Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Year 20XX

It starts with a thought.

Dangerous thing, that is. To think. Not knowing where it will lead you, it being sometimes good, sometimes bad. Sometimes confusing, sometimes clear.

It comes to be an option with a voice.

Not as dangerous, but terrifying none the less. It leads to the thought What if...?, and the cycle begins.

It commences with action.

This cycle of things are continuous, seemingly harmless, but can be far from it. This cycle is what led you to the foot of Mt. Ebott, thinking to yourself, "What if?"........................................................

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Flashes of blue light fill my dreams, muffled yelling off in the distance and dust floating down like snow. By now, I was used to having this dream, having it plague my mind for years on end. But, oddly enough, something else caught my attention. A dark figure shadowed in the distance, but dust blocked my vision of seeing their face. They turn around slowly, and upon seeing me, start sprinting full force. I tried to run, but my legs stood frozen in place. I look down to see my bare feet in the snow, slowly turning black from frostbite. I turn back up to see the figure is gone. I search around in the storm, looking for the tall shadow, but finding it useless to do so. Nothing could be seen in the blizzard. I started to black out, glad that it was almost over, but not before hearing a voice scream out to me.

"You have to lea-!"

I shot awake in a cold sweat, feeling the sensation of it going down my spine. That dream was vivid... way too vivid for my liking.

What the hell...? I shivered, and took notice that I had somehow managed to kick off my blanket to the carpeted floor. I sigh, closing my eyes for a second, and then look to my left for my alarm clock.

2:07 p.m. ...  shit.

I'm late for work. Again. Shoving the images of the recent dream to the back of my thoughts, I slowly stretch and hear the satisfying pops in my bones before swinging my legs over to the side of the bed and stand up, padding over the abandoned covers. I bent down and picked up the blanket before tossing the thing on the bed, not bothering to make it up. I make my way over to the walk in closet, and a quick glance around was a reminder that the place I called a bedroom was almost bare of anything, the dim lime green walls empty with just a single window showing a cliche brick wall, and an abandoned picture frame that held the memory of my ex was on top of a nightstand that an old friend had made with me.

I paused my movements, staring at the picture, and took note of how happy we both looked. The sun glaring on our heads with the ocean waves crashing in the background... Almost feeling the sand in between my toes.... I shook my head to dismiss the unpleasant feeling in my stomach and go back to my original task, to look for some decent clothing.

I look over the piles of clothes in the closet and pick up a jacket and slip it over a shirt with a movie pun written on it, grinning slightly at the joke. I grab a pair of pants, put them on along with comfortable shoes and kick the door closed. Heading back over to the bed, I sat down with a cringe worthy squeeeeek. Pulling out a comb from my nightstand, I fixed my hair trying to at least make it look presentable. I tugged the charger off my phone, noticing that no one had texted me besides my boss. Cold sweat began to bead down my back. Ignoring the seeking feeling in my gut, I clicked on message notification.

Y/n,

I have contacted you to inform you that you have been let go for the better of the company. This is the third time that you have been late in the past two weeks, so due to un-punctuality, you have been let go.

With the best wishes to you,

Tymothie Chaser

"... GOD DAMN IT!" I yell, earning an angry thump from my neighbor. I glanced up at the ceiling and back down to my phone, reading it again, and in a fit of anger threw it across the room. Instantly regretting it after hearing a sickening crack, watching as shards of glass fell down from the wall. I shot up to inspect the damage, but saw that the phone was completely annihilated. I huff out a breath and get up slowly, trying my best as to not damage any other of my belongings. Walking to the bed, I stared at the now useless charger. I glare at it before sighing in defeat and looking over the picture once more.

...Why do I even still have this?

I pushed the frame downwards so I could only see the back of it. Deciding to get some fresh air, I turn around and look for my leather backpack, finding it in the corner and taking a last look around the bedroom before stepping out and closing the white door. I walk down the hallway, stopping by the bathroom to gather my necessities before heading to the kitchen. Putting some energy bars and a bottle of water in the bag, I zipped it up and swung it around onto my shoulder and scanned the things occupying the living room space that was visible from the kitchen. A dusty printer sat in the corner, leather couches on top of the plush black carpet, also dusty due to no one ever using them. I shake my head once again and with DETERMINATION, I head out the apartment door, one last time.

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Once I made it outside and was walking, I halted my footsteps at an erupt thought.

What am I even doing?

Then, like an anvil smashing through, I knew why. Without a job, I couldn't with-hold my apartment. I was dead broke at the moment so I didn't have anything to pay this month. I realize with a shudder that no one would notice if I was gone. Stopping to linger on the thought, I notice that the ground looks drastically different from the normal concrete in the city. Snapping my head upwards, I realize that I stood at the foot of Mt. Ebott. The familiar call of my grandmother echoed in my head, reminding me of the story she used to read me to bed.

Long ago, there was peace.

Humans and Monsters lived in harmony, helping one another.

But, one day, War raged out.

Fighting with all they could, they, the monsters, were trapped underground by a powerful spell, never to be seen again.

If a human were to ever climb the mountain...

"...they would surely fall to the same fate." I muttered out loud. Standing in silence, I only stared at the trees in the distance. Then, with a new found sense of PERSEVERANCE, I started on my adventure and trudged up the mountain, stopping every now and again to eat an energy bar and take a sip of water.

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Around 3 hours later, running out of bars and a half a bottle of water left, I came to a clearing. It was filled with golden flowers, making my eyes sparkle with its beauty. Blossoms flowed in the wind, like waves of gold, shining in the light of dusk. It almost made me forget why I came up the mountain. After a few peaceful moments of admiring the flowers, I resumed my journey, and to where, I didn't know at the time.

After an hour or so, I saw a cave, and, for some reason, something in my chest pulled me closer to the entrance. It wasn’t a physical pull, no, but more like something in the dark desolate cave called out to me. I trudged inside of the cave, noting the spiky, wet ceiling. The light was really bright for being the inside of a cave, but didn't pay it any mind. I walk a bit of a ways before seeing a black pit at the end. I tiptoed closer carefully, watching my step so I didn't slip on the moist rocks, and craned my neck to gaze downward. I couldn't even see the bottom, and yet it didn't scare me.

..If I were to jump, no one would care. No one would look for me.

Shaking the thought away, I stand up while giving the hole a nervous glance. I turn around with the intention to admire the golden flower field once more. But, as I did so, my foot caught on the vines that decorated the insides of the humid cavern. A sharp pang of fear shot through my chest, and swayed back to avoid falling onto the daggered rocks. Gasping slightly, my stomach becoming weightless as I slipped and fell back, no ground meeting me as I tipped into the dark opening. Grasping for the edges around me to no avail, my heart dropped along with my body. With a shrill scream, I fell into the abyss. The border of my eyesight begins to fade out.

Everything goes dark,

darker, but yet....

darker.

Chapter Text

For the first time in a long time, I did not dream while I slept.  The darkness invaded my vision for what seemed like hours, before jolting awake with my heart beating fast.  I gasped for air, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible, before noticing that I was on solid ground, and my vision hazy.  Sitting up slowly, I used my arms for support and sat up where I had landed.  After sitting up, I inspected my body for injuries.  I rolled my joints around, hearing little pops here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I try to stand up, only to hiss in pain when attempting to move my foot.  

Great.  I'm stuck in a hole with an injured foot.  Ain't that a fantastic way to die.  

I flop back down with an oof, taking a look around in the cavern I had fell down.  I see that I was surrounded by little golden flowers, looking as if they had just bloomed that morning.  Touching one of the flowers petals, I felt the soft, yet strangely warm aura.  I look up and see the opening where I had fallen in, suddenly thankful that I came out of that with only an injured ankle.  Other than those two things, there wasn't much to see in the cave.  Sighing, I try to think of a plan to try and start moving forward.

Well, I could try to fight through the pain to look around and see if there's a way out, but that might be a bad thing to do considering I don't even know what happened to my foot.  There's nothing around me to make a crutch with, however.. Damn it.  Why do these things ALWAYS happen to M-

My thoughts were cut short by soft padding of feet.  My head shot up and stare towards the source, only to gawk at what I found. ....Goats.  At least, that's what I think they are?  They come closer to me, making my body automatically freeze up, seeming to make them stop in their tracks with surprise.  Guess they hadn't noticed me until I moved.  

Good job Y/n, real stealthy aren't cha.  

One of the goat... creatures... stepped closer, albeit slowly, as if it was trying not to scare me.  I stayed still, accepting the fact that I couldn't move anyways.  When it was close enough to almost touch me, it stopped.  I glanced downwards, and locked sight on purple.

Wait.  Purple?  On a goat?   I start guiding my eyes up before meeting kind, magenta ones.  My eyes widen, as I did not find what I had previously expected.  Not slits or ovals, but rather an almost enchanting sparkle as they bore into your soul.

"I- uh- Wh- huh??"  I choked out.  The person(?) smiled, and leaned down a slightly so as I didn't have to crane my neck to look at them.  They responded in a motherly tone, and I could feel my muscles becoming less tense because of it.

"Hello, child.  I am Toriel, caretaker of these ruins.  That behind me is my husband, Asgore." 

I glanced behind Toriel to see a golden beard, and see there's in fact another goat-like face attached to it.  The man had gentle amber eyes, almost the color of the golden flowers around me.  He was holding something, but it was too dark to see from where I sat.  I took notice that neither of the pair wore shoes, probably with no need to, and too big of paw-feet to even fit in any. 

"What is your name?" Toriel asked.  I look back up to see those kind eyes again, awaiting for my answer.

"It's Y/n. Y/n L/n."  Toriel smiles at this and holds out a paw to me.

"Well Y/n, it's quite nice to meet you!  If you'd like, you can come with us to our home to regain your energy."  I stare at her paw in hesitance, looking at the goat man, Asgore, in the background, and then back with a small smile on my face. Taking  her hand, she pulls me up gently with a strength I didn't expect.  I make sure not to step with my bad leg, Toriel immediately noticing. 

"Oh, are you hurt?  You poor thing, we shall get you patched up in no time." 

She motions for Asgore to walk over, and I see what he was holding. ..It was a bundle of white fur, two beady, black eyes looking down.  A baby, waving their arms around to attempt to catch the golden hairs of Asgores beard.  I squeal in awe of the child, and the Asgore person chuckles in a deep, soothing tone.  Toriel laughs a little as well, shifting the child into her arms. 

"I see you like little Asriel here, Y/n.  I do not blame you, he is quite adorable." She says in a what you could only describe as a loving tone.  I smile and nod, and Asgore catches my attention by moving towards me. 

"Hello.  Although we already know each other's names, I shall formally introduce myself.  I am Asgore, King of monsters."  I raised my eyebrows up in surprise, and can't help my mouth from gaping open.  They both laugh out loud in response, making an embarrassed blush rush up to my cheeks. 

I panic and try to bow or curtsy in respect, but topple over from a bad case of 'clumsy feet'.  I'm sure the ankle didn't help, either.  Asgore catches me with his paws, and-

Oh. My. God.  

HE'S SO FLUFFY!  What the hell?  This is like the silkiest of the silk, how did this guy manage this?!

"There is no need of that here.  Since you cannot walk, I will carry you to our home."  And, without warning, he picks me up and holds me like he was holding Asriel.  Not that I was complaining, as he was extremely warm.  He smiles, and he and Toriel walk through a doorway that I hadn't seen in the darkness.  There was another pocket of air before another doorway came to view.  They, with me snuggled up in Agore's arms, stepped through the doorway to reveal a rather purple room.  It reminded me of a dungeon almost, half-expecting to see a treasure chest at any given moment. There was what seemed to be a brand new puzzle in the room.  Toriel went through quickly, the spikes at the end of the room disappearing.  Before I could see what was at the end of the other side, however, I fell asleep in Asgore's arms.

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I once again dreamed of nothing, much to my relief.  Although the darkness was a little disturbing, it was better than all of that... death.  I didn't have to be a genius to know what the dust was.  My grandmother had always told me about the war between humans and monsters, and with disturbing detail, told me how monsters died.  Of how they killed humans, and to never trust them.  I never believed her, but with all of what was happening, that disbelief was quickly changing.  I woke up with a groan, opening my eyelids groggily.  If I was being honest, that was the best sleep that I had ever gotten. Then, I realize that I'm on a very, very soft bed.  I sit up, and for a moment forget where I'm at. 

"Oh... Toriel and Asgore..."  I muttered.  

This must be one of the rooms.  I feel warmth in my chest that they would let me sleep in one of their rooms.  I move my legs over to the side of the bed and stand up, and hiss in pain. 

 SHIt... I forgot about that.  That hurt (wow, such an understatement).

I look down and see that my foot no longer had a shoe on it, but instead a bandage.  I smile at that, and notice a note is on the bedside table. Reading it, the elegant writing read out-

Good morning, Y/n.

I hope you had a nice rest.  You looked oh-so tired, so we did not want to wake you.  If you wish to change, there are some clothes on the bed for you.- 

 I pause and glance over, and surely enough, my shoe and a black long sleeved shirt sat on the bed, accompanied by a pair of soft looking F/C sweat pants.  I resume the note.

-We are in the room down the hall if you need anything at all.  Just follow the smell of butterscotch.

With care, Toriel ]:) 

I smile at Toriel's consideration.  Slipping on the clothes that were laid out, I see that my bag was in the corner of the room, a hole at the bottom that threatened to spill out my belongings.

Welp. There goes 20$. 

 I take my clothes and bundle them under my arm, placing them into the bag, then walk out of the dimly lit room.  The hallway was bright, now seeing what Toriel meant by the smell of butterscotch. Or rather, smelling what she had meant.  Drooling a little, I wipe it quickly and start walking towards the scent.  I pass by some stairs going downwards, and what seemed to be the front door. 

I step into a living room.  Searching the area, I see Asgore on a chair that was sat across from another.  A fire was softly popping and crackling in the fire place, and a book shelf full of books.  A table was in the room as well, a doorway at the end on the right.  I walk over to Asgore and see him wearing little glasses and reading a book.  He looks up and smiles at me. 

"Ah, I see you are awake, Y/n.  Do you like the clothing?  We did not have very many things that would fit you, so I hope it suffices."  I smile warmly and nod. 

"Yeah, they're great!  They're so soft, I don't think I've worn anything so comfortable. Thank you for letting me wear them." 

Asgore smiles even more with a twinkle in his eye, and continues reading. I look over to see Toriel walking out of the other doorway with a delicious looking pie in her paws.  It was almost intimidating with how large it was, but didn't stop me from my eyes sparkling with anticipation.  Toriel sees me and smiles warmly and sets the pie down onto the table, taking off her rather large oven mitts and setting them onto the table as well.  She walks over, carefully scanning me over as if to make sure I had gotten enough rest.

"I am glad to see that you are awake, just in time for pie!"  Practically trembling in excitement, I shake my head up and down.  She laughs and walks back into the doorway, I'm assuming it's the kitchen, and assembles together four plates. 

I look a little confused on why there were four, but I shake it off and limp over to the table carefully, Asgore following close behind.  He took his place on the right side, I sit down with my back to the hallway I had come out of, and Toriel sets a plate in front of me with a fork.  She does the same for Asgore and the extra plate on the left side of the table.  I look at it perplexed,  Asgore beginning something but was interrupted by a smooth, polite, deep voice behind me.

"I hope I am not interrupting something?"  I turn, locking eyes with white, glowing dots. 

"Oh, you must be the human their highness' were talking about.  Hello.  I am W.D. Gaster,  the Royal Scientist."

Chapter Text

The person -no, Monster- stood behind me with rolled back shoulders, standing tall and proud, spine straightened to a point.  Like, really tall- he looked to be just a head shorter than Asgore, but even then, the King was enormous.  His face reminded me of that of a skeleton, though it didn't exactly... match the ones I was used to.  There were cracks running up and down his skull, one going up on his left and one going down on his right. 

Though I guess it would be the opposite to him.

He wore a black turtle neck shirt with a silky white lab coat over it, a few black stains spotting the bottom.  His pants looked like a mix between dress pants and sweatpants, however that worked.  His shoes were just black, I couldn't quite tell what they were.  I looked back up to his face, and see that in fact he had white pin pricks, looking sharp, but with a hint of something I couldn't quite tell what it was. 

He held a nervous smile, and that's when I realized-

Oh my god I've just been staring at him-

An embarrassed fire spread to my neck and trailed it's way to my face.  I quickly glanced down.  

As if that'll save face..

I look back up and see that he had gotten closer to the table, and was moving to sit on the left side.  

At least I know who the plate was for.  I look back up at him once he sat down, embarrassment still eminent on my face.  No one had said anything, adding to the awkwardness and tension to the air.  So, with a burst of courage that came from who knows where, I said, in a spout of brilliance,

"...Knock knock."  

REALLY. KNOCK. KNOCK? WHAT EVEN ARE YOU, AWKWARD CENTRAL?!

".....Who is there?" 

My eyebrows shot up in surprise to Gaster, and see he had curiosity and amusement in his eyes, er, well, pin pricks.  I grin slightly, glad that he at least is playing along with the joke.  I'm not sure if I would survive the silent treatment from this guy.

"Orange." 

"Orange who?"

"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?"  I laugh, and just like that, the tension in the air dissipated.  Toriel laughed with her chest as if it was the best thing she's ever heard, while Asgore only shook his head and groaned.  I turned back to Gaster who looked more relaxed than before and gave a small smile.  I gave a lopsided smile and stuck out my hand to him. 

"Sorry about before, I'm Y/n.  Hope I didn't rattle your bones."  Gaster looked surprised for moment before smiling and taking my hand and giving it a shake.  His hands, I now noticed, had gaping holes in them, which made me slightly worried for a moment before changing my expression hoping he didn't notice.  Besides from the holes, his hand felt unexpectedly warm and not as hard as I had guessed they would be.

Remember, Y/n- These are monsters.  Some of them probably have holes because it's just how their bodies are. 

"It's quite alright, Y/n.  It is nice to make your acquaintance." 

His voice sounded almost British in a way, like he had lived in England for most of his life before moving to the states. 

I bet he's great at telling stories.  I smile back and retreated my hand before it got awkward again, and locked back on the pie, which had slices cut into it and put onto the plates in front of us.  Toriel had sat down across from me and shared a look with Asgore before looking to Gaster. 

"Well, with introductions behind us, I am glad you were able to make it Gaster.  Please, go ahead and have some pie."  Gaster sat up straighter, making me concerned for the wellness of his spine.  I wasn't sure if spines were exactly supposed to bend that way.

"Thank you, your highness- I will gladly have a portion."  I turned to Asgore, who looked the slightest bit sad, but didn't question it.  It was none of my business, considering the suddenness of my fall.  I looked down at the slice of pie on my plate and drooled.  

Oh goodness that looks good.  

I picked up the fork that was set beside me and gladly dug into the slice of heaven.  I could practically feel my eyes glowing, and savored the first bite.  It reminded me a little of hot chocolate, but not?  I didn't really know, or care, but before I knew it- the slice was gone.  I heard a chuckle and blushed in embarrassment.  I had to be careful of how I acted so I didn't do that so often, in front of Royalty no less.

"It seems like Y/n here enjoys my pie.  I am glad!  Though unfortunately, we do have to speak about the reason Gaster is here. Before it gets too late into the night."

I glance up in curiosity, the line piquing my interest and side-look to Gaster to see that he wore a similar expression.  I guess he doesn't really question why the Queen and King call for him, just goes along with it no matter the hour.

"I am rather curious to why I am here, though it is not unwelcome." 

The couple glance at each other, Asgore sighing before locking eyes with the skeleton again. 

"Well, you know that our hands are full with Asriel, as well as the duties as king and queen... We talked while Y/n was sleeping and decided that they cannot stay here, though we wish that they could."  I get a little sad that I couldn't stay here with the goat family, though it's understandable.  They probably couldn't handle a stranger human in their home with all of their other responsibilities.  Toriel seems to notice my sad expression and gives a encouraging smile. 

"That's why we wanted to call you down here, to ask a favor.  Not as the Royal Scientist, but as a friend.  ...Do you think you could have Y/n here stay with you, at least until they heal?" 

What?  I barely know the guy..!  He might sound nice but that didn't change the fact I had just met him a couple of minutes ago.  I looked towards Gaster with raised eyebrows and he seemed to be having an internal conflict.  I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.  He seemed to make a decision and looked up, but not before sighing. 

Then again, I did sleep in a strangers home minutes within meeting them as well.  If I was going to be hurt, they surely would have done so by now.

"I suppose... It couldn't hurt.. I do have an extra room, though it could use some light cleaning.  I guess it's alright, if.. it is alright with you?"  He turns to me, and I panic for a second, being put on the spot so suddenly.  I look back up to him, with what probably looked like a dumb look. But, I sigh, and give a small smile. 

"I guess I don't mind.  But..."  His eyes dimmed a slightly.

".. Do you have um, any crutches? Or... something to lean on..?" 

All of my previous courage gone, I morphed into the hiding turtle in it's shell when around strangers.  He looked a little... relieved? Until he seemed to process what I had said.  Gaster then did a double take at the Royal couple.

"Wait- you did not say anything about Y/n being injured.  What happened?"  Toriel looked at Gaster in confusion.

"Did we not tell you? I suppose it must have slipped our minds when we called for you.. Yes, they are hurt.  We do not really know what is wrong, except that they seem to be in great pain when using their leg."  Gaster's bone brows scrunched up, thinking, then turned to me. 

"May I see?"  I hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. 

I turned myself in the chair so I was facing the wall, and lifted my right foot, still bandaged.  He had turned himself and gently took it into his hands and un-bandaged it.  I peeked at it and cringed internally.  It was slightly swollen and red, looking back up, I see Gaster thinking.  Then, without saying anything, re-applied the bandage.  He looked up to me, and said,

"We will have to go to my lab to make sure nothing is wrong with it, though hopefully it is just a twisted ankle."  I nodded nervously, not really liking the idea of going into a lab.  I've never really like going to the doctors, something about their gloved hands making me nervous ever since I was small.

Gaster stood up, holding out a hand to me.  I took it with a little hesitation, and was pulled up gently.  He made sure I could stand before letting go hastily.  He didn't seem to like touching all that much.  I took note of that, not wanting to make him uncomfortable while I stayed in his home.

"While we do not have any crutches, I can try to get some made so it is easier to move around.  But for now, we should make our way to the lab.  It was nice seeing you, your Highness's."  Toriel and Asgore smiled and nodded, and we all said our goodbyes.  I gave my thanks to both of the goat parents for taking care of me, and they said something along the lines of 'It was our pleasure!'. We waved each other farewell, then Gaster and I made our way to the stair case I had seen before in the previous room. 

With his help, we made our way to the bottom and walked along a large hallway that proceeded the stairs.  It was traveled in silence, but the quietude broken when we reached a pair of double doors. 

"I hope you do not mind the cold, I am told that it is very much advised to wear something warm in this weather."  I was about to question it when he pushed open the doors, a blast of cold air hitting my face, but relieving the dull ache in my ankle.  I limped out into the... snow.  That was in the Underground.  I scanned the area, seeing a winter wonderland.  There were trees, however they grew underground, and they reached towards the top of the massive caverns.  I couldn't even see the tops, reaching so high that I could only guess they brushed the ceilings.  The cold didn't bother me much, though I could see what Gaster was talking about when it came down to it. 

I hear crunching of snow and see that the skeleton in question was walking on the path, and I rushed to catch up to him.  Once again, we walked in silence.  It was slowly beginning to build up the tension again.  Before that could happen, I.. attempted to start conversation.

"So, uh, how was your day?"  Wow, what a great question. Gaster thought for a moment, though, actually considering the inquiry.

"I suppose it was alright...  though I doubt yours could not have been that wonderful if you fell down here."  I could hear the question in the statement as he spoke.  Welp, it's not like I'm going anywhere for a while, so might as well try to make friends, right? 

"That would be right, I guess.  Not really the best day," I laugh dryly, remembering why I climbed up the mountain in the first place. 

"I uh.. lost my job.  It wasn't the best place, but it made me money- I overslept," I added before he could ask why. 

I continued my story when he motioned for me to go on with the tilt of his skull. 

"I got mad, and threw my phone against the wall... Probably shouldn't have done that.  But I couldn't keep my place since my rent was due this weekend. So, I packed a bag and left the building.  I guess my legs just led me to the foot of the mountain, and I climbed.  Now that I really think about it, I didn't really have a reason to go up, but I did.  I passed a field of flowers when I walked into the cave, and I accidentally fell in, and now I'm here."  I retold my story to him, the words spilling out with more ease than I had expected.

I glanced up towards him and he held a look of sympathy, before wiping it when he saw that I had noticed.  I smiled and looked back in front of me, when I realized we were in front of a cheery looking town.  I locked eyes on the words of the sign, which read, 'Welcome to Snowdin!'. I snickered at the pun and turned back as to watch my step.  Gaster kept walking, and I followed, only slightly lagging behind.  He kept up his straight stick stance the entire time.  There were other monsters around us, and they all waved or nodded their heads to Gaster, and stared at me with curiosity, but cheery nonetheless.  We stopped in front of a warm wooden home, though it looked like Santa Claus had crashed and exploded onto the building.  It had two stories from what I could see. 

Gaster stepped up onto the porch, with me close behind him.  Then, with a surprising amusement in his tone, he said, 

"I hope you do not mind children."  As I was about to say something in response, he opened the door, my words dying out in my throat.  I peeked inside.  

Oh.  My.  God.

Chapter Text

You peeked into the Christmas blown house in shock.  The walls were covered with what you hoped was a red sauce, there was a rock that was turned over on a table beside the door, and a small, guilty looking skeleton along with a large, blue man behind a flipped couch.  His physique was built like a viking, muscles bulging but had a healthy belly.  You were positive that he could toss you with one arm.

You slowly turned to look at Gaster, and his expression made even you pause.  He had a dark look shadowed over his eyes, dots burned out, and turned to look at the blue man behind the couch, who you noticed was trying to make himself seem less noticeable.  With three, quick large strides, Gaster was in front of the couch.  He spoke in a dangerously calm voice. 

"Jainil... You have better have an explanation as to why my house is practically destroyed."  This 'Jainil' person started to sweat bullets, becoming even smaller under the glare of the scientist.

"W-well uh ya see G, the boys were hungry so I thought I'd teach lil' Sans here how to make spaghetti but uh.. the sauce didn't exactly wanna cooperate."  His voice was deep, and gravely- The quieter tone he took didn't seem to fit him, but what could you know?

"...That does not explain why my furniture is knocked all over the place." 

While Gaster and Jainil were going back and forth, you saw the skeleton kid tip-toe pass Gaster and sneak over to you cautiously.  You looked at him curiously, and he did the same.  He had two big eye sockets, and what seemed to be a permanent smile.  His clothing was just a blue onesie with yellow stars on it, but it was enough to make you wanna squeal with how cute it was.  The boy walked until he was in front of you.  You felt a cold gust of wind, and saw that the door was still open and closed it.  The two in the background didn't seem to notice.  You looked back down at the kid and sat down in front of him carefully, trying not to hurt your ankle in the process.  He blinked and sat down too, criss cross style.  You smiled at him warmly. 

"Hey.  I'm Y/n." You started.  His smile seemed to get wider. 

"..i'm sans."  Like the font?  You wondered if this is what Gaster meant by not minding children. 

"Well, it's ice to meet you buddy."  You greeted him kindly, hoping that he'd get the pun.  Sans' pin pricks turned to stars, giggling.  

This kid is gonna nerf me with his cuteness, holy shit.

"you should meet my bro papyrus!  he's really sweet and fun to be around."  Sans leaned onto his arms in front of him, and his eyes seemed to glow with delight.  You couldn't help but smile even wider.

"I would love to meet him, though we should probably wait for Gaster."  Sans nodded, understanding the reasoning and got up to look for the person in question.  Gaster seemed to be done with... Jainil, was it?  Yeah, Jainil.  The guy looked stressed as hell but otherwise seemed fine.

You got up onto your good foot, and made your way to Gaster, following Sans.  He looked down at Sans, looking a little irritated, but melted a little at his cute little face. 

".. You're still getting punished.  No games for two days."  Sans flinched, but nodded. 

"can we go see papy?  i wanna show them!"  Gaster looked confused for a second before glancing back up to you, understanding pooling in his eyes.

"I see that you've made a good impression on Sans here," You just smiled.  Gosh, if you smiled anymore today your face was gonna fall off.

"I guess so..."  He looked at Sans again. 

"I suppose it's alright.  Just make sure that you don't wake him up if he's sle-" 

"thanks dad!  c'mon y/n!"  You paused.

Wait, Da-?

 Your thoughts were cut short by the surprisingly strong skeleton tugging your hands towards the wooden staircase.  You giggled and followed him, tripping a little from trying to hop your way over.  You both went up the stairs and moved closer to a closed door right in front of the top step.  Sans scurried over and turned the doorknob, going inside of the room. 

Before going in, you looked around the top floor.  It was a normal hallway with a wooden railing across the right.  The hallway itself was about an arms length wide, but still wide enough that you couldn't touch both sides at once.  There were three other doors down the hallway, you already assuming that one of them was Gaster's room. 

"c'mon, he's awake!" Sans' little voice said.  You turned away from the doors and followed Sans into Papyrus' room.  The first thing you noticed was the reddish purple walls.  Interesting choice, but I like it.  There was a book case across from where you were standing, and a door next to it.  Probably a closet.  You looked to your left and almost gasped.  Inside of an orange crib was a little, tiny, baby. 

You put your hands over your mouth so you didn't hurt the kid's hears from a fan girl worthy squeal.  Sans grinned at your reaction and motioned you over, as if saying, 'Well? Wanna meet 'im?'  You shakily hopped/walked your way over and put your hands on the railings of the crib.  The baby, Papyrus, was now looking at you.  His mouth was cartoonish, like how a skeleton would seem on a show on T.V., but it added to his cuteness.  He reached his arms up to you, like he was waiting to be picked up.  You looked to Sans for silent permission, and he nodded.  You carefully picked up Papyrus, making sure he was supported. 

You looked at his eyes, seeing that he didn't have pin pricks like Sans and Gaster, but still holding emotion.  His eyes closed and he gave you a closed eye smile, the biggest he could probably muster.   You awwed at his cuteness. 

"Ahhabaff.. Maahbabah" He gurgled cutely. 

"Oh my gosh he's just... ohhh he's just so cute!"  You managed to say.  Sans seemed happy at your words, then glanced behind you.  You turned around to see that Gaster was in the room now, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.  He saw Papyrus in your arms, and at that moment Papyrus had chose to wrap his little hand around your finger that was near him.  There were stars in your eyes, twinkling in joy, and Gaster gave a little smile.  He seemed to finally relax, if only a little bit, his posture now resting to a slightly more comfortable stance.

"I hope you don't mind me holding him, he's just so... I can't even find words for it!"  You said happily.  When you thought about it, it was probably the most happy you'd been since... No. 

You weren't gonna let him ruin your mood. 

Gaster walked closer to you, though no longer long strides, and picked up Sans. 

"Well, I hate to put an end to this meeting but I do believe it's time for you two to go to bed."  Sans whined.

"but daaaaaad.." 

"No buts, and besides, you're in trouble for assisting Undyne's father in destroying the house." 

Sans grumbled, but eventually gave up.  Gaster let him down and said goodnight to him and Papyrus, and went outside of the door.  You looked back down after seeing the father-son moment and saw that Papyrus had fallen asleep in your arms.  You smiled once more and resisted the urge to make another happy noise.  You made your way to the crib and settled him down carefully and put the blankets on top of him.  He made a little noise and rolled to his side.  You hummed and limped out of the doorway to see Gaster waiting to the side.  You looked to Gaster, who had a slight grin on his face.  He looked back to you. 

"You seem to like Papyrus a lot.  I can't blame you, though, he is a very happy child." 

"Yeah, I didn't realize you had children.. They are so sweet!  I think I might just die if they got any cuter."  He suddenly got a worried look on his face. 

"Wait, can humans die from cuteness?" 

You look at him, blink, and start laughing, but quietly as to not wake Papyrus in the room. 

"No, nonono, it's a figure of speech, I mean that I wouldn't really know how to handle myself if they got cuter,"

"Oh." 

Your laughter faded out, with your mood so high that it couldn't be dampened, even if someone tried.  Gaster had a curious look upon his face, before looking to you with an expression that told you he had almost forgotten something. 

"Ah, I just remembered," Called it-

"We'll have to take a look at your ankle.  My lab is just under the house, so it shouldn't take too long." 

You got nervous at the mention of a lab, but it wasn't as bad as before.  You trusted him a little more now, though it would still take time for you to completely trust him.  You nodded and made your way to the staircase, albeit slowly.  You heard a sigh behind you, and felt bony arms swing you off your feet.  You blinked, and saw Gaster's chin bone as he started walking out of the room.  You felt a little heat your face, seeing that he's now carrying you bridal style.  

God, how strong are these guys?

Gaster walked down the stairs, but paused in front of the door.  He looked down at you and got a look that looked like worry, but it was masked with professionalism. 

"Are you alright?  Your face is slightly red.. Do you have a fever?"  He asked.  You made weird mouth movements like a dying fish before just shutting it and shaking your head 'no'. 

"It just happens sometimes. Don't worry about it."  You supposed that monsters had no idea about how things worked on the surface, so you kept your mouth shut.

He stared into you in a disbelieving way, but just nodded and opened the door.  Somehow.  The cold gust of wind made you subconsciously cuddle closer to Gaster's chest, making warmth up your neck.  You felt him hesitate, but only for a second.  He closed the door behind him, you now reduced it down to magic.  You had never seen magic before, but it wasn't doubtful that that was what he used.  You peeked from under your little ball of heat to watch where you two were going.  He stepped down the stairs and took a left.  He continued that way but turned at the corner of the house, going into an almost too dark area of the side of the building.  You saw that there a was in fact a door, it blended in with the sides of the house.  Gaster opened it and you were surprised at the warmth you felt inside. 

You melted and relaxed immediately, glad that it wasn't like the cold offices at the doctors.  He took long strides and set you down onto a white bed.  It wasn't exactly a hospital bed, just a normal single with white bed sheets.  He walked away, and you took that chance to look around.  It was a small lab, though you hadn't really been in one before so you couldn't say if it was smaller than normal.  The walls were a light, dim blue.  In front of you was what looked like a counter, but it was built into the wall.  There were drawers under them, and it was where Gaster was doing... something.  To your right was many different machines on top of a long wooden table.  You would probably ask him about them later.  You used your arms to sit up and lean your back against the cool wall to see better.  Gaster turned back around and went over to the counter and picked up one of the machines.  That's when you got nervous. 

It wasn't like anything that you'd seen, and while you didn't think Gaster would hurt you, there was still that nagging fear in the back of your mind.  What you could best describe it as was one of those scanning gun things at the grocery store, when there was something too big to put over the table scan.  He walked back over with the machine in his hands and saw your nervous face.  He glanced at the thing and then back to you. 

"Ah, don't worry.  This is only an X-ray.  It won't do anything bad to you, and it will not touch you." 

You hesitantly nodded at that, still tense, but it gave you some ease to know what the thing was.  He tilted his head to you, and then pressed a button on the 'X-ray'.  It whirred to life, doing something on the screen before opening a hidden camera at the end of it.  Gaster pointed it to your ankle, and it seemed to take some pictures based on the constant clicking noise.  He pressed something on the screen and it stopped taking pictures.  He pressed another button and something in the corner of the room came to life, startling you.  He chuckled at that, making you puff out your cheeks. 

You looked back at the other thing and saw it was a printer that you had missed among the things on the table.  It printed out some pictures and Gaster walked over and took them into his hands, analyzing them.  He had a focused look in his eyes and shifted the photos every now and again, mumbling some words you couldn't quite understand.  After a few minutes, he tapped them on the table making them straight again and walked over to you. 

"So, I've got some good and bad news.  Which would you prefer first?" 

You thought for a minute. 

"The bad news first. ...please." 

He switched the papers around and went around the bed to show you, leaning slightly forward as to help you get a better view.  The pictures were the classic X-ray pictures, but they were of your ankle.  Gaster pointed to a bone in the jumble of bones that was your ankle. 

"This is your talus bone.  It is an important bone in your body, as it enables you to move your foot around and allow you mobility.  Right here," 

He pointed to a line that you would have missed if he hadn't pointed it out.

"is a crack." 

"Oh.." 

You stared at the photo, looking at the line.  It didn't look like the bone breaks you saw on T.V. 

"Now, the good news however is that it's just a crack, so no need to set it or anything.  All I need to do is give you an ankle cast.  And, while you were with the children, I picked this up from an acquaintance of mine."  He picked up a cane that you had missed beside the bedside.  It was a soft birch wood, and it looked freshly polished.  The top looked like a tree knot while the rest of it came straight down to a rounded point. 

"It looks so pretty.. How did you get it so fast?  Were they in town?"     

"Yes, he was actually in the middle of polishing it when I came in.  He gave it to me as a thank-you for helping his son get better.  His family are wolves, so it took quite some time for his little pup to get over his cold."  He explained. 

You smiled and nodded, taking the cane and setting it beside you while he got the cast ready to put on.  He had set a bowl down when he started speaking. 

".. How are the humans, Y/n?" 

You looked to him in surprise. The humans? That's a quick topic change.

"What do you mean, Gaster?" 

He clenched a piece of cloth, and then released it. 

"Did they get the 'peace' that they wanted so badly?" He managed to get out.

You raised your eyebrows, then settled to an empathetic face.  He must have been talking about the war that your Grandmother had told you about. 

"...I wouldn't say peace.  I don't know what life was like with Humans and Monsters living together, but it seems like nowadays there's war peeking around the corner no matter where you live.  I'd say it's up to one's opinion whether it's peace or not."

You replied, not sugar coating your opinion knowing it would do him no good.  Gaster scrunched his bone-brows up, and after a few moments of glaring at the cast material in his hands, sighed and let them fall to a resting position. 

You wanted to say something, anything, to make him feel better but found nothing to say.  He picked up the tray of assorted things and made his way over, avoiding stepping on any papers that were on the ground.  He pulled a chair along with him and sat down at the end the bed.  Before he could do anything, you asked something. 

"Say, Gaster?" 

He looked to you. 

"Do you have magic?"  Gaster made a surprised face,  not expecting such an inquiry. 

"I do. Why do you ask?" 

You twiddled your thumbs. 

"Well, I haven't really seen any before.. and I was wondering, well... If you could show me?"

He stared at you. 

"You... want to see my magic?" 

You looked back up to him, seeing pin pricks studying yours.  A nervous smile made it's way up your face. 

"I mean it's only if you want to..! You don't have to of course." 

You tried not to be disappointed, the tone of voice that he had spoke to you in seeming like it was a personal matter.

Ah, who am I kidding, I don't even know what magic is to these guys!  I probably just asked him a super personal question..  

You were sweating now at that thought. 

".. I suppose so.  Though, only if you let me use it to help me put this on."  He gestured to the cast supplies.  You smiled brightly and without a second thought, nodded vigorously.  He smiled a small smile and closed his eye sockets.

A few seconds later, he snapped them open, his two pin pricks no longer white, but one of them was orange while the other was blue.  A 'ding' noise came from somewhere.  He raised his hands, and two floating hands slowly came into existence.  You stared at them in awe.  They were exactly like Gaster's hands, though they had a slight glow to them.  You couldn't tell what color they were. 

"..THAT'S SO COOL!"  You exclaimed, making Gaster jump a little.  He grinned at your enthusiasm, and moved the hands around so that they were hovering above your ankle.  They gently lifted it up, and they seemed to freeze in time.  They felt like his normal hands as well.  

Warm...  

"That's amazing!  How do you do it?  Are they like any other limb, just not on your body?  Are they different colors, or is it just me-"

You continued on your rant, and with every passing sentence, you didn't notice Gaster slowly turning a little purple.  He continued working on your ankle, and finished while you were still throwing compliments about his magic his way.  He was now a nice shade of lilac. 

"-and oh my goodness it's just so cool!... .hey are you okay? You're looking a little... purple there." 

His face got darker and he stood up abruptly.  He gathered the leftover things and threw them into a trash can under the table.  He looked back to you, avoiding your eyesight. 

"..are you blushing?" 

His mouth made a wavy line and looked away.  You looked at him dumbfounded, but didn't push it.  You looked at your new friend for the next couple of weeks that was now wrapped around your leg.  You swung your legs to the side of the bed, and with the help of the cane Gaster gave you, you stood up. 

You took a couple of steps to test out the cane, and though it would take some getting used to, it worked just as well as a crutch would.  You looked back up to the now calmed down Gaster and gave an approving nod.  He nodded back. 

"We should be getting back now.  I'm sure you're very tired from everything that's happened today." 

You hadn't thought about it, but during all of the excitement, you hadn't noticed how dead tired you were. 

"Yeah.. I think I'm about ready to pass out now that I think about it." 

He nodded and motioned towards the door.  You limped your way over and Gaster held the door for you.  You thanked him as you both walked out into the cold again.  

I'm going to have to get coat at this rate.  

You added that to your mental to-do list. 

You both trekked through the snow and in the blink of an eye, was inside of the warm home.  You basked in the warmness for a second before turning to the stairs.  You climbed up and stopped in the hallway.  Oh wait... where am I sleeping again?  You turned around to ask Gaster, whom you thought was still downstairs, but saw that he was directly behind you, all you seeing was the black turtle neck that donned his upper body. You blushed at the closeness and very awkwardly stepped backwards. 

"S-sorry.. Uh, I wanted to ask, where am I sleeping?" 

Gaster looked down to you, and then looked down the hall. 

"Ah, yes I forgot that you didn't know.. The room is to the right of Sans'... Though I guess you don't know which one that is either, just.. follow me."  He said tiredly. 

You nodded, and limped closely to Gaster down the hall.  When you passed the door next to Papyrus's, he stopped. 

"This is your room for the time being."   

"Alright, thank you." 

You made your way to the door and turned the cool metal knob, pushing it open.  It was dark, but you found the switch next to the door.  You heard footsteps behind you and you turned around to lean onto the door.  Gaster was turning to go into what you assumed to be his room. 

"Hey, Gaster?"  He stopped and looked at you. 

"...Goodnight."  He smiled what seemed like his first real one since you'd met him.  It felt.. nice.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

Chapter Text

It had been a couple weeks since you'd been in the lab.  You had gotten to know Gaster a little better, but not much since he was always at the other lab in.. Hotlands?  Yeah, that's what he'd called it.  Whenever he left in the mornings, Jainil came to the house to take care of the kids.  You didn't blame Gaster for not trusting you to be with the children alone, cause I mean, would you trust someone you'd just met to with your kids for a day?

The boys were always nice to you, although you didn't really see them much either.  You'd guessed that Gaster had told Sans to leave you alone since you were still healing, or to steer clear of the human- he didn't know if you were dangerous or not, after all. For the two weeks that you had been there was spent mostly sleeping, you being tired and not getting enough sleep from your job on the surface.  Sleeping, which was what you were doing now.  Until you were woken up by the sound of wood knocking against wood.

You woke up groggily, legs tangled in the sheets from tossing and turning all night.  You tightened up your ball of sleep before looking over to the alarm clock that sat on the nightstand.  2:01 a.m. ... you groaned, and sat up slowly and tiredly.  Bones popping, you stretched, and your eye caught something glowing in the corner of the room.  You looked at it confused, and untangled your legs, being careful of the cast that hugged the right one.  You picked up the cane that was on the ground before slowly standing up.  You stalked towards the glow, eyes getting used to the darkness.  When you got close enough, you heard sniffling.  That's when you noticed that the glow was coming from a small, humanoid shape.

"....Sans?"  The figure stiffened, sniffling ceasing, and a head poked out from their arms, showing the tear-streaked face of Sans.  His tears were glowing, solving the question of the dim light. 

"y-y/n?"  He questioned, voice quivering.  You went over to him as fast as you could, getting onto your knees. 

"Sans, what happened?  A-are you hurt?"  You asked, checking over him for injuries.  He shakily shook his head, and started to tear up again.  You looked at him with concern written on your face, and gently wrapped your arms around him.  He seemed to struggle a little, before going limp.  He started to cry again, tears dropping onto your bare arms.  You frowned, and hugged him tighter, before picking him up bridal style.  He didn't seem to notice it. 

With the cane abandoned now, you made your way back to the bed.  You sat down, and laid both of you in the bed where it was more comfortable.  You sat up against the head board, with your legs in an open criss cross and Sans sitting in the middle, facing you.  His crying had calmed down a little, but still tears in his eye sockets.  He sat there, looking at the bed sheets.  Your frown seemed to deepen, being extremely worried for the little skeleton.

"Sans, what happened?"  You asked softly.  He looked at your eyes, his tears threatening to spill over when he suddenly launched himself into your chest, hugging you. 

"... i had.. a-a nightmare.." 

He buried his head into your chest, shaking. 

What kind of nightmare makes him this scared?   

You wrapped your arms around him, holding him against you. 

"..Do you wanna talk about it?"  He sat still for a moment before nodding his head.  You tightened your grasp before letting go so he could speak.  His pin pricks were gone, and he was still slightly shaking in fear.  You put a hand onto his arm as reassurance,  and he took a big breath.  He let it out, calming down, and started to speak. 

"..i saw.. i saw dad i-in hotlands.. and he was walking on- on a metal floor, above the lava... h-he was just standing at the edge, and looking out over everything... b-but th-then.. then something b-behind h-him.. they-y.."  He started to tear up again, shaking.  You hugged Sans again, letting him know that he wasn't alone.  He tried to speak again, but it was intelligible.  After more sniffling, he tried again, much more clear this time.

"th-th-they pus-shed h-him over th-the e-edge, an-and h-he fell int-to this m-machi-ine-"  Sans began to cry again, no longer silent.  

Oh my god... This poor kid..  

You held him, letting him cry it all out.  You rubbed his back, and sat there like that for a long time.  He started to calm down to sniffles and very shaky breaths.  You sat there, calming him down when you had an idea. 

"Hey... do you want to sleep with me tonight?  I can keep the nightmares away."  Sans looked up to you with his little face, and it made your heart clench to see him this upset.  He nodded, not moving.  You softly sighed, and picked him up gently.  You got under the covers, and let him settle down in front of you.  He was facing the door, and your back was to the room.  Not even a minute later, you heard soft snoring.  You looked at him, seeing how calm he looked, and gave a sad smile.  You put your arm around him protectively, and laid your head onto the pillow, falling asleep.

-----------

Gaster was a man that predicted a lot of things, and usually got it right.  He knew whenever Papyrus would need his bottle, and he knew the exact time that Sans would come in to help him with some little projects.  He was known for it, honestly, and some have told him that it was a little unnerving.  So, you can imagine the panic he felt when he saw that Sans wasn't in his bed the morning he was leaving. 

"Nonononononono-!" 

He was searching the house frantically, checking Papyrus's room, knocking on the bathroom door, and even checked the fridge! (It had happened before) But when he looked to your room as a last resort, that was the kicker.  The last thing he had expected was to see his son and the human he had taken in sleeping on the bed she was given.  He let out a big sigh of relief, before seeing the cane that he had given her in the corner of the room.  He looked at it slightly confused, and walked over quietly to pick it up.  He set it down next to the bed, and turned to walk back out of the room, knowing that Sans was alright.  He stopped with his foot over the threshold, and glanced behind him.  Your hair was sticking up all over the place, and had drool going down the side of your mouth.  He chuckled a little at the image, and left with no worries.  

You, on the other hand, were dreaming for the first time in weeks.  It was just you in the field of flowers, relaxing.  But all good things must come to an end, right?  For the second time that day, your heavy eyelids opened.  You blinked a couple of times before squinting at the empty space in front of you.  You remembered the night before, and shot up, fully awake now.  You looked around the room, and saw that your cane was on the bedside. 

Wasn't that left in the corner?  

You shoved the thought away and swung your legs over the bed, picking up the cane so you could walk better.  You stood up, and not resisting the urge, stretched and yawned.  You quickly put on some clothing, a gray turtle neck that you got from Gaster and some black skinny jeans.  You slipped on a slipper and limped out of the room.  The hallway was quiet, and it was slightly... unsettling.  

You walked past Papyrus's room and went down the stairs, making your way to the kitchen.  You hadn't exactly had the most proper meal since you'd fell down.  When you walked into the kitchen, you saw a certain little skeleton on the counter, fiddling with cutlery. 

"Sans?"  He jumped in surprise, almost falling off.  He steadied himself, and looked to see who had scared him.  When he saw that it was you, his eyes brightened up and he jumped off the counter and scurried to you. 

"y/n! good morning!"  He exclaimed.  Your heart warmed to see him in a much better mood than he was in the night before. 

"Mornin, ya little bugger.  .. Are you feeling better?"  You asked him cautiously, not wanting to bring it back.  But you needed to make sure.  His excitement faltered the slightest bit, remembering the dream, but brightened back up. 

"yeah, i'm good.  you were right, by the way!  the bad dreams stayed away!" 

You grinned, glad he was okay. 

"Hehe, tell you what.  Anytime you have a nightmare, come to me and I'll beat them up for messing with one of my favorite skeletons."  Sans giggled and nodded.  Your stomach growled, and you laughed a little. 

"I dunno about you, but I'm feeling a little hungry."  Saying that seemed to remind him of something, and he started pulling on your hand, not unlike from the first time you'd met the skele. 

"oh yeah!  i made you something."  Once he got you to the counter, he picked up a plate and handed it to you.  You looked at the contents, and.. you couldn't tell what it was.  It looked like some sort of mix of pancakes and glitter.  Not wanting to hurt his feelings, you smiled at it. 

"Is this for me?"  Sans nodded excitedly. 

"yup!  i made it for you, i wanted to give you something for keeping the baddies away." 

You giggled at his word for bad dreams and grabbed the fork that was left on the counter.  You gulped, thought a quick prayer, and took a big bite.

It was indescribable.  

But, you being you, kept a happy face, and let out a hum of satisfaction.  Sans looked overjoyed, so it was worth eating the pancake-glitter mix.  You finished the plate with some difficultly, and washed the dish in the sink.  With the plate clinking against the dish rack, you spotted a note on the fridge.  Walking over to it, you picked it up and read it.

