Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Everything was okay.

No. Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

Let’s start at the beginning.

It had been 5 years since the barrier broke and the monsters emerged to live amongst the humans. It was the toughest 5 years for monsterkind but they slowly and surely made their way from the bottom of the chain to at least significantly equal to humankind. Everybody used to be trembling at the sight of them, the rumors considerably being exaggerated online every time somebody encountered a monster.

Monsters were the hottest topic. But just like any other hype, it slowly died down because monsters kept their head down low, kept anything interesting from happening so humans would lose interest. Until people tolerated the thought of them and at some point, accepted.

You have never been one to talk nor see one in person in the last 5 years so imagine your surprise when a skeleton monster, an intern just like you, appeared in your workplace. You wanted to work as an engineer in a futuristic company that creates and manufactures technologically advanced electronics that would help society progress. You weren’t one to call yourself smart but this company only and strictly accepts interns from the highest-ranking universities in the country. This skeleton monster, aside from being a monster, has proven himself worthy by getting a degree after just 2 years in a top-ranking university and has gotten the approval of the CEO to let him join the company.

Maybe they did so they could be painted as one of the first workplaces to accept monsters.

Nevertheless, being a monster didn’t let him from capturing your heart and trust. Not one of the interns had wanted so much as to talk to him and at first; you took pity at the obvious racism that’s been happening. So when you had the chance to crack an introduction, you swooped in. He had an apparent distrust of humans but he entertained your introduction. When you asked why later on, he said he needed to keep up appearances.

In the first few months, the two of you went from strangers to acquaintances to friends, bonding over stress-related work problems and bosses, crappy jokes and puns, and good food.

He was basically a humor-deflecting kind, one that made it hard to get to open up but eventually, after a moment of weakness, he did.

“Knock, knock,” you prompted. Today was an especially difficult day for him and you noticed. Sans hadn’t gotten out of his makeshift bed in the last two hours. You knew he doesn’t like to show people how miserable he really was so to see him like this startled you. You didn’t want to leave him alone in one of the intern’s lounge area by himself.

He didn’t answer.

“C’mon, Sans. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” You offered him a gentle smile, your arms full of paperwork that the two of you needed to finish.

He grumbled. “who’s there?” He hadn’t bothered to lift his head up from the nest of blankets.

“Orange.”

He already knew what you were going to say next. “orange who?”

“Orange you gonna let me in on what’s making you feel bad?”

He lifted his head just a little and you eyed the bags under his eye sockets. “now you’re just stealing orange my jokes.” He was tired tired.

“Well, I did learn from the best.” You winked. That afternoon, Sans was able to tell you how at some times, he felt like crap. You spent the rest of the day shouldering some of his workload to which he was grateful for. It was a good start that deepened your connection with him.

You learned how smart he was, smarter than everybody in the building (you believe); especially when he started talking about astrophysics and alternate universes that mostly just flew over your head. Humankind doesn’t even have flying cars, you interjected; they’re not ready for parallel worlds and alternate universes. You believed in their existence to some extent but when Sans spoke about it, he talked like he was one reach away to achieving it into the palm of his hands.

After attaining a deeper level of friendship that might’ve involved getting drunk together and defending his ass so many times than you can count, he invited you to come to Freedom Day, the day the monsters celebrated the time the barrier broke and they weren’t trapped Underground anymore. You met his friends, his brother, and even the human ambassador, Frisk, the kid who single-handedly freed monsterkind. They were a rowdy and at the same time, a soft bunch and you remembered thinking all night how the hell did humans think these monsters were dangerous? They accepted your presence fairly fast; you were the first human friend Sans had brought to celebrate with them.

The venue was up in the mountains, with campfire and tents and great food, a reminder that they’re not down there anymore, but up here. There were lots of drinking, stories and then at the end of the night, fireworks.

It must’ve been past midnight when you found yourself sitting in away from the group, content with watching the monsters’ celebration from a third person’s point of view.

“sorry ‘bout my friends, they can be too much sometimes.”

You smiled, your thumb slowly grazing the mouth of the bottle you were drinking. “Are you kidding? They’re the best.”

Sans took a seat next to you on the log, hearing the grass crunching beneath his feet even with all the background noise. “shucks, kid. you don’t have to suck up to me.”

You dramatically gasped. “Are you saying I’m telling a fibula?” All the times with Sans had rubbed off on you. You weren’t one to think up of puns and jokes on the spot but it was kind of fun once you got the hang of it. Of course, seeing Sans’ excitement with sharing his love of shitty puns was worth it.

“i’m just sayin’. lay it on me. sticks and stones,” he said with a wink.

You turned back to his friends, the group huddled together as they shared stories, where Papyrus’ and Undyne’s voice greatly overpowers the rest. “You know I won’t deny your friends are loud and energetic,” you stated with a small smile, and you see Sans falter, “but they’re also sweet and passionate and kind. Like you.”

He didn’t reply after that. Instead, he kept you company until you decided to join them.

It was sweet and everything was perfect.

You considered Papyrus a good friend. You’d known him earlier than most of Sans’ friends especially when he comes by the company building to drop off Sans lunch. You were there one time and Sans introduced you to his brother. Papyrus promised next time to give you a separate batch as well whenever he dropped off Sans’ which you said was unnecessary but still thankful for.

You had a deep admiration for Papyrus for his good-naturedness and friendly disposition, so much that you kept interacting with him even without Sans around. Next thing you knew, you were watching Mettaton’s late night shows with him in him and Sans’ apartment. Papyrus trusted you to take care of his brother when he thinks he’s working too hard and haven’t gotten any sleep. And so you did. Even if you had to force Sans from this separate work he’s doing aside from his job work.

It was a wonder to you how you were the only one who can see Sans working all the time.

A couple of your co-interns and bosses always- always- catch him sleeping on the job. It doesn’t make sense. You knew they knew it doesn’t make sense. Every time they give him extra paperwork to do or solve an enigma, Sans was always done with it in an hour, no matter what, and snoring away in his workspace. The only time he showed he was actually doing work was when he’s alone with you.

Most of the time, he’s working on his alternate reality project.

Sooner rather than later, you had been invested in his project as well and sometimes come up with a varying answer when he hits a wall. Eventually, the two of you moved past being co-interns and were now co-workers working under the same department. But he never stopped working on his project. He showed you a blueprint of a machine under-renovation. He showed you his calculations that were too much your human brain can handle. He showed you the various researches and theses he worked on to prove it was possible.

He was always so tired and lazy in general but when it comes to this project, his whole face brightens up and his productivity increases 200%. It made sense that the two of you were more devoted in what he was working on than the literal work you do in the company. Human technology was small scale compared to what Sans was planning to do. It was overall more exciting than anything that happened in your entire life.

Along with the progress with the machine, there was also progress with your relationship with the monster. At some point, you initiated a romantic contact and kissed the side of his cheek when he was pretending to be asleep. It was the first time you saw him lose his cool and blushed a bright blue. The different-colored blush was weird but endearing.

“Was that okay? Did—Are you uncomfortable?” you asked when he didn’t speak to you for a couple of minutes.

“...yeah. that was okay,” he answered but refused to look you in the eye. “it was nice.”

It was the go signal he gave that gave you the confidence to leave him dainty kisses and longer touches here and there.

Half a year later, you found out Sans had bought an abandoned building at the edge of the town and working on the machine in his free time. He invited you to come and see. Alphys was there, acting as his right hand whenever he wasn’t there- which was all the time. They led you to the basement where they set up the machine. The basement was large, damp and dark, with no windows, no natural sunlight. The only light they have came from a single bulb hanging on the ceiling.

The machine, even when unfinished, looked large and looming. But you were surprised at the amount of progress they’ve already done. It looks like in a couple of years, they might actually be doing test runs on this thing.

“Wow,” was all you could say.

After showing you the unfinished machine in all its glory, Sans toured you around the building. The building itself was decrepit but according to him, it’d be polished and shining in no time. You wondered how he could even work that out when he’s busy with work and the machine. You told him he should hire some men to fix everything. Even hire an interior designer. He said he had it all under control.

That was the beginning of your starting to help the two monsters with their side project as much as you can. You were of little help, considering your knowledge and your ability to juggle everything at once. You were constantly tired and sluggish, feeling more and more like Sans every day.

Then you got sick. Humans do get sick very quickly. Sans was so worried. When it was revealed to him that it was because of the lack of rest and sleep, Sans had dropped everything. He told you he’d nursed you back to health. He promised he’d take care of you this time. He said he’d pause his little side project just for you.

That was all fine and all, you didn’t want him to stop pursuing what he was passionate about but you also didn’t mind the extra attention he’s giving you.

He was lying down with you on your bed in your own apartment. He was playing with your hand, squishing the meat of your palm and your fingers repeatedly. Somehow, you remembered this was the first intimate moment you shared with him.

He was talking about how frail human bodies were.

“Sans, monsters literally turn to dust. I’m fine.” You softly grabbed onto his hand and entwined your fingers with him. You remembered thinking he was so small but it was because he was a skeleton with no flesh. You pulled his hand to your lips, pressing a small kiss on where his knuckles should be.

He took in a sharp breath.

His phalanges grazed your cheek before he pushed a stray hair into the back of your ear. His eyelights were almost shining as he searched your face. His voice dropped to a whisper and you felt his chest rumble when he spoke.

“humans also turn to dust, just slower.”

He had a point.

For a moment, the side project was forgotten. Alphys took over the machine while you and Sans spent more time together and taking care of each other. Hanging out and going on trips with the skelebros. Working yourself to the bone at the company. Making out with your best friend where the two of you were too cowardly to slap a label on whatever you have but you couldn’t care less and he couldn’t care less.

Another year must’ve passed since Sans had stepped back into the building. It was one of the best years of your life.

Everything was perfect.

Then.

Then...

It wasn’t.

Something tragic happened.

It was all too sudden.

Papyrus...

It was on the news when you found out. Papyrus had fought and died for a human. A human mob was ganging up on one lone girl when the skeleton monster passed by. He immediately jumped to his defenses and protected her. Papyrus was strong enough on his own but the problem wasn’t his strength, it was his inherent nature to see the goodwill of everybody.

That’s what got him killed.

You were at work. You remembered feeling as if all your blood was sucked out of your body as you stared at the news on your phone. You had a panic attack mere seconds later. You barely remembered standing up, wandering around the company building until you found a private space. You locked yourself inside a closet where you cried, your knees instantly giving out as you lied down and wept on the dusty floor of the cramped room.

Your brain was muddled. Your eyes stung. Your heart had gone through different kinds of pain as you denied over and over that Papyrus was gone, that they meant a different monster, that this was just all some kind of fucked up dream.

And then you remembered.

Sans.

You barely recalled dialing Sans’ number, your hands shaking as you grip your phone with both hands.

Ringing...

“h-hey, y/n!” His voice was raspy as if he was screaming for hours on end but he pretended he was fine by forcing the usual mirth to his voice.

You could feel your chest tightening once again. You opened your mouth to speak but your throat suddenly closed up as a new set of tears ran down your cheeks.

“are you okay? don’t worry about me, i’m totally fine,” he said lazily yet the tone of his unnaturally high voice betrayed him. “sorry, did ya see the news? don’t believe everything you see on the internet.”

It was fucked up that the reporters posted about it first rather than alerting the deceased’s family. It was fucked up that you had to find out like this. It was fucked up that even Sans knew that you found out from the internet.

“Sans,” you croaked, a little sob escaping your lips. “Where are you?”

He snorted. “why do you sound so bonely? geez, you need to stop skullking.”

“Sans.”

“hm, not laughing, i see. i know you’ve heard my bone puns hundreds of times before but don’t tell me they aren’t as humerus as before?”

“Sans.”

“still upset? i’m ribbing ya, kiddo.”

“Sans!”

“wow, ya really aren’t letting up. socket up, kid.”

“Sans, stop joking around! This is serious!”

“hm? i thought this is y/n.”

You couldn’t help screaming out in frustration. “I know it’s your instinct to hide behind fucking jokes but damn it, Sans! Papyrus is dead!”

The line went silent.

Guilt pooled at the bottom of your stomach but you refused to apologize. Sans has the emotional capacity of a potato but this doesn’t mean you should coddle him. “...Sans?” you whispered into your phone.

He started chuckling. “what do you mean dead, kiddo? he’s alive. somewhere out there. i’m gonna find him.”

Then he dropped the call.

That was the beginning and you failed to save him.

It was the saddest day for monsterkind ever since they broke the barrier. They held a funeral for Papyrus. You almost couldn’t get out of bed but you forced yourself. You didn’t want to be a bad friend. You attended but you didn’t enter the venue. You stood out there on the streets, overlooking as Papyrus’ friends- humans and monsters alike- trickled in and out of the funeral home.

Frisk found you and they were clinging to your hand with tears in their eyes. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry I can’t bring him back. Please tell Sans I’m trying my best but- but all the buttons disappeared when I promised myself that there would be no more resets. No more...”

You didn’t understand what they were saying but you consoled the kid the best you can before Toriel came around. She gave the best hug and you swore you could’ve lost yourself in her warm embrace and forget about the cold, dark reality. They left later.

Reporters and journalists showed up and that was all you could take before you went home.

It was Papyrus’ last day of the funeral before his ashes were to be spread to his favorite places. Sans was still in hiding but you knew where he was. You drove to the abandoned building that day, determined to pull him to say goodbye to his brother.

It has only been a year since you’ve stepped into this place but it was so much different than the first time. It was a 7-story building including the basement. The ground floor was fully-furnished but empty. You headed to the stairs leading to the basement without so much a second glance to the elevator that’ll take you up the levels.

The basement hasn’t changed. There he was. With his back turned against you while he worked on the machine. His shoulders were hunched. His hands were trembling. His clothes were tattered and greasy.

Before you could even utter a word, a wall of bones suddenly shot up, separating you from him completely. “Fuck you! You could’ve killed me!” you cried out, exasperation evident in your voice.

There was no reply from him. Only the occasional sound of a wrench tugging on a screw can be heard.

You knew he was hurting. You don’t know how you could help. You stayed there with the barrage of bones as fresh tears sprung from your eyes. You haven’t even recovered from last night’s crying and your face was tender to the touch.

Minutes or hours must have passed before Sans was too weak to keep the bones up for so long. You didn’t hesitate to run up to him and hug him, even when he was clawing at you to let him go back to fixing the machine. You stayed put and wrapped your arms around him as long as you can, your face buried into the back of his neck.

Until he gave up and broke down with you.

Sans must have spent the whole day weeping and desperately clinging to you. There was one thing that never left your mind that he uttered so mindlessly that day.

“it hurts so much, it feels like i might fall down any minute.”

It was the day you swore to do anything- anything- you can to help ease his soul. At the end of the day, he went with you to say goodbye to Papyrus, but his words were, “i’ll find you again, Paps.”

Everything after Papyrus’ funeral was a blur at this point. Sans was borderline obsessed on finishing the machine that he quit his job. He forced Alphys to help him 24/7. He asked you to quit your job and work for him full-time as well. He promised to pay you well. You did so without hesitation, even without the promise of compensation.

You should’ve said no.

You should’ve moved on.

You should’ve told Sans to move on.

You should’ve destroyed the goddamn machine before it was too late to turn back.

But you knew you couldn’t, not with the risk of him falling down. You can’t lose another friend. You just can’t.

At first, you worked with Sans and Alphys like some sort of co-worker. But your lack of knowledge made you useless. You didn’t even know what it is you’re doing with them. You offered support, physical and mental, or however they needed it. When they needed a part for the machine, you offered to be the one to search for it, no matter how far or how expensive it was. When they designed renovations of the different rooms in the building, you’re the one who hired the engineers for it.

You didn’t understand why they needed all these rooms when they’ve only ever been in the basement. What’s even weirder was all the rooms had the same designs. There was a single bed. There were cameras on all four corners of the room. Later on, you’ll realize that a scanner near the door would activate an electrified wall that cuts the room in half. And that all the rooms were basically magic-proof.

You haven’t seen nor talked to Sans as another half year passed. All you can do to help was drop him and Alphys breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At least Alphys went home when night came. Sans never left the building. You had long bought him a mattress, pillows, and blankets that he can fall asleep on whenever he liked. There were times he relented on your incessant begging to sleep next to you on the mattress.

But his warmth and his jokes and all these things that made him him were long gone. He was like a shell of his past self, a robot whose only desire was to finish the goddamn machine.

Then he had a breakthrough.

It was then your life has twisted rather sharply right after Papyrus’ death.

Your footsteps echoed through the empty walls after stepping out of the elevator and onto the second-floor hallway. The whole floor had four separate rooms, two of them occupied for... a month now? You clutched the two bags of spider donuts in your hand as you knocked on the first door before entering.

Blue’s face instantly lightened up at the sight of you. “Y/N!”

Your mouth curved into a smile. “Hey, Blue. How’re you doing?”

He was standing in the middle of the half-space he was graced with since the electrified wall was activated. You placed a distance between you two even when there was a barrier of electricity that separated you from him, just as Sans “requested” of you.

“I’M GREAT! MAGNIFICENT AS ALWAYS! ESPECIALLY MAGNIFICENT NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE!” he exclaimed as he bounced on his toes. “HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY SLEEP LAST NIGHT OR DID SANS WORK YOU ALL NIGHT AGAIN?”

“I’m fine, Blue. I’m glad to hear you’re doing great.” You proceeded to throw the bag of donuts across the room to him. The bag passed through the electrified wall, it can only zap living things after all.

Blue caught the bag in his hands and opened them, his beaming face painfully reminded you of his counterpart in this world. “DONUTS?! TELL ME THE TRUTH. DID MY UNHEALTHY BROTHER ASK FOR THIS?”

“Yeah. Remember you asked for tacos yesterday. It made sense that you get to eat what he wants to eat today.” You sat down on the cold floor, crossing your legs as you watched him.

This... this is who Sans pulled through from his machine. He and his brother from an alternate reality. An alternate world. You wouldn’t have believed him if the proof wasn’t staring you in the face and taking a bite out of a spider donut.

You remembered the time Sans planned to tell you. He almost didn’t. Fucking asshole.

If you hadn’t made your rounds through the whole building, you wouldn’t have discovered the new set of skeletons living in the building. Or rather... held prisoner in the building. Your whole body trembled at the sight of Papyrus in one of the rooms. Overcome by fear, you went straight to Sans to confront him.

And that was when he spilled the beans. He told you they were swapped versions of him and his brother. He told you he was holding them temporarily because he needed their data. He told you he didn’t want to bother letting them out into the world when it was so much easier to just imprison them here so they won’t go anywhere. He told you that you were the one to keep an eye on them, to keep them company so they wouldn’t be lonely.

So it was technically babysitting but not quite.

Babysitting with extra morbid steps.

You refused.

You should’ve refused.

You should’ve threatened to leave him.

You should’ve told him this was inhumane, even for him!

But your words died in your throat.

“it hurts so much, it feels like i might fall down any minute.”

And so you swallowed everything and did what he asked of you. You introduced yourself to Blue first. You couldn’t bear to see Papyrus’ face again. It was agonizing explaining to Blue what he was doing here, what happened that was the reason why he’s here, why he needed to stay here. You had to watch his expression fall to hurt to terrified. He demanded for his brother who was in the adjacent room. You told him you can’t do that.

You couldn’t speak to him at all in the first week. He refused to speak to you. You left him food and stayed with him, even when he was so upset while he watched you.

Maybe the silence got to him. Or maybe he just couldn’t help but be worried about his brother. Because he tried to interact with you the next day.

“HOW’S MY BROTHER?”

You told him what happened to... Papyrus’ alternate version. You called him Stretch. Sans gave them their names.

The moment you entered Stretch’s room, there was an air of hostility that suffocated you. You explained to him their situation just as what you’ve explained to Blue without stammering but damn it if you said that he doesn’t terrify you.

Stretch engaged in small talk but he was more or less discerning the situation using whatever information that comes out of your mouth. Once you’ve told him that Blue was safe in the next room, his posture significantly relaxed. It was better than nothing. So, Stretch’s first week had gone by smoothly seeing that he cracked jokes and puns (empty as they are), just as Sans used to. Your heart clenched painfully as you tried to force a smile on your face every time he opens up with a joke.

He was also adept with that skill that forces you to warm up to him yet you never actually know anything about him. Not that you needed to because he was exactly the same as Sans. You had an idea of what he was like, what he was interested in, and what ticks him off.

Stretch has yet to open up to you, unlike his brother, who was very eager to befriend you even when you “captured” him after getting past his solid one-week cold shoulder.

“Y/N...” Blue cut off your thoughts and your eyes flew towards him.

“Yes?”

“We’re on the surface, right?” His voice was rather timid than his usual boisterous one.

“Yeah.”

Blue was now sitting cross-legged across from you, finished with his bag of donuts. “W-what is it like?”

Fuck. You almost always forget about this. Monsters have been living with humans for almost a decade now. You forget that they were once stuck Underground. And these particular monsters, even if they were in a different universe, were still trapped.

“It’s just like the Underground but bigger. More places to travel. Same sky wherever you go,” you answered, shrugging.

“YOU’VE BEEN TO THE UNDERGROUND?” Blue asked, his voice picking up again at the hint of excitement.

You shook your head. “Nah, but I’ve heard stories.”

“I’VE HEARD FROM PAPY THAT THE SKIES ARE LITTERED WITH ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF STARS!” His eyes shone. “WHAT ARE STARS? WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? ARE THEY NOT DIAMONDS EMBEDDED IN THE CEILING? CAN YOU EAT A STAR?”

His enthusiasm melted away your pity. “It’s kinda hard to explain. Stars are like big balls of gas hundreds and thousands of light-years away from us. Ugh, Sans usually dorks over these. Would you like me to give you an information book about stars?”

He nodded his head a few times. “YES, PLEASE! I WOULD LOVE THAT!” He scooted a bit closer to you and you almost shouted at him to watch out for the electricity. “So... you mentioned your Sans. Can you tell me more about him?”

You inhaled sharply. Damn. “Uh... I’m not really comfortable talking about him.”

“Why not? Are the two of you not friends anymore? He’s kind of your boss, right?”

“Yeah.” You scratched the back of your head. “It’s difficult to talk about him. I never see him anymore. We’ve drifted away yet I’m still here-“ fulfilling his wishes “-because I still think we’re friends.”

Your phone sets off an alarm, meaning that you’re going to check on Stretch now.

Blue’s eyes wandered to your phone. “SAY HI TO MY BROTHER FOR ME! OH, OH! TELL HIM EVERYTHING WE’VE TALKED ABOUT, ALL RIGHT?”

You nodded your head. “See you tomorrow, Blue.”

“SEE YOU TOMORROW, Y/N!”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

You always savored the littlest dreams you have about Papyrus when you fall asleep at night. Sometimes, it’s him yelling at his brother. Other times, it’s you ranting to him about how big of an asshole your co-workers were. And rarely, they were memories of you with Sans and Papyrus, a pitiful reminder of how everything used to be okay.

And then reality would grip you by your shoulders, forcing you away from those happy memories you treasured but constantly tried to forget when you were awake.

It was a short trip to Stretch’s room. Just a couple of steps. You took a moment to readjust your lab coat, one that Sans insisted on you wearing because it makes you look more intimidating, more of a prison keeper rather than a babysitter. You knocked on the door, just as you did for Blue before twisting the knob open and entering the room. As always, Stretch was sprawled on top of his bed, his back leaning against the wall as his eye lights followed you silently.

“You didn’t move an inch,” you stated. It was hard to pretend you were friends with them when you were literally holding them hostage. You held up the bag of donuts weakly, “Here. Catch.” You threw the bag just as you did with Blue’s.

The bag dropped onto his bed and you stared at him, your stomach sinking even further.

Stretch entertained you at first, even went so far as teasing you just like you were friends. He constantly tried to guilt you into letting them go. If you denied, he’d say he wanted to at least see his brother. One time, he snapped, and all throughout the time you stayed with him, he kept saying how awful you are, that you can find another way, that you could just free them without Sans knowing. You took every painful word he said to you with your eyes cast downward. When the time was up, you had only taken one step out of the room before you burst into tears.

“my brother alive?” he asked. It was now the first question he asked every time you entered the room.

“Of course, he is. W-we’re... Nobody’s gonna kill him, Stretch.” You took your place at the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall with as much distance as you could place between the two of you. You used to sit closer to him, just like with Blue’s, but ever since he had an emotional outburst, you tried to sit as far away from him as possible.

It just hurts to be so close to him.

“heh. easy for you to say, pal. how ‘bout we switch places for once so you can imagine what you’re putting us through?”

You exhaled shakily. “You know that I hate doing this, right?”

Stretch’s gaze burned into yours. “yeah, well, for someone who hates doing this, you seem to be doing a perfect job.”

God. You felt like utter crap. It wasn’t like you’ve talked to Sans about considering letting them go. But every time you bring up the topic as gently as you can, he completely slams you down without any explanation.

“I just don’t want to leave you two alone.”

“you think you’re gracing us with your presence?”

You inhaled deeply before exhaling, trying not to take his words personally. He’s the one trapped, not you. You chose this. Endure it. “I’m sorry.”

Stretch’s expression faltered for a moment. “don’t give me that look,” he muttered under his breath. You couldn’t hear it since you were far away from him. He finally moved from his place on the bed, taking the bag of donuts. Seeing and tasting something familiar temporarily brought him comfort. “so, what’d you and my bro talk about?”

Talking about Blue was always the one thing that connected the two of you. A smile ghosted on your lips. “Well, for one, he asked how I was doing.” You blinked before looking up to him. “Do I look horrible?”

“can’t see you properly when you’re all the way out there, honey.”

Was... was he asking you to move closer? Was it worth it? To be honest, you really don’t care right now. You just want to prove to him that you’re harmless and that he can trust you. You pushed yourself off the floor, taking a couple of steps forward. Not too close. You sat down cross-legged on the cold floor.

“How about now?”

“hmm... i dunno. there’s something on your face,” he said while gesturing to his face. “kinda makes it hard to see underneath all that crap.”

You frowned. “That’s just my face.” You crossed your arms, sending him a weak glare.

He chuckled. “yeah, sounds about right.” He took a large bite from his donut, watching you watch him as his jawbone moved.

“We also talked about the surface.”

He paused for a moment.

“He asked a lot about stars. Kinda promised to give him a book about it.”

“don’t tell promises you can’t keep.”

You shrugged. “It’s just a book. I can give him that.”

“what, can’t give him his previous requests? what’s wrong with action figures to keep himself busy?” Stretch chuckled but it was hollow.

You rolled your eyes. “He also asked for a rope, wires, ingredients for tacos... a knife,” you emphasized, trying to prove a point. “It was basically things that can harm him! Or me!”

A smirk tugged on his mouth. “well how do you expect him to whip up tacos if he doesn’t have the ingredients or tools?”

“Then what’s the rope and wires for?”

“probably for a puzzle. you’d be surprised by the number of things he can entertain himself with a rope.” He lazily blinked. “or you know, just give the kid some action figures.”

“Fine, fine,” you huffed. “He’s not a kid. He’s an adult.” Just like Papyrus was. “He’s just brimming with energy.”

You fell silent, easing up a little.

“hey.”

Your eyes snapped back up to his eye lights. “Yeah-?”

You crawled away, startled. You haven’t realized he had moved from the bed and was now right in front of you. Even when there was a wall of electricity separating you, it was still too close to Sans’ standards. He was in a deep squat, his elbows propped up on his knees and within this distance; you could see his fingers trembling.

“what day is it?” His gaze was hard.

You know this look.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you didn’t take your eyes away from him. “I know, Stretch. It’s been one month.”

He tilted his head to the side. “one month of what?”

“Since you’ve been stuck in here, rotting,” you answered bitterly.

“yeah. i remembered you told me something about that. you remember, don’tcha?” He waited patiently but you could tell he was fidgety.

“That... that I’d talk to Sans about it. I’d talk to him about letting you two go.”

He stayed quiet as if he wanted you to speak more about the matter.

“I’ll try but I can’t make any promises, Stretch.” You glanced back at his hands. “You’re trembling.”

He quickly shoved his hands into his pockets. “sucks. you do know i’ll take any fucking chance i can get just so i can leave this hell.”

You ignored the way he deflected your statement. “Why are you trembling? Are you cold? Are you sick? Do you need help?”

He pulled back, a scowl flashing across his face before he straightened it back down. “buddy, i’m stuck in this fucking prison. i haven’t seen my brother in a month. i can’t use magic. i don’t have my cigs. i even ran out of honey! if you think i’d get to a point where i’m comfortable enough to live like this, you’re dead wrong. i’d rather dust myself.”

Your chest was heavily heaving up and down.

It just doesn’t get better.

You want to help him, help them, you know you do.

What’s stopping you?

Maybe... just maybe... there’s that little idiotic hopeful part of you that you’d get your old Sans back if you pull through with this. Maybe all this hurting and emotional turmoil would all be worth it if Sans did get Papyrus back from wherever and the three of you can live normally again. He certainly had the chance to get these two from where they came from, what’s to say Sans won’t get his Papyrus back before he died in this timeline?

“y’know what? it’ll actually be a big favor if you just kill us. right now.”

“W-what?” You stood up, almost stumbling as you looked at him with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“i’m as serious as i can bee, honey.”

You stared at him, your mouth agape as you tried to take in his words.

“i don’t mind dying. just make sure you kill me first because i don’t want to see your expression that tells me that my brother’s dead.”

Your heart clenched in pain. “I-i don’t—“

“it’s simple,” he cut you off, his voice icy cold, “there’s an infinite number of universes, right? we just got to be the unlucky ones that got pulled into your shit. if there’s another me out there living his life with his brother, away from all this crap, then i’m all good. i’d be good dying right now.”

Tears stung the corner of your eyes. No. No, no, no, no, no. “You know I can’t kill you! I can’t let them kill you!”

“why’s that?” he chuckled. “you already attached to us or something?”

“It’s—it’s just- You don’t deserve to die! It’s not right. It just isn’t right!” You were on the verge of a panic attack. All this talking of dying was bringing up the emotions that flooded your entire body that day you found out Papyrus was dead. “No, no, no. You don’t mean that.”

“it’s better than being imprisoned.”

Your eyes flickered to the scanner that’ll take down the electrified wall. Some stupid part of you wanted to do something. Comfort him. Hug him. Chide away all his dark thoughts. Papyrus doesn’t deserve to die.

Fuck this.

You ran up to the scanner, your hand almost slamming down on it—

—when an intercom installed next to the cameras sounded.

“y/n, can you come down here for a moment?” Sans’ voice filled the room, snapping you out of your panic.

Your hand dropped, your eyes widened in surprise as you looked around. You almost didn’t notice Stretch muttering a curse.

“L-like right now?” You turned towards a camera, your heartbeat slamming crazily in your chest.  

“yes.”

“But... I’m still not done with—“

“right now, y/n!”

You grimaced. You glanced towards Stretch who had a slightly startled expression on his face. “Sorry about that, Stretch. I need to leave earlier than usual.”

“mhm.” He glowered. “i didn’t know he watches the cameras 24/7.”

“He usually doesn’t.” You weakly smiled. “He might’ve just had an impeccable sense of timing. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

He didn’t reply. He just stared at you.

You left the room hurriedly, the door locking in place with a click as you shut it. Your heart was hammering in your chest as you moved towards the elevator. You got off the ground floor and were about to head towards the stairs that lead to the basement when Alphys emerged at the top of the stairs. She looked startled to see you there.

“U-uh... hi Y/N.” In her hands was a box with all of her things. Your blood ran cold as you realized it was her personal things. “Are you l-looking for Sans? He’s actually in the security room...”

“Alphys. Where are you going?”

That one question made the poor monster looked like she was ready to break down. “I’m s-sorry, Y/N. I can’t do this anymore. I a-already told Sans I quit.”

You felt your heart drop, taking a step closer to the monster. “Why? You’re leaving him?” You were quiet for a few seconds before adding, “You’re leaving me?”

Alphys dropped the box as gently as she could, coming over to wrap her short arms around you. “I’m so, so, so sorry, Y/N. Y-you know better than anyone how miserable it is to be here. I can’t—I can’t take it anymore, okay? Undyne threatened to come barreling down here if I-i don’t quit.”

You put your arms around the monster, taking deep breathes to calm yourself. “Did... did Sans allow you to quit?”

She pulled away, wiping the tears the escaped from her eyes. “Y-yes. The machine more or less works fine on its own, just a few glitches here and there. He just needed the absolutely necessary data to input.” Obvious pity flashed across her face. “H-he’s planning on bringing more—“

“That fucking bastard!” You couldn’t help but mutter underneath your breath. “Alphys you have to stop him!”

Alphys looked at you sadly, shaking her head. “Y-you know he’s too far gone, Y/N...” A horn blasted outside the front entrance. Alphys took a step back, bending down to pick up the box. “I’m sorry... I need to go. Text me if you need any help.”

“Alphys, wait!—“

She scurried off without looking back. Your stomach churned painfully.

You’re alone to deal with Sans. And with the other skeletons. Fuck. Fuck this.

You almost wanted to scream at her to bring you with them but you knew... you knew you couldn’t leave Sans alone. You couldn’t abandon the two brothers who was pulled into this universe without their permission and fucked up their lives. You have to satiate this bullshit, even just a little bit, just to stay sane. Just so the guilt won’t eat you up alive.

You took a quick breath and gathered whatever courage you have as you walked across the empty lobby to the security room at the back. The door was slightly ajar. You cautiously poked your head in.

The security room consists of large monitors showing all the rooms that had cameras installed. One of the feeds showed Blue doing push-ups. The lights in the room were off. Only the light coming from the screen illuminated Sans’ form sitting in an office chair in front of all the monitors. You took slow deliberate steps towards him.

“Alphys was just running out the door,” you prompted.

Sans sluggishly twisted the chair to face you. He was clad in his usual work attire; white shirt, white lab coat, and pants. There was once a time when you thought he looked handsome when he wore the white lab coat. Makes him look more professional and put together.

This time, it was the opposite. The white lab coat had lacked its usual luster; some parts had stains that were grime, oil, and or ketchup or some other thing you didn’t want to know. Sans looked like he hadn’t bathed in weeks and he certainly smells like it. There were black bags under his eyes. And instead of the usual white orbs, his eye lights were rings. Just two dead rings coupled with his permanent grin.

But if you were being honest, he actually looked better today than in years. His eye lights looked brighter today than any other day. At least someone was glad that his plan was getting somewhere.

“i have something to tell you.” His voice was nowhere near his usual friendly and endearing one. It was cold and emotionless and damn it if it didn’t make you want to hug all his hurt away. “let’s kill them.”

...

What.

Before you could react, Sans added, “i’m done analyzing their data. they have no use to me now. we can’t bring them back to their universe, might as well just kill them.”

“No!” There were thousands of words plaguing your mind but this was the only word that came out of your mouth. “What—what are you even- This is crazy!—“

He stared at you with a deadpan look. “stretch almost killed you.”

You stopped, shocked. “N-no... he wasn’t—“

He glanced at the monitors one time before holding back your gaze. “he did. once you deactivate that wall, he was going for the kill.”

You rubbed your face, frustrated. “You can’t possibly know that!—“

“of course, i do. i’m an alternate him, remember?” His grin widened slightly.

You fell silent, feeling as if the walls were suffocating you.

“my orders are clear. don’t deactivate the wall. keep your distance,” Sans sternly stated, “if you don’t want to get killed by other versions of me or my b-bro.”

Fuck you, Sans.

Tears stung the back of your eyes as you tried to hold it back. You stood there for several minutes, waiting for him to say anything else.

“so, i’m gonna be busy again. i can’t keep an eye on you like i did right now. if you do anything stupid and irreversible, i might not be able to stop it.” He pushed himself off the chair, stretching his arms but not quite.

Your voice was almost a whisper with a hint of bitterness. “Alphys said the machine is working and you’re done with gathering data. What are you going to be doing?”

For the first time in a while, Sans’ eyes turned back to orbs. He blinked. It was gone, back to rings. He gestured to the monitor. “why don’t ya find out yourself, kiddo?” And then he was gone.

Your eyes traveled to the monitor. You slapped a hand to your mouth as your eyes widened in surprise. Four more rooms were occupied.

Jesus Christ, you’re not paid enough for this.

You could feel your emotions welling up inside of you but you pushed them down. No. Not today. You have guests to greet.

Hah.

Guests.

That’s funny.

Funniest joke you’ve thought in a while.

Wiping down a stray tear, you headed to a vacant room next to the security room. This one held a furnished kitchen, much like an apartment. No one uses it though. Sans was too lazy to eat, much less cook anything. You’d rather buy something store-bought than prepare a meal yourself. Alphys only uses it to heat up water for her ramen noodles.

You opened a cabinet, hoping to see any food you can give to the new monsters. Oh good, there’s a stack of cinnabunnies that neither Sans nor Alphys touched even though you’ve bought them that months ago. You wondered how you’re gonna serve it to them since you can’t hand them a plate.

Too tired and frustrated to care, you grabbed the whole plastic containing at least ten cinnabunnies before you made your way back to the elevator. You never expected coming back up here a second time in one day. You’ve always tried to run back home after meeting up with the swapped skele-brothers.

Now you have to make time to four more skeletons, meaning you have to cut off the time you’re spending with Blue and Stretch so you can accommodate the others. Make sure to explain to them really well what your intentions were and what their situation was. No doubt they’d want to kill you or ignore you after that.

There was so little time to prepare and you’ve already been emotionally banged up in the last few hours but you couldn’t leave them here. Your phone vibrated, signaling a text. You took a moment to check it after stepping out of the elevator onto the second floor.

“Red and Edge... Patch and Ace...” you muttered, reading the list of information Sans had texted you about what he’s known from the two new sets of brothers. “They’ve been here for three fucking days?!” you exclaimed, your voice almost cracking. How the hell did you not notice?

Three days. No doubt they’re going to be pissed as hell when you come in. You shut your eyes close, breathing in deeply. Heh... it was a good call you decided to bring the whole bag of cinnabunnies. It’s not going to be enough to quench them but at least they’ll have monster food.

You gritted your teeth. Better to finish the hardest to approach skeleton brothers first. You passed by Blue’s and Stretch’s room, quelling your instinct to peer in the door to see how they’re doing. You knocked on “Red’s” room first to announce your presence before entering the door, minutely preparing yourself.

“and here i thought i was gonna rot in ‘ere,” a low, gruff voice echoed across the room.

You took a moment observing him. He looked much more dangerous than your Sans... His teeth are sharper, his eyes crueler. His sneer towards you was petrifying if he wasn’t stuck on the other side of the room. He wore a fur-lined jacket, a red undershirt, and shorts. You could see your Sans wearing these clothes. Suits him, kinda.

God... why was the air so thick and suffocating? Sanses really didn’t like being trapped, huh? You opened the bag, grabbing two cinnabunnies at once. “Here, catch.” The cinnabuns flew across the room and onto the floor, Red not moving an inch from the corner where he was seated. You fought off the urge to bite your lower lip in anxiousness, deftly leaning your back against the opposite side of the wall. “What? Can’t play catch?”

“oh, baby doll,” he glowered, “i would’ve been in a damn good mood had ya arrived days ago. but all the fun’s gone.”

You sucked in a breath. It was hard to be in a room with him. Let’s just get this over with. “My name’s Y/N. This is an alternate univer—“

“yadda yadda. do i look like i care, bitch?” he snapped, immediately pouncing off the floor. His eyes were burning red and you thought it suited him. “how ‘bout ya let me out here first and then we can talk. it’s pretty smothering being stuck here, ya know.” He tugged on the bright red collar on his neck.

You gulped, your eyes wandering to the rest of his outfit before settling to his face. You’d never imagine Sans’ grin being creepy as it was but dang, Red’s fangs look like he can bite through your throat easily. You met his gaze and his grin fractionally widened.

“i see... this isn’t your first tango,” he stated. “how many of us are there?”

You shut your eyes closed; surprised he was able to tell just by watching you. It was never safe to lie to Sans. You’ve already had enough experience. “6... from other universes. The first 2 arrived a month ago.”

“and y’er what? a fucking secretary? a guard dog?” he snorted. “i wanna talk to your sans, sweetheart.”

You shook your head. “I can’t do that.”

He stared at you. “that’s bullshit. i want to talk to your sans right now!”

You stared him down even when you could feel the rest of your body tremble. “You’re in no position to give me orders,” you spat. “Now, unless you want to hear why you’re here, I’m going to leave.”

“heh. hehahahaha!” He began to laugh, his arm clutching at his stomach. “god fucking damn it, this is hilarious. oh, doll. i can clearly see the fear in your eyes.” His grin widened, his gold tooth glinting under the light. “you can’t even take a step close to me. what makes you think you’re powerful?”

You couldn’t find your words as you looked at him helplessly.

“the only thing that’s stopping me from breaking y’er neck is the fact that there’s this electric voltage between us and this room is magic-proof.” He snickered darkly. “says a lot about how y’er the ones afraid of me, not the other way around.”

Your lower lip wobbled. Damn it. You’re not going to stand here and listen to him insult you all day. “How about I leave you here for a couple more days, see how you like it, you fucking asshole!”

“hey, wait!—“

You didn’t hear the rest of his words as you left the room, locking the door behind you. You. Are. Not. Paid. Enough. For. This.

Not that money can undo all the mental and emotional torture. But at least there’s some kind of compensation.

There are three more skeletons. You’d rather curl up in your bed and sleep. Or most probably cry.

You knocked on Edge’s door before entering, a hardened look on your face. You were secretly hoping he was less than a bitch than his brother.

“HOW POLITE OF YOU TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR BEFORE ENTERING, WENCH.” This Papyrus looks similar to his brother, all sharp edges, black-and-red themed clothing and a cruel sneer. Never have you imagined your innocent Papyrus looking like him.

You tossed him two cinnabuns without alerting him, your mind and soul too tired to play nice. “Okay, bye.”

“STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU BRUTE! YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE AGAIN? ALONE?” Edge screeched, anger rolling off in waves, cinnabuns forgotten on the floor. “THIS IS NOT HOW YOU ACT AS A JAILKEEPER! THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!”

You pressed your nose bridge as you felt a headache coming. At that moment, you remembered all your conversations with Blue. Edge certainly reminds you of Blue so maybe you can use this similarity to your advantage. “Yes, it is I, your warden. Yes, I am human. I captured you at your moment of weakness,” you said flatly.

You had the time to take a closer look at Edge. He looked more and more like Papyrus if Papyrus had an emo phase. For a moment, your gaze softened. He looked really tired even though he’s trying to appear like he had some semblance of control over this situation. “PATHETIC!” he growled.

“Yes, that’s you. You’re pathetic for being captured. By me, a human,” you continued your rouse.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH, HUMAN! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT INSULTING ME LIKE THAT!” He lifted his chin up, eye sockets narrowing at your tiny form. “I’M SURE YOU ARE WRETCHED ENOUGH TO CAPTURE ME WHERE I AM MOST VULNERABLE, RENDERING ME POWERLESS. YOU EVEN PUT ME IN THIS FORSAKEN ROOM WHERE MY MAGIC IS USELESS!”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I admit I wouldn’t be able to capture you if you’re at your full strength. I’m sure you could overpower me easily,” you said with a sigh.

He smirked as he crossed his arms. “I’M IMPRESSED YOU’RE ABLE TO ADMIT HOW UTTERLY WEAK AND FRAIL YOU ARE.” He looked around the room, particularly at the electric wall. “THIS INGENIOUS DESIGN TO KEEP ME IS... AT SOME LEVEL, REMARKABLE.”

You blinked. He just complimented you? On the first day? The corner of your lips twitched. “Thank you... Papyrus.”

“H-HOW DO YOU—“ He sputtered, before regaining himself, “I’M SURE YOU MOST LIKELY KNOW WHO I AM, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, IF YOU KNOW MY WEAKNESSES.”

Aw, fuck. He also calls himself in the third person. You remembered Blue calling himself ‘the Magnificent Sans’ which made you melt. “Yeah but actually, you’re not in your home universe. This is my universe, making you an alternate version of my old friend, Papyrus. I’m going to call you Edge from now on so there isn’t any confusion.”

“ALTERNATE—“ He repeated, almost taking a step backward, “THIS SEEMS LIKE THE KIND OF FUCKERY MY BROTHER WOULD PULL. DON’T TELL ME THIS IS ONE OF HIS JAPES?!”

You shook your head. “Sorry, Edge. Your brother is captured by me, too. He’s in another room.”

“DON’T CALL ME EDGE, HUMAN!” He seethed but seemed to relax at the mention of his brother. “THOUGHT FOR SURE HE’S ALREADY DUSTED. HE’S STUPID ENOUGH TO TRY AND ESCAPE WITHOUT THINKING, EVEN STEPPING HEADFIRST INTO THIS ELECTRIC WALL.”

You gave him a smile. “Nah, he’s fine.” Remembering you’re supposed to be a ‘warden’, you put on a serious face. “As long as you don’t step a toe out of line, you and your brother will keep your life.”

“SOUNDS OVERLY NICE OF YOU, WENCH. ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT ANY ATTEMPT OF ESCAPING IS FUTILE?”

You gestured to the cameras at all four corners of the room. “Of course it’s futile, Edge. Your every move is being watched. You won’t be able to escape.” Your voice dropped to a whisper, “You can’t see your brother again.”

Something in his face flickered but it was gone as soon as you saw it. “YOU PATHETIC, LITTLE HUMAN. I DON’T CARE IF I DON’T SEE MY USELESS, EQUALLY PATHETIC BROTHER EVER AGAIN. I’M SURPRISED HE EVEN LASTED A DAY IN THIS ‘PRISON’ OF YOURS.”

You tried not to look too surprised. God, they... they really hate each other that much? This was the first time you encountered this dynamic from Sans and Papyrus. It was kind of sad. “Okay, bye. Hope you’re still alive the next time I come in here.”

“I HOPE NO ONE KILLS YOU IN YOUR SLEEP, HUMAN,” he says as you leave the room.

As the door shut close, you let out a shaky sigh. Your knees were quaking. You could feel your strength leaving your body. You trudged back to the elevator, pressing the 3rd floor. You savored the quiet moment you have to yourself before you’d need to face another set of brothers. This time, you were outwardly wishing that they were nice.

You need it. You need a moment of rest.

You knocked on Ace’s door first. Figured talking to Red the first time was so much draining that you expected. You had hoped to enter, give him food, and then leave quickly. You could tell the rest of them the details tomorrow. But not now. You just really wanted to take a rest.

You entered the room, head bowed down, your hand already inserted in the bag of cinnabuns. “Sorry for leaving you alone for three days,” you murmured an apology, ready to sprint out of there as soon as you gave him the food. You tossed the cinnabuns and he picked them up gently.

You had the time to look at him properly, almost stumbling over your feet as you realized he would easily tower over you when he straightened back up after picking up the cinnabuns. His green eye lights met yours. “Human,” he murmured in amazement.

“You’re... you’re Papyrus, right?” you confirmed. He was tall, taller than Papyrus. He wore a sweatshirt underneath a black trench coat, emphasizing just how tall he was. He could easily reach the ceiling if he wanted to.

He could also easily grab you if you got too close.

He smiled kindly which took you by surprise even more. “Indeed, if you could call it that. I’m... half Papyrus.” He tilted his head while you looked him up and down. “How do you know your Papyrus?”

You choked. “Y-you know? I mean, uh, you’re in another universe. This isn’t your universe...?” You were rambling, stuttering over your words. You stopped then cleared your throat, embarrassment rising to your cheeks. “What I meant to say was... you know that you’re not in your home universe?”

“It’s quite obvious, human. I’ve made that connection the first day I’ve been here.”

“How?” you asked in amazement.

Amusement danced in his eyes. “For one, this is a completely unfamiliar place. I don’t have the power to teleport and being pulled into a different universe is not an unversed concept to us.” He paused then continued, “This room is built exactly to contain a monster hence the electric wall and the inability to summon my magic, meaning that you intended to capture us in the first place—Human, are you alright?”

You didn’t realize that you were already crying, wet tears streaming down your face. “I-i’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” Your shoulders were heaving up and down.

It was unfair. You felt like you were drowning in guilt and heartache. This Papyrus... no, everyone. It’s not fair that they’re locked up like this. The kindness and understanding he exudes had taken you by surprise. Nobody had treated you like this before, not when they first saw you. But him... this one. His eyes were telling you that he wanted to comprehend you, to know your side.

And it was too much.

You couldn’t take it.

You left the room quickly, shutting the door behind you. Just finish this. Give him his food. Go home, Y/N. You deserve to rest. You entered the last room, almost forgetting to knock.

You’ve taken two steps forward before you collapsed on the ground, the dam holding your tears were now impossible to stop. All the emotions you’ve forced into the back of your mind came tumbling out. You sobbed right there on the floor, your heart twisting painfully as a variety of emotions overloaded your capacity.

“aw geez, did seeing me make you burst into tears?” A familiar yet distinct voice echoed. “careful, doll, showing vulnerability on our first meeting is kinda extreme, don’t ya think?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you apologized over and over with you crying harder than ever. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

“mhm,” he hummed, “it’s fine. bad day, huh?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Before you went home last night, you stayed in Patch’s room for a couple more minutes until your tears dried up on its own. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything about being caged. He, for sure, tried to cheer you up quite a few times.

“how do prisoners talk to each other?” he mused, breaking the silence of the room and your quiet sobbing.

You didn’t reply and continued to ignore him.

“cellphones.”

A snort came out before you could stop it. “Stop. I’m trying to cry here,” you whined, roughly wiping away your tears.

“oh no, that’s tearable!” he exclaimed in feign concern.

You finally looked up from your upright fetal position you found yourself in after breaking down into tears. You came face to face with a skeleton whose figure was unfamiliar to you, sitting down on the bed right in front of you with his legs crossed. He was supposed to be a Sans yet he looks so much taller, leaner than all the Sanses you’ve met so far. He exhibited the same laid back aura. Same half-lidded gaze. Same grin.

But different clothing. There were cracks running on either side of his eyes. A kind expression, much like his brother, decorated his face. Or maybe he just has a soft spot for weeping humans slowly going insane.

You noticed you were staring when his teeth twisted into a smirk. “so, are ya gonna give me a name, or are ya gonna weep me waiting?”

You blinked once, your face flushing in embarrassment and mortification after you just realized you broke down in front of a stranger. A Sans, to be exact! “Sorry, it’s just... it’s been a bad day. Sorry, you had to see that.”

You remembered the cinnabunnies you have in your hands and you tossed the rest of the bag across the room.

He caught it easily with one hand. “food? aww, you didn’t have to, cupcake.”

Geez. Sans and his nicknames.

“Please don’t... you shouldn’t be nice to me. I’d rather you be mad,” you muttered. “You’re not here as a guest you know.”

Patch set down the plastic bag next to him before looking at you with a more serious face. “yeah, i know. it explains this whole locked room, cameras, and shocking wall. i’m a captive in an alternate universe. figured only a sans has access to that kind of knowledge.” He paused. “what’s his deal anyway?”

You have so many questions running in your mind right now but you decided to answer his question first. You had to give him a summary of what happened in the last few years, something you failed to do with the rest of the new skeletons. You debated whether or not you should tell him about the existence of the others. You did, in the end, even mentioning his brother in the other room. Maybe it’ll make him less lonely if he found out there were more like him.

You finished the explanation, waiting for him to say something as his expression fell into something unreadable.

“so, basically... your sans has a toxic way of grieving for his lost brother and proceeded to fuck up other’s lives just to satisfy his?”

A weak smile tugged on your lips. “Yeah, basically.”

“and you’re his long-time best friend that reinforced his behavior even though you should’ve stopped him in the first place?”

Your heart sank. When he puts it like that... it sounded like you could’ve stopped this whole mess if you’ve just been a better friend. “I used to be his best friend... but now I’m just here because I know no one would look after you and the rest.”

He hummed, placing a finger to his chin. “welp, that doesn’t explain why he needs to lock us up though. he must be more unhinged than i thought.”

“Don’t call him that,” you snapped. “He’s not unhinged. He’s just... hurting.” You shut your eyes, grimacing before opening them again.  

“so when you found out he built an anti-magic room with an electric wall, you thought ‘hmm, we must be having guests in the future.’ you never asked questions?”

“I...” You inhaled sharply. “You don’t understand. There’s the risk of him falling down. I can’t lose him, too.” I can’t imagine living without him. “I’m- I’m trying, alright? I’m trying to get him to loosen up on all of you. Just give me some time.”

There was a blank stare on his face before he asked, “how long has it been since the first?”

There was a gnawing pit at the bottom of your stomach. “One month.”

“so... it’s been one month that a sans and papyrus has been stuck here in this condition, separated with nothing to do but wait for you come.” His eye lights sharpened, his grin twitching slightly. “that’s too long of a time to be caged, doll. they must be agitated. you must not be trying hard enough.”

Damn it, you’re tearing up again. “Sorry, I’m just really tired. I’ll come back tomorrow if that’s alright.”

His expression softened. “y’know if ya keep us waiting too long, there’ll come a time where we’d be desperate enough to get rid of you if we had a chance.”

“I know.” It’s already happened with Stretch.

“monsters have been locked up their whole life. this is just cruel.”

“I know.” It’s unfair.

“...you should get some rest. you need it.”

You nodded, turning around to leave. Before you shut the door close behind you, he said something that for some reason, made you feel like crying again.

“you know, you don’t have to be nice to us either.”

You were in an okay mood, considering the accumulation of events yesterday such as Stretch almost killing you, Alphys leaving your trio, being stressed enough that you broke down in front of a stranger, and when you got home, you barely got any sleep because of the strain and worrying about the skeletons’ safety. You woke up early so you can make a trip to Grillby’s, Sans’ favorite resto-bar.

You knew Blue didn’t like greasy food but you wanted to give the other skeletons comfort upon seeing and consuming familiar monster food. You also lowkey wished that it might make Red less aggressive towards you even though it might have the opposite effect on Edge. After buying at least 10 burgers that Grillby packed in a paper bag, you headed out to the nearest toy store.

You decided to follow Stretch’s advice on buying his brother action figures just so you can get back on his good side. The longer they’re imprisoned, the more hostile they become, that much you noticed. The memory of Papyrus’ own collection of action figures sprang to mind, making you nostalgic and upset at the same time.

You bought what you think Papyrus would enjoy playing with, such as knights, a dragon, and a princess. You hoped Blue would love it.

When you arrived in the lab building, you dropped off Sans’ burg in the basement and refilled his empty mug of coffee on a table. You didn’t see him anywhere though. After having a burg yourself, you proceeded to start your routine. It was earlier in the morning since you have to accommodate four more monsters.

You left the paper bag of burgers near the door, only the plastic containing the newly-bought action figures and one burger occupying your hands. You had forgotten about the book on stars but maybe next time. You knocked on the door first before entering.

A smile lit up your face almost automatically, “Hi Blue!—“

--you stopped, your eyes wide.

Your breathing hitched as you dropped everything on the floor, taking long strides across the room and kneeling in front of the wall. Blue was lying unconscious on the floor, beads of sweat running down his skull.

“Blue? Blue! Are you alright?” you asked, panic rising in your voice. “Blue, please answer me!”

Ah, fuck this. A look of resolve flashed across your face as you pushed yourself off the floor, advancing towards the scanner that’ll take down the wall of electricity that separated the two of you. You hesitated for a moment, remembering Sans’ words about being careful.

But...

This was Blue. There was no way you could ignore it if he was passed out on the floor. Before you could overthink it, you pressed your hand on the scanner, effectively deactivating the wall in a matter of seconds.

You ran back to Blue, touching his shoulder for the first time. You would’ve gotten emotional if not for the sense of urgency that overrode everything. “Blue, please. What’s wrong?” You pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to feel if he was sick.

A gloved hand suddenly wrapped around your wrist and you sighed in relief. “Blue? Are you awake?”

His eyes snapped open and in mere seconds before you even realize it, he had switched positions and had you in a chokehold. You felt like you were punched in the stomach as all the air rushed out of you, your hands instinctively grasping at his arm.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! How the hell was this skeleton so freakishly strong?!

The bone of his forearm was digging into your windpipe, making it hard for you to breathe.

That didn’t stop you from calling his name.

“B—lue—“

For a moment, his hold faltered and you took this chance to take a gulp of breath.

“HUMAN, I’M SORRY,” was his last words before you felt fingers digging at the base of your ear and skull.

All you could think about was how you’re gonna die. Because you disobeyed Sans’ orders. Because you were automatically worried about him. Because... because you trusted him.

And you passed out.

Your eyes fluttered open, your heart leaping out your throat. Am I dead?

Obviously not. Your eyes met the familiar monotone wall of the room.

You could barely move and you realized soon after that your head was resting on someone’s chest; their arms gently nestled around your middle. Your gaze flickered to your hands which were tied together by a bandanna. Your eyes flickered upward, meeting Blue’s teary eyes.

You felt your heart sink. So, it wasn’t some fucked-up dream.

You couldn’t speak, still feeling the ghost of his chokehold on your neck. You looked away. “What happened?” You finally had the courage to ask after a few more minutes of him holding you like this.

His grip tightened around your waist as he buried his face at the crook of your neck. This position had your stomach reeling. It felt intimate. It would’ve been... if circumstances were different.

“I’M SO SORRY FOR HURTING YOU, HUMAN!” he exclaimed and you felt the wetness of his tears drip down your neck. “I WAS—IT WAS NO EXCUSE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!”

You wanted to pull back, push him away, and remind him of your dynamic... but, fuck. You haven’t been held like this in a long time. You longed for it. You ignored your rationality, the one screaming at you that this skeleton was just trying to kill you a moment ago. “What did you do?”

You stared at your bound hands, thinking about how you would’ve returned the hug, maybe desperately if you were being honest. You wouldn’t have been able to stop yourself from cuddling with him.

Heh. Maybe it was a good thing he tied you up.

“I-I...” His voice trembled. “I TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE ROOM AS SOON AS YOU WERE KNOCKED OUT. I SHOULD HAVE FIGURED I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GO OUT OF THE DOOR. IT WOULDN’T BUDGE EVEN THOUGH I WAS SURE YOU DIDN’T LOCK IT. I EVEN... EVEN TRIED TO CARRY YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE DOOR AND USED YOUR HAND, BUT IT STILL DIDN’T WORK.”

Huh. That’s new. You never knew that. Sans never told you only you can open the door. And that you have to be conscious while you do it.

“I’M REALLY SORRY, Y/N. PLEASE, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.” You’re only saying that because you failed to escape. If things had gone your way, you wouldn’t want to see me ever again. “I DIDN’T WANT TO HURT YOU. BUT I WAS GETTING REALLY LONELY. AND- AND I WANTED TO SEE PAPY AGAIN. I REALLY MISS HIM EVEN IF HE WAS ALWAYS GETTING ON MY NERVES. PLEASE, Y/N. YOU UNDERSTAND, RIGHT?”

What does it matter what I think? You couldn’t tell him anything in this position. You hated it. You hated that you trust him more than you would’ve liked to. “Will you let me go, Blue?” Your voice had dropped to a whisper.

“NO, DON’T GO!” He held you tighter, reburying his face into your hair.

“Blue...” You shut your eyes close. “How many hours was I out?”

“JUST TWO!”

“You do know I still need to go check on your brother, right?” You talked to him as softly as you can; afraid that maybe he’ll change his mind about not killing you when he has you in his arms like this. It would be so, so easy for him to break your neck right now.

“B-BUT—“ Blue sniffed loudly. “YOUR PHONE HASN’T RINGED YET.”

“Blue, there are four more skeletons. If you don’t let me go, they won’t have a chance to eat today.”

He nuzzled into your neck even further and you swore he inhaled your scent, staying like that for a few more seconds before he pulled away. He untied the bandanna from your hands and you cautiously stood up, leaving him sitting on the floor while you rubbed your wrists together. In the back of your mind, you regretted leaving his comforting embrace. You wanted to be here longer. You wanted to hold him longer.

How touch-starved were you?

“A-ARE YOU HURT? DO YOU WANT ME TO HEAL YOU?” he asked worriedly. You fought the urge to glare at him. It was your fault in the first place.

“No thanks,” you said, your voice coming out icier than you’d like. He flinched.

You eyed the room. He’d seen the action figures and an empty burger wrapper which was now on his bed. That explains his guilty expression. You walked to the scanner, activating the wall with your back to him. You knew hurt would be evident on his face. You fished your phone out of your pocket. He tried to crack the password five times before giving up.

You looked back to him, his eyes cast downwards. Seeing the wall back between you two had dulled the paranoia that consistently gnawed at you. “I’ll... I’ll be back tomorrow.” Damn it, what do you even say to him after everything that happened? You shut your eyes. Fuck it, just ask him. “Did you- did you plan to kill me?”

“YES,” he answered. He must’ve seen the distress flashing across your face. “BUT... I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU’VE DONE FOR ME AND MY BROTHER. AND SOMETHING STOPPED ME. THAT’S WHY I ONLY KNOCKED YOU OUT.” He was sad and regretful. “I TRIED TO HEAL YOU... BUT I CAN’T USE ANY MAGIC.”

You wanted to leave right then but the overwhelming feeling of telling the truth pushed its way to the surface. “I’m hurt that you used the trust I gave you against me.”

Blue guiltily looked away.

“Was your friendly demeanor only because you tried to get me to trust you so you can get close enough to kill me?”

“NO!”

You narrowed your eyes.

“UH... WELL, YES. AT FIRST. BUT THEN I KNEW YOU WERE BEING SO KIND AND CONSIDERATE AND THAT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BE IN THIS POSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE... SO I REALLY JUST WANTED TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. PLEASE TRUST ME, Y/N. I DIDN’T WANT TO HURT YOU. I JUST WANTED TO GET OUT OF HERE.”

You hated it. You hated that you didn’t hate him. You hated that you still felt like it was unfair that he was on the other side of this room. “You let me go because you know you can’t get out of here. Not without me,” you stated.

He didn’t answer.

It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t his fault that he wanted to escape. This place was making him lose his mind. Before you could break down and ask for his forgiveness, you forced yourself to say, “I’m sorry, Blue. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

“YOU’RE NOT MAD AT ME?”

You pressed your lips together. “Goodbye, Blue.”

His expression fell. “GOODBYE, Y/N. SEE YOU TOMORROW,” he said dejectedly. 

You couldn’t bear giving him one last glance as you stepped out of his room. The moment you did, you felt your strength leaving your body as you collapsed on the floor. You fought off the tears. C’mon, Y/N. Blue’s just the first skeleton you’ve met today. You still had five more to go.

You decided to just drop by Stretch’s room instead of the usual four hours the two brothers had with you every single day. You knocked, almost softly, before you stepped into the room. You couldn’t look him in the eye so you settled on staring at his shoes instead.

“you’re alive,” he sighed, a hint of relief in his tone.

A few stray tears escaped from your eyes and you frustratingly wiped them away, looking up to meet his gaze. “What does that mean?” He wasn’t sprawled on his bed as usual. He was standing up as close as he can to the wall as if he was waiting for you.

His expression tightened ever so slightly. “my brother tried to kill you.”

“How’d you know that?” Paranoia was itching at the back of your mind and you ignored it.

He lifted a finger. “there are marks on your neck.”

You instinctively straightened the collar of your lab coat, trying to hide what would be an already-forming bruise. “This could be anything,” you murmured. “How’d you know it was your brother?”

It was meant to be a light-hearted tease. But then, you saw regret filled his eyes for a second.

You brought a hand to your lips, surprised. Mixed emotions began to rile you up as your brain works faster than you could process it. “You knew...? You knew he’d try to kill me? Did you know it yesterday? How would you...?” There was no way Stretch should know. They had no means of communication!

Unless they had a code for it. You were their middleman. You relayed to Stretch every single thing Blue told you. What did you talk about with Blue that you told Stretch? What did Blue say that stood out from all the other things you two talked about? Something out of the blue.

The surface. He asked about the surface.

Blue had specifically asked you to ‘tell my brother everything we’ve talked about’ yesterday, something he hasn’t requested before. Still, you do talk to Stretch about Blue even without his requests.

And when you talked to Stretch about you talking about the surface with Blue, he seemed to pause. How did talking about the surface equate to my death?

Then you remembered. Stars.

You don’t know the details but you understand the extent of it. They want to be free... but you’re getting in their way.

You didn’t tell Stretch that you know. You didn’t have to. It seemed he can read the little quirks on your face. You could feel exhaustion crawling up your back even though it was still early in the day.

“can you tell me what happened?” he finally asked, breaking the silence of the room.

Your face scrunched up involuntarily. “Like hell I would?” you spat. “The two of you tried to kill me consecutively!—“ You stopped at a sudden realization. “...You tried to kill me first so your brother wouldn’t have to dirty his hands.”

He sadly smiled. “ya know, you’re too smart for your own good, buddy. you would’ve fared better if you try to dumb yourself down a bit.”

Fuck. Why are you feeling sorry for them!? They just tried to kill you! He just admitted to it!

You pinched the end of your nose bridge. “I’m leaving early,” you told him, changing the subject. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but other skeletons are here—“

“stars, there’s more?”

“Yes. I have to leave since your brother ended up using half of your time when he knocked me out.” You tossed him the burger and he easily caught it this time. “I’ll try and talk about the others to you tomorrow. If... nothing happens. Also, a heads up, courtesy of Blue. You won’t be able to escape if I get killed inside the room. We just found out I’m the only one who can open the doors and I have to be conscious to do it.” Maybe this time, Stretch will try not to kill you if he can’t get out of here without you alive. They can’t risk being stuck here forever if they kill you.

“heh. if you think my brother’s going to give up easily trying to find a way out of here, you’re wrong.”

A little smile crept up your lips. “I know. The more difficult the challenge, the more he’s riled up.” Exactly like Papyrus.

You were about to head out the door, weighing in your options about a gift you wanted to give him. Even though you feel deceived by him, by them, it’s still a matter of if you’re going to be nice about it or not. They’re the ones on the other side of the room, you repeat over and over your head. You don’t have to be an asshole. They were already suffering enough without reason. The best you can do was try to appease them as much as you can without Sans reacting strongly about it.

“Hey Stretch.”

“hm?” Stretch was about to go back to his place on his bed.

You fished out a cylindrical container from inside the paper bag before throwing it over to his side. He clumsily clambered out of the bed, cradling the container into his arms as he caught it. His eyes bulged as he stared at the honey container you found last night in your apartment.

“Figured you could use the honey, honey.”

Before you could hear his response, you were already out the door. At least you came out of the room feeling a little better than you did before you went in.

It took you a second deciding between Edge and Red. You picked Edge.

He looked mildly surprised to see you after you knocked and entered. “YOU’RE BACK.”

“Yes, I am,” you remarked, eagerly tossing him the burg. “Here, catch!”

He scowled the moment it hit his gloves. “BLEGH! GRILLBY’S? YOU HAVE AWFUL TASTE, WENCH!” Just like you expected, Edge hated greasy food as much as Blue and Papyrus. “WHY ARE YOU FEEDING ME THIS DISGUSTING PIECE OF GARBAGE?”

“It’s monster food.” You shrugged. “Much better than human food. If you can see, there’s no bathroom in your room. Unless you want to... defecate... you’d have to eat whatever monster food I give you.” It was one of the upsides of being a skeleton monster, or a monster in general. You don’t need to go to the bathroom.

You remember asking Sans about it a long time ago. They stuck to monster food at first until they were curious enough to try human food. Good thing their apartment already had a bathroom as per normal to humans.

Edge rolled his eyes, putting his food on the bed for later consumption. He seemed much more interested in talking to you as he crossed his arms, watching you carefully while you settled sitting across him on the floor. “Edge,” you prompted.

“DON’T CALL ME EDGE, WENCH!”

“How do I get your brother to calm down when he sees me?”

“MY BROTHER IS NOT MY PROBLEM!” He scowled. “ALTHOUGH I AM PROUD TO HEAR HE’S GIVING YOU A HARD TIME. NYAHAHA!”

A pause. He seemed like he wanted to ask you something. “Go ahead, ask me anything.”

“WHAT NOW?”

“What do you mean?”

“WHEN DO YOU DUST ME?” He ignored the look of surprise on your face. “I ALREADY KNOW IT’S NOT BEYOND YOU DISGUSTING HUMANS TO DUST ME IN MY SLEEP BUT I HOPE I WOULD BE ABLE TO DEFEND MYSELF BEFORE MY FINAL MOMENTS. IT’S ONLY FITTING FOR A CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD.”

Your eyes widened. “Wait, wait,” you didn’t know what to address first until the words came out of your mouth without thinking, “You’re captain of the royal guard? When did that happen? How is it?”

The most Papyrus and Blue achieved was to be a royal guard in training. But Edge here has made it into the royal guards and has ascended to the ranks as captain? That’s impressive!

Edge scoffed. “HERE I THOUGHT YOU KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME, WENCH. IT’S YOUR JOB AS WARDEN!”

“No, it’s not.”

“WHATEVER. IT’S ALREADY COME TO ME THAT YOU’RE OPENLY TRYING TO GET ME TO TELL YOU ALL THE GRUESOME DETAILS MYSELF. THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS WILL NOT DISAPPOINT AN ADORING YET REVOLTING HUMAN FAN!”

The rest of Edge’s hours were spent with him talking about himself and putting him in such a high pedestal. It was refreshing to just listen. Blue talks about himself, yes, but he also wants to know about you. You couldn’t get Stretch to talk about himself.

You couldn’t help the admiration yet horrified expression on your face when Edge began to tell stories about successfully keeping the Underground’s peace by making examples of the peace-disrupters by executing them for the whole Underground to see. You felt a shiver down your spine as it started to sink into you that this guy was dangerous, maybe not more so than Red, the longer he talks about himself and being captain. You have to be careful about letting your guard down around him.

He was in the middle of ranting about the rest of the royal guard and their useless asses when your phone buzzed in your pocket. Time surprisingly moved fast today. You finally stood up from the floor, slightly stretching. “I guess that’s our time. Sorry, Edge. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“WHAT?! YOU’RE LEAVING AGAIN? I DON’T THINK YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO LEAVE YOUR PRISONER IN HUGE AMOUNTS OF PERIOD, WENCH!”

You smiled. “I still have other prisoners to attend to. Like your brother, perhaps.”

Edge rolled his eyes. “OH, PLEASE! YOU’D MUCH RATHER STAY HERE WITH ME THAN ENTERTAIN MY LAZY BROTHER! FOR ALL I KNOW, HE’S SLEEPING ALL DAY! THIS PRISON MUST BE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR HIM!”

Okay, this was normal. He’s just agitated. Blue, at some point, begged for your attention and cried when you had to leave.

“Edge, don’t worry. I promise I’ll come to hear the rest of your stories tomorrow.”

He scoffed. “YOU BETTER, WARDEN!” He paused before continuing, “I AGREE IT’S MUCH CRUELER THAT YOU DON’T RELEASE INFORMATION ON WHEN YOUR CAPTIVES GET KILLED SO YOU HAVE THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, BUT...!”

You raised both your eyebrows. “Why? Do you give your prisoners company before you kill them?”

“NO. I KILL THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.”

The corners of your lips tugged upwards. “So, what you’re saying is you’re nicer than me since I don’t torture my prisoners with the thought of murder hanging on their head at all times.”

His eyes bulged, offended. “HOW DARE YOU, YOU REPULSIVE HUMAN! IT’S AN ABSOLUTE INSULT TO CALL ME NICE!”

“It’s your words, not mine.”

“I-I—STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE, PEST!”

“It’s Y/N, by the way. I mean, if you would prefer to call me by my name.”

“WHY WOULD I CALL A PEST BY A NAME?” He scoffed.

Maybe it was him being stuck on the other side of the room that made you think he was, to some degree, harmless. “Edge, this might seem worse but... we’re not actually planning on killing you. I’ve heard enough from your stories to know that it’s a kill or be killed world and you’re terrified of falling asleep because you might get killed with you knowing.”

He was stunned into silence.

“But it’s different here. This,” you gestured to the room and the cameras, “is just our way of monitoring you. You won’t get killed but you’re not exactly free, either.” You smiled at him bitterly. “You’re going to be stuck in limbo for a while.” Until I find a plan to get you all out of here.

You didn’t wait for his response especially when you know you have three more monsters to feed. You left the room; barely getting any preparation as you pounced to Red’s room next, knocking first before entering.

“ya have a lot of nerve showing y’er face again, sweetheart.”

You could already feel the migraine you’ll be having after talking to Red. “Can we, like, skip the insults and go straight for, I don’t know, talking like civilized people?”

Red was lounging on the bed, his eye lights trained on you as you headed to the middle of the room. “why? y’er poor li’l soul can’t take it?”

You huffed. “Come on, Red, I just came from your brother’s room. Let’s just drop the hostility, okay?”

“red?” he repeated. “ah, fucking nicknames. i fucking hate this shit.” He glowered at you. “what makes ya think ya can just tell me what to fucking do, you bitch?”

You cracked a poor attempt of a smile, sliding a burger onto his side of the room. “I came with a peace offering.”

For a second, he faltered. He stared intently at the unwrapped burger. You could see his expression flickering as he withstood some sort of internal dilemma. You waited to see what he’ll do next but you didn’t hide the smug grin on your face.

“don’t look so smug, sweetheart,” he snarled as he turned to glance back to you.

“Just eat the fucking burger, Red.”

He roughly grabbed the burger, expecting him to eat it, but he suddenly chucked the burger at you. You managed to dodge a flying burger at the last minute, your eyes wide in surprise.

He had the audacity to look smug this time. “how ‘bout you fuck off and find y’er asshole sans for me, hm?”

“Did you just throw a burger at me?” After I bought that for you? You could see him slightly regretting wasting Grillby’s food but it seemed like he was much more stubborn than you’d like. You crossed your arms, glaring at him. “If you won’t stop acting like a spoilt brat, I’d rather not waste time trying to feed you, Red.”

Red rolled his shoulders and menacingly showed off his sharp teeth. “say that to my face, sweetheart.”

You scowled. Fuck it, you didn’t want to let him win no matter how useless this is. You picked up the flattened burger before crossing the room, closing the distance between the two of you until you were an arm away from him. “Do you want the burger or not?” you repeated, waving it in your hand.

His grin widened. “i dunno, y’er still pretty far off.”

Jesus Christ. You took one step closer, adamant to prove him wrong.

“closer.”

Your hardened expression faltered. You could see his face twisting haughtily so you took one more step closer, almost chest to chest with him with just the wall separating you.

“mhm, now isn’t this nice? talking to me face to face like a normal person would?” he purred. “now, hand me the burg, sweetheart.”

You hated the way he made you feel as if you’re powerless over him. You gently bent down, placing the burger just out of reach. “If you want it,” you taunted, “come get it.”

“why you little—“

BZZT!!

“—ow, FUCK!”

You almost fell on your butt, surprised by the sudden commotion. “Red, are you okay?” Red’s was in a crouching position, holding his hand near his chest.

“no, i’m fucking splendid!” he snarled. “holy asgore, this shit hurts!”

You bit your lower lip. “I mean, yeah. That’s the point. Are you okay?” Some part of you was worried. Being electrified doesn’t actually do damage to him, right? If Sans designed this room to hold prisoners, then his security measures wouldn’t actually dust these monsters, right? You pushed the burger to his side. “If your HP went down, you need to eat.”

“my hp is fine and dandy, thank ya very much!” he sarcastically retorted. He took a moment to calm himself. “ah, fuck. it still burns like hell!”

“Do you want me to go grab some ice for you?”

“no, leave me alone!” he hissed.

You tried to peer over his ‘burnt’ hand. “Can I see?”

“what? what the fuck, no! weirdo. go away!”

“Please, let me see it, Red. I wanna know if I need to do first aid on you.” You teased him with the prospect of deactivating the wall.

This caught his attention. He slowly unraveled his hand, pushing his wounded hand over to you but now minding the distance between him and the electricity.

“Huh. There are scorch marks.”

“yea, ain’t that bad or somethin’?!”

“Mhm,” you pretended to think, “I think it’s an injury you can handle.”

“...you’re a fucking bitch.”

“Thanks.” You looked closer. “Yeah, I think it’s gonna heal up pretty quickly. I don’t think it actually causes damage if you’re not dust by now.”

He frowned. “what ya mean is it just activates my pain receptors?”

You beamed up at him. “Yeah, that’s exactly it! So, you won’t actually die if you touch the wall. You’re just going to feel like you’re dying which isn’t nicer, either.” You shouldn’t be surprised that Red was also smart to some degree. He is a Sans, after all.

He blinked. “why are ya acting as if this was y’er first time hearing about this?”

“Because it is.” You shrugged. “You’re the first skeleton stupid enough to touch the wall, Red.”

“i’ll show ya stupid, bi—“

BZZT!!!

“—FUCKING HELL!!”

You snorted before slapping a hand over your mouth.

Red was crouching over again, bright, red tears pricking his eyes. “fuck you! ya think this is funny?!”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, gods, Red. I can’t believe you actually fell for it twice. If you do it again, I might think you actually like pain. This is a shocking revelation.”

It must’ve been the first time you’ve laughed in months. Or years. When was the last time you’ve laughed like this?

“did—did ya just drop a fucking pun to my face?! after i was electrocuted?!”

You let out another laugh. “C’mon, Red, lighten up!”

He growled. “ya better hope i don’t get out of here ‘cause i promise i will kill you!” There was a light red-tinged on his cheekbones.

“Watt does it feel being on the receiving side of the jokes, Red?”

.

.

.

.

“i’m just ex-static to wring my hands around y’er neck, sweetheart.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

“I think you’re looking better than you did yesterday, dear,” Ace pointed out after you gave him his food.

You pursed your lips, trying not to smile. “Thanks, Ace.”

You spent his first few minutes explaining the situation, as you did with all the other skeletons except for Red and Edge, apparently. He had been so nice, so understanding that he nodded and prodded questions all throughout your explanation. It made you tear up. You still weren’t used to being treated like a... human, for once.

Once you’ve told him everything, he wanted a few minutes of silence to process everything. You gladly gave him his request. As soon as he was ready, he asked about his brother. “Is Sans faring well? What do you call him again?”

“Patch,” you answered. “And yes. He’s doing well. Great, really. But I can’t really say for sure. It’s only been two days after all.”

“Five,” he corrected.

“Oh, crap,” you muttered. “That’s right. Five. I’m really sorry about not tending to you earlier.”

“Do not worry, Y/N. I am sure you would have come running if you knew,” Ace stated, smiling softly at you.

It still felt as if it was one big joke. Like you were waiting for Ace’s behavior suddenly shift 180 degrees, yell ‘sike!’ then proceed to treat you like garbage.

“Is something bothering you, dear?” he asked after you went quiet for a few seconds.

You considered telling him about your thoughts but then you shook your head no. “I’m fine, Ace. Thanks for asking.” To distract him from yourself, you asked, “So, what do you and your brother do in your universe?”

He sighed wistfully. “We travel around. After the barrier broke, there was no hesitation. We packed up everything we had and then we traveled as far as we can reach.”

There it was again. The guilt. It bubbled up from your stomach unexpectedly, knocking your breath out of you. These brothers... they were free. They were trying to live the rest of their lives. And now, they’re stuck here. “Y-you and Patch... Where were you?”

“My brother really was not one to take note but we were at some beach on the east coast, hundreds of miles away from the mountain.”

“...I’m sorry.”

He smiled but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Do not fret, dear. This is not your fault. I am grateful that you are at least here to care for us.”

You heard Patch’s words ring in your head. “But... I could’ve stopped it. I could’ve prevented it. If I’d just been a better friend.”

“Do not blame yourself for other’s misgivings, human. It was your Sans that wanted this, not you. I do not think anybody could stop Sans. If he is anything like my brother, he would stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

Even bring someone back from the dead? You thought.

“That’s true, but I still feel partially responsible.” You looked sadly at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. “I had a moment of weakness, one that I’m still regretting to this day. Maybe if I wasn’t scared to lose him, maybe if I really wanted to stop him, I should have. And then you guys wouldn’t be dragged here against your will.”

It was the first time you were voicing out your thoughts to someone. It made sense that this someone was Ace. He acted like Papyrus even though he told you he was only half of him. He was always doing his best to cheer you up. He also chided you if you think self-deprecating thoughts about yourself.

It felt nice. Talking to someone. Not being yelled at. Not being insulted. Not being manipulated. A time to just sit and relax and let your negative thoughts fade into words.

“What is done is done, dear. The best you can do is fix what you can salvage now.”

Your eyes wandered to the cameras. Can Sans hear you? Was he watching? Would he watch the feed in his free time? Would he know what you were planning?

If he knew, you’d already be called to come to him and he’d reprimand you.

...You’re safe. For now.

“I will, Ace. I’ll fix things as best as I can.”

His smiling softly at you was truly a blessing. For a second, it felt like everything was okay. Not perfect... but okay.

“I hope you take the rest of my time to just relax, human.”

Tears pricked the corner of your eyes. Goddamn it. He was too good. Too good for you. You wanted to deactivate the wall and let him softly whisper affirmations in your ear until he’s chased away all your bad thoughts. He was that good.

But the memory of Blue’s betrayal was still fresh in your mind. You almost unconsciously touched your neck but you stilled your hand at the last minute. “That’s boring. Let me hear the rest of your adventures, Ace.”

You had whined and was almost reluctant to leave once your phone buzzed, signaling the end of his time. Ace had chuckled. “Go on, human. I know my brother would be delighted to see you again.”

“Thanks for your time, Ace. And I promise I’ll bring you my favorite monster tea tomorrow.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that, dear.”

When you knocked and then entered the last room, there was a ghost of a smile lingering in your face. Patch immediately noticed. “d’aww, someone isn’t happy to see me.” He sat up from his bed, propping up one leg.

“Because I didn’t burst out in tears?” you asked, chuckling. 

You haven’t had a reason to smile until today and it must’ve caught him off-guard since he suddenly asked, ”did anyone ever tell you that your smile is the best?”

Heat crept to your cheeks. “W-what?” You dismissed him with a wave of your hand. “Actually, no. Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen.”

“that’s cute. you’re not used to compliments, are ya?” he teased.

“Ugh, shut up.” You took a step closer to him, comfortable enough to slide his food within a closer distance like his brother. As soon as you stepped into the light, Patch’s expression changed.

“did sans hurt you?” he asked, his voice suddenly serious.

You furrowed your brows. “What? What do you—“ You noticed him staring at your neck. You moved your hair so that it was covering the purple bruises. “That’s not your business, Patch.”

He sighed, pushing himself off the bed and sat on the floor directly in front of you. He picked up the burger, unwrapped it, and then took a big bite, his yellow eye lights focused onto your face. You felt self-conscious, reflexively sinking into your shoulders. “What?”

“i don’t think it makes sense for you to dodge my question,” he stated.

“Just... please drop it. I don’t want to talk about it.” You looked away.

“if it’s not sans, then it’s one of the other skeletons,” he continued despite your pleading. “a skeleton you trust seeing as how he’s able to have the opportunity to grab you and have you in a chokehold.” Geez, he knew that much from just seeing the bruises? “if it’s someone you trust and it’s not sans, it must be one of the two skeletons who’s been staying here for a month.”

The headache from talking to Red came back as you groaned and pinched the bridge of your nose. “I said drop it, Patch.”

“why? why is this a sore spot for you, doll?”

“Because!” you snapped, whipping your head to look at him in frustration, “I felt used, okay? You’re right. I do trust him. I trusted them. I deactivated his wall. And then- then,” your shoulders slumped, “he tried to kill me.”

He looked guilty for pushing you. Apparently not guilty enough because he continued to push you.

“this is what i was telling you.”

“I know!”

Patch sighed. “you’re not possibly mad at him for trying to survive, right?”

You fell silent. “No.”

“doll, this may sound very un-empathetic of me but don’t take it personally. any sane person would take the chance if it means they’ll gain freedom.”

“Yeah, well,” you said bitterly, “even if you kill me, you can’t get out of here. We found out only I can open the door.”

Patch hummed. You watched him look up at the ceiling, an expression on his face that told you he was thinking; his eyes crinkled, his nose scrunched up, a finger on his chin. It was often the face Sans makes. Your shoulders relaxed slightly.

“so... it was in sans’ plan to include you as our keeper from the start,” he stated.

Your breath hitched. “What?”

“well, look around. from what you’ve told me, you can deactivate the wall using that scanner,” he nodded at the scanner, “and you’re the only one who can go in and out of the rooms as you please.”

You didn’t reply, millions of thoughts running through your mind at the moment.

“this room was designed just for you. this is just a deduction but sans can’t actually deactivate the wall and go in and out of the rooms as he pleases.”

“Why is that?” You already had a forming conclusion in your mind but you wanted to hear it from him as well.

“obviously because if sans can do it, that means any other sans can do it as well. our biology would be hard to discern since we are all the same monsters, just different variants.”

“...Oh.”

Patch phrased his next statement very carefully, keeping a close eye on your reaction. “so, doll, that means you have more than enough control to actually set us free. if you’d stop catering to your sans’ every whim.”

It felt like a bucket of water was poured onto you. “I-i... Patch... You know I can’t do that.”

“what’s stopping you, y/n?” His voice was icy. “you told me sans wasn’t your friend anymore. aren’t you done with his shit?”

You swallowed a lump in your throat. You didn’t know how to answer his question. Your lower lip wobbled, trying to come up with good enough excuses.

Nothing was good enough.

“I-i—“

“so after everything he’s put you through, he’s still important to you? even after it’s his fault other versions of him are trying to kill you? he’s the one who forced you into this position, whether you thought it was your own decision or not. he’s manipulating you, y/n. why are you still with him?”

“Patch, please.”

“don’t plead as if you’re the victim here.”

You shut your eyes close, a few stray tears rolling down your cheeks. You thought this was going to be a cry-free day. You wished too hard. “I’m sorry.”

You hear him sigh. “look, doll. i’m sorry,” His tone turned soft, “i didn’t mean to upset you. it’s just hard being here... being stuck here alone with your thoughts. heh. guess i thought i could last at least a week.”

The two of you sat in silence for the rest of the time, looking anywhere but each other. The silence, at least, was bearable.

Your phone buzzed.

You stood up, rubbing your stiff back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Patch.”

“yea, see you, cupcake,” he said aloofly.

Before you went out the door, you almost wanted to say something to ease his thoughts, but in the end decided against it. You stopped by the second floor; two extra burgers were still in your bag. You didn’t want to eat it but you figured Red would. You had forgotten to ask Patch if he wanted one and it was too late to ask him. You couldn’t face Ace after that conversation with his brother. Blue and Edge hated greasy food. You’re still not ready to face Stretch again.

“two visits? must be my lucky day,” Red greeted.

“Hey, I’m actually heading out. Thought you might want these.” You slid the paper bag to his side. “Good night, Red.” You didn’t wait around to see his reaction.

On the way out, you were already thinking about what to feed the monsters tomorrow. You settled on grocery shopping first, buying ingredients for sandwiches. It was something you liked to make for Sans back when both of you were still interns. You remembered to buy diluted monster magic that they sell in stores now. You use them on human food so monsters can digest it more comfortably. Sans and Papyrus both used it when they’re cooking. Papyrus hated the process of excretion. Sans was just plain lazy to use the bathroom and all the necessary steps to do after it.

You spent the rest of the night assembling the sandwiches so you don’t have to do it in the morning. You made sure to use the diluted monster magic generously. You didn’t want any of the skeletons to have an ‘accident’. Plus, how the hell would you clean it up?

You didn’t know why you were preparing them food instead of just buying from monster stores as usual. Maybe it was some kind of peace offering. Maybe it was a distraction from the empty, gnawing feeling that your whole body was succumbing to. Maybe it was to alleviate your guilt, if only by a little.

It was another sleepless night.

You knocked on the door before entering, strolling inside the room with a wrapped sandwich in hand. You watch Stretch get up from his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “y/n? you’re early.”

You attempted to smile. “Yeah.”

He paused to scrutinize your expression. “you haven’t been to my brother’s yet.”

“Yeah,” you breathed out. “I...” You wanted to tell him that you’re afraid of facing Blue again.

Stretch pulled himself out of bed, crossing the little space from his bed onto the wall, as close as he can get to be with you. “c’mere.”

You hesitated for a moment.

“i promise i’m not up to anything, honey,” he stated as seriously as he can, his expression softening. “i just wanna talk.”

You know the issue about Sans and promises. Stretch knew that you knew. He was never one to back out from his word. You push your fear away and tucked it into a little part of your brain, closing the distance as best you can without touching the wall, disobeying Sans’ order not to get too close.

“so, tell me the problem.”

You sighed, feeling the heaviness in your heart. You fiddled with the hem of your lab coat as you looked to the side. “I’m not afraid of your brother hurting me. I’m afraid... that I’m too soft on him and we both trust each other too much.”

“this is about you afraid of letting your guard down?”

You shrugged, your shoulders slumping in disappointment.

“you know, my brother is always expecting the best out of people, even though he’s seen them consistently with their worst. even if it puts him in danger.”

You grimaced, the memory of how Papyrus died flashing across your thoughts. He didn’t deserve it. Papyrus was just too kind. “I know.”

“even if you resist him, you’d be surprised at how fast he’s made a friend in you.” Stretch chuckled, nostalgic. “he’s always been like that. this environment,” he raised an arm, gesturing to the room, “will not change that.”

“What’s your point?” you asked, exasperated.

“don’t overthink it. he’s just trying to keep a semblance of his identity through whatever means he can. it’s up to you if you’ll play along or not. but don’t... don’t hate him for what he is.”

“I don’t hate him, Stretch.” I will never hate him. “I just hate myself for not hating him.”

Stretch cracked a smile. “don’t worry. you got this. didn’t ya survive his silence for a week?”

“That was different! He wasn’t as important to me back then as he is now!”

Both of you paused, registering your words.

“heh,” Stretch half-heartedly chuckled, “you’re right, kid. you trust us too much. y’know, wardens don’t get emotionally attached to their prisoners, right?”

You crossed your arms. “Well, the same goes for both of you.”

He shrugged. “it’s called stockholm syndrome, honey.”

Your expression faltered. “Unless you fell in love with me, you don’t get to use that.”

Stockholm syndrome... god, you were so stupid. Of course, why hadn’t you thought of that? There was quite the possibility that you’d acquired this odd ‘friendship’ with them because of that psychological disorder.

You can’t—you can’t call them friends until they aren’t physically restrained in one place with no choice but to bond with you as their keeper.

Stretch watched helplessly as your expression changes with your train of thought, regretting bringing up the topic. “hey, i was kidding, buddy. don’t overthink it. sure, this relationship didn’t bloom under the right circumstances but don’t be afraid to regard us as someone important to you.”

“Sure,” you replied miserably.

“hey, come on. if you were friends with your sans and papyrus, that means it’s only natural for you to think of us as your friends as well.”

“But—“

“no buts, honey. i’m sorry, i shouldn’t have said that. this isn’t the same as that. you’re not an abuser. you keep us well-fed and give us company. unless it was your decision to keep us against our will then this isn’t a stockholm syndrome scenario.”

At this point, you knew Stretch was just trying to cheer you up. It partly worked but then there would always be that nagging feeling in your mind that you can’t be friends, true friends, with any of them as long as they’re imprisoned. “When did you become a psychologist, Stretch?” you joked, forcing yourself to cheer up.

“since i’ve got nothing to do but wait for my one patient to come to our everyday session.”

You let out a snort at that, a grin tugging on your lips.

Stretch smiled, seemingly happy to turn your frown around. “alright, now get out of here. my brother’s waiting for you.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later, Stretch.” You pushed the sandwich in your hand to his side. “Here’s food if you’re hungry.”

“see you later, honey.”

“Y/N!” Blue greeted happily as you entered the room. “YOU’RE HERE! I THOUGHT YOU WEREN’T COMING!”

“Sorry, I’m late, Blue. I had to do something else first.” You gave him a smile, settling to take a seat with a distance as usual. “I’m not going to leave you hanging.”

“THAT’S AMAZING NEWS!” he cried out, suddenly kneeling in front of you. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL MAD WITH WHAT I DID YESTERDAY!”

Ah, here it was. This was the conversation the two of you can’t ignore forever. “I’m not mad at you. But I guess I was hurt with what you did. I was really, truly worried for you, Blue.”

Blue’s expression fell. “I KNOW. I’M SORRY I DECEIVED YOU, Y/N.”

You couldn’t stay angry with that face. “I accept your apology.” Ah, fuck. Why are you so soft to these skeletons?!

He beamed happily at you. “REALLY? WE’RE FRIENDS AGAIN?”

Blue had always used the term friends before but now it hit you deeper than before. Did Blue really think you two were friends? Even though he’s caged? Even though he’s obviously trying to find a way to escape? If he did escape, would he run away with his brother and leave you here or would he whisk you away with them?

If it ever did come to that... you knew the answer. You’d stay here with Sans, tending to all the other skeletons. It’d be enough for you to know that they’re okay somewhere out there.

“Y/N...” Blue called out, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Yes?”

“CAN WE... CAN I HUG YOU AGAIN?”

You froze like a deer caught in headlights. You blinked at him twice, watching the hopeful and abashed expression on his face slowly fade away as you made no move to speak. “W-what...?” His request had you doubling back as if you were cornered. He wanted- he wanted you to take down the wall again, intentionally this time, and hug him?

The prospect of getting to hold him again was tempting but... to inexplicably give your whole trust to him? It was downright terrifying.

Oh no. If you agree to this, there’s no telling how far you’ll go the next time.

But it’s just one little harmless hug. There’s no danger to it.

But—But Sans. His orders. And Blue just tried to kill you yesterday!  You can’t possibly be considering his request, right?

But it felt so rewarding to be held again.

“I UNDERSTAND IF YOU’RE NOT READY, Y/N,” Blue suddenly cut off your thoughts. “I MEAN... IT WOULD MAKE ME TRULY HAPPY IF YOU GIVE ME A CHANCE TO LET YOU TRUST ME AGAIN! BUT,” his grin flickered for a moment, “BUT IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE MY MAGNIFICENT HUG THEN I WILL WAIT FOR YOU UNTIL YOU’RE READY!”

Don’t do it. Don’t do it. You found yourself pacing across the room, your hands behind your back as you had an internal battle with yourself.

“HUMAN?”

You continued to pace back and forth, your mind reeling with opinions and emotions that had you fighting over you and Sans’ orders.

“Y/N, DON’T YOU TRUST ME?”

You whipped your head over to Blue, narrowing your eyes. “Blue, please let me think for a moment, okay?” Jesus Christ, this little skeleton certainly knows how to rile me up.

“OKAY...” he said sadly but there was a hint of delight behind his eyes. “I’LL BE PLAYING WITH MY ACTION FIGURES FOR NOW!”

When you got tired from walking around, you settled to sit in a corner of the room, your legs pushed up as you hugged them. As of now, you were mentally listing down what the worst could happen.

Blue, thankfully, didn’t push you again but his eye lights kept traveling towards your small form as he tried to distract himself by reenacting a fight scene from Napstaton’s show using the few characters he had.

You must’ve used Blue’s one and a half hours.

Until you finally came to a decision.

You stood up, nerve-wracked as you fished your phone out of your pocket.

Blue immediately perked up, his eyes focused on you as you began to hit the screen of your phone. “HAVE... HAVE YOU DECIDED, HUMAN?”

You tried to smile. Tried. “Yes. I’m gonna lay some ground rules. Non-negotiable.”

Blue looked like you’ve just told him he was free. He squealed in delight, jumping up and down excitedly with both of his hands in the air.

“Okay, rule one. Stop drawing attention to yourself!” you whispered, cautiously eyeing the cameras. “Just... just act normal, okay?”

He immediately stopped jumping, his fists drawn up to his face as he fervently nodded.

“Rule two. You can only have a minute,” You held your hand up to stop him before he opened his mouth, “Non-negotiable, Blue.”

He pouted but nodded his head.

“Rule three. We can’t tell your brother about this.”

He cocked his head to the side. “WHY IS THAT?”

“Because if I tell him... he might,” lash out? be hopeful? demand for cuddles? Damn it, you have no idea how he’s gonna react to this. “Just—we can’t, okay? Blue, me agreeing to this does not mean that you’re getting out soon. Please don’t make this harder for me.”

He nodded his head once again.

“No, I want you to understand, Blue. Please don’t expect anything from me. This doesn’t change the fact that you’re still imprisoned. I’m not letting you free, Blue.”

His expression softened. “I KNOW THAT. I JUST WANT A HUG FROM MY FAVORITE HUMAN.”

“Rule four. This is the first and last of this request.”

“BUT—“

“Non-negotiable.”

“BUT!—“

“Blue, please.”

You pleaded with your eyes. You knew if he pushed it, you’d agree to whatever he’d say.

He must’ve seen the desperation in your eyes. He huffed, puffing out his chest. “I UNDERSTAND, HUMAN! IF THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST I’M GOING TO HUG YOU THEN I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, WILL MAKE THE BEST OF IT AND SAVOR THE MOMENT!”

“Okay,” you sighed, feeling nervous all over again, “state that you understand all my rules and will respect it.”

“I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, UNDERSTAND ALL Y/N’S RULES AND I WILL RESPECT IT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY!”

Your lips lifted into a smile. “Okay. Here goes.” You pressed your palm onto the scanner. As soon as the wall dissolved into nothing, Blue immediately knocked you off your feet by tackling you. Both of you fell to the floor with an ‘oomph!’

A laugh bubbled out of you. “C’mon Blue, loosen up. I’m all yours,” you whispered to the skeleton who had his arms wrapped around you so tightly. You almost forgot to start the timer from your phone, pressing it at once. You left your phone on the floor next to you before you wrapped your arms around his neck, returning his hug.

You hadn’t expected him to be quiet the whole time. But he was. He was uncharacteristically quiet, his arms holding you like there was no tomorrow. You feel yourself easing up in his embrace as you buried your face into the crook of his neck. Goddamn it, he feels so much like Sans.

You could feel tears springing up in your eyes. Your hands fisted the back of his shirt as you let yourself get lost in the moment. Everything’s okay. Everything’s alright.

Your nerves ebbed away as he nuzzled his face into your hair.

For once, the silence was welcomed.

Your phone buzzed on the floor, breaking the two of you from your moment. Blue still wasn’t letting go, instead, his grip tightened, a small whimper coming out of his throat.

You felt your soul wrench in pain.

I told you this was a bad idea.

You could barely hold it together as you pull yourself away from his grip. “Blue, please.” Everything came crashing down, harder than you realized and it knocked the wind out of you. Tears spilled down the side of your cheeks. “Y-you won’t back up from your word, right?”

This seemed to snap him out of it. He reluctantly let you go, his eyes sad like that time he was ignoring you on his first week. He stood up, now looking at you like you’ve just killed his dog as he backed away until he was safely tucked into his side of the room.

You forced yourself off the floor, reactivating the wall with your head turned away from him. You couldn’t bear looking back at him again. You’d lose whatever strength you had keeping you from breaking down in front of him.

You picked up your phone, gave him his food without meeting his eyes. “I hope you feel better, Blue,” you said, your voice cracking.

He answered quietly, hurt evident in his voice. “You too, human...”

False hope was a cruel thing.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

You entered Stretch’s room, already feeling drained for the day.

“how’d it go, honey?”

“I’d rather not talk about it,” you answered quietly, your gaze locked to the floor.

Stretch noticed something was wrong but he didn’t push you, which you were silently thankful for. You sat away from him, leaning your back against the wall and pulling your knees to your chest. You buried your face into your knees as you silently mulled over your actions.

Stretch was itching to ask you but he also respected your silent wish to be left alone. His time passed just like that, in silence.

Once your phone buzzed, you pat your cheeks from tears that had escaped before stretching your legs. Your ass was numb from sitting in one position for hours. “I’m gonna go,” you forced yourself to speak, “Thanks, Stretch.”

Stretch followed your form out of the door. “anytime, honey.” He sighed once the door clicked in place before pulling out his bottle of honey only half full. He was saving it for times he wanted some form of comfort seeing that it was beyond his control when he can get it refilled. Seeing your miserable form, as much as it delighted some vengeful part of him, had hurt. He just hoped that his brother was doing well compared to him, for his sake.

“YOU’RE BACK,” Edge greeted with narrowed eyes as you entered the room.

“Yeah. Are you going to greet me like this every time I enter your room?” you asked. You moved closer to him, almost forgetting about the distance before you scooted farther away. “Here.” You slid a sandwich to his side.

Edge stared at the sandwich before staring back at you, his arms crossed. “YOU LOOK WORSE,” he pointed out.

You buried your face in your palms, rubbing over your face once before groaning. “Yes, thank you, Edge.” You stayed silent, looking at the floor instead of talking to Edge.

Edge, however, didn’t seem to mind. “YOU’RE WELCOME, WENCH! NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE, YOU CAN NOW CONTINUE TO HEAR THE REST OF MY AMAZING STORIES!”

“Mhm,” you hummed neutrally, not really listening to him.

He began to start another one of his stories, his sharp and condescending voice filling up the room. You wanted to go back to Stretch’s silence but stayed still. You couldn’t find the same excitement and wonder that you had when you listened to Edge’s stories yesterday.

Thinking of Blue hurt. Thinking that you can’t do anything to make this better hurt. It was just a constant buzzing in your ear, how unhappy you are and how you want things to change.

Isn’t there anything you can do to ease the insatiable feeling of emptiness at the pit of your stomach?

“YOU’RE NOT LISTENING,” Edge hissed. “WENCH, I DEMAND YOU TO LOOK UP AND LOOK AT ME!”

You blinked, looking up at Edge. “Sorry, was just thinking,” you mumbled.

Edge scoffed. “YOU PROMISED YOU’D LISTEN TO MY GREAT AND TERRIBLE BRILLIANCE! IF YOU’RE JUST GONNA SIT THERE AND SULK UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD THEN GO ON AHEAD, LIAR!”

You wouldn’t have taken any offense to Edge’s words any other day... but today was not that day. “Edge, please. I’m just tired, okay?” you said, frustrated. “Can I please just sit here without you insulting me?”

“YOU’RE ASKING ME TO BE NICE TO YOU?? YOU REALLY MUST BE OUT OF YOUR HEAD, WENCH,” he hissed, scrutinizing your small form with his condescending stare. “IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE BEING HERE WITHOUT AN AIR OF DOMINANCE THEN I DEMAND YOU LEAVE! I CAN’T HAVE YOUR WEAK AND FRAGILE AURA POISONING MY AIR!”

Tears stung the back of your eyes as you push yourself up roughly. “Goddamn it, Edge! I was trying to be polite!” Your voice had increased in volume.

“DO I LOOK LIKE THE TYPE OF MONSTER WHO’D BE GRATEFUL TO YOUR ‘POLITENESS’, HUMAN!? YOU ARE BEING MORE AND MORE A PEST EACH SECOND!” His face contorted into somewhat a smug grin. “HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT I’M CAPABLE OF BEING CIVILIZED WITH YOU? YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT I’M EVEN PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU, PEST.”

You stared at him in shock as anger overtook every part of your body. “You don’t have to act like such an asshole about it! I’m just trying to be friendly with you!”

He looked to you in disgust. “YOU’RE A DIFFERENT KIND OF DESPERATE IF YOU THINK YOU AND I WOULD COME TO RESORT TO SOME SORT OF ‘FRIENDLY’ TERMS. YOU’RE NOT HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS, WARDEN.” He scrunched his nasal cavity up in annoyance. “DO YOU DO THIS OFTEN? BE FRIENDLY WITH YOUR PRISONERS TO PLAY WITH THEIR FEELINGS?”

“I-I—“ You gaped at him, unable to find your words. Is that what you’ve been doing the whole time?

He looked grim as he took in that expression on your face. “VILE, WICKED HUMAN. I’M NOT SURE IF YOU’RE SMART OR STUPID BEYOND WORDS. IF YOU THINK YOU’RE SOFTENING THE BLOW BY BEING NICE, YOU’RE WRONG. YOU’RE MAKING EVERYTHING WORST.”

The tears you were holding back eventually escaping. “Fuck you!” Damn it, you don’t have any idea what to say to that.

He growled. “FUCK YOU, TOO.”

With your chest heaving up and down as you glowered at the skeleton who looked like your dead friend, your emotions simmered to the surface with frustration, hate, and rage in the lead.

You screamed, unable to stop yourself from having an outburst that had been a long time coming. “I HATE THIS PLACE! I hate Sans for doing this to me! I hate that Papyrus left me to deal with his broken brother!!!”

Edge watched you from his place with his arms crossed, scoffing slightly but didn’t dare say a word as you continued.

“I hate that I chose to be here even when I’m miserable! I hate that I feel responsible for the lot of you!”

Tears were streaming down your cheeks as you turned to one of the cameras. “I hate that I don’t really hate you. I wish you’re trying to move on instead of being a shitty friend and a shitty brother!”

You collapsed back to the floor, going back to a fetal position as you breathed heavily to the flurry of emotions that just passed by. You wiped the tears from your cheeks, sitting in agonizing silence as the weight of what your action became apparent to you.

You took a couple of minutes by yourself, the ringing in your ear still present but it was less pronounced, your breathing slowly returning to normal and your tears had stopped coming. You still felt like shit but the weight on your shoulders was less heavy.

“WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT THIS SHITTY SANS?”

You jumped, lifting your head up from your knees. I just broke down in front of a stranger. Again. You had almost forgotten about Edge’s presence.

You haven’t had the chance to tell Edge why he’s actually here unlike the rest of the skeletons. “Do you want to know why you’re here?” you murmured, your voice hoarse from the yelling. It looked like he had calmed down as well. The aggressiveness in his expression had mellowed down.

“IT MUST BE YOUR MISTAKE FOR NOT PROVIDING ME THIS INFORMATION IN THE FIRST PLACE.”

You sighed, a small smile hinting at your lips. “Yeah. It is. I got distracted from your storytelling, Edge.”

“I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN’T STOP YOURSELF FROM SUCKING UP TO ME BUT HURRY UP AND TELL ME ALL THE DETAILS, WENCH!”

“Okay, you might want to sit down,” you suggested. Blue collapsed to the floor the first time you told him he can’t see his brother again. Although he and Edge came from different worlds, you still worried about this darker version of Papyrus.

Edge rolled his eyes. “STOP YOUR FUSSING AND JUST SPIT IT OUT, PEST!”

You told Edge what you’ve told the other skeletons. You told him you and your Sans’ relationship. You told him about your Papyrus’ death. You told him why he’s here and why Sans was keeping him here. You told him about the existence of the others. He seemed to absorb everything without reacting badly to it which surprised you. He was taking this well. The gloomy moment had passed before you noticed it was there.

Now, it was only Red who was left out in the dark.

“SO, YOU’RE NOT REALLY A WARDEN. YOU’RE JUST THE BABYSITTER,” he said flatly.

You frowned. “That’s what you got from all of that? Really?”

“NOW, IT MAKES SENSE THAT YOU’RE REALLY WEAK AND NICE. YOU’RE NOT HERE TO USE YOUR POWER TO MAKE YOUR PRISONER’S LIVES AWFUL. YOU’RE JUST HERE TO PLAY NICE,” he retorted bitterly, thinking back to his past words.

“Sorry, I lied to you,” you apologized.

“I DON’T CARE,” he sneered, “THIS JUST WORSENS MY PERSPECTIVE OF YOU, BABYSITTER.”

You huffed, dusting yourself off as you stood up from the floor. “You know, I was just worried about you and the others’ well-being. That doesn’t make me weak. A lot of people think showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness—“

“—BECAUSE IT IS!“

“—but the truth is, it’s not. Acting all aloof and indifferent doesn’t make you stronger. It just means that you’re afraid of showing people your true emotions.” You smiled at him. “Don’t you think showing true emotions are a sign of strength since it’s the harder thing to do? Denying your feelings seems like the easier way, doesn’t it?”

Edge was silent, mulling over your words as he glared at you.

“If you think me being here and taking care of all of you is a sign of weakness and vulnerability then would you rather I don’t show up at all?” His eyes bulged, his posture stiffening. “Because I notice how much you enjoy having someone listen to you and just spend time with you, Edge.”

Edge scowled. “DON’T TALK ABOUT ME LIKE YOU KNOW ME, WENCH! I DON’T CARE IF YOU LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE! I’D BE GLADDER IF YOU DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME TENDING TO US BECAUSE IT MEANS YOU’RE NOT LETTING YOURSELF BE PUSHED AROUND BY YOUR SANS!”

For a moment, it seemed like you finally understood Edge’s personality. You smiled. “Or because if I’m not here, it actually means I’m out living my life?”

“STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE, YOU--!” he screeched.

“Huh, look at that. If you keep that up, I might actually think you like being around me, Edge.” You didn’t want to point out that there was a red-tinged on his cheekbones.

“GET OUT OF HERE!”

You looked down on your phone. You had 5 minutes left with him. Your time with Edge had gone surprisingly well. You didn’t expect that all. Seeing that you started to feel better, you took advantage of the moment. “Thanks, Edge. If you hadn’t pushed me, I would have bottled my feelings in and drowned in them.”

