Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Long ago, three races ruled over Earth: HUMANS, MONSTERS, and VAMPIRES
Frightened by the bloodlust of their counterpart, humans and monsters united to rid the world of its evil. The third race fled, but the opposing forces were too strong. Wiped from existence, humans and monsters settled back into peaceful life. One day, a war broke out between the remaining races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. Many years later a human child freed the monsters from their prison.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Bright moonlight peaked through the trees. Despite being near the end of fall, plenty of the forest was lush with life and greenery. The gentle autumn breeze wafted the dead leaves into the air, and as they slowly drifted downward, a couple caught on a disgruntled skeleton.

“so tell me again why yer draggin’ me into the woods at night?” Red asked, peeling the dead leaves from the fur of his coat.

Sans casted a glance to his alternate. “cuz you're my backup”

“for what exactly? and did it have to be at 1 in the fuckin mornin?”

“well” Sans started “ya know those trail cams i set up to keep an eye-socket on the perimeter of the property? i've been getting pings on one of them around this time every other night. the photos have all been pretty unclear, so who knows what could be out here to jump our bones. i brought you along for an intimidation factor. as much as it pains me to say, no one is gonna be scared out of their skin by just lil ol’ me.”

Red stopped walking as his hands trembled in barely concealed anger. “yer fuckin’ with me. you got me up at bum fuck o'clock to go to this shitty ass woods to check out what. an animal? I GOT A 7AM SHIFT TOMORROW CLASSIC!” Just as Red was about to go on another tirade Sans interrupted him.

“you hear that?”

In the newly quiet forest, a soft sound could be heard: humming. It wasn't a distinct song, there was no rhyme or rhythm, but it was soothing. Slowly, the boys moved closer into the dense forest where the song was most prominent. There, shrouded in darkness, was a figure petting an animal on a rock.

“what the- hey kiddo, what are you doing out here so late?” Sans said, eyeing the figure as the humming continued. “don't you know it's rude to be on someone's property at odd hours?”

“uhh…classic i don’t like the feeling of this”

The humming stopped. “Someone's property?” the figure said, their voice light and airy. “No no, you must be mistaken, this place hasn’t been owned by anyone in a long while. You must be thinking of that sweet farm a few miles North of here.”

“sorry to break it to you kid, but my family and I bought this place recently. now would you mind enlightening us on why you're out here so late”

The figure slowly stood up and the animal they were petting jumped off their lap and towards the two monsters. Red jerked back and grabbed Sans ready to teleport as a little lamb stepped into the moonlight. It looked at them with its yellow eyes, it's rectangular pupils boring into their sockets before it skipped away into the forest. “You see” Red and Sans’ eye lights snap back to the still obscured figure “I am a shepherd and the grass in this forest and surrounding fields is much more luscious than other areas. I've been coming here regularly to feed my herd before the winter frost comes.”

Sans thought back to why he bought the property in the first place. As soon as he stepped foot here, he could tell that the amount of magic concentrated here was incredibly higher than the surrounding areas. Perhaps the plethora of magic is helping the surface plants grow better?

“that doesn't explain why yer out here so late”

“The weather is much nicer at night. I'm sensitive to the sun, and despite the forest's shade, I still seem to get sun burns.”

“yeah likely story–” Red was cut off by a gasp as he stepped into the moonlight.

The air in the forest shifted and it seemed even quieter than before. In a lower voice the figure muttered “A monster.”

“yeah kid what about it?” asked Sans. Monsters had been above ground for nearly 3 years, and it certainly wasn't a surprise to see them around Ebbot.

“Is it true?” The figure stated. “Are you really made out of pure magic?”

“classic that feeling is back”

“Oh I’m just soooo lucky! A real life monster. This is quite the opportunity. Now… seeing as you did interrupt my dinner earlier, I think it's only fair that I get a bite.”

Suddenly, the figure was right in front of Sans. They swiped their claws, only catching a bit of his cheekbone before Red grabbed Sans and shortcuted 4 feet away. In the moonlight, the two skeletons got a better look at their attacker. They were tall and lanky with wild mid-length hair covering most of their face and ears. They were dressed in a dark, ratty cloak that covered most of their clothes. A tightly drawn smile was etched across their face and their eyes were partially closed, only showing a sliver of yellow. Slowly, the figure brought the hand that sliced Sans up to their mouth. A tongue darted out from their smile and licked the dust off of their hand. The glow of yellow in their eyes sparked before they were shut again.