Dear Y/n, 

Jainil was not able to come today for personal reasons, so the boys are being left in your care.  Papyrus's formula is already made and in the fridge, so all you need to do is heat it up.  Put the bottle in WARM WATER, NOT THE MICROWAVE.  I trust you to remember this.  Have a nice day.

-Gaster

You smiled at the note, and set it down.  You turned to Sans. 

"Welp, I guess it's just gonna be us three today."  Sans looked up at you. 

"really?  where's uncle j?"  

"I dunno, the note just said it was some personal stuff.  But it shouldn't be that bad!  I've been meaning to spend some time with you guys anyways."  Sans' smile grew wider and sped to the stair-case, and you heard rummaging upstairs.  Curiously, you walked into the living room and saw Sans at the top step with books, some toys, and drawing supplies.  He came back downstairs and poured all of the stuff onto the couch. 

"let's get papy!  he should be awake by now."  You chuckled and gestured to your leg.

"I don't think I should hold him, I might fall down.. How about you go get him and I'll sort everything out here?"  He nodded and... disappeared? 

"Wh- Sans?" 

Did he just... teleport? 

He reappeared in front of you with Papyrus in his arms, who was giggling.  You looked at Sans with an incredulous look on your face.  He seemed to realize what he just did and now looked really nervous.  

"...don't tell dad please?"

Oh dear.

Chapter Text

"Uh I dunno Sans, this seems kind of important?  Cause I mean, since when can you teleport?"  You sat on the couch, holding Papyrus while Sans tried to explain his predicament. 

"well i figured it out a few weeks ago- but that's not important! please, please-please-please don't tell dad!  i don't want him to get mad at me-" Sans stopped himself and slapped a bony hand over his mouth.  You looked at him, gentle confusion drawn on your face. 

"Why would he get mad at you?"  He looked down and let his hand fall back to his side. 

"i-i dunno.. i just.. i didn't tell him w-when i first started doing it s-so i just thought..."  He started to shake, scared of getting in trouble.  You sighed and put Papyrus into his arms.  He looked up at you with confusion on his face.  You slid off the couch onto the floor and opened up your arms in an welcoming way.  Sans trotted over to you and went into your arms, and you wrapped them around him. 

"You know, I used to be in a situation like you before,"  He looked up at you. 

"I think I was 6.  I had taken my Dad's watch without telling him and kept it for weeks.  He noticed around after a while, though, and asked me if I knew what had happened to it.  Of course, I lied."  Sans' eyes were returning to their normal glow now. 

"As more time passed, I felt more guilty everyday.  Eventually, I gave in to the guilt and went to return it," His eye sockets grew bigger in disbelief. 

"And, no surprise, he was kind of upset.  But, the main reason was because I hadn't told him sooner.  If I hadn't waited so long to tell him, I probably wouldn't have had to clean the bathroom for a month after that."  Sans laughed a little, but stopped himself.  Papyrus giggled mercilessly, though.  It made you smile, to see them happy. 

"The point is, Sans, is that the longer you wait, the more he'll get upset.  But I don't think he'll be mad though.."  Sans had his confuzzled face back on again. 

"then what would he be other than mad??"  He asked. 

You looked out the window to the right of you, watching the snow float by.  

"I think... I think he would just be.. sad.  Sad that you maybe didn't trust him enough to tell him right away, or that you tried to keep it from him."  Sans' eyes grew dimmer, now looking like a kicked puppy. 

"it's not that i don't trust him... i just, i wanted some freedom before he gave me rules about my magic."  He explained.  You looked to him in understanding, and gave him one last squeeze, being careful of Papyrus before letting him go. 

"Well I can understand that much at least.  But besides that, I think he's gonna be proud when he hears about this!  I mean, who wouldn't want teleportation powers?"  Sans smiled wider and giggled, snuggling up to Papyrus. 

"maybe.. i-i guess i could tell him tomorrow.."  You gave him a look. 

".. i'll tell him today.."  You gave him an approving nod and took the little orange skele back from Sans' arms.  

"Welp, with that out of the way, what do you say we get started with our day?"  Both Sans and Papyrus got excited, the older one nodding and the other giggling like crazy.  You laughed with them and set Papyrus down onto the floor next to a Rubik's Cube, and he seemed to immediately grab onto it and mess with the colored block.  Sans grabbed the pencils and paper he had brought down and handed one of each to you, apparently wanting to draw.  You thanked him and laid down onto your stomach so you could move better.  Sans was already scribbling something onto his sheet, so you began with yours.  It started as a circle, and not really knowing what to do next.  Your brain spaced out, you not noticing that your hand was still moving.  

I wonder if there's a way to break the barrier...  I guess I should ask Gaster next time I see him.  He seems to know stuff.

...weird thought time: I wonder if magic skeleton and human skeleton bodies are the same.  Another thing to ask, I suppose.

  Your hand stopped moving, and you looked down to look at what you had drawn while day dreaming.  Upon seeing the picture, you blushed a deep crimson.  You had drawn the Royal Scientist by accident, and with surprising detail despite hardly seeing him.  Before Sans could see, you flipped it over and quickly drew a sloppy cat.  Just on time too, it seemed.  Sans scooted over to you and placed his paper in front of you. 

"This is for you!"  He smiled, and your heart almost stopping at the cuteness.  You looked down at the drawing, your breath hitching.  It looked like a family, with a tall, dark figure on the left, a short blue figure in the middle, and a very familiar figure on the right holding an orange bundle.  Over the top of the page read 'MY FAMILIE'. 

Your eyes stung with tears, and you hugged the picture.  It... had been a long time since you had people you could call family.

Sans looked panicked, however.  

"a-are you okay?!  did you not like it? i'm sorr-" 

"Sans, thank you.. I love it."  He blinked before sighing in relief.  You laughed softly before folding the drawing and putting it into your pants pocket.  You glanced over to Papyrus and see that he wore an irritated expression, the Rubik's Cube still in his grasp.  You giggled and went back to drawing with Sans.

A few hours had passed, and you learned a few things about Sans and Papyrus.  Sans apparently really liked anything space related, and almost had his mind blown when you started talking about Quantum physics.  Papyrus does not, I repeat, does not like puns.  He may laugh at them sometimes, but with two jokers around it seems to be a little too much.  He also loves puzzles, at least, you assumed since he's always in the process of a puzzle one way or another.  Currently, you were reading an Astrophysics book to Sans, who was nestled under your arm.

"-most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone.  Albert Einstein."  You look down at Sans and see an adorable sight.  He was looking at the book in your hands with literal stars in his eyes, accompanied by a cheeky smile.  You smiled at this and continued reading. 

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

Another hour or two had passed when a loud grooooooowwwlll filled the room.  You looked down at Sans and see a blue blush on his cheeks. 

"I'm guessing you're hungry?"  He shyly nodded.  You put the book down on the arm of the couch and stood up.  You grabbed your cane and made your way to the kitchen, carefully stepping over the nick-nacks that were all over the floor.  You stepped into the kitchen and looked into the fridge.  It was almost bare of anything, other than some eggs and tomatoes.  You closed the fridge with a sigh and opened the cupboards.  They were in the same state, with only a few things here and there, but there was enough to make one of your most favorite things.  

You put on an apron that was hanging on a hook, not wanting to ruin the clothes Gaster had given you.  "Kiss the cook" was printed on the front. You grabbed the things you needed and put them on the counter, grabbed a sharp knife, and started chopping.  You put the tomatoes you found in the fridge into a pan to cook, along with black pepper, salt, something that resembled Italian seasoning, and a touch of sugar.  You let that sit and started to work on the dough.  You powdered the counter-top and kneaded the dough, soon enough spinning it into the air.  Unbeknownst to you, Sans and Papyrus were in the doorway with amazed looks on their faces.  Sans hadn't seen something like what you were doing, and Papyrus was only a baby, so he was amazed by anything extravagant.  You soon placed the finished dough onto a pan.  You grabbed a ladle from the cup that was on the counter and the pan containing the sauce.  You poured it onto the dough, and took the cheese you saw in the back of the fridge and sprinkled it on top.  Soon, it was in the oven cooking.  You wiped your hands on the apron you were wearing and hung it back up onto the hook you found it on.

"what was that?! that looked so cool!" Sans exclaimed.  You laughed and sat down at the dining table that was on the border of the kitchen and the living room. 

"That, my dear boy, is called pizza.  I'm surprised you haven't had it before."  He ran over to the oven door and peered inside the glass along with Papyrus.  They both seemed to drool, but after a few minutes Sans tore himself away from it.  He went back to you and sat on a chair next to you.  He looked at Papyrus and then to you. 

"papy has a high chair to sit on, but... i'm not big enough to put him on it."  You smiled in understanding and took the baby-bones from Sans and found the chair.  You set him at the end of the table, just when the timer let out a soft ding! You limped to the oven and opened it, a blissful scent filling the house.  

You put on the oven mitts that were sitting next to you and took out the still sizzling pizza.  You let the oven door hang open so that the house could get a little more warm.  You brought the pizza over to the table and set it in the middle. 

"Don't touch it yet, it's still too hot."  You went back to the kitchen and grabbed three plates, along with the knife you used to chop everything with.  You placed the dishes in front of Sans and Papyrus, then setting yours at your seat.  You picked up the knife and cut into the slightly cooled off pizza.  You picked up a slice and put it in front of Sans, and then went to cut another slice into smaller pieces for Papyrus.  Without hesitation, Sans munched into the cheesy slice.  To your surprise, his pin pricks didn't just change shapes this time, but colors too.  they turned to a yellow-gold color, making them look like cartoon stars.

"dis ish sho good!".  You smirked to yourself and put the pizza pieces onto Papyrus's plate.  He had the same reaction as his brother, minus the stars-for-eyes.  You soon dug into your own slice, sighing at the warmth.  

----------

After they had eaten, you glanced at the clock on the wall.  It was almost 9. 

"Well, I think it's time for you two to go to bed.  I don't think Gaster would want you two to stay up too late."  Papyrus continued playing with his clothes while Sans whined. 

"but- yawwwn- i'm not tired!"

"No buts, we don't want a grumpy skeleton in the morning, so it's time for bed."  After complaining some more, he eventually gave in.  You stood up and washed the dishes swiftly, then picked up Papyrus and handed him to Sans.  You wrote a note to Gaster telling him about the leftovers in the fridge, then sticking it to the table.  You three made your way up the stairs and into Papyrus's room, where you took him and put him under the sheets.  He was already starting to snore a little.  You smiled and followed Sans to his room.  His door opened with a squeak and revealed a relatively clean room.  Almost everything was blue, save the floor and ceiling.  Sans climbed into his bed, already starting to pass out.  You walked over to his bed side and leaned over.  

"Night, Sans." 

"night-night.. Y/n..."

You smiled and kissed his forehead before getting up and closing the door behind you after you walked out.  You limped over to your door, looking out into the hallway, and receded to your room for a hopefully awaited long nights rest.

Chapter Text

For the first time in weeks, you had the nightmare once again.  Dust coming from the dark sky blocking your sight, wind causing it to pick up and fall again.  You couldn't see more than 8 feet in front of you, grey fog blocking your vision if you tired to see any further.  Flashes of blue coming from random directions came from within the mist. You try to move, but saw that you were barefoot, feet gradually turning from blue and black from what you assumed to be frostbite.

You look up once again and see the figure from your last nightmare again.  They stood in the distance, past the fog that cut your vision.  You squinted your eyes to see better, but to no avail.  You tried calling out, but your throat made no sound other than air escaping.  You clutch your neck, trying to scream, but silence still.  You look back to the figure again, but they had disappeared.  You turn your head all around looking for them, but once again, like last time, found it useless to do so.

You start fading out of the dream, everything getting dark, darker, but yet darker.  A final flash of orange filled your vision with a hand extending out to you, calling out to you silently.  You reach for it, but everything goes black before you can touch fingers.

----------

"Hum- Y/n.... Y/n, wake up."

"Huh...?" You blink tiredly a few times before looking to the owner of the voice.  White pin pricks stared down to you, patience held in them.  You yawn and sit up on the bed you were occupying.  You hummed tiredly before looking back up. 

"Whass goinggg on?  Did I miss... something..?"  Gaster shook his head and stood up straight. 

"No, we just need to leave before someone starts using the Hotlands lab."  You woke up more at the mention of Hotland. 

"Hotlands?  Oh yeah.. Don't you work over there or something?" You tug the blanket off of your body and sit on the edge of the bed. 

"Yes.  Now, please hurry and get dressed.  We are pressed on time."  You nodded and stood up, stretching while Gaster walked out and closed the door for privacy. 

You limp over to the wardrobe that stood next to the bed and grabbed some clothing.  You put on a pair of baggy gym shorts for easy movement and a F/C T-shirt.  Gaster had been kind enough to find you something in the stores to wear as your own clothing for the time being.  You slipped on some socks and a singular shoe that you had also gotten from Gaster.  Picking up the cane you had been using for the past few weeks, you made your way out of the room.  

Walking down the hallway and staircase, you see Gaster waiting by the front door talking to a big blue figure.  You limped over to the two and saw that the figure was Jainil, the guy who had almost destroyed Gaster's furniture with spaghetti sauce.  When he looked to you, you noticed that he had cherry red hair, clashing with his blue skin. It was up in a nice man-bun, braids on either side as well.  

It looks really nice.  I wonder if he did it or someone else did.

You smiled and stuck out your left hand.  Nothing wrong with a good old fashioned hand shake.

"Hi, I don't think we've met before- Officially, anyway.  I'm Y/n, nice to meet you."  Jainil looked from your face to your hand before grinning a sharp, toothy smile and taking the hand, roughly shaking it.  He spoke in a gravely voice, louder than you remember it being before.  

Though I suppose he was being scolded before..

"Hah, you must be the human I've been told about!  I'm Jainil, the Captain of the Royal Guard.  Pleasure meetin' ya-!"  He took his big hand from you and started coughing into his fist.  Gaster started patting his back.  You watched worriedly from the side.

"Don't push yourself now, get some water from the kitchen.  Though the meeting was short, Y/n and I have to leave if we want to get the supplies."  The burly monster looked at him and nodded, and looked to you once again.

"Well it's too bad our meeting was cut short but I think my daughter Undyne would like ya, you look like you got some guts there kiddo.  See ya round!"  Jainil then walked to the kitchen, and you heard cups clinking around.  You turn to Gaster with a concerned look. 

"Is he alright?  That seemed like a big coughing fit."  As you two stepped out into the cold air of Snowdin, he answered your question.

"We're not sure what's been going on, but he does seem to be coughing more and more each time I see him.  So far it doesn't seem to be contagious, so I'm letting him take care of the kids as long as he takes it easy."  You nodded, and looked to where he was leading you. 

"Well, I hope it's nothing to worry about.  Say, why are we going to the Hotlands lab so early in the morning anyways?"  You tilted your head in curiosity.  The skeleton glanced at you before looking back ahead. 

"I would assume you don't want that cast on forever, now do you?"  You paused for a moment to process what he said and then excitedly hopped along with him.  You looked at Gaster with an excited look in your eyes. 

"You're gonna take off the cast?!  That's great!  I can finally walk normally again!"  You looked forward and noticed that instead of snow, you both were now treading on black, wet grass.  You paused for a moment to scan your surroundings, and saw that it was actually quite dark, but you could still see where you were going thanks to the glowing ceiling.  

"Where are we?  If this is Hotland, it's really contradictory to what the name is." Gaster chuckled at the statement and shook his head. 

"No, we still have a ways to go before we get to Hotland.  This is Waterfall."   

Who came up with these names- 

You two continued on your journey, stopping every now and then so you could look around.  You both reached a glowing hallway, and you gasp at the beauty of it.  Water trickled on both sides of the walkway, a miniature waterfall on the right.  Stones glittered and twinkled a soft blue hue on the low ceiling, making you stop to admire the scene before you.

You crouched on the side of the path and put down the cane you carried.  You stuck your fingers into the glowing water, waving them around and admiring the cat-tails and other plants in the little creek.  The cool water felt nice on your hand.  Grass shifting caught your attention and you looked up to Gaster who was looking at your hand. 

"It's quite beautiful in here, isn't it?  It's popular with the monsters down here."  You nodded vigorously. 

"It really is.  The stones remind me of the stars on the surface, ya know."  Gaster nodded in agreement, and tilted his skull to look at said stones. 

"They really do, don't they.  That's why these are our stars.  It's been years since I've seen them, but I'm sure they're still as intriguing as I remember."  You pause your hand and look up at him. 

"You remember the stars? But.. Just how old are you?"  Gaster laughed at your question.  You mentally slapped yourself for asking it so bluntly.

"I suppose it would be confusing," He stuck his hands into his pants pockets.

"Monsters age differently than humans.  I'd guess I'd be around your age in human years, but in monster years I'm around.. 200?  I've lost count, but around that.  We live around to be 300, and if you're a boss monster you live up to 500." 

Your mouth gaped open.  

200 years old!?

"Boss monsters..?"  Gaster sighed and looked towards you. 

"Yes.  I, for example, am a boss monster, along with their highness' Asgore and Toriel.  I'd guess Papyrus and Sans are as well since they are my sons.  It is a trait that is passed down in families; though some, like Jainil, were just born that way.  Undyne most likely got it from him as well."  Gears in your brain turned with the new information. Another inquiry suddenly came to mind.

"If it works like that, then wouldn't all monsters eventually become boss monsters?" You asked.  He nodded, seeming to recognize the curiosity of that subject.

"Normally, yes.  But it's not certain that the boss monster's offspring will also be a boss.  It is actually quite rare, but it seems we have been on a lucky streak lately."

"I see."  You thought some more about the ages and longevity of it compared to humans, but got interrupted by Gaster after a few moments of silence.

"Well, we had better get going.  We have spent too much time here."  You nodded and took your hand out of the water, wiping it on your shirt before picking your cane back up to continue the trek to Hotlands.  

-----------

Some time later after visiting an odd town of monsters called 'Temmie', Gaster stopped and made a right to a dark hallway. 

"Come this way, there is a shortcut."  You turned and followed him curiously, being careful to not trip over any pebbles.  You had the sudden memory of your mother  telling you not to follow strangers into ally ways, but shook it off promptly. The hallway soon opened up to a large river with a boat gracing the middle.  A hooded figure stood at the front of the oddly shaped boat. 

"Tra la la, Hello, Dr. Gaster.  Where do you wish to go?"  The person sounded cheery, but you couldn't quite put your finger on their gender. 

"Hello Riverperson.  We'll be heading to Hotlands today."  

Riverperson, huh? Odd name, but it's fitting. 

Gaster gestured you to get on the boat.  You limped over and stepped on, surprised by how solid it felt despite being on water.  You sat on one of the boards that were in the middle.  Gaster got on and stood opposite of you.  

"Tra la la, An angel is coming, Tra la la." You looked to the hooded figure. 

"Wha-?" Suddenly the boat lurched forwards and started gliding across the water.  You steadied yourself with your cane and saw that the boat was indeed moving by itself.  

More magic, huh?  

The wooden steed sped up more before slowing to a stop at another river cavern. 

That was ridiculously fast- 

It seemed like some sort of a natural drop off station.  

Gaster stepped off first before offering you a hand.  You stood and took it, careful as to not fall and hopped off as well.  Releasing his hand you turned to the Riverperson. 

"Thank you!"  They stayed silent, but nodded and hummed quietly.  You turned back around and followed Gaster up the cavern, not failing to notice how hot it was getting.  As you both reach the end of the hall, you gasped in awe, sweat already protruding your brow. 

"Wow"

Chapter Text

"Wow"

You breathed out in awe at the sight.  A large, machine like building stood proudly in the middle of a lake of lava, tubes going in and out of the rocky ceiling above.  The ground beneath you and Gaster was a dark orange, though it wasn't quite brown either.  The molten rock pools around you radiated heat you couldn't even describe, and now you understood quite well why it was called Hotlands.

"How in the world did that machine even get there? There's like... tons of lava around it!" You questioned, baffled beyond belief.  Gaster stood straighter, seeming to be proud of your bewilderment.  He turned to you with a smug look.

"Mmmmmmagic." He said.  You look at him with an incredulous look, which made him laugh. 

"Really." 

"All jokes aside, yes.  We did have to use magic to build it there.  But anyways, we should get to the lab before our clothes start melting off.  An incident has happened before with one of my scientists... They were not very happy."  You let out a small laugh at the thought and nod. 

"Yeah.. I'd rather not that happen.  Welp, lead the way Mr. Royal Scientist!" 

Gaster tinted lavender at the nickname, but it was so little that it could've just been the heat.  That is if he had blood, but you didn't think about it too much.  He takes off going forwards and you hurry to follow the taller skeleton.  You go up some stone stairs before turning right, and a big, pristine white building came into view.  Big letters spelling out 'LAB' were on the front, a gray door donning the front to finish the look.  You raised your eyebrows at the bluntness of the red letters but didn't question it.  You and Gaster stepped closer to the door, and the it slid open upwards.  You smiled at the fancy way of sliding door and followed Gaster inside. 

Cool air blasted in your face, making you relax in relief.  Wiping your forehead, you looked around.  White tiled floors and white walls were what you noticed first.  A big monitor was to the left with a couple desks next to it.  You saw that the monitor was showing pictures, and you realized that they were showing what cameras were picking up from all of the Underground.  Waterfall, Snowdin, and even the gates where you first encountered the snow.  New areas were shown as well, though you guessed it was inside of the machine since it was all tech looking.  Looking away form the screen, you saw an escalator on each side of the screen as well.  They didn't seem to work, however.  

Glancing back to Gaster, you saw that he was waiting for you to finish.  You quickly trot over and say a quick 'sorry'.  You looked up to the doorway you both were heading into and noticed the 'Bathroom' sign. 

"Uuuhh, Gaster?  Why are we going in there...?" Gaster stopped, confused, before seeing what you were looking at. 

"Oh, not to worry.  This is only to ward off anyone that might want to take my research.  Only high personnel know the way to the actual Lab."  You nodded, still a little confused, but followed nonetheless.  You both stepped through the threshold and into a dark room, buy was lit up once Gaster clicked something on the wall.  A light glowed and it clicked in your head that this was a elevator.  Doors closed at the open space and you felt the tiny compartment move downwards. 

Silence fell over the two of you, and you suddenly felt the urge to make conversation to ease the air.  

"So, I've been wondering.. Where did you learn all of this?  You seem to be really good at what you do."  Gaster turned his head to you in light surprise at the sudden question, but answered none the less.

"I found many books in the dump at Waterfall on human anatomy, medicinal sciences, among other things.  Though I learned my basic science during the War."  You raised your brows at the mention of the War.  Why would that make him learn Science?

He noticed your look and sighed with closed eyesockets. 

"There were... many strategies being tested to win the battle.  Bombs were one, though obviously that wouldn't work against the magical humans."  You mouthed a quiet oh and got silent. 

"What about you?  Do humans still use magic? I have not seen many texts on the study of it. Reliable ones, anyway."  

"We don't practice magic anymore.  The only people left that even know about it are dead by now, or they're far too old to pass it down."  Gaster looked at you with curious pin pricks. 

"If they are dead, then how to you know of it?"  You looked down with saddened eyes.  You breathed out and answered his pending question. 

"My grandmother.  She told me stories when I was younger, about Monsters and magic.  Mostly the War, though.  She died when I was 4, but I still remember everything she told me,"  You looked back up and saw that Gaster had a sympathetic expression, then switching to a more curious one. 

"If you don't mind me asking, what did she tell you about us?"  He asked in a cautious tone.  You started to sweat nervous beads.  

"A-ah, well..."  He looked at you closely. Watching. ..You couldn't say no to that face. 

"Well... let's just say... She wouldn't be very happy that I climbed the mountain and befriended you and your sons.. She didn't exactly speak of Monsters very fondly."  Gaster pressed his mouth into a line, obviously not really happy with the response.  You looked anywhere but his eyes, trying not to make it even more awkward, but failing miserably.

A ding came from the ceiling, dispersing the tension.  The doors slid open with ease and even colder air snipping at your skin.  You looked out of the elevator and saw dirty looking tile floors, but realized after a few moments that it was just the design.  Another pair of elevator doors were across from you and a number of different doorways were scattered along the walls.  Gaster walked out of the elevator without saying a word, and you followed him in silence as to not make him more upset.  

I know that the old bat was rude, but it's not like I said it.

Clicking of shoes filled the tense air.  You both walked through one of the doorways into a big room, filled with white hospital beds.  It was dark, but dim lights were scattered among the ceiling.  A few plants were in the room as well, in the corners and along the walls.  

"Sit here.  I will be back with supplies."  Gaster's voice rang out, snapping you out of your daze. 

"Okay."  You sat on the bed he pointed to, setting down your cane on the bed with you.  Gaster was already out of the room, and silence once again filled your ears.  

You hummed one of your favorite songs, the sound echoing throughout the room.  As you look around, you see a TV on the wall.  It didn't look like it had any power, so you wondered why it was there.  To it's right was the doorway that Gaster had walked into, and on the opposite wall looked to be a hallway.  You heard thumping of shoes, and as you looked to the sound you saw Gaster coming back with a wireless saw in his hands.  He looked to be more calm, but he still had that air to him.  

He turned and kneeled in front of you, and you heard a familiar ding come from somewhere.  You saw hands appear from nothing, remembering that this was Gaster's magic.  You straightened up in excitement once again and smiled, giddy.  

"Lift up your leg please."  He asked, a little stern.  You lifted up your right leg, saddened slightly by his tone.  He clicked a button on the saw, and the little wheel started whizzing fast.  His magic hands held your leg firmly so that you didn't accidentally move it into the blade.  You knew it wouldn't actually cut you, but it still made you nervous.  As he started his task of sawing the cast off, you watched his concentrated expression.  His bone brows were furrowed, and his pin pricks seemed smaller.  His mouth formed a slight frown, and his shoulders were tight so he didn't shake and cut you.  

"...Are you upset with me?"  

The question seemed to catch Gaster off guard as he paused his movements.  You started to regret asking, but was surprised when he spoke and continued the saw. 

"...No, I suppose not.  After all, it was your grandmother who said it, not you."  

So that's what it was.  

"Though I need to ask something to affirm my thoughts."  He said.  You felt your belly drop, but shrugged it off.  Over the course of the past few weeks, you had gotten to where you trusted Gaster- though there were some doubts, you didn't think he would hurt you. 

"Go ahead, anything."  He was halfway done with the cast. 

"Why did you trust monsters?  After all, all you've heard about us were bad things."  You made an surprised expression, not expecting that to be the thing he was going to ask. 

"..Why wouldn't I? Wasn't it the humans who started the War?" You said simply.  Gaster suddenly stopped, and looked up at you.  His pin pricks had turned to wide ovals, and his mouth was slightly open.  You smiled at him, and he shut his jaw.  He looked back down and smiled.  

"..Hm. Never heard that before- from a human, at least. 

...Interesting."

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

Gaster finished sawing off your cast, and put the thing into a trash can in the corner.  He left the saw on the bed, and you stood up.  Your foot was looking like it was brand new.  You took a few test steps before smiling in joy and spinning around. 

"Hell yeah, I can walk again!" You laughed in joy, seeing Gaster's grinning expression.  You skipped over to him and wrapped your arms around his torso.

"Thank you so-so much, Gaster!"  

Gaster stiffened up, probably not used to physical contact.  He soon relaxed and awkwardly pat your head, sort of reciprocating the hug. 

"A-ah, you're welcome, Y/n."  You let go of the skeleton and smiled, not noticing his flustered expression.  You turned around and pointed dramatically to the way out. 

"Come on! Let's go!  I wanna show the boys!"  Gaster chuckled at the statement and nodded.  You both walked to the elevator in the other room, you now being able to keep up without the cast weighing you down.  Your cane was held in your right hand, swinging along with your arm.  

"That's right, I never did thank you for looking after the boys, did I?"  You looked at Gaster with surprise. 

"Oh, there's no need to thank me.. I was just happy I got to spend time with them!"  You smiled thinking about the events you three had done that day. 

"You seem to love the children very much.  They adore you as well, I don't know how you do it."  He said.  You blushed slightly at the statement in embarrassment.  You two stepped into the elevator once more, and Gaster pressed a few buttons.   The doors slid closed and the machine started making it's way back to the top.

"Oh, well- yes, I do love them.. I'm glad they like me too, or else that would just be awkward, heh."  You mumbled out awkwardly.  Gaster grinned at the comment and looked to you in thought.  You stared into his pin pricks, still wondering what they were made of.  

Probably some sort of magic.. 

"I'm glad you happened to be around.  Jainil got sick that day and couldn't make it, and I would hate to ask their highness' to look after the little devils."

You got a warm feeling in your chest when he said that.  You pushed it back and looked again at his thoughtful look. 

"Yes, I suppose they like you a lot.. Almost like a..."  Gaster didn't finish his sentence and instead shook his head.  You tilted your own in curiosity, but snapped back at the sound of the doors opening.  You both walked out of the compartment and made your way to the awaiting heat of Hotlands when you stopped suddenly. 

"Hey, uh, Gaster?"  Gaster stopped and looked at you. 

"Yes?"  

"Just how hot is the ground outside?"  He gave you a perplexed look. 

"I would say hot enough to melt flip-flops if you stood for too long. Why do you ask?" You looked at him in embarrassment. 

"I don't have a shoe on.."  He raised his brows in realization and looked down.  He crossed his arms and put a hand under his chin bone in thought.  

After a few moments, Gaster sighed. 

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt.. Do you get motion sickness?"  You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. 

"Not really.. Why?"  Gaster closed his eyesockets and sighed tiredly. 

"I suppose I could teleport us to the house, though it takes a lot of energy.  I'll just have to eat and go to bed early, I suppose."  You eyes widened and laughed inwardly, now knowing where Sans got his powers from. 

"If you don't mind.. Do you want me to heat up some food for you when we get Ho- t-to the house?" You stuttered over your mistake.  Gaster raised a brow at you in amusement, but said nothing about it. 

"No, it's fine.  I'll just eat the pizza cold."  You didn't say anything, not knowing how to feel about the statement. 

"Ah, alright.  So... Do I hold onto you..? Orrr...?"  

"Oh, yes.  Just hold my hand and we will be there in a flash."  You nodded and stepped closer to him.  You took his held out palm and held on tightly, trying not to think about the warmth.  Suddenly, you felt sick your stomach and wobbled a little bit, the darkness scaring you a bit.  It was over as soon as it came to.  You felt coldness nip at your skin, and opened your eyes.  You were on the porch of the Christmas themed home, wind whistling behind you.  You gasped, surprised at the sudden relocation.  Gaster opened the door and led you inside.  You both stood and stared at the sight before you.

Papyrus sat on the ground with red sauce all over his teeth and forehead, pasta all over his now stained orange jumpsuit.  Sans stood on top of Jainil's stomach, balls of spaghetti floating with a blue hue around him.  Jainil was staring at the both of you, playfulness changing to a teasing one, but then a fearful look when he looked at Gaster.  You looked at Sans who was now sweating, and slowly made the spaghetti go into an abandoned bowl.  You sucked in a breath trying to keep yourself from laughing.  You felt a squeeze on your and and looked down, seeing that you had not let go of Gaster's hand.  He was clenching his fist, with an irk mark on his skull and a creepy smile.  You smiled nervously at his quietness. 

"Gas... Gaster, are you alright-?"

"When I come out of the kitchen, I want this mess gone."  He said, terrifyingly calm.  You let go of his hand, and he walked into the kitchen.  You looked back at the trio of troublemakers and saw that they were still frozen.  You smiled at them, worried for their well being if they didn't start soon. 

"I think maybe you should start cleaning.. Gaster might do something if ya don't-" As soon as you spoke, Sans and Jainil scrambled to pick up the spaghetti explosion.  You laughed, and went over to pick up Papyrus.  He giggled in your arms, happy to see you.  You giggled in response and looked at the time.  6:13 PM.  You hummed and went to the kitchen to clean up Papyrus.  Gaster was leaning on the wall chewing on the pizza you had made a about a day ago.  He looked at you and Papyrus, and swallowed his bite. 

"Sorry you had to see that, Y/n.  This is delicious, by the way." He waved the half eaten slice and continued eating.  As Papyrus wiggled in your arms, you smiled warmly. 

"It's okay, you have to be a parent sometimes, right?"  You walked to counter and sat Papyrus down, and wet a rag in the sink and started wiping his face.

"Say, Gaster?" You continued your mission of the messy red sauce. 

"Hm?" He responded tiredly. 

"Now that I think about it, you said that you tasted something.  Do you have a tongue or some sort of taste buds?"  You looked in time to see Gaster almost choke on his bite.  He coughed a few times before clearing his throat. 

"A-ah, yes.. I do.  It's made of magic, of course."  You hummed in curiosity and finished cleaning up Papyrus.  His jumpsuit couldn't be saved, but his bones were squeaky clean now.  He giggled and gave a closed eye smile.  You grinned at his silliness and picked him back up.  You turned to Gaster who had finished his slice and was about to leave, but was stopped when you called to him.  

"You don't have to or anything, but I was just wondering... If I could see?  Your tongue, I mean."  Gaster looked at you, his cheeks a deep purple, a rare expression you hardly ever see.  Your own cheeks flushed when you thought about what you had just asked. 

"O-oh, I'm sorry, that was weird of me to ask, wasn't it? Forget about it-" Gaster's voice cut you off. 

"No, it's fine.. It's just no one's been so interested in my magic before.  It's just a bit embarrassing."  He stepped closer to you and stuck his tongue out so you could see.  It was a dark purple, and it looked almost like gelatin.  It looked as though it had some bubbles, and was shiny.  Your eyes sparkled in amazement at the thing before you.  You heard a little laugh and looked down to Papyrus, and laughed at the sight.  He had copied Gaster and stuck his own tongue out, though this time it was a bright orange colour.  Gaster chuckled as well, putting a hand on Papyrus's skull. 

"You're a silly one, aren't you?"  The child giggled and held on to Gaster's wrist.  You smiled at the sight, and thought about how glad you were to fall down.  It gave you a new chance at life, and to leave all of the bad things behind.  Now, you couldn't imagine a life not knowing Gaster and the boys.  

Gaster's voice brought you out of your thoughts.

"Why are you crying? Does your ankle still hurt?"  Your brows raised as you reached a hand to your face, feeling that indeed you were crying. Oh hell, that's embarrassing.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, sorry.  I was just thinking about the surface."  Gaster gave you a slightly worried look, thinking that you might not have healed all the way. 

"Do you miss it, Y/n?"  He asked.  You looked at him and shook your head no. 

"I don't miss it.. I'm so glad I fell down here.  Everyone is so nice, it's different than what I'm used to up there."  You smiled at the skeleton who now wore a look of surprise. 

"You just keep surprising me, Y/n.. Now, let's go and see what punishment I should give to them bo-" 

"we cleaned the mess, dad!"  Sans spoke out.  You and Gaster looked to see him standing in the doorway.  Gaster nodded at him.

"Good, just put the bowl on the counter."  Sans nodded and looked at you, smiling more if possible and ran out.  You questioned what that was about, but you heard a soft tap behind you.  You and Gaster turn around and see Sans on the counter, putting the bowl of spaghetti on the white surface.  Gaster wore a shocked expression while you were wearing a proud one. 

"I- what- Sans?  Since when can you use teleportation powers?"  Sans climbed down off of the counter and stood nervously with his arms behind his back. 

"uhhhhh.. since y/n started staying here..?"  Gaster was flabbergastered (laugh at my stolen joke fools), and you were smiling widely and gave Sans the thumbs up.  He cheered up at your encouragement. 

"Wha- Y/n, you knew?  Why didn't you tell me?"  You looked at him still with a proud look. 

"He accidentally showed me a couple days ago.  ..Don't be too mad, he just wanted some freedom, ya know?"  Gaster looked at you with a indescribable expression.  He sighed and looked back to Sans. 

"I understand.. Just don't do this again, okay?  I don't want you to accidentally hurt yourself trying to use it by yourself."  

Sans looked shocked, but nodded quickly. 

"okay dad!"  He and Gaster smiled, then he gave a slightly evil look to Sans. 

"Don't think you got out of your punishment however.  No magic for a week, and I'll know if you are because I'll ask Y/n."  

"but dad-! i- y/n???" Sans tried looking to you for help.  You have him a shrug, Papyrus laughing at the movement. 

"Sorry kiddo, you gotta listen to your Dad."   Sans whined but nodded in compliance.  You looked at the clock, which read 10 PM.  

Damn, time flies, don't it? 

"Well, I think it's time for all of us to get some sleep. Where's Jainil?" You asked. 

"oh, he left after helping me to clean up the mess, saying he didn't want to get another blasting like last time from dad."  You laughed and and yawned.  You looked at Gaster who looked about ready to pass out.  You gave Papyrus to Sans. 

"Here, put your brother to bed, will you?  I don't want Gaster passing out on the floor.. I think I saw a book called "The Fluffy Bunny".  That should put him to sleep fast."  Sans nodded and scurried out of the kitchen.  You looked at Gaster who apparently didn't process what was said, being too tired to work properly. 

"Alrighty, Mr. Royal Scientist- we should get you to bed before you give yourself a concussion from falling over."  Gaster groggily nodded and took a shaky step forwards, and you grabbed him before he could fall.  You put his arm around your neck and held him up.  It was as if a switch had flipped after he finished his food.  You both slowly walked to the staircase, and made your way up the stairs.  You both walked down the hallway pass your room, and stopped at what you assumed to be his room. 

You opened the door and took a moment to take in the surroundings.  A king size bed sat in the middle of the room, a nightstand to its right with a white lamp sitting on it.  The walls matched the color of Papyrus's room, though the floors were a nice dark oak color from the wood.  A desk was set along the left wall, along with a bookshelf filled with what you guessed to be the science books Gaster told you about before.  The desk had scattered papers and pencils along it, and a picture with Sans and Papyrus's faces on it, along with a smiling Gaster in a standing frame. 

You focused back on your task and helped the surprisingly heavy skeleton onto the bed.  Gaster mumbled a quiet thank you before passing out.  You smirked and shook your head, taking off his shoes and setting them on the floor before heading out of the door.  You closed it shut and shut off the lights in the living room and kitchen, setting your abandoned cane up against the wall in the living room.  You walked up the stairs carefully, running your hand along the wall and slowly opened up the door to Papyrus's room when you got to the top of the staircase.  You peek in, and saw that Sans had fallen asleep on the pages of the book you had suggested, and Papyrus was passed out in the crib as well. 

You smiled and picked up Sans gently as to not wake him up.  You put the book back on the shelf and turn off the lamp that was gently glowing yellow.  You carried Sans down the quiet hall, and you smiled at the calmness.  You opened up his door and gently placed him on his bed, covering him with his blue blankets.  You took a moment to gaze at the cute sight before leaning down and kissing his forehead goodnight.  Sans smiled and turned over.  You walked out of the room, closing the door silently, and made your way to your room.  Shutting the door behind you, you took off your one shoe and placed it next to its partner.  You got under the blankets of the soft bed and immediately felt your eyelids get heavy.  You went to sleep that night, no nightmares in sight.

Chapter Text

The first thing you had noticed when you woke up the following morning was the smell of pancakes.  Your eyes had snapped open at the smell of food, and, before you knew it, you had dressed and was scurrying down the stairs.  You passed the living room that was occupied by Sans and Papyrus, both lying on the ground playing with numerous puzzles. 

Cute.

You went pass by the boys and glided closer to the source of the smell.

The second thing you had noticed was the presence of Gaster.  He never stayed in the morning, so this was new to you.  You stepped into the kitchen, and was seen by the scientist. 

"Ah, Good morning Y/n.  Go have a seat, breakfast is almost ready!"  You smiled at the sight of the scientist dressed in his usual black turtleneck, but this time a white apron was over the shirt.  He held a spatula in his hand and a sizzling pan in the other, flipping fluffy looking pancakes. 

Oh lord, I can't remember the last time I've had a decent breakfast.. 

You drooled at the food and nodded vigorously, and skipped back into the living room with the skelebros.  

You flopped down into the couch and heard jingling of coins.  Raising a brow, you stuck a hand into the cushions.  Taking your limb back you held shiny, golden coins.  You looked at them confused, wondering why such precious metals would just be in a couch.  You looked at Sans who seemed to notice your confusion. 

"Oh, that's Gold, though we just call it G.  It's the currency we use here."  You grin at the word he used, but looked back at the coins in your hand.  

Currency, huh?  Humans would kill over this on the surface.  

You set the coins on the cushion next to you and slide down onto the floor with Papyrus and Sans.  Papyrus held the familiar Rubik's cube in his tiny bony hands, fiddling with the block.  Though he didn't ever solve it, he did manage to make pictures appear by switching the colours around.  Sans was doing a crossword puzzle, and was looking very confused.  Then he lit up and filled in the word he was missing.  You smiled and picked up a jigsaw puzzle and started to piece together the hidden picture.  

_____

When you got the outer ring down, you heard taps behind you.  You look over and see Gaster using his magic hands once again to hold the plates and syrup.  He was smiling at the three of you.

"Breakfast is served!" He said, grinning. You hopped up, careful of your puzzle, and grabbed a plate that was being held out.  Two pancakes were stacked on top of each other, a square of butter lied on top.  Your lick your lips in excitement and sit down on the couch, ignoring the jingles this time.  Gaster sat down beside you and handed Sans his plate, and Papyrus a plate with cut up pieces of pancake and a bottle of juice.  You poured a generous amount of syrup onto your stack and dug in, moaning at the taste.  

Holy hell, what did he do to this?  It's like it's dissolving in my mouth-!  

Gaster chuckled beside you, as if he had heard your thoughts. 

"Food down here is different.  Instead of it being solid, we monsters use magic to make it, so it doesn't have a form.  Ingredients are used, but it turns into something like this when magic is used."  You stared in awe, and continued eating, happy at the heavenly taste. You must have been too hungry to notice when eating Toriel's pie.

"And do not worry, you still get your nutrients, even if it doesn't go dow-"

"dad is a great cook, right?!  i'd say his pancakes are on par with mrs. toriel's pie!"  Sans exclaimed.  Gaster shook his skull quickly, denying the statement. 

"No no, I don't think they're that good..  Her highness' pie is undefeated, it's a wonder how she makes it."  You laugh at the antics before taking your last bite, trying to savor it before it dissolved.  You see that Papyrus had also finished his plate, looking very happy with himself.  You smiled and took his plate with yours and walked into the kitchen, washing the plates and utensils.  You place them onto the drying rack next to the sink and made your way out of the kitchen.  Sans and Gaster had finished their plates as well, so you took them and washed them as well. 

"Thank you Y/n, I appreciate it."  Gaster said.  You smiled at the skeleton and waved your hand in front of your face. 

"It wasn't a big deal, it was the least I could do for you since you're letting me stay here."  Silence befell the scientist before you, making you stop to look at him.  

"That's right..

...You were only supposed to stay until your ankle mended."  You stop and felt your shoulders drop, an unpleasant feeling settling in your stomach.  Sans dropped his book he was reading with a panicked look in his eyes. 

"what?! is y/n leaving?!"  He yelled, shaking.  You looked at him, a little surprised at the outburst, but it felt nice that he would want you to stay so badly.  You felt a tug on your pants, and you look down to see that Papyrus had crawled over to you with a sad look.  Your mouth pressed into a wavy line, and picked up the little skeleton monster. 

"I'm sorry guys, but that's what was agreed on with the King and Queen."  Sans looked to you with tears in his eyesockets, making your heart squeeze.

Gaster suddenly spoke, making you jump. 

"Now, now.. I never said she had to leave.  It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to make my patient live in the cold, now would it?"  Your eyes widened and you smiled in relief.  Papyrus laughed in your arms in joy.

"Nyeheeheehee!" You giggled at the sound and saw that Sans was wiping his eyesockets and was smiling again.  You looked to Gaster with sheepish eyes. 

"Are you sure it's alright for me to stay?  I don't want to trouble you."  Gaster shook his head. 

"No, it's alright.  Besides, the boys love you.  And... I'll admit, it.. would be a bit lonely if you left."  His cheeks brightened a little, and you smiled wider, warm feelings swelling in your heart.  You gave a closed eye smile and laughed. 

"Well, looks like I'm staying for the long run, boys.  Hope you don't mind puns and jokes every week!"  Papyrus squirmed in your arms in happiness, not knowing what you had said, you smiling at him.  Sans' pin pricks turned to star shapes, like when you had first met the small boy.  Gaster just chuckled.

You set Papyrus on the couch next to Gaster, and stood up to stretch.  Bones popped, and you sighed in relief.  You twist your back left and right, getting those satisfying pops and sighed again.  You look back down to see Sans and Gaster wearing horrified expressions. 

"Is something wrong?  You guys look like you just saw a ghost.. though maybe that's normal here-" 

"how are you not on pain?! you just- was that your spine?!" Sans cried out.  You looked at him in surprise. 

"N-no? Do you guys not know humans pop their bones?"  Sans looked thoroughly disgusted, which made you laugh.  Gaster still looked concerned but seemed to shrug it off since you said it was normal.  Despite having lived with humans before, you took notice that he didn't actually seem to know all that much about them.

"Sorry, I didn't stop to think about how that might disturb you, since you're all skeletons and all."  Gaster rubbed the back of his skull, smirking with closed eyes and scrunched up brows. 

"Well I'm sure it's fine, I should've known after reading about human anatomy.  If we tried doing that we'd just either break something or a bone would pop off."  You cringed at the thought of one of them losing a finger or breaking an arm.  Papyrus made his usual happy sound and crawled off the green couch. 

"Yeah, sorry.  We humans are technically just flesh baskets with skeletons as our structure holding us up."  Sans gagged at what you referred to your race as.  You smiled and stretched again, no popping coming from you this time.  

You look outside of the window to your right and see that another fresh blanket of snow had been added over night.  You grinned, a light bulb appearing over you. 

"Say, why don't we have some fun outside?  The snow looks nice and fresh today."  Gaster smiled at the suggestion. 

"That does sound pleasant.."  Sans grinned brightly and ran up the stairs, almost tripping up them but fixed himself.  He ran into his room, and almost immediately ran back out donned in a fluffy blue coat and boots with black pants.  You giggled at the boys excitement. 

"I guess it's a plan!  Hey Gaster, do you happen to have any coats? I don't have any."  Gaster nodded and stood up, making his way up the stairs.  You follow him up the wooden planks and see Sans rush past you and the man with Papyrus in his arms, going into the door in front of you.  You quirked a brow, but payed no mind to it.  Gaster led you to his room, and went to a dresser you hadn't noticed along the right wall.

"Here, this should fit you.  Go ahead and keep it, I have another."  He handed you a blue coat with a gray hood, white strings dangled from the hood as well.  You smiled in thanks, and put on the coat.  It had a fluffy inside, making it warmer.  It was a little baggy on you, but it fit just fine.  You zipped up the front and put your hands into the front pockets. 

"Thanks, it's really soft."  He nodded in return and shuffled around the dresser, picking out a long black trench coat.  He swiftly slid it on and buttoned the front, and put on the same black shoes he always wore.  You walk out of the room to your own and put on a pair of warm black pants and your shoes that you had fell down in.  You closed the door behind you with a soft click and went down the wooden stairs.  At the bottom you saw the skeleton family waiting, and see that Papyrus had a matching coat with Sans, but was orange instead of blue. 

"Alright guys, let's have some fun!"  You cheered, thrusting a fist into the air.  Sans cheered with you and opened the door.  You all stepped outside, the cold air making your nose red.  The coat protected you from the wind, though.  The snow crunched from all of you walking, save Papyrus who was being carried by Gaster.  You looked over to the right and realized that you never took a chance to look around the first time you came. 

A building made of bricks was labeled "Librarby", and a pathway to a small neighborhood lied out beside it.  You chuckled at the mistake and continued looking as you all walked.  A bar came into view, a sign above it saying "Grillby's".  You smiled at the place, the big windows and wooden planks giving you a calming peace of mind.  As you continued, you saw a Christmas tree in the middle of town, presents littered underneath waiting for someone to take them home.  An Inn connected to a shop came into view, and the faint scent of cinnabons filled your nose.  You smiled at the cheery town, content with yourself.

_________

It was a long while of walking before Sans suddenly took off in the other direction.

"Wh- Sans?!" You ran after him, leaving a confused Gaster and Papyrus behind.  You chased the surprisingly fast boy down a path that opened up to the river the seemed to be connected throughout the Underground, blocks of ice floating down every now and then.  You took a moment to catch your breath before looking up to a guilty looking skeleton. 

"What'd you run for-? huff-" 

"i'm sorry.. i just wanted to get here faster.  the snow always builds up more around here, so i wanted to get to it before anyone else did."  You looked around and saw that the snow was actually a few inches thicker than before. 

"You're right.. Well, try not to do it again, yeah?  We didn't know where you were going."  Sans nodded and started making a ball of snow in his hands, then put it down and rolled it around to make it bigger.  You heard crunches of snow behind you, and turned to see Gaster and Papyrus.  Snow was falling from the dark cavern above, falling onto Papyrus's nose and making him giggle. 

"Sorry for leaving you, I didn't want to lose him.  He just got excited."  You explained.  Gaster nodded, slightly smiling.  You stood by him and watched Sans build his snowman.  He had the bottom base done, and was now working on the middle. 

"Nyehheheehe!" Papyrus laughed and made more baby noises.  You smiled and poked his nose, making him giggle more. 

"Is Sans makin' you laugh Papy?"  Papyrus made gurgle noises, making you smile.

"Gahh bahbah.. an.. S-s...Saa.."

You smiled at his sounds, it being adorable to you.

"Sn...Snans!"  You gasped out loud with surprise.  Gaster looked at Papyrus with shock as his bone brows shot upwards. 

"Did you just try saying Sans? Try again, S-A-N-S!"  Papyrus concentrated really hard before smiling in energy.

"Snans! S-san.. Snans!"  You smiled widely and looked at Gaster who had the most joyful look you'd seen on him.  His shone and were wide moons, glinting with joy.  Your breath caught in your throat for a moment, but only a moment.  You turned back to Sans, who had just finished putting the snowman's head on top. 

