Chereads / Shades of Blue / Chapter 20 - Early Rain

Chapter 20 - Early Rain

The street lights were soft as you looked around. The Saturday forecast said it would be cloudy with a small chance of rain. But the heavy drumming of rain told you otherwise.

You leaned closer to Papyrus as he could only hold the umbrella high enough for the both of you. Walking was a bit awkward. Both of you struggle to keep each other from falling away from the umbrella's embrace. You tried to quicken your steps to match Papyrus. It was days like these you were glad Papyrus had a car. Sadly, It didn't make the short walk to the store any easier. 

"I get Frisk still has homework but couldn't they just do it tomorrow?" You pouted knowing you lost the battle in the argument.

You and Paps agreed to hit the shops to buy some movies for your long movie night. Maybe, even pick up some dinner on the way back. Frisk leaped at the chance to stay home. Using their homework as an excuse to stay in. And not so they could catch up on their sleep. The bags under frisk's eyes said it all for you. But you still had a suspicion that they did this for another reason. But you ignored it. You waited for Papyrus to finish his phone call before driving over here. Papyrus words disrupted your thoughts.

"YEA BUT FRISK JUST NEEDS SOME TIME TO ADJUST." Papyrus gestures to the door. Moving away as he shook the umbrella dry "AAAAAND THIS IS A PERFECT CHANCE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT OUR SHIP" Papyrus closed the umbrella as you guys made it inside. "I heard someone is stopping by a certain someone's tea shop"

"Goat mom and goat dad finally getting together?!" You shriek as your eyes grow into saucers at this new information. The grinning skeleton slowly grabbed a cart to build the suspense. Not making eye contact as they usher you to follow. 

"REMEMBER HOW ASGORE LEAVES POST IT NOTES FOR TORIEL TO READ ON HER DOOR" You nodded vigorously as Papyrus turned down to the movie section. "TORIEL LEFT HIM A POST-IT NOTE!"

Finally! After all the times you would see that goat monster come over during your lessons. It was about time. He seemed nice. He would leave little poems as thanks whenever he asked for a cup of sugar. You couldn't help but grin whenever Asgore used to ask for a cup of sugar. And at one point he forgot to bring a cup and had to use his hands instead.

"What did it say?" 

You grabbed Papyrus' arm in suspense. His teasing grin made it all the harder not to shake him. With one hand he passed you a movie. Water boy? No thank you.

"NOTHING…"

"WHAT?!?!?"

"I'm kidding. SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD STOP BY FOR A CUP OF SUGAR" Papyrus said bashfully. You held your hands to your face. No amount of sappy love stories could come close to theirs.

It was finally happening. Your ship was finally sailing. Thank goodness. You weren't sure if you would be okay if Toriel ended up with someone else. She was a nice lady and you honestly hoped she would have someone helping her out. 

The tall skeleton pressed their hands together to get your attention. As there was more that they wanted to say. Oh, goodie!

"Strangely, she's gone over there to get some sugar. But she comes back with flowers instead" Papyrus added as he signaled you to continue your fangirling. 

Papyrus's words got you acting all swoon over the romance. It's been years in the making for this moment to happen. This left your buddy shaking in laughter as you continued to fan yourself. Adding extra flair until Papyrus finally stumbled over while laughing. You catch him as you were satisfied with his reaction. You love making him laugh to that point; it's one of life's great pleasures.

Papyrus wiped away a single tear as he regained composure. This left you thinking for a second. "Do you think they have a chance?" 

"I DUNNO. MAYBE?" Papyrus answered as they plucked a movie and dumped it into the cart. "THEY WILL HAVE PLENTY OF SUPPORT BESIDES US. BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE MONSTER WHO WON'T BE HAPPY ABOUT IT"

"Sans?"

The look of shock on his face was clear to see. It seemed your skeleton friend wasn't sure you were aware. As his jaw was slack and before you could hear him say anything. You interjected as you raised your hand and continued.

"I'm aware that he was protective of her. I understand, she's a real special lady. But I know we can't control Ms. Dreamer's life. Even when we think we know what's best" 

Papyrus nodded in agreement. As the atmosphere grew more relaxed. But it left you feeling unsure about a few things. You couldn't help but think of yesterday's fight.

"Hey Paps, you know how you said you would need to approve my date mates. Were you serious?" You looked at him reluctantly. "Are you worried I'll get hurt?"

Papyrus rummaged at the clearance bin. His face looked in deep thought. Normally he would change the subject if he wasn't too sure about answering but this time he didn't seem to mind the question.

"I AM. YOU'RE PART OF OUR FAMILY" The tip of his fingertips lightly hovered over the covers. His voice grew tender. "I know you'll make the right choice. But I want to be part of it"

His soft smile left you a bit surprised. Papyrus isn't typically so quiet, so his response left you speechless. He almost seemed like a kid to you who was leaving. Scared that you would lose your connection with each other. 

"Papy we will always be fam. And don't worry you'll get to meet whoever I date. And if you tell me they are a serial killer I'll drop them" 

Papyrus looked away as he nodded. You couldn't see his face for a second there, you thought you saw him smirk. Nah not your cinnamon roll.

"But that means I get to judge, I mean-meet your date-mate" You poke Papyrus as he turns to you in disbelief.

"NO. YOU WOULD BE QUESTIONING THEIR GAMING TASTE. OR ASKING THEM TO HELP YOU COOK!" Papyrus relented.

"Buuuut how else will I know they are good enough? They can't only be just for you!  I need a gaming rival. You gotta share them" As you pointed at a movie called Player 2. Papyrus frowned at the cover and placed it back on the shelf.

