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You woke up to an empty house.
Wait, that wasn’t it. Alphys was there. She must’ve gotten up before you to pack her things and get ready to return to Undyne. When she stopped by your place, she fully expected to go on a dramatic trip away from her wife to sort things out. All it took was a brief pep talk and a night away for her to realize that she was more than ready to head back.
But no skelebros in sight.
It was weird. Last night, Alphys managed to wrangle some really…personal info out of you. Something you never would’ve admitted unless you were backed into a corner. And, of course, with her worried heart and moving words, you felt as though you had to be honest with her in how you felt about them. As shocking as it was to admit that you were interested in bonding with them, what was more surprising was that she was the first one you told in the first place.
Maybe it was just easier that way. You and Alphys had been close for years. You didn’t spend quite as much time together lately with such huge events going on in your lives, but you were still besties. The brothers had never brought up the topic of bonding specifically, so it wasn’t too hard to see why you would relay that information on her so quickly and suddenly.
Ugh. This was too much.
You shifted on the couch and let your limbs hang over the edge, feeling a gentle lick against the pads of your fingers. It was Annoying Dog; it wagged its tail at you before bounding underneath the couch, scrambling beneath the cushions to its secret fort, no doubt.
“I-I think Undyne might pick me up later.”
You hadn’t realized you’d been letting your eyes go out of focus until you heard her timid voice around the corner. The ceiling still looked like an incredibly interesting thing to divert your attention to for the time being, but at least now you didn’t look totally zoned out. You let out a puff of air and craned your neck to get a good look at her.
“Did she call?”
“Actually, I...texted her.”
You nodded. It was inevitable. The two of them hadn’t been apart this long since a few of those business trips that Alphys went on for work; now that Undyne was her spouse, she could tag along as a partner and various companies would pay her way. You were a little disappointed that you wouldn’t have any more one on one time, but understood that they had some major issues they needed to discuss with each other.
“W-we should make breakfast.”
“Yeah, okay.”
You wanted to do the works. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, oatmeal. Anything and everything that would make the brothers happy. But with the car gone from the driveway and no bickering upstairs, you understood that…they must’ve left. They hadn’t mentioned any plans to you beforehand, but you figured that maybe the news you shared last night really messed them up. That they needed some time and space to gather their thoughts and process it. Which was understandable, considering how big of a decision it was.
Still…
It wasn’t as if you proposed the idea to them right then and there. It was just a confirmation of what you already thought was common knowledge. It must not have registered until you said it, because now here you were, by yourself, wondering where to go from here.
How did they feel about it?
You did your best to get dressed in whatever clean clothes you had available. Given that the house was still in disarray, there were a lot of boxes filled with your favorite outfits strewn everywhere. So it took some digging to find something that smelled halfway decent and was weather appropriate.
Alphys helped herself to the wafflemaker while she stacked them high on the plate, slathering it in butter and syrup. She was happy to take a ravenous bite out of the sweet treats, the sugar blossoming on her tongue, and enjoy the fact that she could use her own toppings. Undyne preferred foods that were more savory and salty in nature, so all this stuff – aside from egg yolks – really wouldn’t have interested her.
“O-Oh…did you want some? I think I have some extra batter in the fridge…”
You settled next to her, wide-eyed. “No way. I didn’t think you could eat the whole thing by yourself. Color me impressed.”
“H-haha…I guess I was hungry. Didn’t have too much of an appetite last night.” She shrugged. “U-um, so…before Undyne gets here, maybe we could spend some time together in town?”
“You think we have enough time?”
“D-definitely! I’ve got plans I want to share with you.”
You really weren’t sure what that entailed, but didn’t mind indulging you. Alphys always did things out of the bottom of her heart. If she was trying to make you feel better, she would craft some ridiculous plot to make sure you had fun. You really didn’t expect that kind of effort out of her now, especially not when she was so emotionally drained, but what did you have to lose by leaving the house?
