A sigh pulled from your lips, arms splayed dramatically across your bed, cheek pressed against your pillow. It'd been a week since that fateful fight that had ultimately resulted in all three of your roommates leaving you alone, and the silence was beginning to weigh on you more heavily than you cared to admit. Rolling onto your back, there was a certain detachment to the way you regarded your ceiling, feet dangling off the edge of your mattress. More than the quiet emptiness of the home, there was also the pressing matter of making ends meet and paying bills.
The four of you had managed it. Truly, the home itself wasn't worth how much it costed; the location is where most of the cost came from. Right on the outskirts of a major city, yet far enough off the road and surrounded by enough trees to provide privacy and peace. It wasn't even a full fifteen minute drive into the city. Though, you supposed, the acreage the farm-house style home sat on surely played a part in it as well. Plenty of space all around for having social gatherings, a vegetable garden in the back; it was sheer luck you had managed to get this place.
Always an ambitious sort, you'd jumped on the rent-to-own opportunity the property brought. But rent was high, and even if it was your name on everything, your roommates were more than happy before to pay their part so long as they had a place to stay. A worried sort of nausea swirled in your stomach, bitter as you pushed yourself up into a sitting position. Unfortunately, you and them had very different ideas about the monsters that had come to the surface just a few months prior. You were always quick to correct the bouts of slurs your roommates used, always more than slightly sickened by the prejudice and outright hatred they had shown.
Truth be told, you liked monsters more than you liked humans. You'd yet to meet an outright mean one. Plenty of them were nervous, but that was to be expected all things considered. Yet never one who was malicious for the sake of it. People hated them simply for existing, and that didn't sit well with you at all. Monsters were different from humans, yes, but they were just as intelligent and every bit as capable of morality and emotion. And with the few friends among them you had made, quite a feat in and of itself as you didn't have many to begin with, your resolve to do your best in helping monster kind gain equal rights and opportunities was strong.
For all your anxiety and other issues, you never missed a protest on their behalf. Meetings that were open to the public were always attended. You were far from being the only one welcoming them with open arms, of course, for which you were grateful. It was the reminder that you so often needed that humanity wasn't truly all that bad. Firmly reminding yourself not to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch, your previous roommates faces were pushed from your mind. For now, you needed to put an ad out online and in the paper. If you didn't get new roommates soon, you'd be in all sorts of trouble.
Groaning and getting to your feet, your dog glanced up from his corner, ears cocked. "I'm okay. Stay." It was a tired command, opting to amble over to your corner desk. Cluttered yet chaotically neat, it was the only messy area in your room. But you always worked best in a mess, truth be told. Rubbing at your hip before sitting in your cushioned chair, you wiggled your mouse to pull your laptop from sleep mode. A few clicks later, and you were busily typing basic information in to a few websites. Most of which made you cringe, ticking the 'Monster Friendly' box on each one. It just felt wrong, having to do something like that, like it was the same as marking 'Pet Friendly'.
Ignoring the twinge of guilt you felt for having to check something so obnoxious to begin with, using old pictures from before you'd gotten your previous roommates of the spare bedrooms, everything was uploaded and you were happy to push away from your desk. Turning in your chair as it went, you used that momentum to pop up onto your feet, taking long strides on out of your bedroom. It was about time to get dinner started, and you were sure Lucifer needed to be let out, anyways. Something of a smile pulled at your lips, snapping as you went so he'd follow after you. A devout thing, your dog was, immediately at your side and to attention as he padded along beside you.
He was a wonderfully trained service dog, you honestly didn't know where you'd be without him. On your physically bad days, he was always ready to go, backpack and harness at the ready. Even your mentally unsteady ones. Truth be told, sometimes you felt like you'd have given up on life without him. But, you supposed, that's what he was supposed to do. Do and aid in the things you couldn't do for yourself, to act as medical equipment until it was okay to relax and just be a dog. His wet nose nudged at your palm, and you responded by gently scratching behind one of his ears.
"Need to go potty, Luci?" Your babying tone of voice was all it took to let the German Shepherd know he was off duty for the time being, immediately dropping down onto his front paws, tail wagging as he gave a sharpyip. "Yeah? Wanna go ou'side?" Giggling at his playful enthusiasm, he beat you to the sliding glass doors that lead to the backyard. Shaking your head and smiling as you pulled it open, you watched him bound out with a feeling of vague contentment. Deciding to leave it open (it was rather nice out), you meandered your way to the kitchen.
Wincing and gripping the counter with your good hand, you slowly managed to lean down and open one of the lower cupboards, pulling a pot and pan out with no small degree of difficulty. Usually Lucifer helped you with this, but he'd been very good all day about assisting you. He deserved a night off—but you knew if you really needed him, he'd be right back to it in an instant. Besides, you were really just stiff and sore today. Most of the time, you could manage. Setting the cookware on the stove, you ambled your way to the fridge; you'd already put chicken in there to thaw earlier.
