You wondered to yourself how you ended up sitting on the couch in Grillby's apartment, while listening to his daughter Fuku talk about how her days in Hotland was. She was very sweet and her soft voice was very soothing to listen to. Even though you didn't really understand half of the things she talked about, the way she was very expressive made things entertaining to look at. Side glancing to your left, you noticed that Grillby still looked a bit nervous. At least it wasn't as bad as it was a few moments ago.
(A few moments ago~)
"Oh my god Dad! Really?! Here I thought you were too busy with work to pick me up that I had to walk all the way home! But instead I see that you're busy working on something else!"
"...No! I mean, this, this isn't what it looks like!..." Grillby placed his hands on your arms, gently pushing you, "...Frisk..if you could?..." Catching what he was trying to say, you got off from the floor and helped Grillby stand as well. He looked really flustered and nervous which you didn't understand why. Was he nervous that his daughter would think that you attacked him?
(End of Flashback)
"Dad you know it's hard for me to walk through Waterfalls especially if I want to use the boat." Fuku had her hand on her hip as she kept lecturing her father.
"...boat?! You didn't use-" Grillby looked more frantic by the second that it started to worry you.
"No, don't worry about it, Esgy helped me out. Even though everything turned out ok, I still wished you would have called."
"...I'm truly sorry, just...I've been distracted lately..." Fuku with a tired smile, let out a small laugh.
"I can tell." She glanced over to you, bringing Grillby's attention with it. Noticing what his daughter was referring to, his face quickly burned into bluish flames.
"...She's not, I mean we're not-" Fuku rushed over and took a good look at you. You stood there motionless waiting to find a chance to tell her that you weren't here to hurt anybody. A hand on her hip and the other at the bottom of her chin, she gave you a sharp glare.
"Hmmm, you're pretty cute." Nodding to herself, she walked towards her father, patting his back. "I approve."
"...Fuku! I told you it's-" The young green flame monster grabbed your hand and started to pull you away.
"Seeing how you're brave enough to go out with my dad, I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple of things?" Before you could raise your hand to answer, she pulled you into her room, closing the door as Grillby tried to follow.
If he could, he imagined himself sweating bullets while he stood outside his daughter's room. Today was not going well for him. Not only did he close early due to worrying over you, he found a good reason to do so seeing how you came in drenched and unconscious in the arms of another monster. Then to see you whisked away by said monster leaving him alone with unresolved feelings over an employee, much less a human one at that. Later to find out that you're leaving and not just leaving the job but you were off to some dangerous journey that he might never be able to see you again, and to top it all off he forgot that his daughter was coming by for a few days.
He sighed out while resting his forehead against the door. He couldn't imagine what his daughter was telling you. He didn't want you to know, not like this. He barely had a chance to figure out what it was that he felt about you and knowing what you were planning to do, he never wanted you to find out. But here he was, waiting for his daughter to tell you that he...that he had feelings for you.
... even though you might never return my feelings, all I wish...all I hoped was to continue to see your smile. To never turn away from my touch...
Grillby clenched his hand knowing that he was selfish to think he could have you. Even if it was only but a small moment. Just the thought of someone not turning away from him had put his soul in such a bind. Not hearing the doorknob rattle, the door opened up causing him to trip forward.
Opening the door, you didn't expect to find Grillby falling ontop of you. Placing your hand on his shoulder, you manage to stop him from pushing you to the ground. Underneath your hands and through his clothing, he felt warmer than usual and his face was glowing a bright blue again.
{Push. Him. OfF!!!!}
Hmmm? Is something wrong?
{DOn'T YoU SeE WHErE HIs FAcE IS!? DOn'T LeT him TOuCH YOu LIkE THaT!! Or ANYOnE LIkE THaT!!}
Grillby having falling face first onto your chest, he felt his face burning brightly once more. He pulled away as fast as he could while covering his face in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. He couldn't believe his luck today, he tried to apologize to you but only ended up stuttering like a fool. Stumbling back he found himself stumbling awkwardly until he hit his back against the edge of the island.
Not sure why he was acting like this, you enjoyed watching this clumsy side of him. Laughing to yourself, you felt a pair of warm hands resting on your back. Looking back, Fuku peeked out, smirking at her father's awkward performance.
"...I-I-I..I'm sorry...it...it w-wasn't my intention to...uh...to..." Seeing him stuttering as he tried to hide his face made you smile. He just seemed so cute, you never thought you'd see him like this. Fuku seeing your smile, she patted your back once more before joining her father.
"You know dad, after having some time to talk with her, I don't think I can let you have her." Grillby stared at his daughter. "I didn't know that she was your new employee and a human. How very daring of you. Talking with her I couldn't help but feel a little jealous." Grillby looked back at you to see if you could help him out on what his daughter was trying to say. But looking at you, he saw that you had that silly grin on your face.
