Author note- Whoa... I am like so sorry for the long ass wait guys. I've been so busy with finishing college for the summer, getting TWO jobs and trying to find time to relax. I find that writing can be a big drain on me at times, especially when I don't have that creative drive due to tiredness...

This chapter took me way too long to churn out, I even had to rewrite it because I hated where it was going.

I hope the next update won't take as long, as I have a clear plan of the next two chapters... but it's all dependent on whether I actually get time to sit down and write :/

Anyway, enjoy! And please let me know if you liked this chapter, I'm still not sure on it haha...

((psst, this is like twice as long as any other chapter, so consider it two as reward for your paitence c;))

-x-

Chapter Six

Tension

Mettaton's show seemed to go on for hours, but you practically missed most of it, as you were trying your best to not visibly panic at your earlier realization.

It wasn't often you crushed on a person… let alone a monster.

At one point, Undyne had brought some snacks in bowls, allowing you to mindlessly munch on some potato chips for some well needed distraction. You couldn't bring yourself to glance towards Papyrus, despite the growing urge to do so.

You noticed that the others had looked at you with concern every so often, picking up on your stifling silence. When Undyne had looked at you with a raised brow, you tried to smile to reassure her… it wasn't very successful.

Thankfully, she didn't call you out on it

Get a grip…

Before you knew it, it was already four o' clock in the evening. You realized this when Toriel, Frisk and Sans came through the front door. You couldn't help but smile, especially when Frisk approached you to give you a hug, which you returned without hesitation.

"Hello Undyne and Alphys," Toriel greeted the two, smiling warmly. "Are you two staying over?"

"Yeah… that okay with you?" Undyne replied, receiving a nod from Toriel. You couldn't help but notice how polite Undyne was towards Toriel, a noticeable difference from how she usually spoke to the others.

"Of course it is, I shall prepare some dinner for everyone," Toriel stated, and with a nod she went to the kitchen, Sans following behind her with a lazy grin, you couldn't help but feel fearful at his presence.

Frisk went to squeeze between you and Papyrus on the sofa, the movement causing you to glance towards that direction, and lock gazes with the tall skeleton.

Your blush was immediate, and you hated yourself for reacting in such an obvious way.

However, Papyrus didn't seem to notice or care, as he broke the gaze with you to look down at Frisk with a bright smile.

"HUMAN, HOW WAS SCHOOL?" Papyrus had asked, and you looked away from the interaction to the carpeted floor. You felt ashamed for the obvious reaction, anyone with half a brain would surely work it out.

With that in mind, you glanced towards Undyne and Alphys, who were conversing between themselves. When you looked over, Alphys had met your gaze; her brown eyes briefly flickering to Papyrus.

You couldn't help but swallow heavily, feeling the urge to run away.

With that, you stood up, reassuring the others with a small smile. No one tried to stop you as you walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water, you felt quite parched from all the internal panicking.

Once you entered the kitchen, which was hot and steamy from all the cooking pans on the stove, Toriel and Sans who were speaking went silent.

You realized you interrupted their hushed conversation, so you felt quite sheepish.

"Oh hello (y/n)," Toriel greeted you warmly, not seeming annoyed at the interruption. You smiled unsurely, looking between her and the short skeleton. "Was there anything you needed?"

"Hi… and um, just a glass of water," You said, and went to the cupboard to grab a glass. You couldn't help but feel awkward as Sans stayed unusually quiet, Toriel stirring one of the cooking pots with a quiet hum.

"Oh… could you tell the others that dinner is nearly ready, and to set the table?" Toriel asked, to which you nodded in reply.

"Yeah, sure," was your simple answer.

You then quickly filled the glass with water from the tap, giving Toriel a glance as you left the kitchen. You couldn't help but feel worried from the serious vibe in the room; you wondered whether it was your fault…

Had Sans been talking about me? You wondered, but the thought seemed stupid. There were more important things than a damaged human with way too many problems, surely.

As you entered the living room, the sight that had met you made you smile. Both Papyrus and Frisk were doing some colouring on the floor, while Alphys and Undyne were cuddled on the sofa, watching some cartoon on the television. From the looks of it, the two girlfriends were quite focused on the show.

You almost felt bad for breaking the peace.

-x-

With their help, the large oak table in the dining room was all set for dinner, everyone settling into their respective seats. Alphys and Undyne sat next to each other, naturally. While you were sat between Frisk and Papyrus, the other skeleton's presence a noticeable one, you couldn't help but glance at him every so often.