"Sans! Sans! Your brother just said his first words!"  The blue boy whipped his head around from his task with wide eyesockets.  He jumped down from the bottom base of snow and raced over to you. 

"r-really?! what'd he say?! come on, papy! say something for me."  You smiled at the scene, a warm feeling settling in your chest.   Gaster handed Sans his little brother and waited for the magical moment to happen.

"Snans! Snans!"  You watch as Sans' pin pricks morphed to golden stars, twinkling in delight.  His permanent smile etched even further upwards, making his cheeks squish.  As you watched the scene, you see movement in the corner of your eye.  You glance over and see that Gaster had a bright look on his face, soft eyes watching the moment unfold.  Soft tinges of purple were on both cheeks, and a lopsided smile plastered on his face.  Your eyebrows rose, and you felt heat climb up your neck and face, the warm feeling returning to your chest again.  You turned away before he could see.

"I think we should head back home now.  It's getting late, and I don't want Y/n catching a cold."  Gaster said after a few minutes.  He had a proud aura to him, and it made you smile.  Sans handed you Papyrus and ran over to his unfinished snowman. 

"hang on a sec! lemme just... aaaaand there!" Sans had placed black rocks to form eyes and a smile, and a carrot nose to complete the classic look.  Sticks were stuck into the sides for arms.  You grinned at the masterpiece. 

"Nice job, Sans!  Better than what I could do."  Sans grinned proudly with his hands on his hip bones. 

"yeah!! too bad he'll melt by tomorrow though.."  You looked at him with a sad smile, and then stepped to his snowman.  You leaned forwards and pecked the snowman on the nose with the intent of making Sans feel better, heart full of love. 

"There!  Now he'll stay here forever Sansy!" You grinned at the child and his eyesockets sparkled.  You walk back to Gaster who wore a kind expression, as if thanking you for the gesture.  You smile at him and start walking back to the warm couch that called out for you. 

"Well, let's go guys. I'll make some Hot Chocolate when we make it back home."

______

You all stepped into the warm house, sighing in relief of the cold leaving your nose.  You walked to the couch and set Papyrus down, who was still a bundle of energy and saying his newfound word every now and again.  You see Gaster in the corner of your eye stripping his coat off and laying it on the table by the door.  The rock that was flipped over before was set upright and had sprinkles across it.  You see Sans joining Papyrus on the couch and Gaster slide down against it.  You walk into the kitchen, grabbing a pot and poured milk from the fridge into it. 

As you let it come to a light boil you chopped up some sweet milk chocolate, and dumped it into the liquid when it came to your desired temperature.  You stirred for a little while until it was a sweet, dark brown colour.  You smiled and breathed in the mouthwatering scent.  You picked up a ladle and scooped up the drink and poured it into three mugs, and some into a sippy cup for Papyrus.  The drink wasn't hot enough to burn anyone, so it was safe.  You balanced the drinks in your arms and came back into the living room, only to see Sans and Papyrus cuddled up with each other on the couch, both fast asleep.  You sighed at the cuteness and sat the mugs on the ground, handing one to Gaster.  

"Thank you, it looks delicious."  Gaster took a sip and you saw his eyesockets light up a little more.  He hummed in satisfaction in his deep voice.  You grinned and took a sip of your own drink.  

Yup, just as I thought.  Tastes like Hot Chocolate. And friendship.

The liquid went down, warming up your body.  You took the two other drinks and put them on the counter, in case one of the boys woke up later.  You went back and saw Gaster relaxing up against the arm of the couch with closed eyes, hands behind his skull acting as pillows.  You sat on the opposite side and took another drink out of your mug.  Silence filled the air, but it was a comfortable silence.  The warm air around you made you relax your muscles, and your mug was being held in your hands, making them hot, but not burning.  You closed your eyes and leaned back, a feeling of calm resting over your heart.  

You don't know how long you both sat there enjoying the air, but when you finished your drink you decided to break the silence.  You turned to Gaster who still wore a calm expression. 

"Hey Gaster,"  He turned to you smiling. 

"Hm?" 

"Is there a way to break the barrier?"

Chapter Text

Before you had realized it, a month had passed in the monster household.  Sans spent most of his time trying to teach Papyrus new words, like 'Hello' and 'Daddy'.  You usually caught him during the early mornings, and you had overheard Papyrus getting one of them right once as well.  You didn't say anything about it to Sans, because you thought that he was probably trying to make it a surprise.  Though, you did discover he had an obsession with ketchup, having woken up at midnight and found him trying to sneak to his room with the bottle in his hands.

You also had noticed that you were seeing Gaster less and less, and each time you did see him he had a mug of black coffee and ever darkening eye bags.  To be honest, you were getting more and more concerned about how much sleep he was getting, which is what led to you stopping him at 5 am in the morning, the mission in your mind to get him to rest.

________

"What is it Y/n?  Why are up so early?"

Your brows furrowed at his question, thinking it was ironic of him to ask that.  He faltered a bit at seeing your expression, used to you being cheerful, not this serious.  You put a hand on your hip and studied his eyes.

"Gaster, you need to sleep.  You're going to get sick at this rate."

The monster in question bone brows shot up, making his eye bags even more apparent.  You scowled, concerned for the man.  

"I've been seeing you less and less, and I always see you drinking coffee.  I'm worried, Gaster.  Don't think I can't see those eye bags."

Gaster's face softened.  He frowned, and his pin pricks dimmed ever so slightly.  

"I'm sorry for worrying you Y/n, but really, I'm fine.  I got some sleep at the Lab yesterday-"

"Is that where you've been?  Work?  I'm sure it's important, but I think you should take a day off.  Can't your team take care of themselves for one day?"

Gaster's mouth pressed into a fine line, pondering over what you said.  You sighed and let your arm drop.  You stepped closer to Gaster and put a hand on his shoulder.  He looked back up you at the touch.

"I get wanting to work, but at this point you're going to overwork yourself."

"I understand your concern, but we are so close to a break through!  I can't stop now, not when what could save the Underground is almost there."

With that, Gaster shrugged off your hand and walked out the door with a flick of his lab coat.  You clenched your fist in anger and punched the wall next to you, a stinging pain stabbing at your knuckles.  You grit your teeth and turned around to the kitchen.

"Ugh, that- Can't he just take a break?!  Honestly!"  

You pulled open the fridge door harshly and grabbed a can of Yahoo, shaking it roughly.  You swung the door closed and opened your can, taking a swig of the chocolate drink.  You thought about what he said with a scowl adorned on your lips.  He had explained to you about their situation when you had asked before, about how they needed 7 human 'souls' to break the barrier.  You had acted like you knew what he meant, but when you asked if you could do anything to help he had shook his head no, saying there was nothing.  

You crushed the can in your hand slightly from the anger and confusion you felt.  

"I get trying to finish something of this much importance but his health is more concerning than something that may or may not w-"

"y/n?"

You swung your head to the sound of your name, seeing Sans peeking from behind the door frame to the living room.  You softened your expression and slightly smiled at the small boy.

"Oh, hey Sans.. Sorry, was I making too much noise?"

"did you and dad get into a fight?"

Your eyebrows shot up and your smile dropped.  

Oh lord, he heard that? 

"O-oh, no! It was just a small disagreement, nothing to worry about."

Yeah, small my ass.

"i heard you guys from upstairs.. i thought something had happened."

"Ah, I'm sorry kid.  Didn't mean to wake you up. It's nothing to stress your little head over..."

Sans looked at you with disbelieving eyes.  You nervously sweated, it felt like he could see into your soul.  

"is it about how dad hasn't been around as much?"

Your eyes widened at Sans' words.  

Damn, just how perceptive is this kid?! You sighed and threw the empty can into the trashcan.  You leaned your back onto the cool wall.

"Looks like I can't lie to you, bud.  You're just too observant, probably got that from Gaster, to be honest."

Sans grinned proudly at your praise, and stepped into the kitchen with you.  He climbed on top of the counter and sat down, legs dangling down.

"hehe, thanks.  but anyways, what happened?  you still look kinda mad."

You scanned his face, only seeing curiosity and concern for you.  You exhaled, not really wanting to tell a 7 year old your problems but knowing you couldn't get out of it. 

"He kind of.. Walked out without listening to me.  I just told him to take a day off, but he seemed way too into his research."

Sans nodded, seeming like he recognized your story.

"yeah, he does that a lot.  it took uncle j forcing him down to rest one time, not that they knew i was watching.  it just takes some interference."

You furrowed your brows at his response.  

Jainil's too sick to interfere like that again... I could ask Asgore or Toriel but they seem like they have enough on their plates.  So, that leaves... 

You look up with DETERMINATION.  Sans tilted his head, watching your movements.  You open the fridge, grabbing something and hand it to Sans.  His curious pin pricks glow with delight when he saw the ketchup logo.

"Here, take it.  Thanks, Sans.  I'm gonna go out today.  How about you stay with some friends today?  Bring Papy with ya.  If something happens just teleport to Jainil's, yeah?"

Sans nodded and raced upstairs, excited to have his treat.  You smirked at his energy and went upstairs yourself, coming back down immediately now wearing your coat you were given with comfortable clothing.  You opened the front door and walked out into the ice cold air, converses crunching snow below.  You began your journey to Hotlands, alone for the first time since before you fell.  

_________

You followed the trail that you and Gaster had taken last time, though this time around you ignored all of the glowing stones and trickling streams.  You took quick, long steps, waving to passing monsters as you went along.  You turn into the slightly familiar rocky hall, and sighed in relief when you saw the odd boat in the river.

"Tra la la, Hello there Human.  What brings you here, Tra la la?"

You trotted over to the edge of the rocks that separated you from the boat.

"Heya, Riverperson.  That's your name, right?  I'm Y/n."

"Tra la la, greetings, Y/n."

"Could you take me to Hotlands please?"

"Tra la la, hop on, Tre le le~"

You smiled and stepped onto the wood, choosing to stand this time.  When you had firm footing, it drifted towards your destination.  

"Tra la la, the doctor seemed more quiet today, Tri li li."

You nodded even though they couldn't see you and stayed silent.  The water around you made noises that calmed you down a bit more from the interaction from earlier, making you hunch over a bit more.  As before, the edge of rocks came into view quickly.  The boat stopped and you stepped off, waving to the hooded figure.

"Thanks again Riverperson!"

They nodded and continued to hum in their thoughts.  You took off your jacket and tied it around your waist, knowing how hot it was about to get. 

Alright Gaster, get ready to rest like you've never rested in your life.

________

You walked up the rocky stairs and saw the familiar bubbling of lava, not forgetting how it looked the first time.  The machine building looked as awesome as ever in the distance.  You stomped to the front of the Lab, hyping yourself up.  The sliding door opened, and there you saw a new person, er, well, monster. He looked like a cat, or at least a humanoid one.  He was holding what looked like a croissant, and that's when you noticed that he didn't have a face.  He only had a mouth, but still made a shocked expression.  You shook off the surprise and stomped to the guy.

"Are you on Gaster's team?"

"Y-yes b-but who're yo-"

"Great! Where is he." You cut him off.

The man, who you felt sorry for now, nervously looked? around.

"I-I'm afraid I can't tell you that.." He stuttered, staring at you with wide, fearful eyes.  It almost made you feel bad for him.  Almost.  You remembered that Gaster said before that only his staff knew where the Lab was, so they probably had to keep it secret as well.

"He's in the Lab, huh?  Thanks bud, sorry for scaring you, by the way!"  

"Wh-w- How did you-"

He made an incredulous expression as you jogged over to the disguised elevator.  You walked in and looked at the panel and pressed the one labelled 'TRUE LAB'.  The doors shut and started moving down.  

________ 

The doors opened and you saw that the rooms were lit up brightly, unlike before.  You walked out and stopped for a moment.  

Wait, where even is he?  I have no idea how big this place i-

CRASH- BOOM

You jumped at the sound of an explosion coming from the left of you.  

That's my best bet for now.  

You ran to the left hall and ran in random directions, trusting your instincts.  

You soon heard yelling and running of feet at a T section, and you watched as a short monster with lines across their chest ran down the hall across from you, screaming.  He disappeared down the other side, not seeing you.  You quirk an eyebrow at the monster, but freeze in place.  

What the hell is that...?

A floating skull, almost the size of the hallway and barely fitting stopped at the crossing hallways and looked at you.  It reminded you of a cross between a dog and deer skull, and had white oval irises with a black pupils.  It turned to your direction and glided to you.  You felt fear crawling up your spine, making you get queasy.  Your eyes grew wide and you felt your mouth go dry.  The.. thing got closer and closer until you were staring at it's nose.  Your breath hitched in your throat, not knowing what to do in this kind of situation.  

Oh God, oh God, what do I do? Play dead? Wait, that's for bears- Oh lord am I gonna die?  I haven't even gotten married ye- 

You felt something nuzzling your chest.  You look down and see.... the skull was nuzzling you.  The very large skull was nudging you, like a puppy wanting attention.  You stood there in shock, and looked at its eyes.  They were shining with playfulness and joy.  Its breath fanned you face, making your hair shift with it.  You unfroze, feeling the fear dissipate from your body.  You raised a shaky hand to its nose, and it met you halfway.  As it nuzzled into your hand, you smiled lightly.  You pet the dog-deer skull in front of you, you both enjoying the interaction.

"Aw, you're just a big sweetheart, aren't you?  Why did that boy run from you? Awww, who's a good boy~?  I'm gonna call you... Gasty!  Because you're made of bone too." You cooed at the big bone animal.  The now named skull seemed to recognize the name and its eyes shone happily.  You giggled and took your hand away.  

"Say, Gasty, do you know where a tall, very tired looking skeleton is?  His name's Gaster, kind of like you!"

Gasty seemed to understand what you said, and nodded up and down, turning around.  It floated down the hall from where it came and you followed.

____________

After making a couple of complex turns, you heard a familiar voice yelling from where Gasty was, but it was blocking your view. 

"There you are!  Honestly, what will I do with you... You're scaring all of my scientists with you blasting at them, just why are you so violent anyway?"

From where you were, you saw Gasty sink down while it was being scolded.  You were confused at why he called Gasty violent when he was so gentle with you.  You shook your thoughts away and squeezed past the saddened skull to the monster you came for in the first place.

"Gaster!  There you are, geez!  Just how big is this place anyway?"

Gaster looked at you with a dumbfounded look, shocked to see you in his Lab.  

"Y/n?- What in Asgore's beard are you doing here-"

"I came here to force you back home!  And I'm not going back until I see you sleeping in your bed, a full 8 hours!"  As you lectured at the shrinking skeleton, beside you Gasty was slowly going backwards.  You turn to it with softer eyes, but a sharp tone.

"Oh-ho no you don't, apparently you're an escapee, Gasty.  Don't think you can escape me."

The skull sunk down sadly and nodded.  It went back you and a shocked Gaster, laying on the ground.

"Gasty..? I- no, I don't want to know.  How did you do that?  It always attacks monsters other than me."  He spoke to you, seeming to ignore the previous sentence towards him.

"I don't know what you mean, Gasty's a big sweetheart.  But anyways, I'm not done with you.  We, Mr. Royal Scientist, are going home. Together.  Or, I'm not gonna leave."

He looked taken aback by your words.  Then, he pressed his mouth into a hard line, equally as stubborn as you.

"Then I hope you're alright to stay for a while."

Your eye twitched and you crossed your arms, tapping your foot.  After glaring at each other for a few moments, you sighed let your arms fall back to their original positions.

"Well, good thing I told Sans to stay at a friend's house today.  What are we gonna do today, Doc?"

He sighed as well, accepting that you weren't going to leave without him.

"First off we have to get this Gaster Blaster back to its compartment.  I don't want it harming any of my scientists like last time it got out."

"Gaster Blaster?  Oh, so that's what it's called,"

You turned your body to the skull and started petting its head again.

"You're a trouble maker, aren't cha?  I bet you don't mean to be, huh?  You're too sweet to be violent towards someone for no reason~"

Gasty made happy purrs and growls, making you smile.  Gaster watched intently at the interaction, dumbfounded at the puppy-like death machine.  He shook his head and turned around, waving his holed hand to follow him.  You stopped rubbing Gasty's head and gestured it to follow as well, it hesitantly abiding.  You fell into step with the scientist, listening to the clicks of your shoes.  You noticed as you both walked that there were TV's lined up against the walls, looking as if they had no power.  

"What are the TV's for?"

"They're for recording messages, but we have no use of them for now, so we cut the power from them to keep from anyone accidentally recording something."

"Ah, I see.  Who was the little boy I saw running down the hall?  The one with three lines on his torso."

"That was one of my scientists as well.  He's not little, however.  He's older than me, actually."  

You deadpanned at the new information, making Gaster chuckle.  You puffed put your cheeks, glancing to the side.  

"I'm honestly surprised you came here all that way.  Were you really that worried for me?"

You felt heat crawl up your cheeks at his statement.

"W-well yeah... We're friends, aren't we?  It was getting lonely around the house without another adult being around."

Gaster flushed at what you said, eyes glowing a little brighter.  You both walked in silence once again, though it was a bit awkward.

You soon saw a giant hole in the wall to your right, the edges looking burnt to a crisp.  Your jaw dropped when you looked in, seeing a line of walls in the same state in a line.  

"What the hell happened here?  Just what kind of experiments do you do?"

"That, my fair noble, is why 'Gasty' here has a special room."

Your eyes widened at the information, looking at the innocent looking Gaster Blaster behind you.  

"I- Okay, I don't think I wanna know."

Gaster smiled and stepped through the hole, you and Gasty following close behind.  About 8 openings later Gaster turned left and stopped at a large, opened iron door.  You looked inside from behind him and saw some burn marks on the ceiling, floors and walls.  There were also large rubber balls lying around which made you chuckle at the thought of a scary thing like Gasty chewing on one.

"Alright, you know the drill.  Time to go back in, this time the door will be checked twice."

Gasty drifted sadly into the room, and lied down next to a rubber ball.  You smiled sadly at the poor thing, cheering it up a little.  The door swung shut and Gaster pressed a few buttons on a dial pad, and you heard a series of clicks come from the door.  Gaster turned and continued down the hall.  You ran up to catch up with him, eyes looking forwards.

"So what now?"

"I suppose we go to my office to pick up some papers I need.."

"Hmm, okay."

You struggled a little to keep up with the long legged skeleton, ending up having to jog a little.  Gaster noticed you and slowed down.  You smiled in thanks and you both continued down the cold hall.

"Soooo... When we first met, you said your name was 'W.D.' Gaster, right?"

"Yes?"  He responded, curiosity piqued.

"What does it stand for? W.D., I mean."

Gaster hesitated to answer your question.

"Ah.. I don't tend to tell my full name to people, they do not take me seriously once I do."

"C'mon, I won't treat you any different!  Do I seem like the kind of person to do that?" You begged, practically whining.

"I- No, I suppose not.. I guess it'll be alright."

You smiled excitedly, watching his face get a purple tint on both cheeks bones.

"It's Wing Dings.  Wing Dings Gaster."

You raised your eyebrows, not expecting his name to be that familiar.

"You mean like the font Wing Dings?  Do all skeletons have fonts for names, or is it just you guys?"

"You know of the font?  Most monsters don't.  And to answer your question, technically yes.  All skeletons have font names, since we are the only ones to exist." Gaster looked.. almost happy that you had known what the font was in the first place.

"Yeah, I know it.  I got really bored one day on the surface and learned it."

Gaster's mouth dropped.

"You can read it as well?  I haven't met anyone who can read it before, besides from Sans- but I taught it to him."

"That's because you haven't met me yet, silly."

Gaster's cheekbones turned purple and pulled his eyes forward, looking ahead.  A door came to view that read 'W.D. GASTER' on the glass panel.  Gaster opened the door and let you inside, closing it behind you two.  He scurried over to a file cabinet on the right and began to rummage through the drawers.  You scanned over the office, taking in your surroundings. 

It was pretty big for an office, almost the size of a medium classroom.  A brown desk sat at the other side of the room, a lamp and several papers scattered about.  A cup of pencils and pens stood next to a picture frame, its back to you so you couldn't see the picture.  Left of you there were brown leather seats lined up along the wall.  To the right, where Gaster was hunched over searching for papers, was 3 file cabinets and a singular plant.  On the walls there were blueprints plastered, sketches on them that resembled Gaster Blasters. 

When you done observing the room Gaster came back over with some files in his holed hands.

"Alright, we can head to the experimentation room 3 now."

You nodded, smiling, and glanced up at his eyesockets.  You stopped for a moment, staring at him. 

"Is.. Something wrong, Y/n?"

"...Are those... Glasses?"

Gaster wore a pair of thin reading glasses, the skinny wires taped on since he didn't have ears to rest them on.

"O-oh, yes.  I need them to read, I get a headache if I don't.. I'm sorry, do they look odd?"

You flushed at his apology.

"W-what are you apologizing for?  They look great on you! Not that you don't already look great, you're very handsome for a skeleton- Wait, no, I meant they suit you! .... very well?" god fuck kill me now damn it

Your face was on fire, having rambled in your embarrassment.  You looked down and put your face in your hands, refusing to look up.

Because of this, you didn't see Gaster's blush reach from his neck to the top of his head.  Steam seeming to puff from his skull, and his mouth slightly agape.  His sockets were wide and his pin pricks glimmered. 

"I-I, well... We should head to the experimentation room." He breathed out.  You nodded slowly and removed your hands at a slow pace.  You peeked back up and saw purple for a split second before Gaster turned around and opened the door, holding it open for you. 

"Thank you.."

"Of course."

You both walked back down the hall you came from and made a series of turns here and there.  You were still embarrassed by what had transpired, so you kept your eyes on the tiled floor. 

Jesus, why am I acting like this?  All I did was give him a compliment.. There's nothing embarrassing about that. 

..It's not like I'm crushing on him like some teenager.

Chapter Text

As you and Gaster walked down the cold hallways of the True Lab, only silence and clicking of shoes on tile floors filled the air. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, however, but you wanted to know more about the scientist's study.

"So... What's in Experimentation room 3?"

"Ah.. room 3 is where we do most of our Soul experiments." You remembered your conversation you'd had with Gaster about the barrier and Souls, but you still didn't quite understand the concept of it.

"Oh, right. Souls. You told me before that you need 7 to break the barrier, right?"

"That is correct."

"What exactly are Souls?"

Gaster stopped in his tracks, seeming to ponder the question.

"Well... You could say that they are the very culmination of your being. Your Soul is you, and you are your Soul."

He glanced at you to see if you understood, and you nodded as if to say 'keep going'.

"Ahem.. Monster souls are usually lacking of any colour. Though some, myself included, have a trait that is dominant and shows colour. Human Souls, however, always have some sort of trait colour, therefore why humans have stronger souls than most. Understand so far?"

You nodded while letting the new information soak into your brain. Gaster smiled and you both continued down the way to Room 3. You both conversed on the topic of Souls until eventually a door with a large 3 printed on the front came into view. It was the same type of door that was on the upper Lab entrance. Gaster stepped forward and placed a hand on a screen to the left, letting the door slide upwards with ease. He gestured for you to follow him, which you obliged to. When you did a quick sweep of the room, there were 2 things that immediately caught your attention.

The first thing was the amount of syringes lying on top of tables everywhere. The second thing was the large screen in the middle of the room, which had many attachments connected to it. It seemed to be a monster of sorts. Gaster scuffled over to a desk and placed down his notes that he had gathered in his office. As he began to mutter incoherent words, you took the chance to walk around the room. The walls were squeaky clean white, and the same to the floors. Most of the furniture was made out of metal, giving it an almost futuristic look.

"Say, you said that souls have traits and colours, right?"

Gaster looked up from his reading and nodded in your direction.

"Yes."

"How do you figure out what they look like? Is there some sort of test, or is it just a magic thing?"

"Ah, well, generally to know your trait, you would have to take your Soul out and see it's colour. The most rare being Red, for Determination, and ironically is also the most powerful trait as well. Though, since magic is lost to humans now, your kind would need a monsters help to draw out the Soul to figure it out nowadays."

"Could you draw out my Soul for me then? So I can look?"

Gaster choked with wide eyes and went into a coughing fit. You quickly ran over to pat his back, worried that you had said something offensive. With lavender tinted cheeks, he nervously looked around the room.

"U-uh, well, I can, but..." You tilted your head in curiosity.

"But what?"

"Looking at another's Soul outside of battle is ah... A rather intimate suggestion, Y/n. It's like asking to undress in front of another."

Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment and realization at what you had just suggested without realizing.

"O-oh god, sorry! I had no idea- I was just curious and all-"

"No, no.. It's quite alright. You couldn't have known. But..."

Gaster hesitated and looked into your eyes for a while, thinking on something unknown to you. You shifted awkwardly in your spot from his gaze.

"If... If you really want to know what your Soul looks like, I could pull it out for you. But only if you're comfortable with it, and I promise I would not do anything indecent."

Your eyebrows shot up as you looked at the nervous skeleton before you. He was offering something that was clearly uncomfortable for him, but he was willing to do it as to water your curiosity. You smiled up at Gaster, happy that he would do something like this for you.

"If you're sure that you won't be too uncomfortable Gaster. I don't want to accidentally offend or make you feel weird about it."

"It's quite alright.. After all, I am a professional. So, if you're absolutely sure, I will pull it out for you. It would be easier if we sat down, though."

As soon as he said that, you sat down on the nearest chair, as did Gaster. He hesitated for a bit, still a little nervous, and raised his right hand.

"I'm going to pull it out now. I apologize if it causes any sort of discomfort of you."

You nodded firmly and sat as still as you could. After a few seconds of Gaster's hand hovering in the air, you heard a faint 'ding' come from your rib cage. Gaster moved his hand back towards him and just like that, a dark blue heart was in front you. Gaster clenched his fist and the blue disappeared from the heart, leaving it to it's original colour.  ..If you could call it that.

Your eyes widened at the sight of your supposed 'Soul'. It looked like glass and light at the same time, emitting a faint warmth that felt of happiness and warm cookies. You stared at it in confusion however. You looked up to see that Gaster was doing his best to look anywhere but your Soul. You chuckled at his behavior, but soon was replaced with a slight frown.

"Er, Gaster?"

"..Yes? You have a question?"

"Ah, yes but... I understand that it's embarrassing, but would you mind.. Looking at it please? I'm a bit confused here. It's not like you described a Soul to look like."

Gaster's face contorted to concern and embarrassment, but closed his eyes and nodded. He took a deep breath and glanced at your Soul hovering in your hands, and immediately sucked in a deep breath.

"Oh.. oh no. Y/n..."

"What? What's wrong? Is... Is this not normal?"

The Soul glowed faintly to match your emotion. The more bright, the more intense the emotion. The Soul itself was blank. White, but also clear. It was a clean slate. But that wasn't the fact that worried Gaster. It was the cracks through the middle, spider webbing out towards the edges that made him furrow his brows in worry.

"Y/n.. Oh, you..?" His eyes held such pity that it almost irritated you if you hadn't known that it was just concern for your well being.

Gaster leaned in closer, and seemed to want to try and help, but remembered his position and tried to stay calm for you. For now.

"I'm completely fine- I don't feel as if anything is wrong, I think? I don't get why my Soul would be nearly... Broken like this. Are there any reasons why this happened?"

"I suppose but... I feel as if this is too personal to ask, but... Have you recently.. Experienced hurt? Not physical pain, but to the heart? Sadness, anger..?"

You paused and stilled on the metal chair, thinking of anything like of what Gaster explained. 

I can't think of anything like that. Haven't really talked to anyone in- oh. Oh.

Gaster seemed to take notice of your look of realization.

"There- there is one time. 2 years ago."

"If you don't mind me asking... What happened 2 years ago?"

"... It.. It was an Ex of mine. Dale. He.. wasn't really all what he said he was."

You stared off to the floor thinking of the events that had transpired the day you and Dale had broken up.

Flashback

It was a nice and sunny day. Birds were tweeting and leaves were being blown around by the gentle summer breeze. You had been walking to your shared apartment with your boyfriend when you noticed a car you didn't recognize in your parking space. It made you a little irritated, but you brushed it off guessing that it was a new inhabitant to the complex. You walked up the steps to your apartment door seeing that it was slightly opened.

"Well that's odd.. I bet that silly boy burned something again."  You smiled at the thought of your boyfriend, hardly being able to wait to hug him after a long day.

As you were about to push open the cool door, you heard a female voice you didn't recognize.

"Where the hell have you been?! Tanner and Tyler have been at home waiting for you to come back but you've been here with... With that whore you said you'd break up with months ago!?"

"Look, I'm trying okay? Every time I try to get them to hate me they just... Try to understand and forgive me for the trashy stuff I've been doing!"

"Well, if you don't break up with them and get that money from them by the end of this week like you said you would, I'll see to it that our marriage is over, Dale."

Your hands shook as you listened to the "couple" argue in your and Dale's apartment. You felt hot tears gather under your eyelids and your heart shattering into pieces. You and Dale had been together for 5 years. 5 years. You shakily opened the door to see a woman, who looked much older than you, glaring at the man who had betrayed your trust and love.

"D-Dale..? W-who.. who is t-that? Who's Tanner and Tyler?" Your voice shook as your tears rolled down your cheeks.

The male whipped his head to your direction along with his supposed wife.

"I- Y/n! You're back early- this isn't-"

"Oh save it Dale, they heard everything." Her voice was snappy, and grinded in your ears like metal on a chalk board.

You felt your heart drop to your stomach, and suddenly felt sick. Very sick.

"I- I don't- Dale? You've been cheating on me. And not even just that, got married to someone else?!" The anger couldn't be masked by the betrayal you felt.

"...To be precise, I wasn't cheating on you. You were the side hoe with money here, Y/n. Why else would I be with you?"

You felt your head start to spin, emotions going haywire. You clenched your head, feeling a headache coming on. Fuck that, and fuck him.

"Get out."

"What?-" He choked out in surprise.

"I said... GET. OUT!  AND DON'T YOU FUCKING EVER COME BACK!"

Both of the adults recoiled in your reaction. Dale had never seen you get this angry before. He grabbed the woman's hand and ran out of your now single owned apartment. You stared at the ground in the same position for an hour before you began to sob, collapsing onto to the floor into a screaming, crying mess.

End of Flashback

You remembered vaguely that your neighbor had found you the next morning and put you into your bed. 

... You hoped they weren't too worried about your sudden disappearance.

"He uh... He was using me. He already had a family, a wife and two sons that I know of.  ..I didn't even have that much money in the first place."

Gaster donned a dark look on his face before carefully taking your hand into his. You looked up to the doctor and saw him giving you a reassuring look.

"Y/n.. I'm so sorry that happened to you. No one, especially you, deserves that. I don't know why he would have chose someone else over a wonderful person like you, but he's, in my own words, a blumbering idiot,"

Gaster's grip tightened as you began to tear up again.

"I don't know why I was such an idiot to believe his sweet words before.. I can't believe I was so stupid.."

"Hey, you're not 'stupid' Y/n. He.. he used tactics to make you believe him. You had no way of knowing. I don't know much about love at all, as I've never had the privilege of being in love, but I've heard that it can make you blind to the red flags that show later on.  You choose to ignore them because you love this person so much, that they don't matter then, because why would they when they would never do something horrible to you?..  You're not an idiot.  Just a person who gave so much to the wrong human."

You let a few tears slip by before taking your sleeve and wiping them off.

You and Gaster sat in silence until you had calmed down.

"...Better?" He whispered.

"Better... But, I have another question. Though it's got nothing to do with my situation here."

Gaster quirked a bonebrow and gestured for you to continue.

"Well.. You said you've never been in love before. But.. if that's true, then where did Sans and Papyrus come from?"

Gaster's eyes softened and looked down at the floor while letting go of your hands.

"I suppose it would only be fair that we share equal stories. But you cannot tell anyone else, you understand?"

You nodded at the tall skeleton and watched him lean back in his chair as he seemed to prepare himself.

"It was 7 years ago.

My experiments were solely focused on making a replacement Soul so that we would not have to.. take Souls from a human to break the barrier. I did not have any sources for a human soul, but there was plenty of monsters out there.

My theory was that I could fabricate a substitute Soul in order to break the barrier. But, I didn't want to harm any innocent monsters. So I used myself instead,"

You glanced at his hands, the gaping holes now becoming more clear.

"So, one night while everyone went home and couldn't stop me, I gathered two pieces of my physical body to use," he wiggled his hands,

"And placed them into two different chemical tubes. From then on, I watched over the pieces. Then, like a miracle, two children formed from my hand pieces. Sans and Papyrus. Of course this was two different times as I had to experiment more than once, but it was enough for me."

"They soon became attached to me afterwards, and I of course felt the same way. They became my official sons after that and here we are now."

You leaned back with your still hovering Soul and let out a breath.

"Wow, that's.. amazing. I would have never imagined that that was what had happened."

"Well, it's not your everyday story, but their Souls manifested on their own which is why I want to keep this under the wraps. If other scientist find out that you can make natural souls just like that, there's no telling what might happen. "

"I understand. I'll carry the secret to my grave," you replied with a wink. Gaster smiled lopsidedly but then focused on you again.

"It doesn't seem that your HP is low, so I don't know what to do. But the colour is also confusing, as I've never seen white before on a human Soul."

You looked at your Soul in wonder. It glowed faintly. You sighed and pushed it towards yourself, absorbing it back into your body. A feeling of relief flooded through your body as your Soul took it's rightful place in your chest.

"Well, thank you Doctor. I really appreciate all you've done here for me."

"Of course Y/n. If anything feels off, or if you feel any stress, don't hesitate to tell me. I promise I'll listen with open ears."

You laughed slightly at the irony and sighed contently. It felt nice to finally talk about what happened 2 years ago, and you felt some weight get dropped off your back.

As you two conversed more and more, unbeknownst to either of you, little cracks slowly faded from your Soul, slowly but surely sealing itself together.  Not all of the fractures were healed, of course, but maybe, just maybe, over time...

Perhaps it's not as unfixable as the doctor had previously thought.

* Kintsugi (金継ぎ, "golden joinery"), also known as kintsukuroi (金繕い, "golden repair"), is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum; the method is similar to the maki-e technique.  As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.

Chapter Text

Gaster finished up what he was doing in the so called "Experimentation Room 3" and led you out of the room. You had a much better understanding of Souls now since you both had talked about it while he worked. While you hoped to never have to use the information, you also now know the basics of what to do if your Soul gets thrown into a fight.

The tall doctor and yourself once again trekked through the long, cold hallways of the True Lab. You looked at Gaster, now taking in more of his details as you both walked. The way he walked was swift, and he took long steps. You had to go faster than normal to keep up with him, but it wasn't too difficult. You took a moment to take in his appearance. Today he was wearing a science lab coat, which hid his undershirt.

As you stared intently at Gaster's direction, he glanced at you before looking straight ahead again.

"Is there something you want to ask?"

You blinked and looked forward again.

"Not in particular, but now that you mention it... Have you ever wondered how different your body is from a humans skeleton?"

He gave you a thoughtful look and grinned, as if he had been expecting that particular question.

"I have actually. And, with those books I mentioned before, I happen to know the differences."

You quirked an eyebrow at Gaster in question.

"Oh? Care to tell me?"

Gaster's eyes lit up at the chance to talk about his findings.

"Well, the first thing I'd discovered was that, obviously, our skulls are completely different in structure and density. Mine is soft enough for me to make facial expressions, while yours is more hard and is for the purpose of protecting the brain."

"Soft, huh?" You reached a hand up to Gaster's face and poked his skeletal cheek. It felt like a water balloon in how soft it was, but it was warm and smooth.

He took your hand and placed it back to your side while chuckling.

"You could have just asked if you were curious."

"Ah, sorry haha.. Couldn't help it. But, anyways, did you find anything else that was different?"

He smiled and continued on with his research.

"I also found that our rib cages are slightly different. A human clavicle, that's the collar bone, is more thin than mine. My clavicle is more thick and covers up more area. In fact, almost all of my bones are thicker than the average human skeleton. Other than that, our skeletal bodies are very similar."

"Wow, that's actually really cool! I should come here more often to learn from ya, teach."

Gaster's eyes widened slightly as he smiled a bit.

"... I wouldn't mind the company. Perhaps once Jainil gets better, you can come with me here. Maybe even... Be my assistant?"

Your eyes brightened up at the thought of getting to be in such an awesome environment, but thought of Sans and Papyrus. They hardly get to see Gaster as it was already. You faltered at the thought of barely seeing them anymore.

"I'd love to but.. I'd miss Sans and Papyrus too much. But I bet I could still make frequent visits!"

Gaster smiled in understanding and stopped suddenly, but you didn't notice fast enough and bumped into the elevator doors in front of you.

"Oof-"

"Oh goodness, are you alright?"

"Ow- yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bump."

He nodded and pressed a button to the side. The doors slid open and you both stepped into the small space. They closed and you felt the elevator rise upwards.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, I finished my work for today. It's been 7 hours since you came i-"

"7 hours?! It didn't feel like that at all!" Your eyes widened a fraction.

"Yes, I suppose it's because we had each other to talk to in the mean time.. And it does take a while to traverse those halls."

You nodded numbly and waited for the eventual whoosh of doors opening. As you and Gaster walked out of the compartment, you saw the familiar non-face of the cat monster from before. He seemed to be extremely stressed, pacing back and forth from his spot in front of the giant monitor. His head shot up at the sound of feet tapping on the floor and seemed to only see Gaster step out.

"D-D-D-DOCTOR G-GASTER! A-A-A HUMAN WENT INTO T-THE L-LAB- IMSOSORRYPLEASEDONTFIREME-"

"Are you perhaps talking about Y/n here?"

The monster stopped in his panic and slowly turned his head to look at you. You smiled and waved.

"U-uh yes, th-that's the- what?"

"Y/n here has been staying with me for the few past weeks."

"Oh."

You laughed at his reaction and covered your mouth trying to smother it. The cat-monster got red and silent.

"Sorry, sorry! It was probably stressful to have a strange human barge in here demanding to see your boss."

"You demanded for me?"

Wow.  That sounded kinda- Y'know what? No.  I'm going to pretend that it didn't.

"Of course I did- I was really upset you know. You brushed me off at home and I had been thinking that you were slowly killing yourself over work. How else was I supposed to react?"

Gaster stood in a guilty silence.

"Wow, never seen someone shock the Doctor into being quiet before."

Gaster gave the monster a cold glare.

"Quiet before you give yourself a reason to be fired."

"Y-YESSIR!"

The monster briskly made his way to a desk off in a corner and started typing on a computer. Gaster motioned for you to follow him, and you jogged over. The two of you stepped out of the cool lab and into the blistering heat of Hotlands. Gaster took the usual route to the Riverperson.

"Tra la la~ Good afternoon you two... Tri tri li~"

"Hello. Waterfall, if you don't mind."

You shot Gaster a questioning glance, but didn't voice your thoughts. Gaster stepped onto the sturdy boat and helped you get on as well. The boat glided towards your destination. Wonder why we didn't just go straight to Snowdin...

"Tre le le~ Eat a mushroom everyday. Why? Then I know you're listening to me~ Tra la la~"

The boat slowed down and Gaster and yourself stepped off. You both stepped off while you called out a 'thank you' like always to Riverperson. They simply nodded.

You soon recognized the familiar, soft dark grass that covered Waterfall. The water trickling around you made you calm and thoughtful. The soft glow was comforting, as you'd been in bright lights all day.

"How come we came this way? Not that I mind."

Gaster glanced around the room, avoiding your eyes.

"I wanted to show you something, if .. that's alright with you?"

"I don't mind! What's it you want to show me?"

Gaster grinned his signature lopsided smile but kept quiet. You turned your head in curiosity, but decided not to push it.

Maybe he wants it to be a surprise.

You found it surprisingly comfortable to be in silence around Gaster. There was no awkwardness at all, only warmth. You assumed he didn't mind either since he held a small smile on his skull the entire time.

You soon found yourself standing in a pitch black cavern. You could barely see Gaster's outline in the shadows.

"Gaster? I can't see you-"

"I'm right here, not to fret. Here, take my hand."

You felt your cheeks heat up as you felt Gaster take your hand gently and lead you through the dark maze. You were suddenly very glad that it was too dark to see your flustered face. His hand felt cool to the touch.

After several turns in the black cavern, you saw a light come up ahead. As you got closer, you gasped at the beautiful sight.

Blue, glowing flowers littered the floors of the room. Luminescent crystals scattered across the ceiling, and at the end of the room there was a giant crystal shaped into a natural bench. It was also surrounded by the glowing blossoms. They reminded you of the golden ones you had first seen when you fell, but these seemed more surreal. Gaster led you to the bench, and he sat down. You noticed the lack of warmth in your hand and suddenly missed it, but pushed it aside.

"Gaster, this... This is amazing! They're so beautiful."

Gaster sighed in relief and smiled. He bent over to his left and picked one of the flowers off of the ground.

"These are called Echo flowers."

"These are called Echo flowers."

Your mouth gaped open at the little voice that came from the plant. It echoed Gaster's voice perfectly, albeit a little higher in pitch. He offered the flower to you, in which you took from his fingers. You inspected the delicate thing, but couldn't figure out where the voice came from on it.

"They're amazing! How did you find this place?"

"They're amazing! How did you find this place?"

It felt odd hearing your voice come from the flower, but it was mystical all the same. You set it aside so that it wouldn't echo Gaster as he talked.

"I happened to come across this place while walking about. As far as I know, I'm the only one who knows about it. Along with you now, of course."

"So like a secret room?"

"Exactly like a secret room."

You laughed softly, hearing the flowers copy you. Your eyes glimmered as you stroked the petals of the flowers as they danced in the blue light of the crystals. You sat down on the bench with Gaster. You stayed still and soaked in the calming atmosphere.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior this morning Y/n."

You turned to look at Gaster and saw that he was frowning at the ground in front of him.

"I realize that my actions made you upset and frustrated. I was sleep deprived and was not thinking straight, especially since I had not had coffee yet.  Though, it does not make up for my reaction, of course."

You nodded and stayed quiet, letting the apology sink in.

"... It's okay Gaster. I forgive you."

He turned to you in shock.  He then squinted at you, not quite buying into it.

"..Really? Just like that?"

"Of course I do. I understand that sometimes we do things while not in the right mind." A small smile adorned your lips while speaking.

Gaster sat there, just staring at you with wide eyes. He let them rest and stared off into the distance and smiled with a sigh.

"I'm glad. Having you upset with me is one of the last things that I would want."

You felt your heart leap for a moment before it subsided.

What was that?

"Just as long as you don't do that again. I seriously am worried about you, Gaster."

He looked at you with fuzzy pin pricks and sighed once again, this time in defeat.

"All right, I promise. I have the day off tomorrow, anyways."

_____________

Gaster stood up after a few minutes of silence, the movement leaving sparkling blue residue wafting up into the air.

"I suppose we should go and pick up the boys before they all cause trouble."

"Oh? Has something happened before?"

"Yes.. Unfortunately. They've caught Jainil's house on fire before trying to make a pie with his daughter." He chuckled at the memory, cheeks creasing into lines just under his eyes.

"Oh, her name was Undyne, wasn't it?"

"I'm surprised you remember. Yes, that's her. She's quite the ball of energy, that one. Seems to love fighting like her father- Actually, this gives me a chance to check up on him, as well."

"Okie dokie then, lead the way, tall man."

You grabbed onto Gaster's hand, and smiled up at him. His cheeks turned a light purple. He turned away, knowing exactly what expression he held at the moment.

With the feeling of fingers intertwined together, you both stepped out into the darkness once more.

Chapter Text

Hand in hand, Gaster led you through the dark cave once again. Looking around, you noticed some mushrooms that were growing out of the ground. They were in clusters, and were very dim in the light they emitted. An urge came out to touch the said mushrooms, but you ignored it and continued with the skeleton.

You both trotted along the path until eventually you both reached the end of the cave. As you got closer to the exit, you heard the faint roar of water falling. Light poured out of the opening as Gaster and yourself came out. Two giant waterfalls poured over a cliff to your right, and bridges were set in front of each.

You felt a small tug on your arm and saw that Gaster was still holding your hand while walking across the wooden platforms. Heat crawled up your cheeks as you saw that he hadn't seemed to notice.

It feels nice... It's been so long since someone has held my hand.

With cheeks still pleasantly warm, you followed his footsteps across the waters. You made sure not to accidentally slip on the wet wood, taking careful steps. When you both made it across, the room opened into another pocket. There were several other holes that someone could enter. In the middle there was a little scoop into the earth. Something seemed missing, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

"Right through here is Jainil's place. I should warn you, it's a little odd compared to other buildings in the underground."

"I'm sure it can't be that bad... right?"

Gaster chuckled.

"We'll see."

He led you to the end of the room to the right. As you turned to the building, you stared in disbelief.

A giant fish. For a house... I guess it can be that bad.

A training dummy sat off to the side, looking almost brand new save for the few holes here and there. You both walked to the teeth for doors and stood in front of it. As Gaster went to knock with the hand clasping yours, only then did he seem to finally notice. He quickly dropped yours and you immediately missed the warmth.

"Oh my- I didn't even.. I didn't notice. I'm terribly sorry-"

"No no, it's fine! I didn't mind, it was.. nice."

Gaster stared at you with big pin pricks as you shifted uncomfortably in his gaze. What you said seemed to click in his mind and soon was as purple as a violet. He covered his mouth and started to mutter things you didn't quite understand while looking everywhere but your direction.

How cute- Wait. What? No. Stop that, Y/n.

You left the skeleton to his thinking and knocked on the door yourself. This snapped Gaster out of whatever he was doing as he watched the door open. He straightened himself out quickly. The doors fully opened and Gaster walked inside, and so you followed. As soon as you set foot into the home, however, the world went dark.

Panic settled into your stomach as you looked around frantically. Your Soul jumped out of your chest and suddenly felt very vulnerable. Buttons shot up from nothing, all labeled different words. Options read as Fight, Act, Item, and Mercy appeared. They each had small symbols corresponding to their respective words. Above the option buttons was what you assumed to be your stats with the little battle knowledge you held.

Y/N, LV 1. hp [15/20]

      * Is confused out of their wits.

You looked around but only saw black. Someone popped into view, but it was no one that you recognized.  Their skin was pure white, as well as their hair. Their clothes were black too with white outlines.  Though, what confused you the most was that they looked like a little girl.  Glancing down, you realized quickly that you were the same color scheme as well.  The encounter had sucked out all colors except for the buttons in front of you. 

"FIGHT ME HUMAN!"

Her shout made you jump. You took another look at her. You realized with a jolt that she looked like a miniature version of Jainil.

I wonder if this is Undyne. Gaster did mention that she's energetic.

You looked back down at your options and clicked [ACT]. Clicking check, it read;

UNDYNE: Defense 5, Attack 3.

      *Undyne is eager to fight.

You clicked out and selected the other option that said "Talk".

"Uh, hi! I'm guessing you're Undyne huh? Gaster told me about you."

Undyne seemed to falter a slightly before hopping back up.

"THAT'S RIGHT! I'M UNDYNE, THE DAUGHTER OF THE GREATEST GENERAL TO EVER LIVE! NOW, PREPARE TO DIE!"

I'm not sure if "energetic" was the right word, Gaster.

You yelped as a small blue spear materialized in Undyne's hand and shot at your soul. Ducking out of the way, you jumped to your right. A "miss" icon appeared above you. With wide eyes you saw Undyne get irritated when she saw that you had dodged her attack. Your options showed up again, so you clicked the same as before.

"Hey, we don't have to fight! You're friends with Sans, right? And Papyrus? You're friends, aren't you?" Your voice was panicked slightly, since you weren't exactly battle compatible at the moment.

"So what? I wanna fight you! You're a human, so that means you're powerful! Now less talking and more fighting!"

She shot another spear at you and you dodged. But, this time she materialized one behind you and it came with a direct hit. You gasped in pain as the spear disappeared and a -10 icon hovered above you. You collapsed onto your knees as a fiery pain shot through your body.

"Hey, what the heck? That wasn't supposed to do that much damage! Wow, I must be too powerful for even a human!"

Undyne laughed in her burst pride.

I need to get out of this before something bad happens.

You saw that it was your turn again. Looking at the other options, you clicked [MERCY]. Her name was in yellow, so from what you remembered from Gaster's explanation that meant that you could spare her. You pressed Undyne's name and the world came into colour again. Your soul fazed back into your chest before anyone could see. Undyne's hair was a bright red that clashed with her bright blue skin. Her outfit looked cute, but it still held the sense of a tomboy.

You sat on the ground, still sore from the attack. Hands landed onto your shoulders, and you twisted your head around to see a very worried Gaster, Sans and a happy Papyrus. Gaster checked your stats and his pin pricks glimmered in worry.

"I'm so sorry, I should have warned you that she might try and attack you. It's her way of greeting others."

"It- ouch- it's okay, I understand. I wouldn't get mad at a kid."

Gaster still looked guilty, but you shifted your attention to the skelebros. Sans offered you a cup of what looked like a golden tea.

"here! this should help. sorry about undyne, i hope she didn't hurt you too bad..."

"Heh, thanks Sans. Don't worry about me though, I'm feeling fin-tastic!"

Sans laughed as you sipped on the warm tea. The warm beverage sent a shiver down your spine, but felt much better. With the help of Gaster, you stood up again. You set the cup down on the piano that was beside you.

"We should fight again sometime! That was fun, even though you were kinda weak.. Sometimes I can't hold back my strength! What's your name human?"

"I'm Y/n. Nice to finally meet you, Undyne."

Undyne jumped up and down in excitement and grinned a pointy smile. You smiled at her energy and looked back to Gaster who still looked a little down, but was trying to cover it up since there were children around. Turning your attention to Papyrus, you saw that he was trying to get out of Sans' hold. Huffing out a laugh, you picked him up from Sans and bounced him on your arms.

"Nyeh hehehe!"

"I bet you two are hungry by now, huh?" You questioned knowingly.

Sans perked up at the mention of food.

"yeah! can we go and eat? i like your cooking."

You glanced at Gaster and saw once again his eye bags that seemed to be begging for sleep.

"I think that'd be best. I don't want Gaster passing out here.."

