Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Six months, that is the number of months that had passed since the monsters had reappeared aboveground. 

As expected, not every human was thrilled that they showed back up. Some just didn't say anything and some acted upon it trying to send them back before they 'turned savage'. 

And there were those that believed that they had never deserved to be locked down there in the first place, you hadn't really made up your mind yet. Perhaps you were waiting to meet one, or maybe you just didn't want to jump to conclusions. 

Anybody who saw you would probably assume you were a monster hater, and that was understandable because you often went to monster protests with two of your friends, Grace and Audrey. 

They both despised monsters, Grace said it was because one killed her great, great, great grandmother years ago and Audrey just did for no reason. Their opinions had rubbed off on you so you had begun to fear monsters.

You had only seen them from a distance before, you had never interacted with one so it felt somewhat wrong to judge them. But, sometimes it was best to trust what people tell you. For example, if you were told that a wasp could sting you would you let it sting you because you didn't believe the person who explained it, or would you take their word for it? 

Today you, Grace and Audrey were protesting the opening of a monster café called 'Muffet's'. You tried to get out of coming but somehow you got dragged along anyway. 

The crowd was fairly large, there was sixty-seven people there. And that's not including you or your friends. 

Audrey brought a homemade protest sign that said "Monsters are MONSTERS, that's period!" and Grace brought one saying "Our children are in danger and our streets are unsafe!". 

They weren't the only ones with signs. Other people's signs said "Send them back!" and "Down with the monsters!". One even said "Monsters are from the fiery depths of hell!".

"(y\n), I thought we told you to bring a sign!" Audrey complained. 

"Yeah, (y\n), I thought you said you were going to make one!" Grace remarked. 

"I said I might make one," You responded. 

"Come on! Don't be scared to share our message. The monsters need to go as soon as possible!" Grace held her sign up in the air and chanted along with the crowd "Go monsters, go home! Go monsters, go home!" Over and over again. 

"Yeah, c'mon you're such a wimp." Audrey remarked before she joined in with the chanting.

You bit your lip before you sighed and joined in, you chanted the hateful words which filled the air and echoed around you. Audrey and Grace were planning on holding their own protest soon and were trying to get you to help them get the word out.

The hate shown by the people here could cause the segregation of these two races. That just didn't seem right to you. But, monsters still scared you regardless. They could kill you, take your soul and instantly become godlike but that hasn't happened yet. Maybe it was just a myth and it couldn't even happen in the first place. Or, maybe the monsters were too kind to do such a thing. 

A guy wearing a light blue polo shirt and gray camouflage cargo shorts ran out from the crowd and jumped onto a table outside of the café.

"Are we going to stand for this?!" He asked the crowd. 

"No!" Everyone in the crowd except you shouted in response. 

"We can't let these beasts around our families! Who's with me?!" He asked loudly.

The crowd cheered in agreement while you looked down at your (f\c) shoes in silence. 

Suddenly, a spider monster in a fancy suit rolled out of the café with roller skates on.

"Excuse me dearies, but could you get off my property and protest back over there?" She sounded annoyed as she pointed back at the crowd. 

"Hell no, and you can't make me!" The guy standing on the table growled. 

The spider lady rolled her eyes and roller-skated back inside. 

"See! She's too scared to-" He was cut off by a swarm of spiders crawling across the ground. They climbed onto the table and he jumped off as they  approached his feet.  He ran away and hid at the back of the crowd of protesters. 

"Spiders! She tried to attack me with spiders?! Who does that?!" You could hear him exclaim to someone else. 

You looked at your watch, it was two thirty. You said you'd go at three but you could always make up an excuse. What could you say you had this time? A stomach ache, headache, a sore throat? 

Your thoughts were interrupted by countless boos and you turned to see what all the commotion was about. A tall skeleton wearing a bright orange hoodie, green cargo shorts and red sneakers was walking to Muffet's with a smaller skeleton dressed in gray and blue riding on his shoulders. 

"BROTHER? WHO ARE THEY?" He asked as he gestured to the crowd of protesters.

The taller skeleton looked over at the crowd and made eye contact with you.

"they don't believe we belong up here." He replied, his voice had a rasp to it.  

He tore his gaze from you and the crowd in general as he made his way to the door. 

"Hey monster trash! Go back where you came from!" Audrey yelled. 

The tall skeleton froze and his eye socket flared a bright orange. He slowly turned to the crowd. He let out a deep and throaty chuckle, "nope," he grinned and walked inside the café.

"Did you see how he looked at us? I think he wanted to kill us!" Someone from the crowd shouted. 

Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the crowd of protesters. 

"Come on guys, he didn't actually attack you or anything. He didn't even pose a threat." You said loud enough for everyone to hear in the crowd. 

"I saw the rage on his face!" Audrey argued. 

"Well, you did call him 'monster trash'." You muttered in response. 

"What's up with you, (y\n)? I thought you hated monsters." Grace lifted an eyebrow. 

"First off, I never said I did. I said I am not sure how to feel about them, you guys just interpreted my words that way." You grumbled. 

Everyone in the crowd turned to you and you bit your lip nervously.

"But you have gone to all those protests!" Someone pointed out. 

You scratched your arm uncomfortably. "That is true,"

"I don't support monsters but I don't despise them either... I haven't decided my standpoint on all of this yet." You explained. 

Audrey grabbed your arm and dragged you somewhere more private. 

"What the hell, (y\n)?! You can't make Grace and I look bad like that!" 

"What is your opinion on racism between human races?" You asked her.

"Well we're all humans, they're monsters." She muttered. 

"You treat animals with respect, what's different with monsters?" You put a hand on your hip. 

"Animals are innocent creatures! You can't compare them to monsters." Audrey replied. 

Audrey groaned and facepalmed. Her short brown hair was blowing in the breeze and she looked at you with an annoyed glance. 

"Go home (y\n), go home until you understand what we're fighting for." She pushed past you and walked back towards the crowd. 

You stood there for a second in complete silence. Eventually, you sighed and walked down the sidewalk. You were going home, where you have wanted to be this whole time. 

You felt somewhat guilty for interrupting the protesters but what they were claiming was outrageous. Just because someone glares at you does not mean they're evil and out to kill you. The tall skeleton didn't even say a threatening word to the crowd, even after Audrey called him 'monster trash'. The only people at fault in this instance are the humans. 

You walked down the road until you got to a crosswalk. You looked left, right and left again before you quickly ran across the street. When you reached the other side, you turned and started walking down the familiar street your apartment was on. 

You looked at the cars parked on the sides of the road and sighed. You had to sell your car a year ago since you couldn't afford it anymore. Now you have to use public transportation, well only if Grace or Audrey can't drive you. Something tells you that they won't be driving you anywhere anytime soon though. You were very lucky that your job isn't far away, it was only a ten minute walk or so from your apartment. 

You walked to the steps of the apartment building and put your key in the lock, turning it and opening the door. You lived in an old four story apartment building. Two apartments were on each floor and you were on the third floor. You made your way up three flights of stairs and walked to your door. 

You put the key in the lock and opened it, you stepped inside and looked around at your small apartment. Well, it wasn't terribly small but at times it did feel pretty cramped. But regardless, it was your home and you loved it. 

You shut the door of your apartment and flopped down onto your couch. 

Your mind wandered to the monsters you had spotted today, two skeletons and an anthropomorphic spider. Something that interested you was the vast types of monsters. They didn't seem like humans when it came to races, they all treated each other equally. You respected that feat because not even all humans had been able to do that yet. 

You pulled your phone out of your pocket and saw that you had a missed text from Grace. "Why did you leave?" It read. 

You grumbled, typical Audrey... She never explains things, Grace must think you got mad at them to the point where you left. 

You quickly texted back "Audrey told me to leave until I decided my standpoint on this issue.". 

You waited a few minutes and she replied again, "Oh, well the protest was cut short by the cops...". 

That wasn't the first time one of their protests was put to an abrupt stop. It had happened two weeks ago when the courts granted the monsters equal rights. The protesters all gathered at the courthouse protesting the law that had been put into place. 

You were glad you missed that protest, it sounded crazy. The protesters threatened any monster that got close to them and eventually the police were called. You wondered who called the police on the protesters this time. Perhaps it was that tall skeleton? Or maybe it was the spider lady? It was likely that you'd never know but, it didn't really matter anyway.

Chapter Text

You put your phone on the coffee table in front of your couch and sat up. You had to go to work soon, you worked as a waitress at a fancy restaurant named 'Harvey's Fine Dining'. 

You had worked there for a year now and you honestly hated it. All the customers there were snobs and your coworkers were all smart alecks. On top of that, your unform was a white dress shirt, a black vest, a black tie and a skirt that went a little above your knees. You hated that stupid outfit. You despised having to get it dry cleaned every single week, in fact you could do a lot with the money that wasted. 

You really wanted to quit that job but, you needed to find another one first. It wouldn't be very smart to quit a job when you were tight on money, but sometimes you just wanted to throw your name tag at your boss and yell 'I quit!'. You have never had the guts though, he'd probably just escort you out himself. Your boss didn't really like you much, you feel as if only hired you because his wife felt sympathy for your poor state. 

Your mom was actually friends with his wife, that is most likely why you got the job. She must've suggested you to her or something. He wasn't even hiring at the time but you still got offered a job.

You walked into your bedroom and quickly put on your uniform. You made your hair and looked at the time. It was three-thirty, you had to be at work by three-fifty. So, you quickly grabbed your small black purse and made your way out of your apartment, down the stairs and outside onto the sidewalk. 

You lived on Clique Street, it was a street lined with older apartment buildings and houses. You hadn't really met many of your neighbors yet, even if you had lived there for quite some time. You had become acquainted with two people that lived in your apartment building and that was all. 

One was an elderly lady named Agatha and the other was a young man named Tyler. Agatha was a sweet lady that lived across from your apartment and Tyler lived on the bottom floor. 

Agatha would always make a habit of bringing you cookies around the holidays, which were always delicious. There were four different flavors she'd bring, chocolate chunk, red velvet cake, snickerdoodles and gingerbread. She'd always ask if you had a favorite flavor but you never could choose, they were all amazing. Though, sometimes you hoped that she'd give you one of the recipes. Specifically the recipe for her snickerdoodles because they were unlike any other cookie you had ever tasted. 

And Tyler barely spoke to you, he was a very introverted guy but he still introduced himself when you moved in. Sometimes you'd pass by his apartment and hear him playing the ukulele. It was very calming and you enjoyed what he played but, he only played music when you were coming home from work late at night. You weren't just going to knock on his door and ask him to play music for you or anything so, you'd just pause by his door and listen. 

You walked until you ended up at a four-way intersection, you pressed the button on the pedestrian crosswalk signal and waited for it to change to a walking person. You looked up at the other side of the crosswalk and saw the two skeletons from earlier standing there. The tall one seemed to recognize you, he was looking directly at you while then shorter one just chatted away. 

The light turned to the 'walking guy' so you made your way to the opposite side of the street. As the taller skeleton passed, you could feel his gaze on you, it never once faltered. 

His glare made you feel uneasy and anxious, did he think you were a bad person? Maybe he had seen you arguing with the protesters or... Maybe he was just judging you for being a protester. 

You walked to the familiar restaurant you worked in and walked inside. 

"Congratulations for not being late again, (y\n)..."

Ah yes, that was Scotty. Your boss's teenage son who was forced to work here. He hated it just as much as you did, he wanted to be an artist but his parents said it wasn't a steady career and that he had to take over Harvey's someday instead. 

You felt bad for him, despite how much of a jerk he was to you at times. 

"Thank you, Scotty." You said through clinched teeth. 

You walked to the back and grabbed your notepad and pen, Harvey's would be opening in five minutes so you leaned against the wall and checked your emails. Nothing really caught your attention, there were a few emails from Pinterest, Pandora and SoundCloud. You put your phone on silent and put it in your locker. Your boss would freak out if you had your phone with you on the job. In fact, he'd fired two people over that exact reason. 

You walked out of the kitchen and went to the entrance to the restaurant. You waited there until a lizard monster wearing a light blue button-up shirt and skinny jeans strolled in. 

"Reservation for Alphys," She spoke. 

She had scratches over her left eye which caused her eyelid to be permanently closed. Her skin was scaly and she had a few scars on her arms.

You looked through the reservation book and spotted her name at the top. 

"Table for two, Miss Alphys?" You asked her, keeping your gaze on the book. 

"Yep, that's right. My date should be here in a moment, I sent her to the bookstore across the street. I wish I could see her cute face looking at all the manga." She chuckled. 

"Of course, your table is this way ma'am." You replied as you grabbed two menus and led her to a table . 

You set the menus on both sides of the table and allowed her to sit. 

"Would you like to order your drink now?" You asked as you pulled the notepad and pen put of your pocket. 

"I can order for the both of us, I'll take water and she'll have some cola." 

You quickly scribbled down their orders and nodded. 

"I'll be back in a moment," You smiled politely and walked to the kitchen to fix the drinks. 

You pulled out two glass cups and filled one with water and the other with cola. You walked back to the table and set them down along with two straws. 

There was now a female fish monster wearing a black dress with white polka dots on it sitting across from Alphys. 

"T-thank you," She told you politely. 

"No problem, are you two ready to order?" 

"Undyne, are you ready?" Alphys asked her date. 

The lady which you presumed was named Undyne shook her head. 

"Give us a few minutes," Alphys replied. 

"Will do," You smiled and walked back to the entrance. 

A young lady was standing there, waiting for service. 

"I'm very sorry for the wait ma'am. We seem to be low on staff tonight." You apologized. 

You might seem calm and collected but you were actually panicking. Scotty was supposed to be waiting customers as well, where did he run off to? He was just here fifteen minutes ago and his dad would kill him if he left in the middle of his shift. 

"That's fine," The woman replied. 

"Reservation for Thompson," She continued. 

You looked down at the reservation book. 

"Ah, here you are. Table for one? Two?" 

"Table for one." She replied. 

"Alright, follow me." You spoke as you led her to a table. 

"Alright Miss Thompson, what would you like to drink today?" You asked as you pulled out your notebook. 

"I'll take a lemonade if that's alright." 

"Of course, let me go get you some." You curtsied and walked back into the kitchen. 

You went to one of the fridges and pulled out a pitcher of freshly made lemonade and poured her a glass. 

You turned around and saw Scotty talking to one of the cooks. 

"Scotty! I need you out there helping me wait tables!" You snapped.

He turned around and sighed, "Do I have to?"

"Yes! Come on!" 

You took his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen. "See there are people waiting to be seated, go!" You gestured to the doors and he walked over to them. 

You walked to the lady's table and set her lemonade down. 

"I'm ready to order," She said as she stared at the menu. 

"Alright, what would you like today ma'am?" You pulled your notepad and pen back out. 

"I'll take a Grilled Chicken Caesar salad." She said as she handed you the menu. 

"Alright, I will let the kitchen know." You smiled and walked to the back, putting the menu down. 

You sighed and quickly walked to the kitchen giving the cooks her order. 

You couldn't wait for work to be over at ten. Tomorrow was Saturday and you had the day off, you were planning on relaxing all day long. You smiled at the thought and went back to work. 

---------------------------------------------

You ended up waiting tables for a lady named Miz, the Craig family, a young lady named Faelan and many others. 

Today actually wasn't too bad. You only had three bad customers during your entire shift, that was a good thing. You normally get seven 'bad apple' customers a night but, today was an exception. 

The nicest people you waited all night was the monster couple, you thought they were absolutely adorable. They left you quite a generous tip, it was thirty-five dollars in cash. 

It made you feel somewhat guilty that you were protesting monsters earlier today. They had no idea that you didn't exactly support them. If they knew you had been at that protest their tip would be nowhere near as generous. 

Though, you hoped to see them again sometime. They seemed like a fun couple to know, even if they were monsters. 

But did that even matter? They just seemed like a normal couple to you, maybe you should stop labeling them as 'monsters'. 

You walked outside of work and began your trek home. You walked for what seemed like forever when you finally reached your apartment building. 

You were excited for what tomorrow would bring, you were ready to start planning your weekend. You unlocked the door to the building, walked inside and listened to Tyler playing his ukulele. As always, it sounded amazing. You walked up the stairs and when you got to your floor you walked to your door and went inside. 

"Home sweet home," You sighed happily.

Chapter Text

After you got home from work last night, you changed into your pajamas and fell asleep on your couch watching videos on your phone. You slept for a good eight hours before you awoke in the morning. 

You sat up slowly and looked at the time on your phone, it was nine o'clock. You stretched and walked into your small kitchen, you filled up a small pot with water and put it on the stovetop. 

Coffee would be the best thing to kick you into gear, it always helped you get going in the mornings. You walked to your cabinet and pulled out a small baking pan, you placed it on the stovetop and made your way over to your fridge. You opened the freezer side and pulled out a box of frozen waffles, you placed two waffles on the pan and put it in the oven.

You set the oven to three hundred fifty degrees and pulled out a coffee mug. It had a llama wearing sunglasses on it along with the text "I'm a drama-llama". It always made you smile, your best friend Maia, whom moved away a year ago gave it to you as a parting gift. 

You and her still texted frequently, you both missed each other very much and your group of friends isn't the same without her. She had moved away because she had been offered a job working as an animatior with a big company and she would never turn down such a great offer. 

She talked about coming to visit someday and you told her that would be wonderful. You knew that she'd be ashamed of Grace, Audrey and you for going to all those protests so you never mentioned them. She had told you via text her opinions about the monsters, she said that they were normal people that shouldn't be judged by their looks or race.

You got a coffee bag out of your pantry and put it into your mug. You turned around and smiled when you saw the water was boiling, you poured the water into the mug and waited for the coffee to brew. The wonderful smell of coffee filled the air as you got some milk and sugar out. 

The timer on your oven went off so you pulled the waffles out and put them on a plate, you walked with your coffee mug to your couch and sat down to eat breakfast. 

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You walked down the sidewalk, taking notice of your surroundings. You were on your way to the Ebott City Park, your favorite place to relax in the entire city. You were wearing a T-shirt of your favorite band and jean capri pants, you'd prefer this over your work uniform any day. The warm summer air surrounded you and the sun shown a brilliant yellow. 

In the distance you could hear two male voices talking back and forth, one joking and playful and the other annoyed. You tried ignoring the voices but somebody shouted "watch out!" and you stopped dead in your tracks. Your gaze flicked up and you saw the small skeleton from yesterday running towards you at full speed, it seems like he can't stop.

He crashed into you with such force that he knocked you backwards onto the concrete sidewalk. "Oof!" You gasped as the air was knocked out if you.

The small skeleton quickly jumped up, "OH MY STARS, I'M SO SORRY!" 

The taller skeleton that had stared at you yesterday walked over, he must've been the one that told you to 'watch out'. He reached out his hand to help you up and you gladly accepted it. He helped you to your feet and you brushed yourself off. "Thank you," You spoke as you turned to the smaller skeleton who looked very sad. 

"It's alright, there's no need to apologize." You told him with a smile. 

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" He asked you worriedly. 

You nodded in response and you turned to see the taller skeleton again, he was leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette. He was wearing the same outfit that he wore yesterday, wouldn't it be funny if he was like a cartoon character and had multiple pairs of the same clothing? 

The smaller skeleton walked over to him and shook his head in disappointment. "BROTHER, I TOLD YOU TO STOP SMOKING!" He said angrily. 

Unlike his 'brother', the smaller skeleton was wearing a different outfit today. He was wearing a white T-shirt, a blue bandana, loose dark blue pants and bright blue boots. He looked absolutely adorable in that bright blue bandana, it made him look somewhat child-like but he didn't seem to mind. 

"aw c'mon bro, lighten up." He winked at the pun he made and grinned. 

The smaller skeleton stomped his foot on the ground, "BROTHER! YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" 

You were about to walk off when you heard the small skeleton shout, "WAIT!" 

"sans? what are you..." The taller skeleton spoke before he was interrupted by the smaller one or, 'Sans' you suppose. 

"THERE MUST BE SOMETHING I CAN DO TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!" He declared. 

"No, it's really fine." You replied with a weak smile. 

"HOW ABOUT YOU COME OVER TO OUR HOUSE FOR TACOS?" He asked with blue stars in his eye sockets. 

You looked over to the taller skeleton, he was shaking his skull back and forth as to say "don't accept his offer". 

Half of you wanted to say yes and the other half wanted you to deny his offer. You knew Grace and Audrey would freak out and get mad at you if you started hanging out with the 'enemy' and you don't even know these guys. Even if they were human you would deny their offer but, the excitement in his eye sockets made you want to agree. Even if there were obvious risks, you felt inclined to say 'yes'. 

You thought for a few seconds and finally decided that you didn't want to break the poor thing's heart. "Sure," You agreed. 

Sans' smiled happily and clapped his small bony hands together. 

"THAT'S GREAT! THIS IS MY PHONE NUMBER, CALL ME SO WE CAN SCHEDULE IT!" He replied excitedly as he handed you small homemade business card. 

It said, "THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, FUTURE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD." Under that was his phone number and a small drawing of a taco. 

"Alright, I will." You agreed.

You noticed out of the corner of your eye that the taller skeleton was watching you closely. You figured that he didn't trust you, that was very understandable though. After all, he had seen you at a monster protest yesterday. 

"OH! I'M SANS BY THE WAY! AND THIS IS MY LAZYBONES BROTHER, PAPYRUS!"

"Well hello Sans and Papyrus, I'm (y\n)." You introduced yourself. 

You looked at the time on your watch. "Well, I have to get going now. I'll catch you guys later." You waved and walked past Sans. 

Papyrus waved slightly as he blew out a puff of smoke and you waved back in response. 

"SEE YOU LATER, (Y\N)!" Sans called after you. 

You walked until you were far from the two brothers and let out a sigh. "Why did I say yes? I don't know them whatsoever and 'Papyrus' keeps looking at me like I'm some kind of criminal." You muttered. 

You tucked Sans' business card in your pocket and quickened your pace, the entrance to the park was in view and you ran to it. 

You smiled as you walked through the entrance and made your way to a tall tree with low branches. You climbed the tree and sat on one of the strongest branches. You had been coming to this park for years, it always helped you relax. 

You leaned back aganist the tree trunk and began to think about things.

Why did you keep running into those two brothers? Why did you accept Sans' invitation? Why did Papyrus always seem like he was judging you? The thoughts swirled around in your mind and you shook your head to clear the thoughts. 

The wind blew through the leaves in the tree and made the branch you were on move slightly. The breeze ruffled through your (h\c) hair and you let out a relaxed sigh. 

You really shouldn't let these skeletons ruin your day off, you could worry about them Monday. That's when you'll call Sans to schedule the time for your taco dinner. As for now, you'd just relax listening to the birdsong above you. 

You let the peaceful nature wash over you, it is a very beautiful day today. The cumulous clouds are floating in the air above you and the breeze moved them across the sky at a calm pace. 

You closed your eyes and sighed, what a wonderful day to be off of work.

Chapter Text

Here you were, sitting in a tree eight feet above the ground unable to get the issue about the monsters out of your mind. Every monster you'd met had been very kind thus far, well Papyrus was questionable but he'd say the same about you. 

So far, monsters really didn't seem to pose a threat. Maybe Grace and Audrey were really overreacting? They had done that in the past, yet they weren't the only ones who feared monsters. Thousands of other humans did as well so you don't know which side to be on. 

You looked down at a scratch on your arm that you'd received from being knocked onto the sidewalk and sighed. 

Maybe you'd finally be able to decide your opinion on this issue after you ate tacos with Sans. He seemed innocent enough, though his brother seemed to warn you not to accept. You wondered why, after all Sans looked like a great and prestigious cook. 

He seemed like he liked tacos a lot, judging from the small drawing of the taco on his business card and his excited smile. 

Maybe Papyrus just didn't like tacos? Or maybe you were judging Sans' personality all wrong and he was actually a terrible cook. 

Either way, now that you accepted his offer you couldn't take it back. If you did take it back, Sans would be heartbroken and you'd feel very guilty. 

You shook the thoughts out of your head and let out a sigh, if you couldn't relax you might as well run your errands for the week 

You climbed out of the tree and you were suddenly struck with the realization that Grace or Audrey usually drove you to and from the dry cleaners every week. It wasn't within a walking distance and taxis weren't around here, your only option was to call one of them and apologize about what happened at the protest or take the bus. 

You leaned against the tree trunk and thought for a moment, Audrey would be extremely vain about it but, Grace would be somewhat sympathetic. You decided to call Grace and cross your fingers that she wasn't busy. 

You pulled out your phone and quickly called her, the phone rang a a few seconds before you heard her soft spoken voice utter "Hello?" 

"Hey Grace, this is (y\n) and I was wondering if you can take me by the dry cleaners today." You replied. 

"Oh, hey (y\n)! I'm sorry but Audrey and I are going to see a movie together so I can't take you today." Grace replied. 

"Can you take me tomorrow?" You asked hopefully.

"I should be able to, unless something comes up." She replied. 

"Thanks so much Grace, you're the best!" 

You always preferred Grace over Audrey, Grace was always so kind unlike Audrey who never thought twice about what she said.

"It's no problem, (y\n)! Stay safe, okay?" Grace replied. 

"Same to you, I hope you two enjoy the movie as well!" You cheerfully responded. 

"Thanks, I hope you have a great day! Goodbye." Grace chirped.

"Bye!" You replied as you hung up the phone. 

You slipped your phone back into your pocket, at least you didn't have to hear any of Audrey's impertinent remarks for once. She could always be so brusque and her derogatory comments made you very upset. 

You sighed and walked out of the park, you were headed to the grocery store to get the necessities you needed for the coming week. It wasn't much, maybe ten items or so but you'd much rather be sitting at home browsing the internet. 

You made your way back down the sidewalk towards the grocery store, you kept your gaze straight ahead and made confident strides. After five minutes of walking you reached your destination and walked inside the small neighborhood grocery store. 

You stopped in your tracks and cursed under your breath when you saw they had rearranged the aisles. You wouldn't get home as fast as you'd hoped. 

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You walked back onto the sidewalk with three grocery bags in your hands, you had spent almost an hour and a half finding the items you needed. It was a ten minute walk home and you were already anticipating flopping down on your couch and taking a nap. 

You couldn't wait to get back to your apartment, if you were lucky Mrs. Agatha will have left you some cookies by your door. She doesn't often do that but, it will have made your day if she did. 

You smiled and walked faster, so far your day had not gone as planned but you felt like it was getting better. 

The sun shown even brighter than before and the clouds had disappeared from the sky, it really was a beautiful day.

You turned onto the street that housed your apartment and were greeted by a tall man with spiky blonde hair and a stubbly beard looking you up and down. 

"Heya cutie," He grinned as he walked closer. 

"Hello," You responded flatly as you continued walking to your apartment. 

"You wanna get together sometime?" He chuckled slightly. 

"No," 

"Can I have your number?" He asked while jogging beside you. 

"No," You muttered as you turned to the walkway of your apartment building and walked inside. 

You breathed a sigh of relief once you'd locked the door behind you. He may have meant no harm, but the way he'd approached you made you nervous. 

You quickly walked up the stairs to your floor and went over to your door. You smiled when you saw a small plastic container filled with cookies at the foot of your door. Mrs. Agatha had saved the day, you'd have to thank her later. 

You picked up the container and stuffed it in one of the grocery bags, you quickly unlocked the door to your apartment and walked inside. 

Home at last, now you could finally try to relax. Well, after you put the groceries away of course. 

You made your way into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter, you pulled the container of cookies out of the bags and smiled when you saw they were her heavenly snickerdoodles. 

You put them to the side and put away your groceries as fast as possible. Once you were done you washed your hands and eagerly took a cookie out of the container. 

It smelled of cinnamon and sugar and it looked delicious. You took a bite and smiled again. Mrs. Agatha had done it again, she had made the best cookie you'd ever tasted. 

Every time she brought cookies over they tasted even better than the last time. How that was possible, you had no idea. If only she'd give you the recipe so you could have them more often. 

Agatha was such a sweet lady, the landlord even let her keep her pet cat here. Having pets was off limits but Mrs. Agatha was an exception, she has a seal point snowshoe cat who is very curious. The cat wears a space collar that has stars and galaxies on it, it is quite beautiful. 

Your landlord had a soft spot for old lady Agatha, maybe she sends him cookies too. "Maybe they have an agreement where she has to send him cookies to keep her cat." You joked to yourself as you took another bite of the cookie. 

The thoughts about the guy from the street had been pushed from your mind as you walked to your couch and flopped down. 

You made a mental note to go by Agatha's apartment later and thank her for the cookies. Maybe you could gift her something in return? You thought for a second before you looked towards your bedroom. You could draw her something but, you haven't drawn in a while. 

You had given up on art a while back. You never felt like your artwork was good enough so you just set it to the side for years. But, maybe it would be a good time to get back into it. 

You quickly finished the cookie and sprung off the couch, you walked to your room and got a sketchbook and a pencil out. 

You'd try to draw her cat, you hoped that all your skill hadn't gone away. You sighed as you walked back to the couch and turned on some music. Your plans for the day had changed significantly, haven't they?

You flopped down on the couch and put the pencil to the paper as you started making gentle pencil strokes as an outline for the cat. 

You can only hope that this'll turn out well.

Chapter Text

You opened your eyes and removed your sketchpad from your face, apparently you'd fallen asleep at some point last night. You sat up and looked for your pencil, you patted your hand around and checked in the crack between the couch cushions but, it wasn't there. 

You sat up and looked down at the couch, where'd it end up? You checked your pocket and pulled Sans' business card out of it. That wasn't your pencil but, you set it on your coffee table so you wouldn't forget to call him later.

You patted around on your couch for a good five minutes until it fell into your view. Apparently you had tucked it behind your ear last night before you'd fallen asleep. How you'd forgotten that, you have no idea. 

You walked into the kitchen sleepily and looked at the time on the stove, it was nearly five AM. You put a pot of water on the stove and waited for it to reach a boil. You might require a few cups of coffee this morning, you shouldn't have fallen asleep on the couch. 

You walked over to your phone and noticed that it had died at some point last night. You picked it up and walked over to the charger across the room. You plugged it in and walked back into your kitchen. 

You pulled out the mug you had gotten from Maia and placed it onto your counter. You pulled out a coffee bag and placed it in the cup as you waited for the water to boil. 

You tapped your fingers on the counter rhythmically as you waited for what seemed like an eternity before you saw the pot of water reach a boiling point. You turned off the heat and poured the water into your mug carefully. The smell of coffee wafted through the air and you poured yourself a bowl of cereal. 

You put sugar and milk into your coffee and stirred it in, when it was mixed well you walked to the couch and put your mug down on the coffee table. 

Your gaze trailed to Sans' business card and you stared at it for a second. Should you go ahead and call him? Of course not, it's Sunday and most would be sleeping in, not to mention it's only five AM. You said you'd call him Monday but what if he forgot somehow? What if he thought you'd call him immediately? What if his brother thought you'd broken your promise? 

You shook your head, "I'll call him later today," you told yourself. 

You took a bite of your cereal and leaned back against the couch. So far you had to do two things today, call Sans and go to the dry cleaners. Well actually, scratch that. You have to call Sans, go the dry cleaners and finish the drawing for Mrs. Agatha. 

Well, you didn't have to finish the drawing today but you wanted to be able to thank her soon. She had been such a kind lady to make you cookies, she truly was a blessing. 

You finished your bowl of cereal and picked up your mug of coffee, carefully taking a sip. Today seemed like it would be a slow day, not only were you exhausted but you had a feeling you'd have to take the bus to go to the dry cleaners. Oh, how you hated public transportation. You really miss having a car, too bad you can't afford one. 

You finished your coffee and yawned, you walked to your phone and noticed it had powered itself back on. You quickly opened your text messages and clicked on Grace. 

"Hey Grace, can you pick me up today?" You texted her. 

To your surprise it said that she had read your text within a few seconds. 

"About that..." She quickly responded. 

"Grace, please tell me that you can take me. You know how much I hate taking the bus." You wrote back. 

"I forgot that Audrey and I have a protest today, I'm sorry (y\n)." She replied. 

"Can you not skip one protest? Come on Gracie," You texted back. 

"I'm sorry but I can't miss this one, it's really important." 

She can't miss just one protest? You thought you two were friends, don't you matter more than some stupid protest? That's all Grace and Audrey ever do now. They just go to protest after protest. Did you ever really matter? Did they even keep your interests in mind when they dragged you along with them? 

You grumbled and quickly responded, "Fine, I see what you really care about now." 

You set your phone down angrily and walked away from it. You weren't in the mood to talk to your 'friends' anytime soon. 

You picked up your dirty dishes and headed to the kitchen, you put them in the sink and went to take a shower. 

The only other person who could drive you was your neighbor Tyler but, you barely knew the guy. It would be really weird to ask him to drive you places. Plus, you don't even know if you can trust him. 

You mentally prepared yourself to have to take the bus and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind you. 

---------------------------------------------

You slipped on your (f\c) V-neck T-shirt and some denim shorts, you brushed your hair and looked at yourself in the mirror. You smiled and walked out of the bathroom, maybe taking the bus wouldn't be so bad after all. 

You walked to your bedside table and looked at the clock on it, it was almost seven now. The dry cleaners open at nine so you could always walk to the park first. Or maybe you could just go on a peaceful stroll, either way it would calm your nerves. 

You walked into the living room and grabbed your phone, you had ten unread texts from Grace. She was apologizing, trying to justify what she had said earlier. You were still mad but you felt sympathy for worrying her. 

"It's fine Grace," You replied to her. 

You may have said it was fine but, it wasn't really. You wondered how much you really mattered to Grace and Audrey. You all were really close before the monsters showed up but, their hate got in the way of their friendship with you. You all used to be able to share laughs, watch movies, get ice cream... But that all changed one day. 

Grace and Audrey were closer than ever... And yet you had drifted from them, was that because you didn't feel the same way about monsters? 

Even if that is the case, you have no regrets. They were the ones who had gotten so caught up in their loathing of monsters that they had grown apart from you. You were not at fault here, it wasn't in any way, shape or form your fault. 

Seeing your phone was fully charged, you unplugged it, tucked it in your pocket and grabbed your keys and wallet. 

You walked to the door of your apartment and walked out, you locked the door behind you and rushed down the stairs to the first floor. 

"Excuse me deary, do you know where Blossom Street is?" A female voice asked. 

You looked over to see none other than the spider monster from the café the other day. Does she live here? If so, for how long has she been residing here? 

"Yes ma'am, you take a left down Cherry Street and keep going straight until you reach a crossroad. After that, turn down Magnolia Road and go about 4 miles and than you'll see Blossom Street." You told her with a smile. 

"Thank you very much for your kindness, deary!" She adjusted her glasses and walked to the door. 

"You work at Muffet's right?" You asked her. 

She turned around, "That is correct, I own Muffet's." 

"Oh! Are you Muffet?" 

"Of course deary! Have you heard of me or something?" She asked you with a tilt of her head. 

"Well, I saw the protest that took place at your café the other day... You were so calm and collected." You responded. 

"Well, this bone of contention doesn't seem to have an end to it anytime soon so, I might as well tolerate it as best as I can." She replied. 

"Bone of contention?" You tilted your head in confusion. 

"Oh deary, I'm sorry. It appears I've been around Papyrus too much. A bone of contention is an issue that has continuing disagreement." She explained.

"Well, that just about sums up what's happening." You muttered slightly. 

So she knew this Papyrus character very well? Well, the first time you ever saw him was when he went into her café. But what did she mean by 'I've been around Papyrus too much'? 

"Well thank you again deary! You should come stop by Muffet's sometime, I wouldn't mind giving you a job application while you are there." She smiled politely. 

She turned to walk away again and you quickly stopped her, "I'm sorry, but what would my pay be?" You asked desperately. 

She turned around and looked you up and down, she must have seen how desperate you were because she responded with "Around seventeen dollars an hour." 

That was above your pay at Harvey's by ten dollars! With seven dollars an hour, you could hardly pay your rent and were using money from your savings account to help keep yourself afloat. Ergo, this will give you a lot more financial security and for that, you are very thankful.  

Your eyes lit up and you felt a rush of relief flow through your veins. "Thank you ma'am! I may have to take you up on your offer." you smiled brightly. 

"I look forward to seeing you... I'm sorry, I never caught your name," 

"Oh! It's (y\n), (y\n) (l\n)." You replied. 

"Well, I look forward to seeing you (y\n). Have a great day deary!" Muffet replied as she walked outside. 

"You too!" You called after her. 

Woah, had that really just happened? You just got a job offer to work somewhere and they'll pay you more than Harvey's ever did. This excited you as you skipped outside of the apartment complex. 

You made your way down the sidewalk and looked around at the green leaves on the trees. Maybe monsters really weren't bad at all, Muffet was kind enough to offer you a job with a high pay even though she just met you. She must really trust you to do something like that, if only she knew you were at that protest the other day. 

Were you taking advantage of the monsters' kindness? Alphys, Undyne, Sans and Muffet had all shown you great deeds of kindness but they hadn't seen you at the protest. Papyrus had though and it was obvious he was very suspicious of you. 

Every day you grow to like monsters even more but, you still feared some of them. However, what was there to fear? Had the tales of concerned citizens really effected you this much? Half of the stuff people say about them are most likely urban legends. 

You felt a hand grip your arm as it pulled you to a stop. "Hey cutie, why'd you run away yesterday?" 

You turned around in surprise to see the guy who had followed you yesterday. You weren't in the mood to deal with him right now but, you couldn't just walk away without saying anything. 

"The name's Austin, why don't you give me your number hun?" He asked. 

"I'm sorry Austin but, I'm not interested," You pulled away from his grip and sternly looked him in the eyes. 

"Aw, c'mon dollface. Live a little, you're too gorgeous for me to just let go."

"I'm not interested." You repeated flatly as you turned and walked away. 

You heard him starting to follow you but soon his footsteps stopped. 

"I'm not going to give up that easily, (y\n)." He growled from the distance. 

His tone made you shiver, you never told him your name. He must've been listening into your conversation with Muffet or perhaps he looked you up somehow. But either way, he really gave you the creeps. You can only hope he'll leave you alone soon and that this won't escalate any further.

Chapter Text

Austin had made you loose your confidence to go on a walk today, so you decided to walk home the back way. The dry cleaners wouldn't be opening for a few more hours anyway, so you might as well head back home. 

You turned and walked down Bloobideno Road, it was a longer walk this way but you were happy as long as Austin wasn't around. 

How long would he pester you? Would he give up soon? You could only hope so. 

You walked down the concrete pathway, it was in disrepair and should be replaced soon. The concrete was crumbling and falling into the surrounding grass and cracks were present all throughout the concrete. It really looked like it wouldn't last much longer. 

You walked until you reached the rather sketchy alleyway that led to the back of your apartment complex. It was littered with trash and had weeds growing out from cracks in the pavement. 

One of the more interesting pieces of trash you spotted was an abandoned pocky box. Pocky was very rare to find around here, you used to get two boxes a week but when you moved here they got harder to find. 

There was a specialty shop on Oak Street but, that was over an hour away and the food sold there was expensive. A box of pocky cost around eight dollars, which was outrageous considering you used to pay a dollar for each box you purchased. 

You shook your head and walked down the alleyway, it wasn't a long walk until you reached the stairs to your floor. Once you got home you could feel safer, this Austin guy seems very persistent. You already told him 'no' but it seemed like your words didn't matter.

You shivered at the thought of him and walked  towards your apartment faster. You never wanted to see that creep again, though that was unlikely. He'd be seeking you out, he wanted his way with you. But, you wouldn't let him have his way. 

You ran up to the stairs that led to your door and climbed them carefully. It wasn't often you went up this way but, when you did it was always so rickety. The height made you nervous and the metal stairs shook with every step you took. 

When you finally got to the top stair you quickly dashed to your door and swiftly unlocked it. You walked inside and locked the door behind you. Your apartment was your favorite place to be, it was your home after all. 

You used to not spend much time here, the weekends were preoccupied with your friends and the weekdays always required you to go to work. You are somewhat glad that you don't have such busy weekends now, it gives you some time to rest. 

You walked over to your couch and flopped down, you gaze flicked to Sans' business card once again and you decided to call him. You picked it up and dialed the phone number on the card. 

It only rang for a few seconds when you heard Sans' cheery and loud voice answer, "THIS IS THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, WHO AM I SPEAKING WITH?".

"Hello Sans, this is (y\n) from the park yesterday." You responded. 

"OH, HELLO HUMAN! HAVE YOU CALLED ABOUT THE TACOS?" He asked.

"Yeah, when can I come over?"

"TONIGHT!" He chirped. 

"Tonight?! Isn't that kind of quick?" You responded in surprise. 

"MAYBE SO BUT, CAN YOU MAKE IT?" He asked you. 

"Well, it depends... I have some things planned for today and I'm not sure if I'll have to take the bus to get to your house." You responded. 

"WELL PAPYRUS AND I LIVE ON MAGNOLIA ROAD." Sans responded. 

"Oh, that's not that far away. I suppose I could come tonight, what time?" 

"IS SIX AN APPROPRIATE TIME?" He asked. 

You thought for a second, that was getting later in the night but you should still be able to walk home in sunlight. 

"Yeah, that sounds good." You responded. 

"ALRIGHT, WELL I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!" Sans chirped happily. 

"You too," You murmured in response

"I'LL TEXT YOU MY ADDRESS, SEE YOU LATER!" 

He hung up the call and you sat on your couch in silence until you saw he had texted you. Their address was familiar, you used to pass that house almost daily when you took the scenic route to work. It was two story and had a beautiful exterior, you had often wondered what it looked like on the inside. 

You quickly texted back a simple "Thank you," before you picked your art journal back up and continued drawing Mrs. Agatha's cat. 

You had never heard it's name, just her calling "Kitty, kitty!" along with some clicks of her tongue. Once the cat accidentally made it's way into your apartment, when you saw it you nearly had a heart attack. After all, it wasn't a common occurrence for a fluffy animal to jump onto your windowsill.

You continued sketching for around an hour before you looked over to see your phone was ringing. The caller ID said it was none other than Grace, what could she possibly want? You reluctantly answered it and uttered a simple "Hello?".

'Hello (y\n)! I'm really sorry about earlier." She apologized. 

You sighed and replied "It's fine," even though you were still hurt that the protest meant more than you did.

"The protest got cut short by the police again, can Audrey and I still pick you up?" She asked. 

"Actually, yeah. I haven't made my way to the Dry Cleaners yet so that would be great." You responded. 

"Alright! Would you like to go eat with us after that?" She asked politely. 

"I'd love to!" You exclaimed before you remembered you had dinner with Sans.  

"Actually, I need to get back home afterwards. I forgot I had something come up." You sighed as you ran your hand through your hair. 

"Ooh, does (y\n) have a date~?" You heard Audrey joke. 

"Will you slap Audrey please? It's not a date, I just am going to eat dinner at a guy's house since he was super apologetic for knocking me over." 

"That's oddly specific," Grace murmured. 

"Well I can guarantee that's exactly what happened." You muttered in response. 

"What does he look like~?" You heard Audrey chuckle. 

You rolled your eyes and resisted the urge to put an emphasis on Sans being a monster. You didn't want Grace and Audrey to disown you so you might as well make up a description for some random guy. 

"He has brown eyes and brown hair," You replied flatly. 

"I so ship it! What's his name?!" Audrey asked with a laugh. 

"When are you coming to pick me up?" You asked impatiently. 

"Ooh, (y\n) must really like him. She is probably blushing right through her phone~!" Audrey chuckled. 

"Audrey, please leave (y\n) alone. You wouldn't want her teasing you this way." Grace murmured quietly. 

"Fine," You heard Audrey reply in a disappointed tone. 

"We'll be there in ten minutes." Grace chirped. 

"Alright, I'll see you guys then." You replied as you hung up the phone and put your art journal to the side. 

You weren't sure what this afternoon would bring but, you can only hope it will turn out okay. 

---------------------------------------------

You hopped out of Audrey's car and looked over to see Austin leaning against a tree not far from your apartment. In one hand you held your backpack and in the other you held your now clean clothing.  

It was around three thirty now and you had somewhat enjoyed your time with Grace and Audrey. You all had gone out for ice cream while you waited for your clothes to be cleaned. They even had your favorite flavor there today, it was absolutely delicious. 

Grace and Audrey ended up sharing a bowl of ice cream because 'they were low on money'. You highly doubted that, you were sure something else was going on by Grace's blushing face when Audrey suggested it. 

That would explain why they were so close though, maybe it wasn't just the protests after all. You shut the car door and waved as they drove off. 

Austin noticed this and slowly made his way towards you. With a sigh, you quickly bolted to the door to your apartment building and ran inside. You locked the door and looked out of the window, you saw a very angry Austin looking at the door. He stared it down until he noticed your face in the window, he grinned and blew you a kiss. 

You shrunk back and ran up the stairs to your apartment. You were planning on taking a short nap and then going to Sans' place for tacos. You were somewhat anxious for tonight, what if that starry-eyed skeleton really didn't mean well? What if Papyrus was there? Would he be watching you with a judging glance again? 

You were also wondering how you'd walk to their house with Austin following you. Perhaps you'll have to take the sketchy back alleyway, or maybe just the long route. But that might mean you won't have much time to take a nap, you had really been looking forward to one. But, if he made really good tacos than it was definitely worth the struggle. 

Though Papyrus had told you not to accept... You still wondered if that was because he wanted you to stay away from his brother or, if it was because he can't cook. 

The little skeleton seemed pretty confident with his cooking though, it can't be that bad... Right?

Chapter Text

You did end up taking that nap you wanted, when you awoke from your slumber you realized you forgot to set an alarm. You reached for your phone in a panic and looked at the time, it was twenty minutes before you had to leave. You quickly sprang up and ran to get ready, you brushed your hair, brushed your teeth, fixed your hair and ran to get your bag. 

You grabbed your phone, keys, wallet and some pepper spray you had remembered you had stashed in your junk drawer and walked to your back door. You opened it and walked down the back stairs. 

As soon as your feet met the asphalt, you began making your trek to Sans' house. It wasn't too bad of a walk, the breeze was nice and cooled down the warm summer evening. 

Your walk ended up being very pleasant, no creeps jogged beside you or flirted with you. It was just you and that was great. Eventually, you made it to Sans' street and walked until you saw his address. Their house was just as gorgeous as you remembered, white siding and a gray shingle roof. It had a painted white porch with wind chimes hanging from a hook on the far corner. Surrounding the house were blue and orange flowers, the colors were bright and vibrant. They made you feel welcome at their doorstep. 

You walked up the stairs to the front door, you stood there in silence. You were too afraid to ring the doorbell or knock on the door. What could possibly happen tonight? You'd try to leave as quickly as possible, no reason to stay a long time anyway. 

You took a deep breath and rung the doorbell, it was only a few seconds before the door began to open. To your surprise it wasn't Sans who opened the door, it was Papyrus. You had never realized how tall he was before, he absolutely towered over you. He once again was wearing the same orange hoodie and the same cargo shorts, did he ever change? 

"heya kiddo, i guess you're here for my bro's tacos?" He asked as he looked down at you. 

"Yeah, that's right." You replied nervously. 

"well, come on in." He replied as he stepped to the side of the door so you could walk past. 

You walked inside and looked around, on a table near the door sat a small fish tank with three goldfish in it. On the left side of the room sat a green couch, a recliner, a few side tables, a TV and a coffee table. On the walls about a dozen framed pictures hung scattered about. They seemed to all be of Sans, Papyrus and their monster friends. 

"You two have a nice place," You remarked. 

"heh, thanks." Papyrus replied as he pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and placed it in his mouth. 

"OH, HELLO HUMAN!" Sans exclaimed as he peeked his skull around the corner. 

"Hello, Sans." You responded with a nod. 

He run over and pulled you into a hug which made you stiffen up in surprise. "THANK YOU FOR COMING!" He exclaimed excitedly. 

He pulled away from the hug, the irises in his eye sockets had stars as he clapped his bony hands together happily. Papyrus let out a throaty chuckle as he chewed on the toothpick in his mouth. 

"It's no problem?" You responded with a hint of surprise in your voice. 

"OH! I THINK I SMELL THE MEAT BURNING.... YOU AND PAPYRUS TALK, I'LL BE IN THE KITCHEN... HAVE FUN!" Sans spoke frantically as he ran into the kitchen. 

You looked over at the tall skeleton and he looked back at you, you could feel the tension between the both of you. He sighed and walked over to the green couch, he flopped down on one side leaving room for you to sit. 

You stood there for a few seconds before you made your way over to the couch and sat down neatly. 

Papyrus was sprawled on the couch lazily, he took the toothpick out of his mouth and thew it into a trashcan across the room. 

"Impressive throw," You commented. 

"heh, thanks kid." He replied. 

An awkward silence filled the air and you awaited the questions he'd ask about you being at the protest but, they didn't seem very imminent. Maybe he'd just forgotten or had gotten over the whole event. You really doubted that though, perhaps he was just waiting for the right moment to strike. If that was the case, when would that moment be? Would he use that knowledge to blackmail you? You could only hope he was being kind and sparing you of any derogatory questions. 

Silence was present for five minutes before it was interrupted by Sans' cheery voice yelling "I DON'T HEAR MUCH TALKING!". 

You heard Papyrus let out a sigh and he looked over to you, "listen kid, i'm gonna warn ya... sans' tacos aren't very good." he whispered. 

"Well, I can't really avoid them, can I?" You replied. 

"it's not like they'll kill you... i think he fixed that mistake in his recipe. that's good, because i don't know what i'd do with another body." 

You looked over at him, mouth gaped open in shock. "He's killed someone?!" 

Papyrus saw the spark of fear in your eyes and chuckled, "i'm just messin' with ya. his tacos aren't deadly and we'll both survive eating them." he rasped. 

You almost let out a sigh of relief, you had been ready to bolt out of their door back onto the street. "Death by Tacos" didn't sound like a very flattering headline in the local newspaper. What if that had happened? That would make Grace and Audrey fight for the monsters to be sent back underground even harder... You actually didn't want that to happen, they deserved to be on the surface just as much as you did. 

"so, where do ya work?" He asked.

"I work at a fancy restaurant called 'Harvey's Fine Dining'. I dislike it though," You replied. 

"oh really? why don't you like it there?" He asked curiously. 

"It doesn't really pay much and I don't like the atmosphere." You responded. 

"Well, that and all my coworkers are conceited smart alecks." You added. 

"i would help ya get a job, but i get the impression ya aren't very fond of us monsters."  He responded blankly. 

Well, you were expecting him to remark about that eventually. At least it was now and not in front of Sans. "Excuse me? What an accusation!" You responded as you folded your arms crossly. 

"listen kid, i saw ya at the protest. i know you realize i did too, we made eye contact, remember?" He responded. 

You sighed, "Alright, sure. I was at that protest but, I was only there because my friends dragged me along."

"i've heard that one before," He muttered to himself. 

You watched as he pulled another toothpick from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He adjusted his position and took a deep breath, he looked over at you with an annoyed glance. 

Before he talked anymore about the protest you quickly interjected with an abrupt "What's up with the toothpicks?". 

After you said it, you realized that it sounded quite rude. You were about to apologize and justify your comment when he replied with a simple "i'm not allowed to smoke in the house so, i chew on toothpicks." 

"Wouldn't it be easier just to walk outside and take a smoke break?" You asked with your head tilted to the side in confusion. 

"maybe so but, i'm far too lazy." He chuckled in response as he took the toothpick out of his mouth and grinned. 

"You enjoying the surface?" You asked him. 

"yeah, it's honestly better than i ever could have expected." He responded. 

"Is there anything you miss from the underground?" 

"well, i would say muffet's but she opened a store up here...." He paused for a second, deep in thought. 

"well, maybe the low population. back in the underground i knew everyone by name but here, i couldn't begin to start memorizing everyone." He replied after a few seconds. 

"I can understand where you're coming from, I felt the same way when I moved here " You replied with a sigh. 

"THE TACOS WILL BE READY IN TEN MINUTES!" Sans called from the kitchen excitedly. 

"k bro, we can't wait!" Papyrus called back with a grin. 

"You know Muffet, right?" You asked him. 

"muffet? she's a good friend of mine, why?" He responded. 

"She offered me a job at her store, she seems like a really nice lady." You responded. 

"oddly enough, i was gonna suggest ya to her. looks like she beat me to it though, doesn't it?" Papyrus replied as he put the toothpick back in his mouth. 

"Oh, you were being serious earlier?" You replied in surprise. 

"yeah? why wouldn't i have been?" He looked at you oddly and tilted his head to the side. 

"Well, I kind of look like a racist to you." You responded to him. 

"so? everyone deserves to prove their worth. i believe ya can be a good person." He responded. 

"heh, i guess sans' optimism is rubbing off on me." He snickered. 

"Well, thank you Papyrus." You thanked him. 

"ey, it's no problem kiddo... you gonna accept muffet's offer?" He asked you curiously. 

"It's very likely." You replied. 

"well, if muffet offered you a job she must be very trusting of you. she's never hired any help from anyone other than spiders." Papyrus replied. 

"Really? I don't know why she asked me then. All I did was tell her where a street was." You mumbled. 

"heh, i can guarantee she didn't see you at the protest. she would've never offered you a job if she had." He murmured. 

You frowned, "I don't hate monsters... I really don't, you realize that, right?" 

"i don't know ya very well yet, (y\n)... so, i don't really know what you're like." He replied. 

You felt your heart drop out of your chest, you had thought you two had patched things up. But, apparently he still didn't trust you. Though, you really can't blame him for that. One day you were at a monster protest and not even a week later you sat in the home of a monster getting ready to eat dinner with him. 

"I understand what you mean," You sighed in response. 

Chapter Text

"hey, don't frown kiddo. like i said, i know ya can be a better person." Papyrus replied. 

You shot an angry look at him, "I'm not a bad person, Papyrus!" you snapped. 

He seemed to shrink back at your apparent anger, he grumbled and chewed on his toothpick furiously. "i didn't say that you were on-" 

"Isn't that what 'you can be a better person' suggests?!" You growled. 

"well, it just-"

"It just what?! I'm curious to know what other conclusions you've come to about me." You interrupted him with venom present in your voice.

He looked over at you with an irritated expression, "ya know i didn't mean it that way,"  

"Do I really?!" You grumbled as you narrowed your (e\c) eyes. 

"cripes kid, calm down." Papyrus spoke with a hint of annoyance in his raspy voice.  

You growled, "Why should I?!"

He let out a sigh, "i really didn't mean to offend you, i'm sorry." 

Even if it seemed like one of those fabricated apologies, you accepted it and took a deep breath. "It's okay, I'm sorry for getting angry." You mumbled. 

He shrugged his shoulders and stood up, "excuse me, i'm gonna go outside for a smoke." he spoke as he walked to the trash can and dropped his toothpick into it. 

"NOT SO FAST, BROTHER. DINNER IS READY!" Sans called from the kitchen. 

Papyrus let out a sigh, "can i not just step outside for a few minutes, bro?" 

"NO! UNLESS YOU WANT THE TACOS TO GET COLD. I'M SURE (Y\N) WOULDN'T WANT THAT." Sans replied as he looked around the doorway at his brother. 

Papyrus seemed to stiffen for a second and he let out another sigh, "alright bro, let's eat. i'm sure she's really excited for your tacos." he spoke as he looked at you with a mischievous grin. 

"I BET SHE IS! EVERYONE IS HAPPY WHEN THEY EAT THE MAGNIFICENT SANS' TACOS!" He exclaimed with a grin. 

"well, let's not just taco 'bout them, let's go eat."  Papyrus chuckled. 

"UGH!" Sans remarked as he stomped back into the kitchen. 

You let out a weak giggle which seemed to lighten Papyrus' mood, he looked over at you with a grin and walked into the kitchen. 

You got up and walked into the kitchen, it was painted azure and royal blue. It had some taco décor scattered here and there which seemed to prove your theory about tacos being Sans' favorite food. The little taco decorations he owned were absolutely adorable, some you would even call 'kawaii'.

You felt your gaze land on their dining room table, on it sat three plates of food, two glasses of water and another glass filled with... Honey? What was a glass of honey doing on the table? Honey and tacos? That's a bizarre combo. You just stared at the glass filled with honey for a second and walked over to the table. You sat down in front of a glass of water, rather than the glass of honey and looked down at the soft taco. 

Papyrus sat down to your right and Sans sat to your left, his bright blue irises were filled with stars and excitement. Papyrus reached over for the glass of honey and lifted it to his teeth, he opened his mouth and began to drink it. You looked over at Sans questioningly and he rolled his eyes. 

You shifted your gaze back to the taco, the tortilla it was wrapped in was a pale tan. It didn't look that bad, in fact you aren't that worried to eat it. Maybe Papyrus was just messing with you and his cooking was actually great? But why would he joke about that? That seemed like such a small and odd thing to mess with you about. 

You took your napkin and laid it across your lap to be polite and looked over at the brothers who we looking at you anxiously. Realizing they were waiting for you to take a bite of the taco, you lifted it to your mouth and took a bite. You began to chew and you froze, you felt Sans' gaze on you watching your expressions carefully. The taco tasted... It was actually impossible to process how it tasted. The cheese was very overpowering and it almost tasted like blue cheese. You held back a gag and swallowed the bite, you suppressed a shiver as you looked at him with a fake smile plastered on your lips. 

"It tastes amazing!" You lied. 

"I KNEW YOU'D LIKE THEM! I AM THE BEST CHEF!" He exclaimed happily.

Papyrus gave you a thumbs up and when Sans looked away he made your taco disappear with a small orange poof. He winked at you and leaned back in his seat, he took another sip of honey as he watched Sans begin to devour his taco. 

Papyrus took a few bites of his taco and set it back on the plate, "gee bro, i don't think i can finish it. honey must be really filling." he remarked. 

"PAPYRUS, THIS HAPPENS WAY TOO OFTEN. HONEY ISN'T HEALTHY! YOU MUST EAT THE MAGNIFICENT SANS' HEALTHY AND NUTRITIONAL TACOS! MAYBE THEY'LL EVEN HELP MAKE YOUR HP HIGHER!" Sans declared while beating a fist on the table. 

"i'll try to keep that in mind, bro." Papyrus responded nonchalantly. 

"YOU AREN'T GOING TO DO IT, ARE YOU?" Sans asked with an annoyed expression. 

"probably not," Papyrus responded before he swiftly finished the glass of honey and set it on the table. "more please." He joked which made Sans rage. 

"NO! YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE HONEY TODAY! NOT EVEN FROM MUFFET'S!" He huffed as he puffed his cheeks out in anger. 

You smiled at how cute the smaller skeleton looked, his loose fitting gray T-shirt was complimented by some navy blue sweatpants and bright blue boots. Tied around his neck was the bright blue bandana you'd seen him wear before. Upon closer inspection, the shirt had "Rad Dude" written in all caps on the front. 

"well can i go smoke now, bro?" Papyrus asked his younger brother. 

"ONLY IF YOU LET (Y\N) COME WITH YOU, I HAVE DISHES TO DO ANYWAY." Sans replied reluctantly. 

"Oh, I can help with the dishe-" You started before Sans cut you off. 

"NO, YOU'RE A GUEST SO I WILL NOT MAKE YOU DO ANY WORK." Sans interrupted you. 
 
"You sure? I really don't mind. After all, you made such lovely tacos." You attempted to cajole him. 

"OF COURSE I'M SURE!" He beamed. 

"well kid, come with me i suppose." Papyrus spoke as he sat up from his chair. 

"Oh, alright but I'm gonna have to go soon. I want to walk home in daylight." You responded with a slight sigh. 

"i'm sure Sans could drive ya," Papyrus responded as he made his way to the front door. You got up and followed him as he walked outside. 

He sat down on a chair on their porch and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his hoodie's pocket. He swiftly lit one with a lighter and placed it in his mouth, he offered the box to you but you shook your head. "I don't smoke," You told him flatly. 

"that's respectable," Papyrus responded before he blew out a puff of smoke. 

"So, how can skeletons smoke anyway?" You asked him curiously. 

"magic," Papyrus chuckled. 

"Magic? Is magic actually real?" You asked in surprise. 

"you bet kiddo, how else would the taco disappear from your plate?" He asked as he blew out another puff of smoke. 

'Well, I guess that's a valid point." You murmured quietly. 

All was silent for a few seconds before you turned to the tall skeleton, "Can you show me some magic?" You asked him hopefully. 

He seemed taken aback by your question, it must not be often he gets asked to demonstrate his magical abilities. He was frozen for a second before he nodded. "what do ya wanna see?" He asked you as he held the cigarette between his index and middle phalanges. 

"What can you do?" You asked him as you leaned against a post. 

"bone attacks, karmic retribution, blasters... there are some more but i think i know which to show ya." He responded as he put his cigarette in an ashtray next to him. 

He suddenly straightened himself and with a flick of his wrist his right eye socket glowed a bright orange and his hand emitted an orange aurora. He lifted his hand and you felt a sudden heaviness in your body. You looked down and saw that your soul was now a dark blue. You couldn't move, his magic kept you still and in place. 

He made a pulling motion with his phalanges and you slid to him quickly, he chuckled as he saw your look of surprise. You felt yourself lift off the ground and soon you were face to face with the tall skeleton. He had a grin on his face and he let out another raspy chuckle. 

"believe in magic now, kiddo?" He asked with that same grin. 

"I guess so... This feels weird, can you put me down?" You asked him with a slight blush appearing on your cheeks. 

"sure," He responded as you felt the heaviness leave you and you fell back on your feet. 

"Do all monsters have magic?" You asked him curiously. 

"most do, not all of them though." He responded as he picked his cigarette back up and put it back in his mouth. 

"Does Sans have magic?" You asked. 

"yep, he's pretty good at it too." He replied. 

"Hey, I'm sorry for getting really angry earlier. I just don't like being thought of as a bad person." You apologized. 

Papyrus seemed to lift a 'bone-brow' at your words, "as do i for being a 'savage'." he replied coldly. 

Papyrus had a good point, you had judged him for being a monster. And when he did the same to you about being at the protest, you freaked out and got mad at him. He had been cool, he didn't even snap at you. Perhaps he was just used to it by now. That makes you feel even guiltier though. 

You were about to reply when you were cut off by a mew, you turned to see a small brown cat with distinct black markings padding up the stairs. Papyrus looked down at the small animal walking to him and smiled. He bent down and reached out his hand to the cat. 

"c'mere kitty," He spoke softly. 

The cat looked at you nervously before quickly walking past you and to Papyrus. It jumped into his his arms and he stood up, petting it gently. 

"Who's this?" You asked Papyrus while observing how gentle he was being with the small creature. 

"i dunno, i guess it's a stray." Papyrus responded calmly. 

"she's taken a liking to me," Papyrus added with a chuckle as the cat purred. 

The cat snuggled into his hoodie sleeves happily and purred in delight. The brown cat seemed to like Papyrus a lot, it was kinda cute to see a such a giant befriending such a small and innocent creature. 

"PAPYRUS! ARE YOU STILL SMOKING?" Sans asked as he peeked out the door. 

The cat tensed up in surprise at the sudden voice and turned to see what caused the loud noise. Upon seeing it was just Sans, she relaxed again and snuggled back into Papyrus' hoodie. 

Papyrus still had the cigarette hanging out of his mouth but he bent down and dropped it into the ashtray. "not really," He responded. 

"OH! IT'S STRIPES! HELLO STRIPES!" Sans spoke happily as he walked to the cat and reached up to stroke it. 

The cat purred in response and you watched them with a smile. "Have you thought of taking her in?" You asked the two brothers. 

"she seems happy living out here, i don't think she'd like being cooped up in a house." Papyrus responded. 

"Well, she does seem to be in good health." You replied as you observed the cat.

"PAPYRUS COULD BARELY TAKE CARE OF HIS PET ROCK, I THINK IT'S BEST STRIPES STAYS OUT HERE." Sans remarked. 

"Pet rock?" You asked as you tilted your head in confusion. 

"heh, it's a long story." Papyrus responded with a raspy chuckle. 

You pulled your phone out of your pocket and looked at the time, it was almost eight and time to go. You had more fun than you expected tonight, you would actually enjoy coming back... Only if you helped cook though. 

"Hey guys, I actually gotta go now. It's getting late." You told them. 

"AW, ALREADY?" Sans asked as he looked at you with a sad gaze. 

"Yeah, maybe I can come back soon though!" You told him with a smile. 

His expression brightened and he nodded happily, "I HOPE YOU CAN!" he spoke with a wide smile. 

"yeah kid, i had lots of fun tonight." Papyrus spoke as he looked at you with a warm glance.

"NEED ME TO DRIVE YOU HOME IN MY VERY AMAZING SPORTS CAR?" Sans asked you kindly. 

"No, I'll be good. Thanks for the offer though!" You responded as you turned to walk down the stairs. 

"have a safe walk home kiddo," Papyrus spoke as he continued to pet the cat.

"TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME TOO!" Sans added to his brother's statement. 

"Alright, I will! Bye guys!" You replied as you walked down the stairs. 

"bye, (y\n)." 

"BYE HUMAN!" 

When you got down the stairs you turned and waved goodbye. After that, you turned back around and began your walk home. Hopefully you could get to see them again sometime soon. 

Chapter Text

As you walked, the sun was starting to go down fast. The sunset was a beautiful cloudy pink and orange, it was absolutely gorgeous and you stopped to take a photo with your phone. You aimed it at the perfect area and took a few photos. It looked more spectacular in real life than on your phone but, filters could probably fix that. 

You tucked your phone back into your pocket and resumed walking, it was still a pleasant temperature outside. It was only around seventy-five degrees fahrenheit, which was pretty good for a summer night. 

The clouds were starting to close in and you could hear some thunder crack in the distance. The wind also picked up and blew your hair around. You had forgotten that it was going to storm tonight. You'd better go home the quick way, which is the route Austin knows about. Hopefully he wouldn't be there, not many would be out tonight if something were to happen. 

So, you quickly walked home as the storm approached. You regretted not bringing an umbrella, that would probably be very helpful in this situation. 

You put your hands in your pockets and trudged forwards, you looked up at the street as you walked and noticed that it wasn't very busy. Only a few cars passed every five minutes, and that was unusual for this time of day. 

It was around fifteen minutes into your walk when a blue car pulled up to the curb beside you, you stopped walking and looked over at it worriedly. Only bad thoughts were going through your mind. What could the person want? Who was it? Were they planning on kidnapping you? 

Slowly the window unrolled and you moved back from the car a bit. Sitting inside on the driver's side was none of than Austin, of course he'd find you right now. 

"Oh, joy." You muttered under your breath. 

You quickly reached your hand into your bag and pulled out the pepper spray, holding it in your hand carefully as you looked into the car. 

"Heya angel, you don't wanna get your wings wet do you? A storm's approaching and I can drive you to your apartment." He offered with a grin.

"No thank you, I'm fine." You replied flatly as you started walking again. 

To your dismay, instead of driving off Austin just followed beside you at the same speed as your walking. "Aw, come on cutie. Let me drive ya." He spoke. 

"Take care," You growled in response as you walked faster. 

"What? I'm not giving up that fast." He declared as he matched your pace. 

"How about you come to my house? It's not that far away." He spoke with a slight chuckle. 

"Hell no! I'm not going to get in your car, or go to your house, leave me alone!" You snapped. 

"Ooh, I do love a feisty gal." He chuckled. 

You quickly turned to Austin and flipped him off, you knew it was wrong, but it felt so right. He seemed taken aback by your sudden action and followed you faster. "Come on, (y\n)! Just come with me this once and I'll leave you alone." He promised. 

"I will never go anywhere with you, ever!" You hissed. 

"Come on baby, the rain is just a few blocks away." He replied flatly. 

"I won't say it again, no!" You replied before quickly running away. 

"W-what? I'm not giving up yet!" He growled as he suddenly put his foot on the accelerator and sped after you. 

His tires screeched against the pavement as he went down the road quickly until he slammed on the breaks, stopping beside you at a crosswalk. "You can't run away from me that easily," He grumbled. 

The crosswalk went off and you jogged across the pavement to the other side. Austin was about to speed after you when suddenly a siren sounded behind him, he turned around to see a police car with its lights on behind him. 

He'd been caught for speeding, huh? Suits him right, he deserves it. You could go over to the police officer and tell him Austin's been harassing you but, maybe getting a ticket will be a good enough lesson. Maybe he'll even stop bothering you after this incident. 

You smiled and made your way down the street again, you were very happy that the police stopped him. Who knows, maybe he got stopped for another reason too. What if he had some terrible criminal background and he was on the run? It'd be terrible if some creep who escaped from prison was stalking you. 

You pushed the thought aside and walked until you got to your apartment building, once you were there you dashed to the door, unlocked it and went inside. 

You looked over to Tyler's door and saw that he was leaning against it, he had his ukulele in one hand and his phone in the other. "Come on Josh, pick up..." He muttered to himself. 

He nearly jumped into the air when he looked up to see you looking over at him. "O-oh! (y\n), long time no see!" He spoke as he quickly hung up his phone, putting it in his pocket clumsily. 

"I didn't mean to frighten you, I'm sorry." You apologized. 

"It's alright, I was just trying to get a hold of a friend of mine." He said nervously as he scratched the back of his head. 

"Hey, I uh... I like what you play." You told him with a smile as you gestured to his ukulele. 

"Oh, you've heard me play?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side somewhat. 

"When I come home from work at night I like pausing by your door to hear the music... I know that sounds kind of creepy but, I mean no harm." You confessed. 

"Oh well uh... Thanks, I guess." He responded with a slight smile. 

"You play any other instruments?" You asked him curiously. 

"Uh, I play the keyboard and I sing." He responded shyly. 

"That's cool! Do you play anywhere?" You asked him curiously. 

"Well, I'm actually in a band called twent-" He started to say before he was cut off by his phone ringing. 

"I'm sorry, I need to take this." He sighed. 

"It's alright, I needed to get to my apartment anyway," You responded with a reassuring smile before you turned and headed up the stairs. 

"Have a good night!" You spoke cheerily as you jogged up the stairs. 

"You too," You heard Tyler respond. 

Once you finally reached your floor, you walked to your apartment and went inside. You flopped down on your couch with a sigh and suddenly, you heard the rain begin to come down heavily. The thunder boomed in the distance and you closed your eyes. Tomorrow you had work, but that wasn't until the evening... Maybe you'd go to Muffet's and fill out a job application in the morning. 

That seemed like a good idea, then tomorrow night you could finally quit your loathed job. Your hours would change drastically though, Harvey's opened in the evening whereas Muffet's, like any other café opened early in the morning. You were ready to make the adjustment though, the pay was worth whatever sleep you lost. 

You opened your eyes and stood up, you walked into your kitchen and got one of Mrs. Agatha's cookies out of the bag and took a bite. The delicious flavor made you smile and you laughed thinking about your dinner you had tonight. It was nice of Papyrus not to make you eat that dreadful taco, you're not sure if you could anyway. You probably couldn't get more than two bites down before you had to run to their bathroom. That'd be embarrassing, so you were extra thankful for Papyrus' actions. 

You took a few more bites of the cookie and yawned, perhaps you should sleep somewhat early tonight. That seemed best, you had a busy day today and you were exhausted. You hadn't seen Austin once, but twice in the same day. That, was a tragedy by itself. Hopefully he'll eventually leave you alone. You are getting quite tired of his remarks after all. 

---------------------------------------------

Your alarm went off with a loud beeping which caused you to sit up almost immediately. You yawned and rubbed your eyes, you forced yourself to get out of bed and stumbled into your bathroom. You looked at yourself in the mirror and attempted to fix your messy (h\c) hair, but it was no use. 

You yawned again and stepped into the shower, you took a quick shower and when you got out, you changed into a pair of blue jean shorts, a black tank and a purple, white and black plaid button up shirt that was unbuttoned to show the tank underneath it. 

You rolled the sleeves up to be half-sleeves and fixed the collar on the shirt carefully. You grabbed your hairbrush and hairdryer and began to fix your hair, you dried it quickly and brushed it during the process. 

You stood back and looked at yourself in the mirror, happy with the results, you brushed your teeth and walked into the kitchen. You grabbed a granola bar, stuffed it into your bag and packed a water bottle as well. 

There was no reason to eat at home, you were going to Muffet's after all. You could get some coffee and a donut while you were there. You wondered if Papyrus would be there, or any familiar faces... Like the nice monster couple that you met a few nights ago. It'd be nice to see them again, you feel like you should thank them for the generous tip they gave you at Harvey's the other night. 

You stuffed your keys, phone, wallet, pepper spay and sunglasses into your bag and walked out the door of your apartment. You walked down the stairs and once you made it to the bottom floor, you went outside and started walking to Muffet's. 

Thanks to that stupid protest, you knew exactly where her café is in the city. It is on the corner of Walker Street, that was around seven minutes from Clique Street, the street you lived on. 

You suspected it to be nice walk, it wasn't too hot outside yet after all. You hoped Muffet still wanted you as an employee, it'd be really disappointing if she had changed her mind. Something told you that if she was going to do that, Papyrus would attempt to help you get the job anyway. For some reason, he really seemed to want you to work here... Maybe that was because it was a frequent for monsters and he wanted you to like his species, or maybe... He visited the café frequently and wanted to see you? 

No, that was impossible. It was definitely the former, why would he want to see you? If anything, he'd only want to see you to make sure you weren't being unfair to the monsters. 

But, you wanted him to trust you. So, you'd try your best to gain his trust completely. No matter how long it took, you were up for the difficult task.

Chapter Text

You made your way down the sidewalk and watched as the traffic went by, car by car it got busier and busier. The chanting of a nearby protest echoed throughout the city and you let out a sigh. Why haven't you been able to choose whether your a supporter or a hater of the monsters yet? 

It seems like such a small thing, but in reality, it isn't. It's a present issue echoing throughout the world, not just in Ebott City. The monster's freedom has been debated for the past six months, but could that soon turn into six years? 

What if humanity passed some law that sent the monsters back into the underground? That'd be absolutely tragic! Sans and Papyrus both looked so happy up here and them being ripped from their freedom would be an absolute tragedy! 

Would the humans really be that cruel though? Monsters pretty much had equal rights to humans right now but, could that change? Humans were learning to be more accepting so, maybe nothing terrible will happen this time. 

As you made your way down the street, you passed a house with an "Anti-Monster" sign up in their yard. It had the silhouette of a monster with long hair and vicious claws being crossed out with a big red 'no' symbol over it.

That didn't look like any monster you'd ever seen, its features were exaggerated and made to look cruel and scary. The closest monster you'd seen to looking like that was the Queen and her past husband. But, they seemed like nice people and nothing like that vicious representation. 

You walked past the sign and shook your head, "Who'd ever put that in their yard?" You muttered to yourself. 

After walking a bit longer, you finally ended up at Muffet's. Decorating the glass windows outside of the café were little decorative spiders, coffee cups and donuts. You smiled and admired the purple awning above the door. Written on it in a pretty cursive font was "Muffet's Café". 

As you walked closer to the door, the monster you recognized to be the Queen of all monsters walked out. She was wearing a black skirt, a white shirt and a purple cardigan. She looked to be in a very happy mood and her eyes were bright. 

"Good morning," She spoke with an acknowledging nod. 

"Good morning, your majesty." You spoke with a curtsy. 

"Oh please, you can call me Toriel. I'm not much of a queen anymore." She laughed somewhat and smiled at you. 

"Well, once you're royalty, you're always royalty right?" You joked. 

She chucked and nodded her head, "It does seem so," she replied. 

"Now, excuse me young one, I must go run some errands. Have a good day!" She spoke as she walked over to the crosswalk. 

"You too, Toriel!" You replied to her kindly as she walked away. 

You turned back to the café and took a deep breath before walking to the door and opening it, you stepped inside and were surprised to see more people than you expected. By counting heads, you could see five humans and twenty-two monsters. That was pretty good for any café in the morning. 

Muffet rolled over to you on her roller skates and adjusted her bow tie. "Ah, there you are deary. I was starting to wonder if you weren't going to take up my offer." She spoke. 

"I had a busy weekend, I'm sorry." You apologized. 

"That's alright deary, I understand completely" She spoke with a respectful nod. 

"Can I get some food before we talk over the job?" You asked her. 

"Of course, right this way." She responded as she skated over to the counter. 

You followed her and walked past all the customers, there were no familiar faces in here other than Muffet, which left you slightly disappointed. You had really hoped that Papyrus would be here. He did mention helping you get a job here, though that was before he knew you had been offered one already. 

You walked up to the counter and looked at the menu written with chalk on the wall. Everything on it looked rather interesting, there were plenty of teas, pastries, coffees and sweets. You looked at it for a few minutes before turning to Muffet. "May I have an iced mocha and a spider donut please?" You asked her. 

"Of course deary, that'll be three dollars and thirty-two cents." Muffet replied as she signaled her 'spider workers' to start making your mocha 

You nodded and put your bag on the counter as you pulled out your wallet, you got three dollars out and gathered three dimes and two pennies. You slid them over to Muffet and she took them with one of her arms, "Thank you," she responded.

You tucked your wallet back into your bag and slung it over your shoulder. You waited for a few minutes until she rolled over with your iced mocha and your donut. "Enjoy deary!" She chirped. 

"I will for sure," You replied with a smile as you picked up the donut and walked over to an empty seat. 

You unwrapped the donut from it's wrapper, it was iced with purple icing and topped with cartoony spider sprinkles. You sat in the chair and took a sip of the iced mocha, it was heavenly. You sighed happily and leaned back in your chair.  

You were now regretting being involved in the protest held here even more, you had severely underestimated the monsters for sure. This iced mocha was absolutely amazing, you understand completely why so many people are here right now. 

You picked up the donut and took a small bite, you chewed slowly and felt a smile appear on your lips. It was amazing too, you couldn't believe that you had ever doubted this place.

"heya kiddo," 

You nearly jumped out of your chair when the sudden familiar voice sounded, you put the donut down and turned to see Papyrus looking at you with a humored expression. 

"When did you get here?" You asked him in surprise. 

"just now," He replied.

"I never heard you come in though?" You replied with a tilt of your head. 

"oh really? that's odd." He responded with a snicker. 

You tilted your head more in confusion and sighed. "Okay then..." 

You soon realized he was wearing a different outfit, he was in black basketball shorts with white stripes going down the sides and a black t-shirt that has "I find this humerus" written on it along with a humerus bone printed next to it. 

"Not in your normal garb today, Papyrus?" You spoke with curiosity.

"nah, it was laundry day so my hoodies had to be washed." He replied with a chuckle. 

"I wondered if you ever wore anything different." You snickered as you picked your donut back up. 

"did ya think i just wore my hoodie all the time, kid?" Papyrus said with a laugh as he pulled the chair out across from you and sat down. 

"Well, to be honest... Kinda?" You admitted with an embarrassed blush.

"well, i wear my hoodies a lot, but not that often." He chuckled. 

You smiled and took a sip of your iced mocha, "I've only ever seen you wear the orange hoodie, so I didn't know." you joked. 

"Oh deary, I see that you've met Papyrus now?" Muffet spoke. 

You turned to face her and shook your head, "Actually, we met a few days ago." you responded. 

"Oh really? Well you should get used to his presence, after all he's here practically every day." Muffet commented.

"heh, yep. i can't go a day without a bottle of honey." Papyrus chuckled and Muffet rolled her eyes. 

"A bottle of honey? Is that normal for monsters?" You asked with a tilt of your head. 

"It's normal for Papyrus, another normal thing for him is never paying his tab." She commented while shooting him a glance. 

Papyrus shrugged off her comment and smirked, "i'll pay it off one day." 

She sighed and shook her head, "I guess you'd like the usual, Papyrus?"

"yes please," Papyrus responded. 

"Alright deary, coming right up." She sighed as she walked behind the counter. 

"did you have a good walk home last night?" Papyrus asked suddenly which made you freeze. 

Should you mention Austin? I mean, other than the impending rain and Austin harassing you, it was pretty good. But, it seemed Papyrus must have sensed your worry because he suddenly asked, "did something happen, kiddo?" 

"N-no! Not at all. It was a wonderful walk!" You lied with a fake smile plastered on your face. 

"it doesn't sound like you're tellin' the truth, (y\n)." Papyrus responded as he made direct eye contact with you. 

"I swear I'm telling the truth," You spoke quickly as you grabbed your coffee and took a sip. 

He seemed to raise an 'bone'brow and he leaned back in his chair. "listen kid, i don't know what's going on but, you can tell me." 

"Nothing is going on," You fibbed. 

He stayed silent for a few seconds before he let out a sigh, "alright kid, i'll leave this issue be for now." 

To your luck, Muffet interrupted the conversation when she rolled over and set a bottle of honey in front of Papyrus. It was shaped like a cute bear and Papyrus quickly flipped the lid on the bottle open and took a few sips. 

"I suppose this'll be on your tab?" Muffet asked him in a disappointed tone. 

"ye-" 

"I'll pay for it," You interrupted as you dug through your bag and pulled out your wallet. 

"you don't have to do that," Papyrus told you. 

"I want to, how much will it be?" You asked her. 

"That'll be four dollars." Muffet replied. 

You nodded and pulled a five dollar bill out of your wallet, you handed it to her and smiled. "Keep the change," 

"Thank you, deary." Muffet replied as she rolled to the cash register, putting the money into it. 

"I'll be in the back, once you're done talking to Papyrus come find me." She told you before rolling into the back. 

You finished your donut and looked over at Papyrus to see him staring at you with a slight orange tint on his cheekbones. As soon as he realized that you had noticed him, he turned his gaze to the menu on the wall.  

"you should try their camomile tea, it's really good." He spoke quickly. 

"Erm, alright." You responded in confusion. 

What was that about? Had he been blushing? Could skeletons even blush? And if so, why was he blushing? Was he blushing over you paying for his honey or just over you in general? 

Many thoughts swirled around in your head but, you couldn't decide on the exact reason why he had blushed. He seemed quite embarrassed over the whole ordeal so, you didn't dare ask him. 

But, thinking about it made you happy for some reason and, you even thought you could feel your own cheeks heating up. In a panic, you quickly took a sip of your drink hoping the cup would cover up your blush. 

"O-oh, h-hello Papyrus... I d-didn't expect you to b-be awake t-this early." A familiar shy voice spoke. 

Chapter Text

You looked over to see Undyne, one of the monsters that had dined at Harvey's a few days back. If you remembered correctly, she was Alphys' girlfriend. She and her girlfriend were the couple that gave you that very generous tip. You made a mental note to thank her. 

She had her red hair up in a messy bun and she was dressed in a long white lab coat with a black tank underneath. She was roughly Papyrus' height, maybe a bit shorter. 

"i wasn't planning on getting up so early but, sans thought it'd be a great day to 'rise and shine' at five in the morning." Papyrus replied as he yawned sleepily. 

"S-Sans t-told me you were having problems with n-nightmares... I-is there any way I can h-help?" Undyne asked as she fiddled with her fingers nervously. 

"nah, i'm good." Papyrus responded as he took another sip of his honey. 

"oh, this is my friend (y\n) by the way." He added as he gestured to you. 

You waved and she adjusted her glasses as she looked at you shyly. "H-haven't we m-met before?" She stuttered out. 

You nodded, "I was your waitress at Harvey's the other day." you responded. 

"oh, she was your waitress? how was her service?" Papyrus asked Undyne mischievously.

You knew why he was asking this, he wanted to know if you had been kind to them. He was still trying to figure out who you were as a person. He wanted to know if you were really a monster hater or if you were just a normal person who got mixed up with the wrong crowd. You could tell that he hoped it was the latter. You hoped it was the latter as well, but you still haven't decided your standing on the issue yet. 

"I-it was great... A-Alphys and I enjoyed it so much t-that we gave her a v-very good t-tip." Undyne responded with a faint blush. 

"About that, thank you very much! I'm tight on money so that generous tip helped a lot." You told her with a smile. 

"O-oh! It's n-no problem at all... Alphys said she r-really thought you looked like y-you deserved some extra c-cash." She responded as she looked over at the wall. 

"Well, please tell her that I said thank you!'" You replied before you happily took another sip of your mocha. 

Undyne nodded nervously and looked back to Papyrus, "S-sorry for interrupting your talk...I just uh... Sorry..." She apologized. 

"don't sweat it undyne, i don't mind." Papyrus responded. 

"W-well... That's g-good! N-now excuse me, I need t-to place an order." Undyne responded as she slipped away and walked to the counter. 

"cya undyne," Papyrus responded. 

Papyrus turned his gaze back to you, "what was the 'very good' tip?" he asked curiously as he looked into your (e\c) eyes. 

"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" You replied with a lifted eyebrow. 

"nah, i don't think so." He spoke with a shrug of his shoulders. 

You took a deep breath "Thirty-five dollars." 

"hm, that was very generous." He replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dispenser of toothpicks. He shook the container and one fell into his palm. He placed it into his mouth and put the container back into his pocket. 

You looked over to the doors to see a taller man, not as tall as Papyrus but still very tall enter the café with a confident stride. He looked to be in his mid-thirties and he had nice features. He was dressed well in a black suit and he ran his hand through his graying brown hair, he grinned as he walked straight towards you. 

Papyrus seemed to notice him almost immediately and he watched as the man confidently walked over. "ya know him, kiddo?" He asked you. 

"No, I don't. I've never seen that man in my life." You responded. 

He watched the man closely as he walked up, you could see Papyrus was very tense, as if he didn't trust this man's presence. He seemed to narrow his gaze as he stared at him. 

Once the man made it next to you, he looked down at you with a bright smile. "Hey sweet cheeks, I lost my number. Can I have yours?" He chuckled. 

You suppressed a giggle and shook you head, "Sorry, I'm not interested." You told him gently. 

"Oh really? What if I told you I had a clean black Cadillac parked outside?" He asked as he straighted his tie. 

"Then my answer would still be the same. I am not interested, sir." You replied as you sat back in your chair. 

You heard him hum slightly before he licked his lips slowly, "Alright, but I still think you're an absolutely gorgeous young lady." He spoke with a sly grin. 

This guy seemed nicer than Austin but he still had a very creepy nature to him. Papyrus was giving him a death glare and he looked back at him with no fear. He obviously didn't have any fear of monsters, the way he looked at Papyrus made you feel like he was involved in some law enforcement. Papyrus' intimidation tactics weren't working and he seemed pretty disappointed over that. 

"Well, thank you sir." You replied before turning back to Papyrus. 

He tapped on your shoulder gently, when you turned back around he had a business card in his hand. "If you change your mind, just give me a call, okay hun?" He spoke with a chuckle. 

You took his card reluctantly and put it onto the table, "Alright Mr..." you paused for a second to read his last name, "Smith, I'll give you a call if that happens." You replied without having any actual plans to ever call him. 

He licked his lips again and nodded respectively, he smirked somewhat at Papyrus before walking the the counter to order. You looked down at his business card, it read "Noah Jonathan Smith, Head Police Detective at Mt. Ebott Police and owner of Smith's Used Cars". Under that it had his phone number and the addresses of where he worked. 

"you're not planning on callin' him, right?" Papyrus asked you.

"of course not," You replied as you finished your coffee and stood up. 

"i didn't like him, what is his job?" He asked. 

"Apparently head detective at the police station and a used car salesman." You responded. 

"he's a shady used car salesman? that explains a lot." Papyrus muttered as he chewed on the toothpick in his mouth gently. 

"Well, I don't know if he's a bad one. He has some potential to be a good guy." You replied. 

"he looked like some egotistical narcissist to me," Papyrus muttered. 

"Well, maybe you need to take what you're trying to teach me and stop judging people by how they look and act." You responded with an impish grin. 

Papyrus froze, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. His toothpick fell out of his mouth onto the table and you chuckled at the sight at him. "I'll see you later Papyrus, it was nice talking to you." You told him as you walked to the trashcan to throw away your trash. 

You put the cup and donut package inside the trash and made your way to the door in the back. You turned the doorhandle and walked inside, scattered along the light purple walls were tiny spiders. You looked over to see Muffet sitting down at a desk writing things down on a notepad. 

"How do you pass health inspections?" You asked as you looked around at the spiders. 

"Oh deary, these aren't your normal unsanitary spiders. These are monster spiders who wash their legs before preparing food." She replied before she let out a laugh. 

"Oh, well... That's interesting." You replied as you walked to her desk.

"Sit down deary," Muffet told you as she gestured to a chair in front of her desk. 

You complied and sat in the chair. "Alright, I do want the job so, I guess I just need to sign some papers?" You asked with a tilt of hour head. 

"You still need to fill out a job application but, you're guaranteed to get the job." Muffet replied. 

She slid over the paper and a pen, "Take your time, deary." she spoke cheerfully.

You took the paper and pen and slowly began to fill in all the information such as, your age, education, address, name, et cetera. You had forgotten how much info was needed on these things, it had been such a long time since you filled one in. After around twenty-five minutes, you slid the paper back to Muffet and she looked over it. She smiled and adjusted her glasses, "Well Miss (l\n), welcome to the job." she spoke with a nod. 

A smile formed on your lips, ”Thank you so much ma'am! When do I start?" you asked her curiously. 

"I'll give you a few days, how about you start on Thursday?" Muffet suggested in response. 

"Alright, that sounds good. Thank you very much for the opportunity and I can't wait to start working here!" You told her cheerfully. 

"That's wonderful deary, see you at five AM on Thursday!" She exclaimed. 

You stood up and walked to the door, "See you later ma'am!" you responded as you walked out. Papyrus had left by now and you sighed, hopefully you hadn't ruined whatever friendship was blossoming with the tall skeleton. 

You were on your way to the door when a small spider crawled in front of you holding a piece of paper, you bent down and took the piece of paper. As soon as it was in your possession, the spider walked away and you looked at the paper. Written on it was "hey, why don't you call me sometime, kiddo? -papyrus" along with his phone number underneath. You smiled knowing you hadn't ruined the friendship and tucked his note into your pocket. You'd add him into your contacts as soon as possible.

You walked outside and looked around at the bustling city, it really had been a great day so far. Hopefully Austin won't show up on your walk home and ruin the good day you've been having that would be extremely disappointing after all. 

You took a deep breath and began your trek home, you were going to enjoy your last day working at Harvey's as much as possible tonight. Not to mention you would finally be able to quit your loathed job. You couldn't wait to see the look on your boss's face when you slam your name tag down on his desk exclaiming loudly "I quit!". It would be hilarious and probably worthy of some internet meme. 

You smiled as you walked knowing that your life was slowly improving, maybe you could even get a car again soon. That would definitely be a dream come true. But, you could only hope for now.

Chapter Text

After around five minutes of walking, you came across none other than Grace. Her long ginger hair was fixed in two braided pigtails and she was wearing a light wash denim jacket, black jeans with a tear in one knee, a white t-shirt and short brown boots. She smiled as she walked over, "Hello, (y\n)!" she spoke happily. 

"Hello, Grace." You replied with a weak smile. 

"How have you been?" She asked you cheerfully. 

"I've been good, how about you and Audrey?" You asked her. 

"We've been great! Audrey just got accepted to be the head of an anti-monster committee and she's really excited." Grace responded with a big smile. 

You scowled for a split second and let out a small sigh before you weakly smiled again. "I'm happy for her." You lied. 

"I am too! She's never been this happy before and I'm just really proud of her." Grace chirped happily. 

You gritted your teeth together in order to stop saying something offensive and nodded your head up and down slowly. "That's great," You spoke through your clenched teeth. 

"Oh, how did the dinner with that guy go?" Grace asked you curiously. 

"Hm? Oh! It went good, the poor thing couldn't cook for crap though." You replied with a chuckle. 

Grace let out a small giggle, "Sounds like Audrey, to be honest." 

"Oh, she's a bad cook?" You asked Grace with a tilt of your head. 

Grace nodded, her ginger pigtails gently bouncing up and down as she attempted to stifle a laugh. "Oh, you have no idea. Once she blew up a pot roast in my microwave." She replied with a gentle chuckle. 

"Oh wow, a pot roast?" You replied with a snicker. 

"You bet, and that's not even the worst thing she's done." Grace replied with amusement in her bright green gaze. 

"Oh really? What's another?" You asked her curiously. 

"Well, she once made a grilled cheese sandwich with the plastic still on the slice of cheese." Grace replied with a giggle. 

"Sometimes I think she's as stupid as those monsters." Grace added with a laugh. 

You instantly froze at her comment and just stared directly into her green eyes. That comment had upset you greatly, but could you show it? What if she found out you were working with the monsters now? Would she actually abandon you over such a thing? 

You bit into the insides of your cheeks and turned your gaze from her, you grumbled slightly before you turned back to her.  "I need to get going, it was fun talking." You muttered as you turned away from the friend you were beginning to hate. 

"(y\n), are you a monster sympathizer?" She asked you in surprise. 

You turned around and faced her directly, "Not exactly, but they don't deserve to be treated like dirt!" you hissed. 

She frowned and crossed her arms, "But what about the safety of the local residents of Ebott City? The crime rate has gone up twenty-five percent since those 'monsters' appeared in the city." She pointed out.  

"Those weren't crimes that monsters committed, Grace. Those where crimes performed by racist humans like yourself, humans are the real monsters in this world." You growled. 

She stood there stiff as a board for a few moments before she stepped back slightly, looking over at you. "I cannot believe you truly think that." She spoke with a darker tone than normal. 

"Why not? Didn't you two figure it out after that last protest you dragged me to?" You replied with narrowed eyes. 

"I knew something was up with you! You're just as bad as Maia, you've been brainwashed by those piece of trash monsters." Grace growled. 

"I haven't been brainwashed by anyone!" You snapped in response. 

"Yes you have! You're just too simpleminded to see that you have been." Grace spat. 

"Woah, woah, girls, break it up." An all too familiar voice spoke. 

You slowly turned to see Austin standing right behind you, his spiky blonde hair gently blowing in the breeze. A grin was plastered on his face and he chuckled as he popped the collar of his black leather jacket. He stuck a hand in his pocket looked over you and Grace. 

"So, I see you have a cute friend? Is she taken?" He asked as he stroked his stubbly beard with his hand. 

"I am taken by my wonderful girlfriend." Grace replied with a small blush as she puffed out her cheeks. 

"Aw, that's too bad. You're a gorgeous gal, she's really lucky to have you." He replied. 

"Oh, uh... I need to talk to your friend in private for a bit if that's alright." He added. 

"Oh, sure. We were parting ways anyway." Grace replied. 

You shot Grace a pleading glance and she instantly saw it, "A-actually, I just remembered I had to talk to her about something." She quickly said as she grabbed your wrist. 

"Aw, alright... I'll just have to 'catch' her later." He spoke with a deep chuckle as he slowly backed away and turned around. 

"You two have a nice day, alright?" He added as he walked off.

Grace made sure Austin was gone before she let go of your wrist. "Don't expect me to help you again, (y\n)." She grumbled. 

"Fine," You spoke through clenched teeth, rage was present in your (e\c) gaze yet again. 

Grace turned from you and stormed away, "Have a nice day." she grumbled.

"You too, Grace." You muttered in response as you started making your way home again. 

-------------------------------------

You flopped down on your couch and grumbled, Grace had put you in an especially foul mood. You just wished you could rage to someone about it, but you really didn't have anyone to talk to. 

You had just received Papyrus' phone number today and you didn't want to bother him, so you'd just continue drawing the picture for Mrs. Agatha. 

You took a deep breath and pulled out your phone, putting your music on shuffle and picking up your sketchbook off the coffee table where you had left it. You gently untucked the pencil from inside the ring binder and started leaving gentle strokes on the paper to make the cat look more realistic. You were attempting to draw the texture of fur, which was very difficult with a simple graphite pencil. 

You slowly gave the cat it's snowshoe markings and you suddenly jumped when your music was interrupted by the sound of your phone ringing. You picked it up and quickly glanced at the caller ID, Audrey was calling. You knew this wouldn't be a very happy phone call, you reluctantly answered it with a simple, "Hello?" and waited for the lambasting to start.  

"So, Grace told me what you said." Audrey started, her voice was emotionless.

"Oh, did she now?" You muttered in response before you turned your phone on speaker and set it down so you could draw while you talked. 

"How could you be so stupid?! You actually trust those creatures?!" She suddenly hissed angrily.

"Yes, I do in fact trust them. They are some of the most kind and compassionate people I've ever met." You responded nonchalantly. 

"(y\n), they aren't people! They are monsters and I never want you to call them people ever again, got it?!" Audrey growled. 

"Audrey, you do not control what I say and do. I make my own decisions and I think that your bigotry of my opinion is downright sickening." You responded furiously. 

"You listen here, you monster lover, don't you ever speak to me like that again!" Audrey yelled. 

"I'll speak to you how I want to!" You replied to her while clenching your first. 

"(y\n), look at the facts! The monsters are bad and need to go back under that mountain, they were locked down there for a reason!" Audrey hissed. 

"What facts?! The fact that the human race is a repulsive species? I don't understand why we're so full of hate!" You responded with an angry tone. 

"The human species is superior, that's why we're at the top of the food chain!" Audrey spoke with an annoyed tone. 

"What the hell does the food chain have to do with anything?!" You asked her while being completely fed up with her nonsense. 

Audrey let out an annoyed grumble and she sighed slightly, "Alright, well you can have your own stupid opinion I suppose but, don't you ever dare talk to me or Grace again unless you change your opinion." She spoke with venom present in her voice. 

"Fine! I don't need to talk to such hateful people anyway! I'm so glad I accepted that job at Muffet's, I'd rather be with those 'monsters' than a terrible person like you any day!" You replied angrily. 

"You're gonna regret this, (y\n). I know you'll regret it because soon these beasts will show their true nature and you'll be caught up amongst the chaos." Audrey responded. 

"The only thing I'll ever regret is knowing you." You spat.

"I hope you enjoy your time with those savages, (y\n)." Audrey replied coldly.

"I hope you'll soon see what Grace and I are fighting for. Goodbye, traitor." She hissed before hanging up the phone angrily.  

As soon as she hung up, you looked down sadly as your music began to play again. You quickly grabbed your phone and paused the music as tears began to well up in your eyes. You had known them for years now and all of the sudden, two of your best friends had vanished from your life. You took ragged breaths as you ran your hands through your (h\c) hair, today had surely taken a turn for the worst. 

You put your hand into your pocket and pulled out the phone number Papyrus had given you and quickly punched his number into your phone. You needed someone to talk to about all this, you didnt know how to react, had you done the right thing? 

As you waited for him to pick up, tears started dropping down your cheeks. You quickly wiped your eyes tried to stop crying, but the tears just kept coming. You didn't want him to hear you cry, you didn't want to be remembered for that. He'd likely never forget the moment you broke down while talking to him. You couldn't let him see you as some sack of emotions, you needed to stay strong. 

"hello?" His familiar raspy voice spoke though the speaker on your phone.

Chapter Text

You took a deep breath and thought over your words carefully, "Hey, Papyrus... It's (y\n)." You spoke with a sigh. 

"oh, heya kiddo. what's up?" He asked you curiously. 

"Well, I hope you don't mind but... I really needed someone to talk to." You replied as you tried to keep your crying unnoticeable. 

"i don't mind whatsoever, you okay, (y\n)?" Papyrus asked, you could hear the worry in his voice. 

You sighed and sniffed, you wiped the tears dripping down your face away and tried to fight back the army of tears forming in your eyes. 

"To be honest, no I'm not." You replied with a sad sigh. 

"(y\n), are you crying? what happened?" He asked you worriedly.

"Y-yeah I kinda am c-crying, hah..." You stuttered out. 

You gripped the fabric of your shorts and sighed before you continued on. 

"I-I ...uh... I lost two of my best friends today. They were the friends that dragged me to the monster protests and such..." You told him quietly. 

"what happened? did they see that you got a job at muffet's?" He asked you sympathetically. 

"N-no, one of them said something rude about monsters and I kinda snapped at her and we got in an argument." You replied as you gripped your jean shorts tighter. 

"oh, kiddo... i-" He started before you cut him off. 

"We left each other after a heated argument and my friend told our other friend about our fight... She called me up on the phone and we argued as well and it ended in our friendships all being shattered completely " You explained with a sad sigh. 

You cried softly and tried to calm yourself down, you wanted to have some confirmation that what you had done was the right thing to do. You wiped the tears from your eyes and let out another shaky sigh. 

"kiddo, they didn't deserve your friendship. if they couldn't accept that you had a different opinion, they had no right to be your friend." Papyrus commented. 

"But did I do the right thing? I just lost two of my good friends and I honestly don't know how to react." You replied sadly. 

"yes, you did the right thing. you stood up for what you believed and if they couldn't respect that, then they really didn't deserve you." Papyrus responded kindly. 

You let out a quiet sob and Papyrus could be heard sighing, "please don't cry, kiddo. everything will get better soon, i promise, okay?" he told you reassuringly. 

"But what if it isn't? What if they become biased against me and use me as examples in their anti-monster campaigns?" You asked him worriedly, your tone of voice must sound absolutely pitiful to the tall skeleton. 

"then i suppose you'd know how it feels." He remarked. 

"Wait, have you been used as an example in presentations before?" You asked him as you cocked your head to one side. 

"yup, they even had the nerve to photoshop me with red eyelights and long, sharp fangs." He replied. 

"Aw geez, that's terrible! Did you confront them about it?" You asked him quietly. 

"even if i had, the mob of protestors probably would've mauled me before i could even explain what i was doing." He responded with a sigh. 

"That really makes me mad, you are so kind and those protestors just treat you like a murderer." You told him while running your hand through your hair. 

"i'm kinda used to it. anyways, kiddo, was this what was bothering ya earlier?" He asked you curiously. 

Oh yes, of course he'd bring that back up. How do you respond though? Should you say 'yes' or 'no'? Either way would have uniquely different consequences but, you didn't want him worrying about Austin. You didn't really want anyone to know about that creepy pervert. But, what if not telling anyone led to really terrible consequences? What if he decided to get what he wanted by force? 

"Yeah, that was it." You lied. 

"kiddo, you sure?" He asked you in response, something about his tone of voice told you he didn't really believe you. 

"Y-yeah." You responded with a sniffle. 

"hey, if someone's botherin' ya, i have a bone to pick with 'em." He told you with a slight chuckle. 

You laughed slightly at his joke and let out a sigh, "T-thank you, Papyrus." you stuttered slightly. 

"hey kiddo, there's no need to thank me. i'm here for ya." Papyrus replied kindly. 

You blushed slightly and looked out the window at the side of the room, "I don't deserve such kindness, thank you again, Papyrus." you spoke quietly while wiping the remaining tears from your eyes. 

"of course ya deserve such kindness, you're a really sweet gal and i don't want ya thinkin' otherwise." Papyrus responded. 

"W-well, you're m-much nicer!" You stuttered out.

"i'm not always like this, you've seen me when i'm not at my best. like at the protest... hell, even at my house somewhat." He started with a sigh.

"but you, you don't have to do things to yourself to make yourself feel better. you've got the fighting spirit that keeps you going. the spirit that makes you see good in others." He continued. 

"unlike most people in this city, you see good in us monsters and you choose to be nice to us. that proves by itself that you are much nicer than you probably think." He finished. 

You were left speechless by his words, you had forgotten about the tension you two had shared while at his house... It was almost like you had known Papyrus for longer than you actually have. You actually felt quite close to him, like he was the only close friend you had left. But, he was a better friend than Grace and Audrey ever were, and you just met him. 

"Well, I'm glad you can see me that way." You replied, still quite surprised over his words. 

All you got in a response was a simple "mmhm," and you let out a content sigh. Knowing Papyrus now trusted you and that he was confident you were a good person almost instantly made you cheer up. For some reason, being on this tall skeleton's good side was necessity to you. You weren't exactly sure why, but you were exceptionally happy when he was around. He often helped you feel at ease and his words could really calm you down. 

"Well, I need to start getting ready for my last day of work. Thank you so much for helping me out." You told him with a smile. 

"it's no problem kiddo, i'd do anythin' to help a friend like you out." He replied. 

"Well, you can always call me too." You responded to him kindly. 

"heh, alright, (y\n). thanks, i may have to take up your offer someday." Papyrus replied with a slight chuckle.

"Alright, Papyrus. I'll talk to you later, okay?" 

"okay kid, talk to ya later. have a good day at work." He replied. 

"Bye!" 

"bye, kiddo." 

And with your final goodbyes, you hung up the phone and stood up. It was finally your last day at your dreaded job, you were going to make yourself enjoy it. Nobody could ruin it for you, not your boss, not some bad apple customer, not even Scotty. Not to mention you could see the surprise on your boss's face when you told him you quit. He probably thought you would never quit, perhaps he would even be happy you were leaving. 

Though, if he was happy that you quit, the satisfaction wouldn't be as great. He could even remark that it was about time for you to quit, either way, it doesn't matter. 

You walked into your room and quickly got dressed in your uniform, you gently straightened the tie ever-so-carefully and made your way into the bathroom with short strides. You looked at your face and noticed you had visible tear-marks running down your (s\c) face. With a sigh, you washed your face gently with soap and water and hoped they'd be gone by the time you got to Harvey's. You got out your hairbrush and brushed all the knots out of your hair and leaned in front of the mirror to fix the strands of hair out of place. 

Once that was all done, you sat on your bed and slipped on your fancy black heels and stood up. You walked to your mirror and attached your name tag to your vest and walked back into your living room to grab your bag and phone. Once you had gathered everything you needed, you walked out the front entrance of your apartment and made your way down the stairs. 

After you went down all four flights of stairs, you walked out the main entrance to your apartment complex and turned to see Tyler talking to a shorter male with short brown hair standing on the sidewalk. The guy had a short, stubbly beard and was wearing a black t-shirt and cargo shorts. Tyler looked over to see you and he waved before turning back to the guy. 

Not having much time to waste, you waved back and made your way down the sidewalk to your work. You wondered if that was the friend Tyler was calling the other day, what was his name? It was Josh, right? They looked like they had been discussing something funny, Tyler had a goofy smile on his face and the other guy was smiling with amusement in his gaze. 

And just as you were almost out of earshot, you heard Tyler exclaim "Use your glutes!" followed by the two men laughing. 

"I wonder what that's about." You spoke out loud with a chuckle. 

Chapter Text

After walking the distance it took to get to work, you had finally arrived at Harvey's. The familiar shrubbery had recently been trimmed and the items on the chalkboard menu had changed. Some of the specials were Creamy Risotto, Salmon burgers and French Onion Soup. 

The drink specials included Lime Margaritas, Martinis and Pina Coladas. Harvey's was very well known for making the best mixed drinks in town. They had been voted for the best place to grab an alcoholic beverage at least seven times by now. You had never tried any of the drinks at Harvey's before, though you didn't really want to anyway. You only drank on occasion and you hadn't tried many mixed drinks before. 

You walked up to the door at Harvey's and froze when you saw a paper stuck to the door. Realizing that wasn't here when you last came into work, you quickly read it out loud. "Attention, " it started. 

"Monsters are no longer allowed in this restaurant, if a person of monster race enters, we have the right to refuse them service." It continued. 

"If the person of monster origin refuses to leave, we will either be forced to kick them out ourselves, or call the authorities about the impending threat. Have a good day." It finished off which left your mouth agape.

How could a business accept customers of one race one day, and then completely ban them from the premises a couple days later? That was just wrong in so many ways, you were extremely happy that today was your last day working at this hated filled place. You couldn't imagine working at a place that believed that monsters were lesser people, or not even people at all. 

You opened the door and walked to the back of the restaurant, you clocked in and put all of your belongings in your locker. You tied your apron around your waist and sighed as you leaned against the lockers. To be honest, you'd somewhat miss this place. You'd been working here for what seemed like ages but, you knew the change of work would be for the better. 

A better pay and what seemed to be like a better work environment is what kept you motivated to quit tonight. You wouldn't have to deal with rich and snobby customers anymore. That was a good thing, that's for sure.

"(y\n)! Get your butt off the lockers and go wait the tables!" Scotty hissed which caused you to be torn from your thoughts. 

"Right, I just have a lot on my mind. Sorry, Scotty." You quickly apologized as you stood straight and walked to the front. 

You walked to the front where you a young couple was waiting, "I'm very sorry that you had to wait, what is your reservation under?" you asked them as you looked at the reservation book. 

"It's under the reservation of Gaillard." The young woman replied. 

"Why didn't you put it under Pratt?" The male asked her shortly. 

"Because you didn't call, I called and I chose to use my surname. If you have a problem with that, Daniel, then I'd suggest you call next time." She grumbled in response. 

He seemed like he was going to respond when he grumbled and turned away, the female was grinning triumphantly in response to his retreat. You cleared your throat and grabbed two menus. "I'll take you to your table, follow me please." You told them as you began to walk to one of the tables. 

They followed slowly and you took them to one of the more romantic parts of the restaurant, hoping they'd be able to get over whatever fight they were getting themselves into. You set their menus on the table and stepped back. "Your waiter will be here in a moment." You told the couple with a gentle smile. 

"Alright, thank you Misses." The male said as he nodded respectively and sat in his chair. 

You walked back to the front of the store and stopped dead in your tracks when you saw none other than the guy from Muffet's the other day waiting to be seated at the front. Standing in front of him was a young boy, around seven or so wearing a nice white dress shirt with a yellow tie tied around his neck. He smiled as he looked up at Noah as he talked to him, his hands tucked into his pockets. 

