Author note-
I'm really sorry about the long wait, writers block coupled with college stress and general business made it hard to write… I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but thank you for your patience so far!
I hope this chapter makes it up to you!
Side note, I discovered this gem on Tumblr: - post/138030713095/sansybones-simonsoys-yesterday-was-super
That's basically my head canon for Papyrus' surface style… god damn why is the skele so attractive? :o
(Possible triggers- threats)
-x-
Chapter four
You awoke with a start.
Sat up on the bed, you looked around the bedroom with tired eyes. You couldn't remember what woke you up, but for whatever reason- you were awake.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, which was slightly visible from the moonlight streaming through the curtain- you saw that it was 3:45am.
Ugh… why am I even awake?
You were prepared to fall asleep again when a slight creak of a floorboard broke your thoughts, the sound came from just outside your door. Panic rose in your throat, and you couldn't help but be curious.
Quietly, you crept out of bed and began to inch towards the bedroom door. You told yourself that it was nothing, and that you were just being paranoid. But you needed to check, just in case.
Opening the door, you peeked your head around it warily. The living room was pitch black, aside from the only light source coming from the kitchen window. The moonlight casting a mysterious glow on the house.
It was nothing… you thought to yourself, feeling idiotic for even being a little bit scared. You decided that since you were up already, that you would grab a glass of water- your throat feeling quite dry.
Trudging along to the kitchen, you find a glass from a cupboard and fill it with water from the tap. You practically gulp the entire pint, feeling refreshed as the water fell down your throat.
You put the glass in the sink as quietly as you could, and turned to go back into the guest bedroom.
You had to muster all of your willpower not to scream, as Frisk was stood in the doorway- the child had given you a fright.
"Oh… crap…" You muttered to yourself, holding a hand to your chest. Frisk looked sheepish, and you noticed dark bags under their eyes. Your fright was replaced with concern.
"You alright there buddy?" You asked them, as quietly as you could. The child tried to nod, but immediately broke down in tears instead. The sudden outburst shocked you, leaving you unable to react for a moment.
"Uh… oh…" You were at loss of what to say, so you approached Frisk instead. Leaning down to give them a hug, they immediately clung to you.
Feeling your inner big sister come out, you pick the child up with ease. You carry them to the living room so you can both sit down, and as you sit- Frisk continued holding onto you while sniffling.
"Do you want me to get your mom…?" You whispered, rubbing the child's back in an attempt to comfort them. Frisk paused for a moment, but shook their head slowly.
You wasn't sure how to go about this, it's been so long since you've had to comfort a child. But you wanted to know what was upsetting Frisk, you already felt so protective over them and wanted to get to the bottom of the problem.
"I would ask if you wanted to talk about it… but I'm useless at that sign language…" You sighed. Frisk perked up a little, reaching around you to grab a drawing pad that was left on the coffee table. They managed to find a pen nearby and began scribbling on the paper.
You waited patiently, silently wishing you knew sign language. You felt so disrespectful for not knowing, and for Frisk having to make an extra effort to communicate to you.
Frisk showed you a note, it simply said:
I had a nightmare.
The writing was messy, and you noticed how much Frisk was shaking. You felt the need to hug them again, and you did so.
"I'm sorry to hear that bud…" You said quietly, understanding the child's pain. You weren't a stranger to bad dreams. "…what was it about? Um… it might help to talk about it, that's if you wanted to?"
Frisk nodded, and began scribbling again. Reading the note, it said:
It was about a strange man, he was tall and dark and he was speaking weirdly. There was this other child who looked like me, but they weren't me at all. You were in my dream too, and so were the rest of my family.
"I was in the dream?" You repeated, Frisk looking down sadly. You gulped a little. "…what happened next?"
…everyone died.
These words were written so shakily, that it was almost impossible to read them. You looked up to Frisk, who was at the point of tears again. You hugged them tightly, feeling quite sorry for the child- they must have been through a lot to have dreams like those.
You didn't want to pry any further, worried you would upset them too much. Instead you gave Frisk a reassuring smile, an idea popping into your head.
"Say Frisk… does your mom buy milk?" You asked, Frisk nodding in response. Your smile brightens a little. "I got the perfect idea, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"
You crept silently back to the kitchen, looking around. You easily found the tall fridge, opening it and grabbing the already open milk carton… while noticing the large surplus of milk cartons, leftover spaghetti, pie and… snails?
