Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

Tw for minor blood and non-mental illness related self harm

Crisp night air filled my lungs when I stepped outside. Snow crunched under my boots and I took in a deep breath, enjoying the freezing temperatures. Nothing back at home was quite like this.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and strolled down the mountainside towards a large cave in the distance. I had nothing but the light of the moon to guide me, but I knew this path by heart at this point.

After ducking under low hanging branches and skirting past snow banks, I finally reached my destination. The sound of water dripping from somewhere within along with the rustle of bat wings reached my ears. As I carefully inched my way into the cave my eyes started to glow a dull green and the rock around me became more visible. Thank fuck for night vision spells.

When I reached the very back I hesitantly placed a hand on the far wall. The bare rock felt rough under my fingertips. Without another word I let my arm get engulfed in green light that spilled onto the rock and spiraled outwards into a circle with strange shapes and symbols surrounding it. This unlocking spell was a tough one, but I’d done it enough that it only took about a minute to cover the entire rock.

Now that the seal was broken I stepped back to watch the rock pull away and disappear into the ground. The secret room on the other side smelled musty and I wrinkled my nose at the trapped warmth that enveloped my body.

Shaking my head with a sigh I stepped further inside, ignoring the indignant squeaks from the bats trying to hibernate after I’d disturbed them with my spell. On the furthest wall was a grand silver mirror, encrusted with emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Its glow was barely noticeable from where I stood, but I knew the power that was held behind that glass. Enchanted mirrors were no joke.

The only other thing in the makeshift room was a drawer full of old notes, scrolls, and ancient books. I made a mental note to grab those after the… chat.

I wordlessly took a small knife out of my pocket and sliced open my right palm, hissing from the pain. No matter how many times I do it, it still stings like a bitch.

With my left hand I dabbed my pointer finger in the blood and smeared it on the mirror, writing the required symbols and watching as my blood soaked into it, disappearing into the glass. The mirror accepted my sacrifice.

I bandaged my hand as I waited for him to show up. It didn’t take long as the man didn’t really have anyone else to talk to. Except perhaps himself…

A blur appeared on the glass that slowly focused into a clear image of a man. A strange man with black attire and a melting white face. Two cracks went up one eye socket and down the other. His hands that he used to speak with had giant holes in the middle of both palms. He never told me where he got those.

He was a monster, that much was obvious. Though monsters were trapped in the underground long before I was even dreamt of by my mother. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came back. I doubted that I’d be alive to see the day though. Briefly my mind wandered to the barrier breaking spell I’d been working on before my attention was stolen away by my… ally? Friend? Acquaintance? You never could tell with this guy.

“✌☟ ❄☟☜☼☜ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜. ✋ 🕈✌💧 🕈⚐☠👎☜☼✋☠☝ ✋☞ ✡⚐🕆🕯👎 ☜✞☜☼ 👍⚐💣☜ 👌✌👍😐.”

It took me a long moment to mentally translate his hand signals. He didn’t use ASL. More like some sort of monster sign language instead. It was a miracle that I even found an old monster book that taught me the language. While he signed his mouth also moved, though the only thing coming out was garbled, glitchy nonsense.

I huffed and ran a hand through my long, unkempt hair. “It’s not easy hauling everything up here at the drop of a hat. And these things usually only happen once a year. You’re lucky I was able to sneak away while everyone was getting drunk off their asses. I feel like you could’ve come up with a better way to communicate with me other than this mirror. You ever heard of a cellphone?”

His face told me that he was not amused. “⚐☟ ✋🕯💣 💧⚐☼☼✡. ☠☜✠❄ ❄✋💣☜ ✋ ☝☜❄ ❄☼✌🏱🏱☜👎 ✋☠ ❄☟☜ ✞⚐✋👎 ✋🕯☹☹ ☼☜💣☜💣👌☜☼ ❄⚐ 👌☼✋☠☝ ✌ 👍☜☹☹ 🏱☟⚐☠☜ 🕈✋❄☟ 💣☜…”

I chuckled. Sarcasm from this guy? Wow. I rolled my eyes and placed a hand on my hip. “Right. My bad. Anyways I’m here because I think I found the one. Funnily enough, she’s not even born yet.”

The man tilted his head at me in confusion. I knew how crazy it sounded. How could I know who it was if they weren’t even born yet? But I knew the other night what I felt when she told us she was pregnant. I felt the spark of life coming from the swollen belly.

“Trust me I know. She won’t be born for another six months. Don’t worry, I’ll watch over her. I would have anyways, regardless if she was the one or not.”

The goopy skeleton monster looked pleased. “☜✠👍☜☹☹☜☠❄. ❄☟☜ 💧✌✞✋⚐☼ ⚐☞ ❄☟☜ 💣🕆☹❄✋✞☜☼💧☜ ✋💧 ☟☜☼☜ ✌❄ ☹✌💧❄. ✌☠👎 ☠⚐❄ ✌ 💣⚐💣☜☠❄ ❄⚐⚐ 💧⚐⚐☠. ❄☟✋☠☝💧 ☟✌✞☜ 💧❄✌☼❄☜👎 ❄⚐ ☟✌🏱🏱☜☠. 👌✌👎 ❄☟✋☠☝💧. ✋🕯☹☹ 😐☜☜🏱 ✌☠ ☜✡☜ ⚐☠ ❄☟✌❄ ⚐❄☟☜☼ ⚐☠☜ ☞⚐☼ ✌💧 ☹⚐☠☝ ✌💧 💧☟☜🕯☹☹ ✌☹☹⚐🕈. 🕆☠❄✋☹ ❄☟☜☠📪 😐☜☜🏱 💣☜ 🕆🏱👎✌❄☜👎 🕈☟☜☠☜✞☜☼ ✡⚐🕆 👍✌☠. “

I nodded and saluted him, which elicited an eye roll from him. Weird because he didn't even have pinpricks, but I could tell what he was doing anyways. “Will do pal. Don’t worry. Y/n will be just fine.”

He didn’t look too convinced about that. I glared and pouted at him. “Whatever I’m outta here. They’ll start worrying if I’m out in the cold for too long. Chill out old man, I won't let anything happen to her. And when she’s ready I’ll give her these.”

I turned to the drawer and grabbed everything inside, including the journals I had kept over the years. After stashing all of it in my pack I turned back to the man who was watching me with that creepy smile. You wouldn’t believe that he’s on the good side with him looking like that.

“Alright I’m out. See ya Gaster. And if anything changes, try to send me a message somehow. The multiverse is in our hands until Y/n is old enough.”

Gaster nodded his agreement. “⚐☞ 👍⚐🕆☼💧☜. ✋🕯☹☹ 💧☜☜ 🕈☟✌❄ ✋ 👍✌☠ 👎⚐. ☝⚐⚐👎 ☹🕆👍😐. ✌☠👎 ☼☜💣☜💣👌☜☼📪 ❄☟☜ 💣🕆☹❄✋✞☜☼💧☜ ✋💧 ✋☠ 👎✌☠☝☜☼ ✌💧 ☹⚐☠☝ ✌💧 ❄☟☜ ⚐❄☟☜☼ ⚐☠☜ ✋💧 💧❄✋☹☹ ☟☜☼☜.”

I nodded in understanding then waved as I made my way outside. I smiled when I noticed his own little wave before the rocks reformed, shutting him off from the rest of the world. I knew he could still see me as he had access to any place in the multiverse from where he was in the void. That still didn’t stop the pang in my chest. We wouldn’t be able to talk for a long time after this.

I shook my head and trotted off back to the cabin. The weight of the books in my pack were heavy, and not just from the physical weight. With these Y/n had everything she’d need to succeed. Hopefully anyways.

I grinned to myself as I looked up at the expanse of stars twinkling in the distance.

“It's up to you now little Y/n. The multiverse is quite literally in your hands. I know you have the power to succeed if you hold those you love close to you. Only then will the threat be stopped.”

Chapter Text

Trigger warning for gross injury? Idk if it counts as gore lol 

The screeching of an alarm clock startled Y/n awake on a terribly chilly morning. The h/c haired woman groaned and flipped over on her side, getting tangled up in her sheets as she blindly groped for her phone. She silently cheered when her fingers grazed the familiar phone case, but sighed dejectedly when it teetered over the side of her nightstand and fell to the floor with a soft thunk. Just my luck...

Y/n leaned over the side of her bed and squinted groggily down at her phone. It was laying there, still screeching as if mocking her. You bastard... She begrudgingly reached down to grab her phone and slammed her finger down on the shut the fuck up button. It finally quieted down, albeit seeming a little offended at the interruption, if phones had feelings that is. 

Y/n rolled over onto her back, limbs splayed out as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. What year is it again? She glanced back at her phone and eyed the date and time. Monday, June 20th, 7:00 am. Ew I have work today. 

After wasting another thirty minutes in bed, it took all of Y/n's effort just to roll out of bed and begin her daily routine. That's it, that's all the motivation I have for the day. Guess I can't go to work... The urge to take a mental health day was strong, but Y/n knew her boss wouldn't buy her bullshit. Also what if something serious actually DID happen one day, and Y/n used up all her sick days? A bad start to a morning didn't count as an excuse to skip work. But it should...

Plus, Y/n's super special awesome epic experiment was almost complete! If she was lucky, maybe she'd get to give it a test run? That added a pep to her step as she quickly got dressed in her usual work clothes: A black turtleneck jumper, black dress pants/pencil skirt (whichever you prefer (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)) and black dress shoes/heels. To top it all off, the signature lab coat and her hair pulled up into a neat bun so her hair didn't set on fire or get caught in machinery. 

Y/n looked herself over in the mirror. Damn I look like I crawled out of hell. Bags under the eyes and a permanently tired resting bitch face were one of Y/n's many charming qualities. I still look hot in this outfit though hehe... Y/n thought the deranged scientist look suited her. And it did. 

Y/n was a scientist, obviously. She worked for Ebbot Co., a lab dedicated to innovation and advancement, be it technological, social or otherwise. That's why it had been one of the first companies in the US to accept monster workers. Y/n had graduated a year ahead of her peers with a doctorate degree. She'd been working at the company for nearly six years now, and had climbed up the ranks fairly quickly, given her talent. She'd helped with many successful projects, but two years ago had been given permission to pursue one of her own. 

What Y/n was interested in was the multiverse. She knew it sounded silly, and understood the strange looks she got anytime someone asked. A multiverse? It doesn't exist! Right? Y/n wasn't too sure. Just because you've never seen something doesn't mean it isn't real. She just had to find the right formula to get there. After that... Y/n hadn't thought that far ahead.

Trying to create an access point to the multiverse was no walk in the park, but formula after formula, failure after failure, Y/n was SURE she had it right this time.  At least I hope so... The people in charge can't keep funding an experiment that doesn't get results. It might get scrapped if this is a flop! And this is my first project I'm leading ever! What if they don't think I'm right for this anymore if I fail!? Y/n's thoughts whirled in her mind as she anxiously tugged at her sleeves.

She shook her head and took a deep breath in, then out. Your anxiety is getting out of hand again. Just take this one day at a time, we'll see how it turns out. Then go from there. No biggy! A pressure on her legs distracted Y/n from her self deprecating thoughts and she peered down at the fluffy monstrosity curled around her ankle. Her little bastard cat she'd lovingly named Nutmeg. He was a cinnamon colored Norwegian Forest cat. He was gorgeous, and he knew it.

Y/n smirked down at him as he blinked owlishly up at her. "Hey rat. You hungry? Because otherwise you wouldn't give me the time of day." 

Nutmeg mewed at her in a demanding tone. Then he padded off towards the stairs, stopped, and glanced back as if expecting her to follow. Y/n rolled her eyes and hastily grabbed her bag from off of her chair. She spun around in a slow circle, just to make sure she had everything. Phone, keys, wallet, hydro flask, bag full of important and potentially harmful doohickeys, check!

Satisfied, Y/n lazily followed Nutmeg down to the kitchen and poured him a bowl of pellets. He thoughtfully sniffed the offering, then turned and padded away as if he hadn't just been begging her for food. Y/n's eye twitched as she watched him leave, head held high in disdain. "Yeah whatever, you little shit." 

Y/n glanced at the time on her phone. 7:45. Guess I better get going or I won't be able to grab breakfast on the way. She snatched her pre-prepared lunch from the fridge and trudged towards the door, stopping by Nutmeg who was already staring after her with his bright amber eyes. She smiled and bent down to gently stroke his impossibly soft fur, giggling as he loudly purred and leaned into her touch.

Despite her insistence that he was a bastard, Y/n still loved this fluffy boy to bits. She'd found him sitting on her parent's back porch one cold night, as if he'd been waiting for her. They'd been inseparable ever since. "Bye Nutmeg! Try not to destroy the house while I'm gone mkay? Mwah! Love ya!" 

She blew a kiss to him and ignored his indignant look at that last comment. Finally feeling ready, Y/n exited her home and made sure she locked the door behind her. She glanced behind her to study the large lonely mansion she'd started living in only a few years ago.

For some reason, she felt like today would be memorable. Maybe it was because she'd be testing out her contraption today? With a giddy little hop, Y/n turned around and began her short stroll to work. She had a car, but preferred to walk as work was quite close. Better for the environment anyways. 

Two years ago Y/n had inherited this giant mansion from her estranged uncle. They'd been quite close before he was essentially kicked out of the family for being... Well he was an oddball. Maybe that's where Y/n got her eccentric behaviors from. Sadly he'd passed away and in his will Y/n was made the sole heir to his property and all of his money, which was A LOT. She'd be living comfortably for a very long time, but that didn't stop her from wanting to pursue science.

She still didn't know exactly why she'd been given everything he owned, but maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was the only one who protested him being ostracized from the family and had kept in touch long afterwards. In any case, Y/n couldn't complain, you don't just pass up this sort of opportunity. 

Y/n entered a large shopping area near the center of town. She dodged past humans and monsters on their way to work and school, mumbling a few apologies whenever she accidentally bumped shoulders. It was always busy and crowded here, which she didn't like. Too many people, gross.... 

She glanced down just in time to notice a little cat monster trip over the curb and drop his toy dinosaur. He looked so similar to Nutmeg it nearly startled her, but she quickly recovered and went over to neal down and pick up the dinosaur for him. He winced as he got up, rubbing his head. Y/n bent down to his height and held out the toy, smiling at him kindly. "Here you go! Be careful running around here, you could've gotten trampled."

The monster kid looked up at her with wide eyes, then offered a shy smile and nodded. He quickly snatched the toy away and Y/n chuckled as he scampered off back to presumably his two moms, one of which turned and smiled at her gratefully. Y/n simply waved her off and continued on her way, smiling to herself.

Monsters had been released from the underground barely a year ago, and were still very new to the world. It still startled Y/n sometimes seeing them on the street. She had quickly learned to accept them as equals, however the rest of humanity was not as quick to accept them. It was sad, but not surprising. If humanity can't even accept people of their own species because of their skin color, sexuality or gender, just to name a few, what made them think they'd accept monsters? It grossed Y/n out, but she couldn't really do much except for help where she could.

A lot of monsters were still misplaced, and in the beginning had nowhere to go. There was a program that had willing humans allow monsters to stay at their homes temporarily until the housing problem was sorted and proper laws were passed to protect them.  In fact, Y/n had been one of those humans who offered to let monsters stay in her home, and had sheltered a few monsters, including her now best friend, Melody.  

Y/n brightened when she saw the sign to her favorite cafe in the city, Twisted Webs. It was run by a delightful purple spider monster named Muffet. A small bell tinkled to announce Y/n's presence and she waved to the spider woman behind the counter, who grinned happily back.

The cafe was gorgeous, with large webs spun in such a way that they perfectly caught the sunlight and sparkled, it was very enchanting. Not to mention the adorable little spider butlers who helped Muffet run the place. Y/n wasn't too keen with spiders, and at first they had been a bit off putting. But eventually she'd learned that they were perfectly harmless and actually quite polite.

As per usual, the cafe was full of monsters and the occasional human. Humans were still unsure about monster businesses, which Y/n thought was stupid. Muffet was a baking goddess. "Ah Y/n! So lovely to see you dear ahuhuhu! The usual?"

Y/n snapped her attention back to the arachnid and smiled with a nod. "Yes please, thank you Muffet you're a gem!"

Muffet placed one of her hands on her cheek while the others continued to work: jotting down orders, typing on the computer, making coffee, and another was stirring some batter. How did she even manage to do so much at once? Was it all the eyes? Y/n never bothered to ask. "Oh Y/n darling! You flatter me!"

Y/n chuckled and winked jokingly, then went to stand by the counter, staring absentmindedly out the window. The sound of a guitar and an angelic singing voice by the stage immediately piqued Y/n's interest and she turned to smile at the skeleton sitting on a stool onstage. I'd recognize that talent anywhere!

Melody was a beautiful female skeleton and Y/n's close friend. She was the first monster Y/n befriended and they'd hit it off right away. Melody had music note shaped eye lights and pink, long poofy hair made of jello. She wore a cotton-candy blue and white hoodie with sheet music and notes on it, neutral pink sweatpants, and lilac purple sneakers.

All monsters had magic that was unique to them, and Melody could create any flavor of jello, hence the hair. Sound manipulation was also one of her powers, alongside the usual bone attacks a skeleton monster had. Y/n had never met another skeleton monster, but she remembered Melody telling her about a Sans and Papyrus who were similar.

Melody was a gentle soul, very chill. Y/n liked her vibe. She was a tomboy and was the most easygoing person Y/n had ever met. She was a musician, and could play any instrument if given the chance. Her favorite was her guitar, adorned with cute stickers. She had the most beautiful voice, and would sing for anyone willing to pay her the right amount. Since her time on the surface Melody had made quite the name for herself, and had gotten a little bit famous. She sang at Muffet's cafe a lot. 

Melody finished one of her songs and when her eye lights landed on Y/n they immediately brightened. She set her guitar against the wall and yelled to Muffet. "I'm gonna take five M!"

Muffet waved to her without looking up from her work, taking note. Melody skipped up to Y/n and pulled her into a tight hug, making Y/n giggle happily.

 "Hey girl! On your way to work?" Melody asked after she'd released Y/n from her grasp. Y/n nodded. "Yup! Today I get to test my contraption, hopefully it works this time!" 

Melody smirked at this and Y/n blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, just like all those other times huh? Ha! I'm just pulling your leg babs, I know science is all trial and error. You're really smart, so I know you'll be amazing! Just... Be careful if it does work, the multiverse might not be all kittens and roses. And even if it is, who knows how the rest of the world will react?"

Y/n nodded in understanding of Melody's warning. She'd worried about that before, but had planned for every possible outcome imaginable. Whichever side the danger came from, she would be ready.

"I just need to know its there first, to prove that I'm right. If I can do that, I'll get more funding, and can slowly study all the different universes with time and patience. I'm not letting humans ruin this good thing too." 

Melody smiled and patted Y/n's shoulder. "There is not a doubt in my mind that you can do this." 

Y/n's worries died down at her friend's reassurance. "Thanks Melody, you're the best! Anyways how are you? It's been awhile." 

Melody offered a calm shrug. "Not much to report captain. Been traveling a lot, playing at concerts and stuff. Mettaton and I did another collab, he's great as usual. Started posting my songs and advice on Monstergram. Oh! Sans and Paps are moving here soon, maybe you'll finally get to meet them!" 

Y/n hesitated at the idea of meeting new people. That usually meant the exhaustion of social interaction, but Melody spoke the world of the two brothers she'd grown up with. And if they were anything like her, maybe they'd get along after all?

Y/n smiled. "Heh, why not? It could be fun." 

Melody brightened at this. "Awesome! You'll love them I promise! I wonder if-" 

"Order for Y/n!" Both girls jumped at the sudden interruption. Y/n offered an apologetic smile as she gave Melody one last hug. "Sorry Melody, gotta get to work. We should hang out though since you're back in town!" 

Melody nodded and patted Y/n on the shoulder, winking at her cheekily. "Of course! Don't be a stranger babe."

Y/n rolled her eyes and walked up to the counter as Melody walked back to the stage. Melody was always a riot to talk to.

Y/n took her favorite coffee and muffin from one of the spiders, paying them the amount due plus a little extra. These were trying times for monsters and Y/n had money to spare. 

She briskly left the cafe after saying her goodbyes to Muffet, continuing on her way to work. Y/n's stomach did somersaults as she approached the double doors of the lab. Hopefully this went well.

Y/n entered the building and looked around. The usual scientists were standing around talking, drinking coffee, or other social interaction stuff. Gross. Y/n managed to skirt around them and avoid anyone's attention like she usually did. Her peers were usually fun to talk to but right now she just wanted to get to work.

She'd just finished off her muffin and coffee when she entered her lab. It was dark and quiet. A weird foreboding feeling overcame Y/n's senses. This feeling had been bothering her all morning but Y/n shrugged it off and flicked on the lights, deciding not to worry about it. Everyone had slow days. 

The lab was fairly large, with all of Y/n's favorite science toys strewn across the room. In the very center was her multiverse contraption. All it needed was a few tweaks and they'd be ready to test it. Y/n set her bag down on a table and took out a wrench and an odd looking blue crystal. Getting her hands on a magic crystal hadn't been easy, especially since they could only be found near echo flowers in the Underground, but Y/n was sure monster magic was what she had been missing.

Besides it was the only power source strong enough to open something as obscure as an alternate universe. If there even was one. Y/n's knowledge about magic was still limited, but she'd been studying it in her free time when the epiphany to merge magic and science hit. 

She was quick to screw the crystal into the top of the machine, careful not to cause any cracks in the shimmering gem. Y/n's tongue stuck out as she worked. Her phone was blasting her favorite playlist as she messed with her machine, always turning to squint at her blueprints that were pinned to a board nearby.

About an hour or so into working, the machine was finally complete and had been checked several times. Y/n brushed her hands together, grinning in excitement. This is it!

And now, the moment of truth. She hesitated at first, but quickly shook her head and pushed her doubts away. This would work. Nothing would go wrong.

Before she could talk herself out of it Y/n grasped the lever that would turn the machine on and pulled it down, watching as the machine groaned to life. It shuddered a few times and then the wheels started to turn, vibrating a cylinder at the top. The crystal began to glow vibrantly and Y/n watched in amazement as a laser beam shot from the center and hit thin air. It seemed to tear into reality itself as the portal grew bigger and bigger.

Y/n gripped the sides of her coat. She broke into a huge grin when she saw a different world on the other side, like nothing she'd ever seen. A void with many papers floating through it, with names Y/n had never heard of before. Underfell, Underswap, Outertale, and many many more. I did it! The multiverse really does exist, I knew it!!

Y/n's triumph was short lived as the machine started violently shaking and a scraping noise could be heard from its center, getting louder with every second. Y/n's face changed from excitement to horror as the portal popped and fizzled, then began to rapidly pass through several universes as if changing channels on a TV. Y/n saw a different version of the Underground's Waterfall, and another town with snow and monsters in red who looked mean. A few other images of the same places, just in different styles flashed before her eyes until she was overwhelmed.

Then the portal started growing larger at an alarming rate. No... This wasn't supposed to happen something's wrong! I need to shut it down.

The portal was quickly becoming unstable and the crystal was sending out blinding bursts of light. Wind picked up and sent debris everywhere, swirling in a huge mass as if drawn towards the rip in reality. Y/n shielded her eyes and made slow progress towards the machine, fighting against the wind and dodging a chair that came flying at her. She eventually made it to the machine that looked about ready to explode.

She grasped at the lever and pulled down with as much force as she could. The lever gave way and slammed down, however this did little to stop the hurricane of magic and furniture. The portal continued to let out large sparks of magic. Why isn't it turning off!?

In her panic Y/n did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed hold of the crystal, screaming in agony as hot pain shot up her arm, and yanked it out of the machine. Probably not the best idea, but what else could she have done?

Immediately the portal caved in on itself, but not before it set off a small explosion. Furniture went flying everywhere, and Y/n was sent flying back into a wall. A biting pain shot straight through her soul and her head hit a hard surface with a sickening crack, then she blacked out. 

When Y/n came to she was buried under a pile of papers and some machinery. Her head had a heartbeat and her arm stung. She glanced down at it and grimaced. Boils and second degree burns rode up her arm right to her elbow. Rule number one of magic: Never directly touch it when it's been activated. But I just... Panicked.

Y/n slowly sat up and assessed the damage. Her lab was a disaster. Papers, tools, and furniture were everywhere. Her precious machine, that she'd worked on for years, was in pieces. The crystal was shattered, and all that was left of it was glittering dust that quickly dissipated back into the earth. The portal was gone though, which made Y/n sigh in relief. "Thank goodness." 

Nobody had come running to investigate, which was odd considering the horrific noises the machine and portal had been making, not to mention the huge explosion. Nothing seemed to be damaged, so she wouldn't have to explain that to her boss. The labs were pretty sound proof, and Y/n was known for her explosions, so maybe people only thought it was a minor one. 

Y/n whimpered when she felt a piercing pain in her chest. Is it my soul? Did the magic do something to it!? She quickly summoned it, sighing in relief when she saw no visual damage. She had been right though, the pain was coming from her soul. It was like searing iron had been stabbed through it, but that slowly faded away. Maybe it was just a small side affect of tampering with magic.

At least nothing bad happened right? Y/n had gotten to it in time, she was sure of it. She looked down at her soul again, which had faded to a dull throb. It was dull and grey, as usual. It had always confused Y/n why it was that color. The dullness she understood, she wasn't the happiest person, but for it to be completely grey, was that normal?

Whatever, I spent my whole life trying to figure it out and never found an answer. Why worry about it now? I just want to go home and forget this ever happened. At least now I know the multiverse does exist. Something just must've gone wrong. I can get back to it and try to find something more stable later. For now though, I feel like I could sleep for eons.

Y/n silently pushed her soul back into her chest and got up. She would clean up this mess later. After bandaging up her wound she quickly grabbed her things and locked the door behind her. On her way out a few people gave her weird looks, but didn't say anything. What are they staring at?  Maybe they knew she had exploded everything again.

She picked up the pace and got to her house in five minutes, while still getting strange looks from everyone she passed. What is their problem?

Y/n entered her house and was immediately met with the happy meows of Nutmeg, who lifted his tail and trotted up to her upon her arrival. Y/n chuckled and picked him up. "Thanks for the warm welcome bud. Today was... Interesting." 

Nutmeg just nuzzled into her arms without a care. Somehow that made her feel better, as if her failure didn't actually matter that much. Y/n giggled and walked upstairs to set him on her bed. "I wish I was a cat. Not a care in the world." 

Nutmeg rolled around in her sheets, completely ignoring everything she was saying. He found the perfect spot so when she went to go to bed she'd have to sleep in a complicated position just for him. Perfect...

Y/n rolled her eyes and went to go to the bathroom, gasping at her reflection in the mirror. Oh... That's why everyone was looking at me weird... Y/n's face was covered in black soot from the explosion. That's embarrassing. Haha loser. 

Y/n just sighed and decided to take a quick shower, have a small dinner and go to bed. Today had been awful. She snuggled under the blankets afterwards, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion.

She pet Nutmeg goodnight, then rolled onto her side to drift in and out of a fitful sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day...

CRASH

The sound of shattered glass woke Y/n with a start and she shot up out of bed, her heart pounding. What the fuck was that!?

She checked the time. It was 2 in the morning. Maybe Nutmeg had the midnight zoomies? A confused "murr?" debunked her theory as Nutmeg crawled out from under the covers, looking disheveled and confused. 

Y/n jumped again when she heard shuffling from downstairs. Oh shit... Is someone in here? IS IT A ROBBER!? Fuck... It probably is. I live in a huge mansion for fucks sake! What do I do!?

Nutmeg was now fully awake, ears perked as he let out another mew and hopped off the bed, padding out of Y/n's room and into the foreboding darkness. Y/n's heart leapt out of her throat. 

"Nutmeg no! Ugh stupid cat!" She whisper yelled. What do I do- what do I do!? Y/n looked around for some sort of weapon. Anything would do. She spotted a baseball bat leaning against the wall for this exact emergency. Thank you past me!

She picked it up and held it tightly in her grasp. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, she'd never dealt with a real burglary before. Her grip tightened when she heard a groan coming from downstairs. It sounded like they were in pain? Maybe they'd fallen while trying to steal something? Whatever the case, Y/n knew someone was here. 

As quickly and quietly as she could, Y/n tiptoed down the stairs and into the living room. She nearly tripped over Nutmeg, who was staring at something, or someone, on their hands and knees in the middle of the floor.

Nutmeg's amber eyes flashed as he stared up at Y/n, not looking the least bit frightened. Well he should be! There's a ding dang stranger in our home! Y/n glanced back up at the mystery person and glared at them, her protective momma bear instincts kicking in. It'd be different if it was just her, but if this creep lay a finger on Nutmeg...

She slowly inched forward. It was hard to see in the dark, but this person looked... Odd. Not really human. They looked way too pale to be human. Maybe they were a monster? Monsters were usually peaceful, not to mention polite. Unless one finally had enough of humanity's bullshit and was desperate enough to rob them. 

They looked ragged, and were holding their head as if they were recovering from falling a great height. Another low groan, and then they mumbled under their breath. "This isn't the Doodle Sphere...." 

"TAKE THIS PERP!" Y/n snarled, not giving them a chance to react as she hit them upside the head with her bat. The monster fell to the floor with a dull thump.

Y/n stood there panting. She cautiously lowered the bat to stare at their limp form. 

Oh shit... I DIDN'T KILL THEM DID I!?

Chapter Text

Y/n paced back and forth in the living room. She was currently in the middle of a mental breakdown, trying to decide what to do with this stranger she'd knocked out. She had checked and he was still alive to her relief. But she had no idea what to do. 

She glanced over at the couch she'd put him on. She'd been correct, he was a monster. And not just any monster. He was a skeleton monster, just like Melody. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a brown half-sleeved crop top jacket over that, and long brown poofy pants. His long brown socks opened up at the heels and toes, and his brown fingerless gloves opened up to show ink-stained phalanges. Around his neck was a long brown scarf that faded near the tips, and he wore a sash that had several strange vials of brightly colored liquid with heart shaped caps. On his right cheek was a splatter of paint. But the oddest part of his appearance was the gigantic paintbrush he'd been carrying before Y/n knocked him out. He was an oddball, that was for sure, but Y/n couldn't judge. 

At first she was going to call the police, but decided against it. Nutmeg seemed particularly fond of him even though he'd only just met this strange skeleton man. Right now he was curled up on his chest, glaring defiantly at Y/n as if to say: Call the police! I dare you! 

For some reason Y/n felt inclined to listen to her cat. She trusted Nutmeg and his instincts. Sometimes it felt like he understood more than a normal cat should. Y/n often found herself listening to him and it always turned out well for her. Whether it was pure coincidence or not, she wasn't entirely sure. 

But anyways, this could all just be a huge misunderstanding. He might not be a robber. Maybe there was a reason he was here. Like he was trying to hide from monster haters and panicked. There had been a surge in violent monster hater activities as of late. 

And not only that, but Y/n felt this weird connection to this stranger. She felt in her soul that she shouldn't call the cops. She felt like she needed to keep him safe. AND WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT!? I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE GUY!

So against her better judgment, Y/n was impatiently waiting for this guy to wake up. She'd grabbed an ice pack for his head and sat waiting in a chair with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. The baseball bat sat in her lap just in case. If there was any sign of him attacking, she'd call the police and that was that. 

She continued to sit in silence as she mulled over the words he'd said before she knocked him unconscious. What the hell is the Doodle Sphere? I've never heard that name before. Maybe he really is a nut job and I'm making a terrible mistake. The icy glare from Nutmeg kept her in her seat. 

Nutmeg's bushy tail swiped over the stranger's face, gently tickling his nasal. Despite being made of bone the man's nonexistent nose twitched at the sensation. Maybe skeleton monster bones were made of different stuff? It would make sense; they were exposed to everything in the outside world without the squishy protection of skin and muscle. Before Y/n's science obsessed brain could go down the rabbit hole of monster biology, she was startled back to the present by the skeleton twitching again. 

His fingers began to move and he let out a low groan. Looks like he's finally waking up. It has been awhile since I knocked him out, so about time I suppose.

The skeleton's nose twitched again at Nutmeg's tickling. He slowly opened one eye socket, and then the other. Y/n immediately noticed that his eye lights where two different shapes. One was a star and another was a triangle. Even more fascinating was when he blinked, they changed shape. Now there was an exclamation point and a question mark. Interesting... Do the shapes correspond with his emotions? GAH FOCUS Y/N! STRANGE MAN. IN HOUSE. FOCUS. She jumped when he finally spoke, rubbing his skull and looking around in confusion. 

"Ugh ow.... What? Where? Cat???? Hello cat? Aw you're so cute! Where am I? Can you tell me? I mean you're a cat so I guess not... My head hurts so bad oh stars... Where am I-" He immediately cut off when his eye lights landed on Y/n. Now both of them were exclamation points. "Hell...o???" 

Y/n pointed her baseball bat at him, trying her best to look scary. It was hard when she was wearing her favorite animal onesie and her hair made her look more like a disheveled swamp witch than anything terrifying. Her eye twitched when Nutmeg continued ignoring both of them and started cleaning his forepaw and swiping it over one of his ears. HOW IS HE SO CALM!?

"Hi- uh.... What were you doing in my house??? Sorry I knocked you out but, you gotta understand that usually means the person is a robber and I didn't want to take any chances." 

The stranger blinked at her slowly, looking more confused than ever. Y/n shared his sentiment. Did either of them really know what was happening?

"Oh... I'm sorry? I don't remember what I was doing yesterday. So maybe I was robbing you? Haha! Maybe, idk." Y/n sweat dropped as he giggled to himself. Wtf. She exchanged a bewildered look with Nutmeg. If cats could shrug, he would have. "Uhm... I dunno if this will help, but you were mumbling something about the Doodle Sphere?" 

He slapped his forehead, a look of realization dawning on his face. "Oh yes! That's where I was going! Then no, I wasn't robbing you. I don't actually know how I got here then. I don't usually mess up my teleportation. Hmmm.... Anyways it's fine! Thanks to this ice pack my head doesn't hurt as much. But I better get going now. It was nice to meet ya lady!" 

Y/n watched in confusion as the stranger gently set Nutmeg on the couch and stood up, then picked up his giant paintbrush. She lowered her bat, still watching him carefully. "Oh uh... It was nice to meet you too?" 

She scratched her head awkwardly as she watched him twirl his paintbrush around like a mad man. What the hell is he doing? She was this close to knocking him out again and calling the police. "What are you doing?" 

He paused and looked up at her, then frowned down at his paintbrush. He looked confused? And worried? "Well I'm trying to create a portal to the Doodle Sphere, but it's not working! Why isn't my paintbrush working?" 

All Y/n could offer was a helpless shrug. The skeleton just shook his head and tapped his foot on the ground, deep in thought. He perked up as he thought of something. "Oh I know! I'll go to this universe's version of me for help! What universe am I in?" 

Y/n's blood ran cold. "Did you say... Universes?" 

He nodded with a bright smile. "Yep! I'm actually the guardian of the universes! Pretty cool right? In any case, I should go find him, wherever he is. Bye!"

Y/n watched in stunned silence as he marched towards the door and swung it open, then walked out. Or tried to walk out. He ran right into thin air, as if hitting an invisible wall. Y/n frowned as she watched him struggle like some sort of mime. "Hey! Why can't I leave!? Is this a force field? Why is there a force field around your house!?" 

Y/n quickly ran over and tried to put her arm through the doorway. It came out just fine. She had no idea what this crazy man was talking about. She put her arm down. "What are you even talking about? I can get in and out just fine." 

She watched him scratch his skull, looking bewildered. "Well golly gee!! I have no idea what's going on! Are you sure you're not a kidnapper?" 

He squinted at her in suspicion. Y/n put her hands up in defense and her eyes widened in alarm. "No never! You're the one who showed up at my house remember!? Wait you said... guardian of the multiverse..." 

Ink watched as this strange human paced the floor, running a hand through her gorgeous h/c hair for the millionth time since he'd met her. Did all humans act like the walking embodiment of anxiety or... He couldn't read minds, but the look in her eyes told him she was putting pieces of a puzzle together. Her strange cat trotted up to him and brushed against his leg affectionately. Ink smiled and knelt down to pet him as the human muttered obscure things under her breath. Finally she snapped her fingers, her eyes bright as if she'd figured something out. Heh... Cute.

She suddenly looked guilt ridden, which made Ink raise a bone brow in confusion. The roller coaster of emotions this human is going through has been interesting to watch. The human turned to him and gestured to the couch. "Ok I think I might know what's going on. You might want to sit down for this." 

What did this human mean?

Y/n wrung her hands anxiously as the stranger sat down next to her with no hesitation. OH MY GOD I TOTALLY FUCKED UP DIDN'T I!? IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT MY MULTIVERSE MACHINE GOES HAYWIRE AND THAT EXACT NIGHT THE GUARDIAN OF THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE RANDOMLY SHOWS UP IN MY HOUSE WITH NO MEMORY OF HOW HE GOT HERE AND NO WAY TO TELEPORT OUT WITH MAGIC! PLUS, THERE'S APPARENTLY A MAGICAL FORCE FIELD AROUND MY HOUSE!? HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN THERE!?

Y/n was screaming on the inside but kept her composure on the outside. She didn't know this guy well enough to let her guard down. He stared at her, waiting for her to speak. Y/n took a deep breath to calm herself down. She then smiled kindly at him. This would be a lot. "Well first of all, I think introductions are in order. I can't keep calling you strange skeleton man in my head. I'm Dr. Y/n L/n. But you can just call me Y/n." 

The stranger chuckled and stuck out a hand for Y/n to shake, which she took. His hand was soft and warm, which she still didn't know how he did that. "My name is Ink Sans! But call me Ink! There's a lot of different me's and we like to keep things simple." 

Y/n nodded in understanding. Does that mean there's also a lot of me's? She decided that was a question better asked later once they'd figured everything out. She didn't need that kind of existential crisis right now. 

"Well it's nice to meet you Ink. You've already met my cat Nutmeg. Don't let that adorable face trick you, he's a real asshole. Anyways I said I thought I knew what's going on, so it's time I explained yeah?" 

Ink crossed his legs and watched her with wide curious eyes. If he didn't look to be in his early 20's, she'd think he was a child waiting to be told a bedtime story. "I'm a scientist. Hence the name. I had been experimenting with the multiverse. Something went wrong and I might have.... Accidentally broken it?"

Y/n braced herself for yelling but when no noise came out she opened her eyes to find Ink staring at her blankly. "You.... what?" 

"Well I... In this universe nobody believes that the multiverse exists, and I built this machine... It was supposed to work. Something went wrong. The portal opened up but got out of control. I thought I shut it down in time! I'm so sorry I think it's my fault that you're here!"

Ink was silent for a moment, looking conflicted. It was weird seeing him act so serious when he'd been all over the place earlier. He didn't look mad though, to her relief. "This... Isn't good. I need to be able to protect the alternative universes from a certain few someones. I'm sure it'll be fine for a few months but... I need to get back home. Can you fix it?" 

Y/n looked down at her hands dejectedly, feeling even worse now. Great now I've fucked everything up even worse... She rose an eyebrow when Ink's hands gently grabbed hers. This was all so weird. When she looked back up at him his face had softened. "Hey I get it. You messed up. I do it all the time. Heck, I can't even remember half of anything that happens in my life. I'm not the all-powerful god people think I am. But I do need to get home, and if you need help, I will help you fix it. Just tell me what you need." 

Y/n smiled and blushed just a little. Nobody was usually this forgiving, especially for something like this. Although she had a feeling that Ink just didn't really care as much as someone usually would. "Ok. This is my fault, and I've accepted that. I will do EVERYTHING in my power to get you home. That is a promise. I pulled you here by accident, and I am going to take responsibility for that. The machine I made was destroyed, b-but I can fix it! The only thing I'm missing is crystallized monster magic, which will be very difficult to get my hands on. I'll place another order for it and work on the machine in the meantime. Plus I already know how the machine is supposed to be built so it shouldn't take as long."

At Ink's confused face, Y/n decided to explain the crystal thing. I guess not every monster knows what it is. That makes sense. "Crystallized monster magic is condensed magic that hardens where there's a ton of magic in one area. Usually magic naturally flows through the earth, being used by monsters and then going back into nature, but because the monsters were living in such dense populations all the magic just came together if that makes sense. When they were released from the underground there were expeditions launched and people found these crystals in Waterfall where echo flowers grow. They are a fantastic clean power source. Possibly even the answer to fossil fuels once we crack the code on how to make it ourselves!" 

Y/n stopped herself, realizing she was rambling. She fiddled with her pj's in embarrassment. Sometimes she wouldn't stop talking. Ink however looked fascinated. "Incredible! So all you need is that crystal, and then I can help you figure out what went wrong with the machine, and then I can go home. Hmm..."

Y/n titled her head as he suddenly frowned and held his chin between his pointer finger and thumb. "What is it?" 

He snapped his fingers. "Well first, if I got sucked into the unstable portal, who's to say that I'm the only one? And since the anomaly seems to be drawn to you specifically, which I still don't get why, we might have some visitors depending on how many aus the rip in reality affected. It might get cramped in here." 

Y/n chuckled and patted his arm. It was weird to feel so comfortable around him already, but some people just clicked like that. "Ha! Nah, don't worry. This is actually a mansion with an unnecessary amount of bedrooms. We should be fine. In fact you can have your own room." 

Ink brightened at this. "Neato! I've never had my own room before! This'll be fun!"

Y/n grinned. This'll be like on big sleepover! If the other people coming don't hate my guts for unintentionally kidnapping them that is. We'll just take it one day at a time. Also what did he mean by never having his own room before? "Great! And you'll really help me fix it?" 

Ink nodded vigorously. "Of course! Operation this random guy fell into my house and now I gotta get him home is a go! Or as I like to call it, operation trgbfimhanigghh." 

Y/n stared at him for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter. Ink looked delighted that he'd gotten her to laugh so easily, especially with how torn up he'd seen her. He suddenly gasped when he saw her arm, and Y/n stopped laughing to stare at him quizzically. "Your arm! What happened to it?" 

Y/n made an 'o' face and lifted her bandaged arm. "When I was trying to shut off the machine I had to resort to pulling the crystal out and it burned me pretty badly. I should be fine once it heals."

Ink hummed and held out a hand. "Here, let me see it." 

Y/n hesitated and looked at Nutmeg for guidance. He seemed to nod? She shrugged it off and let Ink grab her hand. He peeled the bandages off surprisingly gently. Y/n couldn't figure this guy out at all. He then grabbed a small paintbrush from out of thin air and painted over the wound. Y/n flinched away, expecting to feel pain, but was surprised when a soothing relief spread through the burn. She watched in awe as the skin began to stitch itself back together until it looked like there hadn't been a burn at all. Incredible! So this is healing magic!

"Wooooow!" Y/n breathed, thoroughly impressed. Ink nodded to himself, looking satisfied. "So I can still use magic in here, that's good to know! I just can't leave. Interesting." 

Y/n smiled up at Ink gratefully. "Thank you so much! That was amazing I've never seen healing magic before!" 

Ink rubbed the back of his vertebrae sheepishly and a rainbow hue coated his cheeks. Was that his form of blushing? Cute! "Aw shucks! You're welcome. Can't have my only ticket home in pain. Now uh... What do we do now?" 

Y/n sighed and combed her fingers through her hair. To be honest she was exhausted. Waking up at 2 am was absolutely terrible. Sleep was her favorite thing in the entire world. (Aside from Nutmeg of course.) She'd rather go back to bed.

Y/n checked her phone. Nope. Way too late to go back to sleep. It was nearly 8:00. And even if she did try to go back to sleep, Y/n would be too preoccupied with wrestling with her guilt and having an existential crisis about the multiverse existing and the skeleton that was her new roommate. Plus, Ink needed to be given a room. She sighed. "Whelp! It's too late to go to bed now! How about some breakfast and then I take you on a tour?" 

Ink beamed and nodded his head vigorously. Both their stomachs rumbled and they giggled. "Yes please! I'm starving!" 

Y/n nodded and stood up, stretching. "Ok! Just stay here and I'll get dressed then make us some pancakes. You do like pancakes, right?"

At Ink's nod she turned and ran upstairs to quickly change. Y/n realized that this personal emergency would keep her busy all day, so she texted her boss to tell him she'd be out for the day. He was perfectly ok with it, Y/n hadn't taken a day for herself in ages, and he was happy to grant it. Y/n noticed another unread message that had been sent to her during the confusion, and she felt squeamish when she realized it was her mom. 

Mama: Good morning dear! How are you today? We haven't spoken in ages. 

Y/n hesitated. Should I tell her about what happened? Y/n didn't have the greatest relationship with her parents, especially after they stopped talking to her uncle. But it wasn't like they were on bad terms. Plus they were a little more bearable once Y/n had moved out.

She fumbled with her phone, feeling slightly guilty about lying to her. But she knew this was a delicate situation, and her mom wasn't known for handling things sensibly. Take for example, her brother. Plus if she found out Y/n had a male roommate she'd totally flip. Which was dumb because Y/n was never really bothered by other people's gender. A guy, a gal, a non binary pal, who cares!?

Y/n: I'm good mama! I've been working hard at the lab and having a blast with my latest invention! Can't wait to tell you all about it! Tell dad I said hi! 😋

There! That should do for now! Maybe Y/n would tell her about all this someday, but right now wasn't the best time. Hopefully she doesn't get suspicious and comes to investigate... Nope! We'll deal with it if it happens! Stop worrying! Pancake time!

After a delightful breakfast Y/n took Ink on that tour she promised. Nutmeg was trailing behind them with a bored look on his face. The mansion had two stories. Y/n showed him the kitchen, dining room, living room, and main bathroom.

They passed by her study, which was a fairly large room cluttered with all of her papers and ideas. A large desk was in the very center. The room attached to it was a HUGE library. Y/n hadn't finished reading everything in it. Her uncle had a massive collection. Probably why they got along so well. The next room was an extravagant ballroom, which Ink gawked at. Y/n had been here a few times when she was little. But she never had any use for it now. The next room had been empty when she moved in, so she'd turned it into a playroom for Nutmeg or any future pets. 

The outside was a beautiful front garden, and the backyard had several fruit trees and another garden, gazebo, jacuzzi and pool. There was also an attic, which Y/n had yet to finish sorting through. A few other rooms had just been empty, so Y/n had dedicated all of them to her different interests, like video games, working out, art, etc. And of course, her own mini lab. The art room in particular piqued Ink's interest. 

"Feel free to use it whenever you'd like!" Y/n offered. Ink looked giddy as he clapped his hands together, and his eye lights shifted into stars. "Really!? Thank you!" 

Y/n chuckled waved him off. It was the least she could do. The first floor was just a bunch of bedrooms. Lots and lots of bedrooms, each with a connected bathroom and walk in closet. Why her uncle needed so many bedrooms was beyond her, but beggars can't be choosers. They finally made it to the end of their tour, stopping by Y/n's room. Because she had the money, Y/n had turned it into her ultimate dream room.

She turned and grinned at Ink, giving him jazz hands. "And that's the end of our tour! Ta da!!"

Nutmeg looked unimpressed and wandered off, losing interest in the newcomer. Ink 'ooohed' and clapped. Y/n smirked and bowed playfully. They both chuckled. "Wowza! Your place is incredible huma-I mean Y/n!" 

"Why thank you! Now before I set you loose to go pick your own room, we need to set some ground rules. I know this is my fault and you don't really have to listen to what I say, but this is still my house and I'd appreciate it if we could just try to get along. We're doing great so far at least." 

Ink nodded in understanding, so Y/n continued. She cleared her throat.

"Ahem! Ok! Rule number one: don't go in my room unless I give you permission. I'll respect your privacy if you respect mine. Also, please don't interfere with my life too much. I still have to work and stuff. Rule number two: If you need something, just ask. Seriously, I won't get mad. There's no such thing as a bad question. I will cook and provide for you, since you being here is my fault, so I won't make you do chores unless we agree on something later. Don't go into the attic. I still haven't finished cleaning up in there and who knows what my uncle put there? Please refrain from doing anything illegal... Or anything that would arouse suspicion. I'd really like to keep this on the down low as much as possible so we can figure this out. Don't break anything. If you want people over, I need at least several hours in advance to prepare for social interaction. Respect Nutmeg. If ANYTHING happens to him, I will END you."

Ink looked a little nervous at that last part. Good. Y/n smiled good naturedly. "And finally, my place is your place. You are welcome to anything and everything in here. So long as you don't eat us out of house and home. I am always here if you need anything. Also, I trust you to help me with anymore potential roommates. You would know them best and what au they come from, so I'm putting you in charge of that!"

Ink saluted Y/n with a goofy smile on his face. "Aye aye captain!" 

Ink grinned when he heard Y/n chuckle. This human was odd, but he liked that. Despite her mistakes she seemed determined to fix it. He could admire that. "Now Ink, you get to choose your room. Do whatever you want with it, go nuts!" 

Her kind voice made him feel warm. Which was odd because he didn't have a soul and hadn't been drinking his vials. Unless he had and he'd just forgotten. He just shrugged it off. Who cares? He twisted his scarf in his hands and looked down at the name he'd jotted down on it so that he wouldn't forget. Y/n...

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay. I know you didn't have much of a choice, but it's still appreciated. And you've been so nice about everything. I know you're just as much of a victim as I am." 

Y/n looked surprised at the gratitude but smiled faintly. "Of course! I've been wanting a roommate anyways. It gets lonely here. And Nutmeg isn't the best for conversation." 

Ink barked out a laugh at that. This human was funny. Maybe this was just what he needed. The multiverse had gotten quiet, boring. He could use a vacation from defending it. His apprentice could handle a few months on her own right? Yeah. It'd be fine.

He hummed happily to himself as he skipped off to go decorate his new room. I think I'm gonna like it here...

Chapter Text

Y/n happily snuggled underneath the covers while lying stomach down. She felt the weight of Nutmeg lying on her butt as she enjoyed her morning off.

It had been a few days since Ink had literally crashed into her life.  Things had been chaotic at first as both of them got used to having a roommate, but they quickly got comfortable around one another. Y/n liked him a lot. He was an oddball just like her, and knew a lot about the multiverse and different monster things. He was always delighted whenever Y/n asked him her thousands of questions. 

Strangely enough, nobody else had gotten thrown out of their universe. Yet. Now it was the weekend, and Y/n always had the weekends off. She couldn't really work on the machine anyways as she waited for the new parts to come, so at the lab she just worked on mini projects.  Y/n snuggled closer into the warmth of her bed. What a delightfully calm morning. I wonder what's gonna ruin it.

As if on cue, a loud crash came from downstairs, then yelling. It sounded like Ink and some other voice Y/n never heard before. She immediately sat up, startling Nutmeg who shot out the door with a yowl. Oh boy. I have a feeling I know what's going on. 

Y/n quickly threw on some clothes and combed through her hair. She looked like a hobo but at least she didn't look like she'd just gotten up. She ran downstairs, grimacing as she heard the yelling getting louder.  "What the HELL Ink!? I told you not to bother me! Why am I here!? Where am I!? And why-" 

The newcomer was another skeleton. He cut off as soon as he spotted Y/n, who was watching from the doorway worriedly. Ink had his arms up in defense, looking like he'd been trying to explain things to this guy but just kept on getting interrupted.

Y/n couldn't really blame this guy though, he'd been sucked into her house without warning. But at least they knew each other.  This guy looked exactly like Ink. So he was another Sans. Maybe the rip in reality chose a specific person to suck up? So I'm just gonna be surrounded by a bunch of look alikes eventually? That'll get confusing real quick.

This Sans had normal white eye lights and wore a neutral blue zip up jacket with a grey hood. The jacket opened to reveal a messy white t-shirt with a few ketchup stains on it. Or at least what Y/n hoped was ketchup. He also wore black basketball shorts with white stripes, white socks and pink fuzzy slippers. He too looked like a hobo, which made Y/n feel less bad about herself. 

The Sans straightened and studied Y/n closely. "Who the hell are you?" 

Y/n twiddled with her thumbs and smiled at him awkwardly. "Hi! Uh... I'm Y/n, the owner of this house. I'm sure you're really confused right now. Please just let Ink and I explain?"

The Sans sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right. Please explain. One second I'm napping on the couch and the next, I fall face first into this bozo. I'm Sans by the way, Sans the Skeleton. The ORIGINAL." He articulated.

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise. "You're THAT Sans? The Sans who's friends with Melody?"

Sans' own eyesockets widened and he huffed, suddenly looking way older than he actually was. "You're THAT Y/n? Melody speaks the world of you. This is a strange way to meet. Let's try this again." 

He held out a hand to her and Y/n gratefully took it, shooting Ink a suspicious glare when he starting giggling. A loud farting noise echoed through the room and Y/n's eyes widened in realization as both Sanses burst out laughing. "You bastard..." 

"Hehehe. Never gets old. Anyways nice to meet ya. You said you had an explanation for me?"  Sans seemed a lot calmer now that Y/n had intervened. Wow he really didn't like Ink for some reason. He could be a bit insensitive and forgetful at times, but Y/n still enjoyed his company.

Sans shoved his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall lazily, waiting for Y/n to speak up.  Y/n and Ink both launched into the story of what had happened on Monday and early into Tuesday. Sans' eye lights were gone by the end of their tale. "..... You what." 

"Look I'm sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I have been doing everything in my power to get you guys home but I'm not a miracle worker. You have every right to be angry but I am trying ok?"

"Of course I'm pissed." Sans drawled, and Y/n flinched. Ink looked like he wanted to argue, but was cut off before he could even say anything. "I've been ripped away from my home. My family. My brother is off by himself in our new home. Humans are everywhere. He's too trusting and he'll get hurt. I can't leave, and I'm trapped with this asshole and some stuck up rich girl who probably hasn't had to work a day in her life! You really think you can mess with things you don't understand and expect everyone to clean up the mess for you?"

Y/n looked down at the ground, stung by Sans' words. It wasn't fair! It had been an accident! And this money was just handed to Y/n out of nowhere.

Hearing a low growling, Y/n looked down at Nutmeg to find him glaring at Sans. He growled again as if he were scolding him, and blue drops of sweat formed on Sans' skull. 

Ink stepped in before Sans could say anything else. "Listen Sans. I know this is stressful, I know you're upset. But stars! The human is trying her best. You should have seen the look on her face when she realized I was here because of her! She's beating herself up over it and you aren't helping! She is going to get us home, and I am going to help her." 

Sans glared at Ink, but Y/n smiled at him gratefully. Ink grinned back at her and winked. At least SOMEONE had her back. Sans sighed and rubbed the back of his skull, looking just a little bit guilty. "Sorry kid I'm just worried about my brother. You gotta understand this is a lot to take in." 

Y/n nodded in understanding. "Yeah I get that. We'll figure something out. I texted Melody, hopefully she can help somehow."

Things started to calm down as they waited for Melody. Y/n was reassured by Ink that Sans usually was very chill, just the circumstances themselves were upsetting. Y/n decided to make it her personal mission to win him over during his time here.

Half an hour after he'd gotten here, a knock on the door alerted Y/n to her friend's arrival. She quickly passed by Sans who had been napping on the couch, jerking awake at the sound of Y/n's running. He looked tired and lazy but Y/n could tell he was fully aware of his surroundings. 

Y/n opened the door and smiled at the appearance of Melody, but raised an eyebrow at the lanky skeleton anxiously wringing his gloves together behind her.

"Hey Melody! And erm...."  The skeleton beamed when he saw her, holding out a hand for her to shake. Everything about him screamed friendly and trusting. 

"HELLO HUMAN! I AM THE GRRRREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS WONDERFUL TO MEET YOU. MY BEST FRIEND MELODY AND I ARE HERE BECAUSE MY BROTHER IS IN TROUBLE! OH DEAR... I HOPE IT'S NOTHING SERIOUS..." 

Y/n smiled and shook his hand, surprised by the strength of his grip. He violently shook her hand to the point where Y/n was afraid her arm would come off. A deep voice from behind her made Papyrus let her go and gasp. 

"S'cool bro. Nothing too serious. But don't kill the human just yet. Kinda needs all her limbs intact in order to help me."  Sans sounded very calm, but the edge to his tone stopped Y/n from smiling at him. It was a start at least.

They both stepped aside so the two skeletons could come inside. Melody bustled inside and gave Y/n and Sans a tight hug at the same time. Now their cheeks were squished together and they both awkwardly smiled at one another. It looked more like a half grimace from Sans but nobody seemed to take notice.

"Oh my stars Y/n! Sans! Holy shit! You're both ok! That's great! But wow! Alternate universes! Weird force fields! What!?"

Y/n chuckled once she'd been released. "Yeah I know, it all sounds crazy. I didn't want you to find out like this but I wanted Sans to feel safe with people he knew."

She didn't notice the surprised blush that had appeared on the skeleton's cheeks. Ink was nowhere to be found. He probably forgot this altercation even happened and had wandered off somewhere.

Nutmeg on the other hand came racing up to Melody, purring so loudly he was practically vibrating. Ah yes, you act all innocent and lovable when SHE'S here, but when your own mother wants to snuggle you look at me as if I'm dirt beneath your paws. I see how it is. 

Melody paused to give him a few short scratches behind the ears before she continued with her rambling. "Y/n I can't believe you actually did it! I mean I can believe it, since y'know .." She gestured to Sans. "And of course I always knew you could but like wow! This is incredible! I mean it's horrible what happened but DAYUM GURL! You're so smart and successful and beautiful! I love your beautiful brain! But also this is a tragedy and I'm sorry this accident happened?" 

When Sans huffed she turned towards him with a warning look. "Sans I love and cherish you but I also love and cherish Y/n. She's a good human. She took me in when I didn't have a home and has been nothing but a wonderful friend ever since. She has good intentions, and I know she's smart enough to figure this out. If you don't trust her, at least trust me?" 

Y/n almost cried from all the sudden compliments. She'd really needed that. Sans looked between her, Melody and his brother before sighing in defeat.

"Alright fine. I do trust you Melody. I guess... Accidents do tend to happen. I'll make up my own mind about Y/n later. Right now we just need to figure out what to do."

They all sat down in the dining room together. Y/n made everyone coffee, although she was instructed by Sans to make Papyrus's more milk than coffee. He didn't need more energy than he already had. Ink had wandered in at some point and was only half listening in on the conversation.

"I can stay with Paps until you can come back home. I travel a lot so I don't really have my own place. I'll watch over him I promise. And we'll grab you stuff from the house later." Melody offered. 

Sans' permanent smile widened at her generosity. "Thanks Mels. I really appreciate it. Tibia honest I was worried about my bro being on his own. I know you two will have an osteoblast together." 

