn't. You, however, couldn't sink further into yourself if you tried.
"ISN'T THIS GREAT, HUMAN? THIS CITY ALONE HAS TO BE LARGER THAN THE WHOLE OF THE UNDERGROUND! THERE'S SO MUCH TO BE SEEN AND DONE!"
"Yep! So much stuff to do, but maybe we can save it for another day?"
You practically pleaded. Your feet were screaming at you to rest, since Papaya had forced you to walk around for God knows how long.And you hadn't even been doing anything interesting, either. It was mostly just him pointing out buildings and looking through windows, and by looking you meant he basically smashed his face against the glass to gaze inside the shop.
Everytime you suggested leaving, he simply refused, and everytime you turned to Sansy for help to convince him, he was also useless. You understood his excitement, but you were physically exhausted from the work outs Edge had been making you do, late at night nonetheless. You really needed to persuade him to find a different time to conduct training.
"I SUPPOSE WE HAVE SEEN ENOUGH FOR TODAY. ALRIGHT, LITTLE HUMAN, WE MAY LEAVE NOW."
You mentally cheered, whilst keeping a neutral expression as to not appear too happy.
"And how're we gettin' back, exactly?"
Sansy spoke up, picking at his teeth with his pinky finger, absentmindedly. He raised a good point, actually. Sans and Papyrus lived too far from the city to walk. You could do it if it was absolutely necessary, but that would take at least an hour. Getting an idea, you turned to him.
"Can you teleport us there?"
At your request, he let out a harsh chuckle. One that didn't hold any kind of amusement to it, one that was cold and spiteful.
"Famine fried my magic, kid. Barely got shit to spare, so no."
Well, then there was only one option left.
"Right, well, I guess we're taking the bus, then."
"WOWIE! I'VE NEVER BEEN ON A BUS BEFORE! ALSO, WHAT IS A BUS?"
On your search for a bus stop, you briefly explained to them what a bus was. Papaya became very enthusiastic about the whole idea, whilst Sansy just grimaced at the thought. Since monsters had surfaced, a new wave of buses had been invented. Ones that were more accommodating to the different heights and sizes of monsters, from what you had found out.
Of course, anyone was welcome on any bus, but some would find those kind of buses more convenient than regular human buses, especially the low roof, single decker ones. Taking into account Papaya's height, you had no other choice but to take the newly made one. Thankfully, you didn't have to go to a different stop, since there were no specified stops for each bus.
You instinctively reached for your oyster card, only to remember that you didn't have it, and that it was back home, along with your other valuable like your phone. So, you had to settle for paying with money instead and, since the brothers didn't have any dollars to hand, only gold which, although was still used in some monster establishments, wouldn't work for bus payments, you had to also pay their fees. They (Papaya) promised to pay you back later, and you'd hold him to that.
It was strange, using cash so often. Since there was no Covid pandemic, a lot of things were different. For example, cash was still widely used by everyone, much more so than card, unlike back home. It was weird to adjust to, but also strangely nostalgic. Also, having paper money and counting in cents and dimes was certainly something that took you a while to wrap your head around. But, that wasn't the only thing that was different.
Of course, since this wasn't your world, not everything that happened back home had happened here. For one, the Queen hadn't died, though you figured that would only be a matter of time before she did. In fact, you were pretty sure that, if this world followed yours, she would die this year (2022). However, that wasn't guaranteed.
A lot of things did stay the same, such as major world events like the assassinations of presidents, world wars and terrorist attacks. In fact, it seemed to be the little things that changed. For example, Tik Tok never gained as much popularity as it had due to Covid, Twitter was never brought by Elon Musk (or again, not yet), and Freddos were back to 15p. Sure, it wasn't the 5p price you remembered, but it was better than them being overly £1.
You didn't keep up with celebrities that much, so you weren't sure if anything was majorly different in that department. Actually, one thing you did know was that Kobe Bryant hadn't died, which had really surprised you. Other than that, you weren't as up to date as you probably should be.
You briefly mulled over the differences between this world and yours whilst Papaya yapped to his brother about how incredible the surface was. Said brother didn't seem too interested in the conversation, but didn't argue with him or make any attempts to stop Papaya from talking. The bus was, luckily, only about a half an hour journey and, before you knew it, you were walking back to the brothers' house. There was a stop near, though it was a ten minute walk, it was manageable.
Still, after all the exploring you had done today, the last 10 minute stretch felt like an eternity of agony before you could finally relax your aching limbs. But, that still didn't mean you could have any peace.
"HUMAN, I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU SEEM TO SPEND A LOT OF YOUR FREE TIME ON YOUR PHONE WHILST LAZING ON THE SOFA!"
You raised an eyebrow at him. There was no way you were about to get some sort of lecture from him.
"IT DOES NOT SEEM TO KEEP YOU MENTALLY ACTIVE. THEREFORE, TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP, I WILL WORK WITH MY OTHER ME'S TO CREATE CRAFTY PUZZLES TO CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN!"
Oh god. It wasn't a lecture. It was much worse.
There was no changing his mind. As soon as he got to work, you would end up suffering having to put up with his creations. Entertain his ideas until he was satisfied. The worst part was that the people he recruited, most likely Blue and Papyrus, possibly even Black, would be completely on board with him, causing you even more grief.
"Pap, honestly, I don't really like puzzles. I just pretend to engage with them for Papyrus and Blue's sake."
"NONSENSE! I'M SURE ONCE YOU SEE MY PUZZLES, YOU WILL ENJOY THEM!"
Knowing he wasn't going to budge, you didn't bother responding, instead going back to scrolling on your phone on whatever boring site you found. Your brain was getting a tough enough work out by doing all that maths and physics, having to do puzzles on top of that would just straight up fry it. Oh well, so be your fate.
The rest of the afternoon was thankfully less eventful, and, as not many skeletons were in the house, it meant you could finally have a bit of alone time. One thing you missed about your home was the peace. Since your brother avoided you like the plague and your parents were always working, you often spend the majority of your time alone.
Ever since you had shacked up with these skeletons, moments like this became rare. Usually, at least one of them was bothering you at different times of the day. The only escape you got from them was school, and you certainly weren't alone then, being surrounded by your friends and peers.
It became rather exhausting, since you weren't used to this much company or attention. You'd get at least one of them asking you how your day was when you came home from school, and this wasn't an off chance occurrence. No, it was every day, consistently. It felt strange and, at first, you were suspicious that they were only asking because they wanted something from you, or worse, give you bad news.
You had voiced your concerns a while ago to the skeletons, who had initially been confused. Clearly, elaboration was in order. So, naturally, you told them the story of how one day, coming home from school, you saw that both your parents had come to greet you. It had immediately thrown you off, since that was something they had never done. The situation was made even stranger when they asked how your day was.
It was nothing special. Just another average day at school. On that day, they broke the news to you that your grandmother had passed away. You were probably about 9 when this had happened, and it had devastated you. You loved your grandmother dearly. Out of all your family members, she was the one you were the closest to.
When your parents were too busy to take care of you and your brother when you were younger and couldn't be left alone in the house yet, they'd dump you off at your grandmother's. Your brother, obviously being 4 years younger than you, kept himself amused by playing with whatever toys he could find to keep himself occupied, not really bothered about being in company. You, on the other hand, were always entertained by your grandmother.
The two of you would watch old movies together, cook and bake or she'd read stories to you. But best of all was when she'd put on background music, all old, mainly from the 40s and 50s, occasionally the 30s. Sometimes, she'd dance or sing to them, and eventually, you'd join in too. Some of your best memories were shared with your grandmother, especially since you frequently visited her.
You knew she loved you very much. In fact, sometimes, you believes she loved you more than your actual parents did. She certainly knew you better. She knew your favourite and least favourite foods, how to get you to eat your vegetables when you didn't want to. She knew your favourite songs, movies, shows, books, you name it. She knew when you were upset, even if you weren't crying, and how to magically heal any injury or sickness.
She made you feel like the most special and loved kid in the world. And then, at the age of 9, that was ripped away from you. You remember sobbing to your parents, and then again at the funeral, and then again at night to yourself for years. There was no one else in the world like your grandmother. No one could replace her. And that's probably why it hurt so bad.
Not only that, but you were completely alone. Your parents worked constantly, almost an unhealthy amount, your brother, who was too young to even properly remember your grandmother and the wonderful things she did for you two, preferred his own company or his online friends. Speaking of friends, you hung out with yours occasionally, but it wasn't enough to fill that gap inside your soul.
After your grandmother passed, nothing felt the same. Life seemed more bleak, without her company. You didn't want to say that was the last time you felt truly loved...Anyways, by the end of your short story, the monsters had worn a different, more pitiful expression. You didn't want to dwell on the past, so you quickly moved on, after they established that there was no secret motivation behind asking you how your day was. Oddly relieved, you never asked about it again, though you were still getting used to the amount of attention they gave you.
At times, it was overwhelming, after being on your own for so long. But, you liked them enough to not mind the constant presence or chatter (usually arguments). You had, in a weird way, grown used to it. You found that you were also starting to feel that way towards other aspects of this world. You didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.
As you sat on the sofa, your thoughts were interrupted by your roommates, many of whom has come back from work. You hadn't realised how quickly the afternoon had passed and, before you knew it, you were the one greeting them, asking them how their day was, and your questions being reciprocated.
Thankfully, Edge had opted out of training tonight, claiming that if you looked too exhausted the others might get suspicious. So, for now until Saturday, you got a couple night off, seeing as you were going back to school tomorrow. You probably hadn't missed much, but you still wondered what had gone on whilst you were stuck at home.
"NOW, SUNSHINE. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO SCHOOL I EXPECT YOU TO NOT GET INTO ANYMORE FUNNY BUSINESS!"
"Hm? Get into funny business? Okay."
"NO! I SAID DON'T GET INTO ANY FUNNY BUSINESS!"
You snickered behind your hand as Blue exhaled extra loudly before diving into another lecture about the behaviour he expected of you. It was funny to see how riled up and passionate he could get. Though, you relented and promised to not get into any trouble tomorrow. The last thing you needed was more drama than you already had.
You were lucky that tomorrow was Friday, but you were still kind of dreading going in after what happened. That, unfortunately, led to your current situation, where you were unable to fall asleep, of course on the one night you weren't training. Lying in bed, feeling restless and anxious for who knows how long, you decided to get up. Maybe doing something would make you more tired?
You moved to open a window, since your room was uncomfortably warm, and sighed as the cool air hit your face. Surprisingly, your window opened quite far out, in fact, enough so that you could slip in and out of it, seeing as your room was on the ground floor. Actually, it was the only one that was. Everyone else's (once finished) would be on the second or possibly third floor, depending on if anyone was going to take the attic.
Getting a sneaky idea, you carefully creeped out of the window until you were successfully outside your bedroom. Luckily, since the summer had been super warm and the weather hadn't changed that much, the grass was dry, so you didn't have to worry about any possible mud tracks.
You didn't know how you hasn't discovered this until now. This would make a useful escape method if you ever needed it. You smiled cheekily to yourself at the very thought. You, sneaking out? You'd never done such a thing before. Though, you probably would never need to. But, it was nice to know you had the option to.
You wondered around the outside of the house a little, not planning to stay out too long until you came across a ladder. As you glanced up at it, you saw that it led to the roof. Funny, you hadn't even realised this was here until now. You certainly hadn't seen anyone use it. Strange.
Jiggling it slightly, you concluded that it was stable enough to hold your weight and not fall, as it seemed to be securely fastened to the ground. So, you did what any curious teenager would do and, in the dead of night, climbed up the ladder, which did in fact lead you to the roof.
You carefully balanced yourself as you waked across the tiles, being extremely careful not to fall. What were you doing? Your heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through your body as you steadied yourself. Thankfully, you didn't fall, and decided it would be safer if you lay down.
Exhaling deeply, you found comfort in looking up at the night sky. Sure, you couldn't see many stars due to the light pollution, but it still had a calming effect on your mind, that somehow got rid of all your fears of falling off the roof. You allowed yourself to close your eyes, languishing in the breeze and in the knowledge that you were finally getting some alone time that was not only quiet, but also incredibly relaxing.
"Heya squirt."
You jolted at the new, unexpected voice. Your eyes flew open and you immediately sat up, whipping your head around to see none other than Cash. Okay, now you were definitely confused. Were you dreaming? You tilted your head, squinting your eyes in the darkness to make out exactly who it was.
"Heh, surprised ta see me?"
As if your reaction hadn't obviously conveyed that enough.
"Uh, yeah, kinda. What are you doing?"
You questioned, not anticipating any company, let alone Cash of all people. Typical, even on the roof at night you couldn't get any peace and quiet. He lazily strode over, plopping himself down next to you before explaining himself.
"Nothin' much."
He shrugged, pulling out one of his trademark dog treats and lighting it.
"Just came out for a bit of air. Sometimes I come up here."
"You don't even have lungs, why do you need air?"
You observed as he to a long, drawn out exhale, watching the smokey residue dissipate into the night.
"Then how 'm I doin' this, then?"
To prove his point, he took another deep inhale, almost like he was trying to show off.
"Probably magic, or some shit."
You chalked most things down to magic, nowadays. Well, anything that monsters were able to do that seemed abnormal to you.
"Eh, you'd be right there. Smart cookie."
You fell into a short silence afterwards, not really in the mood for speaking. You weren't exactly sure what to say to him, anyways. It's not like the two of you were best buds, and hung out constantly or shared inside jokes or even a creative handshake as a greeting. On top of that, you barely knew anything about the guy, besides his job, the way he presents himself and a general idea of what his past may have been like.
Really, you should make the effort to get to know him better, but you had the feeling Cash was quite secretive when it came to anything personal, so you would probably have no luck in achieving your goal. You had been so focused on feeling sorry for your relationship with him that you hadn't even noticed his hand extended to you until it nudged you.
You jumped slightly, before the object in his phalanges caught your attention. You looked up at him and, when he made the go ahead motion, you tentatively accepted the lit dog treat from him. Bringing it to your mouth, you took a light inhale and then immediately exhaled, feeling slightly disappointed. Then, you heard a quiet, raspy laugh beside you.
"Nyehehe, ya clearly ain't smoked before, have ya, squirt."
You knew it to be true, but you still pouted, feeling slightly embarrassed at your less than ammature skills. He chuckled once more before deciding to actually teach you how to smoke, giving a demonstrative tutorial. This time, with guidance, you took a deep inhale, your lungs trying desperately to swallow the smoke.
You succeeded, but at what cost. For, the moment you did, you started violently coughing, the sensation of burning hitting both your chest and throat. You felt like a steam train as smoke came out of your mouth in small clouds whilst you chocked on nothing.
The flavour wasn't much better, either. It tasted oddly like mince, or something similar. Regardless, apart from the look, you didn't get the appeal. Cash, on the other hand, seemed to burst into fits of laughter, cackling to himself to the point where he was rolling over on the roof, clutching where his stomach would've been if he had one. You glared at him until he eventually calmed down, patting you on the back.
"Aww, baby's first dog treat-"
"Shut up!"
You could tell he was teasing you, and you didn't care for it.
"What's even the point? That was gross!"
"Eh, ya get used ta it. 'N it's relaxin'"
You scrunched up your face in confusion, wondering if he could see your expression in the dark.
"How is that relaxing?"
"Ya gotta commit ta it. Give it a couple more puffs, 'n you'll see."
You were incredibly sceptical, and there was a high change he was taking advantage of your lack of expertise to mess with you again. But, the more curious part of you drowned out any further doubts, and you made the poor decision of going in for another puff which, naturally caused you to cough once more.
You gave it two more attempts and, just as you were about to toss it off the roof, you were hit with a sudden, artificial wave of calmness. It wasn't anything major, just a small tranquility that blossomed in you. You glanced over at Cash, who knew the effects had hit you by now as he could see the stark contrast in how you were before vs now. He wore a smug look that screamed 'I told you so'.
"It still tastes weird."
"Yea, ya get used ta it after a while."
You weren't sure you were planning on getting used to them anytime soon, but you'd take his word for it. The dog biscuit wasn't exactly bad persay, but now that you felt calmer, you finally felt the weight of exhaustion come crashing down. It happened almost instantaneously, as you found your eyelids dragging themselves down, your body feeling as heavy as a bolder.
Cash must've noticed this development as he shuffled closer to you so you could lean on him. He wrapped his hoodie around you when he noticed you shiver from the cool night breeze, but you were too tired to show your appreciation for his actions.
"Ya've been extra tired than usual the last few days, kid. Care ta fill me in on why?"
Crap, he was starting to cotton on. You weren't a great lier, so the best thing to do now was to play the innocent, too tired to speak, card. In a mission to keep Edge's secret, you attempted to rely his question through incoherent mumbles, showing him that he wasn't getting any straight answers any time soon. When you heard a sigh, you knew it had worked. After a period of silence, you decided to ask him something that had been on your mind recently.
"Cash, are we friends?"
There was a pregnant pause before he spoke. Honestly, he didn't have to say anything, the silence spoke for him. You were just about to give up when he responded.
"Friends ain't- they weren't really a thing back in the underground. Ya know, with the whole kill or be killed rules."
He begun, tapping out his dog treat on the roof tiles before tossing it.
"Not sure I ever had a friend before. Maybe Undyne? Nah, I was probably more like a social experiment ta her."