Papyrus seemed unaware of your internal distress, caught up in friendly banter with Undyne. You decided to be quiet and only observe their light hearted bickering; you looked forward to the undoubtedly lovely meal that Toriel would bring out.

As if sensing your thoughts, Toriel had entered the dining room with Sans not far behind, carrying a tray of food. The motherly goat monster placed the dishes on the table, handing out a plate to everyone with a smile.

"Enjoy," Toriel said simply, grabbing her own seat to start eating, Sans sat next to her. You looked down at the mouth watering food, which was a simple but homely lasagne; you were unable to resist tearing into it.

Dinner was a quiet but comfortable affair, everyone preoccupied with their food to make much conversation. You wouldn't admit it, but being sat so close to Papyrus was nice, comforting even.

The urge to lean into him was strong, but you resisted.

After a while, when the lasagne was all eaten and pie was being brought out, you started to feel as if someone was staring at you. Looking up, your curious gaze locked with Sans'.

The skeleton didn't look away when you noticed, and neither did you. You felt an anger rise within you, the urge to say something was building. You couldn't understand why the skeleton seemed to dislike you, or was wary of you at least.

Surely that one incident with Papyrus wasn't enough to warrant this? You thought, curiously. You were starting to think that Sans just hated humans in general… but then again, he was friendly with Frisk.

You broke the eye contact first, looking down to the table where Toriel just placed some delicious pie. You grabbed a fork and knife, eating the pie slowly.

"How was everyone's day?" Toriel asked with a smile, her warm gaze landing on you. You tried to mirror her smile, shrugging slightly.

"It was… good," You said simply, and it wasn't exactly a lie. Aside from the internal realisation that left you panicking, it was fun hanging out with Papyrus and the others.

"VERY MUCH SO," Papyrus spoke up, his tone turning mischievous. "AFTER ALL, BOTH (y/n) AND I DECIMATED UNDYNE AND ALPHYS AT SMASH-"

"Hey!" Undyne interrupted him, a competitive glint in her yellow eyes. "That's totally not true Paps, you dirty liar!"

"NYEH HEH HEH, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Papyrus grinned, deftly dodging Undyne's shove with ease.

"Now, now… I'm sure you both did well," Toriel said, trying to placate the two, although she didn't look too worried.

You were starting to think that it was normal for the two best friends to bicker and get competitive, so you couldn't help but smile in amusement.

-x-

After dessert, everyone had made their way into the living room. Toriel was sat on an armchair reading, while Undyne and Alphys took one of the loveseats. Papyrus, Sans, Frisk and yourself took the large sofa- thankfully you were sat on the end next to Papyrus, Sans far on the other side.

You didn't have anything against the short skeleton, but you appreciated the space away from his cold stares. If you had the bravery to, you would probably ask what his problem was.

But the thought of confronting him was nerve-wracking, so you decided not to.

Someone had grabbed the television remote, as the screen turned on. It was currently on a human news channel, seemingly boring.

However, something caught your eye. The others must have picked up on it too, as no one tried to change the channel.

MONSTERS: A THREAT TO US ALL?

The news title made you gulp, and you looked to the others with a frown. Undyne looked visibly angry, while Alphys and Toriel held worried expressions. Papyrus seemed shocked to see the words, while Sans' held a dark expression that made you shiver- his eyes void of any light.

You decided to focus on the reporter, feeling a surge of anger. It had already been a year, yet people were still worried about monsters?

You knew they were harmless, and having feelings for one made it even more personal.

"Good evening viewers, tonight on Channel Nine News, we will be discussing whether the Monster race poses a serious threat to humanity." The reported began; you couldn't help but glare at the screen. You felt insulted at his relaxed tone and expression, did they not know how offensive such a claim was?

"It has been over a year since the Monsters appeared and settled within our communities, while there has been some tentative peace thanks to negotiations between the President and King Asgore Dreemurr, there have been some concerns from experts of the power these creatures have..."

Alongside the reporter on the screen, a box popped up, inside was sat a serious looking and aged moustached man, wearing a green military jacket. You immediately hated his appearance; the whole "military" look put you off.

"Captain Evans, head of the Military and Defence Force." The reported said, introducing the other man. "You have some concerns with the safety of our people, is that so?"

"Of course, ever since the day they arrived I have always been concerned for our people. Monsters have the power to use "magic", a terribly powerful force that could potentially wipe us out. We have no defence against these creatures!"

"BULLSHIT!" Undyne shouted out in anger, and her gaze flickered to Frisk and Toriel. "Uh… sorry, but this guy is a joke!"