Y/n snickered at the puns, earning a smirk from Sans. Papyrus only groaned. "PLEASE DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM HUMAN...." 

"Why not? He really tickles my funny bone!" More groans, a few laughs and a snort from Sans. Y/n was grinning from ear to ear. She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled this much. And to think, all I had to do was accidentally kidnap some skeletons. Don't say that out loud.

"Y'know kid, I might've misjudged you. At first I had a bone to pick, but now I find you quite humerus!"

"SANS OH MY GOD!" 

"Ha! You shouldn't let anything get under your skin!" 

"HUMAN NOT YOU TOO!"  The entire table erupted in laughter. But eventually everyone got serious again. Except for Ink who was balancing a pencil on his nose. Classic Ink. 

"Ok but in all seriousness, what are you going to do all day? I know you like napping all the time but even you have to go outside and talk to people at some point right?" Melody asked worriedly. 

Y/n nodded in agreement. She'd been thinking about that too. The mansion might entertain them for a month or so, but it wouldn't last forever. 

"Guys? I have a theory." Ink started, only to be cut off by Sans. "Quiet Ink. The adults are talking." 

Ink pouted and drummed his knuckles on the counter. As they were discussing what to do, he tried again. "But guys!"

Nobody was listening. And for once he really had something serious to say! How rude. "GUYS!" 

Everyone went silent and stared at the colorful skeleton. Y/n turned to finally give him her full attention. "I'm sorry Ink. What did you want to say?" 

He smiled gratefully at her, then started to explain himself. "I've been thinking these past few days... And I have a theory." 

Y/n and Sans exchanged dubious looks, but she motioned for him to continue.  Confident now that he was able to hold everyone's attention, Ink straightened up and gestured towards the door. "Who says we're even trapped inside?"

"The magical forcefield." Sans deadpanned.  Ink's eye lights shifted to triangles and he glared at his doppelganger. "Well yes, but how do we know it's specifically around the house? I want to test something. Come with me." 

Everyone stood up to follow Ink to the front door. Melody and Papyrus had a matching bemused look on their faces. Y/n shared their feelings. What in the hell was Ink even talking about?  They watched in silence as Ink tapped the forcefield like it was a window. Now that she knew it was there, Y/n could see the subtle shimmering coming from it. No wonder she hadn't noticed until Ink slammed into it on Tuesday. 

To her surprise he swiveled his head to look at her and grinned, beckoning her over. Y/n's curiosity bubbled over as she approached him. "Try walking out the door." 

"Ok?" Y/n obeyed him. She half expected to walk straight into an invisible wall even though she knew she wouldn't. Her feet burned on the sun baked driveway and she shifted from foot to foot as she waited to see what Ink would do.  To her amazement he was able to walk out of the house. He whooped and jumped in the air, looking very pleased with himself. "Ok stay there! There's a few more things I'd like to try!" 

Y/n scratched the back of her head and watched, bewildered, as Ink took off in a random direction. Her brain was turning like clockwork and trying to figure out how he'd managed to leave. She jumped when he smacked into thin air several yards away. He seemed unfazed as he popped back up. "HAHA! I WAS RIGHT! OK Y/N! COME TO ME!" 

Y/n shrugged and trotted over to join him. He took a step towards where he'd previously run into a forcefield and was miraculously able to cross. He turned and waved to Sans, who had been watching the whole exchange from the coolness of the house. He looked amused. When Ink beckoned him over Sans took a step to leave, only to smack right into another forcefield. 

"What in the fuck?" Y/n muttered.

Papyrus rubbed his hands together, looking like he was in mental pain. "I AM.... VERY CONFUSED." 

"You and me both bro...." Sans mumbled, rubbing his aching skull. Ink and Y/n both retreated inside, Ink looking like he thought he was a genius and Y/n trying to figure out how in the hell any of this was possible. 

"So.... There's two force fields?" She guessed.

Ink nodded excitedly. "Yep! I thought it was weird that we'd be stuck at your home when the accident happened at your lab. And that got me thinking, what if the forcefield isn't around the house, but just around you? Because you were there at the accident. The force field just happens to conveniently be the size of your entire property. Maybe that was on purpose somehow?"

Y/n's eyes brightened as it all become more clear to her. "So you guys aren't getting pulled into my house, you're getting pulled to me. So one of you could pop up whether I'm at home or not. That's... Concerning. But wait, why are there two then?" 

Ink shrugged. "That actually surprised me. I have no idea where that other one came from. It's stationary around the house. I guess that makes sense though, you've been able to leave the house just fine without your force field dragging me with it. The only question is, if that forcefield isn't a result of the multiverse fiasco, who put it there?"

Y/n hummed, crossing her arms over her chest. Nutmeg had come over to bother the others, but he had an odd look in his eyes, as he usually did.

It was concerning that someone had put a forcefield around her house. She didn't know magic so it couldn't have been her. Nutmeg was a cat. None of the monsters she'd hosted had said anything about it. She didn't even think any of them knew barrier magic.

But that would explain why she never had any problems with robbers or anything of the sort. This mansion was huge, it was bound to get broken into at some point. And yet neither Y/n nor her uncle had ever had these sorts of problems.  Y/n's thoughts went back to her uncle.

Could he have something to do with this? He'd always been strange, but he didn't know magic either. Maybe he'd hired someone to do it for him? That was smart. But who knows. I have no idea who or what put this here. Was it to protect me? How long has this been here? It could've been here for generations, maybe my uncle didn't even know about it.

"Hm... I'll have to look into this later. In any case! The good news is that you are not in fact stuck to this house. So long as you're both around me, we can go out to places and have fun every so often. I'm usually a hermit, but I've been meaning to go out more anyways. And we can visit Papyrus anytime you want!" 

Sans looked immensely relieved at that. "Heh, thanks..." At least he seemed a little more friendly?

Papyrus was bouncing up and down excitedly. "THIS IS EXCELLENT! NOW WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! BROTHER, I WILL BE SURE TO CHECK UP ON YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T MAKING TROUBLE FOR THE HUMAN Y/N! IF YOU ARE OK WITH THAT?" 

Y/n smiled brightly up at the tall skeleton. He was adorable, and polite! "Of course you may! I'd love to have you over anytime Papyrus! Just text me a few hours before you do. And of course you're welcome too Melody." 

All three skeletons smiled at this. Melody draped an arm around both Y/n and Sans' shoulders. "Great! Now that that's settled, why don't we go test out your force field and go to the carnival that's passing through town? I'm performing there in a few hours and I can get us all in for free! It'd get you all out of the house, and help cheer everyone up!" 

Y/n stroked her chin thoughtfully, glancing out the window to check the sky. It was a few hours past noon, which gave them plenty of time to enjoy the carnival before it got dark. Plus it sounded like a lot of fun, and she wanted to get Sans to at least like her a little bit. Maybe she'd befriend him through the brother, who she already really liked. 

She turned and smiled at the group, excitement bubbling in her chest. She hadn't been to a carnival in ages. "Sure why not? I'd love to go. Ink? Sans? What do you say?"

Ink was already bouncing on his toes in unrepressed joy. Sans seemed to hesitate, but after seeing the excitement sparkling in Papyrus' eye sockets he caved. A small grin formed on his face. "Heh, sure. It might be fun." 

Chapter Text

Tw: Racism (directed towards monsters) and slight violence

The carnival was a short car ride past town square. It was already bustling with humans and monsters at the decorated entrance. Fairy lights were strung from tent to tent to light their way. There were many attractions, from games to rides to food. And to top it all off, the giant stage near the entrance where Melody would be performing. Right now there was some other musician playing a rock song, and Y/n guessed they cycled through artists every few hours.

Melody could indeed get them all in for free. They walked inside, staring in awe at the different decorations and fun things to do. Y/n looked back at her group, noticing how Sans stuck close to Papyrus and shot any human who got too close a sidelong glare.

When he felt her gaze on him, his head lifted up to make eye contact with Y/n and she quickly looked away in embarrassment. Great job stupid, trying to win his favor will be impossible if he thinks you're a creep. 

She jumped when Melody clapped her hands together with an odd twinkle in her eyes. Sans seemed to notice this too and was eyeing the jello-haired skeleton suspiciously.

"Ok! Why don't we split up? Ink and I can go together, while Y/n, Sans and Paps go elsewhere? We can meet back here in four hours for my show and the fireworks. Sound good? Great! See ya!"

Before anyone could protest she already grabbed Ink's scarf and dragged him away, shooting Y/n a knowing wink. Ink just let this happen, his eyelights the shape of question marks as they disappeared behind a candy apple stand.

"Wha!? But I- ok....." Y/n sputtered as she stared at the spot her friend used to be. She narrowed her eyes. Melody you sneaky bastard.... Gotta admit she's the perfect friendship wing woman. Maybe this will give me a chance to bond with the boys.

Y/n turned to look at Sans, who looked slightly pissed. He probably already knew what Melody was up to. Papyrus on the other hand was none the wiser as he rocked on his feet, practically vibrating with energy. He smiled happily at Y/n, who smiled nervously back. She wasn't the best with new people, but if she just tried to focus on having fun maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"WELL THEN! WHAT SHOULD WE DO FIRST SANS AND NEW HUMAN FRIEND!?"

Y/n felt her heart melt a little. He already thinks of me as his friend? Even after what I did to his brother? He was quickly warming up to her. I have to befriend Sans through his brother, and that means making him happy. Besides I'd like to see him happy anyways, he's so sweet!

"What would you like to do Papyrus?" Sans looked pleased at her answer, as did Papyrus. For two different reasons at least. "OH BOY! I'D REALLY LOVE TO TRY OUT THOSE SHOOTING GAMES! I WAS ALWAYS AN EXCELLENT SHOT IN THE UNDERGROUND WHEN I WAS TRYING TO CAPTURE FRISK!"

Y/n laughed shakily, unsure of how to take this information. The human-monster ambassador was safe and well, so she supposed it was fine. "Ahaha... Sure! Let's go do that!"

"Let's go find one bro." Sans chuckled at his younger(?) brother's antics as Papyrus skipped off to find the game area. Sans trailed after him with his hands shoved in his pockets, while Y/n walked close behind. She still felt nervous about walking side by side with someone she didn't really know.

Soon enough Papyrus managed to locate a shooting game several stands down. It was one of those fake shotgun games with the moving animal targets. Y/n and Sans both stood back to watch and cheer him on as Papyrus handed the employee five bucks and picked up one of the guns.

The employee, a high school aged boy by the looks of it, yawned and pressed the button that stirred the game to life as Papyrus readied his weapon. For once he was standing still, completely focused on the objective. Y/n wasn't sure how many he had to hit in order to win anything, but she'd spotted him eyeing a large SpongeBob plushie hanging at the very top.
She watched with wide eyes as he zeroed in on the targets, then pulled the trigger.

*Bang* *bang* *bang* *bang* *bang*

Y/n's eyes widened further in surprise as he hit the first five targets in one go. He'd missed the 6th one, but still had a few seconds to spare. She crossed her arms with a warm smile. Well color me impressed. Are all monsters fantastic shots from their time in the underground?

She felt eyes on her and was about to look down to see what Sans wanted, but a commotion up ahead caught her attention. As Papyrus was just about to hit the final target and ensure his victory, a group of rough looking human men pushed past him, hitting his elbow and making him miss. They played it off like it was an accident, but Y/n could tell from where she was standing that it most certainly was not.

She tightened her grip on her arms and glared at them, then made eye contact with Sans. His eye lights where pitch black, obviously pissed that someone had pulled such a mean trick. It wasn't much of a surprise to them though.

As Y/n had been walking around the carnival, she'd noticed the looks the brothers, and no doubt Melody and Ink, had been getting from a lot of the humans. She'd seen a mother pull her child closer to her and glare at Papyrus. PAPYRUS. The sweet skeleton who wouldn't hurt a fly.

In fact even as he'd been playing the game, she'd noticed that same group of men glaring at him with the toy gun, as if they didn't own dozens of guns themselves. And now people where staring at Papyrus warily, expecting him to do something violent. What a joke!

The kid at the counter wasn't even allowing a do-over. Papyrus looked at the plush he'd wanted sadly, then seemed to shake it off and smile halfheartedly at Sans and Y/n. "OH WELL. THERE ARE OTHER GAMES TO PLAY."

He still won something, one of those cute plush ketchup bottles with a chibi face on them. He gave it to Sans, seeming to brighten at the fact that he still managed to win something, and that he could give it to his brother. Sans squeezed the plush in his fingers, appreciating the gift but still wearing a strained smile as he looked up at Papyrus. "For me? Aw shucks, you shouldn't have bro."

It was obvious neither of them could do anything about it. If they lashed out, that'd just fuel the fire of mistrust and give the racist humans something to talk about. But Y/n wasn't having it. I'll get that Spongebob stuffy if it's the last thing I do!

Y/n stomped past the brothers and up to the kid, slamming her five dollars down on the counter and scaring the crap out of him. "Start up the game carnival boy."

Sans and Papyrus watched, awed, as a fire lit up in Y/n's eyes. She grabbed the fake gun and readied herself as the crappy music played from the game's speakers and the targets started bouncing around again. Y/n knew she was a terrible shot, but she'd be damned if she let this injustice go unchecked.

*Bang* *bang* *bang*

She heard Papyrus cheering her on as she managed to just barely hit the first three targets. Even Sans let out an excited whoop from the thrill of the moment. Y/n grinned and quickly aimed for the other targets that were left. She only had a few seconds, she had to make them count.

*Bang* *bang* *bang*

"YES!!!!!" Y/n pumped her fists in the air and jumped up in down. Euphoria flooded through her veins and she pointed to the SpongeBob stuffy, smirking victoriously at the boy as he shakily took it off the hook and handed it to her.

Y/n teetered a little, just now realizing how shaky she'd become after that experience. She'd never felt so badass in her life. She quickly trotted back over to Papyrus, who was clapping with glee. "HUMAN THAT WAS BRILLIANT!"

He gasped as he was handed the plush, looking like he might explode with joy. "FOR ME!?! OH THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I WILL TREASURE IT FOREVER!!!"

Y/n blushed in embarrassment. "Gee thanks Papyrus, it was no problem. I'm glad you like it."

Sans was staring at her with an unreadable expression. He covered it up quickly with one of his signature lazy smiles and a wink. "That was pretty cool squirt. Thanks."

Y/n felt like there was more to that thank you than he was letting on. She simply waved him off, blushing more at the sudden positive attention she was getting. "Ahaha no problem! Come on let's go play something else!"

The next few hours went by a lot smoother than the first. They played more games, rode all the rides (sometimes more than once), and just had a fun time hanging out.

They ran into Melody and Ink a few times and Y/n made sure to get in a few rides with them, but learned quickly that Ink was a puker. From the pure excitement or nausea, Y/n didn't know, but this strange inky substance would shoot out of his mouth anytime he rode something.

Melody would pull her aside to ask how operation "Get Sans to like Y/n" was going, and Y/n was shocked when she felt like it was yielding positive results. Sans was very nice once he was able to relax and actually enjoy himself. And Y/n was having a blast too.

At one point they were playing a 'knock the cans over' game and Sans won. (Although Y/n did see the ball encased in a blue glow, but she let it slide for now. Especially after the awful way the employees had treated them.) He picked out a fat f/c dragon squishmallow and to Y/n's surprise he thrust it into her arms. He scratched his cheek and looked away, his skull turning blue from what she guessed was embarrassment. "Didn't seem fair that you were the only one without a stuffed animal..."

Papyrus gasped and sprinted over to them, squishing his stuffy against her cheek. "WE'RE ALL CARNIVAL PLUSH BUDDIES NOW!!!!"

Y/n giggled and hugged her dragon close to her chest, her heart feeling a little more full as she smiled gratefully at the shorter skeleton. "Thank you so much Sans, I love it! AND YES! PLUSH BUDDIES. STUFFY PARTY!!!"

Both Y/n and Papyrus giggled madly and ran off to go do something else, Sans walking a little ways behind as he watched the two with a smile.

As they were walking past some food stalls, the hairs on the back of Y/n's neck stood up and she looked to the left. On the side lines stood that group of men who'd sabotaged Papyrus' win during the shooting game. They were eyeing the two skeletons with a glint of malice in their eyes. She shot them a harsh glare, then turned to face front.

It seemed neither Sans or Papyrus had noticed, and when she turned to see if the men were following, they were gone without a trace. Hopefully it stayed that way. Y/n opted to wait until later to tell Sans about it. Right now they were in too much of a good mood and she didn't want to spoil it.

The sky was starting to turn a soft shade of orange and pink like paint had been spilled over it. Y/n squeezed her dragon stuffy between her fingers, enjoying how soft it was. She was walking just behind the two brothers who seemed to be having a lighthearted argument over whether spaghetti or hot dogs were better. All in good fun.

Y/n glanced back up at the sky once more with a sigh. Night was quickly approaching. Its nearly time to meet up with the others.

She was about to mention it when Papyrus suddenly twirled around to talk to Y/n while walking backwards. "WHAT DO YOU THINK FRIEND?"

Y/n startled at the sudden question. She'd been lost in thought. Are we still talking about spaghetti vs hot dogs? She looked to Sans for some assistance but he wasn't even looking at either of them, instead enjoying the sunset like Y/n had a second ago. She turned back to Papyrus who was staring at her expectantly. With an apologetic smile Y/n tried to figure out what she was agreeing to. "O-oh! Um.... Sorry Papyrus, I didn't hear what you two were talking about."

Papyrus shrugged it off and repeated his question. "WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER SPAGHETTI OR HOT DOGS WERE BETTER! I PERSONALLY THINK THAT SPAGHETTI IS FAR SUPERIOR, BUT MY BROTHER INSISTS THE TUBE STEAKS ARE TASTIER. WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Y/n hummed and placed her chin between finger and thumb, feigning contemplation. "Weeeellllll.... I dunno. I guess both are pretty good. Spaghetti feels like a fancier dish for a big dinner and hot dogs are more of a casual, fun meal for the outdoors. But you are the food expert, so I suppose I'd have to agree with you."

Papyrus puffed out his chest proudly and Y/n caught the subtle grin on Sans' face as he eavesdropped. "I AM THE FOOD EXPERT AREN'T I? YOU, HUMAN, HAVE EXQUISITE TASTE!"

He spun back on his heel to walk normally and Y/n couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped her lips.

They passed by an old western themed gift shop and Papyrus audibly gasped at the rustic looking cooking supplies on display by the window. "WOWIE! SANS! WE MUST GET THOSE POTS AND PANS FOR OUR NEW KITCHEN! THEY WILL MAKE EXCELLENT COOKING SUPPLIES. WAIT FOR ME OUT HERE AND DON'T WANDER OFF! YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU FELL ASLEEP IN PUBLIC."

Y/n didn't think old pots from the cowboy age would do well with cooking, but she wasn't about to argue with the great Papyrus. And plus, it'd look cool. She was left standing on the wooden patio by Sans and they fell into an awkward silence as soon as Papyrus was gone. When they were all together it was easy to talk and joke, but now that the talkative one was gone there was nothing to fill the silence between the human and monster.

Y/n scuffed her shoe on the floorboards, searching for something to say. Don't bring up the weather you'll look like a clown. But what else do you talk about? How do people socialize I don't know how to do this what-

Sans suddenly cleared his throat, making Y/n jump. She blinked down at him in confusion. He rubbed the back of his skull, seeming hesitant. "I uh.... Wanted to thank you for today. I mean, I don't think I've seen Papyrus this happy in a long time. Coming to live with the humans has been hard for him and well, you saw how most of them treat him. It's rare to find a decent human who's kind the moment they meet a skeleton."

Y/n felt her face flush at the honest words. "Decent" wasn't the biggest compliment, but it was a start. "Ah... No problem. I hope you know that not every human is out to get you. A lot of us want you here. It's just that all anyone ever focuses on is the bad things happening right now, and it overshadows the positives. The people hating monsters are the exact same people hating other humans for who they are. So a lot of humans understand some of what you're going through. My home will always be a safe space, even after I fix my mistakes."

Sans took a few minutes to mull over what she just said. His smile was genuine this time as he turned to study her. "It's nice to know that not everyone hates us for something we can't control. Or something we shouldn't even be ashamed of in the first place."

He suddenly turned serious. "Can you? I mean, fix your mistake? I know Melody talks all the time about how smart you are but I dunno. This is really big, and might be too much for any of us to figure out."

Y/n flinched and began toying with her fingers as she searched for what to say. "Well... I think I can. I did it once, I can do it again right? This is my fault, I have to try. It'd be unfair to you and Ink, and anyone else who might end up here if I didn't at least try. You wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me..."

Y/n felt tears begin to prick in her eyes and quickly blinked them away before anyone noticed. She thought she'd be over this by now, but the guilt of what happened still kept her up at night. And Sans' hostility towards her had reawakened those feelings. He was rightfully angry she knew, but she also wanted the feeling to go away. It felt selfish, like she was only helping them to make herself feel better.

Oh boy, the waterworks were gonna break through any second now. She needed to make a quick escape.

Sans was watching her quietly the whole time, concern etched onto his features with a little bit of his own guilt hidden behind his eyelights. Y/n didn't notice it in her hurry to get out of that situation. She blinked back more tears and forced a smile, holding up a hand to wave. "Well uh! I dunno about you but I'm starving! I'm gonna go get some carnival food and meet you boys back here."

She was gone before Sans had a chance to reply, but she felt his gaze burning into the back of her head as she retreated. It hadn't necessarily been a lie, all this excitement and emotional turmoil really worked up an apatite. And as Y/n sped away, she felt the squeezing in her chest start to ease and the urge to cry let up. She did let a few tears slip and hastily wiped them away as they came.

By the time she was at the concession stand of her choice, she was feeling a lot better. Y/n was used to just shutting down her emotions like this. She refused to cry in front of people, and anytime a mental breakdown forced it's way up she didn't allow it to get very far. Unless she was completely alone, that's when she allowed herself to properly deal with her emotions. Was this a healthy way to cope? Absolutely not. But death before dishonor is what Y/n liked to believe.

As she stood in line for her dinner, she spotted a familiar scarfed skeleton just a few places in line ahead of her. Her eyes widened in astonishment and she glanced around, expecting to see Melody waiting somewhere nearby, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Ink?" The skeleton in question whipped around and brightened at the sight of her. "Y/n! Thank the stars!"

He elbowed his way past the other people waiting in line earning a few disgruntled looks and glares, but he paid them no mind. Eventually he met up with Y/n further near the back, and as they talked they slowly moved up as the line moved.

"Boy am I glad to see you! Your friend Melody and I had a wonderful time, mostly spying on you and Sans. Oops I wasn't supposed to say that! Anyways! We were enjoying the carnival and then we got separated in the crowd and I walked around for a bit to look for her until I forgot what I was even looking for or why I was here, then I wandered aimlessly and then I was hungry so I come here for funnel cake and boom! There you are and I remembered!"

Y/n laughed as he paused in his rambling to take a deep breath. "Well I'm sure she's fine. It's almost time for her to perform so she probably just left to go set up. Speaking of which, why don't you come with me and we can find Sans and Papyrus and go find a spot?"

Ink nodded enthusiastically as they moved up a spot together. "Sounds excellent! By the way, how's it going with you two? Last I saw, you were both laughing at each other's carnival puns with Papyrus screeching in pain."

Y/n went quiet at the question and pursed her lips. "Well I think we had a heart to heart earlier, and he's definitely not as pissed as before. He's obviously still distant for valid reasons but I think we're warning up to one another. I just hope that he can eventually see me as a friend."

Ink nodded along to her ranting and paused to order his food. After Y/n ordered her own meal he continued talking as they waited.

"Well, Sans is actually quite friendly. He's very relaxed and doesn't usually lash out like this. He's just... Protective. Of his brother and his friends. So give it some time, and I'm sure you'll be the best of friends!"

Y/n smiled gratefully at Ink as they grabbed their food and started walking back together. "Thank you Ink, I really needed that."

She didn't notice the rainbow hue lightly dusting his cheeks as they walked together, only chuckling at his bashful smile.

The walk back to the gift shop was pleasant. They both rambled about art on their way there, and by the time they reached it Y/n was feeling a million times better. But what they found at the shop immediately dampened that mood. Y/n stopped dead in her tracks and nearly dropped her plate of food at the sight in front of her.

Those vile men were back. They surrounded Sans and Papyrus like a mob. Their meaty hands were balled into fists as Papyrus cowered behind his brother, shaking like a leaf. And Sans looked worse off. His magic was flaring in his right eye and he'd taken on a tense battle stance. He even looked like he'd taken a few hits, if the bruising cheek said anything. He couldn't really fight back or risk him and his brother going to jail or getting beat by the police. And even then, if he got taken away... They'd definitely be outed because of the force field. 

Y/n felt hot anger boil in her chest. It was similar to the feeling she had before at the shooting game, but this time more violently passionate. How dare these people attack innocent defenseless(ish) monsters! And for what? Just because they looked a little different?

Y/n didn't really know what she was doing, but she didn't take time to think it over as she shoved her plate of food in Ink's hands and stomped over to them. She picked up a discarded can lying by a trash bin.

"HEY!" She barked, then roughly hurled the can at one of the guys. She half expected it to miss, but to her surprise it hit the back of his head almost perfectly. Apparently untapped rage helps you focus. By now she'd realized what she'd done. The group of five big tough looking men stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her, the one she'd hit turning a little slower. Ah shit...

Y/n had never done something like this before. But the opportunity had never presented itself in such a way. She didn't have any means of self defense. She had weak nerd arms, but a strong mind. Maybe she could talk her way out of it? These men didn't look particularly smart. But they were also the bully types, nothing she hadn't dealt with before. She prepared herself for the ass beating of a life time.

Everyone was staring at her in a stunned silence. Ink, who looked proud and impressed. The bystanders, not lifting a finger to help, instead opting to pull their phones out and film the altercation. The two brothers, Papyrus looking relieved and Sans pushing his brother further behind him. The look in his eye sockets was hard to decipher, but he didn't look particularly upset at Y/n. And of course, the mob of idiots who were glaring at her with murderous expressions. Especially the one she'd hit.

Whelp, there's no going back now. She balled her shaking hands into fists and lifted her chin. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and tried again. "L-leave my friends alone..... Please?"

The one she'd hit, who seemed to be the ringleader, snorted and cracked his knuckles. She gulped and took a few steps back as him and his cronies advanced on her. "Kid, you need to learn to not stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

Sans took a step forward while Ink reached back to grab his paintbrush. Papyrus wrung his hands together in worry. Oh boy here we go... Y/n closed her eyes to accept what was sure to be a most painful interaction. However the pain didn't come. She cracked her eyes open to take a peak and stood slack jawed at what she saw.

First of all, Sans had managed to get in front of her along with Ink. How did he even get there? She hadn't heard him move in the few seconds she'd had her eyes closed. Are monsters capable of traversing time and space to get from one place to another? Can they really teleport? How is that even possible? There must be some sort of formula to be able to achieve such a feat-

Ignoring her own inner ramblings, Y/n felt a pang in her chest. The good kind that makes you feel like you're going to cry happy tears. Ink and Sans were protecting her. Even at the cost of them possibly getting attacked by humans. It made her smile despite the circumstances. 

Second of all, the men who had been on their way to beat her up were trapped in this gooey substance. Some of it was pink, others were blue or purple. It was see through and jiggled whenever they struggled.

It was quite a funny sight actually, the men were encased in some sort of gelatinous shape that looked suspiciously like jello, and it looked like those scenes in movies where cave men are trapped in ice. This could only be the work of Melody. Y/n picked off a piece of the jello and sniffed it to confirm her suspicions. Yep. It smelled like grape jello.

Y/n spotted Melody several feet away with her hand stretched out, looking extremely pissed. Behind her stood several security guards. Y/n nearly cried in relief. Papyrus had snuck around everyone to fret over Y/n while the jello started dissolving. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT HUMAN!?"

Y/n sighed and felt her rapidly beating heart begin to calm. She smiled happily at Papyrus and patted him on the arm reassuringly. "Yep! Never been better Paps."

He sighed in relief and turned to glare at the men peeling the rest of the jello off of themselves. Y/n hadn't known this skeleton for very long, but she felt like he wasn't the type to glare at anyone very often. In fact this was the first time she'd seen him genuinely frown.

Meanwhile Melody was seething with her hands on her hips. "Please escort this group of humans off of the carnival grounds, thank you."

The leader glared at her as one of the guards roughly grabbed his arm. He tried pulling away, but his arm was bent behind his back. "You can't do this to us! This is public property! We have rights!" He spat at her.

Melody's icy glare never wavered. "ACTUALLY. It's private property that gets rented out to companies like this. And the carnival clearly stated the rules both on their website and at the front of the entrance where anyone can see them. Anyone committing violent acts against others for any reason, or causing a general disturbance, will be asked to leave the premises. Also you've already assaulted two monsters plus threatened a human so you're lucky you're just getting kicked out and nobody is pressing charges against you. Also, I actually can do this. I'm technically an employee, plus a VIP guest musician and those are my friends you're hurting. Escort them out now."

The men were hauled away, all of them hurling insults and profanities at Melody, Sans, Papyrus and Y/n. She caught a few racial slurs in there as well. Y/n blocked them out like white noise and rushed over to hug Melody. "Thank you! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here."

Melody grinned and hugged her tightly. "Of course girl, I'd protect you no matter what. But I think the boys could've handled it. I just stopped things from getting violent. We really need to teach you some basic self defense though. I'm not always gonna be around to keep you safe."

Y/n sighed and nodded in agreement. She knew Melody was right, but she'd never had time for that sort of thing. "Maybe someday you can teach me. But for now, don't you have a concert to perform?"

Melody's face went blank for a second before she quickly let go of Y/n and slapped her forehead. "Oh gosh you're right! Y'all are staying to watch correct?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Y/n promised.

Melody grinned and ran off to go finish getting ready, disappearing into the crowd as Ink approached Y/n.

"Wowza! That was really brave. I didn't know you had it in you!" His star shaped eyelights glowed in approval and Y/n blushed and looked down at her feet. "I didn't know either haha..."

Y/n noticed Sans' and Papyrus' shoes joining their little circle and looked up to see all three of them staring at her now. Sans looked impressed and grateful. "Hey that was really cool squirt. Thanks for that."

Y/n briskly waved him off. She didn't really know how to accept the sudden praise. "Ah! It was nothing. Are you alright though? It looked like you got hit too."

Sans smiled and rubbed the cheek that had been hit. Y/n saw that it was back to normal and stared at him in amazement. He chuckled at her confusion and gestured to Ink. "Ink helped me out. His healing magic works wonders. No worries." 

Y/n hummed in response, trying to figure out how exactly it worked. Did it speed up the process of cells reforming? She shook her head with a smile, now wasn't the time for this. They'd be late for Melody's performance if they didn't get going.

"I'm glad you're alright! Come on! Let's go find a spot near the front of the stage!" Without another word she ran off to the performance area with the boys rushing to catch up with her.

Y/n patted her past self on the back for remembering to grab a blanket. She'd taken one of her grandmother's old quilts, one that was big enough to fit all of them. She laid it on the grass a few feet away from the stage and sat down with Ink sitting next to her and Sans on her other side, although he was a little further away. Papyrus, being as tall as he was, sat behind them and was still able to see everything clearly.

Melody's performance went smoothly. A large crowd was seated in the field by the time she began. Y/n and the three skeletons all jammed out to the songs, laughing so hard they'd bump shoulders by accident.

Glow sticks were passed around and by the time Melody was done Y/n was adorned with more glowing jewelry than was really necessary. But she was having a blast and they illuminated the joy plastered on her face even as the sun sunk down and the stars crept into the sky. It caught the attention of two specific skeletons and made their own smiles grow. Y/n's laughter was like honey, it soothed the soul and attracted everyone to its sound.

Y/n hadn't been this happy in a long time. In high school she hadn't really gone out with the few friends she had in favor of studying or just being a hermit at home. So this was all new to her. She was glad she'd found good people to do this with.

Melody joined them right as the fireworks started. Y/n and the boys had saved her some glow sticks and they all laid down together on the quilt. They had to shimmy around a little to fit everyone but eventually they all got comfortable and watched the sky light up with brilliant sparkling colors. Y/n smiled as she watched one launch into the sky and explode in a gold shimmer that rained down before disappearing.

She felt an elbow gently nudge her side and looked over to come face to face with Sans, a little too close for comfort. She quickly leaned her head away from him with an apologetic smile as he started talking. "Hey I uh... just wanted to apologize for everything. I hadn't been the nicest guy when we first met, but you've shown me that you really are just trying your best. Especially after you protected my bro. I hope we can be friends or something."

Y/n's eyes widened in shock and she grinned at him, relief flooding through her veins. VICTORY!

"It's ok. I understand you're in a scary situation right now. I will do everything I can to fix it. I would really like to be friends with you Sans. I think you're cool." She whispered before turning her attention back to the sky with a smile.

Today hadn't been so bad after all.

Sans felt his cheekbones heat up at Y/n's compliment. He'd been called many things by his friends, but 'cool' wasn't on that list. Not until today at least.

He watched as she whispered something to Ink and Melody with a giggle, and grinned as they both laughed at whatever she'd said.

This morning had been... Stressful. And at first he'd been extremely upset about the whole thing, thinking Y/n was some stuck up rich girl who bit off more than she could chew. But now he saw that she was just like everyone else. An awkward, lonely human who just wanted to make everyone happy.

But he knew there was more to it than that. She'd put herself in danger just to protect him and Papyrus. And the two force fields couldn't be coincidental.

Whatever the case may be, Sans was glad to have found another friend.

As he turned to lay on his back and watch the light show, he couldn't help but feel like things were going to be different from now on.

This human is special.

Chapter Text

It was the day after the carnival. Sadly Y/n had work this morning, and now she regretted staying so late to watch the fireworks. The cup of coffee she'd grabbed from Muffet's had helped perk her up for a few hours. But now, in the late afternoon, Y/n felt like she could barely function.

Luckily she got out of work in two hours, so she just had to ride it out until then. Easy peasy. Especially since she worked by herself and no one was there to notice her lack of focus.

This morning she had been awake enough to work on the machine's new blueprints. She wasn't changing much since it needed to work the same, but it did need a few tweaks here and there. There were some things she noticed had been slightly off in calibration during the first test that had gone disastrously wrong. But nothing that could have caused such a huge mess. Which is why it confused Y/n. What exactly had happened to cause the machine to go haywire?

Y/n hadn't been working her butt off for several years just for it to go as badly as it did. She'd checked and double checked and triple checked every detail. She'd worked out every possible outcome and what to do if something went wrong. But then something went wrong that wasn't even supposed to, and she didn't know how to fix it.

It must have been the magic crystal. Monster magic was unpredictable, especially in the hands of a human. But now Y/n had someone willing to help her, and she hoped that would be enough to fix it.

Now she was working on something completely different. She didn't want to work on the big project while in this state of mind, so tired she'd miss an important detail or mess up the formula. She'd leave nothing to chance.

As Y/n was fiddling with her tools, a bright light flashed behind her, causing her to jump in fright and drop them. They fell to the ground with a clatter. Y/n whipped around just in time to see a portal tear into thin air and send a small skeleton flying across the room.

He careened face first into a bunch of metal file cabinets that held important papers and Y/n flinched. Yikes.... Is everyone's arrival going to be this painful? 

The portal blipped away just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no trace of its existence. Y/n felt more confident now that she'd been through this twice. She knew what was going on, she knew what to say to explain it. She just hoped this version of Sans would be understanding.

Classic Sans had been so pissed at first, but now him and Y/n where all chummy with one another. He'd even smiled at her this morning, genuinely. So since he was THE original Sans, Y/n guessed that all of these alternate universe versions where all a little like him deep down. So with enough patience, she'd get through to even the meanest ones. (She hoped.)

This one didn't look mean. In fact, he was quite cute. From where Y/n was standing, he looked to be a bit smaller than Sans and Ink, but still the same age. He wore grey and white armor with blue trim, baby blue boots and a baby blue bandana, which just made him look 10x cuter.

He was facing away from her, face still stuck in the file cabinet. When he groaned, his voice sounded higher pitched than Sans' baritone voice. And Y/n thought Ink had a light voice. The pained noises coming from him snapped Y/n out of her stupor and she rushed to his side, feeling silly about not coming to help him sooner.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Here I'll help you!" Y/n kneeled down and gently grabbed his forearm. To her surprise he let her drag him out of the mess. He seemed disoriented, if the lack of fighting against her hold said anything.

After setting him on the floor Y/n let go and stepped back to give him some space. It took a minute, but eventually the newcomer fluttered open his eye sockets to reveal sparkling blue stars. Y/n held in a gasp. They were so pretty!!! The stranger rubbed the front of his skull, which to Y/n's dismay was starting to look a little bruised.

"UGH... OH MY STARS... WHAT HAPPENED?" He murmured to no one in particular. Y/n watched silently as he looked around the room, still dazed but looking a lot better than before. Eventually his eye lights landed on Y/n's shoes and he froze. His gaze trailed up from her shoes all the way up to her face and his eye sockets went wide. Like he'd never seen a human before. Which makes sense, Y/n mused, not every universe is going to be on the same timeline. His universe might not have even been to the surface yet. 

Y/n offered a shy smile, and his eye sockets widened even further. She didn't know what exactly he was staring at, but something had made him awestruck. It couldn't be me could it? Y/n felt he cheeks warm up in embarrassment at the sudden attention. This was their first impression and Y/n looked like a zombie, with coffee stains on her lab coat and a rat's nest for hair.

The new guy didn't seem to mind though, the blue stars in his eye sockets were bright and sparkling as he looked up at her, like she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. Y/n didn't notice the light blue hue that was dusting his cheek bones as she waved a hand in front of his face. "Um.... Hello? Are you ok?"

Oh gosh I hope he doesn't have a concussion or something! Y/n was just starting to panic when he snapped out of his trance and sprung to his feet with a huge smile plastered on his face. "MWEH HEH! HELLO HUMAN! IT IS AN HONOR TO MEET YOU! MY STARS I'VE NEVER MET A REAL HUMAN BEFORE! COULD YOU TELL ME... WHERE I AM?"

He scratched the top of his skull and looked around in confusion. Y/n couldn't help but awkwardly laugh. "Ahahaha.... Funny thing is, you're here because of me. Its a long story... Oh gosh where do I even start?"

This new skeleton tilted his head in curiosity. It was too cute, Y/n felt her heart clench. He looked so friendly and innocent! Plus those big sparkly stars for eyes just made him even more adorable. At least I know this one is nice. Or at least he seems nice enough. He kind of reminds me of Papyrus in a way. 

The more Y/n thought about it, he definitely was a lot like Papyrus, and not much like her Sans at all. He was energetic, curious, and the volume of his voice was the similar ear splitting yelling Papyrus did. Plus his mannerisms, posture and outfit were very similar.

But there was something else about him too. The wheels in Y/n's mind were turning at lightning speed in the few seconds she was staring at him. There were still parts of him that were like Sans. He nervously patted his shorts, something Y/n noticed Sans doing a few times. Not only that, but behind those cute eyes was something secretive. He knew more than he was letting on, if not about the multiverse than about something else. Sans had that same guarded expression even after she'd befriended him.

Perhaps he comes from some sort of au where the personalities are mixed, or swapped in some way. Maybe his Papyrus acts more like my Sans, and the other monsters and humans there are swapped with one another as well. But its not a complete change. There are still parts of their personality that stay. And they're not complete opposites either, if they were, this Sans would be cruel and evil. Hypothetically speaking.

Y/n felt more confident in knowing she'd figured out his au quicker than she'd expected. This would be useful, she'd know how to appease him. Probably. Hopefully. Blue smiled kindly at her, which suddenly made all her guilt wash away. The world seemed to become brighter. The smile was contagious and Y/n felt her own lips draw upwards.

"WELL... WHY NOT START AT THE BEGINNING?" The skeleton offered. Y/n hummed and nodded, feeling more in control now. "Yes right. Uh- let me get us some chairs and we can talk. You might want to sit down for this."

Y/n had a sneaking suspicion revealing the existence of a multiverse would not knock his socks off. The two other Sans' she'd met so far had known each other, and greeted each other like sort of friends. Except Sans didn't seem particularly fond of Ink.

The skeleton waited patiently for her to grab two chairs from a nearby table and place them down. Once she had, he hopped up on one and swung his legs in the air. Y/n smiled and sat across from him, then delved into the story of everything that had happened from the project up to Ink and Sans showing up. She also explained the whole forcefield thing to him, since he'd be staying with them awhile.

She also apologized profusely, if only to make sure he knew she felt terrible about it. I have a feeling that soon I'll have explained this so much I'll have it memorized... By the end of it he seemed a lot more calm than most people ought to he. He'd been sucked out of his own universe and thrown into one that was completely different. Not only that but he was now in an unfamiliar place if Y/n was right and he hadn't reached the surface yet. And yet there he was, smiling happily and acting like nothing was wrong.

Y/n didn't understand how anyone was capable of that. She had a meltdown at the smallest inconvenience. How do people just... stay calm and positive about everything? The happy go lucky skeleton reached out and patted Y/n's knee reassuringly. "ITS ALRIGHT HUMAN! ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. WHY JUST THE OTHER DAY I NEARLY SET THE WHOLE KITCHEN ON FIRE. BUT I DON'T LET IT GET ME DOWN! YOU SEEM VERY SMART, AND INK IS A GENIUS AT THIS MULTIVERSE STUFF! WITH BOTH OF YOUR HEADS PUT TOGETHER, I JUST KNOW YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT."

Y/n blinked several times, trying not to let him see that she'd nearly started crying at these words. She couldn't understand how these lovely monsters could be so forgiving with someone who'd ripped them away from their lives, unintentionally or not. If it had happened around her family, she would have gotten an earful for the rest of her days. "Wow... Erm... Thank you, Sans? That is your name right?"

Sans nodded his head enthusiastically, then paused. "WELL YES! THAT IS MY REAL NAME. BUT IN THE MULTIVERSE WE LIKE TO GIVE NICKNAMES SO WE KNOW WHO'S WHO. I USUALLY GO BY BLUEBERRY, BLUE FOR SHORT. WHAT IS YOUR NAME HUMAN?"

Y/n did a double take at what he'd said. Did he just say WE? As in, multiple people, probably Sanses, all having knowledge of an entire multiverse and casually visiting one another frequently and giving each other nicknames!? Having easy access to this, when everyone in my world, and probably most of the other monsters, have only theorized about the existence of alternate realities? I suppose Sans and Ink already knew each other but I just thought it was because Ink is the guardian of the aus. Oh I am definitely interrogating them later.

Y/n realized she was getting way ahead of herself and blushed in embarrassment. Blue was still sitting there, staring at her, waiting for her to give him her name. "R-right! Yes. My name is Y/n. Its nice to meet you despite the circumstances."

Blue's smile stretched wider as he finally got her name. "Y/N..." He tested her name on his tongue, looking pleased. "IT IS A DELIGHT TO MEET YOUR ACQUAINTANCE MISS Y/N!"

He held out a gloved hand and Y/n giggled in delight. She gently took it, surprised by the strength in his grasp. He shook her hand in the same way Papyrus had, with way more force than necessary.

"Its wonderful to meet you too Blue! It's actually Dr. by the way, but no worries since you didn't know. You can just call me Y/n. And don't worry! You can stay with me for as long as you need! I'll take care of you, promise."

Blue's face once again turned this odd shade of blue. Y/n tried very hard to ignore it but it was just too fascinating. She studied his cheekbones closely while he spoke, admiring the pretty color. If she looked close enough, she could see a few sparkling stars mixed in with the blue like glitter. Is this a skeleton's way of blushing? But why would he be doing that? 

"MY APOLOGIES DR. Y/N! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH! I WILL ALSO TAKE CARE OF YOU, AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF WHILE YOU WORK ON THE SOLUTION! AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT SANS AND INK, I'LL WHIP THEM INTO SHAPE FOR YOU!" Blue placed a hand over where his heart would be if he were human, and struck a heroic pose. He looked very pleased with himself and Y/n had to stop herself from laughing. He was just too cute!

She didn't know why, but she immediately felt like she could trust this guy. "My hero!"

That made him beam brighter than she'd ever seen him in the few minutes she'd known him. But then Blue's face suddenly fell, and Y/n immediately felt worry for the small skeleton. What in the world could have possibly caused his mood to do a complete 180? Y/n furrowed her brows in concern. "What's wrong?"

Blue fidgeted with his sleeves. "WELL ITS JUST MY BROTHER. I CANT LEAVE HIM ALL ON HIS OWN! HE NEEDS ME! PLUS, HE'LL WANT TO KNOW WHERE I AM!"

Y/n felt a fresh wave of guilt pass over her. Of course he'd want his brother to know he was ok! Y/n chewed on one of her nails, clearly stressed about the whole situation. How in the world are we going to let his brother know he's ok? I mean, is it even possible to get a message to a different universe? Would his phone work?

Y/n sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was too tired for this, and a headache was starting to form. Blue was worried about his brother, as would any Sans that came here she guessed. It was her top priority to make this new reality as stress free as possible. But she wasn't a miracle worker. She looked up at Blue, who was now pulling at his bandana absentmindedly.

"Do you have a phone?" Y/n asked. He nodded.

"Is it on you right now?" Another nod. Y/n chewed the inside of her cheek in deep thought. "Ok well, I dunno if phones can send messages through the multiverse, but its worth a try right? And we can always ask Ink. Actually hold that thought, let's ask Ink first. I don't want you to send your brother a message and then have it be sent to whoever has the same phone number in this universe by accident. If that's how it works cuz I have no idea. Sound good?"

Blue visibly relaxed at that, relieved to have some sort of plan. He nodded and stood up. "THAT SOUNDS GREAT! LET'S GO NOW THEN! AFTER WE CLEAN UP THIS MESS OF COURSE."

Y/n startled when he hopped off of the chair and started picking up random papers. She glanced at the clock on her phone. Oh I should have left work like five minutes ago. Ok yeah, let's go home and sort this out.

She quietly joined him and helped tip the cabinet back into its rightful place. After that she grabbed all the things that had fallen on the floor and stacked them on a table. She'd go through it all tomorrow. Blue did not approve and said she'd become a lazybones if she kept waiting to take care of important things. Y/n just shrugged and said she already was. This earned an audible gasp from him, which made her chuckle.

When they left Y/n was a little nervous about people seeing him. What would they think? Some random monster exiting her lab when nobody had seen him walk in? But she could always say he was a friend bringing her lunch, and that some skeletons could teleport as she'd seen Sans do several times. Her anxiety was all for nothing though because nobody was even in the lobby as they left except for the receptionist, who didn't even spare them a second glance.

On the way home Y/n decided to pick up take out for her and the boys. She was way too tired to cook, in fact she wasn't even sure if she had anymore food except for canned stuff. She'd only been feeding herself and Nutmeg for so long that the extra mouths to feed quickly ate up her supplies. Y/n didn't mind though, it was nice having the company. I should go shopping soon. Maybe tonight?

After getting some Chinese takeout Y/n and Blue both walked home together, talking about themselves and comparing their respective aus. Y/n learned that Blue's brother Papyrus was a lazy, the devil could care kind of guy. Much like her Sans, so her guess had been right. She also learned that yes, they'd never seen the surface yet. Their au version of Frisk had not yet come to the underground and helped them break the barrier.

Y/n wondered how many years it would be until that happened. She also learned that Queen Toriel in their world was actually king, which she thought was awesome. The head guard was now head scientist and vice versa. Her beloved Muffet ran a bar, not a cafe, swapped with Grillbye. In her au, Y/n had been to his bar a few times to drink, it was pretty great.

And finally, this au version of Melody was the complete opposite of the one she knew. Not in a bad way, she was just different. No longer a tomboy, Melody was a flashy and expressive ukulele player who had more interest in "girly" things than her counterpart. She was also energetic and optimistic. The one thing they had in common was that both were Sans and Papyrus' best friend.

As they walked, Blue took in all the sights and sounds with eyes full of wonder. There were so many things he'd never even dreamed about. Fresh air, birds, and other humans. Y/n made sure to keep him close though, she knew not every human here was very fond of monsters. She had a feeling Blue was a leash kid when he was little. She didn't mind it, in fact it was a welcome change to see someone so full of awe at the world around them. Plus his charming personality and excitement were starting to rub off on her.

It was starting to get dark by the time they got home. Blue oohed and ahhed at the mansion, taking in every little detail with excitement. Y/n blushed a little in embarrassment. Everything had been so crazy lately she hadn't been cleaning as much. She added that to her mental to do list as Nutmeg came trotting up to them, raising his tail in greeting. Y/n's voice raised ten octaves at the sight of him. "Hi baby!!!!! Fluffy baby how are you today?"

He mewed happily back and weaved around her legs, purring loudly. Y/n giggled and bent down to stroke his back, which he arched against her hand. Blue gasped and placed his hands on his cheekbones, looking delighted. "OH WHAT A CUTE CAT!!! I HAVE A CAT TOO YOU KNOW. WELL HE'S MORE LIKE EVERYONE'S CAT. A BIT OF A RASCAL BUT HE'S SUPER FLUFFY LIKE YOUR CAT EXCEPT HE'S WHITE. WE CALL HIM TOBY."

At the sound of Blue's voice Nutmeg turned to regard him with a cool stare. Blue stared back and crouched down, taking off one of his gloves and offering a gentle hand. That made Y/n glow in approval. Just him respecting her cat made her trust him even more. Nutmeg was an excellent judge of character, so if he accepted him, Y/n would too.

After some consideration, Nutmeg lifted his tail happily and stretched out his neck to bump his head against Blue's hand. Blue brightened at took this as his que to start softly brushing his phalanges through Nutmeg's long fur. That's all Y/n needed. This skeleton was definitely trustworthy. Not to mention the fact that for someone so bouncy and hyper, he had a very gentle touch with animals. 

Y/n straightened up just in time to witness Sans teleport into the living room. She also heard Ink's excited footsteps running from upstairs. They must have heard the new voice and come to investigate.

Y/n smiled when she noticed Sans looked a little worried when he first got here. Then he realized who it was and visibly relaxed. Was he worried about me? Y/n's chest tightened at the idea. It made sense though, literally ANY Sans could have showed up, and not all of them were going to be friendly.

She also liked that he was very relaxed around Blue, only further proving that Blue was a good guy. Sans offered a lazy grin and a wave, staring at Blue through tired, half lidded eyes. "Oh hey Blue, been awhile eh? Good to see ya."

"BLUE IS HERE!?" Ink screeched from across the room. His eye lights were bright stars that matched Blue's. Ah.... He'd made it. "I thought I recognized your voice but wasn't sure. I mean we all kinda have the same voice just slightly different. Its so wonderful to see you again!"

Blue hopped up from where he was crouching and ran up to give both Sans and Ink a hug. Ink enthusiastically hugged back while Sans just patted him on the shoulder. He didn't seem to be the kind to care much for physical contact. That was ok, its not for everyone.

"INK! CLASSIC SANS! I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU TWO! Y/N HAS EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO ME. THIS WILL BE LIKE A FUN SLEEPOVER!"

Y/n, Sans and Ink all weakly smiled at his enthusiasm. On one hand, it was best to remain optimistic. Yes, it would be fun to have a bunch of friends living together for a while. But what if someone not as friendly showed up? What if they were dangerous? And what would happen when the stay turned from a few weeks to several months? Would Y/n's new skeleton friends like it so much then?

Y/n's thoughts were beginning to spiral out of control when she felt a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She looked up from the floor and glanced around in confusion. Blue and Ink were chattering amongst themselves. They seemed to be very close friends, closer than them and Sans. Maybe they'd known each other longer.

The hand that had patted her shoulder belonged to Sans. The gesture surprised her a little. Her and Sans were on good terms but she would've expected him to still be a little tense. Sans regarded her with a concerned expression, letting his hand fall back to his side. "You ok there dude?"

Y/n put on her perfectly practiced smile, the one she used to brush off anyone's concern. "Ah! Yes I'm fine! Just a little worried about getting you guys home."

Wouldn't want you guys to get sick of me before then... Sans narrowed his eye sockets at her in suspicion, like he didn't quite believe that was all there was to the story. But he dropped the subject and smiled lightly at her. "Well, whatever it is, Ink, Blue and I are here to help ya. You don't have to take care of everything by yourself y'know."

And with that he was gone in the blink of an eye, probably teleporting back to his room for a nap. Y/n wished she could do that. Just teleport wherever she wanted and immediately pass out. But she still had work to do.

Something that she'd noticed in the past few days is that the boys could in fact use their magic whenever they wanted. She'd seen Sans teleport, lift things with his telekinesis, and materialize bones out of thin air to play with Nutmeg. Ink on the other hand could create anything he wanted with his paints. She didn't know how that worked but it was cool. So it seemed that as long as their intentions were not to leave the protective barrier, they could teleport wherever they wished.

She was so curious to know how that worked, and how the forcefield worked. Maybe then she could fix it and they wouldn't be stuck at her house all the time. Then later she could fix the multiverse. Piece of cake. Y/n shook her head to clear it. One thing at a time. Focus on today.

She walked over to Blue and Ink, who apparently had helped him with his phone. Yes he could text his brother, the phone just had to be connected to Ink's magic, it being multiversal and all. Y/n wanted to ask so many questions but held off. There were a few things she wanted to get done before the day was over.

Blue messaged his brother, who they called Orange. How fitting that the two brothers had color related names. After he'd pocketed his phone and turned to Y/n, she gestured upstairs. "Come on, let's get you settled."

After giving him the traditional L/n mansion tour, Y/n took him up to the many bedrooms and let him pick whichever one he wanted. Blue pondered this for a few minutes, weighing the pros and cons of each room. Finally he picked the one right next to Y/n. "I'LL TAKE THIS ONE! THEN WE CAN HANG OUT ALL THE TIME!"

Y/n nodded in approval with her hands on her hips. "That's a great idea Blue! Here you can get all settled while I set up dinner. Come down when you're ready!"

He immediately began rearranging the room after she finished speaking. He waved to her in acknowledgment and Y/n took that as her que to leave and go set up dinner.

It had been a long day, but there was still so much left to do!

Chapter Text

Y/n had set up the Chinese food for people to take and go as they pleased. Meals were a bit random here. At breakfast Y/n hardly ever saw anyone since she was always up early to go to work. Lunch she was usually at work, but on weekends she'd occasionally be eating lunch at the same time someone else was. Dinners were usually with everyone all together, but sometimes people just needed to grab food and go back to their rooms. So it was always free choice whether they stayed or not.

Y/n scarfed down her meal with the urgency of a wolf. She was coming up with a plan in her mind of what she needed to do before bed.

First, they needed to pick up Sans' things from his house. Papyrus texted her earlier in the day to let her know that he'd already packed everything for him.

She also needed to go shopping and get food, plus toiletries and extra clothes for the boys who'd unfortunately only come here with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Y/n had originally planned to go by herself, but then realized she had no idea what monsters even needed. Especially skeletons. Did they need the same hygiene products as humans? Probably not. And she wanted them to choose their own clothes. Plus Sans probably wanted to get his stuff himself.
So after she'd eaten and when she was sure everyone else had as well, Y/n called everyone to the living room.

Blue immediately ran downstairs, eager to please. He sat on the couch now, excitedly swinging his feet and looking up at Y/n expectantly. She'd only known him for a few hours, but already his bright smile was a comfort to her.

Sans and Ink came a bit slower, both teleporting to the couch on both sides of Blue. Y/n was surprised for a second that Blue didn't even flinch when the two lazy skeletons suddenly appeared at his sides, but she remembered he was probably used to his brother teleporting at random all the time. Y/n still jumped whenever one of her roommates teleported next to her, having to stop herself from punching them in the face out of instinct.

Sans and Ink both smiled at Y/n, showing they were ready to listen. Once she was sure she had everyone's attention Y/n clapped her hands together. "Ok listen up! We still have a few hours of daylight left and I want to get a few things done before I go to bed. Sans, your brother texted me to let me know that he's packed you a suitcase and a few bags. So I thought we'd go and pick that up. Also I want to go shopping, and I need all three of you to go with me because I don't know anyone's clothing sizes or tastes and I have no idea what skeletons need for hygiene. I thought it'd go a lot smoother if you all helped me out. Sound good?"

The two more energetic skeletons immediately brightened and nodded vigorously. Sans just grinned and gave her a grateful look through his half lidded eye sockets.

"WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU DR. Y/N!!! IT IS SO SWEET THAT YOU WANT TO BUY THINGS FOR US!!"

"Yeah we really appreciate it." Sans agreed with Blueberry.

Ink also looked excited to go. "Wowza!! I've never been to a human grocery store before! Let's go! Shopping trip here we come!"

Y/n didn't even have time to say anything else as both Ink and Blue scrambled to their feet and raced to the car, hoping to get shotgun.

Y/n looked back over to Sans only to find that he was no longer there. Lazy skeleton probably teleported. 

Y/n quickly slipped on some shoes, gave Nutmeg a pat on the head, then grabbed her keys off of the hook on the wall and came outside to find Ink and Blue shouting at Sans, who had appeared in shotgun. Y/n chuckled. Of course...

Blue's cheeks were puffed out in his anger and Y/n had to stop herself from squealing. It made her heart flutter, he was just too cute!

Eventually though they both gave up and settled for the back seat. Y/n just rolled her eyes and gave Sans a exasperated look. All he offered was a shrug.

Shenanigans over, Y/n hopped into the car and started the engine, handing Ink and Blue her phone. Putting them in charge of the car tunes seemed to cheer them up and soon they'd forgotten all about Sans' dirty trick as Mettaton's album blasted through the speakers.

Y/n didn't say much as she carefully navigated her way to the address Papyrus had sent her. Sans snoozed in the seat next to her, occasionally waking up to make some sort of joke about whatever they were driving past point out where to turn next. It was pretty nice actually.

Within ten minutes Y/n was bringing the car to a halt just outside a simple, but nice, house. It wasn't anything like her mansion, but it was definitely nice enough. The only reason Y/n even cared was because monsters usually weren't able to afford even a nice house. Between humans refusing to hire them and the house market already a dumpster fire, like most minority groups monsters struggled to find jobs and live in safe neighborhoods.

Lately though, the government (at least the US government) passed several laws forbidding discrimination in the workplace among other things and had given monsters a relief check to help them get on their feet. Maybe things were finally starting to look up for them.

Y/n was just shocked these laws had been passed so easily. America was not a very welcoming place, and the politicians were no better. But somehow it had worked out. Maybe it was because Asgore was still a king?

Whatever the case, Y/n was happy to see that Sans and his brother had managed to get a place for themselves. Before you ripped him away from it.