“Mannnn, I'm just so lucky! You have no idea how hard it is to find pure magic. I've got to thank you, this will last me weeks.”

Red bared his teeth, licking his gold, false tooth, as he prepared to attack. “i don't know what the HELL yer on human, but you got some nerve–”

“Human? It's been forever since I've been mistaken for a measly human. Tell me monster, do you not know what I am? Do they no longer tell stories about us under your bed? I must laugh…”

“Surely you remember the Vampiric?”

As the figure asked the question in a low, threatening tone, they turned to fully face the skeletons. Two small horns peaked from the wild mess of hair along with two ears matching the lamb from before. A long, wool covered tail was partially obscured by the cloak. When the skeletons failed to answer, the figure sighed.

“Of course. Well, this dinner has been great, but I've got to leave. I'll see you two monsters around.”

“hey wait–” but before Sans could finish, the figure disappeared.

“the hell was that classic? the fuck's a vampiric? why did they lick yer dust? What the ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH YER SURFACE.”

“let's go home. i think we need to do some research.”

Chapter Text

The bright autumn sun beat down onto your covered shoulders and back. Although your favorite coat was thick, you could still feel your skin begin to prickle with a burn. Quickly making your way towards the shade, you glance at your herd.

It has been years since you started shepherding, and while at times it was difficult, it provided a constant food source. Your herd of 18 sheep were peacefully grazing the magic filled grass, taking in the sunlight in ways you were never able to. A quiet noise caught your attention. To your left was Gracie, a young lamb from your herd that had taken a liking to curling up in your lap. You silently motion for her to come to you.

A month had passed since you last ate and you were starting to become lethargic. This area has been quite good at replenishing your magic reserves, so there hasn't been a reason to feed on humans. However, you have reached your limit! Your stomach growls at just the thought of a fulfilling meal. You suppose it was a good age to introduce Gracie to your… unorthodox feeding methods. It has been a while since you had to desensitize one of your sheep. It's just so hard to drink when they keep moving! Luckily, Gracie is an angel and you believe she'll be very cooperative. 

Waiting until nightfall was more of a choice of comfort than convenience. As much as you would have liked to chow down hours ago, you couldn't risk a stray explorer spotting you. It was also much easier to eat with the cloak not covering your head and face.

In the shadowy parts of the already dark forest, your figure was completely obscured. You whistled, two quick ones, to call over Gracie from the herd. She trotted over to your lap, her yellow eyes reflecting in the moonlight. You had an inkling that she mistook you for a fellow sheep when she was younger and that's why she's so nice. After all, your eyes, ears, tail, and horns match hers.

With her in your lap, your mouth starts to water. You pet her softly and begin to hum as to comfort her and yourself. It takes an incredible amount of self control to not bite her right then and there, but you have years of practice. Right as you were about to lift her to your mouth you heard footsteps of two people.

Oh great, an interruption.

You closed your eyes to hide their glow, continued to pet Gracie, and hummed as the figures approached. They were obscured by the darkness and forage as one of them spoke.

“what the- hey kiddo, what are you doing out here so late? don't you know it's rude to be on someone's property at odd hours?”

The voice was deep, probably coming from a male, but something about the inflection was off. Of course, you had no idea what he was talking about, this land has been abandoned for decades. You decide to inform them; afterall, they were probably some lost wilderness explorers. “Someone's property? No no, you must be mistaken, this place hasn’t been owned by anyone in a long while. You must be thinking of that sweet farm a few miles North of here.”

“sorry to break it to you kid, but my family and I bought this place recently. now would you mind enlightening us on why you're out here so late”

You sigh. You were hoping they would let that bit go. It was quite difficult to explain why you were here. You nudged Gracie off your lap before slowly standing up. Time for some improv. “You see, I am a shepherd and the grass in this forest and surrounding fields is much more luscious than other areas. I've been coming here regularly to feed my herd before the winter frost comes.”

There was a beat of silence as hope filled your soul. Hopefully they'll just take this explanation and leave you alone.

“that doesn't explain why yer out here so late”

Fuck.