You agreed.

"Some argue that if that was true, why haven't the Monsters done so already?" The reporter pointed out, you were even surprised they weren't being completely biased. It seemed like the type of network to be so.

"That is a true point, yes, but just because they haven't attacked yet, doesn't mean they won't. What if a Monster commits a crime of sort, and because they don't want to be arrested, they'll use their magic in offense? It's a risk I don't want to take, because it could be completely catastrophic for us!"

"You say you don't have any defence; are there any safeguards at all in case of a Monster attack?"

"Ever since their arrival, my men have been putting into place some defences… but because their "magic" is so unpredictable, we can't say for sure whether we can truly protect our people from any possible attacks. Every Monster is unique in looks and skills; therefore we can't make a universal defence against them."

"What do you propose, in terms of defence?"

"We need to understand them as a species, I suggest we take willing volunteers and study them… find out what we can do to protect everyone-"

"Experimentation…" Undyne growled out, you felt sick. "That's basically what he's suggesting!"

"…who would volunteer for that?" You questioned quietly, looking between everyone's worried and angry expressions. No one answered, although you already knew the answer.

No one would willingly go through that.

Looking back to the television, there was another man on the screen, walking onto the news studio. He was tall and lean, had blonde stylish hair and looked quite young… too young to be a Senator, you thought with surprise.

"Senator Seymour, it is good to have you on the show." The reporter simpered, Seymour nodding with a smile.

"It is good to be here," Seymour said simply, his voice was full of warmth but also professionalism.

You didn't know what to make of him yet.

"We must thank you for taking time out of your campaign to come here and talk about this issue, what is your opinion on the debate?"

"That is no problem, I am always happy to discuss pressing issues that affect us all." Seymour said, "…and my opinion may not be a popular one..."

"Monsters hold a special power, that I know and agree with… but I cannot go along with Captain Evans suggestion, while Monsters are very powerful, they have always been kind and friendly to us. I have not met a Monster with any ill intent, and ever since their arrival, there have been next-to-none Monster/Human incidents."

"So… you are completely against any defence protocols at all, then?"

"Oh, definitely not, as a country we must be able to fight off any threat- whether it is our human neighbours or Monsters. It would be smart to at least have a backup plan of some kind, even if the likelihood of a Monster attacking is very low."

You were still unsure of the Senator, but it seemed as if he was defending the Monsters.

"Is it true you have a plan to deal with the rising tension between us and the Monsters?"

"Yes, I have been thinking long and hard of how to deal with this sensitive issue to appease both sides... I have come to a solution with other officials, which will benefit both us and the monsters."

The tension in the room was unbearable, you couldn't help yourself as you reached out for Papyrus' gloved hand- squeezing it in comfort. It was instinctual.

"Well, what is this solution?"

"In order to prevent further frustrations between the Monsters and us, I propose we take a few "step backs." It is known that the vast majority of Monsters reside beside Mt. Ebbott, having made the nearby town into their own community. I propose we enact a law that prohibits humans from entering that community… and from Monsters leaving it-"

"Segregation…?" You wondered aloud, still clinging onto Papyrus' hand. You felt him squeeze you back in reassurance. Glancing up to the skeleton, he looked down to you with a sad smile.

"I'M SURE IT WILL BE OKAY…?" Papyrus trailed off, trying to be positive. You couldn't help but notice it didn't sound convincing at all, but you appreciated his efforts for trying to cheer you up.

You gave him a tight smile, turning your gaze back to the television.

"While some may view this law as unfair, I think it is in our best interests- everyone's best interests – that we take such serious action. It is known that the relations between Monsters and Humans can be shaky at best of times, which can lead to hate related crime and may escalate to full blown war between our communities. If we were to take a step back and insert some ground rules for everyone, we could save countless lives and eventually co-exist in true peace…"

"P-peace?" Alphys repeated with a snort, her usually shy expression was stony. Undyne was practically shaking beside her, looking murderous.

"That's so frickin' stupid…" Undyne growled out, her arms crossed in her fury. "We are at peace, it's not our fault those humans are cowards!"

Realizing her words, Undyne looked at you with a slight hint of sheepishness. You shook your head with a sad smile, you agreed with her.

