Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Walking home was always going to be nerve wreaking.

Being stuck in a dead-end job made it hard to find an affordable place anywhere but the 'bad' end of town. The actual apartment block itself was alright, but the streets surrounding it were another story altogether. Women of the night often frequented the corners around the flats, drug deals went down in broad daylight, and you had at least one bullet hole in your bedroom window. Being up a few floors certainly made it safer, but it was still a daily risk.

It was dark out, the streetlights not illuminating much as you made your way home after work. You swear you walked past a dead body but you weren't going to risk your own life by going back to check.

It was nights like these that you were glad you had some natural defenses.

Mages were a rarity nowadays, but your family line had left you a gift you oftentimes found useful.

You could shield yourself.

And you could heal yourself and others.

Thankfully the latter magic was rarely ever needed, but the first had saved your life more times than you could count on both hands.

You were a Green Soul Mage. A powerful one, at that.

Did it bring you much comfort?

Not really.

Life was still a constant shitfest.

You hooked your bag further up on your shoulder. It had only the things too big to fit in your own pockets, having been mugged so many times you knew how to pack your belongings. Phone and wallet on the hips, your single house key hooked through your belt loop. You also knew better than to try and wrap the bag strap around your body. You had come too close to a broken neck that way.

As you walked along the darkened alleyways, you could feel something not sitting right with you. It felt oppressive, but it didn't trigger your anxiety like most feelings would. It wasn't you who was in danger, it seems.

'H-help.. me.. Someone ple-ase.. help.."

Shit.

You sighed, someone had probably been attacked before you came by. Swallowing whatever foreboding you had, you diverted from your course. The least you could do was make them a little more comfortable. You wouldn't dare call for any help. That would likely make you a target.

You bristled as you rounded the corner.

It was a monster.

The thin creature sat slumped against the wall of a building, torn clothes and rich red blood covering it's.. bones?

Slowly, you approached it, wary of scaring it into attacking you. The poor thing moaned in pain, and soon you could see why. It's leg was very clearly broken, one of the femur bones jutting out at a bizarre angle. You covered your mouth as bile threatened to spill forth.

"H-hello?"

It slowly turned it's head at the noise. It looked so benign.

"Human.. Please, I.. I can't walk.. My.. My phone is there.."

Judging by the voice, you assumed the monster was a he. You nodded, walking over to pick up the phone, it's cracked case sharp in your hands.

"It's a bit broken. I'm sorry."

You handed it to him, and he turned it on. The screen flashed colours, and he slumped, sighing in relief.

"I can.. I can call.. Brother.."

"Your leg is broken. Let me fix it for you."

He looked up at you, the pain was so clear on his face. He had no eyes, but was still expressive nonetheless.

"How?"

"I need you to keep a secret for me."

His brow lifted. "Of course. What is it.. Human?"

His tone sounded so trusting. Probably what got him beaten up in the first place. Kindness was seen as a weakness around here.

"I have healing magic. I can repair your leg so you can at least walk on it again."

His eye sockets shot open.

"W-wowie, I've never.. met a human.. with magic before.. A mage?"

His breathing was deep and a little rough. It must have been magic, as he had no visible organs.

"Yeah, we're really rare. Can I see your leg?"

He consented, and you kneeled down to study the fracture.

It was going to hurt like a bitch to fix it.

"Hey, this break is pretty complex, so it's gonna hurt really bad when I try and heal it. Do you have something you can bite down on to stop you from yelling? I don't want to attract attention."

He tore a large strip off his t-shirt, rolling it and placing it between his teeth. Once he had braced himself, you started.

Just touching the bone made him cry out. You would need to push it back into place before you could fuse it back together. He seemed like such a nice monster, so you really didn't want to hurt him.

"Okay, this is really going to hurt. I need you to try and not make too much noise. I need you to be brave for me."

He nodded once more. You decided to go at it like a band-aid. Quick and easy.

You yourself winced as you wrapped your hand around the smooth bone. With deft movements, you pushed it back to align with the other bone edges. Thankfully, he didn't make much noise, but sweat covered his whole body once you had positioned it.

"It's okay, the worst part is over. You doing okay?"

He gave a weak nod in response. Probably close to passing out, you thought.

"I'll give you a minute to recover from that. The actual healing part won't be anywhere near as painful, but it wont be pain free."

You both sat back for a moment, and he removed the bunched up cloth from his mouth.

"You are a very.. kind human.. Thank you for.. helping me.."

"I couldn't just leave you there. What are you doing here, anyway. This isn't a good area for monsters, let alone other humans."

"My.. Brother goes to a bar not too far.. from here.. I was going to go get him.. Bring him home.. Humans grabbed me.. pulled me back here.. Beat me with metal bars.. Sans said humans were dangerous.. I should have listened."

"It's not your fault, okay? Yeah, humans are savages. I'm sorry you got hurt, it's not fair, you seem like such a nice guy. You don't deserve it."

"I should call him."

You sat in silence while the skeleton called his bother telling him he was hurt in an alley near the bar. He told him that his leg was broken. You could hear frantic yelling on the other end.

"Sans.. Sans please.. don't shout.. Human.. Help.." The phone dropped out of his hand as he passed out. Shit. You had to heal him quickly, his HP must be running too low. You placed your hands on the breaks, funneling your magic down into them. Green light reflected off the ivory white bone as the cracks began to repair themselves. You could see him reacting to the pain while he was unconscious with small spasms and groans. After a few more seconds, you had successfully fixed his leg, giving him back some of the HP that was lost because of it.

You ran a hand across your forehead, wiping away the sweat that had settled there, when your entire body froze.

That was gravity magic. Blue magic. But..

"g e t a w a y f r o m m y b r o t h e r y o u f i l t h y h u m a n."

Chapter Text

A rough pull on your soul had you flying backwards, flesh and bone connecting with the bricks behind you, making you scream out in pain. It winded you completely. Looking down, you saw a much smaller skeleton monster in a dark blue hoodie. His eyesocket alight with blue and yellow rings of smoke, and his grin sinister.

"what did you do to my brother!?" He yelled. You felt pressure against your neck. You tried to speak, tried to shield yourself, but it was futile against this monster's strength. You began to see spots of light in your vision, not being able to get enough oxygen with him magically choking you.

"I-I-I.. Ah!"

"BROTHER! PUT HER DOWN!"

The smaller's head whipped around at the sound of his brother's voice.

"but pap-"

"PUT HER DOWN! NOW!"

You fell hard against the concrete below, your tailbone hitting first and sending shock waves of pain up your spine.

"papyrus, what happened? are you- you said your leg was broken!"

Papyrus pulled himself up on the wall to stand, still a little unsteady. "IT WAS, SANS, BUT SHE HEALED IT FOR ME. I MUST HAVE PASSED OUT FROM THE PAIN."

Sans turned back to you, his eye no longer glowing, but his smile still unnerving.

"a mage, huh. thought they all died out. heh, alright. you're comin' with us, lady."

Before you could register his vice like grip on your arm, you felt yourself falling, only to land on soft carpet.

"here, pap, you lay down. i'll go grab a couple'a cinnabuns. you." He looked down at you as you struggled to find your bearings in the almost dark. "keep healing him."

He left quickly, Papyrus walking over to help lift you up by your arm.

"I'M SORRY FOR MY BROTHER. HE IS USUALLY MUCH NICER THAN THIS."

"I don't blame him, Papyrus. He turned up and I was there. He assumed the worst, that's all." You wobbled as you tried to stand, your back still throbbing with every small movement.

"YOU'RE HURT!"

He lead you to the den, and you sat down on a lumpy looking green couch, sharp pain shooting up through your whole body. "D-don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Nothing a few days of rest can't fix. Are you still in pain? I can heal some of these smaller cracks for you."

"NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO WASTE YOUR HEALING MAGIC ON ME WHEN YOU ARE IN SUCH A STATE. SANS! BRING SOME CINNABUNS FOR OUR HUMAN FRIEND!"

Something plopped down into your lap. A plate with a cinnamon roll. It had little ears made out of dough, and a sweet face drawn on in white icing. A sharp sweetness hit your nostrils as steam rose up from it.

"eat." Sans demanded, standing over you. "then you can get to helping my bro-"

"NO, SANS. YOU REALLY HURT HER WHEN YOU THREW HER. APOLOGISE!"

"fuck off, pap, i'm not apologising to some filthy mage!"

"DON'T YOU SWEAR AT ME, SANS. SHE SAVED MY LIFE AND YOU'RE TREATING HER SO BADLY! WHY? BECAUSE SHE CAN USE MAGIC LIKE US? THAT DOESN'T MEAN A THING!"

The shorter skeleton turned away. "you don't know what you're sayin', pap. mages are dangerous. they're the reason we were all locked under that fuckin' mountain in the first place. i'm not gonna be all nice-y nice just because she helped you."

"Look, I know Mages were terrible to your people, but I'm not them. I'm sorry you feel that way.." You paused as pain began to over come your other senses. "but I just.. wanted to.. help.."

You fell back, unconsious.

"SANS! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! SHE PUT HERSELF IN DANGER TO SAVE ME AND YOU'VE BROKEN HER. WE NEED TO CALL TORIEL!"

"what? why?"

"SHE'S THE ONLY MONSTER WHO KNOWS HEALING MAGIC, AND IF OUR FRIEND CAN'T HEAL HERSELF, TORIEL WILL NEED TO."

"pap, no, she's probably asleep-"

"AND I WOULD BE TOO IF YOU DIDN'T SPEND EVERY NIGHT OUT AT THOSE SEEDY BARS, MAKING ME WORRY!"

Sans faltered. It was the truth. "pap, i'm sorry. i just.. need to get away."

"I KNOW, BROTHER.. I KNOW.." Papyrus let out a strangled sigh. "BEING UP HERE ON THE SURFACE IS NOT AS GREAT AS ANY OF US THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT HER, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE IS. IT'S AS BAD AS HOW HUMANS TREAT US BECAUSE WE'RE DIFFERENT FROM THEM."

"you're right, pap. you're always right." Sans let his shoulders sink, tiredness sweeping over him. "you go eat the rolls and get some rest, i'll go find her a blanket."

Papyrus picked up his food and left for his room, not before taking a cautionary glance back at his brother.

"SHE'S NICE. BE NICE TO HER."

Sans rubbed the bone between his eyesockets. Papyrus was right. This human mage had put her safety on the line to save his brother, and what had he done to show thanks? Possibly broken her back? He slunk off to go grab some blankets for her, walking back and gently lowering her so she was flat on her back. She moaned out in her sleep, and it made him feel even worse. Poor kid.

Gently pulling the sheets up over her, he placed the discarded Cinnabun onto the coffee table and left for his own room. Hopefully whatever injuries he had caused would be easy for her to fix.

As he walked into his bedroom and closed the door, he let out a wavering breath. Why was he letting this hatred cloud his judgement.

No-one in the house dreamed that night.

***

You awoke in terrible pain. It felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer and was beating you mercilessly in the lower back with it. You were so distracted by it you didn't notice you were still on that green couch, soft blankets pulled up to your chin.

Getting up in this condition was out of the question. You could barely move your arms or legs without being further incapacitated by the intense burning. You squeezed your eyes shut, willing your magic to the spot in your back that was hurting you so much. Slowly you relaxed, as cooling waves pooled forth, cutting the pain by half and allowing you to sit up. It still killed, but at least you could move.

You suddenly realised where you were. Still in the Skeleton brothers home. The now cold Cinnabun caught your eye, and you picked it up, digging in with abandon as you felt your HP rising. It was so delicious. You would have to ask the nice brother where they got them from. Maybe they would sell to a human? Probably not.

"OH, HUMAN! YOU'RE AWAKE! I HOPE YOU ARE FEELING BETTER."

You looked up to see Papyrus beaming at you. He still had some scratches across his collarbone, but his leg looked fine.

"Yeah, I've already started to heal my back. It's going to take a full day at least. Uh, you wouldn't happen to have any more of those rolls, would you? I can pay fo-"

He held up a gloved hand. "NONSENSE! YOU WILL DO NOTHING OF THE SORT! WE HAVE PLENTY. I WILL GO PREPARE A FEW SO THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR STRENGTH BACK FOR HEALING. I MUST SAY, YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB WITH MY LEG. IT LOOKS EVEN NICER THAN BEFORE IT WAS BROKEN." He waved the leg in the air, making you giggle.

"I'm just so glad that you're okay, Papyrus."

His smile fell, as noises could be heard from the other bedroom.

"I WANTED TO APOLOGISE FOR MY BROTHER'S CRUEL WORDS.."

You stopped him this time. "It's okay, Pap. I really don't blame him. He really loves you, I can see that. I just hope that he doesn't do something brash one day that gets him in trouble. I can heal myself, so I really don't care about being injured, but what if he did that to a human. You guys are already under so much scrutiny for just existing.. I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt. Monster or human."

He walked around the couch and sat down next to you. The bounce triggering a spasm of pain, which you tried to quash lest he think he hurt you.

"YOU ARE SUCH A KIND HUMAN. I REALLY OWE MY LIFE TO YOU- NO, PLEASE, LET ME FINISH." He placed his gloved hand over your mouth so softly. "PLEASE DO NOT THINK TOO BADLY OF SANS. HE IS ACTUALLY VERY SWEET. HE MUST HAVE GOT THE BLANKET FOR YOU."

You looked down at the blanket, which was now crumpled at your feet.

"That was nice of him, considering what his feelings for me are. I will be sure to say thank you when he comes back out."

"no need, kiddo. already heard ya."

You went to turn, wincing as you pulled your back again. "Ow! Oh, morning Sans. Are you feeling alright?"

He shrugged, his smile much softer than you were used to. "can't complain. don't worry about the blanket and stuff. didn't want you gettin' cold or nothin'."

You smiled at him, putting forth only warmth, hoping he would pick up that you meant no hard feelings.

Papyrus stood up, walking off to the kitchen.

"I WILL PREPARE A WONDERFUL BREAKFAST FOR ALL OF US! AND- OH!" He stopped in the doorway. "I'M SO SORRY, WE COMPLETELY FORGOT INTRODUCTIONS!"

You winced. Here you were squatting on their couch, and they didn't even know your name.

"I SHALL START! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" He nudged sans in the arm.

"sans. sans the skeleton."

"I'm _____. Thank you for being so patient with me. I'll try and get out of your hair soo- Uh, I mean.."

Sans laughed, while Pap looked confused.

"BUT HUMAN _____, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY HAIR!"

"So I'd better get out of it, then." You chuckled. Sans seemed to be loosening up now, and you were glad.

"heh. nice."

"Wouldn't wanna stay too long, might start to get under your skin."

Yelling could be heard from the kitchen.

"Ha. You're alright kid.. listen, i'm real sorry about last night. i walked over and the first thing i saw was you sittin' over him and i had to do somethin'. then when pap mentioned you'd used healing magic i just.. lost it, i guess. not had the best experience with mages, kid."

"It's okay, really! All is forgiven." You smiled, holding out your hand to shake. He looked from your eyes to your hand, before pulling his own bony hand out of his pocket.

*Pppffpfpttttpttppt..*

"Was.. Was that.."

He held up his hand, and sure enough, there was a small whoopee cushion tied to it. You couldn't help the laughter that spilled forth. It had been years since anyone had gotten you with one, and it was hilarious.

"old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's always funny."

Your back soon reminded you why you shouldn't be laughing as you coughed, jarring the sensitive flesh.

"hey, ah, so how's your back? i really did a number on ya, huh."

He seemed actually concerned.

"It's fine. I was just telling Papyrus, it might need a day or two to come back good. I've done worse by my clumsy self, so it's really no biggie."

"i still feel bad for hurtin' ya. 'specially after you saved pap. thanks, by the way. i dunno what i woulda done if it wasn't for you. so.. thanks."

"Don't worry about it, Sans. You're a good guy, and so is your brother. I'm just glad I was in the right place. I know you don't like my kind -" He winced and looked ashamed. "- but I'd like it if we could all be friends. It would be nice to have some cool people to hang out with sometimes."

"heh, that sounds good. i'm sure pap will love the idea."

"WHAT IDEA AM I LOVING?" Papyrus walked into the den, holding a tray of steaming Cinnabuns.

"wanna be friends with _____?"

"I-I.. BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY FRIENDS!"

"We are, Pap!" You smiled. "Was just gonna make it official and stuff. Maybe we can all go see a movie or something sometime."

"sounds good, kid."

"OH! WE CAN GO SEE THAT NEW STAR WARS MOVIE! _____, WOULD YOU LIKE OUR PHONE NUMBERS SO WE CAN ORGANISE A DAY OUT?"

"pap, gonna drop the buns."

Papyrus hitched the drooping tray back up. "I SHALL GO GET SOME PLATES. BROTHER, YOU CAN EXCHANGE NUMBERS WITH OUR NEW FRIEND! NYEH HEH HEH!"

You reached into your pocket to pull out your phone, but what came out was a scrap of metal and glass. You and Sans both stared at it for a moment.

"Ah, shit."

"i'll buy you a new one."

"No, no it's okay. I have a spare one at home somewhere. Might just have to give you my number for now until I can find it and swap cards over. It's no big deal."

Sans looked pissed off, but with himself. 'great, i injured you and smashed your stuff. that looks like an iphone, too. fuck, i'm sorry. i'm buying you a new one. end of discussion."

"Sans.."

"i gotta get pap a new one so i might as well grab you one while i'm out. what model was that?"

"6s Plus 128gb.." You couldn't help giggle as his eyelights shrunk. "And as I said, I have another phone at home, so there's no need to buy me one. Spend that money on Pap and get him something nice."

"why are you so nice?"

"Cause I like to treat others the way I want to be treated. Kindness is free."

"heh, shoulda figured. green magic. kindness." He was more talking to himself than you.

"BREAKFAST IS READY!" Papyrus placed a plate down on the coffee table, handing one to Sans as he went back to the kitchen. You picked up one of the warm cinnabuns and bit into it. It was even better heated up.

"Holy crap these things are amazing!"

"friend of ours makes them in a little shop not far from here. they're pretty popular. she sells to humans too, just so you know."

You licked the frosting off your lips, biting down again into the soft bread. "I'm gonna have to go throw my money at her for a whole load of these. It's been so long since I've eaten magic food. So good!"

After a minute, papyrus came in and sat down on the couch with you. Sans stayed hovering over the back, leaning his plate against the top of the couch. You all ate in silence, until Pap noticed your demolished phone sitting on the table.

"_____, IS THAT YOUR PHONE? OH NO! DID IT BREAK LAST NIGHT?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. It's fine, Pap. I have another one. I'll give Sans my number, and when I get home I'll put this sim card in it."

He was about to respond when the front door flew open, almost off it's hinges. A tall blue monster stormed in, running over to Papyrus and grabbing him in a headlock.

"NERD! You're late for PRACTICE!"

"NYEH! DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELE-"

"stop!"

The woman looked over at Sans, who's eyelights had disappeared. She let go, staring Sans down.

Papyrus rubbed his skull. "I'M SORRY UNDYNE. I WAS INJURED LAST NIGHT WHILE OUT IN THE CITY. I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE TRAINING THIS MORNING."

"WHAT!?" She growled. "What happened? Who's ass do I have to kick? Are you ok- Who's this?"

She pointed right at you, and she looked mad as hell.

"AH, UNDYNE, THIS IS _____. _____, THIS IS UNDYNE."

You gave a small wave, trying not to succumb to how intimidating this fish monster was. "Hi."

She didn't respond.

"UNDYNE, DON'T BE RUDE! THIS IS THE HUMAN WHO SAVED MY LIFE LAST NIGHT."

Her demeanor did a complete 180. She smiled, her sharp yellow teeth glinting in the morning light.

"Hey _____! How's it goin?"

You weren't sure if she was any less intimidating or not.

"Alright, not too bad. What kind of training do you guys do?"

She wrapped a scaly arm around Paps neck, being much more gentle than before. "FIGHT training. First is a 20 minute run around the park, followed by 200 push-ups! Then we SPAR! NGAAAAAHHH!"

"undyne was head of the royal guard back in the underground." Sans cleared up. "she was training pap to join, but we came surfaceside before he officially did. so now they just train."

"It's not JUST training, bonehead. We gotta keep at peak physical and magical performance." Undyne stood up straight, her fists resting on her hips. She was pretty muscly for a fish.

"pfft, yeah. you guys make me tired just thinking about it."

"SANS, YOU ARE ALWAYS TIRED!"

"guilty." Sans raised a hand up over his head, yawning.

It seemed to be contagious, as you let out a yawn, your back pinging in response. "Ow."

"What's wrong, dweeb?"

You assumed that was meant to be endearing. "Oh, back hurts, that's all."

"SANS, THE BONEHEAD, THREW HER AGAINST A BRICK WALL." Papyrus gave his brother a look you could only describe as the 'stink eye'.

"You threw her against a fucking WALL?" Undyne gasped, leaning forward, her claws digging into the armrest of the couch. "NO WAY! You look really good for someone who was thrown against a wall, nerd! 'Specially by this guy! But wait, if you were helping Pap.. Why did you chuck her Sans?"

"didn't realise she was helpin'. thought she was hurtin' him. he was passed out in an alley. i just reacted."

"He did the right thing." You added, trying to make him feel better about the act. "It was just a misunderstanding, that's all."

"No SHIT! I've seen this guy throw humans around before, and the fact you're sittin' here not on a drip of some kind is MIND BLOWING!" Undyne was bouncing around now. "You must be SUPER powerful."

"I wouldn't say that.."

"NERD! You should TOTALLY come train with us sometime! I wanna see what you're MADE OF!" She gave Papyrus a gentle noogie, and ran back to the front door. "Pap, call me when you're feeling better. Nice to meet ya, _____! Seeya Sans!"

"SEE YOU LATER, UNDYNE!"

"bye."

She slammed the door just as hard as she had opened it, leaving the room in silence once more.

"that was undyne. she can be a couple camping sometimes."

"A what?" You asked.

Sans winked.

"two in tents."

"OH, I GET IT! TOO INTENSE!" Papyrus looked equal parts annoyed and proud of himself.

"yeah. you're the coolest, bro."

"NYEH HEH HEH!"

Chapter Text

The brothers had graciously let you stay on their couch as long as it took for you to heal your back enough to be able to walk without pain. You say 'let you', more demanded. They wouldn't take no for an answer, not wanting you to get hurt even more if something happened. Papyrus was particularly for you staying until dinner. He had planned a great meal for 'someone as great as you'. It was endearing the way he fussed over you. Even Sans was up and about trying to keep you entertained and comfortable.

Over the hours you spent taking up residence in their lounge, you had learned quite a bit about the brothers. Sans was lazy and unmotivated. Papyrus was loud and energetic, his boisterous personality attempting to cancel out the older brothers. Yes, older. You had actually gasped when Sans had told you that Pap was his baby brother. You shouldn't have judged from the height difference, but he told you that it was okay. An easy mistake to make considering their dynamic.

You had a chance to look at the sock next to the TV. Apparently Sans had brought it up from the underground with all of their other belongings and Papyrus had thrown a shit fit. Years later and it was still sitting off to the side, covered in post-it notes.

Around 11, Sans disappeared off to the shops to go get a few things, leaving you and Pap alone in the house. He had decided to show you some movies made by another monster called Mettaton. He was a robot, and his acting wasn't what you'd consider game-changing, but it was a right side better than the actual movies themselves. You did enjoy them, you had to admit, as campy and B-grade as they were. You did, however, much prefer listening to Papyrus' little commentaries. They way he would get excited at his favourite parts. The way he cheered on the characters, even though he knew the movies like the back of his hand.

"AND THAT WAS 'MONSTER IN A BIG CITY'. WHAT DID YOU THINK?"

"I quite liked the part where he was serenading the human on that Parisian balcony. That was pretty romantic."

Papyrus smiled. "YES, THAT WAS VERY SWEET. I SHOULD GO MAKE US SOME LUNCH! WE HAVE SOME MINI-QUICHES THAT SANS DOESN'T LIKE. I CAN HEAT THOSE UP."

He left to go cook, and you decided to try getting up to go to the bathroom. Your back was healing well, with you being so well fed by Papyrus. It still hurt to move, but at least your could walk now.

"Hey, Pap? Can I use your bathroom?"

He walked back out of the kitchen, dressed in a pink, frilly apron. It looked quite fitting on his tall frame.

"OF COURSE! I SHALL DIRECT YOU THERE ONCE I SET THE OVEN TO PREHEAT."

By direct, he meant he would physically guide you to the bathroom door. You tried to tell him that you were okay to walk on your own, but he was having none of it.

"BUT WHAT IF YOU WERE TO TRIP AND FALL? OR HURT YOUR BACK AGAIN OPENING THIS BIG HEAVY DOOR." He gasped. "I WOULD FEEL TERRIBLE."

"Pap, it's okay! I'm a big, strong girl. Even with this whole back thing, I'll be fine."

He looked down to the carpet, wringing his gloved hands. "I'M JUST WORRIED, THAT'S ALL. YOU'RE SUCH A SWEET, LOVELY HUMAN, AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU GET HURT. MORE SO."

"You're such a sweetheart, Papyrus. Thank you for caring so much about me. I really appreciate it."

You could swear you saw an orange glow on his cheekbones.

"NYEH HEH. I SHALL LEAVE YOU TO YOUR.. UM.. I WILL BE BACK TO WALK YOU TO THE COUCH WHEN YOU ARE DONE!" He walked back over to the kitchen as you walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. It was rather heavy.

After you had finished, you stood at the sink washing your hands. Looking into the mirror, you realised you looked like utter shit. Your hair was a rats-nest, dark bags hung under your eyes, and whatever makeup you had tried to put on the other morning was smudged or had rubbed off completely. You were a hot mess, minus the hot.

The sad thing was, you probably looked like this before your encounter with the brothers in that alley.

Trying in vain to wrangle your appearance, you used water to smooth down your hair and clean up your face. It hurt to be standing too long, so once you were mostly satisfied, you opened the door and headed back to your spot on the couch. Your back twinging in protest as you sat back and put your feet up.

"_____? YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED ME TO TAKE YOU BACK TO THE COUCH."

Papyrus stood off to the side of the lounge, his worried expression making you feel bad.

"It's okay, my back is feeling much better than it was. You don't have to worry so much. I mean, it's really sweet of you, but I'm fine!"

The front door opened, and Sans walked in, followed by a large goat-looking monster you recognised as the Queen. The young human who had saved them was at her side, looking over at you with curiosity.

"hey, i'm back. guys, this is _____. this is toriel and her kid, frisk. ran into 'em at the store and they wanted to come say hi."

"Greetings, my child. It is so wonderful to meet you." Toriel spoke, her voice warm and motherly. "After what you did for Papyrus, we wanted to come and give our own thanks."

The preteen attached to her hip smiled, signing. 'hello'

You signed it right back, and everyone in the room looked right at you.

Frisk jumped up and down, frantically signing back to you. 'you can sign too? that's so awesome!'

"didn't know you knew asl. impressive." Sans cocked a brow-bone as Toriel tried to calm the child ambassador down.

"Both my parents were deaf. It's actually lucky I have any hearing at all, since they were both born without it, and my older sister was born deaf, too." You said, signing everything for Frisk. You knew they were only mute, but it was still a gesture of good will.

"My child, Sans has told us of your ailment. I would like to offer my healing magic to help in your recovery." Toriel had finally corralled the excited kid, walking over to sit next to you on the couch.

You looked up to Sans. "Did you tell them what I am?"

"nah, thought it would be better comin' straight from you. don't worry, the kid's one too."

Toriel gasped, bringing her paws over her long snout.

"You are a Mage, are you not?"

Frisk, who had been chatting off to the side with Papyrus, whipped their head around.

You nodded. "Yeah, Green Soul. My great grandmother passed it down to me. I can heal, and protect myself with shields. That's pretty much it."

"I see." Toriel looked at you with a thoughtful expression. "So you are using your own magic to help with your pain."

"Yeah, It was a lot worse when I woke up this morning. Papyrus has been an absolute gem, keeping me so well fed and comfortable."

Pap rubbed the back of his skull, letting out a soft "NYEH", his cheeks blossoming orange.

Toriel smiled. "May I still offer? The quicker you are feeling pain-free, the better. Would you not say?"

Frisk ran to stand in front of you. 'so you're a mage, too. that's so cool. green magic is so handy! mom is really good at healing stuff.'

"I would really appreciate any help I can get with this." You laughed.

"Then I will ask you to lay on your stomach, if you are able. You will need to point to where the pain originates." Toriel got up off the couch and leaned on her knees on the floor. She was still considerably tall, even when bent down.

You managed to flip onto your stomach, as she lifted up the back of your shirt oh, so carefully.

"I will gently press along your spine. Please tell me when I am close to where it aches."

Frisk giggled as you played the game of hot and cold with the pain in your back.

'hey, we can see your undies. pink and frilly. i think pap likes them.'

The tall skeleton made a strange squeak, turning tail and disappearing into the kitchen as Sans burst into laughter.

"frisk, buddy, way to out the poor guy. heh. i wasn't gonna say anything.."

Toriel let out a huff. "That is enough, you two. Frisk, stop teasing your Uncle. Go apologise, right this second."

All you could do was hold in your giggles. Whoops.

"It is only the band showing." She coo'd. "Would you like my to adjust your trousers to cover it?"

"Nah, I don't really care all that much. It's just clothing."

"from the way he was starin' looks like pap cares."

"Sans, enough." Toriel's tone was commanding, yet still warm. It really reminded you of a mother scolding her child.

"sorry, tori. jus' havin' a bit of fun with my baby bro gettin' all flustered over a girl. doesn't happen often."

The noise she made quickly shut him up.

"It seems that our dear Papyrus may have affection for you, my child, and as much as I detest to agree." She shot a cheeky glance at Sans, who left to go check the state of things in the kitchen. "It has been a very long time since we have seen him take interest in another. He is a very sweet boy, do you not agree?"

Were these Monsters trying to set you up with Papyrus? It sure sounded like it, but then again Monsters did have customs that differed from human. They were much more open with relationships, finding it easier to make them and falling faster for ones they did care for. While it was normal for a human couple to wait months, even years to commit and get married, it was considered out of the ordinary for a Monster couple to wait more than weeks for the whole shebang.

"He is really nice, but I doubt he'd actually feel that way." You mumbled, which made Toriel pause in her ministrations.

"What would make you feel that way, my child?"

"I mean, no-one ever does." Your smile fell. "I'd just assume he's being overly affectionate because of last night and just feels obligated 'cause I'm still stuck here."

"Nonsense. I know for a fact that our dear Papyrus would only be treating you so diligently if he genuinely cared for you. You seem to have won Sans over, as well. He is not so kind to just anyone. He must feel that his brother is truly safe with you. It's quite the honour."

You had to smile. So, last night's Sans wasn't out of the ordinary then.

You both went back to comfortable silence as she helped with your healing. It was doing the trick, too. Healing magic was always more powerful when being used on another, which explained how easily you had fixed Pap's leg. Of course, the intent had to be there, but from how soft her touch was, you felt like she actually did want the best for you. It was nice, being fretted over by such a motherly figure.

The conversation going on in the kitchen was decidedly less comfortable.

Frisk had gone in to apologise for calling attention to her Uncle's interest in your underwear, but found him with his back to them, sniffing slightly.

They tugged on the string of his apron, getting his attention. 'uncle pap, are you okay? i'm sorry about before, i was just being cheeky.'

The pun didn't even register with either of them.

He quickly wiped at his face, putting on a smile before turning to the young one. "OH, FRISK! DO NOT WORRY. I GUESS IT WAS RATHER FUNNY.."

'uncle pap, you're not okay, are you?'

"WHAT WOULD SUCH A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN SEE IN A MONSTER LIKE ME." He stated, his smile gone as he stared off into space. Frisk's little soul hurt just hearing the usually optimistic skeleton put himself down like that.

'but you're so awesome, uncle pap! i bet she really likes you. you're really sweet and cool and tall and handsome, isn't that what girls like?' Frisk signed with a placating grin.

"yeah bro, i bet she's just waitin' for a chance to jump your bones." Sans chuckled, appearing beside them suddenly. Frisk jumped on the spot, flicking the short skeleton on the arm.

"VERY FUNNY, BROTHER." Papyrus frowned. "ALSO VERY LEWD AND UNCALLED FOR."

"so it was funny? heh, you look like a fuckin' orange right now, bro."

"I KNOW, AND I.. I.."

"you really like this chick, huh." Sans sighed, shrugging. "well, what does the dating handbook say about this kind'a thing?"

Papyrus gave his brother a sheepish look. "I THREW THAT BOOK OUT YEARS AGO."

'why?' frisk signed, as Sans asked the same thing.

"DO YOU BOTH REMEMBER GINA?"

"vaguely." Sans hissed through a clenched jaw. "what did she do, pap?"

"WELL, WE WERE ON A DATE, AND I WAS READING IT AND SHE TOLD ME THAT HUMAN WOMEN COULDN'T BE DEFINED BY SOME STUPID MONSTER BOOK. I GUESS I THREW IT AWAY TRYING TO IMPRESS HER."

"heh, only money would impress that cold piece'a work, pap."

'yeah, she was such a bitch!'

Sans ruffled the kid's hair. "language, frisk. but yeah, she was a bitch. guess i can grab you another copy next time i have to visit the underground."

"NO NEED BROTHER. I THINK I'M A LITTLE TOO GROWN UP FOR SUCH A BOOK, ANYWAY.. OH! THE QUICHES!" Pap bent down, opening the oven to find them cooked perfectly. "THANK GOODNESS."

Frisk grabbed one straight off the tray, bouncing it in their fingers, blowing on it and exiting the kitchen but not before winking back at Papyrus.

"they must hate their skin. so, what now, pap. gonna confess your undyin' love to her or bide your time?"

"I MIGHT WAIT. WE WERE GOING TO GO SEE A MOVIE, RIGHT?"

Sans nodded, looking up at his younger brother. "yep. wanna go with just her? i don't care, bro. i'll go hang with tori and the kid for a day or somethin'. go on." He winked, his grin growing. "make it a date."

"I.. I JUST MIGHT."

Sans left Pap to dish up the food, wandering back into the lounge to find Toriel sitting back on the floor, scolding Frisk as they sucked on a burnt digit. You looked up as he approached, sharing a smile at the scene before you.

"Hey, is Papyrus okay? I hope he's not too embarrassed." You asked, as Sans took a seat next to Toriel on the floor.

"nah, he's fine. he's rustling the grub now, shouldn't be long."

The smell of delicious food filled the lounge as Pap came over, brandishing plates.

"LUNCH IS SERVED! NYEH HEH!"

Chapter Text

You all sat and ate in companionable silence, the only sounds that of chewing and the occasional satisfied noise. The quiches were pretty good. They were the fancy frozen ones, but apparently that meant very little to Sans.

"y'know, my cooking isn't the best, but at least it's got flavour." he groaned, breaking the quiet as he covered another pastry in ketchup.

'i'm surprised you can taste them under all the sauce, sans.' Frisk put down their food to sign, still wincing when their finger touched anything. Toriel was going to heal it when they got home. Apparently you had done such a number on your back, bone had gotten involved. A chipped disk was the culprit, and now that it was aligned and fixed, your back felt much less tender. Albeit Toriel was feeling a little tired from the drain on her magic. Just as you were, having been tending to it for hours.

"i know what a quiche is supposed to taste like, kiddo, and this ain't it." Sans drawled, bringing the pie up to his mouth and chucking the whole thing in. Papyrus glared at him in displeasure.

"CHEW YOUR FOOD, SANS, MY GOD! YOU WOULDN'T THINK I'D HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, BUT HERE WE ARE."

You giggled as Sans picked up one more pie, smothering it in ketchup as he stared straight at Papyrus. Obviously only eating it the same way to get a rise out of his brother, and it worked.

"WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF ANIMAL? OH, NO OFFENCE, MY QUEEN."

"None taken!" Toriel laughed, having too much fun watching the little back and forth. As long as it was in jest, she allowed them to continue.

You were brought out of your laughter by a tap on your shoulder. Frisk stood up next to you.

'can i talk to you for a bit? in the kitchen?'

You took a quick glance at the others, who had noticed, but were keeping out of it.

"Sure. I might need to sit down, though." You replied, and they ran over to the dining area, picking up a chair and pulling it into the kitchen. You slowly got to your feet, smiling at the others in the lounge before heading into the kitchen. They were all smiling back, so it couldn't be anything bad, right?

***

'would you smooch a skeleton?'

They had accosted you as soon as you had sat down, a devious sparkle in their red eyes.

"Uh, I guess? If a skeleton wanted to smooch me?" You signed back, realising that Frisk must be in on this matchmaking as well. "Are you guys trying to pair me with Papyrus?"

They looked almost sad for a moment, before perking up again.

'he really likes you, but he's just really shy and isn't sure of how to talk to you about it.'

"Are you sure he actually likes me? I mean, he could just be feeling like he needs to like me because of what happened."

Frisk grinned. 'would someone who is only doing that start putting themselves down because, his words, what would such a beautiful human see in a monster like me?'

Your soul plummeted. God, he really did like you, and he was beating himself up over it because he thought you wouldn't feel the same.

"Geez, Frisk.. I should talk to him, shouldn't I."

'do you like him?'

You had to think. Sure, he was sweet, and he was going out of his way to take care of you, but something just wasn't sitting right. Would it be too much of a pity thing, even though you did not pity him in the slightest. Ugh, you were confused. You guess you did.. Yeah, you just might, your soul seemed to buzz with joy whenever he was near you, and he was just so adorable.. UGH!

"Look, I don't know yet. I'm still a bit confused."

'that's fine.' The kid in front of you smiled. 'just, maybe think about it. he's really special to me. like, the best uncle ever. i mean, sans is cool too.' You both giggled, as they helped you stand and walk back to the lounge.

"so, what was on the agenda in club super secret today?" Sans teased, earning an affectionate flick to the skull from Frisk. You glanced over at Papyrus, who was flushed orange, looking pensive and nervous as his eyesockets met yours. You were intrigued by just how expressive they could be. Sans eyes had pinpoints of light you could say were pupils, but somehow they were nowhere near as emotive as Pap's.

You yourself blushed, as you realised you had been standing there staring at the poor guy. You took a seat on the lounge again, Frisk sitting up next to you as they made faces at their shorter Uncle. It seemed Toriel was the only one who had noticed your little staring contest. She gave you a comforting, if somewhat sly smile as you looked over to her.

"Alright, my child, it is about time we took our leave." She announced, Frisk crossing their arms and pouting. "Yes, I know you do enjoy your time with your Uncles, but you have schoolwork that must be done."

You weren't sure how someone could possibly get their bottom lip that far out, but Frisk managed it. Toriel, the iron bunker she was, just smiled and reached out for their hand. Frisk took it begrudgingly, singlehandedly signing goodbye to all present.

"My child, please do contact me if you need further help in healing. It may have to wait a day or so, but I will do my best to aid you." She handed you a piece of paper with her and Frisk's mobile numbers on it.

You shook your head, noticing that the action cause very little pain. "It's fine, Toriel. Thank you so much for helping. It already feels 100 times better! I will let you know when It is fully healed, though, so you don't have to worry about me."

She bent down, placing a motherly kiss on your forehead, then said her goodbyes to the brothers. Soon, it was just the three of you again.

Sans took up the spot Frisk had vacated, picking up the remote and absently flicked through channels.

"so, who's up for some shitty daytime movies?"

***

Papyrus remained unusually quiet the rest of the afternoon. Maybe he had an idea of what you and Frisk had been talking about in the kitchen, as he avoided your gaze and watched the TV with you and Sans in silence. You felt bad for him. The way his cheeks would flare with colour when he did catch your eye.

Sans broke you out of your thoughts with a loud belch. Papyrus looked at him like he had the plague.

"THAT WAS DISGUSTING, AND IN FRONT OF THE HUMAN!"

"better out than in." he drawled, his slippers had fallen off as he slumped into the couch. You were quite perplexed about how he and his brother actually worked as monsters that, apart from magic, were made of really only bone and marrow.

"Hey, Sans, how do you guys eat food. Sorry, you can tell me to shut up if it's a personal question or anything."

He glanced over at you, a tricky smirk plastering his face. With a lazy wave of his hands, he said, "magic!"

The jazz hands afterwards were the straw that broke your back, as you barked with laughter. It didn't hurt much at all now, and you were glad for that. You didn't think you would have been able to keep that one in. Even Papyrus was smiling.

"BROTHER, THAT WAS SILLY. WHY NOT TELL HER HOW WE INCORPORATE OUR FOOD. I CAN SEE WHY IT WOULD BE FASCINATING FOR A HUMAN."

"sure bro. well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much.. no, wait, wrong explanation." Sans bit back a laugh as you lost it. His brother looking at him like he had just described the deed.

"SANS!"

"heh, sorry. i tend to get the two mixed up."

"YOU DON'T AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"anyways, monsters use a special method to consume our food. wanna know what it is?"

You knew what he was going to say before he even said it. You held your sides as he stuck out what looked like a clear blue tongue. "magic!"

"SAAAANS! NO!"

That was all there was to it, really. Food would be absorbed magically into their soul, and it would help them keep their HP optimal. Foods mixed with magic being more beneficial to them that human food. Pretty simple stuff. You really should have guessed it, since it was kind of the same with you, except you actually digested everything afterwards.

It also meant that monsters didn't need to get rid of bodily waste. They could however still vomit and sweat, which did explain why Papyrus was covered in it when you had to reset his leg. The thought of most monster houses not having toilets made you a little uncomfortable. Poor Frisk, having been stuck down there for so long without anywhere to go.

By the time Papyrus had left to get started on dinner, you could barely feel any pain. You stood up and stretched, Sans giving you a sideways glance as your shirt lifted up, once again exposing the trim of lace sitting above your trouser waistband. It was a case of not planning clothes out and not having enough time to change.

"heh, should i call pap out?"

You gave him a dour glance as he chuckled to himself.

"You guys are really all for us getting together, aren't you?" You said quietly as you sat back down, hoping the noise of the TV and the distance would make your conversation private.

"you seem to make my bro happy, and by extension, i'm happy. but seriously, if you're not interested you should probably tell him. kid, i like ya and all, but if you wait too long to break his heart then we might have a problem."

"Sans, that is the last thing I want to do! I.. I'd like to give it a try."

"GIVE WHAT A TRY, _____?"

You audibly gasped as you turned to face Papyrus. He was still wearing his apron and holding a wooden spoon, both covered in some kind of tomato sauce.

"Your spaghetti! Sans was just telling me how great it is." You managed to blurt out. You heard sans laughing from behind you.

"yeah, bro. I think she wants to taste your noodle."

"AHA! YES, MY SPAGHETTI IS WELL RENOWNED!" He boasted, his brother's comment going completely over his head. "I AM MAKING AN EXTRA SPECIAL BATCH FOR TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW FRIENDSHIPS."

He left again, and you turned to glare at Sans, a shit-eating grin looking right back at you.

"what?"

"You know 'what' you cheeky little.." You mumbled, your face going red as he laughed heartily.

***

Dinner was a formal affair, or at least it was made to look like it. Papyrus had really outdone himself. The dining room table was covered in a fine, red tablecloth, fine china and silverware placed for the three of them and a candelabra sitting centerpiece. It would almost look like it was set for an intimate dinner date, except for the addition of Sans.

The food was just as eloquent. Spaghetti bolognese with meatballs, made with tender love and care.

Also, glitter.

Sans assured you that it was safe for human consumption, and the texture was fine enough to actually be palatable. It was still a bit of a surprise that something so unnaturally shiny could be so delicious.

"This is amazing, Papyrus! Thank you so much for cooking for me. I feel really loved right now."

His face flushed orange, as Sans sat making slurping noises.

"yeah, s'good grub." He mumbled with his mouth completely full.

"SANS! TABLE MANNERS, PLEASE."

"oh, yeah, sorry." Sans said, picking up his fork and sticking up his pinkie finger. He then proceeded to slurp louder than before. You could see Pap's eye twitching ever so slightly.

You giggled at the back and forth between the two of them. It reminded you of nights spent having dinner with your sister. She lived hours away, so visits were few and far between. You missed her company desperately, but hanging out with Sans and Papyrus like this helped fill that gap a little bit.

"WOULD ANYBODY LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK?" Papyrus offered. "WE HAVE ORANGE JUICE, WINE.. KETCHUP." He shot Sans a raised eyebrow, already knowing his choice.

"ketchup sounds good, bro. No need to get saucy with me."

"JUST FOR THAT, YOU CAN GO GET THE DRINKS!"

Sans stood up, shrugging. "heh, fair cop. want anything, _____?"

"Orange juice, please."

He left for the kitchen, leaving you and Papyrus at the table. He kept his eyes down at his food, a faint peach colour on his cheeks.

"SO, _____.. DO YOU, UH, THAT IS.." He looked like he was interrogating his dinner. You decided to be a little bit bold, reaching out and lifting his head with a few fingers under his chin. He looked straight up at you, his eyesockets wide and mouth hanging open slightly.

"Are you okay? Are you hurting or anything? I can heal you if you need it since my back is pretty much okay now."

He shook his head gently, still looking at you.

"YOU'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL.."

Oh god.

"Th-thanks, Pap. You're quite handsome yourself." You smiled warmly. He looked back down into his pasta, colour spreading across white bone.

"THANK YOU.. NYEH.."

"you two lovebirds done bein' all sappy yet?" Sans walked back to the table, juice in one hand, ketchup in the other. He threw a knowing grin at you both. "makin' me feel like a third wheel, here."

"SANS, PLEASE!" Papyrus cringed, his face now dark orange. He completely avoided your gaze now, wringing his hands under the table.

"sorry pap, just teasin'." Sans sat back at the table, handing you your drink then going back to stuffing his face.

"I was just thinking, maybe we should organise our trip to the movies now, just in case I can't find my phone later. I'm free on Mondays and Wednesdays. Thursday mornings too, until 12."

"how about Wednesday. pap and i are busy on Mondays, and it gives us plenty of time to hang out." Sans added, squirting ketchup onto the last few mouthfuls of Spaghetti on his plate. Papyrus tried to ignore his brother butchering his beautiful pasta.

"SANS IS CORRECT. WE WILL BOTH BE AVAILABLE TO SEE A MOVIE THAT DAY. WHAT TIME SHALL WE MEET?"

Sans pulled out his phone to look up times. "there's a showin' at 3pm. maybe we meet at 1 and hang about for a while before the movie starts. go grab some snacks n' shit. not payin' 10 bucks for a tiny thing of popcorn. i could make my weight in the stuff and still have change left over.."

***

Soon after dinner, you decided it was about time to leave. You said goodbye to Papyrus, who retreated to his bedroom and stuffed your demolished phone back into your pocket, before joining Sans in the dining room.

"Ready."

"ok. i'll try not to drop you this time." He joked, as he grabbed hold of your arm. Next thing you knew you were standing outside your flats.

"Thanks, Sans. I really appreciate it. Both the lift and the whole not dropping me bit."

He was busy looking around, his eyelights dimmed down. "hey, i think that guy over there might be lookin' at ya funny. i'll go up with ya to your flat so he doesn't follow."

You didn't even bother looking around for anyone. You'd had people follow you up before, but most of the time your neighbors were more than willing to let you loiter in their apartments while they cleared off. It wasn't something that surprised you.

"Thanks, Sans. Follow me."

You both climbed stairwell after stairwell, finally reaching the 4th floor. As you walked down the hall, you began to feel off. Something was not right, and your suspicions were confirmed when you found your door sitting ajar. Sans put a hand up to you, motioning you to get behind him, his eye flaring up as he pushed the door open. You both gasped at the sight before you.

Your couch was slashed to hell. Cabinets holding your few earthly possessions smashed open and leaning a kilter on the floor. Ripped apart pillows covered the small rooms in a flurry of snow like feathers.

You had been robbed.

Chapter Text

"W-why!?" You gasped, gripping your hair as a response to the adrenaline flushing through you. Everything had been destroyed. Your TV and DVD player were gone, as well as your laptop you had left on the couch that morning. Your furniture was haphazardly lying around on the floor, and broken glass and feathers covered everything.

Sans kept a firm hold of your arm as you both surveyed the damage.

"fuck, kid, i'm sorry."

"No sorry needed. I guess it was bound to happen eventually. This isn't exactly the nicest area.." You muttered, defeated.

He carefully scanned the room. "i'm gonna do a quick run through, in case anyone's still here. stay there."

You blinked, and he was gone.

Why did this all have to happen now? You were finally getting into a good place. You had made yourself comfortable in your little nest and now it was all torn out from under you.

You started kicking aside the rubble when Sans reappeared with a pop of colour.

"Lemme guess." You sighed. "Rest of the house is totaled too."

The look he gave you made your stomach twist.

"there's summat you gotta see."

Slowly you followed him, stepping over the remains of your life as you made your way to the bedroom. Your bed had been ripped to pieces, the mattress shredded and flung off the base. Your mirrored closet was smashed to hell and your clothes spread out across the tiny room.

"i think whoever did this had to do with last night." Sans grumbled, his expression dark.

"How do you know?"

"that."

He pointed to the wall behind you. Someone had sprayed a single word across it in what you really hoped was red paint.

'TRAITOR'

"Holy fuck.." You groaned. "I think you might be right.. But how did they find.. where.." Your hand went straight down to your pocket.

"Fuck! Sans, my wallet! It's gone! I didn't even think to check it."

"do ya think it fell out when i threw ya?"

You double checked your pockets, trying to think back to last night. You had left your bag behind, but that didn't matter. It was only a cheap bag with your work shirt in it. Your wallet must have dropped out of your pocket in your altercation with him. You were thrown with enough force to smash your phone and your back, after all.

"Can we go check the alley? It might still be there."

He answered by grabbing your arm and teleporting to that same dark alleyway you had met Papyrus. Sure enough, your wallet was discarded off to the side, open and empty.

You picked it up. They had taken your ID and bank card, as well as what little money you did have in there. Great, you would have to call the bank first thing and get it canceled. The missing ID at least explained how they found your flat.

"Ugh.. Fuck my fucking life."

"i'm sorry _____!" Sans yelped suddenly, making you jump. "this is all my fault!"

You hurried over to him, bending down and wrapping your arms around him. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sans. This was all just unfortunate. It's not your fault!"

"if i hadn't been out at that fuckin' bar, pap wouldn't have had to come get me, and he wouldn't have been jumped, and you wouldn't have had to help him and.. i'm such a fuck up!"

"No, you're not!" You pulled him into you as he sobbed into your shoulder. "You didn't know any of this was going to happen. No-one did. It's not your fault Sans. You're a good brother, and it's okay to make mistakes. I do it all the time." You chuckled, trying to calm him down. After a moment the sobbing stopped, and he looked up at you.

"you're way too nice."

"How about we go back up to mine and I can grab some stuff.. Is it okay if I crash on your couch again? I'll get everything sorted out with the bank tomorrow morning. I keep all my money in a separate account anyway so the most they'd get from that card is like, 50 bucks? I should have enough for a hotel while I clea-."

"you're staying with us." He interrupted you, still holding onto your arms as he pulled away. "that flat isn't safe now, an' there's no way i'm just gonna stand back and let ya waste money on a shitty hotel. you're welcome to stay with pap and i as long as ya need to. i'm sure he would love to have ya around."

You were almost crying yourself. "Thank you, Sans. You're both just the sweetest."

He transported you both back to your apartment. The next few minutes were spent searching for things the robbers left behind. You managed to find your spare phone, as well as the locked metal box that you kept hidden behind a vent in your bedroom. Inside were you most prized possessions. Mainly things from your parents and sister, as well as more expensive items that you didn't want stolen.

"what's that?" Sans asked, walking up behind you with a plastic bag filled with clothes.

"All of the stuff I didn't want stolen." You showed him the inside of the box. "Mostly stuff from my parents. I really don't give two shits about the stuff they did take. Well, no, I do, but if they had found this box, I would have been inconsolable."

"i take it your 'rents aren't around anymore either." Sans kneeled down next to you as you shuffled through the box's contents. "it's good you have stuff like that, tho'."

"Yeah, they both died about a decade ago. Car accident. My sister was in the car when it crashed, but she made it out. Heh, kinda funny when you think about it 'cause all of them were completely deaf, so they didn't hear the truck blowing it's horn at them to get out of it's way.." You stopped when you noticed a tear fall onto a picture of you and your family. You all looked so happy and carefree.

"geez, I'm sorry kid.."

"It was a long time ago. Nothing we can do about the past, eh?" You closed the lid on the box, locking it and pushed yourself up to stand. "Just gotta get on with it. Those all the clothes?" You pointed to the bag Sans had dropped to the floor.

"almost, uh, thought i'd leave the intimates drawer to you." He chuckled, a blue blush spreading across his face, quickly being replaced with a concerned frown. "uh, maybe don't mention the whole connection to the alley to pap. i don't want him thinking any of this was his fault, y'know?"

"Of course, I don't want him feeling bad either. This was all just.. a coincidence." You looked around sadly, once again scanning the defaced wall. "I doubt I'm gonna be getting my security deposit back now.."