“The weather is much nicer at night. I'm sensitive to the sun, and despite the forest's shade, I still seem to get sun burns.”

“yeah likely story–” A gasp escaped your mouth as one of the figures stepped into view. He was a skeleton monster. While you had never seen a monster, your parents had told you stories about their misdeeds and treachery towards your kind. He was on the shorter side, not much taller than the average human male, and not taller than you. One eye glowed red in the dark matching his red turtleneck. A thick black coat surrounded him, protecting him from the autumn cold. His mouth was turned in a permanent smile with a single gold tooth amongst the array of sharp teeth. He kind of looked cool.

“A monster,” you mutter.

The other figure said something, but you didn't catch it in your newfound excitement.

“Is it true?Are you really made out of pure magic?” Of course it's true! Just look at the glow of his bones and eyelight! You wonder if his companion is a monster too… “Oh I’m just soooo lucky! A real life monster. This is quite the opportunity." A crippling hunger pain hit you, but luckily there is a new, cool food source in front of you. " Now… seeing as you did interrupt my dinner earlier, I think it's only fair that I get a bite.”

You lept toward the obscured figure, you reasoned that the reason why they stayed behind was because they were weaker. You felt porcelain slice as you swiped your claws at the figure. It must have been another skeleton, however there was no blood. You reasoned that since monsters were pure magic, their bodies probably were as well, but that doesn't mean the dust covering your hand didn't surprise you. Your dinner disappeared for a moment before reappearing next to his buddy a couple feet away. You feel your eyes crack open to get a better look at the dust covering your hands. It was definitely magic, you could feel it, so you raised your hand and licked. Definitely not the best texture, but the rush of power felt amazing. How long has it been since your magic had been fully replenished? You must have been on the edge of starvation for so long…

“Mannnn, I'm just so lucky! You have no idea how hard it is to find pure magic. I've got to thank you, this will last me weeks.”

You weren't even hungry anymore, monsters are so cool.

The skeleton with a gold tooth didn't seem very happy. “i don't know what the HELL yer on human, but you got some nerve–”

What? Does this monster not understand what is in front of him? After all they have done to your kind and they have the audacity to forget . “Human? It's been forever since I've been mistaken for a measly human. Tell me monster, do you not know what I am? Do they no longer tell stories about us under your bed? I must laugh…”

“Surely you remember the Vampiric ?”

With the silence that followed, your soul plummeted. You knew that the humans forgot. Decades of advancements had led the belief in anything ‘supernatural’ to dwindle. To think that not one, but bothraces responsible for the unfair slaughtering of your kind had forgotten that you even existed at all hurt. It was like the lives of thousands didn't matter. Your mood was ruined. Monsters suck.

You bid farewell to the monsters and set off in search of Gracie. Hopefully she didn't see that display.

Chapter Text

“YOU LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO MEET A VAMPIRE AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!”

Red and Sans both flinched at their upbeat alternate's angry voice. Blue had recently been getting better at controlling his volume when experiencing strong emotions, but apparently ‘meeting vampires’ was a line they had crossed.

“technically it was morning”

“I DO NOT CARE IF IT WAS MORNING OR NIGHT. YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT. YOU MET A VAMPIRE . TELL ME ALL ABOUT THEM”

Although it seemed as if he was furious to his lazier counterparts, Blue was ecstatic. In his universe, a guilty pleasure of his was reading the ‘Blood Sickles’ comics. He found them one day in the dump when searching for some newer toys for Papy and he fell in love instantly. It was about a crime-fighting, vampire that kicked butt in the dead of night while holding a farm hand job during the day. Blue enjoyed reading the adventures of the blood drinking protagonist and became obsessed with vampire media. Luckily, the abundance of movies in this universe totally made up for all those years of waiting for a new comic to drop.

“well-er, i don't think that-”

“what classic was tryin’ to say was the vamp is fuckin’ crazy shortie. tried to take a bite out o’ vanilla over here before we got away. it's dangerous out there, and it gonna be best fer all o’ us to be on guard.”

“red is right. they aren't like those cartoon vampires you've been watching blue. try to keep your runs in the forest to a minimum, maybe go out into the city for that, and i'll let papyrus know right now.”