Even when nearly too tired to function, you were still invested in his words. It was a rare moment when you got the raw, hard truth out of him. Him opening up about, well, anything, was an opportunity you weren't going to pass up, especially as he was doing it willingly.
"Labelin' anyone as a 'friend' back in the underground woulda got ya and them killed. But 'ere, it's different."
He sighed, staring up at the sky for a moment before glancing back at you.
"Did ya 'ave many friends back where yer from?"
"Some. Not a lot, but enough, I guess."
You were never the most popular, and despite your friend group being small, you were content with it. A moment of silence washed over once more, but, this time, it felt more comfortable than before.
"Would ya...even wanna be friends with me?"
Cash asked, his voice uncharacteristically timid, it threw you off slightly.
"I mean, yeah. If, uh, you want."
You hadn't made new friends in a while, you forgot how awkward it could be sometimes. But, it usually ended well. Cash smirked, lightly brushing your shoulder with his fist in a playful manner.
"Jeez, ya could sound a bit more enthusiastic 'bout it."
You snorted at his theatrical gasp, clearly over compensating, but he was a little dramatic like that.
"Yer a cruel one, squirt."
"Maybe I wouldn't be if you stopped calling me that."
"Nah, no can do, squirt. Cause, that's what ya are, a squirt."
He snickered to himself, like he was the most amusing monster on the planet. You huffed, removing yourself from leaning on him to sit up straight, getting a strange burst of energy to challenge him.
"You think your so funny, don't you?"
"Well, I am, ain't I? Yer laughin'."
"No I'm not!"
Unfortunately, you were, but you blamed it on the tiredness. Your smile muscles were too weak to be held at bay. You tried to hide your smile but Cash overpowered you and managed to pry your hand away from your face.
"Yeah, ya are. No point in lyin to me, bud."
"What? Are you some sort of lie detector, or something?"
"Nah, just a guy who knows how ta get info outta people when he wants it."
"Oh yeah, cause that doesn't sound ominous at all."
He let out another, honest, raspy laugh like before, finding genuine amusement in this conversation. Too bad for him that it would soon end, as you could no longer resist the call for sleep. This was clearly demonstrated by your long, drawn out yawn and the fact that you nearly fell asleep on the roof.
"Aight, time ta head back in. Ya need yer rest for tomorrow."
You didn't argue with him, and you let him teleport you back into your room, as it saved you a trip. You immediately crawled in bed, but not before handing him back his hoodie that he had wrapped around you. After you had closed your eyes, and heard the sound of a window shutting, it didn't take long before you drifted off to sleep, finally. It's a shame, considering you didn't hear Cash mumer the softest words to you.
"We can be friends."
Notes:
See you in the next one! ❤🌸
Chapter 42: Chapter 42: back to school!
Summary:
Y/n's school suspension is over! How will things go at school? Only one way to find out!
Notes:
Hey guys, I'm finally back with updates!!! I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but after my exams I had a bit of writers block and my brain was kinda fried for a while, but I managed to squeeze out another chapter! There should be a now more regular flow of updates like there was before, so look out for those. I've missed these skeletons and our dear reader, and I bet you guys have as well! Fret no longer, for I have returned :)
ANYWAYS, I hope you all enjoy ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Everyone was staring, you could tell. It was bad enough you were a foreigner with a foster monster family full of skeletons, but now you were the girl who started a fight as well. Even if that was your fault, it still sucked to have so many eyes on you, so much gossip being spread behind your back. But, like you said, you did it to yourself. So really, how much could you complain?
"Hey Carly, what have people been saying about me?"
You picked at your food, too distracted to eat. Whether you were in class, in the halls, or even in the cafeteria, you still felt like you were being watched.
"Oh girl, there's been so much gossip, it's insane. Someone recorded the fight and it's literally every where. Snapchat, Instagram-"
"Carly, she gets it. Don't rub salt into the wound."
Reece butted in, and you were glad he did. You got the picture, and the picture was shit.
"Hey, I'm just answering her question-"
"Y/n!"
A voice came up behind you. Turning your head, you saw three familiar faces approaching your table. All at once, April, June and Quinn came to greet you. You were glad to see them, and thankful for the temporary distraction. As they sat down, the two sisters began to immediately apologise for the incident a few days ago, but you assured them that they weren't to blame. If anything, they were the victims of the ignorance of another, and your actions were your own. No one made you hit her, and you made that clear to them.
"S-still, we're sorry. But, whilst you've been gone, y-your friends have been really nice to us."
June said, her ears flopping up and down on occasion. You knew your friends would, after all, it was exactly the way they had acted with you when you were new to the school. They were kind enough to take you in, and you were always thankful that they did.
"Has anyone given you anymore trouble?"
"Not really. We get a couple looks on occasion, but nothing that bothers us directly."
April spoke up, taking a big bite out of her sandwich. June, on the other hand, had brought some sushi, which looked so delicious, you were almost jealous. Then again, Papaya's lunches were pretty tasty. Or did Papyrus make it? You weren't sure.
"Y-yeah. Besides, it's fine! We're used to it, anyways. O-our last school wasn't...uhm..you get the idea."
So that was why they were so apprehensive when meeting you on that first day. They'd probably gone through a lot of shit with humans, you didn't blame them for being weary.
"That sucks guys. Just try to ignore all the arseholes in this school."
They both nodded, though you knew it would be harder than that.
"So Y/n, how mad were your family? We haven't heard from you all week! Did you get your phone taken away?"
Quinn inquired, and you nodded. It had been rough, going through the withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, you were able to sneak it back a few times, but rarely, and not for long. It had also slipped your mind to text your friends, oddly enough. You weren't trying to avoid the situation at school, no way. Nope, not at all.
"Yeah, they did and they were really pisssed. Well, some of them were, it was a mixed bag, honestly. Well, I guess that's what I get for-"
"Being a complete and total bitch, yeah. Fucking good."
A grating, irritating voice, finished your sentence for you. Instantly, you knew by the tone alone who it was. You turned your head to find none other than Stacey glaring down at you, and near her was her boyfriend Derek and a couple of spectators. Your face immediately twisted into a scowl at the sight of her.
"Isn't that your job, you racist cunt-"
"Girls, girls, let's not have a repeat of before. Even though it would be totally awesome to see you two fight again, you can't get expelled, Stace."
Derek, surprisingly the voice if reason, well, partly, cut you off, which was probably for the best. You could practically feel the steam radiating off of the girl, but neither of you engaged in any physical violence. You had learned your lesson. After that little stunt, you had clearly made an enemy of her.
"Whatever. I thought we could've been friends, y/n. But if you'd rather hang out with monsters than your own kind, that's your funeral."
She stated, as if it were some sort of amazing clapback.
"At least the people I hang out with are actually nice, and aren't complete bellends."
Having Derek as a boyfriend, which was bad enough already, meant that he also came with this friends who, like him, were complete tools. You knew from the party and the way they behaved in classes. One in particular of his mate, Noah, was almost more insufferable than Derek himself. The only half decent one was this dude called Toby, who didn't seem too bad, he just hung out with the wrong crowd, probably. Even so, you weren't invested in their friend group. You had yours and you were content with that.
Stacey gave a judgemental look towards your friends before storming off. Honestly, she didn't seem like the type to actively go after you, but you figured that, god forbid you were in a room with her, she'd have a couple things to say. If anything, the most she'd do is talk shit behind your back and, as long as no untruthful rumours were spread about you, it was fine. Mostly.
Apparently, April and June had found a friend group of their own, but still liked to come and say hi every now and then. You still had classes with them but, unfortunately, they still had to suffer some with Stacey, too. You especially felt bad for June, as she seemed much meeker than April. You hoped Stacey wouldn't give them too much grief.
It was strange that you hadn't been suspended for longer. You didn't see the point in coming in for one day, seeing as the day practically flew by and, before you knew it, school had ended. Seriously, apart from seeing your friends, it was a waste of time. Quite frankly, you couldn't wait to leave, but it seemed as though you weren't able to just yet.
"Y/n!"
A vaguely familiar, yet still unknown, voice called out to you, making you stop in the hallway. A boy with brown, slightly shaggy hair, his glasses only slightly concealing his freckles, ran up to you. You could've sworn you'd seen him before, but you just couldn't put your finger on it. And then it clicked. This boy was in your maths class. Not only was he the one to have given you that ibuprofen one time before the summer, but you remembered he was really smart. Well, in that class he was. Unfortunately, you failed to recall his name.
"Uhm, hi? What's up?"
"Oh, uhm- I-"
He stuttered out, searching frantically in his backpack for something. You didn't know what the rush was, but he seemed eager to find whatever it was he was looking for.
"Sorry, here."
He finally pulled out a bunch of papers. Glancing over them as you took them, you fought the urge to roll your eyes.
"Oh, more work, brilliant."
"I was told by our teacher to give these to you when you got back. Homework, for next week, and uh, all of this week."
A few months ago, you would've tossed this in the rubbish and claimed you forgot them at home without a second thought. Now that you had actually improved massively, you knew this wouldn't take you long to complete. Still, the whole process was long, and you were debating whether you should do it or not. However, not wanting to create more trouble for the skeletons to deal with, you decided to just complete it.
"H-hey, don't worry about it. You're really smart, you'll have no trouble, I'm sure!"
Well, that was encouraging, even if there was a slight hint of nervousness in his voice. You chose to focus on his words instead.
"Thanks for these."
"S-sure, yeah, no problem. I'll see you around!"
You watched as he disappeared as swiftly as he approached you. It's a shame you didn't get his name, but maybe that would've been too awkward in this circumstance. You'd just wait for your teacher to call on him in class and find out then. Speaking of maths, you grimaced at the sheets in your hands. Looks like you had more work to do.
------------
"Sansy, come on. One more bite can't hurt."
"I already told ya, I ain't eating no more."
He spat at you, and you mentally sighed, annoyed at how stubborn he was being. You knew it was difficult for him to eat, but it had been two weeks since your suspension had ended and he still hadn't got passed two bites a day. He was never going to get better if he didn't progress.
Honestly, you had no idea if he even would get better. You didn't know about this crap, you weren't a therapist or some doctor. Just because your dad was doesn't mean he passed down any knowledge. He was too busy to talk to you about regular things, let alone anything to do with his job. So, you did what you thought would help, but clearly it wasn't going very well, judging by the irate look on the skeleton's face.
"Why not? Come on, you need to eat more-"
"Don't fuckin tell me what to do with food, ya brat!"
When he snapped at you, unexpectedly, the fork you had been grasping instantly clanked against the table as it fell. You bit your tongue, trying to think of ways to soothe him.
"I'm sorry, but you're so low on magic, I-"
"Ya think I don't know that? Ya ain't got a damn clue about what's going on."
He stepped closer to you, his hand, so disheveled from the lack of magic, his fingers now like claws, gripping onto the counter so tightly you wouldn't be surprised if it left a mark.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry-"
"Just shut the hell up!"
"Oi! Don't fuckin' speak ta her like that!"
Red, being your surprising saviour, moved himself between the two of you. He snarled at his counterpart, bearing his teeth, as if to challenge him. You hadn't even seen him enter the room, but you were grateful for his appearance.
"Be a miserable fuck all ya want, but don't take it out on 'er."
Sansy glared at him for a moment, before regaining his composure. He tucked both his hands into his pockets, as if everything was nice and dandy. Red still was far from impressed.
"Alright pal, take it easy. I ain't done anything to her."
"I don't give a shit. Just fuck off already."
Surprisingly, Sansy did as he was told, and left you alone, still without taking another bite out of his food.
"Ya good, doll?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Dunno why yer so insistent on tryna help 'im. He ain't done nothin' but treat ya like crap."
While there was plenty of truth to be found in that statement, there was an underlying reason for pestering Sansy. Despite what the others said, you still felt responsible for the new pair of brothers. Ever since you heard of their traumatic past, you wanted to do as much as you could to help them. Maybe then, you'd be able to forgive yourself for your mistake, and maybe the others would to. If you could just help Sansy.
Papaya didn't need any help eating. Since he had been eating humans, he didn't have as much trouble as getting back to his normal eating routine. Well, normal before the famine. Unlike Sansy, who hadn't touched a lick of food in seven years. It was so much harder for him. As snappy as he was with you, you still felt bad for him.
"I just...wanted to help."
You shrugged, being purposely vague. Red seemed to accept that answer, clearly not being too bothered himself. If he were, he'd do more prying. Instead, he just placed a hand on your head, ruffling up your hair a bit before sending you on your way.
"C'mon, pap's waitin' fer ya."
How could you forget? Today's the day you were finally able to get your cast off of your wrist. By now, the fracture should have fully healed. Though you were going to miss all the writing on the cast, you certainly weren't going to miss the cast itself. It could be really itchy, and it drove you mad at times.
Making your way outside, you saw Papyrus, who was waiting for you, starting up the car. He waved you over and you happily joined him, eager to get your cast off. Luckily, it didn't take long and, before you knew it, your wrist was finally free.
"HUMAN, BOTH OF YOUR ARMS ARE WORKING AGAIN!"
You giggled, as Papyrus beamed, signing a couple papers before leaving you didn't know why he was extra bubbly today, but his positivity only made you feel more enthusiastic about the whole thing. You were so glad you could finally shower without having to wear a bag on your arm.
"LET'S GET SOME NICE CREAM TO CELEBRATE!"
You weren't one to turn down a sweet treat, especially if it was someone else's treat. So, you happily agreed. Finding the nearest nice cream shop, Papyrus let you pick out as many scoops and as many flavours you wanted, which inevitably led to you trying to balance four scoops on one cone. The skeleton next to you found it amusing, and though you promised you wouldn't get it on his car, it was beginning to look more and more likely that you would.
"SO HUMAN, HOW HAS SCHOOL BEEN?"
"Uhm, yeah. It's fine."
You avoided his gaze as you were so clearly lying through your teeth. You knew he didn't quite believe you. You were always such a terrible liar.
"Okay, it's not great."
You admitted. With everyone constantly giving you looks, you felt as if you'd never get a moment of piece at that school. Students were either spreading rumours about you or talking shit behind your back. And, whilst no one made any direct attempts to 'bully you', it still felt like you were some showpiece for everyone to shit on.
"DON'T GIVE UP, HUMAN! I'M SURE IT WILL GET BETTER, YOU JUST HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH!"
"Yeah, maybe."
You didn't believe him, and it showed, but Papyrus didn't push any further, despite looking slightly worried. You tried not to glance at his expression, instead focusing on your scoops. You only had two left, and, you had to admit, it had been delicious so far. Who knew pine wood flavour would taste do fresh?
"YOU KNOW, KING ASGORE SAID HE WOULD BE STOPPING BY TOMORROW."
Now that caught your attention. Surely it wasn't time for another check in, the last one had been so recent. Suddenly they thought occurred to you that he may just be stopping my, not necessarily on any official business, but maybe just as a causual hello.
"What for?"
"WELL, THE OTHER VERSION OF ME WANTED TO START A GARDEN, SO ASGORE KINDLY OFFERED TO SHOW HIM THE ROPES!"
You didn't bother to ask which one, you'd find out tomorrow, anyhow.
"I've never done much of that before. Do you think it'll be okay if I join them?"
"OF COURSE, HUMAN! THAT IS A WONDERFUL IDEA."
And so, tomorrow, you'd get to find out just how hard gardening would be.
-----------
Turns out, it wasn't as difficult as you imagined.
As Papyrus had predicted, Asgore and Papaya had no issues with you joining them, in fact, they even welcomed you. The king explained the basics of plant upkeep whilst leading by example on how to plant something. You and Papaya followed suit, not missing a beat. After all, it was mainly just you chucking a seed into the ground and giving it a bit of a water, a simple enough task.
"So Pap, what made you want to start a garden?"
You inquired, as this whole idea had seemingly come out of no where.
"WELL, HUMAN, I TRIED TO START A GARDEN UNDERGROUND AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOOD SOURCE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T DO TOO WELL. THAT IS WHY I'D LIKE TO TRY AGAIN, JUST TO HAVE AS A BACK UP OPTION! PLUS, I HAVE HEARD IT IS A VERY REWARDING AND THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY!"
He explained, pulling off his gloves. You had been at this for nearly a couple of hours, and you could see all the bending down had been wearing on Papaya's back. With that crooked spine, you weren't surprised he was in discomfort. Thus, he decided now was a good time to take a break.
"NOW, I THINK I'LL GET SOME REFRESHMENTS SORTED FOR EVERYONE! WHILST I AM NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CURRENT TEMPERATURE, I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THE HEAT IS STILL QUITE INTENSE!"
He wasn't wrong. Today was a particularly warm day, as well. Though you were nearing the end of summer and slowly heading into autumn in a couple of weeks, the sun seemed insistent on giving it's all in it's hours of summer.
"Thank you my friend, that would be wonderful. And yes, I suppose a break would be nice."
"EXCELLENT, I WILL RETURN SHORTLY!"
You watched as he sped off, and as Asgore removed his gloves, using one paw to wipe the sweat off of his forehead.
"You must get really hot with all that fur, right?"
You hoped the question wasn't too rude, but you couldn't help it. Monsters were still so insanely fascinating to you, there were so many different types. Ones like Asgore and Toriel especially peaked your interest, since they seemed to be the only ones left of their kind. At least, that's what you figured. Luckily, Asgore chuckled, not minding batting an eye at your curiosity.