Ignoring the self deprecating thoughts as she always did, Y/n hopped out of the car to help Sans carry his stuff. They walked together up to the door and Sans rapped his knuckles against the door. There was some shuffling and a shout of surprise, which made both of them smile. Hurried footsteps approached the door and Y/n flinched as it swung open with so much force it looked like the door might come off its hinges.

Papyrus stood on the other end, wearing a pink apron that said "Hot stuff coming through." Y/n had to swallow down a giggle. Sans grinned knowingly at her before turning back to smile at his brother. "Oh hey bro. Just wanted to stop by and get my stuff."

Papyrus' face lit up at the sight of Sans and Y/n. "BROTHER! DR. Y/N!! I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE BOTH OF YOU. I PACKED YOU A FEW BAGS OF EVERYTHING YOU MIGHT NEED, PLUS SOME FUN THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO! I DON'T WANT YOU GETTING BORED, THOUGH I SUPPOSE YOU'LL JUST BE NAPPING ALL THE TIME NOW THAT YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE NOT TO WORK. COME IN! ITS ALL IN YOUR ROOM!"

Papyrus left the door wide open for both of them to step inside. Y/n glanced around after she did, curiously studying the brother's home. There were a lot of boxes still in the living room, showing that the boys hadn't completely unpacked and settled in since moving here. Especially since you interrupted all of that. Idiot. GAH ENOUGH BAD FEELINGS LETS HELP THE BOYS!

Y/n walked up to Papyrus and smiled up at him. Jeez he's so tall!! "Hello Papyrus! How are you?"

Paps grinned down at her, apparently very happy to see her despite all she'd done. Y/n still couldn't understand how forgiving everyone had been. "I AM DOING WELL HUMAN! I'M SO GLAD YOU CAME TO HELP! IT IS SO SWEET!"

Y/n blushed at the compliment, then yelped in surprise when he scooped her up into a bone crushing hug. "Aw gee... It's no problem Paps! I'm happy to help!"

"Bro you're suffocating the human." Sans joked. The joke went right over Papyrus' head. He gasped and gently set Y/n down. "SORRY SORRY! I FORGET SOMETIMES HUMANS HAVE A LOT MORE SQUISHY BITS THAN US!"

Y/n and Sans both chuckled and she patted his arm affectionately. He seemed to love physical affection, so she hoped it was all right. He actually looked very happy to have received it, which made her smile. "Its alright! No harm done. You can hug me anytime you want."

Once again Papyrus took it seriously because he giggled and gave her a quick side hug before turning to walk up the stairs and grab Sans' things. Sans followed a lot more slowly behind, not before shooting Y/n another grin. He'd definitely warmed up to her, there didn't seem to be a trace of the bad blood they'd had before. It was a relief.

Y/n trailed after the two of them, taking in the appearance of the house. Melody had kept her promise to watch over Papyrus while Y/n and the boys sorted all of this out. She wasn't here right now, probably off performing at some concert, but Y/n saw a pile of her things in a corner of the living room.

The living room itself was a nice set up, with a green couch, new TV, and a few book shelves. A white fluffy dog slept on a dog bed nearby, and Y/n almost squealed in delight. She was so tempted to go over and say hi, but didn't want to disturb it while it was sleeping. As she walked through the house, she caught a glimpse of a pristine kitchen. Everything was labeled and put away perfectly. She didn't see what was down the hall but guessed it was probably a bathroom and laundry room.

Upstairs was Papyrus' room, a guest bedroom that Melody was using, another bathroom and of course Sans' room. The brothers had only been living here a short time, but in that time Sans had somehow made it look like a tornado had gone through his room. Socks and other laundry were thrown in the oddest places, mostly on the floor. But Y/n did notice a sock hanging from the ceiling fan. She stifled another giggle. It was all random clutter, some things Y/n had never seen before. His bed was an absolute mess, with crumbs and stains all over it. That was the only thing Y/n couldn't support. I get having a messy room and being too depressed to clean it for a while but even I could never sleep in a gross bed...

In the far corner a sheet was covering something large. Y/n caught a glimpse of a metallic shine before her attention was redirected towards Papyrus and Sans, who were both grabbing packed bags off the floor. Y/n rushed over to join them and grabbed a blue backpack, nearly toppling into Sans from how heavy it was. What the hell is in here?

She managed to sling it over her shoulder and grab the last thing left to take, a duffle bag full of who knows what. At least it was light.

"Alright is that everything?" Y/n asked, shifting from foot to foot. Papyrus spun around to do a double check. "HMMMMMMMYES I BELIEVE SO! IF NOT SANS CAN JUST TEXT ME AND I'LL BRING IT OVER LATER!"

"Sounds good, thanks bro." Sans confirmed as the three friends walked back out to the car. They stuffed everything in the trunk and while Y/n was slamming it shut Sans and Papyrus hugged and said their goodbyes.

Y/n offered a sweet smile to the both of them, missing the tint of blue on Sans' cheekbones afterwards. "Bye Papyrus. Remember you're always welcome at my house anytime you want to visit Sans."

Papyrus was burning holes into Sans' skull with a hard stare, having noticed the little blush. Y/n blinked in confusion as she watched the two brothers do some sort of telepathic communication. Papyrus squinted at him, then his eyesockets expanded in size. A huge smile was beginning to form on his face, all the while excessive amounts of sweat were beginning to form on Sans' forehead. His face turned a dark blue and he pleaded with his eyes to Papyrus.

His younger brother only shook his head with a knowing grin. He turned back to an oblivious Y/n. "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHER FOR ME. I'M SO GLAD YOU'VE BOTH GOTTEN SO CLOSE. HAVE FUN!"

He gave Y/n another small hug before ushering the both of them into the car. "TAKE CARE!"

"You too!" Y/n and Sans both waved before the car engine revved to life and they drove off to the store. While they'd been helping in the house, Ink and Blue's music tastes had switched from Mettaton to Classic Disney songs. Now Y/n, Ink and Blue were singing at the top of their lungs to all of their favorites. Y/n's Disney playlist was a masterpiece.

It took a bit longer to get to the grocery store Y/n wanted, and when they found a parking spot the sun was just starting to set. Thankfully the store was open 24/7 so Y/n didn't have to worry about the closing time.

The boys followed Y/n past the automatic doors (Blue and Ink both marveled at them). The cold air conditioner blew into Y/n's face as they entered. She shivered a little at the new change in temperature.

The store was mostly empty, with some late stragglers and night owls human and monster alike being the only ones here. Plus the bored employees.

Y/n noticed the stares of a few humans. Not all of them, but just enough to catch her attention. She kept the boys close and matched their looks with an equally hostile glare until they looked away. Yeah that's right. See how you like it.

Blue and Ink were both completely oblivious, but Sans definitely noticed. His eyelights dimmed and he kept a close eye on anyone who walked past. Him and Y/n made a wordless agreement to stand on both sides of the group, keeping Blue and Ink corralled in. It just made Y/n feel better knowing they were protected.

She doubted she could actually do anything to stop an angry bigot, in fact Ink was probably better equipped for fighting. But he didn't understand this world despite being so in love with the multiverse. And Blue of course would be completely helpless because of his pacifist nature. Unless he was secretly a badass. 

It helped that she was human, so other humans would hesitate to cause any harm to her. At least for a moment.

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, Y/n led them all to a different area of the store and immediately felt a lot better. It was time to get to work.

Y/n didn't even know where to start in what foods to get everyone. Thankfully, the boys knew exactly what they wanted, each running (or teleporting) in different areas to grab stuff. Sans even helped her compile a list of everyone's favorites, so that she knew what to buy them next time.

Sans came back with hotdogs, buns, wings, frozen pizza, some soda and a few snacks and a tub of ice cream. Generally just American junk food, plus way more ketchup than was necessary. Y/n rose an eyebrow at the growing pile of ketchup bottles in the cart. I mean money isn't an issue and I did tell them to go nuts but.... "That's a lot of ketchup you've got there bud..."

Sans paused in grabbing yet another bottle from the shelf, ignoring the defeated look one of the employees was sending him. He chuckled as he tossed it into the cart. "The thing about me kid," Y/n huffed at the nickname but was ignored, "is that I drink this stuff."

Y/n blinked, having to take a few seconds for his words to really settle in. When they did, her eyes widened in bewilderment. "You waaaaa? Ketchup!? I mean it's not really something people usually drink. Not hating, just stating."

Y/n wasn't really one to judge others, but this particular discovery had caught her off guard. Sans smirked in amusement at how his drinking habits had thrown her through a loop. "Yeah, I know it's unusual but it's an acquired taste. I really love it. Papyrus thinks I'm addicted."

Y/n hummed, then shrugged it off, smiling. "Whatever works for you. I'll make sure to buy you extra next time I go shopping."

Sans' smile grew wider at that, and he patted her shoulder with a slight blush. "Heh, thanks."

Just as they'd finished their conversation, both Blue and Ink came running back with their arms full of things.

Blue came with supplies to make tacos plus utensils for cooking. Y/n had to remind him that she already had everything they needed to actually cook the stuff and so he shuffled back to put the equipment back sadly. The rest was different pastas, cans of soup, cupcakes and supplies to make muffins, plus milk, blueberries (which Y/n found hilarious), strawberries and different bottles of juice. He also threw in some pre made salads after seeing Sans' unhealthy choices, tsking at the lazy skeleton.

Skeletons couldn't gain weight, but apparently unhealthy foods could still make them sick much like humans and other monsters. Really the only difference was that their body didn't make fat to store the extra energy and sugar coming from the foods. It tended to make them sluggish and too much could be harmful. Blue was mostly just looking out for Y/n though.

Ink's choices were a bit more random. Sushi, a mixed bag of candy, chips, different kinds of frozen Chinese food, fruit smoothies, pancake mix and flavored sparkling water. At this rate they had more than enough to last them the week, but Y/n still grabbed some snacks and drinks for herself plus stuff to make sandwiches and more breakfast foods. Y/n made sure to keep note of the different snacks and drinks the boys got so that she could always get them what they liked on other shopping trips.

"Right! Now that we have that out of the way, let's go to the toiletries. Grab everything you need and I'll write it down for later."

A skeleton really didn't need much for hygiene. They definitely didn't need deodorant as the sweat glands humans had did not exist on skeletons. It made sense when the trio grabbed toothpaste and tooth brushes, except for Sans who already had his own.

Y/n was surprised to see how much monster stuff had been added to the store shelves recently. She'd hardly noticed until now. She had a feeling the big corporations didn't actually care about helping the monsters out, and were instead just looking to make more money, but it was still nice to see it was readily available to the monsters who needed it.

There was special fur cleaner and conditioner, and a special bone cleaner as well. Much like body wash but obviously made of different stuff. They also grabbed their own loofahs. Other than that, there wasn't much they really needed.

After that Y/n led Ink and Blue over to the clothing section. Ink and Blue both stood in awe at all the different selections in the men and women sections.

"Pick whatever you need but remember to try it all on first to make sure it fits you!" She reminded them as she watched them rush off, chuckling under her breath. Y/n decided to do her own browsing with Sans while she waited. Sans didn't seem all that interested in clothes, which didn't really surprise her.

Y/n did find some cute pajamas and a funny Tshirt with a frog on it, leaving Sans to guard the cart while she went to try stuff on.

Y/n quickly tried on the clothes she'd found, and was happy to find that all of them fit pretty well. After finishing up she got back into her normal clothes and rushed to catch up with the boys, although she doubted Ink and Blue were done grabbing everything.

A middle aged woman cut her off from her path back to Sans and she slid to a halt, looking like a deer in headlights. She definitely wasn't prepared for social interaction from a random stranger. "Um... C-can I help you?"

The woman smiled at her sweetly, much like a mother would to a child. It irked Y/n, knowing she was being condescended. I'm old enough to drink alcohol...

"Are those monsters bothering you dear? They sure are making you buy a lot of stuff. You poor thing. You can say no to those creatures you know. You don't have to feel bad for them or anything."

Y/n's mood immediately went from vaguely annoyed to outraged. "Actually they're my friends and I don't appreciate you calling them creatures. They're monsters, and they're very kind. Keep your racist comments to yourself before I beat the snot out of you. Also what gives you the right to assume they're forcing me to buy them stuff? You don't know anything about us, you just assumed all that and judged us based on the way they look. It is literally none of your business, worry about yourself." Y/n shot back icily.

The woman open and closed her mouth like a fish, at a loss for words. Y/n simply huffed and pushed passed the bitch, back to Sans. Her sour expression hadn't melted by the time she'd returned to the cart that Sans was leaning against, looking bored.

He immediately noticed the look on her face and frowned in concern. "What's the matter? Clothes don't fit ya? It happens..."

He trailed off as Y/n shook her head and dumped the clothes she wanted into the cart that was starting to fill to the top. She hesitated in telling him. How do you tell a friend they're being unfairly judged just because they're a little different? But still, Sans had the right to know. Y/n sighed and absentmindedly watched Ink and Blue messing around in the swimwear isle, oblivious.

"This old hag came up to me and started saying nonsense about you guys, just because you're monsters. I ripped her a new one but it still really pissed me off."

Sans' eye lights flickered momentarily before he was back to pretending like it didn't affect him in the slightest. Y/n's heart hurt for him, knowing he shouldn't have to act this way. "S'okay. I'm used to it. It ain't your fault either, you shouldn't have to babysit the other humans. I'm well aware that there's plenty of humans like you who see us as equals."

Y/n shook her head. "You shouldn't have to be used to it. I hate the way this country runs. The rights of other human beings and monsters shouldn't be something other people get to decide. In any case, the next human who tries something is just asking to get punched."

This got a chuckle out of him. He reached up to ruffle Y/n's hair with his phalanges. "Aw thanks dude... It's good to see more humans like you around. Trust me, this isn't nearly as bad as when we first came to the surface."

Y/n didn't respond. She still remembered that day quite well. She'd been in her pajamas, eating crappy cereal, watching the news like she did once in a blue moon when all of a sudden an emergency broadcast had popped up on screen. The world had been thrown into turmoil, people panicking and locking themselves away in their homes. Riots breaking out. All because a few friendly monsters came out of hiding.

Y/n's mouth had hung open, milk dribbling out of it. Not only at the reappearance of monsters but also at the sheer stupidity of the other humans. People were acting like it was the apocalypse or something. She was more curious than afraid. She'd only learned about monsters briefly in history class in middle school, and it was a bunch of sugary crap about how the humans struggled against the evil monsters and were heros for defeating them. Y/n had never bought it, history is written by the victors after all.

There had been so much drama and conflict. The US government had sent a firing squad because they thought the monsters would be aggressive. Who wouldn't be if someone was pointing a gun at you? The whole thing had been a complete mess, and Y/n had rushed out the door to go join a few other humans and protest. Slow progress had been made, but Y/n was just grateful monsters were protected at all.

Y/n snapped out of her reminiscing as Ink and Blue ran over with pajamas, casual clothes, swim trunks and some accessories and shoes. Ink's style was what one would expect, hippie and tie-dye being the most common in his pile.

Blue's stuff was mostly blue, which Y/n thought was cute. It was a lot more well put together than Ink's, with everything matching and nothing without a pair to go with it. He had a handful of cute bandannas and other accessories too.

"Y/N! I FOUND A BANDANNA WITH SPONGEBOB ON IT!!" Blue exclaimed, showing off the fabric proudly.

"And I found this cool hat!" Ink grabbed a beret from the pile and put it on, posing smugly. Y/n giggled and gave them both a thumbs up.

"Great choices boys! You'll both look stunning in those." Both of them blushed and Ink waved her away with a goofy grin. "Aw shucks!"

As the boys continued rambling to each other and Sans about their findings, Y/n took out her phone to look through her shopping list. Looks like the only thing left on the list is....

"Ok! We've got pretty much everything. Except why don't we go to the movie and games section. You guys can pick something fun to do like a puzzle, video game or movie. If I don't already have it, we'll get it. Sound good?"

Blue immediately lit up at the mention of a puzzle. Y/n made a mental note of that. Ink and Sans also seemed to like the idea. Y/n's mansion had plenty of things for them to do, but eventually they'd need other forms of entertainment. Especially when she was busy with work and couldn't take them places. Luckily, Y/n had survived a pandemic before. She could teach them the ways of avoiding boredom and soul crushing loneliness!

When she brought them to the part of the store they wanted, it was like taking a kid to a candy store. Even Sans perked up a bit. After a few minutes of debate, arguments and indecisiveness, all three of them finally chose their prize. Y/n was already spending so much money on them, she didn't want to overdo it. She'd take the next few skeletons that showed up shopping for their own things. And if it was becoming obvious that they were running out of things to do she'd take them here again. But for now, this would do nicely. She hoped.

Yes. It'll be fine! They have all my movies and video games already. Streaming services, the internet, the garden, my pool, the library, the art room, and other places too. It'll be fine, at least for a while.

To no one's surprise Blue had grabbed a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. He wouldn't be finished with that anytime soon. Although with how hyperactive he tended to get, Y/n wondered if he'd actually finish within a few days.

Ink had chosen Skyrim, which Y/n had yet to add to her video game collection. I'll have to join him sometime. And Sans had decided on a rom com movie. She guessed he was more interested in the comedy part.

"Ok we got everything? Nothing else comes to mind?" Y/n guessed as they began wheeling their haul to the front. Ink, Sans and Blue all shook their heads, looking satisfied.

"Nope! I think we have more than enough. I'm so excited to play my game! Thank you Y/n!" Ink clasped his hands together happily. Y/n simply nodded and smiled at him. "No problem. I'm happy to buy stuff for you guys."

She and Blue both skipped to the only self checkout that was open at this hour, Blue eager to help her move the groceries onto the scale. In doing so, she completely missed the small smiles from both Ink and Sans, who weren't used to a human being this generous, caring and kind.

Once Y/n had paid and the boys helped her bag everything up, it was time to go home. Thanks to Sans' and Blue's magic, they were able to levitate all the bags on the way to the car, so they no longer needed a cart. Ink was happy to wheel the cart to the drop off area, with on foot on the bottom and the other pushing off. Y/n tried holding in her laughter when Ink went toppling to the ground but ultimately failed. What a bunch of goofs.

It felt strange, having all these people around her all the time. Especially people who didn't berate her or make her feel like crap. (cough cough her family cough) Y/n had become a bit of a shut in after moving to her uncle's old house. Until the monsters came and she befriended Melody.

If someone had told Y/n a month ago that she'd be sharing a home with three male skeleton look alikes who were all from alternate universes, she would've laughed at them. But here she was now, laughing with them as Ink got up and dusted himself off, wheeling the cart to it's rightful place as if nothing happened.

They all got into the car and Y/n turned on the headlights. It had gotten dark during their adventure, and everyone was tired now. Ink played more calming music from Y/n's phone as they drove down the deserted roads back to her house.

Once inside, Blue immediately grabbed as many bags as he could carry and ended up taking more bags than seemed humanly possible. I guess he isn't a human but still. Sans took the rest with his magic and Ink skipped up the steps to the front door, unlocking it with the spare key Y/n had entrusted him with.

Since he was the first skeleton to come here, Y/n felt like she knew him the best and therefore trusted him the most. Especially since he knew the most about the different universes, practically an expert. He'd become sort of a second in command, in charge of the others while Y/n was gone. He was a bit aloof, so one would think it was a bad idea. But when Y/n trusted him with something he seemed to take it seriously enough. I mean the house hadn't burned down yet so that had to count for something right?

Once inside Blue grabbed his treasures and immediately shot up to his room, bidding Y/n goodnight. Ink also grabbed his things, yawning as he trudged up the stairs. Y/n took the remaining groceries that belonged in the kitchen, sorting through them and putting them in their respective areas.

She was so focused on organizing everything that she didn't notice Sans was still standing there until she turned around. When she did, Y/n gasped and placed a hand over her chest, staring at him questioningly. "Oh god! Sans.... What are you still doing here? Not that you can't be here just.... I thought you went to your room?"

Sans shrugged. He was holding his own bags in his hands, staring at Y/n with an unreadable expression. "Sorry Y/n, didn't mean to spook ya hehe. I just wanted to say thanks."

Y/n rose an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue. Sans scratched the back of his vertebrae and looked away shyly. "For taking care of us I mean. You could've, I dunno, not done that. But you didn't. You're taking care of us, buying us things, paying attention to our likes and dislikes. I saw you taking notes when Blue got all starry eyed at that puzzle. Its.... Nice. Not many humans are like that. So thank you. Really. All three of us appreciate it. And we like hanging around you. That whole fiasco with the machine was an accident, that much is obvious. So you don't need to beat yourself up over it ok? We know you're doing your best. Anyways, gnight."

Y/n's eyes were misty with tears. She didn't dare let them fall out of embarrassment. But she managed to weakly smile. She walked up to him and pulled him in for a tight hug. He tensed up at first, but chuckled affectionately and hugged her back. He felt warm.

"You're welcome Sans. It's the least I could do. And thank you. I really needed to hear that. I will always be taking care of you guys, even after you all leave. We're friends now. I'm so glad that I've been doing well and you guys feel at home here. That's all I want." Y/n mumbled into his shirt.

They pulled apart and this time Y/n did notice the indigo hue dusting his cheek bones. She debated asking about that, but decided against it. She didn't want to ruin the moment. Instead she smiled tiredly at him. "Goodnight Sans. Sweet dreams."

She turned back to finish putting away the groceries. When she turned around afterwards, he was gone.

...

They floated around the darkened void, going from crystal to crystal and stopping to study each one. These crystals floated by the millions in the vast expanse they were trapped in. Inside each one showed the same snowy village, but with an alteration of some sort.

They placed their hand on a particularly darkened one, staring down at the monsters dressed in mostly reds. They stomped through the snow, glaring at anyone who got too close. Fair, this au could get violent at times. If the child didn’t put them on the correct path that is.

They sighed softly and swiped at the crystal with their finger. It blurred, then revealed a different part of the underground. Grillbye’s… A faint pang in their soul made them pause. What I would kill for a bacon cheeseburger from Grillbs right now… and a chocolate milkshake.

Their stomach growled and they frowned. Now look at what you’ve done… They floated in an eternal limbo, forever hungry yet never satisfied.

Movement out of the corner of their eye caught their attention. Their head snapped back to the crystal and they watched in vague interest as a Sans stormed out of the bar in a rage. They smirked. This Sans, was Red what they called him? He always gave the best reactions.

Suddenly, a tear in reality opened up behind him. With barely a second to react, Red turned to glare at the rapidly opening portal with an annoyed expression. Annoyance turned to confusion, which turned to alarm as he was mercilessly pulled towards the portal and swept away inside of it. The portal closed up, and the rest of the townspeople continued on, none the wiser.

They smiled. A spark of excitement ignited in their soul. Yes.

"☞ ✋ ☠ ✌ ☹ ☹ ✡...."

Chapter Text

The sound of the fire alarm going off startled Y/n out of her deep slumber. She stumbled out of bed, got tangled up in the sheets and gracelessly fell over. A string of curses flew out of her mouth in her descent.

Y/n hastily shot up, panicking and worried about Nutmeg and the boys as the alarm screeched from the kitchen. She wrapped her robe around herself and hurried downstairs, fearing the worst. What happened?! Oh god I hope nobodies hurt!!

When she reached the bottom of the stairs Y/n burst into the kitchen and slid to a stop, out of breath. All three of the boys were inside, Ink and Sans calmly sitting at the table while Blue was at the stove.

Ah.

Y/n heaved a sigh of relief and ran a hand down her tired face. The alarm had just gone off because Blue was cooking. A concerning amount of smoke was billowing from the pan all the while Blue was trying desperately to fan it all away.

Jeez I thought the house was on fire... Y/n's heart rate decreased as the adrenaline from her morning scare wore off. Nutmeg's soft fur brushed against her legs and she bent down to scoop him up as she greeted her three roommates. "Morning everyone..."

"Mornin'." Sans echoed. He was kind enough to turn off the alarm for Y/n with his magic and she visibly relaxed. Nutmeg also seemed happy that the horrible noise was no longer torturing his sensitive ears. Ink smiled brightly at Y/n and waved before going back to shoveling pancakes in his mouth like it was the apocalypse and this was the last meal he'd ever eat. Y/n chuckled at that.

Sans sat back down, smiling sympathetically at the disheveled human. "Sorry hun. I tried to tell Blue he was burning the breakfast..."

An offended huff followed his words. Blue crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sans, which looked kinda silly with the apron he was currently wearing. It was a Christmas apron too... He looked like everyone's mom. Y/n giggled again.

"HMPH! I DIDN'T MEAN TO BURN IT! ALPHYS TOLD ME THE HOTTER THE BETTER DURING OUR COOKING LESSONS BUT I SUPPOSE I DIALED IT UP A LITTLE TOO MUCH. I'M SORRY Y/N FOR WAKING YOU UP."

Y/n's face softened in pity for the smaller skeleton as he rubbed the back of his skull in shame. "I-I WANTED TO MAKE YOU BREAKFAST AS A SURPRISE BEFORE YOU LEFT FOR WORK..."

His entire face turned blue at the confession and he twiddled with his thumbs abashedly. Y/n felt her own cheeks heat up at what he said. All this for me? She felt her chest grow warm and she grinned, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright Blue. Accidents happen. Just next time, maybe ask me how to use my stove, I'm very happy to help. But really no harm done, I leave iiiiiin..." She squinted at the digital clock on the oven, "an hour anyways. I would've gotten up pretty soon."

Blue looked relieved to hear that she wasn't angry. She suddenly realized this was probably how they saw her whenever she was feeling guilty. Like it was an honest mistake and she didn't have to feel as horrible as she did about it. It made her feel better thinking about it from the boy's perspective.

Y/n's smile turned shy and she gently squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you for the breakfast by the way. That's very sweet of you!"

She put Nutmeg down and joined Sans and Ink at the table, sitting down in the chair that Ink had been eagerly patting next to him. She completely missed Blue's blush getting worse, but Sans definitely noticed and smirked.

Ink happily turned to Y/n. He seemed awfully chipper this morning. "Good morning Y/n! I finally got back into contact with my apprentice through Blue's phone! She said she's capable of taking care of the aus with Dream for however long we stay, so no need to rush! She's brilliant at this sort of thing. She also promised to help anyway she could from the outside, so let me know if you need her to do anything."

Y/n brightened at this news. It was like a huge weight was lifted off of her chest to learn that no lives would be at stake while she worked on a solution. Y/n didn't know much about this apprentice, but if Ink trusted her with the responsibility, then Y/n did too.

She didn't even get the chance to reply before Ink turned back to wolfing down his breakfast like nothing ever happened. Y/n noticed this pattern with him where he'd sometimes forget things right after they happened. She didn't let it bother her as it was obviously something out of his control. Chances were he'd tell her about what they'd just talked about sometime later and she could thank him then.

Blue, who had since recovered from his flustered state, sheepishly walked up to Y/n with the plate of breakfast. Y/n tilted her head as she realized the food was..... tacos?? For breakfast??? She was able to shrug it off quickly. She was a burnt out scientist who ate random shit at 1 am after all, who was she to judge?

"D-DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TRY WHAT I MADE DR Y/N?" Blue shyly fidgeted with the plate in his hands. Seeing motion out of the corner of her eye, Y/n glanced over at Sans and Ink, who'd gone still. Sans looked green in the face with sweat dripping down his skull. His head barely moved, but Y/n still caught the horrified expression on his face and the tense shake of his head, as if to say: WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T EAT THAT TOXIC WASTE YOU WILL ACTUALLY DIE!!!

Y/n gulped nervously when Ink's facial expression mirrored Sans'. It was obvious that they were warning her against Blue's food and she was inclined to agree with them after the whole smoke fiasco. The amount of horror in both their eye lights made her genuinely nervous. But Blue was just too sweet for his own good, and Sans and Ink really didn't want to straight up tell her not to in front of him. Y/n also felt kind of bad, since Blue had done all this for her.

She weakly smiled at him, swallowing the lump in her throat. "O-of course I'll eat what you made me! Thank you Blue that's very kind!"

The eye lights in Sans' sockets disappeared. He sat there frozen, unable to look away as an oblivious Blue beamed and placed the plate in front of her. Ink went back to eating his pancakes in hopes of blocking out the awful memories.

Y/n took a deep breath, grabbed the fork, and cut off a piece of the taco. It was very brittle. Y/n also noticed a subtle shimmer coming from the meat. Was that..... glitter glue?

Oh boy... Well I've put worse stuff in my body. Here goes nothing! Y/n took one bite and visibly froze. This tastes like ass.... Omg am I gonna die? WHY DO I KNOW WHAT ASS TASTES LIKE!? WHAT DID HE PUT IN HERE!? 

Y/n shakily turned to Blue, who was staring at her expectantly. She managed to smile and give him a thumbs up as she crunched down, holding back the tears. God it tasted so fucking bad. More like charcoal than actual food. But she didn't have the heart to tell him that. The right thing to do would be to let him know and be honest, but Y/n's morals did not win today. I'll just have to give him a few lessons later...

Blue looked ecstatic when he saw her smile. "YOU LIKE IT!? YOU REALLY DO!? OH WONDERFUL I'M SO GLAD! I MEAN IT'S NOT LIKE I'M SURPRISED! EVERYONE LIKES MY COOKING YOU KNOW!"

It took a lot of effort, and she nearly gagged several times, but Y/n finally managed to swallow whatever it was she just ate. Those definitely weren't tacos. She quickly washed it down with some juice. Her voice shook as she responded. "It's greaaaaat! Best thing I ever tasted! Thanks Blue."

Blue clapped his hands and giddily hugged her, which she happily accepted. At least she wouldn't be crushing this skeleton's dreams today. Maybe tomorrow. Or never.

Sans and Ink both looked sick to their stomachs, but silently applauded Y/n for her ability to keep it all down. She'd earned their up most respect.

As soon as Blue turned away to cook his own breakfast, Sans was quick to aid her in removing the food from her plate without Blue noticing and sending it flying into the trash with his magic. Ink also smuggled her a few pancakes from his stack and she stuffed them into her mouth just before Blue turned around. She resembled a chipmunk at this point.

"WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU LIKED MY COOKING THAT MUCH Y/N! I'LL HAVE TO COOK FOR YOU MORE OFTEN."

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but Y/n managed a half smile. "Wjs thagd br awghrsm! Thrnks."

Blue nodded happily and sat next to Sans. While he dug into his abomination Y/n nodded gratefully to the other two, who grinned at her. The sight of her stuffed face made Ink giggle and she lightly smacked his arm as she choked down the rest of her breakfast.

It was silent for a few minutes as the four friends ate together. Eventually curiosity got the better of her and Y/n spoke up between sips of juice.

"So... How much did you guys know about the multiverse before this whole thing started? I mean Ink obviously knows everything there is to know about it since he's literally the guardian of the alternate universes but Sans and Blue, you technically shouldn't be able to know. And yet you all seem to already know each other. Like you're old friends or something."

Sans glanced up from his mug of coffee with a knowing smile and nodded. "Yep. I had a feeling you'd be curious about that sort of thing. Well, Ink and I go waaaaaaaay back. Especially since I'm the original, but actually most of us Sans' already know one another."

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise. How? The idea of one person knowing their alternate versions on such a level that they'd consider one another friends was insane. She motioned for him to continue while she got up to go make herself a cup of coffee. Ink was the one to explain the situation better.

"All the alternate Sans', no matter how much they vary in both personality and appearance, will always have one thing in common. Self awareness. It's something unique to the Sanses of the world, although I'm not entirely sure how it happened. Or why. Whether it was something that evolved slowly over time or something he always had, every Sans will eventually become aware of their own existence. They'll remember things from old resets. You know, the time magic witches with determination souls posses. Sans will remember the old timelines."

Y/n nodded in understanding as she poured tap water into the coffee machine, then measured out the coffee grounds and clicked the top into place. She then flipped the switch and turned back towards them, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms.

"Yes I heard about that talent. Not all humans are born with magic but when they are, it can be very powerful. That's what makes them witches. Especially those with determination traits since they can literally change and manipulate their fate. Why, no known human has been documented to possess that power for centuries until the monster ambassador. Er, Frisk was it?"

Sans nodded, confirming Y/n's guess. Human souls were a complicated thing. Just because you had a specific trait, didn't mean you possessed magic. That was reserved for witches, who were considered a sub species of human. And of course, because they were so different, normal humans didn't like them that much. What a surprise. The Salem Witch trials was one example of that. 

While determination witches were the rarest, other traits weren't so rare. Kindness witches possessed healing abilities, perseverance support magic, and so on. But nobody really showed off these powers due to the stigma against magic in this day and age. Hopefully the arrival of monsters could fix that.

Every human was born with a trait. Sometimes terrible things happened and the trait faded away to grey or even black. Usually this was because of depression or severe forms of emotional trauma.

Humans were also fluid creatures, changing slowly over time. So someone's trait switching into another one was not unheard of. Generally speaking, someone's soul trait was their core personality.
People usually had their souls checked when they turned five. It was standard procedure in medicare, just to make sure the soul was healthy and to administer the much needed vaccines. But it was also a very personal thing, to learn what your soul trait would be.

It was to Y/n's shock, and her parent's horror, that when she'd done her first visit and the doctor had coaxed her soul out of her body that it'd turned up grey. There was never an explanation for it. No part of her life had been so traumatic that all the color had been sapped away. The doctors had all been stumped. Y/n eventually learned to live with it, and it didn't bother her anymore. But it still bothered her parents immensely.

The gray wasn't really that ugly either. More of a silver, with some shimmer to it if you squinted hard enough. Either way, Y/n knew she didn't have a trait and nothing she had done to try and fix it ever worked. Something that always stumped her was why it was still able to glow in the dark. Normal grey souls had no light, but hers still did. It was really weird, but her hypothesis was that just because it didn't have a trait, didn't mean it wasn't a normal soul.

Something funny about her family, apparently her uncle had a similar soul to her. It being a genetic thing soothed her a little. She'd never seen it, but Y/n heard that it had a very similar shimmer to hers.
The theory that soul traits being genetic wasn't a new one. More often than not, parents and their offspring tended to share soul traits, or at least a similar one. Whether that trait was autosomal, meaning passed down by both parents, or sex linked, meaning passed down from either the mother or father, was still unknown.

Y/n shook her head to clear it. Right now she was in the middle of a conversation. Endlessly wondering about her odd biological condition, as she had for so many years already, would get her nowhere.

"Wait, so the Sans' are unique in that they are aware of the resets while everyone else isn't. So I've probably been through plenty of resets already and never knew it. But this whole thing we got going on is new?"

The idea that her whole life has been lived out before didn't really rattle Y/n as much as it probably should have. She supposed that it was entirely out of her hands and therefore not worth worrying about right now. That was oddly comforting for now. 

Ink nodded, looking sober for once. "Yes actually... I never thought of that until you pointed it out. This is an anomaly. Though Sans has more knowledge of this universe's resets than I do, seeing as it's his universe."

All three heads turned to look at Sans expectantly. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his chin with a phalange, a serious expression on his face.

"Yes now that you mention it... We've gotten farther than this in another timeline. None of this has happened before. I never met you. If I had, I wouldn't have been as hostile. The kid promised me this was the last time they'd reset unless in a dire situation and I fully believe they're serious about it, thank fuck. I think maybe..."

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought, "Something happened that was out of the ordinary. Either by your machine or some outside force, the timeline is on a new path now."

They all went silent after that. The coffee machine beeped, letting Y/n know it was done. She poured herself a cup into her favorite mug and fixed it up just the way she liked it. This was a lot to wrap her head around, but the walk to and from work would help her to process everything. Plus whenever she worked, she ended up getting lost in thought. So yeah, she'd have plenty of time to make sense of all this madness.

"BUT TO ANSWER YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION," Blue, who had been uncharacteristically quiet this entire time, piped up. "MOST OF US KNOW ONE ANOTHER. SOMETIMES BY ACCIDENT, AND OTHER TIMES ON PURPOSE. A LOT OF US HANG OUT FREQUENTLY SINCE WE GET ALONG SO WELL. IN FACT INK, OUR FRIEND DREAM, AND I ARE ALL PART OF A GROUP THAT PROTECTS THE UNIVERSE! WE USUALLY LEAVE THE SANS' STILL UNAWARE OF THE AUS ALONE IN IGNORANT BLISS UNLESS THEY'RE IN DANGER FROM OTHER BAD SANS' OR SOMETHING. BUT LATELY ITS BEEN HARD TO GET TOGETHER. ACTUALLY I THINK ITS BEEN MANY MONTHS SINCE I LAST SAW ANY OF THEM."

Y/n nodded in response as she sipped her coffee. "Wow... That's actually pretty cool. I wonder what my versions are like?"

"I'm sure they're all lovely just like you are!" Ink complimented with a cheeky wink. Sans rolled his eyes, mumbling under his breath. "Kiss ass..."

Y/n only waved him off and blushed. "Oh you!"

Blue giggled. She covered up her flustered appearance by taking another sip of her coffee. I guess I still have a lot to learn about how all this works.

Later in the morning Y/n was finishing up with getting ready to go to work. The boys had all gone off to do their own things by now and she was just doing the finishing touches with her hair when she heard a light rapping on her open door. She glanced over and smiled when she recognized Ink leaning against the doorframe. "Knock knock. Can I come in?"

For someone who was an aloof, chaotic mess of a man, Ink really took roommate boundaries seriously. Y/n happily welcomed him inside. "Sure! Come on in! What's up dude?"

Ink walked past her and plopped onto her bed, making her mattress bounce and earning him the most vile death glare from Nutmeg Y/n had ever seen. You've seen a woman's scorn, now get ready for a cat's. He seemed to forgive Ink easily though since he crawled over to the monster and curled up in his lap.

Ink sat criss cross applesauce on her bed and stroked a now purring Nutmeg as he talked. "Hey. I just wanted to catch you before you left and warn you about something."

Y/n rose an eyebrow, but said nothing to interrupt as he continued. Ink sighed and gently scratched between Nutmeg's ears.

"I know we've been pretty lucky with the monsters getting pulled in here so far. I mean, Blue and Sans are some of the kindest Sans' I know. But just.... Be careful? Not every Sans that gets transported here is going to be a good guy. You shouldn't let your guard down until I let you know if they're ok or not. Not that I don't trust you, it's just that with how vast and diverse the multiverse is, we're bound to end up with a few unsavory characters. Some of the Sanses out there are pretty horrible people who have done awful things. Just keep that in mind the next time one of them drops in while you're away from home. I don't want you getting hurt. None of us do."

Y/n's chest warmed at his concern. She'd finished up with getting ready by now and walked over to sit down next to him and wrap her arm around his shoulders in a side hug. He happily hugged her back, leaning into the warm embrace with a hand resting on her waist.

"Heh... I kinda figured. Not every Sans is going to be as kind and forgiving as you three have been. I hope I'll be home when that happens so I'm better equipped to deal with it. But believe me, I won't let my guard down. Thanks though, I think it's real sweet that you care this much."

Ink's cheeks were dusted in a rainbow color. He was about to reply when a loud, and all too familiar, crash interrupted him.

"Oh shit..." Y/n and Ink both exchanged a knowing look. Right before I go to work? Seriously?

Y/n sighed as her and Ink rushed downstairs, Y/n grabbing her bag before she left. Nutmeg was hot on her heels as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" The furious snarl came from the newest addition to their household. A skeleton bearing the resemblance of Sans, but this time with a sharper, edgier look. He only had one eye light lit up in his left socket. It glowed a bright vermilion as it darted around the room, full of hostility. This Sans also had sharp shark-like teeth, with one golden fang shimmering in the weak sunlight that filtered in through the windows.

He wore a black leather jacket with a fur lined hood and a gold zipper, a red sweater under that and black basketball shorts with gold stripes on each side. And unlike Sans' pink slippers, this one wore red and black sneakers. It was like of hot topic threw up on original Sans.

Speaking of original Sans, he was already here, trying his best to keep the newcomer calm. "Red, bro, it's ok. You're safe. Chill man..."

This "Red" growled at Sans, baring his fangs threateningly. "What the hell Sans!? INK!? IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE!?"

Blue was peeking out from the library, looking worried. Ink on the other hand looked ecstatic. "Red! Buddy! It's so good to see you! I promise there's a perfectly good explanation for this."

Red fixed him with a cold glare, backing away from the other skeleton when he attempted to hug him. "Better start talking pal..."

Ink scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Haha... It's a simple explanation, you're gonna laugh when I explain... the thing is.."

Y/n felt a pit open up in her stomach as Ink delved into the whole story that everyone here had already heard dozens of times. Oh boy... This guy does not look happy... This is exactly what Ink was just warning me about too. I really hope I don't get killed or something.

She felt herself shaking without meaning to. This guy was intense, and getting angrier by the second. Feeling a warm hand slipping into hers, Y/n flinched and looked down find see Blue by her side, smiling gently up at her. She relaxed and smiled back, squeezing his hand in gratitude.

Blue whispered up to her, for once using his inside voice. "Don't worry Y/n. I, the magnificent Blueberry, will protect you!"

Y/n felt her heart clench at his promise. Although she doubted this little guy could stand much of a chance against the newcomer, she still appreciated the fact that he was willing to help her not die. It wasn't that he was incapable of being powerful, she was sure he was very skilled in combat. But the difference between him and the new guy was the negative surge of emotions coming off of this Red character that made Y/n nervous.

At the end of the day, Y/n knew she was well protected regardless of whether the boys cared about her or not. She was their ticket home, which meant no matter which Sans ended up here, they'd have to keep her alive in order to get home. And if they ended up all becoming friends along the way, that was just a bonus!

Red's sides were heaving by the time Ink had finished his tale. Noticing the growing anger coming from the edgy skeleton, Sans joined Blue on Y/n's other side. That just made Y/n even more nervous.

When Red's intense eyelight fixed onto Y/n, she visibly flinched. Here we go... JUST GET IT OVER WITH QUICK!

She jerked back in surprise when he suddenly teleported right in her face, looming over her with a murderous glare. Y/n cowered back, playing with the hem of her shirt anxiously as he started yelling at her.

"YOU'RE THE DUMBASS THAT DID THIS TO ME HUH?! I'LL KILL YA! WHAT THE FUCK DID A MORON LIKE YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING WITH THE MULTIVERSE!? THE GATEWAYS HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR AGES! AND NOW THANKS TO YOU I'M TRAPPED HERE WITH TWEEDLE DEE, TWEEDLE DUMB AND TWEEDLE DUMBER! I'M SO PISSED I COULD JUST DUST YA RIGHT NOW!"

He raised his hand, presumably to hit her, and Y/n raised her own arms up in defense. She didn't even get the chance to tell her side of the story before a ferocious screech stopped Red in his tracks.

Nutmeg had run up to place himself in between Y/n and the angry skeleton. His fur spiked up along his spine and his arched his back to hiss at Red, making himself look twice his actual size. Red stood frozen, staring at the cat, and everyone else tensed up as the room seemed to grow colder and a strange pressure bore down on them. Y/n's head was pounding and she placed a hand over it, closing her eyes for a second while the pressure passed.

When she opened them back up, she was shocked to find that Red had backed off, staring at Nutmeg with a mystified expression as if he'd been put under some spell. When he saw that the angry skeleton was no longer going to cause harm to his human, Nutmeg also relaxed and sat down, but stayed in front of Y/n to stare icily up at him.

Y/n was shaking even worse than before. Not from Nutmeg, but from all the things Red had said. She was barely keeping it together as she swallowed thickly and turned back to Red. "Look... I am genuinely so sorry about what happened. I never meant for any of this to happen. The machine should have worked. I didn't graduate from the top universities for nothing. I know I did everything right, so I don't really know what went wrong. You can be pissed at me all you want, trust me I know I deserve it. All I ask is that you please give me more time to fix my mistake."

-

Red huffed and crossed his arms as he looked the nervous human up and down. He was still obviously enraged at what had happened, but at least he had the sense to not attack. At least not with the cat and the other boys glaring at him ferociously. How'd this chick even get all three of them on her side already? Blue and Ink he understood, those two were idiots, but Sans? He thought the original still had some sense left.

He growled under his breath, earning an equally aggressive snarl from Sans in response. Blue was hugging the girl and frowning at him. Whatever... Just because I'm forced to live here, doesn't mean I have to like it. I'll make her life hell while I'm here.

He looked her up and down once more. Such a shame such a pretty woman had to go and be my enemy. This would've been fun otherwise~...

Red's angry gaze switched to a cruel smile. "Alright. Whatever. I don't know what you morons see in this bitch if she's too stupid to fix this. The slut probably did something to make you all like her or some shit. Typical. A pretty face can get away with anything."

-

That had done it. Y/n felt warm tears run down her face. It was embarrassing to be crying in front of everyone like this, especially Red who smirked when he noticed her crying. 

But was it just her, or did she see the slightest hint of guilt and regret in his eye lights? Whatever it was, he quickly masked it. 

She turned away from everyone, pulling away from Blue's embrace, and stormed out of the house with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Y/n wait-" She heard Blue and Ink's worried voices trying to call her back, and Sans' angered voice directed towards Red. "Way to go idiot! You made her cry!"

Y/n ignored all four of them and slammed the door behind her. She sped walked to work that morning, letting all the tears out before she got to the labs. Deciding to skip out on Muffet's cafe for the day, she walked right on past. By the time she'd reached the front doors, Y/n was all out of tears.

I didn't do anything to make them like me! I thought they all hated me! We just sorta... Became friends. And they've told me over and over again that what happened was out of my control. I know I shouldn't have to feel guilty anymore but I can't help it! If it weren't for me, none of us would be in this situation.

That thought made her feel even more guilty. If this had never happened, she never would have met these guys and become friends. But at the same time, if she hadn't turned on that stupid machine they'd all still be with their families. It was a complicated situation.

Y/n shook her head and wiped away the last of her tears. Right now wasn't the time for self pity. It was time to work, and figure out what had gone wrong.
When she entered, the front desk lady looked up and smiled kindly at her. "Good morning dear! Your parts came in this morning."

Y/n lit up at her words. "Oh that's wonderful! Thanks Sarah."

Sarah nodded in reply before going back to typing on the computer. Y/n noticed the large box of parts sitting on the desk and shifted through it. Y/n bit the inside of her cheek. This wasn't all of it, but it was enough to get started. And even then, monster crystals were so hard to get a hold of it'd take months to get one sent to her. In any case, she was excited to get started so that the machine was done by the time the crystal arrived.

Y/n puffed as she hauled the box to her office and slammed them down on the table. She yawned and immediately regretted not stopping by Muffet's to get a second coffee. All her energy had been spent on crying. She drummed her fingers on the cardboard box, deep in thought. Oh well. The cheap coffee they put out for free here should be good enough to keep me alert. Time to get to work.

It had been several hours into the work day. A half empty cup of room temperature coffee lay abandoned on the counter as Y/n sat at a table, covered in ink from sketching out plans. The morning's argument was long forgotten for now.

She had her billboard pulled up next to her so she could glance at the old plans and make adjustments to the new one accordingly. While deep in thought, Y/n scratched her head with the blunt end of her pen as she studied the new parts. "Huh...."

Something didn't look right. This entire time Y/n had driven herself crazy trying to figure out what went wrong. Today she'd gone over every single equation and all the finer details of the machine. Things just didn't add up. It should have worked. She had left nothing to chance. Everything had been accounted for. The machine was perfect. Her baby. So why? 

She leaned back in her swivel chair, lightly tapping her foot, then wheeled over to a cupboard where she'd stowed away the old machine. It was in bits in pieces, tossed haphazardly in a bin. All of it was blackened from the blast, and some parts that had been closer to the explosion were sprinkled with the old crystal's dust. The dust particles were all so small, and useless to her now.

Y/n hefted the bin up on the table to look between it and the newer parts. Something just didn't sit right with her. It wasn't just that she'd been working towards this with trial and error for years, and that she had so much experience with these experiments. It was that this time felt different. Nothing in that machine should have caused the crystalized monster magic to explode like that.

Y/n peered closer, studying every inch of the broken parts. There. On one part of the machine, where a tube was hooked directly into where the crystal was inserted. It was meant to feed off of the magic and turn it into the portal. Y/n poked it, staring wide eyed as it promptly fell right off the screw. "What the...."

She'd checked those screws. Every day since she'd added it to the machine. Done multiple test runs without the crystal as well. It'd never fallen off, ever. The day of the actual experiment, she'd checked it three times before even thinking about turning it on.

Had someone.... No. Couldn't be. Her coworkers might think she was a little odd, but they'd never go as far as to mess with her machine and put her life at risk. Especially since she'd been around it all day. Nobody could have been quick enough.

I must need more sleep, I'm being WAY too paranoid right now...

And yet as Y/n got back to work, she couldn't help the nauseating feeling in her gut that something was very wrong here.

By the time Y/n was on her way home she'd mostly set aside the disturbing discovery she made at work. The summer sun beat down on her as she lazily strolled home, not in any rush to be there right now. What happened this morning had been too much at once. She wasn't looking forward to getting yelled at the moment she stepped inside. Though Sans looked really pissed when I ran out. Maybe Red won't be as much of a problem as I thought.

The idea of coming home to find out what the boys did to the newer addition to the household did nothing to quicken Y/n's steps. Whatever happened, he deserved it for being an ass. And also, she didn't want to take responsibility for any of it. 

It was also just embarrassing, getting brought to tears because of some ignorant piss ant. She'd never wanted the others to see her that way. Even though she'd known it would have only been a matter of time before she had to be vulnerable in front of them since they were living together. And she'd probably end up seeing them the same way at some point. Especially since they didn't have any access to their families for the most part.

When Y/n did finally get home the house was dead silent. It made her more nervous than hearing yelling would. Instead when she walked into the front room, Sans was napping in a plush chair while Blue could be heard rummaging around the kitchen. Ink was nowhere to be found, probably upstairs in his room. He'd been really into the new video game they'd bought the other day.

To Y/n's dismay Red was sitting on the couch watching one of Mettaton's shows. But he didn't seem to notice her come in. He was steaming mad, but looked subdued. Had the boys chewed him out like Y/n suspected? That caused a hint of a smile to grace her lips.

Sans had woken up from the sound of Y/n coming in. He smiled at her as she took off her shoes and hung up her keys. Seeming to sense her wish to silently get past Red, he didn't say anything and only offered a half wave. Nutmeg was napping on his lap, purring loudly. When Y/n came in he peeked open his bright eyes and blinked slowly at her in welcome before readjusting his position and falling back to sleep.

Y/n grinned at the both of them and happily waved back before attempting to tip toe behind Red, who didn't look up. But when she'd taken one step on the stairs, he suddenly spoke up. "Hey."

Y/n froze and inwardly groaned, then turned to look at him with a neutral expression. "Yeah?"

Red stood up from the couch and walked up to her. Y/n almost took a step back but steeled her nerves and stood fast to face him. She would not be bullied in her own house.

Sans peeked open an eye socket to watch Red closely just in case he needed to intervene. But for once Red didn't seem all that interested in causing a scene. What did they say to him?

Red scratched the back of his vertebrae awkwardly, like he wasn't entirely sure where to begin. Eventually he cleared his throat and managed to get something out.

"Listen I.... I'm sorry about this morning. I can be a bit explosive at times. Not that this is any sort of excuse but where I come from you have to show off strength in order to survive. Plus I was kinda just stolen from my world and shoved into this one. That doesn't excuse the things I said though. The guys were really pissed about the whole thing. Said you're a good human who'd never do something like this on purpose. Also said you've been taking care of them and all that. I dunno about Ink, but Sans I definitely trust. And if he says you're ok, then I suppose you probably are."

At first Red's apology had sounded half assed and forced. He looked unhappy about having to admit he was in the wrong. Y/n had crossed her arms and rose a skeptical eyebrow. But as he continued, it sounded more and more genuine. Especially since Red's tough guy persona started melting away, even if just a little bit.

Y/n's face softened and she let her arms fall back to her sides. Sans had since gone back to his nap now that he knew nothing bad would happen. He looked pleased.

Red shuffled his feet awkwardly, obviously not used to this sort of thing. When Y/n did speak up, his head snapped up to stare at her with wide eye sockets. Y/n accepted his apology with a kind smile.

"You know what? I do forgive you. What you did was wrong but I can understand where you're coming from. This situation is stressful for everyone. Just next time maybe talk to me about what's upsetting you instead of yelling and we'll get along just fine."

Red's eye sockets widened even further, shocked that she'd been so quick to forgive him. When he saw her gentle smile, he blushed and looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets as he mumbled. "Yeah sure... Whatever."

Y/n almost rolled her eyes but stopped herself and just turned to go up the stairs, sending him one last wave as she went. "Pick whatever room you want. Sans can brief you on the rules if he hasn't already. I'm just gonna go to bed, night y'all."

Y/n barely heard it from where she was on the top of the stairs, but she grinned to herself when Red's whispered reply came from the living room. "Thanks..."

Y/n continued walking down the hall but paused by Ink's room. Through the door should could hear the sounds of his video game and tentatively knocked on the wooden frame. She heard some rustling, and then a shout on the other end. "It's unlocked!"

Y/n smiled and opened the door to step inside. Just as she suspected, Ink was on his bed fumbling with a controller. He seemed to be enjoying himself though, which was good. He gave her a welcoming smile when she entered, patting the space beside him invitingly. "Hey Y/n! Come on in!"

Y/n strolled over and flopped down by his side, sighing tiredly. She leaned her head against his shoulder and watched him play for a bit. "Hi Ink. I just wanted to hang out for a bit if that's ok?"

He nodded and without another word handed her a spare controller. Y/n perked up and grabbed it, sitting up straighter to join the fun.

They stayed like that for a long time, playing the game together and chatting through most of the night. Thankfully Ink had some snacks in his room for them to share so she wasn't going hungry tonight.

Soon Y/n felt herself relaxing and forgetting about the stressful day she'd just experienced. Everything that happened with the new guy Red and work melted away over time. She really enjoyed her time with Ink. He was so easy to get along with and cracked so many jokes that she'd end up red in the face from laughing so hard. And of course, when she managed to make a really good joke Ink was wheezing from laughter.

Her exhaustion did catch up with her after a few hours and Y/n let out a yawn while checking the time on her phone. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was 1:00 in the morning. Jesus! It feels like we were only playing for an hour! Good thing I don't have work tomorrow.

She yawned again and set the controller down on the nightstand. "Alright well, I think that's enough for me. I'm going to bed."

Ink paused the game to turn towards her with a playful pout. "Awww already? Ok. You'll have to play with me again sometime cuz this was super fun!"

His tone was lighthearted, but Y/n could still see in his shape-shifting eye lights that he was disappointed she was leaving. She giggled and bumped her shoulder against his.

"Yeah sorry. I need to catch up on sleep. Maybe tomorrow I can join you again and we can have a video game day."

Ink cheered, making her giggle again. She stood up and stretched, suddenly hit with just how tired she actually was now that she wasn't focusing on the game. Before she left, Y/n thought she ought to thank Ink for how great he'd been with Red.

"Ah- by the way..." Y/n blushed and played with her sleeves as Ink leaned in to listen to her attentively. Her voice was affectionate as she continued. "Thank you for dealing with Red and y'know, just for everything in general. I really appreciate you being here for me and helping out even when you don't need to. I always love hanging around you and you can always get me to smile or feel happy when I'm struggling. You're a great friend and I like having you and everyone else around."

Ink's eye sockets widened just slightly and a rainbow hue dusted his cheeks. After a long moment of stunned silence he seemed to snap out of his trance and sprang up to pull Y/n into one of his tight hugs.

Y/n let out a breathless laugh but hugged him back just as tightly. Her heart warmed from both his enthusiasm when he replied and the physical affection.

"Of course Y/n! Dropping in here is the best thing that's happened to me in a while! You're the sweetest friend I've ever known and I couldn't have gotten through this without you being here. Out of all the humans in the multiverse, I'm glad it's you I'm stuck with. Seriously. Everyone here really likes you and cares about you more than you think. Red will warm up to you eventually, he's a good Sans once you get to know him I promise! I'm glad you're my friend, and you being around always makes me happy!"

Y/n's whole face was beet red at this point. She hadn't expected to get such a reaction out of Ink. "Wow Ink that's... Thank you. I'm glad you're my friend too."

They both stared at one another in a long drawn out silence as they stared into each other's eyes. It was a nice silence. Warm. Both were smiling brightly at each other. After what felt like several minutes, but was really just a few seconds, Y/n finally realized they were still holding one another and laughed awkwardly. She pulled away from him and he did as well, although more reluctantly.

Ink seemed to instantly shake off his flustered silence and beamed up at Y/n, then started pushing her out the door. "Well I'm glad we had this talk! And played games together! But you really should get more rest ok? Sleep well!"

Y/n chuckled and started walking on her own. Once she was out the door, she gave him one final pat on the shoulder. "I will! Goodnight Ink. And make sure you get some sleep too!"

The last part seemed to fall on deaf ears and Y/n rolled her eyes when the door was shut and she heard the video game noises start again.

With a shake of her head Y/n tiredly ran a hand through her hair and trudged off to bed, ready to collapse and sleep in until noon.

It had been a long stressful day, but it'd ended on several good notes. That's what made sleep come so easy for her tonight. As Y/n dozed off, her heart felt full after her little moment with Ink. She slept through the night with a smile on her face.

-

Ink was grinning like an idiot when he closed his door. Never in a million years would he imagine that he'd find someone like Y/n. The fact that he was able to make such a connection at all was strange to him, seeing as he didn't have a soul. But somehow, what he had with Y/n felt genuine. Real.

She really must be special then. 

Ink took a running leap onto his bed and giggled when he bounced on the mattress. His bed. My bed. Being the guardian of the multiverse, he'd never had time to settle down or even own a house. When was the last time he'd slept in an actual bed before? 

Ink's thoughts drifted back to his human roommate. Sure Dream and Blue were his friends and he cared for them, but his friendship with Y/n felt a little more deep than the usual platonic love. It wasn't romantic by any means, but still intimate. This was all completely new to him. An odd kind of friendship was starting to blossom.

I don't think I've ever met someone quite as wonderful as you Y/n. 

Chapter Text

Tw for attempted murder D: Nothing TOO violent though 

Several days after the “Red incident”, things had finally started to calm down a little. Y/n knew that it was probably only a matter of time before another Sans showed up or something else went terribly wrong, but she was going to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Red had mostly calmed down after their talk and kept mostly to himself at first. He was slowly coming out of his shell bit by bit, and although he was mostly an asshole by nature, Y/n still saw some of the better parts of him shine through every so often. She wished he could be a little friendlier but hey, progress is progress.

Speaking of progress, Y/n was almost ready to start the building process on the machine. Now that she knew what went wrong, all she had to do was put it all together and then wait for the monster magic to arrive. That would probably take months, to Y/n’s disappointment. It was difficult and pricey to mine up, and then there was the issue with monsters not liking their natural resources getting dug out of the underground. Go figure.