You assumed that Noah... Or 'Mr. Smith' was his father, you didn't ever expect him to be the type of guy to have a child. Maybe it was his nephew or something. Or, maybe you were completely wrong and he was the exact type of person to have a son. Either way, it still would surprise you greatly. 

You took a deep breath and continued walking further, when you got to him you went to the reservation book. "Let me guess, Sir... Reservation for Smith?" You asked him which made his eyes quickly flick over to you. You saw him grin as he put his hands on the little boy's shoulders. "Hello again, I've been blessed to see your beautiful face twice now, I'm a very lucky man." He spoke, the words rolling off his tongue smoothly. 

"Yes, hello Mr. Smith. Now, that's your reservation, correct?" You asked him, a slight blush appearing on your face. 

"Yes, that's correct, sweet cheeks." He responded with a slight chuckle. 

You sighed deeply and grabbed a regular menu and a kid's menu, you wondered what he'd do if you gave him a kid's menu as well. You didn't know if he'd find it insulting, or funny. It's more likely that'd he'd be insulted than humored by that action, though. Since he was in the police, you definitely didn't want to offend him. Though, he didn't seem like much of an uptight guy.  

"Follow me to your table, please." You told them as you started walking to the table. The two boys followed, their dress shoes clicking across the tile floor as they went. 

"Noah, please be nice to this girl. You must make a good impression, alright, m'boy?" You heard Mr. Smith tell what you could only assume was his son. 

"Yes, dad." His son replied quietly. 

You led them to the table and set the menus down, you looked over and saw that Scotty was busy waiting plenty of tables so, you took out your notepad and looked at the two men. They sat down at their table and they both looked at you hopefully. 

"Mr. Smith, what would you like t-"

"Your number, love." He cut you off in response. 

You held back the urge to roll your eyes and tapped your foot on the ground impatiently, "Sir, I'm being serious here. What would you like to drink?" you asked him with a sigh. 

"I'll take a glass of iced tea." He replied with an annoyed grumble. It seemed like he didn't get rejected often, it was like being rejected was an unfamiliar territory for him. Do ladies really think he is that attractive or something? 

You quickly wrote his order down and your eyes flicked over to the younger boy, he almost seemed to be an exact copy of his dad. Same nose, same eyes, it was just so surreal. Did he even have any traits from his mother? You guess you wouldn't know though since you've never seen his mom before.  But, it did make you very curious. 

"And what would you like to drink, young man?" You asked him politely. 

"I'll take some cola, please." He replied. 

You nodded and turned to walk to the kitchen, "I'll be back with your drinks in a moment." You told them. "Hold on a second, miss." The younger boy spoke which caused you to turn back around. "Yes, sir?" You replied. 

"Hey, I don't have a mother, will you be my sugar mama?" He asked you with a devilish grin on his face. His father had a proud glint in his eyes and you stood there shocked for a few moments. What the hell was this family?! Mr. Smith's son seemed completely normal for a few seconds but no, he had to be more like his father than you had expected. How could a seven year old boy already be a player? 

"Uh, how about no." You replied with a roll of your eyes. You turned and walked away and you heard the two boys high five. "Good job, junior. I knew you had it in ya." You heard Mr. Smith chuckle. 

You grumbled and walked into the kitchen, fixing them their drinks. "I can't believe Noah Smith is here! I love him so much, he's so handsome!" You heard one of the female cooks screech. 

"Mr. Smith is here?! Oh my God!" You heard another giggle.  

So, people must really like Mr. Smith then. You don't understand why, how the hell could anyone like a man like that? All he speaks is flattery, he doesn't even mean half of the things he says. In the end, he's only in it for your looks. He doesn't care about who you are as a person, he only cares about your body. That is a man you could never love. 

You rolled your eyes and walked back out to the mischievous men, setting their drinks in front of them. "Are you two ready to order yet?" You asked them. 

"Not yet, sweet thing." Mr. Smith replied as he had his face buried in the menu. 

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit to take your order then." You replied as you quickly walked off. 

You breathed a sigh of relief when you were finally out of earshot and walked back to the front, luckily Scotty was there and you looked at him hopefully. "Hey, you see those two guys?" You asked him. 

"Oh, you mean the Smiths?" He asked you in response and you nodded. 

"Can you go finish waiting them? They're making me feel very uncomfortable." You asked him. 

He thought for a few seconds before he shook his head, "Nah, you can deal with them." he replied before he moved over and pushed you to the side with force. He quickly flipped you off and walked backwards away from you. "I won't help any monster sympathizer, ever!" He said coldly before he turned and walked to a table. 

You gripped the pencil in your hand tightly in anger, causing it to snap loudly. You were sick and tired of all the racist crap going on recently. First Grade and Audrey, then yourself and finally your trusted workplace. How could people be such bigots to your opinion? Do you not have the right to believe that monsters belong aboveground? 

You gritted your teeth and walked over to grab another pencil, you picked up the new one and threw the broken one away. You were so glad you were quitting tonight, this place doesn't deserve your service. This place didn't even deserve to be open the way they are planning on treating monsters if they enter. It's just plain wrong! 

You took a deep breath and started walking back to the Smith's table. You couldn't let all this ruin your day, you had to stay as positive as possible. Just keep Papyrus' words from earlier in mind and you'll be just fine. And if you have to, you can always call him whilst on break to vent. You're sure he wouldn't mind anyway. He's a really good friend, you wished more people could be like him. 

Chapter Text

After many hours of hard work, you had finally reached the end or your final shift at Harvey's Fine Dining. All you had to do now was run by Mr. Harvey's office and tell him you were quitting. Well, that and grab all of your belongings out of your locker. 

The customers you had today were all terrible, especially Mr. Smith and his bratty son. Mr. Smith didn't stop his flattery or his flirting until you told him flatly to cut it out. But, after that he and his son ceased all impertinent flirts and treated you respectfully. That was quite the surprise, at least he and his son backed off. And they had even given you a pretty nice tip in the end as well. 

Other customers today had been much worse, cussing you out over the littlest of things or not even giving you a tip. You weren't just there to serve people for free, you're not some slave or indentured servant, you are a person just trying to make a living. Some people forget that you're a regular person like them, how would they feel if you did the same to them at their job? 

You were really hoping Muffet's would be a turnaround for you. Perhaps you'd have much better customers there, customers who were kind and caring... Not some snobby rich person who only cares about themselves and their money. More people like Papyrus and Sans, Undyne and Alphys... Maybe even like your dear friend, Maia. 

You walked to your locker and got all of your items out of it and looked at your phone's lock screen. You actually had a missed call and an unread text from Maia. She had called you two hours ago and had texted you right after. You quickly read the text, it said the following: "Hey, (y\n)! I have some really exciting news. Call me back when you can, thanks!" 

You tapped a finger on you chin in thought for a moment, what could the 'really exciting news' be? Many thoughts swirled around in your brain, but most of the theories were extremely improbable. Maybe she had met someone she had really liked and got engaged or maybe she is going to be working on some big company's animated movie. That'd be amazing, but you didn't think she'd call you over the latter. The former seemed much too sudden to be true and she never mentioned dating anyone, so it was safe to assume that wasn't it. 

You slid your phone into your pocket and planned to call her when you get home. After all, she lives far away in another time zone and when you get home it won't be too late to call her. This was exciting, you hadn't talked to Maia in ages and you couldn't wait to hear her voice again. 

You had known Maia since your sophomore year of highschool, you two weren't friends at first, in fact you used to envy her artistic skill. But, you two quickly became friends when she became your partner in an art elective course in your junior year of highschool. She taught you some tips she knew about art and she helped your artwork improve greatly. You wouldn't be where you were today if it wasn't for that devious Maia. She is definitely a much better friend than Grace and Audrey ever were. So, you definitely appreciate her a lot. 

You shook the thoughts out of your head and looked over to see Scotty bounding towards you. You rolled your eyes remembering the confrontation you two had earlier in the day. He walked up to you, his gray eyes staring deep into your own eyes. He ran his hand through his short black hair and looked at you blankly. "My dad would like to see you in his office." He spoke without any identifiable emotion. 

You nodded and turned to walk to Mr. Harvey's office. You took short and confident strides, it seemed quite odd that he'd call you to his office just when you were about to quit. What could he possibly need? He had only called you to his office around three times during your employment there. The first time was because you were wearing something against the work dress code, the second was because you yelled at Scotty and the third was for a very small promotion. 

You couldn't possibly think of something you did wrong today, so maybe it was a promotion. But, that'd be extremely unfortunate since you were quitting tonight. You took a deep breath as you walked up to the dark brown wooden door that led to his office. His name was on the door on a gold plaque. 'Philip L. Harvey' was his name, he took pride in it. He and his family were proud to be 'Harveys', well... Everyone but Scotty. 

You knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before you heard his deep voice reply a simple, "Come in." 

You turned the gold doorknob and stepped inside his white office. You looked over at him, he was slouched over in his leather office chair and he had his elbows on the desk. He soon straightened his posture and sat up in his chair and gestured to the seat in front of his desk. "Sit." He commanded. 

You nodded and sat in the chair, "What is it that you needed, Mr. Harvey?" You asked him curiously. 

"Due to some places we have seen you recently, Miss (l\n), I'm afraid that you may be posing as a bad image for my restaurant." He spoke as he folded his hands neatly. 

"What do you mean, Sir?" You asked with a confused tilt of your head. 

"It has made apparent to me that you have been hanging around bad... 'Creatures' as of recently and I cannot have your little 'friendships' ruining my business." He replied as his green eyes made direct eye contact with your own.

You flinched at his words, he really was a bigot, wasn't he? How dare he talk about your beliefs and your friends this way! How in any way would your friendships ruin his damned business? You aren't exactly recognized for being part of Harvey's staff, you aren't well known or anything... So how the hell would your personal relationships jeopardize his restaurant? Plus, you shouldn't be able to discriminate against an employee just because they have different views then you. The fact that he was doing this was just so wrong. 

You slammed a hand on his desk angrily and stood up from your seat. "Well, luckily for you, Mr. Harvey, I was planning on quitting tonight anyway." You spoke with your eyes narrowed in anger. 

"No, you cannot quit, because you're fired!" He replied, looking at you hatefully. 

"Oh really? Well watch me, I quit!" You hissed as you slammed your name tag onto his wooden desk. 

He stood up from his seat angrily, "Get out, you nasty monster lover! Don't let the door hit you on the way out." He spoke, his tone filled with venom.

"Fine with me, I don't want to spend another moment in your restaurant of hate." You spat in response.  

You quickly flipped him the bird and stormed out of his office. You walked past all of your 'ex'-coworkers and took a deep breath as you headed to the back door and pushed the door open, walking outside into the open. 

The stars twinkled in the sky brightly and you made your way down the gray sidewalk. You just wanted to get home as soon as possible, you needed to tell Maia about all the crap that's been going on in your life recently. She'd likely scold you for going to the protests in the first place, but it honestly wasn't your fault at all. You had been dragged to those protests by Grace and Audrey, you were only going there to appease them. In reality, you never had felt hate for monsters at all. You had just tried to blend into the crowd which was very wrong of you. You should never pretend to be someone you actually aren't, it really does have some very bad consequences. 

You walked for around ten minutes before you looked up to see a hooded figure leaning against a tree about five minutes from your apartment. Whoever this was, they looked to have malicious intent in mind. Their face was slightly lit up, showing their facial features. That of course was due to them looking down at their phone's lit screen in the dark night.  

As you squinted your eyes to see the person's face in more detail, the light on their phone went off. They stood up straight and you instantly froze right where you had been standing. It felt like your feet had been glued to the sidewalk and you were filled with fear. 

They began to walk closer, taking small strides and you watched them closely. You gulped and finally turned and bolted to make an escape, running the opposite direction. As soon as you started running, they broke into a run as well but, they were faster than you and quickly caught up. This wasn't good, who was this mysterious figure and what did they want? 

You turned down a dark alleyway and continued running, you were hoping and praying you could make it to the back of your apartment before this person caught you. Their footsteps echoed down the alley after your own when suddenly, you were pulled to a stop by your arm. You whipped around to see the figure as they lowered their hood. 

"Aw, sweetheart, there's no reason to run from me~" None other than Austin purred. 

You tore your arm out of his grasp and backed away. "I have every reason to run from you." You responded bitterly which caused him to scowl. 

"Come on, just come to a bar with me and I'll buy you a drink." He spoke and you shook your head. 

"No, I'm going home." You spoke flatly. 

"(y\n), please? You know I'm not gonna stop asking until you go." He responded with an annoyed glance. 

"That's your problem, not mine. I'm not interested, what part of that do you not understand?" You hissed in response. 

He shrunk back for a second and narrowed his eyes. "Well, I'm not giving up until you say yes. What part of that do you not understand?" He spoke darkly which sent a shiver down your spine. 

"I don't know why you're so persistent, a no is a no!" You replied as you took a few more steps back. 

"Well, I don't take 'no' for an answer, ever. I will get my way, (y\n)." He muttered threateningly as he took a few steps forward. 

You stared at him, fear clearly in your (e\c) gaze before you turned and continued running down the dark alleyway. But, this time he luckily didn't follow. As you looked back at him, he just stood there with his hands in his hoodie's pockets, staring at you with a mix of hatred and desire in his olive green gaze. You shook your head and went around a corner, blocking him from your view and vise versa. 

You looked over to see the familiar back of your apartment and you ran to the metal stairs that led to your flat on the third floor of the building. You walked up the steps carefully and when you made it to the top, you put your key in the lock, turned it and walked inside. You locked the door back and walked straight to your room and changed into a black tank and black workout shorts as pajamas. 

You made your way into the kitchen, grabbing one of the cookies Mrs. Agatha made you and flopped down on your couch looking at your phone. You scrolled to Maia in your contacts and pressed the call button and leaned back. You took a bite of the cookie and smiled at it's wonderful taste and relaxed as you waited for your friend to answer the phone call. "I wonder what she needs to tell me..." You wondered out loud. 

Chapter Text

And as the phone rang, you began to get anxious over what Maia would say about the monster incident. You didn't want her to get upset over your actions, you had gotten out of the bad crowd and your ways had changed. Wasn't that enough good to focus on? 

Suddenly, the ringing stopped, "Legion of Doom's phone service, how may we execute you today?" Maia spoke which caused you to giggle. 

"Hey Maia! What's up?" You asked her. 

"The heavens." She replied nonchalantly. 

"Okay, seriously Maia, what did you need to tell me?" You asked her with a chuckle. 

"Okay. You will not believe this!" She started. 

"Ooh, do tell!" You spoke with a smile.

"I'm coming home to visit!" She spoke excitedly and you smiled brightly. 

"Oh my God! When?!" You asked her urgently. 

"In four days! I can't wait to see you, Grace and Audrey! But mostly you, my drama llama!" She replied and you froze, a frown appearing on your face. 

"I can't wait to see you! But uh..." You paused, trying to figure out how you'd explain the whole ordeal with Grace and Audrey. 

"So, Grace, Audrey and I all had a fall out..." You spoke with a hint of sadness to your voice. 

"What?! How'd that happen?" She asked you in surprise. 

"Well, promise you won't hate me for what I did at first, I swear I have changed." You responded nervously. 

"Changed from what? What did you do?" 

"Did you kill one of them?" She asked you almost worriedly. 

"No, no! Grace and Audrey frequently attend monster protests and I got dragged along with them. I went with them to fit in but I really never have hated monsters like they have." You explained quickly. 

"You... attended monster protests?" She responded in a disappointed tone. 

"I only did because they dragged me, I wasn't thinking straight! I'm friends with them now and I even work at a business owned by a monster. I swear I have changed, please don't hate me." You replied guiltily.

"I don't hate you, (Y/N). I believe you. I knew you never hated monsters but, I never knew you were too afraid to admit it. I'm glad you finally came to terms with them, and even befriended one of them. Heck, I myself have even befriended one." She responded. 

"I have actually befriended around three. Sans, Papyrus and Muffet. But, who have you befriended? I'm curious." You asked her in curiosity. 

"I have befriended a goat monster named Asgore. As I've heard, he was the former king of the underground, and was married to Queen Toriel." Maia replied. 

"You also mentioned you befriended a monster named Papyrus, no?" She added. 

"Yeah, what about him?" You asked her in response. 

"Well, Asgore has told me that he is great friends with a monster named Papyrus, and is moving back to Ebott City to see him again." Maia explained. 

"So me and him are traveling on the same plane together." She added. 

"Oh, that's so cool! Who knew that our monster buds would be close to each other." You chuckled. 

"I know right?! Looks like our friendship is always connected." She remarked and you let out another chuckle. 

"Well, anyway, Grace and Audrey don't want to see me anymore and they don't want to see you either. They don't like that we have different opinions and honestly, I'm glad to have them out of my life... Even if I do miss them somewhat." You sighed. 

"Hey, remember what I told you? If you don't laugh at the same joke several times, why do you cry over the people who've hurt you several times? I can tell that they hurt you just because you stated your opinion. So that's why you have to let them go. You still have me, and you seem to be making new, and better friends already." Maia replied which made the smile return to your face. 

"You're so right, Maia! Thank you for the kind words." You paused for a few moments. 

"Hey, you wanna know some gossip about them that you likely didn't know though?" You asked her. 

"Sure, why not." She responded. 

"They must have bonded over the protests a lot because, they started dating!" You practically screeched. 

"Oh my God! That's hilarious!" Maia responded before she broke into laughter. 

There was a short pause and after a few seconds, you broke the silence, ready to get this off of your chest. "Okay, so promise me that you won't freak out... But, I kinda have a stalker and I don't know what to do." You confessed.

"Just tell me what he looks like, and I'll find him and punch his face in." She remarked threateningly. 

"Maia, no. I think I just need to be persistent and tell him that I'm not interested. He has to give up eventually, right?" You replied, unsure if he'd actually ever stop without conflict. 

"Alright, but if he gives you any real trouble, Imma punch three holes in him." She replied with a slight growl. 

"The worst he's done is offer to drive me home, or to his u-uh... H-House..." You stuttered. 

She growled, "Never say yes to any of those offers from anyone."

"I know, I'd never accept that offer from anyone I didn't know and trust." You replied with a sigh. 

"A-anyway, so are you staying at my place when you're here?" You quickly asked to change the topic. 

"If you don't mind me staying, otherwise I can find a different place to stay." She responded. 

"I mean, you'd either have to sleep in my bed or on the couch. I'm fine with you staying though. I'm guessing you're staying for a weekend?"

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch. Heck, I'll even sleep on the floor. And, I'll be staying for five days." Maia replied. 

"Ooh, I have my Maia with me for five whole days?" You remarked. 

She chuckled in response, "Yep!"

"Oh my God, I'm so excited! Oh, I quit my job at Harvey's by the way. I forgot to mention that." You told her, curious as to what she'd say about you quitting. 

"What? Why? Did you get a new job?" Maia asked you worriedly. 

"Well, at first I just quit because I wasn't getting paid enough and it was hard to stay afloat with the pittance they gave me... But, I was going to quit tonight and I saw they they had banned monsters from dining there and that pushed me over the edge. Not to mention, my boss tried to fire me for hanging out with some monsters. But yeah, I'm working at a café now." You explained to her. 

"Oh my God, (Y/N)! I'm so proud of you! You know, I never liked the restaurant you worked at. The people there were so snobby." She spoke with distaste of the business. 

"Psh, I know right... There were these two customers tonight that absolutely puzzled me though. Have you heard of a 'Mr. Smith'?" You asked hoping she'd know something. 

It seemed that Maia knew a lot of people around Mt. Ebott, she always knew the cool people back in school and back when she still lived here she could name at least fifty-two percent of the population. But, she moved away and you ended up in a different part of Ebott City, so who knew if she'd know that odd charmer.  

"Oh no, please tell me he hasn't tried anything on you. That man is like a tiger." She remarked. 

"He and his son kinda flirted with me, but once I asked them to stop, they did." You replied. 

"Oh good, I don't want you to be harassed anymore." She spoke with a sigh of relief. 

"He actually seems somewhat nice... Not the other guy though, he just won't back the hell off no matter how many times I ask him to." You responded. 

"Well, men are jerks. Some of 'em anyways." Maia replied. 

"Hah, I guess you're right. But, Papyrus is a very nice fellow." You commented. 

Papyrus was a really nice guy and you were thankful to have him as a friend. You had almost forgotten that you two had ever had any tension between each other.  It was like he really, really cared about your well being and that was a great feeling.  

"That's why I said some of them. Asgore's a nice man as well." She responded. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing you!" You exclaimed. 

"I can't wait to see you too! We have so much to catch up on!" Maia responded. 

"Yeah, we really do! Well, it's almost twelve in the morning now and I'm pooped, so I'm going to have to say goodnight." You told her with a yawn. 

"Goodnight, Maia! I hope you sleep well!" You added quickly after you finished yawning. 

"Goodnight, my drama llama!" She replied. 

You giggled, "Bye!" 

And with your final goodbye, you hung up the call with a smile and set your phone on the side of the couch. You sat up sleepily and stretched, today was really tiring and you were completely bushed. You were glad you had a few days to adjust, you needed to alter your sleep schedule slightly to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier as well. But, tomorrow you are going to let yourself sleep as long as you need to. After all, you have gone through a lot of emotional stress today. 

You scooped up your phone, walked to your bed, plugged it in on the charger and flopped onto the soft mattress. You happily crawled under the soft (f\c) sheets and snuggled up into the warm covers. You closed your eyes and fell asleep rather quickly, today must have really tired you out more than you had even expected. 

--------------------------------------------

You were suddenly awoken by the sound of your phone ringing, you sat up in your bed and unplugged your phone from the charger and answered it sleepily, without even bothering to look at the caller ID. 

"Hello?" You spoke sleepily before you let out a big yawn. 

"GOOD MORNING (Y\N)!!!" Sans' loud voice called which made you flinch and quickly hold the phone away from your ear.  

"Oh, hey Sans... What's up?" You asked him drowsily. 

"WELL, I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO MY BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THREE DAYS!" Sans exclaimed excitedly. 

"Sure Sans, I guess I can come." You agreed without even really thinking about what you were saying. 

"THAT'S GREAT! YOU CAN MEET ALL MY FRIENDS AND WE CAN ALL STUFF OUR FACES WITH TACOS! THIS'LL BE GREAT!" Sans shouted happily. 

You were now holding the phone around four inches away from your ear, it was almost like you had your phone on speaker he was speaking that loudly. 

"Yeah, that sounds great, Sans." You yawned. 

"ALRIGHT! WELL, PAPY AND I WILL SEE YOU THEN. GOODBYE, (Y\N)!" He exclaimed before he quickly hung up the phone. 

"Goodbye?" You spoke before you realized he had already hung up. 

You looked at your phone screen and squinted at its brightness, it was roughly seven in the morning. You weren't ready to get up and deal with today's crap yet, so you set your phone back down and flopped back down on your pillow, closing your eyes once again. You slowly began to drift back into a deep sleep and yawned one more time before you finally fell into a deep slumber. 

Chapter Text

Your eyes quickly flicked open and you jerked awake, what time was it? You looked towards the window and the light from the unclosed blinds momentarily blinded you and you looked away. You clumsily picked up your phone to see you had twelve unread texts. Eight from Sans, three from Papyrus and one from Maia.  

Maia's read the following, "Hey, drama llama! You better have some brownies for me! Otherwise I'm dragging you with me to the bakery to get some." 

You chuckled and responded with a quick, "Ya got it, broski." before you looked through the rest of your texts. You began to look at the long list of texts from Sans and chuckled. 

This is what they all read. 

"HEY (Y\N), YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET ME A GIFT, BY THE WAY!" 

"WELL, UNLESS YOU WANT TO... IN THAT CASE, GO AHEAD!"

"BUT HONESTLY, YOUR PRESENCE IS ENOUGH OF A GIFT FOR ME!" 

"OH, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MEET ALL OF MY OTHER FRIENDS!" 

"THIS IS SO EXCITING! I'M SURE CHARA WILL LOVE YOU! I MEAN, THEY'RE A FELLOW HUMAN TOO!" 

"(Y\N)? ARE YOU OKAY?" 

"OH! YOU MUST BE SLEEPING!!!" 

"I'M SO SORRY IF I WOKE YOU UP! SLEEP WELL!"

You smiled at how apologetic he was and texted him back a rather simple response, "I was asleep, but there's no reason to apologize. It's all good, Sans." 

You went back to your texts and clicked on Papyrus' name. You quickly scanned through his texts and couldn't help but laugh when you saw the first one. Here is what they all said. 

"hey kid, they have a new flavor of honey at muffet's now. i tried it today and damn, it's really good. it's honey blended with cinnamon and honestly, it's so much better than that sriracha flavored honey alphys pranked me with that one time." 

"oh, thanks for acceptin' my bro's invitation to his party. he's really happy that you'll be there, so thanks for brightening his day." 

"(y/n), it's 12:30 now, ya okay? ya haven't replied to my bro's or my texts." 

You froze and your eyes glanced at the time, twelve thirty-six.... You slept past twelve in the afternoon?! 

You sprang out of bed, nearly dropping your phone in the process and ran into the bathroom to take a quick shower. You quickly wrote Papyrus a response that read "Yeah, I accidentally slept in later than intended, sorry." before you set your phone on the counter and prepared to take a shower. 

---------------------------------------------

You quickly got into your outfit of the day which consisted of a (f/c) t-shirt, a gray zip up hoodie and denim shorts before you ran into the kitchen. You quickly made yourself a cup of green tea rather than coffee and began to drink it. You looked around your kitchen, only to discover you needed to go to the grocery store again. You groaned and walked to your counter, grabbing the second to last snickerdoodle cookie and began to eat it for breakfast since you had nothing else.  

You grabbed  piece of paper and quickly wrote down what you needed from the store. That included toothpaste, dental floss, bread, coffee packets, eggs, some pasta noodles, cheese, milk and a box of frozen waffles. You thought for a few more moments, trying to figure out if you needed anything else but you couldn't think of anything so you folded up the list and slid it into your pocket. 

You took a sip of your tea and set the mug down before you took another bite of the cookie when your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out and looked at the screen, you had a text from Papyrus again. "heh, you're startin' to sound like me, kiddo." it said. 

You smiled and replied, "I was up late night due to work and talking to a friend on the phone once I got home, this week has been emotionally exhausting for me." you pressed send and he instantly started texting back, as shown by the symbol on the corner of your screen. 

After a minute or so, his new message popped up. "well, sleep is an important thing to get, especially when ya have emotional strain. just remember to relax, tomorrow's always a new day." He wrote. 

"Thank you very much, Papyrus. I'm guessing you have dealt with lots of emotional issues in your life?' You asked him. 

It took him a while to type his message out, but he eventually replied with "yeah, back in the underground i went though some anxiety which soon changed into extreme apathy once i realized i couldn't do anything about what had caused my anxiety. and well, i ended up developing severe depression which i still have to this day, i just have ways to deal with it now."  

Papyrus must've gone through something really traumatic to cause that many disorders to appear. You couldn't even imagine what could cause anxiety, apathy and depression. It just seemed like it must have been extremely bad. 

"You're doing better now, right?" You texted him before you turned took the last bite of your cookie. 

You also quickly finished your tea when he wrote back, "yeah, i'm doin' a lot better now. don't worry, kiddo." 

Even if he told you not to worry, you worried about him regardless. You just really liked him as a person and you don't want him to live in a gloomy world. But, you pushed your worry aside for his sakes and wrote him with a quick goodbye text. "Well, I need to run around town now. I'll text you later, it was fun talking!" 

"alright, (y\n), stay safe. i had fun talkin' to ya as well." He replied. 

You quickly sent him a heart emoji back before you closed your phone and slid it into your pocket. You went over and grabbed your bag and walked out of your apartment, down the stairs all the way to the front door. Once you made it to the door, you opened it and walked outside. The busy midday traffic rushed by on Clique street and you were somewhat thankful you didn't have a car to go through this mess today. It seemed everyone was rushing to get their lunches before their lunch breaks were over. The cars speeding by were almost a blur as you started walking the opposite direction.

So, all you had to do today was go to the grocery store? Well, it would be fun to go get some art supplies, but sadly enough, you'd need to have someone drive you to go there because it was at least a 10 mile walk. You didn't want to walk 2 hours there and two hours back just to get some new pencils and maybe a new art book. Perhaps you could go when Maia was here. Actually, that was a brilliant idea. You two could go and get some art supplies together. You're sure she'd absolutely love going shopping with you.

But, now isn't the time to think about that, you need to focus on getting your groceries so you can come home and enjoy your next few days off. So, you continued walking down the gray sidewalk and when you reached the end of the sidewalk, you looked both ways before crossing the street. You jogged across the pavement and got to the other side before you saw Queen Toriel walking up ahead with a young child in a green sweater that had a yellow stripe across their chest. 

She was holding their hand as she led them into a chocolate shop. And as you walked past, you saw the child running around excitedly as Toriel watched them with a happy smile. Their short brown hair bobbed up and down as they ran to a shelf. They jumped up and down pointing at a chocolate bar on the top of a shelf and Toriel walked over to the child. 

You walked into the store, the smell of freshly made chocolates was absolutely heavenly and you suddenly began craving an éclair of all things. So, you walked over to the glass display and bent down to look at all the chocolatey goodness. The child rushed over next to you and pressed their hands against the glass. "Mom, can I get one of those?" The child asked as they turned to face Queen Toriel. They were pointing at a fudge bar and she nodded. "If that's what you'd like, then of course!" She replied with a happy smile. 

You continued looking through the case until you spotted the éclairs. You stood up straight and when you looked up, you saw one of the employees walking forward. As soon as your eyes met, your heart dropped. It was none other than Austin. You were about to turn and leave when you saw his lips twist into a wide grin. "Misses, did you want anything?" He asked you. 

"No thanks... I think I'll just go get something somewhere else." You spoke nervously. 

"Well, my child and I are ready to check out." Toriel responded as she began to dig through her purse. 

Austin's lips formed a scowl but he didn't say anything negative. "Alright, what would you and your child like?" He asked them. 

"We'll take a fudge bar and some mint chocolate bark." Toriel replied as she continued digging through her bag. 

Austin pulled them out of the glass casing and put them into bags, "Will that be cash or credit, ma'am?" He asked her. 

"Aw, fiddlesticks... It seems I left my wallet at home. I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't get you this today." Toriel apologized as she reached her paw out for the young child to hold. The child frowned and their shoulders slumped before they nodded sadly. 

After a moment of hesitation, you dug through you own bag and pulled out your wallet, slamming a ten dollar bill on the counter. "Don't worry Queen Toriel, I've got it." You assured her and Austin smiled mischievously. 

"Alright misses, whenever somebody pays with cash though, we need a phone number. So will you please give let me know what it is?" Austin told you as he looked up at you with a devious glint in his eyes. 

You froze for a second before you sighed and nodded, giving him your phone number in defeat. He pressed it into the computer and put the ten dollars in the cash register, giving you four dollars in return. He reached over and handed Toriel and the young child their bags and they smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Miss!" The child exclaimed excitedly before they ran over and hugged your leg. You patted their head, "It's no problem at all. Enjoy!" You replied to them with a weak smile.  

Queen Toriel walked over and hugged you, "Thank you very much, your kindness is much appreciated... Now Chara and I must get going, their adoptive father is coming back Saturday and they want to make him tons of surprises before he comes back. I do hope you have a good week, farewell again, kind stranger." Toriel replied before she pulled away and led Chara outside. 

You smiled for only mere seconds before you heard a whistle and you turned to see Austin grinning over at you. "You know, you have a beautiful smile. You should smile more often, sweetheart." He purred. Austin winked at you as he ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair and he stared over at you intently. His olive green gaze wandered all the way from your eyes to your feet before his gaze snapped back to your own. 

"Hm, you look quite cute today, (Y\N)..." He murmured as he stared over at your (e/c) gaze. 

You took a couple steps back and he walked out from behind the counter, heading towards you. He looked up at the security camera in the corner of the room before he reached in his pocket, pulling out a remote and pressing a button carefully before he continued walking closer. You quickly turned to run out the door but he was faster and grabbed you by the shoulders before you could open it. He pulled you closer to him and wrapped his arms around your waist. "Where do you think you're going, babe?" He asked you with a chuckle which caused you to freeze in a panic.

Chapter Text

You rapidly began trying to pull away out of Austin's grasp but it only tightened and he laid his chin on your shoulder. "I don't think you're going anywhere, pretty lady." He purred which only made you attempt to pull away harder. 

In the middle of the panic, you began to remember what you were taught to do when you were young. If you were to ever be grabbed by a stranger, your parents had told you to scream. To scream as loud as you could so someone could come to your rescue. So, you started to scream which startled Austin and he jumped somewhat before he moved a hand to cover your mouth. You of course bit his hand which caused him to yelp in surprise, jerking his hand away from your mouth, giving you time to yell, "Help, help!" at the top of your lungs. 

He angrily turned you towards him, his olive green gaze burning into your own (e\c) eyes. "If you scream one more time, you're dead. Got it?!" He hissed and you gulped, nodding your head in understanding. 

He placed a hand on your cheek and tears began to forming in your eyes, "Don't be sad..." He spoke softly as you tried to jerk away again. He gently caressed your cheek and you fought back at the tears that wanted to escape from your eyes. 

Suddenly, the door to the shop opened and Austin's face whipped over to see who it was. He held you even tighter, unsure of who it was, you decided to risk it and ask for help. 

"Help... Whoever you are... Please help..." You choked out. 

There was dead silence for a few moments before you heard dress shoes click against the tile floor. They stopped a couple feet away from you. "Alright, dipshit. Let her go, or there will be consequences." A deep voice spoke and Austin suddenly let go of you. You quickly ran away, tears running down your cheeks and you looked to see your savior. 

Your eyes widened in surprise when you saw none other than the suited detective named Mr. Smith holding out his gun, pointing it at Austin. He looked at you and winked before he turned his gaze back to Austin. 

"Look man, she's my girlfriend. I don't know why she was screaming for help." Austin lied, putting his hands up in the air so Mr. Smith wouldn't shoot him. 

"Your lies aren't getting past me. Stay away from Misses (L\N) or I will make sure you have a rough trial and a long jail sentence." Mr. Smith spat in response. 

You were shaking and you quickly hid behind Mr. Smith. The two men glared at each other, Mr. Smith was around three inches taller than Austin so he could stare down at him intimidatingly. Austin took a few steps backwards. 

"Who do you think you are bursting in during such an intimate moment?" Austin challenged the suited man and he let out a chuckle in response. 

Mr. Smith pulled back his suit coat to show off the badge on his belt, "Head detective at Mt. Ebott Police. Who do you think you are, smartass?" He challenged right back. 

Austin shrunk back when he heard Mr. Smith was in the police and fell dead silent. You peeked around Mr. Smith to see Austin biting his tongue to keep from saying anything harmful to his case. When he saw you looking at him, his gaze met yours for only a split second before he broke eye contact. 

"O-oh, I'm so s-sorry sir..." He stuttered out which made Mr. Smith lean on one leg. Austin looked up at Mr. Smith's cool gray gaze and shrunk back even more. 

Noah Smith took his gun and tucked it back into its holster before he reached behind himself, reaching out for your hand.  "If I hear of you trying to touch anyone ever again without consent, I won't be as kind nor as just. Got it, asshole?" He hissed and Austin nodded rapidly as you held Mr. Smith's hand. 

Mr. Smith gave him one last threatening glance before he gently held your hand, "You have everything you need, right?" he asked you and you nodded. 

Mr. Smith led you outside and looked around the busy street. "Are you okay, (Y\N)?" He asked you as soon as he had led you out of sight from Austin. You shook your head slightly, you were still shivering and he nodded. "That was a very traumatic experience, it's normal to be in shock after it happens." He spoke almost emotionlessly. 

You blinked in surprise at his monotone voice but just nodded slightly. "C-Can... M-may I have a hug?" You asked him nervously.

He silently stood there for a moment before he nodded reluctantly. "Alright, as you wish." He replied as he held out his arms which you appreciated greatly. You quickly wrapped your arms tightly around his torso and laid your head on his chest. His arms wrapped around you in return, but not as tightly. His body was warm and his blue suit was actually quite comfy and soft. 

He smelled of cologne, a nice and expensive cologne that was actually rather nice. It had a pleasant sweet and spicy smell to it and it comforted you as you hugged the suited detective. Eventually, realizing you'd been hugging the man way too long for comfort, you pulled away. "Thank you..." You spoke softly. 

"Of course, I'm only doing my duty to protect and serve." He replied with a slight shrug before he turned, grabbing your hand again and leading you forwards. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Smith, but where exactly are you supposed to be taking me?" You asked him as you cocked your head to one side. 

He paused for a second and looked over to you, "I have the rest of today off and I figured that you should get a proper ride home. You've been through a lot today and I don't think it's safe for you to walk home alone." He replied. 

"Wait, how did you know that I don't have a car?" You asked him suspiciously before you pulled your hand out of his grasp. 

He was frozen for mere seconds before he just shrugged. "I just remembered that you sold your car to my used car business a year or two back. And you didn't stop me when we began walking together, therefore, I assumed you didn't have a car to drive you home still." He replied. 

"Well, alright... But, is it possible that you give me a drive to the grocery store and then you take me home?" You asked him pleadingly. 

A slight smile formed on his lips and it made you feel almost uncomfortable. Could you really trust this man? What if he was really just like Austin? 

He ran his right hand through his hair and nodded, "Of course, (Y\N). It'd be my pleasure." he spoke in an almost silky, smooth voice. 

You figured that you could trust him if he was in the police, no matter how sketchy he seemed to be. Unless, he was a crooked cop who wanted you to himself and didn't like Austin's hands on his lady. 

... 

You silently thanked your mind sarcastically for just making you even more anxious over this man. Sure, he has quite the handsome physique, a good mind, a great job and it seemed like a fair bit of money as well, but he seemed like he abused all this and used them for all the wrong reasons. 

  "Alright, well, follow me, pretty lady. My car isn't far." He replied before he turned and started walking down the sidewalk again. You followed after him and quickly caught up to his fast pace. "Why are you so willing to help me?" You asked him in confusion. 

"Well, I see a fair damsel in distress and I just have to help." He purred which caused you to roll your eyes. 

"Alright, well... Thank you, Mr. Smith." You thanked him and he nodded in response as you both walked to a clean black Cadillac parked in front of some fancy sandwich shop. 

Mr. Smith reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a key fob, unlocking his car before tucking the key back in his pocket. He took your hand again gently as he led you to his car. He opened the car door for you and stepped to the side before adjusting his light blue tie. Looking over at the car, you realized this was the most expensive car you have ever ever had the possibility of riding in. Cadillacs tend to be very expensive and only someone with a good salary could ever afford one. That explains why Mr. Smith has one for sure. 

You walked to the car and sat in the passenger side's black leather seat. It was quite cool and Mr. Smith gently shut your door gentlemanly like before he walked to his side of the car. He opened his door, climbing in his seat and putting the key into the ignition. He shut the car door, checked his mirrors and looked to you. His gray gaze was cool and it shined in what light was coming through the tinted glass windows of his car. "Alright, Misses. What grocery store do you go to?" He asked you calmly.

"Ferie Dane Fresh Market." You replied to him. 

"You go there of all places? That's the most run down grocery store in Ebott City." Mr. Smith remarked and you shrugged. 

"You've got to remember, Mr. Smith, that not everyone has as much money as you do." You told him flatly and he sat still for a few seconds while looking into your (e\c) gaze. He blinked a few times before he started his car and checked his blindspots. After that, he started to drive to your desired location. 

You watched the cars go by on the opposite side of the road when you set your bag at your feet. There was silence present for about two minutes until Mr. Smith finally broke the silence with a question that didn't surprise you whatsoever, "Do you have anyone special in your life, yet?" he asked as he turned down Forrest Road. One hand was placed on the steering wheel and the other was in his lap as he made the turn, showing you he was a very confident driver. 

"No, not yet." You replied to him. 

"Are you looking for someone?" He asked you as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. 

"Not really, I'll date when I find the right person." You replied before your eyes wandered over to his face. He had a 5 o'clock shadow starting to appear on his face and once he noticed you looking at him, he quickly glanced at you. "Like what you see?" He asked which quickly made you look away, a faint blush creeping upon your face and he chuckled. 

"There's no reason to be bashful. It's normal for ladies to look at attractive men. Hell, sometimes it's almost involuntary." He spoke to you as he turned his gray gaze back to the road. 

The fact that he had just insinuated that he was attractive made you wonder how full of himself this man was. You mean, it's good that he has self confidence and all but that just seemed like a really narcissistic thing to say. If he was a narcissist, that wouldn't surprise you whatsoever. He actually seemed like quite the egotistical creep. You assumed he had gotten proud of himself over his status someday and hadn't changed. Well, he has a child, right? Noah Jr. even said he didn't have a mom... What was up with that? Was he ever married? Did something happen after a divorce that made him become the charmer he is today? 

You decided to ask him some questions now, "Well, do you have anybody special in your life, Mr. Smith?" you asked him.

He appeared to be thinking for a few moments before a grin formed on his lips, "I have you~" he purred which sent a shiver down your spine. "But Mr. Smith, we're not a couple..." You managed to mutter. 

"We don't have to be." He spoke with that same grin on his face.

"Mr. Smith, please. I'm not interested." You replied as he turned into the driveway to the grocery store. 

"Alright, if you ever change your mind, you know where I am~" He replied smoothly as he pulled into a parking space, putting his car into park. 

This was for sure going to be a long grocery shopping trip. You swore if he insisted you get an eggplant, you'd just walk directly out of the store right then and there. You weren't there to hear his inappropriate euphemisms nor his bad innuendos, after all. 

He climbed out of his car, taking the keys out of the ignition before he shut his door and walked to yours. You were still slightly nervous and worried, but even if Mr. Smith was sketchy as hell, he gave you a sense of security. You felt like nobody could harm you while he was around. Perhaps he wasn't that bad after all and just misunderstood greatly. Then again, Maia's comparison to him being like a tiger was scarily accurate. He did pounce on every prime opportunity that he had to flirt. But, he wasn't anything like Austin, so you really shouldn't complain. At least he had saved you from that deviant, Austin. That is something you felt like you should thank him for. If he hadn't showed up, you don't know what would've happened to you. In fact, you didn't even want to think about it. You just wanted to shop and then go home. That's all you ever really wanted to do today.

Chapter Text

Mr. Smith opened your car door and you got out, grabbing your bag and looking up at the taller man. He took your hand and you closed the car door before he began to lead you to the small store's entrance. He looked at you for a second while you walked and a smile formed on his lips. "You'll definitely be the prettiest produce in this store." He remarked and you looked at him with a surprised expression which caused him to chuckle. 

You suppressed a gag, "Mr. Smith, I don't think I could fit on the shelves." You laughed nervously. He was about to speak when you quickly pulled him forward into the store. "Please behave." You pleaded. He chuckled, "I'm not well known for behaving, but I'll try." he replied with a wink. You let out an angry grunt and you speedily grabbed a shopping basket before quickly storming away. 

You heard his dress shoes following you, but he wasn't making too big of an effort to catch up. You grabbed a box of toothpaste and a package of dental floss before walking and seeing your favorite shampoo was on sale. It was a bottle of Dove and it was scented like pomegranate with a hint of lemon. Mr. Smith finally caught up and his gray gaze looked around at all the Shampoos. He let out a 'hmm' and picked up a bottle of Old Spice. He flipped open the cap and sniffed it before closing it. "Swagger is so much better than Desperado." He remarked. 

You paused and looked at him blankly, processing what he had just said. "You use Old Spice, don't you?" You asked him and he smirked. "Of course, why do you ask?" He asked you and you shrugged. "It just doesn't surprise me at all. I can totally see you as being an Old Spice fan." You replied before you grabbed a bottle of your shampoo off the shelf, placing it in your basket. 

He put the Old Spice bottle back up, "Oh really? Care to explain why?" he spoke, his voice loosing that silky smooth tone you had come to recognize. You looked to see him leaning against a pole in the middle of the aisle. His arms were crossed and his gray gaze was rested on you and you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.  

"I guess it's because Old Spice is a stereotypical womanizer's favorite shampoo? I mean,  most attractive men probably use old spice." You responded before you realized you'd accidentally just called him attractive.

"(Y/N), did you just call me attractive?" Mr. Smith asked in surprise. 

"Uhhh, I guess I did?" You responded nervously before quickly turning and walking to the next aisle you needed to go to, the hot beverage isle. You heard him following after you yet again, only quicker this time. 

You swore under your breath and quickly grabbed a box of coffee, throwing it into your basket before continuing to the next aisle. Mr. Smith was catching up quickly, the pitter patter of his dress shoes were getting closer and closer with every step. You took a deep breath and turned around to face him. "Mr.  Smith, please." You sighed as you shook your head. He looked at you innocently and just held up his hands. "I was only following you, (Y/N)." He replied. 

You shook your head, "I don't like you romantically, Mr. Smith. You're a pretty cool guy, but kinda old for me and I'm not interested in dating at the moment. I thank you for saving me and for driving me here, but please understand that I'm not interested in you." You explained to him.

He nodded, "I understand, misses." the tall man replied as he put his hands in his pockets. You blinked in surprise, surely that wouldn't be it, right? You doubted it, but maybe he'd stop flirting with you for a bit. 

You turned and continued walking. You went down the pasta aisle, picking up two packets of (f\f) ramen and a box of spaghetti noodles. You placed them in the shopping basket and made your way to the freezer section. In order to do this, you walked out of the front of the pasta aisle and started walking towards the left end of the store. 

"Sweets, do you need help carrying your basket?" Mr. Smith asked you. You were about to deny his offer when you thought about it. If he was busy holding your basket, maybe he wouldn't be too prone to flirt. So, you agreed and held your basket up for him to take. He put his hand onto yours  from underneath the handle while you were still holding onto it and lifted your hand and the basket upwards ever so slightly. He leaned down and kissed your hand making you blush in surprise. 

All of the sudden, you heard something drop in the aisle you two were standing in front of. You tore your hand away from Mr. Smith and looked to see someone that you really didn't want to see you with Noah Smith. It was Papyrus and he was looking at the two of you in shock, his jaw gaped open in shock. A honey bottle was now on the floor and Mr. Smith watched the new character suspiciously. 

"H-hey Papyrus! I-it's not what it looks like, I s-swear!" You stuttered out nervously. 

Papyrus just stared blankly at you and the suited detective for a few seconds before he uttered a simple, "what the hell?"

You looked back at him, smiling nervously as he stuffed his hands in his orange hoodie's pockets. He walked over slowly and lifted a 'bone brow' at you and Mr. Smith. "so, i guess your business card trick worked, huh?" He asked Mr. Smith and he shook his head. "Nope, Miss (Y\N) has kept the same persistence since we met." Mr. Smith spoke as he adjusted his tie. 

"and how exactly did you end up following her like a lost puppy then? oh, and don't forget the kiss on the hand." Papyrus replied, suspicion present in his voice. 

"Well, I don't really want to be here, but I kinda had to come after she was nearly ki-" Mr. Smith started before you jabbed him in the arm with your elbow signalling him to shut up. 

"Nearly kicked by a robber." You finished for him, hoping it sounded truthful and that he wouldn't see past your lie. 

"kicked by... a robber?" Papyrus didn't seem very convinced. 

"Yeah, uh. Some kid came up and tried to snatch my bag and when I wouldn't let go, he almost kicked me." You started. 

"But, Mr. Smith came along and scared him off. Since I was pretty shaken, he offered to take me home so I wouldn't have to walk alone. And well, I said I had to come here... So, he was being a gentleman and said he'd take me." You finished. It wasn't an exact lie. Some of it was true, after all. 

"(y/n), is that really what happened?" He asked you with his arms now crossed. You bit your lip, you hated lying to him, but you didn't want to worry him about Austin. So, you nodded your head and he let out a sigh. "i know you're hiding something, (y/n). i doubt it's anything with the crooked cop, but i want you to know that you can tell me anything." He spoke with a deep breath. 

"Okay, Mr. Overgrown Carrot,  I can back up her story if you'd like me to." Mr. Smith replied, his cold gaze looking into Papyrus'. 

Papyrus let out a sigh, "no, it's fine... i don't exactly believe that story, but i'll let it slide. just... don't hurt her. if you do, you won't like what comes next." Papyrus replied to him, his eye sockets narrowing. 

"Did you just threaten a police officer without any weapon?" Mr. Smith asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"yeah, i did." Papyrus replied and Mr. Smith was about to reply when you suddenly heard fast footsteps running towards you. "(Y\N)!!!" Sans' cheery voice called. You set your basket down just in time for the skeleton to jump into your arms in utter excitement. Stars filled the irises in his eye sockets as he hugged you. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I LAST SAW YOU!" He spoke with a wide smile. 

You chuckled, your mood instantly improving. Mr. Smith took a step away from the energetic skeleton and Papyrus smirked. "Sans, it's only been two or three days since I last saw you." You chuckled. "SURE, BUT IT FELT LIKE WEEKS! DAYS! MILLENNIA!" He exclaimed with passion. 

"bro, did it really feel like one thousand years to you?" Papyrus asked his little brother, hands back in his pockets. He was back to his normal relaxed self. He was slouched over somewhat as he watched his brother's crazy antics enfold with interest. 

"WELL, IN A WAY YES! BUT TECHNICALLY NO... I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE HER!" Sans replied as he clapped his bony hands together. 

You smiled and Papyrus chuckled. "well, i missed her too bro. but, we need to hurry along on our shopping trip. remember, we're watching chara tonight with undyne and alphys." Papyrus told Sans and he frowned. "CAN (Y/N) NOT JOIN IN ON THE FUN?" he asked. "i think she's quite busy, bro. but, why don't ya ask 'er?" Papyrus suggested and Sans nodded. "GREAT IDEA, BROTHER! HUMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME OVER TONIGHT? WE'LL BE MAKING TACOS, WATCHING ANIME AND BATTLE TRAINING!" He asked with a wide smile. You shook your head, "I don't think I can come. I'm sorry." You apologized. He frowned, looking down sadly. "IT'S OKAY..." He sighed. 

"hey bro, at least she can come to your party on friday, right?" Papyrus pointed out in order to cheer his little brother up. And he must be very skilled at just that, because Sans' mood quickly brightened yet again. "OH YES! I'M SO EXCITED FOR THAT!" Sans loudly exclaimed which made Mr. Smith step back again. 

"WAIT, WHO'S THAT? IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND, (Y\N)?" Sans asked you and you nearly choked. 

"No!" You exclaimed. 

"no, no, no. heck to the no!" Papyrus remarked. 

"I don't do that 'dating' thing." Mr. Smith spoke with distaste. 

"and this is why nobody likes you." Papyrus muttered under his breath. 

Sans got down from your arms and walked closer to Mr. Smith, his skull didn't even reach Mr. Smith's shoulders. Noah was around 6'3" and Sans was around 5'0" or 5'1" which meant Mr. Smith and Papyrus were practically giants to him. But, Sans was kind of like a Chihuahua. He somehow seemed to think he was as big as everyone else, like most toy dog breeds do. 

Sans studied the suited detective and tapped his phalanges on his chin. "WELL, I DON'T REALLY LIKE HIM ANYWAY. HE SEEMS LIKE A PERVERT AND I'D SUGGEST YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM, (Y/N)!" Sans remarked which made all three of you to look at him in surprise. 

"HM? IS SOMETHING WRONG?" Sans asked worriedly and Papyrus shook his head, "nah, bro." he replied. 

"WELL, IN THAT CASE... I HAVE A BALLOON TO GET!" Sans replied as he skipped away. 

"i think sans and i agree then, you should stay away from this... deviant. we can take you home." Papyrus told you as he held out his hand for you to take. 

"Papyrus, you're doing the judging thing again." You told him and he sighed. "please just let us take you home?" He pleaded and you thought for a second. "I'm sorry Sir, but she already has a ride, and I promise that I won't do anything to her." Mr. Smith promised and Papyrus groaned. 

"Papyrus, he offered first, so I'm gonna go with him." You sighed after a while which made Papyrus nod in defeat. "alright, (y/n)..." He sighed as he turned to walk back to the aisle he was on but you quickly ran and hugged him from behind. He stiffened up at this, his back still to you. "Thank you so much for the offer, Papyrus. I hope you and Sans have fun with your friends tonight." You told him before you pulled away. 

He straightened and turned back, giving you a weak grin whilst his face was a light tangerine in color. "thanks kid, stay safe!" He spoke in response before he picked up what he had dropped earlier. You nodded and you saw that Mr. Smith was now holding your basket. "Let's go." He spoke with a nod and you both walked to get the rest of the items that you needed. 

---------------------------------------------

Mr. Smith pulled up to your apartments and parallel parked between two of your neighbor's cars. He leaned back in his seat and looked over to you. "Well, welcome home." He spoke with a nod and you smiled. You opened the door of his Cadillac and swung your legs out before climbing out onto the curb. You turned back around and saw him watching you calmly. 

"Thank you very much for helping me out with my errands." You thanked him and he nodded. "It was my pleasure." He responded with a smile. You grabbed all of your bags and were about to say goodbye when he spoke first. "Listen, if that vacuous creep ever tries anything with you again, contact me or the police taskforce immediately. We don't want you getting hurt, do we?" He spoke and you shook your head. "No Sir, I guess we don't." You sighed with a half-hearted smile. 

"Good. Well if you need anything else, you have my number." He replied and you nodded. He winked at you as you closed the car door and he unrolled the window. "Have a good night." He told you and you smiled. "You too, Mr. Smith." You responded and he chuckled deeply. "Oh trust me, I will. See you around, hun."  He spoke and you waved as he pulled away from the curb, driving off. You looked around at the buildings on your street, Austin was nowhere in sight which gave you hope to think that Mr. Smith had actually scared him off for good. 

So, you ran up the steps to your apartment, fumbled with your keys, unlocked the door and went inside your apartment complex. You were greeted with a woman you'd never seen here before. She had black knee-high converse boots, straight black hair, thick black glasses, black skinny jeans with rips in them, a black blouse, piercing green eyes and a black and white plaid shirt tied around her waist. She was heading down the stairs, an iPhone in a black case in her hand. 

"Oh, hello! Are you new to the building?" You asked her, trying to be friendly. 

As soon as you'd caught her attention, she looked up at you, quickly putting her phone into her pocket. She had black lipstick on and black cateye eyeliner that was neatly done. A smile formed on her lips, "Uh, no. I've lived here for around six months." She replied. "Oh, odd that I'm just now meeting you." You commented and she chuckled. "I'm an online blogger so I only get out to shop and take pictures." She explained.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you! My name's (Y\N) and I live on the third floor." You introduced yourself. 

"The name's Evony Mallory. I live on the fourth floor on the left." She replied with a dip of her head. 

You froze, wondering what her opinions on monsters was. You didn't want another Grace and Audrey experience, so you quickly gathered up the courage to ask her. "Hey, what's your opinion on the monsters?" You asked her almost suddenly and she lifted a eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" She asked in return. "Well, you see, I'm a friend of them and my last friends kinda abandoned me for it." You explained and she blinked in surprise. 

"Who the hell would ever do that?! I'm a firm supporter, man! Monsters are so damn cool!" Evony remarked and you smiled. "Yeah, the monsters have actually proved to be so much nicer than my ex-friends." You agreed and she nodded. 

"Well, I need to get going now... But would you like to exchange phone numbers just in case you don't see me come down from my apartment again?" She chuckled.  

”I'd love to!" You replied and you both traded phones before you wrote each other's phone numbers in both of your contacts. You both quickly finished and handed the other their phone back. "I'll talk to you later, (Y/N)" Evony told you with a smile and you waved. "Talk to you later!" You spoke as she walked out the door and you headed up all three flights of stairs to your apartment. You unlocked the door, closed it back after you walked in and walked to the kitchen to put the groceries away. 

After ten minutes or so, you finished putting everything away and decided to make yourself one of the packets of ramen. As you stood there stirring the noodles, your phone went off in your pocket. You expected it to be Papyrus, Sans or Evony but when you looked at your phone, it was from an unknown number. You clicked on the text curiously to read it and wondered who it could possibly be. 

"Heya babe, welcome home. Oh, and you may not have expected me to ever contact you again. But hun, I'm not giving up just yet." The text read.

((Warning: Possible Trigger Warning))

Your heart instantly dropped and you started shaking. You suddenly began to feel like the entire world was crashing down on you. Austin hadn't given up, even after being threatened with a legitimate weapon. And now the creepy stalker was back at it again. Not to mention, now he had your phone number so he could write you at any time. You shakily put your phone down on the counter and let out a ragged breath. 

You slid your hands underneath the hair on your head and you trembled at the thought of what he'd do if you came across him again. It was getting harder and harder to breathe with every thought that crossed your mind about Austin. You were getting short of breath and starting to feel tears brimming in your eye sockets when you nearly fell onto the ground. You were now on your knees, heart beating fast, hyperventilating and trying to get yourself to calm down as tears ran down your cheeks. 

You couldn't go outside until everything was completely resolved or else, Austin would surely make sure you regretted it. So, you, in your panicked state swore to not go out until you saw zero signs of him lurking around your apartment building, no matter how long that took.  

Your phone went off a few more times as you curled up in a ball on the floor, shaking and crying as you expected the worst to happen. Thoughts of certain doom and terror flashed through your mind and you shut your eyes tightly, trying to get your mind off of everything. But, it didn't work, you were stuck like this for who knows how long.

Chapter Text

Eventually, you had calmed down enough to eat, but you still weren't very hungry, so you had to set the bowl of ramen to the side. You weren't intending to finish it because you just couldn't think about eating right now. You picked up your phone to see at least four new texts from Austin that you hadn't heard come through due to you phone being on silent. 

You took a deep breath and looked at all of them, one by one. 

"Babe, I know you're home. Don't you dare ignore me!"

"Are you crying because you fell for my trick to get your number?" 

"Hm, maybe you fell asleep. Well, in that case I'll leave you alone for a bit. Sleep well, babe." 

And the most recent one chilled you to the bone, you knew that all it was is a big scheme to get you into his hands. You'd never trust that man with anything. This is what it read: 

"Hey, babe. I know a way to make this all stop. No more of these text messages, no more stalking, no more harassment. But to fulfill that, you have to meet me in the alley beside your apartment." 

You weren't in any way going to ever step foot near that creep again, so you quickly went to his settings in your contacts and blocked his number. You hoped that his texts would stop now, but just in case, you put your phone onto 'Do Not Disturb Mode' so that if he wrote you again, it wouldn't bother you.  

But as the hours passed, you couldn't help but feel anxious. You felt like at any moment, Austin would burst in through your door somehow. And that thought only made you tense up more. 

You had been sitting on your couch for around five hours, wrapped up in a blanket and trying to stay calm. You had been drawing Mrs. Agatha's cat while listening to your favorite band to relax when you got bored and decided to draw something a bit more challenging, a portrait. But not of a human, of a skeleton, rather, of Papyrus. 

His lanky physique would be fun to draw someday, but for now you just wanted to focus on his skull. You gritted you teeth realizing you didn't have a picture of him anywhere and you sighed. You grabbed your phone and searched up 'Papyrus Skeleton' into the search bar of your browser and pressed enter. After waiting a few seconds for it to load, the search came up and the first result was a profile on some social media website called "Undernet". You'd never heard of this website so, you were kinda worried, but you clicked on it anyways. It loaded slowly and it appeared to be a Facebook for monsters, except fancier and not as annoyingly filled with politics. 

His profile was  filled with puns, jokes, and pictures with Sans and his friends. You couldn't help but chuckle when you saw a picture of the child from the chocolate shop sitting on top of Papyrus' shoulders. They were laughing gleefully and a happy smile was plastered on Papyrus' skull. 

The next picture was of him wearing a Santa hat holding a string with mistletoe attached to it in his left hand. It had been his profile picture around the Holidays and he had a light orange blush on his skull. You clicked on the picture and saw that it had a description. It read the following, "would ya smooch a skeleton? probably not. happy holidays, guys.". You smiled at the picture and felt a blush come on your face from looking at him, you'd be lying if your brain wasn't screaming "Yes!" in reply to the first sentence. You felt kinda weird for thinking that, but he just kinda looked cute in the picture. 

Was it normal to think a skeleton looked cute? Well, Sans was cute, like kitten cute...but as you scrolled through the pictures of Papyrus on his page, you couldn't help but think he looked awfully... Hot.

You blushed brightly and put your phone away quickly. Well, that's enough thoughts for today! 

You flipped the page of your sketchbook and began with a circular outline. You were going for a more realistic drawing, but you'd never drawn a skeleton before so you're not exactly sure how well it would turn out. Well, at least you'd have time to practice with it. Wait, why are you drawing Papyrus exactly? 

You shrugged your shoulders, you supposed you didn't really have a reason and that he just seemed fun to draw. But, before you could get too far with the drawing, your heart sank when you heard taps on your window. It wasn't like someone was knocking on your window or anything, nobody could even get up there anyway. It just sounded like the pitter patter of small stones being thrown at your window. 

You felt your heart lurch and you set your sketchbook down on the side of the couch cushions. You stood up, heart now pounding as you inched your way closer to the window. You were starting to shake again and when you got close enough, you looked down to see Austin looking up at your window. He waved and smirked as soon as he noticed you looking at him and you shakily snatched the curtains together. 

You ran back to the couch and paused the music as you worriedly grabbed your phone. You unlocked it and saw that you had two unread texts but you were too scared to see who they were from. You weren't up to seeing more texts from Austin under another number, so even if it was from Papyrus, you weren't going to risk it. You had written Mr. Smith's phone number in your phone just in case of an incident so you quickly pressed the call button and waited. 

It rang for around forty seconds before it went to voicemail. His voicemail was simple, except he was speaking in a very husky and seductive voice. Once again, you'd be lying if you said you didn't find it slightly attractive. But you pushed that out of your mind and left him a message saying, "Hey Mr. Smith, it's (Y\N). I need you to call me back as soon as possible please." 

And after that, you heard more taps on your window and you shook your head as you gulped and looked at the clock. It was just 7:30 PM. How was today going so painfully slow? You thought about retiring early, but damn, that was extremely early for you. At least, early for you when you were working at Harvey's. But, maybe sleeping early to prepare for Muffet's wasn't that bad? 

Your stomach growled and you groaned. You didn't really want to eat, but you grabbed your old bowl of ramen and walked into your kitchen. You set it in the sink and turned to the window in your kitchen. You instantly froze when you noticed there was a paper taped to the window that hadn't been there earlier. You walked closer to see it had "You can't stay inside forever, (Y\N)." written on it in in permanent marker. 

This meant he had been up the stairs leading to the back of your apartment... This also meant he knew which apartment you lived in now.  Your heart lurched yet again, he could've been watching you through the window while you were breaking down. Is that why he knew you were crying? You closed the curtain on the small kitchen window and suddenly didn't feel very hungry anymore. But, in order for you not to starve, you grabbed the last cookie Mrs. Agatha had made you. 

As soon as you had taken a bite of the cookie, the heavenly homemade flavor calmed you down. The cinnamony goodness was amazing and you frowned when you realized you wouldn't get any more for a while. Wait, could you pay for her to make you cookies? That'd be a great idea... Hell, even if she charged you a large price, it'd be so worth it. 

You quickly finished the cookie and heard a tap on the window in the kitchen which was thankfully covered by the curtain, but you knew who and what it was which made your heart sink. And just when you had felt better too. Didn't this freak have a job?! 

Well, he did because he nearly caught you while he was working. Well, perhaps he got fired? He kinda deserved to get fired. But, he likely was just off of work for the day since it was pretty late to be working. Well, maybe he works weird hours. I mean, most get off at five or six but he could get off at eight or some other strange time. 

You ran to your couch and picked your phone up. You pondered calling Papyrus, but you doubted he could do too much. Even if he had threatened Mr. Smith earlier. Plus, it'd take him a while to get here. You also thought about calling the cops but you knew how the alleyways behind your apartment complex were plentiful which made it easy for him to get away. And, he wasn't trying to break down your door so you tried Mr. Smith's number again. 

You waited, and waited, and waited... 

Yeah, he once again didn't answer. You hoped he was okay, he didn't seem like the kind of man who'd deliberately miss phonecalls. Especially if they could be from a girl accepting his offers in a romantic night on the town. Or... A romantic night... Somewhere else. 

Putting that thought aside, you decided to just crash in bed to ignore everything that was happening in your life. So, you skittishly walked to your room, made sure all the blinds were closed, and changed into a gray v-neck tee and black and white plaid pajama bottoms. You went and brushed your teeth and flossed before you plugged your phone in to charge, setting it on your nightstand. You flopped onto your bed and got under the covers, you took a deep breath and pulled over a pillow from the opposite side of the bed and you hugged it to stay calm. And after around an hour of trying, you finally fell asleep. 

---------------------------------------------

You were awoken in the morning by the calm birdsong coming from outside. You yawned and stretched, almost forgetting about the day prior. But, you remembered as soon as you saw that all of your curtains were closed. Your heart dropped when you went over everything that had happened yesterday. From Austin's attempt at... Whatever exactly he was planning, to Mr. Smith's rescue, to Austin repeating to harass you which led to your panic attack. 

You sat up in your bed and kicked off the sheets, letting out another yawn. You couldn't help but worry about how you were supposed to start work tomorrow. You couldn't go outside! How the hell would you get to work? Maybe you could ask Muffet to give you a ride? No... She'd probably leave hours before you did. 

You sighed and unplugged your phone from its charger, unlocking it to see you now had twenty-one unread texts and three missed calls. Two missed calls were from Mr. Smith and one was from an unknown number. You didn't have any voicemails, so you reluctantly looked at your texts. You first clicked on Mr. Smith's name which had one text. This is what it read: 

"So sorry for not being able to answer last night. I had to go back to work for a meeting and after that, I had to investigate at a crime scene. But by the time I got off, it was around 10:30 so I went to a bar to get some food, maybe a drink, maybe a lady, when some guy picked a fight with me. It escalated until he stole my pistol and shot me. Luckily I was wearing a bullet proof vest, but my son was so close to becoming an orphan anyways. If I don't answer again, it's because I'm working on this case. I apologize greatly, Misses." 

"Oh my goodness, are you okay, Noah? I hope you are! I was just calling to say that Austin, the guy you saved me from yesterday is still harassing me. And it's only gotten worse." You quickly wrote back. 

Next, you went went and clicked on the texts from Sans. He had thee unread texts.  

"I HOPE YOU GOT HOME SAFELY, (Y\N)!" 

The next was a selfie with him, Papyrus and Chara. They were all wearing black sunglasses and they had on baseball caps which were backwards. 

And the last was a group shot of all the friends Sans had said they were hanging out with all sitting on the skelebro's couch. They were illuminated by the glow of the TV. Everyone was smiling widely and it seemed like it was a lot of fun. Attached to the message was a caption saying "WE'RE MISSING YOU, (Y\N)!" 

"It looks like such fun! I hope everyone had great fun! Maybe I can be there next time, yeah?" You wrote Sans back swiftly, carefully making sure you had no typos.  

You next saw you had three unread texts from Evony. You honestly were glad to see she had written you. You clicked on her name and began to read though her simple texts. 

"Heya, (Y\N)! It's Evony from earlier." 

"Why is there a creepy blonde dude surveying our apartment complex?" 

"Damn, he's actually pretty hot."

You frowned and shook your head, how do you explain that he's a malicious and perverted stalker? You thought for a few moments before replying, "Don't go near him! He's been harassing me for a while now and he's pretty much been stalking me. For your safety, please stay away." You warned her via text. 

You clicked back to your unread texts and saw seven from Papyrus. You had a feeling he was worried about you. You appreciated that a lot. You clicked onto his name with a sigh and began to read through every text. 

"(y/n), officer flirty retuned you home safely, right?" 

"i don't think he's actually being nice to you. i think he's just manipulating you so he'll get a favor." 

"erm, (y\n)? it's past 11:00 pm. ya should be home by now." 

"it didn't offend ya, did i?" 

"i'm sorry, kiddo. if ya like smith, ya can be with him and i won't judge." 

"okay, it's now 4:00 am. please be okay, why aren't ya writing back?" 

"if ya don't reply by 10:00 am, i'm gonna go question that shit-stick myself." 

You snorted at what he just called Mr. Smith and suddenly realized you had no excuse for you to use as to why you hadn't replied to his texts. You quickly decided to make something up off of the top of your head. Maybe it'd stick well.

"Sorry Papyrus, had my phone on do not disturb because I was trying to sleep. I came down with the stomach flu yesterday so if you don't hear much out of me, that's why. And don't worry, I don't like the 'shit-stick' Smith." You replied to him. 

You chuckled as you clicked over to your next texts which were all from an unknown number. You had a sneaking suspicion that it was Austin, and you were correct, they were from stick-shit #2. All of his messages only made you more anxious. Why did he have two phone numbers? 

"Okay then, babe. You think you can get rid of me by simply blocking my number?!" 

"Yeah, that's not happening, dollface. I won't ever give up until I get what I want." 

"This all won't stop unless you agree to give up being stubborn and let me take you out with me." 

"That's all I ask for, how hard is that to do?" 

"If you block this number, I'll just find out again and call you on another. So, don't even bother trying." 

"Well, goodnight, babe." 

"And good morning, beautiful. You're lucky that I'm in a good mood this morning. You wanna know why?" 

Actually, no, you didn't. So, you blocked his number again and climbed out of your bed. You looked at the time, it was 7:00 AM. You walked into your kitchen and put a pot of water onto your stove top. You turned on the burner and yawned, looking around your kitchen for an appropriate breakfast. You eventually settled on two pieces of buttered toast. 

You put the bread into the oven and peeked out of the window in your kitchen to see the note on the window had been replaced with a picture of you with a heart around it. The picture wasn't a photo that you knew of existing though. It was taken while you were walking on Clique Street, presumably by Austin without your knowledge. This was all getting very out of hand fast and you just wished you had the guts to tell someone else about this then Mr. Smith. You wanted it to end. You were tired of feeling scared in your own home. 

You just hoped that'd he'd stop soon, or perhaps that he'd get caught. But, you had a feeling that'd be very unlikely.

Chapter Text

As the day went on, the offenses from Austin slowed down dramatically and by 5:00 PM, they'd stopped completely. Throughout the day, the only noticeable thing he was doing was throwing small pebbles at your window, and when you tried to call the police, the line was busy. They didn't call back, and neither did you. 

Speaking of calling, Thursday was supposed to be your first day working at Muffet's but you lied and called in sick to avoid Austin. Muffet was very sympathetic and told you that you didn't have to come in until you felt better. But, you hated to start a job by calling in sick. You really hoped you could go in work on Friday since Saturday would have to be a half day due to Maia arriving. You couldn't help but worry about what you'll do about work tomorrow, you didn't want to get fired before you had even started. 

But eventually, bedtime rolled around. You had avoided looking at your phone since early that morning and you decided that if Austin had another number, you weren't going to look. So, you didn't check your messages which worried a certain some skeleton a lot, but of course, you didn't know that. He was yearning for any type of message from you, he thought you might be in danger and it pained him because he couldn't check on you. He had no idea where you lived and you wouldn't answer his calls or texts. 

But, you were unaware of the skeleton who was so worried about you. So, you went to sleep at 11:00 PM. You dreamt happy dreams, dreams about going to prom with your senior year crush, Zachary Campbell. He was the captain of the football team and was well built, broad shouldered and tall.  He had the hottest dirty blonde undercut that you'd ever seen and women chased him like dogs running after cars. But there was a problem with your dream and the fact that all these girls wanted to get with him, he was gay. 

But in your dream, he apparently wasn't. He had gone with you, dressed in a fabulous black and blue suit. It brought out his lovely blue eyes and you were dressed in a long blue sequin dress. You both danced across the dance floor, until he traded you for Kabrina Catt in the middle of a dance. After that happened, you woke up. You were disappointed in the dream's ending, but you pushed the thoughts aside. It was time to get ready for work, that is, if you're going. You crawled out of bed sleepily and looked outside your window to check to see if your stalker was there or not. Much to your relief, he wasn't anywhere in sight. 

You quickly turned and walked to the bathroom, taking your pajamas off, getting into the shower and turning on the water to wash yourself for the day. Once you had finished washing yourself, you turned off the water, grabbed your towel and got out of the shower. You speed walked to your room, straight to your closet. You opened the door of it and picked out a black dress shirt and black skinny jeans. You weren't sure what Muffet wanted you to wear, but you figured this would be okay. 

You threw on your clothes, put on some black Mary Jane flats and looked at the clock. "Crap!" You exclaimed as you saw that you needed to leave in five minutes. You dashed into the bathroom, blow dried your (h\l) hair and fixed it so that it looked presentable. You then quickly walked back into your room, grabbing your bag and phone before running into the kitchen to grab an old granola bar at the back of your pantry. After you made sure you had everything you needed for the day, you opened your door and ran down the stairs to entrance of your apartment complex. You snatched open the door and looked around, Austin was still nowhere in sight. You breathed a sigh of relief and began your trek to work. 

You were actually somewhat excited for today, maybe you could see Papyrus again. You hoped he hadn't texted you or anything, because your phone was still on do not disturb mode, therefore it wouldn't show up on your lockscreen. But, you pushed that thought out of your head and continued walking. You started out your walk constantly looking around, but after five minutes of no Austin, you let your guard down a little and calmed down. You expected he was at work or something, so you planned to avoid the chocolate shop he was working at earlier on your walk. 

After around ten minutes of walking, you got to a desolate part of town which seemed to be even deader than it normally is. You looked around to see nobody around. Nobody driving down the street and nobody standing in their driveways, this was quite bizarre. Even for this part of town. But, maybe you just ended up walking down the street when all the parents were at work or taking their children to school. Or, they were sleeping in. But the former was a much better explanation. 

But, you didn't think about that much more. You didn't want to cause fear or dread to cause you to be glued to the sidewalk.  So, you pushed all worrying thoughts aside and began to hum a soft tune to distract yourself. It wasn't the tune of anything particular, it was just randomly composed by your mind. Maybe it was a mix of various songs, but you weren't sure. Either way, it helped you focus on the exciting, and possibly stressful day ahead of you. 

Three more minutes passed when you heard footsteps further down the street. You didn't think much of it, but as time progressed, they seemed to get closer and closer. You eventually turned to see Austin following you, except he was staring down at his phone screen with a scowl. He didn't seem to realize it was you, so you quickly turned back around and continued on your walk, heart pounding. You added a little speed to your walk, hoping he wouldn't notice, and much to your relief, he didn't. Or so you thought. 

Four more minutes passed and you were nearing the turn to go down a more populated street when you were caught off guard by Austin's voice. "(Y/N), is that you?" He asked and you gulped. You didn't reply, and continued walking. That must've been a mistake, because you heard him walking closer fast. "(Y/N) (L/N). I know that's you. Stop walking, I need to talk to you about something." He continued as he got closer. His voice was demanding and you just wanted to run to escape his clutches again. You cursed under your breath when you realized your phone and pepper spray were in your backpack and you were about to break into a run when you heard him right behind you. "Come on dollface, don't play hard to get. Because well, in the end, I'll get my way." His voice was now threatening and your heart lurched. 

You squeezed your eyes shut and continued walking when suddenly, he grabbed your arm tightly. Your eyes shot back open and you turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Don't you dare ignore me!" He spoke angrily with fire in his olive green gaze. He jerked you closer and when you tried to desperately pull away, his grip only tightened. "Alright sweetheart, I'm done playing all of your games." He growled and you yelped as he grabbed your chin, forcing you to make eye contact with him. "Austin, let go of me, I have said a million times that I'm not interested. Please just let me live in peace." You begged with tears welling up in your eyes. 

His gaze didn't soften at the sight of your tears, it seemed to enrage him even more. "Oh yeah, babe? Well, I am interested, so you're not getting away this time." He growled. A grin came upon his lips as he observed your terrified countenance. "Too bad your cop friend isn't here this time, in fact, too bad nobody's here to be your hero." He leaned up to your ear, "It's just you and me, pretty lady." He whispered into your ear which sent a shiver down you spine as the tears escaped your eyes and started rolling down your cheeks.  

He moved his head down and buried his face in the crook of your neck, his nose gently brushed against it and you couldn't help but try to pull away again, but his grip was persistent. You let out a shaky breath and shut your eyes again which made more tears roll down your face. He pulled away from you, but his grip was still firmly on your arm. You opened an eye as you shook in fear as he moved a hand to your cheek, he wiped the tears from your face gently. "Don't cry, babe. It'll all be over soon." He spoke in a silky smooth tone. Your heart was racing, you knew there was no way you could get out of this. Nobody was around to save you from the impending doom that you faced. You could die, get mutilated, be left for dead, there was no telling with this guy. But whatever he ended up doing with you wouldn't be good. 

Austin hummed somewhat and licked his lips, "I hope you've been enjoying my little visits. But, I will let you know that I was absolutely pissed for you blocking my phone number twice. It's too bad that you didn't see the consequences coming." He spoke to you. "In fact, I probably wouldn't have come to your apartment so often if you would've just texted me back." He added in order for you to regret your actions, but the only thing you regretted was not getting help even though you knew that you really needed it. If only you hadn't been so stubborn and actually told people. 

Austin pulled you to his chest and moved his arms under your own. He began to drag you backwards, presumably to his house when you felt more tears run down your face. You opened your mouth and let out a scream to call for help, but Austin soon stopped and turned you around. He looked even angrier than before and he slapped your cheek hard. "Remember how I said if you screamed one more time I'd kill you the other night? Well, that still applies." He growled and due to his words and the slap, tears began streaming down your face faster. "A-Austin please... I-if I promise t-to..." You tried to stutter out but he grabbed you by the neckline of your shirt and pulled you too close for comfort which caused you to get quiet. "It's too late for that." He spoke darkly. He audibly growled as he looked you in the eyes, his anger clearly showing in his green gaze. He stared into your (e\c) gaze and his sick grin only grew as he saw how scared you truly were.

And just as he let go of your shirt, you heard a calm voice behind you. "hey there, buddy. i'd suggest ya let her go before i make ya regret ever layin' a grimy hand on her." it spoke. The voice was familiar, but the thing was, the calmness in their tone sounded almost deadly. As if, they were ready to kill Austin with their bare hands. Austin looked over quickly, "Hey, monster trash, you're interrupting something important." Austin spat. "does it looks like i give a shit?" the voice spoke in response and it finally clicked in your mind who had come to your rescue. It was Papyrus, Papyrus the tall skeleton who had been so suspicious of you recently. Well, he definitely knew what you were hiding now. 

Austin scoffed, "Well, what is a pile of bones like you going to do, huh?" he asked Papyrus challengingly.  

Suddenly, the sound of attacks being summoned was present and Austin let go of you, stepping back an inch or two. "i don't think ya really wanna find out, kid." Papyrus replied coldly. You were still crying softly and you turned to look at Papyrus, he looked absolutely pissed. His left hand and left eye socket were both glowing a bright orange. When he saw the condition you were in, his facial expression hardened as he whipped to face Austin who was about to grab you again. Austin's soul became visible as a dark blue and he was suddenly lifted into the ground by Papyrus' magic. "ya sure ya want to follow through with this? i don't think you'll like the next part very much." Papyrus told your stalker, his voice harsher now. 

"Try me, Skeletor. I'm ready to receive my prize even if I have to fight a stupid monster like you for it." Austin hissed in response, and that's all it took for Papyrus to move his hand to the side, sending Austin flying into a tree. As soon as his back hit the tree, you could hear the air being knocked out of his lungs. Papyrus walked towards Austin, pelting bone attacks at him which all got impaled in the tree around him. That made Austin's olive green gaze become wide with fear at the tall skeleton's abilities. Austin was truly scared of what Papyrus was truly capable of. Papyrus summoned an attack in hand and walked to Austin, holding the bone near his stomach. "think this is all so fun now, bucko?" Papyrus asked Austin as he tried to get further away, but with bone attacks trapping him against a tree, that was impossible. 

"Please let me go, I'm sorry! I'll leave her alone, I swear! Just don't kill me, please!" Austin begged and Papyrus moved the attack closer so it was pressing against his clothes. "and why the hell should i do that after what you did to her?" Papyrus challenged and Austin gulped. You couldn't take your eyes off the ordeal. Who knew Papyrus could be so scary. 

Papyrus stepped back and made the attack in his hand disappear. He lifted Austin with his magic again so he could see his facial expression. "if i see you around here ever again, or around her, i won't be as kind." Papyrus threatened before he dropped him onto the ground. Austin nodded, "Y-yes sir. I g-got it." Austin stuttered before he ran off across the street. Papyrus sent a bone attack flying after him and once he was out of sight, Papyrus turned to you. He didn't look very pleased. "(y/n), you have some explaining to do." He spoke with a hard glance. 

Chapter Text

You stood there in shock, silent with tears forming in your eyes as you quickly looked away. You didn't know how to respond, he knew something had been up for just as long as it had been going on, but you refused to tell him. And, if he hadn't been here at this exact moment, you wouldn't have made it out alive. 

Just thinking of all the possibilities of what Austin could have done made more and more tears well up in your eyes. It was getting harder and harder to hold in your emotions by the second. And when you built up the courage, you looked up at Papyrus to see he had a surprisingly harsh look on his face. He looked angry, accusatory, sad... It hurt your heart even more to know hiding the situation hadn't only hurt yourself, but Papyrus as well. 

You were unaware that you were shaking under the tall skeleton's judging glance and your breaths quickened, you were almost positive you were on the verge of another panic attack. But, had you brought this all upon yourself? 

"is this what you've been hiding from me? is this why you haven't replied to any of my texts or calls?" He asked you, his voice harsh and it made you look away again in shame. 

You bit your lip and nodded slowly which caused him to shift his position. "why the hell didn't ya tell me?! i have been asking if anythin' was wrong for weeks and ya denied it. i could have prevented this!" He exclaimed angrily and you gave up with trying to hold in your emotions. You knew that you had screwed up big time, and you regretted hurting Papyrus like this. So, you let the tears roll freely down your cheeks and you quietly began to cry. 

At this, Papyrus' gaze immediately softened and he became less tense, looking at you sympathetically. Your lip quivered and you wiped a tear from your cheek before you couldn't stand it anymore, you looked at Papyrus up and down before you quickly ran to him and wrapped you arms around him. You buried your face in his hoodie as you began to sob. You held him close and he seemed quite taken aback. His arms hovering in midair for what seemed like forever. He wasn't exactly sure what to do at first, but he soon sighed and bent down slightly, wrapping his arms around you. 

Your quiet sobbing was muffled by his fluffy orange hoodie and he just continued the hug, holding you close to him in the middle of the sidewalk. You had never felt so safe in someone's arms before and you were confused as to why. He wasn't that different from everyone else, was he? 

"it's okay (y\n), he's not gonna hurt ya." Papyrus soothingly whispered to you which seemed to lessen your crying a tiny bit. "I'm s-so s-s-sorry..." You stuttered out as you continued crying into Papyrus' sweatshirt. 

"it's okay, i understand." Came his quiet response. 

You didn't want to let go, being in his embrace was so warm and comforting. But, he was in no rush to speed up your crying, he seemed quite calm. And if anything else, he was upset that he had made you cry. 

"cheer up, kid. everything's gonna be okay." He told you softly. 

Only muffled sniffles came in response and you could be heard breathing softly from your mouth. You were extremely embarrassed for loosing control of your emotions like that, but you were very grateful that Papyrus didn't simply rush you along. You needed support in a time like this. And well, that was exactly what he was giving you. 

Papyrus gently rubbed your back in an attempt to soothe you even more and he sighed again, "ya feelin' better?" he asked you when your crying had slowed its pace. You nodded, which was actually difficult to do with your face buried in his hoodie, but still didn't pull away from the hug. And well, neither did Papyrus, which really surprised you.  

When you had finally regained your composure, you pulled away from the hug that you had with Papyrus. It was almost like two puzzle pieces being pulled apart. 

He stood back up straight and straightened his back, looking down at your tear stained face. His hoodie had gotten a little dirty from your tears and as soon as you noticed that, you freaked out. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry for crying all over your hoodie!" You quickly apologized and he glanced down at his hoodie before his gaze met yours again. "no need for apologies, it'll wash out, plus, i don't mind." He replied with a gentle grin. 

You smiled gratefully and nodded, wiping your tears away when you noticed Papyrus was pondering something. You watched him as he was in deep thought and he soon knelt down so that you both could talk face to face. He scratched his cervical vertebrae nervously before sighing. "eh, kid... i apologize for being so harsh earlier." He sighed, looking away in shame for a moment. "i just don't want ya to get hurt." He added softly. 

"Don't apologize, this has been going on for longer than it should've. And well, I should have told someone before it escalated this far. I mean, as soon as he confronted me twice, I should have called the cops or at least told you." You murmured. "But, I was naïve and stupid, so I refused to tell anyone..." You added as you sniffed.

You wiped some tears forming in your eyes again and Papyrus turned back to you, after a short pause he reached over and gently held your hand. "if you're ever having any problems, please let me know." He spoke to you softly. 

You nodded and wiped your eyes again, "I will, I promise." you swore and he nodded before letting go of your hand and standing back up. "well, i presume you were on your way to work, but i can tell you're not in any condition to go today. i'll call muffet and explain why you can't come in." He spoke as he pulled out his phone. 

"No!" You spoke a little too urgently and he looked over to you with a furrowed brow. "what do you mean, 'no'?" He asked as he cocked his skull to one side. 

You bit your lip and sighed, "I can't afford another day off. I really need my next check." You explained and he stood as still as a mouse. 

"(y\n)... do you need some money?" He asked moments later and you looked up at him in surprise at his offer. "No, no... I'll be fine... Trust me." You replied, forcing a fake smile on your lips. He reached into his pocket and began to pull out a brown leather wallet. "Papyrus, I don't need your money... Please." You begged and he sighed, looking at your (e\c) eyes before stuffing his wallet back in his shorts. "alright, but no work. i'll make sure muffet gives you a paid day off." He insisted and you sighed. 

"Alright, I guess you're right... I probably shouldn't be working after what happened earlier." You sighed and he nodded.  

Papyrus quickly texted Muffet before tucking his phone back into his hoodie's pocket. He sighed but soon smiled, "i'm gonna walk ya home if that's alright."

You smiled in response, "Oh, I'd love to have company on my trek home." you replied, your voice a lot more cheery than earlier. His grin widened, "hey, come stand behind me." He instructed and you tilted your head to one side. You were confused, but instead of asking why, you obeyed and walked behind him curiously. 

Next thing you knew, Papyrus was holding your hips from behind and with assistance of his magic, you soon had your legs wrapped around his waist and your arms around his neck. He held your legs carefully and chuckled. He was planning on giving you a piggyback ride. 

Your face burned a bright red and your eyes were wide in surprise, "P-Papyrus?!" You exclaimed in shock. He chuckled at the surprise in your voice, "what? i said i wanted to walk ya home." He replied. "You don't have to carry me!" You exclaimed. 

"hm, i suppose you're right. but, i want to anyway. i think it'll be fun." He remarked as your cheeks grew redder and redder by the second. But before you could say anything else, he said something first. "now, where is your residence?" He asked you calmly. You sighed, knowing he had his mind set on carrying you and replied with, "I live on Clique Street in one of the older apartment buildings on the left side of the street." 

"oh, see, that's not that bad of a walk." He replied as you clung onto him. He made sure you were holding on well before he turned and started walking to your apartment. The streets weren't as dead as earlier and a few people were out watering their plants. Some people would turn to you and Papyrus and smile, others would scowl. But the naysayers opinions didn't matter. All that mattered was that you and Papyrus were both having fun. 

The walk was pleasant, the cool breeze kept both of you cool as he walked you home. You had nice friendly chats all the way home, both of you almost forgetting the events that had transpired only thirty minutes or so before. But, you were glad you had him to keep your mind from wandering. Sadly though, the walk was nearing its end. 

As much as you'd hate to admit it to Papyrus, you enjoyed the feeling of him giving you a piggyback ride. It made you smile and laugh which only seemed to make him happy as well. So when he finally stopped at your apartment complex, you frowned. 

"ready to get down, kiddo?" He asked and you contemplated saying 'no', but you didn't want to be weird. So, instead you said "Yeah, it was fun while it lasted though." 

He chuckled at your response and got you down with his magic, "so, you still up to comin' to sans' party tonight?" He asked you and your eyes widened. "Oh man, is that tonight?" You asked him almost in a panic. "yup." Was his simple response and you sighed. 

"I forgot it was tonight. I didn't even buy him a gift... I don't think I can make it without a present." You sighed and his happy expression faltered. "ya don't need to get sans a gift. your presence will be enough. plus, toriel could pick ya up." He suggested. 

"Why would she do that? She's only met me once and you don't even know about that." You sighed and he took a cigarette out of his pocket and swiftly lit it, placing it in between his teeth. "she rides this way to get to our house. i'll give her the address and she can pick ya up." He explained and you thought for a moment before nodding. "That sounds good. What time do you think she'll be here?" You asked him and he tapped a phalanx on his chin. "around five probably." He replied and you nodded.  

He held the cigarette between his fingers as he turned his head and blew out a puff of smoke. He turned back to you seconds later and smiled slightly, "well, i should let you be. be safe, kiddo." He spoke as he started to turn around to walk away. 

"Hold up there, big guy. Did you really think you could get away without a goodbye hug?" You asked him with a grin on your face. He spun around, a grin prominent on his face as well and he chuckled. "hm, i was hoping i'd get lucky and receive one." He responded with a wink. He placed the cigarette back in his mouth before he held out his arms for a hug. 

You fast walked over and he bent down slightly for you. You wrapped your arms around Papyrus yet again and he hugged you back, wrapping his own arms around you in return. You smiled and pulled away. "I'll see you later, Papyrus!" You spoke with a wave. He nodded and waved in return before taking the cigarette out of his mouth. "see ya later, sans will be extremely excited to see ya." He commented and you smiled even wider. 

"I'll be just as excited, I guarantee you." You replied and he chuckled, "goodbye, (y\n)." he spoke as you both parted your own ways. 

You dashed up the stairs to your apartment building and unlocked the door, closing it behind you and walking up the stairs to your own apartment. You unlocked yet another door and finally, you had made it home. You let out a shaky breath as your mind went over all the events that had happened today. You knew this whole event would take a while to get over, but you could only hope it wouldn't be too bad once Maia arrived tomorrow. 

But, you pushed the terrifying thoughts from your mind and turned on some music to calm your nerves. You sat on your couch for around thirty minutes until you decided to go find something you could give Sans around your apartment. And as soon as you saw a plain white tee and some fabric markers in the back of a drawer, you knew exactly what to make him. A shirt with a kawaii taco on it. 

You smiled as you walked to your dining room table laying the shirt and markers onto it. You pulled out a sketch book and sketched out a very cute design you thought he'd like and you got to work on the actual shirt. It required a lot of work to look good, but you were determined to make him a fantastic gift. And by the time it was complete, you had been working on it for around three hours. But, you didn't mind and smiled down at the gift you had made him. It was perfect, even if the shirt would be a little big on him. You left it to dry and sat on your couch, pausing your music and plugging your phone in to charge. 

Your stomach rumbled and you headed to the kitchen to fix yourself a quick lunch. You couldn't wait for tonight, you expected the day to end up being absolutely wonderful. Plus, just thinking of the excitement Sans would have when he opened your gift made you smile. Even if it was relatively small, you knew he'd appreciate it a lot. 

So, you smiled as you made yourself a sandwich, ready for the fun events that would come later that day.

Chapter Text

It was now fifteen minutes until Papyrus had expected Toriel to come pick you up and you were wrapping his newly made shirt in nice blue wrapping paper. You carefully put white ribbons onto the wrapping paper and made a bunch of squiggly ribbons with the blade of a pair of scissors on top as a bow. You then quickly slid an envelope under one of the ribbons and taped it there to stay. 

You had written the card contained inside the envelope after you had eaten your lunch. You wrote him a very nice letter. You had told him how much you appreciated his kindness and how his smile was contagious. Among other things, you also told him how much you loved hanging out with him and Papyrus. You hoped that you could visit them more often once your life got back to normal and you felt bad for ignoring both of the brothers' texts. 

In fact, when you finally remembered to take your phone off do not disturb mode, you were shocked to see at least forty-two texts. All of them from Papyrus, Sans, Evony, Maia and Muffet. 

Muffet had written you saying that due to the events that had transpired, you didn't have to go into work until Monday. Which you appreciated a lot because Maia was actually coming tomorrow and would be arriving around 1:30 PM. You were super excited to see your friend tomorrow and you couldn't help but smile when you remembered she was coming. Maybe she would make these visits a regular thing if this one turned out well. 

But pushing Maia aside, seeing Papyrus' texts reawakened the guilt you had for ignoring him. He was genuinely worried about your safety and you figured you'd apologize to him again at the party. Of course, away from Sans and all the other party goers. They didn't need to know about the Austin incident and you certainly didn't want that to ruin Sans' birthday. 

Once you were done prettying up Sans' present, you set it on your couch and ran to get changed. You went to your closet immediately and looked around, you slid through the hangers until you found your favorite dress. It was a white strapless dress that had black silhouetted leaves printed all on it. You weren't a huge fan of dresses, but thought you'd look cute. So, you quickly threw on the dress, tightened the black belt on it around your waist and grabbed the first pair of shoes you saw, a pair of low-top white sneakers. 

Realizing you may get cold since the weather was staring to turn, you went back to your closet and pulled out an army green button up shirt and put it on over the straps of your dress. You fixed the collar and then put on a pair of ankle socks and put your shoes on, tying the laces neatly. 

After you were done that, you brushed your hair and right as you finished, you heard a car honk outside. You rushed to the window in your room, opened the blinds and at the curb sat a dark blue minivan. You could see Queen Toriel inside and you didn't want to keep her waiting, so you ran and grabbed your things, threw them into your bag and grabbed Sans' present off the couch. As soon as you went through a checklist in your mind, you were positive you had gotten everything you needed to. So, you opened the door, shut it behind you and ran down the stairs. 

Once you made it out the door, you saw Toriel wave with a smile on her face. The passenger side wide window rolled down to reveal young Chara was with her. Chara's face lit up, "It's the chocolate store lady!" they exclaimed and you chuckled. You walked around the car and got in the front passenger seat. You looked over at Toriel whose eyes met yours instantly. "I had no idea you were the same lady from the chocolate shop, but it's always nice to return the favor." She told you kindly and you smiled and nodded. "Of course, ma'am. I agree with you on that." You replied and she pulled off the curb and started to drive to the skeleton brothers' house.

"You look really pretty, miss!" Chara told you from behind and you turned to face them. "Thank you very much, Chara! I appreciate the compliment." You replied with a smile. "I've heard Sans and Papyrus talk about you when they watch me, they really seem to like you!" Chara spoke and you smiled even wider. "That's great, because I really like them as well." You replied and Chara nodded, "Who wouldn't? Sansy and Papy are the best!" Chara exclaimed and you chuckled. "I agree with you on that." You replied to them and Toriel smiled.  

After a pretty short car ride of talking about Sans and Papyrus, Toriel's car pulled up to their driveway. There were many cars parked all along the street in front of their house. It seemed like quite a few of their friends had already arrived. You wondered what they'd be like and how they'd react to having a new human among their ranks. Hopefully it wouldn't be an issue. 

Toriel parked her minivan and got out of her side of the car. Chara got out of their booster seat as well and after opening the sliding door, they hopped onto the pavement. You once again grabbed your things and opened the car door, climbing out. You shut the door behind you and you all made your way to the door of the house. It was open, so you all let yourselves in. Sans peeked his head around the corner, "CHARA, TORIEL, (Y\N)! YOU ALL MADE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING!" Sans spoke excitedly. You quickly walked to Sans' table of presents and Toriel followed as you both set your gifts down. 

You turned to walk back but Sans surprised you by rushing over and pulling you into a giant bear hug first. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! PAPYRUS SAID YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT AND I WAS SAD, BUT YOU'RE HERE AND NOW I'M HAPPY!" He shouted and you giggled as you hugged him back. "I'm really happy that I was able to make it, and well, I'm glad I could get you a gift as well because you deserve it." You responded and he hugged you tighter. "YOU DIDN'T NEED TO GET ME ANYTHING, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'M SURE I'LL CHERISH YOUR GIFT! NOW, GO MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!" He told you and ended the hug, pulling away and dragging Toriel and Chara into the kitchen with him. 

You laughed at how cheery Sans was, he absolutely warmed your heart. You wondered what he was making in the kitchen, but you were almost positive it had to be taco based. 

You walked into their living room and spotted Undyne, Alphys and a young goat monster. The goat monster was happily talking to Alphys, he was wearing a yellow striped poncho and happily clapping his paws. You walked over to the couch and took a seat next to the young kid. He didn't seem interested in you and continued chattering along with Alphys for six minutes or so when Chara called him into the kitchen. At least, that's who you assumed 'Asriel' was since he jumped up and ran in the kitchen when that name was called. 

But after he left, Alphys looked over to you and lifted an eyebrow. "Aren't you that girl who works at Harvey's?" She asked you and you nodded. "I did work there but I quit a few days ago and started working at Muffet's." You replied and Undyne adjusted her glasses. "W-was that why y-you were there t-the other day?" She asked and you nodded. "I was going to fill in a job application and decided to get a coffee beforehand." You replied. 

"Well, I'm glad you quit working at that hateful and discriminatory business. How they ended up banning monsters from their premises leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Alphys responded as she shifted her position in the chair that she was seated in. 

You nodded, "Same here, as soon as I saw the notice on their door, I got pretty upset." you replied. "Y-you would think that an act of d-discrimination that great would g-go against a rule of some sort..." Undyne remarked quietly and Alphys sighed and rolled her eye. "You'd think that, but these are humans we're talking about. No offense, of course." Alphys responded to her girlfriend and you shrugged your shoulders. "None taken." You responded. 

You looked around the room, Papyrus was nowhere to be seen, nor could you hear his familiar raspy voice. You wondered where he was and looked all around. "What're you looking for,  punk?" Alphys asked you curiously.  "Oh, I'm just wondering where Papyrus is." You responded. There was silence for a few seconds and you turned to see Undyne's eyes were wide and her face had a small grin on it. Along with that, a faint pink blush lined her cheeks. "Oh no, that's her 'shipping' face." Alphys remarked and you coughed, "Wait, what?!" you asked her and Undyne sprang up from her seat. She then quickly dashed outside and Alphys let out a groan before running after her girlfriend. 

"Shipping face? Does she think Papyrus and I... Are together?" Your face grew hot and your own cheeks turned pink at the thought of him ever liking a girl like you. You wanted to hide your blush from anyone who'd walk in, so you grabbed a pillow from next to you and covered your face. You had gotten so flustered from Undyne's assumption, what was up with that? 

You were still covering your face when you heard footsteps approaching, they froze for a few seconds and you slowly peeked from behind the pillow to see Papyrus looking at you in confusion. "what cha doin', kid?" He asked you with a tilt of his skull. You quickly set the pillow back next to you, hoping most of your blush had subsided as you grinned nervously. "Uh, n-nothing." You stuttered out. 

"hm," He mumbled as he walked closer. "i like doin' nothin'." He replied as he flopped down on the couch next to you. You chuckled nervously, "Don't we all?" you asked in return and he shrugged. "some people like my bro don't like doin' nothin'." He responded and you paused. "Good point." You replied. 

"but people like me, just like layin' on a couch for hours binge watching doctor who, ncis and sherlock." Papyrus added with a chuckle as he pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and placed it in his mouth. 

"I relate to that, if I find the right, show, I'll watch it or hours on end." You responded. Papyrus smiled for a few seconds, "sans and i actually watch ncis together and sometimes i'll call him probie. but of course, whenever i do, he gives me a nice gibbs slap across the back of the cranium." Papyrus chuckled and you smiled.  "I can definitely see that happening." You spoke with a laugh. 

You both were laughing as Alphys and Undyne walked back in. After Undyne saw both of you laughing gleefully and sitting next to each other on the couch, she froze for a few seconds before gasping and quickly dashing outside again. Papyrus lifted a 'bone' brow, "what was that about?" he asked which you just shrugged to in response. And of course, by now, Alphys was running after Undyne again and you and Papyrus both laughed again at how annoyed Alphys had looked before she took off running. 

After the laughter had subsided, you let out a yawn and Papyrus took the toothpick from his mouth, throwing it into the trash can across the room. "it must've been a really busy week for ya, (y/n)." Papyrus remarked as you blinked the sleepiness out of your (e\c) eyes. You nodded as the weeks busy events all flashed through your mind once again. "well, thanks for comin' to sans' party. i know you've been through a lot, and you comin' means a lot to him." Papyrus thanked you. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! I love hanging out with you guys!" You responded with a smile. 

"ey, that's great. you should come visit more often then. you're always welcome." He told you with a happy smile. "Of course! I'll keep that offer in mind." You replied before Chara ran out of the kitchen up to you and Papyrus. In their hands was a platter of miniature tacos all made up neatly. They were bite sized and very adorable. 

"Would you like to try one of our mini tacos, Papy? Oh, you too (Y\N)." They offered. 

Papyrus thought for a moment, "did you and toriel help make these?" he asked Chara and they nodded. "alright, i'll take one then." He responded as he lifted a bony hand and took one off the silver platter. Chara turned to you and you picked up one of the small tacos off the platter yourself and took a small bite. You turned to see Papyrus had devoured the entire bite sized taco already so, you quickly finished eating yours as well. It was actually very good. At least, much better than the first time you ate one of Sans' tacos. But, it wasn't as good as a taco from an authentic Mexican restaurant. "it's fantastic, tell the folks in the kitchen that they're doin' a great job." Papyrus told Chara and they nodded. "It was very good, compliments to the chefs!" You told them and they smiled, quickly skipping back into the kitchen. 

Suddenly, a robot burst through the door which caused you to jump in surprise at the loud noise its entrance made. "I am here, now the party can truly begin!" The robot exclaimed loudly as it slammed down three or four presents on Sans' gift table. You were confused as to who this gray and blue robot was, so as it ran into the kitchen, you turned to Papyrus. He must've seen your confusion because he sat up slightly before explaining, "that's napstaton, a monster that was very famous in the underground. he was, and istill is sans' idol. but, they've bonded a lot recently and have become really good friends. sans listens to all of his albums almost daily and he is quite obsessed with him." 

"Hm, I haven't heard of him yet." You replied and Papyrus nodded. "makes sense because he hasn't been able to get a record company to sign him yet. they're not very keen on the idea of hiring a monster and it's nowhere near as small as it was down in the underground so it's hard for him to get his name out there." Papyrus replied. "I guess that makes sense, I hope he can find a record deal soon though!" You exclaimed and he nodded in agreement. 

"Well, I'm happy that Sans could become friends with his idol." You remarked and Papyrus chuckled, "i agree with ya on that. it's made him so happy and that's one of the only things i want in life. it makes my day seein' that my bro is happy." He replied and you couldn't help but smile at how sweet Papyrus is. You loved how much he cared about the happiness and well being of his little brother. It just showed how much of a great person he truly is, not that it was under debate or anything, but you just adored the skeleton brothers brotherly bond. It absolutely warmed your heart for sure.

Chapter Text

[Papyrus' POV]

I held my hand on my chest as I peered outside of the window of my room. With every car that passed, my breaths hitched. I'm waiting for Toriel's familiar dark blue van to pull up in front of the house. And well, I want (Y\N) to be in the van with Toriel and Chara. But after all the shit she's been through recently, I'm not sure if she can make it tonight.

I wish that she would've told me about that pervert earlier. If I hadn't been passing along on my walk to the store, I wouldn't have been able to prevent all the things that he would've done to her. And it's strange to admit this, but I would've killed that guy just for flirting with her even after she told him to stop. But, even with everything that jerk did, I knew it would scare (Y\N) to know I killed someone just to protect her. I didn't want to seem like some creepy yandere from one of Undyne's animes. So, with great hesitation, I had to let him walk free.

I inhaled sharply and pulled a toothpick out of my pocket and placed it in my mouth. I wished it was a real cigarette, but if Sans found out that I smoked in the house, he'd surely be pissed. And, I don't want to upset my lil' bro on his special day, so I'll stay obedient to the rule that he has enforced. At least, for today. 

I find that cigarettes help me best in the moments where my mind is caught up with conflicting feelings. Whether it's stress, anxiety, depression, or really anything else, smoking cigarettes has been a habit I've developed to take the edge off of things. But there's a new feeling that's made me feel the need to smoke even more. Love. 

It wasn't long after I met (Y\N) when I realized that I had begun to like her. It made me feel like an idiot, but I started liking her the night she ate dinner with us. Even if we had fought with each other that night, as soon as she left... I realized that I was being a jerk. I shouldn't have assumed that she was some anti-monster movement supporter. But there was just something so gentle about her nature with how she interacted so kindly with Sans. I knew she was a good person after that. 

And yeah, I admit that I was a complete sucker for liking a girl so quickly after all that I've been through, but I can't help it. Every time I see her, I get happy and can't help but smile. Her smile melts my heart and her (e\c) eyes are as pretty as the Echo Flowers in Waterfall. She's just such an adorable person and with every time I see her, I begin to like her more and more. 

But, there's a downside to my love. I'm just a mere skeleton. A plain old skeleton made of magic and bones. I'm not some complex and attractive human being. I mean, if she turned down going on dates with the shit-stick Mr. Smith, why would she ever like a guy like me? 

Mr. Smith, he has the looks, the charm, the money, the car, the life... But she didn't seem to want to get involved with him, even if hundreds of women probably see him as the perfect bachelor. I of course see him as some slick and untrustworthy used car salesman, and perhaps she does as well. But even with the way he looked at her, she didn't even notice. So, how could she possibly love me if Smith has so much more to offer compared to me? 

And, that's why love makes me smoke. Because I know that I can't be with her romantically, and I especially don't want to break apart our budding friendship. So, I'm stuck in a silence of hiding my true feelings which I know, will slowly tear my heart apart. But, I've been through worse. So, certainly this won't be that terrible, right? 

I must've gotten lost in my thoughts, because as soon as I snapped back into reality, I saw Toriel's van parked on the side of the road in front of our house. I wondered if I'd missed them climbing out, but a smile formed on my face as I saw (Y\N) climb out of the passenger side of the car. Even if I couldn't see her the best all the way from here, I was happy to see that she had come. She had come for us, and more importantly, Sans on his special day. I watched as she walked with Chara and Toriel to the door and I sighed happily. 

When I had seen her, my chewing on the toothpick had stopped. And when I realized this, I took it out of my mouth and walked to the trashcan by my door, throwing it in and observing the small pile of wooden toothpicks that had gathered in it since trash day. I need to have help to wean me off of cigarettes. Sans is right, depending on cigarettes like this isn't healthy. But, I don't know how to stop. 

I've depended on them for so long that I can't simply walk away from them. When all of my friends and family were gone, cigarettes were the only thing that could make me less lonely. I had become dependent on nicotine by the third genocide route and I still can't stop smoking, even after making it to the surface. 

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I opened the drawer in my nightstand and pulled out a small box. The small box that housed Sans' birthday gift. 

I looked around my room and walked to my closet, pulling out wrapping paper and a tiny blue bow. After that, I walked back to my bed and began to wrap the small box. In the box was a specially made taco shaped locket that had a picture of me and Sans in it.  The picture was taken in Waterfall and it was Sans' favorite sibling selfie. 

Knowing that he'd love the gift that I got him, I smiled and taped the wrapping paper shut and attached the bow to the light blue paper. 

My head whipped to the window in my room when I heard our front door close. Undyne had run outside for some reason and was leaning against her blue-green car. Alphys ran out after her and began to talk to her. I cocked my skull to one side, what could that possibly be about? 

I stuffed the small wrapped gift in my hoodie pocket and opened my bedroom door, walking forward towards the living room. And as I approached, I heard a soft and quiet "Shipping Face? Does she think... Papyrus and I are together?"

It was (Y\N). Undyne must've somehow started shipping us, that'd explain why she ran outside as fast as a fangirl. But why did she do that? Did (Y\N) do something to make her ship us? 

I continued walking and froze when I saw (Y\N) with her face buried in Sans' favorite pillow. I looked at her in confusion as she slowly peeked her head from behind the pillow. Her face was a light pink, she had been blushing and was trying to cover it from the outside world. "what cha doin', kid?" I asked her obliviously with a tilt of my skull. I didn't want her to know that I knew what had happened. 

She quickly sat the pillow back on the side of the couch and grinned nervously, "Uh, n-nothing." She stuttered out, looking at me with an almost worried glance. 

I looked her outfit up and down, she was wearing a white dress with the pattern of silhouetted leaves. And she wore a pair of white sneakers on her feet which honestly complemented her look and made it appeal even more to me. I fought back a smile as I realized how pretty she was in this outfit. It was like the perfect mix of formal and casual and I loved it. 

"hm," I started as I began to walk closer. "i like doin' nothin'." I added before I flopped down onto the couch next to her. She chuckled nervously and my smile faltered. Was I overstepping my bounds? Should I just be leaving her alone? I began to feel a little anxious and gently grasped the arm of the couch. 

