Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gaster sat at his usual table in the campus cafe, laptop out while he typed away on his laptop, sipping his third cup of espresso. He paused and took off his glasses, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, taking a moment to pull his thoughts together. It had been a really long week, maybe a quick break would do him some good. It wasn't like he actually wanted to stop though, he just knew burning out his brain would make this take longer, and he had a deadline to keep up with. For now, he could afford giving himself five minutes to just enjoy his coffee and decompress.

The professor's eyes wandered to the window as he sipped his espresso. Outside, autumn leaves fluttered on the steady breeze, eventually falling to the ground where they'd crinkle under the feet of those walking by the little shop Gaster sat in. Term would start soon, which meant it would be back to teaching physics to young adults five days out of the week, and eating a lot more take out. Of course, there was always his sons to look forward too.

His son, Papyrus and Sans, only a few years apart in age, would now both be attending the university where he was currently working. Sans had already been attending, and was working on his third year for his robotics degree. Papyrus on the other hand, would be a freshmen student, and studying culinary. The two of them had wanted to go on a trip together to celebrate Papyrus getting into the culinary program, and had left just the day after the school year had ended in late spring. They'd called and texted him frequently, sending a post card from all of their destinations, and Gaster keeping each one safe in his desk drawer at home. Now they'd be on their way back for the start of the school year, and staying with their father.

Truth be told, Gaster had been a bit lonely since his sons had taken off on their trip, which had been a strange realization for him at first. He supposed that all that time with his sons in the house with him had made him used to actually being around other people. Gaster had never really been one to have friends, unless you counted Alphys, who was really more like his research assistant.

The young woman was starting her fifth year, working on getting a Ph. D. in quantum mechanics, and had come to Gaster with the proposition of a project they could work together on. She'd been a bumbling, stuttering mess, nervous to speak to him, though that wasn't uncommon for Gaster to experience. He'd written many papers and published twelve books, their topics ranging from physics, to chemistry, mathematics, and robotics, and many sub categories. This had given him quite the reputation in his field, as well as around the university where he worked. Given that his tall stature and usual bluntness already made him off-putting for people, being one of the greatest minds of his field didn't help with how intimidating he could be to people.

Yet that didn't stop her, she'd powered through her nerves and managed to get her voice back, which he found impressive. He could tell just by looking at Alphys that she had a hard enough time speaking to just about anyone, and respected the mental hurdles she was putting herself through just to say what she wanted to him. Perhaps that's why instead of turning her away like he did with most, he sat and listened to her.

Alphys had apparently been a fan of his, and knew that he had long been working on a way to harness massive amounts of geothermal energy that would be much more efficient then the current power sources they used. She wanted to assist him with his research, even giving some of her own ideas on how they could test Gaster's theories with prototypes and through simulation. The young lady just so happened to be dueling in computer sciences as well, and had proven to excel with programs and software. All she wanted was a chance to study under him, and in return, she'd help him as best she could.

At first Gaster had been disbelieving, many had come to him before saying they could help with this long time project of his, but something about Alphys had been interesting to him. He'd sent her away, telling her he'd think it over and get back to her, just wanting a little time to consider. Alphys had left, thanking him for his time in a quiet stutter, but her expression looked incredibly hopeful as she left. The moment she was out the door, Gaster had opened his computer and typed her name into the search bar. Not only had Alphys peaked his interest with her bold offer and vest intelligence, but something about her name had been familiar, and he soon learned why, finding a story from a six years ago that he remembered reading about.

Mettaton, a big social media influencer that Papyurs adored, had been in a horrible car accident that had crushed his legs, and left him unable to walk. There had been no hope in him getting his legs back due to how bad the condition had been, that was until a close friend of Mettaton's had personally designed a set of prosthetic legs that gave Metatton the ability to function just as he had before. That friend had been Alphys, and she'd only been sixteen years old when she'd given her friend the ability to walk again.

Gaster remembered how he'd emailed Alphys to meet him in his office the next afternoon, and the conversation that had followed.

.

.

.

"Who needs arms, with legs like these?" Gaster read off his computer screen as Alphys sat down on the opposite side of his desk.

Alphys flushed, stuttering when she heard that phrase, "H-How do you kn-know that?"

"That's the catchphrase of that online creator, Mettaton, yes? He does a variety of things I believe, my son especially loves his cooking tutorials. I believe he'll be attending this university starting next year."

"Um...yeah..." Alphys fiddled with her glasses, messy dirty blonde hair falling over her eyes, a look of confusion on her face.

"You didn't tell me yesterday that you were the one who built those prosthetics for him. That's impressive work for someone so young, especially with how high quality they are."

Alphys blushed heavily from embarrassment, looking down at her lap, "I-It was nothing too hard-"

"You gave that boy the ability to walk again."

"H-He's my b-best friend."

"Still, that's incredibly impressive."

"I guess..." Alphys didn't sound so sure, still not looking Gaster in the eye.

"You possess an incredible intellect, Miss Alphys, that much is obvious." Gaster folded his arms over his desk and looked her up and down, "I don't see why you're so nervous. You must know how much smarter you are then others."

"I-I'm not r-r-really the k-kind to put myself o-on a p-ped-pedestal or anything..." Finally, Alphys looked at him with a sheepish expression.

Gaster smiled a bit, and that seemed to help her relax some, "A sense of humility, that's good to have when you're someone who wants to pursue a career in science. Tell me, why do you want to assist me in my research? You're obviously capable of pursuing a topic of interest to yourself, so why help an old man like me?"

"B-Because you're not j-just an old man!" Alphys insisted, her sudden change of tone catching Gaster off-guard, "You're one of the g-greatest scientists the world's ever seen! Your th-theories and research have helped ad-advanced the world of s-s-science, and it's u-understanding of the w-world! Getting to w-work under someone l-l-like you would b-be such an honor!"

It took a moment for Gaster to really be able to think of a response, which left Alphys worrying she'd upset somehow, which left her in utter confusion when Gaster broke out laughing. This girl was truly something else, and he admired that. In many ways, she was a lot like his sons, which made him think that he should introduce them to this woman at some point, he was sure they'd all get along great. Wiping a couple joyful tears from his eyes, Gaster calmed himself and fixed Alphys with a slightly crooked smile and glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Alphys, I think the two of us are going to work great together. I'll fill out the necessary paperwork with the university board so you can work under me. Perhaps after you graduate, we can be partners."

"Really?" Alphys asked with a growing smile.

"Really." Gaster held out his hand, "It'll be an honor to work with you."

.

.

.

Gaster snapped out of his thoughts, and checked his watch, cursing silently under his breath. He'd allowed himself to get lost in his own thoughts and had gone way over the five minutes he'd originally planned to take a break for. He'd been sitting there sipping coffee and thinking for a solid twenty minutes, not even realizing that his cup had been nearly empty for awhile now.

"...this isn't going anywhere, anyways." He muttered, closing his laptop and pulling out his wallet. For now he'd just head home and get things ready for the arrival of his sons.

"Leaving already, Professor?" Came the voice of Muffet, the owner of this little cafe.

Since the cafe itself was just a small family business, Muffet worked alongside her sisters and their daughters, cleaning tables, working the counter, and making orders right along with them. Though she could be a little overbearing with advertising, her worth ethic was quite respectable. Though around the holidays, her prices could get just a tad ridiculous, and usually her sisters talked her into lowering to more reasonable prices. Despite that, she was one of the few people that didn't constantly get on Gaster's nerves, and he occasionally engaged in light conversation with her.

"I'm afraid I can't seem to get any work done today." Gaster paid his bill as Muffet brought him his recipe for the espresso he'd ordered, and he even gave a rather large tip. His tipping was probably one of the reasons Muffet seemed to like whenever he came around.

"Coming back tomorrow?"

"I can't. I'm picking up my sons from the bus station tomorrow."

"Ooo~ I almost forgot your boys were coming back for school." Muffet looked genuinely excited, "Make sure you bring them both around soon! I've got a couple new recipes I want Papyrus to try."

"Will do." Gaster smiled a little and nodded, "Have a good day Muffet."

As he walked out into the crisp fall weather, Gaster pulled the collar of his grey turtleneck sweater up a little bit. Unfortunately the sweater wasn't very thick, and his toffee colored skin was soon becoming a little red around his cheeks and nose. The cold nipped at his ears, and made him shiver hard enough to make his teeth chatter. His glasses soon became foggy, and he muttered a curse under his breath again.

Gaster's vision had always been bad, but due to an accident in his high school years that had ended with him causing an explosion while conducting a personal experiment, he was just about blind without his glasses. While they were fogged like this, the entire world looked incredibly fuzzy and blurred, and he could just barely tell he was going in the right direction. The scars on his face had also come from that same accident, and it was the one over his left eye that he rubbed as the chill in the air started to give him a headache. He was really starting to wish that the weather report had been accurate this morning, this day just wasn't treating him very well.

While he'd been rubbing the ache forming in his head, Gaster hadn't taken into account how he really wasn't helping his current problem with his sight. This led to him accidentally bumping into someone who'd been walking from the opposite direction of the street. Whoever he had ran into had been rather large, since they barely budged while he went tumbling to the ground, glasses falling off of his face and skidding across the ground. Thankfully, he'd manage to not land on his laptop, managing to hold the device securely in his arms and he landed on his side, head smacking the pavement. It may have seemed silly to risk injury for a laptop, but he used this laptop for a lot of his personal research, and he really didn't want to risk loosing anything he may have not yet saved or updated...also he just didn't want to go to the store to buy another one...he hated when he ran into store workers who always tried to get him to buy more than he'd originally come in for, and they usually managed to make him feel guilty so he'd buy something else as well.

"Oh my, I'm so, so sorry!" Came a deep, baritone voice from above Gaster. Though Gaster could hear them, his head hitting the pavement had left his head ringing, and he was pretty sure he now had a concussion.

The owner of the voice knelt down, helping Gaster sit up, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention, and I-"

Gaster held up a hand to silence him, and used sign language, signing a few words, "Fine. Don't worry."

Gaster had started speaking later than most, so his mother had taught him sign language to give him away to communicate with people, and it had stuck. He'd spoken in nothing but sing language, catching onto it rather quickly, until his seventh birthday. After that, he'd still speak in mostly sign language, the few words he did speak mostly spoken with his uncle, who'd he'd been incredibly close to, and the rest to his parents. It wasn't until he started middle school that Gaster finally began using verbal speech, finding he was tired of being picked on in school for it. His inability to socialize properly already made things hard enough, making him even further disconnected from the other children around him.

Though that didn't stop him from using sign language completely. Whenever he was overstimulated, he'd slip back into using sign language, finding it easier to communicate when he couldn't get his mind to work properly. Due to this, Sans and Papyrus were both very fluent in sign language, the three would even have entire conversations in sign language on regular occasions, the lack of voice and tone very helpful when it came to disagreements. Right now, head ringing and flaring in pain, his side feeling like it had been pushed on a large cheese grater, and his vision to blurry to even see the person trying to help him properly, Gaster was so overstimulated that he'd slipped into sign language without even realizing it, and quickly pulling away from the person's touch once he was sat up. He immediately felt like what he'd done was incredibly rude, and hoped the person wasn't offended, his thoughts starting to run to fast for him to really be able to think, which only caused him to sign faster, due to his throat feeling like it was closing up to tightly to let words out.

"My fault. I wasn't looking-"

"I wasn't really paying attention either." The words made Gaster's hand freeze, and his expression became shocked. It wasn't often he met anyone who knew sign language outside of his sons.

Gaster didn't say anything for a minute, then started signing again, "Apologies. Usually, people don't understand when I sign. It caught me off guard." He calmed a little, though he still didn't feel like he could manage words at the moment.

"It's alright, I understand completely." The owner of the voice seemed to notice how Gaster's gaze couldn't really seem to settle on their face, and then noticed Gaster's glasses on the ground, picking them up, "Are these glasses yours."

"Yes. They had fogged over. That's why I didn't see you."

"Yes, they look really cloudy. I have a handkerchief if you need it. The fabric should be soft enough for the lenses." The stocky, blurred figure in Gaster's vision put Gaster's glasses into his hand, doing their best not to touch him, noticing how it seemed to startle him earlier.

"That would be most appreciated."

"Here." They handed over their handkerchief, and Gaster quickly wiped down his glasses, handing back the cloth. When he put them back on, he first noticed the crack in the bottom of the right lens of his glasses, which meant he'd have to do something he absolutely hated doing...set up an appointment. The second thing he noticed was the tall, well built man in front of him, who's eyes were the first thing to draw Gaster's attention.

Such piercing eyes, like a stormy blue sky that were fixed directly over dark soil, which was the same shade as his own brown eyes. Gaster soon found himself studying the rest of the man's features, those his gaze kept coming back to the stranger's eyes. The man had the well earned tan of someone who frequented the outside, though it had paled a bit with the changing of the summer months into autumn. His hair was dirty blonde, with just a touch of silver near the roots, implicating that this man was around Gaster's age. He had his long hair pulled back in a bun, some loose strands dangling by his ears and over his eyes, with a short beard to go along with the hair do. The stranger wore an old pair of overalls, and had on a brain jacket with a soft, fluffy lining, though it didn't look nearly as soft as the man's hair.

That last thought made Gaster blush a bit, and he finally said, "Thank you for your assistance."

The man tilted his head in confusion, "If you can speak, then why do you use sign language?"

Gaster didn't respond for a moment, then said with a shrug, "I just do."

The man thought about it for a moment, then shrugged as well, "That's as good a reason as any, I guess. Anyways, I'm happy to help. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes I'm-" Gaster winced as a car drove by, the sound making his already overstimulated ears start ringing, which only made his head feel even worse. It was a miracle he wasn't bleeding.

"You hit your head really hard..." The man said with a worried tone, "I could help you get to the hospital-"

"It's fine." Gaster insisted, starting to get to his feet, "I'll just go home and rest. I've had worse."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather see a doctor?" The man was getting to his feet as well, still giving Gaster a worried look.

"I'm fine, thank you for the concern." Gaster just really wanted to go home. He didn't think he could stand sitting in a hospital waiting room while his nerves felt like they were about to burn out.

"Would it be alright if I helped you get home at least?" The man pleaded.

Gaster was a little annoyed at first, but then he saw how the man looked at him again, and felt himself stop and stare at him once more. He...kind of resembled a worried  puppy, which was sort of...cute? Was that the word that Gaster was looking for here? That was strange, Gaster didn't really find random strangers he'd bumped into on the sidewalk...cute, in fact he didn't even really acknowledge their existence. Having one look at him with such genuine concern was more than a little confusing...yet this man really seemed harmless, and it was his fault he was worried. He should have been paying attention where he was walking, especially when he couldn't see very much at all.

"I...suppose that would be alright..."

"Okay." The man gave a satisfied smile, seeming pleased to know that he'd see Gaster safely to where he lived. He was sure to just leave him be once they got there, right?

"It's this way." Gaster pointed down the street, holding his laptop under his right arm, "Just down the street and around the corner, then at the end of that street." His home was just a couple of blocks away from the university campus, so he usually walked if he wasn't going much farther than that.

"Alright then." The man walked just a little in front of Gaster, as if to keep him from running into anything.

"You really don't have to do this." Gaster said after a moment of walking in silence.

"I don't mind. Besides, I broke your glasses."

"Technically I did. I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

"Like I said earlier, I wasn't really paying attention either, so it's still partially my fault."

"...I can understand your logic." Gaster admitted. Saying it like that, he did start to understand why this man felt a need to make sure he got home alright. He seemed to have a stronger sense of responsibility than most did.

The man chuckled a little as they started to round the corner, "Is it alright of me to ask your name?"

"I...suppose not. Usually strangers ask names when they first meet." He cleared his throat, not noticing the curious look the man gave him at his odd behaviour, "My name is W. D. Gaster."

"Is W. D. short for something."

"Wingdings." Gaster said, used to people asking about the letters at the beginning of his name, "Most just call me Gaster."

"Well Gaster, I'm Asgore." Asgore stopped for a moment, just to hold out one large hand, "Asgore Dreemurr."

Gaster looked at the hand for a moment, then gave it a quick, firm shake, noting the other's strong grip, though Asgore was careful not to squeeze his hand to hard, "It is...nice to meet you, Mr. Dreemurr?"

Asgore couldn't help but chuckle as they started walking, finding the way Gaster sounded so unsure of that statement a bit amusing, "It's pleasant to meet you as well, Mr. Gaster."

"If that's supposed to be you teasing, I wouldn't try your luck." Gaster said, just a little annoyed, "And it's Dr. Gaster, or Professor Gaster if you don't mind. I didn't earn a Ph. D. in physics just to be called Mr."

"Professor? You're a teacher?"

"I'm a professor at Ebott University."

"Oh, I was just highered there to be the new groundskeeper."

Gaster stopped for a second, taking in the information, "I see..." He stopped, realizing they were right by his house.

"This where we part ways?" Asgore asked, looking up at the cozy, two story house, painted dark blue with black windows. 

"Yes." Gaster said, stepping off onto the pathway leading up to his front door, "Um...I guess I should thank you."

"No need Doc," Asgore said with a gentle smile, "So I guess we'll see each other around more when the term starts."

Gaster hadn't been expecting for the conversation to last any longer now that he was home, and found himself once again unsure of what to do, so he just responded with whatever his brain thought to say first, "Yes, I suppose...you being the new groundskeeper and all." It took a moment for him to realize what Asgore had called him, and he crossed his arms and huffed, "Doc?"

"You said to use 'doctor' or 'professor'." Asgore said with an amused tone.

"Yes, but you said, 'Doc'."

"I think it suits you." Asgore sounded almost teasing, and Gaster found himself a bit flustered, wondering why the hell he felt so weird when this man he just met smiled in his direction. It made no sense to him.

"I'm going inside now." Gaster thought it best to end the conversation, still feeling incredibly cold, and wanting to get inside where it was warm.

"Alright, I'll see you later, Doc!" Asgore called over his shoulder as he turned and left, leaving Gaster standing there in surprise at the interaction. He didn't stay in that spot long though, he was still freezing his ass off and wanted to get to where it was warm.

"What an odd man."

Chapter Text

Toriel was setting the table when a knock came from the door, telling her that Asgore had finally arrived. She quickly set down the last few plates on the table before heading out into the living room. Before she could make it to the door, Asriel beat her to it, throwing the door wide open with a huge grin on his face. He looked much like his father, but was a lot lankier, and had her hazel eyes. The young man quickly drew his father into a tight hug, making Asgore laugh.

"It's good to see you too, Azzie."

"I can't believe you're here!" Asriel said excitedly, turning to call over his shoulder, "Chara! Frisk! Dad's here!"

Almost right after the words left Asriel's mouth, a set of feet could be heard making their way down the upstairs hallway. They could hear Frisk and Chara racing each other as they got to the top of the stairs. Frisk took the steps, but Chara hopped onto the hand rail of the staircase and rode it down with a triumphant shout, beating Frisk to the bottom. They ran over and wrapped Asgore in a hug, Frisk joining soon after.

"Well Hello you two!" Asgore smiled widely, closing the door behind him.

"We were wondering when you'd get here!" Chara gave Asgore a playful punch to the shoulder, "How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Congratulations again on getting into the fine arts program." Asgore said with a proud smile, ruffling Chara's hair a bit.

"Are you staying close?" Frisk asked with a hopeful expression.

"Yes, I'm staying at the apartment complex on the west side of the campus."

"The one with the sun on the front sign?" Toriel asked in a curious tone.

"That's the one!" Asgore said with a chuckle.

"Dinner should be ready in a minute." Toriel turned, starting to walk back into the kitchen, "I'm making teriyaki chicken and fried rice. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks again for inviting me over, Tori." Asgore said with a small smile.

Toriel gave him a soft smile over her shoulder, "There's no need for that, Az." 

Asgore soon found himself being swept up by the three siblings, the trio taking him into the living room to talk before dinner started. A tabby cat with a green collar crept down the stairs and hopped into Frisk's lap, starring Asgore down as Asriel began talking about his classes for the year. Frisk began giving the feline soft pets behind the ear, smiling a little as he let out a little purr. They'd had Flowey for a couple years now, and so far Frisk was the only person he seemed to have any amount of tolerance for. Whenever anyone else tried to pet him, he'd hiss and knock over the nearest object.

"So now I'll be getting a chance to showcase my art in the spring for this year's competition." Asriel had been telling Asgore about how the university's art department had been given the opportunity to take part in a challenge that could get their art put on display in an art gallery.

"That's great Asriel, I'm sure you'll do great!" Asgore was beaming with pride, "What about you, Chara? Excited for classes to start?"

Chara shrugged, trying to play off their bubbling nerves with cool confidence, "Sure. I get to play better than a bunch of losers, what could be better than that?"

"You were just stress eating chocolate because you were scared about having to play in front of people."

"Shut up, Frisk!" Chara's face heated up with embarrassment, the eighteen year old resisting the urge to throw their shoe at their younger sibling.

Asgore gave a little chuckle, "Chara, you'll do fine. You play piano beautifully, and you pick up an instrument faster than Frisk can stop a fight."

"I am pretty good at that." Frisk muttered to themself, thinking about the various times at school where they'd stopped a fight from happening through a combination of flirting and dodging hits. That had been a very interesting series of trips to the principal's office that led to Toriel being called.

"So what have you been up to lately, Frisk?" Asgore asked the fifteen year old.

"I miraculously got into the student council." Frisk said, "Also, Flowey tried to eat a bird again."

"Is the bird alright?"

"It was fine. Asriel managed to get it away from him."

"Unfortunately, Flowey was a bit upset with me afterwards." Asriel grumbled, holding up a bandaged left hand, "Little demon is lucky it wasn't my drawing hand he messed up."

"Dinner's ready!" Toriel called from the dining room, having just finished dishing out the food she'd prepared. She hoped it wasn't to obvious how much extra she put on Asgore's plate...she noticed he looked a bit thinner then the last time she saw him.

Soon everyone was in the dining room, enjoying a hot meal and conversing about various things involving the upcoming school year. Since Asgore had just landed his new job as one of the campus groundskeepers, his children had quite a few questions for him. It was just the typical questions, like what exactly he'd be doing, as well as when he started. Asgore happily told them that he'd be going to the university at the beginning of next week, before school started, giving him a chance to get familiar with the grounds as well as to make sure everything was in order before the students started arriving to move into dorms and to do campus tours.

"I still don't see why you two wanna live in the dorms." Frisk said with a confused tone, "Mom already said she doesn't mind if you stay here. It's not like we live far from the college, you could hitch a ride with mom in the morning."

"You're just saying that because you don't want to be alone." Chara said with an eye roll.

"Well it's not my fault I'll be stuck with no one to hang out with..." Frisk muttered, pushing around the food on their plate.

"We'll still come hang out, Frisk." Asriel reassured them, "Like you said, the dorms aren't very far. We just wanna live there because we wanna experience being around all the other students more."

"Is that why you're going?" Chara asked with a snort of laughter, "I just wanna go to all college ragers." Frisk laughed, while Toriel scoffed, though she was smiling a bit at Chara's remark.

"I made some pie for desert." Toriel's words were met with a little cheer around the table. Her pie was a favorite to everyone there.

"Hide the pie from Dad." Asriel quickly interjected, being met with laughs, and Asgore flicking a small piece of chicken at his son, hitting his cheek.

"Asgore!" Toriel set her fork down, "You're in your forties, don't act like that."

"Nah, it's alright Mom." Asriel reassured, wiping the teriyaki sauce off with his finger and licking it off, "I find that being on my face makes it taste better."

That of course, only cause another round of laughter among them.

------

Chara had taken up the duty of washing the dishes from their meal, Frisk drying them, and Asriel putting them away. The trio worked like a smooth assembly line, quickly getting the job done. Flowey was sitting on the floor not too far away, eagerly devouring whatever scraps the siblings scooped out into his food bowl. Of course, he did almost take off Chara's fingers when they had to shoo him off the counter away from the leftovers Asriel was trying to put away, so it wasn't like he was being thankful in any way. Still, Frisk protested whenever Asriel or Chara looked ready to kick the feline across the kitchen.

"Dad looks like he's doing better." Frisk commented, finally bringing up something the three of them had each been wondering the moment Toriel had informed them that Asgore was moving to take up a job at the university.

"...yeah..." Asriel said with a little glance at the kitchen doorway, making sure neither of his parents were there, "He doesn't seem so tired."

"He looked thinner though." Chara added after handing a dish off to Frisk, "Did you see how much Mom fed him?"

"She probably noticed the moment he walked into the door." Frisk added.

Asriel put away the last of the dishes, then turned to get a juice bottle from the fridge, "Either of you two want anything?"

"Hit me with a grape." Chara said, holding up their hands after drying them.

"Got it." Asriel tossed them a grape juice, "Frisk?"

"Apple." Frisk was quickly given an apple juice, "Dad hasn't really been doing well since the split up, huh?"

"Yeah, which is weird. It's not like he and Mom were on bad terms when it happened. They just agreed they didn't work well as a couple anymore."

"I don't think it has anything to do with what happened with Mom, Chara." Asriel sipped his drink, staring at the floor, "I think he's just lonely. Not to mention, his flower shop kinda flopped after the accident." Asriel was in fact, referring to when an electrical fire caused his father's old shop to burn to the ground. That had started the beginnings of Asgore's financial troubles up until he got this job as campus groundskeeper.

"It didn't just flop," Chara said with a little gesture of their hands, "It full on face planted onto a concrete sidewalk covered in broken glass."

"That's harsh..." Frisk said, silence following their conversation for a minute.

"You think he'll do okay here?" Asriel asked after a moment, looking at his younger siblings with a worried, yet hopeful expression.

Chara twirled some of their dark brown hair around a finger, something they did when they were stuck on a thought for a minute, "I think if he gives himself the benefit of the doubt for once, then he'll do alright."

"He doesn't exactly have a big ego..." Frisk admitted, "At least we can go see him more often."

"Yeah, that'll be cool." Asriel smiled some, thinking about how he could show his father some of his new favorite places, like the campus art studio. He couldn't wait to show Asgore his current line up of artwork.

"To Dad realizing things can get better." Chara said with a little brandish of their juice.

"Here, here!" Frisk cried with a little dramatic wave, holding up their juice bottle.

"You can say that again." Asriel agreed with a little chuckle, hoping that like Chara said, his father would give this opportunity the chance to give him that joy in life he seemed to have lost so long ago.

------

"So," Toriel said as she sat on the porch with Asgore, handing him one of the two cups of tea she'd poured out, "You told me you were going to look around a bit before you came over. How'd that go?"

"I actually met one of the professors." Asgore said with a little shrug, "He was a little odd, but a pleasant fellow really."

"Oh?" Toriel, who taught culinary at the university, had met a good portion of the professors there, "Did you catch his name?"

"Wingdings Aster, but he said he shortened it to W. D. Gaster."

"I know him." Toriel said, "He teaches physics, and he's incredibly bright. We've talked on a few occasions, but he doesn't really seem like one to socialize with others much. He was rather polite though, and he's quite interesting to talk with. How'd you meet him?"

"We accidentally bumped into each other outside the cafe on campus."

"Muffet's cafe. I'm familiar with it." 

"Yes, I'm afraid I accidentally knocked him to the ground-"

"Well you are rather broad, and he's built a bit like a pencil." Toriel didn't mean it offensively of course, but there was no denying that Gaster was a rather thin man.

"Yeah..." Asgore sipped his drink, thinking to his previous encounter with the professor, "His glasses broke, and he hit his head, so I walked him home."

"Are you sure you shouldn't have taken him to a hospital?"

"I offered, but he refused. He seemed really insistent on going home, and I wasn't going to force him anywhere."

"Well...I guess if he didn't want to go..." Toriel trailed off, staring at the fading light in the night sky, seeing the stars peeking out as night came.

"...thank you for this, Tori." Asgore said after a moment, taking a long drink of tea, "I don't know what I'd be doing right now if you hadn't vouched for me to get this job."

"You're my friend, Asgore. You know I'll always be there when you need me." Toriel reassured, resting a hand on Asgore's shoulder, "Just remember not to stress yourself too much about this."

"I just hope I'm not imposing...after we separated-"

"Asgore, we divorced because we weren't working as a couple anymore," Toriel sighed, setting her cup down on the little table between the chairs they sat in, "But we've always worked well as friends. We're both still there for our children, and for each other."

"I know-"

"I've been really worried about you, Az, and so have the kids. You don't look like you've been taking care of yourself, and this is honestly the first time you haven't looked ready to collapse from exhaustion."

"I don't mean to make you all worry." Asgore sighed, "It's just...things haven't been easy lately, but I'm hoping this new job helps. The change of scenery might do me some good too."

"Yeah, a change of scenery can help." There was a pause before Toriel added, "You could stay with us you know, we wouldn't mind...I think living here would do you some good."

"No Toriel, we've been over this."

"I know...I just hate seeing you miserable, and being around the kids always makes you happy."

"They do, but I have to straighten things out in my own time."

"Alright, but don't forget to reach out if you need our help, Asgore."

"I won't Tori, I promise."

A gentle smile formed on Toriel's lips, "That's what I like to hear."

The two enjoyed the silence together, sipping their drinks and relaxing in the moonlight. It had been a long while since they'd been able to enjoy silence together, and it was always refreshing when they could. For a while it seemed like they would be able to enjoy this time for as long as they pleased, that was until a duo of young men fumbled down the street, looking like a couple of lost children.

"Uh, excuse us!" Said the younger of the two, a young man with skin like coffee, and hair dyed a vibrant orange, "Could you help us? We're a little lost." The man had a bright, welcoming smile on his face, and big, brown eyes.

"Oh surely!" Toriel called back, getting to her feet.

"That's most appreciated ma'am!" The younger of the men called back.

The older of the two spoke up, his skin a bit darker than his companions, and hair a deep brown that looked black in the night, "Our bus driver dropped us off at the wrong stop." This man had an interesting set of eyes, one dark brown, and the other, a bright, vibrant blue, much like a sapphire.

"Where are you trying to go?" Asgore asked, following right behind Toriel as they met the duo on the sidewalk.

"Uh well-" The younger of the men let out a nervous chuckle, "We're trying to get to our dad's, he lives on Snowden Street."

"Unfortunately, he doesn't know we're here yet because we wanted to surprise him, and my bro here doesn't wanna call him and spoil the surprise."

"And neither of us are really sure where we are right now..."

"Oh, that's quite alright." Toriel reassured, "You're in New Home. It's still a pretty new residential area."

"I told you we were in New Home!" The younger of the men exclaimed, confidentially placing his hands on his waist.

The older brother merely shrugged and gave a sleepy smile, "Heh, you sure showed me bro."

"Let me get my keys, I'll take you right over."

"It's okay ma'am, we'll be alright with directions."

"Oh, you're not going to want to walk that far..." Toriel insisted, "It's late, and New Home is on the opposite side of the campus from Snowden."

"Damn-" The older one said under his breath.

"Sans! You shouldn't curse in front of these nice people!"

"I think with the circumstances, I can get away with it this time, Papyrus." The one named Sans said with a little sigh.

"Here Tori, I can take them." Asgore said, pulling out his keys to his truck from his pocket, "It's about time I started heading out anyways."

"Are you sure, Asgore?"

"Yeah, I'm getting tired anyways." Asgore turned to look at Sans and Papyrus, "I'll happily give you a ride. I was just over on Snowden earlier today, so I know how to get there."

"Oh thank you!" Papyrus said with a relieved sigh, "Asgore, was it?"

"Yes, you're names are Sans and Papyrus?"

"Yep." Sans said, looking incredibly tired, "The rides appreciated by the way, we've been walking for awhile."

"It's really no trouble." Asgore turned to Toriel again, "Tori, you wouldn't mind telling the kids I said goodbye, would you?"

"Just make sure you call when you get home, alright? Asriel wanted to take you to breakfast."

"Alright, I'll do that." Asgore waved as Toriel went back inside, and started heading to where his truck was parked on the street, "Well gentlemen, let's get you to your father's."

"Thanks again!" Papyrus said, crawling into the three seated truck.

Sans put their bags in the bed, and got inside, sitting next to his brother, "Sure you know how to get there?"

"Yeah, just let me know which house to stop at when we get there."

"You got it." Sans said with a yawn, it didn't seem like he'd last the whole drive.

Asgore started up his truck and began driving, "So are you two students at Ebbot University?"

"As a matter of fact, we are! I'm starting this year in culinary, and my brother here is studying robotics."

"Really?" Asgore said with a little smile, "My friend Toriel teaches culinary."

"Was that who you were with?" Papyrus asked.

"Yeah, that was Tori. She's a sweetheart."

It wasn't too long until Asgore was pulling down Snowden street, Sans having just been woken up by Papyrus as he pulled in. Asgore hadn't really thought that he'd be stopping in front of Gaster's house when these two showed up in front of Toriel's house, but he was soon realizing that was exactly what was happening when Papyrus told him where to stop. Just hours ago he'd walked that unusual professor to his house from the coffee shop, now it seemed, he was taking his sons right back to him. It was a strange coincidence to say the least, he had honestly wondered if he'd really see Gaster again at all, even on campus.

"Well...here we are." Asgore said as he put his truck in park, "Glad to help you both."

"Oh, you have to come inside with us!" Papyrus insisted, "Dad'll want to thank you for your help."

"That really isn't necessary-"

"Nah, Paps is right. Dad'll wanna say thanks." Sans added, opening the door to step out, as if he already knew Asgore would soon follow after the brothers as they grabbed their bags and headed to the front door.

Papyrus eagerly rang the doorbell, tapping his foot and fidgeting, a buzz with excitement. For a moment, they heard nothing from inside the house, but then a quick voice called out that they were on their way to the door. After a light flicked on from inside, the sound of a deadbolt unlocking could be heard, and the door opened, revealing Gaster. The professor was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt with a picture of the periodic table on it. His hair was also a bit frizzed from apparently having just woken up, and it took him a minute to process what he was seeing as he adjusted his glasses.

"Boys?"

"Hi, Dad!" Papyrus quickly wrapped his father in a hug, "Surprise!"

Gaster grinned widely, hugging his youngest son tightly, "You two said you wouldn't be here until Saturday!"

"We wanted to surprise you." Papyrus said, stepping inside.

"We got lost on the way. This guy gave us a ride." Sans let out a loud yawn as he entered the house, pointing over his shoulder as Asgore, who was still standing a bit awkwardly on the porch.

"H-Howdy." Asgore said with a sheepish wave. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt nervous, though he was sure about how cute that smile was on Gaster.

"Oh-" Gaster had to do a double take, "It's you again."

"Have you two met?" Papyrus asked curiously, looking between the two."

"Uh- as a matter of fact, we met this morning." Gaster said, "It was Asgore, wasn't it?"

"Right you are, Doc." Asgore said with a little chuckle, finding his confidence quickly.

Gaster flushed a bit at the nickname, though he didn't protest, "Thank you for helping my boys. Would you like to come in? I could get you something to drink."

"No, that's alright. I'm just happy to help."

"Are you sure, it's really no trouble." Gaster didn't usually invite others into his home that weren't his sons, but he felt obligated since Asgore had assisted his sons, though that wasn't the only reason...he found Asgore intriguing as well, which was a first when it came to how he normally was with other people.

"It's fine. You look like you just woke up, and I'd hate for you to stay up to much longer for my sake."

"Well...thank you again." Gaster said, "I suppose I'll see you around."

"I do hope so." Asgore said with a charming smile, and Gaster felt his face heat up again, "Until next time, Doc." With that, Asgore turned and walked back to his truck, Gaster watching him leave for a minute before closing the door.

"Hehe, checking him out, weren'tcha?" Sans asked from where he know sat on the couch.

"I was NOT!" Gaster insisted, face becoming bright red.

"Sure seemed like it. You're never that nice to people."

"He helped you boys home, I was just trying to be polite."

"Sure~"

"Sans," Papyrus crossed his arms and stared his brother down from across the room, "You're one to talk considering you check out Grillby every time we go to his diner."

"Bite me, Mettaton fanboy." Sans hoped he wasn't blushing, though he was pretty sure he was.

"Hey! Mettaton is a talented artist who-"

"Boys," Gaster said with an exasperated, but happy sigh, "It's late. Can you please save arguing about your little crushes for in the morning?"

"Sure, Dad." Papyrus said, "Why don't we head to Muffet's for breakfast in the morning?"

"That's great, considering she wanted you to try some of her new recipes."

"Nice!"

From the couch came a light snore, and they both turned, seeing Sans now asleep on the couch. Papyrus smiled and rolled his eyes, going to get one of the spare blankets from the hall while Gaster took Sans's bag. He made sure his brother was tucked in and comfortable before going up the stairs, wishing his father a goodnight, and heading to his room down the hall. Gaster made sure Sans's bag was in the proper room before heading back to his own room to sleep, but not before he looked back down the stairs, thinking of how odd it was for him to have run into Asgore twice in one day. As a scientist, he wasn't really one to believe things happened due to mere coincidence.

"...Just go to bed, Dings." Gaster said with a sigh, making sure all of the lights were off before he closed his bedroom door, eagerly going back to bed.

Chapter Text

Papyrus was bouncing in is seat, staring around the mall food court with a huge smile, hand tapping rapidly on the table. He just couldn't sit still, even more so than normal. That was due to the fact that any minute now, his best friend, and the closest thing he ever had to an older sister would arrive, probably from whatever sport she'd been absolutely mastering. Undyne's athletic ability had always been something Papyrus admired, as well as her steely determination. 

"Paps!" Came the loud, familiar voice of Ebbot University's top athlete, who everyone just knew was going to join one of the many teams that wanted her with them on their fourth and final year of university was finished. What was amazing was that the teams weren't limited to just one sport, which really showed Undyne's incredible athleticism.

Papyrus turned, and there she was, doing a light jog over to him with her bright red hair pulled back into a ponytail, bright green eye lit up with energy and confidence. Undyne's other eye was covered by a black eye patch. She had on a letter-mans jacket, purple and white, with a black tank top, and a pair of jeans that had been ripped in places from her vigorous physical activity. One of the things that helped Undyne and Papyrus to really connect as friends was how they really matched each other's vast stores of energy, as well as having a tendency to dive head first into whatever stood in their way.

"Undyne!" Papyrus ran over and hugged Undyne tight, picking her up off of her feet, "I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, bud!" Undyne laughed joyfully, "You've gotten a lot stronger, have you been trying out that routine I suggested?"

"Yeah! You were right about it helping you focus on things! I was able to do so much on the trip with Sans!" Papyrus sat Undyne down, his hands flapping a bit from his excitement bubbling up inside of him.

"That's great!" Undyne put an arm around her friend's shoulders as they started walking, "So you excited for term to start up, or what?"

"Oh, I can't wait! I get to cook, make a bunch of new friends, learn to cook-"

"I get it, you like cooking." Undyne teased, "Hey, I gotta introduce you to someone soon, I think you'll like her."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"You'll find out when you meet her~" Undyne teased, a crooked smile playing on her mouth.

"Oh come on Undyne, you got me all excited!"

"Sounds like a you problem." Undyne chuckled, "Now come on, I wanna get some tea. I'll pay."

"Thanks, Undyne!" Papyrus said with a chipper tone.

"It's no problem, bud." Undyne said with a smile, happy to see her bestie again.

The two got their tea, and began browsing the various displays of the mall's stores around them. Papyrus kept migrating over to one store that had a scarf in a display window that he just seemed obsessed with. It was a fiery orange, which was his favorite color. Undyne rolled her eyes and dragged him into the store so he could try the scarf on, much to Papyrus's delight. He bought it as soon as he had a chance to feel the material, soft and not at all scratchy, perfect for his sensory. It was the texture of the scarf that led him to buy another that was deep purple for his father.

"You think he'll like it?" Papyrus asked as they left, wearing his new scarf.

"You got it for him, he'll love it." Undyne reassured, the new shark tooth necklace she'd gotten around her neck, "You're his precious baby boy, he thinks anything you get him is a sacred treasure."

"I'm not a baby." Papyrus huffed, crossed his arms over his chest, the bag that had his father's scarf swinging a bit in his grasp.

"Aw~ Is the baby getting fussy?" Undyne, being four years older, had known Papyrus when he was an infant, and loved teasing him about it.

"Stop!" Papyrus whined, his face heating up in embarrassment. 

"Okay, okay." Undyne relented, walking a little ahead of him, "C'mon Paps, I wanna check out that sporting goods store."

"Oooo!" Papyrus seemed to immediately forget why he'd been upset, full of jittery excitement again as his long strides allowed him to easily get ahead of Undyne, "I wonder if they have any cool sporty sunglasses!"

