Writer~San: ANd We'RE BAcK! ARt TOO! That, I love, but then it kills my heart at the same time. ("x x) You can probably tell by the title and pictures that we'll have a slight turn in atmospheres for this chapter. Welp, I got a longer A/N at the end of this so I might as well shut up now. Good job and credits of the art rightfully belongs to its artist! (TwT) *hides back in the void*
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(~Your POV + Time Skip 2 Weeks~)
Quietly, I scan pricing and rearrange new items on the shelf. Work hasn't really been the same lately. Blueberry either found ways to ignore me all day or stopped showing up. Returning customers would actually ask for him, wanting to know if everything was okay. We'd tell them Sans was in the back with inventory, which was true most of the time. Even if he did work out in the front, I doubt he would be the same joyful person with our customers like he used to.
Blue's definitely avoiding me. All because of what happened on my date with Papyrus? I don't know what Pap told him in that conversation or what I did wrong, but now Blue is entirely different. No joy or hope, only secrecy, anger, and stress.
I had continued to make plans with Papyrus and we explored almost every inch of the town's cafes and shopping boardwalks. He even got to come here while I was at work and meet my boss, Miss Aria. I did worry about his health. He does tend to push himself to exhaustion sometimes. So, these little visits of his were kept short. We hadn't planned our second date yet since we had been meeting up so much.
But, Pap was still growing happier with each time I saw him... It felt like.. He could finally live again..
It didn't last long though. After a week, Honey stopped texting me altogether. I've tried contacting him but I get no response, not even a delivered or read notification. At first, I wondered if Blue had taken his phone. That idea was pushed aside, since Pap would most likely find another way to contact me if he really needed to. On one earlier occasion, Blue had taken the car. Well, nothing stopped Honey and he legit walked all the way to my workplace to visit.
Now, he was just gone.
As the days went on, my worry grew into extreme amounts of stress. I feared the worst. What if he had gotten really sick again? Was it my fault? Is Stretch okay?! Is he even alive? I couldn't sleep, so I rushed to find Blueberry at work the next day and asked him. Sans' eyes glowed brighter at the question, like I had struck a nerve just by approaching him. I could tell he was hiding his anger from me. He glared at me with annoyance for a while before muttering, "It's not your business." Then, he walked off and we never spoke again. It's been a few days since then.
Recollection of the memory made me pause. My heart sinks further as I put another row of bottles in their section.
'Not my business...'
I was shut out. Blue was the first friend I've made in a long time. Now, he hates me.
'It couldn't be because of jealousy.. Right?'
Blue was the one who encouraged me to text and visit Honey in the first place.
'He didn't immediately stop Honey from visiting me either. Unless Papyrus snuck out- WAIT THAT'S IT!'
I've been making Honey do all the hard work. Now it's my time to take a turn. I got an idea and I already know... It's completely crazy, but it'll work.
I rush to the back lounge and find my manager there, taking a sip of coffee during her break. I call out for her, "Miss Aria!" I get her attention. From her seat at the small table, she looks to me, "Hello Y/N. Is there something you need?" "Yes, actually... Could you stall Sans for another 30 minutes? Give him an extra task to finish or something?" Nervous as heck, I look at the floor.
"By how much you're shaking, the reason for this must be insane and absolutely ridiculous." She replies, taking another sip of her coffee. After some silence, she huffs and sets her cup down, "It also means that that reason must be very freaking important to you. You're not the type of person to take advantage or harm someone, so it must be for his brother that you had taken a liking to, right?.. Okay.. I'll do it.. But only if you agree to do a small shift on Saturday to make up for today's early leave. Sound fair enough?"
'Oh my gosh, yes!!'
"Of course..! Thank you so much!!! And um.. Could you-..." "I know, I know. This stays between us. Go on. Sans won't notice you leave if you go through the exit in here."
