[[ Okay, this chapter ended up being a teeeeeensy bit longer than I expected it to. I considered splitting it up into two chapters, but eh. I figured, why not just keep it all together, as it was written, and give it to you all as one giant delicious morsel? So here. Take it. It's yours. Go on. Enjoy. 3 ]]
6:37 AM
Sans scrolled endlessly through Google and came to a stark realization. 'This shit is fucking worthless.' A low groan escaped him as he pulled his hands away from his computer, raking his bony fingertips along the back of his skull, the quiet grating sound filling the room. He'd spent the entire time from when he'd gotten home from Grillby's searching, attempting to research and coming up empty-handed. ...Well, not entirely empty. He'd picked up on a few things, but the facts were lost within the sea of endless bullshit that the internet so expertly provided.
His eyesockets blinked tiredly as he stifled a yawn, raising a hand to cover his mouth while he continued his scrolling. He came across an article called "The Legend of the Female Orgasm" and snorted bitterly, clicking on it a little harder than necessary out of frustration. Out of the thousands upon thousands of words he'd read, nothing felt remotely helpful. This article was sure to be another dud, just like the last fifty or so he'd read, but he would be damned if he was going to let that stop him. He said that he was going to do his best to learn, and he was going to let nothing stop him. As his dim eyelights trailed across the screen, reading, he came across a link to a video. 'Can't be worse than anything else I've seen...' Grumbling slightly, he clicked on the video, waiting for it to load. Almost immediately, his computer was warning him of viruses, and he huffed a sigh. Knowledge came at a steep price.
A human woman was lying on what looked to be a bed, knees pulled up by her head and legs spread wide, and Sans immediately felt his face burn. This...hadn't been what he'd expected. She giggled at the camera, giving a small, shy wave with her fingers, and someone behind the camera barked out an order, their voice strict and echoing in the otherwise silent room.
"Do it." She nodded shakily, biting her lip in that way so similar to Lena's that it made his soul flutter against his ribs. Her hands dragged down from being tangled in her long blonde tresses to her shoulders, over her chest, down her stomach, and-
"Hey, Sans, do you-"
The skeleton yelped loudly and closed his laptop with a loud 'snap', only briefly wondering for the safety of his screen. The sounds, however, continued to play from the speakers, and he flailed awkwardly for a few moments as he struggled to get it back open and pause the video. His bony fingertips kept skidding across the touchpad, missing, and with a small growl he slammed his index finger onto the 'mute' key at the top of his keyboard, and the sounds finally ceased. He slammed his computer shut again and shoved it under his pillow, turning to the doorway with a wide smile.
Fuck, of course it would have to be Lena who walked in at a time like this. Fuck, of course he'd forgotten to re-lock his bedroom door after he'd made his midnight run to the kitchen for a bottle of ketchup.
"H-hey, babe! What're you doin' up so early?" he asked, trying so, so hard to be casual, but his voice was pitched up a bit higher than normal, and his words came out far too quickly. The human was watching him, her lips pulled down into the smallest of frowns, and something dark fluttered across her soul for a brief moment. Before he could really tell what it was, though, it was gone, and she was smiling at him brightly.
"Sorry, I, um, couldn't sleep. I was going to ask if you wanted to watch a movie, but...you seem to already be doing that." There was that dark flutter again, and he saw the brief expression of hurt flash across her eyes before she backed out of his room, slowly closing the door. "I'll just go back to bed. Sorry to bother you."
"No, hold on, wait a sec, babe. I can exp-" The door clicked shut and he felt his face burn with shame, "-lain... Fuck." He rubbed at his cervical vertebrae, sighing heavily. Well...that could have certainly gone better.
The door pulled closed and, as soon as she was alone in the hallway, Lena released a slow, silent sigh. As the air left her lungs, she felt a darkness take its place, and she bit her bottom lip as thoughts began to surface in her mind. She'd just caught her boyfriend watching porn. Okay. That wasn't an abnormal thing. She could remember Brit talking to her about that very same thing, when she and her husband had been dating. It was just a normal thing.
...Except that they weren't a normal couple. Was it normal for monsters? From what she had seen so far, monsters were very serious when it came to their relationships. Dating wasn't a simple fling type of deal, like it was for a lot of humans she'd come across, and they were incredibly faithful to their partner. Was he regretting being with a human? Her hand resting on the doorknob twitched slightly, just for a moment, before she pulled away, turning and heading back into her room. Behind the safety of her own closed bedroom door her thoughts turned on her.
"I bet the girl he was watching had a beautiful body. I bet she was thin, and petite, and pretty. She probably weighed one hundred and ten pounds, at most...heh."
"He's going to learn that even by human standards, I'm not good enough. He's gonna want a girl like in those videos. They're always so pretty. I could never measure up to them."
"I'm a human. He's a monster. I won't be able to do for him what another monster could... What if he decides he's made a mistake?"