Especially since…the projects were all on hold until further notice.
You followed her to the car she brought over and piled in after getting ready. You were in a bit of a mood, so you didn’t bother messing with your appearance too much. That and you were content to simply get in and out.
“I-I’ll drive!”
“Okay, if you want.”
“Trust me.”
You unrolled the window. The weather was a little nippy, but not enough that you needed the heater on. Besides, you made sure to put on something relatively warm. A nice sweater and jeans that would cover you up and keep you content during the day.
From your seat, you managed to catch a glimpse of the neighborhood. Glancing down at the driveway, you spotted tiny, muddy pawprints from the dog that led out to the curb. It must have been bouncing around in a puddle or something and then darted around after giving Papyrus a few headaches. The yard still looked freshly cut, every single blade of grass doing its best to cling to life despite the change in weather. The leaves on the trees shifted hues and shades, creating a rainbow of colors that breathed some much-needed life into your home.
The skies were blue and cloudy, wisps of them floating along and disappearing along the heavy foliage from the neighbor’s plants that lined the roads. You couldn’t make out any particular shapes, but recognized that quite a few of them were the distinct color of the brothers’ bones. Seeing it brought a smile to your face.
Alphys jerked the wheel when you came to a stop. You were so engrossed in the world around you that you hadn’t noticed that you’d arrived. She put the car into park and unclicked her seatbelt, a half-smile on her face. She waited for you to follow suit before hopping out of her seat onto the rough asphalt, letting out a slight oof! when her tail thunked along the ground.
“This is…the park.”
You had no clue why you were here. It was deserted. Not only that, but Alphys directed you to a part where there was a shoddy looking playground, complete with a merry-go-round that creaked and groaned with every gentle push of the breeze.
She didn’t seem to care much, plodding along the grass, letting the soft dirt press up against her bare feet, while she made a beeline for the equipment.
“Here. Sit next to me.” She patted a spot next to her on the merry-go-round. You were a little suspicious that maybe it would break under your added weight, seeing as how the rusty bolts didn’t look so inviting, but she insisted.
Against your better judgment, you lowered yourself down. Cheek by cheek. Testing it out to make sure you didn’t end up putting the both of you on the ground. Alphys laughed at your caution; it was nice to see her so carefree after what happened yesterday. Her enthusiasm put a sheepish grin on your face, too.
“What’s up? Why are we here?”
“I…want to see if we can do something.”
“Alright.”
She angled herself toward you and closed her eyes. Inhale. Exhale.
“L-Let’s share SOULs, okay?”
You weren’t sure what you expected, but that definitely wasn’t it. From the distant chittering of animals to the steady breaths of the monster in front of you, you were finding it a little hard to catch your own breath. Even a few noises as simple as that seemed too overwhelming.
“What?”
“I just want to. It’s something we should have done…y-years ago, but never had the chance to because you’re human. S-Sans and Papyrus have really helped you get comfortable with it. And i-it would mean a lot.”
You were having a hard time wrapping your head around this. You knew that by Toriel’s educational video and several other sources that this was a common practice between friends, and definitely not very…sexual in any sense of the word. But it was intimate, that was for sure. No matter how monsters played it off. It was essentially offering the essence of your being to another person and having your entire self on full display for them to judge and evaluate.
“I..”
“S-sorry. I know this is sudden. But it would mean a lot if you did. I-I don’t want to pressure you, though! I know…” She smiled sadly, “that you and the b-brothers have done this more than your fair share of times. And i-it must be special to you.”
You tried to organize your thoughts. Yeah, you had done this with the brothers on separate occasions. It made you happy when you did, because it was a chance to finally see a part of them that was so important to their culture. It was a little silly to be so hesitant.
“Okay, yeah. Sure! Let’s do it.”
Her jaw dropped. “R-really? You mean that?! B-because I was going to say, if you don’t think you’re up to it, it’s f-fine, but I saw the look on your face this morning and wanted to reassure you that things are gonna be okay! I’m n-not very good with words, but my feelings should help, but only if you are one hundred percent o-okay!”