"I would not pass out, thank you very much." He said, though his lagging eyelids were betraying himself.

"Yeah, sure.. Tell that to your bed."

He gave a little frown as you secured Papyrus in your arm and held Sans' hand in the other. You said goodbye to Undyne and walked back out of the fishy home, making your way to Snowdin after Gaster gave his checkup to Jainil in the back rooms.

Sans tugged on your shirt sleeve and gestured for you to bend down to his level.

"i can take us home if you want- dad looks really tired." He spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting to alert his father.  Taking a peek at Gaster, you agreed silently with him. 

"Could you take Papyrus for me if you're going to do that? I'm still not quite used to it, so I don't want to lose grip."

Sans nodded with his permanent smile on his face and took the giggling skeleton from your clutches. Gaster gave a questioning look and was about to say something but closed his mouth with an audible snap when you grabbed a hold of his hand. Oddly enough, he said nothing of it.

You held onto Sans' shoulder, and the world shifted out from under your feet. All of you fell in a black void for a second before appearing in the warm living room of the skeleton residence. Gaster blinked in surprise and looked at Sans.

"Did you do that?"

"yeah! and i'm not even bone-tired."

You laughed at the pun as Sans grinned cheekily. Gaster hummed as he gave a proud smile in response. Papyrus yawned and snuggled into Sans' arms.

"Hey, can you take Papy upstairs for me? I need to talk to your Dad for a second."

"sure thing!"

Sans took the stairs and went into Papyrus's room. When you heard the door close, you turned your body to face Gaster and took both of his hands into yours. His jaw went slack for a moment, and lavender creeped up his skull. His spine straightened up, suddenly not looking so tired anymore.

"What-"

"You don't need to feel guilty."

He shut his mouth, freezing in place. His eyes faced to his left, seeming to find the wall very interesting now.

"It's not your fault that Undyne managed to hit me, in fact it's just my own actions that led me up to getting hurt. And look, I'm fine now!"

You let go of his hands and wrapped your arms around his waist for a hug instead. Gaster's body tensed for a moment before relaxing and returning the gesture.

"I know.. I just can't help but feel guilty." He sighed out.

Hearing his voice so close to your ears made your face feel hot, but you ignored the feeling. 

"Well, it's alright now. There's no need to feel bad anymore."

Pulling away from the skeleton, he donned a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Y/n. Now, I think I hear my bed calling my name. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Gaster. You'd better sleep good tonight, or else I'm gonna go in there myself and knock you out."

He sweat dropped and huffed a small laugh.

"I wouldn't doubt it."

Gaster stepped away and made his way upstairs, passing Sans who came back down. You heard the faint click of his door opening and closing.

"Well, now that the cranky scientist is asleep, what would the skele-buggy like to eat?"

"i dunno... i like anything you make."

Laughing, you walked into the kitchen and gathered ingredients to make spaghetti.

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

After eating, you cleaned up the dishes and carried a very tired Sans to his room. Opening the door, you saw that his room was very messy. Socks and shorts littered the floor and his blanket was a ball on his bed. Sighing, you set the small skeleton on his bed and unwrinkled the blanket to cover him with. After that, you tidied up his room to the best of your efforts by picking up the stray clothes and wrappers everywhere. You tossed the clothes into a pile in the corner and put the trash into an empty garbage bin.

When you were finished with cleaning up a bit, you walked back over to Sans and kissed his forehead goodnight. He smiled wider and turned over. Smiling, you walked out of the room quietly and turned off the lights, closing the door softly. You tiptoed to your room and retired for the night.

Chapter Text

After spending a few hours reading, you had eventually fallen into the realm of dreams. Your nightmares that you had forgotten about sprouted again, leaving you shaken when you woke up the next morning.

You shot up from your bed gasping for air. The nightmares had been the same, but this time lava surrounded you and the mysterious figure. Clenching your shirt where your heart is, feeling it pound through the cloth, you took deep breaths to try and calm yourself down. You took your hands and rubbed your temples. Sighing, you peeked at the clock on the bedside.

9:23 am

Groaning and kicking the thick blankets off of yourself, you swung your feet over to the side of the bed and slipped on a pair of house shoes. You wore sweatpants coloured f/c and a comfy top. When you opened the door that led to the rest of the house, you smelled bacon and coffee wafting in the air. Running your hand along the railings, you stepped down the stairs and saw that Papyrus and Sans were already sitting at the round table. Yawning, you greeted them.

"Good morning boys.."

"good morning y/n! dad's making breakfast in the kitchen." Sans spoke up, cheery and happy to be up in the morning.

Why do I feel like this is a rare sight to see?

"That's nice... When did he get up?"

"i think around 7.. that's when he usually wakes up."

You hummed and made your way to the kitchen. Taking light steps, you snuck a look into the room and saw Gaster flipping bacon and eggs. He wore a dark blue turtleneck sweater and black pants as per usual, though this time he wore a white apron that read 'GeNiUS' in periodic table lettering. You laughed at the science apron, Gaster turning his head around at the noise.

"Oh, good morning Y/n. What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing... I just like the apron print."

He looked down at his chest and laughed lightly.

"Ah, yes. It was a gift from Lady Toriel."

You smiled and nodded thoughtfully. Gaster went back to the food while you went to find a cup.

"Oh and by the way, there's tea and sugar in the cupboard if you don't find coffee to your liking." He offered.

"That's nice to know, thank you."

After getting a cup of your preferred drink, you went and sat down at the table with the skeleton brothers. Papyrus had his high chair as usual while Sans had to stack books to sit at the table properly. Sipping on your drink, Sans started rambling about his dream.

"There was this GIGANTIC octopus that was named Captain Squid, and he sailed this tiny boat in the river! But then this even HUGER fish came out of nowhere and-"

You continued to listen to his story while slowly waking up with the help of the caffeine. Papyrus played with a tiny figurine of a turtle while making noises that resembled crashing sounds. Smiling, you quietly enjoyed the atmosphere.

Gaster soon came out of the kitchen with four plates balancing with the help of his magic. You noticed that the eggs and bacon were shaped into smiling faces with horns on the top. You snickered and took a bite out of the bacon first, melting at the taste.  You didn't question how they had bacon in the Underground, but was grateful none the less.

"You know, somehow, you manage to make everything taste better." You said.

Gaster chuckled while denying your statement, and continued to eat. Papyrus's food had been cut up into little pieces so that he could eat it better, and both boys had a juice box to go with their breakfast. Gaster had a cup of black coffee.

When you all had almost finished eating, a knock came from the front door. Gaster sighed and stood up to answer before you could.

"I swear on Asgore's beard, if this is one of my scientists, I'm going to toss them into the core."

He opened the door and revealed a monster that resembled a dog. They wore a blue mailman outfit and skates, topped off with the cliche dark blue cap.

"I have a letter for a... Y/n?"

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. For me? Who in the world could have sent it?

"Thank you Ilya. Have a nice day." (Pronounced like ILL-Yuh)

"No problem! See ya, Doctor Gaster!"

Gaster took the mail from the dog and shut the door. He came back over to the table and handed you the envelope. Glancing over it, you noted that it was white with yellow flower decorations printed along the corners. The front simply read your name. The table was quiet, save for Papyrus, and you realized that they were waiting for you to read it. You unsealed the top quickly and took out the piece of paper that lay inside. Unfolding it, you said 'oh!' in surprise.

"It's from Toriel." You revealed.

"Really? What does her majesty want?"

Reading it a bit more, you answered Gaster's question.

"She says that she wants to see me again. Alone, for some reason."

Gaster looked at the letter surprised and Sans gave a quizzical look.

"i wonder why she would want to talk to you alone.. you don't think she's gonna make you leave, is she?"

Sans asked this in a panic. You and Gaster made eye contact and turned to Sans.

"I don't think Lady Toriel wants Y/n to leave." He said, sounding sure of himself.

"Well, the only way to find out is to go as soon as possible. She is the Queen, after all." You said simply, as if it were just running a milk errand.

Gaster gave you a worried look.

"I'll escort you there-"

"No, you stay here with the boys. You should spend more time with them if you're going to be going back to work tomorrow."

"But.."

"No buts Gaster. I'm quite old enough to take care of myself for a little trip."

He looked like he wanted protest more, but your defiant stare made him sigh in defeat. You stood up and ruffled the skelebros heads before going upstairs to put on more warm clothing. 

Coming back downstairs with boots and your blue coat, you went to open the door when you were stopped by Gaster. You turned to him in confusion.

"Just... Stay safe, all right?"

You gave him a soft smile and nodded. Sans hugged your leg and waved goodbye as you stepped outside into the cold. Closing the door behind you, you felt the cold air start to sting your nose and cheeks already. With the snow crunching underneath your feet, you made your way to the big doors that you'd seen when you had fallen down.

____________

Other monsters and sentries waved to you as you walked past them. They had gotten used to seeing you everyday, even if they didn't even know your name yet.  Eventually, you stood in front of the big doors. They loomed over you, as if daring you to try and open them. You stood for a moment pondering how to get in before just deciding to knock the old fashioned way.

Knock knock.

A moment passed before you heard a familiar voice answer, soft and laced with humor.

"Who is there?"

"Lemony!"

"Lemony who?"

"Lemony in, it's cold out here."

Toriel barked out laughter and opened the massive gates. She stood before you in her normal attire of purple. She smiled kindly at you while stepping out of the way so you could go inside.

"It is nice to see you again, Y/n. I see that your leg seems to be better."

"It's nice to see you too Toriel. And yeah, it's been healed for a few weeks now." You explained.

The queen shut the doors and walked beside you down the cold halls.

"Really now? And.. How is Doctor Gaster?" Her tone was worried, reminding you that Gaster doesn't talk to the Royal family much. 

"As far as I can see? He's doing better than he was."

"Was? Was he not before?" She looked more alert now, waiting for your explanation.

"Well, he's been avoiding sleep to work at the lab. But I made him rest and he seemed fine this morning."

"That's quite the feat, Y/n. It usually takes some brute force to make that man sleep."

You took in that information and stayed quiet for the rest of the walk. Your cheeks began to feel warm again once you both made it to the stairs of the home. It smelled of sweet summer flowers.

"Take a seat at the table, and I'll get us some pie."

"Oh, thank you!"

"Of course, my child."

As you headed towards the dining table, you saw a new addition to the seats. Another high chair similar to the one back at home sat at the end of the table. In the chair was a small, baby goat. His eyes were black while his fur was white. You remembered his name to be Asriel. He wore a green and yellow striped onesie, making him more adorable than he already was.

"Well aren't you a cutie?"

Asriel perked up at your voice and smiled at you. He giggled and held out his arms. Smiling, you walked over and offered a pinky. Asriel took it with his small paws and held it.

"You're awfully sweet, aren't you?"

He made little noises in response, shaking your pinky around.

"I see that Asriel has taken quite the liking to you."

You turned around and saw Toriel walking towards you and Asriel with three plates in her paws. They each held a slice of pie, though one you assumed was for the little prince was smaller than the others. She sat the plates down and gestured for you to take a seat. You carefully took your appendage back and sat down across from Toriel. Picking up the fork, you took the first bite eagerly and sighed in the deliciousness.

"So, er, not that I mind, but why am I here?"

Toriel blinked at you and set down her fork.

"I wished to speak with you about your living conditions."

Your stomach curled up into a knot as you struggled not to let your lips tremble.

"You're not.. You're not making me leave, are you?" 

Toriel stared at you in confusion before answering very calmly.

"Of course not, my child. I thought... that you would want to leave?"

You sighed in relief with your hand on your chest.

"Oh, thank goodness!.. Even if I did, I wouldn't be able to, right? Because of the barrier?"

She seemed surprised at your response, and even looked relieved to hear it.

"Yes. It seems that you are already knowledgeable of our.. situation."

"Gaster filled me in once I asked him about it. My grandmother never went into detail about it." Toriel blinked at the mention of your kin, but said nothing of it.

"I see. And you do not wish to go home?"

You thought for a moment. Did you want to go home? There's not much of home up there anyways, and.. they're all so nice down here.

"...No. I like my life down here."

Toriel watched you with kind eyes as you reminisced about your old life on the surface.

"I understand. Well then, as Queen of the Underground, I welcome you as our citizen."

You smiled, having no regrets with your decision. Eating your pie, you thought of how your future would be like now.

"I am curious of your childhood, Y/n. It has been so long since I have seen the sky. Does it still look as blue as I remember?"

"I hope it does, your majesty. You know, when I was a kid, I would always go outside just for the purpose of looking at the sky. The clouds were all fluffy, and in different shapes. I would point out what they looked like to myself. Sometimes they looked like cats, and other times they looked like pencils or books."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful. Asgore and I, in our younger years, used to sneak out at night to watch the stars." She snickered to herself, seeming to remember a specific memory of the time.

"Oh~ So even the Queen has her rebellious years?"

Toriel laughed and waved it off.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it rebellious. We would often use our magic to try and copy what the stars looked like."

"Magic? So does that mean every monster's magic is different from others?"

"Depending on your species or who you are taught by, every monster's magic is a little different. Mine and Asgores main element is fire."

"Would you mind showing me?"  You asked excitedly.

"Why, not at all!"

You watched as Toriel slid her plate away and rubbed her hands together. She held out a paw to you and a flame burst from her paw pads. You jumped at the sudden appearance but then gazed at it, mesmerized. Raising a hand closer, you made sure not to get too close as to not burn yourself, but felt the warmth come from the goat mother's fire magic. The fire hovered just above her paws, and it kept a constant form. Your eyes sparkled in admiration.

"This is so amazing!"

Toriel chuckled at your words.

"You remind me of the doctor, you know, the way your eyes just seem to sparkle at something new."

You flushed at the comparison and laughed.

"I'm honored that I remind you of him.. Maybe he's been rubbing off on me."

Toriel's magenta eyes flashed with something you couldn't quite catch.

"He has been nice to you, yes?"

"Yes, of course! He's one of the nicest monsters I've met down here." Toriel smiled to herself, almost as if to keep herself from laughing.

"You know, Gaster holds the reputation of being somewhat cold to others. Asgore says that he has noticed that the Doctor has been much more... Warmer since you've fallen."

You stopped observing the fire at this comment. Warmer? I suppose he did get nicer over the course of weeks that I've been here, but that's because he was just cautious with his kids around.

"Now, I don't know if it is because of you or because of some other factor, but I wanted to say thank you anyway."

"Oh, don't thank me! I really didn't do anything..." You protested gently, waving your hands in front of you.

"Well, it is something to us. Gaster has always tried to stay distant from us despite being our friend, but he seems so much more happier with someone kind like you around."

You heated up at what she seemed to be implying but decided to think nothing of it.

She probably didn't mean it that way.

"Well, I think it is about time you headed back. I am sure the little ones miss you."

"All right... Thank you for inviting me. Your pie was delicious!"

"It was my pleasure. Perhaps next time the Doctor can join us."

"That would be nice."

Toriel stood up and gathered the dirty, empty plates along with the forks. She disappeared into what you assumed to be her kitchen and reappeared empty handed. She then picked up Asriel from his high chair and carried him while you both made your way back down the stairs.

After walking quite a ways, the purple doors appeared once again. Toriel pushed open one of them with her free hand, and you stepped outside. As the cold pricked at your skin, you waved goodbye to the queen and the little prince. Asriel waved back as did Toriel, and the doors closed with a mighty slam. Smiling, you trekked through the snow once more back to the skeleton family.

____________

When you opened the decorated door of the home, you were met with a sight you would never forget. Gaster was curled up on the couch with a book in his hands, and Sans and Papyrus were on either side of him. They had a blanket draped over themselves, keeping them comfortable.

Gaster and Sans' skulls shot upwards when they heard the door close behind you. Sans' eyes shaped into stars as he scrambled up to hug you. You laughed and kneeled down to hug him back.

"you're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, it was just a little trip." You teased gently.

Sans' forever smile widened as he hugged you even tighter. Looking up you saw Gaster carefully pick up Papyrus so as to not wake him. He sat him down gently before focusing his attention onto you.

"I'm glad you made it back safely. So.. What did Lady Toriel want to speak with you about?" His tone held a cautious edge to it.

You thought about your conversation with the queen and smiled softly.

"She wanted to speak to me about how I've been living here."

Gaster's smile dropped a smidgen as he heard you say that.

"And.. What did she say?"

"Well.." You trailed off.

Gaster's pin pricks dimmed, and seemed to hold his breath. Sans looked up at you with fearful eyes. You smiled and made jazz hands as you said your next words.

"You're both looking at the newest citizen of the Underground!"

Sans and the scientist both perked up, looking relieved and excited at your statement. Gaster walked over and wrapped his arms around you, making your heart soar at the gesture.

He's- he's actually hugging me-

You grinned and hugged him back with one arm and the other around Sans.

"Welp, looks like I'm going to be with you boys for the long run. You guys better be ready for plenty of adventures!"

Chapter Text

When you had got up the next morning, what you had not expected to see was Gaster sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.

That's weird. You thought he was supposed to be at work today.

"Hey?"

"Oh, hello Y/n. Good morning."

He continued to read as if nothing was the matter. Still confused, you went and made a bowl of cereal for yourself, not feeling like cooking today. Crunching on the sweet breakfast in the middle of the kitchen, you stared at Gaster.

"I thought you were supposed to be at work by now."

The skeleton in question flinched at that and sheepishly looked around, avoiding your gaze. He cleared his throat behind a clenched fist before raising the newspaper to hide his face.

"Well, I thought about what you said.. And decided to take a day off from the Lab. But only for today."

"Hmmm, the notorious Doctor Gaster bows down to the worries of a human? You make me blush."

Gaster sent a playful glare over the paper, but couldn't hold it as you grinned cheekily at him. He set down the stack and sighed.

"Don't get me wrong, I just knew that I wouldn't hear the end of your nagging if I hadn't."

You dramatically scoffed at him with a hand over your forehead.

"Oh, how you wound me Doctor!"

You peeked out one eye and burst out laughing at Gaster's deadpan. He soon joined you as Sans creeped down the stairs, confused as to what was happening.

"what what? what's funny?"

Giving Gaster a mischievous look, you turned to Sans with a smirk and whispered to him.

"Your Dad just said that I was very, VERY attractive-"

"dad said that you're attr.. attwactive?!"

Gaster spat out his coffee and glowed lavender while giving the both of you an incredulous look.

"I-I most certainly did not!"

"Aww, he's flustered!" You snickered and grinned with shining teeth.

"I am not!"

You laughed with Sans at his embarrassment and handed the smaller skeleton a bowl of cereal. He thanked you and went to sit with his father, still giggling. Gaster grumbled and went to grab a towel to clean up the coffee puddle before you stopped him.

"I'll get it, it was my fault."

Getting the fluffy cloth, you reached over Gaster and cleaned up the spill diligently. You tossed the towel into a dirty rag hamper and continued with eating your breakfast. Sans practically inhaled his food, setting the bowl and spoon in the sink before running upstairs quickly. You quirked an eyebrow at the door the boy disappeared into, but thought nothing of it.

After finishing your breakfast, you saw that Gaster's cup was empty and picked it up off of the table. Setting your dirty dishes into the pile of plates and cups, you refilled the cup with plain, black coffee and handed it to Gaster.

"Careful, it's hot."

"Oh, why thank you dearest."

You choked on the air and looked at Gaster with wide eyes. He simply sipped his coffee with an innocent look on his face.

..This snarky bastard.

Cheeks warm, you walked away from the table and plopped down onto the couch, the familiar jingle of coins rattling beneath you. You picked up the remote next to you and switched on the T.V. Toriel's familiar face appeared on the screen, kneading some sort of dough.

A little while afterwards, Gaster joined you on the green sofa. He crossed his legs and spread his bony arms across the top of the piece of furniture. You looked at the time and saw that it was a little past 10. Getting up, Gaster's attention stayed on the T.V. When you were at the base of the staircase, you turned to Gaster while stepping up the platform.

"I'm going to go get Papy."

Opening the door to Papyrus's room, you saw that the little skeleton was in fact already awake. His eyes glittered when he saw you and reached up for you to pick him up. Smiling, you picked up the orange child and held him while he wrapped his tiny arms around your neck.

"I bet you're probably hungry, huh?"

Papyrus simply giggled and nodded, seeming to understand you. You closed the door behind you and went back down the stairs, seeing Gaster was still on the couch. You noticed that his cheeks were purple, but said nothing of it. When you were about to set Papyrus on the high chair, Gaster stopped you.

"Let's go out to eat today. I think it's about time I introduced you to Grillby's." He said, sounding fond of the establishment he spoke of.

"Oh, you mean the bar?" You asked.

"Yes, that's the one."

"Oh, well alright! I'll go get dressed and get Sans then."

Handing Gaster Papyrus, you went to your room and dressed into a pair of grey pants and a (F/C) turtleneck sweater, along with a pair of boots. Pulling on your usual blue jacket, you knocked on Sans' door.

"Sans! Can I come in?"

"uuuuuuh- give me a second!"

You heard a thunking sound followed by several crashing ones. After a few moments of silence, the door opened and revealed Sans, sweating.

"Uh, you okay kid?"

"yup- just fine! just uhhh- having some problems with this thing i'm building."

"Well, alright.. As long as you're okay. We're gonna go head to Grillby's, want to come with us?"

"oh, yeah! i love grillby's, he makes the best burgers and fries anywhere."

Before you could reply he ran back into his room and came out a moment later donned in a dark blue coat and shorts. You quirked an eyebrow at his fashion choice, but figured it was fine since he was a skeleton.

They probably can't even feel the temperature.

You both headed back down the stairs and felt Sans grab your hand. Looking down at him, his face was tinted blue. You laughed lightly and held on. Gaster saw the sight and smiled softly.

"Are we ready to go?" He asked, pulling his shirt out to get rid of any wrinkles.

"Yep! Let's head out soldiers!"

Sans giggled and Gaster smiled while holding the door open for you both, Papyrus being held on one arm. You stepped outside to the familiar coldness of Snowdin and went down the stairs carefully. When Gaster finished locking the door, the four of you made your way to the bar.  After passing the library named "Librarby", you saw the big "Grillby's" sign.

With snow crunching under your feet, Gaster walked in front of you and held open the door once again. The door opened with a soft jingle and you hand in hand with Sans stepped inside. Warmth blasted through and you sighed in relief. It was much warmer than the house, along with more orange tones.

As you took a quick glance around, you saw that it seemed just like a normal bar. Monsters littered around the room, some playing what looked to be chess while others were enjoying their meals. The door shut and Gaster continued to walk. As you followed him, you noticed that some of the monsters called to him.

"Hey G!"

"Finally got a datemate, huh?"

"Hey there little Sansy!"

Gaster picked a corner booth and grabbed a high chair that was set off to the side. You let go of Sans' hand and slid into the seat. Sans sat down next to you, and Gaster picked his place to your left side after setting Papyrus in the high chair.

"So, you're pretty popular here huh?" You started.

"I wouldn't say that.. Sans and I just come often since I rarely have time to cook for us." Gaster placed his hands on the table, one keeping hold of his chin.

You hummed in response and rested your head on a hand. Taking a deep breath through your nose, you smelled grease and potatoes. It smelled delicious.

"So what's all on the menu?" Looking around, you didn't see a menu anywhere.

"Burgers and fries."

"That's all?" You blinked in light surprise.

"There used to be more, but monsters only ordered those two, so Grillby just shortened it." He waved a hand carelessly.

"Ah, I see."

Looking around the bar some more, your attention was soon drawn to someone moving quickly to your table. As they got closer, you saw that they were in fact a monster, made of fire. They wore skates that soon skidded to a stop in front of you.

Orange flames licked the air as he raised a notepad up ready to write. He wore thin glasses, not unlike Gaster's own pair, and a dress shirt with a black vest over it. Judging by his looks, he seemed to be in his early 20's. If you had to guess, he was most likely some sort of fire elemental.  He seemed to notice you finally and couldn't smother his look of surprise.

"Hello there. You seem to be new."  His voice was quiet, raspy, but yet younger than you had expected it to sound.

"Hi, I'm Y/n! And yes, this is the first time I've been here." You didn't catch on to the fact that he may have meant that you were human.

"It's nice to meet you. The name's Grillby. So, you're the reason I haven't been seeing Gaster or Sans. I was beginning to think that I needed to get someone to check on you both."

The monster stared pointedly towards the scientist at the table, expecting something at the comment.  Gaster gave Grillby an apologetic look.

"I apologize for not letting you know.. Y/n has been cooking for us, so it must have slipped my mind." The elemental sighed.

"..It's alright. I'm just glad you have someone to look over your sorry ass now."

You laughed while Gaster looked at the fire monster with an offended expression. Grillby chuckled and held up the notepad again.

"So, what would you all like to order?"

"I would like the fry, and a smaller portion for Papyrus if you don't mind." Gaster named off his order like he had done it a thousand times, which honestly? You wouldn't doubt it if he had.

"i want the burger with extra ketchup!" Sans exclaimed excitedly.

Grillby jotted down the orders and looked at you.

"And for the human?"

"Hmm... I think I'll get the fries." You said.  You decided to go with the safe option and get the same thing as Gaster.

"Alright- I'll get those started, so they'll be out in a few minutes."

Grillby flipped the little booklet closed and skated off to what you assumed to be the kitchen.  Waiting until the flick of his black vest disappeared behind the swinging doors, you turned to the Royal scientist.

"Hey, Gaster?"

"Hm?" He blinked out of what seemed to be a daydream and locked eyes with you.

"Just how old is Grillby? He seems really young to be running a bar."

"Ah, if I remember right.. I think he's rounding about 90 or 100. He started the business with his late father around 50 or so years ago." 

"Do many monsters come here?"

He paused for a moment to think, counting on his fingers every now and again.

"I'd say a fair amount. It's never empty besides when it's closed, if that answers your question."

Wow. You couldn't imagine doing that everyday, all day.

But maybe monsters behave differently when it comes to restaurants. I wouldn't doubt it though, they all seem so nice.

Papyrus patted his small table, giggling in delight. You smiled and reached into your coat pocket, pulling out the Rubik's cube you had stashed in there for times like this. Reaching over, you set the box puzzle in front of the small skeleton. He squealed in delight and picked it up immediately, twisting and turning the shapes around.  Putting your hand into the pockets again, you pulled out a folded piece of paper and some crayons. Giving them to Sans, you smiled. Sans smile widened and began scribbling on the sheet. You looked at Gaster who was showing a grateful face.

"You're good with children.  At least with mine, you are." He said, a small smile adorning his teeth.

"I don't think so, heh.. Kids on the surface were honestly kind of scared of me, so.."

Sans perked up at the mention of the surface, his eyes widening to moons.

"the surface? what's it like up there?"

You looked up to Gaster with confusion.

I thought he would have told him about it by now.. Or maybe it's because he doesn't want to think about the war.

Breaking eye contact with Gaster, you turned your attention to the older brother.

"Well.. It's very bright. And green, with plants and earth all around. And there's no cavern top, only the endless sky. It's a really light blue, and it changes colours depending on the time of day. At night, that's when the stars and the moon come out. They sparkle in the sky like the stones in Waterfall, but there are millions upon millions of them."

Sans' eyes sparkled in wonder while staring up at you. He looked down at his paper for a moment before looking back up at you.

"i want to see the stars one day with papyrus, dad, and you!"

You were taken aback by his words, and your heart clenched in pain.  You wondered if he knew of the barrier, or what was needed to break it. Gaster looked at Sans with sad eyes, but said nothing. Sans continued with his drawing, kicking his legs happily.

You smiled sadly and rested your head once again on your hand.

A few moments later, Grillby came back with all of your food balancing on his arms. He placed down the food in front of the respective owners. He stayed where he was, probably waiting for me to try it. You picked up a fry and crunched down on it, smiling at the flavour. You gave him a thumbs up with a bright smile.

"I'm glad you enjoy it." He sounded prideful for the approving smile you gave.

"Hmmhmm!"

He chuckled and turned to Gaster, giving him a teasing look.

"I'm surprised you've managed to catch a partner like them. They're just about the exact opposite of you."

You and Gaster both choked mid bite, cheeks heating up rapidly. You coughed on the food you failed to swallow while the skeleton turned a nice shade of violet, thumping on his own chest with his fist. You took a gasp of air and looked at the confused, yet concerned Grillby, feeling disheveled at the current situation.

"It's not- we're not-" You began.

"They're not my-" Gaster cut you off by accident, just as flustered as you were.

"Is that so? My apologies for the mistake. You both just seem so close." Judging by his knowing smile, Grillby knew exactly what he was doing.

Your and Gaster's faces heated up even more at the suggestive comment, now thinking about whether or not you and Gaster were actually that close.

To be honest, how much closer can you get than seeing your Soul? But that didn't really count since he was just checking up on you, but then again..

You shoved more fries into your mouth to avoid any more embarrassment, the food burning the roof of your mouth.

"C-could I get something to drink please? Nothing alcoholic."

"I'll be right back with that." He was trying not to laugh, and instead turned away.

"Thanks.."

Grillby skated away and you rubbed your poor mouth with your tongue. Gaster cleared his throat and continued to eat in silence.

Well. This is awkward.

"are you okay?"

Sans was looking at you with a concern in his white eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine.. Just burned my mouth a little. Happens all the time." You explained.

Sans nodded and continued eating his half-way gone burger. Papyrus seemed oblivious all the same and was happily munching on his miniature fries. Grillby returned shortly after with a glass of lemonade. He set it in front of you with a paper straw. You thanked him and took a sip, the coolness already helping the burn.

"Take your time, and Gaster?"

Gaster flinched, seeming to already know what he was going to say.

"..Yes?" His voice sounded oddly... small.

"Pay your g o d d a m n tab."

After he flickered a few times threateningly, he skated away and began to clean glasses behind the bar. Gaster's tensed shoulders sagged and he sighed before chuckling.

"He never fails to remind me."

"Then why do you never do it?" You raised an eyebrow in question.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and took another bite out of a fry.

"A scientist can be lazy sometimes too." You scoffed at his response, sipping on your drink.

"If only you could think like that about your work."

He rolled his pin pricks uncharacteristically and finished off his fries. You took one last gulp of your lemonade and inhaled the rest of your food, now that it was cooled off. Stacking the dishes on top of one another, you all piled out of the booth. You took Sans' hand again and saw Gaster grin.

"Grillby, put it on my tab!" He called out, Grillby now snapping his head towards the skeleton with a glare.

"Gaster, I swear to Asgore if you blip out of this ba-"

You all suddenly appeared in the house again before Grillby could finish his sentence. Slightly stumbling, Gaster grabbed onto your shoulder.

"Did- did we just dine and dash?" You asked, disbelief evident in your voice.

"I prefer to call it borrowing food and paying later."

You sweat dropped and noticed Sans yawning. Looking at the time, you saw that it was only 3 p.m.

"How much did you sleep last night, Sans?"

"uhhmm.. i dunno.." He responded, remembering peaking at the clock at 4 in the morning.

"Why don't you go and get some sleep then? I'll wake you up in time for dinner."

"Okayy..." He didn't complain, just taking a step to the stair case.

Papyrus yawned as well, being full and warm making him tired. Gaster handed Sans the orange bundle.

"Take Papyrus with you, he seems to need a nap as well."

"okay, dad."

Sans trekked up the stairs, and disappeared into the baby's room. You stripped off your coat and layed it across the top of the sofa, plopping down onto it. Gaster followed your actions and sat down to your right, sighing tiredly. He rubbed his holed hands across his face and closed his eye sockets.

"Tired, Doctor?" You asked, though you didn't need to, already seeing the obvious.

"I'm always tired, Y/n." He sighed tiredly.

"Then.. why don't you sleep more?" 

He stayed silent for a while.

"Nightmares, I suppose." You blinked a moment, then sank into the cushions of the couch.

"Hm, I know how that feels. I always found it easier to sleep after drinking some tea with honey."

"I wish it were that easy, but memories of the war wouldn't go away after some tea. I appreciate the advice, however."

You frowned at Gaster, wanting to help, but not knowing how to. Instead, you went into the kitchen and made quick and delicious 5 minute hot-chocolate. You poured the hot beverage into two mugs and went back into the living room. Handing Gaster his normal black mug, he looked at it questioningly.

"Just thought some hot chocolate would cheer you up a little. It always has for me."

He smiled warmly at you and sipped on the drink. He hummed and rested back onto the cushions. You smiled and drank from your own mug, which was white, and lied back.

"You always seem to make me feel better, Y/n. Thank you." He gazed at you with half closed eyelids, and you couldn't help but to be transfixed by the light.

You felt your heart skip a beat. Cheeks warm, you looked the other way.

"Oh, I really don't do much.. I should be thanking you for letting me stay in your home. Getting to be here has been some of the happiest weeks of my life."

Gaster stared into his cup, letting your words sink in.

"Nonetheless.. I feel that things have been much easier with you around. I feel much more at ease knowing that Sans and Papyrus have someone like you watching over them."

You felt your heart pump in your chest, feeling fuzzy and warm inside. You scrunched up your eyebrows, confused as to why your organ decided to have a drum solo in your rib cage.

Then...

Fuck.

Not again.

Chapter Text

Oh, blast it all.

Snow fell from the caverns above us in a what was like a quick race, and seems to have blocked me from going out of the door.

I'll have to call that I've been snowed in. Of all days for this town to live up to its name..

I had hoped to leave before Y/n tried to have me stay and rest again. I've tried to tell them that I'm fine, but they seem oddly determined to make me stay.

I wouldn't be surprised if they had managed to control the weather for the cause, as well..

I sighed and flopped onto the couch, sulking in my own inability to work.

If only I could teleport without getting so damn tired.. 

Tiredness. That's mostly what I felt before Y/n had come along, like an angel from above. I've never had to have a moments worry about the boys ever since their ankle got better.  I was nervous at the beginning when they were staying with us, but.. like always, they managed to surprise me.

I should really think about thanking them properly. Perhaps a gift would suffice..

"dad?"

My eyes shifted to the source of the sound and found Sans standing at the edge of the couch.  He stood there rubbing his eye socket, no doubt getting phosphenes in the process.

"Well, good morning to you as well. What are you doing up so early?" My voice was still raspy from waking up early in the morning, having not spoken to anyone.

"i was thirsty.." Sans replied.  I smiled tiredly at my son.

"Would you like me to get you a glass of water?"

"yes please!" He perked up happily at the offer, blinking to get the floating lights away from his sight.

"Quiet- You'll wake up Y/n and Papyrus." I hushed him.

"oops- sorry dad..."

I chuckled, then got up with a grunt. I longed for my younger days for a moment, then continued on. My steps were the only sound in the old home besides from the howling winds that conquered the world outside. Picking up one of the clear glasses, I filled it halfway with water and handed it to Sans.  The clinking of our bones against the glass filled the kitchen air.

"Here we are.. Don't drink it too fast and choke, now." I warned, holding up a finger.

"i won't, thank you!" He grinned cheekily and immediately brought the cup up to his teeth.

Despite my warning, he chugged it down and coughed while setting the dish down onto the tall counters. Sending a playful glare, I patted Sans' back while he coughed more.

"This is what happens when you don't listen, Sans."

"sorry- cough-" 

"It's alright. Why don't you go back upstairs to bed?" I motioned to the stairs.

"can't i stay with you? i'm not really tired anymore.." He looked at me with pleading eyes, and no matter the will power I held, I could not say no.  I sighed.

"I don't see why not. I'll turn on the T.V."

"yes!" He punched the air in victory and skipped over to the sofa.

I watched the ball of sunshine hop onto the green couch with remote in hand. Turning on the T.V., he promptly switched it to the Science channel. He seems to have gotten my interest in the field, along with my excellent humor. Others may not agree, but I have a PhD in Biochemistry, so therefore, they are wrong.

"So, what is the topic of the day?" I asked.

"the anatomy of armless monsters." Already zoned in, I could barely make out what Sans had said as he mumbled his response.  Grinning, I turned back to watch the screen.

"This should be interesting, our neighbors are armless."

Simply nodding in response, he continued to watch the scientists on the screen, many of whom I recognized from my own research team, and pointed to a diagram. I gave a small smile and put an arm across the top of the couch.

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

Despite saying he wasn't tired, Sans fell onto my lap halfway through the program. I sighed and turned off the T.V, picking up the small boy in my arms. Carrying him to his room and set him on his bed, I covered him with his wrinkled blanket. I kissed his forehead and carefully stalked out of the room, hoping to not wake him up again. Shutting the door, I make my way down the hall and pause in front of Y/n's room.

Blasphemy Gaster, they're fine- What could possibly be wrong?

I stare at the door with mixed and undecided feelings before sighing and slowly making my way in. It takes a moment for my eyesight to adjust to the darkness, but soon I see their face in the light that poured from the crack of the open door. Their mouth was slightly open and drooling onto their arm, but otherwise seemed fine. The blankets rose and fell along with their breaths and were halved between the bed and the floor.

I quietly stalked over to the side of the bed and shifted the blankets so they were covering their entire body, making sure to leave no body part showing. I scan over to make sure I didn't miss any spots, pausing when reaching their face. Their eyebrows were relaxed, and the corners of their mouth were twitching upwards every now and again.  The sight made me smile warmly.

They look happy. ..I wonder what they are dreaming about. I stood up straight again and was about to turn away when I stopped, glancing once more at Y/n's sleeping face.

It couldn't hurt, right?

I muster up courage and bend down, kissing their forehead before swiftly turning around and buzzing out of the room. After shutting the door silently, I reach up and cover my mouth with shaking hands and embarrassment.

It was nothing, just a forehead kiss. I do it to Sans and Papyrus all the time, what's the difference?

..Nothing to get flustered over. 

I breathe in deeply and let it out all at once, rubbing my eyes.

I need sleep. That must be it, I'm developing an odd fever. Even though it's practically magically impossible for me to.

I rub my face with tired hands and head to my room. Opening the wooden door, I don't bother to close it and instead flop down onto the cool, wrinkled sheets of my bed. I lay my head on the pillows and shut my eye sockets, feeling the stress of the past few days creeping up through my spine, carrying sleep with it.

Just an odd fever, that's all.. After all, what else could it be?

__________________________ 

You woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. No nightmares had plagued your dreams, like a charm had washed them away. You blinked a few times before groggily sitting up. The warm blanket that covered you fell to a heap on the floor. Rubbing your eyes, you picked it up and tossed it onto the bed, not bothering to make it up. Slipping on house shoes, you shuffled to the door and opened it, and was hit with the familiar smell of coffee.

Did he actually stay home again? Unless Sans suddenly found a liking for coffee, which honestly? Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen..

You found yourself sneaking down the stairs as quietly as you could, as to not alert whichever skeleton was in the kitchen. Peeking around the corner, you saw Gaster leaning against the counter sipping from his black mug. He looked as if he had just woken up as well. Stepping out from your spot, you trailed your hand along the counter on your way to get your own cup. Gaster noticed your movements and lowered his beverage from his mouth.

"Good morning, Y/n.. You're up rather early."

He licked his lips clean of the drops of coffee left. You may have stared a bit longer than you should have before turning back to the cupboards.  Taking the white mug from the cabinet, you collected what you needed for your preferred drink.

"Morning.. Sometimes I wonder how you handle the bitterness of straight black coffee." (If this is what you drink, you're hardcore and I respect that.)

"It's an acquired taste. The lab had ran out of sugar for a few months before, so I'd simply gotten used to it."

"That makes sense.." You hummed while replying.

You stared at the tall man while sipping carefully on your hot drink. Maybe he forgot that he had work today.

"Er.. Is everything alright?" He blinked with light concern in his eye lights.

"Yeah, just had a weird dream last night." You didn't mention the fact that he was still at the house, taking advantage of the rare occurrence instead.

Gaster stiffened and hid part of his face behind his cup.

"Oh, really? What about?" His voice nervously shook.

"I'm not really sure, had something to do with tacos and honey.. I think they were fighting or something. The tacos won." You replied, not noticing the sweating skeleton.

Gaster sighed in relief and finished off his coffee. He turned and started washing his cup in the sink.

"That is rather odd. I got around 6 hours of sleep before waking up at 5 this morning for work.. We ended up being snowed in, by the way. Take a look outside."

Raising your eyebrows in surprise, you trotted over the window and glanced around the glass. Snow covered the ground up to the bottom of the windows, and the trees that once stood tall now seemed like large bushes. Your eyes widened while you laughed in shock.

"This seems like it won't go away for weeks! Are you sure you can stay away from work for that long, Gaster?" You couldn't help but to tease the work obsessed man with the last comment.

"Very funny.. The monsters from Hotlands usually come down and melt this away for us so that does not happen. It should be gone by midnight." He turned around from the counter while saying this, then leaning against it using his hands as leverage on the hard wood.

"Wow, that's so nice of them! Y'know, I don't think I've come across a single rude monster yet. Maybe some.. energetic.. ones, but none with malicious intent."  You let a small smile loose, watching some rouge snowflakes fall from the trees outside.

"We monsters do tend to be very helpful towards each other.. But, do not think that we are all nice. It will come and stab you in the back if you trust all of us." His eyes squinted slightly, looking to be remembering a time from his past.

You turned at that statement to see Gaster stretching. It sounded odd to not hear any bones popping, but figured it would be bad for a literal skeleton to have their body pop.

"You make it sound like there are monsters out there who want to kill me." 

You kept a straight face, looking directly into his eyes.  He stayed silent for a moment, putting together his thoughts.

"I will be blunt, Y/n. There are those who want to kill you, and take your soul. But, don't misunderstand them- It is purely because they want to get out of here. Then there are those who might want to take it for themselves and escape alone." Gaster stared into your eyes with crossed arms.  You were silent for a moments wait.

"..I see."

You pushed yourself off the wall and sat down on the left of the couch, the soft jingle crinkling underneath your weight. Gaster soon joined you on the other side of the green piece of furniture. He glanced at you from the side and sighed, leaning back onto the cushions.

"You do not have to worry about any monster trying to take your Soul. I wouldn't let them get the chance."

Feeling your face warm up at the claim, you hid your smile by looking at the wall to your left.

"Thanks, glad to know I have a nerdy scientist looking after me."

You shift your gaze back over to the right while laughing, seeing Gaster glaring at you with crossed arms.

"I'm kidding! I doubt you're a boss monster for nothing." He huffed at your statement before replying.

"Good. For a moment there, you had me thinking that you really thought that I was some weak monster."

"If you can pick me up easily, then I know you're not some weakling." He scoffed at your words.

"Can't everyone? ..Though, I suppose humans don't have magic going through their bodies. Monsters can pick up over 5 times their weight."

"That.. Somehow doesn't shock me."

Gaster laughed and peaked at the clock on the far side wall.

"It's 8 o'clock.. Perhaps I should start making breakfast." He mumbled.

"Can I help then?" 

He rotated his skull to look at you with light surprise in his eyes before gently smiling.

"Of course you can, just grab one of the aprons on the wall."

You hopped up from the couch and snatched the "Genius" apron before the skeleton had the chance to. Slipping it over your head, you tied the knot in the back and waited for Gaster to put his on. He looked at the apron on you and sighed, and grabbed the white one that remained. Putting it on, it read "Kiss the cook".  It also had pink lace surrounding the cloth. You held back giggles and payed attention to his face instead.

"What do you feel like eating today, Y/n?" He rested his hands upon his hips in a superhero-like stance.

"I'm not sure.. Waffles sound nice." You tapped your chin in thought.

"Perfect. Why don't you get what we need from the fridge and I'll get the dry ingredients ready."

"Whatever you say, Master Chief."

Gaster put together what he needed in a large bowl and waited for you to hand over your items. Obtaining the necessary things from the refrigerator, you placed them next to the bowl. Gaster then cracked the eggs in one by one, and measuring everything else close to perfection.

"You're really good at this." You commented, as he cracked the eggs with one hand.

"Being the Royal scientist, I have to know how to measure perfectly, or else someone might end up with an extra leg." The way he spoke made it hard to tell if he was joking or not.

Laughing lightly, you dipped the wooden spoon into the bowl and mixed the batter together. Gaster heated up the waffle iron beside you as well.  After the mix was well together, you tapped the spoon on the side of the bowl. Skeletal hands took the bowl from in front of you and poured some batter onto the hot iron. Smiling, you wiped your hands on your apron. You placed the spoon on top of a paper towel so that you both could use it later to scrape the bottom of the waffle bowl. Turning to the waffle iron, you watched the steam go up as it cooked the food inside.

You noticed Gaster staring at you in your peripheral vision. Looking over at him directly, you quirked an eyebrow.

"Is something the matter?"

He didn't answer you, and instead raised a hand to place a thumb upon your cheek. Your eyes widened at the unfamiliar touch and stiffened.

"Uh.. Whatcha doin there, Gaster?"

Not answering your question, he swiped his thumb upwards and only then did you notice the batter that was on your cheek. You sighed in something that could almost be classified as disappointment. Your embarrassment soon returned. A purple, almost translucent tongue slipped out from Gaster's mouth and licked the batter off from his appendage. The longer you stared, the more you felt your face being burned.

Asgore have mercy.

Gaster's eyes shifted over and saw your flustered state. He looked back and forth between his thumb and yourself before turning a very dark purple. He put his hand up to his mouth and looked to the side, avoiding eye contact with you.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, I don't know what came over me-"

Gaster continued to ramble apologies until you were cooled down enough to think straight.

"..Do all skeletons have tongues? I never got to ask last time."

He stopped muttering his words and looked back at you again, lowering his hand. His cheeks were still glowing lavender when he answered your pending question.

"Technically speaking, yes. It's one of the most basic magic conjuring we can do, as which is to why Papyrus is able to summon one."

"That's.. Actually super cool! Is there anything else you can do?" You soon forgot about what had happened.

"Well.. Apart from my normal magic, which is summoning magic, I can manage some healing. That's all, really."

"That's all, you say? You should have more confidence! Your magic is so.. so.. Amazing! Toriel showed me her fire, and that was awesome too- But summoning and healing? I'd take that any day!" 

Gaster stared at you in amazement as you rambled on and on about how great he is, before deciding he's had enough and covered your mouth with a hand.

"-it'd be so much easier to have an extra set of h- mmph?"

"That's- that's quite enough.. I really don't think I'm all that great in the magic field, but I'll take your word for it."

You hadn't noticed while you were talking, but the scientist in front of you was flustered beyond belief. Smirking, you licked his hand. He pulled it back suddenly in disgust, wiping it on his apron.

"Oh- Really? Licking my hand? How mature of you."

"I guess you're rubbing off on me."

"Oh ha ha, very funny.." He deadpanned.

"But in all seriousness, you really are amazing. Being the Royal Scientist, being able to do stuff like that, and being a great father? It's honestly a wonder how you're able to do it." And not taken.

Gaster stayed silent, but his growing smile said it all. Smiling yourself, you looked back at the waffle iron as it beeped and opened the lid. The sweet and salty smell of waffles invaded your senses as you licked your lips. Taking a fork, you carefully picked it up and plopped it down onto a plate. Repeating what he had done earlier, Gaster filled the mold again and closed the lid. The rest of the morning was spent in peaceful silence, and once again, something within you healed a bit more.

______________________________________

Sans and Papyrus had woken up not long after all the food was finished in the kitchen. Sans had walked down with Papyrus in his arms to the sight of you and Gaster laughing like no tomorrow.

"A-and then when he tried to run after me, he tripped and fell into a pile of dog residue-"

"That's what he gets for trying that on you-"

Sans giggled and caught both of your attention.

"O-oh, good morning you two! There's waffles on the table if you'd like some."

"ooo, thank you!"

Sans handed you Papyrus and skipped over to the table. A plate was already set out for him and Papyrus, prepared by yourself. You stood up and set Papyrus on the high chair and handed him his plate of waffle pieces. The two boys happily ate their breakfast as you sat back down.

"So, Mr. I-can't-skip-work-today, what should we do to pass the time?" You grinned mischievously.

Gaster's bonebrow twitched at the nickname.

"Are you ever going to let that go?" He said with a deep sigh.

"Nope."

"Nice to know.. I remember having board games in my closet that we could all play."

"That should be fun!" You clapped your hands together.

"I'll go and get them then. I will be right back- don't set anything on fire while I'm gone, will you?"

Gaster got up and treaded up the dark wood stairs, disappearing from view. Looking back at Sans, you watched as he finished his last bite of his food. You got up and picked up his plate along with Papyrus's empty one. You took them to the sink and washed them so the dishes wouldn't pile up later. Setting them on the drying rack, you heard Gaster come back downstairs with his arms filled with different assortments of board games. Sans plopped down onto the floor along with Papyrus, handing him his favorite toy- the Rubix cube.

"So! The ones I have collected thus far are Scrabble, Battleship, Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Chess along with Checkers. Which would you prefer?" He held them out as if they were playing cards in a magic show.

"How about Scrabble?" You said without thinking.

"Good choice. Don't get upset when I beat you, though." He smirked down at you.  You tried not to react too violently at that.

"Was that a challenge, Wing Dings?"

"Perhaps." He squinted.

"It's on, Frankenstein."

_____

"HOW IS THAT EVEN FAIR? THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S A WORD."

"No need to get all loud, I can guarantee that gobbledygook is a word."

"NO! No, I refuse to believe that. Sans, can I use your dictionary for a sec?"

"sure, here ya go."

Sans handed you the dictionary that came with the game and you snatched it from his fingers. Flipping furiously through the pages, you stopped and gawked at the print that clearly said 'gobbledygook'. You dropped the book in shock and hung your head in disbelief.

"Why is that even a thing? Why couldn't they make it a normal sounding word?" You grumbled.

"I do believe this means I win the game." Gaster remarked smugly.

You took a peak at the board and see that the bag that held the letters was indeed empty. Groaning, you dramatically raised your hands up to the ceiling and shook them in clenched fists.

"Why must the gods curse me in this way!? I am but a speck in this universe! A SPECK!" You called out to the ceiling, as if the clouds were parting to deliver your message.

"This is the most dramatic I've seen you, perhaps this was not the best choice of game.."

"No! No, I'm fine. I'm just being over-dramatic. I should have known challenging the Royal Scientist at Scrabble of all things was a bad idea." You slumped back into your cushion on the ground.

