Author note Wow, it's been a bit of a long update- but this chapter is longer than the others! So enjoy the long chapter, A LOT happens. I hope the wait was worth it ;)

(Possible triggers- Gang violence, assault on minors, attempted kidnapping, mentions and mild descriptions of drug use, smuggling and mention of forced prostitution.)

-x-

Chapter Nine

Your rugged, blond ex-boyfriend stood conspicuously at the mouth of one of the alleyways in the empty street, he was leant casually against the wall puffing on a cigarette- looking quite bored.

Cameron didn't seem to notice you or Papyrus beside the Spider Café, so you tugged the skeleton back slightly, placing a finger on your lips to signal him to keep quiet.

Thankfully, Papyrus understood.

A short moment later, two of Cameron's lackeys appeared from around the corner, you assumed they were his lackeys from their rough attire and general air of cockiness. The two broad thugs were carrying a large brown sack between them, and you noticed with shock that whatever was inside was moving.

"Is that…?" You gasped quietly, fearing the worst yet not knowing what to expect. Papyrus stiffened beside you, placing a placating hand on your shoulder. For his or your comfort, you weren't sure.

Cameron and the two thugs spoke quietly- you couldn't hear from where you were, and then they slinked into the dark alley, with the moving sack.

You looked over to a determined looking Papyrus, your fear spiking.

"STAY HERE (y/n)… I WILL FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING." Papyrus said confidently, and as he went to approach the alley, you reached out to grab his hand.

"No!" You said fearfully, and with a deep breath, you tried to control your panic. "…I'll come too; I can't leave you alone with them, Cameron especially. Maybe it's not as bad as it looks anyway…"

That was a stupid thought, and you knew it.

"WELL, IF YOU INSIST…" Papyrus said with a frown, looking quite worried. You gave him a smile, trying to be reassuring… it probably failed.

Papyrus turned to face you fully; he reached out to gently stroke a thumb across your cheek. It was an intimate gesture, one that made you blush and gape like a fool.

"I PROMISE I WON'T LET THEM HURT YOU AGAIN," Papyrus said, and he sounded so serious and sure you almost believed him.

"…thanks." You said dumbly, and you both stared at each other for a moment. In your perfect world, you would've reached forward and kissed him.

…but you were too much of a coward to do such a thing.

The two of you cautiously made your way to the alleyway entrance, Papyrus taking up the front. You both peered into the dim alley, but couldn't see anyone. It seemed that Cameron and his thugs went further down.

As quietly as possible, you and Papyrus began walking deeper into the alley. You had to be careful to not trip on any trash that littered the cobbled ground, lest you alert Cameron to your presence.

Each cautious step you took, you could feel your chest constrict, breathing became harder and it took all of your willpower to not panic.

After a few minutes of quiet and tense walking, you began to hear voices ahead.

"This was a good catch boys, the boss will be very happy."

Cameron's voice, it sounded so close, that you almost cried out in fear. If it wasn't for Papyrus' comforting presence, you think you would've had a panic attack by now… or three.

Cameron and his two thugs were now in view as you and Papyrus reached the dead-end of the alley, you could make out their forms in the shadows. The large brown bag they carried was on the floor with the contents visible.

You almost gasped aloud when you realized that there were Rabbit Monsters stuffed inside it.

The three Monsters- which you realized with horror were children, were tied up with thick rope, and seemed to be unconscious.

…you hoped.

Papyrus' stiffened in response, you saw that the skeleton was looking at the scene in complete shock, his usual smile replaced by a horrified look. You mirrored his expression, unable to react for a moment.

Stepping back in fear, your foot nudged an empty soda can- causing it to hit against one of the alley walls. You winced as Cameron looked towards the sound, and now finally noticing you.

"Oh?" Cameron said, looking surprised to see you. His surprise was soon replaced by sheer cockiness, the blond smirking at the sight of you and Papyrus.

"(y/n), it's so lovely to see you again," Cameron drawled, gesturing to his thugs to pick up the bag again, you noticed with some relief that the Rabbit children were beginning to wake up. "Last time I saw you, you were dying in a pool of your own blood."

"Thanks for that," You retorted with a frown, causing Cameron to laugh. Your frown deepened further.

"Well, I didn't manage to finish you off, thanks to your friend here." Cameron mock sighed, his piercing grey gaze on Papyrus. You inched closer to the skeleton, not liking the look on your exes face. "A shining knight in armour, your hero… I'm hurt; you know how jealous I get."

"HUMAN, PLEASE RELEASE THOSE CHILDREN, AND LET THEM GO ON THEIR WAY." Papyrus spoke up, with an almost grave expression on his face. Cameron chuckled in response, slowly walking towards us.

