Author note- Look, a chapter that ISN'T a month late! Isn't that great?

(Possible triggers- spiders?)

-x-

Chapter Eight

Outing

"GOOD MORNING (y/n)!"

Papyrus' cheery voice caught your attention from where you sat on the sofa; as you turned to face your crush, you couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. Papyrus was fully dressed in a pair of smart slacks and a flattering orange button up, it was an unusual sight.

You wondered why he was dressed so well.

"Morning Papyrus," You greeted him with a yawn, trying to ignore the not so innocent thoughts that ran through your somewhat exhausted head.

Who knew skeletons looked great in slacks?

"Um… Toriel just left an hour ago by the way, she won't be back until the evening." You said, nearly forgetting to mention the departure of Toriel. "I think she's trying to overturn that new law thing."

"OH… WELL I SHALL INFORM THE OTHERS ABOUT THAT!" Papyrus said with a nod, the skeleton thankfully unaware of your heated stare. "…WOULD YOU LIKE SOME BREAKFAST?"

"Sure."

You nodded, blinking out of your stupor as Papyrus entered the kitchen- you decided to follow, settling yourself on one of the bar stools by the kitchen island. A plate of steaming spaghetti was placed in front of you almost immediately, and you couldn't say you were that surprised by the choice of dish.

"So… do you have work today?" You asked. Trying to make some small talk as you twirled spaghetti around your fork, Papyrus was happily digging into his own plate, and you silently wondered how a skeleton digested food.

"AS MUCH AS I LOVE HARD WORK AND BEING PRODUCTIVE, I UNFORTUNATELY HAVEN'T HAD A JOB YET ON THE SURFACE- ALTHOUGH I HAVE TRIED VERY VALIANTLY TO GET ONE!" Papyrus explained with a disheartened sigh, you couldn't help but notice he had some tomato sauce on his cheekbone. You stared at the red glob as he spoke. "…WHY DO YOU ASK?"

"Huh?" You said dumbly, realizing that Papyrus was looking at you as if he asked a question. It took you a minute to recollect your thoughts, still staring at the red sauce on Papyrus' cheekbone. "Um… I just thought you were, since you're wearing those fancy clothes."

"OH… THESE?" Papyrus said, with a gesture to his clothes. "I THOUGHT I'D WEAR SOMETHING NICE FOR TODAY- NOT THAT MY BATTLE ARMOR IS ANYTHING BUT! I WAS PLANNING ON GOING TO THE NEARBY MARKET TO DO SOME SHOPPING… HM… W-WOULD YOU CARE TO JOIN ME?"

"Sure… sounds good." You nodded, not really registering what you were agreeing with. You were still so focused on Papyrus' cheek, and he eventually noticed your pointed stare.

"IS SOMETHING WRONG…?" Papyrus asked, and he reached up to rub his cheekbone- the wrong one, you noticed. Without thinking, you reached out to rub the stain off yourself, rubbing your thumb against the smooth skeletal cheek.

You froze.

"(y/n)?"

Papyrus had said something, but in the haze of your mind it sounded so quiet and muffled. All you could think of is how surprisingly smooth Papyrus' face was, and how enjoyable it was rubbing his cheek.

Eventually, your brain finally started functioning again- you flinched away from his face as if you were struck with lighting.

"S-sorry," You said, almost choking in the intensity of the moment. "You had… some sauce…"

"NO NEED TO APOLOGISE (y/n), THANK YOU." Papyrus said, sounding almost wary. You felt like an idiot for the way you reacted, hoping you didn't freak Papyrus out too much by your behaviour. You looked down to your still quite full plate, not wanting to see Papyrus' disgust.

However, he just continued on as if the moment didn't occur. You were quite thankful for that, and you focused on devouring the rest of the meal in front of you.

"DID YOU ENJOYED THE SPAGHETTI?" Papyrus asked with a hopeful smile, as he took your now empty plate, taking the dishes to the sink to wash up. You stared as he rolled up his orange sleeves, practically ogling his arm.