"Do not fret, little one. I manage just fine. Though, it was a strange adjustment when we first came to the surface."
You took a seat next to him as he continued. Thankfully, he had chosen a more shaded area, giving you a break from the intense summer heat.
"While I have experienced heated temperatures in hotland, that was in a contained area. The weather up here is no were near as predictable or as constant as it was underground."
The underground. You only knew bits and pieces of information about it. It was particularly hard not to get each of the skeletons' undergrounds mixed up as well. You knew some basic information, like the different sections of the underground. The ruins, Snowdin, Hotland, Waterfall, and so on, yet still lacked a lot of knowledge around the subject. You'd done a bit of your own research, sure, but not a whole lot.
"Plus, the weather can vary depending on where you are in the world. Usually, back home, our summer heat varies, but we get a lot more rain during those months than we have here."
You pointed out, though he probably already knew that, as he nodded.
"The world is...much bigger than we monsters ever dreamed it was. But, it is wonderful nonetheless. There is so much to explore. So many different places, cultures, experiences and so many different types of humans. It is truly awe inspiring."
If only everyone viewed the world as positively as the king did. Whether his opinion was formed out of naivety or hope, you didn't care. You hoped he'd keep that view.
"Ever since we reached the surface, I have been continuously surprised by so many things. Humans were the most shocking of them all."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
You cocked your head to the side, hoping he would elaborate.
"Well, for one, they were nothing like how we imagined them. I am mainly referring to their physical appearance, I mean."
You supposed that made sense. After all, you and basically all of humanity had very different ideas of what monsters, though considered a myth at the time, would look like, and these guys certainly didn't fit the original descriptions.
"Though I suppose that history and memory can be distorted overtime. Yet, I still remember the old stories about the humans we had fought in the war that my father used to tell me. Though I don't remember everything, the books about human, though few and far between the underground, were more or less consistent throughout the ages."
"Ages? Jeez, how old are you?"
As soon as you had realised what you had said, you immediately gasped, apologising profusely in an attempt not to offend him. However, yet again, Asgore only laughed it off, finding your bluntness and boldness endearing. As you continued to interact with him, you were beginning to realise he wasn't the type of king you thought he was.
In fact, you found him to be a kind, merciful and almost ordinary person. You knew he had mostly abandoned his title as king, with people only using it when referring to him regarding any sort of politics, but you had also failed to look past that. Now, you think you were finally starting to see Asgore for who he really was. And, honestly, he was a pretty chill dude.
"It is quite alright to be curious, young one. I take no offence, I promise."
He reassured you, and you smiled sheepishly, accepting his answer. You felt yourself relax slightly as his warm, bright smile grew bigger. There was something comforting in it, the way his soft eyes held you gaze with such admiration and understanding.
"I am quite old, to answer your question. In fact, my kind are immortal-"
"Immortal?! Wait, seriously? I didn't think that was even possible!"
"Yes, it is possible, and we are. That is, until we bare offspring. Then we begin to age. However, even then, our lifespan is greater than any other monsters I have come across."
When Asgore looked down at you, he saw your awestruck expression, your wide eyes, nearly glittering at this new piece of information. You let out a quiet wow, earning a soft laugh from him in return.
"I was a mere boy when monsters were trapped underground. Too young to remember the surface, barely old enough to remember the war. My mother, a valiant warrior, had died fighting for our cause, leaving only my father to rule."
"That's terrible, I'm sorry."
You frowned when he held up a hand, signaling that it was alright. Even after all this time, you wondered if he still grieved for her.
"She was a wonderful, caring woman. Beloved by all her subjects and her family, and she died with honour. He legacy lived on for generations."
He mumbled, a distant, nostalgic twinkle in his eyes. Even now, he still admired her, held such a high opinion of her.
"When she left, my father made sure to never let me, or any of our subjects, forget her. He would tell me stories of her battles, leaving out no details about anything, including the humans."
You thought it best not to interrupt, even though you had many burning questions to ask.
"Looking back at his stories now, I realise that my father must have been mistaken. Perhaps it was the grief of losing my mother and many others, or the trauma of war that warped his memory, or even old age, but you humans look nothing like how we believed you to be."
"Maybe we just changed overtime?"
"Yes, I suppose that is also possible."
A moment of silence washed over the two of you as his word rung in your head, spinning over and over. Eventually, you broke the silence.
"What did you think we looked like?"
"Well, it was a common belief among all monsters that you possessed slightly different features than you appear to have now. It was taught in all schools."
He began, and you made sure to listen closely.
"Humans were described to be much smaller and appeared to have much stronger bodies, though I suppose you do get all different sorts of body types. Their skulls were more elongated and flattened in the pictures and diagrams that were used as references, some even having an interpretation of larger teeth."
He mused, wracking his memory for any other bits of ancient information, but apparently that was all he could formulate. Your brows knitted together at his explanation, trying to imagine what their interpretation of your kind had been. Apart from those distinct features, you were still described to have hair and skin and the same amount of limbs, so an easy explanation would be that the image of humans had just got distorted overtime. Though, there was something about his description that sounded slightly familiar to you, though you couldn't remember what.
Apparently, once the human children had began to fall down, Asgore realised that the descriptions monsters had of humans were wrong, though they were never changed in writing until monsters reached the surface.
"Ah, my memory is not what it used to be, I'm afraid. Perhaps you would find more answers in our old textbooks about humans."
"Where could I find those?"
"Unfortunately, most still remain underground. We did not think to take them with us."
Well, that was a shame. You were hoping you could do a deeper dive into, not only the history of your own species, but also monster history. Yes, the internet was helpful, but looking at old books would, if not useful, make you look very studious. But, there was no way to get them up here. Unless, you-
"GREETINGS FRIENDS! I HAVE RETURNED WITH REFRESHMENTS!"
Papaya interrupted your train of thought, as he handed you and Asgore each an ice-cold beverage, which helped soothe the heat's effect on you. However, soon enough, you eventually returned to gardening for the rest of the afternoon. It was pleasant and peaceful, but you couldn't help but brew up a mischievous plan in the back of your mind.
One that would help you do a deeper research into the history of humans and monsters. One that would allow you to experience the conditions that monsters were subjected to for thousands of years, first hand. One that led you down into the underground.
Notes:
I feel like this one was a shorter chapter, oops! Oh well, I'll see you all in the next one ❤🌸
Chapter 43: Chapter 43: the underground
Summary:
Frisk and Reader go on a little adventure together, which leads them down a path of excitement, information, and high tension!
Notes:
Hi guys, I'm back! Sorry this took so long. As you will find out a bit later, I tried adding something a little more creative to the fic! I'm not sure whether it's good or just cringe, but I thought I'd at least give it a go and put it out there. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! ❤🌸
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You didn't tell the skeletons about your plan, mainly because it didn't even cross your mind to. You figured it would be boring to them, and they'd end up taking no interest in it, so why bother? Though, you may need someone to help you navigate the underground, if you were to really go through with your plan. This was where Frisk came in.
Since it was the weekend, Frisk was, not only free to, but thrilled to hang out with you, even if you hadn't filled them in on the plan just yet. Honestly, your timing was pretty good, considering it was still warm enough that you didn't need to wear any sort of covering. A perfect opportunity to enjoy the last moments of summer, have a great time with Frisk and find out more about your research.
Recently, you had surprised yourself more and more. A few months ago, you would've never been this dedicated to widening your knowledge about, well, anything. Now, here you were, about to face the underground, previous home of monsters for centuries, just to retrieve some books. Well, a lot had changed since before you came here. You quietly slipped out of the house, not even bothering to mention you were going out, and went to meet Frisk. Once you met up, you told them the plan.
'You want to go into the underground?'
They signed, in confusion. You nodded.
"Yeah, I wanna find out more about monster and human history, Asgore said there were tons of old books down there! Plus, I think it would be cool to explore. Will you come with me and be my guide?"
The child smiled at you, giving you a thumbs up. So, just like that, your plan was in full swing. You and Frisk began to hike up to the mountain, weaving through the woods. The scenery was truly beautiful, especially in the warm summer sunlight that made it seem just a bit more magical. The last time you were here, you had been too occupied with running away from your problems to take it all in.
Frisk said it was safer to use the exit rather than the entrance to get into the underground. Although both were sealed off with barriers, restricted to almost everyone apart from those with special access and permission, it was safer than falling down that hole like Frisk had done.
'What do we do about the barriers?'
They asked, as you came to a stop. You assessed them, before shrugging. It was a no brainer, really. Whoever made these barriers made them way too short.
"We'll just climb over them, easy."
You were both tall enough that it wasn't much of a hassle to get over them. However, you it didn't even cross your mind that they were put there for a reason.
As promised, Frisk guided you through each sections of the underground. The throne room was still incredible, though definitely overgrown with weeds and vines, with only some golden flowers surviving. The throne itself still sat in the middle of the room, in all it's glory. Smirking, you found a golden opportunity.
"Hey Frisk! Come take my picture, then I'll do you!"
You said, handing them your phone before going over to the throne and posing on it. The two of you giggled as you took turns pretending to be the monarchs of the underground, pulling a mix of serious and silly faces. You had planned to take pictures, but you didn't expect it to be this fun.
As you made your way through the underground, you made sure to document every location with a few great pictures. The core was full of technology that should've been buzzing with life, yet it was condemned to a life of silence. Luckily, it still looked super cool and sci-fi like, so you got some gold shots. Hotland was, well, hot. You didn't take as many pictures, mainly because you were afraid of dropping your phone into the larva.
Apparently, there used to be a whole bunch of puzzles in this area, but when everyone left for good, all the power had been deactivated and, with it, the puzzles. You would've worried about this, if they were necessary to get across certain places, but as many travelled to the surface, and many humans came to investigate this place more closely, more bridges and safety rails had been built. This meant that getting around the place, although it was quite a long walk, was basically a piece of cake.
"Woah, this lab is huge!"
Your voice slightly echoed as you spoke. Gazing around, you could see it's walls were pretty bare. It seemed that whoever had been here had packed up all their things long ago, not leaving behind much, only one giant monitor and a pot of old noodles remained. You could take a guess as to who had lived here.
'This used to be Alphys' lab. It took her ages to finally clean everything and take it with her to the surface.'
Frisk pointed out, pushing around the noodles, as if debating whether to eat them. You cringed at the mold on the top.
"Frisk, if you eat that I'm literally going to throw up."
The child shrugged before thankfully tossing it into a nearby rubbish bin which, unsurprisingly, was filled with empty noodle pots. You didn't think searching this place would do much good, as it seemed pretty empty.
"I don't think there's much here."
Your eyes did one last scan before coming across a door which you had missed before. It was slightly ajar, with no light behind it to reveal what could be in there.
"Hey, maybe there's something in there."
You took a step towards it, but before you could go any further, Frisk quickly stopped you, dragging you out of the lab.
'There's nothing down there. It's just creepy old stuff.'
They concluded, and they weren't going to change your mind. Well, Frisk was the expert. If anyone knew where to go, it was them. You hadn't realised how much you were sweating until you finally cooled down in Waterfall. It was certainly called Hotland for a reason.
'Waterfall doesn't really have any libraries, it's too damp for the paper. We need to keep moving to Snowdin.'
"Jeez, this place is so big. My legs are starting to hurt."
You muttered in response, though you had to admit, Waterfall was the prettiest area you had come across yet. The echo flowers especially. You had made Frisk stop to admire them multiple times, you just couldn't get over their luminescent beauty. You couldn't help but giggle in delight as you whispered silly little lines into them, whilst Frisk stood behind you, clearly bored.
They tugged at your arm, signaling for you to leave the flowers. Eventually, you did, deciding to not pick any of them. You didn't know how well they would survive on the surface and, even if they did well, bringing one back would be an instant give away that you were down here.
At last, you made it to Snowdin, instantly regretting not bringing a coat the moment you stepped foot in snow. You grimaced, trying to keep your shivering to a minimum, which was quite difficult since you were in a top and shorts. Frisk was in a similar situation to you, but reassured you that the library wasn't far, and that it was much warmer inside. Thankfully, they were right, as you could literally see the place in the distance. Coming closer, you briefly glanced at the sign above only to see it misspelled. It now read 'Librarby'.
You exhaled in relief as a blast of warm air sit your face, soothing the coldness that had made your hairs stand on end. You were surprised this place was still heated, considering how most of the power in the underground has been switched off. It was certainly strange, but not unwelcome.
"Alright, I'll take a look at this section and you take the other side."
It wasn't surprising that there weren't a ton of books on humans, as knowledge of your species was probably very limited in the past. You did, however, manage to find two books.
"Hey Frisk, I think I found something."
You took the books over to a nearby desk, momentarily coughing from the dust. Frisk glanced over at the books, noticing how one was substantially bigger than the other. The first, the thicker of the two, was a book on human and monster history, the main focus being the war. The next book was much thinner and focused entirely on humans. Both were perfect for your research.
'Which one should we start with?'
"Let's start with the history book! I already have some basic knowledge already, but I'd like to get some closer details."
You began by flipping through the contents of the book, taking note that there were only three sections:
PART 1- Those Cruel And Those Worse (Before The War), PART 2- The Losing Battle Of Justice (The War) and PART 3- Monsters Underground/The Fallen Human (Note- this book was written when the first human fell, please look to different sources to learn more about the other fallen humans)
PART 1- Those Cruel And Those Worse (Before The War)
Savages of the same heart, yet different soul. In the beginning stood two species, Humans and Monsters. It was our ancestors who fought, then their descendants, then us. Before, peace may have been known to some packs, others were not so lucky.
You decided to skip the introduction as, much like many of your history and english essays, it seemed to be a whole lot of unnecessary waffle that you couldn't be bothered with. You scanned the paragraphs, in search of key words, but your attention was quickly captured by something else, something different. It seemed to be some sort of old piece of writing that didn't look like it belonged to this book originally. In fact, scratch old, it was practically ancient! So much so that it was in a language you'd never even seen before, let alone comprehend. Especially since everything was so faded.
Translation: "Although Mann fear us, we hurt Mann, also. All are to blame for war." - ?????? (M)
That was certainly an interesting take. From what you'd heard, it was always humans who had instigated the bad blood between the two species. However, from the sounds of it, it seemed like monster had a bigger part to play in heightening the tension than what was previously implied.
"This must be a really old monster language."
'One of them. Mom told me that there were many, some even specific to different types of monsters. But, most are gone now. I doubt even she'd be able to read this.'
That wasn't the only ancient entry in the entire book, though the rest were of little use and by monsters you didn't know of. So far, there was no record of any human opinions. Still, you eventually came across something that might actually be useful.
Historically, we lived both far and near to the humans, though that was constantly changing throughout the years and, as the tension worsened, so did the distance between our species until, eventually, we became the natural enemies of our great great ancestors from long ago. Both who were primal and savage, before evolution, before collaboration. For a brief period, we understood each other as we grew, but we did not grow enough.
Both species were able to cast magic, though humans were quicker to advance in tools and techniques. Some shared this knowledge with monsters they trusted, some refused, everyone killed at times, yet monsters did catch up. They were able to match the humans in knowledge and magic, but it was the strength of the human souls that no monster could amount to.
Not many monsters wanted that power, they feared it, though some sort after it, whether that be due to spite for the humans' nature, curiosity or desire for power, is not known. Many humans hunted monsters as they feared a different yet nearly equally matched species in their territory, one which was completely alien to them, despite having lived amongst each other for a while. No one knew when the conflict began or by who, but stories passed down generation to generation and natural instinct made it difficult for each to co-habit the surface with each other.
"So, things between humans and monsters have always been bad, then?"
'It looks that way, yeah.'
You and Frisk both exchanged glances before moving on to the next part. Now you had a better idea of how humans and monsters lived with each other before the war. The short answer, they didn't. That was probably a fair guess, but what really stuck out to you was that this author claimed humans had magic. It was not uncommon to hear that humans from this universe used to have magic, and while you had your doubts, this was clear proof of it being true. If that were so, then what happened to their magic?
PART 2- The Losing Battle Of Justice (The War)
The humans fought with everything they had, and so did we, but it wasn't enough. Their stronger souls combined with their determination and hatred for our kind led to them combining their powers to seal us underground. However, there are misconceptions to this. While our kind were sealed away, some believed that this was not the purpose of the humans' spell. No, some believed that it's original intent was to wipe the rest of us out until extinction, but something went wrong, and we were instead trapped. Whether that is the truth or not is unknown.
Our fiercest warriors fought in that war, including the Queen herself. They were few survivors, including some bystanders and soldiers, the King and his son (Asgore), Gerson and the Royal Scientist, whose identity was lost to history. We were physically stronger than the humans, but they made up for this by the plethora of power their magic held, due to their soul. They were able to match and exceed whatever we could perform, even when our best efforts were put forward. The only ones who were able to fight as equals to the humans were the Queen and Gerson.
You had no idea who Gerson was, until Frisk told you that they had visited his shop in waterfall. Apparently, he was an old tortoise who had not only fought in the war and was friends with the king, but had also trained Undyne when she was younger. You couldn't believe he was alive after all these years, and wondered if he too was immortal, though probably not. You supposed that tortoises did live a long time, so it made sense, in a way.
This section mainly consisted of the different battle strategies and fighting techniques used in the war, not to mention the amount of failed treaties and surrenders. Honestly, you were a little bored and therefore mostly skimmed through this part, not having discovered anything more of which you didn't know. Honestly, you surprised yourself by how much prior knowledge you already had on this subject, you don't been remember doing that much research on it.