.....What...what did you say to her?
Fuku placed her hand over her cheeks as her flames grew a bit brighter. "She's so charming, I can see why you could fall for her. I mean...no one's ever said such nice things to me before." Smiling your goofy smile, Grillby could swear that he saw a glimmer of a star shinning through your closed eyes. He couldn't believe it. You flirted with his daughter didn't you? He had heard rumors of someone flirting with monsters, he just didn't think it was you. Well he had a small suspicion, considering how you acted around him on the first day of your job. Sighing, he brushed the tops of his flames back, he was too emotionally tired. He walked back into the kitchen to prepare his daughter something to eat.
As he was fixing the plate, he couldn't help but hear his daughter's voice as she continued to talk to you. Every once and awhile he looked back to see that you were still charming her. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. When he was finished, he saw that you were about to leave. His soul leaping with worry, he quickly placed the plate of food down on the table and rushed over to grab your arm.
You looked back to see Grillby's face filled with a silent pleading. You told him that you had to go and that you'd leave the guest room as it was before. Grillby not knowing what to say only kept holding onto your arm. He didn't want you to leave but he knew, he knew he wouldn't ever tell you to stay...to stay with him. You smiled softly before reaching for his shirt. Pulling him down, you whispered a thank you before kissing him on the cheek. Leaving the apartment you could hear Fuku squealing while Grillby stumbled to the floor with a hand over the spot where you had kissed him.
"Dad, you have it bad, don't you?"
Grabbing your stuff from the guest room, (which was just a small bag of gold and your reinforced stick) you folded your uniform, leaving it on the bed. As you were about to walk out of the room, you saw the oversized shirt Grillby let you borrow. Folding it as well, you left the small comfy apartment and went back to the home of the skeleton brothers. It was a long day for you and you hoped that tomorrow you'd make more progress.
Arriving at the festive looking home, you knocked on the door. Quickly, the door opened and you where hauled inside and picked up into an embrace. Apparently Papyrus was waiting patiently for you to come back. Around and around he spun you, telling how excited he was for the sleepover. Talking about all the fun things he had planned, from simulating battles to a Mettaton move marathon. In all honesty you where quiet tired, but you've never been to a sleepover so the whole thing sounded...fun. Feelingrelaxed in his arms, you resting your face between the nook of his neck that peeked out from above his red scarf.
"Chu~", you whispered. Papyrus gave off a loud surprise shout at feeling your lips touch the side of his vertebrae. Hearing his brother, Sans ran out of his room to see Papyrus holding your body at arms length.
"...you ok there bro?"
"WHAT?!" Papyrus looked up at his brother. Face glowing orange, he nervously smiled at Sans and placed you back onto the ground. "OF COURSE BROTHER. JUST...JUST EXPLAINING TO OUR NEW HUMAN FRIEND OF ALL THE FUN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE!!! NOW HUMAN, BEFORE WE COMMENCE THE PARTY OF SLEEPING OVER, YOU MUST AQUIRE A SET OF SLEEPWEAR."
'I don't have any.' Papyrus grabbed your hands with his own gloved ones.
"DO NOT WORRY FOR I HAVE THOUGHT OF A SOLUTION FOR THIS VERY SITUATION!! NOW GO AND WASH OFF WHILE MY BROTHER AND I SET UP THE LIVING AREA TO THE MOST SPECTACULAR SLEEPOVER AREA YOU WOULD EVER SEE!!! NYE-HEH-HEH!!!" You asked where the bathroom would be and Papyrus pointed to a room located at the end on the upstairs hall, next to Sans' room. "OH AND LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES ONTOP OF THE BATHROOM COUNTER, FOR I'LL GET THEM CLEAN AND READY FOR YOU." Sans not moving from his spot, Papyrus scolded him, "HURRY UP BROTHER, WHILE THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG!!!"
"okay." With his hands in his pockets, he looked down at you from the top of the stairs. Taking your first step from being spuned around by his brother,you were quiet dizzy. "heh, a little wobbly in the knees there kiddo." You were stumbling your way towards the stairs, using your hands to reach any surface that might aid you from falling down. "need any help there?" Holding yourself against the stair railing, you looked up at him with a face filled with determination. He chuckled before turning his back towards you. "suit yourself kid." Sans walked towards the bathroom and you soon heard Papyrus screaming in the kitchen.
"BROTHER!!! YOU LAZY BONES!!! COULDN'T YOU HAVE WALKED DOWN THE STAIRS LIKE ANYONE ELSE!!!???"
"sorry bro, but those stairs were up to something."
"NYHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" You chuckled when you saw Papyrus chasing his brother with a ladle. Having stability in your legs again, you went straight to their bathroom. Walking inside you notice that just like at Toriel and Grillby's place there wasn't any toilets. Except unlike at their place, the sink actually came with a large counter shelf which was littered with different type of bone creams and perfume containers, all with the MTT brand logo on it. Folded neatly near them was what you presumed was your pajamas for the night. Looking at them closer, you noticed that they were Sans' clothing. Guessing that made sense seeing how you were about the same height as him. Stripping of your clothes, you turned on the shower head.
Papyrus knew that it was a bad idea to leave his brother alone in the kitchen. By Asgore, the amount of unhealthy snacks that his brother would probably make would almost make him regreat his decision. But his brother was actually doing something for a change besides laying around as usual. There's probably a good chance that there would be no grease involved, which is better he supposed. Up in his room, he rummaged around his closet, gathering different amounts of blankets and pillows to set up the greatest of comfort for the small party. Except in doing so, he found a folded towel resting ontop of his computer desk. "NYHE?" Realizing he must have forgotten to give you a towel to dry yourself off, he added it to his pile of sleepover necessities.
Having dropped off his contents onto the sofa, he went towards the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to find the whole place glowing blue from all the levitating assortment of snacks and his brother right in the middle of the whole thing. "HERE BROTHER, PLEASE GIVE THIS TO OUR HUMAN GUEST. WHICH I BELIEVE IS ALMOST DONE WITH USING OUR CLEANING FACILITY." Papyrus said as he threw the towel over Sans' head. Sans lifted the towel, walking towards his brother with a sly grin on his face. Feeling the barrage of puns involving either with snacks or bathing, Papyrus quickly turned around and marched himself out of the kitchen. "DON'T YOU EVEN SAY IT! AND YOU BETTER GIVE THE HUMAN THAT TOWEL!"
"c'mon paps, i wasn't going to say anything." He chuckled. Papurus laying the pillows and blankets onto the floor, he remembered that he was supposed to grab your clothing to wash.
Sans lowered the food onto the table, glancing to see his brother walking up the stairs. Taking the towel, he followed his brother. It's true he wasn't actually going to say anything when his brother threw the towel at him, but that didn't mean he wasn't thinking about it. Sometimes not saying a pun was more rewarding just to see his brother's reaction at the end. Reaching the top floor, they both saw that the bathroom door was open.
"HUMAN?" Walking towards the door, they saw you emerge out of the shower.
You tried to look around, but couldn't find any signs of a towel. You didn't want to wet their floor but the clothes were too far for you to reach. Stepping out of the shower, you heard a couple of gasps. Looking towards the open door, you saw both Sans and Papyrus staring at you. Tipping your head to the side, you were confused by their mixed expressions. An expression mixed of embarrassment...shock...grief...and guilt.
{Why didn't you close the door!? Didn't you think you'd get caught naked or something!!!}
Is...is that wrong?
Grabbing the towel out of Sans hand, Papurus face darkened as he got closer. You couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it worried you to see him like this. Covering your naked body with the towel, he wrapped his arms around you. His hand ran through your soaked hair as your body pressed against him, "Life Can Be Very Hard And Difficult To Go Through That You Might Feel That You Are Falling." His voice was unusually soft as it quivered, "But Having Friends Who Care For You, Can Help Catch You In The End." He tightened his embrace, "Human, You Are A Very Precious Friend And Never Think Otherwise."
You weren't expecting any of this. To be embraced so tenderly and to have someone say something so heartwarming. Shifting your gaze towards the open door, you saw Sans walking away. After much convincing, Papyrus left you to change. Fully dried and clothed, you went downstairs to the living room where the floor infront of the sofa had turned into one large bed of blankets and pillows. All the lights were off and the only thing that kept the house from falling into complete darkness was the small ray of light coming from underneath Papyrus' door and the glow of the TV that was on. Not seeing any of the brothers, you glanced at Papyrus' door, wondering if they might be in there.
"kiddo..." Sans voice startled you, causing you to turn around. In the darkness of the kitchen, all you could make out were two white dots.
{Just great! Now we're about to die because you can't close oNe friCkEn dOor!!}
What do you mean?
{Just look at him! He's obviously mad about something!!}
"...what's with the scars?" Your breath hitched and you automatically wrapped your arms around you as you tried to hide your scars. "heh, i could ask if they were from us, but...somehow i doubt our magic can cause such scars. especially the surgical ones you have sporting there." He noticed them, the scars, the wounds, the memories that won't go away. A constant reminder of the past that you can't seem to get away from. You lowered your head, ashamed of what he had to say. "l-look, you don't have to tell me if ya don't want to. i-i... get that talking bout' that kind of stuff can get a bit ugly..."