Chicken and rice was always a good idea. Grabbing a box of broth and a few other bits and ends, you reclaimed your position in front of the counter. Pulling a cutting board closer and snagging a knife from the magnetic strip on the wall, the boneless breast was tugged from the freezer bag it'd been sealed in. As you set to dicing, you heard your dog amble back in, claws clicking over the wood flooring as he came to lay down out of the way, watching you intently. "Ain't no rest for the wicked, huh, Luci?" You spared him a sideways glance, setting your knife down—and just in time, too, your phone going off scared you out of your wits.
Jumping with your breath caught in your throat, blinking owlishly, you were quick to wash your hand and flap them erratically to try and dry them before fumbling for your cell. Pulling it from your pocket, you squinted at the unknown number flashing across your screen. Did you already have a taker? That fast? Swallowing past your anxiety, you tapped answer and brought it to your ear. "Hello! This is [Y/N] speaking, how may I help you?" Inwardly grimacing at the sunniness in your tone, you leaned against the counter, chewing on your lower lip.
"HELLO!"
The sheer volume and exuberance of the other person's voice made you jolt, holding your phone a little away from your ear. "My name is Papyrus! I'm calling about the three rooms you listed online!" Ah, much better, you safely returned your cell to its original position. "You're the first caller, all three are still available. Are you looking to take one or all of them?" You really hadn't expected to get any inquiries for at least a week. Maybe living space was in higher demand than you first thought? "All of them! Not just for me, of course! My brother and father will take the other two!" Oh—a family? That sounded...really nice, actually.
Better than random strangers taking rooms and just hoping they all get along, at any rate. "That sounds great. Uhm, when would you like to come look at the rooms and all the rest of it?" Alas, nice seeming or not, you always had such horrid social anxiety. Trying to ignore the clammy feeling that took over you, mildly comforted by the fact Lucifer shifted closer to lean against your legs, you still did a double take at his answer, "could we come look tonight?" Frantically glancing at the meal you'd yet to even finish prepping, you thought it over carefully. Best to get it out of the way now, right?
"If you don't mind joining me for dinner, please feel free to come over." Moving, you tugged a drawer open, grabbing a ziplock bag to put the chicken back into. You could always cook it and shred it tomorrow to make chicken salad or something for lunch, after all. "GREAT!" His sudden shout caused another grimace, though you kept your phone against your ear, struggling with your hand to open the bag. "We'll be over in a few minutes! Goodbye!" The line went dead at that, and you found yourself blinking rapidly. A few minutes? Oh, dear lord, that wasn't enough time to prep at all!
Tossing your phone onto the counter, you frantically got the chicken shoved back into the fridge, and the knife and cutting board dropped into the previously empty sink. Giving your hands a quick wash, the unused pot and pan were put away (with the help of Lucifer this time around), and you turned to pull some frozen pork chops from your freezer. Tossing them into the microwave to defrost, you rapidly limped out onto your back porch to get the grill turned on before making your way back inside. Lucifer was right by you again, something you were thankful for, murmuring "brace" and regaining your balance after a few more steps.
Your hand left the space between his shoulders, having him help you get a sack of potatoes from the pantry. Chops, mashed 'taters, and a tossed salad seemed like a nice enough dinner. Especially for something that was so...sudden. You only had enough time to pull the needed potatoes out before your doorbell went off. Out of habit, you gestured with your hand at your dog, and he obediently trotted off to go open the front door. Rearing up just a tad to grab the rope attached to the handle, he pulled and tugged the heaven wooden door open before stepping back and staring up at the three.
"Wowie! Are you a monster, too?!" Easily the most energetic of the lot, the second tallest skeleton crouched down. "We spoke on the phone! I am the Great Papyrus!" Holding out his hand, he waited for it to be taken—Lucifer merely sniffed at it before turning and sauntering back into the house. "heh, pap, i don't think that's her. of course...it is still paws-ible." "SANS!" Groaning and stomping his foot as Papyrus straightened up, he fixated his far shorter brother with a defiant glare. To which the monster gave a lazy, shit eating grin. Watching the other two with an impassive sort of regard, the tallest simply stepped inside. He had to duck his head down to avoid hitting it on the threshold, hands simply smoothing over his grey sweater after.
Aside from his impressive height, he was dressed far more formally than the others. Where Sans was comfortable in jogging shorts, a stained looking white tee, slippers, and a blue hoodie. And Papyrus some sort of brightly coloured shorts, tennis shoes, a tank top and baseball cap. This silent, white and black being was formal in his sweater, black slacks, and dress shoes. While his face bore an unfaltering black smile, he still managed to look like he was pursing his lips, gesturing for the other two to follow him in. It wasn't giving the best impression to not be greeted in person. But he wouldn't make any harsh judgments just yet.