He blushed even harder. “WHATEVER, BABYSITTER! I’M JUST GLAD YOU STOPPED YOUR SENSELESS BROODING!”

“Really? So you were worried about me?”

“DON’T PUSH IT, PEST.”

You chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow, Edge. I hope you sleep better tonight.”

He turned his chin up to the air, shutting his eyes off. “UGH! I TOLD YOU TO STOP FUSSING, BABYSITTER!”

You were about to go out but then a mischievous smile crept to your lips. “If you start being nicer to me, I might just ask you your favorite dish and bring them as your food one day.”

He gasped, betrayal flashing across his face. “YOU-YOU!!—“

“What? Am I harsh enough to be a proper warden now?”

“GET OUT OF HERE!” he screamed, another blush dusting his cheekbones.

“what, no burg this time?” Red asked as you slid over the sandwich.

You settled sitting a distance away from Red. “Red, you literally ate three yesterday. You need to cut back on eating,” you pointed out, forcing yourself to be your usual self even when you just feel drained out.

“are ya calling me fat?”

You mused, “Can skeletons be fat?” While you were distracted thinking, Red took a bite of the sandwich without taking off the foil. The sound of the foil tearing snapped you out of it and you almost leaped over towards him, your eyes wide. “What the hell, did you just eat the damn foil? Did you not know you’re supposed to unwrap it first?!”

He shrugged, seemingly indifferent as he kept chewing. “crunchy.”

You pulled back, making a face. “Ugh, I don’t understand you skeletons.” You realized he was the first one to eat the sandwich in front of you. “How is it?”

“gross,” Red commented, sulking. His eye lights seemed to travel to you before looking away.

“Oh,” you said with a sinking feeling. “Why? I added monster magic to it so you guys can absorb it well.”

“am i supposed to fucking praise ya or somethin’?”

You noticed there was a light red dusting his cheekbones which you wanted to point out, “Uhm—“ Red ate the rest of the sandwich along with the foil, in one more bite and you watched him gobble everything up, stunned.

“so,” Red prompted, turning around to face you as his eyes glowered at you. “are we gonna do the same song and dance again?”

You smiled tiredly, scooting back a little away from him. “Why? You getting tired yet?” Before he could answer, you added, “No, you can’t talk to Sans. Yes, your brother’s fine and dandy. Still as loud and condescending as ever.”

“did ya just come back from talkin’ to ‘im?”

You nodded.

“hehe, guess he did a pretty good job making ya feel like shit.”

You gently touched your swollen cheeks, unconsciously bringing your knees up to your chest in a defensive position. “No, he actually helped make me feel a lot better.”

Red growled. “doesn’t sound like boss ta me.”

Your eyebrows rose slightly. “Boss?”

He didn’t reply, only lowered himself down on the floor to lie down lazily as he propped up his head with an arm.

You blinked. “You call Edge ‘boss’? Your own brother?”

“drop it or i’m gonna skewer ya alive.”

You ignored his threat, finding comfort in the fact that he won’t be getting out anytime soon. “Isn’t that... weird? Aren’t you the older brother?”

Red snarled. “sweetheart, ya really love dangling treats in front of y’er pets, don’t ya?”

He was getting angry. It feels wrong to keep pushing his buttons. “Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t bring it up again.”

The two of you were quiet for some time, listening, and just trying to get a feel for each other. It seemed like he was on the verge of giving you the cold shoulder. You found out that you didn’t like the sound that especially when you could feel yourself slipping back into the defeated emotion you’ve felt after you’ve gotten out of Blue’s room. You needed a distraction; stop yourself from spiraling down that road again.

“Do you want to hear the truth about what happened to Sans and Papyrus in this universe?”

“do i look like i give a fuck?” he snapped making you grimace.

Okay. Fine then. You have to think of other topics.

 “How’d you feel when Edg— your brother became the captain of the royal guard?” You hugged your knees tighter. “My Papyrus didn’t have the chance to be in the royal guard and the chances of that went to zero once they emerged from the Underground.”

Red tensed, eyeing you cautiously. “ya seem awfully chatty today, aren’t ya?”

“I guess I just needed someone to talk to.”

He snickered degradingly, “ye’r cracking me up over here. don’t ya feel ashamed sayin’ that ta someone who’s stuck in this awful goddamn place?”

You tried to smirk. “Funny. Edge said something about you reveling over the fact that you aren’t doing anything all day.”

“don’t call my brother that.”

You sink into your shoulders. “I understand.” You’ll call him Papyrus in front of Red. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

Red ignored you but kept his eyes on you.

“Ed—Papyrus was afraid he’d be dusted in his sleep. I can’t imagine... how awful your universe must be if dusting monsters in their sleep was a common occurrence.” You timidly sighed. “I told him he’s got nothing to be afraid of and that we’re not here to dust him or anyone else.”

“oh? that so? then what are we, some sort of freaky skeleton zoo for your viewing pleasure?”

Hurt flashed through your eyes but you blinked them away. “That’s not it.”

“seems awfully like it, sweetheart,” he cooed. “ya seem to waste hours of your day just to sit and talk ta me.”

I just don’t want you to feel lonely. You’ve told them that more than once and they always seemed offended by it. Maybe it’s not the right thing to say.

“My Papyrus is dead.”

Crap. Why was that the first thing you said?

You watched Red’s expression falter. You have his attention. “Sans is trying to get him back. That’s why you’re here. Why you’re all here.” You smiled ruefully. “He designed this building just for all this. He’s been planning for it for years.”

“he fixed the machine all by himself?”

“Not by himself, no. Alphys helped. I tried to help as much as I can.”

Red paused before saying, “y’er telling me he designed this fucked up building where he can collect us like some kind of prize?”

“He never shares much with me but yes. Isn’t it very thought out?” you chuckled bitterly. “All I know is that he’s gathering information about all of your universes and he needs you in the building to do that.”

Red frowned, showing interest for the first time. “why the fuck would we be in the building to do that?” Something clicked in Red as his eye lights darkened. “if the fuckin’ bastard is that obsessed on getting his brother back then this all fucking makes sense.”

You scooted closer. “What? What did you realize? Tell me.” Even Patch was still confused as to why Sans needed to imprison other versions of him and his brother in these cages.

Red scowled at the ground. “stars, he must be so fuckin’ jealous of all of us. his papyrus is dead and he wants ta make sure we’re also sufferin’ just like him.”

“You mean... Sans is doing this prison thing... because he wants you to suffer just like he is.”

You didn’t know what to do with that revelation. You want to deny it. That Sans wasn’t that cruel. That Sans had already lost his brother and wouldn’t do that to other versions of him. That he’s not shallow.

Red snickered. “you’ve been doing his bidding since the start, sweetheart. why do ya look so surprised?”

But the answer was right in front of you. Sans was cruel. Sans was shallow. Enough that he’d subject alternate versions of him to the same kind of torment he was going through. It wasn’t fair.

“Do you think,” your voice dropped to a whisper, unable to find the energy, “you’d do the same if you lost Papyrus? Do you think... that you’re also not above doing all of this just to get him back?”

Red looked offended. “i’m not fucking crazy!”

“But you’re the same person.”

“that’s where y’er wrong, sweetheart. we are not the same person. we might have the same name but we came from different universes. we’ve gone through entirely different things. i don’t know what he’s thinking and the same goes for him because we’re different monsters.”

You couldn’t form a reply, pondering over his words over and over. It doesn’t make sense yet at the same time... it does. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re not the same person.” Sans wasn’t afraid of getting dusted in his sleep. Papyrus was not captain of the royal guard and was not capable of hurting anyone. These two brothers were completely different from your Sans and Papyrus. It wasn’t fair of you to say they’re the same.

“I-I’ll try to find a way to get you all out of here, Red.”

Red quirked a brow bone. “and where’s this comin’ from?”

“I know that Sans is being unreasonable—“

“that’s an understatement, sweetheart—“

“—and you don’t deserve that. None of you does. Just... just give me time, please.”

Red threw his head back and laugh. “and then what? ya think i’m just gonna let ya and that little shit live after what you’ve done to us?”

You stared at him with resolve in your eyes. “You can hurt me or kill me all you want but don’t you dare touch Sans.” You sighed. “He’s suffered long enough.”

Red was taken aback by your words. “y’er still defending him? after all this? y’er kind of a freak, too, aren’t ya?”

“Please, don’t. I-i can’t guarantee your freedom if you’re going after Sans.”

 Red scoffed, waving his hand. “ya can talk big once you’ve figured this out, sweetheart. as of now, y’er just spouting off empty promises.”

You felt defeated. He’s right. All this talk of getting them out when you’re doing nothing to prove it. Until you’ve talked to Sans and have his approval, you can’t just get their hopes up like this every single time.

Your phone buzzed.

“Thanks for the talk, Red. It’s been... insightful.”

“don’t ever give me and my brother your homemade cooking again.”

You forced yourself not to ask and not to look back as you exited the room. The first time you’ve tried to make something for someone other than yourself and he hated it. Did the others hate it as much as Red did?

Being with Ace at the end of the day was a nice contrast to the stressful day you always seemed to have. He offered you a rest and quiet company. He didn’t probe when you say you didn’t want to talk. You brewed him tea from the kitchen like you promised, bringing up a tray of two mugs, a kettle, and monster sea tea. It was your favorite monster tea. You were thankful you had some stash in the kitchen since you forgot to buy when you went grocery shopping.

Ace sat down cross-legged in front of you while you slid over the coffee mug to him as carefully as you can with the side of the handle facing his direction. The two of you sat in contemplative silence as he ate the sandwich and drank the tea while you nursed your own cup.

Sea tea always makes you relaxed, the opposite of what coffee does. Your nerves seemed to ebbed down as you drank half of your cup.

“Human, I know I might be overstepping a line here but... you don’t look like you’ve been sleeping well.”

You flinched, almost dropping the mug that you partially lifted to your lips. You slowly brought it back down on the ground as you looked up to Ace’s green eye lights with an indifferent expression on his face. “Yeah, these days haven’t been the best...”

“I suggest you drink some of this tea before you go to sleep. I’m sure you have thought of that before.”

You tried to smile but failed. “I guess I thought I deserved not being able to sleep. Especially when there are monsters locked up and it felt like it’s my fault.”

“I thought we had established that this is not your fault, dear?”

He patiently waited for your answer as you grazed your finger along the edges of your cup. “Patch thinks otherwise. He tells me I can let all of you out on my own accord if I just want to.” You sighed. “And I do want to. More than anything else. And I can’t figure out why I just can’t.” Your grip tightened on the hot mug, almost burning yourself as you pulled back.

“It is that easy, dear,” Ace mused. “But there are also factors that are highly affecting your decision making.”

“Like what?”

“What do you think?” Ace turned the question back to you.

You looked down on the cup of tea, trying to get lost in the translucent tea while you tried to form your thoughts into coherent sentences. “I don’t know... Because Sans said not to. Even though I know he’s in the wrong, I still think highly of him. I still respect his wishes. At the cost of your lives.”

Ace kept quiet.

“At the same time, it feels wrong to disobey his orders.” Your heart sunk. “Patch was right. I still care for him even if he has changed. I wish I can do something that would please both him and all the others. Right now... I can’t choose anyone over Sans. It’ll always be him.”

“You seem to be attached to him, dear. More so than friendship.”

A little smile tugged on your lips. “I like to think we were more than friends at one point. I have a feeling I would’ve been in a loving relationship with him right now if... things hadn’t gone the way it did.”

“Ah, so you two had emotionally bonded, didn’t you? My brother only gets attached to people he has a deep connection with which is why he’s always striving not to tell anything about himself to strangers when we’re traveling.”

“Is it that way for Sanses?”

“I don’t know, dear. But it is true for most monsters, even me if I’m being honest.” He smiled at you, that kind smile that you hated because it makes you feel guilty.

You shakily exhaled. “Well... I think Sans and I are way beyond a relationship. He’s too focused on his... project while I don’t think I’m emotionally healthy for a relationship, ever.” You pursed your lips. “Maybe that’s why I’m still clinging on to Sans. We were both each other’s last chance of not being alone and we both fucked that up. And so, even after all that, I still want to believe there’s hope for him. I just want him to be happy.”

“...That is why it’s hard for you to make a decision. You’re choosing between your mate’s happiness and strangers’ well-being.”

Heat crept a little to your cheeks. “He’s not my mate.”

“You were at some point,” Ace stated, “Otherwise, you would not be here.”

You found yourself unable to speak as you plunged yourself deep in your thoughts.

Ace broke the silence. “It’s alright, Y/N dear. You can take your time as much as you want. I know in the end you’ll do the right thing.”

You sucked in a breath. “...Why?”

“Because you deeply care for your Sans and Papyrus and I’m confident that extends to alternate versions of them which is us.”

If this was Ace’s discreet way of pushing you to give them their freedom, it was working. “Thank you, Ace. I needed to hear that.”

“You’re always welcome.”

After the much-needed break with Ace, it was time to visit the last skeleton for the day. It would be so nice to soak into a hot bath right about now. You knocked three times before going inside.

“something happened, didn’t it?”

You almost jumped at Patch’s matter-o’-fact tone as you walked across the room. His eyes scanned your face and the rest of your body before settling back with holding your gaze. “well?” he asked, urging you.

“What do you mean something happened?” you asked. “Lots of things happened actually but I don’t know which one you’re referring to.”

“then why don’t you sit down and let’s have a go through your day, cupcake.” Patch’s tight smile relaxed a little as you took a seat in front of him and slid over his sandwich. There was an awkward stillness in the air, probably due to the way you left the room yesterday after Patch pushed your buttons repeatedly. You weren’t upset with him but that didn’t mean he didn’t make you feel bad.

“Well, first, what makes you think something happened? Did I have a look on my face?” You wanted more time to gather whatever strength you had to finally tell somebody what you’ve been tiptoeing around all day. “I’m sure I should look relaxed or something. I just had tea with your brother.”

“exactly,” Patch said smugly, lying down on the floor much like what Red did as he stared up at you. “you had tea, probably sea tea since it’s an excellent relaxation drink. that means something caused you enough stress that made you want to drink it in the first place.”

“No, I just promised Ace—Papyrus,” you corrected yourself, “that I’d bring him my favorite monster tea today. It’s a total coincidence.”

“yes, that and that the tea’s effect is slowly fading and you’re showing signs of stress.” His gaze softened. “now i know it’s my thing to deflect but i’m not going to let you dance your way around this.”

You rolled your eyes, huffing slightly. “Okay, then, hypocrite. But I get to ask you a question in turn.”

He placed a hand to his chest, mockingly. “aww, you wanna know me? i’d be honored, doll.”

Your lips tugged up in a smile, ignoring his remark. “I went to Blue,” you forced yourself to say, the smile completely disappearing from your face as you looked away from his incessant staring, “and I... I let the wall down again,” you breathed. You shut your eyes close, the feeling of guilt and regret bubbling up inside of you. “It felt like I was making a mistake.”

There was a reason why you didn’t want to tell anyone that you’ve let Blue out even if it’s just a minute. Because the others might react violently about it. Telling you that you were being unfair. That they should all have a moment like that as well. And you knew you’d agree with them. It really was unfair of you to deactivate only Blue’s wall.

Patch was about to say something but snapped his jaw shut, conflict flashing across his face before he finally decided what to say to you. “that’s progress, at least.”

You looked back down to him, sadness in your eyes. “I’m not planning on doing it again.”

Patch shrugged. “the first time is always the hardest, darling. if blue got you to deactivate his wall, what’s to say he’s not going to convince you again?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “But Sans—“

“—is an absolute asshole for treating us like this and making you look like the bad guy? sure.”

“He’s not going to be happy if he finds out,” you admitted. “He doesn’t want you guys to leave the room.” You realized something. “He needed a month. Only a month to gather and analyze data from your universes before he decided that you’re no use to him anymore. That’s what he told me. He planned to get rid of Stretch and Blue but I stopped him.”

Patch was in his thinking pose again and it made you smile a little. “so... sans didn’t come barging in blue’s room when you deactivated his wall?”

“Nope. Nothing happened.”

“so, what’s the percentage that sans might appear if you deactivate my wall?”

You frowned. “You want me to... take a chance and piss him off? You do know I’m going to have the brute end of the stick.” Your eyes wandered to the scanner next to the wall. “I believe there’s a 50-50 chance. Sans is busy enough as he is so he’s not usually watching the cameras or paying attention to what happens. The one month I’ve spent with Stretch and Blue was enough proof. There were more than enough times I came close to deactivating the wall but didn’t and he didn’t come, except for one.”

“you’ll be fine.”

“What?” You turned back to him with wide eyes.

“when have sans hurt you?”

You tilted your head. “Physically? Never. He can get verbally abusive though.”

“don’t you want to find out if you can deactivate blue’s wall because he’s no longer interested in them?”

You were slowly trying to understand what he’s starting to make you do. “If Sans appears after I deactivate your wall, that means he’s paying attention to you guys and has excluded Stretch and Blue from this.” Your lower lip quivered. “That means I can deactivate Stretch and Blue’s walls without alerting him at all.”

“kind and smart,” Patch mused, winking at you. “the only downside is... it’s gonna confirm that we really have to stay in this cursed room for a month.”

You smiled. “I’m in.”

Patch stilled. “...really?”

“Yeah. It’s the least I can do for you guys. I can handle him. I can handle my own Sans. I’ve been handling him for years.” You smiled a little genuinely this time. “But let me have a few more minutes with you first before we provoke chaos. It’s my turn. What did Ac—Papyrus mean when he said he’s only half Papyrus?”

Patch’s smile fell. “ya sure you’re wasting your one question with that one?”

You nodded once. “I mean unless you’re not comfortable. Then I guess I can think of another one?”

Patch waved a hand and you stared too obviously at the gaping hole in his palm. “it’s... fine, i guess. it’s a little complicated. it’s exactly what my brother meant. he’s only half paps. i’m half sans.”

You phrased your next question as carefully as you can, “What’s the other half then?”

“the underground’s first royal scientist, dr. gaster. some experiment went wrong and the three of us were there. in the end, made us like this.” You wanted to know more but figured this was all you were going to get out of him.

The name sounds familiar. Sans might have mentioned him once... or was it Asgore? “So you’re half Sans and half Dr. Gaster? So you’re still Sans? Like, have his memories or something?”

Patch smirked at the fact that you were interested in him so much. “no. i’m neither sans nor gaster, cupcake. let’s just say i used to be them. but now, i’m me.”

“Ah,” you nodded, “so you consider yourself a different person. Makes sense. You don’t remind me of Sans at all when I talk to you.”

“hm? if you can look at me and not see sans then maybe we can try to get to know each other a little better?” he teased, his smirk lifting higher.

You blinked, partially aware of the fact that he was flirting with you. Heat crawled to your cheeks as you tried to think of a way to change the subject. Your eyes landed on the sandwich. “Why aren’t you eating the sandwich?”

“what, you want me to eat it in front of you?” Patch sat straight up as he grabbed the sandwich. “dunno, just felt it was impolite to eat when we’re in the middle of a conversation.”

You watched him unwrap the sandwich as a normal person would, mentally cringing at the memory of Red, and then waited for him to take a bite. He opened his mouth, parting the middle of his teeth before bringing it back down to bite on the sandwich. His cheekbone started to move as he chewed.

Does Sans chew his food when eating? You never actually know. You’ve never noticed before. The food on his plate was almost always gone without a trace and you never questioned it.

“this is homemade,” Patch stated, a sincere smile blossoming on his face. “aww, this is so nice of you, cupcake.”

Hearing him praise you made you flush again. “H-how?—“

“did you personally make all the sandwiches?” Patch snorted. “you’re really aiming at getting us soft for ya, huh?”

You shook your head, hoping he’d understand that you have no idea what he’s talking about.

“monster food is usually made with intent. i can feel how much care you put into the preparation.”

You gasped, your face flushing brighter. “What? D-did—You can feel that?”

“yeah,” Patch stared at the sandwich in adoration before looking back at you. “i honestly feel like it returned a bit of my sanity,” he joked. “this is a nice gesture. thank you, doll.”

Red’s reaction suddenly made sense.

The two of you talked for a little more before you decided it was time. Patch had flicked the foil to your side which made you roll your eyes as you pocketed the garbage. You were now eyeing the scanner and Patch was right beside you. “you don’t have to if you’re scared, doll. we can try tomorrow.” The worry was starting to make your hands feel clammy and you thought that if you were going to go through with this, right now would be the best time where fear hasn’t outright set into your system yet.

You glanced at Patch for a moment and saw the resolve in his eyes as he stared at the scanner.

Fighting off the urge to flee, you raised your hand up and placed it on the scanner.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

You watched as the wall disappeared; your breathing hitched in your throat as you and Patch locked eyes without the barrier for the first time. You could feel your body tensing as the seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Patch smiled, trying to ease you to relax. It helped a little. You fought off the urge to lean towards him.

He sucked in a deep breath as five seconds passed by. “i gues—“

The speaker in the room suddenly turned on, making both of you stiffen in place. “y/n, bring the wall back up and get out of there.”

You could feel a chill run down your spine at the sound of Sans’ unkind tone. You and Patch glanced at each other, understanding crossing in both of your faces. It worked. You did as Sans told, apologetically flashing him a smile as you put the wall back up. You could clearly see how Patch tense up when he saw the wall appearing again, locking him in place.

“y/n, now!” Sans yelled, a little more forcefully this time and you flinched.

“doll, you don’t have to,” Patch suddenly remarked, concern etched in his expression. “maybe you should wait it out a little bit.”

“y/n, if you’re not out here in three seconds, i swear i’m going to dust these two brothers you seemed to have taken a liking to.”

“Sans, don’t touch them!” you cried out, immediately running out the door.

“doll—“ Patch called after you but you were already out the door.

Your footsteps rang across the hallway as you swung open the door which leads to the emergency stairs, climbing down as fast as you can to the second floor. Taking the elevator would’ve made you more nervous. You emerged from the stairs, eyes darting around the second-floor hallway to see if Sans was here. He was standing in front of Blue’s door, his face distorted into anger with his arms crossed.

“Sans,” you called out, your shoulders freezing in place as you carefully approached him. You slowed to a walk until you were completely in front of him, behind you was Stretch’s door. “I’m sorry—“

“you—“ Sans started before gritting his teeth and rubbing his skeletal hands across his tired and haggard face. “i gave you orders!”

You looked at him in concern and regret. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“no, you’re not!” he barked. There was a mix of emotions in his face that you had no idea how to pinpoint. Sans didn’t know if he was angry at you or if it was something else. “i told you not to let them out! i need their data!”

You willed yourself to calm down, trying to make sense why he looked so panicked. You shakily exhaled as realization crossed your face. “Data... how? How the hell are you gathering data when you’re just watching from afar?” you asked a question that would confirm your guess.

Sans’ eyes were stone cold. “you already know how.”

Hurt crossed your face. Back when you and Sans were still engineers and led a normal life, you had one project that you devoted all your passion into. It worked like some kind of apple watch where it tracks everything; your physical and mental wellbeing, your heart, your muscles, your diet, and everything else in between, and when monsters appeared, you added tracking the soul. The first raw design you thought of was a glass-tube chamber where the person or monster has to stand inside while the computer systems connected to it automatically gathers and processes the data of the individual.

The journey was hard and unforgiving and you knew you could never achieve to finish it in this lifetime. Human technology was just far too outdated for that kind of machine. “Where? Where is it? Where do you put it?”

Sans’ expression never changed. “half of the room.”

You fell into silence. “Oh.” You sucked in a breath as your stomach twisted. Your own device... your own machine... being used against skeleton monsters without their knowledge. All this time, you were unconsciously helping Sans inflict damage upon these monsters you care about. “Thanks for not telling me,” you spat.

Sans frowned, the anger in his face appearing once again. “don’t act as if this was my fault! i already warned you!”

You crossed your arms, staring him down. “If you’re done using Stretch and Blue, this means I can let them out now, right?”

“no,” he snarled. “they’re dangerous.”

“They’re agitated, Sans! They can hardly harm me!”

Sans took a step forward, grasping your wrist tightly and pulling your arm to him. His other hand clutched your chin, his phalanges digging into your skin as he forced your neck upwards to reveal the still healing bruises from yesterday when Blue had you in a chokehold. “don’t lie to me.”

Your heart was racing in your chest. “I’m not lying! It was an accident!” Did this mean Sans was watching? Or at least knew what kind of events happen every day? Was he keeping an eye on you? Crap, this isn’t the time to be thinking about that.

“you could’ve died!”

You pushed him off as your expression matched his anger. “They’re not going to kill me, Sans!”

You could tell Sans was trying his hardest not to snap at you. He shut his eyes before breathing in deep. As if skeletons need to breathe, you thought bitterly.

“go in,” he muttered.

You froze. “What?”

“go in, right now. let’s prove that.” He slowly opened his eyes, his sharp ring lights boring into you. He pointed at the door behind you.

He wants you to go into Stretch’s room. Fear grappled you for a moment before you pushed it down. No, Stretch won’t hurt you.

...And even if he did, you probably deserved it.

You held your chin high, hesitating for a second before you swung Stretch’s door open and walked inside. Stretch was already standing up, his eyes cautiously following you until it landed on the small skeleton behind you. He looked like he wanted to comment on something but decided against it. Smart.

You stopped in the middle of the room before turning around to face Sans. “Now what?”

Sans was hanging by the open door, refusing to step inside. “take down the wall.”

Stretch bristled in place as he observed you nervously glance at him and the scanner. You took a couple more steps backward before deliberately placing your hands on the scanner. The three of you watched as the electric wall slowly disappeared without a trace.

As soon as it did, your breath was knocked out of you in the next moment, Stretch holding you in a similar chokehold with your arm twisted behind you.

“Stretch—“ you rasped, your eyes closing automatically as you ignored the sharp pain in your arm.

“leave the door open or i’ll strangle them,” Stretch threatened as he nudged you towards Sans. A whimper escaped your throat and you forced your eyes open. You had expected to see Sans’ smug expression, something that screamed ‘i told you so’ but his face remained hard, his eye sockets partially narrowing.

For a moment, that crazy, hopeful part of you considered asking him for help.

Sans held your gaze, never really looking at Stretch too long. “if you can manage to prove me wrong, i’ll consider it,” Sans stated to you, ignoring Stretch’s threat. Without missing a beat, the door swung close.

Stretch lets you go at once as he rushed towards the door. You balanced yourself by pressing a hand to the wall, your other hand going right for your neck as you took in deep breaths. You could hear Stretch cursing as he struggled with the door handle, proceeding to pound on the door helplessly. “fucking asshole, come back here!” He turned to you for help but was immediately flooded with regret to see you touching your neck.

You ignored his look as you walk across the room and tried the door yourself. “I can’t open it,” you murmured. You had expected that. Sans was going to lock you in the room with Stretch for god-knows how many hours and if he found you alive after that, he’s going to consider your request. Something wet landed on your cheeks and you angrily wiped away your tears as you tried to swing the handle a few more times.

So, Sans can also manipulate the security system. What a nice thought.

“honey... it’s alright. the door won’t open.” Stretch pushed his hands inside his pockets as he watched you break down into sobs. He took a step forward and you grimaced. A pang of guilt crossed his features before he tentatively took a step back. “i’m sorry.”

You put a hand to your mouth, trying to muffle out your sobs. “I-it’s alright. It’s not your fault,” you croaked. You cracked a smile. “I would’ve done the same thing if I was you.”

Stretch was being uncharacteristically serious. “this isn’t a joke. i tried to use you against him. i could’ve hurt you badly.”

You sniffed. “Well, I mean, being choked to death doesn’t sound that bad. Probably one of my go-to death wishes. Bonus if it was done in bed.”

Stretch choked on something as he stared at you, his eyes bulging in surprise. The color orange began to glow in his cheekbones.

You snorted, a giggle escaping from your lips, and then another one, and then your weeping turned into full-on laughing as your shoulders began to bounce along with your giggling. For some reason, you found his expression hilarious as fuck as you wheezed. Even Stretch managed to get out a few embarrassed chuckles.

The tension bled dry until the two of you were left with a tolerable uneasy silence.

Stretch broke the silence first. “i’m... i’m really sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. I told you, it’s not your fault.” Your attention lingered at the door for a few more seconds before you took the step closer this time. “I know you just wanted to get out of here.”

Stretch searched your face before sighing. “yeah, well. looks like we’re both stuck here,” he said, deflated.

“Sans will be back. Probably in the morning.” You stifled a yawn as you rubbed the top of your nose bridge. “Jesus, looks like my hot bath is postponed for the meantime.”

“...you look like you need sleep.” He pointed to his bed. “you can go catch a few winks. we’ll talk later.”

Sleep sounded amazing but you frowned. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.” You probably would’ve turned him down if you weren’t feeling so tired.

Stretch smiled mockingly. “ah, yes. welcome to my humble abode. make yourself at home, honey.”

“What about you?”

“what do you think i’ve been doing the whole day?”

You huffed lightly, a smile hinting at your lips as you strode across the room and to his bed. Your eyes searched everywhere, the floor, the distance, the space they have. It seemed like this half of the room was smaller. You never really noticed. This was the first time you had the chance to step in here. Your heart sunk. You sat down on his bed, trying to get a feel of the flimsy mattress under your fingers. “You should’ve told me this mattress was too hard to sleep on. I would’ve bought replacements.”

Stretch didn’t take a step near your side of the room. He settled on sitting down next to you as near as he can without crossing the invisible barrier. “heh. don’t worry ‘bout it, buddy. we skeletons don’t feel a thing. we can sleep anywhere.”

You scrunched your nose up as you proceeded to lie down. You could feel your eyes getting heavy as soon as your head hit the pillow. “Don’t lie. Paps used to complain about his rocket bed to Sans all the time.”

“did i say we? i said me.”

You snorted, your eyes fluttering closed. “Yeah, Sans can sleep anywhere. Found him snoring while standing up once.”

“must be our hidden talent.”

You drifted off to sleep.

Or tried to, in a sense.

You didn’t know if it was the coldness of the room, the hardness of the bed or the fact that you were sleeping in a room with someone who would not hesitate to kill you given the circumstances. You tossed and turned at first before you realized that Stretch might think something’s up so you did your best not to move.

Minutes or hours passed before you finally gave up. You opened your eyes to see Stretch leaning against the wall across from you with his eyes closed. And he told you he didn’t need to sleep. You sat up as quietly as you can, flinching when the bed creaked underneath you. It didn’t seem to wake him up.

You slid off the bed, carefully watching him as you took off your shoes and left your socks on. You eyed the space where the electric wall should’ve been, staring blankly at that gap in the floor that separated the room. You heaved a sigh before you crawled towards him but maintained your distance. You settled on sitting next to him, still in your side of the room, your head leaning against the wall as you keep your eyes on him.

With Stretch like this, eyes closed and relaxed, you could see Papyrus in his features. You instantly relaxed as memories of Papyrus flooded your mind. Your eyes shut closed, finally feeling the tiredness engulf you.

When you woke up, briefly forgetting what happened, an unfamiliar room greeted you. You turned, immediately regretting it as a dull pain shot up your back. Your eyes focused until you realized where you were. You were back on the bed with a blanket tossed over you. Still, when the blanket was too thin and the air-conditioner was cranked up, it was too difficult to stay warm. You were shivering.

You sat up, your eyes scanning for Stretch who seemed to have moved from beside you to lean on the door. His eye lights snapped towards you when you shuffled. “you should go back to sleep. it hasn’t been that long, honey.”

Granted, you still feel tired but your nap made you feel a little better. “The cold woke me up.” You cracked your spine, rubbing circles on the sore spot. “Why did none of you tell me your room was this cold?”

Stretch chuckled, “hehe. didn’t they tell you the cold goes right through us?”

You groaned. “Okay, I admit, I should’ve seen that coming.”

There was a pause as the two of you waited for the other to speak. “do you—do you want me to come over there?”

You knew Stretch didn’t want to go back over here at this side. It was quite obvious by the way he hadn’t stepped in here after the wall disappeared. As you looked at him and mulled over your conversation with Sans, a decision started to form in your head. Determination flashed in your eyes as you crawled out of bed, flinching when your socked feet touched the cold ground. You grabbed the bed by its frame and then begin to pull it.

Unsurprisingly, the single bed was easy enough to pull by yourself. A loud, shrill screech filled the room as the legs were dragged across the floor.

“uh... i bed you’re having the time of your life there but... what’re you doing?”

You pushed the bed to the other side of the room, across the invisible barrier, until it rested against the opposite edge. You looked back to its usual spot to see a few pieces of garbage lying around and the one lone honey bottle Stretch must be keeping under his bed. You were surprised it still wasn’t fully gone. You turned to him with a disgruntled face. “Really?”

Stretch was still stunned. “what is this?”

The corner of your lips curled upwards. “I, uh, pushed your bed to the other side. I hope that’s okay.”

The confusion was etched on his face. “but why?”

“Because I’m not planning on activating the wall again? But I know you’re still going to be worried about that so this is the next best step.”

“yes, i see that. but why?” he asked again.

You smiled. “Mind sitting with me?” You sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to you.

Stretch cautiously approached while glancing at the other side too many times. He noticed you were still shivering. Without a second thought, he pulled off his hoodie in one swift movement, revealing a white tank top underneath. You curiously watched him before he chucked his hoodie over to you. Heat crept to your cheeks as you looked away, clutching the hoodie in your arms. “Thanks,” you murmured. “What about you?”

He sat down next to you, tilting his head. “don’t worry ‘bout me, honey. skeletons process temperature differently. this is room temp for me at best.”

“Really?” You slipped on his hoodie over your clothes, your sense of smell being flooded by his scent all at once. You ignored your embarrassment as you rubbed your shoulders with your hands for friction. “Jesus... I don’t know where to start.”

Stretch waited patiently much to your appreciation.

“Sans threw me in here because he wanted to prove that one of you will harm me and too dangerous to be let out. Basically, I still have to talk to him once he comes back and collects me. I...  I wanted you and your brother to be let out.”

“...just us?”

You nodded. “Yeah, Sans still needs the others to remain where they are right now.”

“...does that mean i can see my brother now?”

“I’ll do my best to persuade Sans, Stretch. I promise. Right now, this is the best I can do. I won’t reactivate your wall again. I’ll take down your brother’s wall, too, when I get out of here.”

Stretch was quiet. You placed a hand on top of his, trying to catch his attention. “Sans would be afraid of letting you two out if he knew you’re going to go after him. You need to promise me you won’t hurt him.”

Frustration flashed across his eyes. “why are you protecting him?”

“Because he’s my friend,” you stated, “I’ve already lost one. I don’t want to lose another one.” You gripped his hand gently. “Promise me, please.”

Stretch searched your face helplessly before looking away. “i promise,” he said half-heartedly.

It was more than enough for you. “Thank you.” Your shoulders finally fell. At least that’s taken care of. Silence blanketed the room once more with neither of you looking at each other.

Stretch broke the silence first. “can you do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“hug my brother for me.”

You smiled. You were already planning to do that. You wanted to tell him that he should hug him himself but you still have yet to talk to Sans. You raised your arms, beckoning him. “Give me and I’ll see what I can do.”

Stretch snorted. “if i had known any better, i think you’re just trying to make a move on me.”

“Hey, you’re the one who asked for it.” You waved him over. “Hurry up and give me some sugar.”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. Stretch leaned towards you, wrapping his bony arms around your middle as he pulled you closer. You settled on snaking your arms around his neck, your palm gently cradling the back of his head. You closed your eyes. If you try hard enough, you could imagine Papyrus hugging you.

Your cheek rested on his shoulder, his bones digging into your skin. You didn’t complain. You wanted to run a hand across his back but you knew skeletons have sensitive spines. You didn’t want to make this awkward.

Neither of you moved in the next few minutes, relishing in the moment of having somebody in your own arms. It was as satisfying as Blue’s hug. Speaking of Blue, you need to apologize for hurting him by giving him more hugs.

Warmth and comfort overwhelmed you and before you know it, you had already fallen asleep once again.

You were woken up by your phone buzzing in your pocket. Your eyes fluttered open, blushing furiously when you were greeted by Stretch’s sleeping face inches away from you. Did we seriously fall asleep while hugging each other? Indeed, both of you did. Both of you must’ve slid down onto a lying position after quite some time.

You slipped out of his grasp as quietly as you can. You took a minute picking up his various garbage and then placing his honey bottle on his bed. You put on your shoes. You were about to go out the door when you remembered to take off his hoodie and placed it beside him.

You checked the text you just received. Sans wants you to meet him in the security room. This time, the handle budged as you twisted it. You stole one more glance at him, relaxing at the fact that he’s still fast asleep before you locked the door.

Your apartment had never been such a temptation ‘til right now. But you can’t go home. You have to tend to the other skeletons. You checked your phone. It was 4 a.m. You rushed to the elevator, tapping your foot impatiently as it descended to the ground floor.

You reached the security room, knocking three times out of habit before entering. As usual, the lights were dim and Sans was sitting in front of all the monitors. “you can deactivate the wall, only their walls,” he prompted, his tone flat as he swiveled the chair to face you. “you are not to take down the other’s walls lest you disrupt my progress and endanger yourself as well.”

You rolled your eyes. “Why are you trying to sound like some sort of evil villain?”

Sans’ left eye socket twitched in irritation. “okay. i’m gonna let that slide considering i doubt you had a full night’s rest—“

“I haven’t had a full night’s rest in years, Sans,” you snapped. Okay, you admit, Sans had a point. You felt light-headed and your brain was slow to filter your words. “Stretch and Blue should be able to freely come out of their rooms.”

Sans tilted his head, his grin widening. “i thought you were afraid of them coming after me?”

You stilled, blinking. “They’re not going to come after you,” you whispered. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“and what’s a wee little human supposed to do to stop magical monsters?”

“I trust them,” you insisted. “And I trust you. Sans, they’ve been stuck Underground like you. Then you dragged them in here to imprison them for a month without seeing each other. I know you lost your brother... but you don’t need to make them suffer, too.”

Maybe mentioning Papyrus wasn’t the best thing because rage flashed across his face. “you don’t know what i’ve been through, y/n. i failed him.”

You swallowed your fear. “You didn’t fail him. It was Papyrus’ decision to save a human—“

“don’t talk about him like you know!” he cried out making you flinch. “i was supposed to protect him!”

You couldn’t help staring at him coldly. “Then why are you making sure the others are suffering because of your mistake?” You took a step towards him. “Why are you making the alternate versions of your brother who you’re so adamant to protect and save? Sans, you aren’t making any sense—“

Sans disappeared in front of you, stopping you in the middle of your rant. You frustratingly ran your hand across your face, groaning. “Right, I forgot you were allergic to emotional confrontations,” you muttered under your breath.

You took this time to watch what the others were doing. The lot of them were still asleep. Your eyebrows shot up to see Edge and Blue already up, stretching their bones as a warm-up. How’d they even know what time is it was beyond you. You glanced at your phone. Great, you still have a couple more hours to drive home, take a shower then buy some food for them.

It’s going to be another long day.

Sans hadn’t given you the go signal to let the two brothers out of their rooms but... it felt like you could. You passed by the basement to give him a pack of muffins you bought from Muffet’s but was genuinely surprised to see that there was a reinforced door of steel leading to the basement. You didn’t know when he had put that up considering that wasn’t there a few days ago. Still, you left the bag of muffins outside the door, hoping he’d eat it when he gets hungry.

Since Sans had considerably upped his defenses, you thought that maybe that meant you can let the two out of their rooms. Or for this day, let them see each other at least. You arrived in Blue’s room, knocking three times before entering, a huge smile on your face blooming before you could stop it.

“GOOD MORNING, Y/N!” Blue greeted jovially, his mood increasing once he saw how happy you looked. “WOW! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’RE IN A GOOD MOOD.” He blushed. “I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU SMILE LIKE THIS SINCE WE’VE MET!”

“Good morning, Blue,” you said softly, striding across the room to reach the scanner. “Let’s talk.”

Blue couldn’t hide the surprised gasp as you deactivated the wall. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???”

The wall was gone but Blue didn’t dare take a step out of his side. You knew that was your fault. You had left this room in such low spirits after he was able to make you drop his wall. So, you initiated. You walked towards him, your arms tentatively opening. “Do you want a hug?”

Blue almost bounced off his heels as he swept you off your feet, his happy squeals earning a giggle from you. He was able to lift you and swing you around almost effortlessly, and you struggled to think how strong he really was. You embraced him after he set you down and you could feel your heart doing somersaults as a blast of happiness surged from within you.

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Blue admitted. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE MAD AT ME?”

You pulled away, laughing. “Well, a lot of things happened after yesterday, Blue. But do you want me to bore you with the story—“

“YES!!!!!”

You chuckled, shaking your head.

“Let me finish. Or do you want to see your brother?”

He didn’t have to give you a verbal answer. Bright, blue tears sprung from his eyes as he pulled you back into his arms. He began to openly weep in front of you while you struggled to hold back your own tears.

You patted his back comfortingly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Blue insisted on holding your hand as you led him out of the room. He couldn’t contain his giddiness as he took in what the hallway looked like as the two of you stepped outside. “WOW! IT’S EQUALLY AS BLAND AS MY ROOM!” He gasped loudly. “THERE ARE FOUR ROOMS, Y/N! ARE THERE OTHERS IN HERE LIKE ME AND MY BROTHER?”

Okay, you might have forgotten to mention to Blue about the existence of the others. You thought it would’ve made him sad if he knew there were more like him who was suffering. Stretch, on the other hand, always wanted to know what was happening so you were more inclined on telling him the truth. “Well, yeah. But... they can’t go out right now. And you also can’t see them.”

Blue pouted. “WHY NOT? IF YOU’RE LETTING ME OUT, I’M SURE THE OTHERS CAN, TOO, RIGHT?”

Shoot. You have to tell the full story to Blue sooner or later. “Less questions, Blue. Your brother’s room is right across from you.”

Blue instantly dropped the subject as you were about to knock when Blue’s hand suddenly shot up. “WAIT! LET ME KNOCK, Y/N!!” Before you could even respond to that, Blue knocked more than enough times in succession, failing to hide the outright happiness he was feeling. You let out a laugh as you swung the door open to let him in.

“PAPY!”
“sans!”

Stretch bent down a little as Blue ran over to him, successfully knocking him off his feet as the two look like they were wrestling on the ground. You glanced away, feeling a little intrusive to be seeing such an emotional display that wasn’t meant for you. You closed the door softly, leaning against the wall as you wiped away the tears that trickled down your cheeks.

Your heart felt happy.

For the first time in years, you felt like you’ve done something right. Even if it was at the expense of Sans’ orders. For the first time in years, you weren’t obsessed with looking after Sans only and keeping him on top of your priority list. You have more people you want to look after now and this includes all of the alternate versions of the two brothers.

There was a knock on the door several minutes later. You took this as the signal to peek your head in. “Hey, you guys doing okay here?”

“WE’RE DOING MAGNIFICENT, Y/N! IT’S THE BEST DAY I’VE EVER HAD!” Blue gestured for you to come inside. “WHY DON’T YOU COME IN? IT’S MORE FUN WHEN IT’S THE THREE OF US!”

You stepped inside almost shyly. Why did it feel like you were still intruding? You were nervous for some reason. Talking to them one-on-one felt natural yet now that the two of them were together, it felt like you were diving into something new. You didn’t know how to act. “I didn’t have time to prepare anything so I brought muffins from Muffet’s.”

Stretch was leaning against the wall; his hands in his pockets as he watched Blue joyfully run up to you to get the paper bag. After swiping up the bag from your hand, he slipped his hand in yours as he tugged you towards his brother. “UGH, MORE SWEET TREATS? YOU KNOW IT ISN’T HEALTHY, Y/N! STOP LETTING MY BROTHER INFLUENCE YOU!”

“i donut know about that sans, but i could use a sweet treat right about now.”

Blue groaned. “YOUR DREADFUL PUNS ARE THE ONE THING I DIDN’T MISS, BROTHER!” There was no mistaking the smile on Blue’s face.

“i know there’s muffin you didn’t miss about me.” Stretch chuckled.

Blue crossed his arms, glowering. “OKAY, FINE. I’LL LET THIS SLIDE BECAUSE I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!”

You watched them interact, amazed, and guilty at the same time. It was like watching your Sans and Papyrus bicker in the past. “That’s sweet of you, Blue.”

“Y/N, NOT YOU, TOO,” Blue whined, stomping his feet once. “CAN WE JUST EAT IN PEACE?”

“sounds like a piece of cake.”

“PAPY!”

Stretch and you laughed. You watched a little longer as guilt settled at the bottom of your stomach. “I guess I should make sure you guys have a decent breakfast. I don’t have time to cook anything.”

Blue turned to you, stars in his eyes. “WILL YOU, REALLY? CAN WE REALLY GO IN AND OUT WHENEVER WE CAN NOW?”

The hopeful expression in his face was hard to decline. Your eyes traveled to the door, a decision at the back of your mind was itching to be discovered. If you do this, you’d let this arrangement be permanent. You won’t be caging them in one room anymore. You looked at Blue and then Stretch.

Blue wouldn’t hurt Sans. You promised Stretch not to hurt Sans.

He’d be okay. They’d be okay.

“Yes. I... I won’t be reactivating the wall anymore.” You gestured to the room. “You can rearrange the furniture if you want to, Blue.”

Blue was about to open his mouth, probably spit out something positive, when Stretch suddenly stepped forward, shielding his brother away from you as subtly as he can. Your mouth felt dry as you watched him move, too stunned to say anything.

“how do we know we can trust you?” Stretch asked as casually as he can. You might say he really was casual about it but you’ve known Sans long enough to tell.

You stood there for a moment, mouth opening but then closing once again. The two of you were just sleeping beside each other a couple of hours ago. How could you even fall asleep with somebody you don’t trust even just a tiny bit? You tried to rationalize your jumbled thoughts. Of course, he’d be suspicious. How can he know if they really can leave the rooms when all you’ve given them was nothing but your words and your company?

It wasn’t enough.

You blinked. The two of them waited even though Blue looked particularly guilty for not standing up to protect you.

Well, actions do speak louder than words.

“Wait here,” you told the two of them as you exited the room. You closed the door, mostly due to habit but then unlocked it a second time, poking your head in. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” You left the door partly open as you headed to the elevator.

You almost ran to the unfurnished room with the kitchen, rummaging for anything heavy. You sighed when you came back with only a pan. As you made your way back to Stretch’s room, you could hear the two of them were whispering under their breath before they stopped altogether once you were close enough.

You snuck in, holding the pan in front of you, just so they wouldn’t think you were hiding it while pursing your lips. Stretch jumped in front of Blue immediately, panic flashing across his face. He seemed to be in pain as he focused on you and you realized from knowing Sans, again, that he was trying to summon his magic but he was still in an anti-magic room.

“FRIEND, YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN!” Blue remarked, panic also reaching his face as he stepped out from behind his brother and proceed to shield him instead. “LET’S NOT BE RASH ABOUT THIS.”

A smile broke on your face. “Shit, I’m—uh, sorry.” You cleared your throat, trying to straighten your face. “This isn’t a laughing matter. You’re both legitimately afraid. Fuck—“ You rubbed your hand across your face, inhaling deeply. “Blue, I’m not gonna hit you with a pan. Or you, Stretch.”

They seemed to relatively calm down a bit upon hearing this news. Blue’s brow bones furrowed. “THEN WHY ARE  YOU CARRYING ONE?”

You switched your focus to the scanner, your smile reflexively falling off your face. You stalked towards it like a predator, thousands of thoughts swimming in your head as your memory fleets to all the negative emotions that this simple machine has brought upon you. You held the pan like a bat over your shoulder, gaining momentum, before you swung down on that stupid little box with all your might. A gust of wind rushed past you along with all the emotions you’ve buried deep in your mind for days, nay, years.

Bits and pieces of machine parts flew everywhere and you regretted not shielding your face as a stray scrap cut your face as it flew off. A wave of catharsis rolled off from your soul as you stared at it wide-eyed. You brought your arms up again before bringing it down a second time, static slicing the air as wires were destroyed. You felt breathless and the need for more release overwhelmed you as your weak arms brought the pan up again.

Why does it feel so good to beat-up some piece of metal? Tears were rolling down your cheeks before you realized you were crying.

You were about to bring it down when two pairs of hands grabbed your wrists, effectively stopping you and for some reason, you struggled against them. “Let me go! I’m not done!” You fought them off but you were aware that they were significantly stronger than you. Arms were snaked around your waist as Blue’s face buried in your shoulder.

“IT’S ALRIGHT, Y/N. WE UNDERSTAND YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.”

“B-but—“

Stretch tentatively pushed your head to his shoulder, comfortingly caressing the back of your head. “my bro’s right, honey. the worst is over.” Your eyes fluttered close as another surge of emotions rolled off your chest.

A sob escaped past your lips even as you tried to muffle them with your hands. How the hell did this turn to a situation where they’re comforting you?

The worst is over? Stretch could never be more wrong.

But right there, at that moment where two of your former prisoners were hugging you like you were their friend; you pretended that everything was alright. Everything was okay.

“YOU’RE BACK.”

“Hello to you too, Edge,” you greeted. Edge was clearly taken aback by your appearance as his eyes fractionally bulged, startled. “I brought muffins.” You sat nearer than you usually did as you slid a paper bag towards him.

“YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVEN’T SLEPT,” Edge stated flatly.

“So do you.”

“BUT YOU’RE,” he frowned, “LESS SAD THAN USUAL.”

Even with the swollen eyes? “Astute observation as always, Edge.”

“NOTHING LESS FROM THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS!” Edge was looking at you like you were a puzzle he couldn’t seem to figure out. “MY BROTHER’S NOT DEAD, IS HE?”

You snorted, almost stretching your legs to a more comfortable position. “Nah, your brother’s still kicking and being an ass.”

“SOUNDS LIKE SANS ALRIGHT,” he nodded in agreement, but still looked like he was trying to solve a problem. “HOW ABOUT YOUR SHITTY SANS, BABYSITTER?”

“Sorry to disappoint, Edge,” you shrugged, “Sans is still alive as well.”

“MHRM.”

“Edge, maybe try asking me what happened instead of trying to figure this out yourself.”

All you’ve done the past few days was cry in front of strangers; Blue and Stretch were not an exception. Stretch was a quiet comforter, leaning his body towards you to subtly tell you that he was there. Blue was more... talkative in a sense. He kept whispering reassuring words that would make you cry even harder, wondering what you did to deserve them. You spent almost an hour maybe in that position until you’ve cried everything off your shoulder.

You went out of the room with a renewed form of determination. You left their door open, much to your anxiety, and told them they can go anywhere in the building as long as it’s not inside the occupied rooms. You told them to stay away from the steel door that led to the basement and even the security room.

Edge narrowed his eyes. “ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?”

Was it smart to tell the others what happened or would it just make them feel worse? “No?” Well, you don’t have to tell them everything now. There’ll be plenty of time to think about that later.

He scowled. “SCOUNDREL! I WILL LITERALLY SLAM YOU ON THE WALL!”

You let out a short laugh.

Edge froze as he watched you. He looked away before you could even notice.

“So, what were we talking about yesterday? Come on, let me hear the rest of your stories.”

Edge looked baffled. “YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY HEAR MY STORIES THIS TIME?”

“Yeah! I wasn’t listening yesterday, right? I’m sorry about that. But still, I’m grateful for you for helping me out.”

It didn’t take much for the tall skeleton to blush. “OF COURSE! IT’S NOTHING THAT I, THE TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, CAN’T DO!” He cleared his throat, lifting his chin up. “IF I CATCH YOU DAYDREAMING AGAIN, I SWEAR ON MY POSITION, I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!”

You grinned at him. “Never, Edge.”

That was all Edge needed to go into a whole ramble about himself. He watched you carefully at first, to see if you really were listening or something else, you weren’t sure. Not long after, he got caught up in his stories that he was barely looking at you. You were lucky that it was this easy to know Edge better because you have no luck with his brother. Now that you think about it, Stretch and Patch don’t share much with you.

“So, you two have been stuck Underground before you appeared here?” you confirmed, an hour and a half later. Edge had launched into a long rant on how much he has to do as he juggled the responsibilities of a captain and a royal guard at the same time. He always liked to rant, you noticed. He and his brother have been exposed to different kinds of violence and Edge kept downplaying everything as if it was normal.

“YES! IT’S BEYOND INFURIATING THAT I AM HERE TREATED LIKE A PET. ”

You tilted your head, absorbing every bit of information he had shared with you and tried to summarize it in a sense. “You liked having to be depended on but you also liked that you can rest now that you’re nowhere near back your home.”

Edge’s expression was unreadable. “I DON’T LIKE HOW YOU PHRASED THAT BUT YOU GOT...SOME OF IT RIGHT, BABYSITTER.”

You were quiet for a moment before you launched another question. “Edge, how would you feel if you can’t go back home?”

He deflated a little but stood up straighter before you could comment on it. “I’M NOT SURE MY INPUT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, WOULD IT?” he spat. “IT’S NOT LIKE I COULD MAGICALLY CHANGE YOUR MIND.”

“Edge,” you started, “I’m not saying you wouldn’t be able to go back home ever but that... it’s so far off in the future that you shouldn’t worry about it. I mean, who knows? Maybe we can fix the machine so we can send you back where you all come from.”

Edge held your gaze. “I HATE TO SAY THIS BUT I’M HOLDING YOU ON TO THAT PROMISE, BABYSITTER.”

“I didn’t promise anything! I was just saying what if—“

“BAH, EXCUSES! YOU JUST CAN’T EXPECT US TO MAKE THIS OUR NEW HOME, WENCH.” He crossed his arms. “THAT’S UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!”

You tried to smile as you’ve always done when you were trying to be polite. “It’s not like you have much of a choice, Edge.”

Edge tightened his grip around his arms, his sharp teeth distorting into a grimace. “I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS.”

“I know,” you sighed. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“STOP APOLOGIZING,” he snapped. “IF I HAD TO HEAR YOU APOLOGIZE EVERY DAMN TIME, I WILL LOSE MY MARBLES!”

Deflect, deflect! “You said you’ve killed a lot of monsters... did Sans have to as well?” At this point, you weren’t in a position to judge their universes, their motivations, and their LOVE. If that was what they had to do to survive if that was the world they had to grow up in, it was fairly obvious they had to do what they can to adapt. You couldn’t judge them for things that were out of their control, especially now that instead of there, they’re here, imprisoned with lack of mobility and with you tethering them from going insane.

A flash of irritation crossed his face. “OF COURSE. HAVEN’T YOU BEEN LISTENING TO ME? EVERYONE’S KILLED SOMEONE. SANS IS THE BROTHER OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD. HE’S FRESH MEAT IN FRONT OF ALL MY ENEMIES. HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RAISE HIS LV OR HE’D BE DUSTED SO EASILY.”

“If you’ve made so many enemies... I’m surprised you and your brother managed to stay alive,” you mused. He held his chin up smugly. “Why does he call you ‘boss’ then?”

Edge bristled. “THAT’S NOT YOUR BUSINESS.”

So, it was a touchy subject for both of them. This just made you all the more curious. You tried to fit the puzzle pieces together using what was given to you and what you’ve observed. Formulating a hypothesis, it was the one thing that your brain does automatically as if it was muscle memory.

If it was a kill or be killed world as Edge said and that his life was almost always in danger due to the enemies he’d made and Red being more vulnerable as a loved one that could be used against him... then... then... Edge’s disregard for Red’s life at the start made sense. If you were not who you said you were and were here to torment the brothers separately, of course, you were going to use them against each other. But if Edge firsthand states that he couldn’t care less if his brother more or less died, then there would be no leverage to use.

It was smart. The smartest thing to do when you were stuck in a world where everybody’s out to get you; make sure that they can’t use your loved ones against you. Get rid of emotional weaknesses. Treat each other like shit.

A newfound sense of adoration and respect for Edge and Red bloomed across your chest.

“WHY ARE YOU SMILING?”

“Nothing,” you mused. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

Edge frowned, clearly confused. “AND WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?”

“Because you and your brother will be alright.”

“something’s off about you,” Red mused as you strolled in his room, carrying a pack of muffins.

The corner of your lip tugged upward. “What, are you gonna say I have a pretty smile?”

Red scowled. “har har, sweetheart. dunno who told ya that but ya sure don’t.”

Red’s grouchy mood wasn’t enough to spoil the good mood you have for today. You sat down in front of him, closer than any of the times you were in Red’s room. You slid a paper bag over. “Don’t worry, that’s not homemade. Just the way you want it.”

“appreciate it, sweetheart,” Red said sarcastically. He gobbled up the food in one bite and you sat there watching him, fascinated. Red scrunched his face into a frown. “ugh, when can ya get me grillb’s again?”

“Hmm,” you hummed, tapping a finger to your chin. “How ‘bout when you start being nice?”

“over my dead body.”

“Well, I guess over your dead body then.”

Red flicked his eye lights to you. “yep, something’s definitely changed. tell me.” His eye sockets narrowed. “boss is not dusted, is he?”

“Red, your brother’s fine. Why do you two keep assuming the other’s dead when I look like I’m in a less pitiful mood?”

“cuz,” He narrowed his eye sockets, “i might be a li’l off ‘ere but we’re not the nicest bunch around, i’m sure. one of us dusted means it’s less work for ya, too.”

With your newfound renewed perception of Red, you let out a little huff. “I like talking to your brother. Yeah, sure, I receive insults most of the time but I think he’s just used to having that defensive wall up.” You turned to him, smiling a little. “Like you.”

Red snorted. “can y’er pretty mouth spout anything other than lies?” He seemed to have made up his mind not to trust anything you say. There was nothing you could do about that.

“You think I’m pretty?” you ask instead.

Red stiffened, one brow bone rising while disbelief was all over his face. “ya keep flattering y’erself, sweetheart.”

You shook your head in amusement. “It’s true, though. I like talking to your brother. You, as well. You’re different than the others.” Different as in difficult as heck. Red, to some degree, was right though. He and his brother weren’t the ‘nicest’ bunch around and that’s putting it nicely.

“we ain’t getting no special treatment though.”

You hummed. “Sure.”

Red suspiciously looked over to you. “what was that.”

“What was what?”

“are there skeletons receiving special treatment?” A hint of betrayal could be heard from his tone.

Your eyebrows rose slightly. “Uh, depends on—“

He quickly jumped from his position, his face dangerously leaning towards the almost translucent electric wall. Close enough that you could see the small chips and cracks in his skull and one running from his left eye socket. “tell me! fucking tell me! are there others who are out frolicking right now?!”

You could feel the hostility rolling off of him in waves and you reflexively leaned away if only for a few inches. “I don’t like your tone,” you whisper breathlessly, mentally kicking yourself for being afraid of him when he can’t physically hurt you right now. You’re more of a threat to him than him to you, you remind yourself.

A loud growl rumbled out of his throat and you tried not to grimace. “ya think y’er funny, huh?”

“Red.” You mustered up all the remaining courage you have to stare at him dead in the eye. “Stop being an asshole and just ask me like a normal fucking person. I would gladly tell you. I’ve been open with nearly everyone.”

He flicked over your form before settling with holding your gaze, a red tongue unexpectedly darted out of his mouth to lick across his teeth. “so,” His hostility died down a little to your satisfaction, “all this just ta hear me beg?”

You fought off the urge to blush under his intense gaze. “I’m not making you beg,” you murmured, crossing your arms as a means to have some sort of comfort for yourself, “I’m just saying you can ask me like a normal person.” You looked away, unable to take any of the red ring eye lights boring straight into your soul.

“ya sure?” Red asked, taunting. “i’m pretty sure ya heard me beg before.” You frowned at him, confused. “just a different me.”

You open your mouth before snapping it close, unable to stop the heat creeping up your cheeks. “Red, don’t.”

“am i hittin’ the mark here? y’er awfully loyal to him. i’m pretty sure the two of ya had done things to each other.”

Your smile dropped as you looked at him, dumbfounded. “W-what—“

“a human who’d do my every whim? i won’t be beyond using that ta my advantage.”

Your gaze hardened. “Sans isn’t like that.”

He tilted his head, his predatory grin widening. “he didn’t even need to order ya, did he? ya would offer y’erself to him, no que—“

“Sans and I never escalated to that kind of relationship,” you cut him off sharply before he could proceed. “Everything went to shit before some kind of relationship between us could happen.”

This time, Red remained quiet, hiding his disbelief like a professional. You would’ve missed it if you blinked.

He wants the truth, doesn’t he? Sure, you can tell him the truth. It’s not like you’ve something to lose from this. “Although I did use to wonder what sex with a monster would feel like since... they’re vastly different from a human’s,” you mused.

Red was still quiet but you could see his pinpricks getting smaller.

“I mean, sure, I’ve seen Sans bare bones before but we haven’t actually done it. It’s mostly just making out and—“

“ok, i get it—“

“And I did think about how the hell would that even work? Because, you know, he’s a skeleton? But then sometimes I see that bulge underneath his—“

“ya don’t really have to—“ His cheekbones were dusted by red, albeit slightly.

“And I never had the courage to ask him about it. Because even though he’s worked up, he never lets me touch it or even touch his bones. Come to think of it, he’s always wearing a shirt and he runs away every time I point out that his chest was glow—“

“jeez, kid! do ya have no sense of privacy?” Red was obviously blushing now. “i don’t need ta know about that.”

“About what?” you asked, frowning. “Why the fuck is his chest apparently glowing,” Red groaned, “worse than seeing a bulge in his pants?”

Red gritted his teeth. “it’s nothing!”

“That doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“go fucking bother someone else about that. i’m not saying anymore to ya about that subject.”

You raised your brow. “So, you want me to ask someone else about glowing chests that make you squirm uncomfortably?”

“stars, yes! i’m not answering any questions about that!” He was still flustered but he was able to keep it manageable now. “obviously, y’er sans was too much of a coward to talk to ya about that.”

Your gaze softened, your shoulders relaxing a little. “That’s what I’m telling you, Red. We never had the chance to talk about it. I never got to see him glow again after Papyrus died.”

An amount of silence passed. You could tell the conversation had mellowed down Red’s aggressiveness. You didn’t know what to make of that revelation. Was chest glowing really something important or would you want to move on without fully knowing the details about it? You were leaning towards the latter.

“that sucks,” Red rasped. “whatever. ya don’t deserve ‘im anyway.”

...Well, that was different. And although you were very much curious about what brought this change of behavior from Red, you decided to move on.

“Apart from you and your brother, there are Blue and Stretch, and Patch and Ace,” you prompted, steering the conversation back to the original topic at hand before it swerved off completely. “Imagine you and your brother without the violence and swapped personalities, that’s Blue and Stretch. Patch and Ace, however, are you and your brother, still without the violence but with the added ‘Gaster’ to their forms.”

Red, thankfully, didn’t question you at all when you started talking about the other skeletons as if it was a random thing you just wanted to talk about.

“gaster?” Red asked, slightly surprised.

“Yeah. It’s complicated, I guess. Patch is half-Sans and half-Gaster, the same goes for his brother. He didn’t tell me the specifics but according to him, it was an experiment gone wrong.”

Red nodded and you were stunned he didn’t ask any more questions.

“Patch and Ace arrived the same day as you. I told them everything at once and I tell them everything that transpires ever since. They seem to be... quite understanding about the whole situation.” You smiled to try to play it off as a joke. “You and your brother however are quite a migraine.”

His grin twitched upward. “nothing i haven’t heard before.” For the first time, you could see the sincerity in his face before he even realized it. You wanted to see it again. “we pride ourselves in being a fucking menace to everyone,” he joked, topping it off with a wink.

 You let out a huff of laughter before your mouth broke into a grin, feeling yourself ease into the conversation. “You certainly are. God knows how much you and your brother are always stretching my patience thin.”

Red fell back into a harmless banter, much to your surprise. “i do love stretching. i can stretch other things if ya know what i mean.”

“Gross.”

“how ‘bout ya let this wall down and i can demonstrate a couple more gross stuff for ya?”

“Gross!” you said, a little more genuine this time. “There are cameras in here!”

“makes it much more interesting, doesn’t it?”

You inhaled sharply, crossing your arms over your chest as you glared at him. “...I’m kink-shaming you.”

Red rolled his eyes. “such a vanilla.”

It was easier to talk to Red after that. He still has his guard up and he has yet to open up to you like Stretch and Patch but he wasn’t hurling insults at you and his condescending tone didn’t come up quite as often as it used to. You tried to pinpoint where exactly did he turned around and you keep coming up with the chest glowing thing.

Was it sympathy? Was it pity? No matter what it was, it made Red less aggressive. Somehow, it made you dread the truth even more.

Before you know it, your time with Red ended. You debated whether or not to tell him the truth but you were afraid that he’d suddenly change demeanor and proceed to countdown the days where you’d be ‘allegedly’ freeing him. You left him feeling fairly satisfied with how it ended.

As always, chatting with Ace was a nice change. He had requested for tea again but you were sure he meant it to be for your sake which you deeply appreciated. You gave him a summary of what happened since you’ve left the room and he lent you a listening ear.

“A month, huh,” he echoed, his tone dripping with wistfulness.

“Yes, I’m sorry it’s not sooner, Ace.”

“Don’t apologize, Y/N,” he said, his eyes twinkling with a smile. “You have done a great feat. If it weren’t for you, I doubt we’d be out of here at all.”

His words touched you but it still felt like he was addressing a different person. His words weren’t meant for you.

Ace must’ve noticed the self-hate in your eyes because he added, “You have stood up from your greatest enemy just to prove a point. It takes a brave soul to do anything remotely to that. You are progressing, dear Y/N.”

“Stop thanking me for doing the bare minimum, Ace.”

“Little steps, dear. Small progress is still progress.”

Butterflies of hope began to flutter in your stomach. This time, you were sure you were speaking to Papyrus with how effortless his words were to ease your mind. “Thank you, Ace. You’re too good to me.”

“It’s my utmost pleasure to alleviate your stress even a little, human.”

When you knocked and entered Patch’s room, he was already standing up, his eyes wide in surprise as he scanned your form. “holy asgore, you scared me back there, cupcake.”

Guilt flashed across your face as you closed the distance between you and him. “Shit, I forgot to check in with you. I’m sorry. I’m fine, see?” You raised your arms up to move them and then lifting your legs consecutively. “I’m not hurt.”

Patch looked irritated and relieved at the same time. “good. can’t have our only chance of survival be dead now, can we?” He flicked over your form the second time like he was making sure he didn’t miss anything. “so... what’s the verdict?”

You grinned. You seemed to be smiling a lot more this day. “One month. Just like you said.” You gave him the detailed happenings of yesterday night up until this morning and what you and Sans talked about. You purposely left out the fact that there’s some machine scanning their data right now underneath their floor and that you were the one that designed it. Just like Ace, Patch had a wistful expression on his face at the thought of getting out soon.

“you are an angel, cupcake,” Patch groaned. “stars, i wanna fucking bash that sans’ head in right after this month is up,” You frowned, “but i won’t. for your sake.”

Well, at least you have Patch’s word. The two of you conversed for a few more minutes about Blue and Stretch’s reactions on finding out. “I’m still kinda freaked by the fact that both of them don’t particularly hate me even if I played such a big role in this,” you confessed, twiddling with your thumbs.

“it’s because you played a big role in their freedom, too. i’m partly surprised i don’t hate you as well,” Patch pointed out before shrugging. “you’ve been honest from the start. if you hadn’t been, i doubt i’ll get along with you.”

“Honesty is the least I can do for you guys,” you state timidly.

“and it’s the one thing that kept you alive.” He smiled more sincerely. “imagine if you hadn’t built up that trust in the one month with those two skeletons. you would’ve been dead right now.” He ran a hand across his face. “and by extension, us too.”

It was because you tried so hard to befriend them that you were here right now, still alive, still breathing. “And it’s because they got me to trust them, too, that I’m here fighting for your sakes.”

“all’s well that ends well, cupcake.”

Gone was Patch’s aggression towards you that was evident from the moment you’ve met him. Now that he knows that this wasn’t forever, that he and his brother would get out of this place soon, and that you were here to accompany them and fight off your own Sans while simultaneously protecting him, the major problem that was stressing him out vanished. The only problem left now was to endure the remaining three weeks and then freedom.

Sure, he was a long way away from home but the idea of getting out of this small room and actually seeing the surface once again was more than enough to smoothen out the tension in his face. Small steps. He and his brother could worry about getting home once they were out of here.

You and Patch had an easy conversation. Half of his time passed without you noticing. One moment the two of you were lying cross each other, you talking about your life before the monsters came up, the next moment Patch was persuading you to touch the electric wall. And... he was succeeding.

“it’s logical! it would be quite a shock to know that you can actually pass through the wall, cupcake.”

“Red was in fucking tears when he touched that. There’s no way I won’t be bawling my eyes out.” You weren’t particularly keen on getting shocked right now. “And what if I’m electrocuted and I pee myself, huh? Do you ever think about that, Patch?”

“human semantics or whatever.” Patch waved a hand to dismiss you. “don’t tell me it doesn’t make sense, cupcake,” he insisted, “this is an anti-monster room, not an anti-human one.”

You crossed your arms, already standing up as you stared right into Patch. “Fucking Christ, Patch. I swear you’re gonna get me killed.”

“not if i can help it, doll.” He smiled cheekily. “i swear i’ll push you out of the way if you’re electrocuted.”

You debated the weight of what Patch was saying. He had said that Sans built this room to accommodate monsters and you. That means nothing in here should hurt you physically. And he pointed out that Sans told you that you can’t bring down his wall in three more weeks but he didn’t say you can’t come over to his side, if the wall really won’t electrocute you, with it still upright.

Your mouth felt dry as your brain came into the same hypothesis as his. But you won’t ever come to a conclusion if you don’t test your hypothesis. Patch was winning over the scientist in you. Gritting your teeth, you shut your eyes closed, balling your right hand into a fist.

Oh gods, please work, please work, please work. You continued to mutter under your breath, mustering up all the courage you have left which wasn’t very much. You held your breath before pushing your right hand forcefully in front of you, expecting the worst.

A hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you forcefully to the other side and you stumbled on your feet as your breath hitched in your throat. You were now standing across from Patch in his side of the room who had the same look of surprise and bewilderment on his face that mirrored yours. Your heart was pounding, cupping your mouth with both of your hands as you let out a surprised gasp.

‘keep your distance.’ Sans’ order was floating inside your head while you and Patch froze, seemingly waiting for Sans to suddenly yell your name from the speakers. A whole minute passed. Nothing.

When two minutes passed, you forced your shoulders to slump down and ignored the erratic beating of your heart. “So... I guess as long as the walls stay up and you stay in this side, I can... come in?” Your voice was mostly tiny, still baffled about the whole shebang. As realization starts to set in, your shoulders slumped reflexively this time, “So this is why Sans wanted me to keep my distance. This is an illusion, at least for me.” That memory of you facing Red chest-to-chest left a sour taste in your mouth.

Patch, however, was at a loss at what to do. “uh... well, you can sit... wherever you like?”

The atmosphere was tense and awkward like you had befriended someone online and then finally met-up in person. It wasn’t nearly the same. You opted to sit on his bed just so your legs would finally have a break from sleeping every few minutes. Patch stayed standing, still unsure if he should sit next to you or remain standing.

The two of you sat in silence before you straighten up, eyes twinkling. “This means I can have tea with Ace face-to-face now!” The prospect of meeting Ace again tomorrow with the absence of the wall made you perk up and a smile bloomed on your face. This seemed to break the tension. You turned to Patch. “You’re not gonna strangle me, are you?”

Patch coughed, looking at you incredulously. “what?”

You shrugged, leaning your back against the wall. This side was... terribly claustrophobic. It really was a smaller space than the rest of the room. “Blue and Stretch both tried to kill me at once.”

“that’s different.” Patch scratched the back of his head. You could see him more closely now and you noticed the cracks running down both of his sockets in different directions. “they don’t know what we know.”

Trying to have a conversation face-to-face was proving to be difficult. Since there was no more wall separating you two, it felt like you were defenseless. But you knew you have to try and reach out. You offered him to sit beside you and he did so, reluctantly. He made sure there was space between the two of you; probably his way of saying he respects your personal space.

You tried to pick up where your conversation with Patch left off before you plunged your hand into the unknown. “At least I didn’t pee myself.”

“yeah, that would be a catastro-pee.”

You huffed lightly, smiling. “It’s not really my cup of pee.”

“that’d be a different kind of water works from our first meeting.”

“Gross!” you said, laughing. “Jeez, you skeletons are so gross.”

He shrugged innocently. “urine a whole lot of surprise, then.”

“Piss off, Patch!”

He laughed along with you and for the first time, you felt his chest rumble across the bed. He seems closer to you now, physically and figuratively. His time was up and you almost regret not finding out sooner about this.

“don’t miss me too much, cupcake.”

“I already do,” you shot back, flashing him a smile as you passed through the deceiving wall. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“sounds like a date.”

You turned around to avoid his flirty gaze, rolling your eyes as a blush settled on your cheeks. “Bye!” you said too quickly before ducking out of his room. You hear him chuckling as you shut the door close. Smooth.

You let out a sigh, taking a few seconds for yourself as you leaned against the wall.

“THERE YOU ARE, Y/N!” Blue’s voice snapped you out and you rigidly froze, immediately fearing the worst before you remembered that it was you who let them out this morning. “I HAVE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!”

You couldn’t help but smile as Blue strutted next to you, his face beaming up. “Hi, Blue. I just finished with Patch.”

“PATCH... THE TALLER SANS ONE?” he asked. You assumed Stretch has filled Blue in about the various skeletons beside the two of them.

“Yes, him,” you agreed, pushing yourself off the wall and then gesturing for Blue to follow you to the elevator. “So, what have you been up to while I was gone?”

“AT FIRST, MY BROTHER INSISTED WE TRY TO FIND A WAY OUT!”

You tried not to grimace. “O-oh.” Of course, that’s what any sane person would do after gaining the chance to be free. “Well, did you guys try the front door?”

Blue nodded. “INSTANTLY! LIKE ON OUR DOORS, IT SEEMS WE CAN’T OPEN IT WITHOUT YOU.”

That was news for you. “The door wouldn’t budge?”

“YES! IT WAS FAIRLY ENTERTAINING WATCHING MY BROTHER THROW HIS BODY TO IT.” He giggled. “I THINK THAT’S THE MOST I’VE SEEN HIM DO.”

You asked the obvious question in your mind. “He didn’t try to ‘blast’ his way out of it?”

As both of you entered the elevator, Blue pressed the ground floor, presumably where Stretch was. “HE WOULD BUT WE’RE STILL RECOVERING. HE COULDN’T EVEN USE HIS SHORTCUTS.”

The longer you talked to Blue, the more obvious it was. They shouldn’t be stuck here. They would want to see the world. They would want to have adventures. They were out of their rooms, that was true, but were you just gonna let them stay in here in this building forever? “Ok, so you two are regaining your magic back, right? How long is that gonna take?”

“I’M NOT SURE!” Blue tapped a gloved finger to his chin. “PROBABLY TWO TO THREE DAYS TO A WEEK! I’VE ALREADY ASKED HIM NOT TO PUSH HIMSELF TOO HARD AND JUST TAKE IT EASY. YOU’RE HERE, ANYWAY. I KNOW YOU’LL TAKE CARE OF US.”

You tried not to get too emotional with his words. “That’s sweet of you, Blue. I’ll do my best to help you recover.”

The elevator dinged and the doors pulled open. You stepped out to look around for Stretch in the lobby area but he was nowhere near there. You heard clanging in the kitchen. You and Blue glanced at each other before you both headed towards the unfurnished room.

Stretch had come out of the room empty-handed. He stopped when he saw the two of you.

“What are you doing?”

“lookin’ for cigs or something,” he supplied as his eyes wandered to Blue. “so... you’re leaving?”

Blue suddenly turned to you, his blue eyes flaring. “YOU’RE LEAVING? YOU DON’T SLEEP HERE?” He grabbed your hand as if to encourage you to stay.

“Yeah, I have to. I don’t sleep here.” You worriedly glanced at Stretch but he was looking somewhere else. He decided to walk off in the direction of the security room. Out of panic, you started to follow him with Blue lagging behind you.

“PLEASE STAY, Y/N! YOU CAN’T LEAVE US HERE. WE’RE NOT SAFE WITHOUT YOU.”

“Blue...” He looked like he was about to cry. You couldn’t ignore that face. “Sure, I can sleep here. But only for today.” Goodbye, home sweet bed.

His face instantly brightened. “YOU CAN SLEEP IN MY ROOM WITH ME!”

“Blue, I doubt we can fit in your bed.”

Stretch tried the handle to the closed security room but it wouldn’t budge. Huh. So there was a security system for the security room as well. His eyes wandered to the large steel vault door and you were sure you saw a flash of rage across his face before it was gone. “i’m not particularly excited about sleeping in a room where my magic’s repressed so you can borrow my bed and push it besides yours, bro.”

Oh, right. That. “I’ll try to talk to Sans about that, Stretch.”

Stretch glanced at you. “i’m also uncomfortable that we have to rely on your sans about every little thing.”

You closed your eyes, taking a deep inhale. “Okay, I’ll do something about that whether or not I have Sans’ permission.”

Blue tugged on your hand. “I’D BE MORE COMFORTABLE IF I KNOW YOU’RE NOT TRYING TO TALK TO HIM AGAIN, Y/N. HE MIGHT HURT YOU.”

“I’m going to be fine, Blue. Don’t worry about me.” You looked back at the vault door to see that the muffins you placed in front were gone. “Can you guys go on ahead? I’ll... try to turn off the magic repressor in your rooms.”

The two of them were hesitant to leave you alone.

“Please?”

Stretch gestured to his brother to head to the elevator. Blue complied but he was watching you with a worried expression the whole time. After you made sure they were several minutes gone, you knocked on the big vault door. “Sans, can you hear me? I’m going to go to the security room and do something, alright?”

You didn’t wait for him to respond. You headed to the security room and turned the knob. It seemed like the same mechanism for the rest of the building. Everything was mostly monster-resistant, not human-resistant. The door swung open easily and you let yourself in the room.

You’ve been here a couple of times and you know how the system that Alphys set up works from listening in to her and Sans’ conversations. You never did try to touch anything without permission and you never had the reason to. You believed Sans the first time when he said it was for your sake.

Your hands settled on the keyboard naturally, gaining access to the building’s system. You found the magic repressor settings, fully taking in the data about it for the first time. Sans can use the magic repressor for the whole building but settled on activating it on the individualized rooms. You made sure you had the correct rooms in which to turn off or else you’ll be letting the two most dangerous pair in the building regain their magic. After checking once, twice, thrice, and then a fourth time, you typed in the needed code to fully turn off the magic repressor in Blue and Stretch’s room.

You fought off the urge to read the rest of the data available that wasn’t admin locked. You were sure you’d spend the rest of the night awake browsing everything. You left the security room a couple of minutes later, passing by the unfurnished one as you headed to the elevator.

You stopped, peering inside as an idea popped out so suddenly, you almost stumbled off your feet. You started walking again, faster this time, pushing the buttons for the elevator several times in a hurry. You tapped your foot impatiently as the elevator doors finally opened and you jogged towards Blue’s open room.

Stretch and Blue were already inside, two single beds pushed together on the opposite side of where the electric wall used to be, the scanner evidently destroyed beyond recognition. You immediately noticed that the handle of the door was smashed into pieces so no one would be able to fully lock the door again.

Your face broke into a grin. “Hey guys, do you want to go furniture shopping tomorrow? God knows I’ve been waiting for the right time to go to the mall after all.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

Sleeping in the building for the second night in a row was the last thing on your mind after everything you went through yesterday. You had assumed you would be cuddling in your not-soft-enough mattress but at least it wasn’t here. Granted, you only ever sleep and change clothes in your apartment and then come back here every day but at least it meant you have a choice to leave, unlike the others.

But as you lay awake beside Blue with respectable distance on two single beds pushed beside each other, you wondered if you were gonna have a chance to actually call your apartment home. If Blue was going to pull the right strings to keep you here with them for a couple more days then sooner or later, you’d be calling this place your home even if you didn’t want to.

Blue was afraid that Sans would go after them while you weren’t here. Blue’s concern was... justified to some degree. You didn’t know how to reassure him that Sans won’t hurt them while you weren’t here because you weren’t sure as well. You trust Sans to an extent that he wouldn’t harm the skeletons without purpose, especially if that purpose was to keep you from leaving him. But that didn’t mean he won’t snap sometime in the future and do something he would regret. He had become too... unpredictable, even for you. That was why you had become used to tiptoeing around him and made sure not to do something that’d enrage him.

You didn’t know how to explain that to the others so you let them think that you were obeying Sans’ every whim instead. It was easier.

You accepted Blue’s request to sleep here because as of right now, even if the two were relatively free, they still haven’t recovered their magic and that means they were utterly defenseless if Sans was going to strut in here and decide to dust them after all. Blue had quickly fallen asleep, his body used to falling asleep at a certain time. Stretch, however, had decided to camp out outside the room. He wanted to stand guard in case danger comes.

It made you feel a pinch of guilt. The two were out of their rooms yet they were still somehow caged by their fear. Maybe you should’ve told them destroying the door handle was a bad idea since even if it had provided a bit of comfort that they can go in and out of the rooms freely, it also meant that they can’t lock the door, making it easier for a certain someone to slip in without anyone noticing.

You ought to buy them a new set of doors, one that wasn’t controlled by the building. Wooden doors.

Exhaustion finally got to you and you drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours. You were woken up again by the cold, your tired eyes fluttering open to reveal that you had tried to snuggle closer to Blue for any sense of warmth. However, Blue didn’t radiate enough warmth as you thought living beings would. Well, he is a magic skeleton, after all. Or you didn’t snuggle close enough.

You tried to go back to sleep only to fail several times. Giving up trying to sleep, you crawled off the bed as quietly as you can, shivering automatically and pulling your lab coat tighter around you.

“good morning, honey,” Stretch’s tired and amused voice greeted you as you stepped out of the room. “i’d tell you to go back to sleep but if you’re anything like me, good sleep comes once in a blue moon.”

You trembled slightly as you flashed him a small smile while you took a seat next to him. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve had a good sleep in forever. What time does your brother usually wake up?”

Stretch pulled his hood over his eyes as he leaned his head back against the wall. “in more or less two hours. he has a routine every morning. i’m sure he hadn’t neglected doing it even if he had been confined in a month.”

“Oh. So that’s why I see him working out early in the morning.”

Stretch hummed as a response. It seemed like your presence had relaxed him a little bit and he was starting to nod off. You scooted closer to him, bumping his shoulder lightly. He opened an eye to look at you questioningly.

“You look like you could use a nap. Don’t worry, I won’t judge. I’ll keep an eye out for you and your brother.”

“ya sure?”

“Yes.”

You watched Stretch close his eyes, his body still tense. Not long after, he started to relax, his body sagging and his head lolling off to the side. You caught his head and then gently placed him on your shoulder. You sat there in silence for a couple more minutes until you couldn’t fight off the exhaustion. A quick nap wouldn’t be so bad.

You jerked awake as soon as you felt your center of gravity changed. You were still tired but the added nap has worked wonders to your weary mind.

“OH, Y/N! I’M SORRY! DID I WAKE YOU?”

Your gaze drifted over to Blue who was above you. You realized soon after that Blue was carrying in his arms, headed towards the room to presumably put you in one of the beds. “It’s fine. Can you put me down?”

Blue hesitantly put you down. “REALLY? I WAS GOING TO LET YOU SLEEP IN FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. PAPY SUGGESTED IT.”

“No, it’s fine.” Heat crept to your cheeks as you rose to your full height and was reminded that you were inches taller than Blue yet he was still able to carry you like you weighed nothing. How was he so strong? “I was thinking maybe we could drop by my apartment, have breakfast and then go to the mall.” You checked your phone. It was 4 a.m. which meant plenty of time to loiter in your apartment before you had to go out. “We need to be back before lunch though. For the others.”

You headed out of the room again, looking around for Stretch. As if on cue, the elevator doors opened, revealing Stretch inside. He was baffled to see you already awake. “so, what’s the plan?”

“We’re going out right now while it’s still early. Though the malls don’t open until 8 a.m.”

Blue was practically bouncing on his heels as the three of you rode down the elevator. At that moment, you realized this was their first time to go out of the building and actually see the surface. Anxiety buzzed in your ear but you weren’t sure if it’s because of you taking the two out of the building without asking Sans or because you knew it was the two’s first time on the surface.

You crossed the lobby hall, your hands feeling clammy as you pushed your palms down the length of your lab coat. You wanted to act like a good host and take them sightseeing but... you can’t. You couldn’t leave. “Try not to, uh,” your voice sounded weak, even for you, “catch attention.”

You pushed the doors open, stepping out into the dark outside world. Sunlight was still an hour or two away. A light breeze passed by, caressing your cheek while you glanced distractedly at the two brothers’ expressions. Blue looked positively excited, stars forming in his eyes as he took in the surrounding area. Stretch was hiding his surprise well as his attention darted everywhere before landing on you.

You gave them a shaky smile. A couple of square meters of land surrounded the building so presumably, you should have a front lawn and a backyard, but right now it was just an ordinary patch of land filled with untrimmed grass where you park your car somewhere every single day. There was no one around which was to be expected since this building was placed at the edge of town which meant no neighbors but trees all around.

“WOW,” Blue breathed out, his eyes finally landing on the sky above him. Stars were barely visible now but it didn’t lessen Blue’s amazement. “ARE THOSE THE STARS?”

You sunk in your shoulders as you headed towards your car. “Yeah. Those are stars.”

Blue stared at them for two whole minutes, just gazing up along with his brother. “THEY LOOK NOTHING LIKE THE STARS UNDERGROUND! THEY LOOK LIKE SO FAR AWAY. AND THE SKY LOOKS IMMEASURABLE!” Blue began to spill out all of his observations at once, even commenting on the building itself. “IS THAT YOUR CAR? YOU DRIVE A CAR?”

You forced yourself to relax by breathing in deep. “Yes, Blue. This is my car. Why don’t you two get in? It’s just a short drive to my apartment.”

Blue hopped over while you opened the car doors for them. As soon as Blue was inside, Stretch followed in. You closed the door before slipping inside as well.

The drive to your apartment was... well you couldn’t describe it in just a few words. You felt restless in a way that you think you were making a huge mistake bringing them out in the open but hearing Blue gush excitedly over every little thing ebbed your nerves if only by a little bit. You tried to answer his questions as best as you can.

“SO, THE SURFACE STRETCHES FOR MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF MILES? AND IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAVEL EVERY INCH OF THE SURFACE IN THIS LIFETIME?”

“Unless you have an infinite amount of money and dedication, then yeah. Humans aren’t particularly keen on traveling though. We usually just stay in one place once we found it. But of course, there are exceptions.” You inhaled sharply, mustering up the little strength you have. “Sorry, I can’t take you guys sightseeing even if I do want to. We still have to go back so I can take care of the others.”

There was a pause before Blue said, “IT’S ALRIGHT, Y/N! IT’S NOT LIKE WE CAN GO ANYWHERE IN OUR CONDITION.”

It was becoming painfully obvious that you have to address what your plans were after Blue and Stretch has been nursed to full health. Do you force them to stay in the building? Do you let them go out? What if they decide they didn’t want to stay here anymore? What if they wanted to travel and leave you here? What do you do?

You swallowed a thick lump in your throat.

...Next time.

For now, just focus on shopping and then coming back for the other two pairs of brothers.

Houses and buildings began to appear and the trees were less dense as you exited the narrow road the led to the building. Stretch and Blue was engaged in their own conversation but you were too out of it to even eavesdrop. You partly relaxed at the sight of the familiar apartment complex.

After parking your car and turning off the engine, you got out of the car, with Blue and Stretch following behind you. “Uhm, try to keep it down for a while, Blue, alright? Humans hate noise so early in the morning.”

“SURE—“ He paused, “Sure, Y/N!”

You gave him a smile before you led them into another building. You could imagine them comparing this building to the one where they were previously detained. Several humans were already awake, rushing about here and there, a couple of them glancing in your direction and your monster company. After taking an elevator, you got out of your floor.

“so, humans here aren’t held against their will?” Stretch asked. It was the first time he’d spoke to you ever since they left the building.

“No. This is where we live.” You fished out a key from your pocket and unlocked your apartment door. You swung it open, flashing jazz hands as you tried to smile warmly. “Welcome to my humble abode,” you echoed Stretch’s statement.

The two of them stepped inside. Your apartment was nothing fancy. Just a single-bedroom unit. There was a small kitchen with a fridge and a stove, a couch, a TV and... that was basically it. There was no need to move into a larger unit even if you could afford it because you were never really home. You spent most of your time in Sans’ building than here.

You wondered if the others could tell that your unit was as bland as their own rooms. There were no decorations, no personal things scattered about that hinted that this was your place. “You guys can, uhm, sit down and watch TV. Or raid my fridge. But I’m sure there’s nothing in my fridge. I’m just going to take a quick shower and change.”

“SURE THING, Y/N! WE’LL BE HERE WHEN YOU GET BACK!”

You ducked into your room to get a towel and some casual clothes, abandoning the lab coat on your unmade bed. As you slipped into the bathroom, you could hear the two talking in hushed tones. You decided you didn’t want to know what they were talking about if you could hear the hint of anger in Blue’s whisper.

You took pleasure in the hot water of your shower before the beginning of a long day at work. Since this was an earlier time than normal, you stayed in the bathroom for far longer than usual. At some point, you almost dozed off.

Afterward, you dried yourself off with the towel before dressing up in your casual clothes. You emerged from the bathroom less exhausted as if the hot water had washed you off of it. You felt a renewed sense of energy as your mind buzzed of the things you could do with the brothers today. It almost felt as if everything was back to normal and you had woken up from a years-long nightmare.

“Hey guy—“ They weren’t on the couch. Your heart dropped. You peeked towards the kitchen. No sign of them. You looked in your room. Nothing. A whole surge of mixed emotions rolled throughout your body. Your blood was pounding in your ears, your breathing becoming shallow. You immediately recognized you were on the verge of having a panic attack as you clutched your chest. “Shit, shit, shit—“

Your door swung open. “Y/N WE— ARE YOU OKAY?”

You lifted your head up to see the two of them standing in the doorway. Your panic started to subside at the sight of them and you accepted Blue’s hand to steady you. You took a couple of moments to close your eyes and breathe slowly until your breathing became even. “S-sorry. I thought you guys disappeared.”

“I’M SORRY IF WE WORRIED YOU,” Blue stated in concern, both of his hands now gripping yours. “WE WON’T LEAVE YOUR SIDE, Y/N. WE’LL BE HERE FOR YOU!”

You glanced at Stretch who was off glaring in another direction. You squeezed Blue’s hands, giving him an attempt of a smile.

Changing the subject, you asked, “Where’d you guys run off to?”

Blue straightened up, suddenly tugging you onto your couch. “MY BROTHER WAS BEING STUBBORN AND WANTED TO GO OUTSIDE SO I FOLLOWED HIM TO DRAG HIM BACK HERE! AND THEN YOUR LOVELY OLD NEIGHBOR OPENED HER DOOR AND WAS FAIRLY SURPRISED TO SEE US.” He pushed his hands down onto your shoulders, forcing you to sit in the middle while Blue sat beside you. Well, you didn’t have a table or chairs to sit on, so the couch would have to do.

Stretch rounded the couch, a paper bag in his hands. “she offered us her baked goods from yesterday. said it was leftovers and that we should have it. with you. since she’s your neighbor and all.”

Their story calmed you down. “Oh. Okay. I have a bottle of magic in my cupboards. I’ll go get it—“

Blue stood up before you did. “I’LL GET IT FOR YOU, HUMAN!” He ran off before you could say anything.

Stretch plopped down beside you, a sigh escaping his mouth. He offered you the paper bag lazily. “here ya go. keep it nice and cozy.”

You peered inside the paper bag, the smell of cinnamon wafting off from it. “Hmm, cinnamon rolls. Well, I guess this is breakfast.” You grabbed one, your mouth curling into a small smile. “It’s still hot. I’ve never had a hot breakfast in ages.”

“if anything you say is true then my bro would likely offer to cook breakfast.” His teeth quirked into a smirk. “have to warn you about his cooking skills though.”

Ugh, right. Papyrus was a terrible cook. At first. As soon as he understood that your human body was... picky in a sense, he had learned to change his tactics for you. He was a sweetheart. “Guess I need to tell him a couple of things,” you grumbled just as Blue returned holding the quarter-filled bottle. You stood up to get a plate, much to his bewilderment since he argued he could’ve gotten it for you. You emptied the paper bag onto the plate, grabbed another roll and devoured it in seconds before sprinkling the magic on top of the rolls.

The three of you sat in silence, eating the rolls as if this wasn’t the first time all three of you had breakfast together. “Y/N, CAN WE SHOP FOR GROCERIES AS WELL? I NOTICED THAT YOUR KITCHEN BARELY HAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD USE FOR COOKING!”

You and Stretch shared a glance. “Sure thing. I’d have to buy the others food as well.”

The three of you must’ve been tired because it didn’t take long for all of you to agree to take a quick nap since it was still too early. You set an alarm on your phone before setting on the coffee table. You had wanted to go sleep on your bed but Blue had latched onto your arm like a slug, encouraging you to nap on the couch with him instead.

And so you did. Blue threw an arm behind you even though you were clearly bigger than him and your response was an amused smile. Soon enough, you dozed off while partially lying on his shoulder, your forehead pressing on his cheekbone. You had missed the way he stared at you contently, a light blue blush on his cheeks while you burrowed closer to him.

“Blue, stop putting art glitter on the cart,” you groaned for the third time, pushing a grocery cart into a grocery aisle. “I told you, this doesn’t belong to human food.” It was like Papyrus all over again.

“BUT IT MAKES MY FOOD EXECUTION MUCH MORE AMAZING! TACOS NEED GLITTER!” he argued beside you. He has filled the cart with ingredients for tacos that you know you were going to have tacos for weeks. Fortunately, Stretch took pity on you and discreetly puts back half of what his brother placed in the cart.

“And for the second time, tacos are not the only thing you can cook. We can have burgers using the meat! Or we could buy ham,” you hummed, taking a couple more raw pork and beef into the cart. You also grabbed pasta noodles, silently praying that your hands wouldn’t shake if you finally decide to cook spaghetti again.

After filling up the grocery cart, you pushed your way to the counter, briefly telling Blue to stay put and push the cart when the line moves while you go and grab a couple of monster food available in the grocery. You settled on buying ready-made monster chicken and mushroom pie big enough for everyone. You could just reheat it in the microwave when you get to the building.

You paid for the things with your credit card, nose scrunching up a little to see Stretch’s own stack of honey bottles and cigarettes. You told him to get only one pack of cigarettes or the whole honey stash was gonna have to go. It was easy to guess his next move.

“I guess we should go drop this off in my car first,” you muttered as you took as many paper bags that you can handle... which wasn’t very much. Blue, without so much as breaking a sweat, tried to snatch yours even when his hands were full. “Blue, I know you have an endless amount of strength but I will tell you if I need help.”

Blue deflated a little. “OF COURSE, HUMAN! I JUST WANTED TO HELP.”

“I know.”

Stretch was carrying even less than you since Blue had decided to carry almost everything. The three of you walked back to the car with you almost tumbling once or twice because you couldn’t see your feet. Stretch was having the time of his life snickering every time you did. After dropping off the groceries, you led them back inside, a new vigor rushing through you.

“WHERE TO NEXT, Y/N?”

“Furniture shopping! Let’s go this way.” You headed towards the department store, looking over your shoulders every few minutes just to make sure they were still following you. At some point, Blue strutted next to you, one of his hands finding its way to yours. You visibly relaxed before nervously chuckling. “Heh, don’t want you to get lost now, do we?”

Blue beamed. “OF COURSE NOT!” He looked around the store, seemingly ignoring the looks that the humans were giving him. Humans in this part of town weren’t used to seeing monsters since there weren’t so many here. It was why you had the burst of confidence to ask them out in the first place. This mall was away from the monster-centered places in the middle of the town where they supposedly settled in. A couple of monsters branched out from Mt. Ebott but most of them stayed.

“WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE LOOKING FOR, Y/N?”

You gave him a small smile as you directed him to the area of living room furniture. “Remember that desolate place in the ground floor lobby?”

“YES! THE ONE WITH THE SMALL KITCHEN?”

“Yeah. I thought it would be nice if we set up a living room in there. You know, just so it feels a little homier.”

His grin was sincere as it widened, reaching his bright eye lights. “WOWIE! ARE YOU GOING TO MOVE IN NOW?”

Move-in? That was odd. Unless Blue thinks they lived in the building rather than being held hostage in it. “I don’t know. But it could use a little comfy feel, don’t you think? It is a waste of space if we won’t be able to use it.”

Blue puffed his chest out. “DON’T WORRY, Y/N! I HAVE AN EXCELLENT EYE FOR ALL THINGS! WE’LL FIND OUR COMFIEST AND HOMIEST FURNITURE!”

You and Blue spent a couple of hours walking around the store. Stretch had split off moments ago and to just ‘holler’ when you need him. You were a little nervous to let him off on his own but Blue was here with you. He wouldn’t run without his brother, right? It was just a matter of time until you were focused intently with finding the right furniture. You’ve already picked out several; a coffee table, a bookshelf, a TV stand, two beanbag chairs for comfy’s sake, a loveseat.

You were debating whether getting a futon or a sofa when the two of you discovered Stretch occupying a beige linen sofa. It wasn’t just a sofa, it was a sectional one, where it includes two more armless ones. It would definitely occupy a lot more people and you could even set it up as a bed if need be. “oh, hey. chair to sit down?”

“Stretch, this is the one!” you gushed as you rushed down to him, your hands splaying on top of the sofa and feeling it. “How’d you picked this out?”

“what do you mean ‘picked it out’? it was the first one i’ve seen sofa.”

Blue groaned behind you. “BROTHER, NOT HERE.”

You smiled, pretending to tap your chin as you inspected the sofa. “Well, it’s bedder than the rest I’ve seen.”

“STOP ENCOURAGING HIM, Y/N!”

You and Stretch snickered under your breath. You decided to let it go. “Okay, let’s get this one. C’mon.”

Stretch tilted his head. “aren’t we gonna get you like a bed or something? i noticed there was an unfinished bedroom and bathroom in that place.” He ignored the blatant glare that Blue gave him.

You pursed your lips. Alphys used to occupy the bedroom back there since Sans had dibs on the basement. The whole space was unfurnished since nobody really ‘lived’ there. The three of you would just use the kitchen, the only place Sans bothered to install for food purposes, and moved on. If you were going to spend most of your nights sleeping in the building to soothe Blue’s concerns then maybe it was probably best to have a bedroom set up so you won’t have to keep sleeping in one of the brother’s beds.

“I guess.” You muttered more to yourself than to the two, “Maybe I should ring up Alphys’ old worker so he can install the bathroom.”

So the next 30 minutes were spent looking for things to put in your ‘temporary’ bedroom. It wasn’t much of trouble since you basically pointed out the first thing you saw. Blue argued you should check out a few more but shopping for yourself... wasn’t really in your best interest. You were excited to shop for others since you cared about how they’d feel but you didn’t really care about your feelings. It was whatever.

Due to Blue’s incessant orders, you got yourself a nightstand, a couple of pillows, blankets, a soft comforter, and all these things you swore you didn’t need. You paid all of it with your credit card, your phone buzzing a notification of your recent purchases. You asked the man behind the counter when you can expect the delivery. His answer was either tomorrow or the next day. Fair enough.

You checked your phone. You had snipped quite a portion of your savings from all the things you’ve bought. You had been saving up in the past years for an apartment that you wanted to move into but since you didn’t have a need for that anymore after you’ve decided to stay with Sans, the money you were saving kept piling up unused. It has been a while since you bought something for yourself and the thought of it warmed you a little.

You noticed the time. It was nearing lunch. You should be heading back by now. You looked up from your phone to tell the brothers but stopped. Your eyes glazed over their forms as a sudden realization hits you. They... they have been wearing those clothes for a month now with no other choice of clothing. It’s not like they packed up or anything when they were dragged here.

The others could wait a little while more.

“Stretch, you look ridiculous, please,” you said as a laugh bubbled out of you. Stretch wore a bright green shirt over an orange-striped long-sleeved one along with red shorts. “Just pick one or the other, not both.”

“can’t please everyone.” He shrugged, a smirk tugging on his face.

“That is not a hit or miss outfit. It’s just a miss. It’s mismatched!” You shook your head, turning around to rummage through a set of clothes. “How ‘bout just get this shirt? You already picked a handful of hoodies.”

“if you think it suits me, then go right ahead.”

You’ve completely lost track of time. The three of you had spent more than an hour shopping for their clothes, enough that they can mix and match an outfit to their liking. Speaking of clothes, it made you remember to jot down that you’ll need a dryer and a washing machine as well. Blue had picked a variety of clothes, probably having one for each occasion. Stretch needed a little help since he refused to get anything other than khakis, socks, and hoodies.

Your eyes nearly popped out of its sockets when you noticed how much time had gone by. The drive back was fun, the rest of the day had melted most of the tension from this morning. It seemed that Stretch had relaxed after the morning had gone by so well without any incidents. You weren’t gonna lie; when Sans’ building had appeared in your line of sight, your stomach dropped as you were pulled back into reality. It had felt like a normal day and it was just you taking out your friends for a normal day at the mall. It’s like there weren’t any trapped skeletons in some suspicious building hidden in a forest.

You parked the car, almost in a daze as Blue handled the groceries immediately without questions asked. Stretch helped him while you dialed Alphys’ number.

Two rings and she answered. “H-hey, Y/N! How are you? Is something wrong? Why a-are you calling? How’s Sans?”

Blue turned to look at you for a quick moment, realizing they couldn’t open the doors without you. You briskly walked towards them to give them a hand before walking back to your car to speak to Alphys.

“I’m fine. I’m more than okay, really. Nothing’s wrong. Sans is fine... I think. Let me update you on what happened in the last few days.” You gave her a short summary of what transpired. She shouted in the middle of you telling her that there were two more pairs of brother that appeared right after she left. She quickly quieted down once you told her that you’ve let the first pair out of their rooms and out of the building for the first time today.

“I-it does sound like you’re doing okay since you have fewer things to worry about... I hope -Blue and Stretch?- aren’t giving you a hard time.”

“Oh, no. Not really. They’re actually really nice. You know, when they’re not imprisoned and whatnot.” You swallowed. “Uh, that’s not the reason I called. Do you have that number of the worker that can install a couple of things? I’m kinda, for lack of a better term, moving in.”

“R-really? I...” Alphys paused on the other line. “I don’t know how to feel about that. B-but if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you. Call me anytime you n-need help, alright?” She sighed. “I’m sending you the worker’s number right now.”

“Thanks, Alphy.”

After a short conversation with the worker and telling him what your plan was, he agreed to come by tomorrow to start working on it. You told him to send you the list of stuff he’d need and you’d send money for it online. You stated the dimensions of the bathroom off the top of your head before the call ended.

You ignored the sense of dread coating you like a blanket and hurried off to the kitchen. Thankfully, Blue had already popped the monster pie in the microwave and was now cutting it into pieces. “HI, Y/N! ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PHONE CALL? WHY DON’T YOU HAVE A SEAT AND LET’S EAT LUNCH FIRST?”

You grabbed the set of paper plates and plastic utensils in one of the drawers in occasions like this where you bought food that can’t be eaten using your hands. Usually, you hated doing the little things which was why you always bought baked goods or burgers. But, these things were barely an effort. You cautiously balanced a piece of pie with only a plastic spoon, setting it down on the paper plate. You flashed Blue an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Blue. The others are expecting me.”

Blue gave you a sad pout. “IT’LL BE FAST! I PROMISE! JUST STAY FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES.”

You were beginning to notice the pattern in regards to Blue’s requests. You shouldn’t encourage his actions. “Blue,” you stated seriously, “Please, don’t do that. I’m giving in to you out of my desire to make up for all the things I did to harm you. Don’t take advantage it.”

Guilt was written all over his face as he cast his eyes downward. “I APOLOGIZE, Y/N! IT’S NOT MY INTENTION TO MAKE YOU FEEL BAD!”

You let out a tired sigh. “We’ll talk later, alright?”

“OF COURSE! I’LL BE HERE. NOT THAT I HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO TO.”

You ignored the last part of his sentence as you dashed out of the kitchen and into the elevator doors.

“YOU’RE LATE.”

Your lips curled into a smile as you sat down in front of Edge. In the past four days you’ve been talking to Edge, he never did once sit down to level with you. He probably liked that you were looking up to him even if it’s straining your neck.

“How’d you even know how much time has passed?” you asked him in morbid curiosity, sliding up the plate to his side. You almost froze as your fingers grazed the wall, immediately forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to know you could walk over to his side. You left the plate three-fourths in since you can’t push it any farther without passing your hand through the barrier.

“...DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW?” he asked, smugly smirking. “OF COURSE, YOU DO. I COUNT EVERY SECOND IN MY HEAD. I KNOW IT’S BEEN MORE THAN 24 HOURS SINCE WE’VE LAST SEEN EACH OTHER. YOU’RE LATE BY 45 MINUTES, BABYSITTER.”

You blinked at him, perplexed, before pulling out your phone. “Huh. You’re right. I still need to leave in 75 minutes. I’ll try to make it up to you by passing by again after meeting all the others.” Your eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, did you say you count every second in your head? How about when you’re asleep?”

“I KNOW HOW MANY SECONDS HAS PASSED WHILE I’M ASLEEP. I’M THAT GREAT,” he stated smugly. “I’VE DEVELOPED MY OWN STRICT SCHEDULE AND MY BODY HAS MEMORIZED IT.”

“No, wow,” you said in amazement, “That’s really amazing! I can’t believe you’re capable of doing that.” You looked around in concern. “Maybe I should get you a clock so you don’t have to guess what time it is,” you mutter mostly to yourself.

“THAT’S—“ Edge stopped before he continued, cautiously, “CONSIDERATE OF YOU, BABYSITTER.”

Guess this was as good a gratitude you were going to get from him. “Of course. So, do you wanna talk about anything in particular? You know, 'cause that’s all we can do.” For the moment. You still haven’t decided if you should tell these pair of brothers about freedom.

Edge raised a browbone. “TELL ME THE REASON WHY YOU WERE LATE.”

You looked up at him in surprise. “Really?” He didn’t confirm nor deny anything, just stared at you. “So, you’re curious about how my morning went?”

Edge scoffed. “OH, PLEASE! IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE SINCE I’M STUCK ROTTING IN HERE AND AS YOU’VE SAID, THERE ISN’T ANYTHING MUCH WE CAN DO AND I SUPPOSED ALL I DID WAS I TALK ABOUT MYSELF IN THE PAST FOUR DAYS...” He let the sentence hang, not quite finishing his thought.

“I went to the mall.” You smiled at the ground. “We—I’m fixing up this room in the ground floor lobby, make it more apartment-like or something. We already have a kitchen. The living room furniture will arrive tomorrow or the next day.”

Edge furrowed his brow bones. “YOU’RE GOING TO LIVE HERE? I THOUGHT YOU’D MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THIS WAS STRICTLY A PLACE OF BUSINESS.” He crossed his arms, a scowl flashing on his face. “DID YOUR SHITTY SANS FORCE YOU?”

You shook your head. “No, nothing like that. I guess I,” you paused, trying to find the right words without sharing too much, “wanted to be available to you guys as much as I can. Like what if you’re in danger and I’m back in my apartment minutes away and can’t get to you guys? Something like that.”

“YOU SOUND INCREDIBLY STUPID,” Edge sneered. “IF YOU HAVE THIS ADVANCE SECURITY MEASURE THAT IS KEEPING ME AND OTHER MONSTERS IN PRISON, THEN I’M ASSUMING YOU ALSO HAVE THE SAME MEASURE FOR THE WHOLE PLACE.”

“Just take it as it is,” you remarked, too tired to explain.

Edge huffed. “WHATEVER. SO THIS MALL IS A PLACE ON THE SURFACE WHERE YOU BUY FURNITURE,” he stated blandly.

“You can buy a lot more things than that. Clothes, services, food, and everything in between.”

“WEAPONS?” he asked, looking interested for a split second before you laughed while saying ‘no.’

“There aren’t a lot of places you can buy weapons up here, Edge. Violence is usually frowned upon.”

“HOW ABOUT IMPRISONMENT OF EITHER MONSTERS OR HUMANS?”

“Yeah, that, too. We’d most likely go to jail if anyone found out.”

Edge snickered. “THAT I’D LOVE TO SEE. IT’S THE APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT FOR TREATING ME LIKE SOME KIND OF ANIMAL.”

You sucked in a breath. “Then tell me. Tell me what I can do to lessen your discomfort.”