I'm almost astounded as I rush through the closest exit. It's almost a little shocking to know that my boss and I had grown this close. She's a couple years older than me and can be very serious when it comes to work. Yet, I genuinely see her as a friend after all this time. She's come to trust and understand me as one of her best friends and employees. We both do occasional favors for each other as long as it's not illegal or harmful to another person.
(~Honey's POV + Time Skip~)
My whole body hurts. Enduring the aches and pains only drain whatever ounce of motivation I have left. Another shock hits me in the chest, feeling equivalent to my soul being stabbed. Of all monster kind, I'm the one that remembers the feeling all too well. No thanks to the kid.
'Good grief.. I wish I could just sleep through it..'
Weakness fills every bone in my body, but the pain keeps me from getting any sleep. I grab at my plain white t-shirt, groaning in both worsening discomfort and aggravation. It's close to dinner, which means Sans will be home soon. He'll keep me company, as he always does. It really helps. It's comforting, especially after having to deal with the pain and loneliness alone all day.
Still, I miss Y/N..
I can't stop thinking about her and the travels we've made. Even if we didn't get anywhere far, the moment was more beautiful if I had her to share it with. I constantly wonder if she's alright.
'... Why did she leave?'
I was on my way to visit her at work last week when my bro stopped me. "You're not going to find her there." He said. At first, I thought he meant that she had taken the day off or gotten sick. Which, I would've been more than happy to chat or visit to help her through it if she'd let me. However, then Sans went on to say that she left town, moved without saying another word or anything. No trace was left of her.
Immediately, I tried to call her to get an explanation. Nothing. I desperately tried get ahold of her, sending multiple texts and calling that entire day. Not one answer. Days passed and I got sicker. I'm back to where I started, hopeless.
I have no idea what I did wrong. Apparently, it was so horrible that I drove her away. Why didn't she tell me? If something bothered her, I would make sure it wouldn't happen again. What did I say? What did I do?
The feeling of dizziness, pain, heartbreak, and insecurity overwhelm me. My mental and physical pain team up against me, making every minute harder and harder to handle than the last.
'How long am I supposed to go on like this?'
Tears fall down my cheeks, didn't matter how hard I tried not to. I strain myself to turn onto my side, tightly pulling my blanket over my shoulders.
'I can never keep a happy ending. That's all I freaking want.. For my bro and I to have just one.. No resets, no genocides, no sickness, and no stress.'
I can't stop crying. I can't stop the pain. Worst of all, I can't stop thinking about Y/N. My breathing goes unsteady. To calm myself, I hurriedly hold my hands over my face and clear my mind. I block everything out of my vision, embracing the calm dark. Sure, it's not sleep, but it's better than having to look at the helpless and pressuring reality around me.
'I don't understand why I can't just dust already. Start a new timeline. Why hasn't the kid reset?'
A large thud almost scared the sliver of life out of me. If it weren't for this sickness keeping me bound to my bed, I would've jumped out instantly. The loud sound came from behind me. An instant thought goes to my windows. Did I seriously leave one unlocked?
'Someone got it open and climbed into the house, and I didn't even notice?!'
My soul and mind are racing. There's no way I can use magic or strength to defend myself. At least, not in my current state. My phone is on my dresser across the room, which means I wouldn't be able to contact the authorities without getting up, which is also impossible in my condition.
I'm frozen still. Time is running out and I'm starting to fear for my life. Wait... Why am I afraid? I should be happy for an opportunity like this. A free ticket to death. A way I can finally silence my suffering. Why wouldn't I want that?
"Papyrus?"
'I KNOW THAT VOICE-'
I pull my hands away from my eyes. Despite the pain, I turned over to face my new intruder within seconds. Y/N is standing by my open window, out of breath.
My eye sockets widen with surprise. I shakily stutter, "Y-You're.. back.." "Of course I'm back! I had to visit you. By all the recent evidence, you've turned into a ghost while I was gone. Blue never talks about you almost like you don't exist. You're as white as a sheet. Also, when I came in here, you were so still that I thought you were dead." She jokes, closing the window back.