She shook her head, auburn tresses flying every which-way around her, and she closed her eyes tightly against the assault the thoughts were launching on her mind. No, Sans cared about her. He wouldn't discard her for something as petty as her looks...right? Doubt had been planted in her mind and it was quickly taking root. She groaned and flopped onto her bed, fingers curling tightly into the duvet as her legs pulled up close to her chest.
Maybe some sleep would do her some good...
| Toriel: Good morning my friends! I apologize most sincerely for sending a message so early in the morning, but I have something of utmost importance that I would like to discuss with you all. There is going to be a little get-together at the school tonight. Please dress in formal attire. The reason for the gathering is a surprise. I look forward to seeing you all there! 3 |
Papyrus read over the text again and again, feeling curious by the suddenness of it, but not wanting to do anything to attempt to ruin the surprise. He smiled and set his phone aside as small arms wrapped around his waist, and he could feel Frisk press their face against the back of his spine in a hug. He turned and pat the child on the head.
"GOOD MORNING, HUMAN FRISK!" he greeted cheerfully, ruffling the mop of brown hair. Frisk flinched slightly and pulled away, and Papyrus wasn't certain, but he swore he felt a bump on the child's head. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN? DID YOU GET A BOO-BOO?" The human shook their head, signing that they were fine, and he decided that it was best not to push it. "HM, VERY WELL. THEN, PERHAPS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASSIST ME IN MAKING THE PANCAKES?" Frisk nodded, paused, then shook their head, and Papyrus gave a small frown.
"Waffles!" the child signed enthusiastically, and the skeleton grinned widely, eyesockets gleaming with joy.
"A MOST BRILLIANT IDEA, HUMAN! WAFFLES ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO THE PANCAKE BECAUSE OF THEIR COOKED-IN SYRUP RECEPTICLES!" Frisk returned his grin, seeming much more at ease, and the two of them set to work making breakfast. As he carefully measured out the ingredients, Frisk poured them into the bowl and, once the batter was mixed, the skeleton put his hands on his hips. "NOW WE ARE GOING TO 'KICK THESE UP A NOTCH', AS THE FAMOUS HUMAN CHEF ELMO LEGACY SAYS. WE ARE GOING TO ADD FILLINGS TO THESE WAFFLES! I KNOW! I KNOW, IT IS QUITE DARING, AND WILL PROVE TO BE AN EVEN GREATER CHALLENGE..." Frisk gasped loudly, covering their mouth with their hands while stifling giggles. "HOWEVER! MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS AND HIS MASTER ASSISTANT FRISK...ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE!" The small human clapped their hands and nodded in agreement, and the two of them darted about the kitchen in search of ingredients.
"Do you think Uncle Sans would like waffles filled with ketchup?" Frisk asked, and Papyrus gave only a small grimace.
"I AM...CERTAIN THAT HE WOULD. HOWEVER, PERHAPS WE SHOULD SAVE THE KETCHUP FOR HIM TO USE ON THE OUTSIDE?" Frisk nodded and returned the plastic squeeze bottle to the fridge, and Papyrus took the opportunity while the appliance door was open to snag a small carton of blueberries from one of the shelves inside. Those, along with a bag of chocolate chips, sat on the counter next to the stove, and Papyrus gave a hearty "NYEH HEH HEH" of laughter. Everything was perfectly set. A hot griddle was coated with sizzling butter, and the two of them worked out a system where Papyrus poured the waffle batter and Frisk would delicately sprinkle the berries or chips. They ended up having so much fun that they got a little carried away, and soon there were four plates stacked incredibly high with steaming waffles. They were separated by type, naturally, and with two plates of blueberry waffles in hand, Papyrus made his way into the dining room to set them on the table. "I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT MY LAZYBONES BROTHER IS NOT UP YET!" he groaned, turning just in time to catch one of the remaining plates of chocolate chip waffles that Frisk was struggling to carry. It was stacked nearly as tall as they were! "THE HUMAN LENA IS ALSO LATE GETTING UP TODAY...HOW STRANGE," he mumbled loudly, frowning as he raised a gloved hand to tap thoughtfully at his chin.
"Maybe we should let them sleep in?"
"HMMM...YOU MAY BE RIGHT, HUMAN. BUT! MY BROTHER HAS BEEN ACTING STRANGELY, AND I DO NOT INTEND TO LET HIM HIDE AWAY FOREVER!" He strode back into the kitchen and pulled down four plates and cups, handing them to the child to set up as he grabbed the silverware. "AND WE ALSO HAVE TO GET READY FOR HER MAJESTY'S IMPROMPTU GATHERING. FORMAL DRESS! HOW EXCITING!" With the table carefully set and bottles of ketchup and maple syrup set out, Papyrus stood looking over the table with his hands on his hips triumphantly. Frisk hopped over to stand next to him, imitating his pose, and the skeleton grinned and ruffled the child's hair. "I SHALL GO AND WAKE MY BROTHER. WOULD YOU MIND WAKING UP THE HUMAN LENA?" A nod was all the child gave before they bounded off toward the woman's bedroom door, knocking gently and bouncing on the heels of their feet while they waited for her to answer.