"If you insist- Though I am curious of how you managed to pull off 'Gubbins'." He commented.

"It was a random word I knew from class- Twas a weird day in English." You explained.

"Shall we play again?" He questioned.

"I'm all worded out- You and Sans can still play if you want." Sighing, you rubbed your temples at an oncoming brain ache from thinking too much.

"Sans?" He asked the little boy, turning to make eye contact with him.

"yeah! we haven't played one on one in a while." His grin widened with excitement.

"Alright, hand me all the letters if you would."

Sans handed Gaster the letters that remained on the board while you took a sip from your cool beverage. Shifting over so that they have more room on the floor, you scooted over to Papyrus who had found a crayon and a piece of paper to draw on. He was only scribbling blobs of colour, but you soon recognized the familiar shape of an echo flower.

"Aww, it looks so pretty Papy!"

He giggled in response and continued to draw. Sitting a bit aways from him, you also took a sheet of paper and a pencil to sketch your own picture.

We should do this more often.. It's so nice just being all together.

You drew out a circle and just built off of that, making your own picture in your unique way.

"okay dad, i'll start out by putting down rat." Sans announced.

"I'll build off of that and make it into ratio." Gaster responded, not even a second after the smaller skeleton placed down the 'T'.

"i'll build off of that too and make it into ratiocinate." He countered.

You deadpanned at the two skeletons in corner as they continued making short words into words you would need a physics book to find a definition for. Shaking your head with a chuckle after a few moments, you continued drawing. Soon it resembled something that looked like a creation you would have made when you were 5. Sighing, you turned it over and drew on the other side. Movement in front of you caught your attention, and you saw Papyrus crawling towards you with paper in hand. You smiled and put down your pencil, raising your hands up to meet the skeleton.

Papyrus saw the encouragement and stopped his hands and knees. You tilted your head in confusion and lowered your arms a little. Papyrus sat on his legs and stared at your waiting arms with determination in his black eye sockets. Then, he got back to his original position again as you waited patiently for him to do what he wanted. He put his weight onto his hands and lifted his knees upwards, now standing on his feet. You gasped out loud as you saw what he was attempting to do. Your hands began to shake at the exhilaration you felt in your stomach. 

"Gaster- Gaster, look!"

You called out his name, the urgency in your voice making him whip his head around to see what was wrong. When he saw Papyrus wobbling and trying to keep his balance, he dropped the wooden letters he held in his hand. His eyes widened, his jaw dropping. Sans jumped to his feet excitedly and ran in place with enthusiasm.

"c'mon paps, you can do it! your big bro believes in you!"

"Come on Papyrus!" 

The small skeleton's brows were furrowed in concentration, making sure that he wouldn't fall. Then, he took one step forwards. Then another, and another. Papyrus shakily walked to you into your waiting arms. He hugged your torso as you wrapped your arms around the skeleton, feeling so overjoyed that you couldn't describe it anything else than being proud. Sans cheered and his eyes turned to golden stars, punching the air while saying his brother was the best. You hardly noticed the extra pair of arms that surrounded you and Papyrus, being to focused on the orange toddler.

Papyrus laughed in joy as you squeezed tighter before letting go. He flopped onto the floor again, paper in hand, as if nothing had just happened. When you wiped your eyes, you saw that Gaster had gotten up as well to hug him. You noticed that he was tearing up as well, purple liquid that was wiped away before they could fall. He smiled wide in joy and pride of his son's achievement. Smiling at him, you looked back down at Papyrus and saw that he was trying to hand you his drawing.

"Is that for me?" Your voice was elated.

He nodded and put it into your hands. You flipped the paper over and saw the finished drawing of the echo flower. To you, it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. Smiling warmly, you hugged it close to your heart.

"Thank you! I'll keep this forever, Papy." You gave him a toothy smile.

His eyes sparkled happily as he crawled back over to where his supplies for drawing waited for him. Sans ran over to him and hugged him after he sat back down.

"i'm so proud of you!"

You and Gaster watched the scene with warm hearts, etching this memory deep down into your cores.

"mom, dad, you saw him, right? he was amazing, right?!"

Air caught into your throat, and your cheeks heated up as you stared wide eyed at Sans. He doesn't seem to notice what he said, only saying what came to mind at the moment. You glanced sideways to Gaster, who looked just as surprised as you.

"Did you.. just call me Mom?"

Sans froze, and turned to look at you with blue cheeks, looking embarrassed. Not unlike his father, he stared at the wall to avoid eye contact when he got flustered.

"d-did I? i'm-i'm sorry, it just came out and.. i won't do it again, promise!" He shut his eyes closed tight, looking ashamed.

The look on his face broke your heart, and you quickly shuffled over to the small boy.

"Sans.."

At the sound of his name, he jumped, tensing up and shifted his gaze back up to your face. You bent down to his level and smiled warmly.

"You can call me Mom, if you really want to. I'm happy you see me as that kind of person for you, honey."

"r-really? you... you don't mind?" His eyesockets widened, his embarrassed blush fading.

"Of course not! You don't have to be embarrassed, it's okay."

"o-okay! if it's really alright with you.. mom."

Your heart twisted at the cuteness of the sight before you. While it would take a bit to get used to, it wasn't like you disliked it.  You giggled and hugged Sans, then got up to go back to Gaster. He gave you a look you couldn't quite describe, but it wasn't anything negative to your relief.

"I hope you won't mind either, Gaster." You spoke sheepishly.

"Me? I'm happy he chose to have another adult in his life.. especially since it's you." Gaster scratched his cheek with slight colour blooming upon his face. 

"That's really sweet of you... I suppose now this means we're Mom and Dad now, huh?"  You teased him in a joking manner, but on the inside?

WHY DID I SAY THAT OH MY GODDDD-

Gaster didn't take long to turn into a grape, realizing how it sounded. He stared at the space in front of him before responding.

"I guess you're right- Oh my word, that's a little embarrassing, isn't it?" He let a huffy chuckle slip by his lips.

You laughed at the man with hot cheeks and covered your mouth with your sleeve.

"It'll take me while to get used to it, but you'll teach me the basics of parenting won't you, Daddy?"

That's what it took to completely break the man, steam going into the air from where his ears would be.

Whoops?

Chapter Text

It had been 2 months since Papyrus had taken his first steps. Since then, working together with Gaster, you both helped him learn to walk with more balance. Soon enough, Papyrus had started to walk around on his own, albeit with the help of the railings and furniture. Sans had also taught him more words, and while he still couldn't put together sentences, he said some random things sometimes, though it never made sense. You all quickly learned that his favorite word to say was "butterfly", though he pronounced it like "Bubberfly". You still remember how Gaster almost cried when he called him "Dad-da". And, on the same note, you had finally gotten used to being called "mom" by Sans.

Getting up in the morning as usual, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, the only thing different was the fact that you had had your nightmare again. In the unfamiliar place, lava had bubbled at your feet and steam arose from the odd mechanism you stood. After waking up more, you had narrowed the place down to Hotlands. That was the only reasonable place, after all.  Your stomach churned at the resemblance of the night terror that Sans had gotten before.

Ignoring the sinking feeling in your tummy, you stood and stretched awake. 

Padding down the stairs, your eyes caught Gaster sipping on his coffee as per usual. Given the amount of time you have spent together, the feelings you had realized before never went away. You were content with how the way things were, however, so you never thought about making any advances on the scientist.

It's probably for the best. I wouldn't want to make things awkward between us when everything is fine the way it is.

"Are you alright, Y/n? You seem out of it. Did you get enough sleep last night?" The man of thought piped up, causing you to shake from your daydream.

Nodding tiredly, you sat in the wooden chair opposite of him and slumped down, putting your head against your arm on the table.

"Just thinking about a lot of things, you know? Not a good thing to do when you first wake up."

"Oh, I see.. Er, here. Take a sip, perhaps it will wake you up some."

Gaster nudged over his mug of black coffee to you, offering the pure caffeine. You stared into the murky liquid, then picked it up after some hesitation. The thought about an indirect kiss crossed your mind, but you shook it off as soon as it came. You raised the mug to your lips and took a sip, your nose scrunching at the bitterness at the hot liquid that slid down your throat. Gaster laughed airily and took it back from your hands, setting it back down onto the table.

"Terrible, isn't it?" He questioned, amused at your discomfort and blatant attempts to scrub the taste off your tongue with your sleeve.

"Blechk- Why do you even drink this stuff?  It's god awful." You replied.

"I just do what I have to so I can think clearly.  It's not a good idea to head to work with an unclear mind, especially one such as mine." He tapped his temple while saying this.

"You make a good point.. I do sort of feel better now, though. Thanks."

"Of course, my dear." His face was hidden behind the dark mug as he took a long sip of his coffee.

Stilling as if you were frozen, you looked to Gaster with widening eyes. He peered at you curiously, eye lights morphing to question marks.

"Is something the matter?" He innocently asked.

"... I was probably just hearing things, I wouldn't worry about it." You waved him off, resting your head upon your hand.

I need to stop reading those books until 3 in the morning, it's making me delusional. (looking at you, reader)

"If you say so.. Ah, it's almost time for me to go. I'm going to go and fetch my coat, so, why don't yo-?" You cut him off, an idea popping into mind.

"Actually.. I was wondering if I could come with you today?"

Gaster gawked at you with eyes like dots. You've never asked to come with him before, so this was a first for him and you.

"I am not too sure, Y/n. Today I'll be working on the core directly- And the railings haven't been properly installed yet. We would be right above the lava." He explained, sweat beading on the back of his cracked skull.

"I trust that you wouldn't let me fall." Your lips tugged upwards, leaving a warm expression upon your face.

More than I already have, at least. The man in front of you shut his eyesockets while rubbing his neck, deep in thought. After time passed silently for a long while, the watch on his wrist beeped. Sockets widening after seeing the time, he practically yelped and started looking back and forth between you and his watch.  He then groaned loudly and started running upstairs.

"Fine, fine! Just be quick and get dressed before monsters start lining up at the door!" He called out, his frantic nerves seeping into his voice.

You practically beamed at his retreating figure and ran upstairs after him, going to your room and throwing the door open. Tossing on a short sleeve and a pair of airy pants for the heat, you laced up your boots and grabbed your jacket out of reflex. Pausing at the doorway, you stared at the clothing in your hand. You had stitched your initials onto the tags, so that you could identify which one was yours among the others clothes in the wash. Pressing your lips together, you tightened your grip and walked with long steps out of the room. Heading to Sans' room, you opened his door slowly, only to see that Sans was already up and reading one his many astronomy books. Glancing up from the pages, his big eyes saw your attire and gave you a confused head tilt.

"are we going somewhere, momma?" He said, moving to uncover the blankets resting on his legs.

"Oh, no, I just wanted to head out with Gaster today to the Lab. I came in here to ask you to please watch Papyrus? He's been trying to climb out of his crib lately and I don't want him to hurt himself."

Normally you would leave the boys with Jainil, but his sickness had gotten significantly worse over the course of the last few months.  So, since Sans has control over his magic now, he's been allowed to watch his little brother with no help- with the exception of the rabbit family coming to check in on them every once in a while.

"ohhh, okay! have a good day, then!" He grinned with shining teeth, going back to his book.

"And, Sans?" He peeked back up to you.

"hm?"

You sauntered over to the side of the small boys bed and set down your blue jacket. He looked at it and back to you with questioning eyes.

"I want you to keep this for me until I get back, alright? I know I'm pretty much always around, so in case you get lonely, you can wear this if you'd like." 

Sans blinked and switched his gaze down to the jacket, carefully picking it up and slipping it on. It was oversized, to say the least, but it looked almost natural on him- like it was made to be worn by the boy. He zeroed back in on you and gave you a grin that stretched from ear to ear, that is to say, if he had any.

"i'll take good care of it! thanks mom!" Hugging your arm closest to him, he nuzzled into you as well, making you smile.

"Of course Sansy, anything for you." You pat his head, sighing happily.

He giggled and you pecked his forehead, saying 'see you later' as you walked backwards, then closing the door. You trotted over to Papyrus's room and kissed his forehead as well, though he was still sleeping. You shut the door as silently as you could, then practically flew down the stairs to where Gaster was waiting for you with a tapping foot like Bugs Bunny.

"Just on time, let's go! Before they start coming for me-" You hadn't seen him this panicked in a long while.

He opened the door and you both ran out, accidentally slamming it back into the wooden frame in the mean time.

"Ah, sorry Paps!" You called out, as if he could hear you from the bottom half of the house.

The cold pricked and prodded at your arms and face as you did your best to keep up with the scientist. Gaster took large strides while you had to jog to keep up with the long legged man. Soon enough, you recognized the black grass of Waterfall, even though you both had been walking for only three minutes.

"So, why would monster's be after you if you were late again?" You huffed, trying to make conversation while breathing hard simultaneously.

"It's the job they were given by Asgore to make sure I didn't "die of malnutrition". Honestly, it's humiliating." Gaster gave a scowl and a deadpan to an imaginary Asgore in front of him.

You cackled out loud and slapped a hand over your mouth, trying as to not hurt the skeleton's feelings.

"I'm simply overjoyed you find humor in my suffering." He said, sarcasm dripping from his tones.

"Sorry, sorry! I just imagined you passed out in a puddle of coffee-" You coughed out another half-laugh.

You couldn't even try to finish your sentence before you started laughing again. Even Gaster chuckled softly, slowing down a notch so you weren't practically sprinting to keep up. You felt wide awake after a drip of water went down your spine, making you shiver and rub your lower back uncomfortably.

"But, now that I agreed to let you come along, why were you so adamant about coming with me?" He looked to you from the side, hands behind his back as he walked along side you.

Your mood slid downwards on your scale, thinking back to your nightmare you had that night.

I honestly did just want to come with him, but I guess there was some worry backing it up too. Gaster noticed your shift in mood and slowed down to a comfortable, paced stride.

"You don't have to talk about it, but I'm always here to lend an ear. Even if I don't actually have one." He pushed at a bad joke, attempting to have your spirits lifted.

You chuckled and felt your lips curve upwards.

"It's.. It's okay. I really did just want to come with, but... You guess could say I was worried as well." You smiled slightly to the air in front of you, forcing yourself to not look into the Gaster's directions.

"Oh? Whatever for?" He tilted his head with curiosity, not unlike his son.

"My nightmares."

At this, Gaster turned his head slightly and caught the haunted shadows on your face. He felt his Soul squeeze at the sight, and fixed you with a warm look. You saw this and returned it, making him feel the tiniest bit better.

"Do you care to share with the class?" He grinned.

You laughed at his attempts to lighten the mood, taking the moment to organize your story.

"Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. I've been having the same-ish nightmare for years now, I'm not too sure when they began to be honest. They always start out the same, with me standing in snow, and I can't move. It was terrifying the first couple of times,"

Gaster listened intently to your explanation of your dreams. He nodded every now and again, taking in the information and letting you know that he was listening.

"Though, recently.. Instead of snow, It was lava that surrounded me instead. Last night's version was more vivid than the rest, but I was above it on some sort of metal contraption. The same figure was in the distance, but something about it made me unsettled knowing you go to Hotlands every other day to work... Sorry, I rambled, didn't I?" You played with the ends of your shirt, putting off eye contact with Gaster. Which was easy, considering the amount of distractions that were near-by.

"No, it's quite alright. It's good that you finally let all of that out. It's not healthy to bottle up your feelings, otherwise they'll explode onto the wrong person." The way his eye lights looked made it seem like he was speaking from experience.

"...Thank you. I really needed that. Sorry to bother with something that's probably nothing." You gave back, smiling.

"It's not a bother! If you're worried, then it's completely justifiable. Considering you've been having these dreams even before falling in the Underground, I'd be worried as well if I were in your shoes." Gaster sympathized with you.

"You always know what to say, don't you? You sure you don't have some hidden degree in psychology in that office of yours?" You joked.

"I'm quite sure. I just happen to have a lot of stressed scientists who needed someone to talk to and decided their boss was a good option." He replied, humbling himself the best be could.

"Toriel said that you had cold personality, but I'm starting to think that that's just how you acted around them." Squinting at Gaster as you said this, curious of his answer.

Gaster tensed up and glanced away from you.

"She erm.. She said that?" Sweat dripped from his forehead.

"She also said that it makes her and Asgore upset too when you don't address them casually. After all, they think of you as their friend, Gaster."

He stared at the grass in front of him, listening to the water trickling around him. He sighed and shifted his look to the ceiling.

"I address them the way I do because of the respect I hold for their Highness's. But, if you say that that's how they actually feel about it.. Then I shall try to change for them." He glanced your way with a lopsided smile and then continued on.

You smiled at Gaster happily and walked along with a skip in your step. You both trekked along the path to the Riverperson in blissful silence, enjoying the peace.

_______________________

"So you're telling me, that we have to go through all of that?"

Your eyes swept through the area before you, full of mechanisms and steam powered air vents huffing and puffing dangerously.

"Well, that would be the case if you weren't with me. I can just teleport us across." He held a smug grin on his lips.

"Won't you get tired from doing that?" You asked, worried for his health.

"How my magic works is the longer the distance, the more energy I have to use. I also have to be standing on firm ground, so no teleporting in mid air. But, I'm used to going across this specific area, so not to worry." Gaster faced you with a reassuring smile. You could have sworn that you saw sparkles appear beside him as well.

You bunched your hands together, nodding anxiously. Giving him a glance, you saw that he had offered his hand. Your cheeks warmed as you snuck a glance to his face.

"Do you trust me?" 

You nodded almost immediately, grabbing onto his held out fingers. Gaster grinned and held yours firmly, then looked over to the other side of the cavern where you needed to go. Suddenly, you felt your stomach drop as you became airless. In that moment, you saw nothing but murky darkness. The feeling lasted only a second, as you both landed on the other side in the next moment. Looking behind you, you saw the steamed vents give out a puff of air.

"If there's one thing I'll never get used to, it's that." 

Gaster chuckled and continued walking along the path, tugging your hand with hand along with him. Glancing behind to your joined palms, he turned his head back to the front.

"Why don't you keep holding my hand? I wouldn't want you falling off an edge." He said nonchalantly.

Surveying the area, you noticed that there weren't many edges that you would get near enough to fall. Looking back towards to the back of his skull, you saw the purple glow of his cheeks.

Oh.

Your own warming up intensely, you nodded and interlocked your fingers together.

     .

After a while of walking, you saw the blue machinery of the core. Speeding up a little, you bent down and touched the ground.

It really is all made out of metal.. Standing back up, you looked back at Gaster with starry eyes and a grin.

"I know what you're trying to do- And it won't work on me. The core is a dangerous place, so no exploring." Monotones slipped into his voice as he warned you.

Your grin slipped and you sighed sadly. Gaster patted your head and continued walking, pulling you along with him. You soon arrived to an elevator, though it looked more advanced than the one in the Lab. Heading inside, the doors closed behind you two and Gaster pressed a few buttons. Soon, you felt yourself being lifted higher and higher.

Rubbing your thumb against the bone of his hand, you didn't see Gaster become increasingly flustered. You, however, you thought about how similar the texture was to a rubbing stone back on the surface.

"I hear they are going to build a new home closer to the Barrier." He broke the silence.

"Really? How come?" You questioned.

"Well, the monster population is growing and we need more places to live. And, it is so that the King and Queen can keep constant watch of the Barrier without being away from their son for too long."

"Oh, I see.. Er, speaking of which, I hope you don't mind me asking, but..." You paused.

"Yes?" He tilted his skull to you to listen better.

"How.. Do, uhm... How do monsters have children? I mean, is it the same way as humans, or..?" He stilled completely as soon as the words left your mouth.

Gaster cleared his throat at the question and used his unoccupied hand to tug at the collar of his turtle neck.

"Ah, well.. It's different from humans, yes. Normally, when two monsters wish to have a child, they take a piece of each others souls and meld it into one. This process is painful, so when doing so they, ahem, stimulate each other. After that, they agree on who will carry the child for the next few months."

"Oh. That's.. not what I was expecting. Do their souls go back to normal?" You asked.

"Yes, since it is just a small piece. Nothing over the size of a small G coin."

So, like a dime but smaller.

"What would happen if they went over the amount?" 

"There's a chance that the melding could fail and, in your human terms, cause a miscarriage. Even if they do survive, the child's soul would be malformed and only half would be there. I've seen children like this, and they usually only live up to their 50's."

"I see.." You mood damped.

Silence fell between you as you thought about what he told you. You ended up thinking too much about it and sighed, letting it go. Gaster glanced at you curiously, but only looked back at the doors.

"So, what would happen if a human and a mons-"

The doors opened, blasting you with hot air as you heard screams across the metal work ways.

"HOW DID IT GET UP HERE? WHERE'S DOCTOR GASTER WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!"

"OH SHIIIIIIII-"

A beam of light shot across the area, causing some rocks on the wall of the other side fall into the lava. The magma bubbled and steamed, the earth soon disappearing. Locking your attention to the source of the destruction, you locked eyes with the creature you least expected to see here.

"Gasty?!" You exclaimed, shocked as to see the creature out of it's containment.

You felt your hand become cold and heavy as Gaster dropped it at the sight of Gasty like dead weight. Creeping slowly to his creation, making sure as to not show any fear, he turned back and shot you a careful gaze. The frantic scientists froze in their tracks as they saw the Royal scientist, all of them letting out a sigh of relief simultaneously.

"Don't come out of there just yet, alright? I don't want... "Gasty" to accidentally knock you over the railings." Gaster called to you.

You nodded and watched intently as the scientist trotted over to the misbehaving creature. When Gasty took notice of Gaster, you observed that it's mood improved, like a puppy that had been waiting at home for it's owner to return. Gaster said some things to it, though you couldn't hear him, but the floating skull saddened and nodded.

As it was turning, Gasty happened to look your way. Raising it's body happily, it ignored Gaster's yells and raced above the lava to you. When it reached you, you giggled as it nuzzled into your chest and face happily. You raised your hand and smoothed it over Gasty's snout, petting it gently.

"Aww.. I missed you too buddy. Shouldn't you be in your room though? It wasn't very nice to attack the others you know." You lightly scolded the would be attacking move.

Gasty ignored your words and continued to nuzzle up against you, and you sighed at it.

Just one big trouble maker, aren't you?

Gaster jogged back up to you both and rubbed the back of his skull. He shook his head and called over another scientist, a dog looking monster came over immediately.

"Take it back to it's cage. He won't hurt you, I promise." Gaster ordered.

As the dog monster shakily nodded, you saw the others in the room give him a pitiful look. You put your attention back to Gasty and gave it a warning glare that could only be described as the motherly stare of doom.

"If you try and escape again, I won't come and try and visit you anymore. Remember, patience is virtue."

Gasty understood what you said and gave firm nod, taking it's place next to the dog monster. The scientist looked at you with wonder as the doors closed, taking them down to the lower floors. Glad that the situation was over, you looked Gaster's way and grinned. He shook his head playfully and looked back up to the scientists.

"The situation in under control, now get back to work!"

"Yessir!"

Movement came back to the place as monsters of different shapes and sizes buzzed about. You recognized the three lined monster working on some pipes, and the faceless cat working on a dial pad. Gaster walked across the metal bridge, and now did you notice that you could see the lava beneath you. All of the paths were made of metal, and were in a hitch-hatch pattern so you could see the bubbling hotness underneath your feet. Railings were installed, of course, except around a large battery-like component in the middle of the room.

Following Gaster, you noticed the mystery machine was in fact where you were both heading. Looking over the one railing, you saw that under the battery was nothing but darkness. You shivered at the thought of what was at the bottom and went back to Gaster. He was typing on a control pad, and from the looks of it, looked like that he was coding. When he hit enter, wires and tubes filled with blue, glowing liquid. He smirked and continued typing.

"So.. What's the Core for anyways?" You questioned, standing over his shoulder to the best of your abilities.

"Ah, I never did tell you, did I? The Core is my invention made for the Underground! With this, when we get it to run properly, will power the entire Underground through wireless, thermal genetic fields. I'm using the heat of the lava to do so, and the ice that flows from Snowdin will keep it from overheating too much. Within the next few months, the Core will be the new power source for everyone."

You smiled at the bright look on Gaster's face as he went on and on to you about what the Core could do for the monster race. Looking around, it didn't seem like an impossible dream. All of the work that went into it, and all of the thought, there's no way that it wouldn't. You grinned at the skeleton man, and scanned your eyes around once more in the hope filled space.

"No wonder you're the Royal Scientist. This is amazing.. When it's done, I'll be sure to make you all a nice dessert in celebration!" You called out, waving a hand out to all the other scientists that could hear you in the vicinity of your area.

The scientists that had heard you cheered, and Gaster smiled brightly.

"We'll be looking forward to it, Y/n." He said, kindness flooding his voice.

Your growing smile suddenly dropped, feeling something tremor and creak beneath your feet. Trembling metal screeched and the large battery in the middle shook at dangerous levels. Grabbing a hold of the rails beside you, you searched frantically to see what happened. Gaster typed as fast as his fingers could go on the control panel next to you, his brows furrowed and sweat dripping from his cracked skull.

What's happening?

Chapter Text

The core continued to shake and tremor as you held on for dear life to the metal railings. Gaster forged code until he finally hit enter, and with it the shaking stopped. Slightly trembling, you surveyed the area, the others in the area fearfully holding onto whatever was stable and attached. Many held onto railings while others gripped the metal beams that rose from the lava below.  Gaster puffed out a sigh of relief, a drop of sweat landing on the shoulder of his coat.

"Crisis averted..."

"Gaster, what in the hell was that?!" You yelled, not angry- No, you had been terrified for your life.  Of course you weren't going to be calm directly after that.  The skeleton before you glanced back with a genuinely apologetic look.  You softened at his trembling eyes, though still clenching the metal beams to your side.  There wasn't any reason to be upset with him, he wouldn't have brought you here if he'd known it was going to happen.

"That, Y/n, is why it's so dangerous here.  While the Core is almost finished, right now it is in its prime of sensitivity. That blast from earlier must have caused it to become unstable with its energy levels, " He turned his attention to his feet.

"I apologize for this.  I should have known better than to bring you here while the core is still unstable."

Letting out a shaky breath, you let go of the metal bars, shifting your fingers to get blood flowing. Once you got feeling back, you stepped over to Gaster and caught sight of the codes he'd put in. As you thought, it looked like total doohickery. Rubbing your temples, you sighed and gave him a grateful look.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to put in some elbow grease on those desserts if this is what you have to deal with all the time."

Gaster sweat dropped and laughed nervously beside you.

"It is what it is... But, alas- Things like this can't stop us now. I have to do something on the other side as well."

Deadpanning that he'd practically brushed off almost dying, you followed him anyway, making sure to stay away from the ledges that just screamed death. Upon reaching the opposite side of the battery- you assumed now that powered the core-, you saw yet another control panel. With a flick of his miraculously pristine white lab coat, Gaster repeated what he had done earlier. He picked something out of his pocket, his glasses, you noticed, and taped them on so he could read the code lines. You watched his fingertips tap the keys in an almost rhythmic pattern, tappa tappa tap.

"So, what are you coding for that thing to do?"

You noticed the familiar glint in Gaster's eyes at the opportunity to explain something.  

"I'm coding the Core piece in front of us to be able to take in the geothermal energy and convert it to electrical energy. The pieces are all here, all we need to do is tell it what to do and make sure it doesn't blow us to bits in the meantime."  So you'd been wrong about it being a battery.  It was a giant converter.

While it was a bit disturbing the way he talked about being blown up in a cheerful manner, you hummed and stored that bit of information in the back of your mind. Gaster continued to do his thing while you looked around, this time actually paying attention to the details. The rocks above differed greatly from the ones in Waterfall, instead looking earthy with its dark toned browns and oranges. You noticed that there weren't actually any lights on -or any at all, in fact- as the lava below glowed brightly enough for light bulbs to be rendered useless. Sweat protruded from your brow as you took in the room in its majority, feeling sorry for the furred felines and canines that you saw speckled here and there upon the platforms above the magma.  

Turning back to Gaster, you realized that he didn't seem even remotely bothered by the heat.  Now that you thought about it, he was never particularly bothered by the cold either back in Snowdin.  You gave voice to your thoughts, a torrent of constant questions.

"Random question, but do skeletons even feel temperature?" He side-eyed you with surprising fondness, then gazed back to the flickering screen in which he worked.

"Yes, of course we do. We just have a higher tolerance for extreme temperatures. I'm able to differentiate between cold and hot, but as long as no ecto is formed, I don't feel much like you would." He grinned at the starry look upon your face.

"Does this mean you've burned your tongue before?" You snickered at how he flinched, flushing lilac along his zygomatic bones.

"No comment."

"I see.. Oh, what I would give to be a skeleton!" You exclaimed, throwing your arms behind your head.

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not." He muttered.

"Ooo, wait, if I were, would I have a font name? That'd be magmajorly awesome."

Gaster snorted at the pun and tried not to smile.

"That.. was awful."

"You know you love it."

"So much so that I've had to put a ban on it so we can actually work instead of goofing off around here."

"Now that's just impressive."

Chuckling to yourselves, in the corner of your eye you noticed that there were some scientists who stared at you. They seemed almost... weirded out.

What's their problem?

You locked eyes with one of them and they both quickly looked away, getting back to work on the pipe they were enforcing. You raised a brow, but ignored them and glanced back at the Core converter. Cords and wires protruded from the darkness below, looking like vines that would come and ensnare anyone who dare try and get close. You took a small step back at that thought.

You felt a small tremor beneath your feet again, but it was gone as soon as it had come. Some stray metal pipes over to your right rolled a bit at the movement, but that was about it. Shrugging it off, you let your mind wander as Gaster worked on coding the converter. You carefully sat down next to the control panel and laid your back against the cool metal. You sighed in relief, expecting it to have been warm.  Temperature seemed to work weirdly in the Underground.

You thought about the snow of Snowdin, and the glowing waters of Waterfall. Now that you had thought about it, it was kind of odd in the Underground. Not that you minded, of course.  You 'd just never given the magic of the world you'd fallen into much thought, though maybe you should.  It seemed like a kind of topic Gaster would enjoy talking about.  You smiled at that.  He really was a nerd, wasn't he? 

Thinking back to the first time you had gone to the lab, you recalled the first time you'd seen your Soul. How it was scarred, littered with cracks and dimmed in different places.  You wondered if it had healed at all since then.  After all, you could now think about what happened without that cursed clenching in your chest.  It hurt still, of course, but like all wounds it was fading.  

Glancing at Gaster, you saw he was completely in the zone. His brows were furrowed, and his pin pricks were focused like laser lights. Smiling softly, you laid your head against the bend of your hand. Something suddenly shot across your mind with no hope of stopping it.

What does his soul look like?

You shook your head to try and forget the embarrassing thought, but to no avail. The more you thought about it, the more curious you got. What colour was it, and did it look different than yours?  Would he be willing to share that information with you?  Or would it be another one of those things that you'd ask and it was inappropriate?

Sheepishly searching around you to make sure there was no one that was listening in.

"So, er, you know when we did that whole... Soul thing?"

Gaster jolted at the sound of your voice, as if he had forgotten you were even there. Looking down, the words that had come out of your mouth processed and he continued typing, cheeks slightly colored at the reminder of the event you spoke of. 

"Yes, I do. You have another question, I assume?" He spoke just loud enough that you could hear, and no one else.

"How'd you ever know?"

"You look a certain way when you have a question."

"Oh, ha- do I?"

Your face flushed uncomfortably, turning your head so Gaster couldn't see. Not that he would have noticed though, since you were a human surrounded by literal lava.

"Go ahead, shoot."

"Oh uh.. Asgores beard, I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way." You tried your best not to stutter like some school-girl.

He paused his coding, giving you his full attention as he quirked a singular bone brow. Motioning a hand for you to go on, you breathed out and just asked.

"What.. What color is your soul?" You gauged his reaction carefully, ready to throw an onslaught of apologies if you had unknowingly crossed some sort of line.

Gaster stared at you, taking in what he was being asked. His glasses crooked comically, and he snatched up his hands to fix them. After adjusting the tape and wires, he turned his gaze back down to your embarrassed self.

"Sorry, it's just that you said that you were one of the few monsters that had a colored soul, so I was just.. Curious. Did I say something inappropriate again?"

The skeleton sighed and to your surprise, laughed.  You visibly relaxed, feeling only a little silly for being so uptight about it.

"No.. heh, No, you didn't. I was just shocked, is all. If you really want to know, it's purple." He grinned at you while replying, and you tried not to think too much on the sharp canine that peaked through his mouth.

"..Maybe I should have guessed that from what your blush looks like."

"Surprisingly enough, that's actually just a coincidence. Do you remember what colors my eyes glow when I use my magic?" You blinked.  It'd been a while since you'd seen his eyes flare their respective colors, so you took a moment to think.

"Oh, uh.. Blue and orange, right?"

"Correct. Since the orange colour is more on the red side, my magic mixes and makes purple." You snirked at his explanation.

"If I'd known I was going to art class today, I would have brought some paper as well."

Gaster pointedly looked at you in disdain. You replied with shit-eating grin, and he rolled his eyes before going back to work.

"Sorry to bother you with another question, but what does purple mean? You said before that the different colours mean separate traits."

He continued to type while he answered your question.

"I do believe it was.. Oh what was it?- Ah, perseverance!" He looked rather proud of himself for remembering that fact.

When you heard this, it didn't strike you as odd. After all, what's a scientist without perseverance?

"I wish I knew what my trait was.. I feel like if I knew, then I would understand myself better."

"I'm not quite sure either, but what I am sure about is that I doubt such a kind person such as yourself would have a bad soul trait. I'm positive that it's something wonderful." You couldn't tell if he'd meant for you to hear the last part, but nonetheless, his words hit the mark.

Gaster tried not to look at you while saying this. He knew that if he looked, then he would definitely lose composure. On the other hand, your heart swooned over the sweet words that spilled from his mouth. Your hot neck started to get uncomfortable combined with the heat of the lava below. Sweat beaded on your brow and dripped down your sides.

"Gods, it's really hot in here. I feel bad for your furry friends over there."

You motioned to the panting monsters in the shade, lapping up water from a dispenser in paper cups. Gaster looked over to the panting messes and grimaced.

"I keep telling them they don't have to be here in the thick of it, but they are rather adamant about finishing this every step of the way."

"I can understand their determination.." You really could.  You couldn't even imagine how much the core would help once it was completed.

Silence fell over the two of you, nothing coming to mind to talk about. Sounds of steam whistling and metal churning filled your ears, along with the rhythm of keys tapping. You decided not to bother Gaster anymore, seeing as he was already back in his little world. You closed your eyes to try and distract yourself from the heat.

After a few moments, you groaned and stood from your position. You stretched and wiggled your leg to get rid of the sleep that pricked at it like small knives. Of course, this only made it worse and made it tense up weirdly. Scientists stared at you, sure you were insane as you kicked at air until the prickling stopped. You placed your foot down again and walked towards the water dispenser.

"I'll be back, just getting some water from over there." You called out behind you, making sure he knew where you were going.

Gaster didn't show any signs of hearing you, so you shrugged and continued on your way. You trailed your hand along the smooth metal railings, feeling the coolness seep into your palms. Getting to the other side, you placed your now cool hand against your forehead as an attempt to tame the heat.

Water bubbled from the dispenser as your shadow loomed over the buttons and jug. Taking a paper cup, you pushed down the blue button to release the cold liquid. You wasted no time downing it, the feeling of ice spreading throughout your chest. You let out a satisfied sigh. Movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Looking over, you saw the cat monster you'd met the first time in the lab. His head was turned towards you, the black void of a face seeming to stare into your very soul. You tried not to think too much on it.

"You're the human from before." He was much more calm than the first time you'd met him, in the lower level of the LAB.

"Oh, heh, yeah. Sorry about that by the way, our first introductions were kind of rushed." 

"It's.. alright. I'm just, surprised is all."

His voice was less panicked than before, letting you actually hear what he sounded like. It was void of any accent, and it was right in the middle of the octave spectrum. Average.

"What for?" You asked curiously.

"Well, I mean.. You're a human. And talking to Doctor Gaster. The man who's known for designing all of the weapons we used in the War."

Your eyebrows shot up upon hearing this information. Glancing at the said man's direction, Gaster was still hunched over the console, zeroed in to his work.  He looked so harmless.  You replied to the cat in a confused manner.

"All of them?"

He straightened up, emoting his own surprise.

"You didn't know? He made the blueprints for everything. Bombs, swords, spears .. And his greatest means of destruction, the Gaster Blaster."

"..I knew about the bombs, but not everything else. Though, I suppose Gasty was a given- He did just call him a Gaster Blaster, after all."

"You NAMED that thing?!" He raised his paws up in shock.  His body was rather expressive, most likely to make up for the lack of face.

"Of course, I didn't want to keep referring to him as an "it". Gasty's got feelings too." You laughed at his bewildered, well, not-face.

"You humans are so weird."

You laughed lightly at the man and continued the conversation that ate away your boredom.

"You're not wrong, buddy."

"How have you not died yet? Not literally, of course- well, maybe a little literally. Doctor Gaster is famous for his short fuse... I don't know how you're doing it, but you should share your secrets. Might save my tail one day."

"Not really any secrets to share. I'm just.. Me? Everyone keeps telling me that Gaster is some cold hearted man. When really, you didn't hear this from me by the way, he's a total sweetheart," You paused, thinking.

"Just what was he like before I fell, anyway?"

He fiddled with the cuffs of his coat, shuffling his feet nervously at the question. You tilted your head, waiting for a response. The cat's tail swished from side to side and looked over to the water dispenser that bubbled once more.

"He.. Wasn't exactly the nicest. The only time we ever saw him smile was when he headed home, or when someone was brave enough to make a space pun. He put a ban on them after that."

"So I've heard.. Maybe it's just because he's focused? Resting bitch face, if you will."

"Shhh! Are you nuts? What if he heard you say that?!" He panicked, hands shaking everywhere to accentuate his fear. 

"I'm not scared of him, and he wouldn't hurt me. If he was going to, then he would have done so a long time ago."

You said this with a soft smile. He stared at you in amazement, and something seemed to click with him as the edges to his void-face blurred to a softer line. A smile appeared from the blackness, kindness shining at you.

"So that's how it is. Well, I think I'd better get back to work, sorry to have to cut our conversation short."

"Oh, uh, wait- I never got your name?"

"That's right, I never told you. My name is-"

A booming voice across the room interrupted the cat monster.

"HEY, GET OVER HERE YOU FURRBALL AND QUIT FLIRTIN' WITH THE HUMAN!"

Both of you deadpanned at the large monster that called out to him, though you couldn't really tell what he was. All you could really say is that he had a large mouth and no arms or legs. That you could see, at least.

"I wasn't flirting with them, a'ight?!" He snarled back.

He turned back to you and sighed heavily.

"Sorry about that, they're just trying to embarrass me. I do have to go though,  I'll see you later."

"Wait, I still don't know your-" 

He had already jogged away from you and to the monster that called to him.

"-name.. Ugh, whatever, I'll just get it from him later."

Looking around to throw away your paper cup, you looked to your hand to see that it had evaporated from the heat. You decided not to question it.

Making your way back to Gaster, you noticed that he was standing up straight once again, so you assumed he had finished the coding on the console. You stepped in his view, not noticing the faraway look in his eyes.

"Oh hey, you finished with this one?"

He snapped out of his trance and looked down to you. His mouth pressed together in a fine line and glanced to the area you had talked to the cat.

"..Who was that? Were they flirting with you?" He sounded almost... insecure? You blinked and answered his question anyway.

"I actually never got his name to be honest with you.. And, no, we were just having a conversation."

"Are you sure?" He was quick to ask after the words had fallen from your mouth.

Gaster's pin pricks were dimmed and tiny now, to a point where you could barely even see them. He continued to glare towards the poor monster's direction, who you noticed shivered at the unknown gaze.

"I'm pretty sure, Gaster.. Are you okay? You seem.. Bothered by something."

He stiffened and locked eyes with you. He hesitated in his words, shuffling around on his feet.

"I- well- I just, don't... Oh, never mind. As long as he wasn't bothering you." He turned away to stare at the console, lines of code working flawlessly now.

You quirked an eyebrow at this response, before a light bulb clicked in your brain. Smirking evilly, you put your arms behind your head in a relaxed manner.

I'm definitely gonna scream at myself at night for this. 

"Anything else we have to do today, sugar-skull? I doubt the core will code itself."

"Oh, yes, Actually! I have to-"

Gaster cut himself off, staring blanking into the ground. His cheeks darkened, eye sockets blank as he snapped his face towards you. Making sure not to slip, you tried to look as innocent as possible and blinked sweetly in his direction.  His mouth bobbed like a fish gasping for air, uncomprehending.

"S-Sugar-skull?? Did I hear you right?" He stuttered, more flustered than you'd ever seen him before. It took all you could not to laugh at his expression.

"Well yeah, something wrong with it?" It was becoming more difficult to keep up with the innocent act.

"No! Not at all, just.. why sugar-skull?" He asked, still flushing enough to reach his vertebrae.

"I just thought it was fitting. I mean, you're sweet- even though you get jealous at your own colleagues." 

Gaster choked on the air and looked anywhere but you.  Bingo.

"I-I did not!"

"You sure?" You asked slyly. He gulped, seeing your mischievous eyes.

"Yes. You cannot convince me otherwise. There is nothing to get jealous at." He faked an indignant frown, not budging.  You laugh and let him go.

"Alright, alright.. Whatever you say, Doctor." He squinted his sockets at you, then huffed and straightened his back.

"As I was saying, I have to code the core directly. There is a panel over here so we can cross."  You decided to not tease him anymore, getting what you wanted from the doctor who was definitely jealous.  You tried not to laugh too much behind his back.

Gaster's face soon returned to its normal cream color and stepped over stray poles and wires to get to yet another keypad. Watching from where you stood, he put in a password that was too fast for you to see. A moment later, you heard a latch come undone to your left. Looking over, you watched in amazement as the metal and gears groaned and twisted,  forming a bridge that clicked into place and led to the other Core Converter. Gaster waited for you to snap out of your trance to walk across, smiling at your reaction. You both had to go in a single file, seeing as the bridge wasn't exactly wide.

He went in front so he could put some wires together on the converter. Bundles of reds, yellows, blues and green appeared after Gaster took off the metal panel attached to the side with screws. He bundled up his sleeves to his elbows and pushed the wires around, and grabbed something towards the middle. You observed the best you could, getting on your tiptoes to see over his broad shoulder. Gaster pulled and another keyboard appeared from the darkness.

"This is like Sci-fi movie stuff. Man, I can't wait to tell Sans all about this when we get home!" You grinned excitedly.

Gaster chuckled and clicked on the pad. Lines of green and black went as he continued to do this.

"I'm sure he would like that. Speaking of which, what would you like for dinner tonight?" His question made you hum and tap your chin.

"Hmm.. Why not Grillby's? It'd be nice to see him again." Gaster turned to smile at you, zygomatics lighting up at the closeness, though neither of you bothered to move.

"I think that's a good idea. He might need some proof that I'm not dust and managed to drag you down with me."

You laughed loudly, making scientists around you both look at you oddly. They turned back immediately however when Gaster glared in their direction. He sighed and looked to you with a nervous smile.

"After this, we could.. Head home early if you'd like."

You stared at him in surprise, not expecting Gaster of all monsters to suggest signing out of work early. His typing slowed as you continued to stare at him.

"Who are you and what have you done with Gaster?"

"Is that a no?" You shook your head, which rubbed your chin against the lab coat he wore. 

"No, it's just that I didn't expect you to suggest that. What's the occasion?" He paused for a moment before starting up again.

"I- Well, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Nothing bad, of course. I just thought that maybe we could take our time going home today in Waterfall, and maybe make a few stops." You hesitated for a second, taking in what he said.

"..This almost sounds like you're asking me on a date."

Gaster's fingers froze and you could practically feel the flusteredness from behind him. You blushed hotly when you realized what you had said, slapping a hand over your mouth.

"Sorry! I said that without thinking, uh- what did you want to talk about?  Why not here?" His cheeks flushed violet before answering.

"It's... not really something I want my employees hearing from me."

"Ah, I understand." Maybe something happened and he needed someone to listen? 

Silence filled the air between you as he resumed his work. He went back into the zone of his own world, seeing nothing nor hearing anything around him. Bored, you rested your head on his shoulder to watch the codes glide along the screen. Gaster said nothing, not seeming to notice you at all. You smiled at the peace.

Months ago you would have yelled at yourself for even getting into his personal bubble.  

How things change.

Around 10 minutes later, just when you were about ready to groan loudly with boredom, Gaster clicked enter and big green letters filled the middle of the screen. He turned to you and smiled proudly.

"I think that's record time for me! Must be the coffee kicking in." He said, clearly proud of himself.

"Or maybe you're just too much of a genius for your own good." You said, smirking.

"You can never know enough in the world, Y/n. Knowledge is limitless!"

You smiled at his newfound enthusiasm and chuckled. With his own grin, he took off his glasses and placed them into his chest pocket. Turning around, he went to push the keyboard back into the wires of the Core Converter.  He turned and locked eyes with you, staring softly.

"Since I am done, we can visit Gasty one more time and head back. How does that sound?" 

You gasped excitedly.

"That sounds great, Ga-!"  

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING-

Your voice was drowned out by blaring sirens. The room became a dangerous red and flashed on and off again. Familiar tremors shook beneath your feet, causing you to grab onto Gaster's arm.

"Again? What's wrong this ti-"

You were interrupted yet again by a robotic voice that echoed through the room. Scientists were frantically running to the elevators, others dashed into the staircases and emergency exits littered about.

Core unstable. Em tether levels dropping. Warning. Warning.

Feeling movement, your eyes shot over and saw that the once green letters on the screen all read 'error'. Gaster was speaking, but in a language you could not understand. It was warbled and almost broken, but by the way he was saying it, you could tell that he was panicking. The tremors grew stronger by the second, and you would have lost balance if it weren't for you clutching onto Gaster's coat.

He regained his senses and looked at the screen himself, sweat already dripping from his skull. Pushing the keyboard away, he shut the metal back to its place. You let go of his coat and ran across the bridge so you could get out of his way, now holding onto a railing on the side.

"Gaster!? Please tell me this is just another normal occurrence!"

He looked at you with an emotion you couldn't quite interpret due to the red lights flashing. The room was almost void of anyone besides the cat monster you had talked to before, the large one, the monster with three lines and others you couldn't quite see. They were all typing something into keypads, trying to stop the tremors.

...

Fear steadily rose in your chest.  This was serious this time, wasn't it?

...

"Y/n, get in the elevator."

You swirled back to Gaster with an incredulous expression.

"What? No! I'm not going to just- just leave you here!" Your voice shook as you yelled at the frankly insane man.

"The core is highly unstable, and I don't want you to get caught with your scarred soul! You could die, Y/n!" 

So could you, you dumbass!

"What about you?"

"I have to stay here. Hopefully I can stop the core from exploding, and come home to you and the boys." Exploding.  He said it with such resolve that you knew that there was no changing his mind. You should have known better than to think you could challenge the one person's stubbornness that matched yours.

...

Tears blocked your vision as you let go of the railings. You ran to Gaster, hugging his torso tightly, and felt shaky hands immediately go to your back as well. Looking up, you saw how scared he truly was.  It seemed he recognized the sternness in your eyes, as well.

"You really are so stubborn, Y/n."

You laughed and wiped a stray tear from your jaw.

"It's one of my most redeeming qualities."

Despite what was happening, he smiled at your laughter, even if it was just a small one. He let go of you and turned to try and fix what was happening. He tried to pull up several windows, but errors kept appearing on the dark screens. The blaring sirens and red lights overwhelmed your senses, but you stood strong. Gaster cursed and ran to another console.

As he ran, a powerful tremor shocked through the entire core. You felt your heart drop at the sight before you.

Everything seemed to slow down.

His foot slipped off the edge, pin pricks vanishing in the blackness. You ran to the edge as fast as you could, and latched onto his hand at the very last moment.

You both breathed heavily, and you struggled to hold on- you never were that strong, but you'd be damned if you let that define you now. Your other hand keeps you balanced, saving you from falling into the bog. Gaster reached with his other arm to reach the ledge, to no avail. You pulled and pulled onto his weight, slowly but surely raising him closer. He was heavier than you'd imagined, being bones you'd expected him to be much lighter.

"Y/n.." His voice shook fearfully so.

You tearfully looked into his eyes, seeing only sadness in them. Your fear heightened when you felt with dread that Gaster was loosening his hold.

"Let go. You can still get out."

He said this in a calm that shook you to your very core. You snarled and pulled harder, tightening your vice grip to make up for his loose hand.

"NO! I'M TAKING US BOTH HOME, I REFUSE TO LET SANS AND PAPYRUS GROW UP WITHOUT THE BOTH OF US!"

You sobbed and pulled, and Gaster could almost reach. His eye sockets filled with purple, translucent tears at your outburst, reaching to the edge like the sun. His fingertips brushed the metal, stretching further and further.  You felt hope fill your stomach, and his metacarpals gripped the edge. 

Your first mistake was letting yourself think that it was over.

Your second was not pulling fast enough.

BOOM

A blinding white light burst from behind you. Your stomach dropped, air bursting through like a canon and knocking you off balance.

...

You yelped, feeling weightless as you fell. Your hand slipped from its hold, and your body slipped forwards. You searched for Gaster frantically as you free-fell, feeling his vice grip snatch you from behind. He pulled you into his chest, trembling. You both fell, darkness consuming you both.

You felt yourself begin to pass out, despite falling and the adrenaline that pumped through your veins.

"✋︎ ☹︎⚐︎✞︎☜︎  ✡︎⚐︎🕆︎"

You didn't have time to understand what Gaster had said as your senses dulled to nothing.

Falling deeper, everything became

Dark,

Darker,

Yet d a r k e r. 

Chapter Text

_________________________________

Nothing.

Absolute nothing.

You couldn't move, not an arm, not a leg, not a single finger.

The darkness expanded forever, and at the same time not at all. It swallowed every sense, and your thoughts were the only thing that gave any sign of life. Even if you were able to open your eyes, there was no light that peeked through the ever-growing darkness.