While her back is turned, I quickly wipe the tears off my face. In this stage of my sick week, I can't sit up all the way or on my own. From countless previous experiences of trying throughout the years, I get weak and nauseous. Throwing up is a messy and unpleasant experience that I always try to avoid. However, I can safely push myself up against a few of my pillows instead. It's something to lean on but also helps me to sit up a little.
'She's actually here....... Wait a minute..'
"I'm a ghost..and you've turned..into a thief." I weakly chuckle. She arches an eyebrow and smiles at me in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
I broke out into a fit of coughing. Once the moment passed and I got control of my breathing again, I explain, "You broke into my house through my window-" "What? Oh- You mean the back door." She giggles, pointing behind her to the window.
I give her a stern look of disbelief, "Your lying needs..some work... I may be sick, but I'm not blind.." "It opens and closes, and I can come into the house through it. Therefore, it's a back door." Y/N smirks with confidence, sitting on the side of my bed.
"That's exactly what a thief would say." I tease. It got her flustered, her cheeks turning pink as she slightly slaps my leg, "Pff- Shut up, Pap. It's your fault for leaving it unlocked. Besides, I haven't stole anything." "You stole my heart."
Y/N laughs, sparking some joy in my soul. I missed that so much. Being able to see her laugh and smile again means everything to me.
She starts messing with her hair and blushing more, before avoiding the subject, "Bonehead.. If I took your soul, you would die." "That's what it felt like...when I couldn't see you.." I reply, taking a deep breath. Y/N's smile fades, but then she scoots closer, "I missed you too, Papyrus. When you wouldn't answer my texts, I-I... I thought.." Tears well up in her eyes when she continues, "I-I'm glad y-you're alive."
I reach my arms out to her and use my thumbs to gently wipe away her tears. Y/N hesitantly moved closer. I wrapped my arms around Y/N and pulled her into my embrace. Turns out we both needed the comfort. She hugs back with a firm grip, her body trembling as she fought to settle her growing emotions. All I want to do is hold and comfort her as much as I can.
'... When I wouldn't answer her texts?'
"Y/N. Get my phone please. I need..to show you something.."
(~Small Time Skip~)
Y/N scrolls through my phone messages, shaking her head, "This doesn't make any sense." She also shows me her phone, revealing a long amount of messages and calls she sent to me. Y/N never received my messages and calls, and I never got hers. I scroll through some of the messages, which she apparently sent really late at night.
[Hey, just wanted to check in. You haven't answered any of my calls and I know you're usually up right now so..]
[I'm really worried about you]
[If you don't want to talk to me, tell me]
[I just need to know that you're okay]
[Papyrus]
[Papyrus, please answer!]
[PleASe!]
[Your brother doesn't talk to me anymore! I NEED to know that you're alive]
[PAPYRUS!!!]
[.......]
[Please be okay]
[Goodnight]
It hurt me to see how worried she was. I thought she had left me behind. Here she was, crying out to at least hear anything from me. This is only one instance out of over a week of messages.
'She was in the same pain, and I didn't even know....'
Y/N looks up from my phone, her voice low as she speaks, "Honey, all these messages you wrote say things about how you wanted to 'know the reason why I left'? That you wanted to know where I was. What were you talking about? You and Sans know my work and you both have my address.."
"Sans told me that you moved and that he didn't know where you were." As soon as I answered, Y/N went into this blank expression. I can't exactly describe it. She just stares at me, almost like silent anger and disbelief are mixing together. Just the fact that she looks like she lost her soul, tells me that my brother definitely did something.
"Blueberry sees me at work everyday and rudely refuses to talk or tell me anything. I couldn't even see or know if you were alive because it wasn't my business." Y/N growls. Y/N is frustrated. Her strong emotions, the unsent messages, and the fact that she broke in through the window just to see me... It all clicks together.
'Blue lied to both of us so we wouldn't see each other.'
I'm in too much of a shock to even say something or be mad right now.
'Why would he do that? Why weren't we able to contact each other through text or call? Why didn't I do something sooner to prove my brother's words were true?'