Edge looked offended. “I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP, BABYSITTER! I CAN VERY WELL WITHSTAND WHATEVER COMES MY WAY OR I WOULDN’T BE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

Your gaze softened. “That’s not what I mean, E—Papyrus.”

He scowled. “OF COURSE. YOU ONLY WANT ME TO BECOME CONTENT WITH THIS LIFESTYLE WHERE I AM A GOOD AND COOPERATIVE PRISONER.”

“Well, if you ask me, I’m pretty sure you’d do anything other than be a good and cooperative prisoner if you’ve got a choice.” You started to pick at the hem of your shirt. You suddenly realized you weren’t wearing your lab coat today. You forgot it back home in your apartment. Huh. Edge never brought it up.

You continued, “It’s just that I’m here only for two hours a day and then you have to keep yourself entertained until I come back. I’m pretty sure that messes with your head. I mean I’m no psychologist but I think yearning for some kind of social interaction when you’re going through that is... normal, I guess? I do have two living ‘prisoners’ to back that up.” You shrugged. “So, you know. It’s not your fault that you’re acting like a ‘good and cooperative’ prisoner. It’s just instinct to make some sort of connection to anyone... even with your keeper.”

That one month with the swapped brothers had a dark kind of advantage to it.

“C-CERTAINLY! IF I DO HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE, I WOULD NOT ENTERTAIN YOU AT ALL, BABYSITTER.”

The atmosphere was so heavy; you could taste it in your mouth. “Certainly, Edge.” You looked up to smile at him. “Do you think... we’d be friends if we met in different circumstances?”

“NEVER,” he answered instantaneously. “I WOULD NEVER LET A SUBPAR HUMAN GET CLOSE TO ME!”

You almost burst out laughing. He clearly reminded you of Papyrus. “Really? What if I told you I can cook...pasta?” You didn’t specifically know what it was that he obsessed over so this was as general as it gets. “What kind do you like?”

“I MAKE AN EXQUISITE LASAGNA,” he arrogantly stated. “ONE THAT WOULD NEVER GRACE YOUR TASTE BUDS IF YOU KEEP ME LOCKED IN HERE.”

The corner of your lips tugged up into a smirk. “Oh? Is that a bribe?” You hummed. “I do have yet to taste above average lasagna.”

You briefly saw a flash of anticipation across his features. “THEN I GUESS YOU WOULD REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFFE, BABYSITTER. YOU’D BE SITTING IN REGRET EVEN BEYOND YOUR DEATH!”

“Yeah, doesn’t sound like my kind of death.” You tilted your head. “Do you want me to cook some for you?”

He looked apprehensive. “YOU WANT TO MAKE LASAGNA... MY EXPERTISE?” he confirmed in a tasteless tone. “YOU THINK YOU COULD REACH MY IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS?”

“I dunno, Edge. You tell me,” you said cheekily, jabbing the air with a finger. “Although... your brother doesn’t want me to feed you any of my homemade meals.”

“MY BROTHER SAID WHAT?!” He scoffed. “DID I TELL HIM TO SPEAK FOR ME? I DID NOT! WE’RE IN SEPARATE ROOMS YET HE STILL FINDS WAYS TO PISS ME OFF!”

“I think he’s just looking out for you.” His sexual jokes flashed through your mind and you couldn’t stop the heating of your cheeks. “But his jokes are sometimes distasteful.”

Edge immediately picked it up. He took a step forward closer to you, almost startling you by the sudden movement. “WHAT? WHAT DID HE TELL YOU? PLEASE DON’T TELL ME HE’S SHAMELESSLY SEDUCING YOU!?” He let out a growl. “THAT STUPID IDIOT! JUST BECAUSE I’M NOT THERE TO PULL ON HIS LEASH DOESN’T MEAN HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS!”

“I wouldn’t say seducing per se...” You trailed off as you flushed even harder. “Edge, your brother’s room is literally across from yours. You don’t need to get riled up about that.”

“NO. TELL HIM THAT IF HE SO MUCH AS LOOKS AT YOU PROVOCATIVELY, I WILL DUST HIM MYSELF!”

You snorted, a short laugh escaping your lips. “What, does he do that often?”

“THIS IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER. IT IS EXASPERATING TO FIND ALL THESE DIFFERENT MONSTERS THAT COME OUT OF HIS ROOM EVERY NIGHT! IT’S BEYOND DISGUSTING!”

“What makes me any different, then?”

“BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR A ONE NIGHT STAND OR ANY SORT OF COMMITMENT,” he hissed. “IT IS NOT MUTUAL. HE IS HITTING ON YOU DESPITE YOUR UNEASINESS.” He snapped his jaw shut, eye sockets fractionally narrowing. “UNLESS I AM WRONG AND THAT YOU DO LIKE IT.”

You anxiously flattened your clothes just to keep your hands busy. “Well... it did make me uncomfortable. But it’s not like he could do anything about it. He’s just as trapped as you.”

“PERHAPS. BUT IT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT’S REVOLTING. HE REALLY HAS NO STANDARDS, DOES HE?” Edge shook his head in disbelief. “A HUMAN!”

“Monster-human relationships are a thing, you know. Ever since the barrier broke.”

“WHAT MONSTER WANTS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A HUMAN?”

“Well, you do!” You clicked your tongue. “Or technically, an alternate you. But, the point still stands.”

Edge made a face. “YOUR TIME’S ALMOST UP. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU’D FREE ME FROM THIS CONVERSATION.”

You finally stood up, stretching your hips. “Thanks for talking to me, Edge. I’ll try and make you lasagna this week if I have enough free time.”

“GOODBYE, HUMAN.”

You practically couldn’t hide your beaming face. You pretended to count your fingers up to seven. “Oh, look at that. It only took you, mhm, 3 days of no contact, and then 4 days or basically 10 hours of being with me to call me human! That’s a huge amount of progress if I do say so myself.”

Edge was wholly red in the face. “GET OUT OF HERE OR I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS, WENCH!”

“See you later, Edge! I did promise you I’ll swing by later for the rest of your minutes.” You shot him a wink and a flurry of curses followed you until you shut the door close.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

An idiotic grin still lingered on your face as you paused in the middle of the hallway, still snickering on your interaction with Edge.

“HE SOUNDS VERY RUDE.”

You let out a small squeal in surprise, your heart skipping a beat as you whipped your head to find Blue standing there for what seemed like a long time. You clutched your chest and let out a deep sigh. “Blue, you scared the heck out of me.”

Blue tilted his head, shooting you an amused gaze. “SORRY IF I STARTLED YOU, HUMAN,” he said, not sounding very sorry at all. “I’LL TRY TO BE CAREFUL NEXT TIME.”

You straightened up. “Oh, that’s alright. I just wasn’t used... You see, it’s been quite some time before somebody other than me walked around these halls.” You scratched the back of your head. “I’ll get used to it. Sorry.”

“WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING?” Blue asked. “YOU DID NOTHING WRONG OF THE SORTS!”

You flinched. “Oh, yeah. Sorry— ah, fuck.” You began to bite your lower lip, fighting off the urge to apologize once again. “What are you doing here again?” Look at that, you picked up some pointers from the masters of changing the subject.

Fortunately, Blue took the bait. “OH! I CAME TO GIVE YOU THE FOOD YOU’RE BRINGING YOUR NEXT... TALKING SESSION?” He looked hesitant to use the term ‘prisoners’. He offered you a piece of monster pie on a paper plate, grinning widely.

“Thank you, Blue. That’s nice of you,” you said curtly, taking the plate into your hands. “Do you need anything else...?” you asked when he stood there looking expectantly.

“W-WELL, YOU SEE, I TOLD PAPY I WANTED TO COOK SOMETHING! USING THE GROCERIES WE JUST BOUGHT THIS MORNING. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAD YOUR HANDS FULL... AND HE SAID I SHOULD ASK PERMISSION FROM YOU FIRST!”

Thank the stars for Stretch. You gave him an apologetic smile. “Blue... how about you wait for me to finish so I could help you around the kitchen?” You didn’t want to add a burnt kitchen to the list of places to rework on. “It’s just that... the human kitchen is very flammable.”

“IS IT?” Blue asked dejectedly. “H-HOW ABOUT IF I PROMISE I WON’T BURN THE KITCHEN OR ANYTHING I LAID MY HANDS ON?”

You raised a brow. “Can you?”

Blue stood there, his face contorting like he was trying to poop. A light blue blush glowed on his cheekbones. “.......NO.”

A small laugh bubbled out of you. “Then just wait for me tonight, ‘kay? We’ll try to make those tacos of yours.”

“ALRIGHT, Y/N!” he beamed happily. “THANK YOU!”

You were about to turn around when Blue hastily shouted, “WAIT!” You angled yourself to look back at him, waiting for him to continue. “U-UHM,” he began to shift on his toes, “I CAN’T FIND ANYTHING TO DISTRACT MYSELF WITH. IS IT OKAY TO COME WITH YOU?”

“No,” you said immediately and you watched as Blue’s face fell. “Sorry, Blue,” you said, “I really can’t. I mean, you wouldn’t really wanna meet this next one. His name’s Red. Well, actually, I call him Red but he’s actually a Sans. Anyway, I—“

“I KNOW WHO RED IS, HUMAN! AND I ALSO KNOW HIS BROTHER, WHOM YOU JUST CAME OUT OF THE ROOM FROM! I’M CERTAIN THAT WHOEVER THEY ARE, NO MATTER HOW ‘VIOLENT’ THEY ARE, I’M SURE THEY AREN’T SO BAD! THE MAGNIFICENT SANS CAN BEFRIEND ANYONE!” He puffed out his chest proudly, his eye lights focused on your reaction.

“Blue... I don’t think Sans would...” You didn’t know how to let him down gently.

Blue perked up at the mention of Sans’ name. “OH. WILL HE BE ANGRY AT YOU IF I COME INTO THE ROOMS?” He sounded genuinely concerned.

“Yeah,” probably, “We can’t risk it. Sorry, Blue. It’s safer for you and your brother to keep your distance.”

“ALRIGHT, Y/N. I’LL DROP IT FOR THE MEANTIME.”

“Thank you.” You shoot him a smile. “I’ll see you later, alright? Just rest for now. You’re still recovering.”

Blue nodded. “SEE YOU, Y/N!”

You saw a flash of unease in his face as you knocked and then disappeared into Red’s room.

“took ya long enough,” Red greeted as you entered. “who’s outside?”

You must’ve been looking at Blue a tad bit longer and you froze at his question. At the last second, you tried to shake it off with a smile as you strolled across the room. “Nobody. I brought monster pie. It’s not Toriel’s pie unfortunately but it’s good.” You instinctively handed the pie over to him, your hand stopping in place as half of the paper plate had passed through the wall.

Alarmed, Red snatched the plate out of your hands from his side. “what the—are you fucking crazy??? what if ya got electrocuted?!”

You reeled back, surprised by his reaction. You blinked. “...Red, are you worried?” About me?

Red scowled, making his teeth look bigger than it already was. “y’er gettin’ cocky now, are ya?” he retorted dauntingly, hunching his shoulders.

That behavior... he was trying to intimidate you to avoid answering the question. Your lips curled into a smile. “What, you think a human like me wouldn’t handle one single shock?”

Red’s grin widened. “y’know what? ya can do whatever the fuck ya want.” He bowed, gesturing to the wall in clumsy grace.

“Oooh, a gentleman. Sorry, but I’ll take a rain check.”

“coward.”

“That I am,” you agreed. You got comfortable, sitting cross-legged in front of him. For a moment, you wondered what Red would be like if he found out you could actually pass through the wall. Would he kill you? ...He did threaten your life a lot of times. You expected him to be more or less aggressive like he usually was as if the ‘friendly’ atmosphere from your last talk had gone up in smokes. But it didn’t seem like it.

This conversation... felt a lot like harmless banter.

“so, ya handing out unauthorized visits now?”

“What?”

“y’er not wearing a coat.” He flicked his eyes over your form twice. “if ya ask me, i prefer ya like this. makes ya look a lot less like an asshole.”

“Are you telling me a lab coat makes you look like an asshole?”

“a certified asshat,” he corrected, running a red tongue over his teeth in amusement. “speakin’ of, clothes, in general, makes ya look like a jackass. better ta get rid of it all.”

You snorted. “That line certainly wants me to strip,” you stated flatly.

Red leaned over, shamelessly stating, “well, no one’s stopping ya, sweetheart.”

Ok, ok. You pushed down the blush threatening to come up as you tried to turn the tables. “Not to be the bearer of bad news but you’re wearing a tad too many clothes as well.”

Red intense eye lights bore into yours. “is that a challenge?”

Oh, stars. You wanted to wipe that smug little smirk off his face but from the one week you’ve known Red, he was not one to back down from this challenge. He will most definitely strip down naked without shame and you were going to be forced into a flustered mess and a loser. The smart thing to do here was to turn this down before it goes into the direction Red wanted it to take.

Too bad.

Well, there was one other thing you could say. “Tell him if he so much looks at you provocatively, I will dust him myself,” you quoted.

You forgot it was possible for skeletons to actually look pale. Red looked taken aback, the stupid smirk on his face was wiped off just like you wanted it. “y-y’er shittin’ me.”

You shrugged, taking joy in his nervousness. “Hm? What?”

“y’er not actually tellin’ my brother everything,” he retorted, indignant.

“You’re right, I’m not.” Red’s shoulders sagged. “But I believe he would wanna know if his brother outright disobeyed him.”

“you bitch.”

You hummed. “I try.”

There was a pause as Red lied down on the floor in his usual position, looking up at you as he propped up his chin with an arm. “so... are ya done dancing around the question or are ya gonna tell me who ya were talking to outside?”

You tried not to flinch. “You seem awfully chatty today,” you said, quoting him. “Are you coming to terms with the fact that just talking is better than being on the defense and offense at the same time?”

“mhm, probably,” Red mused. “t’is getting tiring and ya are the only highlight of my day. so, y’er still not done dodging the question, are ya?”

You ignored his question. “Good because I’m getting tired of you intimidating me for hours straight.”

Apparently, Red was not Blue. “and i’m gettin’ tired of ya avoiding the question.” Red reached out for the plate of pie and tossed the whole piece in his mouth. You watched as the pie disappeared without him even chewing. Looks like he was too lazy to keep up appearances today. “i doubt ya have friends walkin’ around in here ‘cuz y’er the only one who’s been coming in and out the whole week... so i’ll take a wild guess and assume it’s y’er sans.”

You fought the urge to bite your lip. At least he didn’t think it was other prisoners like him who now get to walk free. “He won’t talk to you no matter how much you beg, you know,” you said, your voice small.

“i was thinkin’ more on the lines of ‘dusting him with my own two hands’.”

You frowned almost immediately, crossing your arms. “Red.”

“what?” Red rolled his eye lights. “right, right. ya care about the fucking jerkwad that ruined y’er life or whatever.

“Red,” you called him again. “Just drop it.”

“y’know what? i do think y’er sans is an interesting topic we can talk about. how high is his lv? has he killed monsters like we did? does he actually think that we can’t get out of here someday to dust him? does he think he’s in the higher moral ground here or has he abandoned all morals?” Red ignored the hurt that crossed your face. “oh wait, don’t tell me you think he still cares about you? ‘s that why y’er protecting him?”

“Red,” you said firmly this time. “Stop it.” Okay, Red just dialed back the ‘aggressiveness’ part but he’s still at it. You knew more or less this was a rouse to bait you into telling him something by riling you up. 

Irritation could be seen plain as day in his expression. “tell me again why y’er here, working for him.”

“Because he needs me,” you answered without hesitation. “And you need me. And the others, too. Nobody else would be willing to take care of all of you. I doubt any human would want to be a part of a shady, not to mention illegal, monster activity, no matter how much Sans would pay them.”

Red’s eyes brightened unnervingly. “ya must think y’er some kind of a selfless person or somethin’.” He clicked his tongue. “he ruined y’er life. y’er here stuck with us, stuck with him when ya could be anywhere out on the surface right now. he’s fucking delusional.”

You blinked. So, Red was at this part now. The part where he tries to get you to see reason about how ‘bad’ Sans was. He was more straightforward than the others which made you a tad grateful. “No matter what you say, I will never leave him or you, Red. I’ve been with Sans through his best and I’m not leaving at his worst. Just drop it. I’ve had different versions of this conversation with the others.”

Red’s grin tightened, his eye lights searching your face before huffing. “fine.”

You let yourself relax. “Good. It’s funny though how you all expect me to leave Sans or something even though that’s just putting your lives on the line. Who the fuck do you all expect to take care of you when I’m gone then?”

Red scoffed. “that’s hardly y’er problem, sweetheart.”

You smiled. “That’s sweet.”

“y’er calling me sweet? let me out of here and i’ll show ya how sweet i can be.”

You snorted. “Let me see you get out of there and I’ll let you do whatever you want, sweetie.” You didn’t back down from his gaze, the two of you holding each other’s gazes as long as you can. Red cracked first, his head thrown back as he barked out a laugh.

“jeez, doll, i could get used to y’er confidence.” He shamelessly threw you a wink. “it’s a good look on ya.”

Your cheeks heated up at his compliment. You tried to dismiss it. “Shut up. You know I’m only acting like this because you can’t get your hands anywhere near me.”

Red’s smirk lifted. “i would love to get my hands everywhere on you.”

“Oh my god, can’t we just talk without you using a pick-up line every time you opened your mouth?”

“sweetheart, there are a lot more things my mouth can do.”

Groan. “Okay, I set up that one. My mistake.” The two of you chuckled, the air becoming light as it transitioned back to your harmless banter with Red.

There really weren’t many things that Red was interested in talking about. You talked about his brother, what your relationship with him was like. You talked about the other skeletons as well but only in limited details. For some reason, you were still wary of Red, no matter how relaxed he seemed these days compared to when you two first met. He has a high LV for god’s sake. He’s dusted a lot of monsters just like his brother and they don’t seem to regret it. But you weren’t judging him for the blood on his hands, you were being careful about getting too close to him and then one day giving him a chance to snap your neck the least you expect it.

You were afraid of trusting him like you did Blue, except this time, Red wouldn’t hesitate to take your life. And as much as you tried to be wary of him, you knew at some point you’d trust him. Because he’s a Sans.

As you expected, the session ended without Red revealing anything about himself. Before you went out of his room, you paused as you remembered to ask, “Hey. What’s your favorite condiment?”

Red raised a brow bone. “wouldn’t ya like ta know?”

A little sigh escaped you. “I’m not trying to bait you or anything. You know what? I’ll just ask your brother.”

“...don’t.”

You stopped. “What?”

There was some kind of defeated look on his face, one you didn’t expect was the type he’d wear. “don’t give me anything. i don’t want y’er gifts.” He forced out a bitter laugh. “it’s fucked up. just, don’t, okay?”

“Red...”

Red groaned, rubbing his phalanges over his head. “don’t give me that look either. fuck, i don’t want y’er pity. just go do your fucking job and leave, doll.”

You don’t know what more you can give him. You sucked it up, nodded to him once, and then left the room. As soon as you locked the door behind you, you let out a weary sigh.

“ARE YOU OKAY, HUMAN?”

You jumped once again as Blue’s voice penetrated your thoughts. “Oh. Hi, Blue,” you greeted. You tilted your head as you scanned his form. “Were you just waiting outside this whole time?”

“KIND OF,” he admitted, abashed. “I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. I’VE ALREADY VISITED EVERY FLOOR. I TRIED TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN, REARRANGE THE SHEETS, SEARCH FOR MY BROTHER. AND THEN, UM, WHEN I WAS DONE WITH ALL THAT, I CAME BACK HERE TO WAIT FOR YOU!”

“You really didn’t have to do that,” you said. You started to walk to the direction of the elevator with Blue closely following. “Do you guys want to go outside? I can open the door for you.”

“IF WE GO OUTSIDE, THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOU TO FINISH YOUR TALKS BEFORE YOU CAN LET US IN AGAIN!”

“Well,” you racked your brain as you pressed the button for the ground floor instinctively, “We can put a door stopper so the door won’t stop all the way and you and Stretch can go in and out whenever.”

“R-REALLY? IS THAT...ALRIGHT?”

“It’s fine by me,” you answered, ignoring the anxious swell of your chest of leaving them outside without supervision. They were adults and they weren’t pets. If they want to leave... they can. You can’t stop them. But it’s not like they can go anywhere at this point... they were still both recovering from their loss of magic. They can’t go anywhere far. And this building was by far safer than getting lost in the forest surrounding the area. They most definitely can’t drive; there weren’t any cars in the Underground.

“BUT... IS IT ALRIGHT FOR...?” Blue didn’t need to finish his question. You both knew who he was talking about.

“Don’t worry about it,” you answered softly. “He’s too busy in his own works that he doesn’t have time. Plus, I’m here, alright? You can come running to me.”

“I... THANK YOU, Y/N,” Blue replied, matching your tone and gazing at you sincerely. “I KNEW YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON.”

You didn’t want to comment at that as you stepped out of the elevator to go into the kitchen. Blue still followed you like a lost puppy. You started to boil water using a kettle and then prepared the mugs and tea while waiting.

Blue stood on his tiptoes as he watched over your shoulder. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” he asked, even though he can most clearly see what you were doing right now. “ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A SHORT BREAK?”

“No, this is for Ace,” you responded with a smile.

Blue paused, his brows knitting in confusion. “...YOU’RE HAVING TEA WITH HIM?”

“Yes.”

“BUT... YOU NEVER HAD TEA WITH ME!”

Your eyebrows raised in surprise as you turn to look at him. “Oh. We can have some tea later...?”

“NO!” Blue remarked. “YOU NEVER HAD TEA WITH ME WHEN YOU COME BY MY ROOM. WHY ARE YOU HAVING TEA WITH ‘ACE’?”

You didn’t know how to explain it to him. You struggled to form your words. “Uh, I... Well, it came up one time and it just sort of became a habit to have tea with him.” You stared at his obviously crumpled expression. “Are you upset?”

“NO!” Blue said too quickly before darting his eyes to the side and adding, “NO... I JUST DON’T GET WHY... YOU’RE HAVING TEA WITH HIM. DID YOU HAVE TEA WITH MY BROTHER?”

“No?”

Blue huffed. “THEN WHY IS ACE GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT?” His hand shot up, pointing at you accusingly. “ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH HIM?”

You turned away from him, trying to busy yourself. “I don’t think I can call anyone who’s locked up as my friend, Blue.”

“SO DOES THAT MEAN... WE’RE FRIENDS?”

You gave him a small smile. “You just got out from jail time. I don’t think you can so quickly call me as a friend when I haven’t done anything to prove myself to you.”

You told him the truth about your feelings. It just felt wrong to let them think of you as a friend when it hasn’t even been two days since they got out. It was too fast, too soon. There was nothing you’d love more than to befriend the alternate version of your past almost-lover and his dead brother but deep down, you think that everything’s too far gone. To try and rebuild a relationship from scratch was too hard. There was too much pain, too much hurt, too much history. You don’t think they’d be able to trust you wholeheartedly as what friendship entails and you to them.

“BUT YOU ARE! YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON, Y/N! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO PUT ALL YOUR TIME TO TALK TO US BUT YOU DID! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO FEED US OR BUY US ANYTHING BUT YOU DO! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO SIDE WITH US, AGAINST YOUR... ORIGINAL SANS, BUT YOU DID!” Blue stepped forward, gently taking your hand in his. “I THINK ALL OF THAT ALREADY PROVES HOW GREAT OF A FRIEND YOU ARE!”

You blinked back the tears forming in your eyes as you pulled your hand away from his grip. “I appreciate the sentiment, Blue. You’re just not capable of seeing the worst in people. And that’s great, it really is. But... it just doesn’t feel right for you to emphasize all these ‘good’ things I did for you and at the same time, choose to ignore the bad ones.”

“I’M NOT TELLING YOU TO IGNORE THE BAD ONES,” Blue corrected. “I’M SURE YOUR GOOD ACTIONS STEMMED FROM THE GUILT OF DOING YOUR BAD ONES... BUT! THAT’S WHY WE HAVE SUCH THINGS AS FORGIVENESS, RIGHT?”

“I’m sorry, Blue,” you said dejectedly.

“I FORGIVE YOU, HUMAN!”

“No,” you said quickly, “I’m sorry. I can’t... I don’t want your forgiveness.”

Confusion flashed across his face. “BUT WHY—“

“I need to go, Ace is waiting,” you cut him off, pouring hot water into the mugs and then placing them on a tray along with two plates of monster pie and bags of sea tea before you walked out of the kitchen, holding the tray steady with two hands. You had already pressed the elevator button when you realized you had told Blue you’d open the entrance door for him.

You turned around, almost crashing into Blue as you yelped but with his quick reflexes, Blue was able to steady you and the tray you were holding. “O-oh. You’re here. Uhm, I was just about to go open the door—“

“NO.”

You blinked. “No?”

“NO,” he repeated, his voice firm. “YOU DON’T LET US OUTSIDE UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO LET YOURSELF BE FORGIVEN.”

“But—“

“NO BUTS, HUMAN,” Blue cut off. “IF YOU WANT TO DO NICE THINGS FOR US, YOU HAVE TO LET US FORGIVE YOU FIRST.”

 “...We’ll talk later,” you said as you swallowed a lump in your throat.

Blue smiled. “ALRIGHT, HUMAN! I’M SURE I’LL HEAR GOOD NEWS FROM YOU!”

You opted not to comment on anything as you entered the elevator and rode it up to the third floor. It was hard to balance the tray on one hand so you could knock on his door and twist the doorknob but you managed. As soon as you saw Ace’s familiar face, you immediately lit up. “Hi, Ace!”

Ace let out a short laugh as he greeted you standing up. “You seem very excited, human.”

“Yes! Well! I have news to break to you!” All your worries faded as you tuned into this moment. “Patch, your brother, discovered something yesterday.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit down first?” Ace asked, gesturing to the floor.

You were too giddy at this point. “No, listen. I can phase through walls!” You broke the news to him, a large grin decorating your face. “I can, I mean if y-you want to, I can go over there and- and we can have tea without anything in between us but I won’t if you prefer not—“ You were about to ramble incessantly and Ace apparently noticed and helped put you out of your misery.

“I would love to, dear.”

That was all the signal you needed as you inhaled a deep breath. “Okay, I’m coming in.” You instinctively flinched as you put a foot to the other side. You moved as quickly as possible, trying to ignore how your skin prickled as you slipped through the wall.

Ace’s form hunched over you, a little amused grin on his face as his arms immediately shot out to help you. He easily took the tray from your hands as you regained your composure. You bit your lower lip in anticipation. “Hi, Ace.”

“Hello, human. It’s nice to... meet you,” he said, not quite knowing what to say. “Feel free to sit wherever you like.”

A little laugh bubbled out of you. “At least Patch is half as polite as you,” you said as you quelled the nervous feeling in your chest. Out of all the monsters, you liked being with Ace the most but it still made you uneasy to be outright disobeying Sans’ orders.

...Sans should be the last person you should be thinking of right now.

“I’m glad my brother still retains his manners,” Ace smoothly said while you settled to sit on one side of his bed. You pat the empty space next to you. Ace strolled over, quickly closing off the distance with his long legs as he set down the tray on top of his bed.

Suddenly, you were all too aware of how uncomfortable his bed was. “Ace, do you sleep alright?” you asked while you tried to measure his height to the length of the bed in your head. “I don’t think you... are comfortable in this bed. I should get you a new one.”

“Thank you for your concern, human. I’m quite used to it by now, don’t worry.”

You shook your head. “No. I’m going to get you a new one this week.”

Ace looked like he was about to argue but then thought better of it. “If it’s not a burden... then I would really appreciate it.”

“Of course, Ace.”

Your usual session with Ace was normally filled with silence and small talk. This time, though, you weren’t in a mood to enjoy the silence. You thought it would be nice to have a conversation with him. And so the two of you eased into an easy conversation while you drank tea and ate pie. If you closed your eyes, you could imagine yourself eating pie and drinking tea with Ace in a quaint little coffee shop away from here, like old friends catching up.

“Ace... I know you’re not my therapist—“

Ace let out a chuckle, “Dear, there’s hardly any difference.”

A quirky smile tugged on your lips, “But I’d like to know your opinion about... something.” He fell silent, waiting for you to continue. “Do you think... you can forgive yourself if you’ve done something bad, something horrible in your life? Like... let’s say... murder somebody. And then... your victim’s brother suddenly wanted to be friends with you and kept saying they forgive you even though you’ve done something truly unforgivable?”

Ace’s gaze softened as he lowered his mug down onto the tray. “Y/N, you never killed anybody.”

“But it feels like it,” you murmured. “There’s just... too much guilt, you know? There’s too much hurt. I can’t possibly forgive myself.”

“Forgiveness does not happen overnight, my dear,” Ace stated so easily. “And as much as you need to, you won’t be able to attain that so effortlessly if you did not want to. It’s hard work. You have to put in conscious effort. And I know it is so much easier to just move on.”

Blue’s... goal was nice and all but it wasn’t something you were comfortable in doing. He was pushing you. And although a push would be nice in a different situation, this wasn’t it. You can’t just... force yourself into believing you were good enough for forgiveness. It takes time. And it was exactly the opposite of what Blue was doing. He was rushing you.

“But I’m unforgivable.”

“Of course you would think that,” Ace retorted gently. “Humans have a habit of antagonizing themselves. That is not to say I’m condoning your... actions. But if you are going to work on forgiving yourself, you have to stop actively doing the thing that you want to forgive.”

Your shoulders slumped. “But I can’t.” The dissonance was getting clearer and obvious with each passing day. It was proving difficult to ignore it by now. You were torn between your own desires as opposed to Sans’.

“That,” Ace remarked, putting a pause to your thoughts, “is also something that requires time. You can put it off as much as you want, my dear, but someday you have to answer the question.”

“What question?”

“Which do you prioritize more, yourself or others?”

You were quiet as you consumed the rest of your tea and your pie. “Thank you, Ace. You’re always so insightful.”

“Anytime, dear.”

To distract yourself from thinking about your and Ace’s conversation, you began to recount to him what transpired this morning. He lent you a listening ear, humming in agreement once in a while to show you that he was indeed listening. As soon as you were about to move on to telling him about Edge and Red, he asked you a question you were also putting off for at least a while. “What are your plans for Blue and Stretch, if I may ask?”

A wobbly smile made its way to your face. “I’m not sure... I guess I plan on talking to them before the week ends, I guess...”

He made a disapproving noise as he looked at a distance. “I suggest you talk to them as soon as possible. It seems like they are having an argument about their... position in your life.”

“Really?”

“Blue seems intent on staying with you while the other does not.”

“You think so?” you confirmed. You had your suspicions but you didn’t want to stick your nose into their business. “Stretch did look like he wanted to leave and he had multiple chances to do so... but he can’t. Because Blue wants to stay.”

“It’s not good to be the cause of a rift between two brothers, human. Misunderstandings can escalate into bigger problems if it’s not fixed as soon as possible.”

You let out a whine. I don’t want to but, “Sure... I guess.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great as a middleman, dear,” Ace commented with light amusement.

The two of you talked for a couple more minutes before your phone buzzed and time was up. You wanted to hug Ace goodbye but you were too embarrassed to ask him for a hug. Instead, you nodded at him awkwardly and he gave you a small smile while you safely crossed the wall with the tray in your hands. “See you tomorrow, Ace.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, human.”

You left Ace’s room with more questions but with more awareness of what’s been going on around you. You almost stumbled out when the tray tipped over while you were balancing it on one hand but an arm immediately righted the tray. “Thanks!” you reflexively said as your gaze landed on the skeleton. “Stretch.”

There was a cigarette hanging between his teeth but it wasn’t light up. “be careful. don’t want you falling for me.”

“Harhar.” A small smile played on your lips. “Do you... need a lighter? I’m sorry, I forgot to buy one.”

He shrugged. “eh. don’t really need one right now but it kinda helps.” You mentally noted to bring him a lighter from your apartment next time.

“Where have you been?” you asked, trying not to be too probing.

“here and there.”

“Where’s Blue?”

“i think he’s trying to open the locked doors. he’s really curious about the others.”

A pang of nervousness hit you. “Is he... succeeding? He can’t enter the rooms, Stretch.”

“he’s not going to go inside. he gave you his word, didn’t he?”

He heard that? “Yes. Alright.” You cleared your throat, feeling awkward in his presence. “Uhm, well, I’m gonna have to bring this down—“

As soon as you stepped forward, Stretch blocked your way. “i have to ask. what exactly do you plan on doing after this?”

You swallowed a lump in your throat. “What do you mean?” Your voice dropped to a whisper.

“you’re not going to keep this up every time your crazy sans pulls someone in, right? you’re not actually going to subject them to one month of imprisonment and then expect them not to kill you on sight once you ‘free’ them, right?”

You stared at him, wide-eyed. “What?”

Stretch held your gaze. “if my bro wants to stay here because he wants to ‘protect you’, i want to know if you’re going to be the same horrible person you were when we met or you’re going to change.”

Hurt flashed across your face for a brief moment. He thought I was horrible? “You want me to stop Sans from doing his thing.”

He shrugged. “if you could, that’d be great. but we both know you’re not going to stop him from chasing blindly. so i guess if you could do something, it’d be that you won’t cage the other versions of us in two separate rooms and expect we’d be okay with you afterward.”

“That’s—I—“

Stretch slowly pulled the tray out of your hands. “give it some thought, honey. you don’t have to keep us locked up in cages for you to get whatever the hell you fucking need. we might choose to ‘volunteer’ if the alternative sucks.”

You carefully weighed his words. He’s got a point. Not to mention, you already had that idea you scrapped from before. If you could squeeze the data tracker into one small accessory, like a watch, then they don’t have to be forced into a room for a whole month. “Thank you, Stretch,” you said with a smile as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You felt significantly lighter just thinking that you could do something for them.

Stretch was taken aback by your genuineness. It seemed like he was moved by you as his expression softened. “anytime, honey.”

“Tell Blue I might be late for dinner. I still need to come by Edge after Patch. If he wants to then maybe... he can get a head start on the prep?”

Stretch chuckled. “are you sure about that, honey?”

“No. Ugh. Just, tell him to wait for me, alright?”

Stretch nodded before you headed over to Patch’s room. You knocked three times before swinging the door open when Stretch called out. “i think you’re food-getting something, honey.”

You turned to face him to see a plate of monster pie with his free hand. “Oh! Uh, thanks. I’ll see you later.” You saw his eyes wandering to the inside of the room, apparently his curiosity as piqued as his brother’s. You immediately tried to block his vision, giving him a small smile.

Stretch huffed. “alright, see ya later.”

As soon as you closed the door, Patch spoke up. “honey? you two seemed awfully close.”

“Oh, shush.” You rolled your eyes. “It’s no different to your using of cupcake, or angel, or doll, or—“

Patch laughed. “ok, ok, i get it, babydoll.”

It hasn’t even been a minute and you were already trying not to get flustered. “Can I come in?”

“always,” Patch smoothly answered, sending a wink your way. You ignored his advances as you stepped through. “i know this sounds weird but can i give you a hug?”

“It’s not weird,” you said with a small smile. “People are generally touchy—“

Patch closed the distance with a smirk and you immediately regretted agreeing all too quickly. “not me, though.” He snaked an arm around your waist and you stiffened.

“Yes, you are,” you retorted, ignoring the fluttering in your stomach, “All the Sanses are generally touchy. Sans, Blue, you. Hell, I think even Red looked touch-starved.” You lifted your arm that was holding the pie so it wouldn’t fall off.

He wrapped you in an embrace and you almost melted into it. Almost. You have half a mind to imply that you were as touch-starved as him. The fur of his jacket tickled your nose and you let out a giggle. “Alright, you cuddle bug. I’d love to hug the remaining of the time but that isn’t the purpose of it.”

“it’s not?”

“Nope.”

Patch finally released you, slight shame gracing his expression. “sorry. my brother usually hugs me out of nowhere and i would always complain but i didn’t know how much i’ve missed it. and you smell like him.”

Your smile lingered. “Adorable. You’re forgiven.”

“shut up.” He took the plate off your hands, sliding it underneath the floor. You wanted to comment about sanitation issues but eh. He pulled you down on the bed with him, just lying side by side, shoulder to shoulder. You would’ve initially turned this down but maybe it was the tea that made you relaxed and just went with it. “so, no lab coat today. why?”

“I forgot it at home.”

Patch snorted. “obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“how’d your day go?” It felt oddly sweet for Patch to ask that question even though he’d always ask that question when you go visit him. It was the thing you’d ask your boyfriend or husband when you got home from work. There was some sort of... domestic vibe to it. It made your heart warm and anxious at the same time.

Was it really safe for you to have these thoughts? You were his keeper. There were bound to be some sort of power play at play here.

...But it was nice.

You wanted to indulge at the moment, no matter how wrong it looked to an outsider.  

“I took the kids shopping,” you teasingly answered.

“oh, you did, huh? they didn’t run around stealing things, right?”

“I’m sure they didn’t.”

“oh, you’re sure, hm?”

“Shut up. They’re good people. Skeletons. Monsters. Ugh.” You gave up and instead gave him a play-by-play of what happened, just like what you did for Ace. He listened, even though he was facing up the ceiling. You sometimes stole glances at him, staring at the cracks in his face that was much closer to observe now that he was just next to you.

He caught you staring, a smirk now playing on his lips as he inched towards you. “like what you see?”

Your eyes crinkled as you grinned. “Hardly.”

“that’s where i know you’re lying.”

“What?” You let out a laugh. “Why?”

“because i’ve been on the surface before, cupcake, and humans like what they see,” he purred, wiggling his brow bones. “i even managed to get you into bed with me.”

“It’s a different kind of bed than I imagined,” you hummed.

“hm? what do you have in mind?”

You were now full-on blushing as you covered his whole face with both of your hands. Laughter erupted from him as he tried to move away from your grasp. “Patch, don’t make me instill a no-flirting rule in this room.”

“this is just friendly flirting. come on, it’s my entire art.”

“We’ve only known each other for four days.”

“yeah and in those four days, you almost got killed several times, you put your life on the line just to satisfy my curiosity, you’ve proven yourself trustworthy, you’ve made sure we have a chance of getting out of here... befriended my brother, befriended me.” He exhaled his one eye light gazing into yours. “that’s a ride, isn’t it? it certainly seemed longer than four days.”

You were quiet, staring at him like you were trying to gauge his thoughts.

“i usually just skip the flirting part, you know. head straight for the bed time.”

“Pffft—that’s... okay, you know what? That’s so you. Of course, you do that.”

Maybe because the two of you were both equally lonely souls who just wanted someone, anyone, to understand and see you that you didn’t exactly pull away when he leaned in to press his teeth to your lips. You froze for a second before you closed your eyes and leaned back into him. You weren’t unfamiliar to skeleton kisses. They weren’t the same as humans and definitely not as satisfying but you’ve developed a taste for them, considering your last... almost-relationship was with a skeleton himself.

Sans’ kisses used to be nuzzling at first but then developed that sort of tingle as the two of you progressed into your not-relationship. Patch pulled away, a frown on his face as a grumble rolled out of his nonexistent throat. “stars, i can’t use magic.”

You were slowly snapping out of your daze as you tilted your head to one side. “Why do you need magic?”

Patch propped himself up with an elbow before bending down to kiss your forehead. You ignored how your heart skipped a beat. “so i can properly make out with you—“

You inhaled sharply, pushing his face away as you sat up. “Alright. Okay. This is not a make-out session. Let’s back up here.”

He let out a fake disappointment sound. “it’s not?”

“I know you probably have dozens of suitors waiting for you at home—“

“mhm,” he hummed in agreement.

“—but do you think we’re being levelheaded here for trying this out?”

“nope,” he answered simply. “but it’s a nice distraction.”

“As nice as it is,” you said pointedly, “I... don’t want to be just that for you. I think... we’d make great friends in different circumstances.” You inhaled, trying to avoid his gaze so your thoughts wouldn’t be lost on you. “And even though we didn’t meet... normally, I still want to be friends with you. And you being locked up in here just complicate things.”

You’ve already mentioned to this to Edge, maybe Patch needed to hear it, too. “Having a limited window to interact with someone can... And longing for a connection, even with someone like me, isn’t too far-fetched for someone in your position. It’s just instinct, as social beings, to not pass up any opportunity for a connection.” You gave him a small smile. “And I’d hate to encourage you on some sort of toxic relationship we’d both get from this. Because I’d love to be friends with you. Sincerely, genuinely, friends without the whole shebang.”

Patch was quietly searching your face before dramatically sighing. “you’re right, you’re right. you’re too good to me, cupcake.”

“I guess I could say the same to you.”

“...can i have a hug instead?”

You smirked. “Cuddlebug.”

Patch didn’t look too impressed. “are you gonna make me say please?”

You pretended to ignore him, suddenly launching up the idea that you had about the data tracker. “Hey. So, remember that time when—“

“cupcake.” He looked like he was still waiting for a hug.

“Okay, fine. But listen to my idea, all right? I need your help.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

As soon as you stepped out of Patch’s room, you didn’t forget to remind yourself that Blue and Stretch might be outside of the room waiting for you lest you get startled by their presence yet again.

“HUMAN! YOU’RE FINISHED NOW, RIGHT? LET’S GO!” Blue almost instantly latched onto your arm and began to lead you away.

You let out a small huff as you couldn’t really try to wrench away from his grasp. He was much too strong for you. You let him lead you to the elevator and watched him press the ground floor. You sighed and then pressed the second floor. You looked down at his distraught expression. “Blue, didn’t Stretch tell you?”

“TELL ME WHAT?” he asked, his brow bones furrowed. There was a short beat before he added, “HE MIGHT’VE MENTIONED SOMETHING!”

“...And?”

Blue made a distinct face of disapproval. “CAN YOU VISIT THE EDGE LATER? I MISSED YOU AND WE’RE ABOUT TO HAVE DINNER TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME.”

 A sharp pang of guilt hit your chest and you tried your best to ignore it. “Blue... I told you, we’ll talk later alright? I promised Edge I’ll pay him another visit.”

“BUT!” Blue pouted. “I WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOU!”

“We’ve already spent the whole morning together,” you reminded him. Sighing, you bent down a little to get close to him. “Look, imagine if you were still locked up and I was late. What would you feel if I promised to make it up to you but then decide not to show up?”

Blue went quiet before nodding. “MHM, ALRIGHT, I UNDERSTAND. BUT DON’T SPEND TOO LONG IN THERE! I CAN’T WAIT FOR US TO COOK TOGETHER!”

You flashed him a small smile. “Of course.” You dropped yourself off on the second floor only to realize Blue towing behind you.

“I’LL WAIT FOR YOU HERE!” Blue announced as he stood in front of Edge’s door.

“It’s alright, I’ll be fine,” you insisted.

Blue quickly shook his head. “I’LL BE MORE COMFORTABLE IF I’M RIGHT HERE, HUMAN. DON’T HESITATE TO ASK ME FOR HELP IF NEED BE!”

You figured there wasn’t much else you can do to convince him. “Alright, thank you, Blue.”

He grinned triumphantly. “OF COURSE, HUMAN!”

Edge tensed up as you entered the room. You caught him in the middle of him stretching his bones. He immediately stood rigid as if nothing happened, faint red tinting his cheekbones. “SO, YOU’VE DECIDED TO COME BACK,” he prompted.

“Well, I did promise you that I’ll come by for you later. Did you really think I wouldn’t?” There was a hint of a smile on your face as you edged towards him so you can talk to him better. “Oh, and please don’t let me stop you from doing what you’re doing. I’m just here to keep you company.”

He roughly cleared his throat as his eyes drifted to the side. “IT’S... BENEFICIAL TO KEEP MY STRENGTH IN CHECK. DON’T MOCK ME, BABYSITTER.”

You huff out a laugh. “Edge, I’m not mocking you. I’m clearly serious.” He didn’t move a muscle so you continued, “I know you have to keep your body from dulling. It’s expected for a captain of the royal guard.”

Edge’s eyes turned back to you with mild surprise in his face. “INDEED, YOU ARE RIGHT! IT’S NOTHING TO BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT.”

Your smile widened. “Oh, so you were embarrassed about it?”

“CLEARLY, I AM NOT EMBARRASSED ABOUT MY IMPECCABLE ROUTINE,” Edge retorted, his blush coming back with a force. “I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO BE WATCHED BY SOME INANE HUMAN WHILE I DO IT.”

“And why not?”

“BECAUSE! IT’S NOT FOR HUMAN EYES!”

Obviously, there was something else Edge wasn’t telling you but you weren’t one to push it. You let it drop. “Okay, fine. Do you want me to turn around then? I don’t wanna stop you in the middle of your impeccable routine.”

Edge’s eyes fractionally narrowed, his posture straightening.

“Unless... you want us to converse?” you offered with a sincere smile. “I want to know more about you.”

A snarky smile made its way to his sharp teeth. “A TEMPTING OFFER BUT I’M AFRAID YOU ALREADY KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT ME. SUSPICIOUSLY SO.”

You blinked. “...What does that mean?”

“IT’S BEEN ON MY MIND THAT I HAVE BEEN CEASELESSLY GIVING YOU SENSITIVE INFORMATION... INFORMATION THAT CAN BE USED AGAINST ME OR MY BROTHER.”

“So, you don’t trust me,” you stated outright.

“WHY WOULD I?”

You huffed. “Alright, that’s fair. How about this? I tell you something about myself as well so that you can have sensitive information that you can use against me?”

There was a flash of disbelief on his face. “W—BUT WHY?”

“So you won’t be consciously stopping yourself from telling me amazing stories of you!” You tilted your head. “I thought it was a nice idea. You don’t think so?”

Edge tensely crossed his arms. “NO! IT’S THE WORST IDEA!”

Oh well. “Okay, I hear you. I’ll turn around so you could get back to your exercise.” Without waiting for his response, you turned your back against him before sitting down on the floor, cross-legged. You took out your phone so you could at least have something to distract yourself with. “Oh, and Edge?”

“WHAT IS IT, WENCH?” he snapped.

“My offer doesn’t have a deadline. Tell me whenever when you want to take it up.” You didn’t hear a reply so you opted to let it go. Edge didn’t need to be told twice.

The rest of his half-hour was spent in silence with the occasional rustle of his clothing as he moved about. You were honestly impressed that he wasn’t making any sound at all. Just like that, you waved goodbye to him and were out the door.

“HUMAN!” Blue greeted at once. It didn’t seem like he moved an inch from where he was standing. You offered your hand without thinking and he happily took it like a kid who was given candy.

A wave of exhaustion crashed through you as you entered the elevator and pressed the ground floor. You wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep or even take a warm bath. But the day still wasn’t finished.

“ARE YOU FEELING OKAY?” Blue asked, worry evident in his tone. “IF YOU’RE TOO TIRED, WE CAN... SKIP DINNER?” He seemed upset at the thought but you appreciated that he still offered it.

 “No. I promised you, didn’t I? We’re going to make tacos if that’s what you want,” you answered softly.

“ARE YOU SURE? I DON’T WANT YOU TO OVERWORK YOURSELF.”

“Thanks for the concern, Blue. But I’m fine.” Nothing that I haven’t gotten used to.

The two of you arrived at the kitchen. You didn’t waste time and dived right into it. To maximize the time, you threw Blue instructions while you started to prep the ingredients. He was happy to be included but mainly tried to get the ‘head chef’ position from you several times. After seasoning the beef and heating up the frying pan, Blue more often than not sneaked his way around you to turn up the heat. You were considerably adept at checking on him and restarting whatever it was he did. It wasn’t unlike the many, many cooking collaboration with Papyrus.

“Blue, I told you, how you cook monster food is different from human food. If you keep charring the meat, I wouldn’t be able to eat it,” you reminded for the umpteenth time.

“BUT I SWEAR IT’S MUCH TASTIER AND COOKS SO MUCH FASTER IF WE HAVE THE HEAT ON THE HIGHEST SETTING!”

“I know. For monster food. But how about for me?”

Blue huffed. “OKAY, FINE THEN. WE’LL GO WITH YOUR WAY, HUMAN.”

“Thank you,” you said with a smile. “Don’t worry, if you can learn how to cook human meals, I’ll let you cook on your own.”

Blue tilted his head up to you, his eye lights sparkling a bright blue color. “REALLY?”

A little laugh bubbled out of your mouth. “Yes, really.”

In 20 minutes, the two of you were done cooking and you let Blue serve the meat on a bowl. You sliced up tomatoes and onions before putting them on separate bowls. You also whipped out different sauces for the tacos that you had bought when you went grocery shopping. Since there were no tables or chairs inside the bare kitchen, you placed everything along a kitchen counter, even moving a coffee maker out of the way to make more space.

Blue was positively beaming at you. “IT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED BUT IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL, HUMAN!”

“I wouldn’t have done it without you,” you chirped back as the tension fell away from your shoulders. “Where’s Stretch? We should eat it while it’s hot. Where’d you put the magic sprinkles?”

“SPRINKLES,” Blue echoed. He went to open a cupboard, grabbing one of the many bottles of magic that you’d purchase. “IT’S LIKE GLITTER, THEN?”

You already knew he was infamous for putting glitter onto his dishes. A smile tugged at your lips. “Yeah, it’s like glitter, Blue. Glitter your food away.”

“MWEHEHE!” Blue bounced on his heels as he began to move with practiced grace and served himself a taco. He poured a generous serving of magic glitter onto his food, light reflecting off of it like a child’s school project. You couldn’t fight the grin off your face while watching Blue have fun.

“i see you shinin’ from a mile away, bro.” Stretch had sauntered in unannounced into the kitchen, quiet as a mouse.

You were slightly startled, your head whipping towards him standing next to you and leaning an arm against the kitchen counter. “Hey,” you breathed out. Stretch side glance you with a brief smile before his eyes turned to his brother on the opposite of you.

“BROTHER, NO PUNS! IT’S OUR FIRST DINNER NIGHT AND I CAN’T HAVE YOU RUINING IT!” Blue remarked. You didn’t notice he had finished serving up another taco on a separate plate and was reaching it over to Stretch.

You busied yourself with reassembling your own taco, a lightly amused look on your face as you think about how weird it was to have tacos for dinner. You weren’t complaining. It was the perfect food partnered with your company. “Let’s eat, then?” That was all the signal the three of you needed before diving into your food.

It wasn’t a perfect dinner. Everyone was a little tense, a little awkward, a little on-guard. But Blue tried to make do with what he has and what he did was provide a necessary distraction. He made small talk, bringing up various things that he missed doing in his universe, a nostalgic expression on his face. Stretch kept quiet, the taco shell being crushed inside his jaw the only sound coming from him.

It wasn’t a perfect dinner but it was a start. You didn’t know it this counted as a proper meal but... it has been a long time since you’d had company to have dinner with. You let yourself fall into the moment as if this was a normal night you have every single day.

After dinner, Blue offered to wash the dishes.

“Are you sure?”

“I’M CERTAIN, HUMAN.”

“Okay, then let me help.” You made a move but Blue blocked your way.

“THERE AREN’T EVEN THAT MANY PLATES TO WASH, HUMAN! AND YOU’VE ALREADY HAD A BIG ROLE IN DINNER MAKING! LET ME HELP YOU, OKAY?”

You made a face, trying to stare down his impossibly still gaze. Finally, you sighed. “Okay, fine.” At the corner of your eye, you saw Stretch making a move to leave the kitchen. “Wait, Stretch. Actually, don’t leave. I... have something to talk to the two of you about.”

Your heart raced in your chest at the thought of having this conversation but Ace was right. You needed to address this and the sooner it was done, the sooner you can get it off your chest. Blue shot you a curious look while Stretch backtracked into the kitchen, leaning back into a kitchen counter next to his brother who was busy washing the dishes.

You took a deep breath and began to pace right in front of them, anxiety licking up the back of your neck.

“just spit it out, honey,” Stretch drawled as he shot back a bottle of honey in his hand. “no need to get yourself jittery up there.”

Blue still had his back against you which made you feel slightly better. Noticing this, Stretch drifted his attention to the side. You shot him an appreciative look even though you didn’t know if he’d got it. A small quirk to his mouth answered your question.

“So, uh, I’ve been thinking... What are your plans once... once, you know, you two have recovered?” Your voice was timid and you couldn’t help but look away despite knowing that their attention wasn’t on you. Blue visibly tensed and Stretch stopped his hand mid-air on the way to shooting back another mouthful of honey. You cleared your throat. “Since... you know... you guys can technically go anywhere other than here. I’m, uh, not going to stop you.”

The deafening silence was one of the things you hated the most. Your fingers kept themselves busy by fiddling unconsciously as you waited for one of them, either of them, to speak.

“and where should we go, honey?” Stretch asked, breaking the silence. You moved your mouth to speak only to realize it wasn’t a question. “this isn’t home. the only way to go back is right here, underneath all our noses.”

 “ME AND MY BROTHER ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, HUMAN,” Blue started, his voice uncharacteristically gentle as to not to overwhelm you. “WE DECIDED TO STAY.” You caught Stretch shaking his head slightly at his brother’s words.

“But, you’re on the surface!—“ Your throat closed up and you swallowed thickly. “You guys can go explore, have adventures! I know your early experience on the surface isn’t quite...nice...  but this is your chance.”

Stretch exhaled through his nose (or where his nose should be), picking up on your distress. “look, hun. i would love nothing more than to get out of here, home or not. but my bro...” He shot him an unimpressed look, “he wanted to have your back. just like you did with us.”

 “...you’re staying for me?” you said incredulously. “That’s not—I-“ Your mouth opened and closed a couple of times as you stumbled upon your words.

Blue hummed in agreement, the sound of running water stopping as the faucet was being closed. He picked off a couple of tissue paper so he could dry his gloves while turning around to finally face you. “I KNOW YOU CHOSE TO BE HERE, HUMAN. YOU’VE MADE A LOT OF BAD CHOICES AND PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED.” A flash of guilt crossed your face and Blue’s eye lights softened. “BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU DON’T DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE. YOU’VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR YOUR MISTAKES. I SEE THAT, MY BROTHER SEES THAT.”

“you didn’t need to bring us out today, honey. or buy us our comfort foods, take us around, bring us to the place where you live. but you did and...” Stretch trailed off.

“AND EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT SEEM INSIGNIFICANT TO YOU, IT’S HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT FOR US! YOU’RE NOT THE REASON WE’RE STUCK HERE- EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE TIED TO HIM- FROM THE START, YOU TRIED TO DO GOOD BY US AND WE APPRECIATE EVERY BIT OF IT.”

Stretch shrugged weakly. “we’re not dead and a large part of that is because of you so... like he said.” He pointed a thumb to his brother.

You stared at them, still unbelieving until a laugh rose up from inside of you. “You guys... you don’t have to do that for me,” you choked out, a few stray tears escaping from your ducts. “I’ll be fine, I promise. You don’t have to stay here in this cold, unhomely building just to protect me or something.”

Blue stepped forward a little closer, clutching your hands. “BUT HUMAN, WE DO WANT TO STAY HERE! THE ONLY REASON FOR US TO NOT BE HERE IS WHEN YOU AGREE TO COME WITH US, WHERE WE’LL BE OUT AND ABOUT WITHOUT A SECOND GLANCE!” His gaze was unforgiving as he held yours for more than half a minute.

You let out a shaky exhale, feeling as if your legs would collapse any minute. “You want me to come with you?” you echoed, a wave of warmth rolling across your chest as hope flashed in your eyes. Then you blinked and the demanding weight of reality crushed your shoulders. “I... can’t.”

“I KNOW,” Blue answered simply. “THAT’S WHY WE’RE STAYING.”

You searched Blue’s face. You knew he wasn’t lying and you knew there was nothing you could say about it. Once he’d made up his mind, that was it. Your gaze flittered to Stretch. He met yours, a small nod of acknowledgment his only response. Tears filled your eyes. “I-i mean, if that’s what you guys want... then who am I to stop you?” you said with a shaky voice. “But know that you can go anytime you want... if you change your mind in the future.”

“we’ll keep that in mind, hun.”

The three of you relished in the quiet moment that came and you took that time to weigh in their words. They were willing to stay here with you and keep you company at the same time because they want to pay you back for keeping them company. You never expected anything in return for your bout of kindness. You had always been thinking that you never deserved anything from them.

...It caught you off-guard for them to decide to stay, even if they’d rather be out there and not wasting their second chance at life, because... well, you still don’t get it. Did they truly think you earned their kindness, their company?

It doesn’t matter. You have to stop overthinking this.

They decided to stay and that was it. You need to accept their answer even if you think it was in poor judgment.

“Since we’re in the topic of... whatever this is, I wanted to tell you something, Blue.”

Blue tilted his head. “I’M LISTENING.”

“I appreciate your... looking out for me, honest. And I know you have good intentions. But... please, keep the guilt-tripping to a minimum.”

Blue blinked. “YOU THINK I’M-- I- YOU?”

“Yes. And like I said, you have good intentions,” you spout off quickly, “but it doesn’t help. I mean, for me. Emotionally. I just feel bad inside. If you get the gist.”

Blue shook his head slowly. “I’M NOT. I DON’T? AM I REALLY?” He looked towards his brother for answers. “PAPY.”

One glance at your expression and Stretch took pity on you. “well, you kinda do, sans.”

He seemed genuinely surprised to hear it. “I’M... DEEPLY SORRY IF I CAUSED YOU STRESS, HUMAN. IF YOU POINT IT OUT WHEN IT’S HAPPENING, I’D APPRECIATE IT. AND I WILL TRY TO CHANGE.”

You exhaled through your nose. “Yes, thank you.” If it weren’t for Ace, you wouldn’t actually think of addressing this issue. “Actually, it’s quite involved in something you said earlier. You told me that if you want me to do nice things for you, I’d have to let you forgive me first.”

Blue nodded, slightly eager. “YES, I DO BELIEVE SO! I DON’T THINK YOU’RE BEING FAIR TO YOURSELF IF YOU DON’T!”

“That’s the thing,” you said as gently as you can. “I’m not ready to be forgiven yet, Blue. I haven’t even forgiven myself yet. I don’t think it’s a lot to ask for you to... respect my wishes?” You said the last part thoughtfully. “It’s going to be a long process, I think. But I think I can do it if... I have people like you have my back.”

A beat of silence passed before Blue relented. “I UNDERSTAND, HUMAN. THANK YOU. FOR TELLING ME.”

You wouldn’t have thought that effectively communicating with someone could lift your spirits up. But, by the stars, it did and tremendously so. You weren’t used to conveying your feelings and your normal life before certainly didn’t warrant such an honest feat. But right now, it was important. You need to tell them every little thing or else the lot of you would be tiptoeing around each other with great difficulty.

It was vital to build up the trust even if it was from scratch.

A smile lifted your lips. “If you want to say anything to me, now would be the right time.”

“ANYTHING? I...” Blue tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully. “THINK YOU’RE A WONDERFUL PERSON! AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU!” You didn’t know how a skeleton can smile so tenderly. “IF YOU ARE READY.”

You let out a small laugh. “That’s not what I mean but thank you anyway, Blue.”

“OF COURSE, HUMAN.”

You look toward Stretch who seemed to be actively avoiding your gaze. “Stretch?”

He waved his hand dismissively. “’m fine.” The rest of the night was spent with mindless chatter before you and Blue got ready for bed.

That night, you slept in Stretch’s bed next to Blue’s as usual before you got woken up again by some unseen force. You kind of expected it when your eyes fluttered open in some ungodly hour that might’ve been between midnight and 3 am. You slipped out of the bed after ensuring the Blue was knocked out and then sat beside Stretch who had taken guard duty outside of the room again.

He had his eyes closed, his chin propped up with an arm supported by his knee. You left a distance between you, leaning the back of your head against the wall before closing your eyes. After a solid minute, you spoke. “How’re you feeling, Stretch?”

He hadn’t replied in such a long period of time that you almost wondered if he really did fell asleep. “nothing you need to bother yourself with, hun.”

“...You know, you started using that nickname on me on day 18.” They’d only been out for 2 whole days yet their imprisonment seemed so far away like a distant bittersweet memory. “Took you long enough to regard me as harmless.”

“you didn’t exactly made it easy,” Stretch answered in a hushed tone. “you were so, so sad, almost depressed, really. it was hard to see you as someone who’d want to hurt us physically. it didn’t help that you answered to your sans’ whims every single time.”

“I really was pathetically sad, wasn’t I?” you echoed.

“it’s not pathetic... not really. yours was justified. still, you were an asshole even if you were just following orders.”

You hummed in response, unsure of how to respond to that.

“then... one day, you changed. or... i don’t know, maybe it was just me who started to see you in a different light. anyway, you were less sad and you had this newfound sense of resolve twinkling in your eye.” A quiet chuckle came from him. “guess i always thought it was because of my brother.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” you admitted. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it really was because of Blue. Even though he kinda tried to kill me,” you inhaled sharply through your nose, “he was good company and still is. Blue’s a natural conversationalist and he helped me somehow, you know... he cheered me up on multiple occasions.” A nostalgic smile tugged on your lips. "He told me he believed in me."

“yep, sounds like my brother alright.”

There was a pause. “I know... things are changing fast and I’ve probably spit out a bunch of promises in a span of 2 days. But I think... things are going to be okay.”

“i think so, too.”

You opened your eyes and turned your head slightly to look at him. He still had his eyes closed. “Things have changed but not everything has to, Stretch. You’re not locked up anymore and you don’t have to make small talk with me just to butter me up. That doesn’t mean that I have to stop talking to you. I still want to, if we... if you’re going to live with me from now on.”

“...i know.”

You huffed. “Then will you please stop ignoring me?”

Stretch winked one eye open to meet your gaze. “i’m not ignoring you. i just need... time, you know? to get used to all this.”

“Oh.” Your shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I mean. Okay.”

“okay.”

“Time,” you repeated with a slow nod. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

You woke up later than usual the next day, finding yourself in bed by yourself. You checked your phone and began to hurry out of the room and into the elevator where you found Stretch in as it opened. You pressed the door closed without even asking if he was about to drop himself off and pressed the ground floor.

“woah, where are you going in a hurry, honey?” Stretch asked, an unlit cigarette hanging from his teeth.

“I think the worker Alphys knew is arriving right now,” you answered as you lifted your phone to check your reflection on the black screen. You patted your bed head flat as best as you can. “Do I at least look presentable?” you asked, exasperated.

Stretch shot you an amused look. “definitely.”

You puffed your chest out and swatted his shoulder. “Is that the truth or are you messing with me?”

“why don’t you find out?”

You groaned. “I don’t have time for this.” He was definitely messing with you. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.”

It was a busy early morning and an even busier late morning. You made sure Blue or Stretch didn’t give themselves away by keeping out of the worker’s way as he started to work on your bathroom. You told him you wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him since you still have a lot to do and he was fine with it. This wasn’t the first time he’d worked on the building anyway.

Thankfully, Blue had heated up the remainder of the monster pie in the oven where you barely had a bite before the delivery for the rest of the furniture came rolling around. For the first time, you’d curse your delivery for being early.

You talked with the rest of the men as they hauled furniture after furniture into the building. You insisted they carry them all the way into the empty room. For a moment, something switched on in you as you barked off orders to the men as to where they should put it. You automatically began to make measurements in your head where the rest of it could go while also maximizing the space without it getting too crowded in the supposed living room. Your bedroom furniture was carried into the vacant room next to the bathroom.

Your morning passed by just like that and it was dangerously getting close to Edge’s starting time. By the time you were satisfied, the whole space was looking more and more like an apartment. You distinctly reminded yourself to get a carpet to go with the living room area. You popped your head in the bathroom where the worker was busy installing water and electric lines to tell him you’d be gone for a couple of hours. His only response was a small wave.

The rest of the week resembled something of a transition as you started to settle into... what you might call your new “apartment.” Without thinking too hard about it, you had let go of your apartment in the city as you now spent your every night inside your new room with your new furniture. It had felt like a breath of fresh air yet there was still something unnerving about living inside the same building where you house ‘prisoners’.

Along with your settling in the building, you seemed to have made steady progress with the rest of the skeletons. You spend your breakfast and dinner with Stretch and Blue and often kept the entrance doors open so they could go on what you’d say was ‘nature walks’. Blue occasionally frets over you as usual but you never failed to remind him about boundaries. Stretch began to relax in your presence as well. As his magic started to come back, he began to appear around you more and more, literally.

You’ve found he would appear every time you’d have gotten out of any of the skeleton’s rooms just so he could casually ask about what they were like. He was clearly curious but he’d never been that obvious about it before.

Edge’s week was surprisingly pleasant. He was still adamant with shutting up about himself or his brother but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t slip when you ask him a carefully-phrased question or when you just genuinely tried to make small talk with him. You gave him snippets of what your life was like before everything happened, with him grunting in response. You had surprised him at the end of the week with a newly-ordered clock and a hot tray of lasagna you and Blue had baked.

He deemed the lasagna lacking an astounding amount of vinegar and sharp shards of glass. “I’d literally die if I eat that,” you said incredulously. Just the thought of it was enough to send a chill down your spine.

“GOOD, YOU’RE BETTER OFF DEAD SINCE IT MEANS YOU’RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE MY COOKING SKILLS.”

“Okay... so you mean your lasagna is... to die for.”

“SLANDER! I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU WOULD NOT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, HUMAN!”

At the end of the day though, he asked for another serving and you couldn’t wipe the smug grin on your face as you served him up.

Red’s week... well. It was confusing with him. One moment the two of you were laughing your asses of over something you said or something he’d brought up from his days on the Underground with Edge, the next moment, he’s sulking in a corner trying to make you leave. It was annoying but you kind of knew what he was on about.

He was afraid of getting close to you. Not that you weren’t in a similar situation with him but you wanted to sincerely make it up to him. The fact that you still haven’t decided to tell them about their ‘freedom’ was eating away at you. You had gone for advice with the other four, of course, along with telling them how the snarky brothers were like and how they treated you. Patch was adamant about telling you not to let them know for the same reasons as yours. Ace was also leaning towards not telling them but otherwise left the choice up to you. Stretch was also wary despite him knowing what it was like to be in the dark. Blue, well, he was optimistic and telling you that ‘THEY CAN’T BE THAT BAD!’

The advice you got were all against them except for Blue. And even though you were the one bearing the guilt, you went with it, knowing that they all had a point anyway. Red and Edge would just be let out without any prior warning once the time was up.

Nothing too important happened in Ace’s week. It was still the same old routine that the two of you found yourselves in. He gave you a listening ear and you gave him ample company and good tea. You tried different kinds of tea with him that you had bought from when you went grocery shopping just to keep things slightly varying. You kept him updated on what went on beyond the room, like with Blue and Stretch, your settling inside an apartment-like room on the ground floor of the building, that thing with Patch. Along with that also came the longer bed you had ordered online for him. You worked on it with him in one of your sessions.

Patch was... well... it was hard to be casual with him. He was funny, charming, smart and he loved to fluster you no matter how inappropriate it seemed. He also managed to trick you into getting cozy with him once or twice and you had to pretend you didn’t like it or you’d suffer from that smug, smug look on his face.

His progress with the data tracker was remarkably fast. You’ve told him about your plan and all he needed was all of your current research and information regarding it and just like that, he was able to draft a blueprint of it in less than 3 days. He never liked to work on it when you were around because according to him, it was the only time he’d get to spend time with you. He did, however, explained his plans of it with you when you insisted.

After three days, he sent you the blueprint to take to his brother to whom Ace checked on his calculations and design. Once he was fairly satisfied and certain that everything was where it should be supposed to go, he made you a list of the parts they’d need to build it. It was amazing how quickly they worked even when apart that you had to remind yourself that they were part scientists.

What slowed down their progress were the rare and expensive parts that were hard to find. Some of it may take weeks or even months to track and order and you and Patch spent the remainder of one session brooding about it. Out of desperation, he suggested once to go ask Sans for help before swiftly backtracking and shutting it down. He made you promise not to go to him for help.

Inside, you’ve already had a hunch that Sans knew what you were up to. That he knows everything that’s happened. And so far, he’s done nothing about it which led you to the assumption that... he’s more or less okay with the events that transpired. And so despite Patch forcing to promise him not to go to him for help, of course, you went.

But as a last absolute option.

You went to Alphys first. You were frustrated with yourself that you hadn’t thought of coming to her when the problem arose. Alphys still has a couple of parts in her possession that she immediately sent to you after you told her about your plans. When the parts came, you went straight to Patch and he absolutely perked up at the sight of them. He began to work on it as soon as you left and when you came back the next day, you realized he barely got any sleep.

The rest of the week with Patch was him napping because you forced him to.

And at the end of the week, he already had a first prototype for the data tracker. It was fitting that he was the last skeleton you had visited for the day and both of you shortly celebrated the success. He looked the worse for wear but his grin was wide and genuine and his eye was twinkling. The two of you may have got caught in the moment and almost broke the no-kissing rule but you stood your ground.

“I can’t believe the project I’ve been doing all my life was finished by you and Ace in one single week.”

Patch sent you a wink. “can’t take all the credit for that, cupcake. you were amazing for providing me everything that i need.” He shrugged with a lop-sided grin. “and come on, my brother didn’t even do anything. he just checked the blueprint that i made and wrote down a list, a list that i could’ve written down myself.”

Before you had left the room that day, he provided you with instructions. “you need to set it up and sync it with the main computer system that’s linked with our rooms. that okay? it’s still not the finished product, we’re still lacking some parts but if it works, that means we’re on the right track.”

You nodded. He seemed hesitant to part with the project he’d worked on incessantly but one look on your face and he sent you away with a smile. You had dinner with the swap brothers, even watched a couple of channels on the brand new T.V. that you had purchased and set up in the living room before the three of you parted ways.

You camped in your week-old bedroom for a couple of hours, your fingers playing around with the watch that would supposedly track everything about you. If you were Sans, you’d need a code to categorize the data into importance, from general to specific, so you wouldn’t be flooded by the endless information you’d gather from the monsters. This should be a breakthrough, a small device that would help extraordinarily with monster and human researches alike.

Alas, the device was created here, in this building, out of reach from anybody but you and the people with you.

It might’ve been two in the morning when you slipped off your comfy bed that Blue picked out for you. You wore your new fuzzy slippers that reminded you too much of Sans. You gingerly checked if the coast was clear before traipsing out of your room. You passed the fully furnished bathroom, kitchen, and the living room, out of the once empty area but were now practically a one-bedroom apartment inside a seven-story building.

The lobby area was dark with only a few lights turned on as you made your way to the security room. With a tug, it easily opened for you and you entered. Sans was already there, his fingers deftly clicking on the keyboard while he typed. “you certainly took your time,” he stated without looking up or stopping.

“I was making sure Blue and Stretch had gone to bed,” you answered. “Patch is done with the first prototype.”

Sans finally stopped and slightly turned to look at you. The light of the monitors was the only light source in the room and it cast a glow upon his bones. You could have sworn that the bags under his eyes sockets ran deeper than before. “give it,” he simply said.

You hesitated for a brief moment before you crossed the small room to close the distance. His hand shot out impatiently. You held his gaze. “Promise me you’re not going to destroy it.”

He quirked a brow, his head slightly tilting to the side. “that depends.”

You inhaled sharply. “Depends on what?”

“depends on whether or not this prototype intends to do exactly what he wants it to.”

“And that is?”

He tapped his foot irritably. “just give me it and you’ll see.” You relented. Of course you did. You gave Sans the prototype and he briefly turned it around in his hands. “i’m surprised they worked as fast as they did. they weren’t kidding when they said they’re half-gaster.”

“You know him?”

He didn’t answer. His fingers found the keyboard yet again and you inched closer to the screen, trying to make sense of what he was doing. “i’m making another copy of the system and then locking it up into a separate server.” You quickly hid your surprise at the fact that he’s taking it upon himself to explain it to you.

You felt the stomach drop out at his implication. “You... you don’t trust him,” you muttered under your breath.

“neither do you.”

“I do.”

“if that’s true, you wouldn’t have come to me to check it out. you’d have just set it up yourself.” Hurt flashed across your face. You tried to respond to that but words aren’t forming. “you would’ve done what you’ve been doing the past two weeks. disobey and tiptoe around me.”

Your heart twisted in pain as you took a step further away from him. “I just wanted to be sure. If he... if he had his calculations wrong then it might mess up all your work.” And he’d be devastated. Years’ worth of work gone in a flash just because you wanted to play hero.

But that also leads to another issue in your statement. If he was wrong, then Ace was wrong, too. If something happened, Patch wouldn’t be wholly to blame. Ace would have known all along and didn’t tell a peep about it to you.

“...Have you been taking showers in my bathroom?”

“just once.”

“Well, next time, can you please not leave your dirty laundry on the sink? I had to lie to Blue and tell him that was mine. He wouldn’t believe that I have clothes I hadn’t washed for weeks.”

“and where do you suggest i put it?”

You rolled your eyes. “Sans, you literally have a washing machine in your basement that I bought for you. If you’re not going to use it, can you at least bring it up here so we have something to use?”

He didn’t answer.

“Bring the rest of your laundry as well. God knows how many months have passed with your dirty clothes piling up down there.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. He pressed a final key on the keyboard before announcing, “...and done. i’m connecting it now.” It took him some time to find the cord that can connect to the watch while you stood in place, holding your breath and silently wishing in your head. Once Sans had found the right one, he inserted the other end to the computer. “it’s in.”

Sans began to type again and a loading screen popped up. His grin was tight. The two of you watched in silence as the bar filled up to a hundred percent under a minute. Your heart was beating loudly in your chest as you stared. The loading screen disappeared and you saw the general settings of the area on the monitor.

“Well?”

Sans opened up the settings for the data tracker, a new icon floating amidst all the others. As soon as he clicked on it, a window opened and a bunch of numbers and letters began to appear and run endlessly. “not bad,” Sans commented, a bit impressed. “it’s not done but it works.” He leaned back into the chair.

A rush of relief rolled off of you. “I’m glad—“

Your relief was short-lived however when error windows began to pop out on the screen. Your mouth was dry as you watched Sans’ antivirus system work its way to fight off the bug but ultimately, the monitors shut off simultaneously, bathing you and Sans in darkness for a few moments.

You let out a shaky breath, the realization still not hitting you.

The computers restarted and you were met with a startup screen. There were only the default icons on the monitor. Everything was wiped clean.

There was a beat before Sans plucked off the cord from the computer and handed the prototype back to you. “we both knew that was coming,” he said, his voice gruff.

“He lied to me,” you murmured, defeat all over your face as you gripped the device in your hand. “Sans,” you turned to him as your expression twisted into one of desperation, “what should I do?”

“...up to you, kid.” His face was completely unreadable. “i’ve gotta get back to work. get some rest and figure it out tomorrow.”

How well could you sleep right now knowing that Patch and Ace used you?

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Sunlight began to filter through your window as you lay on your bed. You blinked as the light hit your eyes and shuffled, probably the first time you’ve moved ever since you walked towards your room after last night, moving on autopilot. Your eyes felt like they’ve been hauling extra baggage as you struggled to keep them open yet still did anyway.

You closed your eyes and let a wave of distress rang throughout your soul. There was no way you want to get up right now. If this were a legal job, you’d be taking your sick leave right about now. You ran a hand across your face as a low grunt escaped your throat.

There was a loud knock on the door. “HUMAN! I’VE NOTICED YOU HAVEN’T BEEN UP IN THE LAST HOUR! ARE YOU AWAKE?”

You grimaced at the sound and curled into yourself more, pulling the blankets over your head.

“HUMAN? ARE YOU THERE? IF YOU DON’T REPLY IN THE NEXT MINUTE, I WILL COME IN TO CHECK ON YOU!”

“Five more minutes, Blue!” you called out wearily.

“...ALRIGHT. I’LL ARRANGE BREAKFAST IN YOUR ABSENCE. IS THAT OKAY?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“YOU’RE VERY WELCOME!”

And then his voice was gone. You took the time to shut your eyes close and treasured the next five minutes that you drifted off to sleep.

“knock, knock.”

You groaned. “Five more—“ Realizing that the voice came from inside your room, you sat up in lightning speed with your eyes wide in surprise.

“never realized you’re a lazybones like me, honey.” Stretch was standing beside your bed with a relaxed expression. “my bro’s already called you three times. breakfast is ready.”

“So, I reckon your magic’s stable enough to use, or are you pushing it?” you asked with a dry tone.

Stretch shrugged. “might be pushing it.”

“Okay. Knock next time, please.”

“i did.”

“Before you enter my room.”

“gotcha.”

You grunted and then proceeded to lie back down on your bed.

“if you don’t get up, my bro’s gonna barge in here in under a minute to drag you to the kitchen.”

You buried your face in a pillow and let out a short burst of a scream before finally rolling out of bed. Stretch seemed amused by your predicament. “huh, look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Don’t stretch my patience.”

“that’s a good one.”

“I know.”

He followed you as you walked out of the room, feeling like your worst in days. You took your place on the kitchen table, a slight smile lifting up your face as Blue set down a plate of reheated burger dinner from last night and a mug of steaming hot coffee. Looks like he burnt breakfast again. “YOU DON’T LOOK YOU’VE GOTTEN A WINK OF SLEEP, HUMAN!”

Stretch and Blue have both taken their own seats across from you. The three of you were still stiff but have fallen down into a routine which made things slightly... lighter. You were still grasping at straws but you believed it was that way for all new relationships, is it not? “What do you plan on doing today, guys?” you asked, mainly to switch the topic.

There was a flash of concern on Blue’s face but he thankfully, he chose to humor you. “WE’RE GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY TRYING OUT OUR MAGIC ATTACKS. SEE IF OUR MAGIC IS SETTLING DOWN FOR GOOD.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“TRUE, IT’S NOT A SMALL FEAT BUT IT’S A MUST TO MAKE SURE THAT MY BROTHER AND I WILL FULLY RECOVER SOON.”

“I hope you have fun. And please don’t overwork yourself.”

“THE ONLY ONE WHO OVERWORKS HIMSELF IS MY LAZY BROTHER. IT’S A CONUNDRUM.”

“indeed, bro.”

“It can’t be helped. Stretch’s stats aren’t your average ones,” you mused as you began to eat. You noticed the pair of eyes on you.

Blue let out a sigh. “I KEEP FORGETTING THAT YOU KNOW US BETTER THAN WE THOUGHT YOU DO.”

You chuckled and left it at that. As the three of you were finishing up breakfast, Stretch asked, “how’s that watch device going with ‘tall sans’?”

You grimaced at the thought of last night. “Not good,” you muttered. You almost didn’t want to tell them but that spoken rule that the three of you agreed to ‘communicate properly’ nagged at you until you conceded. You told them a shorter version of what transpired that night. And then at the end added a small, “Oh, and yeah, Sans was there the whole time.”

Blue cast you a worried look. “HE DIDN’T HURT YOU, DID HE?”

“No. He’s fine.”

“alright... so what you’re saying is that the project’s scrapped now,” Stretch stated dryly. “how’d you know that this wasn’t a deliberate plan by your sans from the start?”

You pushed down a wave of irritation. “He won’t do that. Why are you both worried about Sans? We’re talking about Patch and Ace here.”

“CAN’T THEY... FIX IT? LIKE FOR REAL WITHOUT TRYING ANYTHING?”

You stared at him, dumbfounded. “You want to give them another chance?”

“IT’S NOT LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE, HUMAN. THEY’RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN FINISH THE DATA TRACKER, ARE THEY NOT?”

“Yeah but Sans isn’t gonna be inclined to give us the parts we need if they try something again.”

“...IS IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET THE PARTS FROM ANY OTHER PEOPLE?”

You nodded glumly. “I’m sure he had what we need in his basement. We’ve ordered it once or twice for his machine.”

“then why don’t we just go get it then?” Stretch asked.

“We can’t!”

“of course you can.”

“No, I can’t? The vault’s locked.”

“then make him unlock it.”

“Stretch.” You shook your head. “I won’t do it, alright?”

“THEN SEE! OUR ONLY SOLUTION IS PATCH AND ACE, RIGHT? YOU ONLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON’T MESS IT UP THIS TIME!”

“Easy for you to say,” you muttered bitterly. “How do you suggest I do that?”

“BY GETTING THEM TO TRUST YOU!”

“Trust works both ways.” You picked up a glass of water and downed it. “I don’t think I want to talk to them today.”

Blue reached out to your hand and gave you a soft smile. “DON’T GIVE UP, HUMAN! I’M SURE YOU’LL FIND A WAY. YOU ALWAYS SEEMED TO WHENEVER THINGS LOOK BLEAK.”

His words made you feel a little better. “Thank you, Blue.”

“ANYTIME! NOW, LET US OFFICIALLY START THE DAY! I’VE LEFT THE APPLE PIE BY THE REFRIGERATOR AND SLICED IT EVENLY! YOU WON’T MISS IT! LET’S GO, PAPY!”

Stretch gave him a little grunt. He mussed up your hair as he passed and you gave him a mock glare. “Don’t overwork yourself!” you called out.

“take your own advice first, honey,” he replied back.

Once they were gone, you forced yourself to stand up and clean up the dishes. You took a quick shower and thankfully, it washed off a bit of your tiredness. You were not pleased with the idea of getting into tight pants so instead, you wore loose sweatpants and a plain old shirt. You also decided not to wear shoes and went with your cursed fluffy slippers. You felt like crap and underdressing for the first time in months made you feel slightly better.

It’s like going to work in pajamas. A dream come true.

You prepared Edge’s food on a plate and took the elevator.

“WHAT IS THAT UTTER CRAP?” Edge greeted when you came in.

“It’s apple pie,” you answered as you walked closer to him. “Am I late?”

“NO, YOU’RE EARLY FOR ABOUT 2 AND HALF MINUTES,” Edge muttered as he glanced up at the clock that was now hanging across from him on the side of the room. “AND I WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FOOD YOU’RE BRINGING. IT’S YOUR CLOTHES.”

You plopped down on a beanbag in front of him. It was so much better than sitting on the floor all day. Edge has his own beanbag as well as the others but he still preferred to be standing up. “What? These are my comfy clothes?”

“AND SINCE WHEN DO YOU WEAR ‘COMFY’ CLOTHES TO WORK, BABYSITTER?”

“Since now that I’m beginning to settle in.” You passed the plate over to his side to which the plate goes untouched while you were still here. “How’re you feeling, Edge?”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M SAYING THIS BUT YOU MIGHT BE MORE STUPID THAN MY BROTHER.” He still hasn’t warmed up to the idea that you were living here now. “DO YOU HAVE A WORKING BRAIN OR DO YOU NEED A NEW ONE?”

“Why? Do you know anyone who might be selling them?” you joked. His only response was a sharp glare. “You’re right, though—“

“OF COURSE, I AM.”

“—but it’s not like I have a choice. I can’t leave you well alone with any way to fend for yourselves.”

“BAH. EXCUSES.”

“Is it an excuse if I just want to see you every day, Edge?”

“WHA—“ Edge’s eyes widened as his cheekbones began to glow red. “FLATTERY WILL GET YOU NOWHERE WITH ME, BABYSITTER.”

“I think flattery works well with you,” you said in response, quietly snickering. “You didn’t answer my question though. How’re you feeling?”

Edge was tapping his foot as he crossed his arms. “ANTSY.”

You figured as much. It still caught you off-guard that Edge told you the truth instead of being the tsundere he was. Maybe the isolation was harsher on him than you thought. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“BESIDES LETTING ME OUT?” he snapped. “I DON’T KNOW, WENCH. WHY DON’T YOU FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF?”

“Calm down, Edge. Alright. I have something for you.” You had ordered a bunch of it online for Blue and him and you were keeping one of it on your body ever since, waiting for the right time to give it to Edge.

“I DON’T WANT YOUR GIFTS!”

“You sound like your brother.” You fished out a small, dainty box from your pocket and then slid it over to him. “Here you go.”

“WHAT IS IT.” He eyed it curiously but kept his upright position. “IF THIS KILLS ME, YOU’LL BE GOING DOWN WITH ME, HUMAN.”

“Oh, nothing like that.” Your lips curled into a smile. “It’s a puzzle. You have to open it without breaking it.”

This caught his attention. He started to kneel down, hesitate for a brief moment, before fully sitting down on the floor. You wanted to point out the beanbag but you had a feeling that this was what he preferred. “HOW IS THIS STUPID LITTLE BOX A PUZZLE?” he asked as he picked it up with his long, gloved fingers and started to twist it around.

“There is a small mechanism inside of it that’s keeping it together. You have to find out how to open it through trial and error.” You had a mischievous glint in your eye. “It’s a pretty hard puzzle. I’ve never solved it. Blue solved it under 10 minutes.”

Edge smirked. “THAT’S MY COMPETITION? HE BETTER BE PREPARED TO LOSE!” It didn’t take long for Edge to be preoccupied with the box. You watched as his brow bones furrow as he worked fast, checking every little nook and cranny with probing but gentle claws. For a second, a memory of Papyrus working on a puzzle flashed through your mind, making you smile.

You closed your eyes and decided to take a little nap while you wait.

His session finished and Edge let out a loud, “CURSES! THIS ISN’T A PUZZLE! THIS IS AN ABOMINATION! I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING.”

“Too bad, Edge. It’s called an impossible puzzle for a reason. You can try again tomorrow, alright?” You motioned for him to slide the puzzle across. “You can’t keep it for the night. Blue needs to have a chance to solve it.”

He sent you a confused look. “I THOUGHT THE BRAT HAD ALREADY SOLVED IT?”

“Nah, he’s as much as lost as you are,” you said with a grin. “I just said that so you’d be motivated.”

Edge flared up but felt relieved that his competition wasn’t able to solve it as well. “I’LL HAVE TO SAY... THAT’S A CUNNINGLY-DESIGNED PUZZLE. I GUESS HUMANS AREN’T SO STUPID AFTER ALL.” He threw the box towards you and you caught it clumsily.

“I’m glad you had fun, Edge. Do you feel better?”

He hesitated for a moment but his gaze met yours and he stilled. “YES,” he paused, “...VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, HUMAN.”

“Anytime, Edge!” You sent him a smile before you went on to the next skeleton.

As you stepped into the hallway, your gaze wandered to the elevator. You felt pretty good right now after interacting with Edge and taking a short nap. Maybe... you should go pay Ace and Patch a visit first. Finish the hard parts first so you could stop worrying about it. Get it over with.

You spent a few more seconds with finalizing the decision before you nodded. Alright. Time to visit your former favorite brothers. You had only taken a step forward when you ran right into someone’s chest. You took a step back, a small squeal tearing out of your throat in surprise. “Oh god, you scared me half to death, Stretch.”

“sorry,” Stretch said, though he didn’t look very sorry at all with that familiar amused look on his face. “been practicing. so, how’s it going?”

The swap brothers made it a point to check on you every time you left a room just to make sure you were still alive and kicking. It was... somehow sweet. You’ve kinda gotten used to it by now. “Good...? Edge is great.”

“alright, you headin’ for red now, right?”

“Actually, I’m going to visit Ace and Patch first.” You felt your heartbeat spike up in dread but pushed through it. “You know, talk it out... or maybe not. But I’m saving Red for last. He’s brash and rude but his presence can be comforting.”

“...sorry.”

“For what?”

“for this morning.” He pushed his hands into his pockets as his sight darted to the side. “i’m pretty upfront and i don’t filter my thoughts. but it’s hard. this place... gets to you. so, i’m sorry if i made it obvious how much i distrust your sans.”

You were mildly surprised by the apology. “Is- is this about the comforting thing with Red? Did I accidentally imply that I can’t come to you guys for comfort?”

“...eh, it’s alright. we’re all new to this anyway,” Stretch said as casually as he could. “but it did take a hit to my ego that you’d find comfort with a skeleton that you’d known shorter than me, honey.” He gave you a tired smile. “but i also wanted to apologize anyway.”

You took a step closer to Stretch. “Thank you. You don’t have to trust Sans, it’s not a requirement. And I love that you’re straightforward, don’t change that. You’re trying. That’s what’s important.” You gave him a kind smile in turn. “Everything will fall into place soon. If it makes you feel better, I’m sorry you have to put up with my dependency on Sans. I’m... trying, too.”

“i know.” Stretch put a hand on top of your head. “little steps. like a baby bird.”

“What, are you supposed to be Mama bird?” you joked.

“you’re doing plenty fine on your own, honey,” he said before shooting you a wink. “i’m gonna go. if anything happens, my brother and i will just be outside.”

You knocked on Red’s door before entering. “Hey, Re—“ His jacket landed right in your face before falling in a pile to the floor. “Okay, what the hell?”

Red was standing on his side of the room with a frustrated expression. “oh, y’er back.” You quirked an eyebrow, noticing that both of his shoes were on the opposite side of the room. He was also missing his socks which you found somewhere lying on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“’m tryna get y’er stupid clock off the wall,” Red said with a grumble as he crossed his arms. He began to start pacing across the little space he had in his side. “i told ya i didn’t want y’er gifts, all right?! just take it down!”

“Red, calm down.”

“don’t tell me to calm down, ya crazy human!”

“Alright,” you said slowly as you picked up his belongings into your arms. “It seems I’ve caught you in a bad time. Do you mind if I push our schedule for a couple of hours?”

“i don’t care!” Red snapped, his red eye lights burning for a few seconds before fizzling out into white. “leave me alone, bitch!”

You sent him an apologetic smile before pushing his pile of clothes onto his side. He shot you a glare the entire time. You sighed and then followed his request to take the clock off the wall. “Is that better?”

He didn’t respond and turned around so he wasn’t facing you.

“I’ll be back later, okay, Red? Then maybe we could talk about... this.”

“fuck off!” Red growled. Concern flashed across your face before you went out of his room.

You were pacing along the third-floor hallway with food on one hand and the prototype in another. You were nervous. You didn’t do anything wrong yet you were the one who was nervous right now. It was frustrating. You kept looking between the two doors across each other, trying to decide which skeleton would be best to talk to first.

You settled on Ace.

Patch would just give you his flowery words. You trusted Ace to be decent enough to tell the truth.

You straightened your expression before entering Ace’s room.

Ace wasn’t expecting you. He knew this wasn’t the usual time you went into his room to talk to him. He stood up from his bed, placing his hands behind his back as you spanned the room to stand across from him. You didn’t enter the barrier and it sent him the message.

“Ace,” you said stiffly.

“Human,” he replied back, his voice still holding the kindness he always exuded.

You didn’t know how to start so you stalled by handing over his plate of food. He accepted it and put it to the side before returning back to you. The two of you stared at each other, waiting for either to break or initiate.

“...I assume you’re not happy to see me,” he stated, being the first to break the silence.

Pain flashed across your face. “I don’t know why you did it,” you said, thanking the heavens that your voice was holding steady. “I trusted you and your brother.”

“I-“ Ace opened and then closed his jaw. “I apologize.”

“That’s it?” You felt a pang in your heart.

Ace looked at you with sadness and understanding in his eyes. “I know apologies would not be enough for the severity of my actions, dear Y/N. You have the right to be angry.”

You hated that Ace was still... Ace despite what he did. “You... you know everything I’ve been going t-through,” you started, hating the way your voice broke, “You know. I talk to you about it. Why... why would you do this to me?”

“My brother needed my help. I never refuse him.”

You wiped off a tear that escaped from your eye. “Do you even know what he did? Did you know what you did?”

Ace stood straighter, closing his eyes. “The blueprints had hints lying about. I know of it to some extent.”

“And you didn’t even think of telling me?” You scoffed. “Ace, you’re smarter than that. You already knew that the two of you would get out of here after a month’s time! Did you know that the device would’ve wiped the main system clean? Years of work, of data! Hell, if it did happen, the two of you would’ve eradicated any means of going back home because there is no way we’re starting from scratch!”

Ace opened his eyes and held your gaze. “I believe... that was my brother’s intention. To rid of this project all at once, even if it did mean that there was no going back.” His eyes softened. “For you to cut off all connection to this project.”

You inhaled sharply, tears brimming at the corner of your eyes. “That’s not your decision to make! You have no right to destroy someone’s life like that!” The moment the words spilled out of your mouth, you regretted it.

Ace seemed to have sensed it and opted not to say anything.

You let out a breathy sigh as you hid your shaking hands behind your back, gripping the prototype in your left. “Ace... I know you just went along with your brother’s plan... because he’s your brother. But between the two of you, you’re the more reasonable. I don’t know why you couldn’t have stopped him. I don’t know why you thought this was a good idea. I’m already toeing around people’s trust for half of my life! Why didn’t you think of me?”

“He’s capable of making sound decisions and as his brother, I’m here to support him. I didn’t think it was a good idea but I trust him. Additionally, there was simply no way for us to talk about it. How could I have stopped him without talking to him?”

“You could’ve added it in the blueprints. Not that I’d have noticed,” you muttered bitterly.

“Perhaps. The bottom line is I have my brother’s back. I’m sorry for breaking your trust for the sake of my brother’s sanity.”

You knew that whatever you wanted to say to Ace had disappeared after his words. It was hard to be angry at him but you were still definitely upset. How could you stay angry at him after all that? He had apologized, he said all the right words... but you couldn’t just forgive him right then and there. “I’m upset with you.”

“I know.”

“I’m not going to cross over to your side anytime soon.”

“I understand.”

“I haven’t forgiven you.”

“It would be bad if you did.”

“I’m going to stop having tea with you.”

“I hope... that the time will come where you will have tea with me again.”

You crossed your arms. “Don’t betray me again and I’ll think about it.” You slowly shook your head. “I’m done talking to you for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodbye, Y/N.” Ace’s shoulders sagged a little. “Don’t be too harsh on him.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Patch was already standing up with his form rigid as you came in. You tried your best not to break down as you walked to the edge of the barrier. You met his eyes for a brief second before looking away with your heart twisting in pain.

Unlike his brother, Patch had a very high ego. Too high to topple down. At least twenty minutes must’ve passed along, enough for you to gather your nerves to speak. “Why?” It was the only word that you were able to form.

“he deserves it,” was his answer. “he’s ruined our lives, your life. it was the least i could do.” You didn’t hear an ounce of regret from his tone.

You swallowed a lump in your throat. “You didn’t even stop to think about how this would affect me?”

“cupcake, this is bigger than you,” he all but growled. “you’ve gotta get your head out of the gutter. this isn’t about you.”

You blinked back the tears. “Okay. Then what’s it about?”

“it’s about him getting what he deserves!” he repeated. “why isn’t he down here instead of sending you to deal with me? is he that much of a coward?”

“He’s not here because he doesn’t fucking care, Patch. He’s not mad because you weren’t able to do anything. If you did, I doubt he’d even spare you a second to hear your excuses!” You could feel the anger bubble up from beneath your skin but you did your hardest to keep it at bay.

Patch tilted his head slightly. “he shouldn’t have had enough time to dust me. that was the plan. it was supposed to corrupt the security system first. before he even had the chance to notice, we would’ve booked it out here. i’d say it would at least give us a week, doll, a fucking week!”

You took a step backward when his voice began to rise. Your heart was hammering in your chest, your head full of emotions you didn’t know which one to process first. In a hushed whisper, you said, “If you think I’m going anywhere with you after all this, you’re wrong.”

“you would’ve,” Patch spat. “we would have taken care of you. we wouldn’t be back at home but at least we would’ve been away from this place.”

Before you could stop it, you began to imagine life away from this place with the brothers. No permanent location, just road trips for days on end, a lifetime of trying to escape from the secrets you had regret keeping. You had no money but for some reason, you knew that the brothers had their ways to make some. They would’ve taken care of you, kept an eye on you, live a life different from this hellhole. All that if you had chosen them instead of Sans.

You felt the burn of regret before shoving it back down where it came from. No. “Sans is my friend. I’ve known him longer than you. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere with you.” You let out a bitter laugh. “I could’ve left this place when the other brothers were out. Did you not think of that? You didn’t think that they’ve tried to drag me away from this place? We could’ve been away from this place and you and your brother would have been rotting in here.”

Realization crossed his expression. “doll—“

“Have you even thought of asking me what I thought about it? It would’ve been so easy. ‘Hey, Y/N, crazy idea but I have a plan to get out of here.’ I could’ve told you if it sounded crazy or not.” You scoffed. “We could’ve skipped all this drama if you weren’t hiding things from me! I trusted you, Patch!”

You closed your eyes and began to rub your temples. “I don’t get it with you skeletons! Why do you always think you know what’s best for me? I decide what’s best for me. Stop acting to your own accord and telling me that it’s for me! Not once have I told I wanted out of here yet you’re acting as if you’re giving me everything I want by telling me that we could’ve been out of here!”

The two of you stood in excruciating silence in the past five minutes. You broke the silence first. You let your left hand pass through the barrier, handing him the prototype. “I’m going to let you keep working on this. Fix it. The next time I hook it up, it better be working or we wouldn’t get the remaining parts from Sans.”

Patch gently grabbed your wrist as if coaxing you. You pushed the device into his hands before pulling back with a scowl. “I’m swinging by tomorrow so you can update me on your progress.”

“cupcake...”

You waited but he didn’t say anything else. You shot him a disappointed look. “I know you don’t regret what you’ve done. But if you want a chance out of your jail cell, you know what you have to do. I’m not speaking to you until I’ve calmed down.”

Your eyes were watery as you walked down the hall back to the elevator. Once you’ve clambered inside you closed your eyes and took deep breaths to calm yourself. The elevator dinged, signaling that you’ve arrived at your destination. You glanced at your watch. It was early. Heh. You’ve never had an early day since you’ve started this job.

Just get this over with.

You knocked in Red’s room, feeling a sense of relief that the day was almost practically over and you’d have the chance to pass out in your own bed. Sounds like heaven right now.

You entered to find Red pacing once again, his eye lights darting everywhere with his fists closed. He glanced at you but pretended you weren’t here.

He didn’t want to talk. Good. Neither did you.

You took the space in front of him, your eyes staring at his beanbag thrown over your side of the room. He really didn’t want anything from you. You sighed before collapsing onto the beanbag.

“fuck this, fuck everything, fuck all of it—“ Red was muttering under his breath as he continued to pace, his footsteps reverberating inside the closed room. You spared him a glance and he looked like he was on the verge of breaking down. You’d know one when you see one. “—nothing matters, it doesn’t matternothingmattersnothingmatters—“

“Red—“

“fuck off!” he screamed, frustration and defeat rolling out in waves from his body. “this isn’t real. this isn’t real! i’m dreaming, aren’t i? tell me i’m dreaming!”

You sat up from the beanbag from shock, your heartbreak almost forgotten. “Hey, calm down. What’s gotten into you?”

“shut up shutupshutupshutup!” Red began to bang his fist on the wall and you grimaced at the sound of bone cracking from the pressure. “i can’t do this. i can’t do this. i can’t do this—“

You stood up, fighting off the urge to run over to him and hug him. You were fairly certain that wouldn’t end well. With panic overriding your senses, you struggled to come up with a solution as Red continued to hurt himself by bringing his fist to the wall. “Red, please! Stop doing that! Calm down! You’re fine!” It doesn’t seem like he can hear you.

You should’ve known that Red was one of the unstable ones and prepared for it. It was damn obvious yet you chose to ignore it since he always seemed to act okay in front of you. You saw bright, red tears running down his cheekbones and it’s like an arrow was shot straight to your heart. It hurt to see him hurting.

You weren’t unfamiliar with Sans’ emotional outbursts. If Red doesn’t have his magic repressed right now, you knew more or less that either one of you would already be injured and unconscious.

C’mon, think! Red would suffer serious injuries if you don’t stop him soon!

...Papyrus.

You pulled out your phone and dialed Blue’s number. You had bought them a cheap phone for emergencies like these. Blue was ecstatic to have you calling him directly when you needed them. You only bought one for now as a trial but now it seemed like it was the right decision considering that you had no time to race outside to call for help. You should buy Stretch one, too.

“HUMAN—“

“Blue, I need Stretch to teleport in front of Red’s room right now. With the phone, please!”

“SURE, BUT—“

“I’ll explain later,” you cut off. “Please, now, Blue!” You walked towards the door and swung it open, just in time for Stretch to appear in the middle of the hallway.

“what’s going on?” Stretch asked, holding the phone in one hand.

“Keep the door opened,” you ordered him as you snatched his phone and then bolted right across to Edge’s room. You didn’t forget to rasp three quick knocks before opening the door.

“YOU—“ Edge had stood up from the surprise visit, brow bones furrowing in confusion.

“No time to explain,” you cut him off, holding Blue’s phone who was still in call with yours, “Red’s having a rampage across from you. Can you please talk to him?” Without further notice, you pushed your hand right through the wall and dropped the phone into his hands. Edge didn’t even have time to react as you pulled out again swiftly. “No tricks, Edge. Please. He needs you.”

Without any other explanation, you bolted out of there and straight back into Red’s room. Stretch was still hanging back, silently watching the whole scene unfold. “he tried to run into the electric wall.” You were thankful that Stretch didn’t try to step in or else he’d make it worse. You gave him a quick tap to his shoulder and a tired smile before shutting the door to his face.

You put your phone in your ear. “Edge, you there?”

“I’M HERE.”

As you stepped closer to Red, you could hear him still muttering. He wasn’t banging on the wall now. He was lying down on the ground, his white eye lights fuzzy. “Hey, Red,” you coaxed with a gentle voice. It was either he ignored you or really couldn’t hear you. “Your brother wants to talk to you.”

That seemed to do the trick. His eyes briefly wandered over to you and you showed him the phone in your hand. “’m not fallin’ for y’er tricks, crazy bitch,” he murmured.

“SANS, YOU,” You put the call on speaker, “USELESS, INSOLENT BRAT! IT’S NOT A TRICK!” Edge’s voice boomed from the phone and you almost dropped it from surprise.

Red immediately sat up as he looked at the phone in bewilderment. It seemed like he was snapping out of his trance. “boss?”

“YES, IT’S ME! WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE?!” You put the phone back into regular volume before sliding the phone over to him. Red eyed the phone curiously, meeting yours for a quick second before grabbing the phone clumsily and putting it to his ear. Or... where his ear should be.

“h-hey, boss? how ya doing back there?” Red’s fuzzy eye lights began to clear away as the voice of his brother slowly pulled him back from the edge. “me? oh, i’m fine as fuc—no, i was not having a breakdown. what kinda joke is that?” When Red realized you were still here, his voice dropped to a whisper and began to crawl back until his back hits the wall.

You gave him a relieved smile before dragging the bean bag onto the opposite side of the room away from him as possible so you could give him his privacy. You plopped down on the beanbag, a loud sigh ripping away from you on accident while your weariness began to dull your senses. You fell asleep with Red’s deep and... happy...? voice lulling you to dreamland.

Something woke you up. You started gaining consciousness and shifted around, only to groan out loud when your whole body ached. Guess that’s what happens when you fell asleep in an awkward position. Your bleary eyesight darted around the room until it landed on Red’s, making you jump a little by surprise.

“mornin’ sweetheart,” he drawled. “have a good sleep?”

Suddenly, there was knocking on the door. “Y/N?” Blue’s voice was muffled but you knew that was him alright. You scrambled to get up, patting down your hair and your clothes before briefly opening to door to peer out. “Y/N, THANK GOODNESS! I THOUGHT YOU WERE... WELL, YOU’VE BEEN GONE FOR THREE HOURS SINCE THAT FIASCO FROM EARLIER!” Behind Blue was Stretch who had his hands in his pockets, clearly pretending he wasn’t listening in.

“I’m fine, I just fell asleep,” you replied, rubbing your left eye with your hand. “I’ll be right back down. Thanks for checking in on me.”

“ANYTIME, HUMAN!” Blue sent you a triumphant grin. “WOULD YOU WANT TO COOK TODAY OR SHALL I REHEAT SOME DISHES IN THE FRIDGE?”

“I don’t think I have the energy to cook today.”

“ALRIGHT, REHEAT IT IS.”

You gave them a polite smile and nod before closing the door again.

“so, there really are others that are out and about,” Red stated in a low tone. “is that your originals?”

You found yourself unsure of what to tell him. “It’s none of your business, Red. Anyway, can I have my phone back, please?” You took this chance to survey him. He looks... mostly okay. There were dark circles under his eye sockets, reminding you of Sans. But his eye lights weren’t fuzzy anymore and the tear stains on his cheekbones had already dried.

Red held your gaze for a few seconds before looking away with a grunt. “i... kicked it over to y’er side hours ago. i didn’t trust myself ‘round it.”

You looked around the floor and like he said, it was lying away from his grasp. You picked it up, turning it over to see if it was damaged. You only found scratches here and there. You put it in your pocket before walking over to the edge of the barrier and then knelt down to level with him. “How are you feeling?”

Red took in a sharp breath. He couldn’t look at you. “’m good.”

“Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

“what, ya think i’m not too big of a boy for ya?”

“...You are. But I still want to make sure that it’s okay to leave you alone. I don’t want you to hurt yourself again.”

Red slowly met your gaze. “why don’t ya find out tomorrow, sweetheart?” His tone didn’t sound like he was taunting you so you were unsure of what to think about it.

“...Do you promise that you’ll behave?”

Red let out a weary sigh. He’d never shown vulnerability in front of you before. But here he was, in all his tired glory. “i’ll do my best, sweetheart. but i have so many fucking questions.”

“Rest for now, Red. We’ll talk tomorrow alright?”

His only response was a grunt.

You smiled, standing up, and walked out of the room. You paused by the door. “You did a great job today, Red.”

“ah, sweetheart, wait.” He scratched the back of his head. “can you... can you put the clock back?”

You sent him a smile.

After putting Red’s clock back in his room, you passed by Edge’s. It seemed like he was already waiting for you. He perked up once you entered. “HUMAN!” he greeted but said nothing more.

“Hey, Edge. How... was Sans?”

“HE’S FINE NOW. OF COURSE, I TALKED HIM OUT OF IT!” Edge stated. “WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME? YOU WERE WITH HIM, WEREN’T YOU?”

“Yeah, well... I kinda fell asleep and missed out on eavesdropping on your conversation. But I gotta say, he did look calmer before I left the room. Thanks for that, Edge.”

“IT’S MY DISPLEASURE, BABYSITTER,” Edge replied with a hint of unsureness in his tone. “I GUESS... IT’S A GOOD THING YOU CAME TO ME.”

You nodded. You wondered if this was the closest thing you’ll get to a ‘thank you’ from him. “Yeah, I’m glad it was the right call. Speaking of call, can I have my phone back, please?”

He forced a scowl on his face as he opened up his hand and then threw the phone over to you. You almost dropped it but managed to save it at the last second. “YOU’RE LUCKY THAT THE CELLPHONE LITERALLY HAD NO USE TO ME! IF SO, I WOULD’VE ALERTED ANYONE OF OUR PREDICAMENT.” The only number saved on Blue’s phone was yours plus, it can only call and send text messages.

“Okay, thank you for not sending me to jail, Edge. I appreciate it.” You were amused as you watched him tap his foot from... nervousness? He wasn’t used to being sent ‘thank you’s’ his way, you guessed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“YES! ...I ASSUME THERE WILL BE NO REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?”

“Of what?” You raised an eyebrow. “You mean, having the chance to talk to your brother?”

He didn’t respond, merely snapped his head to the right with his eyes closed.

“I think... this was a special occasion. If things had gone awry again, maybe I’ll come to you for help again.” You nodded at your words but mostly to yourself. “Don’t worry, Edge. I don’t think that future is that bleak. Who knows, maybe you will have a chance.”

“I’VE HEARD WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR, HUMAN. YOU CAN LEAVE,” Edge said shortly.

“Alright. See you tomorrow!”

As you walked down the hallway, you began to think about the events of today. So many things have happened and so little time to process them. Your body was screaming at you for a day-off.

...Maybe you should listen to it.

Ha. No. Silly idea. Who would take care of the others if you were having a day off? You had no choice but to suck it up and hope that tomorrow’s a more forgiving day.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

The past three days have been a blur to you. You’ve been working on autopilot; you’ve turned off your emotions just so you could keep on going. The hurt was still fresh in your mind but you’ve chosen to put aside, to consciously suppress it until you’ve forgotten about it. You were aware it was definitely not healthy but you can’t do anything more. Anything more requires you to take it easy so you could heal and move on.

You don’t have time to take it easy.

Your alarm sounded on top of your dresser, snapping you out of your trance. You let a small groan slip past your lips. It was time to get out of bed and prepare breakfast lest you want Blue to burn something again. You crawled out of bed, put on your lab coat on top of your casual clothes just because.

You shuffled out of your room without fixing your bed hair while wearing your fuzzy slippers. You walked into the kitchen, already moving without thinking as you grabbed a pan and pushed a button to turn on the stove. You settled on making pancakes as it was the easiest food to make for today.

Not a moment later, Blue entered the kitchen already prepped up to start the day. You’d do anything to have his endless stamina. “GOOD MORNING, Y/N!” he greeted cheerfully, sending a smile your way. “HOW’D YOU SLEEP?”

“I’m fine, I guess,” you murmured. “I still slept later than usual.”