Once Cameron was within a few inches away from Papyrus, he leered.

"Hm, what would you do if I said no?"

You stared, feeling quite fearful at Cameron's blatant confidence. You knew him too well to think he couldn't hurt Papyrus.

"I DO NOT WANT TO FIGHT," Papyrus said, and didn't flinch when Cameron laughed loudly in his face. You inched closer to the two, wanting Papyrus to be as far away from Cameron as possible. "JUST RELEASE THOSE CHILDREN, AND WE WILL SPARE YOU."

"Spare?" Cameron snorted, you noticed with dismay that he began to reach behind- for something in his pocket. "You should be lucky if I-"

"No!"

You yelled, and pushed Papyrus away as Cameron brought out his pocket knife. Your sudden movement caused you to crash into Cameron, the two of you falling to the hard ground. The knife clanged loudly against the floor, sliding away from you and Cameron.

Cameron's thugs hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered.

But as they went to help Cameron, a wall of blue glowing bone surrounded them. You barely paid attention as Cameron went to punch you, his fist sailing inches away from your cheek as you rolled away in time.

"Fucking bitch!" Cameron shouted angrily, and you went to grab the knife. Before you could, Cameron had grabbed a fistful of your hair, tugging you back painfully. You felt his hands wrap around your neck, squeezing painfully.

But then they were gone.

You gasped out, looking back in shock as Cameron was enveloped in a bright blue glow, and hovering in the air.

"DO. NOT. TOUCH. HER."

Papyrus looked and sounded furious, and you realized that he was using magic to trap the thugs, and to keep Cameron in the air. You stared as the skeleton approached you, helping you up gently.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Papyrus asked, sounding so concerned. You swallowed, wincing at the brief pain that followed. But you nodded, turning back to face Cameron.

Cameron looked angry, and unable to move at all. He stared at Papyrus with a fierce expression, but he also looked oddly impressed.

"…blue magic?" Cameron mused. "I haven't encountered a strong Monster like you yet, boss would definitely be interested in you…"

"Boss?" You questioned, confused. The last you remembered, Cameron was a lone wolf sort- having a crew that he was the boss of. You wondered what changed. "Is that why you're kidnapping those children?"

"Not just them, but every Monster I can find." Cameron corrected, sounding smug. You glared at him, feeling disgusted. "But don't think I'll tell you anything more, I'm not fucking stupid."

"Well, you can tell the rest to the police then." You sniffed, your words causing Cameron to laugh again. It was beginning to grate on your nerves.

"Police?" Cameron repeated, still chortling. "Trust me babe, the police won't be able to help. They won't want to."

"Don't call me babe," You growled out, crossing your arms. "…but wait… you mean they're in on it too?"

Cameron only smirked in response, neither denying nor confirming your question. You didn't want to take that chance, so you turned to Papyrus.

"ARE WE TO RELEASE THEM?" Papyrus asked with a frown, not looking fond of such a thing. You shrugged, unsure of what to do.

"I don't know…" You sighed, but your attention was brought back to the tied up Monster children, they were fully awake now- staring helplessly at you and Papyrus. Thankfully, Papyrus had separated them from the two thugs, away from the bone wall. "…but our priority is returning those children to their family."

"YES, I AGREE!" Papyrus nodded, and you went to untie the small rabbit Monsters. As you approached cautiously with a hopefully comforting smile, you couldn't help but inspect them.

They were so small that you figured they couldn't have been any older than seven or eight. One of the rabbits was even smaller, a toddler; you sent a deathly glare towards Cameron.

It was sickening that he would capture them; the thought of what could have happened to them was truly upsetting.

"It's okay now, you're safe." You said soothingly, as you reached to one of the shaking rabbits- beginning to untie the tight knot of the rope.

It didn't take long before all three of the rabbit children were free; they stood shakily- looking quite weak. They seemed less scared of you now, but they kept shooting terrified looks to Cameron and the thugs.

"We should go," You said to Papyrus, the skeleton nodded in agreement. "What are we going to do with them?"

You gestured to Cameron, and Papyrus glanced to the rope you discarded to the floor. You quickly caught on, and grabbed as much rope as you could.

"Let's do this."

-x-

"You're going to regret this, sweetheart."

Cameron sneered, from where he was tied up with the two thugs. You and Papyrus had made sure that the knots were extremely tight and hard to escape from; the trio wouldn't even be able to stand with how their legs were tied together uncomfortably.

You smiled.

"I sincerely doubt that; have fun trying to get out of this one Cameron." You said, and with a cheery wave you left the three in the alley. Papyrus followed, with the three rabbit children trailing behind him. The smallest rabbit stuck her tongue out towards them as you walked away.