With a bemused shake of your head, you close the fridge door slowly, careful to not make any sound. You find a mug in one of the overhead cupboards, as well as a cooking pot. Turning the clean stove on, you pour the milk into the pot and put it on the heat.
It would only take a few minutes to warm up.
You returned to Frisk with a mug of warm milk, passing it to the child who took it with a thankful smile. They nursed the soothing drink while you sat next to them, and with minimal effort you managed to find a thin blanket on the couch- which you wrapped around them.
Thank you… Frisk mouthed, seeming to be cheered up- even if just a little.
"No worries," You said quietly, smiling down at them. "…I'm really sorry that you had such a horrible dream Frisk… but you should know that won't happen, those sorts of things are just our minds messing with us. Making us fear the unknown, when we should be focusing on the present."
Frisk nodded in agreement, and they placed their mug on the table- grabbing the notepad to scribble something down. When they passed it to you, with hopeful eyes filled with tears- you looked at the message with an equally teary expression.
Please stay with us.
"Frisk…" You whispered, your voice coming out very weak. Frisk wrote more on the paper, giving you a reassuring smile.
You stared at the message with shock.
You're super cool, and everyone you met so far really likes you. You shouldn't be so sad all the time, with us you could be happy. I'll help you when you're feeling sad, like you helped me just now.
You don't have to be alone.
It seemed that they were the one comforting you now.
"Uh… wow…" You gasped out, the dam that were your tear ducts broke. You couldn't stop the flow of tears from falling, and you felt so incredibly weak for crying for the second time within 24 hours. "I… don't really know what to say…"
Frisk nodded in understanding, snuggling up to you with their warm milk in hand. You noticed them becoming more tired as the minutes ticked by, the drink doing its trick of relaxing them to the point of sleep.
"Hey… maybe you should go back up to bed?" You suggested with a sniffle, Frisk yawning in response. You smiled at each other, Frisk standing and tugging you along with them.
You followed without complaint, letting the child lead you to their bedroom so you could tuck them in. Frisk looked content as you tucked the thick duvet over them, and you smiled at the sight.
"Goodnight Frisk," You whispered, the child already fast asleep. Without thinking much about it, you kissed the top of their head… embracing the sisterly affection you felt for the kid.
"…thank you."
-x-
You managed to go back to bed, sleeping for a few more hours- before the busy hustle and bustle of the morning woke you up again. The voices outside your room were too loud to ignore, so you accepted your fate.
"Ugh…" You groaned from underneath the duvet, feeling so exhausted. It was the kind of tiredness that would stick with you until you went back to bed later tonight.
Going to be one of those days then…
Eventually and with a groan, you pulled yourself out of bed.
Finding the bag of clothes Toriel gifted to you, you searched through the selection while feeling quite bad for the large amount of clothes that were inside.
You hoped it didn't cost Toriel much… or anything really.
After a minute of searching, you found a cute tank top and sweatpants, as well as some fresh underwear. You slipped the outfit on, admiring the 'very casual yet cute' look of the composition. It was nice wearing new and clean clothes for once… you could already feel your little confidence grow.
A knock on the door interrupted your thoughts, and it opened the door a moment later, Toriel peeking her head around it.
"Oh good morning (y/n)," Toriel said with a warm smile, which you managed to mirror. "I was just checking up on you, to see if you're feeling any better…?"
"Yeah, I'm okay now." You said, and it wasn't exactly a lie as you felt quite positive at the moment. If you had to guess, it was probably Frisk's message to you last night. Knowing how much the kid wanted you to stay made you feel… happy.
You hoped it would last.
"I'm glad to hear that," Toriel's smile brightened, seeming relieved at your words. "Well (y/n), I have to take Frisk to school and I will not be back until later this evening. Please do make yourself at home, I've left some pie for you in the fridge and we will see you later."
You nodded, and went to follow Toriel to see her out. Frisk was waiting by the front door with a backpack, and you ruffled their hair with a smile- which was returned.
Toriel then gave you a warm hug, which you accepted with a sheepish look.
"See you later," You said simply, waving as Toriel and Frisk left. Closing the door behind them, you turned to face an empty living room.