“MHM, YOU STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT?” he hummed. He had moved to the coffee maker and placed a filter in the basket. He had placed it upon himself to prepare the coffee if you were busy cooking breakfast which was really nice of him. “MAYBE YOU’D SLEEP BETTER IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM?” he suggested.

“What, you mean like me sleeping in your room again?” You hadn’t had the chance to see Blue and Stretch’s room ever since they remodeled it almost one and a half week ago. They’ve reattached different doors that they built themselves by chopping down nearby trees. You were vaguely surprised about that when they informed you since you didn’t know where they got their materials. Apparently, there was a small shed behind the building filled with different tools and equipment that workers from all those months ago have used to build the building. Sans didn’t even felt the need to tell you that one small detail.

Anyway, you let them do whatever they want. It’s not like you could stop them or anything. You had so much on your hands already that you’ve decided to just let your worry and overthinking about the swap brothers go. They haven’t done anything untrustworthy ever since that day at the mall. They were trying. That was what’s important.

“IF YOU WANT TO! WE CAN HAVE A SLEEPOVER!” Blue said excitedly. “IT GETS KIND OF... UNEASY WHEN I’M IN MY ROOM ALONE. SOMETIMES, PAPYRUS COMES TO KEEP ME COMPANY UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP.”

How fucked was it that they were residing in what used to be their holding cells? You don’t know how they managed to not be insane even after all that.

“I think we can have a sleepover here if you really want to. We can set up mattresses and blankets right there in front of the TV. Oh, we can watch a movie, too, while we’re at it.”

“REALLY? TONIGHT?”

“Tonight sounds good,” you agreed. You flipped over the two pancakes, patting them with a spatula before moving them onto a waiting plate. The two of you worked in silence. While waiting for the coffee to brew, Blue moved on to setting up the table. It wasn’t long until you were done with the pancakes and placed the stack of them in the middle of the table.

You took your seat and Blue set down a mug of black coffee in front of you as well as two more. He took his seat in front of you and started to pile his own plate with pancakes and magic glitter. “ARE YOU FARING WELL THESE DAYS, Y/N?”

You grimaced. “Yes.” You pursed your lips. “No. Sorry. I’m—I still haven’t wrapped my head around it all.”

Blue gave you a worried look but it was gone in a flash. You would’ve missed it if you weren’t used to seeing the small flashes of expression that Sans makes most of the time. “I REALLY RECOMMEND YOU TO TAKE A DAY OFF.”

“I know you’re worried, Blue. But you can’t help me. You can’t enter the rooms without me, not to mention exit them. I don’t want to put you or your brother in danger. The best we can do is to avoid anything that might trigger him.”

“YES, BUT—“

Stretch appeared on the seat next to Blue and proceeded to fill up his plate without looking up. “mornin’.”

“GOOD MORNING, BROTHER!”
“Morning, Stretch.”

“AS I WAS SAYING,” Blue continued, “YOU CAN’T GO ON LIKE THIS. YOU’RE LOOKING... WORSE EVERYDAY. NO OFFENSE, OF COURSE.”

You could feel your stomach sinking. You had thought you were hiding it. To hear from Blue that he could still clearly see how you’re breaking down made you feel helpless. “If you’ve got any suggestions, I’m all ears.”

“what are we talking about today?” Stretch asked.

“I WAS JUST TELLING Y/N THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE A BREAK SOON.”

“And I was telling Blue that I can’t.”

Stretch was chewing on a large piece of pancake in his mouth before taking a sip of his coffee. He had flinched from the hot temperature before setting it down. “well, that day’s coming soon, right? isn’t patch finalizing the second version of the prototype today? if all goes well, you’d have a lot of free days after that.”

A quiet lull filled the table. “Yeah, but,” you spoke up, feeling as if you’ve lost your appetite, “It’s just one device. Making three more would take at least a week.”

“i can help.”

You blinked. “Wait, really?”

“yeah. it’s just recreating more of it, right? i can help. or if you want to, i can do all three of it so you won’t have to keep worrying about whether or not patch or ace would... do something again.”

“I—uh, I don’t—“ Stretch gave you a pointed look. You sighed. “Alright... I mean, you’re right. Letting you handle it will probably lessen my anxiety levels.”

“ok. that’s taken care of then.”

There was a brief pause. You tried to shovel the rest of the pancakes into your mouth.

“SO, Y/N! YOU’RE NOT DEVIATING FROM YOUR USUAL SCHEDULE, RIGHT?” Blue asked. You had more or less been taking naps during Red and Edge’s hours which sometimes leads the swap brothers to get worried whenever you weren’t going out in time. You had always stuck to your schedule. Always.

“I’ll try. I keep tuning out my alarm when I’m asleep,” you muttered. Red and Edge had been significantly nicer to you since that incident. You often wake up to them watching you sleep without disturbing you which was a big one in regards to them. Edge had dropped the name-calling and had been switching between babysitter and human as terms to call you. Red was still aloof and kept to himself whenever you were with him but to be honest, you think he was really scared of growing attached to you. Not that you can blame him.

“...DO THE OTHER SKELETONS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT US?”

“Yeah. Red and Edge ask about you two constantly. They already know you both aren’t my originals since I’ve told them about what happened to this universe’s Sans and Papyrus at the start.”

“what do you tell them?”

“That it’s none of their business,” you said with a dry smile. You took a sip from your warm coffee. “I don’t how they’ll react if I tell them there are others walking around free while they’re still locked up.”

“I DON’T THINK THAT’S A GOOD IDEA...” Blue mused. “BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE BAD TO LIE TO THEM.”

“Don’t worry about it, Blue. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” you said. You downed the rest of your coffee down your throat before standing up. “Anyway, I have to go shower. You guys are going to be busy outside, right?”

“YES! I’M GOING TO TRY AND SEE IF I CAN TAKE CARE OF THE FRONT LAWN TODAY!!” Blue had volunteered to clear up the surrounding area around the building which you were thankful for. You told him he didn’t need to do that but he insisted. It was very Papyrus of him to want to take care of the lawn and you weren’t about to stop him from doing something to make himself busy.

“Alright. I’ll call you when I need help?”

“YES, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE!”

You went to hang out with Edge and Red. They were your most behaved skeletons of the week. You were still getting used to Edge being nicer to you but it was nice not to be hated for once. His hostility had simmered down to the point that he was actually sitting down when you were there. He has actual conversations with your cooking, lasagna, the surface, and puzzles. Speaking of puzzles, he had easily cracked the box puzzle the second time within minutes. Apparently, he had all night to solve it in his head which was beyond impressive.

Before you went to leave Edge, you found him slipping into a sad and longing expression before he realized that you caught his mistake. You stopped by the door and gave him a sincere smile. “Soon, Edge. I promise.”

He didn’t make a sound. You took that as your sign to leave.

Hanging out with Red was like hanging out with a very confusing person who kept sending mixed signals. You were slowly starting to get used to it. You let him have his peace if he wanted to be alone but makes yourself readily available when he needs you. He always took up space by the wall so he could lean on it and to offer your presence, you often sat beside him with just the wall separating the two of you.

Today though, you had remembered your promise to Blue about bringing him the book of stars. He had finished reading it and returned it to you so you decided to bring it for Red next. He was trying to ignore you but as soon as you pushed the book over to his side, disbelief and awe were all over his face. He was so immersed in it that you had no other choice but to take a nap while he took up all his time reading. You want to take him to see the stars soon.

Patch and Ace was a whole different story. You had been initially seeing them as your support system so frankly, the fact that you can’t even trust them anymore had taken a toll on you. You come by Ace’s room to check on him and then drop off a couple of books so he could make himself busy. Sometimes, he tries to talk to you and you respond with one-liners. You never try to finish their sessions at all. It was difficult to even look him in the eye.

Patch was an egotistical jerk. He wasn’t unlike your Sans so you somehow have an inkling on how to handle him. Every time the two of you meet gazes, he would huff out a breath with a look on his face that screamed ‘I’m disappointed in you’. It was frustrating, to say the least. He was either working on the blueprints or working on the prototype. He wasn’t allowed to touch the tools so he had to direct you on what to do or you’d read his blueprints.

You’ve shown Stretch the blueprints when you had the time, to make sure that everything was in place. According to him, it looked clean. That took the edge of your anxiousness for a bit.

At the end of Patch’s session, prototype version 2 was finished. You rolled up the blueprints, placed them under your armpit, and then proceed to stuff the device into your pocket. You had Sans agree to meet you before dinner today so you had to be fast so Blue and Stretch wouldn’t think that something’s amiss.

“cupcake...” Patch called before you could exit his room.

You waited for a few seconds for him to continue what he had to say. He never did.

A disappointed noise escaped your lips before you shut the door closed.

You made your way down to the ground floor, past the lobby, past your apartment. You chuckled mentally. You’ve never thought the day would come that you’re gonna have a literal apartment inside the building and be living in it. Your eyes wandered to the glass front doors, wondering what the two brothers were doing. You hoped they wouldn’t catch you sneaking around this time.

You moved past the vault and arrived at the security room. Out of habit, you knocked three times before opening the door. You had anticipated the darkness of the room and entered, quickly shutting the door behind you. You found Sans already waiting for you by the monitors.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” you muttered under your breath. “It feels like I’m hiding secrets from my—“ You stopped yourself. You were going to say, ‘friends’. The thought surprised you. When did you start thinking about Blue and Stretch as your friends when you were just telling them days ago that you weren’t ready to call them that?

Sans raised a brow bone at you but let the moment past. “can you turn on the lights?”

You snorted as your hand blindly swept over the side of the door until you found the switch. “So, we’re using lights now? Sweet.” Seconds later, lights flooded the room. For the first time in months, you can see how much Sans has changed since there were always shadows casting over his face due to the lack of light.

Frankly, he looked a bit more put together than usual. Maybe that’s because he actually takes a bath every now and then, something he told you last time. He also moved the washing machine to that little space in between the bathroom and your room sometime yesterday. Blue had asked about it magically appearing out of nowhere and despite your initial reaction to lie, you gritted your teeth and told him it came from Sans. After acquiring the washing machine, you make it a point to leave Sans a pair of clothes here in the security room if he wanted to change into something.

Sans held out his hand, silently asking for the device and you didn’t hesitate to place it into his hand. You also unrolled Patch’s blueprints at the same time and laid it in front of him to see. “I consulted Stretch ‘bout it. He said he found nothing suspicious.”

“mhm,” Sans hummed. He didn’t say anything more. He began to work on it, his fingers deftly clicking on the keyboard before attaching the device once again into a CPU.

“So...” you started, determined to at least find out how he’s been doing. “How are you? You’re sleeping normally, right?”

“fine,” he grunted. “no need for you to worry about.”

“I’m always worried about you,” you muttered. You watched the monitors as it began to show a similar loading screen from last time. You took in a deep breath as you gathered the courage to ask, “Patch told me that it would’ve taken weeks for you to have noticed the bug.”

He stopped for a moment before continuing.

“Sans,” you called him, willing your voice to be stern. “Did you or did you not manipulate the bug for it to speed up its process?”

“what does it matter?” he asked coldly.

You inhaled sharply before putting a hand on the back of his seat, tugging it away from the monitors. He sent you a frustrated look when you pulled him away. “It matters because you made me believe it was his entire ploy when you had contributed to it just as much as he did!”

His ring eyes sharpened as his sockets narrowed. “what does it matter? it was his plan, to begin with. i merely, with your words, ‘sped up’ its process.”

“Because! You played with my feelings as well!” you spat. “I’m hurt because I thought I could trust you not to do anything. You should’ve been out of the equation but you made yourself a variable!”

Sans held your gaze for a few seconds before leaning back into the chair. “okay. what do you want me to say?”

Your face twisted into a scowl before pushing his chair forward. “Figure it out yourself.”

He let out a huff as he continued to work. You crossed your arms and began to tap your foot, too frustrated to even look at him or the monitors again as you stared off to the side. There was an uneasy quiet in the room that neither of you felt inclined to fix.

There was a ding from the computers as Sans pulled the device out and then handed it over to you. “it’s clean and it works.” He pointed to a box tucked into the corner of the room. You would’ve missed it if the lights weren’t on. “those are all my scraps. you can have all of them. the parts you need are also in there. once you finish another one of these, come to me, and then we can talk about which skeletons you want to free first.”

Your heart skipped in your chest at his agreement. He was willing to work with it as long as it helps him with his project. “Okay,” you said breathily, a small smile lighting up your face. “Okay. How long would it take before you turn on the machine again?”

“i have half the data i need from the other three plus ours. i just have to isolate which of those i needed before i can pinpoint a location through space and time. so, uhm, at the end of the month, i’ll be finished with the first set and i should turn it on again after a few days.”

“Okay, so, since we have the watches now, you’re not going to lock them up, right?”

Sans tilted his head. “i will. you will give them the option to wear the device. if they do not comply, they’re staying locked up until i no longer need them.”

“M-me?”

His teeth twitched upward. “who else? do you have any more questions?”

“When will you join us for dinner?”

His expression fell. “if you don’t have anything other than stupid questions, i’m going to go.”

“Okay. If you’re gonna leave your dirty laundry, leave it in my room so Blue and Stretch don’t get uncomfortable when they see it.”

He grunted before disappearing. You had a small triumphant grin on your face as you walked towards the box, wrapped your arms around it, and then lifted it up. It was on the heavy side but nothing you can’t carry.

You had a bit of trouble opening the door with a box in your hands. When you finally did it, you didn’t notice that there was a person in front of you as you ran into him. He immediately took hold of the box as the top of his head peeked out. “hmm, what is all this y/n?”

“Stretch!” Slightly panicking, you closed the door behind you. “Uh, it’s the parts for the device. Sans has approved of it.”

“already? now that’s good news,” he drawled. He took the whole box from your hands, having no problem carrying it unlike you. You blinked before moving in front of him so you can direct him back to the apartment-room. “hey, y/n.”

You turned your head sideways. “Yeah?”

“i appreciate this. seriously.”

Your lips twisted into a smile. “It’s my pleasure.” Your soul fluttered in response to his genuine gratefulness. If he hadn’t pushed you to do better, you wouldn’t have done this for him, for them. “We can work on it tonight so we can finish by tomorrow.”

“nuh-uh.”

You opened the door that led to the room and Stretch went on to drop the box in the middle of the living room. “What do you mean nuh-uh?”

“you promised my bro a sleepover tonight, right? he’d be disappointed if you’d spent the whole time working on something rather than hang-out with him.”

“But... I want the first one to be finished by tomorrow.”

His hand shot up and ruffled your hair. “i’ll take care of it for ya.”

“But you’re going to be in the sleepover, too, right?!”

“yeah. but my bro was specifically excited by hanging out with you, not me.”

You let out a huff. “Alright, then.”

As if on cue, Blue walked into the room. “OH! THE TWO OF YOU ARE ALREADY HERE! I WAS PLANNING ON SURPRISING YOU, Y/N.” He began to tap his chin with a finger. “NO MATTER! IT’S FINE! NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE, I WANT YOU TO SIT DOWN ON THE COUCH AND I’LL GO GET MY MATTRESSES AND BLANKETS FROM OUR ROOM!”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll go and get mine—“

Blue placed both of his hands on either of your shoulders. “NOPE. SIT DOWN AND LET US DO THE WORK FOR YOU.”

You blinked. “What?”

“I’M OFFICIALLY CALLING OFF THE REST OF YOUR WORK FOR TONIGHT. IT’S YOUR NIGHT OFF!” Blue announced with a large grin. “SINCE YOU KEEP SAYING YOU CAN’T TAKE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF, I FIGURED YOU’D LIKE IT EVEN IF IT’S ONLY HALF OF THE DAY!”

“I...Blue...” You didn’t know what to say. Hearing him say that made you all warm and soft inside. “You didn’t have to.”

“I KNOW! BUT I WANT TO! YOU DESERVE IT!” He forced you to sit down by pushing down your shoulders. “NOW, DON’T MOVE AND LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOUR DUTIES FOR TODAY!”

“But—“

“NO BUTS!”

“...Okay.” You let out a sigh and leaned back into the couch. Once Blue was satisfied with you, he quickly left the room, motioning for Stretch to follow him. You busied yourself instead and turned on the TV, switching it onto Netflix. You had bought a subscription as soon as the TV arrived but this was the first time you were actually going to use it.

It felt nice that you were going to spend it with your friends.

Stretch appeared in the middle of the living room a minute later and then dumped a mess onto the floor. You made a move to stand up and help but he shot you a look.

“What, you too?” you asked.

“my bro would kick both of our asses if you move an inch so, yeah, i’d rather not risk it.”

You crossed your arms. “I feel like I’m being pampered.”

“it’s called ‘doing something nice for someone’. don’t overthink it, honey.”

Blue arrived a minute later with his mattress and lined it up with his brother’s. “YOU CAN TAKE THE COUCH, Y/N! WE’LL BE OKAY RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR!”

You shook your head. “No, you two are staying up here with me. Why do you think I bought a long-ass couch in the first place? You can just move back down there if you wanna sleep.”

He needed a minute to think before agreeing. “DEAL! NOW, I’M GOING TO MAKE US DINNER! YOU CAN PICK SOMETHING SHORT TO WATCH WHILE I’M GONE.”

“what are you gonna make, bro?”

“TACOS, OF COURSE! THIS IS A SPECIAL NIGHT SO IT WOULD BE OBVIOUS TO MAKE A SPECIAL COURSE!”

“Of course, Blue,” you agreed with a smirk. “You remember how to not set the meat on fire, right?”

“DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE MUNDANE THINGS AND JUST RELAX, Y/N!”

You chuckled. “Okay, okay. But tell me if it did, alright? We could order in. Although I haven’t ordered anything for this place in forever.”

Blue disappeared into the kitchen and Stretch plopped down on the mattress by your knees. He used his magic to fly the box of scraps towards the two of you. You fished out the device from your lab coat pocket and then handed it to him. “Here you go. The blueprints are in there somewhere.”

“yep, found it.” He unrolled it, his eye lights sliding over it before he rolled it back up and then left it on the side. “the base’s pretty much the hardest. once it’s done, all the other things that go into it are quick to install.”

“How fast can you work?”

“hmm, i’ll probably get one of it done after two to three days. then you can go and bring them to your sans.”

Hope fluttered in your stomach. “So, one set of the brothers will go free as early as three days,” you whispered with a smile.

“yeah.” Stretch casually slid his eyes over to you as he began to pick up the parts he needed for the base. It hasn’t even been a whole minute and he was already making a mess by taking parts out onto the floor. “which ones are you going to free first?”

You paused before coolly busying yourself by switching channels. “I... don’t know.”

There was silence as Stretch glanced once more at your face. “tell me what you’re thinking. it’s fine.”

A long exhale escaped your nose. “Ah, crap. I don’t know,” you started as you scratched the back of your head. “I’d love it to be Red and Edge first because I feel like they deserve it, you know? They’ve been really good these past days, although a bit sad. I’m sure they’d be ecstatic to see the surface. But... the dread and unsureness are still there. How do I know that they’re not going to hurt me once I let them out? They keep going on about killing me once they do get out at first... and sure, they’re not threatening me now but what if they still think that getting rid of me is the smartest choice?”

“On the other hand, I feel like Patch and Ace would appreciate it. I feel... cruel just thinking of letting others go just because I have a grudge on them. They’re still my,” you paused and then sighed, “for lack of a better word, friends. I still like them. I just don’t think I can trust them. And they deserve it, too, you know? They deserve not to be locked up.”

“sounds like a real dilemma.” Stretch shrugged. “there is a third option so you won’t have to choose. you can wait until all four devices are working.”

A groan made it past your throat. “But... no. Why would I do that when two other monsters can go free earlier?”

“okay. which ones are you leaning towards then?”

“Both. None. Ugh. I don’t know. If I choose Red and Edge, the worst they’d do is kill me. If I choose Ace and Patch, the worst they’d do is also kill me. I mean, why do I think that they aren’t holding a grudge on me at all? What if they also want to kill me ever since I started ignoring them?”

“you should really stop assuming that all of us want to kill you.”

You shot him a pointed look. “You did. At some point.”

He hummed. “okay. well, if you ever need assistance, you can always ask me or my brother. you know that, right? if you’re afraid they’ll hurt you then maybe if we’re there, we can protect you or something.”

You shook your head. “You can’t enter the rooms. It’s still magic-proof. I could turn it off but it’d make it easier for any of them to use their magic on me and then hurt me.”

“that’s true.” Stretch started to chuckle. “quite a ridikillous problem you got there, honey.”

You swatted his shoulder weakly. “Are you making fun of me when people legitimately want me dead?”

“don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” He sent you a grin. “you have this deadly aura around you.”

“Ugh, shut up.”

“i’m serious. it’s killer.”

“Stop it or I will snitch on you.”

He snorted. “what are you gonna do? kill me?”

“Stretch!”

The two of you ended up laughing shortly. A comfortable silence ensued in the next moments wherein everything felt right. The fragile moment passed when Stretch moved and started to categorize the parts into two; ones he needed and ones he would need for later. You looked over his shoulder and began to list off ones that he can use.

You didn’t even realize when Blue entered the room with a tray in his hand. He set down the tray, one bowl filled with slightly burnt meat, one with tomatoes and garlic, and one with both hard and soft taco shells. “WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY HUMAN CULINARY SKILLS, Y/N?”

“You’ve really improved!” you praised. You were impressed that the meat wasn’t charred. And that the tomatoes and garlic weren’t mushed like mashed potato. “All your practice has paid off, Blue!”

“MWEHEHE!” Blue was ecstatic with your words. “OF COURSE, NOTHING LESS FROM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS!”

You giggled and then pat the space beside you. “Come sit beside me.”

Blue didn’t hesitate and plopped down on the couch. You began to switch between the different movies that caught your eye. “OOH, HOW ABOUT THAT ONE? IT’S ABOUT A GALLANT PRINCE!”

It was a kid’s movie, one that you adored very much as you grew up. You didn’t mind watching it again. You played the movie and was about to serve yourself a taco when you noticed Stretch was still secretly working. You tapped his shoulder. “Come eat first, Stretch.”

“eh, i’m fine.”

“Eat or I’ll take away your toys.”

He snorted, relenting to your request. The sound of shells crunching and the movie playing were the only sounds for the first half of the movie. Once the food was emptied and nothing was occupying Blue’s mouth, he began to comment on every little thing.

“GASP! THE VILLAIN WAS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AFTER ALL!”

“THE PRINCE IS SO KIND AND HANDSOME, HE REMINDS ME OF ME.”

“YES, YES! COMFORT THE SAD PRINCESS, PRINCE! IT’S YOUR DUTY TO MAKE SURE THE MAIDEN DOES NOT CRY!”

It was absolutely endearing. You couldn’t help but grin the entire time until your cheeks were hurting from all the smiling. Once the movie was finished, Blue was moved to tears. He dabbed his tears with his scarf while sniffling which you found absolutely adorable. “Aw, Blue, do you need a hug?”

“NO, I NEED A PRINCESS TO PROTECT!” He stopped to think. “ACTUALLY YES, I ALSO NEED A HUG.”

You wrapped your arms around him and almost melted in your embrace which baffled a laugh out of you. He was figuratively soft and mushy. It’s one of the things you adored about him. As you started a different movie, an action movie this time that you picked, you could feel your eyes drooping from exhaustion.

“TURN OFF THE LIGHTS, PAPY.”

You heard a grunt and a click, and the whole room plunged into darkness in the next second. You felt Blue gently lead you down onto his lap and you stirred. “N-no, wait, I’m awake.”

“IT’S ALRIGHT, Y/N. YOU CAN SLEEP ON MY LAP WHENEVER YOU WANT, I DON’T MIND!”

“No, it’s not that... it’s just, I don’t want to sleep too early when we’re still watching movies.”

He flashed you a soft grin while patting your head. “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT! YOU CAN SLEEP WHENEVER YOU WANT! IT’S A SLEEPOVER FOR A REASON.”

You scrunched up your nose before lying down on his lap. There was already a pillow underneath your head so that you didn’t have to sleep on bones. “Okay... but I’m not gonna sleep... I’m just going to lie down.”

“PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE!” You forced your eyes open but it was too heavy that you settled on closing it. “BUT IT IS ALSO UNDERSTANDABLE IF YOU WANT TO REST FOR A MOMENT. WE WON’T HOLD IT AGAINST YOU!”

“But—“

“NO BUTS!”

You giggled sleepily. “Okay.”

Hearing Blue’s reassurance made you stop fighting off the sleep. You could feel Blue’s fingers threading softly into your hair and the noise of the TV slowly lulled you to sleep.

You woke up the next morning with your head still resting on Blue’s lap and his fingers in your hair. He had fallen asleep sitting which made you ‘Aww’ in your head before quietly and swiftly untangling his gloved hands from your hair before you slipped off. You moved his upper body until he was completely lying on the couch and then placed a blanket that you had found on the floor on top of him and tucked him in.

The thought that you and he had fallen asleep together made your soul buzz happily. It meant that you trust him, enough that you could fall sleep in his presence without the nagging feeling that he was going to hurt you. It was a difficult feeling to shrug off, considering that your life has been tried several times in the last months.

Stretch was nowhere to be found. You decided to cook a quick breakfast first for you and the boys. You cooked plain eggs, bacon, and then pancakes, considering that Stretch loved eating them drenched in honey. Afterward, you put aside the food and then loaded up the washing machine with the past three days’ laundry and soap. Once that was done, you went off to find Stretch.

You checked all over the apartment first before checking the rest of the ground floor. You eyed the vault and the security room, opting to peer in the latter before moving on. He wasn’t there. You decided to check outside first before you try his room and the rest of the floors.

You stepped aside for the first time in the past week, your mouth parting in surprise before closing once again. Half of the lawn was mowed and you figured Blue will get to the other half later in the day. It was already looking so nice despite it not having outside furniture or decorations. A brief flash of you and the two brothers sitting under the starry sky and just hanging out made you giddy from hope and excitement.

It has been a long time since you had a hangout with friends.

You paused. There it was again. Friends.

Was it too early to call them that? Maybe you should wait a little while longer.

You rounded the building, quietly impressed that aside from the grass was trimmed, there was also a stone path that led towards the back of the building. They really had been keeping themselves busy while you were there, talking to detained versions of them.

You found the shed that they mentioned once you were at what you could call the backyard. The whole place had been cleaned up and the grasses clipped in short length. It also seemed like they were building some kind of... monkey bars? There were a whole lot of logs on one side of the backyard.

Eh. They could do whatever they want. It’s not like anybody’s around to see them.

You checked the shed and a smile lit your face when you found Stretch sitting in front of a table with all of the materials from the box laid out in front of him. It was a little cramped since all the other equipment was here, too, but it looks like it doesn’t bother him one bit. A lone lightbulb hanging above his head was his only source of light until you opened the door enough to let the light come through.

You knocked on the door to announce your presence. There had been quite a few incidents involving you sneaking up to a certain skeleton and him almost hurting you in response. Stretch barely lifted his head as his eyes traveled towards you. “oh, it’s you.”

“Morning, Stretch!” you greeted with a smile. You walked into the shed and then tilted your head to get a better view of what he was working on. “Wait, you’re fast! You’re already one-third done with the base?”

“eh.”

You peered at his face and were genuinely surprised to see him wearing glasses. “Where the hell did you get those?”

“it was lying around in here,” he answered without so much as looking at you. “i tried it on and i liked it. so now i use it.”

“It looks weird on you. I’ve never imagined Papyrus wearing glasses before.” You stopped to think. “Oh, wait. Ace literally wears glasses. Hm. No, it just looks weird because you have no nose.”

“stop being nosey then,” he jabbed lightheartedly. “i’m trying to finish this by the end of the day.”

“You can’t.”

“watch me.”

You frowned. “Hey! I’m serious. Have you even gotten any sleep? When I asked you to do this for me, I didn’t intend for you to overwork yourself to the point of exhaustion! Now, stop.”

“honey.”

“Stretch.”

You held his gaze with intensity and determination.

After a few seconds, Stretch sighed and put both of his hands up. “alright, alright. you dote like my brother.”

“And he has every reason to dote on you!” He reminded you so much of Sans but you were sure he wouldn’t appreciate that. “Now, come inside, have some breakfast, and go to sleep.”

Stretch gingerly took off the glasses and set it down on the table. “welp, your loss. i could’ve finished all of this in less than three days.”

“Three days is already fast enough, Stretch. Now stop making excuses and get your boney ass to the kitchen.”

He let out a chuckle. “aye, aye.”

The two of you made your way back into the apartment where Blue got up just in time the two of you arrived. You had breakfast, taken a shower, visited all the other four brothers before going back down, and having dinner with Blue and Stretch. In your free time, you worked on finalizing the first device with the rest of the parts that Sans gave you. You settled on sharing a workspace with Stretch that night.

Blue had to come in the middle of the night for the two of you to stop working. Although you had felt very productive, Blue was right, you still needed some rest. So you put it off for tomorrow.

That was your routine with the skeletons for three days straight. You barely even talk with Patch or Ace now since you savored the early head start you could gain on the devices if you leave early. By the end of the third day, both you and Stretch had completed the two watch devices.

You tried it on yourself at first with your own laptop and own settings. That was the first time you invited Stretch into your room. You would’ve let Blue come to but it was way past midnight and he had already warned the two of you three times before he went to bed.

Your lips curled excitedly and you’ve quickly forgotten how tired you really were as hundreds of data scrolled past your screen continuously at a paced rate. The next thing Sans should work on after having a miniature version of that screening machine that takes up half of a room would be the automatic categorization of which of these he needed and which of these he can scrap. You weren’t a computer whiz but you think Alphys has the skill to make that kind of application.

Stretch was mirroring your exact same grin. “hey, you did it.”

“We did it. I wouldn’t have done it without you.”

“mhm. but it was your idea, honey.” His jaw parted before closing once again, hesitation clear on his face. “thank you, really. for doing this. you’re really turning around.”

“It’s nothing.”

“it’s not nothing.” He placed his hand on top of yours and then patted it awkwardly. Nevertheless, the gesture was soothing. “i, uh, i hope... that things go better for you.”

“It already is.” You pulled out your hand from under him and then placed it on top of his, squeezing it gently. “You guys have no idea how much you’ve helped me with all these... bullshit happening in my life. You made me hope again. And I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“heh.”

It could’ve been the tiredness. The fact that it was really, really late. Or maybe that the two of you were alone in your own room and were feeling things. Things that you hadn’t normally felt with him during the moments that the two of you weren’t in a good place.

But now, at this exact time, the two of you had come through for each other.

And that was enough.

Enough for him to push through his hesitation. Enough for you to reciprocate it back even if it’s just for a few seconds.

You felt it first before you realized what was happening. Stretch had leaned towards you and pressed his teeth against your lips gently but firm. You already knew how to kiss a skeleton. And so you kissed him back.

His arms snaked around your back and pulled you in harder until you were almost sitting on his lap. Something wet trailed the bottom of your lips and you fought off a shiver. You opened your mouth for him, your breath coming out in pants as desire struck your core.

You were having a full-blown make-out session... with another version of the skeleton you used to be in love with... in your room.

You hadn’t even noticed that he had one of his hands on your waist, tracing circles on your skin with his thumb. Before you or he could take it any further, you grabbed his hand and then pulled away. He was probably making the same face as you; his cheeks flushed, his eyes slightly narrowed and his teeth parted.

“I think...” you started as heat began to burn your face. “...we should probably head over to bed... and sleep this off.”

There was a flash of expression on his face and it was gone before you could even decipher what it was. “night, honey.”

“Night, Stretch.”

And he was gone. And you were alone.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

You woke up earlier than usual the next morning. You barely even slept, you were filled with too much anticipation and nervousness for today’s events. More than that, your mind kept fluttering towards you and your kiss with Stretch. Even though it probably meant nothing for you.

Did it mean nothing for you?

It should mean nothing for you.

But your focus kept shifting towards it unconsciously. And you had to consciously push it down every time. Maybe you were much more touch-starved than you thought you were. Whatever it was, it made you happy even for such a short moment.

You settled on making scrambled eggs and french toast for breakfast. You were humming while you did, the sizzle of the butter melting on the pan as you made another batch of scrambled eggs filling the kitchen. Despite the tiredness you felt from not getting proper sleep and the stress that accumulated from the past months, you felt pretty good this morning.

You were distracted by your thoughts while staring at the eggs slowly cooking under light heat.

“mhm, someone finally woke up on the right side of the bed.” Stretch’s head popped up beside you, almost making you squeal. You were used to random skeletons popping up but for some reason, you were extra jumpy today. Nevertheless, a smile automatically blossomed on your face as you moved your focus on cooking the meal in front of you.

“It’s a big day,” you said as neutrally as you can without making eye contact. You felt his hand graze the small of your back and it took all you can not to stiffen under his touch. “I’m sure you’re equally excited or else you won’t be out of bed right now.”

Stretch hummed, his hard chest pressing against your back as he reached for a mug on a cupboard right above you. Your mouth opened and then closed in surprise, not a sound escaping from your lips. You snapped your head towards him as soon as he took a step back but still too close for your comfort. “You’re doing that on purpose,” you choked out.

His brow bone raised in amusement. “doing what?” He feigned ignorance.

You pursed your lips, faking a frown as you turned back to the eggs that were most definitely scrambled and cooked by now. You scooped all of it into a bowl then turned off the stove. You sidestepped the tall skeleton so you can set the table. Stretch chuckled and shuffled towards the coffee maker. He poured himself a cup of coffee before moving towards where you were again. His knuckles brushed up against your hand as he moved to place the mug down.

You pulled away and then shot him a glare. “Okay, stop that.” Not that you didn’t like it. From the look on his face, he already knew that.  

“i’m just being friendly,” Stretch countered.

You snorted, hitting his shoulder. “Friendly? That doesn’t sound like you.” You finished setting up the table and sat down. Surprisingly, Stretch took the seat beside you as he went and got another mug of coffee for you. You murmured a quiet ‘thanks’ when he passed it on to you. Something has shifted in the atmosphere in the way that Stretch was acting around you now.

It wasn’t unwelcome. Just that you weren’t used to it.

Oh, god. You’d give so much just so you could get used to it. It felt really, really nice. You adore the kind of domestic vibe to it.

“so…”

“So?”

“have you decided which of the brothers to… you know…” He took a sip from his mug to excuse himself from finishing the sentence.

“I…” You trailed off as you go and went with a sip yourself before clearing your throat. “I’m leaning towards Red and Edge. I know it sounds crazy but between the two brothers, they’re the ones I’m more excited to see free at the end of the day.”

He shrugged, his eyes wandering over to you as he silently observed you. “it doesn’t sound that crazy. you had to pick one of them and you did.”

“Thank you. That makes me feel better.” You awkwardly tried to fill the silence by picking up a fork and then poking the scrambled eggs. Where was Blue? Shouldn’t he be up right now?

“my bro’s jogging. he should be back any minute,” Stretch supplied even without you asking.

“Oh. Uhm, okay,” you said eloquently, your face slowly heating up. “I kinda wanted to talk about the two of you, hm, well, where you guys should be when they come out.” You didn’t know how to tell him that it might be safer if Red and Edge don’t encounter other versions of themselves this early. Blue and Stretch were both prepared since they’ve had at least three weeks settling into the building. They were curious about the others. Red and Edge mostly tense up when you talk about their other versions and hadn’t completely wrapped their heads around the idea.

But along with that, you also didn’t want to be completely defenseless.

Stretch picked up on your quiet dilemma. “i think we’re going to be right outside. i’ll start working on the other devices. my bro’s building his own training obstacle course so there’s that.”

“He is?” you said, mildly impressed. “Is that what’s the logs are for?”

“yeah. he’s pretty cool.”

That one line forced a nostalgic feeling right from under your nose and before you know it, you were thinking about Papyrus. Sans was always talking about how cool Papyrus was. A bitter smile graced your expression and you immediately looked down to hide it from your company.

You felt a bony hand rest on top of yours and you looked back at Stretch. “it’s gonna be fine. keep your phone with you at all times, alright, honey?” He mistook your silence for apprehension.

You appreciate that he was worried about you. You leaned towards him a little, a teasing smile on your face. “Thanks, honey.”

You expected him to back off, blush, or something else. What he did next completely threw you off your game. Not that you had any game, to begin with. He leaned forwards, your breath hitched in your throat as he closed the distance so quickly and swiftly without any time for you to process it. The ridge of the hole where his nose should be and yours touched.

You know this. You’ve shared many of this with someone in the past. It’s a skeleton kiss. You squeaked and pulled away the next second with a hand covering your nose and mouth. “Stretch!” you hissed.

“what?” he asked innocently but obvious amusement was lighting up his expression. “it was just a touch. you make a big deal out of everything.”

“I know what that meant!” you emphasized, your face blushing deeper. “This is a big deal! Why are you being so affectionate to me all of a sudden??”

“i felt like it,” he answered nonchalantly with a shrug. “if it makes you uncomfortable, i’ll stop.” He said that last part with a serious tone.

“I—” You pursed your lips. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I just don’t think it’d be wise…” You didn’t know how to end the sentence so you let it hang for a minute. “Look, I’m not looking for anything serious right now. I’ve got you guys to deal with. Plus, I don’t think you’d want to date someone who already has their hands busy with alternate versions of yourself.”

The end of his teeth pulled up. “like i said, you’re making a big deal out of this. i’m not looking to date you. it just feels,” he paused, an orange tint to his cheekbones didn’t go unnoticed, “nice. and if you don’t like it, i’ll stop.”

You felt another sense of déjà vu happening right in front of you. You swore you had this kind of relationship with Sans at first. And you wanted to be the bigger one here and tell him that this wasn’t a good idea but you liked it. You liked his attention too much. You liked that this felt like you had a semblance of normalcy in your life right now, despite everything you were going through.

You let out a huff of breath. “Fine.”

“fine.”

He squeezed your hand, promptly making you remember that he still had his hand on top of yours. He began to lean forwards once more and you indulged to your wanting to reciprocate even for just a moment.

That was until Blue barged into the room and loudly announced his presence. “GOOD MORNING, Y/N!” he greeted cheerfully, dressed in the sportswear he had picked when you took them shopping. His bones had a light shimmer to them, evidence of his extraneous activity. “HMM? WHERE’S MY BROTHER?”

“Uh…” You were as lost as Blue. The moment he barged into the room, the two of you had jumped instinctively away from each other, with his version of it disappearing out of nowhere. “He’s here… somewhere…” you said instead, trying to ignore how heated up your cheeks were. “Sit down. Breakfast had gone cold. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“OH! ALRIGHT THEN.” He dabbed a towel over his forehead as he went to get himself a mug of coffee before sitting down in front of you. “WHAT’S THE AGENDA FOR TODAY?” he asked you. He began to start piling up his plate with food and you followed his lead.

“I’m gonna let out Red and Edge today.”

You haven’t finished the end of that sentence when Blue began to vibrate excitedly in his seat. He formed literal stars in his eyes as he looked at you like a child. “REALLY? THAT’S TODAY? WOWIE, TIME MOVES SO FAST!” he exclaimed. “DON’T WORRY, Y/N! I’M SURE THEY’LL LIKE THIS PLACE EVENTUALLY, JUST LIKE WE DID!”

“That’s not—” Wow, you haven’t even thought of that. What if they wanted to get out of here the first chance they get? You really should’ve mapped this out last night when you had plenty of time to do so. Maybe the best course of action was to take one of them to see the other, just like what you did with Blue and Stretch? Just to take everything slowly. “I’ve already told Stretch that we’ve decided to let things unfold slowly. That means I’d have to introduce them to you last after they resolve their feelings.”

“IS THAT SAFE?” Blue asked worriedly. “WEREN’T YOU JUST WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SAFETY THE LAST TIME?”

“Yeah but I’m also worried about them, too. I’ve mentioned they came from a harsh reality, right? I think it would be safer for us and for them to treat them as… fragile. Even for the first few days they’re here.”

Blue held your gaze. “IF YOU SAY SO. I’M JUST WORRIED FOR YOU, FRIEND.” You could feel your heart fluttering to Blue’s slip-up. He noticed his ‘mistake’ at the last second, his whole face glowing a bright blue. “I APOLOGIZE. WE HADN’T DISCUSSED THAT YET. IF YOU STILL THINK IT’S TOO EARLY, I WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION.”

“That’s…” You grinned at him, you couldn’t help it. The two of them were just simply amazing. “I appreciate it, Blue. And I don’t mind if you call me that at all. It’s a start, right?”

“I’M GLAD YOU THINK SO, FRIEND!!” Blue said enthusiastically. “MY BROTHER SHOULD REALLY BE BACK BY NOW.”

Stretch took that time to pop back in the room, appearing right on where he was usually seated next to Blue. That would’ve covered his tracks but then Stretch had to cast blue magic on his mug of coffee and plate that was situated next to you. Stretch cleared his throat and began to pile up his plate, ignoring your and Blue’s staring. Blue cast a knowing look to your direction, one that you also ignored.

After a quick breakfast, the three of you began to talk about how you planned to approach the edgy brothers and certain precautions to be set up. You and Blue washed the dishes while Stretch went and hang around somewhere close by.

“I’M STILL WORRIED ABOUT THIS PLAN OF YOURS, Y/N. ISN’T IT SAFER IF ONE OF US WAITS OUTSIDE JUST SO WE CAN RUSH IN WHEN YOU NEED HELP?”

“No,” you said with a sigh. “You guys are defenseless if you rush into the rooms since it’s still magic-proof. I can’t send Stretch since he,” only has one hp. You decided not to say it out loud. “It’s generally safer for you to come if need be. But I’m sure it will all go fine. They aren’t that aggressive to me anymore.”

“but that’s only because they think they’d be imprisoned forever,” Stretch spoke up. “you haven’t even tried crossing the electric wall, right?”

“Yeah. Guess we’ll have a lot of firsts today,” you said nervously.

There was a brief pause before Blue spoke up. “THERE’S SOMETHING I NEED TO CLEAR UP WITH YOU, FRIEND.” He placed down the last of the plates on the side and turned to face you. “YOU KEPT REFERRING TO MY BROTHER AS THE… ONE WITH THE LOWER STATS. YOU GOT A LITTLE MIXED UP THERE.”

You were stunned. “Are you saying that—" Immediately, you tried to backtrack. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I assumed since he was acting like my Sans that he had the same stats as him. I never would’ve thought that you…” Crap. You weren’t comfortable at all in reading the information Sans had gathered from them, instead just skimmed right through it like the rest of the others. And since their characters were swapped, you thought their stats were swapped as well. It just makes sense that way.

“IT’S ALRIGHT, FRIEND! IT’S AN HONEST MISTAKE!” He gave you a reassuring smile. “I JUST DIDN’T THINK WE HAD ANYTHING TO GAIN BY HIDING IT.”

You let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you. For telling me and for trusting me with this information.” His stories were a little different regarding his motivations and to be honest, it fitted him and his personality. You adjusted what you already knew about him. The reason why Undyne- no, Alphys- wouldn’t let him in the royal guard was because of his low stats. Despite his obvious weakness, he worked so hard amongst all things. He was pretty amazing.

“NOT A PROBLEM! ANYWAY, I THINK WE’VE EXTENDED OUR BREAKFAST LONG ENOUGH. WHAT I’M TELLING YOU IS THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON MY BROTHER TO COME TO YOUR HELP SINCE HE WON’T BE TAKEN DOWN THAT EASILY, MAGIC OR NOT!”

“I still don’t think it’s safe,” you pointed out. “They have a pretty high LV. I can handle them, alright? I can handle a hit or two. The two of you can’t.”

“you make it sound like we can’t protect you,” Stretch commented dryly. “there must be something we can do.”

“I’ll be fine.” You made up your mind. You weren’t letting them anywhere near the other two until you know it’s safe. You don’t want to add ‘nursing skeletons back to health’ in your job description. “The two of you stay away from the building until I say so or if I ask for help. Got it?”

There was only silence. You had to repeat your question. “Ok, I’ll ask Sans to keep an eye on me. Would that be good enough for the two of you?”

They both murmured a quiet ‘Yes’ which you took as an answer.

You placed a hand on your chest, the other gripping the small device from the pocket of your sweatpants. You had argued with yourself regarding how you should present yourselves to them today but you figured that if you wore your lab coat, they might think that this was an official experimentation event. You settled on clothes that make you look as harmless as possible.

Sans had run several tests on the devices to make sure they were working right after your breakfast bit with the swap brothers. Sans had appeared stoic and aloof which weren’t all that unusual until you saw the hint of a smile when the screen showed the devices were working. You made a joke about it and his expression quickly fell. Still, it made you feel some sense of achievement for getting through him.

You closed your eyes as you shook your head. You were trying to prolong the inevitable. Better to just get it over with. You released the devices from your hand and proceeded to knock on the door three times.

“Hi, Red,” you said as casually as you can. You found him lying down on the floor, actively looking bored as hell while flipping through the pages of a different astrology book. You were quite sure he was faking it. “How’s that book coming along?”

“the photos look so unreal,” he said flatly. “i just can’t imagine space looking like this.”

“Well, you can’t actually see that with your naked eye.”

He looked at you like you’ve just said something crazy. “what the fuck is a naked eye? why is it naked in the first place?”

You couldn’t help but snort. “It’s a human phrase, Red. It just means that you can’t see space with just your regular eyesight. You need like some high-powered telescope to even see half the things in that book.”

“huh.”

Ok. This was good. A nice starter conversation. You placed yourself at the edge of the electric wall, making it seem as if this was what you intended to do. Red was slightly startled but didn’t comment on it while you peeked to see the page he was looking at. He moved the book a little closer to you so you wouldn’t have to accidentally ‘hurt’ yourself by coming in too close.

You exchanged a few more words, telling him what the sky looked like and all that. Kinda reminded you of the day before Blue tried to kill you when the talk about the surface came up. You mentally pushed those thoughts away. You’ve already forgiven Blue. This was not the time to dwell on the past.

Once you think you were ready to take this another step further, you waited for Red to say the words that would shift the conversation into what you planned for.

You didn’t have to wait very long.

“so, ya forgot to feed me or what?” he said, his small, focused eyes glancing over to you. “noticed ya have been busy these past few days. what’re ya workin’ on ta make ya forget about y’er own job?”

“Well, I… I’ve been working on this.” You fished out one of the devices from your pocket and then showed the small watch to him. “It’s actually something that will let you visit your brother if you chose to wear it.”

“…y’er shittin’ me.”

“No, I’m not,” you insisted. You pushed yourself closer to the wall, greatly startling him. He almost wanted to push you away himself but he kept his hands and his warnings to himself. “I know it sounds like I’ve procured it out of the blue but I’ve been working on it so you and your brother can get out of here.”

Red was just staring at you like you’ve lost your mind.

“Red. I’ve worked on it myself. I’ve worked on it with the others as well. It works. Please, put it on. I don’t want you to waste all your time here. Didn’t I promise you I’d get you out of here? This is the solution.”

“what does it do?” You couldn’t read his expression at all. If he was glad that you brought this up, he wasn’t showing it on his face.

You took a deep breath before you launched into an explanation of what the device was meant to do. You were taking a gamble by telling this to him instead of lying but you didn’t want to lie to him. You didn’t want to lie to any of them. Silently, you hoped that Red would give it a chance.

“ya got to be shittin’ me. from y’er explanation, it doesn’t sound like we’d be free!”

“You will be soon enough,” you said quickly. “Just more than a week and you and your brother can go wherever you want.”

He wore a dark expression on his face. “what if we want ta go home?”

You stared him incredulously. You knew what their home universe was like. “Do you want to go home?”

He scowled. “no. but i would appreciate it if we had a choice!”

Worry and empathy flashed across your face. “Maybe you will. In the near future.” You took in another deep breath. “But for now, this. What do you say, Red?”

“this is a fucking trick.”

You fought off the instinct to sigh exasperatedly. “It’s not. There aren’t any tricks to this.” You wanted so badly to reach out and shake his shoulders but you held off for now. “Look at me. Do I look like I’m lying to you?”

“the hell would i know!” he said in frustration as he waved his hands up. “how do i know that ya can be trusted?”

You gritted your teeth. You paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to convince him this wasn’t a trick at all. You could put down the wall for a moment but Sans had given you specific instructions not to take it down unless they were already wearing the devices. “Okay. Okay. I’m gonna do something but I don’t want you to freak out, alright?”

You saw the hint of anxiety in his face.

“I’m going to phase through this wall right here,” you said slowly while keeping your hands up. “I want you to trust me and not freak out.”

He was freaking out. “what the fuck do ya mean y’er going to phase through the wall?! that shit hurts like hell!”

You really wanna hit him in the head for once. “Red, calm down. I’m going in right now, alright?”

He didn’t give you an answer, not even a nod or a shake of his head. He trained his eyes on you as you silently entered his space, one foot in with the other. You could feel your heart thrashing in your chest just from being in a closed space with him. No. He won’t hurt you. You hope.

His eye lights went wide as soon as you crossed the barrier. He was staring at you like he couldn’t believe what you just did. “wha—”

“The electric wall only affects monsters,” you explain quietly, both of your hands still up in the air. “Now, I just need you to—oomf!”

In the next second, your feet were pulled out from under you and fell onto the hard floor on your back, the back of your head bouncing off the ground which immediately resulted into a headache. A groan escaped past your lips and you moved to stand up once more or at least sit upright but you couldn’t move your hands. Your eyes shot open, not even realizing you had it closed when you fell on the floor, and your stomach dropped at the sight of the skeleton on top of you, pinning your hands and feet down on the ground with his own.

Red’s eye lights had shrunk into tiny little orbs. “you crazy bitch.”

Your panic had shot up through the roof. You had forgotten to threaten him that help would come by if he tries anything funny. “R-red, I—”

He gripped your wrists harder, digging his sharp claws into your skin. A small cry tore past your lips. “do ya have any idea how long i’ve waited for this?” You could feel the low grumble in his chest.

Stupid, stupid! You had talked to Blue and Stretch about this! You should have your hand ready to dial them at all times! You had let your guard down because you honestly didn’t expect Red or Edge to hurt you, no matter how much they claimed they would. “Don’t do this,” you pleaded. “They’ll lock you up again.”

“i could rip your throat right here, right now, sweetheart,” he threatened almost provocatively, his voice dipping lower. You shuddered involuntarily and his sharp grin widened at that. He began to bend down and for a stupid moment, you thought he was going to kiss you. But he went lower, right on top the curve of your neck. You felt his teeth slowly grazed the part of your pulse.

Your emotions were a mixture of fear and desire.

Oh, dear god, he’s not actually going to rip your throat out, was he?

A small whimper escaped your lips just as he parted his teeth open and gently bit down on your pulse. Your breathing quickened. Along with yours, his chest was heaving up and down. You had no idea what he was going to do next. Despite it, you did your best not to move at all lest you startle him and he indeed ripped your throat out.

He gradually pulled away as a distracted noise came out of his throat. Confusion was written all over his face and there was a hint of drunkenness in his eyes. He was as lost as you. You winced when his grip loosened, letting blood flow back into your hands.

The two of you stared at each other, not quite knowing what to do next. Although you do have some ideas in mind.

“SANS, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! UNHAND THEM RIGHT NOW!!!”

Both of you hadn’t realized when the door had swung open on its own and when Edge had strutted into the room, his face immediately morphing into rage when he saw what his brother was doing to you. Or assumed what he was doing to you.

Red was alarmed but didn’t move an inch from the floor. It seemed like he had snapped out of the trance he was in. “b-boss? is that really you?”

Edge’s scowl deepened. “YES, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON. UNHAND THEM OR I WILL DUST YOU!” He took a step forward which propelled Red to let go of you immediately but he didn’t move away.

As soon as Red was out of your face, you took this time to breathe air into your lungs and cool your face down. Even though Red could’ve injured you in those mere seconds, he didn’t. He had your whole life in his hands- or teeth if you wanna get technical- yet he didn’t end it like both of you thought he would. Likewise, he was as surprised at that fact as you were.

You rubbed the wrist of your hands interchangeably, worry in your eyes as you found that his claws were sharp enough to have drawn blood when he sunk them into your skin. You hoped nobody would notice.

Edge and Red did.

Red had a guilty expression on his face but kept quiet as Edge shot a glare towards his direction. “BABYSITTER, GET OUT THERE. NOW.”

You nodded at the tall skeleton, only realizing the fact that he was out and about when you hadn’t even been to his room yet. You passed through the wall and stood face to face with the scary-looking skeleton. Only this time, he wasn’t as scary as you thought. A small smile bloomed on your face. “How did you get out, Edge?” you asked. You initially wanted to ask him how he was doing but went with the most important questions first.

“YOUR COWARDLY SANS SPOKE TO ME THROUGH THE SPEAKERS,” Edge answered a bit coldly, his arms crossed while he barely glanced at you. You were a bit disappointed to see him holding himself back now. “HE TOLD ME YOU WERE IN TROUBLE AND THAT I NEEDED TO WEAR THIS STUPID-LOOKING DEVICE ON MY WRIST OR YOU WILL BE DEAD.”

“i wasn’t even hurting them!” Red complained.

“SHUT UP, SANS. I WASN’T TALKING TO YOU,” Edge snapped. Both of you and Red flinched a little. If Edge had noticed that, he didn’t tell. “ONCE I SNAPPED THE DEVICE ON, THE BARRIER DISAPPEARED AND THE DOOR OPENED ON ITS OWN. I HEARD VOICES- YOURS AND SANS’- ACROSS THE HALLWAY WHOSE DOOR WAS ALSO OPEN. YOU KNOW THE REST.”

You had left the other device with Sans since he told you he wanted to run some tests on it while you go and went to try to get Red to wear one. He told you he’d kept an eye on you but for him to actually intervene, it was surprising. Even though he didn’t put himself in harm’s way by teleporting to the room himself, it was still surprising to you. It’s not something you thought he would do.

“Thanks for coming, Edge. I didn’t know you cared that much about me,” you teased.

“KEEP FLATTERING YOURSELF, BABYSITTER,” he sarcastically said. “NOW WOULD BE A GREAT TIME FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE STUPID DEVICE IS FOR.”

You gave Edge the same explanation you gave to Red about what the device was meant to do. That it was supposed to take and measure their own magic and vitals without having to be confined in one small space. It didn’t seem like Edge appreciated the idea of giving someone free reign of every single bit of information of him and doing what they want with it without his consent. “SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS!” he stated loudly, making you deflate a little.

“right, boss?”

If they refuse to wear the device, they would be stuck in here until their one month was up. “I understand.”

Edge sneered. “SANS, WEAR THE DEVICE NOW.”

“ye—wait, what the fuck? what?!”

You looked back at Edge.

“LET’S JUST GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS AND THEN WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE.” Red blinked. Edge increased the volume of his voice. “ARE YOU DEAF? SURELY ALL THESE WEEKS OF LYING DOWN DOING NOTHING HASN’T MADE YOU STUPIDER!”

“b-but, boss, that doesn’t make sense! this is our magic they’re talking about—”

“AND WE ARE IN THEIR HOME TURF,” he firmly countered. “NO MATTER WHAT ANGLE THEY USE, WE ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE. DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO PICK YOUR FIGHTS, BROTHER?”

“still—“

“IF YOU WANT TO BE STUCK IN HERE LIKE A PRISONER THEN GO AHEAD. I, FOR SURE, DO NOT WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER SECOND ROTTING IN A ROOM WHEN I HAVE THE CHOICE TO BE OUT OF IT!”

“papyrus, this is hardly a choice!” Red argued. It was the first time you heard Red use his brother’s name. “they can use this against us!”

“THEY HAVE ALREADY USED US AGAINST EACH OTHER!” Silence filled the room. Edge repeated in a lower voice, “THEY ALREADY HAVE ALL THIS TIME. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE ALIVE IN THE NEXT ROOM IS WHAT MADE ME DECIDE TO GO ON EVEN THOUGH THEY PRESENTED NO PROOF UNTIL THAT DAY. IF THEY WANTED US DEAD, THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY. INSTEAD, THEY ASSURED US AND GRANTED US A TINY BIT OF THEIR COMPANY.”

You weren’t sure whether or not you wanted to point out that that wasn’t a good thing. It doesn’t justify locking them up. But you kept quiet, let the brothers talk it all out.

“boss. y’er making a mistake.”

Edge scowled. “YOU ARE STUBBORN, BROTHER.”

“no, you.”

“FINE! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF THERE, I DON’T CARE. THEY’VE GIVEN US A CHANCE TO PROVE THEMSELVES TO US AND YOU’RE SCARED TO TAKE THAT CHANCE.”

“and y’er naïve to trust ‘em so easily!”

“THEY ARE ALSO NAÏVE TO TRUST YOU EASILY!” Edge countered. “THEY ENTERED YOUR DOMAIN AND YOU ATTACKED THEM!”

“i—” Red’s eyes flittered over to you. “okay. it wasn’t my fault they’re gullible!”

“Hey!”

“AND I HAD TO SAVE THEM. FROM YOU!”

“are you really choosing a human over me?”

“I WOULD CHOOSE ANYONE OVER YOU!” Edge scoffed.

The two of them stared intensely at each other. You presumed they resumed the rest of their fight using their glares. You waited patiently, hoping that Edge can convince his own brother. After several minutes, Red spoke up.

“fine!” he said exasperatedly with a wave of his hands. “but if everything goes wrong, this is y’er fault!”

“I WOULD NOT BE A COWARD AND TELL YOU THAT IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE MINE.”

“No, if it anyone’s fault, it would be mine,” you reacted. “None of you should have to blame each other or yourself. You’re not here on your accord.”

The two brothers gave each other a glance before looking at you. “INDEED, IT IS YOUR FAULT.”

“yeah, ‘m fine with that.”

Great. You gave them a weak shrug. Red took that chance to stare at the device you had dropped on the floor. A wave of conflicting emotions flashed through his face and you were afraid that he might lash out and destroy the device anyway, rendering your efforts useless. But he didn’t. He took one look at you and at his brother before he brought the device next to his wrist and it automatically latched around him. Sans had made sure they wouldn’t be able to take it off until he was done using them. The only problem now was to make sure they don’t destroy it.

“Thank you, Red. I’m going to deactivate your wall now, alright?” you told him.

“yeah, yeah, whatever,” he murmured.

You went over to the scanner and you felt a bitter taste in your mouth at the sight of it. You barely looked at it while you lifted your hand up, instead, focusing on Red or Edge. The wall dissipated in a matter of seconds.

You didn’t want to let either have the chance to think about suddenly attacking you so you immediately tried to distract them as you led them out of the room. “Alright! You guys will feel woozy when you come out of the rooms but it’s only because you’ll be recovering your suppressed magic. Blue and Stretch needed at least two weeks to fully recover so we’re going to be assuming it’s the same for you two.”

“BAH! TWO WHOLE WEEKS? WHAT A BUNCH OF PANSIES.”

“Edge,” you warned. “C’mon, be nice. That goes for you, too, Red.”

“really, sweetheart? isn’t it enough that i won’t dust ‘em at first sight? i have to play nice, too?” he grumbled.

“Hey. Come on. These brothers may not have gone through what you two did but they’re still alternate versions of you, alright? Be nice. Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to them at the end of—” Red suddenly grabbed your bruised wrist and pulled you back while he and his brother blocked your view. You didn’t realize what the heck they were doing until you heard voices that weren’t them.

“OH! DO NOT WORRY, WE DON’T INTEND TO HURT YOU OR ANYTHING!” It was Blue’s voice. “WE’RE Y/N’S FRIENDS! YOU DON’T NEED TO HIDE THEM FROM US!”

From behind, you could see the tense shoulders of both Red and Edge coupled with their intense expressions. They haven’t said a thing. Before things could escalate further, you pulled your hand from Red’s grip and then slid yourself in between the two pairs of brothers. You had your arms up while looking at Blue and Stretch, also confusing yourself if you had intended to protect the edgier brothers or prevent them from blindly attacking.

“Blue, Stretch, what are you doing here?” you asked carefully while looking back at Red and Edge to make sure nothing weren’t triggering their fight or flight responses. “I told you to wait outside, right?”

Blue caught on to your careful movements and had backed a step. Stretch was almost as tense as the other two but he had it hidden masterfully. “I APOLOGIZE, Y/N. AN UNKNOWN NUMBER HAD CALLED MY CELL AND I ASSUMED IT WAS YOU NEEDING HELP.”

“did they hurt you?” Stretch suddenly asked. He was eyeing your bruises. This made Blue cast a worried look towards you.

You quickly hid your arms behind your back. “It was an accident. I promise I’ll tell you everything later. Right now, I… we need you to leave, okay?”

“YOU TOLD US YOU’D TELL IF THEY HURT YOU,” Blue countered. His eyes kept flicking over to the two brothers behind you who was still ready to put up a fight despite them not having magic at all. “I’M AFRAID I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE WITH THEM, FRIEND.”

“Blue,” you said firmly. “I can handle this.”

“honey—”

“I can handle it,” you repeated while shooting them sharp looks. You lingered longer on Stretch.

Stretch huffed, finally backing down. “c’mon, sans. let y/n handle this.”

Blue turned to him to argue. “BUT—" Stretch’s hand shot out to grab him and they disappeared in thin air.

You let the atmosphere diffuse by itself as you turn back to Red and Edge who looked less tense now that the others were gone. They still haven’t spoken.

You gave them a weak smile. “This is why you had nicknames given to you. It’s already confusing enough that we have four Sanses living in this building.” They didn’t reply so you went on. “You can still call each other Sans or Papyrus if that’s what you prefer but it would be really nice to go by another name if there are more than one pair of brothers in the same room.”

Red released an exhale. “yep, definitely pansies.” He and Edge began snickering to themselves.

“Hey! Be nice,” you warned lightly. “They’re still stronger than the two of you considering they’re in their full strength.”

Once they’ve settled down, you gave them the tour of the floor. You pointed out Blue and Stretch’s room that was situated on the same floor. They seemed put off by the idea that the swap brothers had moved into the rooms where they were held hostage. You told them that you had removed every single thing that might make them feel that way. “They told me that they had personalized their own rooms to make it feel less of a… prison and more of their own. I haven’t had the chance to see it myself, to be honest.”

“there’s an easy solution to that,” Red said with a snort. Before you could stop him, he had already swung a door open. Their doors were completely replaced by wooden ones with the typical doorknob to lock it. It seemed that they don’t mind keeping it unlocked though because Red was able to open it without any trouble.

You reprimanded him but your words died in your throat since you, too, were curious about what their rooms look like. Red had opened Blue’s room. Your mouth formed into an ‘o’ as you took a peek. Blue had put a fuzzy navy carpet on the floor which had a huge impact on the room’s atmosphere. It appeared really cozy now, with a bed pushed in a corner and a dresser next to it. There was also the lamp that you gave to him after you decided that it didn’t belong to your room.

It looked just like a regular human’s room and not some cold, dark room in a lab building.

A small smile lifted your lips as you let yourself imagine Blue making an effort to make it more comfortable. There was no trace of anything electrical on the walls or the line where the barrier was initially situated or the scanner installed. It was either covered by a piece of different furniture or wallpaper. You don’t even know where he got that wallpaper.

You reached over to close the door. “Alright, that’s enough peeking. You’d like to have your privacy respected, right?”

The next hour was just you giving the brothers a tour of the whole place. They like having a commentary on every single place you pointed to them and it quickly became old really fast. You kinda missed having them apart because, for some apparent reason, they rile each other up and annoy each other really well to the point that they’d bicker endlessly. You somehow wished that this wouldn’t be the case once they’ve grown accustomed to each other again. Maybe they just missed each other.

You still haven’t deemed it safe enough for them to meet Blue and Stretch again so after the tour, the three of you went back to your ‘apartment’ where you offered them monster food.

“Okay, let’s set up a couple of ground rules,” you initiated once the three of you were seated. You had bought a long table for six people and you were worried that it’d cause some trouble if one of them takes either Blue or Stretch’s place since they already had dibs on their seats. “You’re both sitting on occupied seats. You can sit here,” you gestured unoccupied ones beside you, “so that there wouldn’t be arguments.”

“it’s just a chair, sweetheart. it’s not like we’re stealing their things or somethin’,” Red pointed out.

“Yes. But they were here first so just do that, alright? We eat together at breakfast and dinner every time. We’d understand if you guys would rather not join us. This isn’t some kind of mandatory thing. It just… you know, makes everyone a little bit comfy in each other’s presence once we set up a routine.”

Edge let out a grunt and Red almost appeared like he wasn’t listening as he gobbled up the food in front of him.

“Okay, next. I know I’ve stressed this quite a lot today but play nice. If it comes to my attention that either one of you had picked up a fight, I will throw you back in your prison.”

“harsh,” Red dryly commented.

“WE’VE ALREADY GATHERED THAT,” Edge said with a nod.

“The security room and the vault in the lobby are off-limits. Don’t even try forcing your way to it, it’s already reinforced with magic and security measures.”

“heh. guess we know where the mouse is hidin’.”

You ignored that. “Conversely, this space is welcome for any one of you. Except my bedroom, of course. If the bathroom’s locked, you wait until it’s unlocked for you to use it. You can take your showers in there.”

“WE’RE MONSTERS. WE DON’T NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM.”

“Tell that to Blue,” you said with a snort. “The rooms that are occupied on the third floor are also off-limits. Not only are you jeopardizing your safety, but you’re also jeopardizing mine.”

“YOU THREATEN US TOO MUCH WITH YOUR OWN LIFE, BABYSITTER.”

You couldn’t help but be smug. “That’s because you came running immediately once you thought I was in danger.”

“ha. ya got ‘im,” Red said, snickering.

“SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!!!”

While you sat there exchanging quips with the brothers, you thought to yourself that you could make this work. This could work.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

“You do not need to explain yourself, dear.”

You stopped in the middle of your explanation justifying your reasons for letting out the violent brothers before Ace and his brother. You shifted in your place, trying not to appear too nervous. “Are you sure? I know it sounds like I’m making up excuses but if I hurt you, tell me so I can make up for it.”

Ace smiled, although it was a bit strained. “Indeed. Hurting my or my brother’s feelings are inevitable, I’m afraid. You acted on what you think was best for everyone and you shouldn’t feel the need to explain yourself. Do not worry about us, or me, for that matter. We have already survived three whole weeks in here. What’s one more?”

“…I’m really sorry.” You don’t know what to say to him anymore. The situation did alleviate some of your rage from their past actions so you were in that awkward space between fixing things or letting it go. You had wanted to say more but you were too ashamed to ask him about it since you do feel like you owe him something.

Ace caught on sooner or later and gave you a smile. “You can leave early if you want to, Y/N. Thank you for the book and the tea.” He flitted through the pages with wonder. It was one of the few books that you owned and loved. You thought of giving him something on engineering but settled on a classic novel that you think he’d appreciate.

You were trying to make it up to him without outright saying the words. “Are you sure?” you asked. Seemed like it was your favorite question to ask. It was good practice to properly communicate, after all. “I really don’t wanna leave you if you want my company.”

Ace nodded his head once. “Thank you for looking out for me but yes, I’m quite sure. I know you have a lot on your hands if there is indeed another set of brothers you have to handle. Leaving them alone even for a couple of minutes must not be sitting well with you and I would hate to keep you from them.” He lifted the book up. “This book would keep me busy for a few hours at least. That’s enough for me.”

“If you say so,” you sighed. “Thank you, Ace.”

“Yes, yes. Have fun, my dear,” Ace said with a slight smile.

You groaned unconsciously. He knew too well that you were not going to have fun. You bid him goodbye for the day and exited his room. You were not surprised to see four skeletons standing in the hallway with tense expressions waiting for you. You heaved a sigh.

“Blue, Stretch, I thought I told you that you didn’t have to check up on me and just stay outside?”

Once the swap brothers entered the kitchen for lunch, Red and Edge had tensed up once again, completely undoing your progress on making them comfortable. They kept their eyes on what they consider as threats. Blue was either completely oblivious or he was acting like it by being as harmless and friendly as he possibly can. He tried to make friends just as he did to you but at one point, Red had growled at him to shut up, and Stretch immediately tried to defend his brother… and you had to put yourself in the middle to defuse the situation. It was simply a mess.

You ushered Blue and Stretch to go outside right after they ate and told them not to act too aggressive towards the other two. They both denied they were being aggressive and you were too tired to argue with them. You went back inside to find the other two sneaking around the lobby with Red eyeing the vault that led to the basement and Edge behind him, deep in thought. You invited them outside since they hadn’t seen the surface yet but the look of dread on their faces made you retract your invite. You ignored it and informed them that you’d need to visit the other set of brothers still imprisoned to which they reacted negatively.

Which meant they didn’t want to part with you and complained the whole way. They were being clingy, much like Blue in those first days, but they were being forceful about it. It took quite a few minutes to talk them down before you were able to enter Ace’s room.

“YES, BUT! I WAS JUST WORRIED FOR YOUR… SAFETY! AS I ALWAYS AM,” Blue insisted, his eye lights wandering over to the two brothers who had hovered behind you tauntingly when you exited Ace’s room.

“the fuck does that mean, you lousy fuck—”

“Red,” you hissed, shooting him a glare. You turned to Blue, worried that he might’ve taken it badly but there wasn’t a trace of hurt in his expression, to your surprise. He was taking this differently than you thought. Maybe Stretch had talked to him.

“don’t talk to my brother that way,” Stretch followed coldly in his usual slack posture. He wasn’t fooling anyone though.

Jeez— You had to get in the middle of this before they even start. “Can’t a person take a break? Calm down, no one’s attacking anyone. If you guys can’t at least be civil with one another, I’d have to schedule when and where all of you could enter a place in a particular time.” It seemed like your words fell on deaf ears. The four of them looked exactly like angry cats getting ready to fight.

“I HATE TO ADMIT BUT MY BROTHER HAS A POINT,” Edge spat as he stood with his arms crossed. “I DO NOT LIKE THE TONE THAT THIS CHEAP VERSION OF HIM HAS SAID.”

“WHAT TONE? I DON’T HAVE A TONE!” Blue defended.

Edge shot him a glare before snapping his head to the side. “OH, THAT’S AWFULLY CONVENIENT, ISN’T IT?”

Blue furrowed his brow bones as he turned to you. “IT’S TRUE! RIGHT, Y/N?”

You searched his face before sighing. “Edge, Blue doesn’t mean anything by it. These two have always been looking out for me ever since they got out. They always check if I come out of the rooms at the right time to make sure I was still alive.”

Red made a face. “sounds exactly what he just said. y’er implyin’ one of us were gonna hurt ya.” There was a low grumble in his chest that made you almost stiffen in place. Your slip-up didn’t escape their sharp eyes but nobody said anything about it.

“Alright,” you said carefully, “Everyone needs to calm down. You can’t fault Blue and Stretch for being protective because they know exactly what kind of universe you two lived in. Are you telling me that being cautious is a stupid move?” You caught Edge’s eyes. “Well, Captain?”

Edge subtly flinched at the title. “NO, I GUESS NOT. I JUST DO NOT LIKE TO BE ACCUSED OF SOMETHING I DIDN’T DO.”

“THAT WASN’T MY INTENTION, REALLY!” Blue informed him. “Y/N’S MY FRIEND. THIS PLACE IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH FOR THEM AS IT IS AND I GET REALLY WORRIED IF THEY ARE GONE FOR HOURS STRAIGHT WITHOUT ANY UPDATES.”

“…I GUESS THAT’S PLAUSIBLE,” Edge grumbled.

You thought of leaving the four of them alone to bond for a little bit but you had the nagging feeling that it would be a bad idea. The best decision was not to leave them alone even for a bit. Just for at least a week. You didn’t want to come home to monster dust.

Okay, now your nerves were a wreck. Was it really a good idea to give Red and Edge freedom like this? Their LV was high and you know that it makes the other two uncomfortable. Blue was just truly kind. Stretch, however, was reasonably wary but still tries to give them a chance because of his brother.

“Okay, the five of us need to talk about this but I need to talk to Patch first. Can you guys not kill each other during that time?”

“OF COURSE WE CAN, FRIEND! YOU CAN MOST DEFINITELY TAKE YOUR TIME!” Blue said.

Edge sneered. “I DO NOT WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE WITH MIRRORS OF OURSELVES.”

“yea, they give me the creeps,” Red seconded.

You had to stop yourself from sighing. “There really isn’t anything we can do about that.” Nobody budged. “Red, Edge, would it be better for you two if you knew Blue and Stretch are outside and nowhere in the building?”

You saw Blue about to complain but you sent him a look and a slight shake of your head. Stretch clapped a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“I’M NOT SCARED OF THEM,” Edge said defensively.

“I’m not saying you are. I just don’t want any fight to break out while I’m talking to Patch so it would be for the best if either of you are just not in the same vicinity.”

“they can stay right here where we can keep an eye on them,” Red taunted, grinning widely to make his teeth bigger than they were.

“hah. you two are confusing,” Stretch pointed out. “i thought you didn’t want to be left alone with us?”

“INDEED,” Edge glowered. “YET IT WOULD BE A STUPID MOVE IF WE LET ENEMIES OUT OF OUR SIGHT, IS IT NOT?”

“Enemies—” you said with a gasp, “They’re not enemies!”

“I THOUGHT WE’VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF HURTING YOU? IT’S THE LAST THING WE’D THINK OF DOING!” Blue agreed.

“FINE. POTENTIAL ENEMIES.”

You sent him a glare. “No. They’re friends.”

Edge held your gaze. You didn’t back down. After a beat, he grunted. “FINE. SUSPICIOUS MONSTERS BUT… POTENTIAL ACQUAINTANCES.”

That was good enough for you. You turned to Blue and Stretch. “Okay, now you two stay outside for a while. I’ll come to get you when they’re calmer.”

“WE ARE CALM ENOUGH, BABYSITTER.”

“aw, sweetheart, we’re fine dealing with these two losers.”

You smiled sweetly. “Yeah, I’m doing them a favor, not you two. Now please let me get back to work.”

When you broke the news to Patch, he wasn’t happy. Hurt and anger flashed through his face. He didn’t feel the need to conceal it.

Yet you stood your ground. “I didn’t do it just to spite you or your brother, Patch. I hope you know that.”

“whatever,” he snapped. “you’re a lot like him, you know that right? all you wanna do is keep us in here.” He slammed a hand against the wall and you flinched.

You swallowed a lump in your throat. You were hurt by his accusation but you tried to rationalize his behavior. Red had a breakdown not too long ago. If they were anything alike then this must be Patch’s version of it.

Empathize, Y/N, goddammit. “I’m sorry, Patch. Can I do anything for you?” you asked instead to try and alleviate his accumulated stress.

“ah, fuck off! stop acting as if you’re anything but evil!” He began to pace around his room as he scraped his fingers across his skull. “this is unfair and you know it! i’m the one who helped you build that stupid device! my brother and i should’ve been out of here a long time ago!”

“Hell, you would’ve been,” you retorted, “if you didn’t sabotage everything! You and your brother would’ve been walking as free men had you not tried anything, Patch!”

He stopped in his tracks and jabbed a finger at you. “you don’t get to pin this on me, cupcake,” he growled. “you aren’t the one stuck in his hellhole!”

“I’m trying, okay! You know I’m trying!” You hated that you couldn’t help but defend yourself.

Patch was about to open his mouth when somebody began to pound on the door. Irritation overtook your expression as you stomped over to the door to open it.

“ARE YOU DONE YET—” Edge stopped when his eye lights took in your face.

“Edge, please, not now. I’ll come out when I’m done,” you said through gritted teeth.

“YOU’RE NOT HURT,” he asked, his voice alert while he subtly peeked into the room.

“I’m not,” you confirmed. You were confused. “Why are you asking?”

“YOUR SOUL IS IN DISTRESS,” he answered. “AND YOUR EYES ARE GLOSSY.”

That somehow put a small smile on your face. “Oh. Okay. I’m fine. I was just talking to Patch.”

His eyes wandered over to the side to avoid looking at you. “HE’S NOT HURTING YOU?”

“He isn’t. Thank you for asking.”

“HMP. IT’S NOT MY JOB TO BABYSIT YOU, BABYSITTER.”

“I’m not saying it is,” you said with an amused smile. “Where’s Red?”

“I’M NOT MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.”

“Alright.” You nodded. “If you want to, you could walk around. I’ll come to get you when I’m done here.”

“YOU DON’T GET TO BOSS ME AROUND, BABYSITTER,” he sneered before he turned around and walked away. You let out a sigh before closing the door again.

“really? you let the monsters with the highest lv roam around without a leash?” Patch asked coldly.

“Patch, I’m really not in the mood for this,” you retorted as you walked back to the edge of the electric wall caging him in. He had his arms crossed while staring daggers at you. “You did something I didn’t like. I did something you didn’t like. Let’s just call it quits.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. His eyes were condescending and you were almost hurt about it. “now that would be the easiest route for you, isn’t it? you go back out there and i’m stuck in here, rotting.”

“You wouldn’t be if you hadn’t messed with the device! Damn it, Patch! We’re just running in circles!” You exasperatedly groaned into your hands. “Look, I’m really sorry if this didn’t go the way you planned, alright? But it’s only a matter of time! You and your brother will be let out as soon as possible!”

There was a long silence as you cast your eyes downward. He released a shaky sigh. “i’m sorry, too. i shouldn’t have taken advantage of your trust.” His voice had toned down. “fuck, i’m sorry. i just can’t… inside here… my body clock is all messed up. i don’t know. it feels like forever since i’ve last seen you.” He rubbed a hand across his skull again and when you looked up, you now noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the scratches on his arms.

You swallowed thickly. You watched him as he started to pace around the small room again before giving up and settling down to sit against the wall. He pulled his knees together and cradled his skull between his hands.

You stood for a few minutes, unsure of what to do or say. He was having a breakdown. It wasn’t as aggressive as Red’s but you would recognize a breakdown when you see one. Especially if it was a skeleton monster’s. You quietly stepped into his side of the room. You hadn’t been here ever since the day they betrayed you but… this situation warrants some sort of comfort.

Patch either didn’t hear or was ignoring you as his loud labored breaths filled the room. It was heartbreaking. You were the cause of this stress and it was so fucked that you were also the only one who could help him. You closed the distance as softly and quietly as you can, kneeling right in front of him. Your eyes widened to see bright yellow tears cascading down the back of his hand and dripping onto the floor.

He was crying?

You didn’t hesitate. You wrapped your arms around him as tightly as you can. “I’m here. I’m here.”

Patch stiffened but then gradually sagged into your arms before he weakly returned the hug with his arms wrapped around your waist. He pulled you a little closer and rested his forehead on your shoulder.

There were no other words exchanged at the moment. You let him cry on your shoulder while you rubbed circles around his back and softly ran your other hand across the back of his head. You had to bite your lip to keep yourself from crying as well but it was unavoidable. You were already on the verge of crying as Edge has pointed out. The two of you wept quietly, grieving the distress and suffering you two found yourselves in and will be enduring in the future.

What would’ve happened if you met these monsters in a different setting? Would you have been friends with them? Would Edge kill you on sight? Would Stretch even give you a second glance? If you weren’t friends with Sans, would you even give them a chance or would you run away at the sight of monsters? You were assuming Blue would still try to be friends with you, that was the kind of monster he was, just like Papyrus. Red, however, he would’ve snapped your neck had you even breathe wrong in his direction.

Patch and Ace wouldn’t even try to befriend you. They’d be traveling the world. They had no time for connections.

Huh.

You wouldn’t have known that you’d be thinking of alternate realities about meeting these guys. You didn’t notice that your attachment to them was already running this deep.

…You still had a job to do.

You weren’t here to make friends.

Your knees had started to shake due to your position yet you had no intention of letting go anytime just yet. Patch, however, had other ideas. He pulled you by the waist until you were sitting on his lap, strong hands grabbing under your thighs as he placed them on either side of his body. The new position had left you somewhat flustered but Patch was already making himself comfortable as he buried his face into your neck. You, on the other hand, had the faux fur of his jacket all to yourself. You could feel your eyelids drooping heavily as minutes go by.

Maybe Patch was onto something about that cuddle session plan of his…

The two of you held each other until you stopped crying until you’ve both calmed down, until you were almost ready to fall asleep. And then there was the second batch of pounding on the steel door.

The moment broke into pieces as you awkwardly untangled yourself from him. You ended up sitting on the floor with tear streaks across your face. Patch didn’t look any better. The dark circles under his eyes were deeper if that was even possible. You managed a smile. “You look like shit.”

He snorted. “nobody looks better than you, cupcake.” He groaned as the pounding on the door got louder. “could you please get that? I’m getting a headache.”

You scrambled up to the door as you checked yourself. You feel lighter than before. The social touch of another person—or monster—does wonders for your mental health. It didn’t fix things but it made you feel a little better.

You opened the door with Edge’s hand in mid-air. You noticed Red was here, too. “IT’S BEEN AN HOUR AND A HALF,” Edge supplied as he took in your appearance. “YOU’RE TAKING TOO LONG.”

“do i have ta beat up a bastard today, sweetheart?” Red growled, acting differently at the sight of you.

“No, I’m fine. I’m just wrapping up here. Are Blue and Stretch still outside?” you asked.

“YES. THE SMALL, BLUE PEST WAS STUBBORN BUT THEY ONLY TRIED TO COME IN HERE ONCE.”

You huffed. So they still violated your request. You’d have to talk to them about that. “Did you guys threaten them away?”

“nah, i only have ta frighten to snitch on them to ya and the blue kid was runnin’ out the door,” Red said, grinning to himself.

“Yes, Red, that is the definition of threaten,” you said flatly. “Alright, give me a few more minutes and I’ll come out.”

“YOU STILL AREN’T DONE?” Edge asked in suspicion. He felt his brother’s eyes on him, making Edge stand up straighter. “DON’T MAKE US WAIT TOO LONG, BABYSITTER!”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

He lifted his chin up triumphantly at the nickname. You almost snorted in amusement before you closed the door and walked over to Patch. He was already standing up, waiting for you.

“So,” you started awkwardly, “are we good?” You hesitated to step into his space again but you did so eventually and reached out both of your hands to him. He took it willingly and squeezed your hands lightly.

“yea, whatever, cupcake. we’re even or something,” he muttered under his breath. You stared at him until a smile broke into his face. “yes. we’re good. not like i could stay mad at you, not after our cuddle session.”

You grinned at him, finally starting to let go of the feelings of hurt and betrayal that you had been holding on to. Maybe it’s time to forgive him. “If you want to, I could give you the scraps for building the two other devices. I’ll come later this night.”

“hah. you spoil me too much, darling.”

“No, I’m just worried you’d cuddle me to death if I don’t.”

“…never speak of this to anyone else.”

You stayed for a few more minutes to catch up with him. Even though it has only been a couple of days since you’ve been giving him the cold shoulder, you couldn’t help but admit that you missed him. The tension in the air was long gone and like a switch, it was as if the two of you were friends again. You missed the easy feeling you have when you were with Patch. Sure, you could do that with Blue and Stretch but you were only starting to get used to being comfortable with them. Unlike with Patch who you’ve been telling everything since the start.

You left the room feeling like you’ve shed quite a few of your fatigue and a new surge of strength within you. Edge was standing by the door like he was guarding it and he took a quick glance at you before he started to walk towards the elevator. You locked the door behind you and followed him.

“WHAT NEXT, BABYSITTER?” he asked as the two of you stood inside the elevator while you rode it down to the ground floor. “DO YOU SPEND THE REST OF YOUR TIME IN THIS BUILDING WITHOUT EVER GOING OUT?”

“Well, yeah, on most days. I drive to the grocery once a week.” You tilted your head to the side. “Do you wanna come with? I think I’ll go tomorrow morning.”

His face twisted into disbelief. “OUT? TO THE SURFACE?”

You hummed. “What’s with the weird reaction when we talk about the surface?”

Edge straightened his face, choosing to stare at the doors of the elevator instead of you. “NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.”

Well, that was certainly weird. You opted to ask Red when you find him later. As the elevator doors opened, Blue walked right through the doors, his clothes peppered with sawdust. “FRIEND!” he greeted joyfully. “I’M JUST GONNA GO TAKE A SHOWER AND CHANGE AND WE CAN PREPARE DINNER TOGETHER!”

Edge huffed. “YOU LET THIS BLUE PEST COOK DINNER?” he asked you.

“HEY, I’M STANDING RIGHT HERE!”

You sent an apologetic look at Blue. “Yes. But he only assists me in the kitchen since he isn’t that verse in cooking.” You smiled proudly. “But he improves every single day.”

“YOU FLATTER ME, FRIEND,” Blue said almost shyly as he trotted towards the elevator. Edge scowled at him as he walked past. Blue grinned back. “I’LL SEE YOU IN A FEW MINUTES?”

“Sure. I’ll be in the apartment.”

As soon as Blue was gone, Edge spoke up. “HOW COULD YOU TRUST A VERMIN LIKE HIM TO HANDLE FOOD THAT GOES INTO YOUR BODY? WHAT IF IT WAS POISONED?”

“Blue would never do anything like that,” you defended in his absence as both of you went towards the kitchen.

“I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT HE HAD TRIED TO KILL YOU ONCE. OR ARE YOU TELLING ME MY MEMORY IS FAILING ME?”

You paused. “He’s changed. There haven’t been any incidents since they’ve been free.” You began to prepare the pot that you and Blue were gonna use to make stew. “Now that I think about it, you were the one who kept threatening me back when you were locked up. What’s stopping you from attacking me now?”

Edge loudly huffed behind you. “AS IF I WOULD STOOP SO LOW AS TO GANG UP ON ONE HUMAN! IF WE WERE BACK IN MY WORLD, YOU WOULD’VE BEEN DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT.”

A little smile fleeted on your face. “Oh? What difference does it make if we’re here or there?”

There was a frown on Edge’s face before he answered. “IT’S DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE DO NOT NEED TO KILL HERE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. WE ARE… ON THE SURFACE,” he said, that similar tone of disbelief in his voice.

Your face softened. “Well… you and your brother haven’t stepped outside yet. Would you like to?” You wanted to prod him but you knew he’d catch it. “You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”

“IT’S NOT THAT,” Edge retorted. “…WE’VE BEEN UNDERGROUND FOR MOST OF OUR LIVES. SEEING THE SURFACE IS THE ONE DREAM THAT EVERYONE HAD GIVEN UP ON. A DIFFERENT LIFE. A WORLD WHERE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KILL.” He gradually stopped talking.

“So… it’s different from the life you’ve lived. Are you scared of the change? Or are you scared it’s not what you envisioned?”

“I’M NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!” he hissed. “I’M THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

You vaguely recalled the fact that there was no need of a royal guard once the monsters have settled in on the Surface with the humans. Edge talked about being captain like it was his everything. Something clicked in your head. “Or… are you afraid that nobody needs you here anymore?”

“WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BABYSITTER.”

You touched a nerve. “It’s okay if you need time to adjust, Edge. Just remember that nobody here’s out to get you.”

“BUT THEY CERTAINLY ARE OUT TO GET YOU,” he said in contempt. It was an obvious attempt to pin the conversation to you but you took the bait.

“What? No, they aren’t.”

Edge looked at you like you were out of your mind. “ARE YOU BLIND, BABYSITTER? SURELY, YOU’RE NOT THAT STUPID.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He rolled his eye lights. “EVERY MONSTER IN HERE IS OUT TO GET ONE MONSTER ONLY. AND YOU’RE THE LEVERAGE. OF COURSE, THEY’D BE TRYING TO GET YOU TO TRUST THEM.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“YOU CAN LIE TO YOURSELF ALL YOU WANT BUT YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T BE PUTTING YOUR TRUST IN STRANGERS, BABYSITTER.”

“…Is that why you’re always hovering over me? I’m not a damsel, Edge. I can take care of myself.”

He blinked at you before crossing his arms. “IF YOU THINK I WAS PROTECTING YOU, YOU’RE WRONG—”

“That’s not what I said, though, isn’t it?” you teased. “You don’t have to watch over my back. I’m a grown adult.”

“YET YOU LET YOURSELF BE TREATED LIKE TRASH ANYWAY,” he snapped. “I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS HUMAN STUPIDITY OR JUST A YOU STUPIDITY.”

 “Hmm,” you mused, a slight smile on your face. “I didn’t know you were so worried about me, Edge.” His words bothered you but you didn’t let it show.

“IF YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY, I WILL TAKE MY BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.” He made a move to exit the kitchen and you called out after him.

“Don’t leave! Let’s just drop it, okay? It’s not important.”

“IF YOU SAY SO.” He sauntered back to the kitchen. “I WOULD LIKE TO OVERSEE KITCHEN DUTIES FROM NOW ON.”

“Like… become a head chef?” you joked. You filled the pot with water and then brought it over to the stove. You took that moment to face him with a serious look. “If you’re offering to keep an eye on everything… I’d have to say no. I don’t know where this protection thing is coming from but if we want to live together under one roof, we have to trusteach other, even if it means risking our own lives.”

Edge stared at you, his sharp eyes searching your expression. Although you faltered a bit, you stared at him back. He tilted his head. “IF YOU SAY SO, HUMAN,” he said, clipped. “I WILL BE LOOKING FOR MY BROTHER.”

“Okay.” You let out a sigh. “Be back at 7 for dinner.”

Dinner went and pass. Red and Edge didn’t show up. You wanted to look for them but you decided to just give them space for the day. You left a sticky note on their wrapped dinner in the fridge in case one of them raids for food. You went for a quick, hot shower to lessen your unease about everything before you stepped out to look for Red and Edge. 

You took a quick mental note that Stretch wasn’t in the living room as he usually was during this time. Instead of walking around aimlessly, you decided to send Blue a text.

you: where are you? are you with your brother?

The reply was almost instantaneous.

Blue: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT US, FRIEND! I’M WORKING ON SOMETHING WITH MY BROTHER OUTSIDE. WE’LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, JUST CALL!

You asked if they’ve seen Red or Edge to which he responded that they weren’t outside. You figured as much. You passed Patch's room first to drop off the scraps before you rode the elevator to the second floor where their rooms were. The moment the doors opened, you heard a blunt smashing sound coming from the end of the hallway.

Edge’s familiar figure was standing in front of his door, his arms crossed while observing whatever was happening inside his room. There was a certain lax in his face. He stiffened as you stepped out of the small box and into the hallway but he didn’t take his eyes off.

Someone was hitting the wall repeatedly with audibly loud grunts. You took a moment to prepare yourself before looking in.

The room was in utter chaos. There was one big hole where the scanner used to be and bits and pieces of it lay scattered on the floor. A pillow was ripped into half, its stuffing was strewn all over the room like confetti. Red was in the middle of using a bed’s leg to hit the camera situated in the upper corner. He could barely reach it due to his height but that didn’t stop him. A slew of curses flew from his mouth as he continued to rage.

“What happened?” you asked Edge.

“HE IS HAVING A TANTRUM.”

“Why?”

Edge tightened his jaw. “ASK HIM YOURSELF. I WILL GO SERVE MYSELF DINNER.” He turned around to leave and you stood there, unsure of what to do with the raging monster. You for sure didn’t want to interrupt him in the middle of it since you didn’t want to get accidentally hurt.

You looked in the direction of Red’s room to see if that, too, were destroyed, and indeed it was. It seemed like he was getting his anger out by destroying every single security measure that was holding both of them hostage for three whole weeks. You knew how satisfying it felt. You let him.

You waited it out. It must’ve taken him 45 minutes to blow off his steam until he was lying in the middle of the mess he created. Beads of sweat ran down his skull and his chest heaved up and down. If he noticed you early on, he didn’t tell. You knocked three times anyway to announce your presence.

You didn’t know what to do as you walked into the room, trying to avoid the clutter. You found a good enough space right next to him and you swept a hand to clean it up before you sat down with your back turned to him. No words were coming out of your mouth so you settled on silence while trying to think up of what to say to him.

“heh. are ya thinkin’ of how to put us in cages again?” The low rumble of his voice startled you out of your thoughts.

“No? Why would I do that?”

“you specifically told us to behave or you’ll throw us back into our prison,” he snarked. “too bad for ya, i already destroyed it. there’s no way you would be able to use your fancy tools to keep us in here.”

“…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. There’s no way you or your brother will be locked up.” You looked around the room, eyeing the wires sticking out of the holes in the walls. “And there’s no way we’d be able to replace that kind of damage without rebuilding the whole room. You did well.”

He was quiet. You were tempted to turn around to see his expression but you looked down at your feet instead. You swallowed. “You know… when Blue and Stretch first came out of the building, they were so entranced by the stars. They would’ve stood there for hours just gazing if we didn’t have anywhere to go to.”

“…heh.”

“Would you like to see the stars?”

“…maybe.”

You pulled your knees closer to your chest. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“none of ya business, sweetheart.”

You hesitated but then convinced yourself to ask, “What’s gotten you and Edge so scared of seeing the surface?”

Red shuffled behind you and you felt something leaning against your back. The back of his head bluntly hit yours as he tilted back. It took him more time until he spoke. “is it true that the sky is endless? …that you could fall into it if you were too high?”

A soft snort came out of you. “You wouldn’t fall out into the sky. But yes, the sky is endless.” You closed your eyes and tried to imagine the Underground. “I can’t imagine living without the sky above me. That’s scary.”

“having the mountain above me is more reassuring than having nothing,” he pointed out. “paps… when he was little, he dreamed of the surface every single day. it didn’t take long for our universe to beat the hope outta him.” A pause. “there’s a whole lot of things we don’t know ‘bout the surface. we were so used to knowing every single little thing underground…”

“Yeah… Edge did say that he was practically running the kingdom. If he was used to controlling things, I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must be to realize that the world is bigger than what you knew. That he can’t control everything now.”

Red was quiet in the next minutes.

You cleared your throat. “You really should eat something. The sooner you and Edge regain your strength, the faster it would be for you to make a decision.”

“what decision?”

“If you want to stay… or leave. This is really a conversation we should be having with your brother.” You pulled yourself up and started to dust yourself off. Red was looking at you with one of his brow bones raised.

“what do ya mean stay or leave?”

You let out a tired sigh. You didn’t want to discuss their leaving when they just got out this same day. “If you want to go out and live a separate life. You’re on the surface now. You’re free to do anything you want. You can decide not to stay here since Sans had already taken what he needed from you.” Saying Sans’ name left a sour taste in your mouth.

“if we’re free ta leave, then why is that annoying brat and tall smoker living here?”

“That was their decision,” you told him. You shrugged weakly. “I really don’t know why but they kept saying they wanted to stay for me.”

“y’er kidding,” he said flatly. “nobody’s that stupid.”

“Ha. Am I not worth staying for?” you joked as you reached a hand out to him to pull him up. He stared at your hand and then at you before taking your hand. He began to pat the back of his pants as soon as he was standing up. You led him out of the room and into the elevator. “They also wanted to work on the machine so they could go home. I’m not sure that’d be happening anytime soon but they wanted to be here for it.”

“idiots.”

“Tell me about it.” You kept up small talk until you two arrived back at the apartment. Edge was in the middle of eating despite him leaving more than an hour ago. He sent a questioning glance at you and you nodded once in his direction. “I’ll be in my room if you need me. Since the two of you don’t have any decent rooms to occupy, you can take the couch. One of you needs to sleep on the floor if you aren’t too keen on sleeping with one another.”

“ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, HUMAN,” Edge said politely. Red looked up at him with his eyes as big as saucers. “ARE THE OTHER PAIR RESIGNING IN THEIR OWN ROOMS?”

“Probably. It is late at night.”

“WILL THE GLASS DOORS BE LOCKED?”

You didn’t point out how weird his questions were. Maybe he might want to go out in the middle of the night where nobody would judge him if he finally finds the courage to see the surface. Not that he could even go anywhere since you were practically situated in the middle of the woods. “No. Feel free to go out anytime you like.”

“ALRIGHT. THANK YOU.”

As you turned around to head to your room, you hear the brothers banter.

“since when do ya say thank you to humans, boss?”

“SINCE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SANS. NOW SHOVE THAT WHOLE THING IN YOUR MOUTH. WE HAVE TO TALK.”

You had a smile on your face as soon as you stepped into your room and began to prep yourself to go to bed. The minute you turned around, you find Sans tinkering with something in your lamp. You had become used to him popping in whenever he wanted since you knew this was the only safe space he could go. He had installed the same kind of technology he used with all the other doors that only let you open and close your own door a few days ago. You argued with him that it wasn’t how you want your door to function.

“Any updates?” you asked him as you slipped into your bed and watched him work.

“the door locks automatically when i’m in here,” he answered without looking at you.

“Okay. How’d you get it to do that? I thought all your souls and magic are almost similar to the other Sanses?”

“it’s easy for this batch of sanses,” he said drily, “we’re all too different from each other. it was only a matter of time ‘til i found the right calculation.”

“’Kay. What’s that, then?”

“it works like a heat scanner,” he said before stepping back and observing. You couldn’t find anything different from the lamp. “it would send me a log of whoever enters your room.”

“Okay. That means you have everyone’s magic signature then.”

“yes.”

“Why?”

Sans turned to you. “why what.”

“Why do you need that? Nobody’s going to harm me, Sans.”

The corner of his grin twitched. “you don’t know what they’re capable of.” His eye sockets darkened. “especially those gaster brothers. do not let them in your room. they’d be able to sniff out all my contraptions.” He shook his head like it was the ultimate bother. “i’d need to put these up in my door vault and the security room, too.”

For some reason, all these walls he was putting up to protect you—both of you—were making you tired. Would it really be that bad if Sans would just drop it and give up? You sighed exasperatedly.

No. You promised him you’d help him ‘til the end.

All these multiverse-kidnapping of his shouldn’t be for naught.

It has to mean something.

Sans has to get Papyrus back.

You knew he wasn’t stopping anytime soon. You just have to find a reason to keep going. But… he was making it painfully difficult. It was getting harder and harder to hold on every time you get to know the others a little better. That they deserved better. That it was unfair of you to play them like that. That they shouldn’t have to go through all this crap just because of one grieving skeleton.

You opened your mouth to say something to Sans but nothing comes out of your throat. It’s ridiculous. How hard was it to say ‘just give up’? That your years of hard work won’t have any good outcome no matter what you do? That it was time to move on? You couldn’t say that to him.

Not after what he has been through. What you two have been through together.

Sans side-eyed you with a curious glint in his eye. Then his eye lights went out. “if you’re going to leave me, go on ahead. i’m surprised you even lasted this long.”

Guilt bubbled up from the pit of your stomach. “And leave you with taking care of the others? Ha, you’d rather leave them to dust away,” you said but his words hurt you. Did he really think that you would leave him after all of this? You uprooted your whole life, your family, your friends, your job, for him yet he doesn’t think that you’ll stick with him through this mess he created? “You’re a bonehead.”

His eye lights returned and his expression softened exponentially as his gaze flitted across your face. “i was giving you an out.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“heh.” You could see how he turned his face to the side just as something bright blue filled up his sockets. “you’re the bonehead.”

“Mhm, I know.”

“stupider than my pet rock.”

“…You have a pet rock?”

Just as he was about to answer, your doorknob began to rattle. You and Sans glanced at each other before you stood up to get the door. You opened it just a few inches so you could see who it was. It was Red. “Hey, Red. Do you need—” He pushed the door open, making you stumble backward as he entered your room. You almost had a heart attack thinking that Sans was here mere seconds ago and that they might know.

You stared at him with wide eyes just as he stalked towards your closet. “Uh, what are you doing?” He began to throw your clothes onto the floor and your jaw dropped. “Hey! Stop that!”

You made a movement to go over to him but sharp claws dug into your shoulders. “HURRY UP, SANS.”

Red began to stuff your clothes into a rather large bag that you own. “i’m hurryin’, boss,” he retorted.

“What’s happening?” you asked Edge.

He turned to look into your eyes, his red eyes glowing menacingly in the dark.

“WE’RE LEAVING THIS PLACE. AND WE’RE TAKING YOU WITH US.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

You could count on one hand the number of times you were carried in your entire adult life. 3 of them were mostly of Papyrus snatching you up for a bone-crashing hug as a greeting. 2 were of Undyne suplexing you on two separate occasions.

Tonight adds another one of those experiences on the list. Edge had lifted you with one hand around your waist like you weighed nothing, all the while you were still trying to get over the fact that they had completely blindsided you.

“SANS, HURRY UP,” Edge hissed back towards the room as he started to trod away.

“right behind ya, boss!”

You snapped out of your surprise as he took another step. “Hey!” You started to wiggle out of Edge’s hold but his grip was like iron. You barely even moved him an inch. “Edge, put me down this instant!” you commanded, your cheeks started to burn from both shame and anger.

“DON’T MAKE THIS DIFFICULT, BABYSITTER,” Edge remarked, his voice ice cold. You were trying to pull his hand off you by pulling at it with both hands yet you didn’t even make a difference! Christ, how strong are these skeletons!? You whipped your head up to glare at him but he was making effort not to glance at you.

Once he stepped out of the apartment, you readied yourself to scream from the top of your lungs. The problem was, Edge was already anticipating your move and the moment you opened your mouth, he shoved a whole cinnabunny in your mouth. You shot daggers at him, cursing him mentally as you struggled to chew the monster food. He crossed the lobby within seconds with his long legs of his. Red’s shoes hitting the tiles echoed throughout while he kept up, your backpack slung over his shoulder.

Red had a burst of throaty laughter at the sight of you. “this ain’t that hard to swallow, sweetheart."

Edge growled. “NO PUNS OR I’LL LEAVE YOU HERE FOR BAIT, SANS.”

“gotcha, boss,” Red answered but the mirthful expression didn’t leave his face.

Edge pushed the glass doors open. You were already exhausted by merely struggling against his iron grip yet you continued to do so. But as the two brothers exited the building for the first time, you found yourself pausing and glancing at their expressions. You saw Edge’s eye lights flickered upwards for a second and had a glimpse of the astonishment across his features before it was gone and he was running towards the forest.

Your heart was hammering against your chest as you finally spat out the remnant of the monster food in your mouth. “Put me down, Edge!” you screamed. Dread filled you the moment the two of you reached the tree line and entered the forest. “Oh my--, stop!”

Neither of them stopped. It was like they had completely decided to tune you out.

Even if they had very little magic reserves, you were no match for their sheer strength. You felt helpless. You were no damsel but the only thing you could do for now was to wait for help.

Well, there was one thing you can do. “Edge, please,” you said atop all the rustling sounds as they made their way deeper into the forest. “We can’t survive a day out in the woods! Please turn back, we can talk about this!”

Edge had begun to slow down. You thought it was because of your words. “Red, talk some sense into your brother!”

Red was already sweating and panting from trying to keep up. His eye lights peered at you before focusing on ahead. “why ya lookin’ at me, sweetheart? if ya think i can make him change his mind, we gon’ be on this all day.”

“It’s dark as hell, you guys won’t be able to see where you’re headed! Do you even know where you’re headed?”

“MONSTERS CAN SEE IN THE DARK,” Edge countered, finally answering you. “WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A DESTINATION AS LONG AS WE’RE AWAY FROM THAT PLACE.” He ducked instinctively as he passed by a low-hanging branch.

“There are bears in the woods.”

“I KNOW HOW TO HUNT, BABYSITTER,” Edge said with a sneer. “IT’S ONE OF THE MANY SKILLS I’VE ACQUIRED FROM BEING CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD.”

“It’s cold! You can literally die from hypothermia!”

“have nobody told ya that the cold goes right through—”

You glared at Red. “I can literally die from hypothermia!” you hissed. “Please, turn around. There’s still time!”

“WHY DO YOU THINK I HAD MY BROTHER PACK UP YOUR CLOTHES?” Edge grunted. “YOU ARE NOT ABOUT TO STEP INTO THAT PLACE EVER AGAIN!”

“For the last time, Edge, I don’t need to be saved!” You swung your legs to kick his knee but his only reaction was a dry look towards your way. “I am not a fucking damsel! You nor Sans or anyone can dictate what I can and can’t do about my life!,” you gripped his arm, trying to appear as intimidating as you can, “Now. Put. Me. Down.”

Edge had wavered a bit before hardening his expression. “DON’T YOU REALIZE YOU’VE BEEN BRAINWASHED? WHY ELSE WOULD YOU WANT TO STAY IN THAT FORSAKEN PLACE—”

“Edge!” you screamed, exasperated. “Put me the fuck down or I will not trust you again!”

He stopped, his sockets darkening a little. Your hot, steaming anger was taking the spotlight from the worry that you were in the middle of fucking nowhere right now. Red had taken the quick break to catch his breath but his eye lights were flickering between you and his brother as he watched with mild amusement.

Edge huffed before turning his chin away from you. “I’M MERELY DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU. IF YOU DECIDE TO HATE ME FOR IT THEN THAT IS NOT MY FAULT,” he finally said before returning to his usual pace to delve deeper into the woods.

Your heart dropped. “No. You’re doing what you think is best for me!! I never asked for this!”

“I DO NOT CARE.”

Without thinking, you brought your hand up to connect to his cheekbone. The sound of skin on bone was muted by the surrounding trees and foliage. Tears stung your eyes but not as much as the sting from your palm. Edge was gaping at you with wide eyes. Rage flickered from his sockets as he almost threw you on the ground. “I DON’T APPRECIATE BEING TREATED WITH SUCH DISRESPECT, BABYSITTER,” he spat, looking as if he was trying to push off his urge to snap your neck at the moment.

You felt fear churn at the pit of your stomach as you stared up at him. “I-I’m sorry—” Your anger had dissipated as quickly as that. “That’s not—I don’t-“

“uh… boss…” Red started.

“WHAT IS IT, SANS?!”

“someone’s coming towards us. two of ‘em to be exact.”

Surprise flitted across his face. “DRAT. HOW DID THEY FIND US SO QUICKLY?” Before you could say another word, Edge has snatched you up again and started to run in a direction. At this point, you had no idea which direction was the way back to the building. The premise that two monsters were coming after you made you think it was Blue and Stretch. “SPLIT UP!”

“Wait, don’t—”

Too late. Red had already branched off, leaving you with Edge. His arm was digging painfully under your ribs, making you squirm uneasily. “Edge, let’s not do this—”

“YOU AREN’T IN CONTROL OF YOURSELF,” he snarled. “NOBODY, HUMAN OR MONSTER, WOULD NOT WILLINGLY SUBJECT THEMSELVES INTO PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE LIKE YOU DO.”

A bitter laugh escaped your lips. “Then you really don’t know how human minds work.” You let out a whimper as he jumped flawlessly over a rock, making his arm jab you deeper. “It hurts—”

With one swift move, Edge had switched into carrying you in a bridal position. “IS THAT BETTER?”

You almost answered yes. “It would be better if you turned around right now and go back.”

“NO,” he bit. “WE’RE GETTING OUT OF HERE. DO NOT FIGHT ME ON THIS HUMAN.”

“I don’t get why you care about me so much,” you remarked as you swung an arm around his shoulder to keep yourself from slipping. “Everyone who knows about Sans’ shitstorm has asked me at least once to leave him. And I said no to every one of them. What makes you think you can change my mind?”

“BECAUSE I DON’T TAKE NO AS AN ANSWER.” He ducked an oncoming branch, paused, listened to the trees for a moment before taking off once again. You don’t wanna know how many miles he has covered at this point. You tucked that problem into your mind for later. Right now, your problem was to convince Edge.

You weren’t doing a well of a job at that. It was like talking to a wall. You need reinforcements.

First things first. You have to make him stop running.

“Shit!—I drop something! Can you stop for like a second?”

Frustration crossed his face as he swiftly came to a stop. “HURRY UP!” You jumped out of his arms and crouched down, pretending to look for something, before you began to sprint in the other direction. You heard him groan from behind you. “REALLY?!”

You ran as fast as you can with your human legs, more or less tripping over rocks, branches, and whatnot. You dared to look behind you to see him gaining speed and closing the distance between you with no sweat. Your heart jumped in your throat as you pushed yourself further, ignoring the way your legs started to burn in protest. You tripped, this time it was for real, and you instinctively brought your hands to your face to shield yourself. You waited for the harsh impact but what came were two strong hands wrapping around your waist to steady you.

You blinked, letting your arms fall on your sides as you stared up at the monster who switched from worried to snarling in a flash. “ARE YOU DONE BEING A BRAT?!”

You gathered the courage to slap his hands away from you, staring at him defiantly. “No. If you think you can whisk me away without a fight, you’re dead wrong.”

“CAN YOU STOP BEING SO INFURIATING FOR ONCE?!”

“Can you stop being so high up in your head that you wouldn’t even listen to what I’m saying!?” you snarked back. “I care about the people in the building. I care about you and your brother. I know you’re worried about me to some degree but this is just ridiculous! Why would you even think kidnapping me was a great idea? I would’ve just tried to escape from you every chance I get. I am not going to be your prisoner!”

Edge was taken aback before angrily crossing his arms. “YOU’RE MISERABLE THERE.”

“Why do you care?”

He couldn’t find the words except, “I DON’T!”