| Brit: Are you serious?! What the fuck! |
| Lena: I don't know... And I mean I could be wrong, but it sure sounded like it... |
| Brit`: Yeah, no. Porn is unmistakable. |
| Brit: I just didn't see him as the type. |
| Brit: ...Do you think that being attracted to humans is like...some kind of freaky kink in the monster world? |
| Lena: I don't know! ...Maybe? There aren't a lot of monster-human relationships... |
| Lena: And there's still a few monsters who hate humans. |
| Brit: ...Was he jerkin it? |
| Lena: Oh my god I am not talking about this with you anymore |
| Brit: No no I'm being totally serious! Was he doing anything like that when you walked in? |
| Lena: No... At least, I don't think so... Oh my god, this is embarrassing to even talk about. Why are we talking about this? |
| Brit: Because you were upset and I gotta take care of my bae. 3 |
| Lena: Shut up. |
| Brit: Look look I know this is weird to think about, but maybe he was just...experimenting? |
| Brit: I mean, he said himself that he hasn't been with another human before, right? |
| Lena: Yeah...? |
| Brit: Wellllll maybe he was trying to figure stuff out. Y'know, like...research. |
| Brit: Looking at porn for scientific purposes. |
| Brit: That totally sounds like something he'd do. He's a huge nerd like that. |
| Lena: ...Yeah, that's true. I don't know why I didn't think of that. |
| Brit: Because you were too busy thinking badly about your smokin' hot bod? |
| Lena: Shut up, no one asked you. 3 |
| Brit: Well hey, I know it's awkward, but you should just...talk to him about it, y'know? Don't let him fall into any portals and get away either! |
| Lena: They're not portals. Technically, they're doorways cut through space leading into the Void. |
| Brit: "Blahblahblah I'm boning a nerd blah blah blah" is literally all I read just now. |
| Brit: You should ask him to slip into YOUR Void. ;) |
| Lena: I AM BLOCKING YOUR NUMBER |
The flustered woman looked up from her phone as a soft knocking sound came from her door and, giving a small sigh, tapped out a quick "talk to you later" before she shoved the device into the pocket of her sweatpants. "Coming!" she called out, sliding off the edge of her bed and padding barefooted across the carpet to her bedroom door. She pulled it open and was startled by hands being shoved in her face. "W-woah!" Frisk huffed and pulled their hands away, signing much more slowly, as if they were taking great pains to enunciate every word with as much emphasis as possible.
"Pap. And. I. Made. Waffles!" A smile pulled up at the corners of her lips and she reached forward, holding her arms out in a gesture of asking for a hug. The child immediately jumped at her, arms thrown around her middle and squeezing her, even though they didn't quite reach all the way around.
"Oh yeah? Waffles sound great! You guys are the best!" Frisk pulled away and struck a heroic pose (one learned from Papyrus, no doubt) and the woman giggled, reaching out to ruffle their brown hair. "You guys go ahead and get started. I'm gonna wash up and I'll be right there, okay?" Seemingly satisfied by this, the child bounded off toward the kitchen, disappearing around the corner. The air smelled strongly of vanilla and fluffy waffles and blueberries, and she could hear Papyrus' booming voice coming from what she knew to be Sans' room down the hall. A fond smile made its way onto her face and she sighed blissfully, happy that her little home was so busy and full of life.
"AH, GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! I TRUST YOUR SLEEP WAS RESTFUL?" She was suddenly pulled from her warm and fuzzy thoughts by a very hard, bony arm wrapping around her shoulders, and she found herself face-first into Papyrus' chest plate.
"M-morning!" she gasped out, gently pushing away and sending him a bright smile, despite having been nearly crushed. "I slept alright... Thank you for making breakfast for everyone, again." He waved the thanks away, giving his typical 'think nothing of it' response. "I'll be there as soon as I wash up, okay?"
"YES! GO AND GET READY, FOR WE HAVE MUCH TO DO TODAY! UNDYNE HAS TEXTED ME SAYING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE GOING OUT SHOPPING WITH THEM!" The look on her face must have been surprised, because he chuckled and his grin widened. "I TAKE IT THIS IS THE FIRST YOU HAVE HEARD OF IT?"
"Maybe...but it's fine, I don't mind! Going shopping with Undyne and Alphys is always an uh...an experience." That was probably the nicest way for her to put it, all things considered. And Papyrus knew it.
"YES, BUT OF COURSE! SHE IS A VERY AGGRESSIVE SHOPPER! AND SHE IS SURE TO FIND THE BEST DRESS FOR ALPHYS TO WEAR TO THE MYSTERIOUS SECRETIVE GATHERING TONIGHT!" She chuckled and nodded, edging her way to the bathroom so she could wash.