Where am I..? What... was I doing again?

In the dark that you floated forever, you finally felt something. A ringing went through your head, pain seeping into your brain. You wanted so badly to yell out, but you were paralyzed numb.

What..? Who.. Who is that?

An image sketched into your mind, but you couldn't put a finger on their names. They were blurred, and you couldn't make out their faces. Something blocked your mind from seeing them completely. A little boy, glowing blue and a tall man emitting black. He held a child glowing orange. They all reached out to you, an arms length away from touching. You tried to meet their hands, but your arms would not move.

Come on.. Come on! Who are you?

You strained every muscle in your mind and body.

Just.. move..!  MOVE!

With pained screams in your mind, your arm raised towards the people. With a white hot fire burning, your fingertips grabbed onto their hands.

Their forms flowed away like smoke, and in the place of their outstretched palms were two, yellow buttons floating in the air. When the people disappeared, your body fell onto hard ground. You gasped, drinking in gulps of air. Heaving, your senses returned to you. Your arms shook, and your legs were crumpled beneath you.

After getting oxygen into your system, you raised your head to the only light in the dark void. Two buttons presented themselves to you.

[CONTINUE] [RESET]

"What? Continue? .. Reset?"

Your voice sounded hoarse from non-use, and you suddenly wondered how long you had been floating in the void of darkness.

How did I get here? God, my head hurts like hell.. I feel like.. I'm forgetting something.

sOMeOnE?

With a pained yell, you gripped your head as sweat came from your forehead. Images flashed through, of a tall man. He wore a white coat, and turtle necks of various colours. Memories came and went, leaving you with tears in what you started to remember.

______

I looked at it confused, and it looked like Asgore was going to say something but was interrupted by a smooth, professional-like deep voice behind me.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something?" I turn around to see white pin pricks.

"Oh, you must be the human their highness' were talking about. Hello. I am W.D. Gaster, the Royal Scientist."

______

Another wave of pain wracked through your body, and more people, no, monsters, were remembered. They wouldn't stop, like a movie played in your mind with no pause.

______

While Gaster and Jainil were going back and forth, you saw the skeleton kid tip-toe pass Gaster and sneak over to you cautiously. You looked at him curiously, and he did the same. He had two big eye sockets, and what seemed to be a permanent smile. His clothing was just a blue onesie with yellow stars on it, but it was enough to make you wanna squeal with how cute it was. The boy walked until he was in front of you. You felt a cold gust of wind, and saw that the door was still open and closed it. The two in the background didn't seem to notice. You looked back down at the kid and sat down in front of him carefully, trying not to hurt your ankle in the process. He blinked and sat down too, criss cross style. You smiled at him warmly.

"Hey. I'm Y/n." You started. His smile seemed to get wider.

"..i'm sans."

______

Inside of an orange crib was a little, tiny, baby. You put your hands over your mouth so you didn't hurt the kid's ears from a fangirl worthy squeal. Sans grinned at your reaction and motioned you over, as if saying, 'well? wanna meet 'im?' You shakily hopped/walked your way over and put your hands on the railings of the crib. The baby, Papyrus, was now looking at you. His mouth was cartoonish, like how a skeleton would seem on a show on T.V., but it added to his cuteness. He reached his arms up to you, like he was waiting to be picked up. You looked to Sans for silent permission, and he nodded. You carefully picked up Papyrus, making sure he was supported.

You looked at his eyes, seeing that he didn't have pin pricks like Sans and Gaster, but they still held emotion. His eyes closed and he gave you a closed eye smile, the biggest he could probably muster. You awwed at his cuteness.

"Ahhabaff.. Maahbabah" He gurgled cutely.

_____

"I don't think I should hold him, I might fall down.. How about you go get him and I'll sort everything out here?" He nodded and... disappeared?

"Wh- Sans?" Did he just... teleport??? He reappeared in front of you with Papyrus in his arms, who was giggling. You looked at Sans with an incredulous look on your face. He seemed to realize what he just did and now looked really nervous.

"...don't tell dad please?"

_____

"Why did you trust monsters?  After all, all you've heard about us were bad things."  You made an surprised expression, not expecting that to be the thing he was going to ask. 

"..Why wouldn't I? Wasn't it the humans who started the War?" You said simply.  Gaster suddenly stopped, and looked up at you.  His pin pricks had turned to wide ovals, and his mouth was slightly open.  You smiled at him, and he shut his jaw.  He looked back down and smiled.  

"..Hm. Never heard that before- from a human, at least. 

...Interesting."

____

"Sn...Snans!" You gasped out loud with surprise. Gaster looked at Papyrus with shock as his bone brows shot upwards.

"Did you just try saying Sans? Try again, S-A-N-S!"

____

Gaster wore a pair of thin reading glasses, the skinny wires taped on since he didn't have ears to rest them on.

"O-oh, yes. I need them to read, I get a headache if I don't.. I'm sorry, do they look odd?"

You flushed at his apology.

"W-what are you apologizing for?  They look great on you! Not that you don't already look great, you're very handsome for a skeleton- Wait, no, I meant they suit you! .... very well?"

____

You felt your heart pump in your chest, feeling fuzzy and warm inside. You scrunched up your eyebrows, confused as to why your organ decided to have a drum solo in your rib cage.

Then...

Fuck.

Not again.

____

"c'mon papy, you can do it! your big bro believes in you!"

"Come on Papyrus!"

The small skeleton's brows were furrowed in concentration, making sure he wouldn't fall. Then, he took one step forward. Then another, and another. Papyrus shakily walked to you into your waiting arms. He hugged your torso as you wrapped your arms around the skeleton, tears blocking your vision. Sans cheered and his eyes turned to golden stars, but you hardly noticed. You also hardly noticed the extra pair of arms that hugged you and Papyrus.

____

"NO! I'M TAKING US BOTH HOME, I REFUSE TO LET SANS AND PAPYRUS GROW UP WITHOUT THE BOTH OF US!"

You sobbed and pulled, and Gaster could almost reach. His eye sockets filled with purple, translucent tears at your outburst, reaching to the edge like the sun. His fingertips brushed the metal, stretching further and further.

A blinding white light burst from behind you. Your stomach dropped, air bursting through and knocking you off balance. You gasped, feeling weightless. Your hand slipped from its hold, and your body slipped forwards. You looked to Gaster with pained tears. He pulled you into his chest, shaking. You both fell, darkness consuming you both. You felt yourself falling to sleep, despite falling and the adrenaline that pumped through your veins.

____

The sharp pains began to fade from your mind. Names began to flash through your thoughts, and faces to each one. Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster. You remembered Asgore, Asriel, Toriel, Undyne and Jainil. Your memories slapped back to you, and you let go of your head. You stared at your hands in shock.

"That's right. The core exploded, and.. Gaster and I fell in. I- I almost forgot my family."  It was odd how weird your voice sounded.  As if it hadn't been used in years.

At the thought of the core, your head shot up and you looked around. You saw nothing except the same two buttons, floating in front of you emitting a yellow glow. Searching around more, you began to grow panicked.

"If I'm here, then.. Gaster? GASTER!?"

You shouted into the void, but...

Nobody came.

You stood up, still dizzy from the recent events. You stood still until you could see straight again, and stared at the two options before you.

"Did I die? No, if I did then I doubt I would have been able to feel pain. So.. if not that, then am I in some sort of limbo, or menu? Like a video game..?"

Your mind raced, trying to comprehend what was going on. The Reset button looked intimidating, and it almost gave off a sad aura. The Continue button was void of any emotion.

If I'm in a menu, then would Resetting mean that I go back to the beginning? If that's so, then would it be the beginning of my fall or my life?... Neither of those options sound pleasurable to me.

Deciding that Resetting was off the table, you slid your eyes over the Continue instead. You took a step forward, and raised your hand to click. You pressed down on the yellow button, and a selecting sound echoed through the void. With positive feelings, you yelled out to whatever gave you this second chance.

"Take me back to my family!"

Then everything

was

black.

________________________________

Shuffling filled your ears, and the sound of grass crunching paired with it. You groaned, and all noises ceased.

"Quiet, they're waking up."

With great effort, you opened your eyes. Light blinded you immediately, and you blinked while turning to your side. Waiting for your eyes to adjust, you recognized a familiar golden colour. In a quiet voice, you questioned.

"Buttercups..? Am I.. In the beginning of the Underground?"

Your eyes widened and you shot up suddenly, almost jumping back at the sight of unfamiliar monsters surrounding you. They all wore shirts that read 'support team'.

"Whoa, hey, it's okay human! Uh, you fell from up there. Do you remember anything? Please tell me you don't have amnesia."

One of them spoke up, and you looked at them with scrunched eyebrows. Looking around, you noticed that indeed you were at the start of the Underground. More specifically, Home. This was the place that you remembered to have met Toriel and her family.

"How.. No, actually, have you seen Gaster? I'm sure you know who he is."

They looked at each other with confused looks, before shifting back to you.

"Uh, sorry, but no other humans fell down with the name of 'Gaster'."

Now was your turn to look confused, completely baffled at their response. They stared back with worried gazes. You laughed lightly and stood up from your position, not wanting to be looked down at any longer.

"Very funny, guys. You know, Gaster? The Royal Scientist?"

They all seemed taken aback, and whispered within a circle they made. A small dog- were they a poodle? How cute!- peeked up every now and again, locking eyes with you. They nodded at each other and stepped apart.

"It seems that you have your history wrong, sorry human. The current Royal Scientist is Alphys. It's alright, though. You must have been given the wrong information as a prank."

...Who in the hell is Alphys?

Your mind jumbled together your thoughts as you stared dead into their eyes. They shifted around uncomfortably, none of them locking eyesight with you. You realized you had started to glare, but suddenly remembered something. Or rather, someones. Zeroing in on one of the monsters, you decided to play along with whatever this was.

"Oh, haha, right. I think I fell down after hiking too far into the mountains. Sorry about that." You needed to get out of here, and fast.  Something was wrong here.

"There's caution tape around the entrance though? Surely you must have known."

"Uhh... I must have.. Missed it? I tend to do that." You shuffled nervously. 

They gave each other a certain look and muttered something that you couldn't quite catch. One of them slowly stepped towards you with a soft look in their eyes.

"You must be really confused.. How about we take you to Snowdin? There's someone there that you can talk to there. Maybe about what's going on at home, or.. You know."

What? What is he- Oh. Oh my stars. They think I jumped down on purpose.. Though, I suppose if it gets me to Snowdin, I can go with it a little while longer.

You faked a relieved look and smiled softly.

"I'd.. I'd like that actually."

The monsters sighed in relief and one of them turned toward the entrance. They motioned for you to follow and you did, jogging to keep up. You both entered, and you almost stepped back in shock. The once vibrant and new cave you remembered was now withered, vines growing through cracks in the walls and a path was engraved by so many people walking through. The only thing that remained the same was the red leaves that littered the ground.

"Are you okay, human?"

The monster asked you with a small voice, trying not to scare you away. You turned back and forced a smile on your face.

"I'm okay. Just kind of shocked by everything."

They nodded in understanding, and technically you did not lie. You were in fact shocked, and you were starting to wonder what happened to the place.

Did the explosion reach here as well? Gaster said that the energy was made to reach every part of the Underground, so maybe it made the vines grow at an unnatural rate.

Not wanting to make any stops, you kept your questions to yourself for once. As you followed, you noticed that all of the puzzles had been turned off.

Maybe Toriel and Asgore wanted it to be easier for people who fall in. But what if there was a bad one?  I wouldn't put it past some guy to start shooting monsters without thinking about their lives...  ..It doesn't matter, I can just ask them once I get to the bottom of this.

You both walked in silence, not a word spoken in the purple halls.

----------

The cold nipped at your skin, a feeling you had gotten used to over the months you had lived there prior. The monster stopped, and they smiled wide at you in front of the big Snowdin sign.

"Welcome to Snowdin, Human! I have to get back, but keep walking to the end of the town. The monster will be there waiting for you."

"Oh, okay. Thank you for leading me here, and stay safe on your way back, alright?"

Though you hadn't meant to, their small stature had made you automatically speak in a soft, parental tone out of habit. They smiled wide and nodded, running back across the bridge. Puzzles had also been deactivated, which made you have even more questions since they had not been there before. You shrugged off the sinking feeling in your stomach and made your way across the familiar town.

Thankfully, the town had remained the exact same as you had remembered. You wanted to cry upon seeing Grillby's, knowing you would have to tell him what had happened to you and Gaster at the core.

... It was too quiet.  Why was it so quiet?

Where was everyone?

Turning away you reached the home you grew to love.  Two things caught your attention. First, there was an additional mailbox next to the one that had already been there for Gaster. It was overfilled with mail, and you assumed the other was added to have more room. The other was the figure that stood in the distance. In front of the wooden porch, a short monster stood. They wore a.. strangely familiar blue hoodie, which reminded you of yours. Pink slippers were on their feet along with black basketball shorts.

Walking up to them, you assumed that they were who the monster was talking about. While you wanted to just run inside of your home, you had a lot of questions. Hearing your footsteps, the figure turned around to you. What you saw made you freeze up in horror.

No. No, it couldn't be. He's still just a kid. He couldn't have grown that much, no matter how many weeks it's been. But, Gaster said they were the last of their kind.  It couldn't BE anyone else.  Oh god. Is.. it really..?

"heh, you must be the human that needed some talking to. ice to meet ya-"

You cut him off with a shaky voice, and tears started to gather in your eyes.

"S-sans? I-is.. Is that you?"

He froze up at the sound of your voice, and with black sockets, glided his sight to your face. His once relaxed posture crumbled as he took his hands out of his pockets, shakily grabbing his coat at its sides.

".. mom?"

You sobbed and ran the once small skeleton you knew, and hugged around his shoulders. Sans hugged you back almost immediately, holding on as if he were to let go, that you would disappear. You both shook, and you felt your shirt get wet and cold. Looking down, you saw his tears that soaked into your clothing. Petting his head, you whispered softly.

"I'm so sorry, baby.. I must have been gone for a long time. I'm home. 

I'm home."

His shaky sobs lessened as time went on, and luckily no one was around to see you both and question it. Though you didn't want to let go, you pushed away and stared into Sans' face. His eye sockets were still empty, tears on his cheeks. His once childish look was gone, and eye bags took home instead. He looked like a full fledged adult now.

"Look at you.. You've grown so much."

You smiled softly and wiped his blue tears, and he shakily stuttered out a breath. He was still shorter than you, but had definitely grown taller. He wiped his remaining tears by swiping his sleeve upwards on his face, pin pricks starting to appear again.

"i.. i thought.. c'mon, let's get inside. wouldn't want ya to freeze out here."

"Yeah, I'd rather not be a human-cicle."

Sans smiled a bit more at the joke and led you inside. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door, letting you go inside first. You breathed in the warm air, filling your nose was the smell of spaghetti and... eggs?  Looking around, you were relieved that nothing had changed much. The only difference was that the dining table was gone, replaced with a little table with a book on top of it. Shifting your eyes upwards, only two doors were in the hall instead of four.

Taking a seat on the couch, you were surprised at the lack of jingling. You reached in the couch cushions, and only pulled out lint. Sans plopped down next to you, seeming to have slightly gotten over the shock. He turned to you, and just stared, taking in that you were actually here.

"i never thought i'd see you again. after you and dad left for the core.. it had gotten so late that i had started to think something happened. when i tried to ask someone what happened, they said that they had no idea who I was talking about. no one really knew about you, but every trace of dad was just.. gone."

His baritone voice still trembled, and you couldn't blame him. Your lips pressed together and you reached out, holding his hand in comfort. He grinned thankfully and looked you in the eyes.

"mom, you're the only one besides me that remembers him.

...just what happened in there?"

You stayed silent, thinking back to the events that occurred in the core when it exploded. The red sirens, the noise, and Gaster panicking, trying to save you and his creation.

"I don't know what caused it, but while me and Gaster were about to head off to Waterfall early, the core alert system went off. He'd told me to get into the elevator, but.. You know how I can be. He.. He slipped and fell, and I caught him. I told him that we were both coming home, but.. As if some sort of sick joke, something exploded and threw me off balance. Then we both fell in."

Sans' brows furrowed, and it looked odd paired with his everlasting smile.

"..Sans." You said, trying to keep your voice from cracking.

"yeah? are.. are you okay?"

"Please tell me that all happened yesterday.  And I'm not going crazy." 

His eye lights shrunk to dots, and his grip tightened onto yours. Blue beads of sweat dripped down the side of his skull.

"mom... it's been.. a long, long time since you've both disappeared."

"Sans. Sans, how old are you?"

"...i'm 127."

"...What?"

Chapter Text

The deafening silence was almost too much to bear.

Sans sat in place, waiting for you to make some sort of noise; scream, cry, gasp, anything.

But you only gaped in shock.

Your mouth bobbed like a fish out of water, and after a moment decided to shut it and take a dry swallow of saliva. You hung your head, staring into your lap. Your pants were slightly dirty from being on the ground, and singed with burns from the explosion.

That apparently was not, in fact, yesterday.

A century had passed while you had what, slept?  While Sans had to raise Papyrus on his own.  When he was barely a kid himself.

He'd lost his childhood, and you had been napping.  

The amount of guilt, anger, and just grief that built up in your chest was almost too much to bear.  Guilty for letting yourself fall, anger for the explosion, and grief for what was lost in your absence.

You shivered from a gust of air that blasted from under the door, having been worn down over the years. Goosebumps raised on your arms, and you rub your hands over them in an attempt to warm up; Despite being inside of the house, it was cold like never before.  You wondered if they simply didn't care for heat, or if the thermostat was broken.

You feel a heavy weight drape over your shoulders, breaking you out of your spiraling thoughts. Raising your head, Sans had stood up, no longer wearing the blue coat. He now just sported a plain white shirt.

"i think it's about time you had that back. it's yours, after all."

Tugging at the coat, the faint smell of ketchup and hot dogs emitted from it. Pulling it over, you saw the stitches that you had put into the jacket so many years ago. You smiled sadly at it, and pushed it back into Sans' hands. He stared back confused.

"You should keep it. This'll be the start of paying back all of the birthdays I missed." By some miracle, your voice kept steady.

"heh.. if you do that, you're gonna make me tear up again."

He winked and pointed to a little rip in one of the sleeves, making you snort.

"Hey, how do you steal a coat?"

"i dunno, how do you?"

"You jacket."

You both barked in laughter, and Sans slid on his coat again again. While you calmed down, he disappeared and reappeared, clutching a different jacket. It was almost exact to the one he wore, but had a black hood instead of the usual dull grey. He nudged it toward you.

You smiled and slipped your arms through the sleeves, already feeling the warmth emitting from the soft insides.

"i don't ever wear this one, so you can keep it."

"Thank you, Sansy."

Sans' zygomatic bones flushed blue, having not heard that nickname in years.  He'd forgotten that it was what you used to call him when he was younger- it embarrassed him, but he didn't bother to tell you at the moment.  Later, though.

He laughed it off, nodding in response.

Jumping in your seat, ringing drowned out the next words in your throat and Sans glanced down to his phone. Looking at it yourself, your eyebrows raised at the futuristic look it had. It was sleek and thin, having a full touch screen. The one you'd owned before was just a flip phone, but even then touchscreens were expensive and relatively new. He held it up to the side of his skull to answer.

" 'sup, kid... uhuh.. again?.. yeah, yeah. wait, now?... uh, no reason... yup.. yup. m'kay. see ya later, kiddo."

He hung up the phone with a beep and turned back to you with a glint in his eye. 

You recognized that glint anywhere.  Like father, like son.

"Who was that? One of your friends?"  You cringed internally, realizing you sounded just like your mother before a lecture about friends.

"yeah, you could say that. they said.. actually, why don't we wait? you'll see soon enough."

You quirked an eyebrow at his words, but said nothing of it. He smiled lazily, but you could tell he was happy. His eye bags almost, almost, didn't seem noticeable.

You hoped that he would be able to sleep better soon.

You're still upset over the fact that you had missed his entire childhood, their childhood, you couldn't imagine what Sans had to go through. Both of the adults in his life had disappeared over night, and he was left with a baby brother all by himself.

...

. . .

Wait. If Sans is older now, then does that mean..?

"Sans, where's Papy-" You were cut off by a booming voice that resonated in your bones.

"SANS! I HAVE RETURNED FROM THE HUMAN'S HOME!"

You jumped at the new addition in the room, a loud bang sounding through the house as a large monster kicked open the door. Sans snorted at you, holding a knuckle up to his nose.  

You locked eyes with the new monster, and sucked in a breath.

He was a skeleton.

Not just any skeleton, but a very tall one at that. He's at least two heads taller than Gaster, his skull brushing the top of the already modified door frame.

"OH! WELL, HELLO THERE OTHER HUMAN! I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE NOT MET.  I, AM THE GREAT-"

"Papyrus?" You whispered, somehow being heard over his words.

He blinked you, black sockets just as you remember, and squealed in delight. Stars sparkled in his eyes as he squished his cheek bones upwards.

"WOWEE! YOU ALREADY KNOW MY NAME?! WHY OF COURSE, YOU MUST BE A FAN! AND WHAT IS YOUR NAME, DEAREST HUMAN?"

Your eyes crinkled as you took in the sight before you. Papyrus, the sweet little boy with an obsession for the Rubix cube, was standing before you, almost 10 times his size from before. He's wearing an armored outfit, with some sort of symbol on his chest plate. It's color theme consisted of red, white, and black with hints of gold.

His facial structure had changed as well, his once round, cute teeth more rectangular and his cheek bones were more pronounced.

If you'd thought that Sans acted like Gaster, Papyrus certainly looked like him.

You slowly got up, and sauntered over to Papyrus silently. You quietly wrapped your arms around his torso, since that's all that you could reach now, and tried not to cry.  It's growing increasingly difficult not to sob in front of your sons.

"HUMAN..? ..IF YOU WISHED TO HUG, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST ASKED!"

He put his boney arms around your waist and lifted you up into the air.  He swayed you from left to right, and you laughed with your legs swaying underneath you.

Peering down, you see Sans grinning cheekily at the scene. Papyrus sets you down, and you take in a shaky breath. Glancing in the shorter brother's direction, he nodded, seeming to understand what you wanted to say. Preparing yourself, you tried your best not to let your voice crack.

Even though it hadn't been very long for you, it didn't mean that you didn't understand the time between.  Papyrus had grown from a child to a grown man within the past 24 hours.  And you'd missed it.

"Hey, Paps. You might not remember me, but that's.. Okay. My name is ..Y/n."  You swallowed down the nervousness and forced a cheerful grin on your face.

Papyrus's brows raised in surprise, and you took note with a chuckle that all of his expressions were like out of a comic book.

"HAVE WE.. MET BEFORE? NYOOHOO, I DO APOLOGIZE, Y/N!  BUT... I INDEED DO NOT REMEMBER," You tried not to let the sting get to you too much. 

Of course he couldn't remember.  It wasn't his fault.

"HMMMMM....."

He placed a hand under his chin and bent down, attempting to get a better look at your face. He observed from multiple different angles, trying to pinpoint some sort of clue as to who you are.

Suddenly, his eyes sparkled at something he found... But then shook his head, dismissing the thought. He turned to his brother for help, and Sans seemed like he'd been waiting for it.

You had already expected Papyrus not to remember you, seeing as he was barely a toddler when you had gone. But it didn't stop the feeling that ate away your heart, bitterness tugging heart strings.

"SANS!"

"yeah, bro?"

"DO I KNOW THIS HUMAN?"

"sure ya do."

"REALLY?! I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER!"

"remember those stories i told you about when you were just baby bones?"

"YES, BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?"

"who taught you how to walk?"

"YOU SAID IT WAS OUR MOTHER! THAT STILL DOES NOT ANSWER MY INQUIRY, SANS- ARE YOU HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME AGAIN AND DODGING THE QUESTION?"  He squinted at Sans, hands placed upon his hip bones.

"nah, bro. just put two and two together and really look at 'em."

Switching his attention back to you, Papyrus scrunched up his bone brows, eye sockets squinting at you. You smiled awkwardly, breaking eye contact to watch the floor.

It wasn't a very interesting floor.

Papyrus stood up straight once again after a while of staring and lifted a gloved finger in victory.

"I'VE GOT IT! THEY'RE... THEY'RE... I STILL DON'T KNOW."  He looked to be frowning, a little frustrated at the mystery of who your identity is.

Sans sighed and turned to you, shrugging.  

"don't worry ma, he'll get it sometime. after all, he's not a numbskull."

"UGHHH- SANS! DON'T PLAGUE THE OLDER HUMAN WITH YOUR-"  He cut himself off, sockets widening a fraction.

"WAIT A MINUTE. DID YOU JUST- CALL THEM MOTHER?"

"sure did bro." 

Papyrus's head switched back and forth between you and Sans, realization creeping over his skull. Pausing his gaze at you, he smiled wide and picked you up from under your arms- as if you were some sort of cat.  You let out a quiet 'oh!' in surprise.

"WOWEE! I FINALLY GET TO MEET MY MOTHER! IS IT TRULY?" His eyes sparkled like none before, the sheer joy almost blinding.  The sting you felt ebbed away, smiling softly.  You cupped his jaw gently with a gentleness that only a parent could have.

"It really is me, my little bundle of joy. I'm so sorry I took so long."

"NO NEED TO SAY SORRY! I ALREADY FORGIVE YOU! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM FORGIVING YOU FOR, BUT I'M SURE YOU HAD YOUR REASONS FOR BEING AWAY!  AFTER ALL, WHO WOULD WANT TO BE AWAY FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS?"

Your bottom lip trembled at the enthusiastic skeleton before you, tears threatening to spill from behind your eyes. You tilted your head back, letting them dry before flipping back with a wide smile.

"You're so tall now, Paps! Just yesterday you were still crawling around, barely even up to my calf."

"NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE! I DRANK PLENTY OF MILK FOR MY BONES TO GROW, LIKE EVERY SKELETON SHOULD." He gave a clear pointed look to Sans, who only shrugged.

His laugh was the same as you remembered, bringing forth memories. It was odd seeing your little baby boy all grown within a day, but for now, you had to let it sink in or you would be withered to a sobbing mess. You didn't realize how much you had been looking forward to watching the brothers grow up until today, and it was the worst feeling to feel.

Papyrus set you down on the ground, and you watched as he raced to the kitchen with mega-tons of energy.

"THIS IS QUITE THE MOMENTOUS OCCASION! I MUST MAKE THE BEST SPAGHETTI, JUST YOU WAIT! NYEH HEH HEH!"

"don't you mean, mom-mentous bro?" You slapped a hand over your mouth, smothering your laugh.  You heard a groan emerge from the kitchen.

"SANS! DO NOT RUIN MY MOOD WITH YOUR INSUFFERABLE PUNS."

"Come on Paps, it's not a party without a mother-lode of jokes."

"NOOOOO- NOT YOU, TOO!"

You and Sans cackled, much to the younger brother's annoyance.

Clanging pots and pans sounded from the kitchen, and you grew excited to see what his cooking was like. Sans took notice of the glimmer in your eye and sighed.

"wouldn't get your hopes up. he's uh.. not exactly the next top culinary chef, if you get what i'm cookin'."

You waved him off. "I'm sure it couldn't be that bad." 

"remember those pancakes i made for you that one mornin'?"

"What? Those were delicious, Sans."

He gave a look that said 'Don't lie to me', to which you only looked away.

"the pasta's levels over those, is what i'm trying to get at."

You were now worried for your safety, but still excited nonetheless. You claimed back your spot on the couch, and the fact that it didn't make any noise other than normal couch noises still kind of bothered you.

You sighed and found the remote, turning on the T.V. It flickered on, images clearer than anything you'd ever seen popping up. The last television you'd seen were the ones sitting in the Lab, which you were sure were not flat screen. Sans saw you staring in amazement and chuckled, choosing to watch as well.

"graphics change a skele-ton over the years, don't they?"

"They really do. As if that phone you have isn't enough, I can't imagine what else has changed."

"welp, for starters, the barriers broken."

And with that bomb-shell dropped, you gape at Sans waiting for him to say 'Sike! We're still trapped', but it never came.

"..Oh shit,"

Sinking into the couch, you sulked in all of the history you missed after being thrown into wherever the blast had sent you.

"Wow, I- I never thought that I'd live to see the day."

"me neither, if i'm bein' honest."  It sounded like there was more to that story, but you didn't push it.  One thing at a time.

"Does this mean you all found a way to make artificial Souls?  It must have been really hard to figure that one out.  I know Gaster had only been half-way there, with you two and all."

Sans tensed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He cleared his throat, sweat forming on his forehead.

"no, we didn't. dad's the only monster able to do that, and even then- it was just two monster souls."

Your eyebrows raised. "Really? Then how did..."

It suddenly dawned on you.

Horror swallowed your features. Sans stared ahead, not making eye contact with you.  Your soul clenched in your chest.

No way.  It hasn't been long enough for a human to fall and even die of old age, much less seven.

"No, no- Asgore and Toriel would never allow that. Taking human Souls and using them like that, they would have to die in order to- Sans, just what the hell happened?"

Sans sighed tiredly and put his hands into his pockets. Closing his sockets, you'd almost thought he went to sleep until he spoke again.

"it's a really long story, but i might as well tell ya everythin'," Your brows furrowed, focusing on listening.

"after you and dad disappeared, uncle j took us in, despite bein' sick. he was coughing all the time, and without dad's medicine, he got more ill an'..."

He trailed off, and you gasped quietly. 

Oh stars.. Undyne, she must have been so crushed...

"after he passed, undyne moved in with her gramps. his place wasn't big enough for all of us, so i took paps and moved back in here. some of the townsfolk felt sorry for us and lent us food, though grillbs helped out the most. he made sure we never went hungry, and i still can't find how to thank him enough for that." 

You made a mental note to thank him tremendously when you found him again.  Maybe you could pay off Gaster's tab.

"after a few years, i was old enough to get a job and paps was just startin' school. he stayed home and learned from the books left in dad's room. that was 'round when the second human fell."

You froze at the mention of a human, waiting to see how everything turned out the way it did. Sans continued after clearing his throat.

You smell the spaghetti sauce from the kitchen now.

"their name was chara. the kid was found by asriel, and they became siblings. before long, though, they got real sick. few days later, chara died."

You put a hand to your mouth, saddened by this bit of information. Sans had a neutral expression, so you couldn't quite see how he felt about this matter.

"asriel absorbed their soul and crossed the barrier, seeing as chara's last wish was to see the flowers from their village. the humans thought that the kid had killed them, and so they did chara a justice that wasn't deserved. toriel and asgore lost both their kids that day."

"asgore called war on the humans later on, and tori got real mad about that one. she took her things and left, goin' to the ruins where no one would find her. after that, more humans fell and.. well, they all got picked off one by one by the royal guard. 'bout a year ago, though, a kid fell down. looked a lot like chara, to be honest with you. their name's frisk."

You took notice that he didn't use past tense with Frisk's name.

"they spared everyone, and got to asgore. all of us, tori, alphys, papyrus, undyne, and i showed up to stop the kid and the king from fightin'. we actually don't know how it happened, but when we woke up after gettin' knocked out, the barrier was broken and asriel was back. tori and asgore were crying their heads off, and afterwards adopted frisk."

"an' now we're here."  Sans sagged into the cushions.

You sat still, replaying the story in your head to understand it all better.

Jainil died, Asriel died but came back, and they had no idea how the barrier broke but didn't question it.

Makes sense.

...

Not.

Just on time for you to unleash a torrent of questions, Papyrus came back with three steaming plates of spaghetti. He handed you one first, and then Sans second.

"I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY SPAGHETTI, MOTHER! BONE APPETITE-"

His face grew horrified in that moment that the words slipped his teeth.

"heheheh, wow bro, didn't know yo-"

"DON'T."

You snorted and spun your fork to grab a bite of the spaghetti.

You decided to folder away the information that'd been dumped on you, saving it for a later time.

The pasta looked normal enough, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.  No glitter, glue, or even pebbles.

Maybe Sans was just trying to play a prank on me.

You picked up a good amount and blew on it, not seeing Papyrus and Sans' waiting gazes. Sans was ready to get a trash can as fast as possible while Papyrus was awaiting your thoughts. Deciding when it was cool enough, you took a bite of the pasta.

...

oh good god

You wanted to scrunch your nose as soon as it came into contact with your tongue, but as to not hurt Papyrus' feelings, you forced it down. The noodles are soggy, and you could feel bits of what felt like cardboard along in it. Glitter and sequins were mixed in the sauce, disguised as tomato chunks, and even then the meatballs were majorly under cooked and over cooked at the same time.

And, you didn't even want to know where the white hair had come from.

You could definitely say that this was on par with the glitter pancakes.

They are most definitely brothers.

You forced yourself not to gag, and instead replaced it with a shaky smile and a hum of satisfaction, swallowing every bit of the monstrosity. Sans watched in amazement at your integrity, though still reached for the bin. Papyrus seemed very happy, and cheered while taking his own bite.

"JUDGING FROM YOUR EXPRESSION... YOU MUST LOVE IT!" 

You groaned inwardly. "Yeah Paps, it's the greatest Spaghetti I've ever had."

"WOWEE! A GENUINE COMPLIMENT!"

You pushed down the urge to cough and let out a satisfied sigh instead. Sans shuffled over, and while Papyrus wasn't looking, took your plate and vanished it. You blinked in surprise, as you hadn't seen this ability before.

"That's a new one."

"heh, you learn a few things over the years."

You chuckled and sunk into the still-soft couch cushions. Taking a peek at the clock in the corner, it read 9:36. Papyrus seemed to take notice of your gaze and looked as well, then gasped at the time.

"IT'S AN HOUR PAST MY BEDTIME! I MUST GO TO BED, OLDER H- I MEAN MOTHER. GOODNIGHT!"

Before you could even reply, he was up and in his room.  You smiled after him.  At least he was energetic.

At the mention of bed time, tiredness crawled up your spine and made you yawn. Sans saw you and yawned as well, sagging down.

"welp, it's been a long day.. you can take my bed, i'll just sleep on the couch."

At that, he flopped down on the said sofa and closed his eyes.

"Oh, no, Sans you don't have to. I can sleep on the couch just fine."

"come on, we both need sleep after what's happened today. don't worry about me, i like the couch better anyways." He gave you a tired wink.

You purse your lips and sighed in defeat. Standing up and brushing the lint off of your pants, Sans lied down on his back and put his leg on top of the other. Walking up the stairs, you turned before going into the hall.

"Good night, Sansy. Maybe we can figure all of this out tomorrow."

"heh, yeah. g'night, mom."

Smiling softly, you turned around and trudged to Sans' room. His door was already unlocked, and upon going in, you saw that nothing had changed at all. It made you want to laugh, but the non-belief of everything still lingered. Closing the door behind you, you walked over the bedside and sat down. The self-sustaining tornado was bigger than before, and the only new thing was the treadmill in the middle of the room.

Lying down on your side, you tugged the blanket wad apart and covered your body. You hugged it closer, keeping the heat inside of the cloth. Thinking back to everything, it seemed that all of it was going so fast.

Just yesterday, you were laughing with Gaster and making jokes.

Today you had been thrown into the future, and he was nowhere to be seen nor found. Your boys were all grown up with their own lives, and it made you want to punch something in frustration that they had to do it alone.

...

"What would you do, Gaster, if you were in my shoes?"

No one answered, and you closed your eyes with the sudden, new found sense to understand.

...

"I swear I'll find you, even if it's the last thing I do."

Chapter Text

When you woke the morning after, it had taken you a few moments to remember what had transpired.

Your mouth thinned at the reminder.

You stole a glance from underneath the blankets. You couldn't tell what time it was, since Sans apparently never bothered to put an alarm or clock in his room. The light was the same as the night before outside of the window, as the light never changed in the Underground.  

You waited a few minutes to adjust and ready yourself to wake up entirely.

Peeling the blankets off of your body, you slid the coat Sans had given you back on and stepped onto the cold, wooden floors. Padding out of the door, you closed it and made your way down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake up the siblings if they were still sleeping.

As if to confirm your thoughts, the older of the two was snoring away on the couch, chest slowly rising and falling.

He looks peaceful.

Smiling to yourself, you carefully tread over and kiss his forehead. Picking yourself up, you made your way to the kitchen. When you stepped in, you were hit with the smell of pasta and tomatoes.

I know we had spaghetti just last night, but this is just too intense.

You shuffled around and opened cabinets, looking for something to make for breakfast. Sans and Papyrus hadn't seen you or Gaster in a century, so you figured that they should have a (edible) home cooked meal for a change. Not that Grillby's wasn't good, but a little change is always nice.

You figured Sans probably headed there more often than not for a meal.  You hummed and scanned the contents of the kitchen.

"Looks like there's enough here for.. Pancakes."

Your hold on the flour you had grabbed lowered, reminded that pancakes are Gaster's favorite breakfast food.

..I wish he was here.

Shaking your head to clear your mind, you gathered the rest of the ingredients. Putting the liquids and dry ingredients in different bowls, you mixed them separately first. Then, you poured the wet mix into the dry, whipping it together in a matter of 5 minutes.

You turned to the stove, ready to make a big, whopping stack of pancakes.  Tying a frilly, pink apron around your waist, you huffed in determination.

"Let's do this."

_____________

"mmmh..? mom..?"

Sans' morning voice drew out from behind you. You plop the last pancake onto the towering stack and sweep around, grinning at the boy. He was standing awkwardly, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His jacket's disheveled, wrinkly from tossing and turning while all night.

I guess some things never change.

"Good morning, sleepy bones. I made breakfast!"

You dramatically presented the menacing stack of pancakes, which reached comically toward the ceiling. You could see Sans sweat drop at the height.

"oh. you really didn't have to, ya' know."

"I know.. It's just the least I could do."

Sans smiled, rubbing his neck and looked at the time. He gave it a weird look and shook his head, chuckling to himself. As he took a step forward to get food, he was interrupted by a certain tall skeleton.

"SANS? YOU'RE NEVER UP THIS EARLY- I'M SO PROUD OF YOU BROTHER!"

Jumping at Papyrus's booming voice, you gripped onto the counter beside you. Glancing up, you see that he's in the same outfit as yesterday, his bones shining like he had just gotten out of the shower.

Does he wash up with that thing on?

"the smell woke me up, bro."

"SMELL? OH, GOOD MORNING, MOTHER! WHAT IS THAT BESIDE YOU, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME SORT OF... ODD, FLAT BREAD??"

You chuckled at his question, shaking your head playfully.

"They're pancakes, Paps.. You ever have them before?"

"OH! YES, I DO BELIEVE ASGORE'S CLONE MADE THEM BEFORE. SHE'D SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT BOILED AT ALL, WHICH I FIND TO BE VERY ODD."

"I made enough for everyone.  I wanted to make breakfast for you two, I hope you don't mind me using your kitchen."

"WE DON'T MIND AT ALL! AND, OUR KITCHEN IS YOUR KITCHEN.  AFTER ALL, IT WAS YOURS FIRST.  THIS WAS VERY CONSIDERATE OF YOU, THANK YOU!"

You laughed lightly and stepped to the side, letting Sans and Papyrus take their plates that you had already made for them. Taking your own in hand, you looked around for a place to sit and saw that the dining table that was once there, no longer was.

Deciding to just sit on the couch, your legs sinking into the cushions. Letting the boys take a bite first, you watched for their criticisms.

Sans took the bite first.

...

His eye lights blew out to mini-circles.

"wow- these're just like i remember! they're great, as always."

"I AGREE, BROTHER! THESE 'PANCAKES' ARE ALMOST AS GREAT AS MY PASTA!" You weren't sure to take that as an insult or not, deciding on the latter.

"I'm glad you both like them! There's plenty more if you'd like seconds."  You took a bite yourself.  They tasted the same as always, grateful for the familiarity.

Sans nodded, clearly ready to take you up on that offer.

...

You all ate in silence, enjoying the morning sun that shone through the windows.

You felt like something, or someone, was missing from the equation, however.

Papyrus shoveled the rest of his breakfast down, remembering something, and raced into the kitchen. He came back out empty handed, and jogged to the door.

Always moving around, aren't ya?

"Leaving so early, Papy?" You asked.

"YES! I HAVE SOME ERRANDS TO RUN, AND PUZZLES TO SOLVE! I'LL BE BACK BY NOON."

"Alright, stay safe out there." You smiled.

"NYEHEHEHEH! ALWAYS!"  He grinned back with gusto.

And with that, he slammed the door close.

Almost immediately, his head poked through the door again and glared at Sans. The victim of the lasers grinned in response, already knowing what Papyrus was going to say.

"AND PICK UP YOUR SOCK WHILE I'M GONE!"

He closed it again, and this time for the last. You smiled at his silly antics, his rush to finish things reminding you heavily of their father. Standing up, you walked to the kitchen and placed your plate down on the cream colored counter.

In the other room, you heard the door open again, and assumed Papyrus had forgotten something. Making your way back to the living room, you called out for him.

"Papyrus? Did you forget some... thing..?" You trailed off, staring at the front door.

Standing before you was a child, human, wearing a blue and purple striped shirt. They sported brown hair, cut into a chin-length bob. They stood while signing something frantically to Sans, whose expression was slowly turning to something not so friendly.

Neither of them noticed you standing awkwardly in the doorway of the kitchen, watching their interaction.

"i don't care if it's gone, frisk. what I want to know is why you were looking for it in the first place, especially after what you promised.  you know more than anyone what that means."

His tone of voice slightly scared you, his vocals having gone deeper and it held an aggressive growl to it.

Their hands slowed down, and they looked to the side, looking guilty. Only then did they seem to notice you in the room. The kid, Frisk, you assumed, gaped at you as if they had just seen a ghost. Sans noticed you as well, and quickly lost his aggression.

"hey, sorry 'bout that. this is frisk, the kid i told you about before."  You shot him a 'I saw that' look, but said nothing.

"It's alright, no bones about it."

Sans chuckled, and you walked to his side. Frisk shot back and forth between you and Sans, confusion written all over their face. They stopped at you, and cautiously attempted to sign to you.

"Oh, uh, sorry kid. I don't know sign."

You really should have taken up some classes on the topside.

They nodded with understanding and grabbed a marker board attached to their pants by a clip, scribbling ferociously. They turned it around so you could read what they had written.

"Hi, my name's Frisk. It's nice to meet you. :)"

Aw, how cute!

"Nice to meet you too, Frisk.  I'm Y/n."

Frisk smiled, seeing that you were friendly. With a teasing look on their face, they turned to Sans and held up both of their hands in peace signs, holding one over the other horizontally and tapped twice. He choked on air and gave them a look that you could only describe as disgust.

"kid, really? no. just, no."

Frisk put up their hands in defense and seemed to apologize. Sans only sighed and shuffled closer to you, who is still confused by their interaction by the way.

"What? What did they say?" You prodded.

"nothin' to worry about, they just got the wrong idea about somethin'."  He squinted at Frisk, but they only giggled apologetically.

Your shoulders sagged in defeat. "Well, alright, if you say so... Frisk, if you haven't had breakfast yet there's pancakes in the kitchen, if you'd like some?" 

They took a moment to write down their reply in marker.

"Thank you, but I have to get going soon. Goat mom'll be wondering where I am by now."

Frisk drew a small character bowing, and smiled apologetically. You nodded in understanding, though you questioned who this 'goat mom' was.

It's probably Toriel.. Gosh, I should really see her soon.

They erased the message on the board and clipped it back to their small belt you just now noticed they had on, and trotted over to the door. They waved their small hand, and you waved back while saying goodbye.

"Don't catch a cold now! I doubt Toriel would want to deal with all that snot."

Frisk stared at you incredulously, like they had just seen something impossible so all degrees of nature. They gave a look to Sans, who was purposely not paying attention and was instead staring at the rock that was covered in sprinkles.

Hesitantly, they smiled nervously and closed the door. You tilted your head, worried that maybe you had said something wrong. 

"Are they always like that?"

Sans turned his head, still poking at the rock. "nah, the kid's just shocked seein' you here. they're not used to us lettin' humans stay in the house."

"Do you think they thought it was weird that I mentioned Toriel?" You ducked your head slightly.

"oh.. yeah that might'a done it, too."

He stared at you, a faraway look in his eye. It made you think of how Gaster looked when he was deep in thought.

"say, mom. did anything, ehh, weird, happen before you came back?"

You were taken aback at the question, it coming out of nowhere.

You put a finger on your chin, sorting through your memories. Thinking back to the menu-esque screen you had seen before, you thought about the two options that had loomed before you, like fate giving you a chance to decide.  You closed your eyes to think back on it.

"You could say that.. But it might have also just been a dream, so I'm not entirely sure."

"even if it was, could you describe it to me?"

"The best way that I can describe it would be that.. I appeared in some sort of video game menu. When I dropped in there, I couldn't remember anything at all. Not you, your brother, or Gaster.  But, when I did after some headache, I noticed these.. Buttons just floating there. Continue and Reset."

Sans' eye sockets went black.  Void of magic, darkness drawing in the light of the room.  It.. reminded you eerily of the place you floated in before.

...

"Sans? ..Sansy?"

You waved a hand in front of his face, trying to get him to snap out of it. He jumped, blinked and shook his head, manifesting his eye lights and stared at you with a certain look you couldn't quite pinpoint.

Fear, worry, joy? It was all jumbled together in a mess.

"that.. wasn't a dream," He finally said.

...

"Huh?"

...

"what you were in was the reset menu." He continued.  Reset menu?

"Is this another monster thing I never knew about?"

Sans shook his head. "no, it's strictly a human ability. usually, anyways. the ability to start over again."

Start over again?  ..That sounded ominous, coming from him.

"Wouldn't I have known if I had this.. Reset thing?"  He hesitated, then continued on.

"do ya' know the whole concept of souls?"

"Yes, but.." You sighed. "I suppose you'll explain anyway.  At least let me get comfy first."

You flopped down on the couch, mentally exhausted not even 3 hours into the morning. Sans joined you, looking just as tired.

"good, then that means i won't have to stop and explain. determination, being the strongest of the traits, is the only kind of soul that's able to have this ability. only one person per timeline has it though, so it's rare."

Determination, huh?

"But, Sans, my Soul trait isn't Determination."

At this, Sans tilted his head, thinking. He seemed almost stumped now, seeing as you didn't have Determination.

"Does this have something to do with what Frisk lost earlier? Did.. Did they lose the reset button?"

Sans chuckled to himself before answering.  He rubbed a skeletal hand across his head, soothing himself.

"you hit the nail right on the head. i'm starting to think if maybe, somehow, ya got the ability in the moment that frisk didn't have a lotta determination. this is the first time you've showed up in the timeline, so it's a possible clause."

"Timeline..?" You blinked.

Sans sighed, readying himself to speak for a long while, yet again.

"get ready to hear a long, long story."

_________________

"So. You're telling me, that Frisk was controlled by some sort of genocidal psychopath, resetting over and over again, and you're the only one that remembers even a smidgen of any of it. And not only that, I've suddenly appeared after hundreds of resets and got this ability simply because I have more Determination than them now?"

"yyyyyup."

As much as you wanted to not believe the skeleton before you, you knew that even he wouldn't joke about something like this.

You rubbed your temples at the incoming headache that was starting to form. Sans watched you stress over the new information, and after a few minutes, stood up with a grunt.

"c'mon. i wanna show you somethin'. "

Looking up, you see Sans walking to the door of the house. Getting up, you followed him without a second thought out of the Christmas plaid building.

The cold nipped at your nose and exposed ankles, making you shiver. After closing the door, you jogged to catch up with the short skeleton. He led you toward the mail boxes, and then behind the house. Looking over in curiosity, a familiar door came into view.

"Gaster's Lab?"

"that's right."

Sans took out a key and unlocked the door, letting it slide upwards.

Stepping in, you noticed that the room no longer held the Doctor's touch. Blueprints scattered across the counter tops, and the desks that were once lined up against the wall had been replaced by a machine lump covered in sheets. The bed that you had laid on the first time you'd come in here was gone, as well. The walls were no longer the pristine white it was, now dulled down to a more gray-blue color. The tiles had all been replaced by purple ones.

"ever since you and dad disappeared, i took the liberty of using his lab to work on a way to bring you both back. so far, i've only been able to pinpoint that you were both in the void."

Sans uncovered the machine, and a metallic box covered in buttons stood proudly. A door had been built in, so you could see that it was made to be walked into. Sliding over to the shiny object, you slid your hand across the cool metal. Electronic wire poured from the corners of it, and it looked worse for wear.

" 'course, it exploded on me a few times. scared the mayor half to death when he'd come to visit."

Saying nothing, you glanced over to the blueprints, notes scribbled in wing dings pointing to different parts. In large print, on the top of all the blueprints read 'DON'T FORGET'.

You scanned over the papers, taking notice of the random stains here and there that looked suspiciously like tear stains.

...

"If Gaster and I fell at the same time, then why didn't he appear with me?" You asked out loud.  It makes sense why'd you'd ask, considering you'd both fell at the same time.

Sans turned to you. "i have a theory that it's 'cause of your soul. since you're human, you could withstand the void, unlike dad."

You stood for a moment, thinking to yourself and furrowing your brows.

Even so, we fell together. That means that we have an undoubtable connection. And, if we build off of that, then...

Your eyes widened.

"Sans, does the void happen to keep things near as they fell in the first time?" You might have been grasping for straws at this point, but...

"yeah, why?"

...But.

"If I'm here, and it's because I was able to get out due to my Soul, then wouldn't that mean that Gaster is here in this timeline, just still in the void?"

"Could we not find him because he's without a doubt nearby now?"

Sans' eye sockets widened at your inquiry. His smile grew wider, and hope filled his eyes.

If there's a chance that somehow I'm actually right?

"holy shit, you're a genius."

I'm taking it and riding it along.

Chapter Text

Gruesome, tiresome work.

Work, work, work, work.

That's all you knew.

Try this, try that, fail, and repeat.

'It's all a part of the process!' You thought. 'It'll work soon,' You kept telling yourself. But even you, who was the most determined to find a way into the void, was starting to lose that hope.