You wondered where Sans and Papyrus were, you couldn't hear the taller skeleton's booming voice… so you assumed that he wasn't here at least.
I hope I didn't upset him… You thought sadly and despite Toriel's assurance, you still felt horrible for how you spoke to him.
You made a mental note to apologise the next time you saw him… which was hopefully today.
With one last glance of the empty living area, you decided you would have another wash… especially after yesterday's cooking shenanigans. You could still feel the marina sauce splattered on your skin- you couldn't help but feel embarrassed for not washing it off sooner.
Stupid anxiety…
You began your ascent on the stairs, heading for the bathroom. Once you were inside, it didn't take any longer than five minutes to undress, step into the bath and run the shower head.
You spent around five more minutes washing yourself, letting the water run over your body with a sigh. But you didn't want to waste any more water by dosing off, so you stepped out and grabbed a fluffy off the rack to dry yourself with.
You felt refreshed, you hoped your appearance reflected that.
Approaching the mirror in the corner, you inspected yourself again. The swelling on your face had gone down a little, the bruises fading slightly. A glance to your stomach allowed you inspect your sore but healing knife wound, it looked better than yesterday.
You were healing, gradually.
Taking a deep breath, you smiled at your reflection- which was hard considering the deep hate you had for yourself.
But you had to be strong…
…for Frisk…
...for Toriel…
...for Papyrus…
Just thinking of them brought a genuine smile to your face, you felt so fortunate to have met such generous and nice people. While the usual negative thoughts tried to make you doubt your worth, you knew you could rely on these strangers.
…strangers?
You shook your head at the thought, they weren't strangers anymore… which was impressive considering your issues with trust.
Realizing that you were staring dumbly at your reflection while in deep thought, you decided to go do… something. You weren't 100% comfortable to make yourself at home, so you considered just sitting in the living room until Toriel and Frisk returned.
With that in mind, you quickly redressed and left the bathroom. You made it halfway down the stairs when you noticed Sans sat on the sofa, the skeleton's eye sockets were closed- but they opened as soon as you reached the bottom of the stairwell.
His expression was… off-putting.
You gulped.
"Good morning," You said, your voice coming out quiet and timid. Sans seemed to notice this, and patted the seat next to him, still wearing that permanent grin of his.
"what's with the weird tone, kid?" Sans said, and you couldn't help but notice his smile held an edge to it. It was strange. "come sit."
You approached the sofa with some reservation, your gut instinct telling you to escape somehow. But you had an inkling of why Sans would be making you feel that way, it was probably to do with your behaviour yesterday.
You sat next to the skeleton, looking at the carpet with a frown. Your anxiety was pretty bad, so even before he has said anything- your thoughts were going wild.
"look…"
Oh god…
"I'm not sure what you've been through in your life, kid…" Sans began, and at his words you glanced up at him. He was looking away anyway, his gaze directed towards the turned off TV. "…but yesterday, you kinda blew up on us, well… on my brother mainly."
You couldn't help but gulp again, unsure of where Sans was going with this. He still wasn't looking at you, and that unnerved you.
"…heh, I do like you kid, you seem okay… better than some of the other humans out there." Sans admitted, his eye sockets now closed. "…but I don't like seeing my bro hurt, y'know?"
"I-I know… I'm… really s-sorry about that," You stuttered quietly, your hands clenched in response to the fear. "I really didn't mean to, I… I do feel so horrible for that…"
"heh, glad to see you have some remorse (y/n)," Sans said, and then he looked at you.
Your heart stopped at his gaze, the sockets that usually held light pinpricks were empty- it was as if he was staring into your soul. The air around you felt uncomfortable, it was becoming hard to breathe.
"…cause' if you hurt my brother again-"
"SANS!"
The rather intense moment was interrupted by Papyrus, the skeleton kicking down the front door- carrying various brown paper bags in his arms. He didn't seem to notice what he interrupted, and instead trudged through the door with an oblivious grin.
You've never been so thankful for an interruption in your life.
"Papyrus!" You called out in greeting, a relieved smile breaking out on your face. The tall skeleton seemed shocked at first at your joyful presence, but his look of surprise turned into happiness.