Blue isn't as naive as Red or Sans thinks he is. He knows the whole concept of ‘stranger danger’, but he's training to be a firefighter for Toriel's sake! He can take on a vampire. Of course, hopefully it doesn't come to that, he would really like some new friends, ones that aren't alternates of himself or his brother.

Watching Red leave for his shift, he was definitely going to be late, and hearing the snores of Sans in his room, Blue launched off out of the house and into the forest. This friend acquisition expedition will be awesome!

~~~

This sucks. 

You had been searching for Gracie after your encounter until the sun started to peek through the dense foliage. Your hours of whistling and yelling her name had wrecked havoc on your throat. The last couple of hollars and whistles had hurt so much you were sure that some of your magic reserve had gone directly to healing your sore vocal chords.

A rustle in the leaves caught your attention.

“Grac-” Your voice ended in a hiss as you retched your hand back to your chest quickly. When reaching out towards the noise you had accidentally exposed your hand to the sunlight. Glancing at the sun burn, you sigh. This will take more magic from your reserves.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

~~~

There were many words Blue used to describe himself. Awesome, handsome, master puzzle solver, lady killer, and his favorite: magnificent. However, the only word that could describe him currently, is lost.

How did he even get lost?! He comes out running in these woods all the time and yet here he is, stuck deep in the forest when no one knew where he was going. Just as he was about to pull out his phone to call for help, Blue heard a scratchy voice call out for someone.

“Hello? Is anyone there”

There was silence for a moment before a soft voice spoke behind him.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Oh I was just out for a walk and I sorta got lost.” Blue turned towards the voice only to be faced with more foliage. “What are you doing here, it's private property… I think. I actually don’t know how far I went.” An embarrassed laugh left Blue, his eyes still scanning the treeline for anyone.

“I’m looking for someone. I lost her last night, and she hasn’t been responding to my calls. I could lead you out of the forest if you can help me find her. My voice is waning and I would appreciate the help.”

~~~

The last thing you were expecting this early was another skeleton. This one was about eye level to you, wearing what looked to be exercise clothes and a blue bandana. Still hidden in the dense shrubbery, you ask him for help to find Gracie. While normally a stranger wouldn’t be your first choice in finding your lost lamb, you were out of options. You were beginning to grow hungry with all of your magic focused on healing your throat and your burn. The thought of taking a bite out of this monster crossed your mind, but you already felt guilty for yesterday.

“Sure!” Replied the skeleton, “But could you step out of the forest? It’s kind of weird talking to just the trees.”

You hesitated for a moment. Was it rude of you to assume that this monster was related to the two skeletons from the night before? They look eerily similar, and if they are related, there is a huge chance that those two told the monster in front of you, but you had already been searching for Gracie for several hours. You really need this help.

You quickly shove your wool covered tail into your loose fitting pants, effectively hiding them before you shove your hood over your head more. It is very difficult to explain away your horns and lamb ears, so your hood should keep them out of view. There aren’t many ways to hide your eyes, their irregular color and pupil shape seem to draw scretany from other humans, so hopefully this monster won’t ask many questions about them. His eyes seem to be odd as well, but their star shape was pretty.

Stepping out from the brush, you see the skeleton’s eye lights widen, his smile still wide and accepting.

“Oh! Hi there! I’m Blue.” As he reached out to shake your hand, you took a step back. His smile dimmed before he shook it off. “Now, where’s that friend of yours? Or- more so, where haven’t you looked?”

The new skeleton, Blue, seemed like a very anxious monster, or he seemed to be nervous around you. “Well, there is this very sunny clearing not far from here that I wasn’t able to search very well. I don’t do well in the sun.” You lightly scratch the burn on your hand which caught the attention of Blue.

“Oh my goodness! You’re hurt! Here I have some monster candy, it should help, b-but don’t eat too much! We don’t exactly know the effects of too much magic in humans.” The skeleton kept monologuing while looking through his pockets. You silently watched as he triumphantly pulled out a small piece of hard candy.

“Hey I don’t think I-” You were quickly cut off by a gloved hand shoving the candy in your mouth. You awkwardly chew the candy, avoiding eye contact with Blue. Surely he could feel your fangs through his glove, but he didn’t mention it as he pulled away, a light blue blush dusted his cheeks. A faint prickling sensation on your burn made you look away from the skeleton. The burn, while not completely gone, was nearly fully healed. Normally, even with your magic reserves full, you would have to wait at least another day or two to have your skin back to normal. You also felt less hungry than before. Monster magic really is something.

“Huh, that should have healed you more… Do you feel better now?”

A small smile crossed your face. “Yes. Thank you Blue. Now follow me, I can lead you to the clearing.”