Many, many months have passed since you and Sans had started on what you both called the "G Project". Neither of you got much sleep, though you were worse for wear than the skeleton. Most nights now you didn't even eat, and instead spent it in the Lab drawing blueprints.  A crash course in mechanics helped you understand a lot more than you thought it would have.  It's not perfect, of course, and Sans knew infinitely more than you did, but you still tried your best.

Sans and Papyrus both have had to carry your sleep deprived body out of the Lab, and it had them worried to no end. Sans understood your desperation, but it seemed that everyday that you were getting worse. It reminded him of his father.

Ironic, wasn't it?

it feels familiar.

It hurt him to see his parent this way, since he had never seen you like this. The only time that could amount to this behavior was when you had run off to chase his father down, though that was now small compared to this. Your skin was getting paler by the day, having hardly eaten anything or had something to drink. Sans hardly found you sleeping.

Luckily, thought, he found you slumped over and sleeping for once when he blipped down to check on you.

"geez, ma.. you're startin' to make me feel like the parent here." He grumbled.

Sans lifted you up with his magic, not wanting to wake you due to physical contact. Eye bags had darkened underneath your eyes, screaming out for rest. He took a moment to look at you completely, then sighed.

"i really didn't want to have to resort to this, but you leave me with no choice. it's time for some furry interference."

____________________

"Where in the hell...?"

You had woken up, shocked that you had even fallen asleep in the first place, in a soft and comfortable bed instead of the chair you had expected to wake up on. And, judging by how there were no crumbs on this mattress, this was definitely not Sans' bed. You shot up from the covers, and almost immediately groaned at the sore muscles in your arms and headache. Probably from drawing too much, and typing all day and night.

Recovering from the throbbing ache, you do a once over around the room to gather yourself.

The first thing you noticed? That this was, in fact, a child's room. Two children, to be exact. The side you were on was plain, save for the drawings on the walls. The other side had a couple of buttercups in a clay pot, along with some stray green and yellow shirts littered on the floor.

Despite the darkness, you could have sworn you spotted some white fur.

"Okay, so this is either a dream, or I got kidnapped by children."

Your bones ached as you stood onto your feet, almost tipping over from dizziness, the edges of your eyesight going black. Despite having gotten some sleep, your eyes still burned from not being closed quite enough. You slapped your cheek to stay awake, the stinging pain working slowly to wake you up.

You stalked towards the oaken door that sat to your left. Being careful as to not make any noise, you sneaked and turned the handle, but before you could even open the door it was pushed open, making you fall backwards.

You fell onto your bottom, hands cushioning your fall. Looking up to see who had opened the door, you stated into two shining green eyes.

"O-oh! I'm so sorry- I didn't realize you were awake! Are you alright?" A tiny voice called out.

A small goat, who looked like a miniature version of Asgore, stood before you held out a small paw. He wore one of the yellow and green sweaters, and you conclude that he owned the left side of the space. Inspecting closer, you had a flash of recognition.

"...Asriel?" You breathed.

Asriel's face contorted to one of confusion and awkwardness, slowly pulling back his paw.

"U-uhm, Sorry, but.. Have we met before..?"

Shaking the shock from your face, you stood up with the help of your knee and nodded.

"You could say that. Though, you were only a baby, so you wouldn't remember." You explained.

His brows furrowed even deeper, but he couldn't say anything as a voice you knew too well interrupted him.

"Asriel? Is everything alright? You have been standing there for quite a while now."

Glancing over behind Asriel, purple came into view as she stepped over. Trailing your eyes upwards, you confirmed your suspicions and saw the ever kind face of Toriel. She looked the same, though skin started to wrinkle in the corners of her eyes. You couldn't muster any nostalgic emotions through the pure exhaustion you felt creeping on your back. She turned towards the open door, eyes catching the view of yourself, and smiled in relief.

"Oh! Y/n, it is so good to see you awake. You have had us all worried!"

She remembers me?

"Toriel? What's.. What's going on here? Where am I?"

"All of your questions will be answered, but only if you agree to have some pie with us. I just finished baking a batch."

While the sound of her infamous butterscotch cinnamon pie was absolutely, devastatingly mouth watering, the thought of Gaster brought you back to your senses.

"I'd love to, but I have some things to do. I'm sorry that we have to cut our reunion short, Toriel."

She tightened her mouth, almost looking as if she was expecting that answer. Channeling her inner mother, she promptly replied.

"I must insist. Surely your.. Work.. can wait an hour or two?"

The way she said it made you feel guilty, seeing as you had brushed her off to run back to Snowdin, from wherever you were. Asriel was watching you two, nervously looking back and forth before ducking off to who knows where as to not get caught in the crossfire.

Those two hours could be the two I need to figure this out. I was so close last night, too.

"I apologize, Y/n, but Sans has already informed me of your condition. So, I will not be taking 'no' for an answer."

Damn it.

Seeing as the former queen was serious, you grudgingly followed her in the house. It was almost exact to the one in the ruins, but it seemed more lively somehow. There was a staircase, but this time it led upwards instead of down. Taking slower steps, something dawned upon you.

We're on the surface, aren't we?

"Come along now, the table is already set."

You jogged to catch up with the woman, despite your body wanting to shut down at the mere thought of movement. Sitting at the table, you see Frisk and Asriel playing some sort of game in front of the fireplace.

They seem close.

Toriel brought out the ever intimidating pie, and sat it down onto the table. She cut slices into it, and gave you a slightly larger piece than normal.

Peering at her in suspicion, she only hummed, feigning innocence. Letting a breath out, you picked up the fork next to you. Having not eaten normal food in weeks, the metal almost felt alien in your fingers. You weren't totally sure if you could count pie as actual food, though.

Toriel waited to start eating until you took a bite.

Fuck it, she's not letting me leave anyway.

You shoved a good sized piece in your mouth, and swallowed.

She looked happy at your efforts, and took a bite of her own. Soon enough, you noticed a pattern. Toriel wouldn't take another bite until you did, making sure you ate along with her. Deep within you, you felt touched at the efforts she was making for you. Of course you knew that you weren't being healthy, who wouldn't? You had just chosen to ignore your brain and continue, deciding that your heart was the smarter being in this case. Soon enough, the hunger in your stomach took over and the slice of pie was as good as gone.

"Thank you, Toriel. I'm sorry I'm being such a bother, but what I'm doing is really important to me."

I can't tell her what it is, she wouldn't understand. She doesn't remember him. Your soul clenched at the thought.

"I know, my child. And, I will not ask what such a thing is, but I can only assume that you are doing it for someone, are you not?"

Casting your eyes downward to the empty plate, you didn't make eye contact.

"I see. You must love this person very much, then, am I right?"

Blood rushed up to your cheeks, and your finger tugged at your turtle neck. You had managed to find it in one of the stores Underground, and wearing it made you feel more at home. Smiling warmly, you rested your head on a hand.

"You could say that.." Toriel smiled knowingly.

"Then would you not say that this person would want you to treat yourself this way? I apologize if I am stepping over my boundaries, but I feel that they would feel terrible to see you like this. I do not know where you have been all these years, and I will not ask as to Sans' request, but it has obviously taken a toll on you, my dear."

Frisk's head shot up and stared at you at the last statement, their hand pausing movement. Neither of you noticed the child, but soon enough they started signing to Asriel as well, who now stared at you as well.

Anger bubbled within you, only to simmer back down as you took in her words.

She's just trying to help.

Besides, she's probably right. Gaster wouldn't want this, even though he's a damn hypocrite.

Frowning, you rested your head in your arms and closed your eyes.

"I guess you're right..."

After admitting it out loud, you felt the muck and grossness on your skin. It made you want to scrape it away with a knife or an axe even, but you stuck to the thought of taking a shower. The sudden awareness made you shudder, and Toriel took notice and smiled.

"Why do we not start with a shower? Or perhaps even a bath. The bathroom is at the end of the hall, and do not worry about clothing. They are already folded on top of the sink."

"Thank you, Toriel.. You really didn't have to go this far." You smiled meekly at her.

"Nonsense. It is simply what friends do, is it not?"

"..Yeah."

_______

After having taken a shower, you couldn't deny that you felt a lot better. The hot water melted away the grime that had built up on your skin, and you were amazed that you hadn't noticed it before. You had used a shampoo bottle colored red, which made your hair smell like strawberries. Clothes had been set out for you, a long sleeved black shirt along with comfortable bottoms.

You left the door open as you stepped into the hallway so that the steam could air out, and walked along the long rug to the living room. As you came closer, the shadow of a skeleton came into view. Now within hearing distance, you could hear the subtle sound of laughter. You could only assume that they had caught themselves into another pun war.

Making it to the warmly lit room, you proved yourself right as Sans turned at the presence of another person. He looked you up and down, then nodded in approval.

"good to see you've finally taken a break."

"Why do I feel like our roles have switched..?" You deadpanned.

He chuckled at your comment and turned to the former queen.

"thanks for taking care of 'em, tori."

"It was no problem at all, Sans. I was quite shocked to see them again, in all honesty, but I am just glad that they are alright."

"heh, that's something we can both agree on. welp, we've gotta get goin' before they go nuts without touching a pencil."

You glared pointedly at him. "Hey!"

"-is for horses."

You suppressed the urge to snort as Sans gave you a knowing look. He walked over to you and gripped your shoulder, waving a free hand to Toriel.

"sea ya later, tori."

"Haha, I wish you shell on your journey home."

"Please guys, you're both krilling me here with these puns."

And with that, darkness enveloped you both. The sudden darkness, so familiar and terrifying, almost made you freeze up in fear. The only thing keeping you from doing so was Sans' grip on your shoulder, making sure you were grounded with reality. In the split second that the darkness was there, you could have sworn you saw a figure in it, looking as if they were melting into the void itself.

I must be hallucinating from my lack of sleep.

Firm ground met your feet, and it was slightly colder than before. Taking a look around, you were relieved to see that you were back home in Snowdin. Before you could even think about taking a run for the door to go outside, Sans held tightly onto your sweater. Giving him a pointed look, you tried to shake out of his grip.

"heh, don't think so. we're gonna be having a nice, relaxin' day."

"Sans..." You said with a warning edge.

"i already told paps that you'd be spending time with us today."

"Don't you think this is a little too much?" You argued.

"not when it comes to taking care of your health."  And yet he argued better.

You said nothing back and slumped over at the reminder of what you'd said to Toriel. Sans let go and put his hand back in its normal place. Taking his phone out, he messed around with the screen while you wondered how it even registered his finger, considering he didn't have any flesh. Waving it off you plopped down onto the couch, still not used to the cushions not making any noise.

Did someone just take the money that was in it?

Reaching into the pillows, you rummaged around and pulled out what looked to be a salad of some sort. On the top of the container, it read 'Dog Salad'.

You opened the lid...... It's just lettuce and dog biscuits. Gross. You put it back in its original spot.

Sans joined you on the couch, pulling out a remote. He turned on the T.V., and a slightly familiar pink robot filled the screen.

"That's, uhhh.. Mettaton, right?"

"yup, the one and only. paps likes him a lot, but i don't really see the appeal tibia honest with ya."

"He looks stylish. I can see why Papyrus would like him, though I'm more of a sci-fi nerd myself."

You see him grin at you from the corner of your vision. "heh, glad we can both agree. i've got a star wars dvd if you wanna watch that instead." 

"Oh, I'd love that! We can have a little marathon!"

"sounds like a plan."

Successfully taking your mind off of work, Sans shuffled around and put in a singular movie disk.

"i downloaded all the movies on here so it'd be easier to keep track of. just click on whatever you wanna watch."

Handing you the remote, you selected your preferred Star Wars movie and snuggled into the couch. Sans got a blanket from somewhere, probably some magic storage locker, and tossed it over the two of you with his magic as well. The music blared, and the starting screen rolled in, bringing in the nostalgia.

"I can't remember the last time I've actually sat down and watched a movie like this."

"welp, better get used to it. asriel and the kid like to have a lot of movie parties with papyrus, so you'll be more than likely dragged into it."

"That sounds like a skeleton of fun."

"heheh, good one."

The movie officially started, leaving you and Sans silent as you both watched it. Time flew by, and sometime during your 3rd movie Papyrus joined in after coming home from work. He didn't say much, seeing as you were enjoying yourself, and you'd forgotten about your worries. He made popcorn for you all, albeit a little burnt but it was edible.

For that night, the brothers spent time with one of their parents that they had lost all those years ago.

Sometime during the 5th movie, you had fallen asleep once again. Papyrus was the first one to notice, and nudged his brother at the sight only to see that he had fallen asleep as well. Uncharacteristically quiet, he stood and turned off the T.V.. Picking up the now empty bowls, he washed them promptly and went to bed himself after saying a quick goodnight to you both, smiling to himself.

________________

The next morning, you woke up oddly refreshed. Though there was a crick in your neck from sleeping in an odd position, it was better than what you'd felt the day before. Light shined through the windows, making the snow outside glisten its pristine white. Stretching your arms out, you groaned and got a satisfying pop in your spine. Looking over, Sans snored on the other side of the cushions. Smiling softly, you glanced at the clock.

11:47? Goodness, no wonder I feel good.

Carefully shuffling out of the blankets, you placed them back and headed into the kitchen to make something for Sans. You figured since you'd spent most of your time in the Lab, he hadn't eaten much other than spaghetti and ketchup. Whipping up a quick meal of bacon, eggs, and toast, you set aside a plate for whenever Papyrus got back home since he was bound to have already left by now. Covering it with plastic wrap, you grabbed your and Sans' plates and headed back into the living room.

As you were about to wake Sans up for his meal, a knock sounded from the front door.

You paused. "Huh. Who could that be?"

Placing down the plates on the T.V. set, you padded over to the wooden door. Taking care in opening the door so it didn't squeak, the cold air softly grazed across your skin. Looking down, your eyebrows rose at the sight of Frisk. They also looked surprised to see you, taking a step back, but they regained their senses quickly and brought out their whiteboard.

"What brings you here, Frisk? If you're looking for Paps, I'm afraid he's already left for Guard duty."

Frisk shook their head and wrote down their response on the board.

"I was actually looking for Sans."

"Oh, he's actually still asleep.. I was about to wake him if you'd like to come in?"

"Okay! Thank you, Y/n :)"

"Of course, come on in. It's pretty cold out there."

Stepping aside, Frisk stepped inside and wiped their board clean, putting it back onto their belt. Walking over to the food, you grabbed Sans' plate and went back to your original task. You squatted next to Sans and carefully shook him, attempting to ease him awake.

"Sans? Sansy, I've got food for you. And Frisk is here, as well."

Yawning, he sat up with slumped shoulders and lazily took the plate from you. With half lidded eye sockets, he looked around the room and locked eyes with Frisk. He sighed and took a bite of food, choosing to ignore them for now.

"thanks... you'd better have made yourself something too or paps is gonna lose it."

"Don't worry, I did. I wouldn't want him losing his head, who knows if my ear drums would survive."

Frisk stiffened next to you at your words.

You grabbed your plate and sat down, eating as well. Having something other than junk food made your organs cry out in joy. Looking up back to Frisk, you gave them a sorry smile.

"I apologize, Frisk. If I'd known you'd be here I would have made you some as well."

"It's alright, I had breakfast already anyways. Is now a good time to talk? To both of you?"

The quick change in subject grabbed your attention, while Sans only took mild interest. Setting your already half empty plate down on the arm of the couch, you gave Frisk your undivided attention.

"I don't know how much help I can be, but sure! What do you need, kid?"

"nothin' happened, did it?" Sans spoke up, sounding slightly worried, and this time you knew what he meant.  The threat of the controller was gone, but that fear never left.  You could never truly know.

They shook their head quickly, easing your fears. They hesitated for a moment before writing on their board, this time taking a bit longer than usual.

"I know I've messed up a lot, and a lot of it was because of whoever took control of my Soul.  But I was the one who carried out the actions. I'm responsible, and I want to try and fix my mistakes."

Frisk erased their board, and started writing again.  Sans looked like he wanted to protest, but let them speak anyway.

They feel like they're responsible?  For what, being controlled??

"If I can ask, I need to know. Who are you, and why have I not heard of you until now? Mom said she knew you from a long time ago, but I have never heard of a Y/n until now."

Sans sat up to speak for you, but you put a hand up.

"Sans. They deserve to know. Besides, it's not like they can do anything without the Reset button now, remember? You don't have to worry anymore.  Not while I'm around."

He was terrified that Frisk was going to try and reset because of an unknown factor.  They'd reset for less before.

The realization of the button no longer being in Frisk's possession sunk in, and he stared at the wooden floors with dark eyes. Looking over to Frisk, they burned holes into you as they shrunk into themselves, now seeing that you most likely knew everything they did.

While they never wanted to kill anyone, they had control of the Reset button themself the entire time.

"I suppose I should start with a re-introduction, Frisk. My name is Y/n L/n, and I am the first human to fall into the underground."

Frisk's mouth dropped open, their eyes widening to behold the golden irises they held.

"I fell before Chara, and no one really knew that I was here so it makes sense that there would be little to no trace of me left. Are you familiar with the name Gaster?"

At the mention of the name, Frisk froze in fear. They shakily nodded, and went for their board.

"I only know the name. I heard it from these grayed out monsters, but they... didn't look right. Almost as if they were lost, looking for their place in time." 

"this is the first i'm hearing of this, kid. why didn't you say anything before?"

Sans joined in the conversation, now paying close attention due to the oddly new information.

"I didn't think you'd know either. Even though you remember the timelines a little bit, this monster seemed to have been erased completely from everyone's heads."

Frisk looked to have something else to write, but they kept their board down, waiting for you to continue.

"I'm glad to see that at least you have an idea of whom I'm talking about. Gaster took me into his home, since he was the Royal Scientist at the time and was the only one who could have taken care of my broken ankle. That's when I met Sans and Papyrus."

They looked between you and Sans, attempting to piece together your story.

"Of course, Sans was just a little wee boy and Papyrus, oh...! Papyrus was just the cutest little thing, just a baby when I first picked him up in my arms. They both had these cute little onesies they would wear every night, Sans would call for me to read him a bedtime story-" You rambled on, becoming distracted.

"moooom- you're embarrassin' me..." Sans whined.

"There's nothing embarrassing about your onesies. Yours had stars on them and-"

Sans groaned loudly and covered his face with his hands to hide from the world. You laughed, and Frisk finally clicked together something in their head.

"So.. You basically became their parent? Like how Toriel adopted me?"

"You could say that. Now that I think about it, I was probably the first human to parent monster children, huh? Who knows.. But, anyways... I grew closer to this skeleton family-"

Sans cut in. "some more than others,"

You flushed and shushed the boy next to you.

"Anyways. Even after my ankle got better, I stayed with them. We all got attached to each other, and I officially became a citizen of the Underground. Months flew by, and one day I went with Gaster to the core.  It wasn't the first time, so I hadn't.. expected anything to happen."

Sans' teasing smile lowered, remembering the day you left. He rubbed his thumb against the coat, the memory of you giving it to him coming to mind.

"...We went, and.. Well, his Gaster blaster was causing trouble. It blasted, and I guess the energy from the blast messed with the em tether levels. It.. It made the core explode. Gaster slipped and I tried to save him, I really did, but another explosion made me lose balance. We ended up both falling in."

You felt a tear trickle down your face, though you quickly wiped it away with your sleeve. Frisk listened carefully to what you said, looking sorry for you.

"it wasn't your fault, you know that, right?" Sans placed a bony hand against your back.

You didn't say anything in response, but trekked on.  No time to be sad.

"After things went black, I ended up somewhere. I don't know where, and I don't think it even was a place. I just.. Floated. For what seemed like eternity. I couldn't feel anything, move, or hardly even think. I don't know what caused it, but something called out to me and I ended up in the Reset menu. Now that I'm retelling what happened, I think I was floating in between the timelines. I wasn't dead, but I wasn't alive either. In the moment you lost determination, maybe from successfully saving Asriel, I'm not sure, but I gained the Reset and Continue buttons."

Frisk had now taken a seat on the floor, listening to your tale. They nodded, confirming that was indeed what had caused the power to transfer to you.

"It took me a while to remember who I was and who I knew before, but when I did, I felt... Determined? Persistent? Whatever it was, it made me gain the confidence to click Continue. After I did, I ended up at the beginning of the Underground again, a lot later than I had intended. And now, a couple months later, we're here. That's my tale. Sorry that it was so long."  You clenched your hands together.

They shook their head, and with a determined look, picked up their board and started to scribble. You and Sans shared a curious look and waited for Frisk to finish.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Y/n,"

You smiled at the message written there.

"And, this confirms what I came here to do. If I'm right, then the person Mom said you're looking for is Gaster himself?"

You suddenly got reminded of what you've been doing and got the itch to go back into the Lab. Sans saw the change in your stature and sighed.

"Yes. That's right."

Frisk smiled and excitedly wrote down their next words carefully.

"I want to help. There's something else I haven't told you both, but now I think is the time. Something else besides you appeared in this timeline, something that hasn't appeared until now. It must be related to Gaster. In Waterfall, a grey door appeared in a hall that wasn't here before. I'm thinking that there's a clue in whatever lies behind that door, like how those grayed out monsters knew who Gaster was. I can show you exactly where it is, but I don't know how long it's going to stay there."

A grey door?  In Waterfall?

Grey monsters, grey doors.  Maybe, just maybe...

...

Hope blossomed in your stomach, coming in the form of butterflies. A clue, in the form of a door in Waterfall? It's almost as if fate decided to add a twist in the threads of destiny. You shot upwards, and scarfed down the rest of your now cold lunch.

"Then let's not waste any time! If there's any hope of finding him or even a tiny clue, I'm going to take it any day."

Frisk smiled, proud of themselves at being able to help at least a little bit. Sans looked apprehensive, but stood up anyways along with you.

"ma, i know what the kid said, but i wouldn't get your hopes up like this-"

"Sans. I know what you're trying to say, but if we don't go now, who knows what might happen? The door might disappear, and the last clue we need could go just like that along with it. If there's even a 0.01 percent chance of finding a clue leading to Gaster, I'm going to take it. I'm going to fix my mistake. I need to."

The short skeleton stared into your eyes, stunned at the sudden determination radiating from you. He sighed, and smiled a tiny bit, letting himself go. Grabbing your and Frisk's hands, he warned you both before teleporting. You squeezed your eyes shut, and felt the ground leave before appearing again underneath your feet, wet grass licking your shoes. Opening your eyes, you saw the beautiful sight of Waterfall. Leaving no time to waste, Frisk took off, and you ran after them without hesitation. Sans teleported along you two, not wanting to run. Everything was going so fast, but it was all like a snail race finally taking off in your eyes.

...

After a good 30 minutes, you passed a shop and came upon a hallway. It was eerily quiet, and empty as well. Frisk slowed to a walk, and stopped in front of a wall. At least, what looked like a wall. As you and Sans came closer, you saw the door in all of its glory. It reminded you of Gaster's office door in a way, and you felt a little choked up. Stopping in front of it, you both stared.

"Is this it, Frisk?"

They nodded happily. You stared a bit longer and steeled yourself for whatever might happen once you all opened the door.

"Sans, Frisk, are you ready?"

They both nodded, and you all put a hand on the door. But, as soon as Frisk and Sans touched the metal, they hissed in pain and took their hands away quickly. Alarmed, you kept your hand on the door handle as you made sure they were okay.

"Are you two okay?! What happened?" You glanced between their hands, scanning for any injuries.  Sans stared at your hand on the handle.

"i dunno.. i think this place doesn't want us to go in. you seem to be alright, though. maybe it's because you're similar to it, showing up in this timeline. we're both fine, didn't take any hp."

You pressed your lips together, making up your mind. Whatever this place was, it would only allow you inside. Gripping the handle, you turned it, hearing a click.

"Sans. I'm going in. And I promise, I'll come back. No matter what happens, okay? I'll always come back to my boys."

His smile turned even lower, a bad feeling sinking in to him. But, even so, he felt that everything would turn out okay.

With a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, he nodded.

"..okay. here, take my coat, alright? you have to come back and give it back to me, ma. i don't usually make promises, but i'll trust you to keep yours." You grabbed the jacket, smiling softly. Tying it around your waist, you nodded firmly.

Sans now wore a white t-shirt, and you turned and smiled at Frisk. They gave you two thumbs up in support, and grinned to show off their teeth, which one was missing at the front. You looked back to Sans, and softly smiled.

"I promise you. I love you, Sans- I'll be back in a jiffy!"

He grinned, and with that, you turned to the door. Letting out a shaky breath, you opened the door and stepped into the murky blackness.

Not knowing what lies ahead, or if another 100 years would pass again, your Soul thumped in your chest, and with a need to understand, focused on the task before you.

"I'm coming for you, Gaster."

Chapter Text

Despite the uneasiness that settled into your chest, you placed both feet inside of the room. The door slammed shut behind you as soon as you were out of the way, startling you as you were sure that you hadn't touched it.

Guess I'm not coming out until I've finished what I came to do.

Leaving your only exit behind, you walk onwards. The floor is colored grey, though you couldn't quite tell what it was made of.

Maybe solidified void?

Who knows.

You didn't dare to try and touch the 'walls', reminding you too much of what you floated in for so long before you fell. Coming to the end of the hall, a small room came into view.

Nothing seemed off, and no greyed out monsters as Frisk had described were in the room as well. It was just... Empty.

And scaringly so.

...

Your hope shriveled, but you continued on. Looking through every nook and cranny of the room, or what you really could look through seeing as there was absolutely nothing in the small space. And, once again, you found... 

nothing.

I don't understand- If this wasn't here until I showed up in the timeline, then why isn't there anything here? Why did the door shut behind me if there wasn't anything to find? Just what does this damn place want?

Angry tears welled up into your eyes and you sunk down onto the floor, hitting it in frustration, as to bully the void into giving what you want. You sat in the room for who knows how long, not wanting to move. Every passing moment, you felt even worse and worse, your thoughts enveloping your head.

Feeling the fabric of the jacket tied to your waist, you sighed.

"...No matter how frustrated I am, I promised him I'd come back. Always." You muttered.

Standing up, you walked to the middle of the room for a last look over. Nothing had changed, and you furrowed your brows. Letting your hands hang by your sides, you walked slower than usual back to the door.

Not taking long despite your slow steps, you raised your hand and placed it on the knob of the door. You turned around one last time, as a last attempt to search.

What you saw made your heart jump in fear.

You hadn't expected to actually see anything different, but you had been proven wrong. In the middle of the room where you had once stood, a murky, dark glob was placed.

You watched as the goop on the figure cascaded downwards, but never pooling on the ground. Your hand fell from the door and you swallowed down saliva in your now dry throat.

They didn't even make a sound. Have they always been there? ...Watching me?

You stalked back to the room, relieved that the figure was actually there, and not just a figment of your imagination. Stepping closer to them, you soon realized that they looked oddly.. Familiar.

You couldn't quite put your finger on what seemed familiar about them, but your Soul remembers. It wanted to leap out to them, to help them remember you too.

But, you kept calm despite these strange feelings.

The figure looked to be turned around, seeing as there was no face whatsoever. Or, maybe they simply did not have one. You wouldn't know.

Swallowing again, you called out in a small voice.

"He..Hello?" You damned yourself for stuttering like a highschooler.

The monster, you assumed, jumped at the sudden sound, goop rising up like in a comic when the character gets scared. They gasped and turned around, and you were met with two black eye sockets. Eye sockets that you knew too well, ones that you have been wishing to see for months.

The very same whos owner had unknowingly stolen your heart so long ago.

...

His face looked almost the exact same, save that his eye pricks no longer lit his skull. The cracks in his skull had widened as well, continuing to the back of his head. What his body was, was now reduced down to sludge. His hands remained intact, though they no longer were attached to limbs. His height had also been cut down by an entire foot.

...

As if in slow motion, you both only stared at one another. Either in disbelief, fear, or both, you don't know. Tears gathered in your eyes, and your lips trembled as the shock settled in.

It was him.

He was here, of all places. Gaster was alive, and right in front of you.

His face contorted throughout the moment, though most of the feelings he revealed were those of pure anguish. He shakily raised his hands, still as holey as you remembered, and reached out as if to touch you. Then, they fell as his face grew angry.

You felt sudden dread, not knowing what was happening, feelings all in shambles from seeing the one you loved most again so suddenly. When he finally spoke, his voice glitched and static covered his usually smooth, deep tone.

"So, I've finally gone crazy. Of course I have, they wouldn't be here... This cursed void playing tricks on me, carrying me wherever it wishes. Is this your idea of mercy, you damned creature?"

His face darkened, turning away from you. Horror donned your features.

He thought you were just an illusion, a trick made by his mind.

How long have you been trapped in this hell, Gaster?

You grew fearful that he would leave once again, you didn't know if he could, but you were absolutely not taking any chances. You rushed forward, wrapping your arms around Gaster's goopy form, ignoring that droplets fell onto you. He stiffened, more tense than you've ever felt him and turned to you once again. His frown was shaky, and he locked eyes with you.

You don't care if you sound desperate.  Because you are.

"Wait, please! Don't go, don't leave me again.. I'm real, I'm here! I swear, so please don't leave me when I've finally found you again!"

You sobbed into his form, black substance mixing with your tears. Gaster stayed quiet, staring at your crying figure. His own tears came down his skull, though they were no longer their bright purple.

They are now a transparent black, and he let out a shaky breath.

"No.. No, there's no possible way you are here. Oh, Asgore, but you're just as alluring as I remember.."

Pain erupted in your chest, his words both breaking and warming your heart. You gazed up at Gaster, your hold softening. Letting go of him, you clenched your fists together and stared into his sockets. They held so much pain, and so much sadness.

He really, truly didn't believe you were there, with him once again. He looked.. So broken.

Your Soul reeled against you, begging you to do something, anything, to help him.

...

So, you did.

For once in your life, you listened to your Soul.

You grabbed Gaster's cheeks, soft and cool as you remembered, and tugged him down to your height. You smashed your lips against his, your tears never stopping.

He stood, frozen, for what seemed like an eternity. Just as you were feeling regret in your decision, Gaster grabbed your shoulders, hands sliding down to your waist and pulled you ever closer. His mouth moved along with yours, desperate for more, desperate for what he couldn't do before. He breathed in a shaky breath, and you pushed closer to him, almost suffocating yourself before letting go with much hesitation. As much as you wanted to continue the moment, now was not the time.

You stared into his glazed over eyes, and spoke once again.

The corner of your lips quirked upwards. "Was that real enough for you, Mister Royal Scientist?"

Your words made Gaster snap out of his daze, and he looked at you, actually, really looked at you. Not as an illusion, but as a person that was here. Though, despite the situation you both found yourselves in, and of the dire time he was in, he found himself slowly giving a goofy smile.

"I'm not sure, maybe you should do it again. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet."

Though he made himself sound teasing, it couldn't hide the disbelief and happiness that showed in his eyes. You smiled wide and hugged him tightly, Gaster returning the gesture immediately. For minutes, you both just held each other, letting it sink in that you were both here and fine.

Well, mostly fine.

Letting go, you took a step back to let him process. The front of your clothes were now sticky with sludge, and you wondered what the stuff even was, or if it was radioactive in some way. You watched as Gaster wiped his eyes and laughed, a sad but relieved laugh that made you want to start tearing up again.

"You're... You're really here. I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand, but the void really does take a toll on someone who's been here for so long."

"There's no need to apologize, none whatsoever. I can hear you just fine, so take your time. After that, we can talk."

He sniffed and smiled, though it was a bit odd not seeing his pin pricks like you usually could. After a few moments to gather himself, you as well, he happily stared into your eyes.

"Perhaps you should start. How are you here, and.. How do you look just the same as you did before?"

You sighed, seeing as you had already told your story twice now to other people.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I'm not completely sure Gaster. Sans helped me understand it a little, but the only explanation we could come up with is that my Soul, being human, was stronger than yours and so I was able to withstand the voids torment. I ended up at the flower bed at the beginning of the Underground, where I had fallen the first time."

Though the story left out many important details, it was enough until you both could get out and talk for longer. Gaster's face lit up at the mention of Sans, and it dawned upon you that he doesn't know. He doesn't know that his boys are all grown up.

"Oh, Sans! And Papyrus, my boys... Are they all right? How.. How big have they gotten?"

"They're... All grown up, Gaster. Our boys grew up, and.. They still remember us. Sans still remembers you, though Papyrus only a little since he was a baby when we... you know."

Gaster nodded sadly, looking to have expected the response already. He seemed happy to know that they remembered him, at least, but saddened by the same fact you were when you had first gotten there. They were forced to grow up without parents.

"Gaster, you don't seem to be shocked that they grew up at all... Just how long have you been stuck here?"

He looked up to the ceiling, recounting his days.

"I have been stuck here for exactly 36,646 days, 5 hours, 33 minutes and 12 seconds up and counting. So, roughly, I have been here since the explosion and directly after. The days are so long here in the void, there's no clock or sun to speak of, only darkness. Only my internal clock remained."

You gasped in horror. "So you're saying you've been here this entire time?! Gaster, oh my Asgore... It must have been so lonely. I'm sorry for not coming sooner. If I had just kept my balance, none of this would have happened, and Sans... He wouldn't have had to struggle, and-"

Hands wrapped around your shoulders, and looking up you saw Gaster watching you sadly.

"It wasn't your fault, Y/n. It never was. Never in those 36,646 days have I ever blamed you for what happened. It.. It wasn't either of our faults. I blamed myself for letting you get caught up in that wretched explosion for so long, but in reality, neither of us are at fault here.

What happened... happened, and perhaps it's time for us both to let go. Knowing Sans, and no doubt the way he raised Papyrus, he doesn't blame you either. They are more likely to resent me, for it was my creation that caused this. So, please, do not blame yourself for something you had no control over. You simply did your best despite being in such a dire situation."

You hid your face from view, only to have him hold up your chin with his finger. You searched his face for any sign of resentment, finding none whatsoever. With trembling lips, you nodded slowly. He smiled encouragingly, and let go softly.

"Now, to the last question; How are you here?"

"To answer that, I'd have to explain a ton of things that we don't exactly have time for. I don't know if this timeline will shift, and if it does, when, so we have to get out before it decides to take us on another ride through space and time."

Gaster paused, his smile weakening. His hands lowered, nervously twiddling with each other.

"Oh. Oh, Y/n. I'm so sorry."

Your once determined stance deflated a bit at his apology, a slightly worried look donning your face.

"What do you mean, 'I'm sorry'? We're going to get out of here, the doors just behind me!"

"Do you think this is the first time I've been in this room, Y/n?"

"...What?"

"I've stood here hundreds of times. I've tried to leave. But, the door simply does not open for me. My Soul is too weak, Y/n."

You stood, motionless. His words tried to process through your head, leaving you close to devastated.

I was so close, and yet another obstacle gets in my way?..... No. No. NO. NO. NO

"No. No, you're wrong. You're wrong. I'm going to get you out of here, Gaster. I didn't spend all these months to find you only to lose you again. I refuse. I... I absolutely won't allow it!"

Your voice cracked, emotions swelling through your heart and Soul. Soul. Your Soul.

Gaster watched with heartbroken eyes as you had a meltdown inside of your mind. There wasn't anything he could do, he hadn't had contact with anyone in 100 years.

He didn't know how to handle a mental breakdown.

...

Soul. My Soul. Human Souls are way stronger than monster Souls, right? So if I were to just..

"Gaster."

"E-er, yes? Are.. Are you alright?"

"Remind me how much stronger a human Soul is compared to a monster Soul?"  He gazed into your eyes, confused.

"Oh. If I remember correctly, exactly one hundred. It would take all monster souls to compare with a human."

"So, a human could easily live with half of one?"  Gaster tilted his head at you.  What were you getting at?

"Yes and no?  Humans are not made of magic like monsters are, but half a Soul.. Yes, I suppose one could live with that.  Though they would need to sleep more in order to do so-" He froze up.

"Y/n. What are you thinking? You'd better not do what I think you're going to do."

You stayed silent, only the information sinking in. Gaster started to goop more, acting like sweat as you did not answer him.

As you thought, you decided. You would do anything for Gaster.

Even give your Soul to him.

...

While at the time you didn't know what that implied, what you did know was that it would take a great amount of trust, and love.

...

"Gaster. Please, I need you to trust me, okay?"

Gaster trembled and shook his head, fear for your well being settling in his body.

"Y/n, no, I can't accept it. Why would you- why would you even risk so much for me? We've only known each other for 8 months, and you still..?"

You smiled sadly.

"For you, it's been much longer. What else could we do? No one continued your artificial Soul research, and even then, you had to take pieces of yourself to make monster Souls, and they cannot come inside of here."

"Being away from you for so long is different! Who knows how much I've changed? I don't understand why you would-"

You grit your teeth.  You might regret what you're going to say later, but to hell with it.

When you fall fast, you tend to land hard.

"Because I can't live without you, okay!? I can't bear the thought of never seeing you again, knowing you're here suffering alone- Who knows if this door will even stay in this timeline?! I promised Sans that I'd always come back to my precious boys, and I plan to do so,"

"So, Gaster, please...! Just... Let me do this. Otherwise, I could never forgive myself knowing that I could have done something."

He was stunned into silence at your outburst. You stared at each other, and you refused to back down, a trait he was well aware of by now. He was feeling many things at that moment, confusion, shock, anger, warmth.. And love.

The feeling of that intense love surrounded him, and it finally, finally broke down his walls. He breathed out a heavy sigh, apprehensive, but trusting. You could see that he was coming around, seeing that you cared so damn much.

You'd always said that your stubbornness was your most redeeming quality.

He didn't know yet if it was from feelings of romance or friendship, but either way, he trusted you completely in that moment.

"..Okay. Okay, I trust you. But if anything goes wrong, I need you to stop immediately and find a different way. I do not want you to leave yourself emotionless for my sake."

"It'll be alright. I think.. I think if we just trust each other, everything will turn out fine. We can do this." You breathed out.  No nerves.

"Together?" He asked.

"Together. Now, I know it's embarrassing, but this is the kind of place that it needs to be ignored. Bring out my Soul."

Gaster breathed in deeply, and let out the puff of air to let off his nervousness and anxiety of the situation. Raising his holed hand, a familiar ding sounded in the room. Your Soul pulled out of your chest, blue at first but returned to its color as Gaster let his hold go.

It had been a while since you had seen your Soul, so you were expecting to see the broken Soul, with cracks and dimmed light.

You were shocked into silence, however, at the sheer glow of your Soul. The heart is bigger than before, and it beat along with your physical heart. It was almost as if it was replaced with a light bulb, and no cracks to be seen. It was more white than the untouched snow of Snowdin, and looking at it gave you warmth throughout your body.

Your heart trembled at the single thought that went through your head.

I'm not broken.

...

Gaster couldn't help but stare at the pureness of your Soul. It was more bright than anything he'd ever seen, he would even say it was on par with the sun. The void around the two of you seemed to drown away at the light, leaving you two in your own worlds.

"You're beautiful."

You flushed deeply and you stared wide eyed at Gaster who'd accidentally let the comment slip. He realized that he'd said it out loud, something that he'd not done before. He cleared his non-existent throat and focused on the task at hand. He'd said it before, but right now seemed so much more personal as he had said it about your very Soul.

...

"Y/n, I need you to know that this is an extremely painful thing to do. You are quite literally ripping your Soul in two."

"And I accept that. I'll endure the pain, and then we can both leave this place once and for all. So, by ripping, you mean I have to just... Grab it and actually rip it in half?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We have tried other methods, but this is the only way to do so. I wish I could help, but this is something that you have to do on your own. I will try and comfort you, but that is all I can do. I'm sorry."

They've tried other methods? During the War?

"It's alright, Gaster. You don't need to say that. I'm prepared for whatever happens."

He nodded and placed himself behind you, hand on your back to be ready and brace you. You let a soft breath to prepare for what is probably going to be the worst pain of your life, and bit into your shirt to muffle any agonizing sounds. Placing your hands on either side of your Soul, you set your thumbs on the bottom of it and the rest of your fingers in between the crease on the top. Embarrassingly enough, the feeling wasn't unpleasant if you were just touching. As to not make anything awkward, you began pulling apart immediately after with all of your might.

When Gaster said that it was extremely painful, that was an understatement. At the single hairline tear of your Soul, excruciating pain ripped through your very core. You screamed into the cloth of your shirt, tears cascading down your cheeks once again. Gaster rubbed his hand on your shoulder, hating every moment of this. You hardly felt his comfort.

Gritting your teeth, you pulled again with every ounce of strength you had as to get it over with already.

The white light split half-way down your Soul, and your knees buckled down at the white hot pain that filled your every sense. Screaming through it, you pulled even harder, no doubt tearing some muscles while doing so.

Not Determination, not Perseverance, Bravery, nor Patience filled you in this time. Instead, what you finally understood, you were filled with your own Soul trait.

You were filled with UNDERSTANDING.

And suddenly, to your relief and even more pain, you ripped your Soul completely in half.

Your HP bar appears in front of you, and your health cut in half as well as your Attack and Defense. You beaded droplets of sweat, dripping onto the ground. Heaving, you focused on Gaster's hand on your back while you let the pain slowly drip away.

After many moments, the pain was still there, but it was dulled enough to where you could comprehend your thoughts and word process. Standing up with the help of Gaster, you leaned on him and let out a shaky breath. Holding up half of your Soul, you pushed it back into your chest. This dulled the pain a little, and the blackness faded away some. Nothing felt any different, so you assumed it all went well.

With shaky legs, you stepped away from the goopy skeleton and gave him a pained but encouraging smile.

"I guess this is what it feels like to give birth, huh?"

"Joking after ripping your own self in two.. You are a wonder. It's incredible that you did not pass out.. Are you alright?" He worried over you.

"I will be. For now, how about you take this?"

Holding up the other half of your Soul, he could only stare for a few seconds.

Shaking his head to snap out of it, he gently held his metacarpals underneath your- no, his Soul. Easily, it slid into his care without a second trace of hesitation. Bringing it closer to himself, you watched curiously as to what he would do in order to absorb it.

Gaster pressed his other hand on his chest, and a dim, purple glow joined the white. Your eyes widened at the sight of his Soul, or rather, what was left of it.

A single fracture of his Soul was left, and you began to wonder what would have happened if he had left the void as injured as he is.

You watched patiently, not jumping to conclusions. Carefully, Gaster pushed the two Souls together. You watched in awe as his Soul absorbed your half, and it grew to half a Soul as well. It shifted to his Soul trait colour, and turned upside down. You had a feeling that this was different from a normal(?) Soul absorption, so there are many things that would be different.

As soon as they finished merging, Gaster's form began to change shape. His body became more profound, and he now had limbs again. His pin pricks came back to life, and the cracks in his skull became smaller to their original size. Gaster stood taller than before, and looked at himself. He patted down his body, almost in disbelief.

It wasn't exactly as it was before, seeing as the bottom of his black coat still dripped the mysterious goop. But, other than that, he was back.

Cheering, you ignored the ache of pain and hugged him. He held you, laughing into your shoulder and looked at his hands once again after he let go.

"This.. This is simply amazing! I never thought I'd see the day where I would be able to have legs again...!"

His voice no longer glitched around, and it seemed that his proper accent remained intact throughout the years.

"You'd better believe it. Now let's get out of here, yeah? I think I hear food and rest calling for me, and it's probably calling you too." You grinned lopsidedly at him.

"I would love to have something to eat, Y/n. Let's get out of this place, once and for all."

Smiling in joy, and with more energy than ever before, Gaster looped your arm around his and walked over to the grey door. After months of strategizing, of planning, who knew that a kid would have had the simplest answer of all?

...

Taking a hand out and placing it on the door handle, no burn nor sting came to you. Grinning, you turned the knob, and it clicked. Slowly creaking it open, you turned to Gaster.

"You ready for this, Mister Royal Scientist?"

Chapter Text

-1 month ago-

When you and Gaster had walked out of the dark room, you'd both been surprised by the sight of Sans, sleeping against the wall across from the door.  There was no sign of Frisk in sight, so you could only guess that time in the void worked differently than it did in the 'real world'.

You doubted that they would just skip out on you, after all.

...

Gaster took a moment to take in the colors of the world again, the sparkling stones on the ceiling shined their greetings. 

He couldn’t help but to smile, happy to see light once more and something other than the darkness that had it's hold onto him for so long.  His eyes flashed with emotion, his grip tightening it's hold on your hand.

Taking a step forward, he peered down to his sleeping son, head lolled over and a dribble of magical saliva down his chin.  You chuckled.

Of course he's napping.

Sans was no longer the small, pure boy he once knew, but.. he had an inkling of a feeling that nothing much had actually changed. 

He nervously shifted on his feet, unsure as to what to do.  You smiled gently and took initiative, bending down to the sleeping skeleton’s level. 

Raising a hand up to his shoulder, you softly jostled him.

“Sans."

He groaned and mumbled incoherent words.

"...Sans, wake up, you lazybones ." Laughter is in your voice.

His eyes groggily fluttered open, and out of habit tried going back to sleep, slapping his arm over his sockets.  You shook him again, and this time Sans took a second to see who dared to wake him. 

When he spotted your face gazing down to him, his sockets widened.  Grin softening in relief, he stood.

He didn't notice Gaster standing behind you just yet.

... 

Chuckling, you placed both hands on your hips. “Well, good morning to you too. I think this belongs to you.”

You untied the jacket that was around your waist, placing it into his skeletal hands.  Sans slipped it on, looking more comfortable in his 'skin' than when he was just in a shirt.

“heh, glad to see you made it back alright." He nonchalant attitude failed when you could see the sheer relief in his lights. 

"what happened in there? any clues or.. grayed out things?”

You grinned, unable to hide it anymore. “You could say that…”

Sans quirked a brow at your words, confusion settling in his pin pricks.  You smiled wide, and, nervous but excited, stepped to the side. 

...

Gaster stiffened at the sudden attention, locking eyes with his son. 

Sans froze, his eye sockets going black.  

...

There is silence, emotions switching faster than channels on TV in Sans' eyes. 

You begin to think maybe Sans did resent Gaster for what had transpired that day at the core.  You hadn't seen him with this expression before, and honestly?  It kind of scared you.

Gaster cleared his throat. “Sans... Why, look at you-  You’re all grown now!  I knew that you would be bigger, but my golly, I don’t think I was actually prepa-”

Gaster was cut off by arms that launched and encircled his torso, a little ‘ oomph ’ escaping his through his teeth.  Glancing down, his brows raised, the sight of his son hugging him tightly. 

Saying nothing more, he knelt down to his height and returned the gesture. 

...

You watched the sweet reunion, the warmness of it melting your heart.  Letting them have their moment, you scanned the area and see that the door leading into the void had gone.

...

If we had been there for only a few more minutes..  

Feeling a tug at your shirt, you turned, sight blurring as you got pulled into the hug fest of the two skeletons.  Laughing, you wrapped your arms around both of the monsters. 

...

Soon enough, Sans joined your laughter and let go.

“i don’t even know what to say, but i guess this means that i’ve gotta dadster again?”

Gaster barked out a laugh, shoulders bouncing along with his chuckles.

“I’m finally home. Y/n didn’t tell me much, but I assume many things have changed since I have been gone?”

“you’ve missed a skeleton .”

"I'm glad to see that you still have your wonderful sense of humerus." You snorted, shaking your head at the pun.

"Well, now that we've made it out of there, why don't we head home so we have a more comfortable place to talk? I'm sure Paps has almost burned down the house by now."

Sans nodded and placed both of his hands on your and Gaster's shoulders.  

"heh," He reaffirms his hold on you two. "you make a solid point there."

"Does Papyrus make a habit of burning down houses often?" Gaster asks nervously.

"He's done it once or twice before. No biggie." You shrugged.

Making sure you both were secure, Sans clipped to Snowdin.

The cold nipped at the skin of your nose and ears, hot breath fanning into the air in puffs of steam. He'd taken you both to the front of the house, light pooling from the windows. The faint sound of pots and pans could be heard, signaling that the younger sibling is home. Side-eyeing Gaster, you see how he smiled at the sight of his old home.

Nostalgia filled his eye lights.

"It's just as I remember." He breathed.

Taking both of the skeletons hands, you stepped towards the home, unable to wait any longer.

You wanted to see how Gaster would react to Papyrus.  

"C'mon then, I want to make sure the food is at least edible."

Opening the door, you pushed the two skeletons inside and closed it shut after yourself. Gaster stumbled a bit, still not quite used to having opposable limbs again.

Sans immediately took claim on the green couch, sinking into the cushions. Stretching, you left the two alone and made your way into the kitchen, wanting to check in on Papyrus before dropping the bombshell. 

Oddly enough, you think that he'd actually have fun with one of those.  An actual bomb shell.

Stepping into the room, you were met with not one, but two monsters with their backs turned. You recognized Papyrus as one of them, but the other donned blue scaly skin and wildfire hair that shined like burning flames.  

A moment passes, and you didn't see whoever this monster was, but someone you once knew.

But that was impossible.

...

That's funny, they sort of remind me of Jainil...

...

Wait.

...No fucking way.

"NGAAAAAAAH PUT YOUR ENTIRE SOUL INTO IT PAPYRUS, STIR THE PASTA WITH A FIERY PASSION!!!"

"SIR YES MA'AM, UNDYNE!"

Oh my God.

Papyrus aggressively stirred the pot of pasta and water, Undyne screaming at him to do it with more fire.

You felt the need to put a stop to it before it got too out of hand.

"Papyrus! We're back!" You called out to him, as if you hadn't been standing there for a few minutes already.

The tall skeleton stopped stirring and turned around, smiling wide as soon as he saw your figure. Dropping the spoon, much to Undyne's dismay, he jogged over to you and hugged you while lifting you up in the air.

"NYEH HEH! YOU CAME JUST IN TIME! MY GOOD FRIEND UNDYNE WAS JUST GIVING ME OUR WEEKLY COOKING LESSON."

Peering over his shoulder, you see Undyne staring you down with her singular eye.

...Her singular eye??

...I want to be concerned, but goddamn that looks badass.

She wore a simple black top, blue pants, and red boots that resembled pirate boots in a way. Papyrus sets you down, and you walk up to Undyne with a smile.

She grinned, showing off her sharp teeth. You have a flashback to the encounter you two once had, the spear that had actually got you flashing before you.