"Well, you guys go ahead. I'll be right there." The skeleton bounded off in a very child-like manner, eager as a puppy, and she watched from the doorway fondly for a moment until he also disappeared from her sight. She sighed and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the faucet and splashing her face with the cold water. It helped her feel just a little more awake after a night of such difficulty sleeping. 'And a pretty rude awakening this morning...' She shook her head to dispel the thoughts and ran her wet fingers through her hair, trying in vain to get the tangled mane into some sort of order. Her index finger snagged on a particularly large knot and she winced, withdrawing her hand and huffing a sigh.
She'd have time to get herself together later, before the party. Right now, there were waffles calling her name. Smiling at the thought, she walked out of the bathroom with her head in the clouds, waffles filling her mind. She bumped into something hard and hissed quietly. She hadn't expected whatever it was to grunt in response. Her eyes flew open and she looked down to find Sans, rubbing his forehead. Her own hand was rubbing at her collarbone, where it had collided, and she felt the awkward tension already beginning to grow. His eyesockets widened when he realized she was there and averted to the side, no doubt already trying to come up with some excuse.
"Sorry, I was daydreaming about waffles..." she answered honestly, the slightest of flushes gracing her cheeks when he snorted back a laugh. "Hey, they smell amazing, and I didn't eat much yesterday!" She defended herself even though she knew it wasn't necessary. His slippers shuffled backward against the hardwood and she reached out to grasp his hand, delighting in the faint azure glow that rose to his cheekbones. How was she going to do this? She didn't want to talk too much about what she'd accidentally walked in on, but she wanted to assure him that she wasn't upset (well...not too upset, anyway). As her mind struggled to find the words, her mouth opened and she blurted out the very first thing that came across it. "W-will you eat breakfast with me?!" He looked surprised for a moment, then he was laughing, loud guffaws that sounded far more relieved than they had any right to be. Her cheeks darkened with embarrassment as she withdrew her hand. "I-I mean-" Her hand was quickly recaptured and he threaded his bony fingers between her own, giving a small tug as he stepped closer to close the gap between then.
"Sure, babe," he muttered, his voice just a tad lower than the tone he usually spoke, and god, why did that do funny things to her insides? He leaned up on his toes to press his teeth to her lips in a skeleton kiss, and she felt her eyes slip closed, getting lost in it for a moment. It ended far too soon, and she blinked dazedly for a few seconds. Chuckling, he gestured down the hall toward the dining room, his skull practically split in two by his grin. "Well? Orange juice gonna lead the way? You did ask me out, after all. Or are you gonna sit there and waffle for a bit?" She snorted and reached out to slap weakly at his shoulder, trying to hide her smile but failing. "My point," he declared, sounding very proud of himself, and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah... C'mon, there's an entire stack in there with my name on them, and I don't want them to get cold!"
"A whole stack, huh?" he drawled, glancing over at her as they started the short walk to the dining area. "I bet I could eat more than you could."
"You don't have the stomach for it. Better not say things like that... Unless syrup to the challenge." The awful jokes were well worth the gleeful expression on his face and the kiss on the cheek.
"Alright, NERDS! This is the plan." Undyne stood with her hands on her hips, staring viciously up at the sign for the small store they were standing in front of. Alphys was holding nervously onto the hem of her shirt, giving small tugs whenever she would get too loud. "Babe, you're gonna go with Lena and decide what kind of dress you guys want. I'm gonna go talk to an old friend and see if he can't custom fit them for ya."
"Sure, I think we can mange that...right?" the human asked, glancing at the yellow lizard monster with just the faintest bit of uncertainty. Alphys gulped and nodded, pointing a claw toward the store.
"Y-yeah! Th-the guy who runs this place is, uh... H-he's an old friend of Undyne's. It'll be f-fine!"
"Sweet. Now get yer asses in there and find something great!"
With that astounding pep-talk, Lena led Alphys into the store, finding the dress section fairly quickly and taking a look. They were...definitely not made for humans. That was the first thing that stood out to her. One particular dress on display was gorgeous, made of different layers of silk and accents of crushed velvet, all in varying shades of purple and violet. It was built for someone much thinner than Lena or Alphys, obviously, and definitely for a monster; there were six arm holes. She reached out to touch the dress, the fabric looking so silky it just begged for someone to feel it, but the little spider brooch turned toward her and batted her hand away. It was only with a small yelp that she jerked back, laughing nervously when Alphys asked her what was wrong.
"Man, this store makes me feel tiny..." she mumbled, glancing up at the incredibly high ceilings with a feeling of near-intimidation. The clothing racks were also fairly tall, and she found herself even needing to stand on her tip-toes for a few of them closer to the walls. Undyne's loud voice came from somewhere else in the store and, with a small sigh, Lena submitted to actually doing what she came for and searching for a dress.
She searched through rack after rack, dress after dress, and though there were a few that had caught her eye, she couldn't really see herself in any of them. In her defense, though, it was hard to imagine yourself in something that was designed for someone from another species. Between the multiple neck holes, oddly-shaped corsets, and hysterically short skirts, she was starting to give up. Sighing, she stepped between two of the clothing racks that were pushed close together and wound up running right into somebody's...chest?