Undyne laughed, and started having to jog a bit to keep up, "Hold on Papyrus, slow down!"

------

It was dark...darkness everywhere. Why couldn't Gaster see anything? Why was he all alone? He tried to call out, but his voice wouldn't come out of his throat, as if he were in a vacuum where no sound existed, much like the dark, frigid cold of space. All he could see was the vast emptiness around him, making him crumble in the crushing loneliness. His sons...where were they? Did they even know he was gone?

A low sound started to resonate in Gaster's ears, and he looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. It made his head feel itchy, but not the itch you give a satisfying scratch, itchy like how nails on a chalkboard made you feel like one of those red, swollen bug bite itches. The noise only began to get louder, ringing in Gaster's ears and making him hold his arms tightly over his head as he fell to his knees, startling to hyperventilate. A bright light was also starting to appear in his vision, blinding him and making his eyes sting and burn.

He started shaking, feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated, letting out a loud scream of terror. It was too much, too much! His nerves were all screaming and tearing at his head while only one thought blared in his mind. All he could think about was how much it hurt, not so much as the heat starting to consume him, but as his senses were assaulted and forced to endure this torture.

HE COULDN'T BREATHE!!!

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Gaster shot awake, tears practically choking him as he let out a scream that barely made it out of his throat, dying before it had any chance to reach Sans's ears in the other room. His eyes darted around, feeling like his chest was collapsing, oh why couldn't he take a breath in without letting out another sob, trying so hard to get himself back under control. Shaking and crying, Gaster managed to push himself back from his desk, where he nodded off while grading papers. He got out of his chair, but quickly got down on the floor, feeling like his feet would give out on him.

His hand grabbed at his chest lightly as he struggled to take in air, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling of his study. Over and over in his head, he told himself that it had just been a nightmare, and slowly, he started managing to regain his breath, managing to calm himself down as he gripped the carpet in his study, trying to keep himself grounded to reality. Focusing on his breathing, his vision stopped shaking, and he could at least discern what some things around him were, though not much else since his glasses had fallen off onto his desk when he'd jerked awake.

The professor was quite familiar with these panic attacks he got whenever his nightmares kicked in, but that didn't seem to mean that he'd get any better at handling them when they came around. More times than he wanted to admit, he'd end up on the floor, crying and shaking, not even able to speak if one of his sons found him in that condition. His mind just became so overwhelmed, unable to properly handle itself, leaving Gaster a sobbing mess.

It didn't help that when he got like that, he had a tendency to physically lash out, not at his sons, he'd never hurt them, but at the objects around him, and sometimes even himself. Rarely was he ever actually aware of what he was doing, just trying to get these feelings and thoughts that he couldn't process to just leave him alone. Knowing his sons had to witness that always made guilt start to well up in the bottom of his stomach. They shouldn't have to see their father become a screaming, wailing mess because of something as small as a nightmare. There had been a time where his episodes were rarely ever a problem, before he ever even started having all of the nightmares, but that had been so long ago, before he'd become a professor...

"Stop it, you fool." Gaster reprimanded himself his head, "Thinking about it is only going to make this worse."

He wasn't wrong, thinking about what had happened always ended up making him spiral. It was time for him to move past it, to just put it behind him and move on, but no matter how hard he tried to forget, those memories always bubbled back up when he was asleep. That had led to him not sleeping properly, which is why he had fallen asleep in his study for the fourth time this week.

Gaster managed to pull himself up into a sitting position on the floor, lightly shaking, though now breathing regularly, the horrid pain in his chest reduced to a dull throb as his heart stopped beating so frantically. His eyes stung from the tears he'd shed, and his throat felt hoarse and scratchy, but at least he wasn't pulling on his hair, or beating on his own head. Being careful not to hit anything, he used his hands to find the edge of his desk, pulling himself to his feet, then proceeded to feel around his desk until he found his glasses, putting them on his face. He was still using the glasses that had gotten cracked when he ran into Asgore the other day, but at least now he could see. That made sitting back down in his chair much easier.

Had Sans heard any of what had just happened? Probably not, or he would've come to see what was going on, most likely ready to call Papyrus, who'd left earlier to go spend some time with Undyne. Gaster wouldn't have been surprised if his oldest son was passed out on the couch again, Sans had always had some trouble with narcolepsy, even when he was a child he'd fall asleep just about anywhere. It made Gaster smile a little, thinking about how Sans had once fallen asleep while in the middle of a school play while playing a tree.

Gaster's stomach grumbled, and he suddenly realized that he hadn't eaten today. Best to do that now, some food might help calm his still trembling body. The house was currently quiet, save for the distant sounds of some crime show Sans had been watching, which meant he wouldn't have to worry to much about something setting him off while he was in this state.

After he'd dried the wet streaks from the tears, Gaster got up to his feet, glad his legs felt stable enough to walk. He was quiet as he traveled down the stairs, though he let out a soft chuckle when he found Sans passed out on the couch, wearing that blue hoodie Gaster had bought him when he'd turned sixteen, Sans hadn't really grown much since then. On the other hand, Papyrus was taller than even Gaster, standing at six feet tall.

Once he was in the kitchen, Gaster looked for something light that he'd be able to put down easily, not wanting to risk something heavy upsetting his stomach while his body still recovered from the effects of his nightmare. He found a cup noodle in the pantry, and got to work heating it up, grabbing a pair of chopsticks from the drawer. Soon he was letting out a content sigh as he leaned on the counter, the scent of instant noodles filling his nose. He had a preference for the shrimp flavored noodles, though both of his sons thought he really didn't need to eat them as much as he did.

Gaster had about half of his noodles eaten when he heard the faint knock from the front door. He stopped, some noodles still hanging from his chopsticks, unsure if he'd really heard it. Then it came again, and Gaster was left puzzled, wondering who on earth could've been at his door. Shoving the bite of noodles into his mouth, Gaster went to the door, cup noodles in hand with the chopsticks sticking out of the top as he reached the door, opening it to reveal...Asgore?

Seeing this man in his doorway, Gaster was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that his cheeks were puffed out from the noodles in his mouth, and he still had at least one noodle hanging between his lips. As if possessed by some little gremlin hellbent on making him look like an idiot, Gaster looked Asgore in the eye, slurped up the noodle hanging from his mouth, and swallowed. Though his expression didn't change, but his mind was screaming at him for doing that, thinking Asgore must've thought him some noodle devouring slob, that was until he heard Asgore snort a laugh.

The larger man put a hand over his eyes, trying to calm himself as he started to let out a giggle. Gaster felt his face heat up, but not from embarrassment, but rather form something warm beginning to blossom in his chest. This man towered over him, and yet at the moment, hearing such a sound come out of him made Gaster feel a little proud of himself for some reason he wasn't sure of. Did...did he think Asgore laughing like this was...cute?

"No..." He thought, yet he felt like he may have been lying to himself, "I just feel awkward is all- I'm not very good with people."

Still though, when Asgore calmed himself, a grin on his face as he looked back at Gaster, those kind eyes meeting his, Gaster couldn't help but smile in turn, "Hello again, Asgore."

"Hello, Doc." The base in Asgore's voice had an amused tone to it, "I just stopped by because I think one of your boys left this in my truck." Asgore held up a phone with a black case, a winking skull on the back.

"Oh, that's Sans's phone." Gaster said, taking the phone and placing it in his back pocket, "He's been wondering where that went." There was a brief pause before Gaster stepped aside, holding the door open, "Would you like to come in?"

"I don't want to impose-"

"Nonsense, Papyrus is out, Sans is asleep, and all I'm doing is eating cheap cup noodles I got for a discount. You'd be doing me a favor." Gaster wasn't really sure what he was doing, he never just invited people into his house, but looking at Asgore, he felt this time it would be fine.

"Well...alright." Asgore stepped in, noticing Sans on the couch, "Does he normally sleep in the middle of the day?"

"Not by choice." Gaster said with a shrug, quickly finishing off his noodles.

"Pardon?"

"Sans is a narcoleptic." 

"Oh-"

"Yeah, he's always just kind of fallen asleep wherever." Gaster looked up at Asgore, "Would you like some tea?"

"That- That sounds nice." Gaster, as sharp as he was, quickly started to see that Asgore seemed a bit nervous around him, though it didn't seem to be the same way others usually were.

"Come on then, I have some nice lemon tea in the kitchen." Gaster led Asgore into his kitchen, starting up a tea kettle and grabbing a couple mugs, "Do you take anything in your tea? I don't drink tea often, but when I do, I usually like a little honey in it."

"Some honey sounds great." Asgore said, and after a moment, he had a warm mug of lemon tea in his hands with a teaspoon of honey stirred in, "Thank you-"

"It's no trouble." Gaster insisted as he leaned back on the counter a bit, sipping from his own mug, "Consider it a thank you for helping my boys get home."

"Well I couldn't very well let them walk so far in the dark." Asgore muttered, brushing a few loose strands of his hair behind his ear.

"So you're the new groundskeeper?" Gaster asked after a moment, fingers drumming lightly on the counter.

"Yeah..." Asgore drank from his own mug, relaxing a little when he tasted the lemon of the tea with the sweetness from the honey.

"..." Gaster didn't say anything, unsure of how to really continue the conversation, "I-I'm sorry...I'm not really good at...talking to people."

"O-Oh no, I understand-" Asgore gave a little chuckle, "I'm not very good at it either."

Gaster laughed a little, a light, melodic laugh, and something about it made his fight light up to Asgore. The tired face suddenly looked years younger, and Asgore felt as if he was seeing some part of Gaster that the professor didn't really reveal to others very much. It was...stunningly beautiful to witness the change such a laugh could do, and it made Asgore notice that Gaster's bright smile was incredibly gorgeous. Asgore couldn't help but wonder what else caused Gaster to smile and laugh like that.

"It's nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles with it." Gaster admitted, looking down at his tea, "It can be...a bit lonely when you don't know how to talk to people..."

"I get what you mean..." Asgore was quiet familiar with feeling lonely, especially know that he lived by himself.

"It's strange really, I never really felt lonely when I was younger." Gaster had both hands on his mug, a thoughtful look in his eye, "I never minded being alone, I preferred it really. It gave me more time to read my books, and perform my little experiments." Gaster chuckled, though something about it was a little sad, and it made something in Asgore's chest tighten to hear it, "My father always thought it meant something was wrong with me because I was such a shut in."

"I don't think anything's wrong with you." Asgore blurted out, feeling his face heat up when Gaster looked at him with...was that surprise?

Gaster smiled, such a soft smile, "That's very kind of you to say."

"I- uh-" Asgore's brain had shut down a little when he saw that smile directed on him. For a second he wondered if Gaster's lips were as soft as they looked.

"HE'S A GUY!!!"

"So, do you live close by?" Gaster asked after a moment, an amused light in his eyes when he saw how flustered Asgore looked.

"I- I live in the apartment complex a few blocks down, actually."

"You mean Hotland Apartments?" 

"Yeah, that's the one."

"My research assistant lives there." Gaster knew from the few times he'd given Alphys a ride home after late nights when they'd look into different designs for the geothermal energy source they were trying to make.

"Oh?" Asgore asked with a little smile, "What's their name? I might know them."

"Alphys."

"She so happens to be my neighbor." Asgore knew the young lady from the few encounters they'd had since he moved in. She was shy, but incredibly friendly, and had been so kind as to tell him the best route to take to the university from the apartment building to avoid all the morning traffic.

"Small world." Gaster said with a little shrug.

"So do you have any other children?" Asgore asked with some interest.

"No, only my two sons." Gaster replied, "And you."

"I have three. Two of them are around the age of your boys, going to the university, and the other is still in high school."

"That's nice. What are they majoring in?"

"Both are in the fine arts program."

"Well that's lovely, I think the world needs more creative people in it." Gaster meant those words, and it could be seen when Asgore looked at him.

"What about your sons?"

"Robotics and culinary."

"Sounds exciting." Asgore said with a smile, coming over to lean against the counter next to Gaster, "You teach physics, right? You mentioned that you got a Ph. D in physics the other day."

"Oh dear, I did, didn't I?" Gaster flushed a bit and looked away, "I hope you didn't think I was show-boating or anything."

"Of course not." Asgore reassured, "I think that's rather impressive."

"You do?" Gaster felt that warmth in his chest again, smiling like a dork.

"Yes, I can't imagine it was easy."

"I've always found science easy." Gaster admitted, "It's been my passion for years. It's like my purpose. Right now Alphys and I are looking into a way to build a geothermal power cell that could sustain the whole city!"

Asgore felt himself smiling, loving how passionate Gaster sounded talking about his work, "Interesting, how would it hold so much power?"

"Well you see, everything around us produces some amount of energy." Gaster said, starting to become absorbed in the conversation, his mind always jumping at a chance to spill everything he knew about a topic he loved, "So if you were find a way to harness that energy, it would be possible to make a self sustaining power source that you don't have to worry about wearing down for maybe up to hundreds of years. All you have to do is apply the science!"

Asgore listened intently as Gaster began to ramble on about his work, loving the passionate glimmer in his eyes when he started talking about this newest project of his. He looked so happy when he was talking about science, as well as energetic and excited. Gaster's hands would move quite often when he talked, and Asgore doubted the professor noticed that he'd put his tea down to have both hands free while he talked. Frequently, his hands went from simply flapping, to waving around as Gaster kept talking. Asgore wouldn't lie, there was a lot Gaster talked about science wise that he didn't really understand, but he was happy to listen anyway, wondering if it wasn't often Gaster had an audience to talk like this too.

He decided right then that he just had to get to know the professor better.

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.

.

Sans woke to find that a blanket had been draped around him, and a pillow put under his head. He sat up, letting out a quiet yawn as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, seeing that the TV was still on the channel he'd been watching earlier. Grabbing the remote, Sans turned off the current crime show, and looked down, seeing his phone sitting there in front of him. It was then that he heard the laughter of his father coming from the patio out back.

He got up, pocketing his phone as a growing smile appeared on his face. If what he thought was happening out there was going on, then leaving his phone in Asgore's truck would've been worth it. A few moments later, he could see his father and Asgore sitting out on the patio, fresh mugs of tea in their hands as Gaster talked animatedly, smiling wide. Asgore seemed to enjoy listening to him, though that didn't stop him from talking as well, but mostly when Gaster stopped and asked him questions, or whenever he had one for the professor.

It made Sans happier than he could ever possibly put to words to see his father talking to somebody, maybe making some sort of friend. The moment he'd gotten into Asgore's truck with Papyrus the other day, he remembered his father calling him earlier to tell him about how he'd run into someone the other day and broken his glasses. He'd told Sans the stranger had been broad, with blonde hair, and worn overalls, and that his name had been Asgore. Sans had noted how his father's voice had sounded almost younger when he spoke of the brief conversation with the man, as well as the little nickname he'd called him.

Just from Gaster had talked about him, his tone, the description of the man, Sans had been able to feel it in his gut. His father had a bit of a thing for this man named Asgore, and he thought that was great. Gaster had always seemed so cold to very few outside of Sans and Papyrus, and even then, only his boys ever really got to see the soft, kind, gentle soul under the analytical, slightly egotistical exterior. Even if all he'd done was get his father someone to talk to on occasion, that was great progress.

That meant his dad was starting to come out of his shell, finally starting to break out of the box his mind had put up that horrible day all those years ago. If they were lucky, just maybe, Gaster would be able to make some sort of friend to spend his time with, which would help Papyrus and Sans feel a little better thinking about how eventually, Gaster would be on his own again once they both went to live on their own. At least their father wouldn't feel so lonely whenever they weren't there. It was about time Gaster got to relax.

He just had to tell Papyrus about this.

Chapter Text

"Asriel-" Chara groaned as their brother pulled up to the music building, "I could've walked."

"And let Mom get on my ass for letting you walk in this cold? No way!" Asriel chuckled, "Wanna meet up for lunch later? I can introduce you to some of my friends."

"And start a reputation for tagging along with my older brother all the time? No way!" Chara mimicked Asriel's voice near the end of their sentence, making Asriel roll his eyes.

"Get out of my car, loser. You don't wanna be late for your first class." Asriel's tone was a little playful as he ruffled Chara's ear length brown hair.

"I'd rather be there then in this car, crybaby." Chara retorted, lightly elbowing their brother in the shoulder, "I'll just meet you here when classes are over to go home."

"Sounds good to me, now get going."

Chara hopped out of the car, waving goodbye as Asriel pulled away, before turning to face the building where they'd be starting the next few years of their life. It was big, and had a big stature of some lady playing a piano at the top of the steps. The stone used to create this building was reddish brown, resembling clay, there were four pillars on either side of the statue, giving the whole place a more professional look. 

For a moment, Chara felt a bit overwhelmed, and a little scared. As much as they tried to act all cool and confident about starting the process of earning their music degree, they had honestly felt a knot of dread and fear tightening in their stomach from the moment the acceptance letter had arrived. They had gone through many nights where they'd barely slept from having been worrying about not being good enough for this. The last thing Chara wanted was to have worked so hard to get here, only to get to this point just to realize they didn't have what it takes.

There was a brief moment where Chara considered just going home...until they realized there was a trembling figure now standing a couple feet to their left.

It was a boy about their age, though he was a little on the scrawny side. His skin was incredibly pale, though his cheeks and nose were bright red from the crisp fall weather, making his face seem to glow the faintest crimson. The boy had incredibly blonde hair, to the point where it almost looked white, somewhat messy as it fell in front of his silvery grey eyes. He wore a baggy hoodie that was the same color as a typical June sky at midday, with black pants and matching shoes, one of the shoes having untied laces. On the back of the pale stranger was a simple black back pack that had the logo of the Mettaton Channel displayed on the back, a little robot resembling a calculator displaying a big pink 'M' on it's screen. What really snatched Chara's attention was the boy's headphones, hot pink with what looked like cat ears, currently around his neck. They just looked so out of place with the rest on him.

He was just standing there, staring up at the building and shaking, it soon became apparent that he was trying not to cry. It completely baffled Chara, making them wonder what could possibly have happened for him to be standing here with such a broken look on his face. Chara felt just a little worried at they approached him, lightly tapping the stranger on his shoulder.

This of course, made him jump out of his daze, "Ah!" He cried out, jumping back and nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Sorry- sorry." Chara quickly said, raising their hands to show they meant no harm, "It's just...are you okay?"

"What-" The stranger looked confused, then seemed to realize why Chara was asking him that and wiped his eyes, "I'm fine...sorry if I was bothering you."

"Huh-" Chara didn't know why he was apologizing, they were the one that had scared him, "It's...not a big deal, I'm the one bugging you."

"...sorry..." The boy's voice was quiet, barely audible as he looked away.

Chara stood there in the awkward silence for a moment as other students started arriving, not paying the two any mind as they went up into the building, "So...you a music major too?" They finally asked after a moment.

That seemed to catch the boy's attention, and he fiddled with his hands a bit, "Y-Yeah..."

"Cool..." Chara thought for a moment, then asked, "What's your favorite kind of music?"

The pale boy looked a bit confused, as if he wasn't sure why Chara was still talking to him, but he answered, "I-I like to make my own music...usually some kind of electric pop."

"Really?" Chara asked, interest peaked, "Is that what you were listening to?" Chara was talking about the faint music they could hear from his headphones, though they couldn't really make anything out.

"Y-Yeah-"

"...could I listen to it?"

"Wh-What?" The boy looked completely caught off guard by the question, which made Chara smile.

"I'd like to hear it, if that's okay."

He thought it over, before taking off his headphones and handing them to Chara with a nervous look in his eye. Chara was excited now as they put on the headphones, then found themselves in pure shock. The music they were hearing made them feel as if they were in some sort of cosmic cloud, a mix of synth and electronic beats that made Chara wanna lay on the ground and just exist for a few hours. The growing smile that started to appear on their face seemed to make the stranger feel better as he perked up a little, and a little hopeful glimmer appeared in his eye.

"This is awesome!" Chara said as they handed back the headphones, "You made that?"

"Y-Yeah, I make a lot of stuff..."

"You have to show me sometime!"

"You really wanna hear it?"

"Yeah!" Chara held out their hand, "Name's Chara, I'm studying to compose music for show pieces."

The stranger shook their hand, grip careful and light, "I'm Napstablook...but usually everyone calls me Blook or Blooky. I wanna be a professional songwriter."

"Well Blook," Chara gestured to the steps standing before them, "Wanna head in together?"

Napstablook perked up, smiling brightly, "Sure!"

------

Papyrus wasn't really sure how he'd ended up by the music building on campus, but the moment he realized where he was, he stopped and sat on the steps, pouting a bit. He'd made it to his first culinary class fine, and he was absolutely thrilled to find that he was going to be learning under Miss Toriel, the kind lady that he and his brother had met when they'd gotten back to town. That wasn't even all of it, his first day had actually been going great, he'd found everywhere he needed to go, and had even had gotten to see Undyne while on his way to one of those classes, Undyne coming from an early practice with the university soccer team.

Then it had been time for him to go meet Sans at the dining hall for lunch...but now he was lost. He wasn't sure when he'd taken a wrong turn from the careful instructions given to him by his older brother, but he knew the music building wasn't anywhere in those directions. Papyrus cursed himself for messing up the instructions Sans had given him, blaming his excitement for his classes making him not pay attention. He'd even kept his medication on his so he'd remember to take it at the right time so he wouldn't get sidetracked and mess up the directions. 

He could just call Sans, but then his brother might get worried and go into that protective helicopter mode he had a tendency to do. It wasn't his brother's fault, Papyrus had always had a tendency to get himself into trouble when he'd been little, and it had been Sans on most of those occasions who would get him out of it. Still, it would be nice if Sans didn't freak out whenever Papyrus's head got the better of him. He'd really gotten better at managing himself, and he felt Sans forget that a lot.

Papyrus had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the approaching footsteps until a whimsical, velvety voice said from right next to him, "Are you alright, darling? You look a bit down."

Now sitting right next to Papyrus was a young man, skin fair and smooth, with hair dark like ink, a bright pink streak going through the shoulder length hair, so soft looking in the afternoon light. He had on a magenta shirt on, with a violet jacket, sleeves ending at his wrist, exposing his well manicured hands. The plum colored skirt he wore ended at his knees, and his calf high boots were the same color as his shirt, obviously well taken care of with how new they still looked. What would really catch an onlooker's attention to this young man though, was the gleaming material of his prosthetic legs.

Papyrus though, would have recognized his idol even without the giveaway of his legs, "M-M-Met-Mettaton-" He could feel his face heating up as he stared, stunned by how striking Mettaton's beauty was in person.

Mettaton gave a lighthearted laugh, brushing some hair behind his ear, "I see you're familiar with my work. It's lovely to meet an admirer." Mettaton held out his hand, voice like music to Papyrus's ears, "Well, would it be alright for me to ask your name, darling?"

Papyrus had to stop and process what was going on, before eagerly shaking the internet star's hand, "I-I'm Papyrus! It's so amazing to meet you, I've been a fan for years! Oh my gosh, you look gorgeous! Do you do your hair yourself? You voice is absolutely lovely-"

As Papyrus rambled on, Mettaton found himself drawn into this man's energy and liveliness. In a lot of ways, he reminded Mettaton of an excited puppy ready to play and run around, he also talked while very animatedly moving his hands. The longer he sat there, listening to Papyrus lead into various questions and praises, Mettaton had one repeating thought going through his head.

"Can I keep him?"

Honestly, he'd never met anyone who was just so...adorable. Mettaton was growing incredibly smitten the longer Papyrus went on, and the influencer found himself already wondering if he was free later. Did Papyrus know he was this cute, or was he totally oblivious to it? The later became the more obvious choice as Papyrus started to realize he'd been rambling, turning bright red and looking at his shoes, fidgeting with his hands.

"I-I'm sorry, that was so embarrassing-"

"No no, darling. It's fine." Mettaton reassured, taking Papyrus's hands, smiling at how it made him become more and more flustered, "I'm so happy to meet someone who enjoys what I do so much. Say, are you doing anything on Saturday?"

"What-" Papyrus's brain fizzled for a second, unsure if he'd heard Mettaton right.

"Are you doing anything on Saturday?"

"No..."

"Splendid! Would you like to meet me for lunch? I'd love to hear more about what you think of my work. Maybe you can even help me figure out some new ideas for my channel." Mettaton wasn't just planning on discussing his work with Papyrus though, he hoped to learn much more about this man as well.

"Absolutely!" Papyrus started bouncing a bit where he sat, feeling like he was soaring high up into the clouds. Lunch with his idol!? He felt like he'd won the lottery.

"I'm so happy to hear that, dear. Why don't we exchange numbers?" Mettaton pulled out his phone, handing it over to Papyrus.

"Uh- sure-" Papyrus handed over his phone, typing his number into Mettaton's. Was this really happening? It must be, otherwise the whole day had been one really vivid dream.

"Done, and done." Mettaton said with a satisfied smile, handing back Papyrus's phone and taking his own, "I'll text you later to figure out the details."

"Okay!" Papyrus felt his heart pounding, excitement making him unable to sit still.

"So about what I was asking earlier," Mettaton leaned back a little, propped up on his hands, "You looked upset about something, and I was just wondering if you were alright."

"Oh...that..." Papyrus pocketed his phone and rubbed the back of his neck, "I was supposed to meet my brother at the dining hall for lunch, but I got lost..."

"Well, you're in luck." Mettaton said with a smile, "I'm here to get my cousin, so we can go to the dining hall. You can hitch a ride with us if you want."

"Really? That would be really helpful-"

"Of course, darling. I'd be happy to help." Seeing that adorable grin on Papyrus's face made Mettaton feel like he had butterflies in his stomach. This man was just to cute for his own good.

"Mettaton?" Said a timid voice from behind the two. Behind them was Chara and Napstablook, looking down at them curiously.

"Blooky!" Mettaton got up to his feet and quickly walked up the steps, pulling his younger cousin into a tight hug, "How was your first class? Did it go well?"

"It was fine..." Napstablook blushed a bit, "Wh-Who's that?" He nodded at Papyrus.

"Blooky, this is my new friend, Papyrus!"

Papyrus had gotten to his feet, and gave a little wave, "Hello!"

"H-Hi-" Napstablook returned the wave, his large sleeve falling over his hand.

"Who's this?" Mettaton asked, turning to look at Chara, "A friend of yours?"

"Y-Yeah..." Napstablook said after a moment, "This is Chara."

"Pleasure to meet you!" Mettaton held out his hand, and Chara shook it.

"Blook, you didn't tell me your cousin was Mettaton." Chara said, looking over at their pale companion.

"W-Well now you know."

"Chara, I was going to drive Papyrus and Blooky to the dining hall, would you like to come?"

"Sure, where's your car?"

"Oh, it's just down the street a bit. I walked over here from the drama building."

"You're in drama?"

"Yep! Going on for two years now!" Mettaton said with a small chuckle, "Come on, let's get heading over to-"

"W-Wait-" Napstablook was feeling around his neck, "I-I left the headphone you gave me in my class-" Napstablook was turning around already, running up the steps past everyone else who was leaving the building.

"Oh, hold on Blook, I'll come with!" Chara followed him up the steps, Papyrus and Mettaton tagging along.

Thankfully, the headphones were still sitting where Napstablook and Chara had been sitting, making it easy for them to be found, given as their were still a few people packing up their things and leaving. Napstablook didn't seem to calm down until he had the headphones back around his neck, as if they were some sacred item to him. Mettaton helped his cousin calm some before they turned to leave, but not Chara made them stop again.

"Wait...do you guys hear that?" They said, turning to look down the large, spacious hallway where they were now all currently standing alone.

"Hear what?" Papyrus asked.

Chara heard it again, the sound of a violin, soft and faint through the long hallway, playing a tune that was gentle, and bittersweet. Something about it made Chara feel sad, yet there was some sort of melancholy beauty to the feeling, like one might get when finally accepting some tragic thing of the past, and moving on from it. The song made an old memory bubble up to the surface of Chara's thoughts, something they hadn't thought about in a long time.

.

.

.

In a cemetery, the spring air makes the grass sway lightly. The smell of the morning dew was accompanied by the gentle tweeting of the birds's morning song. Within this cemetery, a child stood alone, holding flowers in their hands, sitting before a headstone. Despite the tears on their face, they smile, placing the flowers down, and letting out a shuddering breath, longing and love welling up in their chest...

.

.

.

"I-I'll have to take a rein check on that lunch." Chara said, starting to move down the hall.

"Chara, what's going on?" Napstablook asked, none of them currently able to see the teary eyes Chara was wiping at.

"I just remembered I gotta- I gotta do something-" Chara started sprinting down the hall, "I'll meet up with you later!"

Chara followed the sound of the violin, its music steadily growing louder. They rounded a corner, sure they were getting close, but then the music stopped, almost as mysteriously as it had started. Determined to find whoever had been playing that song, Chara kept going, figuring the sound was coming from one a music room they had heard were on this floor. Throwing the door open to the first, Chara stuck their head in, finding it empty, much to their disappointment. Letting out a frustrated sigh, they closed the door and turned, running into someone who'd been coming from the opposite direction of the hall. 

It was a tall, thin man with dark skin, and even darker hair, with a scar on each eye, one reaching up his forehead, and the other going down towards his mouth. He looked just as started as Chara did, and uttered a short apology, which Chara returned stepping out of the man's way. They started past the man, going to check the room for the mysterious violinist who'd been playing that song, and had already opened the next door when they realized something...

That man had been carrying a violin case.

"Hey!" Chara whipped around, quickly scanning the hall, only to find the man was already gone. They jogged in the direction he'd been going in, but didn't see him, like he'd somehow just vanished. Thinking about it, he'd probably already made it out of the building by now.

Chara was left there, stunned, wondering who that man could possibly be. They hadn't really gotten a good look at his face, except for those strange scars, but that had been the most striking feature they'd seen. He had looked old enough to be a teacher at the university, maybe he was a music teacher? His skill with a violin definitely proved he had the skill to be one.

Whoever was, Chara had to meet him.

------

Asgore looked at the numbers marking the classroom, stopping when he got to the one with Gaster's name on it. He noticed the door wasn't closed all the way, in fact, it was open enough for him to get a good view of the inside of the classroom. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stepped through, though he stayed against the wall by the door, not wanting to be a distraction. From what Gaster had told him, this would be his last class until after the lunch hour, which wasn't too far from now. He'd simply wanted to give a quick hello and ask if Gaster had any plans for his lunch break. 

He hadn't been expecting to come in here and see Gaster standing on his desk though, which caught him off guard a little. It seemed to catch his students off guard as well, but they seemed to be rather interested in where their teacher was going with this. Gaster paced back in forth on his desk, twirling a pen around with his fingers, currently answering questions from his students about his class.

"Boy in the front with the purple glasses?" Gaster asked, stopping to point his pen his current target, "You have a question?"

"Uh- Yes Professor." The young man looked Gaster up and down, confusion on his face, "Um...why are you on your desk?"

"Because young lad, my eyesight is, on the best days, utter shit." This statement roused a quiet wave of chuckles from Gaster's students, "So by standing up here, it gives me a better vantage point to see all of your faces, which helps me to learn all of your names. I make it a priority to learn the name of every student who walks into my classroom."

"You can't possibly remember all of those names." Scoffed a girl who's hair was done up in a bun, an indigo skirt around her waist.

"Well, I'm afraid you're wrong." Gaster said with a shrug, "Ask any student of mine from the past, and they'll tell you differently. By the end of the first week, I typically have everyone's name remembered."

"That's impossible."

"My dear girl, if you think that's impossible, you're in the wrong classroom." That got a louder chuckle to rise from the students in the room, "Are you sure you want to be in a class about one of the hardest sciences to master when you can't even believe I can remember the names of my students?"

The girl became embarrassed and flushed red, looking at her desk, "Sorry Professor Gaster."

"That's alright miss, but you have to remember to have your mind open and ready in my classroom." Gaster turned, addressing the whole class, "And that applies to all of you! This is physics, not some boring social studies class taught by a middle school coach who has no clue how to properly teach the subject and cares more about which college sports teams are winning. If you came in here, thinking this can be some class that you can sleep through because you have no passion for it, well you can leave my class now. In fact, why don't you go to 'Professor' Jerry's philosophy lecture on the other end of the building." Gaster used air quotes using the title, rolling his eyes with a bit of a smile, "I had a junior tell me some of their best sleep was when they were in that room."

That got a loud round of laughs, which made Gaster look a little proud of himself, which Asgore thought made him look really cute. It was then class ended, Gaster telling the students to make sure they had all of the material needed to take notes tomorrow, with him highly suggesting the notes be done on a laptop. A few of the students noticed Asgore by the doorway, seeming to be waiting for Gaster, which made a few of them snicker and whisper among themselves.

"Asgore!" Gaster smiled when he saw the groundskeeper smiling at him from the door, "Such a nice surprise!" Gaster hopped down from his desk, going over to stand in front of the man who he was starting to believe might just be his friend.

"I see you're a hit with your students." Asgore noted, "They seemed to really like you."

"Well, we'll see how many of them like me when they get to really experience my teaching methods." Gaster said with a shrug, "Though, I have a good feeling for this lot, they seem like they might really be able to learn the subject."

"Does that not happen often?"

"It really depends." Gaster admitted, "So what brings you to my little corner?"

"I was wondering if you had any plans for lunch." Asgore said, rocking on his feet a little, "I mean I know it doesn't actually start for awhile, but I just thought I'd ask-"

Gaster smiled a bit adjusting his glasses, "I don't have any plans today, Asgore. My sons were going to have lunch with some of their friends today."

"Oh-" Asgore smiled a bit, the idea of getting to spend a little time with the professor today making him feel lighthearted, he found he really enjoyed Gaster's company, "I'm glad to hear that Doc."

"I was about to head over for an appointment I have at the music building, but I'll meet up with you for lunch after, if that's alright."

"That's fine." Asgore grinned, "Want me to come get you?"

"Sure, if that's alright with you." Gaster said, "There's a little burger joint we can head to, if you want."

"Burgers are fine. What time do you want me to get you?"

"I'll text you when I'm finishing up so you can head that way."

"That works."

"I'll meet you then, Asgore." Gaster said with a smile that made the groundskeeper's heart do a somersault in his chest. Asgore really wasn't sure how to feel when he had these reactions to something the professor did.

"Y-Yeah...see you then."

Later, when Asgore picked Gaster up from the music room, he noted the black case Gaster was carrying, but he didn't ask about it, becoming to focused in conversation as Gaster gave him directions to where they were going for lunch. Had he been just a moment later, he might have seen Chara coming out of the building, or at least Chara might have seen him. Since the world doesn't always have such great timing, that didn't happen.

Oh well...

Chapter Text

Since he and Papyrus had gotten back to town, Sans had fallen back into an old routine of his, where once a week he'd go to Grillby's Diner. He preferred to go on Saturday evening's, late enough so that the only people who really came in were college kids needing food after getting wasted at a party, and the occasional professor grinding out the last bit of work they needed to get graded. At that time, the diner was usually pretty mellow and quiet, which meant Grillby was free to talk to him while he sat at the bar, sipping coffee and slowly eating through his usually order of fries and ketchup.

He intentionally took his time so he could get Grillby to himself for longer, drinking coffee to keep any drowsiness from getting the better of him. There had been a few times where he'd been worried about annoying Grillby, thinking he only put up with him to be polite, but that fear had been squashed the moment he heard Grillby laugh at one of his crummy jokes. His laugh had been so nice...soft and sweet. It had been then that Sans had decided to make it his goal to make Grillby laugh at least once every time he saw him, wanting to hear more of his laughter.

Grillby, standing at about five and a half feet tall, towered over Sans, who barely stood at five feet. He was always so graceful, and kept his fiery red hair neatly trimmed around his ears, and his glasses polished so they were never smudged. Sans loved how cute his freckles were, and felt his heart jump into his throat whenever Grillby's piercing green eyes met his own brown and blue ones. The white button up and little black tie Grillby wore made him look so handsome, making Sans think of those fancy butlers he'd see in shows on TV. Everything about Grillby was just so nice, his appearance so clean, and his actions so graceful, making him look like a living version of some fairy tale prince.

Of course, Sans would never actually tell him that to his face, much too shy to admit how much he liked him. Papyrus and Gaster knew though, and both liked to tease him relentlessly about this crush he'd had for a good few years now. He'd known Grillby since they were both in high school, but he'd never really gotten to know him until he'd taken over the diner that his family had run since as long as anyone in town could remember.

He was younger than you'd typically expect the owner of a diner to be, but Grillby took over so easily, it was like he'd been born for it. The customers loved him, and he even managed to settle the feud between his family's business, and Muffet's, the two even working together once in awhile to drum up extra business during the holidays. Though he and Sans were the same age, Grillby cared himself like someone who was older and wiser, which Sans loved teasing him for. He'd constantly say Grillby had the mind of a fifty year old, which would usually make the redhead get embarrassed and flustered, which only made him look cuter. Sans loved seeing Grillby blush, especially when it reached his ears, making them turn bright pink.

"Sup, Grillbert?" Sans said as he sat at his usual place at the diner bar.

Grillby blushed the faintest pink, "C'mon Sans, do you have to call me that?" He mumbled, readjusting his glasses.

"If it keeps making you look so cute, then yes~" Sans had flirted with Grillby in passing conversation before, but given his usual attitude, he knew he just came off as the person who'd flirt for fun, which he didn't mind. That just meant he didn't have to worry so much about Grillby picking up on his feelings.

"Sans-" Grillby blushed a bit harder, but Sans noticed the smile he tried to hide behind the notepad he took notes on, which made him grin brightly.

"C'mon Grillbs, I'm just playin'~" Sans said as he leaned on the counter a bit, giving Grillby a little wink, "You know that."

"Yeah, you always did have a tendency for jokes."

"You never seemed to mind my jokes." Sans chuckled, "In fact, you seem to find them pretty spot on." Sans gestured to his shirt, where a faded stain from some drink he'd spilled could be seen.

Grillby let out a little giggle, stopping to lean on the counter to collect himself, "Please tell me you didn't stain your shirt just for that joke."

"Nah," Sans reassured, "I stained it because I was drinking coffee and fell asleep."

"You just fall asleep anywhere, don't you?"

"Sure do, I'm a professional nap taker."

"So how's school going?"

"Not too boring yet. Me and some buddies were thinking about organizing our own bot fight."

"Think the school would let you do it?"

"If not, I'm sure my dad will let us use the backyard. You can tag along if you want."

"Is it fun?"

"Playing around with robots and watching them tear each other to pieces? Yeah, it's a blast."

"Then I'd love too~" Grillby leaned over the bar, bringing himself to Sans's eye level and making the shorter man blush heavily, making his dark face take on a hue much like a deep red rose.

"Uh- um- great. I'll let you know when we get it sorted out." Sans wasn't sure why Grillby was so close to him, and it made him panic a little, unsure of if he should pull away or not...though it was kind of nice being able to get a better look at Grillby's eyes.

"It's a date then." Grillby straightened back up with a smile, notepad in hand, "So, you want the usual?"

For a moment, Sans wasn't able to form a response, then he realized Grillby had asked him a question, "Uh- yeah. That's fine."

"Coming right up!" As Grillby went to get his order, Sans felt himself starting to smile, realizing what Grillby had said before.

"He said 'date'." He muttered, feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy, a dopey grin growing on his face, "I got a date."

------

"I'm telling you Asriel, I know what I heard!" Chara insisted.

"I believe you, but...why are you obsessing over it?"

"If you saw someone paint the most gorgeous painting you've ever seen in your life, wouldn't you want to meet them?" Chara asked, crossing their arms.

"...okay yeah, I see your point."

"It's just...I've been trying to go back to meet them around the same time as when I heard it, but there's been no one up there each time." Chara gave an exasperated sigh, sitting down on the couch.

"What about that guy you saw?"

"No sign of him."

Asriel sat next to Chara, thinking for a moment, "Now that you mention it, I think I've heard other people talking about hearing someone play instruments from the upper music rooms."

"Really?" Chara perked up a little, listening intently.

"I mean, I don't know if it's true, but I know I had a classmate of mine mention hearing someone playing a harp up there."

"I heard a violin."

"Maybe it was different people."

"Or someone who can play more than one instrument." Chara wasn't sure why, but they were sure that was the case. Hearing how beautiful that violin had been played, Chara had no doubt in their mind that the violinist they'd heard could play a variety of instruments.

"So how are you gonna find this person?" Asriel asked, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"I keep going back until they're back there."

"For all you know, they may not be coming back."

"I have to try Asriel..." Chara stared down at their lap, "I just- I don't know how to explain it, but I have to. I...I think they could really teach me something."