"Papyrus, look.." Y/N interrupts my racing thoughts and seems to be even more irritated than before. She holds our phones side by side. At first, I didn't understand why. Until she later explained it to me, "In the top left of the screen, you're supposed to have a wifi signal or data plan icon. Your phone doesn't. When I go to settings to check it out, it's locked and unavailable. Blue told me that he's the one to pay for the bills, which means he's in control of those settings. Your brother turned off the data plan on your phone. Without it, you can't send or receive messages or calls..."
'He really did all that?!'
I'm really surprised. That's a freaking lot of precautions to take, only to keep us apart. Y/N abruptly stands up and tosses my phone onto the bed. Then, she groans in frustration, kind of talking to herself, "SanS.. You'vE GOt To BE KiDDiNG ME..!"
N/N paces around my room for a while and pulls at her hair. I don't want her to hurt herself so I try to assure her that it'll be okay, but my soul suddenly pulses with a more persistent wave of pain. I grunt and grab at my chest to keep myself from screaming, following by the need to cough more. If I can't stop, I wouldn't be surprised if I threw up instead.
Y/N noticed. Having gotten her full attention, she rushes to my side and places a hand over my forehead, "How long have you had this fever?"
'...'
I don't answer and nervously break eye contact. "When you started leaving the house to visit me more, isn't it? ... You should've told me." Y/N lectured, sitting by my side again. I feel a bit pathetic, always making my brother and now Y/N worry all the time over me. It was silent for a while, and I still couldn't push myself to look at her.
"I wanted to impress you.. I wanted to show you...that I didn't have to be some..sick burden that has to stay home all the time." Focusing on what I couldn't do made the tears come back.
'Y/N deserves more than this. No. She deserves more than me.'
I take a shuddered breath in as my body starts to shake, "I c-can't do a-a-anything..without help-" Before I could finish, Y/N lays down next to me. That move had me startled and confused. She tucks her head against my neck, comforting me with a calm tone, "You are not a burden. I was impressed in the first few seconds after we met, all you did was be yourself. This sickness does suck, but that doesn't make you who you are."
Embarrassed for crying now, I hold one arm over my eyes. I seriously need to pull myself together. Y/N gently holds my other hand, keeping herself close.
For the first time in a while, I don't have to focus on the pain or being alone. I can hear and feel the soft sound of her heartbeat. The warmth of her body against mine is comfortable and almost too good to be true. Finally being able to see her and get true answers was the comfort I needed.
Yes, I know that the situation with my brother lying to Y/N and I is discouraging and must be handled. However, I finally have relief knowing that I wasn't the cause of Y/N's disappearance.
"If my bro is doing so much..to keep us apart... He's going to hate you when he..sees you..in here." I warn her while having to take a few more breaths. She replies, "I don't care. He can be mad all he wants, but he still lied.."
Having some time to process it, I didn't understand his behavior either. Sans was never a bad kid or someone to be this manipulative.
'Lying has always been my thing. Did he learn that from me?? But I lie to keep him safe, not anything like this..'
I thought I kept everything under control so he wouldn't learn about my lying habit. Why doesn't he like Y/N? She said Sans had been rude to her all this time. Is it all because I didn't agree with him? That I didn't want to live in my room for the rest of my life?
"I would rather go places with Y/N in the short time I have left than live painfully at home." That's what I told him outside the ice cream place N/N likes on that first date. I thought Sans understood that. I thought he would support that.
'What is up with him? Can't I have an opinion?'
If he's doing this, who knows what he may escalate to if Y/N confronts him. I don't want either of them getting hurt. Maybe Blue misunderstood me, I was never trying to push him away. He's done so much for me. Sans tries his best and I'm very grateful for that. Of course, he is the coolest younger brother I could ever have. I was only trying to explain that he shouldn't make all my decisions for me.
'I'm allowed to have other important people and values in my life.'
I'm not mad for what he did, but he needs some time to think clearly about what he's been doing.