What was interesting is that magic in humans varied depending on the type of soul, with determination being the strongest and most powerful, each had different strengths. For example, whilst Determination (Red Soul) increased strength and stamina, Kindness (Green Soul) was known for being more inclined with healing. You wondered what your soul colour would be, if it ever fully formed for you to find out, though it didn't really matter since you didn't have magic. That wasn't going to change.
PART 3- Monsters Underground/The Fallen Human (Note- this book was written when the first human fell, please look to different sources to learn more about the other fallen humans)
Our kind were beginning to lose hope, until they appeared. The saviour of monster kind, the Prince's best friend, the King and Queen's second heir, the human child. They seem shy and closed off to others, yet loud and mischievous with the Prince. Their first arrival was met with masses of spectators and crowds who were eager to meet them. Many of us had never seen a human before, not until they fell. The child known as ----------
Your brows furrowed as you tried to make out the crossed out, smudged word. Unfortunately, it was too illegible to understand.
"Chara."
Frisk's voice caught your instant intention, it nearly made you jump. Hearing them talk once had been a shock in itself, since they hadn't spoken since the hospital. When you first met, you figured Frisk was mute, but now you wondered if it was selective muteism, instead. Though, the child didn't say much else, instead switching back to sign language which you had pretty much mastered by now.
'I think the author is referring to Mom's first human kid. Their name was Chara but...she doesn't talk about them much.'
"It says here that every soul in the underground was depending on them to be their saviour, but that sounds like a lot of pressure. I'm guessing it didn't go too well, either, by the sounds of it."
Frisk shook their head, guiding you to the page where it talked about their passing away, along with the Prince, known as Asriel. It was an awfully tragic story, so much so that it made you tear up slightly. Still, you shook the feeling off and continued to read.
The King became desperate, and so, with his two children dead, he declared death on every human that will fall into the underground, in order to obtain seven human souls. The Queen, disgusted and appalled by this idea, fled soon after, and no one has seen her since. The King may be lonely, but he is our last hope at salvation. Hopefully, monsters are freed soon, and we will see the surface again.
"So Asgore had to collect all those souls? But, he seems so kind and gentle, how could he have possibly...?"
You were more shocked than anything at this revelation. Obviously, he had a reason for his actions, not to mention he was grieving whilst all this was happening, though it didn't make killing those humans right. But, you could understand the circumstances they were all in, and when everyone is looking to you for a solution, it can be difficult to always provide one where everyone is good and happy.
You honestly felt more bad than horrified. Asgore had to carry the weight of his actions around him everyday, which couldn't be easy. On top of this, he seemed to be dealing with this alone. Hearing that Toriel left him, whilst understandable, still rubbed you the wrong way. Leaving him to suffer that burden alone was quite cruel, in your opinion, though if she did it to protect herself, it made sense. Even so, it wasn't fair to Asgore.
"Alright, I think I've read enough. Let's move on to the next one."
You said, decisively, shutting the book in front of you and pushing it to the side. The next one was more centred around humans and what little knowledge monsters had possessed of them at the time. Of course, most of their internal anatomy was incorrect, though, given the time, would've been the same for the humans. It was not until much later that science advanced far enough to debunk all those false theories. As well as this, it probably didn't help that monsters assumed magic worked a similar way as it did in them for humans, making everything even more wrong.
'Hey y/n, I think there are some pictures on the next page.'
Frisk then pointed to where they meant, guiding your gaze over to the diagrams and pictures of humans. The drawings had clearly been extracted from an older, different source that was most likely lost to history, as the pictures were somewhat faded and slightly cracked, clearly a sign of age. However, you were still able to make out perfectly what the image was. Your eyes widened as you came to a realisation.
"Wait, monsters were living amongst these guys?"
You scanned the book for any further information, but found none. It was clear as day that, if what was in this book was true, then-
Before you could finish that thought, a quiet tremble rumbled below your feet. You glanced at Frisk, who seemed to be just as confused as you. Deciding that it was probably time for you to leave, you took Frisk's hand and left the library, but not before snapping a few pictures of the necessary sections of the book. After all, you'd need them for later. Not long after, you felt the same tremble again.
"What the hell is that? An earthquake?"
You'd never experienced an earthquake before, since there were no fault lines near or in London. Frisk shrugged, looking up at the ceiling, where multiple, pointy rocks hung. It was almost as if they were taunting you, showing off their presence as a potential threat. The thought made you shiver slightly, which was made worse by the bone chilling cold of Snowdin.
However, when you heard an all too familiar voice echoing off the cave's walls, it was as if your body was consumed with ice all together as you froze. Your head snapped to the ever growing vines, spreading themselves across the walls and ceiling, stretching as far as they could reach. Rising from it all was the very flower you'd encountered on your last visit, wearing the same, seemingly harmless smile. But, you could see all too well the malice in his gaze as it snapped to the only two humans in the underground.
"Golly, what brings you two down here, all by yourselves? Must be lonely."
It's smile became more twisted the longer it spoke, and you couldn't help but instinctively reach for Frisk, pulling them behind you.
"Aww, what's that look for? Don't you miss your old buddy, Frisk?"
Looking back, the child didn't seem nearly as distressed as you thought they would be, though they weren't exactly comfortable either.
'Actually, we were just leaving. You could come with us, you know.'
"You idiot, you know I can't. Stop asking, it's so annoying. Trying to play hero again, Frisky?"
It spat, glaring down at the child, who simply sighed, as if they had done this song and dance a thousand times.
"I didn't think I'd see you again. You've got some nerve, coming back here. I'm almost impressed, if you weren't such an idiot."
He looked you up and down, his eerie smile never leaving his face, the same one that was burned into your mind, never to be forgotten. You swallowed, giving him a hard glare. Unlike the last time, you weren't about to take any shit he'd dish out, not when Frisk was with you. For some reason, having someone younger than you around made your fear melt away- well, mostly- with only a need to protect and flee replacing it.
"Are you possessed or something? The fuck is your problem?"
You said, becoming increasingly more irritated and unnerved by its presence. You understood that monsters existed, but this thing seemed almost unnatural.
"How's about I give you some advice, you know, from one soulless being to another."
Your eyes widened, and you instinctively took a step back. How could he possibly know? A haunting laugh bounced off the hollow walls of the cave, his smile curving upwards.
"Ah jeez, the look on your face is priceless! A human with no soul, I didn't think it was possible! I guess, to quote smiley trash bag, you really are out of this world! You freak."
You're one to talk, your mind threw back, but the words couldn't leave your mouth no matter how much you wanted them to. Instead, you couldn't help but stand as that awful feeling of dread and adrenaline continued to rise in your stomach.
"Frisk, I think we should go."
You murdered quietly, and they nodded. With the creature distracted by his own laughter, the two of you quickly sped off, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Unfortunately, soon enough, it noticed the two of you had disappeared from it's immediate sights and, from the crackle of it's vines moving against the walls, you could tell it was after you. Suddenly, the jovial atmosphere of the underground had turned cold and unnerving, as you weaved in and out of the maze that seemed to stretch for miles, much longer than you remember walking before.
It was almost like it was breathing against your neck, it's presence just out of reach from you. You felt your heartbeat in your throat as it's high pitched, jinxed voice seemed to project to the entire underground, reminding you of why, in that moment, you felt utterly and truly terrified. It was like something out of a horror movie, except worse.
"Come out come out~ I won't hurt you, I'm your dear old friend Flowey! Here, I'll give you some friendliness pellets! Take them, take them all!"
In all and no particular direction, little, white beads bounced off of the landscape, as if searching for you. Something told you they were anything but friendly. The screaching never stopped, and the further you got, the fast it's movements became, the more the cavern walls started to tremble and shake, before bits of the structure started to collapse.
To minimise noise, in an attempt to try and not disclose your exact whereabouts, you and Frisk had been briskly walking, watching your steps carefully. Now, you were running, as your life depended on it. As the walls around you shook from the flower's interference, those menacing, pointy rocks at the top of the ceiling began to losen, until they started to fall. Now, not only did you have to run, but it was your job to try and dodge and weave them. If you were crushed by anything, it was game over.
Grabbing Frisk's hand, you made a dash for it, suddenly very thankful for Edge's stamina training, as it meant you were able to last a little longer without it feeling too painful. The earth cried as the creature cackled, an awful, almost static like, cackle that caused a painful ringing in your ears, but you didn't let that distract you. You ignored the fact that, out if the corners of your eyes, you could see the vines gaining in on you, catching up, but you refused to stop. Your legs simply wouldn't let you.
Being as consciousness as possible of the collapsing structure above you, the fear of being seaed in growing ever stronger, it was as if all thoughts had disappeared, all but one. You needed to survive, you would survive. That's why, when Frisk jumped out of the way of a massive chunk of rock that nearly crushed them, causing them to fall, you you didn't look back. Hand still in theirs, you were now dragging them, until they were able to retain their footing and join you, but you could sense they were flagging.
Leaving little room for stopping, you forced them onto your back and they held on tight as you ran, faster than you had ever before, a new found stamina taking over your body, as if you weren't even controlling it. The ground beneath you shook and jolted as it was penetrated by chunks of the ceiling that came crashing down, some breaking off into smaller pieces, others creating large holes that you had to be aware of not to fall in.
"Where are you~ I'll make your death as painful as possible if you come out now!"
It's voice scratched against your eardrums, now louder than before. You didn't look back as you panted, a bright light filling your eyes. The exit, it was so close-
"There you two are! You know, it's not very nice to run off from someone like that! After all, we were just having a friendly little chat!"
You hadn't even seen it coming, but when the creature grew in side, using it's vines to tower over you and trap you, landing right in front of you, your body jerked back, tripping over itself and falling down. Frisk slipped from your grasp, though not too far away from you, glanced back at the flower with pure terror, like it was something they'd seen before. They couldn't move, looking like they'd seen a ghost, but the creature merely laughed.
"In this world, it's k i l l o r b e k i l l e d."
That was all the warning you got before being pulled straight into an encounter. You staggered back, not yet regaining your footing as you stared in horror. It was all too familiar- it was just like the one with Black. You couldn't, not again, why again-
Frisk tried using ACT with Flowey. It seems that talking was ineffective.
Your eyes snapped over to Frisk, who was already tempting to find a peaceful route out of this. By the looks of things, this creature wouldn't accept mercy. Not this time. Scrambling to your feet, you immediately reached for Frisk, only to be pulled back by a few vines wrapping around your arm, it's thorns piercing your skin and colouring your arm red. Glancing over, you could see Frisk was in a similar predicament, though the vines were grasping their ankles, instead, stopping them from running away.
Flowey laughed as he summoned the same white, friendlyness pellets to surround the two of you. There was no hesitation, no remorse, as they struck you. You tried fighting back against his restraints, trying to recall every move Edge had taught you, but your mind was clouded by fear and adrenaline. All you could do was punch and pull and kick at the vines, hoping they'd losen. They didn't.
You tried calling for help, but no one came.
"Frisk, don't- mhph!"
In mere seconds, your mouth and were covered in the same vines that held your arms, and now body, captive. Tears sprang to your eyes as you tried to ignore the stinging pain all throughout yourself, instead trying to figure out how to get out of here alive. It was clear that you and Frisk were beginning to really panic, as your HP dropped, and Flowey showed no signs of stopping. This was it, you were going to die here.
Your family, they'd never see you again. The skeletons, you hadn't even said goodbye to any of them, spoken not a single word of your adventures, all because you thought they wouldn't care, or notice your absence. And Frisk, you dragged them into this. Toriel would have to lose yet another child, because of you. Everyone would hurt, because of you. As hot, rapid tears slid down your cheeks, you wondered if this was for the better, if you deserved this, as some sort of karma for all the pain you'd cause. Maybe, just maybe, there was no way out. And maybe, you should just disappear. With that idea in mind, the fight in you began to die, your eyelids dropping as you became weary.
In the distance, the muffles of Frisk's voice carried over to your ears, but not enough to make you look at them. You stared at the ground, exhausted, scared, and in pain, as you waited for the last bullets to strike you. Yet, it never came. A great rumble errupted, and Flowey, who was too preoccupied with trying to murder you, didn't even notice the massive rock falling down to crush him. There was an abrupt, high pitched scream of agony, before nothing. Silence, as you were immediately released, his vines going limp.
By some miracle, you were saved.
Gasping, you looked around to see if that had really just happened. If you were really just saved. Suddenly, it was as if the life had flooded back into you, and you remembered what was important. Ignoring your own pain, you ran over to Frisk, who was in shock, their body shaking, fiercely. You wished you could hug them in that moment, but you didn't know if that rock had truly killed the flower. But, one thing you did know was that the shaking persisted, and you needed to get out before you were sealed in. Since there was no phone service; if you got trapped here, there was no way out.
Running through the throne room, which was shaking and cracking from all angles, you fled as fast as you could, Frisk's bloodied hand in yours, until you finally reached the outside. Apparently, you were just in time, as the second you were out, the whole thing collapsed in on itself, completely blocking off the exit and entrance to the underground.
It was at that moment, you collapsed, gasping for air, greedily taking it in, the feeling of dread and fear still hanging over your head like a heavy weight. But, you were safe, for now. Neither of you said anything, as you caught your breaths, but after a few minutes passed, Frisk threw themselves in your arms, still as rattled as before. You held then tight, trying not to hurt them more.
"Frisk, I'm so sorry, I- we need to get you to Toriel, she can heal you."
You tried to stand up, but it took a moments, as your movements were unsteady. Frisk followed you, not saying a word.
"I'll l-let Toriel know-"
Your shaky fingers hovered over your phone, looking through your contacts since you now had service, only to find like a hundred missed calls from each skeleton. Your eyes widened in shock, but you refused to deal with that right now. Shooting Toriel a quick text to say you were on your way back, and that Frisk needed immediate healing, you made your way down the hill and out of the forest.
Frisk, though not as badly hurt as you, had very low HP, something that you had come to learn was very dangerous, in both humans and monsters. The two of you said nothing throughout the entire journey. By the time you reached Frisk's house, your legs ached even more so than before, and your hand was swollen from where Frisk had been gripping it.
Toriel's reaction was exactly what you expected it to be. Wasting no time, she ushered you two of you inside, and if her concerned expression wasn't enough already, you caught a glimpse of her wiping away tears when her child wasn't looking. The guilt began to naw at you even further, so much so that you couldn't bare to look at either of them.
"Oh, my children, what happened to you?"
She fretted, the soothing warmth of her healing magic flooding your system, but it did nothing to comfort your emotional state. You couldn't bare it, the guilt, the hate you felt for itself, it was like it was swallowing you whole, drowning you, mixing with your fear. You were chocking on it, on the very real reality that you nearly died, that you should've died.
"Y/n?"
The second her paw touched yours, you threw yourself away, staring back at her with wide, tear filled eyes. Not long after, you were gone. You fled, leaving them behind. Toriel called after you, but you didn't look back. Instead, you ran, you ran all the way back to the house, ignoring the buzzes emitting from your phone. By the time you had stopped, half healed, exhausted and mentally shook, you threw up, bile expelling from your mouth.
You tried to compose yourself, despite already looking like a mess, but nothing could've prepared you for what you encountered next. Before you even opened the door, you heard a lot of yelling, everyone talking and shouting over each other. When you turned the handle and walked in, all eyes snapped to you. Every single skeleton was gathered in the living room, the shock apparent on their faces when they saw you.
Not even closing the door, you just stood there, and no one moved for what felt like forever. The monsters looked you up and down. There you were, barely stood, shaking, in your ripped clothes. Wherever your skin was exposed was almost certainly covered in a thick layer of blood, the cuts still fresh and stinging, whilst the dirt, mud, and whatever other crap that you picked up from running, had stuck to you like glue.
It felt like a lifetime before anyone moved. As soon as they honed in on your, each one's expressions twisted into one of horror, the same being said for even Sansy and Papaya. Despite attempting to take the first step, you stumbled, tripping on your own two feet and landing harshly on the ground below. That was all the incentive needed for everyone to come rushing over to you, snapping them out of the initial surprise they had felt. Yet again, they began to speak over each other, their voices merging into one loud blur of noise so you couldn't understand what anyone was saying at first.
"Kid, the fuck happened ta ya?"
Cash demanded answers, as he took one of your arms in his hands, glancing over it. You tried not to whince as his grip tightened at the sight of your wounds.
"Honey, where the hell have you been?"
"WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU, BUT YOU NEVER PICKED UP!"
Blue and Stretch both fretted over you. Whilst their expressions were filled with concern, some were much angrier than they were.
"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE STRESS YOU'VE CAUSED US?! COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOTIC CHILD!"
Black lashed out, his voice raised. Instinctively, you flinched, waiting for him to attack you. That was probably a big mistake, as it took you mere seconds to remember that he didn't act that way towards you, not any more, at least. The guilt only worsened when you saw the shock from his face turn into a hurt expression. You didn't miss how he backed away slightly, now refusing to look at you, scrunching his eye sockets. However, you didn't have time to focus on that as you watched the other's reactions.
"HUMAN, YOU'RE BADLY INJURED! I SHALL FETCH SOME WASH CLOTHS WITH ANTISEPTIC AND WATER AND GRAB SOME HEALING ITEMS TO AID YOU! SIT TIGHT!"