"Hey- It's alright, Chara. I wasn't judging or anything." Asriel placed a hand on his sibling's shoulder, "Besides, I get it. Music is your passion, you've always wanted to be the best you can be at it."

"Thanks-"

"No problem." Asriel offered a smile that made Chara start to feel better, "I'm sure you'll meet your mystery musician in no time. Just wait and-"

Asriel was cut off by a loud crash, both of them jumping to their feet and turning just in time to see Toriel chasing Flowey out of the kitchen with a broom, a furious look on her face. It was rare that the mother of three ever really got angry over anything, and it was even more rare that she resorted to batting at house pets with a broom. Whatever it was that the feline had done, it must've been well deserved to prompt such a response from Toriel.

"Frisk! Get your furry demon to let go of my slipper!" Toriel yelled, using her foot currently not in one of her fuzzy pink slippers to keep the cat from making a getaway through the cat flap in the backdoor.

Frisk came sprinting down the stairs, vaulting over the railing when they were closer to the bottom. Soon they had Flowey scooped up in their arms, and had Toriel's slipper out of his mouth. Toriel went on a rant, going on about how the feline had tripped her up in the kitchen and stole her slipper when she was on the floor. Flowey seemed to have a special fixation for her slippers.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I promise I'll get him to stop." Frisk insisted once Toriel had calmed down some.

"Just- Just put him outside." Toriel gave an exasperated huff and sat down in her armchair, rubbing the knee that had crashed into the tile of her kitchen floor.

"You need any ice, Mom?" Asriel asked with some concern in his voice. Chara was glaring at the cat as Frisk took him out back.

"No my child, I'm fine. Thank you though."

Toriel's phone went off, and she checked it, seeing a text message from Asgore. At first she thought he might have been texting to ask about the weekly dinner they all had together, but quickly saw that wasn't the case. Asgore had sent her a message that was a simple four words long, but told her almost immediately that Asgore was feeling some manner of stress.

I need a drink.

Toriel's brow furrowed as she wrote a quick response.

Beer or whiskey?

Definitely  whiskey.

If we're drinking, your keys stay on the hook by the front door, and you're sleeping here.

I know.

How quick will you be here?

20 minutes.

I'll be on the front porch.

"Everything okay, Mom?" Chara asked, seeing the expression on their mother's face.

"Yes Chara, your father is just stopping by."

------

Toriel had a glass full and ready for Asgore by the time he joined her on the porch, already sipping her own. Asgore downed the whole thing in one go, and she started refilling it while he sat down. This was something they'd done for years whenever one of them was going through something. They'd meet up, drink, and talk, offering advice and reassurance for the other. As they sat there, Toriel didn't probe, waiting for Asgore to feel ready to tell her what was bothering him to the point of driving out here to drink with her.

"...Tori..." Asgore said after a moment, starring at the glass in his hand.

"Yes, Az?" Toriel looked over at her friend, feeling concern grow in her chest when she saw the look on his face. He looked so strained and tired, not to mention confused. It almost hurt to see him like this.

"...you won't judge me, right?"

"You know I won't." Toriel offered a smile she hoped was comforting.

Asgore said nothing for a moment, seeming to have some mental battle within his head over whatever it was that he wanted to talk to her about. A couple times he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it, going back to thinking. Toriel sat patiently, letting Asgore figure out how to tell her this, knowing it must've really been bothering him for him to be so unsure how to even say what it was.

Finally, Asgore spoke in a small, almost shy voice, "I think I might like guys."

"...what?"

"I..." Asgore was blushing heavily, "I- I think I like guys-"

Asgore was expecting anger, some sarcastic laughter, maybe just disbelief, he certainly wasn't expecting to take his free hand and look at him with the happiest grin he'd seen on her face in a long time, "Tell me everything." She said eagerly.

"What-"

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"You're not...mad?" Asgore asked.

"Why on earth would I be mad?" Toriel exclaimed, "Asgore, I'm delighted you figured this out!"

That seemed to reassure Asgore a little, and he shoved his fear away to the back of his mind, "Y-Yeah, I guess I was just being silly..." He hoped Toriel hadn't noticed that he was lying while he messed with his hair, a tick he did when he was untruthful.

Toriel, buzzed and excited, didn't notice, "So how'd you find out? Is there a lucky man I should know about~?" Toriel teased, making Asgore blush more.

"Uh- um...kinda...we aren't um..dating or anything." Asgore wasn't sure he should bring up exactly who it was who had made him start to realize this, unsure how Toriel would react knowing who it was.

"Oh come now Asgore, give me some details!" Toriel was leaning forward a bit.

"We aren't gossiping teenagers, Tori-"

Toriel pouted, crossing her arms a bit, "Can you blame me for being curious? Just humor me a little."

Asgore thought it over, saying a bit quietly, "I...I really like how he smiles..."

Toriel leaned back in her chair, taking her drink with a smug grin, "Go on."

"It- It's different depending on what he's doing." Asgore didn't realize it until he started talking about it, but there was a part of him that actually wanted to gush a little, "When he's excited, he gets this really big grin on his face, but if he's being cocky, it's a little crooked smirk. It's- It's really cute." Asgore stared down at his glass, letting himself indulge a bit.

"He's incredibly smart, smarter than I could ever hope to keep up with, but I try, and I think he appreciates it. I don't think a lot of people stop and just listen to him when he talks. When he's really passionate about something, he gets this look in his eyes, oh and don't get me started on his eyes-"

"Pretty?"

"Gorgeous!" Asgore corrected, setting his glass down, "Every time I look at them, I see all this passion and energy he has and it just makes me melt." Asgore had lost all sense to stop talking, the damn broken open, "When he's happy, he just can't sit still and it's almost like he's bouncing around, his hands moving a bunch when he talks and smiling, and it's just so damn cute. He has no idea how adorable he is. I could listen to him talk about his work for hours- he sounds so happy when he talks about it, and seeing him happy makes me happy! It's like every time I'm around him, I can't stop smiling. He's incredibly awkward, but it's so sweet because he still tries to be his best for everyone."

"Sounds dreamy." Toriel chuckled, "What does he look like? I need a face to put with this mystery man of yours."

"He's about as tall as my shoulder." Asgore said, "And he's got these big, brown eyes, and his hair's black and messy. I don't think he does much with it. He's- he looks...really nice..." Asgore blushed, what he was originally going to say feeling a bit embarrassing to say out loud. 

"Is that your dorky way of saying you think he's attractive?" Toriel asked with a teasing tone.

"Yes."

"Do you think you'll ask him out?"

"I- I don't know...I'm still trying to process how he makes me feel, and he doesn't exactly seem the type to go looking for a relationship."

"Well, I'd think about it, if you like him so much." Toriel said with a shrug, "You're a catch Asgore, so I wouldn't feel so nervous about him saying no to you."

"Stop it-"

"It's the truth." Toriel insisted, "I am happy for you, Asgore. I'm glad you felt like you could tell me this."

"...thanks, Tori."

"Anytime." Toriel refilled their now empty glasses, looking out already fading sunlight, marking the beginning of winter starting to arrive, "You know you could've just told me you had a crush on Professor Gaster."

Asgore spat out his drink, coughing a bit, "H-How do you know-"

"An educated guess. I'll have you know that I have his youngest son in my culinary class, and he told me you two have started becoming a bit close."

"We spend time together once in a while..." Asgore mumbled, looking away from her.

"From what Papyrus says, you two have lunch together at least once a week." Toriel was currently wearing a cheeky grin.

"Okay yeah, I guess we've kinda become friends." Asgore admitted, not meeting Toriel's eyes.

"As in friends who grab a drink once in awhile to catch up, or friends who grab a drink once in awhile, then proceed to hop under the sheets together?"

"TORI!!!" Asgore's voice cracked as his face became cherry red, and Toriel began to howl with laughter.

Chapter Text

Gaster hadn't meant to snap at his students, he really hadn't, but his day had already had so many things go wrong. His coffee got spilled, he'd forgotten to bring the right papers to class, he'd been freezing his ass off with the recent snowfall chilling the air, everything today just seemed set to set him off, even the noises around him seemed louder than usual. When his last class had rolled around, he thought he'd managed to pull through the day without breaking down, but he'd been wrong. That one student just had to push his buttons and not pay attention. Usually, he didn't mind, but today, it had been his breaking point.

He'd yelled at them all to get out, just to get out and not bother coming back if they wouldn't pay attention...

Once his classroom was cleared out, he sat at his desk, and for a few moments, he didn't realize he was shaking. Not only was he shaking, but his eyes were tearing up, and his breathing becoming shallow. Gaster felt panic gripping his chest as he tried to calm himself down, only managing to draw in a few short breaths before he let out something like a broken wheeze.

He tried to stand up, but found his legs too shaky to support him and just ended up on the floor. The silence was deafening, and something about that just made it harder for him to breathe, feeling just how alone he was as he curled up, the cold, hard floor numbing his side that he was laying on. Gaster let out a broken sob, putting his arms over his head as he started pulling on his hair, squeezing his eyes shut as the room started spinning around him. It felt as if all the air was being forced out of his lungs, head fuzzy and spinning as his eyes stung from how hard he started to cry. No matter what he did, he couldn't move, he couldn't get himself to calm down, feeling like his whole body was made of lead as he sobbed into the floor.

Gaster felt utterly pathetic laying here, reduced to a sobbing mess just because he had one bad day. He couldn't even deal with a few mishaps on his own without crumbling to dust, left bare and vulnerable to the world. It had been years since he'd broken down like this, just out of nowhere, and then the circumstances had been a lot more understandable. This just made him feel like a pouting child, which only made the horrid feeling that was burning his nerve endings feel even worse.

"Gaster-" Came a soft, gentle voice from right over the professor, "Gaster, hey-"

Gaster recognized the voice almost instantly, though he couldn't see the person well through the tears streaming down his face, "A-Ah-A-" He couldn't even manage to get his voice to work properly, which made him wail as he pulled hard on his hair, feeling utterly useless.

"Hey, it's alright, I'm here." Asgore spoke so softly, his voice making Gaster feel a bit safer somehow, "I'm gonna help you sit up now, okay?"

Gaster let out a tear filled mewl when he felt Asgore's large hands grab him so carefully and sit him up on the floor, taking Gaster's hands in his own, though he was careful not to sit to close to Gaster. He used his thumbs to lightly stroke Gaster's knuckles, which Gaster found helped to calm him some, and kept him a bit more grounded to reality. Being someone who usually tried to avoid any kind of physical contact with people, Gaster found it a bit odd that Asgore's soft touches felt so comforting. It was like something the man helped the speeding train that was Gaster's thoughts start to slow down.

Safe...Asgore made him feel safe...

"Breathe with me now, alright?" Asgore asked, and Gaster gave a curt nod, "In," Asgore started, inhaling as he stroked inwards on Gaster's knuckles, the professor copying his actions as he managed to take in a deep, soothing breath, "And out." Gaster exhaled with Asgore while he stroked outward on his knuckles. The repeated motion of Asgore's thumbs, mixed with Asgore helping him steady his breathing soon allowed Gaster to calm down enough to lean back again his desk and take off his glasses, wiping the tears from his eyes and putting them back on.

"Thank you." Gaster signed, hands still shaking a little, voice feeling like it would fail the moment he tried to use it.

"It's no problem, Gaster." Asgore offered a small smile, "I'm just glad you're alright."

"How did you know I needed help?" 

"Well, we were already planning to have lunch together, and your class was supposed to get out soon, so I started heading over. I heard some of your students as they passed me, saying you'd yelled at them all to leave. That's when I ran here...I figured that meant something was wrong."

"Thank you, Asgore. Truly."

"There really is no need to thank me, Gaster." Asgore insisted, "Like I said, I'm just glad you're alright."

"How did you know how to help me?"

"My youngest is like you, they have meltdowns too, so I just picked up on ways to calm someone down when they're like that."

That got Gaster to stop for a moment, hands pausing before he tried to sign, "They're like me?"

"Yes, they have autism."

"How did you know? I never told you about that."

Asgore shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just figured it out. Like I said, my youngest kid is autistic, so I've learned how to spot it." Asgore gave Gaster another once over, concern visible in his eyes, "Do you feel alright? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." Gaster lied.

"Gaster." Asgore crossed his arms, "You're a horrible liar."

Again, Gaster took a moment before his hands signed his response, "I'm spent. All my energy has been drained."

"That's understandable." Asgore sighed, knowing Gaster probably wouldn't like what he had to say next, "Maybe you should go home. Do you have any other classes to teach today?"

"No, but I don't need to go home."

"Gaster, please-"

"I'm alright, Asgore."

Asgore's eyes narrowed, "Gaster, don't you make me call your sons."

Gaster's eyes narrowed, trying to figure out if Asgore was serious, "You wouldn't dare."

"I would, if it's what I have to do so you'll look after yourself."

Gaster looked away, pouting a bit from the lack of decision Asgore was giving him. He could stay here, get some work done, and have his sons know he broke down in his classroom and have them insist that he go home, or he could deal with Asgore. It was a close call, both would mean having to deal with someone who'd make sure he didn't really do anything that could stress him out, but at least Asgore was one person, where his sons were two.

Taking one more steady breath, Gaster managed to utter out a word, "Fine."

"Good." Asgore got to his feet, holding out his hand to help Gaster to his feet, "I finished up early today, so I'll give you a ride-"

"Do we have to go to my house?" Gaster asked quietly, not looking Asgore in the eye, "Can we go somewhere...less empty?"

Asgore stopped, his gaze stuck on that expression Gaster was wearing. The professor looked so tired, tired and drained. It was heartbreaking to see Gaster look so worn out, but it hurt worse to see how much he just didn't want to be left alone. Gaster seemed to stand a bit closer than he usually did, and he fidgeted, unable to get himself to keep still. He clearly didn't want to stay here, even if he had been stubborn at first...or perhaps he just didn't want to be left alone.

"Gaster you- you should go home and rest."

"Please, Az." Gaster finally met his eye, with a look that made Asgore's breath catch.

He'd fixed the larger man with a look that was glazed over with mental exhaustion, the burn out making his dark eyes a bit hazy. Gaster's black hair had become a bit of a mess, and was now falling in front of his eyes, framing his dark face. Something about this sleepy bedhead look was kind of cute to see on the him, and it made Asgore wonder if this was how Gaster looked when he got up in the mornings.

"This is not the time!" 

Asgore closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he berated himself for letting his feelings cloud his thoughts like that after Gaster had just been on the floor, "Where would you want to go that's not your place?" Asgore asked after a moment.

"Yours." Gaster said a bit matter-of-factly, "You live alone, yes? That's means it'll be quiet, and you'll be there, so it won't feel so empty."

Asgore hoped, no, he prayed that he wasn't blushing right now, "Y-You want me to take you to my apartment?"

"You said you'd finished early, so unless you have something else you'd rather do-" Gaster's tone was a bit flat, but Asgore could still see the look in Gaster's eyes that was a tell-tale sign that he was starting to regret even putting the idea out there.

"N-No, it's fine-" Asgore hadn't done it consciously, but he'd brought his hand up, brushing some of Gaster's hair out of his eyes and behind his ear, something he used to have to do when Asriel was little, "I really don't mind-"

Asgore's sudden action made Gaster freeze up for a bit, unsure of why Asgore had suddenly fixed his hair. He hadn't been...opposed to it or anything, it just surprised him a little was all. Gaster just wasn't used to people touching him in such a delicate way. Asgore's hands were warm, and he could feel the heat from it when it was that close to his face, and that same comfort he felt earlier came back, so when Asgore's hand lingered for just a moment longer then Asgore had meant it to, Gaster leaned his face into the touch, his eyes becoming half lidded.

This time, Asgore knew he was blushing, Gaster leaning into his touch had come completely out of left field. Gaster wasn't the biggest when it came to physical contact with others, and he definitely preferred his personal space, so something like this was totally unlike him. It was such a soft, tender moment, feeling Gaster's skin under his fingertips.

Gaster's hand came up, overlapping the one Asgore had on his face, his half-lidded eyes looking up at Asgore. He felt content, a feeling he hadn't even been sure he could still feel, and it seemed Asgore was the reason why. Right now, Gaster didn't have the energy to try and think about it, so he let his impulses take over, guiding him to what he currently wanted. It was for Asgore to stay with him.

"So..." Gaster finally leaned away, though he felt a little disappointed, "You don't mind?"

"No..." Asgore felt a twinge of sadness over the loss of that little moment they'd shared, but he didn't say anything, not wanting to make Gaster uncomfortable.

"Alright, let's get going. I'll text Sans and let him know I won't be home until later."

"That sounds fine. Do you want me to carry your things?"

"I can get them." Gaster's tone was still flat and almost lifeless as he went and grabbed his coat, as well as his work bag that he carried his papers and laptop in, before turning back to Asgore, "After you."

Asgore led Gaster out to the parking lot, where his truck was parked, neither speaking a word. Once they were inside the truck, Asgore got to work driving to his apartment, and Gaster sent a text message to his oldest son, letting him know where he was going. Sans just replied with some winking face followed by the words 'have fun', which Gaster had no clue what he meant by. He put his phone away, staring out the window as Asgore drove off of the campus, the light snow drifting to the ground in little flurries of pure white.

"We're here." Asgore said after a little while, parking in front of Hotland Apartments, where he lived. There weren't many people living here to begin with, and most of those who did live here were currently either at work or school.

"It looks...cozy." Gaster said after they got out, Asgore leaded him up one of the sets of stairs to the upper level.

"It's nice." Asgore said with a shrug, leading Gaster to the second floor and opening up the door three down to the left of the staircase, "Well...home sweet home."

Gaster looked around when he stepped inside, placing his coat on one of the hooks by the door. It was a nice little apartment, with a small kitchenette, and a little living room. There was one hallway, where Gaster guessed Asgore's bedroom was. Though the whole place had a bit of a minimalist feel to it, that didn't even come close to describing the plants Asgore had around his apartment.

It was mostly flowers, though there seemed to be at least one small cactus sitting up by the kitchen window. Each plant looked well looked after, and were absolutely vibrant with color. Gaster stopped, closing his eyes, and took one deep breath in, taking in the flowery scent around him, pictures of flower shops and gardens popping up in his head. This was the first time he was really getting to see the products of Asgore's green-thumb up close. He'd already known that Asgore enjoyed gardening and looking after plants, but he'd never gotten to see what Asgore was capable of in the world of greenery.

"I like it." Gaster said after a moment.

"I-I'm glad you do." Asgore muttered as he closed the door, "You can sit down if you want. Would you like anything to eat?"

"That's alright." Gaster said as he took his shoes off and set them by the door, not wanting to track dirt into Asgore's house before he went and sat down.

Asgore kicked off his boots, going around and checking on his various plants, "Are you feeling alright?"

Gaster put his work back down on the floor by the couch, "I...I'm as fine as I can be right now."

"I don't think I'm sure what you mean." Asgore said as he joined Gaster on the couch.

"I...I kind of shut down whenever I...slip into a meltdown." Gaster said, pulling his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he rested his chin on his knees, "Everything just feels so confusing, and I can't really discern anything that's going on in my head. That's usually when I just hide away from everything until I get my senses back."

"I see..." Asgore offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "Well, take as much time as you need to gather up your thoughts. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"That's very kind of you, Asgore. I feel bad taking up your time like this."

"Don't, I'm glad I can help you." Asgore chuckled, "I care about you, Gaster. I want to make sure you're okay." The second the words left his mouth, Asgore face heated up, and like each of his nerve endings were being fried at once.

Gaster's face became a bit pink as he looked over at Asgore, "...you do?"

"I-I- Oh course I d-do, friends are s-supposed to care for each other."

"I...suppose you're right." Gaster said after a moment, and Asgore let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure you don't need anything, Doc?"

"...there is one thing."

Asgore perked up a little, happy help the professor, "What is it?"

Gaster looked away, face darkening as he blushed, one of his hands moving closer to Asgore and taking one of his hands, "I...I'd really like a hug-"

Before Gaster could finish, he was wrapped up in Asgore's secure, yet gentle hold. Asgore had both of his arms wrapped around Gaster's small waist, chin resting on top of Gaster's head. Gaster had ended up with both of his hands pressed flat against Asgore's chest, as well as his ear. This allowed Gaster to hear Asgore's heartbeat, steady, and comforting to his ears.

Despite his usual disliking of affection outside of the hugs he gave to his sons, Gaster felt himself just lose any tension that was left in him the moment Asgore pulled him closer to his chest. Gaster closed his eyes, smiling a little as he listened to Asgore's heartbeat, letting out a small sigh as his own arms looped around the back of Asgore's neck. Gaster felt like he could have stayed like this for hours, right here in this bubble of warmth and comfort that Asgore seemed to give him.

"Safe..." Gaster thought after a moment, "I feel safe."

"Thank you..." Gaster whispered after they'd been in their hug for a few minutes, tilting his head back so he could look Asgore in the eye, "This feels...really nice."

"I agree." Asgore said with a smile, returning Gaster's gaze as his hand came up to cup the side of Gaster's face again.

Gaster leaned into the welcomed touch, smiling some, "You really don't mind if I'm...autistic? A lot of people think it's a bit freakish."

"Oh of course not, Gaster." Asgore reassured, "You're an amazing person, and anyone would be lucky to have the honor of knowing you."

Gaster could feel his face getting warmer with each word, "M-My my, you're incredibly sweet." Gaster let out a little chuckle, "Has anyone told you that before?"

"It's been mentioned a time or two." Asgore let out a small laugh that made the base in his voice rumble his chest a little. 

They sat like that for a moment longer, and Asgore's thumb trailed gently over the scar under Gaster's eye, making him stutter and flush brightly. He didn't pull away from Asgore, though, instead of closing his eyes, one of his hands overlapped the one Asgore had on his face.  It seemed he was waiting to see what Asgore would do next, though he seemed content with what was currently happening, letting out a little breathy sigh.

Asgore studied the details of Gaster's face, making a metal note of everything in his head. He wanted to think of how peaceful he looked later, feeling himself smile while seeing Gaster like this. Asgore's eyes fell to Gaster's mouth, noting that his lips looked incredibly soft. The urge to kiss him was undeniable, and Asgore soon found himself, leaning a bit closer.

Gaster opened his eyes when he felt Asgore move, but he didn't pull away, feeling his heart pound in exhilaration from how close Asgore was to him. His hands came up, raking his fingers through Asgore's long, golden hair, finding it was just as soft as it looked. It made Asgore smile as he tilted Gaster's chin up a bit, the intensity burning through them like a wildfire while they were both so close. They were so close now, his forehead resting against Gaster's while the professor combed those thin fingers through his hair, seeming just as nervous as Asgore felt. So close...so so close, both breathing a bit heavily from anticipation, though incredibly nervous about what they were about to do.

One of Gaster's hands came to rest at the nape of Asgore's neck, so close that he could feel the heavy exhales from the man whose arms he was wrapped up in. His other hand came to rest on the side of Asgore's face, staring up into his blue eyes with his own half-lidded brown ones. That look Asgore was giving him...it made Gaster just feel weak, feeling like he could melt right there in Asgore's arms.

Finally, Asgore started to close the last of the distance, his lips brushing against Gaster's-

Then there was a loud argument from somewhere upstairs, and the two were suddenly jolted out of that moment they'd gotten caught up in, starting to put a little space between them. Both were blushing heavily, and neither looked at the other as the realization of what had just happened sunk in. Did they regret it? Neither one of them really knew, unsure of just how they were supposed to be feeling.

"So..." Asgore eventually said, "Wanna watch a movie?"

"Yeah- Yeah, that sounds great."

The two fell into some form of awkward silence, both sitting with as much space between them on the couch as they could put there as Asgore found a movie for them to watch. For a while, it seemed like they'd stay like that, until Gaster started to scoot a bit closer as the movie progressed. Gaster leaned against Asgore's side, and smiled when he felt Asgore's arm rest around his shoulders. He couldn't deny that he rather enjoyed Asgore holding him like this, though he had to wonder exactly why that is.

Unlike Asgore, he was much more oblivious to his own feelings...

Chapter Text

Aster sat in his room, reading another book that his uncle had bought for him. It was some science fiction novel that he thought his young nephew would enjoy, which so far, he did. The boy had always loved a story with space and robots in it, and this one was full of them, as well as inter-dimensional wormholes. He could've read for hours, had it not been for the sound of his parents yelling.

The loud noises made him afraid, and he quickly scrambled to hide under his bed, nearly knocking off his glasses, which were taped from where they'd broken from some kids at school ganging up on him. Aster hated when his parents fought, the high emotions and screaming voices always made him panic. He reached his small arm up and grabbed a stuffed plushie off his bed that had also come from his uncle. It was a strange plushie, resembling the skull of a canine, but Aster was a strange child, and had instantly fallen in love with the toy, which his uncle had known he would. Oh how he wished his uncle was here...

"You can't keep babying him forever!" Came the voice of his father, "He's got to learn how to talk to people! How to get along with kids his own age!"

"He's not like other kids his age!" Came the voice of his mother, "Those kids know that! How can he get along with others, when all they do is act so cruelly towards him!?"

"Well if you'd stop acting like he was some fragile thing, he'd learn to stick up for himself!"

"Maybe if you'd try to spend a little time with him, you'd see that he's just fine how he is! He doesn't need to change!"

"I try to spend time with him, but he never wants to go anywhere outside the house, and everything he does here involves his nose in a book, or talking to your loon of a brother!"

"My brother is not a loon! He's just- eccentric!" 

"Yes he is, and it's insane you let Aster spend so much time around him!"

"Roman understands him! Aster loves him! You see how much he talks to him!"

"Yeah, but he hardly says a word to either of us! He's our son, and yet the only person he even cracks a smile for is your damn brother!"

"It's just how he is!"

"No, it's because all you ever do is cater to him, while I'm trying to get him to show some progress!"

"Progress with what!? He's got nothing wrong with him!"

"He's eight years old, and hardly does anything outside of his room! All that time alone isn't good for him! Surrounded by all those creepy things your crazy ass brother-"

Aster wasn't sure when he had gotten out from under his bed, or when angry tears started falling down his face as he crossed the room, his hands gripping the doorknob, but he was certain of one thing. Hearing his father talk like that about the one person who he felt okay to be himself around made him furious. In almost no time at all before he was running down the hall, his skull plushie gripped tightly in his hands. By the time he'd reached the end of the hall, now standing in the living room where his parents had been holding their screaming match. Angry tears streamed down his face, and he did something he never did...he screamed at his parents.

"DON'T CALL UNCLE ROMAN CRAZY!!! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!!!"

Both of his parents stopped, stunned by him speaking to them in more than just a couple words. They'd been so caught up in the heat of their argument that they hadn't thought about their son hearing them, which made them both feel guilty. Yet...seeing Aster stand up for something, even this, made them feel proud of him. The two stopped to look at each other, as if trying to figure out what they should say to him, before turning back.

Aster's father let out a sigh, brushing a hand through his hair, "I-I'm sorry buddy...Dad's just had a really long day."

Aster sniffled a little, wiping at his eyes, "He's not crazy..."

"I know, WingDings."

"Don't call me that." Aster fumed, "I hate that name."

"Son-"

"Everyone says it's stupid."

"...everyone who?" His mother said softly, still stunned her son was still talking.

"Kids at school."

"Hun-"

"Am I broken?" Aster finally asked, looking at both of his parents, "Is that why you two keep fighting? I-If I'm broken, then I can try to fix it! Would that make you stop fighting?"

Hearing those words brought tears to his mother's eyes, which only made him confused. His father's eyes widened, and he looked taken aback by what the little boy had said, a hand covering his mouth. Aster wasn't sure why his parents were suddenly acting so mortified, he'd simply been asking them a question. They always argued about him, going back and forth, so he must've been broken. If he was fixed, they'd stop fighting...right?

"Aster..." The boy's father came closer, kneeling down in front of his son, placing a gentle hand on his small shoulder, "You aren't broken."

"Then- then why are you and Mom always fighting?" Gaster's tears started to come back, "Y-You don't have to lie to me! Just tell me what's wrong with me, so I can fix it! I can just fix it if I know what it is!"

"Gaster, you're not broken. You're just different."

"I don't wanna be different!" Gaster let out a small sob, rubbing at his eyes, "I just want everyone to be happy."

"Dings-" There his mother was, kneeling next to her husband as she carefully wiped away her son's tears, "Dings, it's not your fault your dad and I fight so much, it's our own. People fight sometimes, even if they love each other, but that doesn't mean we aren't happy."

"Yeah bud, just like your mom said." Aster's father smiled, "And that doesn't mean we don't love you either. You're not broken at all buddy, we just...we don't understand you as well as we'd like to."

"I'm sorry..." Aster mumbled quietly.

"Oh, that's not your fault." Said his mother, taking his hand into her own, her thumb gently stroking his knuckles, "Like your father said, you're different, but that's not a bad thing. Your dad and I just haven't figured out how to understand yet.

"...can I help you?" Aster asked, looking at his parents with hopeful eyes.

"Of course buddy."

Those words were all it took to make Aster start to smile, much to the astonishment of both of his parents. His smile was so big, and bright, making him look so happy, so carefree. It was a nice reminder to the both of them that despite Aster's struggles, he was still just a kid, their kid. With that big smile on his face, Aster turned, beckoning his parents to follow as he led them to his room. There he had them both sit on his bed, much to their confusion. They watched as he dragged over the step stool he needed to reach the top shelf of his bookcase, and some other objects from around the room, including the chalkboard he'd wanted to use when working on his little science projects. Finally, he placed his few stuffed animals next to his parents, pulling his skull plushie in his mother's lap, before standing up on the step stool and writing on his chalk board, turning to his parents.

"Welcome to Aster 101! A class to help you understand me, Aster!" Aster gave a little flourish of his hands, looking so proud of himself for coming up with this idea.

His parents looked at each other, his father letting out a little chuckle as he shrugged, and his mother putting on an amused smile. This was the most they'd ever heard their son talk, so even if they weren't quite sure what he was planning to do, they silently agreed to do their best to listen. Both turned back, seeing Gaster readjusting his glasses as he put on his little teacher persona. It was something he liked to do when explaining something to someone else.

"Alright dear, what are we going to learn first?" His mother asked, her hands folding over the skull plushie in her lap.

Aster smiled, happy they were playing along with him, "Lesson one!" Aster turned, writing on the chalkboard, "Why I don't like hugs."

.

.

.

Gaster sat up in the attic, staring down at the skull plushie he'd just pulled out of an old box. He hadn't even known this thing was still in one piece, and seeing it again had brought back all sorts of memories. Originally, he'd come up here to find some spare scrap he kept for whenever he felt like making some little gadget, something he liked to do when he needed to take his mind off of things, so that Sans and his classmates could use it for their battle bots. Instead, he'd found this old, dusty box filled with old mementos.

Peering back into the box, he saw some of this other childhood possessions, old books and gadgets he'd made that never actually worked. There was also a photo album, which he pulled out next, though he didn't flip through it, setting it on the floor as he checked for anything else that might have been in the box. At the bottom was what looked like a little coffee tin, which he carefully picked up, unsure of what he could have possibly have put in it.

He opened it, and let out a small gasp, nearly dropping the tin before he quickly closed it, feeling tears well in his eyes. What was inside this were a few items that he'd thought had been lost a long time ago, things that were from way before he'd changed his name and moved from that town where he'd been born. A part of him considered just putting the coffee tin back and forgetting he'd ever found it, another told him to throw it out, but some part of him didn't seem to want to let go of it. His grip was tight, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to put it down.

Wiping his eyes, Gaster got up, making his way back down the attic stairs with the coffee tin still held tightly in his grasp. If he couldn't get rid of it, he'd just put it somewhere where he didn't have to open it, but he could keep an eye on it. His study would be fine, he could put it on one of his shelves or something, behind some books or knickknacks. That way, he wouldn't have to look inside and remember all the memories, but he could also make sure the items were somewhere safe.

"There." Gaster muttered as he put the coffee tin on a shelf behind a miniature solar system model he owned, "Problem solved."

------

It was a chilly afternoon as Chara walked from campus, to this cafe everyone kept saying served the best hot chocolate in town. The snow had stopped for the time being, leaving just enough on the ground to reach Chara's ankles. They figured if the hot chocolate was any good, they'd stay for a bit and warm up, maybe even do some of their homework. That had all they'd planned on doing until Asriel was done with class and could come pick them up.

They hadn't been expecting to walk by a house and hear the heavenly sound of a violin playing sweet music...

Spinning around, Chara saw that they were standing right by a blue house with the windows done in place, as well as the roof. This was where that music was coming from, the same music they'd heard that day in the music building, there was no doubt about it. Their gaze moved to one of the upper story windows, and found the source of the music, a man with dark hair, eyes closed as he played on his violin, seeming to pour his very soul into it.

Chara had found their violinist...

Chapter Text

Alphys had no interest in sports. Ever since she was a child, she had never possessed any incredibly athletic ability, and was frankly, quite bad at sports in general. She had never minded though, she was much more interested in robotics and engineering. Where other kids could throw a ball, she could make whatever her heart desired with the most basic of materials. That was her strength, and it had always been, even now, as an adult all these years later. 

Yet here she was, watching the basketball team as they practiced, well more specifically, she was watching Undyne. Her eyes followed her as she darted across the court, weaving between players with incredible speed. Though she was a year older than Undyne, the two had become good friends after Undyne arrived on campus, mostly due to all the time they spent where Alphys tutored her and helped her study. Alphys had quickly started to realize she was getting feelings for the captain of the basketball team, who could be stubborn and headstrong, but also brave and more determined than Alphys could ever dream of being. It was these feelings that kept bringing Alphys back to watch Undyne's practices and games, just to see her in her element, where her determination could really thrive.

Then there was that one game last year, the final game of the season. Alphys had come to watch, cheering Undyne whenever she made a basket or successfully blocked the other team from scoring. The team had won, just as Alphys had thought they would, Undyne scoring the last shot. Her team had lifted her up in their celebration...but then two of them had plucked Alphys up and brought her over to Undyne.

The truth was, Undyne had felt the same way about Alphys, and her teammates had known it. They'd seen how Undyne would get on the court at every practice and game, searching for that blonde pixie cut and the round glasses. They were also aware that Undyne didn't actually need as much help with her schoolwork as she made it seem, wanting a reason to go see her nerdy, adorable tutor. At this game, they'd finally decided their new team captain had spent enough time beating around the bush, and decided to give her a little help.

They had carried them around the court, hooting and hollering in excitement, Couch Gerrison watching with an amused smile. Alphys and Undyne were both blushing furiously until the team carried them back to the locker room, setting them down before heading in for their shower, each giving Undyne an encouraging wink, thumbs up, or something of the like. It made Undyne wish she could have clobbered each and every single one of those punks for pulling a stunt like that. Then again...Alphys had been smiling and holding her hand the whole time. She'd seemed so happy being able to celebrate with her, and now she was standing her, staring up at her with a flustered expression as she tried to form the words to say something, but kept stuttering over them.

That was when Undyne had kissed her, making Alphys blush a bright red, yet she'd kissed back. The two had started dating then, happy to finally get to be honest with each other about how they felt. Now Alphys and Undyne spent just about all the free time they had together, Alphys insisting that Undyne didn't have to keep pretending to need her help just for a reason to see her.

"Yeah, go Undyne!" Alphys cheered as Undyne managed to get a basket by shooting the ball into the hoop from over halfway across the court. Undyne gave Alphys her signature grin and waved, ignoring the snickers of her teammates.

"Hey babe!" Undyne called, "Wanna get some fries with me after this?"

Alphys flushed a faint pink, and smiled, "I'd love too!"

------

Mettaton stretched, closing the fashion magazine he'd been reading and looking across his dorm, where Napstablook slept peacefully. It made him smile to see his usually high strung cousin relaxing for once, even if only for a little while. One of Napstablook's mix tapes was playing, filling the room with a gentle, low-fi space sounding kind of music. He loved hearing his cousin's music, always finding that it made him feel better even in the worst situations, like when he'd lost his legs.

Starring down at his prosthetics, which were currently beside his bed, Mettaton thought that had to have been the worst time in his life, but that wasn't true. Normally, people would think that there wasn't really anything you could go through that topped getting your legs crushed in a car accident, but Mettaton could beg to differ. Even if it was incredibly painful and difficult to recover, there had been one thing he'd gone through that he felt was even worse than the falling rain that had made it impossible for him to see, causing him to go skid off the road and into a wide tree, completely destroying the front end of his car, which had caved in and crushed his legs.

That one thing had been when his parents had tossed him out when he was only thirteen, leaving him out on his own, alone. Of course, he hadn't been as alone as he thought, which he'd learned when Napstablook had arrived with his own parents to take Mettaton home, where they raised him as if he were Napstablook's own brother. It had been that day which had solidified Mettaton's relationship with his cousin. From that day on, Mettaton swore to look after Napstablook, and to always try to return the kindness his aunt and uncle had shown him. It was his story that had made him so popular among his followers on the internet, which was how he became an influencer. 

Letting out a small sigh, Mettaton leaned back against the wall by his bed, staring at the transgender flag he had on the adjacent wall above it. Naptstablook had a flag over his bed too, a demi-boy flag. Maybe that's why he and his cousin understood each other so well, they had gone through similar struggles within their own minds, worrying what those around them would do if they found out the truth about them. 

The day Napstablook had come out to him, Mettaton had hugged him with a bright smile, offering to buy him the very flag he now had over his bed. He knew how it felt to have the people who were supposed to love you turn their backs because they didn't understand you, and he never wanted his dear cousin to have to go through that. Mettaton always made sure Napstablook felt loved and appreciated by him, always making sure he was available when Napstablook needed him, and making sure to take some time to listen to whatever knew song his cousin made. Napstablook was incredibly important to him, and he wanted to make sure the shy musician knew that every day, so that he could have that support that Mettaton hadn't been able to get when he needed it the most.

Mettaton's phone buzzed, and he looked, smiling a little when he saw who it was that had texted him. He picked up his phone and looked at the little cat picture Papyrus had sent to him, a little kitten seeming to wave. It made him laugh quietly as he sent a reply, asking what Papyrus was up to. Ever since he'd met the lively young man, he hadn't been able to get him out of his mind, that bright smile seemed to live in the back of his head. Mettaton was completely aware that he had feelings for Papyrus, though he wasn't sure if Papyrus returned his feelings, or simply admired him, being a fan of his work and all. That's why he was taking his time, not wanting to rush things between them.

Carrying on his conversation with Papyrus, Mettaton hadn't realized that his cousin had woken up, and was currently sitting up and staring across the room at him, "Texting your boyfriend?" He asked with slight amusement in his quiet voice.

"He's not my boyfriend-" Mettaton insisted, flushing a bit red as he looked away.

"Sure~" Napstablook could be a teasing little gremlin when he was with his cousin, away from all of the things that made him so nervous, "You spend all that time talking about him because he's not your boyfriend."

Mettaton rolled his eyes, "Oh hush up Blooky, I'm just taking things slowly." As much as Mettaton liked Papyrus, he couldn't deny that Papyrus wasn't always the most insightful, especially when it came to things like this it seemed.

"Well let me know when you're planning the wedding."

"Blooky-"

"I'm just saying."

"You know, you can be a little shit sometimes." Mettaton said while crossing his arms, "Why is it that you only like to tease me, yet you freak out just trying to talk to anyone else?"

"Because I love you oh so very much, TonTon~" Napstablook cooed as he used the nickname.

Mettaton threw his pillow across the room, hitting Napstablook in the face, "Get out of bed, you lazy little gremlin. We made plans for dinner, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Napstablook said with a grin as he got up to his feet, "Papyrus has been wanting to drag you, me, and Chara to that diner since he found out we'd never been."

"Yeah, he said he and his family go there all the time." Mettaton reached to grab his prosthetics, only to accidentally knock them to the floor, "...damn."

"Want some help?"

"Yes please."

Napstablook crossed the room and picked up the prosthetics off the floor, helping his cousin get them on, "Aren't you glad you've got me to help you?"

"Yeah, it's better then having to crawl on the floor whenever I can't reach them."

"Here TonTon." He held out his hands, which Mettaton took, letting his cousin pull him up to his feet, "Are you sure you'll be fine in those shorts?" He asked, looking at the pink shorts Mettaton was currently wearing.

"Blooky, they cover the part of my legs that's...well, me."

"Yeah, but they can't be very warm."

"Oh my dear Blooky." Mettaton chuckled, "I made them myself. They're like sweatpants, only much shorter. I wear these when I don't feel like fighting with getting my legs into pants."

