Chapter Text
As much as Chara will deny it, they’re still recovering from being sick even two days later. Despite this, after being allowed to play around the house with you and Papyrus, they put up a bit of a fight as you tell them to get some rest after lunch.
“But dad, why can’t I sit and watch TV?” Chara whines, as you carry them up the stairs. Even now, their eyelids seem to be drooping shut.
“Because you still need some rest,” You say without pause. They still feel so tiny in your arms. At least now, it’s simply adorable, but the thought of them coughing again…
“But I don’t need any.”
You let out a good-natured sigh. “Please? For me?”
They peer blearily up at you as you place them on Sans’ bed, before letting out a tired sigh and nodding.
“Thanks, squirt.” You give their hair a ruffle, much to their annoyance, before leaning down and kissing their forehead. Pulling back, you move the blanket over them, watching them curl up with a small smile on your face.
Turning, you see Papyrus at the door. He’s watching the two of you with a goofy grin on his face. Probably thinking about how lucky he is to have the two of you or something, the sap. You walk over, giving him a light jab to the ribs. “What are you looking at, hmm?”
“oh, just my captured humans.” He throws his arms around you, pulling you close. “i think they’re pretty great.”
“Knew it. You flatterer.” You scoff, shaking your head. Still, you can’t help but give him a squeeze. “You should probably go to work today, you know that?”
“you sure, hun? i can get away with another day off.”
“Yeah, but you’ve missed a lot because of us.” You look up at him, cupping his chin. Papyrus leans into your touch, the slight worry on the edge of his face fading. “Don’t worry, we’ll still be here when you come back.”
He nuzzles your forehead before pulling back. “if you’re sure.”
“I am. I’m a big boy, remember?”
“oh, i definitely do.” He murmurs, voice dipping slightly. You nudge him again, feeling your face heat up. “alright, i’ll head out then. just call if something happens, okay?”
“’Course, Paps.”
You’re still blushing when Papyrus walks out the door. God, he’s such a sap. Your sap, but a sap all the same. Papyrus has been so worried about everything, you think. Until today, he hasn’t left you or Chara’s side. You wonder if he would have at all, if you hadn’t asked.
Closing the bedroom door, you sigh. Even now, you can’t bring yourself to ask Papyrus for much. You’re afraid to find out what he wouldn’t tell you. You thought you worked through this, yet, here you are. Questioning yourself, and questioning Papyrus. The simple truth is, you don’t trust Papyrus to tell you things related to himself. There are so many things, little inconsistencies, that nag at you.
Undyne mentioned secrets when she was over. What would Papyrus have to hide, though? And she’s let slip things before. Like at the party, what was it? One day the energy seemed to just... Fall away. That’s what she’d told you. And she always mumbles whenever you ask about her past relations with him. Sighing, you push yourself off from Sans’ door. Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. Who the hell knows what’s hiding even in this house?
As you take a step down the stairs, you pause. You’ve never thought about it before, but something about the house is off. In fact, a large chunk of space seems to just go unused underneath these stairs. You glance around, already knowing you won’t see any door on the upper level that would lead there.
There aren’t any extra rooms on the ground level, and there’s no basement staircase hidden in any of the closets. So, how would someone get into the space there? Seeing as there isn’t anything inside, you grab your coat, slip on some boots and head out the door.
Sure enough, around the mailboxes, and angled around a corner wall just so to hide it from casual observation, there’s a side door.
You’ve been in the backyard numerous times, but never tried going in, or even noticed it was there. Well, you’re sure it’s not a big deal if you do now, right? Reaching forward, you twist the handle and nothing happens. It’s locked.
Why does the clicking of a locked door leave you feeling so empty?
You leave the backyard sometime later – your phone says it’s been almost twenty minutes – and end up sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the television. Should you ask Papyrus about it? It’s not weird to, or anything. Maybe he’d even tell you. You let out a laugh. You can ask him anything, right? What’s the big deal?
‘Hey, Paps? Where does that door in the back lead to? Storage?’
You send it, anxiety buzzing in your chest. This isn’t a big deal, you remind yourself. You’re just asking about the house. You wait… And wait. Five minutes pass, and you start pacing.
Why does Papyrus hide things from you? Is it fear of something? What on Earth could have happened to make him think you’d reject him after everything you’ve gone through and done? What sort of skeletons does he have in his closet to make him think that?... Heh, you should say that one to Sans. It’d get a laugh.
The smile on your face fades quickly. You can’t just sit here with your thoughts. You’ll drive yourself mad, and Papyrus will definitely notice. You don’t want a repeat fight, especially after this weekend. Maybe talking to someone would help? But who could you talk to?
Sans? You would feel a little bad going to him just to complain about his brother. Again.
Alphys? No, she’d probably stalk Papyrus down and fight him. After the emotional rollercoaster these past few days, you really don’t want to deal with that. Undyne would clam up and awkwardly try to change the subject… And then Alphys would find out, because Undyne would feel guilty, and you’d be knee-deep in the same problem anyway.
You hang your head with a sigh. Your friends are great, but you don’t think they’ll help here. You need an outside perspective.