Of course, it was only after they were inside and you heard the front door close that you realized what you'd done. "Oh, shoot!" Groaning at your lack of tact, you were quickly making your way to the foyer. "I am so sorry about that, it's just, I always have him answer the door for me, I completely forgot I was—oh." You trailed off mid-ramble, blinking at your guests. Well, you had checked that you were monster friendly, but you hadn't really expected any to take you up on it. An awkward silence settled, observing the three with a sheepish sort of expression. The shortest simply stared back, grinning and relaxed, whereas Papyrus looked about ready to start shouting introductions.
Still, your eyes slowly dragged to the tallest; you were assuming this was their father. And you had to look up, chin tilting back just slightly. "Gosh, you're tall. Please be careful, I really don't want you to hit your head on any of the ceiling fans..." It seems like that wasn't what he was expecting you to say, but you couldn't quite tell. Quite the stoic man. "A-anyways! U-uhm, hi, I'm [Y/N]. Thank you for deciding to stop by!" All at once, the tension in the room seemed to melt away. "I'm Papyrus! We spoke on the phone earlier!" Bounding forward, the skeleton excitedly took your hand (thankfully your good one) in his own, eagerly shaking it.
"That we did! Aha, it's lovely to meet you." Normally, socializing wasn't your thing. But...this monster seemed so kind, you found yourself smiling brightly at him. Letting go of his hand, you turned to look at the other two. Raising a hand in something of a greeting, the short stack would say a noncommittal "yo, im sans." "Pleasure to meet you as well, Sans. And..." Your attention returned to the towering figure, a nervous feeling settling in the pit of your stomach. Something just seemed a bit off about this one, but you were trying not to pass any sort of judgment before you got to know him.
He closed the distance between the two of you in one fluid step, primly holding his hand out to you. "W.D. Gaster." As he spoke, hazy symbols formed and hovered around his head momentarily. "Does that stand for Wing Dings?" You blinked, recognizing the font as you took the offered palm—and only then noticing the gaping hole in the center. Unable to help glancing down at it, you shifted your gaze back to his face again. It would be rude to stare or to ask, after all. "...it does." Whether he was amused or annoyed, you couldn't tell, refraining from frowning as he pulled his hand away from you. "Doctor Gaster shall suffice." He continued, voice a rather deep baritone, yet completely smooth.
In all honesty, he put you on edge. Smiling all the same, you nodded enthusiastically. "Doctor Gaster it is, then!" The name seemed familiar...realization slowly dawned on you. Was this the same Gaster that was all over the news? Sharing his research and knowledge to smooth over uncertainties about monster kind, information pertaining to souls; a lot of the diplomatic progress being made was thanks to his involvement. Even the other two...weren't they the guards that followed that little kid, Frisk, around? Your heart skipped a beat, mouth feeling terribly dry. These were important monsters—in your home—and you didn't know the first thing about entertaining such high profile guests.
Suddenly, your friendly dinner idea didn't seem...nearly fine enough. Barely keeping a humiliated flush at bay, you cleared your throat awkwardly. "Please, d-do feel free to explore the house! The three unfurnished bedrooms are, uhm, th-the free ones. Ah, one of them is a second master's bedroom, s-so, I imagine you would be interested in th-that one, Doctor Gaster. Uhm, I'm just, um, go-going to go finish making dinner." Mentally swearing as your nervous stutter made itself known,you sheepishly made your escape back to the kitchen.
"ARE YOU MAKING SPAGHETTI?! I AM A MASTER CHEF WHEN IT COMES TO SPAGHETTI!" Papyrus opted to immediately follow after you, nearly scaring you out of your skin. Willing your heart to stop pounding, you managed a feeble smile, "no, not quite." Seeming disheartened by this, the skeleton continued to the kitchen with you all the same. "Can I help?" He seemed quite hopeful, looking over the open space curiously. An island was all that really separated the kitchen from the dining room, you rather liked the layout, really. "You don't have to, really, you're still guests in my home..." "Nonsense!"
Giggling, you shook your head. "Mind washing and peeling those potatoes, then?" You gestured to where you'd left them on the counter, thankful as your dog was quickly by your side again. Nodding and obviously overjoyed to be helping, Papyrus quickly got to work. While he was scrubbing and peeling, you pulled the defrosted pork chops from the microwave. Cutting the freezer bags open, you laid the meat down in a glass dish. Just to season it, of course. Putting together a dry rub, you hardly noticed that the other had stopped to watch you.