"Don't we all?" She responded after what to me, sounded like an eternity. I just shrugged, because that wasn't exactly true. "some people like my bro don't like doin' nothin'." I replied and she froze for a few seconds. "Good point." She replied.

"but people like me, just like layin' on a couch for hours binge watching doctor who, ncis and sherlock." I chuckled and pulled a toothpick out of my pocket, reluctantly putting it in my mouth when I remembered that I needed to stop my bad habit. 

"I relate to that, if I find the right, show, I'll watch it or hours on end." She replied, a smile on her face which calmed me a little. I smiled in return, "sans and i actually watch ncis together and sometimes i'll call him probie. but of course, whenever i do, he gives me a nice gibbs slap across the back of the cranium." I chuckled.  "I can definitely see that happening." She giggled. 

We were both laughing as Undyne and Alphys finally walked back in. And as soon as she saw us both sitting on the couch, laughing our heads off, she froze. But, only for a few seconds. Because after that, she let out an excited gasp and quickly dashed outside. Alphys was right behind her, and since I didn't want (Y\N) to know that I knew what was going on, I lifted an eyebrow. "what was that about?" I asked her and she just shrugged. 

So, she didn't want me to know about Undyne shipping us. Is that out of embarrassment or out of annoyance? I wasn't sure, but I hoped that she wasn't upset about it. After all, I don't mind us being shipped since I really do like her. But, the only sign I have that she may like me back is a small blush. But, at least I have some sign, right? 

She began to laugh over Alphys' annoyed countenance and I joined in. Alphys looked extremely fed up which wasn't something I'd seen in a long time. And after the laughter stopped, she yawned sleepily. 

I took the toothpick out of my mouth and threw it into the nearest trashcan and looked to her. "it must've been a really busy week for ya, (y/n)." I remarked and she nodded in agreement. She seemed to think for a bit and after a while, I decided to change conversations. "well, thanks for comin' to sans' party. i know you've been through a lot, and you comin' means a lot to him." I thanked her and she smiled. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! I love hanging out with you guys!" (Y\N) responded. 

I couldn't help but smile at that remark. I am extremely happy that she ended up enjoying our company. In fact, I'm very glad that we both gave each other a chance. I used to be biased against humans for locking my kind under a mountain for years and years. But over time, and after I met (Y\N), I realized this is a whole new generation. These are brand new people, merely descendants from those who sealed us under Mt. Ebott. Humans have gotten way more excepting since those days, and there may still be protestors and people who feel ill will towards us, but it's nothing like it used to be. 

"ey, that's great. you should come visit more often then. you're always welcome." I replied to her, my happiness surely showing. "Of course! I'll keep that offer in mind." (Y\N) replied. 

And as soon as she'd finished her sentence, Chara walked in the living room with a tray of miniature tacos. Their short brown hair bounced as they bounded over to us. "Would you like to try one of our mini tacos, Papy? Oh, you too (Y\N)." They offered. 

I thought long and hard, I love my little brother, but he can't cook very well so I try to avoid his food as much as possible. "did you and toriel help make these?" I asked Chara and they nodded. "alright, i'll take one then." I replied as I went and picked one of the bite sized tacos and quickly ate it. By the time (Y\N) had her tiny taco, I had finished mine already which seemed to make her hurry up and finish hers. 

"it's fantastic, tell the folks in the kitchen that they're doin' a great job." I told Chara with a bright smile. They merely nodded in response and looked over to (Y\N), "It was very good, compliments to the chefs!" She told them which caused Chara to smile before quickly running back to the kitchen. 

Suddenly, Napstaton burst through the door, nearly knocking our door off of its hinges again and I suppressed an annoyed groan. (Y\N) nearly jumped a foot in the air from the obnoxious robot's loud entrance and I shook my head. 

"I am here, now the party can truly begin!" He exclaimed in his robotic voice as he ran over to the gift table, practically slamming down three gifts wrapped in a taco wrapping paper before running into the kitchen. 

I looked over to see (Y\N) was confused, I realized she may not know who he is, so I sat up and put my hands in my lap. "that's napstaton, a monster that was very famous in the underground. he was, and still is sans' idol. but, they've bonded a lot recently and have become really good friends. sans listens to all of his albums almost daily and he is quite obsessed with him." I tried my best to explain. 

"Hm, I haven't heard of him yet." She remarked and I nodded. "makes sense because he hasn't been able to get a record company to sign him yet. they're not very keen on the idea of hiring a monster and it's nowhere near as small as it was down in the underground so it's hard for him to get his name out there." I replied. "I guess that makes sense, I hope he can find a record deal soon though!" She exclaimed and I simply nodded. 

I'm not a huge fan of Napstaton, but I know that Sans absolutely adores him, so I hope he gets signed by a record label just for Sans' sakes. I mean, Sans would absolutely kill for new music by NTT. And now that he and Sans are friends, he'll get invited to a lot which I know Sans will absolutely adore. He'll feel so special and excited hanging out with a big star like him. 

"Well, I'm happy that Sans could become friends with his idol." She replied and I couldn't help but chuckle. "i agree with ya on that. it's made him so happy and that's one of the only things i want in life. it makes my day seein' that my bro is happy." I responded and a giant grin formed on her face. She looked like she was admiring our brotherly bond, or just how much I care about my little brother. And that made me excited. All I really want in life right now is for her to see that I'm a good person. I don't care if she doesn't like me back, after all, that's what I'm expecting. I just want her to see me, as me. A tall skeleton who likes puns and enjoys annoying his little brother a little too much. 

Chapter Text

You and Papyrus sat on the couch chatting back and forth for what seemed like forever and you never wanted your peaceful and fun chats to come to an end. But, like most good things, it had to come to an end. After thirty minutes of just talking happily without interruptions, it was time for everyone to gather around and officially celebrate Sans' birthday. 

The trays of miniature tacos and regular sized tacos lined the coffee table in the middle of the room and all the party goers scrambled to get some onto their plates. Of course, they were only rushing to get some grub because Queen Toriel had assisted in making it. Apparently she and her ex had cooked quite often together for their late son. And, for a previous fallen human that they had adopted named Frisk as well.

Your stomach growled, so you got up and got a plate, putting three miniature tacos onto your plate before sitting back down next to Papyrus on the couch. He took a good long look at your plate before reaching over to grab a taco. You reacted fast, glaring daggers at him and quickly slapping his hand. "Myyyyy precioussss-" You spoke in a raspy voice. Papyrus had looked genuinely frightened at first, but as soon as your countenance brightened up, he, Alphys and Undyne all started laughing at your reference. 

You slid your plate back towards Papyrus, "I'm kidding. You can have one if you'd like. I was just messing with you." You chuckled and he grinned. "of course, honey." He replied with a wink as he reached back over and grabbed a mini taco. Your cheeks faintly turned red at what he had called you and Undyne jerked her head, staring at the both of you. She eyed both of you and clenched her fists together as Alphys quietly talked to her. 

But everything became silent a few seconds later when Sans walked in with a giant grin on his face as per usual. He sat in a chair and crossed his legs as Napstaton burst in through the living room door again, blasting party music. 

"i swear, if he breaks my damn door, i'm gonna make him pay for it..." Papyrus muttered quietly and you suppressed a laugh. 

Loud pitched microphone feedback started as the music toned down and Napstaton got in a pose as he started speaking. "Today marks an astounding day in history. It's the day Sans was born twenty years ago today." He started before he dramatically turned to Papyrus, walking over and shoving the microphone into his face. "Well, big brother, what were your thoughts when you first saw your baby brother?" He asked him like a game show host would ask his contestants. 

You had jumped when Napstaton had slunk over, but Papyrus remained unsurprised as Napstaton practically laid across the couch to reach him. "i was pretty salty at first, ya see, i wanted to have all the attention... but as soon as i saw his blue starry irises, i couldn't help but adore 'em. and well, now i'd do anythin' for him." Papyrus replied with a shrug and you smiled. 

Napstaton turned back to the crowd of people as you took a bite out of a mini taco. "Awww, isn't that so sweet? Post it to Instagram, Twitter, Undernet, Facebook, heck, even Myspace! PAPYRUS AND SANS ARE SIBLING GOALS!" He announced at the top of his lungs—wait do robots have lungs? And if so, are they metal? Well, this is a weird question you now have the desire to know the answer to. 

"NAPSTA, EXCUSE ME IF I'M BEING BRASH... BUT YOU'RE KIND OF LINGERING ON SIDE TOPICS." Sans spoke and the music stopped. 

"Oh, I suppose you're right. Anyway, who's finished eating? We start out tonight with charades." Napstaton replied in a calmer and less host like tone. 

You were still munching on a taco when Sans raised his hand and Napstaton looked at him, "Would you like to pick out a thing to imitate or just choose one out of a hat, Sans?" He asked and Sans didn't even hesitate before replying "I'LL PICK ONE AND I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS!" 

"i bet you twenty bucks that he's gonna act out a taco." Papyrus offered and you nearly snorted, "Okay, deal." you replied as you both shook on it. 

"Alright then! Get up and act out the thing. We're waiting~" Napstaton told him and Sans nodded and his bright blue irises sparkled as he jumped up, walking into the middle of the room so everyone could see. He tapped a phalanx on his chin for a moment before laying on the ground, curving his spine and lifting his arms as legs off the ground. It was obvious what he was trying to be. Papyrus had been right and you just lost $20. How wonderful. 

Chara raised their hand and quickly shouted, "A beetle stuck on their back!" to which Sans shook his head. He tried to make his limbs look more taco-like but it didn't really work.

You and Papyrus looked at each other in surprise over how it wasn't so obvious to other people. "I-is it a-a turtle?" Asriel asked and Sans shook his skull again. Everyone tapped their chins before Alphys suddenly shouted, "A SLEEPING WARTHOG!" 

Now, Sans didn't seem that phased by the guess but you and Papyrus were perplexed by how odd it seemed. "A sleeping warthog?" You asked with a lift of an eyebrow. "a sleeping hunk of fat and juicy meat?" Papyrus responded quietly and you laughed. "Nice reference there, Papyrus." You laughed quietly as you remembered that scene in The Lion King. 

"NO! GOOD GUESSES THOUGH! KEEP TRYING!" Sans encouraged everyone. 

"I don't mean to be a Debbie downer, but I don't think this is exactly how you play charades. Don't you normally have teams at least?" You whispered to Papyrus in confusion. He thought for a moment and nodded, "yeah, but he wanted to play this way." Papyrus responded and you shrugged. "Well, I guess it works this way too." You responded and he nodded. 

"Are you an overturned table?" Toriel asked as she tilted her head to the side. Papyrus had to stifle a laugh and it was becoming apparent that Sans was actually getting somewhat annoyed that nobody could guess. 

Papyrus quickly nudged you and whispered, "hey (y\n), save the party." to which you nodded in response. You waited a moment and quickly raised your hand, "Oh my gosh! I got it! Sans, are you a crunchy taco?!" You asked him in an animated tone and his blue irises exploded with a multitude of stars. "YES!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON GUESSING CORRECTLY!" He squeaked excitedly as he bounced up and down excitedly, his small hands balled into fists. 

Everyone made noises of understanding as they looked to each other and you couldn't help but wonder of they were just screwing with Sans and actually knew the whole time. But, that didn't matter now as you took the last bite of your taco and Sans skipped back to his seat, sitting down. 

Napstaton turned to you, "Well then, (Y\N). Since you guessed correctly, now it's your turn!" he spoke and you nearly choked on your bite of food. And with a mouthful of taco, you replied "Wait, what." in surprise. "Exactly! Come on over here, we don't have all day." He spoke with a gesture of his gloved hand. 

You looked to Papyrus for assistance but he merely shrugged so you swallowed and got up, walking over to where Sans had stood. You twiddled with you fingers nervously and thought for a moment before a slightly devious grin appeared on your face. You knew exactly what to act out. 

You stood on your tip toes, slouching slightly as you put on a stupid grin. You looked around the room and lifted an imaginary cigarette to your mouth, holding it there for a few seconds before pulling it away, blowing out imaginary smoke. You then held a fake bottle of honey, flipping the imaginary cap and acting like you were downing it. 

Chara giggled, "You're Papy!" they spoke and you smiled and nodded, returning back to a normal pose. "Yup, I was Papyrus." you replied as you turned and walked back to the couch. Papyrus seemed somewhat humored, "nice job, kiddo. you even nailed the way i smoked, but ya used the wrong hand." he snickered. "Alright then, I'll note that for next time I guess." You chuckled. 

"Chara, it's your turn now! Come on up here and show us what you've got!" Napstaton spoke to them and they nodded, getting up and walking over. They didn't have to think for long before they put their hands up, looking left and right before pressing on the inside of an imaginary box. 

"Oh! Oh! I've got it! You're one of those creepy clown things!" Alphys guessed and Chara looked to Napstaton and he shook his head. "You must be more specific and state the technical name." Napstaton told Alphys and she scowled for a few seconds. "Alright, alright... Babe, help me out here." She grumbled and Undyne thought for a few moments. 

"A mime!" Toriel shouted and Alphys slammed a clenched fist onto her leg. "Gosh dangit!" Alphys exclaimed and Chara nodded happily as they walked back to their seat. 

"Lady Toriel, it's now your turn. Step right up!" Napstaton announced and Toriel nodded, getting up and walking over. She thought for a couple of seconds and smiled before she stood straight, holding out her dominant hand like she was holding something in it. She held it still for a bit and suddenly she lifted the imaginary object in a quick fashion, waited a few moments and lowered it back down. After she was done that motion, she looked around as she waited for someone to guess.  

"Uhh, using a fly swatter?" Alphys asked and Queen Toriel shook her head. You looked at Papyrus and he was watching you, but it wasn't the same way you both had looked at each other earlier. This was different, much different. In fact, he seemed very focused on you until you whispered, "Papyrus?" which made him jump and he awkwardly scratched his cervical vertebrae. "heh, sorry, kiddo. i was j-just starin' into space." He told you and you didn't fully believe him because his cheekbones were glowing a very faint orange. 

Despite your doubt, you pushed the curiosity brimming in your mind away. "It's alright. I do that too sometimes." You replied and your eyes met again, there was something in his gaze that you'd never expect to see. In fact, it was something that you hadn't seen in a long time. Could it be what you think it is? 

But before your mind could ponder on it any longer, you felt your cheeks heat up and you quickly turned back to the game. Toriel was demonstrating the action again and Sans tilted his head. "ARE YOU FLIPPING BURGERS?" He asked and she shook her head and took a new approach of demonstrating the thing. 

"you're makin' pancakes, right?" Papyrus asked and Toriel clapped in joy. "Yes, yes! Very good!" She praised him as she walked back to her seat. "Papyrus, that means it's your turn~" Napstaton spoke and Papyrus shook his skull. "nah, i'm not good at charades." He replied and Napstaton marched over. "Oh Papyrus, you have to participate. It's in the rules. You can't just opt out." Napstaton replied and Papyrus sighed as he stood up. He walked to the middle of the room and froze for a moment. 

He closed his eye sockets, and when he opened them seconds later, there were two small orange stars in each of his eye sockets. He forced a giant grin on his face as he started jumping about. He clapped this hands together excitedly and you fell over on the couch laughing when you realized that he was acting like his younger brother. You were worried that Sans would be upset with Papyrus over imitating him, but Sans was actually laughing as well and soon the whole room—minus Napstaton was in stitches. 

"Oh my God, that was a spot on Sans impression, Papyrus!" Alphys spoke in between laughs and Undyne nodded in agreement. "You k-know his m-mannerisms v-very well, P-Papyrus." Undyne agreed and Chara ran up and gave him a high five. "That was great, Papy!" They giggled and Papyrus chuckled, reverting back to his normal lazy self. "thanks, it only took twenty years of observation to get his mannerisms down." Papyrus spoke with a wink which made everyone laugh again. 

And once the game was over, everyone was already exhausted. Some wanted to go home, others wanted to stay longer. But it wasn't time to leave yet. It was now time for Sans to open his gifts and read his cards. So as everyone gathered around to watch him open his presents, you quickly checked the time and your eyes widened. It was already eight PM. You need to get home. It's already pitch black out and you have to walk quite a ways. You sighed as you tugged on your dress, looking up at Sans. 

"Sans, can you open my present first? I need to get going." You asked him, desperation could slightly be heard in your voice and you could feel Papyrus shift in his seat. You looked to him for a moment and he was giving you a caring glance, he knows why you're worried. 

"OF COURSE! LET'S SEE HERE... AH! HERE IT IS. YOU HAVE FANTASTIC WRAPPING SKILLS, (Y\N)!!!" He exclaimed and you smiled. "Thanks Sans. Read the card first." You told him and he nodded, pulling the card from under the ribbon. He opened it carefully and slid the handmade card out that had a drawing of a taco on along with a drawing of Stripes, the cat that visits them. The card has "Happy, happy, happy birthday to you!" written on it in blue and Sans opened it eagerly. "MAY I READ IT OUT LOUD?" he asked and you nodded in response. And with that, he began to read the card out loud to all of his friends and family. 

"Happy Birthday, Sans! I am so honored that you'd invite me to your birthday party and I am so excited that I can come. I love you and your brother a lot, in fact you are both blessings in my life. You two showed up at a rough patch where I didn't know who my real friends were anymore. But now, I know that you guys are two of the best friends that I could ever ask for. Thank you both for giving me a chance and I hope you're having a fantastic birthday. Thank you, Sans. Remember that I love you and I'm always here for you. 

                                                                                                     Love, (Y\N) (L\N)."

As he finished reading the card, he began to tear up with a gigantic smile on his skull. "THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU DECIDED WE WERE BETTER THAN THAT PERVERT!" Sans exclaimed and Papyrus smirked. A few gasps came from the other party goers and  you looked at Papyrus with a 'what the heck' expression and then turned back to Sans. "I was never friends with him. He was just driving me to the store." You tried to explain. "OH, SURE. I GET IT. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES THAT WE DON'T WANT TO ADMIT." Sans replied and you sighed. "Yeah, you're right. We do." You murmured and then you sat up. "Alright, open the gift!" You told him and he smiled, nodding as he slowly began to open the gift without tearing the paper.  

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GET ME ANYTHING. YOUR CARD WAS ENOUGH BUT, ALRIGHT." Sans spoke as he pulled the shirt from one end of the paper. He placed the paper on the floor neatly and unfolded the shirt, revealing the drawn kawaii taco and his irises brightened and filled with stars. "OH. MY. STARS. THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!!!" He exclaimed as he held up the shirt to everyone in the room. Most people awwed as Sans hugged the shirt that you had made him. "DID YOU DRAW THE DESIGN YOURSELF?!" He asked quickly and you nodded. "Yes-sirree." You replied and his grin widened. "IT'S SO GOOD, I LOVE IT SO MUCH! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" He squealed excitedly and you smiled knowing he liked it. 

"There's no need to thank me, Sans! But now I have to get going." You replied as you stood up, brushing your dress down and Sans frowned. "AW, ALRIGHT... WELL YOU'D BETTER COME BACK SOON!" He replied. "Don't you worry, I definitely will." You replied as you walked to the door. "It was nice seeing you again, punk!" Alphys told you with a wave and Undyne agreed by nodding. "You're a pretty cool human. I hope to see you again soon, (Y\N)." Napstaton told you and you smiled and nodded. "You're a fantastic person and mom and I want to see you again soon! Mom, can we invite her over soon?" Chara asked Toriel and she nodded. "Of course, Chara." She replied and Chara smiled brightly. 

You turned the doorknob to leave when Papyrus walked over. "i'm gonna walk her home." He told Sans and he nodded. "OKAY, BE SAFE YOU TWO!" Sans replied as you and him walked out the door, Papyrus closing it behind you. 

"Papyrus, you don't have to walk me home." You told him as you looked up at him. 

"yeah, you're right. close your eyes." He told you and you took a step back in surprise. "Wait what?" You asked with a tilt of your head.

"i don't have to walk you home." He replied and you blinked. "I'm not gonna let you carry me home." You told him flatly and he snickered. "not what i meant." He responded. 

"Then what do you mean?" You asked and he paused for a moment. 

"do you trust me?" He asked you and you blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?" You asked and he looked deep into your (e\c) gaze. "do you trust me?" He only repeated and you thought for a few moments. 

"Yes." You replied and he took a step closer. "then close your eyes until i tell ya to open 'em. just trust me." He told you and you took a shaky breath, squeezing your eyes shut. 

You felt him gently take your hand and you squeezed your eyes shut harder as it felt like the ground left you. The wind was in your (h\c) hair and your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest. That was, until your heartbeat decreased as soon as you felt your feet back on solid ground. What the hell just happened? 

"you can open your eyes now." Papyrus told you as he let go of your hand. And when you did, you were both in front of your apartment complex and you nearly stumbled backwards in surprise. "What the shit?!" You exclaimed and he chuckled. "oh don't worry about it. have a nice night though, (y\n). thanks for making my bro and i happy." He spoke and you looked at him tilting your head to the side again. "I'm so confused." You muttered and he patted you on the shoulder. "i'll explain later, but i gotta go. call me if ya need me." He replied and you nodded. "Alright, bye Papyrus." You spoke as he turned to walk away and you unlocked the front door. But before you walked in, you looked back to see Papyrus was gone again. 

You scratched your head in confusion and walked in, closing the door behind you and locking it. You jogged up all the stairs to your door, unlocked that door and walked in, flopping down onto the couch. 

You began to think back to the party, but not about Sans. You started thinking about Papyrus and how he looked, how he acted, his smile and his kind tone. There was just something about him that you liked.  And as you continued to think, you closed your eyes, going deeper into thought. And this went on for a while. You thought of his tall stature, his gentle nature, the way he looks at you, how he held your hand, his adorable pun habits...

Your eyes shot open and you instantly sat up, your eyes wide as you placed a hand on your chest. "Holy shit, I've fallen in love with a skeleton!" You spoke in surprise.

Chapter Text

You sat there in shock for a few moments, contemplating this realization. You had first met Papyrus a few weeks ago and you hadn't even really trusted him for a while. You didn't even fully start supporting monsters until after you, Audrey and Grace had all parted ways. How did you fall for a guy so quickly? Well, correction, a skeleton at that. But a really hot skeleton. 

You sighed running your hand through your hair before you picked up your phone to see Maia had texted you the following. 

"Hey, (Y\N)! I'll be at your apartment tomorrow around 12:30! I am so excited to see you!" She had written which made you smile. 

You tapped a finger on your chin and hummed as you thought of a response to send to your friend. After a few seconds, you had an idea and you typed it out. Once you were finished writing the text, you read over it one last time and hit send. 

The text read the following. 

"Alright, I'm so excited too! I'm really happy to see you as well! I'll make sure to run out and meet you tomorrow afternoon when you get here! Have a safe flight tomorrow and have fun!" You wrote in response. 

As you looked up at the time on your phone, you couldn't help but yawn. It was only a quarter 'till nine, but after today's hectic and emotional events, you just wanted to crash. So, you forced yourself off your couch, grabbing your phone and slowly shuffling to your room. When you made it there, you took off your sneakers and slipped your dress over your head before throwing on your comfy (f\c) pajamas. 

After doing everything you needed to do before going to bed, you walked to your bedside table and plugged your phone in to charge before looking to the closed blinds at the end of your room. You felt your heart start beating faster as you remembered Austin once again, your skin began to crawl at all the memories of what he had done.  

You had forgotten about him throughout the latter end of the day but as soon as the thoughts were triggered, it seemed like they were ready to stay and haunt you. The negative and horrifying thoughts that he brought with him really didn't want to leave you alone for too long. At least, not yet and you couldn't really do anything about it. 

So after a few minutes of simply staring at your closed blinds, you slowly climbed into your bed, grabbed a pillow and drew it close to your chest as you closed your eyes. You just hoped for a peaceful sleep and you wished that holding something close would lessen your anxiety. You really just needed some rest before Maia came tomorrow and so you focused on falling asleep. And well, eventually you did. 

But the peaceful sleep didn't last as long as you'd hoped. 

-----------------Dream Sequence-----------------

You were freezing as you tread through the newly fallen snow, it was absolutely frigid outside. You had no jacket but you had to walk to your destination. So, you continued plodding along in the snow. 

You looked toward the left and saw the road, no cars were driving along it, in fact, the streets were empty. The only thing present was a small calico cat cleaning itself in one of the yards to your right. But as you approached the yard it was in, it got up quickly and dashed away under a bush. But, you didn't go after it. 

You continued walking for what seemed like forever, and it grew pitch black as you continued on. And with the darkness came a cold breeze that chilled you to the bone. 

Everything was eerily quiet, the only thing that you could hear was the echo of your heavy footsteps. But that didnt last much longer, as the sound of a revving engine started drawing nearer and nearer. 

And when you turned to look back, you saw a black van driving along the road extremely fast. It had to be going at least sixty miles per hour on this thirty-five mile per hour road, which is obviously illegal so you turned to watch it. But it didn't slow down, in fact, as it neared you, the tires squealed as the van came to a stop. Now, you were scared. 

You backed away, but as soon as a tall man wearing a black balaclava opened the van door, you felt as if you feet were stuck in quicksand. You couldn't take a step backward or forward, you were simply stuck staring at this masked figure as he jumped out of his van. Even if he was still a ways away, you could see him smirk through the skimask. His gaze is filled with evil and malicious intent. This figure sent a shiver down your spine and you tried to move your legs to run as he grew closer. But even with all of your might and concentration, you couldn't move. It was like this snow was made of glue and it had sealed your feet to the ground. 

He stopped in his tracks and looked over at you, he stood still for what seemed like forever. It didn't take long for you to realize he was making an attempt of mocking you. Your eyes narrowed and his sick grin widened as he began to walk again.  "Hello there, babe." He spoke as he got within six feet of you. 

Once again, you tried to move, but you couldn't. "Who the hell are you?!" You asked the masked figure demandingly but he didn't reply. He walked to you, his olive green gaze was so familiar, but you couldn't exactly place who he was. But whoever he is isn't good. 

He tilted his head to the side, "Oh, so you don't remember me, pretty girl?" He asked and you blinked silently. 

"Hm, well remember me now, babe?" He asked before he pulled off the balaclava. His face had been scarred severely, but his spiky blonde hair was still on point... It was Austin. 

You once again tried to move when you saw who it was. Even more fear went through you as he grabbed your wrist, yanking you toward him. You were frozen so you just stumbled into his arms but he caught you. He grabbed your chin like he had before and moved your face awfully close to his. 

Austin's green gaze looked into your fear filled (e\c) eyes and he smirked. "At last, I finally get what I've wanted for all this time without interruptions." He cooed and your face twisted up in disgust. "Screw you!" You growled in response and he dragged you backwards, slamming you onto the side of the van. You whimpered in pain and his toothy grin widened even more. This guy is obviously a psycho. 

He stared at you for a minute or two before picking you up by the waist and throwing you over his shoulder. You finally realized you could scream, and you called for help but he quickly opened the side door to the van, throwing you in which cut off your pleas for help. He jumped in the side, closed the door behind him and just stared at you. "Too bad neither of your friends were here to help this time... I dealt with them the only way possible..." He spoke with that devilish smirk as he held up a silk striped tie and reached into his pocket, pulling out some dust and letting it run through his fingers. 

You stared in shock , tears welling up in your eyes. "You didn't have to kill them you sick bas-" you started before he marched over, stomping his foot down on your leg which caused you to recoil in pain, falling over. "You're right, I didn't. But you never loved me back or even gave me a chance..  so now I'll destroy everything you love until I know you're mine." He let out an evil cackle. 

"In fact, I'm merely halfway there... Even if I have you now, I still need to make sure you stay that way. Understand, dollface?" He explained and  your bared your teeth, staring at him with hatred in your (e\c) eyes. He tilted his head to the side as he observed you. 

"Not even gonna fight back?" He snorted as he slowly bent down towards you, but you stayed silent, staring daggers at him. After all, you still couldn't move. "Alright then, that's fine with me." He spoke with an unnerving chuckle as he pinned you to the side of van once again, leaning in slowly as you just stared in shock. Tears began rolling down your face as he got closer, they wouldn't stop. There was nothing you could really do.

-----------------End of Dream Sequence-----------------

You jolted awake, sweating and crying slightly. You were shaking and you sat up quickly before clumsily grabbing your phone, the charging cord getting snatched out of it in your quick efforts. You quickly glanced at the time, it was merely 3:00 AM and you gulped. 

You needed to call someone as soon as possible, but it's so late. Who would even answer? The only people you could think of to call were Papyrus and Maia. But the problem is that Maia will definitely be fast asleep by now and she needs sleep for her flight tomorrow. As for Papyrus, you're not sure. But he had said you could call him whenever you needed to, so that's what you did. 

You went to your contacts and dialed Papyrus' number as you wiped the tears from your eyes, sniffing a tiny bit. You didn't expect him to answer, but you sat and waited. 

And to your surprise, after waiting only twenty seconds or so, the ringing stopped and you heard a simple. "ello?" 

"Oh, um... Hey, it's (Y\N)..." You started nervously.

"hey there, what's up?" He asked in return. 

"Well, I-um... I had a nightmare and I needed to talk to someone about it." You responded as you rubbed your arm uncomfortably. 

There was a small pause which made your heart begin to beat faster, the thought of your crush thinking you only used him for emotional support began to linger in your mind and you began to play with your hair to lower your growing anxiety. 

Luckily though, a few seconds later, Papyrus broke the silence. "i understand, we all have those moments when we need to talk to someone, ya know?" He spoke, care could be heard in his voice which calmed down your fears a bit. 

"Yeah... But I'm so sorry for calling so late." You sighed. 

"don't ya dare apologize, i'm here for ya 24\7." He replied which made you smile until you heard yelling on his side of the line. You listened in silently, trying to eavesdrop but the yelling was unintelligible. 

Suddenly, Papyrus spoke again. "sans wants to talk to ya, here he is." He said to you calmly and before you could protest or even ask why the small blueberry was awake so late, Sans took the phone, "HELLO (Y\N)! THIS IS THE MAGNIFICENT SANS!" He yelled into the phones speaker. 

As usual, you moved the phone away from your ear slightly in response to his loud yelling. "Hey Sans." You replied with a small sniff. "I OVERHEARD THAT YOU WERE SAD!" Sans exclaimed. "Y-yeah. I had a nightmare." You muttered in response and Sans gasped. 

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" He asked urgently and you sighed. "Yeah, I guess." You responded. 

There was a small pause before Sans quickly spoke, "ARE YOU FEELING SAD OR SCARED?!" to which you replied a simple, "Kinda." 

"WE'RE ON OUR WAY!" Sans declared enthusiastically. 

You blinked in shock for a second before managing to say "Wait, what?!" in surprise.

"I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS (and the slightly less magnificent Papyrus) ARE GOING TO KEEP YOU COMPANY TONIGHT!" Sans explained loudly. 

"But you don't know where I live...?" You spoke in confusion before you could hear the sound of Papyrus' phone being shuffled around for a few seconds before Papyrus' familiar and lovable raspy voice could be heard again. "but i do." He chuckled which made you blush lightly. 

"Oh, right... I forgot about that." You replied with a nervous laugh. 

"we'll be over in about five minutes." Papyrus told you and you yawned before slipping the covers off yourself. "Alright, but I'm not really sure how you do it since it's a twenty minute walk from my house to yours." You replied and you could picture him smirking on the other line. "ey, i know a really good shortcut." He snickered and you smiled, shaking your head. "Alright Papyrus, see you in five. Bye." You spoke and he exchanged a goodbye as well before you hung up your cell phone. 

You swung your legs over the side of your bed, jumping out and running to the bathroom to do your business, brush your teeth and fix your hair so it didn't look like an abandoned rats nest. After that you looked down at your pajamas and shrugged, there was no reason to change into something else. These were decent enough anyways. 

You now knew it was time to rush downstairs so you grabbed your keys, and ran out your door, going down this stairs as quietly as you could all the way to the first floor where you heard a knock on the door. 

You opened the door, only to be greeted by the two skeleton brothers that you oh so adored. "Hello!" You greeted them. "heya kiddo." Papyrus greeted you in return and Sans waved with a giant smile on his skull. You let out a giggle and stepped out of the way so they could walk in, which they did.  

You closed the door behind them and then turned and faced the two boys. "Well, follow me." You told them with a gentle smile as you began climbing the stairs. "(Y\N)?" Sans suddenly asked which made you stop climbing as you looked back down at him. "Yes, Sans?" You replied and he hummed for a moment. "DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPPLIES TO MAKE TACOS?" He asked. "I... I don't think so?" You replied as you suppressed a laugh from his question. "OH, OKAY." Was all he replied as he started climbing the stairs with Papyrus behind him.

You all walked up the stairs until you reached your door, unlocking it and opening it for the two brothers to go in to. "Make yourself at home." You told them and they nodded as they walked in. Sans walked to a chair you had in the corner and plopped down into it it whereas Papyrus walked and sat on the right side of your couch. You shut the door, locking it back and looked around the room. Your sketch of Papyrus was still on your coffee table and you cringed at how that was still there, but you didn't want to hide it because that'd draw attention to your sketches, so you just left it be.

"HEY (Y\N), CAN I LOOK THROUGH YOUR PHOTO ALBUMS?" Sans asked as he pointed to a small stack of photo albums on a table by his chair and you nodded. "Of course!" You replied and he beamed as he picked one up and began looking through it. 

You started looking for a place to sit when Papyrus patted the cushion next to him on the couch. "come sit 'ere with me." He spoke and you lightly blushed, but you reluctantly nodded and walked over, sitting next to him. 

You looked towards Sans for a moment and Papyrus soon followed, he was completely engrossed in your photo album and seemed extremely focused as he flipped the pages. "hm, i wonder what's got him so glued to the album already. probably adorable baby photos or somethin'." He spoke and you chuckled. "Oh, I have no cute baby photos. I wasn't a cute baby." You told him and he tapped a phalanx on his chin. "i doubt that, anythin' to do with ya is probably super adorable." He replied which almost made you gawk in surprise. Did he really mean that? 

"anyway, now... ya wanna talk about you dream?" He asked and you nodded as you slowly began telling him about the dream in a quieter tone so Sans couldn't hear. As you went on, Papyrus put an arm on the back of the couch behind your neck. He was so close to having his actual arm around you and that made your heart flutter. 

But by the time you finished the long explanation, he was frowning. "i really wish i woulda done more about that jerkwad... but i guess i can't keep him from invadin' your dreams." He sighed as you wiped the tears from your eyes that had formed when you relived that terrible dream. "hey, i know it's tough, but it's over now... i won't ever let that happen to ya." He told you calmly and you sighed, nodding a tiny bit. "I know Papyrus... But what if it had happened? What if that psycho got what he wanted? What if he goes after another girl who isn't as fortunate?" You spoke as you looked down. 

You felt him move his arm so it was around your actual shoulders as he gently pulled you closer which made your face turn red once again. "you can just report him to your ex friend that's a cop." He suggested and you nodded a bit, secretly rolling your eyes. "I guess I could meet with him and discuss Austin in more detail... He deserves to be behind bars after all." You spoke as you turned your head away, sniffing again as fresh tears ran down your cheeks. "yeah, he does... but don't meet with that smith guy in private or alone. i wouldn't trust him that much." Papyrus remarked and you sighed. "Yeah... I guess your right..." You said in a very gloomy tone. 

"hey, hey. c'mon. don't be like that. i don't wanna see ya sad." Papyrus replied as he reached over wiping some tears from your cheeks. "you're such a nice gal and all ya deserve is joy and happiness." He told you softly. "i mean, look at how happy sans is lookin' back at photos of ya. you bring happiness with ya wherever ya go and ya really don't deserve to be so upset." 

This made you smile a bit which made him grin as well, "ayy, there it is." he cooed which made you smile even more.

You leaned over and gave him a big hug. "Thank you so much Papy..." You told him softly before pulling away from the hug, his skull now slowly turning a faint tangerine. 

You moved back to your prior position before and he put his arm back around you. You yawned and he looked towards you. "getting sleepy, (y\n)?" He asked you and even if you were growing super tired, you shook your head. 

"ya sure about that?" He asked as he studied your body language and you nodded quickly. "hey, we can leave if you need to sleep." He offered and you quickly shook your head. "No, really it's fine." You told him and he shrugged. "a'ite. well, if you're sleepy ya can sleep here." He offered and you leaned back against the couch more before grabbing your phone. "i won't fall asleep." You promised and he shrugged. "Let's watch some YouTube. What do you want to watch?" You asked and he thought for a moment. "let's watch some vine compilations. those are great." He suggested and you nodded before pulling one of them up and holding up the phone for the both of you to watch. 

And after around 5 vine compilations, you had fallen asleep, unaware that you had just broken that promise you had made. Oh well, now you owe him $20 and need to make it up to him that you fell asleep after promising not to. 

Chapter Text

Warm tranquility, that's what you awoke to. 

Your eyes hadn't even opened yet, for you wanted to enjoy your last few moments of rest 

There was just something so peaceful and calm about the warmth you were experiencing right now. It was so much more... Serene than the warmth your sheets and bedspreads ever gave you. 

What was this warmth? You weren't exactly sure. But, you never wanted it to fade. You had just had the best sleep that you've had in ages and you felt very happy. The happiest that you've been in what seems like years.

The problems of yesterday are gone, and with this pleasant warmth, you are certain this is a positive omen that they're not coming back. At least, not for now. 

But all the calm effects from repose started to fade when you felt something- or someone shift next to you and your eyelids quickly opened, looking to where the movement came from. 

You looked to your left side and saw that you were all curled up to none other than Papyrus on your couch with a blanket covering you and him. You were all snuggled up to the skeleton, hell, you were cuddling him, and he was cuddling you back. He even looked content, perhaps, even happy? 

But as soon as it sunk in that you fell asleep and that you're in his personal space, you quickly jerked away from him, untwining your arms from being wrapped around him. You quickly began saying "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" repeatedly which caught Papyrus off guard, even if he was awake. 

In the quick movements, his own arms around you had been snatched away and he seemed saddened by this. "no, no, no! it's fine... i wouldn't have cuddled you back if i wasn't enjoying it." He quickly spoke in his normal raspy tone. 

That comment turned your face a slight shade of crimson. He was enjoying cuddling you? Your heart was beating fast as you looked directly at him, "No, it's not fine... I shouldn't have fallen asleep after you two came over to comfort me." You spoke flatly. 

He didn't seem to like your tone and you watched him grip the arm of your couch. "don't apologize... you really needed a good rest after everything, okay?" He spoke before letting out a small sigh. 

Papyrus looked uncomfortable, extremely uncomfortable so, you just nodded and looked at your feet. 

"How long was I asleep?" You asked after a few minutes of silence. He paused, tapping a phalanx on his chin in thought before replying, "five hours or so." 

"Why didn't you leave? I was just asleep for five hours, you must've been bored." You asked him and you saw an orange tint come to his cheekbones. "i wanted to make sure you stayed safe... so, i was plannin' on staying until ya woke up... but at one point i did fall asleep for a bit and sans... well, he put the blanket over us." Papyrus replied. 

"And... I... Snuggled up to you in my sleep? Was that before or after you fell asleep?" You asked him and he scratched his cervical vertebrae. "that'd be before..." He replied awkwardly and you both found yourselves blushing. "And... Did you cuddle back when you were awake... Or asleep?" You asked and he turned even more orange. "...i was awake." He replied hesitantly and you blushed even more. 

Your heart was pounding, but a small smile made its way on to your face. "Well, thank you so much for everything. I really wish there was a way I could thank you for being so supportive and protective." You told Papyrus. "aw, shucks. i was just doin' what anybody would do." Papyrus replied. 

"Papyrus, not everyone would be willing to come to someone's house so late at night just over a nightmare. Not to mention... Most wouldn't cuddle me." You spoke and he scratched his arm. "i don't know why not, you're a great cuddler." Papyrus replied with a small grin. 

You snorted and smiled happily, "You're such a sweet dork!" You exclaimed as you moved back closer to him. "same goes to you, honey~" Papyrus replied with a wink and you giggled. You looked over, meeting Papyrus' own gaze straight on. You both continued staring, your heart thudding in your chest as Papyrus placed a bony hand on your cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. Your face was a deep red and you looked away bashfully which caused him to gently grab the back of your head, turning your face back toward him. 

But, whatever was going to happen got cut off when there were loud footsteps and happy humming coming up the stairs to your floor of the apartment. 
Papyrus instantly pulled away and turned to the door as Sans burst inside, "I'M BAC- OH SHE'S AWAKE. GOOD MORNING, (Y\N)!" Sans exclaimed happily and you just waved slightly. You had forgotten Sans had even been here. What if he hadn't been gone? Would Papyrus have acted that way around you if his little brother was around? 

"I BROUGHT BREAKFAST! I SAW THIS ON A BILLBOARD ON MAIN STREET AND KNEW I HAD TO TRY IT. SO, I GOT US ALL TWO!" Sans explained as he held up a Taco Bell bag. For some reason, this worried you. Taco Bell? What did he get from Taco Bell for breakfast? Did he just get a crap ton of tacos? If so, does he eat anything other than tacos? 

Sans reached into the bag, handing you and Papyrus both two items wrapped up in Taco Bell's signature paper. You looked at Papyrus with a worried glance and he just let out a small, yet deep, chuckle. You could see the worry in his gaze as well. But, he was doing a fantastic job at hiding it.

Sans pulled out his two from the bag and sat back at the chair he was in last night. "bone appetit." Papyrus spoke with a grin and Sans just rolled his blue irises, scowling as he did so. 

You looked down at the paper on one one of the mystery items and unwrapped the paper, only to see a waffle taco inside. You stared blankly at it for a moment. Why weren't you surprised? "Wow, sure does sound interesting!" You exclaimed in the most enthusiastic way you could. 

"I KNOW! IT'LL BE SO GOOD!" Sans chirped and you grinned nervously, not knowing what to expect. You turned to see Papyrus had already eaten half of his first one and you blinked in surprise. That was extremely fast. 

Sans unwrapped his from the paper and took a big bite. Not wanting to be left out, you picked up your own waffle taco and took a bite. The taste made you furrow your eyebrows. The fact that they called it a taco just for being a waffle bent into a taco shell shape made zero sense, but it wasn't that terrible.  

You finished the first one and stood up, "I'm going to go put this other one in the fridge for later. Anybody need anything from the kitchen?" You asked the two brothers. "MAY MY BROTHER AND I HAVE A GLASS OF WATER?" Sans asked and you smiled. "Of course." You replied.  

You nodded and walked into your small kitchen, going to the fridge, sticking the conundrum of a meal inside for later, before quickly fixing three glasses of water. You tucked one glass in the crook of your arm and picked up the two remaining glasses before walking back into the living room. "Two waters, coming up!" You exclaimed and Papyrus smiled brightly as he looked at you. 

You walked to Sans and gave him his glass before turning to Papyrus and reaching the glass out to him. "Here ya go, Papy~" You practically purred which turned him extremely orange. Pumpkin orange, to be exact. You could hear his bones rattle a bit as he took the glass. "t-t-thanks..." He stuttered which caught you off guard. Was that too much? 

Papyrus crossed his legs and cleared his throat and you walked back to the other side of the couch. You took a sip of your water and then set the glass down on the table. "Sans, did you enjoy my photo albums?" You asked him and his irises brightened. "OH MY STARS, YES! YOU WERE REALLY ADORABLE WHEN YOU WERE A BABY!" Sans exclaimed in reply and you snickered. "Aw, thanks, Sans! I bet you were even cuter." You responded to him and you heard Papyrus let out a slight chuckle. 

You turned to him, his skull was still a slight orange, but he seemed happy. "oh, sans was quite the cute baby bones. i actually have a picture of him from when he was younger in my wallet." Papyrus remarked and Sans quickly stood up. "PAPYRUS, NO! THAT PICTURE IS EMBARRASSING!" Sans spoke suddenly and urgently. "well, i think it's cute enough for (y\n) to see at least." Papyrus replied. 

Sans grumbled, "FINE... BUT ONLY SHE CAN SEE IT!" he huffed as he sat back down and Papyrus' cheeky grin got even wider. "kay, bro." Was all the mischievous skeleton said as he uncrossed his legs and stood up, pulling a wallet from his back pocket. He sat back down and unfolded it, pulling a picture out of one of the folds. He passed it to you with an impish grin, and you gladly took it. 

You looked at the photo and snickered. It was of a very young, and a very tiny Sans. He had spaghetti all over him, but his eye sockets were filled with stars. He was in fact extremely adorable, perhaps even cuter than he is now. Well, that may be sacrilegious. But regardless, he was adorable then and he's adorable now. 

"My God, Sans. You were the cutest thing ever! And you didn't even outgrow those darling features." You complimented Sans and he absolutely beamed. "THANK YOU!" He chimed. 

You looked to Papyrus, he looked a tad bit... Jealous? And once he noticed your glance, he straightened his back and smirked devilishly. "well, to be honest, sans didn't grow much." Papyrus murmured and Sans stood up and stomped his foot on the floor angrily. "PAPYRUS, I SWEAR TO TORIEL!" 

"sorry, sorry. i went too far with that one." Papyrus quickly apologized which Sans only sighed in response to. "I KNOW... JUST, PLEASE, YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE YOU PICKING ON MY HEIGHT." Sans muttered and Papyrus nodded. "you're right. i do know that, i overstepped my bounds." He commented. "YES, YOU DID..." Sans murmured under his breath. 

"Ehem, I don't mean to interrupt this... But I have a friend coming over on a few hours and I should probably get ready." You spoke before the awkwardness got any worse.  "oh, well... i guess i needed to get to work anyway." Papyrus replied as he reached over and took the photo from your hand, tucking it back into his wallet. 

"I wasn't trying to be rude, I am so sorry if I came off that way." You replied with a frown and Sans looked at you with understanding glance, and so did Papyrus. "OH, WE KNOW. WE NEEDED TO GET GOING ANYWAY. DO NOT WORRY!" He spoke loudly and you smiled. You played with your hair and Sans and Papyrus stood up. "well, we'll be off. we had great fun, by the way. your photo albums were really cute and well, that drawing of me that you did, that was great." Papyrus told you with a wink and you felt your cheeks heat up. He had seen your baby pictures and the drawing that you had done of him. This is extremely embarrassing. 

"Uhh, t-t-thanks, P-Papyrus." You thanked him timidly. "it's no problem, we'll hopefully see you again soon." Papyrus remarked. "YES, I AGREE WITH MY BROTHER! COME VISIT US SOON!!!! YOU ARE WELCOME ANY TIME!" Sans chirped and you smiled. "I will keep that in mind. Thank you so much!" You thanked him as you stood up. You walked over and hugged Sans, "Thank you both for coming over to cheer me up." You thanked the boys as you pulled away from the hug with Sans. "IT'S NO PROBLEM!" Sans exclaimed. "same 'ere." Papyrus replied.

You smiled at Papyrus and walked over, pulling him into a hug. He gratefully returned it and you buried your face in his hoodie that smells of honey and smoke. You continued the hug for a few more seconds before he pulled away. "see ya later, (y\n)." He told you as he stepped away, nodding. 

Sans grabbed Papyrus' hand and dragged him toward the door. "BYE!" Sans spoke and you waved. "Bye, you two. Be safe!" You told them both and Papyrus nodded. "you too. cya." He replied as he and Sans walked out the door. They closed it behind themselves and you cleaned up the trash from breakfast before heading to the bathroom to get ready for the days events. You knew the already fantastic day would get even better once Maia showed up and you were extremely excited to say the least.

Chapter Text

You finished getting dressed in today's outfit which consisted of a black camisole with a short sleeve denim button up over it it. You buttoned the shirt to the second to last button and brushed it off. With that, you wore a pair of black jeans and a pair of older sneakers.

You walked to a small jewelry box on your dresser and opened it, pulling out a small silver and crystal pendant necklace. The charm attached to it was of a small dragon wearing a bow tie. Maia had given it to you when you and her had graduated high school. You smiled every time you saw it and wore it for months straight after she had given it to you.

You carefully fastened the necklace around your neck and ran back to the bathroom, quickly drying your hair with your four year old (s\f\c) hairdryer. Once it was nice and dry, you quickly tidied up the bathroom with cleaner so it wouldn't be disgusting for Maia and wiped it down afterward. 

You then ran to get her some sheets, but you were suddenly stopped when you heard you phone start to ring. You pulled your cellphone from your pocket and looked at the caller ID, it was Maia. 

You instantly stopped what you were doing and answered the phone with a smile. "Hello, Jello. What's up?" you spoke and you heard Maia snicker. 

"Hey, I'm waiting outside, will you come down and open the door?" Maia asked and you grinned. "Of course, I'll be down in a jiffy!" You exclaimed and she giggled. "Okay, see you in a sec, bye!" She replied before hanging up. You grabbed your keys and headed out the door before quickly running down the stairs all the way to the first floor. 

You rushed to the door and opened it excitedly. On the other side stood Maia holding two blue suitcases in her hands. But, as soon as she saw you, she dropped the bags and pulled you into a big hug. "I missed you so much!" She exclaimed and you hugged her back happily. "I missed you too! Oh my God, we have so much to catch up on!" You replied as you pulled away from the hug. "Oh, you have no idea!" Maia giggled as she grabbed her suitcases again. 

"Here, I'll carry one up the stairs. Trust me, it's gonna be hard lugging those damn things up so many flights of stairs." You replied as you took one suitcase from her. "Alright, I won't protest." Maia responded as you and her started going up the stairs.  

By the time you and her had made it to the top, your arms were exhausted. "The hell was in that bag?" You asked her with a humored laugh. "An anvil." Maia spoke flatly. "Pssh, Maia. The truth, please." You snickered. "Alright, alright... It's literally just my clothes and my laptop." Maia spoke before laughing and you shook your head as you unlocked your door. 

You walked inside, lugging her suitcase behind you and you stopped with a grateful sigh. "Welcome back to my apartment, did ya miss it?" You asked her with a goofy smile. "What, this ole small dusty rundown of a home? Of course!" She joked and you shook your head. "My landlord did some renovations not long after you left, so this old place looks a lot better." You explained and she nodded. "Yeah, he definitely changed this place for the better." Maia remarked. 

"Anyway-" You started before she cut you off, "Is that your wallet in the couch?" Maia asked as she dropped her bag, shut the door and fast walked to the couch. 

"I don't think so?" You remarked as she picked it up and looked at it. 

"You sure?" She asked once more as she began to open it. 

It was at this moment you realized that it was Papyrus' brown leather wallet. It must've fallen from his pocket while he slept.  And you didn't think much of it until you saw Maia grin. 

"Ooh, Papyrus? And this must be fairly recent if he hasn't come to reclaim it... What was Papyrus doing here last night~?" She asked as she looked up from the wallet. Your face turned a bit red. "Maia, he wasn't here for what you think!" You exclaimed a bit quicker than you should have. 

"Oh really~? You don't have to lie to me, y'know. I can see that blush." Maia snickered and you quickly walked up to her. "Maia, we didn't do anything... He was here b-because..." You started before urgently looking around for something that you may be able to say as a replacement for the Austin story. 

"Go on before I call BS on your explanation. I still think you two got together la-" 

"Remember the guy that I mentioned was... Stalking me?' You asked her quietly, turning your head to look away. 

"Yeah? It wasn't Papyrus was it?!" Maia demanded to know. 

"No, it... It wasn't Papyrus. The guy, his name was... Austin." You began. Your voice was already starting to crack with emotion and Maia stayed completely quiet. 

"He never stopped going after me, even after I repeatedly said no. I was so stupid, I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't know what anyone would think, I thought I had no one to go to. Audrey and Grace abandoned me and the only people I really had here to help me were Papyrus and that damned Mr. Smith..." You ran a hand through your hair as you began to feel tears well up in your eyes. 

"I didn't want to worry Papyrus, but I should have told him... One time Austin grabbed me by the waist and wouldn't let go, I really thought I was a goner, but Mr. Smith walked in and saved the day... He had a gun and rescued me. I thought Austin would stop persisting after a cop intervened..." You sniffled as you wiped a lone tear from your cheek, taking a shaky breath. 

"But he didn't, he started stalking my apartment, texting me under multiple numbers... I told Mr. Smith, but he was unable to help because he got shot by some criminal... And I wish I would've told someone else, but I was so damn foolish and I couldn't bring myself to..." You continued as another tear trickled down your face. Maia looked horrified and her eyes were filled with sympathy. 

"I was having terrible anxiety attacks, I never wanted to go outside, my blinds were closed all day... But I had to go to work so I got up and started walking." You shook your head and bit your lip as you paused for a moment, trying to regain your composure. 

You took long, shaky breaths as you rubbed your arm uncomfortably. You were trying to hold back the tears that the memories were causing, but that was very hard. The regrets of what you had and hadn't done panged in your heart and it was hard to hold yourself together. 

"But, he found me... Austin found me and grabbed me, he was pulling me backward, threatening to kill me if I didn't comply. He... He even slapped me on the face and as much as I fought back, I couldn't escape that creep's grimy hands." You sighed. 

"And just when I really thought I was done... Papyrus came out of nowhere. And... A-And he scared Austin off... He seemed really angry and t-threw him into a t-tree..." You managed to get out. But now, you were beginning to loose your composure again. You wiped the tears from your eyes and took another deep breath. 

"D-d-dammit, Maia... P-Papyrus saved me... He's was my savior... And he was again last night."  You continued explaining, fighting your way through the tears. 

"I had a nightmare about 'him'... And Papyrus was the only person I knew I could call about it. So even if it was around 3:00 AM, he answered and he and his brother rushed over to be with me because I really needed the support." You finished explaining and you looked up to see Maia was completely speechless. Her eyes were wide and her mouth merely gaped open. She was frozen in place for what seemed like minutes as she processed everything she had been told. 

You could only look down sadly at her silence and you began crying. But, her shock didn't last much longer after she heard you start to sob. She quickly lunged forward and gave you a big hug. "Don't cry, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that!" She told you softly as you buried your face in her shirt. 

"Please.. Never suppress your emotions like that again..." Maia pleaded urgently. "It's dangerous and we're all here for you, okay? Now calm down, everything will be alright." Maia spoke soothingly. 

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It had been a whole hour since you had broken down in tears and you and Maia have finally been able to calm down. You looked over at her and smiled. "I'm so happy that you're here." You remarked happily.  

"I'm so happy to finally be back home. I love Ebott City so much... And hey, guess what? I have a plan!" Maia remarked and you lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah? What is it?" You asked as you leaned your head on your fist. 

Maia tapped a finger on her chin before running a hand through her blonde hair. "So, Asgore and I were talking and at 6:00, we're all going to go to the Dreemurr's place and surprise Papyrus with Asgore being back. It's kinda gonna be a surprise party, but not really a party." Maia explained and you smiled. "I like that idea, but is Sans in on it?" You asked and Maia tilted her head. "Who's Sans?" She asked curiously. 

"Huh? Did Asgore never mention him?" You asked and Maia shrugged. "I don't know who he is, so I'm not sure." She replied. "Sans is Papyrus' younger brother." You explained and Maia blinked. "Oh! Asgore did mention him, but never by name." She replied and you nodded in understanding. 

"Well, in that case... I don't think so." Maia replied. "Alright, so Sans and Papyrus are coming to Toriel's just for a dinner, or something, but they don't know Asgore's going to be there?" You asked and Maia smiled before nodding. "Precisely!" Was all she responded. 

"Well, I look forward to that. I can't wait to see the surprise on Papy's face." You chuckled and Maia giggled. "Papy, huh? You're a nickname status already?" She asked with a grin and you hummed. "Not really. I have called him Papy like, twice and that's it." You replied with a snicker. 

"Ah, I see..." Maia replied. 

There was a very awkward pause after that and you both looked around the room. Nothing was said for around three minutes until Maia turned back to you. "You didn't get my brownies, did you?" She asked suddenly and you frowned. "Oh crap, I forgot. I was going to get some for you but then the influx of chaos came and I didn't get to it... I'm sorry." You apologized with a sigh. 

Maia patted you on the back, "That's fine, I understand. We can go get some tonight." She suggested and you shook your head. "Nah, let's go now. We can go to the bakery and get their brownies." You spoke as you stood up. "Why not from the chocolate shop?" She asked which made you cringe. You never wanted to go back to that chocolate shop ever again. "Uh, n-no... The bakery has much better brownies!" You spoke suddenly and she let out a "Hmm" as she stood up. "Alright. Let's go." She replied. 

"It's not that terrible of a walk, we can make it there and back in about 40 minutes." You remarked. "We don't need to walk, I got a rental car." Maia told you with a cheeky smile.  "Oh, why didn't you tell me?" You asked with a small laugh. "Because I was waiting for a moment like this." Maia replied and you shook your head. 

"You're such a trickster, Maia." You snickered and Maia punched your arm playfully. "You betcha." She replied with humor in her gaze. 

"Well then, let's get going, shall we?" You remarked as you grabbed your bag, phone and keys. 

"Yeah, let's get rollin'!" Maia replied as she grabbed your hand, giggling as you both started going on your way. 

Chapter Text

You and Maia couldn't help but laugh heartily as you both got back in the car from shopping at the bakery. "Oh my God, did I tell you that I apparently have really frickin' cool neighbors?" You asked as you buckled your seatbelt, looking to Maia.

"No, you didn't.... But I want to know all about them!" Maia replied as she eagerly awaited your response.

"So, I have this guy named Tyler who lives here. He's adorable and I can hear him playing piano and ukulele sometimes from his apartment. He's apparently in a band with his friend Josh." You started and she smirked. "Adorable as in you like him?" She teased. You shook your head, laughing a bit. "No, no. I like someone else" Maia cut you off. "Aw. I wanna know." She remarked and you shook your head. "I can't tell you." You chuckled and she nodded in understanding. "Alright, alright. Continue on, then." She replied and you smiled.

"Then my new boss apparently lives in my apartment building... Then this like, dope grandma lives there. She makes the best damn cookies! You have no idea how good they are!" You exclaimed enthusiastically. "Like, her snickerdoodles are pure heaven!" You added and she nodded. "Sounds good!" Maia remarked.

"Oh, and then there's Evony... She seems to be a really cool blogger girl. I've only met her once, but I think we'd all get along! She is a firm supporter of monster's rights and she just seems like a cool friend to have." You finished talking about your neighbors with a bright smile. "We should invite her to your apartment sometime during my stay!" Maia suggested and you nodded excitedly. "Oh, yeah! That'd be fun and we could order pizza!" You spoke with a bright smile.

You and Maia continued talking about all the stuff you two had planned to do during her stay as she pulled off the side of the road, driving home. But soon, you both grew quiet and listened to the radio as you let your voices have rest from all the chattering.

Your mind went back to the bakery trip with Maia, it was hilarious. Maia ended up getting three types of brownies and you got two boxes of muffins and an éclair. You had both talked about seemingly random stuff during the whole trip. The topics ranged from job experiences to family stories. For example, you told Maia all about your last trip to visit your family and the chaos that had ensued. The time you two had spent in that tiny bakery was hilariously long. Who knew that you could spend over an hour in a store just looking at baked goods.

"(Y\N)." Maia's voice tore you from your thoughts and you looked over at her. "Oh, sorry. What?" You asked and her eyes flicked from you, then back to the road. "After we get back to your place, we only have an hour or so to get ready and go to Toriel's house." Maia explained and you hummed, tapping a hand on your chin. "Alright, well we can make that work." You replied and she nodded her head. "Okay, good. I was worried we'd be late for a bit there." Maia sighed in relief.

You were about to respond to her when you felt your phone vibrate and you picked it up, looking at who had written you. "Papyrus wants to know if he left his wallet here last night." You told Maia as you read the text Papyrus had left you. All it said was the following, "heya, did i leave my wallet at your place?"

"Tell him yes and that you'll be able to give it to him tonight because Queen Toriel invited you to dinner too." Maia told you and you nodded, quickly writing Papyrus what Maia had said.

"That's not gonna give anything away?" You asked with a tilt of your head. "Nah, don't worry. You won't mess up one simple plan with that small amount of information." Maia responded. You nodded and turned your eyes to the side of the road. "That makes sense." Was all you responded.

You and her were now only five minutes away from your apartment. Joggers were running along the streets and some people were out walking their dogs. Apparently it had ended up being a really good walking day, because it seemed like more people were out than normal.

But pushing those observations away, you began to think of Papyrus again. The fact that his embrace made you feel so happy and safe last night made you all warm and fuzzy inside. And even thinking of his contagious smile made you smile as well.

Your mind drifted from thought to thought about Papyrus until you reached something, quite forward. Your imagination managed to create a scene in your mind of Papyrus gently pinning you to a wall, kissing you lovingly for the first time. The thought, it made you shiver and your face turned a light pink just in thought of Papyrus ever doing that. But surely he wasn't that type, right?

You were soon snapped out of your embarrassing trance when you felt Maia staring at you. You slowly turned to see her stifling her laughter. Your cheeks only grew pinker in response to the embarrassment of being caught.

"Who, or what have you been thinking about, little miss?" Maia asked you with humor in her bright gaze. "U-uh... Nothing... Err- No one?" You replied and she snorted, covering her mouth.

"Alright then, well... We're back at your place now. We gotta hurry and get ready." Maia responded as she pulled onto the side of the road to park.

Maia turned off the car and you and her both grabbed your things, climbing out of the car and running to the door of your apartment building. You unlocked the door and threw it open, Maia following behind you as you sprinted up the stairs in record time. You made it to your level of the complex and unlocked the door, throwing your bags onto your couch before dashing to into your room.

Maia soon closed the door that you had left completely open and walked to you room, peeking in the door. "We gonna change or stay in these clothes?" She asked you as she leaned against the doorframe.

You thought for a moment, looking down at your outfit. It was pretty cute, perhaps even cute enough to impress Papyrus? The button up denim shirt fit you extremely well, it even showed off your figure a bit. You hummed for a moment, before looking at Maia's outfit. She was wearing a white t-shirt with Spyro the dragon on it and a pair of jean capris. On her feet were a pair of black and white Vans.

"No offense, I love that outfit... But let's get you a little dolled up, I wanna see how the men of Ebott react to seeing you again in an alluring outfit~" You remarked with a silly grin and she giggled, taking your hand before practically dragging you to her suitcases. "Well, let's get to work then!" She exclaimed.

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Maia pulled up to Toriel's house with merely three minutes to spare. You may have gotten a little carried away with getting her all prettied up... You did a lot considering the short amount of time you had. You curled her blonde hair, gave her a bit of makeup, got her dressed and... That was about it. Hell, Maia didn't even need all that done, after all, she's already beautiful as heck! But, it was just for a bonding experience between you both and it was extremely fun.

Maia had ended up choosing an outfit that consisted of black leggings, a white sleeveless blouse with a gray jacket over it and cute brown combat boots. You also lent her a silver necklace with a feather pendant on it. She looked absolutely Maiagnificent.

But, it definitely isn't the time to think. Sans and Papyrus will be here any minute now and you want to be inside the house before the surprise begins. So, as soon as Maia put the car into park and turned it off, you both quickly climbed out, running to the door.

You soon found yourself knocking on the door, almost frantically. The door opened fairly quickly and you were greeted by a smiling Queen Toriel. "Hello, (Y\N)! And you must be Maia, correct?" She asked and Maia nodded. "Yep, that's me!" She chirped in response.

"Well, it's nice to meet you! Come on in you two, the boys will be here any second now!" Toriel remarked as she stepped out of the way.

You and Maia both nodded before stepping inside. You instantly looked around the room and saw many familiar faces. Undyne, Alphys, Chara and obviously, Toriel. But, there was one face that you had only seen in photos before, it was Asgore. He was a lot taller than you had anticipated.

He smiled and waved at you, "Hello there, you must be (Y\N)! Chara and Toriel have told me all about you! I'm so glad you could keep Papyrus out of trouble while I was away." Asgore commented as he walked over, extending his hand to you. You took his hand and shook it, smiling politely. "Psh, oh yeah. He's really a hard one to handle, y'know?" You spoke with humor in your (e\c) eyes and Asgore let out a deep and hearty chuckle.

Asgore let go of your hand and turned his gaze to Maia, a giant smile was now on his face. "Maia!" He spoke, his voice was quite husky as he walked a bit forward, pulling her into a big bear---big goat hug. "I missed you!" He exclaimed and Maia laughed. "Asgore, it hasn't even been a day since we parted." She giggled as she hugged him back. "Haha, I suppose you're right. I maiaght have missed you despite that, though." Asgore joked and Maia snorted. "My God, Asgore." She spoke with a humored expression.

"They're here, get in your places!" Chara called and Asgore quickly pulled away, sprinting to the best of his ability and belly flopping behind the couch. You covered your mouth to stifle your laughter and everyone seemed to just stare at the door so, you and Maia did the same.

A few moments later, an excited knock sounded on the door. It was obviously Sans' knock. A few seconds after that, you and the rest of the party could hear Papyrus' voice. So, Toriel smiled and cupped her hands around her mouth, "The door's open, boys. Let yourself in!" She exclaimed.

After that, the door opened slowly and the two skeletons walked in, looking at the group that was all staring at them with giant grins on their faces. "uh, what's goin' on?" Papyrus questioned as he tilted his skull to the side. "Oh, nothi-NOW!" Toriel called out and Asgore shot up, dusting off his purple Hawaiian shirt. "Guess who's back?" He asked and Papyrus' grin grew wider than you had ever seen it before. "asgore, buddy!" He spoke, excitement in his voice and he rushed in. "Papyrus!" Asgore spoke in response happily. Asgore made a beeline straight to Papyrus and pulled him into a bone crushin- well a hopefully good, but not bone crushing hug.

This reunion brought a giant grin to your face as you watched the two friends reunite. Sans was smiling as well, actually, he smiles all the time... But you could tell he was happy for his brother nonetheless. He clapped his bony hands together as the two buds pulled away from the hug. "i missed ya, pal." Papyrus remarked as he shoved his hands in his orange hoodie's pockets. "I missed you too, Papyrus. It'll be so nice to catch up now that I'm back!" Asgore exclaimed and Papyrus nodded. "heh, you bet. we have a lot to talk about, actually." Papyrus replied in a way that made you uneasy.

Was he going to tell Asgore about what happened with you? You supposed it didn't matter, but what if Asgore replaced you in a way? Papyrus didn't just befriend you because he missed Asgore, did he? No, that makes no sense... He already has a lot of friends, so he is likely just friends with you just 'cause. But, there's still a possibility that he'll stop talking to you as much, which crushes your heart just thinking about it.

"(Y\N), are you okay?" Maia asked as she shook your shoulder, shaking you out of your trance one again. "Uh, yeah, sorry... I kinda got lost in my thoughts." You explained and she looked at you silently for a moment before taking your hand.

"Hey, remember when I told you that'd I'd never loose touch with you while I was away?" Maia asked and you nodded slowly. "Well, I'm sure you also remember how worried you were that I'd cut you out of my life as soon as I made new friends." Maia continued and you nodded your head once again. "Yeah, I was really worried that I'd loose another good friend." You replied. "I know, but I promised you that I wouldn't be like that... And I kept my word, I may not have texted you all the time, but we texted each other pretty often, and I never forgot about you!" Maia explained and you looked down at your shoes.

"Now, just because Papyrus' friend returns doesn't mean he'll abandon you, especially after how he was there for you during all of that stalker shit." Maia continued on and you nodded. "So, don't be worried about him forgetting you. After all, he's been there for you whenever you've needed him and he'll continue to be there for you. That won't just cease because Asgore came back, so don't you worry." Maia finished and you looked up at her. Maia's eyes were filled with a mix of sympathy and care and you smiled weakly.

"Thanks Maia, I really appreciate the support... But how did you know?" You asked with a tilt of your head. "Well, a mixture of jealousy and worry was plastered all over you." She remarked and you lifted an eyebrow. "I'm not jealous." You spoke flatly and she looked at you with a humored expression in her green eyes. "Tell that to your face." She said in a half-joking manner.

You were about to reply when Maia suddenly looked over and saw Sans walking toward you and her. Sans was dressed in a pair of loose black pants, a shirt that said "Future Royal Guardsman" on it and his signature blue boots. He sped up his pace as soon as he saw you and Maia had noticed him.

"Oh my God, he's adorable!" She whispered to you quietly and you suppressed a chuckle. "HELLO (Y\N)! WHO'S THIS???" Sans asked in his normal loud, yet cheery voice once he reached you. "Hey Sans! This is my friend, Maia! Remember I said a friend was coming earlier? Well, that's her!" You explained and the cute stars in his eye sockets appeared. "OH WOWIE! IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU, MAIA! I'M SANS... OH, I THINK (Y\N) ALREADY INTRODUCED ME, BUT THAT'S ALRIGHT!" Sans spoke with a bright smile as he reached out to shake her hand. Maia smiled at this and shook his hand happily. "It's very nice to meet you too! I like your shirt!" Maia complimented him and Sans blushed lightly. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, I MADE IT MYSELF!" He remarked and Maia smiled brightly.

"That's so cool! How long did it take?" Maia asked, obviously just trying to keep a conversation going with him. "HMMM... I'D SAY AT LEAST TWO HOURS, IT SHOULD HAVE ONLY TAKEN ONE... BUT I WANTED IT TO BE MAGNIFICENT JUST LIKE ME! MWEH HEH HEH HEH!" Sans replied as he clenched his fists together happily. "Well, the hard work definitely paid off. That's one awesome shirt!" She complimented him again and he blushed again, just a bit more.

"W-WELL, I LIKE YOUR OUTFIT TOO! IT'S VERY WONDERFUL!" He remarked, getting a little flustered. "Oh geez, thanks! But, it's not as cool as yours." Maia remarked and he seemed to be slowly turning into a blueberry. "O-OH GOODNESS G-GRACIOUS... OH, I HEAR SOMEONE CALLING ME... I'LL SEE YOU TWO LATER... BYE!" Sans spoke as he ran into the crowd of people who were talking amongst themselves.

"I didn't hear anyone calling him..." Maia muttered and you snorted. "Congrats on making him turn as blue as a blueberry. I've never seen him that blush-y before." You joked. "'Blush-y', is that a technical term?" Maia asked you playfully and you both chuckled happily.

Chapter Text

It had been around thirty minutes since the blushing Sans had run away and you and Maia had ended up just chatting with everyone who was attending. Dinner was in about fifteen minutes and you were excited for what Toriel had said was for dinner. She had made vegetable soup and home cooked cheese biscuits to go with it.

Even from the living room you could smell the delicious food being kept at a simmer. And well, after a while, the wonderful smell made your stomach growl and Maia chuckled. "Hungry?" She asked you you giggled. "Apparently so."

You two were going to converse some more before you turned your head to see Papyrus walking up to you. You smiled and waved and he returned the smile, waving as well.

As soon as the tall-statured skeleton finished his stride over to you and Maia, he shoved his hands into his pockets. "heya, (y\n). this your friend that's stayin' with ya?" He asked and you nodded. "Yeah! This is Maia, she's actually the one who discovered your wallet in the couch." You replied as you reached into your pocket, pulling out his wallet and holding it out for him.

Papyrus gratefully took his wallet back and slipped it into his back pocket. "oh yeah? well, thanks to the both of ya. it's also nice to meet ya, kiddo." Papyrus spoke as he grinned a bit. "It's no problem! And, it's nice to finally meet you in person! Asgore and I became good buddies over the past year and he's told me a lot about you." Maia replied.

"oh, yeah. i think he may have mentioned ya in a few phone calls of ours. you're an animator, yeah?' Papyrus asked for clarification and Maia nodded with a smile. "You betcha!" She replied enthusiastically. "ey, that's cool! and that confirms it, he did mention ya in a lot of phonecalls." Papyrus replied with a chuckle and Maia smiled brightly.

"That's cool! (Y\N) mentioned you in her phone calls too, I'm glad she met someone after what happened with her ex friends." Maia remarked and Papyrus nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "well, i can assure ya that i have benefited from our friendship just as much as she has. she helped me get through a lot of shit by just bein' there." Papyrus admitted and you lifted an eyebrow. He hadn't mentioned anything like this before.

"Well, that's good to know. It seems like you two fit together perfectly, then." Maia remarked and you and him smiled. "of course." Papyrus replied as he took his hand from his pocket, giving you a gentle fist bump. "it's like we stick together like honey." Papyrus remarked and you face-palmed. "Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that was a pun?" Maia asked and you sighed, still covering your face. "Because it is." You replied, your voice was a bit muffled due to your hand covering your mouth.

"Oh!" Maia spoke as she began to chuckle. "heh, why thank ya! but it seems we got a tough crowd over here, ey?" Papyrus remarked as he gestured to you and you slowly removed your hand from your face, slowly holding up a thumbs up. "Hmm, seems so, but every comedian has to have a critic." You replied with a grin, leaning on one hip and crossing your arms.

"hm, i suppose so... but why don't you criticize my pun then, ey?" Papyrus replied, grinning as well. "Hmm, well... I didn't find it that humerus considering you didn't even have honey on you at the time. So, that makes the pun less sweet and more of an inside joke since Maia doesn't know about your honey obsession, honey." You replied and Papyrus shrugged his shoulders, still smiling happily.

"maybe not, but that still makes it funny to me, sweetheart~" Papyrus was practically purring and Maia's eyes widened. You blushed, averting your gaze and Maia's mouth was now partially hanging open.

Well, that pun war definitely went somewhere you weren't really expecting it to go to.

You looked up and saw Papyrus was blushing as well, he even seemed to be sweating a bit nervously. "eh, sorry. i kinda went too far." He quickly apologized and you looked up at him, locking your gaze with his. "Don't apologize... There's no reason to." You responded and Maia seemed to be internally screaming.

"well, uhh... kay, then." Papyrus paused, his gaze darting around the room. "so, have you two gals had fun?" Papyrus asked, obviously trying to turn the conversation around. But, what surprised you was that he didn't leave. He instead opted to stay and continue talking with you and Maia. That really made you happy. And well, you were slowly convincing yourself that perhaps, Papyrus shared the same feelings as you do. Or maybe he just really likes you as a friend... Either way, you really wanted to deny any possibility of him liking you after you lied to him about Austin. But, you tried to wipe those negative thoughts from your head, after all, anything's possible.

"So far, yes! Oh! You and Sans should come over in a couple days, we're gonna invite a girl from (Y\N)'s apartment complex and we can all eat pizza and watch a movie or something!" Maia exclaimed and Papyrus hummed in thought. "oh cheese, that's awfully nice of ya to invite us. olive pizza a lot, and sans and i will definitely want to come." He replied and Maia smiled. "This'll be so fun! When are two free?" Maia asked and Papyrus tapped a phalanx on his chin. "tibia honest, i am free pretty much all week past five, and sans should be mostly free, except i think he is goin' to watch anime with undyne 'n' alphys on tuesday night." Papyrus replied, gently reaching into his pocket and pulling out a toothpick before gently sticking it into his mouth.

"Alright, well... How about Wednesday night then?" Maia suggested and Papyrus nodded. "sure, as long as the other gal is free then as well." Papyrus replied and you nodded. "I'll call her up and ask later, but she says that she works at home and barely goes out, so I'm sure it's good." You replied and placed your hands behind your back, rocking on your heels a bit.

"she sounds pretty nifty." Papyrus replied and you nodded. "She's pretty cool! Well, I've barely talked to her, but I'm planning to change that!" You spoke enthusiastically with a wide grin. "ey, that's good! it's always good ta meet new people." Papyrus responded and you nodded. "I agree full-heartedly!" You replied cheerily.

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You and Maia smiled and waved goodbye to the Dreemurr's and to the skeleton brothers as well before you climbed into Maia's rental car. The night had ended up being exhausting and you both were just planning on going straight to sleep once you got back to your apartment.

Maia was going to visit some other friends tomorrow and you had decided to work a half day at Muffet's. In fact, maybe in the rest of that half day you could go talk with Mr. Smith about what had all happened.

After all, Austin is still at large and he could try this on any other girl out there. That thought made you uncomfortable, so just like Papyrus had suggested, you were going to meet with him soon. Maybe with the newfound information, the police could take him in and imprison him.

But, you also felt nervous and didn't really want to meet with Mr. Smith. Sure, he's the detective that'd listen to you the most, but what if during the entire meeting he just insists on flirting? Surely the man knows his boundaries and wouldn't flirt at such a bad opportunity, right?

Perhaps you're not giving the man much credit. You don't even know him that much after all. And well, he did save you and was planning on helping you get Austin caught, so he must not be completely bad.

And it's honestly quite odd to think that he had been shot by some guy at a bar. You wondered what had happened to cause the fight that ended up getting Mr. Smith shot in the chest. Was it over a grudge? Perhaps over a woman? That'd be silly though, surely Mr. Smith wouldn't fight a man over a girl. Maybe he was protecting a lady from someone though.

"What are you thinking about now?" Maia asked which tore you from your thoughts. "Mr. Smith surprisingly enough, I have to meet with him soon and talk about Austin." You explained with a sigh and she nodded. "Go ahead and text him, hopefully you can catch him tomorrow. The longer you don't report this, the longer that creep is out there." Maia remarked and you nodded. "Oh, and if that weirdo tries to make any advances, leave immediately." Maia added.

"I will, but all he's ever done is flirt and kiss my hand. Everything else is pretty normal." You commented and she shrugged. "Those are still signs that he's interested. Just stay safe and keep me on speed dial. If he does do anything, I swear I'll kick his ass!" Maia exclaimed and you chuckled, nodding. "I can actually see that... But you don't want to get charged with assaulting an officer either." You replied. "Honestly, if it were to punish him over trying to make inappropriate advances, then I'd just be happy that you were safe." Maia responded.

"Fair point, but I think he understands that I don't like him now." You replied and pulled your phone from your pocket, going to your contacts and clicking over to your texts to send him a new message. "Well, at least you got 'no' embedded in that tiger's head. He just won't stop." Maia mumbled.

You clicked on the text bar and began to type Mr. Smith a message. You carefully thought over every word as you typed them in and proofread along the way. You wanted your message to seem more serious so he wouldn't be as keen to take it in a less important way. And after a few minutes of crafting the perfect message, you sent this strand of text.

"Hello, it's (Y\N). I hope you're doing well, Mr. Smith. anyway, I was wondering if I could come in tomorrow to talk to you about the guy who had been stalking me... Things escalated to where he ended up grabbing me and was trying to kidnap me. On top of that, he said he would kill me and he also said so many other terrible things. I was saved by Papyrus, the guy you called an overgrown carrot in Faerie Dane Fresh Market and I haven't seen Austin (the stalker) since. But I have a feeling that he's still out there when he shouldn't be. I don't want him hurting or doing this to any other women. So, I was hoping I could come in and talk to you about what happened so that maybe an investigation can be opened to catch the deviant. I should have contacted the authorities right away, but I was scared and overwhelmed. So, please get back to me. I was hoping we could do this around 3:00 PM tomorrow once I get off of work. But, it's really up to you, sir. Anyway, I suppose I'll hear from you soon. Thanks for taking the time to read my text."

You didn't expect him to write back right away, so you put your phone on your lap and looked up to watch the road. You were nearing the street to your apartment and that filled you with relief. You just wanted to get Maia situated with some sheets for the couch and then go to bed.

"So, what did you think of the boys?" You asked Maia suddenly after a long silence. "I am guessing you mean Sans and Papyrus, correct?" Maia asked for clarification. "You betcha, the bone bois." You remarked before pausing, "Actually, that sounds kinda weird. Ignore that I ever said that." You added quickly and Maia snorted, laughing.

"I think they're both really cool! Papyrus is funny and Sans is a cute little marshmallow!" Maia replied and you giggled. "He's so smol compared to Mr. Tol Carrot." You replied and Maia just burst out laughing. "Did you just call Papyrus 'Mr. Tol Carrot'?" She asked with humor in her green gaze. "Hell yeah I did, I mean, it's accurate!" You remarked and Maia just laughed harder and you soon joined her.

Once the laughing had died down, Maia turned down your street and soon parked on the side of the road. "You know, you and Papyrus are really close, huh?" She commented and your breaths hitched for a moment, she knows you like him, doesn't she? "Yeah, I'd say that we're really good friends." You replied, trying to throw her off. "Oh yeah? Good friends?" She replied and you nodded. "Precisely!"

You got out of the rental car, grabbing your things before beginning to walk to the door of your apartment building.

Oh geez, was your crush that obvious? You didn't want Maia to know about it. If she did, you were afraid she'd just tease you about your infatuation and you didn't want to be embarrassed over it. Sure, you liked a pun loving skeleton, and that may seem weird to most... But damn, he's pretty darn sexy! And honestly, it may seem weird to think of a skeleton as 'sexy' but he is!

Maia soon got out of the car and ran up to you just as you got the door unlocked. "I didn't upset you, did I?" She asked and you shook your head. "No, don't worry. I'm just really tired and need some sleep." You somewhat lied. It was more of a half-truth than a blatant lie.

"Alright, well... That's good." Maia responded and you both walked inside, up all the stairs until you got to your apartment. Then, you unlocked that door and headed straight to your room. You got onto your knees and pulled out a box of sheets from under your bed. You opened it and pulled out some (s\f\c) sheets and then walked to Maia, handing them to her. "Here you go, have some sheets. Now that'll be $100." You spoke with a serious expression on your face, but as soon as Maia laughed, your serious look completely shattered and you laughed too.

"Thank you, now goodnight, (Y\N)! I hope you sleep well!" Maia spoke and you gulped. "Yeah, me too. And this time I won't have a skeleton to cuddle if I have a nightmare." You remarked and then froze. "Wait, hold up... You cudd-" Maia began to speak and you turned a bright red before interrupting her. "It was accidental and in my sleep!" You exclaimed but soon covered your mouth. "You just made that worse." Maia spoke while suppressing a laugh. "Dammit, just... Goodnight Maia." You spoke as you quickly hugged her. After that, you ran to your room all flustered, shutting the door behind you.

Why does having crushes have to be so embarrassing? And why is it that the people closest to you are always able to pick up on them? It's just so awkward when they figure them out so easily. And you know Maia means no harm, but it's really messing with you regardless.

But, those thoughts of humiliation soon ebbed away after you had gotten ready for bed. They were replaced by happier thoughts of the flirt-ish pun battle you had ended up having with Papyrus earlier. But as soon as you began to drift to sleep, your thoughts shifted a bit and you couldn't help but think of Papyrus and being in his gentle embrace. And before you knew it, you fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

Chapter Text

Your eyes quickly opened to the sound of the alarm clock on your phone going off. You let out a loud sigh as you sat up, pressing the 'off' button on your phone. "But I was sleeping so good..." You groaned as you lazily rolled out of bed, falling onto the floor below. "I'm okay-" You spoke sleepily as you pulled yourself off of the ground. 

You yawned as you unplugged your phone from its charger, checking to see if you had any new messages. And as soon as you clicked to open your phone, you saw you have a brand new message to read. It's from Mr. Smith.  

"Oh... He wrote back..." You mumbled to yourself as you slid open the text message. 

And as your texts opened, you began to read it out loud quietly. 

     "Ah, yes, hello! I am doing very well, though my son is having trouble with the knowledge that I got shot. Luckily though, I was still wearing my bullet proof vest, so I only had minimal bruising. But, we're both getting through the shock and I'm sure we'll be just fine. As for you wanting to come in tomorrow, I think that's entirely possible. I should be stuck in the office tomorrow anyway and having some company would be nice, even if the company is the victim of a terrible crime. I should be available to take your case at any time tomorrow, as long as it's not past 6:00 PM. I am very sorry for what happened to you, Miss (Y\N), and I hope be can catch the man who made you live in peril and fear. Now, have a nice night!" 

You hummed to yourself and quickly responded to him with a simple "Thank you, Mr. Smith! I'll be at the station around 3:30 then. Have a nice day!" before setting your phone back on your nightstand. You quickly checked the time once more and ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower. And once you were done taking your shower, you wrapped yourself up in a towel and walked into your room, going towards your closet and picking out a nice "coffee shop employee"-esque outfit. Since it was colder outside, you put on a long sleeve light blue button up shirt and a pair of darker washed jeans, black socks and your favorite pair of shoes. 

Muffet had mentioned a while back that she didn't have a uniform or anything, so you were pretty much good to wear anything, as long as it wasn't inappropriate, or shall you say, 'too revealing' or 'risqué'. So, that's pretty cool! In fact, that means that you don't have to have some stupid uniform drycleaned every week. And well, that definitely takes a whole lot of stress out of your life for sure. 

After you finished getting dressed, you dried your hair and brushed it to be presentable. And once you were done with that, you gathered everything you needed for the day, put it in your bag and walked out of your room to the kitchen quietly. You definitely didn't want to wake up the sleeping Maia. After all, you're sure that she's exhausted from her trip and needs all the rest she can get.

You opened the fridge and looked around it, but you didn't see anything that interested you, so you closed the fridge and turned around to the counter only to be greeted by the muffins that you had bought yesterday. Your mouth started to water almost instantly and you opened the packaging quietly, pulling one of the (f\f) muffins from the packaging. Next, you poured yourself a glass of water and began eating your breakfast quickly. 

You savored every bite of the delicious muffin until it was gone. And once it was gone, you threw away the trash and set your cup of water on the counter for later. But, as much as you enjoy loitering in your kitchen, you have to get going. So, you made sure you had everything you needed and quietly tiptoed to the door, opening it and closing it behind you carefully. 

And with that, you were off. You walked down the stairs to the first floor, opening the front door and making your way down the sidewalk to Muffet's for your first day of work.  

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After your anxiety filled walk to Muffet's had finally come to an end, you let out a sigh of relief. You were so glad that nothing bad had happened on your walk and that Austin was nowhere to be found. 

You walked up to the glass door of the shop and opened it, walking inside the café with a smile over the fact that it seemed like your life was finally going back to normal. Even if Austin had only been around for a week or so, it felt like he was stalking you for months and it had completely drained you. So, you were extremely happy to be recuperating.

"Oh, good morning deary! You didn't have to come in here today. I understand that you've been though a lot recently and you may need some more time to recover." Muffet greeted you as soon as she saw you standing in the shop. "Oh, that's very kind of you! But, I wanted to get my life going again now that everything's slowly going back to normal. Though, I will have to go around 3:00 because I have to discuss the situation with the police." You replied as you walked to the counter. "Ah, well, that's alright, deary! Welcome to Muffet's!" She responded with a smile. You smiled in response and Muffet adjusted her glasses.  

"Well, come with me. We need to get you into your apron and roller skates before the customers start piling in." She spoke as she started walking into the back, beckoning you to follow her with one of her many hands. "Oh crap, I have to wear roller skates?" You muttered in a slightly worried tone. "Well, okay, not yet... For now, you'll be wearing those shoes with the wheels in the heels. You need a bit of training before tackling the actual roller skates." Muffet chuckled to herself. 

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought for a second that I'd just be falling on my butt all day long." You giggled as you followed her into the back. "Oh no, don't you worry, deary. I wouldn't ever do that to you." Muffet responded in a humored tone.  

Muffet took an apron off of the hook in the back room and walked over to you, placing it around your neck. "Once again, welcome to Muffet's, (Y\N)! It'll be absolutely lovely to have you here, deary!" She spoke with a big smile. "But before you can go to work, we need to get you a nice little name tag. I had this made for you the other day!" Muffet added as she pulled a small metal name tag from her apron, gently handing it to you. 

You looked down at it, your name was written on it in a regular font and next to your name was a small spider printed on the tag. It was actually quite adorable and Muffet seemed to be beaming. "I came up with the design one night and now every worker I recruit is going to have one just like it!" She exclaimed happily and you smiled, pinning it to your apron neatly. 

"That's fantastic, Miss Muffet! I absolutely love it!" You replied with a smile as you tied the apron around your back. "Oh, I am so glad! I was worried that you wouldn't like it at first! But, then Grillby assured me that it was a great design, so I felt a bit more confident about it." Muffet replied as she adjusted her glasses. 

"Confidence is always great- but who's Grillby? I don't think I've ever heard that name before." You responded and Muffet covered her mouth, turning a bit pink. "Oh, he's just a business rival from the underground. Well, he's a friend now, actually." She giggled and you smiled. "Alright, well I hope to meet him someday." You replied and she nodded. "He comes in from time to time, he's made of fire and wears extremely loud clothes. You can't miss him! Oh, and he ever does show up... Please let me know, alright?" She spoke with that faint blush still prominent on her face. "Of course, ma'am!" You replied with a polite nod. 

"Oh! I almost forgot, the shoes! Give me one second." Muffet replied as she quickly roller skated to her desk in the corner of the room, picking up a shoe box. "I do hope this is the right size, I had to take a guess, after all." She replied as she rolled back over, handing you the shoebox. 

You looked down at it, and surprisingly enough, it was in fact your size. "Woah, congrats on guessing right!" You told her as you looked back up at her with a smile. "Oh, goodie! Now, get those on and meet me back at the counter. I need to start training you today. I hope you're ready to learn how to make macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos, frappuccinos, and coffee galore!" Muffet joked. 

"Oh, I'm beyond ready." You giggled and she nodded, smiling. "Ah, that's fantastic! Now, your locker is over there, so you can put your bag in there. But, feel free to keep your phone with you as long as it's on silent! You never know who may be calling you with urgent news." Muffet told you as she began to roller skate away. "Of course. Thank you so much for everything!" You called after her as she began to disappear out the door. "Oh, it's no problem, deary! Thank you so much for being here!" She replied and you smiled before bending down and putting on your new heelys. 

"Oh boy, oh boy, today's gonna be one hell of a day." You muttered under your breath with a chuckle. 

---------------------------------------------

You have now been working for around four hours and have gotten the basic hang of how to make some of the most ordered drinks. In fact, Muffet had told you that you have been learning extremely fast. That of course made you smile. But now, you're getting pretty tired and are ready for your first break. But, your break is at 10:30 AM, and it's only 10:00 now. So, you still have 30 minutes of work left before you can go to the back and sit down. 

But, that's alright. At least the customers here are so much nicer than the ones that were at Harvey's. In fact, you've met so many lovely people today. It was actually shocking you how many people were coming in that you hadn't seen before. It sometimes surprises you how big Ebott City truly is. 

But, you were cut out of your thoughts when the bell on the door rang, causing you to look up. Holding the door was a very tall man with black hair. He was holding it for a shorter-yet still pretty tall man with dyed silver hair and glasses. 

The shorter man looked up at the taller man and seemed to bashfully walk into the café, hands in the pockets of his black skinny jeans. He's dressed in a white dress shirt with a nice black vee-neck sweater over it. Now, the taller man is even more so dressed to impress. He is definitely rocking that 'autumn' look. In fact, as soon as he followed in the shorter man's footsteps, you could observe his outfit in more detail. 

He's wearing a gray sweater with a nice brown coat over it, a gray scarf around his neck and a cobalt blue beanie on his head. The man's brown gaze is quite warm and his smile seems to brighten up the café. Now, the other man seems to be the polar opposite. His cobalt blue eyes are cool, yet he seems very embarrassed- or perhaps nervous in a way. He doesn't seem to brighten the room as much as the other man, but he's giving off a calming feeling, despite his nervousness. 

"Good morning miss!" The taller man spoke as he walked up to the counter, glancing at the chalkboard menu. "Good morning to you as well, sir!" You responded with a cheery smile. "May I have a large vanilla latte and a spider donut? Oh, and Cobalt, darling, what would you like?" The tall man paused as he looked over at the shorter guy who just so happened to be observing the menu. "Oh, uhmmm..." He seemed quite taken aback, his gaze jumping around the menu until he slowly looked to you. "I-I'll take a medium iced mocha and a spider brownie." The shorter man, or 'Cobalt' as he was called, replied with a tinge of worry in his tone. 

"Oh! That must be a new addition to the menu, I'll take one of those as well." The taller man responded as he began to reach into his pocket. "I'll pay for this, will you please go get us a table?" The man asked Cobalt and he nodded. "Of course, Tobi." He responded with a smile as he turned and walked to a table. 

The man quickly pulled out his wallet and you couldn't help but be curious and ask him something that may be quite personal. "I don't mean to intrude on any boundaries, sir... But how long have you two been together?" You asked him curiously. You aren't even sure if they are a couple completely, but they sure seem like one. 

"Oh, Cobalt and I have been together for 3 years now. And don't worry, I'm not offended by you asking." He replied as he pulled out a credit card. 

"Aw, that's really cute! You both looked very happy so I was just curious. Now, your total will be... $13.95. Will that be debit or credit, sir?" You asked as you looked up at him. "That'll be debit, if that's alright." He replied with a gentle smile which caused you to smile too. "That is just fine, now if you will, please slide your card." You replied and he slid his debit card and finished the transaction. 

"Now, I apologize, but we're very low on staff today. And my boss is on break, so I'll bring you two your food in a few minutes. So please, forgive me for any unconventional wait that may cause." You replied and he nodded. "That's alright, we'll be patient." He responded as he slipped his debit card back in his wallet, pulling out money and gently sliding it into the tip jar. "Don't worry about angering us, we won't leave a bad review." He replied with a wink and a chuckle as he waved and walked over to the table that Cobalt was already seated at. 

You then quickly began to fix the men's drinks and put their sweets on a round tray to take over to them. The brownies and donuts had been freshly made earlier today by Muffet herself and they look absolutely delicious. You'll have to remember to get one on your lunch break later. 

Once their drinks were complete, you put everything onto the tray, placing it on your shoulder before starting to roll over to them. You aren't exactly fond of these new shoes that Muffet has selected to prepare you to be on roller skates all day, but they help you glide around faster, so that's a thing. 

"Here you two are, a large vanilla latte, a spider donut, two spider brownies and a medium iced mocha." You spoke as you set the tray on a table next to them, starting to hand out their food and drinks one by one. 

"If your food isn't satisfactory, please do let us know. I just started working here today, so I may have not gotten the recipes completely right. Please do forgive me for that." You told them with a polite curtsy. 

"I am sure your cooking is just as lovely as you are. Do not worry, my dear." The taller man spoke with a gentle smile and Cobalt nodded gently. "I'm sure everything will be great. And even if it isn't the best, don't sweat it. It's only your first day and you have plenty more instances to improve." He replied with a bright smile, adjusting his black framed glasses. 

That was probably the first time you've seen Cobalt talk to you without any nervousness wavering in his tone. Well, at least in the few lines that he's spoken. In fact, his true demeanor seems to be repressed from strangers... Though he seems all cheery and happy-go-lucky when he's talking to his boyfriend. His entire face lights up and he seems extremely happy. It's like talking to him completely washes away all his fears, and that, is super cute. 

"Thank you two very much for the support! I really appreciate your kind words, now please, enjoy your meal!" You told them with a smile and a dip of your head. "Thank you, you enjoy it too---" Cobalt began before his face became red, instantly looking away once he realized his mistake. Now, his boyfriend, whose name you still haven't really learned, instantly sprung into action. He looked over to you, a smile on his face as he spoke "Yes, you too. Enjoy our meal!" in response to his boyfriend's slipup, giving him a comforting smile and a thumbs-up. 

Seeing how much Cobalt's mood seemed to greatly improve after that, your smile widened. They really are couple goals, aren't they?

You smiled and waved at the pair, before wheeling back to your post with the tray in your hands. And now you have to wait for the upcoming customers. But hey, at least you only have 15 minutes left before your break. That's surely something to celebrate over for sure.

Chapter Text

You grinned as you walked out from behind the cash register, now that 15 minutes have passed, you're all good to go on break. In fact, Muffet should be coming out of the back at any second now to take over for around 20 minutes or so. Or, at least until your break's up. Then, you have one more break for lunch in around two hours. Then, you get off at 3:00 and go straight to the police station. 

"Ah, you ready for your first break, deary?" Muffet asked as she roller skated out of the back room to the counter. "Yes ma'am!" You replied with a smile, looking around the café. The Tobi guy is still standing at his table, but his boyfriend seems to be missing. Perhaps he already left or something? 

"Alright, well you have 25 minutes to rest. Please be back at your post by then." Muffet replied as she walked behind the cash register. You nodded, smiling a bit. "Of course, miss!" You responded. "Oh! And I know you're friends with Papyrus, I just want to let you know that he almost always shows up right about now to get a bottle of honey. So, keep your eyes peeled, deary!" Muffet remarked and you dipped your head. "Ah, thank you! I'll probably just sit around if that's okay." You responded. "Oh, that's just fine! Do not worry, m'dearie! Just go relax." Muffet spoke calmly as she beckoned to a table near the corner. "Alright, thanks!" You exclaimed as you turned around to walk forward. 

But, you didn't get very far, because suddenly, you turned your head to see someone walking toward you. But, it was only for a split second, because before you knew it, they ran straight into you, making you stumble backward and begin to fall. Almost instantly, you felt a pair of hands wrap around your waist to catch you. And in response, you reached up with wide eyes, grabbing onto their shoulders. 

"Oh, I am very sorry, I didn't see you there! Are you alright? Oh, I am very sorry. I almost forgot about formalities. My name's Tobias, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you." Came the warm voice of Cobalt's boyfriend. His brown gaze is filled with a worry and you honestly had no idea how to respond. 

Well, you're not hurt, per se... But  you're definitely in shock. Tobias' stature is tall- extremely tall, especially when he's this close to you. And for such a tall man, he's handsomely toned. Adding to that, he smells of vanilla and roses, yet that scent also has a musky-or shall you say more 'masculine' smell to it.

Being in such a romantic pose with him is leaving you speechless. For everyone walking by the shop, you're sure that it looks like you and him somehow got stuck dancing. But, you cannot stay frozen like this forever. You have Papyrus to worry about. After all, he could pop in at absolutely any moment now. 

"Oh, I am fine! Just a bit startled. I should have looked both ways before stepping out like that. I am very sorry, Mr. Tobias." You apologized in return, meeting his gaze with your own (e\c) eyes. 

"Don't be so formal, I get enough of that from work at City Hall. You can just call me 'Tobias', or 'Tobi' for short. What would your name be, dear?" Tobias asked you. "City hall? You work there? What do you do? Oh, and I apologize, my name's (Y\N)." You replied. 

"Oh, I am the second in command to the mayor. 'Tobias Welshire' is my full name, you've probably seen me on news before." He started before pausing. "But, don't let that change how you treat me. I am just a normal man." He added soon after. 

"Oh, I actually... I don't watch the news, I don't even have a TV. And I don't read the newspaper either, so your name is new to me, Tobias. The politics in this town drive me mad though. Especially about the monsters, I can't believe the mayor tried to kick them out!" You huffed, looking away for a moment. "Wait, do you support monsters being aboveground? Or were you voting to not give them equal rights?" You asked suddenly as your gaze flicked back to his. 

Tobias let out a hearty laugh, "I was kinda the one who stopped the mayor from doing that, so I'd like to think I am pro monster." He commented. He hummed in thought for a moment, "Oh, and not to mention I am shopping in a monster owned shop." Tobias added and your eyebrows furrowed. 

"Well, I was dragged to the protest of this place when it first opened, and now I work here. So you never really know, Tobias." You replied quietly. And it seemed like he was going to reply, but he was cut off when footsteps could be heard on the floor walking towards both of you. You looked over and saw Papyrus, your heart instantly dropping out of your chest. "Oh, sorry. Let me get you straight on the ground again." Tobias told you as he gently pulled you forward, causing you to face plant right into his chest. "Shit..." You whispered into his clothing. 

"oh, heya (y\n). who's this, now? a friend of that shi--- mr. smith guy?" Papyrus asked, he seemed a bit aggravated. "Oh no, this is uh... Tobias Welshire..." You replied as you backed out of his chest, your face a bit red from embarrassment. "Mr. Smith?" Tobias questioned with a tilt of his head and Papyrus looked at him coldly. "he's a crooked cop—er, police detective who owns a very questionable used car lot..." He grumbled and you rubbed your arm uncomfortably. "I've heard he's basically unofficially voted 'the most attractive bachelor in Ebott City'." You replied. 

"Oh, that guy? He's the most attractive? I wonder where standards went." Tobias spoke with a cheeky grin. "Oh, but I really don't like that guy. He doesn't treat women as well as he should." Tobias spoke with distaste and you turned to see Papyrus looking Tobias up and down. He looks like he is pissed and trying to desperately hide it. "yeah, that smith is just bad news." Papyrus grumbled. 

"Well, he's not completely bad. He did save me from... 'Him', he took me home and offered to take the case. And it's not just for some 'favor', I really think that behind his 'gentlemanly player' façade is a good man... He just has a tough time showing it." You replied in Mr. Smith's defense.  

The two men stayed silent for a moment, Papyrus didn't exactly look happy that you had defended the man that has flirted with you quite a lot. "If he has a façade over himself and he is a good guy, it'd be wise to stop it. He's teaching his child horrible habits, his son has been around my daughter before and flirted with her." Tobias responded. "there may be a good side of 'em, but that doesn't mean i have to like him." Papyrus sighed, putting his hands in his orange hoodie's pockets. "he just makes me nervous, i really don't want him hurtin' ya, or anyone else... and the fact that he has a child that's ending up just like him scares me." Papyrus continued. 

"I understand, but just try and think... Perhaps there's a whole lot that happened in his life that turned him into this... I mean, everyone has their own demons and perhaps... That's how he deals with them." You suggested and Tobias let out a hum. "Perhaps so," Was all he spoke as he fixed the beanie in his head. 

There was silence for a moment and you looked over at Papyrus, he seems quite worried about your safety. Especially considering how you were so quick to defend a man he sees as despicable. "Well, you don't have to worry. I'm not pretty enough for Mr. Smith to go after me more than he has already." You spoke to try to assure Papyrus that you'll be fine. 

But, you were surprised by what happened next. Tobias gently took your hand and you turned to him with confusion in your (e\c) eyes. He slowly lifted your hand to his lips and kissed it, a smile on his face. "That is a lie, you are a beautiful woman." Tobias responded and you blushed brightly. "Oh, geez..." You chuckled nervously, running a hand through your hair. "Thank you, Tobias." You smiled as your eyes met Tobias' warm brown gaze. 

"well, ya know... ya could ease up on the 'gentleman' stuff, bucko." Papyrus spoke, his raspy voice filled with... Jealousy and anger? 

"Why would I ease up on my gentlemanly nature? I believe it's good to be a gentleman." Tobias remarked and Papyrus walked a bit closer, clearly annoyed. "ya have you hands all over her, man, i see right through your a-" Papyrus was cut off by Cobalt walking back over, his hands in his pockets and his head lowered. "Sorry that I was gone so long, hun." He apologized quickly as he walked up. "And I totally didn't just watch from around the corner the whole time..." He whispered quickly and quietly. In fact, you almost missed it, and Tobias didn't seem to notice, he just smiled. 

You looked to Papyrus, he had an "oh shit" expression on his skull and he quickly took a toothpick from his pocket, quickly popping it into his mouth and chewing it intently. He looked away from the group in shame, as if he had just realized that he had done something wrong. He rubbed his arm nervously and you soon noticed that his skull had turned a light tangerine in embarrassment. 

"That's okay, dear! I was just having a conversation with (Y\N) over here and her boyfriend." Tobias remarked as he gestured to you and Papyrus. Your face grew even redder than it had been before, "O-oh... Well, we're not a couple. We're just close friends." You spoke in response and Cobalt lifted an eyebrow, looking over to Papyrus and giving him a sympathetic nod. "Oh, I apologize, you two just seemed like a couple." Tobias apologized, with a dip of his head. "It's alright, I understand. I think everyone mistakes people for couples from time to time." You replied and you turned back to see Papyrus who looked to be blushing even more. But, it also looked like he had taken a very serious blow and was taken aback by it. 

"well, we're not a couple... so you were mistaken. but i apologize as well, i was gettin' to be mean to ya and i regret it. i sorta thought ya were just tryin' to woo her like that smith guy and i didn't like it one bit." Papyrus admitted reluctantly. "I am simply a nice man who thinks women should be respected and treated well. No worries, I wasn't trying woo her." Tobias replied with a wink and a smile, showing he clearly knows something that you do not. "well, i appreciate that... it's nice to know that ya respect women like that." Papyrus replied. 

"Of course, I believe people are to be respected, after all." Tobias responded with a nod and Cobalt gently nudged him. "I don't mean to rush this along, but we need to pick up Amelia in roughly 25 minutes." He spoke as he looked up at his boyfriend. "Oh, geez. Time sure does fly." Tobias remarked with a husky chuckle.

"It's been lovely talking to both of you! I hope you both have a wonderful day! And good luck with your first day of work here, dear!" Tobias remarked as he gently took hold of Cobalt's hand. "Don't let anyone put you down about it, alright? Remember that you're just learning." Cobalt added once again with the same calming effect from earlier. "Thank you both very much! Have a safe trip!" You replied with a wave and a smile. "yeah, you two be safe and i hope you have a great day." Papyrus responded with a salute. "Thank you!" Tobias and Cobalt replied as they both walked to the door, going outside. 

You grinned, looking over at Papyrus. "Hiya, Papyrus!" You chirped as you fixed your hair. You were hoping to avoid any questions about what had just occurred, but judging by the confused expression on Papyrus' skull, that was definitely not going to happen. 

"...what was that about?" Papyrus asked with a confused tilt of his head. You sighed, rubbing your arm. "Nothing really, Tobias and I were just tal-" "are you friends with him? i've never heard ya mention him before." Papyrus interrupted you and you shook you head. "No, we only met today. He was just a friendly customer." You replied and Papyrus looked you dead in the eyes and lifted a single 'bone'brow. "strangers don't usually dip their barista, (y\n)." He started as he pulled out a chair, sitting down on it. "even if they're 'friendly'." Papyrus added and you shook your head. "Papyrus, you're seeing this whole thing wrong. I wasn't looking where I was walking, he ran into me and not only was I already barreling over, but these heelys weren't helping me regain traction, so I fell and he caught me in a really awkward way." You tried to explain and Papyrus let out a grumble.  

"well, explain why he was so touchy. what about you falling straight into his chest? he didn't even catch you once another man was around." Papyrus replied accusingly and you rolled your eyes. "Good God, Papyrus! You've got to stop making so many assumptions!" You shouted at him and he growled in response, looking to the side. "For a guy who's always negatively talking about how people assume you're a bad guy, you sure don't practice what you preach, do you?!" You spoke angrily. 

Papyrus seemed taken aback and took the toothpick out from his mouth. "well it's not my fault that i'm worried that ya will be hunted by another damn predator! there's been two so far, (y\n)! i just wanna keep you safe, okay? that crazy son of a bitch could have killed you!" Papyrus fired back. "Papyrus, I know the Austin situation was bad, but I won't ever get back into it again! Tobias is a taken man and Mr. Smith is just a player. He knows that I don't like him, so he's slowed down on his attempts. Please trust my judgment, I'm an adult, Papy!" You groaned as you rubbed your face in annoyance. 

"i have tried to trust your judgment! but the problem with you is that you can't tell me what's wrong! do you understand how much that hurts? i am here for you, but you just box up things from me that are life threatening!" Papyrus remarked angrily. "I... I was just afraid of what you'd think, okay? I had just met you, then I lost two of my best friends, and then I practically lost my job. I had already vented to you plenty of times and I... I just didn't want you seeing me as incompetent and I didn't want you to abandon me too!" You admitted, turning your head away, tears brimming in your eyes. 

"(y\n)... why would i ever abandon you? Papyrus asked you as he stood back up slowly. "Because I'm just a disingenuous human being... I lied to you and so many others that I've been just dandy, when in reality... I was dying inside... Austin brought such fear into my life and I wanted to get help... But I couldn't..." You spoke as you balled your hands into fists. 

"i would never abandon ya, (y\n)... i have gone through similar problems many times before. I know that it's hard to tell others... but it's even harder to face things alone." Papyrus replied as he walked to you, quickly pulling you into a hug. You instantly hugged him back, burying your face in his soft orange hoodie once again. "I-I know... I'm so sorry, Papyrus... I really didn't mean to hurt you... Please forgive me..." You spoke, you voice filled with emotion. "i have already forgiven you, honey... i could never stay angry at you." Papyrus replied with a sigh, rubbing your back with his bony hand. 

"i owe ya an apology as well... i shouldn't have been so snappy, and i sure as hell shouldn't have been so judgmental. you're right, i can be a total hypocrite, can't i?" He sighed. "Maybe a bit, but so can I. Everyone can be hypocritical from time to time. But you were right, it seemed sketchy and I respect you for wanting me to stay safe. Especially after everything that's gone down." You spoke, pulling away from the hug and looking up at him. "Thank you for watching after me, I really do appreciate it." You added with a small smile and he returned it. 

"well, i'm just tryin' my best ta be here for ya. i like ya and want ya staying safe." Papyrus responded. "Well, you've done that a thousand times over. Thank you for being such a great friend, Papyrus. I love you." You told him, your heart thudding in your chest and your cheeks turning a faint pink from the three words. His breath seemed to hitch and he fell silent for a few moments which worried you. "same goes to ya too, (y\n)." He replied as he scratched the back of his neck. 