Once you were back in the empty but lightly lit street, Papyrus turned to the children.

"ARE YOU HURT?" Papyrus asked the small rabbits, a patient smile on his face.

"N-no, we're okay." The tallest rabbit said, the other two clinging to his hands. He seemed to be the oldest, but still very young. "J-just a little achy…"

"What happened?" You asked quietly, curious to know how they got in such a predicament.

"Me and my sisters were visiting our Uncle at his shop," The eldest rabbit frowned, looking away while he spoke. "My littlest sister, Caramel, she went outside when we weren't looking. Instead of telling our Uncle, we just followed her. But we found her with those scary humans; they were stuffing her in a bag!"

The rabbits began to look upset again and the littlest, Caramel, was teary.

"YOU'RE SAFE NOW, THEY WON'T HURT YOU AGAIN!" Papyrus said softly, reaching down to give Caramel a hug- she clung onto the skeleton. Papyrus picked her up with ease, giving the other two a bright smile. "MY NAME IS PAPYRUS AND THIS IS (y/n), WHAT'S YOURS?"

"I'm Snowball, and this is Toffee." The boy, Snowball, said and gestured to his other sister. You thought their names were quite fitting to their looks, Snowball was a pure white rabbit, whilst his sisters were light brown- Toffee an even deeper brown than Caramel.

"WELL, IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE MET IN SUCH HORRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT IS GOOD TO MEET YOU!" Papyrus said, adjusting Caramel so she sat on his hip. The movement caused some white dust to rub on his orange shirt.

"What's that?" You asked, watching as Papyrus inspected the dust. His expression turned from cheerful to pure horror. "…Papyrus?"

"OH… OH NO…" Papyrus mumbled, sounding sad. "WERE YOU THE ONLY MONSTERS THEY TOOK?"

Snowball gulped, and shook his head.

"They… they had others," Snowball said, and began shaking again. "B-but they were older… and more p-powerful… they fought back…"

Toffee began to cry quietly, tightly hugging his brother for comfort. You gulped in discomfort, realizing what that dust meant.

"Oh my god…" You gasped quietly, shocked to the core. This blatant hate crime made you feel sick to the stomach.

"WE SHOULD GET YOU BACK TO YOUR UNCLE," Papyrus suggested, and at the mention of their Uncle, the rabbits perked up a little, wiping their tears and calming their sobs. "I WON'T REST UNTIL YOU THREE ARE SAFE AND SOUND!"

"T-thank you," Snowball sniffed, and he pointed down the street. "H-his shop should be over there, it's the Nice-cream one."

"AH, YES I KNOW YOUR UNCLE!" Papyrus said, sounding less sad now. You thought he was trying to be chipper for the sake of the children. "JUST FOLLOW ME!"

-x-

It didn't take very long before the Nice-cream parlour came into view, it was a small and colourful building- it was painted bright blue, yellow and red. Even the sight of the place was enough to make you smile, even if it was a small one.

"There you are!"

A tall, lanky rabbit Monster rushed out of the parlour. He had bright blue fur with red in his long ears; he wore a yellow top with red jeans- a suspender draped over one shoulder. The Monster looked completely frazzled, his fur a mess and a look of complete worry on his face.

"Uncle Blue!" Snowball and Toffee yelled, running to their Uncle and hugging his legs. Caramel squirmed out of Papyrus' grasp, and went to join the group hug.

"You had me so worried!" Blue said, and leant down to hug the trio. He looked up towards you and Papyrus with a thankful smile. "Papyrus! Thank you so much for returning them… where did you even go off to, kids?"

Snowball and Toffee looked to the ground, their smiles replaced with frowns.

"Some really mean humans took us…" Snowball explained quietly, Blue's expression turning to horror. "But Papyrus and (y/n) saved us."

"Oh… oh my god!" Blue gasped, and immediately began checking his nephew and nieces. "Are you hurt? What did they do? Please tell me you're okay!"

"We're okay Uncle!" Toffee said, interrupting her Uncle's babbling. "We were just really scared."

"I bet…" Blue sighed, and gave them another lengthy hug. Once he let go, he gestured to the parlour. "You should go in now, your mother is in the back- she's been hysterical, you should go comfort her."

"Yes uncle!" Toffee and Snowball said in unison, and dragged Caramel along with them as they entered the bright parlour. Blue turned to you and Papyrus, looking weary.

"That must have been terrifying for them…" Blue mused sadly, and he approached the two of you. "I am so so thankful you found them… before… well, you know."

"It's okay," You said, with a small smile. "We couldn't just leave them in such a bad situation. It wouldn't be right."