"Ah, sorry... I guess I didn't see you there." Standing before her was a towering...giraffe-like monster? His neck was far longer than "human" proportions, as were his arms and legs. Gods, his legs- 'How can something be so tall?! This isn't even fair...' The voice was surprisingly small, considering the stature of the monster it was coming from, and she found herself staring for a moment before she realized it.
"Oh, n-no! I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm sorry!" The monster chuckled softly and craned his incredibly long neck downward, a smile curving up on his muzzle.
"Really...? And here I thought I was hard to miss." Lena stammered for a moment and he reached a hand out to rest on her shoulder, and she was surprised by just how large it was. She felt so...small. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Undyne told me to come help you out..." So this was apparently the old friend of Undyne's she'd talked about. For some reason Lena had expected someone a bit...louder. "Have you found anything you like?"
"Ah... W-well, there were a few I liked..." He raised a brow and cast her a knowing glance downward, and she shrugged her shoulders a bit.
"Just liked...?" he asked, and she nodded slowly. "Well, that won't do. I heard from Undyne that you are going to be in the company of Her Majesty. A woman such as yourself deserves to be dressed in something she loves." The flattery (could she even call it that?) made her blush a bit, and he reached out and pat her on the head, his large hand ruffling her already messy hair. "Don't worry about it, I'll make something that suits you."
"Oh, y-you don't have to do that, really-"
"No," he said suddenly, his eyes flashing, aglow with a faint orange light that made his already warm brown eyes appear even warmer. A spark of determination, and she knew already that there was no sense in trying to fight him. "So, tell me about your mate- er...partner." Lena's face flushed a deep red at the word 'mate', though for what reasons, she wasn't entirely certain, and she bit her lip.
"Wh-why do you need to know about them...?"
"So I can make something they will like, obviously." Oh. That did certainly seem like it'd be the obvious answer.
"I-I don't think he really cares much about fashion..." she said quietly, thinking of all the hoodies and sweat pants she constantly saw her boyfriend wearing. The towering monster hummed thoughtfully and shook his head, reaching an abnormally long arm up to brush his chestnut-colored bangs out from in front of his eyes.
"It's not about that...just trust me. Who is your partner?" he asked, his voice so gentle that she felt herself even wanting to answer. Unfortunately, she'd never get the chance.
"She's shackin' up with Sans, if you can believe it!"
"Undyne!" the human wailed, hands raising to cover her face in her mortification.
"I see you've met my old pal," the ex-Captain of the Royal Guard said with a grin, reaching out to punch the towering monster on the shoulder, who flinched and shied away. "This is Kupanda, one of the tallest guys from the Underground and a pretty decent tailor." The monster- Kupanda, as his name apparently was- gave a small chuckle, his high cheekbones flushing a faint orange in what appeared to be a blush. Lena huffed, her cheeks puffed slightly in irritation as she glanced between the two towering monsters.
"So...Sans, huh?" he asked, and the human's face only served to redden further. "I never talked to him too much, but I've talked to Papyrus...and he certainly likes talking about his brother." Scratching at his chin thoughtfully, he glanced over the entire section of dresses they were surrounded by, furrowing his brow. "None of these will do." With that, he reached down and, with a hand far too gentle for his size, grasped her wrist and began to lead her through the store.
"Ha! See? Told ya he could hook us up! C'mon babe!" Undyne picked up Alphys with one arm, holding her against her hip as she walked and the yellow lizard monster sputtered and blushed. When they'd caught up to the taller monster's long-legged stride, he was already knelt down with a fabric measuring tape in hand. His gentle voice gave out simple commands, "Hold your arms out," "Chin up, please," "Straighten your back." Lena did her best to follow, all while trying to ignore the eyebrows being raised from across the room, courtesy of Undyne. After getting their measurements (Alphys' included), he disappeared into the back room, door closing quietly behind him.
"So...what? He's gonna just...go back there and make two dresses?"
"Yup," Undyne grunted, glancing up at the human with the brow over her eyepatch raised. "Why? Is that a problem?"
"No, just...I don't know. I guess I just have a hard time believing he can do that so quickly." Undyne's lips curled back to reveal her fangs in a sharp-edged grin.
"You'll see. Give him a half hour, max, and he'll be walking out with the perfect thing." Sighing, Lena smiled and nodded in agreement (arguing with Undyne was never a good idea), preparing herself for a long wait in the small clothing store.
There was just something about walking around a clothing store geared toward monsters that raised an awful lot of questions in her mind. Like, for example, what kind of monster would need a pair of pants with five leg holes and seventeen pockets? Who would the person be that needed a shirt with eleven holes cut out in it? How come there weren't more pants with holes cut into the back for their tails? Did monsters not wear footed pajamas? Why weren't there any socks? These were the pertinent questions that were running rampant in her mind as she found herself waiting.