"Well... I have to go meet with Mr. Smith today at the police station at 3:30, would you mind tagging along?" You asked Papyrus nervously and he shook his skull. "nah, i would love to. i kinda want to come just in case anyway... plus, i have my own account of austin to tell." He replied and you nodded. "Well, thank you then! Now, let's get you some honey, honey." You chuckled as you took his hand, leading him to the counter. "I only have like 12 minutes left of my break, but we can chill until it's over. I think it'd be sweet to hang out with ya while on break! It's unbeelievable that you're here! Oh, now let's quit pollen and get you your order!" You spoke and Papyrus snorted loudly. "that last one was a stretch, but damn, you're good!" He chuckled as you both fist-bumped. "Thank you, thank you!" You giggled as Papyrus began to order his signature... 'drink'. 

Today may have been back and forth so far, but at least all the conflict is resolving itself. And well, all you can really hope for is that the day will get even better and that going to the police station won't be absolute torture. But, in the end, as long as Papyrus is with you... Every situation will be 10x better.

Chapter Text

The twelve minutes hanging out with Papyrus went by way too fast, in fact, before you knew it, your time was up and you had to get back to work. So, you stood up sadly and held your hands behind your back. "I am very sorry, but I gotta get back to the register now. As always, it was fantastic talking to you and I look forward to seeing you again later!" You told him suddenly and he frowned. "already? ah, that sucks." Papyrus replied as he stood up from his chair, walking closer. "i gotta agree with ya. it's always cool talkin' to ya and hangin' out." Papyrus responded and you smiled in response, nodding. 

"We should hang out more often, to be honest, it seems like we never get one on one Papyrus and (Y\N) time... We should totally just have a night to watch movies together and get to know each other better." You suggested and he nodded. "i agree, we're almost always with other people. some alone time with ya would be cool." He replied. 

"Well, we're gonna have to schedule that someday then!" You remarked and he nodded. "welp, i don't wanna hold ya up. ciao, kiddo." Papyrus spoke after a short silence and you raised an eyebrow. "Did you think that you were gonna escape a hug?" You asked mischievously and he snorted. "nah, i was hopin' ya would ask tibia honest." He responded as he held out his arms. 

You couldn't help but smirk as you glided straight into his arms, giving him a big bear hug. His arms wrapped around you tightly and you smiled, your head pressed against his soft orange hoodie. And even if you can't see it, you have a feeling Papyrus is smiling as well. And you're correct about that, because he has the biggest smile that a skeleton can possibly muster plastered onto his skull.

Soon the bell on the door rings, signalling that someone has walked into the store. But, the footsteps don't continue and you hear slight snickering, so you break the hug and look over to see Maia standing by the door. "What's sweeter, the honey or the hun, Papyrus?" She asked and you facepalmed. Well, this is very awkward. Especially with what happened last night. 

Papyrus quickly turned and awkwardly scratched the back of his cervical vertebrae. "oh, heya maia. 'sup?" He asked and Maia grinned. "Nothing much. Just coming to visit my bestie at work." She replied and you let out a slight chuckle. "Then I'd better get back to work, talk to you later Papyrus!" You told him with a smile and he nodded, waving as you rolled back behind the counter, looking at Muffet. "Sorry Miss Muffet, I'm a few minutes late." You apologized and she dipped her head, adjusting her glasses. "That is alright, (Y\N). I understand. Just please, if you have another disagreement with anyone in the store, please take it to the back. The customers probably do not want to hear that." Muffet responded and your cheeks heated up a bit in embarrassment. 

"Right, that was in public... Oops. Once again, I am really sorry. I guess I didn't think about that." You sighed and she patted your back. "That is alright deary. Now, can you man the cash register for a few minutes? I have business to attend to in the back." Muffet responded and you nodded. "Of course." You replied and she smiled. "Thank you, dear! Have fun and call me if you need any assistance!" Muffet replied as she quickly roller-skated away, going through the door that leads to the back. 

You walked back to the cash register and looked up to see Maia and Papyrus talking, but as soon as she saw that you were free, she seemed to say a quick goodbye to him as she walked to you. 

"Okay, so this morning I woke up and I had forgotten that you were going to work, so I started freaking out. I thought you'd been kidnapped! But, then I remembered and I decided to come get breakfast before I head out for the day!" Maia explained with a bright smile. 

"Ooh, alright! Well thank you so much for coming Maia! See anything you'd like on the menu?" You asked as you leaned against the counter, looking forward into her green gaze. She hummed in thought for a moment, looking up at the menu. 

"I'll take a mint tea and a glazed spider donut." She replied after a few seconds. You nodded and gave her a thumbs up, typing this information in and calculating the price. "That'll be $5.43, will that be cash, credit or debit?" You asked and she shoved her hand into the pocket of her pants, pulling out a wrinkled $10 dollar bill, handing it over. "Cash if that's good." She replied and you nodded, putting the money into the register and handing her back her change. "Your food will be ready shortly, Maia. Just give me a quick sec, kay?" You spoke and she smiled. "Of course, (Y\N). You don't need to rush." She replied as she put the spare money into the tip jar. 

You walked to the drink machines and began making her tea, the fragrant scent of mint wafting around you. For some reason, it brought calmness upon you and you took a deep breath, closing your eyes for only a split second before fetching a glazed donut, putting it into a small bag, walking back to the counter. 

"Here you go! When will you be back later today, Maia?" You ask as you set the items she ordered in front of her. "Around 5:30 probably. I'll bring dinner if you'd like." Maia replied. You tap a finger on your chin in thought and shake your head. "Nah, I think I have some food at home that we can have." You respond. 

"Alright! Well, I gotta roll, so I'll leave you and your boyfriend to tal- wait, where did he go?" Maia asked in surprise as she turned to see Papyrus gone. "First off, he's not my boyfriend, second off... Yeah, he does that a lot. He tends to either quietly walk out or just disappear out of thin air. Not sure which one." You replied and Maia shrugged. "I mean, monsters have magic and stuff, so it probably relates to that." She replied and you nodded. 

"(Y\N), are you sure he's not your boyfriend?" Maia suddenly asked and you nodded quickly. "Maia, we're merely friends." You replied and she sighed in defeat. "Alright, well I gotta go. I'll see you later (Y\N)!" She responded as she grabbed her food. "Have a safe trip, Maia! I'll see you later!" You spoke with a gentle smile, waving at her a nice goodbye. "Cya (Y\N)!" Maia replied with a quick wave before turning and walking out of the store. 

---------------------------------------------

After a pretty tiring—yet interesting work day, 3:00 'o' clock finally rolled around and you almost immediately clocked out. 

Once Maia had left, the day had ended up getting pretty boring and nobody else you know had showed up, so it wasn't as exciting as you'd hoped it'd be... But it's still much better than your experiences at Harvey's. 

"Hey Muffet, I gotta run. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" You spoke as you strode into the back, hanging up your apron up and grabbing your bag out of your locker. 

Muffet looked up from the papers on her desk and folded her hands together. "Alright deary! It was absolutely wonderful having you today!" Muffet chirped with a bright smile. "It was just as wonderful having you around as well, Miss Muffet!" You replied with a polite nod. "Oh, thank you! That is so sweet of you to say! Now... Good luck at the police station. I hope everything goes well." Muffet responded as she stood up from her chair, nodding her own head. 

"Thank you, I need all the luck I can get. Especially with the detective I am working with." You replied with a sigh, causing her to give you a reassuring glance. "I am sure that everything will be fine, I will see you tomorrow, deary!" Muffet spoke calmly. "Thanks again and see you later!" You responded with a wave before walking out of the back, heading back into the main part of the café. You look around for Papyrus but he's nowhere to be seen. "I hope he's not gonna be late..." You murmured to yourself.

"Nah, I'm right here." Papyrus spoke from behind you which caused you to nearly jump two feet into the air. "Holy crap Papyrus! You scared the shit outta me!" You gasped as you placed a hand on your chest, feeling your rapid heartbeat. 

Papyrus let out a gentle, yet raspy chuckle. "sorry, i just wanted to spook ya." He apologized and you shrugged in response. "That's alright! I'll be honest, I probably would have done the same." You replied with a smile. "well, maybe one day you'll get me back, ey?" Papyrus responded as he shoved his hands into his hoodie's pockets, a grin on his skull now. "Hmm, perhaps so, Paps." You replied with a smug look on your face. 

He let out another deep chuckle as he scratched the back of his neck. "welp, ya ready to go?" He asked after a few moments causing you to nod. "Yeah, are you ready?" You asked in response and he looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment. "heh, ready as i'll ever be, (y\n)." He replied after a few seconds. 

"Same here, same here broseph..." You spoke with a deep sigh. "well, let's not think too much into this mess, i mean, it's necessary, ya know?" Papyrus started. "otherwise, he's not gonna get the punishment he truly deserves..." He spoke darkly, reaching his hand out of his pocket towards you. 

You gulped, biting your lip as you took his hand. "Yeah... I guess you're right." You sighed, looking down at your shoes. "don't worry though, everything will be just fine and i'll be by your side the entire time. kay, kiddo?" Papyrus assured you and you smiled a bit again. "Of course, thanks Paps!" You replied a bit more cheerfully.

He grinned, "hold on tight." he spoke as suddenly, you felt the ground leave your feet, causing you to gasp as you tightened your grip on the skeleton's hand. Your eyes scanned around, but for mere seconds, all that was visible was pitch blackness and you and Papyrus. Your hair was waving, as if you were free falling, when suddenly, you squeezed your eyes shut and your feet felt the ground again. Your eyes open quickly and you look around, your (e\c) gaze observing whatever it can. You're now in front of the police station. 

"Papyrus... Can you...?" You began as you turned to him slowly. A shit-eating grin soon appeared on his skull as he let out a small chuckle. "can i what, honey?" He asked, tilting his head to the side with a sense of mischief. 

"Can... Can you teleport?" You asked suddenly, blinking your (e\c) eyes in confusion. "teleport? nah, nah. i dunno what you're talkin' 'bout, (y\n). i merely take shortcuts." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders smugly. "A shortcut... Through time and space?" You asked, furrowing your eyebrows. "what? 'course not. do i look like a tardis?" Papyrus replied in a humored tone. 

"Of course not! You honestly look more like a lanky traffic cone." You replied and he went dead silent before bursting out laughing. "a traffic cone? well, that's a new comparison!" He chuckled heartily. You smiled about making him laugh and straightened your back, looking up at him with a bright smile. "Hey, let's go inside, okay?" You spoke softly and he nodded. "alright, let's go meet with that shit-stick, shall we?" Papyrus replied and you winked, linking your arm with his. "We shall! Onwards, Papyrus!" You remarked as you both walked to the door. 

Once you both got to the entrance, he unlinked his arm from yours and walked to the door, holding it open for you. "ladies first~" He spoke in a charming tone which caused you to giggle a bit. "Oh, such a gentleman! You don't see many of those these days, thank you kind sir!" You spoke with a wink before walking inside the police station. Papyrus soon followed after you as you walked to the front desk. 

The lady sitting at the desk looked up at you over her glasses, sliding them down on the bridge of her nose more as she turned to Papyrus. Her countenance immediately changed and she rolled her eyes, her lips forming into a scowl at the sight of him. 

The lady's hair is curly and blonde and her eyes are an interesting shade of emerald. She's dressed in a gray blue pantsuit and her glasses are slim-framed and black. 

You tried to ignore her obvious hostility toward Papyrus to avoid being kicked out just for confronting her, so you just quietly took his hand again reassuringly. "Hello ma'am, are you here to see anyone?" The woman asked, her gaze emotionless. "Yes, we do, misses. We're here to see Detective Noah Smith." You replied and she just stared at you blankly. "Do you have an appointment?" She asked, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms. 

You looked down at her name tag to read her name before looking back up at her. "Yes, of course, Ms. Constable. Mr. Smith and I scheduled this." You responded and she sighed. "Alright, go to the right, walk straight, then turn right again and he's the first door on the left." Ms. Constable grumbled. "Thank you very much, Ms. Constable! I really appreciate it. C'mon, Papyrus. Let's go." You replied as you started walking, pulling him along with you. "m'kay, i'm comin'." He replied as he tried to keep up with your pace. 

And as you were walking away, the last thing you heard Ms. Constable utter was this, "What even is that Mr. Smith man in to?" that remark caused you to faintly chuckle as you and Papyrus walked down the plain white hallway to go to Mr. Smith's office.

Chapter Text

You and Papyrus walked down the hallway, following Ms. Constable's instructions all the way until you got to a door with plaque that read "Detective Noah J. Smith". Right outside every few doors was a chair and right beside Mr. Smith's office's door was in fact, a chair just like the others. 

You took a deep breath, placing a solid knock on the wooden door. As soon as you moved your hand from the door, a quick shuffling noise was heard and the sound of something falling onto the ground rang out. "Yes? Who is it?" You heard Mr. Smith's voice speak in a surprised tone. "Oh, it's (Y\N) (L\N) and Papyrus..." You replied and there were a few seconds of silence. 

"He was there for the event, correct?" Mr. Smith asked which caused you to say "Yes, he was there near the end." in response. "Alright, then he must remain seated outside whilst your statements are being taken." Mr. Smith responded, his voice not having the same sound to it. "oh, that's bull-" Papyrus began before you gently nudged him. "It's okay, Papy. Just wish me luck, kay?" You told him and he sighed, nodding. "'alright, good luck, (y\n)." He sighed as he sat in the chair. 

You slowly pushed open the door and walked in, closing the door behind you and you looked up to see him. Mr. Smith seemed startled, "My God, I didn't say you could come in-" He suddenly remarked, a strange feeling coming off his aura. 

You looked down and saw his shirt was partially undone, a slightly toned chest was in view along with a pretty impressive bruise on his abdomen, likely from the gunshot. You were frightened as you backed yourself up against the door, but you soon realized that he seemed very distressed and was actually buttoning up his shirt. His hair's a mess and a lack of sleep is implied with the dark circles under the man's gray eyes. 

"I apologize," He began, his voice cracking. "I was merely looking at my bruise and I was not expecting you to come in so swiftly." He spoke as he buttoned up his shirt, reaching around and taking his tie that was loosely hanging off his shoulder and tying it back around his neck. 

You slowly walked over, swallowing nervously as you sat in the chair placed in front of the desk. "No, it's alright, Mr. Smith... That's a pretty nasty bruise, huh?" You replied and he leaned back in his chair. "Yes, it is, (Y\N)." He sighed, running a hand through his graying brown hair, clearly in a mix of emotions. "Noah, I can come back another day if you're not fit to take my statements today." You told him and he quickly shook his head, giving a weak smile. "No, no... I'll be just fine. We need to bring the bastard that did that shit to you down. Every hour that ticks by makes it harder and harder to find him." Mr. Smith commented. 

You looked around on his desk, another plaque with his name on it was placed off to the side and a closed laptop was in front of him. Along with that, a notebook and a holder of pens were on the left corner and a mug that says "#1 Dad" sits next to him, partially filled with coffee. Hung on the walls of the office are various pictures, one's a painting by Vincent Van Gogh and the rest are pictures of what you assume to be family. In one photo, he and his son are sitting in a convertible in sunglasses and matching suits, smiling as they pose together, and in another, Mr. Smith looks much younger and he's with two people that you haven't seen before. 

"I-I... Now... If you would like to start, do you know the criminal's name?" Mr. Smith asked you, tearing you attention away from the photos. "I only know his first name, it's Austin." You replied to him, wondering if he'll make it out of this without crying. 

He simply nodded, opening his laptop and quickly typing in some information. "Alright, describe his basic appearance to me, please." He spoke, looking over to you. 

You tapped a finger on your chin, sighing. "He has short, spiky blonde hair, he's fairly tall, not as tall as you, but at least six feet tall... And he has piercing green eyes." You replied and he quickly typed the information in on his computer. "We'll look up his general appearance characteristics to see if he matches any other suspects in our system later when we have more employees in." He spoke, running a hand through his hair. "Any other defining characteristics that would make him stand out?" He asked. 

You thought long and hard, "I think he may have had a crooked nose, like it had been broken before." You responded and he nodded, adding in the information. "Alright. Thank you, Miss (Y\N)." Mr. Smith responded as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips, taking a swig of what seemed to be completely cold java. 

You looked up at his gray eyes, it's very concerning that over the few minutes of being in here, they've just grown duller and duller. This is the first time that you've seen Mr. Smith look so broken. What the hell caused him to crack like this? Instead of having the normal 'player' shtick, he now looks melancholic and tired—very tired.  

You grew silent, just staring into his eyes and he stared right back, his body language conveyed a sense of hopelessness. The normally clean cut and well kept man had short stubble, messy hair, a wrinkled suit, and his tie is crooked from when he had quickly retied it. "Mr. Smith, are you okay?" You asked him in a concerned tone. 

He hesitated, looking down at his lap, then back at you. "Yes. I am fine. But this isn't abo-" You instantly cut him off, "You hesitated, Mr. Smith. On top of that, you look like you haven't had a good sleep in days and you've been on the verge of crying for the past 10 minutes." You replied, folding your arms. "You can't just tell me you're fine and expect me to believe you. What's wrong, Smith?" You asked in a worried tone, cocking your head to the side. 

He let out a deep sigh, rubbing his face. "Everything's just been really hard recently... Let it go, I'll be fine in a couple days." He replied and you shook your head. "Nope, friends don't just let things like this go." You spoke flatly and his mouth dropped open somewhat in surprise. He definitely doesn't look like he expected you to call him a friend, but at this point, he kinda is whether you like it or not. 

"So, go on. My ears are opened." You told him kindly with a gentle smile. He stuttered and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... After I got shot, I guess... I suppose everything started turning to shit..." Mr. Smith slowly began to explain reluctantly. "My son... He was distraught when he heard what happened. He loves me so much and realized how important I am to him when my life was so close to being snatched away from him..." He started. 

"Now, don't get me wrong, I adore Noah... He's my child, my flesh and blood... I know I seem selfish and like a douchebag sometimes... But he is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I am distressed as well that he almost lost his father... I don't want my son to be an orphan! He has no family that he could even live with if I passed... So he'd be thrown into foster care with complete strangers." He sighed, placing a hand on where his bruise is. 

"And... And so many people look at me, and they call me a bad father... I have heard people saying Noah should be taken away from me... But I can barely understand why! I am a single father, I have a busy career and two jobs... Yet I make time for my son. I help him with his homework, I make sure he is happy and I love taking him out for ice cream whenever I can." He added, tears forming in his eyes again. "I go to all his sports games that I can, which is not common of fathers... And..." He sighed, sniffling as he gently brushed his hand against his desk. 

"You're a single father, and it doesn't sound like your son's mom is in the picture. May I ask why?" You asked and he nodded weakly. "He wasn't meant to be conceived..." Mr. Smith replied, now rubbing his arm. "And he didn't come from a long term relationship either, so once his mother found out she was pregnant, we had already gone our separate ways long ago... She was absolutely pissed. But, she and her family wanted to keep the baby regardless and she said once he was born, I had to deal with him. And well, she kept that stance and still holds it to this day. I didn't want him to go to a stranger's home, especially if I knew nothing about them. So, I decided to raise him myself." Mr. Smith explained. 

"What about his grandparents? Surely he has some of those." You spoke, cocking your head to the side. "No. His mother's family doesn't want to be involved, and my parents... They passed away when I was a young man. They've been gone for over ten years." He responded, his lips twisting into a frown. "He truly only has me and his babysitter." He added dolefully. 

His hands are shaking with emotion, his eyes watering with tears the more he tries to hold his emotions back. "Well, surely one day you'll find a lady to love that'll be a wonderful wife to you and a great mother to Noa-" You began and he beat a fist on his desk, startling you. "Dammit, (Y\N)! I've already met her... My dream girl, the only woman I've truly loved abandoned me!" He spoke, finally starting to cry, the tears rolling down his cheeks which surprised you greatly. "Noah's mom...?" You asked and he shook his head. "No... My parents died when I was only 18, Lehana.... Lehana was there for me during a long struggle. All my life, I've been scrutinized for being 'odd' and 'different', but it was like she was the only girl to truly understand and know me." He spoke, emotion almost making him hard to understand. 

"I had known her for a while and we had been really close friends, and I knew it was risky... But I had to tell her my feelings. So, I did what my heart told me to do and confessed to her—rather awkwardly. And what did I get in return? She thought I was joking... She laughed at me and I was heartbroken." Mr. Smith spoke shakily. 

"I didn't know how to tell her I was serious... My confidence was crushed and eventually, one day... I decided to tell her again and she realized I wasn't joking. She told me she was in love with some other guy and she started avoiding me and we grew apart..." He continued. "And as I grew in status... I tried to forget her by meeting woman after woman... But having short relationships with women hasn't made me forget her." He sighed deeply. 

Mr. Smith leaned back in his office chair, wiping the tears from his face. "I apologize... It's just- ever since then, I haven't really felt that love is real and out there for me... So, if you're wondering why I'm like I am, that's why. Yes, I have made shitty decisions. Yes, I do sketchy things that not everyone agrees with. But, I am me and this is what I enjoy. I am not going to change myself for others. My parents didnt even support me fully with my confident ego and flirty ways, but I have come a long way. So, I am not ashamed." He spoke flatly. 

"So... You know how you act?" You asked and he sighed. "Deep down, I suppose so." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Wait, you said Lehana loves another man... Are... are they together?" You asked him curiously. "I don't think so, and I surely hope not. It's her hair stylist and I swear on my life I have seen him levitate before. There is just something eerie about that man... I don't trust him one bit." He responded. "You've seen him... What?" You asked, cocking your head to the side, furrowing your eyebrows. "You know levitation, like he's just floating in the air. And I swear I once saw through him. And he's pretty pale." He continued on.  

"You may be confused and be 'seeing' weird things about him because you're merely jealous, Mr. Smith." You responded, tapping your fingers on his desk. He rolled his gray eyes in return and shook his head. "I am not crazy, (Y\N). I know what I saw." He responded and you lifted an eyebrow. "Is he a monster?" You asked, pausing for a quick moment. "Because there are monsters that can do things like that." You added and he shook his head. "No... He looks much too much like a human. There is no way." Mr. Smith replied, scratching his cheek. 

"Welp, alright. I believe you. Anyway, I hope things get better soon for you and your son. He seems like a nice young boy- just... Make sure he respects others, alright?" You pleaded and he nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll do that. At least, the best I can." He murmured, sighing once again. 

"Erm, perhaps we should finish up the questioning and statements now, Mr. Smith." You spoke, trying to change the subject. He nodded in response and smiled weakly "I suppose you're right, Misses (Y\N). Let's catch that no good dipshit!" He exclaimed with a confident tone and you smiled, knowing that sometime soon that creep will be behind bars. 

Perhaps 'shit-stick' Smith isn't as bad as you thought. Well, he's still not a very good man, but in the end, he is trying his best to help you get a real sicko behind bars. And Mr. Smith may be a player, but from what you can tell, he's nothing like that no good Austin. And sure, he may even be a tad bit misunderstood. After all, he seems like he would do anything for those closest to him. Especially for his son whom he dearly adores just like every father should. 

Maybe sometime you can meet this 'Lehana' and her 'levitating' hair stylist. But, only time will tell. For now, it's time to relax and tell Mr. Smith everything you remember about Austin. That way, it'll be more likely that they'll catch him soon.

Chapter Text

[Papyrus' POV] 

The seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to an hour as I sat on the uncomfortable worn out chair outside of 'shit-stick' Smith's office. I had chewed at least fifteen toothpicks to ease my nerves and it's not helping that I can't even understand what they're saying inside of that office. For all I know, some real 'close up interrogations' could be goin' on and it's making me anxious as hell. 

But after playing many different games on my phone ranging from knockoff Flappybird sequels to Tetris, the door to Mr. Smith's office opens and I quickly turn around to be greeted by (Y\N) with a nervous smile on her lips. A few red streaks of where tears had rolled down her face are still visible and it sends a pang of sympathy pulsing through my soul. 

"Alright, Papy. It's your turn now. I'm sure it won't take long." She gave me a nervous smile and I stood up, quickly tucking my phone in my pocket. "alright, how was he today? shit-sticky?" I asked and she snorted, suppressing a laugh. "No, no. He was nice today. Don't worry at all, he wants to catch 'him' as much as we do." She responded in a surprisingly cheery voice. "welp, a'ight. wish me luck, kiddo." I spoke as I dipped my head to her. She nodded in acknowledgment before pulling me into a swift hug, causing a blush to appear on my cheekbones. I hug her back, holding her head against my chest for a second before stepping back. "I'll wish you lots of luck. Cya in a bit!" She responded and with a final wave, I stepped into that dreadful man's office, shutting the door behind me. 

"Good evening Mr..." Mr. Smith began and I walked forward, sitting in the chair in front of his desk. "papyrus." I replied, leaning back in my chair. "Just, Papyrus?" He asked and I manspread, exerting my dominance. "mmmm, yep." I respond, yawning and he furrows his eyebrows. "Alright then, Mr. Papyrus. Please describe to me what this 'Austin' character looked like." He asked me and I tapped a finger on my jawbone. "around six feet tall, like, an olive skin tone... green eyes and blonde hair." I respond, looking at my phalanges, cracking them for a few seconds before looking back up at the suited detective. He is quickly writing down the information on his laptop and I stare at him, observing his features. This is the first time I have seem him this close and I begin to wonder why I am trying to keep (y\n) from liking this guy. He's at least ten years older than her and has a kid. Why am I worried about him stealing her away? Would he even do such a thing? I eye Mr. Smith up and down and roll my pinpricks. Yeah, the 'shit-stick' definitely would. 

"Alright, Mr. Papyrus, when did Miss (L\N) first tell you about Austin?" He suddenly asked, drawing my attention back to his gray gaze. "ya know, ya don't have to call me a 'mister'. just call me papyrus or somethin'. formalities aren't needed." I murmured coldly. "Alright, then, Papyrus. I apologize. Now, please, answer the question. The more time we waste, the harder it'll be to find Austin." He replied and I am somewhat impressed by his lack of reaction to my remark. "a'ight, she didn't. well, she did after i came across him tryin' to kidnap her." I responded. "She didn't tell you?" He asked in surprise, lifting an eyebrow. "nope. but apparently she felt it was important to tell you." I mumbled in response. "i don't know why she even told ya. you didn't do much to stop 'em, did ya?" I remark in annoyance. 

Mr. Smith blinked and moved his hand from his computer's mouse, leaning back in his chair. He folded his hands and looked me dead in the eyes. "Papyrus, there is no reason to treat me with such contempt. I am not trying to steal your girlfriend away from you." He spoke flatly and I grew silent. "I cannot help that she told me about this 'Austin' character first. And Papyrus, I could only do so much to protect her. After all, I have two jobs and I ended up being shot by a convict in a bar the night before the incident. I may have had a bulletproof vest on, but regardless, I had very painful bruising so I was working from home and comforting my son." He explained and I stayed silent as I pondered on what to reply. 

"i'm very sorry for actin' like an ass... i'm just kinda protective over 'er since everything has happened..." I sigh and rub the back of my cervical vertebrae. "and she's not my girlfriend." I added, the words nearly catching in my throat with a pang of dejection. Mr. Smith lets out a low hum, sitting back up. He takes a hold of a black fountain pen on his desk and taps the end on his desk. "Well, that makes sense." He simply remarked and I lift a 'bone'brow. "excuse me, the hell does that mean?" I ask in response and he looks at me straight again. "You've been friendzoned, haven't you, Papyrus?" He suddenly asked and I let out a deep sigh. "More or less." I murmured quietly and he dips his head. "I see..." He responded, his voice trailing off. 

I tap my phalanges on my femur and as I'm about to reply, he starts speaking first. "Listen, I know that it hurts and that you're scared of rejection... But you have to try and ask her out. You have to try. It's better her saying no then you living your life unhappily as you just tag around with her under a 'friend' status... I have been in a similar... Situation and I am glad I at least told her my feelings." Mr. Smith spoke with a sigh. "but it didn't work for you, did it?" I ask in response and he stays still before lowering his head in shame. "No, it didn't work out... But it would have killed me to see her date another guy without me confessing my feelings to her. Papyrus, she is a very pretty lady and we both don't know exactly what's going through her mind. But, it'd be the wiser choice to just try. Tell her that you like her, hell, kiss her or something, just don't let the days pass by without telling her that you love her. After all, one day it could be too late." He replied with a sigh. 

"well, i guess you have a point. but what if it ruins our friendship?" I asked in response and he looked down at his feet, staying silent for quite a few moments. "What if she doesn't, Papyrus? She obviously cares for you a lot with the way she talked about you with me. And even if you did confess and she didn't share the same feelings, who says she'd leave you? Not all friendships end because of a crush." Mr. Smith replied, his gray eyes calm. "i guess you're right... shit, wait, since when were you my therapist?" I ask, completely baffled as to how our conversation got so off topic. "Apparently..." He starts, but pauses looking down at his watch, "Around seven minutes ago." He finishes and I shake my skull. "why would you help me? i thought you didn't like believe in love, or somethin' like that?" I question him and he sighs. "I don't believe love's for me... But I do know it exists..." He murmurs, his grip tightening on his pen for a moment. "Hey, Papyrus... Don't tell anyone we had this conversation, alright?" He suddenly asks and I cock my skull to the side.

"...why?" I asked in a confused tone. Does he really not want people to know he's nice or something? 

"Simply because... Well, this is not exactly what I am supposed to be talking to you about. I do not think my boss would be very pleased with such a extraneous conversation happening between us whilst I was supposed to be interviewing you." He responded, scooting his chair closer to his desk, pressing a key on his laptop to make it come out of sleep mode. His explanation seems truthful, but I definitely sense there's something more to it that he isn't saying. Like perhaps, he doesn't want people to know he isn't the apathetic ass they always think he is. Or, perhaps I'm just looking too far into things. 

"alright, i can promise that." I dip my head, reluctantly agreeing since I really don't like making promises after what happened a long time ago with Chara and Frisk. 

"Thank you very much, Papyrus. Now, shall we continue, sir?" He asks me as he puts down his pen, hovering his hands over his laptop's keyboard. "mmhm, yeah. let's take that creep down." I responded as I leaned back in the chair, becoming a lot more relaxed. "Great, I am glad to have your assistance, Papyrus." He gives me a gentle grin before going back to typing again. "How old are you, Papyrus?" He asked, turning to me. "i'm 25." I replied and he nodded, writing down information. "How tall are you, Papyrus?" He questioned, not looking up from his computer screen. "mmmm, probs around like 6'5" or somethin'." I reply and he nods, writing it down. "Thank you." He replied. 

"Anyway, now, when you saw Austin, what did you do?" Mr. Smith asked me. "i watched for a split second before comin' up behind her, tellin' him to get his hands off of her." I replied and he typed in the information as per usual. 

"Did you ever physically hurt, him, Papyrus?" He suddenly asked, and my shoulders drooped for a moment. "i do think i threw him against a tree with my magic and thew a bone attack at him while he was runnin' for dear life." I responded. Mr. Smith let out a hum, tapping his fingers on the edge of his laptop. "Alright. Thank you, Papyrus. Now, it is time for you to recount what you saw on that day. Start from when you first arrived and go until Austin fled." He instructed and I nodded, my nerves getting the best of me as I pull a toothpick from my pocket, setting it in my mouth. "kay, smith." I sigh before beginning the long and painful story. 

---------------------------------------------

After around 20 more minutes of conversation, I was finally allowed to go so I give my phone number to Mr. Smith just in case any more news springs up about this case before saying my quick goodbyes. I am so ready to get out of this damn place. So with ease, I open his door quickly and walk out out of there faster than I've walked in months. I lean against his closed door and let out a breathy sigh. "damn, that was rough, kid." I murmured to (y\n). I hear her giggle in response and I turn to her. She was drawing on her phone it seems, the sketch of a small puppy on her screen is quite adorable. But before I can see it much longer, she puts her phone on sleep mode and stands up, tucking it in her pocket. 

"How'd it go, Pap?" She asked and I tap a phalanx on my chin. "it was tolerable i guess." I replied after a few seconds and she smiles gently. "Well, my greatest apologies that you had to have your statements taken as well... I wasn't meaning for you to be dragged into this shitty mess so much, so I'm very sorry, Papy." She sighs, her smile disappearing and turning into a slight frown. 

Remembering what Mr. Smith told me leaves a tight feeling in my soul. I have such a need to tell her my feelings, but I do not want to make things harder for her. If she doesn't happen to share my feelings, that'll only make things worse with how crazy life has been for her recently. So, I decide to hold back my feelings for the greater good. At least, for now. 

"oh, honey, it's fine. i'd rather be involved with this than leave ya to deal with it alone. you don't need ta apologize, kay, kiddo?" I responded, standing up straight again. 

"But Papyrus... This should be my burden... Not yours. I brought all this upon myself, you've already done so much for me. This isn't what you deserve... You deserve so much more." She murmurs. "really? do ya think you deserve to go through it or somethin'? because hell no, no you don't. buds like us gotta stick by each other through thick and thin, ya know?" I respond and she looks away from me, grabbing her arm. "c'mon, (y\n)... don't be like this. what happened isn't your fault." I commented and she looks to me. "You really aren't upset with me for pulling you into this?" She asks and I frown seeing how broken she looks. "of course, i would never get upset at that. i'm happy that i can be here for you." I respond and she stays silent for at least a minute before running the few steps to me, hugging me close and I can feel my cheekbones grow warm. I hug her back and as per usual, she lays her head on my chest which causes me to smile. "Thank you, Papy... I am so glad that I met you." She speaks into my hoodie. "likewise, (y\n). you've made my life so much better..." I whisper and I feel her cling on tighter. 

After a few minutes of hugging in the middle of the hall, she pulls away. "Thanks," She began, wiping slight tears from the corners of her eyes. "I really needed that hug." She finished with a weak smile. "no need ta thank me... say, when's maia heading back to ya today? if it's not within an hour or so, would ya like to go out and get some ice cream or somethin'?" I suggested and her eyes brightened a bit. "Heck yeah! I-I mean, Maia let me know while you were talking to Mr. Smith that she'll be back around 7:00 rather than 5:00. So, considering it's just 5:30, we totally have time to do that." She replied in an excited manner, her eyes practically twinkling. "m'kay, then let's go. it'll be fun." I respond, grinning as I begin to walk back to the front. 

She quickly follows, trying to match my long strides, so I soon find myself slowing down a bit so we can be side by side. She is smiling brightly, which is a great improvement compared to what happened just mere minutes ago. 

We walk down the halls into the waiting room, looking back at Ms. Constable at the receptionist's desk. She hasn't changed much in the time we've been with Mr. Smith. She's really only put on more lipstick. In fact, it's really not her color. But, moving on from her appearance, I see her stare at us intently, lifting her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. I lift a 'bone'brow in response and she rolls her eyes, turning to a police officer that's leaning over the desk, talking to her coworker. 

But, (Y\N) doesn't go and speak with her and she just reaches over, taking my bony hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. And well, after that, we walk out of the doors and begin walking down the stairs. She pulls her hand away and looks up at me. "Why don't we walk? Your 'shortcuts' are great and everything, but I think a nice walk would be great right now to ease our nerves." She suggested and I think for a moment. "m'kay, which direction are we goin'?" I ask and she smiles brightly. "Yay! Er- how about Lincoln Avenue? There are so many pretty Japanese Maples down that road and this time of the year is perfect for walking that way. Oh! And Dubuc's ice cream shoppe is at the end of that road so I think it's perfect!" She remarked, looking up at me enthusiastically. "alright, that sounds perfect." I smile, looking down at her animated countenance.

She claps her hands and she takes my hand. "Well, let's go, skele-boy!" She giggles as she begins to pull me along with her as she runs. I can't help but chuckle as well as I try my best to keep up. "chill, kid. calm down. i thought ya wanted to walk, not run." I snicker and she laughs, her face turning a slight pink as she slides to a stop. "Right, right. Sorry, Pap!" She replied, a sense of humor in her tone. "heh, it's good, kid." I replied, smiling brightly. 

"Anyway, shall we?" She asks, holding out her arm for me. I grin, curtsying. "''course, letsa gooo!" I snicker as I take her arm and we both begin walking to Lincoln Avenue, chatting casually along the way. It's funny how this girl can make me feel so happy and alive. Not that nobody else can, but it's just so much different with her. Maybe I'm just being foolish, but I think it's true when I say I'm falling more and more in love with her every day. (Y\N) is a really special gal and I hope to someday show her that. But for now, it seems I'll be watering that passion down. After all, I do not want to scare her off with any confessions in this hard time for her. I look forward to the future when I will finally gather my courage and tell her how I feel, but for now I will have to deal with the friend zone, no matter how much it sometime pains me. 

Chapter Text

You and Papyrus laughed and happily walked side by side down the sidewalks of Lincoln Avenue. The Japanese maples glowed in the autumn sun, the vibrant orange and yellow hues are simply breathtaking and you can't help but smile as you walk down the path, observing every tree. 

It wasn't too long before you and Papyrus finally made it to Dubuc's Ice Cream Shoppe. Its colorful purple, pink, orange and blue exterior isn't hard to miss. Papyrus hurried and fast-walked to the door of the store, opening it for you politely with a smile. "ladies first~" He cooed with a wink. "What a gentleman~" You cooed back with a grin as you quickly caught up, walking through the door. "Thank you, good sir!" You thanked him as soon as he walked in after you. "mmhm, madam." He snickered in response. 

"Aha! I knew you'd be back some time, Russ!" Chuckled a deep, croaky voice. You turned your head to the counter of the shop and standing behind it was an older man, probably around 70. The man has a gray beard and gray hair. Along with that, he has brown eyes, chocolatey skin, and a wonderful smile. 

"james! how are ya doin', pal?" Papyrus asked as he happily walked to the counter since nobody else was in line at the moment. Though, a few people sat at tables and conversed nearby. You followed him, smiling as you stood by his side. 

"I've been good, ole pal! Though, I am sad to say I gotta quit soon. Doctor's orders." James sighed, tugging on the multicolored apron he was wearing. "doctor's orders?" Papyrus echoed, cocking his skull to the side in confusion. "Mmmhm, I have a heart condition. Doctor says it's too straining for me to work " he replied, sadness in his tone. "well, you don't need to work, james. didn't ya say ya just work for the hell of it?" Papyrus asked and James thought for a moment. "I know, but I work because I love seein' all the faces of Ebott and beyond... I've worked here since it opened 5 years ago. Luis hired me right off the bat, Russ. I love bein' here." James responded, a tinge of sadness in his tone. "ah, i'm really sorry, james... that really sucks... but hey, ya can still come 'ere! don't fret, bud. you can always visit from the tables rather than from behind the counter." Papyrus replied, obviously trying to cheer the older man up a bit. 

"Yea, you're right... I can always make my mark and meet all the people another way." His frown lessened and he sighed, clearly still pretty upset. "But I mean, this town is getting more and more popular since you all showed up and so is this shop... It's gonna be sad not being able to meet all those wonderful people." James commented, scratching the back of his neck. "I was delighted when you and your little brother started coming, Russ, same with all your friends! It was getting to be rather boring seeing the same faces day after day... Until, boom! Monsters all over Ebott City!" He exclaimed and Papyrus let out a deep chuckle and you giggled. "yup, sounds about right. we all love ya, james. you're a cool ole chap." He replied and James smiled. 

"Thanks Russ. Now... Hello, this must be (Y\N)!" James suddenly spoke which made you blink in confusion. "You know me?" You asked in confusion and he nodded, smiling. "Of course! Papyrus has mentioned you, miss. On top of that, Luis has mentioned how you are a model customer as well." James replied kindly, his eyes bright. "Oh, well it's very nice to meet you, Mr. James!" You responded politely, smiling. "Likewise, misses! It is a pleasure to meet you at last! Now, what would you two like on this fine autumn day?" He asked, leaning against the counter. 

You looked down at the various metal containers of ice cream flavors, they all look so delicious. "may i have my special, james?" Papyrus asked, a chuckle present in his voice. "Of course. It is your favorite after all, Russ." James responded with a husky snicker. 

You looked over every flavor, reading all the plaques until your eyes fell upon (f\f). Instantly after you saw it, you looked up to him. "May I have a waffle cone with two scoops of (f\f) ice cream? Oh! And may I please have rainbow sprinkles on top of it?" You asked and James smiled. "Mmhm! That'll be $5.55, will that be cash, debit or credit?" He asked and you fumbled for your wallet. But before you could fully pull it out, Papyrus gently placed his bony hand on your shoulder. "i got it, kid. it'll be debit, please." Papyrus responded as he pulled out his wallet, inserting his card into the chip reader. "Oh, thanks Papyrus- I could have paid though." You replied and he turned to you, giving a gentle smile. "i owe ya, remember? ya bought me a bottle of honey." He replied so you couldn't argue, so you complied and let him pay, deciding not to mention you owe him like $20 due to your bets.

Once he was done paying, he put his card back into his wallet, tucking his wallet back in his pocket. In response to that, James fixed your ice cream cone, handing it over to you and then he disappeared into the back leaving Papyrus to grin as he leaned his hip against the counter. "What're you up to, Pap?" You asked him in a suspicious tone. He snickered in response. "nothin' kid. he's just gettin' my norm." Papyrus replied, still smirking. You lifted an eyebrow and let out a small laugh, shaking your head before taking a single lick of your ice cream cone impatiently. 

Within a few moments, James came back with a silver container full of a light tan ice cream. He quickly scooped some up into a waffle cone, before putting 3 more scoops on top of it. Thinking that was it, you turned to Papyrus but he gestured with his phalanges to look back, so you did and your mouth gaped open in surprise. James had taken out a bottle of honey and was drizzling it on the ice cream. After that, he added some nuts and a cherry onto it before handing it over to Papyrus. "There you go, double honey, just like you like it, Russ." James spoke with a wink and he snickered. "thanks man, ya know me too well, bud." He replied and waved. "i'll see ya 'round james. ciao!" Papyrus spoke and you waved to him too. "It was wonderful meeting you, sir!" You replied and James nodded politely. "Thank you two, I hope you have a nice day and I hope to see you around as well... I am very glad I could meet you, (Y\N)." James gave a weak smile and waved goodbye which broke your heart, but you knew staying and talking more wasn't going to help him with his pensive sadness, so with one last goodbye, you and Papyrus walked outside of the shop, sitting on a purple bench that had skulls carved into the backs. 

You began to fully eat your ice cream now that you both had a cone and you smiled at the familiar- yet improved taste of (f\f). "Mmmmm-" you murmured and he let out a deep chuckle, before lickin- 

You froze, eyes widening in surprise as you watched him lick his ice cream with an orange tongue... A tongue?! How have you not noticed that he has a blatantly orange tongue in his mouth before?! 

"You... You have a tongue?" You asked in surprise and he simply nodded, looking to you. "mmmhm-" He murmured in response. He licked his three scoops of ice cream from bottom to top, not breaking eye contact which caused you to turn faintly pink, choking slightly on your own saliva. 

Papyrus instantly burst out laughing seeing your reaction before quickly saying. "sorry, sorry. just messin' with ya, honey. yeah, i do have a tongue... though it's not permanently affixed to my mouth. i can summon it." through his laughter. 

You giggled in embarrassment, looking away bashfully. "It's fine, your joke wasn't tasteless." You joked coyly. He snickered, going back to his ice cream. "good one, i like a nice palatable joke." He responded with a wink. "Oh, same! Especially jokes that don't leave a bitter taste in your mouth." You replied, your (e\c) eyes bright as you looked back at him. "heh, yeah. those are the worst, bud." He chuckled, grinning widely. 

"Welp, I'm out of puns." You laughed before turning your attention back to your ice cream before it melted. "heh, same. there are only so many tasteful jokes one can make " Papyrus remarked and you giggled.  "Oh my God, Papyrus. Do you run on puns or something?" You asked him in a humored tone and he nodded his skull, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "yup, jokes are my gasoline." He replied and you rolled your eyes, letting out a small laugh. 

After your small joke fest, everything got quiet for a while. After all, the ice cream was going to melt if all you two did was talk. But soon, the silence was broken with the ringing of your phone. You looked over at Papyrus, lifting an eyebrow. "I wonder who that'll be." You remarked before you slid your phone out of your pocket. When you got your phone out, the caller ID made your eyebrow lift even higher. "It's Mr. Smith?" You murmured, confusion in your voice.  "odd, maybe ya accidentally left somethin' in his office?" Papyrus suggested and you hummed in thought. "Maybe so... But I don't think that I did." You replied before promptly answering the phone, putting it on speaker right off the bat. 

"Hello, Mr. Smith. You're on speaker." You answered. "Hello, Miss (Y\N). Is Papyrus still with you?" Mr. Smith asked. "Uh, yeah. He's right next to me listening to the phone call." You replied. "yo." Papyrus greeted Mr. Smith. "Good, hello Papyrus. I have information regarding Austin- we have identified him and we were able to track him to Ebott City hospital. His name is Austin Ricardo and he checked in the hospital for an injury sustained the day you were attacked, (Y\N)." Mr. Smith responded and your eyes widened. 

"Were you able to catch him?" You asked, sitting up, gripping onto the metal armrest of the bench. "please tell me ya did..." Papyrus spoke, seemingly holding his breath in anticipation. 

"That's the thing, no. We were unable to locate him in time. He had been released from the hospital mere hours before we noticed the name and description in the hospital's records." He replied and Papyrus let out a grunt. "dammit!" He groaned and you frowned. 

"Well, where are the police looking now?" You asked, your heart beating fast. "They are on the way to Austin's suspected residence. But if they cannot find him there, I can guarantee that the search will only expand more. We cannot let this dangerous man roam the streets for much longer." Mr. Smith responded and you sighed. "Thank you, Mr. Smith." You thanked him reluctantly. "There is no need to thank me, Miss (Y\N). Now, if you see Austin Ricardo anywhere around town, call the police immediately." He insisted. "Of course, thanks again Mr. Smith. Have a nice day."  You spoke quietly. "Once again there's no need to thank me. Thank you, miss, and I wish the same to you and Papyrus. Goodbye." He replied and bid his adieu, causing you to do the same before quickly hanging up. 

You groaned, your hand quickly covering your face in a moment of stress. "Dammit, Papyrus... They missed him. They missed that bastard by just a few hours! What if he hurts someone else because they didn't find him in time?! I'll never be able to forgive myself if that happens." You emotionally murmured, uncovering your face, gesturing with your hand to express your emotional strain. 

"(y\n)... calm down." Papyrus murmured with a deep sigh, reaching over and taking your free hand in his. "relax, the cops are doin' the best they can. plus, that douche is smart enough to run rather than continually commit crimes. it's not your fault, and it never will be. okay?" He spoke to you softly and reassuringly. His gaze was soft despite the obvious feeling of disappointment coming off of him. 

"But... But if I had reported him earlier, then it wouldn't be as hard to find him! I-" you started, but he cut you off, squeezing your hand reassuringly. "everything will be okay. stop stressin' over this... it's just makin' ya feel worse and worse when ya just need to relax. look, ya got ice cream in that half-eaten ice cream cone still. don't ya dare make me eat it, 'cause I will." He playfully threatened to try and make you laugh, and he succeeded. You giggled slightly against your will. "But Papyrus-" You whined and Papyrus gasped. "did you just call me butt papyrus?" He asked as he placed a hand on his chest, acting hurt. 

"Papyrus, that's such a dad joke." You snorted and he grinned. "who says i'm not a dad?" He asked, snickering and you hummed in thought for a moment. "I mean, I technically can't know, I suppose." You replied and he deeply chuckled. "exactly, for all ya know I could have a bunch of little pap spawns runnin' around my house." He chuckled. 

"Honestly, that'd be so damn pure." You laughed, before going back to your ice cream cone. Papyrus grinned from... 'ear hole to ear hole' before whispering "success~" which caused you to smile as well. 

And with that, all the anxiety had been washed from your mind by the punny skeleton's jokes. That of course helped you to relax and you both returned to peaceful, joyful conversations whilst you both finished your ice cream cones. And the best part isn't the ice cream, nor the pretty scenery that surrounds Dubuc's Ice Cream Shoppe, it's that you get to be with Papyrus one on one. That is refreshing and it makes you happy to have him all to yourself... Well, at least for now. You know you'll both go your separate ways soon, but you choose not to dwell on that. You decide to stay in the moment and enjoy Papyrus' presence while it lasts. After all, you have no idea how long it'll be until you get another one on one hangout. But, you really hope that you both be able to hang out like this again soon. 

Chapter Text

"and then I said, 'cover me!' as they started throwing all my corn dogs at me." Papyrus joked as you and him walked down the road leading to your house. "Oh my God," you snorted. "Did they cover you?" You asked and he snickered, shaking his head. "nah, they were too engaged in watching corn dogs being pelted at me." He chuckled. 

You laughed and shook your head, "I can't believe you used to sell corn dogs in the underground... It just seems so random. Why didn't you just sell hot dogs?" You asked with a small chuckle as you looked to the tall skeleton. "mmm, i'm not sure. it just seemed a bit 'classic' to me." Papyrus replied with a casual shrug, chuckling a bit. 

"Well, I'd just say it's sorta corny." You snickered and he grinned, gently nudging you with his elbow. But all the laughing and jokes were cut off when your phone began to ring again. You looked around in confusion, "Who could that be?" you wondered out loud as you pulled your phone from your pocket. You glanced at the caller ID and your face became blank as you quickly denied the call, shoving it back into your pocket, picking up pace.

"(y\n), who was that?" Papyrus asked as he quickly lengthened his strides to catch up. "It's not important," You grumbled. "was it 'him'?" He suddenly asked and you shook your head. "then who was it?" He asked again and you groaned. "Papyrus, listen to me." You stopped and turned to him. "It's not important, okay? Don't worry about me." You replied flatly and as you turned to walk away, he surprised you by grabbing your arm securely. "tell me." He spoke, his voice seemingly empty of the normal warmth you'd grown accustomed to which left you speechless. 

It took you a while to find your words because you were so taken aback by his actions. "U-uh... It was j-just one one of my older friends... I c-called and cried to you over them... You r-remember that, yeah?" You spoke in a shaky tone and he quickly let go once he heard your nervousness. "i'm sorry, i don't know what got into me there." Papyrus quickly apologized. "Papyrus, it's fine. I-I know you're just a little worried about me." You replied, giving a weak smile before taking his bony hand in yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. "yeah... but that doesn't excuse it." He sighed, looking down but you let go of his hand and pulled him into a big hug instead. "Shut up, Papy. I don't care." You replied before soon pulling away. 

A light tangerine blush dusted his cheekbones and he smiled weakly. "alright, alright." He spoke with a slight smile. "Now," You started, smiling as you took his hand again, leading him forward. "once I get back to my apartment, wanna hang out with Maia and me?" You asked and he sighed, shaking his head. "wish i could, kiddo. but i'm in charge of dinner tonight." He spoke, his smile only growing more, turning into a mischievous grin. 

"Oh no, what are you gonna do?" You asked, chuckling slightly at his goofy countenance. "i'm gettin' kfc, ofc." He snickered to himself. "KFC? That seems pretty mild." You laughed slightly. "maybe from a quick glance, but when ya think about it- sans dislikes kfc and really doesn't like eating from there." He responded. "Why does he not like it?" You questioned and he chuckled, shaking his skull. "it's one of the greasiest fast food joints up 'ere and sans loves me eatin' healthy. so this place kinda irks 'em. his reactions never fail." He explained, winking and you laughed a bit. "Ah, brothers will be brothers. If he doesn't like it, I'm sure he has tons of spare tacos to eat anyway." You joked and he laughed, nodding. "exactly."

And not even two minutes after that, you and Papyrus had finally made it to your apartment only to see the brown and black striped cat that was at Papyrus' house a while ago washing itself by a trash can on the curb. "Is that Stripes?" You asked and Papyrus looked around until he spotted it. "huh, that is 'er. c'mere bucko!" Papyrus called to the cat before clicking his tongue slightly, kneeling on the ground and holding out his hand. 

The cat looked around for a second, pausing mid-lick before standing up and bounding over to you and Papyrus, letting out a light meow. He smiled, gently scooping her up in his bony arms, causing her to purr happily. "she's walked quite a ways. much more than i'd ever walk." He joked and you laughed. "I'd say I relate but I've already walked that stretch." You replied with a slight chuckle, looking down at the green-eyed kitty. 

"You sure you two don't want to take her in? What if she gets hurt?" You asked. "i dunno... i've wondered that too, ya know? but i dunno. there's just a feelin' in my bones that is sayin' she's not mine ta keep." Papyrus replied with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Weird... But eh, if she's made it this far she must know what she's doing." You replied with a gentle smile and Papyrus snickered a bit. "hell, she probs knows more about life than we do. maybe she's our guardian angel and that's why she's in front of your apartment building." He joked and you looked at the cat that just looked back at you with an innocent gaze. "Or what if she's worse? A bringer of darkness to drag chaos into our lives~ little do we know, she is the one who made Austin show up in my life." You joked back and he snickered. 

"noo, nottt stripes-!" Papyrus whined playfully and Stripes just let out a loud mewl and jumped from his arms, rubbing against your legs, purring. "Is that an apology, oh bringer of darkness?" You let out a small giggle as you bent down and stroked her, causing her to purr more. 

But, as a big 18-wheeler zoomed past on the small street, Stripes nervously darted away under a bush to hide. "i guess that's my cue." Papyrus spoke with hesitance causing you to quickly glance at him. "Oh, Papy. It's so hard to say goodbye!" You replied, your gaze sad which caused a frown to appear on the tall skeleton's face. "i know," Papyrus sighed, holding out his arms. "c'mere, kid. your ole friend needs his goodbye hug." He spoke and you bit your lip, thinking for a moment before reaching up, grabbing the neckline of his hoodie, pulling him down to your level. You observed his features for a moment as his cheekbones turned more and more orange. But, in a quick moment that you both wish could've lasted longer, you kissed his cheekbone softly. 

After pulling away, his entire skull was orange and he toyed with the strings of his hoodie as you pulled him into a big bear hug. "Thanks for the wonderful afternoon. Everything was so much better with you there! I thank you for being such a gentleman as well, Paps." You whispered as you wrapped your arms around him. Papyrus seemed to cherish every moment of the sweet embrace, making sure he squeezed you as tight as he could without hurting you. The hug lasted even longer than your last shared embrace, but both of you didn't mind. Hell, you'd both be completely happy to be like this forever. But, knowing you have a friend anxiously awaiting for your return, Papyrus pulls away with a gentle smile. 

"i'll let ya get back to your friend. have a nice night and i'll see ya soon, (y\n). ciao!" He spoke with a kind nod, causing you to nod in return. "You have a nice night too! Be safe and text me when you get home, mister!" You replied with a slight shake of your index finger. "of course, madam~ as you wish." Papyrus replied with a chuckle. "Good. I'll see you later, Mr. Candy Corn~" You giggled, waving goodbye before turning and walking to your apartment complex door, unlocking it, going inside and shutting the door behind you. And just as usual, by the time you glanced out the window, the butternut squash of a skeleton was nowhere in sight. "This man..." You sighed with a shake of your head before turning around and walking up all the stairs to your apartment. Then, you unlocked your door and walked in only to be greeted by Maia sitting on your couch with her arms folded. 

"Well, little miss, where have you been with your boyfriend~?" She asked with a giggle and you rolled your eyes. "Oh, shut up. We just went to get ice cream after we were both interviewed and that was it. And, he's not my boyfriend, so hush." You responded, putting your keys and such up before walking to your room. 

"Maybe not yet, but he will be soon." Maia replied, snickering slightly. You sighed, pulling your shirt over your head, replacing it with a light gray tee. "He doesn't like me that way, Maia. Please just cut it. We're literally just friends." You replied and you could just feel her shake her head from the other room. "But you like him? Hmmm? Did I just get you to admit your crush?" She replied, quite baffled. 

You let out a sigh, quickly changing into a pair of light blue gym shorts before walking back into the living room, sitting beside her. You run a hand through your (h\l) (h\c) hair, biting your lip again. "I mean... I guess. You already know anyways." You reply and Maia grins smugly. "I knew it! You two are perfect for each other, holy heck, (Y\N)!" She exclaimed and you blushed faintly. "You really think so?" You asked bashfully. "Hell yeah, I think so!" She exclaimed loudly which made you smile, looking down timidly. 

After a few moments, you finally looked back up at your friend, she looked like she was absolutely fangirling at this moment and you decided to mess with her a bit. "So, like you and Sans?" You asked with a mischievous smirk causing her face to slowly flush red. "What?" She spoke in surprise. "Oh, come on. I could totally see through your 'polite' act. You were totally complimenting the blueberry because you found him cute!" You spoke and she played with her blonde locks. "He's cute, yeah... But even a puppy is cute." She rebuffed, but in a very small manner... As if she can't deny the truth~

"Maia, dude. You weren't looking at him in a 'puppy cute' sense and you know it." You chuckled and she pouted slightly, her lips scrunching up. Big, bold Maia was going to retort what you said, but was quickly silenced by your phone ringing. You know she must be extremely grateful that whoever this is cut in. 

"Aw, damn. Who's this now?" You spoke out loud as you looked at your phone's screen. It was them again—to be specific, Audrey. Seeing her name in your phone's screen yet again made you scowl and you soon felt your eyes narrow in anger. "...(Y\N), who the heckle is that?" Maia asked as she felt the growing tenseness coming from you. "It's that no good, back stabbing bi-" You were silenced by Maia snatching the phone from your hand, answering it and putting it on speaker. "Talk to her." She mouthed and you swallowed hard, nodding reluctantly. "What do you want, Audrey?" You spoke, your voice deeper due to your irritation. 

"You disgust me." Were Audrey's first words and they made your breaths hitch. "Excuse me?!" You replied with venom in your voice. "You are a disgusting human being, you no good halfwit!" She yelled. "The hell did I ever do to you?!" You exclaimed in response. "You betrayed me and befriended the enemy!" She hissed. "Pardon me? Last time I checked, this is my life, you asshat!" You growled. 

"I saw you with that thing from the coffee shop. I saw you and him walking side by side, hand in hand, how sickening!" Audrey yelled. "It's not sickening, Audrey. It's a beautiful friendship and you have no say in who (Y\N) hangs out with so shut your incompetent mouth and go back to smooching your girlfriend." Maia suddenly spoke up and Audrey got quiet, her heavy breaths could be heard through the phone.. "Don't bring Grace into this, you twit! I can't believe someone as smart as you could support literal monsters, Maia. Our friendship is over." She exclaimed in response and Maia chuckled, shaking her head back and forth. "It already was, Audrey. I lost hope in you as soon as I found out what you and Grace have been doing since I left. You two are the ones that are sickening." Maia hissed. 

"I can't believe you can just discriminate against a whole race of people like this! You should know not to do that, Audrey! It's common sense!" Maia added and you heard Audrey audibly growl from the other line. "They're monsters, Maia. This isn't Scooby Doo!" She growled and you saw a smirk appear on Maia's face. "Then pull off your mask, Audrey." She spoke bluntly with a tinge of humor in her voice. The line fell silent and you stifled a laugh as Audrey exploded out with profanities and discrepancies. But, there was only so much you could take before you took back your phone again. "Goodbye, Audrey. Let me live my own damn life and don't call me again just to bitch about my life choices. Have a nice life." You spoke blandly before you swiftly smashed the 'end call button', dropping your phone onto the couch as if it was a mic drop. 

"I swear, she has some nerve." You grumbled and Maia nodded. "I know... If she calls again, just ignore it. You don't need her problematic stance in your life." She replied and you tapped a finger on your chin. "You're right..." You sighed, thinking for a minute. "Damn, this really is quite the bone of contention..." You spoke and Maia nodded yet again. "Let's just hope it goes smoothly from now on." She replied. "Yes... Let's hope it does." You agreed solemnly.

Chapter Text

After cooling off and discussing your first day at work with Maia, she changed the subject to the hangout you're supposed to be planning for Wednesday.

"So, have you written your neighbor yet? I think her name was Evony?" Maia asked and you internally swore once you realized you'd forgotten all about that. "Well, I meant to. But I guess I never got around to it?" You spoke in response. "Well, you should probably write her. After all, that's in like 4 days. Maia replied and you nodded. " I know, I know." You sighed. "I'll call her right now." You added as you picked up your phone from the arm of the couch.

You put in your passcode, unlocking your phone before quickly opening up your contacts and clicking on Evony's name. The phone didn't ring for long, in fact it was mere seconds before she answered the phone. "Hello? (Y\N), You know, you made me wait quite a while for you to call." Evony joked as you quickly put the phone on speaker. You giggled in response. "Hey, I have you on speaker. I'm with my bestie, Maia here." You responded and Maia smiled. "Hello!" She greeted your neighbor.

"Hello, Maia!" Evony spoke sweetly "Now, what's up?" She quickly added. "We were wondering if you'd like to come over Wednesday and hang out with us and two other friends. We are planning on eating pizza and watching a movie." You explained and you heard her let out a soft 'hmm' before replying with a cheery "Of course!", " I'd absolutely love to come!" She chirped, causing you to smile. "Great! I think we'll gather around 5:30 PM. That sound good to you?" You asked. "Yeah! That's great!" She responded.

"Okay, cool. We'll see you then I guess?" You questioned. "Yeah! I'll see you all then. Au revoir!" Evony responded. "Nice! See you later, bye!" You responded before she promptly hung up.

"Cool, sounds like she's coming." Maia remarked before yawning, stretching her arms. "Yeah, it does. Seems like Wednesday will be one hell of a night." You chuckled, smiling. Maia giggled in response, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "You got work tomorrow?" She suddenly asked and you clicked your tongue. "Huh, guess I do." You responded and Maia grunted, shaking her head back and forth in disapproval. "But it'll be Sundayyy-" She whined. "Yeah, and I need to pay for this place, so I'm afraid I gotta work. I'll be off at like 4:30 and we can do whatever after then. How about that?" You tried to reason and Maia thought long and hard, scrunching her face up in contemplation. "Fine, but only if I'm allowed to pop by for a bit." She agreed, crossing her arms. "Hm, sounds good to me." You replied with a wink, smiling. "Thanks, Maia. You're the best." You replied softly, gently raising a clenched fist which she happily she fist bumped. "Of course, my bro-tato chip~" She spoke with a silly grin.

"Say, how'd the whole police thing go?" Maia asked after a short pause. "Oh, it was alright." You replied with a shrug of your shoulders. "Turns out Mr. Smith is actually really nice and he's trying his best to help us catch 'him'." You explained and she furrowed her eyebrows. "The tiger?" She asked in surprise and you nodded. "That's right."

"Damn, he's not a perv?" Maia questioned and you snorted. "I wouldn't say that, but—he's nice." You responded, crossing you legs. "Did Papyrus and him get along?" Maia asked with a tilt of you head. "Well, I assume they must've made some kind of pact to get along because there wasn't any hostility when Papyrus walked out of his office to get me." You replied and Maia furrowed her eyebrows. "You two didn't do an interview together?" She spoke in surprise and you shut your eyes, exhaling. "No, we weren't allowed to... I thought it'd be terrible, but Mr. Smith must've been considerate because he was rather kind and patient." You responded with a shrug, opening your (e\c) eyes again.

"Well, I'm glad everything went pretty smooth." Maia replied with a gentle smile. "Me too. It even turns out the police just missed catching 'him'." You sighed and Maia turned her head quickly to face you directly. "Just missed catching him?! What the hell happened?" She asked in an almost demanding tone. "Turns out Austin was in the hospital for an injury following the attack. If I remember correctly... Papyrus thew him against a tree and later sent a bone attack after him... I'm sure it hit him." You explained, biting your lip again. "Woah! Okay, that may not be good. He could press charges against Papyrus for harming him." Maia pointed out and you shook your head. "But wouldn't that be justified? He was saving me!" You exclaimed and Maia sighed, looking up to avoid your gaze. "Yes. But you know how monsters are being treated. Whose word are they going to trust? A humans, or a monster's?" Maia remarked which made you grumble. "But dammit, that's so biased! They'd better not do anything like that!" You growled. "I know, but maybe it won't happen like this. Maybe people will see through the shit." Maia murmured, tapping her fingers against her leg.

Not wanting to continue on that specific topic you ran a hand through your (h\l) (h\c) hair before uttering a simple "'He' had checked out of the hospital just a couple hours before the the cops saw that he'd been checked in there."

Maia shook her head. "I know this is tough, but everything will be okay. He'll be caught and he'll get the consequences he deserves." She commented and you chewed on your lip gently. "I sure hope so..." Was all you could respond.

---------------------------------------------

After around thirty minutes of contemplation, you and Maia decided to play "Truth Or Dare". So, you popped popcorn and quickly waltzed back to the couch, plopping down next to your friend who had an eager grin on her face. After setting the popcorn in between both of you, she rubbed her hands together. "Are we ready?" She asked excitedly and you nodded, smiling in response. "Of course! You start." You replied and Maia seemingly cackled, causing you to become a bit more worried of what she'd do than you were previously.

"(Y\N), truth or dare?" She started, folding her hands together. You thought long and hard before replying with a simple "Truth." which you soon regretted. After all, the grin on her face only grew wider. That's not typically a good sign. "If you had to snog a person you know for 5 minutes straight, who would you choose?" She asked and you gritted your teeth. Within moments you sighed, clicking your tongue, blushing faintly. "Papyrus..." You murmured and Maia grinned even wider, clapping her hands. "I AM ON THE SHIP TRAIN!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Wouldn't it be the 'ship' ship, though?" You pointed out and Maia shrugged. "Whatever it is, I'm on it!" She squeaked in a fangirlish manner causing you to snort. "You're such a dork. I'm lucky to have you." You replied with a slight smile, trying to hold it back but failing miserably. "Hehehe~ I can't disagree with that statement!" Maia replied, playfully sticking her tongue out of her mouth before swiftly scooping some popcorn up in her hand, tossing it into her mouth.

"Alright, my turn.. " You thought, humming to yourself softly as Maia glanced at you in curiosity. "Truth or dare, Maia?" You suddenly asked and she grinned smugly. "Dare. I'm no wuss." She snickered and an evil grin came upon your face, not too much different from hers. "Good." You spoke with a sense of mischief in your tone.

"I dare you to go to that window over there, open it and profess your 'love' to a random dude that you make up." You dared your friend and she sighed, stifling a laugh. "Oh you little jerk, I'll get you back for this." She said in a humored voice, letting out a small laugh. "Mmhm~ I'm sure big, brave Maia isn't too scared to do this now, is she~?" You teased, causing her to stand up. "Oh, not at all. I'm up to the challenge, (Y\N). Watch and learn, my friend." She giggled as she walked to the big windows facing the street, pulling up the blinds to reveal the dark night sky, before promptly opening the middle window.

Being interested in what was about to happen, you grabbed a few pieces of popcorn before popping them into your mouth. The buttery flavor only making your mouth water and leaving your body wanting to consume more. Which you did happily, tossing a couple more pieces into your mouth as she leaned her head out the window, taking a deep breath. "World, I have something to confess! I am in love with Antonio McGee! He is my love, he is my life and I want to marry him in the Taco Bell Chapel in Las Vegas. Thank you, that is all! Arrivederci!" She shouted loudly from the window, before leaning back in the apartment, shutting the window back and locking it. She turned to you, smiling slyly. "I did it, hon~ Now it's your turn." She giggled evilly, rubbing her hands together before turning back to the window and shutting the blinds.

"Honestly, you did that well for it having been off the top of your head. Congrats. I liked the Italian at the end." You replied a bit nervously, rubbing your hand on the back of your neck. "Mmhm, it's not my first rodeo." Maia joked as she turned back to you, walking back to the couch and sitting down. "Oh, one last thing, honestly, keep the Taco Bell Chapel thing in mind. Sans adores Taco Bell and your wedding should 100% be there." You commented and she blushed. "Oh, hush. But, ehhh- I'll definitely write that idea down." She spoke before chuckling slightly, causing you to laugh as well.

"Mmm, alright. (Y\N), truth or dare?" Maia asked, taking a handful of popcorn and shoving it into her mouth comically. You snorted, covering your mouth at the sight, but turned away to stop from wanting to burst out laughing. "Uhh, I'm gonna probably regret this, but dare." You replied and Maia's gaze instantly lit up, the grin only growing on her face. "How perfect." She remarked, moving her eyebrows up and down at you. "Well, shit. What are you planning, ya mischievous no good?" You giggled jokingly.

Maia winked, adjusting her sitting position before picking up your phone from the couch beside you. "I dare you to call Papyrus and compliment his smile." Maia spoke and you nearly choked on your own saliva in surprise. "Wh-what?" You stuttered, your face turning a faint pink. "You heard me, gal. Call Shaggy Rogers~" She teased, and as upset as you'd like to be, you couldn't help but snort at her comparison between Shaggy from Scooby Doo to Papyrus. You do see it too, after all. "Maia, you're such a butt." You remarked and Maia grinned. "I know~ put the call on speaker too, girly~" Maia spoke in a teasing manner, tossing your phone to you, which you caught expertly. "Fineeee-" You whined, unlocking your phone and going to your contacts again.

Looking through your recent calls, you soon spotted Papyrus and clicked the call button nervously. As soon as it started ringing, you put the call on speaker and shushed Maia who in response just started to chow down on the popcorn as if she was watching a movie.

"hello? (y/n)? wuzzup?" Papyrus' voice spoke suddenly which almost made you jump out of your skin. His answer was unusually fast.

"Oh! Hello, Paps! I just uh- wanted to call you and say how much I appreciate your smile. It always makes me feel better, no matter the circumstance." You replied, leaning your head against your palm, smiling. Even if the compliment is a show for Maia, in your mind it's more of a truth... Just a truth you weren't ready to tell him yet.

Papyrus fell silent, his soft breaths could be heard slightly on the other line, but it seems like he's at a loss for words. You can't stop the anxiety from lingering in your mind. After all, your entire friendship, and possibility of it becoming anything more hangs in the balance. Your heart is beating fast and you place your free hand on your chest, feeling the rapid thudding of you heart, shutting your eyes as you worriedly wait for a response.

"oh yeah?" His voice finally came. It was calm and didn't lack any of the warmth that you were used to which made you let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Is that surprising or something, Papy?" You asked, it was almost like you could feel him smiling through the phone. "well, i dunno. i just uh- wasn't expectin' a compliment like that. i was happy to hear it though. glad my smile can make your day, (y\n)." Papyrus replied with joy in his tone. "Me too. Thanks for always being there for me. I really, really appreciate it and I want you to know that I'll always return the favor." You replied, letting out a gentle breath, opening your (e\c) eyes again. "'course, i thank ya for that... but trust me, ya already help me a lot. i really needed ta hear that as well." He thanked you kindly. "There's no need to thank me Papy. It's been my utmost pleasure!" You replied enthusiastically.

"Now, I hate to run, but... I gotta go. I hope to see you tomorrow, honey boi!" You spoke teasingly and you heard Papyrus let out a raspy chuckle. "i'll definitely stop by muffet's just to see ya, hoooney~" He continued to snicker. "Alright, great! You have a great night!" You told him softly. "same to you. night, kid!" He said in return. "Thank you, bye!" You responded. "bye!" Was the last thing you said before hanging up.

After you ended the call, you realized that during the entire phone call with Papyrus, you didn't even pay attention to Maia in the slightest. And as soon as you turned to her, she was grinning wildly, acting like a complete fangirl. "You're so in love!" She exclaimed happily which caused you to smile, rubbing the back of your neck. "I know... It's exhilarating, yet exhausting at the same time." You replied quietly and she nodded, patting your thigh. "I know it is, but I believe in you. You need to tell him!" She spoke urgently, causing you to bite your lip. "I know, I know... But I'm just waiting for the right time. Trust me," You sighed. "I know what I'm doing." You continued on softly.

"Good... Now, it's your turn now. How about one more round?" Maia suggested and you put your phone down beside yourself. "Of course, that sounds lovely." You replied with a small nod. "Truth or dare, Maia?" You asked before popping a couple pieces of popcorn into your mouth. "Go ahead, dare me as per usual." She giggled, leaning back into your couch. "I dare you to post the worst selfie in your camera roll onto your Instagram with the caption 'Wifey Material'." You chuckled and Maia shook her head, pulling her phone from her pocket, quickly typing in her passcode before opening Instagram and beginning to go through her photos. After a few seconds, she clicked on a photo and showed it to you. It was of her doing a very weird face, her entire face was scrunched up and her eyes were crossed. You instantly snorted at the sight of it. "Perfect, now type in the caption and post it." You spoke and she nodded, doing just as you said. Within a few seconds, she showed you the post and you gave your friend a thumbs up. "That works!" You giggled.

"Now, truth or dare?" Maia asked you, letting out a yawn. "Mmm, I think I'll dabble with a dare." You replied, placing your hands behind your head in relaxation. "Good. I dare you to chug the bottle of honey in your pantry like Papyrus does." Maia spoke with an evil grin. "Oh shit, a normal person can't drink honey. It's too thick." You pointed out and Maia shrugged. "We'll see~" She cooed before getting up and walking into your kitchen, pulling out a bottle of honey from your pantry, putting all of it into a glass before adding water, stirring them together. Within a few minutes, she came back with a trash can and the glass, handing both to you. "Enjoy!" She spoke and you looked at the glass and your stomach churned just at the sight of the concoction Maia had mixed up. "Welp, hope I don't die." You said before lifting the glass to your lips, downing it as fast as you could. Within a few -not so good- seconds, you placed the glass on the table and recoiled at the gross taste, before promptly letting out a loud burp which Maia began to howl with laughter over.

"Excuse me-" You apologized before covering your mouth, suddenly feeling very queasy. "I'm all of the sudden not feeling so tight..." You murmured softly before grabbing the trashcan, setting it onto your knees.

"Oh, maybe that wasn't a good ide-" Maia was cut off by you gagging, then quickly vomiting into the trashcan. "Oh shit. That is not good. I got you, (Y\N)!" Maia spoke before springing into action, walking over and patting your back soothingly. "Sorry, (Y\N)!" She apologized as you continued to heave into the black trashcan. She changed her approach into rubbing circles on your back, but it didn't help much.

Oh, boy. It's gonna be a long night, isn't it?

Chapter Text

There's not much to say about the hours following the terrible idea of drinking the wretched honey water other than the fact that it was long and uncomfortable. The pain in your stomach hadn't even completely subsided by the time you'd finally fallen asleep around 3:30 AM, but you didn't tell Maia. For all she knew, you went to bed at 1:00 AM. But, alas. You weren't able to sleep. So, you sat awake going down the wormhole of weird videos on YouTube ranging on how snails reproduce to the renowned video "Late For Meeting" by David Lewandowski. 

But, eventually you fell asleep with your phone laying flat on your face. How that happened, you're not completely sure—though it's still funny nonetheless. Well, funny until your alarms went off early in the morning and scared the heck out of you. 

When it happened, you jumped so fast that your phone was actually launched across your small bedroom, twisting and turning in the air until it hit the floor, alarm still going. Thank God you had a case on your phone or else, it would've been done for. 

After getting your phone off the floor though, you felt the sleepiness in you and just knew you couldn't go to work, so you reluctantly called in sick again and apologized to Muffet who luckily understood your lack of sleep, sickness and pained words. After all, even though it'd been a good 6 to 7 hours or more since ingesting that poison, your stomach still felt the affects incredibly well. So, with a yawn, you climbed back into bed and fell asleep for a good, long while. 

At least, until you were shaken awake. "Morning, (Y\N)!" Maia's cheery voice awoke you and you groaned, pulling your covers over yourself. "Ten more minutes—" You whined and Maia chuckled. "Come on, I got us some breakfast sandwiches!" Maia exclaimed and you groaned again. "I don't think I can eat anything yet. My stomach feels like it was flipped around itself thrice." You murmured and Maia sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to get so sick and miss work." She quickly apologized and with hesitance, you popped your head out from underneath the covers, blinking your (e\c) eyes sleepily. "No, no... Don't apologize, it's okay." You yawned. "It was gonna happen eventually." You added, slowly sitting up lazily. 

"Yeah, but you said you needed to go to work last night." Maia pointed out, sitting on the side of your bed. "Yeah, I did... But I was just being anxious. I'll be okay." You reassured her gently. "Alright, good... But if you need any money, I can lend you some." Maia offered but you shook your head. "No. It's fine, Maia." You responded as you slowly climbed out of bed. "Say, what kind of sandwich?" You asked suddenly which caused her to giggle. "(f\f), that still your favorite?" She asked and you nodded. "Regrettably, yes. My stomach is wrecked but I wanna eat it so badly-" You whimpered and Maia patted you on the shoulder comfortingly. "It'll all be okay. You can eat it tomorrow. Don't strain your stomach. Just eat some saltine crackers and sip on a ginger ale." Maia spoke with a shrug and you clicked your tongue. "But I don't have either-" You began, but when you saw a grin form on Maia's face you paused. "You got me some, didn't you?" You asked and she nodded rapidly, causing you to shake your head back and forth, chuckling

"Oh, you rascal." You continued to giggle and Maia gently nudged you with her elbow. "Kay, I'll join you in a second. Lemme get dressed and brush my teeth." You responded, fighting a yawn. "Got it! I'll see ya in a minute." She replied, getting up and walking out of your room apace.

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After getting going for the day and hanging out with Maia for around an hour or more, you both plopped down on the couch and began to chat some more. But, that was soon cut off when your phone began to ring. Maia instantly paused mid sentence and you lifted your phone to be able to see the contact name. "Who is it this time?" Maia asked and you felt a smile come upon your lips. "It's Papyrus-" You murmured quietly and Maia giggled, then froze. "Did you tell him you were sick and not coming into work?" She suddenly asked and it almost felt like time froze. "Oh shit. No, I forgot... Dammit!" You gasped and she shook her head. "Answer it, he's gonna be so worried." She remarked and you nodded, answering it. "Hello?" You spoke, only to be greeted with a sigh of relief from Papyrus. 

"thank god, you're okay. when i went into muffet's to see ya, you were nowhere in sight so i waited, and waited until muffet told me ya were sick and i was gettin' real worried there." He suddenly spoke. "Oh, jeez Papyrus... I'm so sorry, I should've called you but it slipped my mind. I feel like such a terrible friend." You groaned, leaning back on the couch, sighing slightly. Maia gently patted your leg at that remark, mouthing "You're not a bad friend, relax." to calm you. 

"nah, nah... you're sick, kid. i don't mean this in a rude way of course, but ya aren't in the right state of mind, ya know? so, i understand and i'm not upset. just glad you're okay!" He replied gently, the warmness in his tone making you smile and get all warm and fuzzy on the inside. "I-oh, well..." You giggled, rubbing your cheek gently to cover your faint blush. "Thank you, oh my gosh..." You replied and you heard him chuckle deeply. 

"oh, by the way, sans and i will probably be bringing ya dinner tonight. he just overheard that you were sick and is on his way to make ya something." He started, pausing. "chara told us that humans eat soup when they're sick, yeah?" He added, almost as if he was double checking the fact. "Yeah, uh—we do, actually. And thank you so much... But you guys don't have to make us anything." You told him gently and you heard him snicker to himself again. "oh, honey, there's no stoppin' sans. once he's goin', he's goin'. so, i'd better go help 'em. or, ya know... the soup could actually make ya more sick." He replied, chuckling again.  "Of course. I'll make sure to update you on how I'm feeling. Thank you so much for understanding, Pap!" You chirped. "ey, it's no prob. i'll see ya tonight, friendo!" Papyrus replied and your smile faultered a bit. "Alright, bye, Papyrus. I can't wait to see you and Sans. Ciao!" You spoke before hesitantly hanging up your cell phone.

"I swear," You started after a short pause, sighing deeply, "it gets harder and harder to say goodbye whenever we talk." you finished softly. Maia gently pat your thigh again. "I know, but just think, in a couple hours you'll see the skeleboy again!" Maia exclaimed enthusiastically and you smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Just hope Sans' food will be palatable though." You joked and Maia furrowed her eyebrows. "His food can't be that bad." She murmured and you shook your head. "I disagree. It's a well known fact that Sans hasn't mastered much culinary skill yet. But I still love him to death, he's a pure little marshmallow." You giggled and Maia soon joined you. "Well, I hope the dinner is good tonight. I don't wanna vomit in front of your friends." Maia chuckled, causing you to grin and reply with "Same here." in response. 

And then, came a dreaded awkward silence. It lasted for a few minutes, until you finally thought of something to say. "Maia, you know the moment we met?" You asked and she lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah? Mrs. Thomas's Junior year art class." Maia responded and you nodded, validating her response. "Exactly." You murmured and she shifted in her seat. "Now, what are you going on about? What about how we met?" Maia asked and you clicked your tongue. "I was insanely jealous of you when we were first acquainted." You admitted and Maia blinked in surprise. "Why–?" She questioned and you shook your head. "Your art, Maia. You were so freaking advanced! Compared to well... Me!" You explained and her mouth gaped open in surprise. "Really?" She asked, reiterating her surprise. "Yeah." Was all you spoke at first. 

"It... I don't know, the teacher always praised you and just gave me a damn nod every week... It made it hard to create and that made me even more jealous of you... So I kinda disliked you when we first met. But then, I saw who you really were and—in a lack of better words—fell in love with you. Platonically in a friend way, of course." You continued, sighing. Maia smiled at that, throwing her arm around your shoulder. "I'm really happy about that, (Y\N)." She spoke, grinning wider. "I mean, look at us now! Two peas in a pod. Sticking together like glue even though two of our mutual friends slipped away." She responded. 

"Yeah, hah... But I suppose that's the true benefit of a friendship. If it's true, they'll stick with you no matter what... That must be why you're my b-f-f~!" You winked and stuck out your tongue and she giggled. "Aw, hush, I'm flattered, bestie." Maia replied and you both high-fived. "Glad to have you by my side once again. I've missed your company more than I realized." You commented and Maia clicked her tongue, looking toward the windows. "Yeah, I know... I really missed this place." She nearly whispered, suddenly changing the mood of this friendly chat. 

"Do you get homesick?" You asked and Maia slowly nodded, sighing. "All the time. California is so big, I miss Ebott City so much... If you're not careful, you may not be able to get me to leave." Maia responded quietly. "I don't see what's wrong with that." You replied soothingly and Maia turned back to you. 

"(Y\N)... I'm scared." She suddenly spoke quietly. "Why? Is everything okay back at home?" You asked and Maia shook her head, her blonde locks bouncing off her shoulders. "No... This place is my home and almost everything is missing in California." She sighed, shaking her head. "Asgore's leaving in a few months to come back here, my friend, Trey is getting married and moving to Utah, and I gotta leave you behind, my family too and..." Maia paused, shutting her green eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm gonna have to leave Sans... And Papyrus behind on top of that." She finished in a melancholic manner. "I miss the community. I miss it so much. And believe me, I'm thankful to be able to work at such a prestigious company–but I miss home and I can't help it. I wish I could just move back here, to be honest." Maia admitted softly and you quickly moved forward despite the annoying nausea you've been experiencing all day, pulling her into a big hug. 

"Hey, Maia... It'll all be alright. We'll think of something, okay? Skype, ya know?" You tried to soothe her and she wrapped her arms around you tightly. "It's not the same as physical contact..." She murmured. "I know, but its better than nothing... Yeah?" You responded and she nodded.. "I guess..." She muttered softly, almost sounding unsure. 

You continued to rub Maia's back affectionately to calm her until she pulled away from your hold a few minutes later, wiping a lone tear from her cheek. "No matter how rough it seems, I know I can make it through everything." She spoke, her voice strengthening and a slight smile forming on her lips. Her green eyes began to shine again which caused a smile to form on your lips as well. 

"See, that's the spirit, my gal!" You exclaimed causing Maia to absolutely beam. "Hell yeah!" She squeaked in response, raising her clenched fist into the air with enthusiasm. 

A few more minutes passed of silence  before you got another call, your phone ringing nearly scaring the crap out of both you and Maia causing you and her to laugh heartily. "Oh geez, don't they ever give warnings anymore?" You joked before scooting away and picking up your phone. 

"I bet it's Papyrus checking on you already." Maia remarked with a wink and you stifled a laugh, shaking your head. "There's no way." You replied as you lifted the caller ID to eye level and once you saw it, your expression changed from joy to utter dread in a single instant. "It's Mr. Smith... I bet he has news about Austin." You remarked softly, biting your lip. "I bet so too, I'm just crossing my fingers that it's good news." Maia replied, crossing her fingers and holding her breath as you clicked 'accept call', lifting the phone to your ear. 

"Hello?" You spoke, your stomach contorting even more with the added nervousness, making you very queasy. "Hello, Miss (Y\N)... I have something I must tell you." Mr. Smith's familiar voice spoke in response causing your heart to drop out of your chest. 

Chapter Text

"Yeah? What is it, Mr. Smith?" You asked, worry consuming your normal tone. You could sense the hesitance in the detective's demeanor, even through the phone. Your heart seemed to be beating 100 miles an hour and you clenched your fist as you hoped for somewhat okay news. 

"It's about Austin." He paused, a sigh slowing down his next response. Now, Maia was eavesdropping in on the conversation and she sensed the growing tension, so she gently took your clenched fist and unwound it before you bruised yourself. After that, she gingerly took your hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Take a deep breath, everything will be okay. It's not like the jerk murdered anyone." She spoke soothingly and you obeyed, taking in a deep breath, before exhaling slowly to calm your nerves. 

"We managed to track down Austin's home, he wasn't there and his roommate had no idea what was going on, he just said he packed his stuff and bolted. He gave us his family's contact info though, so when we went to interview them, they gave us frightening news. He's done this before. He did this in his senior year of highschool to a fellow senior named Jazlyn Bell." Mr. Smith began to explain. 

"He's done it before? Why wasn't he charged for it?!" You demanded to know and Mr. Smith clicked his tongue, letting out another sigh. "It didn't go as far as it did with you and the parents decided to not take it any further than a restraining order. They only reported the stalking and nothing more, so after police questioning he was let go without being charged." He explained, disappointment in his tone. "You can't be serious!" You exclaimed, your voice cracking with emotion. "I'm so sorry, (Y\N), I really am. I am making sure our men are looking for that wretched man as best as they can. We've let over 30 police stations within 200 miles know about this and we are planning on making sure you and Jazlyn get the justice you both deserve." Mr. Smith promised and you shook your head, holding in countless swears. 

"His family and our taskforce have all teamed up. We will not let this douche slip through our hands again. He'll fall right into our trap. Just please, Miss (Y\N)... Promise me you won't lose hope. You need to stay strong." Mr. Smith told you softly and reluctantly, you sighed before letting out a simple, "Okay... I'm trying my best, Noah." 

"Thank you, ma'am... Now have a good day, I will call you if any more news springs about. Goodbye." He spoke quietly. After a second, you finally felt you were able to respond, so you let out a solemn "Bye..." before promptly hanging up. 

Immediately after the phone call, Maia helped you up. "Okay, no moping around. That's not gonna help this situation whatsoever." She spoke and you let out a groan in protest. "Can't I just go cry?" You asked and she grabbed her phone. "No. Hey, Siri! Play What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong." She spoke and after a few seconds, the classic song that you and your friends used to listen to together came on. You tried to hold back a smile, but failed and started grinning almost instantly once you heard the lyrics start. "Oh, heck, Maia. Can't I just mope without you ruining it?" You giggled and Maia chuckled. "So, do you want to get prettied up to surprise Papyrus?" She asked and despite your nausea still being in the sidelines, you grinned and nodded. "Sure. I wanna see his reaction." You replied and Maia winked. "Me too, now, let's begin~" Maia giggled as she grabbed your hand and ran you to your closet to pick out an outfit. 

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After around an hour and a half, your entire getup was complete. But, it was done in a manner that you still remained true to yourself. Your hair was fixed up to complement your (h\t) and had product in it that upped the texture and waves, your makeup was done somewhat and you were dressed in a cute, but simple outfit. To be specific, a loose (s\f\c) long sleeve waffle-knit tee, a pair of medium-wash ripped skinny jeans, a simple black choker necklace and an old pair of black low top converse. 

"And, we're done, perfecto!" Maia exclaimed as you looked in the mirror. "Nice. I like it. What a complete lewk." You chuckled and she patted your shoulder before sitting on the side of your bed. "Papyrus is gonna think you look cute as heck!" She exclaimed, then she paused, her lips curling into an evil grin. "But I have something to add to the possibility!" She spoke, jumping up and running to her bags, tearing through them before holding up a cat ear headband triumphantly into the air. "This'll go perfectly!" She remarked as she walked over. 

You whined a bit, but complied and let her slide the headband on top of your head. "But now I look childish." You complained and Maia shook her head. "No, man. You look hella adorable in this. Papyrus will love it!" She assured you, and you became less hesitant. "Really?" You asked for reassurance and she nodded with an excited smirk. "Of course! Why wouldn't he?" She questioned, but before you could respond, your phone started to ring again. 

"Oh joy, it'd better be something good this time." You grumbled as you walked to the dresser. "Me too. I'm almost ready to smack that detective for pestering you with bad news." Maia huffed, crossing her arms and leaning on one hip. 

And well, thankfully, you were blessed with something good for once. The caller ID said none other than the 'honey-meister' himself. "Oh, thank God! It's Papyrus!" You squeaked as you snatched your phone up, answering it and placing it against your ear. "Ello~ it's (Y\N) speaking, do I have the pleasure of speaking with the honey-meister himself on this fine afternoon?" You asked, suppressing a giggle. You could hear Papyrus snicker on the other side of the line, his raspy chuckle making a huge smile form on your lips. "yes, yes you do. now bow to me, peasant!" He exclaimed, then cracked up laughing, you soon following after him. 

After laughing for a good while, you both managed to clam down. "heh, sorry. i was callin' to say we're gonna be at your place soon. like, in... 8 minutes or so." Papyrus spoke, his tone calm. "Oh, gee. What a treat! Will you guys be visiting?" You asked, elation very obviously in your voice. "'course! sans and i are plannin' on visitin' a bit if that's good." Papyrus responded and you looked to Maia who looked hopeful. "Of course! You two are always welcome! Especially since I am feeling much better now." You replied. "ey, that kinda makes us bringin' ya chow pointless." Papyrus joked with a hearty chuckle. "guess sans and I will be eatin' dinner ourselves!" He playfully remarked and you heard Sans huff on the other line. "STOP SCARING HER, BROTHER! NO BEING SHALL STARVE TONIGHT! NOT UNDER MY WATCH! MWEH HEH HEH!" He exclaimed and Papyrus stifled a laugh. "dang, you're right, bro. sorry, (y\n). we'll make sure ya get plenty to eat as your body recuperates. oh, and i guess we can share with maia." He responded and Sans quickly interjected again. "MAIA CAN GET AS MUCH AS SHE WANTS. WE SHALL LET HER KNOW THAT, PAPY!" He grumbled and you laughed softly. "How adorable." You commented and Papyrus just responded with a humored "mmhm". 

"Well, we can't wait to see you two! I'll let you go for now, but good luck getting me to stop talking once you get here." You joked with a giggle and he chuckled as well. "a'ite." He started, then paused. "cya gals in a second! ciao!" Papyrus responded before hanging up. 

"What did Sans say about me?" Maia suddenly asked, a giant grin on her face which caused you to snort. "He was defending our right to eat, then went into specifics with you." You replied in amusement. "How precious! Wait, do I look okay?" Maia's countenance suddenly changed into one of nervousness as soon as it sank in that her crush was coming over. "You look better than okay, you look great!" You complimented your friend as you looked over her outfit for the day. She smiled at your compliment, chirping in response with a content "Thanks!". 

Maia was dressed in a royal blue long sleeve tunic, black leggings and a pair of skinny brown boots that went just below her knee. The outfit definitely complimented her long blonde hair and you just knew in your heart that Sans would adore it. 

But before the conversation could continue, you looked at the time and your heart skipped a beat. It had already been 6 minutes since Papyrus had said he'd be arriving in 8 minutes. And well, that was your cue. It was time for you to rush downstairs and meet the boys at the door. So, you grabbed Maia's hand and dragged her to the door. "We gotta meet them, we don't wanna be late!" You spoke urgently as soon as you reached the door. You speedily grabbed your keys and attached them onto your belt loop with the karabiner on your keychain, then bolted out the door, Maia following close behind. 

You ran down the stairs as fast as you could. In fact, you felt bad for your neighbors. They probably thought a horse was trotting down these old, creaky steps thanks to the over the top noise that was echoing around the small apartment building. 

But, lucky for them, it stopped within a minute or so when you jumped down from the last step onto the wooden floor at the bottom of the steps. Though, Tyler must've not been bothered by the thudding coming from the stairs above his apartment because you could hear him playing the ukulele softly. You couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, but it still sounded beautiful. Almost angelic. 

Your thoughts were torn from his music once Maia reached the bottom of the stairs though, and of course, you both turned your attention to someone else. Well, to be more specific, two different people. And knowing, they'd appear at any moment, you and Maia quickly made your way outside and sat on the steps in front of your home. 

"I'm having heart palpitations." You said randomly, braking the silence which made Maia laugh. "Me too, I'm so nervous." She responded as she played with her long blonde hair. "Well, at least we're both in the same boat." You giggled and Maia snorted. "We just need to make sure we don't rock it too hard and we'll be fine." Maia joked with a nudge of her elbow. You couldn't help but laugh at her joke. It put a giant smile on your face and you suppressed your own snort. "You're such a dork. I love you." You replied and she winked, giving you a fist-bump with a snicker following it. 

And as you waited, you just so happened to see a bright cyan sports car drive slowly down the road. You thought it was quite unusual for this area, until you saw it park in front of the houses on the opposite side of the street. Then, a conversation you had with Sans back on his birthday suddenly registered in your mind. 

"Holy shit I thought he was joking about having a sports car!" You remarked and Maia's mouth dropped open. "Is that Papyrus'?!" She remarked in surprise and you shook your head. "No, Maia... That's Sans'! He has... He has a bright cyan sports car... Oh my God, he's so extra!" You exclaimed, then giggled and Maia quickly joined you. 

"HELLO, GIRLS!" Sans suddenly called and waved as soon as he got out of the car. And in return, you both got up and looked both ways before crossing the street over to his car. "Hello boys~." You replied playfully. "I love your car!" Maia exclaimed as she walked to Sans, observing the fancy automobile. "THANK YOU! IT IS VERY GREAT, ISN'T IT?" Sans responded, leaning against it proudly. He patted the side, as if it was his own child and seemed to gush on and on all about how he adores it. But, you eventually tuned that out as you watched Papyrus' emerge from the passenger seat of the fancy car. 

In a rare occurrence, Papyrus was in a different outfit. Something actually quite hipster and cute. He was dressed in a black graphic tee with a skeleton on the front of it. Above and below the skeleton were the words 'you can't skelerun from my skelepuns.'. And over that t-shirt was a white and black checked long sleeve button up. But, plot twist, it was unbuttoned to let the t-shirt below it show in its complete glory. Let's not forget the glorious, and almost classic tan cargo shorts that adorned his hips. They blend well with the look and his red sneakers add just enough color to make the look pop. 

"Oh, man. Papyrus, you're styling today!" You exclaimed, a goofy smile on your face. "same to you, (y\n)." He replied back with happiness in his gaze. He seemed to look you up and down, his grin widening as he observed the outfit you and Maia had picked out to impress him. In fact, you could even swear that the tall skeleton's cheekbones were a faint orange. "Aw, you're as sweet as honey! Love your shirt, by the way. It's bad to the bone." You chirped with a wink and he chuckled. "thanks, (y\n). i thought it was pretty hip." He thanked you and you dipped your head. "Your outfits are always bone-a fide fashion statements." You remarked and he chuckled a bit more before you charged toward him, wrapping your arms around him once again. Instantly, his arms wrapped around you too and you could feel the smile on his skull widen just by the happiness in his aura as he squeezed you.

"YOU TWO NEED TO FIND MORE PUNS. NOT THAT I'M ENCOURAGING YOUR 'SILLY' PUN BATTLES, BUT YOU'RE BOTH JUST RECYCLING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER. I SHOULD START CALLING YOU TWO BOB THE BUILDER..." Sans huffed and Maia grinned, "Reduce, reuse, recycle!" She chanted and Sans got visibly excited, stars forming in his irises. "YOU KNOW THAT?" He asked in surprise and Maia nodded in response. "Yeah! Bob the Builder was one of my favorite childhood shows!" Maia replied and Sans clapped his hands together. "I STILL WATCH IT! WELL... ERM, I MEAN, I WATCH IT WITH CHARA!" He replied and you snorted. "We'll try to come up with new meme material, but for now, we'll stay more environmentally friendly and recycle our puns until they're not funny." You laughed as you stepped away from Papyrus. "i agree with (y\n). bob the builder tells us that for a reason, doesn't he, bro?" He replied and Sans rolled his irises. 

"It's quite chilly out here, shall we move indoors?" Maia asked and the boys nodded. "YES, OF COURSE. JUST LET ME GET MY SOUP! PAPYRUS, CARRY THE BAG!" Sans ordered and Papyrus smirked devilishly. "yes, sire." He replied as he walked over to his little brother. 

Sans opened the back seat of his car and pulled out a bright blue pot filled with soup, then Papyrus ducked in and pulled out a bag, holding it in his left hand. Once Papyrus was done, he shut the door and everyone started making their way back to your apartment. Once you all got inside the complex, everyone went step-by-step all the way until your door. Then, you took to the front of the line, unlocked the door and let everyone inside. 

"GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE ALREADY FEELING BETTER IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS MAGNIFICENT SOUP!" Sans suddenly spoke as he walked inside, him being the last person to stroll inside. He shut the door after himself and looked over to you. "Oh, yes! Just smelling it makes my whole body feel so much better." You lied just to appease him and keep him happy. "GREAT! THAT WAS MY INTENTION AT LEAST!" He absolutely beamed at the positivity in the room and he soon made it for the kitchen, everyone else following him like a mob of hungry dogs. 

"we eatin' now, bro?" Papyrus asked, pulling a container of sour cream and pre-washed cilantro out of the bag he was carrying. "OF COURSE! MAIA AND (Y\N) MUST BE STARVED!" He responded and Papyrus nodded. "right, right. as am i." Papyrus replied and Sans let out a loud "UGH!". "BROTHER, YOU JUST ATE AN ENTIRE BIG MAC FROM MCDONALD'S! " He shouted and Papyrus grinned, shrugging. "so?" 

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HUNGRY YET, YOU BONEHEAD!" Sans huffed and Maia giggled at how adorable the short skeleton looked when he was angry. This, of course caused Sans to snap out of his tantrum and his irises morphed into stars again as he heard Maia's laugh. "OH... UH, S-S-SORRY, ANYWAY... P-PAPY, S-SHALL WE?" He suggested with a stutter as he placed the pot of soup onto your stove top. "yeah, 'course." Papyrus replied and he looked to you. 

You took this as a signal and walked to the kitchen cabinets, pulling out four bowls and placing them onto the countertop. "What do we have the pleasure of tasting tonight, Sans?" You asked and he smiled. "TACO SOUP!" He exclaimed and you fought hard to hold back a laugh. "Taco soup, huh? That sounds de-lish!" Maia exclaimed and Sans nodded cutely, tugging on his blue bandana nervously. "QUEEN TORIEL HELPED ME FIND A RECIPE AND SHE HELPED ME COOK IT! SO, WE HAVE HER TO THANK! OH, AND ME TOO OF COURSE! MWEH HEH HEH!" He spoke and Maia clapped her hands. "Oh, boy! I'm so excited to taste it!" She replied and Sans completely beamed at her response. "THEN... YOU GO AHEAD! MAIA SERVES HERSELF FIRST! GARNISH IT WITH SOUR CREAM AND CILANTRO AS YOU WISH!" Sans spoke with a wide grin. He then lifted the lid of the pot he'd brought and steam from the warm food billowed into the air. As soon as the steam had cleared a bit, Sans put a spoon into the soup and stepped out of the way. 

Maia took this as her cue and stepped forward, taking a bowl, filling it with her desired amount of soup. Then, she moved over to the next setup and put a smidge of cilantro into her bowl. After she was done, she headed to the living room and sat on the couch. 

"IT'S YOUR TURN, (Y\N)!" Sans spoke as he gestured to the stove. "eeyup, ladies first~!" Papyrus teased in response and you rolled your eyes. You walked to the stove, got your desired amount of soup in a bowl and then fixed it up just the way you'd like it. Then you gestured to the guys. "Now, which lady is next now, Papy?" you asked to poke fun at them before quickly winking and dashing away. 

"oh, you bonehead." Papyrus snickered as he and Sans began to fix their bowls up. After you had already sat down, you realized they didn't have any drinks and you face-palmed. "Oh, damn. I'm such a bad host." You murmured, groaning. "I'll be right back." You told Maia before you got up, entering the kitchen right as Sans was about to exit. "Oh, man. I almost forgot. What would you two like to drink?" You asked, walking to cabinet again. "WATER, PLEASE!" Sans responded as he walked into the living room. "what sodas ya got?" Papyrus asked as he sprinkled cilantro on top of the dollop of sour cream in his bowl. 

"Coke, Dr. Pepper, Root Beer-" You began to list, but Papyrus cut you off. "eyy, i love dr. pepper. i'll have that, thanks." He spoke, the rasp in his voice prominent. "Alright, I'll be right back!" You told him with a bright smile, and he returned it, dipping his head before exiting. 

And as you got their drinks ready, your mind wandered to all the fun you and your posse are going to have today. That got you excited, actually, absolutely adrenalized. So, as soon as you had fixed Sans' water and grabbed Papyrus' Dr. Pepper from the fridge, you headed back to the living room to hang out with your three favorite people for as long as you possibly could.

Chapter Text

As soon as you made your way into the living room, the air instantly became warmer with affection and affinity. It made the smile on your face widen even more. You then walked across the floor until you reached Sans, handing him his water and as you turned to go to the couch, it clicked in your mind... Maia had gotten Papyrus to sit on the couch, leaving you to sit next to him. She's quite the sneaky shipper, isn't she?

"Papyrus, I got your Dr. Pepper." You commented, sitting beside the lanky skeleton. "thank ya, it's much appreciated." He thanked you in response, eagerly taking it from your grasp and cracking it open. With one swift move, he lifted the drink to his teeth and started downing it. The fizzing of the carbonation popped against the aluminum can, causing it to have various popping noises, but, nobody minded. 

"Now, did you make this yourself, Sans? It smells absolutely delectable!" You asked and Maia nodded rapidly. "It smells so good!" Maia agreed and Sans beamed in the compliments, his shoulders held straight and a wide grin plastered onto his skull. After a moment of thought, he hummed slightly. "AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO TAKE CREDIT, IT'D BE MORALLY WRONG! AND WELL, I GO BY MORALS! MWEH HEH HEH!" Sans exclaimed and Maia giggled at his enthusiasm cutely. "WE HAD QUEEN TORIEL AND ASGORE OVER, SO I ASKED THEM FOR ANY SOUP TIPS AND WELL... THIS HAPPENED! ASGORE AND PAPYRUS HELPED MAKE IT TOO!" Sans admitted. "aw, hush. i did nothin'." Papyrus replied in response, placing his bowl onto his legs. "SURE YOU DID! I WOULD EVEN ARGUE THAT YOU DID MOST OF THE WORK!" Sans replied and Papyrus tugged on the collar of his button up shirt. "nah nah. i dunno what he's goin' on about." Papyrus chuckled and Sans rolled his bright blue irises. 

"ANYWAYS, SHALL WE DIG IN?" Sans asked and everyone nodded, replying "Mmhm!" in unison together. "GREAT! LET'S ENJOY THIS TACO-TASTIC MEAL TOGETHER!" Sans remarked and everyone let out a chuckle, then began to eat the soup. And to you, Maia and Papyrus' delight, it was absolutely delicious! Very much unlike the first meal from Sans you had tasted a week ago. Perhaps all he needed to improve was some friendly guidance. 

"Sans, this is so good? You and your crew did a super good job at cooking it!" Maia squeaked and Sans clapped his hands together happily. "THANK YOU, MAIA! COMPLIMENTS TRULY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME COMING FROM YOU!" Sans remarked and Maia placed a hand on top of her heart. "I'm really so glad... I—I could honestly compliment you all day long. You truly deserve it." Maia spoke, her words obviously true and Sans blushed a bright blue. Maia soon joined him, looking down bashfully. 

At this obvious sign of romance on both sides, you and Papyrus exchanged a knowing glance. It was apparent that their relationship was slowly blossoming as if it was a flower growing beneath a thin layer of snow. But as for you and Papyrus' relationship, it seems to not be growing much at all. And of course in comparison, that sucks. But, as you pushed the thought from your mind, you continued eating your dinner, spoonful by spoonful. 

"so, (y\n)... how are ya feeling?" Papyrus suddenly asked, tearing your glance away from your meal, back to his skull. "Oh my goodness, so much better! I am glad that issue didn't stay for long." You replied and he seemed to furrow his 'bone'brows. "issue? what was wrong anyways?" Papyrus asked, and suddenly Maia snorted, laughing pretty hard. "Oh my God, never again." She spoke between laughs and Papyrus, and now Sans just grew more and more confused by the minute. 

"She made me drink a disgusting amount of honey mixed with water. My stomach hurt for hours and I emptied so much of my insides." You laughed and Papyrus stayed silent for a few seconds, then he snorted, busting out laughing. Sans on the other hand just gasped. "THAT CANNOT BE HEALTHY! DO YOU NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL?" He asked in shock and you shook your head. "No, no. Really, I'm completely fine now." You reassured him, and Sans did seem to relax a bit. 

"what tha heck were you two doin' that led to that? you dared to be like me or somethin'?" Papyrus chuckled, then he took a spoonful of soup and placed it into his mouth. "An unfortunately weird game of truth or dare, I'm afraid. Though, if I'm correct, that was the initial reason behind the dare." You responded and Maia shrugged, laughing. "It was something like that." She replied through her small giggles.  

"well, i guess honey's not for everyone in heaping quantities... s'pose i'm a honey addict of sorts." Papyrus snickered. Sans, of course rolled his Olympic blue irises again and Maia simply nodded, but you, of course only you came up with a scheming remark. "Aw, I'm flattered. You're an addict to me? How absolutely sweet, Papy dear!" You joked in reference to the tall skeleton's nickname for you. He seemingly blushed a faint tangerine as he stared at you in confusion, then it sank in and he grinned. "addicted to you,  honey? why, of course. i can bear-ly stand it. it's un-bee-lievable. if i'm not careful, i may have to go to rehab over your sweetness... it's so strong and intense that it stings me. it's gonna be hard to bee-t though, so wish me luck, my queen." He replied, winking with a flirty grin, which in turn made you blush a bright pink. 

"I'm honestly shocked that there were so many puns in that, Papyrus. You have a serious talent." Maia complimented Papyrus and he dipped his head respectively. "why, thank you!" He replied and you almost seemed to be broken, just staying silent. At least, until you finally snapped out of it around 20 seconds later. "Oh- sorry, my mind was somewhere else." You quickly apologized and Sans crossed his legs, finishing his soup before leaning over and placing it on the coffee table. "IN THE GUTTER, (Y\N)?" He asked innocently which caused everyone to look at Sans in surprise silently, then Papyrus and Maia began to chuckle again. "N-no, I-I'm afraid no–no I'm not, I'm not afraid. That wasn't the case, though." You stuttered in embarrassment and quickly shoved more food in your mouth to avoid talking for a while. This of course just caused the scheming pair of friends to just laugh even harder. 

"Sans, can you send me this recipe later?" Maia asked as she turned to her crush, and he nodded. "OF COURSE! WELL... I'LL NEED YOUR NUMBER FIRST, I THINK IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE IN GENERAL! I REALLY THINK YOU'RE SUPER COOL, MAIA!" Sans spoke as he blushed gently and nervously. Maia's own cheeks turned a faint shade of red and you and Papyrus grinned as you watched the cutesy mutual crush grow. In fact, he nudged you as the two characters played nervously with their fingers. "I think you're super cool too, Sans! In fact, you're more than cool... You're magnificent!" Maia spoke, smiling happily and this caused Sans to beam. 

"OH MY STARS, THANK YOU SO MUCH!" He thanked Maia, blushing even more now. "It's my pleasure, Sans! Now, would you like my number now?" Maia asked him, and he nodded rapidly, swiftly pulling out his cellphone and pulling it up so he could add contacts. Maia told him her full name and number, and Sans shot her a text after he had the info in so she could have his number too. Then, Maia carefully wrote his info in, a smirk on her face. "Thank you! I'll make sure to send you plenty of memes now!" She thanked him, and stars appeared in Sans' eye sockets again. "OH, BOY! MEMES? PAPYRUS, UNDYNE AND THE TROLL ON MY UNDERNET PAGE ARE THE ONLY ONES TO EVER SEND ME THOSE!" He squeaked excitedly, and Papyrus snorted softly, leaning close to your ear, whispering. "i'm the troll." which made you stifle a laugh. Of course he messes with his younger brother online.

"A troll? Imma skin them with my bare hands!" Maia exclaimed. "oh, shit." Papyrus continued to whisper, "at least i don't have skin, i guess." he finished and you couldn't help but snort quietly at his remark. 

Papyrus leaned away, then as soon as you had finished your soup, he stood up and took your bowl politely. "Papyrus, I can do that!" You interrupted, but he shook his skull as he gathered everyone's bowls. "nah, nah. i gotta be a gentleman sometimes, ey?" He snickered as he walked into the kitchen causing you to shrug and lean back into the comfort of your beloved couch. 