You nodded.
Both of you faced each other now. Alphys concentrating. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead while she concentrated. You never understood how monsters summoned SOULs. Maybe theirs called out to yours and reminded it that it wasn’t alone? It was tough to say since you didn’t think you had that inherent ability.
Within seconds, the wind picked up. A slight chill ran down your spine and you felt the familiar tug. Something…harder than what you went through with the brothers. When you were sharing with them, all it took was a blink of their eyes and there you were in their palms. But with Alphys, there was more of a dragging sensation that sprouted from the center of your chest. Leaving your mouth agape and clenching your fists. It wasn’t unpleasant or uncomfortable, but something different and strange.
“H-here we go…”
She summoned her SOUL and it floated in front of her. Bright white and beaming against the dull background around you.
“Is it…okay if I hold yours?”
“Y-yes, of c-course! You don’t have to ask…ha ha…”
You nodded and pulled it inward. Staring at it. A faint halo around it shifted from yellow to green, two colors you didn’t expect at all. It was the color of Alphys and Undyne’s magic.
“Y-you see that, right? The colors? I…it really only happens when couples bond. And it shows how we’re connected.”
You thought about how it would work with the brothers. Blue and purple. That didn’t sound so bad.
“And here is yours…hmm…” Alphys smiled, the color reflected in the lenses of her glasses. “I-I can see here why the brothers are so enamored! It’s a beautiful SOUL.”
“Ah, Aly!!! Don’t make me flustered!”
“I-I’m not trying to, I’m just being honest.” She exhaled. “You can see scars. All human SOULs have them. Because no matter how much they’re injured, you still persevere and come out on t-top. It’s good. You have so much potential here. It’s full of love, a-and…everything looks so healthy.”
You felt at ease the more time that passed. Alphys sat in silence and seemed to research more about you based on the object she held in her hands. She was careful with you even though you knew that human SOULs weren’t exactly fragile.
Hers was…something else.
It shrunk away from you at first, but warmed up the longer you gave it attention. Something that then flourished at the sight of your support and wonder. Alphys was a passionate person, that much was clear, and judging by the way it nearly whispered her wife’s name, she was still very much in love and content in her relationship.
“B-bonding…is more than this. More than melding. Where your SOUL…and another…will become something far m-more than they could ever dream.” She chuckled. “That spot right there? T-the one that’s opaque? That would be the little bit of magic that will be with me for the r-rest of my life. Undyne’s magic. And hers looks the same.
“I want you to sh-share these feelings you have built up with the brothers. While I am your friend and am f-flattered that you would tell me about wanting to bond with them someday, it’s clear here that they’re your priority. I can’t say what the future will hold, but this is important: you three…are m-made for each other. There’s no doubt about that. It’s written…here, in your SOUL, and in their magic. T-threaded in it and neverending. Sometimes I can hear your name when they’re still enough that their magical discharge breaks through the silence. It-it’s clear that they are ready for anything you are.”
You swallowed. Glanced down at the way her SOUL flared when she thought about Undyne. And knew that deep down, somewhere, the bros had already rooted themselves in your own SOUL.
“Ah…I think that’s S-Sans.”
You froze. Glanced at the horizon.
And there he was. A goofy grin on his face that didn’t threaten to break, even despite locking eyes with you and seeing what you and Alphys were up to.
“hey, babe. aly. what's goin’ on?”
“J-just sharing SOULs with your girlfriend.” She beamed at him. “I-it’s a lot of fun! I think I’ve got the hang of her rhythm already. N-no wonder you like it.”
“heh…” You weren’t sure what that meant, but it caused a cloud of color to sweep across his cheekbones. “anyway. went back to the house to look for ya, but you weren’t there. undyne and paps are there, too.”
“Oh. I g-guess we lost track of time.” Alphys glanced at her watch and jumped. “W-We should probably wrap this up! I’ll get the car started.”