Undyne huffed from her seat on the floor near the changing rooms and flicked her wrist up to look at her watch. It had been thirty-one minutes since Kupanda had disappeared into the back room. "What the fuck's taking so long?!" she growled, tapping her foot (more like stomping really) against the floor as Alphys tried to placate her with anime on her phone. "Geez, at least I already got my suit tailored... I could just leave you two nerds here..." The way she threw her arm around Alphys and nuzzled against her cheek, however, made it obvious that she wouldn't ever do such a thing.
Lena smiled at the fuzzy display of affection, surprised to see such a tender side to the brash and noisy monster. It seemed like she and Alphys were both incredibly close, and a part of the human felt jealous for it. Just a little bit. 'I wonder if they've bonded... Alphys did mention it before.' Frowning in thought, she ran her fingertips over what looked like a studded leather speedo (um, what?) before she realized what it was, pulling her hand back with a start. It was that exact moment that the door opened, and Undyne jumped to her feet, pointing an accusing finger at the taller monster.
"You took too long!"
"And you're impatient," he said coolly, and Lena was certain that she'd go off on him, who would dare say something like that to Undyne of all people? She just huffed and punched his shoulder, having to reach up to do so, and she swat away the hand that he pat her on the head with. "I've finished them. I just need you two to try them on so that I can fix any fitting issues." He stepped aside and Undyne stormed into the back room, Alphys following closely behind. The human lingered back a bit, brows furrowed, and it was with a gentle smile that he reached out and nudged her into the room. "I promise you that it's safe in here." She gave him an uneasy smile and he ruffled her hair, giving her head a departing pat before crossing the room in a few steps, pulling up a short teal-colored dress. Obviously, it was for Alphys, judging from the length of it alone. It was poofy at the skirt, and Lena was certain that she'd end up looking like a yellow fairytale princess in it. The color seemed to strike Undyne oddly, and her cheeks turned a mottled purple as she looked away, glaring at the wall. Alphys, on the other hand, was gushing, her feet tapping excitedly against the tile floor as she looked at it from all sides. "C-can I try it on now?" she asked eagerly, and her only answer was being handed the garment. She vanished into the changing room.
"You alright, Undyne?" Lena asked, frowning a bit at how suddenly the monster had gone quiet. She bristled and sent Kupanda a glare, to which he merely chuckled.
"I'm fine." Her one visible eye widened impossibly as the changing room door opened, and Alphys stepped out. The color complimented her skin color amazingly, and the way it fit was flawless. "Woah..." Alphys flushed a dark red and smoothed out the skirt of her dress, giving a little turn so it billowed out around her. Disney, eat your heart out- this was the next princess.
"D-does it l-look okay...?" Undyne swallowed hard and nodded, giving a wide grin that had Alphys squirming. "O-oh...g-good..."
"Alright," the towering male monster's voice suddenly cut in, and the other two monsters seemed to snap out of whatever trance they were under. "Your turn." He held out a dark blue bundle and, giving a shy nod, Lena stepped forward to take it. "I apologize if it does not fit well. I do not usually make clothing for humans..." He seemed genuinely apologetic, enough so that she shook her head quickly, giving him a bright smile.
"I'm sure it's fine. I'll go try it on now..."
The school auditorium was filled to the brim with monsters and humans alike, bustling with activity and movement. On the stage, there was a large set of speakers set up, and a sad-looking little ghost monster was apparently the DJ for the party. The music was loud, but not too terribly so, and it melded well with the murmur of conversation that swept across the room. These types of gatherings usually weren't his cup of tea but, for Tori, he'd be willing to stand by the wall in a crowded room.
"SANS, STOP PULLING AT YOUR TIE!" Papyrus huffed and leaned down to, once again, straighten the bright blue bowtie around Sans' neck. He shrugged his shoulders lazily, reaching up to tug at it again just as Papyrus had finished, and a gloved hand smacked his away. "HONESTLY, BROTHER, BEING DRESSED UP FORMALLY WILL NOT BE THE DEATH OF YOU."
"Only got one HP bro, who knows? I might just keel over and tie-"
"I SWEAR TO GOD, SANS-"
"This kinda thing just doesn't suit me."
"I'M LEAVING YOU. GOODBYE, SANS. I WILL BE AT THE REFRESHMENTS STATION IF YOU NEED ME. DO NOT FOLLOW IF YOU HAVE MORE PUNS." Sans chuckled as his brother stormed off across the room, brushing past a group of humans that had congregated. They frowned slightly but, otherwise, did or said nothing about the larger monster's fit, which made Sans feel a small amount of relief. The humans here were, for the most part, okay with monsters...on the surface, anyway. There were a few souls in the room with a lot more LOVE than he'd care to see, especially because his friends were going to be in the same room. ...And his girlfriend.
Speaking of whom, the trio had left the apartment a good many hours ago but, from what Sans could see, they weren't there yet. A part of him wanted to be worried, that perhaps something awful had happened on the way. There were a lot more humans on the outskirts of the city than usual, and the amount of security around the city's limits was increased. Whatever this gathering was for, it was obviously a big deal, to monsters and humans both.