"So, what next? We can play a game or something!" Maia suggested and Sans nodded, clapping his hands together excitedly. "YES, YES! I LOVE GAMES!" He squealed and you nodded. "Alright, a game sounds nice!" You commented and Papyrus nodded as he walked back into the living area. He took a toothpick from his pocket and placed it between his teeth. Every time he spoke, it flopped about in his jaws, almost as if it was hanging on for dear life. 

"How about telephone?" Maia suggested and you nodded. "Oh, man. I haven't played that in years!" You remarked. "ditto." Papyrus replied as he leaned on one hip, stretching which made his bones crackle. "THAT'S ONE OF CHARA'S FAVORITES! IT'S GROWN ON ME, SO I'D BE GLAD TO PLAY SOMETHING SO IDIOSYNCRATIC!" Sans exclaimed and Papyrus' 'bone'brows seemed to furrow in confusion. "play somethin' so what now?" He questioned and you thought for a second. "I'll take a guess that he's using another word for... Unique?" You asked, tilting your head to the side. And to your surprise, Sans shrugged his shoulders. "I JUST HEARD IT ON TV AND THOUGHT IT SOUNDED CLEVER! BUT, I DO BELIEVE YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH WITH THE DEFINITION!" Sans chirped and Papyrus snickered, his laughs raspy. "ah, well at least ya got a bigger vocab than i do, bro." He commented.  

"YOU WATCH A LOT MORE TV THAN I DO, PAPYRUS! IF YOU CHANNELED YOUR MIND CORR—I SEE THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE, PAPYRUS, DON'T YOU DARE!" Sans suddenly interrupted himself as Papyrus' wide grin grew more and more. "you channeled it, huh? can ya do that remotely? or, is that a no go?" He chuckled and Sans shook his skull. "OH, TORIEL. PAPYRUS! YOU'RE SUCH A BONEHEAD!" He huffed, crossing his arms. "gee, thanks! i've been drinking more milk recently, ya know to get calcium and then have stronger bones... so glad it's been workin'!" Papyrus smirked, then fixed the collar of his shirt. "OH MY GOD. MAIA, (Y\N), PLEASE MAY WE BEGIN?" Sans asked, frustration in his gaze. But, once Maia made eye contact with the small skeleton, his mood seemed to lift almost completely in an instant. "Of course! While you two were doing that, I got an app to aid us in our game!" Maia spoke with a smile, standing up. "See, this girl plans ahead! Complete girlfriend material!" You complimented your friend as you patted her on the back. 

"Let's begin! Single file line, please!" Maia ordered and you and Sans got up, walking beside the already standing Papyrus. "We're ready!" You chimed and Maia walked to the end of the line–also known as Sans and bent down. She faintly whispered something in his ear, and after a few seconds of Maia repeating her sentence, he turned to Papyrus and he quickly passed it back to you. Your eyebrow furrowed as you listened to the retelling. "A yuppy in a tire hank?" You repeated what you'd heard and Maia snorted loudly, busting out laughing. "Oh my God! That's hysterical! It's 'a guppy in a shark tank'." Maia replied and you nodded in understanding, laughing at how silly what you had heard was. "Ohhh!" you spoke in understanding. 

And as the game went on, it just got weirder and weirder. But, that's not that bad of a thing. Especially if it requires the Skelebros to stay as long as possible. And well, at this point, that may be your main goal. You and Maia are both ecstatic to hang out with the boys, so moments like these are always appreciated. Just pure and undeniably truthful friendships that'll hopefully merge into something else as time goes on. But, for now you enjoy the little things, just like Papyrus holding your hand gently during this calm game of telephone. It's always the small things that bring a smile to your face... Especially if Papyrus is involved.

Chapter Text

After a long night of fun and games, you looked at the clock to see that time truly does fly by when your having fun, for you thought it was merely 9:30 PM, but the true time ended up being an astounding 11:00 PM. Definitely later than Papyrus, or Sans meant to stay. 

"OH STARS! IT'S WAY PAST MY CURFEW ALREADY!" Sans suddenly gasped, jumping up from his chair. "Oh, geez! You can't be serious! It's already that late?" Maia asked in response, cocking her head to the side. "'parently." Papyrus replied with a big yawn, stretching. 

"I have no idea where the time went, but I'm extremely grateful I got to spend tonight with you three." You commented, smiling as you went to stand up, but, Papyrus quickly took your hand gently and squeezed it which made you stop immediately. 

"likewise, ya know, i had a blast tonight 'n' stuff. let's do this more often." Papyrus agreed, a smile on his face. Sans brightened up at Papyrus' suggestion, his smile widening and his irises growing in his eye sockets. "THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA! WE MUST DO THAT IN THE FUTURE!" Sans shouted in response and Maia clapped excitedly. "Heck yeah!" Then, she paused, biting her lip, her smile disappearing for a mere second. She remembered that she doesn't live here, didn't she? That's sad. So, you gave her a gentle smile to hopefully cheer her up, which it seemed to do just a little bit. 

"So, what're we doing now? You boys have to go, don't you?" You asked, biting your lip as you looked to Sans, then Papyrus. They exchanged glances, humming in thought and Sans tapped his chin with a phalange. "WELL–" 

Sans was suddenly cut off by a loud knock on your front door. That caused concern to race through your mind. Especially since there's no way for the public to come into this apartment complex without the key. Unless, they broke in, or they're simply a neighbor. But a neighbor knocking at 11:00 PM? Unlikely. So, you bit your lip, turning to Papyrus, your (e\c) eyes holding fear within them. 

"You don't think that's 'him', do you?" You asked, your heart beginning to thud in your chest. Papyrus turned his skull to the door and stared at it seriously. "i don't know..." He spoke quietly and with hesitation, you began to stand up, but he squeezed your hand again. "stop. just leave them." He spoke and you looked to him. "WELL, IT SOUNDS AS IF THEY ALREADY LEFT! I'M SURE IT'S JUST ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS ASKING FOR SUGAR!" Sans chimed in and your eyebrows furrowed. "At 11:00 PM?" Maia questioned and Sans shrugged his shoulders. "I MEAN, WHY NOT?" He responded and Maia clicked her tongue. "Huh, you have a point if they were baking, but why bother your neighbor at 11:00 PM?" Maia once again pointed out. 

Sans was going to reply, but the knock repeated, even louder this time. It was almost laced with a sense of determination due to its commanding and brisk sound. This made your heart beat faster, and your grip on Papyrus' hand strengthen as you began to shake. "Oh God.... It's... It's..." Your voice began to waver due to the intense anxiety filling your head and it seemed Papyrus couldn't handle it, he stood up and let go of your hand. "i'm gonna deal with 'em." He rasped and your heart skipped a beat. "PAPY, NO! SIT BACK DOWN!" Sans commanded, but Papyrus started to walk forward anyways, causing you to stop his stride by grabbing a hold of his shirt. "No, Papyrus. H-he could hurt you!" You pleaded and he froze, then as he began to turn to you, you let go. "well, what're we supposed to do then?" He asked, sighing gently.  "Let me go with you to open it, Papyrus." Maia spoke but you shook your head immediately. "N-no. Not you either, Maia." You spoke, getting up and walking to Papyrus' side, looking up at him. "no, you ain't opening the door." Papyrus spoke commandingly, his hand reaching forward and laying on your shoulder. "Y-you're right, I won't—alone... Papy will you... Uh... O-open the door with me?" You asked nervously. 

Papyrus furrowed his 'bone'brows for a second, then let his hand fall from your shoulder as he nodded slowly. "only if you stand behind me." He sighed, continuing to trudge forward. You bit your lip and nodded, but as you followed in his footsteps, one more hearty knock sounded out. That make you quicken your pace, slipping past Papyrus to the peephole in the door. 

The person is tall, most likely male. But thanks to their height and how close they're to the door, you can't see their face. That's not good, because ruling in the height, this could very likely be Austin for sure. And with this person's style, it's also likely be Austin. A gray sweater layered over a white button up shirt. And along with that is a pair of relaxed fit blue jeans. 

"who is it?" Papyrus whispered and you frowned, stepping away. "I don't know. Too tall and too close." You spoke, biting your lip and he gently pushed you behind him swiftly. "well, imma make sure this kid doesn't come back for real this time..." He spoke, then scowled and bared his teeth angrily as he undid the deadbolt, then snatching open the door, his left eye glowing a bright orange. His free arm instantly went out and held you back from danger's way. "okay ya dingus, who the heck do you think you ar–" He froze, causing your eyes to widen as you feared the worst. 

"WHO IS IT, PAPY?" Sans gasped and Maia shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Papyrus, (Y\N), who the heck is it?!" Maia asked urgently. And as Papyrus just continued to stare blankly, you slowly bent to the side to see what was up. And when you finally could see the person unobstructed, your eyes locked with theirs. His familiar gray gaze blinked in confusion. 

"WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HELL, MR. SMITH?! DO YOU NOT HAVE A DAMN BRAIN?! YOU SHOULD VERY WELL KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T JUST SHOW UP AT MY DOOR AT 11:00 PM AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITHOUT CALLING FIRST! I WAS NEARLY HAVING A PANIC ATTACK YOU ASSHOL-" You suddenly shouted angrily, your (e\c) eyes narrowing before Papyrus cut you off, covering your mouth with his hand. Sans gasped at the sudden profanity and Maia snorted, quickly falling onto the floor laughing. 

Mr. Smith shuffled on his feet awkwardly, his hand rubbing his neck. "I tried to call... But it went straight to voicemail both times I tried. He explained and you furrowed your eyebrows. You lifted your hand and used it to move Papyrus' hand from your mouth and then you smiled nervously. Anger still was present in your demeanor, but not as much. "Oh, right... My phone glitches like that sometimes." You spoke, clearing your throat embarrassedly. 

"I needed to get in touch with you and since I didn't expect Mr. Papyrus was going to be with you, I didn't think to call him." He explained and you cocked your head to the side. "Oh... Well, why did you need to get in contact?" You asked suddenly and he let out a sigh. "Mind if I step in for a second?" He asked and you shook your head, stepping back. "Not at all, come join us." You offered and Mr. Smith dipped his head respectively. "Thank you, ma'am." He replied before walking past Papyrus into the apartment. 

"HELLO AGAIN, SIR!" Sans spoke, waving to Mr. Smith and he waved back, but when his eyes met Maia's his own eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, if it isn't Maia the mischief-maker." He spoke crossing his arms and leaning on one hip. She smirked at this. "You remember me? I feel accomplished." Maia replied as Papyrus shut and secured the door again. "Of course. That was a brand new suit you ruined! How could I ever forget that?" He asked and you blinked in confusion. "Wait, Maia what did you do?" You asked, looking to her. 

Maia's grin widened with smugness and Mr. Smith rolled his eyes. "I may have poured my drink on him at a party once." She spoke, then broke into a giggling fit. "I was flirting with her friend and I don't think she liked that one bit." Mr. Smith commented, sighing and once Maia stopped laughing, she looked up to the tall man. "Well no shhh–poop Sherlock!" She started, but almost slipped up and once she realized her correction, she blushed in embarrassment before laughing again. 

But, what happened next was completely unexpected, Sans stood up from his chair and stomped one foot on the ground, completely fed up. But, by what? That's the thought that seemed to plague everyone's minds as they turned to him. 

"STOP CENSORING THINGS AROUND ME! I AM NOT A DAMN CHILD!" He spoke flatly and Papyrus choked, his voice becoming hoarse for one second. "bro, i thought—" He started, but Sans crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the ground. "I AM 20, PAPYRUS. I HAVE A JOB. THE WORKPLACE ISN'T ALWAYS KID FRIENDLY. I MAY DISLIKE SWEARING MORE THAN MOST, BUT I AM TIRED OF BEING SEEN SO INFERIOR!" He huffed and Maia's mouth dropped open. "Holy shit." She spoke and Sans whipped to face her. "THANK YOU!" He shouted, gesturing his hand in her direction in a 'finally!' sense. "Huh. Didn't see that coming." Mr. Smith spoke under his breath and you nodded in agreement. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sans! If I had known, I wouldn't have worried so much about possibly swearing in your presence." You quickly apologized, dipping your head gently. He sighed, then shook his head. "DON'T APOLOGIZE. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU THREE WERE CAUTIOUS... I MEAN, LOOK AT ME. I SUPPOSE I'M VERY CHILDISH AND ALL..." He murmured, then Maia shook her head. "Childish? No! You're 100% man, Sans! You're just really quirky and I love that about your personality!" Maia complimented him and he blushed. "Y-YOU SURE?" He stuttered, looking down at his feet cutely. She smiled, nodding in response. "I'm absolutely positive, Sansy!" Maia replied, her green eyes bright. 

Sans blushed even more at her nickname for him, his cheeks turning a deep blue. But after covering his face bashfully for a few seconds, he suddenly stopped inhibiting his zeal and just run to Maia, pulling her into a big bear hug. Maia's face reddened at this action, but she gratefully hugged him back, squeezing him tightly. 

Papyrus nudged you as soon as he saw the hug, and once you turned to look at him, he pulled you into a similar hug with a wonderful grin. You got onto your tip-toes in response to this bone-crushing hug, completely beaming as you hugged him back merrily. 

"Damn, I'm forever alone, aren't I?" Mr. Smith spoke up amongst all the hugging, walking to the couch and taking a seat. Once all four had separated, Sans shook his skull. "NO! I'M SURE YOU HAVE SOMEONE OUT THERE." He reassured him. Mr. Smith pursed his lips, sighing before looking away. "Ah, yes. Thank you, sir. But it's not that I don't believe someone's out there for me. I'm just afraid the universe is adamant on keeping us apart." He spoke, running a hand through his hair gently. "PROBABLY." Sans replied causing you to gasp. "Sans!" You fussed and he furrowed his 'bone'brows. "OH, COME ON. I AM NOT THAT INCORRECT, (Y/N)! WITH THE WAY HE PREYS ON WOMEN, THE UNIVERSE IS PROBABLY WAITING FOR HIM TO IMPROVE SO HE CAN GET HIS ONE TRUE LOVE!" He exclaimed and Mr. Smith shrugged. "Perhaps, I suppose he is correct." Mr. Smith replied, giving Sans the benefit of the doubt. 

"anyway, didn't ya have stuff to tell us, 'smitty?" Papyrus asked as he walked to a chair, sitting down. "Ah, yes. You remembered at last. How lovely, Papyrus." Mr. Smith replied, clearing his throat and fixing his shirt. Sans sat down beside him quickly and Maia soon took the other free chair. That left no seats for you. And as you prepared to sit on the floor, Papyrus beckoned you over. "c'mere. just sit on my lap, (y\n). i promise it ain't that bony." Papyrus promised. Mr. Smith pulled a notebook from his pocket, flipping through it. "I certainly hope not, I do believe that'd just make it awkward for the rest of us." He spoke nonchalantly and Maia snorted, chuckling loudly in response. But, Sans didn't quite get it and cocked his head to the side in confusion. Perhaps, he's not as mature as he thinks he is, or maybe he just doesn't get dirty jokes. 

With hesitation and much embarrassment, you sat on his lap lightly. A part of you was concerned you'd hurt his skeletal structure if you put all your weight on him, so you didn't. But, of course the clever skeleton noticed this and put his hands on your torso, sliding you further onto his lap. And at this, your face heated up and you stared wide-eyed at Maia who once again broke into a laughing fit. "ya think i can't handle a single person on my lap? well, i assure you i've gone through much worse. i would say this is actually quite nice... with asgore, it was not." Papyrus commented and you giggled lightly. "He's thicc." You replied and Papyrus nodded, grinning as he laid his head onto your shoulder. "eeyup, he is a thicc boyo." Papyrus replied and both you and Maia laughed. 

After the laughter had subsided, you turned to face Mr. Smith. "Anyways, sorry about that. What did you need to tell us, Mr. Smith?" You asked, trying to relax in Papyrus' strange embrace. Mr. Smith put the notepad he held in his hands onto his thigh, clicking his tongue and sighing. "I am here because Austin was spotted in the area. A witness reported it around 10:20 PM and we were concerned he may be up to some revenge scheme." He began to explain, causing you to bite the inside of your cheeks gently. 

"that ain't good." Papyrus rasped, moving his head from your shoulder. "No, it certainly is not. So, I contacted your landlord, explained you were in danger and I got the key to the complex and came up to tell you. Two policemen are watching both entrances to make sure you guys stay safe."

"WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO KEEP HER SAFE? NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THIS SEEMS VERY BAD!" Sans exclaimed and Maia nodded. "Yeah, can we do anything at all?" Maia asked and Mr. Smith nodded. "Yes, but it's what you all likely expect me to say. Stay with her. At least until he seems to have left the area." He replied. "WELL, WE CAN DO THAT!" Sans chirped with a wide smile. "Slumber party time!" Maia shouted excitedly and Mr. Smith jumped slightly at the sudden yell. "eyyyy, that'll be fun!" Papyrus grinned, pulling you a bit closer in his lap. "Squad goals!" You joked through the 'lap awkwardness'. 

"You four enjoy that tonight, and stay safe. If things escalate, call me and we'll have you moved to a safehouse. We don't want to risk your safety any more than it already has been." Mr. Smith commented as he stood up and Papyrus nodded his skull. "agreed, bucko." He replied. 

Sans' blue irises scanned the room in thought, his 'bone'brows furrowing as he contemplated something. "WELL, MR. SMITH. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE AN ODD OFFER, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME IF YOU'D LIKE TO STAY WITH US TONIGHT!" He chirped and Papyrus whipped his skull around to face his little brother. His countenance portraying shock that his brother offered Mr. Smith the chance to stay. Mr. Smith, and Maia both looked equally as shocked, and well, you too of course.

"Really?" He spoke in surprise, his gray gaze filled with confusion and disbelief. And, Sans being the friendly guy he is nodded. "OF COURSE! ANY TIME, ISN'T THAT RIGHT, GUYS?" He spoke sweetly, the irises in his eye sockets twinkling. Mr. Smith blinked a few times, then cocked his head to the side. "Why would you–" He began, but Sans cut him off. "BECAUSE, YOU SEEM LIKE YOU NEED SOME FRIENDLINESS IN YOUR LIFE! ONE NIGHT OF PLAYFULNESS WON'T DO YOU BAD!" Sans explained, holding his arms in front of himself as he looked up to meet the tall man's gaze. "Well, he's not wrong, Noah. And you're definitely welcome if you'd like to stay." You spoke to him with a gentle smile, causing him to look to you, his hand moving to his chest. "Oh—" He seemed to get caught on his words, his body language conveying a sudden feeling of gaiety. And well, a smile formed on his lips, not just a sleazy smirk, but a true and honest smile you haven't seen too much of before. 

"uh, yeah. you're welcome at our place too if you ever just want someone to chill with." Papyrus said hesitantly before scratching his cervical vertebrae. "I'd offer you to do the same at my place, but I live in California." Maia explained, then smiled, leaning forward in her chair and propping her head up on her palm. 

"Oh, oh man... Uh, thank you all very much." He spoke, his voice wavering slightly with emotion. And, another fact that surprised you was you could see slight tears in the corners of Mr. Smith's eyes. Something so simple really seemed to move the confusing man. "It's no problem, Noah." You replied and everyone echoed a similar thing to your comment in response to his thanks. 

"WELL, WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE, MR. SMITH? WILL YOU JOIN OUR SLUMBER PARTY?" Sans looked to him hopefully and Smith rubbed the back of his neck gently. "It's a lovely offer and all, but I must get home." He spoke before he dipped his head. "My son sometimes doesn't like truthfully going to bed without me tucking him in and saying goodnight." He explained with that honest and kind smile. 

"YOU HAVE A SON?!" Sans spoke in surprise and he nodded. "Yep, and I love him dearly. He just recently turned 7, he's really grown up so fast!" He exclaimed, very much showing his 'proud father' side. "OH, WOW! WELL, YOU SHOULD GO HOME AND TELL HIM GOODNIGHT THEN! IF MY BEDTIME WAS HOURS AGO, SO WAS HIS. MWEH HEH HEH!" Sans laughed. Mr. Smith laughed as well, nodding. "Yes, yes. You're very right about that. Thank you, guys." He started, thinking for a moment. "You all brightened my night and I cannot thank you enough for that." He finished, dipping his head again respectively. "There's no need to thank us, Mr. Smith!" Maia replied, standing up. 

Thinking for a moment, you hopped up out of Papyrus' lap and ran to Mr. Smith, pulling him into a hug. "I'm glad we could make you happy, Noah. Thank you so much for what you've been doing for the case. You're a wonderful man, even if you don't seem like it at first." You spoke to him and he gently hugged you back. "Ah, thank you so much, (Y\N). I really appreciate it. And truly, there's no need to thank me. It's been my honor." He responded before gently pulling away. Sans seemed to be next in line, for as soon as you were out of the way, he sprang up and ran to Mr. Smith, hugging him too. That definitely took him off guard, but he hugged him back anyways. 

As soon as Sans had separated from Mr. Smith, Papyrus got up and let out a grunt at the sudden movement lazily. But once he stretched out, he walked to Mr. Smith and gave him a fist bump. "have a safe trip home, buddo." He rasped, stepping away. And next came Maia, her long blonde hair bobbing up and down as she walked to him, and once again taking him by surprise, she pulled him into a hug, her head against his chest very faintly. "Sorry for ruining your suit, Mr. Smith. Well, I don't regret it, but I'm sorry. Anyway, have a nice trip home and good luck with your son!" She told him before stepping back, beaming. "I forgive you, and very much understand why you did it. I definitely was out of hand." He admitted, shuffling on his feet awkwardly. 

"Hey, when you get home, tell Noah Jr. his 'sugar mama' says hello." You joked, going back to the second time you had seen Mr. Smith. He grinned, then chuckled heartily. "Oh, dear. He did ask you to be that, didn't he?" He spoke with humor in his eyes. "I'll be sure to tell him." He added, nodding his head. "Alright, thank you. Be safe!" You told him and he nodded. "Same to you all! Adiós!" Mr Smith replied, walking to the door and opening it. "Bye!" Everyone spoke in unision, waving to him goodbye. And as soon as he waved back, he dipped his head and walked out of the small apartment, closing the door behind him. 

And with Mr. Smith's departure begins a new chapter in tonight's fun, a slumber party. Shouldn't that be quite riveting? After all, you haven't had a proper slumber party in a very long time, so you look forward to the shenanigans that this'll create.

Chapter Text

As soon as the door had shut completely and you heard Mr. Smith's loafers click against the old creaky steps, you spun around, looking at your three friends. "Well, let's make the best out of this unfortunate situation. I have work tomorrow at 10:00 AM, but I can stay up a bit longer." You spoke, smiling. Sans nodded in agreement to this, "I HAVE WORK TOMORROW TOO, BUT I DON'T GO IN UNTIL AROUND 12:00 SO I'LL BE FINE TOO! PAPY?" Sans replied, turning his head to face his older brother. You did as well and what caught you off guard was Papyrus was spaced out, staring straight at you. 

You furrowed your eyebrows, and Sans crossed his arms. "PAPYRUS." He spoke bluntly and Papyrus jumped, a blush soon following. "nyeh? what is it, bro?" Papyrus asked, rubbing the top of his skull awkwardly and Sans leaned on one hip. "ARE YOU AN ASTRONAUT, BROTHER?" Sans asked and Papyrus blinked in confusion. "wha?" He spoke, puzzlement displayed on his face. "WELL, YOU SURE ARE SPACING OUT." Sans spoke and Maia soon developed a shit-eating grin, then eagerly gave Sans a high-five, laughing. You of course also laughed at Sans' joke, taking note of how proud he looked. And when you looked to see Papyrus, you saw him chuckling too. "oh, gee. yeah, bro. you can ask me what you were gonna earlier." Papyrus spoke and Sans nodded. "I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE WORK SITUATION TOMORROW (Y\N) HAS WORK AT 10:00 AND I DO AT 12:00. HOW'S YOUR SCHEDULE?" Sans explained, then promptly asked, shifting his weight again. 

Papyrus seemed to think for a long time, humming to himself softly. "i don't go in until around 12:00 as well, but i'll walk (y\n) to work and stay at muffet's for a bit." He responded and Sans nodded. "ALRIGHT, THEN WE DO HAVE A BIT TO HAVE SLEEPOVER FUN!" Sans spoke giddily, the stars in his eye sockets twinkling. "How fun! I already have an idea too!" Maia grinned from ear to ear and this peaked Sans' curiosity. "OH? WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND, MAIA?" He asked curiously.

Maia rubbed her hands together, grinning. Once her hands stopped moving, she clapped them together. "Okay," She began, her eyes scanning the room. "in sleepovers everyone sleeps in the same room, right?" She asked and everyone nodded. "Yeah, why?" You asked, furrowing your eyebrows and cocking your head to the side. "Because I was thinking you and Papyrus can take the couch and Sans and I can—" She paused for dramatic effect, looking around to build up the anticipation. "CAN? CAN WHAT? I'M DYING HERE, MAIA!" Sans complained, leaning forward slightly. Maia grinned at holding the idea seemingly above everyone's heads, then she backed down suddenly, realizing it was the perfect time to talk about her sublime plan. "BUILD A PILLOW FORT!" She squeaked excitedly and Sans' brilliant blue irises suddenly had a multitude of stars exploding within them as he clapped his small skeletal hands together excitedly. "YES, YES, YES! MAIA YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS! " He exclaimed, running forward and pulling her into a big hug. 

"eyy, that's a dope idea. i like it, plus, her couch is hella comfortable." Papyrus chuckled, then tapped a phalange on his chin as he watched the two hug. "Aw, thanks. It was here when I bought this place, to be honest. So, who knows how many people have sweat on that thing." You giggled and he smirked, turning to you. "hey, i think it adds to its charm!" He snorted and you laughed in response. 

Sans and Maia separated, then he grabbed her hand. "LET'S GO SEARCH IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY FOR BLANKETS AND PILLOWS GALORE!" He spoke enthusiastically before pulling her along into your bedroom. "There are a couple extra pillows in my closet if you need them! And don't forget to leave us some!" You called after him, but only got a simple "OKAY!" from Sans in response. 

Papyrus chuckled, then reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a toothpick, placing it into his mouth swiftly. You let out a "hm" at this which caused him to look back down at you. "nyeh? what is it, kiddo?" He questioned as he began to chew in the toothpick. "It's just... I haven't noticed you smoking, or chewing on toothpicks as much recently." You spoke and he paused, his gaze looking toward the ceiling as he thought back. "huh, i guess i have gotten a bit better? maybe i'm just too distracted when I'm with you, huh?" He spoke and you shrugged your shoulders. "i mean, ya know, a stronger addiction can make one much smaller, and as i've said, i've become addicted to ya. i guess that's kinda numbed the other when i'm in your presence, honey." He theorized. You giggled, then placed a hand on your cheek. "Oh, geez. You're way too nice." You responded, looking away bashfully and he grinned at this. 

"Mmm, well, you know... If you're so addicted to me, why don't you dance with me?" You suggested as you turned back to him with a charming smile. He seemed taken aback by this, leaning his cranium back. "w-what?" He rasped, his voice having tiny little breaks within it. "You know, a slow dance." You spoke, walking to the coffee table and picking up your phone. "You good with that? Mmm? Or, are you too scared?" You teased, your smile morphing into a grin. "pfft, me? scared? nah, nah. get your butt over here." He suddenly spoke, shifting on his feet gently before he plucked the toothpick from his teeth, sliding it back into his pocket with rapid and nervous movements. "Ah, how lovely! Just give me one moment." You smiled again, your heart finally starting to pound after what you're trying to do sank in. 

And not wanting to back down, you quickly typed in Michael Bublé's cover of "You And I" into YouTube, pressing on the first video. Afterwards, you turned the volume up higher, setting it back down before walking back to Papyrus. He didn't seem to know exactly what to do, so you took one of his skeletal hands, placing it on your back, then took his other hand and clasped it with yours off to the side. Then, with the final proper placement, you put your other hand on his shoulder. And with that, and since he still wasn't sure what to do, you began to lead him into the dance. You both swayed side to side, eventually Papyrus caught on and took the lead. 

Within the dance was a few gentle glances, a smile present on both of your blushing faces. And as it continued on, it was like everything else disappeared momentarily. Almost if you and Papyrus were in your own separate realm. The only things that were observed were the shared quick glances deep into each other's souls, and the sound of the music playing in the background. Michael's voice helped lead the constantly changing footsteps and once the song ended, you moved in and clung to Papyrus tightly. During the almost four complete minutes of dancing with your crush, you had never wanted it to end. But, now that the song was over, you both shared sighs as he hugged you back, wrapping his arms around you in a warm embrace. 

No words were spoken for quite a few moments, it seemed you both stood still and just processed the moment. Your heart started to grow weary though, its thudding in your chest only reminding you more and more of how in love you truly are. Perhaps it's trying to cheer you on to muster up the courage to tell Papyrus that you love him. But, as your lips part, no words come out. You're stuck at a lack of words in such a pivotal moment in your relationship. Perhaps that's a sign that waiting is the best option for the present moment. But what if it's not? Hundreds of thoughts swirl around in your mind, and you just cling onto Papyrus more, just hoping he'll help them go away, but as he squeezes you back tighter, they don't stop. So, you just squeeze your eyes shut and try to block them out. 

"This is cute, isn't it, Sans?" Maia suddenly spoke which caused you and Papyrus to separate rapidly in embarrassment of being caught in such an intimate time. "YES! IT DEFINITELY IS!" Sans remarked with a bright smile and a gleam in his iris. "oh, gee... uhhh..." Papyrus began to stammer, kinda stuck as you had been before. "Did you two find the pillows?" You quickly changed the conversation in order to spare the both of you much more uneasiness. "OH! YES. WE FOUND THEM AROUND 6 MINUTES AGO, WE'VE BEEN STANDING HERE EVER SINCE!" Sans replied and you just smiled nervously. Your topic change hadn't done all too much, had it? 

At least the two held all the necessary pillows in their arms. Hell, Sans was just about holding a stack taller than himself. And on top of that, Maia had two more and several of your trusty blankets. Ranging from one with chibi hedgehogs on it, to a plain fluffy (f\c) one. But, to be honest, you hope that Maia will allow you to steal that Hedgehog blanket for you and Papyrus. It'd definitely be cute to cuddle together in. 

After realizing what you'd just thought, you blushed in embarrassment. "Uh, can we use the hedgeh-hog blanket?" You questioned, crossing your feet and leaning primarily on one hip. "Oh? I'll let you use it if y-" Maia began with a sneaky smirk, and you lifted a single eyebrow. "But it's my blanket." You pointed out and she held it closer to herself. "Oh? It is? Oh, man. I'll let you guys use it if you let me use the fawn blanket." She tried to bargain and you bit your lip, processing her trade proposition. "Fine, but keep in mind Dusty gave that to me before I moved out here." You replied and she grinned from ear to ear, running toward an open area in the floorspace, dropping her stuff before dashing past everyone back into your room. "sanic, gotta go fast." Papyrus snickered and you shook your head, laughing at his joke. But, Sans just blinked, confused. But, he didn't ask, so you didn't explain. 

"WHO'S DUSTY?" He suddenly asked before turning around, walking to where Maia had dropped her things, setting the pillows down. "Oh? Dusty? Well, he was a highschool friend of ours!" You replied, smiling. Sans turned around to face you again and placed a hand against his hip as he listened. "He was a wonderful fellow, but I fell out of contact with him after he moved away." You responded. "WHAT ABOUT MAIA?" Sans asked and you furrowed your eyebrows. "Uhm, I'm not sure? You'll have to ask her that question, bud." You replied. "OH, OKAY. I CAN DO THAT! ER—WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE?" He once again questioned and you held back a laugh, realizing he may be getting jealous. 

"Oh, just a normal guy. Brown eyes, lighter brown hair, around 5'8". Now, he had an amazing personality too, definitely the class clown, and, on top of that he was an honors student and played football." You explained and Sans nodded slowly. "ALRIGHT... THANK YOU." He suddenly thanked you, and you smiled, nodding. 

"Oh, Dusty McEntire? Yeah! We still talk, he's really cool! Still the same old guy, but apparently he works as a firefighter now. Who would've thought!" Maia replied as she walked back in, the fawn blanket being cradled in her arms protectively. It's tan, dotted with white spots just like a fawn’s fur coat and it's as soft as silk. No wonder Maia was so intent on using it, it is definitely the coziest blanket you own. But the hedgehog blanket is the cutest, so you win in the trade as well.

"OH? WELL... YOU KNOW, I AM A ROYAL GUARDSMAN!" Sans exclaimed, puffing out his chest confidently and you smirked, then walked to Maia's pile of pillows, getting your blanket before making a bee-line back to the couch. And, of course you sat down and instantly got all snuggled up with the blanket. And seemingly taking this as a sign that he should sit too, Papyrus quickly walked your way and joined you underneath the cozy warmth that the blanket provided.

"Oh yeah! That's hella cool, Sans! I remember seeing your shirt. So, for how how long have you been one?" Maia asked and Sans froze, his smile turning into one of nervousness and suddenly sweat began to drip from his skull. "S-SHORTLY OVER S-SIX MONTHS." He stuttered and Papyrus let out a small snort. "Oh, so you're rather ne—wait. Sans, haven't you been aboveground for 6 months?" Maia questioned, her eyebrows furrowing. "YES." He replied nervously, his body compressing onto itself in shame. Almost as if his body was hunkering down in protest over what he had said in the first place. "So, you became a royal guardsman after you came aboveground? Wait, didn't your shirt say 'future royal guardsman'?" Maia questioned, tapping one foot on the ground. "UHHHH—YES, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S AN OLDER SHIRT! I WASN'T LYING, I—I" Sans just started to sputter in a panic, and Papyrus leaned his chin on his hand, sighing. "he is a member, maia. he trained diligently for a couple years, but didn't finish his training by the time chara bust us out. so, in honor of his persistent hard work, soon after we started settling in, queen toriel and alphys swore him in." Papyrus explained in order to clean up this growing mess. "Oh! Okay that makes sense!' Maia replied, smiling again and relaxing.

"YEAH! EVER SINCE I WAS SWORN IN, I'VE BEEN HELPING OUT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GUARD WATCH THE UNDERGROUND FOR VANDALS." Sans explained and you cocked your head to the side. "Really? has that been an issue?" You asked and Sans nodded. "YES. PEOPLE CANNOT LET THINGS EXIST WITHOUT LEAVING THEIR MARKS APPARENTLY." He replied, a tinge of sadness in his tone. "alph told me that a group of renegades try their best to sneak in and defile the places which once meant the world to us." Papyrus responded, then clicked his tongue. "Oh, God. That's terrible!" You exclaimed and Papyrus nodded. "I STILL DON'T REALLY GET WHY MOST HUMANS DON'T ACCEPT US, BROTHER." Sans remarked and Papyrus nodded. "me either, bro. i just hope they soon learn that we're just like them." He replied. 

"YEAH. THAT'S ONE THING THAT MAKES YOU GIRLS SO MAGICAL! YOU'RE SO SUPPORTIVE, AMAZING, AND KIND...TO OUR KIND! AND TO OTHERS AS WELL!" Sans replied with a wide smile, then walked closer to Maia, taking her hand in his before walking to the pile of pillows and blankets. She followed beside him, smiling as well. "Well, I'm just happy to help you guys feel welcome! After all, monsters belong up here too. No matter what the haters will say!" Maia exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air and you clapped. "Amen, sister! Those protesters have such twisted tongues that misinform weary humans about the monster race. It's absolutely sickening how they recruit others to try and push you back into the place that they're also trying to destroy." You spoke and everyone nodded. "YES, I AGREE! NOW, MAIA. LET'S EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY OF BUILDING THIS FORT TOGETHER! WE SHALL MAKE SURE THE WALLS WILL BE STRONG–" "well, as strong as a pillow fort can be." Papyrus interrupted and Sans shot him a stink-eye before continuing his sentence. "AS THEY CAN BE." "Sounds like a plan, Stan!" Maia giggled, and with glee, the pair began to work on the pillow fort together. 

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After a good 30 minutes 'perfecting' their pillow fort, Maia and Sans finally finished. And well, the only reason it really took so long is because the pair kept engaging in pillow fights and candid conversations. But, all that matters is that they had fun. Which you and Papyrus both could definitely tell. But, you and Papy really did nothing but talk and watch the pair beside you struggle to make a giant pillow fort. But the conversations you did have were extremely entertaining and helped you both get to know each others past selves better. In fact, apparently Papyrus only ate straight "Floe Flakes" for a year when he was younger, and he says because of that his HP is pretty low. You aren't sure if that was a joke or not though, I mean, you aren't entirely sure what "Floe Flakes" are either. But, you assume they're like a breakfast cereal. 

But, anyway, moving on from that, when Sans and Maia were almost done with their majestic fort, Papyrus decided to run home and get their stuff for bed. Of course. He promised to be safe and to use one of his 'shortcuts', so you waved goodbye and he left for a little while—or so you thought at least. No more than 12 minutes passed before he walked back in with two bags of stuff, dressed in his pajamas. Now, you had taken the time to change too. You sat on the couch, teeth brushed and ready for bed with your favorite pair of pajamas on when he strolled back through the front door. And, as embarrassing as it is to admit, you picked your best pair of pajamas to make sure you looked as cute as possible. They were a nice mix between the seasons, having long pants and a short sleeve shirt. Perhaps if your upper half gets cold, you'll score some snuggles? Well, who knows. 

The pajamas are black with stars of multiple sizes scattered across them. The pants have a white lining on the legs and they are a bit long and lightly brush against the floor when you walk, and the shirt is quite unique. It's a short sleeve button up top with white lining on the sleeves, collar, opening and pocket. But, the pattern remains the same throughout the set. Now the neckline is v-neck one, but it does not open too far, so you don't have to worry about any possible spillage during the night. 

Papyrus' are more 'Papyrus' though... Figuratively and literally. He's dressed in a Jack Skellington onesie and you grin widely at the sight of it. He fully committed too, for he even put on the hood before walking in. "Oh, that's humerus!" You joked before laughing gently. When Maia looked over to see him, she burst out laughing. "Oh my God, I love it!" She wheezed and you nodded rapidly. "Me too! It's perfect!" You exclaimed and Papyrus chuckled walking in the rest of the way, closing and locking the door behind himself. Then, he dropped the bags onto the floor. "ey, thanks, kiddos." He snorted before walking back your way. But, he paused and scanned you up and down, observing your pajamas carefully. This made you cock your head to the side, and your discomfiture is likely visible to everybody looking your way. 

"Papyrus, uh, what are you doing?" You questioned, a blush rising to your cheeks and he let out a long, dragged out hum. "oh, ya know, i'm just stargazing. that's all." He snickered, causing you to roll your eyes, then laugh. "Oh, that was cheesy." You spoke between laughs and he shrugged, his skull's movements causing his hood to fall off. "nah, i don't think so. but fo real, ya look great, (y/n)! you're even prettier than a real star." He complimented you and you blushed, rubbing the back of your neck. "Aw, gee. Thank you, Paps! And you look even handsomer than the real th-" you froze once you realized what you were saying and blushed a bit more, giggling. Papyrus beamed at this, then continued his stride, flopping back onto the couch next to you, wrapping his arm around you before pulling you closer. 

"why ya laughin', kid? jack skellington is pree hot, don't cha know?" He snorted, then laughed at his own words and you joined him. "Of course he is! But, I dare say you're more attractive than him, Papy dear." You replied and he placed his other hand on top of his chest. "that's so sweet! thank you! i will treasure that compliment, my star." He spoke playfully, and you smiled brightly, your (e\c) eyes as vibrant as ever. "We should probably be settling down, Jack." You spoke after a short pause and he nodded. "yeah, prob so." He responded. "welp, i'm all ready for some shut eye. brushed my teeth 'n' everything." He added and you high-fived him. "Me too! Yay for good-breath buddies!" You joked and he smirked. "you bet cha!' He cracked in response. 

And after Maia and Sans got ready in their own pajamas, everyone settled down for the night. Maia and Sans were fast asleep beside each other in their pillow fort, and almost as fast as the drop of a hat while in each others arms on the couch, you and Papyrus fell asleep too. And as you wait subconsciously for your alarm to go off at 8:40 AM, you hope the time in your slumber passes by slowly because you're not ready to give a precious moment like this up quite yet. So, as you snuggle closer to Papyrus in your sleep, you cling onto time as best as you can.

Chapter Text

The hours tick by as you sleep in Papyrus' arms. Friendly dreams occupying your mind, causing you to feel at peace. But, all good things must come to an end—soon things take a turn. You enter yet another dream, one that seems normal at first. You and Papyrus are walking together in Ebott City Park. But your mind is screaming, and screaming to confess your hidden feelings at last.

So, after pondering what you'll say, you turned to him and stopped walking. "Papyrus, I have been meaning to tell you this for a long time. I—" You paused, and he stopped, glancing over. His 'bone'brows furrowed in confusion. "you've been meanin' to tell me what, kid?" He asked, leaning on one hip and taking a cigarette from his pocket. He quickly lit it with his lighter, then stuck it between his teeth gingerly.

You paused for a second and gathered all of your courage, then took a deep breath. "Papyrus, I like you. Every day, I fall more, and more in love with you." You confessed and his jaws fell open. He nearly dropped his cigarette onto the grass, but he promptly caught it, then placed it back into his mouth, then blew out a puff of smoke. "oh, yeah?" He questioned, his facial expression only showing nonchalance and a form of... Detestation?

Papyrus met your gaze head on as he took another puff of his cigarette in, then out before dropping it onto the sand. Then, he stomped on the butt with his red Converse. "well, did ya think i was gonna like ya back? especially after what you did?" He spoke flatly and your heart dropped out of your chest, then you began to tremble. "What?" You asked, your eyes filled with confusion.

"ya brainless humans are so stupid. i hardly like associating with a gal who attended monster protests. i know deep inside, ya hate me, bucko. you've been conspiring against us, ey?" He asked as he peered down at you. His gaze intense and striking as he stared through you. It hurt, not only his words, but the way he's looking at you as well. "No! I'd never-I regret doing all that shit, you know that!" You spoke in response, your voice wavering with emotion.

Papyrus took a step forward and grabbed your arm, yanking you closer with force. Then, an orange aura surrounded you as he lifted you to face him. A scowl was present on his skull as he looked at you unblinkingly. The abhorrence only growing more and more with every second. "that's not what maia told me. she told me all your dirty secrets, you bastard!" Papyrus hissed and your heart thudded in your chest. "i never knew you could be such a traitor. those two girls, you know, grace and audrey? they backed up the story." He continued on, then, he dropped you in midair and you fell onto the grass on your knees. You looked back up at him, holding out your hand as tears began to form in your eyes. "None of it's true, Papy I lo-" He cut you off, turning to the side before speaking brusquely. "don't you dare call me 'papy' again. stay away from sans and my friends. especially sans. he deserves to know much better people." He spoke, his voice filled to the brim with venom and you looked down as he began to turn and walk away.

But halfway away, he turned back to you and uttered these last sentences. "i never want to see you again, either. i see or hear you've been around and i swear i'll kill your sorry ass." He hissed, and you fell onto your hands, overcome with grief. He scoffed at this, cackling. "oh, you're such a crybaby. grow up, you ass, and live up to your mistakes. goodbye, (y\n). i hope to never see you again." He growled before turning back and disappearing into thin air.

And, that's it. Your eyes snapped open, only to see you're still in Papyrus' arms. Problem is, you've begun crying already and the tears just continue to intensify. So, you sniffle and pull away from him quickly. And as soon as you do that, he wakes up and looks to you with concern in his pinpricks. "(y\n)? everything okay?" He asked, and you just turned away, sniffling. "Yeah... I'm fine, go back to bed." You murmured, pulling your knees up to your chest. "kid, you're cryin'... it doesn't seem like you're 'fine'." He replied, reaching over and placing a hand on your shoulder. But, due to your dream making you paranoid that Papyrus truly hates you, you freaked out at this simple gesture and scooted away a smidge, making his hand fall onto the couch cushion.

He fell silent, then sighed deeply. In this awkward moment, you took time to look over to Maia and Sans' pillow fort. The two sleeping forms were pressed against each other peacefully. And the longer you looked at them from the small opening of their creation, you grew more and more jealous that they ended up having more of a tranquil night than you.

"(y\n)." Papyrus spoke quietly, making you snap back into reality. But, you didn't look to him. You just looked to the window, seeing the morning light pour in. At the sudden change of light, your pupils shrunk and you blinked your eyes at the sudden pain. So, you whipped your face to the wall instead to avoid the unfortunate ache.

"did you have a dream about austin?" Papyrus suddenly asked and you swallowed hard, biting your lip. But, you knew you couldn't talk about your dream with him. That'd be one hell of a way to tell him you love him. So, you lied and nodded your head slowly. In sympathy, he moved closer again and put his arm around you comfortingly. "hey, hey..." He spoke soothingly. "everything will be good, kid. that jackass won't be able to even get close to you. we'll make sure to keep you safe, honey." He spoke softly. You lowered your head at first, but you couldn't help but smile at his warm nickname for you. "Thank you, P-Papyrus..." You spoke, sniffing as you wiped your nose with your wrist gently.

Did you feel a tad bit better? Well, yes. But, the doubts still infect your mind. That's what dreams like this do, right? Takes a person you love and respect, and makes you wonder if they really think the same of you. Why did he give you a chance after seeing you at the monster protest? That thought had left your mind for a good while, but now, you can't get it to go away again. Well, at least after this, perhaps you an Papyrus can snooze again.

Rapid beeping soon filled the air and you groaned. You hate when you wake up before your alarm goes off, but, not wanting to wake anyone else, you swiftly reach over and turn off the alarm on your phone, yawning. "feelin' better?" Papyrus asked you and you slowly nodded before standing up. "Yeah, a bit... It'll take a while longer for me to get over that though. Dreams can really suck sometimes." You spoke and he nodded. "dreams, and sleep paralysis both can be so frickin' scary. er—did ya wanna talk about your dream, by the way?" He asked as you stood up, turning toward him and lowkey admiring his handsome features. But, you didn't get too carried away, in fact you made sure you replied so he wouldn't know you're totally checking him out. "No, it's... It's not that different from the others." You responded, directing your gaze back to his pinpricks. Uncomfortably, you rubbed your arm, glancing to the side and he nodded. "ah, got cha. well, if ya change your mind, just lemme know and i'll be happy to listen." Dammit, he's too nice. There's no way he actually hates you, what are you thinking? Same with how Maia would never say such bullshit about you. It's just not how they really are.

"Thank you again, Papy... I cannot thank you enough." You responded, then smiled warmly and that made his signature grin appear on his own skull. "my pleasure, kiddo. now, you should go get ready so we can eat before you need to work." He spoke and you raised an eyebrow. "Ooh~ didn't know that was the plan, but I'm not arguing. I'll go shower. Thank you, Pap! You're the best!" You told him sweetly before running to him, pulling him into a hug. "my pleasure, (y\n). ya deserve it!" He replied, smiling as he hugged you back. And, as soon as you parted, you rushed to the shower to get ready for the workday ahead of you. Hopefully your shower thoughts won't pull you any further into the possibility of an existential crisis.

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As soon as you pulled your look together for the day, you stepped out from your room to see Papyrus had gotten changed as well. Not only that, but Sans had gotten up and was drinking a glass of water. "GOOD MORNING, (Y\N). PLEASE BE CAREFUL TO NOT WAKE MAIA. SHE LOOKS SO CONTENT SLEEPING!" He spoke, still in his normal tone... But it was obvious it was a bit quieter so he wouldn't wake her.

"Got cha, boss! Morning, Sans!" You told him, making sure to be quiet. He smiled at you, and waved his small hand rapidly. "GOOD MORNING!" He chirped and you returned his blissful grin, turning to Papyrus.

He was dressed in his normal outfit. Definitely not a breath of fresh air like last night's look was, but still handsome as ever. His orange hoodie is a classic at this point, no wonder he wears it so much. And, hell if it's soft on the outside, it must be even more luxurious on the inside. Perhaps one day you'll get the chance to try it on, but, you highly doubt it at this point. Especially with the dream you had last night.

Unlike a certain carrot of a skeleton, you decided to dress in something slightly cute for him, but still very appropriate for work at Muffet's. So, you ended up choosing black leggings, your plaid black, white, and purple button up shirt with a plain black tee underneath. And with that, you complemented your outfit with your favorite shoes since you'd be wearing Heelys at work anyway. But, other than your outfit, you didn't change much else. He seemed like he didn't mind though, after all, he's grinning at your shirt.

"damn, you're gonna fit right in. your shirt totes looks like muffet's." Papyrus remarked, then laughed and you soon followed it. "Oh, man. It does! How absolutely wild." You replied with a snicker before you both exchanged a fist-bump.

"well, we gotta run now if we want time to ourselves. i want a bagel, after all." Papyrus remarked and you nodded. "Got ya. Oh, Sans will you tell Maia I said good morning? And, your welcome to eat anything I have in the house!" You started, then paused. "Just... Check the date first. It'd be very wise." You added and he nodded, smiling again. "THANK YOU, AND I WILL! YOU TWO HAVE FUN!" Sans chirped and waved, and you both did the same as you walked to the door. You grabbed your bag off the table near the door, then Papyrus turned the handle and opened it. "sans, will ya get my stuff for me?" He asked, turning around and Sans nodded. "YES! OF COURSE!" "ah, thanks, bro. i appreciate it." He thanked him before waving once more, taking a hold of your hand before leading you outside, closing the door before making his way down the stairs with you beside him.

"let's walk past the police so they know you're leaving home, then how about i take one of my famous 'shortcuts' to muffet's, ey?" Papyrus suggested and you thought over his words for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah that's a good idea, actually! Let's do it." You responded and he smiled as you both continued down the flights of stairs.

Once you both reached the bottom of the complex, you jogged to the door, opening it and holding it open for Papyrus. "Ladies first~" You purred, and he snorted, making his voice higher before replying "oh, thank you, my dear!" in a pretty bad feminine voice. That made you giggle and he walked through the door, you trailing behind him quickly.

You looked amongst the cars and saw the police officer in a car parked across the street right in front of Sans' car. He looked left and right, then sprung from his car, casually walking across the street to you and Papyrus. You have a feeling this breaks protocol, but you're not sure in any way, shape, or form, so you're not gonna mention it.

The man was dressed in 'normal' clothes to fit in with the area, and if you hadn't known he'd be out here, you'd think he's just a random citizen. He's around 5'6", has olive skin, brown eyes, and very dark brown—almost black hair.

"Hey, you two. Uh, I'm the-oh, you know, don't you?" He started, a bit shy at first. "yeah, we do, but ya go ahead and tell us what ya gotta, bud." Papyrus replied, then the officer nodded, dipping his head. "Grazie... Upon request, Detective Smith and Detective Lin have sent an undercover officer to stay at Muffet's for the day. So, don't be concerned if you see someone random lurking in the corner while you work." He explained and you nodded. "Got you, isn't this a lot though? With all the surveillance and protection?" You questioned and the officer shook his head. "Not at all, ma'am. Mr. Ricardo is dangerous, very dangerous. We must take all precautions to keep you, and the rest of civilization safe from him." He explained and you nodded. "Oh, alright. I understand. Thank you all for everything you're doing. You have a nice day now, alright?" You spoke to him and he smiled genuinely, reaching out shaking both yours and Papyrus' hands. "Of course, same to you and to you as well, sir. Ciao!" The cop once again spoke before turning and walking away. And with that, you and Papyrus continued your walk once again.

After a short distance, he suddenly changed the path once out of view and went into an alleyway. He took your hand gently, then nodded with a grin "hold on to ya butts." He joked, then suddenly, you began to feel the familiar feeling of his 'shortcuts'. Not wanting to see what happens within them, you squeezed your eyes shut tightly. Within a few seconds though, you felt the ground underneath your feet again. Even if it'd not been gone long, you'd surely missed it. Your eyes snapped back open, then you looked back to Papyrus. You've never seen such a shit-eating grin on his face before in your time knowing him. "ya always gonna do that, (y\n)?" He snickered jokingly, removing his skeletal hand from your grasp and giving you a playful nudge. "I honestly don't wanna know what you're doing, and where you're going." You responded with a laugh, rolling your eyes.

"but, oh, sweet (y\n). it's merely a shortcut? what is there to see?" He teased, looking down at you in a humored manner. "That's the thing, I don't know, and I don't wanna know." You replied and he snorted, patting your back gently before beginning to walk forward. "oh well. i guess only i get to see the wonderful land of mozlania." He spoke, huffing as he walked further from you. Your eyebrows furrowed, then your head cocked to the side as you ran after him, approaching the door to Muffet's. "The what?" You asked in confusion, then he let out a raspy chuckle, opening the door for you. "guess you'll have to keep your eyes open to find out sometime, huh?" He remarked and you rolled your eyes again. After all, he's probably just making shit up.

"Oh! Hello there, dearies! Welcome back to Muffet's!" Muffet spoke excitedly from behind the checkout. "Hi, Miss Muffet! Glad to see you!" You replied, waving as you walked in, going straight to the counter since nobody was there at the present moment. Though, a few people sat around the café. Only around 5 at the present moment though.

Papyrus followed after you, and was soon by your side, smiling to Muffet. "'mornin, muffet. bet you're glad ta see me back so soon, ey?" He winked and Muffet thought for a moment. "That's debatable, Papyrus. I do enjoy your presence but you are very past due paying your tab." Muffet spoke, crossing all of her arms. "And that's why I'm at least paying for his meal today." You interrupted their playful-slightly truthful bicker and Muffet suddenly smiled again, clapping her hands. "Wonderful! What can I get you, dearie?" She asked and you brightened your smile. You're so ready to order. "May I get a (f\d) and a (f\f) Spider Muffin?" You asked and she nodded, smiling as she pushed the orders in, then she looked to Papyrus. "Papyrus? How about you, dearie?" She asked and he sighed, realizing he'd lost against you already. "i'll have a blueberry spider bagel with cream cheese, and a caffè macchiato... with a touch of honey in it." Papyrus spoke, pausing a second until adding the second part. "Oh, well, I was proud of you for a moment, Papyrus. That'll be $16.64." She spoke and you whipped out your wallet, handing her a $20 bill. "Keep the change, donate it to that charity jar if you'd like." You responded and she nodded. "Will do, thank you! We'll have your food done in a minute!" She chirped before rolling away to start making the drinks.

You and Papyrus took this opportunity to pick a table, so you walked side-by-side and picked one on the left side of the restaurant. You both sat down across from each other and just chatted back and forth until Muffet wheeled over with your drinks and food. "I threw in a cookie for free, and, Papyrus, make sure you don't eat it all this time." She spoke as she handed out the foods and drinks. "Oh, that's so nice, Muffet! Thank you! And, is that something Papyrus does often?" You asked, sliding over your drink and taking a sip of it. Muffet nodded, "Especially his brother's. When Sans last came with him, I gave him a cookie. By the time he got around to eating it, it was gone. Just crumbs remained." Muffet responded, then looked at Papyrus in a judging manner. He held up his hands, chuckling. "that's brotherly love, ain't it?" He asked and you and Muffet shook your heads. You couldn't help but giggle but Muffet looked anything but humored. "No. That is the furthest thing from 'brotherly love', dearie." Muffet huffed as she shook her finger at Papyrus. But, she soon let out a gentle sigh and stepped back. "No eating the entire cookie, Papyrus. I'll be over here if you need me to whack him with a baking sheet, (Y\N)." She continued before taking a step back, then quickly rolling away to serve the other customers.

"welp, we got about 25 minutes, so let's chow down, shall we? you may wanna keep that cookie with you before i take matters into my own hands." Papyrus spoke with a wink and you took the cookie protectively, holding it against your shirt. "This is my baby now. Don't you dare touch him, Cookie Monster." You spoke as you slid it into your shirt pocket slowly. "om-nom-nom!" Papyrus teased you as he acted like he was the actual Cookie Monster. You shook your head at this, then giggled again. "You're a handful." You remarked and he grinned from 'ear hole to ear hole'. "in that case, thanks for keeping up with me, honey." He thanked you softly and you gave him a gentle nod. After that, you and him just enjoyed your breakfast together peacefully.

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After you and Papyrus had finished up breakfast, you both said your goodbyes and after a nice bear hug, he was on his way to get ready for work and you headed into the back. After putting on your apron and Heelys, you clocked in and headed to the register.

You could spot the undercover officer in the corner of the café. She was perfect for the part of seeming like a normal citizen as well. She had a laptop and an iced coffee with her, making her seem like an aspiring author using the free WiFi at Muffet's. She's dressed in dark wash skinny jeans, a loose black blouse, black ankle boots, and has a black winter coat draped against the back of her chair. As for the rest of her appearance, she has medium-dark skin, beautiful long black hair, and an absolutely wonderful smile.

But, before you can spot anything else about her, suddenly the door of the café opens and you turn your head too see your first customer of the day...Er- make that customers. One is a face you recognize, it's Cobalt from earlier this week. But this time he isn't with Tobias. He's with... another man? This man is around 5'10", so shorter than his comrade, but he's not small like Cobalt, he is very muscular. It's clear he must work out a lot of the time. He has his brown hair done up in a messy quiff, brown stubble, and as he approaches the counter, you see his eyes. They're strikingly blue, almost exact to Cobalt's well—cobalt eyes. He smiles at you politely as Cobalt stands beside him, a bit anxious but not as anxious as the last time you saw him.

"Good morning, ma'am. May I have a cup of hot coffee with just a bit of sugar and cream? Oh, and a bowl of Cinnamon Spider Oatmeal?" He asked and you nodded, smiling to Cobalt. "And you, Mr. Cobalt?" You asked him and his guest furrowed his thick eyebrows, apparently surprised that you know him by name. "Oh, um... May I h-have a latte? That, and two Chocolate Spider Donuts if that's okay?" He asked and you once again nodded. "Of course! That'll be..." You paused, typing all the information into the register. "$19.03" You finished and Cobalt began to pull his wallet from his pocket, but the other guy was faster and pulled his out as fast as lighting. "Miss, don't let my brother here pay, it's my turn." He spoke as he pulled out a debit card. "Oakley, you do this every time. When will it be my turn?" Cobalt asked, crossing his arms. "When you're not my baby brother anymore, Cobester." He replied as he continued to pay. Cobalt just rolled his eyes at this, adjusting his glasses. "But I'll always be-" He began, but Oakley cut him off and turned to him, smiling. "Exactly. You'll always be my lil' bro, so I'll pay as often as I can." He replied, then finished the transaction. He pulled his card from the chip reader, tucking it back in his wallet carefully. "Thank you for your purchase! We'll bring that meal to you stat." You replied then turned around to help Muffet gather everything together.

The two boys walked away, then sat at a table and you began to fix Cobalt's latte. You thought they'd be brothers, but you didn't really think it was a good possibility until you saw Oakley's eyes. That was the selling point for your theory for sure.

"Aren't they interesting, huh, dearie?" Muffet suddenly spoke, and you nodded. "For two brothers, they seem to have more dissimilarities than similarities." You remarked and she nodded. "Definitely different, but I can notice their similar features and mannerisms." Muffet pointed out, and you nodded. "Especially those beautiful blue eyes, right?" You asked and she nodded. "Yes. Definitely so." She responded before carrying Oakley's coffee to the counter and you did the same with Cobalt's latte. After that, you both got their food ready and once that all was done, Muffet wheeled it to them. And as she did that, you got distracted thinking about your dream again. It brought an instant frown onto your face.

Is it possible that was a warning from your own subconscious? Is your crush on him really that bad of a thing? Or, was it just an unfortunate bad dream? You hope the latter hypothesis is the truth, because the more and more you hang out with Papyrus, the more and more you feel the need to tell him your feelings. But, now that this dream has decided to plague your mind, it has made the situation even harder for you. Should you follow your heart, or your subconscious's possible warning? That is a decision you're not quite ready to make just yet. So, you'll try to keep your mind off of it as much as you can for now. Perhaps the correct answer will be revealed to you somehow, but you seriously doubt it.

Chapter Text

Ten minutes, ten minutes until you finish work for the day. That means it's 10 till 4:30. You can't wait to get back to your apartment for the day, it's been a long and busy one. Muffet's ended up being very hectic today, though you met a few interesting people. And, luckily, a certain some stalker didn't show up. You're happy, yet disappointed about that at the same time. For you never want to see him again, but if he had showed up, the officer would have definitely caught him. But, you hold faith in the law enforcement officers. They'll bring that creep to justice as soon as they lay their eyes on him. 

You suddenly heard the bell on the door of Muffet's chime, signalling it'd been opened, so you looked up. Business had slowed down, so Muffet moved to the back for a while and you served the few customers who came around. But, whoever just walked in is the only customer in the store presently... Other than the police officer, of course. 

As soon as your eyes made direct contact with the figure walking into the store, you blinked in confusion. "Aha! Hello, there! You must be (Y\N). Aren't you absolutely charming?" The new face spoke, but as you focused on who this could be, it clicked in your head. With the flamboyant cyan blue suit, and tall orange flames radiating off of him, you realized this must be Grillby. Muffet's possible crush and\or significant other. 

"Oh, hello there, sir! I am in fact (Y\N). It's a pleasure to meet you!" You spoke as he walked to the counter. You extended your hand for him to shake, but as he took it, he brought it to his lips and kissed it gently. His lips weren't hot, just warm to the touch. "Ah it's great to finally meet you." He spoke, gently letting go of your hand. You didn't really know how to respond to that, so you just smiled awkwardly as you pressed your hand against your side. 

"You know, Miss Muffet has mentioned you a lot! She's very fond of you, I can assure you of that." He continued on and you nodded. "That's wonderful! I'm very fond of her myself! She's a lovely woman, and a fantastic boss. Now," You leaned against the counter, grinning, "Are you quite fond of Miss Muffet too, sir?" you questioned with a devious smirk. His cheeks turned a faint pink as his flames suddenly rose a bit. "O-oh-" He stuttered, then pulled on the collar of his dress shirt nervously. "Hoo, boy. Well, I suppose so? But, I have remained fond of her even when she and I were both underground. Despite we were business rivals and such, I always appreciated how she ran her diner and how she was able to get so much g without putting her prices up too high." He admitted and you let out a sound of understanding. "Ah, I see. She had a diner last?" You suddenly realized and Grillby nodded. "Yeah, she had a diner that served mostly sweet pastries and such! It's building is in the underground still, you should check it out sometime! Maybe the jukebox works now." He joked, clearly jabbing at her even if she wasn't there. Apparently a slight competitive rivalry still remains, but it seems to be mostly lighthearted now.

"Well, sir, what kind of stuff did you sell?" You asked and he leaned on one hip, adjusting his swirled glasses. "Ah, I had my own area in the underground where I served alcoholic drinks, burgers, fries, exciting stuff like that! Though, I was much less affordable than Muffet's." He admitted and you hummed. "Well, it amazing that you two ended up becoming best buds, huh?" You spoke and he nodded ecstatically. "Yes! Definitely! She really made me fall in love with sweets and teas, and well, other things as well!" He chuckled, then reached in one of the pockets of his dress pants, pulling out two candies, handing one to you, and keeping one for himself. "Strawberry peppermint patties, one of my favorites. You should give it a try!" Grillby spoke, smiling. But, as you began to try and open it, he winked. "But that'll be $25." He added and you looked at him, studying his face, your eyebrows furrowing. "Yeah...  I'm good, thank you for the offer though." You replied, then slid it back against the counter and he chuckled. "Oh well~ More for me then, poppet." He spoke, grinning as he tossed his piece of candy into his mouth, sliding the other back into his pocket. 

"So, uh, sir-" You began, but he cut you off, adjusting his cropped blazer. "You can call me Grillby." He interrupted, then you lifted a single eyebrow. "Oh, do I need to pay $25 dollars for that too, sir?" You asked as you threw shade at him. His face turned blank immediately, making you question if that remark was an okay idea or not. He stayed silent for a bit, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Aren't you an absolute hoot?! I adore you already!" He remarked, smiling as he finished up laughing. He soon pulled the candy from his pocket again, sliding it over. "Take it, you deserve it for standing up to me." He spoke, and you nodded, then smiled. "So, did you need anything to eat or drink, Grillby?" You asked, tucking the candy into the pocket of your apron. 

Grillby looked up, observing the menu, then shook his head as he looked back down to you. "No, no. I think I'm quite alright, thank you though! I am going to go say hello to Miss Muffet now, so don't mind me." He responded, stepping away from the counter before waving gently. You waved in return, "Goodbye for now, Grillby!" You spoke, then he nodded and said one more goodbye before disappearing into the back. 

Well, at least now you only have 3 minutes left. Perhaps you can tidy up a bit before grabbing your stuff and bolting outside for the day. 

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After cleaning up some, fixing yourself a nice warm cup of hot chocolate, and getting your stuff, you were headed out the door of Muffet's. Maia said she was with Asgore, so you'd have the apartment to yourself. That's okay though. After all, perhaps going back to drawing Mrs. Agatha's cat would be a good thing to help you wind down. 

You continued to walk down the streets of Mt. Ebott in the pleasant weather. It was a bit busier than you'd like to walk in, but it works. Occasionally, you'd take a nice sip of your hot cocoa and it was absolutely delicious. 

But, when you'd finally settled into your walk, being cautious, but not too cautious, your phone buzzed in your pocket. With curiosity, you stopped and pulled out your phone to see. Oh, a new text from Papyrus? That's exciting. With giddiness and curiosity, you swiped it open to see what he wrote you. 

"hey, sorry for botherin' ya, but sans left my toothbrush, toothpaste, and phone charger at your place. i know it's a lot to ask, but can ya bring that stuff over?" He asked and you sighed. There goes your happy fun time alone from others. But, you're nice and since he's walked you places, and seemingly teleported you back and forth all week. He deserves a kind deed in return, so, with hesitance, you reply to his text. 

"Hey, Papy! You're not bothering me at all. I'll be there in about 20-30 minutes. Just gotta run by the apartment and grab them." You replied as you continued walking. Then, you put your phone into your pocket again as you neared a crosswalk. Pausing at the crosswalk, you turned your head to see a street vender. He was a tan cat with a happy smile on his face. He leaned against his cart with pride as he awaited his next customer. Written on his cart was that he apparently serves burgers. And as it was your turn to walk, you walked across the street and he waved. Being polite, you smiled and returned the wave before walking past. You weren't in the mood for street vender food today. So, you just took another sip of your drink. 

After another few minutes of walking, you walked up to your apartment and walked right up to the door. You wasted no time as you slid your keys into the lock, opening the door. And after that, you jogged up to your floor and as you approached your door, you saw them— Mrs. Agatha left you more cookies apparently. Bless her. 

You picked up the plastic baggie of cookies, observing it. Ah, they're Chocolate chunk. Oh, and she left a message! "I've noticed you've had friends over recently, (Y\N), so I decided to make you all come cookies! Please do share them, dear. And, I hope they like them!" She wrote and you smiled. She's so absolutely pure. You'll have to bring Papyrus and Sans a cookie now. 

You opened your apartment door, only to be greeted with the mess that last night's gathering had caused. "Well, damn. I guess I gotta come home and clean this." You groaned as you closed the door, putting your stuff down on the nearest table. But, you soon stopped moping around and began running around your house, doing everything you needed to do before heading out again. 

That included getting Sans and Papyrus cookies, finding Papyrus' things, packing his things, then getting your regular bag again. Once you were done, you put everything in your bag and then downed the rest of your hot cocoa. And, after that, you exited your apartment, went down the stairs until you were out the door, then set out on the sidewalk to make it to Papyrus and Sans' house. At least it'll be fun to see them both again. 

Since it's nearing 5:00 PM, the traffic is absolutely crazy and car after car pass by on the road. So, you make sure to take your time. But, that's not a bad thing. After all, the more popular the area, the less you have to worry about Austin sneaking out of the shadows to try and get revenge. 

Anyway, after a while of walking, you got to their street and began to scan the area around it. Then, you saw Stripes. She was padding along the sidewalk once again. She really gets around, doesn't she? 

The small cat turned to see you, then quickly dashed into a bush nervously. What a scaredy cat. You waved at her gently as you paused. And, much to your surprise, she popped her head out of the bush, then her paw made its way out too and she waved back. This baffled you, but you just laughed, smiling. She's an absolute cutie.

But, not wanting to get focused on trifling matters, you started walking again until you got to their house. It's just as beautiful now as ever in the fading orange sunlight. In such a beautiful moment, you're tempted to step back and take a photo, but as picturesque as it is, it's best to hurry inside to make it home quickly. And, if you're lucky, Papyrus will assist you in getting home at a reasonable time. 

So, you strolled forward, trudging up the steps before making your way to the door. You planted a nice, heavy knock, then you waited, and waited... But nobody answered. So, you knocked again, smiling as you stood there. But, no voice called, and neither brother came to open it. Maybe they didn't hear you? Oh, well. 

You placed your hand on the doorknob, and as you turned it, the door actually opened. Confused, you ran a hand through your (h\c) hair. You even began to grow a bit worried. What if this is a trap set up by Austin? In the thought of such a possibility, you took a step back on the porch. "Hey, Papyrus? Sans?" You called, looking around the living room. But, everything looked normal and the atmosphere felt as welcoming as ever, so despite your small anxieties, you strolled inside and shut the door behind you.  "Papyrus, Sans! I'm here!" You called again as you stepped further into the house. Still, nothing. Just silence. 

But, as you walked further into the living room, you realized the main light wasn't on, just a few lamps set across the room. Maybe nobody's home and Papyrus left the door open for you to drop his things off? You're not quite sure, so you quickly separate his things from your own, then set them onto the floor. And as you prepare to call the brother's names again, you pause and see something—Papyrus' orange hoodie just laying against the back of the couch. This made you furrow your eyebrows. Doesn't he like, hardly take this off? Why is it just sitting here? After all, one of his idiosyncrasies is wearing this fluffy orange hoodie. 

With interest, and a tad bit of nosiness, you sauntered over to the couch and picked up the soft hoodie. It looks fresh and clean. And, as you look at it closer and closer, your temptation to put it on grows. So, you dropped your backpack onto the ground, called out "Papyrus? Sans?" again, then looked around. When no one showed up, you shrugged and shook out his hoodie, then slid it over your head. As you slid your hands into the sleeves, they ended up being too long and the arms of the hoodie go quite a bit from your fingers. And, as you lower the hood and fix your hair, your hypothesis is confirmed. His hoodie is just as soft, comfortable and warm on the inside as you'd expected. It's so cozy and roomy. And, after wishing and wanting to try on one of his hoodies for longer than you probably should have, you were finally doing it, and it felt glorious. 

Due to the size differences between you and him, it's long and very baggy against your clothes. Perhaps it's almost long enough to wear as a dress? You're not quite sure, but it's cute nonetheless. 

But, as you stand there, fixing the hoodie strings so that they hang straight, you hear a floorboard creak. You instantly turn to see the origin of the noise, and your heart partially sinks as you see Papyrus standing there, just staring at you. He's merely dressed in a tight black tank top and his cargo shorts. 

An awkward silence ensued, Papyrus seemed to be blushing a light orange, and you could feel your cheeks growing warmer by the second. Damn, this is embarrassing. 

"I can expla–" You began, but he cut you off as he began to walk closer, his white pinpricks focused on you intently. "ya know, you look cute in orange. ya should wear it more often." He rasped, his voice full of an unusual charming tone. This made you blush even harder. "O-oh... T-thanks?" You replied nervously, playing with the sleeves of his hoodie and he grinned gently. This made your heart pound inside of your chest. 

He walked closer, pausing in front of you. "damn, if only you could see yourself right now..." He spoke, trailing off as his body seemed to grow tense. Papyrus' breathing was heavier than normal. He seemed to be holding something back. "P-Papy? What does that mean?" You questioned, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion. This whole situation is weird. Really weird, but he takes a deep breath and replies. "jeez (y\n), you're so fucking hot!" He practically growled and your cheeks instantly flushed a deep red. But, before you could reply, Papyrus took a hold of you gently, and as quick as a flash, he seemingly teleported you against the wall and pressed his hands on either side of you. And, next thing you knew, he leaned down and pressed his teeth against your lips softly. Your eyes open wide in surprise and your heart is beating a hundred miles an hour. As the kiss progresses, you close your (e\c) eyes and kiss him back with such passion and intimacy, and he matches it gladly. 

Your face is growing redder and redder by the second, but you don't want to part, you've wanted this for so long, and finally, it's happening! Papyrus actually likes you back! Your dream was all just a bunch of bullshit! You should've known, but you got too concerned with weird theories that you might've gone weeks or months without confessing your feelings to him.

At some point during the kiss, Papyrus wrapped his arms around your waist and you wrapped yours around his shoulders the best you could. Oh, stars, he's so attractive! 

After quite the first kiss, Papyrus pulls away, then looks to the side. "oh, god i am so sorry... i shouldn't have rushed in like that and i should've asked. I don't know what was up with me." He apologized in embarrassment, his cheeks a bright orange. "What? Why are you apologizing?" You asked, quite surprised. "i let my emotions get the best of me, you might not even like me back the way i like you i-" He explained quietly, but, just as he had done to you earlier, you gladly cut him off and grabbed him by the tank top. His pinpricks grew wide at this, and you pulled him forward as you stood on your tip-toes, pressing your mouths back together again. You wrapped your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as he seemed to relax into it again. But, this time you didn't make it as long, you soon pulled away, moving your arms down before looking up to face him. 

"Don't apologize, Papyrus, I wanted, and yearned for that kiss just as much as you did..." You spoke softly, then reached forward and took his hand into your own. "ya really mean it? i mean, i'm me... and well, you're you." He spoke, nearly jumbling his words together. "Yeah? Well, you're the greatest guy I know, and I love you, Papyrus." You responded. This took him off guard, almost as if he didn't really expect you to like him that much. "oh, gosh..." Papyrus blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "dammit, i love ya too, (y\n). every day i just can't stop thinking about ya, and i've wanted to tell you so badly." He spoke softly.

You gently rubbed your thumb against his bony hand. "Vise versa." You replied. "My dream last night actually was about you rejecting me because of my past mistakes." You admitted and he furrowed his 'bone'brows. "really? that explains why you seemed so insistent on getting away from me this mornin'." He realized and you nodded. "Sorry about that, Papy..." You apologized, then looked to the side. 

"hey, i guess i should explain why i just kinda... kissed ya." Papyrus murmured and you raised an eyebrow, looking to him. "I thought it was because-" He cut you off again, then shook his head. "well of course that was the reason i kissed ya, but back when you and i got interviewed by the police, the shit-stick-" He paused, "mr. smith urged me to confess before it was too late. he told me to tell ya, or just kiss ya or somethin'." He explained, then you cocked your head to the side. "Before it was too late? What was he going to do? Take me for himself?" You asked, confused, he chuckled, grinning. "hopefully not, but if he woulda tried, he would've had a bad time." Papyrus snickered, and you giggled slightly. "I'm surprised you took his relationship advice." You pointed out and he nodded. "me too, but when everything else fails and you freeze up and can't find the right words in the moment, just... go the smith way, i guess? damn, that makes me feel dirty just saying it." He laughed more and you joined him. 

And after that, you looked up into his warm gaze and smiled. He's so cute when he's happy. His pinpricks are just filled with so much light and they practically twinkle as he returns your ecstatic look. 

Knowing you don't have to hold back anymore, you quickly pull him into a big bear hug and he hugs you back happily. Well, this was certainly a strange change of events, but as your face lays against his bony chest, you are so glad that it finally happened and you begin to wonder what'll happen next. Perhaps you'll have to wait and see, but as life seems to be taking a new turn, you're thankful that you have all your friends and Papyrus by your side. They're just the people you need in a wonderful time like this. Sometimes you have to live in the moment and not worry about what the future holds. Carpe Diem.

Chapter Text

After the hug had ended, you and Papyrus pulled apart. Fresh smiles are on each of your faces and you look down at your feet bashfully. As you took a moment to gather your thoughts after the exciting event, you found yourself playing with the strings of Papyrus' hoodie. It helped you concentrate on your thoughts, but also kept you from getting overwhelmed whilst thinking about things.

"i don't know if this is too sudden, i haven't done this in a while..." Papyrus began, shuffling on his feet "but, uh–are you free to go on a date this week?" He asked, looking to you hopefully. You of course smiled and nodded. "Of course! Where to? I should be free basically all week. Well, except Wednesday night. We have the movie with Evony then." You replied, looking up at him attentively.

"right! keep forgettin' about that, uh, how about... saturday around 6:00 pm?" He suggested, then paused. "as for the location, that's classified. i want it to be a surprise, (y\n)." He uttered before he grinned from 'earhole' to 'earhole'. You giggled slightly at this, then nodded. "Of course! I understand."

Remembering something you'd almost forgotten, you looked down to Papyrus' bag of stuff and took the small bag of cookies out of it. "My neighbor sent these over. One's for you, one's for Sans." You explained as you held it out, then dumped them in his hand along with his bag of belongings.

"damn, that was mighty nice of 'er, huh?" Papyrus remarked and you nodded, playing with your hair gently. "She's super sweet, I need to finish a drawing I've been doing for her as a thanks. She's supplied me with so many cookies, she's honestly amazing." He laughed at this, then shifted his weight onto one hip, scratching his skull. "i remember seein' it. it was definitely lookin' amazing so far. it's definitely gonna cat-ch her eye." He joked, then winked and you giggled. "You're a real goofball, you know that?" You teased and he smirked. "yep~" He purred, then laughed as he moved the items you'd handed him onto the nearby couch.

After a short pause, you moved your gaze to his face, making direct eye contact. "Why are you just in a tank top?" You suddenly asked, realizing you'd never even questioned him about why he'd just left his signature hoodie laying on the couch. "i was cleanin' in our basement, that's why i didn't hear ya n stuff. i didn't wanna get my babe dirty, so i left 'er up here." He explained, then you smiled. "I understand! Sorry I tried it on, I just couldn't resist the temptation. My gosh, it's so cozy and warm!" You exclaimed as you gently shrunk down into it, letting your neck gently brush against the soft lining of the sweatshirt

"oh, yeah? well, why don't ya keep it, (y\n)?" He suggested which caused your eyebrows to furrow immediately as you looked at him in surprise. "But... Papy, this is your favorite! I'm not gonna take your favorite hoodie." You spoke bluntly, but Papyrus only laughed heartily, causing you to cock your head to the side. "yes, one of 7 identical hoodies. i believe i can manage with just six... At least until i buy a new one." He winked and you let out a small snort. "You sure? I really don't wanna take something that's yours." You responded and Papyrus shook his head, then stretched slightly, letting out a small series of chuckles. "hell yeah, i'm sure! you got no idea how cute you are in it. i adore the idea of ya in my hoodie." He replied and you smiled fully. "Good, because I really, really wanted to keep this with me." You brought the sleeve to your nose, then sniffed it gently. It smells like him. Coffee, honey, and cigarette smoke. Quite the mix, but since it isn't super strong, it's the perfect thing to wear around the apartment when you wanna be close to him whilst your far away.

"It smells like you, that's comforting." You spoke softly, then he smiled as he walked behind you, wrapping his hands around your waist. "i'm glad ya think so, honey." He spoke softly. And, after a short span of no speech, he let out a gentle hum. "how are we gonna do this?" He asked, then you let out a confused 'Hm?' which made him rethink a better way to say what he wanted to say. "we gon' tell people, or nah?" He clarified, then your (e\c) eyes widened as you realized you'd never even thought about that before. "Oh, shit. I don't know." You admitted. Papyrus clicked his tongue, then looked over to the clock in the corner of the room. "maybe give it a couple days? it's been quite tha tumultuous time. just like tea, let's let it steep until things have calmed down. ey?" Papyrus suggested, and after a bit of hesitation, you realized he was very right.

"Alright, you've got a point. I'll try my best to keep it from Maia, though. She's smart so who knows, maybe she'll realize." You spoke and he let go of you, walking around and taking your hand into his own. "if she does find out, it isn't the end if the world. but for now, i'd recommend taking off the hoodie before she sees you. it'd prob be a dead giveaway." Papyrus replied and you slowly nodded. "Fair point, Pap."

You moved away, then grabbed your bag. "I need to run, I would ask you to take me, but I realized I need to do something on the way." You spoke, and he gave you a quick thumbs up. "that's fine, just stay safe." Papyrus remarked as he leaned onto one hip. "I hope Maia isn't at home wondering where I am." You suddenly spoke as you quickly swung your bag over your shoulder. "no worries, kid. sans joined maia and asgore so they'll definitely be pretty preoccupied. even if she got back early, she won't just think you goat away." He murmured and you let out a faint "Ah.". This reverberated across the room until you spoke again a few moments later. "You once again have a point! " Came your gentle response and he nodded sweetly before coming in for a hug which you accepted happily.

"thank ya for everything, (y\n). it's always the highlight of my day when I get to see your smilin' face. Papyrus spoke as he pulled away, a happy smile present on his skull. You blushed, then got on your tip-toes. You soon bent your finger forward and backward to signal him to bend forward, and he eagerly did just that which urged you to lean forward and place a single peck against his teeth before moving back to leave. "Thank you, Papy. I have the same to say about you! You always brighten my days and I am extremely thankful." Came your sweet reply. "aw, shucks." He chuckled raspily as his cheekbones developed a tangerine tinge. "i am glad, kid, but don't let my charm keep ya, ey? don't cha let it get dark before you get home. ey?" He warned, and upon promptly realizing he was correct, you quickly dashed to the front door.

"Crap, you're right!" You gasped as you opened the door. "Alright, Papy. Behave yourself. Okay?" You spoke and he sighed playfully. "fineee, i won't eat sans' cookie." He huffed, winking as he crossed his arms. "Alright, good boy. I will see you later, Pap!" You spoke your final goodbye. And after that last exchange, you stepped outside and exited the skeleton brother's property. And as you began to walk on the gray sidewalk, you felt a smile on your face appear and a sense of complete and utter euphoria rush throughout your veins. What a way to completely change a week. You cannot wait until your date night finally arrives. It's only about 5 days away though, so you'll have to make sure you're 100% ready for the occasion before your timeframe is over. But, you know you're up to the task.

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After a much longer walk to the store than usual, you successfully got some things for dinner with Maia tonight. So, you exited Ferie Dane Fresh Market and began your trek home. You had made sure not to go crazy, so you only got the ingredients you needed for Becky Clark's famous meatloaf recipe along with some potatoes, two carrots, and a head of broccoli... Okay, you got a small tub of vanilla ice cream too, but that was to go on Mrs. Agatha's cookies. They're best with some vanilla bean ice cream, so you couldn't resist.

But, pushing aside the things you'd bought at the grocery store, you adjusted your grip on the 3 bags you found yourself carrying as you made a plan of action to fix dinner. Surely you could get home, chop the ingredients, mix the meat and make the sauce all in less than 20 minutes, right? And after that, it needs to cook at 375° Fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes. So, dinner may be a bit late—but perhaps not overly late. It could happen as soon as 7:00 PM. And, before having to make the mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, you could tidy up the living room a bit. After all, the sleepover last night left it a complete mess and you hate seeing that.

You made a mental note to take down the pillow fort since it takes up so much room in your apartment's small living room. You hope Maia won't mind it's disappearance too much though.

After walking for 5 or so minutes, you began to notice foot traffic has drastically increased. The city streets are absolutely bustling and as you near your street, more and more people are walking away from you. Almost as if they're leaving some event you weren't told about. Strange to say in the least.

A few more minutes pass and you look down at your feet, it's still the exact same thing. Person after person walk past without any acknowledgement—Oof!

You felt the air get knocked out of you as you fell backward suddenly, but instead of hearing a "I'm sorry", you merely heard a sneer instead. So, you furrowed your eyebrows as you lifted your head to meet who you'd come across.

Your (e\c) eyes met the all too familiar face of Audrey herself. Her eyes were narrowed, her short brown hair neatly brushed and her body just so happened to be decked out in all sorts of anti-monster gear. Her t-shirt is anti-monster propaganda, her pins and buttons are anti-monster propaganda, and so is the large poster she's holding in her hands. It speaks vile words. Words that simply aren't true and it makes you clench your teeth together tightly.

"Not going to apologize, bitch? You interrupted my march." She hissed to you and you quickly stood up at her accusation, looking her in the eyes. "Apologize? Look where you're going, Audrey. Then you wouldn't have run into me!" You huff and she grits her teeth, then grabs you by the arm tightly. And despite her nails being short and freshly trimmed, they dig into your skin with a stinging sensation. "Don't you tell me what to do, you monster sympathizer!" She growled and you blinked your (e\c) eyes in surprise. "I'd have you thrown out of this city if I could! You don't understand how much you ending the friendship hurt Grace's feelings!" She spoke angrily before snatching her hand away, causing you to stumble back a bit. "Me? End the friendship? First off, that's your fault, not mine. Second off, it hurt me just as much to see my friends were supporting a toxic movement that's only bringing people down!" You spoke in response and suddenly, the crowds of people slowed down as they looked to you and Audrey.

"They're not people, (Y\N)! They're monsters, we've been over this!" She huffed as she took a step forward. Her entire body radiated with absolute hatred, and as she reached forward to grab you again, you moved backward out of her range of motion. You're determined to teach this woman a lesson without any physical conflict. All she needs to hear are words, words that will open her closed mind and make her less hateful toward a group she doesn't even know.

"Audrey. Listen, okay? The way you speak about monsters makes them sound like savages from another planet. But, and I can attest to this because I grew past my silly biases and have met so many of them that are absolutely wonderful... The monsters all act more human than you do, Audrey." You spoke sweetly with a tinge of sourness and this made her clench her teeth even more. Some whistles from afar sounded out in support of you and a few people in the crowd seemed to let out murmurs of agreement. "Oh, you absolute jackass!" She hissed as she reared back her fist, and as she took a step forward, it began to fly, bringing panic into your general demeanor. But before her fist connected with your face, someone from behind Audrey grabbed her wrist. "She's right." The new character spoke.

He's a man you've never seen before. He's about 5'6" in height, around 20-25, has an olive skin tone, tattoos, and dark brown curly hair. His eyes are brown too. "Ryan, shut up! You never say the opposing team is right! Don't you dare grab my arm like that again either!" She yelled at him as she snatched her hand away. "Audrey, you're so wrong. We're adults. We're supposed to tolerate and learn to understan-" He continued until suddenly, Audrey turned to face him completely and slapped her hand against his cheek causing him to recoil. Tears formed in his eyes and he shrunk back. "I see now who the real monster is. You're not worth a crap, Audrey. I hope your movement dies." He spoke angrily, confused in a whirlwind of emotions. And with that final sentence being uttered, he pushed past both of you. And after he made a break for it, you grabbed your grocery bags and ran after him.

Once out of earshot of the others, you called out his name and he turned to see you. Instantly his hostile nature calmed once he saw it wasn't a protester. He smoothly cocked his head to the side. "What? What do you want?" He asked, sounding peeved for a moment before clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Sorry, still on edge." He chuckled lightly as he looked down at his gray and green tennis shoes. "No! No, it's fine. I understand, man!" You spoke kindly as you walked up to him. "I know this is probably all rather new to you, but most everything you've heard about monsters are lies." You started, then pulled down Papyrus' hoodie's sleeves to cover the nail marks now visible on your skin. "If you want to get to see what monsters are truly like, come by Muffet's sometime. It's probably the most friendly café in town and my boss, Muffet, would likely be delighted to meet you." You offered, then he paused. But, he soon smiled and nodded. "Alright, thanks for the invitation... I may swing by this week to just... See what monsters are really like. I am tired of hearing bullshit lies." His eyes flicked to meet your own for a second, then they looked around the streets.

"I understand that feeling. I was once in the same boat. Well, just a few weeks ago actually. Audrey was a good friend and she dragged me to protests, taught me misinformation, et cetera... I'm so glad I got out of that toxic friendship." You remarked and he nodded. "I certainly would be too. Thanks for talking with me... I know you had no reason to even come up to someone like me, but I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your day just to speak with me." He smiled, then dipped his head. "I was happy to! You have a nice day now, okay? I'll be looking forward to seeing you at Muffet's in the near future, Ryan." You gave him a gentle smile, then you both exchanged a fist bump. "Same to you too, miss. I will see you in a few days or so. Goodbye!" He placed his hand up as a farewell, and as he began to turn back around, you waved in return as he resumed the walk to his destination. "Have a great day!" You called after him as you followed behind him. But, you soon took a diversion from his path and turned onto your own street.

After walking to your apartment, you unlocked the door, walking inside. Feeling relaxed to be home in your usual environment, you pressed your back against the cool door and let out a sigh. "Damn..." You mouthed, unsure which emotions to focus on first. But, thankfully you didn't get overwhelmed by your thoughts jumping to and fro. Almost as if it'd been planned, you heard Tyler playing his ukulele softly in his apartment and as you focused on the chords, your mind was able to relax. So, with a new perspective, you walked up your stairs all the way to your door. And taking Papyrus' advice, you looked both ways and took off his orange hoodie, shoving it into your bag neatly before entering.

Soon after you opened the door and moved your grocery bags onto the wooden floor of your apartment, you looked up to see Maia's emerald green eyes glimmering as she peered at you. This made you swallow hard, is it possible that she knows something?

"Hey, there little miss. Where have you been, ey?" She asked, grinning as she leaned her head against her fist. You have a feeling you'll somehow accidentally reveal the relationship. So, with some quick thinking, you found a way to avoid talking about this topic. "What have I been up to?" You laughed gently and she furrowed her blonde eyebrows. "The real question is, what have you been doing with Sans and Asgore?" You asked and she blushed lightly, then laughed. "We had a tea party and talked about crap. How'd you know Sans was there though, (Y\N)~?" She teased. "Sans left some of Papyrus' stuff here, so I was bringing it to him. And Pap probably told me about you and Sans so I had some material to ship you two with." You giggled.

She seemed greatly disappointed, but nodded with a small chuckle. "Ah, alright. I suppose it was silly for me to think otherwise." Maia laughed at herself and you smiled nervously, not sure how to respond since it's literally on the contrary. "It was just—you seemed to be gone an awfully long while." Maia commented, and you bit your lip, still trying to stay calm and collected. "Oh, you know Papyrus. He can be a real talker!" You exclaimed, then she nodded in agreement. "Alright you're right a girl can dream though, right?" She laughed and you soon joined her.

But as weird as it feels to keep this information inside, its definitely for the best. So, as soon as you walked all the way inside, you shut the door behind yourself, biting your lip.

Perhaps not telling Maia will be much harder than you had originally anticipated.

Chapter Text

"What's for dinner, (Y\N)?" Maia asked as she picked up two of the shopping bags, walking to the kitchen. This snapped you out of your thoughts and you shook your head. "Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots and broccoli." You responded, grabbing the remaining bags and walking to the kitchen behind her.

Maia set her bags on the counter, then took your bags from your hands as you began to put up the groceries. "That sounds really good!" She exclaimed, then licked her lips. "And what about dessert?" She turned to you, grinning as her eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Only Mrs. Agatha's world famous cookies with some vanilla ice cream." You remarked and Maia's face lit up. "Is that the 'dope grandma'?" She gasped and you smiled, snickering as you nodded. "Yes. She is very much the 'dope grandma'." You giggled and Maia clapped her hands together. "Yes! Today I have been blessed!" She remarked enthusiastically. "Me too, me too."' You uttered in response, then put your focus back on putting away all the goods you'd bought at the store.

And, after around 7 minutes, everything was put up neatly—save the ingredients for dinner of course. Maia's mouth was practically already watering, so you made sure to quickly get to work on dinner. You put the potatoes in a pot of water, turning them up to high and began putting together the iconic recipe for the delectable meatloaf. Maia put together the savory sauce, and you focused on the 'loaf' itself.

"You know what happened on my way back?" You suddenly asked Maia, then turned to her as you began to mix the meat, spices, and ingredients together. "Nuh-uh, what happened?" Maia asked curiously and you sighed. "Audrey—" You began. "Oh, God! No!" She suddenly exclaimed, cutting you off. Quickly realizing what she did, she blushed in embarrassment and covered her mouth. "Sorry, continue."

You giggled, then nodded. "She was holding a protest just down the street. I'm honestly scared at how many people she had there. Her band of protestors is growing at an alarming rate." You sighed. "I must've not seen her because we bumped into each other and that's when the crap started to happen." You continued, then bit your lip. "Oh geez..." She spoke softly, stopping what she was doing to listen to you fully. "I know. And, after a short exchange of words, she dug her nails into my arm, and shortly after that, she tried to slap me." You sighed. Maia gasped at this, and ran over, gently lifting your sleeve. Almost immediately she saw the irritated nail marks on your skin and scowled. "That woman is an absolute bad apple!" She remarked with distaste and you nodded. "On the bright side, I know I convinced one man that her words are just filth... Though she ended up slapping him too." You shook your head. "Despite that though, I invited him to Muffet's and he seems to be more open-minded now." You remarked and Maia let out a small smile. "Well, that's good! I just hope it isn't just him that you made question her teachings." She remarked, then you bit your lip and nodded.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I did hear murmurs of agreement coming throughout the crowd. Perhaps I was able to make a small impact." You replied, then she nodded her head. "I definitely hope so! After all, if people are willing to listen to a woman who'll assault people to get her point across, then we're screwed." She sighed.

You clicked your tongue, sighing as well. "Dammit, you're right." You began, tapping your fingers against the cool kitchen counter. "I mean, there have been worse people in history, but that doesn't make her behavior any less excusable." You continued. "Yeah, agreed. And, every villain sadly starts off small." Maia spoke and you looked down, your heart nearly dropping out of your chest at your sudden realization. If the discriminatory part of humanity somehow convinces the councils and authorities of this country that monsters need to go, they'd find it easy to drive them back to where they'd been hidden for hundreds of years. All it takes is a majority vote for such a catastrophe to occur, and what happens after that? Strong condemnation, or jubilation?

"(Y\N)? Are you okay?" Maia suddenly asked which tore your mind from your thoughts of disaster. "I-I.." You began to stutter, then you shook your head from side to side, trying to gather your words. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how humanity has so much power that they could get rid of the monsters in a flash." You spoke softly. Maia froze, the corners of her mouth lowering as all the thoughts became clear in her mind as well. Her green eyes began to cloud with emotion and she let out a shaky breath. "That's it, it's time for retaliation." She suddenly spoke firmly and you blinked in surprise. "What?" You asked and she rolled up her sleeves, her eyes narrowing. "We need to start an organization that'll support the monsters. Our soil is just as much their home as it is ours." She responded and you let out a hum. "You know what? You're 100% right. Let's do it!" You spoke enthusiastically, and with that, you both exchanged high-fives.

"What should we call it?" You asked, then Maia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know yet. Just kinda came up with the idea on the spot." She giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Oh, right." You laughed in response, then turned and went back to preparing dinner. "We can write down all ideas we have and show them to the boys and Evony when they're here in a few days." Maia suggested. "Oh, yeah! That's a good idea! Then maybe they can help contribute too!" You exclaimed and Maia smiled, dipping her head. "Yep! You got the idea." She replied.

After closing off that discussion, you finished mixing and combining all the ingredients and Maia suddenly exclaimed "Oh!". You turned to her, cocking your head to the side. "Mm?" You asked and she snickered. "Remind me during dinner to tell you who I heard about today. Well... Heard about and subsequently found on Facebook." She spoke and you blinked, furrowing your eyebrows in thought. Who could she have found?

"Well, alright. I'll do that! I'm curious!" You replied. And after a few more short conversations were made, the focus was turned on the food as you both continued to prepare dinner.

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After cooking and eating more than half of your meal, suddenly you remembered what Maia had said and you set your fork on your plate and looked up at her. "You said you had something to tell me?" You reminded her and she grinned. "Ah, yes! Thanks for joggling my memory."

She clasped her hands together, then cracked her knuckles. "I was talking on the phone with Sally Rees and she brought up a name I hadn't heard in years." Maia began to explain, then shifted in her seat. "Sally? Oh, man. I forgot she existed." You laughed, recalling your past classmate. Maia laughed too, then drug her fingers against the table as you began to sip your water. "Anyway, we were chatting and suddenly, she mentioned Nathan Gardner—" Maia continued, and suddenly, at the mention of his name, you choked on your water and started coughing violently. "I was wondering what reaction he'd get." Maia suddenly spoke, looking to you. You beat on your chest, coughing and sputtering until finally you were able to croak out "W-what? Why him?"

Maia picked up her phone from the side of the table and began to use it. "Because, I thought maybe we should have open communication about him. I can tell you what he's been doing nowadays because apparently I am still friends with him on my old Facebook." She spoke and you ran a hand through your hair. "I don't know if that's a good idea..." You spoke softly and she paused, setting her phone down. "You never told me what happened between you two! It's been years." She pointed out and you sighed, taking a forkful of mashed potatoes and placing them in your mouth silently.

"(Y\N)?" Maia asked and you sighed once again. "Nate and I were dating for a year and he... Just wasn't that great." You murmured. "How so? I remember him being super sweet!" She exclaimed. You bit your lip. "Well, he was nice! But, he was just... He wasn't as friendly when I got to know him truly. Bad traits began to bleed into his demeanor and I just didn't like what I heard. And, I suppose him cheating on me with Brynn Hansen was the last straw." You murmured and Maia blinked. "Oh, (Y\N), I am so sorry! I had no idea!" She gasped and you shook your head. "Don't worry about it, I was a freshman and you didn't even know me yet. I just kinda forgot about it until now because I didn't even really like him much by the time he went to Brynn." You responded and she nodded.

You paused for a moment, then smiled. "What'd you find out about him though?" You asked curiously. "Well, Sally was telling me about how he's a coroner now, and that led me to rediscovering his Facebook." She took out her phone, then turned the screen to face you. You were suddenly face to face with the image of your ex all grown up. It's so strange that he has hardly changed. He still has they same thick wavy dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes, bushy eyebrows, angled lips, square nose, and oval face. Yet, he seems stoic and menacing, that is very unlike his younger self. After all, Nate had been a complete and utter geek.

"Oh, and he's married. His wife is gorgeous!" She added, then took her phone, flipped it to the next picture, then handed it back. It was a wedding photo. He was dipping his bride gracefully and he looked extremely happy. Perhaps he'd changed for the better?

Observing his wife, you couldn't help but note her features. She looks to be Korean and has gorgeous, long brown hair, light skin, stunning brown eyes, and a fantastic and sweet smile. Her dress is long, and rather than poofy, it's loose and seems to flow gently. It is lacy and features long sleeves composed of lace and a sweetheart neckline that brings the gown together. As for him, he is wearing a traditional tuxedo. But, they seem to fit together perfectly.

"Aw, they're so cute!" You exclaimed and Maia nodded, smiling. "The reason I brought them up is because apparently they just moved back into the area! His wife's a planner for community events and decided to move here, so he decided to transfer to our local coroner's office." Maia replied and you hummed. "I am not surprised that Nate became a medical examiner, he used to love to dissect animals in biology." You gagged and Maia soon followed. "Oh my God, I forgot about that." She giggled, then cringed. "I will never forget the smell of those frogs." She murmured and you nodded in agreement. "Formaldehyde and sadness." You commented and Maia quickly snorted, then burst into a fit of laughter.

You smiled at her chuckles, then went back to eating your mashed potatoes happily. But, Maia soon tore your attention back when she cleared her throat. Your (e\c) eyes flicked up and connected with her calm gaze as she hummed in thought. "Are you going to tell Papyrus about what Audrey did?" She asked and you bit your lip, unsure actually. "Oh, damn. I didn't actually think about that." You admitted and Maia furrowed her eyebrows. "Really?" She questioned, and you nodded in a mix of embarrassment and shame for not remembering to tell your own date what'd happened. "Yeah... You have a point thought, I really need to. Mind if I shoot him a quick text?" You asked her and Maia shook her head. "Go ahead."

So, that's exactly what you did. You took your phone from your pocket, typed in your passcode, clicked on your messages and went straight to his name to tell him. After some thought, you began to type it with a lot of things worded to not make him panic, but be more relaxed over the situation that had occurred.

"Hey, Papyrus! Just thought I should let you know that on my way home from the grocery store, I ran into Audrey—one of the anti-monster ex friends. She wasn't being very nice and she grabbed my arm and left her nail marks in my skin. It's not that big of a deal, a guy got her to stop before shit got bad, but I thought you deserved to know."

You set your phone to the side, then smiled. "There we go. Thanks for reminding me, bro. He really deserves to know after how stupid I was in the... 'Previous situation'." You murmured and she reached forward, patting your arm. "Don't sweat it. He's already forgiven you, so please don't live in the past. It wasn't your fault, it was Ass-tin's fault." Maia spoke and you couldn't help but snicker at her nickname for him. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't stop that underlying guilt though." You sighed gently, then she pat your arm again before moving her arm back to her side of the table. "I know, I know. And, that's okay! It's human nature. Just don't let that guilt morph into complete and utter self-condemnation." She warned and you gave a thumbs up. "Thanks for the advice, you make some good points." You spoke softly and she smiled. "You're very welcome!

Not but seconds after Maia had spoken last, your phone buzzed and you looked to it. "I guess that'd be the kumquat himself?" She remarked, then went back to eating as you picked your phone back up, looking at who'd written you. It was indeed the kumquat.

"Yep! Excusez-moi as I write Mr. Kumquat back." You giggled, then slid open the message to read it.

"oh, thanks for letting me know, (y\n). i heard about the big protest that'd occurred today and that somebody had interrupted it... that was you, ey? neato. i'm just glad you're ok, honey. you are ok, yeah?"

You made sure to type out a good response before sending it on its way.

"There's no need to thank me! Just doing my duty to actually let you know. And, yeah... I guess that was me or the other guy that intervened. Have rumors gone around Ebott about that mess already? And, yes. I'm completely fine. Just a teeny bit shaken if anything."

You set your phone back down and drummed your fingers against the wooden table. "Apparently the news about someone interrupting the protest has spread a bit already. At least, that's how I interpreted Papyrus' text." You suddenly spoke and Maia let out an audible "Huh." "I hope that rumor won't include your name, even if you did nothing wrong it can possibly hurt your reputation if the facts are false." She replied. "I'm sure nothing too bad will happen, after all, I wasn't the one who assaulted two people." You murmured and Maia clicked her tongue. "Fair point."

"You know, maybe you should contact Mr. Smith about that too." Maia suggested. "He has a lot of better things to worry about right now, and there's nothing more he can do than to arrest her. I know she has done some crappy things, but I don't think it's time for the police to be called yet." You remarked and she sighed. "But what if things escalate before you see any more warning signs? Like, what if she comes to the apartment complex with the intent to get revenge?" She suggested and you swallowed hard. "Way to make a girl anxious, Maia." You sighed, then ran a hand through your (h/l) hair. "I don't think that'll happen, but I have a feeling the police are probably still keeping a close eye on this apartment complex." You responded and she shrugged. "Sorry, and I guess you're right." She replied and you gave her a gentle smile. "It's fine. You had a point and you have every right to worry." You gently told her.

After a 5 minute pause, you were able to finish your food just as your phone buzzed again, Papyrus had written back and you picked up your phone to read it.

"i heard that a gal interrupted the anti-monster protest and her words moved a couple people, so yeah, it's spreading. in fact, i didn't hear it from sans or anything, i heard about it when i had to swing by the hardware store. i was looking around when i heard these four dudes talking about it on the next aisle. three were with ya, one wasn't and when he saw me, he stuck his nose up. but there are bad people in this world, so that was expected. super glad you're alright as well, i was about ready to march over and take care of ya."

"Oh, dang. Well, I'm glad what you heard was positive for the most part! Sorry that dude wasn't being polite though. People like that make me so mad! How hard is it to just be polite? As for the coming over thing, I am willing to change my story just to get a caretaker for the night~"

You snickered over your reply, then stood up and slid you phone back into your pocket. "Yeah, it's a rumor that's spreading around Ebott. I don't think people know it's me by name though, just that a girl said some things that 'moved a couple people'." You explained to Maia and she stood up. "Oh, well, that anonymity is good! I am sure you'd have The Ebott Gazette all over your tail if people actually knew your name." She remarked and you nodded. "Yeah, you're 100% correct about that."

You took her empty plate and set it on top of yours. "I'll clean up, while I do that, why don't you set the ice cream out to soften a bit before we have our dessert?" You suggested, then Maia pat her stomach. "I'm absolutely full, but I can never say no to sweets. So, hell yeah!" She giggled, then jogged past and opened the freezer to pull out the ice cream as you walked to the sink and began washing the dishes.

Within a couple minutes, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket and you smiled, eagerly awaiting to see Papyrus' charming reply to your flirt. And, as soon as you were done washing everything, you leaned against the back of the sink and took your phone out of your pocket. But, before you could open it, muffled shouting came from outside and you walked into the living room where Maia happened to be sitting on the couch. "Do you hear that?" You asked her and she swallowed. "Yeah, I do..." She turned her head to the window. "You think everything's o—"

Bang!

Gunshots began to sound and your heart dropped out of your chest as your (e\c) eyes began to widen.

Maia instantly ran to the window and you followed from behind. Little daylight remained, but that didn't hinder your vision too much because the streetlight in front of your apartment complex lit the area the sounds originated from. And, that's when you saw it, a body. A body laying on the sidewalk you walk across every day.

In a moment of complete shock and lack of comprehensive thought, you rushed toward your door, grabbed your keys and threw open the door as you began to run down the stairs as fast as you could, your heart pounding in your chest as adrenaline pumped through your veins.

"(Y\N), wait!" Maia called, but it was too late, you were already a flight down the steps, so she followed after you as you bolted out the door of your apartment complex to have your eyes land on the police officer assigned to watch your apartment with a pistol in his hand, talking on a radio. But, he quickly noticed you and held out his hand. "Ma'am, please stay back!" He yelled.

As Maia jogged to your side, you turned your head slowly to see the body laying around 6 yards in front of you. It was none other than Austin with a bullet in his chest. His blood was beginning to pool around him and you began to feel sick as you looked at him, noting the Glock beside his body. But, as the adrenaline continued rushing throughout you, you couldn't control yourself and you tucked your phone into your pocket before snatching off your button up, and looking to the officer. "I need something plastic or laminated immediately!" You shouted and he stared for a second in confusion as you ran to Austin's side, kicking the gun away from him gently. But, after you turned and glared at him, the police officer rushed to his car to get something.

You got on your knees beside him and put your hand on his carotid artery, then listened silently. He still has a pulse, and is definitely trying to breathe but is having some difficulty. That is not good.

With little hesitation, you snatched open Austin's orange and dusty blue plaid button-up and tore the white tee underneath it, exposing his chest. The bullet wound was causing him to lose blood at an alarming rate and you started getting anxious as the officer took longer and longer to walk over.

But, even if it had felt like a long time, the officer must've ran over in as little as 2 minutes with his drivers license in hand and you began tending to the possible sucking chest wound the best you could with your knowledge of health and first aid from school. The officer helped you out with the dressings and made sure you did everything right as you tried your hardest to save your own stalker's life.

Every activity you performed to try and keep him alive slowly turned into a blur as you lost your sense of time. Next thing you knew, backup showed up along with an ambulance. And as EMTs took over where you'd left off, you found yourself sitting on the curb completely spaced out and numb. The smell of blood still fresh in your nostrils thanks to your T-shirt being covered in Austin's blood. But, you still refused to move from your location and watched as the ambulance rushed away until it was out of view. You felt a hand on your shoulder, but you couldn't bring yourself to look up at whoever had made the kind gesture as countless emotions and thoughts swirled around in your head like a hurricane.

But, eventually you felt a blanket be draped across your shoulders and that brought you some comfort which allowed you to finally snap out of your trance a bit. You looked up to see Mr. Smith standing behind you, giving you a sympathetic glance. "You did well, (Y\N)." He complimented you softly and you wrapped the blanket around your shoulders a bit more as you looked down, the area around you lit by the flashing lights of the police cars. "Thank you." You whispered and he sighed gently, patting you on the back.

And after around 7 minutes had passed, Maia returned with two cups of tea and handed one to you. "They said this may help deal with the shock, so I fixed us both some." She spoke gently, clearly very concerned about you. But, you tried your best to seem strong as you thanked her to lessen her worries, after all, that's the one thing we need less of right now.

Chapter Text

As the police cars still surround the area and you await to be asked some questions, you still cannot seem to focus. Time is going by at an odd rate and it's like you're moving in and out of consciousness. Sometimes you'll hear Maia trying to speak to you, and other times all you'll hear are your own thoughts.

You wrap the blanket around yourself silently, tears forming in the corners of your eyes as your mind explores the situation all over again. You tried to save an awful person for no apparent reason other than kindness and instinct. But in doing so, you risked your life. He had a pistol, if he'd come to, one shot to a vulnerable area and it could have all been over. Your budding relationship with Papyrus, your job at Muffet's, your fight against discrimination, et cetera... It'd all be gone in a flash.

And, all that was risked for some deviant's life when it's unlikely he'll even live. At least, that's what you assume. Nobody has told you anything, and it's unlikely that you will even know for a while. But, if he does live, then at least he'll get the proper chance to be punished in prison. Well, you hope. That's up for the jury to decide.