"As always, it was lovely." You said politely, smiling when Papyrus practically preened at the compliment. You thought he was utterly adorable, so you urged your mind to be clear of any impure thoughts.

"WELL, I SHALL WAKE UP THE OTHERS NOW; IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD FOR THEM TO SLEEP IN SO LATE!" Papyrus stated, once the dished were cleaned and sparkling.

You couldn't help but feel confused, as it was only nine in the morning, and a Saturday.

But, you had a feeling that Papyrus viewed that as "late."

"Oh okay," You said simply, watching as Papyrus went upstairs to wake the others. You thought you ought to get dressed now, seeing how Papyrus wanted you to join him on his outing.

You weren't entirely sure on how you felt about going outside again, after the attack you felt quite paranoid about the prospect. The thought of bumping into Cameron, or any other thug was a terrifying prospect.

But you knew Papyrus could protect you.

Entering your now permanent room, you went to the wooden chest of drawers to grab some clothes. You looked through the neat piles for something nice; feeling the urge to wear something other than a plain t-shirt and jeans.

You knew you wanted to impress Papyrus, even if he didn't see you in a romantic way. You knew it was naïve, but you thought that by dressing nicely- he might be able to view you in such a way.

It was a pathetic plan, you thought.

Eventually, you managed to find a pretty white sundress among the casual and quite unflattering outfits. It was shorter than what you usually wore, but a glance out the bedroom window told you it was quite a warm day today- unusually warm for springtime, you mused.

Undressing out of your pyjamas, you slipped into the dress. You were glad to see it flattered your body type, and with a blush you noticed how revealing it was… especially in the cleavage zone.

Should I wear something else? You thought, but looking through the rest of your clothes, you couldn't find anything as pretty as the dress. Despite your insecurity, you decided you would wear it.

Maybe it was time you got out of your comfort zone, for once.

Approaching the standing mirror in the corner of the room, you grabbed a brush and went to sort out your terrible bed hair. It wasn't very long before the messy tangles were now neat, and you considered how to style your hair… or to not style it at all.

With a shrug, you decided to let it stay down and natural, after all, you didn't want to seem too eager.

"(y/n)?" Papyrus called out from the other side of the door, knocking lightly a few times. "ARE YOU READY?"

"Just a second," You called out, and with one last look at your reflection, you went to open the bedroom door. You were face to face with Papyrus, who just stared down at you.

"You okay?" You asked with a smile, as you turned to find some shoes. You decided that the simple white trainers Toriel gave you would go well with the outfit; you bent down to tie them on.

When you turned back to Papyrus, his cheeks were glowing bright orange.

"Whoa…" You said in awe, wondering why Papyrus was glowing. "Um, Papyrus… you okay there?"

"Y-YES, I AM PERFECTLY ALRIGHT!" Papyrus said, his voice sounding lower than usual. You stared at him in confusion. "A-ARE YOU READY TO GO?"

"Yes…?" You trailed off, following Papyrus as he walked quite briskly to the front door. You couldn't understand why he was acting so weirdly, it was only a moment ago that he was his usual self.

"Hey! Have fun, you lovebirds."

Turning your worried gaze from Papyrus' back and to the couch, you saw Undyne, Alphys, Sans and Frisk. Undyne had said the teasing remark, looking strangely pleased. Alphys wore a small smile, slightly hidden behind a small yellow claw. Frisk was grinning, and gave you two thumbs up.

Sans' expression was completely unreadable.

You stared at them, while Papyrus practically freaked out at Undyne's suggestive tone.

"UH, I CAN ASSURE YOU UNDYNE, THAT NEITHER (y/n) OR I ARE ANY SORT OF FEATHERED ANIMAL… OR…" Papyrus stuttered out, flushing orange again. "B-BUT WE SHALL HAVE AN ENJOYABLE TIME, THANK YOU."

