Alphys almost scared you as she worked on setting up a self-defense training schedule for you. You knew she took it seriously, but when it concerned you? You weren't sure whether or not she cared enough, considering you doubted that she trusted you at all. Liked you, maybe. Trusted you? Nope.
She had progressed to scribbling on a sheet of paper, asking if there were any days you were unavailable. "Nah. Besides school and work, I rarely have anything I'm doing. Not never, but definitely rarely." You replied.
"So, if you're not busy, you can go to dinner next week, Punk. Toriel said she'd like you to come." Alphys informed you, smiling mischievously.
"I could have sworn you just told me the queen invited me to dinner." You gaped at Alphys, ignoring the dice you'd just dropped into the middle of the table.
"PARK PLACE! PAY UP, HUMAN." Sans insisted triumphantly. "AND ACTUALLY, IT WAS TECHNICALLY KING ASGORE WHO INVITED YOU. WHY IS THAT SO SURPRISING?"
Thankfully you were $9000 monopoly dollars ahead, so that didn't do as much damage to your fake bank account as Sans had been hoping. "Because it's completely abnormal to be invited to dinner by any monarch if you're just an ordinary person." You replied, handing over a cringeworthy amount of fake money.
Sans sent you an odd look that you couldn't quite interpret. "BUT YOU ARE NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON, HUMAN _."
"What is that supposed to mean?" you inquired as Sans tossed the dice. "Pacific Avenue with a hotel. Gimme my money back, Sans."
Not two hours before, when he had loudly invited you to board game night Sans had insisted that you leave off the Magnificent part. "CLOSE FRIENDS CALL EACH OTHER INFORMALLY." Was the only reason he'd given for the change. The dusting of blue that crossed his cheeks at that moment confounded you. It must have been magic.
"YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH MONSTERS. NOT MANY HUMANS ARE, EVEN NOW. YOU'VE HELPED US MORE THAN ONCE TOO." He replied to your question, handing you back your lost funds. "AND…" he trailed off, but the meaning was clear. It wouldn't have been difficult for the queen to discover you were a mage, regardless of how inactive you were as one. You were in the government databases, and highly ranked at that from back in your academy days.
After all, anyone with enough power to reattach missing limbs was definitely kept tabs on, whether they were dangerous or not.
"Why are you two so good at this game?" Alphys questioned, walking away toward the kitchen to refill her drink. "It's been two hours." She, Papyrus, and Undyne had already been knocked out of the game. Though, Alphys had taken it as an opportunity to hound you about self-defense training.
Your sudden extended silence seemed to have unnerved Undyne, who was still intently watching the game. The dice fell limply from your hand. "What do you even wear to a dinner with royalty?" You asked her, hoping to relieve some of her sudden tension.
Alphys barked out a laugh from the doorway. "Wear what you usually do, Punk. It isn't like you dress poorly." She shot an irritated glance at the table. "And finish up so we can move on to Trouble! You guys are taking far too long!"
With a small smile you stood from your seat and bowed extravagantly to Sans, sitting perplexed across from you. "I concede to you this match." Even Papyrus, hiding in the corner, smiled at the funny scene you were presenting.
It was two games later when you all stopped for dinner. Sans made tacos, something everyone said was something he made all the time. You figured it was all the practice that made him so good at them. The meat was perfectly browned and well-seasoned, in a way that made it flavorful rather than spicy. He homemade the sauce, and it blended well, accenting the flavors of the meat and fillings well.
His face did that odd blue thing again when you told him so, and he quickly went back to the kitchen for some reason. "didn't know you were so knowledgeable about food." Papyrus commented. Glancing at him, you realized he was trying to distract you.
"I suppose. Not really though. Just what you pick up from eating food all your life." You responded. "I haven't cooked in quite a while. Our dorms don't have kitchens. Even when I move, Fuku is much better at it than I am."
Undyne dropped her fork. "You're mo-moving? A-away?" You almost let yourself feel flattered that she sounded sad about it.
It hadn't come up before. "No, not away. Third-year students aren't guaranteed dorm rooms anymore. Once the semester is over, I'll need a place to stay, so we're looking."
"We?" Alphys questioned. Hadn't you just mentioned who you were planning to move in with? Still, they all seemed confused so you repeated her name. The three monsters at the table shared a troubled glance. "You're moving in with a monster, Punk?"
"I'm moving in with Fuku, yes. Once we find a place, anyways. Grillby is helping us look." Oh, look at that. Sans had returned, face white as normal. "We aren't too sure about apartments though. That seems like inviting a bit too much trouble."
Sans glanced around as he sat back down. "WHAT DID I MISS?"