You wiped the corners of your eyes with the blanket as you exhaled gently. You sniffled and looked up toward the cloudless, starry night sky. This beautiful evening does not seem to match this cataclysmic disaster of a night. And, as you focus on the sky, more tears form in your eyes as they begin to trail down your face. You don't even bother wiping them this time as you look toward the various officers accessing the crime scene.

But, soon you heard the sound of someone running down the sidewalk, their shoes flopping against the concrete loudly, and in a panic, you hid under the blanket. "maia, where's (y\n)?!" You suddenly heard Papyrus' voice ask. He sounded very concerned and worried. Wanting to see him, you slowly removed the blanket and peered over at him. Instantly, your gazes connected and he ran the rest of the way over. "Sir, this is a crime scene, you aren't allowed-!" Suddenly a police officer spoke as he began to fast-walk over, but, Mr. Smith quickly stepped in from the side and stopped him by placing a hand on his chest. "Officer Rodwell, it's alright. He's allowed." He spoke suddenly. Officer Rodwell looked toward Papyrus hesitantly, then sighed and walked away. Mr. Smith didn't say anything, just gave a slight nod as he got back to work.

And, before you could speak, heavy panting and heavier trudging came from a few feet away. Everyone turned to see Sans still in his pajamas as he made his way over. The pajamas are what you'd expect from him, a plain black tee with a pocket on the side, and pajama pants with miniature tacos spread across them. And what made it all better was he was also wearing a gray pair of bunny slippers.

"PAPYRUS! YOU ABANDONED ME NEARLY A BLOCK AGO!" He complained and Papyrus coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "sorry, bro, somethin' happened in my skull and i just bolted." He apologized with a sigh. Sans crossed his arms and walked closer. "OH, TRUST ME, I SAW." He huffed, then neatly sat beside Maia. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?! I HAVE NEVER SEEN PAPYRUS RUN, LET ALONE THAT FAST." He asked and Papyrus sat beside you. You instantly leaned toward him, resting your head against his chest as you sniffled.

Unlike his brother, Papyrus was still dressed in his normal garb. His trademark orange hoodie, green cargo shorts, and, of course his bright red sneakers have enough familiarity to bring you comfort in this distressing time. Or, perhaps that's just him and his calming atmosphere.

He wraps one of his arms against you and sighs, "mr. smith called me and told me that austin had showed up with a gun to get revenge on (y\n)... he was gonna try and shoot 'er, but the undercover officer was still on watch, so he confronted him and both men pulled their guns and fired... er—sorry, that's about as much as i heard. i kinda tuned him out."

"Well, I guess I'll finish the story then... Is that okay, (Y\N)?" Maia asked quietly, then you nodded. "Alright, well..." She took a deep breath, then crossed her legs. "Austin missed the officer, but the officer didn't miss and shot him in the lung. (Y\N) and I heard this all from her apartment and she saw a body and I guess instinct just set in... Next thing I knew, she was flying down the stairs." Maia started, tapping her fingers against the pavement rhythmically "I tried to get her to stop, but she was long gone. So, I quickly followed her and we ran outside." Maia paused, then continued. "She was just staring at Austin in such a strange mix of emotions... She seemed less pleased and more melancholic to see him splayed out on the sidewalk. And, with that, her and the officer tended to his gunshot wound until paramedics came." She finished.

"OH, GOODNESS! THATS AWFUL!" Sans gasped and after hearing the story being retold by someone else, you teared up more and tried your best to hide your face in Papyrus' hoodie. He wrapped his arm around you protectively. "i'm just gonna say i'm surprised ya saved em, (y\n). that took a lotta courage after all that he'd done. but, i'm proud of ya for being able to show mercy." He whispered softly into your ear. You gently clung to him and sighed gently. "T-thank you, Papyrus... I cannot begin to understand why I did that... I-" You trailed off and shook your head. "You understand... I just feel overwhelming guilt now that I saved the man that you had to save me from." You tried to explain and he gently pat your back.

"(Y\N), THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TRYING TO SAVE HIS LIFE! HE MAY HAVE BEEN AN AWFUL MAN, BUT YOU'RE THE BIGGER PERSON AND ACTED IN KINDNESS!" Sans exclaimed to try and make you feel better. "i agree with sans, and i ain't mad you saved 'em. i'd much rather him pay for his crimes properly behind bars. ya just were bein' empathetic." Papyrus added. "Yeah! I agree with the boys here. There's no reason to feel guilty! Even if he wasn't a pleasant human, he still deserves that effort to try and save him." Maia added.

The three nodded in unison and you sniffed as you slowly sat up and looked at them, eyes, nose and cheeks slightly red from the tears that'd run down your face moments ago. "Sorry, you guys are right... I guess I'm just letting my own mind take control." You apologized with a sigh.

Maia reached over and pat your shoulder comfortingly. "There's no need to apologize, (Y\N). We all understand. It's been an awfully hard day for you and it'll definitely be hard to settle your mind." She remarked and you clicked your tongue, then let out a half suppressed laugh. "You're telling me, man."

Soon, footsteps sounded nearby and everyone looked over to see a police officer approaching. He's in his early 40s, possibly 43, and he is smiling gently toward you and your clique. He's around 5'8", is very broad with a medium length beard, and brown hair that's parted on the side with short sides that's longer on the top. It's a very classic haircut that gives you a familiar feeling.

"Good evening, folks! I'm sorry that Detective Smith cannot ask the questions, but he is assessing the crime currently. I hope I can suffice!" He laughs, the creases by his eyes showing as his brown eyes squint. But, soon he paused, looking to the side and growing silent. "Oh, I forgot to say my name..." He mumbled, then took a step closer to you and held out his hand. His arms are very hairy and those hairs show up well on his tan complexion.

"The name's Brent Angel! And you are (Y\N) (L\N), correct?" He asked, and you complied and shook his hand gently. "Yep! That'd be me. And, this is Papyrus, this is Maia, and this is Sans." You spoke as you pointed to each of your comrades. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but it's awful that it's in such a terrible circumstance!" He exclaimed, then sighed. "I guess that's life though, ey?" He added and all four of you nodded slowly.

"Well, do you mind me asking the questions here?" His eyes flicked from you, then to your friends as he shifted on his feet. "It seems like you're very comfortable with your friends here, so I don't wanna take that away from you, ma'am." He smiled warmly as he leaned on one hip. He definitely gives off strong 'dad' vibes. "No, I don't mind at all. Thank you, officer." You thanked him softly as you dipped your head.

He smiled a bit more, then stroked his beard as he knelt down on his knee, taking out a notepad to take your statements. "It's my pleasure. Anything to make you more comfortable." He nodded his head, then clicked the pen, glancing up at you with calmness held in his brown gaze. "What alerted you to the altercation that was happened outside your building?" Officer Angel asked calmly. "Maia and I heard shouting and we were wondering if things were okay when—" You paused, the words getting caught in your throat. "Ah," He remarked, then jotted down your words without even needing clarification. "Around what time did you two young ladies hear the gunshots?" He asked and you thought long and hard, then shook your head. "Damn, I-I'm not entirely sure, but perhaps around 10:30 PM?" You replied, then he hummed as he wrote it down. "How many gunshots did you hear?"

You looked to Maia who just shrugged her shoulders. "They seemed to just bleed together in the heat of the moment" She remarked and you nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the same thing, but if I had to guess, maybe only two?" You replied. Brent Angel nodded, then wrote that down. "Were you the first person on the scene other than Officer Baroni?" He asked calmly. "That was the cop's name, yeah?" You questioned and Officer Angel nodded. "Then, yes. I was first on the scene." You replied.

His gaze switched to Maia, then he clicked his tongue. "And you were the second?" He asked and Maia nodded. "Yes, that's correct, sir." She replied. Officer Angel mumbled something, then he nodded. "Alright, we're almost done here then..." He murmured, then he scratched his scalp. "What was Officer Baroni doing when you came on the scene, Miss (Y\N)?" He asked and you thought back for a moment. "He was talking on his radio." You replied and he gave a thumbs-up. "Gotcha, well, I have two more questions for you. This one will be a bit hard though." He remarked, then sighed as he made direct eye contact with you. "Can you explain the crime scene in your own words?"

You swallowed hard, looking away uncomfortably, not wanting to really relive the experience again. But, next thing you knew, Papyrus slowly took a hold of your hand gently and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze. You intertwined your fingers with his and you took a deep breath as you gathered your thoughts.

"As soon as I walked outside, my eyes met Austin's body splayed out on the ground, blood was pooling around him quickly and was soaking his outfit. He was barely moving, I thought he'd already passed." You began. "Officer Baroni was just a few feet away from his car and he had put his gun up already... Unlike Austin's which was laying beside him almost about to get covered in blood. It was like walking out into utter chaos and it was awful watching him just lay there motionless and bloody." You sighed, then shivered as you remembered the blood he'd left behind on your shirt.

"Thank you, ma'am. I know that was hard." He dipped his head, then tapped his fingers on the pavement. "Was anyone else on the scene after a few minutes?" He asked but you quickly shook you head. "Not that I'm aware, no." You responded and he gave a brisk nod. "Alright ma'am," He stood up, then put the notepad away. "Thank you for your cooperation. You folks are now free to go home. If we need any more information, we will be in touch. Now, have a nice night!" He dipped his head, then smiled politely as he turned and walked away.

After a few seconds, you slowly stood up and brushed off your legs. "What's the plan, Stan?" Maia asked as she followed in your footsteps, standing up. You sighed, then blinked sleepily. "I just want to go to my room and forget anything happened today." You sighed, gripping onto your bloodstained shirt.

Papyrus and Sans scurried onto their feet, looking toward you quietly for a few moments. "so, do ya want me to leave, or...?" He asked, but you quickly shook your head back and forth. "No! I mean... I want you to stay with me..." You blushed faintly, but he just nodded. "oh, a'ight. i'd be more than happy to stay with ya, (y\n)." Papyrus responded as he pat your back comfortingly. "I'LL STAY TOO IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, (Y\N). YOU TWO LADIES DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE!" Sans exclaimed and you smiled weakly as you pushed the blanket off your shoulders, folding your arms to try and keep warm in the chilly weather. "Of course! You're always welcome, Sans. I'm sure Maia needs comforting too." You remarked and Maia blushed a faint pink. "Can't argue with that. Let's go inside. It's getting cold." She spoke as she made her way toward the apartment building.

Sans quickly followed, and before departing with Papyrus, you turned and waved goodbye to Mr. Smith. He gave you a gentle smile and returned the wave before you turned and walked away with Papyrus by your side. It seemed to take longer than normal to make it to your apartment, but that's very likely just because of your fried brain. Nonetheless, once you made it to the door, you unlocked it and strolled into your comforting home yet again. As messy as it seems, in a time like this it's all you need to begin to relax as your head tries to wrap around all the chaos that has ensued today.

Your crew followed suit, and shut the door behind themselves. "do ya need anything, (y\n)?" Papyrus suddenly asked and you looked up to him, pausing. "I want a big bowl of ice cream... there's some in the freezer... If-if that's not too much." You looked down and he sighed gently. "no, not at all. i'll go scoop ya up a nice bowl, ey? while i do that, why don't ya go change and get washed up?" He replied gently as he walked toward the kitchen. You nodded, then looked to Maia who was following him with the two mugs from earlier in her hands. "Sans, Maia... I'm going to go ahead and say goodnight. I doubt I'll see you again before the morning. I'm exhausted." You yawned, then dipped your head. "Sweet dreams." You added as you turned the other direction, walking away.

"Goodnight, (Y\N)! Sweet dreams to you too!" Maia replied as you shut your door quietly. "GOODNIGHT, (Y\N)! DON'T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE!" You heard Sans call from the other room and you laughed to yourself as you walked to your closet, browsing what to wear. After scanning the hanging clothes, you settled on a comfy pair of black leggings and a soft Black T-shirt that has a T-Rex on the front with the text "If you're happy and you know it clap your... Oh". It's something that can always make you chuckle, so you throw it on, then run to the bathroom to clean up.

As soon as the door shut, you faced yourself in the mirror and saw how awful you look. Blood is on your hands still, some is splotched on your neck, and it just overall makes you shiver. You wash your hands, face, neck, and arms three times, then brush your messy (h\c) hair. You still feel gross, but know you've already pushed your time limit. So, you finish what you need to do and put on a pair of socks that feature a turtle in sunglasses riding a surfboard. And, of course, the socks say 'radical' on the bottom because they're wonderfully designed and perfect.

Not wanting to keep Papyrus much longer, you exited the bathroom and walked down the hall back into your room where he was sitting on your bed with a bowl of ice cream in his hands. "hey there, beautiful~" He gently cooed. You blushed, looking over to see he'd closed the door so Maia likely hadn't heard his compliment. "Aw, hush. I look like shit." You sighed, then walked around the bed and sat down beside him. He handed you the bowl of ice cream and you thanked him before digging in with delight.

"i don't think ya look like shit. so, i shan't hush." Papyrus replied, snickering. "Well, perhaps you should. After all, Maia could have her ear pressed against the door." You responded, taking another bite. He snickered, then shook his had. "nyeh. if she's listenin' in, it's her fault for ruinin' the surprise." He responded. "You're right about that, but is it really that much of a surprise? I mean... We are in here together." You replied. He shook his skull, pointing toward the door. "they're together. it doesn't prove anythin'."

"Fair point, Papy..." You trailed off, then sighed as you pulled the covers over your legs. Papyrus paused, then he looked to his feet. "ya mind if i take off my shoes and join ya?" He asked and you shook your head. "No, I don't mind. Please do join me." You replied as your gaze trailed toward the window. Police lights could still be seen flashing through your blinds, and hoping to forget about them, you turned your body toward Papyrus. He was leaning over and untying his shoes. Once he'd done that, he yeeted them across the room so they landed by the door. You snorted, then laughed. "Nice toss." You spoke with a wink and he laughed, sliding under the covers beside you. "thank ya. i've had plenty of practice." He joked, then scooted closer.

You ate a couple more spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream, then outstretched one, offering it to Papyrus. "Want some?" You asked and immediately Papyrus began to think as he hummed in thought. But without even replying, suddenly he sprang forward and took the spoon into his teeth, tilting his head back and letting it go down along with the ice cream. Your mouth opened in shock and you just blinked your (e\c) eyes in bewilderment. "What the hell?" You questioned, quite horrified by what you'd just witnessed. And, of course, Papyrus found this hysterical. He chuckled happily as you continued looking very bamboozled.

"Where did it go?" You asked suddenly, cocking your head to the side. "did ya not hear the clang?" He asked and you shook your head. "ah, well, in that case..." He snickered as he lifted his hoodie, revealing around half of his ribcage. Inside of it was your spoon, sitting between two of his lower ribs completely free of any ice cream. "Wh-?" You just stared at it perplexed. He grinned, "c'mon, why don't cha get it?" He suggested, gesturing toward his ribs as you stared at them silently. "I mean—do I have to?" You asked and he nodded, which of course made you roll you eyes and sigh. "I think you've lost your skull, Papyrus." You murmured as you inched forward and gently slid your fingers through his ribs, grabbing at the spoon. He just grinned as he looked down at you.

But, thankfully, it wasn't too much of an effort and you got it loose within seconds, then pulled it out. "You're a strange man, Papyrus." You remarked as you set it back in the bowl reluctantly. "aw, c'mon. ya know that was funny." He replied as he let go of his hoodie, letting it fall back into place. You pouted and he leaned closer, gently nudging you with his elbow. "c'mon, (y\n)~" He purred, but now determined, you looked away and stayed stone faced. "hm, i see how this is." He murmured, then seemingly went silent for around 20 seconds or so. But, as quick as a flash, a shit-eating grin formed on his face and he suddenly pulled you close, tickling you with all his might.

"Ahahaha, Papyrus, no—stoooop!" You whined through your laughing. And as much as you squirmed, you kept a strong grip on the bowl of halfway melted ice cream. The day this gets on your sheets and you have to do laundry is the day you die.

"no, i'll stop when you tell the truth." He replied, grinning and you couldn't help but smile as you wheezed from the intense laughter. "N-no!" You stuttered and he went faster, snickering. "yesss~" He cooed in return as tears formed in your eyes.

"Frick!" You finally gave in after 2 minutes or so. "F-fine, that was funny! Just sthapppp-" You wheezed some more and he stopped, winking. "see, that wasn't that hard." He teased and you punched him in the arm. "I hate you." You huffed, crossing your arms as you looked away. He gently placed his hand on your cheek and moved your face back toward himself. "no ya don't." He rasped in return, observing your (e\c) gaze. You froze up as he looked at you so intensely. You couldn't stop the familiar feeling of your cheeks heating up as you averted your eyes. "You're right, I don't." You whispered, then moved the bowl onto the nightstand. "I really do like you, Papyrus." You replied, then smiled gently as you continued looking at him.

He gently stroked your cheek with his thumb as his grin morphed into a happy smile. "i really like ya too, honey." He responded and you giggled. But, just like your mind would, suddenly it began slipping back to all the unpleasant memories of today and your smile slowly faded as your eyes grew dull. Seeing this, Papyrus stroked your (h\c) hair gently. "you don't need to go back there tonight. what's been done is done. don't let your mind take control." He gently spoke.

You swallowed hard, then nodded as you let out a ragged breath. "Alright, Papy, I'll try." You spoke softly, then placed your own hand on his cheekbone. "how about i give you a boost and start the process of getting your mind off of things?" He suggested and you shrugged. "Sure?" You responded in a bit of confusion, but you think you know what he means and are definitely crossing your fingers that you're right.

"m'kay." He rasped, then leaned in and swiftly kissed you, wrapping his arms around you. Your heart fluttered as you hugged him tightly, leaning into the kiss more as your heart beat out of your chest. Even if it's only been a few hours since your last kiss, it still feels like an eternity ago. So, you cherish the kiss until it ends.

"did that help?" Papyrus asked gently as he pulled away. You nodded your head, blushing wildly. "A lot, actually... I've wanted that since you arrived at the crime scene." You sighed gently. He smiled as he laid down flat. "why didn't ya get it then?" He asked. "Because we agreed to wait?"
Papyrus turned his gaze to you as you laid down as well. "that's not set in stone, if ya feel like it's what ya need ta do. do it." He spoke softly and you nodded. "Alright... I'll keep that in mind." You sighed, then moved over so your head's resting on his chest. "I don't wanna go to work tomorrow. I want to be with you..." You whispered. He reached up and pet your head gently, running his phalanges through your hair while he was at it. "i'll see what i can do about that." He replied softly as you closed your eyes, resting one hand on his chest. "Okay... I think I'm about to shut down, so I'm gonna say goodnight, Papy." You yawned.

Papyrus uttered "Ah,", then reached over and turned off the lamp. "alright, honey. sleep well." He replied, then yawned as you felt him intertwine his fingers with your hand. This made you smile. And as you and Papyrus drifted off to sleep, you had no haunting thoughts in the back of your mind. Papyrus is the best, and thanks to him, you can get a nice, peaceful night of sleep even after what ensued today.

Chapter Text

Your eyes opened slowly only to be met with the faint sunlight shining through the curtains of your window. You smiled slightly and shifted in your bed slightly to sit up, but you soon realized that you couldn't move. You looked over your shoulder to see Papyrus fast asleep, spooning you. That explains why you can't move. He has his arms around your waist. 

You smile, watching his content expression. He looks so peaceful when he's asleep. You start thinking of a cute way to wake him up. Maybe a kiss? Whispering his name? Telling him you love him? Those all seem so basic, and he looks quite happy to be asleep. So, perhaps you should just leave him alone. 

So, you turned back over and rested your head on your pillow. Perhaps you can snooze a bit longer.  

"Sweet dreams, Papyrus." You whispered quietly as you shut your eyes again slowly. 

Thud!

Suddenly Maia burst through the door, her green eyes wide. "What the hell is this?" She spoke as she held up a newspaper. Papyrus suddenly woke up, but despite your efforts to move away from him to make the suspicion less, he pulled you close to him protectively, holding you against his chest. "what?" He rasped, his voice deeper than usual. 

You blush in embarrassment and she grins. "1. I knew it. 2. I have bad news." She began. You blush, trying to pull away from Papyrus, but his grip is tight. 

"What do you know?" You reply, trying to act clueless. She snickers at this, approaching the bed. "Chill, Papyrus. Cripes." She rolled her eyes, then sat at the foot of the bed. "This should explain it, (Y\N)." She responded, then slid you the newspaper. You immediately picked it up and looked at it. Sitting on the front page was a photo of you and Audrey fighting at the protest, your arm in her hold. And, to make it worse, you're wearing Papyrus' hoodie in it. It's very obvious due to the color and size. 

Inscribed on the front is "Mystery Monster Supporter Intervenes In "Citizens Against Monsters"' Protest"

"oh, hell naw. the ebott times caught this moment?!" Papyrus gasped, gently taking the paper from your hand. "Papyrus, what does it say about the ordeal?" You ask, worried. 

"well..." He clears his throat and shakes out the newspaper. "we'll see." He adds before he begins to observe the text.

     "Division broke out yesterday night as 'Citizens Against Monsters' marched beside Davidson Road for 3 miles. Suddenly, the group of 200 came to a halt as an unidentified member of the group was found starting an argument with another unidentified woman. Soon, the reason behind their clash became obvious. For the stranger who accidentally ran into the member was pro-monster. 

     Things escalated quickly and the member of 'Citizens Against Monsters' grabbed the stranger by the arm. Heated conversation on her part ensued as crowds began to watch the argument enfold. Some of the Pro-Monster activist's words swayed the crowd as they cheered. But, that didn't last long. Things became more and more hostile until finally, the Anti-Monster activist reared back to punch the Monster Supporter before a man suddenly grabbed her wrist. He had been traveling with the group, but after seeing the member's behavior, he confronted her, to which she slapped him. He thereafter left the protest with the Monster Supporter following close behind.

     These three individuals have not yet been identified and 'Citizens Against Monsters' refuses to comment on the situation. More updates are to follow as Ebott City remains divided." 

"If they find out your identity, (Y\N), your life could be over!" Maia suddenly exclaimed when Papyrus finished reading the article. "I wouldn't go as far as to say that. There are plenty of witnesses that saw the fight do down. I never even really touched her on my own." You responded, shrugging. "Hm, I suppose you have a point..." She trailed off. "i mean, someone could certainly make ya look dirty." Papyrus commented. 

You clicked your tongue, prying yourself from Papyrus' arms. "I suppose you're right, but I certainly didn't want to think about that." You spoke, huffing. "shit, right. sorry." Papyrus replied. 

"Anyway," Maia started, her green eyes piercing through you. "Care to explain why 1. you're wearing Papyrus' hoodie in that photo, and 2. why you two were spooning?" She crossed her arms as she leaned on one hip. A smirk formed across her lips as she looked toward you and Papyrus. 

Papyrus blushed a faint orange and you couldn't help but blush as well. You coughed, scratching the back of your neck. "Well..." You started, not sure how to phrase the explanation. "You know how Papyrus asked me to drop things off yesterday?" You asked. Maia grinned wider. "Yes?"

"Well... When I got there, he seemed to be gone and I saw his hoodie and wanted to try it on... Uh, so I did but he walked in and uhhh..." You blushed, remembering the moment. 

"i snogged 'er." Papyrus spoke nonchalantly and Maia froze, her eyes becoming wide. Pretty quickly she recovered from her initial shock and started shaking her fists with excitement. "Holy crap!" She gasped, suddenly smiling and clapping her hands. "Why didn't you tell me that you two are a thing now?!" She asked you urgently. "We were going to wait and make it a surprise, but I guess this damn newspaper may have ruined that." You replied, crossing your arms again.

Papyrus threw his arm around your shoulder. "ey, it's good, kiddo. they're sneaky, they woulda found out anyways." He commented. You sighed, then nodded. "I suppose you're right... But—" You started, but Papyrus quickly cut you off. "no buts. everything's a-ok." He replied. 

You lowered your head in defeat and shook it a bit. "Right, sorry... Now, what time is it?" You asked, looking to the side and grabbing your phone off of your nightstand. You clicked the power button and instantly froze when you saw the time. 11:06 AM. 

"Oh, shit! I'm late for work!" You gasp as you spring out of bed, running to your closet. "Muffet came by this morning. She said that she had watched everything go down last night. So, she gave you the day off." Maia suddenly replied. You froze as you rummaged through the clothing in your closet, then you slowly turned to face her. "Really?" You asked and Maia nodded. "That woman needs to be a bit meaner or something, I feel so bad that I keep getting so many days off, damn." You sighed, shaking your head. "I mean, it's already busy enough with two people working... I don't know why she willingly does it with one." You continued. 

"muffet is used ta workin' alone, and even if she looks pretty intimidating, she's really nice and understandin' deep down. don't feel bad for what she decides to do, (y\n). you had no say in that decision." Papyrus commented. "Exactly! And if you wanna make it up to her, you can work some extra hours sometime." Maia added. You ran a hand through your hair, then shrugged. "I suppose you two are right. I'm gonna go take a shower though, okay?" You replied, taking a black shirt with vertical white stripes on it from your closest. You then walked to your dresser and pulled out a bra, underwear, and a pair of bluejeans. Though, you hid the undergarments under the jeans so Papyrus couldn't see them. 

"Gotcha! Donuts and coffee will await us when you get out." Maia smiled, leaning on one hip. "Oh, that's dope! Thanks!" You replied, smiling back as you turned your gaze to Papyrus. His eyes were locked on your lower half and you blushed, coughing to get his attention. He instantly looked up at your face, slowly turning orange as he realized he'd been caught. "uhhh- eh-e-enjoy your shower honey..." He spoke bashfully. "Thanks, Pap. I'll be back in a jiffy!" You replied, then winked at him as you rushed into the bathroom to properly clean yourself. 

---------------------------------------------

Within 20 minutes, you had showered, gotten dressed, brushed your (h\l) (h\c) hair, and brushed your teeth. And, now that you have everything done, you grab your phone and walk through your bedroom door into the living room. 

Instantly, your eyes meet Papyrus. He's changed and is wearing a black zip-up hoodie, a t-shirt that says "I try not to laugh at my own jokes, but we all know I'm hilarious.", and a pair of black skinny jeans. He waves when he sees you and takes a sip of coffee from the mug he's holding. 

"MORNING, (Y\N)! I HOPE YOU'RE FEELING MAGNIFICENT TODAY!"  He chirped. You smiled and as you were about to reply, Papyrus butt in. "i think she's actually feelin' sanstastic, bro." 

Sans rolled his blue irises and Papyrus snickered as you walked further into the room. "Actually, I'm feeling great. Thanks for asking, Sans." You replied, dipping your head politely and he smiled brightly. "WONDERFUL! WE ALL TOOK OFF WORK TO SPEND THE DAY WITH YOU. I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND!" He spoke. 

Your eyebrows quirked upward, blinking in surprise. "For me? Guys, you didn't have to do that." You sighed, pausing and leaning on on hip. "nah, we didn't, but we love ya and ya need your friends around." Papyrus responded. "it's been crazy for ya recently. take some time to relax." 

Maia walked in, holding a mug in her hands. She gently handed it to you and smiled. "For you, enjoy! Now, I'll go get our donuts!" She spoke as she ran into the kitchen. Wanting to help, Sans followed her and you took a sip of the java. "Thanks Maia, thanks Sans!" You called after them, then placed your mug down on the coffee table and unlocked your phone, going to your unread texts. Scrolling through them, you quickly noticed you'd never read Papyrus' reply from last night. With curiosity, you clicked on it and reread your message.

"Oh, dang. Well, I'm glad what you heard was positive for the most part! Sorry that dude wasn't being polite though. People like that make me so mad! How hard is it to just be polite? As for the coming over thing, I am willing to change my story just to get a caretaker for the night~" Your text read, so you shifted your gaze and started reading Papyrus'.

"i'm used to it. don't cha worry 'bout it though. prob won't ever see him again anyways, ey? and, hey. i'm not opposed to that, honey. say you want me to come and i'll drop everythin' and come over." 

You felt a smile form on your lips at this, he's the absolute sweetest. And, without even asking, he came... Granted, Mr. Smith had told him briefly what'd happened... But, he'd still come nonetheless. Even after how you've hurt him, he was able to forgive your mistakes and move past them. That is so selfless and it makes you extremely happy. 

"what cha smilin' at, (y\n)?" Papyrus asked, cocking his skull to one side in confusion. You smile, then look at him, "You. You're the best, Papy." You speak softly. He looks down, his cheekbones flushing a light orange. "thank you, (y\n)... but what did i do?" He asked, still confused. 

You chuckle, then point to your phone. "Regrettably, I'm just now seeing your text from last night." You explained and he let out a low "ah," as he scratched the back of his neck. "i guess mr. smith can say if he wants me to come too." He murmured and you snorted. "Oh my God, Papyrus." You giggled, then sat on the couch.

And just as your laughter had ended, Sans and Maia came back with four plates with two donuts on each. They handed out each plate, then sat down. Sans took a sip of his tea and Papyrus took a big swig of his coffee. "Thanks for breakfast!" You exclaim and Maia nods. "Of course! I wanted to do something nice for all of us. What's better than donuts?" She questions and Sans turns to her. "TACOS." He responds flatly and Maia couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, right. I forgot all about tacos." She jokingly replies. "But," She continues, looking toward him. "tacos are better suited for lunch and dinner, don't you think?" She finished and he let out a hum. "YOU HAVE A POINT THERE, MAIA!" 

You took a bite of the (f\f) donut and your mouth began to water. This is from "Vinny's", your absolute favorite donut shop in Ebott City. And the fact that Maia remembers that is awesome. "Oh my God, it's Vinny's!" You squeak in surprise. "Hell yeah it is!" Maia replies back enthusiastically. 

"don't think i've tried this place before." Papyrus commented. You gasped loudly. "Happy first Vinny's donut then, Papyrus! This is a milestone. It's like a baby's first steps!" You spoke excitedly and he chuckled. "not quite, but feel free to think that. after all, maybe it's just an excuse for you to call me 'baby'." He snickered to himself and Sans' jaw dropped wide open. Shit, right. He wasn't there when Maia found out. 

"PAPYRUS... WAS THAT A...?!" Sans asked suddenly in complete surprise. He looked him with confusion until it sank in. "oh." 

Maia burst out laughing and you quietly took a sip of your coffee, then a bite of your donut. You wonder if Papyrus will fess up, or if he'll just play it off. There's really no telling. Papyrus can be a complete mystery. 

"uh, yeah. it was." He responded, shrugging his shoulders before taking a swift swig of coffee. "SINCE WHEN DID YOU FLIRT?!" Sans questioned. "uh, recently... i guess, bro." Papyrus replied. 

Sans paused. "ARE YOU AND (Y\N) TOGETHER?" He asked, a gleam in his bright blue irises. "bingo, bucko." Papyrus replied with a chuckle and Sans' mouth dropped open yet again shortly before smiling. He clapped his small hands together. "YES!!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO! CONGRATULATIONS, BIG BROTHER! SHE SURELY SEEMS LIKE A KEEPER!" Sans spoke happily. "i know, bro. she's definitely a keeper. thank you." Papyrus replied as you slowly turned tomato red. 

"I'm excited for them too, Sans! Though I kinda ruined the surprise. (Y\N) got published in Ebott Times and I recognized something and confronted them and found out they got together." Maia rubbed the back of her neck, then smiled. "But hey, at least now I can ship without judgment!" She remarked with a smile. "OF COURSE! I SHALL JOIN YOU!" Sans chirped in response. 

You and Papyrus laughed, then you took another sip of your coffee. "You know how Evony is supposed to come soon? We're all here, why don't we just invite her today?" You suggested. And as you looked around at everyone's reactions, they all nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah! That's a good idea. You should text her and ask." Maia replied, then ran a hand through her blonde hair. "I AGREE WITH MAIA!" Sans replied as well, though Papyrus only flashed you a thumbs up. 

But, as that was 3 yeses, you grabbed your phone and unlocked it, going to your contacts and writing out a brief message to Evony. 

"Hey, Evony! It's (Y\N). I was wondering if you could possibly move your visit to tonight? All my crew is already available, so I was just seeing if that's doable! If you can't, no worries though!"

You put your phone back down and went back to eating, the donuts tasting absolutely delicious. Even better than Muffet's—which would definitely be sacrilegious to say in front of Papyrus. You can tell he loves Muffet's dearly. But, Vinny's is great as well... But have less grand coffee from what you can tell. 

"what's this gal look like?" Papyrus asked curiously. You looked over to him, "Well, I'd say she looks a bit emo mixed with punk." you replied, then tapped your chin. “Black hair, green eyes, black glasses, maybe about 5’7”.” You continued. 

“that’s cool, i picture abby from ncis with glasses.” Papyrus spoke, then took the last bite of his donut. “I mean, you’re not too far off, actually. But Evony has a bit more of a... and I mean this nicely, a ‘geek’ look to her.” You responded. “ah, okay. i getcha.” He responded, dipping his head as he sat up. 

Suddenly, your phone dinged and you glanced down as you picked it back up. “That’d be Evony!” You exclaimed as you unlocked your phone and opened her text. 

"I should be available around 6:20 tonight if that works! Anyways, if that time works, I'm down!" 

You read it out loud and Sans clapped. "YES! PERFECT!" He cheered with a giant smile. "THIS'LL WORK GREAT FOR OUR SHINDIG! AND, MY SUGGESTION, WHILE SHE'S ACTIVE ON HER PHONE, ASK HER FOR HER ORDER." Sans suggested. 

"oh, cheese, bro. that was a good idea." Papyrus complimented his younger brother with a pun. Sans simply rolled his eyelights, but you and Maia couldn't help but snicker. "I'll do that. Good idea, Sans." You replied, then went to reply. 

"That works well, actually! Can't wait to see you later! And, just a quick question, what kind of pizza do you prefer?" You asked her, hoping to catch her before she went back to blogging. 

And, to your relief, you soon saw that she was replying. In fact, it only took her a few seconds before her reply came through. You can't help but wonder what kind of pizza this chick will like? Normal pepperoni? Meat lovers? Margherita? The possibilities are almost endless. 

"My favorite is supreme, but if none of your other friends like it, I'll eat just about everything... Except pineapple. Please keep that mistake away from me."  She replied and you chuckled. Supreme was one you didn't initially think of, but it makes sense.

"Gotcha! I'll see you later then, Evony!" You quickly replied, then set your phone to the side, finishing your donut and coffee quickly before standing up. "Alright, now that that's planned, what're we gonna do today?" You asked, starting to walk to the kitchen. 

Papyrus turned and followed you, “i dunno, i think just about everything will work.” He replied. “How about Uno?" Maia asked as you walked into the kitchen. You put your mug in the sink, then reached over and took Papyrus' along with his paper plate. You put his mug in the sink, then slid both plates in the trashcan. "UNO IS A GREAT IDEA, MAIA! CHARA TAUGHT US HOW TO PLAY IT!" Sans shouted happily.

"That's a fun one!" You spoke, turning around, only to be stopped by Papyrus waiting for you. He sneakily snaked his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him which caused you to blush in surprise. "uno you're the only one for me~" He whispered, snickering slightly. And, after checking if the coast was clear, he leaned in and gave you a gentle peck on the lips. You grew more flustered, but soon chuckled. "Stop being so adorable." You told him, then walked past him into the living room again. 

Papyrus followed behind you and you grabbed a pack of uno cards off a table in the corner. You sat down on the floor and began to shuffle the cards. "Gather around, kiddos." You commanded, and the three complied, sitting in a circle. 

"I'll be your dealer today." You commented as you began to pass out the cards. "GOOD! THAT MEANS I KNOW PAPYRUS WON'T RIG IT!" Sans exclaimed excitedly. "ey, whatcha mean by that? i made no promises." Papyrus interjected with a playful grin. "PAPYRUS, I SWEAR TO TORIEL!" Sans groaned in annoyance. 

Maia couldn't help but let out a laugh over the brother's silly bickering. So, to keep Sans at ease, she caught his attention and gave him a gentle smile. "Don't you worry your cute little skull, Sans. I'll keep an eye on that sneaky skeleton over there." She remarked and Sans blushed suddenly, his cheekbones glowing a nice medium-blue tinge. "O-OH! T-THANK YOU, MAIA.... T-THAT IS VERY APPRECIATED." He replied bashfully. 

"No problem, Blue~" She cooed in response just to tease him some more. This made him blush even more and cover his face. "OOOOH...!" He practically squeaked and Maia was absolutely beaming at how cute it was. Her own face turning a faint pink. 

But, after a few more minutes, the game started and the turns went around counter-clockwise. Starting with you, then going to Papyrus, Sans, and finally, Maia. 

You went, placing a red 2 on top of Maia's red 5. And then, it was Papyrus' turn. He looked through his deck long and hard for dramatic effect before slamming down a "Draw Four" card. Somehow, this is the third time in this game thus far that he's made Sans get more cards. And, the anger held in Sans' blue irises is a new sight to you. 

"color change ta yellow." He remarked and Sans' growled under his breath, snatching 4 cards from the deck of replacement cards. "MAIA. YOUR WATCHING ISN'T WORKING." He huffed and Maia shrugged. "I've been watching him closely. He hasn't picked up any cards just to troll you with. Unless he's using his magic. I can't watch him that closely because it's against the rules." Maia replied and Sans crossed his arms.  "WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD ANYWAY. PAPYRUS IS ONE SNEAKY MAN! THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN 8 MINUTES!" Sans grumbled. "PAPYRUS, STOP MESSING WITH ME!" he yelled and Papyrus held up his hands. "i'm innocent, bro." He replied and Sans scoffed. "YEAH, RIGHT. TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

But, right before Papyrus could respond again, your phone began to ring and everyone fell silent. You got up and walked to the couch, cards still in hand as you sat down and checked the caller ID. "Oh, it's Mr. Smith. Give me a second." You told them, then answered the phone. "Hello?"

“Hello, (Y\N). It’s me, Noah Smith. I suppose I have either good or bad news depending on how you view it.” He started off, his voice sounding a bit unsure. This caused you to lift an eyebrow. 

“What? What’s up, Noah?” You asked, crossing one of your legs over the other. 

Papyrus, Sans and Maia were watching your expressions and eavesdropping in to the conversation as well as they could. Curiosity brimming in their gazes as you saw Papyrus cross his phalanges. 

“I was given word about Austin’s condition, and I figured you deserve to know.” He continued with a sigh. Instantly your heartbeat began to speed up. Had he lived? Had he died? Is he still on the brink of death, or had your adrenaline-induced efforts to keep him alive been a complete waste of time and energy? 

“Is... Is he dead?” You asked slowly, setting the Uno cards by your thigh. “No ma’am,” he started. “Austin is in fact alive, but is in critical condition. There’s still a possibility he may not make it, but no matter what, remember... There’s no way in hell he would even be alive right now if you hadn’t stepped in to help him.” He spoke and you sighed, not exactly sure what to think about all this.

“Alright, thanks for letting me know, Noah.” You replied  “I will keep you posted if you’d like.” He offered. “Yeah, that’d be nice, I guess... Sorry, I guess I don’t know how to feel, really.” 

“That’s alright, (Y\N). It’s quite normal. You saved your own stalker, your efforts working out is certainly bittersweet. But, just remember, this way it makes sure he’ll pay for his crimes in prison, and of course his family won’t lose him.” Mr. Smith responded. 

You nodded your head, pondering his statement. "Yeah, I guess you're right." You sighed. "Well, thank you, Mr. Smith. I appreciate you letting me know." You replied, running your free hand through your (h\c) hair. "It's no problem, (Y\N). Remember to not worry about it. He may be alive, but he's not getting away this time. He's under watch 24\7." 

"Well, I guess you're right about that, Mr. Smith. Thank you again." You replied. "Of course, there is no need to thank me, (Y\N). Have a nice day, alright? If you need anything, or have any questions, feel free to give me a call." He spoke kindly, you could feel the support and empathy in his voice and it's very much appreciated. 

"Thanks again, Noah. You have a nice day too! Bye!" You responded. "Ciao, (Y\N)." He replied before you promptly hung up, letting out a sigh. 

"What was that about?" Maia asked and you looked to your friends again. 

"Austin survived, and I don't quite know what to think about it." You spoke softly. 

Chapter Text

"Oh, (Y\N). That's to be expected... Especially after everything he did to you." Maia spoke softly, then stood up and walked over to sit beside you. "I mean, I wouldn't have saved him. But, you knew you had to try and keep him alive! That's extremely respectable!" She gently smiled and Sans nodded his skull. "THIS 'AUSTIN' CHARACTER SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY HORRID. I COMMEND YOU FOR SAVING HIM AFTER WHAT HE DID TO YOU! YOU SHOULDN'T FEEL DOWN, SO WIPE AWAY YOUR FROWN!" He piped and Papyrus gave you a thumbs-up.

"i don't quite know what to think either, (y\n). but, this entire situation shows how selfless you are. that's a dope trait." Papyrus replied, reaching into his pocket and popping a toothpick into his mouth. "But-" You began, but Maia placed her finger on your lips. "Shhh, no stressing over this. The man is alive and under supervision, I'm sure." She started. "There's nothing you can do, and there's nothing to do. Would you rather live with the guilt that you kept a man alive, or that you never tried and let him die in your watch?" She asked softly and you bit your lip, letting out a sigh. "I guess you have a point." You responded after Maia moved her finger. 

"Of course I do! Don't let your thoughts betray you. Lookie here, all of your friends are here for you! We just wanna see you happy, (Y\N)!" She spoke calmly and you nodded. "Yeah, you're right... Sorry, I'm just not myself." You apologized quietly and Maia laid her hand on your shoulder. "it's okay to not be okay, (y\n)." Papyrus replied, standing up as he pocketed his Uno cards. He walked over and sat beside you on the opposite side of the couch, gently taking your hand into his own. "you've been through a whole lotta shit recently, it's okay to feel overwhelmed and unsure... just know we're always gonna be by your side. kay, kid?" He replied and you smiled half-heartedly. 

"Thanks, Papyrus, Sans, Maia... I really appreciate your company and solace. It's what I really need right now." You thank them with a gentle sigh. "THERE IS NO NEED TO THANK US! WE'RE JUST DOING OUR PART!" Sans responded, getting up and running over, throwing his arms around you and pulling you into a close hug. You can't help but smile and giggle. "Group hug?" You suggest and you hear murmurs of agreement as Papyrus and Maia shift in their positions to hug you too. 

The warm embrace helps lift your spirits and after they all move back, you can't help but feel more refreshed. "You three are the absolute greatest." You remarked, playing with your (h\c) hair. "NO, YOU ARE, (Y\N)!" Sans chirped in response cheerily. 

"But what about me, Sans?" Maia spoke, obviously teasing the smaller skeleton. He froze at this, his cheekbones flushing a light blue. "OH, WELL..." He scratched his cervical vertebrae, sweating a bit as his irises switched from you, to Maia, then back to you again. He obviously doesn't wanna offend either of you, so you give him a gentle nod of approval and he beams. "WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT (Y\N) IS THE GREATEST..." He started, and to your surprise, Maia looked disappointed. At least, until Sans grinned mischievously. 

"BUT YOU, MAIA... YOU'RE THE MOST GREAT-EST!" He finished, crossing his arms almost smugly. 

Damn, Sans retaliated Maia's tease with a tease as well. Impressed, you gave him a subtle thumbs up as Maia instantly cheered up, blood rushing to her cheeks, making them rosy. "You're too kind, Sans." She replied, a little flustered. But Sans shook his skull. "NO, I AM NOT. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE AND LOVE YOU!" He chirped.

Maia became as red as a ripened strawberry and Sans seemed to bask in this accomplishment. "Oh my God-" She tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Stoooop, you're too sweet, Blue!" She groaned and he laughed. "SAYS YOU, MAIA. YOU ARE SO INCREDIBLY KIND!"

Papyrus leaned close to your ear, "ya think we should give 'em some privacy?" he questioned. And after a moment of thought, you turned your gaze to Maia and Sans. They were still hurtling compliments at each other, the color on their faces intensifying by the second. So, you gave a brief nod. "Let's go do the dishes." 

Papyrus gave a thumbs up, and with that, you both left the two blushing souls to chitchat by themselves until things calmed down.

---------------------------------------------

After a nice and relaxing afternoon of playing games and telling stories, the time finally came. Papyrus brought the pizzas upstairs, and a faint knock on your door signified that Evony had arrived. So, you walked over and you opened it with a big smile. 

Standing there is Evony. Her jet black hair is fancied up in a dutch braid bun, and her makeup is beautiful. Her cat eye eyeliner is on point, and so is the color that she has put on her cheeks. 

She's wearing her glasses, a white and black raglan hoodie, ripped black skinny jeans, black converse, and a black choker necklace with a crescent moon pendant dangling off of it. 

"Hi, (Y\N)!" She spoke with a sunny smile. "I hope you don't mind, but..." She turned around and held up a large brown paper bag as she turned to face you again. "I brought some desserts." She giggled, then rocked on her heels slightly. 

You were about to respond, but suddenly Papyrus walked behind you, laying a hand on your shoulder. "ya brought desserts? how sweet!" He chuckled raspily and Evony smiled more. "Ooh, I see we already have a fan! I hope you like a mean Black Forest Gateau, big guy!" She chuckled and you stepped to the side, smiling. "I don't mind at all! That sounds delicious!" You replied as you gestured for her to come inside, and with that, she did. 

"Ah, great! I also brought some Tiramisu for anyone who'd rather have it!" She added, then lightly shut the door behind her. "Damn, that sounds delicious!" Maia called from the kitchen, and you nodded in agreement. "I'm sure you won't have to lug those desserts back to your apartment tonight, so don't you worry too much." You spoke with a wink and she laughed in response. "Ah, you're too nice. Thank you a lot! Now, where can I put this?" She asked, holding up the bag a bit. 

Papyrus instantly walked over and took the bag from her hands. "don't cha worry 'bout it. i'll go put them in the kitchen." He spoke, then dipped his head as he walked off. "Oh, thank you, sir!" She called after him and you suppressed a chuckle at her addressing Papyrus so formally. 

Evony took off the backpack on her back and placed it on the table by the door. It's black and has a cute spiderweb design. Though the best feature of it is a little fake spider hanging off of the zipper. She'd probably get along with Muffet. 

"So, thanks for inviting me! I don't get out with friends much anymore, so this'll be a nice breath of fresh air!" Evony thanked you. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! Thank you so much for coming! As you've seen, a lot has been going on so this is gonna be a wonderful distraction." You replied, then Papyrus, Sans, and Maia exited the kitchen. Maia and Sans quickly dashed to Evony, holding out their hands nearly simultaneously. 

"My name is Maia, it's nice to meet you, Evony!" Maia greeted her, and Evony shook her hand gingerly. "It's good to meet you, Maia!" She replied. 

"AND, I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, MADAM!" Sans exclaimed, and as Evony began to gently shake his hand, he took over and make the handshake quite more animated. "O-oh, hello, Sans. It is a pleasure to meet you as well?" She spoke in surprise as she rubbed her arm in response to his overzealous manner.

Then, Papyrus strode over and Maia and Sans cleared the way. Evony is about 5'6", so taller than average for a woman, yet Papyrus still towers over her and she has to turn her head upwards to make eye contact. 

He reached his bony hand over, grinning calmly. "hello. the name's papyrus, papyrus the skeleton." He spoke. Then Evony took in a deep breath and took his hand to shake it, but very quickly the introduction was cut short. Suddenly, the noises of a whoopee cushion filled the air and Maia died laughing, falling to her knees. 

"PAPYRUS, NO—" Sans trailed off with horror as his irises grew as wide as saucers. And you just kinda suppressed a laugh as Evony stood there blankly. After a few seconds, her grin slowly reappeared and she giggled. "Nice one, Papyrus. Didn't see that coming." 

"of course ya didn't, 'tis my old 'whoopee cushion in the hand' trick. famous to those in snowdin and beyond, but it hasn't caught wind up 'ere." He snickered. "PAPYRUS, STOP-" Sans continued, crossing his arms at the puns and gags. "nah, bro. i'm not gonna stop fiddle-fartin' around."  "UGH!" Sans huffed, walking to the couch and plopping down. Maia soon got up, still recovering from her laughter as she plopped down beside Sans. 

"I'll take it that Sans doesn't like jokes?" Evony asked and you nodded rapidly. "Exactly." You responded, crossing your arms. "Are you ready to eat?" You asked and while everyone looked ravenous and about ready to race to the kitchen, Evony seemed to want to say something. 

She hesitated, then sighed. "May I ask a question first?" She asked and you gave her a reassuring smile, nodding. "Fire away!" You replied and she shuffled on her feet. "You mentioned a lot was going on... What was last night about?" She asked, concerned. "I heard the gunshot, then saw you and your friend. What was that about?" 

You clicked your tongue, then shook your head. "You remember the guy you called hot that I said had been harassing me?" You asked and she nodded her head. "That was him. He tried to abduct me a few days back. Papyrus saved me, but he, also known as Austin, remained on the run." You started to explain. "But, last night he decided to return to the apartment complex with a handgun... I think we both know what he wanted to do. And, police have been watching the property to see if he'd come back, so after a brief altercation, he pulled his gun on the officer, but he got shot first. He's in the hospital because... I saved him." You sighed. 

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry about that!" She remarked, gasping. "It's fine, it's over now. Sorry that the guy you deemed cute ended up being psychotic." You responded, running a hand through your hair. "Me? Oh, I did say that, didn't I? I didn't like him. He was kinda creepy. I just thought he might've been your boyfriend after I sent the first message and I wanted to be friendly and sound less judgmental to fix my possible mistake." She explained and you responded with a simple "Ah," in response. 

"I'm actually in a committed relationship." She replied, smiling as she held up her left hand, showing off an engagement ring. "Oh, congratulations! Who is the lucky guy?" You asked and the rest of the crew piped in to listen. 

"His name's Chris. He’s currently on deployment, though. Been gone 9 months and counting. I miss him a lot. His smile just lights up the entire room and it's so lonely without him." Evony replied and you placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope you will thank him for his service for me, though." You reply with a smile and she nods. "Of course I will!" 

"what does this bloke look like?" Papyrus asked, and as Evony reached to take her phone from her back pocket, Maia and Sans ran over. This caused you both to giggle. "I suppose I'm not the only one who gets excited to see him, huh?" She joked as she unlocked her phone and swiped through some photos. And after a second, she turned the phone around so everyone could see him. It was their engagement photo. 

Evony has tears dripping down her cheeks, yet her fiancé is smiling with a bright white smile that does indeed light up the room. He's well built, has blue eyes, short curly brown hair, and a glimmer of excitement in his gaze. They both look so incredibly happy and it warms your heart. 

"he looks like a cool dude." Papyrus commented and Sans hummed. "YES, HE LOOKS QUITE COOL!" Sans agreed and Maia nodded. "He also looks super sweet! You two are so adorable!" Maia remarked. "I see so much love and passion in his eyes, I hope to meet this fella quite soon! And he’s such a handsome man as well!" You add and she beams.

"I am so blessed to have met Chris. I was just a Barista at Starbucks when we first met. I was in college and he was already in the service." Evony remarked. “He came once and kept coming back when he was able to. Always making a point to get me at the register. And finally, one day, he not only asked for an Americano like usual... He also asked for my number.” She rubbed her cheek, blushing as she remembered the romantic moment.

”That’s so cute!” You folded your hands together. “What was your reaction?” Maia asked, very interested just as you are. Evony thought about that for a second, her green eyes looking to the side. 

“There had been some slight flirts over the various visits, and I was crushing on him pretty hard. Yet, I was still extremely surprised when he asked for my number. I suppose because I never thought it’d happen. I mean, look at me. I’m just an emo wannabe.”

”Evony, you are so gorgeous! As well as sweet! There’s no reason to be surprised!” You exclaimed and she dipped her head. “Thank you, you’re much too nice. Sometimes it’s hard for me to accept that this is real... Especially since he’s miles away.” She replied and you nodded in understanding. “I’m sure that’s quite normal!” You replied. “I suppose you could be right about that, after all I don’t have much to compare it to.” She replied, then held up a finger for you to wait. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver heart shaped locket. But, what made it more ‘Evony’ was that it was shaped like a skeleton's rib cage. “Chris has a matching one. We got them for each other on our 2 year anniversary. I’m kinda scared I'll hurt it though.” She let out a nervous laugh and Sans reached his hand out to take it. 

“MAY I?” He asked she nodded, handing it over. Sans swiftly opened the locket and you craned your neck to see the photo. On the right side was a picture of Chris. He had his fist on his cheek as he gently looked into what you assume to be Evony’s eyes with a loving expression. And, on the left side was engraved text. It read the following: 

“No matter how long passes, no matter what happens, I will love you however many miles you are away. I love you, my dear Evony.” 

"This is adorable!" You gasped and Evony blushed. "WHAT A UNIQUE IDEA! I SEE YOU BOTH HAVE TASTE!" Sans replied, gesturing to the locket and Evony laughed. "Yeah, Chris and I both share a love of skeletons, so when we saw them it was love at first sight. I can guarantee you at that point we had no idea we'd walk among living skeletons in a couple years."

"how humerus." Papyrus snickered and you rolled your (e\c) eyes. "anyways, chris seems like a cool dude. i look forward ta maybe meetin' him in the future." Papyrus remarked and Sans nodded. "I WOULD THROW HIM A MASSIVE ‘WELCOME HOME’ PARTY!" 

"Aw, you four are much too nice. But, I think thats enough talk about my fiancé for now. How about we start getting the pizza? I'm starved." She suggested as she took her locket back, placing it back in her pocket carefully. 

"You're totally right! I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse!" Maia exclaimed as she rubbed her stomach. Sans flinched at her words though, clicking his tongue. "PLEASE DON'T." He spoke with a pleading look in his irises. "Oh, don't worry! That's just an idiom. But, I may eat you though, you little Blueberry!" Maia grinned mischievously, and at this, Sans dashed into the kitchen at full speed. “I’M JUST BONES, MAIA!” He shouted. Maia let out a maniacal laugh before chasing after him. "TOO BAD, I'M GONNA GET YOU!" She yelled followed by a giggle. 

"Man, is there some romantic tension there." Evony commented and you and Papyrus laughed. "yeah, i’m just waitin' for them to realize they both like each other." He replied. You chuckled a bit more, then nodded. "As am I, I have a feeling it'll be a while though." You admitted. 

"you're probably right, (y\n). both maia and sans are too headstrong to confess so early on." Papyrus replied. "100%!" You agreed, then Papyrus took your hand into his. "i reckon we should follow after 'em, huh?" He remarked. "Oh, of course! Come on, Evony. Let's go get us some pizza." You replied with a cheery smile as you both began to walk forward. 

You gently squeezed Papyrus's hand and quickly walked in to see Sans and Maia with pizza on their plates already. Sans had one slice of supreme pizza, and Maia had two pieces of pizza, a slice of supreme and one of normal pepperoni. "These pizzas look so delicious!" Maia exclaimed as she looked at her plate lustfully. "THEY SMELL GOOD TOO! AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE PIZZA THAT MUCH!" Sans chirped. 

"That's great to know, guys! I'm excited to chow down!" You replied as you moved away from Papyrus and fixed your plate with two slices of (f\f) pizza. Evony stepped in the room and leaned against the doorway, crossing her legs. "It does smell amazing in here, where did you get the pizza from?" She asked curiously, adjusting her glasses. "It's a local place called 'Mattia's Pizzeria'. It has some of the best pizza, and it delivers!" You replied, then happily stepped backward with your plate of pizza. 

But, just as you were walking backward, Papyrus was walking forward to grab a plate. So, he ran into you, making you unsteady for a few moments. "Geez, Papyrus! Do you want a pizza me or something?" You spoke jokingly, suppressing a chuckle. And to your surprise, when you turned to face him, his expression was serious. "yes." He spoke flatly and you blinked.

"Wh-" You started, but he quickly cut you off with his signature grin. "a piece of your heart~" He cooed, reaching forward and running his bony finger against your jawline. You blushed faintly at this, about to start sputtering at the flirt, but you quickly composed yourself and took his hand, lowering it with a sly expression. "You already do, you lanky carrot." 

And with that, you winked and chuckled as you grabbed your cup of (f\d), walking out of the kitchen. Maia and Sans followed behind you, Maia snickering from your interaction with Papyrus. "Nice resistance, (Y\N). But I could see through it. You were totally flustered." She spoke. 

"And, I can't deny that fact. Papyrus flusters me, I just wanna mess with him a bit." You admitted. "ISN'T THAT COUNTERINTUITIVE OF WHAT YOU'D WANT TO DO?" Sans asked, confused. But, you shook your head. "Teasing is actually fairly common in relationships. I believe partners actually like it a lot when it's with playful intent." You responded and he looked to Maia, then blushed a bright blue. 

You smirked, then sat down on the couch and placed your plate on your lap. Sans and Maia settled in the two chairs as per usual and as soon as Papyrus emerged, he made a beeline to the couch and flopped down beside you, instantly wrapping his free arm around your shoulder. "heya, honey." He rasped with a sense of humor on his tone. You shifted closer,  "Heya, bone-boy." You responded in a sultry voice. "not yet, at least." He replied, completely unaffected and you nearly choked. This caused Maia to laugh super hard and Sans to cock his head to the side in confusion.

Evony walked in with a can of Dr. Pepper and two slices of supreme pizza, then sat down on the couch beside you both. "I'm watching you two." She jokingly spoke. "ah, damn. what a shame." Papyrus replied sarcastically and she snickered. 

"ALRIGHT, WHAT ARE WE WATCHING?" Sans asked, so you picked up the TV remote. "Well, how about Sherlock Holmes?" You asked. "You mean the one with Robert Downey Jr., right?" Evony asked and you nodded. "Oh, yeah! That movie series is pretty good!" She exclaimed, so you looked to Papyrus, then to the rest of the crowd. "sounds good. i'd be happy with about anything though." Papyrus replied. "Same here! But, it sounds good to me!" Maia replied. And with one final person’s opinion to make the decision, you turned your full attention to Sans. "WELL, YOU'VE GOT ME INTRIGUED! I AM VERY INTERESTED TO LEARN ABOUT THIS 'SHERLOCK' CHARACTER!" 

"Alright, then it's decided! Sherlock Holmes it is!" You exclaimed as you flipped through some movies before selecting it. "Here we are, enjoy!" You continued as you clicked play and sat back. 

And with that, the movie began and another night of fun started. All you can hope is that things will stay positive from now on. After all, moments like these are a hell of a lot better than the recurring shit that has been popping into your life within the past few weeks. But, despite the conflicting feelings about Austin's current status, you can see that things are definitely starting to look up.

Chapter Text

After the movie, everyone went for seconds of the desserts and quickly settled back in the living room to talk. After some varied conversation that was beginning to end, Evony crossed her legs and turned to you. "How about we all share one random story from our lives? As an ice breaker or something?" She suggested, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. Her bun may be messier now, but it's still gorgeous. 

"ey, i think that's a good idea." Papyrus replied. "it'll be interesting to see how different our lives all are." 

Sans nodded his skull, smiling. "SO, WHO'S GOING TO GO FIRST?" He asked, looking around the room to see if there were any takers. 

Suddenly, you shrugged your shoulders and raised your hand. "I'm game." You responded, then sat up and smiled. "Hmmm, ah. I got it!" 

"When I was around 12, I went to the fair with a good friend of mine at the time. His name was Grey, and he was a mischievous little punk." You laughed, smiling. "We ran around for a while playing games and riding rides, but after an hour or so... The troublemaker in him finally showed up and he convinced me to go into the haunted house with him and hide in the back as we pillaged their stash of costumes." 

You hummed in thought for a second, tapping a finger on your chin. "And, this may sound awful... But we both dressed in scary masks and ended up running into the nearby bouncy house and chased the children around." You snorted and began to laugh, and so did the others. "Grey's dad happened to be just around the corner though sadly, and the dozens of nearby children crying and screaming in fear must've alerted him that something was up. And, that's where our fun ended. I was grounded for two weeks afterward." 

"Oh my God. (Y\N) is a baddie!" Evony laughed, clapping. "Have any regrets?" She questioned curiously. This caused you to snigger, humor in your (e\c) gaze. "This is horrible, but no. That's hysterical to me, even this many years later." 

"a+, kiddo." Papyrus snickered. "i wouldn't be caught dead doin' somethin' like that in a million years though." He commented and Sans arched a 'bone'brow at his claim immediately. He crossed his arms against his ribcage and peered over at his older brother. "OH, REALLY NOW? I RECALL THAT YOU GOT ARRESTED BY THE ROYAL GUARD JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. I WOULD ARGUE THAT'S WORSE."

"You did what now?" Maia suddenly gasped and Papyrus' skull flushed a faint orange. "Papyrus, are you a criminal?" You ask,  leaning over with a playfully mad expression. At this, he hunkered down to lean down to face you. "do ya have a thing for 'em?" He asked back, his voice smooth and a bit flirtatious. You couldn't help but stifle a laugh at that question. Somebody clearly didn't think that through. 

"Considering the circumstances, no." You responded and he paused for a moment, then it sank in. "oh, well... er–in that case, no i am a perfectly law abidin' citizen!" He grinned nervously and you shook your head, rolling your eyes. 

"I am dying to know what the hell happened in that situation. Papyrus, do you think you could share that as your story?" Evony asked, crossing her legs and adjusting her glasses. And, to your relief, he nodded. "yeah, 'course." 

"well, when i was 22, i attempted to prank alphys–at that time she wasn't quite so high up in 'er ranks. sans was 17 and already eyein' the royal guard. so, i did what every big bro would do... try and get their attention." He began to explain, tapping a phalange on his chin. 

"i asked around until i found 'er house. and, when i did, i started playin' spooky noises off a speaker hidden in the bushes. i was hidden nearby as well, but she didn't know that. i had placed a note on the doorstep. but, er—" He trailed off, chuckling. "apparently i wasn't hidden as well as i'd hoped because she threw her axe at me. when i jumped out of the way, she ran and tackled me. And that's the story of how we met, and how i ended up in a prison cell for 12 hours." 

"But what was on the note?" Evony asked, confused as to how this was a prank. But immediately he turned orange in embarrassment and Sans groaned loudly, face-palming. "HE PUT AN AD FOR GLASS EYES ON HER DOORSTEP."  He spoke with distaste. 

You shook your head, "Papy, no—" you spoke with shock. "yeah i learned my lesson there, thankfully though, she'd forgotten by the time Sans sat on her doorstep all night, begging to be let in the guard." He clicked his tongue, sighing. "i would've never done anythin' like that if it hadn't been for seein' the ad for 'em in undyne's lab. i really regret that now." Papyrus admitted.

Seeing Evony still was a bit confused, you quickly realized she doesn't know anything about Alphys, let alone that she doesn't seem to have an eye. So, you looked to her and gently smiled. "Sorry, I suppose we should've explained that Alphys is missing an eye." You laughed gently and her emerald eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! I see now. Yeah, that was rough, Papyrus."

"heh, yeah. but, that's enough of that. which of ya is next?" Papyrus asked, then everyone turned to each other. "I think the newbie should go, since this game was her idea and such. Surely she has an idea in mind?" Maia suggested, then Evony shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, I'll go." She dipped her head.

"A couple years ago, Chris, my fiancé, decided it'd be fun to go on a road trip together. Now, at this time he was just my boyfriend and had just recently gotten his motorcycle license. I trusted him though, so I agreed and we headed out to go to the beach for a day." She smiled, blushing faintly. 

"And, we made it safely but when we were coming back from the beach to get some food a few miles away, his bike wouldn't start. We ended up trying to figure out the issue for around 30 minutes, but eventually gave up and called technicians." She continued. "From there, they hauled his bike to the shop and we took a taxi from the secluded beach into town. We were stranded in a unfamiliar place staying in a motel." She continued on, stretching a bit. 

"We had only brought the clothes on our back and swimsuits as well, so we had to go to the nearby beach gift shop and pick up some things there. And, trust me. They didn't have anything in black." She giggled, shaking her head. "Anyways, the mechanics ended up realizing the problem was miniscule and they fixed it after being stranded for two days." 

"My mom was pissed though, she hadn't like Chris for a while and thought this was all some scheme? I hope she didn't think we were eloping." Evony laughed. "Sorry, that's not the best story. I just find it really funny that we got stranded in a small city for 2 days. And it was a problem he could've easily fixed himself."

"No, that was fine! No need for apologies!" You responded with a smile. "Did you both have the next few days off?" Maia questioned, cocking her head to the side. "We left on Friday, and thankfully we both had the weekend off." Evony answered, adjusting her glasses. 

"now, have there been any more motorcycle incidents since?" Papyrus asked and Evony snorted, her green gaze filled with humor before promptly nodding. "Oh, you have no idea. Next time we tried a weekend bike getaway, he ran out of gas and we had to walk quite a few miles to find a gas station." She giggled. "He sounds like a goof, and he completely is, but Chris is not stupid. I think he was just so excited to see me that he forgot to check the fuel gauge." She blushed, laughing a bit more. 

"HE SOUNDS LIKE A RATHER BLUNDERING MAN." Sans spoke with slight hesitance. But, Evony just shrugged. "Perhaps so, but he's my blundering man and I'll love him no matter what." She flashed a bright infectious smile which everyone else soon caught. 

"But, that's enough about our unfortunately flawed bike road trips... Which one of you is next?" She questioned and Sans puffed out his chest. "I WILL BE THE ONE!" He boasted and Evony nodded.

"WELL, NOT LONG AFTER WE ALL MADE IT ONTO THE SURFACE, THE STATE ASKED US MONSTERS AND OUR AMBASSADOR TO COME TO A BANQUET. QUEEN TORIEL, PAPYRUS, CHARA, UNDYNE, ALPHYS, NAPSTATON, AND I ALL ATTENDED." He started. 

"IT'D BEEN AROUND 4 WEEKS SINCE WE'D APPEARED, AND THE CUSTOMS WERE STILL CONFUSING AT TIMES." He continued, pulling at the collar of his shirt. "I NEEDED TO RUN TO THE LITTLE BABYBONE'S ROOM TO FIX MY TIE, SO I WALKED IN AND SAW THESE SMALL, CUTE PINK MINTS. THEY WERE CARVED TO LOOK LIKE THE DELTA RUNE. I COULDN'T HELP BUT POP ONE INTO MY MOUTH WITH APPRECIATION!"

Papyrus was listening with interest, it's clear that'd he'd never heard this tale before. But, you, Evony, and Maia all knew what was coming next in the story–realization. 

Sans cringed at the memory, laying one of his hands against his skull as he let out a deep sigh. "IT WAS SOAP! WHO DOES THAT?!" He spoke, embarrassed, yet frustrated. And Papyrus didn't even hesitate before breaking out into a laughing fit. You couldn't help but let out a few chuckles as well, and Evony grimaced. 

"I hate the taste of soap!  My grandma would always wash my mouth out with soap if I said anything mildly offensive at all as a kid." Evony gasped. 

"IT'S HORRENDOUS!" Sans exclaimed and Maia shook her head. "Poor you, poor naïve you." She spoke with humor in her tone. 

"wait, ev, your grandma washed your mouth out with soap? what'd ya say to make her do that?" He asked curiously. "Like I said, something very mild usually. Like 'stupid', 'fart', and even 'heck'." She responded.

"Woah! Those are very mild! I wonder why she was so strict." Maia wondered and Sans nodded his skull. 

"shit, kiddo. sounds like she wanted to keep things clean." Papyrus snickered at his own pun and she clapped. "Good one!" Evony praised him and you nodded in agreement with a bright smile. 

"NOW, MAIA. IT IS YOUR TURN!" Sans sat back in his seat and crossed his legs so he was sitting 'criss cross applesauce'. She nodded her head, humming in thought as she glanced upward. "It's hard to choose one, isn't it?" She commented and everyone nodded in agreement. 

"Take your time, Maia!" Evony chirped, smiling and stretching her arms. And, after around 3 minutes, Maia's eyes lit up. Though her demeanor seemed hesitant and a bit embarrassed, but she puffed out her chest regardless and tried her best to push her anxieties aside. 

"When I was 19 and it was near Halloween, I decided to head to one of the local farms participating in the spooky season. They had a scary corn maze, and prior I'd gone into their surprisingly scary haunted house they'd fashioned out of an old barn. For being pretty low budget, it was pretty scary and left me on edge." She started, running her fingers through her blonde hair. 

"I went through alone, it was nearing 9:30 PM and the farm stopped the activities at 10:00, so I was hurrying along. But, after 5 minutes or so, I began to hear some rustling. I looked around, but saw nothing so I shrugged it off and continued on."

"I then heard it again, it was in the corn and it had gotten closer. When I turned around, all movement ceased. I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked on. But, a few more minutes passed and the rustling got louder and louder when... CRASH!" 

Sans and Evony jumped, gasping. "What?!" They spoke in unison. 

"I ran and jumped out of the way into the cornfield for whatever reason, but my ankle got caught on one of the stalks and I ended up spraining my ankle. And when I rolled onto my back, propping myself up on my elbows, all I saw was a crow with beady black eyes staring at me... I'm still embarrassed over thinking a man with a scythe was going to jump out of the corn." She sighed.  

"OH NO! WERE YOU OKAY?!' Sans asked and she nodded. "I was able to continue on, hobbling on one leg in misery for 15 minutes, but the farm wife, Beth, bandaged me up once I found the end which was very sweet." Maia spoke with a smile. 

"So, that's why your ankle was sprained?" You spoke, remembering her having the sprained ankle while in college. Her grin became more sheepish and she scratched the back of her neck. "Yeahhh... What did I say happened?" She asked bashfully. 

You snorted, shaking your head. "You said you'd sprained it while playing Frisbee with Milo." You replied, a grin appearing on your lips. "Oh my God, I forgot about Milo! He was the cutest thing ever!" Maia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up but Sans seemed to hunker down in his seat. He looked to the side, trying to hide his jealousy.

"WHO'S MILO?" He asked, trying to disguise the obvious envy in his normally cheery voice. But this made you and Maia burst out laughing. "Milo's a 7 year old Border Collie owned by my old neighbor... Well, my parents' neighbor now." She replied. 

Sans' mannerisms quickly did a 180 degree turn and he blushed a bright blue. "OH. H-HE SOUNDS... NICE!" He stuttered, tapping his foot on the ground self-consciously. "Oh, he is! He's the sweetest boy!" Maia cooed and Sans sank in his seat more, oblivious to the fact that his blush was growing by the second. 

"In fact," Maia began, a gleam in her green eyes. "I should take you to meet him! The two best boys deserve to meet."

Sans nearly squeaked as his face approached becoming full on navy. "O-O-OKAY!" He managed to get out, but it looked like if he blushed any more, he'd faint. 

Deciding to prevent this from happening, you swiftly changed the subject. "Alright, I needed to ask something with you all here." You explained and everyone turned their attention to you. 

"Alright, so Audrey and her people have an anti-monster group." You began, crossing your legs. "And Maia and I came up with the idea of forming a support group. But, we first need a name. Any ideas?" You asked and everyone instantly began to rack their brains. 

Papyrus tapped a phalange on his chin, "the monster mash." He chuckled and Evony and Maia giggled as you rolled your eyes. "Any serious ideas?" You corrected and Papyrus playfully huffed. "The Human and Monster Project?" Maia suggested and after everyone thought, Papyrus shook his head. "that sounds more like a fundraiser." 

"Fair point." Maia replied, clicking here tongue against her teeth. "A Quest For Equality?" Evony suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "I feel like that's not specific enough, but I like it." You hummed in thought until Sans raised his hand in the air. 

"Yes, Sans?" You asked and he played with his fingers before clearing his throat. "HOW ABOUT 'THE HUMAN & MONSTER ALLIANCE?" He suggested, looking to you.

”Actually, yeah. I really like that idea.” You replied smiling. “Good job, Sans!” You praised him and he beamed. “WELL, ANYONE ELSE LIKE IT?” He asked, quirking his ‘bone’brows. 

Evony was the first to nod her head, “That sounds pretty good! It could be called the HMA for short. Kinda catchy.” Maia nodded her head in agreement, and Papyrus tapped a bony finger on his chin. “what’s the anti-monster group’s name again?” He asked as he looked between you and Maia. 

“‘Citizens Against Monsters’.” Maia replied and Papyrus nodded. “yeah, that’s good then. imagine if we named it ‘citizens for monsters’ though.” He snickered. 

“I like the pettiness, but I’m afraid they’d try and sue us for ‘mocking their beliefs’ or some crap like that. So a more original name is probably the safer bet.” You commented and Evony nodded. “I’ve seen attempted lawsuits for the craziest reasons in this town, so I have to agree with (Y/N).” She spoke, yawning. 

“Anyway, it’s gotten late. I should probably head back to my apartment if you four don’t mind.” She spoke, stretching as she stood up. “No problem! It’s probably the same here, I cannot skip work again tomorrow.” You replied. 

“PAPYRUS AND I SHOULD PROBABLY BE GETTING BACK HOME TOO!” Sans replied, standing up. “nyeeeeh, sans, c’mon. 10 more minutes.” 

Sans rolled his eyes at this, “NO, BROTHER. I HAVE PATROL TOMORROW. WE REALLY SHOU-“ but he trailed off when he turned to see Maia’s disappointed expression. Once she was found out, she quickly straightened herself, forcing a smile upon her lips. “Yeah, Papyrus. I’m sure you two have a busy day tomorrow.” She spoke, running a hand through her hair. 

“WELL—“ He was cut off by Maia who stood up and pulled him into a hug. She seemed to whisper something in his ear which made you lift your eyebrow, but you just shrugged.

“Let me help you get your containers, Ev.” You turned to walk to the kitchen but Evony shook her head. “You guys can finish the desserts. I’ll come pick up the containers in a few days.” She responded. “Oh, really?” You asked, turning back around. Evony just smiled and gave a thumbs-up. “Yeah! I can make them anytime, you enjoy them!” 

“Alright! Thank you lots, then!” You spoke and you gently pulled her into a hug which she returned. “Thanks for the fun night! I had an absolute blast. Let’s do it again sometime!” Evony spoke, then adjusted her glasses happily. “Goodbye, Sans, Papyrus, Maia, and (Y/N)!” She walked you the door, grabbed her things, then opened it. “I’ll catch you later, I guess!” 

Everyone collectively said their goodbyes, and Evony was off. But, that still left the brothers who still had to say their parting words. It was clear from everyone’s expressions that it would be hard to part tonight. Especially after the tragic events that had transpired, and even more so after the fun you’ve had since then.

”well, i guess we should head on home, bro.” Papyrus sighed, standing up. “YEAH... I SUPPOSE.” Sans replied, rocking back and forth on his heels. "WELL GIRLS, THANK YOU FOR THE FUN NIGHT! I'M SURE I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN IN A FEW DAYS." Sans replied, looking to Maia, then to you. And after a few seconds, he hugged you, then Maia again. 

Papyrus did the same, walking over and pulling you into a hug before playfully giving you a noogie, causing you to giggle. "Come on, you're messing up my hair!" You playfully complained and he snickered as you hugged him back. You swayed him from side to side for a moment before pulling away, only to have Sans suddenly cling to you like a cat stuck on the ceiling in a cartoon. 

"GOODBYE, (Y\N)!" He sniffled as you hugged him back. "Goodbye, Sans! I'll make sure to either visit you two, or have you guys come back soon. It'll be great." You responded and he nodded excitedly. "GOTCHA!"

And with that, Papyrus hugged Maia, then the two skeletons headed out the door. Once they were gone, you couldn’t help but let out a big sigh. “Saying goodbye is getting harder.” You spoke softly and Maia looked away. “I know. And I don’t know what I’m going to do considering I leave in a few days.” She sighed. 

Your (e/c) eyes widened, and sympathy filled your gaze. “I almost forgot about that... This all is temporary, isn’t it?” 

She nodded, her lip quivering. “I really don’t want to leave Sans.” She spoke sadly and you laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. “Don’t worry, Maia. We’ll figure something out to get you some more time in Ebott.” You spoke calmly. She just nodded quietly, eventually thanking you. 

And, after thirty minutes of cleanup, you both headed to bed to get some shut eye. After all, you do have work tomorrow. But, you made sure to let Maia know that if she needs to talk, you’re available 24/7, even if you’re deep in a REM cycle. And, of course, Maia gladly returned the statement.

Chapter Text

After turning on some of your favorite music to help your mind settle for the night, you fell into a deep sleep. All things were peaceful, until around 3:00 AM. 

With a jolt, suddenly you were in a dark alley. Straightening your coat, you couldn't help but shiver at the cold air nipping at your skin. Furrowing your brows, you looked around and saw no clear indications of where you are. So, you reached over to pull your phone from your pocket. But the problem is, your phone has mysteriously disappeared. 

And, with no other options, you decide that walking around is the best solution. At least, until you can figure out where you are. So, that's indeed what you did. 

You walked down alleyway, after alleyway until you reached a tall chain link fence. Noticing there was no other way around it, you shrug and begin climbing it. And, after scaling down the fence, you were in. 

Less than a hundred feet in front of you was an abandoned building. Mostly comprised of brick with faded blue shutters and broken windows. 

Vandalism has definitely taken place, the chipping walls are decorated with an array of colors and swears. But, one piece catches your eye and doesn't just make you feel disgusted. The words "STAY OUT!" are painted in red near the entrance, instilling a feeling of curiosity and fear into your mind.

Despite the threatening graffiti, you decide to trudge forward, glancing up at the full moon in the sky. The stars lie dormant tonight, so the only thing lighting the dark surroundings is the shine of the moon. But, that doesn't keep you away from this mysterious building. 

Flashlight-less, you push through the partially cracked and paint-chipped door and look around. Black dirt, old newspapers, animal droppings, and vintage furniture pollute the old, soft wooden floor. 

Not wanting to let the messy interior ruin your exploration, you step forward, using the moon as a guide to find the clean spots on the floor. You eventually make it to an antique hutch lined with old family photos. Nobody you really recognize.

One of the people featured heavily in the photos is a man with dirty blonde hair in his mid 40s, he wears plenty of patterned button up shirts. Another is a lady around his age, most likely his wife. She dresses in plenty of dresses, always has on a pearl necklace, and has platinum blonde hair done up neatly in classic curls. And, lastly is a little boy dressed in red overalls. He has platinum blonde hair like his mother, but his eyes seem so dull. 

But, by your attention is torn off of the old framed photos when you feel a mouse run over your foot. Jumping in surprise, you and the mouse both scurry away from the hutch and you walk further into the house. 

Despite being torn apart by vandals over the years, this house seems to be frozen in time. Coffee mugs still on the table, and dishes are still in the sink, never to be washed again.

You can't help but admire this old building, so when you see the staircase a smile forms on your lips. What could possibly be up there? 

You walk to the stairs and as soon as your shoe touches the wood, the stairs creak loudly. You put more weight on them to test their strength, but they do not give way, so you continue on, up the long staircase. The sound of nearby bats makes your heart pound faster, bringing you even more anxiety. But, you ignore the worries and continue onward.

At the top, you're met with a small hall and two rooms mere feet from it. You walk into the first and are met with the son's old bedroom. Decorated with sailboats and teddy bears, you continue to observe this almost completely intact room. You walk to the bed, which is still made up with a bear plush propped against the blue pillows. 

You run your hand against the sewn duvet, it remains soft after all these years. And, sitting by the bedside is an old diary. You reach over and wipe off the thin layer of dust, then pick it up. You turn it to the most recent entry and begin reading it. 

"Today I visited Uncle Ky, he seems somewhat better. His treatments are thankfully working, which is good because Donnie was throwing a fit over him. He and I spent a lot of time talking about dad, well... His brother. He says in his youth, he'd dreamed of being a sailor just like me. Too bad he got stuck at the fish market. I miss you, dad. 

Sometimes, I like to think he's looking down at me, all proud. But, after what happened at work, I know he absolutely would not approve of me squatting in our old home." 

Your blood ran cold and you swallowed hard as you immediately started searching for a written date. Your eyes flew around the page until you saw it, this was only 3 days ago. 

You dropped the diary onto the bed, then began to walk out quickly, but the squeak of a floorboard next to you stopped you in your tracks. You slowly looked over and saw a tall, burly man in the shadows. 

Your breathing quickened as you let out a gasp. And as he stepped out of the shadows, you saw his cold, dead eyes. It's definitely the kid from the photo downstairs. 

"Hello there. I s'pose ya don't know how to read warnings. That's too bad, kid." He laughed, his voice raspy and deep. And, then he let out a cough. A smoker's cough, to be more exact.

"I'll just have to deal with ya like the rest of 'em." He cackled, and as you looked over, a lone spray paint can laid on the floor next to you, leaving you with even more of an ominous feeling. So, you backed up quickly, and turned and began to run. But just as you were making progress...

Crack!

You gasped as the wood beneath your feet gave in and you began to plummet downward. You couldn't help but scream as your fall seemed endless. Being surrounded in darkness and falling into a deep dark void. The air grew more and more sparse, and with your hyperventilating tightening your throat, it got harder and harder to get air.

And as you placed your hands on your neck trying to breathe, you finally hit the ground, and that's when your eyes snapped open. You gasped and breathed in all of the oxygen you could get as you sat up in your bed quickly. 

You're drenched with sweat, over a dream that wasn't even that terrifying up to the endless darkness and suffocation. It almost felt real, no... It did feel real. 

That deep, dark void didn’t just seem like an imaginary place made up in your own subconscious. Could it be out there? 

You shook your head to clear your thoughts. This isn’t important right now. Knowing you need to get some more rest before work tomorrow, you try your best to ignore it and lay back down to sleep. 

So, you snuggle back into your covers and close your eyes, but just as you started to drift, you suddenly jerked away with a gasp. 

You’d seen a hooded figure, one with a big hood that shadowed its identity. And the eerie thing is, they just seemed to be staring at you. And it felt like that figure was in that place of nothing—or, perhaps... you’re just more tired than you realize.

You laid down your head again to get some rest, but this time you had suddenly jerked awake right as you were at the brink of falling asleep. You had felt like you were falling again, only this time it felt like the darkness was pulling you in.

This is infuriating. How hard can it be to actually get sufficient sleep?! With a quiet groan, you grab your phone off the nightstand and open it, quickly switching over to your messages, clicking on Papyrus’ contact. 

Your messages opened and you sighed as you wrote him a simple, “Hey, are you awake?” 

Within seconds, you saw the three little dots indicating that he was indeed awake and was already replying. Why is he awake? It’s the middle of the night! 

“ey, yeah. i decided to play some video games ‘cause i couldn’t sleep. what’s up?”

”I’m having a pretty bad night, nightmares, and just... it’s hard to explain without sounding like a lunatic. I just sense an ominous presence and it keeps waking me up.” 

“oh, damn. that’s not good. want me to come over?”

”I don’t want to do that to you, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“c’mon, you know i like chilling with you. i’d be happy to come over. and hey, don’t forget that i know a pretty cool shortcut.” 

You could almost hear Papyrus’ infectious laugh, and that made you let out a snicker as you tried to decide if you should accept his offer or not. Sure, it’d be comforting but you don’t want him to feel like you’re using him. But at the same time, he suggested he come over, not you. So, you bite your lip and sigh as you type out a reply. 

“Alright. But only if you promise that you really don’t mind it.” 

“of course, (y/n). i promise that I don’t mind it at all.”

”Okay, good. I’ll see you in a little bit then, Papyrus. Don’t knock on the door. Maia may take this situation wrong.”

”no worries. i got this covered.” 

And that was your cue to put your phone back down and let out a small yawn. You closed your eyes momentarily, hoping with all your might that Maia won’t hear his voice and get any ideas. But, yet, those ideas that she could possibly think of are embarrassing—yet intriguing. You can’t help but blush as the scenes flash through your mind.

”boo!” 

You jumped, parting your lips to let out a frightened yelp but Papyrus’ hand clamped over your mouth before you could even let out a sound. 

“hey, no wakin’ up maia.” He snickered, observing you with a grin. He seemed particularly interested in your unfortunate blush. 

You pushed his hand away, crossing your arms with a huff. “You could’ve warned me.” 

“aw, where’s the fun in that? and side note, what’s that blush about, mmm?” 

You coughed, looking down and blushing a bit more. “No reason.” 

“no reason, ey?” He questioned and you nodded. 

“well, in that case, ya don’t mind if i take off my hoodie? it’s hot in ‘ere.”

”N-no. Do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable.” You responded, looking away and you could feel his shit-eating grin forming again. 

“kay, cool.” He snickered as he stepped back. Shortly thereafter, you heard the sound of his hoodie coming off. 

When you looked back, you were faced with him wearing his tight black tank top. He also has his black basketball shorts on, but they’re slightly uneven and one side is showing more pelvic bone than the other. This made you blush even more and you had to suppress an embarrassed groan. Why is it that you find a skeleton hot again?

”(y/n)~” You suddenly were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard Papyrus’ coo. 

“Mmm?” 

“what cha starin’ at?” He chuckled, blinking slowly at you with that gosh awful, yet intriguing grin. 

“Your pants are crooked.” 

“oh.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at his disappointment as you moved over to your side of the bed, patting beside you. “Come on, we can tease each other later.” 

“fair point.” Papyrus replied, fixing his shorts and climbing into the bed. 

“sooo, did ya wanna talk about the dream ‘n stuff?” He asked pretty quickly, and you thought long and hard about it. 

“Yeah, might as well. At least, quickly. I’m sure we both need to try and sleep before work tomorrow.” 

“i guess so. go ahead, i am happy to stay up all night to listen if you want me to.” 

“That’s uber sweet!” You chirped, and with a kind nod of Papyrus’ head, you began to explain the dream, and then the subsequent events and eerie feeling. The latter half made Papyrus’ ‘bone’brows quirk and furrow in confusion, and he almost had a look of concern. 

When you got done explaining everything, he scratched his cervical vertebrae and let out a hum. “i don’t quite know how ta feel about that.”

”I mean, it was a lot—“

”no... not because of that.” He coughed, looking to the side momentarily. “i see that figure and end up in that void. but, you shouldn’t know about it.”

”Why not?” You asked, confused as you looked at him, a bit frightened.

”well, i thought it was out of the realm of human, or even most monster’s understanding...” He spoke quietly and you blinked. 

“I don’t understand?”

He slowly looked over to you with a pained expression. “i don’t want you to have to go through any of this too. it can break a person. please tell me that’s all that happened.”

You nodded, getting the impression that this is a big deal. And, that even if you do have anything more happen, perhaps it’s best not to tell him. If it can break a person, then whatever it is could’ve been what caused his depression and anxiety. Definitely a touchy subject. 

“Don’t worry. That’s all that happened, and now that you’re here, I’m sure it’ll stay far away.” You gave him a gentle smile and took his hand gently. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure. Probably just a coincidence.” 

Papyrus didn’t seem convinced, but he sighed and laid back in bed. “maybe, i guess.”

You frowned, scooting closer and laying your head against his very uncomfortable bony shoulder. You hoped it’d at least help him relax, and to your relief it did slightly. 

“Thanks for coming.” You spoke softly. 

“you’re welcome, (y/n). i love ya, ok? i’m sorry if i dragged you into anyth-“

”Papy, no! It’s okay! Please don’t apologize for anything that might not even come to be! Plus, it’s not like you dragged me into this.” 

“well, i guess not but-“ 

“Papyrus, no. You did not plant those visions and feelings in my head.” 

“but what if i did while around ya somehow?! how did you end up with ‘em? none of this makes any sense other than the fact that it’s probably my fault, and-“ 

You groaned and moved your head and your entire body, ending up straddling Papyrus’ waist as you leaned forward quickly, kissing him deeply to silence him. He was hesitant at first, not wanting to lose his ground. But, desire kicked in and he wrapped his hands around your torso firmly, pulling you into the kiss deeper as your cheeks flushed red. 

When you both broke for air, you made eye contact with Papyrus and flashed him a gentle smile. “Everything will be okay. Please don’t stress over it.” 

Still a bit hesitant, Papyrus moved one of his hands a bit lower and nodded his skull. “alright. i’ll trust ya. but, if something does change and you notice anything that brings apathy and feelings of hopelessness, tell me immediately. that’s not a joke, if you don’t i would have a lot of trouble forgivin’ ya.”

There was plenty of seriousness in his tone, so there goes your initial plan. You’ve lied to Papyrus enough already, and it surprises you that he’s forgiven you thus far. So, no more lying to him. Especially about whatever this could possibly be. 

“Of course. I promise to let you know if it does happen.” You gave him a gentle smile, putting your hand against his cheek. You stroked his cheekbone gently, then scratched his cranium a bit. 

“You know what?” You suddenly asked. 

He raised a ‘bone’brow, still not in the best of moods which breaks your heart. “what?”

”You’d look pretty hot with a pompadour.” 

He snorted which made you grin even more. You’d succeeded at lightening the mood a bit more. And your heart nearly leapt for joy when you saw him smile. 

“oh, yeah?” He put both of his hands firmly on your hips and you nodded while uttering a simple “Mmhm!”

”maybe i’ll just have to get a wig. it’ll be hairy difficult to find one to go with my magical complexion, though.”

”Mmmm, I think a nice blonde shade would suit you. Would bring out your eyes.” 

Papyrus rolled his pinpricks, then chuckled as he turned the tables and ‘took a shortcut’ so he’d be on top of you which caused you to let out a gasp. “you know what i think would help you look even hotter right now~?” He purred and you blushed slightly as you shook your head ‘no’. 

He brushed his bony fingers against your cheek, causing you to swallow hard. “i think you’d look better with some red~” He teased before leaning in for another deep kiss. This took you by surprise, so you flushed red and you puffed out your cheeks in embarrassment. 

But as he placed his teeth upon your lips, you relaxed and kissed him back, hoping that you two don’t kiss too much considering you haven’t even gone on your first date yet. 

But as the kiss ended, Papyrus flopped off of you and laid down on his back. “i was right. you always look cuter in orange, and in red~” He let out a raspy laugh and you looked down bashfully. 

“Hush. As if you don’t get the cutest tangerine cheekbones.” 

“maybe ya think so, but there’s no contest. ya are cuter.” 

“Says who?” You crossed your arms, raising a single eyebrow. 

“well, ya don’t see mr. smith chasing after me.”

You snorted, rolling your (e/c) eyes again. “As if Mr. Smith’s hyper-sexuality is a testament to anything. He is hella straight anyway. Not a fair comparison.”

”nyeh. i would argue, but i can’t.”

”Aha! I win!” You spoke enthusiastically and he chuckled. “yes ya do, kid.” He responded as he pat your shoulder gently. 

And after things grew quiet and you and Papyrus had calmed down significantly, you let out a big yawn. This seemed like your sign that it was time to try and sleep again, so you nestled under the covers and shut your eyes. 

“Goodnight, Papy. Thank you for coming.” 

You heard Papyrus’ tired “mmhm.” come in response, then you felt his warm arms wrap around you. It caused you to smile and snuggle against him. “goodnight, (y/n). no more bad dreams, okay?” 

“With you here, I know that I don’t have to worry about any more nightmares.”

”good. sweet dreams.” He whispered before kissing your shoulder gently. And after you’d echoed his words, you both fell into a deep and peaceful slumber. 

Chapter Text

It'd felt like an entire normal sleep-cycle had passed by the time your alarm woke you up in the morning. That was surely interesting considering the lackluster sleep you’d had before Papyrus had arrived. But, thankfully his embrace had left you feeling recharged and ready to go. 

So, you quickly turned off your alarm and started to climb out of bed. But, Papyrus pulled you closer. 

"don't go-" He pleaded sleepily.  When you turned around to face him, he had puppy dog eyes that were just begging you to stay home from work. 

But, as tempting as that sounds, you know it's impossible if you want to keep your job and continue to support yourself financially. So, you tap the bridge of his nasal bones and slide away gingerly. 

"Sorry, Pap. I need to get to work in less than an hour. I wish I could stay though." 

"but you're so waaarm—" He groaned quietly.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." You replied quietly as you swung your legs over the side of your bed. 

"meanie." He huffed, flopping over in bed to face the opposite direction. 

"Hey, but maybe we don't have to part so soon... At least, not for long." You suggested and he turned his head to face you, cocking a 'bone'brow. 

"i'm listening."

"You can go home, get dressed, and meet me at Muffet's before my shift." 

"it's tempting." He replied before letting out a short hum.

"I'll buy you a bottle of honey as an apology for taking you warmth away~" You cooed. 

"you've convinced me! but this isn't completely over yet, (l\n)." 

You couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. "Gotcha, and I'll be sure to remind you." You spoke as you quickly picked out today's outfit. A plain black tee with U-neck neckline, a floral sheer kimono, black skinny jeans, a crystal pendant necklace, and some black flats. 

"is that a threat, or an offer?" He asked, grinning as he turned to face you completely. 

"That's up for you to decide, honey~" You winked and purred which made him turn tangerine orange. 

"I'll see you at Muffet's, dear. Don't forget to be aware of Maia. Now, I'm off to shower." 

"kay, (y\n). see ya soon!" He smiled, waved then disappeared out of your bed. 

And, with that, you smiled and hurried into the bathroom to get ready for the day. 

---------------------------------------------

You had successfully gotten ready for the day and arrived at Muffet's in around 40 minutes. And, all without waking Maia up, mind you. 

By the time you walked in, there were already a few customers sitting and enjoying their breakfasts. Including none other than Mr. Smith. You smiled at the sight of him and strolled over. 

"Good morning, Noah!"

His cool gray eyes jumped up to face you and he smiled. "Ah, good morning, (Y\N)! How are you doing?" He asked calmly. 

"I'm doing fairly well, I hope you are as well?" You cocked your head to the side and he briefly nodded. 

"I'm hanging in there, I'm doing much better than the other day though, so I thank you for hearing me out." He dipped his head in thanks, then took a sip of his coffee. 

"Oh, it's the least I could do! Thank you for assisting with the case! How is Austin doing anyways?" 

"It's the least I can do! I'm happy to help. You deserve it. Well, he woke up and tried to escape but obviously, he got stopped. I know he's asking questions about the situation, but nobody's told him you saved him yet." Mr. Smith responded. 

"How do you think he'll react to me saving him?" You asked curiously, shifting your weight onto one hip. 

He hummed in thought, tapping a finger against his chin. "I'm not quite sure. For all I know, he'll think it's some feat of love." 

"he'd better not." Papyrus suddenly sounded behind you which made you jump and caused Noah's eyes to flick upwards. 

"Well, you don't have to worry about Mr. Ricardo taking her anymore, Papyrus. I assume he’ll be very disappointed when he realizes that wasn’t her goal.”  

“likely so, but he’s gotta know it’s my turn now.” Papyrus chuckled as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. 

“Ah, yes. I’m sure he’ll hate that even more—“ 

Papyrus cut him off, grinning from ‘ear-hole to ear-hole’. “even better.”

Mr. Smith laughed, then nodded. “Congratulations on the relationship.” 

“Thank you!” You chirped, brushing your hair back gently whilst beaming. 

“Of course!” He replied, nodding acknowledgingly. 

“now, you’re next. we gotta find ya a suitress.” Papyrus winked and Mr. Smith laughed, standing up. 

“Good luck with that, you two. But I still doubt that’ll ever happen.” He smiled, partially showing pain through the grin, but the other half held content. 

"c'mon, smithy. even you have someone out there." Papyrus responded. 

"Ah, I would love to see the day. But for now, perhaps it's best I go solo." He dipped his head. 

"Alright, alright. We'll stop pestering you about it, then." You smiled, then dipped your head.

"Thank you." He laughed, then waved. "I need to get going, but it was nice seeing you two."

"Same to you, Noah!" You spoke before pulling him into a gentle hug. 

He pat your back gently, then pulled away before shaking Papyrus' hand. "I'll see you two later. Au revoir!" He spoke as he grabbed his coffee cup and trash. 

"Bye!" You and Papyrus both said in unison. And, with that, Mr. Smith was off. 

So, you made your way to the counter to quickly order your breakfast before your shift started. Papyrus followed behind you quickly, obviously eager to get a meal. If he had a stomach, you're sure it'd be growling. 

"Good morning, boss! May I have a medium (f\d), and a blueberry bagel with cream cheese?" You asked, smiling as you pulled out your wallet. 

Muffet smiled, her neat pigtails bouncing as she nodded. "Of course, deary! And, what would the bag of bones behind you like?" 

"this bag 'o' bones would like one of your finest bottles of honey and a bowl of spidey cinnamon oatmeal." Papyrus replied, grinning all the while. 

"Alright... Now, that'll be $15.38."  She replied and you brought your debit card from your wallet upwards, but Papyrus slammed a $20 bill on the counter as fast as the blink of an eye. He winked, then leaned on one hip and grinned. 

You turned your (e\c) gaze toward him, glaring him down. But, he just stared back with that classic 'shit-eating' grin. You'd get him back for footing the bill sooner or later. But, for now, you don't want to cause a fuss over a kind deed. 

And, as you and Papyrus moved over to the waiting area, you admired his outfit of the day. Nothing overly special or out of the normal, but it's definitely not his orange hoodie. He's dressed in a black and teal button up shirt that's been left unbuttoned to display a white t-shirt that has "bad puns are how eye-roll" written on it. 

“you starin’ at my pecks, huh?” Papyrus joked, causing you to turn pink as you snapped out of ‘observation mode’.

”What pecks?” You replied, grinning. 

“hm, fair point. but i do have some killer ribs.”

“Agreed. Slather them boys in barbecue sauce.” You responded

Papyrus snorted loudly, humor present in his gaze. And as much as he tried to suppress any laughter, he lost it when you raised your eyebrows at him suggestively. This caused you to smile triumphantly and rock back and forth on your heels.

“You slept well, yes?” You suddenly asked and he nodded.

“yeah, you’re hella warm and it’s comfy. did you?” He asked, humming. You nodded in response and ran a hand through your (h/c) locks. “I slept better than I have in years.” 

“good to know! i’m not surprised though, you looked like an absolute angel.” Papyrus replied, grinning as he pulled a toothpick from the pocket of his jeans, plopping it between his teeth. 

“Shut up, I did not!” You huffed, crossing your arms and he just grinned wider as he chewed on the toothpick. “oh, ya wanna argue? i’ve got proof.” He replied as he stuck his hand behind his back and pulled out his phone.

Your face must’ve turned white as you felt your blood run cold. “Oh my god, no embarrassing sleep pictures!” You spoke, basically ‘whisper-yelling’. 

“aw, hell yeah!” He snickered as he continued to toy with his phone. But, interrupting him was Muffet. As you turned to face her after hearing her approaching footsteps, he put his phone back up. 

“I know this took a little longer than normal, so feel free to take an extra 5 minutes before coming back, (Y/N)!” Muffet chirped as she pushed the order to you and Papyrus. 

“thank ya, muffet. but we won’t take too long and bug ya.” Papyrus snickered, grabbing his food. You followed suit and picked up your own food, then smiled up at her. “I won’t take too long, no worries. I’ve certainly had enough time off already.” You dipped your head and she gave a thumbs-up.

“Alright, (Y/N). Well, enjoy your breakfast and I’ll see you in a little bit.” She dipped her head and smiled as she walked to tend to the next customer. 

“let’s go sit down and dig in.” Papyrus spoke as he eyed his breakfast. So, you nodded and followed him to a nearby table. Once you’d both sat down, Papyrus quickly started chowing down.

“Hungry, huh?” You asked, giggling as you took a sip of your drink. He nodded, then snickered as he paused. “yes, but i also have a meeting in an hour.” 

“A meeting, huh?” You cocked your head to the side, then spread the cream cheese on your bagel. “You know...” You stopped, letting out a hum. “I don’t even know what you do. Where do you work?” 

“heh, oh it’s nothin’ special. guess i’d kinda be a mechanical engineer by your standards.”

You blinked in surprise. “You’re an engineer?” 

“heh, yeah. it surprises people a lot. most wouldn’t expect me to know so much about physics and mathematics, but i love em. granted, i am an inventor too... but i haven’t done that in ages.” He responded, shrugging.

”Oh, damn. That’s cool!” You smiled, then took a bite of your bagel. “And here I am working in a café.” You snickered.

Papyrus lifted his index finger. “nah, nah. you’re working in a cool café.” 

“Touché.” You laughed, then shook your head. “I’m sure I’ll pursue a better degree in the future.” 

“smartest thing to do is ta follow your dreams, kid. your art is really cool, ya know? ya could be the next vincent van gogh.”

”My art is nowhere near that good!” You retorted and he shook his skull. 

“i disagree. your art is amazing!” He replied, then grinned. “you know what else is amazing?” He questioned as you took another bite from your bagel. You shook your head, lifting an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. 

“your angelic sleep photos!” He pulled his phone back out, snickering as you gasped.

”Noooo, Papy!” 

“yes, papy! or... papi if you’d prefer.” He snickered as he swiped through his phone, turning the screen to reveal a picture of you sleeping, snuggled up against him and practically clinging to his rib cage. 

“Why did you take that?” You asked, turning red with embarrassment.

”’cause you’re cute.” He replied, taking back his phone and setting it on the table beside him. 

“Ugh, what’s real reason?” You asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“who says that ain’t the real reason?” He asked, quirking his own ‘bone’brows in response. 

“Well, uh... Me?” 

“well, honey... that is the real reason... plus, i needed a new phone background.” He replied then smirked as he flipped open the bottle of honey and started drinking it. 

“Papyrus! I swear I will get you back.” 

“heh, i’m sure you will. and, i look forward to it~” 

---------------------------------------------

After a nice breakfast with Papyrus, your time together ended. So, you said your goodbyes and after he’d left, you headed to the back. 

Once there, you slid on your heelies and apron before making your way back out. “Okay, Miss Muffet. You can take a break. I’ll take over from here!” You spoke with a smile. 

“Lovely! Thank you, (Y/N)! I’ll be back soon!” She smiled, dipping her head as she stepped away from her post, walking straight into the back. 

And, almost if on cue, the door to the café opened and in walked Napstaton. Smiling, you watched as he walked up to the counter and leaned against it. 

"Good morning, (Y\N)! May I have..." He hummed, the tone robotic and animated. 

"May I have a dark roast iced coffee with cream and sugar?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

"Yes, of course! That'll be $2.45." You replied and he gently slid you a $10 bill. "Keep the change as an apology for all the people that'll come here after me." He chuckled. "I've gotten very popular on Instagram and Tumblr, so when I post a picture about Muffet's... Well... ‘The floodgates shall open’." He laughed, winking. 

"Oh, boy." You laughed, scratching the back of you neck. "Well, thank you, and I'll keep that in mind. Let me go fix you your drink." You smiled, dipping your head before walking away. 

After you'd finished making his drink, you walked back and slid it over to him. "There you go, Sir! Have a nice day!" 

"Thank you, (Y\N)! And, call me Napstaton, dude. Formalities aren't needed." He chuckled, grinning as he held out his fist. "Good luck with the mob." He winked, his silver hair shifting with the movement of his head as you fist-bumped him. 

"Alright, thank you, Napstaton!" You grinned and he grabbed his drink. 

"You're very welcome, dude. Have a nice day!" He saluted to you, then strolled outside.

The next customer to walk in resembles a hipster. He looks to be in his late 20s and has olive skin, short messy brown hair, brown eyes, and is dressed in a pair of brown skinny jeans with a denimn blue shirt tucked into them. 

"Good morning, welcome to Muffet's!" You greeted him and he smiled gently. "Same to you. May I have a medium Americano and a bran muffin?"

"Yes, of course! What'll be the name for this order? And would you like it to go, or for here?" 

"Evan, and it'll be for here." He responded, running a hand through his shaggy hair. 

"Alright, Sir. That'll be $4.02. Cash, credit, or debit?" 

"Debit, please." He replied, pulling out his debit card and inserting it into the chip reader.

"I'll have this done in a jiffy. I'll bring it to you when it's done." You smiled, then walked to the kitchen and quickly whipped together his drink, then put his muffin into a little baggy. Once done, you rolled all the way over to his table and set his order down. "Enjoy, Sir!" 

"Thank you." He replied while typing something on his phone. But, not wanting to bother him for any longer, you slid back to the counter and waited for your next customer. 

After around 15 minutes had passed, you first saw what Napstaton had warned you about. A group of 4 girls all walked in the café, giggling and talking about his Instagram post. 

After a few moments, they all made their way to the counter. "This'll all be on one bill, by the way." The one in the front spoke. She smiled, then looked up at the menu. Her short pink hair bounced as she giggled at one her friend's jokes. But, after a short while, she looked back to you. "I'll have a medium vanilla iced coffee and a spider donut." She spoke, then stepped out of the way. 

Her friend with blonde hair was next to order, "I'll have a small ginger tea, please!" 

Next in line to order was another girl with blonde hair, but she had blue highlights. And immediately from the start, something seemed strange. She gave you a weird look, then looked to the girl with pink hair. 

"Roxanne, is she familiar to you?" She asked, causing you to lift an eyebrow. 

"A bit, why?" Her friend responded, just as confused as you.

"Hey, were you just calling out Audrey at the anti-monster protest the other day?" Blue highlights asked you.

"Oh my God! You're right! That's her!" One of the other friends gasped. 

"Uh, yeah. That was me." You smiled nervously, scratching your arm.

"Oh my God! You're a hero! That woman is so sickening! Thank you for standing up for the little guys!" Roxanne replied, clapping. 

"Oh, yeah! Thank you for doing that! That woman has her head so far up her ass that she can't see how horrible she's being!" One of the other girls huffed. 

"Well, it's no big deal " You smiled. "I was just doing what was right." You dipped your head humbly, then looked back to blue highlights. "Your order, ma'am?"

"Oh, right! Sorry! I'll have a medium caramel macchiato and a classic glazed spider donut!" She replied, then stepped to the side, allowing the last girl to order. 

She stepped up, brushing her brown hair behind her ear before glancing at the menu. "First off, thanks for standing up for the monsters, and second off... I'll just take a small cup of hot chocolate please!" 

"It was my pleasure, and alright! That'll be... Mmmm..." You hummed, then glanced up at Roxanne. "$17.02. Now, will that be cash, credit, or debit? And, for here or to go?" 

"Debit, please! And, to go, if you will!" She replied, then got out her card and paid when ready. 

After you'd excused yourself to fix the drinks, you looked back and saw Evan peering at you from across the room. When your eyes connected, he quickly looked away and you furrowed your eyebrows. But, you pushed that into the back of your head as you focused on the order. 

Once done, you rolled their items over in a paper bag and cup holder.  "Have a nice day, you four!" You spoke as you placed the stuff down on the counter. They took it quickly and waved. "Thank you! You too, ma'am!" Blue highlights smiled, waving before they all departed. 

Next in to order was Alphys, she didn't waste time before asking the real questions. 

"Kid, was that person in the newspaper you?" She asked, leaning her hip against the counter. 

"Yes, but is it really that obvious?" You asked, gawking. 

"Pfft, even if I hadn't recognized your face, I saw the hoodie and knew, punk." 

"What?" 

"You're boning the skeleton and 'Dyne and I know all about it." She chuckled which caused you to turn red.

"Anyhoo, your questionable dating choices can be shoved aside for now, punk. Thank you for telling off that pain in the ass bigot. She deserves all the bad publicity she's getting right now! But, I've heard the media is trying their hardest to find you, so be careful if you wanna stay out of the limelight." Alphys continued. 

"Oh, thanks for letting me know. I'll keep an eye out! But, I suppose I am not too concerned about it. Just don't want my name falsely tarnished." You responded and she nodded. 

"Yeah, I understand what you mean, (Y\N)... Anyway, I won't keep you much longer. I'm ready to order now. I'll take one black coffee to go!" Alphys grinned. 

"Alright! That'll be $2.00. Cash, cre—" 

Alphys slammed down a $10 dollar bill and slid it forward. "Take the change as a tip, punk."

"Oh, thank you, ma'am!"

"Alphys." She corrected you flatly. 

"Right, sorry!" You responded then handled the money. Once done, you rushed over to quickly fix her drink. 

When done, you rolled to the counter and set it down. "Enjoy and have a great day!" 

"Thanks, (Y\N)! Same goes to you and the Cheeto!" She snickered, then grabbed her drink and walked out. 

And after scanning the room, you noticed Evan was glancing at you again. Kinda spooked, you clicked your tongue. What's his deal? Can't he browse his phone and drink his coffee without involving you? 

Oh well, hopefully he stops soon and leaves you alone. You are definitely not in the mood for another stalker.

Chapter Text

[Papyrus’ POV]

As soon as breakfast was over, I made my way outside. My meeting is approaching steadily and I need to get home so that I won’t be late again. Boss man definitely wouldn’t like that, but if he was around (Y/N) he’d understand why I’ve popped in late recently.

Every moment with her feels like time frozen. I lose all of my concept of time and every second blurs into the next minute.

I can’t believe what she’s done to me. I’ve never been the lovey-dovey kind of person, but I just want to shower her with affection and be with her all hours of the day.

But, I push my thoughts aside momentarily and teleport back home. Stressed, I quickly button my shirt up, then grab the nearest closest-matching tie and messily tie it around my neck.

And with that done, I run to our study and open my laptop, getting the Zoom link and opening my meeting.

Thankfully it’s just online today, but even if I’d managed to miss this one, I’d be toast. Mitchell Hunt is an understanding man, but he can only take so much of his employees missing work. Which is understandable, of course.