Just like that, her panic caused her SOUL to dissipate from between your fingers. Yours returned to you and your chest felt whole again. Enough that you realized, with incredible embarrassment, that Sans had been staring at the spot where you’d been holding Alphys’ SOUL in your hands.
“babe…”
“Yeah?”
He closed his eyes and then took a seat next to you on the merry-go-round. He looked like he was getting nervous now. You hadn’t seen him this worked up in a while, and it was kind of cute.
“Is everything okay, Sans?”
“yep. peachy keen.” He laughed. “you know, we…uh…last night…”
You didn’t feel…panic, necessarily, but it was still a surprise to hear him bring it up. He was usually a pretty avoidant person and disliked confrontation. For the longest time at work he accepted IOUs without expecting to be paid back because he didn’t like disappointing customers and friends. Sure, he’d learned to manage that on the surface, taking his time in being able to sit down and talk seriously with his coworkers about their recent performances and whatnot, but it was still odd to see him actively trying to address something without his arm being twisted.
“y’know we were in the kitchen, right? when you said that…you, uh…how you thought it was an ok idea to, maybe, heh…”
You swallowed. “Bond?”
“…yeah.” He melted into his spot and drew his hood up out of embarrassment. Flopping backwards so you couldn’t catch sight of his expression any longer. “damn. thought i’d be the one to catch you off guard here.”
“No such luck.”
You leaned backwards so you were on his level. The both of you turning so you were on your sides and staring at each other. Sans had on that grimace.
“wanted to get you somethin’ big and romantic, but i had no clue what that would be. didn't know how to ask. even went to tori for advice and she just gave me this…trunk full of stuff that she said was supposed to help. turned out to be nothin’ but rope n’ chemical textbooks.”
“Oh my god. Because you asked her about bonding.”
“heh, yeah.”
“She must’ve been planning that joke for ages. What a dork.”
Sans deflated a little bit. “you, uh…meant what you said, right? about wanting to?”
“…Yeah, I did.”
“good. was hopin’ for that. sometimes, you just kinda dream…but then when it becomes a reality, kinda hard to adjust…”
“Um, Sans…”
“yeah?”
“Your SOUL is out of your chest.”
He grinned and buried himself further into his hood. “damn it.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it,” you laughed.
You reached over and cupped it in your hands, placing gentle kisses along the cool, rippling surface. His expression was hard to decipher considering he was hiding away, but you knew if he didn’t like it then he would’ve said something. You were glad to have the welcome sensation against your lips, knowing that he was feeling every show of affection amplified a tenfold through his entire body.
“There we go. One hundred percent covered.” You let it go and it floated back to his body, disappearing with a spark. “Um…sorry if I got too excited with it.”
“…don’t worry. i'll get ya back.”
You knew that you had to head home. Undyne would find some way to busy herself with Papyrus, and you were afraid that they would end up destroying something out of overzealousness. You just wanted to make sure that your brand-new house would last more than a few weeks or months with all your monster friends coming in and out being as eccentric as usual.
So you were the first one to stand up and stretched your hand out to Sans. He gripped it just enough so he could pull himself off the flat surface.
“babe.”
“Mmm.”
“hold my hand, will ya?”
You laughed. “Oh my god. You don’t have to ask.”
“still a little weak from all those smooches. might need ya to carry me.”
“Oh my god, no way, Sans!”
It was nice to know that despite your…confession…that he wasn’t acting weird. If anything, he seemed to be in a better mood. A little bit of a pep to his step. He even offered to be the one to drive back to the house, which he almost never did because he was too lazy to operate the car. Unless it was for work, of course. But Alphys reassured him that she didn’t mind, so the both of you piled in the backseat to be able to enjoy each other’s company with a little more privacy.
He reached down. Laced his fingers with yours. And faced the rest of the trip head on with a smile on his face.