And with that, Papyrus ushered you out of the front door.

"Well, that was weird." You stated plainly, looking back to Papyrus. You couldn't help but feel concerned with his unusual erratic behaviour, even now, he looked nervous. "Papyrus, are you sure you're alright? You seem… nervous?"

"OH, WELL…" Papyrus began with a small laugh, nervously rubbing the back of his skull. "I REALLY AM ALRIGHT, I'M… I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED FOR OUR OUTING TOGETHER!"

"If you say so," You said, amused.

You then looked around the front of the house, both you and Papyrus were still stood on the patio- the rest of the front was practically a large garden with how big it was, there were many large fruit trees and colourful flowers dotted around; the only accessible part of the front garden was the stone path that led to a wooden white gate.

There were many houses in the small cul-de-sac; it looked like a friendly enough neighbourhood.

Friendlier than what you were used to, that's for sure.

"We're just going shopping, right?" You asked, as both you and Papyrus walked towards the gate.

"WELL… YES, BUT I WAS HOPING I COULD SHOW YOU AROUND THE TOWN?" Papyrus said, looking to you with a hopeful expression. You found you couldn't deny the cute skeleton, so you nodded.

Papyrus practically beamed.

"I CAN ASSURE THAT THIS OUTING WILL BE PLEASANT, AS THE TOWN IS SO!" Papyrus said happily, as you followed him. As you looked around, you realized you've never been to this part of the town, ever. So you were completely lost without Papyrus' guide, with that thought, you inched closer to him. "ALL THE MONSTERS ARE VERY FRIENDLY, AND THERE'S LOTS OF FUN STUFF TO DO TOO!"

As Papyrus listed the various fun activities (most of which were things you usually found in most towns- fairs, parks, whatever you could think of really.) you surveyed the area, it seemed that you were in the outskirts of the town, and in a suburban area as only houses surrounded the two of you.

You noticed that the looming figure of Mt. Ebbott wasn't very far away from this part of town, its looming figure visible in the distance; you inhaled a heavy breath at the realization that not far away, was the place you lost Alex.

Calm down… you thought, trying to breathe through your mini-panic.

Another thing you noticed, whilst trying not to freak out, that there wasn't a human in sight. Only Monsters of all shapes and sizes were out and about, they seemed friendly enough, as Papyrus promised, most gave you and the skeleton a warm smile as you passed, some even waving and calling out greetings.

You smiled back tentatively.

Eventually, the many rows of houses began to dwindle, and bright market stalls began to pop up in their stead.

Papyrus had lead you to what looked like a giant farmers' market in the middle of the square, you thought there had to be at least 200 stalls stationed down the street. There were large groups of monsters, and even a couple humans bustling around the market.

The large crowd made you gulp.

"SHALL WE BEGIN THE SHOPPING?" Papyrus had suggested, completely unaware of your internal panic, which was verging on a full blown panic attack.

Even the sight of a crowd was enough to make your heart jump.

"Wait!"

You burst out as Papyrus went to walk towards the market; he turned back to you with a worried expression, finally picking up on your fear. "I… I'm not very good with crowds… sorry."

"SORRY?" Papyrus repeated, and shook his head. "DO NOT BE SORRY (y/n), I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE THE BIG CROWD! AFTER YOUR BIG ORDEAL IT WAS OBVIOUS REALLY, BUT DON'T FRET! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL FIX THIS MATTER!"

It took you a moment to realize Papyrus had grabbed your hand, holding it within his own. You stared at him with reddened cheeks, the feeling of bone on flesh was peculiar, but in no way uncomfortable.

Papyrus smiled, although it now looked nervous. You swallowed, finding the strength to smile back. His touch genuinely helped calm you down, as you focused on the feeling of your joined hands- rather than the busy bustle of the crowd.

"Y-yeah, this helps… thank you." You said, allowing Papyrus to lead you towards the crowd. The closer you got, the closer you inched towards the skeleton.