“If you don’t, you never would’ve tried this, Edge.” The night air was getting chillier by the minute and you were too underdressed to be out and about right now. You placed your hands underneath your armpits as you tried to fight off a shiver.

He glared at you but it softened all at once. “…I DON’T GET WHY YOU’RE SO ATTACHED TO THAT PLACE.”

“It’s my home,” you admitted without thinking. As soon as the words were out of your mouth, your shoulder slumped in realization. You let out a quivering breath as your sweat started to cool down from the cold breeze.

…your home. You hadn’t thought of it that way since you’ve been there.

It was only recently that it became home to you. And it’s because of all the new occupants you’ve been living with.

“YOU’RE GONNA GET HURT WITH YOUR STUPID MINDSET.”

“I know.” You could see his defenses breaking down right in front of you as he slowly looked away in defeat. “I know you’re only looking out for me. And you’re right. I would be safer anywhere but here. But I’m choosing to stay. I’m choosing my friends.”

When the word friends tumbled out of your mouth, you had thought of Sans and Papyrus. More than that, you’ve thought of Blue and Stretch, of Ace and Patch. You’ve thought of Red and Edge.

“You’re part of it,” you admitted, reaching out a hand for him. He visibly flinched. “I know it sounds sappy as hell but you are. You and your brother. I…I both want you there with me. But only if you want to.”

He clenched his jaw. He glanced at your hand as he tentatively brought up one of his. Before he could pull back, you grabbed his gloved hand, gripping him tightly while also being careful of his sharp claws. You squeezed him reassuringly.

He scoffed, turning his head to the other side while scowling. “TO BE CLEAR, I’M NOT AGREEING WITH YOU. I HATE THAT PLACE FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL AND I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. I’M… I DO ADMIT THIS WAS NOT A FULLY THOUGHT-OUT PLAN AND IT MIGHT VERY WELL DUST ME AS I’M IN MY WEAKEST FORM.” He cleared his throat. “I WILL REVISIT IT ONCE I HAVE REGAINED MY FULL STRENGTH.”

“Completely understandable.”

“ALRIGHT.”

“Great.” You sent him a small smile. “Let’s go back, then?”

“VERY WELL. LEAD THE WAY.”

You almost choked while staring at him incredulously. “Lead the—you don’t know which way is back?!”

“NO, I DO NOT. I TOLD YOU, THIS WASN’T A FULLY THOUGHT-OUT PLAN.”

“So you were just running in some random direction!?”

Edge grunted.

You were in the middle of scratching your head while looking around, completely lost, and troubled when there was a soft pop right in front of you. “Y/N!” Blue and Stretch appeared, both of which adorning worried looks.

“Oh, god, you guys!” you cried out, stepping forward to wrap them loosely in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

You took them both by surprise You took them both by surprise. Blue returned the hug eagerly but was keeping his eyes on Edge who was avoiding their gazes. You pulled away when you felt the crackling of magic from the two of them. “Okay, back down,” you quickly said, putting your hands up in defense for Edge. “We’re good, we’re good.”

“YOU’RE NOT HURT?”
“what?! you were kidnapped!”

You could feel exhaustion seep into your bones. Topped with how you cold you were feeling, you decided this was a conversation that could wait until tomorrow. “Please, let’s just go back, okay? I’ll explain everything tomorrow.”

Fortunately, they picked up on how tired you were feeling. “...I’M JUST GLAD YOU’RE SAFE, FRIEND.”

“Ah,” you let out a laugh, “they could kidnap me and all but they wouldn’t hurt me, Blue.” You straightened up when you remembered something. “Also, Stretch, please please find Red. I have no fucking idea where he is. How’d you find us anyway?”

“there was a tracker on your phone,” Stretch answered. “we were following it. which direction did he go to?”

You pointed out somewhere east. “I think that way… I don’t know.”

Stretch stared that way for a minute before sighing. “yup, got him. he’s gotten very far though.”

“GO GET HIM THEN, PAPY,” Blue said, stealing a glance at you.

Stretch looked between his brother and Edge and then you. You took a step closer to Edge. “you’ll be alright on your own?”

“OF COURSE I AM!” Blue began to push Stretch away. “WE’LL BE FINE! I’LL FIND THE WAY BACK AND WE’LL MEET YOU THERE, ALRIGHT?”

Stretch chuckled. “ok, ok.” He shot a glare towards Edge. “if i find him hurt, i will hunt you down.”

“CONSIDER HIM SAFE,” Edge grumbled.

Stretch nodded towards you and you gave him a nod back before he disappeared. Blue turned towards you with a wary glance at Edge. “ALRIGHT! TIME TO TROD BACK!” he said eagerly, probably to cheer you up.

You hesitated before reaching for Edge’s hand again. He looked surprised at that but let you take his hand anyway. Blue searched your face and body before nodding in satisfaction as he started to walk in a direction. “IT’S PROBABLY GONNA BE A 20-MINUTE WALK. IT WAS A GOOD THING YOU STOPPED, Y/N! OR ELSE MY BROTHER WOULD’VE LOST YOU.”

Edge was lagging while you kept up with Blue. “I thought you were tracking my phone?” You reached out to pat the phone from your pockets only to realize it wasn’t there. You must’ve left it in your bedroom before Edge and Red whisked you away.

“OH! UM…” Blue tilted his head, unsure of how to go about sharing. “THAT WAS A LIE. MY BROTHER’S NOT TOO KEEN ON SHARING THAT HE CAN SPOT SOMEONE’S SOUL WITHIN A SPECIFIC RADIUS.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” you said with a nod, vaguely remembering Sans mentioning that once in the past.

“IT’S ONE OF THE PERKS OF BEING THE MONARCHY’S JUDGE,” Edge mumbled.

“RIGHT!” Blue agreed.

A smile found its way on your face. At least they were interacting without breaking into a fight. “Mhm, how’d you know how to find us anyway? Did you hear me screaming for help?”

Blue’s face darkened for a moment before it was gone. “UH… I MET… SANS, I GUESS?”

Both you and Edge were staring at him. You felt instantly anxious at the fact that Sans had made his presence known. “What did he say?”

“OH NOTHING BIG,” Blue casually answered, kicking a small pebble in the way. “HE JUST POINTED ME INTO THE DIRECTION YOU WERE TAKEN BEFORE DISAPPEARING AGAIN.”

“Nothing else?”

“NOT MUCH,” he answered. You had the feeling he was holding back information but you didn’t want to force him to say anything if he didn’t want to.

“Did Stretch do anything?”

“OH, NO! MY BROTHER DIDN’T MEET HIM.” Blue let out an awkward laugh. “THAT WOULDN’T GO WELL, I SUPPOSE.”

“YOU SAW HIM AND YOU DIDN’T DUST HIM ON FIRST SIGHT? PATHETIC,” Edge hissed. You gave him a warning look while squeezing his hand.

“I WANTED TO—” Blue stopped, “I WANTED TO ASK HIM AND HEAR HIS PERSPECTIVE FIRST BEFORE I MAKE ANY JUDGMENTS!”

“NO, YOU DON’T,” Edge retorted.

“STOP JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!”

“Okay, guys, please. My ears hurt and I’m feeling so cold right now. Can you fight when I’m not here?”

That shut the both of them up. You put your arms around yourself to warm yourself up but it didn’t help much. Your hands were starting to get numb.

So you didn’t miss it when your hand holding Edge’s began to warm. You glanced at him, stunned, but he wasn’t looking at you. You looked down to see a red glow enveloping your linked hands. You couldn’t help but grin as you felt the warmth spread from your hand to the rest of your body. He felt like… the blazing flame on the hearth. He felt like you were… home and safe. It fought off the chill you were feeling until you were no longer shivering.

It wasn’t even a few minutes when Edge suddenly collapsed right next to you. You let out a loud gasp while kneeling next to him to check if he was okay. “Edge!”

“WHAT HAPPENED?” Blue asked worriedly while simultaneously flipping the monster over. “OH, DEAR.”

“What is it?” Edge was fully unconscious. You touched his bare arm. “Is it bad?”

“I THINK HE’S ON THE VERGE OF FALLING DOWN.”

“Wait, what?!” You felt your heart plummet. “How did that happen?”

“I’M NOT SURE.” Blue gently grabbed his wrist and lifted it. “THERE’S REMNANTS OF MAGIC HERE. WAS HE USING MAGIC?”

“I-I think so… yeah.”

“HE MIGHT’VE OVEREXERTED HIMSELF. HE HASN’T RECOVERED.” Blue furrowed his brows. “THAT WAS A DANGEROUS MOVE. I THOUGHT HE WAS SMARTER THAN THAT.”

You could feel the guilt bubble up. You swallowed, “He’s going to be okay, though?”

“YES. I THINK HE JUST NEEDS SOME REST. AND TO AVOID USING MAGIC UNTIL HE’S STRONG ENOUGH.”

“Okay,” you said with a relieved sigh. “How do we—oh, okay.” Blue grabbed one of Edge’s arms and hooked it around his shoulder before pulling him up. With a shimmy here and some adjusting there, Blue had managed to get Edge riding piggyback despite him being out cold. “Wow, you’ve had some practice, huh,” you teased.

“PLENTY,” Blue said dryly. “I CAN’T EVEN COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I’VE HAD TO CARRY MY BROTHER LIKE THIS WHEN I CATCH HIM SLEEPING!” He started to walk once again as if he was not carrying a person twice as tall as him. You managed not to laugh.

When you saw the building come up in your field of vision, you felt both relief and disappointment. It was hard having mixed feelings about a place you called home but it is what it is. You sent a glance towards Blue and Edge and the feeling of helplessness lessened if only for a bit.

As you were pushing the glass doors open to let the two in, you heard footsteps behind you. Stretch and Red appeared, with Red looking exhausted as heck while Stretch was holding him up by the collar of his jacket. Stretch let go with a small, “oops,” dropping Red on the ground face first.

Despite looking like he hadn’t slept in weeks, Red was obviously about to pick a fight. “you little shit—"

“Stretch, can you heat some monster food? Blue’s already in there.”

Stretch’s gaze lingered longer on you before shrugging. “gonna put your bag in front of your room,” he added, mussing up your hair as he passed by you.

You swatted his hand, snorting. “Okay, thank you.” Red had a weird look on his face as Stretch disappeared. You offered him a hand to which he thankfully took without any fuss. In the minutes you haven’t seen him, his sockets had looked deeper and more pronounced. “What happened to you?”

“nothin’,” Red spat. He was wobbling on his feet and you wrapped a hand around his shoulder to steady him. He freaked out at the touch and shoved you. He was so weak, you barely moved. “fuck!”

“Did you use magic, too?”

“what do ya mean ‘too’? where’s boss?”

“He passed out.”

“fuckin’ hell!” He pushed you again with more conviction this time before dashing into the building. You hurried to catch up to him, immediately catching him when he began to fall over like he was drunk. “he- he’s okay, right?” he asked you, desperation evident in his voice.

“Gods, you need to rest. Yes, he’s okay. He also used his magic. He passed out but according to Blue, he’s fine.”

Who knew skeletons could be so heavy?

Blue came out a moment later to look for you and found you struggling to carry Red who was in the midst of taking a nap while walking. He gave a disapproving look before he went on to carry him as he did to Edge. You followed him back to the apartment and saw Edge already tucked in on the couch. Blue dropped Red on the mattress next to the couch, sighing heavily as soon as he did so.

Now that you were back in the comforts of your apartment, you could feel your eyelids getting heavier by the minute. Your legs still ached from all the running you did earlier and strands of hair were stuck on your face from your sweat drying. You sat down by Edge’s feet, running both of your palms over your face tiredly. “What a day,” you mumbled.

“YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND REST, FRIEND. YOU LOOK LIKE YOU NEED IT.” There was a hint of pity in his voice.

Something cold touched your cheek, making you jump a little, opening your eyes to see Stretch in front of you with a glass of water. You took it gratefully before downing it all in one go. “you ok?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“ARE YOU SURE?”

“Yes.” Your lips quirked into a smile at their fussing. “How about you guys?”

“WE’RE ABSOLUTELY FINE!”
“just peachy.”

“Alright… I don’t want to leave this to you guys but…”

“WE UNDERSTAND, FRIEND!” Blue nodded. “WE’LL STAY HERE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THEM. PLEASE GO AHEAD AND REST.”

“Okay, give them monster food if one—”

“GOT IT!”

“There’s another set of blankets in my room if they need—”

“I’M SURE THEY ALREADY HAVE PLENTY!”

“…Ok.” You scratched the back of your head, a bit embarrassed by your fussing. You couldn’t help it. “Let me just take off their shoe—”

Blue blocked the way, giving you a pointed stare. “BROTHER, PLEASE DIRECT Y/N TO THEIR ROOM.”

“on it,” Stretch said with a chuckle, lazily hooking his long arm around your shoulder and began to pull you away. You let out a grunt before relenting.

“Good night, Blue!”

“SWEET DREAMS, FRIEND!”

Stretch stopped by the door of your room, awkwardly undecided of what to do. You let out a snort before standing on your toes to give him a brief kiss on the cheek. “Good night, Stretch.”

You caught his expression softening. “night, honey.”

You slept like a log that night, extending your rest until late afternoon. When you woke up, Red and Edge were still out like lights. Blue had taken the initiative to cook for breakfast and lunch when you shuffled towards the kitchen with sleep still in your eyes. “GOOD AFTERNOON, Y/N!” Blue chirped. “IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE A MUCH NEEDED REST FOR THIS DAY, I WILL TAKE OVER YOUR DUTIES FOR YOU!”

“Mornin’,” you greeted. “Mhm, maybe I’ll visit Ace and Patch and then go back to sleep. Where’s Stretch?”

“OH! HE’S OUTSIDE. WE’RE CONTINUING OUR LEFTOVER PLANS FROM YESTERDAY.” He pushed a steaming mug of coffee in front of you. “IF YOU THINK ONE OF US NEEDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE OTHER TWO, I CAN FREE UP MY DUTIES.”

“Oh?” You shot him an appreciative look. “What are you guys doing anyway?”

“WELL! IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT RED AND EDGE’S BEDROOM FURNITURE ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE FOR USE SO I CONVINCED MY BROTHER TO MAKE THEM ON OUR OWN!”

You looked at him in surprise. “You’re building Red and Edge beds?”

“AND PROBABLY DOORS, TOO. IF THEY’RE ANYTHING LIKE US, WE WOULD LIKE IT REPLACED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE MOVING IN.”

The word ‘moving in’ made you bristle. Right. You had to talk with them soon.

You visited Ace and Patch later that day and they did not react greatly to the news of the attempted kidnapping. Ace didn’t make any unnecessary comments about it but expressed his disdain. Patch had cursed out the two for coming up with a stupid plan and promised you he’d put them in their places after he finishes the devices.

You didn’t stay very long since you still feel drained out from the events of last night. You made a quick visit to Blue and Stretch, surprised at the amount of lumber they have at their disposal. You almost wanted to ask how they managed to chop up trees that fast but chalked it up to Blue’s insane stamina and strength. Blue persuaded you not to go grocery shopping today. You checked up on Red and Edge to see if they’ve stirred but they didn’t seem to have moved since last night.

You made one last trip to the security room, locking it behind you. You caught Sans in the middle of his break, leaning back on the office chair with both of his feet up on the desk while snoozing. “You have a literal bed in the basement,” you said under your breath.

“not anymore.”

You flinched when he answered. He kept both of his eyes closed. “Just checking up on you.”

“’m fine.” There was a pause. “you okay and everything?” There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

“Yes. They didn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.” You struggled to come up with a topic. “Uhm… I’m gonna go grocery shopping tomorrow. Do you need anything?”

“nothing in particular.”

“Okay.”

“k.”

You made a move to exit the room but stopped midway. “Did—What happened? To you and Blue, I mean. He told me he met you.”

His jaw clenched. “nothing much. almost attacked me but didn’t.”

“What did you tell him?”

“that you were kidnapped.”

“And he believed you?”

“...not at first. he checked your room first before running after you.”

“Oh.” You cleared your throat. “Well, that’s all I wanted to know.”

“i’m not gonna keep an eye on them.”

“…What?”

“those brothers who kidnapped you,” Sans said with contempt. “they’re your responsibility. you wanted them out.”

“I wasn’t asking you to.” Sans was hard to read these days. He set up all these additional security in your room yet he also tries his hardest to appear indifferent. You would’ve taken this as a compliment before but all you wanted to do was give him a dry laugh. “I already have people who’re willing to look after them.”

“you do.”

You nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be going. No one’s in the kitchen so it’s safe for you to take some food.”

“mm.”

You exited the security room feeling heavier. There were some mixed feelings you needed to sort through but were too exhausted to touch upon. You let out a heavy sigh as you closed the door behind you.

“that where he’s hidin’?”

Your eyes shot open, finding your throat dry to see Red standing in front of you with displeasure written all over his face. He looked as tired as you but better than he did before he fell asleep. “You’re up,” you stated.

He leaned towards the side, peering casually over your shoulder. “that an ‘employees only’ kinda room or what?”

“Off-limits.”

Red’s eye lights focused on you. “ya just talked ta him, didn’t ya? what did he say? he gonna put us down after all?” He had his guard up, just like all the days you spent talking to him when he was behind closed doors. “when is he gonna do it? mhm, right now would be the best time, ain’t it? me and boss are both down and we got no magic either.” He kept up with his taunts, “or did he order you to do it? man, he really got no balls, does he? what a fuckin’ coward—”

You gave him a tired smile, hesitating to put a hand on his shoulder. He stared at your hand with wide sockets. “You’re not gonna get killed. Not on my watch. He’s gonna have to get through me first if he wants to lay a hand on either of you.”

“…so ya gonna protect us but don’t wanna go away with us? ya have mixed up y’er priorities there, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, I do. Let’s go back to sleep.” You had only taken a step when Red’s hand shot up in the direction of the door, his eye flaring bright red. In the next second, you grabbed his forearm, completely diminishing the magic that was building up. “You don’t have magic, you dumbass! Do you want to dust yourself or something?!” you hissed.

His grin grew taut. “oops.”

“Don’t make me wake up your brother.”

“geez, you don’t have to go that far.” He let his arms fall down at his sides before turning around back to the apartment. “can’t ya take a joke?”

“Ah, yes, dusting is so funny, isn’t it?”

You went to rest in your bedroom for a couple of hours. You woke up around 1 a.m. feeling like you’ve rested enough and realized you had skipped dinner. Blue normally wouldn’t have let you skip meals but cared enough to let you sleep through it. You were in your pajamas, not bothering to change into anything else despite having other people living with you. You shuffled out of your room, your gaze fleeting over to the living room where a single lampshade was turned on. Beyond that, everything was shrouded in darkness.

You turned on a light as you entered the kitchen before opening the refrigerator. A smile found itself on your face to see a container wrapped with a foil and a note scrawled with your name with Blue’s handwriting. You opened it to see that it was the easy-bake mac-and-cheese that you bought. It was only slightly burnt.

You were contemplating whether to heat it or eat it cold when you found yourself staring into the living room from where you were standing. You froze to see two red lights staring at you in the dark. You left the container on the table as you went towards the kitchen’s entranceway. Your eyes had adjusted to the dark and found Red’s lump on the mattress on the floor. “Edge, you’re awake.” Slowly, you saw his silhouette on the couch. “Have you just woken up? You’ve been out for a whole day.”

“NO,” he muttered, “I’VE BEEN AWAKE FOR MUCH EARLIER.”

“Oh. Do you want to eat with me?”

There was silence for a long time that you were about to backtrack when he finally sneaked off the couch and trudged towards you. The moment he stepped into the light, you took note of the bags under his sockets and the way his shoulders were slumped.

You went to reheat two containers while he took a seat on the table. “How are you feeling?”

“NEVER BETTER,” he said sarcastically, rubbing the spot above his nose. “I FEEL LIKE CRAP.”

“Ha, you look like crap.”

“I DON’T NEED YOUR COMMENTS ON MY APPEARANCE.”

“Just thought you should know.” You leaned on a kitchen counter, arms crossed while waiting for the microwave to finish doing its thing. “What time did you wake up?”

“AROUND THE TIME THAT BLUE IDIOT WAS RUNNING AROUND IN THE KITCHEN.”

“Dinner then? Why didn’t you go eat with them?”

“WELL SOMEBODY HAD TO KEEP AN EYE ON MY SNOOZING BROTHER.”

You shrugged. “You two are safe here,” you reminded him. “You can leave your brother anywhere and he’s still gonna be there if you come back.”

“I DON’T WANT TO TAKE CHANCES.”

“Alright. Fair. Just focus on recovering, alright?”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.”

A ding. You went to grab the container from the microwave only to pull back immediately when you burned your hand. “Fuck—”

“UGH, YOU DIMWIT! LET ME DO IT.” Edge strolled over to you, easily pulling out the containers without commenting on the heat. He placed both containers on the table while you grabbed forks.

You ate silently with the almost-intimidating monster. Thoughts were running in your head and you were contemplating if you should voice them out or not.

In the end, you settled with, “What are your thoughts on Ace and Patch?”

“THEY SOUND LIKE MORE HEADACHE FOR YOU.”

You choked on your food as you laughed out loud, sounding even louder in the enclosed room. “That’s true. Gosh, we need to establish boundaries or I’m afraid one of you will pick a fight and the others won’t stop them.”

“OH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I’M ITCHING TO SPAR WITH SOMEONE.”

You chided him. “You can’t hurt anyone.”

“IT’S SPARRING.”

“I’m pretty sure Blue also wanted a sparring partner but you have a different meaning for that word.”

The two of you fell into a mindless banter about almost anything. You spent the rest of your early morning with Edge, one of the monsters you didn’t expect you’d get close to. You’d gotten used to his snarky remarks, realizing that it was just one of his ways to show that at the end of it all, he does care.

“Okay, is everything clear?”

The five of you were sitting around the kitchen table a little after lunch. It has been a couple of days since the kidnapping incident. Red and Edge hadn’t gone outside. They were as a hermit as you were. Blue tried to get them outside as much as he can but he would always get turned down.

The good thing was Red and Edge were banned from using their magic until they had fully recovered. If caught, they’d be given one chore that they have to absolutely do or they’d face your wrath. Not that you have any wrath to unleash but nobody wanted to get on your bad side.

You had rounded them this afternoon since Blue and Stretch had finished their small project and wanted to surprise Red and Edge with it. You were telling them not to cause any trouble on their part since Blue and Stretch had worked hard on it. The replies were mostly grunts and unsure nods.

The problem was, they have to step outside. The three of you had simultaneously agreed to give them a little push since it was obvious they won’t take the initiative themselves. You were egging on Edge because Red would go anywhere as long as it involved his brother.

“I DON’T GET WHY WE HAVE TO GO OUT ON THE SURFACE FOR SOMETHING SO INSUBSTANTIAL!”

“I TOLD YOU, IT’S A SURPRISE!”

“ugh, i hate surprises,” Red murmured behind you as Blue took the lead with you and Edge following.

“ditto,” Stretch agreed.

The moment the five of you reached the glass doors, Red and Edge tensed. Blue moved on, either ignoring their reactions or was completely unaware of the change in their postures.

“COME ON!” Blue said excitedly as he went outside first, already disappearing around the corner.

“Want me to hold your hand?” you teased the tall monster beside you.

Instantly, he glowed bright red while shooting you an incredulous look. “DON’T PATRONIZE ME, HUMAN!”

You chuckled. “My bad.”

“ask me,” Stretch quipped.

You let out a snort. “Hm, I don’t know. You might take it differently.”

Red groaned. “fucking hell, can you not flirt in front of me?”

“I was not flirting.”

Amid your banter, Edge had found his courage and took the first steps out of the small world he was living in. He sucked in a breath, his eyesockets briefly widening at the sight of the infinite sky above him.

You followed suit, your eyes wandering to the same familiar view you’ve been seeing since you were a kid until it fell to the three skeletons. They were all looking up with that same awe-struck expression on their faces.

“fuck,” Red breathed.

“never could get used to it,” Stretch stated softly.

Your lips curled into a smile as you quietly sneaked away from the group. It felt like they needed a moment and you didn’t want to intrude as well. You met up with Blue at the back of the building, your mouth forming an ‘o’ when you laid eyes on the finished products of his project. “Wow, Blue, I didn’t know you had a talent like this.”

“MWEHEHE! THERE’S NOTHING THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE CAN’T DO!”

“Obviously.” You shared a quiet moment with him.

“…TOMORROW’S THE DAY, ISN’T IT?” Blue asked with a slightly tilted grin.

“Yep.” You began to wring your hands nervously. “I’m sure everything’s gonna go fine, right?”

“WELL, RED AND EDGE CERTAINLY HAVE CALMED DOWN SINCE THE DAY THEY WERE OUT. THEY’D JUST NEED TIME TO ADJUST.” Blue perked up excitedly. “BUT, IF YOU’RE SO NERVOUS, MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING! LIKE A WELCOME PARTY!”

“…For Ace and Patch?”

“FOR EVERYONE! IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE’S SOME KIND OF BONDING TIME, WOULDN’T IT? PLUS, IT’S YOUR FIRST DAYS-OFF IN YEARS! WE SHOULD REALLY THROW A PARTY!”

You were standing there with a hand on your chin, your mind suddenly brewing with ideas. It’s your first days off in years. You had always been thinking of going somewhere on your day off. You were leaning towards going to see your old friends, seeing Alphys and Undyne, going on a picnic, visiting a museum, going to the beach…

“I’d have to borrow Undyne’s van,” you muttered under your breath as your heart lurched at the thought of bringing your friends to the beach.

“WHAT WAS THAT, FRIEND?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” you said dismissively. You saw Blue about to urge you on when the other three finally came around the corner. “Took you guys long enough.”

“SURPRISE!!!!”

“WHAT IS THIS?” Edge asked in disbelief.

“I BUILT YOU YOUR OWN BEDFRAMES AND DOORS! NOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO SLEEP IN Y/N’S LIVING ROOM AND CAN MAKE YOUR ROOMS YOUR OWN!”

On the first three days of Red and Edge sleeping in your living room, they had somehow started a routine where one of them stays awake to guard the other while they slept. No matter how much you told them that they were safe, nothing eases their mind unless doing exactly that. Now if they were to move into their own rooms, they’d have their own privacy and hopefully let their guard down.

Red was almost indifferent to the change, shrugging while patting a nearby wooden door with simple, basic patterns carved into it. “eh. could be nice. does suck that ya people can walk in on me anytime.”

“gross, what were you planning on doing?” Stretch asked.

“hah, do ya really want to know?”

“Okay, please take suggestive comments to a minimum,” you interrupted before he could go on.

“HMM, I GUESS IT IS… SATISFACTORY,” Edge said with a grunt. “IT’S INFURIATING TO SEE MY BROTHER’S SLOBBINESS ALL DAY.”

Blue let out a small cheer. “TIME TO START INSTALLING THEM, THEN! WE NEED TO MOVE FAST IF WE WANT TO FINISH BEFORE SUNDOWN!”

Surprisingly, there were no complaints from Red and Edge’s part. They were getting better with the living-together-with-someone thing which you were subtly proud of. You already knew it was hard for them to get along with anyone so the fact that they were willing to try was making you soft.

Today went along swimmingly.

You hoped it was the same for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

That night, you were humming while preparing dinner with Blue in the kitchen. They’ve successfully installed the new doors and furniture in Red and Edge’s (temporary) rooms. You have yet to discuss their ‘stay’ as they’ve only been out for four days. They haven’t warmed up to anyone yet aside from you but at least they weren’t getting themselves in trouble. They also haven’t joined you in dinner with Blue and Stretch. They preferred eating by themselves somewhere else which you didn’t take offense to.

“IS THIS SMALL ENOUGH, FRIEND?” Blue asked while he showed you his diced potatoes. He had learned so much just by reading the cookbooks that you gave him and takes you into consideration when he cooks. You could honestly leave him in the kitchen and you wouldn’t worry. It was such a huge improvement!

He insisted on cooking now that you deemed him ‘pro’ enough but you didn’t want to leave him with that chore so you help out whenever you can. Though he sometimes shot you a look that told you he thinks you still don’t trust him. You couldn’t help it… he was quick to jump onto dishes that were more advance than the skill level he had. Like tonight, he wanted to make roast beef.

At least it wasn’t tacos. Though he only changed it up since you ‘accidentally’ slipped up that you were getting fed up with it. He was so shocked that there was no hesitation to mix things up.

It wasn’t long ‘til dinner was served. Stretch was already on the table taking a quick nap even though he napped halfway through the moving of the furniture. You shook his shoulder once before Blue strolled out of the kitchen with the food.

You’ve eaten plenty of times with these brothers but there was something different about this one. You were laughing more so than usual and weren’t overthinking what was going to happen tomorrow or the future. It felt… normal. There were plenty of times you tried so hard to pretend like everything was okay but tonight, that normalcy felt so much closer than usual. It calmed you down.

“can i have another serving?” Stretch asked.

Blue couldn’t help but beam. “MWEHEHE! OF COURSE, YOU CAN, BROTHER! I COULD ONLY IMAGINE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT MY IMPROVED COOKING SKILLS!”

Stretch huffed a laugh. “yeah, you’re so cool, bro.” His gaze traveled towards you and you could see the simple gratefulness in his gesture. You smiled as you took a bite from your food.

In the midst of your dinner, Edge strode to the kitchen, passing by your table. Red was lagging right behind him. He sent a wink towards you when he saw you staring. A minute or two later, Edge came out of the kitchen with a plate in hand.

“Hey, Edge, come eat with us,” you invited as you always do.

Edge paused. He opened his jaw to say something but changed his mind. “I’D RATHER BE IN THE COMFORTS OF MY ROOM.”

You deflated a little. “Okay. Have a nice dinner. And Red, too.”

He nodded stiffly at you before leaving the room, Red still behind him already halfway through his food.

“IT’S OKAY, FRIEND! WE’LL GET THEM TO EAT WITH US SOMEDAY!” Blue declared, probably to cheer you up. “ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE IN THE MERCY OF MY COOKING!”

You sent him a small smile. “Yeah. They’ll come around.” You eventually settled back into a comfortable conversation with your company.

The conversation veered to the events of tomorrow. “WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR TOMORROW, FRIEND? ARE WE GOING TO PLAN THE PARTY?”

You grinned. “Nah, I have a better idea. We’re going out tomorrow.”

Both looked equally surprised and confused upon hearing the news. “YOU MEAN… GOING OUT IN FRONT? LIKE A PICNIC?” he asked cautiously.

“hm, sounds kinda good.”

You shook your head. “No, I meant like we’ll go out. To someplace else.”

Blue perked up while Stretch was still skeptical. “WE’RE GOING OUT OF THIS DREADFUL BUILDING? WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA, FRIEND!” Blue was vibrating excitedly. “WHERE ARE WE GOING? IS IT A FULL-DAY VENTURE OR JUST A FEW HOURS?”

Stretch merely raised a brow bone. “have you gotten ‘permission’ for that, honey?”

“It’s a surprise,” you answered Blue. “I know you don’t have swimming trunks but I’ve borrowed a few from friends.” You’ve already spoken to Alphys hours earlier about your plan. She was enthusiastic about you finally stepping out of the building and readily told you she’d ask Undyne to drive her van by tomorrow. You also asked if she wanted to meet the other skeletons, news that she was still hesitant to accept. She was afraid of the consequences of having ‘illegal’ monsters detained in the building and didn’t want to get caught up with all the trouble that was cooking so she politely declined.

“And I’ve… informed Sans about it,” you added hesitantly. “Hm, he hasn’t answered me yet.”

“WHY NOT? DID YOU NOT INFORM HIM PERSONALLY?”

“I sent him a text,” you answered with a shrug. “Well, it’s not like he can stop me. I’ve already had arrangements.”

“oooh, going against the boss’ orders? that’s naughty,” Stretch hummed.

“Hey, I deserved this. We all do.” They both had equally adoring expressions on their faces and you itched to pinch their cheeks. Instead, you flushed and averted your gaze.

After a beat, you sent Stretch a look. “Now, I believe it’s your turn to wash the dishes, Stretch.”

You woke up especially early for today. You passed by the swap brother’s room but they were still asleep judging by the lack of noise. Surprisingly, you woke up earlier than Blue’s preferred waking time. You went straight to Patch’s room to get the devices that he double-checked on all night to make sure they were functional. He was tired but his eyes had that vibrancy that you’ve never seen before. He didn’t even let you enter his room for long as he ushered you out to do your thing.

You found yourself in the security room minutes later while Sans worked on pairing the device with the hardware. You were quiet this time, finding no desire to strike up a friendly conversation with him.

“so. are you not going to tell me about your text?” Sans’ gravely voice echoed in the small room.

You fought off a grimace. No, you were determined to push through your plans. “My text was straight to the point. I don’t know what more you want from me.”

He swerved the chair to face you, his brow bones furrowed. “you’ve never wanted to go out before,” he said wryly.

You matched the stare he was giving you. “Uh, yeah I did but I just didn’t voice it out. Also, I do groceries? And before that, I used to live in a different apartment. That was never a problem for you. Are you going to stop me from going?”

His grin tightened at the edges. “it’s different since you’re taking my experiments with you.”

“I’m not going to whisk them away into the sunset, Sans. Plus, you literally have a GPS on the devices.”

He tilted his head fractionally to the side. “you’re going to be alone with them… for a whole day,” he stressed. You could hear the underlying comment ‘I’m not gonna be there to keep you alive.’

You pursed your lips together. “You left me in a room with Stretch… knowing he could’ve hurt me.” You weren’t in the mood to fight him. “You’re not in a position to deny me this. I’ve worked for you all this time.”

Hurt flashed in his sockets. There was a lapse of silence. You thought he was going to put up more of a fight like he always does. “…you gonna be alright by yourself?” he asked quietly.

“I know I will be,” you said confidently. You were slowly releasing the air you were holding now that it seemed he was letting you go on this trip. It was obvious that you’d made him upset despite his efforts to hide it. Your voice softened. “You’ll finally be having a day of peace for the first time. I’m doing you a favor,” you teased but it didn’t seem to work.

“heh. yeah. you’ll be back tonight?”

“Yep, tonight sounds good. I’ll see you, okay?”

“right.”

You wanted to give him a gesture of comfort but you’ve grown apart that a kiss or a hug seemed too forced. And he often flinches away from any tactile stimuli. You sent him a small smile instead. “I’ll send you updates so don’t get too worried.”

“k.” He unplugged the devices from the computer and left it in your hands. “enjoy yourself, i guess,” he muttered.

You left the room, briskly walking to the elevator and impatiently tapping your foot while waiting. You rushed to Patch’s, nearly tripping over nothing as you threw the door open. You handed him one of the circlets and watched him tie it around his ulna and radius before it automatically locked on his wrist. He winced, giving it a cold once-over before sighing. Once you were sure that he was wearing the bracelet, you used the scanner, eyeing it in disdain. But soon all your ill feelings disappeared once Patch had stepped out of his cage and swept you off your feet with a hug.

You squealed in surprise and laughed wholeheartedly, wrapping your arms around his neck. “You’re acting as if we hadn’t seen each other in forever.”

“oh, trust me, i’d be doing more than that if that’s the case,” he drawled. You told him to take it easy since his body was going to be adjusting to regain his magic back. You were about to go into a whole length discussion about the rules and regulations but he whisked you towards the door, urging you to open it. You chuckled as you did, watching him act like a little kid. Your mood dampened at the thought that he was imprisoned, of course, he was eager to be out.

The two of you walked across to Ace’s room who you found was already awake at this hour. He brightened considerably upon seeing his brother’s face. Patch lazily waved a hand but there was no denying the fondness in his expression.

“How have you been, brother? You look reasonable,” Ace greeted, starting the conversation.

“same old, same old. you look the same.” Patch pocketed his hands, acting real nonchalant. You had to bit back a laugh from how he was trying too hard.

There wasn’t that heart-warming reunion like Blue and Stretch’s or the explosive one like Red and Edge’s. But you recognized that deep look in their sockets, that they’re relieved to be together again and that they’ve missed having each other. You left them for a few minutes to catch up and told them you’d be in the ground floor lobby.

It was still too early for anyone to be awake but you already started on breakfast.

“HUMAN, GOOD, YOU’RE AWAKE.” Edge announced his presence loudly and you had jumped at the sound of his… lively voice so early in the morning. “HM, ARE THE… TWO GUESTS ALREADY AWAKE AS WELL?”

“Edge, I’ve never seen you up so early before. It’s still a little too early even for you. You should go back to sleep.” You sneaked a glance at him to see he still hasn’t been sleeping too well and was even more tense than usual. You bit back a sigh. You couldn’t fault him if he’s still cautious. This place wasn’t exactly… homely.

“IT IS… NOT SITTING RIGHT WITH ME TO LEAVE YOU ALONE TO FEND FOR YOURSELF,” he settled on saying as he went over to you and looked over your shoulder. “WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?”

“Hm, just bacon and eggs. I’m still half-asleep if you can’t tell.” You let out a big yawn, almost burning yourself with the spatula in the process.

“HUMAN, BE CAREFUL,” he hissed, prying the spatula away from your hand. “IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REST, YOU SHOULD. I WILL WAKE YOU UP AT 6 AM.”

“But… the food.” Your eyes felt heavy but you haven’t seen Edge cook before and the last thing you want was a burnt-down kitchen. “I got this. And I don’t plan on letting you deal with the ‘new guests’. You get too restless around new people.”

“NO, I DO NOT!” He sounds offended. “I ASSURE YOU I’M MOST RELAXED AROUND NEW PEOPLE.”

You hummed. “Sure, you do. Okay, you can stand there and guard me if that’s what relaxes you.”

“IT DOESN’T,” he snapped but he stayed in place anyway. “BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SUDDENLY SEE YOU END UP DEAD IN A DITCH. SO I WILL STAND GUARD.”

“Thanks, Captain.”

“HMP. YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL.”

Red appeared into the kitchen a few minutes later as you were halfway done cooking 8 servings of breakfast. He was scowling. “jeez, those new guys were fucking shitheads.”

“LANGUAGE, BROTHER!”

Your lips curled up into a smile. “Oh. You’ve introduced yourself then? Were they out of their rooms?”

“yup, they were luggin’ around like a bunch of tourists. they look pretty stupid,” he huffed as he strolled towards you, his frown melting away as he eyed your cooking. “hey, sweetheart, it’s not unreasonable to ask for two plates of that, ain’t it?”

“Ugh, fine.” You perked up at the opportunity. “But you have to eat breakfast with us. You too, Edge.”

Edge rolled his eyes. “I AM NOT TAKING ORDERS FROM YOU, HUMAN. WHY ARE YOU ROPING ME INTO MY BROTHER’S TOMFOOLERY?”

You had no reason to undermine your true feelings. Besides, you were practicing healthy communication with Blue and Stretch and since you were also (temporarily?) living with Red and Edge and possibly Patch and Ace, you should practice with them, too!  “Because! I’d love to eat with you both and spend time with you. You keep locking yourselves away into your rooms. I know this sounds silly and selfish of me but I kinda missed hanging out with both of you alone. Even if it’s just sitting quietly for hours.”

There was a silence and you were getting kinda flustered by the lack of response so you busied yourself with cooking.

Edge cleared his throat loudly. “I… JUST DON’T FIND IT APPEASING… TO EAT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.”

“yeah, sorry ‘bout that, sweet cheeks. it’s not you, it’s the trauma,” Red casually said with a shrug.

“I mean… it’s important that you try to at least work it out with little steps, right?” You pursed your lips, immediately shaking your head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be the one to talk.”

You worried about filling the silence that comes next but beamed as soon as Ace knocked on the open door twice, politely popping his head in. You headed for the entrance of the kitchen and waved to him. “Hey, Ace! We’re in here!”

The edgy brothers instantly looked alarmed. You didn’t miss the way Edge crept closer to you and how Red looked ready to pounce whoever was coming from the doorway. You tried not to sigh in disappointment. If this was how they were going to act to every stranger they meet, then it was better that you won’t be taking them to a crowded place. It seemed like they still need more time to adjust. Still, this felt like their first day all over again.

Ace was decent enough to blatantly ignore the way they were acting and instead smiled at you. “Good morning, Y/N.” He eyed the two brothers hovering over you. “This must be Edge and Red, I presume?”

“Yep! Good morning to you, too, Ace. Where’s Patch?”

“Still checking every nook and cranny he hasn’t seen.” He considered talking to the two brothers again but then decided against it. “Do you need help with cooking?”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. I got it. Though, you could make yourself some tea if you prefer that over coffee. They’re in that cupboard.”

“I see. Thank you, dear.”

Red gruffly crossed his arms, glaring at Ace the whole time while Edge watched him with a calculated gaze. “C’mon guys, loosen up. Ace is very polite.”

“too polite if ya ask me,” Red mumbled. “it’s unnerving.”

“I think that’s ‘cause you’re used to everyone acting like crooks.”

He let out a snort. “ya got that, right. least ya know they’re not hidin’ their true colors, sweetheart.”

You told Ace to wait in the dining room as there was no use to keep you company in the kitchen when there were already two large dogs guarding you. You soon finished breakfast and asked for their help to bring it to the kitchen.

Edge huffed. “WHY WOULD I—”

“Okay, fine. I’ll ask Ace for help then.” You were joking but Edge took it too seriously.

He gritted his teeth, sending a sharp look your way. “I GOT IT. SANS, GRAB TWO MORE PLATES.”

Red looked like he was about to complain but then he saw Patch strolling into the apartment, sockets casually glazing over the interior design before seeing his brother seated at the dining table. Red snatched up the plates before you could even blink.

You finished up in the kitchen, placing Sans’ food in a container before stuffing it in the refrigerator for later consumption. You grabbed a handful of diluted green magic from a shelf and utensils before going over to the two brothers.

You were surprised to find Edge and Red seated across the other two, who were laxly having a conversation while ignoring the obvious glares they were getting. Patch brightened the moment he saw you, leaning his arms at the back of Ace’s chair as he waved at you. “oh, you’re serving us, cupcake? humor me, are you as delicious as your cooking?”

You were used to his overt flirting by now and sent him a smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” you teased before glancing over Red and Edge. “Are you guys joining us for breakfast?”

“CLEARLY,” Edge answered without hesitation. “IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO HELP OUT IN THE KITCHEN YET NOT HAVE THE DECENCY TO EAT PROPERLY IN THE DINING TABLE.”

You were smirking and you didn’t have the heart to correct him. “Sure. Do you want coffee with that?”

“I’LL GET IT MYSELF.”

“Okay, sure.”

The dining table you bought a while ago could fit at least ten people so you weren’t worried about anyone having to eat out of it. You sat beside Red who relaxed an inch now that you were close enough. You noticed Patch was sitting on Stretch’s seat and with Stretch’s habit of popping out of nowhere, you don’t think it would bode well for either of them, even if it could be entertaining to watch. “Patch, why don’t you come to sit beside me?”

You could hear the growl coming from Red and you shot him a warning look.

Patch looked eager to do so as he walked over to your place even if he was abandoning his brother. Ace didn’t look as if he had any trouble with it. “miss me that much, cupcake?”

Both of you could feel the heated glare coming from Red. You elbowed Patch in the ribs. “Don’t provoke Red. Let’s just have a nice, quiet breakfast.”

“i’m not provoking anyone,” he said innocently. “i’m just having a nice conversation with you.”

Edge returned to the dining room, scowling the moment he saw Patch has switched seats. You grimaced. You were trying your best to avoid any sort of conflict. Maybe having the edgy brothers here weren’t helping at all… but you didn’t want to shoo them away now that they were finally going to have breakfast with you.

There was only a slight tension in the air, mostly coming from Red and Edge. You didn’t want to have to mediate so early in the morning.

“so, when do we leave for the beach, cupcake?” Patch asked.

“the beach?” Red echoed and you froze in your spot. Oh. You may have forgotten to inform them… You didn’t have to voice it to Red for him to read the expression on your face. His mood considerably darkened. “okay, so the new guys know about it but we don’t?”

“It slipped my mind, I’m sorry.”

“whatever.”

You felt bad. “We’re going to the beach later since it’s my first day off and I wanted to take you all out somewhere.” You knew you didn’t have to ask them but you felt compelled to. “Will you guys come with?”

“WELL, IT WOULD BE NICE TO SPEND TIME AWAY FROM THIS PLACE,” Edge grumbled.

You looked at Red, waiting. He snorted. “yeah, yeah, whatever. as long as i get to see ya in swimwear.”

“Oh sure. Swimwear.” You didn’t tell him you were planning on just wearing a plain white shirt and shorts. “Let’s dig in!”

Just in time for Blue to strode in, deflating a little to see the table was already full of people. “GOOD MORNING, Y/N! WOWZERS, THERE’S SO MANY SKELETONS HERE!” He brightened up as he walked over to Ace. “HELLO! I’M THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE! YOU MUST BE ACE!”

“great, the blue idiot’s here,” Red muttered.

“Red,” you warned. “Play nice.”

Blue made his introductions to Ace and Patch to which they received it neutrally. You were thankful that Ace and Patch were less chaotic than their edgy counterparts. You have no idea how to handle them if there were more than one pair of the Fell brothers. “Come eat with us, Blue.”

“OF COURSE, OF COURSE! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TROUBLE WITH BREAKFAST TODAY, Y/N?”

“Oh, no. Edge helped me. In his own way.” To which Edge merely huffed in response.

Stretch appeared right on the empty chair Patch was previously sitting. Patch snorted a laugh as he shot you a look. “ah. now i get it,” he said in amusement as he sipped on his tea. Stretch looked half-surprised to see the table bustling with activity.

“what is this, a party?” Stretch drawled. He eyed the skeleton next to him, Ace, warily before introducing himself. He wasn’t as into it as Blue was but at least he was being civil.

It was so nice to see all your skeletons in one place, interacting with one another. Others were quieter in the presence of others while Blue was more than happy enough to accommodate everyone like a good host. It was kinda embarrassing since you should be hosting but Blue was naturally better at this than you were.

You were in the middle of eating, having a small conversation with Blue and the others when Red asked, “he’s not coming, is he?”

Even without saying a name, everyone instantly knew who he was talking about. You swallowed the food in your mouth before replying. “No. He’s staying here. He’s attached to his… project,” you said cautiously. It felt like a switch was flipped. Everyone was being deadly serious right now. It unnerved you. You had to defuse this before they get ideas. “Just to be clear, no one touches my skeleton. He’s my friend. If any of you get any funny ideas, you’re gonna have to get through me first.”

There was a stretch of silence, of contemplating your words. You may have just made the tension worse. But you had to get it out there. A warning.

“LET’S NOT TALK ABOUT SUCH… A GRIM TOPIC THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING. IT’S RUINING OUR SUPPOSED FIRST DAY OUT!”

“they know about it? why were we the last to know?” Red groaned.

“Well, I eat with Blue every day,” you countered. “Maybe if you did, you would’ve gotten real-time information coming from me.”

“go cry like a baby.”

Edge didn’t like that. “BROTHER! YOUR INSULTS ARE FRANKLY DISAPPOINTING. SHUT YOUR MOUTH.”

This resulted in a few chuckles as the whole table dissolved into a less tensed atmosphere. Red, too embarrassed for being scolded in front of people, shut his mouth for the rest of the breakfast.

Breakfast passed without any problems and you released a breath you didn’t realize you’ve been holding. Red and Edge left first, wanting to be alone for even just a few minutes. You think it was because they somehow trust that Blue and Stretch were there to protect you if something happens with the ‘newcomers.’ It was kinda sweet, in their own way.

“LET ME WASH THE DISHES FOR YOU, FRIEND! SINCE YOU DID DO ALL THE COOKING!” Blue declared as you were piling up the plates.

“Are you sure? Do you need any help?” you asked. You had long since learned not to say ‘no’ to the skeleton’s offer of help.

“NOT FROM YOU, NO!”

Well. You’d be offended if it wasn’t Blue you were talking to.

“I’d be glad to lend a hand if that’s okay with you, Blue,” Ace offered.

Without hesitation, Blue nodded. “I WOULD APPRECIATE IT, ACE!”

Oh, wow. You really wanted to be offended that Blue had outright rejected you but you don’t feel that way at all. You were somehow a little excited at the prospect that they’d be getting to know each other a little better.  

“mind touring me the rest of the building, cupcake?” Patch asked. “we have time, right?”

“Haven’t you seen everyplace? Ace told me you were checking out everything?”

“you haven’t shown me your room,” he answered suggestively.

Stretch appeared beside you with a honey bottle in hand, his form deceptively casual as he inched closer to you. “mind if i tag along, bud?” he asked Patch, a hand ruffling shooting out to ruffle your hair. You frowned as you pulled away, combing through your hair to fix it back.

Patch and Stretch stared at each other… too intensely for you. You already knew that Stretch would be cautious of the new people as he did with Red and Edge but, c’mon, it’s supposed to be a stress-free day. “Okay, you can both see my room. I don’t know why’d you’d want to see it anyway. It’s nothing too fancy.” You positioned yourself in the middle of them to be a physical barrier. They were exactly like cats waiting to pounce on each other to fight.

You opened the door to your room, huffing as you crossed your arms while the other two glanced inside. “I don’t know why you want to see my room, Stretch. You’ve already been inside.”

He cocked a brow bone while swiping a drink from his honey bottle. “oh, you mean that night.”

“what night?” Patch, like a smart idiot he was, asked. He tilted his head. “is it like our other meetings, cupcake?”

They were both talking about exactly the same thing and for some reason, you were feeling flustered about it. Jeez, it was just making out. With two entirely different skeletons. You didn’t plan on dating any of them at all so the fact that they’re coming onto you and you reciprocating might be a little selfish. Oh god, was this part of the ‘healthy communication’ schtick you were on about? You have to tell them, right?

Crap. Act dumb or be an adult?

“I…” Damn it, the two were both looking at you for answers. Fine, just blurt it out. “I’m not interested in dating.”

They were partially taken aback by the randomness of your reply. “sure, i’m not either,” Patch said with a shrug. “that wasn’t what we were asking though, was it?” By the smug look on his face, he already has his answer but wanted to see you be uncomfortable. Prick. He was nicer behind bars.

“Okay,” you said with a sigh. If you were going to act as if this was sensitive information, you had no doubt Patch would use it against you. Better just drop it onto them yourself. “Whatever you both were insinuating, yes, I did have that same ‘session’ with the other party. It’s really not that big a deal. Are you satisfied?”

Patch does look satisfied while smirking. Stretch, however… suddenly became aloof. “i’m gonna go find my bro,” he said lowly before disappearing. Uh-oh. That was not a good sign.

You sent Patch a glare who only shrugged. “hey, i’m not the one who’s sensitive.”

“Stop picking fights. You literally don’t have to one-up him.”

“eh, his fault he gets attached, cupcake.” He pushed his hands inside his pockets and then took a step forward into your room. Suddenly, you remembered San warning you about the ‘Gaster’ brothers sniffing their noses into your room and you instantly pulled the door shut.

“My room is off-limits.”

He stared at you for a second before shrugging. “fine. outside tour?”

Before you reach the entrance, you had to walk past the security room and the vaulted door that led to the basement. You were nervous about Patch getting curious about it but he didn’t spare it a glance. You were still tense even when you’ve stepped outside, feeling a cool breeze swing by. You were underdressed especially since you haven’t gotten ready yet but it was only a short tour and you’ll be back inside in no time.

“where are ya two goin’?” Red’s voice appeared from behind you. You glanced at him. “where’s the orange stick?”

“Uhm—”

“whatever, don’t care.” Five seconds passed and he quirked a brow. “so ya two are just gonna stand there or what?” he asked, irritated.

“did your brother send you after us?” Patch asked.

“and why would he do that?” Red’s tone was dripping with sarcasm.

“dunno. i’ve noticed the two of you following behind y/n like annoying puppies.”

Red growled lowly. “careful there, crackface. wouldn’t wanna know what happens ta monsters with big mouths.”

You pushed yourself between them none too gently. “Red, if you’re just gonna threaten someone, you should leave. Tell Edge I can handle myself.”

Red was more obvious with his emotions and you didn’t miss the hurt that crossed his face. “boss didn’t send me. and even if he did, i’m just here to keep watch,” he answered gruffly.

“yeah, sure, ‘keep watch’. if anyone needs to be kept watch, it’s you and your brother,” Patch replied nonchalantly but there was a sharpness to his tone. “i don’t go around kidnapping people just to get what i want.”

“Patch!” Okay, this was turning worse than you imagined it would be.

“whaddya fuckin’ say, ya smug bastard?”

“don’t you notice that y/n’s the least comfortable with you and your brother?”

“Patch, what the hell?” You tried to push him to get him to back off but he was glaring at Red with the same intensity. He talked so low of attachments yet you knew he wouldn’t be acting like this if he wasn’t worried for you. Yup, you were mostly going to miss him being chill.

The air crackled with magic and you knew it was Red’s. Patch still doesn’t have enough magic to use it. Red was supposedly banned from using it until he has fully recovered. You threw your body right in front of Red, catching his gaze. “Hey,” you said softly, “Can you go inside for a moment? I need a moment alone with him.”

He hesitated for a moment, the red pinpricks in his eyes returning to their normal size as it had gotten smaller over the course of the conversation. “whatever,” he hissed, the magic tension in the air disappearing as he sent one last glare at the taller skeleton before marching back inside the building.

You whirled around to face Patch who was certainly not guilty at all by what he’s done. “You. Stop picking fights. You’re the last person I’d expect to start fights, Patch.”

“oh c’mon, cupcake. i had to give him a piece of my mind. i told you i would, didn’t i?”

“It’s not helping. Just, please, be civil with them. That’s all I ask.”

He smiled at you. “now, that wouldn’t be exciting at all, would it?”

“Patch!”

He huffed a laugh. “fine, fine. i will, for you. c’mere.” He slung an arm around your shoulder and pulled you closer to his form.

“I know you don’t approve of them having LV but you shouldn’t judge what they’ve gone through.”

“oh, angel, i don’t care about them having lv. i care about them messing with you.”

“That isn’t comforting at all. I was kinda hoping you’d be mediating, not provoking them.”

He hummed, his nose ridge tickling your ear. “well someone oughta let them know who your favorite skeleton is.”

You pulled away from his hold, sending him an unamused glare. “There is no need to spark some kind of hierarchy, Patch. And you’re not my favorite skeleton.”

“who is it?”

Your lips curled into a smile. “Just know that it’s not you. Go tour yourself. You’ve already stressed me out enough and the day hasn’t even started.”

It must have been half an hour later where you spent your time double-checking all your things when you heard a horn beep from outside. You rushed to the entrance to see Undyne dropping her van off and Alphys’ car out front, not bothering to drive inside the lot. Undyne’s toothy grin greeted you as she stepped out, her arms outstretched as you let yourself hug the fish monster.

“Hey, dork! Haven’t seen you in forever!” The two of you exchanged a few small talks, mainly about how you were doing, how work was going, if Sans was still obsessed with his project, what the new skeletons were like, and if they looked like Paps. She got a bit unnerved when you told her that some of them do look like Papyrus but don’t act like him. You wanted to invite her to meet them but before you could bring it up, she was already handing you the keys and then waving you goodbye as she went back to Alphys. She sent you a ‘Goodluck’ look before disappearing into Alphys’ car.

The windows were tinted so you didn’t even catch a glimpse of the lizard monster A.K.A. your ex-co-worker.

You stood there by the van, checking the gas tank and the inside for a good few minutes before heading back inside to call the others. Fortunately, Blue was waiting the whole time, his skull lit up in a huge grin while holding the bag you packed in his hands. You told him to call the others and that you’d be waiting by the van.

“LEAVE IT TO ME, FRIEND!” he said excitedly, rushing off into the building before you could utter thanks. You were driving all the way to the beach. It was a two-hour drive on a good day and hopefully, it was still early enough to not catch the early traffic. You were lucky you had friends that have connections, in this case, you were talking about Alphys. You were only ever friends with Sans, Papyrus and a few of your ex-coworkers backed when you had a legitimate job, and then you became best buds with Alphys and by extension, her girlfriend, Undyne.

Apparently, Alphys has bought this quaint lodge by the beach and only ever use it when she and Undyne wanted to be alone. She was the one who suggested you borrow from her back then as she insisted you needed a vacation but you very stubbornly refused to. It was privately owned so it was just going to be you and the rest of your skeleton-crew.

You thought it was a good idea to take them to a private beach where they won’t be encountering any strangers as most of them were still adjusting to this whole surface thing. You didn’t want it to be overwhelming for them. Plus, you didn’t want any problems regarding monster racists and have a ton of complaints waiting for you and your friends. They didn’t need that.

They needed somewhere to relax and that’s what you’re giving them.

Ace was the first to come out with Edge trailing behind him. You gave them a smile as they climbed onto the van. You could see Ace’s relief to see that there more than enough space for him to stretch his legs. Good, Undyne bought this van for the same reason that she didn’t wanna see Papyrus uncomfortable. Thinking of Papyrus made you a little somber, so you pushed the thoughts aside.

Red was the next to come out. He looked pissed. He had eye contact with you for a split second before scowling and looking away. Ah, crap. You have to clear things up with him. You’d have to find some time today to take him to the side and smooth things out.

Stretch was next and behind him was Blue and Patch. Good, everyone’s here. You sent Stretch a smile but he avoided you like the plague, making your smile drop and your shoulders tense. Another conversation you’d need to pursue if you want this day to end well with all of you. Damn it, Patch.

You were frowning by the time Patch and Blue had come up.

“IS THE SEAT BESIDE YOU ALREADY TAKEN, FRIEND? I’D LOVE TO KEEP YOU COMPANY!”

“As much as I’d love that, Blue, Patch will take the passenger seat,” you said dryly. “I don’t want him starting any trouble.”

Blue looked a bit disappointed before nodding in understanding. “IT’S ALL RIGHT! I’LL KEEP YOU COMPANY IN THE BACK!”

You sent Patch a glare as you gestured for him to go inside. “i feel like i’m getting the special treatment here,” he mused.

“You’ve already made two skeletons upset with me. I don’t need you to add any more.”

All of you settled in the van, and you stole one last glance at the building before turning on the engine and driving off. The sound of chatter behind you should’ve been comforting in the least but it was only Blue and Ace making small talk, the others were dead silent. There was a thought in your head that maybe this was a bad idea and that it would be better to just stay in the building with Sans.

Speaking of Sans, this would be the first time you’d consciously be away from him.

A knot in your stomach loosened a little.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Being cramped in a car with a whole lot of skeletons who don’t like each other or were angry at each other doesn’t make for a very good relaxed atmosphere. You had been second-guessing your decision all the way and the more conscious you get that Sans was out of your reach, the more you get nervous.

Patch might’ve noticed and began to pester you… as a distraction. He’d tell you puns of trees and the road (“this is a stump, you wood not beleaf it”), more of his adventure stories with Ace, change the radio channel to hardcore rock, bring up the topic of the day you met him, and things like that. Soon enough, you were red-faced, completely annoyed, and embarrassed by everything that comes out of his mouth. For a while, you’d forgotten about your anxiousness.

You passed by a couple of small businesses, resorts, and restaurants before pulling up into the sandy path to be taken to get to Alphys’ beach lodge. It came into view minutes later and you could sense the shift in the atmosphere as soon as your skeleton crew realized you had reached the destination.

You parked the van right next to the lodge with a small smile on your face. There were a few trees dotted around the beach here and there that shaded the car. Without waiting any further, the door of the van was opened, and out came the majority of your passengers.

“heh. this their first time having this view, right? they got a whole lot of staring to do,” Patch mused with a slightly nostalgic expression on his face. “this brings memories. good choice, cupcake.”

“Don’t talk to me, I’m angry at you,” you said with a huff as you climbed out of the car. Ace waited for the two of you, carrying your bag. You made a move to get it from him but he kept it out of your reach and gave you a smile and a tilt of his head. Fine.

The sand crunched underneath your shoes as you walked around towards the front of the lodge. A quick glance to the four skeletons out on the shore, staring out into the horizon made you feel bittersweet; and you pushed down those feelings and climbed up the few steps to the front door of the lodge. With the key Undyne gave you, you entered.

It was a two-story lodge with a main living room, a kitchen, a door to the back, and one big bedroom upstairs. You let out a snort to find the dining was remodeled into that kind you see in an anime, with tatami mats, and a table with a hole underneath and everything.  The air was a little dusty and you took a minute to find the switch for the exhaust and opened all the windows. You went to the kitchen next, adamant to start making lunch a little early so you can enjoy more of your free time later.

You had a little smile on your face to notice that most of the appliances in the kitchen were of MTT brand. You’d only met Mettaton once, and you had a mix of both positive and negative comments regarding him. You began to hum as you check the refrigerator and the cabinets and softened to see that they were stacked with food. Even with just a one-day heads-up, Alphys made a run to the grocery store for you. You appreciate it.

You were in the middle of placing the ingredients on the kitchen counter when Ace walked in. “Hm? What are you planning on doing, my dear?”

“Oh! I don’t know, probably going to make some ramen. Alphys’ cabinets are stacked.” You found the frozen pork belly in the freezer and left it by the sink to defrost. “Do you want to help?” You look back to him to see he had an amused smile on his face.

“What I mean was, why are you cooking? It’s a beautiful day outside. This is supposed to be your day off, is it not?” he said with a cock of his head.

“W-well,” you paused, “I just wanted to prepare us lunch.”

“I can handle it.” He stepped right next to you and you were almost gaping at his towering height. You hadn’t had a chance to observe it before since you were too distracted by whatever was happening at the moment. And it has been an awkward past couple of days since you had only forgiven him and his brother just recently.

He caught your expression and his smile curled up more. “This is your day off as well, my dear. You had already made an effort with arranging it.” He gently pried the eggs you had in your hands. “Who knows how long it would be for you to get another chance to relax like this? You’re off duty. Get out of the kitchen.”

You bit your lower lip trying to stop yourself from grinning. His words made your shoulders heavy as if you were pretending not to notice that you were so, so tired and that you were excited to just kick back and relax and finally be away from the place that you were tied to for so long— Your throat was closing up as tears sprang from your eyes. “Okay,” you said shakily, “thank you, Ace.”

He placed his large hand on top of your head and you felt a swell of affection in your chest. He was so gentle and he felt secure. “Go on. I will inform you once lunch is ready.”

You nodded your head and turned away to exit the kitchen, only hesitating for a moment before you left him alone. It seems like the rest of the skeletons was still outside and, well, joining them sounded better than just slothing off right here in the living room.

It was still relatively cold but the sun was up, casting sunlight on the water and reflecting off of the snow-white bones of the skeletons. They were far apart from each other, each enjoying the view in their little bubble, so lost in the stretch of the horizon. You crept up behind Blue as he was the closest to the lodge and the beach.

His head was tilted up and for a moment, you doubted if you should interfere with his moment. Before you could double back and maybe leave for the lodge again, his voice startled you. “I’M ENTIRELY ENAMOURED, Y/N. I HAD NO IDEA THE SURFACE WAS THIS BREATHTAKING.”

You turned back, only slightly bothered that he hasn’t moved. You took your place next to him, casually peering at his face. “It is, isn’t it? It’s kinda disappointing that humans take this view for granted.”

“I DON’T THINK I COULD EVER GET OVER HOW BEAUTIFUL THE SURFACE IS. I WOULD BE UPSET IF OUR SURFACE ISN’T EVEN A FRACTION OF YOURS.”

That had caught you off-guard. He was talking about their surface, the one in their original universe and this reminded you of the fact that they were not from here. They’re not here to stay. For some reason, this one little information had evaded you and you were now just reminded of it. “I’m sure it is,” you said, your voice dropping to a whisper.

He must’ve noticed your tone as he finally pried his gaze away from the view and met yours. “MWEHEHE, ARE YOU GONNA BE SAD WHEN I’M GONE?” he asked you out front with a playful grin. He looked so unbothered by it… that he and his brother will go home one day and just leave you here. The sadness gripping your soul would come back tenfold when you imagine the future of coming home to no one.

But… it’s probably a future so far away. There was no need to hurt yourself in some hypothetical future where everything turned back to normal. Ha, that sounded selfish even for you, but it melted some of your worries away. “Of course I will,” was what you settled on even if there were so many things you had wanted to say to him at the moment.

His grin widened. “THAT IS AN ADMISSION OF OUR LEVELED UP FRIENDSHIP! I NEVER THOUGHT WE’D MAKE IT THIS FAR.”

“Oh, boy. You’re not thinking of moving out, are you?” you asked as a pang of a similar yet different fear rang in your soul.

He looked sheepish at your reaction. “WELL, IF YOU KEEP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT, I MIGHT JUST STAY FOREVER!”

That wasn’t very comforting. “So you are thinking of moving out,” you muttered. A wave of sadness washed over you. It was selfish, you wanted them to stay, to keep living with you. You didn’t know how far you’d gotten attached to them and it was unbearable.

Blue saw your distress and held your hand, his expression softening at the edges. “WHAT’S THAT FACE YOU’RE MAKING, FRIEND? I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE! EVEN IF YOU DID OFFER US THE CHANCE TO GET OUT OF HERE.” Resolve flashed in his eyes. “I OWE YOU OUR LIFE SO I’M RISKING IT ALL TO PROTECT YOU!”

Frankly, it was too early to be emotional but you couldn’t help the tears from stinging your eyes. Your soul was warm. You never thought you’d ever let yourself care again; be happy again. But it seemed like cruel life had given you another chance… even if it’ll be temporary.

You figured you weren’t in the position to reject it. You hadn’t known them very long but they had already made the hell you were living in feel like home. “You know that’s not a very logical thing to say, right?” you said instead.

You looked at him only to find Blue was looking at you tenderly and you felt your neck heat up. “I’M JUST HAPPY YOU’RE HAPPY!”

“That’s the trauma speaking.”

He shot you a playful glare. “I AM NOT TRAUMATIZED!”

“That’s what traumatized people say.”

He tutted while shaking his head. “THIS COULDN’T DO. I CAN’T HAVE YOU REJECT MY LOVE AND CARE!” Without warning, he scooped you up and hauled you over one shoulder. A squeal left your lips as you grabbed onto his shirt to keep yourself from falling.

“Blue, what the hell!” You began to thrash in his hold but his grip was like iron. You managed to see a glimpse of his evil grin before he stepped towards the water. “No, no! Put me down!” you shrieked. “Blue, I swear to god!!”

“SWEAR WHAT?” he provoked, his boots already halfway soaked. He was giggling the whole time, apparently finding your suffering funny. You had never seen this side of him before; he was always so polite and kind to you. It was honestly endearing.

“Put me down!”

“ARE YOU SURE?”

You stared at the water right below you. “Uh, on second thought… just walk back to the shore!”

He let out a loud laugh, going even further to the beach which had you screeching even louder. This evil little rascal! “Blue!!”

He was howling with laughter. “I’LL SHOW YOU MERCY ONCE YOU ADMIT THAT YOU ARE AN AMAZING PERSON AND YOU DESERVE MY LOVE AND CARE!”

“What, no!” You should’ve known Blue would pull something like this. He threatened to go farther in; the water was cold as hell when your hand hit it and you do not want that inconvenience right now. “Fine, fine!” you screeched, “I’m an amazing person and I deserve my friend’s love and care!”

 “HM? I THOUGHT I’D BEEN PROMOTED?”

“Oh, you little—Alright! My best friend!”

He gasped, his hands shifting you into a bridal position so he could peer at your face without putting you down and getting you wet. “YOU MEAN IT?”

Well, he threatened you… and you can’t say no to that face. “Yes, I do, you goof.”

You watched with familiarity as his eye lights transformed into yellow stars, briefly remembering the time Sans’ had shifted into hearts. You were flustered, your soul pulsing in response while gaping at him. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, when a particularly large wave that both of you missed crashed into you, taking you both of guard as you ended up wet and sputtering while still in his arms.

As the wave passed, the two of you had eye contact before bursting out laughing. “Oh my god, we’re wet!”

“I’M SO SORRY!” he said, half-apologetic. He began to trek back to the shore while still carrying you. “WE’D HAVE TO TROD BACK TO THE LODGE WET WITH ALL THESE SAND STICKING TO US, IT’S SUCH A SHORE.”

In a matter of seconds, you were gaping at him again. “Did—did you just make a pun?”

“MWEHEHE! WELL EXECUTED IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF!” he said proudly.

You had erupted into giggles while wiping the tears from your eyes. “I thought you hated puns?”

“ONLY WHEN IT’S POORLY CARRIED OUT AND OVERUSED,” he answered with a bitter undertone. “IT’S INFURIATING TO HEAR PAPY’S SAME PUNS ALL THE TIME!” He looked at you and then the lodge and began to walk back without putting you down. “DON’T WORRY, I’LL PROTECT YOU FROM THE SAND STICKING TO YOU, FRIEND!”

“I—you know what, sure.” You were wet, you didn’t want to find sand in uncomfortable places, and he was willing to carry you. It was all in your favor; you couldn’t say no. This short moment had you feeling a lot closer to the skeleton whom you’ve honestly been a little afraid to offend. He was so cool.

You arrived back at the lodge, taking off your wet shoes and socks by the entrance of the door before Blue put you down. You flinched at the stray sand under your feet and left your shoes hanging by the railing. Hopefully, it would dry before the day ends. You and Blue were dripping wet and this made you hesitate to come inside the lodge. You didn’t want to make any messes. Blue seemed to notice your predicament as he stopped midway into entering the door.

“HMM—OH, BROTHER!” Blue perked up when Stretch trudged into the living room with a drink in his hand. “CAN YOU GRAB TOWELS FOR ME AND Y/N?”

Stretch lazily glanced towards Blue. He disappeared and appeared a second later, throwing the towels in Blue’s face before disappearing once more. “THANK YOU!” Blue shouted even after he was gone. You deflated when you noticed Stretch didn’t even acknowledge your presence. “HERE YOU GO, FRIEND!”

As you and Blue pat yourselves as dry as you can, Patch emerged from the kitchen with a cigarette in his mouth. You scrunched up your nose. “Can you take that outside, please? This isn’t our lodge.”

“sure, sure. was planning on stepping out anyways, cupcake.” You caught his gaze traveling downwards, to how the wet shirt clung to your skin and hugging the curves of your body. You sent him a glare, partially hiding behind Blue who had also caught him.

“YOU’RE MAKING THEM UNCOMFORTABLE.”

Patch chuckled as he closed his left eye, tapping his other with a finger. “it wasn’t sexual, i swear. your soul is just humming with happiness, it suits you.”

You didn’t respond to that. Once you were dry enough to enter the lodge, you made a beeline for the bathroom, taking some of your clothes that you packed into your bag with you. You changed into different clothes, relieved to be dry again. You were surprised to see that your phone had been in your pocket and had gotten wet. You tried to turn it on but you were met with a black screen. Well, crap. Looks like you have to get yourself a new phone. You’ll try to put it in rice.

After a few more minutes in the bathroom, you went to check on Ace since it was already nearing lunchtime.

The scent in the kitchen was heavenly. Ace was stirring a big pot of ramen noodles before turning off the stove and adding the toppings. Your stomach churned at the sight. “You’re a very good cook,” you commented.

Ace let out a hearty chuckle. “You haven’t even tasted it yet, dear.”

“I don’t have to. The smell is already amazing.” You smiled. “You ought to teach a few tricks to the others, Ace.”

“I would if I have to,” he said melodramatically. “I’m not usually fond of cooking but I do know quite a few recipes from traveling about.”

You helped prep the Japanese dining room, your smile getting wider at the thought of eating at such a low table. It was quite small, but you figured all of you could fit if you wanted to. After arranging the utensils with the help of Alphys sending you instructions on the proper placements and etiquette, you went out to find someone to call the rest of the skeletons. Blue was already out of the lodge again, presumably doing something outside under the searing heat of the sun.

You yelped when you bumped into someone in the living room who wasn’t there a second ago. “Oh, jesus, you scared the crap out of me.”

It was Stretch. He seemed surprised to see you looked like he was going to offer an apology but then clamped his jaw shut and walked around you. This hurts you more than you thought. “Are you going to ignore me all day?” You hated the way your voice sounded so helpless. Stretch was your dear friend, he’s important to you… but when he ignores you the way Sans did…

Damn it. This was why you shouldn’t have gotten close with them. Well, you wouldn’t force him to talk to you if he doesn’t want to. You left to find Blue who had offered to call everyone for you.

Everyone gathered in the dining room to eat lunch. You somehow hoped that lunch was going to go well but your mood had dropped significantly after that meeting with Stretch. Red and Edge were too uncomfortable to sit with the group and instead left to eat in the kitchen. Ace pretended that everything was normal, as did Patch. Red came in to get himself another serving before disappearing. Stretch was ignoring you. Blue tried to make small talk with everyone, including you, but you weren’t in the mood. It was awkward and tense and it made you question your decisions.

Lunch passed without any incidents and you offered to wash the dishes. “No,” Ace flat out rejected.

“No?”

“No,” he said once again.

“GO AHEAD AND ENJOY YOUR DAY, FRIEND! THIS IS ALL TAKEN CARE OF!” Blue agreed, pushing you out of the kitchen with him.

“But—”

“NO BUTS!”

The kitchen door was slammed closed in your face and you grumbled under your breath. Well, you were on the beach. Guess it’s time to enjoy some sun.

You didn’t bother changing into different clothes as you weren’t planning on going in the water anyway. It was early in the afternoon and… it feels awkward to be the only person playing in the water. You just wanted to be out and enjoy the breeze and the view. You found two lounge chairs in front of the lodge. Without hesitation, you grabbed one and dragged it closer to the shore until you were only a few meters away from the water. You breathed in the warm scent of the sea before plopping down.

You looked around, trying to find where the others were. Blue and Stretch were by the shoreline. It looked like Blue was trying to trick Stretch into the water but Stretch wanted to lie down on the sand and probably take a nap. Blue had taken off his shirt and was wearing one of those shorts that you lent him. The others had ignored it when you informed them of where to find swimmable trunks for them to borrow.

Edge was somewhere along the shoreline. It seemed like he was jogging. You snorted. Of course, he had to make this some sort of training regimen. Red was nowhere to be found. You figured he had found a spot where he could sleep.

You could feel a swell of disappointment in your chest. When you thought of your trip, you didn’t think it would end up like this. Everyone had gone off to do their own thing. You may have hoped that all of you would spend time together but… maybe it was too big of a wish. The skeletons don’t like each other. Letting them do their stuff might be for the best instead of forcing them to bond.

You closed your eyes. Well, if they’re off, then you should do your own thing, too, and just relax.

A few minutes must’ve passed when you began to contemplate if you should take off your shirt. The sunburn you’d get will be less awkward if your shirt’s off, right? You took it off in one swift move and went back to closing your eyes, enjoying the heat of the sun and the cool breeze of the beach.

“mhm, you look deep in thought, cupcake.”

Instead of being startled, you let out a big sigh.

Patch chuckled beside you. “wow, okay. you’re tired of living with skeletons. gotcha.”

“Brother, please, don’t disturb the human. They’re here for a vacation, not to get smothered by you.”

“that’s slick coming from you, bro. you hurt me so.”

Your eyes fluttered open to see that Patch had dragged the other lounge chair next to yours and was lounging. He had his shirt off and the ribs he was showing off was a rare view to you. Sans had always been embarrassed about his bones, it was difficult to get him naked. Ace was standing next to him, still in his full attire. It looked like these two also didn’t prefer to swim.

Patch caught you staring and his smirk tugged upward. “like what you see?”

“I’ve seen bones before,” you said dryly. “Thanks for the lunch, Ace. It was the best I’ve had in a while.”

“It’s a pleasure, dear.”

The three of you sat there in silence, the occasional sound of the waves hitting the shore was your only noise until you broke it first. “So… I know you guys have been out and about in your own universe,” you started. You hesitated for a moment if this was the right time to ask them this.

“oh, is this the time where you ask us to move in?” Patch’s tone of voice was teasing but there was a heavy undertone that you picked up. “hm, you just can’t let go of us, can you?”

“Brother,” Ace sighed.

You stayed quiet, already regretting bringing it up. You were in a low mood, how could you bring it down even lower? But you had already did. Better to just rip the bandaid now, right? “I understand if you guys won’t stay. I’ve got the feeling that you two prefer not to stay in one place. I’ve got Blue and Stretch with me, and possibly even Red and Edge. I’ve got plenty of company.” You were slightly proud that your voice didn’t crack in that sentence.

“Trust me, dear. There’s nothing we’d love than to go out and see the surface again,” Ace began. He had a wistful look in his eyes.

“but, y’know, maybe staying for a couple of months is fine. we do still have to recover. if there’s a chance we could have a looksie at the assho—Sans’ machine, then maybe we can find a way back home.”

You couldn’t mask the surprise on your face. “Wait, you guys are staying?”

“Indefinitely,” Ace replied. “I’m fine either way. It was my brother who had the last say.”

Patch shrugged. “yep. i’d want to make sure that it’s safe enough to leave you alone without the risk of you dying. it’s a dangerous place and you’re an idiot, so…”

“I’m not an idiot,” you grumbled, but you were already feeling better at their revelation. Out of all the skeletons, you hadn’t expected these two to stay. “W-well… I mean if you’re sure… you guys can redesign your own rooms,” your voice dropped to a whisper, “which is also the rooms you were held up in.”

“Yeah, got that when you told us, cupcake. we’ll make it work. somehow. right, bro?”

Ace hummed in agreement.

The conversation passed and you could feel a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. Well, you can cross that off your dreaded-conversations list. Guess you’d have to talk to Sans about this—Wait. Did you send a text to Sans once you’ve arrived? You did promise him you’d keep him updated.

You fished your pockets for your phone, only to realize that it wasn’t anywhere in your person. Then you remembered, it was had gotten wet this morning. Your heart sunk. Oh, crap. If he’s already tried to call you and you didn’t answer… he might go out of his way to see you and ruin the already-tense-and-awkward day off you were having.

Oh! Maybe you can ask one of these skeletons to—Oh, only Stretch could teleport you back since the others were still recovering… and he’s ignoring you. That scraps that idea.

Hmm. Well, it’s still early. If you were going to find a phone somewhere, you’d have to start now. You put your shirt back on and gave a short explanation to the nearest brothers before leaving. You heaved a sigh. This day really wasn’t going as well as you’d hope and it just keeps getting worse from here. The upside was you were out of the building. That was good.

You passed Red who came from the lodge carrying a couple of drinks in his hand. You quirked an eyebrow and he only sneered in response. Right, he was mad at you. Ignore him. You checked the van as you passed it and hummed contently when you found it was still in one piece. Not that anything’s gonna happen to it.

You breezed through the trees along the path that you took to get to the hidden lodge, immediately shivering at the thought of the building back home that was surrounded by the forest. The difference though, was vast, since the trees here a lot less dense. You followed the path out to the main road, exhaling when you saw the familiar lineup of the shops and restaurants.

You approached the first person you see. It was a male leaning against a suburban car. He appeared to be texting someone with his phone. Great, you wanted to finish this as soon as possible so you didn’t hesitate to catch his attention. “Uh, hi! Sorry, my phone is broken and I have to call someone real quick. Is it possible to borrow your phone?”

The male stopped, lifted his eyes, and raised an eyebrow. “You talking to me?” he asked, mildly surprised when you continued to stare at him.

“Yep.”

“Oh.” His gaze swept over your form before his lip curled up into a smirk. “I would but could you maybe do me a favor, too? I have to meet my friends down the block. Keep me company?” He opened the car door, gesturing for you to come in. “You can use my phone on the way.”

Your brows furrowed. Surely, he knows that there was no way you were going in his car, right? “Nevermind,” you muttered, turning around to find another person to ask.

He snatched your wrist, his fingers dug into your skin as he snarled. “I was being polite, you don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”

Maybe you should’ve brought someone with you. You would fight back but you really don’t want to ruin your day off. “Sorry,” you said, instead. “I’m not comfortable getting into a stranger’s car. Can I go?”

“Aww, don’t be like that, sweetheart. It’s just a few minutes, promise.”

You flinched. Somehow, that pet name sounds wrong coming out of someone else’s mouth. You frowned, trying to pull away from his grasp but he only held on tighter.

“Relax! You’re too uptight!” he cooed.

“GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF THE HUMAN.” A large, red glove closed around his arm and a sneering face much more terrifying than he stared down at him. The male was stunned and let go of you immediately, gaping at the monster’s sudden and menacing appearance. “YOU HAVE A LOT OF NERVE, YOU DIRTY PEST—”

You hooked your arm around Edge’s right arm and began to pull him away. “Let’s go. Let’s just leave.”

“W-what the fuck—”

Edge scowled at him, making the male stumble backward, his words getting caught in his throat. “DO NOT LOOK AT THEM OR I WILL CUT YOU—”

“Edge!” you hissed, pulling him harder. You tried to placate the small crowd that was forming by smiling at them. “Let’s go!”

Fortunately, the male had enough sense to hide in his car and drive away, Edge’s glare following the back of his car until it was out of his vision. You turned to look at the sharp expression he was wearing and how you would’ve been as terrified as that human had you been…normal. But his expression was nowhere near scary, not when you know know him. “Did you follow me?”

“NO! I WAS MERELY PASSING BY,” he sputtered, shock crossing his features like he couldn’t believe you would even suggest that. “I KNEW YOU WERE NAÏVE BUT I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE THAT MUCH OF AN IDIOT. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”

You noticed that other people were still staring at him, a mixture of horrified and apprehension on their faces. You took Edge’s hand, holding them as gently as you can. You weren’t thinking aside from the fact that you didn’t want them to be afraid of him. And what’s less scary than holding hands with someone, right?

Edge was startled. “W-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

You gestured for him to lean downwards so you could whisper to his ear. Not that he has one. He complied anyway even after sending you a wary but bashful glare. You told him the reason that people were staring. He scoffed after your explanation. “I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S JUDGMENT.” Yet he didn’t pull away from your hold.

“Hm, okay. Well, I’m trying to look for someone with a phone. Are you willing to keep me company?”

“IT SEEMS I HAVE NO CHOICE IF I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU AREN’T GETTING YOUR STUPID SELF INTO ANY MORE TROUBLE,” he said wryly.

He let you take the lead as you tried to approach a different person. Edge was kind of a problem, you realized a little late, as the other humans were either flat out rejecting or were making excuses. The two of you had walked a little farther than you intended to until you’ve found a person who was cool enough to let you borrow her phone.

Sans answered after the first ring.

“Hey, it’s me,” you greeted. “My phone got wet and isn’t working anymore so I’m borrowing this one. I’m just here to let you know that we arrived here a couple of hours ago and that I’m still alive.”

He was silent the first few seconds. “kay,” his gruff voice answered.

“Are you cool?”

“…yes.”

That didn’t sound too reassuring. “You haven’t pulled anyone else into our universe, have you?”

“…no.”

He sounds suspicious but you decided to take his word for it. “Okay. If you’re curious, I’m having fun so no need to worry about me, okay? And I might not give you any more updates since, y’know, my phone’s broken.”

“didn’t you give that blue guy a phone?”

Oh. Well, shit. “You’re right. I forgot to ask him if he had it with him. If he does, I’ll contact you from there, okay?”

“kay.”

“Bye.”

There were several seconds of silence. “be safe.” The call ended.

You thanked the stranger and was about to tell Edge to go back but you really weren’t in the mood to go back at the moment. The atmosphere was kind of suffocating and it was stressing you out. And you didn’t drive all the way here just to be stressed out. But you also didn’t want to let the boys out on their own. You bit back a sigh; this really wasn’t turning out into what you want it to be.

“DO YOU… I DEMAND THAT WE PASS THROUGH THE PARK BEFORE GOING BACK!”

You blinked up at him and was amused to see the small blush forming on his cheeks. Your soul thumped when you realized that he might’ve asked for this for your sake. “Okay… sure, Edge. Thanks.”

He scoffed, turned his head away, and then sent you a glare when you just stood there with a stupid smile on your face. “WELL?? ARE YOU JUST GONNA STAND THERE?”

You and Edge took a short walk around the vicinity, passed through the park, people-watched for a few minutes, and relished in the fresh air. Once you were feeling a bit better, he told you he wanted to go back. It was nice of him to think of you. Edge definitely wasn’t the last person you expected to show you kindness; he’s more alike to Papyrus than he initially thought.

You went back to the beach with Edge and was already mulling about how to enjoy the rest of your day in silence. As soon as you stepped into the view, Blue’s face greeted you. “THERE YOU ARE!” he said excitedly, quickly snatching your hand while bouncing on his heels. “WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!”

“Waiting? Why?”

“YOU’LL SEE!”

You found the skeletons huddled in one place by the shore, just where you left Ace and Patch. The two lounge chairs were still there, occupied by Patch and Red. Patch looked like he was asleep. Red didn’t look like he wanted to be there and kept glaring at Patch. He perked up a little when he met gazes with Edge who was strolling behind you. Stretch was there as well, a little aloof… he continues to ignore you. But at least he was still there, even if it was for Blue’s sake.

“You guys… are all here,” you murmured under your breath, unable to process what you should be feeling right now. You were at a loss for words. “You really didn’t have to, Blue.”

“NONSENSE, FRIEND! I ASSURE YOU, I’VE SPOKEN TO EVERYONE AND THEY PROMISED TO BE ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR!” He glared at Red and Patch. “EHEM, ANY OF YOU INCLINED TO GIVE UP YOUR SEAT?”

“nope.”
“not really.”

You let out a snort. Just as Blue was about to haul Red out of his seat, “It’s okay, Blue. I’m fine with sitting on the sand.”

“BUT—”

Before he could say another word, you had plopped down on the sand next to Stretch. You glanced at him and you made eye contact for half a second before he turned his head and continued to ignore you. You huffed out a breath, turning your head up to look at Blue. “So, why are you guys all here? It’s alright if you all wanted to do your own thing.”

“welp, you heard the human,” Red announced and made a show of exiting but Edge’s searing glare rooted him to his spot. “uh, guess i could hang out for a bit,” he grumbled.

“WELL, I WAS INFORMED THAT BEACH TRIPS USUALLY CONSISTS OF GROUPS HANGING OUT TOGETHER!” Blue responded. “SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN MAGNIFICENT IDEA FOR ALL OF US TO BOND AND ENJOY THE DAY TOGETHER!”

You figured Ace or Patch may have told him. “Oh, okay. Well, I’m down with whatever you guys want to do. Except get in the water.”

“BUT HUMAN! THE VERY TRADITION OF BEACH TRIPS IS TO PARTAKE IN THE WATER CEREMONY!” he insisted.

You gave him a dry look. “I’m pretty sure I’ve had enough of the ‘water ceremony’ this morning.”

He, fortunately, had the nerve to look sheepish.

Ace had appeared from the lodge with a plate full of steaming cinnamon bunnies. “I have brought snacks.”

Your lips curled up into a smile. “Thank you, Ace. Thanks, Blue. It’s really no problem if you guys have something else you want to do. I really just want to lie down and relax.”

“IF YOU’RE SURE, HUMAN!” Blue hummed. “BUT THERE IS NO HURT IN HANGING OUT IN SILENCE TOGETHER, ISN’T IT?”

You plucked a cinnamon bunny from the plate, consuming it all in three bites. “Yep.”

It was weird how quickly your body relaxed just by huddling close with the other skeletons. Your mood had lightened even more after your walk with Edge. Although you aren’t particularly ‘bonding‘ with them as friends would, it was enough for you. They were clearly trying even if they all disliked one another. It was the thought that counts.

Blue was a natural conversation starter, he was able to carry the conversation on his back without help. Edge would quibble with him at times, disagreeing with something he said or just flat out insulting him, and they’d do some kind of back and forth that just as amusing. Half an hour was just spent there on the shore, your butt warmed up by the sun, the heat getting trapped under your shirt. You were tempted to take it off again but the presence of others made you a bit shy to be half-naked.

You were only paying half-attention as the minutes passed. Edge and Blue had taken off somewhere to apparently have some kind of match… you’re not sure if it’s dodgeball or volleyball. They went to look for something to play with, Stretch sauntering off with them, most likely to keep an eye on Blue.

Patch informed you and his brother that he’d wander off, just mindlessly take a walk. You voiced out your worry that he might not be able to fend for himself since he still hasn’t regained back his magic. His only response was to send you a wink and, “you got nothing to worry about, cupcake. i’ll be back before you miss me.”

You took his place on the lounge chair next to Red who was unsurprisingly still snoozing. Ace went to hang for a little while before telling you that he’d also like to take a walk along the coastline. You let him, thinking that maybe he and his brother had missed their adventures and this was the closest thing they could have to roam the unknown. You were still slightly worried but he gave you the same assurance.

And so, you were left with an unconscious Red. You figured this was the best time to take off your shirt. You definitely did not want to take it off when he can watch. As soon as the shirt was off, the sun was hit you evenly now and you smiled in satisfaction.

“’m surprised y’er willin’ to be alone wit’ me, sweetheart,” Red’s gravely voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

“Why is that?” you asked, peering at his still closed sockets before closing your eyes yourself and relaxing. “I’ve got nothing to be afraid of.”

“that’s not what pretty boy said back there.”

A smirk tugged on your lips. “So, you think he’s pretty?”

A low rumble came from him; a warning.

“Red, what he said isn’t true,” you said softly. “I don’t think you or your brother are dangerous.”

In an instant, a weight was on top of you, knocking you breathless. Your eyes snapped open in surprise, and you see him hovering over you, his sharp phalanges digging at your shoulder while keeping you in place. “you should,” he breathed with an evil glint in his eye, summoning a red bone with jagged edges in thin air. He made a show with it as he slowly trailed the edges across your skin until it reached the curve of your neck. “liar.”

You don’t know what your face was making but you were sure that you felt like prey right now. Your palms were clammy. “R-red—” You could feel the adrenaline rushing through your blood as you stared up at him, eyes wide.

“look at ya…” he mused. “actin’ all tough and shit. i don’t need your pity, sweetheart. i could smell y’er fear from a mile away.”

If you were standing right now, your knees would’ve given up seconds ago. You let out a shaky breath, your hands torn between grabbing onto him for dear life or letting it rest by your sides. “I-it’s normal to be afraid when I’m being threatened.”

He leaned down, his sharp teeth glinting under the sunlight before blocking it out completely. You weren’t sure if you were sweating because of him or because of the heat. “i could so easily eat you up, kid.”

…

You were so tired of being afraid all the time. This was nothing compared to what Sans had made you gone through.

This was supposed to be your day-off.

You swallowed back the fear and stared back at him, defiance flashing in your eyes. “Do it.”

That caught him off-guard. “what—”

“Just fucking kill me if you want to. I don’t care.” Your hand shot up and guided the bone he was holding closer to your neck, shallowly cutting through the skin. “Hurt me. Do whatever you want.”

He was looking at you like you were crazy. The bone dissolved in mid-air and you could feel yourself breathe again when he leaned back. “what the fuck do ya think y’er doin’?”

You let yourself take a few moments to calm the rapid beating of your heart. “If you were so dangerous, you would’ve killed me the moment you had your hands on me.”

“oh, trust me, it’s still on my mind.”

“Okay, why haven’t you killed me then? You’re right on top of me. I’m completely defenseless and you know I wouldn’t fight you.” His eye lights shrunk and began to glow menacingly bright. “Is it because of Papyrus- your brother? Is he stopping you? I’m sure you could kill me regardless of what he thinks—”

“watch it,” he hissed, pushing you back down when you were starting to get up, fighting his hold. “you don’t know me!”

You scoffed, almost rolling your eyes. “I’ve spent every day with you, Red. You’re not dangerous—at least not here. You’re not in danger here. You don’t have to look over your back, anxious that someone is going to kill you. You’re safe.”

Confusion lit up in his eyes before anger took over. “you don’t. fuckin’. know. me.”

You stared back with as much fire, but as soon as you opened your mouth to retort, he was gone.

You let your head fall back down, slinging an arm over your eyes. Your strength left your body and your hands were shaking. You wanted to cry but you felt numb. You don’t feel anything. In this situation, maybe it was for the best. You didn’t want to explain to anyone why you were sobbing.

You lied there for minutes or hours with your eyes closed. You waited until your heart rate went back to normal. You waited until you were no longer shaking. You waited until your fear dissolved and forced yourself to imagine what happened to make him turn out like that.

You knew it was a defense mechanism. Heh. It was too similar to how Sans acts when he’s put in a corner.

You understand. You hate it.

You had no idea how much time has passed but you could see that the sun was getting ready to set. Breathing out a heavy sigh, you pushed yourself off the lounge chair, ignoring the way your knees wobbled under you.

If you want to go back to the building before it gets dark, you have to start getting ready now. You slip your shirt back on, your fingers ghosting over the small wound you had gotten from Red’s magic.

You trudged back to the lodge, feeling heavier than ever. You spot a couple of shadows under the trees circling the van parked beside it. You immediately turned towards the vehicle, intent on checking it out.

The shadows whispered to each other as you come near and flee to the trees. Frowning, you came up to the van, already expecting the worst.

Your blood ran cold the moment you were close enough. Three of the tires were slashed.

Written across the van in red paint were the words ‘Monster Fucker’.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

“I’m sorry, Sans, there really isn’t anything I can do,” you hissed at the phone in your hand. You had been staring at the red words that seemed to be screaming at you while you tried to sort out the trouble at hand. “I can’t drive this van with slashed tires, Sans. I don’t know why you’re mad right now. It’s not like I planned this, you know.”

“you told me it was a few hours,” he refuted, stress evident in his tone. “you weren’t supposed to be out this long!”

“It’s just one night,” you repeated a fourth time, probably. “Stop freaking out. You can hold the fort on your own for one night, can’t you?”

“no!”

“Jesus, Sans, please don’t blow this out of proportion. Edge is already threatening to hunt down the humans that did this and Blue and the others are trying to calm him down.” You glanced at the small group of skeletons that were ushered back to the shore, away from the van. “What do you want me to do, find a bus that can drop us at your hidden location deep in the forest?”

“i don’t appreciate your sarcasm,” he said with disdain.

You wanted to retort back a more sarcastic reply but you bit back your tongue. You let out a sigh. “It’s just one night. You’ll be fine. We’ll sleep here. Undyne will come by tomorrow morning with a few spare tires and then I’ll drive everyone back to the building in one piece. We’re not going anywhere, not when two-thirds of these skeletons barely has any magic to use.”

The other line was silent.

“Sans?”

You heard a sigh. “…fine. text me before you drive.”

“Sure thing.” You dropped the call.

“you okay there, cupcake?” Patch asked, the only one that stayed back with you. “sounds like he got his pants in a twist.”

“He’s gonna be fine, I think.” You stared at the phone, Blue’s phone, before shoving it in your pocket. You had called Undyne first about the incident -this was her van after all- and told her you’d pay for the damages. She told you not to worry about the expenses but she couldn’t drive today since she and Alphys were out in some appointment. She told you that she can come by tomorrow and you were free to spend the night. You eyed the red, bold words once again before turning around to go join the group.

“i was asking about you,” Patch added, stopping you by blocking your way. “they’re lucky we didn’t catch them. you’ve got a whole bunch of monsters here ready to fight anyone at any sign of your discomfort.”

You sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. “I’m fine… just tired is all. This wasn’t how I imagined everything would go, you know? Everything is just messed up. We shouldn’t have gone out here.”

“don’t say that, cupcake. this wasn’t your fault. and this most certainly wasn’t your worst decision.” He gave you a rather pitying smile. “honestly, it felt good to hear that asshole panicking from miles away,” he said with a snicker.

You were too tired to even send him a glare. You shook your head before heading to the group. Edge hadn’t simmered down while Blue physically held him back. You could see the guilt crossing Edge’s features at the sight of you before scowling angrily. “HUMAN! TELL THIS PEST TO LET GO OF ME SO I CAN GET REVENGE ON THOSE DIRTY SCUM—”

You stood in front of Edge, unwavering from his aggressive behavior as you crossed your arms. “No one’s getting revenge, Edge. We’re already running some sort of illegal research… we can’t have the police on our backs for murder, too.” You made eye contact with Blue. “Blue will let you go if you promise to behave.”

Edge was shaking in anger. “BEHAVE?! STOP TREATING ME LIKE I’M A DOG!”

You were tired, you were upset, and you just wanted to get this over with. “I will if you stop acting like one!” you snapped.

This seemed to sap all the emotions and a heavy quiet settled. Red was the first one to react. He had gotten up close to your face, his sharp teeth gleaming under the light. “what did you say to my brother, you little—”

“SANS!” Edge bellowed. “STEP. BACK.”

Red flinched. “but boss—”

“I DON’T NEED YOUR UNNECESSARY CODDLING, BROTHER.” Edge glowered at him. “STEP BACK. NOW.”

Red grumbled under his breath as he took a step back, sending you one last sharp glare. Edge loosened his posture, quietly waiting for your command. You sent a nod towards Blue who finally let go of the skeleton taller than him. You still haven’t wrapped your head around Blue’s strength, it’s terrifying.

You cleared your throat, trying to ignore the tension that was settling. “Okay, here’s the plan. We’ll spend the night here and tomorrow, Undyne’s gonna come over to replace the tires and we’ll set off as soon as the van’s fixed. You guys have any problems or concerns?”

“SHOTGUN!” Blue yelled while raising a hand.

You blinked at him before letting out a short huff. “Well, if you’re so keen on sitting shotgun for tomorrow then you can—”

“NO, NOT THAT. I MEANT SHOTGUN,” his grin widened, “ON THE SPACE NEXT TO YOU ON THE BED! THERE’S ONLY ONE WHICH CAN FIT AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE BUT I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT BUT IF YOU ARE, THEN SHOTGUN FOR A PLACE ON THE BED!”

You had to resist rubbing your palms on your face. There’s only one bed, I should’ve known! Of course, there was only one bed. Undyne and Alphys don’t sleep in separate rooms. And you doubt there was a guest room with a lodge this small. The others would have to sleep in the living room if they aren’t comfortable sharing a room with the others.

“Okay—”

“well,” Patch started, cutting you off, “if he gets to sleep with you then—”

“NO!” Edge hissed. All eyes turned to him and you could see the faint blush dusting his cheekbones. “I DON’T SLEEP WELL ON THE FLOOR. I WOULD MUCH RATHER USE THE BED.”

“hey, i was first!” Patch reiterated.

You could already feel the fight coming on. You let out a sigh. “Okay, well if all of you three wanted to sleep on the bed then I can sleep on the floor.”

The three of them gave you incredulous looks. Patch sent Edge and Blue an irritated glance before resigning. “fine. i guess i can sleep on the floor.”

“GREAT!” Blue said with a cheerful clap. “HOW ABOUT YOU BROTHER? THERE ARE MATS IN ONE OF THE CLOSETS WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR ALL OF YOU IF YOU’D RATHER SLEEP IN THE LIVING ROOM AREA!”

You don’t even know when Blue had snooped that he’d known how many mats there were in the house.

“yeah, i’m fine with that,” Stretch answered aloofly.

“I assume the room will be quite small for me. I will sleep in the living room, too,” Ace answered.

Everyone’s now staring at Red. Red growled irritably. “there’s no fuckin’ way i’m sleepin’ with jerkface o’er here. i’d take the livin’ room.”

Well, that went less messy than it could’ve gone. “Okay, so our sleeping arrangements are out of the way, what do you guys want for dinner?”

“If I may suggest, maybe we can go inside to talk? It’s getting a little cold out here.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” You took a second glance at the horizon and paused, an idea suddenly popping into your mind. The sun was gonna set in a few minutes. “On second thought, we can hang out here for a little while, enjoy the sun while it lasts.”

Ace immediately got what you were thinking. “Sounds splendid. I can go and grab a few blankets and more snacks.”

The others were hesitant but none of you wanted to go back inside yet so they followed you out onto the shore. You occupied the lounge chair, briefly making eye contact with Red who had been staring at you before your gaze went back to the view in front of you. A cold breeze caressed your face while you tried to enjoy the last moments of your beach day.

Blue had wanted to expend his bottomless energy but when he noticed that everybody just wanted to relax, he turned around to go and help Ace.

The tension seemed to be withheld within that moment, especially with the bad blood between Stretch and Red towards you and Patch. You think the only reason that Red hadn’t done anything yet was that Edge was keeping watch over him, making sure that he doesn’t toe over the line again.

Not long after, there were blankets on the ground once more while passing fresh cups of hot cocoa. Nobody seemed to complain about the fact that you were all just sitting there wasting hours when you could’ve been getting ready to prepare dinner.

You didn’t need to wait long. The sky turned from light blue to streaks of orange and pink as the sun began to set. You felt breathless by how beautiful the sunset was. Nostalgia nipped the back of your mind as tears stung your eyes. You had forgotten how watching sunsets have felt like surrounded by your friends. You used to watch sunsets all the time with Sans and Papyrus.

A ghost of a smile hinted at your lips before you tore your eyes away to glance at your company. Every single one of them was transfixed at the scene, unable to look away. Your smile tugged upwards, cupping your mug to seep what little warmth it emitted as the night slowly came.

The moment melted any tension that had built up over the day and you felt yourself loosen up a bit.

It's not the end of the world. You can still enjoy the last remnants of your day before it ends tomorrow morning. If anything, the incident had prolonged your vacation. It felt like you should be thanking those humans who vandalized the van.

When the stars began to pop out, it seemed unlikely that these skeletons would want to go inside soon. It was the same as what had happened this morning, they all looked like they were in their own little bubble, just watching the sky like a TV channel they couldn’t get enough of. You knew the view wouldn’t be as good as it was back in the building so it felt like a terrible idea to lead them all back inside.

You sneezed, sniffling while ignoring the bite of the cold. Something warm draped around your arms a second later and you turned around to see Patch had given you his leather jacket. You gave him a small smile, patting the space next to you and he graciously took it.

Ace had stood up and you straightened, your eyes asking him where he was going. He tilted his head towards the lodge and you assumed he was going to start dinner. It was getting a little too cold for you so you handed Patch his jacket back, who may have whined a little at your leaving, before you headed to the lodge with Ace.

Dinner was uneventful. You had ramen again with a different flavor and style this time. Since the others were still stuck in their own little world, Ace offered to serve dinner on a tray and bring it to them so they wouldn’t have to go.

You spent your sweet, sweet time in the bathroom using up all the hot water. You stayed until your fingers started to prune as you leisurely combed back your hair with your hands. The hot bath certainly helped clear your body aches and any excess negative emotions. After this bath, you were a little more determined to battle whatever may come tomorrow.

The others were still not back by the time you went to arrange the bed. True enough, at least 3 people could fit on the bed. Or four if you were into cuddling. But you were certain Edge wouldn’t appreciate that. It was surprising enough that he wanted to sleep beside you.

You also prepared the mats that the other boys were going to sleep in, positioning them in the living room in a way where they were far away from each other. It was a relief that Ace was going to sleep here with them or else you’d be worried about Red and Stretch. They seemed to be getting along these past couple of days… before Patch happened.

If he stirs up one more trouble for you, he was getting the silent treatment.

When all of that was done, you went back to the room to finally lie down on the bed and maybe get an early shut-eye. If the others wanted to stay up late to watch the stars, you weren’t gonna stop them.

You stopped by the entrance of the room to see Stretch rummaging through your bag. He heard you come in and awkwardly paused. “uh. was just looking for my extra cigs.”

You entered the room cautiously, closing the door behind you. “You sneaked in a pack in my bag?”

“yeah,” he answered, rubbing the back of his skull. “when you started packing.”

“Stretch,” you started after a few seconds. “Can we please talk about this?”

“no,” he said immediately, hands flying to the inside of his pockets as soon as he got what he wanted. He turned to you, his expression blank. “i’m gonna go.”

Before he could disappear on you, you said exasperatedly, “Wait! You’re the one that said we need to communicate, right?” You gestured wildly with your hands. “Stop doing whatever this is! Let’s just talk like adults, okay?”

You could see that you’ve finally gotten through him, albeit only a little. But a little was still significant. “…i… don’t know what to say,” he admitted, grumbling under his breath while avoiding your gaze. “i just know i’m pissed at you.”

You smiled. Good, he was opening up. “That’s fine, that’s good. At least we’re talking. We can find out more about this… okay? Just don’t ignore me anymore…please?”

Guilt flashed across his face. He opened his mouth to say something when the door swung open, revealing Blue and Edge.

“OH, BROTHER! YOU WERE HERE ALL ALONG! I WAS LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!” Blue said.

Stretch glanced at you before putting his indifferent mask on. “yeah, bro, was just leaving. have a good night. make sure you don’t hug y/n too tight.”

Blue was wide-eyed at this, a cyan blush faintly emanating across his skull. “GASP! I WOULD NEVER! ONLY WITH THEIR CONSENT, OF COURSE!”

“UGH, I’D RATHER SLEEP ON THE STREETS THAN PERCEIVE YOUR DISGUSTING AFFECTIONATE ACTS!”

“OH, DON’T WORRY EDGE! WE HAVE ROOM FOR ONE MORE,” Blue teased the taller skeleton, to which Edge scowled bashfully.

“SILENCE! I DON’T CONDONE THIS NONSENSE. IF YOU BRING THIS UP ONE MORE TIME, I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU DON’T WAKE UP EVER AGAIN,” he growled.

“uh, maybe don’t threaten my bro, edgelord,” Stretch casually retorted. You saw the hint of an orange glow from his right eye.

Blue huffed and rolled his eyes. “LOOSEN UP, PAPY! IT’S A JOKE.” He patted Edge’s shoulder which you smiled discreetly since he had to stand up on his tiptoes to reach it. “EDGE AND I ARE GOOD FRIENDS!”

“WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!”

“YES, WE ARE.”

Edge scoffed. “WHO WOULD WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH A BRAT LIKE YOU?”

Blue grinned wickedly as if Edge had taken the bait. Blue went to wrap an arm around your shoulders, tugging you closer to him. “Y/N, OF COURSE! WE’RE BEST FRIENDS! THEY SAID SO THEMSELVES,” he said smugly.

Edge looked absolutely appalled at this information.

“good for you, bro,” Stretch said with a chuckle.

“OH, DON’T WORRY, BROTHER! YOU CAN STILL BORROW Y/N IF YOU WANT TO! I KNOW YOU LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH THEM! BUT YOU DON’T GET TO IGNORE MY BEST FRIEND PRIVILEGES!”

Stretch yelped at the revelation, immediately disappearing from thin air. You tried to bit your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling. “What’s best friend privileges, Blue? I don’t think I’ve signed up for that.”

He crossed his arms as he stood proudly. “FOR ONE, I GET TO CALL THE SHOTS ALONG WITH YOU!”

Edge raised a brow bone. “IF YOU THINK I’M GOING TO DO ANYTHING YOU ASK, YOU’RE DEAD WRONG.”

“OH, I KNOW EDGE! YOU ONLY EVER FOLLOW Y/N’S ORDERS! IT’S OBVIOUS BUT IF YOU DON’T WANT ME TO SAY ANYTHING, I’D KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT ABOUT IT.”

“About what?” you asked, feeling lost.

“NOTHING THAT CONCERNS YOU!” Edge snapped at you. “AND YOU’RE GETTING VERY MOUTHY, BRAT. I SUGGEST YOU SHUT UP!”

Blue looked at him innocently.

“Okay… so you’re saying you’re like my right-hand man?” you asked, taking your place at the edge of the bed.

“THAT’S EXACTLY IT!” Blue took off his boots and jumped on the space right beside you so he was placed in the middle. Edge grumbled and rolled his eyes, mumbling something about going to the bathroom.

You lied down, feeling self-conscious about sleeping right next to Blue. It’s not like you haven’t done it before. The problem wasn’t him… it was that you used to have feelings for someone that reminds you of him. Deep breaths. It’s not the same. Blue’s your friend.

“ARE YOU OKAY WITH SOME PLATONIC CUDDLES, FRIEND?”

Ah, damn. Your heartbeat spiked up. You turned to face him and felt silly when you found him in his pajamas, hogging a huge pillow. Okay, Blue and Sans were different people, even if they do share the same name.

“Only if I’m the little spoon.”

Blue frowned playfully. “I’M SHORTER THAN YOU!”

“That’s important why?”

He huffed and before he could complain, you turned your back against him. You could feel tiredness seeping behind your eyes. You barely registered the warm and pokey skeleton behind you before you drifted off.

You woke up, your eyes already adjusting to the dark as you scanned the room. You had almost forgotten where you were until your eyes landed on the floor and spotted a dark figure.

“Y/N?” Blue’s voice blearily asked when you began to sit up. It then dawned on you that it must’ve been Patch that was curled up beneath you and you turned to face Blue.

“Hey, sorry for waking you. What time is it?” you murmured, sleepily pressing a kiss to his forehead out of old habit. It was a good thing both of you were too tired to get worked up about it.

He yawned. “Probably around 3 a.m. I get up two hours later,” he whispered back. It was so weird to hear him with an inside voice. “Did something wake you?”

It felt like somebody else was here up until a moment ago. But you didn’t need to voice that out. “Yeah, no. I, uh, have to go to the bathroom. Go back to sleep.”

