"Maybe it can be entirely a bird theme!"
"...What?" You signed to the over enthusiastic robot in front of you. After working some time into his schedule, Mettaton had called you into his office to discuss his next album which would be featuring your song as one of it's tracks. Even though you had yet to see the fruits of your labor in Germany. Currently you were trying to figure out how the layout of all the songs would influence each other. You had both agreed that you didn't want a bunch of random songs on it. There was no way that you wanted it to be random or like a best hits album. Instead, Mettaton wanted it to be cohesive and you completely agreed. However.... A bird theme?
Mettaton stood up out of his chair in excitement. "Think about it, sweetheart. Every song could incorporate a different bird and tell its tale!"
At first, you weren't sure if he had said a pun. Which he had but he hadn't realized it. Taking this opportunity before it slipped away, you looked at him over dramatically aghast. Channeling the robot idol through your being. "Considering... My song has you chasing after one bird... I see how it is..." Quickly, you looked to the floor while clutching your heart in mock hurt. But you may have made it look to realistic.
"Beautiful?... How is 'what'?" Mettaton was now unsure of what he said that could have made you upset. He leaned over the desk towards you with a full look of concern on his face. Whoops. Not what you wanted to do. Looks like your acting could give his a run for it's money.
"All you want to do is chase tail feathers!" You give him your best crocodile tears, even adding in some silent sniffles for good measure.
Through the strands of your hair, you watched as the look on Mettaton's face changed from concerned to slightly annoyed but relieved. "Darling, you keep doing things like that then I'm going to have a heart attack."
"Do you even have a heart?" Your hands asked with genuine curiosity as you smiled at his words. Was it a real heart or a mechanical one? Did Alphys design it? How did it work and was it for aesthetic purposes or was it actually used?
"That I do but we have gotten off topic." He sits back down in his chair and rifled through a couple of papers on it. You settled back in your comfy chair when a knock on the door had the both of you looking at it in question. Mettaton had specifically explained that he needed to sit down and figure this album stuff out. Telling his employees to only disturb him if there was an emergency. You could see the sour expression start to form on the robot idol's face. If this wasn't an emergency that person was going to get an earful. "Come in!" he called. His normally playful but sultry voice now all business.
However the person who opened the door had you both out of your chairs in worry. In the doorway was Sans. Looking as though he was about to keel over right then and there. You didn't know how but his cheekbones looked even paler than normal. Sunken in even. He looked extremely frail. It appeared to be an effort for him to just be standing in the door way.
As quickly as you could, both Mettaton and you guided the ragged skeleton to a nearby chair. He fell into it grateful to be off of his slippered feet. But it just made him look worse. You lightly clicked your tongue to get his attention. "Sans, what's wrong? Are you all right?"
"You look positively awful, Darling."
Sans chuckled before quickly clapping a boney hand over his mouth to stifle a series of horrible coughs. "Yeah, I'm fine.."
"You got to be kitten me! How are you feline fine? You look like we need to call a purramedic!" Your hands flying with the puns before Mettaton could even comprehend them, in an attempt to cheer the skeleton up. You had signed the first things that seemed to have come to mind and it looked like it worked. Sans coughing turned into laughter until he winced as he clutched his sides.
He straightened back up but you could see how tired he was. "No need for a purramedic. I'm just sick." Making sure to extend the 'r' sound as he said it.
"Obviously, sweetheart! You need to go home." Mettaton said with an insistent voice. His hands on his hips. Mettamom mode in full activation. You snicker at that internal pun. Mettamom. That was something you wanted to see.
"Don't worry. I will. I need to ask you a favor first Mettaton." The jovial air in the room from the puns leaving as Sans's face got serious.
"What is it?" Mettaton cocked his eyebrow at the stout skeleton curiously. The change in Sans's face not going unnoticed by the both of you.
"As you can tell... I'm bone tired from being sick." Sans stated while gesturing to himself. "Meaning I can't go to the PTA meeting at Frisk's school tomorrow. Toriel can't go because she has to deal with other school related things... So.. Can you go?"