"YES, I AM JUST GLAD THEY ARE SAFE NOW!" Papyrus said, looking quite weary himself. "THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TODAY, AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE OTHER MONSTERS TAKEN WITH THEM… BUT IT WAS TOO LATE WHEN WE ARRIVED."

"That's so… so horrible!"

Blue said with a gasp, and in a flash he took a phone out of his pocket- quickly dialling a number. You watched as he waited anxiously for the other phone to pick up, each minute that passed causing him to fidget even worse.

Thankfully, the other person did pick up. You could tell from Blue's expression, the worry turning into pure relief.

"Ted!" Blue practically shouted into the phone, "Uh… sorry, I was just really worried. You should come down to my parlour as soon as you can, but be safe, okay? Yeah… and no I'm not overreacting. I'll tell you more when you're here… okay, love you, bye!"

Blue hung up, letting out a relieved sigh.

"For a horrible moment, I thought that Ted was one of the victims." Blue said sadly, he gave you a wavering smile. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly, the name's Bluebell- most people call me Blue… or the Nice Cream Guy."

"I'm (y/n)," You said simply, accepting a handshake that Bluebell offered. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah… I should be fine," Bluebell said, glancing towards his parlour with a sad expression. "But I have no idea if my nieces and nephew will be… that sort of trauma stays with a person for a long time."

You nodded, understanding too well what a traumatic experience does.

"WITH YOUR KIND SUPPORT, I AM SURE THEY WILL RECOVER WELL!" Papyrus said; finally back to his usual optimistic self. His words caused Bluebell to smile, genuinely.

"Papyrus, you're right, I just have to stay positive!" Bluebell nodded, he ruffled through his jean pockets- bringing out two wrapped ice-creams. "Here, have this as thanks! Consider anything from my parlour from now on as on the house, it's the least I can do!"

"Thank you," You said as you took the ice-creams, giving Bluebell a kind smile. The blue rabbit mirrored your expression.

"Welp… I should go back in now," Bluebell said, with a nod towards you and Papyrus. "We really appreciate the help, you two stay safe now!"

"OF COURSE BLUE… GOODBYE!" Papyrus said, as Bluebell finally returned to his Nice-cream Parlour.

Papyrus then turned to you, looking quite thoughtful.

"WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THOSE HUMANS?"

-x-

In the end, you did call the authorities.

Using an old payphone by the Nice-cream parlour, you reported hearing a loud disturbance and witnessing some gang violence by the alley, where Cameron and his thugs were tied up.

To your surprise, and disgust- the police didn't seem too bothered.

"Look lady, we're all up to our shoulders with all this segregation protocol malarkey," The officer on the other end said, quite rudely. "We'll send someone out, but that won't be until tomorrow."

"Fine… thanks for nothing." You said shortly, hanging up before the policeman could say anymore. You turned to Papyrus, who was stood beside you while you made the call.

"WHAT DID THEY SAY?"

"Nothing, not surprising considering them," You sighed, arms crossed. "They'll send someone out tomorrow, or so they say. Should we just leave them there?"

"I SUPPOSE WE WILL HAVE TO, BUT WILL THEY BE ALRIGHT THERE ALL NIGHT?" Papyrus asked, sounding somewhat concerned. You gave him an incredulous look.

"I think they deserve to be out in the dark and cold after what they did, and tried to do." You said dryly, Papyrus nodding in agreement.

"YES, YOU ARE CORRECT…" Papyrus sighed, looking quite sad. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY HURT SO MANY MONSTERS, AND TOOK THOSE CHILDREN. IF ONLY THEY KNEW HOW MUCH BETTER THEY COULD BE-"

"They're thugs, it's what they do." You said, quite sharply. You immediately felt bad for your tone, when Papyrus looked at you with a hurt expression. "Sorry… I just don't think Cameron is even capable of anything good."

"OF COURSE HE IS…" Papyrus said quietly, as if he was almost afraid to offend you. "EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF GOOD, BUT SOME CANNOT SEE THAT AND CHOOSE TO DO BAD THINGS."

"You really think that?" You asked, not understand why Papyrus would. The skeleton nodded, and you could tell he was being truthful. "I really don't understand you at times Papyrus, you have so much hope for people. How can you be like that after everything you Monsters have been through?"

"WELL…" Papyrus said, trailing off uncertainly. "HOPE IS A VERY POWERFUL EMOTION FOR US MONSTERS; IT QUITE LITERALLY KEEPS US ALIVE. WHEN A MONSTER LOSES ALL HOPE- HP. THEY DIE."

"What?" You gasped, Papyrus continued on- as you gaped at him.