As quickly as he had ran over, Papyrus scurried out of the room, almost too eager to leave. Red was the first to hug you, surprising everyone, including yourself.
"Jeez, sweetheart. The hell kinda trouble ya got yerself inta this time?"
As if trying to make light of the situation, he let out a shakey, though unconvincing, laugh. It didn't exactly put anyone at ease.
"Ya look like hell."
Was the only thing you heard Sansy say for a while after, as Papaya begrudgingly agreed with his brother, though putting it into gentler words of concern for your well-being. Soon enough, Red picked you off the floor and carried you over to the sofa, where Papyrus and Blue helped tend to your wounds, using some of their healing magic, whilst cleaning and wrapping bandages on the slightly deeper wounds. This entire time while you were being questioned, neither you, Sans or Edge had said a word. Black too, for that matter.
Eventually, once everyone had calmed down a little, and your injuries were taken care of, it was only then that you felt ready to face their questions. Except, when it came down to it, you found yourself rendered speechless, like you were still frozen in shock. A dull ringing started up in your ears, as you stared at the floor, your eyes becoming dry from the lack of blinking. It was like you could hear the noise, but their talking was so incredibly muffled, it made no difference either way. That was, until, you were finally snapped out of your funk by Edge.
In a fleeting moment of rage, he grabbed you by your topp, which was now ruined, scrunching it up tightly in his fists as he yelled at you, louder than you had ever heard.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING? DON'T JUST SIT THERE! SAY SOMETHING, FOR FUCKS SAKE!"
His fierce expression was unwavering as he stared down at you. The others were on immediate guard, some seemingly ready to rip him off of you if necessary.
"Woah, boss! Cool it, the kid's clearly still hurt-"
His brother's gaze snapped towards Red, making him shut up instantly. You had never seen Edge so livid, but it did help bring you back to reality.
"EDGE, PLEASE CALM DOWN-"
Blue tried to reason with him, and was met with a growl. Stretch didn't seem to appreciate that, and was quick to move next to his brother. You, on the other hand, finally began to realise what had happened. The reality of it all sunk in. You had almost died. You had wanted to die, hadn't you? The monster only let you go once you started to cry, silent tears running down your cheek. You weren't even sobbing, you just let out an occasion shaky breath as you recalled the recent events in the underground.
In hindsight, the last people you ever expected to take you in their arms and comfort you was Sansy and Papaya. Funnily enough, Sansy had been the first to pull you away and hand you over to his brother, who wrapped his arms around you. You would've been just as stunned as the others if your mind wasn't busy trying to come to terms with what had happened. That was all it took for Edge to snap.
"WHAT THE FUCK GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO COMFORT HER? WHEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING BUT TRY TO HURT HER! YOU DISGUST ME!"
For some reason, out of the corner of your eye, you saw Black whince at that statement, and leave shortly after, with Cash following after him. Despite his outburst, Sansy didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"Projectin' there a little, bud? Or are ya just a hypocrite?"
"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO ACT AS IF YOU KNOW ME, OR WHAT SHE NEEDS! AND SHE CERTAINLY DOESN'T NEED YOU, OR YOUR FREAK OF A BROTHER!"
"I may not know 'er well, but I know trauma when I see it. She doesn't need all your drama."
He replied, his tone, flat with a slightly threatening undertone to it that definitely didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"I FIND IT QUITE HUMOUROUS THAT YOU DETEST OUR EFFORTS TO COMFORT HER, WHEN THE FIRST THING YOU DID WAS PRACTICALLY ASSULT THE POOR GIRL AND YELL AT HER UNTIL SHE STARTED TO CRY."
Papaya snapped back, rubbing small circles on your back to sooth you. It did nothing to comfort you, especially once you heard that comment.
"Heh, talk about a cry for help for regulating your emotions. Good one, bro."
"HONESTLY, IT'S A LITTLE PATHETIC. ARE YOU JEALOUS THAT YOU CAN'T GIVE HER THE SUPPORT SHE NEEDS, EDGE? THAT, IN THIS SITUATION, YOU'RE AS GOOD AS USELESS."
You didn't need to look at Edge to know he was steaming with fury. Still, you looked back only to see his conflicted, and clearly hurt, expression. It was at that moment that you pushed Papaya off of you, causing him to jolt in surprise. Tears of anger slipped down your cheeks, burning as you glared at him.
"Don't s-speak to him like that! You don't even know him!"
Your tone, although wobbly, was still sharp enough to convey your message clearly. Wasting no time, you immediately ran back over to Edge, slamming yourself against him, not bothering to look back at either of the brothers. You were met with instant gratification, as the monster wrapped his arms around you protectively.
"He's not useless, s-so just shut up!"
You cried, clinging to him tightly. His gloved hand came to rest against the back of your head, using his thumb to rub against it slowly.
"It's late. We'll talk about this in the morning."
Sans finally spoke, his voice, hollow and chilly. No one fought him on it, no one dared. Not with that empty expression in his eyes, one that left his eye sockets completely devoid of anything but darkness. The worst part was, he didn't sound mad, or upset, or even happy. You had no idea what he was thinking, or feeling. And you didn't want to know.
Eager didn't even begin to describe how you felt, running to your room to escape the utter embarrassment and pain you felt. Honestly, how pathetic were you. Not only did you make everyone worry for no reason, but you were weak, and you showed that weakness to the others by turning up injured and bloodied, having to rely on them for help. Just like usual, you were nothing more than a burden to them. One of these days, they'd see it, and leave you behind, you just knew it.
Like the feeble creature you were, you began to sob at your misfortunes, folding into yourself as you did, failing to acknowledge the skeleton who was stood in your door way, watching you. When you finally did look up, you found that he was already in front of you, his arms wrapped around you tightly. You clung to him, with no hesitation, for what felt like the millionth time.
"Don't go, please don't go."
You begged, leaning into him. The skeleton simply sighed, bringing you over to your bed. Without uttering a single word, you knew that, from the action alone, he was going to stay. And you were greatful for it. He didn't make a fuss, didn't yell at you, even when you deserved it. And, who knew, maybe he would tomorrow. But, for now, he just let you cry, and hugged you. For someone who seemed so tough on the outside, Edge was a complete softy on the inside, especially when it came to you. Even now, you felt the tingling of his healing magic.
"Pap, stop. Don't overexert yourself."
You grabbed his wrist, but he shook you off, scoffing.
"PLEASE, DO YOU THINK I AM SO WEAK AS TO BE BOTHERED BY USING A LITTLE GREEN MAGIC? BESIDES, YOU ARE STILL INJURED."
"But I- you shouldn't h-have to."
Your voice wobbled as you bit down on your lip, a new wave of tears flowing down your cheeks.
"ENOUGH OF THAT NONSENSE. HOW THE FUCK DID YOU EVEN END UP LIKE THIS? HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING FROM THE TRAINING WE'VE BEEN DOING?"
That was the other thing. He'd put in such hard work and time to help train you, and when the time came to put your skills to use, you failed.
"I know, I know-"
You cried, burying your face in your hands, utterly ashamed.
"I was so weak, so pathetic- I couldn't do anything- a-and after all that time you put in, as well. I let you down, let myself and Frisk down, and it nearly-"
You couldn't bring yourself to finish your sentence, but it seemed you didn't have to. However, what you heard next was like a punch to the gut.
"NEARLY KILLED YOU? OH, DON'T LOOK SO SHOCKED. WE ALL SAW YOUR STATS THE MOMENT YOU WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR. YOUR HP WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW, WHY DO YOU THINK EVERYONE WAS PANICKNG?"
You hadn't realised, you didn't know-
"YOU IDIOT. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU CALL US, CALL ME, IF YOU WERE IN TROUBLE?"
The skeleton began to shake slightly, his eye sockets scrunched up as small drops of tears gathered in each corner.
"WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU NEEDED TO FACE IT ALONE? DON'T YOU REALISE WE'D COME AND HELP YOU? SURELY YOU CANNOT BE SO FOOLISH AS TO THINK WE WOULDN'T."
You didn't dare look him in the eyes, for you couldn't bare seeing his expression. You don't think you'd ever seen Edge this upset before, and it hurt you deeply, especially knowing that you caused this. There was no response from you because, the truth was, the answer to his question would've been no. It was never an instinct to call them, the thought hadn't even crossed your mind. Even if it had, it would've been silenced by the idea that they wouldn't even pick up, or, if they did, you'd be brushed aside, just like your parents so often did with you. So, you said nothing, yet your expression said it all.
"THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE SO LITTLE FAITH IN US IS TRULY SADDENING. AND FOOLISH, IF I MAY ADD."
He brought his gloved hands up to your face, gently cupping both your cheeks as he wiped away your tears. You had never seen such a soft look in his eye sockets as he stared down at you, whether that be with pity, regret, or something else, you didn't know.
"STOP CRYING AND GET SOME REST. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EARFUL FROM EVERYONE TOMORROW, INCLUDING ME. SO, PREPARE YOURSELF."
If you werent so physically drained, you would've given a small smile at that last part. Instead, you could only follow his orders and, soon enough, Edge slipped out of the room, leaving you by yourself. And slowly, as your thoughts took over your mind before you were consumed by sleep, a part of you remained, whispering and wishing that Flowey had finished you off right there and then.
Notes:
Wozaz, that was a lot. I'm not sure I explained this very well, but I actually made up the so called "ancient monster language" that was shown in the image! I just did it for fun one day, and thought it would make a cool edition to the chapter, lol.
Should y/n tell the skeletons the truth of what she was doing and why she was hurt, or should she hold her tongue and leave them in the dark? Who knows! What are your guys' thoughts on it?
See you guys in the next one! ❤🌸
Chapter 44: Chapter 44: consequences
Summary:
Y/n has to face the consequences of her actions.
Notes:
Hey guys, I'm sorry it's been so long! This chapter took me ages to write, and it's a little longer than usual, but I hope you still enjoy it! ❤🌸
(This chapter also includes a few different POVs of some of the characters)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You barely got any sleep. And, if you were being honest, barely was an understatement. You'd fallen asleep almost instantly as soon as Edge had left, but it didn't last long. Around half an hour later, you woke up feeling incredibly warm, sweat covering your body, the memories from the underground flooding your mind all at once. You couldn't think straight, nor could you get a proper night's sleep. You just thanked the stars that you didn't have school today.
Though, that was where your luck ran out. For you knew that you'd be ripped a new one by each and every one. However, if you were fortunate enough, maybe Papyrus would spare you of any harsh tone or lectures. After all, it wasn't like him to explode when he was angry, which he rarely was to begin with, but you never know. This could be what tips him over the edge. You'd soon find out, as morning rolled around faster than you anticipated, despite being in and out of sleep for most of the night.
The lingering sting of your wounds, now bandaged, reminded you of the situation you had been in merely hours ago. The thought brought an instant headache to you, as you could practically feel your mind trying to block it out, but to no avail. If anything, each mental image became more clear, more crisp. Especially that cruel, wicked smile of his that shook you to your very core.
As if trying to physically run away from your thoughts, you stood up, albeit a little slower than you predicted, forcing your feet to drag you out of your room, or at this point, your sanctuary. A place all of your own, where no one had given you any hassle in. Outside that room, you weren't given that same pleasure, but you didn't deserve it.
When you entered the living room, it was no surprise to see the monsters all gathered in the room already, murmering quietly amongst themselves. Once you made your presence known, the house meeting began. They dived straight into it, wasting no time, with Sans being the first to speak.
"Alright, kid, I'm not gonna be punny about this, and I'll need you to answer everything truthfully. I need you to start by telling us what happened."
You took a seat on a nearby armchair, as everyone stared at you, waiting for you to answer. You didn't know where to begin. More than that, you didn't know if you should be truthful would them. They were already furious that you had left without word, and returned hurt whilst unknowingly dodging their calls and messages all day, but to have gone underground? To the place where you were specifically told to stay away from. Someone was definitely going to flip a table.
You ran a hand over your bandages and bit your lip, trying to decide on a strategy. Maybe you could lie your way out of this situation, if you came up with a good one. But, your brain felt as if it was clouded by fog, making it hard for you to come up with much of anything at that moment. When you didn't give an immediate answer, some of the others jumped in.
"Okay, honey, let's break it down a bit. Where did you go?"
Stretch tried to make it easier for you, his tone patient yet stern. It was especially odd to see the usually laid back monsters so rilled up and serious, for a change. You glanced up at him, though everyone could see that doubtful look in your eyes, as if it was written all over your face that you weren't sure what to say.
"IF YOU EVEN DARE TO THINK OF LYING TO US, Y/N, I WILL BE EXTREMELY UNHAPPY."
Black cut in, giving you a cold and authoritative glare, his arms, folded. Seeing as the others didn't refute his statement, you assumed that they agreed with him.
"I went out and just got in a bit of trouble. So what?"
You shrunk in on yourself slightly as the others narrowed their eyesockets at you. Although it wasn't technically a lie, you hadn't included a plethora amount of details. It was only natural that they would press on for more.
"SO WHAT?! THOSE INJURIES COULD'VE BEEN FATAL! YOUR HP WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY DEPLEATED, AND YOU SAY, 'SO WHAT’?!"
Black snapped back, and whilst Cash placed a hand on his shoulder, it did nothing to sooth the rage in him.
"BLACK IS RIGHT, Y/N, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER. WE WOULD APPRECIATE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT THAN THAT."
You eyes snapped over to Blue, who, for once, looked incredibly tired. You didn't even think it was possible to see eye bags under his eyes, ones that mirrored Sans'. Unfortunately, you caved at his request.
"I-"
You paused, gripping the chair slightly.
"I went into the underground."
As expected, your answer left the skeletons so stunned, it was like they had been physically winded by hearing you say that, for it was the last place they ever would have even considered. You could tell the magnitude of your words weighed heavily on the skeletons, as it took a few moments of silence before any of them spoke up.
"YOU WHAT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS!"
Black snapped, but yes, you did know. Now, you did. Clearly this was the last place anyone expected you to go to. Because, what business did you have down there? None, or at least, that's what the skeletons thought.
"CLEARLY YOU DO, SINCE YOU DID NOT COME AWAY FROM THE PLACE UNSCATHED."
Edge pointed out, as if reading your mind.
"Kid, ya shouldn't be messin' around in tha' place. It ain't exactly my underground by any means, but it's gotta be unstable."
Cash was right about that. Even before Flowey made the walls shake, you did notice a couple of cracks here and there, buildings and the environment around it crumbled slightly. Abandoned, unkempt, and growing ever more dangerous by the day.
"I WOULD HAVE HOPED YOU WERE SMARTER THAN THIS, HUMAN. IT SEEMS I WAS WRONG."
And the hits just kept coming, thanks to Edge, but you really weren't surprised. This was nothing out of the ordinary for him. In fact, you were surprised at how calm he was being, after all that talk last might about him going off on you, you weren't actually seeing that put into practice. Though, he didn't exactly need to, as the others seemed to pick up his slack in terms of being angry.
"Did ya go by yerself?"
"No, I took Frisk with me."
You gripped the chair tighter at the memory of Frisk getting hurt, refusing to make eye contact with Red as you said so. You should have never taken them with you. It would be no surprise if they stopped wanting to be around you. What kind of role model were you?
"Gotta say though, kid, ya got guts going down to a place like that."
Sansy noted, but it didn't really feel like a compliment. It sounded more like an insult, like he was mocking you. Indirectly calling you stupid. Not that he would've been wrong, but you were starting to get irritated with all this questioning. Whilst you may have brought this upon yourself, it still sucked. Why did you feel so awful?
"INDEED. I AM SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T COME BACK MORE INJURED THAN YOU DID!"
Papaya said. Did these guys really see you as this weak? It was pitiful. Yet you supposed you were, considering what happened.
"I thought you wood have listened when we told you to stay away from there, kiddo."
Sans sighed, his smile, straining slightly. You groaned internally at his awful pun. Was it supposed to be a tribute to the woods in Snowdin? If it was, that was a bit of a reach. More importantly, you don't exactly recall any times where they specified to stay away from there, though that could just be your bad memory.
"When did you even say that?"
"YOU DON'T GET TO HAVE AN ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS, YOUNG LADY!"
Edge snapped, wagging his finger at you, but you genuinely couldn't care less. In fact, you even went as far as to roll your eyes, just to stick it to him. That didn't exactly bode well with him, nor the rest of the group.
"Oi, ya fuckin' heard him. Don't test our patience, doll."
Red piled on, but their concern only seemed to irritate you. Though the reason was unclear, all their interrogating and their worried expressions made an unfamiliar and very uncomfortable feeling well up inside of you, even if you couldn't pin point exactly what it was, you wanted it gone. And they were not helping.
"Why didn't you tell us where you were going, honey? You left without even a word!"
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW INFURIATING IT WAS TO TRY AND LOCATE YOU!"
"Hell, Blue even went out 'is way ta go 'n look fer ya the majority o' the time ya were out."
You blinked in surprise at Cash's words, until it suddenly clicked into place. That was why Blue had looked so tired. How long had he spent looking for you, stressing and worrying? The feeling in the pit of your stomach only worsened.
"Well, sorry. I didn't think you guys would be very interested, is all."
Your so called "apology" had a very sarcastic hint to it, which the others immediately picked up on without hesitation.