His musing was interrupted as someone collided rather heavily with his shoulder, and he struggled to keep his magic in check as he braced himself for an attack. "Oops! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" a sweet voice cried, and Sans glanced up to see a human woman. Her hair was straight as a razor's edge, brushing past her hips in a tempting length, brushing against the hem of her ruby red blouse. Her skirt was a too-tight black number that cut off just above her knees, and she smelled of some expensive perfume. What caught his attention most was her eyes, though. Icy blue, sharp and narrow, he felt a chill run through his soul just looking into them. Grinning uneasily, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, 's no skin off my bones," he drawled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants. "Maybe lay off of the punch, eh kiddo?" The woman narrowed her eyes at him for a fraction of a second but then she was smiling, and it was too big, her lips too red, her teeth too white, and he hated it.
"You're funny. I wouldn't drink the punch here, anyway!" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, but the words hit home, and Sans felt his hands clench into fists in his pockets. He didn't need to look at her soul to tell that she wasn't good news. "Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself!" She held her hand out, giving a sweet, sweet smile. "I'm Kathleen." He eyed her hand for a moment before taking it, giving it a single solid shake and withdrawing his hand.
"Sans. Sans the Skeleton."
"Sans? What an odd name!" He grit his teeth as he smiled wider. "You wouldn't happen to know what this gathering is for, would you?" she asked, but without giving him a chance to answer, she pressed on. "I happened to peek at the guest list and saw that someone I knew was attending... Do you know a human woman named Lena?" His soul fluttered at the mere mention of her name, but he steeled himself, shrugging. "Because I think that you do..."
"Yeah? That's nice," he said flatly, scuffing his dress shoes across the floor as he attempted to step around her. She stepped forward, though, grabbing his hand and pulling them together like they were dancing. His eyesockets narrowed slightly, though his grin stayed firmly in place.
"She used to work at the school I teach for, but... Well, I heard that she was caught doing unprofessional things in her free time..." Her smile sharpened, and Sans felt himself stiffen. She knew an awful lot for being a co-worker. "I heard..." she said quietly, leaning closer so that she was whispering, "...that she was whoring herself out to monsters." His eye flashed a bright blue and his hand that she was holding tightened. But as the smugness of her expression and the cruel smirk that was toying at her ruby-painted lips reached him, he understood.
He couldn't do a thing about it. With so many humans around, how would it look for him to react unkindly toward a human? Everything Toriel and Asgore had worked so hard for would be ruined. Drawing in a deep breath, the lights faded from his eyesockets and he chuckled.
"Not nice to say things like that about people. I thought all monsters were taught that growin' up, but I guess not." Her ice blue eyes narrowed to mere slits and she pushed herself away from him, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I had more to discuss with you, but..." Smiling cruelly, she glanced just over Sans' shoulder. "It seems I've run out of time." Her heels clicked loudly as she walked around him, brushing a hand across his shoulder, and he never wanted to pull away as badly as he did right then. "Enjoy the party~!"
Once she was gone, he sighed heavily, feeling his magic buzzing anxiously in his bones, begging for an out. He'd wanted to hurt her. More than he'd wanted to hurt anyone in a long time, he'd wanted to hurt that human, and that scared him a bit. "Maybe a dog treat'll calm me down..." he mumbled, hand searching through his pocket for the baggie of treats and his lighter. The only way outside was the way Kathleen came and, though he hated the thought of even seeing her again, he needed some air. Something to calm his soul. Turning on his heel, he started heading in that direction.
Something made him stop dead in his tracks, though, and, if he had lungs, he would have felt like his breath had been taken away from him.
A human- his human- was walking towards him, looking around nervously. She never was a huge fan of large crowds, and he could sympathize, but he was so, so glad that they both decided to attend after all. She saw him and instantly her face brightened, then suddenly turned unsure. Her soul was fluttering within her, and he felt his doing the same. She was wearing a dress, he knew that; but, if he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she'd taken a piece of the night sky and wrapped it around herself. The dark blue fabric was so dark that, in places, it almost looked black, and it seemed to glow with little white and pale blue dots of light, the soft, cold glow just like the stars he adored so much. The light reflected itself off of her eyes, and stars, he believed that there must've been green hued universes locked inside them, they were so beautiful. He wanted to get lost in them, to lean close and fall in and never, ever come back.
"Sans...?" Her voice was difficult to hear over the bustle of movement around them, but he could hear it. He could hear that voice through a hurricane, through hell and back. She looked so unsure, her cheeks painted in that pretty shade of red that she got whenever she was embarrassed, and it just made her look all the more gorgeous in his eyes. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug, nuzzling his nasal ridge against her collarbone affectionately, and she pulled in a short breath before relaxing. "So you...like it?" she asked, and he wanted to grab her by the face and tell her that he didn't just like it, he adored it, and her, and everything about that moment. Reaching up to cup her cheeks gently in his bony palms, he brushed his thumbs across her heated cheekbones as he leaned up on his toes to press a toothy kiss to her lips.