Soon, you were practically pressed against his side.

Papyrus wasn't disturbed by the closeness, as he walked to each stall with purpose- grabbing any ingredients that he needed and paying with his gold. Most of the stalls didn't interest you much, but a few did- some had some interesting trinkets and knick-knacks.

Whilst Papyrus made his purchases at one table, you found yourself staring at a sleek, silvery white necklace on one of the tables next to it; you thought it was quite pretty. You didn't think of yourself as much of a jewellery person, but something about the necklace was drawing you in.

"You interested hun?" Looking up, you realized that a rabbit monster was looking at you expectantly. One of the market stall sellers, you realized. "It's a beautiful piece, made of pure crystal and infused with magic."

"…magic?" You questioned, and you were fully aware of the Monsters magical abilities- but the fact they could infuse jewellery with it was quite fascinating.

"Only 100 gold, and for you I'd even throw in a cinnamon bun," The rabbit monster stated with a smile, and whilst the offer seemed reasonable, you didn't have any money, let alone any gold.

Before you could decline the offer, feeling quite awkward for having to do so, Papyrus noticed your interaction- and your interest in the magical necklace.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT (y/n)!" Papyrus grinned, handing over a pouch to the rabbit monster vendor. "HERE YOU GO!"

You watched with wide eyes as the necklace and a wrapped bun was handed to you, it was almost impossible not to gape as Papyrus led you through the rest of the market, seeming nonplussed by his purchase.

"Papyrus, you really didn't have to!" You said, feeling a rise of guilt. "That was… a lot of money."

Papyrus stopped in his tracks, causing you to bump into him- but you were easily steadied by the skeleton.

"WELL, OF COURSE I HAD TO!" Papyrus said, sounding almost confused by your statement. "I SAW THAT YOU LIKED THAT NECKLACE, AND I WANTED TO TREAT YOU!"

"Oh…" You trailed off, unsure of what to say. Whilst you felt guilty, as you always did when someone went out of their way to buy you something, you also felt extremely flattered.

"Well, thank you. I love it." You smiled, genuinely happy for receiving such a pretty gift.

You were figuring out how to repay the kind skeleton, with no money or gold, it seemed like a difficult quest.

Papyrus only grinned, leading you away from the bustling market. You suddenly became aware that the two of you still held hands, and that the skeleton opted out of his usual red gloves.

You couldn't help but stare down at the entwined limbs, his bright white bone a contrast to your fleshy skin, his digits felt slim but silky smooth compared to yours- they held onto your hand firmly, but you were so sure if you applied any pressure that they would break, that thought alone made you keep your grasp light.

"HM, I THINK THAT IS EVERYTHING FOR THE GROCERYS!" Papyrus declared loudly, breaking you out of your rushing thoughts. You looked up to him with a relieved expression, no more shopping meant fewer crowds.

You hoped.

"Are we going home?" You asked, silently hoping it wasn't the case.

You really wanted to spend some more quality time with the skeleton, without any overprotective brothers or teasing besties to get in the way.

"AH, DID YOU WANT TO GO BACK ALREADY?" Papyrus said, looking almost disappointed. "I THOUGHT WE COULD GRAB SOME LUNCH!"

"Lunch would be good," You said quickly, not wanting the skeleton to think you already wanted to go back. That was far from the truth.

Despite your earlier reservation about going outside again, you were surprisingly enjoying your time. Papyrus' presence seemed to calm any panic you may have had, and it helped that the area seemed so friendly and safe, compared to the inner city where you once roamed.

You found it very ironic that the Monsters were friendlier people than your own, reminding you of how ignorant humans were. You couldn't imagine any of the Monsters you met so far hurting anyone, it didn't seem like them to do such a thing.

"So, where are we going?" You asked curiously, walking beside Papyrus as he led you to wherever he wanted to eat. You could hear the tell-tale signs of hunger from your stomach.