"Well, if you're sure." Napstablook grabbed his headphones off of his dresser as they made their way to the door, Mettaton grabbing a scarf while Napstablook got his usual hoodie.

"I am." Mettaton reassured, "Now let's get going, I'm starving."

------

"You...you want me to what?" Gaster said, bewildered by this brown haired person who'd just barged into his house the moment he opened the door, having heard the rappid knocking from up in his study, where he'd been practicing his violin.

"Teach me." Chara said, "Teach me to play like you do."

"I- I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Chara Dreemurr."

That last name definitely got Gaster's attention, "Dreemurr?"

"Yeah-"

"As in your father is Asgore Dreemurr?"

"Yes."  Chara looked a bit confused, "You know my dad?"

"He's...a friend of mine." Gaster said as he sat down on his couch, "He told me he had three children. So you're the one who's studying music?"

"That's me." Chara had no idea their dad told other people about them, then again, they hadn't known their dad had made a friend either.

"You can sit down, Chara." Gaster reassured, gesturing to the armchair beside him, which Chara hesitantly sat down in.

"So will you teach me?"

"I'm not sure..." Gaster admitted, "I've never really taught anyone anything that wasn't some form of science, and I don't normally play in front of others. Why do you even want me to teach you?"

"I..." Chara seemed to get shy all of a sudden, "Well the truth is, I've been trying to find you ever since I heard you play in the music hall."

"I thought you looked familiar. You're that student I ran into."

"Yeah, I had heard you playing, and wanted to meet you, but I didn't realize it had been you playing until you were already gone." Chara rubbed the back of their neck, staring up at the ceiling now, "I was walking by your house when I heard you playing again. It's just...I've never heard anyone play like you before, it's like everything you were pouring your very being into your music. I've never- I've never felt the way I felt when I heard you play." Chara looked Gaster right in the eye, gaze hopeful, "It made me think of things I haven't thought about in so long, it was kind of nice. I want to get to play like that."

"I see..." This was the first time Gaster had been told his music had such an affect on people...well...the first time since he was still a child...

.

.

.

Aster finished up the song he was playing on the harp, one of his favorite instruments alongside the violin, looking over at his uncle with a bright smile, "How was that, Uncle Roman?" Aster's face suddenly changed to one of alarm when he saw his uncle's face, which was smiling, but covered in tears, "Uncle Roman-"

"That was so beautiful, Aster." Roman knelt down in front of his nephew, his dark eyes gazing at his young face through his round spectacles, "So very beautiful."

"But- but why are you crying? Did it make you sad?"

"No my boy, not in the slightest." Roman wiped his tears away, "You see Aster, sometimes when something truly moves a person, they just cry. It's not a bad thing, it's just one of those things people do."

"My music moves people?"

"Oh yes, the way you play is like listening to angel sing, my dear boy. When you play, you truly let that amazing spark you have show, you reveal who you truly are on the inside." Roman ruffled his nephew's hair affectionately, "You're not trying to be like everyone else, you're just being you, Aster. That's what's so beautiful about it, you're being your truest you."

Aster grinned wide, feeling the blossoming warmth of pride swell up in his chest, "Thank you."

"Promise me you won't ever lose that, my boy."

"I promise, Uncle."

.

.

.

"If I teach you, there's something you have to promise."

"What's that?" Chara asked, looking at him curiously.

"If I teach you, I won't be teaching you to play like me, I'll be teaching you to play like you. If you try to play like someone else, you'll never have the effect you want, you'll only be trying to be an imitation. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think I do." Chara fidgeted with their hands, "You're saying you'd be teaching me how to improve myself as a musician."

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand." Gaster held out his hand, smiling, "I'm W.D. Gaster, but you can call me Gaster."

Chara took his hand, shaking it, "You teach physics at the university, don't you?"

"Yes I do."

"I heard you give lectures while standing on your desk."

"Oh, I wasn't aware people talked about that."

Chara gave a little smirk, "Well sir, you have a bit of a reputation around campus for being an eccentric."

Gaster gave a nervous laugh, "Th-There's no need to call me sir."

"That's fine by me, so how much should I pay you for teaching me?" Chara asked.

"Who said you'd pay me?" Gaster now looked a bit confused, crossing his arms, "If I was interested in money, I wouldn't have become a college professor."

"Fair enough." Chara shrugged, "It's just people don't usually do things for free."

"Well, I'm not like most people."

"So I've gathered." Chara said, leaning back a bit in the chair, "So how when are you going to start teaching me?"

"First, is it just violin you want to play?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can play violin, harp, piano, guitar and...drums..." Gaster said the last one a bit quietly, not really wanting to get into how why he started learning that.

"Violin mostly, but I wouldn't mind trying the others, though didn't think a fancy looking guy like you was really into stuff like drums, no offense."

Oh believe me, there's none taken." Gaster reassured, "Now about when I'll teach you, what does your schedule look like Wednesdays?"

"I don't normally have classes in the afternoons on Wednesdays."

"Good, I don't have any to teach either. How about on Wednesdays, we meet up in the music hall and use one of the empty rooms there for your lessons? That way, it doesn't affect your schedule to much, and you have plenty of times to be able to practice what I teach you."

"That works for me." Chara said with a smile, "I'll see you Wednesday then?"

"Yes." Gaster didn't know why, but the idea of teaching someone the way his uncle had taught him made him a little excited. Could he really teach someone music? He spent all day teaching physics, so he didn't see why not.

Chara had then checked the time, and nearly shot up to their feet, "Oh crap- I'm gonna be late!"

"Late for what?" Gaster asked.

"I'm supposed to be meeting some friends of mine at a diner in like ten minutes-"

"Would it happen to be Grillby's Diner?" Gaster asked with the quirk of an eyebrow.

"Uh- yeah, that sounds like the right place."

"You're in luck." Gaster stood up to get the door for them, "It's just down the street and around the corner. It has a big sign out front, it should be advertising their dinner specials. I'd give you a ride, but I don't really drive."

"It's fine, I can run." Chara said with a grin, "I was on my high school's track team, so I'm pretty good at running fast."

"Well be careful, and I'll see you at the music hall Wednesday afternoon, alright?"

"See you then, G!" Chara gave a little wave as they left, smiling.

Gaster stood there for a minute, raising an eyebrow, "...G?" 

Gaster closed the door, thinking about the nickname his new student had just given him, wondering if they planned on using it again. The whole interactions with Chara had been a bit strange, but not in a bad sense. As he went back up to his study, Gaster felt like he'd have an interesting time teaching them. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to mention to Asgore what had just happened, and that's what he did, typing a message into his phone while he sat at his desk.

It was then Gaster realized that he'd never told Asgore he played any instrument, and he wondered briefly what he'd think about that. His mind began to wander, and then thought about what it would be like to play something for Asgore. He didn't really mind the idea, despite his usual shyness when it came to playing for others. A little smile started to form on his face, imagining how Asgore would look if he were to hear him play, thinking of the awed look he'd probably have. Would he be impressed by Gaster's musical ability? Impressing him made Gaster feel a little giddy, wondering why he cared about that in the first place.

As if his thoughts had summoned it, Gaster's phone started ringing, pulling him out of the little day dream. It startled him a little, making him jump up and nearly knock his phone off of his desk. He tried to pick it up, fumbling a bit, suddenly feeling incredibly shy all of a sudden. Calming himself with a couple steady breaths, Gaster answered and put the phone up to his ear, praying Asgore didn't hear his nervousness in his voice.

"Hello, Asgore."

"Did Chara really just show up at your doorstep?"

"Yes, but I promise it's alright. They just heard me playing my violin and asked if I could teach them."

"I didn't know you could play violin."

"I can play a few things." Gaster said with a small laugh.

"Really?" Asgore voice had a bit of a lightheartedness to it, which Gaster really liked hearing, "Could I hear you play sometime?"

Gaster blushed a bit, but he was smiling, a playful tone appearing in his voice, "I dunno~ I don't play for just anyone. You have to be really special for me to play for you~"

"Well am I?" Asgore had matched his playfulness, which excited Gaster beyond belief.

"You?" Gaster leaned back in his chair, "I guess so, if anything because you're so damn cute~"

From Asgore's end of the call, he could hear Asgore stutter over his words a bit, which made Gaster grin mischievously, "W-Well then, I-I'm certainly happy y-you think of me in s-such a good light."

"Of course I do~" Gaster didn't know why, but he could picture Asgore's face right now, a bit pink in the cheeks and messing with his hair as his eyes looked down at his feet, "So are you doing anything?"

"A friend of mine and I were about to go get some drinks together." There was a pause, and Gaster could hear the faint voice of Asgore and someone else talking, "Would you like to come with us? I could pick you up." Asgore said after he went back to his call with Gaster.

"I dunno pretty boy, it doesn't really sound like you want me to come with you." Gaster wasn't sure what had come over him, but he wanted to hear more of Asgore's adorable, flustered tone, though he didn't quite realize that he was flirting in the process.

"I-I do-" Asgore said a bit quietly, "I like spending time with you."

Oh now Asgore was making him blush with that sweetness of his, "I-I'm only joking, I'd love to come."

That seemed to make Asgore happy, his tone becoming giddy, "We'll be there soon."

"I'll be waiting." Gaster replied, "See you then handsome~"

------

As Asgore hung up with a short goodbye, he was blushing furiously, and looked over at Toriel with a peeved stare, "Shut UP-" His voice cracked, which only made him blush harder.

Toriel was laughing to the point she was holding her sides, "P-Pretty boy?"

"Stop it-"

"He called you 'pretty boy'!"

"Tori, don't even start-"

"How have you two not kissed yet?"

Asgore's mind immediately thought of when Gaster had been to his apartment, and how close they'd been to doing just that. The heat from how close they were, the feeling of Gaster's arms draped loosely around him, even the memory of the scent of Gaster's cologne was still burnt fresh into his mind. His grip on his knee tightened as he thought about how he'd tilted the professor's face up, leaning closer. Inside of his chest, his heart had been pounding, feeling like it would burst from the electricity that had been coursing through him in that moment, only for them to have to break apart so soon.

"Oh my god, you two did!"

"N-No-" Asgore insisted, looking away in the hopes his burning face would cool down, "We didn't-"

"Could've fooled me." Toriel said as she stood up, "Now come on, I wanna meet this guy~"

"Don't say anything embarrassing-"

"You mean like the fact that I'm your ex-wife?"

"No, he already knows that we're on good terms." Asgore joined her, walking to his truck from Toriel's front porch, "I'm talking about how you like to bring up when we were kids, and how awkward I was?"

"Was?"

"You just proved my point."

"I make no promises not to embarrass you~" Toriel said as she climbed into the truck with Asgore, "Now let's go get this professor you're so into~"

Chapter Text

"It's lovely to meet you, Gaster." Toriel said with a smile as Gaster hopped into Asgore's truck and started to pull out of the driveway, "I'm Toriel."

Gaster shook Toriel's hand with a smile, "It's nice to meet you. I do believe I've seen you around campus, you're the culinary instructor, yes?"

"Correct, and you teach physics?"

"That I do." Gaster chuckled, "My son enjoys your classes very much, by the way."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"If you don't mind my asking," Gaster brushed some loose hair behind his ear, "You're Asgore's ex-wife aren't you?"

The question seemed to make Asgore suddenly tense up, and Toriel stopped for a moment, blinking in disbelief. For a moment, Gaster was afraid he'd offended the both of them, until Toriel started laughing. She had a very contagious laugh, one that seemed to make Asgore relax and let out a light chuckle. It was at that moment that Gaster could understand why Asgore had married Toriel in the first place, she could make you feel good with a laugh and a kind look alone.

"You're as clever as Asgore says you are." Toriel said, "Yes, we were married, but that was a long time ago."

"I think that it's nice that the two of you stayed friends." Gaster folded his hands in his lap, "Too many people think that if you divorce, it's only bad blood from then on out, but that's not the case. If you keep civil heads, it gives your children stability and keeps your family close."

"That's...very insightful of you." Toriel could see very well why Asgore had started developing feelings for this man, "Though, you speak like you have experience with it. Were you married?"

Gaster blushed deeply, putting a hand up to cover his face, "O-Oh no, I've never been married."

This time it was Asgore's turn to speak, his tone curious, "Then how'd your sons come along?"

When it came to the topic of his sons, Gaster's whole face lit up, which Toriel found adorable, "Adoption. It was unexpected, but I'm so very glad it happened. You see, I used to work in a lab way back before I ever came to work here, and we'd agreed to let the orphanage in town bring the children for a field trip, let them see the experiments we were running, just something fun for them to do. I wasn't really part of the tour, I wasn't really the best with children, so I was in my office, trying to figure out why I couldn't get this equation to work for this robotic arm I was trying to make work for a project. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and stopped for a minute to try and step back and take a breather when this little boy waddled into my office holding this baby who couldn't even have been three years old."

"Interesting." Toriel listened, finding Gaster's story completely grabbing her attention, "Strange they'd let such a young child come along."

"Typically, they'd stay at the orphanage, but apparently the boys were always inseparable." The twinkle in Gaster's eyes showed how much he admired how close his sons were, "The older boy was Sans, you see. Before I could even ask why he was in my office, he goes up to my whiteboard and says my equation had a missing number. Naturally I was curious, that equation was something that a lot of my colleagues couldn't even understand, so I asked him how he thought I should fix it."

"What happened next?"

"He set Papyrus down on the floor and took a marker, next thing I knew, he'd written in a five that I had completely overlooked, set the marker down, and picked his brother back up. I was dumbfounded to say the least, I wasn't one to make such mistakes, and to have this boy come in and just fix it with only one glance at the equation taking up my board was just...it was astonishing. Next thing I knew, I was talking to this boy, and he..." Gaster trailed off, thinking back to that day all of those years ago when he'd first met the boys he would eventually call his own, "He and his brother were just amazing..."

.

.

.

"What's your name, boy?" Gaster asked, sitting back in his chair."

"Sans." Said the little boy, whose brother was gumming on his finger, "This is Papyrus."

"Are you here with the other children?"

"Yeah, but I was bored. They were just showing us how to make elephant's toothpaste." Sans yawns, "I wanted to see the interesting stuff, so I ditched the group."

Gaster couldn't help but smile, seeing a little of himself in this boy, "What were you hoping to see?"

"Robots, like that arm you got over there." Sans was nodding to the robotic arm Gaster had in the corner of Gaster's office, "What's it for?"

"Well, we're hoping to use it to handle some volatile substances for a project of ours. It's safer if we can operate the arm from the observation room, instead of by ourselves."

"Makes sense." Sans looked down, seeing Papyrus starring up at Gaster with curious eyes, "Weird. He's typically shy, but he keeps staring at you." 

"I'm sure it's just-"

"Up!" Papyrus's hands reached to Gaster, making little grabby motions, "Up!"

"I-"

"He wants you to hold him." Sans was smiling a little, looking almost proud, "You don't mind, do you?" He was already getting up, carrying Papyrus over to Gaster.

"I-I'm not the best with-" Before Gaster could finish his sentence, he had Papyrus in his hands, the small child smiling at him, his little hands on Gaster's face.

It was at that moment that something in Gaster came forth, something he didn't even really know he had. Looking at this child's face, so happy and joyful, Gaster felt a warmth begin to blossom inside of his chest. He felt like he could see the man this baby would grow into, vibrant and so full of hope, and he knew he wanted to be there to see it. Turning to look at Sans, Gaster knew he wanted to be there to see both of them grow and learn. There was something special about these children that reminded him of himself, something Gaster wanted to nurture and watch flourish and thrive.

"Sans!? Papyrus!?" Came the worried voice of a woman who stumbled into Gaster's office, out of breath, "There you two are! Sans, you can't just run off like that! I'm so sorry sir, I'll take them back and-"

"Take them back?" Gaster shook his head, "Oh no ma'am, I would like to get the adoption papers for these two."

"What-"

.

.

.

"Gaster?" Toriel's voice started to pull Gaster out of his trip down memory lane, "Looks like you got a bit lost there. Are you alright?"

"Oh- I'm fine." Gaster reassured, "Just thinking about things is all."

"We're here." Asgore said as he parked by the bar, "My apartment is right down the street, so if we drink to much, you can both just stay over."

"That's very kind of you, Asgore." Gaster said with a smile, "This bar a favorite of yours?"

"We come here from time to time." Toriel said with a shrug as they started to get out of the truck, "Usually when we both have a shitty week, but this is one of those times where we just wanted some fun."

Asgore opened the door for his two companions, leading them into the small, cozy interior of the bar. The lighting was a soft, orange yellow that Gaster found didn't strain his eyes, and he rather liked the cushy seats of the bar stools, as well as the wooden bar top. There was the faint scent of leather around them, mixed with the smell of liquor and old wood. 

"So what's your poison, Doc?" Asgore asked as he sat next to Gaster.

"I prefer a nice glass of wine." Gaster said as he browsed the drinks offered, "Though I am quite curious what that strawberry margarita tastes like."

"Are you sure?" Toriel asked, sitting on the other side of Gaster, "The margaritas here are pretty strong."

"I'll be fine." Gaster reassured with a smile.

"Well, if you're sure." Toriel smirked, already placing her drink order.

Asgore had settled for some whiskey, and when they all had their drinks, he looked over at Gaster with a smile, "I'm glad you came out with us, Gaster. I was afraid you'd be to busy."

"Well, I'm always happy to spend time with you, and I'm glad to meet Toriel." Gaster turned and grinned at Toriel, "You're an absolutely lovely person, Toriel. I do hope we can become closer friends in the future."

"You're such a sweetheart, Gaster. I'd love that."

Gaster blushed a little, looking away, "I wouldn't say I'm sweet-"

Toriel sipped her own drink, an apple martini, muttering under her breath a bit, "That's not what I hear from Asgore."

That made Gaster blush a bright red, which he tried to hide behind a long sip of his drink, Asgore giving Toriel a cross look as his cheeks turned pink. Toriel simply rolled her eyes and gave Asgore a stare that told him to just be honest with how he felt. Asgore returned the look by giving a quick scoff and going back to his drink, hoping Gaster hadn't caught any of their silent conversation. A bit of an awkward silence passed between the three of them, Toriel waiting for one of them to break the silence, and the other two not having the faintest idea what they should even say.

Finally, Gaster said, "This drink is very good. I see why you two like coming here."

"I'm glad you like it, maybe we should bring you by more often." Asgore said with a smile.

Toriel, not really feeling like being made into a third wheel, quickly scanned the other people in the bar, and found Muffet, "Oh look at that, Muffet's here. I'm going to go say hi." Toriel stood up with her drink, giving Asgore an encouraging wink and thumbs up as she walked away.

Asgore of course, panicked, having not expected for it to just become he and Gaster sitting at the bar, "S-So I guess Toriel's gone."

Gaster chuckled a bit, looking back up at Asgore, "She's very nice."

"Yeah, she's been my best friend for years." Asgore replied, looking down at his drink, "Though she always enjoys teasing me whenever she gets the chance."

"Oh, that's just what you do when you care about someone. My boys tease each other all the time, but they're always there for each other."

"May I ask you a personal question?"

"I don't see why not."

"It's just...what you said earlier about mine and Toriel still being close after the divorce, you really did sound like you had experience in the matter, yet you say you were never married. I was just wondering-"

"My parents." Gaster said, looking down at his nearly empty drink, having drank most of it before Toriel had left.

"I- o-oh, I'm sorry if I-"

"It's fine, Asgore. They were still close, even after they divorced, and they always tried to be there when I needed them."

"...when did it happen?"

"After I turned thirteen. They had only married because my mother had gotten pregnant, so I understood why they couldn't make it work, though I appreciated that they tried." Gaster sighed, finishing off his drink and ordering another, "It was still strange adjusting to all of the changes though. I lived with my father during the weekdays, and stayed with my mother on the weekends."

"My parents...well a divorce would have probably done them some good."

"How so?" Gaster asked.

"I'm pretty sure they hated each other, they even slept in separate bedrooms."

"Jeeze." Gaster had a strained expression on his face, "Sounds rough. Makes me wonder how you turned out to be such a sweetheart."

"Oh that's easy." Asgore said with a chuckle, "My grandmother. I spent a lot of time with her, she pretty much raised me."

"My uncle was the reason I got so into science." Gaster propped his head on his hand, "He also taught me how to play music. He thought learning the fine arts was an important thing, though I didn't realize how right he was until after my parents split up. I really got into my playing then...it helped me adjust."

"Sounds like you two were close."

"Very, he was one of the few people who didn't think I was strange or weird."

"Where is he now?"

Gaster got incredibly quiet, then downed his drink in one go, grabbing onto the bar tightly, "H-He um...he's gone..."

"You mean he-"

"He died...a long time ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for bringing it up."

"N-No it's fine."

Asgore had gotten to his second drink, and raised his eyebrow when he saw Gaster getting a third, "You do know those have tequila in them, yes?"

"I'm aware." Gaster's face was a bit flushed, sipping on his third drink slowly, "Thank you for the concern though~ You really are quite the charming sweetheart." Gaster gave what sounded like a giggle, the alcohol starting to get to him.

Asgore blushed a bit, "Are you sure you don't want to take a break from those?"

"I'm fiiiiine." Gaster was slurring his words just a bit, having neglected to mention that his tolerance wasn't exactly the strongest, "You're cute when you worry."

"I- uh-" Asgore quickly found himself drinking a bit faster."

"Are you nervous, Asgore?" Gaster teased, leaning a little closer.

"N-No-" Asgore stuttered, making the mistake of meeting the man’s gaze, which was fixated on him, looking up at him as if he were the most interesting thing in the universe, "I'm not n-nervous at all."

Gaster giggled, pressing a hand to Asgore's chest, "You are just a terrible liar."

"I- um..."

"Asgore!" Toriel came back over, a giddy smile on her face, "Muffet is going to take me home, you two have fun now, okay?" Toriel looked between Asgore and Gaster, an amused smirk on her face.

"Wait- Tori-" It was too late, Toriel had left before he'd even had time to really process what was going on.

"Looks like it's just us then~" Gaster cooed as he went back to his drink, "Whatever shall we do now?"

"I think you've had enough-" Asgore muttered, setting his drink down.

"Don't spoil the fun now, pretty boy~" Gaster chuckled, "After all, the night's still young."

Asgore's face burned bright red, and he honestly felt like his heart would beat out of his chest if Gaster's flirting went on any longer, "Gaster um- maybe I should take you home."

"I don't want to go home~" Gaster had finished his drink, and set his full attention on Asgore, "I want to spend more time with you."

"I'm flattered, but you really don't seem very sober-"

"I'm still coherent enough to make my own decisions." Gaster reassured, "But if you really don't want me to drink anymore, why don't we go back to your place? I'd very much like to cuddle with you again."

"Gaster-"

"Please~" Gaster cooed, closer again, "We can watch a movie, talk some more, and I think you'd like having me in your arms again."

"I-" Asgore stopped, unsure of what to say. Gaster wasn't wrong, Asgore did want to have the professor in his arms again.

"So what do you say?" Gaster asked, a bright smile on his face.

"I...suppose that would be alright." Asgore said, "I'll pay for the drinks."

"You don't have to pay for me."

"I want to." Asgore was already pulling out his wallet, "I don't mind."

"...alright." Gaster relented, letting Gaster pay for him, and wanting to just get to Asgore's apartment and feel those strong arms around him again. 

Asgore had a pretty strong tolerance compared to Gaster, and he hadn't even finished his second drink, so he felt fine driving. He felt that would probably be the better option too, given that Gaster didn't seem like he'd be able to stay on his feet long enough to walk. Once he'd gotten Gaster up to his apartment, he had him sit down and got him a glass of water. Once Gaster had sobered up some, he'd see if he wanted to go home, but there just didn't seem any way to convince him while he was intoxicated. The moment he had sat down next to Gaster on the couch, he found the professor cuddled up against him, letting out a happy little hum.

His face heated up again, and he let out a small gasp when he felt Gaster's hand press against his chest again, "G-Gaster-"

"Yes?" Gaster had set his water down, and was now looking up at the taller man he sat beside.

Asgore couldn't think, his thought process was running a mile a minute. He was the sober one here, he knew he needed to make sure Gaster didn't do anything he might regret later, but he wasn't sure if this counted. It seemed Gaster just wanted affection, that wasn't too bad, right? Oh he didn't know, and he desperately didn't want to do anything wrong. It was obvious he was panicking, but he couldn't help it. Asgore cared about Gaster a great deal, and he didn't want to do anything that might ruin their friendship, it was the best thing to happen to him in awhile, and it made him so happy to even be around the professor at all.  It was moments like these that he desperately wished that he could easier say what was on his mind. This wouldn't feel so confusing if he didn't have these feelings, or maybe if he was just honest with Gaster about them, but then that might make Gaster turn away from him.

"Gaster, I really feel l-like maybe we shouldn't be so close-"

"Why not?" Gaster asked, a good natured curiosity to him.

"I...I don't want you to do anything you'd regret later." He had to say it, he just had to.

"Asgore, don't be silly." Gaster pushed himself so that he was a little closer to Asgore, draping his arms around him, "I promise that I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to."

"I just- I don't want to hurt you-"

"I don't think you could ever hurt me." Gaster was even closer now, so close that Asgore could feel the warmth of his breath on his face, "I feel so safe with you."

"Gaster-"

"Do you feel safe around me?"

"...I do." Asgore meant those words, Gaster made him feel things he hadn't felt in such a long time, "You make me feel...better than I have in years."

"Tell me more." Gaster said with a little sigh, "How do I make you feel?"

Asgore brought one of his hands up, feeling his nerves calm as he caressed the side of Gaster’s face, Gaster leaning into the soft touch, "You make me feel...like I could do anything. When I see that passionate spark you get in your eye, it's like all my worries go away, and all I can see is you. Seeing you happy feels more precious than diamonds, and when I make you happy, it's like I'm some love sick teenager."

Gaster was blushing brightly, unused to hearing people talk to him so sweetly, "L-Lovesick?"

"I-" Asgore tensed, panic gripping his chest with an iron fist, "I um- Gaster-"

"Do you love me?" Gaster was resting his forehead against Asgore's, gazing into his eyes with a look that made a shiver run down Asgore's spine.

"Gaster, I- I-"

Gaster moved, leaning his head down my Asgore's ear, hands running through Asgore's golden hair. His breath was warm and soft, making Asgore shiver from the sensation of it hitting his neck. Asgore was unable to move, or speak, he could barely even tell he was breathing, aware only of the warmth of Gaster's body heat from being so close to him, and the soft sounds of his breathing. While his mind started to shut down and run on autopilot, his arms came up, gingerly wrapping around Gaster's thin frame, loving the way he felt snuggled up to him like this.

Then it came, that soft, sweet voice whispering into his ear, "Do you love me, Asgore?"

Asgore couldn't stop the words that came tumbled out of his mouth, "Oh god, I do."

Gaster let out a small gasp and looked Asgore in the eye, blushing again, "S-Say that again."

This time, Asgore leaned closer, whispering in his deep voice that made Gaster feel like he'd melt, "I love you, Gaster."

------

Gaster woke up with a jolt, sitting up on the couch and looking around in a daze, unsure of how he'd gotten there. It took him a minute to realize he was in Asgore's apartment, apparently having been sleeping on Asgore's couch. He looked around, and saw Asgore cooking in the little kitchenette, bacon and eggs from the smell that was wafting into his nose.

"Asgore?" Gaster asked in a dazed tone.

Asgore turned and smiled, "Morning Gaster! I made coffee."

Gaster rubbed his head, letting out a groan, "I might need it. I feel hungover."

"Yeah- you don't have a pretty strong tolerance, do you?"

"Not really...but I felt a little too embarrassed to mention it."

"That's alright. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I could eat."

Asgore began dishing out plates, his tone steady, "So uh...how much of last night do you remember?" Asgore felt nervous. After he'd confessed, Gaster had leaned closer, as if to kiss him, but Asgore had stopped him by planting a kiss on the professor's forehead. As badly as he wanted to kiss Gaster, he refused to do it while he wasn't sober...but given how Gaster had fallen asleep not long after, he wasn't sure if he was even aware of what had happened between them.

"I remember...leaving the bar and coming here, but it's all fuzzy after we got here." Gaster let out a whimper, "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

"No, you just fell asleep."

"I'm so sorry-"

Asgore let out an amused chuckle, feeling relieved, yet also like he'd been speared in the chest, "It's alright, Doc. Now let's get some coffee and food in you."

"Thank you, Asgore. You're to kind to me."

"Why of course, Gaster. That's what friends are for." Asgore had to place his right hand on his left wrist while his back was turned, trying to quell the shaking in his hands, and stop the tears starting to form in his eyes.

Chapter Text

When Undyne arrived at the gym, she hadn't been expecting Asgore to already be there, beating the absolute shit out of a punching bag. Everyone who walked by Asgore stopped for a minute, looking in shock and slight alarm at just how hard Asgore's hits were. It was honestly a miracle the punching bag didn't hit Asgore in the face and knock him on his ass from how fast it would swing back and forth with each hit. Then again, Asgore had always been good at keeping up a strong defense, which is why Undyne was rarely ever able to win when they sparred together.

"Asgore-" Undyne approached her old instructor carefully, not wanting to spook him, "Asgore, hey-"

Asgore stopped, grabbing the punching bag as it swung back at him, bringing it to a halt, before turning to look at Undyne with a smile, panting from how out of breath he was, "Howdy, Undyne. How have you been?"

Asgore had been Undyne's trainer for years, ever since she'd stumbled in on one of his old self defense classes when she'd been ten years old. In a way, he'd become like a father to her, and he'd been there to cheer her on at games when her own mothers had been too busy to show up. She liked to think they were close in some way, that they could be honest with each other, and reach out when they needed help.

It was because of this that Undyne felt some sort of sense of something off in her stomach when she saw the look in Asgore's eyes, like something was eating him alive from the inside out. Undyne had seen Asgore struggle through many things, his divorce, losing his flower shop, but not even that had made him look so miserable. He'd always been a hopeful person, but right now, Undyne didn't see the faintest glimmer of hope in the man's eyes. Seeing him look so broken made Undyne's heart shatter, and she wanted to clobber whoever had made him feel like this.

"What's wrong, Asgore?" Undyne asked, concern gnawing at her.

Asgore flinched, and stretched his arms, "Nothing's wrong, Undyne. Things have actually been working out pretty well for me."

"Then why do you look like you just saw someone burn a flower garden?"

"I'm fine, really." Asgore grinned, "So what do you want to go over today?"

Undyne could tell that she wasn't going to get Asgore to talk to her, at least not yet, "...let's just do some sparring. No one's using the mats right now." She was referring to the foam mats the gym had placed down so people could spar without the risk of breaking a bone on the hard floor.

"Alright, let's see if that kick of yours has improved." Asgore led Undyne over to the mats, picking up some pads for his arms.

"Oh, I've improved plenty." Undyne said with a chuckle, "I'd be a little more worried about yourself, old man."

Asgore chuckled, raising his now padded arms, "Alright Undyne, start whenever your-"

Asgore's words were cut off by Undyne swinging her leg out and up, giving Asgore almost no time to block her. Fortunately for Asgore, he'd managed to get one of his padded arms up before Undyne's kick could land.

"Still as quick as always." Undyne noted, as they fell into their regular routine.

"Well you try for a surprise attack every other time we do this."

"Guilty~" Undyne snickered, "So, no that I have you occupied, wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Undyne, it's- WHOA!!!" Undyne had managed to knock his legs out from under his, sending him crashing into the floor mat.

"You're off your game. Something's up." Undyne helped Asgore up to his feet, "You never leave yourself open like that, unless something's really bothering you." She took the pad from Asgore, putting them on herself and getting ready, "C'mon, talk and hit. You'll feel better."

Asgore sighed, doing just what Undyne said, "Say...Say someone you have feelings for gets drunk and tries to kiss you-"

"Pfft- Wait what?"

"Please don't ask." Asgore insisted, pausing for just a moment, "Anyways, say they try to kiss you while drunk, but you stop them, then when they're sober, they can't remember what happened. What would you do?"

"Well first," Undyne had just managed to block a hit that would have sent her stumbling, "Is this the 'Get in bed with me' kind of kiss, or the 'I feel like we're in a rom-com' kind of kiss. Specifics are important."

Asgore thought about that night, and couldn't even fathom that Gaster had tried to kiss him just to sleep with him. He wasn't that kind of person at all, and that conversation they'd had felt too tender in some way, which only made it seem even less likely. Yet he wasn't sure if Gaster had kissed him because he himself harbored some sort of feelings for Asgore. Though the very thought of that made his knees feel weak, Gaster had been drunk, people did a lot of crazy things when intoxicated. 

"It's definitely not the first option, but I'm not sure about the second one either."

"Well either way, you should talk to them about it. Keeping something like that a secret will definitely bite you in the ass later."

"I suppose you're right, but that's not a conversation I look forward to having."

"Oh, I wouldn't either." Undyne snickered, stopping their sparring, "So, who've you got your eye on~?"

Asgore stuttered, and stared at the floor, regretting his word choice, "J-Just someone I've gotten to know recently-"

"C'mon, do I know them?"

"I don't know, but I really don't want to talk about it-"

"Not even a little?"

"No-"

"Fiiiiine." Undyne relented, raising her arms with a chuckle, "Then why don't I get back to kicking your ass?"

Asgore couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, "You have a very strong mind set, Undyne."

"And? C'mon, I wanna finally knock you down twice in a row."

"Alright," Asgore put his arms back up, "Let's see you try."

------

Sans sat outside the principal's office, fidgeting a bit in his chair. He didn't know why he'd been called, he was sure he hadn't left any pranks or gags for anyone to stumble into, and he hadn't even fallen asleep today in class. All in all, he was actually doing a lot better than he normally did, so being called up to the principal's office made something in his gut twist horribly, making him feel ill. What was even weirder though, was when Papyrus came toddling into the waiting room from the hallways, holding the hand of his teacher in one small fist.

"Sans!" Papyrus called out when he saw his brother, running over to him, tears streaming down his face, "A-Are we in trouble?"

"Paps-" Sans wasn't sure what to say, scooping his little brother up into his arms.

It was then that the door to the office opened, and the principal, an aged, yet graceful looking woman, stepped out. She nodded at Papyrus's teacher to leave, then looked at the boys, one in first grade, the other in fourth. When she saw Papyrus crying, she gave him a kind smile that made his tears stop, and the both of them knew then that they weren't in trouble for anything. That didn't relieve the feeling in Sans's gut though, her smile looked a little to...regretful.

"Come with me boys." The principal spoke in a calm voice, "You're great uncle is here to pick you up." She turned, and Sans got up, holding Papyrus as he followed her quickly into her office.

"Uncle Roman!" Sans felt relieved seeing the face of his great uncle, an old, weathered man with smile lines worn into his face, and a playful twinkle in his eye...but today that twinkle wasn't there.

"Hello boys..." Roman had a weak smile on his face as he held out his arms, the brothers eagerly hugging him, "Sorry your school day was cut short."

"Uncle Roman," Papyrus looked up at his uncle, eyes still wet from the tears he'd shed, "You look sad, what's wrong?"

Roman fell quiet, looking over at the principal, who offered him an expression of sympathy, before he turned, eyes moving between them. Seeing the look in his great uncle's eyes was what made Sans realize what was so wrong about this. Uncle Roman never picked them up without them already knowing to expect him, and certainly never before school had even let out. They were usually picked up by...

"Uncle Roman..." Sans's voice shook, tears welling up in his eyes, "Where's Dad?"

Seeing the sudden change in his older brother made Papyrus realize what was so wrong with this picture as well, "Y-Yeah! Where's Daddy? Daddy was gonna take us to get pizza after school. Did he have to work?"

When Roman spoke, he couldn't look them in the eye, his voice broken and weak, "O-Oh boys...I'm so sorry-"

"Where's Dad!?" Sans was starting to panic now, this was too much like before, when his old parents had gone away...gone away where he'd never find them, "Where is he!?"

"Sans," Roman took the hands of both of the boys, finally looking at them with wet eyes, "Papyrus...you're both going to be staying with me for a little while."

"Stop avoiding the question." Sans was shaking, barely able to breath, "Tell us where Dad is."

Roman took one long, steady breath, before finally saying the words that Sans had heard before, "There was an accident..."

.

.

.

Sans shot awake, shaking and sobbing, the memory still burned fresh into his mind. His whole frame was shaking, and in the darkness of the living room, where he'd once again fallen asleep, Sans's mind was running too fast for him to keep up. It felt like the room was closing in on him, making him unable to breath, hands gripping the front of his shirt. He tried to let out some sort of sound of distress, hoping someone was home and would come to help him, but this throat was closed up, and he could only manage a raspy gasp.

Thankfully, Gaster had already been coming downstairs to get a snack, and had turned on the light, "Sans? Oh my god- SANS-" Gaster nearly tripped over his own feet as he sprinted down the last few steps, and to his son, "Sans, it's okay! It was just a nightmare."

Gaster knelt in front of his son, taking his hands into his, "I'm here, okay? Remember those breathing exercises?" Sans managed a nod, and Gaster gave his hands a firm squeeze, "Good, do it with me now, okay?"

Watching Sans closely, Gaster walked him through steadying his breathing, helping him to calm down enough for the shaking to become a light tremble. Once Sans was calmed down, Gaster got him a glass of water and sat next to him on the couch, helping him steady his hands so he could take a drink. They stayed like that in silence, Gaster letting Sans decide when he wanted to talk, knowing asking questions would only push Sans further.

After a solid five minutes, Sans managed to speak in a raspy voice, "It was the same one again."

"Oh Sans-" This hadn't been the first time Sans had woken up from the memory of all those years ago, "Sans, it's alright now. I'm not going anywhere."

"Y-You say that-" Sans teared up some, but he kept himself from losing it again, "But it's not like you knew what was going to happen last time. Last time was terrifying, Dad. Not knowing if you were going to be okay, if you'd even come back to us, if you'd survive."

"I know-"

Sans sniffled, wiping at his eyes, "Papyrus and I didn't know what to do without you..."

"Sans..." Gaster hated seeing his son so upset, and he pulled him into a hug, "I'm here, and like I promised the moment I was back with you, I'm never going to leave you again. You and Papyrus didn't deserve to go through that, but it isn't your fault. Sans, you carry around what happened like you had some sort of involvement in it, you have to stop before it tears you apart."

"I know..." Sans leaned into Gaster's hug, "I just can't stop thinking about what would happen if we lost you again."

Gaster turned Sans's face to look at him, "That's not going to happen. When have you ever known me to go back on my promises?"

That got a small smile to form on Sans's face, "Never."

"Exactly." Gaster smiled, "I promised you that I'd never leave you and your brother again, and I meant it. That's why I changed jobs and moved us here, you know that."

"Yeah, I know." Sans chuckled a bit, "That doesn't stop me from worrying about you, though. You never talked about how it affected you."

"Sans, I'm doing fine. I'm fully recovered, living a good life, and watching my sons flourish into fine young men. What more could I possibly want?" 

Sans didn't mean for what he said to slip out, but in his current state, he didn't have the energy to filter his words, "I mean, you seem like you wouldn't mind having Asgore around more." Sans muttered, "With how you get all giggly with him and all."

Gaster felt the faintest blush creeping into his face, "What-"

"Nothing-" Sans went back to his water, hoping his father would drop it.

He didn't, "Sans, what did you say?"

"...you heard me."

"Okay, yes, but what did you mean by that?"

"Oh, come on, Dad. You're the smartest physicist around." 

"Sans-"

"Oh god-" Sans groaned, debating in his head if he should open his father's eyes or not. He knew Gaster wasn't the best when it came to people, but even this was a bit much compared to his usual people struggles.

"Sans, please."

Sans let out a long sigh, finished off his water, set the empty cup on the coffee table, and gave Gaster a deadpan stare, "You have the biggest crush on the guy that I've ever seen, and he so obviously likes you too."

"Sans!" Gaster's voice cracked as his face turned bright red at such an accusation.

"You're the one who wanted to know, and why are you blushing like that? You're really only proving me right."

"I-I- Asgore's m-my friend-"

"You two call every night."

"And!? You and your brother called me every night when you were on you trip!"

"You spend ever other one of your lunch breaks with him."

"F-Friends eat together-"

"You smile every time you see him."

"It's normal to be happy when you see your friends!" Gaster's blush was spreading to his ears and neck, and he was failing to hide his face with his sweater.

Sans had to admit, seeing his dad get all embarrassed like this was pretty funny, "You've literally giggled at the man's crappy dad jokes."

"I laugh at your crappy jokes!"

"You don't fucking giggle!" Sans said with a laugh.