You both finished packing your meager existence into plastic bags, and he teleported you back into his loungeroom.

"SANS? SANS IS THAT YOU? DID THE HUMAN RETURN HOME SAFE- _____? WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK?"

You dropped your things onto the couch as Sans wandered off to the kitchen. "My flat was robbed while I was away, so Sans offered me the couch again while I clean it up."

Papyrus gasped. "OH NO! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? C-CAN I GET YOU A DRINK, OR A CINNABUN?"

You approached him, reaching up and placing a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to melt at the contact.

"I'm fine, Pap. They didn't take anything important. Just made a huge mess." You smiled genuinely, not wanting him to get too upset. Your heart would break.

"I'M JUST GLAD YOU'RE OKAY. I'M GOING TO MAKE US ALL SOME GOLDENFLOWER TEA."

You walked back over to the couch, finding Sans sitting next to your stuff, chugging a bottle of ketchup and looking pretty weary. You moved your crap to the floor, placing your keepsake box and the coffee table and took up the spot next to him.

"hey, thanks for being strong for pap. means a lot."

"It's okay." You assured him. "Last thing we need is all of us feeling shitty."

"true."

You grabbed one of the smaller bags, pulling out your spare phone. It was old, and pretty beat up, but you kept it charged and ready as a spare. Slipping the sim card in, you switched it on, and were met with a barrage of text messages.

"Shit, you would think I was popular, huh." You muttered as your phone sat dinging away. Sans let out a low laugh.

Your heart sank when you read some of the messages. They were from work. You had completely forgotten you had a double shift that day, and your boss was pissed.

"Fuck, I had work. Man, he's gonna let me have it. We're understaffed as it is and I missed a double!"

"you were injured." Sans grumbled. "they can't really be that mad if you tell 'em your back's hurt."

"You'll be surprised." You grunted, bringing up your boss's number from your contacts. "The guy will work with a broken leg so he expects his workers to be willing to do the same."

You got up and went to the bathroom for a little privacy. You didn't mind calling your work in front of Sans and Pap, but you didn't want to be walking around the house being rude, either.

He picked up after the first ring.

"Where the fuck were you!?"

You bit down a retort. "Ugh, I've injured my back, and I was staying with a friend since my house has been robbed. I completely forgot I had a shift today, I'm so sorry."

"Don't feed me your lies." He snapped. "I'm sick and tired of you bitches slacking off. Sick. Of. It! Y'know what? You're fucking FIRED!"

The dial tone rang out into your ear.

Fired.

You had no job.

Next to no money.

No habitable home.

As a tidal wave of emotion crashed into you, you broke down into violent, racking sobs. Why was everything turning to shit? You didn't deserve all this. You were doing so well.

A soft knock at the door broke you out of your thoughts.

"_____? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I HEARD CRYING. MAY I COME IN?"

"Sure, Pap. D-doors unlocked."

He opened the door, looking so worried. You could see Sans standing behind him, his face showing a soft concern.

You wiped at your still tearing eyes, sniffing back another sob. "I got fired."

"shit, kid.."

"WHAT? WHY?"

"Cause my boss is a fucking sexist douchebag who can go shove his shitty underpaid job up his ARSE!" You yelled, venting off a bit of the anger that was now consuming you. You threw you face down into your hands, trying to muffle your crying. You felt two sets of arms wrap around you, holding you tight as you shook.

"kid, look at me. you're okay, just breathe.."

You didn't even realise you were having a panic attack as your body shook uncontrollably, your head spinning and light. You could hear the beat of blood rushing through your head. No, you had to be stronger than this.

You had to be strong.

What was it your father used to say to you?

Never let the bastards get you down.

You weren't going to.

Not without a fight.

***

You must have passed out at some point, because you woke up on the couch again. A blanket tucked around you and a plate of Cinnabuns sitting on the table. Your head was throbbing, the taste of bile filling your mouth. Great. Had you thrown up? You blushed with embarrassment, trying to remember what happened. Looking around in the dark, you spotted Papyrus sitting off to the side on one of the dining chairs. He was asleep in a sitting position, his jaw slowly opening and closing as he breathed. He must have stayed up to watch over you, and you felt your heart swell with affection. He really was just too sweet.

You sat up, willing away the nausea that reared it's head, and ate one of the sweet rolls. As soon as you bit into it, you felt your HP rise, your soul burning brighter as the magic food replenished you.

"ah, he finally fell asleep. how ya feelin' kid?" Sans whispered, hanging over the back of the sofa. He looked worn down, and you felt it was your fault.

"Did I puke?"

He grinned. "spectacularly. you were unconscious too, so it was pretty impressive."

You pushed your fingers into the bridge of your nose, huffing. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up tomorrow."

"no need. pap took care of it already."

You looked over at the taller skeleton, still snoozing away on the uncomfortable chair.

"he was pretty worried 'bout ya. kept tryin' to get me to call an ambulance or tori. wouldn't let ya out of his sight." Sans mumbled, looking over at his brother. His eyelights were dimmer than usual. "glad he's gettin' some rest. you should try an' get some more sleep, too. we'll sort everythin' out in the mornin'."

He gave you a consoling pat on the shoulder, heading off to his bedroom. Laying back down, you soon drifted off again. Your sleep dreamless, but restful.

Chapter Text

You awoke to the smell of pancakes wafting through the house. Pap was gone from his seat, and you could hear a low snore from Sans room, so you assumed Papyrus was making breakfast. Looking out the window, it was daylight, and looking at your phone it told you it was about 7. Still a bit too early for you, but you would have to adjust yourself to the brother's schedule while you were bumming it on their couch. You should probably get up. Maybe have a shower and make yourself useful.

The smell of cinnamon and maple got stronger as you made your way to the kitchen. Pap was stood with his back to you, humming lightly as he waited for the batter to cook. There was already a pile of wonderful looking pancakes amassing, smothered in syrup and butter.

"Good morning, Papyrus."

He jumped, spinning around at your voice. When he saw you, he smiled. "GOOD MORNING, _____! I DECIDED TO MAKE PANCAKES TO CELEBRATE YOU MOVING IN WITH US!" He turned back to the pan, flipping the pancake. "THERE'S TEA AND COFFEE, AS WELL AS SUGAR IN THE MIDDLE CUPBOARD. PLEASE DO HELP YOURSELF TO ANYTHING. THIS KITCHEN IS YOURS NOW, TOO."

You just wanted to hug him, but you weren't sure how he would react to that. Instead, you leaned your forehead against his arm. He tensed up at the contact, but soon relaxed back into flipping the pancakes.

"Thank you, Pap. I really appreciate all the help you've given me. I-I'm sorry I puked everywhere. I was going to clean it up, you didn't have to."

"NONSENSE!" He chirped. "IT WAS NO PROBLEM AT ALL.. I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT YOU. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE IT THERE FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT. THE LESS YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, THE BETTER."

"You're so sweet, Pap."

You decided that you would hug him, and you wrapped your arms around his middle. There wasn't anything to hold onto, so you raised your arms until you could feel his ribs. He shivered slightly at your touch, letting out a faint 'NYEH'.

"Is this okay? If hugging makes you uncomfortable please tell me-"

He turned around, leaning down and enveloping you in his arms, his cheek pressed to the top of your head, hands resting against your back. In that moment you felt happy, warm and safe.

"NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER SAYS NO TO A HUG! ESPECIALLY ONE FROM SUCH A WONDERFUL HUMAN LIKE YOURSELF."

You let your head rest against his rib cage, listening to the faint murmur of his soul. Calming and peaceful.

The smell of burning pancakes brought you both back to the present.

Pap sighed, flipping it out of the pan and onto a plate. "THAT PANCAKE CAN BE FOR THE BIRDS. OH! WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO THE PARK WITH UNDYNE AND I LATER? WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME TRAINING AND THEN HAVE A PICNIC BY THE LAKE."

"That sounds lovely, Pap. Count me in!"

***

Sans eventually wandered out for breakfast, telling you both he would be taking a day to catch up on sleep. Pap seemed a little annoyed, but was cheery all the same, wishing him sweet dreams an he went back to his cave.

After you had filled up on pancakes, you helped Papyrus get some food and drinks ready for your day out at the park. It would be good to get your mind off of all the unpleasant things happening to you, and the fresh air would certainly do your body good. You made sure to stop by the bank before your park adventure. Luckily no-one had used your card yet, so you were still 50 bucks more well off than you had hoped.

If you had wanted to join in on training with Pap and Undyne, you still wouldn't have. You didn't want to risk hurting your back again. By now you were tired of having to direct so much magic into it. You were much more suited to guarding the bags than any kind of exercise.

Even now, just sitting watching the two of them run from one end of the park to the other was making you feel exhausted. They had way too much energy for so early in the day.

Eventually the two of then came to sit down on the blanket you had spread out, both grabbing some snacks and water.

"So, punk. Papy tells me your place got trashed last night."

You grimaced, not really wanting to think about it anymore. "Yeah. Place was completely ripped apart. Just a shame, I was finally getting it just how I liked it."

"That SUCKS!" Undyne growled, her sharp yellow teeth bared. "hopefully they get explosive diarrhea, or something.." She put a hand next to her mouth, loudly whispering. "That's when you humans uncontrollably poop, right?"

You snorted into your water. "Yeah, that's the one. Oh well, I just hope that no-one else in my building got robbed too."

You both looked over at Papyrus, who had been quiet for most of your little sit down.

"ISN'T THAT ASGORE?" He pointed off to the other side of the park. You squinted, making out a very tall goat-monster, and standing next to him was Frisk. They had something clutched in their arms. A flowerpot? You weren't sure.

"I'll get their attention." Undyne smirked, and Papyrus snapped his gloved hands over the holes where his ears would be. You mimic'd him, and it was a good thing you did. Undyne was loud!

"HEY! ASGORE! FRISK! OVER HERE!"

Your ears, as hard as you covered them, were still ringing when the pair made their way over to your picnic spot. Frisk ran straight over, putting the flowerpot down onto the rug and launching themselves at Pap and Undyne, almost bowling them over. Afterwards they walked to you and gave you a soft hug, being careful with your back.

'hi _____! how's your back?'

"It's great, Frisk. Make sure to thank your mom again for me. She really made a huge difference."

Frisk beamed at you, bending down and picking the pot back up. In it was a single golden flower.

You realised after staring at it for a few seconds that it had a face. It was scowling darkly at you, It's stare burning a hole straight through to your soul.

Asgore finally caught up with the preteen, wandering over to great his friends.

"Papyrus! Undyne! It is good to see you both and- Oh, I do not believe we've had the pleasure." He looked down at you with a smile. He had the same warmness you saw in Toriel. "Young one, I am Asgore Dreemurr. Who might you be?"

"THIS IS _____!" Papyrus answered for you. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO HELPED ME THE OTHER NIGHT."

His eyes widened as he bent down, extending his paw out to you. You placed your hand in his, feeling it being enveloped in the soft fur. You noticed his eyes were both different colours. One a fiery orange, the other a pale baby blue.

"Young _____, I thank you, from the bottom of my soul. It gives me hope, what with there being kind, generous humans like you in this world."

'i told him almost everything.' Frisk signed, sitting and trying to balance the Flowerpot on their skinny knee.

"Almost everything." You repeated out loud, receiving a cautionary glare from Undyne.

'yeah! you can tell him, though. it's okay. he's cool.'

You had to giggle at Frisk, trying not to drop the pot on the ground as they moved their body. Asgore made a noise, halfway between a cough and a hum. He was still crouched down on the blanket, his eyes on you.

"I'm a Mage."

His eyebrows shot up, as Undyne jumped up, her expression wild.

"WHAT!? A MAGE? But I thought they were all dead! Asgore, you said that you couldn't find any!"

"I couldn't." He smiled. "But now we have found one. This is wonderful news, young one. May I ask, what is your soul colour?"

"Green. I have healing magic and I can create shields."

"Two very useful abilities." He gave you a reassuring smile. "I take it that it was the healing magic that allowed you to help our Papyrus."

Undyne was practically vibrating behind him.

"Was ANYONE going to tell me? Wait, so THAT'S why you were thrown around by the lazy shit. He saw you usin' magic on his brother?"

"I HAD PASSED OUT." Papyrus added, shying away from her ever so slightly.

"Shit.. Well that explains it." She huffed, still looking at you with a cold stare. "Huh, for a Mage, you sure are gettin' cozy with us monsters. Not gonna turn around and dust us when we let our guard down, are ya?"

"God, no!" You gasped, absolutely hurt that she would even think that. "You guys are my friends, I would never want to hurt any of you for any reason!"

Frisk stared Undyne down. 'just cause she's a mage doesn't mean she automatically hates monsters. i'm a mage and i love you guys. you're my family. leave her alone, undyne. she's nice.'

"Frisk is right. Besides, she has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she thinks us equals." Asgore spoke, his tone warm, yet commanding. The way Undyne deflated in his gaze told you a lot. She had a great amount of respect for her King. He turned back to you, motioning to where Frisk sat. "By the way, may I introduce you to my son, Asriel. Asriel, would you like to say hello to our new friend?"

The flower sitting on Frisk's lap squirmed in his pot, looking like he would rather be anywhere else at that moment.

"Ugh. Hello.." It's raspy voice sounded anything but welcoming. You cocked your head slightly. How would two goat monsters make a flower.. You would have to ask Sans how all that worked. Strangely, he was the only one you felt comfortable enough to ask, and at least he had eluded to knowing.

Frisk picked the pot up and gave him a light shake, earning a loud hiss in return.

"Fine!" His expression changed so quickly it startled you. He was now smiling up at you, his eyes cold and dark. "I'm Asriel! It's sOoOo nice to meet you!"

His voice also changed with the shift. It dripped sweetest honey, but still made you feel uneasy. Frisk must have noticed your discomfort, as they stopped petting the back of his petals.

'don't worry, he's like this with everyone.'

When you looked back down, Asriel had gone back to scowling at everything.

"PLEASE, JOIN US FOR OUR PICNIC!" Papyrus beamed, and Asgore and Frisk made themselves more comfortable before grabbing a plate that Papyrus had set down for them. Undyne also sat back down, still acting a little aloof. Sans had warned you it could take time for her to warm up to you completely, so you pushed that concern from your mind.

"GREAT! NOW, WHO WOULD LIKE A SANDWICH?"

***

The next few days living in the Skelebro's lounge room was mostly spent job searching. Since your laptop was taken, Papyrus kindly offered use of his computer. It was the same one he had used back in the underground, and it was in dire need of TLC. A new motherboard, RAM and an actual graphics card wouldn't hurt either. It was, however, just fine for browsing job postings.

You had a few interviews lined up already. Mostly dish washing in restaurant kitchens for now. You would have to work your way back up the chain, not being able to get a waitress reference from your old boss. He had blocked your number since he fired you, and you weren't bothered enough to try and chase him up for one.

Looking at your watch, you realised you had been sitting hunched over the keyboard for at least a few hours. Hundreds of emails had already been sent. Thousands of words typed. Only 3 responses, and all rejections.

It was typical.

You stood up, stretching and popping out your back. Papyrus had a pretty interesting room. In one corner stood a very nice looking race car bed, and up on the wall there was a giant skull 'n crossbones flag. All these things had been brought up from his old bedroom in the underground. As you walked around to stretch your legs, you found yourself looking at all of the action figures he had set up on his dresser. They were all posed dramatically in a kind of simulated battle. It was pretty well done. He even had one lying on it's back, holding it's leg. A casualty of war, perhaps.

"DO YOU LIKE THEM?"

You jumped a good foot into the air. You had been so absorbed that you didn't notice Papyrus had come into the bedroom, holding a plate with a very tasty looking sandwich. With the way he had been doting on you, you'd swear your clothes were getting smaller. That must be it.

"Yeah, they're pretty cool. Are they having a battle?"

He placed the plate down at the desk, careful to not get any crumbs on the papers you had scattered around. "YES! I USE THEM TO RECREATE BATTLE SCENARIOS TO GO ALONG WITH MY TRAINING."

"What happened to this guy?" You pointed to the injured soldier. It was more like a posable robot, but still. "He looks a little worse for wear."

"NYEH HEH HEH! HE WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH TO ESCAPE THE GREAT PAPYRUS' BONE ATTACKS!" He picked up a figure from the front of the display. It was a skeleton wearing armor made out of paper. Markers had been uses to make it look like it was wearing blue pants and a red scarf. The same one that Pap always had tied around his neck.

"Bone attacks?"

Papyrus stood back, holding his arm out in front of him. An orange glow shone from his gloved fist, materialising into a long white bone. he twirled it in his hand, smiling at you. "THIS IS ONE OF THE ATTACKS I USE. AT THE PICNIC THE OTHER DAY, UNDYNE AND I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO SPAR. IF WE HAD, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!"

You were amazed by the magic. Sure, you could do the same thing to produce a physical shield, but it was nowhere near as cool looking.

"That is so cool! Can.. Can I touch it?"

"OF COURSE! MY ATTACKS WILL ONLY DO DAMAGE IF I WANT THEM TO. HERE!" He placed the bone into your hands. It was extremely light, the magic it was made from buzzing and warm against your skin.

"Wow, this is awesome, Pap! I'd love to see you use these in a battle sometime. I bet it would look so cool."

You looked up at him, noticing the orange flush on his bones.

"WOWIE.. A GENUINE COMPLIMENT.."

"Of course!" You chirped. "All of my compliments are genuine."

"NYEH. YOU ARE VERY KIND.."

"You excited about going to see that movie tomorrow? I've heard good things about it."

He seemed to perk up at the change of subject. "OH, YES! SANS AND I ALREADY WATCHED THE FIRST SEVEN MOVIES. WELL, I WATCHED THEM AND HE SLEPT, BUT I DID GIVE HIM A VERY DETAILED SUMMARY OF THEM WHEN HE FINALLY WOKE UP."

You could picture that.

"All seven movies? You must have a great memory. I can't even remember half of what happened in them.. Who's your favourite character?"

He blurt out C3PO before you had even finished your sentence. He quickly cleared his throat, stemming his excitement.

"I ALSO LIKE R2D2.. THEY REMIND ME OF SANS AND I, IN SOME WAYS."

"R2 can be a bit of a smartarse sometimes." You giggled, walking back over to the desk and taking a bite out of the sandwich. It was egg salad, and it was heavenly. "Mmm, thank you for the food. I swear you're trying to fatten me up or something."

In good humour, you slapped your expanding waistline. You had grown at least a size in the past week, and you weren't all that small to begin with.

"I READ THAT HUMANS USE THEIR FAT STORES TO HELP THEM KEEP WARM IN COLDER WEATHER." He said, his head raised up, proud of his retained knowledge. "SO WHEN IT GETS COLD, YOU WILL JUST BE EXTRA WARM!"

You couldn't help the smile that bloomed. He was precious.

"Yep. Gonna be nice and warm for winter at this rate. Thanks Papy!"

He affectionately ruffled your hair, just like you had seen him do to Frisk, and took his leave. You sat and finished off the sandwich, jumping straight back into your job search.

"Waitstaff needed for small Monster owned bakery. Must have previous experience and no history of arachnophobia.." You cocked your head slightly at the strange requirement, but still wrote up a letter to send with your resume. You didn't have a problem with spiders.

When they kept their distance.

Chapter Text

So there was a reason for the whole "no arachnophobia" thing.

The tiny bakery was teeming with spiders.

Pink and spiders.

You clutched at your copy of your resume and the print out of Muffet's email, telling you when and where your interview would be. She had called you not long after you sent off your application, and when you told her your name, she asked you straight up if you were living with two skeleton monsters. When you said yes, she demanded you come in for an interview the very next morning.

So there you were, in your nicest clothes, staring around at the hundreds of spiders surrounding you.

"Ah! You must be _____!"

Your eyes shot open as a pretty Monster girl approached you. She had 5 large, shining black eyes across her forehead, her 6 arms wrapping around you in a delicate hug. Her hair was done up in cute little pigtails, and you noticed how very soft it was as it brushed across your cheek. Almost like silk.

When she had let you go, she took one of your hands and motioned to a table next to you both, where you sat down facing her.

The fact that Muffet herself was a spider seemed to put you at ease. She wouldn't just have so many little spiders around if they weren't going to heed her.

"Thank you for coming in on such short notice, but when I realised who you were, I couldn't chance you finding somewhere else to apply to. Huhuhuhu!" She giggled, one of her tiny hands covering her mouth. Two sharp fangs glinted in the bright light. "Our sweet Papyrus owes a lot to you, dearie, and so do we."

Your face must have fallen when you realised this must just be a pity hire, when another small hand touched at yours.

"Do not worry, I am not hiring you simply because of that. Your resume impressed me, and you would be perfect. I'm afraid I am not as adept with your human technology, and a few of my friends decided to buy new cash registers for the shop." She shot a glare at the ceiling above, and a few spiders hastily scattered away. "It's all very flashy, but I'll be damned if I can get it to do anything I want it to. You noted that your background is also in computers."

"Yes, uh, I used to fix them as a hobby before I got a job as a waitress back home. It was a long time ago, but I still do enjoy fixing them."

"Wonderful! Will you accept this job, then?"

You did accept, and she shook your hand before pulling you behind the counter to give you a tour of the kitchen. It was so clean and bright, the shiny stainless steel fittings glinting. It was a huge improvement to the conditions you were used to working in, especially at your last place. It was all so nice.

By the time you had been walked through your obligations as a waitress, it was nearing closer and closer to the time you agreed to meet up with the brothers. You shot them both a text to let them know you would still be on time. Papyrus responded in his usual all-caps gleeful way, but Sans..

* [bonehead] hey kiddo no can do movie 2day. sick. sorry. pap still good to go. have fun ;)

That was a shame. You were looking forward to spending some quality time with both brothers. You had a feeling that his winky face was eluding to something between you and Papyrus. When were they not trying?

You shot him back a quick reply before heading back over to help Muffet move some stock around.

* [couch hog] No worries, you feel better soon, okay? If you want we can pick you up some soup or something afterwards. I'll try and stop Pap from spoiling the movie for you. ;)

***

You arrived at the movie complex 20 minutes early. Busses around the city were notorious for being late, so you had been proactive and hopped on an earlier service. Of course it was early. Of course.

You actually weren't at all surprised to see Papyrus waiting for you outside the theater. You also weren't surprised to see the way people were staring at him. He was very well dressed for the occasion. The only article of clothing that could be considered unusual was his usual red scarf tied around his neck. It only clashed a little with the white dress shirt and black slacks he was wearing. Just a little.

You jogged across the road as soon as there was an opening in traffic and approached him. Your dressy heeled shoes hurting with every step. You had been on your feet for hours now, so it would be nice to have a chance to sit down.

"Hey, Papy!"

He lit up when he saw you, his cheeks flushing their usual orange as he pulled you into a one armed hug. He was holding some kind of package behind his back.

"_____! YOU MADE IT! I DO HOPE YOUR INTERVIEW WENT WELL."

"It did, Pap, I got the job! Muffet is so nice! I start work next Monday, so hopefully soon I can start contributing to the household."

A mother pulling her son behind her picked up the pace as she passed the two of you. The kid was in awe of the tall skeleton, a look of wonder on his face as he was dragged away. How sad, you thought to yourself.

Papyrus also noticed, as he gave the kid a small wave, before turning back to you and holding out the box he was hiding.

"I GOT YOU A PRESENT, TO CELEBRATE THE INTERVIEW AND OUR MOVIE DA- OUTING!"

"Awwww, Papy, you didn't have to. Thank you!" You stood up on the tips of your toes to plant a kiss on his cheekbone. His orange hue darkening as a few people that stood around hissed and glared.

Ignoring them, you unwrapped the present, taking out a small blue box. Inside was a very dainty looking necklace. It was a small gem, green and shaped like a heart, surrounded by a fine silver chain. Your breath hitched when you saw it. "Holy crap, it's so pretty! Thank you, I don't know what to say.."

You could hear a few people muttering judgement, but in that moment you didn't really care, you were too touched by the gift. "Can you help me put it on?"

With shaking hands, Papyrus took the necklace out of it's box and you turned around, holding you hair away from your neck. Once he had managed the clasp, you turned back around and looked down. It really was beautiful, and understated. Your favourite kind of jewelry.

"I-I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT. MY GOOD FRIEND ALPHYS HELPED ME PICK IT OUT. SHE SAID THAT JEWELRY SHOULD ALWAYS COMPLIMENT THE WEARER. NYEH HEH."

An unfamiliar hand on you arm startled you. A man you'd never seen before pulled you back, staring daggers at Papyrus.

"Hey, you leave this nice girl alone, monster!"

Both you and Pap where taken aback, before you realised what was happening. You ripped your arm from his grip. "Excuse me, leave my friend and I alone. Mind your own business."

"I'm just trying to help, you ungrateful bitch."

You were about to retort, but a gentle arm wrapped around your waist. Papyrus pulled you back into him, when you risked a look up at his face, he looked pissed.

"DO NOT CALL MY FRIEND SUCH VULGAR THINGS. LEAVE."

"What, are you gonna make me?" The man spat, a few people standing around started to circle, looking forward to seeing a fight. The mere thought made you sick to your stomach, as you turned and placed a hand on Pap's rib cage to get his attention.

"Hey, let's go get some snacks for the movie. Maybe get some lunch while we're at it."

The distraction seemed to work, as he let out a curt 'nyeh', taking your hand and walking around the man in front of you.

"Hey! I wasn't done with you yet!"

"Well, we're done with you. Bye!" You shouted back as you and Papyrus walked off down the street. You heard yelling from behind you, but decided to pay it no mind.

"WHAT A RUDE MAN. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." You chirped, trying to brighten the sour mood, when he stopped in his tracks. His mouth hanging open as he stared at your arm.

"YOU'RE HU- HE HURT YOU!"

You looked over at it to find red marks where his fingers had gripped into you. Willing your magic there, mere seconds and they were gone, like nothing ever happened.

"I'm fine, Pap, see? Uh, Papyrus?"

He was looking back over at the man who had grabbed you, an orange light flickering in his eye socket. Shit, he was really angry. You had seen him annoyed, and even pissed off like before, but this was the first time you had seen him truly angry. Intimidating was a weak description for it.

"Hey, hey, Pap. It's okay, I'm fine. Look at me."

He looked down at you, his features softening as soon as he saw your worry.

"I APOLOGISE.."

"No so- I mean, apologies. Thank you for sticking up for me. I'm sorry humans are so shitty. We seriously need to take a leaf out of Monster's book, you guys are all so wonderful."

He laughed, the soft sound cheering you up instantly.

"WE WILL NOT LET THEIR SMALL-MINDEDNESS RUIN OUR DATE- I MEAN, UH, OUTING."

"I guess we can call it a date, I mean, Sans isn't here."

He stopped again, and you tripped on a crack in the pavement, luckily he had been holding onto your hand to stop you from going arse over tit.

"I KNEW IT!"

"Huh?" You gasped, brushing off your dress pants. "Knew what?"

"YOU ARE MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME!"

You balked, turning to look up at him. He still had an iron grip on your hand. "Wait, what?"

"IN MY DATING MANUAL IT SAID THAT IF A GIRL IS INFATUATED WITH YOU, SHE WILL DRESS UP IN NICE CLOTHES WHEN SHE GOES ON A DATE WITH YOU. IT ALSO STATED THAT SHE WILL SHOW AFFECTION TOWARDS YOU AND BE ACCEPTING OF GIFTS GIVEN TO HER."

You looked down at yourself, at the clothes you were wearing from your job interview. Some black dress pants and a pale red ruffled blouse. You did look quite well dressed, and you had accepted his gift. Not only that, you had just agreed to call this a da- oh.

"Papy, I only wore such nice clothes because I had my job interview this morning, and, well, I really do appreciate the gift.. Pap, you're a really sweet guy, but I wouldn't say I'm madly in love with you.. I mean.. Shit.."

You could feel the disappointment billowing off of him, as his head drooped.

"Papyrus, I-"

"NYEH, I GUESS I'M STILL NO GOOD AT WOOING. I'M SORRY I MADE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE."

"Paaaap.."

"WE SHALL GO WATCH THE WAR OF THE STARS AND I WILL TAKE YOU BACK HOME. I WILL NOT BOTHER YOU ANY MORE."

"Papy, you silly thing.."

You reached up and cupped his cheeks, as he let out a soft 'nyeh?'

"Look, I do like you. I think you're really sweet, and kind, and you always find a way to make my smile brighter. I just.." You sighed, looking up into those expressive eye sockets. "Pap, I've not had the best experiences with dating before, and with everything that's been happening I don't know if I'm ready to just jump into a relationship right now. Even with someone as wonderful and as great as you."

You really did mean it.

His smile came back, as he gently put a hand over one of yours, turning his face to nuzzle it.

"I ALSO LIKE YOU A LOT, YOU ARE BRAVE, KIND, LOVELY AND BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE A VERY GOOD FRIEND TO BOTH MY BROTHER AND I, AND I WOULD BE DEVASTATED IF MY ACTIONS WERE TO PUSH YOU AWAY."

You let out a breath you didn't realise you were holding in. "I'm glad we're on the same page, Pap. How about we go grab those snacks."

***

The rest of the afternoon seemed to go much more smoothly. You both enjoyed the movie, having to tell an overexcited Papyrus not to spoil the plot for Sans when you got back home. The puppy dog eye sockets he gave you were extraordinary.

"No spoilers. Nuh-uh.. Maybe you can ask Undyne or Alphys, or even Frisk if they've already seen it, and you can talk to them about it."

Luckily, Sans didn't seem to be home when you arrived. You were a little concerned, since he said he was sick.

Then the realisation dawned on you.

"That little shit!"

"SORRY?" Papyrus popped his head out of the kitchen door, where he had headed as soon as you had gone inside.

"I don't think your brother was sick. I reckon he set us up."

The guilty smile he gave you before he disappeared from sight filled in the blanks.

"Wait! Are you kidding me? You both did! I can't believe this." You giggled, walking to the door and pointing a finger at the Skelly, who was trying not to laugh himself.

"WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN?" Papyrus attempted to speak, his trembling grin betraying him. One other thing you had learned about him was that he was a terrible liar.

"If you had wanted it to be just you and me, all you had to do was say so."

"where's the fun in that?" You jumped, as Sans laughed from behind you. "sup."

"Uuuggghyou. You are going the right way for a noogie." You joked, pulling him into a hug. "You little shit."

"hey, that's mr lil 'shit to ya. sooo, how'd things go?"

"Well, I'm employed again, so I'll be able to give you guys some money soon for having me take up your lounge."

"heh, congrats, but you don't need to give us anythin'. your impeccable company is all the payment we need."

"NYEH! SANS IS CORRECT. WE LOVE HAVING YOU AROUND!"

"Awwww, guys, gonna make me cry and stuff." You chirped, your mood already elated. "The whole movie date could have gone better, but we still had fun, right Pap?"

The tall skeleton nyeh'd in agreement from the kitchen. Sans lowered his voice.

"what happened?"

"Shitty humans happened."

His expression darkened as you rushed to assure him. "It's okay, just some guy tried to 'save me from the monster' and Pap and I had to walk away. They guy, uh, grabbed my arm hard enough to leave marks and.. Sans, I was actually kinda scared for the guy. Pap looked so angry. It was actually frightening."

Sans chuckled, his expression softening a little. "yeah, pap can be pretty intimidatin' when someone messes with his loved ones. i take it he got'cha that?" He pointed at the green heart sitting at your clavicle.

"Oh, yeah. It was really sweet. I really didn't expect it. Kinda feel bad for not getting him something."

"don't. he used to have this book called 'the dating handbook' and one of the points in it was to dress up and bring a gift. heh, guess he's still livin' by it's rules."

"Oh, he mentioned it."

Sans gave a lazy shrug, his smile back to it's usual state. "old habits die hard."

You both walked over to the couch, flopping down on opposite ends, before remembering you had a few things you wanted to ask him.

"Hey, Sans, mind if I pick your brain?"

He rapped at the top of his skull. "ain't got one, kid, but you can still ask me anythin'."

You sat confused for a moment, before remembering that they didn't have any organs.. Well, except for tongues, apparently. Your mind started to wander before he clicked his fingers together, snapping you back to the real world.

"Oh, sorry.. Uh, Sans, how are Monster babies made?"

The look on his face made you double over with laughter. His cheeks burned bright blue as he stammered out a semi-coherent response.

"g-geez, kid, you don't beat around the bush, do ya? heh, what prompted this? the date go that well?"

"God, Sans! No! I just.. Well, when I met Asgore the other day he introduced me to his son, Asriel, and I was just curious. He's Asgore and Tori's son, right?"

"yeah.." Sans mumbled, knowing exactly where you were going with this. Was he really in the right mood to recount that old story again?

"Well, how do two goat monsters make a flower monster?"

"kid, azzie is a bit more complicated than that. he wasn't always a flower. wasn't 'til recently that he decided to go by his old name again."

"What was his new name?"

"flowey."

"That's.." Your nose scrunched up. "Okay that's pretty uncreative, but at the same time kind of fitting."

"asgore's always been really bad at namin' stuff. like father like son."

"Heh, I was thinking 'Asriel' sounded too much like an amalgamation of their own names."

Sans shuddered at your choice of word, but you failed to notice.

"'cause it is." He chuckled. "i remember tori tellin' me about when he was born. she was so fuckin' pissed, but then again she did leave the name of their first kid up to king fluffy buns, and with his track record she could only blame herself."

"Oh my god, that's too funny." You giggled. "Luckily he got a decent name out of it. So did he used to be a goat monster too? How did he become a flower?"

"yeah, he was born lookin' just like his 'rents. huh, rest is kinda a long story, and i dunno if I'm up to explainin' it right now. sorry kid."

You waved a hand, smiling. It must be something more personal than you thought. "Don't worry about it. You pretty much already answered my question anyway. Thank you."

"no prob."

"There was something else I was gonna ask.. Oh! Are you actually feeling off, or was that all part of the ruse?"

He shrugged, a cheeky grin crossing his features. "nah, i'm feelin' pretty good. why, need help with summat?"

"Yeah, I was gonna ask if we could go over to my flat later. I need to start cleaning up, and my rent is due in a few days, so I wanna have it pristine for when my landlord calls in to collect it. Might need to scrub that wall. Shit, hope It hasn't soaked in too badly."

He placed a hand on your shoulder. "no sweat. maybe head over after an early dinner? I caught up on my sleep, so i might actually be of some help."

"If you could use your magic to lift some stuff, that's all that really needs doing. I can sweep and bag up the rest of the crap.. Thanks, Sans. You're a bone-ified friend!"

You could hear a loud groan coming from the kitchen, sending you both into a fit of laughter.

Chapter Text

Whatever spray paint they had used, it certainly had staying power. No matter how hard you scrubbed at it, nothing seemed to budge. Sans had even tried, to no avail.

"guess it's here to stay."

"Ugh, I'm definitely not getting my deposit back. He's gonna throw a shit fit."

He sat back down on the broken bed base. You had already moved most of the furniture into the lounge. Sadly you would have to get rid of almost everything. Most of it was cheap thrift or trash finds, so that didn't matter, however there were a few smaller pieces you'd had since you lived back home with your parents and sister. That hurt.

"it's not your fault. hey, i'll come here with you when he comes, for moral support."

"Thanks, man. You are a godsend."

You tried once more to lift the red stain, grimacing as the paint seemed to be lifting around where you had been rubbing. Finally, you gave up, throwing the dish scrubber and turning back to the room to let out a long sigh.

You slumped down next to Sans, rubbing your face with your open palms. "At least things are starting to look up, eh?"

"you bet, kiddo. ya got a new job, a lumpy old couch. soon you'll be rollin' in dough."

You slowly looked to your side, catching his shit-eating grin as you grumbled playfully at the pun. "That was actually good."

"my quality puns really take the cake."

"Nope. Ruined it.." You laughed, standing up and stretching. You still had some time before it could be considered too late, so you busied yourself with cleaning. By the time Sans said it was time to leave, you had most of the flat spotless.

"We should take a few of these bags down to the dumpsters, I guess. Means less work for me next time."

His eye flared up with blue and yellow, picking up the black garbage bags in an aura of blue. "ok. lead the way."

After you had both emptied the bags into the dumpsters at street level, scaring a few cats in the process, Sans transported you both back home. Good nights were said, and you walked straight into the bathroom to shower. You smelled like a mix of perfume, sweat and whatever dust had built up under all your furniture. You made a mental note to hoover next time you went over.

As the hot water hit you, your thoughts turned to your life now. Sure, It wasn't the most comfortable setup ever. That couch had a habit of leaving you sore in the mornings, no matter what position you slept in, but you couldn't have wished for a better group of friends. If you had just kept walking that night you had met Pap, things would be completely different. You would be nowhere near as happy as you were now and Pap.. No, you didn't even want to think about it. You closed your eyes and hummed, as you let the water run over your face.

It was these rare few times you were glad you were a Mage.

***

Both you and Sans went back over to the flat a few more times before your rent was due. With his gravity magic, you managed to get the place gutted and back to it's pristine state, bar the painted wall in the bedroom. You would have to explain what happened to your landlord, and you had no idea what his reaction was going to be. Anger? Would he kick you out on the spot? To be honest the idea didn't really bother you now. As much as you liked the tiny apartment, you wouldn't be sad to leave it. Hell, with the wage you'd be pulling at Muffet's, you could probably afford a small place on the nice side of town, around where the Brother's lived. You did still have the threat of another break in looming over you. Better that you did move.

So there you were, sitting on the tiled floor of the kitchen with Sans, playing a quick game of cards while you waited for the landlord to come by. He usually made his rounds on Friday morning, between 8 and 12. There were a lot of apartments in the complex, and sometimes he would have to stop and note repairs needed, or berate a tenant for being tardy on the rent. Luckily, you had never been on the receiving end of his ire, until now. Well, you prepared for it at least.

Sans nudged your knee, holding his set of cards near his chest. "y'okay?"

"Yeah, guess I'm just nervous. I don't like confrontation."

"maybe he'll be nice 'bout it, never know."

You somehow doubted he would be nice. Annoyed at best. "Mmmm, I've heard him blasting other tenants for less."

"you'll be fine. If he gets too rowdy, i'll just zap us back to mine."

"Good plan. I guess I can send him a notice that I'm moving out."

A knock at the door startled you both, as you pushed yourself up on your feet, Sans swiftly following.

Unlatching the chain and unlocking the door, you came face to face with your landlord, Darren. He was a big guy, with long silver hair and beard, a lot of heavy tattoos peaking out over his grey tank top. You smiled as nicely as you could, but his eyes were already sweeping across the empty apartment.

"Hey, where's all your stuff? Don't tell me one'a my favourite tenants is leavin'?" He frowned at you, and you could already feel you resolve weakening.

"Darren, there's been some really intense stuff happening in my life recently.. I, uh, I got robbed a while back."

His eyes shot open. "What? Whadaya mean? You got.. Why didn't ya tell me?"

"It was just one part of the shitshow.."

"Are you alright, love? They didn't do it when you was home, did they?"

You looked back up at him, and he almost looked scared.

"No, no, I was staying over my friend- Oh, This is my friend, Sans. Sans's this is my landlord Darr-"

"Sans? As in Grillby's Sans? How are ya mate, been hearin' a lot about ya." Darren held out a hand to the short skeleton, who looked a little shocked as he shook it.

"uh, yeah. been pretty good."

"Ah, sorry. I'm Darren, I'm Ranger's dad."

"ranger.. oh! ranger! he's fuku's beau, right?"

You stood back, a little confused at the exchange. A mutual friend maybe?

"Yeah, how cute is little Mia. She's me first grandkid, and i'm absolutely chuffed, eh."

"yeah, grillbz' been showin' her off to anyone who'll listen. cute kid. congrats, by the way."

So, monsters and humans could have children, you guessed, trying to connect the names to stories Sans had told you. Grillby was the Fire Elemental who owned the pub Sans liked, right? His daughter was Fuku? You quietly coughed, drawing attention back to the empty apartment.

Darren walked in, shutting the door behind him. "You alright, sweetheart?"

The moment of truth.

"Uh, when these people broke in, they defaced the bedroom wall. I tried really hard to clean it, but they used spray pain-"

He shrugged, looking at you with a slight smile. "Think nothin' of it. This place needs a lick'a paint anyway. Mind if I take'a look?"

You led them both into the bedroom, where Darren looked at the giant red word sprayed up on the wall. "Traitor? What the fuck is that about?"

"she saved my bro, and they got a hold of her ID and trashed her place as revenge. For helping the monster they beat up, we gather."

Darren's expression sunk, and he growled through clenched teeth.

"Y'really should'a told me sooner, love. We got cameras everywhere, but we might not have the recordin's no more, if it's been more than 2 weeks. I'll go check later an' let ya know.. How ya holdin' up?"

"I'm.. Doing pretty well now. Thanks to Sans and his brother. They've been really accommodating while I sort all of this shit out."

"People are fucked, I'll tell you what." Darren sighed, looking back over at the wall. "When ya thinkin' of goin?"

"Well, I start a new job on Monday, so It might be another week or two before I have enough to find a new place. Oh! I have your rent he-"

"Forget it." He smiled. "You been through a lotta shit, and this place looks better than it's done in years. Don't worry bout it. You just do what ya gotta do. I'll get ya yer security money soon as I can, 'kay?"

You could have cried, and sensing you were about to, Sans put his arm around you. "see, told ya he wouldn't be angry with ya. all that worrying for nothing."

"Shit, how could I be mad, love, yer one'a the best tenants I've ever had in this place.. You go get some good rest. I'll check the cameras and give you a buzz if I find anythin'. Right. Good to see ya, and good to meet ya, Sans. Tell Grillby I said hello."

With that, he left, and when you heard the front door close, you let out a huge sigh.

"Holy shit my anxiety just wants to ruin everything. He's so nice, I never would have guessed."

"let's getcha back home. strong cuppa tea wouldn't hurt right now."

"Agree'd."

***

Working at Muffet's bakery had been a much needed breath of fresh air. You really weren't used to being treated so well by your employer, and that made you feel sad. A little bit of kindness on his part could have made his business so much better, and more efficient. You're not going to have good workers if they hate your guts. It just wont happen.

Brushing icing sugar off your apron, you rushed down the back to tell Muffet you were going on your break. She was in the middle of decorating a very extravagant birthday cake for a young monster you had met the day before. They seemed so excited to be turning 12. So distracted telling anyone who would listen about their birthday plans, they'd fallen flat on their face on the tiles as soon as they got through the door. You realised as you helped them up that they had no arms. They were in good spirits though, laughing about the little trip as you gave them some donut-holes to snack on while the adults talked orders.

While keeping them entertained, you learned that their best friend was none other than Frisk, who they had gotten to know while back in the underground. It was sweet the way they gushed about their friend. By the end of the impromptu babysitting session, you had been given an invitation to their party, and with a quick text message to Momma Tori, she was glad to let you escort Frisk on her behalf. It would give her more time to work on lesson plans for when school started up again.

Monster Kid, or MK as they'd asked you to call them, was just too sweet to say no to.

As you took off your apron, you surveyed the front of the store. It was a little busy, but Muffet had managed to find a few other waitstaff to share the load of orders. You bid a short farewell to one of the girls at the till. A human girl with curly blonde hair and bright eyes. She was a little ball of sunshine, and working alongside her always put you in a good mood.

"When are you coming back? I think Muffet wants us to refresh the displays later."

You glanced at your phone, noticing a handful of messages you needed to read. "Oh, I'm only off for a half hour. I'll help you when I get back."

She nodded, and you left the store, the tinkle of the bell ringing out as sunlight hit you. It was a very pleasant day out. You were glad, as you had agree'd to stop in on a picnic Pap and Undyne were having with Alphys. You had been told a lot about the shy Lizard woman, but this would be your first time meeting her face to face.

Picking out your phone again, you saw that there were a few messages from Frisk talking about how much fun you both were going to have at MK's party, and a few from Papyrus, asking if you were still on for the picnic. You shot him a reply as you wandered down to the park. Luckily it was only a few blocks away, so you didn't have to keep things too short.

One positive thing had come from everyone finding out about your new job with Muffet, and that was Undyne had finally started to warm up to you. She still acted like a bitch sometimes, but many of your new friends had assured you that it was actually endearing. You couldn't help giggle as you walked though the gate to the park. Up ahead, Undyne had Papyrus in a noogie headlock. You could their trademark laughter from all the way near the entrance.

You quietly approached, only alerting them to your presence when you dropped your bag onto the red tartan mat. Undyne let the Skeleton go and smiled at you, her sharp yellow teeth bared.

"You made it punk! Pop a squat. Oh, Al, this is _____. This is my fiance, Alphys!"

The tiny yellow monster squeaked, holding a scaly claw up to shake your already outstretched hand. Undyne's cheery smile broke for a split second as she watched you both.

"so n-n-nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Alphys! I brought some donut-holes from the bakery for everyone. Dig in."

You all sat down, Papyrus moving across so he could sit next to you. He was still being affectionate as always, but at the same time giving you your own space. You were thankful for that.

"S-so, Undyne and P-papyrus told me that you're a Mage, correct?"

You stopped shy of cramming one of the pastries into your open mouth. "Yeah."

Al looked down at the cup of coffee she was nursing. "Could I-I ask you for a f-favor?"

You put the donut-hole back onto your plate, looking over at her.

"Sure, shoot."

"W-well, at the university I work at, we've been doing research on h-human souls, and to be able to actually st-study a Mage's soul would give our work a h-huge boost. I was going t-to ask.. If you, uh, w-wouldn't mind coming in some time to assist us?"

You thought for a moment. You weren't the biggest fan of medical procedures, but if this could help monsters have a better understanding-

"IMEANYOUDON'THAVETOI'MSORRYNOWI'VEMADEYOUUNCOMFORTABLEIDIDN'TMEAN-"

You hushed the tiny lizard woman, who had turned bright red as she spat everything out in one breath. "Hey, Alphys, I'd love to be able to help. It's okay. You didn't upset me at all."

"Al, you're fine. She's sayin' yes." Undyne assured her, rubbing large circles on her back.

"O-oh, uh, thank y-you! We can p-p-pay you for your time."

You stuffed the sweet into your mouth, smiling. "S'no problem, Al. Don't hafta pay me anything. I'm gla' to help."

"WHAT.. WHAT DOES THIS KIND OF STUDY ENTAIL?"

You looked beside you, at a nervous looking Pap.

"It's n-non-invasive!" Alphys squawked, holding her hand up. "All we would need to do i-i-is look at her soul and take note of her st-stats and any anomalies we f-find. Then w-we can compare it to our notes from the other human souls we've already st-st-studied."

You could feel the skeleton next to you bristle. "THAT DOESN'T SOUND NON-INVASIVE, ALPHYS."

You looked back at Al in confusion, putting your hand over your chest. "No, no It's fine. I don't see anything wrong with looking at it, I mean, I can pull it out right now if-"

"DON'T!" Papyrus yelled, making you jump away slightly. "I-I MEAN, THAT'S.. PRIVATE!"

"Private?"

Undyne burst into cackling laughter, her head thrown back as both Papyrus and Alphys blushed dark colours.

"P-pap, it's not like that. It's for sc-science."

You put your plate back down, throwing your arms up. "Okay, am I missing something here? Why is my soul considered private? Is this.. Oh god." You threw your hands over your mouth. "It's not like, kinky, or something like that? Guys?"

Undyne roared louder, a few people looking over to the pile of blushing monsters.

"DUDE! Holy SHIT! This is hilarious!" She choked out, wiping tears away after her laughing fit. "Monsters generally only show each other their souls if they're gonna fight.. or fuck!" She went back to clutching her stomach, her giggles ringing out across the park. Alphys had covered her blooming face, muttering to herself and apologising, and Papyrus resembled an orange. A very stiff, flustered orange.

"Ooooh, I get it. Wow, okay. I did not know that. Okay, now I see why you were so nervous about asking me, Al. Don't worry about it. Undyne is right, it's funny."

"I'M STILL NOT SURE WHETHER THIS IS A GOOD IDEA."

Undyne leaned over, looking deep into Pap's eye sockets, before grinning and grabbing him headlock. "Holy SHIT! Is our Papy in LOVE?!"

"NYEH! DON'T CHOKE THE SKELETON!"

"You're not denyin' it!"

"PLEASE STOP!"

"NUH-UH! Papyrus and the human, sittin' in a treeee!~"

"B-BUT I DON'T LIKE HEIGHTS!"

You crawled over, gently pulling him out of her grasp. "Children, that's enough." You giggled, and Undyne cocked an eyebrow at you.

"Children? I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

"Sh-she's right. Undyne and I a-are in our 40's." Alphys pushed her glasses up her nose, a coy smile directed at you.

"No. Way. In. Hell!" You gasped, clapping the fish monster on the arm. "You both look like 20 somethings! Good job."

"UNDYNE AND ALPHYS LOOK VERY GOOD FOR THEIR AGE. SO DOES MY BROTHER, COME TO THINK OF IT."

You turned to Pap, now curious. "Oh? How old is Sans?"

"HE'S 30."

"Shit." You mumbled, suddenly feeling like a child yourself. "Then how old are you?"

Papyrus puffed out his chest. "I'M TURNING 25 THIS YEAR!"

"Yeah, Pap's just a BABY BONES!" Undyne guffawed, as he shot her an unimpressed look.

You reached up, giving him a pat on the back. "It's okay Papy, us youngins gotta stick together."

Your phone chimed at you from inside your bag, alerting you that your next shift was starting soon. Hugging everyone, you quickly grabbed both Undyne and Alphy's phone numbers before heading back towards the bakery.

You managed to make it back with a few minutes to spare, walking in as Muffet wandered the floor, cleaning a few of the empty tables.

"Welcome back, dearie. Did you have a nice picnic?"

You shrugged your bag off your shoulder, following her back towards the counter. "Yeah, It was great. Found out Undyne and Alphys are much older than I thought they were."

"Huhuhuhu, you should try asking the King or Queen about their age. They were around during wartime, after all."

"Well. Shit.. How many centuries was that again?"

Chapter Text

You really should have told Darren sooner.

Because you had waited, the security footage had already been recorded over, leaving you with no solid proof of who sacked your apartment. It didn't really matter. What's done is done, and it's over now. With your Security deposit and this weeks rent back in your bank account, you started the arduous task of finding a place to live. There had been a flat open in the Brother's complex, but as you all expected, it had been snapped up lightning fast. No matter, it was out of your budget anyway.

The bakery was in walking distance of the Skelebro's apartment, so this morning you opted to walk to work, instead of taking the bus. Damn thing was never on time anyway.

You had just started your journey, popping your earbuds in to listen to some music to make the trek go by quicker, when the all too familiar feeling of being watched hit you.

You glanced around. The street was eerily empty for a weekday morning. Usually there would be cars driving up and down, a pedestrian or someone sitting outside one of the many cafe's that littered the wide street.

Nothing.

You quickened your pace, turning your music off and keeping your ears open for any unusual sounds. Footsteps. They were close behind you.

When you turned, however, there was no-one.

You were genuinely freaking out by now, stowing your phone and earbuds back into your pocket as you power walked down the road.

There they were again, the sound of heavy boots hitting concrete, but again there was no-one anywhere you could see.

"H-hello?"

Blinding pain engulfed your senses when you were hit across the knees with something heavy, sending you falling to the sidewalk.

You called upon your magic to shield you from any further harm, but nothing happened. You tried to manifest a barrier to protect you, but you couldn't even do that. Your magic seemed to have dried up. Swearing, you dragged yourself away from your attacker, who was now standing over you menacingly, tapping his palm with the other end of the metal bar.

"Oh, dear. You're in a bit of trouble, aren't you.. Traitor."

He lifted the pipe, taking aim at your head, swinging it towards you with as much force as he could muster.

"NO!"

You braced for a hit that would never come when you collided with soft carpet, a blanket very firmly wrapped around you.

You slowly familiarized yourself with your surroundings. You were laying on the floor in front of the lumpy green couch in the Brother's house, and the darkness told you that it was still night. Breathing heavily, you shifted into a sitting position, pushing the constrictive blankets away from you. What a fucked up dream.

You gingerly rubbed at the place the figure had hit you, and you found your legs were perfectly fine.

"DID YOU YELL? ARE YOU- OH NO! DID YOU FALL? HERE, LET ME HELP YOU."

Papyrus bent down and scooped you up easily, placing you back down on the couch and sitting down next to you.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

You steadied your breathing, still wound up from the stress of your nightmare. "I'm okay, Pap.. Just had a really bad dream. Must have scared myself off the couch."

He looked at you with tender worry. "WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO MAKE YOU SOME WARM MILK AND HONEY? IT ALWAYS HELPS SANS WHEN HE HAS NIGHTMARES."

You agree'd, and he left to go prepare it.

Slowly you rubbed your eyes. What the hell? You hadn't had a nightmare that bad in years. Not since your parents..

Great, now you felt like shit, and what's worse is you had woken Papyrus up with your yelling. Worrying him for no good reason. Leaning back against the soft padding of the lounge, you heard the microwave beeping, and a few seconds later, Pap placed a warm mug into your hands.

"THERE, THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL A BIT BETTER.. DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?"

