A/N: I forgot to mention this in the prior chapter... the reason why no one is really fazed about the monsters is because they think they're just some weird group or club of cosplayers dressing up like it's a convention or Halloween or something.
The rest of the week passed only the slightest bit differently than how the day had gone. On Saturday, though, you got another three texts on your phone, in addition to the first. They were all from Toriel, but you ignored them for the time being in favor of making breakfast and avoiding your father until the afternoon, which you did easily, then retreating back to your room. An hour had passed since then, and you had long since heard the sound of a plate clatter in the sink and his heavy footsteps getting further and further away, until there was a click, followed by a slamming door. Regardless of this, you still didn't dare to leave your room but decided to check the texts from Toriel.
'hello dear child'. That was the one from earlier this week.
'im sry this is such short notice but today is papyrus birthday. will u come?'
'we forgot that u might live far away so we understand if you cant make it'
'pls come if you can child. papyrus would be very happy'
You read and reread the texts a few times, before finally replying with an answer that was the same as throwing yourself to hungry lions - or, in this case, your father. Every letter you tapped in worsened the feeling of impending doom upon yourself. Your father would not be happy if you weren't at the house, but... Papyrus is so... just a lovable loving goof with a monumental heart... if you missed his birthday... the first birthday about ground, too... you could deal with a few extra bruises and scrapes for his sake.
'ok'
So, you went ahead and nabbed one of your father's credit cards from where you stashed it in your backpack the previous night and ran out to the store, pushing your sore legs as fast as you could make them go, to get there as fast as you could and, from memory, moved expertly throughout the aisles, accumulating some of what would come together to be his birthday present; just enough to cover the bottom of the cart you wheeled around. First and foremost, obviously, was pasta. A few variations of it, actually. Some were typical kid's macaroni and cheese style pasta, some were angel hair, some were plain, and so on with the like. However, in addition, you also got him some new storybooks. Early on in your time at the Underground you learned that Sans would read Papyrus an adventure story book about a pink rabbit, and now that they were on the surface, you figured that maybe he would like a few new ones.
You also got one or two figurines of random superheroes without really bothering to look at the labels; somehow, you knew Papyrus would like them either way, probably since he didn't know exactly who they were or of the Aboveground's comics. Then, you went to a nearby convenience store where you got wrapping paper, a box, tape, scissors, and a cute birthday card that opened up to a blank castle page, with and a set of 4 crayons bound to the inside of the card by plastic. It may have been overdoing it, but this was the first birthday that you actually wanted to go to; the first birthday party where your presence was wanted... the first birthday party that you would actually go and have, at least, a decent time at.
Careful not to drop anything, you went back to your house just as fast as you had left it, went straight to your room, and started packing things inside. Being careful to save space, you lined up the pasta at the bottom of the box, the multiple storybooks on top of this, and the two figurines along the side, leaving just an inch or two of space at the top. Then, you closed it and taped it shut, and once you were sure it was secure, you wrapped it in the paper as nicely as you could. Admittedly, it wasn't the best one out there... you did feel a little bad about the way the wrapping had come out. You had tried your best - you really did, but it came out a little sloppy with thick layers permeating the cardboard. Hopefully Papyrus would like it anyway, you thought as you signed the card and placed it on top of the box, ditching the utensils on your bedroom floor.
After quickly changing - after all, they would recognize you by your clothes if you didn't - and spraying yourself with air freshener a few times over, resulting in a bit of dizziness on your part, though you didn't mind much... you were entirely willing to do this for your friends. Even if you would walk around and lose the other half of your sight for the rest of the evening.
You were filled with determination to help Papyrus have the best first Aboveground birthday ever.
As you started rather casually down the street, wearing a Lux Love sweater atop of a grey t-shirt that read 'ISLAND' across the front, dark blue jeans with a single cigarette and lighter in the left back pocket, and plain black boots with laces that went just above your ankles, you temporarily adjusted the box to hold it in your left hand, and began texting Toriel with the right.
'where do u live'. You almost immediately received a response.
'the green building near the school room 603. r u coming?'