~~~

Blue did NOT mean to feel their teeth on purpose, but he doesn’t regret what he did. First of all, he was able to help this stranger’s burn heal a bit. Secondly, he now was sure that the person he was talking to was the vampire!

He had his suspicions when he saw the figure emerge from the forest. Their piercing yellow eyes with horizontal lines as pupils were charming. While Blue had never seen vampires with these eyes in movies, he reasoned that things may be different in real life. Hearing about their aversion to the sun only furthered his suspicions, but seeing the burn hurt something in his soul. He quickly dug out a piece of monster candy, he usually keeps some on him for his brother, and shoved it in the vampire’s mouth.

Feeling the sharp canines softly pressed against his gloves brought a blush to his face.

…That’s something he needs to explore later. Alone.

Blue quickly snaps out of his trance, asking the vampire if they feel better. Oddly enough, the burn didn’t heal all the way, but they didn’t seem to mind. With a smile gracing both his and your face, he makes his way into the forest.

Chapter Text

Making your way to the clearing was easy. The path you had followed originally was a game trail, so the walkway was a little narrow.

You weren’t walking fast, so it was no surprise when Blue quickly caught up to you. He matched your stride as he asked a question.

“So, what does this friend of yours look like?”

“She’s the cutest thing I’ve laid my eyes on. She’s quite young too.” you say. Gracie was only born a couple of months ago. She technically shouldn’t be away from her mother, which is another reason you were so worried. “She is about knee height and her white wool has very tightly wound curls. Her eyes match mine.”

Blue looked at you, his smile drawn tight in confusion.

“Gracie is my lamb.”

You watched as the confusion left Blue’s face instantly. A large, unobstructed smile stretched across him. How was he so…malleable? Isn’t he made of bones?

“Oh! That’s lovely. I’ve never actually ever met a lamb. What are they like?”

It’s odd. You don’t talk to people often. In fact, the monsters you had encountered last night were the first conversation you’ve had with someone other than your herd for over three months. You weren’t used to people talking to you in such a polite tone, let alone asking you questions about your life. It was…nice. You liked Blue.

“I have a herd of sheep, adult lambs, and they are wonderful. They mostly just munch on grass and watch their surroundings, but I still enjoy their presence. It’s very peaceful.”

Blue didn’t exactly know how to respond. When talking about your sheep, a serene look graced your face, and he wanted it to stay there. He wanted to learn more about you.

“I think you’ll like her.” Blue snapped back to attention when you started talking again. “She’s very cute, timid at first, but she warms up quickly.”

“I’m sure I will-” A look of horror etched onto Blue’s face as he realized he never asked you for your name. “OH MY GOODNESS I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW RUDE I’VE BEEN. Ahem-” He fake coughed into his hand for dramatic effect. “Would you please tell me your name?”

Oh no.

You had learned some time ago that human naming conventions were different from Vampires. You technically didn’t even have a name, only a unique melody that resonated from your soul. You had to come up with something fast as Blue was staring into your eyes.

“Shepard” Wow how original.

“Like the job?”

“Yes. It is my job…My parents weren’t very creative.”

A small giggle escaped Blue. You frown slightly at the sound. Was he laughing at you? Sure it wasn’t great, but you liked it. Sensing your worry, Blue stopped his giggle.

“No, no, I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that my father wasn’t very creative either. I mean, Blue is a color, not really a name.” An idea popped into his mind. “Could you guess my favorite color?”

“Hmm” You pretend to think, you smile as you say “Blue?”

“Nope! It’s yellow.” Like your eyes, Blue thought.

You begin to laugh. It wasn’t really that funny, but something about his delivery had you nearly in tears.

“How ironic!” You wanted to keep talking, even if your voice and throat were still hurting from the night before. “What’s your job Blue? Surely it’s more interesting than watching a couple of sheep eat all day.”