"You're not wrong, humans are cowards." You stated with your fists clenched, feeling so helpless and frustrated. "I can't believe that after a year, they would pull this crap… I'm so sorry…"

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!" Papyrus burst out, the skeleton wrapping a comforting arm around your shoulders. You didn't even have the energy to freak out; you found his touch soothing if anything else. "I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE HUMANS ARE SO AFRAID… BUT I DO KNOW ONE THING, WHICH IS TO STAY POSTIVE! I'M SURE ALL THEY NEED IS SOME REASSURANCE OF OUR KIND INTENTIONS!"

"heh…"

You looked from Papyrus' glittering sockets to stare at Sans on the other end of the sofa, the short skeleton had been deathly quiet throughout the news broadcast, and you gulped heavily at his expression. It was almost as bad as the look he held when threatening you previously, it seemed everyone else noticed it as well.

"sorry bro… but some humans won't learn," Sans said with a nonchalant shrug, you swallowed heavily, looking between Sans' dark expression and Papyrus' upset one. "I don't think many are as open minded as little Frisk here…"

You couldn't help but feel offended, as Sans didn't even acknowledge you as one of the "open-minded" humans. Instead of voicing it, you just bit your lip and looked down to the carpet- catching the attention of Frisk, who went to hold your other hand in reassurance.

You smiled down at your pseudo sibling, trying reassure them too.

"WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THEN?" Papyrus huffed, sounding unusually frustrated at his brother. It wasn't like the skeleton brothers to argue, not that you've been around long enough to make that judgement. "WE MUST TRY OUR BEST TO SHOW THEM THE BETTER WAY, NOT TO STOOP TO THEIRS!"

"Well said Papyrus," Toriel spoke up, the goat monster also silent throughout the news. She sighed, and went to stand. "It is a difficult situation indeed, but if I may, I think it is Frisk's bedtime."

Frisk pouted, and went to hide behind your legs. Your smile became much more genuine at the action, as you ruffled their hair with a teasing glint in your eyes.

"Hey, it's time for bed kid, so you can stop hiding." You said lightly.

Frisk only sighed in response, giving you and the others in the room a brief but warm hug, before following Toriel up the stairs. You watched them for a moment, feeling only a little bit lighter.

After all, the humans had just basically declared imprisoning Monsters in their own homes.

The air in the room was still thick with tension; it was almost suffocating for you. The only thing keeping you grounded was Papyrus' arm, which still had not left your shoulders. You noticed that the two skeleton brothers exchanged looks, almost as if they were communicating telepathically.

It seemed that Papyrus was upset with Sans, but you couldn't tell how Sans was feeling- he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve like his brother. To you, Sans was a complete enigma. One that seemed to have something against any human that wasn't Frisk… including you.

As Toriel descended the stairs, a worrying thought occurred to you.

"Wait…" You said, with a sharp intake of breath. "That Senator said that the law would prevent Monsters from leaving the town… but he also said humans wouldn't be able to enter?"

"Y-yeah…" Alphys nodded, and her eyes widened with realization. You looked at each other with understanding.

"That means I wouldn't be allowed here with you anymore… neither would Frisk…" You gaped, the others mirroring your shock.

When your glassy eyes met Toriel's, her expression was one of pure fury.

"I won't let them take Frisk, or you for the matter." Toriel stated and her tone was completely void of anything. You were so used to her warmth that the change was startling, even the look in Toriel's eyes was scary. "They can try, but they will have to get through me."

"And me!" Undyne agreed, looking eager at the prospect of fighting.

"Uh… same h-here!" Alphys stuttered out, looking half afraid but half determined also.

"ME TOO OF COURSE!" Papyrus said with a puff of his chest, he looked down at you with a bright smile. You noticed there was also a hard look in his eyes, one that made your heart and stomach flutter. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL SEE TO YOUR PROTECTION (y/n)!"

"Hah… thanks Papyrus," You said softly, fidgeting with your hands. You were starting to realize how much these Monsters meant to you, the thought of being forced out on the streets again was an upsetting one.

Despite your guilt for staying, you really didn't want to leave.

It was very conflicting.

"Well… I suppose I will contact Asgore now," Toriel stated with a sigh, the name rang a bell and it took you a moment to realize it was the Monster King she spoke of. "We must organise a meeting of sorts to prevent this law from being enacted."

"Did you need me to come along too?" Undyne asked, looking fiercely protective. "Y'know… just in case?"

"That won't be needed, but thank you Undyne." Toriel said with a kind nod, you thought it was kind of scary how quick Toriel could go from furious to motherly again. "But I might be gone for a few days, depending on where the human leaders want to meet. I can trust everyone here to take care of Frisk when I leave, I usually take them… but I'd rather they be here."