You hopped off the sofa, practically attacking the skeleton with a hug. Your sudden bold move surprised everyone, even yourself, but you were so happy to see Papyrus- mainly because he saved you from a fate worse than death…
…the overprotective sibling talk.
"OH HELLO (y/n)!" Papyrus said, returning the hug without hesitation. You looked up to him with a sheepish smile, but you decided to enjoy the surprisingly warm hug while it lasted. "I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE OKAY… I WAS… WORRIED ABOUT YOU."
Hearing that, you let go of Papyrus and stepped back. Already feeling the guilt build up, you looked to the carpet again.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday, Papyrus." You admitted aloud, and your anxious worries of Papyrus not accepting your apology were disproven immediately - as the skeleton swept you up into another bone crushing hug.
You didn't have the heart to fight it.
"NYEH HEH HEH, DO NOT FRET ABOUT THAT!" Papyrus grinned. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALREADY FORGAVE YOU!"
Tears welled up in your eyes, but you fought them valiantly. You couldn't believe your luck, usually people took your bursts of anger personally- but Papyrus was so forgiving, so goddamn nice. It seemed no matter what you did, Papyrus would always forgive you.
"T-thank you." You said, and meant it.
"heh, tibia honest guys, this is a touching moment… it sends a chill down my spine."
Sans' joking voice spoke up, breaking your train of thought. With a quick glance in his direction, you saw his expression had returned to normal.
Before you could say anything, Papyrus yelled out.
"SANS, WILL YOU STOP WITH YOUR INCESSANT PUNS!?" Papyrus huffed, hands on his hips. You couldn't help but think he looked… cute, all riled up.
"no need to skullk bro, I know my skele-ton of puns rattle your bones but-"
"STOP!"
You looked between the two brothers with a small bemused smile, still somewhat shaken from Sans' earlier threat. But you were glad the situation wasn't as intense as it was before.
It seemed from his reactions to his brother's jokes that Papyrus didn't like puns all that much, while you didn't mind them- although the very cheesy ones did make you want to groan. You liked seeing Papyrus' reactions to them.
You were starting to think you were obsessed with the skeleton.
While you've only known Papyrus for a very short time, everything about him was so… interesting. His amazing personality, his odd yet endearing looks, and the way he treated you with so much unconditional kindness.
You couldn't stop thinking about that, and the way it made you feel.
"heh… I'll leave you two to it, I have work in five minutes anyway," Sans said nonchalantly, taking his time to stand up. You were curious, wondering how he would travel to work in such a short time… unless it was only around the corner.
Maybe he just arrives late to his shifts, it seemed like something the chilled out skeleton would do.
"DO YOU NEED A LIFT, BROTHER?" Papyrus offered, Sans shaking his head in response.
"nah, don't sweat it bro… I have my shortcuts." With that vague answer, Sans went upstairs.
You couldn't help but wonder how he would get to work by going that way, but Papyrus didn't seem that worried so you cast that thought away.
You probably shouldn't question someone like Sans anyway… there was something about him you couldn't put your finger on.
"ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ALRIGHT (y/n)?" Papyrus' concerned tone captured your attention, your gaze snapping back to the skeleton. "…YOU SEEM RATHER… PALE?
Papyrus reached to feel your forehead, seeming so worried for your health. His caring attitude left a strange feeling in your stomach, you had to swallow heavily before answering.
"I'm okay," You lied with a small smile, deciding not to mention Sans' threat. "…just still recovering."
You understood the protectiveness and didn't blame Sans for it really, Papyrus was so unconditionally kind and innocent. There would be people who would readily take advantage of him, you knew from first-hand experience how terrible humans could be.
That thought alone made you want to protect the monster.
If there was one thing that needed to be constant in this world, it would have to be Papyrus' childlike view of the world. While there was a part of you that envied that, you knew it was too late for you.
You wouldn't let anyone ruin him, even yourself.
"WELL, I HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS!" Papyrus said, jolting you out of your musings. You flushed a little, hoping it wasn't obvious you were lost in thought.
"…news?" You repeated, feeling a sense of curiosity arise. Papyrus grinned in response, gathering his groceries and bounding into the kitchen. You followed without hesitation.
"MY VERY GOOD FRIEND UNDYNE IS COMING OVER FOR A SLEEPOVER!"
-X-