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"Here..."
Asgore hands Gaster a bouqet of flowers.
"(Erm... your majesty... if I'm very honest... I don't think the Queen wants any more flowers...)" Gaster lowers his head, best he told him now less he wants the garden to be overcrowded again...
"No- I apologise but these are not for her..." Asgore smiles sheepishly, "They are for-" he looks embarassed, taking back his flowers, "You know what nevermind-"
Were those flowers... for him? Gaster was too shocked to say he was fine with them actually.
"I've seen this rather fascinating book about the history of humans..." Asgore beams, giving Gaster a book which he should already have only to find it is... anime... was alphys misbranding anime as... 'human history' again?
Gaster couldn't find it in his heart to let him know at first but in order for misinformation not to spread, he decided that the king at least needed to know the truth.
"O-oh! Really..." Asgore chuckles nervously.
But from his reaction... it seems like he already knew... Gaster's cheeks actually tinted pink. Was he seem really too into anime to make Asgore think that he didn't know that something as simple as anime is just entertainment?
"(Thank you... I'll read this anyway, it'll be good entertainment)" Gaster smiles opening his hand for Asgore to put the book on.
It seems like there is a complicated magic system in this series... it wasn't long until he was watching the anime while reading the last volumes of the manga, alphys excited that he is starting on a new series despite her failed attempts to get him to do so.
"Tea Doctor Gaster?"
"(Yes thank you...)"
Gaster needed a break from chugging mugs after mugs of coffee for something more mellow. He has hit a snag and it has been driving him crazy trying to figure out a way around it.
Gaster half expected it to be the golden flower tea but a stronger taste almost made him choke on it.
"Ah sorry... too bitter? It's a new tea I'm trying... I was wondering if you'd-" Asgore stammers, "would you like my cup instead?"
"(No... it's just... I'd expected something else... that's all... it's good,)" Gaster smiles softly.
"G-great! Then I'll leave the whole box with you then," Asgore beams handing Gaster stacks upon stacks of tea.
Gaster looks at the pile in astonishment before smiling, was he really that confident that he'll like it? Or was this a panic buy?
Gaster had thought that maybe these were gifts that he was giving to someone else. It couldn't be him he is courting after all... they were... friends at the very least... they don't really talk about any serious matters.
Gaster hadn't given Asgore a reason to like him after all... other than helping out sometimes... he even makes a huge mess and had Asgore... the king of monsters clean up after him.
"(I'm sorry...)" Gaster had said one day as Asgore arranged the books in the way he liked. "(I always gave you a lot of trouble cleaning up after me...)"
"Not at all," Asgore smiles.
"It's great to move about once in a while..." Asgore was oblivious however that Gaster wasn't really apologising about the books.
"What would you like to order Gaster?" Asgore asks with a gentle smile as they look upon the menu of the restaurant.
Gaster is a little self conscious, they originally wanted to eat out just for fun but... looking at the pricing... it seems rather lavish for just a hang out session.
Conscious, he orders the cheapest thing on the menu and maybe some wine... he wanted to see how it differed from the alcohol in the underground... he hadn't been able to drink in a long time and he had missed it below working and smoking.
But they both look really underdressed for this restaurant... Gaster wearing a striped sweater with jeans and Asgore wearing a hoodie with pants.
At least they are both wearing shoes.
"So cute..." Gaster hears someone whisper to the side. He glances at them before realising that they are looking at them, they quickly look away, giggling.
Gaster is far used to humans now but the giggling still unnerved him. But this time it only serves to make him embarrassed.
'What is so cute about this?' Gaster asks. 'It's just a night out...'
Asgore orders pretty much most of the things on the menu. With his appetite it was obvious he would order these much but he still cannot help but feel conscious that all her ordered was pasta and water.
When the food came however Asgore was feeding him some of the food he ordered, insisting that Gaster had to try every one.
Gaster seems flustered when Asgore raises a spoon as if wanting to feed him but he hurriedly took it off his hands before he could get any ideas.
"Sorry excuse me-"
Asgore accidentally grabs his hand while helping Gaster aside as a bunch of human tries to get through.
Gaster's face is bright pink now. He usually doesn't let people touch him but Asgore's hands are big and fluffy... and well strong... he didn't want to exactly take his hands away either even though they are slightly sweating.
This isn't what he think it is... right?
"Isn't today a wonderful night?" Asgore smiles, not letting go of his hand as he leads Gaster through the crowd.
Gaster's eyes almost sparkles when Asgore looks down at him with a soft smile.
Look at the two of them, running around like a young lovestruck couple...
But Gaster seems to be bothered about all these... though of course he keeps it to himself.
+1
Until that is, he decided to bring Asgore out for a day at the park.
It was the weekdays so the park is less crowded mainly for Gaster's sake. Asgore always liked to have a simple and quiet walk down the park, small pleasures that he didn't know he missed since he was couped up in the castle for many years.