"STILL, YOU SHOULD'VE AT LEAST KEPT US INFORMED!"
Blue, though his tone wasn't harsh, had a surprisingly stern base to it. Still, he seemed to be more worried than mad, so you didn't take any sort of offence to it.
"Wow, ain't you a brat? Showing no remorse for all the stress you caused these guys. Classic humans."
Your eyes snapped to Sansy and, for a split second, you felt a wave of rage wash over you. You glared at him, suddenly finding the energy to stand up, hastily.
"Hey, you don't get to weigh in on this, you or your brother! So just shut your fucking mouth-!"
Before you could finish your sentence, you felt a hand grip your shoulder tightly. Turning around, the last person you expected to see was Papyrus, who wore a visibly irritated expression. It wasn't often that he got mad, so seeing him like this, you felt more terrified than you had with Flowey. As if his glare wasn't enough to make you pause in your tracks, but his words made all the fire drain from your body instantly.
"Y/N, YOU DO NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE THAT WAY."
It seems the others were just as stunned as you were, as no one butted in, even for a moment. The skeleton, who was acting very out of character, released your shoulder soon after, though you knew he wasn't finished.
"DISAPPEARING WITHOUT TELLING US LIKE THAT AND THEN COMING HOME SEVERLY INJURED WAS A STUPID FUCKING THING TO DO."
Your jaw nearly dropped to the floor and you had to blink twice to make sure that it was Papyrus, not Edge, who was speaking.
"AND YOUR EXCUSE IS YOU THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED? HONESTLY, I'M AFRIAD TO SAY THIS, BUT I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU."
He wasn't yelling, he his tone wasn't angry at all. In fact, he was unnervingly calm. But, his words, despite all that, still cut deeply, and you couldn't understand why. Your brows furrowed as you tried to make sense of any of this, but that ugly feeling continued to grow inside you, threatening to spill out. It seemed that, before you started to crack, you still had one last bit of fire in you. You lashed out for the last time.
"Oh, who are you to be disappointed in me? Don't be daft! Why the hell do any of you care anyways?!"
The strange thing was, you were allowed to continue your frustrated rant. No one, not even Papyrus, interrupted you. Instead, they all gave you that same damn look. You couldn't stand it. As you stood there, you began to shake.
"Seriously, it's so annoying! Even my parents didn't care this much! They just left me alone, didn't even bother to ask where I was or what I'd done. Every day, they never cared to wonder what was going on!"
You felt your breathing become more rapid, and for some reason, you couldn't stop shaking as you recalled what was 'normal' in your old household.
"So for any of you to act like you 'care' must be some sort of weird joke, because how are 10 strange monsters showing more concern over my life than my own damn parents?"
It didn't make sense. They shouldn't be this invested, they shouldn't care this much. No one has ever cared this much before.
"I don't need you to care, just like I don't need them to care! They never have, and they never will! So why should I try and get used to it here, when I'll have to go back there, anyways?"
Back to being forgotten, being discarded. Brushed aside by everyone in your life, especially your family, who didn't care what time you came back home, or would even notice if you did at all.
"It would cause you all so much less stress if you just forgot about me, ignored me, just like they did..."
Tears welled up in your eyes, but you couldn't understand it. This was what you were used to, so why did talking about it feel so...so awful?
"It doesn't make any sense. I don't get it. I'm so used to it by now, s-so why?"
By this point, your anger had died, and you felt as if you were consumed by that unnameable feeling. Losing all strength, you felt yourself sink back down onto the couch as you tried to make sense of your words, tried to convey what you were feeling. But, that was just it. How were you supposed to when you didn't know? Everything about their concern, their care, felt so wrong, so foreign to you. You couldn't understand or recognise it.
Since you'd arrived here, your world had been completely flipped upsidown. These skeletons, who you'd only known for months, had given you more attention than you had every received from your parents. They had stuck with you, put up with your trouble, made you laugh. They made your lunch for school, asked you how your day was, included you in stuff. They looked out for you, even in the dumbest situations you put yourself in. It was the first time in a while that you had actually felt included in some sort of domestic, family setting. One that was, albeit chaotic more often than not, warm and loving. And that was something experienced for...well, you couldn't remember the last time your parents had made you feel like that.
And coming to that realisation hurt more than anything you'd ever experienced.
Because you were so used to it, you never saw the true nature of your family home, how your parents treated you, moreso neglected you. For most of your life, you were left alone, having to become independent at such a young age. You had to comfort yourself from your own nightmares, swallowing your tears because no one would even bother to come if they heard you. Having to learn pretty much every life skill by yourself, apart from when your grandmother was around. But, after her passing, you were truly alone.
You were so blinded by how normal it was, that you never realised just how lonely you were. Until you arrived here. And then, suddenly, you weren't alone anymore. But, you didn't want to believe it to be true, to come to terms with it, to get used to it. Because you knew that, even if you did, you'd be ripped apart from this new life soon enough. Maybe that's why it was hitting you so hard right now.
"Because we care about you, kiddo."
That was all it took for you to break, but your sobs didn't go unheard. As gentle, comforting arms wrapped around you, you realised that you were no longer five years old, trying to calm yourself when you had a bad dream, or someone had said something mean to you, or you had injured yourself, or that you were just lonely and missed your parents. No, now you were surrounded by people who cared, who were there for you. And with that realisation came a strong wave of fear, yet also comfort, safety and, for the first time, belonging.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry- I'm sorry-"
Sans shushed you, and you allowed yourself to fall mostly silent, burying your face into his chest whilst you cried for what felt like forever, all your previous stresses and worries pouring out of your soul. Still, they let you cry for as long as you needed, and, for the entire time, stayed by your side.
-----------
Stretch's POV- earlier
Stretch was the first one to notice your absence. Begrudgingly, he had been sent down by his brother and Papyrus, as they were eager to include you in their latest puzzle. Of course, this meant that, whilst they set it up, the duty fell upon Stretch to go and get you. Yet, when he traversed the house, making sure to be mindful of the work still being done to it, you were no where to be found. He didn't think much of it at first, figuring you had gone out and he had missed you. It was only when you didn't answer your phone that he started to feel anxious. That feeling only worsened when no one else knew where you were, either.
"Hey bro, I can't find her."
"OH, I WAS NOT AWARE SHE HAD LEFT! DO ANY OF THE OTHERS KNOW WHERE SHE IS?"
Stretch shook his head, also making an effort to point out that you weren't responding to his texts, either.
"BUT NOT EVERYONE IS HERE, RIGHT? MAYBE SHE WENT OUT WITH ONE OF THEM!"
Papyrus suggested, temporarily putting Stretch at ease.
"Isn't she grounded?"
"HONESTLY, I'M NOT SURE ANYMORE. MY BROTHER HAS GROUNDED HER SO MANY TIMES IT'S A RARE OCCURRENCE WHEN SHE'S NOT!"
"Nyehehe, true. She is a bit of a troublemaker."
Stretch could recall more than numerous times where he had caused his brother stress by getting into trouble. Still, he was no where near as bad as his stupid double ganger. He wondered if Black even knew that Cash snuck out to take drugs every other week. It was a possibility, but Stretch was sure no one else knew, especially not you. Stretch himself had only found out by accident, anyhow. He never would've guessed, but Black was smart, much like his own brother, it would be surprising if he didn't already know.
"EDGE AND BLACK ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE OUT RIGHT NOW, YES?"
"Yeah, I'll shoot them a quick text on the group chat."
The skeletons hadn't told you that they had made a group chat without you, because they didn't want you to feel left out. Honestly, they rarely used it, anyways. It was mainly just a way for them to communicate about you, if anything. Although, even then, the worst two people for texting were those two. It wouldn't surprise any of them if they took years to respond.
"DID NO ONE ELSE SEE WHERE SHE WENT? MAYBE SHE MENTIONED IT EARLIER AND WE FORGOT?"
"It's possible, but surely one of you would've remembered, no?"
"THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES HAVE IMPECCABLE MEMORY, MOST OF THE TIME! SO YES, IT IS LIKELY THAT I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED. OR NOT!"
Okay, that wasn't exactly helpful, but it was obvious that he didn't know. Honestly, Stretch would have felt better assuming you were out with Black or Edge, or at least knowing they had some clue. So, when they both responded not even 10 minutes later giving the worst response possible, that was when Stretch really began to panic.
"Bro, neither of them know where she is. Where the hell did she go? I ain't got her location, fuck, I knew I should've downloaded that app-"
"BROTHER, CALM DOWN. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG SHE'S BEEN OUT FOR? WHEN DID YOU NOTICE SHE WAS GONE?"
Blue asked, calmly, but Stretch wasn't as cool as his brother. For one thing, he was certainly more easily panicked than Blue, which was obvious by the way his hands shook as he gripped his hoodie.
"It was 'round the time when you asked me to get her, and it's only just passed noon now."
Shit, how long had you been gone for? How long had it taken any of them to notice? Well, he wasn't at fault entirely. After all, he had only woken up from a nap about 20 minutes ago before he became errand boy. No, this was definitely not on him. He was asleep, how could he have known? Though his logic was justified, it didn't make him feel any better.
"ALRIGHT, WELL WE KNOW IT'S THE WEEKEND, SO SHE WOULD NOT HAVE GOT UP TOO EARLY, MOST LIKELY. THAT MEANS SHE PROBABLY HASN'T BEEN GONE FOR TOO LONG, AND HAS NOT GONE TOO FAR, HOPEFULLY."
This was why his brother was a cop. In situations like this, he was able to keep a clear head and deduce things logically. He had always been good at that, and that damn police force of his should be lucky to have him, instead of being the way they were. Of course, you weren't privy to this knowledge, either. As far as you knew, Blue was having no issues in his work life, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The amount of discrimination he faced was disgusting, but he never let it get him down. His bro was resilient right down to the core, and would never give up no matter how many people disliked him.
"THAT'S A GOOD POINT, BLUE! MAYBE SHE JUST WENT OUT AND HER PHONE DIED? FOR SOMEONE WHO USES THAT THING QUITE A LOT, OUR HUMAN ISN'T EXACTLY FAMOUS FOR HAVING HER PHONE FULLY CHARGED ALL THE TIME."
It was true. You did have a history of having your phone die at random times, but each time that happened you had been with at least one of them. Now, the thought of you by yourself made Stretch uneasy. You were only 15, for Toriel's sake, what would you even be doing right now?
"Maybe she's with her friends? Shame we don't have any of their numbers so we can't check."
"AND WE NEVER OBTAINED ANY OF THEIR PARENTS' NUMBERS, EITHER."
Everyone found themselves in a bit of a tight spot. After gathering those who were around into the living room to find out any further information they could, they found their efforts to be frivolous. So far, it seemed no one was aware or where you had gone. The only lead they managed to get was from Cash.
"I though' I heard the door go 'bout a couple hours ago, but I went back ta sleep. Didn' think much of it."
A spark of anger flickered in Stretch's soul, though he knew that it wasn't Cash's fault. Plus, he probably would've done the same thing in his shoes. Why would any of them have bothered to check who was leaving or arriving?
"Did anyone even see her today?"
"I WAS AROUND TO MAKE HER BREAKFAST, AND ASKED IF SHE HAD ANY PLANS TODAY. THOUGH SHE DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING!"
Papaya, although trying his best to help, didn't provide much use. Stretch also chose to ignore the way Papyrus' hands tightened into fists when he spoke. He wasn't sure of exactly the dynamic between everyone and the newest arrivals, but he could tell that it was only kept civil because of you. It was apparent that most of the skeletons didn't like, nor barely tolerate, them, though most had a special uneasiness when it came to 'Sansy' or so you had named him.
Though it was strange, he had to admit, to see Papyrus have such resentment towards them. Maybe it wasn't obvious to you, but they could all tell even he didn't care for their company. Stretch couldn't blame him, but it did make him wonder that if the most peaceful member of the group didn't like the new arrivals, then it was unlikely any of them would ever get along.
"Yeah, why would she tell ya shit? Was probably worried ya'd follow 'er and kill 'er."
Red cut in, glaring at Papaya, who seems indifferent to his accusations.
"If you ain't got anythin' intelligent to say, shut your trap already."
Sansy responded, earning a warning growl from Red. Seeing how quickly this could escalate, Sans decided to cut in.
"How long before Black and Edge get here?"
"Shouldn't be too long. Ma bro seemed pretty eager ta get back, I assume Edge will be the same."
Cash said, and the others trusted him. After all, if anyone knew Black, it was his brother. It was funny to think that, even after months of living together, they barely knew anything about each other. It was probably something they should rectify, but that was not the focus right now.
"Tch, I bet Edge will be bitchin' to all of us. Poor daddy is worried about his precious little girl. Ain't she a teenager, I don't see what all the fuss is about?"
Stretch could see it took everything in Red not to snap his neck and dust him right there as soon as Sansy spoke. It was as if the air had turned to ice, and a chill went down Stretch's spine as he watched the glares the monster was receiving. Yes, they all knew Edge was incredibly protective of you, and the two of you had a great relationship, but mocking him whilst also being completely blasé about your safety told them everything they needed to know.
One of the main reasons they didn't trust the new comers was because of what they had done to you on the first day of their arrival. Sure, Cash and Black, and Edge to an extent, had been a little standoffish to you, and maybe they should've stepped in at those times, but that had passed and they had never actively tried to kill you. But these guys were a different story.
The crack of magic sizzled in the air, as someone, though he couldn't pin point who, readied an attack meant for Sansy. As much as Stretch would love to get a hit or two in, they had bigger problems to worry about. Thankfully, before anyone could take it any further, the two of them came bursting in the door. Unfortunately, that's when all hell broke loose.
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Edge's POV
Edge has basically stormed into the room, nearly knocking the door down as he entered, an irate look on his face. His voices boomed as he addressed the rest of the room, with Black following right next to him.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!"
The others' heads snapped towards the two of them, neither of the skeletons pleased. Of course, you just had to make trouble for everyone. Edge was just minding his own business, and one text was all it took to send him into a frenzy.
"Would we be askin' ya if we knew?"
Cash piped up, and Edge nearly ripped his throat out for adding nothing useful to the conversation.
This idiotic girl. Didn't even bother to inform me of her whereabouts. What does she think she's playing at? Edge's thoughts ran wild, but he forced them to he silenced, for if he let them take over, he wouldn't be able to act rationally. Though that was becoming harder every minute that passed not knowing whether you were safe or not.
His boots thumped heavily against the carpet like metal as he strode towards the group, bunching his fists like he was preparing for a fight, or maybe looking for one.
"YOU MORONS! YOU DIDN'T PUT A TRACKING DEVICE ON HER PHONE OR PERSON??"
"Well, you didn't either, Edge. Look, this isn't time for arguing, okay?"
Stretch cut in, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. His efforts didn't help much.
"HONESTLY, HOW CAN YOU ALL BE THIS USELESS?"
"Heh, look who's talkin'."
It wasn't even a question that Black did not care for that response, as the look he gave Sansy was as good as murder.
"You guys don't have a leg to stand on, be honest here. In the past, ya either hurt her, or did nothing to prevent her from getting hurt. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she ran away for ya."
For a monster who lived through a time where survival was key, he really should've known by now to shut his mouth. Either he was doing it to get a rise out of everyone, or he was that stupid. But it worked, whatever his goal was. Because as soon as he ended his sentence, that was when the final straw snapped, and the first attack was thrown by Red. That was all it took for everyone to lose their cool and start yelling over each other, and of course, the position fell to Edge to keep his brother in check, despite wanting to kill Sansy as much as him.
"SUNSHINE WOULD NEVER RUN AWAY FROM US!"
"WHAT AN UTTERLY RIDICULOUS NOTION TO MAKE. YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, SO DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DO!"
"I'm gettin' real tired of yer mouth, ya freak. Ya don't get ta tell us shit about sweetheart and our relationship with her, so don't even try it."
"BROTHER, I FEAR YOU MAY HAVE OVERSTEPPED-"
"Look Paps, if they can't handle the truth-"
"BUT THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH! Y-YES, THE HUMAN MAY HAVE COME TO SOME HARM UNDER OUR CARE, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE OUR BEST TO LOOK OUT FOR HER! R-RIGHT?"
Hearing Papyrus' confidence waver was never a good sign. Sansy was good, he had really struck a nerve with everyone, hit them where it really hurt. Because deep down they knew that, on some level, he was right. How he came about this information was unclear. It was unlikely he knew the exent of everything, but what little he did know was enough to make sparks fly.
"I think that's enough out of you, bud. You're just rattling everyone up, and it's not very helpful."
Sans stepped in, his eye lights completely gone. Edge hated it when his brother made that face, but for some reason on this Sans it felt even more dangerous than he remembered.
"Tch, whatever."
"Why do you hate her so much? What did honey ever do to you?"
Edge was unsure if Sansy had a personal vendetta against you, he rather assumed that it was in his nature to be cruel. And you, especially being a human, were an easy target. One that the skeleton knew he could use to piss off the others.
"BROTHER, I'M NOT SURE NOW IS THE TIME TO-"
"Fine, fine, I get it. Just shut up from here on out, if you're not going to be helpful."
Stretch directed his harsh, but deserved words, towards Sansy whose smile had disappeared by this point. Yet, he stayed silent for the rest of the conversation, only gaining worried looks from his brother, occasionally.
"I tried calling Tori, but she hasn't been picking up."