"_ i-is moving a-after the sem-semester ends. I-in with Fu-fuku." Undyne informed him.
Sans gaze found you again so quickly, you wondered if skeletons could get whiplash. "IS THAT SAFE?" He demanded.
"Is that what you're all worried about?" Suddenly their hesitance made sense. Of course, the two of you had discussed the possible danger you could attract. You'd even spoken about it at length with Grillby. "Yes, we're aware."
"And you still asked her?" Alphys accused. Of course. You were, by default, to blame.
"Although I'm not sure it matters who asked who so long as it's a mutual agreement, Fuku asked me. We talked about it, and got Grillby in on the conversation before we agreed on it. And we're looking for safer neighborhoods." We aren't stupid. There's no way in Hell I'd intentionally put Fuku in danger.
Despite the fact you hadn't said the last bit, all four monsters at the table seemed to wait for the thought to be finished before they responded. It was almost as though they'd heard it.
"H-have you th-thought a-about monster nei-neighborhoods?" Undyne inquired. It was amazing how politely she came across.
"We're looking at them too." The only issue is what keeps one of us safe puts the other in more danger. You added again, mentally rolling your eyes at the stupidity of the situation. "How's about Uno after dinner?"
They got the hint. "UNO SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF FUN, HUMAN _. ARE YOU CONFIDENT IN YOUR UNO SKILLS?"
"Be prepared." You warned him. "Once cards are on the table, I win."
"Bring it, Punk!" Alphys shouted, grin widening at your obvious challenge.
You won. You won Uno, Phase 10, Go Fish, Gin Rummy, Egyptian Ratscrew, Spoons, and Old Maid. After the last game, Papyrus snatched the cards away before Alphys could rip them to pieces. The guard captain had to go outside to rage after your inexplicable winning streak.
"YOU WERE NOT JOKING WHEN YOU SAID YOU WOULD WIN. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A CHALLENGE." Sans noted.
"Well, essentially it was. I've been playing cards since I can remember. It isn't that I'm unbeatable. I still lose to my Grandmother at cribbage about a third of the time. I'm just…good. Too bad card games aren't seen in the same vein as chess."
"HOW ARE YOU AT CHESS?" he asked, suddenly interested.
It was with a wry smile that you responded, just as Alphys walked back in, "I always lose at chess."
"Aha! I challenge you to chess!" She shouted.
You smiled. "Next time. It's late and I have homework due Monday. Thanks for having me over guys. I love your place Alphys." You hadn't brought anything, so there was nothing for you to grab on your trek to the door.
"I CAN WALK YOU HOME." Sans offered, trailing behind you.
Hoo boy. Images of how you first met flashed through your head as you turned back to him. "Nah, it's okay. I'm safer on the streets by myself than you are." His face fell, and you winced. It may have been true, but that didn't necessarily make it less offensive.
You were tempted, when he turned that pout on you, to let him come. You shook your head, steeling your resolve. You wished them all a good night before slipping out of the door, closing it firmly behind you.
Papyrus watched you leave, still guarded. You weren't the first human to try and befriend them, and clearly none of those others were still around. No matter how honest you were, or how much you projected, he wasn't going to trust you. Humans could change. Would change. And it was never in their favor.
And boy did you ever project a lot. You didn't even seem aware that you were doing it, either. He'd heard of humans who wore their hearts on their sleeves, but you were just ridiculous. They'd had to be careful not to respond to any of your too-loud thoughts.
Were you like that before? Or was it just easier to hear them more as they got used to you?
That flashback of his brother, though, confused him. He had been there that night, and Sans had been completely healed. The image you remembered though…Sans was well on his way to dusting. Bruised, cut, beaten, and missing an arm. A can of sea tea would never have fixed that kind of damage.
Were you remembering wrong? Or had something else happened that night?
Something Sans wasn't telling him. He turned his gaze to his brother, unsurprised that Alphys and Undyne were doing so as well. If you had brought him back from that state, it explained some of his loyalty to you. How could you have, though?
"You were in that kind of shape?" Alphys questioned in a low voice. "How in the hell? You were fine when you dragged her back here that night."
Sans flinched, but made no attempt to answer her. Undyne gasped suddenly, as if realizing something. "I-is she…? I-it couldn't b-be…" Sans flinched again before nodding to confirm whatever it was Undyne had realized.
"what?" Papyrus ground out, impatient for such an important answer.
"I-it makes s-so much sense n-now. B-but why n-not ju-just tell u-us?" What? Oh, come on!
"By the stars! What are you two talking about?" Alphys shouted. Papyrus couldn't help but agree with her impatience.
"_, sh-she's a m-m-mage." Papyrus felt his Soul freeze before white-hot fury rose up in him.