"Sans, you've got it all wrong!"

"No I don't!" Sans insisted, "Dad, the guy literally looks at you like you're some angel! He goes out of his way to give you rides to and from work, and you constantly soak up his attention, which he loves giving to you! There's no way he has the same understanding of science as you and I do, yet he'll listen to you go on about it for hours, even ask you all sorts of questions! You two are so into each other, and Alphys agrees! She's seen the two of you on campus together, she told me he stops by your classroom to talk to you when you're not busy!"

Gaster had, in a way, shut down, retreating into his head for a minute to try and comprehend what his oldest son was saying to him. Now that he thought about it, there was quite a lot between him and Asgore that might make them seem like they were more than just friends. Asgore knew what kind of coffee to get him for different situations, whether it be he's trying to get through a load of paperwork, or just needed his morning coffee. He, despite having no initial interest in plants, had spent a whole night reading up on them so he could talk to Asgore about them, knowing he had a passion for flowers. The two were even to a point where they got a little worried when they couldn't reach the other for their nightly calls, and hadn't said anything about possibly not being able to answer. Those were just a few of the many constant interactions between them that Gaster was starting to realize might be a little strange for people who were only friends to do.

"O-Oh god-" It couldn't be true, Gaster's brain just didn't want to admit it. There was no way Asgore had feelings for him.

Sans watched his father, counting down in his head, "Aaaaaand, now."

"Oh FUCK!!!"

"How's that closet, Professor?"

Gaster stood up, looking like his mind had just broken on him as he let out a nervous, slightly unstable laugh, "Hahaha, this is one of your jokes- very funny, Sans. You almost got me there."

"Mmmmm, denial. One of the stages right before the gay awakening."

Gaster crossed his arms, letting out another nervous laugh, "Funny- very funny- I'm going to go back to my study now!"

As Gaster made his way up the steps, he heard Sans call after him, "Don't forget to call your boyfriend later!"

Chapter Text

Chara sat next to Gaster on the piano, following the notes he played and matching it, "I don't see why you're having me do this, it's really easy."

"It may be easy, but it's vital. You must always make sure you can play basics on an instrument as well as you play music. After all, music is pretty much just the basics in fancy patterns." Gaster chuckled as he repeated the same line his uncle had always told him.

"I guess I see what you mean." Chara admitted, "Are you going to have me do this with the violin, too?"

"I am, I always like to do something like this for a warm up, it helps make sure everything sounds right."

"...I'm still bored." Chara sighed, then smiled a little, "Can you play something? Just a little? I wanna hear."

"If I do it, will you go back to the lesson without complaining?" Gaster teased a bit, smiling.

"You have my word." Chara promised, taking their hands away from the piano keys.

"Alright, then I suppose playing a little wouldn't hurt." Gaster thought about what he wanted to play, then grinned, thinking of a couple songs he'd composed back when his boys were little, a special piece for them both. Since Papyrus's song was the shortest of the two, he settled on playing the lively, bouncy tune, which matched his youngest son's energy perfectly. 

"Wow-" Chara watched Gaster's fingers fly over the keys, amazed by the pumped up sound they heard, and found themself thinking of Papyrus for some reason, feeling the way he made a person feel when he walked into a room.

"That was a piece I wrote for Papyrus when he was about four." Gaster said when he'd finished, thinking back to when Papyrus had sat in his lap while he'd played the song for him, loving the bright smile it gave him, "He named it Bonetrousle."

"Of course he would-" Chara snickered a bit, "Do you write a lot of music?"

"Only on occasion." Gaster shrugged, his fingers playing a little tune as they talked, "I write theme songs for people. I take in aspects of the people around me, and I write a song to reflect what I see in them. Papyrus's song is bouncy and energetic because he's so full of life and can never sit still, Sans's is more somber, though intense, much like he is when he's truly trying his best at something. I've written themes for my lab assistant, myself, some of the other professors-"

"What about what I heard you playing on your violin in the music hall?" Chara asked, thinking back to the melancholy sound, "Was that a theme you'd written for someone?"

Gaster stopped playing, thinking of that song, a song he'd written so long ago, "I...I'd rather not talk about that right now, alright?"

"Oh...okay, sorry if I brought up anything-"

"It's fine, Chara." Gaster offered a reassuring smile, "Now why don't we get back to the lesson?"

------

Asgore hadn't been expecting to run into Chara when he went to Gaster's house that day, not long after he'd gotten done with work. He'd been about to knock when the door flew open, Chara stepping out. It took him a minute to remember that Chara was now doing music lessons with Gaster, and that they were meeting once a week. For a moment he felt incredibly shy, what he'd come here to do making him feel awkward to be standing face to face with one of his children, who as far as he knew, hadn't the faintest idea he currently held feelings for someone.

"Hi, Dad!" Chara said in a chipper tone, passing their father as they walked down the front steps, "He's up in his study!"

"Chara, wait-"

"Yeah?" Chara stopped, turning to look up at Asgore with a smile.

"Um...how are the lessons going?" Asgore had panicked, looking for any reason not to go inside the house.

"They're going great, Gaster's a great teacher." Chara turned away, reaching the street, "Have fun with your boyfriend!"

Asgore's face turned bright red, and he had half a mind just to leave then, until he heard the violin playing from in the house. It was soft, sweet even, gracing his ears and making him stop for a moment. He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard anything that sounded so beautiful. As the violin played, Asgore stepped into the house, closing the door and walking up the stairs. Having been in the house before, he already knew where Gaster's study was. The door to Gaster's study was open, and gave anyone who may have passed by full view of Gaster, standing their with his eyes closed, completely absorbed in his playing, unaware he now had an audience. His playing left Asgore utterly in awe, entranced by what he was seeing.

There was still enough light from outside to illuminate the room, though it was soft and dim, which only intensified the effects of Gaster's music. It washed over Gaster, making him look as if he were glowing in the light that was the same shade of orange as a candle flame. His music was told a story, a story as sweet as honey, making him feel warm and content. Something about playing changed Gaster, making him look more at ease in his own skin, his whole self free for anyone to see. Before Asgore could stop it, he found himself just falling deeper in love with the man in front of him, whose dark hair was like ebony, whose eyes were full of intelligence and passion, who had stolen Asgore's heart from the moment he'd walked him home, a day that felt like it was now decades ago, instead of just a couple months.

As Gaster finished his song, he opened his eyes, lowering his violin, and saw Asgore standing in the doorway. His flushed a faint pink, and set his violin on his desk, moving a hand to partially cover his face. Neither of them said anything for a good moment, as if there were no words that could be said. Gaster could see the amazement in Asgore's eyes, and it made him feel all sorts of good to have Asgore look at him like that.

Sans words from the previous day started to come back to him...

"You play beautifully..." Asgore's voice was just above a whisper, finally breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"Thank you."

"There's so much to love about you."

"Wh-What-" Gaster's breath caught, and he looked up, realizing that at some point, Asgore had crossed the room, and was now standing in front of him, "Um...when did you get over here?"

Asgore chuckled, taking Gaster's hands in his own, "I was wondering if you played, you have a musician's hands, like Chara's."

"R-Really?" Gaster could feel his heart racing, but he didn't move to put space between them, nor did he pull his hands out of Asgore's, which were pleasantly warm.

"Yeah...you're just...so amazing, Gaster. I hope you know that."

"Asgore-" Gaster blushed brighter, looking away shyly.

"I..I actually came here to talk to you about something..."

"What was it?" Gaster felt a bit relieved for something to help distract him from the many thoughts and feelings bubbling around in his head.

"The other night when we were at the bar-"

"Asgore, I remember-" Gaster blurted out, knowing just what Asgore was planning to ask."

"What?" Asgore looked completely dumbfounded.

"I...I had a conversation with Sans and...it made me remember what happened after we got to your apartment." Gaster shivered a bit, thinking about how nice it had felt in Asgore's arms, and how heavy the effect of his confession had on him.

"Gaster, I- if what I said was out of line-"

"Nonono, not at all, it's just- why would you have feelings for me of all people?"

"You really don't see why?"

Gaster shook his head, "No I...how can you love something like me, Asgore?"

Asgore let go of Gaster's hands, but only so he could bring both of his own hands up to cup the professor's face. Gaster leaned into the touch, loving how warm it was, how gentle Asgore was with him. Truth be told, Asgore wasn't sure there was a way to express everything about Gaster that made him fall so hard, at least not with his words. He leaned a bit closer, though he stopped when his forehead was resting against Gaster's, gazing into his eyes with such a loving expression.

"Can I kiss you?" Asgore asked in a whisper, one thumb stroking Gaster's cheek.

One of Gaster's hands came up and rested on top of Asgore's, shivering under that intense gaze, "...please do."

Asgore closed the distance, his lips pressing against Gaster's, finding they were just as soft as they looked. His arms wrapped around Gaster, who was now leaning back against his desk. The kiss made him shiver, one hand resting on the small of Gaster's back as he kissed him so sweetly. It made Gaster's head spin to be in such an intimate position with someone, but he found himself absolutely melting in Asgore's hold, arms wrapping around the back of Asgore's neck as he kissed back, wanting to be as close to Asgore as possible.

It wasn't until Gaster kissed back that Asgore let himself be as passionate as he wanted, tasting the coffee Gaster had drank earlier as he picked him up, setting Gaster down on his desk. Gaster shuddered, his legs wrapping loosely around Asgore's hips as he returned Asgore's passion and intensity, letting out a small noise when Asgore's hand glided up his back, cupping the back of his head.

Gaster felt hot, like his whole body was on fire, but something about it was intoxicating, shivering as Asgore's other hand rested on his hip, thumb stroking lightly. His own hands were in Asgore's hair, silky and soft under his fingers, and his legs were still around Asgore's waist, wanting to keep him close. He didn't have the faintest clue why, but it felt amazing having someone kiss him like this, holding him like he was something to be cherished. It didn't take long for Gaster to realize that he was craving more, more of this affection that he'd never been given before, wanting to drown in it.

When the two finally parted for air, they were both panting heavily, faces red as they looked at each other. They didn't bother trying to put any space between them, knowing they both wanted the same thing, to stay close, wrapped up in each other like this. Once he'd caught his breath, Gaster even kissed Asgore, though it was much gentler, tender even.

"I've been wanting to do that for so long..." Asgore admitted, once again resting his forehead against Gaster's.

"You're pretty good at that..." Gaster closed his eyes, leaning into Asgore's touch as he cupped the side of his face again.

"Gaster...what do you want to do?"

"I...I don't know, Asgore. I've never done anything like this before."

"Well, what are you thinking right now?"

"...that we don't really know each other very well." Gaster admitted, not meeting Asgore's eyes.

"Would you like to?" Asgore asked in that soft, gentle tone of his.

"Of course, but are you sure that's alright with you? If you really feel the way you do-" Gaster was hushed by Asgore's mouth on his, and he swooned, tasting the tea Asgore always drank.

"Gaster, I'd wait an eternity if you asked me too, and I mean that. If you want us to get to know each other better, then that's fine by me, I'm glad even."

"I...I promise, I'll think about...us...being together." Gaster said sheepishly, "I just- I've never- I just need time to process..."

"Gaster, I assure you, that's fine." Asgore was smiling, feeling happier than he'd been in a long while, "I want to get to know you, your favorite color, where you grow up, all the cliches."

Gaster let out a little snort of laughter, "That sounds...really nice to talk about..." He smiled, fingers combing through Asgore's hair, "My favorite color is purple, by the way. What's yours?"

"Yellow."

"Good to know." Gaster let out a small sigh, resting his head on Asgore's chest, "Do you think we could try...going on a date? That is what people do when they're trying to figure out if they should be together or not, yes?"

"Typically." Asgore said with a small laugh, "And that sounds lovely. Just let me know when you want to."

"I will." Gaster promised, "...thank you for being so patient with me."

"Of course, Gaster. I'd never want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything."

"You are just the sweetest person." Gaster said with a grin, which made Asgore's heart skip a beat.

"So...what would you like to do now?" Asgore asked, thumb tracing the scar below Gaster's right eye.

"Well~" Gaster looked up at him with a sly smile, "I wouldn't mind if you kissed me again. I rather enjoyed that."

Asgore chuckled and tilted Gaster's chin up towards him, leaning close and saying in a playful tone, "Alright, lovely~"

Chapter Text

Frisk was familiar with people finding them strange. They didn't really go out of their way to make friends, they were very reserved and quiet, and they weren't really the type to fit in with the societal norms of other people. Though, despite how Frisk kept to themselves more often than not, they had a history of not being able to sit and be quiet when someone was being done an injustice. No matter where they saw it, on the street, at school, Frisk was always the type to help others, even though they had such a hard time with social interactions.

It was the habit of standing up for others that led Frisk here, in an alleyway not too far from the high school they attended, pinned against the wall as a group of older, taller teenagers beat up on them. They'd come to the aid of a freshman everyone called MK, who had two prosthetic arms. Frisk had pounced on the leader of the group, a teenage girl who looked like she should have graduated four years prior, screaming at the freshman to run as the gang closed in on them.

MK had run, which gave Frisk some relief, they could take a beating as long as that kid got away. It wasn't as if Frisk wasn't used to this particular group beating them up, they'd been doing it since middle school, though since Asriel and Chara had graduated, it had become more frequent, not that Frisk really said anything about it. Frisk was a social outcast with most of their peers, they'd accepted it, and refused to bring their siblings into their problems. Even if they were beaten to a pulp, they took at least a little satisfaction seeing the bloodied nose the leader of this gang of overgrown high school students.

"You just gotta be the little hero, don't you?" Said the girl, grabbing Frisk by the hair and pulling up, making Frisk look at her, "I gotta ask, does it make you feel like less of an autistic freak?" She had a mean smile on her face, but it crumbled a bit when Frisk let out a weak laugh.

"The fuck is so funny!?" Said one of the boys in the group, tightening his grip on Frisk's arm.

"It's just...you guys must think you're really clever...stating that I'm autistic and calling me a freak." Frisk chuckled, and spit in the girl's face, "Don't mean to burst your bubble, but I already know I'm autistic. Why don't you try insulting me a little more creatively, you greasy looking, cum guzzling, nicotine addicted, child beating high school flunky with the style of a two dollar whore-"

Frisk was cut off by a swift left hook to the jaw, "You little shit! You'd think that hollow head of yours would have figured out how to shut that goddamn mouth of yours!"

"Maybe we should throw the little creep with the garbage?" Said another girl who was helping hold Frisk against the wall, smiling like she thought she was a genius, "At least she'd smell better~"

"I thought Frisk was a dude-" Said the guy, the dumb expression on his face making Frisk roll their eyes.

"I'm non-binary you idiots."

"Ugh, you would be one of those." The leader of the pack sneered, then grinned, "Though I do like the trash idea. Get them to the dumpster." She turned, raising the lid of the dumpster as the other two started dragging Frisk over, Frisk trying to break free from their grasp, the dark, closed space of the dumpster making their head start to spin.

It was dark, too dark, and small, making Frisk feel overstimulated just thinking about being stuck in there with the lid closed. Knowing this group, they'd put something on top of the dumpster to trap Frisk inside, leaving them in the dark. They hated the dark, it always reminded them of memories they never wanted to have to relive. Frisk could deal with the smell, and on a good day, the tight, enclosed space, but not the dark, never the dark.

"Look at them! Where's that sass, you little fucker?" The dude chuckled maliciously, "Don't wanna go home to the rats?"

"Stop! Stop it!" Frisk started trashing, their cruel laughter starting to make their eyes water. They hardly registered that they were being lifted up, about to be dumped into the darkness of the dumpster.

"Put. The kid. Down." Came a low, threatening voice from the entryway of the alley.

The group turned, and Frisk found something about the voice chilling them out of their near meltdown. Standing at the end of the alley, there was a man just a little bit taller than Frisk was, dark hair pulled back loosely into a ponytail, some falling out over his face. Honestly, the man himself wasn't very intimidating to look at, but in the darkness of his silhouette, they could all see his piercing blue left eye, filled with a justice seeking rage that was terrifying to be under the gaze of. It was as if the spirit of righteous justice itself had possessed this man, and it was looking for evil people to take down. Yet that rage wasn't directed on Frisk, it was directed on the group of three currently about to dump Frisk in the dumpster, and all three of them were shaking.

"Th-This has nothing to do with you, so keep walking." Said the girl holding on to Frisk's arm, though her grip wasn't nearly as firm, and Frisk noticed she was shaking.

"This has everything to do with me when the kid I used to babysit comes running down the street crying, and tells me this kid he goes to school with is being beaten up by a bunch of nineteen and twenty year old jackasses."

"What are you going to do? You're so short, you wouldn't be able to nut punch a dwarf." Said girl in charge, "You really think you can take all three of us?"

The man just gave a low, threatening chuckle, and started to reach into his jacket, a faded blue, "I bet I can shoot all three of you before you can even take three steps."

"Sh-Shit-" The guy dropped Frisk, and started to run down the alley, "I'm out, this guy's crazy!"

"I'm not doing this!" Said the girl holding Frisk's other arm, following her male companion out of the alley.

The leader of the group was shaking, and looked between the man, and Frisk, "This-This isn't over." She turned, following her two goons out of the alley.

Once they were gone, the man walked over to Frisk, and extended a hand, "Need some help, kiddo?"

"...do you really have a gun?" Frisk asked, looking at his jacket hesitantly.

The man chuckled, and reached into his jacket, noticing Frisk flinch, "Relax kid," He pulled out a rubber chicken, and honked it twice, "It ain't loaded or anything."

Frisk wasn't sure why, but they started laughing, finding that when this man wasn't giving a threatening stare, he actually seemed quite harmless. They took his hand, letting him help them to their feet, finding it a bit amusing how this grown man was barely taller than they were. He really didn't seem like he meant them any harm, he actually looked quite friendly, of course that might have been because he had a rubber chicken in his hand.

"You feel okay? Looks like they hit you a few times." The man gestured to Frisk's now bloody nose, and the bruise already starting to form on their cheek.

"Honestly, this isn't close to the worst they've done to me."

"MK said that you jumped in to help them."

"They were trying to rip off his prosthetics, I couldn't just let them do that to him." Frisk's tone became more serious all of a sudden, and they crossed their arms, "What kind of person stands by when they see someone being treated like that?"

"Well, I can respect your reasoning, but you should really try not to take on three older people who are twice your size, not by yourself anyways." The man held out his hand again, this time to offer a handshake, "My name's Sans, what's yours kiddo?"

"...Frisk." Frisk shook Sans's hand, "Um...could we get out of here? This alley kinda smells."

Sans chuckled, turning to lead Frisk out of the alley, "Sure, why don't you let me get you something to eat? Ever been to Grillby's?"

"No, but you really don't have to do that."

"It's fine, kid. You look like you could use some fries and a milkshake. Plus, you can wash up there, you don't look like the type to want your parents to see you all bloody."

Frisk thought it over, knowing Sans wasn't wrong. If Toriel saw the blood currently drying on their face from their nose, she'd freak out and demand knowing what happened. A bruise on their face could easily be covered up as Frisk just tripping over something, they were known to be a bit of a klutz, but they didn't want to risk Toriel seeing them all bloody. Also, a milkshake and fries sounded great.

"Okay, but if you try to get me into a creepy white van, I'll be gone before you can chloroform me."

Sans started laughing hard enough that tears formed in his eyes, "Kid, you really think I'd do that after I just saved your ass in an alley?"

"How am I supposed to know? You could be a serial killer for all I know."

"Well, at least you're careful. I can respect that." Sans shrugged, his relaxed demeanor making it hard for Frisk to feel any threat from him. Maybe he really was an okay guy for them to be around.

------

Gaster should have been expecting something, anything from Asgore after what happened in his study. He hadn't been, but when he walked into his classroom that morning, ready to teach his class, he realized that not thinking he would do anything was idiotic. Sitting on his desk, causing rounds of hushed giggles and chuckles from his students, was a small bouquet of purple flowers, ranging from hydrangeas, lavenders, morning glories, and balloon flowers. It took everything he had not to blush brightly the moment he saw the bouquet. 

He moved the flowers to the side of the desk, setting his bag down and pulling out what he needed for today's lesson, "Everyone get ready to take some notes and-"

"Aren't you going to read the card professor~?" One of his students near the front cooed, leaning on her desk with a cheeky grin on her face.

"What-"

"There's a card right there on the flowers."

Gaster spared a glance, and realized that there was in fact, a card attached to the bouquet, "Oh..." He picked the bouquet up, ignoring the childish giggles of his students while he read the card.

I thought you might like the flowers. Also, I'm bringing you lunch today. I made dumplings. - Asgore.

This time, Gaster couldn't stop the faint dusting of pink that appeared on his cheeks. Dumplings were his favorite, and he knew that Asgore knew that. Was this what it was like to have someone in your life who cared about you the way Asgore cared about him? He couldn't lie...he found the actions incredibly sweet, he just wished he didn't get so flustered whenever someone gave him things.

Clearing his throat, Gaster set the flowers back down and looked at his students, trying his best to keep the fluster out of his voice, "Like I said, today you'll be taking notes, so get what you need."

Chapter Text

Alphys handed Gaster his papers as they finished up that week's research session, Gaster holding them carefully as he wheeled the white board they'd been using into the corner of the office in the university lab. Given his contributions to the university in their science department, he was given his own space in the lab to store whatever projects and material he used for his research. It came in handy whenever he and Alphys got together to work on his latest project, which he had now named, the C.O.R.E.

"S-Same time next week?" Alphys asked as she grabbed her own bag, pulling it over her shoulder.

"That's fine, I don't have anything going on."

"Not even w-with your n-new boyfriend?" Alphys asked with a sly look on her face.

Gaster stuttered, face flushing pink as he looked up at her, "I don't have a- what are you talking about?"

"I-I heard from some other st-students that you've been getting g-gifts left on your d-desk."

"Those could be from anyone-"

"And everyone's s-saying you're h-hanging out with th-the new groundskeeper a lot."

Gaster pout a bit, looking away as he turned red from embarrassment, "He's not my boyfriend."

"S-So he leave y-you flowers and food because you j-j-just good f-friends?" Alphys raised an eyebrow, and it was clear from her expression that she didn't believe that was true for a second.

Gaster could tell she wasn't going to leave it alone, and let out a defeated sigh, "It's complicated."

"Ooo~ Mystery." Since they'd started working together on the C.O.R.E, Alphys had gotten more and more comfortable around Gaster, and the same could be said for Gaster as well. The two had gone from unlikely acquaintances, to some strange sort of friendship. Gaster didn't mind though, he and Alphys occasionally would vent to the other when they'd had a shitty week, and they even occasionally talked about more frivolous things, giving them a breather from working.

"Alphys, I'm not really sure what our relationship is, okay?"

"That's fine, b-but I'm h-here if you need a-advice. When Undyne and I st-started dating, I was r-really confused about it, s-so I get how it could seem like a lot." Alphys gave Gaster a knowing smile, holding the door to the office open for him as they walked out.

"I'll...keep that in mind." Gaster said with a little smile.

"Good, now let's g-get out o-of here. I-I'm starving!"

------

Papyrus hadn't really been expecting to find anything when he went through his monthly cleaning of the house, mostly just dusting off shelves and vacuuming carpets. He'd gotten into the habit of it because he was the only one in the house who had the energy most of the time to even do it. Every time he cleaned, everything was where it always was, so finding something on a shelf in his father's office that had never been there before was definitely odd. As he was removing items to dust off one of the shelves, he'd found a coffee tin sitting at the back of the shelf, which he grabbed and looked at curiously.

His father wasn't the type to really change up how he organized things, so an old coffee tin among his books and trinkets had Papyrus a bit confused. He knew that he shouldn't snoop, but his curiosity was gnawing at him to look inside. Putting the other items back on the shelf, Papyrus took the coffee tin and headed down to the living room, where his older brother was watching some cheesy comedy show.

"Sup, bro?" Sans asked as Papyrus sat down.

"Sans, do you recognize this?" Papyrus asked, holding up the tin.

"No, it looks ancient though. Where'd you find it?"

"Dad's study."

"Bro-" Sans sat up a bit, eyes widening in alarm, "You know he doesn't like things being taken from his office without us asking. You gotta put that back."

"Sans, I was cleaning there, and found this. I know it wasn't there before, and you know how Dad is. Isn't it a little weird that a coffee tin that looks like it's older than he is was sitting up there with his books and stuff?"

Sans stopped for a moment, thinking over his brother's words, "I mean...I guess."

"So...aren't you a little curious what's in here?"

"...okay, yeah-"

Papyrus placed the tin on the table, starring at it and contemplating his options, "It's probably nothing-"

"Yeah- Bet he just forgot he put it there."

"So...if it's nothing...it wouldn't hurt to look..." Papyrus looked over at his brother, his infectious curiosity getting to Sans, "Right?"

Sans looked at Papyrus, then at the coffee tin in front of them, "Open it."

Papyrus reached for the tin, pulling off the lid and carefully dumping the contents onto the coffee table. A total of five items came tumbling out of the tin, Sans spreading them out so they could see them all. One of the items was a wedding photo of a man and woman, the man had dark skin, and brown eyes, the woman had black hair, and a slim face, both were smiling brightly at the camera. The second item was a silver pocket watch, engraved with an T right on the face. Another item was a necklace made of black cord, a small, canine looking skull pendant carved out of marble attached to it. There was also a charm bracelet made of shiny gold, the charms consisting of a little piano, a paintbrush, a pair of glasses, and the letter A. Finally, there was a folded piece of yellowed paper, a newspaper clipping by the looks of it.

"I wonder why he has these." Papyrus muttered, examining the bracelet in his palm.

"Must be some keepsakes." Sans said, picking up the photo to get a better look at it, turning it over to read the words written on the back, "'Mom and Dad's wedding day.' Looks like these are Dad's parents."

"That necklace looks pretty cool, and that pocket watch looks ancient." Papyrus placed the charm bracelet on the coffee table, picking up the yellowed paper, "Wonder what this says." Papyrus carefully unfolded the paper to avoid tearing it, and found himself stunned when he read the headline.

"Bro?" Sans asked, noticing the look on his brother's face, "What's wrong?"

Papyrus didn't say anything, handing the paper over to Sans, "Just...read it..."

Sans took the paper, feeling a shock pass through him when he read the headline on the paper...

FIRE KILLS PARENTS OF KID GENIUS

"Y-You don't think-" Sans stuttered out, not even able to finish the thought, not wanting to even consider it.

"Why else would he have that?" Papyrus asked, his face wearing a strained, anxious expression.

"We should put this back-"

It was right then that the front door opened, and in walked Gaster, keys in one hand, his research papers in the other. His eyes fell onto his boys, then down at the items on the table, not saying anything for a few moments. Both of the brothers felt the way they'd felt right before they were scolded for something when they were children, but something about this felt even worse. Maybe it was because of the lack of reaction on their father's face, or the white-knuckle grip he had on his papers.

"D-Dad-" Papyrus started to say, "We can explain-"

Gaster didn't stop to listen, closing the door and walking to the coffee table, pocketing his keys while he set his papers on the coffee table. He scooped the items back into the coffee tin, plucking the newspaper clipping from Sans's hands. He placed the lid back onto the tin, picking his papers back up. Not once did he look at either of his boys, dark hair falling in front of his eyes, shielding whatever expression he could have been making. The lack of emotion made Sans wish that their father would at least get angry that they were looking through his things, or even disappointed, that would have been better then this.

"Dad-" Sans said as Gaster turned to walk away, "Dad, please talk to us-"

He was met with silence as Gaster walked up the stairs, up to his study, not even sparring a glance over his shoulder. It left both of his sons feeling horribly guilty, knowing they must have brought up something painful for him. Never once had Gaster talked to them about his own parents, saying only that they had passed away a long time ago. Now they knew how they'd died, but it didn't feel satisfactory if it meant their father hurting from the memory of it all.

"Should we check on him?" Papyrus asked, trying not to cry.

"We should leave him alone..." Sans muttered, "I don't think he wants to talk to either of us."

------

Aster woke with a start, letting out a gasp as he tried to sit up, feeling a sudden pain in his head that made him lay back down, feeling soft sheets under him. He couldn't see, feeling something covering his eyes. As he tried to reach up to pull whatever it was off of him, he felt a hand grab his wrist firmly, though the owner of the hand was careful not to hold onto him to tight.

"Hold it kiddo," Came the voice of Aster's uncle, though something about his tone sounded hoarse, as if he'd been crying, "You're not healed up yet, so you have to leave those bandages on."

"Uncle Roman-"

"I'm here, kiddo, we're at the hospital." He said quietly, taking Aster's hand in his own, "How are you feeling? Do I need to get the doctors?"

"Wh-What happened?" Aster's voice sounded distant to even his own ears, "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Kiddo..." Roman's voice trembled, "How much do you remember?"

"I was in the basement, working on the prototype for that power cell I was designing." Aster thought hard, trying to figure out how he'd ended up in the hospital, "I could hear Mom and Dad upstairs..."

"Aster-"

"I'd gotten mad and argued with them about going to college early, so I-I went to the basement to get away from them-"

"Aster, hey-"

"But I hadn't calibrated the energy flower properly and-" Aster's heart started to beat faster as his breathing quickened, "I-It blew up and- some of the pieces hit me in the face- everything was on fire-"

"Aster, hold on-"

Aster's voice broke, "Where's my mom and dad?" Aster was trembling, and he could hear the heart rate monitor by his bed beeping faster, "Why aren't they here? Are they mad about what I said? I-I didn't mean it, I know they were just worried about me-"

"Aster, you have to listen to me."

"Why aren't they here with me!?" Aster was scared, fear welling up in his chest, "Roman, where are my parents!?"

"Aster!" Roman raised his voice, snapping Aster out of his panic long enough to gently squeeze his hand, "Please...please listen to me...they heard the explosion and went down to get you. You were knocked unconscious from the flying debris, so your dad carried you out while the fire was spreading. He managed to get you outside as the neighbors were coming to see what had happened-"

"Mom-" Aster could feel tears wetting the bandages on his eyes, "What about Mom?"

"Kiddo...the fire was spreading fast, she'd gotten trapped down in the basement. Your dad left you with your neighbors outside and went in to go get her."

"And they got out-" Aster insisted, his voice sounded pleading almost, "They got out, right? They're just in another hospital room. How long has it been, can I go see them?"

"You've been in a coma for three days, Aster."

"But I can go see them-"

"No...you can't..." Roman choked back a sob, "I wish you could, I wish I could take you to see them right now, but I can't." Roman let out a shuddering breath, holding Aster's hands in both of his own, "They didn't make it out, Aster. I'm so sorry-"

Aster went silent, his uncle's words washing over him, swirling around in his head. He felt as if he wasn't in his own body anymore, like his consciousness was somewhere else. What Roman said couldn't have been true, it just couldn't have been. He'd said so many awful things to them during that argument, so angry that they wanted him to wait until he was eighteen before going to college, both so afraid of him being on his own. They'd just wanted to keep him safe, he'd known that, but that didn't take back those things he'd said to them, things that he now wouldn't be able to apologize for.

"They're dead..." Asters voice was weak, barely above a whisper.

"Aster, I'm so sorry."

Roman's words of sympathy fell on deaf ears, Aster no longer present of what was going on around him. Nothing felt real anymore, and every ounce of feeling in his body seemed to just disappear with the realization that he'd never see his parents again. He'd never hear his mother's lighthearted, melodious voice singing while they cooked together, he'd never get to have morning coffee with his father while they watched whatever old crime show was playing that morning, he'd never get to see their proud smiles when he presented them with his latest inventions. It was all gone, his whole life altered, all because of one mistake he'd made because he'd been too frustrated to make sure he was being safe and careful.

In a cold, broken voice, Aster muttered, "I killed them..."

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Gaster sat in the window of his study, which was open, allowing him to feel the crisp breeze from the cold outside. Normally, he wouldn't sit in an open window while it was cold out, but he didn't want to risk the cigarettes he was smoking making his study smell like nicotine, knowing his boys didn't like it when he smoked. His cheeks were wet from the tears he'd shed when he'd gotten into his study, locking the door behind him so neither of his sons walked in on him while he was crying. Now he was sitting there, starring out at the dark night sky while he finished off the cigarette he currently had, putting it out in his ash tray and lighting up another one.

Thinking of his parents was always painful, which is why he kept those things stored away in that coffee tin, where he could keep them safe, but didn't have to suffer the pain of looking at them. He wished his uncle were still around for him to talk to, he understood the pain Gaster felt, and had always known how to pick him up when he felt down. Gaster soon regretted thinking of his uncle, finding that it only made him feel worse while he was like this. It didn't help that he still had that necklace from his too.

Being as lost in his thoughts as he was, Gaster almost didn't notice the small pebble that landed on the roof right outside of the window he sat in. He flinched a bit, wondering where it had come from, looking around in the dark. When another landed not too far from his feet, he looked down at the street, and felt his eyes widen when he saw Asgore standing there, another peddle in his hand. He was looked up at Gaster with that slightly crooked smile of his that Gaster thought was just adorable, and tossed the pebble aside, putting his hands in the pocket of the jacket he was wearing.

"You know smoking is a terrible habit, don't you?" He called up to him, his voice just loud enough for Gaster to hear, but not so loud that it would attract unwanted attention.

"So? I'm a grown man." Gaster couldn't help but smile a bit as he rolled his eyes, taking a drag off of his cigarette.

"Maybe so, but we both know you aren't the best at acting like one."

"Says the guy who was throwing rocks at my window like the love interest of some cheesy teenage rom-com."

"So I'm your love interest, huh?" Asgore teased, letting out a little chuckle.

Gaster tried to regain his composure, feeling his face heat up, "What are you doing here, Asgore?"

"I was in the neighborhood, and wanted to see you."

"Asgore, you don't even live near here. Did one of my boys call you?"

Asgore shrugged, "Maybe they did, but they didn't ask me to come. Either way, I'm here, and I really think spending some time with me would be more fun then catching a cold while you sulk in your window and destroy your lungs."

"Oh haha." Gaster put out his cigarette, "Happy?"

"Yes, now do you want to come with me, or sit up there all by yourself?" Asgore's tone was teasing and playful, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"I dunno~" Gaster called back, purposefully messing with him, "What's in it for me if I do?"

"Is my company not enough?"

Gaster chuckled, "You're such a darling~ Is that you're way of saying you want to keep things a surprise?"

"Yes it is."

"Well now you've got me curious." Gaster stood up on the bit of the roof outside of his study window, putting on his jacket and closing the window behind him.

"Uh- Gaster," Asgore gave him a worried look, "Shouldn't you just take the stairs?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Gaster carefully made his way to a tree that had grown next to his house, Asgore following him from the ground to make sure he didn't fall.

Gaster got down, carefully climbing onto the large tree branch by the roof of his home, climbing down with a near feline agility. He gave Asgore a playful smirk when he stopped about halfway down the tree, noticing how he watched him with astonishment. His ego starting to get the better of him, he grabbed onto a branch, leaning forwards a bit as he stared down at Asgore with an amused look in his eye.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Asgore asked, a slight nervousness in his eyes.

"Where's the fun in things without a little danger?" Gaster chuckled, "Besides, this branch isn't going to-"

Gaster was cut off by the branch snapping, causing him to fall forward. Luckily, he wasn't too far off of the ground, and Asgore caught him easily in his arms, holding him bridal style. Gaster's face heated up bright red, some leaves and small twigs stuck in his hair, making him look rather cute while Asgore held him like this. The larger man smiled, pressing a kiss to Gaster's forehead, chuckling as he let out a little noise of surprise. Asgore then set Gaster carefully on his feet, fixing his glasses and getting the leaves and twigs out of his hair.

"Still think that was a good idea?"

Gaster managed to regain his composure, and grinned, pulling Asgore to his eye level by the collar of his shirt, "Yes, after all, I landed in your arms, didn't I? I'm pretty sure you enjoyed that."

It was Asgore's turn to blush now, "I-I uh...yes...but I'd still rather you be safe."

Gaster pressed a small kiss to Asgore's cheek, letting go of his shirt, "I'll keep that in mind." Despite how sad he'd been earlier, just being around Asgore made Gaster feel as if he were full of warm sunshine. It baffled him how much this man could cheer him up by just being near him, though he didn't think he really needed to understand why Asgore had that effect on him, he just did.

"So, are you ready, now that you've fallen out of a tree?" Asgore asked with an amused tone, holding out his arm for Gaster.

Gaster took his arm, smiling up at him, "I am, now let's see where you're taking me~"

Chapter Text

"Ta-da!" Asgore said with a little flourish as he led Gaster inside of the twenty-four hour store that seemed to sell everything from food to appliances.

"So romantic~" Gaster teased, smirking up at Asgore.

"Maybe not yet," Asgore said, "But while we're here, we're getting your favorite snacks, drinks, and whatever else you want for us to have a good movie night." Asgore stopped by a shelf which displayed the stores movies, "Which one looks good to you?"

Gaster blushed a bit, covering his face shyly, "Asgore-"

"Yes?"

"You're too sweet to me."

Asgore chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of Gaster’s face, "On the contrary, I think I'm not sweet enough to you~ Now which movie would you like to watch?"

Gaster took a minute to look at all of the DVDs on display, and picked out one with a futuristic spaceship on the cover, "This one's fine."

"Why am I not surprised?" Asgore said with a grin.

"Oh hush, I like science fiction movies."

"Well I'm sure it'll be a good movie." Asgore said, holding Gaster's hand in his own, "Now what snacks do you want?"

Gaster thought it over for a minute, then said with a little smile, "I think you'll be plenty~"

Asgore's cheeks flushed pink, and he glanced away with a goofy smile, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have food-"

Letting out a small snort of laughter, Gaster led Asgore down the store's isles, "We can grab some food. I'm thinking hot chips, chocolate, and the most artificial grape soda they have."

Asgore couldn't stop a light laugh from escaping him, "That's gotta be the strangest combination I've ever heard."

"Have you forgotten who you're with?"

------

When they'd finally gotten back to Asgore's apartment, Gaster's spirits had definitely been lifted, the smile on his face testifying to that fact. Both were carrying a bag of snacks, Gaster having refused to let Asgore carry all of it when they had left the store. Nothing had really changed since the last time Gaster had been over, which helped the professor to relax a bit as he set his bag down.

Asgore's arms suddenly wrapped around Gaster's waist from behind, Asgore resting his chin on Gaster's shoulder with a small smile, "I'm glad to see you're in a better mood. I hate seeing you look so upset."

Gaster blushed some, but didn't pull away, leaning back against Asgore, "Well, you're just good at cheering me up, I guess."

"Well that's good to know~" Asgore planted a kiss on the side of Gaster's face, making him giggle.

Gaster turned, looping his arms around the back of Asgore's neck, "Thank you, Asgore. I...I really needed a break."

"It's no trouble, Doc." Asgore said, cupping Gaster's face with one hand, chuckling as Gaster leaned into the touch, "I'm just happy I could help."

"Um- could I ask a favor?"

"Anything."

Gaster's blush turned red, and he brushed his fingers through Asgore's hair, "Could you...could you kiss me again?"

His shyness asking that made him look just adorable to Asgore, tilting his chin up gazing down at him with affection in his eyes, "I'd love too." Asgore leaned close, his lips pressing against Gaster's.

Gaster felt like he could've just melted, kissing back as Asgore pulled him closer, resting one large hand on his lower back. He felt warm and safe, wanting to just stay stuck in this feeling forever. Even when they'd stopped kissing, Gaster stayed close to Asgore, resting his head on the taller man's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Asgore just smiled, happy to hold Gaster like this for as long as Gaster would let him. He pressed another kiss to the top of Gaster's head, hearing Gaster let out a content sigh. The professor finally took a step away from Asgore, though he kept a hold of his hands, smiling up at him.

"That was...really nice."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did." Asgore chuckled, finding how Gaster looked away, all flustered and shy, incredibly cute, "Do you want to watch that movie, or is there anything else you want first?"

"No, I'm alright." Gaster turned grabbing the movie to put in, turning to get it put in and started up.

Asgore sat down, pulling off his shoes, "Need a blanket?"

"Nah," Gaster got the movie started and sat down, grabbing his chips and snuggling up to Asgore, "You're warmer then any blanket."

Asgore chuckled, putting an arm around Gaster, "And I thought I was corny."

"Oh you are, but it works with your charm~"

"Well aren't you sweet~"

"Shh, the movie's starting."

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.

.

