Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Well, Mister skeleton, I think your skills are impressive, and I'm excited to welcome you to the staff at Busy Bean's!" you said

The aforementioned skeleton shook your hand excitedly. You were very thankful for his positive disposition. He would be a good addition to the staff at your modest cafe. You offered to show him around the place before his first shift tomorrow.

You showed him the kitchen, bar, front area, and all of the back plus the bathroom. He took everything in with glee. You hoped his enthusiasm wouldn't be squashed by workplace stress. You had hope in the tall skeleton, though. It took about half an hour to show him around, answer questions plus interview him.

you clapped your hands together lightly, "I think we're going to get along well. I'm not one for formalities so feel free to call me by my first name."

He brightened at this "Please call me papyrus! Having a surname still feels odd to me."

Oh, that's right. Monsters didn't usually have last names since most were removed from human culture for so long. It reminded you of the name changes that happened during waves of immigration that you learned about in history class. His new surname seemed blunt but he wore it well. You idly wondered how it was decided upon.

"Nice to meet you, Papyrus. Here’s a nametag and apron. I suggest getting some non-slip shoes to prevent any accidents." You said. After a moment of deliberation you speak again, "I would offer some of the extras I have in the back but, I'm not sure if I have your size."

You couldn't help but feel underprepared and slightly disappointed in yourself. You noted that Papyrus didn't seem even slightly disturbed by your statement

"Fear not, boss! I, Papyrus have already invested in non-slip footwear" He said with flair.

This made you feel better. His positivity was infectious.

He left soon after to prepare for his shift. You decided to get back to manning the ship. Busy Beans was not very busy at the moment but you had work to do nonetheless. Warm sunset light filtered through the clear windows as you wiped down tables and rearranged menus. Soon, this shift would be over and you could return home before it became freezing for the night. You estimated your time left in your head while scraping a piece of gum off the cafe's walls.

It didn't take you too long to close with the help of an employee. You slipped into your routine easily and reminded the other person to call you if things got dicey on their way home. Downtown wasn't too risky but you never know with humans. You hadn't met a monster that had a bad intentioned bone in their body. And you had met a good amount of monsters. None of them even slightly rubbed you the wrong way.

Your bus ride home was uneventful until a friend of yours hopped on. You usually saw Undyne on the bus during the mornings. Usually, she would walk her girlfriend home in the evenings. She plopped down in the seat next to you and wearily eyed a shady character across the bus that seemed to be sizing her up.

You smiled at her. "Alphys off or something?" you ask as you let your shoulders drop in fake relaxation. You scooted closer to Undyne and threw a pointed look at the staring person across the aisle. 'Try something now punk' was the message you were trying to send. Undyne was the better fighter but showing solidarity was still important.

She seemed still slightly weary but returned your smile with a grin of her own. "She's off. I hope she didn't spend all of her day off binge-watching anime without me!" You returned her grin at the mention of Alphys. You had a feeling that was exactly what Alphys did today,

Conversation between the two of you came easily as you observed your surroundings. You were bemused by the graffiti and stickers on the side of the bus. The lights flickered as you passed over a bump in the road. Stalker-person across the street got off at the next stop to your relief.

You noticed Undyne relax as well. You mumble under your breath "stupid fucking idiots can't mind their own business." Undyne must have heard you because she chortled soon after.
Her laugher set yours off too and next thing you knew the two of you were getting off the bus.
You paused near a streetlamp and turned to Undyne.

"Call me if something happens, stay safe!" you said. This is where the two of you split. Undyne waves at you.

"You too, punk!" she hollers as she rounds a corner. You inwardly smile and continue with your journey. She always made you feel better.

The trip to your apartment was boring without Undyne but uneventful was good at night. You shucked off your outerwear and straightened up your daily paperwork. You checked your notes and figures from the day's work. You made sure to make a copy of Papyrus' emergency form. You decided to do the rest of the paperwork for his employment later. You were hungry and tired.

You couldn't help but go to sleep peacefully. Today went fine and you couldn't help but look forward to the future a little.

Chapter Text

Work the next day flew by in a flurry of trays and cups. Papyrus may have been a cheery soul, but he was a diligent worker. He took to task quickly. He fit well amongst your other employees. Fern, the earth elemental barista, quickly became fond of him. You could tell by how she turned her head in his direction every so often as if checking on him. It was harder to tell from her lack of pupils. Orders started to come in faster. You tore yourself away from your employees and went back to bussing tables.

Break time for you arrived after what felt like hours. Today's customer quantity was higher than usual due to the good weather. You took your break outside so you could enjoy the breeze. As much as you loved your cafe, you could use the air. You were so spaced out that you didn't notice Undyne until she was snapping her webbed fingers to get your attention.

"Hey, punk! I'm off, so I decided to come by and give you business," she talked in her usual loud pitch. You watched her look inside the cafe through a window. "Sheesh, I'm glad I'm off and not on break right now," she said.

You rolled your eyes in amusement. "You can go in y' know," you said.

She grinned and spoke, "Is that my signal to leave you alone?"

You huffed playfully, "Figured you might as well give me that business you mentioned."
Undyne opened the door to your cafe while laughing. You knew she wasn't upset, based on your previous interactions. A glance at your phone told you that your break was almost over anyway. You dusted yourself off and went inside to relieve papyrus.