I quickly write my name into the box on my laptop’s screen and lean back as everything loads up.

The screen goes black momentarily, but I am quickly met with my boss’s face within seconds.

“Good morning, Papyrus. I see you’re actually early today.” He greeted me.

“mornin’, boss. knew i couldn’t just keep showing up late because of the missus.” I chuckled.

”Good, good. Well, let’s get started, shall we?” He asked, his brown eyes looking over his glasses.

”’course.” I nodded, and with that, the meeting began.

---------------------------------------------

After an hour and a half, the meeting finally ended and I sighed as I closed my laptop lid and practically ripped the tie off my neck.

I hate ties, I have no idea how Mr. Smith wears these all the time... Hell, I don’t even have a windpipe and it still bothers me. He must be desensitized to the sensation or something.

Shaking the thoughts from my head though, I stand up, unbutton my shirt, and start walking to my room.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m through work for the day. Mitchell has declared it a half-day due to it being his son’s birthday.

I’m thankful for that, after all, my cranium is spinning with thoughts. They’ve been distracting me all day. At least, ever since (Y/N) told me about her dream, and the subsequent run-in with an all too familiar face.

I cannot believe they had the nerve to jump into my girlfriend’s life. My own dad. The person who raised me is now making my life—and my girlfriend’s life a living hell.

Their visits in my dreams weren’t enough to satisfy their interests... so they had to go after her too? It pisses me the hell off.

I’m trying my best to help them, but in getting my attention, they’re haunting me. It’s almost constant.

Groaning, I grit my teeth as I push through the doorway to my bedroom, throwing the tie on my bed immediately. And not long after, my button-up, and t-shirt joined it.

Shirtless, I head to my dresser and pull out one of my black tank-tops and quickly put it on. Then, I walk back through the house onto the front porch and sit down on one of the seats. I quickly take a cigarette from the pack in my pocket, light it with my lighter, then begin to smoke it. Hopefully this’ll act as some stress relief for me now.

I’ve run into a problem with my “project” and I don’t know how to go further. I’ve been stuck at a standstill for days and dad’s voice won’t leave my dreams because of it.

It’s really hindered my sleep, in fact, when not with (Y/N), I feel myself avoiding sleep entirely. And even if I do sleep, it’s lackluster. But, when I’m with her, for some reason they don’t bother me. Not quite sure why.

But, knowing I can’t sleep in the same bed with (Y/N) every night, I need to fix this soon. So, I swallow some of my pride and decide to ask for help.

Only Undyne and I know about this device—but that’s only because we were once coworkers. She found it in the core and asked me what I thought it was. It was useless, absolutely fried and inactive but it awoke memories that were buried deep within in my subconscious. I immediately knew it had something to do with dad, so I shrugged my shoulders and proposed that we figure it out.

So, we started trying to fix it, but eventually I quit and moved to Snowdin. So, our project became mine solely. At least, until the resets began. I tried to keep up at first, but with every reset my progress was destroyed. It felt like a punch in the soul every damn time.

So, I just gave in to my depression and avolition completely set in. I left the machine hidden in my workshop under a tarp until the final reset. And, thus a few months ago I moved it here and slowly began working on it again. With hesitance at first, of course.

But now that I’m working on it again, I’m getting lost and having difficulty fixing it. So, I decided the best option is to call Undyne and ask for assistance.

So, I pull my cellphone from my pocket, unlock it and swiftly dial her number.

It rings a few times, but it doesn’t take long for me to hear her voice on the other side of the line.

“Hello?”

“heya, undyne. are ya busy today?” I ask.

”No, I was j-just watching some a-anime. W-what’s up?”

“do ya remember that machine we found in the core?”

“Oh, y-yeah! What about it?” She asked curiously.

”well, i started working on it again and I’ve gotten stuck. was wonderin’ if ya could lend me a hand.”

”O-oh. Y-yeah, I-I think I can do that. Would y-you like me to come over now?”

“nah, well... it’d be nice but come whenever it suits ya best.”

”Well, I can come now... I have been wanting Boba Tea.”

“oh, hell yeah. you do that, and pick me up one too if ya will.”

”O-okay! I’ll be t-there in a j-jiffy! See you soon Papyrus!”

”ciao.”

And with that, she hung up and I took a long puff of my cigarette. I’m just glad she agreed to help. I’ll be thankful to get some sleep again tonight. That is, if I sleep alone.

I shake my head, knowing we can’t stay together 24/7. Especially since we haven’t even had our first date yet. For all I know, this might not even last. I don’t know who’d want to date me—especially as my past and emotional scars slowly begin to show. Surely that would be the sign for most to just run away. Especially when my problems become hers thanks to them.

I chuckle, taking the cigarette out of my mouth and blowing out a cloud of smoke “man, i really don’t deserve (y/n).” I mutter under my breath before gritting my teeth.

I swiftly put my cigarette out in the ashtray next to me, then light another, hand shaking as I lift it to my teeth.

(Y/N) just escaped death, and a crazed stalker. Hell, she even saved her own stalker’s life and has to deal with the craziness that’s following that whole ordeal. She doesn’t need this shit being thrown at her. It’s nowhere near the time for her to learn about the complexities of this world... The resets, alternate universes, and timelines are something she’s in no state to learn about. Hell, I’d even prefer she never found out at all.

Only dad and I are supposed to know this. It’s too much of a burden to bear and I don’t want my girlfriend to have to go through the shit that I have gone through. It absolutely destroyed me. I still have to live in fear knowing Chara can reset the timeline at any moment. And, within the blink of an eye, all of this could be gone. 7 months of being free, new friends, and (Y/N)... And the only person who’d remember all of this would be me.

It fucks me up knowing all this. How quickly everything could change in the blink of an eye... it’s terrifying. My whole existence could lose meaning once again just because a child got bored of their current situation and wanted to change things up.

Chara promised me to never reset again, but I’ve learned not to trust people. And hell, making promises is much too hard. So, I just live in fear of the inevitable. All of this will be gone one day.

I take another puff of my cigarette and turn my gaze to the street where a group of humans are walking their dog, I lift my hand and wave as our gazes connect, but they quickly look away. Almost as if I’m some threat, they jog out of view and never wave back.

Welp. This is shitty, ain’t it? Well, I guess I gotta deal with it too. Just add it to the ever-growing list. When we were first freed above ground, it never fully crossed my mind how intolerant the vast amount of humans would be. I certainly didn’t think it’d be a ‘walk in the park’, but I didn’t know it’d cause all this.

It’s even weirder to me that (Y/N) was even associated with the crowd of ‘anti-monsters’. Perhaps she’d been brainwashed by her peers, or maybe she was just influenced by the wrong people. Either way, I’m just grateful that she isn’t like that anymore.

Shaking my thoughts from my skull, I take one more puff of my cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray beside me.

And, that’s when I look up again to see the mailman pull up to our mailbox. He slides the mail in it, then hops out of his truck and starts walking toward the steps. So, I stand up and walk closer to shorten his walk and he smiles at me.

“Good afternoon, Sir!” He exclaimed, handing me a small package.

“thank ya. same to you, mr. boone!” I replied, returning his kind smile as he turned and began to walk away.

”You’re very welcome! Have a nice day!” He waved, then walked back to his truck and moved onto the next house.

I turned back around, then sat back in my chair and looked at the shipping label. “Bernadette’s Jewelers” was listed on it which made me crack a smile. “ey, it got here early!”

Practically vibrating with excitement, I tear open the box, then move all the packing peanuts and airbags away to pull out the small jewelry box. I hold my breath as I slowly open the lid and I’m met with it—(Y/N)‘s first date present.

It’s a silver necklace formed into the shape of a rib cage with a red heart dangling inside of it. I thought it was quite unique, and even if it’s cheesy and quite early to be exchanging gifts, I knew it had to be done. Especially after seeing an advertisement for it.

I pick it up, inspect the quality, make sure there’s no scratches, and then polish it off with my tank-top. I want it looking spotless when she sees it for the first time. It thankfully seems flawless, and I can’t help but imagine it around her neck... gracing her chest as it sways from side to side....

I start to daydream, my consciousness suddenly filled with positive thoughts for the first time since I left her this morning. At least—until I hear a car door close and I look up to see Undyne walking to the steps.

So, I quickly shut the lid to the box and shove it back in the package. I know what she’d do if she saw this romantic gesture. She’d either freak out, or faint. Hell, actually, it’d probably be both. And, I don’t think she even knows about the relationship yet.

”heya, ‘dyne! ain’t it fin ta see you again?”

She rolled her eyes before smiling, “It’s b-been a while!”

“yep—oh, damn is that my boba?”

”Yeah, here.” She spoke as she finished walking up the steps, handing it over.

I grinned, then took a sip and winked. “thanks for taking one for the tea-m by helping me out ‘ere.”

“S-shut up. I didn’t come here for your s-standup routine.” She spoke, but humor was embedded in her tone, so I chuckled and grabbed the box off the table.

”yes ma’am.” I walked to the door, opened it for her and then I shut it behind us.

“D-don’t call me that, Papyrus!”

”aw, but i used to.”

Her cheeks flushed red, then she moved a tendril of red hair from her face. “It was a long time ago.”

“heh, yeah. i’ll never forget those days though. watchin’ anime in your room as we explored different theories and hypotheses.” I responded, taking another sip of my drink.

“Yeah... that was a great time.” She smiled, adjusting her glasses before taking a sip of her boba tea.

“anyhoo, s’pose we’ll be relivin’ our work days together today. Just—with less kissin’.”

Her face turned deep red as she slapped my shoulder. “P-Papyrus!”

I couldn’t help but laugh my ass off at her expression. “i’m sorry. i just had to.”

”It’s fine, it’s... j-just been a while since we talked about it.” She responded, rubbing her arm shyly.

“well, that’s okay. but i don’t avoid it because i’m ashamed or anythin’. i just know we were misinterpreting things and we were better off as friends anyway. hell, alphys is perfect for ya. you’ve met your match, ‘dyne!”

”Y-yeah, you’re right. I just didn’t ever expect it to be brought up again.” Undyne replied.

“don’t blame ya, it’s been years. and, we’ve kept that fling pretty tight-lipped, ey?”

”Yeah.” She giggled momentarily. “Alphys would absolutely k-kill you if she ever found out.”

I laughed too, “hell yeah she would. but, doesn’t matter. i probably deserve it.”

“At least f-for something you d-did.” She replied.

And with a couple more chuckles, we made our way down to the basement to begin working on the machine.

Undyne had dressed in a blue tank top with a slightly darker blue and white checked button-up layered over it. But, once she stepped off the last step, she took off the button-up and tied it around her waist, adjusting her glasses.

“S-so where’d you get lost?” She asked as she approached my dad’s creation in the corner

“i had been tinkering with the electrical panels and screwing in some screws on the tail end of the device.” I replied, walking closer.

She knelt down, holding on to the panel and looking at it, then to the blueprints beside her “I s-see what you mean. This is an odd design...”

“oh, yeah, and be careful to not touch the wire on the right it’s not completely grounded—“

She screeched a bit, letting go of the panel board and holding onto her hand.

”it got ya, didn’t it?” I asked and she nodded, so I walked to the corner and threw her a pair of gloves to help with the issue.

”T-thanks. This’ll help a l-lot.” She spoke as she slipped them on and continued looking.

And in order to help, I walked closer and sat beside her.

“Have you c-checked out the wires in t-the back?” She asked, gesturing for a screwdriver. I nodded, scratching the back of my neck before handing it to her.

“not all of ‘em have been rewired, but I’ve checked and none of these are affected by the same source.” I responded.

”How peculiar.” She replied, tapping on her chin and biting her lip.

“I h-had a similar problem with Napstaton’s c-creation, but his was much easier than this. Is it possible whoever d-designed this didn’t know what they were doing?” She asked and I shook my head.

”there’s no way. look at how well the blueprints are done.”

“That’s true. Well, maybe it was just to mess with us?”

”nah, the planning and research for this device probably took months... not to include the building, gathering of parts, et cetera.” I replied and she nodded.

”Y-yeah... T-this really is a mystery to me.” She responded.

”same ‘ere. that’s why i’ve kept it all these years.” I sighed.

She quickly put the screwdriver in her mouth and tinkered around with a few more things before glancing back at the blueprints.

”I-I swear a genius must’ve designed this. T-the more I look at it, the more confusing and sophisticated it gets... my predecessor had to h-have designed this.” She suddenly spoke, then shivered. She even looked confused by this as she looked down at her arms to see her scales poking up, just like goosebumps.

“ya think so?” I spoke, ignoring her sudden spook.

”Y-yeah. There’s no other person it could be...” She trailed off, looking at me straight in the eye sockets.

”T-there’s been no other p-person Underground who could’ve ever m-managed to do such a project... I-I...” She looked concerned, perhaps even scared.

”M-maybe we should tell Queen Toriel?!” She stood up, but I grabbed her arm as she started to sweat.

“calm down, undyne. this was far in the past, and whoever had that job is dead.” My voice hitches, and I glance away momentarily.

”i’m sure toriel already knows about it. she commissioned a lot of what they did.” I added.

”A-are you sure? I don’t know much about the p-past royal scientist... but I know something sinister happened.” She looked around nervously, almost like she expected see someone down here with us. I suppose she senses dad too.

”i don’t know much about ‘em either, ‘dyne. but this definitely isn’t something to worry about. it’s just one of the many things they left behind, just like the core.” I replied as her breathing slowly calmed and she nodded.

”Y-yeah... I suppose you’re right.”

“chillax, take some deep breaths.” I pat her shoulder and she nodded again, brushing the tendrils of her hair back again.

“I’m s-sorry... Just for a moment I t-thought I’d sensed s-something.” She apologized, her face slowly regaining its color.

“no worries, ya know, the old owner of this place did tell me it was haunted.” I replied, taking a toothpick from my pocket and placing it between my teeth.

“Wait, w-what?!” She suddenly spoke, seeming a bit more anxious again.

“yeah, the man told me over the 35 years he’d lived ‘ere, he’d seen apparitions, faces in the walls–“

”Faces in the walls?!” Her eyes widened as she swallowed hard.

I nodded, then paused. ”nah, i’m just messin’ with ya. this place ain’t even 20 years old.” I snickered after a few seconds.

“O-oh. Well, what about t-the chills?” She asked, still somewhat concerned.

I gestured with my skull for her to look upward, and when she did, she was greeted with an air vent on the ceiling. The air conditioning hadn’t even been running at the time, but she doesn’t have to know that. I don’t want her worrying about my dad watching her from the afterlife.

“Oh, t-thank God! I was worried the past royal scientist was a v-vengeful spirit ready to d-destroy us for m-messing with his creation!” She gasped, and I shook my head.

”no worries, undyne. we’re all good.” I smiled, then lowered my cranium. “sorry for spookin ya, by the way. i know it was kinda a dick move.”

“No, no! I-it’s fine. I can take a prank.” She smiled gently, taking one glove off and taking a sip of her boba tea. “There’s n-no need for apologies!”

”ya sure?”

“Y-yeah. I swear!” She nodded and I smiled too.

“okay, good.” I took the toothpick out of my mouth, then raised my own boba tea and took a sip of it as well.

”Oh, h-how’s (Y/N) by the way?” She asked and I choked, coughing out a single boba pearl.

“h-huh?” I rasped, rubbing the back of my skull.

”...W-why is your face so orange?”

”i just choked on boba and i’m embarrassed.” I coughed, avoiding her gaze.

”You aren’t...”

I looked at her, my blush continuing to grow and she turned a deep red. “You are!”

”i-uh... i am what?” I asked, my gaze looking around nervously.

”I can sense it.”

“oh, come on, there’s nothing going on between me and (y/n).” I spoke, flat out lying as my deep orange face probably gave that away.

“Oh my heavens! I ship it!” She did a fangirl shriek and jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “I ship it so hard! Congratulations! I was shipping it from day one!” She was absolutely beaming and giggling, it just made me blush even more.

”f-fine... we’re a thing. but it’s supposed to stay a secret for a while. please don’t tell anyone!” I begged and she immediately stopped jumping.

”Oh s-shit. How the hell am I supposed to stay quiet!?” She gasped, her yellow eyes wide.

”i dunno! just, try at least or somethin’. our secret has already come out to sans and (y/n)’s best friend and we ain’t even had our first date. nobody else needs ta know right now.” I explained, then sighed.

”if it lessens the pressure, ya can tell alphys. but make sure she doesn’t tell anyone else... especially chara. They’d never be able to keep the secret.” I spoke again.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay, Papyrus I t-think I can do that. I’ll try my best!”

I give her a nod, then a gentle smile before I take another sip of my drink “well, not meaning to distract, but how about we continue to try and figure this out? we can talk about me and (y/n) while we work.”

”That’s f-fine with me!” She flashed me a bright smile, then happily sat down in front of the mysterious device. “I’m ready for a challenge!” She added before cracking her knuckles and turning her attention back to the puzzle that stands before us.

So, I knelt down beside her again as we went back to work, spilling all the details of my relationship just as I’d promised.

And, tell you what, I severely underestimated how nice it is to have a friend to talk to about this. And, of course to distract me from the real problem at hand as well.

Chapter Text

After a few more fans of Napstaton had showed up at Muffet’s, the shop’s business began to grow slow. It’s not uncommon for this time of the day, so you’re not too surprised.

So, to pass the time, you decided to clean the counter and restock the donuts.

While lining up the various flavors of donuts, you heard footsteps approaching the counter so you quickly paused and stood up.

Evan stood on the other side of the counter, his brown eyes looking right back at you. It made your heart rate go up.

You managed to smile sweetly though, looking left and right before saying the classic “May I help you?” line.

“Yes, before I head out may I get a regular iced coffee with a dash of salt?”

”An iced coffee with a what now?” You blinked in surprise, causing him to laugh.

“Yes, you heard me right. But, it’s not for me. It’s for my buddy Raj back at the office. He says it makes the coffee less bitter.” Evan replied with a shrug.

”Gotcha, well I’ll make sure to get that right to you, Sir.” You gave him a smile, relieved that he’s not a complete wackjob like you thought he was.

He quickly paid the $2.29 charge, then moved down a bit to wait.

You swiftly made the coffee, then rolled back to him, setting it on the counter. “I hope he enjoys it!” You chirped and Evan smiled, nodding as he leaned his hip against the counter.

“Me too.” He spoke, then his eyes connected with yours again and you began to grow anxious. He must’ve sensed this because he instantly took a step back and held his hands back.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ve just been meaning to speak with you.” He spoke.

You observed his hands, he doesn’t have a wedding ring. But, that doesn’t mean he’s up to no good, right? Perhaps you’re just sensitive from the last situation.

You gritted your teeth as you nodded and managed to utter a normal-sounding “About what?”

”You see, my name’s Evan Connor. I’m an editor over at ‘Mt. Ebott Times’.” He started and you let out an audible sigh of relief which made him stop in his tracks, lifting an eyebrow.

“Pardon me?”

”Oh, excuse me Mr. Connor. I thought you were connected to my stalker. You were scaring the living daylight out of me.” You admitted and his brown eyes immediately grew empathetic and he started apologizing.

“My greatest apologies, ma’am! I had no idea of the circumstances, I definitely should’ve been more formal and to the point.” He dipped his head and you scratched your scalp, looking around, surprised to see no new customers in sight.

”I will refrain from doing anything of the sort again.” He vowed, dipping his head again.

“I am sure many will thank you because of it, Mr. Connor.”

”Oh, please just call me Evan.”

“Of course, now, what was it that you were looking to ask me?” You asked, clicking your tongue.

“Oh, of course.” He responded, then pulled his iPhone from his pocket, unlocking it and swiftly pulling up the photo of you and Audrey in the street. “Is this you?”

“Now, before I answer any questions that may be bent and contorted to invent damning evidence against me, can I trust you?” You asked.

”Of course! ‘Mt. Ebott Times’, and myself are proud supporters of the Monster’s rights movement... if anything, we’d paint you in a positive light.”

“Well, yes. I am the woman in that photo. But-“

”Okay, cool. What’s your name? Care to do an interview?” He quickly pulled a notepad out of his pocket and you sighed.

”Evan, I’m working. I cannot do an interview right now, and I’m not sure if I want to do one at all right now. I’ll need to seek some advice to see if it’s wise as well. I’m not just going to jump the shark. I’m not ready to tread unexplored waters.” You explained, then sighed.

He blinked in surprise. “Are you sure?”

”For now, yes. I’m sorry. But, tell you what...” You bit your lip, humming.

”My name’s (Y/N)... And, I’ll take your business card in the meantime. I’ll get back in touch with you as soon as possible. That sound okay?” You asked.

His countenance brightened a bit, then he smiled again. “Yes. Thank you. I appreciate it. Here’s my card.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket, then handed you one of his cards.

“You can reach me by phone, email, or by DM. Whichever you prefer. Thank you for still giving us a chance. Though, whatever you decide, I can vow on my company’s behalf that we will not slander your name.” He promised.

“I appreciate that. Have a nice day, Evan! I’ll be sure to contact you soon!” You waved him off, and with his returned farewell, he was off.

After around 15 more minutes, still no new business had entered Muffet’s and you began to grow increasingly confused. So, you left your post and rolled over to the window, peeking out the door.

The streets were absolutely abandoned, no cars, no humans, nothing. You cocked your head to the side in confusion when you heard Muffet’s office door open. When you turned around to see her, she nodded.

“Oddly empty for this hour, hm?” She noted.

“Yeah, I’m really confused. Do you know what’s happening?” You asked in response.

“Well, I do now, deary. Grillby just called me on the phone, he said protestors have the roads around us blocked completely.” She replied.

“No way.”

“It seems so, deary.” She sighed.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“It definitely is, but my father told me when I was young ‘Muffie, if anyone ever tries to pull you down, do everything in your power to be one step ahead.’ So, I will take this opportunity to teach you how to make donuts. After all, seems like they won’t be clearing out for a while.” She responded.

”Make donuts?” You echoed with a tilt of your head.

She nodded as she took of a piece of paper, then grabbed a Sharpie and began to write with it as she spoke.

“I’ve been meaning to teach you how to make them for a while, but it’d take the shop being closed and such. Didn’t want to lose money. And well, seems we’ve found the perfect opportunity here.” She responded.

”You know what, it absolutely is.” You replied with a smile.

“Pardon me for a moment.” Muffet nodded her head, then took a tape dispenser and walked outside, taping her note on the door. She was only out there for a few moments before heading right back.

“What’d that say, Miss Muffet?” you asked her curiously.

”Due to the roadblocks, all staff are currently in the back. If you arrive and nobody is at the counter, please knock before entry. And, if that doesn’t do the trick, ring the bell on the counter.” She responded.

”Ah, smart! I wouldn’t have thought to do that.”

”Ah, well, you learn a lot of tricks after your years in a not-very-crowded underground, deary.” She chuckled, then beckoned you to follow her with her hand.

”Now, let’s get started. You have a lot to learn, deary!” Muffet chirped.

---------------------------------------------

After a good couple of hours of making dough, frying donuts, making icing, icing the donuts, and decorating them just right, a sound came from out front. It sounded like a knock, then a shuffling of feet came from inside.

You were in the middle of icing a donut, so Muffet went to check what was going on. You heard her talking to a familiar male voice concerned, it had you perk your head up to try and eavesdrop.

Her voice continued to get a bit higher and concerned, so you quickly finished that donut, set it to the side, then rushed into the main area to see what was up.

To your surprise, Grillby was standing there. But he looked horrible. His clothes were torn and dirty, his glasses were broken, and most importantly, he seemed wet and his flames seemed much lower than normal.

“What the hell happened here?!” You asked, gasping in surprise.

Muffet looked to you and away from Grillby, seemingly trying not to cry. “Grillby was fulfilling his promise to bring us lunch today, even if I told him it’d be okay to skip it... And... those savages attacked him!”

You looked to Grillby again. They even seemed to have beaten the poor man. It made you sick to your stomach.

”That’s horrible! Hold on, let me get you a cup of tea, Grillby. What kind would you like?” You asked him.

He coughed and wheezed, his flame popping and sputtering “I suppose... I suppose a nice chamomile tea would be nice, but with milk and sugar.” He responded, then winced in pain.

”Oh, shit. He’s hurt... We can’t risk getting any other monsters hurt trying to help him either. I hate this, deary. Not even Asgore can come...” She pulled out a chair for Grillby and helped him sit down and you went to fix his tea.

”Excuse me for asking, but what could Asgore do?” You asked, trying to help in this situation all that you can.

“Well, Asgore or Toriel. They have healing powers. They could help him out until he can get checked out by a professional.” Muffet explained.

“Well, I can call Papyrus?” You suggested as you leaned against the countertop.

”Oh, but he cannot afford to get hurt with his low hp.” Muffet replied, frowning.

”I know, but don’t worry, Miss Muffet. He knows a shortcut. I think he can get Asgore here safely, then we can report it to the police as an assault case.” You replied, getting a teabag out and putting it in a teacup.

”Grillby, what do you think?” Muffet asked him.

He just looked to you, pain engraved on his face as he said “Do what you think is best, poppet.”

“Alright, (Y/N). Thank you, deary.” She dipped her head, then held his hand.

”Of course, ma’am.” You replied, then poured the water in the tea. And as you waited for it to steep, you pulled out your phone and called Papyrus.

”’ello?” Came his voice.

”Papyrus?”

”yeah? what’s up?”

“You’re not too busy, are you?”

”nah, just finished something, actually. why?” He asked.

”Muffet and I need to ask a favor.” You responded.

”and that is?”

”So, Grillby got attacked by protesters and his health seems pretty low. can you ‘take your shortcut’ to get Asgore, and get him here without interacting with the troublemakers?”

”oh, shit. is he okay? i mean, of course I can do that!” He exclaimed.

”I’m not sure. They threw water on him, beat him, and tore his clothes.”

”threw water on him? they weren’t just trying to hurt him. this was a statement. that coulda easily killed him. audrey and her buds are absolutely willin’ to kill now.”

”oh, shit. you really think so?” You replied. You hadn’t thought of it that way.

“sadly. anyway, i’ll have asgore there in a few. cya (y/n). tell him to hang in there.” Papyrus responded.

“Alright. We’ll see you two soon, then. And I definitely will. Ciao!” And, with that, you hung up the phone, threw away the teabag, put in the milk and sugar, then walked over to Grillby, setting the tea down in front of him.

“Papyrus said he’ll have Asgore here soon.” You spoke with a smile.

“Thank you, (Y/N).” Muffet replied.

And, it was in this moment that it dawned on you that she was in shock. “Let me fix you a cup too. What’s your preferred cup, Muffet?” You asked her, but she kept shaking her head.

So, you pulled out a chair beside her, took a hold of her hand and looked in her eyes. “You’re going through trauma right now and you’re in shock. I think you should have some tea too.” You spoke softly, but she shook her head.

“I’m quite alright, deary.” She replied, then looked away, her five eyes filled with tears and you frowned.

“I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, ma’am.” You spoke quietly.

She sighed, then nodded. “I have some lavender tea in my office. Can you fix me that, deary?” She asked and you squeezed her hand and gave her a gentle smile.

“Of course! Is it in your desk drawer?”

She nodded, so, you got up again and walked to her office and began your search for her special brew of tea. Which, thankfully is going to be extra calming.

After looking through her right desk drawer for a few seconds, you came across the box and pulled out a teabag. Then, you put everything back as it was and walked into café area to make it for her.

“How do you take your tea?” You asked her.

”Just with a bit of sugar, dearie.” She responded, then sighed.

“Alright. One second, then.” You tried to do everything you could to keep things positive, but the somber nature held in this café is maddening. Grillby, the usual talker, is dead silent and he seems really hurt. And, Muffet... She’s definitely blaming herself for what happened, or she’s just very frightened of losing Grillby... after all, it’s clear they have something else going on that they don’t really address.

You put the bag in a teacup, poured the water in, then began to wait.

“Come on, Papyrus.” You mouthed, closing your eyes as you leaned your back against the counter.

But, to your surprise, your wishes hadn’t come true. He still hadn’t arrived yet. The deus ex machina has yet to arrive, and you are growing weary. Well, weary and impatient.

But, once you came to your senses again, you plucked the teabag out of the teacup, added the sugar, and walked it over to Muffet. “Here you are, ma’am.” You set it down in front of her and gave her a gentle smile.

”Thank you, deary. I appreciate it. Now, I don’t mean to ask too much of you, but can you call the authorities and have them come out? I left my cellphone out back and they seemingly killed Grillby’s.” She asked as she slid the destroyed and cracked cellphone in front of you.

“Oh, of course. I’ll get right on that.” You replied, then walked to the kitchen again and pulled out your phone. You searched the non-emergency line on Google and dialed it, rocking back and forth on your heels as you waited.

As the call progressed, you pressed any buttons you needed to on the main menu, and pretty quickly you were directed to a person.

”Hello, you have reached the non-emergency line. How may I help you today?” Came a male voice on the line.

”Hello, yes. So, my boss’s friend was beaten and physically assaulted-“

”Are they currently safe?” The operator asked.

”Yes sir, he’s escaped them. He’s stable as well, and we have medical help on the way, but he’s not human. He’s a monster. So things are a bit different there.” You responded.

”A monster, you say? Alright... So, you’d like an officer sent out to file a report?” He asked.

”Yes sir.”

”Where is your location, ma’am?” He asked.

And, after you told him the address, things progressed quickly.

”Alright, an officer has been dispatched. You can expect arrival in 10-15 minutes. Do you know any of the descriptions of his attackers?” The operator asked you.

“Sorry, no. I wasn’t there.” You replied.

“Hm, alright. Well, my advice for you is to lock your doors until the police arrives. I’ve heard the protest in Mt. Ebott is less than peaceful. Stay safe and have a nice day.” He spoke.

“Same to you, and thank you.” You replied, then hung up.

“The officer is on the way. The operator suggested I lock the door in the meantime, though. Is that alright?” You asked.

Muffet took a small drink of tea and then nodded her head. “Yes. I suppose it is a smart idea just in case they decide to ambush us.”

You nodded in agreement, then walked to the front again. As you walked past Grillby, you looked at him and turned white. His flames looked even dimmer.

“Are you feeling alright, Grillby? You aren’t looking the best.” You replied, then walked to the door to see Asgore and Papyrus walking up the street. With a sigh of relief, you opened the door for them and beckoned for them to come inside

”I’m... I’m just feeling a bit light-headed, but I’ll be fine, poppet.” He coughed again and you ushered over the boys faster, a sense of dread instilling itself into you.

Something bad is about to happen.

Asgore runs in the door and Papyrus soon follows, so you quickly lock the door and turn around just in time to see Grillby fall out of his chair only to be caught by Asgore.

“oh, shit. this is bad, asgore, check his stats.” Papyrus urged.

”N-normally they’d b-be 1,250.” He coughed, his breathing shallow.”

Asgore gently pressed Grillby’s chest and his eyes widened. “We need to start healing you immediately. Your health is on a constant downfall, and it’s currently at 50.”

”Oh, Asgore!” Muffet stood up, covering her mouth and you walked to her, giving her a hug.

“He’ll be okay!” You assured her.

“Yes, I believe that I can heal him enough so that he can heal the rest of the way on bed rest. Now, Grillby. I need you to hold still. Alright?”

He nodded, and orange hues of magic began to flow around the air. Just like the auras of the Northern Lights, they shimmered and shined as they glimmered, seemingly defying gravity.

You moved away from Muffet and simply wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. “Don’t forget your tea, Miss Muffet. It’ll help your nerves.”

”Right. Thank you, deary...” She spoke quietly, then crept to her teacup and took a weak sip, her eyes dull and her eight hands shaky.

Papyrus walked over to you. “ya doing okay?” He asked and you nodded.

“I’m fine.” You replied, then looked up at him. He’s in his shorts and just a black tank top, but he’s covered in black smut and grease. “You’ve been busy, huh?”

”yeah, sorry. didn’t have time to clean up.” He chuckled weakly.

”Don’t apologize. Thanks for coming.” You replied, then put your thumb in your mouth before getting on your tip-toes and slowly trying to wipe a smudge off of Papyrus’ cheek.

He snorted at this, then took a hold of your wrist. “thanks, but no thanks.”

“Alright, alright.” You shrugged, then turned back to Grillby who was slowly starting to look better.

”Muffet, do you have liquor around by any chance?” Asgore asked, and Muffet took a long moment to think before nodding and walking into the kitchen.

”What will that do?” You asked and Papyrus smirked.

”you ever been to a hibachi restaurant?”

“Yeah?”

”well, monsters made of fire react with liquor. especially the higher the proof. a normal elemental fire monster’s flame is contained with magic so it’s safe to handle alcoholic beverages, but since grillby has been hurt... well, it’s gonna be a bit scary for a second.” He explained.

“Really?” You asked and he nodded.

And, very soon, Muffet came back with a bottle of bourbon. She walked over to Asgore and popped open the bottle, pouring him a shot.

“Here you are. Now remember to give it to him and move back.” She spoke.

”it’ll be a lot like the 10th doctor’s regeneration.” Papyrus commented.

You let out a small laugh, then jabbed him in the ribs with your elbow playfully. “Stop making me laugh, this is serious.”

“fineeee~”

“Alright, Grillby. Drink this. Move back everyone.” Asgore spoke, then everyone moved back and Asgore held his arm in front of you protectively.

Grillby slowly took the shot, and immediately, the room grew bright and his flames grew tall. They flickered blue, yellow, and orange as they suddenly grew monstrously tall.

The flames stopped just short of the ceiling as the flames moved down into his arms, shooting bright flames closer to your group which caused everyone to jump back in surprise.

And then, they flowed down his legs. Gentler this time, but still with brighter flames that seemingly increased his well-being.

And, after a few good seconds of the pops and crackling of his flames settling, Asgore walked over to him again and knelt beside him, pressing his chest.

“800 now, but you’re stable and can heal further from bed rest.” Asgore told Grillby.

“Alright, thank you.” He coughed a bit more, but he sounded a lot better and seemed brighter.

Asgore stood up, then held out his hand to Grillby and helped him stand to his feet, then sat him down in a chair.

”Though, do be careful when standing up because there’s a possibility you could still be lightheaded.” He explained and Grillby nodded.

”Of course, Asgore. I will definitely make sure to do my due diligence... to protect myself... this time...” He trailed off, then a knock came at the door.

You looked over, then saw it was the police. A female officer in her mid-20s with a very likely Japanese ancestry.

So, you got up, and walked to the door. You unlocked it, then let her inside.

“Good afternoon, I’ve been informed of an assault that I’m supposed to be taking a report for?” She asked and you nodded, then gestured you the table with Grillby sitting at it.

“He’s over there, ma’am... Now... Shall I lock the door back?” You asked and she thought for a moment before nodding “yes”.

”They’re acting very rowdy today. It’d probably be best. Especially after the number they did on him. Jeez Louise. I’m so sorry, Sir.” She walked toward the table, then pulled out the chair opposite of him and sat down, putting down papers and pens. In the meantime, you locked the door.

Muffet walked closer then cleared her throat. “Excuse me ma’am?”

The officer looked up and smiled. “I’d rather you call me Akiko, but my department would rather you all call me Officer Takeda, so how about we make a compromise and you call me.. Officer Akiko?” The officer suggested.

Muffet, taken aback, just stuttered and nodded in agreement but smiled nonetheless. “Of course, Officer Akiko. I was just going to ask if you’d like anything off our menu.”

”ya know they say coppas love donuts and coffee.” Papyrus chuckled which caused you to roll your eyes as you walked back to him.

”Well, to be fair, who doesn’t? I’ll take a black coffee... and, hell. Surprise me with a random donut. Thank you, ma’am. I’ll pay before I leave.” She smiled, then waved her off, turning to Grillby.

”Alright, sir. My name is Officer Akiko Takeda and I’m here to take your statements and descriptions today, after that, your case will be investigated throughly.” She started, folding her hands on the table.

“Though, you may be asked in for questioning by one of our detectives at some point again. And, more likely, composite sketches will likely be made of your attackers.” She continued.

“Alright. I’ll do whatever I can do catch those things.“ He practically spat, and you don’t blame him.

”I understand that, Sir. And I’m here with you. Now, I will start out by asking your name.”

And, with that, he gave her his name, age, and went into detail about himself a bit more as you went to get her a donut and coffee. But you weren’t too interested in listening to the more detailed parts of the conversation, so you tuned it out.

Though, you are aching to hear his story of what happened, and his general descriptions of his attackers. It’s possible you may recognize some of the crowd, after all, you did hang out with a select few of them. Though, the group have definitely grown exponentially since then.

Perhaps it’s time you, Papyrus, Sans, Evony, and Maia get busy forming the “Human & Monster Alliance”. After all, it almost seems like this is the beginning of anti-monster violence all over again.

You refuse to sit here and watch some bigot say slaying a monster is justified because it’s ‘their beliefs’. After all, this definitely seems like flat out attempted murder. Especially with water being thrown on him.

Once you finished fixing her coffee, you looked through the various types of donuts and chose a blueberry jelly-filled donut. You slipped it into a pouch, grabbed a few napkins and carried it over to their table, setting it down in front of Officer Akiko.

“Enjoy, Officer.” You nodded your head and then stepped over to Papyrus who immediately took you into his arms, wrapping his arms around you.

In response, you leaned against him and listened to the conversation between Grillby and Officer Akiko. After all, you’re curious to see where it’s gone so far.

“So, there was a handful of people watching you, but three participated in your assault that you’re aware of?” She asked.

”Yes, Officer.” Grillby dipped his head.

“Let’s start off with the sexes of your attackers to the best of your memory.” She clicked her pen, then prepared to write down the information he gave her.

He thought for a moment, then cleared his throat. “I can say with complete certainty that there were two males and one female.”

“Two males and one female? Alright.” She nodded.

”Now, how about you describe the first male for me. What did he look like? Any defining characteristics? His height?”

“Yes ma’am. He was definitely in his 40s with gray hair, a long beard, white skin... he seemed to be around 5’10”, if not a bit taller, and he had an anchor tattoo on his left shoulder with “1995” written on it. Oh! And I’m so sorry for almost leaving this out, but I remember the other guy calling him Ronald.” He spoke, and immediately, you could guarantee you didn’t know this guy.

The police officer nodded as she wrote down the last bits of information, then turned back to him. “Now, the second male, please?”

”Of course. He was younger, in his late 20s to early 30s. More tanned skin, but not by too much. He had black hair, brown eyes, and I believe he was just a bit shorter than his male partner in crime. He also had a scar on his eyebrow and a bandage on his right forearm.” Grillby replied.

And, once again, he rang no bells thankfully. And, Papyrus bent down and nestled his skull in the crook of your neck as you waited for the final description.

“Alright. I believe I was able to jot all that down, Mr. Grillby. Now, the female. I do believe earlier you said she was the instigator?“ Officer Akiko asked for confirmation and Grillby nodded.

“That is correct.”

”Alright. Now, please. Tell me about this female.” She cleared her throat and readied her pen.

”She was probably around 5’5”, with fair skin, hazel-like eyes, and she had distinctly short, almost shaggy brown hair.” He spoke and your eyes opened wide. In fact, you turned white.

Asgore saw this and his countenance grew concerned. “(Y/N), are you alright?” He asked and you swallowed the lump growing in your throat.

“Y-yeah... Excuse me, but did she have a rainbow beaded bracelet on her left wrist?” You asked with a nervous smile.

Grillby simply looked at you and very quickly nodded. “Well, yes. How did you know that?”

“Oh my God.” Your head fell into your hands and immediately Papyrus pulled you closer.

“what is it?” He asked calmly.

“I’m so sorry, Grillby. That’s Audrey... The Leader of the “Antis”. I should’ve known she would do something like this, just last week she tried to pick a fight with me at a protest.” You sighed, then shook your head.

“Don’t apologize, (Y/N). This wasn’t you. You couldn’t have known.” He dipped his head.

“I know, but this never should’ve happened.” You shook your head, then sighed as the police officer took a sip of her coffee.

“Well, I know who you’re talking about ma’am. And, I don’t mean to rush off, but if we hurry, we can arrest her before the protest is up.” She stands up, then takes Grillby’s address details quickly.

“I’ll make sure to have people follow up with you, Mr. Grillby. Now, as for the rest of you, have a nice day.” She grabbed her things, slammed a $10 bill on the table, threw on her cap, and immediately spoke into her radio.

“I need backup coming up on Main and Quest Streets, looking for suspects in physical assault & suspected attempted murder of a male-“ She spoke as she ran to the door, unlocked it, went out the door and ran to her squad car. And, she quickly threw on the lights and sirens and she was gone within seconds.

“well, your life keeps getting more interesting, doesn’t it, (y/n)?” Papyrus spoke as he slowly unwrapped his arms and let go of you.

“Certainly seems like it.” You sighed, crossing your arms as you silently walked to the doors, locking them back.

”At least it’ll likely be easier to find her.” Asgore reasoned and you nodded, sighing.

”I suppose you’re right, but the problem is... We take their leader, and they start a war. It’s time for us to start fighting back.” You spoke as you turned to them.

“I believe it’s time we start meeting with allies and fellow monsters to start forming the counter-protest group. We won’t let these hateful people send you guys back underground.” You sighed.

”I’ll never let that happen,” You started as you grew teary-eyed, “I promise.”

Chapter Text

After two more hours of waiting as a group, the protest had finally been dispersed and it was safe enough to head home. So, Muffet was going to drive Grillby home, Toriel was going to pick up Asgore, and Papyrus was going to ‘take a shortcut’ back to your place to make sure you made it home safely. 

Well, that and you had organized a small meeting at your apartment that Papyrus was staying for. Also invited was Maia, Sans, and Evony. But, Evony said she couldn’t make it tonight because she was behind on her blog and had some sponsorship deals she needed to work on.

It was understandable, so you told her you’d catch her up later. But, for now it’s important the two who don’t already know what’s going on do find out.

Especially since Maia’s departing flight is scheduled in just a few days. She’d probably kill you if she didn’t find out about this until she was leaving. And, you don’t blame her. 

Anyway, so once all the details were settled and Muffet, Grillby, and Asgore had left safely, you headed out the door and locked it.

“ready ta go?” Papyrus asked and you nodded. 

“Yeah. I could really go for a (f/d).” You commented. 

“don’t blame ya. welp, letsa go. and, howszabout you try and keep your eyes open this time?” 

“What? I don’t think I can do that. I’ve kept them open for a second before, but I got nervous.” You gritted your teeth.

“oh, c’mon scaredy-cat.” He chuckled raspily as he held out his hand. 

“trust me, it ain’t scary.”

You scanned his gaze, clicking your tongue. “Can I trust you?” 

“of course, honey. now, eyes open.” He spoke, then held up one phalange.

“actually, hold on a sec. i know how to see if ya do what I ask.” He grinned, then stood in front of you and offered both of his skeletal hands to you, staring you down. 

You took a sharp breath in, then held his hands tightly. “Okay, okay. I’m ready when you are, Papy.” 

“But,” You started as he lifted a ‘bone’brow. 

“if this scars me for life, I’m so getting you back.” You huffed.

”cripes (y/n), you’ll be fine.” He chuckled, then winked. 

“kay, keep those pretty eyes open. and, if you must, i suppose you can just look at me.” 

“No. I can do this. As long as nothing freaky happens.” 

“good. shall we?” 

“Yes. Let’s do it!” You held your breath, and restrained yourself from closing your eyes as suddenly, the world started fading from your vision. Everything turned black as you entered a free fall and your eyes widened. 

Papyrus looked as chill as a cucumber, the fabric of his tank ruffling with the current created from the fall. 

But, nothing unusual was around. It was just utter, and endless darkness. 

And, time itself seemed to slow down as you fell through the air, gripping onto Papyrus tighter and tighter. Your body even refused to let you blink as the blackness grew. You were determined to not let Papyrus down. 

At least, until your feet finally met the ground. It felt like it had been several minutes of free fall, but in reality it was mere seconds extended by your fears and anxieties. 

You steadied yourself, then took another deep breath. “Oh wow, that was something.”

”but, nothin’ to be afraid of.” He grinned, then gently elbowed you. “not quite like the time vortex in doctor who, ey?” 

“Nope. And I am quite disappointed. Could look a lot cooler in reality, if I’m being honest.” You joked and he snickered. 

“i’ll be sure to submit your complaints to father time.”

”Oh, please do. He needs to know how disappointing my experience was. 3 stars.” You winked and he let out a raspy chuckle as he began walking again. 

You quickly caught up to him and matched his pace as you both walked down the alley beside your apartment. 

“so, ‘bout maia... and, i’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about it, but she’s leavin’ soon, right?” Papyrus suddenly spoke.

”Sadly so, why?” You replied, furrowing your brow as you looked over at him. 

“welp, as you can probably tell, sans has fallen for her pretty hard.” Papyrus started, pulling a toothpick from his pants pocket and placing it between his teeth.

”and, it’s the big bro in me that’s uncomfortable, but i honestly think sans will be hella crushed.” Papyrus sighed. 

“i hate seein’ my bro upset. so, i just wish there was somethin’ we could do.” 

“No, I get you. I worry about that too, but at least I can feel that Sans’ feelings for Maia are returned.”

”oh? then perhaps we could find a way to get her to stay? just for a while longer until they confess.” 

“Who’s to say that they will even confess?” 

“well, sans is like an eggshell when it comes to his feelings, so i doubt he’ll be able to hold it back much longer.” 

“Hm, I mean, I guess we could try and get her to stay a bit longer?” You suggested as you and him turned the corner. 

“perhaps. but, doesn’t she have a prestigious job over in california?” He asked and you nodded. 

“Oh God. You’re right. I doubt they’d give her any extra time off.” 

“damn. this may be hard to figure, kid.” He scratched his skull, then let out a small cough. 

“I mean, we could trick them into a date?” You suggested and he chuckled. 

“i feel like that’d be hard to do, especially with the little time we got.” 

“Fair enough. I guess we just need to keep thinking.”

”guess so. i really don’t wanna see sans pout though.” He sighed and you gently pat his shoulder as you and him walked up the steps to the front door. 

“Me neither. But, I guess we’ll do what we can. And, if that doesn’t work—then try harder.” 

He cracked a smile. “i thought you were gonna say ‘we’ll throw in the towel’.” 

“Me? No! I’m so dedicated to this cause. I just need time to think of some more detailed ideas.” You responded.

”maybe we both do.” He scratched the back of his neck. 

“Maybe so. But, I think we can meddle with Cupid’s bow either way.” 

“not sure if cupid would like that, but ey, he probably needs some time off.” Papyrus chuckled. 

“Agreed. That lil fella has been working overtime for years.” You laughed, then stopped at your door and unlocked it, letting you both inside. 

“welp. i don’t feel like climbin’, too lazy. mind if I take a short cut?” He asked as you both walked inside. 

“I suppose I don’t mind.” You replied. 

“good, ‘cuz i don’t think I could do it.” He yawned, then took your hand. 

“now, honey. no closin’ those eyes, gotcha?” He lifted a ‘bone’brow as he told you his ‘terms and conditions’. 

“But it’s so boring anyway.” You groaned playfully. 

“how about i make it a lil more exciting then?” He grinned mischievously, letting go of your hand and grabbing onto your hips, pulling you forward suddenly which caused you to let out a small squeak of surprise. 

“O-oh?” You stuttered, blushing ruby red. 

“yep~, now, keep those eyes open.” He winked as he suddenly grabbed your legs and hoisted yourself against his chest. Almost like a reverse piggyback ride. 

And, just to make sure you didn’t fall, you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“ready to go?” He suddenly asked and you smiled as you nodded.

”Indeed I am, Papy!” You smiled widely, it probably looked cheesy but he smiled at your expression. 

“alright then, let’s gooo!” He chuckled, then suddenly everything faded to black again. Well, save Papyrus.

He was just as visible as always, though he still had black smudges on his skull and some on his hands. From his engineering job, you assume. 

And as you both fell through the air, he leaned forward and gave you a gentle peck on the lips. Part of the deal, you suppose. Feels pretty weird to kiss with your eyes open, though. 

But, regardless, you blushed and suddenly, the world slowly came back into view. 

Papyrus gently put you back down, and you couldn’t help but giggle slightly. For a skeleton, he sure does make you feel alive. 

“Thank you, that was certainly less boring than before.” You dipped your head, then pulled your keys from your bag, quickly unlocking your door and walking inside your apartment. 

“of course, honey. wouldn’t mind makin’ it a habit, either.” He flirted and you turned more red.

Papyrus followed behind you and shut the door as your eyes connected with Maia’s. 

“Ooh~ make what a habit?” Maia spoke with a shit-eating grin. 

“Not taking the stairs.” You replied, biting down on the tip of your tongue as you hoped she’d buy your lie. 

“Oh? Well, that doesn’t explain the blush, (Y/N).” She continued to grin and you blushed more. 

“Fair. I’m gonna go get (f/d). Anyone want else want one?” You asked and Maia smirked. 

“You’re avoiding the question~” She chuckled and you started to walk toward the kitchen. 

“I know.” You replied.

”i’ll take one, (y/n).” Papyrus responded to your earlier question. 

“Gotcha. Will bring them out in just a minute.” You replied as you walked into your kitchen. 

And, to your surprise, Sans was standing inside. 

Something seemed off about him, he was just standing, staring at the various magnets you had decorating your fridge. 

You shut the door behind you, then looked around. He wasn’t even cooking or anything. Why is he just loitering in your kitchen? 

“Hello, Sans!” You greeted him and he turned to you. He’d definitely been crying and he looked incredibly blue. 

“Oh shit. Is everything okay?” You asked, stopping in your tracks. 

“YES. EVERYTHING IS FINE.” 

“Doesn’t look like it.” You responded, then started preparing you and Papyrus’ drinks. 

“WELL, IT ABSOLUTELY IS. SO—“ 

“I mean, you’re not even sitting with Maia? That’s odd enough.” 

“I WAS EATING MY LUNCH IN HERE.” He replied, obviously lying. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so. Sans, you know you can tell me anything, right?” You asked him as you leaned against the counter. 

“I-I’VE JUST HAD A BAD DAY. JUST LEAVE ME BE.” He looked away, his blue eyelights smaller than normal. 

“Sans, it helps to talk about these things. It’ll stay between us as well.” You gave him a gentle smile and he hesitated. 

“YOU WONT TELL PAPYRUS OR MAIA?” 

“I promise.” You nodded your head. 

“WELL...” He looked around to make sure nobody was around. 

“I...” he tapped his fingers together, looking down at his blue boots. 

“I HAD A HUMAN COME UP TO ME WHILE I WAS WALKING TO GET MY LUNCH AND—“ He rocked back and forth on his heels, fresh tears running down his skull. 

He sighed, “HE YELLED ‘HEY MONSTER TRASH.’, AND WOULD NOT LEAVE. I JUST IGNORED HIM UNTIL SUDDENLY, HE SHOVED ME AGAINST THE ALLEY WALL.” 

Sans rubbed his skull as your eyes widened, “I JUST ASKED HIM TO STOP, AND INSTEAD HE STARTED PUNCHING ME. HE WAS CALLING ME NAMES, SAYING I WASN’T STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE HIS SOUL.” 

“I TRIED TO GET AWAY, BUT HE INSTEAD SHOVED ME AGAINST THE WALL AT FULL FORCE, I-IT REALLY HURT... HE THEN CALLED ME A SAVAGE... WITH ANOTHER VERY NOT NICE WORD THAT I WILL NOT REPEAT.” 

“Oh my God, Sans! Are you okay?” You asked worriedly.

”I-I THINK SO, BUT I WAS REALLY SCARED. HE JUST... STARTED YELLING INSULTS AT ME AND I STARTED TO CRY. AND THEN HE MOCKED ME FOR THAT AS HE LIFTED ME BY THE NECK. I KNEW THAT’D BE THE END OF ME IF I DIDN’T DO SOMETHING—“ 

He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath. “I CONJURED ATTACKS AND KICKED HIM WHERE IT’S MOST SENSITIVE. HE LET GO AND I PUSHED HIM AWAY AS HARD AS I COULD AND I JUST RAN.” 

“AND WHILE RUNNING, HE YELLED THAT HE’D REPORT ME FOR ASSAULT... I AM SO SCARED, (Y/N)... I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. AND THEN, I’D NEVER SEE YOU, PAPYRUS, OR MAIA EVER AGAIN.” He finished with special emphasis on Maia’s name and looked down. 

“AND... I REALIZED MAIA’S ABOUT TO LEAVE, AND... I’M WASTING TIME NOT SAYING I... T-THAT I REALLY THINK SHE’S NEAT.” He frowned. 

“I COULD DIE TOMORROW AND SHE’D JUST FORGET ME!” He spoke with a tremble.

You stood there, mouth agape for a few moments. And, all you could utter at first was “Oh my God.” 

“You know, Papyrus would probably like to know this–“ You started and his irises widened.

”NO! IT’D DESTROY HIM!” He practically yelled, but he covered his mouth with his hand quickly  “I’M SORRY, BUT HE HAS ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT.” 

It was at this moment you noticed a few hairline fractures scattered across his arms. That must really hurt.

“Okay, okay. I understand.” You spoke with a hushed voice.

”You should at least make a report to the cops before he does. And, if you’re worried about Maia, I think you should tell her.” You put a hand on his shoulder.

”Whereas Maia will never forget you, perhaps it’s best you tell her before she leaves for California.” You spoke softly.

He looked down, then grabbed onto your spare hand. “BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW!” 

You gave him a gentle smile, then took both his hands. “Do and say what’s in your heart. It’s no doubt that she’ll listen.” You spoke gently, quite surprised you and Papyrus’ last conversation came true without meddling.

“B-BUT WHAT IF I MESS UP?” He asked, visibly getting anxious. Though, that’s the last thing he needs right now. 

“Oh, the Magnificent Sans never messes up. You’ve absolutely got this.” You smiled wider, then squeezed his hands gently. 

“Now, as for the bastard that did that to you, I have a bone to pick with him.” 

“WAS THAT A PUN?” He asked, crossing his arms. 

“Not an intentional one—dammit, Papyrus is rubbing off on me.” 

“YES. AND THAT IS A SIN IN MY EYES.” Sans huffed, tapping his boot against the ground as you got a paper towel out of the cabinet, handing it to him. 

“Wipe those tears off, you are a strong skeleton and this event won’t slow you down. Plus, karma will come for that disgusting racist. I’ll make sure of it.” You vowed and he nodded slowly.

”BUT WHAT IF HE COMES FOR ME?” He asked, peering at you with worry-filled irises. 

“Then we’ll fight it like hell. But for now, I’ll make a call to Mr. Smith to let him know of the situation, if that’s alright with you.” 

“OF COURSE. I THINK I WOULDN’T MIND TALKING TO HIM EITHER.”

”Then that’s what we’ll do. Don’t sweat it, Sans. I’ll make sure he gets the punishment he deserves as well.” 

“WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT GREATLY!” He smiled a bit and you pat his shoulder again. 

“Of course. After all, anyone who hurts an innocent and caring person like you is probably a dangerous person who needs to stay off the streets. I won’t let his racism win, and I doubt any of us would.”  You responded.

”YES! I MOST AGREE.” He chirped, obviously feeling better despite his many hairline fractures. 

“Alright, well Papyrus and Maia are gonna be wondering where we are. How about we go join them?” You suggested as you quickly finished preparing the two (f/d)s.

”SOUNDS GOOD!” He replied and quickly you and him walked out to the living room.

”(y/n), ya make em from scratch or something? took ya a long time.” Papyrus quirked a ‘bone’brow and you let out a snicker.

”No, no. Sorry. Sans and I were having a conversation and I got sidetracked.” You explained and he let out a light “ah.” in response. 

“well, that’s fine. glad you two were having’ fun.” Papyrus replied and you really wished it had been a better conversation, but at least he doesn’t suspect anything. At least, at surface level. 

“YES! FUN.” Sans replied, somehow managing to make himself sound suspicious. 

Papyrus looked at Sans with furrowed ‘bone’brows due to his remark and Sans just let out a nervous laugh. 

Good to know that Sans is a horrible secret-keeper. You’ll take note of that for the future. 

So, you decided to take the reigns to make this all sound less questionable. After all, you have a feeling Sans would just keep digging the hole deeper. 

“Alright, so we called you here today because the protesters have gotten a lot worse.” You sighed, walking to the sofa and sitting next to Papyrus. You quickly handed him the (f/d) and turned to Maia and Sans once they had both sat down. 

“Oh no, what happened?” Maia asked as Sans looked worried. 

“We had no customers in Muffet’s for a good while, and eventually we found out why. They were blocking the roads leading there. So, we just waited in the back until we heard the door open.” You started. 

“Muffet went to check, and after some sounds of distress, I went to check too and saw Grillby in horrible shape.” You sighed and Maia’s eyes widened. 

“His clothes were tattered, his phone was absolutely shattered, and his flames were lower than normal due to having water thrown on him. It turns out his hp was extremely low as well.” You continued as you played with your hands slightly. 

“And, of course the culprits were 3 protesters. Papyrus had to bring Asgore over safely to heal Grillby, and after they had, the policewoman came and took his statements.” 

“might i add, grillby was basically on the verge of death.” Papyrus added, sighing.

”Yes, but Asgore healed him up pretty good. Thank God you two could make it.” You ran a hand through your hair, then looked to Maia. 

“And when the policewoman took down the descriptions of his attackers, one stood out. The main perpetrator was Audrey.” You spoke and Maia gasped. 

“Oh, that no good piece of absolute dog shit!” She yelled suddenly. 

“My thoughts exactly, but the good news is, once I said her name, the cop knew who we were talking about and quickly dashed off to catch her before the protest dispersed. At least they’ll likely have one of the three.” You replied. 

“SO... THEY CAUGHT HER?” Sans asked, cocking his skull to the side. 

“Well, I’m not sure about that completely, but they know her identity and are looking for her.” You responded. 

“yeah, and hopefully they find ‘er. she deserves ta rot in hell for what she did to grillbz.” 

“Most agreed.” You replied before Maia held up a finger. 

“Wait, wait. So there were three attackers? What did the other two look like?” She asked suddenly. 

“From their brief descriptions, they kinda just sounded like white supremacists.” You replied and she huffed. 

“No surprise there.” 

“so, i guess we need ta exercise extra caution.” Papyrus stated and you nodded. 

“Exactly. But, we seriously need to get our pro-monster’s rights group going.” You spoke. 

“Agreed. This situation just keeps getting worse, and I hate to leave without aiding in the fight.” Maia sighed.

”Hey, don’t think of it that way. After all, it’s not like you’re just abandoning the cause, you’re bringing it to California!” You replied, giving her a soft look and she sat still for a moment, taking in your words.

”I mean, that’s true... I just feel like I’m needed here in Ebott City a bit longer.” She frowned and Sans looked at her sadly. 

“I’D CERTAINLY LOVE FOR YOU TO STAY, BUT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANNOT JUST DROP YOUR WORK. BUT, IF YOU DO SOMEHOW STAY... I THINK WE’D ALL LOVE IT A LOT.” Sans blushed a pastel blue hue, then nervously took Maia’s hand. This caused her own cheeks to light up as well  

“i second that.” Papyrus replied, taking a toothpick from his pocket and popping it into his mouth. 

“And... I third that—?” You trailed off, unsure if that’s even a proper saying and Papyrus chuckled. 

“I guess I gotta go back to California, but damn. The longer I stay here, the more I realize that Cali is not my home... This place always will be and I missed it.” 

“YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK!” Sans pointed out, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. This caused Maia to blush further. 

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But it’s always so expensive.” She sighed and Sans turned to her fully. 

“DON’T EVEN WORRY ABOUT THAT! WE’LL ALL PITCH IN AND HELP COVER THE COSTS!” Sans spoke with a bright gaze. 

“Oh, you guys don’t have to do anything like that.” She scratched her neck, blushing more. 

“yeah we do, kid. that’s what friends do.” 

She paused, then smiled. Seemingly realizing something. But, she didn’t address it. She simply nodded and uttered a simple. “Well, thank you.” 

“OF COURSE!” Sans leaned against her, moving his hand away from hers. But, rather than keeping it that way, Maia silently took his hand again. Though, it seemed like she didn’t want it to be noticed. So, you turned to Papyrus as Sans’ cheekbones lit up. 

“So Pap, you got any genius plans brewing in that cranium of yours?” You asked and he hummed.

”i just think we should assemble trustworthy human allies and monsters  and start meetin’ somehere to plan out the detes’.” He responded, still chewing on his toothpick. 

“I definitely agree—but where?” You asked, scratching your cheek. 

“WHAT ABOUT MUFFET’S?” Sans suggested and you nodded for a minute, then shook your head. 

“I was going to agree, but then I rendered that Muffet’s is already a place of contention. The protesters would find out much too easily.” You responded. 

“GOOD POINT! AND THIS PLACE IS MUCH TOO SMALL, NO OFFENSE OF COURSE.” Sans replied. 

“None taken, in fact, I agree. Plus, I don’t want my address getting leaked.” You sighed.

”neither do i, you’ve already had your fair share of chaos recently.” Papyrus replied. 

“Well, my friend has a board room at his business that may work? I’ll ask him if we can use it.” Maia spoke. 

“Oh? A board room? That sounds pretty perfect for what we need.” You responded and Maia smiled. 

“I thought so too!” 

“well, guess we should wait on that. is there anything else to discuss? i’m absolutely bone tired.” Papyrus joked before he yawned. 

“Well, there was one interesting thing that happened at work—well, before the incident.” You replied and Papyrus sat up, quirking a ‘bone’brow. 

“oh yeah? what was that, honey?”

”HOPEFULLY IT WASN’T TROUBLESOME!” Sans chirped. 

“Oh, it wasn’t really! Just a bit concerning.” You laughed nervously, then ran a hand through your hair. 

“So basically there was a guy in the café that was really suspicious. Kept looking at me and it was just really uncomfortable to the point I began to worry.” You started.

”He stayed a while, and we were already not having any more customers come in, so when he approached me I was on guard. But, he just asked for another drink and whatever.” You continued. 

“He sounds kinda weird. Glad you made it out safe. Sheesh.” Maia commented and you nodded.

”Those were my thoughts too. But, we had some small-talk and I relaxed a bit. When I brought him his drink though, he just kinda stared at me face-to-face.” 

Papyrus seemed on edge even from the retelling of your story, even more so than your two comrades.

”In response, I stepped back and he quickly apologized. Then began to explain why he was acting so wack. Apparently he’s with Mt. Ebott Times and he recognized me from the photo in the newspaper.” You sighed.

“He wanted to know if it was me, and when I reluctantly confirmed, he sprang on me for an interview right on the spot.” 

“Reporters really act like tigers sometimes. At least it wasn’t TMZ.” Maia huffed, crossing her arms.

”WHERE WAS MUFFET DURING ALL THIS?” Sans asked, scratching his skull. 

“She was preoccupied in the back or something. But anyways, I didn’t want to answer his questions. Partially because I don’t know how he’ll paint me, and well, I was also on the clock.” 

“Though, he did promise me he, and the rest of the newspaper are pro-monster.” 

“so, what did ya do?” Papyrus asked, kinda curiously. 

“Well, I took his business card and said that I’d think about doing an interview. But, I figured it’d be best to consult you guys before I made my final decision.” You replied. 

“i’m not sure if i want your name in the paper, (y/n).” 

“Possessive much?” Maia responded to Papyrus and his pinpricks widened. 

“shit, i didn’t mean it like that-“ 

“IT KINDA SOUNDED LIKE IT THOUGH, PAP.” 

He grew flustered, gritting his teeth for a moment. “i just meant that it may be unsafe and—“ 

“No, no. It’s fine Papy. I knew what you meant.” You replied with a gentle smile. 

He seemed to relax a bit as Maia spoke up. “Well, I think doing it could be both good, and disastrous.”

”I mean, if we’re being completely real here, even if the guy wasn’t lying about being pro-monster, the antis that see it may target you for your support.” She added.

”Damn, you’re right...” You shook your head and sighed. 

“WELL, I THINK IT COULD BE GOOD FOR OUR CAUSE!” Sans began.

”Care to share your thoughts?” You asked and he nodded. 

“OF COURSE! I JUST THINK IT COULD HELP OUR CAUSE PROSPER! AND, PERHAPS YOU CAN STRIKE A DEAL WITH THE NEWSPAPER TO MAKE YOUR IDENTITY ANONYMOUS!”

”yeah, i think keeping things anonymous is a good idea. nice take, bro.” Papyrus replied. 

“I like that better too. It keeps you safer, but still allows you to speak to a lot of people to spread the word.” Maia nodded her head. 

“You know what, I love that idea. Problem is, I think the reporter specifically wanted to link me to the fight with Audrey at the protest.” You responded and Maia hummed. 

“In all due respect, if he is really an ally to the monsters, he will do the interview regardless of you being anonymous or not.” Maia responded, crossing her arms. 

“SHE HAS A POINT!” 

“and i’m inclined to agree with both of ‘em here.” 

“Well, what’s the final verdict?” You asked, scratching your scalp. 

The three friends looked at each other, then back to you. “WELL, I SAY GO FOR IT! WELL, AS LONG AS YOU MAKE SOME AGREEMENTS WITH HIM FIRST!” Sans replied. 

“I agree with Sans, but I think the final decision is up to you. I’m just concerned this’ll backfire on you, and you’ve definitely had enough mayhem already as of late.” Maia spoke. 

“well, i think you should do it only if your identity is protected. sorta like a whistleblower. otherwise, i say stay the hell away. everything all seems kinda fishy.”

”Alright. I guess that means I need to contact him and inquire about the possible ‘terms and conditions’.” You sighed  

“you sound conflicted. ya know you don’t have to do it, right?” 

“Yeah, of course! I guess I’m just a bit anxious.” 

“well (y/n), perhaps it’s best to trust your gut. after all, i don’t have one so i can’t help you out there.” He elbowed you playfully and you cracked a smile momentarily.

”I definitely will trust my gut, but I don’t know what it’s telling me quite yet.” You replied.

”I SUGGEST YOU SLEEP ON IT! MAYBE EVEN FOR A FEW NIGHTS. IT COULD BE A SERIOUS DECISION.” Sans suggested and you pointed at him.

”That’s probably the best thing to do, Sans. I’ll most likely take your advice there.” You nodded, then crossed your legs.

”Welp, that’s all I had to share. Anyone else got anything?” You asked, looking around the room.

”tibia honest, nah.”

“NOPE! NOT FOR ME, AT LEAST! MAIA, WHAT ABOUT YOU?” Sans spoke, looking at her. 

Thankfully Sans didn’t make himself sound as shifty this time around. Though, you can tell what happened is eating away at him. And, that makes sense. After all, Papyrus did say that Sans finds it hard to keep his feelings to himself. 

“Not really. At least, not for now.” She replied and you furrowed your eyebrows.”

”For now? You planning something?” You asked and she laughed.

”Time will only tell, (Y/N). For now, I am fixing dinner. You boys are welcome to stay to eat, if you’d like!” 

Sans’ irises lit up and he nodded, then stopped as the stars twinkling in his eye sockets went away momentarily. He looked over to Papyrus and seemed to shuffle his feet against the floor.

”I WAS GOING TO SAY YES, BUT I HAVE GUARD DUTY AT THE UNDERGROUND ENTRANCE TONIGHT, DON’T I?” He asked and Maia seemed to grow disappointed. 

“as much as i’d like to say no, i am pretty sure ya do.” 

“DAMMIT!” Sans exclaimed, then rested his skull in his hands for a few moments. 

Maia looked very disappointed, but she quickly hid it as she stood up and walked to his chair.

”Hey Blue, look at me.” She spoke as she bent over a bit to face him. 

He uncovered his face, then slowly looked at her. Looking really distressed and it hurt your heart. 

“It’s okay.” She gently placed her hand against his cheek, giving him a warm smile.

”We can always do this another day!” She spoke and his gaze hardened for a moment as he looked away.

”THAT’S THE PROBLEM, WE CAN’T.” 

“Huh?” She asked, taken aback as she moved her hand. 

“YOU’RE LEAVING, MAIA. IT’LL BE QUITE HARD TO SHARE DINNER WHILST YOU’RE MILES AWAY.” He spoke, emotion in his voice as he refused to look her way. 

“Oh... I guess you’re right. Sans, I-“ 

You and Papyrus looked at each other. 

“This doesn’t look so good.” You mouthed and he nodded as he watched with concern.

”NO. IT’S FINE. I-I’M SORRY. IT’S JUST... I GUESS IT’S GONNA BE HARD TO LEAVE SUCH A GOOD FRIEND BEHIND.” He sniffled, standing up. 

“I SHOULD GO...” He clenched his first, then drew in a shaky breath. 

“I’M SORRY.” He looked down, then walked past her. 

She looked over at him as he walked over to the door. Her green eyes getting watery. 

He grabbed the door handle and slowly turned it, then looked over as Papyrus stood up and walked over. He placed a hand on Sans’ shoulder, then looked to you. “i’ll see you two later. i’ll go with sans to make sure he stays safe.” 

“B-bye Papyrus, bye Sans...” Maia spoke, nearly through clenched teeth as she tried to contain her emotions. 

“B-BYE (Y/N)... BYE MAIA.” He took a deep breath, then looked back at the both of you. You could now tell that he was shaking, and this caused you to frown. 

“I REALLY AM SORRY... I-I... I NEED TO GO. I-I HOPE TO SEE YOU TWO SOON.” He then turned and rushed off.

”welp that’s my cue. don’t worry, i’ll talk to ‘em.” Papyrus sighed, rubbing his scalp as he chewed his toothpick harder.

”adios kiddos.” He saluted, then shut the door and left.

And, as soon as the door shut, Maia finally let go of her emotions and started crying loudly. You stood up in response and rushed over, pulling her into a big hug. 

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’ll figure this all out, I promise.” You spoke to her softly as her hands clasped onto you as she buried her head into your shirt. 

And as her grip grew stronger and her sobs got louder, you couldn’t help but wonder how things could take a turn so fast. You thought Sans would confess, but instead his stubbornness hardened his heart. 

You know you have to fix this somehow, or else Sans and Maia will be absolutely miserable over 2,000 miles away from each other. And, that’d hurt both of them even more than they’re hurt right now. 

But, for now you have a friend to comfort. It seems like some ice cream and “How To Train Your Dragon” are in order. Hopefully it can take her mind off of things, at least for now.

Chapter Text

After calming down Maia enough to stop her tears, you invited her into the kitchen to help you cook dinner. 

“So, what do you want to talk about?” You asked as she sat on the counter. 

She wiped a tear from her face, “S-Sans, actually.” 

“You sure?” You asked as you started getting your ingredients together.

”Yeah, if that’s okay with you.” She responded, then gave a weak smile. 

“Of course it’s okay with me! Now, go ahead.” You smiled in return, then dipped your head. 

“Well, you already know that I fancy him. I just know I need to make a move before I leave... That is, if you think he’s even interested.” She took a hair tie out and pulled up her hair, then looked to you as you snorted. 

“I’m sorry, but that’s not even a question. Sans absolutely has the hots for you.” You responded, then got out a pot.

Maia turned red, then coughed. “Well, I guess he is pretty friendly—“ 

“I’d call that more than friendly. His entire self lights up when you’re around. Not only that, but he stares at you blushing all the time. It’s adorable.” You replied, knowing you’re not betraying Sans’ trust because everyone already knows. 

Maia glanced away out of embarrassment, “Really?” she asked, not fully believing you. 

“Absolutely!” You spoke, moving to her and taking both of her hands into your own. 

“I would not lie about this.” You spoke softly, then moved away again.

”Then what about his outburst?” She asked, leaning forward and crossing her legs.

”He desperately doesn’t want you to leave and he’s frustrated that there’s nothing he can do to stop it.” 

“Oh, dammit! I feel so bad now. I wish this all hadn’t happened. Then maybe we could both be happy.” She groaned, then sighed and leaned her head against the cabinet. 

“No Maia, you both know the fun times you’ve shared are worth every second. If they’d be gone, think of how bleak your trip would have been.” Maia looked down, her green eyes watery. 

“Just because you have to separate doesn’t mean that you two need to suffer even more. Remember to cherish the amazing times and hold onto them until the next meeting.”

She looked up, sniffling. “What if there’s not a ‘next time’?” 

“That’s not even an option, you know none of us will let you stay away for long. You are absolutely needed here and we all love you dearly.” You smiled, then turned and began to get cooking.

”Y-yeah. I suppose you’re right.” She tapped her fingers on the counter, then turned back to you. 

“Well, what do I do about the elephant in the room?” She asked suddenly and you turned around.

”Tell him how you feel. As soon as you can see him face-to-face, let your heart loose.” You responded calmly. 

“You sure that won’t be too soon? O-or...”

You cut her off. “Maia. You’re about to leave to go back to California for who knows how long, it’s not too soon.” 

“Fair enough.” She bit her lip, then nodded. 

“Okay. I’ll be sure to invite him here as soon as possible then. I really don’t want to leave without telling him how I feel.” She admitted while playing with her ponytail.

“I cannot blame you. If it was me and Papyrus, I’d feel the same way.” You responded, then turned back around.

She paused for a moment, then tapped her fingers against the countertop again. “Speaking of Papyrus, mind if I ask a question?”

”Not at all. Go ahead.”

“You know that I know about you sneaking Papyrus in at night, right?” She spoke and you flushed red. 

“I don’t know how you’ve been doing it, but—“ She grinned. 

“How the hell do you know about that?!” Your eyes widened and she laughed. 

“I didn’t. But I do now~” She winked and you turned back around and covered your face. 

“Maia! You shit-head!” You exclaimed and she laughed, nearly falling off the counter. 

“Come on, you would do the same with me!” She reasoned between laughs and you shook your head. 

“Damn. I can’t even deny it.”

”Good! But, I got to do it first~” She teased and you raised your finger, waving it at her. 

“Well just wait for my revenge, because it’s forthcoming.” You threatened and she laughed. 

“Honestly, I’d like it right about now. Damn.” She sighed and you turned back around again and went back to cooking. 

“Well, maybe I can work out something sooner than you originally expected.” You hummed in thought, then smiled. 

“The Grinch had a wonderful, awful idea~“ You snickered and she playfully punched you.

”Shut up!” Maia laughed. 

---------------------------------------------

After you had cooked your meal, you and Maia both ate dinner together and things were pretty normal. You continued to chat about each of your romantic interests and it was super relaxing. 

But, it inspired you even more to make sure Maia and Sans end up together before she leaves in two days. So, you vowed to have them confess even if it was the last thing you did—even though that may sound a bit extreme. 

Honestly though, you’d die for this ship to sail.

So after you both had finished eating, you headed to the couch and began to think. You have a few minutes alone to think of what to do as Maia washes the dishes. 

And to your surprise, your phone buzzed in your pocket. So, you took a moment to check who’d written you. 

“ok, so i managed to get sans the rest of the night off. he feels like absolute shit. ya think we can both come over? or is it too late?” 

Yes! Perfect. This is the exact situation you need to get them together! 

You grinned and quickly shot back a text. 

“It’s never too late, honey dear! I want this to be a surprise though, we really need to work Cupid’s bow tonight. So, let me text Evony to see if she can let you two in.” 

“gotcha. we’re finishing up some dinner right now. we can be there in like, idk maybe 15 minutes? i’ll text you when we’re 5 minutes away.” He swiftly texted back.

”Okay! Let me set things up with Evony. Let’s do this!” You snickered as you responded, then clicked over to your contacts and scurried into your room so Maia couldn’t hear you. 

You pressed call and waited.

”Hello?” 

“Hello, Evony! It’s (Y\N). Are you home?”

”Hey, dude! And, yeah I am. Why?” 

“Okay so, Papyrus and I are playing matchmaker right now. So, I don’t wanna say Sans is coming in front of Maia and want it to be a surprise. So, I was wondering if you could let them inside the building.” You responded  

“Yeah, of course! I’d be happy to. How long until they get here?” She asked cheerily. 

“In about 13 minutes. I’ll text you when they’re 5 minutes from the apartment.” You responded.

”Got it! I’ll be watching for the text!” She chirped. 

“Thanks, Evony!” 

“Of course! Now, have a nice night!” She replied. 

“You too!” 

And after that, you both hung up and you tip-toed back into the living room and sat right back on the sofa. Thankfully, you still heard the water running and saw no signs that she had been listening in. 

So, the plan is on. And, it’s quite the thrill.

“Alright, I think I got everything! Your dishwasher is running too.” Maia spoke after a few minutes, adjusting her ponytail. 

“Thanks! But, you didn’t have to do all of them! You coulda left me some.” You responded and she let out a suppressed laugh. 

“Make the chef do the dishes? Never!” She gasped jokingly, then walked over and plopped down beside you on the sofa. 

“Anyway, what we doing tonight?” Maia asked, stretching and crossing her legs.

”I was thinking we could watch some YouTube or play some games.” You replied. Then ran your hand through your hair.

”Sounds good. Though, at some point I totally wanna play cards against humanity.” Maia responded.

”You know what, me too. Let’s make that a goal.” You replied and she fist-bumped you. 

“Hell yeah!” She grinned, then laughed.

Suddenly, your phone buzzed, so you picked it up and checked it. 

“Ah, it’s Muffet. Gimme a sec.” You lied.

It's actually Papyrus, and it’s his 5 minute warning a bit early. But, that doesn’t matter. 

So, you quickly text him a thumbs-up and then immediately text Evony with the following. 

“They’re 5 minutes away. Thank you so much!” 

“She was just letting me know that she’d like me to be a bit early tomorrow.” You explained as you went to set your phone down. 

“I’ll have to come and get breakfast at Muffet’s then. Gotta spend as much time with you before I go, after all.” Maia stretched, then yawned.

”Sounds good to me! Maybe Muffet can spare me for a few and we can share a coffee break or something.” You responded and she smiled.

”Yeah! That sounds perfect. Maybe I’ll have ideas for the Sans situation by then.” She replied, then propped her chin up with her fist. 

“Maybe so, but sometimes it’s better to just take life by the horns.” You replied, smiling.

”Yeah....” She trailed off, then pointed to your phone.

”Can you ask her how Grillby is doing? I’m still a bit worried about him.” Maia asked and you nodded.

”Of course! I probably should’ve asked earlier.” You responded, then picked up your phone and went to text her. 

“Yeah.” She frowned then looked down.

You glanced up for a moment and sighed when you saw her. She’s miserable in more than one situation and you can’t help but feel intense sympathy for her.

Hopefully her and Sans can make up tonight, hell, maybe even make out. 

But, you know she’ll at least be a bit more happy to see Sans in a few minutes, so you resume texting Muffet. 

“Hey! How is Grillby doing? And, I hope you’re feeling better!” 

“Okay, done.” You locked your phone, and put it back down as you smiled. 

“Thanks! It’ll be nice to get an update.” Maia responded. 

“Absolutely agreed. I could tell Muffet was extremely shaken too. Though, they definitely have some romance going on there.” 

“Ooooh~ love is in the fucking air!” Maia laughed, nudging you. And you just smiled, knowing those words were about to smack her right in the face.

“Yes it is!” You laughed. 

“It seems like everyone around us has had romance recently. Grace and Audrey, Muffet and Grillby, you and Papyrus—“ She trailed off, then played with her hair.

“Seems like the only non-romantically involved person in our immediate lives is Mr. Smith... Well, him, Sans and myself.” Maia laughed nervously and you shook your head. 

“I wouldn’t count you and Sans. You have major chemistry, dude.” You laughed, then sighed.

”God bless Mr. Smith though. He deserves someone great.” You leaned your cheek on your fist. 

“Yeah, I wish we could introduce him to someone. But for now, maybe he should work on himself.” Maia replied and you nodded.

”I certainly agree. But we should totally invite him over for a mass sleepover one day.” You paused.

”Uh but not like that.” You laughed, rubbing the back of your neck and Maia snorted. 

“Suuure~“ She teased, winking. 

You laughed, then shook your head.

”But in all seriousness, I think he lacks many friendships so he should totally bring his son over some night and we can all chill together.” You explained further.

“Isn’t he like 35, (Y/N)?” Maia laughed and you wagged your finger at her.

”Maia, you’re never too old for sleepovers.” 

“Okay, okay.” Maia laughed, holding up her hands. 

“Maybe you’re right. Plus, Sans would totally get along with his son.” Maia reasoned.

”Exactly! This is why we need a Smith sleepover! It’d be fun.” You smiled, then suddenly a knock came at the door.

”Who the hell could that be?” Maia asked suddenly, looking to you. So, you put on a fake clueless expression. 

“Huh. No idea, but it’s probably Evony? Maybe she came back to get her containers.” 

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good possibility... Do you want me to get it?” She asked and you held back a grin. That’d be perfect for the plan, after all, then you could see her reaction better. 

“Yeah, if you don’t mind of course!” 

“No worries. I got it. I mean, who else would it be? You live in a pretty secure apartment building, after all.” She laughed as she stood up and started walking to the door. 

You couldn’t help but smile evilly. This whole situation may be a bit contentious, but it’s for the greater good, right? 

“Yeah.” You laughed in response as she got to the door and unlocked it. 

“Coming!” She spoke as she swung open the door only to freeze. 

You bit your tongue to stifle a laugh as Papyrus met your gaze and nodded knowingly. 

“H-HI MAIA...” Sans started, his voice nervous.

“I’M SO SORRY ABOUT WHAT I SAID EARLIER. I-I... I HOPE THESE CAN HELP MAKE IT UP TO YOU?” He reached forward, handing her a vase of beautiful light purple crocuses.

“Oh, Blue. I’ve already forgiven you.” She spoke softly.

”But goodness, these flowers are gorgeous! Thank you so much!” 

“OF COURSE... THE FLORIST SAID THEY’RE CALLED THE  ‘PENITENT’S ROSE’, THEREFORE PERFECT FOR AN APOLOGY.” He tapped his shoes together shyly. 

“That is so thoughtful of you! It makes me love them even more. Please come in, you two.” Maia turned, beckoning them inside with a giant smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks.

”thank ya, kid.” Papyrus dipped his head as he and Sans walked into your apartment. 

“Sans, I thought you had guard duty tonight?” Maia asked as she shut the door behind them. 

“WELL, I DID...” He smiled suddenly.

”BUT I REALIZED I NEED TO PRIORITIZE MY RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT NOW, SO I ASKED A FRIEND TO COVER FOR ME!” 

“she actually said she was bored outta her mind so, it worked out well, ey?” Papyrus smirked, then walked over to the couch and flopped beside you, instantly throwing his arm around you.

“heya beautiful~” Papyrus purred, and when he realized Sans and Maia weren’t paying attention, he turned and leaned closer to you. 

He was right against your ear as he began to whisper huskily, “what goes in hard and dry, but comes out soft and wet?” 

He gently nuzzled against your neck as your face started to redden. “I-I don’t kn—?!” You suddenly stopped mid-sentence as you felt his teeth suddenly nibble at your earlobe. 

You suppressed a squeak as your face reddened the most it has in a long time. So you covered your eyes as he chuckled in that same sexy tone. 

“gum.“ He followed up softly, then moved back a bit as his laughing intensified.

Rightfully disappointed, you uncovered your face and huffed, crossing your arms. Your face is practically burning, and you don’t even want to imagine how red it really is.

”holy shit, (y/n).” He snickered, flopping back on the couch as he leaned his head against the top.

“i swear half of your blood is in your face right now.” He joked and you shook your head.

”Can you really blame it?” You replied, turning away.

”just wanted some action, huh~?”

”Okay, cut it you two lovebirds. I love you two to death, but I don’t wanna hear that.” Maia suddenly spoke and Papyrus snorted.

Though of course you just blushed even more.

”okay, okay. i’ll cool things down.” Papyrus spoke, then when you looked back to him he winked. 

“for now~” He purred and you let out a very pronounced “Ughhhhhh—“ in response. 

“ANYWAY MAIA, I KNOW WE’RE TOO LATE FOR DINNER, BUT I HOPE YOU’LL STILL ACCEPT OUR PRESENCE!” Sans beamed and Maia nodded excitedly as she set the flowers down on a nearby table. 

“Of course! And I’m sure (Y/N) agrees when I say you’re always welcome!” Maia chirped. 

“Well, duh! Wouldn’t have things any other way. You two are my favorite boys.” You smiled.

”OH STARS, REALLY? WELL I’M BEYOND HONORED TO HEAR THAT. THAT’S QUITE THE HONOR!” Sans gave a quick thumbs-up as he beamed.

“we will wear our badges with honor, ey sans?” Papyrus grinned and Sans nodded, throwing you a finger-gun. 

“YOU BETCHA!”

Maia suddenly grabbed Sans’ hand, causing his cheekbones to turn a light blue.

“We aren’t just gonna stand around, right? Let’s go sit!” Maia started leading him over to their normal places and he turned even bluer. 

“FAIR! WE MUST NOT WASTE A SINGLE SECOND! TIME IS ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS. AND, I INTEND TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF IT!” He responded which caused you to smile mischievously. 

There’s no way their confession isn’t going to happen tonight. Especially with Sans being so on top of things.

“I cannot help but agree, Blue~” Maia cooed in response and Papyrus grinned, nudging you again. 

They sat down in their respective chairs, then looked at each other. 

“WE’RE VERY SORRY WE MISSED DINNER! I’M SURE YOUR COOKING IS MUCH MORE DELECTABLE THAN TACOS!”

”No, no! It’s really fine. Please do stop apologizing. I don’t mind at all. Plus, (Y/N) ended up cooking anyway.” She laughed. 

“Plus, my cooking will never be as good as hers. I wish it could be, but I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to the kitchen.”  Maia continued. 

“Oh shut up, your cooking is great. Plus, mine isn’t even that good.” You responded with a laugh.

“Well I think it is!” She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry so you scrunched up your nose before playfully flipping her off. 

“You didn’t even deny it when I said your cooking was good~“ You teased.

”Ah, shit. You’ve got me!”

”Good~“ You winked, then picked up your sketchbook.

”Now, I’ll stop arguing with you.” You added as you picked up a pencil.

You flipped through the pages until you got to your past abandoned sketch of Papyrus. Perhaps it’s time to draw him again.

Suddenly Papyrus leaned against your shoulder, doing his best to lay on his side for a moment. 

“draw me like one of your french girls~“ He joked with a smirk and you rolled your eyes, facepalming.

”How about I do a quick portrait of your pretty face instead?” 

“you think i’m pretty?” Papyrus cooed, still grinning like the absolute sly dog he is.

“Always and forever~” You responded, then winked. 

He chuckled, then sat up. 

“SO, M-MAIA...” Sans started, his face positively blue. 

“Yeah? What’s up, Sans?” Maia replied, then looked at him smiling.

”N-NEVERMIND.” His bones rattled for a moment, looking fairly embarrassed so Papyrus flashed him a quick thumbs up.

”A-ACTUALLY...” He took a deep breath, tugging on his blue bandana. 

“MAIA... I—“

You nodded your head, then flashed him a reassuring smile. You know he can do this. 

He saw your support and gained enough strength to continue. “I KNOW ME SNAPPING AT YOU WAS A SHOCK EARLIER.” He spoke, then reached his hand over to her.

“TO BE FRANK, I EVEN SURPRISED MYSELF!” He spoke as Maia gently took his hand, returning his gaze. 

“BUT I KNOW WHY I DID IT. IT WAS NOT ANGER DIRECTED TOWARD YOU IN ANY WAY... IT WAS PENT UP FRUSTRATION AGAINST MY OWN LACK OF COURAGE.” 

“But Sans, you are very courageous! You’re a royal guardsman, after all!” Maia smiled, trying to cheer him up but he instantly shook his head.

”NO. IT’S NOT THE SAME COURAGE.” He sighed, then looked down embarrassedly.

“MAIA... I’M FRUSTRATED WITH MYSELF BECAUSE YOU’RE LEAVING IN TWO DAYS BUT I CAN’T BRING MYSELF TO TELL YOU THAT I—“ He turned extremely blue and shrunk back a bit as you saw him hold her hand a bit tighter.

”I LIKE YOU...” He winced suddenly, seemingly waiting to receive a bad reaction from Maia. But, before she could even reply he continued to chatter on. 

“AND IT’S COMPLETELY FINE IF YOU DON’T LIKE ME BACK! I DON’T WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO STAY HERE EITHER.” 

“I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM JUST A SHORT SKELETON. NOTHING LIKE ANY OF THE HUMANS OUT THERE... SO PLEASE DON’T FEEL PRESSURED INTO FEELING THE SAME WAY. I WILL UNDERSTAND.” 

He sighed out loud. “I MAY BE THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, BUT YOU’RE MUCH MORE MAGNIFICENT THAN ME, MAIA.” He smiled through his anxiety. 

Maia seemed speechless for a moment, her lips partially agape as she stared into his lit eye sockets. 

“Damn Sans.” She whispered, the sides of her mouth turning up in a smile. 

“Who knew you could be such a romantic?” She smiled even more, then moved her hand and placed it against his cheekbone. 

“I like you too, Sans. Don’t even worry your cute ‘lil face.” She moved her hand and stood up, walking to his chair and bending down, pressing her lips against his cheek, giving him a gentle peck. 

Sans’ skull turned cotton-candy blue and Maia’s cheeks revealed their own blush.

“I feel the exact same way, Blue.” She smiled, then stood back up straight. 

“And for heavens sakes, screw the humans. I’d rather have my short skeleton any day~“ She purred. 

Sans’ blush intensified at her remark and he stood up suddenly and threw his arms around her. “I’M GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH, MAIA.” 

Sans nestled his skull into Maia’s neck as she hugged him back, her grip tightening for a moment. 

“I’m gonna miss you too.” She sighed, then sniffled. 

You looked to Papyrus and saw him wipe a tear from his eye socket and you don’t blame him. This is relieving, yet stressful to watch. 

If only things could be much simpler. 

“WELL... WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE FACETIME DATES!” Sans muttered as he pulled away from her grasp, trying his best to see the positives. 

“Of course! I’m just worried that they may not be enough. Long distance relationships are hard, and I wish I didn’t have to leave so soon.” Maia sighed and Sans took her hand. 

“DON’T EVEN FRET. WE WILL MAKE THIS WORK! I.... DON’T EXACTLY KNOW HOW YET BUT WE WILL!” Sans chirped and smiled. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.” She chuckled for a moment, then pulled him into a second hug. 

“you two are givin’ me cavities over ‘ere!” Papyrus chuckled, then threw his arm over your shoulder again, bringing you closer to him.

”It’s about time we got you two back for all of the cavities you’ve given us!” Maia pulled away from Sans and placed her hands on her hips  

“nyeh, well you’re gonna have to try a bit harder~“ He turned to you suddenly. 

“you mind?” 

“Nah. I have no idea what you’re planning, but go ahead.” 

He smirked and you instantly knew you should’ve thought that through better. But before you could question him, he pulled you into his lap and tilted your face up with his hand as he suddenly kissed you deeply. 

He was going at it too, tongue and all. Holy shit, how can an individual with no lips be so good at kissing?

You’re not really certain, but what is certain is that Papyrus is an absolute show off.

You swatted at Papyrus’ chest after a good 20 seconds or so to get him to pull away. After all, your face has been exponentially turning redder and redder.

And when he pulled away, Maia and Sans were both blushing on their own. 

“I DON’T THINK I COULD EVEN DO THAT!” Sans seemed flabbergasted. 

“don’t ever know if ya don’t try~” Papyrus winked. 

“Sans you don’t have to—“ Maia was cut off when Sans, who’d puffed out his cheeks in annoyance suddenly—and you’re not even sure how he managed to do this—dipped Maia and pulled her into a proper kiss.

Your eyes widened. Even Papyrus looked pretty surprised. But, he quickly tucked that aside when the couple separated. 

Maia’s hair looked a bit disheveled, and she was in an absolute state of shock. And, understandably her face was a shade of crimson you’ve never seen before. 

“I—I...?” She blinked as she stuttered, then ran a hand through her blonde ponytail as she looked to Sans. 

“What the actual shit? Since when have you had a tongue?!” Maia spoke in utter shock.

”SINCE ALWAYS???” Sans replied in confusion.

Papyrus snorted, then burst into a laughing fit. 

“You know what, I’m glad I didn’t find out in that way.” You murmured.

”He has one too?!” She squeaked.

”’course. why wouldn’t i?” He winked, then poked out his orange tongue. 

“Well... If you have a tongue—“ Realization hit Maia like a ton of bricks. Which is quite ironic considering her accusation earlier. Well, to be fair you don’t exactly know what these magical skeletons are packing... But they definitely have a few tricks up their sleeves. 

“t-then... what else d-do you have?” She finished her train of thought, still stuttering. 

Papyrus chuckled at this whole situation, but Sans looked extremely embarrassed. 

“Perhaps that’s better later discussed.” You smiled nervously. 

“probably shouldn’t just ask a skeleton if he has an extra bone, kid.” Papyrus winked and Maia covered her face before she fell back in her seat. 

“PAPYRUS, PLEASE STOP EMBARRASSING MAIA!” Sans turned to comfort Maia and you shook your head.

”okay, okay. but, I didn’t start it, bro.” 

“UGHHH.” He groaned.

”PLEASE DO NOT REMIND ME THAT I BROKE HER.”

“No, no. I-I’m not broken!” Maia peeked through her fingers before lowering her hands.

”Just a tad embarrassed.” She laughed nervously. 

“A tad?” You lifted an eyebrow and she coughed.

”You’re right, never mind. I’m extremely embarrassed.” She rubbed the back of her neck. 

“ME TOO MAIA.” Sans admitted as he rubbed his brightly colored cheekbones. 

“This is an embarrassment party, huh?” You laughed.

”nah, i’m not embarrassed.” 

“Oh?” You grinned and you knew it was time to get him back. 

“mmhm~” 

“Let’s change that then.” You leaned over more in his lap and ran your finger across his jawline, and as inconspicuously as you could, you slid your hand under his hoodie. 

Just this caused him to raise a ‘bone’brow. But when you ran your fingers against his spine slowly, he couldn’t help but shiver. 

“n-nyeh? eh—?! heh???” Papyrus stuttered before you moved your hand and leaned close to his face and kissed his cheekbone gently.

You’d succeeded, and his skull was indeed a bright tangerine in color. 

“There you go! Embarrassment party!” You beamed.

”i brought that upon myself, didn’t i?” 

“ABSOLUTELY!”

“You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into though, you cannot convince me otherwise.” Maia stated and Papyrus couldn’t help but let out a snicker.

“maybe~” He purred.

Feeling your own face heat up again, you suddenly stood up and held up your index finger. “Okay, who wants dessert?” 

Suddenly everyone’s hands went up. 

“Me, duh.” Maia chuckled.

”US TOO, BUT I ASSUME YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT!” 

You laughed then nodded, “Yes, but being absolutely positive is always helpful.”

”I’ll help you do that.” Maia smiled, then stood up and walked to your side.

”how sweet of you, kid.” Papyrus winked. 

“Ah, no worries Papyrus. Serving dessert will be a piece of cake~“ Maia shot him finger guns, then giggled as she walked into the kitchen. 

“Alright, we’re having a pun-battle huh?” You tapped a finger on your chin.

”That’s absolutely flan-tastic~” You couldn’t help but giggle along with Papyrus as you started to walk toward the kitchen. 

“Oh, and Papyrus?”

”mmhm?” 

“Always remember that I love you from the bottom of my tart~” You snorted, then ran into the kitchen as you heard him chuckle again. 

“will do, cutie-pie~”

Chapter Text

The night of hanging out went smoothly, especially as you and your friends chatted alongside dessert. There were a lot of things you learned about the boys that you didn’t already know. Such as how Papyrus and Undyne used to work together, and how Sans is actually quite the fighting machine. 

He even demonstrated some of his simpler attacks. It’s always fascinating to see what monsters can do in terms of magic. 

But, that’s beside the point. Quite predictably, the boys stayed late and since Maia’s leaving soon, they opted to just stay the night. 

In fact, Papyrus had already gotten their night bags. So, once everyone was done in the bathroom and changed into their pajamas, you all wished each other goodnight and separated into your normal places. 

And as Papyrus shut your bedroom door, you couldn’t help but relax. 

The nights that you get to cuddle with this man are the best. Though, perhaps they’re a bit too frequent. Oh well! Fuck tradition, he’s snuggly. 

So, you crawl into your bed happily, pulling the sheets over your legs as you start to settle down. 

You looked over to him as he walked toward your bed sluggishly. He’s definitely very tired. So, you hope he can get some good rest tonight. 

“You look exhausted.” 

“heh, i am bone tired.” He winked, then shifted his weight onto one hip as he stretched. 

His t-shirt and shorts lightly hung off his lanky frame as he let out a big yawn. 

“Looks like it. Come get some sleep, you bonehead.” 

“yes ma’am.” He rasped in response, then chuckled as he climbed in bed slowly. 

And that’s when you got an idea. 

“Hey, you stay there for a second.” You climbed out of your bed, then ran to his side and took his wrists. 

He lifted a ‘bone’brow, cocking his skull to the side. 

“sure, why though?” 

You laughed as you watched a faint orange tint appear on his cheekbones. 

“I need you to cover your eyes for me. Just until I say you can uncover them. I have a surprise for you.” 

“a surprise, ey? then alright. anything for you, vertebabe~”

You moved his hands to cover his eye sockets and let out a giggle. 

“I won’t be long. Now, no peeking!”

He chuckled, “alright, alright. i won’t, you have my word.”

”Good! Now, I’ll be right back.” You smiled, then walked away from the bed and quietly headed to the other side of the room. 

You gingerly opened your wardrobe as quietly as you could and slid out his orange hoodie. You can’t help but wonder how he’ll react to you wearing it this time around. 

After shutting it back, you turned around to see him still covering his eyes. This caused you to smile again as you gently slid the soft, oversized hoodie over your head.

And since this is a pretty mediocre surprise by itself, you pulled out a hidden jar of honey you’d bought Papyrus the other night. 

It’s something from a local farm. Just some raw honey packed in a jar with a chunk of honeycomb engulfed inside of it. Just the normal stuff for the local section at the grocery store. And the best part is that the cheap label on the front is written in the font ‘Papyrus’. You’re not sure if he’ll even notice the humor in that, but it’s still funny as an inside joke.

You’ve had this kind before and it’s divine. So, hopefully he’ll enjoy it! Especially since he’s such a connoisseur of honey in general.

You grasped the jar between your hoodie-sleeved hands, then tip-toed back around the bed and sat down. You gently extended the jar and smiled, looking toward him.

”should i be concerned?” He suddenly asked and you laughed. 

“Last time I checked, no. Anyway, you can open your eyes now!” You chirped cheerily.

He slowly moved his hands from his skull and the pinpricks in his eye sockets suddenly widened. And just as you’d hoped, his skull suddenly turned a bright orange.

Extremely flustered, h Ke was speechless for a good while. You couldn’t help but grin wider at this. 

“Cat got your tongue?” You giggled and he scratched the back of his neck. 

“i guess this situation is just un-bee-lievably cute.” He winked, then gently extended his hands. 

“aw, shucks. is this for me, honey?”  

“Of course! I just hope it meets your standards!” You gently placed it in his hands.

”I’ve had it before and it’s great, but I know you’re quite the honey pundit. So, it may not be your thing.” 

“nuh-uh uh~” He purred, wagging his finger.

”i’ve never met a honey i didn’t like, sweets.” 

You blushed, then smiled. “That’s good. I’ll be happy as long as you think that this honey is bee-licious!”

“that one was a bit of a stretch, sugar.” He winked, then tapped his phalanges against the glass for a moment.

”love the font choice as well. this jar practically has my name written all over it.” He chuckled, then set the jar aside and shot you two finger guns.

”thank ya, (y/n). that was very kind of you.” He gently took your hand and intertwined your fingers together.

”now...” He grinned, looking straight into your (e/c) gaze. 

“i’d like to address the second element at hand here.” He winked, lifting your hand to his teeth, kissing the top of it gently. 

“What about it?” You blinked up at him innocently, soon leaning your face against your fist. 

“you’re teasing me, aren’t you?” He mimicked your pose, then winked.

“Do you want me to be?” You ran a hand through your hair gently. 

“damn...” He sighed, looking at you intensely for a few moments. 

“i love seeing ya in in my hoodie. ya look so cute.” He let go of your hand, then suddenly pulled you into his lap, purring. 

You instantly turned red as his arms gently wrapped around your waist, his mouth conveniently next to your ear. 

“Why is that, Pap?” You asked, genuinely curious as to why men like this situation so much. 

“i don’t quite know where to start.” He chuckled, burying his skull into the crook of your neck. 

“there are a few reasons. for one, seeing you wear my hoodie reminds me that i’m the luckiest skeleton alive.” He smiled against your neck, his warm breaths causing goosebumps to scatter across your skin. 

“another is, it’s just so loose on you. you look absolutely adorable.” He chuckled. 

“and third? i've said it once, and i’ll say it again. you look hella hot in orange.” 

“now...” His voice deepened for a moment, your heart rate increasing.

”what’s got you so interested in my hoodie, hmmm?” He asked huskily and your blush deepened as he let out a small snicker.

Okay, yeah. You kinda saw that coming. 

“Oh, uhhhh—“ You coughed, playing with your fingers nervously as he placed his chin against your shoulder. 

“quite flustered tonight, aren’t cha?” His husky laugh sounded right beside your ear and you nearly squeaked in surprise. 

“Yes. And you know very well that you’re making me flustered on purpose.” You crossed your arms.

”and? stop avoiding the question, (y/n)~“ He responded smoothly.

”Ugh, fine. But this sounds a bit weird—” You started and Papyrus cut you off.

”that’s okay, i don’t kinkshame~” Papyrus replied. And even if you can’t see him, you can perfectly picture his shit-eating grin.

You rolled your eyes, then gently nudged his side. “Anyway, as I was saying...” 

You cleared your throat, then smiled nervously. “Well, other than it just being super big and comfortable...” You paused, then sighed. 

“It smells like you? And through that I can feel closer to you when you’re away? Shit, does that sound creepy?” You played with your fingers nervously, and he just pulled you closer against his chest. 

“‘course it doesn’t sound creepy. i love that.” He chuckled deeply.

”though, i am quite curious. what do i smell like to you? mmm?” 

“Mostly cigarettes and honey. But there’s some nice ‘dude’ smell mixed in there. I guess it could be cologne?” 

“nah, it’s my aftershave.” 

“Ah, oka—wait you don’t—?” You paused, turning your head as far as you could to see him.

”says who?” 

You actually blinked in confusion for a second. Surely he’s just messing with you. But there’s something so convincing about that tone of voice?

So, you reached around and brushed your hand against his cheekbone softly. 

Nope. Smooth as bone. But, you did get a lovely Papyrus blush out of this, so that’s nice.

”Okay, but why did I believe you for a split second? You don’t even have hair follicles.” You laughed at your own mistake and he moved a hand to rub the back of his head.

”it’s prob ‘cause i got a skele-ton of credibility.” He winked and you let out a playful “Ugh!” in response before you turned back around. 

You gently slipped off of his bony lap, then moved to cuddle up to him. But first, you leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. 

When you both separated, Papyrus smiled. And, even if no specific words were expressed, his intense stare at you in his hoodie speaks for itself. It seems like it really drives him crazy. And to be honest, the continued look is making you more and more flustered. 

Hoo boy. What have you gotten yourself into? This is a lot to take in right now, so you sigh and gently lay your head against his upper rib cage. 

You can still see the fresh image of his intensely colored blush in your mind and it causes you to smile as you lay your arm against his torso. 

And much to your delight, he cuddles you right back before letting out a yawn. 

“welp, guess that’s a sign for it being wayyy past my bedtime.” He chuckled, then leaned up and kissed the top of your head.

”sleep well, (y/n). and don’t let the skeletons bite.” 

You laughed in response to his joke, then shut your eyes. “No promises~” 

He gave your head a gentle noogie as he continued to snicker. “spicy~“ 

You took a deep breath, smiling as you snuggled against his t-shirt. “Goodnight, Papy.” 

“goodnight, (y/n).” He spoke warmly. 

———

Suddenly, you awoke at random. Your eyes snapping open to greet the darkness of your bedroom. 

You blinked in confusion as you looked to the window. It’s still pitch black outside. In fact, it can’t be any later than 3:30 AM. 

You rubbed your eyes as you let out a yawn. 

What the hell woke you up so suddenly? You don’t remember having a nightmare, and there were no thunderstorms in the forecast earlier... so what happened?

You turned around to face Papyrus to see if he had been awakened as well, and that’s when the dots started connecting in your brain. 

He’s not awake, he’s very much asleep. And it’s obviously not a pleasant rest. 

His bones are rattling, he’s sweating, and there’s an uncomfortable sadness lurking on his countenance. 

Papyrus is having a nightmare. And it’s a bad one at the looks of it. 

Your first thought was to attempt to soothe or wake him, but then you remembered hearing that for people with serious past traumas, it’s better to just wait for them to wake up. 

You’re not sure what Papyrus has gone though exactly, but you don’t want your touches or words to bleed into the dream and cause him more discomfort. 

But seeing this is absolutely heartbreaking. Especially as he starts to mumble in his sleep. 

“no, stop!” His voice was shaky, and a lot harder to make out due to his lack of consciousness. 

“you promised—“ He started, but as his mumbling continued on, it got more and more unintelligible. 

He gripped onto your comforter tightly as suddenly, his eye socket began to glow a bright orange. 

This startled you and you couldn’t help but jump at the sudden flash of light. 

His shaking intensified. Growing worse and worse which pained you to watch. 

“no, i cannot go back there! you promised!” Tears were starting to drip from his eye sockets, and that’s when you said ‘fuck it’ and gently began to shake Papyrus. 

It’s clear that he’s in an unfortunately painful nightmare, and you’re not going to just sit here and watch it happen. Even if that’s generally the suggestion, how the hell are you supposed to sit here and watch him suffer through this like it’s fine?

So, you continue to shake him lightly. But nothing promising happens. His expression just contorts as he starts crying more. 

“Papyrus, everything’s going to be okay.” You whisper, then gently move your hand to cup the side of his skull. You gently rubbed his cheekbone with your thumb and he let out a low growl in his sleep, seemingly unaware of your attempted comfort. 

Seeing him like this is quite scary. You wouldn’t want to get on Papyrus’ bad side. He can be absolutely terrifying when he’s angry. And, you haven’t even seen the full side of this conversation. So that’s surely saying something.

“you’re gonna pay for this!” He suddenly snapped which made you jump once again. 

Your frown intensified as he started borderline sobbing. And when you moved your hand from his cheek, suddenly his hand grabbed your wrist roughly. 

“Oh shit.” You managed to whisper. 

“and when i do? you’re gonna beg for my mercy.” His voice was deep and threatening.

You just kinda froze, not wanting to mess with him any more than you already have. After all, you don’t want to get hurt and make him feel guilty when he wakes up. 

“got it, you little brat?!” He growled and suddenly, his grip tightened. This caused you to grimace. 

His grip isn’t extremely painful, but it’s certainly unpleasant. Unpleasant enough that you grit your teeth.

And suddenly, as quick as it’d appeared, Papyrus audibly gasped and his eye socket stopped glowing. He quickly sat up, gasping for air as his bones continued to rattle and shake. 

“Papyrus?” You whispered and he looked to you suddenly, the pinpricks in his eye sockets suddenly reappearing as the grip on your wrist instantly loosened. 

“(y/n)?” He sounded relieved, but his voice was still thick with emotion as he wiped the tears from his cheekbones. 

“Are you alright?” You asked him softly, placing your hand on the side of his face. 

“y-yeah... i—“ he looked to the side, stuttering and unsure of what to say.

You frowned and quickly pulled him into a comforting embrace. In response, he immediately wrapped his arms around you tightly and buried his skull into the crook of your neck. 

And surprising you, he started crying again in your arms.

“Oh, Papyrus... It’s all okay now. You’re safe.” You spoke softly as you rubbed circles on his back. 

And though he remained silent, thankfully his shivering and crying continued to slow as you comforted him. And eventually, he calmed down enough for everything to come to a complete stop. 

You moved your hand to the back of his head and gently massaged his skull before he took a deep, shaky breath. 

It’s so odd to see such a quiet and dejected Papyrus. Especially after seeing his growing rage. They’re both two emotions that he seems to hide well. And seeing them reminds you that you don’t know Papyrus as well as you think you do. 

“Would you like to talk about it? You know I’m all ears, Papy dear.” 

To your relief, you heard him let out a weak chuckle. “nah, i’m good.” 

“You sure? It sounded pretty intense.” 

He pulled away from your arms, then wiped his cheekbones again. His skull is tear-stained and he looks extremely worn out. 

“yeah, sorry about that.” He looked away. 

“but really, i’m sure. i’m over it already.” He chuckled weakly, then shrugged. It’s obvious he’s lying. But, you don’t want to pry. Especially when it may be reopening old wounds.

“Please don’t apologize. It’s nothing that you could control, anyway. And alright, Papyrus. But just know that I’m always here if you need to chat about it.” You gave him a gentle smile, then wiped a stray tear from his face. 

“I love you, Papy. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that tonight.” You leaned up and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek and he looked back at you.