"NYEH HEH HEH, IT'S A SURPRISE!" Papyrus said with a laugh, hearing it made you giggle slightly, feeling quite excited for the surprise.

"Is it a good surprise?" You teased, squeezing Papyrus' hand as you smiled up to him. For whatever reason, this caused the skeleton to look away- his cheeks glowing faintly.

Hm, that's strange…, you thought.

"W-WELL OF COURSE IT IS!" Papyrus said confidently, recovering from his brief pause. "I CHOOSE ONLY THE GREATEST FOOD PLACES TO DINE, UNLIKE MY DEAR BROTHER WHO WOULD RATHER EAT GREASY BURGERS AT GRILLBYS!"

Your smile faded slightly at the mention of Sans, and the memories of your conversation with Toriel resurfaced. You didn't quite like the idea of confronting Sans, but you knew deep down a serious conversation was needed between you two.

"HERE WE ARE!" Papyrus joyous voice brought you out of your thoughts, and you followed his gaze to a small café, in a corner of the big cobbled courtyard you two stood in.

It wasn't a normal café either, you noticed with some surprise. The entire exterior was decorated in bright purples and reds, cobwebs carefully covered some of the front windows and around the entrance to make an odd yet creative pattern. A large purple sign was hung above the entrance, bright cobwebs spelling out "MUFFETS."

It was… unusual.

"Oh, it looks… nice." You said, trying to not sound unsure of your own words. You tried to have an open mind about the place, after all, Papyrus assured you of its "greatness."

As Papyrus led you towards the café, you took in the sight- you had a feeling this café was run by a Monster, considering the very creative design. You wondered whether the cobwebs were real, and when you passed them- you swore you saw a purple spider scuttle across a web.

Once you entered the café- a bell signalling your arrival, an aroma of freshly baked bread and pastry hit your nose. You breathed in the homely scent, relaxing almost immediately. The interior of the café was similar to the front, purples and reds taking up the majority of the colour scheme- cobwebs happily dancing along the ceiling.

Round tables were dotted around the café, a few booths sat at the back. There were a couple Monsters already sat down at some of the tables and eating, your mouth watered at the sight of their pastry meals.

As both you and Papyrus approached the front counter, the kitchen door behind it opened.

"Good morning, dearies!"

You tried not to stare too much as a Spider Monster smiled at you from behind the counter, wearing a chef's hat and apron. You assumed she was a spider- from the amount of limbs and eyes she had. You manage to repress your instinctive shudder, instead smiling politely at her.

"GOOD MORNING MUFFET!" Papyrus greeted the spider lady, not picking up on your slight discomfort. But it was unjustified discomfort, you thought. "TABLE FOR TWO, PLEASE!"

"Of course Papyrus, follow me this way." Muffet said pleasantly, leading the two of you to a snug booth table in the back. Muffet handed you a menu each and you noticed she stared at you little as she did so, smiling in a slightly unsettling way. "Ahuhu~ so who's your little human friend?"

"OH, THAT'S (y/n)!" Papyrus said happily, you reached out to shake one of Muffet's hands- thankfully she saved you the confusion of which one by already extending hers. Her grip was firm and surprisingly soft.

"Um… nice to meet you," You said, with a small smile. You tried your best to squash the nervousness you felt, as a panic attack wouldn't be a very good first impression.

"Likewise deary~ now I must go check on the kitchen," Muffet said, turning to leave. She paused for a moment, glancing towards us with a mischievous smile. "I must say, you two make an adorable couple."

Muffet giggled, quickly leaving before I could correct her. I looked to Papyrus with reddened cheeks, wondering why everyone thought we were together. It was a nice thought, but it almost seemed like the world was cruelly teasing me with the impossible possibility.

Papyrus seemed a little nervous, so I tried to think of something to say to distract him from the comment- after all it must be so embarrassing for him to be mistaken for my date.

"So…" I began nervously, glancing down at the menu- I wasn't entirely taking in the words, too distracted by my nerves. "W-what does the "Great Papyrus" recommend?"