I speak up, "N/N?" "Hm?" Y/N quietly hums, almost drifting off to sleep in her spot. "Would you mind if I could stay at your place for a few days?"
The room goes quiet and then Y/N sits up. She turns back, making solid eye contact with me with those bold (e/c) eyes of hers, "What for..?" "I... I think I need some space from my bro, only for a little while.."
"What about your doctors appointments?"
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"You can take me or we'll reschedule them."
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"Your machine that keeps you alive?"
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"A scientist friend of ours made it. It has a few pieces that detach for easier transportation. Only thing that's really heavy to carry are the tanks containing the dense amounts of magic."
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"...... And you're really sure about this? I'm sure Blueberry will be furious.."
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"Let me handle him. If you agree with it, overall, it's still my decision."
Y/N faces forward for a moment, thinking to herself. Her hand is still holding mine, making me subtly blush a little.
"Okay, if that's really what you want.. I don't mind at all. I have a guest bedroom I haven't used in a while, so it kind of turned into a storage room. The bed and stuff is still functional though so I'll just need some time to clean it up." I reply immediately, "So come tomorrow, after dinner. That gives me some time to get everything packed."
I can still see the worry in her expression as her gaze meets with my pale and shaking body. "Are you sure you can??? I-I-I can pack if you really need me to." "Don't worry about me. You focus on getting that room set up." I comfort her, pulling her close. I press my forehead on hers, lovingly running my hand through her hair while mumbling, "I'm gonna be alright."
She takes a deep breath and whispers, "... Okay.. I'll text you tomorrow- Erm.. wait.." Y/N slowly pulls away. She sighs and grabs her phone, typing on it for a while. Then, she grabbed my phone too and proceeded to do some work on it. I patiently waited for her to explain what she was doing.
A few minutes passed and she returned my phone to me, "I added you onto my data plan. You should get a message about it asking you to confirm." Feeling a bit guilty, I try to politely refuse, "Y/N, you don't have to." "You need this, Pap. If not to text me, what would've happened if something were to happen at home and you couldn't contact anyone? The hospital, the police, even Sans? Just keep it, until Blueberry changes his mind or you decide to come back home. It'll help me feel a whole lot better about this situation." Y/N was insistent, her expression of concern just tugging at my heart and making it impossible to say no.
'Crap, I can't reject her after all that.'
I let out a short sigh and nod my head. Shortly after, my phone received an automated text message from her communications company. It asked for a 6-digit number to confirm I was the right phone number and wanted to switch data plans. Y/N showed me the code from her phone's screen. She had already done all the hard stuff through her internet login.
I entered in the code and sent the confirmation. Full signal bars appeared on my screen and just like that, all the notifications of N/N's text messages came through. Y/N saw all my messages received onto her phone as well. My phone's working again. Communication is back.
"I have to go. Blue will be getting home soon." Y/N states. She shifts over and presses a quick kiss on my forehead. Afterwards, her cheeks turn red as she speaks softly, "See you tomorrow, okay?... Don't worry. If you change your mind, that's okay too. I'll just keep you on the data plan so you won't be 'off the grid' and everything.. I love you." "I love you too.. Goodnight." I pull her in for just one more hug, even giving her a kiss on the cheek before N/N got up and climbed back out through the window.
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Writer~San: So WoW- uH.. That was interesting. Been struggling to keep up for a while (~with my tragically declining mental health~), so I wrote a longer chapter. And I mean, really long- XD Almost 4500 words, which is equal to usually two of my long chapters.. ;w; R.I.P Oreo's brain and hands. But, we hit 1k views today!!! So, publishing this perfectly timed chapter was the perfect celebration gift from me to all of you! (〃ω〃)
Thank you so much for all the support, and feel free to comment your own theories on what you think will happen.. Or the reason for Blue's recent behavior? (" -w-) It wasn't me and my horrible puns, I swear-
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day and hopefully I'll see you in the next chapter!!!! Optional and free hugs to everyone~ Cya!