“Mmkay,” he said groggily, immediately falling back to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. You checked on Edge who was on the other side of the bed whose back was turned to you. Very carefully, you exited the room without making a noise.

The whole lodge was dark but it was refreshing to wake up in a room that wasn’t cold, white tiles and long hallways. It felt… normal. God knows how much you’ve been craving for normal.

You took a trip to the bathroom, splashing water on your face and checking the time on Blue’s phone. It was 3:06. Blue was accurate. You really should go back to sleep but you couldn’t shake off the feeling of someone watching you while you sleep. You already had an inkling on who it was but… he would not be that stupid to port himself in a space where everyone was out to kill him, right? He’s a bonehead but he’s smart, right?

You don’t know anymore. Sans could be irrational sometimes. Like when he got all panicky when he found out you wouldn’t be coming back tonight. You haven’t heard him in that state for a long time; he’d always been levelheaded. It was kinda… satisfying to see him actually afraid to lose you. At least you were still important to him.

You went down to the kitchen as quietly as you can, grabbing yourself a cup of water. You peeked into the dark living room, instinctively making sure the others were fine. You found Red curled up in his corner and Ace’s ridiculously long legs in another corner. Stretch wasn’t here.

You grabbed a stray blanket on top of the couch and wrapped it around yourself before exiting the lodge. You shivered when the cold wind hit you, regretting that you didn’t get something warmer to wear before going out. You were about to go back inside when you caught smoke wafting from the lounge chair right by the shore.

Before you could change your mind, you trudged over to where Stretch was sitting. You were colder already but you were halfway across and it was too much of a bother to go back. You pushed through, stealing one glance at the star-ridden sky and pausing, momentarily forgetting everything.

You took the unoccupied seat beside him. It was hard to pry your eyes from the view so you could properly look at the skeleton. “Stretch.”

“heya, bud,” Stretch lazily replied, eyes half-closed while staring at the sky. “lemme guess, you wanna talk.”

“Yes, please.”

“…”

“Stretch?”

He waved his hand, sighing in resignation. “ok. where do we start?” You wrapped the blanket around you tighter, trembling. In a blink, Stretch was beside you in your seat, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “geez, i forgot how easy you are exposed to the cold.”

“Well, sorry for being warm-blooded, I supposed,” you said wryly, all the while racking up questions to ask him. You pressed a little more closer, grateful for the warm magic that was emanating from him. “Okay… you mentioned being pissed off at me. I know it was something I said.”

He didn’t answer, preoccupying himself with finishing his cig as he averted his gaze.

You continued probing him. “I noticed it was after I said that I was being... uhm, affectionate… with Patch as well. Are you… jealous?” It was an awkward thing to bring up and you’d hate to be in his position right now. But if you want to fix whatever this was, you need to push through.

He opened then closed his jaw. He pulled his hood over his head before retreating into it further. “i’m sorry,” he said, sounding as if he was in actual pain. You could imagine how embarrassed and pissed off you’d be if you were in his shoes.

“Don’t be. You can’t control your feelings.” You tried to sound supportive. You fell silent, unsure of how to go from here. When it was clear that he wasn’t saying anytime soon, you picked up the conversation again. “I like spending time with you, too, you know. From what Blue said. And I also liked our… you know. You made me feel like I could still experience these feelings despite all the things I’ve done. It was nice.”

Stretch sighed heavily, almost flicking his spent cig onto the ocean but then thought better of it and stashed it inside his pocket instead. He nestled his face onto the curve of your shoulder, presumably to hide his face. It was unsettling how similar he acted like Sans when he was embarrassed as well. You enjoyed the tactile stimuli anyway. “it was stupid of me. i’m sorry,” he admitted. “i was jealous. i… i thought what we had was…”

Special? Unique? Whatever it was, you knew what he was on about.

“Sorry if we hadn’t made that clear. You said you weren’t serious so I didn’t think it was a big deal if I was being close with other guys, too.” You nervously picked at the blanket. “What do you want then? Do you actually want to date me then?”

“do you?”

“I,” you paused, trying to think about it, “I don’t know. I’m not emotionally available right now for anyone. It’s kinda… I don’t know. It feels wrong if I’m going to exclusively date a person when I have all these responsibilities with the other skeletons.”

“mhm,” he hummed thoughtfully.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re gonna say?” You huffed. “You’re the one who was emotional today.”

“i was not emotional,” he defended. He tightened his grip around you. “i’m not looking for anything serious, seriously. i guessed i was just being… shit. i just thought we had a connection. and we do, i know. i don’t know what i was expecting. it’s stupid to try and find something serious here when we’re not even from here.”

Your mouth felt dry after that statement. Yeah, that too was another reason you couldn’t exclusively date him or any of them, really. It would just make you suffer if they were to finally go home. “Yeah. It’s dumb.”

“i’m okay now. i realized how stupid i was acting. sorry for ignoring you.”

“No, no. Your feelings are valid, Stretch. Stop saying sorry. We had a miscommunication. I’m not looking for serious, you’re not looking for serious. We’re on the same page.” You slipped your hand under his hood, gently raking your fingernails across his skull. “We’re just lonely sometimes and we want someone’s attention. That’s fine, too. We can keep… doing that if you’re okay with it. But no sex.”

An embarrassed laugh came out of him. “no jumping bones, got it.”

You felt your face heat up. “It’s just too much for me.” And it will remind you of Sans, no matter what they do. It’s not going to be fair for them. “Kissing, cuddling, that’s okay. Fine. But not when other people are around. It’s just gonna make things awkward.”

“so in private then.”

“Only when we catch each other alone. I’ll commend you if you can even find me alone,” you said teasingly.

“and what about that patch guy?”

“Patch is an asshole,” you said without hesitation. “But he likes attention, too. I know sometimes he just does it because he wants to know how much he could affect me. He’s as touch-starved as you and I. And cuddling is good for my mental health. That’s also if he can catch me alone.”

“he is an asshole.”

“Yep.”

“if i could fight him, i would.”

“He likes riling up others. Don’t give him that chance.”

Stretch huffed. “i’m already riled up. i’m sure red and i would love to take that guy out. like literally knock him out.”

You laughed a bit before groaning. “You reminded me I also have to talk with Red.”

“geez, he has some bad blood with you too? damn, honey, you’re out making enemies.”

“It’s Patch’s fault.”

“ah. cleaning up after his mess.” Stretch pulled away, finally making eye contact with you. His sockets crinkled with mirth as he leaned towards you and nuzzled your cheek. Your heart warmed at the tenderness. “looks like you got your work cut out for you, honey.”

Your expression changed, something akin to a grimace. “Something like that.”

“what’s wrong?” Stretch, of course, noticed.

“Nothing,” you said a little too quickly.

“we were just having our healthy communication bit, weren’t we? you hiding things from me now?”

“Blue’s my best friend, not you.”

He shot you a look. “sure. are you going to talk to my brother about this red problem?”

You didn’t even tell him it was a Red problem. That was your second mistake. Your surprise just confirmed his suspicions. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“am i going to have to drag my brother into this conversation or are you going to tell me?”

Oh, stars. Dragging Blue here would just make this worst. You finally decided to spill what happened with Red this afternoon along with what Patch had said this morning for context. By the end of it, Stretch looked like he was about to go and smite someone and you had to physically hold him back. “i’m just gonna talk to him, promise!”

“No,” you hissed. “You’re just gonna make things worst. Calm the heck down, Stretch.”

“these fucking skeletons have the nerve.”

“Stop acting as if you weren’t doing exactly what he’s doing right now.” You poked his sternum with a serious gaze. “You were threatening me, too. You’re no better than him.”

“that’s different.”

“How?”

He sighed before fishing another cig to light up. You scrunched your nose. “that was a long time ago.”

“It hasn’t been two months.”

“yeah, it’s in the past. but this is happening now. and i just can’t stand by when i know this is happening to you.”

You smiled, pulling his cheekbone for a smack. “And I can handle it. Red’s gonna be more upset if he finds out we’re ganging up on him. Just let me be, alright? He hasn’t taken it too far. I promise I’ll tell you when I need help, alright?”

“fine,” he responded with a dissatisfied grimace. “just be careful, alright? i… i care about you.”

“I know.” You pulled yourself away from him, already missing his warmth as the cold hit you once more. “I’m going back inside.”

“ok. night, honey.”

“Good morning, Stretch.”

You trudged back to the lodge, feeling quite accomplished for fixing things between you and Stretch. Your problems were just cut up in half and you were relieved that you were going home without any more stress to drag you down. You were dreading going back to the building and living your cold, sterile life away from this warm and sunny day but… you can’t leave Sans that long.

You went back to bed, already feeling tired again when your eyes landed on the bed. It seemed that both Blue and Edge had adjusted in their sleep and the only space available was beside Edge. That was fine with you.

You crawled under the sheets, taking pleasure in the warmth before falling back asleep.

Something hard was poking your ribs and you stirred awake, eyes blinking open groggily. The room was still dark but you were sure at least a few hours had passed. You closed your eyes once more and snuggled closer to someone’s chest, adjusting yourself so you wouldn’t be poked uncomfortably anymore.

Wait.

Your eyes fluttered open, neck craning upwards to find Edge’s snoring face right above you. Huh. So he was a cuddler. You’ve never thought you’d see the day. Your face broke into a grin as you made yourself comfortable. It wasn’t every day Edge had slept this soundly.

You kept drifting off but you were wide awake by now. You’d save Edge from this compromising position but you were actually looking forward to his reaction when he wakes up.

You didn’t need to wait too long.

You felt him stir awake and then completely froze. You had to bite your lip to keep yourself from laughing. He had begun to carefully extract himself from you but you held on, softly whining, pulling yourself closer while pretending to be asleep. From here, you could feel his soul pulsing inside his ribcage, acting as a heart.

Edge was still for a few moments before eventually cuddling back, his large gloves wrapping around you like a fragile egg and holding you. Your heart ached in familiarity at the thought of Papyrus and sighed in comfort, consoling yourself in his arms.

Soothing hands caressed your back as if to pacify you and only then did you notice that tears were streaming down your face. You pulled away in surprise, red eye lights staring back at you in the dark. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t notice I was crying,” you whispered.

Edge said nothing, only left his arms wide open for you to hug in. You hesitated for a second before returning to his arms, longing for comfort that you missed. He gently stroked the back of your head and continued to caress your back as you cried your heart out.

Edge felt like home for only a moment and he broke your barrier. It seemed you’d broken your no-crying streak. You honestly weren’t expecting it to last this long. You stayed there for a few minutes until your tears eventually ran out and your breathing had evened.

You could stay there all day. It seemed your crying had sapped all the energy you needed to get through the day. You could feel yourself drifting off to sleep again, feeling safe and secure.

Until someone knocked and opened the door, Blue’s voice greeting you. “OH, STARS! YOU TWO ARE STILL ASLEEP?” He switched on the light and it flooded the room. You kept your eyes closed to adjust. “UNDYNE IS ALREADY HERE AND ASKING FOR YOU, Y/N!”

You weakly pulled your head up and squinted your eyes to look at him. God, you feel a headache coming on just from crying. “C-can you tell her I’ll be down in a few minutes?”

It could’ve been the crack in your voice or your whole tired appearance but Blue doubled back. “I… I GUESS I CAN TAKE CARE OF HER FOR YOU! I’LL MAKE SURE TO RELAY ANY MESSAGES SHE WANTS TO SEND TO YOU.” He turned to Edge. “MAKE SURE THE HUMAN FEELS OKAY BEFORE YOU GO OUT OF THIS ROOM.”

“I’M WORKING ON IT,” Edge grumbled.

Blue left, leaving you and Edge with an awkward air. You didn’t know what else to do so you climbed off the bed and was halfway out of the room before you stopped, cursed, and then went back to face him. “I’m sorry for being emotional this early.”

“IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR,” Edge answered as he sat up. From this angle, you were talking to him face-to-face instead of angling your head upwards. “YOU WERE CRYING AND I WAS HERE. THAT WAS THAT.”

You nodded your head, rubbing your shoulder in an attempt to keep your hands occupied. “I… yeah. Thanks for that, Edge. I just assumed you didn’t want to be put in that position but I basically forced you into it. You don’t have to comfort me if you catch me again next time.”

“DON’T BE AN IDIOT,” he scowled, “IT’S NOTHING. I’M JUST OFFERING MY SUPPORT.”

Your expression softened. “Thanks. It means a lot to me. But I really won’t be offended if you choose to walk away.” You wanted to offer him a hug so you hesitantly raised your arms. “Is it okay to ask for another hug?”

His scowl deepened. “YOU’RE KIDDING. YOU’VE BEEN SNEAKING IN HUGS SINCE YOU WOKE UP!”

“Oh, god, you knew?” Your face started to heat up but you didn’t bring your arms back down.

“OF COURSE I KNEW. I KNOW WHEN PEOPLE ARE PRETENDING TO SLEEP, I’M NOT STUPID.” He looked as bashful as you but he kept that signature scowl on his face which was pretty adorable.

“Hug?” you offered, pretending that he didn’t just expose you.

“STOP ASKING FOR A HUG! YOU DON’T NEED IT!”

“But you do?” you said questioningly with a small smile. “Plus, you’re the one who’s here. I won’t say anything, I promise.”

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. “FINE! ONLY SINCE YOU WON’T STOP BUGGING ME ABOUT IT. IF I HEAR ABOUT THIS GETTING OUT TO THE OTHERS, I WILL ATTEMPT ANOTHER KIDNAPPING SCHEME.”

“Deal.”

You waved Undyne goodbye as she climbed back into Alphys’ car. You wanted to say hi to Alphys but she hasn’t come out of the car since hours ago while Undyne and the others replaced the van’s tires. While you were in the bathroom, Blue also took the initiative to wash out the red paint.

“Okay, is there anything we missed?” you asked Ace. Everyone was almost ready to go. Patch had gone on one of his beach walks and would be back any minute. Blue was double-checking everything along with Stretch. Edge was here with you but hidden in the corner and avoiding small talk. “Where’s Red?”

“I met him a while ago to the coast west from here. It’s a ten-minute walk. Maybe he’s still there. Do you want me to go get him?”

“Oh, I can get him.” Maybe he’d be in the mood enough to talk. “Tell others to wait for us.”

Ace chuckled. “We’re not going anywhere. You have the keys to the van, dear.”

“Oh, you’re right. Okay, I’ll be back before you know it.” You told Edge to stay just in case he sees any familiar humans lurking about stirring up trouble. He hesitated to leave you alone so you added that you wanted a chance to talk to Red.

You walked along the beach, breathing in the fresh summer air and dreading going back to the building. It’s back to work again for you tomorrow. You were still here yet you were already missing this beach. Maybe you could ask Sans for more vacation days. God knows you need it and he owes you at least that.

You snapped out of your thoughts when you saw Red bent down in the distance. As you came closer, you realized he was actually collecting seashells. For a guy that loved to threaten you, he sure does love doing harmless things.

Red noticed you as soon as you got close and his teeth went up into a snarl. “what?” He was holding too many seashells and some of them were falling off the pile. Red was abashed, glancing at the fallen shells before glaring back at you.

“Can we talk?”

“can ya fuck off?”

Right, doing that talk thing-y with Red wasn’t very effective unless he’s in the mood. “You know, it was a lot easier to talk with you when you were imprisoned,” you said honestly.

This just angered him. “that’s because i ain’t need to talk to ya anymore! leave me alone!”

“Red, just give me a chance.”

“what the fuck are ya on? just leave me the fuck alone! ya don’t need my approval or shit, y’er actin’ desperate!” He looked at you scornfully. “i don’t get why y’er tryin’ so hard.” He sidestepped you and started to head towards the lodge.

“I just don’t want you to doubt yourself. Patch is wrong. I’m not the least comfortable with you and your brother. Hell, I just snuggled up to Edge hours ago.” Well, that slipped out of your mouth without intending to. Edge would kill you.

This made Red stop, his sockets frowning. “y’er shittin’ me. boss ain’t the snuggle type.”

“Yes he is and you know it.”

Red scoffed. And then his grin widened suspiciously. “alright, kid. since y’er so keen on proving me wrong. i want ya to do a li’l somethin’.”

Oh, here it comes.

“i want ya to put your hand in my mouth.”

“What?” you asked in bewilderment. You then realized it was a test… if you do trust him enough or not. “If I do this, will you stop being mad at me?”

“dunno why y’er even gettin’ us all on y’er good side but whatever makes ya sleep at night, sweetheart.” He flashed you a sharp grin and you felt fear spike at the thought of losing your hand. He wouldn’t actually bite your hand off… right?

You put on a brave face. He won’t do it. But on the off chance that he will… well, losing your hand wasn’t the end of the world. You could still function. Damn it, this was a terrible idea. But how else could you prove yourself to him?

He’s right though. Why were you so persistent in making sure they’re all happy? You shot him a determined look. “Okay.”

“wha—” He looked as if he was shot. He blinked, and you wonder if he was thinking if you were crazy. Hell, you think you’re crazy for agreeing. “heh. looks like it’s gonna be a handful. get in here.”

His jaw opened wide, parading his massive, sharp teeth that look strong enough to bite off your entire limb. Oh, god. Defiance flashed across your eyes. Do it. “Guess I’ll be alright if I only get to use my left hand,” you said meekly.

Red let out a guffaw. At least one of you find this situation funny.

“i can lend you a hand if ya wanna.”

“Shut up and open your mouth. I just want to get this over with.”

His eye lights flickered before he went to open his jaw again. Your heart skipped a beat and without any further thoughts, you shoved your whole hand in the void. You don’t know what you were expecting but it was definitely not nothingness beyond his mouth. You wanted to flex your fingers, explore, but you were afraid of losing them that you just froze in place. You managed to have eye contact with Red despite the hammering in your chest. He watched you carefully and then slowly closed his teeth around your wrist.

You have to restrain yourself from pulling your hand out as his sharp fangs dug into your skin but never really chomping down to break the surface. “lookin’ a little pale there, dollface,” he mused. You were aware that he was speaking without moving his mouth but you had experienced much weirder things than that so you didn’t pay attention to it.

“You’re not gonna do it,” you stated.

“ah, now y’er just tryna provoke me,” he reiterated. He bit down a little harder and you flinch. Even if you wanted to pull your hand out at this point, you couldn’t.

“I don’t know what more proof you want, Red. You’ve lived in a hellish world, I can’t change that. But you don’t have to be afraid of being vulnerable.”

“the fuck are ya on about?”

“I’m saying that you’re acting like this because you’re scared and you want assurance. You don’t take my words for it because someone might’ve lied to you so much that it’s hard to trust anyone.”

“when did you become such a know-it-all?” he growled bitterly.

“I’m not.” You were just saying what you’ve always observed from Sans. “And you don’t have to keep pushing me away. I can respect your decision if you really want me to leave you alone. But I just want you to know… I want to get on your good side because I care about you.”

He just stood there dumbfounded and then he was spitting out your hand. He gave you a disgusted look. “i can’t believe ya think ya could just manipulate me like that.”

You felt relief as soon as your hand was not in danger anymore. “I’m telling you the truth.”

“fuck y’er truth!”

“Red,” you started, “you said you were going to stop being mad at me.”

“well that’s on ya for believing my lies!” he growled and then stomping away. You jogged to catch up to him.

“What else can I do to make it up to you?”

“you can leave me the fuck alone, that’s what ya can do!”

He wasn’t going to budge. You did your best. Maybe he’ll snap out of it in a few days but today you were letting this go. “Okay. I will. Come talk to me if you want a listening ear.”

“whatever.”

You two both showed up at the van and found out they were waiting for you. Blue was already buckled up in the shotgun seat and the others were piled up in the back. “Did we forget anything?” you asked for the nth time.

“OH FOR GOD’S SAKE, HUMAN, JUST GET IN THE CAR! WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOREVER!”

You flashed him a small smile, unbothered now by his hostility. He was built like that and you understand now that he meant no harm. That goes with Red as well but he’s being a lot more stubborn than his brother.

You cast one last longing look towards the beach before climbing in the van and driving off.

It was already nearing dinner when the building came into view and just like that, all your warm thoughts had flown out the window. You were tired, probably because you were disturbed halfway into your sleep this morning and your back was aching from the long drive.

You felt your stomach bottom out as you parked the van right in front of the building and hopped off, readying to meet Undyne who was right behind and trailing after you this whole time. You flashed her a timid smile as you gave her the keys back to the van and had finally met Alphys when she rolled down the window of her car to greet you.

“Thanks for this, Alphy. I owe you one,” you said to your ex-coworker.

Alphys still had that look of guilt on her face that never seemed to go away when she remembered ditching you here. “Y-yeah, it’s fine. Y-you need to go out more and I owe you a l-lot more than this. Have a good night!”

“You, too.” It seemed like both of you were avoiding talking about the ‘experiments’ tonight. It must still be a touchy subject for her, not that it’s her fault. “Call me whenever, okay? Do you still have my old number? My phone actually got broken during this.”

“Yeah, I do. Bye, Y/N.”

“Bye, Alphys.”

Undyne rolled up her van right next to you and sent you a big wink. “Bye, punk! Call me if you need some help regarding those monsters, alright? I won’t be available to come but I can punch them hypothetically for you!”

You cracked a small smile at that. “Yeah, thanks Undyne. Appreciate it.”

You watched as the two disappeared into the streets and hadn’t noticed Blue had walked up next to you. “THEY SEEMED LIKE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE! ALTHOUGH THEY’RE A BIT… UNSURE OF HOW TO INTERACT WITH US.”

“Oh, hey, Blue.” You yawned. “We’re back, huh.”

He looked down for a moment before cheering himself up. “IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK!”

“Sure… good to be back.”

“YOU LOOK REALLY TIRED, FRIEND. YOU SHOULD TAKE A REST. ACE IS TAKING CARE OF DINNER.”

Ace was just amazing. You have no idea how you got through all this without him. “Okay. I’ll be in the… uhm…” You hesitated; you didn’t want to tell him you were going to see Sans first.

He tilted his head, his grin tightening. “DO YOU NEED SOME BACK-UP?”

“Heh, no thanks, Blue. I can handle myself. Make sure the others are alright, ‘kay?”

“I’M ON IT!”

The two of you entered the building and you had already felt as if you’ve regressed into your past miserable self. Just being within these walls was sapping all your determination and energy.

You almost grimaced at the sound of your shoes clacking against the tiles, reverberating across the lobby as you made your way to the security room. You checked if you were alone first before pushing your way into the doors.

Sans wasn’t here.

You already had a bad feeling from your first phone call with him so you forced yourself to walk forward to check the monitors.

You slumped down on the chair, dread filling you up as you found what you were looking for. There were four new occupied rooms which meant there were two new pairs of skeleton brothers.

You had barely enjoyed your vacation but now, it’s back to work.

You really weren’t paid enough to do this.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

You left the security room wearing a weary expression. You were walking on autopilot into your apartment and headed straight to the kitchen, completely ignoring everyone’s stares. Ace welcomed you with a timid greeting once in the kitchen but it flew over your head as you began to prepare twice the pair of separate plates without acknowledging him.

A hand had wrapped around your arm and tugged you away but you carried on with your task at hand. Two gloved palms sandwiched your face and forced you to turn your head and you were met with Blue’s worried face, momentarily snapping you out of your daze. “Y/N?”

“Oh,” you said dumbly, “sorry. Were you calling me?”

“I’VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR THE PAST MINUTE. YOU WEREN’T ANSWERING. ARE YOU OKAY?”

“Not really but I need to prepare food for the others.”

They already knew what you were talking about without you telling them. Blue’s expression hardened. “HOW MANY?”

“Four, I think.”

“Goodness,” Ace muttered. He had been listening the whole time as he continued to set the table. “We have been out for no more than two days. Our devices would come off tomorrow at the earliest.”

“IS HE REALLY THAT GREEDY THAT HE COULDN’T WAIT FOR TWO MORE DAYS TO GIVE YOU A BREAK?” Blue scowled. “WHAT DID HE SAY?”

You shrugged weakly. “He actually didn’t show up. I’ve waited for 15 whole minutes calling for him. It was obvious he was ignoring me.”

“WHY THAT—” Blue stopped himself but anger was written all over his face. He grabbed your wrist when you made a move to reach out for the plates. “LET’S GO. I’LL TALK TO HIM.”

“Talk? What—” Before you could finish your sentence, Blue was tugging you out of the kitchen. You had a glance at Ace who was wearing a serious expression but his eyes softened when they met yours. The other skeletons who were lounging in the living room had watched the two of you pass, presumably opting to stay out of Blue’s way from the way his magic leaked out of him. He must be feeling such a strong emotion if you, a human, were able to feel it.

You were back in the lobby once again with Blue stopping right in front of the security room. He crossed his arms as he furiously glared at the camera hidden in the top right. “I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU MADMAN! STOP HIDING AWAY IN YOUR ROOM LIKE A COWARD! YOU’VE ALREADY CAUSED Y/N ENOUGH STRESS. THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS FACE THEM!”

You swallowed before tugging on Blue’s hand. “It’s okay, Blue. Really. Let’s just let him be.”

“WE ALL KNOW YOU’VE PULLED THE SWITCH OUT OF RESENTMENT, WE ALL KNOW HOW SPOILT YOU ARE BY THE WAY YOU’RE ACTING!” Blue pointed at the camera, his eye lights burning bright. “WELL, GUESS WHAT? Y/N’S NOT YOUR BABYSITTER! THEY’RE ON VACATION RIGHT NOW AND IF YOU THINK THEY’RE GOING TO JUST KEEP ON WORKING AND CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR MESS, THEN YOU’RE DEAD WRONG. CLEAN UPYOUR OWN GODDAMN MESS FOR A CHANGE AND GET YOUR NEW GUESTS THEIR DINNER YOURSELF!”

Blue then turned expectantly at you and you felt yourself wavering. He squeezed your hand and gave you a nod. You inhaled before turning to the camera. “Sorry, Sans, but Blue’s right. I deserve my own break. You could’ve waited; we’ve already talked about it and you’ve agreed. You’re the one who broke it.” You forced yourself to smile. “We’ll leave packaged dinner for the boys in the kitchen. You can get them when the coast is clear and feed the new skeletons yourself. I’m not on duty for another 24 hours.”

You glanced at Blue whose sockets were filled with pride. You had to check yourself so you wouldn’t break down in front of him.

You had a peaceful dinner with the rest of the boys, almost as if they could sense how much of a turmoil you were in and they were trying not to add to your stress. It was also surprising that they’d all gather in the kitchen to eat together despite the tension. You appreciated it. You knew you wouldn’t have been able to get through this day had you come back alone. Their presence had made a difference and it was something you were quietly grateful for.

During a quick trip to your bedroom to change into pajamas, you realized you were uncomfortable with sleeping alone. Patch was in the kitchen washing dishes for once and Red you assumed had resigned into his room as soon as dinner was finished.

“Hey, Blue,” you called almost instinctively. He perked up at the sound of your voice. “Do you wanna, uh, have a… movie marathon night?”

Despite not outright saying it, you knew Blue somehow knew about your unease. “I WOULD LOVE TO!” Blue invited the others who were still around, “YOU GUYS CAN STAY, TOO, IF YOU WANNA!”

Edge who had been standing nearby had a skeptical frown on his face as he took a tentative step towards you. “I WANTED TO CHECK IN ON YOU BEFORE I GO TO BED.”

“Oh, you’re not staying for the movies?” you asked. Edge was a comforting presence and you were sure he’d be pleased participating in a social activity with the others. “I feel fine, Edge. Well, I mean, not really but I’m as well as I could be.”

He nodded stiffly. “THAT’S… GOOD.” He paused, eyes darting to the side before fixing it on your face. “I APOLOGIZE, I’M SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF COMPANY FOR THE NIGHT. YOU SHOULD ENJOY IT WHILE YOU CAN.”

“Are you sure? We’d love to have you here.”

His cheeks began to burn. “I’M QUITE SURE, HUMAN. YOU DON’T NEED TO FABRICATE LIES FOR MY SAKE.”

“I’m not lying, though?” A genuine smile colored your face as you felt warm towards the skeleton. “I really would love to have you close by.”

“I—WELL—”

Stretch’s chuckle came out of nowhere. He appeared beside you with an arm around your shoulder, leaning all his weight on you. “just stay if you want to, edgelord. you’re not banned from hangouts. plus i’m sure y/n over here would be delighted to have as many a company as they can get.”

“Jesus, Stretch, stay out of other people’s conversations!” you frowned, weakly pushing him away. He only made himself heavier.

Edge looked away. “PERHAPS NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME. MAYBE I WILL JOIN IN THE NEXT ONE.”

You’ve been noticing that he was always on the sidelines, watching everyone with a wary eye. Blue had been working real hard to get him to crack his shell but maybe he just needs more time. You felt bad thinking if Edge felt like an intruder. That wasn’t really a problem considering that aside from Blue and Stretch, you felt the safest with Edge the most. “I understand. But if you change your mind, we’ll still be here.” Considering all that, you didn’t want to force him if he was uncomfortable.

Blue had already arranged the spare mattresses on the floor by the time you came back. He left a spot next to him for you and he patted it expectantly, blinking his large blue eye lights at you. You almost rolled your eyes playfully as you took the spot and he instantly snuggled up next to you.

“so, what’re we watching?” Patch asked, his legs outstretched on the couch behind you. He was propping himself up with an arm as he lazily clicked through dozens of movies. “i haven’t had one of these in ages.”

“I’M DOWN WITH ANYTHING BUT PROBABLY NOT, UH, SCARY ONES.” Blue tilted his head at you. “WHAT ARE YOU IN THE MOOD FOR, FRIEND?”

“Hmm, a comedy or something,” you said with a shrug. Stretch appeared on the opposite side of you with a honey bottle in his hand. He subtly sneaked an arm around your waist and you leaned against his shoulder without much thought.

Ace had taken the other length of the L-shaped couch, already settling in as he had taken off his glasses and shoes.

“ooh, this one looks spicy. let’s watch it,” Patch mused and pressed play without waiting for anyone else’s comments.

It didn’t matter, you weren’t here to watch movies anyway. You were here because you wanted company and you got more than that; you were locked in a skeleton cuddle pile which was more than what you asked for. Their presence was already doing wonders to your stress level.

You could barely keep up with the movie 5 minutes in, the warm and protected feeling enveloped you, quelling your thoughts enough to rock you to sleep.

You woke up in the dead of the night with the TV playing a different movie than you remembered. You looked around, checking to see if everyone was still asleep and they were. You bit back a sigh as you carefully disentangled yourself from the skeleton limbs that were attached to you in your sleep. Blue stirred a little, pulling you back in with a dazed ‘Huh?’ He was a really light sleeper, you’ve noticed.

You had to stop yourself from smiling as you leaned in to whisper, “Bathroom,” to him so he would let you go. Understanding crossed his face and he fell back to sleep, curling in the blankets. You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t find that cute at all.

You went to have a quick trip to the bathroom and was about to dive back into your skeleton pile when you noticed that the packaged food for the new skeleton arrivals was still sitting untouched on the kitchen table. A flurry of emotions made you pause- exasperation, guilt, resentment- and you were thinking if you should let Sans have an opportunity to do damage control himself or just do it yourself.

You looked back at the sleeping skeletons in your living room and then back at the food. You bit your lower lip before sighing and sneaking into the kitchen. You knew you were going back on your word but… there were new skeletons! As much as you want to ignore them, you couldn’t. They had been here for at least a day and they could be panicking by now which was the last thing you want. You didn’t want this to be a repeat of the first batch of brothers.

You promised Stretch you’d change the way things run around here. And you will.

With a newfound will, you grabbed the food and made your way to the elevator. You pressed the 3rd floor and wrapped your jacket tighter around you as you waited in anticipation. There were no new text messages from Sans, which wasn’t surprising considering he had been ignoring you ever since you didn’t come home yesterday, so you don’t have information about the newcomers. You were going in blind and hope for the best.

You reached the third floor, breezed past Patch’s and Ace’s room, and stood in front of one of the once unoccupied rooms. You felt your fingers tremble but you don’t know if it’s because of nervousness or excitement. You almost desperately wished to turn around and go back but… it just didn’t feel fair to leave them like this. It’s not doing anything to get you on their good side.

You knocked three times before entering the room, half-prepared for what’s to come.

A Papyrus met your gaze, his expression blank and heavy as he followed your movements. You felt a chill run down your back as you stared back, trying to decipher him. He wore a dark, worn-out duffle coat with a fur hood over his head, reminding you of Red’s fluffy hoodie. Two golden teeth adorned opposite sides of his fangs, as opposed to Red’s. His menacing aura was all over the place and had you not experience this sort of hostility before, you would’ve been running out the door.

“Hi,” you greeted cautiously but as kindly as you can. “I’m Y/N. I’ve, uh, brought you some food.” You slid the food to his side, goosebumps trailing down your arm by doing something familiarly morbid but he didn’t acknowledge it, just kept his eye lights on you and didn’t make any movement. You waited for him to say something or reach out for the food but when he did none of that, you tried again.

“You must be confused. Uh, well, I’m gonna go straight to the point. You’re in another universe, my universe to be exact.” You haven’t done the introduction thingy for a while now so you were stumbling with your words, unsure of how to phrase the explanation without seeming like you were the bad guy here. You went with your gut, telling him everything point-blank. It hasn’t never worked before.

The guy hadn’t said a word ever since you came in and when you basically finished shoving your emotional baggage right into his face, he still hasn’t reacted or moved. You were unsure of how to tackle the bit about the imprisonment of the first pairs of skeletons so you opted to keep that detail out, for now.

“—if everything goes well, you’ll be out tomorrow. That is if you’re… pleasant enough? I’m sorry, that sounded rude. I mean, if you and your brother aren’t gonna go and murder people then it’s safe to say you can be out tomorrow.”

It was a small detail, you would’ve missed it had you not been looking for it but he jerked at the mention of his brother.

“Your brother’s right across the room from you but I haven’t met him yet.” His mouth stayed shut. “Well, I mean, you’ve been quiet so I guess I can expect him to be quiet, too? Or is that too assuming of me?”

He hasn’t made one single peep since you came in here. You sent him a small smile, one you think would be friendly enough to disarm him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

You decided to finally leave the room. You could take the hint but you had been hoping you’d get a feel for what kind of person he was so you’d know how to handle him with the others. Unfortunately, he was as unyielding as a rock and you could only hope that he was just being cautious of you instead of planning your death.

You went on to the next room. Hopefully, you’ll get more information from the next skeleton.

You knocked then entered, your feeling of nervousness easing from the last encounter. You thought that maybe since the Papyrus one was being unresponsive, the Sans one will be of similar nature.

“A HUMAN-“

Obviously, you thought wrong. The Sans that greeted you stood tall on his shiny, thigh-high, leather boots, and despite you knowing that you had a couple of inches on him, you felt yourself shrinking from his stare. He had a uniform on, a perfect blend of purple and black, a snug and worn-out scarf around his neck, and a familiar-looking gash, a long one right above his right socket. His sharp purple eye lights were condescending as he sneered at you, traveling the entirety of you in what seemed to be scorn.

“YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS,” he exclaimed sharply while waving his gloved hands in front of him. “A MEASLY HUMAN?” he said with disdain.

Just from the way he talked, you immediately had Edge vibes. “Hi, I’m—”

He harshly sent you a searing glare, cutting off your words. “I’M IN NO MOOD TO ENTERTAIN YOUR COMMENTARY, YOU—” He paused, sockets narrowing to judge you, “…HUMAN,” was what he settled on calling you. He was already doing better than Edge if he had stopped himself from calling you names.

You hesitated then opened your mouth, only to be sent another look. “I-I brought food,” you forced out before walking over to slide his food carefully over to him.

He frowned, his eye lights trained on you the whole time. “YOU THINK I WOULD BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO EAT YOUR POISON?” he asked, ice dripping in his tone. For some reason, you were feeling more unsettled with him than any of the other skeletons. He felt… dangerous.

You somehow wished that you could Check him like monsters could, then maybe you’d know the best way to approach. You took a step back with both of your hands in the air, a sign of retreat. You wanted to at least introduce yourself but if he was going to be difficult, you’d have no choice but to back off and try again next time.

You decided to wait for a few more minutes, see if something would change.

It seemed that this Sans had picked up on it, his eye lights boring into you as he straightened with his hands behind his back. “SPEAK.”

Your throat felt dry at the moment and you wanted to flee, but you heard Stretch’s voice inside your head. “I’m Y/N,” you started, feeling robotic after introducing yourself with the same lines over and over.

“IS THERE A REASON FOR YOU AND YOUR OVERSEER TO DETAIN ME UNREASONABLY, Y/N?” he asked before you could say anything more.

You froze. “Overseer?” you repeated before realizing what he was talking about. “You’ve met Sans, then.”

“HARDLY,” he said with an unpleasant expression. “I HAD BUT A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE ANTI-MAGIC BARRIER KNOCKED ME OUT.”

“Oh. I mean, I can explain things to you… if you want me to.”

“WHY WOULD I WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH?”

You got the hint. You weren’t in the mood to talk to a wall. “Okay, I can answer your questions if you have any.”

He almost looked as if he was about to snap at you but thought better of it. “THIS IS A PRISON.” He phrased it as a statement but the underlying tone told you it was a question.

“No. Well, yeah, that was the initial purpose but now it’s not.”

“THAT IS NOT A SATISFYING ANSWER.”

“Well, you’re not a very good listener.”

He scowled, sharp teeth curling upwards and you were unnerved by it. You were regretting by now for not being in the presence of your securing skeletons.

“I’M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR JOKES, HUMAN.”

“I wasn’t joking.”

He looked ready to pounce on you and had it not been for the translucent wall separating you, he would’ve. “YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR TONGUE, YOU ILL-MANNERED HUMAN.”

“Sorry,” you said out of habit and flinched. “If you refuse to listen to my explanation, then I’d rather take my leave.”

“AND YOU MENTIONED THIS ISN’T A PRISON.”

“It’s not… but you also can’t be out until you follow some strict guidelines.”

“…ARE YOU HEARING YOURSELF CORRECTLY?”

You sighed. “Okay, it is slightly still a prison but I can’t explain this to you without clarifying the context. At least your brother has sat through all of it.”

His expression instantly changed at the mention of his brother. If you thought he was scary a second ago, he was downright terrifying at the moment. “YOU WILL NOT ADDRESS NOR ACKNOWLEDGE MY BROTHER IN ANY WAY.” His repressed magic seemed to leak out of his own body, the air charged with wrath.

Your hair had stood up on all ends and you found yourself struggling to compose yourself. “I-I… food,” you muttered weakly.

This seemed to placate him if only a little. “IF YOU DEARLY WISH FOR EITHER OF US TO PERISH FROM YOUR FILTHY, LITTLE CAGE OR YOUR POISONOUS FOOD, YOU MAY DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.”

You think that was his own way of saying that you could leave food for his brother but that’s it, that’s the only thing you were allowed to do. You wanted to say that it wasn’t like he can stop you but you held your tongue. You value your life and if you provoke him, there’s no telling what he can do once he’s free.

“Okay. Is there… anything else I can do for you?”

He sneered. “YOU CAN TELL YOUR COWARD OF AN EMPLOYER TO COME DOWN HERE HIMSELF INSTEAD OF HIDING.” He glared straight at the camera pointing down at him. “I’M SURE WE’D HAVE LOVELY CHAT.”

“He’s not my boss,” you cleared up, “though technically, he is my employer. But he doesn’t tell me what to do.”

“THAT IS HARD TO BELIEVE,” he responded dryly.

“I don’t want to explain it to someone who won’t listen.”

“THEN LEAVE.”

Your brows furrowed as you let out an exasperated sigh. “I will. But not because you told me to.”

“LISTEN HERE, HUMAN,” he snarled, taking a step closer to the wall, “YOU ARE UNWISE IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE UPPER HAND HERE. THE ONLY ADVANTAGE YOU HAVE IS THAT I AM WEAKENED AND HELD CAPTIVE LIKE A PRISONER. I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR SLANDER.”

You were shaken up and it was probably due to the fact that you were now getting used to the skeletons warming up to you. Doing this again was frankly causing you mental and emotional strain and you don’t know how long you could last this time. “I’m gonna go.”

You caught the split second of perplex crossing his face before it hardened. “BEGONE, HUMAN.”

You couldn’t exit the room much faster. You slammed the door behind you with your shoulders heavy and slumped against it, head bowed down in distress.

You heard him before you saw him. “…you okay?”

Your head snapped up, tears pricking the corner of your eyes as you met Red’s gaze. Without thinking, you threw your arms around him and collapsed as soon as possible. Red had caught you with no questions asked, propping both of you up with just his strength alone.

Tears escaped your eyes and you angrily swiped at them while burying your face into his shoulder. Red started to pat your back slowly, unsure. He was hesitant but he didn’t push you away. He didn’t say anything for the next excruciatingly long minutes that passed; he kept holding you close until you were the one that pulled away first.

“Sorry, that was out of the blue,” was the first thing you said. You felt shameless; he was mad at you and you go and seek for his comfort because he was nearest. “I’m really sorry.”

Red snorted. “yeah, was not red-y for that.”

Your knees trembled as you tried to step back and Red looped an arm around your waist to steady you. “Shit, sorry.” You flinched as you cursed. It was a habit you’ve grown out of but it had completely slipped out of you. “Sorry.”

“stop apologizin’,” he growled under his breath. “it’s gettin’ annoying.”

“S—” You bit your lower lip. How many times do you need to keep hearing them say that? “Okay. Uh, well, sor—I mean, thanks… for not pushing me away. Feel free to do so next time. I’m not entitled to your time.”

“shut up. i only did it ‘cause ya did it for me.” He looked away with a mild glowing of his cheekbones.

“...Why are you even here?” you asked after a beat. “Your room’s  the floor below.”

“i—” He was full-on blushing now. “da fuck are ya sayin’, huh? can’t a skeleton roam around here?”

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, Red. You’re being defensive.”

“fuck you!”

Your exchange with him has made your mood slightly better and you cracked a genuine smile. “Thanks for checking up on me.”

“ye’r delusional,” he spat. “i’m outta here.”

“No, wait!” you called out. “Actually… is it okay for you to keep me company for much longer?”

“why don’t ya call y’er best friends if y’er feeling bonely?” he said sarcastically.

“Well, I wasn’t supposed to be out here meeting the new, uh, pairs.”

Red was one of those skeletons who didn’t mind flaunting their emotions so you didn’t miss the quiver of irritation in his face. “new pairs,” he repeated with venom. “the fuck, the bastard’s really not letting up, huh?”

“Yeah, no. Be nice.”

“be nice to who? y’er sans? you hate him.”

“That’s none of your business, okay?” You grabbed his hand to which he pulled away lightning fast as his cheeks burned.

“the hell do ya think y’er doing!?”

“Sorry.” You flinched at your immediate response. “I was used to just… y’know, holding someone’s hand. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it. I should’ve asked first.”

“yeah, ya should’ve,” he snapped, digging his hands deep in his pockets. “fucking bitch grabbin’ me whenever… i don’t like bein’ touched, okay?”

“Obviously.” You sighed and started heading towards the elevator. You kept playing with the last two food packets in your hands while riding. Red kept to himself as the two of you reached the 4th floor.

It looked the same as the other two floors yet somehow, this floor felt colder. Probably because you knew it was empty until recently. You had to prevent yourself from grabbing onto Red again as you picked the left door on the hallway to open first.

You looked to Red for reassurance. He sighed at the sight of your hopeful gaze. “i’ll be here, sweetheart. ya know i’d go inside wit’ you if i could,” he grumbled.

“Thank you.”

With Red waiting for you, you felt a little more determined to push through and meet the other pair. Surely, they can’t be that bad as the other ones, right?

You knocked three times before entering the room and your gaze landed on Sans’ lying form on the bed. He was asleep… You blew out the air you’ve been holding as you walked as quietly as you can over to his form.

It was… just Sans. There wasn’t anything different other than his clothes, which was just his old shorts as sweatpants. Your eyebrows raised when you saw he was wearing shoes. He felt a lot like your old Sans, just from a different universe.

“oh? i finally have a visitor?” You almost jumped when you heard Sans’ same exact voice. He winked an eye open, his grin widening in greeting. “isn’t that excellent?”

You didn’t know how to react as you roughly pushed down the rush of emotions threatening to spill out of you.

Sans opened both eyes when you didn’t respond. He tilted his head questioningly as he got off the bed and stood up to face you, hands in the pockets of his zipped-up jacket. “not gonna say anything?” he asked good-naturedly.

The similarity was… uncanny. It honestly disturbed you more than you think it should. “Sans,” you muttered. Your heart was hammering in your chest.

“that’s me. sounds like you know me even though i’ve never met you before.” He shrugged, eye lights piercing your gaze. “are you okay, kid?”

You’ve noticed your hands were shaking, badly. You bit your lower lip and shoved your hands behind your back. “I—” You couldn’t find your voice. It was… difficult, for some reason. Seeing Sans like this brought back the memories of when everything was normal and it was difficult to process through. “I have food,” you forced yourself to say before sliding the packet over to him.

“uh, thanks…” he said. “so, this doesn’t look like your first rodeo.”

You had to turn your back to him and gradually pull yourself together. Once you think you have your emotions in check, you turned back around. Your lips wobbled as you speak. “It’s n-not. I-I’m Y-N.” You couldn’t say anything more than that. It had felt like you were barely pulling yourself together.

“y/n. okay. i’m sans, sans the skeleton. but you already knew that.” He rocked on his heels as a tense quiet settled over you. “why did the skeleton drop out of medical school?”

The question was so random, it caught you off-guard. “What?” you said more in confusion but he took it as a cue to continue.

“because he didn’t have the stomach for it. why did the skeleton cancel his gallery?”

You bowed your head down, unable to look him in the eye.

“because his heart wasn’t in it.” Despite your silence, he tried again. “why did the skeleton cry his heart out?”

“Stop it,” you whispered.

He must not have heard you. “because he has nobody to love.”

“Stop,” you snapped, eyes brimming with tears. “Is everything a joke to you, Sans?” He had a look of surprise when you looked up at him and when you realized that he wasn’t your Sans, you felt guilt bubble up. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so stupid.”

“nah. not your fault. just thought it could defuse the mood.” A pause. “obviously, i just made it worse.”

“No, please,” you rushed out, sighing. “N-no, it’s not your fault. It really isn’t.” A bitter laugh choked out of you. “Damn it. I can’t do this today.”

“it’s fine. you look like you’ve been having a hard time, kiddo. maybe just take it a little easy.”

You wanted to be able to function and just talk with him, goddamit, but every time you hear his voice, you could only see Sans- Sans before the shitstorm happened- and it was fucking with your head. “Why… why are you being so casual about this? You’re imprisoned, for god’s sake!”

“not much i can do about that,” he said casually. “eh, it’s not worth getting myself worked up about something i barely know about. i’m assuming you know what’s happening and that you’ll tell me sooner or later.”

“How would you know?” you asked, bitterness lacing your tone. “What if I was just here to keep you in check?”

“well, you wouldn’t still be talking with me if you’re just the keeper.” He shrugged. “you just seem like the human that knows things.”

You could barely meet his eye lights. “I… I’m sorry. I really can’t do this today.”

“…it’s fine. i have quite the busy schedule as well,” he joked.

You almost flinched. You didn’t even bid him goodbye as you scurried out of the room as fast as you can. You wrapped your arms around Red as soon as you saw him and your tears burst out without stopping.

It was too much.

It was too heavy.

These new skeletons were too much for you and you don’t know how to handle them.

You didn’t notice when the two of you had sat down but the moment you had a grip on yourself, you were on the floor in the middle of the hallway with Red holding you close. Red must’ve known when you were back because his eye lights flew over to your face and he stopped rubbing circles behind your head. “what did that asshole say to you?”

You’ve used up all your strength and the day hadn’t even started yet. “He was nice.”

“he can’t be that nice if he managed to make ya cry.”

“You made me cry on several different occasions.”

“oh, so now we’ve settled that ‘m not nice.”

“What are you saying?” You sniffled loudly, weakly pulling away to rub your face. “You’re literally comforting me right now.”

“s-shut up,” he snarled, “it’s cuz i’m held hostage!”

“By me?”

“yes!”

If Red hadn’t been here, you knew you’d have gone down the rabbit hole. His presence, no matter how small he thought he was, has kept you anchored. You can hold on, just a little bit longer. Your fire was flickering but you still had fuel in you.

“Can you… just hold me?” you murmured, exhaustion seeping into your bones.

His brow bones rose upwards, taking a second or two to stare at you as if you’ve said something unbelievable. “heh, ‘m not one for cuddling, sweetheart.” He gulped, red dusting his face. “whatever, don’t make this weird.”

“You’re making this weird.”

“shut up!” You melted into his arms, fingers fisting the front of his jacket as you buried your face into his shoulder and breathed in his scent. He froze but relaxed after a few seconds, his arms hesitantly cradling you.

“I don’t know about you, Red,” you began after a few minutes of the silent embrace, “but I trust you with my life.”

“the fuck are ya on about?”

“Bonehead,” you softly called, “I’m the most vulnerable right now. You could’ve hurt or even kill me and none would be wiser. Just admit it, you’re not as dangerous as you think you are.”

He gave a huff of disgruntlement. “y’er persistent, aren’t ya?”

“I just want to prove you wrong, Red. You need to stop thinking the worst of yourself and others just ‘cause you did some bad things in the past.”

“when did this turn into a lecture?” he growled.

A short chuckle came out of you. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. You’re not good at listening.” You grimaced as you remembered the same words you told the other Sans.

…you need to give them a name soon.

“why would i listen to people’s bitchy opinions?”

You smiled and pulled away, your eyes feeling swollen and your cheeks raw. “You’re on the right track, Red.” Your lips quirked up as you bumped your forehead against his. “Are we good? Can you stop being mad at me now?”

“only when ya stop being ridiculous.”

You sighed, feeling a small weight remove from your shoulders. You didn’t realize you were doing it but you gave him a little nuzzle from under his chin. His blush darkened. It was a habit you didn’t notice you still had after not doing it for so long. You withdrew, refusing to make things awkward between the two of you. “I… I think I’ve rested enough. I have one more skeleton to meet.”

“…are ya sure? ya don’t look too good.”

You could feel your heart rate spike up at the thought of meeting the last monster. It could be stressful… but it could also not be stressful. In the end, you just wanted to get it over with.

Red held onto you a little bit longer, a response that you were definitely not expecting from him. It was confusing; does Red love his push-and-pull behavior or was he just as confused as you?

“I’ll be back. Wait for me.”

He let you go, watching you with his red eye lights as you picked yourself off from the floor and grabbed the forgotten food packet that had slipped off from your grip unnoticed. You readied yourself. “I deserve a long, hot bath after this,” you whimpered.

You knocked three times before forcing yourself to open the door despite your trembling hands.

“GASP! A HUMAN?”

You had barely stepped into the room and you could feel your resolve breaking down as quickly as that. You looked at Papyrus and you nearly couldn’t breathe. “Paps,” you wheezed, practically a cry.

“I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A HUMAN THIS INGENIOUS COULD BE BEHIND ALL THIS!” Papyrus exclaimed, standing tall and proud in a Latin-dance shirt and brown-pressed pants. You could only stare as he bowed to you. “DANCE WITH ME, HUMAN!”

“W-what?” you stuttered. “I don’t—I, I can’t dance.” The request had been so sudden that it interrupted your breakdown.

“NONSENSE!” he said, posing while giving you his hand despite the translucent barrier separating the two of you. “EVERYONE CAN DANCE! IT SEEMS YOU KNOW ME MORE THAN I KNOW YOU AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN EVEN IT OUT IS IF YOU AGREE TO DANCE WITH ME!”

“Papyrus,” you said his name in disbelief; guilt, shame, happiness, and grief flooded your senses all at once. “Oh my god.”

“UNLESS MY NAME HAVE REACHED ITS POPULARITY PEAK UP ON THE SURFACE THEN I’M ASSUMING YOU DO KNOW ME!” He tapped a finger to his chin, his face scrunching up. “ALTHOUGH I DEFINITELY WOULD REMEMBER A FRIEND ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE A CLEVER HUMAN LIKE YOU.”

God, he moves and talks so much like Papyrus, it physically hurts. You could barely process through what he was saying right now; your mind was in a daze. Did Sans know? Has Sans met this version of Papyrus yet? Was he going through the same state as you?

This… was just so fucked. You’re lost here.

“HUMAN? HAVE YOU BEEN STARSTRUCK BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS THAT YOU’VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO SPEAK? MY OH MY!”

You wanted to take his hand. It was so, so tempting to take his hand and have fun even if you had no idea what you were doing. You wanted to ask if he was real. Out of all the Papyrus you’ve met, he was the closest version to yours. Granted, this Papyrus dances but… aside from that, there wasn’t that much of a difference, was there?

“W…what do you mean by ‘dance’ with you?” You hated how small your voice sounded.

Papyrus let his hand fall, sending you a bright, familiar smile. “IT SEEMS YOU ARE NOT ACQUAINTED WITH WHAT IS CUSTOMARY TO US MONSTERS, HUMAN. VERY WELL, I CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU IN WORDS, OR… I CAN SHOW YOU THROUGH MY DANCE!”

You were not in the right state of mind to agree to ‘dance’ with him. You knew that. And you also knew that you declined him the first time.

But when you see Papyrus looking at you assuringly as if saying he’s got this, he’s got you, it was hard to say no.

Without much thinking, you stepped right into his space, ignoring the electric wall set up, and placed your hand over his. “DON’T WORRY, HUMAN! I BELIEVE IN YOU!” He bowed smoothly and you followed.

You wanted to cry over how much you’ve missed him saying that.

He started to move and glide, slow, easy steps while you stood there frozen in place. You could recognize basic cha-cha steps when you see one. Rhythmic music began to ease from inside your head and somehow, it was in the beat of your heart. Or was that your soul?

“DON’T FIGHT IT, HUMAN. JUST RELAX AND TRUST YOUR FEET!”

You wanted to comment on how silly this was but then you heard the music get louder you wondered where it was coming from. Your feet started to move on their own, uneasy, full of doubt, trying to catch up to his.

“THAT’S IT, YOU’RE DOING IT!”

You broke off from him, your body gracefully moving on its own as you experimented the first couple of steps. You could feel your soul bleed out your emotions from inside of you and you realized what this felt like. It felt like the vulnerability that you get from an Encounter.

You continued to move as your grief and sadness danced their own composition through your physical body and the music in your head matched it completely. It was utterly cathartic; a release. Something you didn’t know you’d needed until now.

Papyrus met you halfway. You could feel his soul, vibrant and comforting, as he took you in his arms and started to lead the way. You were barely registering the moves you were actually doing. Instead, you were focused on your emotions, the rollercoaster of a tragedy that had happened in the past, and the way you’ve been paving the path you were hesitant in moving onward.

He seemed to understand you as if you were telepathically letting him know. You now understood that it was because of the dance.

The two of you moved in average unison, every step he took was confident while yours bled uncertainty. Even after all that, you were willing to try and Papyrus was glad.

Your steps began to move faster, the music gradually increasing its tempo to match it. Your emotions intensified as they poured out of you like a waterfall. You weren’t able to hide anything, you let him see every single emotion you’ve been keeping since day 1. You began to spiral out of control as the overwhelming amount of it drowned you.

And then the next beat was soft, assuring, a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on. You slowed down, he slowed down. He took over, moving together without much thought in the small space available. The music was slowing over to a stop and the dance ended with you within an arm’s length from him as he held your hand in mid-air.

The blackness from the surrounding ebbed away but your gaze stayed on him, blurred around the edges as tears streak down your face.

“AH, THAT WAS…”

“Intense?” you finished for him. “I’m sorry, I kinda just dumped everything on you, didn’t I?”

“CERTAINLY! BUT, NO MATTER, I DID ASK FOR IT, HUMAN.” He nodded. “YOU’VE HANDLED IT QUITE WELL. IF THERE’S ANYTHING I LEARNED, IT’S THAT YOU’RE A STRONG HUMAN!”

You cracked a smile, humming in agreement. “Thank you.”

“HOW DID THE DANCE MAKE YOU FEEL?”

“It’s…” You struggled to find words. “One-sided, sorry. It felt like I was the only one who shared and you were there to comfort me.”

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I WAS ASKING BUT THAT IS TRUE. I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL BETTER NOW THAT YOU’VE SHARED YOUR BURDEN WITH SOMEONE ELSE?”

“I—” You blinked at him. “Yes, I do. Very much.”

“I’M GLAD.” He grinned and patted your head, just cause he could. “I COULD TELL YOU HAD SOME HEAVY BAGGAGE. IT’S QUITE INTENSE FOR OUR FIRST MEETING BUT WE’RE NOT INCOMPATIBLE, SO THAT’S A PLUS! SINCE THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME, YOU’RE STILL FREESTYLER BUT YOU ADAPT SO EASILY. I’LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT DANCE, HUMAN! I’D LOVE TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER.”

“Thank you, Papyrus.”

“YOU’RE VERY WELCOME! I SUGGEST YOU TAKE A REST, YOU’VE HAD QUITE A DAY.” A frown slipped into his expression. “I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DANCE WITH MY BROTHER AS WELL BUT HE IS NOT THE TYPE TO DO THAT… I APOLOGIZE, I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU OUT WITH YOUR ISSUE WITH HIM BUT IT’S DIFFICULT WHEN I HAVE SUCH LIMITED MOVEMENTS.”

“Ah, yeah, about that—”

“HUMAN, DON’T WORRY! I’VE GATHERED IMPORTANT INTEL FROM OUR ENCOUNTER! ANOTHER NIGHT IN THIS CELL IS AS EASY AS SPAGHETTI BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEHEHE!”

This was such a turnaround from just a couple of minutes ago when you felt like the scum of the earth.

Who knew that you only needed someone to understand you, all this time? “Thank you,” you said for the umpteenth time. “Uh…”

“YOU CAN CALL ME LATIN, HUMAN. IF I WAS CORRECT TO ASSUME THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A NAME TO CALL ME AND MY BROTHER, I CAN GO BY LATIN.”

“Oh, is that what your dance is called?”

“INDEED IT IS!”

“And your brother?”

“I BELIEVE HIS DANCE IS THE HOP OF THE HIP.”

“…oh. Oh. Okay, you meant hip hop.”

“THAT’S WHAT I SAID!” His expression softened. “NOW, GO ALONG HUMAN. I WOULDN’T DARE KEEP YOU IN MY COMPANY ANY LONGER WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD BE TAKEN OUT BY STRAY WIND. REST FOR ME AND I’LL BE HERE WHEN YOU GET BACK.”

…Godamnit, you miss Papyrus so much. “Thank you, Latin.”

“SEE YOU LATER, HUMAN!”

How you managed to incorporate your introductory speech every single time into a dance, you don’t know. It was a hundred percent times better than doing the speech itself but it was also riskier. You have a tendency of losing yourself to your emotions and you might take whoever your partner was with you as well. You were just lucky that it was Papyrus who you danced with.

You exited the room, exhausted beyond belief but somewhat satisfied. Red had appeared by your side in an instant, steadying you as soon as your knees wobbled.

“Hey, Red… can I sleep in your room?”

“the fuck, of course, you can’t—”

Before he could even finish his sentence, you passed out.

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Your eyes shot open as you bolted up to sit, eyes wide and heavy as it roamed around the room. Your body felt like it had been kicked and punched around, muscles screaming every time you move, tongue feeling like lead and skin tender and overwhelmed by any fabric that touched you.

“ya finally up? tsk, who’s the lazybones ‘ere, sweetheart?” Red entered your sight, his teasing expression deceiving the worry that had accumulated the past few hours he was guarding you. You looked at him, feeling as if you were ready to go back to doze off once again and you see him falter. “hey… ya ok? ya look like shit.”

“Haha,” you croaked out, forcing a light tone to lessen his worry. It looked like it did the opposite effect. “I’m fine. Just… parched. C-can you…”

He blinked. “i’ll get water for ya. you ain’t need to get up from the bed, sweetheart.” In the next second, he was gone from the room.

You took a moment to observe his room. It was bare; nothing really of note-worthy had been added aside from a cabinet and a drawer by his bedside. It was different from Blue’s and Stretch’s since you had the opportunity to actually take them shopping for furniture. A familiar book that you had given him sat on top of the drawer.

Red popped into view a moment later, handing you a glass of water. “drink,” he urged, leaving no room for discussion.

You emptied the glass of water within seconds, handing it to him when it’s empty. He left it by the drawer before fixing his stare on you. You stared at him back, still gathering your wits and stuck between getting up from the bed or going back to sleep.

Beads of sweat began to appear on his skull and you fixed your stare on those instead, a bit confused why. Red cleared his throat after an agonizing minute, roughly pushing his hands inside his pockets and slightly rocking his heels. “h-how do ya feel, sweetheart?”

“I… Horrible, honestly. I feel like I’m dying,” you said as a joke, huffing out a laugh. You could see his face paling at your words. It took you a moment of thinking before understanding what had made him so agitated. “Oh, no, Red. I’m not falling down if that’s what you’re afraid of. I think I’m just… sick.”

Your body shivered and you pulled the blankets tighter around yourself. It was too thin and the room was too cold. You’d turn off the airconditioning unit but that’d just be a chore.

Red instantly released his breath. “oh, good. i thought ya were fucking dying. ya hadn’t moved and ya won’t wake up hours ago. i—y’er pulse was weak. it was goddamn terrifyin’.”

You cracked a weak smile. “Hm? Worried for me?”

“don’t push it,” he growled, turning his face away as his cheeks burned slightly. Then he turned back to you. “what does it mean?”

You pushed your knees to your chest, trying to garner as much body as you could. “I… That means I need to rest,” you forced out a laugh, “It’s my body’s way of saying that I need to rest.” You’ve only gotten home from a vacation and now you’ve somehow caught the flu. Great.

Red nodded in understanding. “okay. rest up then. i’ll… uh, make sure the others don’t bother ya.”

Before you could say a word, he was already gone, leaving you alone in the room. You had wanted to ask him for food, or more blankets since you were freezing. You settled back on the bed, your eyes snapping shut. On the other hand, sleep sounded good right now.

You had woken up again, unaware of how many hours had passed since the last time you woke up. You flinched as you heard your stomach growling in hunger, clutching an arm over it. You didn’t feel better… honestly, your fever might’ve gotten worse than before.

But you were hungry and you needed to be fed before you shut your eyes close again. You can’t battle this fever alone.

You forced yourself to sit up, your body already begging to just give up and lie back down to sleep. A black jacket slid down your chest and you stared at it, taking a moment before realizing that it belonged to Red. He must’ve thrown it over you while you were asleep. You made a mental note to thank him later.

You were halfway out of the bed when the door opened to reveal a disgruntled Edge. “GET BACK ON THE BED,” he barked loudly and you had to grimace from his loud voice that was too harsh for your hearing right now.

You looked up at him, obediently pulling your legs back up on the bed. He glared at you, looking you up and down before entering the room, closing the door behind him. He strode towards you until he reached the side of the bed. He had some kind of steaming bowl in one hand and you leaned over to him, feeling your stomach growling again despite not having a sense of smell due to your being sick.

He tilted the opposite way as if telling you to wait. You let out a weak groan. “Hungry,” you said.

“I KNOW,” he said, this time in a softer tone, “STAY STILL.” He began to bite his other hand, his fingers, pulling off the glove little by little using his fangs before pulling off the whole of it in one swoop. His cold skeleton hand was on your forehead the next second.

“You’re cold,” you murmured as you flinched from the sudden stimulus.

“AND YOU’RE BURNING.” He withdrew tutting in disappointment before giving you the steaming bowl. “EAT UP.”

The bowl had lasagna in it. It was food that was too much to eat during this situation but it was food and Edge had probably prepared it for you since it was the only thing he knew how to cook. “Thank you,” you said.

The chewing and swallowing was a slow process but Edge sat through it all, making sure you ate every bite. By the time you were finished eating, your jaw was starting to hurt from the excessive use.

“I WILL BE BACK AGAIN TO GIVE YOU A MEAL.”

“Can… can it be something soft next time, please?” you asked. You didn’t want to pummel through another slice of lasagna when the tangy flavor was too much that you almost threw it all up. “Like plain noodles… or rice porridge. I appreciate the effort, Edge, but humans have difficulty eating these kinds of food when they’re sick.”

“I’VE GATHERED THAT,” he admitted. “I… AM NOT VERSED IN HUMAN CUSTOMS. BUT WE CAN LEAVE THE REST OF THE LASAGNA FOR NEXT TIME.”

You nodded, a ghostly smile on your face. “Sounds good. Thank you, Edge.” You paused before asking, “Can you grab me a couple more blankets?”

“VERY WELL. NOW, GO BACK TO REST.”

You were out before you could hear Edge exit the room.

The next time you woke up, you felt a little better than last time. Your body had stopped shivering but still felt as if it was used as a punching bag. The difference was you at least can move around, albeit a little sluggish. The room was empty and despite how terrible you felt, you were wondering where Red was staying if you had been occupying his room.

Your eyes found the clock hanging in Red’s room. It read 2:14. You had no idea if it was A.M. or P.M.

You slipped on Red’s jacket. It was almost a fit considering that he was shorter than you. You found your slippers and forced yourself off the bed, already regretting it when your body dragged you down. Even with Red’s jacket, you found it too cold so you grabbed one of the thinner blankets and wrapped it around yourself.  

It was a slow trek towards outside the room and into the hallways. You took your time and moved slowly, trying to ignore the feeling of your eyes watering and your clogged nose. You reached the elevator and rode it down to the lobby where you entered your apartment. Red was passed out in front of the TV on the couch.

Your lips twitched but it was too much of an effort to smile so you just blatantly gaped at him before trudging over to turn off the TV and adjust the blanket that was slovenly falling off him.

You visited your room, changing into a new set of thicker clothes to warm yourself up before putting on Red’s jacket over it once more. You grabbed a scarf hidden underneath your pile of clothes and wrapped it around your neck. You paused for a moment and then wrapped the blanket around you after thinking.

You went back outside and headed to the kitchen as quietly as you can so you wouldn’t disturb Red. Although you were pretty sure he was a heavy sleeper; just like Sans. He could sleep through an earthquake.

You opened the fridge and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was stocked with food. When had they gone grocery shopping? Yesterday? Who drove? Your best guess was Ace. There were a couple of items in here for rice porridge like you’ve requested. Edge must’ve informed them that you needed soft food.

How’d they got money for food? You were hoping they’d taken some from your wallet instead of doing something else. You weren’t keen enough to find out.

Still, the thought that Ace could’ve driven him and his brother out of here but still came back… it was a big gesture of trust. You didn’t deserve it and you felt kinda bad for them but… you’ll take what you can get. They had every opportunity to leave and if they still choose to stay, then you really can’t argue. They’re doing you a favor.

You counted 10 wrapped burritos in the fridge and after observing it for a minute, found out it was ready-made monster food. You were blown away by the thought of any of your skeletons buying food that was meant for the new arrivals. You had forced yourself out of the bed because you knew you had to prepare something for them since they were waiting for you.

You put and re-heated four in the microwave, partly relieved that you didn’t have to prepare anything in the end. You just wanted to sleep. You were sure that if any of them can, they’d have volunteered to feed the others.

After waiting, you packed them in a paper bag before heading back to the elevator. You found yourself in front of a room, your mind too hazy to be aware of who it was before knocking and entering.

It was that Papyrus that never talked. You almost matched hoodies with him considering he had a similar one like Red’s. He was lying down on the bed when you entered and didn’t move at all when you slipped in. You figured he must be asleep.

You left him his food, wondering if you should say something. He probably won’t hear it. “I hope you weren’t too lonely, Papyrus.” You lingered for a moment before exiting.

You went into his brother’s room next. You were hoping this one was asleep as well.

He was sitting upon his bed when you’ve entered and you almost froze. When nothing happened in the next five seconds, you realized that he was actually asleep… upright. He had his arms and legs crossed but his skull faced down. If you listened hard enough, you could hear his snores.

You left him his food, staring at him for a moment before sitting down and leaning against the wall. You’d have to face the dance brothers again… and you were sure you weren’t quite ready to do that. You tugged the blanket around you tighter, trying to keep the cold out of your body.

You took this opportunity to observe this version of Sans. He really does remind you of Edge. If you were going to analyze the pattern from the current skeletons that you know right now, then a smart hypothesis would be that this could be Red and Edge but swapped. You’d need to have more information on them to confirm it.

You stopped yourself from delving into your thoughts. No. You weren’t here to study them. You weren’t Sans. They don’t owe you answers. They were their own person. You glared at the floor as you mentally beat yourself up.

You rested your head on your arms, trying to stop yourself from crying. You felt so awful, physically and emotionally.

You heard a click inside the silence of the room. You slowly lifted your head, tears brimming the corner of your eyes as you stared up at the camera mounted on the corner of the ceiling.

“…Are you still ignoring me, Sans?” you spoke, your voice thick. “I know you’re there.”

There was no answer but the camera adjusted itself to see your angle better.

A tear slipped down your cheek and you didn’t bother wiping. “You’re still treating me like shit, you know that, right? Can’t you just stop being immature for a second and talk to me?”

You heard another click, an indication that he had pushed the button to talk. But nothing was said.

“You can’t keep doing this, Sans. I’m getting tired. Please.”

There was a long silence and you had stood up to ready yourself to leave. You waited for him to say something, anything.

You shook your head, upset, before turning around to leave.

“…i’m close. we’re close.”

You slowly turned to face him. You had no idea what to feel about the news. You couldn’t make sense of your emotions, just that it was overflowing at the moment and you weren’t quite ready to tackle it. You spontaneously burst out in tears. “How close?”

“i’ll get him back. i’ll get papyrus back. i promised, didn’t i?”

You couldn’t get a word out. You buried your face into your scarf, trying to get a grip on yourself. You weren’t sure if he had sounded delusional or hopeful. It was difficult to pin it down and your own emotions were getting in the way.

“the devices, make sure nothing goes wrong.”

He was leaving it in your hands. He was letting you decide. The outcome decides his success rate. If you weren’t able to make the new arrivals cooperate, they’d put his project in jeopardy.

It was cruel. He was cruel.

“Bastard.”

You didn’t hear anything from him in the next minutes. You let yourself succumb to the weight until you’ve mellowed down.

“IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE DRAMATIC, I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED IT IF IT WERE ANYWHERE BUT HERE.”

You blinked and glanced at the Sans in front of you. He was still in the same position but his eyes were fixed on you.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” you muttered, your throat parched. “How much of that did you hear?”

“MORE THAN I WANTED TO KNOW.” He stared down at you. “NOT ENOUGH TO PITY YOU IF THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE ASKING.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

He was quiet, piercing you with his eye lights. “CURIOUS. THEN WHY THE THEATRICS IN THE PLACE WHERE I WAS? I DIDN’T NEED TO HEAR ALL THAT.”

“Obviously, you weren’t meant to hear it,” you snapped. “Not everything’s about you.”

He sneered. “WATCH YOUR TONGUE, HUMAN.”

“Or what? You don’t have power over here. Whatever you were in your universe, captain of the guard or what, it doesn’t apply here. You’re just a monster, just like the rest of the skeletons.”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER, I DO NOT LIKE BEING SPOKEN TO WITHOUT RESPECT.”

“Respect begets respect, Sans. If you want to be treated with such, then you should stop acting like an asshole.” Your expression softened at the thought of Red and Edge. “…You’re safe here. Nothing’s gonna get you and your brother.”

“AH, BUT IMPRISONMENT ISN’T ABOVE YOU? LAUGHABLE.”

“Well, who’s to say you won’t kill the first person you see?”

The edges of his teeth quirked upward. “PRECISELY THE REASON WHY YOU WOULD BE DEAD WHEN I FIND A WAY OUT OF THIS PLACE.”

“You can threaten me all you want but you’re not a murderer, Sans.”

He stopped, confusion flashing across his face before it was gone without a trace. “YOU COULD SAY THAT TO ALL THE MONSTERS AND HUMANS I’VE KILLED.”

“You had no choice. You had to. Circumstances lead you to kill them but if you had a choice, you wouldn’t.”

“STOP SPEAKING AS IF YOU’VE LIVED MY LIFE.”

You had a sense of dejavu wash over you. He reminded you too much of Red and Edge exchanging shifts so they could watch each other’s backs. “There are no targets on your back. You don’t have to follow anyone’s orders. You have no expectations you’d need to uphold.” You looked away. “You… don’t have to keep your guard up all night and pass out when you’ve reached the point of exhaustion.” You knew that this Sans and Papyrus would eventually adjust… but you had wanted to offer him assurance.

“…A truce,” you said. “I promise to protect you and your brother as long as you don’t attack my friends.”

He huffed mockingly. “AH YES. A HUMAN. PROTECTING MONSTERS.”

“You’re magic-less and weak for approximately seven days. And it’s no secret that humans are stronger than monsters with just our intent.” You sighed heavily. “And if it wasn’t obvious, this world’s Sans and I have our history. He won’t be able to touch you if I’m looking out for you.”

“BUT WE’RE STILL HELD CAPTIVE, ARE WE NOT?” he asked.

“You can go anywhere as long as you will not touch the device that we’ll bind to you.”

“BIND AS IN… HANDCUFFS,” he said in disbelief.

“No!” you hurriedly correct. “Like, a bracelet. Or a watch. It wouldn’t impede your movements in any way. It’s just… it collects information and data about you and in extension, the universe you’re from.”

“THAT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS.”

“It’s the only term you need to agree to for your freedom.”

“YOUR DEFINITION OF FREEDOM SOUNDS LIKE AN ILLUSION AT BEST.”

You tugged your scarf up to cover your nose, feeling the cold creeping up your body. “It’s only for a month, Sans.” You paused. “You would also need another name.”

“…”

“I can’t call you Sans. All the others have their own names. You can choose yours or I can pick for you.”

“…THE OTHERS?”

It must’ve been his weariness for staying up all night or the way you might’ve gotten his pity despite what he said a while ago, or maybe it was the fatigue in your face… but he was more cooperative right now than yesterday. You gave him a short run-down of everything that happened for context, squeezing all of it in a few minutes before introducing the other skeletons.

You hadn’t noticed the time pass by at all but when you felt your throat hoarse from all the talking along with someone knocking at the door frantically, you realized that you might’ve just spent a few hours in here.

You sluggishly made your way to the door and found Blue’s worried face in front of you.

“Y/N!” Blue exclaimed, making you flinch from the volume of his voice. He picked up on it because he toned it down. “I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU… EDGE SAID YOU WEREN’T IN YOUR ROOM. YOU’RE STILL SICK, AREN’T YOU?”

You nodded. “Sorry to worry you, Blue. I just thought it’d be nice to drop by to give food to the others.”

“YOU NEED TO REST, RIGHT NOW. YOU MIGHT COLLAPSE ANY MOMENT.” He looked genuinely worried for you. “I… I WOULD’VE VISITED YOU YESTERDAY BUT EDGE SAID IT WAS BEST NOT TO BOTHER YOU UNTIL YOU’VE REGAINED YOUR STRENGTH.”

You cracked a smile at him. “Yeah, I did miss you. I’ll be out in a second, okay? I just have to say goodbye.”

“…OKAY. I’LL WAIT FOR YOU.”

You closed the door to turn to snarky Sans. “I’m leaving but I will drop around later this day.”

“SPLENDID,” he said tightly. “I… WELL, IF YOU HAVE TIME THEN MAYBE YOU CAN THINK OF AN APPROPRIATE… NAMESAKE.”

“You want me to give you a name?”

“I’M NOT IMAGINATIVE ENOUGH TO THINK OF A BEFITTING ONE,” he hissed. “I WANT ANOTHER CONDITION. HANDS OFF MY BROTHER. AVOID INTERACTING WITH HIM AT ALL COSTS.”

You tilted your head.

“IT GOES FOR ALL OF YOU.”

“Oh. Well, let’s just see what happens, shall we?”

“THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER,” he asserted.

“I’m not laughing,” you simply answered. “Black.”

“WHAT?”

You shrugged. “It’s the name I thought suits you. We already have Blue and Red, I just thought it’d be cool if your name was a color, too.” You were bad at names. Though you decided not to give him the detail that it was Sans who chose the other skeletons’ names. You didn’t have any complaints about it in the beginning since you weren’t emotionally attached to them yet. But now you wanted to give the others a chance that your initial skeletons didn’t have.

“I GUESS IT IS… SUFFICIENT.”

“Hmm, you can change it’s not satisfactory to your tastes.”

Meeting with him before dawn has drastically changed his behavior and you largely assume it was because of his exhaustion plus the fact that he and his brother has an obvious emotional bond that distinguishes them from Red and Edge. It seems like he’s overprotective over Papyrus and might’ve not been used to being apart for longer than a day. Though he had an alarming amount of willpower if he didn’t ask a single question about his brother today.

“I’ll see you later. Please get some sleep.”

“REGRETTABLY SO,” he murmured unhappily. “BEGONE.”

You left the room, remembering to pick up Latin and Hip Hop’s food. You let Blue accompany you to their rooms to give them their food though you hadn’t stayed long. They were already awake and expressed their surprise and concern about your state and you explained that you weren’t in the condition to visit them at all yesterday. They were understanding enough, even if you couldn’t look them in the eye sockets.

Blue had his arms crossed as soon as the two of you got back to your apartment. You figured it wouldn’t make sense to stay in Red’s room anymore. He made sure that you tucked yourself in your bed all the while glaring at you.

“WHY WOULD YOU GO AND WALK AROUND AS IF YOU WEREN’T GOING TO FALL UNCONSCIOUS ANY TIME SOON?” He tsk-ed, adjusting your sheets. “YOU LOOK SO PALE, I’M WORRIED. YOU’RE GONNA BE FINE, RIGHT?”

“Yeah, this is just a human thing that happens often. I can fight through it, Blue, don’t worry about me.”

“EDGE MADE IT SOUND LIKE YOU’VE CAUGHT A SERIOUS DISEASE. IT WAS HARD TO GET A GLIMPSE OF YOU FROM ALL HIS GATEKEEPING,” he said with a huff. “IF HE’D CAUGHT YOU FIRST, I’M AFRAID I WOULDN’T SEE YOU IN DAYS TIME.”

“I think that’s just him fussing over me like you are, Blue,” you teased. You could already feel your eyelids shutting as you sink into your bed. The last hours had snuffed out all of your energy. “I’m really tired.”

“DON’T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD EAT FIRST? YOU’VE BARELY EATEN YESTERDAY,” he said worriedly. “I’LL HEAT SOME SOUP IN THE KITCHEN. STAY AWAKE FOR A FEW MINUTES FOR ME, OKAY?”

You mumbled something incoherently. You drifted off as soon as you heard the door shut close.

When you woke up again, it must’ve been some time in the afternoon. Your stomach was growling in hunger which was the reason you forced yourself off the bed. You felt a little better than last time which was a good sign, but your fever hasn’t really broken yet. You were too sick for a shower though you believed it might make you feel a little better.

You sluggishly moved towards the kitchen to where you were met with Ace, Blue, and Stretch.

“good morning, honey,” Stretch cooed as soon as he saw you, looking a little entertained at your suffering.

Blue smacked Stretch’s shoulder. “IT’S ALMOST 1 IN THE AFTERNOON IF YOU WERE CURIOUS, FRIEND.” He helped you settle on a chair. At the same time, a bowl of soup was placed in front of you by Ace.

“Perfect timing, dear human. I just finished preparing it for you.” Ace had a solemn expression. “It’s unfortunate that you had to catch the flu right when you got here. You must’ve been frazzled.”

You hummed, not wanting to admit the unbearable stress you were in. “Thank you for the food,” you whispered.  

“CAREFUL, IT’S HOT!”

You eased your way into the rice porridge that Ace made. In the midst of your eating, Stretch placed four familiar-looking metal devices on the table. “it came off. figured it was time for the next wave,” he said dryly.

“COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THEM?” Blue prompted. “I FIGURED AFTER YOU LET THEM GO, I COULD HOST THEM FOR A WHILE. SHOW THEM AROUND IN PLACE OF YOU WHILE YOU REST UNTIL YOU’VE REGAINED YOUR HEALTH BACK.”

“…sounds good.” It felt like there was something lodged in your throat. The thought that you’d let your friends handle it felt a lot like you were running away from your supposed responsibilities. But you knew you couldn’t work, not with the state you were in. Humans were fragile, after all.

You told them about the others, the two brothers who were similar to Red and Edge and then the dance brothers. You described what they were like in the few meetings you’ve had with them so far and expressed your concern about ‘Black’ and his brother. You told them Black’s warning and that Blue should make sure not to toe the line and respect his decision.

“sounds like a real ass,” Stretch commented.

“BROTHER! LANGUAGE!” Blue scolded. “I’M SURE THEY JUST HAVEN’T WARMED UP TO US YET. IF THEY’RE ANYTHING LIKE RED AND EDGE LIKE YOU SAY, THEN I CAN HANDLE THEM. I’M THE BEST OF BEFRIENDING MONSTERS, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF, MWEH HEH HEH!”

“they sound like a real pain to work with. if that black guy got’s a stick up his pelvis, i doubt they can get along with the other asses.”

“BROTHER, PLEASE,” Blue said, exasperated. “IT’S HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE TO TALK ABOUT PELVISES AND NON-EXISTENT ASSES IN FRONT OF FOOD.”

“sorry, bro.”

Ace seemed to sense your worries. “I’ll help with the managing the best I can, dear. You just have to focus on getting yourself back up on your feet.”

“EXACTLY, FRIEND. PLEASE DON’T THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT. I’M SURE WE CAN HANDLE IT.”

“…Okay. I guess I can do that,” you replied, deflated.

You asked about the whereabouts of the others as you finished up your meal.   Patch was taking a walk, presumably along the road that leads back to the city while Edge and Red were in the forest. Edge said something about setting up traps in the vicinity and Red was there to tag along and you assumed to keep an eye on him.

After eating, Blue accompanied you to the other skeleton’s rooms to attach the devices on them and free them. He assured you that he can explain everything to them once they were out; you just have to do what you need to do.

You met with Black first, considering that he was the one you stayed up all night talking to. He was already waiting for you and hadn’t fought as much to secure the device on him. Though he kept glaring at it as if it offended his entire existence whenever he thought you weren’t looking. You warned him of the consequence if he or his brother ever had thoughts on destroying it, such that your truce with him will be off and that they’d likely be locked back into their cells. You felt repulsed with yourself but you continued to make yourself believe it was for their sake.

You left the door open when you went to get his brother. You still didn’t know what to call him and since Black had expected you not to interact with him, you figured that asking Black for a name for his brother was out of the question. You wouldn’t need a name for someone you were warned not to talk to.

You opted to call him Papyrus in your head instead… there wasn’t anyone else around you called Paps. You winced at the nickname… okay, maybe not that. Rus could be a better alternative.

Black instructed his brother what to do from outside the room while you went in to give Rus the device. Rus, surprised at the sight of his brother, obediently followed him. You shut down the wall, allowing him to exit the room and be reunited with his brother.

You let them have their moment as you fetched the dance brothers. You could barely look at Hip Hop and Latin and Blue immediately swooped in to your aid as soon as they were out. Blue lead them all back to the apartment, with Black and Rus declining to participate in order to scout the area. He hadn’t said it out loud but you knew he was gonna do it sooner or later.

“hey.”

You let out a squeak in surprise as you turned to see that Hip Hop had fallen behind to accompany you. “O-oh. Hey,” you greeted, looking away. “Uhm, this isn’t the ideal scenario, I’m sure, but I hope you guys settle in okay. Do you, uh, need anything?”

He shrugged casually. “eh, this is a surprising turn of events given that we were home just a couple of days ago but ya know, i’ll give it arrest.”

You flinched at the pun, only to regret it when you saw his grin drop a little. Why do you keep doing that? “Mhm, sorry. I…” You tried to find something to say, something that won’t be too obvious that you were trying to get away from this conversation. It was hard to look at him when all you can see were your failures.

“OH, FRIEND, THERE YOU ARE! YOU SHOULD BE IN BED ALREADY!” Blue appeared, with Latin tailing right behind him. “OH, YOU WERE HERE, TOO, HIP HOP! COME, COME! IT’S MUCH FASTER TO DISCLOSE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION WHEN YOU’RE BOTH PRESENT.”

Hip Hop nodded, stealing one last glance at you before following the other two. You see Blue gesturing you to your room with a nod of his head and you sent him an appreciative smile.

You caught a glimpse of Ace and Blue sitting down on the kitchen table with Latin and Hop before you slunk back into the comforts of your room. You sunk into your bed, releasing a heavy sigh, feeling unsatisfied with everything you’ve done today. Everything just felt so… wrong.

You knew sleep would come the moment you close your eyes but you found yourself trying not to, punishing yourself for even finding the smallest bit of comfort when you had just done something wrong. And it doesn’t feel like this will let up anytime soon.

Were your friends safe handling the new arrivals by themselves? You haven’t known them as long and they seemed to cooperate so they could gather more intel about the world they found themselves in.

How would you get their trust this time when they don’t see you as a victim as the first skeletons did?

It was messed up that you thought that locking them in their cells so they’d bond with you was easier than doing this the old-fashioned way. How long have you been here that your way of thinking had been affected this much?

You mentally berated yourself, hating and feeling pity for yourself at the same time. Why you? Why were you in this situation? Maybe if you didn’t care for your stupid skeleton friends in the first place, maybe if you didn’t get attached. Maybe you should’ve listened to those people who told you that monsters were just gonna give you trouble. They weren’t worth the effort.

“penny for your thoughts?”

You snapped out of your trainwreck. Stretch was standing in your doorway.

“How long were you there?” you asked, surprised.

“long enough,” he said. “can i come in?” You gave him a nod and he came into your room, closing the door behind him. “it’s weird, i can’t teleport into your room. not that i would anyway.”

You cracked a smile, putting a finger under your chin as you pretended to be thoughtful. “But didn’t that mean that you did try teleporting?”

“what can i say? hard to break old habits, honey.”

“What are you doing here anyway? I’m sick. I can’t keep you company.” You blinked, eventually remembering what you two had talked about. “Great timing on your part.”

“can’t say no to taking naps, you know?” he said with a grin. You rolled your eyes, scooting over to give him space. “unless you’d rather be alone. just say the word.”

“It’s fine as long as you don’t mind me being a sweaty and sick human.”

“kinda gross, yeah.”

“Get out.”

He let out a snort, observing you for a brief second. “do you need anything?”

“Sleep,” you answered. “And to be absolved of all my sins.”

“’m not a genie,” he said in amusement.

“I know.”

Stretch took a tentative step towards you, letting the back of his palm rest on your forehead. You huffed a laugh. “How would you even gauge my temperature, Stretch? I thought the cold goes right through you?”

“mhm. i deem you above average hotness.”

“Thanks. I’ve never been hot before.”

His sockets crinkled as his grin widened. “you’re funnier than usual. you should be sick all the time.”

“If I wasn’t sick, I would’ve smacked you right now.”

“nice try.” He patted your head. “i think your fever’s gone down though. red told me you were like a furnace when he found you. you should rest.”

“That’s why I’m here,” you murmured. “Are you gonna get in or what?”

“you asking me to get in bed with you?” He wiggled his brows. “scandalous, honey. i can’t say i’m shocked though.”

“Shut up. Just get in or leave.”

“how can i say no? you’re just the sweetest,” he said with a soft grin. He took the spot next to you but he didn’t close the distance. He sat upright, crossing his arms while staring at you. “i’m here. you can sleep.”

You snuggled into your blankets, reassured, and darkness claimed you in one swift move.

You spent the next two days in your room, only going out when you needed to use the bathroom. Stretch was usually in your room, keeping you company but he also took care of you when he thought you wouldn’t notice. He would change your sheets twice a day, give you fresh blankets, and stuff your clothes in the washer using blue magic.

He makes sure you were always warm and bundled up, with Blue checking in every few hours to see how you were doing. The only other skeleton who visited you was Ace when he comes in to serve you food. You never saw Red and Edge unless you bumped into them on the occasion that you leave your room. You’d assume that they could be angry at you but… it would make more sense that they’re embarrassed since they’ve taken care of you that first day.

Patch was doing his own things, presumably venturing around the forest and having mini-adventures. You knew he wasn’t meant to be stuck in one place for so long. You can’t say the same for Ace. He really seemed to like domestic life.

You could only get updates from Blue about the others. Black and Rus were seen taking strolls around the vicinity, eyeing the locked rooms, and the big vaulted door. Blue had never seen Rus separated from Black; they were always together. He informed you that Rus does speak, only to his brother. You had assumed he was mute since he hadn’t spoken to you at all but maybe… you had an inkling that he might be completely dependent on his brother.

Latin and Hip Hop on the other hand was taking every opportunity to be outside. Blue said that they absolutely loved the stars, the grass, the road. Latin had invited Blue to dance to whom he immediately agreed to and they had the time of their lives. You weren’t inclined on asking Blue what happened… you had just decided not to accept any encounters from either of the dance brothers starting today.

Being laid out in front of someone like an open book and being emotionally vulnerable was not something you were looking forward to feeling in the near future.

The one skeleton you still hadn’t seen was Sans who refused to answer your call when you had that one chance to slip into the security room. You still felt an amalgamate of emotions that you weren’t eager on making make sense. Him leaving you hanging like this left you confused; there wasn’t anything you’ve done that could be making him ignore you like this.

You took a shower after what seemed like decades, rubbing off the sick and sweat off you. You literally felt a hundred times better despite Blue’s warning that it might come back if you do take one, emphasizing that it might be safer if you had waited until it was completely gone. You didn’t listen.

You were more open to touch once you knew you were clean and fresh out of the shower. Stretch still made sure you were warm and toasty, making you wear socks and scarves to trap the heat inside your body.

It was in the middle of the night when you got the urge to go outside. You’ve been locked in your room for only a little less than a week but it was making you antsy that you hadn’t seen the sky.

You sat up, quietly slipping off the bed to avoid waking Stretch up who had been spending the nights in your room. He wasn’t as touchy as you thought he’d be, as he slept with his hands in his pockets. You like to think it was just him making sure you still had your space despite him invading it. Or maybe he was waiting for you to make the first move to confirm that you were okay with it. You never did make a move; you were too self-conscious about your being sick even if monsters can’t catch human sickness.

“and where are you going, buddy?”

You froze, looking back at Stretch who still had his sockets closed.

“Out,” you answered. “Why are you still awake?”

“can’t sleep. you?”

“Yeah, I wanna go outside,” you admitted. “You guys might’ve rubbed off on me, I kinda wanna see the stars.”

Stretch sat up. “oh. well, i know a spot.” He stood up and headed straight to the door. He gestured outside with a nod, “coming?” Once the two of you were out of the room and in the middle of the apartment, he reached his hand out to you.

You took it without hesitation.

You felt the world shift around you and in the next second, you were no longer in your room. You were outside, standing on the roof of the building as a soft breeze caressing your face. A gasp escaped your lips while you took in the sight.

An endless amount of trees surrounded you accompanied by the eerie, calming sounds of the forest. What caught your eye was the quarter moon in the star-littered sky. You were enveloped by darkness with only the moon providing natural light. The stars were breathtaking from up here, twinkling and gleaming at you as you stared up at it.

You hadn’t thought you could be enamored by something you’ve gotten used to seeing in your entire life.

The two of you were silent, taking in the view with each other’s company.

When your neck started to hurt from staring up for too long, that was when you decided to come back down. Stretch reached for your hand, planting a small skeleton kiss at the back of your hand before porting both of you back into the middle of your apartment.

He never released your hand as the two of you walked back into your room. It felt nice, looked after by someone you cared about. You could afford to let yourself relish at the moment, even with your conscience screaming at you constantly. You can pretend for a moment that everything was all right.

After all, it was all you could do. Pretend.

“better?”

“Certainly.” You had the urge to act some of your affection towards him, just to show how much you appreciated him being there with you. You stopped right in front of the room and faced him, standing on your toes to reach his height. You let your lips softly brush against his cheek before pulling away in the briefest of seconds. “Thanks.”

His expression was a look of surprise before it softened. “eh, you give me too much credit.”

You were about to quip back, only to freeze the moment you heard someone shuffling about in your room. Stretch seemed to have picked up on it, too. His eye flamed a bright orange in a split second while you slipped into your room, locking it behind you as you muttered a fast, “Sorry!”

You turned on the lights in your room, ignoring Stretch’s knocking and incessant, “open this up, y/n!”

Sans stood in the middle of the room, looking as if he’s been through hell. The circles under his eyes were as deep like you’ve never seen before and it seemed like he hadn’t changed or showered in weeks.

The last time you’ve heard his voice, he told you he was ‘close’ and you could see it in his sockets, the way it lit up brighter than usual despite his weary condition.

“What’s wrong?” you asked as your suppressed mixed emotions bubbled up on the surface. You were in a state of confusion; you wanted to warm up to him, tell him that everything was gonna be okay, and at the same time, you wanted to curse at him, yell that this was all his fault.

“sorry, kid, i’m gonna have to give you one more task.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Sans was not the person you knew before. You know this unconsciously yet you’ve never progressed past the denial part. He wasn’t the type of monster to deliberately hurt anyone, especially you. Yet over the past few months, he had regressed into a version of him you never thought he could be.

You try to look at him through the lenses of his past self. The one you know and love. Your best friend. Your funny, loving, thoughtful partner. It’s helpful when he had done something to hurt you, unintentionally or not. When he brewed up a shitstorm and left you to clean up his mess. When you don’t recognize him anymore and he’s just a stranger.

As soon as you took Sans’ hand, you winded up in a different yet familiar-looking room. The sudden teleportation had knocked off your breath and you had to take a moment to steady yourself. With your eyes closed, you gripped his hand that you were still holding, and in a way, it was your way of trying to get through to him like you’ve been trying to do ever since you lost him. It wasn’t just Papyrus you lost that day.

“you ok?” Sans asked, steadying you as he lightly touched your elbow. “you’re sick,” he said plainly.

“Clearly.” Without thinking, you placed your hand on his shoulder and gently bumped your forehead on his skull. The two of you stayed like that for a moment and in those span of seconds, it felt like everything was alright. Like everything was as it was supposed to be.  

Boney fingers brushed your hair to the side and you felt something lodged in your throat.

I miss you, you wanted to say. You missed your friend. You missed him before all this. Maybe being sick has temporarily made you forget all the hurt that he has put you through. In the end, all you needed was your friend back.

Despite everything, you just wanted him to be better.

You caught a glimpse of pain across his face before it was gone in a blink. He withdrew first and you had to stop the urge from clinging onto him. You gripped the blanket around you instead, pushing down all your emotions resurfacing.

You finally had time to observe where he brought you. It was certainly a similar design with all the other rooms but there was one thing different. Instead of an electric wall, there was a glass wall in place. A food slot was incorporated into the design to the side.

You could feel all the warmth from a second ago vanish in an instant. “…Who is this?” you asked quietly, staring at a new skeleton lying face flat on the floor. “You brought me here for… new skeletons?”

“you weren’t supposed to meet them,” Sans answered, crossing his arms across his chest. He can’t seem to look you in the eye. “i was deciding between letting them dust or not.”

Your hands were cold. “What? Did you bring me here to kill them?”

“no!” Sans said quickly. “but they’re too dangerous to be alive in our world, kid. i just… they’d already suffered enough,” he murmured under his breath.

You walked towards the unconscious skeleton, choking in surprise when you saw the large hole in his skull. “He’s hurt!”

Sans shook his head. “for some reason, the injury won’t heal even with monster food.”

“What… what does that mean?”

“the injury’s not physical,” Sans said. “i… look, kid. i didn’t know what to do with them. they have a high lv and according to the data i’ve collected, they’ve eaten humans.”

You bent down on your knees, staring at the immobile skeleton, uncomprehending the information given to you. Your eyes roamed the figure, feeling a shiver down your spine when you realize that his way of clothing was way too familiar than you’d like. “Why?”

“they were starving.”

You stood up fast. “…And how many times have you fed them since they came here?”

You could see shame in his sockets as he tried to shrug nonchalantly. “once or twice.”

“Once or—” You bit your lower lip, feeling anger bubble up from the pit of your stomach. “You knew they were starving and you didn’t feed them!? Sans!”

“i told you, i was deciding between letting them live or not,” Sans repeated. “they’re far too dangerous to be out in our world. have you not heard the part where i said they eat humans?”

You couldn’t help but raise your voice. “Well, if I was starving, I would’ve fucking ate some damn humans as well!”

“i…” He had a look of surprise on his face. “i was worried they’d come after you!”

“If you really know me, you would’ve known that I’d rather save them than worry for my own life, you numbskull!” You were angry, you were hurt, but you were sick. And your emotions had a dull edge to it instead of overwhelming, which in this case, fared well for Sans. You looked back at the skeleton, your eyes tearing up. “You do know me, don’t you? It’s why you brought me here.”

Sans was quiet for a while. “i just thought you’d like to give them a chance.”

“When did they arrive?” you asked. You were tired but it was no use arguing with Sans about this. It already happened. Now the question was, what were you supposed to do about it?

“they came along with the other two. the… other swapped pair weren’t supposed to be here. i inputted the wrong numbers and when i went to correct it, it was too late.”

You were shaking your head again, one palm flat against the glass wall. “We don’t have enough devices.”

“they’re different. they weren’t even knocked out by the anti-magic barrier since they barely have any magic left. they can’t be let out, kid. i’m serious this time.”

“You’re not,” you snapped, looking at him with a blank face. “You wanted to give them a chance, too. You would’ve killed them the moment you’ve deemed them unimportant.” You paused. “But they are important, aren’t they?”

You looked back at the skeleton, your heart breaking for him. There was nothing more you’d like to do than to wrap him in your arms and whisper that everything would be fine. You haven’t even met him yet but something was pulling you to him, something similar that you’ve felt with Sans before.

As you observed him for a while longer, the more obvious it seemed. The jacket, the shorts, the slippers. You couldn’t mistake it. But… that’s…

You swallowed a lump in your throat, pressing your palm as if you could go through the wall. “When you said you were close… was this what you meant?”

Sans didn’t give you an answer.

The silence was loud and unmistakable.

“i need to get back to my work,” he said at last. “they’re on you, now. just don’t get yourself killed.”

You were shaking your head again. “How do I get them out of here?”

“you don’t.”

Before you could retort, he was already gone. You haven’t seen him in what seems like ages and though you sought his presence, all he did was give you more problems than you could handle. It was hard to find reasons to redeem him when he’s done nothing but hurt you and the others around him.

You look back at the newest skeleton addition, dread creeping up your back. You were smart. That was one of the reasons why could hang out around Sans back then. You could keep up with him and Alphys. And judging from the way Sans looked and his attachment to these new pair, you could already deduce who they were.

He didn’t need to tell you himself, you could figure that out on your own. 

The problem was… how do you handle two similar versions of the same monster?

…How did your Sans feel about them? Did it hurt to see that in another world, they were still suffering? You could understand why he was hesitant in killing them off. Why would you ever want to see yourself suffering when you’ve been going through your own hell as hell?

You could already think what he was thinking. Was he just meant to go through the worst no matter what happened? Was he not meant to achieve happiness at all?  

You blinked, clutching the blanket around you tighter. You needed to feed him. You haven’t seen any monster fall down yet but he looked like he was about to shatter into pieces any moment.

You turned around to exit the room.

As you closed the door, you jumped at the sight of a hooded skeleton pressing his skull against the door right next to where you were. It was Rus.

He looked startled to see you, straightening up his back while taking a step away from the door.

Nobody talked for a whole minute.

You cleared your throat, knowing you looked like a mess. “Uh, hey. What’re you doing here? Where’s your brother?” Your voice was hoarse but you were too exhausted to care.

He was about to open his mouth before he shut it close, pushed his hands into his pockets, and then turned around to head for the elevator.

You briefly remembered you weren’t supposed to talk or interact with him. But Black wasn’t here. What his brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him. You winced. Unless he somehow knew.

You walked behind him until the two of you got on the elevator. He wasn’t saying a word and you were afraid of what Black might do to try again. Maybe next time,  when you didn’t feel vulnerable and weak. You glanced at the buttons. You were on the fourth floor where the dance brother’s rooms were located.

You had been so close to these unnamed skeletons, you couldn’t believe you could’ve met them sooner. You would’ve taken care of them the moment you knew of their existence. That or you would drop from fatigue first.

“Hey,” you said under your breath, “I want you to know that nobody here wants to harm you. I hope the few days you’ve been here have treated you well. I know Blue, Ace and maybe Stretch and Patch would accommodate you and your brother kindly. Red and Edge are a little rough around the edges but they’re good, I promise.” You would’ve vouched for Latin and Hip Hop but you don’t know them that well yet. You do, but you don’t.

His resting bitch face waned a bit when you stole a glance.

“you—” The elevator door dinged open. He didn’t finish whatever he was going to say and hurriedly went out. You debated whether to run after him or not and in the end, you decided to let it go. You’d have plenty of time for breaking his walls down after you take care of immediate things and rest up.

You shuffled into your apartment, almost stopping in your tracks once you saw Stretch waiting in the living room for you. You had forgotten about him. He stood up from the couch with a perturbed expression. “y/n.”

“Not now Stretch.” You brushed past him and into the kitchen, hurrying to reheat the rest of the frozen burritos that haven’t been touched since the day you fed it to the other newcomers. You figured three each was enough. You could give them Edge’s lasagna when lunch comes around.

“where are you taking those?” Stretch asked, his brow bones furrowing.

You had no choice but to have this conversation with him while waiting for the food to heat up. “There are other skeletons upstairs.”

“what, 3 other pairs?” he said in utter disbelief. “that’s fucking crazy.”

“There’s only two of them,” you corrected. “They’re just… They have a huge appetite, I assume.”

Stretch blankly stared at you. “but we don’t have any more devices.”

“I know.”

He took a step closer, his expression dropping. “you promised.”

“I’m trying my best here, Stretch,” you said, voice cracking. “I’m doing everything that I can.” Tears erupted from your eyes and Stretch’s serious expression disappeared as he wrapped his arms around you in comfort.

“shit, shit, i’m sorry, honey,” he murmured, hugging you tightly while cradling the back of your head. “you’re right, you’re absolutely right. i know you’ve been doing your best. i’m sorry, i was just mad about what happened earlier.”

You quietly sobbed into his shoulder, the blanket rolling off your shoulders since you were instead grabbing the back of his jacket. “I’m sorry for locking you out. I just didn’t want anyone getting hurt. I didn’t wanna lose either of you.”

He rubbed his nose into your hair. “you’re alright, honey.” The oven dinged, signaling that it finished reheating. “we’ll talk about this later, okay? and you need to rest up, you hadn’t gotten any sleep yet. we don’t want your fever to get worse, do we?”

“I will, this will be quick.”

Stretch nuzzled under your jaw. “i’ll come with you.”

The trip back to the fourth floor was quick. Your body was getting whiplash from the exhaustion since you barely got any sleep. You knocked three times on the door before entering even though you knew that this Sans was unconscious.

You slipped the paper bag through the food slot and watched as it dropped on the ground and a stray burrito rolled out of it next to his head. He didn’t move at all.

Your heart reached out to him, kneeling and tapping the glass wall directly in front of his face. “Sans? Can you wake up? Can you hear me?” You wiped the tears on your cheeks and knocked harder. “Come on, Sans. I know you’re in there. You could hear me, right? You’re safe now. Please.”

You wanted to shatter the glass wall just to get to him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier. I’m sorry if I missed you. Just don’t give up. You can see Paps again, okay? We’re here.”

You waited. You could leave the room right now so you can feed Papyrus or you could wait for him to wake up and make sure he eats his food.

A whole five minutes passed. He didn’t move a bone at all. You bit your quivering lip as you pushed yourself up, ignoring the way your knees shook. There’s still hope, right? He’d wake up.

You left the room, your head getting heavier by the minute. Stretch must’ve asked you something but your head was too fuzzy to understand him.

You knocked before entering Papyrus’ room, clutching the paper bag in your hand.

“A HUMAN?”

Hearing his voice shook your core and it snapped you out of your daze. You blinked away the tears forming in your eyes. “Papyrus?”

“YOU KNOW MY NAME!” A tall -taller than Edge or even taller than Ace- Papyrus stood before you. His back was bent but he still has a towering form. You imagine he could reach the ceiling if he really wanted to. Like his Sans, his form was odd and stretched out in all the wrong places. His teeth were long and overlapped each other. His clothes were all ragged, old, and tattered. To a stranger, he was the definition of a nightmare.

Not to you. All you could think was ‘he’s close, he’s back’. Maybe your initial encounter with Latin had you preparing for this specific situation when you meet Papyrus again. The closest Papyrus yet. “Hi, Papyrus. Are you hungry?”

He cocked his head to the side. “I’VE BEEN HUNGRY ALL MY LIFE! YOU HAVEN’T SEEN MY BROTHER AROUND, HAVE YOU?”

“He’s asleep in the other room.” You walked to the slot, sliding in his portion of the food.

Papyrus trudged over to grab it and you watched with a hurt expression at the way he walked. “OH, THREE? THIS IS GENEROUS OF YOU, HUMAN.” It’s either he ignored the way you looked at him or he was oblivious to it. “COULD YOU BRING TWO OF THESE TO MY BROTHER? HE HASN’T EATEN IN DAYS!”

“I gave him three as well, Papyrus. That’s all yours.” You couldn’t let him see how close to breaking down you were.

“ALL FOR ME?” he said in surprise. “I…”

You pressed a hand to the wall. “Eat all of it. I’ll come by again later to give you more food, okay?”

“MORE FOOD? OH MY.” Without a second thought, he fished one of them from the bag and bit into the wrapper, finishing it in two bites. He paused, a look akin to bewilderment written all over his face as he dug into the rest of the contents without a thought.

You looked away and waited for him to finish.

“TO BE H-HONEST, I HAVEN’T HAD THAT MUCH FOOD IN A LONG TIME!” he finally said. “I CAN’T BELIEVE THERE’S STILL MONSTER FOOD IN THIS PLACE! WHERE ARE WE EXACTLY?”

“You’re in a different timeline, Papyrus. Monsters broke the barrier over 5 years ago and have been living on the surface since then. I was great friends with this universe’s Papyrus so I think we could also be friends.”

“WAS?”

Your throat closed up. “Uhm, yeah. There’s a… there’s been an accident. But this universe’s Sans, my Sans, is trying to get his Papyrus back. I can tell you the whole of it next time.”

“…DOES THAT MEAN WE’RE FRIENDS, TOO?”

You forced a smile. “Only if you want to.”

“I HAVE A HUMAN FRIEND,” he echoed in astonishment. “THAT’S GREAT CONSIDERING THAT I—UH…” His sentence trailed off as he looked to the side, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

You didn’t want to force him to tell you or to tell him that you know. He doesn’t have to bring it up to you ever. You were fine with forgetting about it. The worst was over. “You’re alright, Papyrus. Rest up, okay? I’ll be back later.”

“THANK YOU KINDLY, NICE HUMAN FRIEND!”

“My name’s Y/N.”

“THANK YOU KINDLY, NICE HUMAN Y/N FRIEND!”

“I’d love to stay and chat next time if you’re up for it.” Sooner or later, you’d have to tell him everything as well. But in your state, you’d drop unconscious sooner or later.

“OF COURSE!”

You left the room and Stretch was there to catch you as soon as your knees started to wobble. He pressed his palm on your forehead, shooting you a worried look. “your fever’s gone up again. my bro’s gonna be mad.”

“Don’t tell him then.”

“TELL ME WHAT?” Both you and Stretch froze.

Blue entered your line of sight, hands on his hips. “I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE BOTH OF YOU. BROTHER, YOU’RE A TERRIBLE BABYSITTER!”

“Sorry, Blue,” you apologized. “But it was an emergency.”

Blue held up a hand, shooting you a glare. “BACK TO YOUR ROOM, HUMAN! MY BROTHER WILL LIKELY TELL ME EVERYTHING. I WANT YOU SNUGGLED UP IN BLANKETS AND SLEEPING IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES!”

“aye-aye. i’ll meet you in the kitchen,” Stretch drawled.

Stretch tucked you in your bed after teleporting right in front of your room. His expression was troubled as he busied himself making sure that everything was fixed up.

“Penny for your thoughts?” you mused.

He paused then shook his head. “nothing important, honey. just go to sleep.”

“Don’t go hiding things from me now, Stretch. Communication, remember?”

He smiled and for once in a while, he let you see how sad he was. “just thinking that we should’ve kidnapped you for real. red and edge had the right idea.”

You tsked. “It wouldn’t have worked out. I’d be out trying to find my way back as soon as I see an opening.”

“then maybe we could give you your own prison,” he joked.

It was too tasteless for the both of you. He seemed to regret it as soon as it was out of his mouth.

“Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.”