Mettaton's face turned stony at that. Just like it had strained a bit when it was brought up at the skelebro's house. What was going on at these PTA meetings that would elicit this kind of reaction? "Nancy?" was all the robot asked.
Sans nodded and that was it. You looked between the two confused. They both were in a mutual silence. What the hell? They were acting like a horrible thing was going to happen or maybe a war. If it was so bad... Maybe you could help? Suddenly you clapped your hands to get their attention and to also break the odd silence that had settled in the office. "May I come too?"
Both of them looked really uneasy at that. "Songbird... I don't think you should... Some of those parents... Can be harsh." Mettaton looked at Sans and the skeleton was nodding in agreement.
"I think I can handle some soccer moms." You signed to them feeling slightly insulted. Why would a PTA meeting be that bad? There is always rude people in the world and it wouldn't be the first time you had to deal with them."Besides. If they have issues with you because you are monsters then maybe my presence could help."
The two monsters looked at each other as they mulled over your offer. You tapped your foot impatiently until they seemed to reach a decision. Mettaton let out a weary sigh. "Songbird could possibly help us out... With a human siding with us... Nancy might back off."
"Or she'll just try to rip kiddo a new one." Sans didn't seem to like the idea. At all. "But then again, Nancy could surprise us. Just... If it starts to get bad..."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Mettaton moved to sit on the edge of his desk in thought.
Sans gave you a somber smile. "Looks like you get to go... Just... Tread carefully and don't eat the lemon bars."
You give him a confused nod. Why were they treating this like they were prepping you for war? Just who was 'Nancy' and why did they care so much? This was all really really weird.
"Darling, could you take Songbird home? I need to get some things put together for tomorrow just in case... But if its to much-" Mettaton began to say before he was cut off when Sans raised his hand.
"It's not a problem. Let's go, bud." Sans said as he offered his hand out to you. Now you were really confused. Why was Mettaton sending you home? You hadn't even begun your meeting on the album yet. You had literally sat down to talk no more than 10 minutes ago. But the pensive look on the robot idol's face had you walking up and wrapping your arms around him in farewell.
He hugs you back and even presses a kiss to the top of your head. You pull back while giving him a questioning look that goes unanswered. So you take Sans's hand after closing your eyes and the familiar feeling of falling consumes you.
The plain walls of your living room materialized around you when you open your eyes. Sans sneezes loudly next to you and you bring him the nearby tissue box. He mutters a thanks. Man, he looked really bad. But you had to ask him the question that has been burning in your mind since he stopped by the office.
"What is wrong with these PTA meetings?"
Sans laughed at your clearly perplexed expression. "You'll find out soon enough... Just... Be ready..." At that, he teleports out and you are left alone in your house.
Well then... It appears that this PTA meeting was going to be an experience. What had Toriel, Sans, and Mettaton had to deal with? Noted monsters had been generally accepted into society but there was still a few bad eggs who didn't agree. Maybe there were a few parents who didn't like monsters?
Your brows knit together in anger at that. If that was true then you were prepared to put those people in their place. There was no way in hell you were going to let your friends be stepped on by some racist humans.
So you head into your room and bring out your phone. While flopping onto your bed, you unlock it to find a couple of sweet texts from Mettaton that he had sent you a few days ago. They brought a smile to your face but now wasn't the time to look at them. Instead, you opted for the app store and started looking for text to talk apps. If you were going to get into an argument then you couldn't trust Mettaton to translate everything you sign. Especially if it got heated.
You needed to have your own voice. Once you downloaded a couple apps and found one you liked, you laid back on your bed in the darkness. Now that your hands weren't typing away on your phone to get the digital voice to speak, a silence descended on the room.
Involuntarily shuddering, you went back to the most recent text Mettaton sent you. Opening it up, you asked him when he was going to pick you up tomorrow and when the PTA meeting was.
It didn't take him long to respond back.