"I love it," he murmured, voice dipping down into a lower pitch, and he chuckled when the skin beneath his thumbs turned an even darker shade. He could stand there and make her blush all night and he'd be content, just watching her reactions to him, to his words, to his soul, stars, he loved this girl-
"If I may have your attention," Toriel's voice suddenly said loudly, and, when Sans looked up, she was standing on the stage with a microphone. Papyrus and Frisk sidled up next to Sans, and Undyne and Alphys found them and they stood together, looking up at the Queen's nervous and excited expression. The spotlight was shining down on her crushed velvet dress, her white fur shining in stark contrast against the deep violet, and Lena thought, again, how beautiful she was. An arm tightened around her waist and she glanced down to see Sans, still looking at her, and she felt herself smile. "I would first like to thank you all for coming here tonight. Life as of late has been nothing but meetings and delegations and debates, and I am thankful that we can all come together like this in celebration." A wolf howled from somewhere and the regal monster chuckled. From off-stage Asgore stepped into the light, as well, wearing his royal attire and his crown situated on top of his head. She regarded him with a warm smile, and continued speaking. "It has been a dream of mine, ever since I was young, that I wanted to be a teacher...and opening my school here on the surface and teaching monsters has been wonderful. However...being able to have my child there with me..." Her voice began to get watery and she raised a paw to wipe at her eyes, and Frisk's hand grasped tightly at Sans' sleeve. "I am pleased to announce that I have been granted the proper permissions...to teach not only monsters, but also humans." There was a burst of noise from the sudden cheering of several monsters and humans, and Frisk tore their hand away from Sans and ran across the auditorium, scrambling up onto the stage and tackling the Queen in an embrace. Toriel laughed and weeped happily, her large arms wrapping around Frisk in a hug.
"She did it," Sans mumbled, his mouth spread wide in a genuine grin. Undyne and Papyrus were cheering loudly, Alphys trying to keep them from knocking into the people standing around them (victory dances were apparently a thing that needed to happen). Lena felt herself get teary as well, and she excitedly leaned down to give Sans another hug, laughing in joy and relief, just like so many others in the room were doing.
The rest of the night was a flurry of dancing and drinking and singing, and more dancing, and celebration. Sans noticed that several of the humans had already left, but he couldn't bring himself to care about that when he had the most beautiful thing dancing with him in his arms.
"Do you mind if I cut in for a moment?" Sans glanced up to see Toriel standing there, the fur on her cheeks still wet with tears, but a wide smile spread across her muzzle.
"Oh, sure," Lena said, stepping back to let Toriel take her place, but was surprised when Toriel stepped closer to her, sweeping her into a hug. She only floundered for a moment before she returned it.
"Oh, Lena, my dear child...thank you so much." Confused, Lena opened her mouth to ask why she was being thanked, but Toriel would have none of that. "It is thanks to your kindness that I was able to find the determination to keep trying... It had seemed so hopeless, and Frisk would have been stuck in that human school. But now..." She pulled away and gave the human a warm smile, hands holding onto her shoulders. "He will be much happier at my school with his new teacher. ...That is, if you are willing to take the job."
"...Wh-what?" Lena's eyes went wide, already rimming with tears, and the monster nodded toward Asgore, who had moved to stand beside them. He handed her a folder which she then held out to the human.
"Your internship was complete, my dear! They did not properly keep track of your time there, and the amount of work you put forth... Several of your co-workers came forward and vouched for your professionalism. This is your degree, printed out for you." Lena sniffed loudly, raising a hand to rub at her eyes, her other hand shakily reaching out to touch the folder. She hesitated, as if she were afraid it would disappear if she actually touched it, and Toriel pressed it into her trembling hand. "Welcome to the School of Taobh, Miss Lena," she said with a wink, and she was hardly surprised at all when the human threw her arms around the taller monster's neck, giggling tearfully into her shoulder.
Outside of the happy little display, Sans looked in fondly, eyelights softening as he looked on. He didn't need to look very hard at all to see just how brightly her soul was glowing and he didn't even mind when his own began to do the same, small bits of faint blue light escaping from the neck of his suit. A rather large voice hummed beside him, and he glanced up to see Asgore standing there, wringing his paws. Sans narrowed his eyesockets at him and the mighty King flinched.
"...What you did for her," the skeleton said quietly, eyes returning to the happy human, who was now being showered in congratulations and praise from their friends, "You made her happy, and that makes me happy. So...thanks, Fluffybuns." Asgore relaxed visibly and gave a deep, rumbling chuckle.
"It made Tori just as happy, so it was my pleasure." The two of them stood watching the loves of their lives, souls vibrant and bright, and felt just a little bit of the darkness from the past begin to fade away.
[[ AUGH THIS CHAPTER ENDED UP BEING SO LONG BUT I STILL LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT! LEAVE ME COMMENTS, PLEASE, AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. LOVE YOU ALL! ]]