“you don’t look very taken care of,” he hummed. “just go to sleep, hun. i’ll try to straighten things up.”

You waited until Stretch was out of the room. When you were sure he and his brother were occupied, you slid out of the apartment with your pillows and blankets and started to make your way to the elevator.

You bumped into Black in the lobby. He raised a brow bone at your disheveled state. “...WHERE ARE YOU GOING DRESSED LIKE THAT?”

“Just up,” you answered. “If anybody asks, I’m in one of the fourth-floor rooms.”

He huffed, looking as if you were wasting his time. “GREAT. I’LL BE SURE NOT TO TELL ANYONE THAT.”

“Oh, also I bumped into Rus—your brother, by himself this morning. I thought you two were inseparable?”

Black’s expression soured. “AH. SO THAT’S WHERE HE RAN OFF TO. DON’T MIND HIM, HE’S BEING ENTIRELY UNREASONABLE, SAYING THINGS LIKE INDEPENDENCE OR SOMETHING.”

“I mean he looked capable of protecting himself.” You shrugged. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

“DO NOT GIVE ME ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE MY OWN BROTHER, HUMAN,” Black hissed. Without another word, he left.

You watched him retreat before going into the elevator. You dropped yourself off on the fourth floor, finding yourself inside the room with the unconscious Sans. You settled next to him, throwing your pillow on the floor and wrapping yourself with the blanket like a burrito.

You cast him a gloomy expression, pressing a hand to the cold glass. “I’m right here, Sans,” you said under your breath.

This certainly wasn’t your ideal place to rest. You’ve chosen the cold, hard floor instead of your comfy bedroom despite still nursing a fever. But for some reason, you knew this Sans needed company. He was dying and you were afraid he’d disappear in front of your eyes without even getting to meet him.

Humans can barely live without social interaction. Babies have literally died from the lack of a mother’s touch even with all their needs taken care of.

You just didn’t want him to be alone if he had fallen down. You wanted to be here for him even when all you could offer was your presence.

At least he had you.

Before you even realize it, darkness had engulfed you.

You were awakened by the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. You opened your eyes and were met with a red, unblinking eyelight.

You yelped as you sat up, grimacing at the feel of the bare cold floor on your palm. “Oh my god, you scared me.”

He was sitting on the floor, an arm strewn on one leg bent up. He stared at you quite blatantly.

Your eyes searched for the bag of food you gave him and found it on the floor, empty along with one wrapper. You cocked your head to the side, trying to ignore the pulse in your head. “You…” you began. He ate only one of the three burritos you gave him…? Was he saving it?

You felt a pinch in your heart. You remembered the way his brother had tore into the food in seconds.

--Food!

You fumbled for your phone to see that lunch had passed two hours ago. You promised Papyrus you’d bring him food for lunch!

At the thought of food, your stomach grumbled.

You pushed yourself off the floor and combed through your messy, tangled hair with your fingers. “I’ll bring food in a moment. Wait for me, ok?”

You left the room in a hurry, deciding to leave your pillow and blanket in there. You hadn’t gotten very far. You’ve taken a total of one step forward when you stopped in front of an unamused Edge.

“Edge!” you squeaked in surprise.

“HUMAN,” he said, disgruntled. “WHY ON EARTH WERE YOU IN HERE WHEN YOU SHOULD BE IN BED?”

“How’d you know I was in here?”

“THE SHORT-TEMPERED GREMLIN DISCLOSED YOUR LOCATION AFTER SEEING BLUE THROW A TANTRUM.”

“You meant Black, right?” you paused. “Blue threw a tantrum? That’s very unlikely.”

Edge cleared his throat. “YES, WELL, I MIGHT’VE OVEREXAGGERATED IT A BIT BUT BLACK COULDN’T HANDLE HIS THEATRICS AND GAVE US THE INFO.”

“So… why isn’t Blue here?”

Edge pretended to dust off his shoulder as he began to walk towards the elevator. “HE WENT TO GO GET MORE GROCERIES WITH ACE, STRETCH, AND MY BROTHER.” He glanced at you, observing your face. “HOW ARE YOU FEELING?”

“Honestly? Much better than I had in days. I need to go to the bathroom, though. And eat.”

“PERFECT TIMING. I HAD JUST FINISHED PREPARING SOUP FOR YOU.”

You were relying on your lack of taste when you had a spoonful of Edge’s soup. It was mushroom soup and one he had learned from watching a show on TV. You weren’t sick enough to not taste it but surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. It was just a little watery than what it should be.

You had two servings, making him heat half of his lasagna in the process to give to the other two upstairs. The others didn’t seem to want to touch it without Edge’s permission. He had no problem with it when you told him you were gonna serve it to the other two, though he was shocked to learn that there were more he hadn’t met yet.

He wasn’t as upset as Stretch was but considering that Blue and Stretch had it worse than the others, that wasn’t as surprising.

“ARE YOU SURE YOU DON’T NEED ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE?” Edge asked.

“You’re doting on me again.”

“STOP SPOUTING OFF LIES. I’M MERELY ASKING.” Edge huffed, turning around to face the sink as he washed the dishes to hide his abashed expression.

“So… how are you doing with the others? Are they settling in yet? You friends with Black now?”

“HARDLY. I WOULD NEVER CALL BLACK A FRIEND. BUT WE CAN AGREE… ON SOME POINTS. I DON’T INTERACT WITH THE OTHERS MUCH, BABYSITTER. I AM NOT THEIR KEEPER.”

You hummed. “Okay, what have you been doing to busy yourself then?”

“NOTHING OF VALUE. I’VE STARTED TO CRAFT SOME TRAPS IN THE VICINITY TO DETER TRESPASSERS INTO INTRUDE THIS LAND. THE FOREST IS VAST, I’VE ONLY DONE A THIRD AROUND THE AREA.”

“Oh? You do that all day?”

“THINKING OF CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE TRAPS WITH THE RESOURCES I HAVE NOW TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT,” he said fairly smugly. “IT TAKES UP QUITE A BIT OF MY DAY.”

“I’m sure it does.” You were glad that he had somehow found something to occupy his time while he’s stuck in here. Sooner or later, he’d want to do more. Probably similar to Patch, he’d want to explore places other than this dreadful building. Just like they said, they were only just here because of you and because of the machine that could be their only way home.

You delivered the food to Papyrus first since you’ve promised him you’d bring him food.

“FOOD IS SERVED AGAIN! AND WITH SUCH LITTLE WAITING TIME!” he commended while you handed him the tray of reheated lasagna through the food slot. You added one of those plastic utensils for him since you were worried about giving him anything sharp.

You were slightly apprehensive of him using it against you but you were more afraid of him hurting himself with it.

You sat cross-legged on the floor, making yourself comfortable. “Would you like to hear stories about me, Papyrus? I’d love to get to know you better!”

“ARE YOU SURE? IS THIS NOT AN ELABORATE PRANK?” he asked forwardly, already halfway through the tray. “I HAVE NEVER MET SUCH A NICER HUMAN THAN YOU. I COULD TELL YOU WERE TELLING THE TRUTH SINCE MOST HUMANS’ FIRST INSTINCT WHEN THEY SEE ME IS TO RUN AWAY.”

You gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Yes, I’m not most humans since I used to be one of your best human friends.”

“ALRIGHT, I GUESS I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO BUT TO LISTEN, DON’T I?”

You inhaled and then introduced yourself to him. This was a different approach from the others but like Sans, you have an odd link to them even when they weren’t your original skeletons. They were still your skeletons, you just haven’t met them yet.

You started with your childhood, your family, your school life. You didn’t dwell too much on those. You gave more details when you were at the part when you met Sans. It gave way to your meeting of your Papyrus and your friendship with him.

You picked up on the little hint that he looked sad while listening. “…Is this making you sad?”

“YES. IT’S FUNNY HOW YOU’RE MOST LIKELY TALKING ABOUT ME BUT I DON’T RECOGNIZE MYSELF ANYMORE.”

You were somehow taken aback. “Oh. I guess I don’t see it that way. You’re still Papyrus and we could still be great friends. Did you think I wasn’t gonna like you?”

“HUMANS DON’T BEFRIEND MONSTERS LIKE ME,” he admitted. “I WAS MOSTLY CERTAIN THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES AND THE BARRIER IS BROKEN, HUMANS WILL WAGE WAR ON MONSTERS ONCE AGAIN. I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GO SO WELL LIKE YOU’VE SAID.”

“It’s different,” you realized. “When monsters were free, they were accomodating and friendly which was mainly the reason why humans gave them a chance. But yours…” You trailed off, casting him a worried look.

He didn’t look too comfortable talking about it.

“You don’t have to tell me everything,” you said to him in assurance. “I just wanted to know you better and wanted you to know me. You’re not Underground anymore, I want you to understand that. I can keep you fed while you’re staying here.”

“OH, YES, I WAS GETTING TO THAT. YOU MENTIONED WE WERE AT THE SURFACE. WHY AM I ‘STAYING’ HERE?”

Your heart sunk. “You’re… uhm… well, we noticed you had a high LV. Have you killed anyone?”

He shuffled uncomfortably. “ONCE OR TWICE, MAYBE,” he said vaguely. “BUT NOT ON PURPOSE.”

“I understand. But... I’ve been told to keep you in here, where you’re safe and you can’t hurt or be hurt by anyone. It’s not ideal but it’s a plan. I’ll try to negotiate to give you more freedom but for now,” you gestured to the room plainly, “you’ll have to get used to it.”

It felt wrong to say that to him when they’ve been imprisoned Underground and starving for god knows how long. You wanted to promise him that he’ll be free someday but Sans had been loud and clear.

They cannot be out.

It’s not something that you agree wholeheartedly to but you need to gauge how much of a threat they were and how you were going to handle them. If somebody dies, Sans will pin it on you. Even though you don’t like it, they have to stay here for an indefinite amount of time until you can convince Sans that they’re safe enough to roam outside.

You hid your shaking hands behind your back.

You know what Sans will do to test them. It’s just like what he did to you with Stretch. He’s gonna lock you in the room with them without any barriers and if you survive, that would be good enough.

“IT’S NOT SO BAD! THE TEMPERATURE’S JUST RIGHT. THE BED COULD BE BETTER. I HAVE HEAPS AMOUNT OF FOOD! AND I HAVE YOU FOR COMPANY! IT’S DEFINITELY BETTER THAN…” He cocked his head. “THOUGH I DO MISS MY BROTHER. HOW IS HE DOING?”

“He just woke up. I’m going to his room next to give him his food.”

He blinked. “THEN WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE? GO GIVE HIM HIS FOOD!”

You huffed a small laugh. “Okay. Do you want me to come back to keep you company?”

“IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM COMPANY INSTEAD, THEN THAT WOULD BE BETTER! I DON’T THINK HE’S EVER HAD A FRIEND, NOT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED—” He clicked his teeth together and you immediately thought that you’d want to get that fixed soon. That has to be hurting him. You just don’t know how yet. “DO YOUR BEST! IF HE’S LOCKED IN LIKE ME THEN YOU’RE GONNA BE JUST FINE, HUMAN Y/N!”

The way he said that was kind of morbid but knowing that they did eat humans, it wasn’t that weird. You don’t know what their Underground was like but with Sans’ injury, it seemed that he’d changed drastically since then. Not that surprising with their high LV.

You switched rooms, finding your mess on the floor and then looking at Sans. “I brought food,” you said as you walked in. He perked up at the mention of food.

You placed the tray into the slot and watched as he bored his one working eye onto you before getting up from his place on the floor and walking to get the food.

Your stomach churned at the sight of him. You’ve never seen him standing up before. Aside from Patch, you never met a Sans taller than you. This one’s half a head taller than you and his frame were broader than what you were used to. He was just… huge.

Sans was quieter than Papyrus. He grabbed the food and started to eat without a word, keeping an eye on you the whole time. It was painfully obvious he was holding himself back, trying to save a portion of his food you assume to save for later.

You didn’t want to dictate how to eat his food so you stayed quiet. Not even a minute later, he was scarfing down the food down his throat and you had to look away.

“I’ll give you more later when it’s dinner,” you told him, sitting down on your small nest of a blanket and hugging the pillow close to your chest. “How do you feel?”

He set down the empty tray and stared at you before trudging over to sit right in front of you. You felt a shiver of unease across your spine as you maintained eye contact with him.

“where’s papyrus?”

His voice was dark and gravelly and you had to try not to grimace. “Papyrus is in the room right across the hall from you. He’s okay. He’s in the same situation as you and I’ve just given him food.”

His bright, red eye light was sharp for a moment before it went unfocused. He didn’t say another word.

You placed your palm on the glass. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

He tilted his head, his grin wide and manic. “didja know we eat humans for breakfast?”

Was this his attempt at scaring you? It worked but you swallowed down your fear. If you pushed past his terrifying demeanor, you’d realize that this was his defense mechanism. “Do you need more food? I’ll try and find more for you.”

His grin twitched. He stared at you for a solid 20 seconds before dropping his shoulders. He leaned his skull on his knee and looked off to the side instead of you.

You sat there, fiddling with your fingers uneasily. You wanted to start a conversation with him but for some reason, it was harder to find your words. What would you even tell him? That your original Sans was another version of him? That he was suffering in a different way than him?

How could you tell this to someone and expect them to just take the information?

If that were you, you’d rather not know that you were suffering in one way or another. You’d rather blissfully think about another you were living their life to the fullest, away from things that made them sad, away from things that could potentially ruin their life.

But… what difference does it make to this Sans anyway? He’ll know sooner rather than later, no matter if you tell him or not. His Papyrus would just easily tell him everything you told him.

As much as you wanted to just info dump him so it was over with, you didn’t want to. You didn’t want to let him know what had happened outside this safe little bubble he was still in. As far as he knows, he was just a mere captive of a human who keeps him fed. If his captor was telling the truth, then his brother was alive and well in another room, attended to with a similar treatment.

That was good enough to be content for at least a few days. You’d rather pop his bubble next time… whenever that day comes.

You sat with him, dozing off to sleep sometime in the next minutes and waking up to find him still in the same position as he was the last time. You left with a quiet goodbye and he didn’t say a word, his eye trained on your retreating form.

You walked back to your apartment to see if there was anything you could cook for the two boys since you were feeling a little better. As you exited the elevator, you bumped into Latin who looked pleasantly happy to see you.

“OH, HUMAN! THERE YOU ARE!” he greeted with a big smile. “I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU!”

“What for?”

His hands were behind him and one hand reached out to you. You unconsciously took a step back. “MY BROTHER AND I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO INVITE YOU TO A PICNIC OUTSIDE!”

“Uh…” You wanted to make up some excuse to say no but you felt guilty for trying to avoid them so much. Maybe if you didn’t spend time evading them, you could get used to their presence.

Or just realize that they are completely different people from your Sans and Papyrus.

You saw his grin waver. “YOU’RE NOT MANDATED TO SAY YES, WE JUST—”

“Sure, okay.”

“REALLY? I’M SO GLAD! WE’RE GONNA BE BESTIES!”

You clicked your teeth together. Latin dropped his hand after you left him hanging for so long and started to lead you outside the building. As you stepped outside, you see your familiar car pull up in the front yard. Blue was the first one to hop out of the car and strut over to you, hands on his hips.

“AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, FRIEND?”

“OH, HI, BLUE!” Latin greeted him cheerily. “HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?”

Blue’s expression changed as he turned to Latin. “NOTHING MUCH HAPPENED, WE JUST WENT OUT TO GET GROCERIES! BUT I DID FIND A PART-TIME JOB THAT I COULD WORK AT!”

You almost fell to your knees. “You what?”

Blue tried to smile. “I WANTED TO HELP OUT AROUND HERE! I FELT KIND OF BAD IF WE’RE JUST LIVING OFF YOUR MONEY. PLUS, OUR GROUP’S GETTING KINDA BIG, SO WE NEED MORE PEOPLE EARNING MONEY, RIGHT?”

“…Why?” you asked. You knew this would happen eventually, but you weren’t ready yet. Blue was one of your strongest support systems. You knew he’d like to help out someday. But for some reason, you felt anxious to let him do his own thing. He’d be out in the main cities, with more freedom than you could imagine.

One day, he might realize that he didn’t need to stay here with you.

He huffed. “I REALIZED AFTER GOING ON GROCERY TRIPS THAT WE BURN THROUGH FOOD SO FAST THAT WE HAVE TO GET GROCERIES EVERY TWO DAYS! AND WE’VE BEEN BORROWING MONEY FROM YOUR CARD THIS WHOLE TIME AND I’M AFRAID WE’D BURN THROUGH YOUR SAVINGS AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO HELP OUT MORE, FRIEND! RED’S ALSO TRYING TO FIND A JOB.”

“How would you even do that, you don’t have any kind of identity documents?”

“THAT’S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH! RED TOLD ME THAT YOUR FRIEND ALPHYS COULD MAYBE, POSSIBLY HELP?” He deliberately made puppy eyes at you and you pushed his face away jokingly.

You were quiet for a moment and he stared at you with determination.

Just let it happen. You can’t possibly make them stay with you forever, you thought. You nodded stiffly. “I’ll ask Alphys as soon as I can.”

“THANKS! ANYWAY,” he raised his brow bone, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING AGAIN?”

“MY BROTHER AND I INVITED Y/N ON A PICNIC!”

“OH. AND DID Y/N AGREE…?” Blue glanced at you questioningly.

“Yep. I haven’t had the chance to spend time with them yet so why not?” You shrugged.

Blue nodded. “ALRIGHT, CALL ME IF YOU NEED ME! ACE AND I WILL GO PREPARE DINNER. GO HAVE FUN!”

“Thanks, Blue.”

“BYE, BLUE!”

You waved at Stretch, Red, and Ace that passed by carrying bags of groceries that looked like it could feed a whole community. But that’s just it, wasn’t it? Sans’ building was feeling more and more like an apartment than a laboratory with sketchy experiments. The more they get used to it, the initial fear and worry start to dissolve, the more they get distracted from their anger at Sans.

The more they start treating this place like a place to live in, the more you start to forget how it all started.

And you can’t forget. That’s where all your self-sabotage thoughts come in. You can’t forget how you hurt them.

In the end, your guilt will never let you hear the end of this.

Latin led you and stopped at the edge of the treeline, northwest of the building. You were about to enter the forest. “WE FOUND A CLEARING THIS WAY. WATCH YOUR STEP, OKAY? EDGE AND BLACK HAD THE SURROUNDING AREAS LITTERED WITH TRAPS. WORRY NOT BECAUSE I AM AN EXPERT TRAP TRACKER!”

You let out a little sigh, resisting the small voice in your head that kept telling you that you don’t deserve this.

You think of your friends and how determined they were to get you to forgive yourself. It’s the first step to heal.  

“Okay, lead the way, Latin.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

There aren’t many times you felt uncomfortable in someone else’s presence. You were a pretty friendly person growing up and you had no problems getting along with strangers. Small talk was a subject that you mastered in order to fulfill this.

But as you were crossing the tree line to wherever the picnic the dance brothers prepared were, you struggled to find words that will fill the silence. Latin stared straight ahead, his expression full of confidence as he led the way and you lagged behind just a bit.

Why’d I even say yes in the first place? You thought to yourself. If you were just going to be awkward like this the whole time, why would you say yes?

Maybe it’s not too late to turn back.

“I’M SO HAPPY YOU DECIDED TO COME WITH, HUMAN! I WAS AFRAID YOU’D TURN US DOWN AFTER ALL THE TIMES YOU’VE IGNORED US.”

You flinched. Good thing Latin just missed it when he turned to look at you. It’s definitely too late to turn back. “Yeah, sorry about that,” you murmured under your breath. You were prepared to launch into an explanation that will justify your behavior and all when a voice appeared out of nowhere.

“so, where’d ya think y’er going, sweetheart?”

Red’s appearance was a welcomed one, close enough from the building that it wasn’t suspicious that he had followed you. You and Latin had only just been two minutes into the forest. “this area’s been littered by traps by boss, ya know that, right?”

“THIS IS WHY I’M HERE TO BE A TRAP DETECTOR, OTHER BROTHER SANS!” Latin proclaimed.

Red scrunched up his face. “don’t call me that. and how could ya even call y’erself a trap detector if ya don’t even know y’er two steps away from a trap right now?” Red bent down to pick up a rock on the ground and then threw it centimeters away from Latin. A bear trap terrifyingly snapped shut, its noise echoing around the dense forest.

Latin proved that he could turn several shades paler even as a skeleton.  

“G-GOOD THING YOU’RE HERE THEN, OTHER BROTHER RED!”

Red huffed and rolled his eyelights. “toldja not to call me that,” he said, annoyed, “y’er not my brother. red’s just fine.”

“Red,” you warned.

Latin rubbed the back of his skull. “OH, DO NOT SCOLD HIM, HUMAN! I APOLOGIZE FOR FRUSTRATING YOU, RED! I WILL KEEP YOUR REQUEST IN MIND.”

Latin taking his side obviously shocked Red but he quickly switched to aloof faster than either the two of you could address it. “sure, whatever. follow me if ya don’t wanna die.”

Now that Red’s here, the atmosphere was slightly lighter than before. You could feel yourself feeling less strained with familiar company. You could actually start trying to do better.

You thought of anything that could be considered as small talk. “If the forest is so dangerous, how’d you and Hop prepare then?” you asked Latin something simple.

“IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUT THAT TIME SO IT WASN’T AS DANGEROUS!” Latin answered cheerfully.

“Ah.” Well, there goes your small talk.

You bit the lower part of your lip, only the sound of crunching leaves beneath your feet and insect noises could be heard. You swatted away the feeling of small insects flying around your face.

“So, Red,” you were more comfortable talking to Red and there was something bugging you, so you took this opportunity to fill the silence, “I heard you were trying to find a job?”

Red pushed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, nonchalantly craning his neck to glance at you. “yea…” He seemed to be trying to gauge your reaction. He noticed the way you frowned ever so slightly. “so, what’cha think on it?”

“THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! YOU’RE A VERY HARDWORKER, RED!” Latin commented.

Red shot him a glare, nearly opening his mouth but didn’t. He looked back at you, waiting for your reply.

“I guess that’s good for you,” you forced yourself to say. “I’m happy for you.”

“ya don’t look that happy, sweetheart.”

You switched glancing between Latin and Red. You felt awkward talking about it in front of Latin; more so you didn’t want to become emotional in front of the half-stranger half-not monster. “Find me later. We can talk then,” you said instead.

Red, fortunately, dropped it. The times he cooperates fast is a welcomed one. You did feel a little bad since you were the one who brought it up.

“where did’ja both plan on going again?”

“OH!” Latin said. “THE CLEARING ABOUT 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE BUILDING! WE’RE CLOSE, SEE THAT?” He pointed forward but it was too dark to see anything.

“yep.”

Well, guess skeleton monsters just have better eyesight.

The three of you reached the clearing and you were taken aback by the atmosphere. The moonlight being the only source of light shone upon the grass and reflected; making it look like the scenery was something out of a fantasy novel. Fireflies shone around the area as a light breeze picked up. You ran your fingers through your hair as you breathed in the air.

Hip Hop was lying down on a blanket, arms behind his skull with his eyes closed. One eye socket opened when he heard the three of you emerging from the forest.

“BROTHER! LOOK WHO CAME!” Latin headed towards Hop, leaving you and Red behind.

Red scratched the back of his head. “welp, i’m outta here. i’ll stay close by.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to take out too much of your time.”

“someone’s gotta stay on a lookout for ya.” He winked but it was less than a wink and more of a slowly closing one socket. “the idiots can’t teleport yet so y’all need a chaperone back, amirite?”

You nodded. “Thanks, Red.” You gave him a small smile and turned around to go to the dance brothers.

“and if ya need an emergency escape, just call me.”

Before you could even ask about what he meant, he was already gone. You could feel your stomach twisting. Even Red had noticed your odd behavior around Hip Hop and Latin. How many of them had noticed? Were you that obvious? That realization made you feel worse than usual.

You took a few seconds to regain yourself, taking in deep breaths before heading towards the brothers.

Latin and Hip Hop were laughing with each other as you drew nearer.

“star you good, kid?” Hop greeted with his usual lazy smile.  

“I’m good,” you said, trying to ease the sense of apprehension around the brothers. “So, dinner under the stars, huh?” you said light-heartedly.

Hop faintly brightened up. “yep. it was paps’ idea to want to get to know the human better.” He winked at you.

“BUT IT WAS ALL MY BROTHER’S IDEA TO HAVE A PICNIC! AND HE ALSO LOVES THE LIGHT-RIDDLED NIGHT SKY, HE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT! AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO BOND THAN TO TAKE YOUR FRIEND SOMEWHERE YOU LOVE MOST?” Latin exclaimed. “SIT UP, BROTHER! YOU’RE HOGGING ALL THE SPACE!”

“ah, a good-natured pun from my very own bro. good one, paps.”

Space. Heh.

Recognition dawned upon Latin and he let out a laugh. “NYEHEHE! OF COURSE, A WITTY MONSTER LIKE I AM WOULD BE ABLE TO PROCURE THE WITTIEST OF PUNS UNWITTINGLY!”

“For sure,” you agreed with a small smile. “What’d you guys prepare?” You glanced at the assortment of containers stacked in the middle as you crossed your legs while sitting down, placing yourself in a more comfortable position.

“nothing fancy, kid. hope you don’t mind sanswiches,” he joked, making you snort.

“Oh, that’s a classic. I’ve basically heard all of Sans’ puns. You’d have to try harder than that for new material.”

This made Hop let out a huff of laughter. “oh, man. flower i gonna do that? i’m gonna compete with myself.”

“TRULY YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY!” Latin agreed. “YOU HAVEN’T PICKED UP YOUR SOCK FOR WEEKS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN LAZINESS, BROTHER!”

You felt a pang of emptiness. In a darker sense, Latin’s words were true. Sans’ own worst enemy was himself. That was one thing consistent across all timelines. Heh. You had unconsciously looked down. You were pulled out of your thoughts when a hand rubbed your shoulder and your eyes snapped up to see Latin looking down at you worriedly.

“ARE YOU OKAY, HUMAN?”

“Yeah,” you said, breathless.

“you sure? we can do this another time,” Hop offered. “if it’s too much for you, you don’t have to force yourself to be with us.”

“It’s not you guys,” you startled, the guilt rushing back from where it hid, “You guys are amazing, I swear. I have nothing against you—”

Latin waved his hand in front of you, stopping you from rambling. “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF, HUMAN!”

“yea, kid. we could deduce as to why you’re acting the way you are from the info we’ve gotten while being here,” Hop explained. He sighed. “we were saving this conversation for later but… look, we’re not doing this because we want to make you feel bad or whatever. we just wanted to make sure that you aren’t beating yourself up for feeling that way when it’s not something you can control.”

Your lower lip began to tremble. Goddamn it, why do they have to make sense? You nodded. Latin gently rubbed your back to comfort you.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” you finally said. “We’ll… we’ll take it slow.”

“sounds good to me,” Hop said.

“AND WE APPRECIATE YOU!” Latin gushed. “THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ACCOMPANY US!”

“Glad to be here,” you expressed genuinely.

Dinner was finally had in the next minutes as Latin gracefully popped open and introduced the food they prepared. There were sandwiches that Hop’s pun hinted on, there was warm vegetable soup in a thermos, and a portion of Edge’s lasagna. Hop cracked a few jokes here and there and Latin was the same old Papyrus, half-screaming at him to stop being distasteful in front of the food and you. For a moment, it was like you were thrust back into the past. You appeared to be doing that a lot recently.

You laughed at Hop’s one joke and their presence chipped away the issues plaguing you for years. You were laughing and spending time with the brothers under the stars, and it was painfully familiar. Something out of a dream. Maybe something you had planned years ago. Or a distant memory.

All it took was one stupid pun for you to retort, “That’s so dumb, Sans.”

And they didn’t even notice.

That shattered your illusion. You were overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that bubbled from the pit of your stomach. Your hands suddenly felt clammy as you hear your heartbeat in your ears.

Hip Hop noticed and paused, “you okay, kid?”

“I-I’m sorry, I called you Sans!” you blurted, panic rising. Latin’s conversation died down.

There was a look of surprise on Hop’s face. “it’s fine, calm down,” Hop said, his brows knitting together worriedly when you continued to panic in front of them. “it’s not a big deal.”

You need to get out of here.

You gritted your teeth together as you scrambled to stand up, hurriedly dusting off your clothes. “You don’t understand! It is a big deal,” you snapped.

The atmosphere took a quick 180 with just a blink of an eye. You were distracted by Latin’s concerned expression when your eyes glossed over to him, and you looked away. Seeing his hurt expression just hurt a hundred times worse.

You need to get out of here.

“calm down, it’s okay, it’s fine,” Hop continued to reassure you as he stood up as well, trying his best to console you.

“I just told you that it’s not! Stop saying that it’s fine!” Your eyes started to blur, and you realized just then that you were crying. “Please, I—” You couldn’t form your words. You gave up as you shook your head, upset, and turned around to head towards the tree line.

You need to get out of here.

As soon as you were enveloped by the dark forest, strong hands held onto your shoulder. You broke down crying, collapsing into Red’s arms as you sobbed into his shoulder.

“hang tight sweetheart, i got ya,” Red whispered in your ear.

You felt light-headed from the effect of his teleporting and you felt the bed from underneath you as he guided you like he already knew what to do when he finds you in this exact situation.

Boney fingers combed through your hair as he slowly steered you to lie on the bed and then tucked you in with a blanket. Red’s face was looking down on you with a blank expression, his fingers continuing to comb through your hair.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” you cried, your hand gripping his jacket tightly that your knuckles turned white.

You were apologizing to no one. You don’t know who you’re apologizing to, but you had the crushing feeling of guilt. You just had to apologize; nothing could make you feel better but trying to make up for your mistake.

Red said nothing during your whole episode and stayed there until you cried yourself to sleep.

You woke up with a light headache as you stared at the ceiling devoid of any emotion. You had wrung yourself dry.

“g’morning sweetheart.”

You jolted from the bed, clutching the blanket closer to your chest as you turned to look at Red. He was lying beside you with a big grin, teasingly waggling his brows. “have a good sleep?”

“What are you doing in my room?”

“your room? might wanna get y’er eyes checked.”

You glanced around, only to realize that you weren’t in your room at all. You were in Red’s familiar room in all its bland glory. You swallowed, a little uncomfortable with your mouth dry. “You brought me to your room?” you murmured.

Red sat up, fixing his jacket that had fallen halfway off his shoulder. “what’cha think i did?” He let out a big yawn, his mouth gaping open with his sharp teeth in display. You couldn’t help but stare, immediately remembering the time he had threatened to bite off your whole hand. You don’t doubt he could do that. “take a picture, babe.”

You cleared your throat as you looked away. “Did you bring me here so you could solo me, Red?”

“w-what? stop spoutin’ shit, sweetheart!” he said defensively. “i brought ya here so ya don’t have to deal wit’ everyone at y’er back when ya come running like someone stole candy from ya.”

You blinked. He… “That’s actually thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“and ya clung onto me like a damn baby so i couldn’t leave!”

“I didn’t ask but okay.”

This made him even redder. “i’m just sayin’! i don’t want ya thinkin’ i’m a weirdo for staying in the same bed!”

You cracked a smile. Damn, Red was a natural mood-lifter. “Okay, tsun-tsun Red. I don’t mind. Stretch has been sleeping next to me for a while now.”

“he what!?” Red stood up lightning fast. “that motherfucker!—”

He disappeared instantly, leaving you with your thoughts in the next seconds. You simply couldn’t help but replay what had happened last night, sighing in frustration. You had ruined it yet again. Why couldn’t you just act normal?

You glared at the bedsheet for a minute straight, scrambling to think of how to fix this. Do you even want this fixed?

You couldn’t face them again, not right now.

Your stomach grumbled.

Panic tore through you as certain skeletons flashed in your mind. You exited the room as fast as you can, quickly entering the elevator and spamming the buttons.

You forgot about the hurt Sans and Papyrus!

Entering the kitchen, you dashed past Blue and Black arguing in the entryway, immediately looking around for what food was prepared for the day.

“GOOD MORNING, Y/N!” Blue happily greeted. “WHAT ARE YOU IN A RUSH FOR?”

“I have skeletons to feed!”

You didn’t notice how the mention of skeletons imprisoned had raised the tension. You were too busy piling up food in two containers despite not having eaten yet.

“HUMAN-“

“Sorry, Black, I’ll talk to you later!”

You rushed out of the room and back into the elevator, running past a confused Patch on the way. As soon as the elevator doors closed, he suddenly appeared next to you, leaning against the wall.

“missed you, too, cupcake,” Patch greeted.

“Patch!” you said in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in days.”

“yeah, i’ve been out and about.” He saw the weird look on your face. “spill it. what are you thinking?”

You sighed. “Sorry, nothing. It just feels like someday you won’t come home for a couple of days at a time and it’ll turn into a week, to a month, to a year.” You shrugged, trying to underplay what you were really feeling about the issue.

“about that…”

Your face turned cold. “We can talk later,” you said distantly. “I have things to do.”

“doll, come on.”

“Patch, not now.”

You heard him sigh. He stepped closer towards you, and you ignored him. He leaned down, feeling his head on your shoulder. “you’ll be okay, doll. give yourself some credit here.”

You stayed quiet as you burned your gaze at the elevator doors, watching your reflection. It felt like an eternity before the doors opened. “We’ll talk next time.” It was a promise.

Knocking before entering was a given. As soon as you saw Papyrus brighten up as you enter the room, you grinned widely. “Hi, Papyrus!”

“HUMAN Y/N! YOU’RE BACK! AND YOU ARE WITH FOOD AS ALWAYS!”

“Of course, I have to feed you, don’t I?”

“I DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE COMING TODAY. I WAS READY TO WAIT FOR A WEEK AT THE MOST.”

“There’s no way I’m letting you go for a week without food.” You struggled not to add Paps at the end of the sentence. As much as calling him Paps was second nature to you, you really need to think of another name to call them.

“YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLY KIND, HUMAN! I CAN’T SAY THAT TO THE OTHER HUMANS I’VE MET BEFORE!” He stopped and blinked, a finger in mid-air. “UH…”

“You don’t need to explain, it’s not really my business.” You waved a hand. “Here you go.” You placed his food in the slot. “Do you want company or would you rather have me keep your brother company?”

“WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK? OBVIOUSLY MY BROTHER, HUMAN!”

You chuckled. “Right, right. But tomorrow it’s your turn, alright? No excuses.”

“SOUNDS REASONABLE TO ME! THOUGH I’D PREFERRED IT IF YOU DIDN’T. I’M USUALLY FINE BY MYSELF.”

Your ears perked up. “Usually, huh?”

“YES!” His enthusiastic self melted away in realization. “I’M NOT AS PRONE TO HAVING EPISODES AS MY BROTHER BUT IT CAN’T BE HELPED.”

“Episodes?”

He began to eat away, stuffing his mouth with food. “I’LL TELL YOU ANOTHER TIME, HUMAN! KINDLY GET OUT OF HERE. QUICKLY.”

“I’m going, I’m going. I’ll be back later for dinner.”

“SEE YOU LATER THEN, HUMAN Y/N!”

You went straight to the other Sans’ room. The big guy was slumped in the corner, both his sockets closed. He looked pretty peaceful if you ignore the yawning large hole on his skull.

You stepped inside the room a little louder to announce your presence. You didn’t want to surprise him.

Both his sockets opened and one, red eyelight trained on you.

“Hey,” you greeted with a small smile, showing him the container in your hand. “I have food.”

As always, this Sans was a monster of a few words. Or none. He just refused to talk to you. You’ve only heard him once yesterday when he was threatening you. Either way, you like the silence. There was something soothing about having some peace and quiet for once without worrying about anything.

You used to have this time with Ace but Ace was busy now, helping Blue sustaining the household. Not to get you wrong, you loved that you have someone helping around now since you won’t be able to do all this by yourself, but it was just… different now.

A swirl of negative emotion rose from the pit of your stomach. You ignored it.

“How do you feel today?” you asked, completely prepared to get no answer.

He pushed himself up, glanced at you coldly as he slowly shuffled to the food slot. He grabbed his food before sitting back down in his dark corner.

You sat with your back against the glass and you found yourself unconsciously searching for the camera in the corner and staring straight through it.

“Hey… If Papyrus, your brother, would get a different name, what would it be?”

Silence.

“Yeah, figures. I’m stumped, too.” You closed your eyes.

…

“…what are you doing here?”

Your eyes snapped open at the sound of his gravelly voice. You almost turned around to look at him but stopped halfway; thinking maybe he started talking because you weren’t looking at him.

“I didn’t want you to be alone.”

Silence.

“And also, Papyrus asked me to do it.”

He grunted. That seemed to be the most he’s willing to say today.

The corner of your mouth twitched. Someday, you’ll tell him everything.

You left the room almost an hour later. As soon as you stepped out of the room, Sans’, your Sans, fuming face greeted you.

“someone’s messed with the data.”

“What? What do you mean?” You were still mad at him but you couldn’t ignore him during non-personal business. “You mean someone’s hacking into your system?”

“no,” he growled, “someone traveled too far from the zone. they’re likely incapacitated now.”

“They’re what?” You clenched your jaw. “Sans, what the hell?”

He stared at you with his piercing glare. “do not start with me, y/n. that is not the issue here. go fix this.” He turned around. “i’m sending the location of the last ping.” He disappeared. A second later, your phone got a message.

You shook your head in frustration as you pulled out your phone while running to the elevator. You didn’t want that skeleton to get stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Who could this be? You silently hoped it wasn’t one of the dance brothers. They didn’t seem like the type to go against orders but you never know. Maybe this was an accident.

You rushed past skeletons right as you left the building. The ping was somewhere in the west of the forest, parallel to the road. You imagined this skeleton was following the dirt road but had forgotten that they shouldn’t be crossing the line.

You kept running straight into the forest. Sans was mad now but you knew there was a chance he’d take it out on the others if this didn’t get resolved fast. You need to move faster.

Your breathing was shallow and quick a few minutes running in. You took a hasty glance at your phone. He should be around here somewhere. From that one glance on your phone, you completely missed a branch on the ground and you tripped and fell unceremoniously on the floor.

“Crap,” you hissed, your arms and palms scratched from the foliage around you. It burned a little but nothing you couldn’t handle. As you scrambled to get up, you spotted a figure at the corner of your eye.

You barely dusted yourself off as you jogged towards the perpetrator.

“There you are.”

A skeleton lay unmoving in the middle of the forest. He was conscious, his sockets widening at the sight of you but he was paralyzed. You didn’t know this was Sans’ backup plan. You were relieved it wasn’t something more brutal, like sapping their magic until they turn to dust. That didn’t seem to be the case since Rus doesn’t look like he’s dying.

“i-i—uh…” He stammered. These were the most expressions you’ve seen from him since you met him. He looked partially embarrassed to be found in this situation.

“I’m gonna move you closer to the building, okay? Just enough so that the alarm system you triggered goes back to normal.” You stepped closer to the skeleton. “I’m gonna put my arms under your underarms, okay?”

His sockets were still as wide as saucers. “okay,” he said timidly, looking away from you.

You hooked your arms under his and began to drag him, mentally cursing about the weight of skeleton monsters when they’re not regulating their own weight. Why couldn’t skeleton monsters stay light?

You carefully watched the device on his arm as you spent the next minutes hauling him one step closer to the building. As soon as the device stopped beeping red, you laid him back down on the ground and then collapsed next to him.

“Sheesh.” You wiped off your sweat, hugging your arms as soon as you realized the cold was freezing. “I would drag you back but I’m beat. The paralyzing effect would probably go away in a few minutes. We’ll wait for it.”

“o-okay.”

You opted to watch the leaves lightly swaying from the wind and listened to the chirping of the birds rather than interrogating him. You didn’t want any conflict right now and the injured Sans’ room felt like paradise. You may go back to him after doing your chores.

“are you…” You flinched when he spoke up. So much for avoiding conflict. “…not gonna ask what i was doing?”

“Do you want me to?” you returned the question to him, flicking your gaze at the skeleton on the ground. “You know how your brother gets, no? He’s a bit protective.”

“a bit?” A tinge of amusement hinted at his tone.

Your lips curled upwards. “Right, a lot.” You rested your head on your knees. “So, you talk now?”

He looked away again, masking his expression. Or tried to. You wouldn’t have noticed if you weren’t living with several of his mirrors in one household. He was embarrassed. You’ve finally cracked his front. Or it could be that he cracked his own front.

Either way, you were getting to know him. “I don’t mean that in a rude way. I was kinda curious what your voice would sound like and how it would differ from others.”

“…and?” he murmured.

You smiled. “Well, you’re definitely shyer than anyone.”

His face glowed purple. Interesting. “if you were in my position, you’d also be embarrassed, okay?” he said defensively. “i can’t move my legs and act cool anymore!”

You raised a brow. “You think ignoring everyone was cool?”

“n-no, but i pulled off my ‘don’t-talk-to-me’ face, didn’t i?”

You let out a small laugh. “True, you did. Fine, that was kinda cool, I admit.”

“really?”

He sounded like a kid being praised that you let out another laugh. This was the last thing you’d guess Rus’ personality would be like.

“So, Black told me that you were saying something about independence.”

“he said that?” he asked, horrified. “why would he tell you that?”

“Calm down,” you giggled. “It’s good that you’re trying.”

“no, he really kicked me down after that. not physically!!” he quickly corrected after he saw your expression.

“Oh, good. I was about to beat him down.”

He snorted. “you’re not gonna be able to touch him, human. but i like your confidence.”

“Call me Y/N.”

He looked away. “okay, y/n.” You’d pinch his cheeks if you weren’t scared. You don’t know him well enough.

“What’re your plans on Black’s threats against us then?”

“i, uh… i doubt he’s gonna retract that and stop acting like there’s a stick up his ass.”

“Pfft—a what?” You couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, the only person who could slander Black would be his brother.

His grin widened as if making you laugh was an achievement. “i guess we’ll see how it’ll play out. i’m not in a rush trying to talk to everyone…”

“So, I’m an exception then?” You wiggled your eyebrows.

“partly true. wouldn’t you be curious in a human living with monsters?” he justified.

“You’re right.” You stretched out your arms and legs. “I’m gonna touch you, okay? I need to know if you’re ready to walk again.”

He flushed. “okay.” He looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of being touched.

You started with his feet and began to rotate his feet clockwise. “Do you feel that?”

“yea, kinda.”

“Good.” You proceeded to do the rest with the other foot. You then continued to his fibula, squeezing it and asking if he felt anything. Without thinking, you squeezed his femurs, thigh bones, and he let out a squeak of surprise. “Sorry! Did that hurt?”

He was glowing even brighter now. Seeing him flustered made you embarrassed in turn so you had to hide your face with the back of your hand. “no, carry on,” he murmured.

“Okay.” You went ahead quickly with his fingers. He could close and open his hand but not all the way. “We still need to wait a few more minutes.”

You shivered from the soft wind that passed. You had forgotten to grab a coat when you went out since Sans was in a hurry. Rus sat up with a bit of a struggle but managed and scratched the side of his face with a finger. “are you cold?”

“Kinda. But it’s not too much, don’t worry.”

He shook off his large jacket.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I promise!” you said. “It’s just a few more minutes.”

“i really don’t mind. and skeletons—”

“—Don’t get cold much, I know,” you said with a sigh. You’ve been in this situation before. “Thank you.”

“not a problem hehe,” he said, “it is my fault why you’re out here.”

You wore the jacket several sizes bigger than you that you could drown in the fluff. It smelled a bit smoky but you didn’t want to look weird by outright smelling it in front of him. “Speaking of why you’re out here,” your tone turned a little more serious, “what were you planning?”

His gaze slid off to the left like he always does when he’s uncomfortable. “i don’t want to get in trouble.”

“You’re not in trouble. You’ve been punished already.” You hugged the sleeves of the jacket tighter. “Don’t you trust me? I’m on your side.”

“i-i do, i guess? i don’t know.” Rus began rotating his own feet to make it sure the paralyzing effect was disappearing. “how’d you know i was here then?”  

You sighed. “I was sent to retrieve you. But nothing more than that.”

He stared at you for a few seconds and you met his gaze straight on. “can i really trust you? you’re not lying to me right now, right?”

“No.” Some of your friends were especially keen on detecting lies. You assumed Rus was the same.

“okay, what are you gonna do with the information?”

“Nothing? Keep it to myself?” You started to pick at the sleeves. “I just wanna make sure you don’t put yourself in danger again.”

“…or you’re threatening me not to do something like this again?” His tone was not accusatory but you still wanted to clear it up in case of a misunderstanding.

“Rus, I’m just worried. I’m in charge of everyone and I can’t keep an eye on everyone. I need to know that you’re not gonna do something that could put you or the others at risk.”

“i g-guess that makes sense,” he said timidly.  After a few seconds of silence, he made up his mind. “i’ll tell you but don’t tell my brother what happened.”

“Are you sure he’s not gonna read your mind?” you joked. “Black looks like he’d have that kind of superpower.”

Rus let out a sigh. “he might know sooner or later through other means but one monster could hope.” He quickly stirred away from the conversation. “anyway, the reason i was out here was because i wanted to know what would happen if we stray away from the zone.”

“…Do you have a death wish?”

“wha?”

You struggled not to hit him on the skull. “Bonehead! You could’ve just asked! What if the punishment was that you die on the spot?” Your voice became increasingly loud. “Why didn’t you just ask?”

Rus’ smile was conflicting. “why would i risk a chance of walking away freely if i asked? i just hoped that maybe death was not an option because none of the skeletons here talked about someone’s death. some of them could even come and go as they please.”

“But that’s because they’re not wearing the device.” You glanced at the bracelet he was wearing. “You and your brother don’t have to wait too long. It’s just a matter of time.”

“heh…” Rus looked up at the trees and closed his eyes. “you say that but my brother hates not having everything his way. i don’t know what you said to make him compliant but you should keep an eye on him, he’ll find a way to get out of bounds.”

You stared at Rus, lost in your thoughts. “I was wrong.”

“hm?” He looked curious.

“Nothing. I had this thought that you could’ve been dependent on your brother because you couldn’t go anywhere without him. I’m thinking that it might be the opposite. Black relies on you.”

Rus was quick to dismiss the thought. “y-you don’t know what you’re saying. my brother does not rely on me at all! he’s the co-captain of the guard, you know. and he’s achieved so much on his own. i’m nothing; i’m just his brother that he’s protective of because i can’t do anything on my own; even menial things like cook or do laundry. i’m just…” He had started to go on a ramble, and he strayed off when you started to laugh.

“what’s funny?”

“You’ll get it someday, don’t worry.” Black’s complying because he doesn’t want to get his brother in trouble. If he could act on his own and not drag Rus into his mess, you were certain Black would’ve tried something earlier. “Are you good to stand up now?”

You helped Rus stand up and he looked embarrassed to put his weight on you. You told him it was okay but the skeleton was resistant and claimed he could stand by himself. He took the first couple of steps forward before almost tripping over some rocks and with your quick reflexes, you were helping support him.

You had to grab his hand to help support him while walking and he kept apologizing on the way. In the middle of you saying it was fine, your phone began to ring. You muttered a quick ‘excuse me’ to him and answered the call.

“Blue? Why are you calling?”

“HI, FRIEND! I’M CALLING BECAUSE—” Blue’s voice cut off. “HEY!!”

“HUMAN. MY BROTHER HAS BEEN MISSING FOR THE LAST 30 MINUTES! COME SEE ME AS SOON—”

“Rus? I’m with him right now. We went out for a walk in the forest.” You glanced at Rus and he immediately knew who was calling right away.

“YOU’RE WHAT?! I REMEMBER TELLING YOU NOT TO INTERACT WITH HIM IN ANY WAY!” Black’s concern quickly turned to displeasure.

“Well, he seemed a little sad walking alone so I offered to come with him for his walk.”

Rus chuckled and you couldn’t help but smile, too. You offered the phone to him after putting it on speaker.

“THAT’S NOT IN OUR AGREEMENT—”

“i’m fine, bro. the human was very nice to accompany me,” Rus replied. “since you were too busy playing with blue the whole time.”

“I AM NOT PLA— WE ARE NOT BABYBONES, BROTHER. I WAS SIMPLY GATHERING INTEL.”

“so learning human dishes is intel?”

“COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW AND THEN WE’LL TALK!” Black hang up after that and you and Rus shared a laugh.

“He’s such a tsundere. Kinda like Red,” you mused. You turned serious for a moment. “Though that makes it hard to believe that they’re more than capable of doing something violent.”

Rus was fast to jump to Black’s defense. “my brother’s not like that on his own. he’s only following orders.”

“I know, I didn’t mean intentionally.”

The two of you emerged from the tree line, a little less awkward than when you two started talking. It was more of a friendly conversation, though you were surprised that you could joke around with him like this so quickly. You were quick to warm up to him and that wasn’t surprising considering all of the other ‘him’ you were close with. Rus being a little friendly to you kinda ticks off warning bells in your head, but you can’t blame him when he revealed that everybody ignored him like Black had requested (or demanded). He was just lonely. That’s another thing that most of these skeletons have in common.

“HUMAN, RELEASE HIS HAND IMMEDIATELY!” Black walked up to the two of you in silent anger. It was obvious how he was masking his frustration towards you by putting both of his hands behind his back. Blue followed right behind him, looking a little worried.

You and Rus looked at each other and then to your intertwined hands. He pulled his hand away, his face flushed. You looked towards Black as you crossed your arms. “I was trying to support him, he tripped and fell in the woods and had trouble walking. I just forgot our hands were still linked.”

Black narrowed his sockets at you, looking you up and down. Then he turned to Rus. “IS THIS TRUE?”

Rus nodded, “yep.”

Black sneered. “ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FELL AND TRIPPED, BROTHER? THE HUMAN ALSO HAS SCRATCHES ON THEIR FACE.” His eyes darkened. “WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING?”

“You have an active imagination, Black,” you said lightly, trying to defuse the situation. “I actually did trip and fell, too. But we weren’t doing anything scandalous if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“SCANDALOUS?!” Both Blue and Black were out of words from this one and Rus was becoming increasingly flustered.

“I just said we weren’t doing anything of that level, why do you look so shocked?” You remembered you were still wearing Rus’ jacket and took it off, handing it over to the lanky skeleton. “Anyways, I still have things to do. You two could talk this out without me, okay?”

You left Rus and Black alone, chuckling when you hear Black’s rising volume. You were about to go to the apartment when Blue stopped you, his brow bones furrowed.

“WHAT HAPPENED?”

“I’ll tell you later, okay?”

“NO,” he said. “LET’S TALK NOW.”

“Blue…” You watched the resolve in his eyes. You knew Blue would not stop thinking about this if you don’t tell him now. You sighed, pressing a finger in the middle of your eyes. “Okay, let’s go then.”

You were supposed to talk in the living room but Ace, Latin, and Stretch had occupied it, watching some sort of documentary. Blue continued to the kitchen which was surprisingly empty.

“SIT DOWN.”

You sat down on a chair. “Blue, you’re not mad, are you?”

He rummaged through one of the cabinets and emerged with a first aid kit. He was quiet as he grabbed a cotton pad and hydrogen peroxide to clean your wounds. You stiffened when his hand reached for your face and you could see he was visibly upset. “I’M NOT MAD AT YOU, FRIEND.”

“Okay,” you murmured.

He patted the scratches in your face with the cotton pad and you sat as still as you can. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE THIS CLUMSY. YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL!”

“You’re calling me clumsy? I’d expect that from Edge but you? Ouch.” You feigned hurt.

Blue rolled his eyes. “YOU’RE GETTING MORE AND MORE DRAMATIC EACH DAY, Y/N.”

“What can I say? I’m surrounded by actors.”

Blue lifted your chin gently as he checked your face for more scratches. He leaned forward and your breath hitched as he closed the distance. He handled you like you were fragile and you found yourself feeling warm about it. You had never been handled with such care before. Blue has such a way with his actions that you could feel his intent behind it.

“ARE YOU NOT GONNA TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?” he said and made a sad expression.

“Who’s dramatic now?” You huffed, finally remembering to take a breath. You could hear your heart pounding in your ears, hoping that he couldn’t hear it. “I’ll tell you everything like I always do.” You hadn’t had a chance to talk to Blue alone in days so you took this as an opportunity to catch him up with everything. He already heard Stretch’s version of the news on the newcomers but he didn’t mind you telling it again for him.

“SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED AND I’VE BEEN SO BUSY THAT I COULDN’T EVEN TRY AND HELP YOU. I’M SORRY, FRIEND.”

“No, no! That’s not your fault, of course. What are you saying?” You grabbed his face and stared right into his eyelights. “I am not your responsibility, okay? My mess is not your mess. Get a grip, Blue. You’ve already done so much!”

“BUT NOT ENOUGH, IT SEEMS,” he said, all pouty.

“It is enough!” you insisted. “I have everything to thank you for because you are the kindest, most generous, sweetest, exceptional, thou—”

“sheesh, get a room, why don’t ya?” Stretch entered the kitchen with a teasing smirk.

Blue immediately stood up and pulled away, his face glowing the same as his namesake. “BROTHER!! STOP EMBARRASSING THE HUMAN!”

“Oh? You look more embarrassed than me, Blue,” you teased, making Stretch snort.

“honey, you’re also blushing. stop making me jealous.”

You laughed it off. “Guys, come on. You know I’m never going to date again.”

“REALLY? NOT EVEN A FRIENDLY DATE WITH YOUR FAVORITE SKELETON?” Blue turned to you with his big, puppy eyes. He knew it was one of your weaknesses despite disliking being called adorable.

“sure. friendly,” Stretch mocked.

You giggled while pretending to think. “Well, what does a friendly date with my favorite skeleton include?”

Blue eyes sparkled. “ARE YOU SERIOUS? I’M GONNA START PLANNING RIGHT NOW!”

“are you telling me i’m not your favorite skeleton?”

“I already told you you aren’t.”

“i assumed you were joking! and how could you even have a favorite skeleton, that’s extremely prejudiced!”

“I haven’t even answered; you’re jumping to conclusions again!”

“well, how about you make sure you’re clear enough that nothing’s misunderstood then, hun.”

“And how about I just never mention who my favorite is and just pretend it’s Blue so we can have a friendly date, hmm?”

“SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!”

“no it doesn’t, that sounds horrible.”

The three of you poked fun at each other in the kitchen and you realized you haven’t had a chance to hang out with them alone for such a long time. You kinda missed it.

They’d managed to lift your mood up, even just a bit and you’ll always be grateful for them.  

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

Lunch was had in the dining area and you tried your hardest not to appear too stiff when Latin and Hip Hop entered.

You were back to ignoring them again.

I’m shameless, god, you thought with a sigh.

The kitchen was more chaotic than before; Black and Blue were arguing over something with Edge judging them both, Ace was serving the food with the help of Stretch, and Red was already subtly stuffing his face.

You and Hop made eye contact with each other. You could feel that he wanted to talk to you again but you glanced away, hoping he’d get the picture. You saw Latin coming over to you but Hop caught his top and stopped him, silently shaking his head.

As much as you wanted to not be an asshole, you couldn’t help but run away from your problems when you knew you couldn’t handle them. You strove to do your best but more often than not, your best wasn’t the greatest.

You found yourself in Stretch’s and Ace’s company where Stretch was telling a story about how his foot got stuck in a tree hole back then. Patch entered the kitchen halfway through lunch. He whistled low, eyes roaming once around the room. Nobody really paid him any attention. “what is this, a party?” He grabbed his own serving before leaning over a counter next to you. You also ignored him. “really, doll? you’re doing this to me?”

Stretch raised a brow bone as he paused in the middle of his sentence. “is this guy bothering you?” he asked you, half-jokingly. “sorry bud, y/n said no.”

“they don’t even know what i’m gonna say yet,” Patch replied.

“I have an inkling,” you said, a little down. You continued to ignore him as you ate the rest of your meal.

“bro, come on, help me here,” Patch asked Ace for help. “help your little bro out.”

Ace stopped his spoon in mid-air. “And what do you suggest I do, brother?”

“Can we just eat in peace and talk later?” you interrupted, showing them that you were a little annoyed.

Stretch was surprised and then shrugged, staring Patch down. Patch didn’t give much of a fight and went to eat his lunch elsewhere since every seat was occupied.

If Patch thought he could talk to you without difficulty, that was where he was wrong. You weren’t in a forgiving mood as of lately and anything remotely prodding outside of your comfort zone was a no-no. You dodged him as much as you can, using every possible excuse in the book. You were in the bathroom. You were with the newcomers. You were with Blue. You were with Stretch. You had to go to the bank. You were in the bathroom again, this time with diarrhea.

It has been three days. He was getting frustrated.

He was waiting outside your room this time, with a less-than-happy expression. And you had just woken up this morning.

“I’m—”

He put his palm (or non-palm) to your face and you stopped talking. “i’m not putting up with your excuses anymore. we talk now.” He was unusually serious; the playful tone in his voice was gone.

That didn’t faze you. You were used to deadpan skeletons talking to you. You immediately tried to swerve him and he caught the hem of your shirt.

“right now, y/n.”

“I’ve got things to do,” you muttered, matching his expression with a serious one. “I have skeletons to visit, Patch.”

“and you promised me we’d talk.”

“I don’t wanna talk to you.”

“why not?”

“Because—” You realized you almost took his bait and pursed your lips, pulling away from his grasp and starting to walk away when you suddenly felt heavy. A familiar pressure on your soul kept you from moving and your annoyance quickly turned real. “Patch, I swear if you don’t let me go right now—”

Something cold and hard was placed around your wrist and you paled, your head snapping around to look at what it was until you heard a click.

“Are you kidding me right now?” you said in shock, “Where the heck did you get handcuffs?!”

Patch cuffed his left hand with the other one and winked at you, his playfulness coming back in full swing. “sorry, doll, a magician never tells his secrets.”

“You are not a magician!” You tugged on the cuffed, scowling at your situation. “This isn’t funny, Patch!”

“i’m not joking,” he said with a grin. “i’m serious, we need to talk or you’re not getting out of the cuffs!”

“Fine!” You huffed, trying to think of ways to make him regret his decision. “Let’s go to the bathroom then.”

His grin widened. “sure.”

You stomped your feet in frustration. “Patch!”

“what? i said yes, didn’t i?”

“Oh my god,” you groaned. You couldn’t think of anything; he’d have fun with anything somewhat embarrassing. This was a win-win for him.

“y’know there’s literally a way to just end this right now.”

“Shut up.” You can’t give up now; you just have to hold on until he gives up.

You started to walk and the cuff dug into your skin since you and Patch don’t walk in the same speed. You paused and glanced at him, and he had the audacity to give you puppy dog eyes. It doesn’t work quite as well as Blue’s. You held his hand in order for the handcuff not to chafe you.

“should’ve done this ages ago,” he mused happily.

“Shut it. I’m mad at you.”

“you’re mad because you won’t talk to me?”

You ignored him.

You were contemplating between showering with him or not. On one hand, he’d enjoy it. Not showering seemed like the best course for you. You’d just have to not shower until this was over. Changing clothes was also out of the option. Ugh, why did he have to be this frustrating?

You entered the kitchen, immediately lighting up when you saw the usual group occupying it. “Blue, help me!” you cried out, raising your and Patch’s hand up to emphasize the cuffs.

“GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU, TOO!” Blue greeted with a big smile. “WHAT DO YOU NEED HELP WITH, FRIEND?”

“I need to get out of these cuffs!”

Stretch was having coffee and reading a magazine, glanced up for a second, chuckled, then continued reading. Ace didn’t seem to mind, as if finding you handcuffed to his brother was an everyday occurrence.

“OH? BUT THE CUFFS WERE MY IDEA!”

“What?” you asked in horror. “But why?”

“I ONLY WANTED TO HELP. PATCH WAS HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING YOU SO I TOLD HIM TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN’T GO ANYWHERE.” He was acting oblivious to what this meant for you. “WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?”

Patch snickered behind you.

“I cannot believe you betrayed me like this, Blue. I thought we were best friends.”

“BUT WE ARE! THAT’S WHY I’M HELPING YOU CLEAR UP YOUR MISUNDERSTANDINGS WITH PATCH! THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS DO, RIGHT?” Blue placed a mug in front of you.

“I hate you,” you said.

“I ADORE YOU, TOO, FRIEND.”

Edge entered the kitchen to pour himself coffee and sneered at the sight of you. “WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?”

You almost clung to Edge but stopped an inch away from him. “Edge, help me.”

Edge gave you a look that said ‘what-the-fuck-do-you-want-me-to-do?’ “I’M NOT CLEANING UP YOUR MESS, HUMAN. LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS.”

“But, Edge!” you whined.

“give it up, cupcake. let’s just have our conversation and this would be over in a jiffy,” Patch cooed.

Why was everyone unconcerned about your problem right now? They were all literally vouching for Patch! “I thought you guys were my friends!”

“just go talk to the poor skeleton, honey,” Stretch piped up without looking up from the magazine. “communication or whatnot.”

As much as you want to say ‘I only promised you and Blue that, not the others’, that sounded like an asshole thing to say so you kept your mouth shut instead.

“what do you say, doll?”

The clock was ticking. The other Sans and Papyrus were waiting for you to give them their food. If no one was willing to help you, then you’d fix this yourself.

“Let’s go to the shed.”

The others shared glances but didn’t say anything as you dragged Patch out of the building. Patch felt the shift in the mood.

“you’re not actually mad at me, are you?” he asked.

You passed Rus whose sockets went wide when he saw you but deflated when you didn’t acknowledge him. That doused a little of the fire brewing inside you and made a mental note to make it up to him later. You were a little preoccupied at the moment.

“How could I not be mad if I’m being held against my will?” You regretted it the moment the words came out of your mouth.

How could you be mad at something that you’ve done to others?

Patch stopped walking and tugged you back. “okay, i know that look,” he said softly. “i’m sorry, i don’t mean to make you mad.”

You were still mad, but not at him. At yourself. You were being immature. You knew that. But that didn’t stop you from still giving him the cold shoulder. You didn’t want to address whatever he was going to say.

You bit your lower lip and shook your head, not wanting to blurt anything stupid again. You stomped your way over to the shed where you locked the wooden door behind him.

“are you willing to talk now?”

You shook your head.

Patch sighed. “look, y/n. you don’t really have a choice. hear me out right now before you start blaming me for disappearing.”

Your fists were clenched so tightly you could feel your nails dig into your palm. Patch grabbed your hand, the one cuffed to him, and sighed. You glowered at him, hopelessly praying that looks could kill. Patch wasn’t fazed one bit and instead brought your hand to his teeth and grazed his teeth over your knuckles.

Tears slid across your cheeks as you felt your entire body give out. “You promised me.”

“you know full well i didn’t. i told you i’d stay until the machine’s free but it doesn’t look like it’d be happening soon.” He talked to you with patience and understanding and you hated it.

You’ve been eyeing the machete hanging on the wall at the corner of your eye. Patch caught your attention, gripping your shoulder firmly.

“talk to me. don’t shut me out.”

You pulled away, detaching yourself from the situation, from your emotions, from him. You placed your hand flat on the table before grabbing the machete fluidly and with a swift motion, you brought it down with all the force you can muster.

Almost.

Patch was faster and stronger than you thought he was, successfully catching your wrist and twisting it, making you drop the machete on the floor.

“I said… I don’t wanna talk about it,” you muttered. With your free hand, you hit him on his chest. There was no intent to hurt him and you had hit him so poorly but it was like a surge of emotions were unlocked at the moment.

You were crying. “I don’t want you to leave. You told me you wouldn’t leave. Why would you lie to me? You…” You were muttering incoherently, weakly hitting him on the chest.

Patch pulled you into his arms and let you cry your heart out. He pressed his teeth to your cheek, kissing away your tears. “really, doll? crying for this?” he teased. “you’re such a crybaby.”

“That’s tearable,” you croaked out in the middle of your tears, hurting and laughing at the same time.

Patch was smiling, too, and pressed an endearing kiss on your forehead. “you’re just something, cupcake. you got me worried for a second there.” He nuzzled you once more, this time going for more of a kiss than a nuzzle. He kissed the edge of your mouth, his hand snaking behind your head to steady you.

You didn’t push him away. You returned his kisses, almost getting dizzy from how slow and tender it was. Your heart was pounding in your rib cage and you gripped his jacket like you weren’t intending to let him go.

Surprisingly, he was the first one to pull away. “kinda got carried away there,” he chuckled, “your fault, cupcake. you got too emotional.”

“Of course, everything’s my fault.”

He stole one last kiss, cheekily grinning at you when you scowled. “if you thought you could anchor me down by kissing me, well, you’ve got another thing coming.”

If ‘????’ was an expression, that was the exact expression you were wearing. “You kissed me first!”

“yeah, because you wouldn’t calm down.”

“If you tried to calm down any other people with that technique, you’re getting hit with a sexual assault case, buddy.”

“good thing you’re not ‘other people’ then,” he answered. “are you sensible now?”

“When am I not?” you muttered, trying to cross your arms only to realize you were still cuffed. Patch snorted and lifted your arm to place it on his shoulder instead.

“i don’t know, when did you think that you could chop off the handcuff with a machete?”

You pursed your lips as you avoided his eye contact.

“i can wait here all night, darling.”

You bit back a sigh, burying your face into his chest. You still have skeletons to visit and feed. “Okay,” you said, not bothering to hide your upset.

“sorry if this isn’t what you wanted,” he said gently, kissing your forehead again.

“I’m kinda disappointed my kisses aren’t enough to make you stay,” you half-joked.

He chuckled. “doll, i could be hopelessly and wholeheartedly in love with you and it wouldn’t make me stay. you wanna know why? because i wouldn’t be happy. and you’d blame yourself if i’m miserable.”

You have been ignoring him because you didn’t want another person leaving your life again. You thought that by putting off this conversation, he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you and you could have him around for one more day. You thought, you thought. All your thoughts were selfish. You haven’t been thinking about what he would’ve been feeling throughout all of this at all.

He’s gonna come back to work on the machine once Sans was done with it. He wasn’t going away forever. But why did it feel like it did?

Your lips trembled as you pulled away from his arms so you could properly look at him. You stared at him, teary-eyed and all, as you forced your mouth to speak. “I… I’ve been selfish. I’m sorry.” You struggled not to glance away and say this without looking at him, but that was the cowardly way out. Facing him and acknowledging your fear was one step closer to regaining control of your emotions. “I didn’t want you to leave.”

His face softened. He waited for you to finish.

“The days before I met you were the loneliest I have ever been and even if our meeting was messed up, you guys were a blessing. It feels like my life suddenly has a direction when all I’ve ever felt was lost and I guess,” you inhaled, “I guess I just didn’t want to feel alone again. You’re right, of course, you are. I’d beat myself up if I knew that I’m keeping you here just because of my own greediness. You are your own person and I should respect that.”

Patch’s smile was so wide. He held your hand and kissed your palm. “my, you’ve grown. y’know, i’ve never thought of myself as a ‘feelings’ kind of guy but you changed that. it’s been a pleasure learning a different perspective from you.” He winked. “don’t worry, doll. i won’t ‘follow my heart’ for anyone else, just you.”

“Whatever,” you said with a laugh as tears rolled down your cheeks. “Find a mate or whatever, I don’t care. You deserve to be happy.”

“you know i’m not one for settling down, doll. i’ll come back for you.” The machine, not me, right?

“I don’t know, someone else could have swept me off my feet before you come back,” you said playfully. You can play pretend with him. “What’s with that face? I’m joking, I’m joking.”

Patch sighed. “as long as they aren’t an asshole. but what can i say, you’re attracted to assholes.”

“Rude!” You smacked his shoulder. You paused before asking, “When do you plan on leaving?”

“as soon as possible.” He tilted his head to the side. “mind sleeping with me tonight? it’s gonna be a long time before you see me again.”

You ignored him. “What about your brother?” You were afraid of asking ‘Is he coming with you?’

Patch watched your expression and huffed a laugh. “he’s his own person, cupcake. he can come with me if he likes but it seems like he’s taken a liking to taking care of the others. plus he’s the only one who knows how to contact me when it’s time to come back.”

“But,” you said, frowning, “you guys have never been apart.”

He laughed louder this time. “what are we, twelve? we’ve been apart hundreds of times before. it just so happened we were traveling together when we, uh, came here.” He scratched his cheek with a finger. “he’s gonna be fine without me. you’ll take care of him.”

“Are you gonna be fine without him?”

“as long as i know he’s ok, then i’m gonna be fine.” He raised a brow bone. “are you gonna be okay? because you know full well that if you want to go with me, i’ll whisk you away.”

You smiled. “I’m gonna be fine.” You patted his chest. “And you’re gonna be fine. We’ll be okay. Keep in touch, yeah?”

“give me your number and i’ll find a way to contact you,” he said with a wink.

“I’ll miss you.”

“stop acting like i’m gonna be gone forever, i’m sticking nearby so i can run back fast enough when something happens.” He kissed the tip of your nose. “i miss you already, too.”

The two of you stayed for a couple more minutes in the shed, talking about things other than his leaving. He didn’t know how long he’ll stay away, from what you both know, he could come back earlier than expected if he wanted to. He just wanted to explore more without having to come back every night to the same place. More freedom.

Exactly what Blue and Red were planning to do as well with them looking for jobs in the city.

You apologized for overreacting. He said you shouldn’t undermine your feelings. It was heartbreaking but you knew you can’t control them. It was only right.

Patch finally unlocked the cuffs before both of you emerged from the shed. It was half an hour past lunch; you were already running late with giving the two locked-up skeletons their food.

You had no time to update what had happened with Blue, Stretch, and Ace’s concern regarding your talk with Patch. But you hoped that the promising look on your face was enough as a temporary answer.

The past three days with the imprisoned Papyrus were spent exchanging stories. This Papyrus loved to talk about everything; as he always did, but more often than not, he’d get sidetrack and would be telling you a whole other story before stopping and asking what he was talking about in the first place. Your time with your original version of the brothers had you skilled enough to follow through with everything he’d been saying. His brother Sans, on the other hand, would spout random threats out of nowhere to scare you and nothing else. He didn’t want to talk; he was guarded, unlike the others. He doesn’t trust you and you understood. Not everyone had to like you.

Papyrus had brought up the idea of gardening and how Snowdin was so bland because there was only one kind of tree in throughout the whole area. He looked so happy when you told him that you’d bring him an encyclopedia of trees the next time you visit. You liked giving them books on subjects they were interested in. You did as soon as possible and he created a little bubble for himself. He couldn’t hear you no matter how loud you tried to call his name.

Guess there goes his hyper fixation.

You spent the rest of the days with his brother even though he doesn’t talk much. You found yourself pouring over your old life with him since you don’t dare break the news to him yet. He still didn’t know what was happening outside of the safe, little room he was in.

You sometimes remember things like, “Huh, my old classmate used to hide my wallet because he thought it was funny. What goes on in the minds of kids? Why would they think that’s funny?” And talk to yourself out loud. It felt as if you were keeping him company with your words even if the two of you weren’t conversing. Sometimes, you’d ask him a question and then act as if he gave you an answer even when he didn’t. His company was a treat if you look at it differently.

Maybe you should just become a professional listener or something. Someone you could pay to keep you company or vice versa. Was that a thing? You’d be good at that, you think.

It was Papyrus’ turn now—

“BAOBAB!”

“Huh?” You paused before fully entering the room.

“IT IS KNOWN AS THE TREE OF LIFE! IT HAS A DIAMETER OF 30 FEET AND IT REACHES A HEIGHT OF 59 FEET! IT ADAPTS QUICKLY TO ITS ENVIRONMENT; ABSORBING WATER IN ITS HUGE TRUNK DURING LOTS OF RAIN AND PRODUCES FRUITS WHEN IT IS DRY! IT IS ONE OF THE TALLEST AND STRONGEST TREES IN THE WORLD!”

You blinked, slowly nodding your head. “Okay?”

Papyrus stood majestically with his gloved hands on his hip bone. “THAT’S THE NAME I WISH TO BE CALLED! BAOBAB!”

“Baobab?”

“YES?”

You couldn’t help but grin as you shook your head. It kinda suits him. He named himself after a tree? “Nothing. If you find another name you like in the future, don’t worry about changing it, yeah?”

“I DON’T THINK I’M GONNA CHANGE IT, HUMAN! I LIKE IT VERY MUCH!”

“I see that.” You grinned. “Mind if I call you Bao for short?”

“OF COURSE NOT!” He looked so excited. “A NAME OTHER THAN PAPYRUS! WOW!”

“Now that you chose a name, have you chosen one for your brother?”

Papyrus—or Baobab didn’t look particularly bothered about it. “NOPE! I WOULD HATE TO PICK A NAME FOR HIM MYSELF BECAUSE I WOULDN’T KNOW IF HE LIKES IT OR NOT! IT’S BETTER IF YOU ASK HIM YOURSELF!”

“But what if he doesn’t want to pick?”

“YOU’LL FIND WHAT TO CALL HIM, HUMAN Y/N. I TRUST IN YOU.”

You stared at him with wide eyes. He didn’t look troubled with what he said to you at all. He had known you for a couple of days and he… trusts you?

It shouldn’t be that easy.

What was it with these skeletons and trusting you so easily?

There must be something that was influencing this. This was too atypical that it makes you uncomfortable if you think too long on it.

You found yourself talking with Paps- Baobab for two hours long about different topics ranging from cooking to sightseeing to human jobs to a little bit of his past. But he makes sure not to dwell too long on the topic, immediately changing it when he has the chance.

You swung by his brother’s room after dinner so you could tell him the news. You waited until he had finished eating before you sat down cross-legged in front of him and made yourself comfortable. “Your brother had picked a name to call him this afternoon. He named himself after a tree, Baobab! He said it was one of the tallest and strongest trees in the world.” You leaned back. “Do you want a similar tree name? I could search names for you if you don’t want to choose anything.”

Sans huffed and looked like he rolled his eyes; though it was hard to tell with one eye light. “i’m not a tree,” he, surprisingly, answered. Looked like you caught him in a good enough mood. “if anything, i chop ‘em down.”

You remember Baobab telling you his brother carries an axe wherever he goes. He didn’t clarify what for. You focus on it being a defensive weapon instead, even though it could obviously be the opposite. You tell him the first thing that comes to mind. “If you wanted an intimidating name along with your intimidating personality, how about Axe, then? I’ll give you three days to think about what you want to be called. If you don’t decide on anything, I’ll start calling you Axe.”

He stared at you menacingly but you merely dusted it off like it was nothing. Being around terrorizing skeletons was your pastime. It had little to no effect on you now after getting used to it. He grunted and then turned his back against you, choosing to stare at a corner instead.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Looks like names won’t be an issue anymore.

You woke up in the middle of the night in your room with the need to go to the bathroom. You shivered as the blanket slid down as you sat up and you fixed your jacket. Your eyes traveled to Stretch’s who was too used to sleeping in your room now; especially after that incident when Sans suddenly appeared and you locked him out. He was acting like a guard dog but also relishing in the fact that he’s close to your presence.

You didn’t have the heart to say no to him.  

Especially now when Sans was in an unstable mood.

Sans being closer to the results he wanted made him unpredictable to anything that could go wrong. Him being unpredictable scared you than all the other times he acted unreasonably. Him having the power to destroy everyone you were afraid to lose in one blink was frightening. 

“where are you going?” he slurred. Despite being a very sleepy person, he sure was a light sleeper. Maybe it depends on whether or not he felt safe at the moment.

“Bathroom.” It was your go-to excuse and one that didn’t need any explanation.

He fell back to sleep after that while you slinked out of your room. You went to the bathroom and then to the kitchen where you made yourself coffee. You were tired out of your senses but you had trouble falling asleep. Sometimes, you liked lying there and listening to Stretch’s breathing, wondering if he had lungs made by magic or he just did that because he was used to it. Other times, you take a walk along the dirt road that led to the highway and coming back halfway through before the sun comes up.

You closed your eyes as you sipped from your mug, quietly thinking about what to do this time.

You hear the shuffling of footsteps from outside the apartment door and your eyes snapped open. You left your mug and half-jogged out of the apartment to see who was walking around at night. You barely caught Red’s short stature and fluffy jacket going out the doors.

You ran up to him and he turned back at the sound of your footsteps.

“sweetheart, ya still up?” he asked, surprised.

“Where are you going?”

“i, uh,” he rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat, “’m goin’ to my job.”

“You already got one?”

“yesterday, yeah.”

“At this time of night?” It was almost 1 am.

“i’m on a night shift.”

Like Patch, you wanted to talk about this with Red but never had the time to do so. You don’t know what you were expecting with talking to him about it. Did you think he was gonna give in to your wish for him to just stay indoors forever? Probably not.

“What time do you start?”

“around 2, 2:30.” He shrugged. “have ta walk all the way there. i’m already runnin’ late.”

“What time do you get off?”

“9. or 10, ‘m not sure.”

“Okay, I’ll drive you there. Wait here.” You took off before he could get a word in. You grabbed a coat from the back of your room door, making sure you were careful to not wake Stretch.

Red didn’t even try to argue as the two of you went to your car and then drove off into the night. The windows were rolled down and the wind whipped your face.

“ya ok?” he asked.

“Why do you ask?”

“y’er quiet.”

You chuckled. “Am I usually talking your ear off? Oh wait, you don’t have those.”

“har har.” He glanced at you. “anythin’ bothering you? i may not be able to do something about it but ya can tell me anything.”

“That’s sweet of you, Red. And awfully uncharacteristic. Are you ok?”

He grunted and leaned back, hitting his head on the seat. “i’m asking you.” There was silence. “i… i just thought y’er mad at me or something…”

You made a face. “Why would you think that? Of course, I’m not mad.”

“well, ya kinda were when ya first learned about me and blue lookin’ for city jobs.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s true.” You smiled tight-lipped. “But that’s before Patch and I talked. And he left. So… there’s that. Wait, were you asking about how I felt about Patch leaving?”

“err, somethin’ like that.”

“Aww, how sweet,” you cooed.

He glared at you. “shut up.”

There was another silence where it was just you driving and him staring out the window. You drove out of the forest and into the highway.

Patch left just hours before, after dinner. He said goodbye pretty quickly and only packed anything he can fit in a backpack. He and Ace hugged. You hugged him, too, a bit longer than normal. Blue cried. You tried not to. Everyone went to see him off, except for Black and Rus. You didn’t hold it against them; they weren’t close with each other.

You finally answered. “I guess I feel upset and sad that he decided to leave. I felt mostly afraid that this will prompt everyone to start leaving, too, since all of you have no obligations to stay.” You tapped the steering wheel nervously. “I’m afraid that I’ll be alone one day and I won’t feel complete again.”

He didn’t say anything. You weren’t expecting a reply and this was exactly the reaction you anticipated from him. “But I’m fine,” you continued, “I’m gonna be okay. Though I do feel like crap right now, time’ll heal. Or something like that. If you guys do decide not to stay, then I’ll just have to suck it up and accept it. I should be able to accept it. You guys aren’t hostages. You’re my—”

Friends? Family? You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t want to be weird. The last thing you’d wanna know was they don’t feel that way about you the way you felt about them. You’d rather stay in the middle, where it was safe.

Red didn’t make you clarify, thankfully. He just nodded along and then awkwardly said, “it doesn’t look like the others are gonna leave anytime soon so don’t- don’t feel upset anymore.”

You huff out a laugh. “That actually lifted up my spirits a little. Thanks, Red.”

“don’t mention it.” He then followed it up with, “no, i’m serious. don’t mention it, ever.”

The mood was lighter and you were able to joke around with Red. You told him about Baobab and Axe, too, since you haven’t had the chance to tell anyone yet. Red said Baobab’s name sounded funny, and you told him to say that to Axe’s face.

You reached the small publishing house that Red was hired to guard. He was the only one on duty during this time. No one was willing enough to be sitting around at this hour in a dead street. Since you came by car, Red was early by an hour, so you invited him to the nearby convenience store.

You bought yourself coffee and offered to buy Red anything but he refused. The two of you sat outside in the cold night by the tables, with only the crickets and the sound of a passing car the only accompanying noises.  You closed your eyes as you sipped your coffee, warming up your fingers around the plastic cup. The coffee was bland and you think of the coffee you left in the apartment.

“This is nice. Do you want me to drive you here every night? I’m worried about you walking alone.”

Red has a smug grin on his stupid face. “worried ‘bout me?”

“Shut up. I just don’t want to wake up one day to find out that you’ve been dusted or something,” you said, almost bitterly. If you weren’t talking to Red about dusting, this conversation would’ve taken a heavy tone. But this was Red. He was used to violence in his universe. He wasn’t fazed one bit.

“eh, you get used to it.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “ya ever talk to the weird-ass dancers yet?”

You stiffened before relaxing again. “You’re the only one who knows what happened that night, you know,” you suddenly said. “I’ve never spoken to it about Blue or Stretch and they know everything.”

“must mean y’er still iffy about them,” Red said, surprisingly perceptive. Red at 1 a.m. was a different monster from normal Red.

“Yep.” You stretched your arms as you think about how to answer him. “Yeah, I haven’t. Been avoiding them. I feel a little bad but it’s not my fault. But it’s also not their fault.” You smacked your lips together. “Trauma, am I right?”

“mhm.” He doesn’t know what to say despite him being the one who brought it up. “don’t beat y’erself up about it. you’ll come around.”

“And what if I don’t? Maybe I can’t get along with everyone. Maybe they’ll just be left out all the time.”

Red glanced at you as though observing your face. “y’er too nice to do that.”

You huffed out a laugh. “Just because I managed to tame you doesn’t mean I can befriend everyone.”

You heard him choke on air. “—tame me?! you’ve got some fuckin’ nerve!—”

You barked a laugh. “Sorry, don’t get too worked up over it. I was just saying it as it is.”

Red crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath. “y’er getting a little too comfortable,” he spat.

“I mean, yeah? You took care of me when I was sick. You’ve seen me burst out crying about two times now. We slept together in your bed—”

His whole face was red. “stop! don’t say weird shit like that!”

“What’s weird about it? It’s true!”

“shut it, i’m serious!”

“You get embarrassed so easily,” you said in an amused tone. “Adorable.”

“don’t call me adorable?!”

“Fine, fine. Stop shouting.”

You and Red hanged around until he had to clock in. You said you’ll fetch him later when he goes out but he reminded you he could teleport back.

Disappointment hit you like a ton of bricks. Oh, right. He could teleport. He said he only needed to walk here today because he wasn’t paying attention the first time. Now that he’s spent a reasonable amount of time here, he’d scouted out which areas work where he could teleport into without being spotted.

You somehow thought you could make this into a thing. Maybe not.

“if you want company, just say so,” Red grumbled at the sight of your expression. “it’s not like i’m busy. you’d be surprised at what a skeleton can do in his free time.”

You smiled. “Yeah, sure. I’ll let you know. Good luck. Don’t die.”

“i don’t plan to, sweetheart.”

When you arrive back at the apartment, you were dead tired. You crashed next to Stretch who stirred at the sudden disturbance. You immediately fell asleep.

You woke up, still tired. It was a constant cycle.

It was the first day that Patch was gone, for sure. He was always absent before he decided to leave, but today, it was exceptionally lonely.

You bumped into Rus as you walked to the kitchen and you greeted him. You haven’t seen him around that much after that day in the forest. “Hey, Rus. What’re you up to?”

Rus switched demeanor, looking a bit nervous around you. He kept fiddling with his fingers. “h-hi, y/n,” he greeted back in a low volume, probably to avoid the others from finding out that he does talk. “i, uh, well, nothing much. actually, i wanna show you something… if that’s okay?”

“Oh? What is it? Can we have breakfast first?”

He tailed you as you walked into the kitchen where Ace and Blue were having a discussion.  

“—CHEDULE WORK WITH THE REST SO EVERYTHING DOESN’T HAVE TO FALL UPON US. IT’S JUST THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO!” Blue remarked.

“But you would not force people to participate if they do not want to. It is not their fault; they are in unfamiliar territory.”

“BUT IT’S MORE FAIR IF EVERYONE HAS CHORES TO DO!”

“You guys talking about chores?” you spoke up as you made yourself toasted bread. Rus was back to looking aloof, pretending that he wasn’t listening in to the conversation. “Do you guys need help on it? I could take on a few more if you guys do too much.”

“THAT’S NOT IT, FRIEND!” Blue sighed. “IT’S JUST THAT THE OTHERS LOITER AROUND ALL DAY, HELPING NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES! I JUST WANT TO OFFER THEM SOMETHING TO DO, ESPECIALLY IF I’M NOT GONNA BE AROUND MUCH WHEN I START WORK NEXT WEEK!”

You stiffened and then hoped that you weren’t that obvious. “You start next week? What are you doing?”

“OH, RIGHT! I GOT HIRED TO DO CASHIER WORK IN A SMALL STORE!” he answered proudly. “YOU CAN COME TO VISIT IF YOU WANT!”

You struggled to hide the way your stomach dropped. “Yeah, sure. Congrats.” Were you so busy in the past days that you didn’t even notice they had already come this far? Maybe you were too distracted by Patch’s leaving.

Blue, having been here the longest, caught on quickly. “DON’T LOOK SO DOWN, FRIEND! I’M NOT LEAVING LIKE PATCH DID.” Blue looked to Ace. “I HOPE THAT DOESN’T OFFEND YOU, ACE.”

“Of course it doesn’t. It’s a plain fact that my brother did leave. Though that’s not to say that he won’t be back sooner rather than later.” He sipped his tea. “I’m certain he’s not fully ready to leave and venture far yet, so he’ll come back in a couple of days.”

“You think so?” you asked. Patch said something similar.

“Yes, dear. Brooding will do you no good.”

“I’m not brooding,” you said, pouty.

“Say, Rus,” Ace said, “Is your brother coming for tea? He hasn’t come in yet and I brewed an extra for him.”

Rus gazed blankly at Ace and then shrugged one shoulder. “prolly not.” His tone was deeper than one he uses around his brother and when alone with you.

You wonder why he was still keeping up his façade and in the end, decided that it wasn’t your business. “Black comes around for tea in the morning?”

“OH, YOU’D BE SURPRISED!” Blue said cheerfully, keeping his hands busy by wiping down the kitchen counters. “HE COMES REALLY EARLY AND HE USED TO STEAL ACE’S TEA! HE DOESN’T DRINK COFFEE LIKE THE REST OF US. ACE AND I E CAUGHT HIM AND INVITED HIM FOR TEA IN THE MORNING. HE’S A VERY CURIOUS SKELETON, HE ASKS SO MANY QUESTIONS.”

“He is? I thought he didn’t like being around the others.”

“THAT WAS AT FIRST!” Blue continued. “HE’S VERY MUCH LIKE EDGE THOUGH HE PREFERS TO HANG AROUND US INSTEAD OF AVOIDING US LIKE EDGE DOES. HE IS VERY CLEAR ON THE PART THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE ANY ONE OF US.”

Hearing Edge wasn’t as close to the other skeletons as you’d hope made you a little sad. He’d still much rather do things by himself than get to know the others. You haven’t gotten to see him that much now that you thought about it. Clearly, you had other priorities in mind. Edge can handle himself. That doesn’t mean you won’t like to hang out with him soon.

You were surprised it wasn’t Edge who was looking for a job. Red was the lazy brother. But it does make sense. Red is a Sans, and in the past, Sans had the habit of having multiple jobs at once to support himself and his brother. If you’d guess, they had a deal. Edge would stay here while Red gets a job in place of his brother.

“What questions does he ask?” you asked Blue.

“ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS! HE ASKS ABOUT THE ROOMS, YOUR APARTMENT, THE VAULT. HE ASKS ABOUT THE OUTSIDE, HOW MANY MILES DOES THE FOREST STRETCH AROUND US, HE ASKS ABOUT THE DEVICE ON HIS WRIST!” Blue hummed thoughtfully. “HE ASKS MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.”

“Really? What’s he asking for?” You look at Blue to Ace to Rus. Rus wouldn’t meet your eyes but it was his normal reaction.

“Curiosity, I guess,” Ace answered. “I answered most of his queries. He mentioned they did not have the kind of technology and knowledge that we have and wanted to learn more about it.”

“Maybe he’d like to learn more?” you suggested. “We can teach him more if he’d like.”

“IF HE’D LIKE!” Blue repeated, nodding in satisfaction.

After having your breakfast, you turned to Rus. “You said you have something to show me?” Rus nodded and made his way out of the building. You wondered if you should bring a coat but it didn’t feel like you’ll be out too long so you didn’t. You trust Rus would tell you if you needed one.

You passed by Hop along the way. He glanced at you, hoping that you’d acknowledge him. You didn’t. You weren’t ready.

Rus led you into the forest and you wondered if he was leading you to the same clearing that the dance brothers took you to. Maybe they’d plan a similar picnic as well.

You were starting to get nervous when you wonder how long you were walking through the forest. You might be around the edge of the safe zone and you were worried that it might incapacitate Rus again. You were about to ask if you were close when you saw a half-finished cabin in the distance.

“What? Whose cabin is that?” you mused out loud. It was only a little larger than the shed in the back of the building and the windows weren’t finished. Construction materials lay scattered in front. “Wait, were you building this?”

Rus laughed nervously. “uh…”

“HUMAN, YOU’RE HERE AT LONG LAST.” Black emerged from inside, his hands clasped behind his back. “COME IN, COME IN.”

As soon as you stepped into the small cabin, Rus locked the door behind you.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

“HUMAN, YOU’RE HERE AT LONG LAST.” Black emerged from inside, his hands clasped behind his back. “COME IN, COME IN.”

As soon as you stepped into the small cabin, Rus locked the door behind you.

“Uh,” you faltered, sparing a glance behind you where Rus and the door were and then back to Black, “Uhm, what did you want to show me, Rus?”

The cabin’s foundation was complete; the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. It wasn’t bad, didn’t look poorly built at all. It was a small room that when you step in, three people inside were already a fit. There was an open doorframe to the right where it led to an empty room. Beyond that, you have no idea. There was still sawdust on the floor and no furniture; save for a table in the back and three chairs. You assumed they’re all built by hand by the brothers.

There was a lone lightbulb on the ceiling, one they didn’t need yet since there was plenty of sunlight coming in.

“HUMAN, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE STEP IN AND FOLLOW ME,” Black said gracefully as if he was leading you to a master bedroom in a large castle. He gestured to the table in the back. His expression, even with the years you’ve spent with your original Sans and Papyrus, told you nothing. You couldn’t read him. This was the face of a monster who has mastered the skill of keeping his face straight.

“Actually, I think we can do this later—” You took a step backward and stiffened when you bumped straight into Rus. He placed his hands on your shoulders as if stopping you from moving anywhere else.

“WHAT IS WITH THAT LOOK ON YOUR FACE, HUMAN? SURELY, YOU’RE NOT FRIGHTENED OF ME, ARE YOU?” Black took a step closer to you and you felt your stomach fall.

Why would you come here so willingly? Why did you let your guard down? You’ve always been careful, always been doubtful about the intent of others, so why didn’t you do just that instead of stupidly following Rus? Sans had warnings for this same reason, warnings that you intended to follow at the start but slowly dropped.

Because things were changing. Things have changed. But some things were still the same.

You have to get out of here.

Your eyes wandered around the room for anything, anything at all that could help you. You found nothing.

You can’t let them catch you.

“If you don’t want me to be frightened, stop trying to make me afraid of you then,” you replied. You were going to panic in the next few seconds if there was nothing you could do. “You guys know you have trackers, right?”

“FOR TRACKING, SURELY. AND WHAT IS HE GONNA DO WITH THE INFORMATION OF OUR LOCATION?” Black asked, more mockingly than serious. “IS HE GONNA COME DOWN HERE TO RETRIEVE YOU?”

You blinked at him, shocked by his words. “I…”

“HE ASKS ABOUT THE ROOMS, YOUR APARTMENT, THE VAULT. HE ASKS ABOUT THE OUTSIDE, HOW MANY MILES DOES THE FOREST STRETCH AROUND US, HE ASKS ABOUT THE DEVICE ON HIS WRIST!”

Blue failed to mention Black asked about Sans, too. He was trying to protect your feelings, but that didn’t mean you were spared from the danger ahead.

“COME QUIETLY, HUMAN. WE ARE GONNA SAVE SOME TIME IF WE DO THIS THE EASY WAY.”

“I don’t know what you think you’re gonna gain from this,” you blurt out, trying to buy yourself some time, “but this isn’t gonna work.”

“WE CAN TALK ONCE YOU’RE BOUND AND SEATED,” Black stated. “BROTHER, IF YOU WILL.”

You look behind you to express hurt across your face and you see Rus’ hesitation. You prepared to swing your elbow, gaining momentum at the last second to hit him in his ribs and pray that you could slip away with that short of a time when you feel something sharp poke your neck.

Your eyes widened as you froze where you stood, glancing at Black fearfully. He held a sharpened bone in his hand, daring you to move. “TRY TO BE A LITTLE MORE CLEVER, HUMAN. DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A SOLID CHANCE?” A beat passes. “WELL, DO YOU?” he asked again, and you just realized he was waiting for an answer.

“No,” you forced out as you raised both of your arms up in surrender.

You failed to count the days. Black and Rus have their magic back which meant that at least a week had passed. During that time, you had gotten sick, overstayed with Baobab and Axe, had that emotional conversation with Patch, and everything in between. You had forgotten to take note of the days. You let your guard down.

You thought that since a lot of people had your back, you would be safe.

“GOOD ANSWER,” Black praised, his grin widening. “NOW OFF YOU GO.”

Rus’ grip on your shoulders tightened. “let’s go. it’s better to just follow him instead of getting yourself hurt.”

You turned back to Rus but he has smoothed his face back into something unreadable. You bit your lower lip and followed them with heavy steps, head bent down to hide your expression.

You walked three steps in the direction of the other room before you twisted your whole body and dashed toward the front door. You hadn’t gotten very far before an arm snaked around your waist and lifted you off the floor. You began to thrash as wildly as you can, hitting the skeleton as hard as you can.

“HUMAN,” Black’s voice boomed, “SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE. STOP MOVING.”

Rus had trouble carrying you around but didn’t say a word even with the hits on his skull. He ultimately stumbled and slipped, both of you falling to the floor. You crawled away as fast as you can, your heart pounding in your ears. You nicked your arm in a random nail jutting out of the floor but didn’t stop you even with the sting of it making you wince.

A bone protruded out from the floor, missing you by an inch, and you screamed in shock. Something heavy between your shoulder blades pushed you back down on the ground as you tried to stand up. Sawdust blew into your face, making you cough when you inhaled a few of it.

“AS ALWAYS, I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOUR STUPID COURAGE, HUMAN, BUT I’M HARDLY A PATIENT MONSTER. THIS IS THE LAST STRAW. IF YOU ATTEMPT ONE MORE ESCAPE, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO STAB A BONE IN YOUR LEG SO YOU COULD NOT WALK AGAIN.”

You trembled. You couldn’t risk it. “I understand,” you said through gritted teeth, fighting back your tears.

“GOOD.” Black lifted his boot from your back. “NOW, STAND UP. DON’T LET ME TELL YOU TWICE.”

You glowered at him as you pushed yourself off the floor, holding your arm as blood gushed through. The cut doesn’t seem to be deep but it still stung and bled more than you would’ve thought.

Black tutted. “YOU’VE INJURED YOURSELF,” he said disapprovingly. “YOU’VE MADE A MESS.”

You kept your mouth shut, glaring at the floor instead of at him. You blamed him, but you blamed yourself more. This wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t incompetent.

“sans,” Rus said.

“WHAT?” Black scoffed. “WHY ARE YOU TAKING THAT TONE WITH ME?”

“you don’t have to be mean.”

Black crossed his arms. “THEY WOULD NOT BE INJURED RIGHT NOW IF YOU WEREN’T CLUMSY, PAPYRUS.”

“then let me fix it,” Rus said coldly. He turned to you, guiding you towards the table in the back. You wanted to try to escape but what if Black wasn’t bluffing? You have to be patient. You have to find another opening.

You sat down in one of the wooden chairs next to the table. Rus knelt down in front of you while your eyes roamed the room, trying to find more weaknesses in a different angle. There was just one window and one door. You can crawl out the window since there was nothing barring it but the problem was the timing. The door would be a little harder since you have to get the keys first.

Something wrapped around your ankle, strapping it onto the leg of the chair. You looked down, face pale. “What?—” Your feet were tightly zip-tied to the chair, rendering you immobile. Horror filled your expression as you turned to Black. “What is this?”

Black grinned mockingly at you. “IT’S FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. JUST TO ASSURE OUR HOSTAGE DOESN’T LOSE THEIR LEG TRYING TO FLEE.”

“But what if I need to go to the bathroom?” You couldn’t hide your panic now.

“AH, YOU NEED NOT WORRY. WE WON’T TAKE THAT LONG.” Black tilted his head. “PHASE TWO, BROTHER.”

“let me clean them up first,” Rus said as he stood up, pushing his hands to his jacket pockets.

“WHAT FOR? THEY’RE FINE,” Black said, annoyed.

“it’s to avoid infection. you know what happens to humans when you leave them with an injury, brother.”

Black huffed, crossing their arms. “HURRY UP.”

Rus disappeared through the front door, leaving you and Black alone. You were too upset to speak so you cast your eyes down.

“ARE YOU NOT GONNA ASK WHAT OUR PLAN IS?”

“Are you gonna tell me?” you asked bitterly. “I don’t wanna seem rude.”

“IT WILL SURELY BE A DELIGHT SINCE WE NEED YOUR HAND IN ORDER TO EXECUTE IT PROPERLY.” He walked slowly in front of you and you lifted your gaze to look at him. You don’t know what kind of face you were making right now but it was something that made Black look amused.

“If you think I’m gonna help you—”

“AH, BUT YOU HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER, HUMAN,” Black cut off. “UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE HERE FOR HOURS ON END. COMPLIANCE WILL GET YOU OUT OF HERE SOONER.”

“I’m not that stupid,” you hissed. “If you want to kill me, just kill me now. It doesn’t matter if it’s now or later.”

Black stepped closer. He reached out his hand to touch your face and you froze. You assumed he was going to grab your face harshly but instead, a finger traced the side of your jaw and tilted your head upwards. Your stomach churned and all the words died in your throat.

“IF I WANTED YOU DEAD, HUMAN, THEN YOU WOULD’VE BEEN ROTTING BY NOW.”

 He stepped away before you could react, both hands behind his back.

Rus appeared minutes later, holding a first aid kit in his hand. He placed it on the table, switching glances between you and Black.

“DID YOU ENSURE NO ONE HAS SEEN YOU?”

“yep,” Rus answered, sliding a chair in front of you and sitting down. He gestured to your arm and you gave it to him hesitantly.

“I’M GONNA STEP OUT TO PATROL THE AREA. MAKE IT QUICK.”

Black disappeared from the room, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Rus chuckled as he proceeded to clean your wound. “he’s just acting tough. don’t let him intimidate you.”

“Easy for you to say,” you murmured. You met his gaze and he quickly looked away, busying himself to avoid making eye contact. “Rus… what are you planning?”

“nothing that involves harming you, promise. this was an accident.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” you admitted. “Why do this at all?”

“i’ve told you. my brother’s not gonna stand here and do nothing.”

“What’s his goal, then? To kill my Sans?” You forced out a laugh. “He’s not gonna come for me. He doesn’t care that much. The only thing he cares about is his machine and his project.”

“we know.” He pressed a little too hard at your wound while cleaning and you flinched. “sorry.”

The cabin makes sense why you haven’t seen them around much. They’ve been making themselves busy. Black was gathering ‘intel’ by extracting answers from Blue and Ace, the easiest skeletons to get along with. “When I found you in the woods, was that part of your plan?”

Rus didn’t answer immediately. “yea. after that, we had the radius area of the safe zone.”

“And why would you need that? Why would you build this cabin?”

“FOR COVER, OF COURSE.” Black had come back. Rus was wrapping a bandage around your wound gently and sped up a little when his brother appeared. “WHO KNOWS HOW LONG WE’LL BE HERE? WHAT IF IT RAINED? WHAT IF A BEAR SHOWED UP? IT’S MUCH MORE CONVENIENT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF BASE THAN NOTHING AT ALL.”

“Okay, what do you need to do all this for?” you asked. “A base for what? Surely, you’re not going to lure Sans out and fight him? Like I said, he’s not gonna come for me—”

“WE’RE THE BAIT,” Black answered without letting you finish. He pretended to dust something off his shoulder, something that you’ve seen Edge do more than twice. Rus squinted at Black and Black waved him off. “I PLANNED ON TELLING THEM FROM THE START.”

“SEE,” Black started as he walked around slowly, “THE REASON WHY ALL THE OTHER SKELETONS HAVE FAILED THEIR PLAN OF ERADICATING THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT SMARTER. THE BUILDING WAS YOUR HOME TURF; THEREFORE, WE HAVE THE DISADVANTAGE. HAVING A SEPARATE BASE WILL LOWER THE DISADVANTAGE SIGNIFICANTLY. THE OTHERS HAVE ALSO FAILED TO GATHER SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ADVERSARY AND THE FIELD OF BATTLE. DUELING IN THE FOREST HAS MORE PERKS THAN IN A CLEARING—”

“You’re planning on fighting him?” you asked. “You must be crazy.”

“DON’T TALK OVER ME, HUMAN,” Black snarled. “BETTER BE DEEMED CRAZY THAN TO SIT AROUND AND GIVE UP LIKE THE REST OF THEM.”

“No, you don’t understand,” you insisted, “This isn’t some kind of game. Sans has the intent to kill you if you stand between him and his project. One of you could die!”

Black chuckled darkly. “DID YOU EXPECT ANYTHING LESS? IT’S A BATTLE TO THE DEATH, OF COURSE. I AM NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT.”

“brother,” Rus spoke up, concern evident in his expression. “i thought this was a plan to get us out of here?”

“IT IS. IF IT GOES SMOOTHLY.” Black fixed his scarf. “BE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER THE OUTCOME IS.”

“this isn’t what we talked about—”

“AND IF IT’S NOT? DO YOU WANT SOME KIND OF HALF-ASSED PLAN? DID YOU THINK PEACE TALKS WOULD SOLVE THIS? WAKE UP, BROTHER. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY.”

“sans—”

“I AM NOT ENTERTAINING ANY MORE COMMENTS REGARDING THIS.” He turned around, dismissing his brother.

“Don’t be such a hard-headed brat!” Your volume increased. “You’re willing to sacrifice yourself and for what? What if you die? You’re gonna leave your brother here alone? You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re being rash! I thought you were smarter than th—”

Rus swung his hand in front of your face, gesturing you to stop.

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” Black growled. He marched towards you, ignoring Rus when he tried to reason out with him. “YOU BETTER SHUT YOUR MOUTH BEFORE I CUT YOUR TONGUE OUT, HUMAN.”

“Your sacrifice will be for nothing if you keep acting like your pride is your top priority!” you exclaimed despite the fear you feel from the skeleton. “If you die, Rus will lose his only family!”

“DO NOT SPEAK AS IF YOU KNOW WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH,” he snapped. “I’M DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT IS BEST FOR BOTH OF US.”

“Violence isn’t the only answer, you skeletons have to remember that!” You huffed, exhausted. “I’ve been over this so many times in the past. If you die, Sans will likely kill Rus, too. You don’t know how angry he’ll be by this!”

Black stepped closer with a sneer and was about to open his mouth to retort when the three of you heard shuffling near the front door. Black gestured sharply to Rus and Rus placed a finger to his teeth while looking at you. You pursed your lips and nodded.

You could shout for help. But you wanted this to end peacefully, not bloodshed. And if you have to cooperate, then cooperate you shall.

Rus dragged you to the other empty room, the one hidden from sight with no windows. He placed you in a corner that nobody will be able to peer through without going inside the cabin itself. You hear the front door open.

“EDGE, WHAT ARE YOU SNIFFING AROUND FOR?” Black asked in irritation.  

“I WAS PATROLLING AROUND THE AREA,” you heard Edge’s voice, “AND WAS PARTLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE PROGRESS YOU’VE MADE.”

“YES, YES, WE’RE DOING BIG PROGRESS, CAN YOU LEAVE NOW?”

“TSK. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CHOSE THIS LOCATION. ONE MISTAKE AND YOU COULD GET LOST FURTHER IN THE FOREST.”

“I DO NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING TO YOU,” Black replied. “YOU ARE DISTURBING MY PEACE.”

“…I’M TAKING MY LEAVE. DON’T GET CAUGHT IN MY TRAPS.”

“I DON’T PLAN TO.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, you said, “Rus, you don’t seem to have any magic abilities.”

Rus glanced at you, looking a bit unnerved. “what do you mean?”

“You can’t teleport. You don’t have any magical strength. I suppose you don’t have blue magic as well. What do you do then?”

Black interrupted before Rus could answer. “I SUGGEST YOU STOP TALKING, HUMAN. PHASE TWO WILL BE IN MOTION.”

Your stomach plummeted. “What’s phase two?”

As Rus dragged you back in place, Black pointed to the device around his wrist. The same device that gathers data in place of imprisonment. “PHASE TWO IS YOU SAFELY TAKING THIS OFF WITHOUT TRIGGERING ANY OF THE ALARM SYSTEM.”

You frowned. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“OF COURSE YOU DO, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO DESIGNED THIS, AREN’T YOU?”

You leaned back on the chair, your heart pounding in your ears. “Yes, I did the initial design but I’m not the one who built it. Patch should be the person you’re looking for.”

Black tapped his boot against the floor, staring at you. “HE IS NOT HERE. BUT YOU ARE. THEY FOLLOWED YOUR DESIGN. HENCE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PINPOINT THE EXACT MECHANICS OF THE DEVICE.”

You gritted your teeth. “I can try but I’m no superhuman, Black. I could make a mistake.”

“YOU WILL NOT,” he said. He crossed his arms and effortlessly used blue magic to place you back to the room with the table. Rus picked up a toolbox from under the table and slid it over to you. Black sat in front of you, dragging the chair closer that you were only inches apart. Black placed his arm with the device on the table. “YOU MAY START.”

So, this was the reason why they didn’t bind your hands, too. You stared at Black and then Rus. “This is crazy,” you muttered. “You guys have a death wish.” As much as you want to be uncooperative, you also just wanted to get out of here. They will hold you here until you agree to do what they say and that might take hours. There was still light out and it was nearing lunch, it’s much better to do this while you can still see. Though you’d hate whatever could happen next.

You could try to talk them out of it but you’ve been trying to for the past hour and nothing seems to work. Black was dead set on getting his plan in action and you would not be able to stop it.

“not necessarily,” Rus replied as he placed himself behind you and sat on the table. “my brother just doesn’t like being told what to do.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” you asked Rus. “Making a mistake, the best case would be that he’d just get paralyzed like you did. At worst… could be death.”

Black gripped your wrist. “NO NEED TO SCARE MY BROTHER, OF COURSE, HE’S ALRIGHT WITH IT.”

You looked at Black a little too long and grabbed for the toolbox. You found the right screwdriver and reached for his hand. It was a little hard to see with his gloves in the way. “Can we take off your glove?”

Black, without a word, took off his glove swiftly in one move and placed his wrist back into your hand. You felt the chalky feeling of bone and fingers and you struggled not to get distracted. There were little nicks and cracks on his arm which left you muddled. He must’ve had a tough time. He looked worn out.

Ignoring the churning of your stomach, you twisted and turned his hand as you peered into the device, trying to remember where all the parts used to be. You’ve made the blueprint, you’ve seen Patch’s redesign, you’ve seen the prototype. You should be able to know where all the parts were and what to do.

As soon as your brain started working, it was easy to get lost in your thoughts. You forgot that you should be sabotaging their plan instead of finding the device’s weakness. That you should be convincing them not to go through with this because you can’t lose either of them or Sans. You can’t lose anyone else. If you have to be their middleman then you’d embrace that role with no hesitation.

Regrettably, that proved to be impossible. You couldn’t change anyone’s mind. You couldn’t save anyone from their fate. You couldn’t save Sans then and you certainly couldn’t save these brothers now.

You started getting less enthusiastic and plagued by your thoughts turning dark.

“HUMAN,” Black interrupted you. “YOU’RE STARING. GET BACK TO WORK.”

“I’m thinking,” you answered. “I don’t want you to die because of me.”

“I AM NOT DYING,” he simply said. “YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.”

You scowled. “You say that but your life is literally in my hands. Stop being so light-hearted about this.”

“JUST GET TO WORK.”

You pursed your lips and concentrated again.

“maybe, maybe this isn’t such a good idea, bro,” Rus piped up, voicing his concern. “let’s maybe just wait for the month to be up, like what the others did—”

“I DO NOT NEED YOUR OPINION, BROTHER,” Black snapped. “OF COURSE, YOU’LL BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.” There was a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“i just don’t want you to do this for nothing.” Rus sighed. “look, let’s switch places. y/n can mess around with my device and you wait here for the asshole—”

“NO,” he barked. “STAY WHERE YOU ARE.”