Upon entry, you saw papyrus looking what you assumed was frazzled. You swiftly came to his side. "I've got it from here. You're on break now," you said.
Papyrus looked like he wanted to argue but, you nudged your head to the left and he gave in.

The thing you loved the most about your cafe was either the comfort it offered people or the people themselves. You could never decide. It probably didn't hurt that you had a no bigotry rule. Just thinking of those types of people made your hands clench your tools a little harder as you worked. Monsters had been on the surface for two years already, and yet humanity continued to disappoint you. Typical.

The rest of your day had little to no hitches. While working the floor, you saw a man’s expression turn sour when he spotted the monsters in your fine establishment. You were thankful when he walked away. You mused to yourself as you cleaned a table. If he had come in, you might have had court charges on top of your present bills. That would be unfortunate. Would a coffee mug be considered a deadly weapon?

The workday was short for you. Since it was almost autumn, your shop closed before sunset. You worked your way down your list of things to do. You waved at Fern as she left. Papyrus exited the door leading to the backrooms of the cafe. “Hey, Papyrus! I’m almost done if you want to head out.” He turned his head towards you.

“I COULDN’T JUST LEAVE YOU ALONE," he said.

Papyrus coughed into his glove covered hand, “What do you need help with?” he asked.
You picked up on the vocal change immediately, but it didn’t bother you. Interesting.

Your brows furrowed, “Don’t force yourself on my account, speak however is most comfortable for you. Could you take the trash out for me, please?”

Papyrus quickly gathered the decently sized trash bag. You instructed him on where to dispose of it and wiped the counters. Today was good. You appreciated his help a lot as the bag was often a struggle for you to move through the back doorway. You noticed papyrus come back onto the main floor.

“Thanks again, I usually have trouble with the trash,” you said. His expression was cheery.

“YOU’RE WELCOME, BOSS,” he said.

A thought occurred to you then. “Oh! By the way, I forgot to get your number.”
You paused and realized how that could come off as weird. “I promise I’m not a stalker, but I usually have it in case of emergencies. I don’t trust these streets at night.”

His expression turned serious, he put his hand under his chin, and the boney area above his sockets scrunched. “I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF THERE’S AN EMERGENCY.”

You were confused but then flattered by his caring nature. A small laugh left your lips. “I meant if you had an emergency, but, I appreciate the thought,” you said.

You could see the moment he paused to process this. An orange blush appeared on his cheekbones. “OH,” he said lamely.

The sight was endearing, so you smiled more. “That’s all right, here,” you said as you handed him your phone from your apron pocket.

Papyrus activated your screen. “IT IS LOCKED,” he said.

You mentally hit yourself.

“Haha, sorry about that! Guess we’re even.”
You cupped your hand around your mouth conspiratorially and leaned towards Papyrus. “I won’t mention it if you don’t,” You whispered loudly.

He grinned, “I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU MEAN.”

Oh yeah. This was going to be a wonderful friendship.

Chapter Text

The day still had warmth and sunlight when you notice the skeleton awkwardly standing near the counter. You flicked to look at Fern and saw them busy arranging an order and figured it was your turn.

"Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?" you asked them. They held up a brown paper bag. You squinted at it and read the name scrawled on the bag. Recognition hit you like a lightning bolt.

"Oh! I'll go get him," you said.

You quickly made your way to the back where you found Papyrus. He perked up at your entry. "You've got company out front," you said. He thanked you and headed out of the backroom. You followed him out to return to the front, cutting the light off to the backroom as you do so.

You saw Papyrus talking to the other skeleton very animatedly. You noticed they had a comfortable looking hoodie on. The unknown skeleton gave Papyrus a finger gun and swiveled away. You watched them nod towards a seated customer and leave your cafe. huh, neat.

You turned towards Papyrus right as he finished looking at the contents of the brown bag. His expression turned sheepish. "MY BROTHER BROUGHT ME LUNCH AS I HAD FORGOTTEN IT AT HOME," he said. Aw, that was sweet. It was nice to hear that Papyrus had someone that looked out for him. "SANS IS A GOOD BROTHER," he said.

"I'm glad," you said. You're thankful when you flip the sign on your door from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED'. You lock the door behind you and started to walk home

Papyrus calls out to you, "GOODBYE, BOSS, STAY SAFE!"
You waved at him as the two of you walked in opposite directions.

"Bye! Don't forget about our hours changing soon!" He flashes you a big thumbs up and picks up his pace.

On your way home, you get a phone call. You check it and see Undyne's contact photo. It's blurry from her movement, and the flash of the camera makes her eyes look feral. It's beautiful. You pick up the phone call. "Hey, Undyne, I'm almost to my apartment," You tell her.
There's background noise that puts you in mind of garbage disposal sounds. "Undyne?"

"Sorry, Punk! dropped my phone, I hope you're ready to lose sleep tonight!" she says enthusiastically.

You laugh. "Of course! I'll be over as soon as I grab my stuff," you tell her.

She makes a loud noise of victory "See you soon!" Then, she hangs up. You shake your head in mirth and finish the walk to her house.

That night, the three of you talk until 3 am, play games, watch anime and eat way too many snacks. In the morning, you go home tired but happy.