The question lifted Blue’s spirits even higher. First he got to hear you laugh and now you’re asking about him? You both are practically best friends at this point!

“I’ve been training to become a firefighter! My certification test is actually coming up very soon.”

The mention of fire startled you for a moment before you quickly recovered. “How noble of you Blue. I’m sure you’ll pass with flying colors.”

He was about to say something before his foot caught on a root and he fell face first into the dirt. A snort escaped you before you asked him if he was okay. He sprung up, a leaf stuck to the top of his head, and placed both hands on his hips. Somehow his bandana was blowing in the wind. He reminded you of a hero.

“OF COURSE I’M OKAY! A LITTLE FALL LIKE THAT COULDN’T HARM THE MAGNIFICENT S-BLUE!”

You chuckled as you pulled the leaf off of him. He began to glow a brilliant blue as you reassured him.

“I don’t doubt that. Now come on, we are almost at the clearing. I cannot follow you, but when you get there, whistle. Three short and one long. All of my herd is trained to come to that whistle.”

Blue, with a look of determination on his face, marches past the thick foliage and begins to whistle. Almost immediately, a small, white creature came rushing toward him. He barely had time to raise his arms before it leapt into them, a content ‘bahh’ leaving its mouth.

“Oh thank goodness!” The lamb, hearing your voice speaking from the trees, jumped out of Blue’s arms and rushed towards you.

“Gracie, you worried me so much! You know how dangerous it is out here!”

Blue watched as you scolded the lamb. It was adorable watching the small creature tilt its head at you, almost as if it was guilty.

“Now off you go, head to your momma.” With that, you placed Gracie down and nudged her in the direction of the herd.

“What! Why are you letting her go? Weren’t you searching for her for hours?” Blue asked.

“She just needed some guidance to get back home” You turn to face Blue, “Now we gotta get you home. If you watched the sunset, would you say it was behind or in front of your house?”

Blue took a moment to think. Every morning he would wake up early with his brother’s alternates to watch the sunrise. He never got over its beauty, even after being on the surface for months.

“In front of.”

“Perfect, then I know where it is.”

—

By the time you reached the edge of the forest, the sun was beginning to set. You and Blue had held idle conversation for hours while walking. It was nice having someone to talk to. Especially someone who didn’t respond in ‘bahh’.

You stopped a couple yards from the tree line. “Wow. This house looks amazing. I saw it a while back, when it was abandoned, and it looks nearly brand new now!”

Pride filled Blue as he began recounting his tale of fixing up the house. It wasn’t easy. He would think that with six people, all of which with amazing magic ability, that fixing the house would be a breeze, but he was sorely mistaken. His brother wouldn’t even lift a finger to help! All he did was pop in on occasion to see the progress before going who knows where. Comic wasn’t any better. Despite this being his universe, they guy seemed to be doing everything he could to get out of helping! And the only reason why Red would help was because Edge was there watching him like a hawk! The only helpful person was Pyrus who was gone because of his job half the time. In the middle of complaining about his housemates, he notices you become alert. Your eyes snap to the side before shutting quickly.

“Blue? Blue, bro are you out there?” It was his brother.

Oh he was in so much trouble. He may have ‘accidentally’ forgotten to tell Stretch where he was going.

“He sounds worried. Is that your brother that you mentioned?”

It had only been a little bit, but he missed your eyes. “Yes. I’m afraid that I must go immediately, BUT BEFORE I DO. Would you, maybe, possibly…wanna exchange numbers?”

A sad smile crossed your lips. “I’m sorry Blue, but I don’t have a phone. I never had much use for one. Can’t text sheep, you know?”

Seeing this skeleton with a bubbly personality seem so somber after those words left your mouth made you feel horrible.

“Hey, I’m not leaving this area anytime soon. How about I come visit you sometime?”

“TOMORROW!” Blue yelled, his face matching his name perfectly. “We should meet up tomorrow.”

With a grin you agreed. “That sounds good. How about in the evening? I can show you somewhere that has a beautiful sunset.”

“It's a date! FOR FRIENDS. BECAUSE WE ARE FRIENDS. NOT A DATE. NOT THAT I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO DATING YOU-” Blue was cut off by another yell from his brother.

“Tomorrow evening?”

You smiled. “See you tomorrow Blue.”