Sans sighed while massaging the back of his head. He didn't mean to upset you, he was just curious about why you had them. Walking out of the kitchen, he was about to apologize if he mentioned something he shouldn't have. From personal experience, both he and his brother knew how hard it is to have someone notice the scars from the past. You lifted your head, forcing yourself to smile.
'It's okay, I'm okay. I'm really sorry you had to see something so... ugly.' Sans swiftly grabbed your hand, pulling you closer to him.
"that's not what i meant! i didn't said anything bout' them being ugly!" He never thought that you, the you who did their best to befriend every monster they had encounter, was ever ugly. Someone with a soul so bright could never be ugly to any of them... to him. No matter how they appeared on the outside.
For awhile, Sans stood there, keeping you from moving away. His hand tightened over your thin wrist, feeling the bones underneath the velvety skin. Your face so close that he could feel your breath against his skull. Your soft lips just inches away...
"SANS? HUMAN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sans turned his head to look at his brother who stood in his pajamas and with an expression on his face that he could not explain. Dropping your hand as if it had burned him, be backed away. Wanting to dig his hand into his pocket only to find that he wasn't wearing his jacket, he resigned to folding them behind his skull.
"s-sup bro!" His voice cracked, "just getting a good look of my clone is all. don't we look alike?" He chuckled nervously as sweat dripped down his skull. Noticing that Papyrus was not buying it, you decided to jump in and help.
'It's true. I was just telling him how ugly I thought I was compared to the two of you, but he said that I was just as handsome and adorable as him.' Papyrus strange expression changed back to his usual bright smile. Grabbing your hand, he gave you a small spin.
"BUT OF COURSE DEAR HUMAN! YOU ARE BY FAR THE MOST HANDSOME HUMAN I HAVE SEEN SO FAR!" You and Papyrus laughed while you pirouette ontop of the blankets. Twirling you around, your ankle tangled underneath the blankets. But before you had the chance to trip and fall, Papyrus lifted you off the ground and tucked your body underneath his arm. Hand on his hip, he turned his attention to his bright blue faced brother. "NOW DEAR BROTHER, LET US COMMENCE THE SLUMBER PARTY!!!"
Sans looked at you, resting by Papyrus' hip, recalling what you had said to him. Did...did you really think he was...
You smiled at him while firing finger guns at him. Your lame attempt at flirting in your current position caused him to laugh out loud. His laughing didn't do much to cover the blush that stayed on his face though. Having the mood lifted, you enjoyed the rest of the night.
During the middle of a movie binge, Sans rested his skull on your lap mumbling how squishy your legs were. "HE'S RIGHT! YOU'RE QUITE SQUISHY!" Papyrus sitting on the other side of you, placed his hand on the side of your hips, giving it a good squeeze.
{Don't they know nothing about personal space?}
What was that Chara?
{Never mind. I could say the same thing about you, you know. But I guess you three are just so desperate to have any sort of contact, that it's sickening to watch.}
Snuggled between the brothers, Sans soon feel asleep.
'Should we wake him?'
Papyrus sat up and looked over at his brother, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT HUMAN." Papyrus stood up and held his brother. In his sleep, Sans wrapped his arms around his brother's neck while Papyrus patted his back. "IT IS QUITE LATE SO I'LL TAKE HIM TO HIS ROOM. YOU CAN SLEEP HERE IF YOU DON'T MIND, BUT IF YOU WANT YOU COULD SLEEP IN MY ROOM..."
'Here is fine, thank you.' Saying good night, the three of you went to sleep for the night. Alone in the living room as you layed ontop of the pile of blankets and pillows, your mind trickled with thoughts of tomorrow. You were leaving Snowdin and finally entering Waterfall where you would face Undyne again. You were about to fall asleep until you heard stifling sobs coming from Sans' room. Curious, you went to the second floor. Peaking through the door, you could see him twisting and turning in his bed.
A nightmare?
Walking in, you climbed onto the side of his bed. Your arms gathered the rattling pile of bones close to you. Instantly, Sans wrapped his arms around your torso, burying his face deeper into you. Petting his skull, you held him like this until he calmed down. You couldn't think of anything else to do.
While you held him through the night, you failed to notice the stares coming from beyond the door. Seeing you as you held his brother, Papyrus couldn't help but feel his soul give off a small twinge. The similar feeling he had felt when he saw you with Grillby. Rubbing the spot over his soul, he closed the door, leaving you two alone. He could tell how much you affected his brother. It has been so long since he heard his brother laugh. He'd always drag himself along, not putting in any effort to anything he did. Almost as if you were giving him something back, something he had lost long ago. He wanted to be happy for his brother, but something kept him from accepting it.
Sitting on his bed with his knees to his chest, he rested his skull on his arms. Did it mean he was a bad brother?
No of course it didn't! All it ment was that he had to try harder to keep his brother happy!! Even if...even if it ment ignoring the ache in his soul.