"WELL TRY AGAIN UNTIL YOU REACH HER, THEN!"
Edge snapped at Sans. Toriel was the next on the list of potential people who might know where you are, seeing as how well you got along with her child. An hour passed and, when Toriel still wouldn't pick up, Edge only grew more and more frustrated. He barely even heard Blue's declaration, too swept up in his own mind. As soon as you returned, he was determined to rip you a new one. However, what he didn't know was that his fire for that decision would die instantly when he saw you.
-------------
Blue's POV
"I'M GOING OUT TO LOOK FOR HER."
Was all he said, before he left. Being one of the few household members who could actually drive, he took it upon himself to take Papyrus' car. Blue couldn't bare to stand around and do nothing while you were out there, possibly injured, or lost, or worse. No one stopped him as he left, not even his own brother, which was good. Because, in that moment, if anyone had tried, Blue wouldn't have hesitated to retaliate with a magic attack.
Despite his mostly cool composure, he was furious on the inside. Mainly at his freak of a double, daring to speak on issues he didn't even understand. Even after all the attempts they had made to stay civil with the new arrivals, Sansy always made things difficult. He couldn't understand why the skeleton insisted on being such a pain.
Oh, but when he started bringing you into it, making fun of Edge for caring about you, then daring to claim you had run away, whilst blaming everyone for your departure...well, let's just say Blue had nearly thrown out a magic attack right there and then. He was never one to act on emotions, much less violent ones, but, in that moment, he was close to breaking that rule.
Maybe it was due to the added stress of finding you, but Sansy's words had hit him too hard, causing guilt to seep into his soul. Disappointment and regret flooded him as he dared to think about those times Black or Cash had hurt you, or attempted to, whilst he and the others sat back and did nothing. And the worst part was, he didn't know why he hadn't intervened. All those months ago, you needed someone to stick up for you, and yet they had all failed, even him.
And although it all worked out in the end, Blue didn't want to make the same mistake. So when Sansy and Papaya arrived, he made sure to protect you, in whatever means necessary. But, by that point, the others had the same idea. And now look what happened. He failed again. He couldn't protect you if he didn't know where you were. How was he supposed to call himself a member of the guard if he couldn't even protect his own family?
Yes, family. That was what you were to him, to all of them. There was no doubt about it. In the few months you had spent together, you had grown so close. It was no secret that monsters became more easily attached to people, so when they found themselves caring for you like one of their own, it really hadn't come as a surprise. Maybe some still had trouble admitting it, but no matter how they tried to hide it, it was so obvious. You were part of this new, strange family they had all made, and he'd be damned if he let anything happen to you.
He was tired of seeing you get hurt, in pain. The last couple of months had been...unfortunate for you. It was as if you were in a constant state of melancholy. Ever since the anniversary, you had been through hardship after hardship, bearing not only physical but emotional damage as well. It pained Blue to see you in such distress, but it also made the idea of you running away ever more possible. And Blue didn't like that, he wouldn't allow that. Even when he found you, he was seriously debating never letting you out of the house again, and while you may hate him for it, he would do it without question, if it was for the better. He'd do anything to keep you safe.
As Blue traversed the roads, going over each street constantly, even branching out into the city for a while, he kept going, determined to do something, anything. And, even after hours had passed, with little luck, Blue kept on, all the while choosing to ignore the eye bags under his eyes, and the tears that slid down his cheeks as his soul ached and worried for your safety.
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Sansy's POV
He hated them, especially the ones who got to keep their names. Why were they so special? Just because this was their universe? Well, spoiler alert, it could have been his and his bro's too, if things had worked out differently. So why? None of this was fair. They all pissed him off, and he knew none of them liked him or his brother.
So, he thought it only fair to mess with them a little, tease them and stir up a little trouble. After all, it's not like he could help, so why even bother. They were already stressed, and since they hated him there's no way they would listen if he had any thing useful to say, anyways, so what was the point?
And yeah, maybe his shot at Edge was cheap, but could you really blame a guy for being jealous? Though he wouldn't admit it outloud to anyone, Sansy was jealous of this little family they had made. He could tell just by how some of the others acted that they hadn't exactly had a nice life, but now they had found a family that would give them a second chance. And because of one mistake he and his brother made on arrival, albeit was purely out of instinct, they wouldn't even give him or his brother a proper chance. They were still treated like outsiders.
But, by the sounds of it, Cash and Black, maybe even Edge at times, had done just as much damage, yet they were accepted by everyone. It wasn't fair. Why did you look at them with such love, and him with such fear? He was a monster, sure, but so were they. What was the difference? He didn't even want to turn out like this in the first place, so why was he being punished? If that human hadn't left, things would have been different.
He would've been exactly like Sans, the old him. You would've looked at him with the same adoration and love that you had for him, so when you had purposely distanced yourself from him, flinched and cowered in his presence, it encouraged an ugly feeling to grow inside his already twisted soul. He knew he deserved it, it's not like he'd done anything in your favour to win you over. But, even so. Seeing the shadow of what he could have been, and you taking to him instead, was a not so gentle reminder of the monster he had become. And he hated himself for it.
"I'M GOING TO MAKE THE HUMAN SOME FOOD FOR WHEN SHE COMES BACK. I BET SHE WILL BE HUNGRY!"
His brother said, before quickly departing to the kitchen. Despite losing himself a little due to trauma, he was still the same, caring brother he remembered. Sansy, knowing his presence wasn't wanted with the others, chose to follow Papyrus, or Papaya, as the others called him, into the kitchen. Sansy tried not to call him out on how shaky his hands were as he prepared the food.
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Red's POV
This was a nightmare. Not only was the boss and everyone freaking out, but so was he. Red felt like he was going to throw up out of anxiety, as it brought him right back to Edge's youth. When his stupid little brother would venture out by himself, and return beaten or barely unscathed. Some sort of damage was always inflicted. And now it was all repeating.
How did no one else see it? You were exactly like Edge, no doubt about it. Red couldn't believe he had to deal with this crap again. He really thought it would've been over once Edge was grown, as he hadn't planned on ever having kids. But he'd be damned if he wasn't prepared for what was about to come.
Despite knowing how this would most likely play out, Red was still incredibly nervous. You weren't entirely like his brother, for one thing you certainly couldn't defend yourself as well as he could. He had no idea how your training sessions were going, but you'd need a lot more before you would be ready for a proper fight. If something happened to you now...Red shuddered, not wanting to think about it.
On top of all of this, Red now wanted to kill that freakish version of himself more than ever before. The fact that he even had the audacity to make such claims and accusations about you and his brother mad him livid. If it weren't for the others, he would've dusted that pathetic monster where he stood. It wouldn't take much, he knew, considering how low on magic Sansy was.
His body was brittle, so easily breakable, not to mention he also had 1 HP. It would be so easy, too easy to finish him off with one, single blow. Whether that be by bone attack, or gaster blaster, or whatever else he could come up with in the moment, Red would have done it. Considering he was stronger than Sansy, it really would have been easy. And yet, he somehow managed to hold himself back, surprising not only himself, but all the other monsters around him, who could feel the threatening aura radiating off of his magic, projecting onto the room, though mainly focused on Sansy.
Oh, and he hated that nickname, too. Even if you had chose it, it sounded ridiculous. Speaking of you, there had been no word from Blue or anyone for hours, and, as evening fell, so did the atmosphere. The longer they were in the dark, the worse everyone got. Emotions were running high, and when Blue returned alone, it just got worse.
"Bro, did you have any luck finding her?"
"OBVIOUSLY NOT, DIPSHIT! HE'S ALONE, ISN'T HE? USE SOME CRITICAL THINKING FOR ONCE!"
Before Blue even had a chance to answer, Black immediately berated Stretch. Of course, it didn't help the situation, but it was clear that Black was losing his shit. Cash tried to calm him down with the help of Papyrus, but it did little to ease his comfort.
"Bro, chill out."
"WE ARE ALL FEELING THE SAME AS YOU, BLACK. THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE IT OUT ON STRETCH, NO MATTER HOW FRUSTRATED YOU ARE."
The brat only huffed, grumbling something incoherent to himself. Red rolled his eye light, choosing to focus on Blue instead. His eye sockets widened slightly. He wasn't used to seeing him so tired. The stress was taking it's toll on everyone, but Blue looked too exhausted to have taken any rest. He'd been out for hours and not stopped once?
"NO, I...DIDN'T."
He rubbed his face with his gloved hands, trying but failing to keep it together. Stretch rested a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off.
"I JUST CAME BACK TO SEE IF SHE HAD RETURNED. NOW THAT I SEE SHE HASN'T, I WILL GO OUT AGAIN AND CONTINUE THE SEARCH."
"Bro, no. You're exhausted. Just take a breather for a minute."
"I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING WHILST SHE'S GOD KNOWS WHERE-"
Being cut off from his sentence so suddenly, everyone's attention snapped to Sans' ringing phone. He wasted no time picking it up, and everyone, including Red, held their breaths, waiting to see if you had finally responded.
"Tori?"
Red deflated slightly, knowing it wasn't you, but hope wasn't lost yet. Fuck, when was the last time Red had allowed himself to start hoping again? Probably when you came into their lives. He hadn't realised how much of an effect your presence had on them until now. Stars, how did it come to this?
"Alright, thanks Tori. Yeah, okay. I'll fill you in later, okay."
The words exchanged were quick and few, and the conversation ended within a few minutes.
"So? What's the old lady sayin'?"
Red prodded for answers, just as desperate as anyone else in that room. Well, apart from Sansy and Papaya, who clearly didn't give two shits, as far as Red was concerned.
"She said she just saw the kid but she ran out before Tori could question her."
Red let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, but they weren't out of the woods yet. They still had no idea where you had been the entire day and, yet again, you had ran off without word of where you were going. Stars, if Red wasn't at least a little relieved, though that feeling quickly died when you entered the house, and was replaced by one that made his soul stop. And suddenly, he had the overwhelming urge to throw up.
Surprising everyone, he was the first to embrace you. How could he not? When he saw your tiny, fragile, injured body, he had the overwhelming urge to hold you, as if it was some way to prevent you from dusting, judging from your stats. No, he couldn't allow that.
"Jeez, sweetheart. The hell kinda trouble ya got yerself inta this time?"
A shaky laugh escaped him, but you didn't even react to his words. You said nothing, and barely even moved. For a moment there, he really began to panic, but he forced his body to carry you over to the sofa. Setting you down gently, Red watched as Papyrus and the others tended to your wounds, watching carefully to make sure your HP was increasing, or at the very least staying the same.
He exhaled in relief when he saw positive results on your stats, though he was still wracked with anguish and guilt at the situation. Just like the lazy fuck he was, Red couldn't even lift one, useful finger to help you. He did nothing to ease your physical, nor emotional, pain. Though he wasn't the only one, Red couldn't help but be reminded at how useless he was, just like his brother always told him. Even if Edge was only playing the roles he and him had created in order to survive in their world, right now those words couldn't be more true.
But, he did nothing to change that.
------------
Sans' POV
When you came crashing in, he remained silent, for the most part. Sans was shocked to his core when he saw the state you were in and, although he wasn't proud of it, he froze up. His eye lights disappeared, living a void of empty fear in his eye sockets. Although he usually made an effort to move as little as possible throughout each day, this time he really couldn't get his body to move, not even a little bit. Not as his gaze landed on your body, bloodied and exhausted.
No, no, no, no- it's like the anniversary all over again-
He shook his head, trying to filter out such thoughts from his mind. This wasn't the same.
But it was. He wasn't there to help you, to protect you. He was so close, yet so out of reach. And you suffered for it. And now it was happening all over again.
Why did he always fail when you needed him? Moreover, why hadn't you said anything to him, or his brother at least? He never had this problem with Papyrus, his little brother had always been so honest with him. Were you hiding something? Even if it was bad, Sans would always prefer you to be honest with him. He wanted to play an active role in your life, be involved and know what was going on. How could he do that when you pushed him out? It really hurt him.
He could hear the raised and panicked voices of the others, but refused to join in, for the sake of his own sanity. If his gaze lingered on your injured body any longer, he might snap and lose his cool. So, he let the others take care the situation, questioning you and healing you. Like the lazy bones he was, he let them do it all. The only time he spoke was to tell everyone to go to bed, and even then he struggled to get his words out.
But, once he did, he shortcutted straight to his room. Well, it wasn't technically his. As the renovations were still underway, he was sharing with his brother, for the time being. It was actually better, in a way, that this was the case. Because when Papyrus came up to Sans with tear sockets in his eyes, he was already waiting with open arms. Truth be told, Sans needed that hug just as much as Papyrus did.
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Black's POV
Black was livid. His bones were hot to the touch with the amount of anger and panic is magic was producing. He wouldn't have been surprised if metal melted at his touch. There he was, enjoying his day, and it all gets turned around by one simple text from that idiot Stretch. Seriously, sometimes he wants to throttle the guy. He was just an even more pathetic version of his brother, twice as cowardly and twice as weak, just like all the other idiots he was surrounded by.
Speaking of the idiots, they were no help. The more they panicked themselves, the more irritated Black became. And it only became worse when you finally returned to them, in a condition no one had prepared themselves for. And, unfortunately, he lost it.
"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE STRESS YOU'VE CAUSED US?! COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOTIC CHILD!"
He couldn't help but lash out at you out of pure fear at the state of yourself. Upon checking your stats instantly, he nearly recoiled at the sight. Judging by the others' reactions, it was obvious they had seen as well.
"Y/N"
LV 1
HP 2/15
ATK 0 DEF 1
*still shaken up
As if things couldn't get any worse, Black barely had time to process any of that information before he had an emotional reaction to it. And, the thing was, coming back injured after practically disappearing for the entire day was bad enough, but your response to him was much worse. For when Black saw you flinch at his words, he was sent right back down memory lane to all those months ago, which now seemed like the distant past instead of recent events.
The times when he would lash out at you, and hurt you in the process. Multiple times he had done this, and had regretted it ever since. And now, he was reaping the consequences of his poor choices. The way your body reacted without hesitation told him everything he needed to know. It had become instinct for you to be cautious around him during one of his outbursts, instinct for you to be afraid of him.
To put it lightly, it was as if Black's soul had been crushed into tiny little pieces, he might as well have just dusted right there and then. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't even look at you. So, like the useless monster he was, he just stood there, trying not to break. Unfortunately, that plan didn't last long, once he heard Edge begin to yell at Sansy and his brother.
"WHAT THE FUCK GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO COMFORT HER? WHEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING BUT TRY TO HURT HER! YOU DISGUST ME!"
Those words, though not directed at him, hit Black straight at his core. It was enough for him to exit the room, with his brother hot on his tail behind him. He needed to get away, to think, to-
"Bro?"
His fists instinctively tightened as he came to a halt in his- their room. It wasn't like he was actively trying to ignore his brother, Black was just struggling to form any sort of coherent words, as he shook slightly.
"Hey, the kid's gonna be fine-"
"YOU SAW HER HP. I DO NOT KNOW WHY YOU ARE SO OPTIMISTIC RIGHT NOW."
"'M not, but we know 'er. She's resilient, an' the other's 'ave taken good care of 'er. Enough so that she's healin' well."
Green magic- or healing magic, as some called it- was never really Black's, nor Cash's, strong suit. It was partly the reason why the two brothers had so many more scars than any of their other doubles.
"GOOD, LET IT STAY THAT WAY. THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF HER, SHE DOES NOT NEED ME HOVERING OVER HER, ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE."
"Huh? What're ya talkin' 'bout?"
Black cleanched his jaw as the image of you flinching played back in his memory once more. Shaking his head, he sat himself on the bed nearby, placing his skull in his hands.
"DID YOU NOT SEE THE WAY SHE...WHEN I..."
It was rare Cash found his brother lost for words, so when he saw Black stumble, it did nothing to ease his soul. Taking a seat next to him, he waited patiently for his brother to continue.
"AFTER ALL THIS TIME, SHE IS STILL AFRAID OF ME. PERHAPS MORE ON A SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL, BUT EVEN THAT IS TOO MUCH TO BARE."
Cash blinked, trying to piece together what he meant. Looking back, he had realised him and his brother had been especially rough with you. Athough they had, perhaps it was not enough. Had they been so foolish to think that enough time had gone by for their actions to have been forgotten? Forgiven? Maybe so.
"Bro, she ain't afraid o' ya. She likes ya, a lot. Can't ya see-"
"NO, IT IS YOU THAT CANNOT SEE! SHE FLINCHED! SHE WAS READY FOR ME TO HURT HER, ATTACK HER! JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER TIMES!"
He snapped, his eye sockets burning. He didn't want to acknowledge the tears gathering as he tried desperately to keep it together. Who was he kidding? All it took was one little reaction from you and he was unravelling right at the seams.
"WHY IS THIS WHO I AM? WHY DID I HAVE TO DO ANY OF THAT TO A CHILD? WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THAT WAS OUR WAY OF LIVING?! BULLSHIT!"
It wasn't often that Black swore, but Cash knew he needed this outburst.
"OF COURSE SHE'D PREFER THE SOFTER VERSIONS OF OURSELVES! ONES WHO AREN'T TAINTED BY NEARLY AS MUCH TRAUMA OR HARDSHIPS AS WE WERE. JUST TYPICAL!"