Mettaton 2:10 pm
Sorry about kind of shooing you out, sweetheart. But since we are going to the PTA meeting I need to prepare for it. It starts at 5 pm. So I'll be by to pick you up at around 4:30. Frisk should be waiting for us at the school.
Frisk was going to be there? That's cool. You always liked hanging out with the flirtatious monster ambassador. Though it was odd that they would be at the PTA meeting. Most times kids stayed home from that kind of thing. It's not like kids like to sit and listen to all that boring stuff. Regardless, you were smiling.
XXX-XXX-XXXX
That sounds wonderful. But I have to warn you... The last time I was with the kid, they got a little FRISKY with me.
You sent the text off with several silent giggles as you reminisced the pick up pun that Frisk had used on you before the dough fight. It still sent you into giggle fits when you think about the kid hitting on you. Moments later your phone went off and you opened up Mettaton's response.
Mettaton 2:12 pm
Oh my, I may have some competition then. That child certainly has a way with words. They'll steal you away if I'm not careful. What did they do?
You immediately responded.
XXX-XXX-XXXX
They signed to me: whenever I see you, you leave me speechless.
There was a few moments of silence until your phone went off again.
Mettaton 2:20 pm
That is true... But you know. The first time I met you I looked for a signature, because every masterpiece has one.
Damn, he was good. A small blush formed on your cheeks and you let the conversation trail off.
This is how the two of you have been treating each other since that fateful night. Puns. Playful teasing. It was nice. Whenever you wanted someone to text, Mettaton was there. He dropped whatever he was doing to make you his first priority.
Even if you texted him at 3 o' clock in the morning.
Which you had done. Several times. To be honest, other than Sans and Papyrus's visits, these interactions with Mettaton were the only thing keeping you above the cyclone of emotions that you seemed to hide rather well. Probably due to the years of experience that you had. They spun around inside you like an endless void of 'What ifs'. That only seemed to rear its ugly head when you were alone.
You shook your head in an attempt to get rid of this train of thought as you felt the familiar feeling of sadness and helplessness start to manifest. Now wasn't the time for this... You had a PTA meeting to prepare for. But it didn't seem like they were going to listen to you.
Clutching your phone to your chest, you curled your body around it like a life line. The negative feelings that you had been fighting back overwhelming you. This wasn't the first time it happened and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last.
Soon the fear and sadness of the death you would face faded into a dull numbness that seemed to overtake your body. It was in these moments of weakness that everything was laid out before you. Your life, you soon to be death, what you will be missing, what you will be leaving behind. Everything.
The first couple of times you laid in bed without feeling the want or need to get up, Sans had been there. He knew all to well what you were currently experiencing and he hadn't left you alone until you were out of it. Or at least until you appeared to be. Now you understood why he always had a smile on his face. When you figured out that these feelings weren't going away anytime soon... You started to hide them. There was no way you were going to keep being an inconvenience to Sans. Or Mettaton for that matter.
In this moment, everything you did seemed futile. What was the point? You were going to die and nothing would be left. The only thing left behind would be your one song and the memories that would haunt your friends and loved ones. Why even try? The numbness felt crippling as you clutched your phone even tighter.
This could all go away. All you had to do was send Mettaton a text and he would be by your side in a heartbeat. Sans would also, normally, but you didn't want to bother him while he was sick. He was feeling bad enough as it was without you dragging him down even more. Same went for Mettaton. He would be here but then he would have to postpone whatever he had planned for tomorrow's meeting. Along with whatever else he had planned in his jam packed schedule.
There was no room for you.
Flicking on your phone, you scrolled back through the old messages that he had sent. The ones that you had saved just for this reason. Your eyes flew across the screen as you reread the sweet and calming messages that Mettaton had sent to you. Ones that had brought you out of this perpetual state of horrible emotions, numbness, and futility several times before. They always made the numbing feeling go away. Even if it was just for a little bit.
You continued to read them for hours until finally sleep beckoned and you willingly fell into it's embrace. The numbness receding in your dreamless sleep.