"I WANTED TO STAY STRONG FOR SANS," Papyrus explained further, "HE WAS LOSING HOPE OVER THE YEARS, AND DESPITE HIS CONSTANT REASSURANCES I KNEW HE WAS DEPRESSED. IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE HIS HP WAS ONLY 1…"

Papyrus sighed, and to your surprise he was smiling.

"I HAD TO BE HOPEFUL FOR HIM, I HAD TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY AND THAT WE WOULD BE FREED. IF I LOST MYSELF TO THE HOPELESSNESS, THEN SANS SURELY WOULD HAVE PERISHED."

"Oh… wow…" You swallowed, quite unsure of how to respond. You had no idea that depression could quite literally kill a Monster, and to hear of the reasoning of Papyrus' joyful attitude was quite heart-warming.

You knew you would do the same for Alex, if you could.

"You are a good brother, Papyrus." You said after a while, your words causing Papyrus to grin widely. "A good person in general, I honestly can't say I've met someone as kind and generous as you."

"WELL, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL!" Papyrus said, and you smiled in response.

"Well, I think we ought to go back home now..." You said, glancing towards the sky- the sun was finally setting, and you were looking forward to getting into bed after such an eventful day. "The others should know about Cameron, and what his gang are up to."

"AGREED, LETS GO!" Papyrus said, and you both set off back home.

-x-

"(y/n)…"

Papyrus sounded nervous, wary. The two of you were walking over a stone bridge towards home; Mt. Ebott loomed almost ominously in the distance against the cloudy sunset sky. You looked to the tall skeleton, who had stopped halfway across the bridge- he was looking at the sky with a strange expression.

"Papyrus…?" You said quietly, cautiously. You went to stand beside Papyrus, wondering what was on his mind. "Are you… okay?"

"YES, OF COURSE!" Papyrus nodded, smiling to show it was the truth. But soon his expression turned into curiosity. "…BUT I HAVE A QUESTION."

You swallowed, and with a warm smile, you nodded.

"Go ahead."

"WELL…" Papyrus began nervously, his obvious nerves beginning to make you feel on edge. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, BUT I WAS WONDERING… HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HUMAN- CAMERON WAS IT? AND WHY DID HE ATTACK YOU THAT DAY?"

…oh.

You swallowed, having felt a sudden heavy build up in your throat. Papyrus' question was both expected and not, it made sense that the skeleton would be curious of Cameron, it was almost obvious that the two of you had history.

"I'M SORRY IF I OVERSTEPPED-"

"No, no." You shook your head, giving Papyrus a smile that was more of a cringe than anything. "It's okay; I just didn't expect you to ask that."

Papyrus stared at you a little with a kind smile, not pushing for an answer but also anticipating one.

"It's a long story," You warned, Papyrus shrugged.

"I DON'T SEE WHY WE DON'T HAVE TIME."

You laughed quietly, leaning forward against the stone wall of the bridge- your gaze fell down to the stream below. You stared at the water as you thought of the exact words to say, you felt you owed Papyrus some sort of explanation.

Even if said explanation might completely tarnish his view of you.

"In the simplest terms, Cameron was my boyfriend of five years." You sighed, glancing to Papyrus to see the brief shock flicker in his eyes. "…an abusive boyfriend."

With another deep sigh, you began to recount the last five years. The memories were painful, but you were willing to relive them for Papyrus' sake.

"He found me on the streets, when I left the orphanage. I was so scared, hopelessly lost and hungry. Cameron seemed sonice… at first…"

You could remember your first meeting like it was yesterday.

-x-

The city was painfully cold at night, the frigid air stung your bare arms and legs- the outfit you wore was hopeless against the winter weather. You rubbed your arms as you passed the many closed and boarded shops- your stomach was empty and the hunger was beginning to feel unbearable.

As you looked cautiously around the dark street, you wondered why you decided to walk down such a rough area at night of all times. The fear was building immensely; you could feel the anxiety churn your empty guts.

"Hullo love."

You froze, hearing a deep, scratchy voice from behind you.

"Come on darling, don't be rude to a fella."

Swallowing your fear, you turned to face the stranger. You were physically shaking by now, too afraid to do anything, even run.

The man who called out to you was tall, bulky, had dark hair and an even darker expression, his appearance alone set you on edge.

You stepped back slowly.

"Aw… that's no way to greet a stranger," The man said, his rough, scratchy voice was torture to your ears. "You could at leastshake my hand."

"N-no thank y-you, I should r-really be off…" You gasped out, stepping back further. At this, the man scowled, and in a quick motion he went to grab you.

You could hardly react as he pinned you against a nearby wall, the stone stabbing into your back painfully. You gaped in a silent scream as he brought a switch blade to your throat, the metal felt cold against your shaking neck.