You shook your head as you sipped. It was nice. The warm, sweet milk already starting to make you feel sleepy again. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry for waking you, and thank you for the drink. I think it's doing the trick."

"was' goin' on out here?" Sans mumbled, leaning in his doorway and looking very, very tired. You weren't sure he even slept most nights, the dark bags under his eye sockets so glaringly obvious in the dull light.

"Sorry, Sans. I had a nightmare and fell off the couch. Pap was just helping me calm back down."

He wandered over to the couch, leaning over the arm rest. "y'okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to having such vivid nightmares, that's all."

Papyrus looked over at Sans, his brow creasing. "PARDON MY FRENCH, BUT YOU LOOK LIKE SHIT, BROTHER. HAVE YOU BEEN HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING AGAIN?"

The short skeleton shrugged, leaning further over the arm rest until his slipper'd feet were off the ground. Being so overtired, he overbalanced and face planted right into your blankets.

"I TAKE THAT AS A YES." Pap sighed, rubbing his nasal bone with his index finger and thumb. You giggled as Sans tried to right himself, only slipping further into the couch and getting tangled up in the sheets.

"help."

"HELP YOURSELF." Pap smirked.

You both eventually stepped in to right him, Pap even getting up to make him his own cup of warm honey milk. Once they had both gone back to bed, you finished off your cup and snuggled back under the now messy blankets. A few more hours of sleep sounded pretty good to you.

***

".. and you have access to a communal laundry and pool slash spa, as well as gym. The flat itself has a kitchen and bathroom, and ample storage space."

You stood in the middle of an apartment up for lease. It was quite nice, and just within your budget, albeit a little small. It was more of a studio than a one bedder. The tiny bedroom being barely big enough for anything other than a king single, but at least it had a built in wardrobe. Rubbing the back of your neck, you took a wide glance. Nice kitchen nook with a little breakfast bar. Plenty of space for a couch and a TV, but not much else. You had no dining table in your last place, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

The agent waved her hand to get your attention. "Would you like to come back to the office so I can get the contract drawn up?"

"Yeah, I guess so.. This was the bigger of the two, right?"

"Yes, right. The other apartment has a kitchenette instead of a dedicated area."

It was also about half the size. If that were even possible.

"Okay, I guess I'll take this."

The older woman clapped her hands. "Great! Come with me to my car. I can drop you off back here once we're done."

You followed the Agent back to the Real Estate office, signing away your next paycheck's worth of money for the tiny flat. It was close enough to work and the Brothers, so the pros still outweighed the cons. Once you had the lease sorted, you grabbed the keys from her and headed back to the Skeleton's flat to grab your things. It was only a 10 minute walk, which was actually rather pleasant, walking through the shopping district of your suburb.

You caught the lift up to your home of the past few weeks, knocking loudly, knowing Sans was home. Making him get up off the couch was a fun pastime. Well, for you it was.

"who's there?"

"Sharp."

"sharp who?"

"No, wait, wrong note! I have a flat now."

He opened the door, ushering you in. "that's great, kid. shame ya gotta leave us so soon. we were getting used to ya being around."

"I thought you enjoyed my wonderful company!" You gasped in mock offence. "Just getting used to me? Sans, I though we had something special."

You noted the blue blush, coughing as Papyrus burst out of his bedroom to greet you.

"YOU'RE LEAVING?" He whimpered after you told him about the new place. Aww, man. He was making this hard. You didn't want to leave, but you had to. You couldn't keep sofa-surfing here, you had to find your own space. Their generosity was sure to wear thin eventually, no matter how close you had gotten to the both of them.

"I know, Pap, but hey! I'll still be here a lot, I'm sure. I'm not gonna be able to stay away. Dunno how long I'll be able to go without your amazing cooking."

He seemed to beam at this truth. You really were getting used to being spoiled by him. You had already had to ditch a few items of clothing that you could no longer fit into comfortably. You didn't really mind. You were quite happy with how your figure was filling out. Besides, now you had a disposable income you could afford to buy new clothes.

"NYEH HEH HEH! I SHALL COOK YOU ONLY THE FINEST SPAGHETTI FOR YOUR VISITS!"

"Maybe some time you can come over and we can cook at my place. The kitchen isn't as big as yours, but It's big enough for two people."

"AN EXCELLENT IDEA, _____! PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE SPAGHETTI FOR A KITCHEN WARMING!"

"ah, house warming. as long as i don't have to clean it's a good time."

You laughed, making a mental list of things you would need to do for the new place. You'd have to buy all new furniture, and new kitchen gear before you could live there comfortably. You might need to stay on the lumpy couch for another week at least.

"You guys aren't getting rid of me that easy. Not yet, anyway. I gotta go down to IKEA first. I need a bed, lounge, bar stools, entertainment unit.. Ugh, My poor bank balance."

"count me out, i hate that place. some guy working there mistook me for a kid. doesn't matter that I fell asleep in one of the display cots ya can't just assume."

"WELL, YOU ARE VERY SHORT, BROTHER. I DON'T BLAME HIM."

"wow, rude. hurtin' my feels, bro."

***

You wrangled at least one brother into a trip to the giant furniture store.

Pap had never been, and so was very excited about the trip. He even had a list of his own of things to get for his own flat. One of which was a laundry hamper for Sans' room. They always seemed to go missing.

"LOOK! THEY HAVE A BALL-PIT!" He gasped as you walked past the daycare. You felt so bad having to tell him that it was for children only.

"NYEH, NEVER MIND! I'M SURE IT WILL BE SO MUCH MORE FUN SHOPPING FOR THE PERFECT PIECES FOR OUR RESPECTIVE HOMES."

"That's the spirit, Papy."

By the time you had made it half way through the store, your shopping cart was bursting with impulse buys. Mostly Pap's. You had to curb your on-the-spot picks, lest you run out of money to pay for the things you actually needed. Papyrus had insisted on buying things for you, and in the end you conceded, and just let him spoil you. It seemed to make him happy. You weren't exactly crying over it, clutching a stuffed puppy dog to your chest as you followed him through the store.

"Oh.. Hey, hey, Papy.."

"NYES?"

You picked up a clock sitting off to the side, walking over to him, trying your hardest not to laugh.

"Maybe we should slow down. We're not in any RUSCH!" You held up the clock, and he screamed.

"NO! NO, SANS HAS CORRUPTED YOU! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"

You ran to the cart, pulling out one of the frying pans he had picked up. "I really think you should be more TOLERANT!" You cried laughing as he cried out in disgust.

"NYEH! THAT'S IT, I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE!" Even he couldn't help but smile at the sheer cleverness of the puns.

"Awwww, breaking my heart, Papy. I thought the puns were-" You pointed to a clock up on the wall. "pretty SMYCKE!"

"NYEEEEHHH!"

A coworker approached you both with caution. "Uh, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine." You said through giggles. "Just teasing my boyfriend with terrible IKEA puns. Thanks!"

She left, and you went to walk on through the store, when you noticed Papyrus hadn't moved.

"Pap, you okay?"

He was stood holding onto the cart, his face orange and his jaw hanging open. You walked back over, putting a hand over his. "Pap, is everything alright?"

He let out a soft noise, turning his hand so that it was holding yours. He had forgone wearing gloves that day, and you realised you had never actually taken a good look at his hands. They were made up of fine bones. His fingers were quite long, and as a whole they completely engulfed your own hands.

"YOU CALLED ME YOUR BOYFRIEND.."

Oh. Oh shit, did you? You must have slipped up. Damnit! You risked looking up at his face. Great. He looked so happy.

"Uh, uhhh.. I did, didn't I." You looked back down at your hand in his, caressing your thumb over the smooth bone.

Fuck it.

He made you happy.

You had never felt this strongly for any man before.

Why not?

"I mean.. If you're okay with that. Being my boyfriend, that is."

You didn't have any time to prepare as he pulled you into a hug, wrapping his arms around you and squeezing you.

"YES! I PROMISE I WILL BE THE BEST BOYFRIEND YOU HAVE EVER HAD!"

"P-ap, can't.. breathe!"

He let you go, and you gulped in fresh air, chuckling as he bent down to your height.

"I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SQUISH YOU! ARE YOU ALRIGHT, GIRLFRIEND?"

His eye sockets seem to sparkle as he smiled at you, and it made your heart swell.

"I'm fine, Papy. I'm fine."

"NYEH! G-GOOD! WE MUST CONTINUE ON OUR SEARCH FOR FURNITURE!" He held your hand under his as he pushed the cart away. "NEXT: CANDLES!"

***

You weren't sure how you managed to fit so much into the red convertible. Of course, most of the furniture would have to be delivered, but you managed to furnish your tiny apartment for under $1k. It was a good thing, too, as that was all you had to last you until your next paycheck. Even then that was going straight into the new flat.

Papyrus hadn't even crossed the threshold of the house before he was telling Sans the good news. The shorter Skelly gave you the obligatory "if you ever break his heart" spiel, but you could tell it was only superficial. He was fully supportive of you both, even going so far as to hug you. A little awkward, to say the least, but only because of his height. The main reason you only gave him one armed, sideways hugs.

Once Pap had brought in all of his purchases, you hopped back in the car to take your things over to the new place. Driving there took two minutes at most, especially with the lead-footed Skeleton at the wheel.

"IT'S SO... SMALL." Was his first comment, entering the flat. He turned to you as you put a few bags down. "HOW WILL WE FIT EVERYONE IN FOR SLEEPOVERS?"

You shrugged. "We'll manage, somehow. Heh, you should see how small the bedroom is. The bathroom looks huge compared to it."

"ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU WILL HAVE ENOUGH SPACE?" He asked, heading over to scope out the kitchen, opening some of the cabinets to inspect inside.

You walked over to lean against the breakfast bar. "Oh, for just me this will be perfect. Once I get the lounge and other furniture it will be a lot more homey. Until then?"

You wandered over to the middle of the room, sitting down cross legged on the floor.

"Improvisation!"

Papyrus stood in the kitchen watching you with soft admiration, before walking over and taking up a seat on the floor in front of you. Even sitting down, he was a good foot taller than you.

"IT'S LIKE A PICNIC! EXCEPT THERE'S NO FOOD AND THE GRASS IS GREEN.. WAIT."

The carpet was a pale, faded green, and very obviously tracked from years of walking around furniture. It wasn't dirty or gross looking, just lived in. You preferred that.

You couldn't help but bark with laughter. "It's like grass carpet. Grarpet? I'm gonna have to call it that from now on."

He smiled, amused by your silliness. "YOU ARE VERY CUTE."

You could feel heat crawling up your cheeks.

"Thanks, Papy. You are too. You have such a sweet smile."

He ran a hand across the back of his skull. "NYEH, THANK YOU.. YOU HAVE VERY PRETTY EYEBALLS."

You couldn't hold back a snort, rushing to apologise.

"Thank you. Heh, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. Usually it's just the coloured bit people complement, not the entire eyeball, but I'm glad you like them. I like your eye sockets."

He let out a laugh of his own, and soon the conversation turned to plans of where furniture and decorations would go. You had a rough idea of how you were going to set up your rooms, but it was nice talking details over with someone. The flat already had a much more positive vibe than the last, and you were sure it was partly because of him.

Your boyfriend.

It had been a long time since you had been with someone deserving of that title.

Chapter Text

Even though your sensible self kept telling you 'it was just a dream', when you made your way to work the next Monday, you refrained from music or any other distractions. You still felt ill at ease, even though the streets were at their normal, bustling pace. Your anxiety must have been written all over your face, because as soon as you walked into the staff room, Gloria called you over.

"_____? You look upset, are you okay?"

You shrugged at the tiny blonde, putting your bag in your locker and grabbing a clean apron for the day. "Yeah, I just had a really creepy dream the other night, and it's got me on edge. Dreamed I got mugged on my way to work."

She covered her mouth, gently patting you on the arm. "Oh, wow, I would be creeped out too. Are you feeling a bit better now you're here? Want me to make you some tea?"

Her motherly side seemed to shine through when she was worried.

"Heh, nah, but thanks for the offer. I might get started on glazing the spider donuts." You tied your apron and headed back to the kitchen. Muffet had all of the dough cooked and ready to be frosted. To tell the truth, it was one of your favourite things to do. You couldn't help but relax at the sight of the smooth glaze covering each confection. Too bad it also made you ravenous. Yes, Pap always made sure you left the flat with a full tummy, but who could resist Muffet's sweets. You? Hell no!

Plus, the clever spider woman always made sure to 'accidentally' cook a few too many.

Once you were done, another worker took over the preparations and you joined Gloria near the till. Muffet had finally had a coffee machine set up along the counter, adding to the many things on her already bounteous menu. You and Gloria were the only two workers who knew how to use it, making it just another responsibility. Oh well, at least it meant you were both assured shifts until Muffet could be bothered to teach anyone else.

You made your way over to the behemoth of a machine, ready to clean and prep it for the morning rush, when you heard a faint rumbling. A motorbike? It just so happened to pull in and park out the front of the store, the rider getting off and heading inside. They still had their helmet on, not the wisest move, even in this part of town.

They approached the counter, and you walked up to serve them.

"Welcome to Muffet's Bakery, what can I get for you today?"

"why did the girl get a job in a bread shop?"

Oh.

You narrowed your eyes at him, a smirk playing your face as you watched your reflection looking back from his black visor.

"Why?"

"she kneeded the dough."

You reached forward, flicking the plastic up, and sure enough the punny skeleton smirked right back at you.

"I just can't escape you and your funny bone, can I?" You giggled, flicking the visor back down as he went to speak. He pulled the helmet off, making a show of shaking out and fixing his non-existent hair.

"can't blame a guy for goin' with a good set up, can ya?"

Gloria walked back out from the kitchen, distracted by notes she was writing for stock take. You nudged her, pointing at Sans. "Gloria, this is my boyfriend's brother, Sans. The one I was telling you about."

She looked over, smiling. "Oh, hello. So nice to meet you."

"what kind of coffee do baby cows drink?"

She looked at him, then at you, then back to him. You had to cover your mouth a bit to quell the giggles.

"I don't know? What kind?"

He leaned on the counter, shooting her a wink.

"decalf."

You giggled as she started at him, her expression blank. Out of nowhere, she burst into laughter, her voice carrying across the store like ringing bells. It was delicate, but loud, just like the rest of her. You couldn't help joining her after that.

"hey, if i asked for a complementary coffee, would it be insulting?"

".. Really, Sans?"

"what, can't help it when i feel a good joke brewing."

"No, stop! You're gonna get us all in trouble."

"c'mon, you've gotta espresso your love for my humour at some point."

"I'll kick you out, I swear to god, Sans."

"i'm not here to make a mocha-ry of ya."

"Saa-a-ans!"

"you're starting to sound like pap. dunno if that's a good thing or not." He shrugged, his devious grin betraying his laid back pose.

"I like your bike." Gloria spoke, smiling warmly at the slightly shorter skeleton. "It looks like one my dad used to have. I've always liked motorbikes, but I've never been on the back of one before."

"want I should take ya for a ride some time, girly? nothin' better than feeling the wind through my hair." He winked at her, making her blush lightly. "i used to have this little pedal bike, great mileage, but got sick of always being pulled over by people, askin' me where my 'rents were."

You snorted, and he looked mock offended. "what? first pap, now you're makin' fun'a my height? can't help it that i didn't drink enough milk as a kid. or was it veggies. eh, some bullshit i used to tell papy so he'd eat his greens. but look at him now, all tall and lanky. i did a good job."

Muffet walked out from the back with a tray of cupcakes to go into the display. When she saw him, she put one of her many hands on her hip. "Not distracting my girls, are you Sansy?"

"what kinda man ya take me for muffy? can't a guy come in and rattle off some choice puns to a couple'a pretty ladies without bein' accused of something? geez!" He leaned further onto the counter, as Muffet shot him an amused look.

"Now, now, dearie." She playfully scolded. "There's a time and a place. What can we get for you?"

"mmm, coffee sounds good to me. latte thanks, bean cravin' a cup."

You shook your head as you wandered over to the Coffeemaker, pulling out a paper cup and getting started. It wasn't so much a case of being difficult, more a lot of steps.

You looked back over at the counter while you waited for the steam to build up, where Sans was chatting with the perky blonde. You couldn't help notice the way he looked at her. His eyelights trailing up her apron as she giggled at what was probably another well crafted pun.

In the few weeks you had known Sans, you had noticed that he didn't really go out much. You hadn't heard him talking about any dates or anything. It might be good for him, to get him out of the house more. Gloria was a sweetheart, and you had a feeling that they would be good for each other.

You snapped back to the present when steam brushed across your hand, yanking it away before it could do damage.

When you were done with the order, you walked back over, placing the cup down in front of him. It took him a moment to realise it was there, but when he did you gave him a knowing look. He shrugged at you, picking it up and talking a large sip.

"alright, i should get goin'. might go find a newspaper so i can check my horror-scope."

Gloria tittered, covering her mouth. They seemed to be getting along really well, and you couldn't help but smile. 

"Hey, Sans. If you see Papyrus before I do, give him a hug from me."

He waved you off with a hand. "he might think i like huggin' him or summat. do it yourself, kid."

He left, chugging the whole cup before throwing his helmet on and hopping up on the bike. He looked back into the store as he rev'd it up, making finger guns before pulling away.

Gloria stood watching him leave, her hands folded under her chin as she smiled. It was adorable.

"He's single, y'know."

She turned bright red, sputtering. "Oh my god, was I that obvious?"

You rushed over and hugged her. "Oh, no.. but he was."

"R-really?"

"He's lazy as shit, Lo. It takes a lot of pushing for him to actually do anything, and the way he was flirting and checking you out said an awful lot."

You stifled laughter as she hid her face in her hands, groaning. "Ughhh, I didn't even realise he was flirting. From the way you talked about him, I though that was just what he was like! Oh, god. I'm an idiot."

"I should ask him if I can give you his number."

She squeaked, waving her hands in front of her face in a little panic. "Wait! I don't want him to think I'm desperate or anything!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it. Also means less work on his part if I give you the number."

After giving her a few minutes to calm down, she agreed to let you ask him. He was very forthcoming, thanking you for doing it for him, less work on his part. You reassured her that it was a good thing, before you put his number into her phone and went back to your tasks for the day.

It was nice, seeing the shy smiles she would give her phone the rest of the shift. You reckoned it was a good outcome. Hopefully he would treat her right, but If he didn't.

He was going to have a bad time.

Chapter Text

Sans did not waste any time, it seemed, as a flushed and giddy Gloria came over to tell you that she would be coming over to watch a movie that very evening. You gave her your congratulations, biting back your amusement as she rushed around at closing time in a daze. She had been asking you about the short skeleton all afternoon.

"Lo, you're gonna wear a hole in that table, it's clean enough!"

She yelped, halting her scrubbing and pulling at the washcloth in her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous about tonight."

"Seriously, don't be. He's a great guy."

"But what if he realises he doesn't actually like me.."

Poor thing.

You moved one of her golden curls behind her ear, placing both your hands on her tiny shoulders. "I don't think that's gonna happen, Lo. You're so very sweet, I'm sure he really does like you."

She hummed, her body starting to relax. "Thanks for the reassurance, you know him better than I do. Uh, should I bring anything over for dinner? I can make some potato salad or.."

"Oh, no. Pap will make sure we're all well fed, don't you worry."

".. Okay." She sighed.

You both went to say goodbye to Muffet, getting changed and grabbing your belongings before walking back to the Brother's place. Constantly reassuring poor Gloria that it was in fact just fine to turn up so early.

When you reached the Bro's apartment, Gloria stood back a bit, her nerves finally catching up with her. You gave her another reassuring squeeze on the arm before knocking. Sans answered, waving you both inside.

"glad you could make it, lo."

"I hope I'm not here too early. _____ said it was okay but I don't want to intrude and-"

He strode over, putting his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "s'fine, really. gives us more time to watch movies. ya shouldn't worry so much, doll. we're all friends here."

You tried so hard not to 'awwwww' out loud at the looks they were giving each other.

Sans noticed your face, as he pulled his arm back, coughing and motioning to the couch. "take a seat, i'll go get pap. he's downstairs workin' on 'is car."

He disappeared with a blip, leaving a very worried looking Lo staring at the spot he was standing.

"He can teleport." You said, grabbing a can of soft drink out of the fridge and offering her one as well. "Kinda freaked me out too, the first time he did it. Then again he took me with him so it was extra weird."

"That is so cool!" She gushed. "Can all monsters do it?"

"I don't think so." You took a sip of your drink, flopping down on your bed-couch. "I think it's just him. I don't think even other monsters with Blue magic can do it. Then again I haven't met many."

"How cool it would be to have magic." She said, sitting down next to you. "Imagine all the stuff you could do!"

You had to smile. Would she freak out?

"Hey, uh, you're actually sitting next to someone who does."

She stared at you, her mouth hanging open. "Are you freaking serious? You have magic? How?"

"I'm a Mage. Kind of a touchy thing, especially with monsters, but look." You held your hand up, placing it over a small burn on her hand. She watched wide eye'd as green light surrounded it, and it shrunk until there was nothing there but smooth skin. She squeaked as she pulled her hand up to inspect it, a huge grin on her face.

"THAT IS SO COOL! You can heal people? That's amazing! How do you do it? Does it feel weird? My hand is a little bit tingly, is that the magic? Does-" You gently shushed her, and her face turned red. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited!"

"That's fine, just give me some time to answer you between questions, that's all." You laughed, watching her bouncing in place.

Before you could start quenching her curiosity, the boys appeared back in the foyer. Papyrus was wearing what looked like red overalls covered in black marks. He must have been tinkering with the convertible. Since he had bought it back in their first year on the surface he had been fine tuning it. It was a beautiful car, and it suited him to a T.

"AH! HELLO! YOU MUST BE SANS' DATE FRIEND!" Papyrus took an oil covered glove off and held his hand out for her to shake as Sans turned into a blueberry.

"bro, why?"

Pap smirked, knowing full well what he was doing. "GLORIA, AM I RIGHT?"

"Y-yes. It's nice to meet you, Papyrus. _____'s told me so much about you." She smiled, letting go of his hand. As soon as he'd greeted her he walked over to you, bending down and pressing his teeth against your forehead. Something he had been doing a lot since you two became 'official'.

"HELLO, BEAUTIFUL. DID YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY AT WORK?"

It was Gloria's turn to squee at you.

"AWWWWW! You two are so cute! Oh my gosh!"

"yeah, it gets a bit sickenin' to be honest." Sans chuckled, leaning over the armrest next to his 'date friend'. You saw the little glances he'd risk. It was beyond cute. While Papyrus was loud and obvious with his affections, Sans was much more laid back and enigmatic about it.

You shot him a knowing look as he cleared his non existent throat, getting up and wandering over to the TV. "uh, anyone wanna watch anythin' in particular, or.."

You all decided on 'Once Upon a Forest', one of the movies you had brought over and were planning to watch with Pap. He had told you how much he adored the classic Disney movies, so you thought it would be right up his alley. It was a favourite of yours since you were a child.

Pap left to go have a quick shower as you scoured the kitchen for snacks, finding a few packets of popcorn you had bought for your movie date with Papyrus. Having had the interview with Muffet, you'd hadn't had time to come back and make it. You threw one in the microwave, before searching the fridge for butter and more drinks.

With a giant bowl of extra buttery popcorn in hand, you walked back to the lounge to find Sans with his arm hovering around the tiny blonde.

"Who wants popcorn?" You half yelled, making them jump. You chuckled as they both flushed colours, caught like they were teenagers.

"thanks.."

"Oh, don't mention it!" You grinned, handing him the bowl and trying not to crack up at his over the top frown. Poor guy. You'd stop teasing him.. Eventually.

Once Pap returned to the lounge, dressed in a baggy shirt and shorts, you got up to put the movie on. Once it was running, you plopped yourself down on the floor between his legs, leaning back on his chest as Lo and Sans took up the couch.

You only cried a little bit.

Okay, you cried a lot, but you weren't the only one. By the time the credits were rolling, the only one not sniffing was Sans, but you could swear you saw at least one tear snake it's way down his face at the ending.

"Oh my god, that was such a good movie." Gloria sobbed, patting her eyes with her sleeve. "I forgot how badly I cry at kids movies. There's snot everywhere!"

"I know, right? You should see me after I've watched Land Before Time."

"heh, we don't speak of that movie in this house, right pap?"

"NYEEEHEH..~"

***

You ended up eating dinner in the lounge, watching a few episodes of Black Books before Gloria had to leave. She had an early shift at the bakery the next morning, and you did not envy her. Sans even offered to take her home on his bike, and her excitement was palpable, practically vibrating on the spot as you hugged her. After they had said their goodbyes, you and Pap decided to retire.

"Would I be able to check some stuff on your computer before you go to bed? Frisk messaged me to tell me MK finally put the pictures from his birthday up on Undernet."

It had taken the Kid a while to get them all uploaded, due to having to use their face with a keyboard and mouse. Neither of their parents had arms either.

You remembered back to the party, as Pap turned the PC on. The first few hours had been fun, until Asriel somehow made one of MK's human friends cry. You, Frisk and the flower left soon after, not wanting to add to the scene the child's mother was making. MK wasn't too upset, and they still seemed to have a great time, going by all the blurry Snapchat messages they sent Frisk afterwards. Shame that you couldn't stay for cake. Muffet had really gone all out on it.

Papyrus left the room while you checked up on emails, sending Muffet your available days for the next few weeks. When he came back you were finishing up looking at the photos. Whoever had taken them managed to get a few good shots of you. You were definitely smaller then, wearing a pair of skinny jeans that had long been turfed in the great cull of clothes that no longer fit. You would have barely been able to get them over your thighs by now. Hey, not a bad thing.

You saved a particularly good photo of you and Frisk with the Birthday Kid, before remembering that you weren't on your own computer.

"Whoops, uh, if you want you can delete the photo I saved. Forgot I was on your computer, heh."

He walked over once you were done, bringing up the picture. Instead of deleting it however, he made it the desktop wallpaper.

"NYEH, THIS IS A VERY NICE PICTURE. YOU ALL LOOK VERY HAPPY.. YOU LOOK VERY PRETTY."

"Paaaap, gonna make me blush. Thank you. Look at how skinny I was back then, before I really got into your amazing cooking."

He looked you up and down, which did make you blush, before looking back at the picture.

"YOU LOOK NICER NOW THAT YOU'RE MORE.. SQUISHY." It was his turn to blush, and you hugged him.

"Good, cause I'm not giving up your food just to be thinner. You have a good night, okay?"

You turned to leave, when you felt arms wind around you. Looking over your shoulder, you could see the fibers that made up his shirt.

"Pap?"

"I LIKE HOLDING YOU. YOU'RE VERY SOFT."

"awww, Papy. You're so warm and cuddly." He didn't say anything, so you turned around in his arms to face him. He was burning up orange, avoiding your gaze. "Everything okay?"

"I KNOW I DON'T HAVE LIPS, BUT C-COULD I, UH, THAT IS.. MAY I K-KISS YOU?"

Holy shit, your heart was about ready to explode as he looked down at you with those puppy dog eye sockets. How could you say no?

"S-sure."

You closed your eyes, tilting your head up, when you felt teeth pressing against your lips. What you thought would be something awkward and clinical was so much more, so warm and enveloping. You could feel your pulse begin to quicken as you melted into the kiss. He eventually pulled away, and you opened your eyes.

"W-WOWIE.. THAT WAS REALLY NICE."

"Yeah, it was. You're a good kisser." You giggled.

"R-REALLY? EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE LIPS?"

You stood up on your toes as you kissed him again. He leaned into it so you could put your feet back on the ground.

"Lips are overrated. Goodnight Papy, sweet dreams."

He let you leave this time, and you closed the door behind you. Only when you reached the couch did you let your excitement out, dancing on the spot and fanning your face with your hands. As you were doing that, you heard a victorious "NYEH HEH HEH!" from his bedroom. God, you were all acting like teenagers!

Sans happened to walk in as you were doing your little dance.

"okay?" He cocked an eyebrow, laughing. "you look happier than usual. dunno how that's possible, but."

When you turned to face him you cracked up. There were little red lipstick marks across his cheekbone.

"Woo, looks like I wasn't the only one to score a kiss tonight, ey Sansy?"

He froze, his eyelights shrinking as he rubbed at his cheek. When he saw the red that had transferred to his hand he blushed. "sh-shuddup."

"Sansy and Gloria, sitting in a tree!~"

"i swear to asgore, i will throw you out that window."

"What, you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

He shrugged, realising you were right. "anyway, i'm gonna hit the hay. night, kid."

"Niiiiight, lover boy." You giggled, as a throw cushion hit you square in the face. "Ow! No fair."

"good. night."

He near slammed his door, and you collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggles. You hadn't felt this giddy in years.

It was a nice feeling, and you held onto it until you finally fell asleep.

***

It didn't last long at all.

Not even a few hours later, you were sat up on the couch, crying after a particularly bad nightmare you'd had. Papyrus was sat next to you, rubbing your back as Sans was off in the kitchen making you some tea to calm your nerves.

You had dreamed of that god forsaken alley, the night you had found Papyrus broken and beaten, except this time you had arrived too late. When you walked into the alley, all that was left of him was a pile of fine, grey dust, his red scarf fluttering in the cold wind. You had broke down, screaming out for him when you had felt scalding pain all over your body. You cried out over and over as you were beaten within an inch of your life by the faceless figures, your own blood mixing with the dust that littered the street. Of course your magic would be useless to you now.

You had shot awake, still screaming for Papyrus.

Sans had come out to get a drink when he heard the sounds from the lounge and teleported those few feet from the kitchen. He'd struggled to calm you down before Pap had bolted out of his room, running over to pull you into his arms, soothing you better than anyone else could have. Once you had calmed down enough to talk, Sans had made himself scarce. He heard snippets from his spot in the kitchen, waiting for the jug to boil.

He knew these kind of dreams all too well.

He knew what it was like to see his brother's dust.

He'd had to see it for real.

One too many times.

He filled a mug with hot water and milk, stirring the Goldenflower tea as he returned to the couch. You were still sniffing back tears, clutched onto Pap like your life depended on it. The younger Skeleton was doing a good job of keeping calm himself. Sans could tell that hearing and seeing all this was really upsetting him. Seeing you so broken in his arms.

"I'm s-s-sorry." You sobbed, as Sans passed you the tea. Your hands trembled as you took a sip.

"got nuthin' to be sorry for, kid."

"SANS IS RIGHT, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. WE'RE HERE FOR YOU."

Fresh tears fought their way out, as you set the tea down and pulled them both into a hug.

"Y-you guys have no id-dea how much you mean to me!" You bawled, as Papyrus gently stroked the back of your head with his fingers. The feeling was relaxing, alleviating more of the stress bound in your chest.

"hey, kiddo, you're fine. we're not goin' anywhere."

"YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO US, _____." Papyrus' resolve was breaking, as he sniffed back a single orange tear. You took your arm away from Sans and wrapped it around the taller skeleton, leaning your head on his rib cage and searching for that comforting thrum of his soul. You found it, but it was dulled and slowed down. God, you were really upsetting him, you felt just awful. More so.

Sans cleared his throat, getting up and shoving his hands in his pockets. "y'got this, bro."

Pap nodded, as Sans ruffled your hair. "you'll be okay, kid. try and drink some tea and rest. it'll all be better in the morning."

With that, he retired, leaving you and Papyrus huddled together on the couch.

"I'm sorry I k-keep waking you, Pap."

He pulled you in a little closer, his fingers running up and down your back in soothing motions. "DO NOT BE SORRY. YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SLEEP!"

"Papy.."

"I WOULD STAY AWAKE FOREVER IF IT MEANT THAT YOU WOULD NEVER BE SAD EVER AGAIN."

You shook against him, your fingers clutching at his back as you sobbed into his shirt.

"YOU ARE SO VERY SPECIAL TO ME, AND I HATE S-SEEING YOU LIKE THIS."

When you looked up at him, your heart broke. He looked distraught, only amplified by the fact he was trying so hard to hide it.

"Papyrus, you look at me." He did, and you kissed him softly. "I really do adore you. You're special to me. No more tears, okay? Let's go do something fun tomorrow to take our minds off of everything."

"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL IDEA." He said, nuzzling into top of your head.

***

You both fell asleep right there where you sat. Waking up in the morning to your alarm, and a very cheeky looking Sans staring down at you from the back of the sofa. You grumbled as he tisked.

"well, well, well. look who didn't go back to his own bed."

Papyrus was still out cold, unusual for him not being up and about at that time of the morning. Must have be tired.

"So, what happened when you dropped Gloria off, hmmmm?" You smirked. Two can play at this game.

He grumbled, but the smile he gave you told you everything you needed to know. He left for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of ketchup from the fridge and near inhaling it. You shot him a look of mock disgust, and he went to make a show of it, only to squirt the sauce straight into his nasal hole.

"ah! fuck! ow!"

You burst out laughing, slapping your hand over your mouth when Papyrus shifted. He was awake, and he sat up, looking over to Sans with tired amusement.

"YOU GOT IT UP YOUR NOSE AGAIN, DIDN'T YOU."

"shit fuckin' burns!" Sans hissed, wiping uselessly at his face, only spreading the ketchup. It looked like he was having a really bad nosebleed.

"WERE YOU BEING SILLY?"

"... no?"

He sighed as Sans went back into the kitchen to find something to wash it out with. Papy turned to you, and smiled. "GOOD MORNING. DID YOU SLEEP WELL?"

"Yeah, I did. Uh, sorry for waking you like that."

He stretched, his bones clicking and popping. "DO NOT APOLOGISE. YOUR LAUGHTER IS A WONDERFUL THING TO WAKE UP TO." He kissed you, before getting up and heading back to his room to get dressed. Begrudgingly you did the same, grabbing your change of clothes and heading into the bathroom. You showered, dried and brushed your hair and got dressed into semi-nice clothes. You might take Pap out to get coffee or something. Maybe a walk through the town.

Shit. You forgot it was your day to get groceries. The kitchen was staring to look a bit bare with Pap cooking so much.

Well, you could bring him with you and stop in at a Cafe on the way there or back. Yeah, good plan.

Chapter Text

Papyrus offered to drive you around for the day, his reasoning being that having the wind in your hair would help blow away the lingering bad feelings. It was cute, and kind of poignant, as you sat in the passenger seat of his convertible, chilly air blowing against your face. It was strangely refreshing.

"WHERE SHALL WE GO FIRST?"

You hummed, thinking as he drove along, sunglasses covering his eye sockets. It was kind of hot, you thought to yourself.

"How about we go find a Cafe and get coffee, then we can get some shopping done."

He turned to you when he stopped at a red light, flicking his shades down and cocking a brow. Yep, definitely hot.

"AN EXCELLENT IDEA. I WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS' MATE!"

You blushed, hiding a giggle behind your hand as he took off at the green. "I hope I can live up to your greatness."

"NYEH! YOU ALREADY DO!" He beamed. "I HAVE VERY HIGH STANDARDS, AND YOU MEET EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM."

"Awwww, Papy."

Eventually you both settled on a Cafe, a smaller one with a large outdoor setting. It was nice weather for it, so you parked and went in to order.

A couple of women were sat at a table near yours, a young toddler sitting in his pram facing towards you. From the moment you both sat down, the kid was completely fixated on Papyrus.

You nudged him, pointing to the kid.

Pap beamed, and started playing peek-a-boo. The baby squealing with joy every time Pap would reappear. His mother looked over to see what had caught his attention, and she smiled brightly when she saw Pap playing with him.

"Oh, you made a new friend, sweetie? Can you say hello?"

The kid stuffed his own foot in his mouth.

"I'd say that counts." You giggled, making faces at the baby, who let out a loud squeal as he bounced in place in his stroller. "He's so beautiful and bright."

The mother looked touched. "Thank you. Do you have kids?"

You blushed, shaking your head. "Oh, not yet."

Pap looked over at you, his expression unreadable.

The waitress brought over your order, and you sat for a while longer, keeping baby entertained while his mother had coffee with her friends. Papyrus seemed to be really good with children. In their innocence of the world, he was just another person. A very likable person, but just that.

After a while, you both decided to take a little stroll through the town. It was a pleasant day, so why not make the most of it.

"You're really good with kids." You said, swinging your hand in his own as you walked down the sidewalk. Of course people were staring, but you were trying to not let it bother you.

His grip seemed to tense, his gait a little more wooden as he looked out in front of him.

"WELL, I HAVE ALWAYS SEEMED T-TO GET ALONG WELL WITH TINY HUMANS. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH FRISK AS SOON AS I MET THEM. OF COURSE, FIRST THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH MY EXPERTLY CRAFTED PUZZLES.."

You stopped, pulling him back slightly as he fought against innertia.

"Are you okay, Pap? You seem to get uncomfortable when I mention kids."

He took his hand from yours, bringing it up to wring both of his together. It was a nervous habit.

"WHEN THAT NICE HUMAN ASKED I-IF YOU HAD KIDS.." He paused, so you motioned for him to continue. "WELL, YOU SAID NOT YET."

You giggled. "Yeah. I mean, sure, I'd like to have kids one day. Why, do you not want kids?"

His cheeks burst orange as he stuttered. "OH, I W-WOULD, IT'S JUST.." He motioned animatedly between the two of you, his face only growing darker. "I'M NOT SURE HOW.."

"What, because you're a monster and I'm human? Didn't Grillby's daughter just have a baby with her human boyfriend?"

"OH, I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS HUMAN.."

You both continued walking for a while. Nothing more said until he stopped suddenly. This time you were the one having to fight with inertia. "Uh, Pap?"

"I WAS JUST THINKING.. SINCE I AM A SKELETON, AND HUMANS ARE SKELETONS WITH SQUISHY BITS, WOULDN'T THAT MEAN WE ARE MORE COMPATIBLE THAN, SAY, A FIRE ELEMENTAL AND A HUMAN?"

"I guess so.. Pap, you don't have to worry yourself with this kinda stuff yet." You sighed. "We only did just start dating. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few key steps between now and having kids."

"IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO BE PREPARED.. UH, I M-MEAN FOR ANYTHING! YES! PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS. WITH EVERYTHING.. OTHER UNRELATED THINGS."

You took his hand, leading him back the way you came. "Hey, how about we go get some shopping done. Maybe we can pick something fun to make for dinner tonight?"

He seemed to ease up at the mention of cooking. "OOH! I CAN TRY OUT A NEW RECIPE I FOUND ONLINE! DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN FRY NOODLES? YOU HUMANS THINK OF EVERYTHING!"

***

You read over the shopping list Sans had given you as you grabbed a trolley. Of course he had put 'ketchup' down at least 5 or 6 times throughout the other items. Cheeky shit. You were getting better at spotting the duplicates first, saving you a second or even third trip down the condiment isle before your memory caught up with you.

You decided you'd get him 2 bottles, and one for the house. It was only you who used it. Papyrus didn't particularly like ketchup. An aversion, most likely, seeing how much Sans could consume on a daily basis.

Maybe one extra bottle. Just in case.

Papyrus had disappeared off to the pasta isle as soon as you set foot in the store, leaving you to grab all of the other non-spaghetti related items. Most of the list was pasta, so at least that made your job easier.

You were heading up towards the other condiments when you heard a familiar voice. Before you could pinpoint who it was, a rough hand pushed at your shoulder.

"Hey, man, this is that bitch I used to have working at my resturant. Didn't think it was possible but you've gotten fatter."

The other man standing next to your ex-boss leered at you, a creepy smile on his face. "She looks alright. Bag over her head and it'd be just fine I reckon."

Are you serious?

"Ugh." You took a step back, wincing as they bridged the gap. "Get the fuck away from me you perverted arseholes!"

"Feisty!" The other man grinned, reaching out to try and touch you. With his close proximity, a glint of metal caught your eye. A little gold pin was stuck through his shirt collar. It was in the shape of an 'M', with a single line running through the middle. Glancing back at you ex boss, you noticed he was sporting the exact same pin. Something about it made your stomach lurch uncomfortably.

In your moment of distraction, he had managed to reach your face, running his rough fingers across your cheek. You balked, stepping back a few more feet. Shit, this was not happening, not in the middle of a fucking supermarket!

"Get the fuck away from me!"

"Aww, c'mere babe. I won't bite. Maybe."

You really didn't want to have to use your magic in public, but if he got any closer, you may not have a choice.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! PAPY-"

A shadow flicked past your peripheral vision, and next thing you knew, Papyrus was standing between you and the other men. His height did the trick of intimidating them at first.

"Holy shi- What the fuck is that!?"

"BACK. OFF." Papyrus spoke. It was calm, but you could feel the anger coursing through him. He reached and arm around to touch you. To reassure you.

You grabbed his hand, trying to pull him back, but he didn't budge. Orange smoke was drifting up from what you only assumed was his eye socket. "Pap, let's go. They're just a couple of perverts. They're not worth it."

You ex-boss laughed. "What, are you fuckin' this thing or somethin'. Ugh, dirty slu-"

Next thing you knew, Papyrus had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, his legs dangling helplessly as Pap pulled his face up to his.

"DO NOT CALL HER THAT."

The other guy was already taking a few steps back, curious faces popped up at the ends of the isle at the noise.

"I-I-I was just kiddin', pal!"

"DO NOT CALL ME YOUR PAL. YOU ARE NO FRIEND OF MINE."

You couldn't help but smile. This asshole was finally facing consequences for his shifty actions. It was a long time coming.

"M-man! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry!"

Papyrus turned so you could see their faces. Your ex-boss was shitting himself, clutching hoplessly at the bony hands that held him up. His 'friend' had run off in the other direction, now totally gone from sight.

"APOLOGISE TO HER, NOT ME."

"_____, I'm sorry! Jus' tell your friend here this was all a big misunderstandin'! Please!"

You hissed at him. No, he wasn't going to get away with this. With all the stress and hurt he had cause you over the years. For all the times his hands would wander around the shitty little skirts he'd make the waitresses wear. The innuendos, the yelling and the emotional abuse. No more.

"There's no misunderstanding. You've abused me for years."

Bright orange light filled the isle, as Papyrus gripped tighter onto his shirt, tearing holes with the tips of his fingers.

"WHAT!?"

He looked back at you, orange magic bursting out of his eye socket. You had to take a step back as a strange electrical energy washed through you.

"Yeah. That, Papy, is my old boss. The one that fired me over the phone while I was at your place recovering from my back and my house being robbed."

He slowly looked back at the man he was holding up, who had now gone white as a sheet.

"OH. SO YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE MY GIRLFRIEND CRY, HMMM?" Pap looked murderous, and you were worried that you might have to intervene, when he smirked. He plopped him back on his feet, even holding him while he regained his balance. Slowly, he bent down do his face was inches from the other human's.

"IF YOU EVER CAUSE ANY MORE TROUBLE FOR MY _____, BELIEVE ME, I AM GOING TO -" He summoned a barrage of sharp looking bone attacks, aimed right for the shaking man. "- HAVE LOTS. OF. FUN." The bones disappeared, but the threat still remained heavy in the air. "NOW... LEAVE!"

You had never seen him run so fast, barging past the people who had come over to snoop.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Your attention snapped back to the tall skeleton, now standing with his arms around you.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for protecting me." You hugged him, as the few busybodies that had gathered walked away.

"HE IS VERY LUCKY THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHOWS RESTRAINT, OTHERWISE WE MAY HAVE HAD TO CALL HIM AN AMBULANCE. NYEH HEH HEH!"

Was that.. Spite?

"I'm kinda glad you didn't do anything, as much as the bastard deserves it. I don't want you getting in trouble, or getting hurt." You shook a little at the thought. You never wanted to have to see him broken ever again.

His smile disappeared, replaced with worry. "I AM SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU. I JUST.. I COULD NOT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THAT."

You hugged him tight, your ear pressed up against his chest to listen to the thrum of his soul. It was steady and strong.

You were interrupted when a throat was cleared behind you.

A short man stood there, his hands behind his back. A manager, going by his name tag, flanked by a much larger man.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to ask you both to leave."

You let your mouth hang open. "I'm sorry?"

"A few other customers have informed us that your, uh, friend was fighting with another customer."

Wow, way to assume there. You could feel anger bubbling up.

"I was almost physically and sexually assaulted by two men in your store! My boyfriend was protecting me and you have the gall to try and throw US out? Are you kidding me?"

He shrugged, eyeing Papyrus like he was something unpleasant. "Just what we were told. Please leave our store."

That was not fair.

In your anger, you dropped your basket on the ground, both of them jumping at the noise.

"Ooooh, fuck you.. You know what?" You growled, picking the basket up again and tipping it, the items falling to the ground. "Since I don't plan on coming back here, there you go. You fucking clean it up, you absolute wankers!"

The manager looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. "I'll get security!"

Papyrus moved forward, taking your hand as he stepped over the spilled sauces and broken glass.

"I HAPPEN TO KNOW THE MONSTER WHO WORKS AS YOUR SECURITY GUARD. I ALSO KNOW FOR A FACT HE WOULD NOT BE PLEASED WITH YOUR ACTIONS. DO NOT EVEN BOTHER." He stepped forward, guiding you around the spill. "WE WILL NO LONGER BE SHOPPING HERE, AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO TELL EVERY OTHER MONSTER I KNOW OF YOUR SUB-PAR SERVICE. GOOD DAY."

With a nod, Pap lead you away, wrapping his arm around you as you left the store. Ugh, you still felt so angry. Maybe if they saw the security footage you might get an apology, but at this point did you even want it?

You remembered Pap had said he knew the security guard, so you asked him if you knew them.

"YES, YOU HAVE ONLY BEEN LIVING WITH HIM FOR THE PAST MONTH."

You stopped in your tracks. Since when?

"But I didn't think Sans worked!? He's always hanging around the house all day.. Isn't he?"

Pap seemed to be amused at your confusion. "HE IS VERY SNEAKY. I'VE LOST TRACK OF HOW MANY TIMES I'VE THOUGHT HE WAS IN HIS ROOM AND HE'S BEEN OUT. TELEPORTING MAKES IT HARD TO KEEP TRACK."

That made sense.

"hey, i may be lazy, but i do pull my own weight."

You both spun around at his voice.

"Hey, Sans. Did they call you out?"

He shrugged. There was something off about his grin. "nah, i saw the whole thing. i was gonna come step in, but you guys seemed to handle it well enough. nice protest, by the way. i'm proud." He laughed as you groaned into your hand.

"Now I feel like a jerk. I mean, they were being unfair, but now they're probably gonna make some poor worker clean it up. I'm such an arse."

"nah, some old lady came past after ya left and chewed their ears off, told 'em to clean it up, and they did. no harm done.. you okay bro? i could feel your magic all the way in my office."

Papyrus stood up to his full height, puffing out his chest. "I'M FINE, SANS. IT WAS ACTUALLY QUITE FUN. WELL, NOT THE PART WHERE MY MATE WAS IN PERIL, BUT THE REST."

You had to smile. Especially at his heroic pose.

"okay, bro. just.. be careful about who ya show off your magic to, alright?"

"OF COURSE, BROTHER. I DO TRY TO SAVE IT FOR EMERGENCIES."

Sans turned to you, his expression solemn. "you okay, kiddo? those two looked like they were going the right way for a bad time."

"The one Pap picked up was my ex boss. You know the one who fired me when I was on the phone in your bathroom?"

Sans looked surprised.

"well, now i know what the asshole looks like, i can keep an eye socket out for him.. oh, that's right, i got a call from al before. wanted to know if we were free this afternoon to go do soul stuff up at the uni. you in?"

You nodded, noting Papyrus' discomfort. An arm wrapped around his seemed to calm him. "Sure, we might go find somewhere else to get shopping then I can meet you there later on? Just shoot me a time and the address and stuff."

Sans agreed, sending across the details in a message while you were still hovering around in front of the supermarket. The manager was standing inside, staring daggers at you all. There wasn't much he could do with store security on your side.

"sweet. guess i'll see ya later."

You and Pap left, heading a little out of the way to grab shopping, then heading back home. At least nothing bad had actually happened. You would be lying if you said you were not disappointed. Every time you had gone out somewhere with Pap, bar IKEA, someone had to come along and ruin your good time.

Heh, maybe your next date would end on a better note.

Hopefully.

***

Mt Ebott University was pretty big, so big in fact that it was no surprise you were already hopelessly lost. You had planned to meet Sans on campus and go with him to the Science department to meet with Alphys, but just finding him was proving to be impossible. His vague directions weren't helping you either.

When you finally spotted him, you were late. He was sat against a fence, casually smoking and looking around. It was the first time you had seen him doing that, maybe trying to keep it hidden from Papyrus? Probably.

When he saw you, he dropped the butt, discretely kicking it away before greeting you.

"heya."

"You suck at directions. Like, majorly suck." You wheezed, catching your breath after jogging from across a football feild. So unfit.

"hey, m'not the one who got herself all lost." He smirked. He gave you a moment to calm down, before leading you over to a large building. It was all glass windows and green-tinted concrete. What you would consider a bit of an eyesore. Sans seemed to have the same mindset.

"buildin' is ugly as fuck, but it makes it easy to find once ya get a description."

"Too right. Ew."

He led you inside and over to an elevator, pressing one of the buttons and relaxing as elevator music played in the background. He looked over at you expectantly, when you realised.

"What is- Oh my god! Did we just get Rick-rolled by elevator music!"

He cracked up, leaning against the wall of the lift hard enough to make it wobble. "yeah, d'ya know how long it took me to find a version that didn't sound like shit?"

"I hate you so much right now." You giggled, bopping along to the music when the doors opened, and you both got out. Sans gave you Alphy's room number, before blipping out of existence. You shrugged, heading up to find the shy lizard.

It wasn't hard, there were only a few rooms on the floor, and one happened to have Alphy's name printed across it. It was sitting ajar, but you still knocked, not wanting to come across as rude and barge straight in.

"Oh! C-c-come in!"

You entered, coming face to face with the tiny woman. She jumped, looking up at you with apprehension. "H-hey, _____.."

"Hey, Alphys! Hope I'm not too late, I got lost and Sans may have made me more lost with his bad directions."

She tittered, fixing her glasses back up her snout and motioning for you to follow.

"That's S-sans. I take it he got you with the e-elevator music too?"

You groaned, while she just smiled.

She led you into a clean white tiled room, not much bigger than The lounge in your new flat. There were a few showers along one wall, as well as cameras set up around the sides, and a computer terminal shoved into one corner. If you didn't know what was going on in this room, it would definitely look sketchy.

She started to wring her hands as she looked around. "Uh, th-this is the scan room. What we do i-is we use infrared and ultraviolet to scan your s-soul. You'll n-n-need to take it out in order to scan, b-but everything here is confidential. I know Papyrus is not fond of me doing this, but-"

"Don't worry, Alphys. It's all good. This is something that will benefit monsters, so I'm all for it."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Th-thank you for agreeing to this, _____. It means a lot to me."

Sans popped back in, eating what looked like an ice cream. "sup, al."

"H-hey Sans! Could you help m-me set up the cameras?" Alphys walked over to the PC, typing in a few things as the cameras buzzed to life. A few blacklights turned on above you, making your shirt glow brightly. You looked down at yourself, before looking over at Sans and cracking up. He was glowing bright white. Even the white lights of his eyes shone brighter.

"Sans! I never noticed how bright you were!" You hissed, trying to keep a straight face as he glared at you. He knew what he was doing.

"dunno what you mean, _____. must be my glowing personality."

"S-sans?"

"hmm?"

"Cameras?"

"oh, yeah. right.. all ready."

Alphys huffed, her nerves making her hands shake as she typed. "Okay _-_____, could you bring your soul out?"

You did, holding your hand over your chest, pulling it back as an orb of green light came to float in front of you. It was bright, the heartshape barely visible through the glare.

"holy shit, that is one powerful soul." Sans muttered, rubbing the back of his skull as he flushed a light blue. "I had no idea it was that strong. must be a mage thing.."

Alphys gasped when she saw it, running over with a notepad and a pen, scribbling down illegible notes as she stared at it.

"Amazing! Your HP is really high for a human, that must be your mage background. Hmm, st-stats are pretty good. High d-d-defense and a relatively low attack stat, even for a green soul.. No LV or EXP, as we f-fully expected from you."

"want i should start the scan, al?" Sans asked, and Alphys nodded, not taking her eyes of the green light. The cameras whirred, beeping as they collected the required data.

She looked away from you to walk over to the computer, Sans stood off to the side, eyeing the green glow.

"Th-this is such good data!" She beamed, her fingers a blur as she typed out line after line. An image of a green heart took up the screen, divided into coloured sections like a pie chart.

"What's all that mean?" You asked.

"These are y-your soul colours. O-of course the main colour is green, that being your soul colour type, but you do have qualities of other colours too. Not enough to allow use of that t-type of magic, but they influence your p-p-personality."

Apart from the large chunk of green, there were slivers of light blue, yellow and orange, flanked by even smaller lines of purple, dark blue. You could barely make out a faint red strip.

"Makes sense." You shrugged, watching as Al browsed all the data she had been collecting. "Can I put my soul back?"

She nodded, and you pulled the glowing heart back into your chest. The room seemed darker without it, even with the blacklights.