"Wowie!" His exclamation caught you off guard, nearly dropping the small bowl you were combining your spices in. "You sure do know what you're doing!" "Oh—gosh, not really, it's just a basic dry rub before I grill 'em..." The compliment was unexpected, but...it was nice. You didn't get very many. Of course, your previous roommates always ate whatever you made (and left you with the dishes), but they were never really vocal about your cooking. Well, they used to be until you all had started to disagree about the whole monster shebang.
"I think you're doing a great job! Almost as great as me, the Great Papyrus! Nyeh heh heh!" Puffing himself up with pride and beaming with his compliment, you couldn't stop yourself from giggling in a pleased fashion. "Well, thank you very, very much for thinking so." You both returned to your respective tasks, peels haphazardly piling up on the counter behind you while you liberally coated each chop. After a while, you were somewhat aware that Sans had taken up perch on one of the stools at the island counter, sitting in front of Papyrus as he worked away.
Washing your hands, you grabbed a pair of tongs, handing them down to Lucifer to carry before picking up the baking dish in one hand. Internally grateful you'd left the backdoor open, you headed for the deck, sighing as the grill was hot and ready to go. Papyrus, finished with peeling and forever curious, followed suit. Setting your load down on the side table, you opened the top up, taking the tongs from Lucifer. "Would you like to give this a try?" It was a genuine offer on your part, blinking at the skeleton—plus, you needed to get a move on with the mashed potatoes and the salad as it was.
"Of course!" Eagerly taking the tongs from you, you gave him a brief rundown on what to do before you scuttled back in. Sans glanced at you as you came in, pulling a pot out and filling it with water. "Mind keeping an eye on Papyrus? I'm letting him man the grill, I don't want him to burn himself..." With a yawn, he nodded, sliding down from his seat and meandering away with an amused "sure, can't say i want my lil' bro on the charred side". It struck you as odd, how easily these strangers were settling in—save for that Gaster guy. Seems like he was the only one that actually went exploring, too.
Swallowing thickly, you carefully moved the pot over onto the stove. Salt was tossed in and the burner set to high, dumping the halved potatoes in after. It was a bit much for you to be experiencing all at once. Rushing through making dinner, having guests in your home—potential roommates at that, it'd be enough to make anyone's head spin. Especially yours, all things considered. The wave of dizziness that hit you really didn't surprise you, but you still let out a quiet sort of 'eep', wavering in place. "Luci! Brace!" Despite being in the kitchen with you, he simply wasn't fast enough in getting to you.
You felt yourself teeter back on your heels, vision spinning and lightheaded before falling back. Tensing your body, you waited to hit the floor with grit teeth and eyes screwed shut. But that impact never came. Instead, when you opened your eyes, you found yourself staring at the ceiling, slowly being turned right side up and set on your feet. Your hands gripped the counter for support, steadying yourself—though the moment you began wobbling, you were corrected again. Much more firmly, now vaguely aware of what felt like several hands securing your form. Glancing over your shoulder, you met the unimpressed (yet curious) gaze of W.D. Gaster.
"O-oh, I'm sorry, uhm—I, sorry—you didn't need to help or a-anything. I fall all the ti-time, really," anxiety began to make your heart pound, feeling vaguely ashamed of yourself for your brief moment of weakness. "And yet my sons are helping with dinner." You couldn't tell if his quip was condescending or a simple observation, but you winced all the same. "Papyrus wanted to help, I couldn't...really find it in myself to say no and..." A frown settled on your features as the phantom-like hands simply lifted you, moving you into the dining room and into a chair.
Your dog followed after you, nosing at your hand and shifting to get himself up into your lap. The weight Lucifer pushed against your chest helped quite a bit. Face burning red, you pressed your face into his fur, uncaring as your glasses slid uncomfortably to the side. "I'm assuming that is a service dog?" His question caught you off guard, though it was innocuous enough as he took over watching the stove. "...yeah. Sorry again. I'm not usually this frazzled." Guilt felt like it was going to swallow you whole at this point, managing to peek up at him.
Gaster remained silent, his detached pairs of hands simply moving about the kitchen. A couple hands working on putting the salad together, another two working on the potatoes, and using his actual hands to familiarize himself with how you had your cabinets set up. That seemed like a final enough answer to you about the whole ordeal.
Those three were definitely moving in.
AN: Hello! I've been out of the business of writing fanfiction for quite a few years now. However, I would like to make a return to it. It really has been...quite a while. As in, possibly middle school or even earlier than that. I'm a college kid now, haha. This account of mine has sat abandoned long enough. If you enjoyed reading, please do leave a review. The amount of attention this gets will determine how frequently I update it. Hopefully, I'll have longer chapters written after this one. No promises, however.