So Y/n made sure only to buy from a company that worked with the monsters to pull out the crystallized magic in a safe, non-invasive way. They also paid them a generous amount of money. Ethical business practices were a lot more complicated, that’s probably why not many businesses endorsed it. But Y/n was willing to wait and give money to a company that actually did things right.

A lot of monsters had decided to stay in the underground even after being set free. That was their home that they had built and lived in for decades. A lot of them were more comfortable with the underground lifestyle, but they also came and went to the surface as they pleased. That was the main issue with humans trying to dig up resources, they were digging up where monsters still lived. Thankfully monsters had their protection now. But the things that had happened before protection laws were passed still made Y/n’s stomach churn.

The feeling of something soft rubbing against her leg pulled Y/n out of her brooding. She was sitting at her desk in her room planning out her day before she would head off to work. Nutmeg had snuck in at some point and was weaving between her ankles, purring loudly and blinking adoringly up at her. Y/n grinned and reached down to scratch between his ears, causing him to bonk his head against her hand happily. “Hey bud, I’m guessing you’re hungry, yeah?”

Nutmeg’s long drawn-out meow was her answer. He acts like I never feed him and he’s dying of hunger. Y/n scoffed and stood up, packing the papers she’d been looking at in her bag. “Alright alright. I’m coming down to feed you.”

Nutmeg immediately raced down the stairs in a blur of cream and brown fur. Y/n rolled her eyes and chuckled before following more slowly after him. Sometimes it feels like he can understand exactly what I’m saying. He’s very intelligent for a cat. At least he’s been with me long enough to understand what my tone of voice means. That damn cat, always buttering me up just to get me to feed him early. What a fake friend. Y/n was smiling at her joke as she descended down the stairs.

Blue passed her while on his way up and grinned when he saw how happy she looked this morning. When she got to the kitchen Y/n saw that Red was in there with a plate of waffles drowned in syrup. I never imagined Red to have a sweet tooth. She half expected him to use mustard instead, as gross as that sounded. Red and Sans both had this weird craving with condiments. Red drank mustard like it was the end of the world while Sans preferred ketchup. Blue didn’t seem to have the same infatuation, but he was obsessed with making (crappy) tacos.

Ink on the other hand did not have any food or drink obsessions, but instead drank these different colored vials of paint. He explained that he didn’t have a soul and this was the only way he could feel real emotions. It might seem odd, but it had never bothered Y/n. It seemed to just be like how neurodivergent humans took medication to help with their emotions and the chemical imbalances in their brains. Either way, none of these dietary habits were ones Y/n could really judge. Her own raging caffeine addiction was right up there with them.

“Morning Red.” Y/n greeted when she passed him. She felt his eyes on her as she reached into the cabinets and scooped some cat food for her famished cat. He didn’t reply right away, which Y/n was used to at this point. After Y/n had finished taking care of Nutmeg her own stomach growled and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything at all today. Maybe I should have a quick bite to eat before going to Muffet’s cafe…

When Y/n turned around she noticed Red was still staring at her. This time instead of the usual scowl he was smirking at her. Oh boy. This ought to be good… “Mornin’ sweetheart~ You're looking extra gorgeous today.”

Y/n just rolled her eyes and didn’t respond. He thought he could just act like a bitch all week and then suddenly expected her to appreciate his flirting? Hell no. Instead she decided to grab a granola bar and scarf it down on her way out of the kitchen. Also what was all this "sweetheart" business?? “Red please… I’m not that easy.”

Red snarled when she didn’t give him any reaction. But really what did he expect? Sans had warned her about his random mood swings and the way he was around women, but come on! Y/n sighed and went back upstairs. She still had some time to kill since her body had actually allowed her to wake up early. Y/n thought about what she could do to use up this time. Maybe I can catch up on chores before I leave. Yeah! That’s a great idea!!

Y/n was usually pretty bad at keeping up with chores. This house was so big that it took all day just to finish everything. And now that she had four other housemates to clean up after it was an even bigger task. She usually ended up procrastinating and running out of time to finish. In any other situation she would have come to an agreement with her roommates so that the chores didn’t fall solely onto her but asking the boys to do stuff in a house they’re held captive in felt wrong to her.

Logically she knew most of them wouldn’t mind, but there was still the anxiety of knowing it was inconveniencing them that made her freeze up. So now here she was, running around the house trying to finish ten things at once. Sans watched from the living room as she vacuumed every room in the house, then swept up the kitchen that Red vacated a while ago. She then wiped down the counters, sink and table. A quick glance at the clock told her she still had about an hour so Y/n sped off to go do her and the boy’s laundry.

Sans frowned in concern when he saw her haul a hamper down to the washroom. He shared a look with Ink who had been watching from the top of the stairs. This poor girl was working herself to death and they both knew it. First with work and then with the house chores that were obviously stressing her out. Even Red, who had recovered from the previous rejection, looked a little worried when she almost barreled into him and Blue. “Doll-”

“Sorry sorry! I’m in a rush.” Y/n breathlessly checked the clock and her eyes widened. “Shit I have to go now…”

She groaned when she realized she’d barely scratched the surface on things to do. Maybe I should split them up into different days so I don’t have to do everything at once. It’ll be easier to do chores in smaller chunks. Should have thought of that sooner… Blue saved Y/n the trouble of racing upstairs to grab her bag. He had already teleported there and back and held it out for her. Y/n smiled and hugged him before grabbing and slinging the bag over her shoulder. “Thanks Blue!”

Y/n was out the door in seconds. She offered a wave to the rest of them and said her farewells. “Bye friends! Be safe and make good choices!”

Then the door was promptly slammed shut behind her before any of the others could even get a word in. Sans chuckled at her antics. He leaned back into the plush sofa to take a nap, but ended up thinking for hours instead. Eventually he would get the guys all together to discuss what was currently on his mind. Y/n was worrying all of them too and he knew it.

Meanwhile on Y/n’s end, she’d managed to get to Muffet’s cafe in record time. I don’t have to worry about being late anymore so I’ll take my sweet time. The mouth watering scent of cinnamon rolls beckoned her inside. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the enchanting atmosphere. It was less crowded than usual, which meant Y/n was first in line at the counter. Sweet!

Y/n lightly tapped her foot on the tile floor as she waited for Muffet to stop by the counter. She wasn’t even in the main part of the cafe right now, probably in the back working on some pastries. A black dot moved out of the corner of Y/n’s eye and she jumped in surprise, then relaxed when she saw it was one of Muffet’s little spiders manning the register. It was hanging upside down from the ceiling and moved down on its silk thread when Y/n walked up. With a friendly little wave the spider spoke up in a soft, welcoming voice. “Welcome to Twisted Webs! May I take your order?”

Y/n smiled and nodded, then pointed to her coffee and a large cinnamon roll. The smell was too enticing to resist right now. “I’ll have those two please. To go.”

The spider nodded and reached down with its spindly little legs to type in the order. Muffet’s spider friends are so cute! And very polite. Just then Muffet poked her head out of the kitchen, all five of her eyes lighting up when she saw Y/n. “Is that the lovely Y/n I heard? Samantha, give the dearie a friend discount please! Thanks sweetie! I’d love to stay and chat but I have some batter to mix! Ta ta!”

Before Y/n could even think to argue, Muffet had disappeared back into the kitchen. She sighed and shook her head with a small laugh. Samantha had typed in the extra discount and looked up to smile at Y/n again. “Your total is $11.00.”

After Y/n paid the spider and thanked them she wandered off to wait for her order. She stared off into space for a while until a pair of bony arms wrapped around her waist. With a yelp Y/n jerked away from whoever it was only to realize it was Melody. A sigh escaped her lips and Y/n glared at the skeleton woman, who was still draped over Y/n. “Fucking christ you scared me. Never do that again.”

Melody laughed and gave Y/n a pat on the shoulder before finally letting her go. She didn’t look guilty in the slightest as she swished her jello hair behind her. “Oh lighten up girl! You’re usually fine with me hugging you like that. You had your head stuck in the clouds again huh? Its time to wake up sleepyhead!”

Y/n puffed out her cheeks in a mock pout and crossed her arms. Melody laughed at the sight. “Shut up! You just startled me is all. And yeah, sleep has been weird these past few days.”

Melody’s music note shaped eye lights dimmed and she grabbed Y/n’s arm gently. “The boys are treating you good right? If not they have a jello trap with their names on it! Nobody messes with my bestie!”

Y/n snorted and patted her shoulder, getting her to relax. It was really touching that she cared so much about her. Y/n’s heart warmed while she explained. “No no! Nothing like that! I mean the newbie is a bit of a jerk but I can handle him. The others have been super sweet I promise. If I need your help I’ll let you know.”

Melody’s shoulders sagged and she nodded. “Who’s the newbie? You texted me about Blue earlier, but it couldn’t be him. From the way you and Sans both talk about him, he’s a total cream puff!”

Y/n chuckled at the comparison and imagined Blue in a cream puff outfit. That’d be pretty funny. “Yeah Blue’s great! The new guy is Red, a real piece of work. One minute he’s yelling at me and the next he’s flirting. I mean what is up with that? Ink said the name of his universe is Underfell? I didn’t know specific aus had specific names! Its super fascinating and I’m totally getting him to tell me about every single one at some point.”

Melody sipped on her iced coffee as she mulled this information over. “Underfell huh… Sans told me about him. He’s super grumpy but if you have the patience for it, Red can be a real friend and a big sweetheart when he wants to be. Just don’t tell him I said that. I never met the guy but I have met some other Sanses. None of my own counterparts though…”

Y/n’s eyebrows rose in surprise. I know Sans has his own counterparts but I didn’t even think about Melody or even Papyrus having other versions of themselves! Wait… do I have other versions of myself? Y/n decided it might be best not to open that potential existential crisis just yet. Instead she begged Melody to tell her about her au versions since the coffee was still being made. And besides, she had time.

Apparently Melody’s versions also differed in looks and personality, but not by much. She was still a musician but played a different type of guitar or banjo in each au. Y/n was dazzled by tales of pirates and mermaids, goddesses, cowgirls, and to her surprise even villains. Y/n didn’t think Melody had an evil bone in her body. I guess in a multiverse of infinite possibilities, there are bound to be some sad stories in there. The thing that interested her the most was that all of these aus were apparently musicals. How fitting.

Before they could get any deeper into their conversation one of the employees called Y/n’s name with her order in hand. Y/n’s shoulders sagged in disappointment, for once not wanting coffee right now if it meant tearing her away from such a fascinating conversation. Everytime she learned something new about the multiverse she fell deeper in love with it. She really couldn’t help it, she was a scientist after all! Melody smiled when she noticed this and gave Y/n a side hug which she reciprocated. “You should go so you’re not late. Next time we see each other I’ll tell you more about it. I’ll be busy the next few weeks with concerts and stuff but I’m only a text away!”

Y/n felt her mood lift at that promise. After one more hug for Melody she grabbed her meal and thanked the employees again. As she walked out the door Y/n waved bye to Melody. “Bye! Hopefully we can talk soon! Good luck with your music stuff!”

A lazy grin was plastered on Melody’s face as she gave Y/n a half wave. “Yep! Good luck with your nerd stuff!”

On the road again, Y/n greedily tore into the bag to start wolfing down her cinnamon roll. The coffee tasted amazing as usual, and her mood quickly lifted from the stress she’d been feeling before. Inside the labs, Y/n wove past all her coworkers who were also just coming in. She had forgotten about her previous concerning discovery about the possible sabotage. It came back to her now as she was walking to her office. Slow down there. I don’t even know if it's sabotage. Honestly, knowing me I probably completely missed it because I was half asleep or something. That makes more sense than one of my coworkers causing issues on purpose.

In the back of her mind Y/n still couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to this than she thought. She hugged herself as she passed a fellow scientist, eyeing them with suspicion and then immediately feeling guilty afterwards. Now isn’t the time for worrying about that. I need to focus so that this time I do it right.

After convincing herself that everything was fine, Y/n entered her office and set her stuff down. She pulled out her tools and blueprints then got to work.

It was after her lunch break when the next disaster struck. Y/n was tightening a bolt when a flash of light nearly blinded her. Y/n instinctively covered her eyes and grimaced when she heard a familiar crash and the string of curses that followed. Oh great, here we go again. Y/n huffed and uncovered her eyes to see who her new roommate would be. They already sounded super pissed, which meant these next few minutes would go just fantastically! (Sarcasm.)

Y/n blinked in surprise and took in this new skeleton’s appearance. He looked almost identical to Blue, but had the same clothing style and rude demeanor as Red. Is he like some sort of mix of the two? There was no doubt about it, this was definitely a Sans. It was weird that only versions of Sans were showing up. Y/n guessed the original portal only tried pulling in one specific person and their variants before Y/n managed to shut it down.

This Sans wore black and red body armor with gold accents. He had a red belt on with a little skull on the front, red elbow-length gloves, and red knee high boots. The red bandana around his neck was ragged and filled with holes but still managed to pull off an adorable bow. Three scratches on the side of his face scarred over his left eye socket. Bright red eyelights glared back at Y/n and a sour expression turned into one of confusion and moments later, fury. “WHAT THE- WHERE AM I!? WHO ARE YOU!? WAIT… YOU’RE A HUMAN! HUMAN, TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON THIS INSTANT!”

He advanced on her as he spoke, looking about ready to fill her with holes using his magic. Y/n tensed and stood up, backing away from the agitated skeleton. “H-hey there! There’s a perfectly logical explanation for this I swear!”

The stranger paused and squinted at her, malice dripping from every bone in his body. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. Y/n wilted under his gaze.

“WELL? START TALKING!” He snapped. Y/n flinched and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Well you see…”

The skeleton’s eye sockets had gone pitch black by the time Y/n was finished with her tale. Y/n placed a good few feet between them just in case. She didn’t see this ending well. She noticed with a jolt of alarm that he had started shaking from the sheer amount of fury he felt. “YOU…. DID…. WHAT!?”

Y/n flinched and stumbled back as several large dragon skull things appeared out of thin air behind him. I DIDN’T KNOW SANS COULD DO THAT HOLY SHIT!

“STAND STILL HUMAN SO I CAN RID MYSELF OF YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC EXISTENCE!” He stalked towards her and summoned a sharp looking bone in his hand, probably to stab her with. Y/n gasped and ran behind a table. It wouldn’t do much but as long as it put space between her and the deranged skeleton man Y/n didn’t care. “W-wait! Please don’t kill me! I didn’t mean for any of this to happen it was an accident I swear! I’m trying to fix it, that’s what I was doing here in the first place!”

The Sans snorted as he paused by the table. “I LIKE IT WHEN THEY BEG...”

All of a sudden he was right in front of her, baring his teeth and snarling. Y/n gasped and tripped over a chair that had been behind her. These Sanses and their damn teleporting! She didn’t know what to do. At this point she was at the mercy of this guy and the odds didn’t seem to be in her favor. She didn’t want to die. Not yet. Not until she fixed her mistake. Or was it even her mistake anymore?

Berry, who had been considerably short when they first met, now towered over her. He lifted the bone above his head, ready to plunge it into her heart. The skeleton dragon heads loomed closer and produced a bright red light from their mouths. Y/n felt tears threaten to fall. The boys at home would have no idea what happened to her. She’d die alone.

“Please stop! Wait- WAIT-” Y/n raised her hand out to him as if that would stop the attack. Panic and dread overwhelmed her senses. In her fearful state Y/n didn’t notice the  silver sparks that shot from her fingertips. What she did notice was the lights in the lab suddenly flickering after her outburst. Both her and the newcomer went silent. Y/n frowned and looked up at the ceiling in wonder. Weird… Some sort of power surge? Or did it start raining outside and the electricity is all wacky right now…

To her surprise new guy also had stopped what he was doing. He looked at the lights, then down at her with an unreadable expression. There was some confusion in there too. He was hesitating, so Y/n took this as her chance to bargain with him.

“Listen… You need me alive if you want to return to your universe. I can’t really fix the machine if I’m… y’know… Let me live, and I’ll help you get home to the best of my ability. Better yet, you can come and stay with me. I mean you kind of have to because of the whole forcefield thing, but still. I’ll take care of your needs and there’s already a few Sans’ living at my house anyways. Sound good?”

New guy watched her silently the entire time she was talking. After some thought he eventually nodded and backed off. Y/n shakily got up off of the floor and brushed herself off. “Can I get your name? Otherwise I’ll just keep calling you new guy in my head. I’m Y/n by the way.”

“IF YOU MUST KNOW, MY NAME IS BERRY LOWLY HUMAN. AND DON’T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT WE ARE FRIENDS! YOU FUCKED UP, AND NOW YOU GET TO FIX IT!” Berry scoffed and looked down his nose at her. Y/n almost wrinkled her lip in a scowl. The nerve of this guy!

“Hey I told you I’m working on it! Not everyone is perfect like you apparently are. I’m doing my best with what I’ve got. You yelling at me more isn’t helping and it definitely won't speed up the process. So just calm your tits and enjoy this few months' vacation. We can go the whole time ignoring one another if that’s what you want. Then you can go home, and we never have to see each other again. Either way, I don’t care. I just want to go home and sleep now.”

Berry looked shocked, but impressed at her outburst. Well good! I’m tired of getting pushed around all the time! Y/n turned on her heel and marched off towards the exit. She didn’t even bother looking to see if Berry would follow her. She knew the forcefield would drag him along regardless. But the sound of his high heeled boots tapping on the tile floor told her it didn’t have to come to that.

Honestly Y/n knew that it wasn’t really his fault, but at the same time it might not be her’s either. He was in a strange new world and was obviously scared. She would do what she could to keep him safe and happy. But that didn’t mean she had to take his bullshit. And now that she’d discovered this might not even be her fault in the first place it felt like even more of a slap in the face. Even if it was her fault Y/n knew it was an honest mistake. THAT SHE WAS EVEN WORKING TO FIX. Some people couldn’t even admit they were at fault let alone do anything to repair it. Ink, Sans and Blue had already told her countless times that it wasn’t fair to herself to drown in the guilt. Now maybe it was time to put it into practice.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy, and she’d have a few road blocks along the way, but with the help of her friends maybe Y/n could learn to forgive herself. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of being alive. Making mistakes and learning from them. I can’t be expected to be perfect all the time. What matters is what I do in the present. But damn is it hard to actually believe that. Good thing I have a house full of skeletons that believe in me. 

The walk home was silent. Y/n didn’t mind it. In fact she preferred that to Berry’s rude comments. It had in fact started raining, solidifying the idea that an electrical storm was the cause of the light flickering. Y/n hadn’t planned on it raining, much less taking another roommate home with her in the rain. So they were both soaked by the time they arrived home.

Blue was the first to notice their arrival. He stared at the water dripping down Y/n’s hair in concern, then brightened when he saw Berry next to her. “OH MY STARS Y/N YOU’RE SOPPING WET! HOW- BERRY HI! IT'S BEEN SO LONG I MISSED YOU!”

He dove towards his grouchy counterpart with his arms outstretched. Berry stepped to the side and effectively dodged the hug. “HMPH! I”M NOT HERE BY CHOICE.”

Blue just shrugged and beamed at him, apparently used to Berry’s prickly behavior.

“Hey Y/n how was- jesus! You’re soaked to the bone hehe… Oh hey Berry.” Sans stepped into the room, nonchalantly smiling at the both of them. He looked Y/n up and down with the same concern Blue had. Y/n couldn’t help the warmth that spread to her cheeks at how much they both cared. Sans snapped his fingers like he got an idea. “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared and reappeared faster than Y/n could blink. Two gray towels were draped over his arm and he tossed one to Y/n and the other to Berry. Y/n fumbled but managed to catch it and she rubbed her face dry, then smiled at Sans gratefully. “Thanks Sans!”

“YEAH THANKS…” Berry mumbled at rubbed the towel over his dripping skull. Sans nodded to both of them, looking happy to help. “No prob.”

Ink and Red had appeared to see what all the commotion was about. Ink looked elated to see Berry while Red looked ticked off. No surprise there. Now Red was studying Y/n and looking her up and down with a sharp grin. Oh god, she could only imagine what her clothes looked like on her right now while she was soaked. What a perv! Good thing I’m not wearing any white today…

Y/n moved on to her hair as she spoke. “As I’m sure you’ve all guessed Berry is our new housemate. He showed up at work. I really need some sort of backup plan if that happens again. It's so much easier with you guys around to calm them down when they see a familiar face…”

Sans’ eye lights dimmed and he tensed up, as did the rest of the boys other than Berry. Even Blue looked unnerved as he glared at Berry suspiciously. Surprisingly it was Red who beat them all to the punch. “He didn’t do anything to ya did he sweetheart?”

Y/n saw Berry tense up out of the corner of her eye and pursed her lips. Other than try to kill me in a very slow and painful way? Nope not much… Y/n had a feeling she probably shouldn’t say that, as funny as it would be to see the boys get pissed at Berry. They might do more than just yell at him though with how protective they’d gotten over her.

Berry’s gaze burned into the side of her head, obviously expecting her to spill everything to the group. Hmmm you better treat me better after this… Besides I’m no snitch. “Nope! Just the usual confusion. We talked it through. And really I couldn’t blame him if he did attack me. He was suddenly thrust into a strange world with no family or any idea what was going on.”

Y/n smiled calmly at the four of them and they all visibly relaxed. Sans’ usual smile returned to his face and Ink let out a sigh. “Good, good.”

Y/n still felt Berry’s gaze on her and finally looked at him. He was understandably shocked at her decision to not bring it up to the others. She just widened her smile and winked at him when the others weren’t looking. This sparked a flustered look and the turn of his head to stare at the ground. Berry mumbled something about getting his room ready and stomped off, now fully dry. “Alright, let me know if you need anything.”

There wasn’t a response but Y/n had a feeling he was just too overwhelmed from everything to respond.

“He’s a real piece of work isn't he?” Red commented. Y/n snorted and elbowed his side. “You’re one to talk.”

“You’re one to talk.” Red mocked in a high pitched voice. He didn’t mean it in a hurtful way, just as a joke. His eyes were bright with laughter, giving it all away. Y/n just rolled her eyes and turned away from him just as Blue tugged on her wet shirt. I need to change soon. Nutmeg won’t even come near me lol.

“UM… DR. Y/N.” Y/n looked down at him and smiled gently. He looked oddly shy right now, which was quite out of character to his usual bubbly self. “Yeah Blue? What’s up?”

Blue toyed with his gloved fingers as he spoke, excitement lacing his tone. He sounded like a kid that did something for his teacher without them having to ask. “WE- WE CLEANED THE WHOLE HOUSE FOR YOU! AND DID ALL THE OTHER CHORES YOU DIDN’T GET TO FINISH! WE WANTED TO SURPRISE YOU!”

Y/n’s eyes widened in shock. It certainly was a surprise. Now that she looked around, she realized that the boys had indeed cleaned the place. Every square inch of the house was spotless, sparkling even. Ink cut in before she could even say anything. The eyelights in his sockets were shaped like stars and his face was soft and kind. That wasn’t how he usually was either, but Y/n thought it was sweet. “You’ve been so busy with work, and fixing the machine, and taking care of us, that you barely have time for yourself. You’re always running around trying to fix something.”

Sans was the next to speak. “So we agreed to take on some of the chores for you. Its all been divided up between us, and we knew you’d want to help so you also have some, you just don’t have to worry about the entire house anymore. And whenever Berry and the next me’s come around we’ll divide it up even more. I’m sure they will, you’re very easy to like.”

Y/n’s lip trembled and a few tears slipped out. She was relieved she was already soaked otherwise the boys might notice. Her hands came to her cheeks and she laughed in barely restrained joy. Her heart felt like it might burst. Nobody has ever done something like this for me…

“Oh you guys!” She pulled all four of them into a tight (wet) hug. Ink, Sans, Blue, and Red all flushed a bright rainbow/blue/cyan/red at the sudden closeness, none of them minding her soaked through clothes. “You’re all the best most thoughtful friends a girl could ask for. Thank you so much for this. You all just made my day, seriously. You’re all sweet as peaches!”

Red’s blush intensified tenfold and he looked away as soon as Y/n let him go. “S’nothin’ really…”

Y/n just giggled at his sudden lack of confidence. Where’s all that suave now huh? Sans rubbed the back of his skull nervously, smiling at Y/n with a mysterious glint in his eyes. Blue’s star shaped eyelights had briefly flashed to hearts. Not that Y/n noticed. She was too busy gushing over their kind deeds. Ink just looked delighted that he'd made her so happy.

Later that night after dinner Y/n was washing the dishes, insisting that she do them even when the others argued. They had yet to decide who’d be doing what but Y/n wanted to do a mindless task for a bit. Eventually they all gave in and retired to their rooms. Y/n scrubbed hard at this one food stain, grimacing at the texture. She enjoyed the rhythmic movements but not the grime.

A blur of red appeared in her peripheral vision and Y/n nearly jolted when she realized it was Berry joining her. Without a word he grabbed the already cleaned dishes and rinsed off the soap, then set them on the rack to dry. We do have a washing machine… But maybe where he’s from the underground doesn’t have them. They were low on many resources in the Underground. Plus he looks determined so I won’t mess with it.

They worked together in solemn silence for several minutes, neither one saying anything to the other. It wasn’t until thirty minutes in that Berry piped up. “THANK YOU…”

Y/n’ s eyes widened and she almost dropped the plate she was scrubbing. “Wha-”

“FOR NOT SAYING ANYTHING I MEAN. YOU COULD HAVE. YOU SHOULD HAVE. BUT YOU DIDN’T. YOU SAVED MY SORRY ASS FROM GETTING KICKED BY THOSE FOUR KNUCKLE HEADS. TORIEL KNOWS I DESERVE IT.” Berry’s head was turned to the side, unable to look her in the eyes. Y/n stared at him while he talked and noticed the bright red covering his cheekbones. She slowly got back to scrubbing as he continued.

“I’M SORRY BY THE WAY. I SHOULDN’T HAVE ATTACKED YOU. IT'S JUST, WHERE I’M FROM YOU HAVE TO KILL TO KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE AND SAFE. I’M NOT USED TO IT BEING SO… QUIET. IT’S PEACEFUL HERE.”

Y/n hummed in response, nodding in understanding although she wasn’t sure he saw. When Berry finally turned to look at her he had a flustered look on his face. Like he wasn’t used to apologizing. Y/n smiled, her mood lifting even more than it already had after the others cleaned the house for her. Berry noticed her bright smile and looked away again, shy this time.

“I forgive you. I know this is a lot to take in. Heck I don’t even know what I’d do if I was put in your situation. I’d like to be your friend, and help you get home. I want to help you get home, and I’m not just saying that because you let me live, honest.”

Berry looked shocked for the 10,000th time that day. Probably due to her quick forgiveness even after he tried to kill her. He sighed through his nose and hung up the last clean dish. “I BELIEVE YOU. YOU’RE A GOOD HUMAN. I UNDERSTAND WHY MY COUNTERPARTS ARE SO FOND OF YOU. MAYBE… THIS WONT BE SO BAD…”

“That’s good, I’m glad. Let’s try to enjoy this time yeah?”

He drummed his gloved fingers on the countertop and Y/n had a feeling he wanted time to think. She silently slipped away to give him some space and walked up the stairs with a small smile on her face. Today had been rocky at first, but in the end it turned out to be wonderful.

Chapter Text

Blue was up before the birds even started chirping this morning. He jumped out of bed with the enthusiasm of someone who hasn’t gone through their midlife crisis yet.

He took special care to clean himself up today, just like he did every day. I HAVE TO LOOK PRESENTABLE NO MATTER WHICH AU I'M IN!

After getting ready he walked down the hall with a bounce in his step. MAYBE I’LL MAKE EVERYONE TACOS FOR BREAKFAST! Y/N REALLY LIKED THEM LAST TIME! SHE WAS SO HAPPY, IT BROUGHT HER TO TEARS!

Blue’s star shaped eyes dilated at the thought of the generous human who had brought him into her home. Granted neither of them had been given a choice, but she still went above and beyond to make sure they were all comfortable. It was so sweet! And he couldn’t forget the way his soul jumped when she’d hugged him the other day!

Blue grinned and his cheeks dusted a soft baby blue. The idea to clean up the house had been his! And it had brightened her day! SHE DESERVES IT AFTER ALL THAT SHE’S DONE FOR US, I’M RELIEVED THAT SHE AGREED TO SPLIT UP THE CHORES. EVEN BERRY HAS WARMED UP TO HER. AND QUICKER THAN RED DID AT THAT… I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM. 

Blue hummed and shrugged it off. After all, Y/n’s natural charm was all she needed to show everyone how magnificent she was! He quietly peeked into her bedroom to see if she was awake. The door was open anyways. Usually she had it closed at night.

Blue never understood it. Something about humans needing boundaries or whatever? But if that’s what she wanted, he would respect her space, and protect it from the others if he must!

Y/n had worked late last night and probably forgot to close it. He guessed she passed out the moment her head hit the pillow.

Lo and behold, there she was, a tangled mass of sheets sleeping soundly. As Blue suspected she was still in her lab coat. He softly giggled when he realized that her sassy cat Nutmeg was laying on a pillow next to her with his tail draped over her face. Every so often Y/n would make a noise of discomfort and swipe at it, and always miss.

Blue had to duck his head out of the room before he started laughing too loud. I SUPPOSE I’LL LEAVE HER BE, SHE NEEDS HER REST. BESIDES, I’M SURE THE OTHERS ARE STILL ASLEEP.

Blue descended down the stairs. He sighed happily, enjoying the peace and quiet. This was one of the reasons why he was such an early bird. There was nothing but tranquility.

Berry was up as well, not that Blue was surprised. He was, after all, a swap version just like him. Only edgier… He was pacing around the living room restlessly. Blue felt a flash of sympathy for him. Berry had only been here for three days. It was probably difficult going from captain of the royal guard to mansion bum in only a few seconds.

When Blue had come here he had been secretly anxious about not getting to go out and be productive. Berry must be feeling the same way. If he told him that though, Blue had a feeling he’d get yelled at, so he kept it to himself.

As Blue entered the kitchen he paused and gazed up at the chore chart him, Ink, and Y/n had put together. It was a piece of paper that had been, what did Y/n say the word was? Laminated. He was still getting used to the wonders of human technology.

It had a dry erase marker hanging next to it just in case someone wanted to switch their chores around or more Sanses showed up. Blue didn’t doubt that would be the case.

Surprisingly Ink was also already awake. The excitable skeleton was unpredictable. Some days he wanted to sleep in until noon, other days he was running around like a cat with what Y/n called the “zoomies.” He and Blue had grown very close as part of the Star Sans’ trio, traveling across the multiverse with Dream.

DREAM… Blue missed his other dear friend. Was he panicking now that Ink and Blue had suddenly vanished, left alone with Ink’s apprentice to take care of the aus? Error and Nightmare could both be a real handful. Although he and Charcoal did fight well together. They’d be fine. Hopefully. Was he wondering where they’d gone? NO… HE MUST KNOW BY NOW. CHARCOAL SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM. I WONDER IF THEY’RE TRYING TO HELP US ON THE OTHER SIDE…

Blue jumped when an arm slid over his shoulders. “Heeeeey Blue! What’s with that worried look? There’s nothing to worry about! Especially this early in the morning. I dunno how you and Berry do this everyday!"

Ink giggled, releasing Blue from his grip. Blue sighed in relief. “STARS INK! YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT ORGAN! I’M JUST… THINKING ABOUT DREAM AND CHARCOAL IS ALL. I MISS THEM!”

Ink paused in sorting through his vials at the mention of his lifelong ally and apprentice/bff. “Aw… I miss them too Blue. But Dream and Charcoal are very capable! Remember Dream is older than all of us combined! He can handle anything! Probably.”

Ink patted Blue’s arm in a weird attempt to comfort him and then popped the top of a yellow vial, downing it like a shot. Blue’s smile returned to his face and he shook his head. INK’S RIGHT, THE OTHERS ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE. "YOU'RE RIGHT. THANKS BUDDY."

Ink merely waved him off with a grin. If Blue had to guess, Ink probably already forgot what he'd been comforting him for.

Blue decided to put all his negative energy into something productive. He got to work making a plate of breakfast burritos for him and the others. After finishing he scarfed two of them down and put the rest in the microwave to keep warm. Ink had since disappeared right after Blue had started cooking which he just shrugged off. He wrote a note for anyone entering the kitchen and taped it to the front of the microwave.

Now that breakfast was finished he cleaned up the mess left over from breakfast. He was lightning quick as he rinsed the dishes, wiped the counter and also picked off the eggs that had splattered on the ceiling.

Blue sighed and wiped his brow, proud of his work. The kitchen was sparkling now! Glancing at the clock, he realized that it had been two hours since he’d woken up. Y/n and the others wouldn’t be awake for a long while. But he was still itching for something to do.

So he sauntered over to the chore chart to see if there was anything he should be doing. It was pure dumb luck that cleaning the kitchen was one of his chores. Check!

The last job for today was fairly simple. Water all the plants on the property and make sure they got the care that they needed. SEEMS SIMPLE ENOUGH. Y/n had shown him every plant and how much water each one needed yesterday. He’d taken her words to heart, making sure to memorize each one. Later that night he’d even done some extra research on the internet! He’d learned so many cool things about plants that he didn’t even know what to do with!

Blue rushed towards the shed to grab the watering can. On the way he noticed Berry was also getting a head start on his own chores. Right now the grumpy skeleton held a basket of laundry in his arms with another floating behind him thanks to his magic. He paid Blue no mind as he marched to the laundry room.

Blue’s smile broadened, happy that he was feeling better enough to start doing more stuff. When he first got here he’d shut himself off in his room for several days.

Blue whistled a merry tune as he reached the shed and unlocked the door, looking around for the green watering can. He spotted it on a shelf with all the other gardening tools.

“AH HA!” He cheered and took it. After filling it up with water he went back inside and darted from plant to plant, giving each of them the right amount of water. It was tempting to give them more, but Y/n had been very clear about how too much of a good thing could be bad for living things like her, plants, and other animals. Carbon based life forms were so strange!

He also took care to closely examine each plant, making sure they looked healthy before moving on to the next. This was his sworn duty to protect and care for the lovely greenery in this home. He would not fail Y/n!

Once the house plants were taken care of Blue discarded the watering can and locked up the shed. He grabbed the hose from the side of the house and tapped his finger on his chin, trying to remember how Y/n had shown him to do it before. With a shrug he turned the little wheel and gasped when a sparkling fountain of water sprayed out. He quickly dialed it down to a more calm stream and laughed at his little slip up.

It took a lot longer to do the back and front yards. The trees especially needed more tlc than the smaller plants. But Blue didn’t mind. He smiled admiringly up at the lemon tree and its budding flowers, about ready to grow fruit in winter. It was still late summer but this meant Blue got to watch the fruit making process. Back in Snowdin they didn’t really have anything like this.

The sun was out by now, shining brightly in the mid morning sky. Blue took a deep breath of fresh air. That was something else he enjoyed now that he was on the surface. Clean air, the smell of wet grass and citrus! In the underground there wasn’t as much sensory stimulation. I mean, the sulfuric atmosphere in Hotlands wasn’t anything to be impressed with. WHEN I GET BACK, I’LL TELL PAPY AAAAAALL ABOUT IT! THEN HE’LL BE SO EXCITED TO GET TO THE SURFACE!

Blue sighed and shut off the water, winding the hose back around the metal spigot and sitting on one of the hammocks roped between the lemon and grapefruit tree. I MISS HIM…

It wasn’t that he didn’t like being here, he loved it! But it wasn’t the same without his family. He had complete faith in Y/n of course! And then he could come back and visit her whenever he liked! If she wanted him that is. Blue crossed his arms behind his head and aimlessly peered through the leaves, staring at the clouds rolling across the sky. I COULD GET USED TO THIS…

-

Blue wasn’t sure how much time had passed by the time he heard Y/n calling for him. That meant she was awake! Blue shot up from his hammock and nearly tipped over. Scrambling to his feet, he raced back inside to see what she needed.

Y/n was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a f/c apron tied around her waist. She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes zeroed in on Blue as he entered. He felt his face flush from how cute she looked in the apron. “Y/N!! GOOD MORNING! OR IS IT AFTERNOON NOW?”

Y/n beamed down at him and he felt his legs turn to jello. Her sweet smile always felt like honey flooding into his soul. “It is almost noon! So you were right the first time. I was actually wanting to know if you wanted to bake cookies with me?”

Blue’s eyes widened and then started to sparkle even more than they usually did. Y/n giggled at his reaction. “R-REALLY? YOU WANT TO BAKE WITH ME?”

He clasped his hands together in excitement when she nodded. “Yep! I’ve been wanting to uh… Assess your cooking skills for a while! We could trade knowledge and get even better together! How does that sound?”

She giggled again when Blue clapped and squealed in excitement. Y/n wanted to spend time with him. Him! Just them two, and no one else. How spectacular! “MWEHEHEHE! I WOULD LOVE TO! ALTHOUGH I MUST WARN YOU, THE MAGNIFICENT SA- EH- BLUEBERRY IS A MASTER CHEF! YOU’LL BE ABSOLUTELY FLABBERGASTED BY THE TIME WE’RE FINISHED!”

To add to the effect he dramatically posed and somehow his bandana fluttered in the wind despite them being inside. Y/n raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t comment. Instead she smirked and pumped her fists in a heroic pose similar to Blue’s. “Hell yeah! Your energy is really rubbing off on me Blue! Let’s do this!”

Blue bounced on his toes excitedly while Y/n sorted through the cookbooks her uncle had left her. They had been passed down from generation to generation, so the books were worn and turning yellow at the edges. Blue washed his hands and put on a pink apron while Y/n ever so gently peeled apart the pages. “WHAT WILL WE BE BAKING TODAY?”

Y/n ‘hrmed’ and flipped through a few more pages. She lit up when she recognized a specific recipe. She slid the book towards Blue so that he could see.

“How do cheery cherry cookies sound? I used to make these all the time with my uncle. Anytime I had a sleepover at his house we made them together. Sometimes with my grandma too. I’m basically a pro at this.”

Blue scanned the recipe closely.

-

Prep time: 10 mins
Bake time: 10 mins /batch
Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and chopped
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
In a large bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla.
In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into a creamed mixture.
Stir in the cherries, coconut and pecans.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

-

Blue’s eyes sparkled and he glanced back up at Y/n. “THOSE SOUND DELICIOUS! I’VE NEVER TRIED CHERRIES OR COCONUT BEFORE!”

Y/n glanced up from picking through the pantry and stared at him. “Really? Well you’ll love these! Cherries are delicious!”

Blue was brimming with excitement as he rushed over to assist Y/n. “I CANNOT WAIT TO TASTE THEM!”

Y/n murmured her agreement and hefted her large mixing bowl onto the counter. Blue joined her by her side, rolling up his sleeves comically. “THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT!”

The first step was to cream the brown sugar and butter. Y/n instructed Blue to measure the butter to the right amount and put it in the microwave to soften. Blue did as he was told, enthusiastically snatching the butter from the pile of supplies and chopping it up to the correct measurement. He then tossed it haphazardly into the microwave and let it warm up. The breakfast tacos were already gone. WOW! THEY MUST HAVE EATEN THEM UP FAST! (😔)

Y/n was too preoccupied with scooping the brown sugar to notice his erm… passionate prepping. She did notice when he was about to slam dunk the softened butter into the bowl, which would have spewed brown sugar everywhere. Thankfully she caught his wrist just in time. “Woah woah! Blue, calm down!”

Blue blinked up at her and frowned in confusion. “WHY? AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG? ALPHYS SAYS I NEED TO PUT ALL MY PASSION INTO MY COOKING!”

Y/n cringed but gently helped him plop the butter into the bowl. “You can be passionate and still be gentle Blue. Some types of food actually require you to go slow and steady otherwise it might ruin them. Others might need that vigor you have, but when it comes to these cookies… I know you’re excited and just want to try them, but think about how satisfying it’ll be if we work hard and take our time? We can enjoy our hard work that way.”

Blue slowly nodded and set the empty container down. “I… I THINK I UNDERSTAND…”

He was uncharacteristically quiet as he pondered this new information. Humans were so strange! Blue always threw his whole soul into everything he did. Although… I GUESS YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SUPER ENERGETIC TO ENJOY SOMETHING. I’LL GIVE IT A TRY!

His enthusiasm restored, Blue smiled widely and placed his hands on his hips in a new form of determination. “MWEHEHEHE! YOU’RE RIGHT! THERE’S NO WRONG OR RIGHT WAY TO BAKE! I CAN TRY IT THIS WAY TOO AND STILL PUT ALL OF MY PASSION INTO IT!”

Y/n looked relieved, like she was afraid that she’d hurt his feelings. But that was silly! All she was doing was showing him a different way to do things. With their combined experience Blue was absolutely certain that the cookies would turn out fantastic!

Y/n connected her phone to a f/a shaped bluetooth speaker and put one of her playlists on shuffle as they worked. The music added a pep to both of their steps as they continued.

After the butter and brown sugar were creamed they added in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Y/n demonstrated how to crack an egg without splattering it everywhere. Blue was amazed. No longer need he clean egg from the ceiling!

Y/n poured in the milk and let Blue add in the vanilla. This time he did it carefully, under the watchful eye of his baking buddy.

Y/n granted Blue the honor of beating the egg. At first he had tried punching it but she quickly told him that when they mean beat they don’t literally mean that… Blue was learning so much today! She took out the whisk and handed it to him after showing him how to use it. Blue gasped as he watched the egg slowly mix with the other ingredients. It was so cool to watch. At home his batter had never turned this color. “I’M DOING IT!!!”

“Yeah you are! Good job Blue!” Y/n playfully bumped his shoulder and he bashfully looked down at his handiwork. Y/n’s praises were like music to his ears. (?)

Next, they mixed in the flour, salt and baking soda. Blue stuck out his blue tongue as he tried to stir as gently as possible. But it was difficult as the batter became thicker and thicker. BUT IF I STIR HARDER, I MIGHT SEND THE BATTER FLYING EVERYWHERE!

Blue’s entire face glowed a bright blue when he felt Y/n’s arms wrap around him from behind. His soul did that weird jumpy thing again and his stomach (?) felt like it was full of butterflies. “W-WHAT ARE YOU- oh.”

Y/n’s hands had gently grabbed his and she was now moving them around like he was a puppet. He allowed her to show him how to stir properly, not daring to pull away. If he did, who knows when she’d ever touch him again. “Here you go, like this… No need to be so stiff. This time you can put a little more backbone into it.”

Blue groaned at the pun, but his smile returned when he heard her giggle just behind him. Her breath tickled his skull and the blush spread to near where his ears would be if he had them. His eyelights morphed into hearts and he thanked his lucky stars Y/n couldn’t see from where she stood behind him. That would’ve been embarrassing! He stayed silent and enjoyed the feeling of her soft human skin against smooth bone.

Sadly the little moment didn’t last very long as she pulled away. “There! That should do it!”

Blue sighed and rubbed the place where her hand had been touching his. He quickly shook his head to snap out of these weird feelings. GOODNESS GRACIOUS WHAT IS UP WITH ME TODAY!? He turned back towards Y/n with a nervous grin. “WHAT’S NEXT?”

With the two of them working together the process went a lot faster. They added the cherries, coconut, and pecans. When Y/n and Blue both reached for the cherry bowl, their hands brushed and Blue drew his hand back as if he’d been stung. But it felt like the exact opposite. They both giggled awkwardly and muttered soft apologies. Was it just Blue, or did Y/n have the slightest hint of pink in her cheeks?

The last step before putting them in the oven was to drop them onto the cookie sheet. The two friends immediately forgot about the awkward moment as they had a blast scooping the dough into neat little balls and dropping them down onto the pan. By the end of it there was enough leftover cookie dough for the two of them to enjoy. (Although Sans stole some when they weren’t looking.)

Blue clinked his spoon against Y/n’s before taking a bite. “CHEERS!”

His eyes closed as the flavors melted on his tongue. He’d never made cookies this good! The stars in his sockets turned so big they could have spilled out over the edges. “WOW! THESE ARE AMAZING!”

Y/n beamed at him and finished her spoonful. “Hehe! I’m glad you think so! It's a very nostalgic recipe for me.”

Waiting for the cookies to bake was like torture. Blue wanted to try them right away! He had offered to turn up the heat so they would cook faster and Y/n (gently) slapped his hand away. Once again he was reminded that the cookies would burn if they weren’t allowed to bake at their own pace. He had huffed and crossed his arms, but that also meant more time spent with Y/n! Hurrah!

They watched a rerun of one of Mettaton’s many shows. Blue thought this robot looked awfully similar to his own Nabstabot and remembered that in this au, Nabstabot was a ghost while his cousin ran the show. How curious!

Blue snuggled further into his blanket despite the summer warmth seeping into the house. He was a skeleton after all. Y/n joined him and they stayed in a comfortable silence, occasionally pointing out something in the show.

After 12 minutes, the soft ding from the oven alerted Y/n and Blue of their precious cookies that awaited them. They both threw off the blanket, which landed unceremoniously on Red's face, and bolted to the kitchen.

Both stared eagerly at the oven as Y/n carefully opened it and took the cookie sheet out.
Blue gasped in amazement at the glorious golden-brown color the cookies had turned. His never looked like this! They were always black and turned to ash at the lightest touch. He was tempted to grab one and try it but remembered that they were still hot.

The scent that wafted from the cookies made Blue’s mouth water. It was the sweetest, most alluring thing he’d ever smelled before. And it was all thanks to his and Y/n's spectacular teamwork!

Y/n hummed in approval as she admired their handy work. “These look awesome! Good job Blue, you did great!”

Blue ducked his head shyly, offering a sheepish smile at Y/n’s praise. He quickly recovered and laughed gleefully with a hand over his chest. “YES! I, THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY, HAVE DONE IT AGAIN! BUT I COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU Y/N! THIS IS BECAUSE OF OUR COMBINED EFFORTS THAT THESE FRIENDSHIP COOKIES TURNED OUT AS PERFECT AS THEY DID!”

That earned a chuckle from Y/n. “You’re right! With the power of friendship our cookies reign supreme!”

“OH BARF… I’M GETTING A DRINK BEFORE I GET ROPED INTO THIS SAPPY FRIENDSHIP NONSENSE…” Berry muttered from the doorway. Y/n and Blue both stared at him, then at each other, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Berry just rolled his eyes as he crossed the room and took out a can of grapefruit soda from the fridge. He then stalked out, his high heeled boots clicking on the tile. As he left, he pinned Blue down with a glare that held a lot of emotions behind it. Mostly just the usual stuff. Annoyance, exasperation, weird superiority complex… And was that… a hint of jealousy?

Blue rose a bone brow in confusion. WHAT IN THE WORLD COULD HE POSSIBLY BE JEALOUS FOR? UNLESS OF COURSE HE ENVIES MY FANTASTIC COOKIE MAKING SKILLS! OR HE JUST WANTS SOME COOKIES… WELL THAT’S SILLY, THERE’S PLENTY FOR EVERYONE!

Blue was quick to forget any of that even happened. He had since joined Y/n on the couch again to wait for the cookies to cool. After a few episodes of the rerun Y/n deemed the cookies safe to eat.

When Blue had his first bite, his taste buds did a little jig. His eye lights sparkled and he closed his eyes to enjoy the taste. This was the most incredible thing he’d ever made! Y/n was scarfing her share of the cookies down like it was the last day she’d spend on earth. Blue let out a snort when he saw her cheeks puffed out like she was a chipmunk.

“PFT-” CUTE…

They invited everyone else to enjoy the cookies if they wanted. When Red yelled about how amazing the cookies were, and Y/n informed him that Blue had helped, it looked like he almost had a heart attack. Honestly Blue didn’t know what the big deal was! All he did was tweak his cooking style a little!

Yes, this cooking strategy seemed to work much better. He’d have to ask Y/n to help him more later!
This time the others joined Y/n and Blue on the couch and stuffed their faces with cookies. Berry was being a lot less messy about it, but Blue could tell that he really enjoyed them too. Even as he told Y/n that they were “acceptable,” Blue noticed with a snicker that the stars in his sockets were a lot brighter while he ate them.

As the day went by, everyone just sort of had a lazy day (even Berry surprisingly!) Blue would have usually been unhappy about everyone being a lazy bones, especially Y/n, but something about everyone sitting closely together, laughing and poking fun at the trashy reality drama show, kept him in his seat. I SUPPOSE PARTAKING IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AS SILLY AS THIS IS STILL PRODUCTIVE… I’LL LET IT SLIDE FOR NOW!

With a small huff Blue leaned into Y/n’s side, blushing when she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. She was leaning on Red. Surprisingly enough. But after she set some boundaries Red had been pretty chill. And never in his life would he ever touch her if she was uncomfortable with it, especially now that she was just starting to trust him.

Red had his arm wrapped around her waist after making sure she was cool with it. So now the trio was like an adorable sandwich, with Y/n squished in the middle.

Blue sighed happily and relaxed against her. Today had been quite lovely.

Chapter Text

It was a Friday evening and Y/n was in her study, bored out of her mind. She had been overwhelmed by a pile of work for the past 8 hours, having opted to work at home today since nothing required her to physically be at the lab.

She had a pounding headache from going over the data sheets for so long. With a sigh Y/n laid her head in her crossed arms and closed her eyes. I'll just rest my eyes for a bit…

Y/n barely registered the shadow that fell over her, but she did hear the "AHEM" that sounded above her. With a groan Y/n lifted her head just enough to see who was trying to get her attention.

Surprisingly it was Berry, hands on his hips and glaring down his nose at her like a disappointed mother. Y/n rose an eyebrow at him and he scoffed. "HUMAN! YOU'VE BEEN GROANING NONSTOP FOR THE PAST HOUR! AND YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS DESK FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU ATE SOMETHING?"

Y/n opened her mouth to make a scathing retort but blanked. When was the last time she ate something? Maybe breakfast? "Uuuuhhhhh…."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm. "UNACCEPTABLE. YOU CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO FOCUS IF YOU ARE NOT FUELING YOUR BODY. AND I KNOW YOUR POST IS OVER. YOU NEED TO REST IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN PEAK CONDITION."

"What- hey!" Y/n's protests were ignored as she was dragged out of the room and taken to the kitchen. Red was sitting at the table playing solitaire and smirked at Y/n when he saw the situation that she was in.

"Ha. Looks like mother hen finally got you to leave that stuffy office. Honestly it's surprising that he even did that. Aren't you a workaholic yourself squirt?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Berry scolded and hit Red upside the skull. When he saw Y/n's harsh glare he flinched and patted Red's shoulder, who was rubbing the spot he'd been hit and glaring at him. Y/n was very clear about violence in her home. 

"ER- I MEAN- SHUT UP NUMBSKULL! I MAY WORK HARDER THAN THE REST OF YOU COMBINED BUT I'M NOT A DUMBASS WHO WORKS MYSELF TO DEATH. UNLIKE OUR HUMAN HERE…" He looked her up and down with narrowed eyes, then promptly turned to make her something, waving her towards the table.

Y/n rolled her eyes and sat next to Red. Both of them were still assholes, but she'd work on that with them."I just lost track of time alright? Jesus…"

Berry shook his head but didn't turn around to regard her as he slathered some peanut butter on a slice of bread. "EVEN SO HUMAN… YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO YOUR BEST WORK IF YOU ARE NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF YOUR BODY. I KNOW HUMANS NEED MORE FOOD AND REST TO SURVIVE. PLUS WATER. BACK AT HOME I HAD A LITTLE HUMAN TO TAKE CARE OF WITH MY BROTHER SO I'M A BIT OF AN EXPERT NOW!"

He sounded proud of himself. Y/n rested her chin in her hands and smiled as she listened to him ramble. She was always so interested in learning about their lives before coming here. Every one of these guys (other than Ink) had a brother they loved and a human (usually named Frisk or Chara) to care for or help raise. It was sweet.

She also felt her heart warm at the fact that he cared for her this much. It surprised her that he had even noticed how long she had been working, that she hadn't taken a break to eat or hydrate, and the excessive amount of times she groaned. I hadn't even noticed that myself!

Several weeks ago she thought Berry wanted her dead. But here he was making her a sandwich. The small gesture meant more to her than he knew.

"That's really cool Berry. I never had much experience with children. I was sort of the baby of my family until my cousins finally had kids."

Now it was Red's turn to be curious. "How big is your family sweetheart?"

Y/n ignored the nickname as she rambled. "Pretty big for a human family. I mean different cultures have different family sizes considered normal. But for an American one, I guess it was pretty big. I have my parents, grandparents, several aunts and uncles, and plenty of cousins plus the second cousins."

"My siblings and I got kinda close after we got older but I don't really see my family too much after my uncle died. I was super close with him before he got estranged from the family. They never told me exactly why. I mean mom said it was because he was gay, which first of all YIKES. But I always felt like there was some other reason they weren't telling me… This is his old house. He gave everything to me in his will."

Berry paused in his sandwich making while Red looked up from his cards. Y/n felt a pit open up in her stomach at their expressions. They were worried about her! They must think her entire family felt that way. She quickly waved them off with a strained smile.

"B-but don't worry! My whole family isn't like that. Actually my siblings and cousins are a lot like me in terms of political and moral views. I cut ties with the parts of my family that are like that. Though my mom and dad seem to have gotten better about it, especially after my dad's brother…"

They both nodded in understanding. Red returned to his cards, glaring at the bad hand he got. "Well that's shit to hear. Sorry about your uncle though. He sounds cool. Who kicks someone out of the family just because of who they love?"

Y/n could only offer a half shrug. "Lots of people apparently. Humans suck like that. A-anyways, what about your families? I know you both have a brother but is there anyone else?"

Y/n was relieved that she could distract them with a different topic. The subject of family always struck a sore spot with Y/n. She could never forgive what happened to her uncle.

Yes, her siblings and cousins weren't bigots but they still avoided their uncle (or their own father in some cases). They were all older than her so maybe they were in on whatever the hell made everyone scared. Y/n had never been given a straight answer even as an adult! Not even from her siblings. 

Red seemed to brighten at the chance to mention his brother. "My bros really cool. Scary, but cool. Don't tell him I said that. He's captain of the royal guard and he protects all of us. He can be a bit rough around the edges but once you get to know him he's not too bad. I don't really care for anyone else though. We're all a bunch of assholes down there. I guess Toriel isn't so bad. And the kid is… well they're fine. I babysit them from time to time when the royal family is out on business."

Y/n listened intently to his explanation. "I hope I get to meet your brother someday!"

Red smirked, though he looked pleased at what she said. "Heh. He'd like you. You don't let anyone boss you around."

Y/n blushed at that compliment. It only seemed to make his smirk grow. She huffed and crossed her arms. What a charmer!

Berry walked over with two plates. He set the first one down in front of Y/n and she looked down to analyze it. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a pile of strawberries with their tops cut off, and a glass of normal water. Nice. She felt like a kid again. But then she remembered that Berry was used to caring for a little kid. Of course he was used to making these kinds of meals. "Thanks dude! This looks great!"

Berry's cheeks turned as red as his nickname and he looked away from her, focusing on his own tuna salad sandwich. "IT WAS NOTHING HUMAN…"

Y/n shot him a grin (that he tried very desperately to ignore) and dug in. The sandwich tasted amazing! She half expected his cooking skills to be like Blue's, but maybe he'd learned a thing or two since taking care of a child. "This is delicious! I haven't had a classic PB&J in ages. Anyways, what about you Berry? Anything about your family?"

Berry paused and glanced at her with a raised bone brow. "HM? OH. WELL, I HAVE MY LAZYBONES BROTHER! HE'S A PAIN IN THE ASS BUT WE GET ALONG JUST FINE. MOST OF THE TIME. I HAVE A LOT MORE OF A CAREGIVING ROLL TOWARDS CHARA, THOUGH I WOULDN'T SAY I'M THEIR FATHER. MORE LIKE AN UNCLE. THEY STILL LIVE WITH ASGORE. I ALSO HAD A FATHER BUT…. WELL NEVERMIND THAT. IT'S IN THE PAST."

At the mention of Chara's name Red visibly tensed up and his eye light disappeared. When Y/n turned to look at him in concern he was back to normal again, smiling teasingly at Berry. "Don't you mean pain in the tailbone hehehe…"

Berry sighed heavily through his nose. "I AM TRYING VERY HARD NOT TO SLAP YOU RIGHT NOW…"

Y/n giggled, which earned a delighted look from Red. Berry slowly turned to glare at her. "YOU ARE A TRAITOR HUMAN."

That elicited more giggles from both Y/n and Red. Berry just rolled his eyes and returned to his meal. They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Both Berry and Y/n focused on their lunch while Red became immersed in his game.

Y/n looked over her shoulder to find Ink and Blue both sitting around, looking bored out of their skulls. There had been a weird atmosphere over the entire mansion all day. Maybe everyone was bored?

Y/n sighed and turned around in her seat just in time to see Red throw his cards on the table, spilling them everywhere. "DAMN IT! FUCK THIS GAME!"

Berry saved his sandwich before a card flew into where it used to be. He glared at his raging counterpart, obviously offended at his sandwich almost getting ruined. "YOU SAY THAT BUT WE ALL KNOW YOU'LL START PLAYING AGAIN IDIOT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU NOW?"

Y/n realized with a start that the last question was directed at her. She blinked slowly at him as she chewed the rest of her meal. "Uuuuuuh…"

He rose a single eyebrow and impatiently tapped his foot. Y/n huffed out a laugh at the sight. "I dunno I guess everyone just seems bored. I am too, to be honest."

Berry pinched the bridge of his nose and talked like he was stating something obvious. "WELL? THEN DO SOMETHING!"

Y/n perked up. "You're right! We should all do something fun! Like uuuuh… how about a movie marathon! And a sleepover in the living room!"

"DID SOMEONE SAY MOVIE NIGHT!?" Blue's voice boomed just by her ear and Y/n flinched away, but smiled at the energetic skeleton when he smiled apologetically at her.

"A sleepover!? Sounds fun! I've never done that before!" Ink agreed from right behind him. Red and Berry both groaned but were ignored by the trio.

Y/n talked with them excitedly. Their enthusiasm was rubbing off on her. "Oh yeah it'll be great! We can order takeout, watch some movies, eat yummy snacks… OH AND MAKE A PILLOW FORT!"

"PILLOW FORT! PILLOW FORT! PILLOW FORT! PILLOW FORT! PILLOW FORT!" Ink and Blue both chanted.

"What have you done?" Red whispered to Berry, who could only shrug uselessly. Y/n shot out of her chair and after dumping her plate in the sink, placed her hands on her hips. It was time to take charge. She pointed at Ink first, who stood at attention awaiting orders. "Alright let's do this! Ink, you order us some pizzas and make sure they deliver in a few hours. Make sure it's something everyone likes!"