"This i-is.. Wait.. Sans? C-come look at this!"

He seemed to turn serious at her request, walking over and looking at the readout on the monitors.

"but that makes no sense." He mumbled, Al moving aside so he could type a few things. They both looked concerned.

"Everything okay, guys?"

Alphys jumped a little, wringing her hands again. "Oh, yes.. I mean, maybe? There's a few, uh, d-discrepancies in the data we've co-collected from humans, monsters and from you and Frisk. By a-all accounts, the readings from you and them, as Mages, should be similar.."

You walked over to the terminal, Sans moving so you could see.

"see that there?" He pointed at a line graph. "that there is our readings from monsters. this one is from humans." The bars were very different. The humans readings were all low, while the monsters were all high. He pulled up another window, with two smaller graphs, labelled 'Frisk - DT Mage' and '_____ - KD Mage'. the results were very, very different.

"What does that mean, though. Is it because we have different coloured soul magic?" You scratched the back of your head, trying to take in all of the new information.

"Your readings are more in line with what we've c-c-collected from Monsters, while Frisk's readings are m-more human, which m-makes no sense!" Al stuttered. "You sh-should both, as Mages, be similar! Why are they p-polar opposites?"

Sans made a noise like he was thinking, when his eyelights shrunk down to pin-pricks. For a second, he looked almost scared. It seemed you were the only one who noticed, as Alphys began walking around, trying to think up a reason for the results being so skewed.

"You okay, Sans?" You whispered, and he shrugged, the fear you saw gone and replaced with his trademark grin.

"yeah, super. hey, uh, i might head on home. kinda tired. if ya need any more help, al, just give me a buzz."

All three of you left the scan room, Sans blipping out as soon as he stepped into her lab.

"I-i wish he would give more w-warning, sometimes.."

You agreed, letting out a sigh as she waddled around, looking through papers and books. "Still need me for anything else, Alphys?"

"Oh, n-n-no, thank you! I r-really appreciate your help! I'll keep looking into th-this. You're f-free to go if you'd like."

You grabbed your things, ready to leave, but not before Alphys extended an invitation to 'Anime night'.

"We p-pick out obscure Anime to watch then have a s-sleepover. It's usually just Undyne, P-papyrus and I. Sans tags along s-sometimes, but he usually just sleeps."

You smiled. "Sounds like fun! I'll brainstorm and try and think of weird stuff I've seen in the past. Thank you for the invitation."

"W-well, since you and Papyrus are d-dating now, Undyne and I wanted to include you in our activities with him. You guysmakesuchacutecouplebytheway!" She gushed, her scales turning red as she fanned her face.

"Awww, thanks Alphys. I can say the same about you and Undyne."

You broke the lizard woman as she hid her scarlet face behind her claws. God, you had a feeling Gloria would love her. You made a mental note to introduce them some time.

Saying goodbye, you took the elevator back down to floor level, cursing the short skeleton under your breath when you heard the music again.

"God damnit, Sans.."

Chapter Text

Your furniture had finally arrived. Two burly looking deliverymen brought it up to your flat in the big brown boxes, putting them into piles just inside your entryway. You'd wrangled a few of your new friends over for the building part. Undyne and Pap jumped at the notion, but Sans, not so much. He agreed, but you had a feeling he wasn't going to be of much help. Maybe you could put his magic to work.

A few of the items you'd picked, Undyne already had experience building. It was going to be you and Pap who were building blind.

"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SCREWS?" He groaned, looking from the instruction leaflet on the floor next to him to the wee baggy he had in his hands. "OH WELL. IT IS A GOOD THING THAT I AM A MASTER OF SCREWING!"

All three of you cracked up, leaving him glancing around, looking like a lost puppy.

"WHAT IS SO FUNNY?"

"It's nothin', Pap." Undyne chuckled, organising the pieces of the Lack TV Stand she had unpacked. "Really, _____ is the one who should be able to tell us that." The fish grinned at you, earning a piece of cardboard to the face.

Just as you thought, Sans was absent for a majority of the building. Only helping out every now and then with long distance assistance. He was pretty useful for holding nails in place, but you still hit your fingers more than you liked. Once was too many times, you thought as you sucked on a sore thumb. Papyrus offered to kiss it better, doing so as Undyne made loud kissy noises at you both, earning another bit of packaging to her smug face.

Once the lounge room was built and the couch thoroughly tested by Sans, you all decided to order food and relax. You had a little TV Tori and Frisk had given you, so you set it up on the new stand and began the task of scanning for channels. You didn't really watch it much, so if there were channels missing, you wouldn't be too fussed.

As you expected, the list was fairly bare, but you did get two Monster channels. One was a 24/7 marathon of Mettaton, which made Pap happy. The other was what looked like a public access channel. The show that was on when you checked it was of a couple of very buff looking monsters discussing different kinds of ice cream. It was pretty cute. Undyne told you that they used to be officers in the Royal Guard, who Frisk had helped realise their feelings for one another in the middle of a heated battle. Freaking adorable.

Once pizza had been consumed, you started on building your new bed. Undyne eyed the instruction manual skeptically, looking at you with a toothy grin. "You only got a single? Where's Papy supposed to sleep?"

"Undyne, go look in that bedroom, and then reconsider your question."

She looked at you funny, picking herself off the floor and peeking into the bedroom. "Ooooh, I see." She laughed, turning back and giving you an understanding smile. "How are YOU gonna fit in there?"

"Hence why I had to buy a single. I was temped to get a bunk, or a loft, but then I'd have to drag my fat arse up and down the ladder. Bugger that."

Sans cracked an eyelid, looking over at you disapprovingly. "hey, don't talk like that."

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING FAT ON YOUR.. UH, BEHIND?" Pap asked innocently. "I THOUGHT HAVING EXCESS LAYERS OF FAT WAS GOOD FOR HUMANS."

"It is, Papy, just a lot of other humans don't think the same way." You said, trying to shove little wooden dowels into one side of a plank of wood. "It's not considered attractive to have extra weight. It's why most models are so skinny."

"some of those girls look like they're only-"

"DON'T!"

"skin and bones." Sans grinned, pointing finger guns at the two of you on the floor.

Papyrus groaned loudly. "WHY MUST YOU PLAGUE MY LIFE WITH YOUR INCIDENTAL PUNS!?"

Sans rolled onto his side, wearing his best shit-eating grin. "i dunno, bro. i thought it was pretty well timed."

"SANS, NO! BAD SKELETON!"

"Hey, cut it out you two. We have a bed to build." You giggled, distracting the two boneheads from their little play spat.

Undyne let out a loud laugh as she sat back down, picking up a few pieces. "Yeah, and maybe Papy can help you 'test' it out later! Fuhuhuhuhu!"

You could have hit her, but decided to glare at her instead. Sans made a fake retch noise and rolled onto his back again.

"YOU ARE RIGHT, UNDYNE. THE FURNITURE MUST BE TESTED FOR FAULTS AND TO ENSURE IT IS AT MAXIMUM LEVELS OF COMFORTABLENESS!"

Undyne lost it, rolling onto her back as she cried laughing.

"Oh SHIT! Papy, please never change!"

***

By the time you said goodbye to your friends and closed the door, everything had been put together, leaving a heaped pile of cardboard over in one corner of the room. You would worry about it later, at that moment you just wanted sleep. You headed into your new bedroom, the relatively small bed already taking up a third of the space. It was probably a good thing that you decided to forgo a bedside table, there was barely enough room for a floor lamp, let alone a full table.

Sighing, you sat down on the mattress. It was a thin foam one until you could save up for a spring. It was soft and comfortable, but not thick enough to dampen the shape of the bed slats. Eh, you'd slept on worse.

This was going to be your first night in the new place. It felt.. Strange. Not quite lonely, but not satisfying either. After living alone for so many years, having the Brothers around almost 24/7 had made an impact of your ability to handle solitude. Maybe that was a good thing? Maybe bad. You guessed only time would tell.

It wasn't like you didn't still have them around, just not as a constant.

Maybe you did feel a little lonely..

***

Papyrus got dressed into his pajamas and sat down on the side of his bed, picking up the book he was reading. He was working his way through the Harry Potter series, now up to book 4. It was good, the idea of humans with magic learning in a giant school. Now that he actually knew a real life Mage it was even cooler. Heck, that Mage was his girlfriend. He still felt giddy whenever he remembered that.

As he laid down and covered himself in his own blankets, his mind wandered to Undyne's quip about bed testing. That would be a good career, albeit a lazy one. Maybe Sans could make good money doing tha..

Undyne wasn't talking about that kind of testing, was she. Pap hissed, covering his orange face, realising just what she meant.

"WAIT, THAT WAS.. NYEEEH!"

Chapter Text

You should have realised that the nightmares would still be lingering. You had screamed yourself awake, gasping for air as you tried to ground yourself. They were getting worse. Tears flooded your vision as you flipped your feet over the side of your bed, catching your reflection in the wardrobe across from you. Your face was red, your hair a mess and blankets and pillows littered the floor. Tossing and turning, maybe? You had been running in your dream, maybe you were moving in your sleep too.

About to get up and fix yourself something to drink, a loud banging on your door made you jump and fall back onto your bed. Checking your phone, it was 2 in the morning. Who the hell could that be?

You crept out to the kitchen, where the knocking came again.

"Wh-who's there?"

"Are you alright in there? I heard screaming."

Thankfully your door had one of those little peep holes. You looked through it, and sure enough, a man was stood on the other side. He was wearing pajamas, his salt and pepper bed hair proving that you had woken him up.

Placing the chain across the lock, you opened the door. When he saw you he just looked relieved.

"Hey, you okay?"

You looked down at your feet. "Yeah.. I'm so sorry for waking you. I guess I had a nightmare."

He smiled. "Ah, glad you're okay. Shame about the nightmare, though. I was just worried you'd been hurt, or maybe someone was breaking in or.. anyway. My name's Franz, I guess we're neighbours."

"I guess so." You giggled. He seemed nice. "My name is _____, I just moved in properly yesterday."

"Nice to meet you, _____.. Sure you're okay? You seem a bit spooked still."

You were. It would take a while for you to calm down, even with warm honey milk. "Mmm, I'll be fine. Nothing a nice warm drink wont fix."

"Maybe try getting some sage." He offered, scratching the back of his head. "I know it's kinda new age, but my wife used to get it and burn it when she was going through rough patches with bad dreams. Seemed to help her."

You couldn't help but yawn. "I might try that. Can't hurt.. Thank you for coming to check on me, though. I'm sorry that I woke you and your wife. Apologise for me?"

His smile fell a little. "Oh, she's been gone for a long time. Just me here now.."

You slapped your hands over your mouth. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

He put his hands up in apology. "Please, it's fine! Don't be sorry. I guess I have a habit of talking about her like she's still around. My fault.. Well, guess I'll leave you to get some more sleep. Here, I'll give you my house number in case you need anything. Always good to make friends with neighbors. I can't count how many times I've locked myself out and had to sit in the hall and wait for the landlord to come save my ass."

You both chuckled, the awkwardness slowly dissipating as he jotted down his number on a scrap of paper you had handy, writing down your own to give to him.

"Thanks again for checking on me. I'll try to keep the screaming to a minimum."

He laughed. "I don't mind, really, as long as I know you're okay. We can't help these kinda things. Good night, _____."

"Night, Franz.."

You shut your door, leaving the chain up and dragging yourself over to your fridge. One cup of honey milk later and you were back under your covers. What a nice guy. Hell, having caring, considerate neighbours like him was a first for you. You should try not to push it.

Rolling onto your side, you pulled the comforter up over your ears and nose, staring at your reflection as you started to once again drift off to sleep.

***

You decided to spend your day with the Brothers as they went about theirs. Turning up at the apartment just in time for a hearty breakfast, you told them about your first night in the new place, and the circumstances of meeting your next door neighbor.

"WELL, THAT WAS VERY NICE OF HIM TO COME AND MAKE SURE YOU WERE OKAY. PLEASE REMIND ME TO THANK HIM FOR LOOKING OUT FOR YOU WHILE I'M NOT AROUND."

Sans seemed safely skeptical, but was still pleased. You really didn't expect anything less.

"so, these nightmares still happenin' huh.." He said, to himself more than you or Pap. "maybe a good idea to keep a journal."

You sipped at your coffee, a single brow raised. He looked over, laughing at your expression.

"i know, i know. a tough guy like me doin' summat like that? but seriously, keepin' a dream journal has actually helped me. just a suggestion."

"I think I might give it a go, then. I mean, not that I really want to keep record of the things I keep seeing.. But if it helps, it helps."

"don't have to go into detail, i don't, but just a general go of what ya remember. try and see if there's a pattern.."

"I WILL ALSO KEEP A JOURNAL OF MY DREAMS. IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN!" Pap said, taking a bite of bacon, swallowing before he went on. "IT WOULD BE NICE TO REMEMBER SOME OF MY BETTER ONES."

Sans stared at his brother, waggling his brow bones, sending him finger guns and clicking his tongue. Pap looked confused and annoyed for a moment, before he flushed orange.

"WHA- SANS! THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

Breakfast was finished in relative silence after that. Once everyone was done, you grabbed the dishes and took them to the kitchen, much to the brother's chagrin. You were back to being a guest again, so these things were no longer your responsibility. Doesn't mean you couldn't do nice things for them, you had argued.

They relented, and let you do the dishes of the morning and night before. Those were Sans' responsibility, hence why they were still there.

"don't ya have your own dishes at home to wash?" Sans chuckled, grabbing some ketchup out of the fridge and wandering over to lean at the counter. You shot him a sassy smile.

"No, because I do my dishes when they need to be done, unlike a certain someone." You giggled as you held up a cheese grater, covered in suds. He rolled his eyelights.

"they were soaking."

"Oh? On the dry counter top?"

"touche." He grinned, leaving you to your work.

It was relaxing in a strange way, doing dishes and watching the trees out of the kitchen window. Something about the calming rhythm of swaying branches and feeling of hot water against your skin.

It was just nice to be around the brothers, even if you weren't in the same room.

Okay, so you missed living there..

***

Sitting in Pap's room, you scrolled through your feed on Undernet. There had been a lot of sightings of the pins you had seen the other day, and a lot of monsters and humans speculating that they might not bode well. The monsters had been treated nothing short of terrible by anyone wearing one. A few monsters even having their children bullied by other human children wearing the same pins, spouting anti-monster rhetoric most likely drilled into them by their parents. It was not sitting well at all with you.

Of course there would be hate groups. There always were. Humans were disgusting.

As you munched on some cookies Pap had brought you, you decided to do a bit of your own research on the trend, bringing up a bunch of articles on 'Human on Monster violence'. Of course a lot of them painted the monsters in a bad light. Geez, some guy beat up his neighbor, an innocent Whimsun, so badly that he had to be taken back underground, his nerves completely shot. Why were they trying to make the bully out to be the victim. Ugh, it just made you feel sick. You glanced at the small pile of cookies, pushing them away to the side of the table. You had no longer had an appetite.

All of this was going on, and you had to think back to the night you had found Papyrus. Were his attackers a part of this? They seemed to be prepared, going by what Pap said happened. Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The fact they had even gone to the trouble of breaking into your flat and defacing that wall, they had to be organised. It had to be..

"you still here, kid? might have t' start chargin' ya rent."

"Oh, hardy har." You sighed, cheering up a little at the sound of his voice. "I've just been looking into some stuff.. You heard about-"

"the pins? yeah, undyne was tellin' me the other day. not lookin' good." Sans sighed, leaning on the table beside you to read what you had pulled up. "hmmm, ya reckon the guys that.. the ones who trashed your place were a part'a this?"

"Most likely. They're too organised." You hummed.

"that jerkoff that ya used to work for, didn't ya say him and his friend had them?"

"Yep." You offered Sans a cookie, but he declined. "That was the first time I saw them.. I've been seeing them more often now."

"once ya notice somethin', ya start seein' it everywhere." He mused. "guess they've been under the radar until now. should probably go have a chat with asgore 'bout all this."

"If it's alright, I'd like to come with you when you do."

He shrugged, standing back up and heading out. "guess so. you're kinda in deep with the rest of us now."

He left, leaving you with just as many questions as before.

One question you could try and get an answer for; where were these pins coming from? You spent the next hour scrubbing through webpage after webpage, finding little more than vague comments on defunct forums. Damn. They were certainly covering their tracks.

You would try to find something, anything, even if it meant going 'in deep'.

***

"Y-you want to do what!?"

Alphys and Undyne sat across from you at a booth in Muffet's cafe. You were on a self appointed break, and had headed over to ask Undyne what she knew about these pins that were popping up. Not much, apparently. She had only heard things other monsters had said about them, not yet seeing any herself. When you mentioned searching around on the deep web for answers, Alphys choked on her milkshake, wide eyed and flustered.

"Are you sure you know w-what you're doing? Isn't the human 'deep web' dangerous?" The small lizard stuttered, lighting Undyne's curiosity aflame.

"Wait, the human internet can be dangerous? How? It's just data and bits and shit, right?"

"Kind of. It's the people who are on it that pose the problem.." You mused, leaning forward on the table. "That and some of the stuff in there is pretty damn horrifying. I mean really, really despicable."

"What, like porn?" Undyne asked.

"That's just the tip of the depravity iceberg.. I don't really want to talk about it. Humans are filth."

She seemed to stop, giving you a curious once over as you let out a sigh.

"B-but it would be the place f-for these people to have information, to b-be selling these pins and indoctrinating others.. I-If this is some kind of hate group." Alphys said, wiping up some of her spilled milkshake, looking up at you with sadness in her eyes.

You gave her a warm smile. "Exactly. There's pretty much nothing on the surface web that I've been able to find. It must be hidden."

"ANYWAY!" Undyne interrupted loudly, making both you and Al jump. She managed to spill more of her drink. "Let's talk about happy shit, like.. OH! You comin' to anime night, nerd?" She pointed at you, her finger dangerously close to your eyeballs.

"Oh, yeah! When is the next one?"

"Tonight!" The two monsters said in unison, turning to each other and giggling.

You thought for a moment. You didn't have anything out to thaw for dinner, and you missed Pap, so tonight seemed good. "I'll be there."

"A-awesome!" Alphys beamed, not paying any mind to her milkshake anymore. "We're going to make our own p-pizzas! It's going to be so much fun!"

"I bags not being the one to break the bad news to Pap that ya can't make spaghetti pizza!" Undyne spat, slapping the table and making you laugh.

"I'll do it.. Or maybe I wont, who knows, it might work. I've seen far stranger topping choices.."

A delicate throat was cleared next to you. Muffet signalling it was time to get back to work. You said goodbye to your friends, grabbing their address from them before you left. Now you at least had something to look forward to.

Chapter Text

Anime night.

To tell the truth, you had been looking forward to it ever since Alphys had invited you along after you'd had your soul scanned. You were almost done packing your pajamas into a backpack when your doorbell rang. Pap had decided that he would pick you up to save you walking the few blocks to the girl's place. He had told you it was for your safety and comfort, really you knew he just liked driving you around in his flashy car. That was fine.

"WE WILL BE WATCHING A SHOW CALLED POKEMON. APPARENTLY IT FEATURES FIGHTING MONSTERS! I'M QUITE EXCITED!" Papyrus had told you on the way there. You had to explain that they were very different to him and everyone else. It didn't seem to dampen his excitement any, so you were glad.

You also had to tell him that there was a series of games that the show itself was based on. You hadn't had a Gameboy for years, so of course you were out of the loop, but you still adored the originals.

"SO, YOU HAVE HUMANS THAT OWN THE MONSTERS, AND THEY COMPETE IN FIGHTS USING THEM? OOH, ARE THERE ANY THAT KNOW BONE ATTACKS?"

"Well, there is one Pokemon that is always shown holding a bone. It's called Cubone, and it evolves into Marowak. Heh, geddit? 'Cause bone marrow?"

Papyrus didn't seem as amused.

"THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING SANS WOULD COME UP WITH."

"Those two have always been a few of my favourites, and with the newest games they got even cooler.. Nowhere near as cool as my boyfriend, though."

That seemed to brighten his mood.

"WELL, TO BE YOUR FAVOURITE, THEN THEY MUST BE PRETTY COOL!"

The drive to Undyne and Alphy's place was fairly quick. The first thing you noticed about the house was the yard, cluttered with outdoor training equipment. All kinds of bodybuilding stuff. That seemed about right.

You got out of the car, heading up the path to the front door. As soon a you went to knock, the door flew open, and you were pulled up into a massive, spine cracking hug.

"Ya made it DWEEB! Come on in! We got like, pizza and shit t' make!"

You were essentially carried into the house, Pap closing the door behind you all like nothing was out of the ordinary. Maybe Undyne had fully warmed up to you now.

You waved to Al when you saw her in the kitchen, hanging up in her girlfriends arms. She didn't even bat an eyelash at the scene. It must be a normal happening, then.

"_____, glad you could make it! Hi P-papyrus!" The tiny lizard smiled when Pap came into the room. There were pizza bases set out on a giant kitchen island counter, bowls of assorted toppings spread around to choose from.

"I SEE WE HAVE PLENTY OF PIZZA TOPPINGS HERE." Pap scanned the bench, tapping a finger against his chin. "BUT WHERE ARE THE NOODLES?"

Undyne let out a bark of laughter, plopping you back onto your feet and giving you a wink. Well, a one eyed blink, seeing as her other eye was covered.

"Well.." You started, not quite sure of what to say. "Papy, we wont be making spaghetti pizza tonight, but how about we make some at my place some time."

Your offer appeased him, and he was excited to start.

The pizzas turned out truly epic. You yourself kept yours fairly bog standard with cheese, sauce and pepperoni, while the others managed to create art. There were, of course, no anchovies involved.

It wasn't that Undyne wouldn't eat her 'own kind', no. She loved fish, even enjoying a spot of fishing at the local river in her downtime. It was Alphys who didn't like the idea. Of course Undyne had to make a crack about 'eating fish' while you were all present, turning Al into a ball of red and yellow. It took Pap a few minutes to get, but when he did. Heh.

Once they were all in the oven, you took a seat on one of the couches in the lounge, next to your boyfriend as Al set up the TV. She was streaming off her laptop, which was sitting off to the side of the room closed.

Maybe she should have opened it first, because the paused anime you were greeted with on the big screen definitely wasn't Pokemon.

Alphys let out a strangled squeak, her face flushing blood red when you were all confronted with a large chested 'schoolgirl', being penetrated in multiple holes by a slimy looking blue tentacle monster. It was almost too comical to make you blush. Undyne let out a howl of laughter at her fiance's panicked state. Papyrus had his hands clamped over his eye sockets, cheeks the colour of orange juice.

"Oh my god! Undyyyyne! WHY!?" Al cried, trying to get the image off the screen as she smashed buttons on the remote, the fish monster still crying with mirth. In her rush, Alphys had managed to hit play, and the room was filled with loud squelching noises and the cries of the woman on the screen. Poor, poor Alphys!

You got up out of your chair and calmly took the remote out of her shaking hands, tears falling down her face as she retracted in on herself. You found the pause button, and then turned the feed off. The room was once again quiet, bar Undyne's snorts.

"Undyne!" Al snapped, trying to hide her face. "That was so mean!"

"I'm sorry babe, I forgot all about that." Undyne said through stifled giggles. "Thought you'd have looked at your computer by now. I really am sorry."

She got up and picked Al up into a hug, rubbing her back as she pounded her little fists against the taller woman's muscly shoulders. She was laughing now as well, so it seemed no harm done.

Well, to the three women in the room anyway.

Papyrus looked mortified.

"Papy? You okay?" You asked as you approached him.

His voice was shaky, an octave higher than usual. "WHAT HAS BEEN SEEN.. OR HEARD.. CANNOT BE UNSEEN OR UNHEARD.. EVER!"

"Awww, Papy."

"I-IS IT GONE YET?"

You pulled his gloved hands away from his face, leaning in and leaving a gentle kiss on his nasal bone. It seemed to only make him more bashful.

Undyne put her fiance down, her hands on her hips as she looked over at her best friend. "What's up, Papy? Too much for your virgin senses? Fuhuhuhu!"

"Surprise Hentai is too much for anyone's senses. I never thought I would use that phrase, but here we are." You laughed, sitting back next to Pap as Al went to get her laptop.

After that affair, you finally got set up and started on Pokemon. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. You had managed to get through the first episode when the oven timer went off and you all piled into the kitchen to serve up your masterpieces.

You were busy looking for cutlery, when Undyne called your name.

"Hey, you need a fork? Here ya GO!"

She chucked it right at you, and without thinking you threw up a forest green shield, knocking it away into the wall next to where she was standing. It hit with a metallic thud, planted firmly into the gyprock.

No one said a word, until Undyne cackled.

"That was freaking SICK! Holy SHIT! That was the best shield magic I've ever SEEN!"

"UNDYNE! WHY ARE YOU THROWING SHARP UTENSILS AT MY HUMAN?" Papyrus growled, completely unlike himself. It even caught Undyne off guard as she gasped.

"Dude, chill! I had complete control over it. I wasn't gonna let it actually hit her." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked over at you, still in a defensive stance. "I just wanted to see her magic is all."

"WELL, YOU COULD HAVE JUST ASKED, LIKE A NORMAL PERSON! _____, ARE YOU OKAY?"

You stood up straight, putting on a smile. "I'm fine, Papy. It's okay. It kinda takes something like that for me to be able to put up a proper barrier. No harm done."

Papyrus side-eyed Undyne, who looked a little sheepish. "STILL.."

The tension in the room was palpable. From the way Undyne was reacting, maybe this was a side of Papyrus that was rarely, if ever seen. You felt bad, even though you weren't at fault.

"How about we dish up and go watch another episode?" You offered. Undyne seemed to ease up, knowing you weren't angry with her. Once you had all grabbed the grub, you took up your usual spots and went back to watching. Pap didn't seem to be too hungry, only eating half a slice of his pizza before putting it aside.

"Are you okay?" You asked, quietly enough so that only he could hear you. You needn't have bothered to keep your voice down, as the girls were completely engrossed in the show.

"I'M UPSET WITH UNDYNE AND HER FOOLISH ACTIONS." He muttered, not his usual booming voice, but not a whisper either. "WERE YOU NOT AMAZINGLY SKILLED IN YOUR MAGIC, SHE COULD HAVE REALLY HURT YOU. WE DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS IN CONTROL, AND WHO SAYS SHE COULDN'T HAVE LOST THAT CONTROL."

You sat up to kiss his cheekbone, feeling him noticeably deflate next to you.

"I understand. Just.. Let's not let a little mistake get in the way of our friendships, okay?"

He shrugged. "OH, I'M NOT. SHE IS STILL MY BEST FRIEND. I AM JUST TEMPORARILY ANGRY WITH HER."

"That's.. That's okay." You were relieved. Heh, maybe it took a lot more to really make Papyrus not like someone.

".. IT DID MAKE A PRETTY COOL NOISE, WHEN IT HIT THE WALL LIKE THAT."

"That's the spirit." You giggled, kissing his cheekbone again as you relaxed into each other, going back to the watching the show.

Alphys looked over to you, and when you smiled, she gave a nervous smile back. You didn't want anyone to think you were angry about what happened. On the contrary, it was pretty cool.

***

A few hours, and a few drinks later, everyone was back to their chipper selves. Papyrus and Undyne were even having a blast versing each other on SingStar.

They were loud, which seemed to make up for the fact that both were a little tone deaf. Not bad, per say, but a few missed notes made your ears hurt. Al had the foresight to grab a pair of fluffy cats ear earmuffs to wear. Smart cookie.

You were so hoping you would be able to sit this game out, but when a microphone was shoved into your hands, you realised it would be futile trying to fight them about it.

"Your turn NERD! Show us what those weird human air bags can do!"

Ground, open now and swallow you whole.

There were plenty of songs you could have picked, but finally you decided on "Lovefool" by the Cardigans. It only happened to be one of your all time favourite songs. Sappy 90's love ballads were your guilty pleasure.

You risked a look behind you as the music started. Great. Everyone was watching you so intently.

You could do this.

Just keep telling yourself that.

You put your heart and soul into singing it, less nerve wracking than trying to do it nervous and half-arsed, at least you could lose yourself in the song.

At least you managed to hit most of the notes. Kind of.

When you had finished, you twirled around to face your friends, who all looked at you with wonder.

"That was AWESOME PUNK!"

"Y-yeah, that was r-really good, _____."

You looked at your boyfriend, who was grinning ear hole to ear hole, his eye sockets glittering in the dark room.

"YOU. WERE. AMAZING! I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SUCH A TALENTED SINGER!"

"Aww, c'mon guys. It wasn't that good.."

"NONSENSE!" Pap said, standing and crossing the room to hug you. "YOU ARE PERFECTLY AMAZING IN EVERY SINGLE WAY! AND I WON'T HEAR ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY!"

"Paaap.."

God, you didn't deserve this pure soul.

"Alright lovebirds!" Undyne sang as she stood up. "Time to set out the beds! Pap, can you go grab the vacuum? You know where it is."

A few minutes later, you were on your knees trying to fill an inflatable mattress with the dodgiest little vacuum you'd ever seen. It had no power behind it, and it was taking for-ev-er.

By the time you had filled your own bed half way, both Undyne and Papyrus had filled their own, plus Alphys', using breath alone. You were impressed with their lung capacity. Well, in Pap's case, his lack of.

"I WON! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus yelled prematurely, leaning on the unstopped mattress and losing some air. "AWWW, NO!"

"HA! That means I WIN!" Undyne guffawed, as Pap went back to filling his mattress back up. The way they would constantly compete against each other, even in small things like this, was kinda cute.

They must have gotten impatient, because before long they were practically fighting over who would get to finish blowing up your mattress. Pap seemed to claim victory, picking up your bed and filling it easily.

You were impressed, and it must have shown on your face because when he looked at you, he went a little bit shy.

"NYEH, Y-YOUR BED IS READY NOW."

"Thank you, Papy. I couldn't have done it without you."

"NYEEEH.."

Undyne insisted that your bed go next to Pap's, making him flush with colour as he placed the air mattress down. This would be your first time sleeping near him, bar that time you both fell asleep on the couch after that nightmare you had. Maybe because it had been so spontaneous you'd not really thought that much into it.

A change of clothes later and you were more than ready to get under your covers. It had been a long day, and sleep was looking more and more appealing the longer it went on. You had just popped off to go to the bathroom when you bumped into your bone friend in the hall. The first thing that caught your eye was the tank top he was wearing, something you'd not seen him in yet. It was a dark grey, and tight against his chest, the outlines of his bones visible through the fabric. You had to shake your head a little before you looked up at his face. He seemed a little tense as he apologised.

"IT SEEMS UNDYNE HAS DECIDED THAT WE, UH, THAT OUR BEDS WILL BE TOGETHER.."

"Is that okay? If you'd feel more comfortable I could maybe sleep up on the couch. Then you'd have lots of room."

He started to wring his hands, looking anywhere but your face. "THAT IS NOT WHAT.. I DO NOT MIND SLEEPING WITH YOU- I MEAN NEAR YOU! NEAR YOU.. I JUST.." His hands fell back down to his sides as he sighed. "I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO GET CUDDLY IN MY SLEEP."

Bless his soul.

"Well, maybe if we started cuddling before we went to sleep, then it wouldn't be as much of a surprise when we wake up."

There was that orange again.

"THAT DOES MAKE SENSE. I GUESS WE COULD C-CUDDLE."

You stood up on your toes to peck him on the cheek, before zipping past to the bathroom. You would have stayed longer, but nature called.

***

When you returned to the lounge, all of the pillows and blankets were already set out. Pap was sitting on the couch, while Undyne had seemingly already passed out under her blankets. Alphys was sat next to her reading until you walked in.

"U-undyne said to say g-goodnight."

"I wish I could fall asleep that fast." You whispered as Al put her book down, saying goodnight herself as she disappeared under her own blanket. You turned to look at Papyrus, who was bouncing his leg as he sat back on the sofa. "Sleepy yet?"

"YES, I AM A LITTLE TIRED. IT IS PAST MY USUAL BEDTIME AFTER ALL." He said with a yawn, stretching his arms up with a loud pop. "OH, EXCUSE ME."

You did the same, your tired joints giving off a less powerful noise, but popping all the same.

"W-WAS THAT YOUR SKELETON?"

"Yep.. Well, kinda. It was the gas build up between my bones. Which is why I'm not sure how yours make the same noises. Magic?"

He seemed to look at you funny when you said that, almost like he was rolling his eyes.

"I GUESS SO. YOU'VE BEEN HANGING AROUND SANS TOO LONG. THAT IS HIS ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING!"

"It's the answer though, right?"

He crossed his arms, grinning. "WELL, YES. I SUPPOSE."

You giggled quietly, patting the mattress next to you, and he got up and sat down on his own bed.

"SO! TIME TO SLEEP! WOWIE, LOOK AT THE TIME!"

"Papyrus?"

"Y-YES?"

You giggled. "You're gonna wake them up if you're too loud."

"OH! UH, YES.. RIGHT. I MUST USE MY NIGHT TIME VOICE." It wasn't much quieter, but it didn't seem to be bothering the two sleeping monsters across from you anyway.

"Alrighty, time for sleep. C'mere."

He laid down on his back on his own side, and you shuffled over to rest under his arm, your own draped across his chest as you relaxed into his side, sighing happily. He was warm and the sound of his soul instantly made you feel at peace. "Good night, Papy. Sweet dreams."

He placed his gloved hand across yours, finally making himself comfortable. "G-GOODNIGHT _____.. YOU TOO."

You had never fallen asleep so fast before.

***

Your tinkling alarm woke you up.

You reached over to turn it off before it woke anyone else up. You would have to pop home soon to get ready for work. It was way too early to be conscious, but you didn't want to risk being late.

When the sound stopped, you sighed, rolling back over to snuggle up to your boyfriend. He was on his side, facing you as he snored softly. His closed eye sockets flickering every now and then. Was he dreaming? He looked so very sweet.

God, stop watching him while he's asleep, you weirdo.

When you looked up, you saw Al sitting on the couch, she was already dressed in a lab coat and was looking through her phone. When she noticed you were awake, she smiled softly.

"Undyne got c-called into work extra early. There's a bad cold going around her office and since she's the only one w-who can't catch, they're working her extra hard. Uh, th-there's coffee. She made some before she left." She looked back down at her phone, before grinning and turning a little red. "Y-you should probably check your ph-phone. U-undyne was taking pictures a-and sending them to you."

Wait, what kind of pictures. You grabbed your phone, and sure enough there were notifications for picture messages. You took another suspicious glance up at Alphys, who was staring into her phone like nothing else existed, still beet red under her yellow scales.

You opened the thread, and let out a gasp. She had taken a bunch of pictures of you and Pap while you were both asleep. Apparently he wasn't lying when he said he had a tendency to cuddle in his sleep. There were so many incriminating shots, all captioned with cheeky emoticons and words from Undyne. God, your face was burning at some of them.

"Oh my god! Al! Why didn't you stop her?"

You couldn't help but smile a little. You both looked so sweet sleeping. Maybe not the third picture, but the rest..

"I t-tried!" Al squeaked. She had finally glanced up from her screen. "Undyne has a-an iron will. When she wants to do something it's hard t-to stop her."

"Al.. Did she send these to anyone else?"

The small lizard woman averted her gaze.

"Y-yeah.."

"Who?"

She tried to smile, but it was forced. "Papyrus.. b-but that's all!" She added quickly as your jaw fell. Awww, no! Pap would be mortified!

"Ugh, this is just what I needed to wake up to. Sorry for sounding angry, Al. Remind me to give Undyne a good, strong pinch next time I see her, okay?"

Al's smile turned genuine, her red flush going down a little as you both laughed. A low whine was heard from beside you, as Papyrus finally woke up.

"WH-WHAT TIME IS IT?"

You glanced down at your phone. "5:35. Sorry if we woke you."

He sat up, rubbing his eye sockets with the heels of his palms. "DO NOT BE SORRY. I TOLD YOU I DON'T MIND WAKING TO YOUR LAUGHTER."

Al let out a soft "Awwwww, nante amai no!" as you kissed him good morning.

"Uh, Pap, don't be alarmed, but, uh.." You grimaced. "Undyne took some sneaky pictures of us last night and sent them to us."

His cheeks flared up with colour so quickly, it was like you'd blinked. "OH.. OH NO!"

He scrambled over to where his phone was charging, picking it up and opening the messages, the colour only getting darker as he scrolled.

"UNDYNE! YOU SCALLYWAG! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THIS!" He was aghast, letting his phone slide out of his hand as he groaned, his hand across his eye sockets. "PLEASE TELL ME THAT SHE DIDN'T SEND THESE TO ANYONE ELSE."

"Only us, Pap. Don't worry, we can work together to get her back for it. Maybe we can put salt in her coffee or something." You chuckled, trying to let him know it wasn't as big of a deal as you both first thought it was. He seemed to relax, almost grinning while he thought of a suitable revenge.

"NYEH HEH! MAYBE WE CAN PUT SALT IN HER SHAMPOO AS WELL! A MASTERFUL PLAN CONCOCTED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND HIS BEAUTIFUL MATE!"

You weren't sure if that would have the same punch, but agreed anyway. Maybe her conditioner too.

"Sounds like a plan, Papy. Al, wanna join in on our conniving?"

She looked up from her screen. "M-maybe.. I guess it can be p-payback for her setting my laptop up like that. O-okay, count me in!"

Chapter Text

Salt in the sugar jar. Salt in the shampoo and conditioner. Hell, even salt in her protein shake mix. It's not like it worked for her, being made of magic and all. Undyne claimed she liked it for the taste, but you had a feeling it may have been an image thing too. By the time the three of you had finished, there was salt everywhere. Papyrus even placed some on the floor in front of the door to greet her when she came home.

Of course, you had already assured Alphys that you and Papyrus would take the rap for your pranking and would come back to clean up afterwards. She had started to have reservations when you were halfway through seasoning her laundry.

By the time you were done, you were definitely cutting it close for getting to work on time.

"I think I should head off. I dunno if I'll be able to shower, but I gotta go grab my clothes for work. I start at 7:30, and that's a half hour away." You rattled off to Papyrus as he finished adding salt to the blades of the ceiling fan. Clever.

After changing into your clothes from yesterday, you jumped into the car and Pap drove you home, giving you a chaste kiss and complementing you on your pranking skills before he left. If you got dressed and waited until you got to the cafe to have breakfast, you might make it.

You weren't counting on running into your new neighbour.

"Ah, _____! How are you doing?"

"Franz! Oh, I'm doing well. How about you?"

He shrugged, a bright white smile shone back at you. "Ah, can't complain.. Hey, that's that Spider bakery down on the main street, isn't it? I've been meaning to check it out!" He said when he noticed your uniform. There was a little cupcake with spiders legs embroidered on the pocket. Muffet's was written in flowing cursive underneath.

"Yeah, you should come down some time. I'm sure I can get you a little something on the house. Y'know, as thanks for coming to check on me."

He waved you off with a kind gesture, still all smiles. "Don't worry about it. Thanks for the thought. I might pop down later. Now, I get the feeling you're running a little behind schedule, so I won't keep you waiting any longer. See you later!"

He popped back into his apartment, and once his door closed with a click, you bolted for the stairs. The elevator would take too long.

You made great time getting to the cafe, but as a result you looked and felt terrible. You clung to the wall of the locker room, panting and trying to get some oxygen back into your extremities. God, running was never fun. When you looked over, Gloria was standing in the doorway, softly giggling behind her hand. "You made it just in time!"

"Thank god!" You gasped, sitting down on a chair as she opened your locker and got your apron and tools out for you. You had both given each other your combinations, just in case.

"You rest for a minute, sweetness. I'll go start on the icing."

You thanked her breathlessly and she left.

When feeling finally came back to your fingers and toes, you got up and went to the bathrooms. It was a shared staff and customer setup, so you tried not to take too long. Once you had made yourself presentable, you walked back out onto the floor and began pulling chairs down off the tables. While Lo was taking care of your duties, you may as well take care of hers.

"Oh, sweetness? Where ar- Hey! What do you think you're doing?" The tiny blonde playfully scolded as she came over and took the chair you were holding out of your hands. You gave her a guilty smile as she shooed you away, back into the kitchen. Most of the icing was done, but there were still a few batches of muffins that needed to be put onto the display trays for the front counter.

The rest of your shift, you were pretty much you on autopilot. Until you saw a familiar face walk through the front doors.

"Hey Franz!"

He lit up when he saw you, walking over to look into the many displays of baked confectioneries.

"Good afternoon, _____. Ooh, what's that one? It looks tasty."

"Spider donut." You answered, taking one out of the display and reaching out to hand it to him on a piece of brown paper. "Here!"

He looked from the treat to you, smiling and shaking his head. "I'm gonna pay for it whether you like it or not."

"Pay for what?" You giggled, as he took the donut from you. "Please, my shout."

He finally relented, ordering a cup of coffee to make up for not paying for the donut. When he took a bite, his eyebrows shot up. "This IS tasty."

After a little more idle chatter, you directed him to one of the tables and set to making his coffee. He really seemed like a nice guy. Probably at least a generation older than you were, but someone you wouldn't mind being friends with.

You were rocked out of your thoughts by a loud greeting directed at you.

"Oh! Papyrus! Hi!"

He walked up to the counter, dressed nicely in some dress pants and a long sleeved orange button up. His trademark red scarf fluttering behind him. He had been going to a few job interviews, trying to find something akin to what he did in the underground. It was almost a shame. He would make a great security guard, but everywhere he'd tried had sent him away. Something about being too lenient with the scenarios he'd answer as part of the interviews. He was sweet to a fault.

"GREETINGS, MY LOVELY MATE! I HAVE COME TO GET SOME COFFEE AND A SNACK BEFORE I GO OFF TO MY JOB INTERVIEW. I KNOW THIS WILL BE THE ONE. I FEEL IT IN MY BO- SCRATCH THAT.." He said, looking like he was disappointed in himself. It was fleeting, as his smile picked back up.

You giggled. Sure, Papyrus was okay with a really good pun - like, a really, really well done one - but it was bone puns that he utterly detested. You had a feeling you knew why, but never really thought to ask. "One coffee coming up! Pick whatever you'd like, honey. My treat!"

He ended up going with a cinnamon and apple muffin. Something simple and not too sweet.

"I'll get your coffee done in a second, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to."

You picked up Franz' coffee, taking it over to him and finding he had been watching the whole exchange.

"Franz, this is my boyfriend, Papyrus. Papy, this is my next door neighbour. The one who came to make sure I was okay."

Papyrus all but grabbed the other mans outstretched hand in both of his, shaking it enthusiastically.

"IT IS WONDERFUL TO MEET YOU! I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR LOOKING OUT FOR MY MATE WHILE I AM NOT AROUND."

Franz seemed to take the whole thing in stride, as he smiled up at the tall skeleton. "Really, it's no biggie. I'm glad to meet you, and I'm glad to have helped out." He smiled at you as he said it. Warm, almost fatherly.

Papyrus looked like he was thinking hard, before grinning ear hole to ear hole. "THIS CALLS FOR A BATCH OF FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI!"

"Friendship.. Spaghetti?" Franz crooked a brow as he glanced at you. You were trying to not laugh.

"Dinner. It's a tradition, when a new friend is made, Pap cooks a wonderful Spaghetti dinner for them. I remember mine, it was a-ma-zing."

Pap seemed to glow at your praise, his scarf flicking up around him, even though there wasn't any kind of breeze in the shop.

"That sounds.. Thank you, I would really love that." Franz said softly, his smile almost bittersweet.

"THEN THAT SETTLES IT!"

"Maybe we should have it at mine." You offered. "That way you don't have to travel too far and Sans has to actually come be social." You grinned, hearing a light giggle from where Gloria was stood at the counter.

You turned to wave over the blonde, and she quickly joined your little group.

"This is Franz, my next door neighbour. This is my best friend Gloria. Lo, wanna come over for dinner at mine some time? Maybe Sans will turn up if you're there. Oh, Sans is Pap's brother." You added, so that Franz wasn't so lost with all these new names.

"Hi! Nice to meet you, and yes! I would love to! He promised he'd show me his magic sometime."

"SANS? ACTUALLY OFFERING TO PUT EFFORT INTO SOMETHING? WHAT IS THIS STRANGE FEMININE HOLD YOU HAVE OVER HIM?" Papyrus said with a completely straight face. "IT WOULD COME IN USEFUL IN GETTING HIM TO DO THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE."

Lo blushed, excusing herself and heading back to the counter to serve a few customers.

Papyrus soon left for his interview, taking his food and drink to go as he jogged back to his car. You had wished him only the best luck, but something in your soul twinged, knowing that it was probably going to be yet another bust.

Eventually Franz also took his leave, thanking you again for the invite, and the donut. You made a plan to call him or come see him when you'd organised an evening for friendship spaghetti.

By the time you had finished your shift, you were running on fumes. So caught up in racing around and talking to friends, you had completely forgotten to eat. Even your break was spent gossiping with Lo and sitting around. This was not a habit you should be forming.

Grabbing some leftover pizza out of your fridge, you threw it in the microwave and waited, absentmindedly healing a few little scratches and burns you had acquired throughout the day. Once you were fed, you threw yourself onto your bed, not even bothering with changing or pulling back the sheets.

Maybe Sans' habits were wearing off on you.

Oh well.

You were just starting to doze off, when your phone buzzed from your pocket.

[Fish Warrior] THE FUCK DID ALL THIS SALT COME FROM!?!?!

Chapter Text

Alphys had found an old half-dead laptop for you to use for your 'research'. You didn't want to be using your own computer when you went looking for information. Plus, this way you could set it up just how you needed without worrying about your own computer catching something nasty.

You finally had everything the way you wanted.

No time like the present.

Right now it was getting dark.

You opened the computer, sitting it up in your lap. You had propped your back up against the couch, your butt on the floor. Might as well get comfortable.

You had taken all the precautions you could. You were going through proxies, on a connection from a prepaid mobile card that wasn't linked to you in any way. There was only so much you could do to protect yourself, if someone really wanted to know, there were ways.

Opening up the browser, you started to dig a little. You tried keyword after keyword, trying to get a foot in the door. After about 20 minutes you had made a little progress, and now you were sitting chasing links.

Another link led to another page of links and useless info. This repeated over and over again. Ugh, this was getting ridiculous. You were about ready to just pack it in and give up when another link caught your eye. Okay, maybe one more try.

Oh.

This looked promising.

"M.O.N.S.T.E.R.S?" It was all for aesthetics, as you couldn't find anything that abbreviated to that.

Next to the banner was their logo, and it looked just like the pins.

"Aha!" You yelled out into your dark lounge room, slapping your hand over your mouth when you realised how loud you were. The last thing you wanted was to worry you neighbour again.

You sat and scanned the pages, looking for any important information you or your friends could use. Mostly it was anit-monster rhetoric and blabbering on about their 'cause'. AKA racist drivel. You did find that in order to get a pin, you had to make a $500+ donation per month. Heh, you didn't feel any sympathy for those being scammed out of their money.

It wasn't until you were a few pages in that you found something worth reading.

They were planning a meetup.

You quickly jotted down the information that was there. It stated that you had to contact the person running this shit show in order to get the address, date and time, but just knowing there was going to be a whole lot of these scummy people in one place gave you uncomfortable chills.

You spent the next 15 minutes or so going through every page you could get to. Some were password protected, so you didn't even touch those.

When your phone rang out in the semi-darkness, it genuinely spooked you. It was probably Alphys, checking in to see if you'd found anything yet. You were not, however, expecting a deep, muffled voice on the other end.

"Shouldn't poke around where you don't belong, _____ _________. This is your second warning. Traitor."

The line went dead, and your blood ran cold. The phone dropped out of your shaking hand and onto the cushion next to you.

Now they knew who you were, and that you were snooping.

You quickly turned off the laptop, holding down the power button and ripping the battery out when you were done.

So, they had your number, your full name, and your old address. What other information did they have about you.

You didn't feel so safe in your rooms.

You picked your phone back up, flicking to your contacts and calling the one person you felt safe with.

"Please be up, Pap.. Pleeaaaase!"

The ringing cut off, and he answered.

"_____?" He sounded drowsy, like he had just been woken up. "IT IS VERY LATE. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

You couldn't stop tears from falling. "P-papy.."

You heard scuffling and a thud. It sounded like he had fallen right out of bed. "ARE YOU CRYING? WHAT IS WRONG?"

"I need to come over. I.. I'll e-explain when I get there. Could you p-please wake Sans up to come get me? I wouldn't normally ask b-but.."

"I'M ALREADY IN HIS ROOM. BROTHER? BROTHER, WAKE UP THIS INSTANT. YOU NEED TO GO GET _____, SHE IS IN TROUBLE! WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU NOW?"

"In m-my flat."

"SANS, SHE IS IN HER FLA- OKAY HE SHOULD BE THERE."

"kid, what's goin' on? why di- shit, are you okay?" Sans blipped into your lounge, finding you slouched on the floor, the laptop in pieces before you, your eyes streaming.

"I did something stupid, Sans, and now they know!" You cried, your distress coming off you in waves.

He squatted down next to you, running a calming hand across your back. "what do ya mean? who knows? what did you do?"

"I was looking for information on the deep web, and I found some stuff, but then someone called me and threatened me. They know who I am! What if they know where I live? What if.." You went pale with your realisation. "What if they know where you and Pap.. Oh god! What have I done?"

"calm down. just breathe, okay? maybe they were just tryin' to spook ya, and it worked." His voice was soft and soothing, and soon you were only sobbing a little bit.

You completely forgot that Pap was on the line, only remembering when you heard yelling coming through the phone. You picked it up, holding it away from your ear. "Papy, I'm okay. Sans is here."

"OH THANK GOD! I HEARD TALKING BUT I COULDN'T MAKE OUT WHAT WAS BEING SAID. ARE YOU STILL COMING HERE? I SHALL PREPARE MY BED FOR YOU TO SLEEP IN."

You let him know you were coming, and he hung up. When you turned to Sans, you thought you saw anger. It was fleeting, now he just looked concerned.

"did ya wanna grab anything before we leave? did ya want me to get rid'a that thing?" He motioned to the parts of the laptop, and you nodded. "ok. i'll take this and dump it somewhere. ya grab your stuff then we'll head back."

A blue light hovered over the bottom of the computer, and the screws started to come undone. With a flash of blue, the hard drive was out and split in half.

"there. that takes care of that. hope ya didn't have anything ya wanted on there. guess i shoulda asked first." He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked down at the now destroyed hard drive in his hand. You assured him it was no loss, and then he left with the rest of the laptop. You went into your room and grabbed handfuls of clothes to put into your backpack, including your work clothes. Just in case.

By the time you had returned to the lounge, Sans had come back in a small burst of blue and white.

"got everything?" He asked, and you nodded. You decided to leave your phone behind for now. He took your hand, and within a second you were stood in his apartment. When Papyrus heard the noises from the lounge, he ran out, throwing his arms around you in a massive hug.

"OH! I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE OKAY! ARE YOU HURT? WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAS MADE YOU SO UPSET?" He bent down to look straight into your eyes, and you felt your resolve start to crumble. Sans sensed your discomfort, and decided to distract.

"hey bro, maybe we should let her get some rest. she can tell us tomorrow mornin'. that sound good, kiddo?"

You nodded, wrapping your arms around your boyfriend's chest and listening to his soul. The calm you felt was instantaneous.

"HMM, PERHAPS YOU ARE RIGHT, BROTHER. COME _____, I HAVE MADE UP MY BED FOR YOU. I WILL TAKE THE COUCH SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE A NIGHT OF PEACEFUL, UNINTERRUPTED SLUMBER!"

He led you to his room, as Sans headed for his own, yawning and stretching his bones.

"I HAVE GATHERED EXTRA PILLOWS AND BLANKETS, SO THAT THE BED WILL BE AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU." He smiled, but it was tinted with sadness. "ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE ALL RIGHT?"

"I'll be okay. I just had a bad scare. I promise I'll explain everything in the morning. I just.. I just need some sleep."

"... I UNDERSTAND." Papyrus cooed, rubbing your back as he held you against him. He was wearing that same grey tank top he wore at Anime night. You could feel his ribs pressing against the flesh of your cheek. You really didn't want him to go just yet.

"Uh, Pap?"

"NYES?" He asked, looking down at you.

"Can.. I mean, would you stay here with me?"

His cheekbones turned bright, as he seemed to think it over.

"Y-YES, I WILL STAY HERE WITH YOU TO COMFORT YOU AFTER THIS TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. AS YOUR BOYFRIEND, IT IS MY DUTY TO CONSOLE YOU WITH SNUGGLES AND KISSES!" He pecked the top of your head, hugging you tighter as you softly giggled. He was the sweetest. "I AM AFRAID THAT MY BED IS ONLY BIG ENOUGH FOR ONE SKELETON, NOT A SKELETON AND A PRETTY HUMAN, SO WE MIGHT NEED TO SQUEEZE IN CLOSE TOGETHER. I-IS THAT ALRIGHT?"

"Fine." You stood up to leave a kiss on his forehead, right between his eye sockets. The act caused him to flush even darker.