Once the movie was over, both sat in silence for a minute, needing to process what they'd just watched. They looked at each other, then back at the rolling credits on the screen. After what had felt like a solid five minutes, Gaster burst out laughing, falling back against the couch with an arm over his eyes. Asgore started laughing with him, finding Gaster's laughter incredibly infectious. The two weren't able to stop for awhile, the menu now showing on the screen before they'd calmed down enough to compose themselves.

"That was so bad-" Gaster wheezed, looking over at Asgore as he sat back up.

"Next time, I'll pick." Asgore said.

"Please do, I never want to watch a movie with such an awful script ever again." Gaster stood up, stretching out his back, "Seriously, who thought that movie was a good idea?"

"Well, now we know why it was so cheap."

Gaster turned, picking up the trash from their snacks, Asgore getting up to help him, "Still, it was at least funny with how bad it was."

"You're not wrong." Asgore took the trash out of Gaster's hands, going to throw it away, "So what do you want to do now? I can take you home if you want."

"I wouldn't mind staying, if that's alright with you." Gaster said, fidgeting with his hands while he stared at the floor, "I...I rather like spending time with you, though if you want me to go home, I completely-" Gaster was silenced when he felt Asgore's arms around him again.

"You're more than welcome to stay, Gaster. I like spending time with you as well."

Gaster grinned, putting his arms around Asgore, "You're so sweet."

"I could say the same about you."

"Oh, now you're just flattering me."

Asgore let out a small laugh and took Gaster's hands in his own, "Maybe~ So, what would you like to do now?"

Gaster thought it over, "Would it be weird if I asked you to dance?"

Asgore grinned, "So you can play music, and you can dance?"

"Y-Yeah-"

Asgore pressed a gentle kiss to Gaster's forehead, "You're incredibly smart, talented, and cute. There's so much about you to love." Continuing his praises, Asgore pulled Gaster closer to him, looping an arm around his waist, "I'd love to dance with you."

"Shouldn't we put on some music or-" Gaster let out a little yelp as Asgore dipped him, a playful smile on his face.

"Who said you need music to dance?"

Gaster stared up at Asgore with a bewildered look on his face, then laughed, Asgore pulling him back up onto his feet and leading him in what could best be described as a waltz. He had one hand on Asgore's shoulder, and the other held his hand, letting Asgore take the lead while his other hand rested on Gaster's waist. It was strange trying to dance with no music to give him a rhythm to follow, but Gaster didn't mind, enjoying the closeness he and Asgore shared. He couldn't stop the giggles that kept escaping him every time Asgore spun him around, or how his heart raced when Asgore pulled him back to him.

"You're pretty good at this." Gaster said, resting his head on Asgore's shoulder while they danced.

"I could say the same about you." Asgore said softly, brushing a bit of loose hair out of Gaster's face, making the professor smile.

"Asgore..." Gaster trailed off, taking a quick breath to steady himself for what he was about to say, "I...I think I might be in love with you."

"Really?" Asgore stopped their dance, looking down at Gaster as a red blush appeared on his face, "Are you- you really think so?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm confused and lost when it comes to my own feelings," Gaster admitted, putting his arms around the back of Asgore's neck, "Yet I know you make me happy, in fact you make me feel all sorts of things I've never felt before. You're so patient with me, and I'm grateful that you gave me time to try to figure things out, but I...I really would like to...to try being with you, if you'd have me."

"O-Of course-" Asgore couldn't stop the dopey grin forming on his face, both of his arms looping around Gaster's waist, hiding his face in Gaster's shoulder, "Stars, I'd love that, Gaster."

Gaster was blushing furiously now, "I-I'm glad-"

Asgore kissed Gaster again, making him swoon as Gaster leaned closer to him. Gaster let out a small noise of surprise as Asgore picked him up off of his feet, his legs hooking around Asgore's waist. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his face not even an inch away from Asgore's. Not even a moment later, the two were kissing again, Gaster shuddering from the taste of the tea Asgore had drank earlier on his tongue. Gaster felt as if he was on fire, every part of him burning from the intensity, craving more and more of Asgore's touch. Asgore held him securely with one arm, the other cupping the back of Gaster's head, more then happy to give Gaster what he craved.

When they finally parted for air, both were panting heavily, riding the high that one gets from the contact of another. Gaster looked drunk off of his own feelings resting his forehead against Asgore's as he met his gaze through half lidded eyes. Asgore couldn't stop the shiver that passed through him from being under the look Gaster had, feeling as if electricity was coursing through him.

"Gaster-" Asgore's voice left him as Gaster kissed him again, a bit more hungrily this time.

Gaster leaned closer to Asgore's ear, whispering softly, "Asgore~"

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.

Asgore woke to the smell of coffee coming from his kitchen, noting that Gaster wasn't laying next to him. His eyes fell on the discarded clothes littering his bedroom floor, blushing furiously as memories from the night before flooded his head. He found his pants on the floor and stood to put them on, walking out into his kitchen to find Gaster pouring out two bowls of cereal, wearing his shirt.

It was like a dress on him, the neckline exposing his neck, and the end of the shirt falling down right at his knees, making him look even smaller than he already was. His hair was tousled and messy from sleep, framing his face, where a small smile could be seen. Asgore stopped to stare for just a minute, taking in the sight before him, and felt like he was falling in love with Gaster all over again. He just looked so beautiful, like some angel sent to him from above. Asgore walked over, wrapping his arms around Gaster from behind, pressing a kiss to Gaster's exposed collarbone, making him giggle.

"Good morning." Gaster turned and placed a kiss on Asgore's cheek, "Well, it's closer to afternoon, really."

"Did you sleep well?" Asgore asked, resting his chin on Gaster's shoulder.

"I slept fine. Sans called me a minute ago to ask where I was, so I told him I'd spent the night with a friend."

"Friend, huh?" Asgore asked with a teasing smile.

Gaster chuckled and turned, wrapping his arms around Asgore, "Well, I figured telling him I'm dating someone would probably be better to do when I can sit down with both of my boys talk to them."

"You're probably right." Asgore placed a kiss on Gaster's forehead, "I smell coffee."

"Yeah, I found some, so I thought I'd make some for the both of us."

"God, you're perfect."

"Says the one who's literally perfect."

Asgore pulled Gaster into a kiss, laughing a little when he saw Gaster's face turn pink, "You're such a flatterer."

"Well, so are you."

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Asgore asked, cupping Gaster's face in both of his hands.

Gaster smiled, leaning into his touch, "I just want to be with you."

Chapter Text

Mettaton took a steadying breath, looking at the clock on his nightstand to check the time. He'd be starting his stream in about five minutes, and he had a few hours before Napstablook would be back from the movies with Chara. Since he knew how his cousin felt about being on camera, he always tried to record his videos and schedule his streams for when he wasn't in the dorm. The last thing he wanted was to make Napstablook feel uncomfortable, so he always tried to keep him out of his work as an online personality.

"Okay, let's do this." Mettaton sat in his chair, putting on a bright smile as he turned on his computer monitor and camera.

"Hello darlings! It's been far too long since I was able to sit down and talk to you all!" Mettaton took a moment to read the chat, feeling his smile brighten a bit at what his fans typed out for him.

Lil'Monster: Oh my goooosshh!!! Hey Metta!

SuperBadBoy: youre looking as adorable as always

Gamer420: We missed you

"Aw~ I missed you all too. You'll be happy to know that I'll be able to get back to my old posting routine here soon. Next week, I'll be posting a video to show you all of the new designs you can find in my merch shop, all of which are stylish and trendy. I'm also going to be making a new skit video I'm sure you'll all enjoy."

TinkerTot: are we gonna get another cooking video soon?

Lil'Monster: Merch! Merch! Merch!

User4392: Bro disappears and comes back with a game plan. Classic Mettaton.

PimpDaddy: ewwwww is that a trans flag in the background

Mettaton felt himself flinch as the last comment caught his eye, but he refused to let that throw him off his game, "I promise everyone, I'll get another Cooking With Mettaton video out soon~ You all love seeing me in that chef hat, don't you?"

SuperBadBoy: Are you kidding? You're adorable in that hat!

User5978: Yeah, Chef Mettaton is the best!

"You all are so sweet. I'll make sure to make my next cooking video extra special just for you guys." Mettaton leaned back in his chair, turning it back and forth a bit, "Now about what's had my hands tied these last couple of months. As a lot of you know, I was given the lead role in the university theater department's play for this year, and I really want to bring my A-game for it."

User4392: Think you could post the show for us ;)

TinkerTot: yeah that would be so cool

Ricky: C'mon guys, I doubt the university would let him do that.

Pickles: @Ricky we can always hope dude.

Mettaton chuckled, and found an influx in donations to his channel popping up on his screen, "I'm afraid I can't, but you guys can see the performance on the university's page." 

Ricky:  Knew it

LeoLikesCars: You guys are that excited to watch her act like someone else when she already does that?

PimpDaddy: see this guy gets it

Turning his eyes away from the comments and to the camera, Mettaton kept his smile plastered onto his face, "So now that I'll be getting back onto my regular posting schedule, do you guys have any questions you'd like to ask?"

Pickles: You single?

Lil'Monster:  How's college life as an influencer?

IEatSouls: Can you say your catchphrase?

TinkerTot: Yeah! Say the catchphrase please!

SuperBadBoy:  Catchphrase! Catchphrase! Catchphrase!

Mettaton let out a small chuckle, getting up from his chair, "Alright, I'll do it since you all seem to enjoy it so much."

Pushing his chair out of the camera shot, Mettaton took a few steps back from his desk, clearing his throat. If he was going to do this, he'd make sure he'd give them his trademark dramatic flair. When he was finally right where he wanted to be, he turned his back to the camera, striking a pose where his hand was brushing back some of his hair. Finally, he put on the showman-like tone that always seemed to captivate his audience.

"Who needs arms," Mettaton started to say, before quickly turning back to the camera and swinging his leg up so that the foot of his prosthetic leg was by his head, the years of gymnastics he took showing, "With legs like these~"

ILoveHotMoms: He said it!

Lil'Monster: Boy pulling out the bendy skills!

Ricky: I want this on a shirt

"Thank you, thank you~" Mettaton took a little bow, smiling at the camera, before his eyes fell on some comments on the screen that almost threw him off balance when he lowered his leg.

User7801: so she's a confused trans freak and a gimp

PimpDaddy: bet that freaky gender surgery crap is why she lost her legs

Brian: You're just confused

"So anyways," Mettaton prayed that he wasn't shaking as he sat back down, trying to ignore those hateful words, "Are there any other questions I can answer?"

User4392: You guys need to stop being so mean!

Ricky:  Jesus, if you don't like him, just get off the stream you trolls

ILoveHotMoms: Metta, we love you buddy! Don't let these a-holes get to you!

Under his desk, Mettaton's hand gripped his knee tightly, not fighting as hard as he could to keep his composure. He'd faced the hate of others for almost his whole life, he could handle it long enough to get through his stream. Yet...that didn't stop those words from bringing back unpleasant memories, and it only made the heavy feeling in his gut sink further. He couldn't let a few internet trolls get to him, he'd been through a lot worse, but even his confidence had days where it didn't hold up as well as it usually did. Unfortunately, this had been one of those days.

"S-So are there any other questions you'd like to ask, or-" Mettaton's words were cut off by the door of his dormitory flying open, Papyrus stumbling in, phone in hand, right into view of the camera.

Gamer420:  Who's that?

Lil'Monster: Metta is that your boyfriend!?!?

Pickles: He's cute

AAAAHHHH: Metta, you got a boyfriend!?

"Mettaton, I-" Papyrus's eyes fell onto the camera, and he stopped dead in his tracks, face turning bright red as he gave a shy little wave, letting out a nervous chuckle, "Nyehehe- hi-"

TinkerTot:  That's the cutest laugh ever!

ILoveHotMoms: He's adorable

Mettaton looked between the camera and Papyrus, and quickly got back into his performing persona, "Well, I'm afraid we're going to have to cut the stream shorter than expected, everyone! Be ready for new videos next week, and have a lovely day, darlings!" With that, Mettaton stopped the stream, turning off his camera and looking over at Papyrus, who now had tears in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry-" Papyrus stammered, "I didn't mean to ruin your stream, I just-"

"Papyrus," Mettaton quickly got up and took Papyrus's hands, his eyes falling on Papyrus's phone, eyes widening a bit, "You...you were watching my stream?"

Papyrus sniffled, looking away, "I saw what they were saying and I...I saw how upset you looked, so I came to check on you." Tears started to fall from Papyrus's eyes, "B-But I didn't e-even think a-about h-how you'd still b-be streaming and I- I'm so sorry-"

"Papyrus..." Mettaton felt something in his chest grow warm, unable to remember the last time when someone other than Napstablook was able to see past his acting and get a look at how upset he really was, "You came all the way here to make sure I was okay?"

Papyrus wiped his eyes, "Y-Yeah-"

"That's so sweet."

Papyrus blushed brightly, looking away, "You're not mad?"

"No, of course not. You were just worried about me, how could I be mad at that?" Mettaton smiled affectionately, wiping away the last of Papyrus's tears, "I'm glad you came. I...I haven't really been feeling my best today."

"Metta-" Papyrus put his phone down, taking Mettaton's hands into his own, incredibly close now, "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? Just name it, and I'll do it!" He sounded so sure, as if there was nothing Mettaton could ask of him that would be too much for him to accomplish.

Mettaton could feel his eyes starting to water, grinning widely as he pulled Papyrus into a hug, "You've already done enough for me, Pappy dear."

Slowly, Papyrus returned the hug, gently rubbing Mettaton's back, "Are you sure? I was gonna offer to get ice cream and binge TV shows with you."

Mettaton let out a laugh, wiping his eyes and looking up at Papyrus, "Well, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy snuggling up with you to watch some cheesy reality shows. What do you think?"

Papyrus smiled that infectious smile of his that Mettaton adored, "I think that's a great idea! What kind of ice cream do you like? I'll go pick some up right now!"

Mettaton chuckled, "Strawberry and fudge."

"Alright! You pick something for us to watch, and I'll be back soon!"

"Don't take too long, darling~" Mettaton put a gentle kiss on Papyrus's left cheek, making the taller man blush bright red, which made him chuckle.

"I-I-I w-won't-"  Papyrus said with a goofy grin, turning and practically skipping out of the door.

Mettaton watched him leave with a quiet sigh, resting his chin in his hand as he smiled. When he was gone, he went and sat on his bed, pulling out his laptop to boot up FlicsNet, since he and Napstablook didn't have a TV. They didn't have just a lot of space in the dorm after moving in his streaming setup and PC, as well as Napstablook's PC and music equipment. This is what led to Mettaton buying both of them a laptop to watch their favorite shows and for more leisurely activities, much to Napstablook's surprise when he woke up to find a brand new laptop sitting by a new soundboard as a present for graduating and getting into college.

As he scrolled through a few reality cooking shows, Mettaton couldn't help but find it amusing that despite his online presence, he had only ever had Napstablook and Alphys to be close too. They had been the only two people he actually felt like would always love and accept him, that is until he met Chara and Papyrus. Though he didn't really spend a lot of one-on-one time with them, he found them to be a rather refreshing person to be around, Chara's habit to save judgement for after getting to know someone making them the type of person that one didn't just find on the street. Then there was Papyrus...sweet, optimistic, ever so energetic Papyrus who had shown a talent for making him smile since the day they had first met. 

Papyrus was always so kind, and seemed to find a bright side when it came to just about anything. Mettaton respected that, as well as Papyrus's incredible self-confidence that had a tendency to become infectious to those he was around. In some ways, Papyrus was like a playful puppy, full of life that could make those around him brighten, even on their worst days. Napstablook was right, he'd been crushing on Papyrus for almost as long as they'd known each other, but he didn't dare say anything about it to Papyrus, knowing that Papyrus was perfectly oblivious to things like that.

He couldn't lie, it hurt a bit for Papyrus not to notice how Mettaton felt about him. There were some days where Mettaton thought Papyrus may have known how he felt, but chose to ignore them because he didn't feel the same. When he pulled himself out of his spiral, he knew that wasn't the case, Papyrus just was the kind of person who didn't really think about those things. Mettaton knew that his ADHD made it hard for Papyrus to really catch on to things with people when it came to feelings that weren't very easy to understand, and he refused to hold that against him. The truth was, the very idea of Papyrus knowing how he really felt about him made Mettaton incredibly fearful that he'd turn away from him, as ludicrous as the idea of Papyrus turning his back on him was. Papyrus was far too kind and gentle to ever abandon Mettaton for simply having feelings for him, he was just to sweet.

As he pulled up a show he favored, one about cooking with foods themed around musicals, Mettaton took off his prosthetics and stretched out on his bed. His mind wandered back to the last few comments he'd seen during his stream, ones that were asking his Papyrus was his boyfriend. It made him chuckle, thinking of what would happen if Papyrus actually was his boyfriend. Though it was a nice thought, he really didn't think it was at all a possibility, not at all.

------

Sans looked down at the paper on his desk, wondering why he was doing what he was currently doing. He tapped his pencil against his head, staring nervously at the letter in front of him. A bit earlier, he'd drank a few beers, and now he was writing a letter confessing his feelings to Grillby. Of course, he had no intention of actually giving this letter to Grillby, he just thought for some reason that it would help him get over his feelings better. Something about it just made him feel like his stomach was tying itself into knots, which in turn made him feel nauseous since he was already buzzed.

"Jesus, I'm an idiot." Sans said with a sigh, pushing the letter away as he put his pencil down, "A big fucking idiot."

Scooting his chair away from his desk to stand up, staring down at the letter while he nervously bit his bottom lip. He grabbed it off of his desk, putting it in the bottom drawer of his desk, closing it perhaps a bit too forcefully. Turning to leave the room as quickly as possible, Sans failed to notice the corner of the letter sticking out of the desk drawer. Some microwaved chicken nuggets and fries with ketchup would be the perfect thing to calm his nerves.

As he filled a plate, he tried to ignore the thoughts gnawing at the back of his head, thoughts about that letter up in his room. He wasn't sure about whether or not he was going to keep the letter or get rid of it. On one hand, he felt too attached to it to get rid of it, but on the other, he was so scared to even see the words he'd written down on that paper. It felt like he didn't just have a skeleton in his closet, but a whole damn corpse, one that would soon be found by someone if he didn't get rid of it. Maybe he could get rid of it once he'd eaten something and cleared his head. 

He sat on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table once his food was done in the microwave. Sans started flicking through the channels on the TV until he got to the crime show channel that he liked to watch when he wanted to relax. Soon he was sucked into his show, unable to really think of his problems once his attention was able to focus somewhere else. He almost didn't notice his father coming home with a bright grin on his face, which was odd enough itself.

"Oh- hey Dad." Sans mumbled, turning to look at his father over his shoulder.

"Hello, Sans!" Gaster said in a sing-song voice, "Did you have a nice day?"

"It was fine." Sans looked his father up and down, raising an eyebrow, "You're in an oddly perky mood. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much~" Gaster came over, and stole a fry off of Sans's plate.

"Thief-" Sans said with an eye roll, "Seriously thought, what's got you all giddy?"

"Just had a nice time." Gaster giggled as he turned to the kitchen, "Hey, do you know if we have any pizza bagels?"

"Top shelf of the freezer." Sans couldn't help but smile a bit seeing his dad so happy, "You sure you don't want to tell me what Asgore did to have you smiling like that? I'm really curious now." He chuckled a bit when he saw his dad flinch and try to cover his blush as he turned back, unable to look him in the eye.

"I-I never mentioned Asgore-"

"Yeah, but now I know for sure it was something he did."

"Sans-"

"What, did he finally ask you out or something?"

"Sans!" Gaster's voice cracked, face turning bright red as he used both of his hands to try and cover his face.

Sans laughed for a bit for a minute, finding it funny that he caught his father offguard. It took a moment before he really noticed the look that was in his father's eyes as he gave Sans a shy side glance. After he finally saw that look, all of the pieces fell together and it finally clicked, Sans's eyes widening as he just about dropped his plate. Gaster noticed the shock on his oldest son's face and blushed harder, staring down at his shoes.

"Oh my god he did-"

"No-"

"You're blushing like crazy!"

"I'm just embarrassed-" 

"Because I'm right, and Asgore asked you out!"

"He didn't!"

"Then why are you blushing so hard!?" Sans was grinning from ear to ear, giggling like a three year old.

"..." Gaster lowered his hands from his face, messing with hair a bit as he looked anywhere that wasn't at Sans, "...because we're kind of dating now-"

"I knew it!"

"It's not that big of a deal!"

"Are you kidding, of course it is!" Sans put his plate down, pulling out his phone, "I gotta text Paps-"

"Dammit, I was going to tell you both during dinner-"

"And sent!"

"You could've at least let me tell him myself."

"Where's the fun in that? My anti-social father is finally getting out in the world and ended up with a boyfriend! You're growing up so fast!" Sans gave a dramatic sniff, pretending to faint against the couch.

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to say?" Gaster couldn't help but smirk when he crossed his arms.

"Maybe so, but I'm still going to say it."

Gaster let out a sigh and went into the kitchen, "I'm making myself some pizza bagels."

"Papyrus says he's happy for you!" Sans called after his father, laughing when he heard Gaster's defeated sigh.

As Gaster pulled out the pizza bagels from the freezer, Gaster's mind started to wander back to when he'd still been with Asgore. He smiled softly as he blushed a bit, becoming lost in his own thoughts. Just thinking about his new lover made Gaster miss Asgore, and he longed to be in his arms again. Gaster felt safe there, as if all of his problems just disappeared when Asgore held him.

.

.

.

"Do you have to go?" Asgore asked, nuzzling into Gaster's shoulder a bit as they cuddled on the couch, resting his hand on Gaster's hip.

Gaster let out a long sigh, arms wrapped around the back of Asgore's neck as the larger man, "I would love to stay here all day, but I have to get back home at some point."

Asgore let out a little whine, pressing little kisses along Gaster's neck and face, "But I want you to stay with me~"

Gaster giggled, pulling Asgore into a sweet kiss, "You're incredibly affectionate, you know~"

"Well, you don't seem to mind. You're the one who crawled into my lap."

"Because for some reason I actually really enjoy your affection." Gaster said, resting his head on Asgore's shoulder, "It's strange really, I spent most of my life feeling overwhelmed when people touched me, then I met you and suddenly I crave being help and kissed by you."

"Well aren't I a lucky guy?" Asgore chuckled, planting a small kiss on Gaster's forehead, "Being able to hold you is such an honor~"

"You just can't stop flattering me, can you?" Gaster asked with a smile, running his fingers through Asgore's hair, "How are you so sweet to me?"

"Because I love you so much."

"Well then I must be the lucky one~" Gaster giggled and placed a kiss on Asgore's jaw, "I could kiss that cute face all day~"

"I could say the same about you~" Asgore planted a kiss on Gaster's nose, "So I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me next Friday. I was thinking we could go out dancing, how's that sound?"

"That sounds amazing." Gaster kissed Asgore again, gazing into Asgore's eyes with a loving, passionate look that made Asgore feel like he had butterflies in a total frenzy flying around in his stomach, "I'll make sure to wear something yellow."

Asgore gave a small laugh and brushed some loose hair out of Gaster's eyes, "Then I'll wear something purple."

"Great idea."

"Wanna get dinner after?"

"I'd love to."

Asgore let out a sigh and pouted a little, "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes, but I'll call you later, okay?" Gaster said with a smile.

"You better~" Asgore teased, giving Gaster one last goodbye kiss as he wrapped him in a snug embrace, "Think I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Gaster got up, grabbing his jacket as he made his way to the door, "See you then~"

.

.

.

"Hey Dad," Sans's voice spoke up from the kitchen doorway, snapping Gaster out of his little trip down memory lane, "Are you going to stand there holding the pizza bagels while staring into space, or are you going to heat some of them up?"

"Oh-" Gaster blushed brightly, letting out a nervous laugh, "Oh yeah, um...would you like some?"

"Nah, I just came to get something to drink." Sans grabbed a soda from the fridge, closing the door with his foot as he turned to leave, "Have fun fantasizing about your boyfriend."

"Sans-"

"Oh come on, it's so obvious."

"You mean like your feelings for Grillby?" Gaster asked with a raised eyebrow as he started to make himself a plate of pizza bagels.

Sans stopped in his tracks, turning to glare at his father, "Cheap shot, old man."

"You've had a crush on him for years, Sans."

"I have not." Sans grumbled under his breath as he went back into the kitchen, leaving his father to heat up his pizza bagels as he went back to his crime shows in the living room.

"You have too!" Gaster called back.

"Can't hear you!"

Chapter Text

"Thanks for picking me up, Asriel." Frisk said from the backseat as their brother drove away from the high school.

"It's no trouble, Frisk. I have to drop Chara off for their music lessons later anyway."

Chara was sitting up front, scrolling through their phone, "Again, I could've walked."

"How's that going, by the way?" Frisk asked, "Last week you said you were learning piano."

"It's fine. We haven't really been going over anything too difficult yet." Chara said with a shrug, "I think today we're supposed to be going over the violin."

"Cool." Frisk leaned back in their seat, turning and staring out of the car window. There was another reason that they were glad Asriel had picked them up today, and that reason came in the form of the three older students who had beaten them up the other day, who they saw along their normal route when they walk home, hanging out on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, Asriel had to stop at a stoplight right net to them, Frisk immediately panicking and ducking down before they could be seen.

"What the heck are you doing back there?" Asriel asked, noticing Frisk duck down in the review mirror.

"Just tying my shoe-" Frisk insisted.

Chara turned in their seat to look at Frisk with an skeptical expression as they looked down at Frisk's shoes, "Frisk, you're wearing slip on shoes."

"I-" Frisk's voice failed them when they looked out the window and saw the three teenagers pointing at the car, "Asriel, we need to get moving-"

"The light's red-"

"And? Move!" Frisk was starting to panic, seeing the three make their way over to the car, "Now!"

"Frisk, I can't just-"

"I said move it!" Frisk quickly unbuckled and practically threw themself into Asriel's lap, using their own foot to slam on the gas pedal, causing them to barely avoid another car as they went screeching down the street.

"FRISK!!!" Asriel screamed, "Chara, get them off!"

Chara quickly pulled Frisk off of Asriel's lap, forcing them into the backseat again, "What the fuck, Frisk!? You could've gotten us killed!"

"I told him to move it!"

"You just made him run a red light!"

"So!?" Frisk huffed and crossed their arms, starring back out the window.

"Frisk, what's going on?" Asriel asked once he'd finally calmed down, "That was really dangerous and reckless. Is there something we should know about?" Asriel's tone was one of concern as he took a quick glance in the rear view mirror to look at Frisk in the back.

"Nothing's wrong, I just want to get home." Frisk mumbled, refusing to look at either of their siblings.

"Bullshit." Chara was turned around in their seat, staring hard at Frisk, "Tell us what caused you to freak the hell out like that."

"I said it's nothing, okay!?" Frisk yelled, making Chara flinch as they looked Frisk up and down, then turned to sit back down in their seat facing forward.

For the rest of the ride home, there wasn't a word said between the three of them. Both Asriel and Chara knew that they wouldn't be able to get Frisk to open up when they were all wound up, so they'd have to wait until Frisk was calmed down. Asriel was already trying to figure out how he was going to explain this to their mother, while Chara was thinking over what could possibly have caused Frisk to act out like that. These days, it was incredibly rare for Frisk to have an outburst that caused them to do something so reckless, so whatever it was must've been serious. There must have been something that they didn't know about going on.

"Frisk-" Asriel tried to say after he'd parked the car right outside of their home, but Frisk was already opening the car door.

"I've got homework." Frisk muttered before slamming the door and practically sprinting inside of the house.

Chara let out a defeated sigh, rubbing their forehead, "So how are we going to talk to mom about this?"

"...no clue."

"What are we going to do?"

"I have no idea."

"...we're fucked."

"Yeah-"

------

Since Toriel still hadn't gotten home yet, Frisk went straight up to their bedroom, locking the door behind them as they entered, finding Flowey asleep on their bed, although the sound of them slamming their bedroom door had woken him up. For a moment, he looked up with a grumpy expression on his feline face, but then something about him seemed to change when he saw the state Frisk was in. By the time they'd thrown their bag into the corner and sat at their desk, Flowey had hopped up from the bed and had quickly made it over to Frisk, hopping up into their lap. He curled up and started to purr, looking up at Frisk as he rested his head on their chest, obviously trying to get Frisk to pet him and calm down.

Frisk let out a long sigh, gently petting Flowey as he nestled into their lap, "Thanks buddy. It's been a rough day."

It wouldn't be long until Toriel found out about what happened in the car today, but Frisk was going to stay up in their room until that happened. If they were lucky, they wouldn't have to talk about anything until tomorrow, but that was only if Toriel was tired by the time she got home and was told about what happened. For now they'd just focus on trying to calm down before they spiraled into another meltdown.

Turning their chair to their desk, Frisk opened up their laptop, logging into an online RPG that they liked to play to get rid of stress. The graphics and soundtrack were just incredibly pleasing to Frisk's brain, and it had good game play to top it off. As they slipped on a headset, Frisk turned up the volume and gave Flowey another few pets before going back to their game, starting to look for some rare items they'd been trying to find for a side quest. It wasn't long before they'd come a goblin horde that was supposed to have the items they needed, but another player had come on and started attacking.

"Hey!" Frisk said over their mic, quickly hopping into the fray to fight the goblins too, "This is my horde to kill!"

"I didn't see your name on it." Came a strangely...familiar voice from the other player.

"I need the items they have for the duke's side quest!"

"What do you think I'm doing here?" The voice asked, "Hey, you sound familiar. What guild are you in?"

"I'm not in a guild."

"Really? That's rare."

"You're not taking the loot, I've been trying to find it for three days."

From the other player came an amused chuckle, "I know that determined tone, nice to see you again, kiddo."

A flicker of familiarity sparked in Frisk's brain, and an image of the man who'd saved them from being thrown in a dumpster appeared in their memory, "Sans?"

"That's my name."

"You play this game too?"

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun. Love the music."

"Me too." Frisk couldn't help but smile, "So what have you been up to?"

"School, snacks, naps, repeat. You still getting your ass kicked?"

"Yeah-" Frisk admitted with a sigh as they killed the last goblin, "If my brother hadn't picked me up from school today, I probably would've gotten my ass kicked again. Those jerks were hanging out on the street I usually walk down to get home. Nearly caused my brother to crash his car trying to get him to drive away form them."

"Damn, that sucks." Sans's character stood by the chest at the center of the goblin camp, "You can have the loot, you've had the shittier day by the sound of it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but don't expect me to take it easy on you the next time." Sans spoke in an amused tone, making his character go into the relaxed emote.

"Deal." Frisk said with a laugh as they took the loot, "Thanks. So you go to school? You seem a little old for it."

"I'm in college. What are you, a high school freshman?"

"I'm a junior." Frisk said with a scoff.

"So you only got one more year of hell to get through after this one. Best of luck to you."

"Thanks..." Frisk said with a small sigh, "So, are you gonna be playing tomorrow?"

"Maybe, why?"

"Well you were so nice to help me finish this quest, it's only right I return the favor." Frisk said, "So, what do you say?"

"I dunno kid, it sounds like you're asking if I wanna form a guild with you." Sans's voice was teasing, but also genuinely curious, "I can't anyway, I'm already in a guild."

"I'm not asking anything." Frisk said with an eye roll, "Besides, you need at least five people to start a guild, otherwise it's just an adventuring party."

"Well, I could always invite you to my guild if you want."

"You...want to invite me?" Frisk was in awe, not used to being invited to something like this.

"Yeah, my buddies would love having another member. We keep members to people we know in person, so you don't have to worry about any online creepers or anything."

"I..." Frisk cleared their throat, thinking it over, "So...you know everyone in your guild?"

"Yep. Most of them are my robotics buddies, but my brother's in it too, along with a friend of his, and a friend of mine who runs the diner right off campus."

"...I'd like to join." Frisk said quietly, wondering if this is how normal people socialize, "Though, are you sure it's not weird you're inviting a sixteen year old to join a bunch of college students in a guild?"

"Kid, I'm twenty-one, our oldest member is twenty-two, so it's really not a big deal. My brother's just barely two years older than you."

Frisk thought about it, then grinned, "Alright, you've convinced me."

Sans chuckled, "Great to hear."

A pop-up appeared on Frisk's screen, an invitation to the Sleep Deprived Nutcases guild. They couldn't help but laugh a bit as they clicked the accept button, and watched the symbol right by their username change to a little sword and shield to show that they were in a guild. It felt weird, yet strangely nice to be a part of something for once, and knowing that there was at least one person who wasn't much older than them. On the other hand, the other's were closer to Asriel's age, Asriel being twenty-one himself, and they got along with him just fine.

"We have meetups every other Saturday night. I'll send you a message through the game to let you know where our headquarters is, okay."

"Sounds like a plan." Frisk checked the clock, "Hey if you're not busy, why don't I help you find another goblin camp to destroy?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's get going."

------

After Frisk's meltdown in the car, Chara had managed to convince Asriel to let them walk to their music lesson with Gaster. As they walked down the street, Chara kicked a pebble across the sidewalk, trying to focus on everything they'd gone over with Gaster already. Their fingers even moved in the air a bit as they went over some of the piano lessons in their head.

Chara couldn't help but wonder if they had a chance to ever be as good as Gaster was at playing music. He was incredibly talented, there was no doubt about that, and it made them wonder if they were anywhere close to that level of talent. Sure, Gaster said that Chara had to focus on playing the way they play, but would their best playing be anywhere close to his? As much as they tried not to get stuck on the thought, they kept finding themself going back to it, worried that they wouldn't be able to measure up to the potential Gaster seemed to see in them.

"Jesus, I feel pathetic." Chara mumbled, kicking the pebble off into the grass.

Looking back up, Chara realized that they were just a block away from Gaster's house. They stopped and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, putting their hands into their pockets. Chara had always struggled to really commit to anything, always feeling like they'd fail. Just getting into college to get their degree in music had been a struggle for them, and they still had days where they wondered if they should just quit. They often didn't feel like they'd ever be able to amount to much, and as much as they wanted to do these music lessons, they couldn't help but wonder if they would even produce anything that would be good.

"Should I just give up?"

As soon as the thought hit their head, Chara remembered the feeling listening to Gaster's music had brought them. The memory of sitting by that headstone on that day all those years ago, and felt a steely determination begin to fill them. They started walking, determined to do great at today's lesson. Even if they had to play until their fingers bled, Chara was determined to eventually be able to stir those feelings in others when they played. Chara wanted to be able to pour their very soul into their music, to show the passion they had inside.

Once they'd gotten to the door, Chara rang the doorbell, and let out a long breath, "I've got this."

Gaster opened the door with a smile, "Right on time, Chara. Are you ready to get started?"

Chara couldn't help but smile in turn, "I was born ready."

------

Once night had begun to settle, Asriel had left the house, though he didn't take his car, instead deciding to walk as he carried a backpack over one shoulder. His mother had gotten home later than normal and was tired from the long day, so he'd decided to tell her about what happened with Frisk once she'd gotten some sleep. This of course, gave him the opportunity to leave the house to go clear his head with one of his favorite pastimes.

Cutting through the park that was just a couple of blocks away from his house, Asriel made it to a rundown factory that hadn't been operational in ages. He easily climbed over the chain-link fence, sweeping some of his blonde hair out of his eyes as he made his way to the side of the building where a partially finished piece of graffiti art was hidden behind some of the abandoned factory equipment. The piece was of a large buttercup held by two hands that looked like they belonged to different people based on their size and detail. Tonight Asriel was going to start adding color to his art piece, starting with the buttercup.

Asriel set his bag on the ground, putting on headphones as he turned on some music to get him in the mood. Opening up his bag, Asriel pulled out a couple different shades of yellow and orange spray paint that he planned to use to give the buttercup a golden color. Before he started, Asriel's eyes wandered to the other bits of graffiti he'd placed here over the years, the improvement showing from piece to piece.

It made him stop to think about when he'd first come here, having accidentally stumbled upon the place after he'd tried to run away from home, having been upset and confused when his parents had gotten divorced. He wasn't sure why, but he'd seen this deserted, empty place, and felt a need to fill it with color and life. After sneaking back home, he bought some spray paints the next day, and got to work that very night. His very first piece of graffiti art had been a boy running from a broken house. It wasn't his best work, but it had done something therapeutic for him. Asriel had found himself wanting to do this more, to create things like this to express the things that he couldn't put into words. The art hadn't just helped him, it had saved him.

Eventually, Asriel wanted to bring his siblings here and show this little gallery of his to them, but not yet. This was something that was deeply personal to him, and he wanted to wait until he felt ready to share it with other people. He wasn't really sure if he should show his parents though, considering that what he was doing was technically illegal since he hadn't asked for anyone's permission to do this. There wasn't really anyone he could ask though, this place was pretty much forgotten by the rest of the world. Despite how many nights he'd spend here, as well as the days he'd stop by just to check on his art, Asriel had never seen another person here. 

Turning back to the art he was currently working on, Asriel began filling the buttercup with color, working on making it look like a fiery gold. The process began working its magic on him, and he became lost in the process of making his art as the music he listened to filled his brain. It felt nice to clear his head after what had happened with Frisk earlier, which had overwhelmed him with worry. Perhaps when he was done, he'd be able to figure out how to get Frisk to open up about what was upsetting them.

Asriel spent a couple hours working on his piece, before he decided it was time for him to get heading back home. He took a step back to survey his work, smiling a bit at how good it was turning out, before packing up his paint cans. Before he turned to leave, Asriel looked at his art piece one more time, then pulled out his phone, snapping a picture as he grinned. Pocketing his phone, Asriel turned to leave, grinning from ear to ear. His newest piece looked amazing, and he felt incredibly proud of it, and just wanted to have a picture so he could look at it again later. It just made him so happy just to look at it.

"I wonder if I could recreate it as a pastel..." Asriel said to himself after he climbed back over the fence to make his way back home, "No, a watercolor."

.

.

.

When Asriel got home, he smiled a bit when he found Chara asleep on the couch, a violin and sheet music spread out on the coffee table in front of them. He grabbed a blanket from the hallway closet and put it over them, turning off the living room light as they made their way up the stairs. Once upstairs, he found his mother's door slightly ajar, his mother still in her work clothes and passed out on her bed, partially hanging off of the bed. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he entered and got his mother completely onto her bed, pulling her shoes off and tucking her in.

Toriel stirred a bit, smiling up at him, "Thank you, Azzie."

"It's no problem, Mom."

"You've always been so sweet." Toriel said with a little chuckle as her eyes closed, exhaustion taking over her again.

"Do you need anything?" Asriel asked softly, not wanting to disturb his mother to much while she was so tired.

"No, I'm just..." Toriel trailed off, letting out a loud yawn, quickly falling back asleep.

Asriel smiled, pressing a small kiss to his mother's forehead, "Goodnight, Mom." Closing the door quietly, Asriel went back out into the hall again.

Making one more stop by Frisk's door, Asriel stopped, wondering if Frisk was even awake. His answer was soon given to him when the door opened, Frisk standing there in a t-shirt and sweatpants. The two stared at each other for a minute, Frisk's hair a bit messy, as if they'd just woken up, though their sleepiness didn't stop Frisk from noticing the bag on their brother's shoulder.

"What's that?" They asked, nodding at the bag.

"Just...some art stuff." Asriel muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "So how do you feel?"

"I feel fine, Asriel." Frisk said with an annoyed tone, "You don't have to worry about me every time I have a bad day."

"I know, but today wasn't just a bad day." Asriel put a hand on Frisk's shoulder, "I won't force you to talk to me, but please know that you can talk to me if you need to, okay Frisk?" Asriel offered a small smile, hoping to make Frisk feel a little better.

Frisk sighed, unable to stop themself from smiling, "I know Asriel, I promise I'm okay."

"Well...do you need anything right now? Anything for your sensory?"

Frisk thought about it, "Well...can I borrow your stress ball? Flowey hid mine somewhere."

Asriel grinned, towards his room, "Yeah, just give me a second to go get it, okay?"

"Alright." Frisk said with a smile, "Thanks bro."

"It's no problem, Frisk. Anytime."

Asriel got the stress ball for Frisk, setting his bag on his bed before turning back out of his room to go and hand the ball over to their younger sibling, "Use it wisely my young apprentice of overstimulation."

Frisk chuckled, leaning on their door frame, "You're such a dork."

"Not anymore than you." Asriel checked his watch, letting out a quiet whistle, "It's getting pretty late. We should probably head to bed."

"Yeah, I'm just grabbing a glass of water." Frisk stepped out of their room, Flowey following behind and rubbing up against Frisk's ankles before disappearing down the stairs, "Also, Flowey wanted to go outside."