"Fair enough," Undyne nodded, and everyone else copied the motion. "We'll take care of the squirt."

"Once again, thank you." Toriel said with a tired smile, as she dialled a number in her phone. She entered the kitchen to have some privacy, you presumed.

Sans let out a sigh, the almost inaudible sound catching your attention.

"welp, I'm feelin' pretty bone-tired…" Sans joked, although he lacked his usual mirth. Sans went to stand, slouching in his usual lazy way. "I think I'm off for a nap, lemme know if anything happens."

"NIGHT BROTHER," Papyrus said simply, his smile genuine but small as Sans left.

To your surprise, Papyrus didn't even call Sans out on the pun. The broadcast must have really gotten under his skin (metaphorical of course), the thought made you frown.

You really didn't like seeing Papyrus upset, it seemed unnatural to the usually bubbly skeleton. You started to realize how much you depended on the monster to keep you feeling positive, Papyrus was like a breath of fresh air in this world you believed cruel.

Stupid humans… you thought, realizing how much you hated your own race sometimes. While you were sure there were some good people, it seemed the bad outweighed them.

Now, it was only you, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys left. Both Undyne and Alphys were quiet, watching the television with little interest- thankfully the news had been changed over to some strange Japanese game show.

You usually enjoyed the silliness of those shows, but nothing could improve your heavy mood.

With a sigh, you leant back- only to realize that Papyrus' arm was still around you. You could feel your cheeks redden, glancing towards the skeleton. It seemed he was too wrapped up in the game show to notice your reaction, or your internal debate of whether to stay in his hold or move away.

The thought of moving away was very painful, so you decided you would enjoy the contact for the time being. However brief it is.

I may not be acting on my stupid feelings… but even I think I deserve some comfort right now… You thought, letting yourself relax for once. You tried to keep your mind clear, of any worries, with your feelings, the new possible law, everything.

But you were always terrible at not worrying.

After a while, even the comfort of Papyrus' arm wasn't enough. You couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, the worried thoughts in your head were escalating- you knew you needed some space to breathe before you had a panic attack.

"Um, I'm off to bed now…" You said quietly, moving away from Papyrus' arm- despite the fact it was pure torture to do so. The yawn that left your lips wasn't exactly forced either, you thought it might do you some good to sleep.

"OH… YOU'RE OFF ALREADY?" Papyrus said, sounding saddened by that… for whatever reason. The skeleton gave you a warm smile, one which made you breathe slightly faster. "USUALLY ON SLEEPOVERS WE COMPETE TO SEE WHO STAYS UP THE LONGEST, BUT I SHALL GRANT YOU THIS EXCEPTION ONCE!"

"Thanks," You said with a dry laugh, "I'm sure you'd win anyway…"

"WELL, OF COURSE!" Papyrus said with a grin, you were glad to see his usual bright expression was returning.

"N-night (y/n)!" Alphys said with a small wave, you smiled back at her and Undyne- who nodded towards you with a slight smile.

With that, you made your way to the guest room- or your unofficial yet official room. Once you shut the door behind yourself, you let out a heavy sigh.

Today was… interesting.

As you undressed into your night clothes, the events of the day repeated in your mind. You smiled as you remembered the fun you had with Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne… it was a pretty fun sleepover.

Aside from the anger inducing news broadcast, the realization of your feelings for a certain skeleton, it was a good day.

Sinking down into the mattress, you sighed again. You were at complete loss at what to do, while you had decided to try to get rid of the crush, you had a feeling it wouldn't be so easy. You decided to do what you did every time you gained a crush you didn't want… weigh out the pros and cons.

Pro… Papyrus is a genuinely kind, helpful and lovely person. There isn't a bad bone in his body… snicker.

Con… I'm a terrible person, with so much baggage. Papyrus deserves better.

Pro… Despite his non-human looks, I find him attractive… in his own skeleton way.

Con… His brother will kill me for even thinking of going for Papyrus.

Pro… Aside from Sans, every one of Papyrus' friends and family like me… so I think anyway.

Con… I'm a human, and he's a monster… how does that even work?

You found that there were many pros and cons when it came to dating Papyrus, not that you thought you had a chance. If anything, most of the downsides were due to you, and not the lovable skeleton in the other room. With another saddened sigh, you turned on your side- trying to find a comfortable position.

You didn't even know whether you were going to stay with them, despite your promise to Frisk, and your intense attachment to them… you still felt like a bother.

Hey insecurities, shut up… You thought dryly, closing your eyes to try to get some sleep.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long to drift off.