You were nervous when you parked outside the house. You never thought you’d feel like this coming here. This was supposed to be your home; a safe place for your worries and fears to melt away. But judging by the twisting in your stomach, you were painfully aware of how uncomfortable it really was. Anticipating Papyrus’ reaction about the entire thing was…
Well-founded.
Because as soon as Alphys announced her arrival, Undyne and Papyrus stopped their heated discussion in the living room. The former bounded forward to sweep her wife up in a tight hug, but the latter…
Couldn’t even look at you.
Ouch.
You stammered out a hello, but it was long among Undyne’s devoted cries and yells.
“BABE!!! I was so WORRIED about you! When I knew you were mad, I didn’t think it would be enough for you to LEAVE!”
“I-I know, I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?! They didn’t do anything WEIRD to you, did they?!”
“N-no!” Alphys laughed. “S-stop trying to brush over this. I’m fine, I promise. A-and…it was all thanks to these three. They helped me realize some really…i-important things.”
You snuck a glance at Papyrus once she said that. He refused to make eye contact with you, instead fumbling with the frayed edges of his scarf.
“FUFUFUFU…yeah!!! I knew that she would do her best to get you to see the light!” Undyne put her hands on her hips and guffawed, tossing her head back and every muscly chord in her neck tightening with the force of the action. “ANYWAY. Let’s all hang out for a bit!!! Papyrus was just gonna show me the mural he did in her room…RIGHT?”
Papyrus’ head snapped up. He looked like he wasn’t sure of what was going on, but after seeing everyone stare at him, he…faltered a little bit. You watched him continue to rub his hands through the fabric of his scarf, almost roughly, wringing it all in his hands with a strained smile on his face.
“YES…RIGHT THIS WAY!”
You were about to follow him upstairs when Sans caught you by the sleeve.
“hey, babe?”
“Yeah?”
“go, uh…easy on my bro, ok?”
“What…?”
“he’s uh, kinda confused, and uh…heh, listen. just know that nothing’s changed.”
You weren’t sure what that meant, but it did leave you a bit apprehensive. You and Sans decided to head up after all, trailing the three while they made their way to your newly painted room.
“Oh, wow! Papyrus, this is a-amazing!”
You stepped inside and felt your stomach do flips. She was right. Papyrus was an incredible artist, and he always managed to find just the right amount of technique and inspiration to make things look beautifully realistic. The colors were vibrant and wonderful, it felt like you could fall right into the painting. Alphys tentatively stepped forward to press her hand against it, making sure it was completely dry, before running her claws down the entire length and marveling at the crasftmanship.
“Papyrus, this is your CHANCE. In front of your WORK!”
“I…I AM NOT READY.”
“You weren’t ready the time we trapped you two in the attic and you did just FINE. So stop!” Undyne hissed.
You weren’t sure what was happening until it did. Undyne carted Alphys out of the room, Sans mysteriously disappeared, and then it was just the two of you.
Alone.
Papyrus swallowed hard and avoided looking at you. “I…HOPE YOU ARE NOT TOO EMBARRASSED WITH UNDYNE. I KNOW SHE MEANS WELL.”
“It’s okay, Paps.”
“I…SUPPOSE I OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION.” He coughed into his hand, looking…distressed? Why? “BUT…I AM A LITTLE UNSURE OF WHERE TO BEGIN.”
“It’s okay, we don’t have to…”
“BUT I WANT TO. IN FACT, I HAVE WANTED TO SO BAD THE ENTIRE DAY THAT I ATE AN ENTIRE BOX OF OATMEAL BECAUSE I WAS DISTRESSED. THERE WERE A HUNDRED AND THREE DINO EGGS IN THAT OATMEAL AND I CONSUMED THEM ALL! SO CRUELLY!!!”
“Um…”
He stepped backwards and leaned on the edge of the chair that sat in the middle of the room. Head drooping.