You both climbed into the bed, clambering over and through the piles of soft additions Papyrus had made. A few bigger pillows were relegated to the floor in order to give you both room to sleep.

The bed below you was still warm from Papyrus sleeping on it earlier. The thick blankets kept the heat in nicely.

"THERE, I HOPE THIS IS COMFORTABLE FOR YOU."

"It sure is, Papy. Are you comfortable?" You turned to look over your shoulder to the Skeleton playing big spoon. His colour flared as he buried his face into the loose hair at your neck.

"NYEH.. VERY.."

Even after such a fright, being next to him let you fall asleep easily.

***

"hey guys, i made some breakfast and- oh.. heh. i'll leave you kids be, huh?"

The door was shut again before you could say anything, only being able to catch Sans blue faced grin as he disappeared through the crack. You shook your head, wondering what was up with him. You went to roll over, only to find yourself pinned by the arm over you.

The skeletal arm that was now up your shirt and over your..

Oh.

You flushed with colour, ever so gently pulling Pap's hand out from beneath your t-shirt. It must have been an accident, he was still snoring, completely dead to the world.

Maybe you would forgo telling him about his wandering hand, save him a little bit of embarrassment.

It was still pretty early, even by Papyrus time. The birds were singing in the trees outside, the morning light still blue and orange as it crept through the window. Slowly you extracted yourself from under the covers, being careful not to wake him. You needed to have a little chat with Sans before you explained last night to both brothers.

Sans was sitting at the dining table, a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him, as well as some paperwork for his new job. Of course, after the shopping incident, he had quit his security gig and looked for something a little less taxing on his energy. He managed to find work fairly quickly, now about to start his first day in tech support.

You did not envy him.

"Uh, morning Sans.. About before-"

He shut you up with a deep chuckle. "no sweat kid. jus' wasn't expectin' to walk in on my lil' bro coppin' a feel in his sleep. heh."

You could feel your skin burning, and he slid a plate of food towards you as you sat down.

"i take it ya aren't up to second base yet? well, awake anyway!" He winked, making you groan into your bacon.

"Sans, this is so embarrassing!"

"i know."

"You can be a real butt sometimes."

"maybe next time you'll wake up and find his hands around yours."

"Sans! Stop. Please?"

"GOOD MORNING!"

You tried to swallow your awkwardness, turning in your seat to wish him good morning. Pap took a seat and started into the plate Sans passed him.

"DID YOU SLEEP WELL? I DO HOPE THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM FOR YOU. I MAY BE THIN, BUT I TEND TO TAKE UP A LOT OF ROOM."

"you even take up room under her clothes, bro." Sans mumbled into his coffee, his grin devious as you stared him down. The comment went completely over Pap's head.

"Uh, yeah, I slept great! Thank you for keeping me company."

He puffed out his chest. "IT WAS MY PLEASURE!" Sans snorted, you glared, and Papyrus continued. "YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD SLEEPING BUDDY. NOW, WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT THAT HAD YOU SO UPSET?"

Not gonna beat around the bush, hey Pap.

"I did something stupid.." You started, earning a raised eyebrow from your bone beau. "I tried going into the deep web to find information about the anti-monster group that's started up recently and-"

"WHAT!?" Pap stood up, the table and plates shook as he pushed it up in his rush to stand. "B-BUT THAT'S DANGEROUS! WHAT IF.. WAIT, IS THAT WHY ALPHYS LENT YOU THE COMPUTER? SHE SAID IT WAS FOR RESEARCH."

"Pap, did Al tell you that-"

"SHE HAD TOLD ME SOMEONE SHE KNOWS WAS PLANNING TO DO IT, AND TOLD ME NOT TO TELL ANYONE." He looked completely exasperated. Bending down so that he was level with you, he laid his hands gently onto your now trebling shoulders. "WHY WOULD YOU PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER LIKE THAT? ALPHYS TOLD ME THAT PEOPLE CAN GET KI-.. WHY!?"

The floodgates broke down, and you exploded into desperate tears.

"I-I'm s-so-orry!" You wailed, as Papyrus instinctively pulled you to his chest, shushing you and rubbing your back. "I just f-feel so useless!"

"kid, you're not useless.." Sans gasped, still a little taken back by your reaction. "you're more help than ya know.."

"No, I'm not!" You cried, wetting Papyrus' tank top with your tears. "And now I've gone and fucked everything up even more! I'm so fucking stupid!"

"_____, LOOK AT ME!"

You slowly lifted your head from his chest, looking up into his face. He looked a mix of angry and devastated.

"P-papy.."

"YOU ARE NOT STUPID, SO DON'T TALK LIKE THAT." He sighed, rubbing your shoulders in light circles. "IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, I WOULD BE NOTHING BUT DUST!"

"pap.." Sans interrupted with a pained squeak, but was ignored.

"YOU HAVE BEEN MORE THAN HELPFUL TO US, MY MATE. OUR LIVES ARE BETTER FOR HAVING YOU IN THEM. PLEASE DON'T CRY."

You sniffed back another sob, as he gently ran his fingers through your hair. How did he manage to always calm you down so easily? "I'm sorry.."

"NO MORE SORRIES. OH! I WILL MAKE YOU SOME TEA. I WILL BE RIGHT BACK!"

He let go, heading into the kitchen while you took your seat at the table again. When you finally looked up at Sans, he sighed.

"did'ya manage to find anything while you were lookin'? hate to think all of this was in vain, y'know?"

"Uh.. Oh! Yes! I found their webpage. Most of it was locked down, but there were a few things out in the open. Like, the pins. To get one you need to donate $500 a month. What a rip, ha!"

Sans played with his food, a soft grin forming. "heh, sounds about right. a fool and his money are easily parted."

"I also found out that there's going to be a gathering somewhere soon. That's all I could find."

"shit, we don't want that many sheeple in one place. ugh. i'll pass this on to tori an' asgore when i see them. might head over tonight, if ya still wanted to come with. might be worth lettin' them know everything that's happenin'."

Papyrus came back into the room, placing a steaming cup of tea down before you.

"Thanks sweetheart."

He gave you a toothy yet soft kiss on the cheek as he took up the seat beside you, going back to his food.

The tea was heavenly, just the right amount of sugar and milk. It was the little things that made you realise just how much you adored him.

Sans clearing his throat brought you out of your thoughts. "uh, so, pap.. undyne got back to me about that position opening up where she works. i mean, now that i got this gig, i reckon you should give it a shot instead."

Papyrus snapped to attention, swallowing his breakfast animatedly before beaming. "OH! YOU THINK SO? WHAT IS THE JOB?"

"same shit that she does, 'cept more desk stuff. kinda like a glorified security guard."

"Undyne's a cop, right?" You interrupted, joining in the conversation. Sans nodded.

"yep. her station is lookin' for new recruits and stuff. reckon it would be good for ya, pap."

"I WILL GIVE HER A CALL LATER AND PUT FORTH MY INTEREST."

"cool."

The three of you went back to eating in comfortable silence. Something about these two always left you feeling safe. You enjoyed the feeling, because who knows how long it would last.

Chapter Text

"So, this is not the first run in you have had with these people.." Toriel spoke softly, pouring a cup of tea for you and Sans as you waited for Asgore to get home. He had been held back with a meeting, but Sans thought he should give a rundown of events to Toriel before he did arrive.

"Yeah, I've had my 'second warning'." You said, holding up your hands in finger quotes. "I guess I'm already in the thick of it, so there's not much I can really do now."

The kindly goat monster studied your face as she took a seat across from you. "As reckless as it was, I do appreciate you trying to gather information for us. Small as this news is, it is still something we can work with. I will pass all of our discussions onto Undyne and Alphys after we are done. Maybe Undyne can use her position to her advantage." She took a long sip of tea, thinking. "Well, until Frisk's father returns, we shall discuss things of a more pleasant nature. My child, how is your relationship with Papyrus progressing? Are you both happy?"

"I don't think happy is at all strong enough to describe it." You smiled, swirling your tea in the cup sitting at your lap. "Things are going really great!"

Sans snorted, loudly enough for you both to glance at him.

"Do you know something we do not, Sans? A bit of gossip, maybe?" She smirked at you, and you felt your cheeks start to burn.

"seems pap isn't as innocent as we all thought.. while he's asleep, anyway."

"Saaaans, why?"

The Queen giggled into her hand. "Ah, young love. Sans, do be nice to them. I'm sure they will soon be able to tease you. Who exactly is Gloria, if I may ask? My dear Frisk was talking about them last night, and it seems they are very important to you."

It was Sans' turn to flush, rubbing the back of his skull as you snickered into your tea.

"uh, girl i've been seeing for a li'l while. Friend of _____'s."

You snorted into your drink again, giving him a raised brow. "Oh, Sans. Just be honest with yourself. You're in lo-o-o-ove."

He looked like he wanted to sock you as you and Tori laughed.

"Oh my, from your reaction I see you are quite smitten with this girl. I do hope you will introduce us some day."

"yeah, sure thing tori.. uh, so hows the school goin'? they still lookin' for teachers?"

You slowly tuned out of the conversation, twisting the ornate teacup in your hands to busy your body and mind. You were still a little nervous about explaining yourself to the King of the Monsters. Doesn't matter that you'd already made friends, he still intimidated you. No matter how much Sans, Pap and the Queen told you to feel otherwise. Hell you had been worried enough telling Toriel what you had done, but that was more because she had become somewhat of a mother figure in your life. You feared to disappoint her.

By the time Asgore had finally showed, your hands were visibly twitching.

"kid? y'okay?"

A bony hand on your shoulder snapped you back to reality. Thankfully Toriel had busied herself with going to great her husband as your shaking started to get bad. He shot you a reassuring smile.

"he's just king fluffybuns. ya met him before, haven't ya? got nothin' to worry about."

"I just don't want to upset everyone."

He lifted a brow bone. "ya not upsettin' anyone. worryin' us t' dust, sure, but we're grateful. believe me. just tell him what ya told tori and you'll be fine."

He squeezed your shoulder before letting go to slump back in his own chair. You were still sitting stiff in your own.

As the towering Goat Monster walked into the lounge, you couldn't help but feel intimidated. Toriel was tall. Asgore was tall. The house had to be built specially for the both of them. Most standard buildings had them both ducking through doorways, and in one unfortunate house viewing, Asgore had put two large holes in a ceiling because he stood up too quickly. That did not go over well with the owner.

"Ah, it has been a while since we have seen each other, young one. I trust you are well? Sans, behaving yourself?" Asgore chuckled, taking a seat in a large padded recliner as Toriel passed him a cup of tea. "Oh, thank you dear. So, what have you both been up to since we last met, hmmm? Sans, you sounded like you had something you needed to tell me."

Sans scratched the back of his skull, making a noise akin to nails scratching a chalk board. "eh, heh.. 'bout that. we actually have some info on these pins that have been showin' up. _____ was doing some investigatin' and she found out that it's a hate group responsible. they're plannin' on havin' a meet up some time, so that could be bad news for us, or some unwittin' monster who gets too close."

Asgore's cheery smile fell, showing just how tired of all this he was. He blinked slowly and sighed.

"I see. This is exactly what I was hoping would not happen. Tell me, child, how did you come across this information. I have some of my ex-Royal Guards investigating, and we have come up empty handed so far."

Toriel placed a hand on her husband's arm, taking up the seat beside him. "She used the human internet, but a part that can only be seen by hiding your self from being able to be identified. Sadly, she was discovered nonetheless."

Asgore frowned. "They were able to work out that it was you? Hmmm.. Are you alright? They have not done anything to harm you, or have alluded intent to harm? I would hate to see you in any danger because of us, child."

You let out a soft sigh.

"They already know who I am, and a few things about me. They're the same people who trashed my apartment, and the same ones who hurt Papyrus. I'm sure of it."

You all sat in tense silence for a moment, Asgore sipping at his tea and stroking his beard, his eyes planted firmly on the cup he was holding.

You leaned forward to pick up a biscuit, when Asgore placed a large, soft hand over yours.

"You have no idea how much you have helped us, even now. I just ask that you stay safe. You mean an awful lot to a lot of us, and if harm was to befall you.." He paused, looking you in the eyes as he smiled sadly. "You will keep yourself safe, will you not?"

You could feel the hot sting of waxing tears, but you pushed them back with a smile. "Of course, Asgore. I'd rather not get myself into any more trouble.. More so than what I have to deal with now. I'll be careful."

He gave your hand a gentle pat, before pulling his back and motioning to the cookies placed out on the table. "Please, have as many as you like. Toriel bakes them herself, aren't they just marvelous?"

You had already stuffed one into your gob, grinning around it and nodding, making the four of you laugh.

You finished telling them everything you had managed to find, and the details of your run ins with the members of this group. Even Asgore, the King of uncreative naming schemes had a giggle at the name they'd picked. "What, not even a proper anagram? At least I put a little thought into my choices."

The conversation carried on lightly until a news report on the TV caught the attention of your group.

".. Eye witnesses say that the monster was attempting to flee the group, but was overpowered and beaten before bystanders were able to intervene. Police have no leads on the perpetrators, but would like to assure the public - especially any monsters watching - that a full scale investigation will be sought. The monster in question has been taken into a local hospital. Their current condition at this time, is critical. Amy Jones for Channel 7 News."

No one spoke for a good 30 seconds, when Sans finally let out an agitated huff.

"can't say i'm not surprised. they're startin' to get real ballsy."

You shook your head. "I feel so bad for the monster and their family. I hope the're okay."

"I have had to send too many flowers to hospitals in the last few months. This has to stop!" Toriel barked. You gasped at what you realised was a tear running down the side of her snout. Her large eyes shut tight as she breathed to steady herself. Asgore placed a hand over hers, and she slowly calmed down.

"I am sorry. I am sick to dusting of our people getting hurt, and for no reason other than what we are."

"It's not fair." You said. "Monsters have been nothing but kind to humans, and what do they get for it. It's not fu- It's not fair.."

"what she said." Sans added, downing the last dregs of his tea. "but hey, we'll work somethin' out. they've kicked us down before, and look at us now. sure we'll find a way to get through this."

"Maybe we should wrap this up soon, Frisk will be returning home within the hour." Toriel stood up, dusting herself off. "We should let the others know to be on the lookout for large gatherings of people with those badges. Err on the side of caution." She went to collecting the empty teacups. Asgore leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard again as he thought everything over.

"This may be bigger than we first thought. Bigger than we can handle alone, without assistance from humans."

"Maybe we should start rallying people who are sympathetic to our plight?" Toriel shifted the china in her paws. "At least those we know we can trust."

Sans sat back in his chair, swinging his legs as he thought. "guess so far it's _____ and lo. might be able to rope in _____'s neighbour. i mean, pap and lo said he seemed nice, and he agreed to have dinner with us, so that's a good sign. i'd have to meet him first, 'course."

"Franz is lovely. I'm sure he would be with us." You said, getting up to help Tori with the dishes, but she shushed you away back to your seat. "Fiiine.. Oh, that reminds me, we should organise that dinner soon."

Sans nodded in agreement. Toriel soon came back into the lounge with a plate of pastries, and you all dug in. More tea was made, and the rest of the hour was spent catching up.

By the time Frisk arrived home from school, you were all yawning, full of delicious food and tea.

"heya kiddo, how was school?"

Frisk ran over to their uncle, pulling them into a hug.

'school was good. science fair is coming up, wanna help me make something cool?'

Your interest was piqued. "Ooh, science fair. Aka, oh god, why are there so many volcanoes!"

Everyone laughed, and Frisk and Sans got to work right away thinking up ideas. Toriel interjecting when need be to quash a few of the more risky ones.

"mini-tesla coil."

"No, Sans, that is far too dangerous!"

'flamethrower that runs on methane?'

"Frisk! My child, absolutely not!"

"ah, what about a demonstration on overloaded electrical components!"

"Sans! No!"

"just kiddin' tori. hmm, how about a trash tornado, like the one i have."

You all looked over to Toriel, expecting her to nay-say the idea. She only looked playfully offended.

"What? That one sounds just fine. I am not that much of a wet blanket, am I?"

"Only when it calls for it." You joked, nudging her arm as she laughed. "I've had electrical components blow up in my face, so I agree with your stance on that one."

'trash tornado it is!' Frisk beamed, hugging their uncle again before they bolted up to their room to get some paper and pencils to plan it all out. You were interested to see how it worked.

By the time you and Sans had to leave, the two of them had it all set out, and had even made a prototype. Frisk was having a ball throwing little scraps of paper into it as it whirled around. No bigger than your hand, it was the cutest little tornado you had ever seen.

Toriel smiled, looking back at her child finding more things to add to it. "Thank you, Sans, for your help. They seem so excited for this science fair."

"no prob' tori." He lazily drawled, looking like he was about to fall asleep where he stood. Luckily you had driven them there, so he wouldn't have to teleport and possibly get stuck in a wall somewhere. Apparently it was a thing that happened sometimes when he tried using magic half awake.

You said goodbye, before piling into your little car and driving away.

It was your newest buy, a small hatchback you had found on Craigslist for dirt cheap. It was old and a little rusty, but it was too good of a deal to miss out on. The engine was fine, and it still had plenty of miles on it. Even the fact that it was a bright burnt orange wasn't a big deal with the price tag.

Sans quickly fell asleep in the passenger seat, his head lulling forward on his chest as he let out a soft snore. Heh, poor guy. You were getting tired too, stifling a yawn as you pulled into the car park of his building.

"Sans, time to wake up. I got you home in one piece."

He stretched his arms up, yawning and making cracking sounds. "heh, 'preciate it, kid. seeya later then."

He blipped right out of your car, not even taking off his seat belt first. You would have to check with Pap tomorrow to see if he got stuck in anything.

You giggled to yourself, pulling back out onto the road to head home. By the time you walked into your flat, you felt about ready to drop. Again, you flopped down into bed completely dressed, shoes and all, and you were out like a light.

***

A brightly lit hall stretched out before you. You had never seen this place before, but for some reason, it pulsed with familiarity. The large stained glass windows cast a golden light across the stone pillars leading down to the other end.

This was all feeling very surreal. Slowly, you made your way forward, your footsteps like thunder cracks in the echoing cavern.

Where were you?

"heya.. you've been busy, huh.."

You snapped your head up to look ahead, into the shadows, at the lone figure standing there. "S-sans?"

He didn't seem to hear you.

"so, i've got a question for ya."

"Sans, what's going on?" You spoke loudly, your shrillness amplified by the walls surrounding you. Again, it didn't seem to get through to him.

"do you think even the worst person can change? that everybody can be a good person, if they just try?"

"What are you talking ab- Sans, please, can you hear me? Can you even see me?" You waved your arms around, but it made no impression on the stoic expression he was wearing.

You took a step forward, and it seemed to register. His smile twitched.

"heh heh heh heh.. alright. well, here's a better question.."

You felt a crushing sense of dread fall over you, the air thick with tension.

"do you wanna have a bad time? 'cause if you take another step forward.. you are really not going to like what happens next."

You stood stock still, your mind a swirl of confusion, what was going on?

You didn't even notice your body moving forward on it's own.

He seemed to ease a little, shrugging.

"welp. sorry, old lady. this is why i never make promises."

The ground fell from below you, but you were still standing as darkness surrounded you. The only thing you could see was your friend before you.

"Sans, you're scaring me.. What's going on?"

The sound of chirping birds filled the seemingly endless void you'd found yourself in. Sans stood with his eyes closed, his hands buried in his hoodie.

"it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming.. on days like these, kids like you -"

His eyes snapped open, black and empty as the darkness before you. Your blood ran cold as you stared back at them.

"- s h o u l d b e b u r n i n g i n h e l l."

Without warning, you felt yourself being throw at an invisible wall, and you cried out. Hundreds of bones came out of the void to crack against you. You could feel every hit chipping away at your HP, even when there was nothing to harm you, still you could feel your stats drop. You fought to look up, only to be met with a giant animal skull suspended above you. It opened it's maw, a buzzing and whirring filling the air before you were struck with a beam of burning hot light.

God, it hurt so much!

More and more of the skulls appeared, each firing right at you, singing your clothes and your skin as your screamed. God, you were going to die.

Sans was going to kill you.

You put up your badly burned arms in a gesture of peace, your tears stinging the mangled skin of your face. It was all in vain. "NO! PLEASE, SANS! WHY? WHY!?"

You snapped awake, grabbing at your shirt and face as you tried to take in your surroundings. You were in your own bed, completely drenched in sweat. Tears stained your face, your breathing ragged as you struggled to calm yourself down.

"Wh-what the fuck?"

Once you steadied your heart rate, you grabbed the notepad you had on the floor and a pen. Jotting down the date, you tried to remember what happened in the dream.

- pretty hallway
- creepy sans
- monologing
- black everywhere
- y u ignore me?
- ragdolled by gravity magic
- bones, bones everywhere
- creepy skull lazer guns
- ded

Scoffing at your attempt to lighten your own mood with shitty humour, you dropped the notepad into your lap. You really didn't want to think more into it than that.

After throwing the notepad and pen back to the floor, you took your shoes and jeans off, fixed up your blankets and laid back down against your pillow. The sheets below you were uncomfortably damp, but you didn't care.

Why did you still feel so.. off. It wasn't just the shock from the dream, there was something else biting at you. A feeling that you feared, but couldn't place.

Something was very, very wrong.

Chapter Text

Waking up the next morning, you felt oddly groggy. You weren't a morning person by any means, but there was a certain listlessness you couldn't quite shake, even after a strong cup of coffee and a breakfast of leftover beef stir-fry.

Strange. Usually you'd feel somewhat human by the time you were done eating.

When you looked up at your calendar, you saw that you weren't due at the bakery until the afternoon, and feeling as crappy as you were, you reckoned a lazy morning indoors was just the ticket.

Heh, even that seemed too much, and before long you had the TV back off and were dragging yourself back to bed.

Even with the break after your dream, you'd managed to get a decent nights sleep. So why were you still tired enough to conk out as soon as your head hit the pillow.

When your alarm went off and you awoke an hour or so later, you realised why.

You were sick.

Your head was pounding, and your sinus felt like it was on fire. Pairing that with a stomach ache and a light fever, you felt like utter shit.

Ugh.

You could heal a broken bone or a deep gash no problem, but a virus?

Nope. You were completely at it's mercy until it passed.

Letting out a strangled groan, you realised you also had a sore throat to go along with all the other aches.

"Did I end up getting my flu shot? Ugggh, no, I remember now.. Fuck my life."

You had to get up, at least take some Panadol for the headache and such, but when you sat up you felt the pressure behind your face shift, snot running down with the velocity of a raging river.

"Uggghh.. Noooooo.. Why?"

By the time you had sourced something to blow your nose on, which ended up being toilet paper, and a painkiller, you were totally worn out. It seemed like every muscle and ligament in your body was revolting. That was the best word to describe your mood and look in general right at that moment.

With much protest from your flesh prison, you managed to shoot a text off to Muffet to let her know you were poorly. Of course she went overboard and gave you a whole week off.. Then again, she probably didn't want anyone catching your germs.

At least with that out of the way you could lay back and focus on recovery.

Because the pains in your body were virus related, there wasn't much you could do to combat them magically. What a bummer.

Heh, and speaking of which, you really, really had to use the bathroom.

This was going to be a fun week.

***

You must have dozed off again, because you awoke to the sound of someone knocking hard at your door. Checking the time, it seemed you'd been sleeping a good part of the day, and had also missed at least 20 texts and calls from Papyrus. Whoops. With a lot of willpower, you pulled yourself up and out of bed, wrapping yourself up in your blanket before you went to answer the door. You must have looked pretty pathetic, shuffling through your house like some kind of snot filled grub.

"Coming! Ugh.."

You didn't even bother to check the peep hole, opening the door to find Papyrus. He looked relieved to see you, but his smile fell as soon as he took in your state.

"I PAID A VISIT TO MUFFET'S TO SAY HELLO, AND SHE INFORMED ME YOU WERE OFF SICK FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE LEAKING!"

You coughed pathetically into the back of your hand, moving aside to let him in.

"Hey, Papy. Yeah, I'm sick. I've been asleep, so sorry I missed your messages and stuff."

He closed the door for you, before pulling you towards him, studying your face intently. "YOU REQUIRE SOUP!"

"I do, heh. I think I finally caught the flu that's been going around. I should've gotten my shots earlier this year but I never got around to it. Now look at me. I must look like death warmed up."

"SO DO I, BUT AT LEAST I AM NOT EMITTING SLIME." He gave you a cheeky smile, quite proud of his joke. "YOU GO LAY DOWN, AND I WILL FIX YOU UP SOME AMAZING SOUP TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!"

You didn't need to be told twice, wrapping your blanket around yourself tighter as you took up the entire couch. The clang and clatter of pans and utensils making your head ring.

"Ugggh, my head hurts.."

"ARE YOU SURE IT IS ONLY THE FLU? THE FIRST TIME FRISK WAS SICK, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF USING YOUR INTERNET TO LOOK UP THEIR SYMPTOMS AND NEARLY DROVE MYSELF INSANE WITH WORRY. YOU HUMANS CAN GET A LOT OF VERY BAD DISEASES THAT ALL START WITH HEADACHES AND FEVERS."

"It's definitely flu.. Er, well, it's definitely a virus. I can't heal anything to do with those. I wish I could bu-huh-AHCHOO!" You had no free hand to cover your mouth with, so you ended up sneezing all over your blanket. "Awwww, noooo.. Ewwww.."

Papyrus came over to hand you your toilet roll, looking down at the mess you'd made with a slight green tinge to his cheeks. "AH, YOU ARE UP TO THE PART WHERE YOU PROJECTILE SHOOT YOUR SLIME.. SHOULD I GET YOU A NEW BLANKET?"

"Yes please. Thank you."

He unwrapped you, holding the dirtied blanket at arms length as he took it to the bathroom. You had to giggle at the way he was treating your snot. It was pretty bad.

Laying back, you shivered. Yes, you had a fever, but you also had the chills that often came with one. The best thing to do would be to keep cool, but your will power was at an all time low. You'd need another blanket. Only problem was that was the only one you owned right now. Sure, you had a thin sheet, which was probably the best for your fever chills, but you wanted fuzzy warms.

Hmm, Papyrus was warm, and his shirt sure looked fuzzy.

You had an idea.

"Paaapy?"

You heard him shuffling around in the bathroom, the sink going as you assumed he was washing your residue off the blanket. "NYES?"

"You can't catch my germs at all, right?"

"NO, MONSTERS ARE NOT MADE OF THE RIGHT KIND OF MATTER TO BE ABLE TO HOST HUMAN ILLNESSES. I AM GLAD, BECAUSE IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN WE GET SICK WITH OUR OWN."

You sat up a little, as much as your body fought it. "You guys can get sick? How does that work? Is it bad?"

He stepped back out into the lounge, placing the wet blanket onto the tiles in your kitchen.

"WELL, WE DO HAVE SOME THINGS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HUMANS CAN GET, BUT THEY DON'T REALLY EFFECT US PHYSICALLY. THEY EFFECT OUR SOULS DIRECTLY AND MANIFEST AS PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS."

"I guess you guys don't sneeze, going by your reaction from before."

"WE DON'T, BUT WE CAN, UH, EJECT MAGIC-"

"Throw up?"

He sighed, looking a little grossed out again. "YES, THROW UP. IT IS VERY UNPLEASANT."

You giggled, moving a little so he could sit down on the edge of the couch. "Humans don't like throwing up either. I hate it.. Probably going to be doing at at some point with this. Ugh."

He left for a moment for your room, returning with your bed sheet. "I SHALL WRAP YOU BACK UP AND CONTINUE MAKING SOUP. HERE." He laid the sheet over you and tucked it in at your sides. "PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GETTING SLIME ON THIS ONE. I WILL TAKE THE OTHER ONE HOME SOON AND WASH IT. I WILL BRING YOU SOME BLANKETS FROM MY HOUSE FOR YOU TO USE."

"I'll try not to get slime on anything.. Thank you, Papy, for taking care of me." You coughed into your hands, your back hurting as well as your chest. He looked at you like you were about to break. His hand came to rest on your forehead after your coughing fit calmed down. You were covered in sweat and overly warm.

"IT IS MY DUTY TO CARE FOR YOU WHILE YOU ARE SICKLY."

"You don't have to.." You mumbled. He smirked, leaning down to place his teeth against your forehead where his hand was seconds before.

"I WANT TO. YOU ARE MY MATE, AND I CARE ABOUT YOU." He straightened up as you stared up at him, a goofy smile on your flushed face. "NOW, I WILL FINISH PREPARING THE SOUP, AND ONCE YOU EAT IT YOU SHOULD START TO FEEL MUCH BETTER."

Seeing him smiling already made you feel better.

"I might try and get some sleep. Wake me when the soups ready?"

***

You were awoken gently as he placed a hand on your forehead again, the smell of hearty soup filling your apartment. He waited until you had woken up completely before passing you a bowl, taking a seat on the floor with his own.

"I HOPE THAT IT IS SATISFACTORY. I WAS TALKING TO FRISK VIA TEXT WHILE YOU WERE ASLEEP AND THEY SAID THAT WHEN HUMANS NOSES ARE BLOCKED, THEY HAVE TROUBLE TASTING THINGS. I MADE THIS SOUP EXTRA FLAVOURFUL TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT."

It was very strong, but that wasn't a bad thing. After each spoonful, you started to feel your aches fade away.

"I'm feeling better already! This soup is amazing, Papy." You gushed as you made your way through the bowl. You were already half finished, by the time he actually started eating. He didn't seem to eat much at all, you noticed. "You okay? Not hungry?"

He looked up from his spot on the floor. "OH, NO. I HAD A LARGE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TODAY. IT SEEMS I WILL HAVE TO GET USED TO PREPARING MEALS FOR TWO AGAIN, AS I ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE MORE LEFTOVERS THAN OUR FRIDGE CAN COMFORTABLY HOLD.. ALSO, IT IS BETTER IF I DON'T EAT TOO MUCH OF THIS SOUP. I IMBUED IT WITH A BIT OF MY MAGIC SO THAT YOU WOULD FEEL BETTER."

"Really? I thought you couldn't use any healing magic." You sat up, curious. There was always so much to learn about Monster magic.

He let out a soft laugh. "NYEH. IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HEAL, IT ONLY HOLDS MY INTENT TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. UNFORTUNATELY IT WILL WEAR OFF BY TONIGHT, BUT YOU LOOKED SO MISERABLE, I HAD TO DO SOMETHING."

"Awww, thank you!" You said, leaning down to hug him. "Why can't you eat a lot of it?"

"IF I DO, I MIGHT GIVE MYSELF A SOUL ACHE. IT'S A LOT LIKE A HUMAN TUMMY ACHE, BUT MAGICAL.. WELL, NO, NOT MAGICAL AT ALL. IT'S HORRIBLE." He frowned, looking across to the TV. "IT IS SOMETHING I'D RATHER NOT GO THROUGH EVER AGAIN.. OF COURSE, A LITTLE BIT WONT HURT, AND THIS SOUP IS ONE OF MY BEST YET!"

He happily dug his spoon back in, taking another bite. It was really good soup.

"Well, it seems your magic has done the trick. I might actually try and get a few chores done while it's working, so that I can rest properly for the rest of the week."

You didn't think it would actually work, and it didn't. He quickly had your empty bowl in his hands after he got up. Leaning down, he kissed your forehead again, which by now was not nearly as sweaty or warm. "NO, YOU ARE GOING TO REST AND TAKE IT EASY TO SPEED ALONG YOUR RECOVERY. IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT NEEDS DOING, THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL DO IT FOR YOU. BESIDES, WHAT ELSE ARE MATES FOR? NYEH HEH!"

You could have answered that, but you held your tongue and your giggle as he left to wash up. God, you didn't deserve such a wonderful boyfriend.

Laying back against the arm rest and putting your feet back up, you watched him potter around the kitchen, washing dishes and putting away some of the soup for you to reheat and have tomorrow. You weren't looking forward to going back to feeling like utter shit, but knowing you had a little reprieve waiting for you made it tolerable. You didn't even realise you had drifted off, waking up again to a weight resting against your arm. Looking down, you saw that Papyrus had fallen asleep leaning back on the couch, propped back against your arm while he was watching one of MTTs shows. Poor dear, you didn't have the heart to wake him. He looked so peaceful.

A chaste kiss to the top of his skull was sufficient. You were already starting to feel achy again, so you must have been out for a while. Again, you let your head fall back to rest on the arm of the couch, closing your eyes and falling asleep once more.

***

It had been three days since you first started leaking and hurting, and thanks to Pap's special cooking and diligent care, you were already well on your way to healthy again. Of course, you were probably still contagious, so you decided to spend your last few days off relaxing at home with your beau and some bad movies.

You were about halfway through with Bambi II when his phone started to ring. The caller ID said Private number, but unlike you, he had no problem with answering it. "NYELLO? PAPYRUS ASTER SPEAKING."

You sat and tried not to listen in on the call, but it seemed the person on the other end had just as good of an indoor voice as your beloved. You could hear them clear as day.

It was someone calling from the local Police station, letting him know they had approved his application. You watched with a huge smile on your face as Pap's own started to grow. He'd managed to get the Job Undyne had helped him apply for!

The call was fairly short and succinct, Pap trying so hard to control the excited pitch and waiver of his voice. Once the call had ended, he near exploded.

"I DID IT! I GOT THE JOB, AND I START NEXT MONDAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, FINALLY MY GREATNESS AND EXPERTISE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE PROPER RECOGNITION." He shuffled around on the floor, waving his arms around in his unbridled happiness. "I'M GOING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER! NOT NEARLY AS PRESTIGIOUS AS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, MIND YOU, BUT STILL! WOWIE!"

"Holy crap! I'm so happy for you!" You said, hugging him around the shoulders and kissing his temporal bone. "You deserve this!"

His eyes were glimmering with happy tears, clutching his phone to his chest as he turned to face you.

"THIS IS ALMOST MY DREAM COME TRUE! I'M SO HAPPY! OOH, WE SHOULD CELEBRATE WITH SPAGHETTI!"

You didn't even have time to agree before he was up, grabbing his things and scooping you up into his arms. "Woah! Papy!"

"WE NEED TO GO BACK AND TELL EVERYONE THE GOOD NEWS! TO THE CAR!"

He carried you out into the hall, dashing straight past Franz as he was heading into his own apartment. You managed a wave before you both disappeared down the stairwell.

15 minutes later you were walking in through his apartment door, still slung over your boyfriends shoulder, surprising Sans as he was drinking milk straight out of the carton at the fridge.

"oh, didn't think you'd be home so soon. what's up guys?" Sans said, stealthily placing the carton back into the fridge. Not stealthily enough, you could feel Pap shaking his head before he lit up again.

"SANS! I GOT THE JOB!"

Sans's eyelights grew, as did his grin. "hey, great job bro! knew you'd get it."

You were still up on Pap's shoulder as they continued their conversation, until Sans eventually realised and suggested you be put down. You really didn't mind, it was pretty comfortable.

"so, when do you start?"

Papyrus was now zipping around, his energy levels raising as his excitement did. "I NEED TO GO IN TOMORROW TO GO SIGN SOME PAPERWORK AND GET MEASURED FOR A UNIFORM, AND THEN ON MONDAY I START MY TRAINING. WOWIE! THIS IS ALL HAPPENING SO FAST!"

"geez, calm down, pap. gonna put tracks in the carpet if ya keep walkin' back n' forward like that."

"I'M GOING TO MAKE SOME CELEBRATORY SPAGHETTI. CAN YOU CALL UNDYNE AND TORIEL AND ASK THEM IF THEY CAN COME OVER TO CELEBRATE? THANKS!" He said as he disappeared into the kitchen. You glanced at Sans, who shrugged.

"i guess i'll do that then.. soooo, how ya been, kiddo?"

You realised you took a little longer than usual to answer. Maybe you were just still shaken but that dream, but seeing Sans for the first time since you'd had it, it filled you with unease.

"Oh, a-apart from my flu, I've been pretty good. Pap's been taking good care of me."

He must have sensed something was amiss, as he glanced up and down, his smile ever so slightly falling. "cool. cool.. want some tea? i'd offer it with milk, but, uh.."

"Tea sounds lovely." You giggled, glad to see his smile pick up again. "Thank you, Sans."

He looked at you one last time before walking over to join Papyrus, who by now already had all the makings out for his spaghetti. You sat down on the lumpy old couch, listening to their casual chatter as they prepared food and drinks.

Why are you feeling so conflicted about Sans all of a sudden. It was just some shitty nightmare.

He was still the same old skeleton as always.

Oh well, a nice cup of tea should clear your head.

***

"I knew you could do it, ya GOOBER!" Undyne yelled, tackling Papyrus into a headlock seconds after he opened the door for her. Al, Tori and Frisk all stood back, chuckling at the scene as Pap squawked indignantly. "It'll be just like old times, workin' together! Gonna be so AWESOME!"

"NYEH! PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"

Toriel placed a soft, yet warning hand on Undyne's shoulder, and she let go.

"We are all so very proud of you, dear Papyrus, and we're so glad to be able to be here to celebrate your achievement." She cooed, Frisk giving him a cheery double thumbs up as everyone was ushered inside.

Papyrus recounted the phone call over dinner, everyone offering their congratulations, both for the new job as well as the amazing food. He was completely inundated with praise.

"WOWIE! NOW I KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF I ACTUALLY BECAME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD. I ALWAYS KNEW IT WOULD BE WORTH ALL THE HARD WORK."

Undyne shared an uneasy glance with Sans, who shrugged it off. "totally, bro. always knew ya had it in ya."

"But wait, aren't you forgetting one thing you wanted?" Undyne smirked, looking from Papyrus to you. Oh, no. What was she planning? "You always said you wanted to bathe in a shower of kisses every morning, yeah?"

Oh goodness.

"well, he's been able to have that for a while now, hasn't he. maybe he's just been too preoccupied with udder things to bother."

Oh god.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SANS?"

Oh. God.

You would kick him under the table, but you didn't want to risk kicking anyone else. He seemed to smirk as your face started to burn.

"oh, nothin' bro. doesn't matter."

Little. Shit.

Pap looked to you, raising a brow bone before looking at his brother who just grinned. Luckily, it was dropped. Didn't stop everyone else wondering, however. Undyne narrowed her eye at you, a huge smirk playing her face. God damnit.

"ANYWAY." She yelled, her favourite way to change topic. It made poor Toriel jump a little, clutching her chest lightly. "We should totally go get drinks tonight! Oh, sorry kid. Maybe they can get you a glass of chocolate milk with a swirly straw, or something." Frisk stuck their tongue out at their auntie, as you put on a believable pout.

"Aww! I want chocolate milk with a swirly straw, too!"

That was enough to make the whole table crack up, with Toriel letting out the most undignified snort you'd ever heard. It was beautiful.

"Oh, my! I do apologise!" She giggled, her hands cupping the end of her snout. "That was so very unladylike!"

"No, that was amazing!" you chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I'm up for drinks. Pap?"

He nodded enthusiastically, and soon you were all heading out the door for Grillby's. Toriel took Frisk home, leaving the 5 of you to head down. Sans would have invited Lo, but she was already out having dinner with family.

As much as Papyrus would say he hated it there, if he was with friends, it didn't matter. He would, in his own words, "TOLERATE THE GREASE". It wasn't as bad as he'd always said it was. Sure, there was grease, but it was avoidable.

You all ended up squeezing into a booth, with Alphys on Undyne's lap, and you on Pap's, even though there was still room for four. It was pretty comfortable. You still couldn't get over how soft and warm he was for a guy made out of bones.

After you'd been brought a round of drinks, on the house from Grillby for the occasion, Undyne lifted her glass up above her head. "A toast to our cinnamon roll!"

You all lifted your glasses, and he went orange in the face.

"I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO HAVE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS." He said, wrapping his arms around you. "THANK YOU ALL FOR BELIEVING IN ME!"

"O-o-of course, Papyrus. We all knew y-you could do it." Alphys chattered, her drink slopping around as Undyne moved to make them both more comfortable. Sans was moving his ketchup bottle around with his magic, his head resting on his arms on the wooden table.

"al's right. it's about time somebody realised how great you are."

Papyrus let out a happy, yet loud "NYEH HEH HEH!", unintentionally sending Doggo a few tables over into an excited panic. Something about ghosts?

It's okay, you didn't need your eardrums anyway.

"hey pap, did ya know you were feeling _____'s chest up in your sleep the other morning?"

"Sans!?"

Chapter Text

It wasn't long before Muffet let you back behind the counter, after assuring her repeatedly that your 'weird transmittable human disease' was completely gone, done and over with. You were pretty glad to be back at work. As relaxing as sitting at home doing nothing is, it is also just that. You were so bored, that when the Spider had called to see if you were ready to come back you almost yelled your answer. Maybe you had been spending too much time with Papyrus.

Speaking of, he had not taken Sans' little spill well at all. He was distraught that he had "VIOLATED YOU WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT", and it took nearly a half day to get him to look you in the eye, let alone talk to you openly about it. No matter how many times you had reassured him, he was still upset with himself. Even Sans had tried to cheer him up, but it only seemed to make your boyfriend even more flustered.

After another day, he had come to terms with his so-called "PERVERTED CUDDLING HABITS" and had made over the top promises to never, ever, EVER do it again. Now, you didn't want to say that you wanted him to do it, but you didn't want him worried about doing it either. You both finally settled on "If it happens, it happens, no big deal".

You had a feeling he was still feeling overly bad about it.

Once you had all of the donuts and cakes prepped for the day, you began to stock the shelves. Going by the number of people there at opening, it was looking to be a busy trading day.

You had just served a sweet older woman her Spider donut and tea, when you looked up and came face to face with a gleaming gold badge.

"LOOK! THEY EVEN GAVE ME A BADGE WITH MY NAME ON IT! HOW DO I LOOK?"

You took a step back to take in his appearance. "Holy crap! Papy, you look so cool!"

He was dressed up in his new Police uniform, the dark blue jumpsuit and starched hat looking very smart on him. "I MADE SURE TO POLISH THE METAL MYSELF. I HAVE TO PUT MY BEST FOOT FORWARD. WELL, CONSIDERING IT IS ME, THAT IS NOT ALL THAT DIFFICULT. I AM NOT KNOWN AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS FOR NO REASON!"

To anyone else, Pap's self-admiring elocutions would come off as vain or narcissistic. A few people waiting around seemed to be looking at him like that was what they thought.

"You look so handsome." You sighed. "Call me old fashioned, but I've always admired a man in uniform."

His cheeks flushed, but he tried so hard to keep up his confidant grin and stance. "NYEH, THANK YOU!"

You got him his usual coffee and muffin for him to take to work, wishing him luck as he strode confidently out the door to his car.

You couldn't help but notice how nice his non-existent butt looked in the navy slacks..

Focus! You had customers to serve.

***

Busy as your day was, you hadn't had a chance to eat anything. You had forgone your break to help Muffet deal with the influx of people. Considering you had just taken a whole week off, you had no problem with pitching in a bit extra.

Once closing time came around, and the last few stragglers had packed up and left, you finally took a moment to breath. However, your relaxing breathing session was interrupted by the gurgle of your stomach. "Oh, right. Food."

There wasn't much left in the display cabinets. A few cranberry muffins, which you didn't particularly fancy, and a small piece of Snickers cake bar. Muffet had been looking up different sweets humans seemed to be fond of, and so she introduced Mars Bar slices and such into the rotation.

You picked up the pathetic looking sweet, knowing it would go to waste if it was just left there on it's lonesome. Shrugging, took a big bite.

*crack*

"OW! Ow, m' toof!"

Damn overly hard peanut had cracked one of your molars. You could feel the sharp, jagged edge with your tongue. Muffet came out of the back room and was quickly at your side as you cradled your cheek.

"Oh no! Did you crack a tooth, deary?" She asked, maneuvering you into a chair. You grabbed a napkin, spitting what was left of the bar and your tooth fragments into it.

"Ugh, yeah. It's a tooth I had a filling in anyway. Should probably get my sister to look at it."

"She a dentist?" Muffet asked. You could feel a dull throbbing pain from where the inside of your tooth was exposed. Concentrating, you willed your magic to it, keeping it from hurting you too much. Sure, you could probably heal it yourself, but you promised your sister to let her take care of anything to do with your teeth.

"Y-yeah, she has a clinic about 2 or so hours away. I might have to go tomorrow. Would that be-"

"Perfectly fine, deary." She chirped. "You take care of yourself, alright? You worked very hard today. I will close up, you go home and rest."

The drive home was a little foggy. Seems you had cracked your tooth up pretty bad, and the amount of energy you were funneling into stopping the sharp nerve pain was making you feel groggy. Ugh, you had just had your run with a flu, you didn't need this.

By the time you got home, you were about ready to conk out. After such a long day and using up so much of your reserves on your tooth, you were definitely ready to hit the hay. Slap the grass. Punch the wheat.. Bash the barley.. Wow, you were so overtired you were starting to go loopy.

The only thing you had to do before you could reunite with your bed was give your sister a call. When you phoned through to her clinic, you asked if you could be seen the next day. Once you told the slightly standoffish receptionist who you were, she happily put you down for the following afternoon. Done and dusted. You kicked back a few panadol for while you were asleep, switching the lights off and yawning loudly into the room as you retreated. No more stand. Bed now.

Thankfully that night your mind spared you, your dreams pleasant. More or less.

***

The 2 hour trip away from the city went by quite uneventfully, and soon you were sat in a waiting room, reading though shitty obsolete gossip magazines that were sat out on the table. It was your generic doctor's office to a T. She was renting the room she worked in, and there were a lot of other doctors and dentists there sharing the space, so the decor was pretty minimal.

Your phone rang, making you jump and annoying the other people in the waiting room. It was Papyrus. He knew you were going to be busy today, so it must be important. You quickly swiped across the screen to answer.

"Papy? Is everything okay?"

You held the phone away from your ear as your boyfriend yelled into it. "Papy! What's going on? What's wrong?"

You were somehow able to make out the words "MOVIE", "CUTE BUNNIES" and "BLOOD EVERYWHERE!"

Oh no.

"Papyrus, did you watch the DVD that I had in my bag at your place?"

His cries answered your question. You had a copy of Watership Down in your overnight bag to give to Undyne. She'd read the book, and was interested in seeing the film. Pap must have taken the cover to mean it was a movie about bunnies. Well, it was, but still.

"Papyrus, yeah, you just watched Watership Down. It's not a kids movie, it's based on a pretty violent book.. I'll come home as soon as I'm done. Maybe put on some MTT and have some tea to calm down. Okay? Okay. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. Shhhh, I know. I love you too. I'll text you when I'm on my way. Goodbye sweetheart."

You hung up, breathing deeply. Poor guy. What a shock that would have been for him, that movie is pretty gritty.

The receptionist called out your name, and you made your way down the hall to the dentist's suite. She was sat at her desk with her back to you, writing something when you walked in. You slowly approached her, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Huh? .. _____!"

'hey nadia! i'm here for my checkup!' You signed, as your big sister jumped up and near tackled you.

She pulled you into a tight hug, before stepping back and messing with her hearing aids, flicking them off. She didn't need them around you.

'it's so good to see you! god, i've been stuck doing so much paperwork today while i've been waiting for you. come on over and take a seat. how have you been? who's this new beau i've read about? papyrus, right? is he hot?'

You chuckled at her brashness. She was always one to put forth exactly what was on her mind.

'he's an absolute sweetheart. just got a call from him before I got called in. poor thing found my watership down dvd and watched it not knowing exactly what it was. he loves bunnies, sooo..'

Nadia grimaced, before sticking her bottom lip out in a sympathetic pout. 'awwwwww, nooooo..'

'he was so upset! gonna need lots of cuddles later.'

She signed to her assistant, who had brought over her tools. Once you were all set up with your bib and sunglasses, she went to work. She was the only one you trusted with your dental work. Every filling and extraction was her own handiwork, and she was damn good at it. This filling was going to be a breeze. You had your magic, so you didn't even need anesthetic.

She flicked the dials on her hearing aids again so that she could hear, neither of you being able to sign while you were in this position.

"So." She started, her voice soft and a little muffled from not being used often. "You guys serious or.."

"I like to think so. We've certainly been through enough together. Things that would scare off people who weren't as dedicated.. I do love him, he's just so wonderful."

"Gonna make me start crying, sis. My tears will go straight into your mouth!" She laughed.

"Please don't cry, please!"

She gave you a cheeky look over her mask. It was sitting half over her mouth and chin, so that she could be heard. "I'm just so happy you've finally found someone who deserves you. What was that last guy's name? Mick?"

"Oh, Mike. Yeah, he was an arsehole." You said, before she started working in your mouth again, prepping the tooth to be filled.

"I so wanted to beat him up. So did Teddy. Speaking of, he's finally enrolled himself in Uni, doing Engineering. He's so happy with the change from Medical. So much less stressed!"

"That's great!" You coughed, spitting into a little sink next to the chair. "He was loosing his hair, wasn't he."

"Mmmhmm, and he was always so tired. Almost had to cancel our trip to Europe he was so under the wheel. He's even started up surfing again now that he has more free time."

Theodore, or Teddy, was her boyfriend of god knows how many years now. You couldn't really think back to a time where they weren't together. Even in primary school, they had been good friends. Like your sister, he was deaf. He also had a very nervous disposition, leaving him quite twitchy. He did not handle stress well at all. He was a wonderful person, however. You truly did like him, even if he would always give you vitamins for your birthday. It was just an expected in-joke-y thing now. Besides, if it wasn't for him, you probably wouldn't take any.

"When are you two gonna just tie the knot already?" You giggled, making her flush pink. "You know I already consider him somewhat of a big brother. Might as well make it official."

She swapped tools, pushing you back against the headrest gently so she could continue fixing your tooth. The soft whir of the drill bit echoing in your mouth as she ground away the sharp edges.

"One day. We're saving up for a deposit on a place right now. Things will happen when it's time."

She filled the hole in the tooth, expertly packing it and then zapping it with a little UV light to cure it. Once she was done, you were able to lick at it, the texture foreign against your tongue. That was going to give you the shits.

"Aaaand done. Spit again, and in the bowl this time."

"Hey, that was one time! Besides, my whole bottom lip was numb, of course I was gonna drool!" You squawked defiantly, making her laugh into the paper mask.

"When are you not drooling, though. Okay, I'll just get you to keep a fluoride paste in your mouth for a while, then you're done. I'll go mix it, be right back."

She left, leaving you stuck staring at the ceiling. She had a painting of a small cottage with a lush flower garden hung up on the ceiling above the chair, to give people something to look at.

It was the same painting your parents had hung up in their bedroom back home.

Staring up into the beautiful landscape, it was a bittersweet feeling.

"I thought it would be nice for people to look at." Nadia said as she sat back down. You hadn't even noticed her return. With practiced movements, she placed the fluoride paste into your mouth. It tasted tangy, but sweet. You tried not to taste too much of it, it wasn't good for you.

Now that your hands were free and your mouth was full, you signed to her.

'i was just remembering when mom and dad had it up in their room. remember when it used to get really stormy, when we were kids, and mom and dad would hoard us into their bed to wait it out? You always acted so grown up, like you didn't need to cuddle up, then when the lightning would flash you'd shit yourself and cry."

She gave you an unimpressed smirk. "Says the one who bit the mall Santa 'cause you were scared of his beard."

'it kept touching me and it felt so weird!' You argued, but she only rolled her eyes, changing the subject.

"So, do you have any pictures of your new beau? You said in your messages that he was a monster. I wanna know what my future brother in law looks like!"

You relented, pulling out your phone, before you realised the only pictures of him you had on hand where the ones Undyne took at the sleepover. You sighed, picking a cuter one and showing her.

She gasped. "He's a skeleton? Wow! Also, that is so sweet!"

'one of our friends took a bunch of pictures while we were sleeping, so we put salt in and on everything she loved.'

"Brutal. Even in her sugar?"

'even in the sugar.' You tried to laugh through the foam and paste in your mouth, only making bubbles to choke on, and you did.

"Time to spit. Just leave the plates in the bowl, i'll pitch them in a minute."

Once you had washed your mouth out, and Nadia had given your teeth the all clear, your took off your bib and stood up, stretching your back and legs.

"So, my teeth gonna all fall out now, or.." You joked, earning a firm punch to your shoulder. "Ow, why though."

"'Cause."

"Help, my dentist is beating me!" You laughed, making her assistant snort.

"Honey, I'm not getting involved." The stout, older woman hummed as she walked out of the room, a smirk on her face. You turned back to your sister, beaming.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Pfffft, like I'm gonna just leave you hanging." She rolled her eyes playfully. "Plus you really did a number on that tooth. You might need to come in again to get it extracted if that filling doesn't work. I'd rather not have to pull it if I can help it.. Well, at least you can kinda grow it back? I still don't get how that works."

Taking a leaf straight out of Sans' book, you put up some of the best jazz hands you had ever jazzed.

"Magic!"

She shook her head while staring at you with a straight face, pointing at the door. "Get out."

"But you looove me."

"I tolerate you."

"Yeaaah, you love me."