"Now now love, give me all you got or you're going to be bleeding from that pretty neck of yours," The man said, his voice cheery despite the situation.

Before you could say anything, if you even could through the fear- the man was suddenly pulled away from you, the cold of the knife leaving your throat to your relief.

"The hell do you think you're doing!?" A shorter but still quite tall man had pulled the attacker away, giving a forceful punch that knocked him to the ground. "Get the fuck outta here!"

The attacker glared up, through his bloody nose at the blonde man- your rescuer. You watched with fear as the dark haired man stood, and thankfully retreated.

The blonde man turned to face you, and you took the time to study his face. He had a few scars dotted over his tanned skin; his spiked honey blonde hair looked stunning- even in the moonlight. His eyes were a sharp grey; they felt as if they stared into your soul.

He was beautiful.

"Are you okay?" Your rescuer asked with some worry in his smooth voice. "Did that asshole hurt you?"

"N-no," You said, voice quiet and timid. "I'm… alright."

"Good," The man smiled, and it lit up his face. He approached you carefully, and you let him. "I'm Cameron, you hungry?"

You smiled.

-x-

"After he saved me, he brought me back to his- an abandoned warehouse, nothing special but it was better than the streets. Cameron gave me food and warm clothes; he let me stay with him… "Until I got back on my feet" he said."

"BUT… WHAT HAPPENED?" Papyrus spoke up, sounding confused. "IF HE WAS SO NICE BACK THEN, WHAT CHANGED?"

You smiled, although it was sadder than anything.

"Papyrus, he lied to me."

-x-

"I'm not sure if I can do this."

You stood in a dim alley, Cameron beside you. Your boyfriend of six months staring deep into your eyes, you stared back- entranced.

"Of course you can darling," Cameron said softly, his hand still outstretched with the baggy. He looked sorrowful. "I'm so sorry, but I have to ask you. You're the only one who can do it, and we need this opportunity. They're going to kill me if I don't do this."

"Then call the police!" You argued, tears in your eyes. Cameron shook his head sadly.

"Do you really believe they are gonna help a bunch of homeless youths?" Cameron asked, and you knew the answer. It still didn't make it easier.

"But what if I get caught?" You whispered as Cameron took your shaking hands- passing the plastic bag in that motion. You clenched the bag tightly, your heart conflicted.

"You won't."

-x-

"At first it was only petty things, like smuggling small amounts of weed and cocaine." You sighed, and seeing Papyrus' confused expression, you elaborated. "He sold drugs, illegal substances, toxic things that are highly addictive… and very dangerous to humans."

"He convinced me that he had no choice, that he was tricked into the business by another dealer. I believed him, so I helped him because at the time I thought I loved him, and he loved me. But in reality, he was using me. The entire time we were together, I was his pretty mule. By the time I realized he was using me, it was too late…"

"…TOO LATE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Papyrus said quietly, you didn't see his expression as you were staring down at the stream. You thought you couldn't bear his reaction.

-x-

"Cam… I don't think we should do this."

"Come on babe, it's harmless, I promise."

Cameron held the needle against your arm, so close to puncturing yet so far from the vein. He had tightened your right arm with a belt, in preparation of the drugs. You stared at the needle with fear, unable to stop your shaking.

"How can you say that? It's heroine for fuck sake." You hissed out, Cameron only chuckling in response.

"Everything I've used is sterile, the equipment and drugs are of good quality." Cameron said, trying to be reassuring. "This really isn't as bad as people say, it feels fucking amazing babe. We have nothing to lose, because we have nothing."

"…we have each other." You pointed out quietly, and the more you stared at the sharp needle- the more you were tempted.

Cameron grinned.

"…exactly."

-x-

"He got me addicted to the stuff, it was the main reason I stayed with him for so long."

Your hands were clenched tightly, you felt anger surface at the memory. You wished that you weren't so weak; you wished that you left before Cameron could entrap you in his dark world. You felt absolutely pathetic.

"If I tried to leave, I wouldn't be able to get any more of the stuff. Especially considering Cameron practically ran the drugs cartel in the city, with his word, no one would sell to me. He had complete power over me."

With a quick glance to Papyrus, you saw that the skeleton looked somewhat sick. You hoped that he didn't think badly of you, but you were too scared to ask.

"ARE YOU STILL…?"

You shook your head.

"It's not so bad now; I still sometimes feel the urge... but going cold turkey has helped somewhat. I'm in no danger of going out and buying that crap, I just get the taste for it every now and again."

"THAT'S GOOD," Papyrus said warmly, and when his hand squeezed your shoulder- you smiled slightly. "BUT… WHAT MADE YOU LEAVE?"