“WHEN I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID TO ALPHYS, I FELT VERY MANY EMOTIONS…SO MANY OF THEM AT ONCE… IT WAS QUITE OVERWHELMING.”
“I’m sorry.”
“NO. I WAS THE ONE WHO WANTED TO HEAR YOU!!! SANS SUGGESTED WE GO OUT THE BACK DOOR AND HIDE OUT THERE, BUT I COULDN’T RESIST. SO THAT IS MY FAULT, AND I…AM SORRY!!! PLEASE DON’T BE ANGRY.”
“I’m not mad.”
“WELL YOU SHOULD BE. IT WAS UNFAIR OF ME TO INTRUDE ON YOUR PRIVATE CONVERSATION. BUT ONCE I HEARD WHAT THE FIGHT WAS ABOUT FROM UNDYNE, I HAD TO KNOW YOUR OPINION. I HAD NO IDEA YOU WOULD BE SO…”
He paused. You took this opportunity to approach him. He didn’t shy away from you, but he seemed more embarrassed than anything.
“I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU WOULD REVEAL SUCH BIG NEWS. AND I FELT SILLY FOR…WELL…” He shifted again. “WORRYING.”
“Worrying…?”
“I WAS WORRIED FOR THE LONGEST TIME THAT MELDING WAS THE ONLY THING YOU WANTED TO DO. WHICH IS GOOD. BECAUSE WHEN WE MELD, NEITHER OF US CAN HAVE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES! BONDING IS QUITE DIFFERENT. I HAVE BEEN…HAVING DREAMS ABOUT IT. DREAMS WHERE OUR SOULS EXCHANGE MAGIC AND BECOME PART OF EACH OTHER. I WAKE UP SMILING. EVEN MORE SO THAN USUAL.”
Now it was your turn to be flustered. “Um…”
“HUMANS DREAM OF BEING MARRIED AND SUCH. MONSTERS DO THAT TOO, JUST NOT VERY OFTEN? BONDING IS MUCH MORE COMMONPLACE. SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONFUSION. BUT IT IS…NATURAL, I THINK…TO WANT TO BE TOGETHER WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE VERY MUCH. I JUST…DO NOT LIKE…THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE IF YOU ARE HARMED BY SUCH A THING.
“I KNOW THAT TORIEL’S VIDEO EXPLAINED IN GREAT DETAIL THAT MONSTER AND HUMAN PAIRINGS ARE MORE COMMON THAN EVER, BUT I WORRY. ABOUT YOUR MAGIC AND MINE. WHAT IF THEY ARE NOT AS COMPATIBLE AS WE THINK? SANS AND I ARE NOT LIKE OTHER MONSTERS, WE ARE QUITE UNIQUE. IF WE WERE TO OVERPOWER YOU, IMAGINE…OR, WHAT IF I GET SICK? AND FALL DOWN? OR SOMETHING SIMILAR…SO MANY THOUGHTS… AND I KNOW BETTER TO ENTERTAIN THEM, BUT THE SINCERITY IN YOUR VOICE WAS QUITE JARRING.”
He reached for you and made you plop down on his lap. With anyone else you would’ve been nervous, but Papyrus showed you time and time again that he was an incredibly strong person. He wouldn’t let you get embarrassed by crumbling under your added weight.
“WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, I THINK OF A FUTURE.”
“Me too, Papyrus.”
“I CANNOT IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT YOU.”
“I can’t, either.”
“AND BONDING IS AS PERMANENT AS IT GETS. I WANT YOU TO BE READY.”
“I will be.”
“SO WE CAN PLAN TOGETHER? WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO?”
“Yes.”
“OH. GOODIE. I…FEEL A LITTLE FAINT, NYEH HEH HEH.” He rubbed at his skull. “IS IT WARM IN HERE? OR…IS IT…PERHAPS…JUST YOU?”
You kissed him on his nasal bone. “You got that from the new edition of your dating manual, didn’t you?”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT IS A PAPYRUS THE SKELETON ORIGINAL.”