"Yeaaah, I do." She conceded, reaching up to hug you. "Anyway, apart from the whole tooth thing, it was so nice to see you again. We need to both get off our butts and come see each other more often."

You were still stood hugging her. She was a little bit shorter than you were, and much thinner. To think that when you first met Papyrus you were the same size as she is now.

"You should come down to mine, some time. Meet Pap and my friends. Try some Spider pastries."

"Ooh, I saw an advertisement for that place. The food looks so good! I should start a practice next door."

You laughed, finally pulling out of the hug. "Oh hardy harr. Anyway, I'm planning on having a dinner party with a bunch of friends soon. When I work out when I'll let you know. You can stay at mine for the night."

"That sounds like a plan, sis. You have a safe trip back, alright?" She walked you out to the waiting room, opening the glass door for you. As you walked to your car, she yelled out to you. "And no more breaking teeth!"

She always had to have the last word, and you let her this time, waving as you pulled away from the curb. Your tongue wandering over the new filling as you drove. Another 2 hours and you'd be back home.

Hmmm, you should probably go check up on Papyrus first, come to think of it.

Chapter Text

It seems that interacting with sentient spiders all the time at your workplace had really desensitized you to the sight of spiders in general. So much so, that when you looked up during your morning shower to see a giant spider, you of course first tried talking to it. When it didn’t respond, it took you a minute to realise that this wasn’t one of Muffet’s family members, but a giant fuckoff surface spider that was hanging out above you, ready to fall onto your naked form and devour your gibblets. You were out of the shower quick smart, a towel wrapped around you haphazardly as you scoured your kitchen for a tupperware container to catch it in.

You found one strong and secure enough to hold your quarry, hopping back into the stall and looking back to the wall.

Well, wherever it now was, it had gotten there quickly. You glanced all around you as you tried to locate it.

Seemingly it had blipped out of existence, or at least out of view. Without knowing the thing’s exact location, you had lost your nerve, abandoning the rest of your showertime in favour of not being stalked and attacked.

“Alright, you’ve won this round..”

You placed the container down on your vanity, picking up your hairbrush, when you felt something brush across the back of your hand. Brushing it off as some loose hair, you went about the rest of your routine, albeit not as cleansed as you would have liked. There was still shampoo in your hair from where you had been in the middle of rinsing. Eh, no biggie, it made you smell nice. Apples and cinnamon, just like Papyrus’ favourite kind of muffins. Hey, maybe he would appreciate the giant spider making its way down the side of your face.

“FUAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

The poor thing went flying as you thrashed your hands and body around in a panic, stumbling out of your bathroom and into your lounge, all modesty out the window as your towel dropped to the ground in your panicked state.
You brushed yourself off, having seen the spider making its way across the floor outside your bathroom, dazed from its little joyride.

The humor of the situation was not lost on you as you fell to the floor, gripping your sides as you cackled. Boy, that was a silly thing to do, and you were left sitting stark naked on your loungeroom floor while your nemesis made it’s shaky way back to the bathroom. Gathering what little dignity you had left, you stood back up and fetched the container, scooping your prize up with ease and affixing the lid.

“Today is supposed to be my lazy day. It’s barely 8:30 and my heart is already racing like crazy, you little arsehole!”

You placed the clear container down on the vanity again, this time with the spider securely inside, and finished getting ready for your day. You would take it downstairs to the courtyard and let it go once you were decent.

Dried off and dressed, you headed back into your bathroom to grab your captive, also grabbing your bag before heading out to meet with Papyrus downstairs. You both technically had a day off, but he had been called in to work at the last minute for some reason. Paperwork, probably. He was quickly becoming the go to guy when anyone wanted anything done right. His pedantic nature was both a strength, as well as a weakness at times. More the latter, if you were being completely honest.

You had decided to compromise with a coffee date before he started his shift. He needed to go in before that to pick up some of his uniform and talk with a few people, but after you would have enough of a window to grab some drinks, sit and chat for a while and then have him drive you back home. You had tried to assure him you could make your own way back, but it was like trying to argue with a wall. He insisted, so that was that.

Stepping out into the morning sun, you approached a few bushes near the entryway. They should be as good a home as any for your little pest. Opening the container, you shook it gently against the leaves of one of the bushes.

The spider seemed to have made a choice of where it wanted to stay, and it wasn’t budging. Its legs clinging to a rough part of the plastic in sheer defiance.

“Oh, no, you’re gonna get out or I’m making you come out.” You said as you shook a little harder, putting the bowl over a section of leaves, trying in vain to coax the critter free. Nope, it wasn’t having any of it, curling even tighter in on itself.

You let out a sigh, looking into the bowl once more before slipping it under the bush. You would come back later and get it, if it was even still there by the time you returned.

“DATEMATE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

You spun around, smiling despite how frustrated you felt. “Oh! I was trying to put this spider I caught in the bushes, but he doesn’t seem to want to leave his bowl.”

Papyrus looked down at the bush, his eye sockets narrowed. “WELL, IT SEEMS THAT HE HAS LEFT THE CONTAINER NOW.”

“Are you kidding me?” You gasped, looking down to see that, yes, the bowl was now empty and your little foe was nowhere to be seen. “Little bastard..”

“THAT’S NOT A VERY NICE THING TO SAY, _____..” Pap sighed, his expression one of bemusement.

“But you don’t understand! First it was above my shower, then I had to get the container, and then it was gone so I had to cut my shower short. Then, THEN, when I went to brush my hair it was on my person and I was throwing a fit around my loungeroom completely in the nuddy!”

You smiled, realising how funny it must have sounded, but Papyrus wasn’t laughing. When you looked back up to his face, it was glowing orange. “You okay, Papy?”

“YOUR CURTAINS WERE CLOSED WHEN YOU WERE WALKING AROUND NAKED, RIGHT?”

“Uh.. Oh..”

So that was a whistle you had heard before..

Damn.

***

You had made a mental note to hide a few DVDs from your small collection after the ‘bunny fiasco’. Papyrus was confused as to why you even enjoyed that movie. You explained that it was based on a book that you were quite fond of, and it seemed to placate him. He politely declined your offer to let him borrow it. You didn’t expect him to say yes, anyway, not after the experience he’d had. It was a far, far cry from his ‘Fluffy Bunny’.

“It does have a very bittersweet ending, though.”

He shrugged, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual.

“CAN WE PLEASE NOT TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE?”

You nodded, apologising. “Yeah, sure. Sorry.”

You were both quiet for a moment, before you turned to face him in your seat.

“Hey, Pap, what do you call a skeleton that gets stuck out in the snow all night?”

He feined annoyance, a smirk playing his face as he made to ‘roll his eyes’. “SANS, AFTER HE LOSES HIS HOUSE KEYS AND FALLS ASLEEP OUTSIDE THE DOOR IN A BLIZZARD?”

“… A numbskull.”

“NYEH HEH, I LIKE MY ANSWER BETTER.”

“So do I. How many times did that happen?”

“THREE THAT I KNOW OF. ONE TIME HE FELL ASLEEP OUTSIDE OF GRILLBY’S. GRILLBY COULDN’T GO OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT WAS SNOWING SO HE HAD TO LEAVE HIM THERE. NYEH, SERVES HIM RIGHT FOR BEING SO LAZY.. AH, HERE WE ARE!”

When you reached the curb, you hopped out, looking back down to where Pap had leaned over.

"I WILL TRY NOT TO TAKE TOO LONG PICKING UP MY THINGS FROM THE STATION. YOU REMEMBER WHAT MY ORDER IS, I ASSUME?" He shot you a cheeky smile.

"Yep. Flat white with three sugars. I'll be right over here."

You put your head back into the window to kiss him, before pulling back and waving to him as he drove away. Time to go get coffee sustenance.

You were walking through the tables set up on the street when you heard a loud snort.

"Ugh, did you just see that? She kissed it. That's disgusting."

Ugh. Why. Should you even bother? Probably not, you weren't in the mood to deal with idiots.

“Hey, wasn’t that the monster Gina was seeing ages ago? Pap-something?”

You stopped in your tracks, slowly turning to look at the two women sitting off at one of the tables. They looked quite well off, with expensive handbags and sunglasses. The looks they sent back screamed ‘we think we’re better than you’.

One of them rolled her eyes over the top of her dark glasses. “Yes? Can we help you?”

You bit your tongue, breathing softly through your nose before answering.

“I just heard you mention that you knew an ex of my boyfriend.”

“Oh, so you’re dating that.. thing?” The other girl spat, a cruel smirk directed at you. “Does it even have junk? Gina said it wouldn’t even put out so-“

“Please don’t call my boyfriend a ‘thing’, or an ‘it’.” You said a little more sharply than you meant to. Sure, you were angry, but you didn’t want to start a fight with these two. “And that’s really none of your business and I- Oh..”

A glint of light caught your eye as you spoke. Pins.

Your heart jumped up into your throat, a feeling of foreboding clouding your senses. You heard them scoff and start bitching loudly about you as you walked into the café, holding yourself up on the counter as you told the cashier your order.

The young woman taking your order looked you over, noting that you were pale and shaking as you gripped the edge of the counter with white knuckles. “Are you alright, ma’a-Oh shit!”

You only heard the beginning of that, as you had passed out halfway through.

***

… “_____? CAN YOU- OH THANK ASGORE, YOU’RE AWAKE!”

You caught a blur of blue and white as you opened your eyes, your head pounding and your back and arms sore. “P-papyrus?”

He ever so carefully moved a strand of hair away from your face, his worried expression finally coming into view.

“OH, _____, I WAS SO WORRIED! THE LADY AT THE TILL SAID YOU FAINTED. HOW DO YOU FEEL? ARE YOU STILL UNWELL? I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE JUST STAYED WITH YOU TO GET COFFEE!”

You shushed him quietly, reaching up with a shaking hand to touch his face, calming him down. “Papy, I’m okay. I probably just had a panic attack..”

He sighed, slowly pulling you up until you were standing, directing you to a chair he had ready for you. “A PANIC ATTACK? WHY? WHAT HAS MADE YOU PANICKED? IS IT STILL HERE?”

Another woman brought you a glass of water, and you thanked her, only just realising how dry your mouth and throat were. Your head was also beginning to throb uncomfortably.

“There were a couple of girls outside who were saying nasty things about you. They were wearing those god forsaken pins, Papy.. They said they knew someone called Gina who you were dating, or something.”

His eye sockets blew out wide, before narrowing and glancing around, but he seemed to relax when he saw they were no longer hanging around.

“OH. I SEE. I, UH, THAT IS.. YES, I WAS DATING A HUMAN NAMED GINA. IT WAS MANY YEARS AGO NOW, NOT LONG AFTER WE CAME TO THE SURFACE, JUST AFTER WE WERE AWARDED OUR RIGHTS.” He pulled up a chair to sit beside you. “SHE WAS.. NOT PLEASANT. I ASSUME THE TWO GIRLS YOU SAW BEFORE WHERE TWO OF HER FRIENDS. THEY WERE ALL QUITE.. UNSAVORY PEOPLE.”

“Well, yeah, they were wearing pins, afterall.. I think seeing them is what set me off. After everything that’s happened, I think I might have developed an aversion.”

He stroked your knee as you sipped at the water. The girl who took your order before came over with it, setting it down on the table between you and Papyrus. “On the house. I hope you’re feeling better. That was a nasty spill.”

“Oh, much better. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

She smiled at you and your partner, before heading back behind the counter. Once you had drank yours, and assured him many times that you were feeling up to standing and walking to the car, Papyrus helped you out and into the passenger seat. He even did your belt up for you and made sure that the temperature of the AC was to your liking. You told him not to worry so much, that you were pretty much over it already. He still seemed wary of your state.

“I JUST DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU HURT OR.. I SHOULD HAVE GONE IN WITH YOU.”

“Papy, it’s okay. Neither of us knew that was going to happen. You don’t have to worry.”

He shot you a sideways glance before checking his mirrors and pulling out from the curb, heading back towards your apartment. “OF COURSE I HAVE TO WORRY. IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO DO SUCH SILLY THINGS SUCH AS GET YOURSELF INTO TROUBLE ON THE DEEP WEB, I DO HA- WAIT, I’M SORRY!” He gasped as you burst into silent tears. No, you were still feeling sensitive.

You tried in vain to curb your sobbing, watching him grip the wheel as he drove slowly. “S-sorry, I don’t know why I’m so touchy..”

“NO, IT’S MY FAULT. I SHOULDN’T HAVE BROUGHT THAT UP, ESPECIALLY NOW WHILE YOUR EMOTIONS ARE COMPROMISED. I’M SORRY.”

“I.. Okay..”

The rest of the trip was silent, neither of you really knowing what to say. Papyrus looked over at you every so often, his features heavy with regret and worry. You looked across at him a few times, feeling a strange guilt bloom in your chest when you did. You couldn’t think of anything to say. Your headache only seemed to be getting progressively worse as the squeezing tightness in your chest seemed to grow.

By the time you reached the car park of your flat, the air was thick with tension. You had to say something.

“Papy, I-“

“I’M SORRY THAT I FAILED YOU.”

It caught you completely off guard. “Wait, what? What do you mean?”

He was sat staring down into the middle of the steering wheel, his hands twisting together in his lap and his posture slouched. He looked miserable, and it made you feel awful.

He took a deep breath before he spoke.

“I HAVE BEEN UNNECESSARILY SHORT WITH YOU, AND I APOLOGISE. IT IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO PHT.. BUT I AM NOT TRYING TO MAKE EXCUSES.” He looked across with his usual puppy dog eyesockets. “CAN YOU FORGIVE ME, MY LOVE?”

“Of course I forgive you, I haven’t been the most agreeable soul the past day or so either, I’m sorry.. Wait, what is PHT?”

He opened his mouth to answer, when his phone chirped at him through his pocket. “OH! I NEED TO GET TO WORK. I WILL MESSAGE YOU AFTER MY SHIFT. PLEASE TAKE CARE, _____. NO MORE FAINTING ALLOWED!” He gave you a chaste kiss before shooing you playfully from the car. You hopped out, laughing as he made a show of speeding away, only to exit the car park slower than you’d ever seen him driving. He of course sped up once he reached the street. He must have wanted to try and cheer you up a bit, and it worked.

When you were back in your apartment, you fixed yourself a drink and some chips to snack on and take some painkillers with, flopping down on the couch and pulling out your phone.

[Me] Heeeeeey Sans, I have a question for you.

[sans] k shoot

He was timely with his reply, for once. You grabbed a small handful of chips, stuffing them into your gob before typing.

[Me] What’s PHT?

At least 10 minutes went by with no answer. Well, you didn’t really expect speed when Sans was involved. He’d probably fallen asleep after the first message. You were about to get up, when your phone buzzed from the floor.

[sans] boy howdy u sure ask some crazy questions kid

[sans] uh I guess I can tell u over text prob less embarisin that way

Your interest was piqued.

[Me] Sure, text is fine. Just Pap mentioned that he has it but he didn’t have time to explain.

[sans] uh k no wonder he snapped at me this morning cause I kept slurpin m brekfst sgetti

Ew. Sans, why?

[sans] pht stands 4 pre heat tension

Pre.. What?

[Me] Pre Heat? Wait, you mean heat like as in HEAT? Like cats and dogs have?

You stared at your phone, a little confused.

[sans] lol yea monsters have heats. Usualy 1or 2 a year. Don’t human women get pmt with ur cycles? kinda like that pht is, cept we dun have to suffer as much. Ha

[sans] humans hav hormones n monsters hav magic

[sans] all it is is our magic spikes. If monsters wanna have a kid they gotta use a lotta magic. Just means it’s easier to make a kid durin th time. Before an after we get a bit antsy I guess. Nothing actually overtly sexual bout it. Least for skeleton monsters.

You were even more curious now, but maybe you would leave your questions for another time, now that you had a rough idea of what your boyfriend was going through.

[Me] Oh, right. I might get him some chocolate. It helps me feel better when I’m pmsing, so maybe it will have a similar effect on Pap. Placebo maybe? :P Thanks for answering my question. Just didn’t know if I should be worried or not.

Sans didn’t text back after that, probably fallen asleep for real. You dropped the phone back to the floor, and bunkered down for a day of doing bugger all to a MTT soundtrack in the background.

***

For some reason, you just couldn’t sit still. Barely half an hour after your conversation with Sans, you were back out the door looking for something to do. It could have been due to adrenaline, or you were experiencing some kind of quick acting cabin fever. Who knows. All you knew was you had to get out and do something.

As you took a stroll down the road, you wondered if any of your other friends were free to hang. You knew Undyne was working, Papyrus had told you so, and Alphys was at the Uni weekdays. Sans was probably too lazy to do anything, or he actually was asleep. Gloria was.. Actually, you seem to remember not seeing her name on the roster for today. Maybe she might want to spend some time with you.

You pulled out your phone, dialing her up and counting cracks in the pavement while you waited out the rings.

“H-hello?”

Oh, wow, she sounded like she had been sleeping too. “Hey, Lo. It’s _____.”

“_____? Hey!” Her voice picked up, the sleepy drawl seemingly gone. “How are you?”

“I’m pretty good. Just wondering if you were free and wanted to hang out, that’s all.”

There were sounds of shuffling from the other end, followed by the loudest yawn you had ever heard. For such a tiny lady, she had huge lungs.

“Ehhhhh, sure! Should I come over to yours, first? I still haven’t been over to see the flat.”

“Sounds good. Might even get to meet my neighbor. I’ll head back now, and get some tea ready. You have my address, right?”

There was a concurring sound from your friend. “I’ll be there in a bit. Just..” Another loud yawn. “Gotta wake up a smidgen. Anyway, seeya soon, sweets. Bye!”

“Bye bye!” you said, ending the call and turning on the spot to head back home. As you passed by the bushes near the front doors, you nipped over and picked up your Tupperware container which was now, much to your delight, completely sans spider.

“Have a nice life in there, you little a-hole.”

***

After a grand tour of your humble living space, you and Lo ended up taking a walk through the park. It had been a while since you both had been able to hang out, apart from work.

You could hear her stomach rumble from two feet away. "Heh, hungry?"

She gave you an imploring look as she placed a hand over her stomach. "I didn't eat breakfast. I slept in and came straight over to yours when you asked me. I didn’t want to keep you waiting."

"Sans is already starting to rub off on you, I see. It's contagious, and there's no cure." You joked as she playfully hit your arm. "There should be a cart or something around somewhere. There usually is on a Saturday."

"Mmmm, I could go for something warm.."

You both carried on through the park, walking up to a large fountain situated close to the entrance. Looking around, you finally spotted a food cart, and manning it was none other than your short, punny friend. You nudged Lo, watching her face light up when she realised.

"Oh! Hi Sansy!"

He looked up from his phone, grinning when he recognised the voice. He gave you a nod as well.

"well, well, well. what do we have here, a couple 'a pretty ladies walkin' through a pretty park on a pretty day. you guys hungry?"

"Famished!" Lo groaned, placing her tiny hands onto the cart as she leaned in to kiss him. "I didn't know you had a hotdog stand here."

"i'm a mysterious guy.. who keeps picking up odd jobs." He laughed, picking up tongs to grab a couple of hotdogs. "how's things?"

“Good, good.. Sorry for putting you on the spot with random embarrassing questions this morning.”

He went blue just thinking about it. “heh, no prob. just try to keep the awkward texts to when i’m not in the middle of a meetin’ with my co-workers and boss, wouldja?”

“Awwww, Sans, you should have said something!” You cackled as he ran a hand down his face groaning. “I would have waited.”

Gloria looked between you both. “Am I missing something, or..”

Your laughter came to a wavering halt when two burly looking men approached the cart. They were wearing Park Ranger uniforms and badges, but up on their lapels sat those damned shining pins. You cast them a wary glance as they looked down at Sans.

“sup, fellas. anythin’ I can getcha?” Sans’ bright smile did not extend up to meet his eyesockets. He looked back at the men with a heavy gaze.

They looked at each other, before staring the skeleton down again. “You need to move your cart.”

Sans put his hands up as a placating measure. “guys, I gotta permit for bein’ here. I got it in my bag if ya need to see it and-“

“You have 5 minutes to move this cart, or we’ll move it for you.” The other guy spat, his arms crossed hard across his wide chest, flexing his arm muscles. You could have laughed at how ridiculous they looked doing that. Still, it was intimidation. While it didn’t seem to faze Sans at all, he still didn’t want anything to start.

“’kay, i’ll finish up makin’ my friends lunch then I’ll go.”

“No. you’re gonna pack up and fuck off right now.”

Gloria gasped, standing up to her full height, which was not much at all. “Excuse me! Don’t you swear at him.”

“lo, it’s okay.” Sans warned her, not taking his eyes off the men. “let’s get goin’.”

He pulled the till out of the cart and threw it into his backpack, walking away from it without packing anything away. You and Lo followed him as he wandered off, looking back over your shoulder to see the two rangers pulling the cart apart. “Sans!”

“forgetaboudit.” He sighed, wrapping his arm around Gloria. “not worth goin’ back an’ startin’ shit over. let ’em feel proud of ‘emselves.”

“But your cart..” You gasped, watching the two thugs turn it over, hotdog makings spread all across the ground around it as they destroyed it. “Fuck, that can’t be legal! That’s your property and-“

“_____.” He said, placing a hand on your shoulder. “s’just a cheap cart full’a hot dogs. No big deal. Heh, let’s go get miccy ds or summat. my treat.”

With one last wistful glance back at his now totaled cart, he walked away towards the park entrance, Gloria at his side looking heartbroken for him.

As you stood there watching for a little bit longer, you felt such anger.

The two jerkoffs were smirking, walking back into the park and leaving a total mess in their wake. Were they even going to clean it up, or would they leave it for the park cleaners to deal with. That was not fair. Nothing was fair!

Clenching your fists at your sides, you turned and stomped away to meet back up with your friends. Trying and failing to vent your frustration.

Sans chuckled when he saw your little tantrum. “heh, ya right there? seriously, don’t get so worked up over it. yer gonna give ya’self a headache or summat.”

“I am just so sick of fucking humans!”

Gloria seemed to shrink a little at your harsh words, but you were quick to her side to hug her. “The arsehole humans. Not the wonderful, amazing ones. You’re, like, one of the few ones keeping my faith alive, Lo.”

She batted you away playfully, retreating back under Sans’ waiting arm as you all waited to cross over a road to get to food. Before the little green man flashed, you couldn’t help but take one last glance back behind you. The whole sight was depressing as hell.

Well, at least you didn’t pass out this time.

Chapter Text

"THE PARK RANGERS DID WHAT!?" Pap yelled as he stood up from his chair. You were sat eating dinner with him, Sans and Gloria the evening after the Cart incident. Sans was just explaining the situation to his brother when he blew up. Gloria let out an "Eep!", dropping her fork into her pasta at the sudden hike in volume, not nearly as used to it as you and Sans were.

Sans let out a breath, his eye sockets closed as he prepared himself. "bro, calm down. it doesn't matter. s'just a cart. can get a new one easy-"

"IT IS NOT JUST THE CART, SANS, IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!" Pap groaned. "CITY EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT ACT LIKE THAT AND.. WERE THEY-"

You swallowed the mouthful of spaghetti you were chewing. "Yeah, they had pins. It was purely because he's a monster."

When you looked back up from your food, Pap was already making his way to his room, his long strides harsh against the carpeted floors.

"Papyrus?"

He disapeared into the bedroom, the sound of doors and drawers opening and slamming carried through the rest of the house. Sans made to stand, but was stopped when Gloria placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe you should let _____ go talk to him."

Resigning, he shooed you away with a wave of his hand and a thankful expression. "yeah, y' probably right, babe."

You left them to their canoodling, trudging off after your partner. Yeah, you expected him to be upset about what happened to Sans, but he seemed much more pissed off than you expected.

Turning the corner into his room, you were met with a sight you didn't expect, and one that made your soul ache.

Pap was sat on the edge of his bed, his uniform laying on the floor, and his head in his hands.

"Oh, papy.."

Taking a seat next to him, you gently placed your hand up on his shoulder. He didn't make to shake you off, so that was good, at least.

"I JUST FEEL SO... POWERLESS." He threw his arms down onto his legs, still slumped forward. "WHEN UNDYNE TOLD ME THAT THIS JOB WAS GOING TO BE TESTING OF MY WILL, SHE WAS NOT LYING."

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"I HAVE NEXT TO NO AUTHORITY! I AM ESSENTIALLY A GLORIFIED OFFICE WORKER. IT'S.. IT'S NOT AT ALL WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT IS? I- I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP EVERYONE, AND I CAN'T EVEN HELP MY OWN.."

God, your heart was breaking just hearing him sounding so frustrated and disheartened.

"Pap, you are helping. Every little bit counts. Besides, you can't be everywhere at once, that's just unrealistic.. Look." You took his hands in your own, pulling them gently, but enough to get him to look up at you and face you with his body. "You have no idea how proud I am of you. Y'know, I do sorta understand how you're feeling. I mean, weren't you telling me the exact same thing the other week? After the whole 'deep web' fiasco?"

"... YES, THE IRONY OF THE SITUATION IS NOT LOST ON ME." He said with a small huff, looking up again to meet your gaze. "YOU ARE RIGHT. WE ARE BOTH DOING WHAT WE CAN.."

"Exactly." You stood, pulling him up to stand with you before you wrapped your arms around his ribs, his own arms resting around you as he nuzzled the top of your head with his teeth. "We're only huma- Heh, that was almost another dash of irony, because neither of us are, are we."

He laughed into the soft hair atop of your head as he tightened his arms around you. "NYEH HEH, WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT."

You stood relishing the warmth of his bones as he held you, both of you seemingly needing a little bit of contact after such a stressful week. As you stayed standing, you noticed that he only grew warmer and warmer, just as his arms wound around you tighter and tighter.

"How about we go finish dinner. As much as I would rather not let go, we both need to eat."

"NYEH.."

He didn't make to unwrap himself from you, but it's not like you were complaining. You gave him a little bit longer before pulling his arms from their death grip around your waist with a smile. "Come on, back to the food. Hugs can wait a little while."

The whine he let out as you directed him back out of his room was so adorably pathetic. You had a feeling that his present 'condition' was responsible for him being so unusually clingy, but again, not like you were complaining.

***

Whoo boy. You had no idea how hard heat could hit a monster, but you were getting somewhat of a crash course with your beau.

"Ugh, Papy, please.. Not again, I'm too tired!"

"BUT YOU'VE BEEN RESTING FOR 20 MINUTES ALREADY! PLEASE CAN WE GO AGAIN? PLEEEAASE?"

You slipped gracelessly off the couch, adjusting your sweatbands as Papyrus stood jogging in place next to your front door. You really, REALLY were starting to regret offering to go along on jogs with him to help burn his excess energy. Although how could you resist when he was dressed up in those shorts and his "JOG BOY" tank top. He had gleefully told you he had designed it himself when the were still back in the underground. The first time you saw it, he was complaining that the seams were stating to wear thin, to which Sans had decided a pun was absolutely necassary.

'UGH, THE SIDES ARE GETTING THREADBARE ALREADY!'

'i guess you could say-'

'SANS IF YOU EVEN DARE.'

'that it's-'

"I'M WARNING YOU.."

'.. runnin' off at the seams.'

'ARE YOU TRYING TO DRIVE ME INSANE? BECAUSE IT'S WORKING!'

You giggled to yourself as you dragged your poor, sore, tired body over to the threshold. Pap was practically vibrating already, so eager to get out and run.

"COME ON DATEMATE! GET THAT HEMOGLOBIN PUMPING!" He was out the door as soon as you turned the handle, having to step aside so he didn't knock you over in his rush to get outside.

"I think my blood needs to rest. If it was pumping any quicker I'd probably be dead standing.. Oh, go on. I'll meet you down at the entrance." You said, and he was off like a bullet down the stairs. You opted for the lift, like a sane person.

"Hey, _____, hold the doors!"

You pressed the button to open the doors, stepping aside to let Franz hop in. He was wearing a nice suit, his salt and pepper hair slicked back. He cleaned up very well. "Heh, hey Franz. You off somewhere important?"

He looked down at himself, before stifling a snort. "Oh, just work stuff. You look.. uh.. sweaty?"

"Thanks.." You retorted with a sniff, your grin betraying your act. "Papy's been running me ragged. He's like a ball of energy with no foreseeable end. I've been going on jogs with him all day."

He shifted the briefcase in his hands, his smile it's usual warmth. "You look like you could use a rest, that's for sure."

"I think if I fell asleep now, I wouldn't be able to wake back up."

"Heh, that's what my wife di- Uh.." He stopped at your horrified gasp. "S-sorry, gallows humor.. To be fair, she always used to say that, too."

You didn't know what to say. "Franz.."

"I'm so sorry, I've made you uncomfortable." He started, looking across at the floor buttons. "It's a habit. It was my coping mechanism and what not."

"Hey, don't worry about it." You sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I just didn't want to say anything to make you uncomfortable.. So, she had a decent sense of humor, huh?"

He was back to smiling again. "Yeah. She could always make me laugh, even when I was completely down 'n out. She had the sweetest laugh, too.. Heh, look at me, an old man reminiscing in a lift."

"We should totally do that dinner thing this week, Franz." You said, not so gracefully changing the subject. He seemed to be thankful, as his smile returned full force.

"Well, I am free every night this week until next Sunday. Just shoot me a message and I'll be there."

The lift came to a slow stop, the doors opening with a ding at your desired floor. You waved goodbye to your neighbour, already spotting Pap doing stretches over near the front garden. For a moment, all you could do was watch. For a skeleton, he certainly had a decent 'body'. You could almost imagine what he'd be like with a layer of flesh. He would have abs, that's for sure.

How did bone arching like that ever become so.. alluring?

A few seconds of staring turned into at least fifteen by the time Pap called to you, looking over at you with his hands on the crests of his hips, his toothy smile pulled up at one side.

"DATEMATE, ARE YOU COMING?"

Busted. You shook your head a little before putting on a smile. "Oh! Yeah, I'm on my way. Ran into Franz in the lift, so I said we should have that dinner this week."

"YES! THE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI IS QUITE OVERDUE. LUCKILY I AM AVAILABLE EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK, SO THAT YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY CULINARY PERFECTIONS!"

In the time it took you to look down, brush some fluff off your shirt and look back up, Pap was off. Forcing you to bolt just to try and catch up with him. God those long legs made him quick.

"H-hey! Papy, wait for me!"

***

By the time you both reached the park, your legs were already a mix of white noise and screaming. "P-pap, can we have a little break before we do anything else? Please? My frail, human body isn't as sturdy as yours."

"HMMM, I GUESS SO. I, HOWEVER, WILL CONTINUE TO WARM UP. COME JOIN ME WHENEVER YOU FEEL YOU ARE READY!"

With that, you shuffled off to the nearest shady tree and flopped down, your heart pumping so hard you could almost see your chest jolting in time. Wow, you used to be able to do shit this without being so pooped afterwards. Looking back, it really had been months since you had last been to visit the gym, let alone gone for a run.

Grunting, you pulled yourself to sit up and lean against the tree behind you, taking a quick glance across the rest of the park. Looking across to the fountain, you could still see stains of ketchup and mustard peppering the ground where Sans' cart once stood. It was gone, and so was most of the mess. Poor park cleaners had better be getting paid well, if the rangers were that tip-happy.

And speaking of, two familiar figures came into view, walking back up one of the hills over towards the fountain.

"Oh no.."

You stood, wandering over to where your boyfriend was wall jumping along the short garden wall. "Pap, those two rangers that flipped Sans' cart are right over there. I have a feeling they may try and start something."

He stopped, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wallet. Opening it up, it showed his ID and badge. "WELL, IF THEY DO TRY ANYTHING, THEN THEY WILL NOT BE PARK RANGERS FOR VERY LONG. I WILL ALLOW THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT ONLY ONCE."

"I guess that's why you're not going over and giving them a warning, huh?" You smiled. As much as they deserved to lose their jobs, at the same time you were glad that Papyrus was a kind man, willing to see good in everybody. "Okay.. For their sake, they had better leave you be."

He nodded, slipping the wallet back into his pants and continuing with his circuit. "ARE YOU READY TO RECOMMENCE YOUR TRAINING?"

"... I guess?"

You let out an undignified squawk as he picked you up under the arms and placed you up onto the ledge of the wall. "WONDERFUL! TRY DOING WHAT I WAS DOING. IT MAY BE A LOT MORE DIFFICULT, SEEING AS YOU HAVE SUCH SHORT LEGS COMPARED TO MINE."

"They may be short, but don't underestimate their power.. Oh, fucking fantastic! They're coming over, Papy."

"Hey, skeleton!"

Papyrus turned at the sound, watching the two men approach. "YES, HOW CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ASSIST YOU?"

The two men looked between each other, and you didn't like the looks they were sharing.

"You should probably put some clothes on, monster. Don't wanna have to call the cops to come get you for indecent exposure."

Pap looked down at his body. "I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I AM IN NO WAY EXPOSED, NOR AM I INDECENT. MY RIBS AND PELVIS ARE BOTH COVERED."

Something in the way he was speaking kind of threw you off, until you realised he was being sarcastic. You had to cover your mouth to stifle your snicker. Neither of the rangers seemed to notice you, or the underlying tones of your partners words however.

"What about that spine. That's indecent.. It's supposed to be inside a body."

"HMMM, I THINK YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS MY OWN SPINE, AND NO, I DON'T HAVE A BODY TO KEEP IT IN."

One of the men seemed to finally get that they were being messed with. "Hey, you tryin't be funny or somethin'?"

"OH? NO, OF COURSE NOT!" Pap said with mock hurt. "I WOULD NEVER USE SARCASM AGAINST SOMEONE OF YOUR STANDING!"

By now you were starting to get a stitch in your side from trying to hold in your laughter. You had to face away from them completely. Apparently it wasn't enough.

"Hey, you're that same girl from the other day.. What, you into skeletons or something?" He spat, stopping your need to laugh. Of course they would recognise you.

"Yeah, when you illegally moved my friend along and vandalized his cart."

"Pfft, hey yeah. That was fun. Tell your creepy little friend that if we see him around here again, we'll call the cops and have his bony ass locked up. And as for you-" He pointed right at Papyrus. "You'd better scram before we do the same."

You clutched your fists at your sides, really wanting to tell these two logheads where to go stick their pins, when Papyrus let out a soft laugh.

"OH, SO YOU PLAN TO THROW AN OFFICER OF THE LAW IN JAIL FOR BEING IN A PUBLIC PARK?" He took his wallet out, both of you watching as the two men in front of you went through the five stages of grief before your very eyes.

"There's no way!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Maybe it's fake? Wait, no, it's legit, Joe.."

"This is about right, huh.."

"Okay.. We apologise, Officer Aster. We were just trying to do our duties."

"YOU TWO ARE VERY LUCKY THAT I'M CHOOSING NOT TO REPORT YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY BROTHER'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS." Papyrus said, pocketing the wallet and tapping a foot impatiantly. "YOU DO REALISE THAT YOU COULD BE FACING POSSIBLE JAIL TIME YOURSELVES?"

"Y-yeah.. Won't happen again. If he has a permit he can sell here."

"VERY GOOD. I'LL BE SURE TO PASS ON THE GOOD NEWS. NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE US, MY MATE AND I WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING BEFORE YOU SO RUDELY INTERRUPTED."

They both seemed to shrink in defeat, slinking off into the park again. Papyrus turned to you with the closest thing you had ever seen to a 'shit-eating grin' on his face.

"THERE. NOW HOPEFULLY THEY WILL THINK TWICE ABOUT BOTHERING ANY OTHER MONSTERS."

You stepped forward to the edge of the wall, leaning in to place a kiss on his nasal bone. "You're amazing, Papy."

He rolled his shoulders, striking a pose with his hands resting on his hips. "NYEH HEH! NO ONE MESSES WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS, OR HIS MATE! NOW, LET'S GET BACK TO OUR ROUTINE, SHALL WE?"

"Ehh.. I have a headache."

***

"SAAANS!? WHY IS ASGORE'S NAME IS THERE A SOCK ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

The energy and magic spike had finally worn off a few days later, leaving your poor partner irritable and easily tired out. Hell, you were feeling the same what with your own visit from aunt Flow.

"Sans left a few minutes ago, Pap."

He stormed out of the kitchen, looking over to where you laid with one of the cushions in a death grip as you rode wave after wave of painful cramps. "I CAN'T COOK WITH IT JUST SITTING THERE!"

You were going to have to get up.

"I'll move it for yo-"

"NO, THEN SANS WILL NEVER LEARN HIS LESSON!"

"But then the sock will never get moved. Just let me-"

"WHY DOES HE HAVE TO LEAVE HIS FILTHY SOCKS EVERYWHERE!? HOW DID HE EVEN MANAGE TO GET ONE UP ON THE COUNTER LIKE THAT!?"

You felt bad for tuning out the rest of his rant, but you were feeling pretty shot at and missed.

You were jolted back when a weight shifted the couch, and you realised he'd sat down next to you, looking at you expectantly. Shit, had he asked you something. "Sorry?"

"I SIMPLY ASKED IF YOU WERE FEELING ALRIGHT. YOU LOOK QUITE TIRED."

"Oh.." You shrugged, not feeling up to much more than that. "I've been better. What about you? How are you going?"

"I AM.. GOING." He mumbled, still loudly, mind you. "I AM JUST FEELING A LITTLE OUT OF SORTS AGAIN." You felt sorry for him, and yourself really.

"Will a hug make it better?" You asked, lifting your arms out to him. He eyed them with an amused grin.

"IT MAY NOT CURE MY AILMENT, BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP."

He made to move towards you for the hug, which was great because you weren't moving. It was actually pretty nice, being cuddled up on the couch like that. You were never going to get over how soft he could be for someone made out of bones. Never.

"Papy?"

He looked up at you, his eye sockets meeting yours. "NYES?"

Reaching up, you ran a hand over his skull, watching those same sockets start to droop as he relaxed. "I love you."

"NYEH? OH, _____, I LOVE YOU TOO."

"How about we watch some Mettaton?"

"OOH, YES! CAN WE WATCH HIS COOKING SPECIALS?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

"heya guys, i'm ba-"

"SANS! HOW DID YOU GET A SOCK UP ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER? DO YOU DO THESE THINGS PURELY TO VEX ME?"

Your beau was once again up off the couch, already dragging his older brother into the kitchen by the scruff of his hoodie, to the sound of strangled puns. ".. That was nice while it lasted."

Chapter Text

"Do you think we should make some garlic bread to go with the spaghetti?" You asked Papyrus as he stirred some raw pasta into a pot of bubbling water at your own stove. Your sister raised her head from where she was sitting at the kitchen island with a huge grin.

She had arrived not long before, jumping at the chance to meet all of your friends. You had finally wrangled everyone together to have the 'friendship spaghetti' with your neighbor, who was right then sat on the lounge, talking with Undyne and Alphys while Sans and Gloria were on their way back from the shops for last minute supplies. They seemed to be taking a long time, probably off making out somewhere.

"You make garlic bread and I will be your slave for.. Maybe like an hour or something." Nadia snorted as she tried to look unaffected. You knew garlic bread was a weak spot of hers.

"Oh yeah? An hour is fine, too. Pap, can you pass me the salt?"

"HERE YOU GO, DATEMATE!"

Nadia watched you both interacting with a soft smile. "You two make such a cute couple. I'm happy for you, sis. You look so happy."

You could have blushed. "D'aw, thanks, Nads. I am happy."

"AND SO AM I!" Papyrus abandoned the spaghetti long enough to wrap his arms around you from behind. "IT MEANS A LOT TO HAVE SUCH POSITIVE SIBLING APPROVAL. THANK YOU, NADIA."

She waved a hand while playfully rolling her eyes. "Oh, shucks. Just don't get too lovey dovey around me and we're fine."

With that, you went about making garlic butter, picking out a large loaf from your breadbox that looked just perfect. Nice crusty crust, and wonderfully fluffy insides, good for soaking up the butter. Even Nadia was eyeing it with great expectations as you plopped it down onto the counter in front of her, handing her a bread knife.

"You expect me to actually work for my food? What is this?" She scoffed, taking the knife from you nonetheless.

"Yes, but you get to decide how thick the slices are." You waggled your eyebrows, giggling as she willingly started to cut the loaf. Thick slices it was, then.

A knock at the door dragged you away, opening it so that Sans and Lo could join you all again. They looked like they had both been walking a lot, but you knew better than that. "Have a nice trip, lovebirds?"

"yeah, ya can shut yer face right now." Sans shrugged, leaving the shopping bags on the counter before the two of them left to the lounge area. You were tempted to flick him, but a tap on your shoulder distracted you from your plotting. Next thing you knew, a spoon was hovering close to your face, filled with spaghetti sauce.

"WOULD YOU TASTE TEST THIS FOR ME, MY LOVE?"

You didn't even answer, just ate right off the spoon while he chuckled at your enthusiasm. "Mmmmm, perfect as always! It's really good, Papy."

He sent the saucepan a thoughtful look. "ARE YOU SURE THAT IT IS UP TO MY USUAL STANDARD? I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING MISS- OH! I SWEAR I WOULD FORGET MY SKULL IF IT WASN'T ATTACHED TO MY CERVICAL VERTEBRAE BY MAGIC. MUSHROOMS!"

"in the bag, bro." Sans didn't even look around as he called out, Pap already shuffling through the shopping in search of the ingredient.

He made quick work of the mushrooms, dicing them expertly before scraping them into the pan. "IT IS NOT TOO LATE! IN YOU GO!"

Another taste test later, and everything was left to simmer while you joined your friends in the lounge. Nearly everyone was sat on the floor on cushions, Franz and Alphys being the lucky ones to get to the couch first.

"So then what happened?" Undyne spoke up, sitting up as Franz continued his story. The three of them had been swapping anecdotes before the rest of you came to join in.

The older man thought for a moment, trying to recall. "Oh! That's right! So my dad was sitting across from us, and I noticed that he's staring his wineglass down. Didn't think much of it, until he told us all to go to our cabins and grab our paperwork and a change of warm, waterproof clothes. At that point my sister and I were like okay, something is going down. Turns out we were spot on. Ship was sinking."

"Holy SHIT! Then what happened?"

He chuckled, continuing. "Y'see, m' pop was in the navy, and he noticed that the wine in his glass was canting lower, and lower, and lower. Kinda cemented by the fact that all of the crew were running around like headless chooks up on the deck trying to get an evacuation ready while the guests were all nonethewiser, all still enjoying their dinner feast. Anyway, we got all of our important things, and got ready to board the lifeboats when they finally decided to let everyone know that the ship was going down."

"That is so bad!" You said. "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Ah, I think an old woman died. Stress induced if I remember, but apart from that it was fairly smooth sailing, pardon my pun."

Sans coughed into his hand, a barely disguised laugh.

"The best part? Wait for it.. We still had the keys from our cabins. I was tellin' a mate of mine years ago what happened and showed him. He took one look at the key chains and cracked up. They were coffin shaped."

"OH WOWIE! THAT'S SOMETHING." Papyrus gasped, while Undyne just cackled. You had to laugh too. What a freaky coincidence.

"Could have been much worse than it was. Now the ship is sitting under the ocean becoming one with the sea floor." Franz finished, taking a sip of his drink. A few more stories were told, including the story of how you lost a baby tooth during choir practice, until finally Papyrus declared dinner ready.

You all either sat or stood around the kitchen island, the spaghetti thoroughly enjoyed by everybody there. The garlic bread too, but you were sure a few of your friends missed out after Nadia absolutely pigged out on it. No-one seemed too upset, however.

As you all chatted and ate, Alphys headed back over to the lounge to get her phone out of her bag.

The crack was the first warning, the second was the rubble of gyprock drifting down and alerting her that something was going on. By the time she looked up, the glass light fitting was already tipping dangerously.

"O-oh no!"

You looked up, only to see the wire give way, the heavy shade falling. Without even thinking you threw your hand out, manifesting a green umbrella like shield above the small woman, the sound of glass cracking and splintering drawing everyone's attention with a snap.

"Alphys!" Undyne gasped, watching as her fiance shielded herself with her arms, the broken shards littering down in a circle around her, leaving her completely unharmed.

Once you were sure that there was nothing left to fall, you willed away the barrier. "Al, are you okay? Did any of that get you?"

"N-n-no, I-I'm fine." She said as Undyne stepped over the ring of broken glass and metal to pick her up into her arms. "Th-thank you! I wouldn't have been able to m-m-move in t-time."

"Yeah, thanks squirt." Undyne added, as Sans stepped forward to observe the damage.

"the hell? geez, probably want to get onto strata 'bout that, huh."

"What the hell was that green thing?"

You whipped your head around to Franz, who was staring at you with a confused, and almost worried expression. "Did you do that?"

"Uh, yeah.." You started, about ready to explain when you were picked up into a hug. He span you around, before putting you down with a huge grin.

"You're a Mage? I-I had no idea! This is incredible!" He said, his eyes bright. "I knew there was something about you!"

You placed a hand up to pacify your mate, who had taken a step towards you in concern. "Wait, Franz, How do you know about Mages?"

His happy smile fell, as he seemed to remember where he was. He glanced around at the monsters around you. "Oh, uh, my.. My wife."

"Your wife was a Mage?" You gasped, completely taken aback by this new information. Everyone else in the room wore guarded expressions.

Franz shoot the others a coy smile. "Y-yeah. Perseverance."

"but you're not one, right?" Sans asked, making Franz shake his head almost comically.

"Oh! No, no, no.. I'm just a boring ol' human. I just.." He began to falter under the short skeleton's vacant eye sockets. When you noticed, you could have hit him.

"Sans! Stop being creepy."

The lights were back, as well as his grin, albeit a little less jovial as before. "creepy? me? ya really know how to insult a guy, huh." You knew he was trying to lighten the situation, but it didn't make you feel any better.

"So, wait, there's another mage?" Undyne asked, a little confused with the proceedings. Franz looked up at her, trying to smile. It faltered.

"Clementine, my wife. She passed away 7 years ago. Cancer, one that ran in her family, sadly.. She was my rock, and she was as steady and unyielding as one too. Used to be a little rule in our family, 'never argue with Clem'. Heh.. Gods, I miss her."

You reached up to put your hand on his shoulder. He warmed at the sentiment, his smile returning, if only a little.

"I'm afraid I'm not much use for information, She told me a lot, but I doubt I could remember much.. Although, she does have a brother, Armand. He is also a mage."

"Do you think there would be some way I could meet him? I assume he's also a purple mage."

Franz grimaced, but then nodded. "I'm faaairly sure he's still alive. The last thing I heard he was set up in a hospice. He and I never really saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and when Clem finally went, bless her soul, we just sort of.. fell out of contact. I only know where he is and how he's doing from mutual friends, but I haven't heard anything in a few months, at least."

"WHAT IS A HOSPICE?" Papyrus asked out of pure curiosity. A few of the others nodded, also wanting to know.

"A hospice.." Franz started, looking to you to gauge whether to continue or not. You smiled softly. "A hospice is like a hospital, but it's generally where they put people who are already dying. Terminal illnesses, trauma patients.. The elderly. It's somewhere that's come to be known as 'God's waiting room'."

"Humans who are falling down, huh? So, this guy could be already dead, for all we know?" Undyne said, quickly apologising after for coming across a little brash. She was getting better.

"He could still be alive, just to spite everyone who comes into contact with him. He's a complete bastard. One of the reasons I used to avoid him; Clem was a sweetheart and he treated her like shit."

"Well, he is a Perseverance Mage, after all. The magic of staying." You added. Franz chuckled.

"Even if he wasn't, I'd say he'd be the same." He winced. "Guy is probably going to hang around for ever."

Sans cleared his throat. "so, what do you hope to achieve by meeting this guy?"

You didn't mean to look at Sans with such a dark glare, making him stiffen and eye you cautiously. You tried to relax, smiling at him instead.

"He's bound to know things I don't. My great grandmother didn't really know much, apart from actually using magic. She taught me all the basics of healing and shielding, but she was as clueless on our history as most humans. Since, y'know, we technically don't exist."

"OOH!" Undyne interrupted again. "Gerson might know something! He knows so much! AAAND he was around before the war and all that. He'd be able to give you first hand information."

Papyrus took pity on your confusion. "GERSON IS A TORTOISE MONSTER. HE RAISED UNDYNE AFTER HER PARENTS- UH.. HE RAISED UNDYNE." You saw a nod of thanks from the Fish woman. "HE'S OVER 1000 YEARS OLD, AT LEAST!"

"Holy.. Now that's what I call perseverance." Franz mumbled, making everyone laugh. They all seemed to be warming back up to him again. Sans still seemed a little wary, but it was Sans. You'd be more concerned if he wasn't, really.

It wasn't long before everyone started to leave, tired and full from dinner and conversation. By the time you started yawning, the only ones in your apartment were the Skeleton brothers and Franz. They were attempting to clean and fix the light that had fallen. No, you were going to have to get somebody in to fix it. It was beyond it.

"You guys should all head off home to bed. Papy, don't you have an early start tomorrow?"

He balked, walking over and hugging you. "AND SO DO YOU! YES, WE SHALL TAKE OUR LEAVE. COME, BROTHER!"

"kickin' us out? geez, cold." Sans joked as he passed you, leaning in to give one of his trademark sideways hugs, before following Papyrus out. The other was quick to come back in to give you a proper good night kiss, skipping back out with a loud, joyful "NYEH HEH!"

"Your friends are certainly something." Franz said as he took a seat at the counter. You'd agreed to talk about his brother in law once everyone had gone. "I like that Papyrus. He's a good boy. Sans.. He's alright?"

"Please, don't take it personally." You giggled. "Sans is a hard one to get to trust you. I have a feeling that he still has reservations about me."

That earned you a lifted brow.

"He's a good guy. He's very protective of his friends. Especially his brother." You continued. Franz nodded. He understood.

"I get it, I really do. I was the same way with my sister, bless her soul.. Anyway, is there anything in particular you want to know?"

You picked up a cup, taking a sip. "I know you said that you weren't on good terms, but I would like to meet Armand, possibly ask him what he knows."

"I can't make any promises, but.. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

***

Before you knew it, Halloween was around the corner. You were reminded when Pap came over one evening for dinner, when he started talking about ideas for possible costumes.

"Oh, wow, it completely slipped my mind. I should probably start brainstorming, hey."

He nodded. "I WILL BE GOING WITH FRISK AND THEIR FRIENDS, AS WELL AS TORIEL, UNDYNE AND ALPHYS. WE HAVE MADE IT A TRADITION. WILL YOU JOIN US?"

"Of course! Does Sans not get involved?"

Shrugging, he took a sip of tea. "OH, NO. HE IS FAR TOO LAZY.. WE USED TO HELP EACH OTHER MAKE COSTUMES, BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HE HAS SEEMED TO LOSE INTEREST. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY GOOD WITH THE DESIGNING PART, HOWEVER."

Papyrus' mood seemed to dip, so you brought out your phone to google costumes. "What do you think I should go as, Papy?"

"I THINK YOU WOULD LOOK GOOD IN ANYTHING! YOU ARE VERY SMART, I AM SURE YOU WILL FIND THE PERFECT COSTUME FOR OUR TRICK OR TREATING! NO BONES ABOUT IT- DON'T YOU SAY A WORD." He groaned as you covered your mouth to quell your giggles.

You had an idea, but you decided to keep quiet for now. It would be much more fun as a surprise.

***

It had been many years since you had been costume shopping. The last time way back when you were staying with your sister. Her best friend had children, and both of you had decided to tag along. Well, she decided to tag along, you were dragged with no say at all in the matter. You did enjoy yourself, but not stuffed into some 'sexy vampire' costume her and her friends had set you up with.

Not flattering, no matter how many compliments you received.

Frisk jogged up to the pop-up costume store that opened up in the local mall, leaving you, Tori and Papyrus in the dust. You had been told you would be meeting up with Mettaton there to help with picking out the perfect outfits. You'd not met him yet, but living with Pap for all that time, you were able to become well acquainted with his movies.

You'd really only gone along today to be social, having already bought all of the things you needed for you costume, but hey! If you found something cool today to add to it, that would be a plus.

Toriel picked up the pace a little, calling after the young ambassador as they put more distance between them.

"My child! Please do wait, I am not as quick on my feet as I was when I was young."

"You are young, Tori!" You grinned, making her blush under her fur.

"Oh! My dear, sweet child, how you flatter me. I am an old woman, but I treasure your compliments." She gave you a genuine smile, her sharp fangs more prominent when she did so. It didn't take away from her comforting appearance in the slightest.

You all finally made it to the shop, Frisk was miles ahead of you all, rooting through the costumes. Somehow they already had two or three choices hanging over their arm. They were nothing if not determined.

You followed Tori and Papy into the store, freezing as soon as you saw who was at the register.

He had seen you before you saw him.

Your ex.

He waved, seemingly not as awkward about the encounter as you were.

Groaning internally, you waved back. That was a mistake, him calling out your name as he bounded over.

"So good to see you!" He tried to hug you, but a well timed cough stopped him.

"Uh, Micheal, good to see you too.."

"So, costumes for Halloween, huh? Decided what you'll go as yet?"