Blue returned your smile tenfold before turning and running towards his brother’s voice. “Papy!”

Stretch ran towards his brother, checking him over for any injuries. “oh my goodness, bro where have you been!? you’ve been gone for hours and i’ve been worried sick! comic told me that you weren’t supposed to go out today. especially with that monster-eating thing out there.”

Hearing his brother insult you made Blue incredibly angry. How could he be so judgemental towards someone he hadn’t even met? Stretch couldn’t know he was just with you, he knows how protective his younger brother is.

“I just went on a walk, Papy. I can protect myself, I am practically a firefighter you know.” Hopefully that will get him to stop asking questions.

“so who was that hooded figure you were talking to?”

Shit.

Chapter Text

Edge was exhausted. Usually he prided himself on his impeccable stamina and determination, but today had kicked his non-existent ass. Firstly, he had to show up to the station extra early to get a head start on paperwork for a series of monster hate crimes. By the time lunch rolled around and his usual patrol started, he was called in by his chief who ordered that he switch his normal route for a significantly worse area. Edge spent the rest of his day arresting racist humans that tried to vandalize multiple monster-owned businesses, all while getting verbally harassed and spit on. He then had to file all of the paperwork for the several new cell mates.

On normal days, Edge would get out around 4pm, and he would have time to leisurely shop for groceries and miscellaneous items before heading home. It was now 6pm and he hadn’t even made it to the store. Deciding on a simple meal of rice, fish, and vegetables, Edge rushed home to get started on dinner.

Upon entering the house he noticed that it was oddly quiet. Usually he could hear the activities of his alternates and his brother, but it seemed as if no one was home. Checking the living room, he did not see Stretch playing on the recently purchased Xbox, nor did he see Pyrus or Blue conversing about the latest puzzle designs. It was…odd. He was sure they would all be home by now. Blue doesn’t have training on Saturdays, and Pyrus does not counsel on weekends. Stretch may have gone to do some odd job, but he would have left Edge a note. He couldn’t even hear Sans’ obnoxious snoring that occured everyday from 5 till 7! Did something happen while he was at work? Checking his phone, Edge saw a notification from his brother’s boss. 

Early on in this universe, Edge had set up an agreement with Red on their road to recovery. Hours of court mandated therapy sessions had brought a lot of issues to light, ones that they both felt responsible for and had obtained unhealthy habits from. Red with his alcohol abuse and avoidance. Edge with his anger and control issues. As a compromise, Red got a stable job as an auto shop mechanic and agreed to cut back on drinking if Edge went to an anger management class. Agreeing with this, Edge took it upon himself to insure that if Red relapsed, that he would know instantly. He met with Red’s boss and asked him to contact the taller skeleton immediately if there were any sudden changes in Red’s behavior. Avoiding eye contact, smelling of mustard, showing up late, or being lost in his thoughts were all examples of what to look out for.

A heavy feeling of dread and disappointment flooded Edge as he read that his brother was not only late to work this morning, but had been in a haze during the entire shift. Not only was Edge already having a horrible day, but now he had to confront his brother about a possible relapse.

With a long sigh leaving his teeth, Edge began to wash the rice and vegetables. He would deal with that issue when it was time. For now, he had to focus on feeding 6 skeletons.

— — — —

Edge was finishing up frying the fish in liquid magic when he heard the front door slam and voices arguing loudly. 

“i just don’t understand why you keep putting yourself in danger.”

“I’M NOT PUTTING MYSELF IN DANGER PAPY, I CAN HANDLE IT.”

“you can barely handle not raising your voice when i’m trying to have a conversation with you.”

“THIS ISN’T A CONVERSATION. IT IS A LECTURE THAT I DON’T NEED.”

The arguing continued through the living room and up the stairs. Edge could hear both their voices grow louder and more angry before there was another door slam, ending the argument. Several loud thuds coming from the stairs grew closer before he saw Stretch enter the kitchen.

“i don’t wanna hear it.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

A tsk left Stretch’s mouth before he pulled out a lollipop from the sweets drawer. He hastily unwrapped the honey-flavored treat before shoving it into his mouth.

“Dinner is in 30.”

Stretch didn’t respond as he turned and left the kitchen.

