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Gaster heard a soft voice and felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He was waking up. Then pain. Slowly, bone by bone, he felt the harsh press of the desk on his skull. Gaster jolted upright in his office chair. His head began to spin, but he was awake.
“I made… breakfast,” Grillby said. He was standing behind him, his flickering light reflecting in the window.
That’s when Gaster smelled the sweet cinnamon and rich bacon in the other room. His soul ached with hunger. He had skipped out on dinner the night before in favor of finishing his presentation. The ache was quickly rivaled by the pain in his back.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Gaster signed. “I think I slept wrong.”
“You slept… on your desk,” Grillby deadpanned.
Gaster arched his spine, each vertebrate popping up his back. “My presentation wasn’t finished yet.”
“It isn’t… due till… Friday.”
“Today is Friday,” Gaster pressed. “I have to present this to Asgore this afternoon.”
Grillby sighed and pointed to the abandoned calendar on the wall. “…It’s Wednesday.”
“No, it’s…” but he paused. It took a moment for Gaster to recall the past week. Asgore had told him to prepare for the presentation the previous Friday. So the skeleton took it upon himself to began collecting and organizing data immediately. He spent the whole weekend working so hard he had thought it was the start of the work week. He was mentally two days ahead. Gaster let the realization sink in. His shoulder’s slouched.
“You can… sleep. Then look… over the… paper,” Grillby offered, his voice temptingly warm. “Come to… bed.”
“What about the breakfast you made,” Gaster asked.
“I’ll take… it to bed,” Grillby rubbed the skeleton’s tight neck.
Gaster hummed and leaned back into the comforting touch. He felt relaxation cover him like a blanket, and he could have fallen asleep right there.
Grillby pressed a warm kiss to the top of his skull. “… Bed.”
Gaster groaned but stood up. With tired legs he wobbled to their bedroom. Once in the room he cast off the thick blankets and fell onto the mattress. The skeleton buried his face into the soft pillows, taking in the scent of campfire and fresh linen. It was a cozy smell that reminded him of cuddling with his dear husband. He turned over and pulled the plush blanket over him. Just then Grillby came into the room, balancing a plate of food. It was piled with warm eggs and bacon. On the side was some fresh french toast that was still fluffy and sweet. Carefully he placed the plate on Gaster’s lap and slid next to him in bed.
“What about my coffee?” Gaster teased.
“No, you need… to sleep,” was Grillby’s more serious reply.
“I slept at my desk, didn’t I?”
“Doesn’t… count.”
Gaster chuckled and bit into a slice of bacon. It was fatty and crisp, the rich flavor was as comforting as it was filling. He let out a long and content sigh, then scooped up a forkful of eggs. Grillby was smiling as he watched.
“How’s the… food?” the elemental asked.
The skeleton took his husband’s warm hand in his and brought it up to his face. Silk flames tickled him as he pressed a gentle kiss onto his hand. “It’s perfect,” he replied. Then he offered a slice of french toast.
Grillby, still blushing, shook his head. “It’s for… you.”
“But I want to share my lovely meal with my lovely partner,” Gaster insisted. He picked up the cinnamony slice, offering it once more.
Once again Grillby hesitated, but gave in. The skeleton watched as the fire elemental manifested a mouth. Little firey fangs stuck out as Grillby took a careful bite of the bread. His flames flickered happily with the taste.
“See,” Gaster said. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
“Well,” Grillby said, “… Could use… more cinnamon.”
Gaster snuggled up close to him and signed, “I think it’s perfect.”
Grillby chuckled as the skeleton nudged up against his neck. “Thank… you.”
The skeleton happily ate the rest of his meal. It was warm and rich and sweet. With each bite Gaster got more and more sleepy. The blanket was warmed by his husband, and the soft pillow was calling him. He washed down his breakfast with a mug of milk warmed by his elemental. Soon enough he snuggled up next to his husband. A warm arm wrapped around him, and Gaster felt so safe he could melt. The work could wait till later. Now his world was just him, Grillby, and the blanket wrapped around them.