Chapter Text
The phone wouldn't stop ringing.
If you could only focus!
Just answer the phone, and then take care of the orders. Do it properly and fast…
"Shit!" You nearly screamed as hot coffee poured over your arm.
You were such an idiot.
"_________! It's the third time this week!" Your coworker rushed to help you.
"I'm sorry Becky."
"No, no, don't you dare ________," she started to clean the coffee off the counter. "I don't want you to apologize, I want you to be careful."
She placed a paw over your recently burned skin. You whimpered to the touch.
"I don't want to do this shit everyday ________." She huffed.
You felt a stinging sensation followed by relief. You had become familiar with the tingling of her healing magic.
"I'm so sorry, I know you get tired after using your magic so much and…" You were only a burden weren't you? You didn't even want to look at the long line of costumers waiting.
"It's not that! I just don't want you to get hurt all the time…" she smiled at the ground.
"Thank you Becky," you smiled too. "I…"
"Excuse me? Can I get my latte now? It's been 15 minutes." A young lady interrupted while she tapped her fingers on the counter.
The phone wouldn't stop ringing, and you didn't want to answer.
"______? Can you please unplug it? We are not even taking orders for delivery today." Becky said as she hurried to the brewer.
It was rush hour. Everybody needed their caffeine dosage in order to function properly and you two were buried in orders.
Normally it was not that hard to cope with the flood of costumers, but your boss was on vacation. She rarely took more than a week, yet this time she decided to take half a month.
Without her, it was almost impossible to deal with the amount of customers coming and going all over the place.
And unfortunately, you even had to suspend the delivery service.
Oh boy, boss was not going to be happy about it.
Monster owned places had actually become really popular in the past year, so now people were crazy about having magic infused beverages. People believed drinking such things would help stop aging, lose weight or even work as an aphrodisiac. You knew it was all bullshit, but it helped the business thrive and you were happy for monster kin.
That's why now you had a crowd ordering and in a hurry. You knew you needed to stop complaining and focus.
You and Becky teamed up to make the orders, but you were having a really hard time remembering the order and using the new espresso machine.
The coffee shop was mostly filled with of college students, and each one of them wanted something outrageously different. You liked it better when the shop was full of business men that just wanted plain Americano for the office.
Now you had to deal with a young man that demanded a tall iced coffee without sugar, but sweetened with agave syrup and caramel, additionally topped with coconut cream foam and chocolate shavings.
God helped you.
"Do you want me to help?" Becky offered.
"No," the young man exclaimed with a menacing glare. "I don't want any monster touching my food."
"It's fine sir, your order is almost ready," you smiled apologetically towards Becky. She seemed incredibly uncomfortable.
When you where done you handed the cup to him and started taking the order of the next person in line.
"Ugh, disgusting! I told you to put caramel in this for a reason! You forgot it, and now it tastes like shit." He scrunched his face and dumped his cup in the nearest bin.
You flinched and tried hard to control your sweaty palms and shaking hands.
You were such an idiot.
Aside from the little incident, the rush hour came and went by without any casualties.
"It's Friday, and rush hour is over, so we will have a pretty relaxed rest of the day." Becky said looking into a small mirror and fixing her eyelashes.
She always did that after she finished a huge round of costumers.You had always liked the way her long ears bounced when she talked, she reminded you of a bunny.
The relief of the rush hour being over washed away rapidly, leaving a dread sensation. You had screwed up, you always did.
"You did fine. Don't worry okay?" she smiled reassuringly at you. She just knew you were blaming yourself for the incident.
You really did not want to let her down. You were lucky to be hired, and it was all thanks to her.
Oh boy, this job was the best ting that had happened to you in a long, long time.
"I'm actually surprised that nasty dude trashed his coffee after specifically requesting you to make it." Becky said wiping away the milk splatters over one of the tables.
You laughed softly "Yeah, the jerk comes into a monster owned business and then asks the only human to make him coffee…" you huffed.
"And then he throws it in the trash, don't forget that part." Becky was visibly relaxed now.
"After he paid for it." You said finally laughing.
"You should have written Mr. Asshole on his cup." Becky said cheerfully.
You both laughed.
Those kinds of incidents were not uncommon. Some humans still did not want anything to do with monsters.
"See? I even got you to laugh today! Lucky me." Becky chanted.
You smiled sincerely. It was Friday, your hands smelled like coffee and life was good.
"Kind of a boring day isn't it? Do you want to watch TV in the back?" Becky asked while she fixed her ribbon, pulling her fluffy ears into a pony tail.
"Uh, Becky?" You didn't know if you really wanted to say what you were about to say.
"Yeah?"
"Hum, today is the inauguration of the film festival isn't it? Do you want to leave early? "
"No way! You have never closed on your own, you need to…" she sounded kind of distressed, but you interrupter her.
"I need to empty and clean the espresso machines, wash the dishes, and swipe the floor. Remember we do not need to do the inventory until boss returns." Why was she so hesitant? Were you that unreliable?
"Are you sure?" she insisted.
"You really stuck up your neck for me today, and well… you actually do that every day. Don't think I didn't notice you handing me the easiest orders," you couldn't look her in the eye. "I just want to return the favor for once, would you allow me? Even though you have it harder than I do, you still help me. You have been so kind since I got in here…" your voice was shaky and your hands were sweaty.
"That's what friends are for. You are not a burden, we are a team!" she put her paw on your shoulder.
"Thank you" you managed to say.
"Will you be okay?" she asked for the last time while she took off her purple apron.