"That's the best part of the story," You said dryly, not being entirely serious. With a sigh, you decided you might as well go all out.

"Aside from the years of physical beatings, insults and general abuse… Cameron had tried to sell me, to a pimp."

"…WHAT'S A PIMP?" Papyrus asked, and you had to smile at his innocence. You didn't even want to taint the skeleton with the knowledge. As if sensing your thoughts, Papyrus frowned. "I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT I AM CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE ANSWER, I WANT TO KNOW THE ENTIRE TRUTH… PLEASE."

"I know…" You nodded, fidgeting nervously. "Basically that's a person who owns multiple women or men… to sell… for well… uh… sex."

Papyrus looked confused for a split second, and then a look of realization crossed his face.

"YOU MEAN SOUL SHARING?"

"Uh… I guess so?" You shrugged, not sure if it was exactly the same thing. The word had brought some impure thoughts to your mind, mainly to do with how such a thing worked for Monsters… and whether it was possible for a Human and Monster to even do it together.

With a sudden and heavy blush, you looked back down to the stream. It wasn't the right time to think of such a thing, and you wouldn't be able to look at Papyrus if you even imagined such a scenario between you.

"THAT'S TERRIBLE, FOR SOMEONE TO TRY TO FORCE YOU TO DO SUCH AN INTIMATE ACT WITH STRANGERS…" Papyrus commented, sounding sad. You nodded, feeling guilty for making Papyrus feel upset. It wasn't exactly your fault, but still.

"Yeah, I left before he could." You sighed. "The months after were hell, I had to deal with my addiction, dodging Cameron's dealers and even the police… I stole a lot of his money from his stash so I could survive, so he had me blamed for a crime he committed a few weeks before, an assault on a police officer. Cameron had me completely isolated from any help I could get… and eventually he found me again, but… so did you."

You looked back to Papyrus, who was quiet, unusually pensive. When he caught your eye, you gave him a smile.

"Thank you, if it wasn't for you…" You trailed off, the rest of the sentence hung heavy in the air. Cameron would have probably killed you, after having you tortured no doubt.

At the time, death would have seemed like a sweet release. But after meeting Papyrus, you were glad you lived.

"This is the main reason I don't trust easily," You spoke up after a moment, wanting to fill the silence. You needed to explain everything for Papyrus to understand.

"Cameron tricked me, made me feel safe and wanted. Then the truth came out, and ever since then… I've struggled to even befriend another person. But, I am glad I have you, Toriel, Frisk… the others. You've shown me that not everyone is out to get me… that there is still good in the world."

Your words seemed to have affected Papyrus, as the skeleton started to tear up a little. You froze at his reaction, unsure of what you said that was wrong.

But then the skeleton scooped you up into a bone crushing hug, and you clung back tightly. You felt a sudden rush of emotions fill you- happiness, sorrow, relief, and everything in-between.

"(y/n)… I AM TRULY SORRY YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH SUCH AN ORDEAL…" Papyrus said sorrowfully. His voice was close to your ear, causing you to shiver. He sounded quite upset, and you didn't blame him. "BUT I AM HAPPY THAT YOU TRUST US!"

Your past was a dark one, one you were ashamed of. You felt guilty for even placing the burden of it on him. When Papyrus pulled away from the hug, you gave him a sad, but reassuring smile.

His next words made you blush madly.

"I PROMISE I WILL KEEP YOU SAFE, AND THAT I WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THAT HUMAN OR ANYONE ELSE WHO DARES TO HURT YOU!" Papyrus declared, sounding so confident in his words. His tone then turned oddly shy.

"…I CARE FOR YOU GREATLY, SO THE THOUGHT OF YOU BEING HURT BY ANYONE IS ABSOLUTELY SOUL CRUSHING."

You stared at Papyrus, his words having a great effect on you. The skeleton held your hands, and his expression was so earnest it was almost painful to look at. All you could think of was leaning forward, and pressing your lips against his mouth.

You wondered how the bone would feel against your flesh.

"Papyrus…" You breathed out, and you felt an unusual sense of courage. "…was our outing… a date?"

Papyrus froze, and you watched with awe as his cheeks flushed bright orange. His grip on your hands tightened, and he seemed to struggle for words.

"I… I THOUGHT THAT WAS OBVIOUS?" Papyrus eventually said, and his words caused you to swallow heavily.

Wait, what?

"I FOLLOWED THE MANUAL PERFECTLY, I DRESSED FORMALLY- THANKS TO UNDYNE AND ALPHYS, I BOUGHT YOU A GIFT AT THE MARKET AND WE DINED TOGETHER…" Papyrus was rambling by now, and you couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

Your sudden laughter made Papyrus jump, and before he could think you were laughing at him- you spoke.