"W-WELL THE SPIDER CROISSANTS ARE QUITE LOVELY IF I SAY SO MYSELF!" Papyrus said, regaining his composure. To your relief, he didn't seem that upset by the earlier comment- the opposite really, if his bright expression was anything to go by. "THE CIDER IS QUITE DIVINE ALSO!"

"Sounds good to me," You said with a nod, laying the menu flat on the table. Not a moment later, a purple spider descended from one of the webs on the ceiling- you yet again swallowed down your discomfort.

"TWO SPIDER CROISSAINTS, AND TWO SPIDER CIDERS PLEASE," Papyrus said to the spider, and you realized with some wonder that the small purple spider was a waiter. The spider then climbed up the web and left to tell Muffet your order- you presumed.

The café was very odd, but not in a entirely bad way.

Now both you and Papyrus were left to wait for your food to arrive, the two of you fidgeting slightly. You tried to think of something interesting to say- wanting to fill in the gap of conversation to prevent the mood from becoming awkward.

Papyrus beat you to it, unexpectedly.

"I MUST SAY (y/n)… YOU LOOK REALLY PRETTY TODAY!" Papyrus said with a nervous smile, his words causing you to stare in disbelief. You didn't expect such a bold compliment from the skeleton; you couldn't help but blush intensely- feeling your stomach flutter.

"T-thanks," You said with a nervous laugh, looking down to your hands that were clenched tightly around one another. You looked up to Papyrus with a shy expression, deciding to be bold yourself. "That outfit really compliments you, makes you look more handsome."

You looked away, willing your red cheeks to cool down. You couldn't quite understand why Papyrus would say such a thing; you didn't even know whether he was being entirely truthful. You always struggled to accept kind words and compliments.

But when you looked to the tall adorable skeleton, you knew he wouldn't lie to you so easily. It was hard to imagine Papyrus saying anything but the truth.

"YOU REALLY THINK SO?" Papyrus said, and you stared as his cheeks started to faintly glow orange. "I MEAN, I KNEW THIS OUTFIT WOULD LOOK DASHING, AS ALL OF MY OUTFITS DO!"

You smiled, finding Papyrus' confidence to be quite adorable. Before you could say anything else, two purple spiders carrying quite large plates (especially in relation to their size) dropped down to your table.

"Thanks," You said to the spiders, feeling quite odd for doing so. But it would be rude not to thank them, and whilst you lived most of your life homeless, you still had manners.

The conversation died down for a little while, as both you and Papyrus dug into your spider croissants and cider. The pastry was delicious, perfectly textured and sweet. The cider went down smoothly, the yellow liquid cold and sweet.

"Honestly, I don't think I've ever tasted food as good as this," You commented, after taking a healthy gulp of the cider. Feeling very refreshed physically and mentally. "Now I think about it, the food you and Toriel make is really good also… you Monsters just must be better at cooking than us Humans."

Papyrus practically preened at your compliment, a reaction you found quite endearing.

"WELL, MONSTER FOOD IS ALSO MADE WITH MAGIC!" Papyrus explained, and you were somewhat surprised by the information. You didn't realize that Monsters used their magic for cooking as well. "THE MAGIC ALLOWS THE FOOD TO BE DIGESTED BY ANY SORT OF MONSTER, AS WE DON'T HAVE A DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, LIKE HUMANS. THE MAGIC ENABLES OUR SOULS TO CONVERT THE FOOD INTO ENERGY- TO USE FOR HEALING, OR MORE MAGIC!"

"Wow, really?" You said, quite impressed. "But… how can humans eat Monster food? Do we digest it normally?"

"WELL, HUMANS ALSO HAVE SOULS- SO THEY ALSO CONVERT THE MONSTER FOOD INTO MAGICAL ENERGY TO USE FOR HEALING!" Papyrus said, and you stared in some surprise. You supposed that if Monsters could have souls, that it would make sense for Humans to have them too.