It seemed like nothing now, compared to the soul splitting.

Is she.. Trying to intimidate me?

When you showed no reaction, Undyne held out a hand to shake yours with. Taking her hand, she aggressively whipped yours up and down while talking. Oddly enough, it didn't actually hurt that much as you thought it would.

"It's nice to finally meet you, punk! Papyrus talks about you all the time, you know. Worried him a lot these past few months, haven't you?" Her hold tightened on your fingers.  You could feel your bones creaking.

"Ah, well, I didn't mean to-" You're cut off by Undyne, bending down and peering into your eyes even deeper than before.

"Man! Are you sure we haven't met before? I swear you look so familiar!"

You swallowed nervously.

"U-uh, oh, have we? I don't think we have!"

You really didn't want to have to restate what happened to you again.  It was getting tiring.

"Mmmm... Meh, Whatever! Papyrus and I are almost done, so just relax in the other room.  We'll be the perfect hosts, NGAHAHA!"

Her laugh was just as loud as Papyrus, which was in itself impressive.  You begin to see where he got it from.

You're hesitant to leave the two walking fire hazards in the kitchen alone, but sighed and nodded. Turning to Papyrus, you smiled widely and stepped out, and while still looking at him, relayed your message.

"Be sure to add another serving! We have a guest!"

Not waiting for his response, you turn back into the living room. Gaster had made himself comfortable on the sofa, he and Sans having what seemed to be a deep conversation.

He notices you returning from the kitchen and smiles, also getting Sans' attention.

"any fires?"

"Thankfully, no. Undyne is here, too."

Gaster slumped lightly at the mention of the fish monster, and you guessed that Sans had caught him up on everything.

You made your way over to him, and put your hand on his shoulder in an attempt at comfort. He smiled up to you gratefully.

"I think it will take me a while to get used to things, but.. Y/n, why don't you tell me about the surface? Sans tells me that the barrier is broken."

You tense.

You rubbed your neck awkwardly, looking to the side.

"I uh.. I actually haven't left the Underground since I've gotten here. By my choice, anyways."

You gave a pointed look at Sans at the last comment. He shrugged it off, carefree as usual.  Gaster's eyes widened, jaw slightly dropping.

"What? Why not? Surely you must have wanted to return and see how things have changed, you're too much of a curious person not to." He said.

You remembered all the questions you'd asked him a long time ago in the Lab and chuckled.

"I didn't want to see it again unless you were with me."

It slipped out.

You swear, it just did.

Gaster's ever so familiar purple flush blossomed on his cheeks, deciding to look anywhere but you. Sans whistled lowly and laughed.

"that was real smooth." You feel your own face heating up.

You decide to change the subject.

"Ahem- Anyways- Now that you're back, we can try and get things back to normal. Well, as normal as we can when we've dropped in a century later than planned."

His face fades to a soft, pale lavender.

"I suppose so.. Sans, I noticed that our doors are, er, gone?" 

Sans blinks, sweat appearing on the side of his skull. "oh yeah. paps wanted more room, so we busted down the walls. well, i say we but i really mean 'dyne and paps."

"Then.. Where will I be staying?"

You and Sans both paused.

Your and Gaster's respective rooms were gone, and it's not like you could stay with the siblings forever. While searching for the scientist, you hadn't questioned where you both would go afterwards.

Tunnel vision tended to work like that.

"I.. haven't really thought about it.  I guess this means we'll have to find houses to live in?" You shrugged, turning to the skeleton beside you.

"Oh, right. Separate places, yes.." Gaster sagged.

It didn't take long for the air to turn thick.

You felt bad for Sans who had to deal with it, to be honest.  Wasn't his fault that his parents were conveniently awkward.

Thankfully, though, it was broken by the loud entrance of Papyrus and Undyne.

"DINNER IS READY, MADE BY CHEF UNDYNE AND MYSELF!"

"You'd better eat all of it, you nerds!"

Gaster snapped out of his daze and gaped at Papyrus. Seeing as he was even taller than himself, and he was even louder.

The last he'd seen the boy, he was just a small child, even smaller than Sans. He looked between his two sons, and you could feel a teasing comment bubbling in his mind.

"Perhaps I should check my memory, as I don't remember Papyrus being the older brother?"

Sans' eyes went black, and he turned blue while groaning.

"really, dad? that's the first thing you say?"

Laughing, he stood from his seat and stepped up to Papyrus while still speaking to Sans.

"I apologize, I couldn't help it."

The younger skeleton paused, inspecting Gaster closely.

"WHY, YOU LOOK AWFULLY FAMILIAR AS WELL! ARE YOU BY CHANCE MY FATHER?"

"I'm glad you still remember me, Papyrus. You have grown a lot, haven't you?"

"WOWEE!  A MOTHER AND A FATHER!  HOW LUCKY!  SANTA MUST HAVE COME EARLY THIS YEAR.  GUESS THAT'S SETTLED THEN!"

You couldn't help but laugh at how fast he accepted the sudden appearance of his Dad.  It was so on brand that it's almost ridiculous.

You wished that you could have his mindset.

Undyne, however, might as well have had whiplash as she gaped at Gaster.

"Sorry, uh, FATHER?! Papyrus, how do you even know he's telling the truth!?" She gestured wildly to the scientist, eye wobbling at Papyrus.

"WELL, SANS CALLED HIM 'DAD' DIDN'T HE? SANS MAY BE LAZY, BUT EVEN HE WOULDN'T MISTAKE HIS OWN MAGIC AND BONE-MARROW."

"I guess but- What?!- Sometimes I worry for your safety, dude." She gave up half-way through her sentence, not seeing any point in arguing any farther.

The two still standing skeleton monsters handed out the plates of spaghetti, and you grew nauseous at the memory of the first plate you had.

Picking up a fork, you glace over to Gaster and see that he seemed to be genuinely enjoying the pasta. Focusing back on your plate, you hesitantly took a bite of the food.

If he likes it, then maybe it's really not that bad.

After all, Undyne helped, right?

...

...Gaster is too good at acting. It took everything in you not to spit it back out, instead gagging as it went down. Luckily neither of the 'chefs' noticed.

Getting Sans' attention, you discreetly handed him the pasta, in which he made vanish before anyone saw. Breathing out in relief, you set down your plate on the arm of the couch. Leaning to Gaster, you whispered to him.

"How are you doing that?"

"No tongue." He smiled, slurping a stray noodle.

You deadpanned as he continued to eat. You hoped he wouldn't get a stomach ache later.

I forgot that he can just make his ecto vanish.

Everyone finished their meals, and eventually Undyne went home. Apparently she and the current Royal Scientist lived together, so she had to go and make sure nothing exploded again.

They must be good friends!

...

Yeah lol no, I know the look of someone head over heels when I see it.

After Undyne slammed the door shut, it had started to get late, so Papyrus swiftly said his goodbyes and hopped to bed.

This left you, Gaster, and Sans in the living room. The short skeleton plopped down on the couch, already getting ready to doze off.

You poked his shoulder before he could get too comfortable.

"Uh, Sans? Where's Gaster going to sleep?" He grumbled and shifted.

"i dunno, figured he'd just sleep with you or somethin.. zzzz...."

Before either of you could argue, he snored, signaling his nights beginning. Sheepishly looking up to Gaster, you rubbed your hands together anxiously.

"Sorry, I can just take the floor or something.."

I'm not ready to talk about that kiss yet- There's no way he wouldn't bring it up, right?

...

"No, a young soul such as yourself shouldn't sleep on the floor. Let's just.. go upstairs and figure it out, alright?" He shifted his gaze to the wall.

"Oh, okay."

You both walked up the stairs, then entered your impromptu hotel. It's dim in the room, but it's lit enough so you could see where you're going.

Now that you looked closer, the bed was actually quite large compared to human beds. Despite this, you gathered extra blankets and began making a homemade futon on the ground. Before you could be halfway done, a hand halted you from finishing. Peering up questioningly, Gaster was looking to the side, zygomatics glowing lavender.

"We can just.. Share, if you'd like. I wouldn't mind."

You drop the blankets you held, eyes widening as heat crawled up your neck.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod-

"Oh, I really don't want to be a bother-"

Gaster shook his skull, your words dying in your throat. "You wouldn't be a bother, and in fact, it would save us both from feeling uncomfortable tomorrow morning."

Gaster tried to rationalize it with facts, but in reality all he really wanted was an excuse to stay close to you.

Of course you didn't know that, though.

You tensed, then relaxed with a sigh.  "I.. I suppose, then. If you say it's no trouble."

Standing up, you gathered the blankets and tossed them over the bare mattress. After smoothing them out, you crawled over the right of the bed and shuffled underneath the covers.  The siblings still had no heating in the house, so the cold seeped through the air and into your skin.

Feeling a dip in the bed, you turn and watch Gaster pulling the blankets over himself as well.  You turn back around and face the wall before he could catch you staring.

...

The silence is excruciatingly awkward.

...

"Good night, Gaster."

"Oh- er, good night, Y/n."

Nothing else was said as you both tried your best to sleep.

_______________

-Present time-

It's been a month since Gaster came back. Things were starting to go back to normal, other than the tension that always seemed to carry over the both of you like storm clouds. Neither of you brought up what had happened in the gray room, as Gaster himself had pinned the kiss as a way for you to get him back into the land of the living, and you were just not wanting to be the producer of a conversation that you thought would inevitably lead to tears.

So, neither of you ever mentioned it.

But, even Papyrus was beginning to feel the tension in the air.

Unfortunately, since Gaster had returned a whole year and a half after the barrier was broken, it was close to impossible for him to find a job. He's tried to apply to many Labs and Science professor positions, but the surface wasn't as nice of a place as everyone thought it would be. Many monster protests raged in Ebott City that resided next to the mountain, the evolution of the town you had run away from in the first place.

You'd thought it was a little ironic that the place you hated was still as shitty as you remembered.

You, on the other hand, managed to land yourself in a nice, monster friendly library. It was actually the Librarby from Snowdin that had been moved to the surface, but it was nice to be in a familiar place. You mainly helped in the massive History section they had, seeing as you had some experience in the past yourself. Gaster came in every now and again, bringing you lunch or a hot drink while having a nice conversation.

It warmed your heart every time he did so.

You both still lived with the skeleton brothers, but recently you've been looking into apartments on the surface. You avoided ones that said 'No Monsters', seeing as the only family you had left are monsters.

...

Today is another day at the Library for you. You'd just finished up your shift, ending it at exactly 12:00 as you do every other day. This time around, you made sure not to sleep in and actually come in on time for the job. Your only other co-worker walked in, waving to you as a way of saying 'You're free'. Smiling at him, you waved back and stepped out of the see-through glass door, bells jingling above you. The sun blared into your eyes, and you squeezed them shut until you got used to the light. It was going to take a bit to get used to the sun again after being in the Underground for so long, but you would manage.

People crowded the sidewalks, and a few monsters here and there could be spotted in the crowds as well.

Sighing, you clutched your backpack and made your way through the groups of people, not making eye contact with anyone. Buildings towered above your head like skyscrapers, giving at least some bits of shade. You went down at least 5 blocks until you made it to your favorite Cafe. The Muffet's sign shined above you, letting you feel some comfort at the relaxation you would soon have.

Going inside, you took care in watching where you stepped in order not to step on any of the spider helpers. Looking around for the table you usually sat at, you were pleasantly surprised to see the former Royal Scientist himself seated at the table.

He usually doesn't come up to the surface... Oh, did one of his applications finally get accepted?  

Making your way over, you plopped down on the other side of the booth, scaring the man out his wits.

After seeing that it was just you, he recollected himself after much embarrassed coughing.

"I didn't think I'd see you here, Gaster! Did this little place catch your eye as well? Orrrr... maybe an application got accepted..?"

You waggled your eyebrows while you said this, making Gaster laugh lightly at your silliness.

He sighed heavily, however, and rested his head on his hand, looking annoyed.

"I'm afraid not, none have responded yet.  Not even to pay me the respect of declining."

You shook your head in disbelief.

"That's their loss. If they had gotten over their bigotry weeks ago, we probably would have had flying cars by now with you working in the Labs."

This made him smile a bit, feeling encouraged by your words. He sat up straighter, looking out the window that sat beside you both. People passed by the window, not giving a second glance to the Cafe.

"So.. How'd you find this place, then?"

Focusing back on you, it took a moment for him to process what you had asked after snapping out of his own little world.

"Oh, well, Sans mentioned you liked it here, so I thought I'd see what it was all about. I... hope that's not weird?"

You smile. "Of course not! I'm glad I have someone to talk to about this Cafe now, and we could hang out here from time to time.. if you'd like?"

He let a small laugh pass through his breath. "That sounds wonderful, and- well.. actually... Y/n?"

Sometime while you were talking, Gaster remembered something his son had told him. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was worth a try.

All or nothing. After all, what could he lose?

"Yes? What is it?" You straightened your posture a bit, a familiar ache creeping up your bones.

"There's something I'd like to show you, if you're feeling up to it?"

You hummed while looking at the donut display, wanting the treats, but if you were being honest, going with Gaster sounded like a lot more fun.

"I'm always up for an adventure with you." You said with a smile.

He returned the look and stood from his seat, you doing the same as well. Once you both were standing, he held out his hand. Without hesitation, you interlocked your fingers with his, screaming inside.

"I have been working on my teleportation, so be prepared, all right?"

You nodded, waiting for the inevitable cold darkness.

...

The feeling lasted for only a second before you were met with humid, cool air. Scanning your surroundings, you recognized the land immediately.

"Waterfall? How did you- Are-are you okay? Do you need to rest?"

You fumbled over yourself checking to see if the skeleton was all right, though no signs for wear showed. He goofily puffed out his chest and made a dramatic pose, grinning cheekily.

"Not to fear, my dear! For I have since grown more powerful! Nothing can stop this old man now."

You paused for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, using his arm as support. He laughed along with you, your laughter being contagious.

You'd always wondered where Papyrus got his love for the theatrics.

After calming down, Gaster pulled you along a path that you would have missed if you weren't looking, fingers still locked.

"In all seriousness, I can travel farther distances now due to being in the void for so long. It has raised my tolerance all these years, so I am happy to say that I will not be tired after a little trip like that."

"That's amazing.. I'm so happy for you! Heheh, maybe now you can start picking me up from work so I don't have to walk." You joked.

He chuckled and said nothing in response.

The ceiling of Waterfall darkened, beginning to show little to no crystals to light the way. Making sure you didn't trip on any rocks, Gaster led you to a small entrance at the end of the hall covered in black vines, bio-luminescent thorns glowing dimly. Using his magic, he opened the curtain-like plants so you did not harm yourself trying to go through.

After you stepped in, he followed immediately after, letting the vines fall back into place. He continued to pull you along, and you fell into step without complaint. The hall felt familiar to you, though you could not quite put your finger on it. Small, blue glowing flowers littered the walls of the hall giving sight as to where you were stepping.

In the far distance, you could hear a music box, though it slowly began to fade away the farther in you walked. The grass beneath your feet started to look as if no one had been in the place for a long time, as it grew longer and more bushy. Gaster's black coat floated behind him like magic, as there was no wind in the corridor.

Soon enough, you see the tunnel's ending. As soon as you stepped into the cavern, you were thrown back at the mere sight of it all. You suddenly remembered why it looked so familiar in the hall, despite having been taken over by the overgrowth.

"Is this..?"

"So you remember? I'm glad, or that would have been very awkward." 

"Isn't this where you apologized for ignoring me that one morning?"

"Ah, well, yes.. But it still remains my favorite place to be."

The luminescent crystal at the other side of the room had grown, now looking more like a throne for two rather than a bench. The Underground's stars gathered on the ceiling of the room, looking plentiful and mesmerizing, as they always do. In front of the crystal throne, the grass was much shorter, making a circle around the seat. Echo flowers still remained where you last remember them being, and no new ones seem to have grown.

Gently letting go of Gaster's hand, you walked quietly over to the blue flowers, kneeling down to their levels. You carefully touched a petal, not wanting to break the blossom.

"Okie dokie then, lead the way!"

Your voice echoed through the room, it being the last thing said before becoming untouched for several years. Smiling giddily, you turned to the scientist to see if he had heard the flower. He walked closer to you curiously, and squatted down to the flower's level. Touching the petal again, your voice repeated itself.

"Incredible.. To think that no one has been here for this long." He said quietly, so as to not erase your message.

Standing up, you looked around the room once again to take it all in. It was as if it was straight out of a fairy tale. Letting out a happy sigh, you closed your eyes to just breathe in the sweet air.

For a moment, there was only silence in the cavern. And then, as if something or someone had read your mind, music started to play gently to your right. Opening your eyes, you turned to see the source of the soft song, only to be met with a skeletal hand being held out. Looking up, Gaster stood in a slight bow, locking eyes with you in the glowing light of the room.

"May I have this dance?"

The song played in the background was gentle, the piano keeping it's sound steady for those who would listen. The echo flowers swayed to the music, looking alive as they danced to the slow rhythm.

You placed your right hand in Gaster's gently, and he smiled warmly. Taking your hand, he held it with care and placed his other hand on your waist. You put your left on his shoulder, only guessing as you never danced like this before.

"I.. I can't dance." You muttered shyly.

"It's alright. Just follow my footsteps, simple and easy."

Nodding hesitantly, he started out slow. A soft sway, nothing difficult.

Okay.. okay, I can do this, this is easy.

You followed his steps, back and forth, left and right. A pattern of steps, and soon enough you had it memorized enough to where you could look up without tripping. While you had been taking your time to get used to the rhythm of steps, you hadn't realized how close you'd gotten to Gaster. You tilted your head up to lock eyes with him, and your heart skipped a beat. Your faces are almost touching, all you can see are his pin pricks glowing in the darkness of his skull. You studied the cracks in his eyes, being so close that you could make out the hairline fractures along the edges.

Even so, you didn't move away.

...

Both of your faces are warm, but equally so neither of you said a word. For many moments, you both just danced while in a daze, not having a care as to what was happening in the outside world. The scene was magical, something others have only dreamed of.

You were taken out of your daze when Gaster began to speak, letting out a soft breath that you didn't know you had been holding.

"Have I ever told you how enchanting you are?"

Your breath hitched, not expecting to hear those words come from his mouth.

"I think you've told me once or twice.."

"May I say it a third, then?"

Your heartbeat quickened, not quite believing what he was saying. But, looking into his eyes, you were sure this time it wasn't a slip of the tongue.

"You know, when I was younger, I would have never imagined myself so close to a human.. And yet, here we are."

"I could say the same, you know. Falling down in the Underground, gaining two sons.. I would have called myself insane."

Gaster smiled, and listened to the music for a moment. The swaying was oddly calming in a way, your nerves never getting a chance to touch you.

"When you fell down here, I'll admit I was surprised by how.. Warm you were. Telling jokes, understanding so easily and forgiving so easily. It's incredible, you know?"

"I think you're selling yourself short, here. You balanced so many things at once, including some strange human that fell just weeks before."

His footsteps became hesitant for a moment, but it was small enough to where you didn't misstep yourself.

"I'm nothing compared to you. You... You gave so much love to two boys who weren't even of your blood, and you treated them as your own. You are so amazing in so many ways. You treated me with such kindness, even when I was being such a numb-skull...

Your stubbornness battled with mine, and you never gave up on someone who needed help. Sans and Papyrus adored you since day one, and... Your kindness, bravery, patience, and understanding of others is something that can't be compared. And maybe that's why I fell for you, as well."

The music came to a stop, rustling of grass taking its place. You froze all of your actions, instead staring into Gaster's eyes for any sign of a joke, or a cruel means of a prank.

What you found instead, however, was the adoring look that he held for only you. Blinking slowly, you tightened your grip on the cloth of his shoulder, swallowing nervously.

"You... You fell for me? And.. You're not joking?"

He began to look nervously along your face, glancing to your still intertwined hands.

"Of course I am not joking, Y/n. I would never even dream of doing that to you, ever."

At the reassurance of his words, you let the relieved tears fall from your eyes. You let go of his hand and shoulder, wiping your eyes. Gaster became panicked, starting to ask why you were crying and apologizing all the same before you stopped him, revealing your glowing smile from underneath the wet tears.

"For me, it was your kindness to me, your brilliance, your humor, and your wonderful sense of good company.. You never made me feel as though I was alone. That's why I fell for you, too."

His eye sockets widened, and he flushed millions of shades of purple. You laughed and hugged his shoulders, and he wrapped his arms around your waist in return.

For several moments, you both simply stood holding each other. Then, he started laughing into your shoulder. You joined him, feeling so ecstatic in this moment that you didn't care about anything else. Gaster lifted you up and spun you around, making you erupt into a fit of laughter.

He set you down before you could get dizzy, and stared into your eyes before suddenly pushing onto your lips. You sucked in a breath through your nose, melting into the kiss. His hands found your neck, pulling you in even deeper. You both didn't know how long you stayed in this position, but when you pulled away, your lips are swollen and he sucked in a shaky breath.

"I love you."

The echo flowers around echoed Gaster's voice like waves, and he smiled down at you with a loving glow about him.

"I love you even more."

"I don't think that's possible, darling."

"Are you sure about that? I sure think it's possible."

"Hmm.. No, I am sure of it. I love you most."

"Is this seriously going to be our first couples fight?"

"Only if you accept to be mine."

You smiled and pecked his mouth again, leaving him with heart shaped pin pricks.

"Of course I will. I'll stay yours until the end of this eternity, Gaster."

Taking his hand, you led him to the exit of the cave. He followed with no complaint, just staring after your walking figure. You turn back to him, smiling. Gaster smiled back, and said,

"And I'll stay yours as well, despite the faults in our Souls."

Chapter Text

-10 Years Later-

It's been around 10 years since Gaster came back, and 10 years since you both became a couple. When you both had arrived back home to Snowdin and told everyone the news, no one was surprised. I mean, really? You both had been dancing around each other for months, so safe to say they had been expecting it to happen sooner or later.

After 2 months passed, monsters began to remember Gaster out of the blue. Perhaps it was because he was finally out of the void, or maybe because of your soul that now resided within him. No one really knows, but when Asgore and Toriel found out he was still alive and well, they held a party for his return. He had apologized to them for not treating them as friends for so long, but they simply brushed it off and forgave him. During said party, you learned that Undyne and Alphys were not just good friends, after finding them drunkenly making out in a corner. (I edited the last chapter but this was too funny to not keep in)

Sans got a job at MTT's, surprisingly enough. He became a bone-ified comedian, you and Gaster being the first ones to be there for his opening show. Papyrus joined Undyne in the Police department, helping monsters out when they were in need. Gaster, on the other hand, found himself in one of the largest scientific companies in Ebott City. They mainly focused on Soul studies, and soon enough he was one of the leading researchers of the study. His extraordinary understanding of Souls helped humans in finding cures for many illnesses, cancers, etc. It took him an entire 5 years to finally be accepted, but it was all worth it in the long run.

You? Well, you stayed right where you were in the Library. After being there for so long, you were practically the second owner of the shop. You slept more often, due to only having half a Soul, but it wasn't anything that would affect your daily life. Gaster visited you during the day when he had the chance, teleporting back and forth between the buildings to check in on you. He preferred it over texting or calling on the phone, and honestly, so did you.

Today marked your 8th Anniversary. Oh, did I forget to mention that you got married?

Though no one said anything about it, you included, everyone could tell that you were getting older.

What could be done, though? Humans lived barely a tenth of what monsters did.

Gaster thought about it constantly, and you had accepted it as a fact, that you would inevitably pass long before your love did. After all, not everyone could have their happy ending.

At least, that's what you had thought.

...

Warm sun rays spilled from behind the dark curtains of your shared bedroom, waking you gently. Blinking groggily, you turned to the clock that was up upon the bedside table.

8:05 a.m.

Groaning, you stayed still for a few more moments before slowly sitting up and stretching out your arms. Glancing over the other side of the bed, it stood empty and unoccupied. Humming lowly, you came out from beneath the blankets and slipped on a pair of white slippers. Shuffling over to the Master bathroom, you took care in fixing yourself up, knocking some of the sleep out of your system with steaming hot water.

Shutting the door behind you, you made your way into the kitchen. The scent of coffee and pancakes invaded your senses, making you take a deep breath in. In front of the stove flipping said pancakes was Gaster, seeming to not notice your presence as you stepped over the threshold. Smiling softly, you quietly padded over to the tall monster and slipped your arms around his waist, leaning into him as you breathed in the familiar smell of pine.

Glancing down, he smiled and placed a bony hand on one of yours, rubbing his thumb against your knuckles.

"Good morning to you too, darling.. Did you sleep well?"

You rested your eyes before answering, taking in the calm morning.

"mmm... yeah.. Had a nice dream about buttercups and golden retrievers.."

He hummed in low tones while listening to you talk about your adventures you'd had while asleep, careful as to not accidentally pop your skin with sizzling butter. Gaster plopped the last pancake on a plate as you finished your own story.

"That sounds wonderful, sweetheart."

Though you didn't want to, you had to let go of his waist so he didn't drop the plates of familiar goodness. Walking over to the table, you both sat down on opposite ends. The table itself wasn't very large, barely even a yard long since only the two of you lived in the house. There were larger ones for when guests came to the household, but they were left neatly stacked in the storage room.

After putting what you liked on your stack of pancakes, you happily dug in and pressed a cheek on your hand, leaning on the table as you savored the flavour. Over the years, Gaster had managed to improve his recipe even more than you had thought was possible. It's like he lived to defy the flavour gods themselves.

Swallowing your third scoop of the delicious breakfast, you tilted your head up to the scientist and smiled warmly,

"Happy Anniversary, dear."

His eyes widened in fear and put down his fork in a panicked manner.

"Oh goodness, is that today?"

You froze and narrowed your eyes, straightening as you glowered into his fizzing eye lights.

"Don't tell me you forgot. Because if you did, then you might have to put that pullout to use for the second time this month."

Putting up his hands while shaking them side to side, he backpedaled hard.

"No no, of course not- I was just joking with you!"

"You sure? You seem rather panicked for someone who's joking."

"Yes, it was a bad joke, I assure you that I did not forget our 8th Anniversary."

"Well.. Alright. If you say so."

Sighing in relief, he let his hands drop back down and continue eating. You were half-way through yours already, licking your lips to catch the crumbs left behind from the fork.

"Pff, ah, you have a little something.."

Gaster reached over the table and swiped his index finger on your chin, getting the crumb that you couldn't reach. Licking his finger clean, he continued eating as you smiled at him.

You remembered the first time he did such a thing, wiping batter off from your face while making waffles.

Finishing your plate of food, you begin to take it to the sink to clean it when a skeletal hand stops you from even leaving your seat. Looking over, Gaster had stood up and placed your plate on his like a mini game of Jenga.

"Ah, you just stay there, dearest. I'll take care of the dishes today, as an apology for the joke."

"It's fine, it was just a little one.. I don't want you to do everything."

"That's too bad, since they are already washed."

Looking past his waist, you saw that he had indeed already finished cleaning the dishes, including the plate and fork you used, with his magic. You sighed before smiling and standing up, hugging him.

"You're too good to me, dear."

"I only give you what you deserve."

Looking into his eye lights, pausing for only a moment, you lean up and press a soft kiss against his lips, feeling his hands settle on your hips in response. No matter how many times you do this, the spine tingling sensation never got old, shooting through your body and making your goosebumps raise at every little touch. Your body pressed against his, fully flushed against him as you turned your head slightly for a better angle. His hands grazed towards the small of your back, barely pressing your skin, as you slipped your arms around his neck. Your fingers grazed the vertebrae on the back, making him suck in a breath, tightening his hold on you.

Gaster pulled away softly, much to your disappointment. Smiling down at you with purple cheeks, his pinpricks now miniature hearts, he rubbed your cheek with his bony thumb.

"As much as I would like to continue this.. I have a surprise for you, and it would be better to get there before anyone else does."

Forgetting any other thoughts in your head, you latched onto the word 'surprise'. Smiling giddily, you could barely hold in your excitement.

"Let me go get dressed then! Is there something specific I should wear?"

"Something comfortable and warm should be alright. Where we're going will be a little chilly."

Nodding, you slipped from Gaster's arms and raced into the bedroom, pulling on a sweater and warm pants, and kicking off the slippers and replacing them with your favorite shoes.

You thought of where or what the surprise was, hundreds of ideas going in and out of your head within seconds.

After fixing your clothes to your liking, you skipped excitedly back to the dining room and see that Gaster had slipped on his old black trench coat. It was surprisingly durable for being so old.

He stood staring at the ground in thought, but snapped out of it once he heard the clicking of your shoes.

Smiling, he held out a holed hand and bowed slightly.

"Shall we?"

Laughing lightly, you grasped onto his fingers and interlocked them, making sure they were secure. After doing so, Gaster placed his other hand upon your shoulder, smiling, though he looked slightly nervous as well. Without another thought, the ground left your feet and you saw the darkness of the Void that once entrapt you both. As soon as you saw the murkiness, however, it was gone within the same second. White floor met your feet, tiles and walls the same colour.

Taking a moment to look around, the first thing that came to mind was that you both were in a Lab. The room was slightly smaller than normal, seeming to be made for a one man team. The door that led out was made of glass, tinted with white so no one could peek to see what was inside. A long, steel desk covered with scientific nick-nacks lied about one side of the room while the other had blueprints and file cabinets. It reminded you of the office back in the Underground.

While this wasn't where you had expected to land, you were open to anything that was related to Gaster's studies. Besides, surely he wouldn't bore you on your anniversary?

"Is this your office?"

Still holding to your hand, though he let his other on your shoulder drop, he squeezed slightly and nodded in confirmation.

"It's not exact to the one I had in the Underground, but it suffices for my studies."

"Still a huge nerd as ever."

"I'll own the title in grandiose."

Snickering, you watched as he let go of your hand and walked over to the side of one of one of the file cabinets. Looking curiously, your eyebrows raised as you observed Gaster unlock a hidden compartment that you would have missed if he hadn't touched it. A small drawer opened, and to add on, he took out the bottom to reveal yet another hidden pocket. You couldn't see what he took out of the slide, but before you could get a closer look he closed everything back and made his way back to you.

"What was that about?"

"Just needed to grab something, darling. Now that that's out of the way, let's head on now to that surprise, yes?"

"Being awfully secretive today, aren't you dear?"

"Is that not what a surprise entails?"

"Touché."

Chuckling softly, he grasped your hand once again and warned you with a slight tap that you both were going to teleport again. While you had no problems with teleporting now with how many years you've spent with Gaster and Sans both, if they didn't warn you beforehand you were likely to accidentally let go in the black void. That was something you all wanted to avoid, so you all came up with a way to signal you without having to say something every time. A simple tap on your hand, and that was all you needed.

You both faded in and out the void, feet meeting with solid ground. Your breath turned visible, white filling your vision. Blinking a few times, you looked around. Snow covered the area as far as the eye could see, pine trees lined up in a straight fashion. Turning around, your eyes widened in recognition.

"Snowdin? Oh.. I haven't been here in ages! Gaster- look! It's the house! It's still standing, even after 9 years..!"

While some parts of the building were worse for wear, the building itself was still standing tall. Most of the decorations that once sat upon the house had been taken by Papyrus and Sans, moving to their own house on the Surface. They moved out a year after Gaster and yourself had come back, since the builders had finished their new home. Helping them move out had been slightly emotional, once you'd found the picture books that were hidden away in the lab.

You teared up slightly at the memories, but swiped them away and turned to your skeleton husband, seeing that he was watching your reaction.

"I thought I'd take us somewhere from the past. We can venture out to the Ruins afterwards, if you'd like."

"That would be amazing."

He smiled and guided you to the front door, standing on the porch for the first time in 9 years. Pulling out an old key, Gaster unlocked the door and held it open for you. Taking a step inside, you were taken aback by the set up that waited for you. You felt your Soul pound in your chest as you took in the sight. It looked just as it did when you first fell into the Underground. The brown wooden dining table sitting in the corner, the high chair sitting at the end making your lips tremble. The walls were lined with drawings that Sans had collected over the years from Papyrus, a cat picture capturing your eye.

I drew that one...

The wooden staircase and railings had been polished to a shine, and a new looking green couch sat in the living room as well. Two familiar aprons hung against the walls of the kitchen, which seemed to be as good as new.

Peeking above the railing as best as you could, you noticed that there were now four doors instead of two, completing the entire home. Warm yellow and orange rays spilled from the window that lay on the leftest wall, basking everything in a serene light, dust particles being able to be seen floating about.

You didn't notice Gaster closing the door behind you both as you tried your best not to let out the sob that was lodged in your throat. Setting a hand on your lower back, he wrapped his fingers around the side of your waist and pulled you against him as a side hug, looking around as well.

"Sans and I tried our best to replicate what it looked like before..

....Do you like it?"

Taking a moment before you answered, you inhaled deeply and attempted to speak without a shaky voice, but it cracked at the end of your words.

"It's beautiful.. It's absolutely beautiful."

Your smile was filled with joy and possibly some tears, but nonetheless made Gaster smile back warmly. It was a few more minutes before you took a step forward, finally breathing in. A familiar smell filled your senses, making you look towards the kitchen.

"Is.. Is that pizza in the oven?"

Making a 'oh, right' sound behind you, the tall skeleton hurried to the kitchen with you following close behind. Bending down to look at the glass, you could see the food upon a pan. Gaster placed red mitts on his hands and opened the oven door, taking out the pizza and setting it on top of the stove.

"It's nothing fancy, but.. Being here reminded me of the pizza you made for the boys for the first time."

You remembered that time well. It was the first time that he had left you alone with the kids, since Jainil had been too sick to come at the time. The memory of the joy on Sans and Papyrus's little faces when they tried pizza for the first time brought a small smile on your lips.

"You don't have to worry about being fancy, dear.. I love anything that you do for me."

Eye lights expanding, he smiled and closed the glass door. Placing the red mitts to the side, Gaster took your hand and led you out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Would you like to see your old room?"

"Of course! You both worked so hard, I want to see everything you did."

Opening the door with a small click, he stepped in first and then you. Looking around, your eyes caught sight of a familiar object. Gasping slightly, you quickly made your way over to the bed and stared at the wooden cane. Some parts were more cracked than you remembered, but that was to be expected. You were just happy that it was still in one piece at all. Picking it up, you ran your fingers down the smooth wood and was hit with another memory. The lab, and how Gaster took care of you while showing you his magic. For the lack of better words, it was simply magical.

"I was surprised to find that Papyrus had that cane stashed in his closet. Apparently, it had been the reason why he couldn't open that door for so long."

Laughing, you set the cane down and sat down on the bed. It made a slight creaking sound, but other than that, it was soft and made you want to lie down and take a week-long nap. You felt the bed dip down beside you, seeing that Gaster had sat down as well. Looking around the room, you saw some new additions to the room such as bookshelves that were filled with old books and plastic plants.

"So, I assume you liked my surprise..?"

Looking into his eye lights, you took his hands and held them close to you while smiling wide.

"I loved it! It's just like I remember everything to be, before everything that happened."

Sighing in relief, his shoulders relaxed, but not quite enough. He seemed to still be tense, nervous even about something else. You wondered what was wrong, but let him take his time. If you had learned anything about the skeleton family throughout the years, it was that patience was a virtue.

"Well... I-I have one more surprise for you."

"Oh-! What is it?"

Letting his hands fall from your hold, he twisted his wedding ring nervously. Steeling himself, he took a breath in and locked his eyes with your curious ones.

"We.. We both know that my kind lives longer than yours, and.. And we both know that.. I'm likely to outlive you for many years."

Your mood dampened, and Gaster could practically see how your half of the Soul tinged with sadness.

"...Yes. I know, I.. Why are you..?"

"I was thinking, and.. I decided that I couldn't live without you for that long. I love you so dearly, and the thought of you.. 'Falling down' so soon makes me dread for the future that seems to just be edging ever closer than ever."

You felt sick to your stomach. What was he trying to get at?

"So.. Y/n."

You jumped a little at the sound of your name, eyes widening. He hadn't used your name for years, only using loving nicknames.

"You don't have to say yes. That is what I will say first, my dear. You don't have to feel pressured to say yes for me."

You nodded hesitantly, waiting for him to continue before you made any assumptions. Exhaling slowly, Gaster slid his hand into his pants pocket, pulling out a small object. Upon closer inspection, you saw that it was pill shaped. In fact, you were positive that it was a pill. Sending a questioning gaze to the skeleton before you, he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Y/n. My starlight, my everything. You make me happier on the days that seem to pound me with cruelty, and you just being there smiling makes me feel like a summer day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so.. I worked in the Lab endlessly in secret. I'm sure you noticed that I've been coming home later than usual."

Nodding, you confirmed that you'd noticed. You also had noticed that he was more tired and frustrated when he came home, which was always around midnight. You always stayed up for him, despite him saying that you needed your own sleep. Never questioning why he was staying later at the Lab, you only told him to take a break unless he wanted a repeat of the Underground. He had chuckled at that, waving it off and saying that he took frequent naps throughout the day.

Looking down again at the pill, you started to piece together what he was getting to.

"No one could find out about this. If someone figured out what I had made, there would surely be some sort of war for it. Only Sans and I know about this."

You smiled a little at the father-son bond that Gaster and Sans had built over the years over their shared love for sciencey things and puns. He also bonded with Papyrus over cooking and puzzles of course, making sure to call him at least once a week if not two. Papyrus loved to tell him about what was going on in his life, which seemed to be a lot since he worked in the police force.

Gaster held up the pill and placed it into the palm of your hand. It was small, about half a penny. After looking at it some more, you discovered that it was actually slightly emitting a soft white light. He gently closed your hand over the pill, now holding your hand in a fist.

"So, if.. If you would have me for so long, taking this pill would allow you to live your life along with the rest of mine."

You stared at Gaster with wide, unblinking eyes. For the rest of his life, 200 more years since he didn't age in the Void, and the tiny pill enclosed in your hand would put that much more life into you. You wondered for a split second how that was possible, people having sought out the answer to life longevity for years, and it was now literally in your hands. Uncurling your hand, you stared at the dim glow of the pill. All of that life, all in this tiny little capsule. It seemed unreal.

"How did you even- How long have you been working on this?"

He took a moment to process and another to count.

"Ah.. Around 5 years or so, I believe."

"5 years?! You're a genius, no wonder you were the Royal Scientist..! I already knew you were incredible, but this.. This is.."

Slightly blushing, he turned to avoid your gaze.

"..Say that I were to take this. ..What exactly would happen? What does this thing do?"

Snapping his eye lights back, he breathed in and out to calm his curling nerves.

"It's designed to absorb directly into your Soul. It would strengthen it and make it similar to a monster soul, but you would still be human, just with a longer natural life span. That pill consists of magic and determination, along with.. With some of my own Soul."

Eyes narrowing immediately, you stared holes into Gaster's chest, as if his half Soul would manifest if you did so for long enough. You did remember one particular night when he came back home with a limp, but he had played it off as tripping over the stairs. Sighing, you placed the pill beside you on the bed and cradled Gaster's cheek with your left hand.

"You.. you shouldn't hurt yourself for my sake. I know just how painful it is to do what you did.. And it's the last thing I would want you to feel."

Covering your hand with his skeletal fingers, he nuzzled his nose into the palm of your hand, breathing in with his eyes closed.

"You gave half of your Soul to me, out of anyone who was here. This is nothing compared to what you did for me... If not for you, I would have been drifting between worlds until the end of time and even after that, never to see you, Sans, Papyrus, or anyone ever again. That loneliness... It was unbearable for the hundred years I was there. I cannot even imagine an eternity of it."

Pressing your lips together, eyebrows furrowing in an emotion you couldn't quite place. It wasn't a bad emotion, but it still made your brows raise. Using your other hand, you held his head with both hands and softly tilted his head towards you. You placed a soft kiss on his forehead, the smooth bone heating up slightly from the magic rushing to his head.

"D-dear-?"

"Okay."

"..Huh?"

"I said okay."

Leaning back, you smiled at his stricken face, eye lights looking like small moons in the darkness of his skull. Rubbing his cheek softly with your thumb, you used your other hand to gently pick up the pill that lied beside you both. Holding it between your bodies, your smile seemed to light up the room in Gaster's eyes, making him melt into a puddle.

"You mean..?"

"Yeah. I can't think of anyone else I would rather spend the rest of my life with, Gaster. I love you with my entire being, and.. Quite literally, you're my other half."

His eye lights morphed into large hearts, a smile tugging at his lips. He let out a relieved laugh, the tenseness leaving his shoulders.

"I'm.. I'm so glad. If you had said no, the pizza downstairs was going to be a very awkward lunch."

"Very. Why don't we go down? I'm sure it's cooled off by now."

"I say that's a wonderful idea. After you, my dear."

Going downstairs after Gaster closed your bedroom door, you walked over to the pizza and saw that it had all of your favorite toppings, along with your preferred amount of cheese. Smiling giddily, you pocketed the pill for now and grabbed a plate from the cupboards. Gaster cut it into even slices, giving you both two slices each. Sitting down at the table, you saw that he had placed two cups out on the table. One had what looked like black tea, and the other had your favorite cold beverage. They were in see-through glass cups, shaped like oversized tea-cups.

Smiling at his thoughtfulness, you took a sip before taking a bite out of your slice. Your face brightened up at the taste, practically inhaling your first slice before pecking at the second. Gaster chuckled at your reaction in front of you, hiding it behind his drink as he feigned taking a long sip. Getting half-way through, you took a moment to talk while eating.

"So, how are we going to work this out?"

Pausing, the tall skeleton before you gave a questioning look.

"I mean, living three times longer than I'm supposed to- In this day and age, it would be hard to not be suspicious."

Understanding filled Gaster's features as he thought about your inquiry for a few seconds, not taking long to come up with a solution.

"I do have ties with some old friends in the Government. If you can't pass as a half monster, then perhaps I could call in a few favors and have them change your birth-date every 50-so years. If not, then Alphys and I could always hack in. It's not that hard to, surprisingly enough."

"You make that sound like you've done it before."

Coughing behind his hand while sweating slightly, he changed the topic back to you quickly.

"But, if you really are going to go through with it-"

"I am."

"-Then we'll figure everything out. I'm going to allow Toriel and Asgore to know, along with Alphys. Frisk will be the only human to know what is happening, since they are.. Well, you know."

"If you're sure, then I'm sure that everything will turn out fine then."

Finishing up your food, Gaster put the leftovers into the fridge, saying that you both could have it for dinner the next day. Taking one last look over the house, you both stepped outside and locked the door to prevent anyone else from going inside. You were glad that he had told you to wear warm clothing, seeing as Snowdin was colder than the winters that raged in Ebott city. Interlocking your fingers with Gaster's boney ones, you two walked about to the doors to the ruins.

"We may run into the maintenance crew down here.. They take care of anyone who may have fallen down the hole and take care of the Underground so it doesn't fall apart."

Nodding in understanding, you looked around the snow filled path and saw the footprints of who you assumed were the workers he mentioned.

"I heard they had to arrest some people who were trying to vandalize the Ruins."

He hummed in confirmation, suddenly stopping beside you. Looking up, you saw the familiar doors to the Ruins. You remembered the first time you had stepped out the old home, step by step with Gaster.

Using his blue magic, the skeleton himself opened the gates with ease and guided you inside. A few monsters were inside, shooting their heads up at the sound of the doors, but relaxed when they saw that it was just Gaster and yourself. Closing the doors again, you both walked down the long corridor.

...

Stepping into the home that the King and Queen once resided in, you could smell just how old it was. It wasn't a gross, rotting smell, but rather that scent you get when you walk into an antique store or your grandmother's house. The area in the building itself was barren, but you could still see some of the marks left by the furniture that once took home in the place. You wondered if maybe you could still smell the butterscotch pie in the kitchen..

"They took everything out of here, but we can still look around if you'd like."

Shaking your head, you guided Gaster to the front door, but then paused.

"Actually, there is a room I'd like to see."

Turning around, you both walked into what you remembered to be the dining room. The fireplace no longer burned, not surprising you, but the table you looked at did. It was the same as the one that you had sat down at for your first slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie, the delicious dessert that had tasted like hot chocolate for some odd reason.

Sitting down at the same chair you had before while letting go of Gaster's hand, you turned around to look at him. He was staring at you questioningly, but was saying nothing. Smiling, you decided to have mercy.

"This was where we first met."

Realization filled his eyes and he began to look around, reliving the memory as well.

"Oh-! I had forgotten that this is where we met. If I remember correctly... Your ankle was broken I believe."

"Yeah, cause of the fall down here. This was also where I met Asriel for the first time, too."

"Ah, the prince. He's grown quite well, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, going to college already. I had to calm down a crying Toriel along with Asgore when he left.. At least Frisk is still there. They're helping out Tori as a substitute teacher, right?"

"Yes, that's right. They are awfully talented at math and puzzles. Absolute destroyer at dodgeball as well."

"Heh, guess having to dodge attacks helps with that."

"Yes, I suppose so."

Standing back up, you pushed in the chair and clasped your hand around Gaster's. Smirking with a wink, he raised your hand and kissed the ring that sat on your finger, making you laugh at his silliness. Chuckling, he stood back up straight and looked at the front door.

"There's nothing really on the way to the fall point besides puzzles and some Froggits.. Would you like to take a 'shortcut' there instead?"

Taking a moment to ponder the question, you thought about the one time you were actually awake for the walk. It had been boring, except for the occasional quip from the nice monster that had led you out.

"I don't see why not."

Tapping your shoulder in warning, you tapped back and then the world shifted, yellows, greens, and browns melding into view. The golden flower patch had been carefully shifted to the side, and replaced with a safety mat in case someone fell. At the moment, there was no one else in the room besides you and your skeleton husband. Looking around, nothing much had actually changed. Some tables lined with monster food sat on one side of the room, green magic swirling about, seeming to be for the workers and in case anyone got hurt. Walking over to the tables, you picked up a cup and glugged some water from the jug into it.

Trekking over back to the small hill, careful of the pebbles that threatened to make you trip, you stood in the middle of the small flower patch to the side. A single ray of light lit upon your face, making you squint up. It looked like the hole had actually gotten bigger, bits probably having to fall over the years. Tilting your head back down, you gestured Gaster to walk over to you, in which he complied.

"Any reason why you have a cup of water..? If you were thirsty, we could have headed home for a quick break."

"Thank you, but that's not why."

Quirking a bone brow, he glanced down to your moving hand. Sliding the pill from your pocket, you held it up so he could see it. Realization pooling on his face, he looked back to you to see you smiling up to him.

"I can't think of a better place to do this than here. Here, where it all began, when I first fell down. After all, after I take this, it'll be like a new start to my.. No, our life. So why not take it where beginnings happen?"

His expression morphed to hold an adoring smile for you, then pulling you in for a quick, but passionate kiss.

"I question every day how lucky I must have been to meet you."

"That's funny.. I ask myself the same question everyday too."

Smiling, you looked at the pill. The glow could hardly be seen in the light it was in, but you could just barely see it. Breathing in and out slowly, you shook off your nerves and placed the pill on your tongue. It was tasteless, thankfully, but you could feel the familiar buzz of magic like static on your tongue. You downed the shot of water quickly before it could dissolve in your mouth. You could hear Gaster suck in a breath nervously, waiting to see if something went wrong.

Looking down at your hands, nothing seemed to change. You couldn't feel anything, either.

Huh. Maybe monster pills are different from human medicati-

Warmth swirled around your chest, making you gasp and look down. Gaster's eye sockets widened at your sound, looking over you to see if you were in any pain. Suddenly, your Soul manifested. Without wasting a second, the skeleton in front of you shot both of his hands up and grasped your shoulders in a tight hold, teleporting you both to a different place. You couldn't see where you were, but you were too focused on your Soul to care. You only hoped that it was somewhere secluded. Then again, he probably took you both home.

Your stats showed up before you, something that had not happened before. It seemed that Gaster could see it as well, so you wondered if he had done an automatic check. You both watched in shock and amazement as your stats slid up by a large margin, where your HP had once stood at 10 now held a whopping 150 instead. Your attack and defense hadn't increased much, but they still went up nonetheless. Thankfully, your LV stayed the same.

"Gaster..? Was that- was that supposed to happen?"

Entranced by your Soul, it seemed that he could only barely hear you over the thrum of your sound.

"I hadn't thought of it, but now that I do, it makes sense that this would happen. With years being added to your life, it's not surprising that your Soul would pick up the stats. It seems that your Soul thinks that it is some sort of boss monster.. Or human? I'm not sure, but you're still human so it must be the latter."

Boss human, huh? Sounds kinda badass. Like I'm a mobster or something.

"So.. This is it, huh?"

Locking eyes with you, Gaster stared for a few seconds before smiling. Standing up fully, he was careful of your Soul, but hugged you tightly.

"..Yes. It is, starlight. I hope.. I hope to make you happy for the many years to come."

Pushing your Soul back into its rightful place into your chest, you couldn't help but notice that you in fact felt a bit more powerful. It wasn't a physical kind of strength, but more like.. Your mind was more sharp and fast. You pushed the feeling back and hugged Gaster tightly, breathing in softly.

"I want to do the same for you, Wings. I would like nothing more than to make you the happiest I can."

Blushing slightly at the use of his first name, he sighed happily and leaned back, looking into your eyes. Having the same idea, you both leaned in and kissed, lips melding together and bodies pressing against each other like two puzzle pieces that just seemed to fit so perfectly, you couldn't bear to separate them.

Smiling against his mouth, you giggled softly, making him chuckle and lean back.

"What's so funny, dear?"

"I guess this makes us Soul-mates, huh?" You grinned cheekily, waiting for his response.

"..I love you so much." He sighed out and laughed, making you join him in a fit of laughter.

Both of your voices carried along your home, the love that burned in both of your shared Souls, a never-ending flame that would never die. Soulmates indeed, the need so strong that the love you shared would last even after eternity. It was the kind that would force whoever was pulling the strings to make you both meet again in another life, meeting in different, yet loving stories. Perhaps during war times, or maybe even as gods yourselves. Whatever waited for you two, all you knew is that you could face anything, as long as you were together as two pieces of a whole.

-The End-