You pull up Asgore’s number in your phone. You hesitate, finger hovering over the button. Should you bother him with this? You haven’t talked since that last time before Chara got sick. But he also said to call whenever, right? It’ll be fine, you think, and start the call.
One ring. Two rings.
“Howdy! Who might this be?” Comes a deep, warm voice before the third comes in.
“Hey, Asgore. It’s me.”
“Oh, young one, hello!” He sounds so pleased that you can’t help but smile softly. “So nice to hear your voice again. How are you? How is Chara?”
“It’s… Things have been stressful. Chara got sick, and only got better a couple of days ago.”
“Golly! How are they now? Are they okay?” He says, worry clear in his voice.
“Yeah, they’re practically fighting me to get out of bed now.” You say, letting out a small chuckle. “It was some sort of fever, we think? Undyne isn’t completely sure, since she doesn’t know human diseases, and I really don’t have a clue.”
Did Asgore and Toriel ever have to deal with such things when they were raising their human child? You never even thought about it, but then again, you don’t know how long they were raising said child. Would be it be rude to ask? Probably.
“That you were all so worried over this... I am so terribly sorry for you all. If I…” Asgore trails off. “Well, I am glad that Chara is doing better now. But, how are you feeling? I am sure you have had a stressful few days, as well.”
“That’s a hell of an understatement,” You say, a tired smile rising to your face. It quickly fades as you continue talking. “I was worried and scared and just… Angry, for a while. None of this would have happened if Pa- he hadn’t let Chara go out to explore the dump. But I couldn’t stay angry – not with Chara bedridden. He wasn’t happy with himself either, but none of us could do anything until we got Undyne’s help.”
Asgore listens quietly through it all, and the faint sound of water trickling in the background is oddly calming as you speak.
“And now, I’m just working myself up again. But Chara is still recovering and I shouldn’t cause any problems.” You rub your face tiredly. “I’m really just a mess.”
“Young one, if there is one thing I have learned in my many, many years of living, it is that everyone is a bit of a, ah, mess. Stressful times leave us wishing for answers, and it is not wrong to step back and meditate on this.” You hear his friendly tone take on some worry. “And why on Earth would you be causing anyone any trouble? I can hardly imagine that any of your friends would find your worries an annoyance.”
“I know, I know…” You sigh, falling back onto the couch. You want to believe him, because it’s not like he’s wrong. You know this. And yet… “Hey, Asgore? Can I... Talk to you about it?”
“Of course. I am happy to listen.”
“I…” Should you really talk about it? You’re just causing trouble. But, you called expressly for this. “Pa… Your door friend has been keeping secrets from me. And I’m just hurt, you know? I’ve told him everything. He knows so much about what I’ve gone through and what I’ve dealt with and I find out about him from everyone but him these days.”
“And I take it my friend does not reveal this sort of information readily.” Asgore says. You hear a low hum over the phone. “Young one, I certainly understand how you might feel this way. Secrets between those who love each other can only lead to grief.”
You don’t comment on the clear sorrow in his voice. “I know. I just don’t want to pressure him, you know?”
“Understandable. But, perhaps you can bring this to his attention? He clearly respects and holds you dear.” A pause. “But, I suppose you already know that. In the event that he doesn’t, at least make it clear that you only wish to get to know him better. You are not wrong for asking, and he should recognize that you are not meaning to intrude.”
You rub your forehead. You called a man who treats everyone like their own child. Of course he wants you to talk to Papyrus about this. You try not to sigh into the phone. Asgore’s advice is sound. You just wish you didn’t know that.
Asgore must understand something from your silence, as he continues, “There is no need to rush such a thing, of course. And I do hope you understand that it is okay you feel this way. You are not wrong to.”
You can’t help but smile. “Thanks Asgore. Hey, listen. I know you don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, but if you do? I’m going to make you the best pancakes I can. I’ve gotta give you something for all this advice you’re giving me.”
“You know? I think one day, I shall take you up on that offer. Thank you.”
“Nah, thank you, Asgore. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
Ending the call, you see you have a couple of texts from Papyrus.
‘oh, that? yeah, it’s stuff from before we moved to snowdin.’
‘haven’t gone down there in ages though.’
“When can I go out to play again?” Chara asks.
They’re bundled up on the couch, blankets surrounding them. Papyrus is behind them, checking something on his phone with an arm wrapped around them. You’re leaning on his side. In the kitchen, you can hear Sans making dinner. He’d apparently found himself a cookbook while at training with Alphys – how it ended up in the dump is a question you don’t want the answer to – and decided he wanted to try surprising everyone with it. After months of living with the skeleton brothers, you trust Sans to follow instructions without experimenting… At least not too much... When Alphys isn’t present.
“Hmm, maybe tomorrow. If,” You interrupt Chara’s excited shout, “You eat all your food for dinner tonight.”
“it is a surprise meal tonight. think of it like mystery mea-”
A heavy knocking at the door interrupts Papyrus, and you all freeze. Your mind jumps to the worst conclusion, and from the horrified look on Papyrus’ face, so does he. Toriel didn’t come back, did she? It’s so late!
“keep quiet, we’ll just get out.” He mutters, grabbing both of you.
There’s another loud knock. A familiar voice calls in. “Hello? Is anyone home?”
It’s Asgore’s voice.