Ink saluted her and ran off to the house phone. She only hoped he remembered how to use it properly. Blue was jumping up and down in excitement and Y/n knew that if she didn't give him a job he'd explode. "Ok Blue. Go around the house and grab every pillow and blanket you can find that isn't someone's personal belongings!"

The skeleton had dashed off before she could even finish. She chuckled and shook her head. After a moment of thought Y/n ran over to hug Berry who tensed up and dropped his sandwich in surprise. "You're both invited of course! Thanks for the idea Berry! You're a genius!"

And with that she was gone, leaving a stunned and flustered Berry with an amused Red.

Blue was quick to get all the pillows and blankets they would need. Together he and Y/n hung up the blankets, making the most epic fort in history. While they worked Sans whistled from the top of the stairs. "Wow. What'd I miss?"

Y/n looked up and smiled cheerily at him. "We're building a pillow fort and then having a movie marathon! You're welcome to join us!"

Sans teleported down to them and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Sure why not? Heh, I've got nothing else going on anyways. Need some help?"

Y/n nodded and let him levitate the sheet she was holding with his magic. Thanks to Sans' telekinesis it went a lot faster. After tying the final corner of the blanket down Y/n huffed and wiped her brow. "There!"

The final steps were to set a few blankets on the floor and toss all the pillows into nice piles that everyone could relax on. Ink came over to assist them when he finished ordering food.

The group of four stood to admire their handiwork. The fort was massive, especially thanks to the boy's magic. Y/n had never felt prouder of anything in her life. "It looks great! Good job team!"

Blue was practically vibrating. Y/n smiled at him. He was so adorable when he was excited! "MWEH HEH! I AGREE!! THIS IS BY FAR THE FINEST FORT IN THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE!"

"Indeed! And I should know, since I've been all over the multiverse!" Ink agreed. His pinpricks had switched to stars as he spoke. "This'll be the greatest movie night of all time!"

"Cool." Was all the input Sans offered.

Before they began Y/n and the others rushed upstairs to put on their pj's. Berry had at first objected, saying something like 'pjs are for nighttime!' but then everyone booed him until he caved after Y/n, Blue and Ink gave him puppy dog eyes.

Y/n pulled on a cute f/c sweatshirt with a strawberry and cherry pattern on it and plaid f/c pajama pants to match. Plus some fuzzy socks that looked like cat paws!

After that she went to the kitchen and pulled out several snacks and drinks, including soda, iced coffee (for when people started getting sleepy), chips, popcorn, pretzels, and cheese puffs. Blue helped her make a pitcher of lemonade while Red helped dump snacks into their respective bowls. It was weird that he suddenly wanted to be helpful, but he probably just wanted to impress her.

It didn't really do much because he was wearing a goofy looking oversized t-shirt shirt Y/n had bought for him when she took him shopping for clothes and supplies. It was black with a skull and crossbones on the front, with flaming words that said: 'I'm bad to the bone.' They had both thought it was hilarious when they found it. 

Once everyone was ready they all filed into the living room and got comfortable. There was a weird argument about who would sit where and for some reason unknown to Y/n it all centered around sitting near her. Whatever that meant lol. Ink managed to rescue her from the others. He and Blue held her hostage to which Red exclaimed: "THIEF!"

By the end of it Y/n ended up squished between Ink and Blue while Sans and Red begrudgingly sat on the couch together. Berry made himself a nest of blankets and pillows a little ways away from everyone else.

Y/n shared a fluffy blanket with the two star sanses and pulled out the large box of movies she had. They all agreed that everyone would get a turn to pick a movie. Y/n chose Blue as the first picker since he was the most excited about this. Plus he helped her the most in putting this whole thing together.

To no one's surprise he chose a Disney movie. There were a few eye rolls from Red and Berry, but they were quickly shut up by a glare from Y/n. The movie they watched was Bambi, something Y/n actually liked a lot as a kid. Though Y/n ended up having to console the poor guy during the scene with Bambi's mom. 

"ITS JUST SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND SAD MOVIE!" The sensitive skeleton sniffled into the crook of Y/n's neck after finishing the masterpiece. Her heart warmed and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving them a comforting squeeze. He was too cute for his own good. "Its ok. I reacted that way too when I first watched it." 

The next choice was Sans. He ended up picking out Legally Blonde since Y/n promised it was a comedy. (Excellent choice!) None of them but Y/n had actually seen it so she got to enjoy seeing their reactions for the first time. Overall, a very fun movie experience as everyone snacked and laughed together. Sans in particular seemed very pleased with his decision. 

Third was Y/n's turn. She chose f/m and happily put it in the DVD player. The boys all got to watch affectionately as Y/n was immediately in a trance, watching the screen with shimmering eyes. She didn't even notice the soft smile Ink was sending her way or the varied stares from the others.

Sans was grinning and mostly watching her instead of the movie. Blue too was enamored by the happy look on her face. His pinpricks briefly flashed to hearts for a second or two. Red and Berry both had mixed expressions, like they weren't fully sure of what they were feeling.

Near the end of the movie Y/n was distracted by the doorbell ringing. She wriggled her way out of the Ink-Blue sandwich and trotted over to the door. "I'll get it!"

To her relief it was the pizza delivery person. They handed her the three boxes plus a smaller box of cinnamon rolls (Ink must've ordered something extra, that sneaky little gremlin!) She thanked them and gave them a generous tip. They left with a big smile after that.

Everyone got their own plates of what they preferred. Once they were all seated again Y/n asked Ink what he'd like to watch as he was the man of the hour for ordering the pizza correctly. Ink of course wanted fantasy. So Y/n sorted through the movies with him and helped him make a pile of ones he might be interested in.

In the end he decided to watch an animated show instead: The Owl House. They were originally going to just watch a movies worth of episodes but the entire group got hooked within the first few episodes and demanded that they binge the rest. Y/n snickered and obeyed. Hey, this was what they were here for anyways!

As they watched Y/n noticed that the main character Luz sort of reminded her of Ink. She didn't say it out loud though. But Sans caught her eye and looked between the screen and Ink several times. Y/n nodded and burst into a fit of giggles, having to hide her face in Blue's bandana to muffle the noise.

King and Amity also made her think of Berry. That realization made her laugh even more, earning her several amused and confused looks. 

A few episodes in Y/n stood up to stretch and grab dessert. "Time for something sweet!"

"WE LITERALLY JUST ATE!" Berry exclaimed as he took a judgmental swig of his coffee. Y/n ignored him and ran into the kitchen, followed closely by Ink, Blue and even Sans. "SHUT THE HELL UP I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!"

She smiled to herself when she heard Red's chuckle from the living room. Now that they were done judging her, which was very rude, Y/n pulled out the desserts. She'd been saving these for different nights but ah what the hell? Live a little! Y/n being the sweets junkie she is grabbed eclairs, chocolate croissants, mini cupcakes, a brownie, donut holes and a f/f milkshake. She didn't feel so bad about eating so much when she saw Blue's plate piled high with tarts.

They ended up bingeing all three seasons of Owl House. Y/n now had to console the entire group when they realized the show had been unfairly canceled and the third season had been shortened to three 40 minute episodes. But they all had really enjoyed it, so now Y/n had something else to ramble with them about later!

Surprisingly Berry's choice was a documentary. Y/n would have guessed a drama or something akin to that. But at the same time, he'd never really been to the surface so maybe he wanted to learn a bit about that. He picked a documentary on birds of paradise and they all had a blast watching the ridiculous mating dances.

As a joke Red pulled a blanket over his shoulders and tried imitating one of the dances that was on screen. He hopped and flapped around, all the while wriggling his eyebrows at Y/n. This made her laugh so hard she started crying. Ink could barely hold it together and was leaning on her for support. Red didn't know if he should be offended or pleased by these reactions.

At this point it was getting to be pretty late. The documentary started at 1:30 and ended at 2:40. Y/n and the others were getting pretty sleepy. But there was still one more person who got to choose a movie. Y/n poured herself another glass of cold coffee while Red grabbed her copy of Scream. She inwardly cringed. Of course… the last movie we watch before going to bed is a horror movie.

Y/n didn’t mind that much. She knew that she’d probably regret it later that night but in the end it was all in good fun. But Blue on the other hand was getting freaked out. When they got to the scarier parts of the film Y/n saw him shaking out of the corner of her eye. She wordlessly put an arm around him, opting not to draw the attention of everyone else just in case Red or Berry decided to make fun of him for it.

Blue flinched at the sudden contact, but when he saw who it was he immediately calmed down, smiling up at Y/n gratefully. She smiled gently back and then turned back to the screen. Blue melted into her side and wrapped both arms around her middle, clutching onto her like a lifeline.

Y/n didn’t mind, even though during the scarier scenes his bearhug tightened. It actually helped her feel less scared too. She just secured him in her hold and rested her cheek on the top of his skull, tracing soothing shapes on his back with her other hand.

Meanwhile the others had since noticed the cuddlebugs and glared at them with varying degrees of jealousy. Other than Ink, who was completely oblivious to everything going on around him 24/7. They didn’t say anything though, understanding that Y/n could snuggle with whoever she damn well pleased.

The atmosphere didn’t go unnoticed by Y/n for once. Halfway through the movie she felt Red’s stare on the back of her head and craned her neck to look at him. When their eyes locked he stiffened and hurriedly looked away with a red tint on his cheekbones. She rolled her eyes and beckoned him over. His eye sockets widened in surprise and when she didn’t waver he slowly got up to sit behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

That really caught the attention of everyone else and Y/n giggled when Sans slyly pointed to himself as if to say: me too? 🥺 Y/n grinned and nodded, which was all he needed before he brightened and made his way over. 

At some point all of them had joined in the giant cuddle pile. Blue actually didn’t mind at all. He was now surrounded by all of his friends, so he felt even safer now than he did before.

Ink finally noticed what was going on and giddily hugged Y/n from the side, nestling into her shoulder with his nasal ridge. Sans had laid down in front of her with his head in her lap and was content at dozing off as Y/n massaged his skull.

Berry was the last to join in to no one’s surprise. When he did sneak into the tangle of limbs he managed to weasel his way to a position where he could lean his back on Y/n’s thigh with his arms crossed without hitting Sans or blocking Ink’s view. It was minimal physical touch but it was a start.

Nutmeg had found the group all relaxing together and hopped onto Berry’s chest where he would stay for the rest of the night. Berry welcomed the furrball and even stroked him absentmindedly while watching the rest of the film.

It was 4 in the morning by the time people started to doze off. Sans, unsurprisingly, was the first to go. Followed quickly by Blue. Red was trying desperately to stay awake to finish his movie and would nod off only to jerk awake again. Soon Y/n felt him lean his face into the nape of her neck, losing the battle against sleep. His breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck.

Ink and Berry seemed to be doing just fine. Ink was a force of nature anyways and Berry well… Y/n had seen him down at least five cups of coffee. He was wide awake but she was sure that as soon as the caffeine wore off he would pass out.

Y/n’s eyelids had been drooping for half an hour at this point and after some inner struggle she finally gave in to the call of sleep. Her head fell against Ink’s shoulder as she leaned back into Red's comfortable hold and everything turned dark.

-

When Y/n opened her eyes again she was met with pitch black everywhere. She stood in an endless darkness, void of all light or sound. Until the sound of dripping water reached her ears. Y/n glanced around with wide eyes, searching for any sign of life. “What a strange dream…”

Hearing a glitchy chuckle behind her, Y/n whirled around. Just a few feet away stood a man with dark attire and a melting face. He definitely hadn’t been there before. Y/n squinted against the darkness to try and see him better. Now that she looked closer Y/n realized that he was a skeleton monster. He looked nothing like her housemates, so she knew it couldn’t be another au version of them.

He looked like he ought to be lanky but was hunched over. His body melting and reforming apparently made it difficult to stand upright. Behind his eye sockets was nothing. An empty black void just like the one Y/n found herself in now. His smile was wide and unnerving but for some reason Y/n didn’t feel like she was in danger. In fact he had a calming effect on her. How strange.

One crack went up his right eye socket while another went down his left. His palms had large, painful looking holes in them, though it didn’t seem to be causing him any sort of discomfort.

Y/n took a small step away from him as he spoke. Well it was more like a bunch of garbled nonsense. In addition to the glitchy speech, he moved his hands around in some sort of sign language, though it was nothing that Y/n recognized. She knew ASL but this was something completely different. “✌☟📪 ❄☟☜☼☜ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜… 💣︎⍓︎📪︎ ♒︎□︎⬥︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎🕯︎❖︎♏︎ ♑︎❒︎□︎⬥︎■︎.”

Y/n shrugged apologetically. “Sorry man, I can’t understand what you’re signing. Who are you?”

He continued on like she hadn’t said anything. “✋❄ ❄⚐⚐😐 💣☜ ✌ 🕈☟✋☹☜ ❄⚐ ☞✋☠👎 ✡⚐🕆. ✋🕯✞☜ 👌☜☜☠ 🕈✌✋❄✋☠☝ ☞⚐☼ ✡⚐🕆 ☞⚐☼ ✌ ☹⚐☠☝ ❄✋💣☜. ✋❄ 💧☜☜💣💧 ✋🕯✞☜ ✌☼☼✋✞☜👎 ☺🕆💧❄ ✋☠ ❄✋💣☜ ❄⚐⚐. ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜ 💧❄✌☼❄✋☠☝ ❄⚐ ✌🕈✌😐☜☠.”

Y/n shook her head, once again not understanding any of it. The strange man didn’t seem to mind as he continued.

“🕈☜ 👎⚐☠🕯❄ ☟✌✞☜ 💣🕆👍☟ ❄✋💣☜. ✋❄ 🕈✋☹☹ 💧❄✌☼❄ 💧⚐⚐☠. ✡⚐🕆 ☠☜☜👎 ❄⚐ ❄✌😐☜ 👍✌☼☜ ⚐☞ ❄☟⚐💧☜ 💧😐☜☹☜❄⚐☠💧 ✡📭☠. ❄☟☜✡ 🕈✋☹☹ ☟☜☹🏱 ✡⚐🕆. 👌🕆❄ ☞⚐☼ ☠⚐🕈 ✡⚐🕆 ☠☜☜👎 ❄⚐ 🕈✌😐☜ 🕆🏱📪 ⚐☠☜ ⚐☞ ❄☟☜💣 ✋💧 ✋☠ 👎✌☠☝☜☼. ✋❄ ✋💧 ☟☜☼☜ ✋☠ ❄☟☜ ☟⚐🕆💧☜ 🕈✋❄☟ ✡⚐🕆. 🕈✌😐☜ 🕆🏱 ✡📭☠. 🕈✌😐☜ 🕆🏱.”

Y/n stared blankly back at him. “Dude I seriously have no idea what you’re saying. God this is such a weird dream…”

The man shook his head, looking sad now. Y/n pursed her lips. She was starting to get frustrated. But before she could say anymore he was already starting to evaporate, leaving her with one last warning. “☟☜ ✋💧 ✋☠ 👎✌☠☝☜☼📪 🕈✌😐☜ 🕆🏱 ✌☠👎 💧✌✞☜ ☟✋💣.”

Y/n started to panic when she realized he was leaving. She stretched out a hand to his disappearing form. “Wait! Who are you? What is this place? What do you want!?”

He only gave her an affectionate smile and a wave. Then he was gone. Y/n’s hand dropped to her side and she shook her head, bewildered. The area around her was starting to turn white. Did that mean she was waking up?

Y/n ran a hand through her hair and chuckled. What a weird dream…

Though for some reason, Y/n couldn’t shake off this foreboding feeling as her vision turned white.

Chapter Text

When Y/n awoke the next morning it felt like she was trapped underwater. She struggled to fully wake up, and drifted in and out of consciousness. One of those mornings huh?

The weirdness of her dream stuck to her brain like cobwebs. She had no idea what that strange man had been saying, but the urgency in his voice/hand signals made her anxious. She had no idea why, but whatever he said made her desperate to get up. Which only made struggling to regain consciousness all the more frustrating. Something was happening. She felt it in her soul.

A loud crash is what finally startled Y/n into complete consciousness. She jerked up, only to get caught in a tangle of limbs. She fell on top of something squishy and let out a yelp of surprise.

A second crash quickly followed the first. This one sounded louder, larger.

Y/n looked around with bleary eyes, trying to figure out what was happening in the early morning confusion. Whatever tripped her groaned and she glanced down. Her morning brain fog was clearing away now and she blushed when she realized that she was now lying on top of a very confused and very tired Red. Oh dear…

His red eyelight landed on her and they stared at each other for a few seconds trying to process…

Red’s eye sockets widened and a bright red blush formed on his cheeks, traveling up to his nasal ridge. Moments later he smirked flirtatiously up at her and lightly traced a phalange up one of her arms. His golden fang glinted in the weak sunlight filtering through the window. “Didn’t think you’d fall for me this fast sweetheart.~"

Y/n rolled her eyes but she was still blushing like mad. “Ugh as if!”

She pushed his face away as he chuckled and detangled herself from a sleeping Blue, who somehow managed to keep her leg in his iron grip. Ah… They’d all fallen asleep on top of one another. That’s why she fell.

Y/n shook her head and laughed But then she remembered the crashes she heard and the anxiety she had woken up with. Red sat up and rubbed his skull, yawning tiredly as he did. “Why’d you wake up so suddenly anyways? Had a nightmare or someth-”

He cut himself off when he noticed something behind Y/n. His eyelights disappeared from the sight of whatever it was. Y/n rose an eyebrow in confusion and looked behind her, gasping at what she found.

The first thing she noticed was a new skeleton. That didn’t surprise her all that much as she’d expected the crash to be a new Sans. What surprised her was how regal he looked.

His eyelights were a shimmering yellow color. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and pants, a pastel yellow tunic with teal trim, golden boots and gloves with teal straps, and a teal belt with a golden buckle with the initials “DS” carved into it. Or what Y/n assumed were his initials.

He also wore a strange looking cloak over everything. It was light orange with darker orange tips and stripes. On the back was a sun symbol. Two pieces of it flowed out behind him like ribbon. The cloak was held together by a pink gem with a white star on the front. He also wore a golden band that wrapped around his skull. Y/n guessed that was a crown. 

He was the most gorgeous monster she had ever seen.

Y/n was briefly distracted by his appearance, but she quickly realized that he was in very bad shape. He was bleeding from several cuts, and one deep gash on his side caused his cloak to become blood soaked. He was trying to fend off the second thing that came crashing in.

Y/n’s face darkened in horror at the terrifying sight of the creature. It was huge, with long spindly legs and sharp, cruel looking claws. Its jaws parted to reveal several rows of dagger-like teeth reaching all the way to the back of its throat. Its sharp eyes gleamed with nothing but malice. Just staring into them made Y/n’s legs buckle from the sheer terror that filled her heart. What the hell is that thing!?

Y/n had never seen anything like it before. It certainly was no monster. It looked like it was made completely out of shadow. How could shadow have a tangible form? Usually she wouldn't judge something from appearance alone, but her gut was telling her this thing wasn't sentient like a human, monster, or animal would be. How do I know that though? Is this what the man was warning me about? 

The strange skeleton was panting as he stood up, shaking slightly from the effort. They’d obviously been locked in battle before they even came here. The shadow creature must have fallen through the portal with him by accident.

“DREAM! INK WAKE UP! IT'S DREAM!” The others had started to wake up after all the commotion. Y/n flinched and looked over her shoulder at Blue, who was shaking Ink awake. So they know this guy? Not that surprising, Ink knows everybody. His name is Dream then? That name sounded familiar. Ink and Blue must have mentioned him to her before.

Sans, Berry, and Red were all glaring at the creature with hostility. Ink finally woke up and looked around tiredly. The moment he saw Dream his eyelights shifted to a star and an explanation point. Excitement. “Dream hi! What are you doing here silly?”

At the sound of his friend’s voices Dream glanced their way and his eyes widened, finally noticing the group that was staring at him. The creature took this opportunity to slash his chest with its claws. Dream stumbled backwards with a yell of alarm and pain. Fresh blood spurted out of the new wound.

Everyone finally snapped out of their sluggish states the moment that happened. Y/n was the first to react, grabbing a chair that was nearby and hurling it straight at the creature’s head. It broke apart when it hit the thing, sending a shower of splinters over it and Dream, who shielded his face while backing away.

“Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!?” Y/n shouted. She put on a brave face, but actually that creature was three times her size. And it seemed to have an effect on people, filling them with despair the moment they made eye contact with it.

The creature howled in pain from the impact and from some of the wood pieces digging into its hide. It whipped around with a snarl, just now taking notice of Y/n and the skeletons behind her.

For some reason it perked up at the sight of Y/n and immediately stalked in her direction, completely forgetting about Dream. Blue was quick to teleport to his side and help him stand up before pulling him away from the chaos. He was in no shape to fight now anyways.

Y/n took a timid step back as the creature came closer. Great… She was not a fighter. She didn’t even have a weapon. Her bat was up in her room. I just acted on instinct. Now what!?

A bony hand grabbed her forearm and tugged her backwards. Y/n fell into Sans’ chest before he moved her behind him. Sans, Red, and Berry all stood in front of her protectively, growling and showing off their fangs. Ink stood several feet away with his paintbrush at the ready. He glanced at Y/n worriedly, looking relieved that she was safe.

Black drool dripped from the creature’s mouth. Y/n watched in morbid fascination as it disappeared like a wisp of smoke just before hitting the floor. It paid the boys no mind as it zeroed in on her. Y/n wasn’t sure if the chair stunt pissed it off that much or if there was some other reason it was wanting to get to her. It seemed to have recognized her which made no sense at all!

“Better back off PAL. Or you’ll be in for a good time…” Red threatened. His eye socket flared with red magic. He was not going to let this thing have its way with Y/n, no way in hell.

The creature paid him no mind. It dodged past the slew of bone attacks Berry and Sans sent its way, raced past Red’s skeleton dragon head thing Y/n remembered Berry using the other week, and phased through any trap Ink set up for it with its magic.

Sans and Red did eventually manage to impale it with some of their bone attacks, but it did little to slow it down. Y/n shrieked when it roughly swatted aside all four of the skeletons guarding her, sending them flying into the wall. They hit the hard surface with a sickening crack and Y/n moved to run over and help them but was blocked off by the creature.

She backed away, eyeing it carefully. It had paused to study her closely and Y/n once again noticed that strange recognition in its eyes. Did it know who she was? How?

Y/n took another step backwards and tripped over the pile of blankets and pillows they had left behind. She’d barely hit the ground before the creature sank its claws into her legs and dragged her towards it.

Y/n screamed in agony as blood spurted from her new wounds. The claws dug through bone and muscle, then came out the other side. She barely registered Sans and Red yelling her name or the horrified gasp that came from Dream.

The creature unhinged its jaws and bit into her abdomen, tearing through her flesh and missing her intestines by an inch. Y/n screamed again. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks and her vision went white from the severe pain.

She shakily looked up at the creature, terrified. Why couldn’t she move? She felt numb as the shock started to settle in. Additionally, despite the severe pain she was in her scientist brain still noticed the venom injecting into her body through it's fangs, causing a form of paralysis. Oh... That's why...

The creature pulled its long claws out of her bleeding legs and Y/n shuddered from the feeling. It looked like it was about to reach for her again and she whimpered, fearing this would be the end.

A ferocious yowl made the creature stop dead in its tracks. Y/n blinked away her tears, staring in confusion as a small blur jumped in front of her. Her heart seized in her chest when she realized that it was Nutmeg. She wanted to open her mouth and scream for him to run but nothing came out.

Her throat went dry as she watched him arch his back and hiss at the shadowy figure. His fur bushed out, making him look twice his size. What could she have done anyways? He was just a cat after all. He wouldn’t have been able to understand her. Her limbs felt as heavy as lead. 

To everyone’s shock the creature immediately backed away from Nutmeg, who was glaring up at it fiercely. It stared at him warily before crawling away. Was that fear Y/n saw in its eyes? Couldn’t be. She was just delirious from the blood loss.

Ink and the others had since recovered and teleported in front of Y/n, including Dream despite the state he was in. They all had varying degrees of rage and panic plastered on their faces.

Red snarled at the creature threateningly, his eye flaring in a shower of red sparks. All of them summoned bones and large dragon heads. Y/n winced as she felt the overwhelming pressure of their magic coming from all six of them.

The creature, understanding that it was outnumbered, finally backed off and turned its back on them. Y/n gasped when it clawed at thin air and a dark portal opened up for it. It can make portals of its own!?

The venom was wearing off, so she managed to shakily pull herself to her feet despite her injuries, leaning against the wall as she stared at the portal. The creature didn’t waste any time in hopping through and the portal stitched back up without a trace.

Y/n’s hand stretched towards where the portal had been, knowing that their chances of using that portal to get the others home had been squandered. She didn’t know if that was a good idea anyways. Who knows what kind of horrible place that thing came from?

Y/n’s vision grew blurry as the boys turned to stare at her in concern. She couldn’t hear anything but a dull ringing. Black spots danced in her vision. She couldn’t see it, but the boys were watching in horror as massive amounts of blood spilled out of her abdomen. “Ugh… I don’t feel so…”

“Hun, don’t move. You’ll be ok- Y/N!” Sans sounded terrified, but it barely registered with Y/n as she toppled over. She was caught by someone, it looked like Berry. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Dream running up to her with a glowing golden light in his hands.

-

“-t came out of nowhere! I was just patrolling the multiverse, doing a double shift with Charcoal to make up for you and Blue being gone. We split up to cover more ground. Then that thing popped out of a dark portal and attacked me. We were locked in battle until another portal opened up under my feet and brought me here. I guess whatever it was came in after me before it closed…”

There was a growl. Whoever spoke next sounded angry. Really, really angry. There was a hint of desperation in there as well. “What I want to know is what the HELL it was and why it only went after Y/n when it saw her!”

There was a long silence. Y/n’s head was hammering and she wanted to move to touch it, but she stayed silent and listened. She had been slipping in and out of consciousness for hours now. Everytime, she could feel someone re-adjust the blanket that had been draped over her or place a new ice pack on her head. Y/n never opened her eyes though. She didn’t have the strength. And she would always pass out seconds later anyways.

“At first I thought they were the work of my brother. I mean, it did look a lot like Nightmare don’t you think?”

There was a pause. When they spoke again, they sounded worried.

“But actually, I haven’t seen Nightmare anywhere for months! Not even Error or the others have shown up on his behalf. Its been weirdly peaceful. But in a strange, unsettling way. Actually they haven’t shown up ever since Ink first disappeared.”

“You think Y/n’s machine did something to them?”
Y/n almost jumped at her name. Surprisingly she hadn’t fallen back asleep, so she hoped she was doing better then. Everything that had happened that morning came back to her in a flash. The creature, Dream, her tortured screams as it teared at her flesh.

Y/n shuddered. She wanted to go back to sleep and forget it ever happened. For some reason she wasn’t in any pain either. She went back to listening as the conversation continued. She recognized Ink as the next to speak.

“I don’t know. We’ve all been sucked in one at a time with several days, sometimes even weeks between one another. But them being gone after this whole thing started can't be a coincidence.”

Berry huffed. “WHATEVER THE CASE, WE NOW HAVE A NEW ENEMY. WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT THING CAME FROM? ALL I KNOW IS THAT IT ALMOST KILLED OUR HUMAN.”

Y/n almost laughed at the term ‘our human.’ How cute. Her amusement dimmed at Dream’s next words.

“Actually, there have been multiple reports of aus getting attacked at random by some unknown force. But the moment Charcoal and I get there, the threat is magically gone. I don't understand what’s happening. But Charcoal is very concerned. And now she’ll have to deal with it all on her own. Do you think she’ll be ok?”

“Psh! My apprentice can handle anything! Don’t worry Dream! She’s one tough cookie! Who knows, maybe the attacks will stop and she’ll have a break. If the creature is the cause of the attacks, but it left soon after, perhaps it was searching for something.”

“OR SOMEONE.” Blue’s sudden insight caused several gazes to land on Y/n.

“You think she’ll be ok?” Sans’ voice was uncharacteristically soft and uncertain. His voice even cracked near the end. They were more upset about this than Y/n realized.

“I did everything I could with my healing magic. She’ll live, all she needs is some rest.”

Y/n took that as her cue to show that she was awake. She groaned and gingerly touched the top of her head, then cracked open her eyes. She was met with several concerned faces all crowding around her.

Y/n tried sitting up but a pang in her abdomen made her wince and immediately lay back down. A soft, gentle voice, one she now recognized as Dream’s, soothed her worries as he assisted her and readjusted the pillow that had been placed beneath her head. “Woah there! Careful. You still need to rest. No sudden movements just yet ok?”

Y/n nodded silently and looked around at the other skeletons, then back at Dream who was smiling at her kindly. “Ok. Thank you, you saved my life.”

The golden-eyed skeleton turned sheepish and he rubbed the back of his vertebrae. “Oh it wasn’t much. I do it all the time.”

“My intestines were about to spill out. I think you did amazing considering I’m not in a hospital right now. Seriously, thank you.” Y/n retorted softly. She truly was grateful. Whatever that thing was, it had been ruthless in trying to tear her open.

Dream looked delighted at being able to save her. But he was quickly pushed aside by the others, who all crowded around Y/n worriedly. (Dream didn’t mind.)

“Y/N YOU’RE OK!” Blue exclaimed and dove in for a hug. Y/n flinched, expecting his tight hug to hurt her injuries, but he was surprisingly gentle as he wrapped his arms around her middle and sobbed into her pajama shirt. Y/n ‘awed’ and hugged him back, nuzzling into his collarbone affectionately. She saw him blush out of the corner of her eye and a grin formed on her face.

When Blue pulled away after a few minutes he was sniffling. Has he been crying this whole time? “I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE BETTER! WE WERE ALL WORRIED SICK! EVEN BERRY!”

The mentioned skeleton looked away with a flushed face and crossed arms. “IT WAS NOTHING…”

But he still turned back to Y/n and gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder. “I AM… HAPPY THAT YOU ARE SAFE. D-DON’T READ TOO MUCH INTO THAT THOUGH! YOU ARE A FELLOW HOUSEMATE THAT'S ALL!”

Y/n chuckled and patted the hand that was still on her shoulder before he pulled away. “Of course Berry. Thank you-”

She was quickly swept up in another hug, this time by the one and only Red. It surprised Y/n a bit. Yes they were on good terms, but she noticed that he’d gotten a lot more affectionate as of late. I wonder what that’s about.

“Glad to see your beautiful smile again sweetheart…” He mumbled into her hair as he nuzzled into it with a happy purr. Y/n almost reprimanded him for the flirting until she realized that his tone of voice was not teasing. Only subdued and relieved.

She smiled and hugged him back, squishing her face into his fur lined hoodie. He smelled of strawberries. Ha… For someone so gruff he sure is sweet when he wants to be. “Aw… you big softie…”

Red had set his jaw on her head and was about to say something, probably something indignant after her last comment, but he was comically shoved away by an elated Ink. Red cursed as he fell over, arms flailing wildly for anything that would keep him up, to no avail. “WHAT THE HELL INK!? I WAS STILL HUGGING HER YOU ASSHAT!”

All of this was completely ignored by Ink who now had Y/n wrapped up in a bear hug. If she wasn’t currently damaged, he probably would have twirled her around in the air. But for once he had enough sense not to.

“Y/n you’re alright! Thank the stars! I don’t know what I’d do without you. Especially with this crazy group! Everything was all yikes for a bit but our good pal Dream came in and saved the day! Oh have you met Dream? I don’t think I ever told you about him have I? Or maybe I have hmmm… Anyways I am as pleased as punch that you are looking so much better than before.”

Ink rambled on and on as he hugged her face close to his chest. Y/n smiled to herself and let him. All these lovely skeletons were worried about me… She felt her soul begin to tingle. She wasn’t used to this at all! She was usually the one that cared for other people not the other way around. It was… nice.

Sans, who had been patiently waiting for his turn, gently shooed Ink away with a stern look. “Alright buddy, let the lady breathe alright? We don’t want her passing out again.”

Ink pouted but stepped away from Y/n with a wink. Y/n just shook her head, grinning fondly at him. What a goof…

Sans turned his attention back to Y/n, smiling softly at her. “You gave us quite the scare hun. Sorry we couldn’t stop it in time.”

He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Y/n felt her cheeks heat up. His hand hovered by her cheek before he pulled away, an unreadable expression on his face.

Y/n saw that all of them had the same guilty expression on their faces. Why on earth would they think this was their fault? No one could have predicted this. That thing was nuts!

Y/n frowned and crossed her arms. “What happened wasn’t your fault. I mean… I did hit it with a chair. No wonder it went after me haha…”

The boys all exchanged looks and Y/n couldn’t blame them. There had been a deeper meaning to what happened, but none of them had a clear answer.
Y/n pouted. I don’t like seeing everyone so upset!

She briskly waved it off with a smile. “Well I’m fine now and it's gone! So everyone chill out. We’ve all had a rough start to the day. Speaking of which, Dream! You are our new housemate! Welcome. I am sorry, arrivals aren’t usually this chaotic. Ink told you what’s going on right?”

Dream jumped at suddenly being spoken to. He made his way to the front of the group and sat down by Y/n’s feet. She saw that his clothes had been restored to their former glory. (Probably the work of Ink if she had to guess.) Plus his injuries were completely gone.

He smiled at her softly in the way a comforting mother would, reaching out to pat her leg. It was weird how easily he was able to sooth her emotions. But Y/n recalled Blue saying something about him being the guardian of positivity. Perhaps that was why she was feeling better.

“Yes, Ink had gotten in touch with me weeks ago. I’ve been worried sick about him and Blue but it seems you’ve been taking excellent care of them for me, thank you! Although,”

He leaned in to whisper and Y/n inched closer to him with a mischievous grin as he spoke. "Just between you and me, they can be quite a handful! I’m impressed!”

That got Y/n to giggle, which made Dream’s smile widen. There was an offended huff, probably from Blue as Ink was oblivious to this sort of thing. That only made Dream and Y/n laugh more.

After Y/n had calmed down she rubbed her face with a sigh. “Ahaha! Yeah, they can be a little crazy. But to be honest it's a welcome change. Everything was so boring before.”

That earned her a giggle from Dream. “Never a dull moment with those two.”

He seemed very fond of them, which Y/n thought was sweet. His expression quickly turned more serious and he turned back to her with a softer expression.

“Anyways, I just wanted to say before you apologize for the multiverse fiasco, which I know you will because I sensed your guilt the moment I got here. You really don’t have to feel this awful about it Y/n. I know it was an accident. The others know it was an accident. You are working hard to fix it. I don’t hold it against you and neither does anyone here. You are smart and brave enough to figure this out. With our help of course!”

Dream’s uplifting words made Y/n’s chest tighten. He’s so kind! The overwhelming forgiveness from these skeletons often felt like more than she could handle. Even now, the others were nodding in agreement with Dream’s words. Even Berry and Red! Though that wasn’t too surprising anymore.

Y/n’s bottom lip trembled and she pulled Dream in for a hug before she burst into tears. “Thank you! Blue was right, you really are a sweetheart!”

Dream’s eye sockets widened from the sudden hug and his whole face turned a lemon yellow, his form of blushing. Y/n almost giggled at that. How adorable.

Dream enthusiastically hugged her back, face still overheated as he ducked his head shyly. “O-oh! It was nothing Y/n. I am the guardian of positive feelings. Of course I could never be mad at you for something like this. You saved my life this morning too even when it was scary. Thank you." 

Y/n’s classic grin returned to her face and she patted his back. She whispered to him gratefully, her voice thick with emotion. “Well thank you Dream, I really appreciate it. And you're welcome. I couldn't let that thing hurt my new housemate." 

Dream’s blush grew brighter as he pulled away, smiling giddily at the fact that he’d managed to help her feel better. “My pleasure.”

He stood up after that and carefully urged the others towards the kitchen. “I know you just woke up Y/n but we really should leave you to rest. It will be a few days until you are back to your full strength. My magic can only do so much." 

Y/n nodded in understanding and mock saluted him. “Yes sir. I will rest, I promise.”

Dream nodded, looking pleased as he and the rest of the group went their separate ways to give Y/n her space for now. Blue was the last of them to go. He leaned down and nuzzled his cheek against Y/n’s, earning a giggle from her. “REST WELL Y/N! FEEL BETTER SOON!”

Y/n waved goodbye to him as he ran off, smiling softly to herself. “Bye… what a bunch of goofs heh…”

Now the room was silent. Y/n sat there by herself for a long while, mulling over the events of this morning. At some point Nutmeg had sauntered in and hopped into her lap, sniffing and meowing at her like she’d returned from the dead. Which in a way, she might have. He acted like he hadn't just rushed to her defense this morning. 

Y/n chuckled and stroked his soft fur. After checking her over for any remaining injuries he seemed appeased and curled into her lap for a nap.

After a few minutes with her thoughts Y/n was suddenly struck with worry for her soul. Was it damaged after an attack like that? Certainly it must be! She carefully summoned it and glanced around, just in case any of her housemates were still lingering. Thankfully they weren't.

She didn’t know why, but Y/n was always hesitant to show them her soul. It was mostly because of growing up with a family that was ashamed of it, and so she never really showed it to anyone other than doctors. But she was also just terrified of them seeing it and knowing what was wrong with her.

Monsters were way more knowledgeable about souls than humans. What if they saw it and discovered that there was something very, very wrong? Y/n had always wanted to know why her soul was this silver color, but at the same time the idea of finding out it was something horrible terrified her. 

Souls were also just an intimate thing among humans and monsters if it wasn't for medical reasons.

When she pulled it out of her chest Y/n studied it carefully. It was still that odd shimmery gray color. But thankfully it was not heavily damaged. She did notice that there were a few cracks left over from Dream’s healing, but as she watched they were slowly receding into nothing. Good. Nothing to worry about then.

Y/n sighed and put it back in her chest. Today had been horrifying to say the least. She frowned as she recalled the mysterious creature’s dead eyes staring right through her soul and shuddered. What the hell was that thing anyways? And why was it so dead set on getting me? Where did it even come from?

All of these questions plagued Y/n’s mind as she laid back on the couch and turned on the tv, picking out a random science channel to binge for the rest of the day.

One thing was for sure, she had a lot of rest ahead of her.

Chapter Text

I drew a cover for this fic for Quotev and Wattpad. Thought I'd share it here for ao3 readers :3

I'm still new to this website but I'm pretty sure fanfics don't have covers here? Feel free to tell me otherwise though 👍

-

Y/n sighed as she switched through TV channels with a bored look on her face. She had taken some time off of work so that she could finish healing. 

Yesterday was so eventful, but today had absolutely nothing going on. At first she planned on still working from home while recouping but Berry was insistent that she get real rest. He wouldn’t take no for an answer so Y/n begrudgingly agreed to take the whole week off.

Her injuries were doing much better. She was practically healed by now, but her abdomen still ached and she was always exhausted. All the magic healing seemed to have taken a toll on her body.

She quietly admitted that she could use some TLC anyways since all she did was work these days. The anxiety of wanting to finish the machine kept her busy for longer than was really required at work. She could use a break.

But it was still really boring when all Y/n could really do was lounge around. None of the boys let her leave the couch or her room, depending on where she was resting. They’d bring her meals as if she were near death and bedridden. To be fair, she almost had been. But now she felt fine! Just a little weak is all.

Plus it was SO BORING just sitting around and nothing good was on TV right now. Y/n inwardly groaned and burrowed her head in her arms. Soooo booooooored… My brain feels like it's melting! For fucks sake I can at least do some sort of hobby like play a video game. My arms aren’t going to fall off. Why are they so overprotective anyways? I almost died sure but I’m ok now. I guess they do need me alive to get them home…

The moment that thought entered Y/n’s mind she immediately felt guilty. That wasn’t fair. They were her friends. Of course they wanted her to be ok. Even Dream, though she hadn’t known him for long. But to her surprise he ended up being the most strict about her moving around. I guess he is the one who healed me and should know what I should be doing to get better faster. But still! This is the most under stimulating day of my life!

A soft material was suddenly draped over her head, causing her train of thought to be interrupted. Y/n grunted and opened her eyes to see nothing but darkness because of the blue blanket that had been unceremoniously thrown over her. “What the fuck..?”

A familiar deep chuckle reached her ears and she rolled her eyes, even though she knew her attacker couldn’t see it. “Ha ha very funny.”

Y/n grabbed a fistful of the fabric and pulled it off of her, sighing in relief when the world got brighter again. Sans was standing right behind the couch with a soft grin. Amusement danced in his eye lights, but his expression was kind. “Hehe sorry, couldn’t resist. You were so wrapped up in your boredom you didn’t even notice me sneaking up on ya.”

Y/n snorted at the pun while simultaneously trying to look outraged. It didn’t work and Sans fell into another bout of laughter. Y/n couldn’t help but join in, his laughter was always contagious. Once he’d finally calmed down Sans’ expression softened again. “Look hun, I’m sorry this is tough for you, but if Dream says you need to rest, then you definitely need to rest.”

Y/n sighed and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, accepting his offering. He looked pleased about that. She hated that he was right, but couldn’t deny that she was not the magical healing expert. “I know… It's just…”

She sighed again. Why was it so hard to express exactly what she was feeling right now? Ugh this is so frustrating…

Sans, after realizing that this conversation was bordering venting territory, quickly teleported next to her on the couch and hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Despite being made of bone he was very cozy.

Y/n hesitated for a split second, then slowly eased herself against him and laid her head on his shoulder. Sans stiffened up a little, but quickly relaxed and placed his chin on the crown of her head while she got her words together.

“I guess I’m just… not used to relaxing? I don't know the last time I ever took a day off that wasn’t because of a crisis and was just a day for me. Even on weekends I’m always running around doing something work or house related. Sitting still isn’t really my thing and I tried looking for something to watch but nothing is really keeping my attention right now. Basically, I am not used to just letting myself relax. I always need to be doing something or I’ll start thinking about stuff and it stresses me out. Does that make sense?”

Sans hummed in response and took a few minutes to think of what to say. Y/n just now noticed that while she’d been talking, he started combing his phalanges through her hair and over her scalp. It was comforting. Her eyes lidded and she relaxed against him even more, enjoying his warmth.

Sans spoke up after a short while, his voice soft. That was another thing Y/n liked about him, he was like a calm creek in the middle of the chaos. Soft, gentle, quiet. And apparently a great listener.

“I actually have the exact opposite problem as you. I’m never doing anything. I know I don’t look it, but I was actually a gifted kid back in the day. Straight A’s, super big science nerd. I had a lot of promise. I still have all that knowledge and passion for learning. I guess somewhere along the way I stopped applying myself. Got lazy. But I sorta get it. You’re scared of stopping because then you’ll have to think. I’m scared of starting because of all the risk that comes with trying. The anxiety is kinda similar in a way. But you know, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking time for yourself, and facing the emotional issues is healthier than avoiding them. So how about a deal? You start letting yourself relax a little, I’ll try to do more with my life. Sound fair?”

That was… Actually very wise. It kind of shocked Y/n, hearing it come from the comedian. But she had a feeling deep down he was way more competent than he liked to let on. Something about the way he talked about himself irked her though. There was something more to him “just being lazy.” She had a feeling it went a little deeper than that.

Sans always seemed a bit sad to her, but he always covered it up with his jokes. She wouldn’t push though, these things needed to be handled delicately.

“Alright fine. I’ll try if you do. Thanks Sans, for everything.” Y/n murmured gratefully. She appreciated Sans and all he did for her in his own, quiet way. She couldn’t see it from how they were situated, but Sans’ cheeks were tinged the slightest shade of blue and his eye sockets crinkled at the edges in a genuine smile.

“'Course, no problem hun. Oh by the way, Paps and Melody wanted to come over today, especially after hearing about what happened to you. Is that ok?”

Y/n perked up at the mention of Sans’ sweet younger brother and her bff. She could definitely use their optimism and adorable faces right now. “Of course they can come over! I’d love to see them.”

Sans hummed in response, looking happy about something. “I’m glad you two like each other. Papyrus is very fond of you, you know.”

Y/n’s eyes widened in slight surprise. “Oh yeah?”

Of course Papyrus was an absolute gem, but she hadn’t expected him to become so fond of her as quickly as he did. She’d assumed he was like that with everyone. Awww! Cute!

“Yep. Likes you a lot. Platonically of course.” Sans responded, popping the ‘p’ sound at the end. He slowly (reluctantly) pulled out of their cuddle session to stand up and stretch, sighing when his bones gave a little shudder. Y/n tried her best not to look like she was staring at his bones in fascination every five seconds. Why do they even need to stretch? They don’t have muscles? ARGH SO MANY QUESTIONS BUT I FEEL LIKE IT’D BE WEIRD TO ASK.

Sans, completely oblivious to Y/n’s torturous curiosity, turned to smile down at her. “I’ll go let my bro know then. They'll probably come over later in the afternoon. Have fun resting kiddo.”

He winked at her playfully and Y/n wrinkled her nose back at him. He only chuckled and teleported away in the blink of an eye. Whatever…

Just as Y/n was about to snuggle further into her blankets and turn back to the TV, Berry and Blue walked up to her together. Y/n rose an eyebrow when she saw that Berry was holding an odd looking beverage in a teacup while Blue had an entire meal on a tray that was fit for a king. It looked…. Not quite as burnt this time. Actually it looked pretty good, especially considering all the practice he’d gotten.

The smell wafted over to Y/n’s nose. It smelled delicious!! Her stomach growled loudly, suddenly reminding her that she hadn’t eaten lunch and it was already 2:00. Whoops. Berry reached her first as he was carrying a lighter load. He held the teacup out to her and looked the other way sheepishly. “WE HAD A FEELING YOU WOULD FORGET TO EAT AND WE DIDN’T WANT YOU GETTING UP ANYWAYS BECAUSE OF YOUR CONDITION SO… I MADE YOU MONSTER TEA TO REPLENISH YOUR ENERGY AND DULL THE PAIN.”

Y/n slowly took the cup from his hands, her fingers softly brushing against his. His fingers flinched back and his cheeks reddened considerably from the contact, but Y/n was too busy enjoying the warmth of the cup against her fingers to question him about it.

He’s probably just embarrassed that he’s doing something nice. What a cutie pie! When he noticed Y/n’s shining eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest and threw an accusatory glance in Blue’s direction. “D-DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! IT WAS HIS IDEA I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN’T BURN ANYTHING IS ALL!!”

Y/n bit back a grin and nodded, then turned to Blue as he set the tray on the coffee table with a happy smile. He seemed proud of himself these days as he’d been practicing “human cooking techniques.”

“Well thank you, both of you. I really appreciate it. You’re both very sweet.” Y/n’s thanks was like honey to the soul for them. Blue’s reaction was a lot more obvious: he had a sappy grin plastered on his face and half lidded eyes full of adoration for the girl.

Berry sputtered indignantly and tried to cover the pleased smile that was fighting its way onto his face. “I-IT WAS NOTHING HUMAN! STOP TREATING IT LIKE IT'S SOME SORT OF HUGE DEAL ALL I DID WAS MAKE YOU TEA! GOOD DAY!”

He quickly made a break for it and Y/n chuckled to herself as she watched him go. Blue simply ‘tsked’ and shook his head with his hands on his hips. “HONESTLY THAT SKELETON… SO SILLY…”

He turned to Y/n with a bright smile. “ANYWAYS, YOU’RE VERY WELCOME Y/N! I’M ALWAYS HAPPY TO COOK FOR YOU! YOU’RE GOING TO NEED YOUR STRENGTH IF YOU WANT TO GET BETTER QUICKER. OH AND…” He lowered his voice to a whisper and Y/n leaned in close to listen to him. “Just between you and me, it was actually Berry’s idea. He’s just too shy to admit it!”

Y/n burst into a fit of giggles at that. Of course…“Seriously? Pft- what a dork. I really am grateful though. You’re such a sweetheart for doing this for me.”

The blue returned to his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his vertebrae shyly. “AW SHUCKS! IT WAS THE LEAST I COULD DO SWEET PEA. ANYWAYS ENJOY YOUR MEAL! DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR CHORES EITHER, I GOT IT COVERED!”

Y/n was already stunned by the nickname but she was even more shocked when he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her forehead. When he pulled away he made the ‘mwah!’ sound and promptly left, whistling to himself.

Y/n just sat there, dumbfounded. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire and she pressed her face into her hands to try and cool it off. She laughed quietly to herself after she’d recovered. Those damn charming skeletons! I’m getting spoiled today! I wonder why? I mean it's sweet and I love it but this does seem a bit much, not in a bad way. Hmmm… Maybe I should do more research on monster customs.

Y/n grabbed the tray of food and took an experimental bite out of one of the dishes. Blue’s food was DELICIOUS! The flavors melted on her tongue and she savored every bite. Somehow the meal warmed her insides and melted away her sour mood.

Berry’s tea was incredible as well. It immediately soothed her aching joints and helped her feel more energetic as he’d said it would. Y/n sighed happily and rubbed her finger over the rim of the cup while she enjoyed it sip by sip.

When she’d finished Y/n discarded the empty dishes into a pile on the coffee table for later. She doubted the boys would let her even clean it up even though the kitchen was a short walk away. She rolled her eyes at the thought. What a bunch of goofs.

A few minutes later Y/n was visited by another one of the boys, this time Ink. In his arms were several of her favorite activities, which she guessed he’d stolen from her hobby room. He had a big grin on his face as he waddled over to her, trying not to let the objects slip out of his grip. “Hi Y/n! I thought you might be bored so I grabbed all the stuff I know you like to do!”

He dumped them all in a pile on the couch, looking quite pleased with himself. Y/n’s face lit up and her shoulders slacked in relief. Finally something to do! “Thanks Ink! You’re the best! Do you want to hang out with me for a bit?”

Ink threw his hands up in pure joy, looking delighted. “Absolutely! I’d love to partake in parallel play with you! I’ll go grab my paints!”

He ran off before Y/n could even respond. She chuckled and shook her head at that, then turned towards the large pile of activities. Hmmm… what to do first…

After shifting through the different objects Y/n’s fingers curled around a book she’d been reading for fun. It was fiction for once, she usually found herself reading scientific journals for work so this was a nice change of pace. She cracked open the book and began to read just as Ink returned with a canvas and some water colors.

Y/n was initially unsure about him having paint in her living room, but he’d already set up a towel and was already painting away. She shrugged and returned to her book. Oh well, watercolor was easy to wash out anyways.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few hours after that, neither saying a word. They didn’t have to, just sitting together was nice enough. Y/n was too engrossed in her book to notice Ink glancing between her and his painting every so often with his eye lights shifting over her, taking in every detail of her face.

She was several chapters in when Dream wandered in. She felt his presence before she saw him out of the corner of her eye: like a soft light gliding into her soul and filling it with warmth. It would take a while to get used to that. She noticed that every hour or so she’d feel him popping into the room for a few seconds to check on her. He probably just wanted to see how she was healing.

Dream’s eyelights brightened when they fell on her, and the mushy feeling in Y/n’s chest increased tenfold. His voice was soft and angelic as he spoke after crossing the living room to Y/n and her companion.

Ink was so fixated on whatever he was painting that he barely even registered anything else going on around him. Dream didn’t seem to mind, he was probably used to it anyways. “Hi Y/n! How are you feeling?”

He smiled kindly down at her and Y/n nodded to him, matching his happy expression. “Great, thanks to you! Just a bit tired and achy but that’s been going away slowly throughout the day.”

Dream looked satisfied with her answer, and relieved. “Good, I’m glad. I was worried, well, those injuries were fatal for a human and most monsters…”

Y/n flinched and glanced away. Right I almost died… She felt like she should be more shaken up from such a traumatic experience, but right now all she felt whenever she thought about it was numb. Ah well, that’s a therapy session for another day. Maybe pushing it all away wasn’t the healthiest idea, but Y/n wasn’t really known for facing her feelings.

Dream seemed to sense her train of thought because his eyebrows creased in concern and he hesitantly reached out to rub her back. Although she didn’t know him very well, Dream’s touch was soothing. It probably had something to do with his powers since apparently he was the guardian of positive feelings. Whatever that meant.

“It’s ok to not feel scared about it right away. It doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you. Just like with grief, everyone processes trauma differently. You’re not the only one who gets this way after an experience like that.”

That… actually made her feel better. Knowing that there was more than one reaction to stuff like this and that she wasn’t the only one who functioned this way. 

When Y/n’s uncle had died, she’d felt something similar to this. She’d been numb and hadn’t cried at the time. Now, whenever she thought about her uncle’s death, she got sad and cried sometimes. But originally she hadn’t felt much at all. She’d blamed her gray soul at the time.

Y/n snapped back to attention when Dream continued talking. “But, don’t be afraid to feel those emotions whenever they do come, and I’m always here to talk if you need me. I know the other boys would be happy to be there for you as well.”

There was a knowing twinkle in his eyes as he said that last bit and Y/n narrowed her eyes at him. When he didn’t elaborate she shrugged it off. Y/n swallowed thickly and her smile slowly returned to her face, weaker this time. “Thank you Dream. Really, you saved my life. I would be in way worse of a condition right now if it weren’t for you.”

Her words were so sincere and full of gratitude that Dream’s cheeks turned a soft yellow color. He fidgeted with his gloves and his smile turned bashful. “Of course Y/n, I could never let anyone die like that. And don’t forget that you saved me too! So we’re even now!”

Y/n laughed a little at that. She’d completely forgotten about throwing the chair at that creature. “Of course. Totally even. Though my attempt was more chaotic than necessary-"

“Y/n!! Look, I'm finished! Isn't it pretty- oh hi Dream!” Ink’s exclamation cut through their conversation and Y/n was immediately distracted by her more excitable housemate jumping up from the couch and dancing around like a giddy school girl. It was quite the funny sight and Y/n couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled to her lips.

Dream smiled affectionately at his friend, amusement dancing in his eyelights. “Hi Ink! What did you paint?”

Ink finally settled down enough to flip the canvas over and show it off to the two of them. Y/n gasped in amazement. It was a painting of her reading. Her posture was relaxed as she gazed dreamily down at the pages, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. Every detail was just right. There were some features in her face Ink had noticed that Y/n hadn’t even realized was there! It looked so good, it was as if he’d taken a picture of her and edited the colors to be a range of pinks, purples and blues. So pretty!

Y/n spent several minutes in complete silence, gaping in awe at his work and taking in every intricate detail. “This… wow Ink… it's beautiful!”

Y/n’s voice trembled. She’d never gotten art done of her like that before, and from a dear friend no less. It felt really special to her already. Ink’s eyelights shifted into bright stars when he saw the overjoyed look on her face.

Dream was nodding in agreement. “It's lovely Ink, as always!”

“Its seriously the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. I knew you were great at art but damn! Vincent van Gogh who? This is amazing!” Y/n had finally gotten her words back and was practically drooling over Ink’s masterpiece.

Ink snorted out a giggle at her praise and a rainbow blush dusted his cheeks. He was used to receiving praise for his art work but for some reason when Y/n did it… It felt special. “Aw shucks! For a portrait to be beautiful I need a beautiful muse to begin with!”

That elicited indignant sputtering from Y/n while Dream and Ink both chuckled at her reaction. “Y-you- you! YOU! Making me blush like that! How dare you!?”

There was no weight to Y/n’s words. Her eyes were shining and her cheeks were tinged a faint red. The nickname he’d given her was cute. Now that she thought about it, most of the boys had chosen sweet little nicknames for her. Sans called her hun, Red had always called her sweetheart, Blue recently used sweet pea, and now Ink called her his muse. It made her stomach do flips in all the right ways.

Ink had a sparkle in his eyelights that Dream had never seen in him before. It made the prince smile wider.

Ink stood still for once to wave the painting in Y/n’s face. “Weeeeell if you like it so much, its yours! It was meant as a gift for you after all! A thank you gift for being my favorite human ever!”

Y/n gasped and she placed a hand over her heart, her voice full of genuine adoration and a hint of mirth. “Awww I’m your favorite!? You’re such a sweety pie!”

Dream giggled at the nickname while Ink’s grin got broader. Oh boy, what had she awoken within him? “Of course, anything for you darling pumpkin muffin!”

Another bout of laughter from Y/n. “You’re such a dork!”

Ink snickered and turned on his heel with a mischievous grin. “You know you love me! I’ll go hang this up in your room! Come on Dream!”

“Wha- Ink!? AH-”

Y/n chuckled and shook her head as poor Dream got towed behind Ink and disappeared up the stairs. Her heart felt fuller than it had this morning. Ink’s gift meant more to her than she felt she could say. So instead she’d show him by being the most awesome friend ever!

They all deserve something nice after all they’ve done for me… Hm what to do… A few minutes later Y/n was scrolling through her phone looking for ideas when a polite knock on the door made her glance up. That must be Papyrus and Melody! Before she could stand up Sans was already at the door, giving her a wink. “Don’t worry Y/n I got it.”

The door swung open and Y/n giggled when Sans was suddenly swept into the arms of his taller brother. 

“BROTHER! IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU!” Papyrus squealed. Sans’ whole face lit up like he was a little kid during Christmas. Y/n watched them interact with a softened expression. It was obvious how much they adored one another.

Sans lightly patted Papyrus’s arm that still had him in its python grip. “Hey bro, long time no see. How've you been?”

Papyrus set the shorter skeleton down and beamed down at him as he entered the house. “I’VE BEEN DOING FANTASTIC! THE HOUSE IS FULLY SET UP AND EVERYTHING IS UNPACKED. MELODY HELPED ME DECORATE. WE SAVED YOUR ROOM FOR YOU TO DO YOURSELF. THOUGH I DOUBT YOU EVER WILL…”

Papyrus sighed and shook his head in exasperation. Sans shrugged and grinned up at him, his voice teasing as he replied. “What can I say? I’m too much of a lazybones. I wouldn’t bed on me decorating.”

“SANS!” Papyrus tried desperately to put on a disgusted face, but even Y/n could tell that he was holding in his laughter. “HONESTLY THE POOR HUMAN MUST BE LOSING HER MIND WITH YOU AROUND TO TELL YOUR AWFUL PUNS! AND WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF YOU... MY GOODNESS...”

“Nah. Sofa, so good.” Was Sans’ immediate reply. Y/n giggled softly at that. At the sound of her giggle, Papyrus’ head snapped in her direction and he gasped, barreling up to her at full speed. Sans chuckled and closed the door after Melody stepped inside, watching the both of them with brighter eyelights than Y/n had seen on him in a while.

“HUMAN! YOU LOOK TERRIBLE! IS MY BROTHER AND HIS LOOK-ALIKES TREATING YOU OK!? I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? MELODY AND I WERE HORRIFIED WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!” Papyrus bombarded her with so many questions Y/n could hardly keep up. She opened her mouth to reply but his focus immediately switched to the area she was resting in. 