You were not in the mood for small talk. "Mike, you do remember how we left things off, don't you?"

That seemed to put a stopper on his enthusiasm.

"Yeaaaah.. I'm really sorry. I was such a douchebag. Honestly, I still stand by what I said. She meant nothing to me."

"She meant enough to you that you would fuck her in our bed, while I was in the next room sleeping off a bad flu." You inwardly cringed at yourself, as he actually cringed. You could be cold when you wanted to be.

"I said I was sorry. I was drunk. Can't you just get over it?"

"EXCUSE ME, BUT DO YOU HAVE THESE PANTS IN A TALLER CUT?" Papyrus walked over, all smiles until he picked up on the awkward air between you and the cashier. "IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?"

"Super!" You said with way too much enthusiasm, making even Papy cock a brow. "Just having a chat. Oh, what kind of costume did you find?"

Pap looked at the other man standing next to you. "AH, YES, I THINK I WILL GO AS A PIRATE THIS YEAR! I AM JUST HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ANY PANTS THAT WILL FIT ME. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THIS?"

"Y-yeah, uh, I'll go check up the back. One sec.."

Mike walked away quickly, leaving you and Papyrus standing around.

"YOU SEEM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT HUMAN AROUND. IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?"

"Oh, yeah, uh.. He's an ex."

Pap seemed to get it, his grin returning as he led you over to where Tori and Frisk where standing. "WELL, I AM SURE HE IS MORE UNCOMFORTABLE NOW THAT HE SEES YOU ARE WITH SUCH A HANDSOME, RUGGED AND VIRILE SKELETON SUCH AS MYSELF. NYEH HEH!"

You weren't sure he knew what virile meant, but it was cute all the same. Pap could always put a smile on your face.

"I'm sure he is. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend."

"NYEH HEH HEH!"

"Ah! There is my number one fan! I knew I recognised that melodious laughter!"

You all turned at the metallic voice, and standing at the door of the shop was the very tall, very showy robot.

Mettaton.

He strode right over to where you and Papyrus were standing, holding his hand out to you and kissing it when you gave it to him.

"Oh! It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you! Papy darling has told me sooo much."

"HELLO METTATON!"

The robot bumped cheeks with Pap, both standing about the same height.

"It is so wonderful to see you again, Papyrus. How is that lazybones brother of yours these days?"

Mike walked back out onto the floor, carrying a few pairs of black pirate pants. He seemed intimidated by the two very tall men standing in front of him.

"Uh, y-your pants, sir.."

Papyrus took them, flicking them out and holding them up to his body. "AH! A PERFECT LENGTH! THANK YOU CASHIER HUMAN."

Mike backed away, jogging back to the counter as Papyrus did something you'd never heard him do before. He scoffed.

Mettaton walked over to Frisk and Tori to say hello, leaving you and Pap alone again.

"I heard that, y'know." You smiled up at him, poking your tongue out a little as he shrugged.

"I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.." He bent down, lowering his voice to a stage whisper. "DID HE EVER HURT YOU?"

"Emotionally, sure. Cheated on me in our own bed while I was asleep in the next room. I was coming down off a really bad flu that almost landed me in hospital. Virus' are one of the few things I can't heal, remember?"

"AH, I SEE." His voice returned to it's normal volume. "WHAT A STUPID, FOOLISH MAN. THROWING AWAY A RELATIONSHIP WITH SUCH AN AMAZING, SWEET, KIND AND BEAUTIFUL WOMAN."

You blushed. "Pap, you're such a smooth talker."

He ran a hand through your hair, stroking the back of your head and kissing you softly. You could see him look over towards the counter through your semi-closed eyes. You risked a look too. Mike looked like he wanted to punch something.

"You're being cheeky." You giggled as Pap stood back up to his full height, a knowing smirk looking back at you. Frisk bounded over to drag you both away, leaving the cashier to stew.

***

Somehow Mettaton and Papyrus had convinced you to try on a few costumes of a more risque nature. Well, more Mettaton was trying to wing-man. Pap just thought you were trying on a costume, not one this revealing. Ugh.

"Are you done in there?" The robot sang as he dangled a hand over the door to the change room.

What were you doing? You were not suited to this kind of outfit. You looked in the mirror at the 'sexy' nurse costume you had managed to somehow squeeze yourself into. Ugh.

Ugh.

No.

This was your Sister and her friends all over again.

Ugh.

"We don't have all day, darling! Come on out and show yourself off for Papy!"

You cursed the flamboyant machine under your breath and steeled yourself. Here goes nothing. You hitched the skirt back down over your thighs as you opened the door.

"Oh myyyyy! Papyrus, take a look at your little minx!"

You could have hit him, but seeing the look Pap gave you when he turned around maybe changed your mind.

"W-WOWIE!"

He was trying so hard not to give you an obvious once over, his cheekbones so orange you could almost feel the heat from where you stood. Frisk appeared from behind Pap's back, giving you a over the top wink and a thumbs up. Great. This was so embarrassing.

"Uh, Mettaton, I think I might call it a day.. I have most of the parts for a costume ordered anyway. Maybe you should concentrate on helping the others find something great."

The robot pouted, before rolling his eyes and giving you a grin. "Fiiiine. I'll leave you be. Frisk! Have you found anything yet?"

He wandered off, and Papyrus approached you.

"YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL.."

You sighed, scared the buttons holding your chest in would pop under any extra pressure.

"Thanks, Papy. I'm gonna get dressed and I'll meet you guys in a bit."

He looked back at you one last time as he walked away, and you closed the door to the change room, finally allowing yourself a decent breath in. A tearing sound and button clacking against the opposite wall made you hide your beet red face in shame.

"Oh my god.."

***

"Are you trying to make me jealous, or something?"

Papyrus stopped short of walking into the other man. Mike scowled up at him, his arms crossed.

The tall skeleton grinned, leaning down so he was at the other's height.

"WHY? IS IT WORKING?"

Mike took a step back, and Pap stood back up to his full height, his chest pushed forward to play on the intimidation factor.

"SHE TOLD ME WHAT YOU DID TO HER, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISGUSTED IN A HUMAN BEFORE." He narrowed his eye sockets at him, folding his hands behind his back as he did. Mike was desperately trying not to let his fear show.

"W-well, she didn't tell you the whole story, did she?"

Pap cocked a brow, waiting to hear this pitiful human's excuses.

Mike tried to stand tall, but still paled in the Skeleton's shadow. "She was always working, and when she wasn't working she was at school or out with her sister. She neglected my needs! Then she got that flu and she wouldn't even go near me."

Papyrus scowled.

"WERE YOU WORKING?"

"What? No?"

"WERE YOU STUDYING, OR DOING SOMETHING TO BETTER YOURSELF AT THE TIME?"

"N-no?"

"WERE YOU SHOWING HER THE LOVE SHE DESERVES, PUTTING ASIDE YOUR OWN SELFISH NEEDS TO ENSURE HER HAPPINESS?"

Mike looked up at him blankly, which answered his question. "Look man, I was doing my thing. I was getting a Youtube channel up and running and focusing my time and money on that. It was for the benefit of both of us. She wouldn't let me grow my channel cause she didn't want me buying games to play."

"IF YOU WERE NOT WORKING, WHERE WAS THE MONEY COMING FROM TO PAY FOR YOUR.. HOBBY."

"Uh, she was working, so.."

"I SEE." Papyrus drawled. "SUCH A PATHETIC LITTLE HUMAN."

Mike grit his teeth at the insult. "You wanna g-go?"

"DO I WANT TO GO WHERE?"

"Outside, so I can beat your ass!"

Pap laughed. "OH MY! YOU WANT TO FIGHT ME? SILLY HUMAN, YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS. I COU L D B R E A K Y O U L I K E A T W I G." His eye socket flared orange, the burst of bright magic leaving his face in darkness.

Mike stepped back, his face devoid of colour as Papyrus chuckled to himself, the magic gone as quick as it came.

"NOW, BE A GOOD LITTLE BOY AND GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTER."

Mike turned tail and disappeared into the back room. Hmm, was he too harsh on him?

Nah.

"Pap?"

He turned at your voice, going back to his happy demeanor. "OH, ARE YOU FINISHED TRYING ON OUTFITS?"

"Yeah, I think I'm good. I have something really cool planned, so I might look for things to go with it. Are you done?"

He nodded, and you walked back into the store, joining Tori and Metatton as they looked through some of the displays.

He was about to head over too, when Frisk tapped on his arm. They had a devious gleam in their eye.

"HELLO FRISK, HAVE YOU FOUND ANYTHING TO WEAR YET?"

'no, but i found something you can get _____ to wear.'

They held up the nurse costume, grinning as he flushed orange.

"B-BUT FRISK, SHE DIDN'T WANT THAT ONE."

'but you do, right?'

He glanced back over to where you were, completely engrossed in a discussion with Toriel as Mettaton pulled out more and more costumes. Mike was still not out of that backroom.

He nodded, and Frisk placed the dress into his hands.

'buy it for her, trust me. but don't let her know just yet. make it a surprise!'

He looked down at the costume, then back up at Frisk, but they had already taken off. Why did he feel strange about buying it for you. You didn't seem comfortable in it at all, but you looked.. looked..

He slid it between a few of the things he was buying for himself, trying to act natural as he walked back over to join the group.

***

Frisk had managed to distract everyone while Pap payed for his items. Mike also had enough smarts to not say a word as he scanned the dress, stuffing it into a plastic bag with the rest of the purchases. Pap was glad. That was a chance for the human to get back at him for scaring him.

By the time he had dropped off the others and taken you back to your flat, he had forgotten all about the costume.

You both took up space on the couch, channel surfing before settling on 'The MTT Brand Channel', as you both affectionately dubbed it. When your stomach started to growl, you made an executive decision to make the both of you some lunch. Spinach and cheese triangles sounded pretty good.

On your way to the freezer, you glanced across at the bags on the counter. You and Pap had dumped everything there as soon as you walked in the door. You looked into one of the bags that was open facing you, doing a double take when you spotted a familiar piece of fabric.

"Oh, Papyrus?"

He made a noise from his place on the couch, engrossed in the show he was watching. Really, this was something you would have expected from Undyne, or maybe Frisk- Oh. That was probably it, you thought as you pulled the costume out of the bag, flicking it out and walking over to stand between the TV and Pap.

"I don't remember buying this."

His smile fell when he saw the dress. "O-OH! UH, THAT.. WELL I WAS.. AND THEN FRISK AND.. I'M SORRY." He risked a glance up at you, feeling even worse in your disappointed gaze. "YOU LOOKED SO PRETTY IN IT. FRISK SUGGESTED THAT I GET IT FOR YOU AS A SURPRISE. TRUTH IS, I WASN'T SURE WHEN WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO SURPRISE YOU WITH IT.. BUT.."

You sighed, watching as he began to wring his hands. "Pap, if you had really wanted me to get it, you could have said something. I'd never wear something like this out trick or treating, or hell, even outside! But if you really like it, I would wear it for you.."

His head shot up, dark orange covering his cheek bones.

"REALLY?"

"I mean, why not? If you like it then that's okay." You sighed, turning it around in your hands to look at it. "I guess I kinda looked okay."

"YOU LOOKED ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING. MY BREATH WAS 100 PERCENT TAKEN, THAT IS HOW BREATHTAKING YOU WERE."

God, you had managed to snag a keeper. "Awwww, Papy."

You finally relented, walking over and kissing the top of his skull as he sat blushing and giggling. The outfit could go in your wardrobe until you needed it. The idea that you actually had a 'dress up' outfit in there was a little scandalous, and considering you and Papyrus had barely even done anything past second base.. Did he want to? Apparently, if him buying this was a thing. Oh well, you would jump that hurdle when you came to it.

Heh, came. You gave yourself a soft slap on the cheek as you giggled at your self. Pfft, grow up..

***

"Sign here please."

You signed the electronic pad the delivery man held out to you, taking the large bag and saying goodbye, shutting your door after him. It was about time your stuff turned up. You placed the bag on the island counter, grabbing a pair of scissors from one of the drawers to slice the top open. Everything seemed to be in order. Only thing left now was to try everything on and hope that you'd gotten your measurements right.

Lucky you.

The only thing that didn't fit was a cheap mask you had purchased as an afterthought. No, you had a much better idea for your face. Grinning, you packed everything back into the bag and put it into your wardrobe.

This was going to be a good Halloween.

***

You'd agreed to meet everyone over at Toriel's house. It was in a good area for Trick or Treating, as a lot of families lived around, and it was quiet and out of the way. You popped on your outfit and took a look in your wardrobe mirror. Perfect. One splash of facepaint later and you looked the part. You did your hair up in a messy bun, tendrels of curls framing your face. Done. Easy, and comfortable. Slipping on some black and white Converse to finish off the outfit, you stepped out of your apartment and made your way down to the carpark.

Hopping into your car, you threw your backpack into the passenger seat and started her up. The engine roared to life and you set out to Toriel's. About 45 minutes later, you pulled up at the curb outside the big house. You already spotted Pap's car sitting in the drive, parked in by Alphys and Undyne's Jeep. Getting out, you gave yourself one last look over and headed up to the porch. It was decorated with jack-o-lanterns of different sizes and designs. One looked just like Sans, and it didn't surprise you.

Trust Tori to change to doorbell to match the holiday. When you pressed it, the chorus of 'The Adams Family' rang out in chimes.

"My child! You made it, I'm so happy!" Toriel said when she opened the door. She was done up like a classic witch, with a tall hat that barely cleared the giant doorway. She let out a hearty laugh when she saw your costume. "Oh my! That is so wonderful! Papyrus will love your outfit, for sure."

You were not ready for the wink she gave you as she opened the door wider for you to step in.

Walking through the foyer, it was even more decorated than the porch. There were fake spiderwebs everywhere, black and orange streamers and plastic pumpkin heads hung up along the banister of the stairs, it was amazing!

You walked past Asriel on the way, sat up on a table next to a large bowl of candy and a few assorted wrappers scattered around. His costume was a plain white napkin drapped over him, and the word 'Boo!' scribbled on his flowerpot in chalk. He gave you the stink eye as you passed.

"Everyone? _____ is here!"

Toriel ushered you into the big back lounge, where everyone was sat. Frisk bounded over to you dressed up as a werewolf. They grabbed you into a hug, quickly signing compliments for your outfit. Again, you got an exaggerated wink. What was that about. You looked up at both Sans and Papyrus sitting over on the lounges, huge blushes of colour on their faces.

"Hey everyone!"

You smiled and went to stand by your boyfriend, who was looking at you slack jawed. "Y-Y-YOU'RE A SKELETON!"

Your tights were painted with white, in the shape of leg bones, your t-shirt had a ribcage printed on the front, and on the back there was a spine running from the collar to the hem. It was simple, but still striking. Your face paint was black, creating hollows of a skull around your eyes and the lines around your mouth looking like teeth. You had even contoured your face to make it look thinner. Black and white 'skeleton hand' fingerless gloves finished off the look.

"Yeah! Do you like it?"

Papyrus stood up, pulling you into a hug and spinning you around easily. He put you down after Tori had warned him not to let your legs hit the furniture.

"YOU LOOK AMAZING!" He adjusted the stuffed parrot sitting on his shoulder, his face still tinted orange. "YOU MAKE A VERY PRETTY SKELETON! NYEH HEH!"

Gloria got up and gave you a hug. She was dressed as a flapper, her short gold locks pasted down under her headband. Sans tipped his fedora, looking very smart as an ol' timey gangster.

"You look so adorable! Now you and Papy match!" She gushed, flicking one of the curls around your face.

"I thought it might be clever." You mumbled, now a little shy at being the centre of attention. Sans still wouldn't meet your gaze.

"yeah, looks cool. a little risque, but still.."

You realised just what he was getting at, flushing red. "Oh, god.. I'm the equivalent of naked, aren't I? God, I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about that!"

Everyone cracked up laughing, even Papyrus.

"nah, y' fine, kiddo. we know ya humans are attached to your skeletons."

"SANS IS RIGHT! WE KNOW THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN.. SAAANS, WHY?"

You joined in on the renewed laughter, finally taking a seat and some of the nibblies sat out on the table.

You still felt a little silly, but it seemed that everyone else had moved on from it.

Asgore came over to tap you on the shoulder right when you had stuffed your face full of chips and dip. He smiled at your harried expression as you tried to swallow.

"Eh heh, uh, hey Asgore!"

"How are the snacks? I was quite interested in these savory kinds when I first heard of them. I must say, I am a sweet tooth myself, but they are enjoyable nonetheless." You were a little disappointed to see he wasn't wearing a costume. Turns out he forgot, being so focused on making sure everyone else was looked after and planning food.

You finished swallowing the rest of your bite, moving in your seat to look up at him. "Yeah, I'm one of those people that can eat a whole tray meant for lots of people. It's really good."

"Ah, that is great to hear. Well, I must go see to the other guests, please do make yourself at home."

He walked away, stopping to talk to Toriel as he went. She soon approached you, handing you a bucket shaped like a jack'o'lanturn.

"We will be going Trick or Treating soon. Papyrus mentioned that you would be joining us young-at-heart." She smiled, her white fur almost glowing in contrast to her dark purple outfit.

"Of course! I've been really looking forward to this. Thank you so much for having me along."

Toriel almost looked upset. "My child, of course we would include you. We do consider you family. Our dear Frisk has even begun to refer to you as Auntie."

That made your soul sing. Auntie! How sweet of Frisk to even consider you that. Well, Papyrus was their 'Uncle' afterall.

"Awwww! I think I'm gonna cry, Tori!" You sniffed, a huge smile on your face. It reflected back at you in Toriel's.

Soon you were all stood out on the patio, ready to head off. Undyne and Alphys were both dressed as characters from Al's favourite anime, Mew Mew Kissie Cutie. It was a little bit of an odd sight. Alphys looked adorable in her magical girl dress, cat ears placed atop her head. Undyne looked like her muscles were going to break through the fabric of her dress if she moved too suddenly.

You were going to meet up with a group of Frisk's friends and their parents. So far, it was shaping up to be a good evening. You recieved quite a few compliments on your costume, especially when standing next to Papyrus. Of course a lot of people had to do a double take when they realised he was an actual skeleton.

You both followed after Frisk and a few of their human friends, as well as MK, as you approached a large house covered in Halloween decor. Papyrus eyed the skulls sitting on the porch with an uncomfortable air, before seemingly shrugging it off in time to yell "TRICK OR TREAT" to the woman who had come outside.

She smiled at the group of children, before looking over to you and Papyrus. She nodded, grabbing a bowl from just inside her doorway.

"Oh, what fantastic costumes! They certainly deserve some treats."

MK stepped forward first, their bag held in their mouth. They had somehow attached human arms to where their arms would have been, and they were flopping around comically, looking like if you got too close you'd get slapped. The woman took a handful of mini-chocolate bars and dropped them into the bag.

"Fanfu!"

"You are very welcome. Who's next? Oh, that is a very scary looking werewolf costume. Here you go!"

She filled the rest of the children's bags quite liberally, watching as they started off to the next house. You sighed as they slipped past you like they were greased. "Hey! Guys, not without us!"

"Would you both like some candy too?" The woman offered, holding out the bowl so you could take your own. Papyrus was thrilled, picking out a bar for each of you.

"THANK YOU!"

The woman smiled warmly. "You are welcome, young man. Have a good Halloween!"

That was nice of her. Most of the houses you'd gone to had really only given things to the kids, and it was making you irritated when they'd overlook Pap. You didn't really care about getting anything, but he was here to trick or treat, too.

"You can have my chocolate, Papy. I'm not big on Snickers, especially after the whole tooth thing." You said as you both followed after the excitable kids. Frisk was already waving at you to hurry up. Geez, cool your horses, kiddo.

The next house didn't really have much in the way of decorations, but the porch light was on, so you directed the group up to the door to knock.

It was a little bit of a wait, but eventually the door was opened. A grumpy looking man was stood there wearing what looked like pajamas. "Yeah?"

Okay, he didn't seem into it. You were about to apologise and move the kids on to the next, but MK was already standing up on their toes, holding their bag up. "Twicker tweet!"

The man eyed the short monster, before scoffing.

"fuck off, ya li'l freak."

The bag fell right out of MK's mouth in shock, and you felt yourself boil. How dare he swear at a child!

"Hey, that's not on. Could have just said you weren't doing trick or treat." You said as you pulled MK back by the shoulders. Frisk bent down to get their bag. "That language was not necessary at all."

"Pfft, do I look like I give a fuck, bitch? Get off my lawn or I'll go grab m' shotgun and put the li'l freak out of it's misery."

You were speechless. MK and the other children swarmed to you, standing behind your bigger form, one of them even beginning to cry. "You are a horrible person! Come on kids, let's go to the next house."

You made sure to shield them all against your front as you walked back down the path to the street, looking back to see Papyrus still standing up at the doorway. You called out to him, but he motioned for you to go. God, you felt uncomfortable leaving him there with that scum. If he was the kind to threaten to shoot a child, what's to say he wouldn't do the same thing to Pap.

You shuttled the kids back to the kind woman's house. She was a little surprised to see you again, but once you gave her a quick rundown of what happened, she was more than okay with taking the kids in until you could get Pap away from him.

The sight that greeted you when you jogged back over was not one you were expecting. The man was shaking, his forehead covered in sweat as Papyrus seemed to loom over him. You approached carefully, tugging on your boyfriend's shirt to get his attention, and he turned to you with a smile.

"OH! HELLO MY LOVE. I WAS JUST DISCUSSING A FEW THINGS WITH OUR FRIEND HERE. HE WANTS TO APOLOGISE, DOESN'T HE."

You were really confused, but spared the douche a glance. "Oh, does he?"

"Y-yeah!" He spat, his eyes darting from you to your partner. "I-I shouldn't a' said what I did. sorry fer scarin' yer kids, uh, lady?"

You wouldn't even dignify that with a response.

"Come on, Pap. We should take the kids back to meet up with Tori and the others. It's getting late."

You both left, not even looking back, even when the arsehole slammed the door.

Once you had collected the children from the house next door, you and Papyrus both made good time getting back to Toriel. She was smiling at first, but it fell when she saw the mood that everyone was in.

"My child? What happened?"

"I'll tell you when we get back to yours. Everyone is safe, and that's all that matters. I think we should call it a night."

She didn't ask anything more, but took the rest of the kids with her to go deliver them back to their parents. Once they were out of earshot, you let out a haggard sigh.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"Hmm? Oh, I guess so.. Would have been nice to not have to deal with humans like than for one evening? Is that really too much to ask?"

Papyrus took his pirate hat off, smirking as he dropped it onto your head. "I DON'T THINK HE WILL BE BOTHERING ANY MORE MONSTERS."

"Ah, I was gonna ask before, but the hell did you say to him to make him so distressed?"

"WELL.. I-UH, UH, I J-JUST.. UHH.."

"Papyrus?" You said softly as you turned to him. He looked extremely uncomfortable. "What did you say?"

"Dude, your girlfriend's pretty hot."

You both looked at each other, and then down at the sound. Sitting at the gutter near your feet was a squat looking monster. They were still tapping away at their phone, not even looking up. "Excuse me?"

"OH NO.." Papyrus groaned, stepping away from the other monster. They finally turned around, looking you up and down so obviously.

"Can I borrow money for a taxi?"

You blinked, shooting a look at Papyrus, who looked like he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"NO, JERRY. YOU STILL OWE BOTH SANS AND I MONEY."

"Then can I get a ride home?"

You didn't know why, but you really wanted to ditch this guy. No, that was so mean! Why were you even thinking that? You didn't even know him. "I mean, if you need a li-"

"NO!" Papyrus shouted, making both of you look at him. He was quick to right himself, clearing his throat. "I MEAN, NO. LAST TIME I GAVE YOU A LIFT, YOU LEFT A GREASY RESIDUE ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SEAT OF MY CAR.. THE BACKSEAT AS WELL, SOMEHOW?"

"Pfft! Bet you wouldn't complain if she left residue all over your car seats."

Holy. Shit. This guy. That was disgusting! You were about to tell him so, when you felt Papyrus take you hand, starting to lead you away.

"FUCK OFF, JERRY."

"Papyrus!" You gasped, stopping and pulling him back slightly. "I am surprised! Where is all of this vitriol coming from? First that guy who threatened MK and now this guy?" Folding your arms up against your chest, you looked him right in the eye sockets. "Are you alright? This isn't like you."

"I AM FINE, NOW CAN WE PLEASE LEAVE? THE AIR HERE IS GETTING INCREASINGLY GREASY, AND I AM UNCOMFORTABLE."

You were experiencing the same sensation, but you hadn't thought anything of it until now. "Okay, fine. Sure, let's go find Tori and the kids again. See if Sans and Lo have actually been handing out candy at the house or off making out all this time. I wouldn't be surprised if they've turned the porch light off.."

You both made your way back to the house, Toriel waiting at the door for you with a sour look on her face. Papyrus seemed to falter under it. "H-HELLO MISS TORIEL."

"I would like an explanation of what happened. Everyone else is already gone, and I had to assure MK's parents that I would get back to them once I had spoken with you." She sighed, taking off her tall hat and rubbing her head around her horns. "Please come in. Sans and Gloria are preparing tea."

You waited until Toriel had gone in, gripping Pap's hand and leading him inside. He would have to explain what happened to everyone now.

When you reached the back room, Asgore directed you to one of the couches, his mismatched eyes wandering over you both as you sat down. Lo was over quickly to give you a hug, handing you a cup of tea."

"So." Toriel began. "What exactly happened?"

"Well, we were trick or treating like normal, and we walked up to this one house. The porch light was on, so I just assumed they were involved." You stopped to sip your tea, trying to fix the dryness in your mouth and throat. "The guy who came out looked bothered, so I was about to move the kids on and apologise when he told MK to fuck off, and called him a freak."

Toriel's ears twitched, a dark look engulfing her features. Asgore attempted to sooth her, but was met with a warning huff, making him back right away.

"Then what happened?"

You looked across at Papyrus, who seemed distracted. "Then I told him off, and he made a really disturbing threat involving shooting MK to 'put it out of it's misery'. Of course I pulled the kids away and took them back to the last house we visited to stay with a kindly older woman while I went back for Papyrus, who was still there."

Toriel's gaze went from you to the skeleton. "Then what happened, Papyrus?"

He didn't speak for a moment.

"I MAY HAVE SAID SOME THINGS THAT I AM NOT PROUD OF. I THINK I SCARED HIM, AND.. NO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT AT ALL SORRY ABOUT IT." He looked across at the king and queen, and then to you. "NO-ONE THREATENS A CHILD LIKE THAT. I HAD TO DO SOMETHING."

"Yes, but what did you say to them?" Asgore asked, worry all over his face. "Things like this can have adverse effects on all of us."

"FINE!" Pap snapped, standing up as Sans and Lo walked into the room. "I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE EVER DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'D FORGO LOCKING HIM UP AND DEAL WITH HIM MYSELF!"

There was only silence, uncomfortable and strained.

"b-bro, that's so not on."

"I KNOW THAT, SANS! I JUST GET SO FRUSTRATED! OF COURSE I DIDN'T MEAN IT, I JUST WANTED HIM TO FEEL SOME CONSEQUENCE FOR HIS ACTIONS."

"As much as I would want to say the same, we must watch what we say." Asgore spoke up, trying to diffuse the situation. "Papyrus, we do understand. Things were said in the heat of the moment."

The lanky skeleton stood for a moment, before sighing, his shoulders slumping. "I WOULD LIKE TO GO HOME NOW. I AM REALLY NOT FEELING WELL."

Sans was about to offer, when you put up your hand. "I can take you. Let's get you home and snuggled up in bed. Tonight was a big night, huh."

After a quick goodnight to the others, you lead him back out to your car. He was nothing like his usual bouncy self at all, and you were getting really worried. However, you would put your concerns aside for now. Poor guy probably needed a good night's rest. He had been overdoing things lately, what with Halloween and things he was dealing with at work. He hadn't said much, but it sounded like they were doing a turnaround, and there was a risk of people being made redundant, which was stupid. Maybe he was worried about that.

"Let's get you home." You said softly as you buckled up, him doing the same. He smiled at you, but it was barely meeting his eyes. "You poor thing, you look like you could use some rest."

"Y-YES, I THINK SO TOO."

***

The rest of the ride home was silent. You weren't about to force him into talking when he didn't want to. Once you had arrived back at his flat, you helped him inside. Offering to get him some honey milk. He politely declined, before holding you close.

"MAY I ASK SOMETHING?"

"Sure." You answered, looking up into his eye sockets. "What do you need?"

He hesitated for a moment. "WOULD YOU STAY? I.. I WOULD RATHER NOT BE ALONE. NOT TONIGHT."

You hugged him a little tighter. "Of course. I'll go grab a shower, and then I'll come hop in with you. I think I have some PJs here."

You kissed him as you parted, grabbing some clothes before you went to go wash up. Luckily the facepaint was water soluble and came off without any staining or residue. At least something went right.

After you had dried off and dressed, you wandered into Papy's room, finding him already in bed, under his covers. For a moment you thought he may have already been asleep, until he turned over and propped his head up on one arm.

"DID YOU HAVE A GOOD SHOWER?"

"Yeah, it was nice. I still think I like your bathroom better than mine. Your water pressure is so much better." You muttered as you pottered around, picking up some clothes and putting them into the waiting basket. "You ready for bed?"

He seemed to pause, looking at you in a way that you weren't used to.

"WOULD YOU.. WOULD YOU READ TO ME? PLEASE?"

Oh, that was certainly different. Usually it was Sans who read the bedtime stories. You felt somewhat honoured that Pap wanted you to be the one to read him to sleep. "Are you sure? Did you want 'Fluffy Bunny'?"

With a nod, he moved over to make room for you while you went to get the well-read book from the bookcase. Its cover was held on with tape, the edges all frayed and stained. The cardboard had seen better days, but it was well loved.

You took a seat in the racecar bed, opening the book and looking down at your boyfriend, who was now nuzzling up to your side with his arms around you. He needed contact, and you were happy to let him have it.

"Alright. Ready?"

"MMHMM.."

He already sounded like he was half asleep. "Okay.." You opened the book and cleared your throat. "Hide and Go Seek with Fluffy Bunny. One day, Fluffy Bunny and his friends were all out playing in the meadow. All of a sudden, Scaly Snake had an idea. "Let's all play Hide and Go Seek!" He said. Fluffy Bunny and their friends agreed, and.."

You were reading for a while, when Papyrus hugged you tighter. "Hmm? You okay?"

"I THINK I AM READY TO SLEEP NOW. YOU DID SUCH A GREAT JOB READING, MY LOVE."

He looked like he was ready to doze off. His eye sockets were barely open, a lopsided smile looking up at you.

"Should I turn the lights off?" You asked, watching him lazily nod. You were quick to get up, flicking them off before climbing back into bed and working your way under the covers, only to have Papyrus wrap himself around you and hum.

"YOU ARE VERY WARM. I LIKE IT. YOU'RE LIKE A HOT WATER BOTTLE, BUT WITHOUT THE RISK OF LEAKING EVERYWHERE."

You concealed your smirk in the darkness, instead moving in closer so you could cuddle up to his chest.

"Good night, Papy. Sweet dreams.. I love you."

You felt his warm breath against your skin as he nuzzled his teeth to your forehead ever so softly. "GOOD NIGHT, MY MATE. I LOVE YOU TOO."

You didn't even attempt to sleep until you heard him begin to softly snore, his body relaxing next to you as he himself slept. Good, now you could finally relax. After that, sleep found you quickly, but then again, so did your dreams. You had been through this, over and over, why did you expect anything different.

You sighed as you walked through the now familiar golden corridor. As usual, your fate stood up ahead, looking at you with that unwavering grin.

"heya.. you've been busy, huh?"

Chapter Text

It seemed a decent nights rest was enough to jump start your beau back to his usual, bubbly self. You woke to the smell of something sweet from the kitchen, wandering out still half asleep to waffles and coffee being prepped. Papyrus was still busy in the kitchen, so you decided to plop down at the table and wait for him. When he wandered back into the dining area, he was quick to approach with a hug, kiss and a fresh cup of coffee for you. "GOOD MORNING!"

"Good morning to you too. Glad to see you're feeling a bit better." You said, taking a sip. He knew just how you liked it. "Breakfast smells so good!"

He retreated, before coming back out with a plate for you. They were from scratch, with whipped cream and jam and frosting sugar.. Oh wow, you were salivating just looking at them.

A moment later he was sat across from you with his own plate. You had been so entranced by the waffles, that you didn't notice Sans come out either. He pulled out a chair next to his brother and sat down, his tie slung haphazardly over his shoulder, his button up looking like it desperately needed ironing. "mooornin'"

"GOOD MORNING BROTHER. WOULD YOU LIKE A WAFFLE AND SOME COFFEE BEFORE YOU HEAD OFF TO YOUR WORK?"

Sans looked like he got the least rest out of all of you, his head falling to the table as he gave a half-arsed thumbs up. It was understood however, Pap leaving once more to fetch the food. You couldn't help but chuckle a little. "You look tired. How are you holding up?"

"eh, can't complain. kinda startin' to regret these early mornin's though. who the hell needs tech support at 8:00 in the mornin'?"

"Everyone waiting since 5 the previous afternoon?" You offered, taking a bite of your breakfast. "People do stupid things with their technology at all times of the day, Sans."

Holy crap the waffles were good.

Sans scoffed, turning his head on the table so he could look at you through one eye. "stupid is a very gentle word to describe them."

"I know, believe me I know."

Papyrus came back out, gently nudging Sans' skull across the table so he could place the plate down. Sans didn't seem to mind. "heh, thanks bro."

"YOU ARE VERY WELCOME."

You all sat and ate in companionable silence, until Papyrus announced that he had to go get ready for work. You were the only one not working that day, so you were going to hang out at the bro's house watching movies and such while they were out. You didn't really feel like going home. You'd just be doing the same, but at least you felt more obligated to clean up after yourself at their place.

Once you had put all the dirty plates and cups to the side, you wandered into Pap's bedroom to grab your phone and a sweater. You were going to stay in your PJs, but it was chilly. You walked in to find Pap just finishing up with his uniform, straightening his tie in the mirror. A sharp contrast to Sans' crumpled work clothes, his all freshly ironed and in order. He looked as smart as always.

You almost didn't want to crease his uniform by hugging him, but you did it anyway, wrapping your arms around him from behind. "Looking good, Papy."

"THANK YOU, MY LOVE. ONE MUST ALWAYS LOOK THEIR BEST AND PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD. I AM QUITE PARTIAL TO MY RIGHT."

"It is a good foot, the right." You mumbled as you stayed standing, holding onto his ribs and rubbing your cheek against the soft cotton of his shirt. You could feel the ridges of his spine through it easily.

You didn't miss that shiver. "You okay?"

"FINE. PERFECTLY FINE. YOU GIVE EXCELLENT HUGS."

"Mmmmm, glad."

You could have stayed like that for longer, but eventually you had to let go so he could finish getting ready. You sat down on his bed while he pottered around, soon finding yourself laying on your side. When did that happen. Why were you feeling so tired all of a sudden? He noticed too, stopping to come over and kneel down in front of you. He lifted a hand to give your head gentle pats. "ARE YOU STILL TIRED, MY LOVE?"

"Mmmm.."

"PERHAPS YOU SHOULD HAVE A BIT MORE OF A NAP. I KNOW I USUALLY RALLY AGAINST UNNECESSARY SLEEPING DURING THE DAY.. BUT YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE IT."

A non-committal shrug was all he got as you began to doze. He hummed, before standing back up and moving you up onto the bed, so that you were resting on the pillows instead of the edge.

You looked like you weren't going to be moving for a while, so he left you there to sleep, kissing your forehead before he left, locking up behind himself.

He remained chipper and upbeat the entire drive to the station, but it seemed to leave him once he got out of his car, looking up at the grey buildings with a sigh. He closed his car door, locking that, before he steeled himself and headed inside. Most of the morning was paperwork, what else was new. Most of it not his responsibility, again, what's new. He was so glad when the clock ticked over 12 for his lunch break. He dropped everything to clock out, heading off to the lunchroom with a little more bounce to his step.

He had just sat down after he finished heating up some leftovers, when he heard someone call out from across the room.

"Yo, Papster!"

Papyrus looked up from his lunch, a couple of human men around his age walking over. They were both nice enough, the three of them becoming good acquaintances very quickly when he'd first started working. "OH, GOOD AFTERNOON!"

A shorter, quieter man called John took a seat next to him, his own lunch set down on the table, while a slightly taller guy called Greg stood between two of the tables across from them both, his leg propped up on one of the plastic chairs. He had a smirk playing his face as he looked over at the skeleton.

"Heard through the grapevine that you've found yourself a missus, ay?"

Pap looked up at him. "AH, YES. I HAVE HAD ONE FOR A WHILE NOW. WELL BEFORE I JOINED THE FORCE."

"Aww, and here I thought I had some hot goss. What's her name? Is she a skeleton too?"

John hissed, almost embarrassed by his college, but Pap was happy to answer.

"HER NAME IS _____, AND NO. SHE IS A HUMAN."

"Reeeaally now.." Greg said as he finally took a seat. There was not venom at all in it, just a playful enthusiasm. It was nice. A lot of people, upon finding out that he was dating a human, would react negatively, some even going so far as to tell him to leave her 'for her sake'. He got very tired of that, very fast.

"So, what's she like? Things serious?"

"OH, SHE IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! AH, UH, WELL I LIKE TO THINK THEY ARE. WE'VE NOT REALLY TALKED OF BONDING YET.. BUT WE HAVE SORT OF DISCUSSED CHILDREN, ALBEIT THAT WAS MORE OF A PASSING CONVERSATION."

"So, uh.. how do you guys.. Y'know?" Greg asked, shrugging and waving his hands around a little bit. Papyrus simply looked at him.

"I DON'T FOLLOW."

"Do the tango for two? Rocking ‘n’ rolling? ... Bonestorming?"

John groaned loudly, slapping his face. "He's asking how you both have sex, and Jesus! Bonestorming? What the actual fuck, Greg?"

Papyrus felt his face burn brightly, almost being able to see the colour in his peripheral vision. "OH.. WE HAVEN'T- I MEAN.. NYEH.."

Greg looked shocked. "Dude. Dudedudedudedude! You've never done 'it' before?"

Papyrus was a little taken aback. "WELL, YES, BUT NOT WITH MY MATE. I-I DON'T WANT TO RUSH THINGS."

"Ah, right.. waiting for the perfect moment, huh?" Greg winked, Pap averting his gaze. "I can respect that. Just curious on how it all works, y'know."

"You're embarrassing the poor guy, Greg." John spoke up. "You don't have to humour him, Papyrus."

He looked off to the side with a tight grin, before he slowly let it relax. "THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT USES FOR MAGIC."

"So, what, you can make a magic dick or something?" Greg asked, both Pap and John looking at him with raised brows. "What? I'm curious! So sue me."

"A little tact goes a long way, Greg. Jesus!"

Even Pap couldn't help but grin. Albeit the topic was uncomfortable, and something he wasn't to fond of sharing, he felt.. Happy. Like he was belonging. One of the guys.

"IN A WAY.."

Greg propped himself forward, his voice hushed. "Are you serious? Can you, like, make it however long you want or-"

John had his head in his hand. "Greg, please!"

"Oh, come off it, Johnny! I bet you're just as curious as I am."

"Yeah, but I'm not sat in a freaking lunch room asking my friend about his junk!" John quipped, a little surprised when Pap let out a soft "NYEH HEH HEH.."

"I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD BE CURIOUS. I AM A SKELETON, AFTER ALL." He said, leaning his chin on his elbow. "I WILL SAY THAT YES, I CAN CONTROL MOST ASPECTS OF IT.."

"That's pretty cool, man. I'm legit jealous." Greg laughed, leaning back a little too far on his chair and scaring himself when it tipped. "Shit!"

"Can't take you anywhere, can we?" John sighed, still smiling. "Anyway, enough of that. How are you finding working here, Papyrus?"

The good mood that was there vanished as soon as he had to think about actually working. He tried not to let his mood show. "IT HAS BEEN VERY.. GOOD."

"Glad to hear. I myself was a little worried this job was going to end up being a bit.. Much? It's been pretty calm."

"Not as many high speed chases as they lead us to believe." Greg halfheartedly huffed, as the other man rolled his eyes. Papyrus went back to his lunch, counting down the last few minutes until he was back on the clock.

***

Everyone was gathering in a park near the river for Pap's birthday. It had expansive picnic grounds, with barbecues and tables, covered with shade cloth in case of inclement weather. The forecast said it would be sunny with a bit of cloud, so you all hoped for the best.

Within an hour of everyone arriving, presents were stacked, food was cooking, and Pap was being showered with love and well wishes. Like humans, Monsters had landmark birthdays. For them, turning 25, 50, 75 and 100 were all celebrated. After that, it went in 50 year increments instead. Most monsters lived in excess of 300 years, with a few exceptions. Smaller monsters like Vulkins, Whimsuns and Moldsmals had relatively short lifespans, at 50 to 70 years, and skeletons.. They lived, on average, as long as humans. The eldest ever skeleton monster was 112 when they fell down.

The longest lived species were Tortoise monsters, Goat monsters, and Fire elementals. Water elementals lived long lives as well, but none had ever bypassed their hotter cousins. These were monsters often referred to as Boss Monsters, and for good reason.

Why were you even thinking about this morbid topic. You were here to celebrate a milestone in your partners life. The man in question was over near some play equipment, playing with Frisk and a few other children who had come over. It looked like they were playing some kind of cops and robbers-esque game, one of the younger kids was running around and pretending to shoot the others. They looked so adorable, with their little light up shoes.

Toriel shooed you away from preparing lunch, so you went down to hang out with Frisk and the others. When Pap saw you coming, he waved you over.

"QUICK! THE ENEMY HAVE THE UPPER HAND! WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

You jogged over, joining in on the little game. God, you forgot how quick children could be, as you ran around the base of the playset avoiding being 'shot'. You let them get a couple of 'near misses', complementing the child on their aim. It was just pure fun.

You were giggling watching Papyrus try to sneak around the other side of the playset, when the kid appeared and shouted "Bang!"

He grabbed at his chest, falling to his knees in the bark.

"OH NO! I HAVE BEEN HIT! MY LIFE IS FLASHING BEFORE MY EYES! TELL MY MATE I LOVE HER! ARRRRGH!" With that, he flopped like a ragdoll onto his back as the children all laughed. You decided to add to his little performance.

"Gasp! Oh no! My love! How will I go on without you?" You said loudly and theatrically as you fell to your knees beside him. "I will avenge you!"

"Bang!" The child had walked right up to you as you were carrying on.

"Ah! I was too late! Bleeaugh!" You collapsed on top of your boyfriend, your back laying across his chest. You could feel him trying not to laugh as you stuck your tongue out, acting dead. You were trying not to laugh as well.

Sans stood over the two of you, grinning down. "havin' a bit of a dirt nap, huh?"

"Can't talk. Dead." You said in an exaggerated whisper. He laughed, nudging you with a slippered foot.

"ya just talked."

"It was an involuntary twitch."

"still talkin'."

"Bleugh!"

"still counts as talkin'." He chuckled. You relented, going back to being 'dead'. Frisk ran over, miming out a heartbreaking scene at finding you both deceased. They shook their fists to the heavens and laid their head onto your stomach, gently pounding you in anguish. You were quite impressed.

The little shooter came over and shot you and Pap again, saying that they were 'alive' bullets, to cure your 'dead'.

So. Freaking. Cute.

You and Pap both sat up, dusting yourselves off. Pap helping you brush off some bark you couldn't reach.

"Whoo, being dead sure makes you hungry!" You beamed, rubbing your tummy for effect.

It was then that Frisk's stomach decided to growl loudly in agreement. The noises the human body made still unnerved the Skeleton brothers. Digestion was a weird concept to them. It was to most monsters, but it seemed to bother them more.

"i think tori an' asgore are finishin' up lunch now. let's go eat."

You said goodbye to the kids on the playset, heading back over to where the party was. As you walked along, Frisk began to playfully bump you with their hip, giggling as you bopped them back gently. It turned into a little game. Of course you were careful. You had a lot of hip and a lot of power behind it compared to the scrawny 12 year old. Hit them hard enough and you might send them flying!

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?" Pap laughed, as Sans decided to join in. He moved to Frisks other side, bumping them back over to you.

You all carried on like that until you were back over at the tables. Asgore and Toriel had really outdone themselves, heaped plates of sweet and savory pies and barbecued foods sat along the main table, surrounded by salads and deserts of all kinds. There was even a quiche! Sans had made it as a birthday gift for his younger brother, knowing how much his efforts in cooking pleased Papyrus.

Just before lunch was to be served, Muffet and Gloria arrived. She had closed up the shop for a few hours in order to make it, bringing plates of her own, as well as a large box that seemed to be vibrating slightly.

When she came to the table and opened the lid, hundreds of spiders came out, running up into the rafters of the picnic area and creating a large banner above them that read 'Happy Birthday Papyrus!' He squealed in delight at the finished artwork, and the spiders made their way back into the box.

"They've been planning it for a month!" Muffet said, grinning with pride. "Happy birthday my dear!"

Gloria gave her birthday wishes before wandering over to Sans, where he wrapped her up in his hoodie, zipping it up over her. Adorable.

Lunch was beyond amazing! You tried to fit as many different things onto your plate as you could, going back for seconds after you had finished. You sat back down at the table you shared with Pap, Sans, Lo, Undyne, Alphys, Tori and Frisk to eat your next helping, while everyone was still on their first.

Frisk chuckled as you started eating again. Screw being dignified, the food was too good.

"My child, do slow down." Toriel tittered as you scooped a large portion of pumpkin pie into your mouth. "You might give yourself a sore tummy."

You smiled around the food as everyone laughed. It would be so worth it, you thought to yourself as you enjoyed your time with your friends.

You were about to eat some of the hash browns you had picked, when you looked over to Frisk and noticed that they had two jellybeans stuck up their nostrils. You snorted, crying with laughter as Tori scolded them halfheartedly.

"How long were you sitting there like that?" You giggled, and they signed 'five minutes, at least!'

Once lunch was done, Undyne took everyone aside to play some party games she and Mettaton had set up. It was impressive, to say the least.

Of course most of them were puzzles, to Pap's unbridled joy. He was squealing again as he looked over the giant obstacle course that had been set up over a large chunk of the park.

"WOWIE! UNDYNE! METTATON! THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PRESENT!" He yelled, almost knocking both Undyne and MTT down as he hugged them. They were strong, so they could take it.

"Well YEAH! Only the best for my BEST BUDDY EVER!"

"As my Number One Fan, It is only right to give you the biggest present we could." Mettaton purred, clicking his fingers. When he did, the course lit up with lights and special effects. It really was a sight to see.

"CAN I?" Pap looked back at you and the others. He was rattling with anticipation.

"go ahead, bro. have fun. we'll get ya when cakes on."

Papyrus didn't stick around for the rest of what Sans said, running off with Undyne and MTT, Frisk following closely behind as they went off to try it out.

You stood watching for a while, a smile stuck on your face as you watched him having the time of his life.

A soft paw on your shoulder shook you back into the present, looking up to find Tori smiling at you.

"My dear child, would you like to help us with his other present?" She gave you a cheeky wink, and you followed her back to the carpark.

You had all decided to chip in and get him another car. This one was a brilliant green, the metallic paint shimmering in the afternoon sun as Asgore pulled the cloth cover off. A big white ribbon sat over the bonnet. It was a Lotus Elise, another convertible, but this one only a two seater. You had the idea when he had seen one a few weeks back. His eyes had lit up when he saw it, and after a lot of research, he could tell you anything you wanted to know about the make and model. You had found this one online, but it needed a little TLC, which was straight up Pap's alley. It drove well enough, enough to have been able to get it over. It was only a few thousand too, which had meant you were able to foot most of the cost. You felt good about that.

"he's gonna love it, kiddo. ya did good." Sans said as he walked over, hand in hand with Lo as she sighed.

"That is going to be such a beautiful car. Pap's such a lucky guy having you two." She smiled, reaching out to puff up the giant ribbon rosette sitting on the bonnet. It was almost ready, last thing to do was put the top down when he was about to be brought over.

Cake first.

Eventually Pap and the others made their way back to the picnic area, all covered in varying amounts of dirt and mud. Undyne was the worst off, with Asgore even suggesting they get the hose out to wash her off when they got back to theirs. Even Mettaton was splattered with mud. A rare opportunity for him to enjoy himself without having to worry about acting like a starlet.

Maybe the fact that he had a self cleaning function helped.

You were picked up into a hug when Pap came over, transferring some of the dirt on him over to you. You didn't care, as you hugged him back tight.

"Having a good day so far?"

He pulled you towards him as he nuzzled his teeth into the top of your head. "YES! TODAY HAS BEEN VERY GREAT.. LIKE ME!"

You smirked, leading him over to the table that held the giant orange and white cake. It was at least as tall as Annoying dog and just as wide. You knew that because said dog was sat up on the table next to it, inching ever closer with his little tongue out, ready to lick the cake. Asgore picked him up off the table and he gave a soft whine, moving his little legs like he was swimming. So close, buddy, yet so far.

Once everyone was in place, Tori lit the candles with a wave of her paw, and everyone began to sing. You stood next to Papyrus as he glanced around at everyone, his smile big and his eyes bigger. You hadn't seen him so happy in a while.

With one 'breath', he had blown out all 25 of the candles, and everyone let out a humongous cheer.

Asgore handed Papyrus a large knife, and he had to take it with both hands to use it.

"Hey Papy!" Undyne cackled. "When the knife hits the bottom, ya gotta kiss a girl!" She waggled her eyebrows at you, and you glared back at her with a smirk. You heard the clank of the knife hitting the metal plate below before you were picked up bridal style. You squeaked, not expecting that.

You looked over at Pap, who looked determined.

He pulled you in towards him, pressing his teeth against your lips, his eyesockets shut tight. You could see orange flaring as you closed your eyes and melted into the kiss, almost tuning out the cheers and hoots of your friends.

Even Sans was laughing and cheering for you both, his arm tight around Lo's waist.

After Pap put you down, he moved out of the way so Asgore could serve the cake. It was chocolate and orange flavoured. Fitting.

"THIS CAKE IS VERY GOOD, YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus said through a mouth full as you all sat and ate. Asgore beamed at his praise, even getting a smile from Toriel.

"He is right, Asgore. It is very moist and tasty. I might need to borrow the recipe from you." She tittered, taking such dainty bites for a woman as large as she was. You managed to catch a little flush of colour on the Kings cheeks at his ex's approval.

"Thank you, Toriel. It means a lot coming from you."

When she looked away for a moment to talk to Frisk, Undyne gave him a double thumbs up.

After everyone had finished their cake, it was time for presents. Papyrus looked over the table piled high with boxes and bags with childlike excitement. He wasn't a careful unwrapper, either, shreds of paper soon littered the floor around him as he opened everything, stopping to run over and hug each gifter.

It didn't take long for him to get through them all.

"Hey, Papy." You said softly, leaning down over his shoulder as you placed your hands on either side of his skull. "For my present, you'll have to put on this blindfold."

"wait until you guys get back home first, geez!" Sans snorted, making everyone laugh. Papyrus blushed, but still let you cover his eyes with his own scarf.

"Okay, I'll walk you to your present. No peeking, okay!"

"I WILL NOT PEEK! OOH, THIS IS ALL SO EXCITING!"

You led him over to the carpark, Sans teleporting up ahead to hop into the car and get the roof down. You slowed down your steps while you waited for the roof to finish pulling back. Once it was done, you all gathered around the little car, and you slowly untied his scarf.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

When the cloth came away from his eyes, his jaw fell almost comically.

"I-IS THAT FOR.. ME?"

You nodded, holding his scarf bundled up in your hands. After the initial shock wore off, his eyes began to sparkle, as he jumped up and down on the spot.

"WOWIE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" He cried out, grabbing you and kissing you hard. You could hear everyone cheering and laughing again.

"Technically this is a gift from everyone. We all pitched in to get it."

"but it was her idea." Sans interjected. Papyrus was already chomping at the bit to get in and give it a test drive. He was about to hop in, when he stopped, walking back over to you and picking you up again. Next thing you knew, you were sat in the passenger seat, and he was doing up your seat belt for you.

"I COULD NOT GIVE IT A PROPER TEST DRIVE WITHOUT MY BEAUTIFUL MATE WITH ME."

You softened at the way he talked about you. "Papy, thank you."

"THANK YOU! THIS IS SUCH A THOUGHTFUL PRESENT! YOU ALL KNOW ME SO WELL. THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME."

You leaned up to kiss him, jumping a little as the tiny car roared to life. Everyone else cheered as you pulled out of the carpark, taking it for a spin.

Oof, those front break pads could stand to be replaced.

After a few minutes, you parked on the side of the road. You weren't sure why, until you turned and were pulled into quite a heated kiss. This was not unwelcome, you just weren't expecting it. He pulled back, sockets lidded, and your own cheeks warm.

"THANK YOU."

"You're welcome, Papy. I'm glad you like it."