"OH, BUT EDGE AND RED ARE JUST THE EXCEPTIONS, AREN'T THEY?! THEY GET HER AFFECTION AND DEVOTED TRUST, WHILE THEY STAND TO BE JUST AS FUCKED UP AS US! SO WHY-"
Why did you have to look at him that way?
"WHY CAN I NOT UNDO MY WRONGDOINGS TOWARDS HER? IS THIS KARMA FOR MY ACTIONS UNDERGROUND? IF IT IS, THEN KARMA IS CRUELER THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED."
It was at this point where Black finally began to calm down, and whilst secretly trying to wipe away the few tears that had slipped down his cheeks during his furious rant, Cash had come to put a hand on his back.
"It ain't gonna be like this forever, Sans."
Cash's voice washed over his swarming thoughts like a calm sea at sunset, causing him to uncleanch slightly as he listened to his younger brother.
"Ya just gotta be patient with 'er. It probably ain't even what ya think. I mean, ya saw the state she was in. She'd probably react that way ta anyone who yelled at her. Ya just happened ta be first, is all. She's clearly shaken up, just give it time."
"WHY ARE YOU ACTUALLY MAKING SENSE FOR ONCE?"
"Nyehehe, that's when ya know things 're bad."
Black didn't want to admit it out loud, but you had given him a real scare today. From the moment you were missing, then found, his mind hadn't been eased at all, even causing him to go down a mini spiral. But, with his brother's words bringing him back down to earth, he felt a little more emotionally stable to tackle the situation. Though, it would probably be best if he waited until the next day to confront you.
For now, he'd sit there with his brother in comfortable silence as he collected himself. And, not for the first time, he was grateful to have his younger brother at his side. As for you, well, he'd deal with that tomorrow.
-------------
Your POV- present
The rest of the day felt like it went in slow motion, and mainly consisted of everyone gathered in the living room, having a movie marathon. The atmosphere was much lighter than before, with jokes and retaliations being tossed around. It was almost as if your adventure yesterday had been forgotten, but you didn't get off that easily. Naturally, you were grounded, phone taken away and all, though you couldn't exactly claim it was unfair.
Once you had stopped crying, however, it was Papyrus' turn. Apparently, he had faked that whole 'being disappointed' scene, as the others thought that if Papyrus were the one to say it, it would get you to talk.
"NYOHOHOHO, I'M SO SORRY, HUMAN! I COULD NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"
So when he gave you a bone crushing hug, you patted him on his skull, reassuring him that it was okay, and there were no hard feelings. That seemed to satisfy him for the most part, and his tears subsided quickly.
It wasn't a surprise that you were beyond exhausted, but it was almost as if someone had sucked the life out of you. Barely bringing yourself to move, the sofa became your new place of rest for the remainder of the day. Seeing as you hadn't planned for any more surprises, it seemed like a solid plan.
That was until the doorbell rang.
Tilting your head, you nearly froze as you saw Toriel and Frisk enter, catching the attention of everyone. An awkward, heavy silence fell over the room. You couldn't tear your eyes away from Frisk, whose expression was anything but neutral. Luckily, it appeared Toriel was able to heal most of their wounds, with only a few plasters and a couple bruises on display. You weren't so lucky, and had sustained far more, and deeper, injuries that would take a little longer to heal, despite the healing magic.
"I do apologise for dropping in so suddenly unannounced, Papyrus."
Toriel said, breaking the silence. The skeleton in question quickly shook his head, flashing her a big smile.
"IT IS NO TROUBLE AT ALL, LADY ASGORE! WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU BOTH?"
You could tell he was trying to keep the situation light, but even Papyrus looked somewhat tense, as sweat began to form on his skull.
"It's just that, Frisk wanted to have a word with y/n, and I would also like to check up on her, if that is alright?"
You felt the question to be more directed at you, and when Papyrus looked back, you them a small nod. Finding the strength to stand up, Frisk immediately strode over to you, and angry look on their face, taking your hand and dragging you out of the room.
"My child, please do not be so rough!"
Toriel called after, but the child ignored her. You didn't protest one bit when you were taken into your room, the door slamming behind you. It was understandable why Frisk was so angry. After all, you put them in a dangerous situation and then bolted the moment you got, without so much as a single word. You were truly a coward.
The child whirled around, cleanching their fists and you wasted no time trying to apologise the first chance you got.
"Frisk, I'm so sorry, I-"
You didn't even get to finish your sentence before you were knocked down, without warning, by Frisk. Your back slammed against the ground with a thud, making you groan as the wind got knocked out of you. When you opened your eyes, you came face to face with their expression. Your faces were close enough so that their tears splattered onto your cheeks, the wetness making you flinch at first.
"Y-you-!"
They stuttered out, mustering all of their strength to speak. The child's efforts to speak more regularly hadn't gone unnoticed, but it still shocked you everytime they did. As they gathered their words, you tried to catch your breath, only to be caught of guard yet again. The impact was rapid, as Frisk's fists hit your chest, shakily and inconsistent. You tried to push them off you, although their punches were weak, it was still uncomfortable, but they didn't seem to let up at all.
The last thing you expected was for Frisk to get physical, but you didn't blame them. Trying not to hurt the child, you grabbed their wrists, but were met with substantial resistance. Through their sobs, they seemed determined to keep you there. To anyone watching, it looked like two siblings fighting, each hit out of pure emotion rather than a calculated attack. You could tell there was no real intention to hurt you, and since they were smaller and weaker, you didn't use your full strength to retaliate against them.
"Frisk! What the hell?! Stop!"
"W-why?! Y-you were the o-one who w-wanted to be killed!"
Their words made you stop dead in your tracks, though your grip on their wrists did not subside. Your eyes widened slightly as you realised why the child was upset. It was never about taking them into a dangerous situation, no. Frisk was used to that, after all.
"Y-you were gonna give up! I s-saw it! You w-wanted to die!"
They chocked out, and by how hoarse their voice sounded, you wondered how long Frisk would be able to keep on speaking for. Needless to say you were lost for words, and it seemed like the same fate had fallen upon Frisk, whose sobs filled the empty silence. When their fight died, you hoisted yourself up into a sitting position, pulling them into a hug immediately after.
"I'm sorry."
Was all you could muster, not sure what else to say. You meant it, you really did. After causing such grief for the skeletons, you hadn't even considered what seeing that must have done to Frisk. Speaking of the child, whether or not they accepted your apology was still to be decided, however, they stayed sobbing in your arms, wailing like a child until they calmed down.
"I won't do it again."
Frisk pulled away and nodded, not pushing the topic any further. Rubbing their already red and puffy eyes, they used sign language to apologise for hitting you, though they really didn't do any damage. Thought it was incredibly out of character for Frisk to be reacting this way, you assumed the stress had got to them and had tipped them over the edge a little. You didn't blame them, not once.
"Are you okay? Did Toriel heal you?"
"Yeah. Most of the wounds are gone now."
You were more than relieved to hear it, considering how badly they had been injured before.
"I'm sorry I took you down with me, Frisk. You got hurt because of me."
"It's okay, it's nothing I haven't handled before. Don't feel bad."
Their words should've been comforting for you, however, they only saddened you. You knew bits and pieces about their time underground, but from what it seemed, everyone had tried to attack them when they first got down there. So yes, in a way the ambassador was probably familiar with monsters attacking them, but it still didn't make any of it okay. Even so, you didn't push, nodding as you gave them a small smile.
"How mad was your mum?"
"Not that mad, actually. She was just glad I was home safe. But she was really worried about you."
"Oh, uh, that's nice of her to be concerned? I'll have to apologise for worrying her."
Why did you make everything worse? Causing the skeletons stress was bad enough, but now Toriel as well? When would you stop being such a problem for everyone?
"She'll want to have a talk with you. Or at least check your stats."
"Right, thanks for the heads up."
You grimaced. Though it was sweet that Toriel cared, you really didn't want to endure an awkward conversation with her, one that most likely would involve a scolding for bringing her child into a dangerous environment. The sudden thought occurred to you to start making smarter decisions in the future.
"I can't stay long, mom wants me to visit Alphys. She gets anxious, so she's making me have a check up."
"I guess that's fair. Tell her I said hi while you're there."
Frisk nodded, a smile rising on their face. Taking their hand, you allowed the kid to lead you back out your room where Toriel was waiting for you, expectantly. Despite having an audience, she still layed into you about how you shouldn't have run away from her when you were injured, and so on. In hindsight, what you did was a little stupid, and the more she spoke, the more you felt the embarrassment practically advertise itself on your face. You didn't need a mirror to know how pink your cheeks were right now.
"Are you sure you are alright now, my child? I can take you along to see Alphys, or perhaps to a human doctor, if necessary?"
She had asked, but you instantly shut down the idea, assuring her you were much better now. You had already been in the hospital this year, and you couldn't even begin to imagine the medical costs that had to be paid. Apparently, Asgore had covered most of the costs, and Sans the rest, so it's not like you had to worry about it. Even so, you couldn't help the overwhelming guilt that welled up in you.
You felt awful, though it wasn't your fault for the shit healthcare system of the country, you had tried to help by promising to pay it back in the future, but that idea was shut down immediately by everyone. You couldn't even get them to tell you the overall sum of the bill, but you were sure it was far greater than you could imagine. The point being, you didn't want to visit the doctors anytime soon, if you could help it.
Anyways, the most surprising thing about your interaction was Toriel is that there was no mention of your actions regarding putting Frisk in a dangerous position. You were honestly stunned, as you were sure you would be berated for it, and rightly so, yet nothing was spoken of it. There was only one thing she said that made you pause.
"I am aware that Frisk has been in dangerous situations before. I can only be grateful that, once again, they had you looking out for them. Thank you."
And with that, she left before you could get another word in. Wondering how on earth you got away with that without being punished, or at the very least yelled at, you decided not to think about it too much, and take it as a small victory.
"OH, THAT REMINDS ME! WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN THE UNDERGROUND IN THE FIRST PLACE, SUNSHINE?"
Blue asked, reminding you that no one had actually managed to get the whole story out of you yet. You had been too busy being comforted by Sans, then distracted by movies and Toriel's suprise visit with Frisk that it had slipped everyone's minds, until now.
"Oh, well it's a bit hard to explain."
Thinking back, it seemed like such a dumb and insignificant reason to have gone down and faced all that you did, and you were worried the others would see it the same way. All that wasn't for nothing, of course, as you did find some insightful information, but was it worth it? That was a question you hadn't had the heart to ask yourself, yet.
"Well, we ain't goin' no where."
Red chimed in, leaning back in his chair, with seemingly nothing else better to do.
"YES, AND NEITHER ARE YOU, SINCE YOU ARE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. I THINK WE HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF PROPERLY."
Edge said, though the exception being your secret training with him. You doubted that was going to stop because of what happened, in fact, it was inevitable that they would get event more intense and frequent. You shivered at the thought.
"Edge, bud, she's not grounded for the rest of her life."
Sans corrected, but Edge merely scoffed.
"TCH, YOUR PUNISHMENTS ARE ALWAYS TOO SOFT. THEY DO NOT SEEM EFFECTIVE, EITHER."
"Well, ya sure as hell ain't offerin' any alternatives."
Cash jumped in, seizing the opportunity to torment his room mate. The skeleton only scowled back at him, flipping him off before directing the attention back to you.
"Alright, well-"
You started, wondering how you should explain yourself. You didn't want to give away your theory just yet, especially considering you could be wrong, so you'd have to be vague about it. Yes, you would do exactly that, in order to avoid further embarrassment.
"I just needed some specific sources for some research I was doing, but they were only available underground, so..."
Some raised an eyebrow at your statement.
"Since when have you willingly gone out of your way to do any sort of research?"
Stretch did make a fair point, considering you were quite avoidant when it came to work, but this was different. Something Asgore had said to you really stuck with you, and for some reason, your curiosity had peaked so intensely that it demanded you to collect further intel to help you make sense of your latest theory.
"We, never- but, I dunno, I just felt like it, is all."
"I THINK IT IS WONDERFUL THAT YOU ARE EXPLORING NEW HOBBIES, HUMAN! ESPECIALLY ONES THAT WORK OUT YOUR BRAIN!"
While most agreed with Papyrus' words of encouragement, others weren't so easily convinced. Even if they suspected something, no one really pushed on the topic. Maybe it was due to their lack of interest, or knowing how tired you were from yesterday, but either way you were grateful you didn't have to admit your full plan just yet. And, with all this drama, you still hadn't got a chance to make proper use of the pictures you took of those books.
"Just try not to get into any more trouble, brat. It'll save us all the headache for next time, heh."
Sansy chimed in, and a couple of the others gave him an unpleasant side glance. Since last night, him and his brother had barely said a word to anyone. It was confusing, their behaviour, to say the least. Usually, they weren't too pleasant to you, hovering over you like smog, however, last night had been so out of character for them.
Their attempts at comfort were so shocking to you, that it was hard to accept in the moment, even now, in fact. Of course, it hadn't lasted long, since you had pushed them away, but you couldn't stand to hear them pile up on Edge when he didn't deserve it. They had no idea what they were talking about, and while the others may assume that you favoured Edge, you would have reacted the same if it were any of the others they chose to insult.
"ENOUGH OF THIS! HUMAN, I DEMAND YOU COME WITH ME THIS INSTANT!"
Black cut in, unexpectedly, pushing you out of the room without warning. Giving you little time to formulate what this would be about, you watched as he sat down in your usual spot for your chess matches. Raising an eyebrow, you did the same, facing opposite him.
"You want to play a game, now?"
"NO, I JUST NEEDED A SPACE ALONE TO TALK TO YOU."
He admitted, his voice sounding more flat than usual. Immediately, you could tell something was off. Even his facial expression looked almost remorseful, but over what you didn't know.
"IT'S JUST THAT YESTERDAY, WHEN I SNAPPED AT YOU..."
It sounded as if he was going to continue, but seemed to falter before he could get further with his explanation, instead switching to a new one.
"PRINCESS, YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER HURT YOU PHYSICALLY, RIGHT?"
The question caught you off guard, but his continued speech allowed you to think your answer over.
"AND YES, I KNOW I HAVE IN THE PAST, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE NOW! NEVER, I PROMISE."
It didn't make any sense. Why was he bringing this up now? What had prompted this line of thinking?
"Uhm-"
"AND I SINCERELY APOLOGISE FOR MY ACTIONS IN THE PAST. I KNOW IT DOES NOT UNDO THE DAMAGE I HAVE DONE, AND MY WORDS MAY SOUND HOLLOW AND EMPTY, BUT I MEAN THEM. I REALLY DO."
"Black-"
"I JUST- I DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL FEARFUL EVERY TIME YOU ARE NEAR ME."
His honestly was precipitously vulnerable, and you were somewhat lost for words at first. You knew he wasnt messing with you, that was more his brother's style, but a part of you couldnt believe what you were hearing. Still, maybe this was a side of him you had never seen before.
"Sans, I'm not scared of you. What are you talking about?"
Your genuine bewilderment only seemed to make him more tense as his fists tightened.
"YOU FLINCHED."
That was all you got out of him as he avoided his gaze. You barely even remember doing so, but your memory kicked in soon enough, and with that came sudden realisation at what he was getting at.
"I don't know why I did that, but I'm not scared of you, Sans. Really, I'm not."
"IT SEEMS YOUR MIND AND BODY HAVE SEPERATE IDEAS ABOUT ME, THEN."
"That's not true."
"NO? TELL THAT TO YOUR PAST SELF YESTERDAY WHO DIDN'T EVEN HESITATE TO FLINCH AT THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ALONE!"
He slammed his fist onto the table, making the chess board rattle in response. Still, you didn't budge, even as he glared directly at you, his eye lights shaking ever so slightly that, if you weren't paying close attention, you would have missed it.
"That wasn't anything! Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?"
"THIS ISN'T NOTHING!"
"Yes it is. Can you just get over yourself?"
"EXCUSE ME?!"
You nearly smirked when he stood up in anger, but you kept calm. Seeing him fall for your trap was just too satisfying. Standing up also, you walked over to him, your expression softening.
"Sans, do you really think I'd be talking to you like this if I were scared of you? You should know by now that I forgive you for what happened before. I'm not afraid of you."
Black blinked, his jaw left slightly ajar as he began to realise what you had just demonstrated. The skeleton seemed to relax somewhat, his anger, dissipating almost instantly. You knew he wouldn't believe you from words alone, no. You had to demonstrate your point, and you did, successfully. You even gained a small smile from him.
"WELL PLAYED, PRINCESS. YOU ARE MORE CUNNING THAN YOU APPEAR. ALRIGHT, I SUPPOSE I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE YOU."
He placed a hand on your head, and was pleased to find you didn't flinch once. You returned his smile.
"Maybe you're just more gullible than you appear."
"WATCH IT, NOW."
"I'm joking, I'm joking! Haha, sorry."
Luckily, the monster wasn't offended, even letting out a chuckle at your antincs, before guiding you back into the living room, where everyone was waiting for you to start up the next movie. The rest of the day played out like that, and despite your constant exhaustion, you never would have guessed that the feeling would grow into something much worse, the next morning.
Notes:
What's gonna happen the next morning?! Until the next chapter! ❤🌸
Also if you guys are interested in seeing anymore POVs from anyone else, in this or any other chapters, please let me know in the comments below!
And feel free to check out my Tumblr and interact with my page :)
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