Melody stepped inside with a box of Y/n's favorite sweets in one hand. She had been waiting patiently at the door while the brothers reunited and could now give Sans a big hug. Y/n's attention was taken back by Papyrus when he gasped in horror. 

“GOODNESS GRACIOUS LOOK AT THIS MESS!” He tsked and started collecting all the trash and empty dishes that were piled up on the coffee table. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned moments later with Y/n’s favorite drink. She took it gratefully and watched with an amused smile as he started fussing around her and rearranging the pillows and blankets she’d turned into a sort of nest.

“It's good to see you too Paps haha!” Papyrus seemed to delight in the nickname. He finally settled down next to her and patted her head. “I AM VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT Y/N! WE REALLY NEED TO HANG OUT MORE OFTEN!”

Y/n realized with a prick of guilt that they hadn’t gotten together since grabbing Sans’ things. That was over a month ago. “Aw shoot Papyrus. I’m sorry, everything has been crazy since we last saw each other. I now have 6 roommates.”

Papyrus hummed in reply as he fiddled with the remote, flipping through channels and looking like he was a man on a mission. “ITS QUITE ALRIGHT HUMAN! I UNDERSTAND YOUR JOB IS MORE TIME CONSUMING THAN MOST. I AM GLAD YOU ARE TAKING MORE TIME TO REST! AND I HEARD ABOUT THE OTHERS FROM SANS. THEY SEEM LIKE… VERY COLORFUL CHARACTERS.”

Y/n giggled at his comment. She cracked open her drink and sipped on it thoughtfully. “You could say that.”

Melody finished her little chat with Sans and immediately rushed to Y/n's side to pull her into a tight hug. Y/n's face was pressed up against her chest and she giggled into her friend's hoodie. "Oh my gosh Y/n! I was so scared when I heard what happened! Are you really ok? I brought you a get well present!"

Y/n 'awed' and sat back to smile gratefully up at Melody after being released. She took the box and set it on the coffee table next to her drink. She was practically salivating at the sight of them, but wanted to get comfy first. "Thanks girl! I really appreciate it! And I'm fine, honest. I just need rest." 

Melody's face softened and she sat on Y/n's other side, sandwiching her between both skeletons. She wrapped an arm around Y/n's shoulders and rested her head against Y/n's. "I'm so glad you're ok. I don't know what we'd do without you. If rest is what you need, we'll keep you company!"

Y/n giggled and snuggled further into the couch. It warmed her heart to know that there were people who cared this much about her. Hopefully someday I can do the same for them. "Awww you're all a bunch of creampuffs! I could really use the company." 

Papyrus cheered when he found what he was looking for: a 3 hour long marathon of one of Mettaton’s older shows that he’d filmed while still Underground. Y/n laughed a little at that. Of course she should have known he would pick this. She’d actually never seen this one, but all of Mettaton’s shows were hilarious so she knew she wouldn’t regret it.

Y/n glanced up at Papyrus, then down at the blanket Sans had tossed on her. After some inner debate, Y/n offered Paps some of the blanket. He gasped and his face twisted into the happiest expression Y/n had ever seen on another person. That expression alone was enough to make her heart melt.

He scooted closer to Y/n and fixed the blanket so that it was around all three of their shoulders and they were sitting close to one another in a friendly snuggle cocoon. Y/n grinned to herself and turned her attention back to the TV. Best day ever.

Sans, who had been silently watching their interactions with an amused expression, chuckled under his breath and sauntered over to join them. He wanted to get in as much time with his brother as he could before they had to part ways again. With a content sigh he eased himself onto a nearby chair.

The Mettaton show was actually very entertaining. The over the top drama and weird plotlines easily pulled Y/n into watching several hours worth of the show with her friends. Sans had fallen asleep only a few minutes in of course, but Papyrus and Y/n screamed at the TV so many times it was impressive he hadn’t even twitched.

“OH COME ON! NOT HIM! GURL YOU COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER!” Y/n was currently raging at the monster girl on screen, having to choose between two guys while Mettaton watched the drama like a vulture.

Papyrus nodded in agreement and shoveled popcorn into his mouth. “EXACTLY! THAT GUY IS SO RUDE!”

"MEN ARE OVERRATED GET A GIRLFRIEND INSTEAD!" Melody joined in on the rage fest between bites of..  was that jello? 

“Pft… You both seem like you’re really into it huh?” A gruff voice sounded from behind the couch. Y/n looked up and met Red’s grinning face. He stood with a bottle of mustard in his hand, so he’d probably come from the kitchen and ended up gravitating over to the TV to see what all the commotion was about and was pulled in by the outrageous plotline as well. It is a trap that one can never escape.

Y/n giggled when he glanced down at her and winked. His eyelights had been trained on Papyrus until just now. Y/n noticed a flash of fear in his eyelights when looking at the younger brother before he relaxed and his grip on the mustard bottle lessened.

Y/n probably should have guessed that the others would have mixed reactions to their brother look-alikes. Red seemed… Afraid. Y/n did not like that at all. Family was meant to make you feel safe. I wonder if the others seeing Papyrus will make them sad since they can't see their own brothers?

Y/n shook her head and pushed the thought away, returning to the present. Right now wasn’t the time to be worrying about something that hadn’t even happened yet. “Yeah! This one guy is a total asshole but the girl keeps picking him! Can you believe it!?”

Red huffed out a chuckle. “I actually can. Us bad boys always get the girl.~”

His tone was joking and he winked at Y/n. Melody scoffed in the background. She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the screen.

Y/n smirked up at him. “Yeah yeah whatever you say… Are you gonna stand there or are you gonna sit down? It's obvious you want to.”

Another chuckle. “Whelp… you convinced me sweetheart. Guess I have no choice now.”

Red sat down heavily next to Y/n, elbowing Melody's side and forcing her to make room. The skeleton woman made an outraged noise but didn't protest further, not wanting to cause problems while Y/n was resting. Something about the way Red interacted with her made Y/n think he might know her. He was way too familiar and comfortable. Maybe they're frenemies in his au? 

Red shot a nervous look at Papyrus, but the sweet skeleton only smiled kindly at him. That got him to visibly relax. Red hummed and draped an arm over Y/n’s shoulders, then snaked his other arm over her waist. Papyrus made a face at the way Red was staring at Y/n with half lidded eyes, but didn’t comment further. Melody was looking between Y/n and Red with a knowing smirk, ignoring the glare Y/n sent her way. 

Y/n sighed in content and leaned into Red’s side, to his obvious delight. He took that as the go ahead to tug her a little closer and pressed his nasal ridge into her shoulder. The hairs on the back of Y/n’s neck tingled but she found that she actually liked the attention and thus did not make any move to get away. (Red really liked that too, if the purr rumbling in his throat said anything.)

A few minutes later Y/n was practically sitting in Red’s lap. She had no idea how he managed to do that without her noticing but now she was rearranged so that she was sitting sideways on his femurs, with her legs sprawled out onto Melody, who was happily tracing shapes into her skin. Apparently something about the softness of human skin fascinated skeletons.

Red’s arms were wrapped around her middle, resting on her stomach. His purring had not stopped. His eyes had lidded even more and he looked about ready to doze off. His face was pressed into her hair too. It was the most adorable thing Y/n had ever seen him do! She was leaning into his stomach, snug as a bug. She was also starting to get a bit drowsy now that she was so comfortable.

Papyrus’s sudden gasp snapped her out of it momentarily and her head jerked up, looking around blearily. Red grumbled under his breath and tugged her closer. Papyrus was looking down at his feet with bright eyes. Y/n followed his gaze and saw the tips of furry ears poking out in front of the couch. “KITTY!!!”

Y/n ‘awed’ at his reaction, then smiled sleepily at Nutmeg who was wriggling his butt and getting ready to hop on to the couch. “Hey Nutmeg. Here to join the party?”

A soft “mrr” was her only reply. He hopped up into her lap and immediately found the coziest spot between her legs. It was the perfect spot so that he was snuggling with her and still in arms reach for Papyrus to gently comb his phalanges through his long fur. Nutmeg soon drifted off, purring like mad.

Somehow having him close to her made Y/n feel loads better. His vibrating purr on her legs was comforting, and it felt like all her aches were fading away slowly. I guess his snuggles are just that good, magic cat!

Y/n relaxed back into Red with a tired smile on her face. This was nice. Getting snuggled by Red and Nutmeg, and having Papyrus, Melody, and Sans’ sweet company. Plus all the cute things the boys did for her throughout the day. They were all so thoughtful. It made her feel like the most comfortable, safe, and loved person on the planet.

A part of her hoped this would never end.

-

Dream was watching the cute scene from the top of the stairs. He’d managed to escape Ink after helping him to hang up Y/n’s portrait in her room. The silly skeleton had immediately gotten distracted by something else.

He watched as everyone’s auras were soothed in the company of each other's. Especially the human’s. Her soul, usually stormy and worried, went still, like a raging tornado easing into clear skies. She felt safe and happy with them.

He liked her aura. Though it was cluttered with a lot of different worries at once, beneath it was a good heart that cared deeply for others. It was rare compared to what he had seen of the multiverse.

There was something odd about it though, something he’d never felt from anyone else. It was pulsating with a kind of aura Dream had never seen before. I wish I knew what it meant!

Red was also positively affected by Y/n’s company. His aura, usually angry like a raging wildfire, had been soothed considerably. It leaned as close to Y/n’s aura as it could get. Sans’ too, though he was asleep right now. His usual cold despair Dream always sensed from him was filled with something softer, warm. It was nice to see after everything that man had been through.

Dream leaned over the railing, returning his attention back to Y/n. She was asleep now. Her face was relaxed and peaceful. Dream felt a happy little tug at his soul. Her face was so cute! He hoped the sweet dreams he had been giving her since he got here were helping her to rest better. She deserved it after all.

With a quiet sigh, Dream turned and walked down to the library, hoping to find something on human souls. Whether you’re aware of it or not Y/n, you’re doing more for us than you think.

Chapter Text

Today Y/n had a bounce in her step as she made her way down to the kitchen. Dream had given her a clean bill of health last night and what better way to celebrate than going to do something fun?

It was the weekend now, Y/n had been stuck at home for the entire week, and she was itching to go outside and hang out with her roommates/kidnapees/friends. She had to return to work on Monday so she wanted to take the opportunity while she still had time.

Besides, she’d been meaning to do something nice for the boys since they’d all been taking care of her. While she was cooped up she had scoured the internet and found something she thought they might enjoy, especially those who had never been to the surface before. Plus summer was slowly coming to an end and this was definitely a summer activity.

So now she was entering the kitchen with an excited smile on her face. To her surprise the boys were already all in there. She’d expected to find just one or two. But this is perfect! I don’t have to summon them!

Sans was the first to spot her. He glanced up from his smoothie and brightened the moment their eyes met. “Mornin’ hun. Glad to see you smiling more.”

Five more pairs of eye lights immediately swiveled in her direction and each skeleton smiled in turn. Y/n smiled giddily back and happily accepted the strawberry smoothie handed to her by Blue. “Thanks! Actually I’ve been meaning to ask you all something, and it's totally chill if anyone isn’t interested…”

Y/n distracted herself by stirring her smoothie with the swirly straw that came with it. (She completely forgot she owned those, where did Blue even find them?)

It wasn’t that she expected them to be opposed to the plan, but she still got nervous when asking ANYONE to go anywhere with her. At least she was trying more often now!

Red rose an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair to stare at her curiously. “What’s up sweetheart?”

Y/n resisted the urge to squeal at the cute nickname. She’d done it by accident once and that was all Red needed to keep doing it for the rest of his natural life. She still remembered the quiet pause that came afterwards and the way he’d stared at her like she was a fuzzy little kitten who’d just squeaked at him.

Anyways, back to the present, Y/n looked back up to find all the skeletons staring at her now. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. Chill out Y/n you got this! It's not like you’re asking them all out on a date!

That particular idea was funny enough to ease her worries, so she blurted it all out in one sentence that she wasn’t even sure was comprehensible.

“So I’m all healed now and I wanted to go do something fun with you guys and I saw that the amusement park in the next town over is having a summer deal plus it has a waterpark too so if we left soon we could go on all the rides and then when it gets hot go in the water if that sounds fun to you guys no pressure if not though I just thought it might be fun?”

The boys all slowly blinked, taking a few seconds to process the jumble of words that had just come out of her mouth. Y/n sipped on her smoothie as she waited and smiled wider at the taste. This is fantastic! I’m so proud of Blue! He’s gotten so good and making these!

Blue tended to obsess over a specific recipe each week, this week’s was smoothies apparently. He’d been experimenting too, from strawberry banana to peanut butter and nutella. Most of them were great but others… Y/n tried to wipe the apple blackberry one from her memory.

“AN AMUSEMENT PARK? WHAT’S THAT?” Blue tilted his head in confusion and stared at her with his big beautiful eyes. Y/n would have smacked her forehead if she wasn’t holding a smoothie right now. Actually knowing her, she was surprised she hadn’t done it regardless.

“Right! Not all of you have been to the surface. An amusement park is kind of like a carnival, but way bigger and with these awesome roller coaster rides. Plus food and games. A water park is similar but its all water related rides and slides and I saw there’s a wave pool too!”

Ink and Blue’s eyes glowed brighter the more Y/n described it to them. Even Berry and Red looked down for it. Ink was practically vibrating in his seat as he slurped down the smoothie faster than any sane person would recommend. “An amusement park sounds awesome! We should absolutely go! Agh- brain freeze…”

Y/n giggled when Ink laid his head on the table. Blue was nodding vigorously in agreement. That was two down, what about the rest? Red was scratching his jaw, trying to look like he wasn’t as excited about it as he actually was.

He smirked at her with half lidded eyelids and Y/n could tell whatever came out of his mouth next might convince her to throw her smoothie at his face. “Does a water park mean you’re gonna wear a bathing suit?”

Y/n sighed and rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight the grin that was working its way onto her lips. “Yes Red… We’ll all bring our bathing suits…”

“I’m convinced!” Red barked out a laugh at everyone’s deadpan expressions. Berry huffed and shook his head, looking annoyed at Red’s behavior but simultaneously used to it by now. It didn’t help that Berry’s brother acted so similar.

He then crossed his arms and looked to the side, also trying to hide his very obvious excitement at going to such a place. “I SUPPOSE, IT COULD BE FUN TO GO TO THIS HUMAN THING. FINE I’LL GO WITH YOU, BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU ASKED!”

Red chuckled lowly and Berry snapped his head in his direction with a confused glare. “Come on, no need to deny that you’re just as excited to see our human in a bathing suit~”

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUS-”

“ANYWAYS, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean I’d love to go but you just got healed and a place like that might get too exciting.” Sans interrupted before a real fight broke out. He looked at Y/n with a gentle expression and Y/n understood where he was coming from. He was simply worried about her after everything that had happened. 

Berry shut his mouth with an angry growl but said no more, only hiding in his bandanna with an embarrassed blush covering his skull. Red sat back with his arms behind his skull, looking extremely proud of himself.

Y/n turned to Dream, who had kept quiet during the entire conversation. When he saw her pleading expression he smiled and turned to the rest of the skeletons, who had gone silent at Sans’ expressed concerns.

“Actually, Y/n is perfectly capable of going out and doing something like that. She’s completely healed by now, and it’ll be good for her to be out and about. Plus I would love to go, it sounds fun! I haven’t had a vacation in centuries!”

Y/n smiled gratefully at him and mouthed ‘thank you’ to him. He smiled back and gave her a thumbs up with a wink. In return she decided not to comment on his concerning lack of days off.

Sans mulled over this information for a moment before standing up and grinning happily at her. “Alright then it's settled. Let's go to the amusement park!”

Y/n squealed and surged forward to pull him into a hug. “Yay! This'll be so much fun, and everyone’s coming!”

Sans nervously chuckled and hugged her back with some blue covering his cheeks. His hands inched down to her waist while he had the opportunity. The others just looked away with their own shy blushes, not expecting Y/n to be so excited about them all hanging out.

After Y/n pulled away (a little too quickly in Sans’ opinion) she ran off to go buy the tickets and pack everything they needed. This is going to be the best day ever!

After a quick shopping trip to buy Dream some swim trunks, they were on their way to the park! Dream was the only one Y/n hadn’t had the chance to take shopping due to the uh... incident, so he’d been sharing clothes with Blue as they were best friends and remarkably the same size.

Y/n thought they might as well kill two birds with one stone while they were at it! So the bag of new clothes would sit in the car until they got home.

It took a while for Y/n to find a good parking space, but she did eventually find one near the back. The others all hopped out and grabbed their backpacks (or a backpacks they borrowed from Y/n).

Y/n locked her car and took out the seven tickets she had printed out from the website. She was bouncing on her toes in excitement. She hadn’t been to a place like this in forever. Probably not since her uncle took her to Magic Mountain for her birthday.

This amusement park was jointly owned by a monster and a human. The monster handled the waterpark side and the human was in charge of the amusement park part. It was also relatively new. It was nice to see humans and monsters working closely together and succeeding. It filled her with hope that things were slowly but surely turning around for monsterkind.

The group approached the front gates together. Sans was filling the rest of them in on everything to expect while there, and now even Berry had shed his sour disposition in favor of staring in awe of the bright colors and decorations.

Most of the boys had been to the surface already, but many hadn’t gotten the opportunity to go to a place like this. Y/n was excited to show them something this fun for the first time.

They got to the ticket booth and each handed in their ticket to get scanned. Then everyone walked through the metal detectors and got their bags searched. Berry was offended they even had to search him until Y/n soothingly reminded him that this was policy for everyone entering the park and that it was for the safety of him and everyone coming here to enjoy the park. He relented after that.

Now that they were officially inside Y/n couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. She turned back to the rest of the group with sparkling eyes and they all softened at her happy expression.  It had been a long time since they'd seen it. "So! What should we check out first? Sadly we cant split up because this place is much too big but we can all take turns picking what to do."

Sans pulled out some maps he had snatched from the front and tossed them to everyone. Y/n barely caught hers and covered it up by opening it as quickly as possible.

She hummed to herself and studied the map, taking in everything and looking for the craziest rides. Those had always been her favorites. She had fond memories of trying to take on every single ride at Magic Mountain with her uncle in one day and leaving with a belly ache.

Thankfully, this park wasn't too big and still new, so there weren't as many rides open just yet. There was enough to have a full day of fun but not too much that it was overwhelming.

"How about we go in a circle and try everything that looks good? Even if some of us don't want to ride something specific, the forcefield is still big enough for us to wait for those that do. And we can do the waterpark once we start to get hot.” Sans suggested, as collected as ever.

Y/n glanced up from her map and nodded enthusiastically with the others. “That’s a great idea! I saw on a sign back there that they shoot fireworks every night, and we could aim to be at the wavepool by then so we can enjoy them there!”

“A SPECTACULAR IDEA! LETS GO FRIENDS!” Blue exclaimed, linking arms with Y/n and Ink, who linked arms with Dream as well. They all skipped off in a random direction while the calmer members of the group followed behind more slowly with small grins on their faces.

Y/n giggled as she was half dragged down the path. This was already everything she had hoped it would be, and they’d just arrived. As they got closer to the actual rides Ink gasped loudly and halted, making everyone that was in the friendship chain nearly topple over. “Oh my gosh look at that big ride! Y/n! We HAVE to ride that! It looks suuuuuper fun! Look at the cute star design too!!”

Y/n peered over his shoulder to see what got Ink so excited. It was one of the bigger roller coasters, with huge drops and daring loops. She smirked. Perfect! This will wake us all up for sure! “Hell yeah lets do it!”

Dream didn’t look as enthusiastic. “I don't know, it looks a little scary to me.”

“Ha! You scared pipsqueak?” Red smirked and elbowed him in the side, earning a glare from the smaller skeleton.

“Red leave him alone! If he doesn’t want to ride it he doesn’t have to.” Y/n chastised. She then turned to smile at Dream, who shot her a grateful smile in return. “You can stay here and watch our bags if you want. But if you ever change your mind, you’re welcome to join us.”

“Ok! Thanks Y/n.” Dream took everyone's bags and happily trotted over to a retaining wall that housed a lovely purple tree. He sat down and immediately started a delightful conversation with a mom guarding a stroller. He'll be ok for a little while. 

Ink cheered and grabbed Y/n’s arm, dragging her in the direction of the line. The others followed closely behind. The line wasn’t too long, surprisingly, especially since it was the summer. But maybe Y/n was just lucky enough to go on a slow day.

Whatever the case, she didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and happily got in the front row seat with Ink when it was their turn. Blue and Berry sat together just behind them while Red and Sans took the very back. (Something about the back being the most fun?)

After a few safety checks the coaster started to slowly pull them out into the sunshine. It began its climb up to the first drop and Y/n and Ink were both wriggling around their seats in anticipation.

They finally got to the top of the drop. Seconds before they would plummet to their doom, Ink turned, looked Y/n dead in the eyes, and spoke with a voice full of mischief. “My seat isn’t fully buckled.”

“Wha-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Y/n shrieked as they dropped down at crazy speeds. Wind whipped her hair everywhere and her stomach did that fun little flippy thing. She could hear Blue and even Berry’s shrieks of terror right behind her. And further back, Red and Sans’ giggling.

Eventually the coaster finished its drop and sped off in a random direction, taking them all over the area. Y/n turned back to Ink, breathless. “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!??”

Ink was cackling like a madman. And perhaps he was. He had to yell over the sound of the wind. “I’M NOT COMPLETELY BUCKLED! THE EMPLOYEE CHECKED IT AND THEN I WAS MESSING WITH IT AND IT OPENED UP!!”

Y/n was horrified, but Ink was having the time of his life. She just shook her head and placed an arm over his chest, just in case. She doubted they’d need it, but it made her feel better.

“WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP THIS IS HORRIFYING!!” Berry practically screamed. Blue was giggling now, his initial fear gone now that he realized he was safe. “WOOOOO!”

Y/n couldn’t help it, she laughed. It was loud and clear, ringing out over the mini lake the coaster was taking them over. It was enough to quiet Berry’s previous freak out, not that she noticed.

They took sharp turns all over the place, did a few risky loops, and a few crazy drops as well. All the while Y/n and Ink were scream/laughing while holding on to each other for dear life.

The ride ended all too soon and Y/n heaved a breathless laugh as they all teetered out of the carts. “That was awesome…”

“IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYING, I LOVED IT.” Berry reluctantly agreed. It just made Y/n giggle more. Ink was bouncing around on his heels with the brightest smile Y/n had seen on him, and that was saying something. “This was a great idea Y/n! I’ve never done anything so exhilarating!”

“If you ever pull a stunt like that again I’m grounding you!” Y/n scolded him. He just shrugged with a cheeky grin, then made his escape through the exit. Y/n rolled her eyes. “It was super fun though…”

Blue nodded his head vigorously as they all walked out of the ride. Sans and Red were still hyped up from the adrenaline, though Sans was looking a tad bit green in the face. Who knew skeletons could get motion sick? “Yeah, super fun. I’ll just maybe sit out on the bigger rides until I can find my stomach. I think I left it back there.”

Red chuckled and shook his head. “Pathetic…”

Sans just side eyed him with a smirk. “You looked just as pathetic while on the ride. I heard your high pitched screams idiot.”

That got Red to shut up real quick.

They found Dream right where they’d left him, stuck in what looked to be a deep conversation with the same mom about childcare. He glanced their way as they approached and smiled kindly at them. “Hi guys! How was the ride?”

“IT WAS SO FREAKING COOL!!!” Blue exclaimed, rubbing his gloved hands together in excitement. Y/n gently patted Dream’s shoulder to get his attention. “Are you sure you don’t want to try this one? I’m fine with going again if you’ve changed your mind.”

The others looked like they were going to sit there and rest for a bit. Dream looked at the ground, unsure. He definitely looked tempted. “Oh…. I don’t know, is it scary?”

To everyone’s surprise it was Red who stepped up. Y/n smiled. He could be sweet when he wanted to be. “Oh its terrifying, but in the fun way. Sometimes its just really fun to be scared. Once the initial shock wears off, you’ll be having the time of your life.”

Dream looked thoughtful after that. Y/n decided to add her own offer, hopefully it would convince him to try. “I’ll hold your hand too if you’d like?”

THAT got his attention. And everyone else's. But they were still recovering and also figured they’d get a chance to do the same later. “R-really? That would make me feel more at ease if you’re really ok with it.”

Y/n grinned down at him, happy that she’d finally been able to convince him. “Of course! Let's go before the line gets too long.”

Y/n gently took Dream’s hand and pulled him to his feet. A goofy smile and light blush covered his face, apparently her enthusiasm was contagious. They jogged over to the line together. It seemed to go a lot faster now that it was only the two of them.

Y/n and Dream had a fun time chatting until it was their turn. They entered the cart and as Y/n was buckling and showing Dream how the seat locks worked, she noticed that he looked nervous again.

She intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed it. When he looked up at her with bright yellow cheeks she offered the most comforting smile she could muster. “Hey, it'll be ok! These are super safe and you have me to protect you.”

A giggle bubbled up from Dream's chest and he smiled brightly at her. “Then I have nothing to fear do I?”

Y/n surprised herself by blushing. She just couldn’t help it! The way he said it and the trusting look he was giving her, plus those big sparkling eyes… She covered it up with a shaky smile. “Y-yeah! See? Nothing to worry about at all.”

Dream giggled again and squeezed her hand in thanks, looking really happy about something.

The ride started and he had a bit of a death grip on her hand. During the drop he was mortified, but just as Red said, terror shifted to pure laughter and joy. He still held tightly onto Y/n’s hand, but Y/n was delighted to see the sparkle return to his eyelights. By the end of it they were both giggling messes, red/yellow in the face.

Dream helped Y/n step out of the cart and led the way back to the others. His smile turned shy as they approached the small gate. “Thank you Y/n… I really appreciate you helping me conquer my little fear.”

Y/n patted his shoulder with her other hand as the one closest to him was still in his grasp. “You’re welcome Dream, I can totally understand why roller coasters might freak people out. It was my pleasure, really. Plus I got to spend more time with you!”

Dream ducked his head bashfully. When they got closer to the others he seemed to remember that they were still holding hands and pulled away with a nervous chuckle. Y/n’s own stomach did flips.

Was it just her or did he look disappointed at not getting to hold it for longer? She smiled to herself, feeling the same. Maybe I can coax him into more hand holding later? I don’t see why we can't do it in front of the boys anyways, we’re all friends after all.

The boys all looked happy to see them as they approached. They seemed well rested and Dream looked fine, so Y/n led them to the next area after retrieving her bag.

The place they moved on to was a mini carnival. It was quite similar to the one Y/n and Sans had gone to about a month or so ago, just not as big since it was more of a side attraction.

Warmth spread through Y/n’s chest as she recalled all the fond memories they made together that day. As if he’d been summoned, Sans gently nudged her and pointed with his thumb at a dart game. “Wanna play a few rounds with me? For old times sake.”

Y/n beamed and nodded eagerly, leading the way to the one he had pointed at. “Sure! Might as well since we’re here.”

She was glad they could do something that was more his pace. He’d probably be fine on most of the rides but ones like the big coaster they just did, while he enjoyed them, seemed to jostle him around too much. She decided not to mention it, but stored it in the back of her mind to remember for later.

Blue and Ink wanted to go play other games so Y/n handed them a wad of cash and chuckled as they sped off like rabid dogs. The others stood back to chat as she and Sans approached the game they’d chosen.

It looked simple enough: throw the darts at the water balloons and pray that they actually pop. Her and Sans were even allowed to tag team it! Yippee!

Y/n paid the teenager at the front and they handed her and Sans three darts each. Not much to work with but these games were usually rigged anyways. Then they started the timer and told them to go.

Y/n eyed the board closely and readied her first shot, sticking her tongue out in concentration. She felt Dream, Red and Berry’s eyes watching her from behind, curious to see how she’d fair in a game like this.

Honestly it was a gamble whether or not she would succeed. Most of the time Y/n was a terrible shot and even worse at catching things, but lately she’d had some pretty good luck. Especially at the carnival. So she had some renewed confidence in herself.

She took aim and… the first dart hit the balloon but seemed to slide right off of its rubber surface. Y/n pursed her lips, then shrugged. It's just a game, plus you still hit it technically! Maybe put more force into it with the next throw.

Y/n heeded her own advice and to her surprise and delight, it worked! She hit the bright pink balloon near the center of the board and it popped, sending a surge of water cascading down into the tub below. Y/n pumped her fist, unable to keep the giddiness from her victory at bay. “YES!”

“Nice shot kiddo!” Sans complimented, looking at her with bright eyelights. She grinned back in delight, a faint flush on her cheeks. From the adrenaline and definitely not from the skeleton's praise. Totally.

They both turned back to the board and Sans decided to give it a go. The first dart hit a blue balloon straight on! Y/n whooped and clapped, offering words of encouragement as he tried for another. “You got this dude!”

Sans looked over his shoulder and winked playfully at her before turning back. He hit one purple balloon near the edge and then the big green balloon right in the center. Y/n gasped in awe. Damn he’s an amazing shot! Where’d he get all the practice from?

She didn’t have time to ask him though because it was now her turn with the final shot! Y/n readied her aim and focused on a little yellow balloon next to the blue one Sans had gotten earlier. It burst open with a splash and Y/n and Sans both high fived, cheering loudly now and both hyped up on the game. The employee nodded with a small grin, clearly impressed.

They pointed to the second highest rack on the prize shelf and Y/n and Sans took a moment to decide what prize to share between them. Then Y/n saw a pair of matching friendship bracelets hanging up on a lower part of the shelf. Both were made of string and had pretty patterns going down both of them. One was f/c while the other was sky blue.

Y/n patted Sans’ shoulder and nodded to the two bracelets. She could tell immediately that he loved the idea because of the way his usual grin turned further upwards and his eyelights sparkled. It was a rare occurrence, so Y/n always treasured these expressions whenever she could. At his nod, she turned back to the employee. “Um, actually, can we get those two friendship bracelets instead?”

The employee looked to where she was pointing and nodded, then fished out their hook and got them down for the two friends. Y/n thanked them and immediately put hers on, admiring the nice color and the immaculate texture of the fabric. She just now noticed as she held her wrist up to the sunlight, but a few strings had glitter in them.

Y/n giggled when Sans’ equally sparkly wrist joined hers. “These are great. Thanks for playing with me hun.”

Y/n bumped his wrist with his, earning a chuckle from him. “Of course Sans! This was fun! And I love these so much! I’ll treasure it always.”

And she would. Y/n would wear it whenever she could, or hang it up on her bulletin board when she was working. She smiled softly and brought her arm back down, rubbing her thumb against the bracelet.

“Heh… I will too.” Sans responded earnestly. He was staring down at his as well, with the same color blue from his bracelet dusting his cheekbones. They returned to the others and Red whistled, looking impressed. “Nice job sweetheart. Those bracelets are pretty sick too.”

Berry nodded his agreement and Dream just smiled, patting Sans on the shoulder to congratulate him. Y/n smiled at all of them and blushed in embarrassment. “Aw thanks guys!”

“Y/n! Look at what we won!” Y/n turned around just in time to find Ink and Blue returning with several prizes in their arms. Y/n blinked owlishly at them. How much cash did I give them!? Or are they just that good at carnival games!? Is this like a multiversal Sans thing or what?

Y/n shook her head and gave them both a thumbs up. “Great job guys! Glad you had fun!”

Blue puffed out his chest proudly at that. “MWEH HEH! WHY THANK YOU! THESE HUMAN GAMES ARE SO MUCH FUN! WHEN I GET BACK TO MY UNIVERSE I’M TAKING THESE IDEAS TO ALPHYS AND PAPYRUS AND PERHAPS WE CAN SET UP SOMETHING SIMILAR! IT’LL BE FUN!”

Y/n flinched, but nodded with a small smile. If you get back… NOPE NOT DOING THIS TODAY!

“I’m sure it’ll be lovely!” She then turned to the rest of the group. “If we’re all done with the games we should move on to the rest of the rides before it gets too hot.”

The others nodded in agreement and they all left the shade of the tree they had been standing under. Y/n found herself in the lead as they got closer to the heart of the park. She absentmindedly toyed with the bracelet on her wrist with a happy grin.

Not noticing the pair of white eyelights watching her affectionately from behind, Y/n looked forward to enjoying what the rest of the park had to offer and the water park as well!

Chapter Text

CW for sexual themes :) (my target audience has always been adults btw) 

“If we’re all done with the games we should move on to the rest of the rides before it gets too hot.”

The others nodded in agreement and they all left the shade of the tree they had been standing under. Y/n found herself in the lead as they got closer to the heart of the park. She absentmindedly toyed with the bracelet on her wrist with a happy grin.

Not noticing the pair of white eyelights watching her affectionately from behind, Y/n looked forward to enjoying what the rest of the park had to offer and the water park as well!

-

They’d gone on several more rides in the past hour or so. This one spinning ride made Sans’ apparent motion sickness worse, confirming Y/n’s suspicions about him. She still made sure that he had fun though and pointed out easier rides for him to enjoy.

To her relief everyone was having a blast. And once Dream had gotten over his initial fear of roller coasters, he was the most risk hungry one of them all. It was something Y/n hadn’t been expecting from the sweet skeleton, but to be fair she was the exact same way.

The group passed through some sort of “town square” area that had most of the restaurants, gift shops, and shows. Y/n looked around, eyeing some of the signs lined across the street. Her stomach growled when she saw some of the meals the park offered. The scent of meat roasting over a spit made her mouth water. Jeez I never noticed how hungry I was! All this fun really worked up my appetite.

She checked the time and saw that it was just before noon. When she looked around, she saw that everyone was feeling the same way. Sans specifically was staring longingly at a hotdog stand.

Y/n thought for a second. Everyone has such different tastes, and this area isn’t that big. Splitting up should be fine right? Y/n cleared her throat and got everyone’s attention. “I dunno about you guys but I’m starving! Lunch time?”

All six heads bobbed up and down in unison. Ink pumped his fists in the air, clearly excited about the prospect of food. “Absolutely! I’m practically dying over here! Where should we eat?”

All eyes turned to her expectantly. Y/n shrugged. “Weeeeell I was thinking I can give everyone money and we can split up and eat wherever. So long as you don’t wander too far there shouldn’t be an issue with the force field. Meet back here when you’re done.”

The boys all seemed happy with that idea. Y/n felt a little bit of pride bubble up in her chest. Way to go me! You solved the problem without any arguments, and everyone is happy!

Everyone looked around from where they stood, choosing their preferred restaurant. When they did, Y/n handed them some cash and eventually they would wander off. Now it was just her and Red. She glanced at him curiously. “Where do you want to eat Red?”

He shrugged, and Y/n noticed with narrowed eyes that he had a sly smirk on his face. “Dunno… Was thinking you an’ me could go somewhere together.”

Y/n’s eyes narrowed even more when he feigned innocence. Did he wait for everyone else to leave on purpose so he could spend some alone time with me? Actually that didn’t sound too bad. Red was fun to hang out with and she ought to spend more individual time with her friends anyways. Why not just humor him this one time? 

Y/n grinned at him and pocketed the money she had been ready to give him. “Alright sure, why not?”

Red’s eyelights lit up and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He looked surprised. “R-really? I mean- yeah sure, you can pick where we eat sweetheart, I’m not picky.”

Y/n giggled and looked around, going over the different options she saw. One sign in particular caught her eye. It was one of the shows, but they served you a meal while watching it! Would we be keeping the others waiting for too long? It is only 30 minutes… Fuck it.

“What about that? It looks like a fun little medieval show and they serve food while we watch. Sound good?” Y/n pointed towards the building she was referring to. Red actually looked kinda interested in the whole idea. “Sure, looks fun. Never been to one of these before. Let's try it.”

They both grinned and Y/n grabbed his hand excitedly, running off towards the line that had formed while they were talking. Lucky for them, the next show was starting in only a few minutes!

She completely missed the flustered look Red was giving her as he let her drag him off. It kind of reminded him of how his brother would drag him everywhere, except Y/n’s method was much more gentle. And it felt more fun.

A small genuine smile formed on his lips (?) as he stopped dragging his feet and ran with her. After paying at the front Y/n and Red were led to the dining area. For a moment Y/n felt a little nervous.

The tables were the round ones people usually ate at when they were on a date and the only lighting was from the candles sat in the middle of the table. It all faced a massive stage where the show would be held.

Y/n glanced away from Red, her cheeks heating slightly. Is this technically a date? I mean he did go out of his way for it to just be him and I… No, what are you thinking Y/n!? There is nothing else going on, just two friends hanging out! Y/n slapped her cheeks when Red wasn’t looking, trying her best to snap out of it. There was no way this was a date! No way at all!

When she turned back to Red with a huff he was pulling out her chair and giving her a charming smile. Y/n’s cheeks burned as she sat down and thanked him. “What a gentleman.”

“Aren’t I always?” Red teased, his smile forming into the smirk Y/n knew well by now. All she could do was snort in reply. Red took a seat next to her and was about to make a retort but was silenced by the room going dark and instruments starting to play.

Both friends fell silent as they watched the show begin. It was as Y/n expected, a short play set in medieval times. The two main characters were a princess and her love interest the dark prince.

Y/n set her chin on her hand as she enjoyed the theatrics. It was kinda corny, but in a fun way. After about five minutes the servers came in and quietly set the food down in front of the guests.

Y/n was met with a large juicy steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and a small bowl of soup on the side. She also got some f/d and a piece of cherry pie for dessert.

Y/n was practically salivating at the sight and smell of her meal. Wow this is even better than the sign described!

Y/n happily dug into her meal as the story progressed. The princess got kidnapped by some bandits, but instead of playing the damsel in distress bit like Y/n suspected, she ended up saving herself. Then her and the prince teamed up to take down the bandit group and save both of their kingdoms.

Halfway through Y/n saw Red lean in her direction and lightly elbow her in the ribs. “Betcha five bucks they die in the end.”

Y/n nearly choked on her drink. She whisper-yelled to him in the middle of the prince’s overdramatic declaration of love. “That’s awful! Also since when do you have any money?”

Red just shrugged, giving her a sharp toothed grin. She rolled her eyes and turned in her seat to finish her meal.

But the big guy just couldn’t sit still. So he kept whispering random shit to her about the play. (At least he was paying attention!) All Y/n could do was giggle at whatever he said, which earned her a delighted grin from Red.

Before she knew it, they ended up sitting shoulder to shoulder, cracking jokes or gasping whenever a twist happened. Y/n glanced over at Red only to find that he was already looking at her. Their noses would have brushed if Red had a nose.

Her eyes widened and she stared back into his red eyelights that were studying her face closely. He had an unreadable expression on his face, and Y/n gulped nervously as his hot breath fanned over her cheeks. Ho boy….

She quickly turned away before she missed the ending of the show. Her ears burned when she heard a quiet chuckle right in her ear. Thankfully the show saved her as the prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after, all that sappy stuff she would expect for a theater filled mostly with families.

Y/n and Red both clapped when the cast took their bows. As they were exiting the theater Y/n elbowed him in the ribs with the same mischievous smirk he’d had on his face several minutes ago. “Looks like I won the bet. Where’s my money hmm?”

Red barked a laugh and shoved his hands in his pockets. His voice was full of mirth as he responded. “HA! We never made the bet official so I don’t owe ya squat!”

Y/n huffed and swatted his shoulder. “No fair! If it had been the other way around you would demand payment from me.”

“Damn right sweetheart.” Red playfully ruffled her hair and she let out a noise of indignation, which only made him more smug. Y/n quickly fixed her hair with a fake scowl. “Rude… Anyways, I thought that was actually pretty good! And the food was amazing.”

Red nodded his agreement. They were getting closer to the other skeletons, who were all standing around talking. “Yeah actually. It was nice. The ending was totally bogus though. Not enough drama. But uh…”

He paused and Y/n had to skid to a halt as his sudden stop took her by surprise. She watched in confusion as he scratched the back of his vertebrae with a hint of red in his cheekbones. “Thanks for agreeing to let me come along Y/n. The best part was getting to fuck around with you in the background.”

For some reason that made butterflies erupt in Y/n’s stomach. She felt her soul tingle and smiled brightly at him, which made his blushing worse. “You’re welcome Red, thanks for coming with me. I had a blast too! You’re really fun to hang out with once you start acting like your true self. Now come on, let’s not keep the others waiting!”

-

Y/n ran off to catch up with the rest of the group, leaving a dazed Red to stare after her with a dopey smile. He quickly recovered and trailed off after her.

Yeah… Maybe he could act more like himself up here, with no one to call him weak for expressing emotions. He shook his head and rejoined the group, smiling at Ink and Sans when they both greeted him.

Stars, what were these idiots doing to him? Y/n especially…

-

To Y/n’s relief they hadn’t kept the others waiting for too long. Everyone else's meals went on longer than expected anyways. Blue, Ink, and Dream had all gone off together for some Star Sanses time, while Sans and Berry did their own thing. Everyone was fueled up and ready to do a few more rides before moving on to the waterpark.

Y/n and Red both rambled about the show to the rest of the group as they walked, reenacting some scenes along the way. For shits and giggles Y/n played the prince and Red agreed to be the princess. (Actually it had been his idea in the first place.)

Everyone got a kick out of Red’s voice raising several octaves. Y/n was happy to see him enjoying himself more, and letting himself be more energetic around other people. It was nice to see him come out of his shell at least a little bit, especially considering how he was the first day she met him.

Y/n had managed to hold Dream’s hand again as they walked. Score one for her! His face was flushed yellow but he looked giddy to be receiving physical affection. And his hand felt nice in Y/n’s.

They all enjoyed a few more rides until they came across a carousel. Y/n could tell immediately that Blue was drawn to this ride, gushing over the cool horses and fun music. She also noticed that he hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if anyone else would want to ride it. Probably because its mostly for kids, but who cares!? He deserves the chance to ride on one for the first time. Besides these are so much fun!

Y/n lightly tapped his shoulder and nodded towards the ride. “Wanna go on that with me?”

Blue immediately looked relieved that someone else also wanted to ride it with him. "I'D LOVE TO!!"

He grabbed Y/n’s hand, unintentionally yanking her away from Dream. Y/n shot him an apologetic look as she was dragged off. The prince just giggled and waved them off, knowing how excitable his best friend could be.

The others decided to take a break while Y/n and Blue rode the ride together. They got in line just in time for their turn to start and ignored the weird looks from the parents as they stepped up onto the merry go round.

Y/n glanced around, looking for a horse to ride when Blue suddenly gasped and raced off in the direction of one horse in particular. It was a beautiful blue mare with white stripes in its mane. It looked like something straight out of Horseland. The stallion next to it was a gorgeous f/c. Y/n smiled. The perfect pair. “Nice find dude!”

“MWEHEHE! THANK YOU SWEET PEA! HERE, ALLOW ME.” Blue giggled and stood by Y/n’s horse, offering a hand out to her. She chuckled and took it, ignoring the heat in her cheeks at the nickname and gesture. “My knight in shining armor.”

It had mostly meant to be a joke, but the tinge of blue on his cheeks was everything. Ha! Revenge! Both of their blushes intensified as Blue gently set his hand on her waist in a respectable manner, steadying her as she mounted the horse. Of course, since this was a ride meant for children, she probably didn’t need the help. But it was still fun to pretend like she did.

Once Blue was sure she was on safely, he let her go, his hand stroking her waist as it slipped away. Y/n ignored the weird stuff it did to her heart as she watched him mount his own horse. He did it with some difficulty as he’d never gotten the opportunity to actually ride a real horse and Y/n realized he’d probably wanted to watch how she did it first. But when he was finally on, Y/n saw that he really did look like a knight right now. Wow…

Y/n didn’t have much time to think on it as the carnival music blared from the speakers and the ride slowly started to spin. She gripped onto the pole in front of her to hold herself steady as the ride picked up speed, watching the world fly by with a smile.

When they passed by the boys watching them with the other parents Blue waved at them enthusiastically and Y/n saluted, earning a few laughs from their audience. When they were out of sight again Blue turned to Y/n. “I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN A HORSE BEFORE! ARE THEY REALLY THIS BRIGHTLY COLORED? THE TRASH THAT FELL IN THE UNDERGROUND ALWAYS HAD PICTURES OF THEM LOOKING MORE BROWN OR BLACK. BUT I SUPPOSE THERE'S BEEN A FEW THAT LOOKED PINK AND GLITTERY.”

Y/n chuckled and turned to face him. “Actually they only come in more neutral colors. The pinks and purples are all artistic interpretation for fun! I should take you guys horseback riding sometime.”

Blue’s eyes shimmered in excitement. “REALLY? THAT’D BE AMAZING!”

Y/n nodded in agreement and mentally added that to her list of things to do. She had ridden horses a few times before, it was fun after you got over the initial nervousness. That one ranch I went to opens in the spring... "I’ll look into it.”

Blue looked ecstatic. Honestly him being enamored by horses was something she should’ve seen coming. 

They had a blast throughout the rest of the ride. Y/n listed all the facts about horses that she could remember. Being a scientist and having a horse phase as a kid, there was a lot of knowledge that was stored in her head rent free. Blue listened with a look of awe on his face.

The ride itself was fun too. Once they realized that Sans was taking pictures of them everytime they passed, Blue and Y/n started making funny faces or doing weird poses just for him. By the end of it they were both a giggling mess.

The ride finally pulled to a stop and before Y/n could even move Blue had haphazardly hopped off of his horse and ran up to help her. Y/n snorted when he bowed playfully and offered up his hand, which she took. “M’LADY.”

Y/n faked a fancy accent as she took his hand and dropped down, his hand finding itself on her waist yet again. “Oh you are such a fine gentleman! What would I do without you?”

They both laughed and got off of the ride after the employee squinted at them. Now that they were on solid ground Y/n found herself feeling a little dizzy. Maybe all the crazy rides she had been on were taking their toll. Plus it was starting to get really hot.

As they walked back to the group she noticed colored sweat dripping off of Red and Sans, more than usual anyways. Sans was giggling and swiping through the photos he took. Everyone else looked amused.

Y/n glanced over his shoulder at his phone and barked a laugh when she saw how stupid her and Blue looked. Plus one selfie of Sans and the boys making funny faces while Y/n and Blue were in the background, messing around like little kids. Blue in particular looked like he was about to fall off. Huh… Maybe that was why the employee was glaring at them… Oh that’s definitely a new contact picture for all of them.

“Send those to me later.” Y/n whispered to him and he nodded with a silly smile. Y/n grinned to herself. This is what she had wanted. Everyone getting the chance to goof off and relax. Have some fun. And she’d managed to have a great time with everyone so far.

Even Berry had made a goofy face in the picture! He was finally starting to loosen up! I’m so proud of him!

She then turned to the rest of the squad, voicing her original thoughts about the heat. “Well I’m dizzy, and I’m pretty sure we rode every ride possible. Plus I feel like I’m gonna melt into the sidewalk. Lets go get changed for the waterpark.”

The boys all cheered for varying reasons and now Red led the charge in the direction of the waterpark. His jacket was ridiculously heavy so that was probably the reason. It had been tied around his waist hours ago. Maybe Y/n should buy him something lighter for the summer and spring?

She understood how jackets were like a weighted blanket and helped calm you down. Maybe that’s why he wore it all the time despite the summer heat. 

They quickly made it to the waterpark section and Y/n split off from the group to go to the women’s restroom and change into her swimsuit. She had picked out a cute f/c top with a citrus pattern on it. She also had matching swim shorts. (Whether its a bikini is completely up to you ♥️)

When Y/n came out she was surprised to find all the guys ready and waiting. You would think the men’s restroom would get held up with so many people in there. But nope! She was the last one here. Figures.

Y/n blushed when she saw the guys in nothing but swim trunks. Sure, some of them wore t-shirts as well, but the ones that didn’t… HOT DAMN. She didn’t understand how a gaggle of skeletons could be considered sexy when they didn’t have any muscle but here we are. Maybe I’m just having a heatstroke. You’ve never had an issue like this before? Gurl what is wrong with you-

And then they turned around and Y/n had to hold in a flustered squeak. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? They’d seen her in crop tops and stuff like that before. But this bathing suit felt more revealing somehow.

I’m pretty sure the sun just melted my brain cells away. That would explain it. This is totally a scientific explanation and has absolutely nothing to do with the butterflies erupting in my stomach. Totally. Absolutely. I’m a genius.

Blue, Dream and Sans were the ones wearing t-shirts or swimshirts. Blue wore what one would typically see on someone who worked at an aquarium. It was light blue with navy blue sleeves and trim, and a few dolphins on the front. It went well with his baby blue trunks.

It was cute, but what really caught Y/n’s attention was the way the shirt tightened around his chest, making him somehow look buff? It was weird, but Y/n had to look away with a blush before she got caught staring.

Somehow Sans wearing an oversized t-shirt over his navy blue trunks suited him very well. He still managed to pull off attractive, which made no sense, but hell if Y/n knew what her preferences were.

Dream looked cute in the teal swim trunks with yellow stars she had found for him. Like Sans and Blue, he also covered his upper half, but with a (slutty) black tank top that showed off his ribs at the sides.

His arm bones gave off the illusion of him being buff and Y/n realized with a rush of fascination that the boy’s bones were much more different than the ones humans had. They were thicker and harder and in some areas made it look like they had muscle if the area was covered by clothing.

When Y/n tore her eyes away from Dream’s exposed collarbone she caught his smug look. Oh my fucking god…

Ink on the other hand had no shirt, but his bones were covered in these black tattoos. They looked awesome as they swirled around his arms and ribs. I wonder if he did that himself. He looks so cool!

Berry and Red both had no shirt, and they were the ones that really got her head reeling. The way their bones caught in the sunlight and caught her eye no matter how hard she tried to look away. They looked so large now, especially Red in particular who seemed “buffer” than everyone else.

She got that weird feeling in her stomach again and her ears reddened. How dare her thoughts betray her like this. It was VERY RUDE and she definitely WAS NOT making a mental screenshot of this moment to think about later. Nope, not at all. How DARE her boys be this attractive, it was an OUTRAGE.

It seemed like the others were having similar confusing emotions, if the mix of different colored blushes were anything to go by. Blue and Dream, who had gotten over the initial smugness once they saw what she was wearing, were staring at her in awe. Like she was a goddess sent from the heavens.

Berry’s entire face went red and he looked to the side bashfully, but Y/n still caught him sneaking glances in areas that maybe he shouldn’t be. Or maybe he should. She didn’t know how to feel yet.

Sans seemed to have a similar reaction. He tried desperately to look like the ground was the most interesting thing in the world, but white eyelights would still dart up to stare at her… *ahem* features. Thankfully she completely missed the tent in some of their shorts.

Ink grinned and gave her a thumbs up. She smiled back. Of course her lovely aro/ace companion didn’t check her out, so it was less embarrassing to have at least someone in the group not looking at her like that.

She had to admit that she liked the attention, but it was all still new to her. I mean, she hadn’t been drooled over by this many people at once before. Especially men. It felt… nice. And definitely boosted her ego quite a bit.

Ink still complimented her on her beauty, but in more of a “omg bestie you’re like the hottest person ever another day another slay work it gurl!!” kind of way. His eyelights twinkled mischievously, as if he knew something she didn’t.

Of course Red was the worst of them all. He took one look at her, smirked, and then proceeded to take in every feature with half lidded sockets. He didn't even try to hide it! His gaze traveled from her legs, to her thighs and hips, then trailed up her stomach and stayed for an embarrassingly long time on her boobs because its Red were talking about. Then his eyelights studied her collarbone and neck before stopping to rest on her embarrassed face.

He looked at her lips for a long moment before grinning devilishly. A red magic tongue materialized out of his mouth and swiped over his sharp teeth and golden fang. Y/n’s weird stomach feeling went down a little lower and she had to resist the dirty thoughts suddenly entering her brain which was RUDE. She didn’t ask for this at all. (A part of her still enjoyed it though.)

Her face reddened even further when she saw that he saw her reaction, as much as she tried to cover it up. He knew she was thinking about it! Its not like his thoughts about her were any better. But she didn’t know that. I’m going to hell for real this time.

“Damn sweetheart, didn’t know you were hiding all that from me.~” His voice startled her out of her inner arousal induced panic and she snapped back to attention, glaring at him. The others (other than Ink, who was staring at a butterfly and not paying attention) were also looking at her with varying degrees of what Red had been looking at her with, even Blue and Dream!

The woman was too stunned to speak. Is this where I die? Actually you know what, fuck it. I’ll give ‘em a taste of their own medicine! She smirked at Red, ignoring the confusion that was apparent on his face. “I could say the same about you stud muffin~ Come on let's go get wet, I’m so hot right now.”

She rushed past the flustered boys, smiling victoriously when she realized that even Red had shut up. Ha! You can dish it out but can't take it.

Ink raced to catch up with her and they both burst into a fit of giggles. “Nice one! You look ravishing m’lady.”

“Why thank you kind sir!” Y/n laughed alongside him and hooked her arm around his as they approached the first water slide. The others trailed behind them after they recovered. Red definitely wasn’t staring at Y/n’s ass the whole time I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Everyone seemed to get over it as they came across a large water slide that had tubes for two people. Red was about to pull Y/n into being his partner when Berry, to everyone’s surprise, swooped in and saved her. God bless his soul. He walked up to Y/n with a yellow tube in hand, scratching the back of his vertebrae and looking to the side. “Y/N, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE WITH ME FOR THIS ONE? IF YOU WANT TO THAT IS-”

“Of course! Let's go!” Y/n grabbed his free hand and tugged him in the direction of the stairs leading to the platform. He babbled something unintelligible as he was led away, but still looked over his shoulder to smirk at a seething Red.

The others didn’t really care. Blue went with Sans, Ink with Dream. Red sulked and decided to go solo. Not to worry though, he’d get his chance soon enough!

The line was a bit long this time. Apparently everyone else had gotten the same idea. Y/n didn’t mind too much though. She leaned against the railing and chatted with her friends until it was their turn.

Berry was kind enough to hold the tube for them as they inched their way to the front. When the lifeguard gave them the go ahead Berry set the tube on the water and got in the back of it, holding it down so that Y/n could get in. It wobbled slightly under her weight as she sat down. I wonder if Berry should be sitting in front since he’s a skeleton. Wouldn’t he be lighter?

She just shrugged it off. If the employee had an issue with it they weren’t saying anything. Initially Y/n had arched her back away from Berry, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He was still learning how to be around people after all.

But he just sighed and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her in the correct position. Both of their faces reddened as she was now leaning against his exposed ribcage. It somehow felt nice to feel him pressed up against her like this. She always assumed hard bone would have the opposite effect, but the boys were surprisingly comfortable cuddle buddies.

“Oh ok then.” Y/n mumbled. She relaxed against him, missing the flustered squeak that escaped through the skeleton’s teeth. The employee signaled for them to go and Y/n and Berry both pushed off, letting the water take them into the blue tunnel. Water rushed past them in a blur as they were suddenly sucked down into the darkness, both letting out startled yelps at the increase in speed. It eventually melted away into cheers after the initial shock wore off.

Y/n whooped and laughed, leaning further into Berry who wrapped his arms around her middle. Was he worried about her falling off or too focused on having fun to notice how tightly he was gripping onto her? The world may never know.

The two friends cheered as the slide pulled them in all directions. They bumped into the sides and sometimes even spun around to go backwards. That made both of them scream in terror/delight. Berry pulled Y/n a little closer after that.

Water sprayed in their faces as they picked up speed and dropped down a great height. The tunnel broke off into an open slide and Y/n squinted against the sunlight. She gasped when they were dunked into a large pool and cold water sprayed across her skin. 

The ride was over. Unfortunately the tube couldn’t handle the sudden change and flipped over. Berry knocked into Y/n and they splashed into the cold water, sputtering and flailing around.

Honestly Y/n should have seen this coming. Berry had to be lighter than her. She could probably pick him up and throw him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The temptation to do so was strong. But it did not win. Today.

Y/n felt a bony hand firmly grab her by the arm and pull her out. She gasped when she broke the surface, clinging onto Berry as she got a hold of her surroundings. They were still in the pool. Berry had managed to grab the tube before it escaped them. The arm helping Y/n had migrated down to her waist to keep her up.

Y/n was pressed up against him after her scramble. They stood/floated chest to chest, staring at each other in shock. Berry’s eyes fuzzed over and softened as he checked her over, unable to force down the raspberry red in his cheeks. “A-ARE YOU OK Y/N?”

Y/n nodded, her words caught in her throat. They were way too close right now… Basically nose to nose at this point. Neither of them knew what to do. Berry’s eyes had drifted to Y/n’s lips before snapping back to her e/c eyes. Did they always sparkle like that? Y/n gulped. There it was again, that weird tummy feeling. I never noticed how pretty his eyes are-

The echoed screaming and laughing coming from the slide reached their ears, but by the time they snapped out of it, it was too late. A wall of water cascaded over both of them, soaking them to the bone. (lol) Now it was Y/n’s turn to save the day. She pulled Berry out of the way just in time for a blur of blue and yellow to whiz past them.

Blue and Sans were still giggling as the tube slowed down. Since they were both basically the same size, they didn’t have a similar accident. Y/n turned back to Berry, who was muttering curses under his breath and tilting his head to let the water out of his skull. The sight made her squirm but it was also fascinating.

She laughed and pulled away from him, earning a similar awkward laugh from him. “Haha… Thanks for pulling me up. That was fun!”

Berry nodded in agreement as they both vacated the pool. He discarded the tube in the pile of them by the exit, ignoring Blue and San's floundering as they tried to get out of their tube and ultimately failed. Eventually they gave up and tipped over on purpose.

Y/n giggled as she watched them and listened to Berry’s reply. “YES IT WAS VERY… ENJOYABLE. I NEVER TRIED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, EVEN WHEN I DID GET TO THE SURFACE. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING THIS PLACE Y/N. I HAVEN’T HAD THE CHANCE TO JUST HAVE FUN IN A LONG TIME.”

Y/n nodded in understanding, happy to hear that she'd gotten the grumpiest one of them all to unwind.

Blue and Sans had to scramble out of the way just as a screaming Ink and Dream came barreling in. They both skipped up to Y/n and Berry as soon as they were out. Y/n saw the life guard shooting them a death glare since they were running around a wet pool. I’ll have to remind them next time…

“THAT WAS SO COOL! I THINK THIS WAS MY FAVORITE THING SO FAR!” Y/n grinned at Blue and Dream, who was nodding with a bright smile on his face. “I’m so glad! Waterparks are great! There’s so many other slides we need to try!”

Once everyone was together, soaking wet but pumped up, they moved on. Y/n made sure to go with Red next since he’d been abandoned last time. She had to slap his hands away before they wandered (as a joke) but otherwise he behaved. Mostly.