'yes dont tell papyrus wanna surprise him'
'ok i hope to c u here soon child'
'u too'
Truth be told, you wore the eye patch all the way there, but before knocking on the door, you shut your eyes and tucked it deep into your back pocket. You heard the door in front of you open just a tad with the sound of creaking... something you had to struggle not to flinch against the sound of. Last time you let your father know you were home with a misplaced step... Alphys' voice quickly ripped you away from your momentary recollection and brought your attention back to the present. "H-hello, Frisk!" She spoke in a hushed voice, but stopped for a moment when Papyrus called from inside. "Alphys, whose there?" "J-just a min-minute, you guys!" You heard the floor creak under a thud. It felt like ants were running all up and over your skin, which you felt like you were about to jump out of at any moment, with your neck having gone cold and shoulders tense, though easily hidden by your sweater. If Alphys noticed, though, she didn't say anything. "Tori-Toriel told us about your, uh, plan. So glad you could- you could make it." You mentally noted that she stuttered a bit less around you and the others. You hoped this meant she didn't recognize you from when you smoked on the roof.
Whether she recognized you are not, she took your hand and led you inside, probably assuming that you wouldn't be able to see where you were going. Half-true, you supposed. After taking a few steps, she made a shushing sound in your direction and had you crouch behind what you assumed to be a counter or table of some sort, gift and card both still in hand. Once you heard her take a few heavy steps away, you squinted your left eye open and did a few quick looks across the obvious stimuli. It was a plain, small-ish living room, apparently conjoined with the kitchen if the bright light in the corner of your eye and the obvious voices hinted at anything. A simple green couch sat in the middle, facing out towards an average sized television, one window directly behind it and two more on either side allowing sunlight to filter inside the otherwise dank-looking space. A bookcase stood against one wall, mostly filled with Toriel's cookbooks and Alphys' science-y stuff. In the far corner, to the right of the TV, was a mess of blankets and pillows; like a little nest. There was a similar heap on the couch and up against the side of the coffee table the TV stood on. . You didn't get a chance to see much more when you heard Papyrus speak up, and figured it was time to close your eye.
'IT'S TOO BAD THE HUMAN WAS NOT ABLE TO PARTAKE IN THE GREAT PAPYRUS' BIRTHDAY..." Papyrus sounded disappointed, but at the same time, his tone almost expressed him trying to be happy; after all, they were on the surface now, weren't they? No longer trapped Underground, now with Aboveground stores and foods and sights... as an idle though, you wondered what they did with all that gold. It goes a long way up here, and could have easily gotten a nicer or bigger place. "Quite..." Toriel commented, though you could easily detect a slight giggle in her voice... something Papyrus didn't pick up on. You heard her take a few steps closer, first around your side then towards your back - you were now facing the counter, with your back to the room - "Well, I suppose we should-" She broke off, faking a startled gasp, though you didn't pay much attention to it, trying to calm your pounding heart and jittery nerves. Those footsteps... were not pleasing to your memories and therefore your mind. You suddenly felt her arms under your armpits and you came dangerously close to breaking down on the spot - watching your attacker - father - and getting it over with was one thing. Cutting off your sense of sight and feeling the despair in a much deeper, more intimate way, was something else.
Toriel held you out at arm's length. "What's this? A human? They have invaded the house!" You could only assume that Papyrus had gotten overly excited and jumped from a seat when you heard the clattering of silverware and a table momentarily getting knocked as to collide with the floor yet again... then a sharp inhale... and chuckling. "HELLO, TINY HUMAN! I SEE THAT YOU HAVE TRIED TO PULL A TRICKY TRICK ! WELL, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE NOT BEEN FOOLED! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" He paused and you felt the present carefully removed from your hands, and the excited sound of its contents being shaken around in its cheap confines.
"IS THIS A GIFT FOR ME, HUMAN?" You gave two-thumbs up and a grin, wondering of Sans was doing the same thing back to you in secret, like you had once caught him doing with your left eye so squinted, it looked closed. "OH, THANK YOU! CAN I OPEN IT NOW?" Another thumbs-up, and you heard the quick tearing of paper, and a delighted gasp at the sight - everyone's suddenly gasping a lot, aren't they? You mused. First he read the card, midway stopping and thanking you for it several times over, excited at the little artsy project to look forward to, then deeply expressing his gratitude for each and every item he found inside.
If only you could see the happy look on his face. But then they'd know you lied. Alphys would know that was you smoking on the rooftop. That was you ignoring them in all your classes. That was you dimming some of the energy displayed. Sigh. Your eye patch felt like a rock in your pocket, while your left eye wished to be fully open and have an actual view of the place... to see again... and it would, it just wouldn't see this apartment.
