Chapter Text
it’s been a long day, Papyrus thought sourly as he glared at his door, which rattled under the fist pounding on it. He was slumped on his couch, where he’d passed out as soon as he returned home from work. He’d only gotten half an hour of sleep - or so it felt like. His bones were leaden and there was no way he was moving from his makeshift bed, even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.
“fuck off!” he hollered - well, croaked, magic still realigning since he’d just woken up, but loudly enough that whoever was on the other side abruptly stopped trying to break in. He could almost feel their indignation, and it made a grin curl across his face, which immediately dropped when his doorknob flashed violet blue. The lock clicking out of place had never sounded more ominous, and he only had time to push himself upright before his door was booted open by a skeleton half his size, arms laden with bulging plastic bags. Behind him loomed a shadow that had to duck slightly to get through the doorway.
Papyrus groaned and buried his face in his hands. “what are you doing here?”
Merri ignored him and stormed towards the kitchen while his brother nudged the door shut before sweeping across the room, coat billowing behind him like a cape, to claim the liberated space on the couch. Mutt didn’t even spare him a single glance as he dug between the cushions for the remote and clicked on the tv. Papyrus glowered at him but when even that didn’t garner the results he wanted, he slouched back into the couch and closed his eyes, listening to the cupboards being slammed in the kitchen, the soft murmur of the televised voices, and the familiar hum of the magic singing through Mutt’s bones. He even nodded off somehow, despite being seated mostly upright, until the sharp clash of Merri’s soul joined his brother’s. The older of the duo stood before the couch, usual superior sneer plastered to his face, and in his hands were two bowls of steaming food.
“Eat,” he demanded, shoving the bowls into Mutt and Papyrus’ hands before disappearing into the kitchen once more, emerging anew with his own dish and seating himself in the narrow space between the taller skeletons.
They ate in relative silence, Papyrus pretending not to notice the “discreet” glances cast his way, and when they were finished, they stacked their bowls into Merri’s hands and watched them vanish, a clattering sound from the kitchen indicating where they’d been whisked away to. Then Papyrus was trapped under the combined glares of his visitors and knew he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to. He sighed heavily and buckled in for a long (and very much unwanted) conversation.
“what?”
That seemed to break the straw on the camel’s back because Merri was instantly back on his feet and pacing in short, angry steps, wringing his hands and likely imagining them around Papyrus’ neck. As his brother worked to calm himself down, Mutt decided to kick off the conversation.
“the Queen informed us that you redirected your pension again,” he drawled, sinking into his heavy coat.
of course. Merri and Mutt were still acting as Queen Toriel’s lackeys, even after everything that’d transpired underground - even though it’d been five long years since monsterkind was freed. And they weren’t just anyone in the Queen’s employ - Merri held the position of Royal Scientist after Undyne stepped down, and Mutt was named head engineer of the Core Expansion Project, meant to reroute the Core’s power grid to the surface.
“so?”
“So,” Merri repeated, voice taking on a faux pleasant tone, “you need to stop doing it.”
“why?”
Papyrus knew his one word responses were just fueling the eternal flame that was Merri’s temper. He was saved from a fist to the sternum by Mutt.
“you can’t really think that throwing all that gold away will change anything,” he murmured, picking at the fur of his hood. “you’re wearing yourself down working so hard when you don’t need to.”
“Plus you’re causing the Queen unnecessary concern,” Merri scolded.
Mutt gave an aborted shake of his head mid-way through his brother’s words, but he was too late, and he could only sigh as the temperature of the room spiked as Papyrus’ magic stirred.
“that’s why you’re here, then? because the old lady is ‘worried’ about, what, her bribery not working the way she’d hoped?”
“we’re here because we care,” Mutt insisted.
Papyrus scoffed. “you care, maybe.” Merri was visibly fuming at this point, but seemed to have realized his fumble, because he didn’t bite back. “i don’t need the hag’s charity. what i need is my brother back, and until that happens, i’ll keep funneling her gold into curing him.”
“There is nothing to cure,” Merri said. “He’s Fallen Down; there’s no reversing that.”
Mutt sighed again, this time in anticipation for Papyrus’ next words.
“... get out,” he muttered, like clockwork every time he and Merri finished a spat.
Merri turned on his heel to leave without protest, also used to how their visits ended, and Mutt slowly rose to his feet to follow. Before he did, though, he laid a hand on Papyrus’ skull in passing.
“don’t forget to eat,” he pleaded. “i’ll try to get ahold of Undyne; maybe she and Merri can come up with a solution.” As he walked to the door, he added over his shoulder, “i’ll transfer some gold to your account for emergencies. call if you need anything.”
Then he was gone, without the door even having to be opened again, and Papyrus was left alone.