Gaster half expected Asgore to notice something given this was a favourite pastime he had with Toriel when they were married but he seems rather content with fetching the food out of the basket and telling him a story about a human he befriended.
Gaster had to wonder if he actually misread the signals. But if he had learnt anything from his accident... was that the faster he gets this over with, the better it is for everyone.
"(Asgore... these few days... you have been very kind to me... I was wondering... if there was anything... wrong?)" Gaster asks.
"Wrong? No... nothing is wrong!" Asgore beams. "Why would you ask that?"
"(It's just... you're doing a lot just for me... I was wondering if there was any other meaning to it...)" Gaster replies in a soft voice, looking away, a little embarrassed to be talking about this.
"Not really I just like your company..."
"(But those gifts...)"
"Everyone loves gifts... is... it too uncomfortable for you? If you want I can stop-"
"(No... no! It's-)" Gaster slides his hand down his face as he quickly waves his hands, peering out from his eye sockets. "(Wait... there isn't... anything else? Like... how you feel... about me?)"
"Well... I like you of course! Why do you ask?"
"(Like... as in... in a friendly way?)" Gaster's eyes widen.
"Of course! What other way is there?" Asgore asks in confusion.
There was a short pause before Gaster's eyes glows a bright pink.
"Hang on a moment... do you mean-" Now it was Asgore's turn to be embarrassed.
"(F-forget I said anything!)" Gaster waves his hands in the air, "(The toast is getting cold... we should probably eat now...)"
Asgore frowns staring at the picnic blanket for a while. "So... do you like it?"
"(I-)" Gaster sighs, "(I do 'not' hate it,)" he smiles sadly. "(But... I think there is someone else that is more deserving of your gifts and attention... I'm sure as king... a lot of people would want to hang out with you... so, please... you don't need to do anything to keep me by your side... I will do anything you want... so long as you would have me...)"
"Gaster..." Asgore looks at him with pitiful eyes as if Gaster is the one bullying him. "I do not deserve your loyalty... I truly... just wished for you to be happy... to enjoy our freedom... I don't know about deserving but..." Asgore remembers what he told a sleeping Gaster, now it was the best time to raise it in front of him.
But was it just doing right by Gaster? Why did he care so much for this skeleton he only recently knew? Sure he had never turned down any monster who needed his help... but Gaster... it was like he only wanted him to be happy... to repay...
Asgore's eyes widen, the memory just inching closer to the edge but it barely made it past the threshold much less gave him any clues about his previous life with the former scientist.
"... but I really just like hanging out with you," Asgore smiles nervously. "These things... just come naturally to me... I haven't really felt this way... well since Toriel..." Asgore blushes like a little schoolboy. "I really just wanted nothing else to make you happy... not out of obligation or duty... but... something else..."
"I'm sorry... I'm not really making much sense..."
Gaster's eyes are still glowing a soft pink.
"(I don't... really know what you mean either... I never... had someone like that before...)" But that isn't true isn't it? He felt that way about the two skeletons that never fail to remind him of his failure.
"Oh goodie! Dad is having a date Asgore?!" Papyrus exclaims.
Gaster spits out his drink as Papyrus barges into the picnic with Sans who looks smug.
"D-dating..." Gaster mutters.
"O-oh! Hello Papyrus! Didn't see you there..." Asgore chuckles nervously.
"Is that... what this is?" Gaster asks in astonishment.
"Of course! Me and the human went on a date before and much more cooler than this! But! It has all the requirements needed for a proper date!" Papyrus exclaims. "Can I join in too?"
"Paps, I think they much prefer to be alone... don't you think? G's eyesocket looks like it's going to explode-" Sans muses.
"What?! Really? Do you need to go see a doctor for that?" Papyrus asks, Gaster realises that he must have been glowing and looks away to rub away at his eye sockets as if that will smother the pink fire.
"Nah, I'm sure they can work it out, let's go before they run out of nice cream," Sans replies before leaving them alone.
"Oh alright! See you then! Dad!" Papyrus giggles a little 'Nyeh heh heh' before going to catch up with Sans.
Asgore and Gaster looks away in awkwardness.
"If you don't want it... I can stop..." Asgore smiles weakly.
Gaster shakes his head, taking a huge swig of his tea.
"(It's... fine...)"
Not wanting to end this on a sad note, Asgore decided to be brave for once and decided to gingerly hold Gaster's hands in his own.
"It's not fine... if you want to... I really don't mind stopping... we can go back to being friends again... it's just... I don't want to lose you again..." Asgore mutters.
"Again?" Gaster muses in wingdings. Asgore blinks in confusion before Gaster nods. His hands finally curling around the hand that reached out to him first, though Asgore's hands is like trying to wrap his whole hand around a book.
It was still a start. For the first time in ages, they seem to be genuinely smiling.