"Well, good luck with your demon cat." Asriel called over his shoulder as he went to his room, "I'm getting some sleep before I have to rejoin society in the morning."

"Sleep well." Frisk said as they followed Flowey down the stairs, "I'll see you in the morning."

Chapter Text

Gaster ran down the hallway towards the robotics lab, a couple of his underlings right behind him, "How in the hell did a fire start!?"

"When the power got knocked out in the storm, it caused a short circuit in one of the breakers!" Yelled one of them, a small young man with sandy blonde hair, "It spread to the robotics department and caused an explosion. If we don't stop it, it'll destroy the whole place!"

"Who cares about that right now!? We have to get everyone out of here!" Gaster threw the door of the robotics lab open, staggering back when the blazing heat hit him, smoke starting to billow out.

"Dr. Gaster!" Cried the other, a young woman with almond hair, "You can't go in there! It's to dangerous!"

"There's still people in there, and I'm not leaving them!"

"The fire department-"

"They won't be here for at least ten minutes, someone could die in that time!" Gaster turned to the other scientists, "You two get everyone else out of the building! I'm going to help whoever's still in there!"

"But-"

"As head of this lab, it's my responsibility to make sure you're all safe, now go!" Gaster bellowed, turning and running into the room, not sparring even a glance over his shoulder.

He could hear the remaining people in the robotics lab the moment he stepped inside, their pleas for help barely able to be heard over the fire. Gaster soldiered on, forcing the memory of what had happened to his parents to the back of his mind as he searched through the heat and smoke. Soon he found a group of three scientists in the room, two trying to lift a heavy, partially finished robotic arm off of the third. The one trapped under the arm wasn't in good condition, barely able to breath with the smoke in the air. Acting quickly, Gaster joined the two, throwing all his strength into lifting the arm.

"Dr. Gaster-" Said one of the scientists trying to help their trapped companion, "What are you doing!? Get out of here!"

"Less talking, Dr. McKenzie! We need to get Dr. Willows out from under there!"

"I-I don't want to die- I want to see my husband-" Dr. Willows muttered, tears streaming down her face.

"You're not dying here!" Gaster yelled, finally able to help get the arm off of Dr. Willows, quickly pulling her out while the other two scientists held the arm up as long as they could for him to do so.

"Thank you-" Dr. Willows sobbed, holding onto Gaster's arm, "Thank you-"

"Dr. McKenzie, Dr. Mathews, get her out of here!"

"What about you!?"

"I'll be out soon, just get her out of here!"

"Yes sir!" Dr. Mathews stooped down, picking Dr. Willows up bridal style, "C'mon, we gotta go!"

"But-" Dr. McKenzie looked at his two coworkers as they left, then back at Gaster, "Dr. Gaster-"

"Dr. McKenzie, get out of here!" Gaster turned, searching for anyone else who may have been trapped in the room. Dr. McKenzie, familiar with how Gaster was when he had his mind set on something, knew there was no talking him out of his current mission. He turned, feeling an awful sense of guilt and cowardice as he ran out of the room, following after his fellow scientists.

"Is anyone else here!" Gaster called out, coughing from all of the smoke around him, "If anyone's in here, let me hear you!"

"Over here!" Came a voice, "I can't move him!"

Gaster quickly followed the voice, finding one of the janitors on the ground, unconscious, with one leg bent at an odd angle. An engineer was trying to drag him, but had one arm bleeding and hanging at her side. He quickly hooked his arm under the janitor's, managing to start dragging him to the door while the engineer followed. It was almost impossible to find his way back out now with all of the smoke in the air, and the unbearable heat, but he managed to get the janitor and engineer out into the hall, where a few stragglers were trying to flee the building.

"Dr. Gaster, here!" A couple scientists took the janitor from Gaster, starting to carry him to the exit.

"You!" Gaster turned to the engineer who'd followed him out, trying to catch his breath, "Do you know if there's anyone still in there!?"

"I-I don't know!" The engineer looked over her shoulder, "N-No, most got out before the explosion-"

"Then we have to go!" Gaster started to lead the engineer to the exit as the fire spread further, the building around them started to crumble. He refused to leave anyone behind, making sure everyone who couldn't walk on their own had someone helping them, and guiding anyone who was to disoriented to know what they were doing towards the door. They were almost there, the exit in sight, when another explosion went off...

Gaster, being near the back of the group, was one of the few struck by the debris from the blast. He was knocked to the ground, an agonizing pain overtaking his hands. With his glasses now broken, Gaster was forced to look with hazy, unfocused eyes, hearing a high pitched ringing in his ears. Though he couldn't quite see what had happened, he could make out the shining red blood coating his hands, which felt as if a large nail had been driven through each of them. Along with the pain in his hands, Gaster felt like his whole lower body was crushed to pieces. The pain was unbearable, even worse then when Gaster had woken up in the hospital all those years ago with his uncle by his side, crying over the loss of his parents.

"I'm going to die...just how my parents did..."

The thought struck Gaster with such clarity that it stunned him for a moment, and he found his whole body going numb, the sound of the roaring fire becoming muted to his ears. He found that he wasn't afraid, death might as well have been an old friend to him at this point, he was well acquainted with it after all. Gaster's eye lids started to become heavy, and he felt strangely peaceful, despite the current circumstances. Perhaps dying wouldn't be so bad.

Then Gaster heard two voices in his ears, a garbled mess at first, steadily becoming clearer. He soon realized that it wasn't just voices he was hearing, but laughter, the laughter of his two sons, who he'd happily raised for a few years now. Though he knew there was no way they could've been there, the sound of their voices snapped him out of that strange peace he'd felt when he realized he was going to die. All he could think of was his sons, how they'd feel if he died, uncertain what would even happen to them if he was no longer around.

That was enough to give Gaster the strength he needed. With his body shaking, he managed to lift his head so he could see the exit, right there in front of him. Gaster grit his teeth, slowly starting to move his arms, ignoring the agony coursing through his nerves as he started to crawl towards the light of the outside. He wasn't going to die here, he refused to, not when his boys were out there, expecting him to pick them up from school and ask about their day. Even if he had to crawl all the way to his sons, he would make sure he saw them again, that he would get to hug them tightly and ask them how their day was, just like he did every day.

He was so close now, the exit barely a foot in front of him, the sunlight outside blinding, yet beautiful. Again, Gaster heard voices, but he knew they weren't in his head, they were real, and they meant freedom from this blazing hell. His burst of strength would give out soon, he could feel it, he just needed to make sure they could get to him. Thinking again of how much he wanted to see his boys again, Gaster took in one long breath, his lungs feeling like they were being stabbed with thousands upon thousands of needles, and let out a loud, defiant scream. From the sounds of the approaching footsteps not a moment later, it became obvious that Gaster's cry had been heard, which made him relieved.

That was when his strength finally gave out, and Gaster collapsed to the ground, eyes closing as figures surrounded him...

"Sans...Papyrus..."

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.

.

Dark...it was so dark...

Gaster couldn't see anything, only empty, numbing blackness that stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. There wasn't a sound to be heard in this place, not even when Gaster tried to call out to anyone that may have been there with him. It was like his voice couldn't travel through here, as if he were stuck in the vacuum of space, where no sound could be heard.

He walked through the dark, fidgeting with his hands as he tried to find something, anything in this void of space. Gaster tried to figure out how he'd ended up here, struggling to remember what had happened before he'd woken up in this place. All he could remember was a scalding heat, and the horrible pain he'd felt in his hands, like hot knives speared through them. Just thinking about it made his stomach churn, which in turn made him feel worse than he already did. Being stuck in this place didn't help his current state any, in fact it made his skin crawl.

There had to be some way to get out of this place. Gaster felt desperate for a way to get back home and to see his sons again, worried about what would happen to them if he wasn't there. Had he not bit on the edge of a panic attack, Gaster wouldn't have had concern gnawing at his gut, knowing that his uncle would watch over Sans and Papyrus, but he felt like he was loosing his mind, which made his thoughts jumbled and broken.

Why couldn't he find the way out? There had to be an end to this darkness somewhere, he couldn't have fallen into some infinity sized void that stretched on forever and ever. Nothing like that could possibly exist, there was just no science to back something like that up. If he just kept going, he'd find a way to get out eventually. That was just how the universe was. Everything came to an end. 

"Let me out." Gaster called out, but his voice didn't make a sound, and his hands started to rub his neck nervously.

"LET ME OUT!!!" He tried to call louder, not even hearing the excel of his own breath, his nails starting to dig into his skin.

Gaster felt himself growing increasingly panicked, going rigid, feeling unable to take another step. His breath quickened, and his neck felt like it was burning from his nails clawing off his own flesh. Tears began to sting his eyes as his breath became incredibly labored, his legs giving out and making him collapse to his knees. Gaster felt like his skin was crawling, making him shake and fill with uncontrollable jitters. It was like he couldn't even fit into his own skin right, and it made Gaster feel as if he was going insane. Just kneeling here had him feeling in utter agony from the sheer discomfort of existing in this place where nothing seemed to exist. Perhaps it was like he had feared so many times in his life, he'd finally snapped and gone crazy.

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Chapter Text

Gaster laid in his bed, his blanket pulled up around him. He felt heavy, so heavy that he didn't feel like he could move even if he tried, not that he wanted to get up anyway. His eyes stung from how much he'd been crying, and his whole body ached from laying here all night, unable to fall asleep due to all of the thoughts and emotions flooding his head. He felt miserable, wanting nothing more than to sink into the bed and disappear from the world, away from anything and everything. If he could've, he'd fall asleep and just stay in that nice place where he didn't have to be conscious, but his thoughts wouldn't let him sleep, and in the back of his head, he was afraid he would be tossed back into another nightmare that would send him spiraling again.

His boys had come in to check on him a few times, Papyrus even bringing him something to eat that he soon learned that Gaster wasn't going to eat when he wouldn't speak or move. Sans tried to talk to him, but was met with the same response, absolutely nothing. He didn't want them here, he wanted them in school, but he knew that even if he could muster the energy to speak, he wouldn't be able to convince them to go to there classes after his meltdown last night. For now at least, it seemed they'd given up on trying to get him out of bed, which at least meant they wouldn't have to see him while he was like this.

Almost as if thinking that had summoned a response from the universe itself, Gaster heard the slight creak of his bedroom door opening. He didn't move, not even when he heard the click of the door shutting. Gaster figured that whichever of his boys had come into his room would soon leave when they saw that he hadn't done anything since they'd last been in here. Of course, he wasn't expecting to feel a familiar weight sink into the bed next to him, or a large arm drape over him and pull him close. The hand at the end of that moved and rubbed gently up and down Gaster's arm in a soothing manner, grounding Gaster back to reality.

"Hey..." Came Asgore's soft, worried tone. He sounded so concerned, and yet something about Asgore being here brought some sort of life back into Gaster, and he turned and nuzzled into Asgore's chest, wrapping an arm around him.

"Hey..." Gaster's own voice was barely there, hoarse from all of his crying, and lack of use.

"How are you feeling?" Asgore asked, tilting Gaster's chin up so he'd look at him.

"I-I-" Gaster's voice failed him, and he sniffled.

"Oh- oh love." Asgore saw the tears forming in Gaster's eyes, and carefully wiped them away, cupping the side of Gaster's face with one hand, "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry-"

"You don't have to apologize, there's nothing to be sorry for."

"Asgore, you shouldn't have to deal with me when I'm like this, no one should."

"Gaster-"

"I'll be f-fine-" He leaned into Asgore's touch a bit, trying to smile, "Really, I'm always fine after I've calmed down. I'll be back to myself tomorrow, so don't worry."

"Gaster, I'm already worried." Asgore admitted, pulling Gaster to him and wrapping his arms around him, moving so that Gaster was using his chest for a pillow, "When you love someone, that's just what you do when you see them hurting. It's the same thing with your sons, they were practically pulling their hair out when I got here. Even if you say you'll be fine, we all know you're trying to save face for our sake. You don't have to pretend with us, Gaster, especially me."

Gaster sniffled again, resting his head on Asgore's chest, "I just feel bad making you all worry like this."

"You can't stop us from worrying, Doc. Just let us help you feel better."

"It's not that easy."

"That doesn't mean we won't help." Asgore brushed some loose hair out of Gaster's eyes, making him smile a little, "I'll always be here to help you, even if that means I have to buy you a mountain of grape soda and spicy chips."

Gaster couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him, which made Asgore grin, "There's that gorgeous smile~"

His words caused a blush to spread across Gaster's face, and he turned away and covered his face, "You always have a way to make me blush at any time."

"Well lucky me because you're adorable when you do."

"Oh stop-"

"I'm serious." Asgore took one of Gaster's hands, placing a kiss on the back of Gaster's hand, "You're truly a wonder Gaster, an absolute beauty, and if I get to see that beautiful smile on your face, then I know I'm doing something right."

"Asgore-" Gaster's breath caught, and for the life of him, he couldn't remember why he'd been so upset earlier. It felt like his brain had switched off, and he was just a bubbly mess of feelings.

Asgore leaned closer, pressing a kiss to Gaster's forehead, "I know talking about whatever was upsetting you will probably be hard, but when you feel ready to talk to me about it, know I'm right here, love."

He was being oh so sweet again, which made Gaster feel like he could just melt in his arms. Gaster felt like he could've stayed in Asgore's arms forever, here in this nice bubble of warmth and safety Asgore always seemed to produce when they were alone together. It was strange to have someone in his life who affected him like this, he'd never really given relationships much thought before. Now here he was, turning to puddy in the arms of the man who'd managed to slip through the cracks in his defenses and steal his heart away.

Gaster's fingers began to comb through Asgore's hair, listening to his heartbeat while he rested his head on Asgore's chest. Asgore let the silence fall between them, keeping his arms around Gaster, hand rubbing up and down his back in a repetitive, soothing fashion. The silence was comfortable, peaceful even. It was these little moments with Asgore that Gaster enjoyed most, moments where neither had to say anything, and they could just enjoy each other's presence. After the meltdown he'd had, as well as the drag it had on him into the day, a peaceful silence was exactly what Gaster needed to finish gathering his thoughts together. It was what he needed to figure out whether or not he wanted to talk about what had happened.

"Asgore..." Gaster finally muttered after a moment, looking up at Asgore, "You...you wouldn't...you wouldn't judge, would you?"

"Never."

Gaster took Asgore's hand, smiling a little, "I think I could talk to you about it, I just need some water first."

"I'll get you some." Asgore sat Gaster up, kissing his forehead before standing up. He put the blanket around Gaster's shoulders, making sure he was wrapped up snugly before getting his water.

Gaster sat alone in his room for only a couple minutes before Asgore was back with a glass of water, handing it over before sitting down next to Gaster on the bed. He didn't say anything, not wanting to make Gaster feel rushed into anything. Asgore let Gaster sip on his water until he finished it, handing the glass back to him, which Asgore put on Gaster's nightstand. After a few moments more, Gaster crawled into Asgore's lap, wrapping his arms around him.

"I like this better." Gaster muttered by Asgore's ear, resting his head on Asgore's shoulder.

"That's fine by me." Asgore looped his arms loosely around Gaster, snuggling him closely, "Remember, if you need to stop, that's perfectly fine."

"Okay..." Gaster took a long breath, rubbing his eyes, "I'm warning you now though, it's a long story, and you're not going to like most of it."

"We've got time, and I promise that whether or not I like what you tell me doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not you feel like you can open up about what's upsetting you." Asgore's words were the reassurance Gaster needed, helping him feel like what he was doing was alright.

Before Gaster knew it, he was talking, more than he ever had about anything. He started with his parents, talking about what had happened with them, and how they'd met their end. From there, he went on to talk about how hard it had been when he went to live with his uncle, how he'd struggled to adjust, overridden with guilt and self-loathing over the death of his parents. Lastly, he covered the lab fire, and the long recovery process, how grueling it had been. The nightmares were one of the worst parts of that time in his life, knowing it had affected his sons as much as it had affected him. Of course, the constant pain both mentally and physically had been a horrible experience that had left him unable to properly function for months.

"Gaster-" Asgore looked taken aback once Gaster had finished his story, which had ended with him deciding to move himself and his sons here, where his job was safer, "Gaster, you're crying."

"I am?" Gaster felt his cheek, and realized he was in fact, crying, "I...I didn't even realize."

"You've been through so much..." Asgore cupped Gaster's face in both of his hands, wiping away Gaster's tears, "I'm amazed at how you've managed to keep going. I wouldn't have been able too."

"You give me too much credit." Gaster sighed, leaning into Asgore's touch, "I wanted to give up many times, but I kept going for my uncle, and then for my sons when I finally had them in my life."

"Still Gaster, that's incredibly admirable. I'm glad you keep going, otherwise I wouldn't have met you."

Gaster chuckled, his eyes meeting Asgore's, "How do you love a broken little thing like me?"

"Because you're not broken." Asgore reassured, "You're resilient, and so very strong."

"Asgore-"

"You are." Asgore smiled that crooked smile of his, resting his forehead against Gaster's, "Can I kiss you?"

Gaster didn't answer with words, instead closing the distance to kiss Asgore himself. The kiss was soft and sweet, Gaster putting his arms around the back of Asgore's neck and playing with his hair. Asgore held him a bit tighter, one hand resting on Gaster's hip. It felt nice to kiss Asgore, though it was even nicer to see how Asgore blushed from Gaster catching him off-guard.

"Thank you for listening..." Gaster said after they'd separated, "I-I haven't really talked about it before...it feels like a weight was taken off my chest."

"Of course, Gaster. I'll always be here to listen."

"I guess I'm not used to talking to someone about stuff like that. I'm not really good about opening up."

Asgore let out a small, teasing laugh, "Oh, I've noticed."

Gaster rolled his eyes, wiping the last of his tears before they could fall, "Ass."

Asgore raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm always sure."

"Well if you're sure~" Asgore was grinning mischievously, giving Gaster a look that the professor didn't trust.

"Asgore, what are you- Ah!" Gaster quickly found himself pulled back down onto the bed, Asgore tickling his sides, "N-No wait-" He started giggling, trying to wiggle out of Asgore's trap, only for Asgore to stop him, littering Gaster's face with kisses, his beard tickling Gaster's skin.

"You can never escape my affections!" Asgore exclaimed playfully, not noticing Gaster's hand grab his pillow off of the bed, waking him with it, "Ah- hey!"

"You may have started this, but I'll finish it!" Gaster brandished the pillow like a weapon, a giddy smile on his face.

"Oh really?" Asgore looked amused, "I'd like to see you try~"

Gaster laughed, setting the pillow at his side, "Come closer and I'll show you."

Asgore complied, crawling across the bed so he was right in front of Gaster, arms on either side of him, "Alright, now what?"

Gaster merely grinned, and placed a little kiss on Asgore's nose, "Have I ever told you how incredibly handsome you are?"

Asgore's face became a bright red, making Gaster laugh. Whenever Gaster returned his flirting in that incredibly sweet way of his, it always caused Asgore to become flustered and redder than a tomato. It didn't help that Asgore had never been very good at taking a compliment, so Gaster getting affectionate and flirty usually caused him to have a few moments where his brain had to reboot.

Once he'd gotten his wits about him, Asgore cracked a smile, laying down and pulling Gaster down next to him, "C'mere you~"

Gaster smiled, putting an arm over Asgore as he cuddled him, "I'm glad you came."

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I'm better now that you're here."

"That's nice to hear."

"My emotional support boyfriend." Gaster said with a small chuckle, "I should get you a vest or something."

"Joke's on you, I'd proudly wear that whenever we go out together."

"You would-"

"Do you need anything else, Doc?" Asgore asked, playing with Gaster's hair a bit.

"Not at the moment, I just want to hold you." Gaster let out a content sigh, relaxing in Asgore's hold, "Though...I do need to eat later, I haven't eaten today."

"Then when you feel up to it, I'll get you whatever you want to eat."

"You're to sweet to me."

"I think I'm just the right amount of sweet."

"We're dating, you have to say that."

Asgore kissed Gaster again, giving him a loving, devoted look, "That doesn't make it any less true."

Chapter Text

"Tori..." Muffet muttered as she stepped into the room, seeing Toriel crying on her floor, holding an old framed photo of what looked to be her wedding day. Strange seeing a picture of her where she was smiling that wide when she'd spent the last couple of months stressed out and on the edge.

"M-Muffet-" Toriel sounded alarmed, having not realized Muffet was standing in the doorway for a few moments, "Wh-What are you doing here?" She quickly wiped at her eyes, sniffling as she held back tears.

"Asriel stopped by and told me what's been going on." Muffet went and sat next to Toriel, wrapping an arm around her, "He said you've been out of it since the divorce."

"It's just- things feel so different now-"

"That makes sense, you and Asgore have been married for literal decades."

"I shouldn't be so upset. It's not like it wasn't a mutual agreement between the two of us."

"Toriel, you're allowed to be upset. This is a big change, but you and Asgore both agreed that you'd be happier being split up. You told me yourself, you two make better friends then a couple."

"I know..." Toriel sighed, setting her wedding photo down and resting her head on Muffet's shoulder.

"Um...I get it if you don't wanna talk about what happened between you guys, but I'm here to listen if you need someone to talk too." Muffet offered, gently squeezing Toriel's hand.

After a couple of minutes, Toriel let out a long sigh, muttering just loud enough for Muffet to hear, "We only got married because I was pregnant."

"I-" Muffet felt dumbfounded, and quickly put her free hand over her mouth to keep from blurting out anything that could possibly upset Toriel further.

Sure, she'd only met Asgore and Toriel after they'd been married and had all three of their children, but she'd always gotten the impression that Asgore and Toriel had gone through the classic romantic movie love story. Knowing this new information made something click in Muffet's head, and she suddenly understood why their marriage had fallen out. What had seemed like a happy couple who adored each other, was really just two people who'd been cornered into a situation and acted the way they thought was most appropriate.

"D-Don't get me wrong, Asgore and I have been friends since we were kids, but..." Toriel trailed off, looking incredibly uncomfortable, "Well we got drunk...and then I was pregnant with Asriel."

"Tori-"

"A-And, we wanted Asriel to have both of his parents, and a normal life, and-"

"Toriel!" Muffet interjected, grabbing Toriel by both of her shoulders, "Toriel, it's alright, I get it. You two just wanted your kid to have a happy life, and so you decided to get married. It's completely understandable, and you don't have to justify your actions to me."

Toriel was stunned for a moment, before she asked very softly, "So...you don't think any less of me?"

"Of course not!" Muffet said with a laugh, as if that were the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard, "Honestly, it's astonishing you and Asgore managed for so long. Not a lot of people in your situation can do that."

"I just hope the kids don't hate us..."

"Of course they don't hate you. They're probably upset and confused, but they could never hate you two. You and Asgore have been the very definition of amazing parents to each of your little rascals." Muffet insisted, offering Toriel a comforting smile.

Toriel managed to smile in turn, tears no longer falling down her face, "You're the best, Muffet."

"I'll always be in your corner, Toriel." Muffet reassured, "Now let's leave the tearful moping to someone not nearly as wonderful as you, and go make some pies."

"That sounds splendid!" Toriel grinned, a small blush spreading across her face.

Muffet chuckled, happy to see Toriel smile, "That's what I like to hear!"

.

.

.

"Thanks for helping me try out some new recipes, Tori!" Muffet exclaimed in a chipper tone, "I've been really looking forward to trying to make these lemon cake pops."

"Of course, Muffet. I'm always happy to help you bake up something new." Toriel looked down at the finished product, delicious looking cake pops that were covered in vanilla and chocolate icing, and dipped in yellow sprinkles.

"Well, since you were so nice to help me make these, do you wanna try one first?" Muffet picked up one of the cake pops and held it out to Toriel with a smile.

"We should try them together." Toriel picked up two cake pops, handing one over too, "We both worked to make these, so we should both get to try them."

"You're always so sweet, Tori~" Muffet giggled putting the cake pop into her mouth with a smile, "Mmmm~ The vanilla and lemon really work together."

"I agree," Toriel chuckled, wrapping Muffet in a hug, "Though, they're not nearly as sweet as you."

Muffet tried to not blush to hard, but failed to hide it with her hands, "Oh stop, you're always trying to embarrass me."

"It's true!" Toriel insisted, "Nothing could be sweeter than you."

Muffet blushed harder, turning away with a small giggle, "Such a sweet talker. Wanna help me get these into the fridge?"

"Of course!"

Chapter Text

"Frisk, why are you bringing us to meet your nerd brigade?" Chara asked, hands glued to the thermos of coffee they'd been sipping off of since they'd left the house.

"Because I've only ever met Sans, and I'm nervous about meeting everyone else." Frisk admitted, "He said it was fine if I brought you and Asriel along, and I thought having you both there would help me not look like an idiot."

Asriel let out a yawn, rubbing his head, "Sans? I think I have a guy named Sans in one of my classes. Is he kinda short?"

"Yeah! He's got two different colored eyes too!"

"That sounds like him."

"Oh god, Az. Are you in the nerd brigade too?" Chara, too groggy for the name to jog any of the memories of Papyrus talking about his older brother, "I'm gonna be the only cool one there."

Asriel rolled his eyes, ruffling Chara's hair, "Keep thinking that, chocolate fiend."

"Guys, we're here!" Frisk exclaimed with a little excitement, pointing at the arcade they'd stopped outside of, "This is where Sans said to meet them!"

"Is that them in there?" Asriel pointed at a small group through the window, gathered around what looked like a DDR machine.

"Hey-" Chara stopped for a moment, blinking in disbelief, "Is that Papyrus?"

Chara was of course, referring to the young man that was dancing on the machine, which was of course, Papyrus. Next to him was Sans, and the two of them seemed to be locked in an intense dance battle. Surrounding them were Alphys, Undyne, Mettaton, Napstablook, and Grillby. They were all cheering on the duo as they competed with each other.

"Yeah, that's them!" Frisk practically ran into the building, nearly tripping over their own feet as they came to a halt right behind everyone else, "Go Sans! You can do it!"

"Huh-" Sans looked over his shoulder, seeing Frisk's bright smile, "Heh." Sans grinned, and turned back, seeming to have regained some of the energy he'd lost while he and Papyrus had been dancing.

"What the-!?" Papyrus stumbled, missing his combo and falling on his back, panting hard.

"Yes!" Sans pumped his fist, "The high score is finally mine!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Sans was also lying on his back, breathing just as hard as his younger brother.

"Sans, are you alright?" Grillby asked, kneeling down and helping Sans sit up.

"Y-Yeah, just tired-"

"Papyrus, do you need some water?" Mettaton helped Papyrus up and held out a bottle of water, a slight look of concern on his face.

"N-No, I'm good." Papyrus insisted, "Is this that new friend of yours, Sans?"

"Yeah-" Sans chuckled, "Guys, this is Frisk. They're the newest member of our guild."

"It's nice to finally meet you, punk!" Undyne exclaimed, patting Frisk's back hard enough to make them stagger a bit, "Sans tells us you've got a talent for goblin hunting." Undyne gave a little laugh, sipping on a grape soda she'd gotten from a vending machine.

"Oh i wouldn't say talent-"

"Chara!" Papyrus perked up the moment he saw Chara and Asriel walk into the arcade, a grin appearing on his face as he pulled them into a hug, "Hey, so these are your siblings? Small world."

"Ha! Yeah, I guess you're right. Who would've thought Frisk would meet your brother in an RPG?"

"S-So who's this?" Alphys asked, gesturing to Asriel.

"This is mine and Chara's older brother, Asriel. He's an art major." Frisk said, "You guys should see his paintings, they're amazing!"

Asriel blushed a bit being put on the spot, suddenly becoming a bit shy, "I-I wouldn't say that."

"So Chara," Sans put his hands in the pocket of his jacket, a sly smile appearing on his face, "My bro here tells me you and Napstablook are both music majors."

"Why am I getting roped into this-" Napstablook muttered, eyes flicking between everyone.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, they've got this piano game here that I've been dying to try. Think you two are up to it?"

"You're on!" Chara chuckled mischievously, "C'mon Blook, let's show him what we've got!"

"I'd rather not-" Before Napstablook could finish, he found himself being dragged off by the arm, Chara leading the way.

"Hey, aren't you also the kid my dad's teaching music stuff too?" Sans asked.

"Oh wait, I yeah you're right- That's why you look so familiar."

------

Gaster finished playing the tune he'd been practicing on his violin, setting it down beside him as he turned to Asgore. He of course, was giving Gaster a dopey, lovesick look that made Gaster's cheeks turn bright red. In a lot of ways, Asgore reminded him of a puppy, easily excitable and fascinated by even the most mundane of things. Of course, Asgore didn't seem to think his music was mundane at all, quite the opposite actually. Maybe that was why he'd stolen Gaster's heart so easily and caused the professor to become absolutely smitten with him.

"Oh stop-" Gaster tried to hide his smile behind his hand as his blush grew, "You're going to make me redder than a rose."

"A rose isn't nearly as beautiful as you~" Asgore cooed, leaning a bit closer, "I can never get enough of hearing you play."

Gaster giggled, covering his face with his hands, "Asgore-"

"It's true~ It's like hearing an angel sing."

"You're teasing me."

"Only a little, I can't help how cute you look when you're all flustered."

Gaster peeked through his fingers, "Jerk."

"You know you love me~"

Gaster chuckled, lowering his hands, "Maybe I do~ You'll never know."

"Oh, come on~" Asgore wrapped his arms around Gaster, pulling him closer, "I love you, WingDings~"

Gaster blushed harder, looping his arms around the back of Asgore's neck as he let out a light laugh, "Fine~ I love you, Asgore~"

Asgore chuckled and pressed a kiss to Gaster's forehead, "I'm glad you invited me over today."

"Yeah well, I had the house to myself today, so I thought we could spend some time together." Gaster rested his head on Asgore's shoulder, letting out a content sigh as he felt the warmth of being wrapped up in Asgore's arms.

"I'm always happy to spend more time with you." Asgore brushed some hair out of Gaster's eyes, "Say, where are your boys anyways?"

"Oh, off with college friends, causing a muck, whatever college kids do." Gaster shrugged, looping some of Asgore's hair around one of his fingers, "I believe Sans said something about an arcade if I'm being honest."

"Well, at least they aren't going to any parties." Asgore chuckled, "I doubt those got any better over the years."

"Oh~ Are you saying you've been to college parties, Az?" Gaster teased, giving a little smirk.

Asgore blushed the faintest pink, unable to look Gaster in the eye, "Well-"

"You did!" Gaster giggled, "So you had a wild side~"

"Had?" Asgore asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gaster rolled his eyes, gently poking Asgore in the chest, "Oh please, you're a giant teddy bear."

"Really?" A playful and mischievous glint flashed in Asgore's eyes, "Are you sure about that?"

"Asgore, what are you- Ah!"

Before Gaster could fully process what was happening, Asgore had swept him up in his arms as he stood up, spinning Gaster around the room. He smothered Gaster's face with kisses as the professor started laughing, unable to get away from Asgore's affections, not that he really wanted to. Once Asgore was done spinning him around, he lifted him up, holding him securely as he laughed with Gaster. Gaster's arms were around Asgore's shoulders, his forehead resting against Asgore's as he giggled. He pressed a kiss to Asgore's mouth, fingers combing through his hair, feeling his heart flutter in his chest.

"Stars, I love you." Gaster spoke just above a whisper, bringing one of his hands up to cup the side of Asgore's face.

"I love you too." Asgore leaned into Gaster's touch, letting his eyes close for a moment, "You're gorgeous, did you know that?"

Gaster's cheeks flushed faintly, and he let out a laugh, "You always try to flatter me."

"I mean it." Asgore insisted, pressing a kiss to Gaster's wrist, "I could get lost in your eyes."

"Are you going to keep buttering me up with those pretty words, or are you going to kiss me?" Gaster asked, a sly smirk on his face. It was honestly an adorable expression on him.

"Well, since you asked~" Asgore chuckled, and pulled Gaster down into a kiss.

The two became wrapped up once more in their own little bubble of warm embraces and kisses. They were so caught up in themselves that they didn't hear anyone at the door until it opened wide, revealing Sans, Papyrus, and everyone else who'd been at the arcade with them. Gaster and Asgore stared, and the group stared back. No one said a word, or even moved for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, Sans closed the door, not uttering a single word. Gaster blushed heavily, hiding his face in Asgore's chest as the taller man started laughing through the blush on his face.

Chapter Text

"Wow, this is amazing, Papyrus!" Mettaton exclaimed as he entered the decorated house with the rest of the party guests, dressed up as a sexy robot, "And I must say, that skeleton costume is so adorable on you~"

Papyrus blushed some, though the makeup he had on kept it hidden, "Th-Thanks, Mettaton. You look amazing."

"Paps, did you make the armor yourself?" Undyne asked, poking as the battle body Papyrus had on, the fake spear of her own fish warrior costume almost poking out Papyrus's eye.

"Uh- Sans actually helped me with it."

"Hey, where is Sans, anyways?" Frisk asked, a cheeky grin on their face, "I want him to see my costume."

"I'm right here, kiddo." Sans said as he entered the room, also dressed up as a skeleton. He took a moment to take in Frisk's costume, noting the baggy black shorts and blue jacket, "Well looky here, Paps, I've got a doppelganger."

"Yeah, this dork thought they were a real comedian." Chara snickered, twirling their toy knife in their hand, the fake blood on their shirt making them look as if they'd just gotten back from a massacre, "Though it's not nearly as dorky as that." Using the toy knife, Chara pointed at Asriel, Asgore, and Toriel, each dressed with ears and horns that resembled that of a goat's.

"Hey, don't be jealous. We asked if you wanted to dress up with us." Asriel retorted as he sat down, "But noooo, you wanted to come dressed as a psycho killer."

"I think it's cool..." Napstablook murmured softly, his eyes peering out through the holes he'd cut into a sheet for his ghost costume.

"Aw~ You always have my back, Blooky~" Chara teased, playfully nudging Napstablook with their elbow.

Alphys, dressed as a yellow dinosaur creature, was currently enamored by the glowing skull lights that were adorning the walls among the fake spiderwebs and skeletal bats, "It must've taken forever to set all of this up. How'd you guys manage this?"

Sans leaned against the couch, letting out a loud snort, "Alphys, you've known our dad for how years now, have you really never noticed how obsessed he is with Halloween?"

"...no-"

Grillby, who's hair was styled to look like flickering flames, chimed in as he poked at a fake zombie hand in a candy bowl, "Last year he handed out a bunch of fake pumpkins full of candy to everyone at the diner."

"To his students too." Papyrus added.

"Where is Gaster anyways?" Asgore asked, looking around, though he didn't see a trace of the professor anywhere.

"He's just putting on his costume." Sans said with a shrug, before calling up the stairs, "Dad! Hurry up, everyone's here!"

"Hold on a minute!" Gaster called back, before a set of footsteps could be heard heading down to the living room. Once he was down, it was clear why it had taken so long to get on his costume.

Like his sons, Gaster was dressed as a skeleton, wearing the same makeup and gloves designed with skeletal hands, though he had taken it a step farther. He'd gone down Papyrus's route and had changed his clothing to go with his costume, but he hadn't stopped at a simple battle body, he had on a black robe that flowed down to his ankles. It was just high enough off of the ground for the black leather boots he had on underneath, which were platforms and added about an inch to his height. The most striking piece to Gaster's ensemble was the electric purple contacts he had one, which hid his pupils and made his eyes look as if they were glowing.

"Gaster, did you make that yourself?" Toriel asked with a bright smile, "It's so impressive."

Gaster chuckled a little, looking a bit bashful, "Oh, I just fixed up the robe some to fit me better."

"I think it suits you." Asgore took Gaster's hand, giving him an affectionate smile, "Intimidating, yet handsome~"

"Az-" Gaster put his hand up to hide his blush, forgetting for a moment that his makeup his it from the eyes in the room.

"Get a room." Undyne said with an eye roll, going to the snack table where the spooky Halloween snacks were set out.

"Like you and Alphys are any better." Sans said with a snicker, "You two can barely keep your hands off of each other on a good day."

Alphys blushed furiously, stammering over her words, "H-Hey-"

"Sans, be nice." Gaster said with narrowed eyes, "This is a party after all."

"Speaking of party~" Papyrus chimed as he went over to turn on some Halloween music.

The moment the music started to play, Frisk let out a loud gasp and shot up out of their seat, "SPOOKY SCARY SKELETON-"

"Frisk, no!" Chara groaned, putting their hands over their ears, "You don't have to scream it every time-"

"SEND SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE!!!"

Gaster and Asgore looked at each other, then started to giggle as the chaos began to unfold in front of them. For the moment, things seemed fine, fun, and carefree, everyone starting to have a nice time with each other for the first time in weeks. As the night started to go on, they danced and enjoyed the snacks, all none the wiser to the full-length mirror on the far wall, where a strange shadow seemed to ripple within it. That was until Gaster had went to get something to drink, and saw a flicker of movement from the corner of his eyes.

Curiosity starting to nag at his thoughts, he approached the mirror, trying to reassure himself that it was just someone's reflection. Once he was standing right in front of it, Gaster realized that the movement wasn't coming from anyone's reflection, but from something that appeared to be inside of the mirror. The cup in his hand fell to the floor, and his eyes widened at what started to form in front of his eyes.

It was a skeleton, a tall skeleton with two cracks in his skull and two lights in his eye sockets that appeared to be the skeleton's eyes. Something about the skeleton felt eerily familiar, especially how the skeleton seemed to mimic his own shocked expression. Whatever he was seeing, Gaster felt like the answer he was looking for was so close, just out of reach, but something was blocking him from grabbing it, like a mental wall of sorts. It was frustrating, but Gaster didn't feel like he could look away if he tried, just stuck there starring at the skeleton in his mirror.

"Gaster, are you alright?" Came Asgore's voice from behind him, making Gaster jump.

"O-Oh I uh-" Gaster turned back to the mirror, and felt his heart stop for a moment when he saw that the skeleton was no longer there, "...I'm fine..." Looking down, Gaster mumbled to himself, "Shit, I dropped my drink-"

"Don't worry, I'll get something to clean it up." Asgore reassured, giving a warm, yet concerned smile, "You are okay though, right? You seem a little shaken."

Gaster tried to give a confident laugh, but it came out more like a wheezy chuckle, "Y-Yeah, um- don't worry about the drink, I'll get a towel." Before Asgore could say anything else, Gaster was off, going to hunt down a towel to clean up the spill.

Asgore was left looking after him, feeling confusion start to eat away at his thoughts, "...maybe something startled him-"

Had Asgore looked just a little to his left before he walked away, he would have seem that the shadow in the mirror had formed once again...

Chapter Text

The day was like something out of a fairytale, the snow fell in a a light flurry, marking the end of the holiday break, and there was a laid back warmth in the air. Papyrus and Mettaton walked hand in hand down the street together, decked in light jackets and scarves, Papyrus even wearing a pair of orange mittens. The duo was lost in their own conversation, no real destination in mind.

“It was so nice of you to come pick me up from my photo shoot, Pappy dear~” Mettaton cooed, moving his arm to loop around Papyrus’s waist.

Papyrus blushed heavily, still unused to Mettaton’s more forward flirtations, “I-It was no trouble, Mettaton. How’s your new line of clothes going?”

“Well considering the good feedback I got during the photo shoot, I think when my new spring line comes out in April, it’ll be a huge hit.” Mettton said with a chuckle, before looking away, seeming to suddenly get a little shy, “Actually Papyrus…I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Oh?” Papyrus turned his eyes down towards Mettaton, one eyebrow raised, “What is it, Mettaton?”

“Well…” The question seemed to get stuck in Mettaton’s throat, making him feel like he was about to choke, “Um- if you want to…well…if you’re free…”

“Yes?” Papyrus stopped walking, taking Mettaton’s hands in his own, “Metta, you seem uneasy-”

“…wait right here for just a moment.” Mettaton quickly crossed the street, sitting on a bench and hiding his face in his hands. Just as Mettaton had told him too, Papyrus stayed right where he was, starring after Mettaton with concern.

”What is wrong with me!?” Mettaton whispered harshly to himself, “Swarms of people adore me, I charm the pants off of my fan base with every video I make, and I can’t ask out one guy!?”

But…this wasn’t just any guy, it was Papyrus, sweet, energetic, and ever so thoughtful Papyrus. He’d been smitten with him since they’d first met, and his feelings had only gotten stronger the longer they knew each other. It had been so long since Mettaton felt like he could trust someone besides his cousin, and he couldn’t even remember if he’d ever held feelings like this for anyone else before, or even just a fleeting fancy. He felt like he was being driven insane living with these feelings inside of his head, never uttering a single word of it.