“and if you dust right now? how would phase 3 or whatever is next, continue?” Rus retorted, showing his annoyance. “you’ve always been smart so why are you not using your skull right now?”

“Because he doesn’t want to put you in danger,” you answered for him.

“HUMAN,” Black warned.

“Okay, deny it then.”

There was only silence. Rus took off, leaving you and Black in the cabin. You went back to fiddling with the device.

You had found the wire that could lead Sans here and hopefully disable any alarm system. The only gamble was if the alarm system would be truly disabled or if it will trigger another alarm just for trying to disable it. You played with it for a few minutes, thinking hard about what your next action should be.

“DO NOT HESITATE,” Black murmured. “I’VE ACCEPTED MY FATE.”

“It doesn’t have to end like this, you know. You could just sit it out for three more weeks and you and your brother could have the freedom you wanted.”

Black looked into your eyes, unwavering. “YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND, HUMAN. I WOULD RATHER DUST MYSELF TRYING THAN GIVE UP MY POWER TO SOMEONE UNWORTHY OF ME.”

It was an ego thing, you think. Maybe he’s right. Maybe you would never understand.

“Okay.” You explained to him what would happen if you disconnected that one wire from the circuit board. Or what you think would happen. “We still don’t know what your fate will be. We can wait until we have information.”

“NO, I WANT TO FINISH THIS NOW.”

You nodded once. “Then, you’re sure? Once I disconnect this, Sans will try to contact me. And since my phone isn’t with me, he’d try to come here himself to fix the problem. Be careful, he might be furious and he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you where you stand for being a problem.”

“I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN, HUMAN. I WON’T DIE.”

“You better not. You may be a huge brat but I don’t want anyone to die if I can help it.”

He looked stricken with the insult. “I AM NOT A BRAT. KEEP TALKING AND I’LL SMASH ALL YOUR TEETH.”

“Wonderful,” you said with a sigh, unfazed. “Don’t you want to make up with your brother before signing this death contract?”

“NO, I’VE TOLD HIM EVERYTHING I WANT HIM TO KNOW. IF HE WOULD RATHER THROW A FIT THEN THAT’S NOT ON ME.” Black nodded. “CUT THE CORD.”

“If he’s in the middle of something and you interrupted him, he might be furious.”

“I KNOW, I KNOW. CUT THE CORD,” he said impatiently.

You sighed, feeling yourself hesitate at the last second. You took one last look at Black’s face before disconnecting the cord. The two of you sat in agonizing silence for ten seconds, waiting for something to happen.

“I better hide somewhere.” You stand up and Black suddenly gripped your wrist. Before you know it, the two of you had teleported into a tree branch right outside the cabin. Bones impaled the shabby cabin in seconds and it burst into splinters. You put a hand to your mouth in surprise, placing your other hand on the trunk of the tree, ignoring the moss and insects crawling about.

Black was gone from your side and teleported back to the ground. Dust and smoke cleared up and Sans emerged from the chaos.

“YOU’VE FINALLY COME OUT,” Black exclaimed, appearing fearless and daunting in front of the volatile skeleton. He had his hands behind his back, his sockets careful and alert in watching Sans’ every move. “I’VE BEEN WAITING.”

“you,” Sans growled. “you’re a bother.” Without hesitation, he pounced towards Black, his grimy-looking lab coat billowed in the air behind him. He attacked him mindlessly with bones without a pause. Bones protruded from the ground and Black looked effortless in dodging. Though if you look closely, that’s not what you see at all. Sans was fast and did not hesitate, and you could see that he always almost got Black by a few centimeters.

Your heart was pounding in your rib cage as you see everything unfold right in front of you.

As a powerless human, you could do nothing but watch.

Black was wholly on defense, dodging and evading every attack from Sans. There was no opening for him to counterattack. One mistake and he was dust.

Your grip tightened on your clothes, praying that everybody gets out alive somehow. You watch the fight, afraid to blink and miss everything.

Black used the trees as cover. He finally had the chance to attack when he disappeared from his sight. Using a bone as a sword, he reappeared right behind Sans, eyelights glowing as he swung hard and swift.

Sans, at the last second, was able to block the attack with a conjured bone.

The fight lasted longer than 15 seconds which surprised you. You thought one of them would overpower the other but they were equally matched. Both weren’t willing to back down.

They were moving farther away from your position. As you watched them, your eyes caught something down in the distance. Your heart got caught in your throat. Rus was hiding behind a tree and Sans and Black were inching closer and closer to him. If Sans were to discover him, Rus has no chance. If Rus got caught in the crossfire, it was equally bad for all of them.

You were in full-blown panic mode. You didn’t think when you decided to shout with all your might, “Black!!!”

You caught Black’s attention for a split second, which made you realize that it was your biggest mistake.

Sans took advantage of the distraction, and with a bone in his hand, swung towards Black’s direction. Black was caught off-guard, foot slipping under him that evidently made Sans miss his swing. You had been so shocked that your body was frozen.

Sans had another chance to swing but before he could, he suddenly looked back toward the direction of the building and then disappeared.

As soon as he left, your knees trembled underneath you. You tried to grab onto anything, a branch, the trunk, but you fell off the tree branch you were standing on, and you had no choice but to brace yourself for impact.

You felt arms wrapping around you and the world shifting, finding yourself lying on the ground unscathed. Your heart was racing from the adrenaline and the pounding in your ears faded. Tiredness seeped into your bones. You looked up towards your savior to see Hip Hop’s worried expression greeting you.

You relaxed and gave all your weight onto him, with Hop easily giving in from holding you up. The two of you laid down on the ground, unmoving, and you stared at the leaves of the trees above you.

You thought… you thought you were gonna lose someone today.

You were prepared to cry your heart out.

You were prepared to be devastated.

Life had always gone wrong and there were so many things that could’ve gone wrong at this moment.

Everyone had been so lucky. A minuscule of little things led up to Black and Rus not dead, Sans not killing anyone, and you avoiding Sans’ wrath for conspiring against him.

“you scared the bejeezus out of me,” Hop breathed out.

“Right place, right time, Hop.” You sat up and patted his chest. “Impressive.”

“oh, a huge fight was happening, it was impossible to miss.” He sat up as well and awkward silence settled between the two of you as the moment passed. “so, uhm…”

“Well,” you stood up and dusted yourself off, “Thanks. For saving me.”

“oh yea, no biggie.” He waved a hand, dismissing the thought. “uh. anyway, i wanted to know when you’re available to, uh, talk. my brother wants to spend time with you.”

Turning him down was just plain immature. You couldn’t find it in yourself to be childish when you almost lost someone today. Surely, nothing will be more anxiety-inducing than your friends dying, right? You ought to give the dance brothers another chance, for real this time.

“We’ll see where we can fit that in my schedule, okay?”

Hop nodded, grateful. “yep. sorry to bother you.”

“You weren’t a bother, Hip Hop.” You sent him a tight-lipped smile.

Black entered your line of sight. “HUMAN,” he called. He glanced at Hop before turning to you. “I NEED TO TALK TO YOU.”

“See you later, Hop,” you told him before following Black deeper into the forest. The leaves crunched beneath your feet and you mindlessly kicked a rock. “I’m sorry. For distracting you. I shouldn’t have shouted your name.”

Black scoffed, slowing down to your pace so he was next to you. “THAT WAS THE MOST IDIOTIC THING YOU COULD DO.”

You bowed your head down.

“BUT IT WAS MOST IDIOTIC OF ME TO BE DISTRACTED BY IT. I TYPICALLY IGNORE THAT IN FIGHTS BUT I COULDN’T HELP BUT LOOK OVER WHEN IT WAS YOUR VOICE.” He cleared his throat as the two of you stopped in front of a sulking Rus. “IN A TWISTED TWIST OF FATE, YOUR SANS HAD MISSED AN OTHERWISE CRITICAL ATTACK AND HE HAD NOT DISCOVERED WHERE MY FOOLISH BROTHER WAS HIDING.”

“i was really scared, okay!” Rus said, almost in tears. “i thought that was the end of me!”

Black rolled his eyes. “BUT YOU ARE ALIVE AND WELL NOW, BROTHER. STOP YOUR THEATRICS.”

“What’s your next step now, Black?” you asked him, partly because you were itching to go back to tend to Baobab and Axe.

“I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR DUTIES AND I HAVE KEPT YOU LONG ENOUGH, HUMAN. BUT I WISH TO… THANK YOU.” He had to force out the last words awkwardly. He cleared his throat. “THIS PLAN WOULDN’T HAVE WORKED IF NOT FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.”

“It worked?”

Black gestured to the direction of the building. “IT DID, DID IT NOT? I DON’T KNOW THE REASON WHY THE IMBECILE HAD RETREATED BACK BUT HE DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THE DEVICE ANYMORE. IF I AM FINE, THEN MY BROTHER SHOULD BE FINE, TOO, AFTER YOU REMOVE THE DEVICE ON HIM AS WELL.”

You stared at Black. That had slipped your mind. You were so relieved that Sans had ‘given up’ that you didn’t realize that he might not have given up. What could be more important than the device he was so dearly possessive over since it was the key to his beloved project? In the end, did he not need Black and Rus’ data at all?

“Are you sure?”

“I AM CERTAIN. IF HE DOES COME BACK THEN I WOULD LOVE TO INDULGE HIM IN A SECOND ROUND.”

You looked to Rus. “Do you want to do this?”

Rus shrugged. “if my bro is sure then i trust him.”

The three of you ventured back to the ruined cabin, searching for the contents of the toolbox from earlier. After salvaging the tools, you invited them back to the building. You offered to check if the coast was clear first before you ushered them inside.

You didn’t want to catch anyone’s attention so you opted not to go to the apartment. Instead, you asked Black if the three of you could stay at his room first. Before entering Black’s room, you had taken notice that the steel doors were replaced with wooden ones. Inside his room, the placement of the bed wasn’t changed. The scanner was smashed in, something that you think everybody had done as soon as they could. The cameras were missing. There was a wooden table and chair almost similar to the one in the cabin that was pushed to the other side of the room.

You didn’t waste any time and proceeded to take off Rus’ device like you did to Black’s. The three of you sat in tense silence as you waited for something to happen.

Nothing happened.

Sans was really preoccupied. You hoped it wasn’t anything bad that it needed immediate attention. On the other hand, it could mean he must’ve found…

Did he really? If he did, he’d tell you, right?

Whatever it was, the good thing was you were still alive. That Black and Rus were alive. You want to give this a couple of days and if Sans still won’t make a move then you guess it must be okay to also remove the dance brother’s devices. If you could also talk to him personally about it then that would be even better.

Once you felt that a good enough time has passed and nothing has happened, you bid goodbye to the brothers for now so you could cater to the imprisoned brothers. Your guard was up and you would be lying if you were not the least bit worried about Black and Rus. So you asked a favor from Blue to lend the only other phone to Black so he could call you when needed. Blue looked like he wanted to ask more questions but you were already running late to meet with Bao and Axe.

Edge met you in the kitchen as you were preparing food for Bao and Axe. He doesn’t seem too happy. He asked where you were in the last hour and you answered truthfully; with Black and Rus. He asked if you were being withheld in the cabin against your will.

“I’ll tell you all of it, only if you promise not to pick a fight.”

“JUST HEARING YOU SAY THAT MAKES ME WANT TO PICK A FIGHT,” he snarked.

“I’m fine, see!” You twirled to make him see that you weren’t hurt anywhere. “I promise it made sense. I’m surprised you even knew. I thought you didn’t have a clue.”

“I COULD SENSE YOU BUT YOU DIDN’T SEEM LIKE YOU WERE IN DISTRESS. IT WAS BLACK AND RUS WHO ACTED STRANGE, THOUGH I CARED LESS ABOUT THEM THAN YOU.”

“Well, thanks for not barging in, Edge.” You gave him a smile. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? No fights!”

The rest of the day, despite your paranoia creeping up behind you, unfolded without any more events. It was oddly peaceful. You talked about random topics with Baobab and Axe was a great silent company. It was the same old.

Once you had free time, you tried to meet up with Blue only to find out he had gone out to do something. You found Black and Rus again, asking them if anything happened but there was nothing. You stuck with them for the rest of the day in order to keep an eye on them.

Black pulled you to the side once you told him you had time.

“I MUST ADMIT, THE SMART THING TO DO HERE IS TO LEAVE. THERE IS NOBODY HOLDING US BACK ANYMORE,” Black started and you could feel yourself slowly crumbling. For some reason, that had totally slipped your mind. Black noticed your devastated expression. “I SAID IT’S THE SMART THING TO DO, HUMAN. WIPE OFF YOUR TEARS.”

You sniffled. “What’s your plan then?”

“SIMPLE. IT’S TO GO BACK HOME. I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR LONG ENOUGH. I HAVE DUTIES TO THE CROWN AND I AM AFRAID THEY WOULD NOT LAST LONG WITHOUT ME. THE SOONER I AM HOME, THE BETTER.”

Right, Black and Rus and the dance brothers, with the exception of Bao and Axe, were the skeletons who had the shortest time here. It would make sense that they were still hung up about going home, especially Black. Edge was the same way. It would take more time for him to realize that they would not be going back anytime soon.

“You mean, you’re going to infiltrate the vault.”

“PRECISELY. I WOULD NEED MORE TIME TO PLAN BUT THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT I’M GOING TO DO. I NEED THAT MACHINE.”

You didn’t bother telling him that he sounded like Sans at the moment.

“BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE… I WOULD LIKE TO… APOLOGIZE,” he cleared his throat awkwardly as he shifted his gaze to the side, “I DID NOT MEAN TO INTIMIDATE AND HURT YOU. BUT I NEEDED YOUR COOPERATION. IT WAS NOTHING PERSONAL.”

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it,” you said, trying to force out a laugh but it fell flat. “I accept your apology.”

You also visited the security room to talk to Sans but he didn’t respond to your calls. You watched the cameras carefully to see if there were any more additions but there were none.

But you didn’t let your guard down. You were alert the next day, keeping your eyes and ears out for anything different. You had woken up extra early to prepare. And partly because you couldn’t sleep. Stretch didn’t come into your room last night so that was one more thing that kept you up.

You saw Stretch in the kitchen the next morning and he told you that he didn’t want to get used to coming into your room to sleep. His timing was just impeccable. Of course he does that when you needed to feel less in danger.

That wasn’t his fault, though. You gathered Ace, Blue, Stretch, and Edge in the kitchen to tell them what had happened yesterday. About the Black and Rus, the devices, Black’s plan to lure Sans out of hiding. You hid the fact of what needed to happen in order to get you to cooperate. The last thing you need was to create bad blood between them and Black and Rus. In the middle of it, both of them stepped inside the kitchen, interrupting you.

“IT’S RUDE TO TALK ABOUT MONSTERS BEHIND THEIR BACKS,” Black said. He inserted himself quite naturally in the explanation, taking over. You were glad to have someone to explain it more clearly than you did. He exuded the same ‘listen to me, what I’m saying is important’ kind of air like Edge’s.

You and Rus hung back. You could tell the skeleton was a bit nervous hanging around the others. You nudged him playfully. “Loosen up, looks like you’re gonna shit yourself.”

“only you could tell,” Rus murmured, rubbing his shoulder. “also, monsters don’t defecate.”

“Psh, I know. That’s why the bathroom’s so clean because you guys don’t need to use it.” You realized now that Rus wasn’t ignoring the others because that’s his personality, it was because he wasn’t the best at socializing and interacting with others. Compared to Red’s almost antisocial behavior, Rus was the asocial one. Maybe Black’s possessive behavior over Rus was because he was trying to do him a favor, so he wouldn’t be obligated to talk to others if he didn’t want to.

Give him time to adjust, maybe something’ll change. For now, you didn’t want to force him to do anything he’s uncomfortable with.

Stretch appeared next to you. “this is a weird turn of events. i’m surprised you’re not dead,” he said, monotone.

“Don’t tell me you’re mad because I didn’t tell you? I was busy the whole day. I came here as soon as I was free.”

Stretch huffed. “don’t mind me, honey. i’m just upset that you could’ve gotten hurt and i had no idea.”

“I’m fine and healthy, see?” You winked at him. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”

“HUMAN. STRETCH. CAN THE TWO OF YOU COME HERE? I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR LINE OF DEFENSE,” Black called. You and Stretch joined the group. You spared Rus a glance before turning your attention to the group.

“IT WOULD BE LESS DANGEROUS IF WE LIMIT GOING OUTSIDE FOR NOW,” Blue said.

“OUR ADVANTAGE IS OUR NUMBERS. AVOID STRAYING FROM THE GROUP. THE LIVING ROOM WOULD BE THE SAFEST PLACE TO REGROUP,” Edge added. “WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH COMMUNICATION DEVICES SO THIS IS THE NEXT BEST THING.”

You were stunned that they were all willing to work together and watch each other’s backs. Normally, you wouldn’t be surprised if they would rather only watch after themselves. It was… refreshing. Having one monster as their common enemy had brought them together.

“Y/N, MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT ALONE. YOU ARE THE WEAKEST PERSON IN THIS GROUP; THAT IS NOT AN INSULT. YOU HAVE NO MAGIC TO DEFEND YOURSELF. IT WOULD BE BEST.”

“But I’m also the only person that could stand against Sans.”

Black’s mouth spread out into a thin line, obviously unimpressed. “IF YOU THINK STANDING VERBALLY AGAINST HIM WOULD PROTECT YOUR SQUISHY BODY FROM BEING IMPALED BY HIS ATTACKS, THEN YOU ARE DELUSIONAL.”

You huffed. “Okay, okay, sheesh. Bring someone at all times, got it.”

“what, no ‘don’t hurt sans or else’?” Stretch piped up.

“Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder,” you said flatly. “In all seriousness, I would appreciate it greatly if you guys don’t kill him before I can talk to him.”

It was the condition that everyone half-heartedly agreed upon to avoid going against you. The group continued to talk for the rest of the morning, planning out for something nobody knew was coming. Blue and Ace offered to update Latin and Hop who often goes out exploring. You wanted Patch to know what was happening but he still hasn’t contacted you since he took off.

For some reason, this felt like preparation for a war nobody knew when it was going to come.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25

“HUMAN Y/N, YOU LOOK LOST IN YOUR THOUGHTS? ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO EAT FOR DINNER?”

You snapped out of it and turned to Baobab. “Dinner? You just ate,” you said teasingly. “If you want to, I can give you some snacks in between.”

He looked like there were stars in his eyes as he gasped. “ONLY IF IT’S NOT ANY TROUBLE TO YOU, MY FAVORITE HUMAN!”

You barked a laugh. “I’m your favorite now? Interesting.”

“FOR SURE. MY BELLY IS ALWAYS FULL WHEN YOU ARE AROUND AND I DO NOT HAVE TO EAT YOU. THEREFORE EASILY TAKING THE PLACE AS MY FAVORITE HUMAN,” he declared proudly.

“Thank you, it’s an absolute honor,” you replied lightly.

“SO?”

“Hmm?”

“SO, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT? I MAY NOT BE YOUR PAPYRUS BUT I CAN STILL LEND YOU A (NONEXISTENT) LISTENING EAR!”

“Oh.” Your smile fell as your fingers found the hem of your shirt and started playing with it. You spared a quick glance at the camera that was supposedly watching you and sighed. “Just that these past few days were just a mess.”

He stayed quiet, prompting you to continue.

You cleared your throat. He was probably not going to let this go until he was satisfied. And it wasn’t like you needed to hide things from him. You stretched your legs while sitting, huffing a little. “Okay, I told you about Sans, right? And what happened a couple of days ago?”

“YES, YES, THAT’S DONE AND OVER WITH,” he said a bit impatiently. “WHAT ABOUT IT?”

“Well, nothing, really. Nothing’s changed. I can’t get ahold of Sans. It’s been almost four days. He should’ve been—” Your voice cracked. “I don’t know. I have a bad feeling. Everyone’s on edge because we don’t know what’s happening. I’m just worried about… well, about everyone.”

“AH,” Baobab tapped his chin as if deep in thought, “THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PROBLEM THAT I’M NOT INVOLVED IN!”

You snorted. “Good for you, Bao. I wish I don’t have to deal with it either.”

“IF YOU DON’T WANT TO THEN YOU COULD JUST STAY HERE AND RUN AWAY FROM IT! IT’S NOT LIKE THEY CAN DRAG YOU OUT OF THIS ROOM, RIGHT?” He said that with such a positive expression, it was hard not to at least giggle.

“You’re right.” If it was a fight or flight option, you’d rather choose flight. The problem was you only have the fight option. You couldn’t let your friends down. “But also wrong. I have to deal with it. I’m the only one who can, Bao.”

Baobab regarded you carefully. “IF YOU THINK SO, HUMAN Y/N!” There was a pause. “HOW’S MY BROTHER?”

“Same old, same old. I think he sleeps all day. He still hasn’t said more than two sentences to me.”

“AH,” Bao waved a hand, dismissing the idea. “HE’LL GET BORED PRETTY SOON. HE’LL MISS TERRORIZING HUMANS!”

You think back on all the times he has spoken to you; all of them to scare you out of your wits. “Yeah… he likely does,” you said with a sigh. “But I don’t dislike our silent meetings. I look forward to it, to be honest. I’m always surrounded by skeletons. I feel like I can be alone with I’m with him.”

“THAT’S NICE TO HEAR, HUMAN Y/N!” Bao hummed happily. “I WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS OF A COMPANY FOR MY STUBBORN BROTHER!”

Your expression gets serious as the time to leave neared. “Bao, are you still getting nightmares?”

One thing you learned from Bao and Axe, they don’t have the tendency to lie. They were accustomed to telling the truth, straightforward and raw. It was their way to survive back when they were stuck in their universe. Why tell lies when it could cost you your life?

“YES. IT’S QUITE JARRING AND LEAVES ME TREMBLING WHEN I WAKE UP.”

It was hard to hide your expression but you did your best. It wouldn’t be surprising if they developed some kind of stress disorder due to the traumatic experience they’ve lived through. You forget sometimes because you imagine that this was their personality in another universe, not their trauma embodied. “Do you want me to search for any kind of monster medicine that might work for you?”

Baobab laughed. “MONSTERS DON’T USE MEDICINE, HUMAN!” He stopped. “UNLESS THIS UNIVERSE DOES?”

He was right. Monsters didn’t need medicine. Monster bodies rarely get sick and on the occasion it does, the source would always be their souls. And aside from magic, nothing would ever cure the soul directly.

Baobab’s nightmares were a psychological issue. And though medicine would work on humans, you don’t think it would work the same with monsters. The next best thing was therapy, and you were far from being a therapist.

The only way you could help him was if he talked to you about it. So far, he had expressed to you that he didn’t want to talk about his past. He would completely change the subject if the two of you were venturing anything that poked that part of his memories. He would rather forget about it, suppressing everything, and thus it would come out as a form of nightmares.

You can’t help someone who doesn’t want help.

Offering your presence was the only thing you could give.

“No, you’re right. Sorry. But I would ask around other monsters for help.”

“THAT’S KIND OF YOU, HUMAN Y/N! YOU’RE VERY RELIABLE.”

There was a pinch in your heart. It wasn’t enough to help him, though. “Of course, anything for you, Baobab.”

You stood up, exchanged goodbyes, and then, you slid something into his food slot and it made a clanking noise as it fell on the ground. “Here’s a gift for you. I gave this puzzle piece to two of my friends before and they’ve already solved it so I asked them if it’s okay to give it to you. Have fun!”

You saw a glimpse of Bao’s elated expression before you left for Axe’s. Entering Axe’s room, he was sitting against the glass wall with his sockets closed. Your eyes lingered too long on the hole on his skull, something you don’t think you’ll ever get used to. It just demanded too much… attention.

“stop staring,” he suddenly rumbled with his sockets still closed. He slowly opened his one, red eye and stared straight at you. “didn’t your parents tell you it’s rude?”

You felt a shiver down your spine. “How’d you know I was staring?” you asked. You were shaken and you needed a second to compose yourself.

“…they’re always starin’,” he muttered.

This was one of the longest conversations you’ve had with him since he got here. Maybe he was in a chatty mood. That’d be a nice change of pace, though you do like that you were able to have some peace and quiet with him.

“I’m sorry.” You gave him his food through the slot. “Are you still keeping your food stock? I’m afraid a lot of what I’ve given you will go bad quickly so I don’t think it’s a good idea to let it sit for too long.”

He laughed, slow and sarcastic. “i used to eat fried snow, pumpkin. i don’t think a few spoilt foods will kill me.”

You had served them pumpkin pie the day before. You were wondering what kind of nickname this Sans will call you. “I can just buy you food with longer shelf life. You know what, okay, I’m buying you and Baobab groceries tomorrow for your ‘food stock’. You don’t have to keep the food you’ve been keeping from the first night. It’ll make your room smell.”

He tilted his head, his grin sharp and unnerving. “then come in here and clean up.”

You would be lying if you said you weren’t the least bit terrified of him. Sure, the others were intimidating and bossy and daunting. But Axe was a different kind of scary. He knows how to scare people; he’s been doing it for years. He knows what makes a human anxious since he’s probably been in a lot of predator-prey chases in his Underground. You try not to let him scare you any further by emphasizing the fact that he’s confined.

You look forward to the day where you could let them both out, and be confident enough that they wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“I can’t,” you said blankly. “That’s why you should make more effort in not letting it become a pigsty.”

“too bad, then.” He proceeded to lie flat on his back with his arms stretched out.

He didn’t say anything else for the rest of the time. He looked like he was taking a nap as you sat and began to recount your day with Baobab. You could see little twitches on his face sometimes that you don’t think he knows about, making it really obvious that he was actually awake. It was kinda adorable if you ignore the scary part.

Before you left the room, you fished something from your pocket that you slipped inside the food slot. “Here’s a gift. Please, this isn’t because I think you’re a dog or anything, don’t get me wrong. It’s just something that you could play with if you get bored.” A ball bounced on the floor as it fell.

He laid motionless, saying nothing.

When you came out of the room, Edge was already standing there waiting in the hallway.

“Edge!” you greeted quite cheerfully. “You’re here.”

“OF COURSE, I AM HERE. WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE?” he said sarcastically.

“Aw, I’m happy to see you, too,” you teased. The two of you walked side-by-side to the elevator. “Any updates?”

Edge grumbled. “NOTHING. NO MOVEMENT WHATSOEVER. HOW IS IT ON YOUR END?”

You shook your head. “He hasn’t contacted me once. You going to accompany Red later?”

He scoffed. “OF COURSE NOT, HUMAN. I AM NOT HIS BABYSITTER.” He gave you a judging look.

“Huh? But I thought you were going to partner up with him? Isn’t the new rule to make sure that nobody is alone most of the time?”

“IT WAS AN INCONVENIENCE THAT I HAVE TO ACCOMPANY HIM IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT DURING HIS SHIFT WHEN I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ASLEEP SO I SWITCHED UP PARTNERS.”

“With who?”

“STRETCH.”

“Oh?” Your smile widened. “But what about Blue?”

“BLUE AND ACE HAVE DECIDED TO PAIR UP,” he said, irritated, “AS THEY ALWAYS DO THE CHORES TOGETHER.”

“Okay, if Blue and Ace are paired, and Red and Stretch are paired, that leaves you and me, right Captain?”

Edge groaned. “INFURIATING, INDEED.”

“Shut up, you like this setup. I was there when you said that you don’t trust the four newer skeletons with me, you know.”

“OF COURSE I DON’T,” he snarked. “THE FOUR HAS YET TO PROVE ANYTHING! AND THAT ANNOYING BLACK ALSO HURT YOU.” He turned to you, scowling. “DON’T YOU DARE DENY IT, HUMAN.”

You pursed your lips. “How’d you know?”

“HE TOLD ME,” he said simply.

“Why?”

“HE DIDN’T WANT ME TO HEAR FROM OTHER’S MOUTHS AND MISUNDERSTAND.” He was scowling and grumbling under his breath. “AS IF THAT MADE IT BETTER.”

“Edge, you’re just covered in sweetness, you know?” you said playfully.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE RAMBLING ABOUT, HUMAN!” he snapped. “AND DON’T EVEN TRY TO SHAKE THIS OFF. YOU DID NOT EVEN CARE ENOUGH TO TELL ME THAT IT HAPPENED.”

“That’s not true,” you said quickly. “I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t want you to worry about it. You know how you guys get. You tend to make things bigger than it seems.”

“BECAUSE IT IS,” he replied. “YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO UNDERPLAY EVERYTHING. IT IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK IT IS, HUMAN. YOU GETTING HURT MEANS THAT WE FAILED IN SAFEGUARDING YOU FROM HARM-“ He quickly backpedaled. “O-OF COURSE, YOU HAVE A KEY ROLE IN OUR GETTING BACK TO OUR RESPECTIVE UNIVERSES.”

“Of course, what else could it be?” Your smile never left. “So, partner, what are your plans for the day? Looks like we’re stuck with each other for now.”

“WE HAVE NO PLANS BUT TO STAY ALIVE AND STAY IN THE APARTMENT.”

“Right, right.” You sighed. “But it’s been a few days, surely, it’s safe out there, right?”

“NO. LETTING OUR GUARDS DOWN IS THE FIRST MISTAKE. NOW STOP DAWDLING.”

The two of you took the elevator down to the apartment. You passed by Black and Rus who was standing guard in front of the vault. They’ve been thinking about how to infiltrate it but it doesn’t seem like anything was working at the moment.

The big, steel, vault door was coated with anti-magic. Anything magic was rendered useless. Only Sans could teleport in and out of the place since he was the only one who has reached it. If they want to get inside, they have to think out of the box. Under was a no-no, they’d have to dig through meters and meters of concrete that’ll take months. The only place was through the security room.

The security room was also reinforced with anti-magic, the only people who has access were you and Sans. He was able to remove his magic signature from those that could be affected which makes him almost invincible. Almost because he has a weakness. You.

You were the unknown variable in this equation. If you were able to find a way to shut down the anti-magic barrier, this could be enough for the other skeletons to make their way in.

The issue was, why? Why the heck would you do that?

Sure, your once strong feelings and loyalty to Sans were immovable and things have changed. You have other people that you care for and want their trust. But that’s not to say that you’ll be letting them kill off your best friend. Sans deserved what was coming to him but it doesn’t mean that you’ll let them. You won’t refute whatever hatred they have for Sans but you will not betray him.

The reason why you let them do what they want was because you knew Sans’ security measures were impenetrable. You were also sure he was the type of monster to have a failsafe. They were not getting him through force.

“y/n,” Rus greeted and began to tail you.

“Hey, Rus.” You sent him a smile and then looked over to Black. “Anything?”

“NOTHING.” Black gritted his teeth. “THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE I MUST TELL YOU BUT I WANT EVERYONE INVOLVED. I’LL SAY IT AFTER DINNER.”

“CAN’T YOU TELL US NOW?” Edge asked, showing annoyance.

“LATER,” Black replied slowly. You were somehow getting the idea that Black might’ve told you but he wanted to piss Edge off more.

Rus gestured to you from the corner of your eye and you turned to him. He waved a hand for you to come closer. You trailed away from Black and Edge bantering.

“What’s up?”

“i have something to tell you,” he said lightly. “that little guy blue and ace was acting very suspicious yesterday.”

“What do you mean?” You raised a brow. “Little? He’s the same height as Black.”

“he might be but he’s still little to me, ya know.” He shrugged. “anyway, do you wanna hear what i saw or not?”

“Ok, tell me.”

He grinned shyly. “first, convince my brother to pair me up with you.”

“What?” You blinked. “You want Black and Edge to be left alone with each other? Are you crazy?”

“oh, you’re right,” he said, realizing that. “i just wanted to spend time with the human.” He looked disappointed now. “i-i don’t know if you remembered but you offered to teach me some chores…?”

“I did, didn’t I?” You patted his shoulder in an attempt to console him. “But I think the best course, for now, would be to separate Black and Edge from each other.”

“AND WHY WOULD WE NEED TO DO THAT, BABYSITTER?”

You hadn’t noticed Edge and Black had been listening in to your conversation. You hid behind Rus, using him as a shield. Instead of taking over, he took one big step to casually hide behind you and whistle.

“Because!” you squeaked out when Black glared at you. “Well. You guys… don’t seem to mingle well with each other?”

“IF YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TOLERATE THIS SMALL CHUNK OF TRASH THEN YOU SHOULD BE PROVEN WRONG,” Black sneered.

Edge rolled his eye lights. “CAN YOU EVEN HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING? YOU’RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS.”

Black straightened up, fixing his uniform. “ARE YOU ADMITTING DEFEAT THEN?”

“I AM NOT ADMITTING TO ANYTHING,” Edge scowled. “FINE! IF YOU ARE SO DETERMINED ON PROVING YOUR SHITTY SELF THEN I WILL INDULGE YOU.”

“GOOD! I HAVE NOT KNOWN YOU AS ONE THAT BACKS DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE.”

“THIS ISN’T EVEN A CHALLENGE, THIS IS HELL.”

“ARE YOU WHINING, ‘CAPTAIN’?” Black asked, his tone mocking.

“IF YOU’RE USING THAT ON ME THEN…” Edge tilted his head up. “DO NOT TALK BACK TO YOUR SUPERIOR, ‘LIEUTENANT’.”

You and Rus slipped away as soon as you can. You liked them both but you’d rather not get caught in their ‘who has the biggest dick’ contest.

Entering the apartment, you found that everyone was here occupying the living room. Blue and Ace were nowhere in the apartment though.

Red peered from the couch. “hey, sweetheart. we’re watching a horror movie. sit with me?”

“hey sweetheart,” Stretch said normally but you knew he was making fun of Red. “you’d rather sit with me, right?”

“shut up, asshole,” Red growled, pushing Stretch by the shoulder. “i asked first!”

“yeah but they’re comfy with me the most,” Stretch drawled. “i do sleep in their bed and all that.” He shot you a wink.

Oh dear. He’s starting a fight that you also do not want to get involved in.

“you little fuck—”

“please shut up,” Hop suddenly interrupted, annoyance evident in his voice. “we’re trying to watch here.”

“Sorry for the trouble, Hop,” you apologized. Both Red and Stretch sputtered from you apologizing. Hop looked a little embarrassed but nodded at you. You glanced at Rus who had a hardened expression but was likely panicking inside. “I’ll watch with you guys next time. Rus and I will be in the kitchen.”

Latin chimed in. “OH, THAT’S TOO BAD HUMAN! THIS EPISODE WAS GETTING INTERESTING, YOU WOULD LIKE IT!” If Latin wasn’t even the least bit scared of it, you doubt it was a horror horror movie.

“Next time, Latin,” you told him with a gentle smile.

You pulled Rus into the kitchen. “What do you want to drink? We have tea, coffee, probably juice…” You rummaged through the full cabinets. Blue and Ace had such a good schedule running that the kitchen never runs out of food.

Rus shrugged weakly. “coffee, i guess.”

“Do you want it iced? We have some in the freezer.”

“sure.”

You made drinks for the two of you and then sat down beside him.

Rus cupped the drink with his hands and nervously glanced between you and the table.

“What’s eating you?” you prompted.

He shook his head vigorously. “nothing! i, uh,” he took a slow sip of his drink, “it’s just… you don’t have to stay with me, you know.”

“What do you mean?

“you can join them for the movie.”

“Hm?” You took a sip. “But you’re my partner, I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He flushed a little. “i know but i prefer to stay here. and i’m not going to force you if you want to spend time with them, too.”

You huffed. “Rus, I’m here because I want to be here. And plus, I can’t leave my partner’s side.” You planted your elbows on the table and leaned towards him. “Anyway, you were supposed to tell me something about Blue?”

Rus looked relieved when you changed the subject. “oh. yep. well, the little guy told me to keep it a secret from you.”

You waited for him to explain and he didn’t. “And?”

“that’s it. i didn’t even want to tell you about what he was doing but he told me not to tell you.”

You stared at him dumbfounded. “That’s it? You literally stole me away from Edge so you can tell me that you can’t tell me?”

“he made me promise,” he replied as if it was the answer to everything.

“You are insufferable.”

He chuckled. “glad you think so, y/n.” It looked like he was getting ready to bring up another topic. “i noticed all the others are calling you anything but your name. why would you want to be called nicknames instead of your actual name?”

You tilted your head. “Because it’s kinda sweet?”

He reddened. “i don’t think it’s that big a deal.”

“Oh, really?” You hummed. “Interesting. So you don’t want to call me angel or sunshine or anything?”

“no,” he said immediately. “it’s k-kinda embarrassing.”

“Pfft—” You shortly laughed. “Yeah, I don’t know. It seems like a pattern from the alternate versions of you, don’t you think so? It’s kinda amusing knowing what kind of name they’re gonna call me.”

“yeah, it seems like everyone has something different they call you. it’s crazy.”

“They overlap sometimes but yeah, it does differ from monster to monster.” You grinned. “Makes it kinda suspicious that you don’t have anything you wanna call me. C’mon, you can whisper it to me if you’re shy.”

He sunk into his jacket. “you are insufferable.”

“Good to know,” you said quite smugly.

You spent the rest of the afternoon hanging with Rus. Eventually, Black and Edge came into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Even if you preferred to be not within their range, you figured it was better to oversee what they were going to prepare. You noticed they were preparing pasta that uses chicken alfredo sauce without the chicken. In the end, you helped them by preparing a separate batch of chicken alfredo sauce for the skeletons that wanted it.

You went and served Bao and Axe before going back down to eat together. It was the one thing that still baffled you to this day. The fact that these different skeletons with clashing personalities were willing to sit down and eat together for a meal was something. It was so easy to just take a serving and eat alone. Much like what the first dinners were like when there were only three pairs of them.

For some reason, they get along to the point that they’re okay with sitting down for a meal, despite some of them not being close at all.

You were giving Blue and Ace credit for being so accommodating to everyone. You don’t think you would’ve survived without them.

Dinner was had and the dance brothers were tasked with doing dishes. Black got the attention of everyone by standing and clearing his throat loudly. “I WANT EVERYONE’S ATTENTION.”

“sounds about right,” Red murmured under his breath. Black gave him a sharp glare.

“THERE IS SOMETHING I’VE NOTED WHILE WATCHING THE VAULT DOOR. IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SILENT.”

You were about to drink your water when he said that and the glass completely slipped out of your hand. With Blue’s quick reflexes, he caught the glass and settled it back down on the table. He reached for your hand, sending you a worried glance.

You don’t know what kind of face you were making right now.

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?” Blue asked.

“THERE USED TO BE A CONSTANT BUZZING SOUND. I DON’T THINK IT’S TOO SMALL A FREQUENCY THAT ANY OF YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR IT. IT STOPPED OVER TWO DAYS AGO. I’VE BEEN WAITING TO SEE WHEN IT WILL PICK BACK UP,” Black continued. He didn’t even look at you once.

You stood up, planting your palm on the table, the chair behind you making a screeching sound. Everyone stopped to stare at you. Nobody moved.

“I-i-i,” your voice trembled, “excuse me for a moment.”

You left the kitchen hurriedly. You heard Blue calling after you but nobody came after you. You were heading straight to your room but froze on the spot when you heard the water in the bathroom.

Nobody should be in there right now; everyone was in the kitchen.

You entered the bathroom without a second thought and locked the door behind you.

Your face contorted into an angry expression, stomping over to the sink and opening the faucet. “What the fuck are you doing here?!” you whispered-shouted at Sans who was in the middle of soaking himself in a hot bath. “You didn’t lock the doors!”

Sans looked, in every bit of the word, worn out. If you didn’t know monsters turn into dust, you’d have thought that he was dead already. He didn’t even bother opening his sockets. “i didn’t know, sorry,” he said, voice half-raspy.

You blinked. What happened to him? His usual luster was gone like his drive was stripped away from him. “Are you okay?” You stepped closer to him, fully aware that he was naked under the water. You reached out for his skull, pausing mid-way before placing your palm against his cheek. His temperature hasn’t changed, though it’s not like monsters could get sick often.

“’m fine,” he muttered.

This was the skeleton who has hurt you countless times and you’d be lying if you didn’t harbor any ill feelings all these years. But seeing him utterly weak and vulnerable in front of you was enough for your walls to crumble.

“Are you? What’s wrong?”

You stilled when his hand cupped yours that was still on his cheek. Your brows furrowed, coupled with a mix of emotions that came out of nowhere. The two of you stayed like that for a few seconds before your legs eventually got tired of squatting and you collapsed on the tiled floor.

You realized Sans had fallen asleep.

You sighed, though you couldn’t leave him here like this. The nearest safe room was your room next door. You went on to silently drain the tub and grab a towel to wrap him with. You turned off the faucet. Then you checked the door, peeking outside to see if anyone was lingering about. The coast was clear.

You took off your slippers, carried the skeleton monster weighing a few pounds, and checked the door again. You made sure no one was around before moving quickly and swiftly to enter your room. You locked the door just in time for someone to knock on it.

You could hear your heart beating in your rib cage at the timing. Whoever that was was just a second short of catching you.

“W-what?” you called out. You couldn’t help the quiver in your voice.

“hey honey. would you like some company?” It was Stretch. He tried the knob. “oh.”

You had the habit of leaving it open for him to come and go as he pleased. “I’m sorry, Stretch. I need to be alone for now.” Sans’ fingers curled into the blanket and pulled it closer to him. You assumed he was getting cold.

“i see. if you feel better, come out and talk. my bro’s worried about you.”

You didn’t bother answering him, laying Sans down on the bed. You rummaged through your clothes to see if there was anything he could wear. The fact that he was shorter and smaller than you meant that he could wear your clothes and it’d fit him just fine. You found an old sweatshirt and shorts that stopped at your knee.

You weren’t the least bit bothered as you dressed him up. That could mean something, right? Maybe you’ve just detached yourself from him. Maybe you don’t care as much anymore?

Then why do you want his comfort so bad?

You stared at his form on your bed, your fists clenched. You want to leave but you don’t know when he’ll wake up and if he’ll even answer your questions. Or the others’ questions.

Did something go wrong with his machine? Is that why he wasn’t running it anymore? Or was he just accumulating power for his next move? You had never seen him in the bathroom before, much less taking a bath almost leisurely. Did he work himself to the bone until he had no choice but to take a break? He passed out almost immediately when you appeared.

You don’t know what he’s working on anymore. He’s been shutting himself out ever since you started getting close to the other skeletons. You used to know everything. But now, Sans didn’t even try to hide that he’s hiding things from you.

Maybe it was for the better. You could accidentally make a mistake and slip up to anyone else. And they all have a vendetta against him.

You grabbed a blanket and tucked him in.

If he wants to tell you anything, he’ll find a way. For now, you’ll leave him be with his much-needed rest.

You left your room, locking it behind you. You touched the key you have in your pocket before going over to find Blue.

You found that the majority of them were still in the kitchen with the exception of the dance brothers, Red, and Rus. You listened for a few seconds, realizing they were brainstorming ideas. You were not in the right mind to humor them right now, so you left instead. Blue looked like he wanted to follow you and comfort you but was rooted to his place as one of the monsters leading the session.

In the living room, Latin was dancing to a music video shown on TV, and Hop watching him with a fond smile. Rus has found himself a quaint little space against the wall away from everyone with a pen and paper.

“Oh?” You tilted your head to see what he was drawing. “You’re drawing Latin. I didn’t know you draw.”

“yep,” Rus confirmed, awkwardly trying to hide his piece. “no watching, i get nervous.”

“Got it.” You sat down beside him on the floor.

“how’re you feeling?”

“I feel like shit.”

“…why?”

“Because.”

“…yea, i get that. i feel like that too, sometimes.” He looked down on his paper as you continued to watch the dance brothers.

“I just…” You suddenly started after a few minutes of silence, “I just feel like everything I’m doing is wrong. Like everyone’s against me, telling me what’s better for me, but all I do is do what I want to do.”

Rus was quiet, either he was letting you talk or he wasn’t one for giving advice.

“I’ve been making the wrong choices every single time because it makes me feel better, even if it’s just temporary.” You smiled bitterly. “You do know that everything would end if I just picked one side, right? I don’t have to stretch myself to the limits trying to please everyone because I have this silly, little ideal that we’ll get along someday. That this would just be some funny joke we’d laugh at in the future.” Your heart hurt. “And I hate this, I hate feeling sorry for myself. It’s all I’ve ever done. It’s all I remember doing. And I hate that I’m making you guys feel sorry for me, too.”

Your hands were shaking but you felt numb inside. You wanted to cry but no tears came out.

“y/n…” Rus touched your hand that was resting on your leg gingerly. You stared at it, flipped your hand, and intertwined your fingers with his. You were grateful for the little comfort he offered. “i don’t know what to say to make you feel better.”

“i feel like a burden to my brother,” he began. You had a feeling he wanted to empathize with you by confessing his feelings with a similar nature. “in our universe, i’m useless. i don’t have anything to contribute to our worth. i only bring him down with my existence.” He didn’t say any details on what happened, just his general feeling of worthlessness.

You didn’t want him to share any more than what he wanted. “I see. Think we just like having pity parties, I guess,” you joked.

“heh. that’s one thing we have in common.”

A shadow loomed over the two of you, catching your attention. It was Latin. “HUMAN! I’VE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOU’RE VERY DOWN. IF YOU’D LIKE, MY BROTHER AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE THAT CAN CHEER YOU UP!” He had his hands on his hips, his grin wide.

It felt wrong to just turn him down when they’re just trying to make you feel better. And you did promise that you’d try harder. You took your hand back from Rus and stood up. “Somewhere? You mean out of the vicinity?”

“OUT OF THE BUILDING AND SOMEWHERE IN THE FOREST, YES!”

Sounds familiar. Were they taking you back to the clearing again? “We’d have to ask the others. We did talk about staying only in the building for now.”

“LET’S DO IT, THEN! I’M CERTAIN THEY’LL LET US!”

You weren’t sure about that but when Latin poked his head in the kitchen with you and Hop behind him and asked for permission, they looked unsure for a second before eventually letting you go. Did they really think you needed to get some air? Any other times, they would’ve said no.

And they didn’t think of sending someone else as well, only Hop and Latin. You figured you were making a face that Edge spoke up.

“I TRUST YOU.” His eyes flicked over to the dance brothers. He told you he didn’t trust the newer four yet but he trusts you. “AND I TRUST THAT THESE TWO WILL PROTECT YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT.”

“OF COURSE WE WILL! WE WOULD NOT LET OUR GUARD DOWN, NOT FOR EVEN ONE SECOND!” Latin declared.

“THEN IT IS SETTLED, THEN? DON’T TAKE TOO LONG.” Black nodded stiffly in your direction.

“ARE YOU SURE THEY’LL BE OKAY?” Blue asked. “MAYBE I SHOULD COME WITH—”

“WE NEED YOU HERE, BLUE. WE CANNOT POSTPONE THIS MEETING JUST TO WAIT FOR YOU,” Edge interrupted, annoyed. “THEY’LL BE FINE. THE HUMAN IS AS PERSISTENT AS AN ANNOYING JERRY.”

You didn’t know Edge trusted you so much that you can get yourself out of danger if you wanted to. The three of you then left the room, footsteps echoing in the empty lobby.

“Are you taking me to the clearing again?”

“WE CAN GO THERE IF YOU’D LIKE! BUT WE FOUND SOMEWHERE MORE INTERESTING DURING ONE OF MY PATROLS!” Latin looked excited.

“Hmm? If you’d found it in one of your patrols, surely Edge or Black would’ve known about it, too.” The three of them were the only skeletons you know that go on patrols. Blue used to do that in the early days but since he had much more on his plate, he’d given up the task to the others.

“i don’t think they’re the kind of monsters that would’ve shown you that place,” Hop said, chuckling.

“Why not?”

“they’re not mushy like paps is,” he said, referring to his brother.

“DON’T FORGET YOURSELF, SANS!” Latin agreed.

When you and Latin held onto Hip Hop to teleport the two of you to the place, you finally get what they were saying. You found yourself standing in front of a lake. There were no clouds tonight and the moon and stars reflected upon the lake in all its beautiful glory. It was breathtaking.

“Wow,” was all you could say.

“WE KNEW YOU’D LIKE IT!” Latin proudly claimed. “YOU WERE THE FIRST ONE TO COME TO MIND WHEN I STUMBLED UPON IT.”

“aww bro, how about me?”

“SHUSH BROTHER! YOU’RE NOT THE ONE IN NEED OF A COMFORT!”

Hop linked his hand with yours, sending a wink your way. “we’re not finished.” He teleported once more, and now, the three of you were in the middle of the lake on top of a small island. This angle was much more stunning. You felt as if you were standing on the night sky itself, surrounded by heavenly bodies.

“Woah.” This was what dreams look like. You were afraid that if you blink, you’d wake up and everything would go away. “This is beautiful.”

Latin and Hop didn’t respond or you had subconsciously tuned them out. You were stuck in your bubble for a little while as if time had stopped, and this was the only place you knew.

Tears stung your eyes and they fell across your cheeks without much struggle. You stood there, crying, with your hands relaxed at your sides, not bothering to wipe away your tears.

You didn’t realize how much time has passed once your awe and crying melted away and you snapped out of your thoughts. You turned around and saw that Hop and Latin were sitting down on the other side of the small island to give you your own space. You headed over to them, sitting down next to Latin.

“How long was I standing around for?”

“not very long.”

“YOU’RE NEARING 20 MINU—” Hop elbowed his brother and Latin dramatically cried out. “NYOO HOO HOO, BROTHER, YOU’VE HURT ME.”

You let out a small laugh. “Thanks. For bringing me here. I feel a lot better.”

“WE’RE HAPPY YOU’RE FEELING BETTER! I KNEW THIS WOULD WORK!” Latin pulled himself up quickly. “I’M SO HAPPY I COULD DANCE!” The skeleton began to dance, his steps echoing his emotions.

“don’t mind him. he’s just like that,” Hop said, waving a hand.

“I’m jealous. Wish I could be free of my inhibitions just like he is.” Your smile was soft as you watched the graceful ups and downs of his movement. “This was exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

Hop’s eyes were fixated on the reflection of the moon in the water. “can i tell you something?”

“Sure.”

“i can’t get over how amazing the surface is. living underground, it used to be okay for me because it’s all i’ve ever known.” He picked up a nearby rock and threw it across the water. The reflection rippled, distorting the illusion. “but now that i’ve experienced all this, going back just seems like a cruel punishment. i don’t know if my brother feels the same.”

“Hop…”

He lets out a shaky breath. “i’m scared… that someday i’ll wake up to find that this would all be a distant dream someday. that i would never see the sky or the stars or the sun. that my brother and i will grow old underground without ever seeing the surface again. that underground will be the only world i’ll know.”

You’ve heard several versions of this feeling from the others but this was the only time that it actually stung you. You empathize with them, understand them, but now, you hurt with them. It must be especially haunting for these monsters to taste freedom only to be taken back. And it pained you to think that you had a hand in this experience.

“I’m sorry…”

Hop turned to you with a sad smile. “don’t be. i’m making my peace with it with the time i’ve been here. it’s hard but it is what it is.” He glanced at Latin who was still dancing with his eyes closed. “we both know we don’t belong here.”

You wanted to say that they could stay if they wanted but… was that really the right thing to say? Was it not a selfish thought? Was it not some way to ease your pain more than theirs? Was it not so you wouldn’t be alone? And there were more problems along with that. How would they explain the surge of skeleton monsters when there were only two skeletons registered in the monster community?

You shouldn’t be thinking about this right now.

This was an issue for when they get the machine working to get back home. And right now, they couldn’t even see the machine that led them to this mess in the first place.

“heh, sorry if i dumped it all on you. that was my bad, kid,” Hop suddenly said, chuckling. “it’s a strange feeling but even though we got off on a rough start, it still feels like i can trust you, you know. that we know each other more than we thought.”

“Funny, a lot of them says that.” You smiled. “Maybe it’s true that since I’m friends with versions of you here, you feel a lot closer to me.”

He shrugged. “it’s kinda scary if you look at it from another angle. feeling feelings that aren’t yours.”

You’ve never thought of it that way. “Huh.” You felt guilt hit you from nowhere and you lowered your head. “Sorry.”

“for what?”

“For being an asshole.”

“heh. i forgive you. and like we told you, we understand. you don’t have to force yourself to do something that you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, it’s not easy. But I think I got over some of it when I thought I was going to lose someone a couple days ago,” you joked, though it wasn’t something to laugh about. “I was being rude for no reason.”

“it’s not for no reason and you know it, kid. don’t invalidate yourself like that.”

You’ve heard that before. “Okay. We can start over, is that okay for you? Friends?” You held out your hand to him, giving him a small smile.

“friends.” He took your hand firmly. Your hand hit something hard that deflated, creating a loud fart noise. “hehehe.”

You shot him a glare. “Hop! Were you just wearing that all this time?”

“i couldn’t miss this chance, can i?” he replied with a satisfied grin. “the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s always funny.”

“FRIENDS!” Latin appeared all of a sudden and enveloped both of you into a hug. “I KNEW YOU’D COME AROUND SOMEDAY, HUMAN! YOU’VE NEVER FAILED ME!”

You burst out laughing. It was a bittersweet feeling, endeared at the likeness of your Papyrus.

“Thanks, Latin.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 26

It was around 3 or 4 a.m. when you went back from your small escapade with Hop and Latin because the three of you dozed off in the small island, heads resting on each other’s shoulders. It was only after Black and Blue appeared to scold the three of your ears’ off was when you returned back to your room.

Blue wanted to scold you more but seeing how tired you were, he let it go and said that he’d continue tomorrow. When you entered your room, it was empty. Sans had already left. You kept your room locked with the key in your pocket so Stretch had no way of entering. You would’ve felt bad but you were too tired to think.

You immediately fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.

You wake up the next morning, took a quick shower, and before going for breakfast, you made a quick trip to your room.

Sans was in the middle of taking off his lab coat and dropped it onto the floor before flopping over to your bed, ignoring you.

You blinked twice, freezing for a second before locking the door and barreling inside your room. “Sans, what the fuck?” you whispered. He was already knocked out cold, half of his body hanging on the edge of the bed.

You stood there with your hands on your hips, unable to speak any words, before sighing deeply and fixing him on top of your bed.

You took off his shoes and laid a blanket on top of him. You picked his coat off the floor, not even daring to bring it close to your face, and opened your cabinets to see the other pairs of lab coats you bought him back then that he hasn’t touched. You left a new one beside him before sneaking off to throw his used one in the washing machine.

You locked your room once again, touching the key in your pocket before going for breakfast.

The whole time, you were mentally fighting yourself about what to do with this information. Should you tell Blue or should you hide it? Telling Blue means if it reaches Black and Edge, there’d be no hesitation to break down the door to your room and dusting him.

You have to play the waiting game, for now.

The rest of the day went by as normal.

Every single day, everyone became a little less guarded when nothing was happening.

Every single day, Sans comes into your room in the morning to sleep and he was gone when it’s your time to sleep.

You hadn’t had the chance to talk to him. Your timing was always off.

You were afraid to let Stretch in your room again on the off chance that he and Sans crosses paths. He would look at you questioningly but he didn’t ask you about it.

You decided to wait for Sans one morning. Being late with your everyday routine once shouldn’t be a problem. You waited at your bed, arms crossed.

He appeared in the middle of your room. His eye lights glazed over you for a split second before he proceeded to take off his coat and shoes to go straight to your bed. You stood up, catching his wrist before he could lie down.

Your stomach churned. “Why are you doing this, Sans?” Your voice sounded hurt to your ears and you flinched. Why do you sound like that?

He doesn’t seem to process your words clearly. He looked more tired than ever like he’d been hit by a bus or something.

“What’s happening? Why are you so tired all the time? Are you getting enough food?” you demanded, your tone rising with every word. You felt alienated from him but that didn’t stop you from getting angry at the thought of him letting himself go like this.

“…i’m fine,” he said gruffly after a three-second pause. It reminded you a bit too much of Axe and you felt fear slowly creep out.

You gripped his shoulders. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“…i don’t know.”

You were biting the inside of your cheek that you accidentally nicked yourself and tasted blood in your tongue. “Don’t tell me you were just relying on sleep to replenish your magic? Are you kidding me? You’re gonna dust if you keep this up, Sans!”

He let out an annoyed sigh while glaring you down. He shrugged off your hands, and crawled onto the bed, ignoring you.

You gritted your teeth as you stared at his form. He was immediately knocked out.

Since that day, you made sure to leave him food in your room to eat for when he wakes up. You still haven’t talked to him properly but you don’t think you could talk with him like this.

He was looking much better in the next days. Still, you gave him his space.

Outside of your room, everyone was acting more and more at ease than they had been a week before. It seemed like they were finding things they could do on their own, getting impatient after waiting for something that probably had a lesser chance of happening. Everyone had started going back outside but still had the pairing system they’ve got going on.

You were mostly stuck with Edge and like the uptight skeleton he was, nothing eventful really happened around him. Sometimes you’d go with him to patrol and recalibrate his traps but nothing more than that.

After a whole afternoon with Axe and Baobab, you found yourself trudging towards your room to charge your phone and you stopped when you saw Stretch leaning against your door.

“Hey,” you greeted stiffly.

If Stretch found it suspicious, he didn’t make it obvious. “hey, honey. think i could get a shuteye in your room for a sec?”

“What’s wrong with your room?”

“well, y’see,” he started, scratching the back of his head. “i stole my brother’s taco meat to make meatballs for latin’s spaghetti. i was hoping i could hide in your room since he doesn’t follow me in there.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” you asked, genuinely curious.

“respect your personal space, bla bla.” He tilted his head and grinned. “so?”

Your heart thumped anxiously. “Sure. Let me just check… I’ll clean up a little bit.” You were silently hoping Sans wasn’t in there right now.

You opened your room with the key, ignoring the way his eye lights drilled on you during those seconds. You attempted to sneak your way inside and close the door quickly but his hand caught the door. He was too strong. “eh, y’know i don’t really care about that stuff, hun. why be conscious now?”

“Stretch—”

He slipped inside your room and you stood there with your jaw gaping. You were nervous, why were you nervous? You shouldn’t be. It’s not like you’ve been doing anything illegal.

Stretch pushed his hands in his hoodie’s pockets. “looks pretty clean to me,” he mused.

You stepped closer to him, your brows furrowing. “Stretch…”

He paused in the middle of the room, eye lights going over to an empty plate on the bedside table. “you must be pretty hungry these days for you to bring another plate to your room.”

He knew. He was waiting for you to tell him yourself.

You couldn’t tell Blue because he might tell Black and Edge. Stretch, on the other hand, was more problematic. You never know what he’d do.

“Okay, okay, sit down, please.”

He sat down on the bed before he reached over to a discarded sock left on the floor. He scowled, his neutral face finally breaking.

Before he could speak, you snatched the sock away from him and reflexively pushed him down. “Okay, calm down. Promise me you won’t tell anyone and won’t react excessively and I’ll tell you.”

He blinked up at you before chuckling. He grabbed your wrists gingerly, only to take you by surprise and flip you over. “you’re not even sorry you’re hiding anything? i thought we were supposed to tell each other everything.” He tsk-ed. “or tell blue, at least.”

He had managed to make himself heavy thus rendering you immobile under his weight. You tried to kick him off a few times and his grin only widened in amusement. You gritted your teeth. “I couldn’t tell him.”

“why not?”

“Because then he’d tell Black or Edge. And I won’t be able to talk them out of it.”

Stretch hummed. “fair. but why would you hide it from me?”

“Because you’d kill him at first sight?”

“also fair.”

You pushed his chest, trying to get out from under him. He grabbed your hands and pinned them to the bed. “Stretch,” you hissed.

“what?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“Get off me!”

“mhm, i kinda like this position.”

You felt your face heating up. “Get off or I’m not telling you anything.”

“now i’m tempted not to know, hun.”

“Stretch,” you warned again but couldn’t help but be flustered. “This is your last chance.”

“aw, you’re no fun, honey.” He got off you and instead lied down next to you. “spill the deetz then.”

“Promise me first.”

“fine.”

“Tell me you promise.”

“you know how i feel about promises.”

You turned to him, deadly serious. “And you know why I’m making you promise.”

He stared at you for longer. “you still want to protect him.”

“I did not come this far for him to get killed off,” you muttered. “We’d find another way. I’ll find another way. I promise.”

“promise what?”

“That I’d find a way to gain access to the machine.”

He made his face unreadable and you spent the next minute trying not to squirm.

“alright, you got me, hun. it’s hard to say no to you,” he said, tone immediately changing back to non-hostile.

He was putting it lightly. He knew that if he crossed you, no one would be able to get the machine. Not in one piece anyway. The last thing they needed was a human who has their whole intent to protect someone. They needed you on their side.

“Okay,” you said with a sigh, feeling your shoulders relax. “Now, it’s your turn to promise me.”

He played with a random strand of your hair. “i promise i won’t tell anyone and react as a normal person should.”

That wasn’t what you said but it was close. “Alright. Good enough.”

The next half an hour was spent filling him on what you stumbled in on during that one dinner and the following events after that. You watched his micro-expressions change throughout your whole narrative which was mostly resentment. On your side though, telling someone the truth was a relief. You didn’t want to keep sneaking around and deceiving your friends.

“what’s your plan then?” he asked afterward. He was cold and you expected it.

“We’ll wait for now. I don’t want him to keep his guard up around me. I’ll wait ‘til he gives me information and then I’ll update you.”

“hmm. sounds like we’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Or maybe he actually did it and hasn’t told me yet,” you muttered bitterly.

Stretch snorted. “there’s a very low percentage of that happening, honey. the asshole must be praying to all the gods that ever existed.”

You grabbed his hand and squeezed it, making him stare at you in mild surprise. “Do you really think it’s impossible…? If that were you… you don’t think you’d be able to do something like that…?”

He looked away and sighed. “i’d rather not think about it.”

It was not a direct no, which you somehow found reassuring.

The pause between you was not as comfortable as you’d wanted. He was still processing what to do and what to feel about the information you gave him and you were waiting for him to voice out his opinion.

When it doesn’t seem like he’d be answering anytime soon, you made the first move. “So, what do you think I should do?”

“hm? didn’t you say we’ll wait?”

“Yeah- yeah, you’re right.” You let out a shaky sigh. “Alright.”

He took your hand and lightly brushed his teeth over the tips of your fingers. “i’m with you, okay? don’t feel like you’re alone in this. i’m right behind you, honey.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realize you’d been holding. “Okay.”

“thank you for telling me. i’ll keep my promise.”

“Thank you.”

“i’d appreciate it if you don’t keep things like this from me or blue again.”

You sighed. “I’ll try my best.” You didn’t want to keep Blue out of the loop but this was the best path for now. “It’s not just me who’s hiding secrets, you know,” you said, almost pouty.

“what do you mean?”

You poked his chest. “Rus said Blue was hiding something from me.”

Stretch paused for a moment before chuckling. “oh, that. don’t worry, honey. you’ll know soon enough. i don’t wanna ruin the surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“now, come here and nap with me for a sec. i missed sleeping in your bed.” His face scrunched up. “though it’s annoying to know that i’m sharing it now.”

You slipped out of his hold and off the bed. “Sorry, I was thinking of taking a shower. Enjoy your nap.” You stopped in your tracks. “Please if you see Sans, don’t dust him.”

“i’ll try my best,” he said gruffly, waving a hand.

“And my room’s off-limits on mornings to afternoons.”

“gotcha.”

“And don’t drool on my pillow.”

He chuckled. “no promises.”

It was sometime after dinner when your phone began to ring while you were helping Rus clean up the dishes. You felt your stomach drop at the sound of it, only to be left confused when you saw that it was an unknown number. Not Sans’.

“Hello?”

“i would’ve been a tad more excited if i were you,” the voice said on the other line.

You gasped out loud, shooting Rus an apology before scrambling to get to somewhere quieter. You exited the apartment and stood in the lobby area. “Patch! It’s been ages! You haven’t called!”

“yeah, about that.” He laughed and it sounded more natural than you’ve ever heard him laugh before. “i got carried away, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, bonehead. I just missed you, that’s all.”

“aww, doll.” He hummed. “i wish you were here with me. you’d have lots of fun with all the dumb things i’ve been doing. i’d love to tell you everything but i would need more than a couple of hours to fill you in.”

“Maybe someday,” you breathed out, your heart pounding in your chest. It was nice to know that he was okay and that he was having fun. He deserved it. “Are you planning on visiting anytime soon?”

“only if the machine’s available for taking over,” he teased. “like i said, i kinda got carried away. i might be going on a cruise tonight.”

“What the hell, how did you even manage to do that?”

“i sweet-talked someone,” he cooed. “you know me and my charms.”

You rolled your eyes. “Classic. If it’s anything like you said, you probably swindled them for free, huh?”

“oh, come on cupcake. you make me sound bad.”

“Well, did I lie?”

He laughed. “how’s my bro doing?”

“He’s fine. Would you like me to find him?”

“no, no. i don’t have much time.” He paused. “and how are you doing? and don’t even think about lying to me.”

“I’m doing okay, for the most part.” You sighed. “A fight broke out a couple of weeks back but no one got hurt or died. So everyone’s been on edge since that but it’s been calming down now.”

“oh, yeah, i heard about that.”

“You did?”

“from my bro. i haven’t had the chance to reach you yet until now.”

“Oh, okay.”

“anyway, i’ll come around soon, maybe after the cruise. don’t get killed, alright?”

“I won’t,” you promised. “Please don’t get killed as well.”

“of course i won’t. don’t miss me too much.”

He hanged up before you could reply and you stared at the phone. “What an ass.” A smile lingered on your face.

That night, Stretch came by to sleep with you again. He offered to bring you up to the rooftop again when you were unable to fall asleep. There was something about the light breeze caressing your face, the enchanting star-riddled night sky, and his sturdy frame behind you that made you feel relaxed and at peace, thus sleep coming more easily to you. You had fallen asleep across Stretch’s chest and when you woke up, it was morning and you were on your bed.

You woke up a little earlier than usual but Stretch was already gone. You figured you could go on and start your day and maybe even help in the kitchen. You took a quick shower and you went out to the kitchen fully dressed with a towel on your head. Ace was the only skeleton, for now, already starting to work on breakfast.

“Good morning, Ace!” you greeted happily.

“Good morning, dear. You look as if you’ve woken up on the right side of the bed today,” he hummed. “This is early even for you. May I ask why?”

“Ah, I don’t know. I guess I had a good night’s sleep?” You peered beside his form to see what he was doing. He was scrambling some eggs. You see bread piled on one plate as well as a couple of seasonings. “Mind if I help?”

“Go ahead.”

Before you could take another step, you sneezed abruptly, covering your mouth just in time.

Ace stopped and looked at you inquisitively. “Your hair is wet.”

“Yeah, I just came out of the shower,” you said with a laugh. “I’m fine.”

He seemed to think for a moment before handing you the bowl. “Why don’t you stir for now and let me dry your hair, my dear?”

You were taken aback. “W-wait, really? It’s fine, it’ll dry out eventually. I mean—”

“I heard that humans often get colds this way. I don’t want you to get sick.” He smiled softly. “I insist.”

You nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” Your ears burned a little.

Ace took the towel and stood behind you, his form solid. You took over the stirring and continued the process of making French toast.

“Is Blue up yet?”

“He is, he’s right outside, I believe, with Edge and Black. They have started up their own morning routine.”

“Wait, really? They’re getting along then?”

“They may say it’s the opposite but I think they are getting along just fine.”

Ace’s hands were firm and soothing as he rubbed the towel on your head. He didn’t tug or pull on anything, and you were having a hard time keeping awake as the action slowly lulled you to sleep. It was incredibly relaxing, it reminded you of the massage chairs in the malls that you would sometimes use.

You had unconsciously closed your eyes and hearing Ace’s chuckle snapped you out of your reverie. He had grabbed the bowl in your hand and placed it on the countertop to avoid you from spilling it over.

“Do you want to sit down while I dry your hair?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

You flushed. “Honestly, I would love that.” He led you to one of the dining room chairs and you sat down while he continued to massage your head. “Sorry, it made me sleepy.”

“Nothing to apologize for, dear,” he answered softly.

It was an intimate moment, one that left you feeling secure, dazed, and happy.

“Patch contacted me yesterday.”

“Hm? What did he say?”

“Nothing much. Just that he missed us and that he’s going on a cruise. He’s probably on it now.”

“I’m glad to know he’s doing alright.”

You kept up the small talk in order to keep yourself from dozing off. That was the moment that the three skeletons decided to barge in. They all wore their own similar versions of sports attire, with tank tops, headbands, and shorts. It was probably what was available. You couldn’t possibly see Edge or Black dressing like that when they work out in the morning if they were back in their own universes.

“GOOD MORNING—FRIEND! YOU’RE UP EARLY!” Blue hopped towards you, stars in his eyes. “YOU LOOK COZY,” he added, eyeing Ace.

“TSK. ACE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Edge barked. “BREAKFAST IS APPROACHING AND YOU HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED!” He sneered at you, still at the mercy of Ace’s hands. “INSTEAD, YOU’RE!—”

Ace didn’t respond to him. You were feeling a little bad that Ace was getting this kind of treatment just because he entertained you. “Edge, don’t be mean.”

“I AM NOT! I AM EMPHASIZING THAT A LATE BREAKFAST RUINS MY WHOLE SCHEDULE!”

“STOP YAPPING AND START COOKING IF YOU’RE SO PISSED,” Black countered as he headed straight for the bathroom.

“YOU, I BELIEVE WE ALL AGREED I USE THE BATHROOM FIRST,” Edge yelled.

“CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER YOUR OWN COMPLAINTS,” was what Black said before slamming the door close.

You were more awake now after that encounter. Blue had prepared something while you were distracted with Black and Edge’s banter and he headed towards you with a smile. “IS IT OKAY TO BORROW YOU, FRIEND?”

“I think I have sufficiently dried most of your hair. You would have less of a chance to get a cold now,” Ace stated, nodding. “I’ll continue on with breakfast.”

“Thanks, Ace.”

“Anytime, dear.”

You turned to Blue, who had changed out of his top and was wearing his usual shirt without the shoulder pads. “What is it, Blue?”

“LET’S WALK AND TALK, SHALL WE?” he said while grinning.

He was acting a bit suspicious but you went with him anyway. The two of you crossed the lobby and out the door. “So, what is this?”

“REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT US HAVING A FRIENDLY DATE?”

“Oh god, that was almost a month ago.” You squinted at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve prepared something for today?”

“OF COURSE I DID!” he exclaimed proudly. “I’VE BEEN PLANNING IT FOR WEEKS!”

You raised your brows as you briefly remembered something. “Does this have something to do with what Rus told me?”

“HE TOLD YOU?” Blue cried.

“No, he just said you were hiding something.”

He looked partly relieved after hearing that. “YOU’LL SEE FOR YOURSELF,” he said with a wink. “IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO HAVE MY BROTHER TELEPORT US THERE! YOU KNOW, FOR CONVENIENCE!” He said that part a little more loudly that you couldn’t help but laughed a little bit. Blue’s sockets crinkled in delight.

“i’m here, i’m here,” Stretch said out of nowhere. “let’s go lovebirds.” He grabbed onto the two of you and when you blinked, you found yourself in a new but familiar area.

It was the same clearing that the dance brothers had invited you to for their picnic. It had been quite some time after it happened and seeing the familiar scenery made you remember it briefly. But this time, there was something else different. A beautifully built gazebo stood in the middle of the clearing, under the sun. You put a hand to your mouth as your eyes roamed the structure.

It was large, larger than normal. It looked like you could fit a table, a fireplace, and several comfy chairs in it. It was bare, though, as if it had just been done recently. There were still hints of sawdust and it hasn’t been painted yet. Still, it was magnificent.

“You built this?” You were gaping as you stared at the gazebo and then at Blue.

He looked so proud of himself, it was adorable. “HANDCRAFTED BY THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE!”

“It’s amazing! You’ve outdone yourself, did you know that?” You hit him on the shoulder. “Wow, you’re… great. I don’t know what to say.”

“MY BROTHER AND ACE HELPED ME A LOT BUT I DID THE BUILDING MYSELF,” he boasted. “IT WAS NOTHING TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME. I WANTED TO MAKE OUR DATE SPECIAL SO I MADE SURE TO PUT IN SOME EFFORT!”

“Blue, you’re so sweet, please.” You turned to him and didn’t hesitate to wrap your arms around him. “My sweet, sweet Blue. I’m so touched.”

Blue laughed and lifted you up. “I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT, MY SWEET!”

“My sweet?” You burst out laughing. Okay, you instigated that one. “Are you sure you wanna use that? It sounds very datemate-y.”

He waved a finger at you. “IT’S SHORT FOR MY SWEET FRIEND!”

“Sure, Blue.”

“IT SOUNDS NICE, DOESN’T IT?” He grinned. “AFTER YOU, SWEETS.” He bowed, gesturing towards the gazebo.

You stared at him in awe. “Patch might’ve influenced you too much even when he’s been gone.”

His grin curled upwards. “I JUST KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE, HUMAN.”

“W-what does that mean?” you sputtered.

“YOU’RE PREDICTABLE,” he answered vaguely and started up the few stairs. He leaned against the railing and pulled out a thermos. “OH! OUR CUPS!” Blue said a little loudly again. Stretch appeared, left two mugs on the railing, winked at you, and then he was gone.

Blue poured you a mug of soup from the thermos. “IT’S NOTHING FANCY, I DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE SOMETHING ELSE.”

It was chicken noodle soup. You cupped the mug with your hands, thankful for the heat. “It’s perfect, thank you.” You took a sip, looking out into the scenery and enjoying the sounds of nature. “So, I guess you had something planned out for us today?”

“I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE MOST OF YOUR TIME, I KNOW YOU ARE A BUSY HUMAN,” Blue replied, taking a seat on the railing and taking a good look at you. For some reason, you had trouble meeting his eyes and instead decided to ignore his staring. “SO I ONLY PREPARED THIS AND A DINNER LATER!”

That was thoughtful of him to prepare this whole friendly date without disrupting your schedule. Out of all of them, you think Blue was the most considerate of your feelings. “I appreciate it. You’ve been a really great friend.”

“OF COURSE I HAVE! ONLY FOR MY BEST HUMAN FRIEND!”

“And since you’re my great friend, I have to tell you this.” You got a little more solemn. “I hope this isn’t a love declaration.”

Blue started coughing out loud, almost spilling his mug. “I-I-UH—” His face began to flush.

“Blue.” You sighed. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I know you care a lot about people and I’d love to be the receiver of your attention. But I don’t want to lead you on. I’ve told this to Patch and to your brother—”

Blue was still glowing blue and he waved a hand in the middle of your explanation. “IF THIS WAS A LOVE DECLARATION, YOU WOULD HAVE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, KNOWN IT.” His expression was soft. “I MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO MISUNDERSTANDINGS BETWEEN THE OTHER PARTY AND I.”

You could feel your face getting hot just because. “Ok, that’s not fair. Stop being sincere, I’m at a disadvantage here.” You took in a deep breath. “Sorry for assuming. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“OH? YOU WERE HALF-RIGHT! I’M JUST NOT DECLARING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE—”

“Blue!” You hid your face in your palms because of embarrassment. “I’m serious. I can’t accept anyone right now.” You had hoped that Blue only sees you as a friend since that would’ve been more convenient for everyone but you guessed it wasn’t that impossible. Because if things were normal, you would’ve liked him. He was exactly the kind of person you’d want to date. Not to say that you didn’t like him now, just that you don’t think you should be entertaining those kinds of feelings.

“AND THAT’S WHY I SAID IN THE FUTURE. GEEZ. YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LISTEN MORE, MY SWEET,” he said playfully.

At the moment, the two of you had forgotten about the possible alternative future. Right now, you were only thinking about how to move forward with them by your side. As if you have years together.

“You’re teasing me. Stretch and Patch are a bad influence on you.”

“ARE THEY? SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE BOTH YOUR TYPE!”

You pursed your lips. No mercy, damn. “If that were true, then there’s no telling who I’d wanna date.”

“IT’S EASY!” Blue raised his brow bones. “JUST DON’T DATE ANYONE! AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE ALL OF US.”

You almost choked on your soup. “Who is influencing you?! I just wanna talk!”

“AS MUCH AS I WANT TO KEEP YOU HERE FOREVER, YOU’D BE LATE IF YOU DON’T TAKE OFF NOW.” Blue took your empty mug. “I WILL SEE YOU LATER FOR OUR DINNER. YOU CAN DRESS NICE IF YOU WANT TO.”

“I thought this was a friendly date.”

“YES, BECAUSE WE’RE FRIENDS!”

You huffed out a laugh. “This was fun. Thank you, my sweet.” Your heart thumped in your chest as you stepped closer to him, leaning down to press a kiss on top of his head.

“Y-YOU’RE WELCOME!” Without looking, you already knew he was blushing. You turned around to go back to the building, feeling invigorated from the interaction.

“YOU’RE BEAMING TODAY, DID ANYTHING HAPPEN?” Baobab was wearing gardening gloves as he pushed a little seed from a plastic packet into a pot of soil. He had really fixated himself on gardening and though you couldn’t bring him outside, you had instead brought the gardening to him.

After the fiasco between Black and Sans weeks ago, both he and Rus plus the dance brothers stopped wearing the devices. Nothing happened after it and everyone moved on. Now, Sans still hasn’t told you anything but if he doesn’t seem to care about ‘getting data’ now, that meant that Axe and Baobab should be free to go. Even if you weren’t too sure about their mental capacity.

That was the problem, you’ve tried almost everything at this point. You’ve brute forced your way to break the seemingly indestructible wall. You once brought a hammer, used it with one good swing only to get yourself almost injured in turn. You turned off the room’s anti-magic from the security room though it didn’t help that much since as Sans have said, it doesn’t seem like these brothers use magic anymore.

You asked Stretch and Blue for help like maybe they can do something with their magic. But the indestructible wall absorbed the magic. You have no idea what it was made of or if it was something you could even turn off. By now, you were wondering how Sans put the brothers in there.

There must be something that could open and close the walls. It seemed like that was the only option. You already know he’s not telling you; he’s adamant about placing them behind bars for a long time.

You tried to sneak in the security room a few times to see if you could get some information but whatever shows up on the screen were the things Sans had wanted you to see. Anything else was beyond your reach.

The only thing that you haven’t done was ask Sans about them again. If you could even reach him.

For now, you make sure you visit them every day and that they’re comfortable. Or something close to that considering they’re locked up. It doesn’t seem like Baobab had any problems with it at the moment.

“Nothing, really. Blue had taken me out for a ‘friendly date’ today,” you said with a lingering smile.

“THAT’S NOT NOTHING! WOWIE, A DATE! I HAVEN’T HAD ONE OF THOSE IN AGES!” Baobab exclaimed, stopping in the middle of his fussing over his plants. “SO, WHO WON?”

“What do you mean?”

“COME ON, HUMAN Y/N! SURELY YOU KNOW. WHO HAS THE MOST DATING POWER?” He looked so excited.

“Er, Bao, it’s not a competition…” You let out a huff as you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling. “But I’d say he won. He was too good; caught me off-guard a couple times.”

Baobab nodded in satisfaction. “AS HE SHOULD! NO MONSTER SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DATES UNLESS THEY’RE PREPARED!”

“Yeah, props to him,” you mused.

“THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO TRAIN MORE, HUMAN Y/N!” He put a glove to his chest. “SURELY I’M NOT THE MOST EQUIPPED FOR IT BUT I STILL HAVE SOME WISDOM LEFT IN ME! IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, DO NOT HESITATE TO COME TO ME, GOT IT?”

“Got it, Bao.”

Bao looked back to his plants and you could see the flash of disappointment in his sockets. You immediately felt bad. No matter how hard he tries to grow something, it’ll be difficult in this enclosed room. The plants need sunlight and water. That’s why you started researching seeds that could grow without much sunlight. You just owe it to them to let them be happy.

Your time with him passed and you found yourself with Axe next. Nothing changed much and you asked him about what he’d like to spend his free time on but you got nada. He told you he doesn’t have any interests and would rather just sleep his day away.

You had finally found the strength to tell him about everything just the other day after you assessed that he was in a good mood. He took it rather well, almost no reaction to any of it. You suppose if you had undergone the worst trauma, news like this was nothing. Either that or he was just that good at hiding his emotions.

“Hey, you loved this last week so I made you more waffles,” you greeted as you entered his room. Axe was already lying on the floor, leaving his bed cold. He preferred to be on the floor when you were coming and you assumed it was because that way, you were keeping each other company. You slipped the paper bag into the slot and it landed on the floor with a thump.

He jumped pretty quickly to snatch the food before lying back down next to you.

“Anyway, do you have nightmares? Bao told me his was lessening now but I’m still worried. And you have been closing yourself off. You need to let me know so I can assist you.”

He stared at you.

You sighed. “Fine, don’t speak about it. I just wanna make sure you two are okay. And that you won’t have to worry about anything like that ever again.”

“mhm,” he hummed while in the middle of his feasting. “…we’re still prisoners,” he pointed out.

You pursed your lips. “I know, I’m trying to find out everything I can. I can’t get a hold of Sans. I think he’s evading me or something.”

From what you’ve noticed, Axe and Baobab were the least concerned about Sans. They don’t have any negative feelings about him and actually might even consider him their savior. You don’t know what to feel about that. It would make sense because Sans pulled them out of the hellhole they were living in.

You turned to look at Axe and you smiled while he distractedly ate the last waffle in one bite. He was the most different from when you first met him. He was hostile and threatening at every second… but Bao was right. Axe softened up around you. You being the food giver actually helped.

His change of heart was what had given you the purpose to release them.

Sure, that sounded a bit too optimistic in your head. Axe was still unpredictable, as witnessed by his brother, Baobab, and by you. You found him once in a state of derealization that you couldn’t even get to him. And in another day, he had thrown a similar tantrum like Red’s.

But Bao had given you his word that he’d keep his brother in check for the “unrealistic future” you wanted them to have. His words, not yours.

That was still something. And you want to try for them.

“something spoke last night.”

You froze in your spot, blinking at him. You must’ve heard that wrong. “What do you mean something spoke last night?”

His one eyelight trailed towards the camera where a speaker nestled beside it. It was the same kind of speaker Sans would use when he would talk to you if you were inside one of the rooms. Your stomach started churning. “What did he say?”

“said, ‘hello? are you there?’”

Your mind started spinning. Unconsciously, you slammed your hand against the wall, your eyes wide. Axe stared absentmindedly at you while he ate the last of the waffles. “W-what else?”

“didn’t know if he could hear me.”

“What did you say?”

He looked away. It was the first time he had looked away. You were always the one to look away first. “…papyrus.”

You put a hand to your mouth as your breathing started to hasten. “Are you sure it sounded like Papyrus?” Your voice had reduced to a whisper.

Axe watched your face. “…maybe.”

“Okay, okay, let’s think about this. Let’s not panic. Surely, if Papyrus was here, Sans would tell me, right? He’s not gonna hide it from me, that would be fucking insane.” You shook your head, laughing a little. “Why would he hide it from me? It’s not like I’d condemn him or anything? Did he think I’d be mad?”

Axe dragged a finger across his teeth. “maybe he finally started to feel guilty.”

You bit your lower lip. That would make a lot of sense. “That idiot. There’s a time and place for feeling like a wimp!” You took in a big breath. “It’s fine, it’s fine, everything’s fine. We don’t know if it’s our Papyrus. And let’s say it is, how much does he remember? When is he?” You laughed again and you felt crazy.

You took in another breath. “Okay. If he really is here then I’d meet him sooner or later. There’s no need to panic. Everything’s fine.” You shut your eyes and ran your hands through your hair. “Oh god, what the fuck. I’m not ready for this. This is too soon. This is too soon.” You hid your face in your palms, succumbing to your panic.

“…if it’s your papyrus… then it’s gonna be fine.”

You looked up, tears making your eyes shine as you glanced at Axe. Somehow, hearing him say that was comforting. You pressed a hand to the wall as if trying to touch him. “You’re right.”

Axe gave you the whole time to yourself, didn’t even try to annoy you. You were grateful for that. At the end of it, you had calmed yourself down. You were ready. You were ready years ago.

You bid Axe a goodbye, with a short promise that you’d try to break him out sooner. He didn’t say anything.

Your footsteps echoed across the hallway as you walked to the elevator. Your hands were clammy and you wiped it on your clothes. You couldn’t stop thinking about Papyrus. If he was here all along Sans started to act weird, that’d mean he’d been here weeks ago. But if that’s the case, where is Papyrus? Where was Sans hiding him?

The elevator doors opened and you were snapped out of your thoughts when you saw Blue’s figure appear. He beamed happily at the sight of you, offering you a gloved hand. “ARE YOU FINISHED, SWEETS? I WANTED TO PICK YOU UP FOR OUR DINNER!”

You smiled at the nickname. It sounded so cheesy which was why you think it suited Blue. “Yep, I’m done. We’re having dinner this early?”

“IT’S AN HOUR EARLY, THE PERFECT TIME TO ENJOY THE SUNSET! I’M SURE YOU’D LOVE TO SEE IT.”

“Anything’s better with you by my side.”

He glowed at this and you couldn’t help but laugh. “SUCH A POET.”

“Well, couldn’t let you have all the dating power, right?” you said with a grin.

“YOU’VE ALREADY WON SINCE THE DAY WE BECAME FRIENDS.”

You hit his shoulder meekly. “Who’s the poet now?”

“IT’S A COUNTERATTACK.”

“I give up already. I cannot handle this.”

“DON’T WORRY, I’LL MAKE SURE I GET THE DATING POWER FOR THE BOTH OF US!”

The two of you exited the elevator, still teasing each other. Stretch ported right in front of you, his eyes wide with surprise. “honey…”

“What?” You felt an emotional whiplash at his expression. “Did something happen?”

“you have to see this.” Stretch gestured towards the apartment. You saw that almost everyone was out in the lobby.

Blue made a noise at the back of his throat. “CAN’T THIS WAIT TILL AFTER OUR DINNER?”

Stretch shook his head at Blue. “sorry bro.” He placed a hand on Blue’s shoulder, keeping him in place. “you go ahead, honey. we’ll be… here.”

“I WANNA SEE, TOO—”

“maybe later, bro. let’s give them space first.”

You started to tune out your surroundings, white noise filling your ears as you fixated on your open apartment door. Someone else tried to approach you but you couldn’t hear what they were saying. Your feet began to move on their own, towards the apartment.

You took a step inside the empty room. Your mouth felt dry and you wished that Blue was here with you. Your eyes darted everywhere, hyperaware of your surroundings. The TV was open but it was empty. You heard noise clanging in the kitchen.

Without hesitation, you headed towards the kitchen. The light was on. The pot was still boiling. There were a couple of empty saucers on the table along with half-empty coffee mugs. A tall lanky figure stood in front of the refrigerator with his back against you, checking the fridge. He wore a lab coat that was too small on him, reaching a little above his knees. He hummed before closing the refrigerator door.

He went on to check the pot, taking off its top and then turning off the stove.

That was when he finally noticed you standing there.

A look of momentary surprise… and then familiarity.

“Y/N!”

Papyrus said your name with as much gusto as he did before.  

He’s back.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27

“Y/N!”

“Papyrus,” you greeted back with a large smile, feeling like your heart was burning in your chest.

Papyrus took big steps towards you, his hands, devoid of his gloves, gently grabbed your face and wiped your cheek with his thumbs. “YOU AND SANS MUST HAVE BEEN SO LONELY.” Papyrus had a soft expression on his face and gave you a skeleton kiss on the forehead.

You couldn’t help it; you broke out into sobs as you buried your face into his chest. Papyrus caressed the back of your head and your back to console you. “GO AHEAD AND CRY IT ALL OUT, HUMAN. WE’VE GOT ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.”

You must’ve looked so silly, clutching onto Papyrus as he continued whatever he was cooking while you keep your hands around him. He didn’t seem to mind and acted as if your reaction was normal. You cried until you couldn’t anymore and there was a big tear stain on the coat he was wearing.

By the time you were out of tears, your throat was rough, and your eyes swollen.

You hesitated when Papyrus slowly tried to pry you away from him, and you gave him a look like you were a lost puppy. “YOU NEED TO EAT, HUMAN. I KNOW YOU’VE MISSED ME SO BUT IT’S NOT AN EXCUSE!”

There was a knock on the wall and Papyrus turned to look at them. You, however, couldn’t keep your eyes off him. It all felt like some kind of dream.

“SORRY IF I AM INTERRUPTING,” Blue’s familiar voice carried, “BUT I HAVE A DINNER SETUP OUTSIDE THAT YOU TWO MIGHT WANT TO GO? TO BE ALONE?”

“THAT SOUNDS PERFECT!” Papyrus said, clapping his hands together. “C’MON, Y/N. WE HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS! I HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS UNANSWERED!”

You took a moment to gather your composure. “Can I go to the restroom first?”

“OF COURSE! TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED!”

You scurried over to the bathroom, uneasy about being away from him for too long. As soon as you stepped into the bathroom and saw your face in the mirror, it felt like a slap in the face. You finally felt grounded, as if the last couple of minutes were just some kind of fantasy your imagination thought of.

You washed your face with cold water as you tried to keep your thoughts at ease. The area around your eyes was sore so you were careful not to touch it. You stared at your face again and gave out a deep sigh. “It’s just Papyrus, Y/N. Get it together.”

You picked up a coat from your room and then zoomed past the kitchen to look for Ace and ask for a coat to borrow.

“Y/N? THIS NICE SKELETON WAS OFFERING TO SHOW US TO A DINNER SETUP!” Papyrus said as he peered out from the kitchen when he saw you walk past.

You immediately felt bad as you remembered what Blue was talking about. It was the dinner he prepared for the two of you. But now he was going to give it to you and Papyrus so you could be alone. Your eyes caught Blue’s and he nodded at you. That look said he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

‘Thank you,’ you muttered to him and he smiled.

“I was going to borrow you a coat because you might get cold outside,” you answered.

“OH, THAT’S NOT A PROBLEM, I ALREADY BORROWED ONE RIGHT HERE!” Blue pointed to a coat that Papyrus was already holding. “ARE YOU TWO READY TO GO? I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU BE TELEPORTED THERE SO THE FOOD WON’T GET COLD.”

Papyrus turned to you. “IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU, Y/N?”

You still cannot believe he’s right here, right now. “Yeah, sure.”

Stretch walked into the apartment, sending you a look that asked how you were. You sent him a small smile and a nod.

“THIS IS STRETCH, HE’S MY BROTHER!” Blue introduced. “WE’LL HAVE PLENTY TIME FOR INTRODUCTIONS LATER, SO HAVE FUN, YOU TWO!”

“Thank you, Blue,” you quickly said as Stretch took your hand. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“OF COURSE, YOU WILL. MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY DINNER, MY SWEET.”

The world turned black and, in a blink, you were back in the gazebo. Faerie lights hung around the edges as your light source. There was a table added in the middle decorated with a white sheet of fabric along with two chairs. A candle was lit on top of the table along with the plates of food and utensils.

You felt even worse for stealing this away from Blue. He obviously put so much effort into his planning. You have to do something to make it up to him.

“if you need me, just call,” Stretch said to you, throwing Papyrus a slightly suspicious look before disappearing.

“WOWIE, IT’S LIKE THEY ALREADY KNOW I WAS COMING!” Papyrus gushed. “MEDIUM RARE STEAK, EXACTLY HOW I WANT IT!”

You immediately cleared it up. “No one knew you were coming, Paps. Everyone was surprised at your appearance. This was actually a date set up by Blue.”

Papyrus’ mouth formed an ‘O’. “I SEE! WHO IS HE HAVING A DATE WITH?”

“Me,” you answered a little self-consciously. “It’s a friendly date, nothing too exciting.”

Papyrus blinked. “WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, HAVING A DINNER WITH SUCH A ROMANTIC AMBIANCE IS EXCITING!” He mirrored your look, a little guilty. “AH, HE’S SUCH A NICE SKELETON, I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW HIM MORE.”

“Like he said, there’d be plenty of time later for that,” you replied with a chuckle. “Let’s eat first and then questions later?”

“YOU READ MY MIND, Y/N!!”

The food was okay, it got a little cold like Blue said. That and you were also cold by being outside even with a coat. A fireplace would really suit this place. Dinner was a little awkward and you didn’t know how to make small talk with him anymore. What do you say to someone who was just dead moments ago and who you grieved for a long time, only for him to reappear again in front of you?

It looked like Papyrus didn’t know what to say either. You had gotten a lot better at reading their micro-expressions. Having several alternate versions of one skeleton was great practice.

The air was a little tense and you gulped down the glass of water in order to refresh yourself. “Okay, I guess we can talk now?” You let out a sigh. “I don’t know where to start.”

“I CAN START WITH THE LAST I REMEMBER!” Papyrus offered. “YOU SEE, ONE NIGHT, THERE WERE A LOT OF RUDE PEOPLE SURROUNDING A POOR HUMAN GIRL WHO WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO CRYING.”

You could feel a pinch in your heart as you remembered that day like yesterday. The day that the news broke that Papyrus was dead. Nobody could believe it. It was hard to relieve those memories and also see that one person who everyone thought was dead sitting in front of you.

Papyrus continued, “I REMEMBER PROTECTING THE POOR HUMAN GIRL AND DEFENDING MYSELF FROM BULLETS AS UNDYNE HAD TRAINED ME BEFORE. I MADE SURE I WAS UNSCATHED BECAUSE I PROMISED SANS I WAS GONNA COOK DINNER THAT NIGHT,” His expression scrunched up. “AND THEN… I PASSED OUT? AND WOKE UP HERE.”

If that was the case, then Sans really did the impossible. He managed to get Papyrus back and created a loop. The asshole did it.

…You wonder what he had felt as he finally everything he ever wished for.

“Do you know how many days it was since you woke up here?”

Papyrus looked a little uneasy. “SANS DIDN’T TELL ME ANYTHING WHEN I WOKE UP. HE… LOOKED DIFFERENT. HE BARELY UTTERED A WORD. I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK HE WASN’T MY BROTHER WHEN I SAW ALL THE OTHER SKELETONS OUT HERE.” You had never seen such a serious look on Paps’ face before. “…Y/N, WHAT YEAR IS IT?”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “Paps, you were dead for 1 year and 6 months.” Your fingers played with the butter knife and stole glances at his face.

He didn’t seem too surprised at that. He sighed, massaging the top of his nasal bone. “AH. THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. CAN I HEAR THE REST OF IT?”

You were clumsy with your words as you started to relay to Papyrus what had happened while he was gone. You kept jumping from topic to topic in order to fill him in with everything properly; from Sans’ behavioral change to the machine, the rooms, the skeletons, and the recent events.

At the end of it, Papyrus let out an awkward laugh. “WOWIE, SO MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE A YEAR HAS PASSED.”

“It feels like you’ve been gone forever,” you gushed. “I missed you, Paps.”

Papyrus stood up and went over to give you a hug. “AND I MISSED YOU, HUMAN! THANK YOU FOR STICKING BY SANS’ SIDE THROUGH ALL THESE HARD TIMES. I DON’T KNOW IF I COULD SAY I AGREE TO HIS ACTIONS BUT THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW, ONLY MOVING FORWARD!”

You clutched to Papyrus, still unable to process that he was actually here. “Please don’t leave again.”

“I WILL NEVER!” Papyrus hummed. “IF IT’S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, I WONDER HOW UNDYNE WILL REACT ONCE SHE SEES I’M BACK!”

You made a distressed noise at the back of your throat. “About that… We have to talk about it, Paps. I don’t know- we don’t have a plan if Sans succeeded to bring you back. For now, everyone knows you’re dead. We can’t risk anyone finding out about the machine, it’s far too dangerous.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT,” Papyrus tapped his chin, “I’M NOT SURE UNDYNE WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP IT QUIET. SHE’LL WANT TO SHARE IT WITH ALPHYS AND ALPHYS WILL TELL THE WHOLE UNDERNET.”

You sighed, already feeling bad. “It’s not that the monsters don’t deserve to know, Paps. I’m sure monsterkind will celebrate. It’s the humans we’ve got to keep an eye on. I’m not sure they’ll take it lightly if they found out one of the dead monsters came back to life.”

“I SEE! WELL, I CAN WAIT UNTIL WE’VE THOUGHT OF A PLAN, NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT, Y/N!”

You smiled up at him. “I really missed you.”

“AND NOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO MISS ME ANYMORE. I AM BACK FOR GOOD, NYEHEHE!”

After the initial awkwardness with Papyrus, it quickly dissipated and the two of you chattered all evening. You updated him on everything that had happened in your life, even the romantic gestures you received from the skeleton alternates. Papyrus teased you about it, something about ‘NOW YOU WON’T RUN OUT OF DATEMATE PARTNERS!’ now that there were many of them.

You two stumbled on the topic of his waking up in this world.

“What happened when you woke up? How’d you get into the kitchen?”

“I BELIEVE I MUST’VE BEEN ASLEEP IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS AND SANS LET ME SLEEP IN HIS CRAMPED, SMELLY ROOM.” Papyrus rolled his eyes. “HE’S DIRTIER THAN THE LAST I REMEMBER, IT WAS CONCERNING. AS SOON AS I HAD ENOUGH STRENGTH TO LECTURE HIM, HE DISAPPEARED FROM MY VIEW.”

You didn’t know Sans had a room in the basement. Maybe he had built it after you lost access to the basement. But if Sans was letting Paps sleep and regenerate his magic in his room, that must’ve been the reason Sans would sleep in your room in the mornings. And probably why he hasn’t eaten his fill… he was giving it to Papyrus.

You made the right decision to bring him an extra plate, that bonehead would’ve been dust by now.

“WHEN I COULD STAND UP, I CLEANED UP HIS ROOM THE BEST I CAN AND EXAMINED THE REST OF THE PLACE! I THOUGHT WE WERE IN OUR HOUSE BACK IN THE CITY BUT EVERYTHING HAD LOOKED SO DIFFERENT. I SAW THE MACHINE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, IT DIDN’T LOOK LIKE IT WAS TURNED ON. THEN I FOUND ANOTHER DOOR THAT LED TO A ROOM WITH LOTS OF MONITORS.”

You stood up a little straighter. There was a door connecting the basement and the security room? How have you never noticed that before? Maybe it was because the lights were always dim. Or the door was embedded into the wall. You had always thought Sans teleports to the security room from the basement but it would make sense that there was an entrance if the security room had an anti-magic barrier.

“AND THEN TONIGHT, SANS WENT INTO THE ROOM WHILE I WAS CHANGING HIS BEDSHEETS AND I TRIED TO TALK TO HIM. BUT HE WOULDN’T REPLY TO ME. HE PORTED ME INTO A DIFFERENT ROOM AND LEFT ME THERE. IT MUST BE YOUR ROOM, HUMAN! I WENT OUT THE DOOR AND HEARD NOISES FROM THE KITCHEN. EVERYONE LOOKED SO SURPRISED TO SEE ME AND THEY IMMEDIATELY LEFT WITHOUT A WORD. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THEIR COOKING SO I TOOK OVER FOR NOW SO IT WON’T BURN…”

Dawn began to break out on the horizon, and you suddenly realized how sluggish you felt for staying up all night.

Papyrus immediately noticed this. “I’M SORRY FOR TAKING UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, Y/N. WE SHOULD CONTINUE THIS LATER. I SHOULD HAVE LET YOU REST.”

You waved your hands. “Oh no, it’s fine, really! I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep as well if we hadn’t caught each other up.”

“YES, I DO APPRECIATE THAT!” There was a flash of sadness on his face. “I WANT TO MAKE IT UP TO MY BROTHER.”

“If there’s anyone who can break his walls down, it’s you, Paps.”

“I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE, Y/N! I WOULD HAVE NOT REACTED LIKE THIS IF IT WASN’T FOR YOUR FAMILIAR FACE!” He hugged you again and you could’ve melted in his arms. You were starting to think Papyrus was giving you hugs on purpose.

You yawned, stretching your arms a bit. “I don’t know how many times I’ll say this but I’m happy you’re back Paps.”

“I’M ECSTATIC TO BE HERE!”

Red appeared after you called out for Stretch and said he was there to take you both back. “it’s on my way to work so no biggie,” he said nonchalantly. Grinning, he said, “blue will riot in the mornin’ knowing ya left the dishes.”

“I’m too tired,” you groaned. “I’ll accept the consequences tomorrow.”

Papyrus introduced himself to Red. “HELLO, SKELETON THAT LOOKS LIKE MY BROTHER! I’M Y/N’S PAPYRUS!”

“yeah, i figured,” Red said dryly as he glanced at the taller skeleton. “call me red.”

Before Papyrus could talk his ear off, Red grabbed both of you and took you back to the apartment. You experienced mild vertigo due to your tiredness and had to grab onto Red to avoid falling over. “woah there, sweetheart. y’er just casually fallin’ all over me, huh?”

“Shut up,” you said with a short laugh. “Paps, you wanna sleep in my room tonight? I can arrange a mattress on the floor.”

“DO I EVER!” Papyrus agreed. “CHOP CHOP, Y/N, I DON’T WANT YOU TO PASS OUT BEFORE YOU CAN GO TO SLEEP.”

You chuckled. “I’m going, I’m going.”

You overslept and almost missed lunch. Papyrus was already gone from the room when you woke up, and you hurriedly entered the kitchen. You saw him chatting up the other skeletons who had now reappeared after giving you space last night. You haven’t had time to talk to them about this surprising turn of events but you were rushing to get to Axe and Bao first and foremost.

“Y/N? WHERE ARE YOU GOING? COME EAT WITH US!” Papyrus invited. “ACE HERE HAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO COOK EDGE’S LASAGNA—”

“I would love to but I have skeletons to tend to! See you later, Paps!”

You quickly walked to the elevator as you carried the food lunchboxes Blue had prepared for today. You were startled to see Papyrus follow you into the elevator with bright eyes. “Paps! What are you doing?” you asked, almost in a panic.

“I WANTED TO MEET THE SKELETONS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT!” He crossed his arms. “SURELY, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, RIGHT?”

“But Sans—”

“AS SANS’ BROTHER, I’M POSITIVE HE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HARM ME.”

You were stunned. He was right. If there was anyone who could bend Sans’ rules, it was Papyrus. “…Sure, you can come with me. I’d have to ask the skeletons if they’re okay with you being there, though.”

“OF COURSE! I WILL NOT INTRUDE IF THEY’RE NOT READY FOR ME!”

This was why you love Papyrus. You arrived at Bao’s door, knocked three times, and entered alone.

“YOU’RE LATE BY A FEW MINUTES, HUMAN Y/N! THAT IS SURPRISING, HAS ANYTHING HAPPENED?” Baobab greeted you with concern etched on his face.

“Oh, yeah… about that. Uhm. I guess… my Papyrus… is back?” you said in an unsure tone. “I mean, yeah. Uh. He’s here. He’s back. And he wants to meet you if it’s okay with you.”

“YOUR PAPYRUS?” Baobab repeated with mild surprise and curiosity. “HE IS ALIVE? THE MISSION IS A SUCCESS?”

You nodded your head. “I guess, yeah. He’s outside. Do you want to meet him?”

Baobab stood there, thinking. “IT WOULD BE NICE TO TALK TO SOMEONE THAT ISN’T YOU. NOT THAT I DON’T LIKE YOU, HUMAN Y/N, YOU ARE OF COURSE, MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HUMAN! BUT IT WOULD BE SO CONFUSING TO TALK TO PAST ME, IS IT NOT?” He began to tap his foot. “BUT HOW CURIOUS WOULD IT BE. I COULD TELL HIM EVERYTHING I REGRET DOING AND NOT DOING!”

His eyes shone in finality. “ALRIGHT, LET HIM IN, I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM. AND IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU COULD ACCOMPANY MY BROTHER INSTEAD, HUMAN.”

“Oh, you want to be alone with him? Alright, if you really want to.” You slipped him his food through the slot. “Try not to be too harsh to him, hm?”

Baobab scoffed. “HE CAN HANDLE IT, HE’S SO MUCH STRONGER THAN ME.”

“What do you mean? You’re strong, too, Bao.”

“YOUR FLATTERY IS FLATTERING, HUMAN. NOW GO ON, SHOO.”

You let out a laugh at how excited he was. You left the room, telling Papyrus that he has the skeleton all to himself. You mentioned briefly who Bao was and let Paps fill himself on the rest of the details. Patting his back as good luck, you watched as he entered Bao’s room and waited if Sans would show up.

You stood around for 2 minutes outside in the hallway…

…but nobody came.

It looked like he really doesn’t mind about his ‘experiments’ now that Paps was back.

You peered inside Bao’s room again to make sure everything was going smoothly before heading towards Axe.

“Hey, big guy,” you greeted. “Sorry, I’m late. Things happened… You won’t believe it.”

Axe perked up slightly at the sound of your voice but stayed in his lying position on the floor. You slipped him his food before sitting down cross-legged in front of him. “Remember what you heard the day before? You were right. Papyrus is back. My Papyrus. He’s in there talking to your brother.”

Axe snapped his sockets open, his lone eye light focused on you. “…talking to bao?”

“Yeah.”

You could see conflict cross in his face. “…get him out of there.”

“Huh?” You scrunched your brows.

“bao would only feel like shit. get your papyrus out of there.” Axe gritted his teeth. “now, pumpkin.”

You pursed your lips. “I don’t think that’s for you to decide, Axe. Bao was the one who wanted to talk to Papyrus. Bao is grown, he knows his limits.”

“i know he’s grown, i raised him myself,” he growled. But it looked like he didn’t push his request to separate them any further. “’m just worried.”

“He can look out for himself. And if something does go wrong, Bao would not hesitate to tell me himself so there’s literally nothing to worry about.” You glanced at the ignored lunchbox by the food slot. “Now, eat up. I know you’re hungry.”

He scoffed. “i always am.”

“Have you been eating your stash or is it untouched?”

“it’s for emergencies.”

“Fine, I’ll bring you another stash that you can eat without emergencies.”

After hanging around Axe, you stopped by Bao’s room again. Papyrus was still there.

“OH, Y/N! YOU’RE BACK AGAIN? BAOBAB AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SURFACE!” Papyrus said cheerily.

“HE TOLD ME HE’D LOVE TO TOUR ME AROUND HIS FAVORITE PLACES,” Bao continued.

The two were exhibiting the same energy despite looking different from each other. It was very interesting.

“YES BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO GET YOU OUT OF YOUR CAGES! AND MY GOAL IS TO FIND OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” Papyrus posed dramatically. “I WILL NOT FAIL YOU, BAO!”

“OF COURSE YOU WON’T. YOU’RE THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTERALL.” There was a hint of softness in his tone that made you want to melt.

Papyrus nodded. “I WILL SEE YOU WHEN YOU ARE OUT! SEE YOU AGAIN!”

“I’LL BE HERE,” Bao replied with the same nod.

You and Papyrus bid your goodbyes to Bao and left.

“So, how’d you plan on letting them out? I’ve tried everything.”

“IT’S EASY! I’M ASKING SANS!” Papyrus said without hesitation. “IF HE GOT THEM IN THERE, HE CAN GET THEM OUT!”

“You’re so right, Paps. I’ll leave this in your hands then,” you said, partly relieved that you weren’t the only person working on how to get the two out. And if you have Papyrus on your side, you have a much higher chance of success.

It was almost dinnertime when you went back down to your apartment. Papyrus was so excited to jump in on Latin and Hop’s conversation. The corner of your mouth twitched up while watching them. It seems like Papyrus was adjusting just fine. You were willing to give him a little more space to soak everything up, but like the amazing hard worker he was, he had dived headfirst into the new surrounding he found himself in. It was impressive.

As for you, it was a struggle to stop yourself from attaching to him every chance you get.

You still felt a little tired despite oversleeping and bumped into Stretch coming out of the kitchen. “hun, why don’t you get a few winks of sleep before dinner? you look like you need it.”

“Thanks for telling me I look horrible.”

Stretch chuckled. “we just know you slept so late yesterday, bud. don’t be stubborn. if blue was here, he’d have you shackled to your bed by now.”

“Hm?” You stifled a yawn. “Where’s Blue?”

“at work. he’s covering a shift for a co-worker.”

You huffed. “Why would he do that? I would like him to be here. I haven’t thanked him properly yet.”

“i know, hun. don’t worry about it.” He snaked his arm around your shoulders. “now, let’s take nappies, ok?”

“I’m starting to think you just wanted company while you take a nap yourself…”

“of course, what did you expect?”

He suddenly grabbed and carried you over his shoulder, effectively snapping you awake. “H-hey! What are you doing?”

Stretch groaned. “man, the can’t-teleport-to-your-room problem is getting kinda annoying.” He began to walk to your room, ignoring your cries of protest. He opened the door and dropped you down on the bed, and you landed with an oomph.

“Uhh…”