You started to realize how little you knew about Monsters and their Magic in general.

"That's pretty amazing," You said simply, sipping at the cider.

You swore you could feel a strange tingling in your chest when you focused hard enough; it was an odd yet refreshing feeling. One you presumed was due to the magic.

"Honestly, I'm quite surprised you haven't managed to snag a job up here yet, with your magic and all…" You then commented, hoping it wasn't too rude to say. "It would be useful for a lot of jobs…"

"NYEH… THAT'S VERY TRUE!" Papyrus nodded, not seeming offended by your words. "BUT A LOT OF HUMANS STILL HAVE YET TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO US MONSTERS, SO IT CAN BE QUITE HARD TO GET A JOB ON THE SURFACE. BUT IT IS NO PROBLEM, TORIEL PROVIDES WELL WITH HER TEACHING AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL. EVEN SANS HAS A FEW PART-TIME JOBS- TO MY SURPRISE!"

You noticed with some unease that Papyrus' expression dropped slightly at the mention of his brother, it was a very slight but noticeable change. You were concerned at such a reaction, so without thinking, you reached out to grasp one of Papyrus' hands.

"Is everything alright?" You asked, and Papyrus paused in thought before shaking his head. The skeleton leaned forward slightly, looking worried.

"I AM QUITE CONCERNED FOR SANS," Papyrus said worriedly, you squeezed his hand in reassurance. "WHILST IT IS A GOOD THING THAT HE WORKS, I'M STARTING TO THINK HE'S NOT BEING ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL WITH ME."

"HE IS ALWAYS STAYING OUT SO LATE, AND RETURNING VERY EARLY IN THE MORNINGS. I WOULDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT, BUT I'VE NOTICED HIS CHANGE OF MOOD- HE SEEMS MORE WITHDRAWN, STRESSED, NOT LIKE HIS USUAL SELF AT ALL."

"Maybe he's just having a few stressful days at work?" You suggested, not sure what to think. You haven't really noticed anything strange with Sans, mainly because you'd rather avoid him. But you knew it must be serious if his brother was worried about him.

"POSSIBLY…" Papyrus sighed, looking saddened. You thought it didn't suit his usually upbeat self. "BUT STRANGELY ENOUGH, THIS BEHAVIOUR OF HIS BEGAN AS SOON AS THE DISAPPEARANCES BEGAN HAPPENING…"

"Disappearances?"

"A FEW MONSTERS HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARING EVERY WEEK OR SO FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS," Papyrus explained with a sad frown, and you gasped slightly in remembrance- recalling it from earlier broadcasts and news. "EVER SINCE THEN, SANS HAS BEEN ODDLY ABSENT FROM HOME. I'M WORRIED."

"Why don't you talk to him about it today?" You suggested with a small smile, although it was strained with sadness. "Surely he'll tell you the truth if you ask him? You're his brother after all."

"PERHAPS…" Papyrus hummed, and before more could be said- Muffet came to your table, breaking the solemn mood.

"HELLO DEARYS, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR FOOD?" Muffet asked while picking up your empty plates. You nodded, Papyrus' grinning in response.

"YES MUFFET, IT WAS A VERY ENJOYABLE MEAL, THANKYOU!"

Papyrus then paid for the food, bringing out a handful of gold coins to hand to the Spider Monster. Muffet walked away with a friendly wave, and you looked towards Papyrus as he stood.

"SHALL WE HEAD BACK?" Papyrus suggested with a smile, you were glad to see him cheered up, if not slightly.

"Sure," You nodded.

Following the skeleton, the two of you made your way out of the café. The once busy street was practically empty; something you thought was quite odd. Even the atmosphere felt weird.

"Can you feel that?" You asked quietly. Papyrus stilled, also noticing the heaviness of the air. "Is it usually so…?"

As you glanced warily around the empty street, a sight caught your eye, a sight that brought an instant feeling of nausea, panic and fear into your heart.

…Cameron.