She partnered up with everyone at least once. The lazy river was one of the last ones they went on so they could take a break from all the walking and standing in line. Everyone relaxed in their own tubes and created a chain of friendship. Berry demanded to be in the front while Sans napped in the back. Everyone else just relaxed, joked, and chatted, ignoring the weird stares from everyone else as a long chain with six skeletons and a human girl floated past them.

Finally, it was dark. The day was pretty much over. But they had all agreed to go in the wave pool to watch the fireworks, so off they went.

Artificial waves rolled over Y/n's legs as she sat down in the shallows. A small crowd was gathered in the large body of water to watch the show. She sat back with her hands resting behind her and watched the sky light up with all the colors of the rainbow. It reminded her of that time when she watched fireworks with Sans and Ink at the carnival.

Y/n smiled to herself. That feels like it happened ages ago but it was only a few months. Things sure have changed around here.

Y/n glanced at Sans and Red, who were treading water as they watched the fireworks go off. Ink and Dream sat on either side of her, while Blue had situated himself between her legs, resting his back against her tummy. Y/n rested her jaw on the top of his skull and wrapped her arms around his middle.

The fireworks illuminated his blushing face and soft smile. He was mostly infatuated with the fireworks though. Who could blame him? They were so pretty.

Berry sat further away from everyone else, but not as much as he usually would. He seemed deep in thought about something as he absentmindedly watched the sky. Y/n was worried for a minute that the loud noises might bother some of them, especially those with darker aus, but everyone seemed completely fine to her relief.

As she sat there Y/n felt a finger graze her pinky and looked over at Dream, who was smiling kindly at her. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what was on his mind.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen some of the guys this happy in a long time.” Dream whispered in hushed tones. Y/n rose an eyebrow in surprise and whispered back. “Wait seriously?”

He nodded. “Yes. Berry, Red, and Sans especially. They’ve been more outgoing, happier. I can feel it. It's all thanks to you. And of course, having a larger friend group has helped too. But really, you’re helping all of them. I know the incident leading us all to you was horrible but to be honest, I can’t help but wonder if it all happened for a reason.”

Y/n hummed and turned back to the sky, mulling all of this over. She didn’t really believe in things like fate, but she was happy to hear that her friends were getting better. Whether or not it had anything to do with her had yet to be seen in her opinion.

She had to admit that ever since they had come here, her life held a lot more cheer. She turned back to Dream, who had been waiting patiently for a reply. “I’m glad. I’ve grown very fond of all of you, even Red and Berry haha. I think… you all do the same thing for me too. My mansion was always so empty and lonely. Except when Melody was there, but now she travels a lot. The fact that you’re all stuck with me is awful as you said but I’m still glad I met you guys. I just wish it was under different circumstances. You’re all awesome, and more kind than you give yourselves credit for.”

Dream beamed and reached out to give her a little side hug. Y/n brightened and leaned into his touch, careful not to disturb Blue. They fell into a comfortable silence after that, enjoying the rest of the show.

After the finale people started to vacate the wave pool and head for the exit. Y/n stood with Ink, Dream, Blue, and Berry while they waited for Sans and Red to swim back to them. The two weirdos had migrated to the deep end, getting distracted by the larger waves on that end.

Y/n and Blue were both shivering as they stood to the side. They wrapped their towels around their shoulders like a blanket and shuffled closer to one another. Everyone was starting to look tired. It was the end of a very long, fun day.

Finally the whole group was together so they could start the long trek through the parking lot. Y/n yawned as she reached her car, smiling tiredly to herself. Today had been everything she’d ever wanted and more.

“Hey Y/n?” Ink piped up while waiting by the passenger door, having raced the others to it this time. Y/n hummed and inserted the key into the lock. “Thanks for today. We all had so much fun! We should definitely do stuff like this more often.”

Y/n glanced up from messing with the door and saw all of the boys smiling at her, their eye lights brighter than she’d seen them in ages. Her heart softened and she nodded in agreement. “Absolutely! I haven’t had this much fun in years! Next time I get the chance we can make plans or something. For now, it's been a long day. I’m ready to pass the fuck out the second I get home.”

“You and me both kiddo.” Sans was practically falling asleep on his feet. Y/n chuckled and unlocked the car, pulling herself into the driver's seat while the others piled inside.

The drive home was silent, but comfortable.

Chapter Text

The aquarium was always bustling with people at this time of day. Families, kids on field trips, a few couples here and there... But you were here alone.

It was a random Saturday, and you finally got a break from work. Usually that meant vegging out in your apartment for hours, binging your favorite shows. But today you felt antsy. You wanted to actually go out and do something for once. So you did. 

You’d been living at this seaside town for several years, but had never actually gone to the renowned aquarium that was the town's pride and joy. It was a major tourist attraction thanks to its… interesting set of sea creatures they had living there. 

They had these mythical beings called sirens. People usually got mermaids and sirens mixed up. Mermaids are the graceful, beautiful, magical beings that live peacefully in the oceans of the world. 

Sirens are feral, cold hearted creatures that lure you to your death with their hypnotizing song. They drag you under and drown you, eating you within minutes. At least, that's what you were told. 

You’d never actually seen one up close, but now you would get the chance to. According to rumor, this particular aquarium housed 13 of them. Just having one was a huge deal, but 13!? That’s what made this aquarium so famous. They claimed that these sirens were all rescues that could never be released back into the wild for one reason or another. Was it true? You never bothered to think much of it.

But now here you were, buying yourself a day pass. You probably wouldn’t have time to see everything, but at the very least you wanted to see a show. The orca siren, Sans was his name right? He was performing today.

After you got one of those stupid wristbands you were finally let into the main part of the aquarium. You spent the first two hours exploring the normal exhibits. Saving the best for last y'know? All the brightly colored fish and funnier looking sea creatures put you in a good mood. You had needed this more than you thought. 

Eventually you ran out of exhibits to explore, but you still had plenty of time before the actual show. So you decided to see some of the siren habitats before then.

These areas were heavy with security because of how valuable these sirens were. They were also very strict on guest behavior. Sirens were very tricky, fickle creatures. One wrong move and they’d be hiding in their caves for the rest of the day or plotting to lure a poor unsuspecting guest to their doom. Both outcomes meant less money for the aquarium, and they REALLY liked their money. 

You just kept your head low and did as you were told. Don't get too close to the glass, don't tap the glass, try not to make eye contact, don't eat food in front of the siren, don't tease the siren with food, etc…

You wouldn’t even get to see all of the sirens today. Some of them weren’t ready for the public eye or had been here for years but were deemed unfit for guest interaction. Thanks to the research you had done prior to this visit, you were able to list off each siren with surprising accuracy. 

There was a seal siren named Cross who was brand new. Nothing was known about him by the public just yet. 

Then there were these two octopus sirens named Nightmare and Horror who were urban legends within the aquarium. Rumors of incidents and buried lawsuits often circulated the internet. You didn’t want to know what they had done to earn those sorts of names and was kind of relieved that you wouldn’t get to see them today. 

Cosmic was a seadragon siren known for his unparalleled beauty. His tail apparently looked like a night sky full of stars, hence the name. Unfortunately he was out of commission today for a vet appointment. 

Lust, a very weird name for a siren now that you thought about it, was a beta fish siren unavailable for visits because his tank was getting remodeled. He was rumored to be very vain, with his mood dimming if he didn’t have a change of scenery every once in a while. He was a favorite of the aquarium because he reveled in the attention he got from onlookers and happily participated in shows. 

Error on the other hand was a barracuda siren, and put in time out for bad behavior. Whatever that meant. 

Finally there was Prince, who was a swordfish. For such a nice sounding name he was said to be very grouchy and ornery. He was also in time out, this time for smacking an employee in the head with his tail and then trying to spear them. Yeesh…

The other 6 sirens were available though! Just the thought of seeing one sent excitement coursing through your veins. The first siren room you got to was for a siren named Blue. He was a bottlenose dolphin siren, and very popular with the kids. That was probably a good sign. 

His species of siren was very social, so you couldn’t help but wonder why he was all alone in his tank. Or why any of the social sirens that relied on pods for survival were alone for that matter…. But you supposed the aquarium must know what it was doing… right? 

Blue’s tank was quite large, with a spacious pool and colorful patterns painted on the sides. They obviously spared no expense. You could either choose to watch him from the outside, where he would leap out of the water and do flips, or there was a lower level where you could watch him under the surface. You opted for the open area this time, curious to see if he breached the water like an actual dolphin. 

There was a small crowd already gathered outside. Several onlookers oohed and aahed as they gazed down into the water. You somehow managed to fight your way to the front and peeked over the wall.

Your eyes widened when you saw the siren. You had known he was here of course, but actually seeing one… Lets just say pictures online didn’t do him justice.

Blue was huge, with a massive skeleton upper half and a shiny blueish-grey dolphin tail that powered through the water with rippling strength. You knew that a siren’s upper half was either human or monster, but you never expected one would be skeletal.

All 13 sirens that resided here were skeletons, and even though just having one siren of any kind was a marvel, skeletons were the rarest of all. Not to mention, from the limited knowledge the mainland had about sirens, skeletons were thought to be the most powerful. 

And now, looking into that pool, you felt it. Blue was doing quick laps around his tank, basking in the attention with a huge grin. Despite him being underwater you could still make out the star shape in his baby blue eye lights. That’s probably where he got the nickname from. 

It wasn’t until several moments later that you realized that the only reason you could see his eyes this well was because they were locked directly onto yours. You jumped a little out of surprise. When he saw you finally notice him staring his eyes danced in amusement and his smile widened slightly. 

You just stood there frozen, unable to look away. His eyes were beyond gorgeous. And if a mythical siren was giving you the time of day, you weren’t about to ruin the moment.

You knew the tanks and rooms were padded with equipment that drowned out his siren song, so you were perfectly safe. That didn’t help the fact that you still felt like a new toy being inspected.

Eventually Blue did tear his gaze away from you, and you thought the magical moment was over. A dejected sigh escaped your lips and you stepped away from the railing just in time to hear a splash. 

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Blue’s eye lights caught onto yours again, at direct eye level. You held in a squeal as he leapt out of the water with the grace of a ballerina, twisting his body into an arc and sending you a playful wink before he plunged back into the water below. 

Everyone around you clapped and cheered as you stared dumbly after him. Had…. had Blue just done a trick… for you? 

Nah… No way in hell. You were just seeing things. He was probably just showing off, drinking in the praise after you showed interest. Give them an inch and they take a mile right? 

Blue just smiled to himself, looking very proud of his achievements. You couldn’t help but smile back. It was just too cute!! He seemed to enjoy your reaction even more, if the happy clicking sounds meant anything. 

You stayed there for longer than you probably should have. But Blue was too endearing, just like actual dolphins. He spun around in the air and did backflips for what felt like hours. Eventually he was called away for a feeding, and to his credit he did manage to look sad about leaving you all by your lonesome before disappearing under the water. 

You just shrugged and moved on to the next siren room. So far that had been the highlight of your visit. The expensive day pass was definitely worth it. 

The tiger shark siren room was pretty similar to Blue’s except there was no way for him to jump out of the water. For obvious reasons.

Funnily enough Red was known as a more friendly siren in comparison to some of the others here. Honestly the bar was pretty low but he was apparently very good with kids. He was still distrustful of adults but usually if he was left alone he didn’t get aggressive. He was still a dangerous siren by all means, but if you didn't mess with him, he didn't mess with you. 

You opted for the lower level of his tank this time. The entire room was flooded with kids of all ages. Damn, he was without a doubt the most popular. It made sense, seeing as he was a cool shark siren that was willing to humor the kids. 

You couldn’t get close to the glass at all for a few minutes because of how many people were here. So you patiently waited your turn until you could finally get to the glass and see what all the fuss was about. You were surprised to find Red actively interacting with the children and enjoying it. 

You had to admit his personality did not seem to match up with his outward appearance. His skeleton upper half was burly and littered with deep gashes and scars. He had sharp teeth and even a golden fang as a replacement for the one you assumed he lost while out in the wild. His eyes were an intense vermilion red (hence the namesake) and had a mischievous glint in them. His shark half was just as scarred as the rest of his body. He cut through the water smoothly, but you could see the incredible strength within his tail.  

Red didn’t notice you at first, too busy entertaining the kids that were pressing themselves up against the glass. You watched with an amused smile as he blew bubbles at one toddler who giggled uncontrollably. Seeing her giddy reaction made Red’s eye lights brighten and the hint of a genuine smile dawned on his face. It was actually really sweet. He must really like children, regardless of what species they were. 

“Ha, cute…” You murmured to yourself. A pair of red eye lights snapped to you the moment you said that, causing you to flinch. He had apparently heard you through the glass. Sirens must have really great hearing if he was able to pick up your muttering within the chaotic mass of children. 

You smiled shyly at him. Good thing sirens didn’t know English, right? Right? 

Red nonchalantly swam closer to where you were standing and studied you closely, taking in every feature. And I mean every feature. Somehow it felt similar to getting ogled by random humans. Your face flushed at the comparison and you crossed your arms to glare back at him with narrowed eyes. 

Red seemed to find this funny. His sharp toothed smile shifted into a smirk and his golden fang glinted in the dim light. He puffed out his chest and winked at you before swimming back to the kids, looking quite proud of himself. 

You just stood there, absolutely dumbfounded. Even as Red was entertaining his audience his eyes still darted to you every few minutes, and each time his smirk grew a bit more mischievous. 

No way in hell had you been winked at by two sirens in a row. You decided to stay to watch him be silly for the kids for a few more minutes. No other reason. Totally. 

Whether he knew why or not, Red was growing more smug by the minute. He even upped his game a little, as if he was showing off how great he was with kids for whatever reason. You just grinned and rolled your eyes each time. 

Eventually you did wander off, knowing you were getting short on time and couldn’t dilly dally for too long if you wanted to see the others before the show. Red immediately noticed your departure and deflated a little in disappointment.

You smiled and waved goodbye to him, watching in fascination as he waved back with that smirk back on his face. You snorted. Such a weird siren… 

The next siren room was for Dream the angelfish siren. He was known as the most docile and gentle siren in the aquarium. But he was also one of the most shy, so you weren’t even sure if you’d get to see him today. It was worth a shot at least. Especially considering your amazing luck with Blue and Red. 

Dream’s tank was full of beautiful plant life and rocks. The difference between his and any of the other siren tanks was very obvious. He was probably a staff favorite since he’d never caused a single incident. It made your blood boil a little, thinking about the staff playing favorites. Why didn’t any of the other sirens have this much enrichment? 

Movement out of the corner of your eye made you halt and study the tank closely. You furrowed your eyebrows when you saw nothing there. Then when you looked away, there was movement again. A flash of yellow? 

You furrowed your eyebrows and looked back. Once again there was nothing. Were you seeing things? Then you saw it. The teeniest bit of yellow fin poking out from behind a rock. Was Dream hiding from you? 

You looked away, and out of your peripheral vision saw Dream slowly peek out from behind his rock. Then when you snapped your head in his direction he darted behind it again. You chuckled and continued to stare at his hiding spot. Was he just being shy? 

The siren poked his head around to look at you, saw that you were still looking for him, grinned, and proceeded to duck behind the rock again. You rose an eyebrow in confusion, then it dawned on you. He was trying to play with you. Your lips quirked upwards into a smile and you turned your back to the glass, feigning innocence. “Oh dear, I wonder where Dream has gone! He’s nowhere to be found.” 

You could practically feel his excitement. After waiting for a few seconds you spun around and caught him in the act. He was hovering just above you, smiling down with a playful twinkle in his yellow eye lights. “Ha! Gotcha!” 

Dream spun backwards, pretending to be startled. Then he flipped back upright and came back over to you, shrugging as if to admit his defeat. You laughed at his acting and took the time to take in his appearance. 

Just like all the others, Dream was a skeleton siren. His eye lights you noticed were a gorgeous lemon yellow. They sparkled with life and just looking into them made your heart swell up with joy. 

For some reason he wore a golden band around his skull, but you weren’t sure why. The aquarium gave no reason and nobody online could give a distinct answer. It looked sort of like a crown to you. 

His siren half was a similar beautiful golden-yellow. His scales shimmered in the light and upon further inspection you saw that his fins actually faded to a dark orange at the ends. The longer fin that trailed behind him gave away that he was an angelfish siren. He was so unbelievably beautiful that for a moment you wondered if you were in the presence of a real angel. 

“Wow you’re beautiful.” It kind of just slipped out. Dream’s eye sockets widened slightly and a yellow that matched his eyes tinged his cheekbones for a moment. When he looked away bashfully you came to the conclusion that he was blushing. This was certainly new. You didn’t know that sirens could blush! 

Dream recovered quickly and returned to doing happy little flips in the water. You walked slowly after him, smiling whenever he’d turn to smile at you. You didn’t even notice how he’d managed to make you feel better after being upset, but he sure did and it delighted him. 

Something odd about his behavior was that he always avoided a specific part of his tank. Anytime he got too close to a large cave he would flip back around and go the other way. You didn’t think much of it, but you definitely picked up on his apparent nervousness in that area.  

When you tilted your head with a look of concern he slowed down and moved closer to the glass until his hands were pressed up against it. You couldn’t resist the urge to reach out to him, but flinched away when a low guttural growl came from further inside the tank.

It vibrated through your body and you immediately stepped away from the glass, feeling as if you’d been caught. Whatever made the noise was pacified the moment you stepped away from Dream, so the growling died down. After that it was radio silent and no matter how hard you searched you couldn’t find the source of the noise. 

Dream looked behind him fearfully before turning back to you, his tail drooping and his eyes losing their usual perkiness. That didn’t sit right with you. Dream was such a sweet siren! 

He flinched and nearly dove behind his rock when you waved your arms at him. He seemed so skittish now compared to the happy go lucky siren you had just met. Maybe a smile would help? You put on the biggest smile you could muster, one similar to the kind he had been using on you. 

Your tactic worked. Dream brightened considerably and made a few clicking noises similar to the ones Blue had used. That must mean he was happy again. Good! 

Now that you were too scared to go near the glass again, you and Dream couldn’t really interact as much. That didn’t stop him from doing everything in his power to make you laugh. You played several cute games with him (the one where you both tried to race each other across the room was your favorite) and got so lost in the fun that time flew by.

Before you knew it, you had 30 minutes before the show and hadn't seen the last two available sirens. You rushed a goodbye to Dream who waved you away with his usual jubilant demeanor. You turned to leave with the biggest grin on your face, but completely missed his dejected puppy dog eyes that followed you when you walked away. 

As you passed by this one cave in the very back, shrouded in darkness, you couldn’t shrug off the feeling of being watched by something. Or someone… 

The next room was Berry’s. He was an eel siren with a temper. He was also known to be very solitary so you didn’t even know if you’d get to see him at all. Not to mention, this species of siren was nocturnal. 

Stepping inside, you found that the room was completely dark except for a few neon lights glowing just enough so that guests could still see where they were going. Huh… Maybe they were trying to trick him into coming out? 

In any case, you realized that you were the only one here. Probably because Berry was nowhere to be seen, and people got bored easily. Especially if kids were involved. 

You actually didn’t mind, choosing to enjoy the calm ambiance and the light humming coming from the machinery. As you approached the glass of the tank, you noticed a cave at the back of the habitat. Probably Berry’s hidey hole so that he could avoid the guests. 

You squinted against the darkness, trying to see if you could find anything. Maybe a flash of scales or a sleeping silhouette. Hmmm…. Nothing. Oh well, it was worth a try. 

Suddenly, a pair of sharp red stars flickered from inside the cave. You stared back at them in confusion for a few minutes until you realized that the stars were moving, and getting closer by the second. 

The subtle movement from the cave startled you and you took a cautious step back. Despite the protective glass, seeing a massive siren up close was still intimidating. 

You were shocked when Berry slithered out of his cave, showing himself to be the owner of the red stars. Or to be more specific, those were his eye lights. They bore into you like you were nothing more than his next meal. And he had the scowl to match. 

His tail was a gorgeous raspberry red. Just like Blue, you assumed that’s where he got the nickname from. It was long and flowed behind him like ribbon. It was so mesmerizing that you couldn’t look away. 

When you were finally able to snap out of it you looked back at Berry’s face, only to find that it was RIGHT THERE inches from the glass. You yelped and jumped back, clutching your chest. “JEEZus!” 

Berry sneered as he watched you recover from the scare, his eye lights mocking. He puffed out his chest too, like he was trying to intimidate you by looking bigger. You simply chuckled, unphased, and waggled your finger at him jokingly. “Haha very funny… Nice try buster but I’ve seen better.” 

Berry didn't need to hear you from behind the glass to tell what you were thinking, your smug expression said it all. He snarled at you and turned his back. You noticed with a grin that his arms were crossed. Was he pouting? 

You also saw with a grimace all the wicked scars that covered his body. Some were so jagged that they cut deep into the bone. At first you just assumed that they were from long ago. Some sort of horrible accident must have led him to be stuck here for the rest of his life, too damaged to properly take care of himself.

And for the most part, that seemed to be true. Many of these scars were ancient. But as you looked closer, some of them looked a little too fresh. One on his humerus was still riddled with infection. Your smile dropped immediately when you saw it. How was he getting these? The aquarium must have noticed by now right? They’d do something about it. Maybe they already were… What did you know?

You were worrying over the injury for so long that a certain someone took notice. Berry’s eye sockets narrowed at you in suspicion. Perhaps he thought you were assessing how weak he was? But when he saw the gentle sadness in your eyes he faltered. 

His confused expression didn’t go unnoticed by you. The siren, in all his glory, couldn’t stop the mystified look that had settled on his face. 

You found yourself getting close to the glass again without really thinking about it. If it wasn’t for the protective glass you’d think you were getting lured in. But right now you just felt… drawn to him somehow. You’d felt it with Blue and the others earlier too. There was something about these sirens that you just couldn’t put your finger on…

In the blink of an eye Berry was pressed up against the glass, staring down at you with a softened expression. He had definitely picked up on your compassion for him.

Wasn’t he an animal though? How could he interpret human emotion so easily then? Maybe years of being here trained him to pick up on these things. You placed your own hand on the glass, right on top of his. He studied your palm. It looked tiny compared to his. 

Whatever soft emotion Berry showed was gone in an instant. It was as if it hadn’t happened at all. He stubbornly growled at you before spinning around and slinking back into his cave. He disappeared so quickly that you could blink and you’d miss it. 

No amount of beckoning or teasing would get him to come out again. It looked like he finally grew bored of you. Honestly you were lucky enough to get this much interaction at all. From not just one siren, but four. 

You shrugged off his sudden change of heart and glanced at the clock on the wall. You still had a little time. You could see one more siren before you had to go find your seat for the orca siren’s show. 

Thankfully the next room was on the way to the auditorium. This siren was called Ink. He was a squid siren known for his mischievous attitude and numerous escape attempts. One was very nearly successful, so as punishment he was under very careful watch. That didn’t stop him from still trying though. He seemed to be quite popular with the kids so you hoped that was a good sign. Then again, maybe kids weren’t the best source… 

Ink’s room was a stark difference compared to Berry’s. Bright colors decorated every inch of the place. The walls almost looked like paint splattered everywhere. And when you took a good look at the room, you understood why. This was an art room. 

Tables dotted the area with paper and art supplies of all kinds scattered across every surface. Right now not many children were here, probably because of the show that was about to start. But a few groups still huddled over their work, giggling to each other. 

This was actually pretty cool! You would have probably gone nuts for this place when you were little. There were several drawings pinned up on the far wall. Child doodles of a skeleton with long colorful tentacles that streamed behind him. 

Speaking of which, where was Ink? You stopped gawking and shuffled further into the room, heading towards the real attraction at the very center. Ink’s tank was pretty neat. It was a cylinder in the middle of the room, so that he could see everything that was going on no matter where he was. 

A ripple of color caught your eye and your head immediately snapped in that direction. A group of kids had abandoned their table in favor of crowding around one part of the glass. 

Curiosity got the better of you and you meandered over to see what all the fuss was about. You had a feeling you knew, and smiled when you discovered that you were right. 

To say that Ink was beautiful was an understatement. He was half skeleton, just like all the other sirens. A splash of black ink was on his cheekbone and you couldn’t help but wonder how long that had been there.

His eye lights made your own eyes widen in amazement. Every time he blinked they were a different shape and color. One moment it was a blue swirl and a yellow star, the next it was a green triangle and a pink square. His tentacles were what really took your breath away though. They shimmered as they turned every color of the rainbow. He was so vibrant you almost had to squint just to see him. 

You watched in fascination as the purple spots covering his lower half pulsed and then faded into orange stripes. It was obvious he liked to show off. He was smiling down at one child that was holding up their drawing for him to see. A crudely drawn (yet charming) field of flowers. He studied the paper closer, then right before your very eyes he turned a lovely shade of green with those exact flowers the child had colored dotting the ‘landscape’. It was amazing. 

“Wow…” The words escaped your lips before you could even think to stop it. The kids paid you no mind, but someone definitely heard you. Ink’s head snapped up and turned to stare at you with wide, keen eyes.

Oops… looks like the sound proof glass didn’t go both ways. You had snagged his attention. Might as well go over there and say hello.

Ink blinked owlishly at you. In doing so, his eye lights shifted into a question mark and exclamation point respectively. You almost snorted. Where’d he learn to do that? 

The two of you were studying one another like some sort of science experiment. You tilted your head up at him, then to the side. When he did the same, your eyebrows shot up in surprise, only for him to mimic that as well.

A giggle bubbled to your lips and you tilted your head to the other side. Once again, he copied you. The corners of his teeth (?) quirked upwards into a delighted grin when he realized that he had made you laugh. 

Now it was your turn to mimic him. You smiled shyly up at him. That made him really happy. He pressed his face up to the glass and stared down at you with wonder in his eyes. There was so much childlike curiosity in them that you were taken aback. No animal could possibly feel such a wide range of emotions… could they? 

Your trance was suddenly broken by an announcement from the intercom. You shook your head as you listened to the woman’s voice letting everyone know that the show would start in five minutes. Wait… FIVE MINUTES!? 

You cursed under your breath and took off down the hall. Ink’s eyes followed your retreating form, and unbeknownst to you his smile had fallen into a confused frown. 

-

Sans’ auditorium wasn’t too far from where you had been. Unfortunately you had to race past the remaining aquarium rooms, but you promised yourself to take a look at those after the show. 

Somehow you managed to reach the auditorium just in time. The security guard squinted at you as you slipped past him with an apologetic look. 

Inside of the auditorium were rows upon rows of stands that circled a large, deep pool. From where you stood near the entrance, at the ground level, you could barely see anything in the dark depths below. Was Sans in there watching everyone? Was he watching you? 

A shiver ran down your spine and you cursed yourself for thinking like that. You couldn’t really blame yourself though. Sans was the most notorious siren in the aquarium. Being an orca siren, he was highly intelligent and as a result, caused more deaths than any of the other sirens combined. Hell, most of the sirens here were perfectly docile. But not Sans. 

Because of the unfortunate mix of being both parts intelligent and highly aggressive, Sans always managed to psychologically torture his caretakers (more like victims) and lead them into a false sense of security. Then when they least expected it… bam. They were dragged into the water and never heard from again.

At least those were the rumors you’d heard online. You reasoned that if Sans really was all that he was rumored to be, the aquarium wouldn’t allow him to interact with employees in shows like this.

The feeling of being watched was starting to freak you out a little, almost as if it really was happening. As you had been studying the stage that was at the front of the water you realized that the human performers were starting to walk out. They wore navy blue wet suits and these strange headsets that you guessed was probably their way of blocking out the siren’s song. Smart. 

It dawned on you that the show was starting right now and you hadn’t even found a seat yet. You shook your head and walked briskly towards the stands, looking for anything that was open. It was packed today, with entire families taking over whole sections. 

Sans’ caretaker spoke through their little microphone to everyone, trying to hype up the crowd. You mostly tuned them out as you pushed past people, wincing at the roaring cheers the performer's words produced. 

Finally, you spotted a seat on the far end of the stadium. With a sigh of relief you made your way over there, pushing through the sea of onlookers.

You heard a big splash and rose an eyebrow at the ‘ooohs' that followed. You couldn’t help it, you just had to look. As you turned your head to see what you were missing out on, some big dude swung his burly form around to talk to his friend and his arm smacked you right in the face. 

Time seemed to slow down and you realized that the force of his hit had sent you flying down the stairs. Your hair fluttered in the wind and the world around you fell silent. You hit your back on the metal railing and hissed as pain shot up your spine. Then you were falling again… 

Air whizzed past you and for a moment you were confused. Until your body hit the water and freezing cold enveloped you completely. 

The sudden shock was enough to cut through your daze and gave way to dread. You were in a pool with a siren. The most deadly one at that. 

Panic overwhelmed your senses and you splashed around like a mad person. You thought you heard a scream but couldn’t discern whether it came from the audience or your own mouth.

Thankfully the cold shock from the water managed to awaken your senses enough for you to reorient yourself. You swam as fast as your body could manage, kicking for your life and heading for the first thing you saw: the stage. It wasn’t too far away, but it felt like an eternity getting there. Especially since you kept imagining a huge fucking siren stalking you from underneath. 

When you finally did reach the stage you hauled yourself up and fell sputtering to the ground. You were shivering violently as you laid there for a few seconds, trying to catch your breath. 

Fate had other plans it seemed. Another scream, most definitely not yours this time, echoed from the seating area. With a confused grunt you managed to lift your head slightly only to come face to face with a siren. 

A shriek ripped out of your throat and you scrambled away, eyes wide with terror. The siren just grinned at you, looking amused. Maybe even a little playful. His eye lights however told a different story. They were tiny pinpricks, void of all emotion except for dark hatred and malice. It frightened you. 

You couldn’t look away as he slowly rose up from the water to rest his elbows on the stage, just inches away from your legs. The employees were frozen, unsure of what to do. They didn’t want to upset him further and make matters worse. Maybe they thought there was nothing they could do. You were as good as his. 

Sans was huge. He was much larger than Blue, Berry, or Ink. His upper half was skeletal, with those freaky white pinpricks that skewered into you. His arms gradually turned black down to his hands, which had cruel looking hooked claws at the end. His dorsal fin protruded from his spine, the only part of his upper half that wasn’t made of bone. His tail was stunning. It was the usual black and white that orcas had, but it felt so different seeing it up close and personal. You’d be more excited if you weren’t about to piss yourself. 

The entire stadium held its breath. You sat there, not daring to make a move or even look away. Sans narrowed his eye sockets at you thoughtfully, as if contemplating what he should do with you.

It felt like forever before he moved again. You flinched when he pulled himself closer to you and opened his mouth. Another scream. Everyone knew what he was about to do. Your heart sank. You were done for. Why did you have to come today? 

The song of death wasn’t anything like you imagined. It was angelic and sweet, and stroked your brain like your favorite song. It felt like invisible fingers tickling your insides. But… nothing happened?? 

Sans’ song did absolutely nothing to you. You didn’t slip into a trance, or get lured into the water. Your eyes didn’t glaze over. Was that supposed to happen? 

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you stared straight into San's eyes. “What the fuck are you doing?” 

…

The silence was deafening. The audience stared on in complete shock. The caretakers’ jaws nearly dropped to the floor. But the most surprised of all was Sans. He stared blankly down at you, completely shaken to the core. His smile strained. Nobody ever survived a siren attack. No one was immune to a siren’s song. So why were you staring back at him with confusion written all over your face? 

Despite this shocking discovery, Sans was quick to adapt. You could basically see the wheels in his brilliant mind turning, trying to puzzle this out. After some time he jolted upright, as if struck by lightning. His eye sockets widened and he glanced back at you with mixed emotions.

Whatever he was feeling, it definitely wasn’t bloodlust. In fact it seemed more soft somehow. Your eyebrows furrowed in concern when he started to tremble. The way he was looking at you was starting to freak you out a little too. 

A siren’s song should have killed you. This was physically impossible. The rest of the stadium seemed to think so too. The audience had erupted into complete chaos. At first they had been watching with baited breath or covering their children’s eyes, but now an uproar of confusion and panic overtook everyone. 

The staff members realized that this is the only shot they’d have at getting you away from Sans while he was distracted. You almost flipped out when you felt a pair of arms grab you and tug you up and away from Sans, whose face was flashing with so many emotions at once. Surprise, then fear, delight, confusion, and many many more. A stark difference compared to his emotionless haze from before. 

When you found your footing the employees quickly ushered you away. But you couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder one last time, only to find a certain someone already staring after you. His usual grin fell when he saw you getting taken away from him. Right before the door closed behind you, you heard a sorrowful trill. 

-

You were so dead. Not only had you fallen into the pool of their beloved siren, but you had also rendered said siren speechless. Would they think it was your fault? You didn’t have the money to pay off a lawsuit from a big company. They might as well feed you to the sirens to silence you now! 

Your panicked spiral was thankfully cut short by a small crowd of people entering the employees lounge you had been abandoned in. They had given you a blanket to warm up and then left you there for 30 minutes. To do what exactly? You had no clue. Probably plot your demise. Your life was over. 

You were still soaked to the bone. The blanket did help a little but it would be a while until you stopped shivering completely. You tugged the blanket closer to your body when an important looking woman in a suit walked in after everyone else. 

Most of the people here looked to be caretakers. They each had a siren patch on their uniform. It looked like the entire siren care team had been called in. The employees that had witnessed the events and saved your ass were also there. They looked shaken, but not as traumatized as you definitely were. 

A few scientists were here as well and what looked to be an important businessman. Then there was the woman. She seemed to be very important, if the way everyone else watched her with both respect and fear said anything. The woman was quite young, so young in fact that it felt a little shocking to see her in such a position of power. Her dark red hair was pulled up in a perfect bun, not a hair out of place. Her eyes were a sharp green, with emerald green glasses that matched them. 

She didn’t look mad, which caused your shoulders to go slack from relief. Weirdly enough, her eyes were bright with a different emotion completely. 

“Amanda Shards, I own this place and the many research facilities across the country that specialize in sirens. So nice to meet you!” Her voice was light and bubbly. Her hand twitched as if she almost went to shake your hand but saw the dripping seawater and decided against it. You smiled awkwardly up at her, still fearing the worst. “So you’re the one who is immune to Sans’ song. Fascinating!” 

You blinked in surprise. She was happy about all this? Why!? You almost died! “Um-” 

“Now I know what you went through was scary dear. I mean, no one has ever survived a siren’s song. An attack maybe, but once you hear the song you’re as good as dead. So why aren’t you?” 

You gulped. Amanda didn’t look like she was blaming you. She just seemed curious. Maybe if you gave your side of the story she’d lighten your sentence? To be completely honest, you had no idea what the hell was going on. You rubbed your hand nervously as you spoke up, feeling all the dozens of eyes on you at once, boring into you. Inspecting you. 

“Well, all I know is that I was trying to find my seat and some dude knocked me down by accident. I didn’t get a good look at him though. All I remember is falling backwards, and then toppling into the water. Then Sans, well I’m not actually sure what his deal was. I thought for sure I was a goner. He sang to me but I dunno… I didn’t really feel anything except for it being a nice song I guess…”

Everyone exchanged weird looks. You sank deeper into your seat. “H-he looked just as shocked as I was. I don't think he was expecting that either.” 

Amanda hummed and crossed her arms, thinking over your words for a moment. She then smiled calmly at you. “Do you know how siren songs work dear?” 

The nickname was starting to irk you. She was basically the same age as you were, maybe even younger! But you would deal with it if it meant you could survive this encounter. You knew that sirens used their songs to lure food, but not much else.

Amanda’s smile grew when you shook your head in response. “Well, the song is supposed to affect the brain of the victim, causing them to fall into a trance and be led astray, right into the claws of the siren. Sometimes they use bioluminescence to a similar effect. The song is said to reflect one’s deepest desires and trick them into going towards the source of the sound. It can be anything, which is why it is supposed to affect everyone. Everyone except for you.” 

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully and you tightened your grasp on your blanket. Where was she going with this? “Either you have no desires, which I seriously doubt, or there is something else amiss here. I’ve discussed it with my team and we believe that studying you could help us to discover a permanent cure to the siren song.” 

Your eyes widened in shock. A pit opened up in your stomach. This was worse than you thought. They were going to dissect you! Or maybe not? But you didn’t have much confidence in big corporations like this. Alright, if you made a break for it now… maybe you had a shot at escaping-

“Think about it. If we study your interactions with the orca siren, and try to figure out how it works, we could save so many lives. You could save so many lives! We’re also interested in the other sirens here, so if you were willing to do tests with them as well… And I promise you dear, the paycheck for doing this is going to be very big.” 

Oh…. You watched in silence as another person, maybe her assistant, walked up to you and showed you a piece of paper. And WOWZA was that a lot of money! Your mouth went dry. If you agreed to do this you could live on it for years. You wouldn’t have to get another job for the rest of your days if you saved it right! Not to mention all the potential lives you could be saving if this was successful. Was it worth the risk of your life though?

You glanced back at the paycheck. Oh yeah, definitely worth it. You stood up and smiled at Amanda, who looked quite smug at being able to hook you in. “Alright, I’m in! When can I start?” 

“Oh brilliant!” Amanda clapped happily, clearly delighted. The scientists looked excited. The employees however had mixed reactions. None of them good. “I just knew you’d be logical. You can start right now if you’d like. Welcome to the team Y/n! We are so thrilled to have you with us.”

-

Sans hadn’t stopped trembling since his human had been taken away. His song hadn’t worked on you. A human. His song never failed him. What was so special about you? These thoughts circled in his head as he swam laps around his pool. They had moved him to his special room and hadn’t come back in since. 

Why hadn’t it worked? He already knew, though he was terrified to admit it. The only way a siren song didn’t work on someone was if they were a siren of the same species themselves or… if they were soulmates with the siren in question. 

Soulmates were unaffected by their match’s song. Siren mates had special songs for one another sure, but the luring capabilities or the magic trance did absolutely nothing. You were his soulmate. 

Why hadn’t he figured it out sooner? The way his soul nearly jumped out of his chest the moment he laid eyes on you, watching you arrive breathless to his show. You were beautiful. But his first instinct was to attack any human that came near him. That wouldn’t do. Especially now that he knew his soulmate was a human. 

Never in a million years would Sans have expected to find his soulmate, or that they were a human of all things. It was a one in a million chance. But you came to his aquarium to see his show, out of all the thousands of humans that could have possibly showed up today. That had to be fate. 

The thought of having his soulmate nearby already filled him with so much joy and longing. You were his, and he was yours. He just had to find a way to get to you again. 

He knew the humans that were “caring” for him were probably losing their minds over this discovery. They’d certainly never let someone like you slip through their fingertips, even if they didn’t know why you were immune to his song. Sans smirked to himself. Already he had laid out the puzzle pieces. Eventually they’d have to let him see you. 

After that he’d do everything he could to make you his. The fear in your eyes as you stared up at him didn’t sit right with Sans. The immense guilt that immediately followed after realizing what exactly you were ate him up inside. He had to show you that he would never ever hurt you. You had to know that you could trust him. And then he’d get closer to you and you'd be his forever. 

The others were sure to find out eventually, if the humans chose to keep you around. Sans snarled to himself at that. They had similar souls to him, it was entirely possible that you were their soulmate too. But you were his, and no one else’s. 

All he had to do was prove to you that he was the best and most eligible mate for you. Then the rest would be history. 

Sans cooed softly at the thought of you. Already his soul swelled with adoration for you. You would most certainly be his, he just needed some time. 

Chapter Text

The walk to work was extra chaotic today. Mostly because of the easily distracted skeleton Y/n was having to keep an eye on as she tried to get them both to the lab. Ink was darting around the shopping center, ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over every little thing. 

He often stopped to press his face up against the store windows to gawk at the merchandise or poke an unfortunate bystander with a mischievous grin.

Y/n ran into him several times whenever he would suddenly stop to stare at something or someone. It wasn’t annoying by any means, actually Y/n thought it was endearing. But she still tried to reign in his energy so he didn’t accidentally make her late to work. Or piss someone off. 

Ink had been to the surface before, but either he hadn’t gotten to enjoy it that much or he was just always this distracted by everything all the time. Y/n couldn’t really tell.

Either way, she’d had to tear him away from so many interesting and colorful things. She eventually gave up and grabbed his scarf, dragging him away from the pretty flowers that grew by a building. Ink was definitely a leash kid. 

Watching his eyelights light up with fascination was cute. I’ll have to take him shopping sometime so we can enjoy it. Y/n sighed as she gently pulled him towards Twisted Webs, hoping to get herself a coffee before she had to come in to work. She considered getting Ink one even when he had so much energy already. 

Today Ink was going with Y/n to look over her blueprints and help with the machine. Perhaps they would even discover what went wrong with his help. A fresh pair of eyes would certainly spot any errors in her invention. Y/n was feeling cautiously hopeful.

Originally Sans was going to go with them because of his own knowledge on technology and the multiverse, but Papyrus ended up having the day off and it was just too perfect to pass up quality time with his brother. Y/n had left the both of them playing video games at her house.

The other Sans counterparts were certainly smart, but their areas of expertise weren’t on the same level as Sans. Most of their interests weren’t even on quantum physics or astrology like him.

Red was the closest in terms of science/math smarts, but he was more into computer stuff. It was so interesting to learn about how each Sans differed from one another. It was obvious that despite being different versions of each other they were all their own individuals. 

When the cafe sign appeared Y/n sighed in relief and headed towards it, hoping the sparkly webs decorating the outside would be the next shiny thing Ink would run towards. She hadn’t noticed while she was pulling him along, but Ink was bending down to collect coins and other metal trinkets, stuffing them into his pockets to hoard like some sort of crow. 

She looked over her shoulder to smile at him and he immediately straightened up from attempting to grab another shiny off of the sidewalk. He grinned innocently back at her as if she hadn’t caught him doing anything.

She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t comment. Instead she shrugged it off and pointed to the cafe. “I’d like to make a stop to grab a coffee before we go into the lab. I’ll buy you one too if you want-” 

“OOOH!” Ink was already racing towards the entrance. Now he was the one tugging Y/n along. She quickly let go of his scarf to walk at her own pace. Once inside she had to gently slap his hand away when he tried to poke Muffet’s spider webs, knowing how delicate they were and not wanting to upset her or her spiders. “Lets just go inside.” 

Ink obeyed her and gasped as he looked around with stars in his sockets. The beautiful purple and black color palette and cute spider aesthetic always soothed Y/n’s soul. This place just felt like home to her after going here so many times.

Ink looked enchanted, just like anyone else that came here for the first time. Other than monster haters, but they always got kicked out and humiliated by the humans that did like this place. 

“Wow Y/n! I can see why you love it here! This universe’s Muffet has exquisite taste.” Ink’s artistic instincts were taking over as he inspected every intricate detail. Y/n could practically see the ideas forming in his mind as inspiration took hold.

She laughed softly and grabbed his arm, leading him towards the counter where a human employee was waiting. “I know right? She puts so much care into her business, its awesome. Plus her coffee and desserts are heaven on earth. I’m convinced she’s secretly an angel.” 

“Ahuhuhu! Oh dearie! You flatter me!” Muffet’s sweet voice made both Y/n and Ink jump. The spider lady had just come from the back with a tray of cupcakes. Y/n blushed in embarrassment. She smiled shyly at Muffet, wondering how she always knew everything that happened in her cafe. It's probably her little spiders! 

She grinned and shrugged it off, deciding to play into it. After all why not? She shot Muffet a playful wink while Ink fanboyed in the background. “Well of course! A goddess like you deserves to be complimented every single day!” 

It was all playful flirting between friends, but Muffet still blushed a little, placing several hands on her cheeks. “Oh dearie~ You’re as sweet as this cupcake! Flattery will take you places with me. Oh and here’s one for your friend too!”

She passed them two cupcakes, chocolate with lilac purple frosting and sparkles lightly dusting the top. Y/n gratefully took hers and watched as Ink tried desperately to keep his fanboying contained when he accepted his.

Apparently he was a huge fan of any monster from the multiverse, especially Sans and his group of loved ones. Y/n smiled appreciatively at Muffet before Ink blurted out anything weird. “Thank you so much Muffet!” 

Muffet nodded happily, looking content to spoil her friends. “Of course dearies! Margret, give them the friendship discount if they order anything else. Ta ta darling!” 

With that, she disappeared in the back again, busy as ever. The employee, Margret, smiled nervously at them. Y/n turned back to Ink, who had already ravenously inhaled his cupcake. “Do you want any coffee or a smoothie or something?”

It took several minutes to order because Ink was overwhelmed by the variety. There were just so many options to choose from! Y/n had to promise to take him here again later in order for him to finally pick something. She ordered her usual coffee while he got a berry swirl smoothie. 

They waited on the side, idly chatting together. After a minute or two a familiar voice piped up from behind Y/n, causing both her and Ink to gasp in surprise. “Well if it isn’t my favorite human!”

Y/n beamed and whirled around to greet the owner of the voice. She’d recognize that laid back drawl anywhere! “Melody! Hi!” 

The skeleton woman in question waved cheerily at her as she approached. She had her guitar case strapped across her chest. She was probably here for another gig if Y/n had to guess. “Hey girl! It's been forever. How are things?" 

It's been like a week. Y/n giggled and tugged Melody into a tight hug, which she happily accepted. “It really has. And things are… well they’re fine. My house keeps getting new additions, but it's not crowded by any means. We went out the other day and it was super fun!” 

Y/n debated telling her more about the very interesting day they'd had. Especially the weird energy that crackled between her and the boys after they all put on their swimsuits. 

They were best friends, so they usually told each other everything. Every time a new Sans showed up, Y/n would send Melody a whole essay worth of texts at 3 am. And of course, Melody often did the same with her own life events. Normally Y/n would have no problem spilling the details about this kind of stuff. Hell, Melody had done it plenty of times whenever she met a cute guy or girl. 

But for some reason, telling her about these feelings made Y/n's tongue feel like it was made of lead. Especially with Ink standing right next to her. So she kept her story short.

Melody nodded as she listened to Y/n’s sub-par response. Y/n began to sweat a little when she noticed Melody’s eye sockets narrowing in suspicion. Of course being her best friend, she could almost instantly tell when something was up. Especially considering the fact that Y/n’s responses were usually much longer and full of better detail. She’s totally on to me! Quick Y/n deflect! “Are you here for a gig?” 

Melody blinked and was instantly distracted by the question. Y/n had to hold in a sigh of relief. “Oh yeah! Muffet asked me to play again while I’m back in town. I just couldn't resist! Plus I knew you’d probably be here anyway.” 

She winked in that flirtatious way female friends often tended to be with one another. Y/n snorted, but decided to play along, just like she did with Muffet. It was fun. “Oh of course! Not a day goes by that I don’t yearn for your glorious presence my love!” 

They both broke into a fit of giggles (or cackles in Melody’s case), earning a few weird looks from the cafe patrons. Melody recovered and flicked off a piece of jello that had materialized in her eye socket.

Y/n always wondered how she managed to cry jello. Did it taste good? Was it weird to ask? Her nerd thoughts were interrupted by Melody once again. Her eye lights landed on Y/n's companion and lit up in recognition. “Oh hey, Ink right? How have you been dude? I haven't seen you since the carnival.” 

Ink bounced up to Y/n’s side and greeted her with matching enthusiasm. “Hiya Ch- er- Melody! I am doing fantastic, thank you for asking! I am accompanying our dear sweet Y/n on a quest to look at the machine. I am pleased as punch to see you again though!” 

Y/n giggled. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of his funny phrases! She stood back and watched Ink and Melody get sucked into a conversation about instruments and the arts. Indeed, Ink seemed very happy to see Melody, and he had immediately been so comfortable around her even when they first met. I wonder why that is? 

Y/n didn’t get the chance to mull it over once Melody and Ink roped her into the conversation.

"How is your... er... Injury?” Melody's music note shaped eyelights darted around the cafe. They had all agreed to keep the whole multiverse incident on the downlow, and that meant being vague about mysterious shadow creatures almost tearing Y/n to shreds.

Y/n flinched and unconsciously felt where she'd been ripped open only a week ago. The skin there was smooth, with no trace of an injury or scar. It was like the attack hadn't even happened. "Oh uh, I'm actually completely healed now! I feel so much better." 

They didn't need to know about the nightmares that plagued her or the constant fear of seeing one of those things again. Thankfully Melody and Ink took her word for it, both smiling with relief. "Good! You had me worried for a while. I'm glad you're alright." 

After that they chatted about random things until their orders were called and Y/n had to leave. She and Ink grabbed their drinks, thanked the employee, then returned to Melody for goodbyes. Y/n smiled at her friend and gave her a quick side hug. “I guess I’ll see you later. We have to have a girl's day before you’re off traveling again!” 

“Totally! Text me what days you’re free and we’ll plan a date! Cya later babe!” Melody teased and squeezed Y/n tightly before letting go. Y/n rolled her eyes and waved her off. “Yeah, yeah…”

Y/n and Ink exited the cafe, walking closely together so that she could keep an eye on him. To her relief he seemed too preoccupied with sipping his smoothie to be distracted by anything else around him, so their pace was never thrown off. They walked in silence for a bit as Y/n sipped her own drink thoughtfully. Her mind returned to what she had noticed before with Ink’s behavior around Melody.

She turned to gaze at him and lightly bumped her arm with his to get his attention. He hummed and looked up from his smoothie, his eye lights turning a delightful shade of zesty pink. “I have a question.” 

He blinked and his eye lights shifted into a lilac purple triangle and neon green question mark respectively. “Ask away dearest friend of mine!” 

Y/n snorted at his over the top words of affection. She quickly recovered and decided to just blurt out the question before she chickened out.

“You seem very comfortable around Melody, even when you just met her. I mean you’re always like that with everyone, just look at how you reacted to me when we first met! But it's just, there’s this sense of comfort that is all over your face when you’re around her. Why is that? She’s obviously the best person ever so of course everyone loves her but I’m just wondering why its like that for you?”

Ink paused, looking taken aback by the question. His eye lights turned a mellow shade of blue. He turned back to face in front of him and smiled with a look of melancholy Y/n had never seen on him before. It took her by surprise so much that she nearly tripped over herself. She was so used to him acting all aloof. This was so unlike him. 

“Ah… well I suppose she reminds me of a friend. I guess I ended up feeling comfortable easily because of that.” He went uncharacteristically quiet and Y/n suddenly realized that he probably had people he cared about in the multiverse too. Just because he was the guardian, didn’t mean he didn’t have any loved ones. The usual wave of guilt crashed over her but she set it aside for now. 

She reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her as they approached the labs. “It's ok if you don’t want to talk about it right now. I was just curious. But if at any time you do want to talk, I am always happy to listen.”

Ink’s smile returned to his face, softer than usual. He leaned into her touch and wrapped an arm around her waist while they continued to walk. “Thank you my muse. It really does mean a lot to me to hear you say that. And if you also ever need to talk about anything, my door is always open for you. I understand more than anyone how the weight of the world feels like its on your shoulders right now.” 

Y/n’s cheeks flushed, both at being called his muse and also at his kind words. She hadn’t really thought about it that much, but she and Ink did share a similar duty to protect the multiverse. Hers was accidental, but it was still there.

He knew what it felt like, and he also made so many mistakes and was still able to pick the pieces back up again. He had grown to become a true friend, one she could rely on. Even if he was a bit forgetful at times. “Thanks Ink, that really means a lot. You’re a sweet friend, I hope you know that.” 

Ink’s rainbow blush spilled across his cheeks like watercolor. He smiled happily at her and she grinned back. This was nice. They hadn’t had time alone since before Sans first showed up. 

They were finally at the double doors and didn’t have an excuse to be cuddling up to one another, so they reluctantly released each other. 

Actually Y/n didn’t have any excuse planned for why she was bringing Ink here, which she was just now realizing as they entered the building together. No one at work, not even her boss, knew about her massive fuck up. They just thought she needed a second machine for her experiments. Oh shit, what am I going to say? 

When they stepped inside they were met with a silent lobby. Most of her co-workers were already in their own labs, and any that were still out here talking were finishing up their conversations.

Sarah, the front desk lady, poked her head over the desk to see who had entered and rose an eyebrow as she looked Ink up and down. He certainly wasn’t dressed like a scientist. Damn I didn’t think ahead for this… If we both pretend he’s supposed to be here we should be ignored right? 

Y/n really hoped so. She beckoned Ink and he followed close behind her. Right as they were about to pass the front desk, Sarah’s sugary tone stopped Y/n in her tracks. “Who’s your friend?” 

Y/n cursed under her breath and halted. She put on a casual grin and turned to acknowledge the lady's question. Sarah was sweet and friendly, and nothing behind her eyes gave away any sort of suspicion or malice. Y/n severely doubted she even cared. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Y/n shot a quick glance at Ink before looking back at Sarah. Ink was looking between the two women, trying to figure out what the correct response was and what Y/n wanted him to do.

Y/n sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder as she made up an excuse on the spot. “He’s a university professor who wanted to take a look at my work. I wanted him to peer review it for me. So he’s dropping in today. You might see him around every so often.” 

Sarah nodded, pretending to understand how the science community worked. She was only a front desk person, more interested in getting a paycheck than anything to do with the company. Y/n could relate even if she loved the job she had now. It all worked in her favor though because Sarah simply nodded again and smiled at Ink with higher regard. “Well I hope you enjoy your time here sir!” 

Ink’s eye lights twinkled with mirth and he waved in an animated fashion before Y/n dragged him away. It would be best not to cause more of a scene than they already had. Sarah just shrugged and returned to playing Webkinz on the computer. 

“Wowie Zowie! I didn’t know I had a job! And a smarty pants job at that!” Ink jested once they were out of earshot. Y/n playfully shushed him. “You already have a job remember?”

“I’m not paid to protect the multiverse, unfortunately.” Ink corrected her. Y/n rose an eyebrow and looked at him with newfound respect. “So you just do this out of the goodness of your heart- er- soul?”

“Don't have a soul either. But yeah I guess. All the universes are full of billions of lives, all unique, special and important. No one else stepped up to do it, so I took over. Its not like I had anything else to do anyways.” 

“Huh…” Y/n mulled over this new piece of information while she led him to her door. “That's actually really cool. You’re really cool. How are you able to protect so many universes by yourself?” 

Ink shrugged. “I did at first. But once more and more aus got created, I needed help. Dream, Blue, and my apprentice Charcoal help me. But I guess its just Charcoal right now… Dream said something about not seeing Nightmare or Error for a long time right? I wonder if that’s still going on and Charcoal is getting a really nice vacation from everyone."

Y/n tilted her head, recalling Dream saying something similar when she was recovering from getting attacked. Nightmare was apparently Dream's brother. He hadn't shared the details since it was a sensitive family issue, but Dream looked awfully sad whenever he talked about it.

Nowadays Nightmare was bad news, dedicating his life to spreading negative emotions across the multiverse. Seems like a colossal waste of time if you ask me. People make their lives miserable easily enough on their own. But whatever...

“Yeah I remember that too. Who is Error? Dream already told me a little about Nightmare but I haven't heard anything about the other person. Are they bad?” 

“I mean… I guess so yeah. He’s a little unpredictable so it's hard to say for sure. Although he keeps trying to destroy whole aus all the time and had been a pain in the tailbone pretty recently before I got sucked in by your portal.”

Y/n shuddered. Isn’t that like… mass genocide? She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to meet a guy like him. Nightmare sounded puny compared to Error. But she’d take not meeting either of them over anything else. “Yikes.”

“I know right?” Ink followed behind Y/n as she reached her door and unlocked it. He gasped as he took everything in, awing over the different trinkets and charts all over the room. “Wow! This place is amazing!”

Y/n blushed when he continued inspect every detail of her lab with fascination. “I-its not that impressive…”

“Are you kidding!?” Ink spun around to stare at Y/n with wide eyesockets. He looked like a kid in a candy store. I really hope he has enough sense not to blow anything up. “This is the coolest place I’ve ever seen! And that should mean something because I’ve literally been across the multiverse. It's like a cool sci-fi lab or something!” 

Y/n snorted at his comparison. It was true, her lab was pretty damn cool. She had to admit to herself that she was very proud of it and everything she had achieved in here. “Yeah I guess you’re right! It is pretty cool!” 

Ink nodded enthusiastically while comically rolling up his sleeves to prepare for the work they had ahead of them. “Of course I am! Now let's get started shall we?” 

Y/n set all her multiverse questions aside so that they could get to work on the machine. She had barely started building it, so there wasn’t much to see right now. But Ink could still look at the plans and data. I wonder if he’ll even understand any of it. 

After studying what was already built Ink hovered over the blueprints, scrutinizing every detail as carefully as possible. Y/n stood behind him with her arms crossed, nervously fidgeting with her lab coat the longer he remained silent. Did he find something off? Are my calibrations so abysmal that there’s a whole pile of things I have to fix? Is the machine completely unfixable and they’re all gonna be stuck here forever? 

Y/n took a deep breath to soothe her nerves. Calm down, your anxiety is getting out of hand again. He hasn’t even said anything yet. 

Y/n regained her composure just in time for Ink to turn around after looking everything over. He had a look of concern on his face and for a moment Y/n worried she had done something really bad. But as she studied his expression she realized that the concern was not directed at her specifically. She tilted her head. “What is it?” 

Ink scratched the back of his skull, looking confused. “It's just… Your blueprints are perfect. I cant spot a single thing on here that would cause a huge rift in reality like the one you described. Especially one that would pull me and the others into your universe. It makes no sense. You planned for every mishap, calculated every variable to near perfection. Is there anything else you can think of that might have caused this?” 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” The words burst out of Y/n before she could even think to stop them. Not that she wanted to. Finally someone was here to tell her she wasn’t crazy. Whether or not the rift was her fault was still debatable, but at least she knew it wasn’t her machine that was the problem.

It also gave a massive boost to her ego despite the circumstances. Her machine was the masterpiece she always believed it was. She had literally solved multiversal travel. Well technically Ink and several other monsters already did stuff like that easily. But Y/n, a magicless human with no proof of the multiverse, had solved it by herself. 

But the question still remained: Why did the rift happen? Why were different versions of Sans pulled into her universe? Y/n’s head was reeling as she considered all the possibilities. She debated telling Ink about the possible sabotage, but the idea still made her skin crawl uncomfortably.

It makes no sense! No one was in here with me! No one had enough time to mess with it. Who would even have that kind of knowledge? Who would have known exactly what to do to make the machine go haywire? I was the only one working on this project. No, I can't senselessly accuse my coworkers for no reason. 

Y/n shook her head and sighed. She just couldn’t make Ink suspicious towards her coworkers. She had made a baseless assumption. It wasn’t right. If she found more evidence then maybe… But for now…

“No sorry. I saw that the magic feeder was loose afterwards but I literally have no explanation for that. I remember Checking that right before I turned it on. I know it sounds crazy…” 

Y/n huffed in frustration and slowly ran her hands down her face. If she had to be honest, this whole thing had been beyond stressful. Not just the guilt that ate her up inside but the gaslighting herself into thinking there was nothing off about what happened that day. She was slowly starting to question her sanity. How could a machine break when she had just checked it over? 