Now here he was, looking like an idiot while Papyrus was thinking who only knew what about what he was doing. Mettaton felt awful just leaving him there, but he couldn’t get his thoughts to work properly with Papyrus looking at him so adoringly. He wasn’t sure how he could ask Papyrus anything when that one look was enough to make his thoughts spin.

“God I’m such uh-”

“Mettaton,” Came the familiar, sweet tone that Mettaton had fallen head over heels for, “I-I know you wanted me to wait over there, but I’m worried. Are you okay?”

Mettaton looked up, feeling his cheeks flush, and not just from the chill in the air, “Papyrus I- oh I don’t know anymore…” He sighed in defeat, slumping down in the bench he sat in.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Papyrus asked as he sat down next to Mettaton, “Perhaps I can help.”

“I…no…” Mettaton groaned, bringing his knees up to his chest, “I don’t think you can.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to try.” Papyrus gave a reassuring smile, taking Mettaton’s hand again, “If anything, I can at least try to distract you from your problem for a little while.”

Mettaton couldn’t stop the smile starting to form on his face, “You’re so sweet. How’d I get so lucky to have you wonder into my life?”

“Oh, I’m the lucky one!” Papyrus insisted, letting out a laugh, “You’re a great friend, Mettaton.” A blush started to grow on Papyrus’s face, “I…I really enjoy spending time with you, Metta. You mean a lot to me.”

Mettaton’s breath hitched, looking down at there intertwined fingers, “P-Papyrus-”

“I-I’m sorry-” Papyrus quickly pulled his hand away, “I didn’t mean to overstep-”

”Nononono, it’s okay!” Mettaton grinned brightly, “I get what you mean, Papyrus. I feel the same way.”

“Huh-” Papyrus’s face looked completely stunned, not sure if he’d heard what he’d really heard.

“Look I…I wanted to ask you if maybe…” Mettaton grabbed both of Papyrus’s hands, taking a long, steadying breath, “If maybe you’d want to go out sometime?”

“…like a date?” Papyrus asked quietly, blushing furiously.

“Yeah um…like a date.”

Mettaton found himself pulled into a tight embrace, Papyrus pressing a kiss to his forehead, “I’d love to!”

“Holy crap-”

Papyrus giggled, cupping the side of Mettaton’s face with his hand, “So what do you want to go do? Dinner, dancing, you name it, we’ll do it!”

“Dancing sounds great,” Mettaton said, resting his head on Papyrus’s shoulder, “Does Saturday work for you?”

“Yeah, I’m not doing anything.”

“Perfect~”

The two were so caught up in their own bubble of elation that they didn’t see the couple that was starting to come up to them. It was an elderly man and woman, both wearing matching wedding bands. The woman had blonde hair that was threaded with grey, and wore a black coat with her hair tied back in a bun, dazzling green eyes analyzing her surroundings. Her husband had on a green sweater, and his hair was completely silvery grey, his dark eyes peering out from behind a pair of spectacles. His expression was stern and piercing, showing that he was a man who would easily judge you if he felt like it.

“Excuse me, sirs.” Said the woman in a friendly tone, “My husband and I are a little lost, do you think you could help us?”

“Oh-” When he realized they had an audience, Papyrus let go of Mettaton’s waist, but kept a gentle hold on his hand, “Uh yeah- How can we help you miss?”

“We’re trying to find our son’s apartment complex, I believe it was called Hotland Apartments?”

“Oh- sorry, I don’t know how to get there. What’s your son’s name? I might know him.”

“His name’s Asgore.” Grumbled out the husband, “Asgore Dreemurr.”

Papyrus’s face brightened, and he stood up, “You’re Asgore’s parents?”

Mettaton joined him, a smile on his face, “So you’re who we have to thank for that darling man! Just last week he showed me where to get a plant I could keep in my dorm.”

“That sounds like him.” The woman said with a laugh, “He’s always had a green thumb.”

“Hey, we could take you to Grillby’s Diner, he could be there, or at least Grillby can give you directions.”

“How far is it?” The man grumbled again.

“Not far,” Papyrus answered, “It’s just around the block from here. Grillby serves great coffee if you need something to help warm you up.”

“That sounds lovely,” Said the woman, “By the way, my name is Sabrina, and this is my husband, Aren.”

“I’m Papyrus, and this is Mettaton!”

“It’s very lovely to meet you, Papyrus.”

Chapter Text

Hiding under his bed, Asgore held his hands tightly over his ears, trying to block out the sounds of his parents arguing downstairs, like they so often did. It wasn’t uncommon for Asgore to fantasize about running away, never having to listen to their bickering again. This would often lead his overactive imagination to think about what his parents would do if he weren’t around for them to rope into their arguments anymore. He knew it was a crazy idea, but he worried they might end up killing each other if he weren’t around anymore.

“Make it stop.” Asgore muttered as tears pricked at his eyes and he started to tremble, feeling as if he were going insane, “I just want it to stop…”

.

.

.

Sitting at the counter next to Gaster, Asgore’s fingers dug into his leg as he listened to a couple bicker behind him. He’s spared a glance over his shoulder to see that this couple had a young daughter with them. She stared down at the kid’s menu Grillby had given her, a distant, heartbreaking look on her face as she half-heartedly colored the pictures on her menu with some crayons. It felt all to familiar to Asgore as he quickly looked back at the coffee cup before him, Gaster rubbing at his forehead while a migraine formed from all of the yelling.

“I swear if those two don’t shut it-” Grillby muttered, just about ripping the rag in his hands to shreds.

“Asgore, are you alright?” Gaster asked, almost do quietly for Asgore to hear him.

Asgore chuckled weakly, “I should be asking you that, dearest. Should we go? It looks like all of this noise is causing you a headache.”

“No, I’ll be-” Gaster’s words were cut off by the sound of the little girl jumping down from her seat and running out of the door, starting to cry, “Oh dear-”

Asgore’s eyes turned and he watched as the girls parents looked at each other in what looked like horrified realization before getting up and following after her, catching up with her right outside of the front window. For a moment, Asgore was worried they’d start yelling at her, mostly from his own experiences, but he felt something touch his heart when he saw the couple pick up their child and hug her, spouting what he was certain were apologies for their behavior. As they walked off with their daughter, Asgore felt relief seeing the smile on the girls face, talking animatedly to her parents.

“Finally-” Grillby put his rag down, letting out a heavy sigh, “They were driving me nuts.”

“Well at least they made up.” Asgore said as he turned back around, taking Gaster’s hand in his own, “Are you sure you don’t want to go home, love?”

Gaster grinned before leaning on Asgore’s shoulder, “I promise I feel fine, besides, I promised to buy you breakfast.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of that-” Grillby quickly turned to the window between the front counter and kitchen, grabbing two plates of waffles, eggs, and bacon that his chef had just placed down, the plates still steaming lightly when he set the food in front of Asgore and Gaster.

“Thank you, Grillby.” Asgore said with a smile, “It looks great.”

“It’s no problem, Mr. Dreemurr.” Grillby reassured, place a small syrup bottle in front of them, “You two let me know if you need anything.” He said before going to another customer.

Gaster started to cut up his waffles, “Gosh, already have way through the school year.”

“A lot’s happened though~” Asgore said as he sipped on his coffee, “Hey, do you have any plans for over the summer?”

“Oh, just the usual I guess. Work on my projects.” Gaster shrugged, “I don’t really known what I’d do other than that.”

“Well, you could come away with me for a couple weeks.” Asgore suggested, cheeks turning a faint pink as he focused on his meal.

Gaster’s face grew a few shades darker as he flushed red, “Come away with you?” Gaster repeated as if he hadn’t quite heard him, “Where would we be going?”

“Well I have this little cabin out by the lake up in Waterfall. It’s really nice during the summer months, and has the most lovely view.” Asgore went on, giving Gaster a little smile, “It might be nice to get a little change of scenery, don’t you think?”

Gaster partially hid his smile behind his hand, face flushed red, “Sounds cozy…and romantic.”

“That’s what I thought~” Asgore cooed, “So are you interested?”

“Definitely~” Gaster said with a light giggle, “Sounds like a great time.”

“I love you~” Asgore said, pressing a quick kiss to Gaster’s forehead.

Gaster giggled again, “I love you too, Az.” Gaster replied, placing a small kiss to the corner of Asgore’s mouth, making the larger man stutter.

“Asgore?” Came a woman’s voice from behind the two of them, making Gaster and Asgore turn around to face Sabrina and Aren being led in by Mettaton and Papyrus, “My goodness Asgore, you’re hair’s gotten so much longer since we last saw you!”

“Mom-” Asgore managed to get out before Sabrina had crossed the room and embraced him in a tight hug, a wide smile on her face.

“Oh look at you! How’s that new job you were talking about over the phone?”

“It-It’s fine- I um- what are you two doing here?”

“Well that’s a heck of the way to greet your parents.” Aren muttered with an eye roll.

“Aren don’t be rude.” Sabrina snapped back at him, before turning back to Asgore with a bright smile, “We just wanted to come and check up on you dear, but it looks like you’re doing pretty well.” Sabrina’s eyes suddenly fell on Gaster, seeming to just realize he was there, “Oh hun, who’s your friend?”

Gaster immediately hadn’t like the pair from the moment he’d laid eyes on them, Asgore had told him a bit about how his parents were, and he knew all too well how emotionally neglectful they had been to him, “I’m Dr. W.D. Gaster, miss, and our relationship isn’t exactly what I’d call friendship.” Gaster’s tone was sharp, and his dislike was quite audible in his voice.

“Uh- well…” Asgore blushed brightly and looked away from his parents, “He’s not wrong…”

Aren’s eyes fell to in between the both of them, seeing their hands locked together as Gaster’s thumb brushed comfortingly across Asgore’s knuckles, “…Asgore…are you seeing this young man?” His tone was unreadable, yet threatening in a way that made Asgore start to tremble lightly as years of repressed memories came back to him. Asgore’s trembling started a growing rage in Gaster’s chest.

“Y-Yeah, I am.” Asgore couldn’t bring himself to look at either of his parents, both peering into him with that unforgiving gaze of disappointment.

“Asgore…” Sabrina chided, “Didn’t we teach you better?”

“Stop it-”

“This is because you always babied him.” Aren practically hissed at his wife, “Now he’s all soft and with a fa-”

Gaster was suddenly up on his feet, right in Aren’s face, “Watch your fucking mouth you filthy bastard.” Gaster’s voice came out in a venomous hiss, “Or I’ll rip your inflated head off.”

Aren stumbled back, startled from Gaster suddenly being in his face, “I- You can’t just threaten me-”

“Watch me.” Gaster snarled, “Now get out of here.”

Sabrina looked nervous, seeing how people were starring at them, “Aren, maybe we should just go.” She grabbed her husband’s arm, a pleading look on her face, “People are starting to stare at us.”

Aren looked around him, then back at Gaster, “Fine…but this isn’t over.” Grabbing his wife’s hand, before pulling her alongside him out of the door, which was being held open by a glowering Papyrus.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Asgore muttered quietly, leaning onto the counter as he pushed his plate away a bit, his appetite gone.

“Asgore-” The second Gaster saw the look on Asgore’s face, his bitterness evaporated and he sat back down next to Asgore, wrapping an arm around him, “I didn’t mean to loose my temper like that,  I just couldn’t stand seeing them talk to you like that. Are you alright though?”

Asgore sighed, leaning into Gaster’s touch a bit, “Yeah…I’ll be alright, it didn’t go nearly as badly as it could’ve.”

“Dad, are you okay?” Papyrus asked, coming over to his father with Mettaton.

“Yeah, that looked pretty nasty.” Mettaton added, a worried furrow in his brows.

“I’m fine, Papyrus, just give me a minute.” Gaster turned to Asgore, speaking softly, “Do you want to go home, dearest?”

Asgore wiped at his eyes a bit and nodded, “Yeah- Yeah that sounds like a good idea.”

Gaster quickly pulled out his wallet, “This should cover it, Grillby, and I threw in some extra for the trouble.”

“I- You don’t have to Mr-”

“No, it’s fine.” Gaster took Asgore’s hand and started to guide him out of the diner, “Papyrus, I’ll see you at home later, okay?”

“I…okay, Dad…”

———

The next half hour passed in a blur, Asgore barely registering getting into the passenger seat as Gaster drove his truck back to his apartment. Gaster guided him up the stairs and sat him on the couch once they were in the living room. He knew Gaster was saying something to him, but it just wasn’t registering in his head, his mind to muddled with images of his parents and those looks they were giving him. Memories of being stuck in the middle of them while they argued sprang up, filling him with feelings of distress as tears stung at his eyes. His breathing became shallow and unsteady while his eyes became unfocused.

“Asgore!” Gaster practically yelled, trying to get Asgore’s attention.

Gaster raising his voice got Asgore to snap out of his delirium, but it triggered him to bring his knees up to his chest, head resting on them as he covered his ears with his hands, shaking tremendously. It caused Gaster to feel a dreaded guilt in his stomach watching Asgore shake next to him. He scooted away to give Asgore some room to breath so he could pull himself together, not wanting to accidentally set him off again.

After a moment, Asgore calmed, leaning back against the couch as he held himself tightly, “I-I’m sorry,” Asgore managed to get out, “You shouldn’t have to see me like this.”

“Oh please, you’ve seen me at my worst, seeing you at your own won’t change a thing.” Gaster reassured, “Do you want anything? Some tea maybe?”

“No, I don’t think I could keep it down.” Asgore sighed, “…there is something though.”

“Oh?” Gaster asked, “Well what is-” Gaster let out a squeak, not having expected Asgore to put his head in his lap, wrapping his arm around Gaster’s middle, “U-Um- Asgore-”

“Perfect.” Asgore let out a content sigh, “Absolutely…perfect…” By the sound of the yawn that followed Asgore’s words, it sounded like he was about to fall asleep.

“Asgore-” Gaster didn’t get another word about before hearing Asgore’s faint snoring, realizing he’d passed out cold.

Gaster smiled a bit, and brushed some fingers through Asgore’s hair, “Sleep well, love.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, what about this box here?” Asgore asked as he picked up another box that had been shoved into a corner of the attic. It was clear from the amount of dust that it hadn’t been moved in years.

“Oh jeeze, looks like it’s been sitting there since we moved in.” Gaster opened the box after Asgore placed it in front of him, “Let’s see, some of the boys old toys, baby clothes, oh hey!” Gaster pulled out an old photo album, “I can’t believe this didn’t get thrown out ages ago!”

“What’s in it?” Asgore asked, taking a seat beside him.

“Old pictures from when I was a kid, vacations, birthdays, that sort of thing.” Gaster began flipping through the photo album, “Hey, there’s when I won the school science fair. Oh, and this one is-” Gaster blushed bright red when his eyes fell onto the next picture, while Asgore busted out into a giggling fit.

The photo showed a Gaster who couldn’t have been older than twelve, wearing all black. He had the running eyeliner going down his cheeks, and a studded collar on along with platform boots. The red streaks in Gaster’s black hair really seemed to bring out the disinterest Gaster had for even being in this particular photo. Due to the expressions his parents were giving, it was clear they were struggling to be supportive of Gaster’s very volatile emo phase.

“W-Well that wasn’t e-expected-” Asgore wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes, starting to calm himself down, “Please tell me you had at least one anarchy shirt.”

“N-No-” Gaster muttered as he looked away, face flushed red, “I had three-”

Asgore let out a wheeze, slumping over onto the floor while holding his sides. Gaster, still sitting next to him, rolled his eyes and set the photo album down on the floor. He was a little annoyed at first, but seeing Asgore laid out on the floor gave him an idea, making him smirk a bit. Moving quickly, Gaster leaned over Asgore, one arm propping him up while he pressed a delicate hand to the larger man’s chest. When he finally realized just how close Gaster had suddenly gotten, Asgore’s cheeks became cherry red, going stiff as he felt Gaster’s hand trail up from his chest to brush against the side of his face, moving through his hair.

“Uh-uh Gaster-”

“So you like teasing, hm?” Gaster cooed, “Seems only fair I can retaliate, don’t you think?”

“I-I-I uh-”

Gaster chuckled, pressing a small kiss to Asgore’s nose, “You’re adorable when you’re all flustered.”

Asgore let out a chuckle and grabbed Gaster’s free hand, pressing a kiss of his own to the man’s slender wrist, “I could say the same thing about you, you know~”

“I-” Gaster’s sudden confidence faded, and his face became a lot more red. It was absolutely baffling to Gaster how quickly Asgore could turn him into puddy when he wanted too.

Asgore sat up, pulling Gaster right into his lap, keeping one arm looped around his waist. He tilted Gaster’s chin up with his free hand, leaning close enough that his lips almost brushed against Gaster’s. Gaster could feel his heart pounding in his chest, wondering briefly if his very soul would explode. He leaned into Asgore’s touch, which was warm and gentle, letting out a content sigh. 

Asgore let out a little chuckle upon seeing how easily fell apart in his hold, “Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?”

“Many times actually~” Gaster smiled a bit, “You seem to like reminding me of that.”

“Because it’s true~”

“Shush the flattery and kiss me already you adorable dork.” Gaster said with an amused tone, looking up at Asgore with an affectionate gaze.

“Gladly~” Asgore closed the last little bit of space between them, pressing his lips to Gaster’s in a soft kiss. He pressed one hand to the small of Gaster’s back while Gaster’s hands came up and brushed his fingers through Asgore’s long, golden hair. When Asgore pushed the kiss deeper, Gaster felt a delightful shiver run down his spine, gripping onto Asgore a little harder

When they parted for air, Asgore started pressing small kisses to Gaster’s neck, making him tremble, “A-Az-” Gaster’s hands rested on Asgore’s broad shoulders, leaning his head over to allow Asgore easier access, “M-Make me a-any redder and I-I’ll be a t-tomato.” Gaster’s words came out in a shaky laugh.

“You don’t seem to mind~” Asgore teased, whispering softly by Gaster’s ear, which caused him to shiver again.

“Mhm~ well we’re g-going to have t-to continue this l-later.” With a great bit of willpower, Gaster managed to put some space between them, “If we get distracted now, I’ll never finish organizing the attic.”

“Fair point.” Asgore said with a chuckle, removing his arms from around Gaster, “What else is in that box?”

“Some more photo albums and some yearbooks. Hey-” Gaster’s voice stopped when his eyes fell on an old, yellowed envelope lying at the bottom of the box, faded, yet familiar handwriting still on the back of it.

“Gaster?” Asgore tilted his head a bit curiously, “Is everything alright?”

Gaster lifted the envelope out of the box, feeling the aged paper carefully, “I’d forgotten about this…”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I- uh…here…” Gaster held the letter out to Asgore, not making eye contact, “It’s for you anyways.”

“Huh-” Asgore looked down at the letter, picking it up, “How…” Asgore trailed off, reading the neat, loopy handwriting on the back of it. He didn’t know it, but what it spelled out made something in his stomach drop for a minute.

To My Nephew’s Love

“Uh- Gaster-” Asgore looked up, suddenly realizing that Gaster had left at some point without him noticing, “I- okay…” Asgore looked down at the letter again, and carefully opened it, trying to avoid accidentally ripping the paper. His eyes trailed over the words, feeling as if there was another presence in the room despite now being all alone.

Hello whoever you are! Though we’ve never met, I want you to know that you have my deepest gratitudes. If WingDings’s given this to you, then he must love you dearly. In case you haven’t heard about me from Wingdings or his boys, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Roman, I’m WingDing’s uncle. Though I suppose by the time you read this, the proper thing to say will be I WAS his uncle. 

Asgore felt a shock run through him, remembering how Gaster had told him about his uncle the first time he’d gone drinking with Asgore and Toriel.

I’m sorry I can’t greet you in person, but I’m afraid old age has already started to whither me away. Each day that goes by makes me feel a little less present in my life. I doubt I’ll be around much longer, so I guess I’ll just try to tell you everything I’d like to with this letter.

First off, like I said earlier, I’d like to thank you. If WingDings feels like he can love you, then you must be someone quite special. WingDings has never been one to allow people into his life easily, and to allow you so close means he trusts you. Knowing he’ll one day get to experience what it is to be in love gives me a little comfort at the idea of passing away. Sans and Papyrus will be just as thankful someone’s helped their father come out of his shell too, even if they don’t tell you (Specifically Sans, that boy likes keeping all of his feelings to himself).

I also wanted to say that I wish you and WingDings the best. My nephew’s always been a bit different from most, and that can be a little standoffish to some people. If he’s found someone to give this letter to, than that means he feels like he can be himself around you, which is something I hope you remember no matter what the two of you face together.

Well I don’t want to make this letter longer than it has to be, so I’ll sum this up. I know it’s stupid for a dead guy to ask you to make a promise, but I’m going to anyway. I’d like for you to promise that no matter how badly Gaster can work at your patience, you’ll be there when he needs someone to talk to. I know sometimes he acts without thinking, but he’s never done anything with ill intentions in mind. Though, by now I think you’ve started to realize that.

Wishing you all the best, Roman.

Asgore was stunned, starring down at the letter in his hands with awe. He wasn’t quite sure what all was going through his head, starring down at the faded ink on the paper that felt like some timeless artifact to him now. He’d known Gaster and his uncle were close from a few stories he’d been told about the man, but this letter gave him a pretty good visual at just how close they actually were.

Safely putting the letter into his pocket, Asgore stood up and went downstairs, looking around to find Gaster. He heard him down in the kitchen rifling around for what he would’ve bet was some cup ramen. Once he was in the doorway, he found his suspicions to be true when he found Gaster leaning back against the counter, using some chop sticks to eat shrimp flavored ramen out of a cup. It caused a chuckle to bubble up out of him, and he smiled when Gaster met his eyes with a little smirk on his face.

“So you read the letter?”

“I did.”

“Interesting.” Gaster set his ramen on the counter, “Out of curiousness I have to ask, what did he write in there?”

“You don’t know?” Asgore came over and leaned on the counter next to Gaster, “Did he not tell you?”

“No…he told me I could read it if I wanted to, but it didn’t feel right. It wasn’t for me anyways.”

“Well,” Asgore took Gaster’s hand, “If you really wanna know-”

“Actually, wait-” Gaster quickly interjected, “Don’t- Don’t tell me…I don’t wanna know.”

“Are you sure?” Asgore asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Gaster sighed and pressed a kiss to Asgore’s forehead, “Are you hungry at all? I could whip you up some noodles if you’d like.” Gaster said with a laugh, knowing full well that Asgore hated instant ramen.

Asgore gave a mock scoff, “No offense love, but I think I’d rather make us both something to eat.”

“Oh really?” Gaster chuckled, “What did you have in mind?”

“Well how about you and I get the stuff to make actual ramen?” Asgore asked with a light laugh, “Then we can make enough for you to take some to work.”

“Are you sure you wanna let me in a kitchen with you again after the last time we tried to cook together?” Gaster said with a small snort, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t that end with your stove covered in the foam from your fire extinguisher?”

“Don’t remind me-” Asgore shuddered at the memory of the stove going up in flames, “But how can we get any better at it if we don’t keep trying.”

“Okay, but this time you’re letting me pay to fix the stovetop.”

“We won’t need it~” Asgore reassured.

Gaster let out a small giggle, “If you say-”

Gaster was cut off by Asgore’s phone ringing, cutting through the air like an alarm clock waking someone out of a nice dream. Asgore let out a small huff and quickly answered, putting the phone to his ear. The voice on the other end of the call was too distorted for Gaster to understand, but it was definitely distressed by the tone, and it caused Asgore’s expression to change in an instant, which made a dark, dreadful feeling start to sprout in the professor’s stomach.

“I’ll be right over.” Asgore said quickly, hanging up and stuffing his phone back into his pocket, “I’m gonna kill him-”

“Az, what’s wrong?” Gaster asked, feeling worry begin to creep up his spine.

“My father, that’s what.” Asgore turned quickly, looking ready to strangle the next person to even look at him wrong.

“W-Wait, hold on!” Gaster quickly grabbed Asgore’s arm, “Asgore, what did he do!?”

“H-He-” Asgore quickly bit down on his tongue, starting to taste blood in his mouth. He was absolutely furious, anger boiling up inside of his chest.

“Asgore, breathe.” Gaster gently squeezed Asgore’s arm, “What did he do?”

“Th-There’s a reason my kids don’t have a relationship with their grandparents.” Asgore said in a low growl, “Unfortunately, my parents don’t really have a good understanding of kids being able to exist outside of everyone else’s normalities.”

It didn’t take Gaster any time to figure out what Asgore was insinuating, his mind immediately thinking about the Dreemurr children. Each of them was such an astounding person, but after what had happened when he first met Asgore’s parents, Gaster’s mind was immediately filled with the worst possible scenarios. He grabbed Asgore’s hand and immediately started dragging him outside.

“I’ll drive.”

Chapter Text

Sans walked through the snow, the cold nipping at his nose and ears, but it didn’t bother him. He was wearing his usually blue jacket that Papyrus and his dad always told him smelled strongly of ketchup, which kept him warm enough in this weather. Keeping his hands in his pockets to keep them from freezing, Sans kept walking onward, watching his breath come out in white mist that floated through the air like the breath of a dragon.

As he kept walking, Sans started to wonder why he was out here in the first place, not remembering having even left his house to step out into the snow. On occasion he’d been known to sleep walk, but staying unconscious for long enough to leave his house was new. Taking in his surroundings, Sans started to question where he even was, not recognizing the tall trees that surrounded him. There weren’t any forests around where he lived, and the trees were way to tall and green compared to the ones that grew around the town he lived in. Despite having no memory of this forest, Sans couldn’t deny that a part of him felt a strange sense of familiarity being here, like he’d been here before but just couldn’t quite remember.

Faintly, in the distance, Sans suddenly began to hear what sounded like someone crying. It made him stop in his tracks, wondering who on earth could’ve been out here with him. He wasn’t entirely sure if he should intrude on whatever this person was going through, but he hated to hear someone so upset and alone, so he followed the sound through the trees.

Soon enough, he found the source of the crying, a small kid crying in the snow. The kid was pretty small, with a short, chocolate colored hair, and was wearing a blue jumper with pink stripes on the torso. It was alarming to say the least, seeing such a small kid out here on their own, even more so when Sans realized that they were freezing, in no way equipped to handle the cold with the outfit they were in.

“Hey kiddo.” Sans said softly as he went up to the kid, sitting next to them as he unzipped his jacket.

The kid spun around, scooting back across the snow covered ground, sniffling and shivering with clear signs of fear on their face, “Wh-Who a-a-are you?”

“Name’s Sans.” Sans took off his jacket, “I ain’t gonna hurt you. Just figured you were cold.” Sans shifted for a second, not really sure how to lighten the mood, “Is it alright if I come over there, or are you cool with your party of one?”

The kid seemed to think it over for a minute, the curled up with their knees drawn to their chest, “I guess you can come over…”

Sans stepped over to the child and sat beside them in the snow, putting his jacket over their shoulders, “There, that should help.”

The kid pulled the jacket around themself tightly, slowly looking Sans up and down, “Aren’t you gonna get cold?”

“Nah, it’s snow problem.”

That got the kid to give a short snort of a laugh, “That’s the worst joke ever.”

“You sure? I got a bunch of ‘em.”

“Please no-” The kid wheezed, “I don’t think I could take it.”

“C’mon kiddo, I bet you’ll find them winterful.”

The child let out a round of giggles, whatever made them so sad seeming to have left their mind, “Got any jokes that aren’t so corny?”

“Nope.” Sans said with a chuckle, “Hey, why don’t we get you out of the cold? I can help you get home if you want.”

The kid’s mood suddenly changed, and they went silent, starring down at the snow. It made Sans uneasy to see them change so suddenly, seeming to become a mere shell of a person in just a moment. He tried to think of something to say to lighten the mood, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn’t get anything to come out. They both sat like that for some time, the tension so thick that you could’ve cut it with a butter knife, the silence deafening. 

“Kiddo…” Sans finally managed to say, though his voice came out faint, and barely audible, “Y-You oka-”

“You need to wake up, Sans.” The kid said, “Wake up.”

“Huh- what do you-”

“Wake up.”

.

.

.

.

.

Sans woke with a jolt, starring around the robotics room, trying to pull his thoughts together and remember where he was. When he managed to calm himself some, he leaned back in the desk chair he was sitting in, letting out a long sigh and starring at the blueprints he had on his desk. Each of them were of different designs for current projects the robotics team was working on. He tried to remember the dream he’d had, still feeling a sinking sensation in his stomach from it, but it was quickly fading from his mind.

“Damn, how long have I been here?” Sans looked around, noting that he was the only left in the robotics room. His fellow robotics members had gotten to the point where they stopped trying to wake him up when he passed out at his desk, which he couldn’t blame them for. He’d heard all too well from his dad and brother how difficult it could be trying to wake him up.

There was a note on his desk though, written by the others detailing that they finished up the tests for the motors they were using for the robots they were currently building. At the bottom of the note was a reminder to Sans to actually go home and get some proper sleep, which made him smirk. It was endearing knowing that his classmates cared enough to remind him to take care of himself.

As he got up from his desk, Sans grabbed his keys and phone, heading towards the door. Being as he was head of the robotics team, their professor let him have a key so he and the others could come work on their projects when they needed to, which came in handy when he needed something to take his mind off his troubles. Right as he heard the lock click with the turn of his key, Sans’s phone started to go off, playing the ringtone he’d set for Frisk. It was a little weird to get a call from the kid, Frisk being the kind who’d rather text than deal with a phone call.

He pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear, “Hey kiddo, what’s-”

“Sans-” Frisk’s voice came out in a tearful sob, setting off alarm bells in Sans’s head, “Sans, you need to get over here now!”

“Wow, so down kiddo.” Sans quickly started going down the hall, practically jogging when he reached the stairs to get to the ground floor, “Tell me what happened.”

“This c-couple showed u-up a-a-and-” Frisk’s voice was suddenly cut off, the sound of someone talking to them could be heard in the background before Toriel’s voice came on.

“Sans, we’re at the hospital.” Even with the eerie calmness in her voice, Sans could hear the tidal wave of emotion fighting to break out of Toriel, “You’re dad was attacked.”

“What!?”

“He’s okay.” Toriel insisted, “There’s cops here getting a statement from him about what happened, and I’ll fill you in when you get here. Asgore’s heading to your house to pick up you and your brother, so-”

“I’m not at the house!” Sans screamed, startling a group of students who were coming down the hall, causing them to quickly make their way around him.

“Sans!” Toriel’s stern, motherly tone pulled Sans back to reality long enough to hold onto her words, “Where are you right now?”

“The school, I had a project to work on.”

“I’ll call Asgore and tell him where you are. Wait by the front parking lot for him, okay?”

“O-Okay…” San’s voice trembled, “H-How bad is it?”

“Sans-”

“Please.” Sans insisted.

For a moment, it seemed like Toriel wasn’t going to answer, but then she said in a voice struggling to not shed any tears, “I-It was bloody, but he’s conscious. I’ll explain the rest when you get here.” A moment passed before Toriel quickly added, “Don’t ask Asgore anything, he’s already shaken up about it.”

“I won’t.” Sans promised, “See you soon, Tori.”

“See you soon, Sans.”

Sans hung up the phone, and made his way to the parking lot.

Chapter Text

The past few hours had gone by in a blur for Gaster. It seemed like days ago that he and Asgore had been going through things in his attic, when it had in fact only been a few hours ago. Asgore’s parents had shown up at Toriel’s, thinking they would be allowed to just walk in and see their grandchildren, only for Toriel to tell the children to stay upstairs as she tried to get rid of them, calling Asgore to come and help. She’d never liked them, and had fully supported Asgore’s decision to keep them away from their kids. 

Gaster had driven Asgore over, and the two had entered the house, Asgore seething with rage. The professor had never seen Asgore look so angry, and it honestly made him a little scared to see the giant teddy bear that was his boyfriend suddenly become as ferocious as a grizzly. Toriel and Asgore had watched in shock as Asgore screamed at both his mother and father, his kids watching from the top of the stairs, each of them terrified to see their father like this. His parents had argued right back, and when Asgore had gotten sick of it and turned away…that’s when Gaster had seen his father reach for one of the heavy bottles of wine Toriel happened to have.

That was when things got hazy. Gaster had acted on pure reflex, shoving Asgore out of the way before Toriel had been able to yell out a warning, ending up with the bottle smashing into his face and breaking his glasses. He’d ended up on the floor, hands coming up to hold his face, feeling the warmth of his own blood and throbbing pain. It was unclear to him at first if there were any pieces of glass stuck in his face, and now that he was without his glasses with blood in his eyes, Gaster was completely blinded. The pain from the blow had been enough to make Gaster curl up on his side, unable to hold himself up.

That didn’t stop him from hearing the sounds though…even with the horrid throbbing in his ears…

Asgore was yelling so loudly, Gaster was afraid the walls might crack, and he heard the sounds of a struggle. Toriel was screaming, and the kids were crying, and from the sounds of it, one of them ran over to pull Asgore away, most likely Asriel. A door slammed, and Gaster felt a pair of thin arms help him sit up. Chara was helping him, pressing a cloth to Gaster’s wound to stop the bleeding, softly whispering words of comfort to him with a shaky voice. 

At some point, Gaster had passed out, waking up to doctors bandaging up his face, and a couple of officers in his hospital room waiting to question him. They hadn’t been rude or pushy, and waited for the professor to be coherent enough to give them his statement properly. Once that had been over with, Gaster was left alone in his room, looking around in silence. One of his eyes were bandaged up alone with his head, but the doctors had told him that he would be alright…didn’t change the fact that his already poor eyesight was now even worse, even if it was only temporary, and there was always the chance his eye suffered worse damage then the doctors had originally thought.

“Dad-” Came a familiar voice from the door to Gaster’s hospital room. Sans was standing there with Papyrus, both of them had obviously been crying, eyes red and puffy.

“Boys-” Gaster held up his arms, and smiled when he felt both of his sons quickly fall into his embrace, holding them tightly, though careful not to hurt him.

“A-Are you gonna be okay?” Papyrus asked weekly, sniffling a bit as he hid his face in his father’s shoulder.

“The doctors said I should be completely healed in about a month.”

“Good…that’s good…” Sans let out a relieved sigh, “Toriel told us what happened.”

“I’m sorry for scaring the both of you.”

“We’re just glad you’re okay.” Papyrus said with a smile, pulling away a bit to look his father in the eye, “We were worried for a bit there, but as long as you’re gonna be okay, that’s all that matters.”

“How’s everyone else?” Gaster asked, sitting up a bit more in his hospital bed, “They must be worried sick.”

“They’re all in the lobby. Toriel, Asgore, and the kids are giving their statements to the cops.” Sans replied, sitting on the edge of the bed while Papyrus sat in a chair that was next to the bed, “Frisk was pretty shaken up, but they’ve calmed down some.”

Gaster went silent for a moment, then asked very quietly, “Is…Is Asgore okay?”

Both of his sons fell silent, not able to look at their father, Sans muttering quietly, “He’s barely said a word since he picked us up.”

“Oh jeeze…” Gaster sighed, sinking down into the bed a bit, “I-I don’t really remember what happened after I got struck.”

Sans and Papyrus looked between themselves, seeming to have a telepathic conversation. Whenever they started doing this, Gaster knew it could mean only one of two things, that something had happened that they knew would upset him, or they had done something they weren’t supposed to do. Give the circumstances, Gaster figured in was the first of the two options. He crossed his arms and looked between his sons, not trying to appear stern, but worried, which he was, he really was.

“Boys…” Gaster spoke in a gentle tone, “What happened?”

After a moment, it seemed like neither of the brothers were going to speak, but then Toriel’s voice came from the doorway, “Asgore threw his father through a window.”

Upon hearing those words, Gaster sat up straight, staring at Toriel in shock as his jaw dropped. Sure, Asgore had been furious, but never had the professor thought the gentle giant of a man that was Asgore would ever do something like that. Asgore hated violence in any form, to know he’d been provoked to the point where he’d throw his own father through a window, even if his father was total garbage, gave Gaster a heavy feeling a dread in his stomach.

“A-Are they going to arrest him?” Gaster asked with a shaky voice.

Toriel shook her head and came over, sitting beside Gaster’s bed, “From what I’ve heard, his father isn’t pressing charges, not like he could. The police told us that since his father attacked you first, Asgore’s outburst could be chalked up to simply trying to get him away from you. Besides, he struck you first. If anyone has the right to press charges, it’s you.”

Gaster groaned, rubbing at his head, “I’m not pressing charges, I won’t give that man any reason to be in our lives again.”

“Dad, are you sure about that?” Sans asked, raising an eyebrow, “Look at what he did to you.”

“Sans, I wasn’t the one he was trying to hit, it was Asgore. I just got in his way.”

“Still-”

“Sans please, I’m not changing my mind on this. If I file anything, it’ll be a restraining order.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Toriel said with a little nod, “You should look into that.”

“Where’s Asgore right now?” Gaster asked, tone laced with concern.

“Probably still in the lobby.”

“I wanna see him…could you ask him to come here?”

“Of course.” Toriel stood up with a smile, looking at Sans and Papyrus, “We should give them a moment-”

“Yeah- definitely.” Sans hopped down from the edge of the bed, Papyrus standing up with him.

“See you in a bit, Dad!” Papyrus called over his shoulder as they left, and Gaster was left alone again, but only for a few moments.

Asgore was stood standing in the doorway, eyes red from crying, and face pale. The second his eyes fell on Gaster, Asgore’s expression turned into one of great relief, then guilt began to show in his eyes. He trembled as he came closer, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed Gaster was laying on, not saying a word. Gaster didn’t rush him, knowing he probably had a lot on his mind. To try and ease Asgore’s worries, Gaster took his hand, giving him a small, gentle smile. Unfortunately, that only made tears spring up to the edges of Asgore’s eyes.

“Asgore-” Gaster’s one uncovered eye widened in concern, “H-Hey, I’m okay-”

“I’m so sorry- I got you hurt-”

“Asgore no, I got in the way.” Gaster pulled him down into a hug, holding him close as Asgore clung to him, “It’s not your fault, I should’ve been more careful.”

“You were trying to protect me…”

Gaster sighed, his fingers combing through Asgore’s hair, “I was…when the possibility of you getting hurt came to light, I…I couldn’t just stand there.”

“Gaster…” Asgore rested his forehead against his lover’s, letting out a shaky breath, “I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you care about me enough to do that…”

Gaster chuckled, cupping Asgore’s face in his hands, “How could I not? You’re perfect for me.”

Asgore smiled a little, and pressed a kiss to Gaster’s forehead, “You’re to sweet to me. You’re the one who’s injured, yet I’m the one being comforted.” Asgore let out a light laugh, “But seriously, how are you feeling, love?”

“I’m alright, I’ve been through worse.” Gaster tried to keep a smile on his face for Asgore’s sake, but his choice of words brought back a few unpleasant memories of his past experiences that had left him badly injured, making his smile waver for a moment.

“Are you sure?” Asgore asked, placing a hand on the side of Gaster’s face, his gaze concerned, yet loving, “If you need anything-”

Gaster silenced Asgore with a kiss, arms wrapping around him, “Dearest, as long as you’re here, I’ll be okay.”

Asgore couldn’t stop the blush from growing on his face, arms wrapping around Gaster’s slim waist a little more snuggly, “Well…then I’ll make sure I stay by your side.” He smiled, kissing Gaster’s cheek, “And I plan on spoiling you rotten until you’re all healed up~”

It was Gaster’s turn to blush, hiding his face in Asgore’s chest, “You don’t have to spoil me just because I’m hurt-”

”I’d spoil you regardless, but I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to take a load off for a bit while you heal.” Asgore brushed some of Gaster’s hair out of his face, smiling sweetly, “And as soon as you’re allowed to go home, we all thought a movie night might make us all feel a little better after all of this. Maybe tomorrow, if you’re up to it, I can come pick you up for breakfast.”

“Or~” Gaster chuckled, “You can spend the night at my house.”

Asgore stopped, realizing that in the entire time they’d been together, he’d never stayed overnight at Gaster’s home, “Are you sure? Won’t your sons mind?”

“Trust me, they’ll be fine with it. Believe it or not, but they’re actually fond of you.”

“Really?” Asgore asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Really.” Gaster reassured, resting his head on Asgore’s shoulder, “Out of curiosity, would you be willing to lay down so I can cuddle you and take a nap?”

Asgore smiled and laid down on the hospital bed with Gaster in his arms, “Always, dearest.”

Chapter Text

I'm making a rewrite...yippee.