“it happens. i love you too...” He got quiet, then pulled you against his chest again as he pulled your sleeve back and observed your wrist carefully. 

You cocked an eyebrow in confusion, then looked at him. 

“i didn’t hurt you, right? ‘cause god, i’d never forgive myself if i did.” 

“No, no! You’re fine. I’m not hurt at all.” You smiled reassuringly, but his gaze just seemed so empty. He definitely doesn’t believe a word you’re saying. This caused you to frown. 

“You know you can trust me, right? No more lies, remember?” You glanced up at him for a moment, then reached over and took his hand into your own.

”right, right. i’m sorry. i guess i ain’t feelin’ like myself right now.” He laughed weakly and you clicked your tongue. 

“Alright, well. Guess I’ll just have to help you feel better myself then!” You smiled, then relaxed against him. 

“mmm?” 

“You’ll see!” You carefully got out of bed and held up a finger. 

“I’ll be right back.” You spoke, then smiled as you quietly tip-toed to the door opposite of the one leading to your living room. 

You crept through the door into the spare room, then squeezed through the small door leading into the kitchen. In there, you grabbed a spoon, two napkins, and the last of Mrs. Agatha’s cookies. 

After that, you silently made your way back and shut your bedroom door behind you slowly. 

You walked to his side of the bed, then sat on the edge of it for a moment. 

“Alright, I’ll give you this spoon on one condition.” You held up your finger again and he quirked a ‘bone’brow. 

“yeah? what’s that?” 

“You don’t vore it like last time.” 

He snorted, grinning a bit. “aw, come on. it was funny.” 

“and horrifying. you ate my spoon, papyrus!”

He chuckled at this, then nodded. “alright, alright. no more spoon vore.” 

“Good! Now, do enjoy.” You smiled, then handed him the spoon, the jar of honey you gifted him earlier, and Agatha’s cookie. 

“Could you also scooch up a lil for me, please?” You asked him and he nodded, scooting up. 

“I hope back rubs work on skeletons because I have no idea what I’m doing.” You admitted, then laughed as you got up and climbed behind him, gently starting to massage his bony shoulders. 

And to your relief, he immediately responded to your touch, letting out a low hum.

“ya know, i could get used to this.” You could feel his shit-eating grin, and honestly you’ve never been happier to be in its presence. 

“Well I’m more than happy to rub your back whenever you want, but no promises that I’ll continue to advocate 3:40 AM honey.” 

You wrapped your arms around him for a moment, then tapped one of his teeth with your finger. 

“Don’t want any cavities to form on those pretty teeth of yours, do we now?” You gently turned his head to your own and gave him a quick kiss. 

“s’pose you’re right, but 3:40 am honey is so sweet, (y/n)~” He chuckled again, then set the cookie on your side of the bed on top of a napkin. 

“you take the cookie, i know it’s one of your favorites.” 

“Papy, you don’t have to do that. I got it for you.” You moved down and started massaging his upper back.

”come on, i got my fave, so you should have yours. plain and simple logic.” 

You snorted. “Okay, but I seriously got it for you, Pap.”

”too bad. tibia honest, i’m perfectly happy with my two honeys.” He purred slightly, then unscrewed the lid of the jar. 

“Well, if you insist, I’ll eat it.” 

“that’s a good girl~“ 

You nearly choked on your own saliva, your face suddenly turning very red.

He chuckled at this, his demeanor slowly reverting back to the normal mischievous Papyrus that you’re used to seeing. 

And knowing that you have to get back at him, you suddenly leaned close to the side of his skull again. 

“anything for you, papi~” You spoke in a sultry voice and he coughed, seeming quite surprised. Guess he didn’t actually expect you to take him up on his offer. 

“cripes, (y/n). you tryna to kill me?” He spoke, quite flustered.

“Nah, I’d rather invigorate you. And look at you! Orange as a Jack-O’-Lantern on Halloween!” 

“well damn, i’m definitely invigorated.” He spoke plainly, and you couldn’t help but let out a good chuckle. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just too fun to tease you back~” 

You then gave him a quick and gentle peck on his cheek before leaning back. And after massaging his back for a few more seconds, you slipped onto your own side of the bed again. 

Bones feel weird as hell. They’re so bony. Like sure, he’s a skeleton. But could his bones be any less bony? And out of all the massages you’ve given in your life, that has to have been the strangest one yet. Welp, as long as he enjoyed it. 

You took the cookie into your hands, then flipped over to face Papyrus as he slipped the spoon of honey into his mouth. 

“Lemme know if you like it!” You smiled, then took a bite out of your late night snack. 

And much to your delight, he smiled as there seemed to be a twinkle in his eye socket. “holy shit. this tastes heavenly.” He spoke suddenly.

”You really think so?” You smiled, excited that he likes your gift. 

“i am a simple man, (y/n). and this simple man doesn’t lie about his honey.” 

“I’m so glad that you like it! Local honey is honestly the best.” You smiled, then continued to nibble on your cookie. 

And after you both had finished your devil’s hour snacks, Papyrus seemed pretty relaxed. 

But there’s one sad issue at hand here, you can still sense worry coming off of his demeanor. So, you sat back against the headboard of your bed, then pat your thigh.

He let out a chuckle, then tried his best go lay across the bed so his skull could be in your lap. But since he’s literally just a lanky carrot, his legs were dangling over the side of the mattress. 

“This would be a better sentiment if you weren’t so damn long.” 

“that’s what she said.” 

“Papyrus!” You laughed and he winked, looking up at you grinning. 

“sorry, sorry. you had the perfect setup. i had to.” 

He continued to wink and you blew a playful raspberry as you scrunched up your nose. 

But, after a few more chuckles, the room went silent once again. You gently scratched the side of his skull as you shut your eyes, craving the rest of your nightly slumber. 

But, Papyrus’ voice soon had your eyes opening once again. 

“(y/n)?” He suddenly asked and you let out a gentle “Hm?” in response. 

He hesitated as you looked down at him, your gazes meeting. But, he glanced away for a second as he let out a breathy sigh. 

“do you feel safe around me?” He suddenly asked, his tone sounding far more concerned than usual. 

“Of course! I’ve never felt safer than when I’m with you.” You gave him a gentle smile as you gently stroked his cheekbone with your thumb. 

He shut his eyes dismally, seeming very lethargic. 

“you sure?” He asked softly.

You continued your comforting touch, trying your best to reassure him. 

“I wouldn’t lie to you. Of course I’m sure.” You leaned down and kissed his forehead. 

“sorry, sorry. rough night.” He let out a weak chuckle, then opened one eyelid.

“You’re fine, Papyrus. I understand.” You leaned back.

”i guess i’m just not fond of the idea of you having to deal with me when i’m like this. especially since you have your own problems, heh.” 

“Papyrus, it’s okay to not be okay. And who would I be if I wasn’t here for you? We all have our struggles, and that doesn’t make me see you any lesser.” 

“In fact, you’ve been here with me through so much. I hate seeing you so down in the dumps. And you need to know that no matter what your mental health status is, I’ll always love you the same amount.” You spoke comfortingly. And thankfully, the truth and honesty in your voice seemed to make him smile a tad. 

“thank ya, honey. i think in general, i haven’t been this happy in ages. so, i’m really scared that all this may disappear one day.” 

“Disappear? And leave you? Hell no.” You smiled then playfully pinched his cheekbones—well, as much as bone can be squished. 

“This is your life now, Papyrus. You’ve made it to the surface, and you’re here to stay. And for that, I am so thankful.” 

He gently swatted your hand away from his cheekbones, then chuckled. “yeah. i’m thankful for that too. but, i still cannot help but worry that one day it’ll all be snatched away. just the trauma i guess.”

“That’s some really unfortunate trauma. I’m sorry that you have to worry about such a scary thought.” You frowned, then he sat up and shrugged. 

“it’s whatever. now, i’ve kept you up long enough. it’s nearly 4:00 am now. let’s get you back to bed, hmmm?” He stretched, then climbed back in bed and pulled you against himself so that he could spoon you. 

“You sure? I can continue to talk if you need to!” You spoke, but then yawned immediately after and he chuckled beside your ear. 

“doesn’t sound like that’s the case~“ He teased as he wrapped his arms around you. 

“I can make it work.” You couldn’t help but let out a small snicker, and he hummed a gentle “nuh-uh.” close to your ear once again. 

“get some rest. you need it.” He gently gave you a toothy kiss on your cheek, then settled down against his pillow. 

“plus, i’ll be fine. i’ll see you in the morning, (y/n).” He spoke quietly and you smiled as you relaxed against his warmth. 

“Alright, Papy. You’d better sleep too though.” You raised an eyebrow and he chuckled. 

“gotcha boss. i’ll try my best. i am bone tired, after all.”

”Alright, good. Now, goodnight Paps!” You chuckled at his pun, then shut your eyes as he pulled you a tad bit closer.

”goodnight, honeybee.” He whispered in response.

---------------------------------------------

With the sudden sound of your alarm fresh in your ears, your eyes snapped open and you reached over to turn it off sleepily. 

If only you didn’t have work today. But, you’ve taken enough off days already. So, you can’t really complain. 

You grab your phone and take a few moments to wake up. It’s also a good time to do some things that are on your to-do list as well. So, you click over to your text messages and click on Muffet’s response from last night. 

“Hello, dearie! Grillby is doing much better! He’s taking his time to recuperate and such. And, I’m alright as well! Thanks for checking in on us.” 

“Of course! I’m happy to hear that you’re both doing well!” You quickly wrote back, then yawned.

You need to call Mr. Smith about Sans’ ‘situation’ as well, but it’s obvious that you can’t call him while Papyrus is sleeping beside you. So, you sigh and quietly begin to get out of bed to call him elsewhere.

But just as you expected, Papyrus pulled you back against himself in retaliation. 

“noooo, not again—“ He whined raspily, his morning voice particularly noticeable today. 

“I’m sorryyy.” You whined in return.

“come onnn, you’re so warm and cute!” He continued to playfully whine. 

“Can I please continue being warm and cute another time? I gotta get ready.”

He paused silently, his spooning still holding you against himself firmly as he pondered your suggestion.

”fineee, but only because you asked nicely.” His deeper morning voice was actually giving you butterflies. Who gave him the right to be this sexy?

He gently rolled away from you, releasing you from his hold and you smiled, getting out of bed. You stretched, then let out another yawn. 

“Thank you, Paps.” You turned and smiled at him, then walked to your closet. 

“‘course, (y/n).” 

You threw him a thumbs-up, then began to dig through the contents of your closet. Eventually you settled on some black jeans, a white tee, and a white and black Buffalo plaid button up. After that, you fetched your undergarments and headed to the bathroom. 

“I’m off to shower. See ya in a bit!” You turned your head and waved at Papyrus.

“cya, honey.” He dipped his head at you, then picked up his phone. 

You finished your walk down the hall, then headed inside the bathroom, shut the door, and set your clothes down. Now’s the perfect time to call Noah.

So, you swiftly pull up his number, then call. 

After a few seconds of ringing, the phone got picked up and you heard his familiar voice speak. “Hello?” 

“Hey, Mr. Smith! It’s me, (Y/N).” 

“Ah, good morning, (Y/N). How may I help you?” He asked and you smiled at his friendly tone. 

“Can I ask for a favor? It’s nothing to do with me, but rather Papyrus’ brother, Sans.” 

“Yes of course! What’s going on?” He asked. 

“So, Sans ended up being physically assaulted yesterday by a stranger on the street. He doesn’t want his brother to know, so I offered to talk to you about getting someone to take his statements and such.” You responded and you could hear him let out a sad sigh. 

“Is the poor chap okay? That must’ve shaken him up quite a bit.” He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. 

“Yes, thankfully he escaped before things got too bad. He was definitely shaken up though.” You sighed.

”Well, I’m glad to hear that he’s doing alright, but we need to get that asshole off the streets. So, I’ll make sure to organize him an interview and such. Can you text me his number?” He asked.

”Yes! Of course. Thank you, this is very kind of you!” 

“It’s my job, (Y/N).” He laughed. 

“I know, but you could just turn me away and tell me to call the non emergency line instead.” You pointed out. 

“That is true, but I couldn’t do that to you guys. I’d like to see this through myself to make sure that you and your friends stay as safe as possible.” 

“Well, that’s very sweet of you, Noah. Thank you very much. We’ll make it up to you!” 

“No, no! You’re fine. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do. You don’t need to pay my kindness back.” 

“Aw, hush. We’re gonna do it anyways. No turning it down, Noah.” You leaned against your sink and he chuckled again.

”Alright, alright. If you insist.” 

“If that’ll be all, then I’ll get straight on it.” He continued and you ran a hand through your hair.

”That’s it! Really, thank you so much. I’ll get that phone number to you immediately.” You replied cheerily. 

“It’s my pleasure, (Y/N)! Now, you have a good day!” 

“You as well, Noah!”

“Thank you!” 

And after you’d said your goodbyes, you set your phone down on the counter and began to get ready for work. 

And, 40 minutes later, you were ready to go. So, you grabbed your bag and started to head to the door when you felt a hand on your shoulder. 

“allow me. don’t mind if we take a shortcut, do ya now?” 

“Nah. I’ve kinda gotten used to the convenience. So, go ahead.” You laughed, then he gently took your hand and intertwined your fingers, twirling you around so you’d face him. 

“there we are, that’s better.” He winked and you smiled.

He’s dressed in black sweatpants with a white stripe down each side and a black t-shirt with Shrek on it that says “get shrekt”. 

You smiled at his shirt, then looked up at him. “Same agreement as per usual?” 

“see, you’re learning. that’s good.” He winked again, then laughed. 

“Of course! Well, I’m ready to go when you are. And you can bet your ass that my eyes aren’t even closing for a second.” 

“oh? challenging yourself, i see. well, let’s see if you can do it.” 

He took your other hand, then suddenly, the ground left your feet. Things flashed white before they faded into black as the familiar feeling of free falling enveloped you. And keeping true to your word, you kept your eyes open. 

Pretty soon, your feet met the ground again and Papyrus immediately steadied you as you started to wobble from the sudden impact. Reality’s back, thankfully enough. That black void is quite boring. 

You’re in the all too familiar alley near Muffet’s. This is where he always likes to teleport from.

”Think we got enough time to have breakfast again?”

”there’s always enough time for breakfast.” He winked, then you let go of one of his hands and began leading him to Muffet’s with the other.

”Fair enough. Let’s go. I want some oatmeal.” You smiled as you started dragging him along faster and he chuckled.

“ya tryin to pull my arm out of socket?” He joked and you laughed in response.

”Sorry, I’m just so damn hungry.” 

“s’all good. i'm pretty hungry too, tibia honest. honey doesn’t stick with me for long.”

You giggled at his jokes, then pulled him along to the door of Muffet’s. 

“Muffin will make me happier than getting this sweet goodness.”

He chuckled heartily and you beamed as you opened the door for him, stepping aside. “Go on ahead.” 

“thank ya.” He grinned, then walked inside and you followed suit. 

“Of course!” You replied as you caught up to him, trying your best to keep up with his long strides. 

And that’s when Muffet came in from the back. She smiled immediately and waved. “Good morning, dearies! How may I help you?” She asked as she rolled over to the counter. 

Once you both made it to her, Papyrus learned on one hip.

”we’re just grabbin’ some grub before (y/n)’s shift.” 

“Ah! Well, what can I get you two today?” Muffet responded, adjusting her glasses. 

“I’d like a bowl of Cinnamon Spider Oatmeal, a banana nut muffin, and an iced coffee, please.” You replied, smiling. 

“and i’d like an americano, two chocolate chocolate chip muffins, and my usual.” He winked as he delivered his last request which made Muffet let out an annoyed sigh. 

“Alright, will that be all?” She asked, looking back and forth between you two. 

“I believe so!” You smiled and nodded.

”Alright, that’ll be $12.69.” Muffet replied and as you fixed to pull out your wallet, Papyrus nudged you. 

“nice.” 

Of course he went there. And in the process of facepalming at his remark, he swiftly took charge -against your permission- and paid for the food instead. 

As soon as you noticed this, you crossed your arms and lifted an eyebrow as you looked up at him. “You’re one slick bastard, aren’t you?” 

“hell yeah.” He shot you finger guns, then turned back to Muffet. 

“ya can keep the change as well.” He replied and she dipped her head. 

“Thank you! Now, you two go ahead and sit down. I’ll have your food at your table in a jiffy!” She dipped her head, then rolled over to prepare your breakfasts. 

“welp, where do ya wanna sit?” He asked as he turned to face the many tables. 

You looked around, then pointed to an empty booth in the middle of the café. “That one seems good.” 

“good choice. it looks pretty lonely, ey?” 

“Yeah.” You let out a small giggle, then took his hand and walked him to the booth, sitting on the right side as he sat on the left. 

“You think Maia and Sans remembered to set their alarms, right?” You asked and Papyrus nodded. 

“i doubt sans could forget, and i’m sure he’ll wake up maia. so, they’re probably covered. but, just in case, i’ll call sans after we eat to make sure they’re up and at ‘em.” 

“That’s fair. Sans gives me the impression that he has a set schedule that he follows to the T every day.” 

Papyrus chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “well, you’re not wrong. he more or less does. except on the rare occasion he gets up at 4:00 am to workout.”

“Workout, huh? What does that entail for such a small skeleton?” You asked curiously. 

“the usual stuff. ya know, push-ups, runnin’ on the treadmill, deadlifting—“ 

“Hold the phone, did you just say Sans deadlifts?” 

“yup.” 

“How the hell does he manage that?” You asked, your eyes open wide with surprise. 

“magic~” He grinned, then his gaze flicked up to Muffet as she rolled over.

”Here you two are! Please do enjoy!” Muffet smiled as she set all your food and drinks down swiftly. 

“Thank you! We will!” You smiled and dipped your head before she roller skated away. 

“Okay, but for real, I guess your bones must be way stronger than ours?” 

“yeah. it’s mostly due to our magic, but calcium is also a family tonic for us as well.” He laughed, then took his coffee and took a sip. 

“Wait, so you’re probably pretty strong too then, right?” You asked, your interest piqued. 

“yeah, you could probably say that. nowhere near as strong as sans, but when he makes me, i can deadlift too.” 

“That sounds pretty hot, not gonna lie.” You lifted an eyebrow, looking up at him as you took a sip of your own coffee.

He chuckled, then dipped his head. “well, maybe i’ll just have to show ya what i can do one of these days, ey?” 

“Uh, hell yeah? Is that even a question?” You giggled as well, then you both toasted your drinks and started eating breakfast together. 

And it’s quite the pleasant experience. You’re so thankful that Papyrus is feeling much happier this morning. You can only hope that it’ll stay like this for the rest of the day. After all, he means the world to you and you hate seeing him so melancholic. He really deserves all of the happiness that the world could possibly provide. So, you hate that life sells him so short. He really doesn’t deserve that.

Chapter Text

Breakfast with Papyrus was an absolute blessing. He is the sweetest man you’ve ever met, and this was the perfect way to start the day. 

You both spoke about life back home. And that was definitely focused more on Papyrus’ former life in the underground. 

He told you of the ever snowy “Snowdin”, the ever hot “Hotland”, the ever wet “Waterfall”, and the ever homey “New Home”.

You can tell just by these four areas that someone definitely sucks at naming things. 

Well, okay. Snowdin is a pun, and therefore is very clever… But, it still lacks some originality. 7/10.

Now, if Papyrus had named it, it’d instantly receive a 10/10. And that’s not just because you’re biased, it’s just that anything that exits that skeleton’s mouth is somehow 10x funnier than when spoken by anyone else.

…

Okay, maybe you are a bit biased. But, hey! He’s funny as hell!  

But, that’s besides the point. 

You enjoyed your time with Papyrus to the fullest extent, so when he had to leave, you were pretty bummed. Though, you tried your best to not let your gloom show to your customers. After all, you don’t wanna influence anyone’s mood negatively. So, you tried your best to stay as much on the positive side as you could.

“(Y/N), can you get me the newest batch of Boston cream donuts out of the kitchen?” Muffet suddenly asked, tearing your mind from your thoughts. 

“Yeah, of course!” You smiled, then used your heelies to glide into the back smoothly. 

You quickly fetched them, and by the time you rolled back out to put them in the display case, you saw a familiar face. 

The details are a bit fuzzy, but as you study his appearance, you soon realize who it is. 

It’s the guy who stood up to Audrey at her march a few days ago. And of course, it’s also the same guy who saved your ass from being beaten to smithereens by your ex-friend.

What was his name-? 

You froze, blushing in embarrassment as you couldn’t recall his name. 

So, before he had the chance to notice you, you ducked behind the counter and began to carefully add the donuts into the display case with a pair of tongs. 

You literally invited this guy to come by Muffet’s, how the hell did you forget his name???

You heard his footsteps approach the counter and you mouthed a swear.

”Good morning, sir! How may I help you?” Muffet suddenly asked him as you continued placing the donuts in their case. 

Muffet might’ve just saved your ass. God bless her. 

“Same to you! Just wondering, by any chance, is (Y/N) here?” He suddenly asked, smiling. 

Okay, never mind. 

“Yes! She’s actually right down here!” Muffet giggled. Them looked down to you. 

You quickly put the rest of the donuts up, then sprang up to face him. You’re just gonna have to do this. And, you have an idea on how to get his name again. 

“Hello! It’s nice to see you again!” You smiled, reaching back and placing the pan behind you. 

“Welcome to Muffet’s! Muffet, this is—“ You paused.

Okay you only have one chance to not fuck this up in any way. You can do this. 

“Pardon me, but what was your name?” You asked. 

He seemed a bit taken aback, but you can definitely fix this. 

“My name’s Ryan.” He spoke flatly. 

But, you shook your head suddenly. “No, no! I meant your surname.” You gave him a reassuring smile and his eyes lit up again. 

You’re not even sure if he ever told you his last name, but thank God that this life hack worked.

”Oh! My last name is Russo. Ryan Russo.” He smiled, then gestured to the menu.

"Well then, Muffet, this is Ryan Russo!" 

"It's nice to meet you, Ryan." She dipped her head and smiled.

He nodded in acknowledgment with a smile in return, then turned to you.

“So, what do you recommend from here?” He asked and you gave it a long thought.

”For food, I recommend the banana nut muffin, or the spidey oatmeal. As for drinks, nothing quite beats a nice iced mocha!” You smiled, then leaned against the counter. 

“What’ll it be, then?” You asked.

He tapped a finger on his chin as he hummed in thought. “You know what? I’ll take the banana nut muffin and the iced mocha. I trust your judgment!”

Okay, great. No pressure at all!

“Alright! Will do!” You beamed, then turned and looked at the clock.

”I have my break in about 8 minutes. We can chat then if you’d like!” You suggested and he gave you a thumbs-up.

”Sounds good!” He replied.

”It’s been wonderful to meet you, Ryan! Since you’re one of (Y/N)‘s friends, I’ll give you a 20% discount.” Muffet flashed him a kind smile, then toyed around with the register. 

“Now, that’ll be $3.24. Will that be cash or credit?” Muffet asked.

”Cash is fine! Thank you very much, Miss Muffet!” He spoke as he pulled his wallet out of the pocket of his ripped black skinny jeans. 

He pulled out a $5 bill, then slid it over on the counter. You took this moment to look over his tattoo sleeve. The centerpiece of which seemed to be a beautifully colored and shaded portrait of a Roman centurion. 

“You’re most welcome! I hope you come by again sometime soon! Here is your change.” She carefully handed him his change, and you went to start on his order.

You fetched his muffin, then fixed his iced mocha. And once you were done, you handed the tray to Muffet. She carried it to him so you could finish off your last couple minutes of work before your break.

And in doing that, you took two more orders, fixed them, and then delivered them. 

But once that was over with, you were ready for your break. So you grabbed a cup of water, and then headed over to Ryan’s table. 

Hopefully this meeting goes well. You don’t want him crawling back to Audrey, after all. 

But, judging on how Audrey is hopefully in jail right now, that is not super likely to happen. That is, if she hasn't been bailed out.

”Good morning, Ryan! You enjoying your food?” You asked, smiling as you sat across from him.

”Very much so, (Y/N)! You made some great suggestions.” He smiled in return, then took a sip of his coffee. 

“I'm so glad!” You gave him a thumbs up and then looked around. 

“So, I know that you’re interested in the Monster Rights movement, so would you be interested in joining me and my friend’s counter-anti group?” You asked and he nodded. 

“I really was hanging with the wrong crowd before, and I feel like it’s the least I could do to make up for my wrongdoings. So, of course.” He dipped his head and you smiled. 

“Moving past one's mistakes is very important, so I am ecstatic that you are willing to take that leap.” You replied, then pulled your phone from your pocket. 

“We are still figuring out all the details for our organization, so would you mind if I gave you my number so I can let you know the info when the time comes?”

”Not at all. Here, take my phone.” He slid his phone over to you. 

“Thanks!” You picked it up, then started on your way to add your number. But, before you could swipe to the phone application, you took note of his phone background. 

It was of him and an absolutely beautiful white and brown Pitbull Terrier. And as you continued to observe his dog, you noticed his tags were showing. And thanks to that, you saw his name. 

“Otto is literally the cutest! He looks so sweet!” You glanced up at Ryan and he smiled, laughing. 

“Trust me, he is. He is the friendliest dog I’ve ever met.” He responded. 

“How old is he?” You asked curiously as you finally started adding your number into his phone. 

“I’m not entirely sure since I got him from a shelter, but we think he’s around 6 now.”

“That’s lovely! I’m sure he appreciated you giving him a second chance.” You smiled, then slid back his phone. 

“He certainly seems like it.” He laughed, then took his phone back. He swiftly sent you a text, then took another sip of his coffee.

”So, you were friends with Audrey, right?” He suddenly asked and you nodded, letting out a quick “Mmhm!”.

”Well, how exactly did you escape that?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“Well, by chance I ran into two skeletons one day. And honestly, my life hasn’t been quite the same since.” You laughed, then scratched the back of your neck. 

“The two skeletons, Sans and Papyrus, showed me true kindness. And they introduced me to a bunch of their other friends, even despite knowing I had a shifty past and had been hanging out with the wrong crowd.” You explained.

”There’s a whole lot more, but I don’t want to bore you. Just know I am incredibly thankful for how those two were placed in my life. It caused a chain reaction of good, and if they hadn’t ever appeared—“ You trailed off, remembering how close you were to being subjected to Austin’s will. 

“Well, let’s just say I’m not sure I’d ever make it this far.” 

“Ah. I don’t know what kind of situation you were in, but I’m glad you made it out. I’ll have to take notes because Grace is still calling me.” He sighed, then leaned back. 

“I think the best option there is to just block her. She’s not worth your time.” You responded.

”You’re probably right.”

You took a glance at your phone’s time, then quickly chugged the rest of your water. “Alright, I gotta dash. But, I thank you for actually coming! I’ll make sure to text you as soon as we have completed our planning!” You smiled, then stood up. 

“Thank you, (Y/N)! Have a nice day!” He smiled, then ran a hand through his brown locks. 

“Same to you, Ryan!” You spoke as you jogged back behind the counter.

And swiftly thereafter, you washed your hands, then rolled back to your station. 

And after another hour or so of taking orders, a new figure walked in that immediately caught your attention. 

It’s a young woman with bright, pastel pink hair done up in double Dutch braids that divide into pigtails. She’s around 5’7” or so, and she’s dressed in a white t-shirt underneath a black overall dress. With that, she’s also wearing a pair of black tights, and a pair of black heeled boots. 

As she walked to the counter, she adjusted her circle-framed glasses and glanced up at the menu. Her green eyes danced around for a few moments before she stopped and turned to you, smiling. She seems rather reserved, but not to the point of nervousness. 

And right as she was about to speak, she froze. Her eyebrows furrowed, obviously pondering something. She thought for a few moments until her eyes widened with whatever realization she'd made. 

"Sorry for my delay in ordering, but I just knew that I've seen you before! You're (Y/N), right?" She suddenly asked. 

“Yep! That’s me. Why?”

”Well, I was at lunch with my friend Evony the other day when she mentioned you and then showed me how you’d ended up in the paper.” She began to explain. 

“And she went on to tell me about your upcoming plans for the organization and let me tell you, I am so excited for this. It’s exactly what this city needs!” She beamed, her quiet nature slowly melting away. 

“If you ever need a helping hand, I’d be more than happy to help you out as well!” She added.

”Oh! Well, we really appreciate that! We need all the support we can get in this current climate.” You responded, then sighed as you shifted your weight onto one hip. 

“Oh, don’t even get me started on that.” She sighed, then shook her head. “The world would be so much more peaceful if people just accepted those different from them."

“I fully agree with you—“ You paused, realizing this girl’s a complete stranger and you have no idea what her name is. 

“Oh, goodness! I am so sorry.” She blushed in embarrassment, then laughed.

”My name’s Maci, and it’s wonderful to meet you!” She stuck out her hand, smiling cheerily. 

You smiled in return, then shook her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, Maci!” You paused for a moment, noting another customer walking in the door.

”Well, I have to cut our chat short, but when I give you your food, I’ll be sure to give you my number. We can continue our conversation there.” You dipped your head and she nodded.

”Of course! Uhm, I guess I should go ahead and order now.” She stated nervously, rubbing the side of her neck. 

“Take your time, Maci.” You gave her a reassuring smile and she adjusted her glasses, seemingly getting a bit more pep in her step. 

“May I get an iced vanilla chai latte and an original glazed spider donut?” She asked as she glanced up at the menu.

”Of course! And will that be all for today?” 

“Yep! Other than your number of course!” She paused, covering her mouth as she laughed. 

“Sorry, I get a bit anxious when talking to new people. I didn’t mean for that to sound so flirty.” She apologized with a bit of humor in her tone. 

You really can’t help but appreciate and respect the way that she doesn’t condemn herself for her mistakes. Instead of shaming herself, she chooses to laugh her mishaps off. It’s a quality that you can’t help but aspire to have. 

“You’re all good! Don’t even sweat it.” 

You punched all the info into the cash register and glanced up at her. “Your total’s gonna be $4.02. Will that be cash or credit? And will that be for here or to go?” 

“Credit, please! And I’ll take it to go.” She took her wallet out of her bag, then swiftly paid for the food. 

“Alright, Maci! Thank you! I’ll have that out to you in just a few minutes!” 

“Thank you, (Y/N)! Cya!” She waved, then went and temporarily sat at a booth. 

And with that, Muffet walked back outside of her office and you both traded places. This gave you the opportunity to fix Maci’s food whilst Muffet helped the next customer. 

And once you were done, you glided over to the table and set down her latte and donut in a bag. 

“I put my number on a sticky note on the wrapper to your donut. Do text me any time!” You smiled.

”I very much appreciate it, thanks! I’ll see you around.” She dipped her head, then picked up her stuff. 

“Of course! See ya!” You waved, then rolled back behind the counter and helped Muffet make the next order. 

And this order is bonkers, mind you. It’s an office asking for three dozen donuts, two dozen black coffees, 8 espresso shots, and weirdly enough, one single blueberry muffin.

The boss is probably trying to sneak that one.

And you can't really blame them for that. Blueberry muffins rock. 

---------------------------------------------

The rest of the work day went very well, and when it came to closing time, Maia picked you up.

On the schedule? Get takeout and then head back to your place to hang out. Papyrus is also supposed to swing by your apartment later tonight to drop off some dessert that Sans made Maia.

Sadly Sans can’t do it himself since he’s working the night shift tonight, but either way Maia will absolutely appreciate it. And hell, you will too. 

But the good news for Maia and Sans is that they got a pleasant surprise. Sans apparently had the afternoon off, so they got to spend it together. From what Maia’s told you, it was lovely. They ended up making tacos together for lunch and went on a walk to the Park. 

Apparently Sans ended up swinging Maia on one of the swings and he made sure to push her as far up as he possibly could. She told you that she could see the bottoms of the swing set lifting off of the ground. It was apparently “scary, yet invigorating”.

But, eventually Maia and Sans split up for the day and he must’ve gone home to fix her a special treat as a present. Now that’s absolutely sweet as hell. You can’t help but admit that you’re a bit jealous, but who wouldn’t be? It’s a fucking dessert!

Anyways though, you and Maia agreed to get food from a place called “Muffler’s”. You’d never eaten there before, but she said that her dad had recommended it. So, why not try it out? 

It was only around 6 minutes from Muffet’s and 9 minutes from your apartment, so the idea wasn’t too out there. And once you both arrived, you quickly got out and went inside to order it to go. 

The man at the counter was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked to have quite the strength to him. He was in his mid-50s, had thinning grey hair, a salt and pepper goatee, and was wearing a camo baseball hat, a blue plaid short sleeve button up, and blue jeans. 

His name tag stated that his name was “Joe”, and it definitely rang accurate. This man was definitely a Joe.

But once again, that’s besides the point. The joint sold classic American foods, so it wasn’t anything too special. But, you ordered one of your favorite American classics, (F/A/C), and Maia got a cheeseburger and fries. More specifically, a cheeseburger all the way with bacon on the side.

And thankfully, they weren’t that busy so your food was ready within 8 minutes or so. And once you both received it, you rushed home to chow down. 

And pretty soon, you both walked into your apartment and shut the door. Maia grabbed a Coke from the fridge and you got a glass of water. 

“Hey, what do you want to watch?” Maia asked as she grabbed her laptop, putting it on top of your coffee table.

You walked over and sat on the sofa beside her, handing her a napkin. 

“I don’t know, uhm. Maybe some kind of cultural documentary?” You suggested and she suddenly clapped her hands together which caused you to jump and choke on your own saliva a bit.

”Aha!” She paused, then cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.” She giggled, then placed her hand on your lower thigh and pat it.

”Anyways! Asgore was telling me that one of the first documentaries about the human and monster war was released about a week ago. Do you want to watch it?” She asked and you smiled, immediately nodding as you handed Maia her food.

”Of course! That sounds really interesting! I want to learn more about monster history, so this is a perfect idea! It’s from an unbiased source, right?” You responded.

“Yep! Backed in fact and co-produced by Babs Bun, a historian and veteran from said war.”

”babs bun, huh?” 

You nearly screamed and threw your food across the room as you suddenly heard the new voice. 

Thank God you have a good grip.

”Papyrus, what the hell? Can’t you at least randomly appear outside of my door and knock?” You spoke whilst still in shock.

You looked to Maia who was clutching her chest with wide green eyes. He must’ve spooked her tons as well.

”yeah, ‘course. but it’s funny to mess with ya.” He winked, then walked over to Maia. 

“here’s sans’ gift, kid. he worked on it this afternoon with asgore.” He held out a cake holder and Maia took it into her hands eagerly. 

“What is it?” She asked as she stared at it with desire.

"i dunno." He shrugged.

"Open it!" You urged, suddenly getting hungry for cake.

"Yes! Screw Muffler's, I only care about cake right now!" Her eyes twinkled as she let the carrier rest on her thighs.

She carefully unclipped the sides of the cover and lifted the lid.

"Lemon pound cake? How in the world did he know my favorite type of cake?!" She gasped. 

“Either he’s stalking you or—“ 

Maia suddenly cut you off.

“ASGORE!” 

“Asgore-?” You immediately replied, lifting one eyebrow in confusion.

”Yes! I bet your ass that goat dad absolutely spilled the beans!” She exclaimed and you snorted.

”Goat dad?” You questioned suddenly and she looked at you, nodding.

”Uh, yeah? Got a better nickname?” She challenged jokingly and Papyrus clicked his tongue.

”hey, as long as it isn’t ‘goat daddy’, right?” He remarked and Maia immediately whipped to face him.

”What the hell, Papyrus? Ew!” She recoiled in disgust as she began packaging the cake up again.

”I’ve lost my cake appetite now, thanks.” 

You stifled a laugh, then turned to face Papyrus again.

”you’re welcome.” He rasped, then raised the plastic cup that was in his hand up to his mouth. You’d never noticed that he was holding it before, but it looks to contain lemonade. Perhaps some kid was selling some on the way over.

“What do you have there?” You asked curiously.

”this?” He gestured to the cup and you nodded your head.

“just some lemonade.” He casually took another sip, then gestured with it. 

“fresh from the tap.” He continued.

You furrowed your eyebrows, then waved your hand. “Wait.” 

“Papyrus, lemonade doesn’t come from a tap.” You continued.

He froze for a moment. 

“freshly squeezed—“ He murmured, trailing off as you laughed.

“Gotcha. Anyway, Maia and I are about to watch Babs Bun’s documentary about the human and monster war, wanna join?” You asked and he thought for a moment.  

“i guess it’d be interesting to hear the complete story, so why not?” He replied, then took another sip of his drink.

”Great! This’ll be fun. They don’t teach you this shit in school.” You spoke and Maia nodded in agreement.

”well, at least in human schools. the war was oftentimes the main focus of our social studies classes.” Papyrus commented.

”Damn, I wish we would’ve had that in ours. I thought the whole ‘Monsters living under Mt. Ebott’ thing was some fairytale-conspiracy theory hybrid.” Maia admitted.

"Same. It was like the fall of Atlantis in my mind." You admitted.

"i suppose that from a broader point of view, i can see how mystical the concept of 'monsters' would be to humans. but the real issue is, humans hated us enough to let our existence fade into obscurity." He clicked his tongue, then walked over to the chair adjacent to the couch. 

"Yeah, that is pretty messed up, isn't it?" You looked down, then got your food out of the paper bag. 

"It is. Especially with how people nowadays are looking into their ancestral history to see if their distant relatives fought against the monsters back in the war." Maia murmured. 

"You mean Grace?" You laughed, remembering how she'd justify her intolerance of the monsters. 

"Pfft, yeah. But sadly, she's just one of many." Maia responded and you nodded. 

"Well, actually... There was this story that I remember a distant relative telling me when I was at family reunions as a kid. I always chocked it up to nonsense, but considering the reality of things, I wonder if it was true." You began to speak and Maia leaned forward in interest. 

"oh? and what's that?" Papyrus asked curiously. 

"Apparently there was a rare female commander in the war and she got captured by the opposing side. And in a twist of fate, she ended up falling in love with the monster in charge of studying and interviewing her. Legend has it that her monster lover singlehandedly changed her viewpoint on the war and she dropped out of her position. This of course brought accusations of treason upon her, but she vehemently denied them out of fear." You spoke and Maia's eyes widened. 

"Do you think there's any merit to the story?" She asked and you shrugged. 

"I'm not sure. Papyrus, you ever heard of it before?" 

You turned to him and he looked quite frankly uncomfortable. But, not in a super obvious way. 

He scratched the back of his neck. "well, it's not a myth. it really did happen. and it certainly made its mark on our society." He murmured, then reached his hand in his pocket to get a toothpick.

Okay then, that's your sign to never mention that again. It's clearly made Papyrus extremely uneasy, and that's something you don't wanna make worse. So, to give Maia a hint, you poked her leg and shook your head.

Papyrus was distracted, so hopefully he didn't notice. 

"Ah, well that's cool to know! Thanks for confirming that for me!" You spoke with a smile and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"'course, (y/n)." He spoke before promptly popping the piece of wood between his teeth.

And as you moved onto the next topic, he seemed relieved. Thank God you’re beginning to learn Papyrus signals and quirks.

And after a few more moments, Maia clapped her hands together and rubbed them together vigorously. “Alright, let’s get this party going. Our food’s getting cold.” She spoke as she unwrapped her cheeseburger. 

“Fair enough.” You laughed as she leaned forward and pulled up the documentary. 

“Well, honey, would you like any of my fries?” You asked Papyrus suddenly and he smirked. 

“if you’re offerin’ me some, then sure.” 

“Papyrus, I swear to God, if you eat them all, you’ll get no honey for a month.” You threatened whilst narrowing your (e/c) eyes.

“since when were you the one allowed to make the rules~?”

You suddenly flushed red and he snickered. 

“Aw, shut up.” You jokingly threw a fry at him and to your utter surprise, it flew right into his eye socket. His pinpricks immediately disappeared and he stiffened. 

“Oh shit.” You snorted, laughing as he stiffly moved his hand to his face, pulling it out slowly. 

“Didn’t mean for it to go there, but it’s not my fault you have so many holes in your face.” You joked.

He popped the fry into his mouth and you cringed.

“fair enough. but don’t you even dare fry that again.” He shot you finger guns and you let out a giggle. 

You quickly put some fries into your takeout container, then passed the fry box to Papyrus. “Enjoy.”

”i will make sure to.” He winked. And then Maia finally sat back again, taking a big bite out of her burger. 

And despite still having food in her mouth, she began to speak again. “Alright you two lovebirds, cut it out. It’s documentary time.” She smirked, then set her PC back a bit further away. This ensured that the three of you could still all watch the same laptop screen at the same time, despite being in different places.

"Alright, alright. I'll quit." You smiled, then took a bite of your food. 

"let's get this thing goin'." Papyrus swiftly finished his drink and you shot up. 

"Wait! My hostess senses are tingling. Papyrus, what do you want to drink?" You suddenly asked and Maia playfully groaned, slumping back against the couch dramatically. 

Papyrus chuckled, then leaned back in his chair. "i'll take a glass of water, i'm in a recycling mood today."

"'Recycling mood', huh? Well, that's one way to put it." You laughed, then started walking to the kitchen. 

"I'll just be a second, then we can really begin our history lesson." You spoke and Papyrus mischievously corrected you. 

"history refresher for some of us." 

"Thank you, Papyrus. We didn't need a reminder that human education sucks ass." You spoke, then snickered as you bounded into the kitchen, heading to the cabinet and pulling out a cup. 

"Do you like ice in your drink, Papyrus?" 

"yeah, i think that ice is pretty cool." 

"Papyrus, was that really the best you had?" Maia asked with some scorn in her tone

"maia, why are you acting so cold?"

You shook your head and shoved some ice cubes into his glass, then turned to watch the two as you waited for his cup to fill up with water.

"Oh my God, Papyrus." She started laughing and he held up a single French fry and started wagging it at her. 

"maia, this is snow laughing matter." He scolded, but of course, he was grinning at his own pun.

The glass finished filling up, so you made your way back to the sofa and leaned over, handing the cup to Papyrus. 

"Is your pun streak over now?" You asked with humor in your tone.

"prec-ice-ly." He winked as he popped the now flaccid fry into his mouth. 

Maia, who was currently taking a sip of her Coke suddenly snorted, causing her to start coughing violently which made you start dying of laughter, sliding down against the back of the couch. 

"oh honey, don't perish of laughter. you know I only have ice for you." 

You grabbed another one of your fries and threw it at him again, but instead of it landing inside of his eye socket this time, he gracefully caught it in his mouth with a wink. 

"Okay, now that was impressive. But anyways, will you two stop? It's been like 15 minutes and we haven't even started the freaking documentary." Maia groaned and you laughed. 

"okay, okay. i will put my puns aside for now." He made sure the end of his sentence sounded ominous and Maia shook her head.

"Bet." You replied and Maia didn't even respond. She just sighed, took another bite of her burger, and pressed play on her laptop.

You made a conscious effort to say nothing else, but you couldn't help but smile as you made eye contact with Papyrus. Today was pretty damn boring, but even a short visit like this absolutely brightened your day. 

God, you're absolutely head over heels in love with this skeleton, huh? He's got you completely bewitched, but you can't even complain. He puts more pep in your step, and he brings you more joy than he could ever comprehend. 

And as he smiles back at you, his soft and caring countenance makes your heart skip a beat. 

It's silly to say, but you don't think that you've ever been this in love with someone before. And ever since meeting him, it's been hard to imagine life without him. 

He's absolutely got you under his spell, but you have no complaints. He's been the best thing to ever happen to you, and you'd really not have it any other way.

Chapter Text

Opening your (e/c) eyes, you sigh and yawn as you quickly turn off your alarm.

It's 4:50 A.M., and, thus, it is time to get up for today's shift. It's the last day that Maia will be around since she is leaving around Noon tomorrow to get on her flight back to California.

Despite that sad reality—you and your crew have genuinely had so much fun as of late. Yesterday evening, you, Papyrus, and Maia all enjoyed a nice, relaxing evening. The documentary that you all watched was very informative and it was a lovely learning experience—at least, for you and Maia.

Of course, Papyrus would continually chime in when a familiar fact popped up, but you do not blame him. After all, he spent 25 years hearing the same info over and over. It must have driven him insane—perhaps this is why Papyrus is "Papyrus."

Can hearing about your own race's suffering for 25 years straight cause you to excessively make puns—?

Probably. Humor works wonders in dark situations.

Anyway, after the documentary had finished, you got a bigger group text going with those interested in the counter-anti group and began to plan things out. For example, Evony actually had an idea for a nice discrete meeting place. She has a friend named Bennett who has an empty warehouse and he is very much an ally for the monster rights movement. Ergo, nobody was surprised when she asked if we could use it and he ecstatically agreed. In fact, he is even joining in.

First meeting date of the group? Next Monday at 6:00 P.M.—snacks and refreshments included.

It will be quite the large group of people. After all, you have all of your monster friends, and also some humans as well. So, perhaps it is best that it is being held in such a large building.

Papyrus suggested that you and him make some cookies together for the occasion, and, hey, you can’t really deny such an adorable suggestion.

Though, you have a feeling that he’ll do less baking and more hugging you from behind, his skull buried in the crook of your neck as you work.

… Not that you would complain if it did happen. It’d be cute as hell… Especially if you ended up with flour on your chest from his hands resting on…

Alright, that’s enough thoughts for now. It’s almost time for work—thus there is no reason to get worked up now.

You yawned once again, stretched, then stepped out of your—sadly lonely—bed. You know that you can’t sleep in the same bed as Papyrus every night, but he makes the sleeping experience so much better.

For being pure magic and bone, he sure does make the bed warm and cozy. You’re not sure how he does it, but you’re thankful that he does. Despite that thankfulness, though, he can’t always be there, so you can’t help but feel a bit disappointed that you aren’t waking up to your warm boyfriend spooning you every morning.

Oh well, it’s not time to mope. Rather, it’s time to get going. The day is only just beginning and you have to work from 6:00 A.M. until 3:30 PM. After that, Maia will be picking you up from Muffet’s and you’ll be having a girl’s day.

On the schedule for your lil get together? Going to the bookstore, visiting your favorite clothing store, swinging on the swings in Ebott City Park, going out go eat dinner, and going to grab ice cream in town.

Quite the busy day, but it’ll be worth it in the end. Well, of course, only if you are cautious with your money. After all, money doesn't grow on trees. Life isn't Animal Crossing.

You strut over to your closet, pick out a medium—almost olive—green sweater, a pair of black leggings, a gold necklace with a heart on it, and a pair of very comfortable black combat boots.

You dash into the bathroom, and quickly take your morning shower. Once done, you dry off, step out, get dressed, fix your hair, and dash into the kitchen. Looking over into the living room, Maia is on her phone, mumbling into it on a call.

After opening the fridge, you can't help but pause to listen to her speak. She is speaking quietly, so you can only understand a few words here and there.

Here are some of them as followed:

"tired"

"can't"

"so sweet"

"never come back"

"a death"

You bit your lip, grabbing onto a muffin stashed on the first shelf of your fridge. What could be happening? Did someone in her family die?

You frowned, quickly fixed yourself some water, and then turned to look at her. She seems teary-eyed, but her voice is less sad and more desperate. Whatever this phone call is about, it’s pretty serious. So you take a bite of your muffin, then slowly creep closer to the doorframe. Maybe you can get some more clues as to what’s going on?

As you stood at the opening of the living area, you were able to pick up a few more words, just a bit louder than last time.

“family”

”uncertain”

“utter mess”

You quirked an eyebrow. What the absolute hell is going on?

You frowned as you watched tears flow down her cheeks. Whatever news this is must not be good in the slightest.

She looked up, her green gaze meeting your own (e/c) eyes and she quickly turned back around, whispering into her cellphone.

Though uncertain, you are pretty sure that Maia had uttered the words "Oh, I've gotta go. I'll call you back in a few." before turning back around, smiling innocently as if her face isn't littered with tear stains.

"Maia, is everything okay?" You asked softly, stepping forward.

She sniffled, then shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I guess."

"Did—" You started, but she held up her hand.

"I mean this in the most polite way possible, but I don't really wanna discuss it right now, alright?" Her tone came off as sharp—acting like a crescendo.

You bit your lip, your heart aching for her. You have no idea what's happened, but she seems devastated. This is truly the last thing that Maia needs when she is already forcibly being separated from her friends and Sans.

"That's okay, I understand. I'll leave you be, alright?" You smile gently.

She lowers her head. "Thank you, I just need some space to think." She lets out a deep breath.

"That's goddamn Gucci gang for real, my fuckin' man." You reply.

She blinks, then rolls over laughing, causing you to shoot her finger guns.

Man, what is your brain? It's like it is purely running on 3 Redbulls and memes this early in the morning.

"I had to make you laugh, it's kinda my job." You shrug nonchalantly, laughing as you walk to the front door.

"I hate you."

"No you don't, Maia. You did once tell me that I am your platonic soulmate, after all."

"Oooh scandalous~! I nearly forgot!" She grinned.

"Okay, I've gotta head out, but if you need me, you know where to find me." You offer a sweet smile, to which she salutes to in reply.

"Of course! See you soon, (Y/N)!" Maia waved, and you grabbed your bag before exiting your apartment, dreading the walk there now that you don't have a super skinny pumpkin to help you "take a shortcut" to your workplace. But, you digress. You dash down the stairs, and then exit out of the front door swiftly.

Walking to work sucks—especially with the memories of Austin still fresh in your brain. But—he's gone now. Not dead, of course, but as far as you're aware, he's been chained to a hospital bed like the criminal he is. What would you do without Mr. Smith, Papyrus, and Officer Baroni? Well, you'd probably be hurt—or worse. But, for what seems like the millionth time, you have to remind yourself to not think about the possibilities of that. It'll only grant you anguish, after all. So, you just continue walking down Clique Street.

As hated as it is, your walk actually makes you feel a lot better. After all, the longer it goes on, the more confident you feel that you are safe. This is partly because of the large number of people taking their morning walks, and partly because of the serene atmosphere surrounding you. The sky is blue, and whereas the air is chilly, it seems fresh and rejuvenating. As much as you hated your mom telling you that the "fresh air will make you feel better," perhaps there was some truth to her words.

Finally, after around 15 minutes, you walk up to Muffet's and push in through the front door. There aren't many customers here at the moment—only one at the farthest right corner of the café. Though, Muffet is at the front. She seems to be manning the coffee machines because her back is turned towards you.

"Good morning, Muffet!" You smile as you walk up to your boss at the counter.

She begins to turn to you, her black pigtails not as well executed as they usually are. "that's okay, dearie!" Her voice was off, and much raspier than normal.

When she finally turned, your eyes widened—"Papyrus?!"

He let out a hearty chuckle—obviously dressed in women's clothing with a cheap black wig. "'sup, babe?"

"What the hell are you doing dressed as Muffet?" You laugh as you observe him—he is dressed in a frilly suit, fake black-framed glasses, and a skirt. As you peek over the countertop, you spot something even better—he is wearing fishnets and heels. What have you done for God to bless you like this at 5:50 A.M.?

"what are you doing not dressed as muffet, honey?" He smirked.

"Well, I simply wasn't given the memo, babe. Plus, I could not outdo you. Look at those sexy ass legs!"

He turned orange, his pinpricks widening. "n-nyeh?" He stuttered, "ya did not just say that."

"I did! I can't even pull off fishnets that well."

"mmmm, i'm not so sure about that, why don't you let me be the judge?" He grinned with a wink.

"You just want an excuse to see me in fishnets, Paps." You smirk, crossing your arms.

"what? and is that a crime now?" He snickered.

"Okay, I don't know what the hell you two are doing, but there are much better things to be doing—wait, Papyrus, why are you dressed as me?" Came Muffet's voice from behind Papyrus.

Papyrus slowly turned toward Muffet and scratched the back of his neck. "why are you not?"

"...Why am I not what? Dressed as myself?"

"yup."

"The hell? Papyrus, have you been sleeping well enough recently? I am in my normal attire."

"thank ya for askin', not at all." He shot her finger guns, then took off his wig and placed it in her hands. "enjoy."

He walked out from behind the counter, leaving Muffet standing upright in confusion—almost perfectly imitating that one "standing woman" emoji.

"yo, honey, are ya about to clock in?" Papyrus asked, ripping off the shirt and skirt he was wearing like one of those rippable tuxedos, leaving him in a t-shirt with ribs printed onto it, black shorts, and, of course, his iconic fishnets and black heels.

"Yeah, why?" You replied, walking through the double-swinging doors and into the front.

"can I have an americano with extra espresso?"

"Someone's tired, huh?" You lean against the counter, looking up at him.

"well..." He paused. "i will admit, it sucks ta lose my spoonin' partner. was pretty bony and cold last night, i missed ya."

Your gaze softened, "I missed you as well!"

"God dammit, do you two ever stop? I'm getting a cavity over here!" Came a gruff voice from behind Papyrus.

When he bent back to glance at the person behind him, you instantly caught a glimpse of Alphys with a toothy grin spread across her lips.

"It's been a while, Alphys! Good morning." You smile, then hold up your index finger. "I'll be with you guys in just one moment, I'll be right back." You nodded, then ran to the back. You quickly threw on your Heelys, then your apron, and immediately dashed back out of the back room, gliding to the cash register. After clocking in, you turned to Papyrus.

"You first, handsome sir. You said that you would like an Americano with an extra shot of espresso, right?"

"yup, but i'd also love a spider donut."

"Adding more and more money to your tab, huh?" You could hear Muffet's remark was coated with thick, coarse annoyance as she set a few more donuts in the glass case.

Not even giving her the satisfaction of a reply, Papyrus winks mischievously. And, much to your surprise, you see a glint of humor twinkle in Muffet’s five eyes. Though, she hides it well with a scoff.

“I will be dust long before you ever decide to repay me.” She crossed her arms as she stood back up.

”nuh-uh-uh,” he smirked, “you know i’ve paid before.”

“What? For your girlfriend once or twice?“ Muffet laughed loudly. “One or two purchases do not make up for over five years of debt.”

“you’re right…” Papyrus paused. “i’ll have to make it three!”

Muffet stared at him blankly, slapped a hand against her face and merely turned and rolled away to her office.

”shit, tough crowd.” He grinned goofily, and you rolled your eyes.

“That’ll be $5.26. Will that be cash, credit, debit—“

Papyrus cut you off and smirked. “can I pay in smooches?”

”You wish.”

He snickered as he pulled out his wallet, taking out a crumpled $5 bill and various random coins that in no way equal 26¢.

You gathered his money, and eventually handed him back 2¢.

”nah, i’ll let you have my two cents.”

You blinked silently. How is everything he does a pun somehow?

”Thanks—“ you trailed off, dropping the two pennies in the tip jar. “I’ll have your order ready in just a moment. Sorry for the wait, Alphys! I’ll be right back to take your order.”

You glided over and swiftly made his drink, then grabbed his donut and rolled back to the counter, setting the items down. “Here you go, enjoy!”

“got it, boss. cya later!” He winked, then walked out of the café.

Alphys stepped up to the counter, and looked at the menu for a moment. “I’ll have a large, hot, plain black coffee and—“ she paused, pulling out her phone and glancing at something. “a strawberry donut with rainbow sprinkles and a large iced matcha latte with 3 pumps of strawberry syrup—“ she stared at her phone again. “What the fuck is oat milk?”

”…It’s a milk substitute. They—“

”How the hell do you milk an oat?!”

“… It’s just water and oats ground together.”

“Then wouldn’t it be oat water?!” Alphys retorted.

”Yeah, but oat water sounds… strange?”

”Well, doofus, coconut water exists. That is just accepted and not questioned.”

“The same goes for coconut milk, though.”

Alphys blinked slowly, then let out an exasperated sigh. “Whatever. Can I just have oat milk in that matcha latte?”

”You got it. That’ll cost…” you paused. “$12.50.”

”Shit! I’ve already lost an eye, I didn’t know this was gonna cost me an arm and a leg too.” Alphys joked, and then found herself laughing at her own joke.

"The things we do for our partners, huh?" You smile as she pulls out her wallet.

"I know, right! When we started dating, I had no fuckin' clue I'd be buying her overpriced lattes that taste like grass and cough syrup." She laughed loudly, then paid swiftly.

"Better than straight up bottles of honey." You winked, then made your way to the cups. "I'll get your order to you as soon as possible, hang tight!" You spoke, then carefully made Alphys' order.

Once it was prepared, you rolled over to the counter and set it down. "Enjoy! Tell Undyne I said hello as well." You dipped your head and she gave you a toothy grin.

"'Course! See ya, punk!" She saluted jokingly, and swiftly made her way out of the café.

---------------------------------------------

It's 3:00 P.M.—this means that there are only 30 minutes left in your shift. And, oddly enough, you are quite sad about that. After all, today has been a great work day. You saw Papyrus and Alphys, yes—but you also got to see Grillby again. Last time you saw him, he was close to death. But, thankfully, he seems almost fully recovered now.

Not only have you seen your comrades though, the tips have been generous as well! An older gentleman you served put $20 into the tip jar—that is quite unusual, but much appreciated since you get around 50% of all tips. Sure, you get $17 an hour, but that oftentimes still leaves you on a tighter budget. Maybe if the tips continue to increase, you can put your extra money toward the future—like getting a new car, or a house? That would be lovely.

The bell above the door rings, and you look ahead to see Sans. Your eyes brighten, and you smile. "Good afternoon!"

"HI, (Y/N)!" He smiled as he walked up to the counter.

"What can I do for you?"

"I WANTED TO PICK UP A QUICK TREAT FOR MAIA AS A SURPRISE BEFORE YOU TWO GO ON YOUR 'GIRLS DATE'!" He smiled charmingly, holding his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his heels.

"That is so sweet! What would you like to order?"

He grew silent, his skull beginning to sweat as he scratched his cervical vertebrae. "SEE, THAT'S THE THING... I AM NOT QUITE SURE. I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD HELP?" He plays with his gloved hands nervously.

"Oh! I absolutely can! I've known her for a long time." You smiled, then turned to look at the menu.

"SEE, I AM NOT TOO FOND OF THIS PLACE BECAUSE ALL OF THE SUGAR IS VERY UNHEALTHY—BUT I KNOW THAT HUMANS LOVE SUGAR, SOOO..."

"Perfect for Maia?"

"YEP! PERFECT FOR MAIA!"

"Well, you've asked the right girl! Maia would love an iced chai latte and a lemon jelly filled donut." You turned back to him and he clapped his bony hands excitedly.

"THEN I'LL TAKE IT!"

"That'll be $4.88! Will that be cash, debit, or credit?"

"CREDIT!" He chirped, quickly paying with the machine and looking at you with anticipation.

"In that case, I'll be right back! Will this be to go?" You asked and he nodded his head.

"I'LL MEET HER OUTSIDE OF HER RENTAL CAR AND GIVE HER THIS TO MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS THAT I AM THINKING OF HER." He dipped his head.

Jesus. Sans is such a romantic. It is quite sweet, actually.

"Well, then I've got to hurry! I'll have everything ready in a sec." You give him a gentle smile, then glide to make him his order. It does not take long—perhaps because of the simplicity of it all—but, that seems to work very well in his favor. After all, as soon as he has his order—he is already running out of Muffet's. Well, not without thanking you profusely, of course.

As you watch the street through the windows, you can’t help but watch his blue sports car zoom past the café. This must be hard for him, but he is taking it so well. He is truly making the best out of a shitty situation in ways that you never could. You aspire to be as positive as he is

Sans and Maia will definitely work out. There’s no way that they won't—even if Maia is across the country. She is stubborn as hell, and Sans is a complete romantic. Even if they could only send letters, it seems like their romance would still flourish and grow with each letter. You admire that heavily.

As you begin to wonder if you and Papyrus could survive that distance as well, you hear the bell on the door ring as it's being opened again. Looking up, your eyes meet none other than Mr. Smith.

"Good afternoon, Noah!" You smile and wave, but he doesn't return the same enthusiasm as he gives you a nervous smile.

"Good afternoon, (Y/N)..." He looks around and makes sure that none of the customers are listening in. "Do you mind if we have a private chat?"

Your heart sank in your chest. Is everything okay?!

You observe his demeanor—he is slouched over, no longer carrying himself with pride. His expression seems plagued with dread, and his eyes display a lack of emotion—almost like he is in shock.

“Yes—but can you give me around 12 minutes? My shift is nearly over.” You ask.

He thinks for a moment, then nods his head. “It’s not an emergency, but I need to tell you so that you will have plenty of time to dwell on it.” He sighs, then looks at the menu.

”Nobody’s hurt, right?”

He shakes his head, then grins and lets out a weak laugh. "No—well, at least, nobody that you care about."

Quirking an eyebrow, you watch as his gray eyes dance around the menu on the wall. He leans on one hip, then looks at you again.

"While I'm here, I might as well order something." He lets out a low hum. "I'll take one caffè mocha."

"Will that be all?" You begin to calculate his fee.

"Hmmm." He looks to the side. "Actually, will you also get me a chocolate donut with rainbow sprinkles for Junior?"

"Of course!" You look up, then smile. "That'll be $4.80! Will that be cash, credit, or debit?"

"Debit." He pulled out his wallet, quickly plucking a black debit card from it and inserting it into the machine.

Once the transaction was complete, you handed him his receipt and he held up a finger.

"May I please get that donut to-go?" He slid his card back in its place, tucking his wallet back into his pocket a few moments later.

"Yep! I'll have your order ready in just a moment." You dip your head, then roll to the espresso machine. You quickly fix his drink, glide to the donut counter, placing it down before kneeling and opening the case. Once you pick up a bag, you use the tongs to put Noah Jr.'s donut inside of it and you stand back up, rolling to get a secondary, small "to-go" bag. Upon returning to the counter, you hand Noah his cup and his bag. "Enjoy! I'll only be a few minutes longer. I really appreciate your patience."

And after around 12 minutes of serving 2 more customers, Muffet finally takes your place and you officially clock out for the day. Thus, you wave Mr. Smith over and head into the back room to have your discussion privately. You're not sure what to expect—but as you observe his discomfort, you know it won't be good news by any means.

You sit down on a chair, then take off your Heelys, glancing back up at him. "So, what's happening, Smith?"

He rubs the back of his neck, then looks away as he takes a deep breath. "I got a call from the hospital today." He starts, his gaze meeting your own once again. “Austin’s awake." Mr. Smith looks away once again. “And, well, he’s asking to see you.” He sighs.

You fell silent as your eyes widened. “He really asked that?”

He nodded his head, still staring at the wall. “Yes—he actually had the balls to request such an outlandish meeting.”

You take a deep breath, clutching at the neckline of your sweater. “After everything he’s put me through—he really thinks I’m going to visit his sorry ass?”

“It appears so, (Y/N). But, as I’m sure you’re aware, you are more than welcome to ignore his offer.” He runs a hand through his hair.

“Why does he even want to see me? That’s so egotistical." You groan. You really do live rent free in his head, even after all of this.

"According to him, it is because he wants to know why you saved his life. From what the nurse said—it sounds like he is completely dumbfounded."

"I am aware of the 'dumb,' but not so sure about the 'founded.'"

Mr. Smith snorted, causing you to momentarily smile as hundreds of thoughts swirl around in your head.

For a moment, you paused. You made sure to think of everything that's happened during this tumultuous time—especially in regards to Austin. Every time you walk the street alone, he is in your head—watching, waiting for your vulnerabilities to strike. But, now, he is the one vulnerable. He is in critical condition, chained to his bed, completely powerless. Perhaps visiting him wouldn't be miserable, but instead a way to heal your trauma?

Mr. Smith watches you patiently—his eyes offer a pleasant serenity that helps calm your nerves.

This is certainly not a decision that can be made on the spot. It will require a lot of thought, and the opinions of many others as well, so you smile weakly and after putting on your shoes, you stand up from the chair. "I'm certainly being faced with a dilemma." You let out a small laugh. "Can I get back to you on this?"

"Of course, (Y/N)! This is no easy decision to make. Take as much time as you need." He dips his head, then steps forward and lays his hand on your shoulder comfortingly. "And, please, remember, you can just say 'no.' This is an incredibly invasive request, and seeing Austin may make your recovery slow down." He sighs, smiling. "In either decision, you are braver than I ever will be."

You cannot help but smile as you lunge forward and pull the suited detective into your arms. And, though initially taken aback, he quickly hugs you back. "Thank you, Noah." You squeeze him for a moment longer. "I am sorry for ever doubting you, you are such a fantastic man and friend."

"That's alright, (Y/N). A jackass cannot expect to be given grace. But, I am extremely grateful that we can get along now."

"Ew, are we feeling feelings and emotions?" Maia's voice resonates behind Mr. Smith.

You giggle, then pull away from his grasp. “I suppose so.”

“Maia, it is all about the sentiment.” “I can even find sentimental value in that time you p—“ Mr. Smith began, but Maia cut him off.

”Poured my drink on you?” She giggled.

“Exactly!” He grinned.

”Can confirm. I’ll never forget the stupid look on your face. You looked utterly defeated.” Maia grinned in return.

”That’s because I was! I’d given up on fighting that battle. I’d already been thrown into the trenches.” He chuckled loudly, and Maia jokingly punched his arm.

“You bet your sorry ass you were!” Maia laughed, then turned to you. “About ready to go?”

“Yeah, just one sec.” You smile, then look over to Mr. Smith. “I’ll try and call you about the question in hand by sometime next week, okay?”

”There's no rush, (Y/N). Take all of the time you need, truly." He dips his head, then waves as he partially turns toward the door.

"...What're we taking time to decide? Is this an ultimatum?" Maia furrowed an eyebrow and you snorted.

“Yeah, sure. After all that turning Smith down, now he’s gonna give me an ultimatum.” You joke.

”In addition to that, she’d say no instantly.” Mr. Smith gestured with his hand to make a point, then laughed as he walked out. “Have a nice week, girls! Ciao!” He waved.

“You as well!” You called after him, then quickly took off your apron, put your things in your locker, grabbed your bag, and then turned back to Maia. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about what happened as soon as we get in the car.” You smile, and she snickers.

“That works! It just seems like something I, your best friend, should know.” She grinned.

“Don’t get too excited. It’s actually quite sad.” You shake your head, letting out a playful scoff.

“Oh, noted, noted.” She chuckled in response, then linked your arms together. “Okay, okay, but, as I’m sure you’re aware—Sans got me a drink and it’s probably getting warm. So…” She paused, winking. “Let’s hit the road!”

"Got it, boss!" You giggled, then you both exited the back and walked out through the café entrance. Maia was parked across the street, so once you had both crossed the road, you climbed inside the car and shut the door.

Maia sat in her seat, shut the door, locked it, and then clapped her hands together. "I need to know what happened in the back of Muffet's Café. Like, girl, I cannot go much longer pondering this. I am worried." She let out a gentle laugh.

She seems much happier now. Maybe Sans said something that truly helped her situation?

"Alright, and I need your influence to help me make a final decision, okay? I’ll ask Papyrus too, but bros before hoes!" You take a deep breath, but grin at your joke.

"Mmhm! Of course! Hit me with it. What's up?" She picks up her drink and takes a sip, smiling.

“So, one of Austin’s nurses called Noah today, and he came to Muffet's to pass on the message that Austin woke up.” You start, looking into her green eyes. “Basically, and without watering this down, the nurse said that Austin wants to see me and is request—"

Maia suddenly spits out her tea in shock—causing droplets to splatter all over the car, and, regrettably, on your face as well. You scrunch up your nose in disgust, but when she snorts and starts laughing, you cannot help but join her. As gross as that was, at least it lightened the mood.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed in between her laughs.

"It's okay!" You wipe your face with the sleeve of your sweater, then laugh as she scurries for a tissue in her purse.

"Bitch, it's too late for that!" You giggled until she cleared her throat, trying to set a serious mood again.

"So, that little bitch wants to see you? And he really has the nerve to ask?!" Maia huffs, crossing her arms. "After everything you've been though, he really should just leave you be." She murmured.

"I agree. He is lucky I even saved his sorry ass!" You turned to the side and looked out the window, crossing your arms. "...But I want life to return to a sense of normalcy.” You sigh. “I’m wondering if visiting him will give me the sense of relief I’m needing.”

“Well, I think that entirely depends on how the meeting goes, (Y/N).”

“Yeah, maybe so—but seeing him beaten down, handcuffed, and as a recognized criminal—I am wondering if it would me feel more free.” You explain.

Maia lets out a loud hum and drums her fingers against the steering wheel. “That is certainly a possibility, but do you want to risk it? What if he says disgusting things?”

You sigh. “Yeah, I’ve wondered that as well.” You look down, lowering your head. “But, I am still going to think this one out.”

Silence ensued for a few moments—the air feeling thick with emotion and uncertainty. But, you take a deep breath and look back to Maia—she is staring out of the window, her expression seemingly expressing her somber mood.

“Maia?” You ask.

She turns back to you, her green gaze heavy and laden with concern. “Yeah?”

“What would you do in this circumstance?”

She smiles weakly, then laughs. “I’d go and make that weirdo regret that he ever tried to touch me.”

You chuckle, then look down and nod. “I love that.”

She reaches over and grabs your hand, squeezing it gently. “Then you know what to do.” She says softly.

Chapter Text

First thing on the schedule for today? Going to your favorite bookstore, Ebott City Books. You and Maia used to go there frequently as teens to hang out. In fact, oftentimes Grace and Audrey would join you both as well. Of course, that was way before all the current happenings. Nobody could have expected Audrey to be in jail due to aggravated assault back then. 

During the drive over, Maia sipped on her drink and you both held a conversation about the future of the HMA—the Human & Monster Alliance. Monday at 6:00 P.M. is the first meeting, and it is being held in a discreet warehouse owned by a friend of Evony. Your biggest regret, however, is that Maia cannot attend in person due to being across the country. The time difference also makes things difficult. Ebott City is on the East Coast, and California, where Maia lives, is 3 hours behind in its time zone due to being on the West Coast. This makes your 6:00 P.M. meeting right at 3:00 P.M. when she will likely be smack dab in the middle of her work day. Despite this, Maia is begging to be let in on a Zoom call—especially since a lot of the time she works alone in her office anyway and she can participate while working.

You and Maia talk about who to invite as well. For example, Asgore is one of those individuals who should go without saying, and Mr. Smith is someone whose invitation merits being up for debate. However, after all that he has done for you and the monsters—perhaps inviting him to the HMA meeting would be the correct course of action. Plus, having law enforcement around when Citizens Against Monsters have already shown their ugly side could be very helpful. Thus, you both come to the agreement to invite him. 

When you finally make it to the bookstore, you and Maia get out of the rental car and head inside. Immediately, the woman at the front counter looks up from the newspaper she'd been reading and smiles. "Welcome to Ebott City Books! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me." 

"Thanks!" You smile, then you and Maia begin to look around. The shelves are big, wooden, and placed around the room in separated sections. Each aisle, if you will, has a placard marking the genre of books being stored there. Maia immediately heads toward the section with books on animation, and you head to your own favorite section. 

After around 12 minutes of separation, you both meet up once again and begin looking through the plushies being sold. They have plague doctors, cryptids, series merch for things such as Mario, Five Nights at Freddy's, Animal Crossing, etc., and they also offer a wide selection of miscellaneous stuffed animals.

You smile, holding up a plush toy of Toy Freddy. "Remember when Five Nights at Freddy's first came out?" You smile and laugh, and Maia nods. 

"It spread across YouTube and Tumblr like wildfire!" She exclaims with a chuckle. "However, seeing that it is still popular makes me really happy." She admits. 

"Oh no, me as well. I love how dedicated fandoms can be to their series. It's amazing how a game that came out so long ago can still foster a community of likeminded individuals all these years later." You set the plush back down, meeting Maia's gaze. 

"You're telling me!" She laughs, then points to a plush of Luigi. "I mean, look at Luigi. Super Mario Brothers has been around for a long time and still as popular as ever." 

You smile wider. "Listen, Luigi deserves the fangirls!" 

"I'd be his Boo." Maia smirks. 

"Maia! Shut the fuck up!" You exclaim before you burst into laughter. 

Maia soon begins to giggle as well, and eventually, you make it to the aisle that you both frequented the most in high school—the young adult fiction section. 

As you look around, you see some titles that you recognize, and others that don't quite ring a bell. 

"God, I remember the time we first came here together." You murmur softly, the memories flooding back. 

Maia looks over at you and smiles. "Junior year, you were 16, I was 17. We had gotten out of Mr. Chambers' chemistry class and were completely braindead. Ergo, a quick fun lil trip to the local bookstore." 

"16? Holy shit. 7 years ago? 23 has never felt so old." You chuckle. 

"Shut the fuck up and respect your elders. I'm 24! How do you think I feel?" Maia giggles again and you both begin to look through the rows of books. 

Eventually, however, after purchasing a few items, you both got back into the car and decided to take a momentary shopping break. Thus, plan #2 of the day began—going to Ebott City Park. Despite the short distance and being able to complete the walk yourselves in around 20 minutes, you opted to just drive the short distance there. After all, today is all about fun—not forcing yourselves to walk through the chilly autumn Ebott City weather. 

Once you both arrived, you sprung out of the car and immediately made a beeline to the swing set. This excited run soon turned into a race. You ran as fast as you could, your adrenaline pumping through your veins as you grinned. 

"I'm gonna beat you, (L/N)!" 

"You wish, Sterling!" You retort, smirking as the swings begin to materialize into view. However, when you peek over to her position, you cannot help but notice that she is several footsteps ahead of you. It's time to play dirty. 

You come sliding to a stop. "Oh my god, hi, Sans!" 

Maia, upon hearing the name of her beloved, skids to a stop and looks over toward you. "Oh! Hi Blue!" 

But, it was just a lie. As soon as she came to a stop, your running resumed full speed. The swings, which are thankfully completely empty, are just 50 feet away. 

"Oh, you piece of—" 

You couldn't hear her over of the whooshing blood in your ears—your labored breaths—your determined footsteps through the crunching leaves—you're going to win! You're going to make it! You can do—

Suddenly, your foot got caught on the root of a tree, and your feet soon left the ground. 

Shit. 

You came down hard—directly on your knees, your hands thrusting forward, sliding across the dirt and leaves to support your upper body in your fall. Stunned, you can only sit silently and blink for a few moments. You take a sharp inhale, and bite your lip as you shut your eyes. 

Christ, that hurt. 

"(Y/N), are you okay?!" Maia asks, running to your side. 

"Yeah, I'm goo—" You begin to reply as you open your eyes. 

"Great!" She flashes you a silly grin before continuing the race. 

You cannot even be mad, you honestly deserve that for playing dirty.

You watch as she sprints onward and chuckle. At least, until you begin to sit up. You hiss in pain, moving to crouch back on your feet. As you look at your hands, your palms are certainly scraped—but not too badly. 

You flop down on your butt and sit there for a moment, trying to process your fall. As you rest, you look at Maia who is simply leaning against the metal frame of the swing set. "Tree roots always have to jump out right in front of my feet!" You shout jokingly. 

"I knowww," Maia begins to reply "don't you hate how they always do that?" She chuckles, then stands up straight again, walking back over now that she has claimed the title of "impromptu race champion." "(Y/N), do you need me to fetch a first aid kit?" She asks softly. 

"No, I think I'll be good if I go rinse off in the bathroom." 

"Ew, you'd rather go in a public park's bathroom than just use my first aid kit?" 

"Okay, fair point. Where is it?" You chuckle. 

"In my bag, of course! I always come prepared for these shenanigans." She grins, then pulls a mini first aid kit from her backpack. "Now, roll up those pants legs and let me see those pretty knees." 

You nod, then roll up your pants legs—the right leg having taken greater damage than the left. 

"Sheesh!" Maia clicks her tongue. "I see you've skinned 'em up a lil'! That's what you—"

"Get, I know." You finish her sentence, laughing. At least, until she adjusts your leg and you hiss in pain again. 

"Papyrus doesn't have super hearing by any chance, does he?" 

You blink up at her, confused. "No? Not that I think of. Why?" 

"Just don't want him to hear you groaning in pain and beat the crap out of me." She jokes. 

"Am I being that loud?" You giggle. 

"No, no. I'm teasing." She gives you a reassuring smile, then pulls some supplies out of the kit and gently cleans your knee—causing you to grit your teeth as you experience the stinging and throbbing pain that follows. 

After a few minutes, Maia clicks her tongue—audibly letting out a "Tsk, tsk, tsk," before shaking her head, smirking and giggling. "This is what you get for playing dirty!" 

"I know, I know, you gonna keep shoving that in?" You look up at her, playfully crossing your arms and letting out a dramatic "Hmph!" 

"Of course I am, you fucking cheater." She winked, then formed a heart wit her hands teasingly, sticking out her tongue. 

After she cleaned up all of your scrapes, you both continued with what was on the schedule—swinging on the swings at Ebott City Park. You both had an utter blast. You even took turns swinging each other, and you both, on occasion, would play underdog underneath the swings—much to the horror of nearby parents playing with their children on the monkey bars. 

Once finished, despite your pants being somewhat dirty from your fall, you and Maia got back in the car to go to your favorite local clothing store. Once you arrived, you both ran into the store excitedly. So many good memories were formed in this place... Buying your first date outfit for your ex-boyfriend Nathan Gardner, purchasing your senior prom dress, etc. Though, you wonder... What new memories can be made here? 

You suddenly get a fantastic idea and you grin. "Hey, Maia?" You inquire as you walk up to the door of Dahlia Daydreams, opening the door for her.

"Yeah?" She asked, smiling and nodding her head as a sign of thanks. 

As she walked in, you followed behind her. "Hear me out, what if while we're here together, we pick out my first date outfit." 

Maia stopped dead in her tracks, causing you to bump into her. "Oh, sor—" you started before she spun around, gripping you by the shoulders. 

"(Y/N), you are a goddamn genius! I am so happy that you asked!" Her eyes twinkle and she quickly grabs your hand. "I'd absolutely love to." She says softly as she excitedly pulls you by the arm to a nearby rack of clothing.

You were expecting her to like the idea—but not that much. Not that it is a problem—it just seems like she is nearly frothing at the mouth with excitement. Though, perhaps it makes sense since she is a rabid fangirl of you and Papyrus' relationship. 

"Okay, what are you thinking of, (Y/N)?" Maia starts. "Let's be honest, he already has a clear idea of what you wear so it's not like you can lie and over-exaggerate to make a first impression." She laughs. 

"And thank God for that! I don't want to have to wear some super frilly, fancy dress! He can call me a princess, but I don't wanna look like one." You respond with a chuckle. 

"Oh, that's a good place to start, actually..." 

"Excuse me? You want me to look like a princess?" You raise an eyebrow. 

"You already do. But, no. Just—do you want to wear a dress?" 

You blush, then laugh. "A dress? Honestly, probably not. I am not sure what Papy has planned yet." 

"He's taking charge, huh? That's romantic." She grins and raises her eyebrows.  

"You know Sans would too." 

"In some regards, at least..." She murmurs in reply and your scrunch your face up. 

"Ew?" 

Maia laughs, the corners of her green eyes creasing. "I'm sorry, I had to make the joke." 

You shake your head, rolling your eyes playfully. "Sure, sure..." 

As time passes, you and Maia both peruse the various aisles of clothing. You look through the various skirts, blouses, pants, sweaters, etc. until finally, you discover the makings of a perfect first date outfit. At least, in you and Maia's eyes. 

You shuffle around, trying the outfit on inside of the dressing room. First, the black tights, then the black, small plaid-printed skirt (which, thankfully, has a built in pair of shorts), a black, oversized sweater, and a pair of faux leather boots. You smile at your reflection in the mirror when you see how well the outfit has come together and snatch open the curtain, causing Maia to look up from her phone on the nearby bench and clap her hands together. 

"Jesus Christ, (Y/N)!" She exclaims, smiling. "Who gave you the right to be so pretty?" She stands up, putting her phone into her back pants pocket. 

You laugh, "Well, you mostly put together the outfit, so I'd give you the credit." 

"Bullshit!" She clicks her tongue. "You were already beautiful the moment we walked in Dahlia Daydreams." 

"Okay, but it certainly enhances it." You argue. 

"I'm not listeninggg~" Maia teases, observing the outfit. "But for real, this is perfect." She exclaims, her smile wide as she tucks a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. 

"You think Papyrus is going to like it?" 

"Like it? I think he's gonna take it off by the end of the night." She smirks cheekily and you roll your eyes. 

"What is up with you and your dirty mind today?" You laugh. 

"Oh come on, we're both adults here." She winks, then giggles. "But for real, he's going to absolutely adore it." 

"I hope so! I want it to be the first date of many." 

"Oh it will be, trust me. You've got that lanky skeleton wrapped around your finger." Maia smiled again and gently placed her hand on your forearm. "Now, hurry up and get changed. I'm starving!"

"I will, I will!" You chuckle in response in a playful whiny manner. "Just know that you are in charge of picking the restaurant." 

"Happily." She grinned, pulling her phone back out of her pocket. 

As you started walking back toward the dressing room, you paused and turned around for a moment. "And Maia," you started, looking at her with humor in your (e/c) gaze. 

"Yeah?" She looked up from her phone, furrowing an eyebrow. 

You smirk, "don't forget to leave room for ice cream. Dubuc's Ice Cream Shoppe awaits." 

"Screw that! I always have room for dessert." 

"Especially for ice cream?" 

"Especially for ice cream!" She echoes your sentence, putting a stronger emphasis on the word "especially" with a cheesy grin. 

And with that, you smiled and walked back into the fitting room, putting the new clothes back on their hangers and changing back into your old ones. 

Today has been one of the best days of your life, and you are sad that it is passing by so quickly. You have already completed three out of five things on your to-do list, and it makes you emotional to know that there are only two items left. After all, when these activities are over, you'll have to head back to your apartment. Sure, this won't be the end of the fun—you still have a sleepover planned, after all—but it will make her leaving tomorrow feel even more real. There are less than 24 hours before she moves back to California and whereas you are grateful to spend this last day with her, it is still hard to process that her visit is already over. 

Eventually, after you finish changing, you purchase your date outfit and you and Maia get back into the rental car. She had already chosen what restaurant to go to—Sakura—a Japanese restaurant with gorgeous outdoor seating surrounded by cherry trees. In the Spring and early Summer, these trees are full of bright pink, gorgeous cherry blossoms, but since it is Autumn, the trees don't quite have the same splendor. However, the inside of the restaurant—which is designed beautifully with Japanese decor—has walls painted with murals of beautiful, blooming cherry blossoms. 

Maia parks the car in front of the restaurant, and you both make your way inside where you are seated by a waitress. Due to the chilly weather, you both opted to sit inside. 

Maia ordered a sweet tea, a bowl of miso soup, and Gyūdon. As for you, you picked the drink of your choice, and your favorite Japanese dish. As you both waited for the food to arrive, you found yourself reminiscing on the entire trip with mixed emotions. So much has happened during this time of reuniting. These range from Asgore belly-flopping behind Toriel's couch, to surviving the attempted attack of a crazed stalker, to organizing the Human & Monster Alliance, all the way to you both finding love.

To say that this time together has been chaotic would be an understatement. And whereas it has had its ups and downs, you are just grateful that Maia has been here for you through it all. You're not sure what you'd do without her. 

However, eventually the food arrives and your chit-chat lessens. Not as a negative turn in the girl's day—but rather, in response to some good damn food. You'd forgotten how much you love Sakura. Maybe you should take Papyrus here some day. You cannot help but imagine how cute he'd look outside on the patio surrounded by fairy lights and pretty pink cherry blossoms. 

...

Alright. That's too cute. That is going on the date bucket list. 

Eventually, however, you both finish your food and against Maia's wishes, you foot the bill. Is $40.17 cheap? Hell no. However, it's the least you can do to thank her for this jovial time. And whether she likes it or not, you're paying for her ice cream too. 

After leaving Sakura, Maia heads straight to Dubuc's Ice Cream Shoppe—even despite you both being full. Like Maia stated earlier—there is always room for ice cream.

She eventually turns on to Lincoln Avenue—a beautiful street that you once walked with Papyrus on. It is lined with beautifully vibrant Japanese maples. You and Maia inspect them with awe, at least until she pulls into a parking space. You both excitedly unbuckle your seatbelts and rush out of the car into the ice cream shop. 

"Good evening, guys!" Says the person working at the counter. "Been a while since I've seen you in here together." His dark green eyes shining with humor. As your gaze turns to meet him, you smile—it's the owner of Dubuc's Ice Cream Shoppe—Luis. 

"Oh yeah, Maia moved to California and she's back in Ebott City doing some visiting." You explain as you both walk to the counter, Maia waving. 

"Hello again!" Maia smiles, then looks down—lustfully glancing at all of the flavors of ice cream before her. 

"Oh, hell yeah!" He chuckles. "Well, I'm glad you swung by for old time's sakes." 

"Me too. Goddd, I missed this place." Maia groans as she hungrily eyes every flavor. 

"Got anything new, Luis?" You ask and he smiles, nodding. He opens the ice cream case and with a scoop, he points at a flavor in the corner. Through the glass, you cannot help but notice his tattoo sleeves. They're intricate and full of detail. 

"This one's called 'Sweet Escape.'" He starts. "It's flavored with dark chocolate chunks, marshmallow cream, and strawberries." 

"Holy shit." Maia stares at it intently. "That sounds so fucking good." 

"It's one of my favorites." Luis comments. "Fan favorite as well." He adds. 

Maia stands up straight. "What kind of base does 'Sweet Escape' have?" 

"Ah, it is chocolate-vanilla swirl." He grins, crossing his arms. 

"Fuck." She murmurs. "That sounds so good." She repeats. 

"Would you care for a sample?"

Her eyes widen and she nods her head violently. 

He laughs gently. "Hint taken. Cool it down before you break your neck." He takes a small plastic spoon and fills it with 'Sweet Escape,' then hands it over to Maia. She happily eats the ice cream off of the spoon and her eyes roll back into her head.

"That's heavenly!" She exclaims, then pauses, seeming conflicted until her green eyes light up. "May I have one scoop of chocolate and one of 'Sweet Escape' in a waffle cone?" She clutches her fists together excitedly. 

"Coming right up." His gaze is gentle as he looks over to you. "And you, man?"

You chuckle at his choice of words, looking over the flavors one last time before nodding. "Yeah, I'll have (order of choice)." You stand back up straight and he gives you a thumbs up.

"Sounds great, guys. I've got you." He quickly fixes your orders, then hands them over. As you head to walk toward the payment area, he shakes his head. 

"It's on the house for old time's sakes." He smiles, a kind glint in his eye. 

"But Luis—" Maia starts but he shakes his head. 

"Don't 'butttt Luis-' me. You two have a nice day." He dips his head and begins tending to another customer. But while he was not paying attention, you shoved a $20 bill into his tip jar mischievously. After this, Maia immediately grabbed your arm and you both booked it outside of the ice cream shop, giggling all the way until you made it to the purple benches that sit outside his store. 

"Hey, he said we couldn't pay, but didn't say anything about not tipping," Your eyes sparkle and Maia shoots you a finger gun, smirking. 

"Gotta find the loopholes in this economy." She responds with humor, then begins chowing down on her ice cream. 

"Sounds about right." You respond, a soft smile upon your lips. 

Maia takes a seat on the bench, and you sit beside her, making sure you're sitting askew as to be able to still face her. 

"So, Maia," you start and she looks up at you, cocking her head to the side before she takes a bite of ice cream. 

"'Sup?" She says in response. 

You hesitate for a moment, then take a deep breath, "how are you really doing?" 

She pauses, taking a moment to think and process your words. "I've been better." She admits. 

"Let's talk about it. I have been going through all sorts of drama and you've been there for me every step of the way. Now it's my turn to be there for you." 

She scoffs, shaking her head. "You act as if you haven't helped me already! Without you and Papyrus intervening in my love life, Sans and I would have separated without saying anything." 

"So? Can I not be there for you more? I know that this is big, and it must be stressful." You say softly. 

"Of course it is." She responds, her voice softening. "But don't worry about me, I'll be fine." 

As you listened, you continued eating your ice cream. "Maia," you softly lay your hand on top of hers. "I am your friend, it is my job to worry about you." 

Her green gaze is soft and gentle as she smiles. "I know, I know." She dips her head. "I mean, without Asgore being in California, I'll be quite lonely." She admits. 

"Are you at least excited to get back to work? See your co-workers again?" 

She clicks her tongue. "I mean, despite us working together, we never really connected outside of our field." 

"Is that why you get homesick?" You ask and she thinks for a moment before nodding. 

"It was fine for a while because I had Asgore and my good friend Trey, but they're both leaving Cali." She admitted. "Outside of that, my 'friends' are really mere acquaintances. Making friends as an adult in such a big area is hard." She sighs. 

Between each turn speaking, the listener is chowing down on their ice cream. If this was not such a tense conversation, it'd probably seem quite comedic. 

"Would it ever be possible for you to do your work remotely?" You look at her with kind (e/c) eyes, hoping for a positive response. 

"I've honestly thought about that." Maia admits. "My job isn't something I have to do in California. But the position for now has that as a requirement." 

"Could you easily transition to working remotely in Ebott, for example?" You ask and she shrugs. 

"Hypothetically? Yes. There's no reason it shouldn't be possible. I could just bring my computers to Ebott City and set up here." She taps her finger against her waffle cone. "But that has never been mentioned, none of my coworkers have that arrangement, and the company seems to value workplace relations." 

"I don't mean to push, but could you speak to your boss about it?" You ask and she nods. 

"Yeah. I'll probably do that as soon as I get back to work. As much as I love my job, I miss home, I miss you, and I miss everyone else I've met along the way." She sighs. 

"I think it's worth asking. California seems more like a cage to you than a home." You speak softly and she nods. 

"Yeah, you have a point." She sighs. "I'll ask him as soon as possible." 

"Well in that case, the most we can do is hope." You smile—it's a simple gesture, but its warmth helps a lot in this tense time. 

"Yeah," Her lips curl into a smile as well, "and hope we shall." 

"So, Maia?" You start, clearing your throat. At this point, both of your ice creams are almost finished, but you decide to continue conversation. 

"Yeah, (Y/N)?" 

"What would you do if you could move back to Ebott?" You ask curiously. 

She smirks. "May I raise a question in response?" 

"Of course!" 

"You looking for a roommate?" She giggles, grinning. 

Your eyes brighten, "I mean, I do have the spare room..." You trail off. 

"You mean I'll hypothetically no longer have to sleep on your couch?" She smirks mischievously. 

"Exactly." You smile. "You pay the dime, I'll give you access to the extra room."

After you wink, she gives you a thumbs up. "Alright, but don't come come crying to me when you walk in and see that the entire room has been taken over by dragon merchandise."  

"Me? Never!" You playfully gasp, acting offended. "I am well acquainted with the fact that you are a scalie." 

"Says the necrophiliac." She retorts. 

"Shut the fuck up! If I'm a necrophiliac, so are you!" 

"Oh shit." She pauses, tapping a finger against her chin. "I guess you're right." 

You both laugh as you playfully punch her arm. "And don't forget it!" 

"Alright, alright. You win." Her green eyes sparkle with amusement, and you laugh, shaking your head again. 

And with this, you both finish your ice cream and head back to Maia's rental car. It's time for the rest of the night to commence. Much to your excitement, Sans and Papyrus will be joining you both for Maia's last night in Ebott City. You'll all be sleeping together in the living room—much like you were at the start of her trip. It'll be a real, proper sleepover to knock this trip out of the ballpark. You'll all spend this last night together reflecting on the love, laughter, and fun times that the four of you have shared. 

On the way there, you decide to call the boys to give them a heads up. 

You pull out your phone, dial Papyrus' number, and wait. After a few seconds of ringing, his familiar voice can be heard as he picks up the phone. 

"heya, honey. what's up?" 

"Hey Pap! You're on speaker, I'm with Maia." 

"gotcha, gotcha, so no embarrassing mushy gushy stuff?" He snickers. 

"No, please," Maia starts, a devilish grin appearing on her face. "tell me all the mushy gushy stuff." 

"For blackmail?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. 

"Blackmail? Why I'd never—I'd never!" 

"Papyrus, she cannot be trusted." You respond, crossing your arms and you hear him chuckle over the line. 

"don't worry, I got this." He clears his throat. "sans has started callin' ya his ember around the house 'cuz ya make his soul feel ablaze." 

Maia's gaze softens immediately. "Oh my god! He has?" 

"yup, but don't tell him i told ya so. he'd not make me tacos for a week!"

"But isn't that a good thing?" You ask and he snickers. 

"hypothetically, yeah, but it's the thought that counts. he makes 'em out of love." You can practically hear him smile through the phone, and it makes you smile as well. 

"That is very true." You cannot help but appreciate their strong, brotherly bond. It brings you utter joy. 

"anyway, tacos aside, what's shakin'?" 

"I was calling to let you know that Maia and I are headed back to my place, so you and Sans may want to start getting ready for tonight." You explain. 

"ah, thanks for lettin' us know." His voice is calm and soothing. "that's excitin' news! i'll be sure to let sans know and we'll be there in a jiffy." 

"And we can't wait to see you two!!!" Maia shouts from across the car into the phone—perhaps a bit too loud as you wince in reaction. 

"really? i'd never be able to tell." Papyrus responds in a playful, sarcastic manner. 

"Seriously? I thought I was obv—" she starts but stops when she glances over to see you raising an eyebrow "ohhhh sarcasm, right."  She giggles. 

"You need us to come get you downstairs when you both arrive?" You ask and he chuckles deeply. 

"don't worry about that, ya know i have my special way in. my—" 

You cut him off, "Shortcut, right." 

"mmmm, that's my smart gal." His tone seemed more sultry than normal, and it caused a blush to rise to your cheeks. Damn that sexy, raspy voice. 

"A-anyway," You start, stuttering, "we'll see you in a little bit." 

"happily." He responds warmly. "we'll see ya two soon." 

And with that, he hung up the phone and you and Maia chatted until she pulled onto Clique Street. Eventually, she got to your apartment building and parallel parked in front of it. Before you knew it, you'd lugged your shopping bags back into your apartment and put your new belongings away into their respective places. When that got done, considering it is already past 7:30 P.M., you go ahead and change into your sleepover pajamas of choice—a cozy pair of (f/c) plaid-patterned pants and a plain black t-shirt. You walk back out into your living room where Maia is in a Toothless onesie because of course she is. 

"Like the 'fit." You smile gently as you walk to the kitchen to fix yourself a glass of water. 

"Thanks! Your scalie comment is coming right back at me." She chuckles. 

"I certainly wasn't wrong!" You respond and giggle as you grab a cup from the cabinet. 

You move to the fridge, fixing yourself your preferred glass of water before you shuffle back into the living room, flopping down on your couch. You take a sip and tap your fingers against the arm rhythmically. 

Maia, who is working on gathering her stuff together so that she will be able to finish packing in the morning looks over to you. "Shittt." She throws her arms down in frustration. "This is gonna be hard." 

You set your cup down, then walk over to her, pulling her into a big hug. "Hey, I get it. But don't you worry. We're gonna figure this out." 

She hugs you back tightly. "I know, I know." She says through an exhale. "This situation still sucks regardless." 

"And that's why we're gonna be here to make it better." You pull away from the hug and playfully pull her Toothless hood up. 

"(Y/N)!" She playfully whines as she reaches for your hand but you dodge her touch. "Oh, it's on." She exclaims as you begin running throughout the small rooms in your apartment, narrowly avoiding her clutches—her Toothless hood still up and causing this chase to be much funnier. 

As you rush back into the living room from your bedroom, you hear a knock on the door and slide to a stop. Maia takes this opportunity to wrap her hands around you from behind and gently rock you back and forth. "I got youuuu!" She giggles and you soon join her in laughter. 

"Boys, that you?" You ask. 

"YES! AND WE HAVE BROUGHT A SURPRISE!" You hear Sans' reply through the door. 

"Oooh, a surprise?" She smiles, letting you go and rushing to the door, lowering her hood. She undoes the deadbolt, the lock, and opens the door to see Sans holding a gift basket and a cake in his hands. Standing beside him is Papyrus, weighed down and carrying two duffle bags in his hands. 

In the gift basket is a small, plush dragon, a pair of dragon earrings that looks the the dragon is going through the piercing hole, a nice helping of Hershey's kisses, a new sketchbook, a small pack of charcoal pencils, and a card all surrounded by a nice, dark blue confetti paper. 

"Oh my stars, Sans, did you put this together?" Her eyes sparkle and she smiles.

"OF COURSE! HOW ELSE WOULD I KNOW IT'S UP TO PAR?" He smiles excitedly and she leans down, planting a soft kiss against his cheek. 

"Well, thank you." She speaks softly. 

"IT WAS THE LEAST I COULD DO FOR SOMEONE SO SPECIAL TO ME!" Sans blushes a bright blue tint. 

"alright you two, i am getting cavities over here and my arms are about to snap." Papyrus jokes as you slowly watch his posture worsen from carrying their overnight bags. 

What the hell did they put in their bags?

Sans hands Maia her gift basket and runs into the kitchen to place the cake on the countertop. You approach Papyrus and take one of the bags, immediately being surprised by its intense weight and nearly dropping it. 

No, really, what the hell is in this?!

"Whose bag is this?!" You exclaim and Papyrus uses his free hand to point toward the kitchen door where Sans soon reappears. 

"Sans, did you pack your entire closet?!"  

"MAYBE! YOU KNOW, YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR ANY OCCASION! MWEH HEH HEH!" 

You were about to question his reply as you couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking, but you decided to brush it aside as you walked over to the coffee table and placed the bag beside it. Soon, Papyrus closed the front door and followed suit, placing his bag beside Sans'.

Maia put her new goodies beside her suitcases and walked to the front door, locking it back. 

"Thanks for coming, guys!"

"MAIA, WE WOULDN'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD!" Sans smiles brightly. 

"seconded, we wanna give ya the warmest sendoff possible, kid." His gaze is gentle as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his familiar orange hoodie. 

"I really appreciate it. I'm gonna miss you guys." Maia looks to the ground, then gently rubs her arm. 

"We're gonna miss you too, Maia." You rush forward and pull her into a big hug which Sans soon joins. Before you know it, Papyrus does as well and you all rock Maia back and forth gently in a big bear hug. 

When you all separate, Sans claps his hands together. "NOW WHO WANTS CAKE? QUEEN TORIEL HELPED ME MAKE IT." 

"Me!" You and Maia shouted in unison and Papyrus grinned cheesily. 

"sounds sweet to me, bro." 

"I WILL CHOOSE TO IGNORE THAT, BROTHER. NOW, COME FORTH! THE CAKE AWAITS!" Sans marches into the kitchen and you three chuckle as you follow behind him. 

As you walk into the kitchen, you finally are able to pay attention to the cake—on the top, it appears that Sans has drawn cute little portraits of the four of you all together with "Until next time, Maia!" written above it in various colors of icing. They are basically stick figures, but they each have a good amount of detail. For example, Papyrus has his toothpick, Maia is wearing her favorite shirt, Sans has on his classic "royal guardsman" outfit, everyone is portrayed in height pretty accurately, and you are holding Stripes the cat. It must have taken him a long time to draw. 

"I didn't know you were an artist, Sans." You smile and he beams. 

"OH! YOU FLATTER ME, (Y/N)!" 

"No, she's right. This looks so good, Blue." Maia smiles and pulls him into another big hug. "I gotta get a photo of this!" 

"MAIAAAA—" He whines in embarrassment and covers his skull with his hands. 

She lets go of him and giggles, pulling her phone out of her pocket and taking a photo of the cake. 

"What's the flavor, Sans?" You ask curiously as you walk to your cabinet, pulling out four plates. 

"CHOCOLATE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING!" He grins from 'ear hole to ear hole'. 

"oh, cheese, that sounds like it was a lot of work." Papyrus jokes. 

Sans glares at Papyrus, then shrugs his shoulders. "NO FEAT IS TOO BIG IF IT IS FOR SOMEONE AS GREAT AS MAIA." He lets out a triumphant "HMPH." And you cannot help but smile as you walk to a drawer and pull out a knife and four forks. 

"Ain't that the truth." You set the silverware down and Sans begins fixing everyone's plates. 

You walk to Papyrus and he gently wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you against him. 

"you look gorgeous, sweetheart." He says softly and you place your hands on top of his own. 

"That's sweet, but I'm just in my pajamas." You giggle in response and he pulls you closer. 

"so? that doesn't change a damn thing." 

You smile and take one of his hands into your own. 

"Thank you, Papy." You whisper and he gently squeezes your hand. 

"don't thank me." He bends down and plants a toothy kiss against the top of your head and you feel butterflies appear in your chest. 

You let your eyes flutter shut for a moment, enjoying being in his warm embrace. At least, until he lightly squeezes your hand. "(y/n)," He whispers and you reopen your eyes to see Maia holding out a piece of cake for you to take. 

"Oh, thanks!" You smile, pulling away from Papyrus' hold and taking it from her hands. 

"No problem!" 

You walk past her and to the cabinets. "Alright, hostess time, who wants a drink?" 

Maia, Papyrus, and Sans all nod their heads. 

"Alright, drink orders one at a time. Maia?" You ask and she thinks. 

"We got milk?" She asks and you nod. "Can I have a cup of iced milk, please?"

"Of course! Now, Sans?" You turn your attention to Sans who is now handing Papyrus a slice of cake. 

"ICED WATER, PLEASE!" 

"I'm on it." You smile, then look to Papyrus. "Alright, my sweet potato man, what about you?" 

He shakes his head at your comment, grinning. "i'm a slut for a nice dr. pepper." 

You cannot help but snort at his comment. "Right, right. A dynamic duo." 

"don't ya ever forget it. i'm betrothed to the 'pepper." He jokes.

"Oooh, how scandalous~" You purr playfully, then turn and begin fixing everyone their drinks. 

Papyrus chuckles in response, and before you knew it, everyone had grabbed their forks and made their way back into the living room. Thankfully, since you had the drinks to carry, Papyrus carried your stuff to the couch with him.

You exited the kitchen and began to hand everyone their drinks of choice before plopping down on the couch beside Papyrus. 

Papyrus handed you your plate and fork and interestingly, everyone took this as a signal to begin digging in. Maia especially began stuffing her face with cake. 

"This is so gooooood." She groaned as if in heaven. 

You took a bite of the cake and smiled. "Wow, you and Toriel can really bake. This tastes delicious." 

"ah yeah, they're both real talented." Papyrus comments, then smiles. 

Sans once again beams. "I USED TO MEET QUEEN TORIEL QUARTERLY WITH ALPHYS TO CHECK MY PROGRESS AND SHE'D ALWAYS BAKE US A NICE DESSERT." He comments. "USUALLY IT WAS A BUTTERSCOTCH-CINNAMON PIE, BUT SOMETIMES SHE WOULD SWITCH THINGS UP." 

"A queen and a baker? She sounds like a jack of all trades." Maia comments and Sans nods. 

"YOU'D BE RIGHT." He gestures with his fork. "SHE IS A TALENTED WOMAN." He smiles brightly, his irises twinkling. 

You can tell that he is still proud of his Queen, and you don't blame him. They likely have quite the past together, after all. And to be fair, he is still, in a way, protecting her kingdom. 

"now, real heaven is when you've had her butterscotch-cinnamon pie and asgore's golden flower tea together." 

"THAT IS TRUE! I WILL SECOND THAT! HOWEVER, IT IS RARE!" 

"as you'd likely expect from a divorced couple." Papyrus points out. 

"At least they do the co-parenting thing well." Maia points out. "Asgore was so thankful that Toriel was happy to watch Chara as he stayed in California. But he certainly missed them like hell." 

"It's his kid, I'm not surprised!" You smile, and Papyrus and Sans nod. 

A few more minutes of conversation passes before the chit-chat is cut off by the sound of rustling in your apartment. 

"Hey, did any of you just hear that?" Maia asks as the conversation dies down. 

"Yeah." You blink in confusion, standing up from your seat. 

"WHAT COULD IT BE?" Sans asks right as another rustle is heard. 

Papyrus stands up, and holds his arm past you protectively. "lemme look around." He steps forward, but as he steps beside the coffee table, Sans' bag moves. 

He looks at you, and you look at him. 

"What's that look for?" You furrow an eyebrow. 

"hey sans, did you by chance bring live carry-on?" 

"NO?" He replies in confusion, standing up and walking around to the side of the coffee table as well. However, right as he reached the bag, it moved and Sans let out a yelp of surprise, leaping back. 

"What the shit? What if it's a mouse?" Maia asks as she stands up. 

"nah that is way too fuckin' big to be a mouse." 

"I mean, did New York City's gargantuan rats make their way to Ebott City?" You remark and Maia laughs. 

"To be fair, it is not that far away." Maia responds. 

Papyrus bends down, investigating the bag and poking it. It moves in response. "huh." 

Sans, upon seeing it move again, runs over to Maia, standing in front of her protectively. She seems to find this a bit humorous, but stays quiet. 

You bend down beside Papyrus, then look at the bag. It is made of mesh, but it is hard to see inside through the fabric. 

"guess we gotta open it." Papyrus remarks as he reaches his hand forward to place his phalanges on the zipper. 

You nod as Maia and Sans watch in equal amounts of confusion and terror. 

Papyrus opens the bag slowly until suddenly, a flash of black and brown leaps out toward him. He instinctually dodges out of its path and you are all left staring as Stripes the cat sits on your apartment floor, cleaning her leg with her tongue. 

"Well, that explains why the bag seemed so heavy." You remark. 

"you're tellin' me." Papyrus seems spooked and a little winded, so you throw your arm around him and gently rub his back. 

"Sans, why was Stripes in your duffle bag?" You ask. 

"HELL IF I KNOW!" 

Maia walks over to Stripes and bends down beside her, immediately giving her scratches. 

"She really gets around." You laugh, leaning your head partially against Papyrus' chest. 

"Well, on the bright side, your bag was made of mesh." Maia comments. 

"I KNOW! HOW THE HELL—I-I?!" He's utterly flabbergasted. 

"She wasn't in your house?" You ask and he shakes his head rapidly. 

"NO! I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN DAYS." 

You hum. "That's odd." 

"Did you maybe have the window open, Blue?" Maia asks, scooping Stripes up into her arms. It is technically her first meeting with this strange cat, and you cannot help but wonder what she thinks of her. 

"I MUST HAVE? IT IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE EXPLANATION... BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THAT?" 

What a confounding situation. 

"don't mind her omnipresence. (y/n) and i decided that she is either our guardian angel, or a dark lord capable of bringing forth chaos and destruction." 

"She is only proving our point once again." You joke and Papyrus snickers. Almost as if in response to your utterance, Stripes mewls and jumps out of Maia's arms onto the floor, walking over and purring as she rubs herself against you. "That a good or a bad sign in terms of our theory?" You ask and Papyrus taps a phalanx on his chin. 

"it could easily go either way, but at least we know that you are on her good side." 

The four of you laugh as Stripes walks over to Papyrus, doing the same thing. 

"Good news, she's on your good side too." You joke and Sans' 'bone'brows furrow. 

"OKAY BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME?"

"Don't worry, Blue. She trusted you enough to hide in your duffle bag, after all! Certainly that means she's on your good side." Maia says reassuringly. 

Sans didn't seem too convinced. But you know that he is probably only thinking of how she was trapped in his bag for close to an hour. 

"(Y/N), your landlord doesn't allow animals, right?" Maia asks and you click your tongue. 

"Right, shit. I mean, Mrs. Agatha gets a pass, so I doubt he'll mind this little error too much." 

"So... Can she please stay the night?"  Maia begs, her green gaze having a puppy-dog vibe. 

"Well—" You hesitate and she clasps her hands together in a begging fashion. 

"Pleaseee," "c'mon, it's my last day in Ebott City." She bats her eyelashes. 

"A COMPELLING ARGUMENT!" Sans remarks and you chuckle. 

"Alright, fine, but you and Sans are in charge of figuring out the cat bathroom situation." 

"Deal!" Maia triumphantly shakes her fists in the air. 

"a purr-fect plan." Papyrus grins. 

Sans rolls his blue irises at Papyrus' pun, but doesn't say anything. And very soon he is distracted by Stripes jumping into his arms. His irises immediately fill with stars and he smiles excitedly. 

"She's not mad at you!" Maia exclaims as Stripes begins purring loudly. 

"THANK GOD. FOR A MOMENT THERE I TRULY THOUGHT SHE WAS A HARBINGER OF DESTRUCTION SENT AFTER ME!" 

"that would explain why she was in your suitcase..." 

"PAPYRUS!" Sans shouts in response and you and Maia cannot help but giggle. 

And with this, you all decide to settle down and play cards against humanity for a little while. It is one of Maia's favorite games, and Papyrus and Sans had never played it before, so it seems like an utter necessity. 

As you sit on the couch next to Papyrus, your head laying against his shoulder and his hand within your own, you cannot help but smile as you think back on your nearly perfect day. And the wonderful thing is, it will only get better as the night goes on. This sleepover is just merely beginning, and it has several hours to go. 

Whereas it is hard that Maia is going back to California, she has expressed how she has mostly come to terms with the inevitable. She noted that it has helped to ponder this: "There are times to love, and there are times to leave." At least—until the next time.