Y/n flinched when she felt firm hands on her shoulder. She glanced up and came face to face with Ink, whose expression had hardened into something she couldn't quite place. Maybe resolve?

“I believe you. You’re not crazy, I promise. We will fix this together this time. Remember what I said? About how I screw up all the time? I get back up, dust myself off, and work to fix it as best I can. That’s what you’re doing right now. That’s what you’ve been doing for the past month. You’ve done more than most people tend to, and believe me it makes all the difference.”

Y/n took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, then smiled at him and nodded her head. His words grounded her and helped her push through the rough mindset she was in right now.

He smiled when he saw her mood improving, his eyelights shifting into soothing blue clouds. His voice was calm and patient when he tried to coax more information out of her. “Can you think of any reason why that might’ve happened?” 

Y/n pursed her lips, then hesitantly shook her head. “No… It's all anxiety induced guesses. Nothing with any concrete proof. But if I find anything, I’ll bring it to you.” 

Ink nodded, looking satisfied with that answer for now. He grinned and squeezed her shoulder before pulling her into a comforting hug. Y/n immediately melted into his touch and nuzzled into his scarf. He smelled like a freshly opened box of crayons. Ha… How fitting.

Y/n hugged him back and let him rock her back and forth. It helped to soothe her further. His voice was quiet, a stark difference to his usual happy-go-lucky tone.

“It’ll be fine. You must already know by now that the rest of us don't blame you. Whether or not it was your fault, which I now have reason to believe the latter. We all understand none of it was done with malicious intent. For now, we’ll continue as we always have and you know all of us would be happy to help you in any way we can. Just say the word.”

Y/n nodded into his scarf, feeling a million times better. How many times are they going to have to repeat that before I actually believe it? Y/n didn’t have an answer for that, but she did know that she was getting better and Ink’s sweet words meant the world to her. “Ok I will. Thank you Ink. You have no idea how much this means to me.” 

Ink let her go after a few minutes and patted her shoulder with the usual grin back on his face. “Of course my muse! I am happy to assist! Now, while we’re here, we might as well work on the machine before you have to clock out.” 

Y/n nodded enthusiastically and smiled happily down at him, which just made his own smile grow brighter. “There’s that beautiful smile I adore!” 

Y/n snorted out a laugh and shoved his face away from her. “You’re such a sap!” 

“And you love me for it!” 

“....Yeah...” 

-

“Helping” for Ink was sitting criss-cross applesauce on Y/n’s table and drawing her from several angles while Y/n worked tirelessly on the machine.

To be fair, he had 0 knowledge about machines and could only offer suggestions, reading Y/n’s blueprints out loud for her, and morale boosting compliments that made her blush. At some point while Y/n was making slow progress they fell into a riveting discussion about the multiverse and timelines. 

“Wait so this Error guy destroys universes right? Then how are universes made in the first place?” Y/n questioned while she was in the middle of tightening a screw. Ink glanced up from his sketches, his rainbow tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated. At Y/n’s question, he giggled.

“Getting to the existential questions eh? Actually, universes come to life through creativity. I also get my powers from creativity. Its all thanks to them that universes are made, with all their brilliant ideas and creations. They don't give themselves enough credit. Everything they make is wonderful. Such a lovely group.” 

Y/n nearly bonked her head on the machine when she startled. Ink’s question caught her so off guard. She glanced up to stare at him with wide eyes. “Wha- them? Who are they?”

Ink continued on like he hadn’t even mentioned the mysterious group and Y/n sighed in defeat. That’s the last he’ll ever speak of it. He’s probably making shit up because he has no clue where universes come from. Y/n went back to work as she listened to him ramble. 

“Anyways, so long as the creativity flows, I keep my powers and continue to guard the multiverse!” 

Y/n hummed and tossed her wrench to the side carelessly. It fell to the floor with a clatter and both Ink and Y/n flinched from the noise. “Ah, well, if there’s a bunch of different Sanses, Melodys and Papyrus', does that mean there’s other versions of me out there?” 

Ink paused, looking thoughtful as he considered her next question. “Weeeeeell I’m not 100% sure! Some universes are alternate universes because of a new unique soul. But seeing as you’re in the main-original universe, it stands to reason that there may be other versions of you. Though I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.” 

He winked jokingly at her and Y/n rolled her eyes with a snort. “Ha ha very funny… Your charms wont work on me this time!”

“I accept your challenge!” Ink had mischievous intentions written all over his face. Y/n just shook her head and chuckled. Such a weirdo. But he’s my weirdo.

She didn’t know how she felt about maybe having alternate versions of herself running around doing who knows what? How different were they? Was there a universe where Y/n was living a normal, easy lifestyle, away from all this chaotic science stuff? A world where she moved in with her uncle?

Could there even be universes where she wasn’t even human at all? Or her soul had color? A world where she wasn’t different from everyone else and made friends easier. 

All the possibilities ran through her head like a simulator. Then her mind turned to darker paths. Could there be a universe like Red’s and Berry’s, where she was cruel to everyone? Or even worse, a world where she was evil beyond imagination? 

Y/n shuddered. She didn’t want to think about that anymore. It gave her a sick feeling deep in her gut. She stood up and dusted off her hands. “Well I think I’m done having an existential crisis for today. Let's go home and see what mess the boys have made back at home.” 

Ink hopped off of the table and skipped up to join Y/n as she exited her lab. She made sure to lock up behind them and then they were out of there. They linked arms and started heading towards home, laughing and joking all the way. 

A lot had been discovered today, but it only created more questions for the two of them. 

Chapter Text

“Are you SERIOUS!? BAHAHAHA!!!” Melody slammed her fist on the table multiple times, laughing her ass off at one of Y/n’s stories. People turned to stare as her laughter echoed through the restaurant.

Y/n giggled nervously and sank further into her seat. Her cheeks went warm from embarrassment when silverware clattered across the table. I didn’t expect it to make her laugh THAT hard. Jeez…

Melody and Y/n decided to have a girls day while Melody was still in town. It had been truly amazing. After a long morning of shopping across town wherever they wanted and going to a salon for the full treatment (which felt AMAZING after the countless all nighters Y/n had been pulling), their last two stops were a movie and fancy lunch.

They had just gotten out of watching a movie Y/n had her eye on for a while now and decided to go eat somewhere nice. The employees and fancy people eating there probably weren’t expecting to see a young woman and her skeleton bff showing up all dolled up but here they were…

Y/n’s eyebrow twitched when little jello pieces fell from Melody’s sockets (her form of crying) and bounced off of Y/n’s face. “Ahaha… Mels you're making a scene… And we’re at a fancy place too!!”

“Eheheh… Sorry! Sorry. But Red seriously thought he was doing something when he tried to perform a bird of paradise mating dance? Like actually? Isn't he supposed to be the lady killer of the group?” Melody flicked a pink jello away from her socket, trying her best to calm back down.

Y/n chuckled and waved her off. “I don't think he was actually being serious. He’s just being dumb. Which I love… I mean- he’s just being a goober to make everyone laugh. Which is sweet. A-as like a friendship thing I mean…”

Melody smirked and wriggled her eyebrows, making Y/n blush and look away with a grumble. “Uh huh… Friendship… You sure you haven’t started your own skeleton harem over there? I mean good for you but… I thought my two best friends would have at least told me… You wound me! I thought we were something special!”

Y/n scoffed and pushed Melody’s face away, rolling her eyes. Melody just cackled, knowing she touched a nerve.

Y/n snickered and decided to play along. “As if! We’ve been divorced for fifteen years!”

Melody gasped and placed a hand over where her heart would be. “So I’m just a side piece to you!?”

“Yes!” Y/n huffed and crossed her arms.

Melody looked ‘outraged.’ “I’m taking the kids!”

“WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS! IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT TELLING ME!??!?”

“At least pay for child support you bum!” The girls both collapsed into a fit of giggles, much to their server’s dismay.

They recovered after a while and Y/n wiped the tears from her eyes. Her smile was stretched so wide that it hurt. It felt good. This is definitely what I needed… A day to unwind with my bestie who feels this comfortable with me. I can't joke like this with other people. Maybe some of the boys… but we haven’t really gotten that far yet.

Y/n sighed and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant for a bit. Melody got the message and went back to digging into her molten chocolate-raspberry cake.

Y/n stared up at the crystal chandelier hanging above their table, admiring the way it sparkled in the weak sunlight as she got lost in thought. Her cheeks still burned both from laughing so hard and from Melody’s accusation that started the whole thing in the first place. Y/n brought a hand to her cheek, frowning in confusion. Why did her words… Make my heart beat so fast?

Sure, Red and the others were cute but… A brief memory of them shirtless at the water park flashed in her mind and Y/n almost fell out of her seat.

Melody glanced up from her cake with a judgmentally raised eyebrow, shrugged, then went back to stuffing her face. Y/n grumbled under her breath and sat up straight again. Her face was burning up now. I suppose we’ve all gotten pretty close. But not THAT close jeez… Melody’s just trying to get in my head, it doesn't mean anything…

Still, Y/n couldn’t ignore the flutter in her soul every time one of the boys did something attractive or sweet. She couldn’t deny that they were all hot and at the end of the day she looked forward to seeing them after work.

The boys all cleared away her exhaustion and frustrations and renewed her energy like no one else could. It was like they were all connected somehow. She had grown very fond of all of them. Maybe I'm just affectionate, not romantically interested. Yeah that's totally it…

“Gurl you look like you're having a stroke. Chill out. It's not that big of a deal I was just messing with you. If anything happens between you and one of your buddies then that’s great! But you do not need to sit there freaking out about that stuff. I promise, whatever happens, you’ll be fine. Don't be so caught up in your anxieties that you miss out on life okay?”

Melody's words snapped Y/n out of her little crisis. She shook her head to clear the thoughts away. Melody had placed her hand over hers, smiling gently at her with soft eye lights. A smile returned to Y/n’s face and she nodded. “Alright, you’re right! I’m getting all worked up over nothing. I’m here to have fun with you!”

Melody grinned and cheered her on. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s get back to our girl’s day!”

The skeleton’s smile turned mischievous and Y/n braced herself for whatever shenanigans she had in store. “But if you do end up scoring a hot skeleton dude I want to be the first to hear about it ya hear? Especially if its Sans!”

“MELODY!”

-

Y/n sighed loudly when she made it back to her house after getting kicked out of the restaurant. Apparently they were making too much of a scene.

Boooring! All I did was throw my shoe at her. Rich people am I right? Perhaps she had been a wee bit drunker than she’d like to admit.

Y/n sighed again and opened the door. When she entered the living room she was pleasantly surprised to find Sans awake and alert. His favorite hobby was napping so this was a rare treat for sure.

The skeleton in question glanced up from where he was rearranging the pillows on the couch and immediately brightened when he saw Y/n come in. “Heya. How was girls day? And Melody?”

Y/n noticed him unconsciously rubbing his friendship bracelet against his wrist and smiled. She hadn’t seen him take it off since the water park. It was sweet.

Hers she usually kept safe, pinned on her bulletin board during workdays. But when she wasn’t worrying about it getting caught on machinery or disintegrated by chemicals she made sure to always wear it.

“It was great! Melody and I had so much fun and she's been doing really well. We painted the town and saw [movie] and cried and then caused shenanigans at a fancy restaurant.”

Sans hummed and looked her up and down, taking in the f/c sparkly attire she was wearing. He then turned back to dithering about, trying to make the place look neat. “I can see that. The movie was that good huh?”

Y/n nodded. “Yup! Say, why’re you running around tidying up? No offense but that’s not something you typically do.”

Y/n crossed her arms when Sans chuckled and turned back to her. “You didn’t forget my bro and the kid are coming tonight for dinner right?”

Y/n nearly smacked herself on the forehead. Oh shit! I’ve had that written on the calendar for weeks! How could I forget something like that? She chalked it up to the girls' day being so fun that it just slipped her mind.

Fortunately they had plenty of time to prepare. Papyrus and the human ambassador Frisk wouldn’t be here for another few hours.

Sans took Y/n’s blank expression as her reply and shook his head affectionately before returning to fixing up the living room. “Heh, figured. Paps is a total clean freak so I want to make everything look nice otherwise he’ll accuse me of not pitching in.”

Y/n nodded in understanding and walked over to him to help clean up the wrappers that had been discarded on the floor. (If she had to guess, Red was probably the culprit.)

“Understandable. Here I’ll help you. I’d been wanting to get the house tidied up for the dinner anyways.”

Sans smiled genuinely at her, clearly appreciating the help. “Aw thanks hun, you’re too sweet.”

It took Y/n an hour to realize that had been a pun.

-

The house was all sparkly clean. Y/n had some time to kick back and relax before Papyrus and Frisk got here.

The reason for the visit was because of course Papyrus and Sans wanted more time together. Paps had been visiting as much as he could, even when Y/n was at work. She’d entrusted him with a spare house key on the condition that he let her know when he planned to come so that she could mentally prepare.

Frisk had not been part of the equation originally. Not that Y/n minded the extra company, but having yet another outsider see the boys meant there was a risk of their secrets being uncovered.

With any luck, Frisk being a kid meant they wouldn’t come to any realizations. Frisk’s parents, Queen Toriel and King Asgore, wanted a date night. None of the other monsters that were friends with the royal family were available to babysit. So Papyrus, being the sweetheart he is, offered to watch them.

The rest of their friends still had no idea about Sans’ predicament. If they ever questioned it, Paps and Melody said he was working night shifts. It felt bad to lie, but technically Y/n wasn’t the one lying. So for now she wouldn’t get involved.

Hopefully Frisk didn’t blab to their parents. Papyrus and Sans were just visiting their cousins and human friend for tonight! Yup, totally believable.

Y/n ended up chilling out on her bed watching YouTube videos while Nutmeg snoozed on her stomach. She had changed out of her fabulous attire into a more casual yet nice outfit.

By the time Y/n started getting ready she felt like her social battery was recharged enough to host a dinner party and she was no longer tipsy. So things were going great!

Y/n was setting up the dinner table now with the assistance of Blue and Dream. Sans waited by the door, looking more excited by the second. It was cute seeing him look forward to this so much.

Ink was up in his room getting ready or avoiding having to help, Y/n wasn’t completely sure which. Berry and Red were pulling food and utensils out of the pantry for dinner.

Papyrus insisted that he wanted to make friendship spaghetti with her and Y/n couldn’t refuse. Sans promised that his younger brother had reeled in the energy for cooking enough for it to be considered edible. It just needed a dash of Y/n flare to taste even better!

Y/n was admittedly nervous about meeting the human-monster ambassador. This kid had managed to secure equal rights for monsters faster than anyone had expected.

At least, equal rights on paper. Monster related hate crimes had recently gone up over the past week so Y/n made sure to keep her boys close and check in with Melody and Papyrus every once and a while.

It seems she wasn’t the only one nervous about the new guest. Blue paused in setting down forks, glancing at Y/n with a worried look in his eye lights. “Y/N… THIS FRISK… THEY’RE NICE RIGHT?”

Y/n looked up and frowned in confusion. She noticed Berry’s head tilt to the side a little, subtly listening in. Were both of them worried about something? Red, Ink, Sans, and Dream seemed perfectly fine.

The dark look Blue had on his face shook her a little. She walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Yeah they’re practically a hero here. I promise its perfectly safe, and Papyrus talks the world of them so that has to count for something right?”

Blue’s shoulder’s relaxed at her words. He still didn’t look totally convinced and Y/n couldn’t for the life of her understand why. But he seemed appeased and so did Berry.

What Y/n didn’t notice was the knowing, sympathetic glance Dream was sending the two boys. So the conversation was left at that. And just in time too, because the doorbell rang seconds later.

Y/n sighed in relief. Oh good they’re finally here! We can begin. She walked into the living room just as Sans opened the door. “Hey bro. Kid… Come on in.”

Y/n watched with a grin as the lanky skeleton ducked inside, followed by a short human. They looked to be about 12 years old, but were still very short. Especially compared to Papyrus. Their chocolate brown hair was cut into a cute straight bob and they wore a blue and pink striped sweater, jean shorts, and brown boots. Their expression remained neutral as they hid behind Papyrus.

After hugging Sans, Papyrus ran straight up to Y/n and twirled her around in the air with a giddy expression. Y/n let out a laugh as they spun around. His eye sockets were sparkling. “HUMAN!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN! YOU ARE LOOKING MUCH BETTER! I AM SO RELIEVED! I HOPE MY BROTHER AND HIS- ERRR COUSINS HAVE BEEN TREATING YOU WELL?”

Y/n giggled again and patted his arm as he gently set her down. She didn’t miss the playful glare Papyrus was sending his brother, who’s cheeks were turning a deep shade of blue. She waved off his concerns with a smile. “They’ve been great, I promise. They took great care of me when I was uh… recovering.”

Papyrus turned back to her with a relieved smile. “WONDERFUL! I’M GLAD MY BROTHER HAS BEEN BEHAVING HIMSELF. OH! THIS IS MY DEAR FRIEND FRISK. WE HAVE BOTH BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DINNER FOR A LONG TIME.”

Paps stepped aside to reveal the child. Frisk stared back up at Y/n with a neutral face. Y/n tilted her head. Have they changed their facial expression at all since I’ve met them?

She didn’t let that deter her from having a positive first impression. She smiled gently down at them, trying her best to look friendly. “Hello! I’m Y/n. Papyrus has told me so much about you.”

… Nothing. Not even a smile. Y/n knew that Frisk was unaware of the whole multiverse fiasco, so they thought that all the extra skeletons were Papyrus’ and Sans’ cousins they hadn’t met in the underground. It was a pretty lame excuse but then again this was a child and the boys did look alike to the point where it was uncanny sometimes.

Y/n was used to people being shy. Hell, she usually ended up being that way with people she didn’t know too. But somehow this felt… different. It was a bit unsettling, the way Frisk stared up at her with those dead eyes.

Am I just seeing things? The problem wasn’t with them not speaking, Y/n was already aware of them being selectively mute. It was the cold stares and unnerving eyes that were freaking her out. It was like there was nothing behind them. Just a glassy, blank void of red.

When Frisk finally broke their unblinking eye contact Y/n felt immediate relief, like an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders. What on earth was-

“Hello, I’m Frisk. It's nice to meet you.”

Oh! Y/n blinked in surprise when Frisk started moving their hands around in the form of ASL. Realization dawned on her and she smiled. I was probably just being paranoid. There’s no reason to be scared of them, they’re a child, and they saved monsterkind.

She lifted up her hands to reply. “Nice to meet you too Frisk! I hope you enjoy my dinner party.”

Frisk seemed to perk up at her use of sign language. Papyrus looked delighted. Sans looked… A bit concerned about something. But when Y/n turned to look at him he was back to his usual lazy grin. How strange… Y/n shook her head again, hoping to shake off the weird energy the party started off with.

She clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Alrighty then! Let's start on making dinner! Sans, could you and the others entertain Frisk while me, Papyrus, Berry, and Blue make the food?”

Sans nodded and gave her a thumbs up, beckoning Frisk to his side. “Can do hun. I’ve done my fair share of watching the kid.”

Frisk seemed to hesitate to go with Sans for some reason. But eventually they relented and followed him to the living room with Dream, Ink, and Red.

Red was surprisingly very good with kids. He knelt down to their level and proposed a game of Mario Kart. Frisk happily accepted. So at least they weren’t intimidated by him. It was actually pretty cute the way he gently led them away to the living room with an excited Dream and Ink right behind them. (Dream adored kids.) Sans followed a lot more slowly.

Y/n turned back to Papyrus with a grin. “Did you bring what we need?”

Papyrus nodded and shook his bag playfully. When Y/n peered inside, she found dry spaghetti noodles from his bag, and a few fresh vegetables for the sauce. “INDEED I DO HUMAN! LET US BEGIN MAKING THE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI!”

Y/n chuckled and led the way to the kitchen. Berry and Blue had briefly popped out to get a good look at Frisk before disappearing back inside.

Y/n frowned when she saw the nervous looks on both of their faces as she entered the kitchen. And they seemed stressed before when we were setting up. I wonder why that is? She shrugged it off for the time being, knowing this wasn’t the right time to press them for answers when they were in the middle of hosting two people.

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work on making dinner with two of her roommates and Papyrus.

Everyone’s attitude towards Papyrus varied. Blue was very friendly towards him. They seemed to hit it off right away as they worked on the sauce together, chatting excitedly.

Berry seemed indifferent to him while still looking a bit melancholic. He had the face of his brother but did not act similar, so it made sense.

Dream treated him like any other person. Understandable since his twin brother was another Sans variant. Ink acted like a fanboy, like he did with any au alternate of Sans and Papyrus. It was actually kind of funny watching him get all excited like that.

Red’s reaction was the only one that was genuinely negative. He didn’t act up for Y/n’s sake but she could tell that he was going out of his way to avoid him. Y/n recalled learning that his au was not so friendly, so maybe that was the reason. His brother might not treat him as great as he liked to pretend he did. Plus seeing someone who looked a lot like his brother act so happy-go-lucky was probably unsettling for him.

I can't imagine it's easy for any of them to see someone that looks so much like their brother… And Red probably just doesn’t want to face his emotions or the fact that he’s probably really missing his Papyrus. She decided to keep an eye on them and make sure it wasn’t too overwhelming. But for now everything seemed fine for the most part.

With all four of them working together dinner went off without a hitch. Y/n placed the garlic breadsticks she made from scratch next to the spaghetti and meatballs. Berry set down a salad and left a few drinks on the counter nearby. Once Frisk and the boys finished their little Mario Kart tournament it was time to eat.

Y/n sat down next to Frisk while Sans sat next to Papyrus. Red sat on the far side of the table, away from Papyrus, but at least he had the decency to be subtle about it. Blue raced to sit on Y/n’s other side with a triumphant smirk, ignoring the side eyes and glares from those that hadn’t sat down yet.

As everyone filled their plates Y/n turned to smile kindly at Frisk once again. She wasn’t usually comfortable around children. That was probably part of why she had been so freaked out before. I’m just nervous. She tried to start a conversation with the child. It couldn’t hurt to try right?

“What grade are you in?” Y/n signed when Frisk had turned their attention back to her. Thankfully both Papyrus and Sans (and therefore every version of him) knew ASL so it wasn’t like she was keeping them out of the conversation.

Frisk hesitated before signing back. “5th grade. I should be in 6th but my time in the Underground made me get behind in school.”

Y/n nodded in understanding. I hadn’t even thought of that. Y/n remembered the day monsters broke out of the Underground vividly, but she had never really thought about the implications. A little kid, barely 7 (?) years old, fell into the Underground and had to travel across the many different parts of it to save all of monsterkind. That was a lot of responsibility for a child.

Y/n felt a prick of sympathy for them. “That must be hard. Are you enjoying school?”

Frisk thought for a moment before shrugging. “Sort of. Classes aren’t that interesting but I’ve made a few friends. Plus there’s a lot of monster children there now.”

Y/n started to eat her spaghetti as she thought about what to sign next. Thanks to her supervision the food actually tasted really good.

What Frisk said kinda stuck with her though. Of course, after an adventure like that school must not be that interesting anymore. Especially since they pretty much already had a job as an ambassador. They must not see the point in it anymore.

After Y/n swallowed she returned to the conversation. “I’m sure it must be boring now after what you’ve been doing right?”

Frisk seemed to brighten when they realized that Y/n understood. It was so weird, seeing their cold lifeless eyes remain while their body language did the opposite. No one else seemed to notice it either, especially not Papyrus. “Yes that’s exactly it. I want to still go to college someday but that means I have to finish school. So I’ll just have to wait until I’m older.”

Y/n offered a sympathetic glance. “That sounds difficult. But I’m sure in a few years you’ll be able to do anything you put your mind to. You’ve already done so much for an entire race. Take the time to enjoy childhood for now, you’ve more than earned it.”

Frisk smiled back at her. They seemed to take what she said to heart. “I didn’t think about that before. Thank you.”

Y/n grinned and gave them a thumbs up. It felt good to be able to help comfort someone like this. After that Y/n and Frisk returned to their meals, chatting every so often about random things.

At first Y/n felt like they seemed more mature than a child ought to be, but Frisk quickly steered the conversation towards their favorite shows and games and that concern quickly left Y/n’s mind. To be honest, the way Frisk acted and signed made her feel like they were older than they actually were. As if they had seen more of life than they were letting on.

The boys all joined in as well. Sometimes they spoke with one another, other times they signed to Frisk. Papyrus in particular was very chatty. Over time however Y/n began to realize how tense the atmosphere was around the dinner table.

Ink and Dream were perfectly comfortable interacting with Frisk. But Dream looked a little weary, shooting concerned glances at the other versions of himself.

Blue and Berry were both stiff as a board. They ended up sticking together and avoided looking at Frisk at all costs. Blue still talked with Y/n though and stuck close to her side, as if he were seeking comfort. Y/n ended up taking his hand and gently squeezing it after she finished eating.

Red, for the most part, was the calmest out of everyone for once. He was perfectly happy to just talk with Frisk nonstop. It was genuinely surprising (and also sweet) to see him so good with kids. He even avoided cussing in front of them, Y/n secretly wondered if he had been replaced with a robot or something.

Most surprisingly of all was Sans. He had been tense the moment Frisk stepped inside the house. He kept a very close eye on them, and even if he looked calm and relaxed, Y/n could still sense that something was off.

It confused her because he seemed to be very friendly with the kid. But when she turned to look at Dream and found him already staring at her with a worried expression, she just knew there was something going on.

Y/n frowned in confusion. I’ll just have to ask him if he’s ok later. Right now we have guests! She tried to keep the conversation as pleasant as possible for another hour or so. For the most part it went well. Until Frisk grabbed the butter knife.

It happened so quickly that Y/n didn’t have time to react. Frisk was reaching towards the butter for their bread, and the moment their fingers clasped around the knife handle Sans suddenly leapt to his feet, sending his silverware flying across the table with a clatter.

Y/n jerked back in surprise, staring up at him with wide eyes. His eyelights had extinguished and the one in his right eye socket became larger and glowed a brilliant electric blue.

Everyone froze. The room went dead silent. Red’s hand was outstretched towards Sans and his own eye was glowing a harsh vermilion. His reaction had been lightening fast, as if he predicted this might happen. He looked ready to stop Sans if he tried anything, which Y/n was grateful for. But it looked like he wouldn’t have to.

Dream, Berry, Blue, and for once, Ink, all went stiff and watched Sans carefully. The air was thick with tension and crackling magic. The pressure was so intense that Y/n was starting to feel nauseous.

Frisk just stared back at him, expressionless as always. They showed no fear whatsoever. In fact, there was a hint of a smirk that Y/n would have noticed if she wasn't busy worrying about Sans right now.

“BROTHER?” Papyrus stared up at Sans in a mix of confusion and concern. He looked just as shocked as Y/n felt. Has Sans ever done anything like this before? 

“Sans?” Y/n gently called out alongside Paps. At the sound of both of their voices, Sans snapped out of whatever was making him act this way. His eyelights returned to normal and he shook his head, looking a bit dizzy.

He glanced from one concerned face to the next, finally landing on Frisk, who hadn’t moved. They had a mini stare down for a few seconds, with Sans’ smile becoming strained.

Finally he turned back to smile apologetically at Y/n and Papyrus, rubbing the back of his skull in embarrassment. “Ah… Sorry guys hehehe…. Dunno what got into me just then. I’m probably just tired.”

Red and Ink shared an incredulous look, not believing him for a second. They knew what was going on. Papyrus visibly relaxed and smiled happily at his brother, looking relieved. “THAT’S QUITE ALRIGHT SANS! EVERYONE HAS THEIR MOMENTS. THOUGH I WOULD ARGUE YOUR PROBLEM MIGHT BE TOO MUCH SLEEP INSTEAD OF TOO LITTLE.”

Sans chuckled. “Heh, you got me there.”

He sat back down and everyone relaxed. Everyone except for Y/n. Sans turned to sign at Frisk. “You okay kiddo? Sorry if I spooked you.”

Frisk immediately waved him off with a smile. “Don’t worry about it Sans. We all get a little jumpy sometimes.”

And with that the subject was dropped. Everyone returned to their meals and lighthearted conversations. Y/n couldn’t bring herself to. She played with her spaghetti absentmindedly.

The pressure from Sans’ magic was slowly easing, but she couldn’t just forget about it like everyone else. It had all been too intense. Her anxiety was flaring up like a wildfire. She had to get out and calm down.

Y/n shot up from the table, ignoring the worried glances sent her way. Especially the guilty one from Sans. “Excuse me for a moment.”

She sped off towards the bathroom, needing a moment to breathe. When she got there Y/n let out a sigh of relief and locked the door behind her. Then she splashed some water on her face to cool it off.

Y/n slid down to the floor and sat with her head in her hands. She had a pounding headache. Am I the only one who felt that? And what’s with Sans all of a sudden? It wasn’t like him to freak out like that. He was usually so calm. Or at least he was very good at pretending that he was.

Should I text Melody and ask for help? No, she’s busy right now. And Papyrus probably knows what's up. They’re brothers after all. Y/n still wanted to check up on him after the party.

She felt a lot calmer now that she removed herself from the situation. That random spike of anxiety wasn’t like her at all. Sure, she got anxious sometimes but the moment Sans freaked out, so did she. So weird. But I should probably get back before everyone starts to worry.

Y/n sighed again and stood up. She felt a lot better now actually. With any luck, the rest of the dinner would go off without a hitch. She fixed up her appearance in the mirror as quickly as she could then swung open the door.

Cold red eyes stared back at her. Y/n yelped in fright and stumbled backwards, just barely keeping herself steady. Frisk was waiting in the hallway for her, staring directly at her. Or… It felt like they were staring straight through her… Their expression never changed when she freaked out. Not a single twitch of their lips or a quirk of an eyebrow. Nothing.

Their soulless expressions were really starting to get to Y/n… She let out a nervous laugh and placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. “Sorry Frisk, you just startled me.”

“...”

Nothing. Not even a sign. Ooookay…. Y/n awkwardly smiled at them and excused herself, pushing past them and rushing back to the kitchen. Frisk’s intense gaze burned into the back of her head even after she disappeared around the corner.

The kitchen was mostly empty. Blue and Berry were cleaning up the table and washing the dishes, whispering to one another in hushed tones. Everyone else must be saying their goodbyes. Good, I need to talk to these two anyways.

She slowly approached them and placed a gentle hand on Berry’s shoulder. He flinched and turned around with a scowl, but when he saw Y/n’s gentle look he relaxed almost instantly. “YES HUMAN?”

Blue paused in washing a saucepan to turn and listen. She smiled at him as well and was relieved to see that he seemed much calmer than before. “I just wanted to make sure you boys were ok. Its just… you both have been really quiet and anxious this entire time. Its not like either of you.”

Berry sniffed, comically offended at Y/n’s mention of him not talking as much. But it was true, he and Blue were the most talkative of the bunch. If one of them shut up, there was definitely something wrong. “HMPH! I AM PERFECTLY FINE HUMAN! STOP WORRYING OVER NOTHING!”

Blue sighed and walked over to them. Both of them looked appreciative of her concern. Berry just wasn’t used to talking about his feelings. “WHAT HE MEANS TO SAY IS THAT WE’RE OK. ITS JUST THAT… WELL THE HUMAN CHILD REMINDS US OF SOMEONE FROM OUR PASTS, AND IT CAN STILL MAKE US FEEL NERVOUS EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME. WE’RE SORRY IF WE RUINED THE MOOD.”

Y/n shook her head and patted both of them on the shoulder. Neither Blue nor Berry could fight off the small smiles that fought its way to their lips(?).

“You didn’t ruin anything, I promise! I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I can understand how seeing someone who resembles a person that caused you so much pain can lead you to feel that way. If you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me. And if there’s a next time, you both can just stay in your rooms if you want.”

Y/n gave them each one last pat on the back before walking into the living room, completely missing the yearning glances Blue and Berry sent her way.

In the living room, everyone else was saying their goodbyes. Dream and Ink had hit it off with Papyrus right away. Sans was standing to the side, an unreadable expression on his face. He barely said a word since the incident. Red was saying goodbye to Frisk, who was smiling up at him innocently.

Y/n frowned in confusion at that. Why do they seem stone faced at times, and then during others they’re like a normal little kid?

Y/n didn’t dwell on it for long because Papyrus came up to say goodbye. He gave her one of his signature hugs that somehow always managed to make her feel better. “GOODBYE Y/N! IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN! MAYBE WE CAN HANG OUT, JUST YOU AND ME SOMETIME. OH AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT SANS, I MADE SURE HE’S ALRIGHT.”

Y/n giggled and hugged him back tightly. “Bye Paps. Thank you so much for taking care of your brother. I’m sure whatever happened was just an honest mistake. And I’d absolutely love to hang out with you more! Let me know what days are free for you ok?”

Papyrus nodded enthusiastically. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, causing Y/n to raise an eyebrow. Finally, he worked up the courage to speak his mind. “UM… Y/N. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON MY BROTHER FOR ME. HE’S HAD EPISODES LIKE THIS BEFORE AND I’M WORRIED ABOUT HIM. IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN A LONG TIME. HE SEEMS TO CALM DOWN EASILY WITH YOU, SO I KNOW I’M LEAVING HIM IN GOOD HANDS.”

Y/n blinked slowly, looking surprised. Papyrus trusted her to care for his brother. That meant a lot. She silently worried for Sans. Were these episodes going to keep coming back? What exactly was triggering them?

Whatever happened, she would be there to make sure he was ok! She nodded in understanding. “Of course I will. You can count on me! And if something does happen I’ll call you. I promise.”

Papyrus’s shoulders sagged. The relief was clear on his face. He would rest easier knowing Y/n had his brother’s back. “OH THANK YOU! BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING SO KIND TO MY FRIEND FRISK. THEY STRUGGLE A LOT WITH MAKING FRIENDS AND I KNOW IT MEANT A LOT TO THEM. THEY MAY ACT ODD AT TIMES BUT THEY REALLY ARE A KIND PERSON. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU TALKED WITH THEM AND DIDN’T TREAT THEM ANY DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THEIR STATUS TOO.”

Oh… Y/n felt bad now. Of course they struggled with making friends after everything that had happened and their role as the ambassador. And I should know as much as anyone how hard it is to interact with people. She smiled wearily up at Papyrus. “Of course. They’re only a kid. I’m glad I was able to make them feel welcome.”

Papyrus nodded, looking satisfied. He then walked off to say goodbye to his brother. Feeling a tug at her shirt, Y/n glanced down to find Frisk smiling up at her. She smiled back and waited patiently as they signed something. “Thank you for having me Dr. Y/n. I had a lot of fun.”

Y/n brightened at that. At least her discomfort hadn’t been obvious to the child. “You’re very welcome! It was nice to meet you.”

As they signed back and forth, Y/n didn’t notice the dark look Sans was sending Frisk, which slowly melted into worry as he glanced at Y/n. He didn’t like how close Frisk was to his roommate…

After everyone said their final goodbyes Papyrus and Frisk left. Everyone seemed happy and satisfied with how the dinner went, Y/n most of all. Despite the few bumps in the road everything seemed to have turned out well in the end.

“Hey Y/n?” Sans slowly approached her, looking guilty. Y/n tilted her head at him and gave him her full attention. This is good anyways. I wanted to make sure he’s alright. “Yes?”

Sans scratched the bottom of his jaw. “I’m really sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to scare you. I have these… moments of panic because of something in my past. It just sorta… got triggered today.”

Y/n nodded in understanding. “Its alright Sans. You just startled me is all. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Next time you feel like that’s going to happen again, or really if you need anything at all, feel free to talk to me about it. I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”

Sans’ face softened. “Thanks hun. It means a lot. I really didn’t make you freak out or anything though right?”

Y/n shook her head with a grin. “Honestly, you didn't freak me out. I’m just worried about you. The magic coming off of you was so intense it got a little hard to breathe. But really, I’m fine.”

Sans’ eyelights flickered in shock. He stared at her with widened eye sockets. “You… felt that?”

Y/n stared back at him in confusion. “Uh… Yes???”

He went silent, continuing to stare at her like she was a puzzle he just couldn’t figure out. Y/n’s worry for him started to pick up again. “Sans?”

Sans shook his head, his lazy smile returning to his face. Although this one looked strained. “Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought. Sorry that happened to ya. I’m sure we’ll all feel better in the morning. Gnight hun…”

Y/n barely got to say goodnight back before he teleported away. She stared at the spot where he used to be, more confused than ever. … What the hell was that about?

Chapter Text

It was a chilly Friday evening. Though it was still summertime, mother nature had graced the town with a week of decent temperatures.

Y/n decided to take this opportunity while she still could and get her monthly shopping done. So after work she started to run her errands, hopping from store to store and getting everything she or the boys might need.

The past few days at the mansion had been pretty tame. Sans seemed to have calmed down from whatever was bothering him. Y/n was still worried about him, but anytime she tried to ask about it he deflected or distracted her with something else. (Which he’d come to find was super easy.) Eventually she sort of gave up, knowing that if he really wanted to talk about it he needed to be the one that came to her.

Otherwise, things were pretty calm. A little too calm. This seriously couldn’t be all the Sanses that got pulled through could it? The last one to arrive was Dream, and that was over two weeks ago!

Ink himself had admitted they couldn’t be sure exactly how many universes were affected, or what the extent of the damage even was. Y/n had a feeling the peace wouldn’t last very long. And she was proven correct today of all days.

Y/n was in the last store she needed to visit for the day. Then she could go home and relax for the weekend. She was really looking forward to it. All she had been doing these past few days was work work work. It’ll be nice to hang out with the boys again.

After purchasing her items, Y/n left the store, bags in hand, and started the slow trek back home. Once again she didn’t think to bring her car, wanting to enjoy the weather while it lasted. After this it would probably be boiling hot again.

Y/n released a sigh and brushed past the other pedestrians walking by. It was pretty busy right now, thanks to the current rush hour. Ugh. She hated crowded areas.

The peaceful atmosphere was unceremoniously interrupted by a sizzling, popping sound Y/n knew all too well by now. She paused in the middle of the sidewalk to watch as a flash of light appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Y/n flinched and blocked the light from her eyes, watching as a blue and yellow figure fell out, landing on the concrete with a loud banging and scraping sound. Ouch…

Y/n grimaced and blinked back the spots that danced in her vision from the flash. She let out a low sigh. Oh boy, here we go again. And in public too.

Y/n’s heart suddenly seized in her chest. Oh no… This is a public space! How am I going to explain this!?

The other humans and monsters had all shrieked and stumbled away from the light. It had startled everyone within a twenty foot radius, and now a small crowd was beginning to form around the newest addition to Y/n’s merry band of skeletons.

Y/n gasped and pushed her way to the front of the group, hoping he was ok. When she spotted this new Sans, Y/n stopped dead in her tracks, surprised by his appearance.

He looked like any other Sans, obviously. But his clothes were… definitely different. Beautiful, but strange.

He wore a dark blue puffy jacket with golden/yellow sleeves and two yellow stripes that went across his chest. His hoodie and the trim of the jacket looked like fluffy white clouds. And the jacket strings had cute little puffballs on the ends.

His basketball shorts were navy blue with golden stripes on the sides. And to top it all off, his slippers were an adorable pastel blue, poofy like a cloud, and had several shimmering stars sewed onto them.

His eye lights, when he cracked them open with a confused expression, were shaped like white stars. And if Y/n peered closer, she noticed that his cheeks were dusted with tiny glittery stars. Much like a little galaxy on his bones. He looked out of this world. And Y/n guessed that was probably the point. If all the star imagery meant anything. He’s gorgeous!

Y/n forced herself to snap out of her stupor, starting to panic a little. Everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. She bit her lip and held her breath, desperately hoping that she didn’t have to run in and grab him. That would make everything seem even more suspicious. 

Thankfully, everyone seemed to just shrug it off as monster shenanigans. Magic was pretty common, so the monsters just smiled and chalked it up to a misfired spell. No big deal in their eyes! Some of the humans still gave him weird glances, but when the other monsters went on their way, so did they. Y/n let out a sigh of relief. That definitely could have gone worse. 

This new Sans blinked owlishly, staring at the world around him in a mix between wonder and terror. And after seeing all the people crowding around him, he looked like he was starting to freak out a little.

Y/n put on the gentlest smile she could muster and slowly went to approach him. “Hi! Are you alright?”

The Sans flinched and scooted away from her. He looked distressed. Of course he is. He just got pulled through a portal and into a strange new world. Why wouldn’t he be? There was that familiar prick of guilt again.

The Sans stared up at Y/n with wide sockets. Y/n pursed her lips, then tried again. She didn’t get any closer to him, not wanting to cause him to panic. He might bolt. And then what would happen if he came across the force field without knowing that it was there?

“Hi. I’m sure you’re very confused right now. I can help-” Y/n frowned in concern when the skeleton stumbled while trying to stand up, like he wasn’t used to the gravity.

He looked back at Y/n in confusion. “Where- where am I!?” 

Y/n put her hands up, trying to calm him down, but he wasn’t having it. He pulled further away from her, eyeing her hands warily. She sighed. “You’re on the surface. You’re safe I promise. No one is going to hurt you.”

Sans’ knees buckled from beneath him and he fell back down. Whether from the shock or his current lack of balance, Y/n couldn’t be sure. His breath became shaky as he looked around in awe. “I’m on Earth!? Planet Earth?”

Y/n’s eyes rounded with wonder. Are monsters not on our planet in his universe? How the hell did that happen!? She had SO MANY questions, and it was very hard to keep them all inside. He didn’t need to be bombarded by her curiosity right this second. (Definitely later though.)

“Erm… yes, you’re on planet Earth right now. Are you from space or something?”

“Oh my Asgore…” He whispered breathlessly. He obviously wasn’t listening. It made sense, if he wasn’t from earth and was now visiting an entirely new planet. How exactly did that work? Was there a habitable planet in that au that separated monsters and humans or were they literally in space? So, so many questions.

Y/n jolted in surprise when the Sans stumbled away, his eyes looking straight through her as if she weren't there. He was more freaked out than she thought.

“W-wait!” Y/n ran after him as he took off down the sidewalk, looking like a complete madman. He can't get that far, but still! He could get hurt!

Y/n tried following him, but lost him in the sea of humans and monsters trying to get home. When everyone cleared away, he was nowhere to be seen.

Y/n groaned and leaned her back against the brick wall of a boutique, running her hands down the sides of her face. How am I going to find him now?

Worry for the poor skeleton gnawed at her insides. I can't even begin to imagine how scared he must be right now. Especially since his au is obviously very different to everyone else’s. But how the hell am I gonna find him? The forcefield may help but, its still huge. Maybe I should call Ink.

Y/n reached for her phone, but paused. Even if she did get the au guardian’s attention, its not like he could come and help her with the other forcefield around the house. (That they still had no idea where it even came from by the way.) Maybe he could recognize the Sans she was talking about and tell her where he might go, but otherwise, it was completely up to Y/n.

Y/n sighed and closed her eyes. She slowed her breathing, hoping to calm herself down and become more clear headed. Panicking wouldn’t solve anything. So where might he be?

She stood still for a long moment, trying to think, and continuing to breathe deeply. Somehow, while she was concentrating, Y/n felt a weird tug at her soul. It was… oddly familiar? Where had she felt it before?

She felt herself get pulled along, and without realizing it, her legs followed. Y/n opened her eyes and found herself speed walking down the sidewalk. She didn’t know how or why, but she felt that this was important. So, she did what any sane person would do and let her soul take her wherever it thought she needed to be. Maybe it was crazy but what other options did she have right now?

I do know that souls aren’t completely understood, and that they are basically someone’s entire existence. So maybe, this is normal? I know monsters tend to listen to their souls more than humans do.

Y/n shrugged and walked around for several minutes, searching for her missing skeleton. Her soul was beelining for one specific spot, and after some time it led her directly to him.

Y/n let out a sigh of relief when she spotted this starry Sans hiding in a nearby alleyway. He was curled up in a ball and hiding his face under his arms, back against the wall. He was still shaking, but didn’t look quite as bad as before. Y/n felt a spark of hope that she could help him.

Seeing him so freaked out like this caused sympathy to swell in her chest. Y/n approached him slowly, trying to look as harmless as possible.

“Hey…” She whispered. He flinched and his head snapped up, staring up at her with a mixed expression. He didn’t know if he should be scared, suspicious, or relieved to see a familiar face. She was the first person he saw when falling through after all.

Eventually he did speak up. He looked down at his boney hands in confusion. “I ran into thin air while running away, like there was some invisible wall in front of me. Why did that happen? Earth gravity? And why are there monsters here? I thought we were all in space.”

“Ah, about that…” Y/n sighed and sat across from him, still giving him his space. Sans eyed her warily but didn’t protest. He was probably more concerned with getting answers anyways.

Her calm and kind nature, mixed with the fact that she was clearly trying to help managed to calm him down. He was still understandably freaked out but at the very least he was no longer trembling.

Y/n delved in to the explanation she basically had memorized by now. She explained where he was, what universe, how monsters had always been on Earth here. She explained the incident, how the force field worked, and also apologized.

Despite everyone’s insistence that she didn’t have to feel so guilty anymore, Y/n still felt the need to apologize. At the end of the day, her actions still heavily affected the lives of several monsters. It was important to her that she acknowledged it and worked to fix it.

She braced herself for a big negative reaction. Either something like Red’s fiery rage or Sans’ cold passive aggressiveness. But to her surprise, this Sans didn’t react angrily at all. Concerned? Yes. Scared? Definitely. But angry? He didn’t seem to have an angry bone in his body.

Y/n bit her lip and anxiously awaited his response. The Sans closed his eyesockets for a few minutes and took deep rhythmic breaths in and out, like some sort of calming ritual. It was doing something to soothe his anxiety.

When his eyes opened, his eyelights looked much clearer. “So I’m on Earth. Just not my universes earth? And you do have a way to get me home?”

Y/n nodded, relieved that he was looking much more stable now and that she could do what she did best: answer questions. “Yes. You’re on earth. Ink and I are working on a way to get you home. It will just… take some time. I can't guarantee exactly when you’ll be able to get home. However from the way it's looking, I don't think you’ll be here for longer than a year, if even.”

The Sans leaned back against the concrete wall, taking everything in. He was so much calmer than any other Sans Y/n had met before. And not as quick to anger like some of them. He just seemed… content. “You know? I always wanted to see Earth up close. I don't know if that’s in the cards for us back home, but if it is, then I’ll be here long enough to gather information on it so that maybe we'll know what to expect when it happens in my world. And Ink… I actually do know him and most of the others. He’s pretty eccentric but not too bad.”

He turned to give Y/n a weak smile. It was a start. “And if he and the other me's trust you, so do I. From the way you described it, I don't think you really meant to cause any harm. I guess… we’ll just have to see what happens. If you can get me home back to my bro, that’s all I care about.”

Y/n nodded in understanding. She was shocked by how easy that went. Other than the whole running away thing. But still, he was taking this surprisingly well.

Now that they had that out of the way, she was practically bursting with questions. She smiled back at him. “I understand. I’m not expecting us to become instant best friends or anything. I will do everything I can to fix this. Though, if you don't mind me asking, what’s your universe like?”

He immediately brightened at her question. The stars in his eyelights shimmered as he reminisced. “Its beautiful. We live in a world full of stars. The humans banished us to space and we live in a small community. Its wonderful there but we still want to be on earth y'know?”

Y/n’s eyes were bright with wonder as she listened to him describe his home and all the different people and places. How a town was able to survive in space absolutely fascinated Y/n. The Sans soaked up the attention. He hadn't had anyone to share his home with in a very long time…

“That’s so cool!! It sounds incredible. I’d love to see something like that.” Y/n gushed. It was surreal, hearing about a world like that.

Sans smiled more genuinely at her, clearly pleased by her fascination. He winked playfully at her, causing her to blush. “Hey, maybe if you perfect your portal machine, I can take ya sometime.”

The idea of going with Sans to see the stars and Earth from space was super appealing. Maybe some day… For now though, it was only a distant dream.

Dream… Oh shit, I have to get back to the boys! Who knows how long I’ve been out here!? Y/n hurriedly shot to her feet and dusted herself off. Sans looked up at her, startled. The sudden change from calm and wistful to alarmed always threw people off when they first met Y/n, but they always grew used to it eventually. “Shit! The others will be worried if I’m not back soon. And maybe we should get out of this gross alleyway… Are you calm enough to leave now?”

Sans chuckled and stood up, brushing himself off as well. “Yup. All good. Lets go. By the way, what do I call you human?”

Y/n smiled and offered her hand for him to shake. “My name is Y/n, its nice to meet you! What nickname did the others give you when you were with them?”

The Sans’ grin grew larger and he reached out to grab her hand. A low farting sound suddenly emitted from their interlocked fingers and Y/n took a moment to process, all the while Sans was smirking mischievously, the corners of his eyesockets crinkled up in joy. “Cosmic. Call me Cosmic.”

Y/n deadpanned as they pulled away and he showed off his whoopee cushion. “In hindsight I should have seen that coming…”

-

After they collected her groceries the walk home was quite pleasant. Cosmic continued telling her about his universe and Y/n was all ears the entire way home. He was very fun to talk to. He had the same humor that most Sanses had, but was a more soft spoken, relaxed guy. Even compared to Sans, Cosmic’s calm nature was less from being tired and more from just being a gentle guy. He was very sweet too.

At the house Y/n felt a nervous pit open up in her stomach. How would the boys react to Cosmic? Did they even like him? Only one way to find out.

She pushed open the front door and stepped inside. Cosmic entered after her, also looking a bit nervous. Hopefully this went well.

At the sound of the door Ink was already throwing himself into the room, like some sort of puppy getting excited when their owner came home. Y/n chuckled as she watched him screech to a halt the moment he laid eyes on Cosmic. “Y/n! Welcome ba- COSMIC!?”

Cosmic blushed in embarrassment and smiled kindly at Ink with a small wave. “Hehe hi Ink!”

“COMIC'S HERE!?” Echoed from upstairs. Y/n snorted. Oh boy here we go….

Now that the entire house was alerted to the presence of the newest addition, everyone was downstairs to greet him. Even Red and Berry looked happy.

“Hi friends!” Cosmic chirped, clearly elated to see everyone again. Sans patted him on the shoulder. “Welcome to paradise bud.”

Dream took Y/n’s bags away from her so that he could help put things away. (Such a gentleman!) Before he left, he smiled brightly at Cosmic. “We’re so happy to see you again!”

“DID YOU SHOW UP AT Y/N’S WORK? THAT’S HOW BERRY AND I GOT HERE.” Blue was giving Cosmic a bone crushing hug. Ink had joined in on the hug, enveloping both Cosmic and Blue into his arms with a grin.

Cosmic giggled and hugged them back. “Actually… I showed up in the middle of her shopping. It was a little chaotic but we both managed to figure it out. Eventually…”

Y/n and Cosmic both exchanged knowing smiles. Red looked a little concerned at that. “Nobody saw, did they? We’re trying to keep this on the downlow right?”

Y/n sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. All the boys gave her sympathetic glances. “Unfortunately no… but everyone brushed it off as a misfired spell. So… It's… fine????”

She shrugged as her last sentence ended on a higher octave. They all thought about that for a moment before relaxing. Berry placed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I SUPPOSE IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY LESS WILLING TO BELIEVE SOMEONE FROM AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE JUST CRASHED INTO THEIRS. SO IT MAKES SENSE. WE SHOULD STILL BE CAREFUL, BUT I HONESTLY DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO WORRY TOO MUCH UNLESS SOMEONE GETS NOSEY.”

Y/n nodded in agreement. Her family immediately came to mind. Over the past few months, she’d been very vague with how her life was going. She didn’t dare mention having new roommates, especially since all 7 were men. Her mother would lose her marbles.

She knew she couldn’t keep this up forever and eventually her family would want to visit, but for now she’d lay low as long as she could. “That’s good to hear. We don't have to worry as much as I thought.”

Everyone looked a lot more calm after that. Cosmic was having the time of his life, catching up with his old friends and learning how things worked around here. Y/n was always so curious about how they all knew each other, or why it seemed like they hadn’t talked in ages until now. She didn’t want to pry though.

“Bah! What’s with all the worrying! Let's enjoy the rest of the day now that you’re both here!” Ink interrupted before the conversation could get any more serious.

Y/n’s classic smile returned to her face. "You know what? Yeah! It's been a long day and I want to relax. We can worry about this stuff tomorrow. How about a game?”

Blue, Dream, and Ink all perked up at Y/n’s suggestion. The others looked excited about the idea too. Blue took off towards the kitchen. “I’LL MAKE US ALL SNACKS!!”

“AND I’LL MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T BURN THE SNACKS…” Berry muttered before trudging after the excitable skeleton. Y/n heard what sounded like an offended noise come from the kitchen and giggled. 

Red wrapped an arm around Cosmic's shoulders. “Why don't I give ya the grand tour while they get things set up?”

“Ok!” Cosmic let himself be led through the house with Sans following close behind, probably to help him pick a room and tell him the house rules. Meanwhile Ink and Dream had disappeared into the living room to set up, chatting amongst themselves.

Y/n smiled fondly at all of them. This house, once empty, was really starting to feel like a home. She felt Nutmeg’s tail brush against her legs and bent down to give him a few pats. I’m just glad this ended on a happy note.

-

Later that night, Y/n woke up with a start after having a weird dream. It was mostly a blur now, but it was enough to leave her freaked out afterwards. 

She remembered a black and white blur, a tinge of red, the feeling of danger. The man who spoke in hands... Strange laughter had echoed in her mind, getting louder and louder by the second. It pounded against her skull, becoming unbearable. Then she woke up. 

Y/n lay there for a few minutes, wondering if she should try to go back to sleep. Damn I’m thirsty. Maybe getting something to drink will help cool me off.

She sighed and rolled out of bed, making sure to step over Nutmeg as he slept by her doorway as if to guard it. Y/n was quiet as a mouse when she passed the other bedrooms, hoping that the boys were all sound sleepers. They were all a Sans right?

Y/n flinched when her bare feet touched the icy tile downstairs. She quickly got out a cup and poured herself a glass of water, downing it in seconds. There. That should-

A chilly breeze caused a shiver to run down Y/n's spine and she placed down her glass to rub her arms. She frowned in confusion and walked out of the kitchen, only to find that the back door was slightly ajar. She rolled her eyes and stormed towards it, wondering which skeleton forgot to close it.

Right as she grabbed the handle Y/n noticed with a gasp of surprise that there was someone sitting outside in the grass, staring up at the stars. She slapped her hand over her mouth and mentally cursed herself for being so loud. Geez she was so jumpy tonight...

The person didn’t even seem to hear her. They were so focused on the stars up above. Y/n took a moment to collect herself and let the adrenaline wear off. Now that she looked more closely, she saw that it was one of her roommates. It was a little hard to know who in this light, so she walked out onto the grass to join them.

As she got closer she realized that it was Cosmic. Ah… of course. I should have known.

He finally noticed her when she plopped down in the grass next to him. His star-shaped eyelights briefly glanced her way before he turned back to the sky. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, so Y/n assumed it was fine and settled down to watch the sky with him.

Y/n wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he spoke again. “Its surreal seeing them from this perspective.”

Y/n rose an eyebrow and regarded him curiously. “Can you see where your home is from here?”

Cosmic took a moment to squint at the sky, his eyelights darting across it with ease. Eventually he pointed towards a specific set of constellations. “My home would have been right there.”

Y/n didn’t respond for some time. She was admiring the glittering stars twinkling above the two of them. Right now, it felt like they were the only two people in the entire universe. “I never really notice them as much as I should. We all tend to take the stars for granted. But they’re beautiful.”

"The view from up there is even better.” Cosmic promised. He scooted a little closer to her. “I get it though. You get so busy with life and responsibilities that sometimes you forget to look up.”

Y/n nodded in agreement. “Definitely. Sometimes I forget about the little things, too focused on my projects or life weighing me down. I hope I’m able to find more peace of mind someday.”

Cosmic leaned back on his hands with a soft hum. “Y’know? Earth isn’t so bad. This gives me hope that when I get home, I’ll be able to take my kingdom with me and we can find Earth.”

Y/n laid down in the grass with her arms behind her head. “That sounds wonderful. I’d love to see that happen. I promise, I’m going to get you home.”

And Y/n meant it. She was going to get everyone home, no matter what it took.

Y/n saw Cosmic smile at her from out of the corner of her eye. “I have a feeling you will.”

Chapter Text

Hello everyone! I was originally going to publish chapter 18 with this but could not due to reasons I'll be explaining.

Just some unfortunate news to share, I've been thinking about this a lot and I've decided to officially announce a writing hiatus.

University has been sapping my energy, and I've been dealing with a lot of bad irl stuff (2024/2025 has been majorly fucked up)

I haven't been in the right headspace to do what I love, which sucks. I love my stories and I love writing, but the burnout really is that bad and I don't want to force myself. I'm also just super busy with life, especially with my last 2 semesters of uni.

This has actually happened before 😭 when I was in high school I "quit" writing for a bit but after some time was able to find my passion again

This too shall pass. Any story I've started is going to have its conclusion, I refuse to give up on something I've always loved. I just need time and I need to stop stressing over something that is essentially just a hobby.

I will be taking a longer break, rereading old chapters, and hopefully my passion will reignite!

I MIGHT post every so often, but do not expect frequent updates anymore.

In the meantime, if you still want to interact or ask questions about the story, I am very happy to respond to comments! I also have a Tumblr, feel free to ask about my stories/aus there too! :) https://www.tumblr.com/camiecomics?source=share

I've been more active with drawing/animating lately, so if that's something that interests you, here are my socials:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC8ufs2nMl6oEKPMUqyWBUxw

Discord: Camellia#8746

Instagram: instagram.com/camiecomics?igshid=NGExMmI2YTkyZg==

Deviant art: www.deviantart.com/camiedraws

Art fight: artfight.net/~Disaster-Bi

I'll also remain an editor for Neon's story: Three Girls and The Mansion Of Skeletons ( Reader X AU Sans and Papyrus)

Despite my current problem, my editing commissions are still open. Writing commissions are a maybe.  (Not on AO3, since that's against the rules)

I will still be very active online, so don't be afraid to reach out or whatever :3

I WILL BE BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

THIS MORTAL FORM CANNOT HOLD ME FOR LONG

AS SOON AS MY ENERGY IS BACK Y'ALL BETTER WATCH OUT

I'LL BE WRITING SO MUCH ANGST AND FLUFF IT'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING MINDS

MWAHAHAHA

Anyways toodle-oo :3