The party went on for what you could only assume to be hours. After finally convincing Papyrus to wait until after the party - there were festivities to be had! - to start physically using his presents, you were lead around the place by Asgore, much to the disdain of Toriel, counting your steps and using your hands to get a better 'view' of the environment without your sight. There was cake, and games, and even a movie! Though Toriel had to whisper to you the scenes and when someone moved, audio served quite nicely as to what was going on... like an audio book of pure dialogue. You felt comfortably warm inside, like Toriel's and Asgore's hugs.
The clock began chiming; you counted six, and suddenly went stiff. You quickly tapped Toriel's shoulder. Once you were sure she was looking at you - "What is it, dear child?" - you pointed to yourself, then made a typical child's drawing shape of a five-sided house; a triangle atop a square with your index fingers in the air. She seemed to understand what you were trying to communicate to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry you have to go child. Please, feel free to visit anytime you'd like!" You nodded vigorously, though some part of your mind sneered that it was unlikely, and navigated yourself to the front door, everyone calling one sort or another of farewells and see you agains, to which you waved, then leaving and closing the door behind you with a little click. Your chest felt cold as you opened your eyes and put the eye patch back on, meanwhile pulling the cigarette and lighter from your pocket and, once lit and in your mouth, took a few huffs. Every inhale mimicked the warmth you had just felt moments ago, though much cruder and only lasting but a few moments at a time.
As you turned to start walking towards the stairs, you heard a quiet hum, immediately followed by a click. When you turned your head, though, there was nothing there. How strange.
"The end," Sans concluded, slowly closing one of the new storybooks and setting it aside, though never moving from his perch on the couch. Papyrus rested under his blanket and pillow which he had brought with him from the Underground, fully calmed and most likely asleep; and who could blame him? Sans' voice, in simple terms, was deep and could almost be described to sound like a purr. Naturally sounding comforting, and would no doubt soothe his brother into a restful sleep with a cute bedtime story or two. He smiled, though this smile was unlike his usual grin. This was more... gentle. Content. The fragile sort. Toriel watched from an X-large sleeping bag that she'd set up for the night only a few feet from the couch, wearing a similar expression. "Come now, Sans," she whispered softly, "It's time that you and I get some rest as well." True to what she said, everyone had long since fallen asleep in their respective areas, some even having listened to the story, though would deny it if questioned. Undyne and Asgore ended up in the bedroom, due to space issues and Tori's whole despising thing, most likely unconscious, and Alphys had already fallen asleep as well, curled up comfortably in her corner.
"I will, Tori," he responded in a low volume, as Toriel nodded in response and closed her eyes to rest. "Goodnight, Papyrus." He laid on his side with his head on the pillow, not really feeling the need for a blanket, but allowing them to remain draped on the couch randomly. Right as he felt himself drifting off, he heard Papyrus mumbling, half-conscious apparently. "Sans..." His voice not as excited as it normally is, though perhaps due to fatigue, rumbled out, mostly from his chest. "Papyrus? Thought you were sleepin' like the dead... what's got your vertebrae in a knot?" Papyrus, for once, didn't seem to care much for the comment, instead replying with a question.
"What do you think... about the tiny human?" Sans, instead of replying, made yet another humming noise, though now with inspection, it was more like a purring or soft growling emitting mostly from his chest, around the rib cage. "What do you think of them?" He finally responded. "I think... we're lucky to have them... The Great-" he yawned, "Papyrus... can no longer imagine... how we lived without them... would not know what to do... if something happened..." he slowly drifted back into the dreamworld, quickly becoming unresponsive and turning over a little in his nest, sliding in a little deeper.
"Me too, bro," Sans responded a bit slowly, recalling how odd Frisk had acted all week... pretending to be someone else, brushing off the 'Frissy One-Eye' - he later heard them called 'Freaky Friss' and 'F. F. Cyclops', and it took quite a bit of his willpower not to gaster blast those students on the spot for insulting them - like it was normal occurrence. As if they were a different Frisk. Not their Frisk. In a sense, he supposed that was true, but it was also true that the Frisk they knew could have just been a fake disguise for the one they saw now. That the Frisk he had seen with a medical eye patch, filthy clothing, cigarette in hand, smelling like alcohol... pretending they were someone else and lying all the while... was the real Frisk.
Obviously, as their friend, he would stand by their side, but the whole idea of it... the whole concept... left him feeling a bit nauseous. Besides... you don't treat friends that way... some answers would be needed and gotten.
Word Count: 2,906
Help. I need skele-puns. I'm not very good at jokes or puns... not that I really ever cared for them...