— — — —

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Edge kept sending Red worried glances, but to the others it looked like a heated glare. Stretch and Blue refused to look at eachother, the brothers choosing to stare at their food. Pyrus had tried multiple times to strike conversation about everyone’s days, but the one word answers and grunts quickly shut him down.

“so” Comic began, “a little orange birdie told me you went out into the woods.”

Blue jumped up from his seat and turned to look at his brother.

“YOU SNITCHED ON ME?!”

“oh get off your high horse bro, of course i told comic. you broke a rule.”

That seemed to only get Blue more angry.

“IT WASN’T EVEN AN OFFICIAL RULE. AND I’M NOT A KID. I DON’T NEED RULES ABOUT WHERE I CAN AND CANNOT GO!”

Edge had no clue what any of them were talking about. A new rule? There needed to be a house meeting to establish a new one, and no such thing had been called.

“What are you two on about? What new rule?” Edge sneered.

“comic got his ass handed to ‘em last night by some monster eater.” The glance that Edge sent his brother made him continue. “late last night comic interrupted ma sleep to go check out some trail cams. we ran into some rando claimin’ to be a vampier fore’ they attacked comic. did some damage too. drew some dust and licked it fore’ runnin’ off.”

“AND NO ONE THOUGHT TO TELL ME? THE POLICE OFFICER?”

“sorry boss. didn’t think of it. had to get to work.”

This slightly lessened Edge’s worry. Now he knows that his brother did not have an episode or relapse. However, his brother and his look-alike were attacked last night on their property.

“I don’t think anyone should leave the property. At least I can get this threat under arrest.”

“NO” Blue yelled.

Edge leveled a glare towards the smaller skeleton. 

“No? You’re going to tell me no?”

“THEY AREN’T DANGEROUS! IT WAS A MISTAKE, I’M SURE OF IT.”

Edge’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve met them?” Before Blue was able to further elaborate, Stretch interrupted.

“you aren’t going back out there” “PAPY” “no blue, there’s too much risk. i didn’t even know they attacked comic. you aren’t going back out there.”

Blue shut his teeth with a click, his normal smile gone, replaced with a grimace and a glare. He stormed upstairs and slammed his door so hard Edge heard the wood crack. A heavy sigh left Edge. He hates seeing any of the brothers fight. It reminds him too much of his time in the underground. When he looked up he saw that Stretch was also gone, presumably out for a smoke. Edge turned to Pyrus.

“Could you go check on him? Work your counselor magic or something?”

Pyrus flashed him a smile and a hum of acknowledgement before bounding up the stairs.

“Now,” Edge faced towards his brother and his alternate, his hands intertwined together underneath his chin. “Tell me about this vampire.”

— — — —

Blue heard a couple of knocks on his door. He quickly wiped away the tears from his face.

“Go away Papy, I don’t wanna talk to you.”

“Wrong Papyrus.”

Blue looked up to see Pyrus slowly open his door, a look of worry on his face. Pyrus made his way towards Blue and sat next to him on his bed. Blue stayed quiet, his legs tucked up to him and his head resting on his knees. Pyrus took a deep breath before he began to talk.

“When we first got to the surface, Comic wouldn’t let me outside. He had heard horror stories of monsters getting dusted on the streets and his paranoia had skyrocketed. It had taken a long time for him to let me do anything, and it started with me taking the first step.”

“I don’t want to have to take the first step. There shouldn’t be any steps. I’m grown. I can handle a walk.”

Pyrus sighed. He scooted closer to Blue and gave him a gentle side hug. Blue leaned in, a new stream of tears building up in his sockets.

“Stretch is just worried, we all are. Even if it was a mistake, this vampire could have dusted Comic.”

Blue began to sob. “I-I know. But t-they were so nice! They listened to me. They weren’t c-condescending at all. They even invited me to see the sunset with them!” He just couldn’t understand why Shepard would be nice to him if they had tried to kill his alternate the night before.

“Why don’t you invite Stretch?”

Blue turned to Pyrus, wiping away his tears and taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down.

“Why would I do that?”

Pyrus gave him a gentle smile. “You should compromise with him. Show Stretch that they aren’t a real threat. That it was just a mistake.”

“Okay.” Blue was going to prove his brother wrong. He was going to keep this friend. He was going to see this sunset with them