"Papyrus, you missed the most important step!" You grinned. "You forgot to actually ask me out."

-x-

After your laughter died down, and Papyrus face returned to a somewhat normal colour, the skeleton looked away with some embarrassment.

"NYEH…" Papyrus sighed sadly. "I REALLY RUINED THIS, HAVEN'T I? I SHOULD HAVE REMEMBERED SUCH AN OBVIOUS STEP. I UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DATE ME, AFTER SUCH A BLUNDER…"

"Papyrus…" You said softly, interrupting the skeleton. You began to feel nervous, but also inexplicably happy.

…Papyrus wanted to date me?

You had many, many doubts running through your head. Your insecurities ran rampant, and the fear that came with opening up to another person, in that way, was almost unbearable. You knew that Papyrus wasn't anything like Cameron; the skeleton didn't have a bad bone in his body.

You trusted Papyrus.

Yet… you were terrified.

"You deserve better than me," You sighed, giving Papyrus a look when he went to argue. "It's true; I'm an ex-addict, severely depressed and very messed up girl. You're everything I'm not, unwaveringly kind, loyal and brave."

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER-"

"But it does!" You grounded out, a bit too sharply. You looked to the ground. "Sorry… I… I do want to date you… but I really don't deserve it… I have so many problems…"

Papyrus let go of your hands, and for a split second you thought he was going to walk away. To your relief, he just moved them to cup your face- bringing your gaze up towards his. Papyrus was smiling warmly at you, and you couldn't help but stare in wonderment.

"I AM ABLE TO HANDLE MORE THAN WHAT PEOPLE THINK I CAN, MY BROTHER INCLUDED." Papyrus stated simply. "OVER THIS SHORT TIME, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF DRAWN TO YOU. I WANT TO KNOW YOU BETTER… PERHAPS DATE YOU. BUT IF YOU ARE NOT READY FOR SUCH A THING, I WILL BE CONTENT WITH JUST BEING YOUR FRIEND. BUT PLEASE DON'T PUSH ME AWAY BECAUSE YOU FEEL AS IF YOU DON'T DESERVE IT… YOU'RE A VERY DESERVING HUMAN."

You were silent for a moment, letting Papyrus' words sink in. You couldn't help but smile, despite your fears. As the two of you stood on the bridge bathed in the sunset, you couldn't help but think this moment was absolutely perfect, everything you thought wouldn't happen was happening.

"Papyrus…" You breathed out again, looking into the dark sockets that held so much emotion. "I do really want to date you."

Papyrus smiled, it was such an honest and innocent thing it almost brought tears to your eyes. The fact he was happy with such a statement was wonderful, you almost wanted to pinch yourself to see if today was just a dream.

You stared at each other, a peaceful silence settling. Papyrus' hands were still on your face, and his fingers felt warm to the touch. You wondered if his mouth would also feel warm, so your gaze settled on Papyrus' mouth- subconsciously staring.

Papyrus swallowed, seeming conflicted with something.

"I HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO FORWARD." Was all he said before he leaned forward, and pressed his mouth against yours.

Your brain completely froze.

It was an odd sensation; it felt nothing like kissing another person- after all, there was a lack of fleshy lips. But the moment your lips touched Papyrus, a hot, electrifying sensation tingled against them.

Opening your closed eyes, you saw that Papyrus' mouth was glowing orange. You realized with some surprise that it was his magic, and the feeling of it was utterly pleasurable.

…this is so much better than kissing a human.

With a shy smile, you pressed against Papyrus in a close embrace. You tilted your head to deepen the kiss somewhat, the electrifying tingles from his magic practically jumped through your body- you felt so light headed and heated from the simple kiss.

I can't believe this is happening.

-x-

Eventually, Papyrus pulled away from you. His face was completely flushed; there was hardly any white left on his blushing skull. You looked up to him with a shy expression; still sure you were dreaming all of this.

"Maybe we should head back?" You whispered, and Papyrus nodded.

"YES, WE HAVE DAWDLED ENOUGH..." Papyrus said in agreement, and he smiled shyly. "I… I AM SO HAPPY YOU RETURN MY INTEREST, I WAS WORRIED YOU WOULD "FRIEND-ZONE" ME."

At Papyrus' words, you laughed.

"I could never friend zone The Great Papyrus!" You said teasingly, Papyrus grinned in response. "Come on, let's head back before the others worry."

Hand in hand, you both walked over the bridge- towards your home. For once, your dreary life was beginning to perk up.

You hoped it would last.