He laughed and pulled you in for a kiss. It was warm. Intimate. Being settled on his lap with his hand threaded through your hair. Stabilizing you because you were sure you would’ve floated away if given the chance. Wrapped up in him in every sense of the word, your heart full and worries eased with just a few well-articulated thoughts.
He broke away for a moment. Blushing. “I…AM HAPPY THAT YOU WANT TO BOND WITH ME. I DO, TOO. I CAN’T WAIT WHEN WE DO.”
Sharing SOULs had been an experience.
So had melding.
You had no clue what bonding would hold. It was…something that lingered not too far off in the distance. You knew it was inevitable, but somehow…that wasn’t intimidating in the slightest.
Because if bonding meant that you could solidify all the feelings and experiences with Sans and Papyrus until the day you died, you would do it with a smile on your face.
It was nice to know they felt that way, too.
“ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU TWO AREN’T READY TO LEAVE?”
Undyne cackled. “No WAY, nerd!!! Now that everyone’s on the same page, we’re going to tell EVERYONE first. Toriel is on her way with something to celebrate your guys’ decision. And I’m gonna stick around until I make sure you guys BREAK and end up all over each other, fufufu!”
“NOOO! PLEASE DON’T. THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING. I HAVE THE DECENCY TO LOOK AWAY WHEN YOU AND ALPHYS ENGAGE IN SMOOCHES.”
“We never ASKED you to!!!”
You settled on the couch while Undyne and Papyrus both argued about whether it was appropriate to sit around and wait before the three of you broke and the brothers started wooing you. You didn’t know why they would even bother wasting their energy on something like this, but it was still entertaining.
“OH! I-I almost forgot! Sans, I’m p-planning to visit your new lab next week.”
“heh, you in the area or somethin’?”
“Yes, actually. I was hoping to sit with you and get an interview. I’m in charge of the editorial on the project, s-so an exclusive interview with you would be great!”
“ok. swing by and i’ll avoid answerin’ every one of your questions.”
“P-please don’t.”
The door swung open and Toriel let herself in, her kids trailing behind her. Some of them looked grumpy, as if they’d just been woken up from a nap. At least Locques was happy to see you; he walked up with a drawing gripped tight in his hand, shoving the paper at your face with a proud smile on his face.
You unrolled the piece and stammered. “Thanks, Locques. Um…this is really nice!”
“Oh, he worked very hard on it. Where will you hang it?” Toriel asked you smugly. “Perhaps here, in the living room?”
God, she had to be the oldest troll there was. “Um…yeah, I should just find a frame for it.”
“No need. I brought one for you!”
She thought of everything. You nestled it between the wood and glass, staring down at what the picture depicted. You, Sans and Papyrus all holding hands, with you in the middle. Your SOULs floating above your heads and also holding hands. since Locques slapped some arms and legs on them for fun? It was just…a bold statement if there ever was one where this relationship was heading.
Papyrus gasped, having been looking at it over your shoulder. “WHAT. A. MASTERPIECE!!! YOU HAVE OUTDONE YOURSELF, LOCQUES! THIS IS PERHAPS THE BEST PICTURE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! WHERE SHALL WE PUT IT UP?”
He grabbed the frame and Locques hand, leading the kid away so they would be able to decorate the living room with it. You were having a hard time not passing out from embarrassment and mortification, especially because Toriel decided this was enough time for her to break out some champagne glasses.
“heh. don’t worry, we can always take it down until they stop by,” Sans told you, at your side. He shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned. “still cute, though.”
You looked at him. At Papyrus, who bent down and was speaking with Locques earnestly about the quality of his artwork. Alphys was having trouble using the wine opener, and she tugged so hard that the cork flew out and popped her right in the face. Undyne broke out laughing until it bounced off and lodged itself in her throat, so Toriel had to position herself behind her and give her the heimlich.
You closed your eyes. Smiling.
“No. We’ll keep it up.”