((Reminder: Due to some people messaging me with annoying shit about this story being romantic or platonic, unless a majority of people ask me to make this romantic, it will stay platonic. There's a poll on my profile right now debating whether this should be platonic or romantic… Also, thanks to the FABULOUS LuminousMoonRay, this story now has a cover image! They drew it themselves, and I think it's - ...beat...beat...beat…. ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY FUCKING GOD DAMN FANTASTIC))
((There is a mention of a male partner who is currently unidentified in the next chapter. Does anyone have any requests as to who it might be so I can use a name in future chapters? This excludes Papyrus and Sans because they are Gaster's sons. *Kinkshames all you sinners*))
At around six in the morning, Frisk got out of bed and went out of their room. Gaster was still sleeping on the couch, seeming pained yet also somewhat relaxed.
Frisk went about their normal daily activities. Brush their teeth, wash their face, comb their hair, assemble their books and set them in their backpack. They made eggs and sausage for breakfast, setting aside a small portion for their "guest", if skeleton's could even eat. Resting it on the floor next to him so he could reach it, they threw on a coat and slipped on their backpack.
Frisk let out a deep, sad sigh, preparing an exhausting day jam packed full of bullies, tests, homework, and mental and physical anguish around every corner.
Gaster lifted his head some long time after Frisk left. His body ached all over, but he managed to sit up and reach out to the plate of food set on the floor next to him, smiling subtly. What a polite young child… thinking to give him food, as well as let him rest.
While waiting for Frisk to return, Gaster twiddled his thumbs and admittedly tossed the blanket up in the air a few times, amused by the way it drifted slowly to the ground. He tested to see if he could pull himself or untie himself from the piece of rope, to no avail. He hurt too bad to think straight enough to untie it, and was simply too weak to pull free.
It was midday when Frisk came home. Gaster turned his head to the sound of a door opening, and saw Frisk, eyes covered by their hair and clothes rumpled and messy. Once inside their house, they slumped against the door, clutching their face in their hands. It was laughably easy to see they were sobbing.
"FrIsK? iS sOmEtHiNg WrOnG?" Gaster felt his parental instincts begin to take charge. He tugged against the rope, trying to get to the crying child.
Frisk looked over, their eyes red from crying. Slowly getting back to their feet, they stumbled over towards the monster… and untied the rope.
"K-kill me. I'm s-sick of living like this," they demanded, fists clenching and legs trembling.
Surprised, Gaster rubbed his sore wrist while staring up at the child. He shook his head slowly. He wouldn't kill the child. Not when they had shown so much MERCY to him.
Gaster put out his palm and pretended to press buttons on it. Frisk looked confused for a moment, before acknowledging he wanted their phone. They took it out of their pocket and tossed it to him.
'Tell me, what is bothering you so much that you'd ask someone to take your soul?'
The teenager looked down after reading the text on the phone, seeming ashamed for a moment. They shook their head, not willing to speak of what had happened that day.
'Child, it's not healthy to keep these things locked inside of you. It can weigh down your soul. Would telling a foolish scientist like me really be that bad?'
Frisk lifted their gaze to meet Gaster's, who was holding the phone up so they could read it, and he patted the sofa beside him, trying to get the teenager to sit down. Hesitantly, they took the phone from the tall man and took a seat beside him, looking stiff and uncomfortable.
"M-my friends… w-were just… a little rough w-with me today…" They rolled up one of their sweater sleeves and revealing bloody, purple abrasions and thick scratches, that seemed to continue all the way down both of their arms, and although they weren't visible after Frisk's shoulders due to the shirt, it was likely they were there, as well.
Gaster stared, not making any noise. He just slowly reached both of his arms out, and pulled Frisk to his chest, as with their small size and tiny frame, they were light enough for even him to move around, in his destructed state. The teenager's breath hitched in their throat and they flinched, expecting to be harmed, but let themselves relax and go limp after a few seconds when they realized that even if they were going to be hurt, no one would really care.
"FrIsk, ArE yOu AlRiGhT?" Gaster inquired quietly, knowing very well that said teenager wouldn't be able to understand them. Instead, they hiccuped and pressed their face against the shoulder of his coat, shudders starting to wrack the entirety of their body as they started crying.
"HuSh, cHiLd. HuSh. YoU'Ll bE aLrIgHt," He soothed, fondly remembering trying to get one of his sons to stop crying when he got a chip in one of his bones, and getting him a Nice Cream to try and calm him down before taking him to a hospital to make sure he was going to be alright..
"Th-thank you," Frisk said shakily, still leaning against the former scientist, who grimaced, but stuck with it nonetheless. Although this man was not human, and appeared to have no skin and only bone, he was warm. After having only rough physical contact with their abusers, a simple hug from a living, breathing creature was all they asked for.
Gaster moved one of his hands to the back of Frisk's head. Part of him was tempted to grab their neck and choke them, but the goodness inside of him overpowered the evil by a landslide. He gently pat their hair, closing his eyes and sighing.
"WhY dO yOu CaLl tHoSe PeOpLe FrIeNdS iF tHeY dO tHiS tO yOu?" he whispered quietly, wanting Frisk to understand him but not about to trouble them for their phone once more when they were this distraught.
"I don't know what you're saying… I'm s-sorry…" Frisk sniffed, still trembling and leaning more heavily against Gaster.
Gaster's distorted features twisted into a knowing smile. "ThAt'S aLrIgHt," he spoke quietly, though his strange vocalizations made even that seem too loud.
Frisk inhaled shakily and sat up again, wiping their teary eyes and swallowing hard. "Thank you. So do you, uh, need more food? I'll, um, I'll go make you something…"
Gaster smiled warmly and nodded, glad to see the human no longer actively crying, turning around so he was lying over the back of the chair, watching Frisk intently as they got up and fiddled with knobs and dials on a stove in the nearby kitchen.
Frisk shivered. They knew Gaster was watching them, and even after learning he was nicer than his first impression suggested, it was still somewhat unnerving. Either way, they continued to boil water on a stove and pour in a packet of noodles. Ah, ramen noodles. Truly, the eighth wonder of the world.
"I hope you don't mind, but… since my parents sent me to live here so I could go to a good school, I don't really have much variety in terms of food… ramen noodles and eggs, mostly," they mumbled, flinching at mentioning their parents.
Gaster felt another sudden pang of guilt. Frisk didn't really have much, did they? And he was just… taking what they needed more than him… he'd apologize and somehow, repay them, someday…