Grillby was a simple monster and now a simple man. Never had the desire for frivolity. Many of the older monsters called him a war hero but he only considered himself an ordinary bar owner. Ichika helped him pick out the perfect place for his new bar to be opened. A two story building; a wide open floor plan on the first floor, two rooms and a kitchenette on the second. What really sold Grillby on the property were the mirrored bay windows on both floors.
<~>
"grillby what's this?"
Sans held up an old picture book of an old human cabin. He was roughly six years old and insanely clumsy.
"Hey Sans. Welcome back. Where's your father?"
"daddy ended my lessons early so he can work and he sent me. can I have choco-milk?"
Grillby lifted Sans to sit on his hip as he walked into the kitchen. A super chocolatey and warm milk drink was expertly made one handed and the sippy cup was in Sans's mouth in seconds.
"Now, what was it you were trying to show me, Shooting Star?"
Sans's eyelights brightened and wiggled to be let down. He jammed his sippy into Grillby's hands and tripped over his own two feet as he ran back into the bar. Grillby followed and sat at a booth. Sans grabbed his picture book from where he dropped and attempted to climb onto Grillby's lap.
"Lemme help you, Little Star."
Sans was situated and he flipped through the pages until he stopped.
"whats this pretty round window thing?"
"That is called a bay window. It's both a window and a seat. When I lived on the surface, my family home had a big bay window. It was the spot for family discussions and game nights."
"cool! can the bar have a bay window?"
"I'm sorry Sans, but the structural design of the bar can't support a bay window. The surrounding walls would be ripped straight off the bones."
"bones like mine?"
"No sweet boy. The house's bones are the big wooden pillars holding the roof and walls in place."
"oh. my bones are prettier."
"That they are."
Grillby kissed the top of Sans's skull.
"grillby, when i'm a grownup, i'm gonna open up my own bar and it's gonna have a big bay window and we'll play games there!"
"I'll look forward to it. Do you want to help set up the bar for service tonight?"
"yes!"
<~>
Sans was obsessed with bay windows for years until one day he just stopped. Out of the blue, a week before he was taken to the world they were in now, he just stopped talking about it completely. Grillby didn't know why, but the building having not one, but two of the exact window Sans used to fantasize about having, only solidified his decision.
Since Grillby didn't have a job, the plan was for Ichika and Natsumi to buy the building and for Grillby to open the bar. Grillby would buy the building off of them after the bar started making money. Skip forward some, Sans is Grillby's biological son. Sans offered to help out with the bar after school. Grillby had to force Sans to get Nezu's permission since students weren't allowed to have after-school jobs.
Nezu, the drama loving rat, had no issue allowing Sans to work at the bar with the exception that if his grades started dropping, the privilege would be revoked. It was time for everyone to get to work.
Booths, tables, and chairs were installed in the main area along with a bar, back bar, soda guns, mini fridge, an ice machine, and draft beer equipment. Seeing that the bar wasn't in the Underground and had more potential customers than he ever had back home, the kitchen had three industrial stoves, a large walk-in freezer, and prep tables.
The stairs leading to the second floor were hidden behind a "Fire Door." A little pun for Sans. One of the bedrooms was transformed into a simple bedroom fit for Grillby with a desk, filing cabinet, a standing closet, a king-sized bed, and a large bookshelf. The second bedroom only had a desk, a bed, and dresser and waited for Sans's creative touch, if he so desired to move in. A small kitchenette with an island counter was installed down the hall from both rooms.
The bar's uniforms were a gift from Nezu himself. Made by the best tailors Japan had to offer. The uniforms were simple, classic, and classy. Black slacks and skirts, crisp white button down with detachable sleeves for hot days, a black vest with a gardenia pinned on the left side, and dress shoes with comfortable soles.
Grillby, Sans, Ichika, Natsumi, Undyne, and, surprisingly enough and for that night only, Eijirou were working. Natsumi, Grillby, and Undyne wore the uniform with pants and the other three went with skirts. Eijirou chose the skirt to piss off gender-norms. Ichika and Sans wore skirts for less movement restrictions. Sans also detached his sleeves. He worked in Grillby's back in the Underground, so he knew how hot it could get now that he wasn't literal bones and magic.
<~>
Grillby - "Hello and welcome to Grillby's Bar and Grill. Come on in and have a great time."
Pro-heroes and civilians all swarmed the bar. Ichika and Eijirou were the waiter and waitress, Ichika was in the kitchen with Undyne, leaving Sans and Grillby behind the bar. The two of them worked in synchronized harmony. Building, mixing, and shaking drinks was incredibly nostalgic for Sans. With all the resets, Sans hadn't been a bartender for hundreds of thousands of years.
Undyne and Natsumi worked quickly in the kitchen. Pumping out orders left and right and no pause in between. Ichika and Eijirou killed it as a two person waitstaff. They were courteous and pushed the specialties of both women in the kitchen. They were quick in cleaning up messes and Eijirou was faster than lightning in cutting off the dunkards from more alcohol intake.
<~>
Sans all but collapsed in the bay window with a cold cloth over his forehead.
Sans - "Ugh, I hate humans."
Natsumi - "Wanna run that by me again, young man?"
Sans - "Obviously I don't mean you guys. Ugh, human bodies suck! All this work cut right into my sleep!"
Undyne - "Hey Kirishima crew, I could use some help back here!"
Ichika - We're coming. Come on you two."
Eijirou and Natsumi followed Ichika into the kitchen leaving Sans and Grillby in the main dining room. Grillby laughed at Sans's theatrics. He too sat in the bay window after lifting Sans's feet into his lap.
Sans - "Despite my flesh covered bones aching and screaming in agony, I had fun today. It's been so long since I last bartended."
Grillby - "It has been a little over three years. So that's understandable."
Sans - "Three years...that is a long time."
A long time by your standards, is what Sans wanted to say. RESETs were a complicated topic. Every time Sans tried explaining it to Alphys, by the time she finally understod the concept, another RESET would happen and he would be alone again. Eventually he stopped trying. Why bother if you had to do it and fail again and again and again?
Grillby - "Sans, what do you think of this window?"
Sans - "It's comfy, plenty of space, the only thing it's missing is..."
Sans's musing came to a halt. He was sitting in a window with pillows. With Grillby.
Grillby - "The only thing missing is?"
Sans gave a dry laugh and sat up.
Sans - "The only thing missing is a game. Hey guys, come out here!"
Eijirou, Ichika, Natsumi and Undyne walked back into the bar. Grillby pulled a table over to the window and san pulled over three chairs. Two decks of Uno cards were pulled from Grillby's pockets. Eijirou, Sans, and Grillby sat in the window and Undyne, Ichika, and Natsumi sat in the chairs. The six of them spent the rest of that night playing games in the bay window of Grillby's Bar and Grill.
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