"I will call you in anything comes up." You smiled and felt relieved because you actually got to do something nice for her, even if it was just a small thing.
You were repeating over and over again the scene with the man. You dreaded that kind of confrontation. If you hadn't screwed up the order Becky wouldn't have had to deal with that crap.
Why were you even working there anymore?
You screwed up over and over again.
You were such an idiot.
But at least you could let her have a free Friday night to hang out with friends.
You took a deep breath. You were lucky to be able to work, and to live.
You zoned out as you swept the floor.
"It's Friday and its good." You muttered to yourself.
"YES HUMAN I DO AGREE THAT IS GOOD, A VERY GOOD FRIDAY INDEED." Uttered an obnoxiously loud voice behind you.
You dropped your broom and turned around to greet the costumer.
"Can I help y…" you couldn't finish the sentence.
Oh good, were you hallucinating?
Did you hit your head? If so. How hard?
The fucking grim reaper was there, standing on the fucking door.
Literal death was standing on the door of the café you worked in.
Was death wearing khakis?
Strangely you were not scared.
You took it pretty calm.
"So it's time huh? Will it hurt?" you asked with a faint smile on your face.
"HUMAN???" the tall skeleton looked at you quizzically.
"I mean, when you take my soul…" you said firmly, but still looking at the ground.
"WHAT?? HUMAN?? THESE ROMANTIC ADVANCES ARE TOO FORWARD HUMAN. NEVERTHELESS I ADMIRE YOUR BOLDNESS. IT IS JUST NATURAL THAT YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO ME, BUT THIS IS GOING TOO FAST!" the skeleton seemed to be flustered (?).
You were utterly confused.
"YOU MUST KNOW I AM A MONSTER WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS." He stated.
"What? A monster? Are you serious?" you asked as you approached him.
"I AM NOT SERIOUS I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! COULDN'T YOU TELL?? I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE REASON YOU HAD AN INSTANT INFATUATION FOR ME, HUMAN!"
"No way! I work around monsters all day! You do not look like one!"
"WELL THAT IS BECAUSE I AM A SPECIAL KIND OF MONSTER." He answered.
"Oh my god," you snorted. You had just embarrassed yourself in front of an actual costumer with your childish ideas! "I was about to close, but I can still make you a cup of coffee would you like that?"
"I WOULD RATHER SOME TEA, IT'S HEALTHIER, UNLESS YOU HAVE SPAGETTI FLAVORED COFFEE…"
You boiled some water and smiled nervously, still embarrassed about the misunderstood.
You heard the bell on the front door ringing again.
"I'm sorry, we are closed now!" you hurried to say.
"P-Papyrus? A-are you done with the pur-purchase?" a small lizard monster said entered the shop.
"Oh, are you friends with this gentleman?" you inquired.
"Y-yes! He delayed so I-I came to see what happened"
"OH ALPHYS YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" he chanted proudly, telling the small monster about you having a crush on him and asking him to take your soul.
The small monster burst out in a cute laughter and you just wanted to fall in a hole.
"No, Papyrus…it's not like that. Some human myth states that when humans die, a skeletal figure dressed in robes will come collect their soul." The small monster spoke without hesitation this time.
"I mean I did not use to believe that, but now…You guys just sprung out of the ground and suddenly magic shit is real and well…you must understand my silly response…" you expected them to laugh scornfully. But they didn't.
"HUMAN YOU MUST HAVE BEEN SO SCARED! BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT IS SO GREAT THAT YOU HUMANS GET TO BE PICKED UP BY A COOL SKELETON."
"You are the first skeleton monster I met, if I offended you…"
"NOT AT ALL HUMAN! WE STILL HAVE NOT INTRODUCED OURSELVES PROPERLY. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND SHE IS ALPHYS." You were mesmerized by his happy expression, and did not felt the urge to apologize anymore. He even seemed to be having a good time with you and your dumb explanations.
"Nice to meet you too! I'm _________. " You said maybe a little too high pitched.
"YOU SEE HUMAN, I AM SO VERY GLAD I GOT TO KNOW ABOUT SOME OF YOUR FAMOUS SKELETON MEN."
You got them both tea and they insisted for you to sit with them.
"I am glad too, because a human is working in a monster owned coffee shop." Alphys said warmly.
"Oh guys… you are really nice. I am lucky indeed to be working here." You started to drift off to think about the time you got interviewed, but you were interrupted.
"OH HUMAN, LOOK AT THE TIME! IT'S GETTING LATE AND WE MUST GO NOW."
"W-wait, is it okay if we exchange p-phone numbers? I really liked the tea, and m-maybe we can throw a tea party? It's m-my w-wife's birthday soon." She seemed really excited because of that.
You exchanged phone numbers.
Before they left Papyrus approached to you.
"HUMAN! LET ME GIVE YOU A PIECE OF ADVICE AS GREAT AS ME: YOU COULD USE SOME MORE SUBTLETY IN YOUR ROMANTIC APPROACHES. HERE, HAVE THIS."
He handed you a magazine? A book?
20 Step Guide to get the man monster of your dreams
The word 'man' was crossed out with a huge red marker and instead the word 'monster' had been written.
"YOU CAN'T GO LIKE THAT OFFERING YOUR SOUL TO ANYONE HUMAN! YOU ARE LUCKY THAT I AM A VERY GREAT SKELETON AND A GETLESKELETON, AUDIBLE WINK."
You couldn't even answer properly because Papyrus stormed out of the room dragging Alphys with him.
Oh boy.
You sighed again. The whole shop smelled like peppermint tea and life was good.