With a beaming smile, he turned the car back on, playing with the radio which seemed to work just fine, before you pulled away from the curb. Back off to the park to enjoy the rest of his birthday day.

Chapter Text

"It's okay Paps. You don't have to be nervous. I mean, you've already met Nadia."

No matter how much of a pep talk you gave, Papyrus was still fidgety as he drove. It was starting to make you nervous.

"I KNOW, BUT I HAVEN'T MET HER DATEMATE, OR HIS FAMILY."

"They're gonna love you, sweetheart." You once again tried to reassure him, and this time he slightly eased up. "Theo's parents are just as nice as he is, and everyone is friendly towards monsters." Bar one, but he didn't matter, might not even be there. "It's all going to be fine. Thanksgiving is going to be a great time."

He loosened up, his finger bones no longer creaking, latched onto the wheel of the little Lotus. He'd already given it quite the overhaul, enough that he trusted it on the 2 or so hour journey from your's to your sister's.

You actually made it with about 15 minutes to spare. Nadia was out the front of the house, waving you down, ready to compliment your bonefriend on his sweet ride.

"It's great you could both make it! There's gonna be so much food. Theo's really going all out. Uh, he was kind of hoping that you could help out, Papyrus. I may have told him what a good cook you are." Nadia giggled, as Paps puffed his chest out.

"I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP, DEAR SISTER!"

She showed you both inside, the first guests. She'd done up the spare bedroom for you both, since you were staying the night and then the next night after Thanksgiving. Everyone lived within a short distance, so they would be turning up the day of. As soon as you were in the lounge, you were accosted into a huge, warm hug. Theo was a big guy. Tall, broad, but he looked like he'd nar harm a fly, with his thick glasses and gap toothed smile. He was starting to thin out a little hair wise. Nads wasn't exaggerating. Poor guy.

"I'm so glad you could make it, sister-oh! You must be Papyrus." He looked up at the even taller skeleton.

"AND YOU MUST BE THEO. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU." Pap shook his hand, before being excitedly dragged to the kitchen, albeit very willingly, giving you and your sister a little window to sit and catch up. Not much had happened on her end since your housewarming. Apart from work and watching Theo's mood improve with every new day away from his old line of work.

The two guys spent most of the day and afternoon in the kitchen, only coming out when you and Nads ordered takeout. A lazy dinner the day before. Of course, as soon as dinner was done, they were back in. They were having the time of their lives, and you felt absolute joy. Papyrus, as peppy as he could be, you knew was always worried that he wouldn't be liked. So when a natural friendship like this struck up between him and Theo, you and your sister rejoiced. She even suggested he and you come back after the new year and you could all go out fishing. Theo's dad had a boat.

You finally trudged off to bed a little while before midnight, but it was a considerable time before your beau came to bed. He did so smelling of rosemary and sage, and you reacted to the the smell in your sleep, turning over and hugging him. Papyrus was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He was also up before you, leaving the bed smelling like stuffing. Not the worst thing to wake to. Little confusing though.

Again, the boys spent most of the day in the kitchen, until mid morning when Theo's parents arrived. Theo's dad was as much of a natural click with your boyfriend as Theo was, and now the three of them were prepping dinner. You, Nadia and Theo's mom took your pumpkin pie making materials to the lounge, so that you weren't in the way. By the time guests started arriving after 1, the house was a positive haven of good smells and good food.

Everyone seemed to adore the tall skeleton, the kids pulling him every which way to play games, while the grownups just wanted to make good impressions. Except for one. Theo's uncle on his father's side. He was a gruff, elderly man, ever-surly. You'd never really had much to do with him, always glaring and grumbling, ready with a rebuttal for even the most mundane of things. It was very rare he'd ever agree on anything. His wife was a mousy, timid lady called Di, always trying to placate him whenever other people's benign beliefs or opinions would upset him. He near demanded she agree with him whenever he told her his opinion. Safe to say most family kept a wide berth. Which was a helluva shame; Di on her own was a pleasant lady. A few bad - mostly drilled in- opinions, but she wasn't at all pushy.

Gary seemed to have a stink eye focused on Papyrus most of the day, and well into the evening. The green monster sat on his shoulder, and it wasn't a moldsmal.

By the time dinner was being put out, everyone had worked up an appetite.

"Care to do the honours, Papyrus?" Theo smiled, motioning to the knife sat next to the turkey.

Papyrus beamed, standing and taking the knife with such pride.

Everyone was smiling, the atmosphere was wonderful.. Until a gruff voice snapped up from the other end of the table. "I ain't eatin' whatever that freak touches."

Everyone looked over at Gary, who was sneering, his hate filled gaze fixed on your partner. You felt angry, but not surprised. Papyrus faltered, and you felt your soul hurt. Theo's aunt to the rescue.

"Well you can go and sit in the yard and eat with the dogs, because this lad has done a wonderful job with all of the food. You carve that bird, my boy, Don't pay this cranky old sod any mind!"

Gary was in shock. "How dare you! He ain't family!"

"He is, uncle. He's as much a part of this family as Nads and her sister. As you and me. Now please, no fighting this year." Theo looked so done, and for him that was a huge deal. Patience of a saint.

"I will never associate that monstrosity with family!" Gary snarled into his turtleneck, Di looking ready to placate at a moments notice. You were about to put him on blast yourself, but Papyrus stopped you as you opened your mouth, with a gentle hand on your shoulder.

"THAT IS YOUR DECISION, AND I'M NOT GOING TO FORCE MYSELF INTO YOUR LIFE. ONCE WE LEAVE TOMORROW, YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME OR EVEN THINK ABOUT ME. I AM HERE FOR MY MATE AND HER FAMILY, CLOSE AND EXTENDED.. I SUPPOSE THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, THAT FAMILY EVENTS ARE ONLY A FEW TIMES A YEAR." He looked down at you with an almost cheeky smile, as Theo sat beside Nadia, an arm around her. Everyone giggled, even a few playful 'here here's were called.

"Go ahead and carve up, brother." Theo chuckled, Papyrus picking up the knife once more and carving up the bird as everyone spoke of what they were thankful for. Gary?

He just stewed, his mouth shut. He ended up eating anyway, hunger overriding his need to be petty.

Was it just you, or did your beau seem smug?

By the time dinner was over and everyone was heading back out, you felt so, so, sooo drained. You could see that in Papyrus' face, as well as your sibling's. You all were in bed by 9.

You were sitting in bed, going through your phone, replying to your friend's messages and pictures of thanksgiving at Tori's, when Papyrus came in. He was wearing some boxers and a t-shirt, his jaw wide open as he yawned.

"Big day, huh? I'm surprised you're not already asleep on your feet."

"NYEH? I MAY HAVE DOZED OFF SLIGHTLY WHILE BRUSHING MY TEETH."

"Get over here." You chuckled, saving the rest of your catch up for the morning, putting your phone on charge and making grabby hands as he joined you under the blankets. You kissed him when he was close enough, watching his eyes somehow sparkle.

"I'm really proud of how you handled Gary the grump. I was about to tear verbal shreds off him, before you stopped me." You admitted, a little sheepishly. "You were much more eloquent in telling him to fuck off."

He snorted, shaking his head at you. "I WAS MERELY TELLING THE TRUTH. IF IT CAME ACROSS LIKE THAT? THEN.. NYEH." He shrugged, and you gave him a kiss, turning over to lay on your comfy side. His arms wrapped around you, being the big spoon.

Hmm, you smelled a little like pumkinspice. It was nice.. You always smelled nice, his nasal bone gently resting against the back of your head, as he discreetly inhaled. You smelled like home..

He seemed to freeze a little as you shifted back against him, finally getting into that comfortable sleeping position. "Goodnight, Papy. Sweet dreams."

"G-GOODNIGHT, YOU TOO.."

Okay, now he was too worried to move, at risk of alerting you to, uh, well.. He let his head rest against the pillow, and thank heavens he was so tired, he was out like a light. As were you.

By morning, you were both sort of half sprawled over each other, waking up and untangling from the covers with some giggles and good mornings. He felt far more relaxed after a good nights sleep, and so did you. Sometimes cuddling up to a skeleton could be a little odd. So pokey.

Theo was up, bright and early, already frying up some leftovers for the four of you. You usually tried to have a light, non-turkey based breakfast the morning after, but the smells got to you, and you succumbed to eating the bubble and squeak. Or was that gobble and squeak. Whatever, it was good.

What were the plans for the day? A little black Friday shopping, of course! You were't too hot on the idea, but the mall near where they lived generally stayed pretty sane.

Apparently, things were different this year. They were already stopping a fair way from the parking lot, sitting on the end of a queue just to get in there. You winced, seeing some blossoming road rage up ahead already. "Oh oh, Spaghettios. This place is never this packed.."

Both Nads and Theo were in just as much of a shock. She rolled down the window, the air filled with beeps and yelling, and she quickly shut it again. "Wooow, this is.. Just, wow."

"Maybe we should have left earlier?" Theo offered, but it was only 10 past 8 in the morning. You and Paps looked out your windows, before Papyrus seemed to squint, then perk up.

"THEO, THERE! IF WE GO OVER THAT BIT OF GRASS, WE CAN GET THAT SPOT!"

What Papyrus was suggesting was to do a U-turn and drive over some footpath and nature strip to get a spot that seemed to be going unseen by the angry crowds. So, that's exactly what Theo did, Nadia berating him for being a tad rough with curb hopping, but after a moment, they were parked. A nice shady spot too.

"Good call on the car spot, Papyrus." You had to admit. He beamed, and you all stepped out.

Oh lordy, the mall was packed to capacity, and then some. Both of you gals decided to stick to your boos, and if you were separated, at least you would be in twos. You and Papyrus only wanted to get a few things, mostly kitchen stuff. Theo was the same, but Nadia wanted to get some work pants while they were going cheap. So, you and your skelebae wadded into the throngs of people. He was able to look over the crowds, while you were able to scope out lower.

Your anxiety was already abuzz, just from being jostled around, and it was way too warm with all of the bodies.

"OOF, EXCUSE ME SIR, PLEASE WATCH YOUR AMPLE GIRTH."

The man who had bumped into you both staggered back at the sight of bones. Papyrus seemed to let it go easily enough. People seemed to be giving your bonefriend enough of a wide birth, not that it was all that possible.

Someone sneezed right next to your head, scaring the hell out of you.

"OKAY, SO.. STRAINERS."

"Those would be further in."

"THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD START WITH SOMETHING CLOSER. THIS IS USUALLY EASIER WITH SANS, SINCE HE CAN GET AROUND SO QUICKLY."

"Dang, you're right. Oh well, we'll manage, somehow-"

"Look momma, that's a skeleton!" A little girl yelled, hanging over her mother's shoulder.

"Amy, don't be rude. He's just trying to shop."

Papyrus beamed, waving at her, and her little smile was precious. That pair soon decided to pull out. Bringing kids into this madness, eh, not a great idea. At least that had put you both in a slight better mood.

By the time you too were pulling out, you had managed to find most of the things you were after. You didn't end up finding the strainers, though. Oh well.

With everything finally paid for and bagged up, and with a kind word to the poor cashier who served you who was looking about a hair away from quitting, you managed to get back outside where your sister and Theo were waiting. You were so relieved once you all piled your things into Theo's Range Rover and piled back in, taking the same path out as you used in. At least someone else saw and did as you guys did. A last good deed? Even if it was kiiinda against the rules.

By the time you all got back to the house, you were all ready for a cuppa and a sit down.

Thankfully Theo made peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. You didn't think you could stomach anymore turkey for a while, as nice as it was.

Well, you and Pap ended up with at least 3 days worth of leftovers in takeaway containers in the trunk of the Lotus. You also ended up having to pry Papyrus away from making plans with Theo. Both you and your sister insisting that it could be done over text, not standing in the driveway for going on 20 minutes in the cold.

The drive back to home was decidedly more enjoyable than the drive there, and it warmed enough that you could enjoy the top down for a little while on the freeway. A nice end to a nice little holiday

***

Then it was back to the grind. Sitting in the break room with your musli bar, you were taking the load off for a few minutes while work was slow. Gloria wandered over, a slight pink to her cheeks as she sat down.

"Uhm.. Can I bug you for some, uh.. Advice?"

You swallowed your bite, already nodding. "Shoot!"

"Uh.. Have you and Pap.. You know.."

You gave her a perplexed look before it suddenly hit you, and you snorted softly, cheeks heating. "Oh, jeez. No, not yet. We're barely stepping onto second base."

"Ah." Her face only grew pinker. "So you don't know either?"

"Know what?"

"What's.. You know?" She gingerly pointed to her crotch. "I.. I think Sans wants to.. Um.. But I'm just not sure what to expect." She tapped her index fingers together. "I mean there have been some times, when he's standing close or when I'm sitting on his lap that I've felt.. Something- Oh, stop that!" Her cheeks blossomed red as you waggled your brows, and she slapped your shoulder softly. "Hasn't that happened with Papy?"

"I mean.. I think he may have had something while we were staying at my sister's place. Okay that sounds bad, when we were in bed, I mean. He kinda tried to big spoon and I thought I felt something, and.. Oh my god, it was!" Your realisation made you cover your mouth. Your boyfriend had quite literally popped a boner, and it didn't even truly register until just then.

"So they have.. Bones?"

You both looked at each other, before descending into giggles. At least until a voice was cleared behind you.

"Before you ask, yes I've been here the whole time, and no, I do not know what is down your boyfriend's trousers~" Muffet tittered, as you both sat mortified. "But I will tell you that monster anatomy can change form, and often very closely resembles human. It depends on the monster."

Oh dear, you were all thinking it, but Muffet put one of her hands up as if to cut the thought down. Childish giggling it was, then. She sent you both back out, with a shake of her head and an amused roll of all of her eyes.

The shift seemed to fly by after that, with a fairly steady stream of customers to keep you busy. You waited the extra half hour so that you and Lo could walk to the park together until it was a better time to head home. You sat by the fountain, when her eye trailed over to where Sans used to set up his hotdog stand. He was not easily defeated, picking a nice spot in a little park closer to home to set up shop. When he wasn't working, or spending time with Lo, or with you and Pap or your friends.. Guy somehow always had spare time.

"Ugh.." She grunted, her little cheeks pouched and her brows furrowed.

"What's up?"

She looked up, red faced. "Do you think he'll care that.." She deflated, even redder. "I've never actually.. Done anything. Sans is the first guy I've even really pashed."

Awww.

"Lo, I bet he'll be thrilled." You gave her back a gentle rub.

"Hopefully? I just feel so awkward sometimes. He obviously knows what he's doing." Somehow her cheeks could get redder still.

You pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sure he'll be a good teacher?"

"Oh shush. Let me know when you and Pap finally get past holding hands." She giggled, sticking her tongue out at you.

You gave her a quick tickle, leaving her giggling. "Will do, heh heh."

***

Where did the rest of the year go? Blink and it's a few days off Christmas. You had already done most of your shopping, having already bought the Secret Santa gift for the Xmas party with your boo and friends. It was also a 'Gyftmas' celebration. The closest thing Monsters had to Christmas underground, named after a certain adorned monster species. You'd met one. He was kind of a jerk, but it was probably because a bunch of kids had covered the poor guy's antlers in tinsel.

This year, you had pulled Sans' name out of the hat, and you had a plan.

The next few days seemed to pass in a blur of practice fruitcakes. Papyrus had picked the dish to take into the party this year. If you never ate another glacé cherry again after this..

"TRY THIS ONE!" He had said, putting another bowl full of the fragrant cake and custard into your hands. Thank gods they were actually really good, otherwise you would have stopped coming by. Sans was busy with work, so it was you who became the guinea pig.

But still, like a blur, you now found yourself standing in the snow at the threshold of Tori and Asgore's place. The refined building now a spectacular display of Christmas/Gyftmas lights and cheer. Almost burned your retinas out, being so close. You hurried inside, shaking a little snow from your shoulders, Papyrus handing over the massive fruitcake. Even Toriel misjudged how heavy it would be, her arms dropping a little with a look of surprise. You held onto the wrapped box you'd brought, making sure not to jostle it too much, as you both headed into the back lounge.

"Merry Gyftmas!" Everyone called out, Gloria giggling and piping up with a Merry Christmas to you.

It seemed like almost everyone was there, bar one last guest. It wasn't long before there was a knock, the older human man being led into the house with a warm smile.

"Merry Christmas, Franz!" You said, walking over and giving him a hug. He gave back tenfold.

"Merry Christmas, and Gyftmas, to you too, and everyone else."

Asgore approached, offering the other older gent a glass of eggnog. He looked up at the giant goat monster in wonder, before enthusiastically agreeing. He would fit in just fine.

"that was real sweet of you to invite him. can't imagine what it would be like, alone on christmas." Sans hummed at your elbow, glancing at the gift in your hands. You sighed, nodding to that, before moving it out of his reach with a grin.

It was put with all the other gifts. Yeah, sure it was one of the biggest, but that meant diddly squat.

Frisk was already making their way around, dangling mistletoe between couples. They'd actually already lost the sprig about 10 minutes into the party, so instead they had tied Asriel's pot to a fishing pole and were dangling him above people's heads. By his expression and his little folded leaf arms, he was not finding it as much fun as Frisk was. Some would call that look 'daggers'.

It got you giggling though, and Frisk spotted you standing near Papyrus. They stealthily made their way over, as Asriel gave a loud, long suffering groan.

He was soon swinging above your heads. Papyrus hadn't noticed, until you gently tugged the arm of his gyftmas sweater. He looked at you, and then up when the movement caught his eye.

"NYEH? OH, HELLO YOUNG ASRIEL. WHAT.. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HANGING AROUND?"

The potted plant lurched down with a small 'Eep!' as Frisk moved the rod to sign 'mistletoe'.

"OH, I SEE! THEN IT IS TRADITION!" He bent down, cupping your chin and giving you a smooch. He even ended with a loud "MWAH!"

Asriel looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there, floating up in the air, making gagging sounds. Undyne and Alphys had been bad enough.

Thankfully Toriel finally caught them, telling Frisk to put their brother down. Although she couldn't help but giggle at the silliness of the situation.

You were having a giggle too, when Undyne ran past, chasing one of the dogs, only to bump into you and jolt you forward. Your body kept moving, but the hand holding your drink stayed put, resulting in you spilling eggnog all down the front of your shirt.

"Ooh, shi-ivers, my bad!" Undyne hissed, rubbing the back of her head. Hey, no big deal, and you told her so. It's not a party without at least someone making a mess of themselves. Yeah, and this was the better option. After she had a good laugh about that, Toriel took you aside and upstairs, offering you one of her shirts to change into. You were stood in her darkened room, trying to work out how you were going to tie the shirt so that it wasn't going to slip right off of you.

"KNOCK KNOCK."

You forgot for a moment that you were only standing there in your bra. "Oh, come in Papy."

He opened the door, turning to close it, before he walked over.. Where he proceeded to freeze and cover his face, cheeks flushed with orange light. "OH NO! I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T REALISE YOU WERE UNDRESSED!"

You looked down, heat hitting your own cheeks, before you realised you were both being a little silly.

"It's okay, Papyrus. It's not like I'm naked."

"BUT YOUR- YOU DON'T HAVE-"

"No, I don't have a shirt on.. Papyrus, you can look at me, you know." There may have almost been a little hurt in your voice, which you had tried to quash.

His gaze slowly drifted over to you, and you suddenly felt very small. Oh. He walked over, his sockets on your face.

"Do.. You not want a physical relationship?" It had come out before you could think to pull it back. It had been on your mind for a long time, with how slow things had been progressing, and his reactions to any time he had actually touched you. You loved him a lot, and if it came down to it, you could do that kind of relationship. He meant more to you than anything.

His face fell, before he closed the gap, pulling you into a hug.

"OF COURSE I DO! I WANT TO.. DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT DATEMATES DO. I JUST DON'T WANT TO RUSH YOU OR MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN ANY WAY. I'M SORRY THAT MY HESITANCY HAS GIVEN YOU THE WRONG IDEA."

You felt yourself deflate, rubbing the ridges of his back with a breathy chuckle. "Papy, it's okay. I was more than okay with the idea of you not wanting to do stuff. I just wanted to make sure, so I didn't make you uncomfortable."

He pulled back, smiling. "I VERY MUCH WANT TO, ONE DAY, HIT A HOME RUN."

You couldn't help it, you snorted. Oh lordy, that phrase coming out like that with such sincerity. He looked a little worried for a moment, before you pushed yourself up into your tip toes to kiss him.

Again he wrapped his arms around you, leaning into the kiss with a happy hum. Neither of you seemed to be pulling away.

You didn't mind, though, enjoying the closeness. He was nice and warm compared to the cool of the room, especially since you were still stood in your bra.

You let out an 'eep' as something warm and wet ran across your lips.

Wait, that's right, he has a tongue. You hadn't really thought about the fact since Sans had parted that tidbit of skeleton makeup back when you first were getting to know them, back before you and Papyrus were really and item. You suddenly realised that you should be reciprocating, or at least letting him know he was doing good, so you let your lips part slowly.

You were kind of expecting him to try and shove it into your mouth, but he was gentle, slowly pressing past your now parted lips to gently brush against your own tongue. So, he wasn't new at this. The though kinda made you feel a bit silly. He'd had past partners, so it's entirely possible that he's kissed before. Had he.. Wait, you found yourself going down a rabbit hole you didn't want to right now. Focus!

His tongue brushed the roof of your mouth, and you had to pull away with a giggle, licking over the spot. "Ah, that tickled!"

"NYEH, SORRY. I FORGET THAT IS A SENSITIVE SPOT." He said earnestly, and you could tell from the orange cheeks and lidded gaze that he had been enjoying this.

"It's okay.. Wanna keep goin-mmf!"

He gave his answer as a pash, one that actually made you hum, your eyes drifting closed. Your arms snaking up to sit around his neck, his own rubbing up and down your back, making you shudder. He gave a small, muffled 'nyeh heh' into your mouth. Goober.

One of his hands slowly trailed around, sitting against your stomach. You could feel it slowly moving upwards, before his hand finally came to rest over your chest. You felt him give a shudder of his own, but he didn't break the kiss. His tongue now truly exploring your own. He was a bloody good kisser. Even without lips.

He seemed to be paused there, like he was waiting for a green light, and you gave one by grinding back into his hand. That surprised him, his hand closing over your tit a little roughly, making you give another 'eep'.

He pulled away from the kiss, before looking down. "IS THIS OKAY?"

He hadn't moved his hand. You didn't want him to, giving a little nod and a coy smile. "It's good.. You can, uh, squeeze it, if you want. Just try not to twist too hard or something."

That actually made him giggle. "I KNOW THAT MUCH.."

He didn't return to kissing you straight away, but he gently pressed down against your chest, a soft huff of breath leaving you as he did. Oh, the glow of his cheeks grew, but his expression was less coy, more.. Bedroom eyes..

"Papy.."

"MMHMM?"

".. As much as I really, really want to keep going, people might miss us." You smiled sheepishly, as he made an 'OH' sound. You would have assumed that he'd just pull his hand away and let you get dressed, but the borderline cocky look that crossed his face surprised you. Almost as much as him pulling you into another kiss and sneaking his hand under your bra to give you a last squeeze.

He left you pretty much speechless, a small smirk to his face as he stepped back finally, his hand free. What a cheeky skeleton!

"That was not expected, but it was welcome." You managed to get out with a breathy laugh.

"NYEH HEH HEH, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A BIT FORWARD." He rubbed the back of his skull, but you smiled at him, giggles spilling out.

"You're fine. Ah, shirt. None of Tori's fit me."

"HERE!" He pulled his ugly sweater up, handing it to you. He had worn a dress shirt under it. Thankfully it fit you just enough to cover you. It was long, but juuust a little snug. Oh well.

"Thanks, Papy. Let's head down so we don't miss the gifting. Sans is gonna have a blast with what I got him."

Papyrus inquired, but you remained tight lipped, the two of you heading back downstairs. Sans just had to waggle his brows when he saw the clotheswap. They were both so bloody cheeky.

Papyrus had recovered, back to his bright smiling self. Gifting was to happen before the meal, so that everyone who needed to go could leave after. It was still snowing out, and driving would be a bitch.

Everyone was gathered in the back lounge, The goats and Sans helping to move the gifts around. Everyone had at least one item in their hands by the time they were done. Tori had knitted every single person there a scarf for the rest of the winter, each in a colour picked by the giftee. Franz even had one, as late notice as his arrival was. She could work wonders, that woman.

They all went around the room, each person opening their gifts. You were waiting for Sans to open his, watching as he tried to inspect it every which way, gently shaking it, making you bite your knuckles.

"is it a puppy?"

He regretted his joke a bit when Dogaressa and Dogamy started vibrating. Whoops. No mentioning the 'p' word.

He finally opened the box, picking the card up off the tissue paper that you'd wrapped everything with. "dear sans. i saw this and i thought of you. i hope you can get a bit of entertainment out of it. lot's of love, and merry gyftmas." He looked over with a happy smile. "thanks kiddo, let's take a looksie~"

He pulled it out, Lo helping him unwrap the layers of paper. Finally he had the device in his hands, his mouth open in awe and surprise.

"What even is that?" Undyne asked, Toriel giggling behind her paw when she realised. You chuckled, making jazz hands.

"It's for making ketchup. Well, that's one thing. It's a mini sauce maker. You add all the makings and then the tomatoes, and it grinds everything together. Kinda like a specialised food processor."

"holy crap, tha's awesome! oh, heck yeah, i'm gonna make so much ketchup. thanks sis! you're the best!"

You couldn't help but beam, so happy he liked it. You added that you'd also got him the making for a few batches, but that he could pick up from your's tomorrow. You got a hug out of it, Lo excited to help when he asked if she would. There, that was a fun activity for the couple to do.

Papyrus gave you a hug too, as others opened their gifts.

Finally, it was your turn. A small box was sat in your hands, and you glanced around. There was no tag on it to say who it came from.

"Just rip the wrapping paper off, nerd!"

"Just for that I'm gonna go as slowly as physically possible." You joked, Undyne snorting.

You unwrapped it, a small velvet box hitting your hand. Oh? You looked up at Paps, who was orange.

"Oh, you got me for Secret Santa?"

"NYEH.."

Aww, the sweet bean.. You slowly opened the box, gasping. He'd gotten you a ring. It was the same green heart shaped gem as the necklace he had given you for your first 'date', this one set into a silver filigree ring. Aww! You took it out, a few of the others gasping softly, Sans looking a little shocked for a moment, before he realised it wasn't that kind of ring. He would have liked to be in on that before Paps did it.

"I love it, thank you so much!" You turned to give him a gentle kiss, and he lingered just long enough to still be considered socially acceptable.

"NYEH, YOU ARE WELCOME. I WANTED TO GET YOU SOMETHING SPECIAL."

You put it on, so glad that it was a perfect fit.

"dang, bro, making the rest of us look like bums." Sans teased, but he was happy to see his brother so happy.

You couldn't stop looking at it, and your skelebeau all through dinner, as good as it was. Tori and Asgore had worked together to make it a veritable feast. Even after dessert, and parting hugs, you were fiddling with it, and on the drive home, you glanced at it every time the lights from the passing streetlights would hit it.

You were just so fulfilled. So fucking happy..

"IS IT THE RIGHT SIZE?" Papyrus asked as he drove, and you looked up at him.

"It's perfect. Just like you."

"NYEH, THAT IS CERTAINLY A COMPLIMENT I WILL KEEP VERY CLOSE. I LOVE YOU."

"I love you too. Merry Gyftmas."

"AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU, NYEH HEH HEH."

***

A little New Years get together would be nice. There was a park-like space near your house that was advertising to be the best place to watch the city fireworks locally, so you and your pals had made plans to all meet there. Some of the group would then crash at yours. So far it was going to be the whole crew at the park, and then Papyrus, Sans, Lo, Al and Undyne squeezing air mattresses in at yours.

So that meant you'd have to clean. You had asked Pap to bring a vacuum over for dual purpose; de-crumbing your floors and filling up the cheep airbeds you'd bought in a bulk pack online. Hopefully they'd hold.

So that's how you were spending your New Years Eve morning. You needed to do a deep clean anyway, so this was the perfect excuse.

"Could you run the vac under the bed?" You called out to your boo as you scraped something you were sure was spaghetti sauce off the splash back of your oven. Hearing a ‘NYEH!' before the whir of the sucker.

You genuinely did enjoy just being.. Domestic together. It was an odd sort of bonding and teamwork exercise, and by now you seemed to have developed a comfortable sort of co-existence? Synergy? You worked well together.

You were so lost in your thoughts, that you hadn't noticed the noise die down, until he stepped out, something in his hands.

"UH, WHAT'S THIS?"

Looking over, you realised he was holding your trinket box. Smiling, you put down your plastic scraper. "That's a box that I keep all of my sentimental or valuables in. Like photos and keepsakes."

He lit up. "WOWIE, MAY.. MAY I SEE?"

"Of course, I'd love to show you. Take it to the lounge, I'll be one sec." You pulled off your gloves and washed your hands as Papyrus placed it down, excited to learn even more about you. You caught his eye as you walked over, beaming and sitting next to him. As you opened the box, a few things slipped put into your lap. "Whoops, I might need to get a bigger box."

"ARE THOSE THE TICKETS TO THE FIRST MOVIE WE SAW TOGETHER?" He looked thrilled. "I KEPT MINE TOO!"

"Of course. It was the first pre-date with my lovely boyfriend." You remembered it so fondly. Speaking of, you lifted a familiar necklace out, the metal a little dull from how much you'd worn it, but the green heart shaped gem was still sparkling in the light of your lounge, as much as the newer ring that went with it. "And this. I know I should wear it more than I already do, I just worry that it'll get broken."

"YOU KEEP IT IN YOUR KEEP SAKE BOX? DO YOU LIKE IT THAT MUCH?" He seemed overjoyed regardless, and it made you feel much better.

"Of course I do, Papy. It's the only piece of jewelry I wear apart from the matching ring." You leaned up to smooch a cheek, watching as it softly glowed orange.

"I'M GLAD. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO WEAR OTHER JEWELRY, HOWEVER. AS MUCH AS I LIKE SEEING YOU IN IT."

You gave the cheekie another smooch. "I know."

Going through the box more, you used the lid to hold things you'd looked at. He asked questions, about things like old pennants and photos. There was one of your parents, your sister and you, which he held up to look at. A soft smile on his face.

"YOU HAVE A LOVELY FAMILY."

"Had-"

"HAVE.. JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WITH US ANYMORE, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE GONE."

You looked up at him, then at the picture. "That's a really nice way to think about things."

"YES. IT'S HOW I THINK ABOUT MY OWN PARENTS.. I MEAN, WHAT I CAN REMEMBER. IT WAS A VERY LONG TIME AGO. I WAS ONLY A BABYBONES."

"Aw, Papy.." You gave him a big hug, which he very happily returned.

"I CONSIDER SANS SORT OF A PARENT FIGURE. HE WAS ALWAYS THE ONE AROUND. HE.. PRETTY MUCH PUT HIS CHILDHOOD ON HOLD SO I COULD HAVE A GOOD ONE."

"Sans would do that. He loves you a lot. I know first hand." You chuckled, rubbing your back. Papyrus putting a hand over yours.

"WELL, YES, SOMETIMES HE CAN BE A BIT MUCH. I'M STILL ANGRY ABOUT THAT. HE REALLY HURT YOU."

Aw, Papy. He was pouting and everything.

"I'm not, so maybe you shouldn't be either. To be honest, if I turned up to someone hovering over my hurt sister, I'd probably overreact too." You giggled, lightening the mood a bit before you went back to looking through the box. Oh gods, you had old letters from one of your ex's in there. Papyrus had picked it up and started reading before you could stop him, hiding your smirk behind your hand as his eyes went wide.

"HE WANTED TO WHAT? TO YOUR WHAT NOW? WHY WOULD HE WRITE THAT DOWN AFTER SUCH A WELL THOUGHT OUT LETTER?"

"He was.. Odd." You gently took the letter back, reading over it, before throwing it to the side. It was probably time to cull some things anyway.

"WHY DID YOU THROW IT AWAY? IF IT WAS IN YOUR KEEPSAKE BOX, IT MUST BE IMPORTANT, RIGHT?"

"Well, I only really kept it because it made me laugh.. And I know what it says, and I don't have to hold onto that part of my life anymore, so.. Out it goes."

He looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin, his sockets narrowed and looking from side to side. "I SUPPOSE."

"Also, I don't need to look back on stuff like that, I can fill up the space with new things, and memories of the best boyfriend ever." You leaned closer, speaking in a stage whisper. "That's you."

He looked over to you, still with narrowed sockets, before he beamed. "THAT MAKES SENSE!"

You both sat for a while longer, just looking at the various trinkets.

"The last time I really went through this was when Sans helped me after my place was cased. I was talking to him about it."

"SANS GOT TO SEE YOUR SPECIAL BOX BEFORE I DID?"

That was a very undignified snort on your part. "Oh, Papyrus, don't say it like that! Oh my gods."

"BUT.. OH.. OH THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT I MEANT!" His cheeks went dark orange, as he hid his face in a cushion, a long 'NYEEEEEEEEEEEEH' muffled behind it.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I love you."

He glanced out from behind it, illuminating the beige throw cushion with orange. "NYEH, I LOVE YOU TOO. MIND IN THE GUTTER, AS IT IS."

You sent him a big smile, and he left the safety of the pillow to place a chaste kiss to your lips, before retreating again.

"I'll make us some tea, then we can get back to cleaning."

"NYOKAY."

***

"This is a very good vantage point." Toriel hummed, as you both set out a blanket. Frisk took the opportunity to flop down and starfish on it. Grinning up at you both, until MK flopped down on top of them while laughing.

"Goobers. Well, you probably have the best view of everything, bar Asgore." You nudged her arm, the goat looking down and snorting softly, ever so gently nudging you back.

"I would let you sit on my shoulders, but I already promised that spot to Frisk."

They waved to catch your eye. "Nyah nyah!"

"Oh, nyah nyah yourself, you little smarty pants." You giggled, before sitting down to join them. The others on their way back from the food carts set up nearby.

Papyrus was carrying way too many funnel cakes.

"woah, feeding an army, bro?" Sans teased, like he wasn't carrying his weight in hotdogs. Papyrus simply shushed him, sitting down next to you and the two tweens, handing out the loot.

"Wow, thanks Papyrus." MK beamed, Frisk holding their's so they could eat it, smiling up with their own thanks before demolishing their own. You took yours, and rewarded the skeleton with a peck to the cheek.

"NGYAAAH!"

"U-undyne! P-p-p-p-ut me down, please?"

You all looked over, giggling as Undyne held poor Al up on her shoulders.

"But this way you can get the BEST view of all the fireworks."

"I can s-see just fine from.. C-closer to the ground." The lizard covered her eyes, and Undyne placed her down. "Th-thank you."

"It's okay." Undyne sighed, bending down to smooch her red face. Al squeaked, covering her face more, but she was smiling.

"so tori, gorey off somewhere?" Sans asked as he sat, passing hotdogs around. You declined, not after the sweet.

She looked up from her knitting, having brought it along while they waited. "Oh, he is down at the Town Hall. They are running some fundraisers there."

"That's pretty neat." You added, letting Papyrus rest his skull against your legs where you were sat. Sans smirked, but didn't tease.

The last few minutes of the year ticked on, and soon people were starting to stand, moving to the best spots to see everything go down. You had jokingly asked if you could sit on your boo's shoulders, and had to stifle laughter when he straight up crouched. After explaining that you were joking, and would worry you'd snap his poor spine, he relented and stood again but still held you close. All of your friends stood around you as the timer ticked down. Finally it was near. You grabbed onto Pap's arm, looking out to where the ball had lit up with the numbers in lights.

"10!"

You looked up to Papyrus with a smile, and he looked down at you with the same.

"9!"

He gently took your hand, his smile perking up, a hint of orange on his cheekbones.

"8!"

You could feel your cheeks start to glow with warmth, unable to stop the giggle bubbling to the surface.

"7!"

He pulled you a little closer, glancing back up to the sky, and then back at you.

"6!"

You did the same, taking a quick glance around at your friends. Each of them close to their special ones.

"5!"

You caught Sans' eye, and he waggled his brows before turning his focus back to Lo. Goober.

"4!"

You looked back up to Papyrus, moving right up close, the hand not already in his pressed gently against his chest.

"3!"

He bent down, while you stepped up onto your tiptoes, looking up into his sockets. Both so, so happy..

"2!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY LOVE."

"Happy new year, Papy."

You both bridged the gap, coming together in a kiss, just as the ball was about to drop.

"1! Happy new yea-"

The sudden explosion rocked everyone, people screaming as the Town Hall in the distance went up in a ball of flames.

Chapter Text

Panic. That was the strongest thing you felt. It seemed like everything shifted into low gear, time passing far too slowly, but at the same time, rushing past far, far too quickly.

Frisk grabbed you, blind fear in their eyes, as Sans grabbed Toriel, vanishing with her in a split moment.

Oh..

Oh no..

The Town Ha- Asgore! He was there! You felt your stomach turn violently at the thought that-

"- LISTEN TO MY VOICE. CAN YOU SQUEEZE MY HAND?"

Everything seemed to rush into focus all at once, as you turned away from Papyrus and Frisk to vomit onto the ground. Your body in a complete state of shock. Frisk still clung, but looked green themselves.

"OH, JESUS.." Papyrus rubbed your back as the chaos around turned back into a blur, and you couldn't take consciousness anymore. The last thing you remember being Papyrus catching you before you bit the grass.

***

Hospital was not somewhere you thought you'd end up on New Years. You were sat in the waiting room, a blanket around your shoulders, a long cold styrofoam cup of tea in one hand and Frisk's in the other. They were asleep against your side, covered by their own blanket and partially by yours. Gloria was sat on your other side, texting her parents. She looked up at you, giving you a small, sadness laced smile. You tried to smile back, but it was like all the muscles in your face had clocked out for the present.

"I FOUND A VENDING MACHINE WITH A GIANT COOKIE." Papyrus approached, his voice making you start very slightly. He had gone to try and find you something to eat that wasn't vending machine chips or expensive Hospital food.

"Thanks Papy." Your voice came out as a croak. Gods, you sounded terrible, and you could see him wince. You carefully slipped your hand from the sleeping tween’s and he handed you the giant ‘choc chip' cookie, before sitting in the row facing yours. The biscuit was dry, but with a swig of cold tea, you could get some of it down.

You were all waiting on news of what happened. On how Asgore was doing. He was alive, thank gods, but he hadn't gotten out unscathed. The Mayor had been caught in the blast.. He wasn't a fantastic politician, really, but he didn't deserve to go like that..

You could only manage half the cookie before nausea returned. Pap took it out of your hands, giving you the sick bag that you'd been given when you had arrived.

Frisk began to stir, blinking up at you. You tried to smile, but they only clung tighter. "I know.."

Their body softly shook, and all you could do was rest their head on your chest, rubbing their back.

"Shhhhh, everything's going to be okay. Okay?"

They shook their head, before stopping, and slowly nodding. You pressed a kiss to the top of their mop of hair, letting them use you for comfort.

Papyrus looked tired. Which was a feat. His sockets softly shadowed with the grey of bags. He looked.. Oddly stoic. He caught you looking, and tried to smile. You tried to smile back, your face a little less stiff.

Sans appeared, looking just as ragged. Lo was up, her phone dropped to the seat next to her. "Sansy?"

"he's doin' fine. mostly hearing stuff and singes from bein' so close." He gave his report, before wrapping his arms around her, sighing into her neck. Poor guy was buggered.

Frisk tapped your hand, and you looked down as the weakly signed. 'This is my fault.'

"Don't be so silly. The only ones at fault are the ones who did that.."

They didn't believe you, their guilt too much. You pulled them close, giving the top of their head another kiss. "Everything's going to be okay, because aunty says so. So nyeh."

You felt them rest against you, and eventually start to snore softly. Sans and Lo went outside so he could have a smoke, and Papyrus took up Lo's seat. You leaned against him as best your could with a sleeping tween against you, and he mimicked you, rubbing your back and kissing the top of your head. Wow, you felt tired.

"It's not their fault.. But it could be mi-"

"Shush." He said, nuzzling his teeth to your forehead. "None Of That."

You were still not used to his actual ‘indoor voice'. It was deeper than his usual booming tone, and it actually made you shiver a little. You played it off as cold, but your cheeks still wore a flush to give you away. He thought you were cold, adjusting the blanket around you.

Another hour or so passed, before Toriel came out. She smiled so thankfully to you as she gently scooped Frisk up. "Thank you for being there for them when I could not."

"Don't mention it, mom." You tried to brighten her smile a little, and it worked.

"Asgore will be fine. He is already being looked at being discharged.." She let you both know, before letting you know that the nurse would be out to check on you, and then you could likely go home. The thought made you feel a bit better.

She gave your forehead a snooty kiss, as well as Pap's, before she went back in carrying a soundly sleeping Frisk. She caught Sans and Lo as they came back in, telling them the same. She also gave them smooch, Lo lighting up. Sans blushed.

"so, nurse then home, huh?" He said as they walked over. You nodded, finding yourself too tired to make words work for you. Thankfully he understood, nodding. "whelp, i'm gonna take lo back to ours. i know we had that sleepover thing planned, but, considerin'."

You nodded, making an ‘of course' gesture, Lo grabbing her things. You all exchanged good nights, before they blipped away. You finally relaxed fully against your boyfriend, and he moved to make you comfy. You gave a small whine, and he shifted with a chuckle so you could snuggle.

The triage gave you the all clear, and soon you were out, waiting for a Taxi. You could have fallen asleep on your feet. Al and Undyne were off helping with the more bureaucratic fallout of the event, so it would only be you and Papyrus heading back to yours. You hopped in the first Taxi to pull in, and by the time you were walking over your threshold, you were ready to pack it in. Thankfully you had made all the beds prior to going out, so you walked over and flopped down, fully clothed, pathetically bouncing.

"SIGH. AT LEAST TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF."

You gave a non-committal mix of a grunt and a whine. Then you felt him take them off for you. He also took your jacket off, repositioning you so that you were fully on the mattress. He took his own shoes and jacket off, before laying down and cuddling up. You shifted to wrap yourself around him.

The dam that had been building and building finally broke.

"P-papy.."

"Shhhhh. I'm Right Here.." He ran his bony fingers through your hair as you shook, finally letting your worry and fear to the surface. He held you, letting you cry.

You cried yourself to sleep, eventually relinquishing your death grip on him as you relaxed into slumber. He didn't stop soothing you, his fingers moving across the back of your head even as you snored.

Happy New Year, huh? He felt a little bitter, but swallowed it back. Hopefully that didn't set a precedent for the year ahead.. 

***

By the time you woke up, Papyrus was gone. He'd left you a note, something about police presence being required around town moreso after the attack. It had to be an attack, there was no doubt in your mind of that, or of who did it.

It was actually rather cliche, you thought to yourself, picking the ball drop on new years. But hey, they got attention. That was likely the other goal, seeing as Asgore was okay.

The week passed in a bit of a blur. While most people would be starting resolutions or enjoying the start of a brand new year, everyone you knew were sort of in a slump. Everyone was affected. Your sister had called you up as soon as she'd found out, glad to hear that everyone close to you were physically okay.

You hadn't been invited to the Mayor's funeral, but everyone else had. So you spent the time at home, cleaning out of frustration, boredom and anxiety. The place was spotless when you were done. Apparently someone was stepping in as Mayor until everything settled. You had seen the guy on TV a few times. He was a middle aged man, with slicked back black hair and a considerable beard. Maxus Truman. What a name. He kinda reminded you of an old timey villain, but apparently he was a very sweet, considerate bloke. He certainly didn't look it. Papyrus had met him and he approved, so that somewhat convinced you.

Speaking of Papyrus, he had been more.. Quiet lately. The attack had shaken him a fair bit, and you weren't surprised.

Another who gave you cause for concern was young Frisk. They'd become more withdrawn after the attack. You were worried about how much they would be internalising.

A knock at the door spooked you out of your thoughts, shaking it off before you answered. Franz seemed a bit frazzled, and you let him in. "Hey, you okay?"

"I.. You know my brother in law I was talking about, Armand?"

"The mage?"

"Yeah.. You might want to come with me to see him today. He's been given a prognosis of a week at best."

You spluttered softly. "Yeah, yeah I'll just get changed. Shit."

Rushing, you were ready to go within a few minutes, following Franz down to his car.

***

God, as much as you disliked hospitals, you hated being in a hospice. You'd had enough exposure when your great grandmother was in her last months. The atmosphere, as pleasant as they'd tried to make it, still left you uneasy. You felt like sometimes you had a sensitivity to death around you.

Franz came back over to you in the waiting room after getting Armand's room number.

"He'll be expecting us, well, me anyway. I need to sort out a few loose ends with him regarding trust funds and things. Maybe go first, because I doubt he'll be in a good mood after what I have to say." Franz chuckled softly, as you navigated the sterile hallways through to the high dependency unit. He couldn't move from the bed you had been told, everything about his physical being running through pipes and machines. You had steeled yourself and tried to prepare yourself for the sight, but nothing could ever prepare one for this.

You felt yourself shrink, as you both stepped in. He was pale, pallid, his face sunken. He roused, looking over. His voice was raspy, slightly slurred. "Heh, bringing a pretty girly around t' sweeten' things, huh?"

"Hey Armand. Okay if we come in now?" Frans smiled politely.

"I ain' gettin' any fuckin' younger, boy. Hello love, don't think we've met."

So he wasn't so bad, just a cranky, sick old man. He'd earned that, really. Probably upped on more painkillers than a human could handle right now. "Not yet, but it's a pleasure to." You introduced yourself, and he made a sound of recognition.

"Ahh, you're the green mage, right? Heh, wanna work some of tha' magic on this broken old fart?"

You smiled, walking over. "I don't know if it will be any better than the opiates, or it might make you too powerful."

"Heh heeh, I like this one." He rasped, lifting a shaky hand to point at you. Most of his teeth were gone as he grinned. "Good sense of humour."

"Thanks Armand." You smiled.

"So." He licked over his lips, placing his hands onto each other as he looked over. "Want to ask questions, do ya?"

"If you feel like giving answers." You smiled, and he chuckled, giving a little shrug and taking a deeper breath through his oxygen.

"All I really got left to give, ey? Wha's on ya mind, love?" He asked, as you pulled out a notebook with questions you'd jotted down over time. It made him snort, followed by some coughing that made you wince. "Nice and prepared, huh?"

"I try to be.. Uh.. Is there anything you can think of that I should know? Being a Mage? My.. Grandmother only really taught me how to use my magic, not much about in depth history or any notable things I should be careful of or watch out for."

"Never cast spells after eatin' garlic."

"Oh, is that why I get stomach aches?"

"Probably. Trace magic in tha' stuff. Maybe why it tastes so good." He grinned. You really weren't sure if he was being serious or not.

He gave as much obscure knowledge as he could, not limited to times of day that spells seemed to be most potent (Twilight, on full or new moons, and early mornings in winter) as well as plenty of odd tidbits. You raised a brow when he explained that technically, you had more in common with a monster than other humans. That was down to the energy your body produced. That was interesting. Maybe you would run that by Sans or Al. You were deep in thought, jotting things down, as Armand looked up to the TV playing above his bed. The new Mayor was stood giving a talk to a crowd outside the rubble of the town hall. Even with the TV on mute, his cheery tone was almost audible. You found yourself watching too, even Franz was looking up.

Armand looked none too pleased.

"I don' trust that obnoxiously giddy prick as far as I c'n throw him." He looked to you with a bit of a chuckle. "It ain' far, but still."

"What don't you like about him?" Franz ventured, the elderly mage making a 'tacking' sound with his tongue.

"Baaad energy. He unsettles me. There's somethin' ain' right."

To tell the truth, he didn't really give you a good feeling either, and it was somewhat vindicating to know you weren't the only one. "Like he has another side to him."

"Tha', exactly. You trust y' gut, little lady. Oftentimes it's in the right.. 'Specially when their teeth are tha' fuckin' unnatural." He nodded, before Franz changed the channel to a doco on WW1 tanks. Armand perked up. "What do y' know, I used t' repair those. Bastard of an engine. Almost lost a fuckin' finger."

"You were around during World War one?" You asked, doing the mental maths. He was supposedly in his late 90s..

"Sure as hell.. Let me letcha in on a little secret, my love. Come a bit closer." He gestured you within whispering range, an almost troublemaking smile on his face. "I'm no' as young as they think I am."

"Really?"

"Nope.. Guess how old I am." He sat back again with a little grunt, waiting expectantly with a small shit eating grin, brows sitting high.

You weren't sure. "I don't want to answer wrong and offend you." You said with a bit of a chuckle, and he shook his head.

"Go on, jus' guess. I'll give you a hint; triple digits."

Wow, that might explain how he was a trained engineer in the early 1900's. "Uhhh.. 105?"

He gestured that it was higher, as Frans smiled sheepishly.

"110?"

Higher..

"115?"

.. Higher.

"125?" There was no way it was- Nope, he was smirking, gesturing higher!

"Oh, I give up."

He leaned in a bit again, smiling like a kid who just found the candy stash in their parent's pantry.

"I'm 135."

He laughed at your expression, which was one of shock.

"Now that's what I call perseverance!" You spluttered, as he began to laugh, devolving into a coughing fit. He finally managed to calm down, but not before spitting out a loogie that made Franz turn green. He threw the tissue away, settling in again.

"I was born in 1884, bu' accordin' to records, wasn't until 1920."

"But.. Then how did you work on the tanks?"

He grinned. "Wasn't me~ I may'a done a dodgy wi' my identity. Shhhhh~"

You had to smile. Cheeky old bastard. Oh well. You and Franz hung around, asking him more questions, until he was starting to get a little crotchety - At Franz, not at you, thankfully - and decided to draw question time to a close. He was happy to have assisted you, placing a kiss to the back of your hand as you said farewell to him with a smile, ready to leave Franz to his paperwork. You took a seat outside, reading over your scribbled notes. At least a few things made more sense. Wasn't really much to tell, but still.

After about 20 minutes, Franz came back out with everything, putting the papers in his bag.

"I'll go back and say goodbye to the old bastard, then we can head back ho-"

A few alarms started going off, nurses dropping everything and racing in. Oh no. You were only able to catch a little glimpse as they checked over the machines, taking his pulse manually. No CPR given as he had a DNR stipulation.. Franz was swearing under his breath as he went back in, telling you to stay there. God fucking damnit. There was really nothing you could do. Nothing he'd want done.

At least his passing was quick, and relatively painless. He deserved a little peace, after 135 long years..

***

Papyrus could tell your mood was off as soon as you walked into his apartment later that evening. So could Sans. He looked up from his TV Guide, cocking his skull a little. "hey kiddo, why the long face?"

You told them everything. About how sweet Armand had been, of his comments on Maxus, and of his actual age. Of how you watched him die. Papyrus was quick to pull you into his arms to comfort you, Sans sighing.

"well, it must have been his time, yannow? can't persevere for eternity."

"I know, but I just.. I don't know. I know it was inevitable, but it all just happened so fast." You rubbed your face a bit, taking a deep breath in and out. "But at least I had the chance to talk to him, and at least Franz was able to get everything finalised."

You had a quiet dinner with the boys, and afterwards Paps drove you back home. He even walked you up to your flat. You checked in on Franz quickly, who was doing okay, before showing Pap in to have a quick cuppa. The air mattresses were still all out, albeit stacked under the window and a little deflated. He sighed, almost pityingly, before he walked over and started undoing the stoppers.

"I was going to pack everything up, you know. I wasn't in a real rush, after everything." You felt a little hurt by the tone of his sigh, probably just feeling extra sensitive after the day you'd had. He at least had the decency to apologise, and come back over to give you a hug. You nuzzled into the fabric of his shirt, inhaling softly. He smelled like home..

"LET'S GET YOU TO BED, LITTLE MISS."

"Mmmhmm.."

He scooped you up, carrying you into your bedroom, which admittedly was a mess of worn clothes and bits and pieces. He managed to push a few things off the bed, before placing you down, when you froze. Something on the floor was buzzing. Oh no.

"NYEH? WHAT DID.. I.. OH.. N-NYEH HEH, LET'S JUST PRETEND THAT I NEVER SAW THAT, UH.. THING. I SHALL GIVE YOU A KISS GOODNIGHT AND THEN LEAVE YOU TO G-GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP." He nearly clocked you in the forehead with his own, the buzzing on the floor and in your head drowning everything else out.

"Goodnight Papyrus. Can you find your own way out?"

"YES, I CAN. I WILL CALL YOU BRIGHT AND EARLY TOMORROW BEFORE I GO TO WORK. G-GOOD NIGHT!"

With that he scarpered, the sound of your front door closing a tad loud, and a "Nyeeeh" From the hall making you double facepalm. You kept one hand over your face as you reached down, turning off your new electric toothbrush and putting it back in the box. He had a weird relationship with them, said they made his teeth feel funny. He had blushed when he'd told you, and you weren't sure what to think. Oh well. You would put it in the bathroom in the morning.