"AND WHY SHOULD I DO THAT?" Papyrus huffed as he scrambled to find a movie. He got lucky with the bin as he pulled up a movie called Y.

"You could say you tend to share whatever makes you happy. Once you do that I'll know they are a keeper" you answered confidently.

It was the skeleton's turn to act surprised at your honest response. To you it makes sense. You can list the countless times Papyrus would invite his brother to cooking class. And you know he's a cool dude. Like the time he ripped his scarf for a lonely snowman. Papyrus was just too good for the world.

"WOWIE, I GUESS YOU KNOW ME WELL?" Your skeleton bud fumbled with the movie, 

"Eh, it's not hard to see how great you are"

"Aw y/n. Well there's something I wanted to say"

"Aaaaall~ right, coming on "

You both turn around to the noise. Papyrus  

quickly pulled out his phone as the ringer kept going off. 

" Right back where we started from~"

The quick look of frustration before shifting into a smile. Papyrus doesn't pick it up but signals that he will be right back. Something didn't feel right. On instinct, you grab his arm. You try to gesture if he's ok. Papyrus gives you a thumbs-up as he shakes you off, and he walks off to the exit. 

A part of you wanted to sneak up and hear his conversation. You immediately decided against it. A part of you was worried. But you believe in your friend. They will probably tell you later. Hopefully, they aren't being pulled away for some reason. Papyrus is an amazing guy and has many people who rely on him. It wouldn't surprise you if he needed to bail. 

A part of you hopes that he doesn't leave right away. There's so much you still planned to do. And you couldn't forget that you guys just made up after yesterday's fiasco. You have to convince Paps that you're doing fine. And maybe that could give you the boost to deal with your family. 

Buzz buzz

Papy

Good day, M'lady I'm using Papy's phone so I could bid you luck. Also curious about what you're up to :)

Awe. If anyone saw you right now they would see you grinning like a fool. You try to mask your smile so as not to scare shoppers. You send a quick reply.

You

Oh just shopping for stuff at the small grocery store by my job.

Papy

Oh, I heard of that place! Have fun and let me know how it goes later.

You reply with a thumbs up. Blue was so sweet you couldn't help but almost feel him rooting for you. Silly. It's not possible but you couldn't help but think otherwise.

It's been a while and still no smiling skeleton. In the search for movies, you couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on you. You couldn't point where but you try to ignore it. Grab your cart and stroll through the aisles. 

You turn the corner before you bump into a familiar face. Papy looked over as he waved to you. You almost didn't notice him with his hood up. He blended in so well you didn't even notice him next to you. 

He looked a bit scattered. As he avoided your eyes as he attempted to lean against the wall. Only faltering for a bit before adjusting himself to a more comfortable stance. He seemed to nudge his hands in his pocket. He seemed to be fumbling for something. Oh.

"Did Blue forget to tell you he was borrowing your phone"

Papy looked puzzled as he kept fumbling with his pockets before pulling them out and patting his stripe sweatpants. Before nodding in defeat. He let out a sigh. 

" That explains a bit. Sorry I was looking for my grocery list. Gotta buy some… food for later" he shrugged as he looked over to something on the wall "I can remember most of it so it should be fine. What brings you here?"

You nod as you couldn't help but smile at him. So Blue could be a bad boy. Stealing his brother's phone so he could talk to you. And here papys grocery shopping. Why does this remind you of you and Maya? 

"Well, you probably left it in your other hoodie. I'm just shopping with my brother but I should leave you before you forget" Papy looked at you skeptically before he shrugged. 

"Forget what?" 

You stared at Papy before he understood. 

"Oh right. Later"

Papy comes and gives you a one-armed hug as he quickly exits into the next aisle. Weird. Didn't take him for a hugger like his brother? Maybe you've gotten close to him now.

That thought cheered you up. You sent a few more texts to Blue. He replied but not as quickly. He was still sweet but something felt a bit off. Meh, it could be in your imagination. You ignore any lingering doubts as you were still getting to know him.

It takes a bit of time before you see your skeleton come back. You manage to come up with 20 different movies to watch. Now all that was left to pick 4 out of your selection.

Papyrus pulled you into a hug. You welcomed it, feeling his reassuring squeeze. He quickly lets you go. Huh, he looks in a better mood.

"THANKS FOR WAITING SIS. I HAD TO FIND SOMEONE TO COVER FOR ME IN THE SHELTER"

"Don't you just volunteer? Isn't it optional?" 

Papyrus laughed it off before grabbing the movies in your hand. "I'M GOOD WITH ANIMALS. ALSO, LET ME SEE THOSE."

Papyrus looked over the selection and grabbed 5. Among them were two comedies and 3 thrillers. Making sure that everyone got something they could watch. And you picked up a few sweets to snack on. As both of you left the store happy. The rain finally cleared up. And next on your quest was to pick up some dinner. 

You opened your phone and hit the first number on the speed dial. You knew just the place. You quickly place your order and remember to ask for the happy family special. That made Papyrus smile.

"So I saw grillby's niece recently. And she has her food truck. And before you think it's greasy. You are half right." You signaled Papyrus to drive to take a turn.

You would love for them to meet. How would they react to each other? Knowing papyrus would have a lot of fun talking to her about cooking. But considering your guests are only here until Monday morning. There's so much you still need to show them. 

Papyrus drives up to a simple Chinese restaurant. You can see from the window your order is set nicely on the counter. Not sure how they get your food done in the 15 minutes they give you to pick it up but you're thankful for their speed. The place was perfect when you didn't want to cook. 

The tall skeleton looked at you skeptically. As you come back to the car with the goodies on hand. The smell of the food was heavenly. Your mouth was watering by the time you sat down.

Papyrus could see the grease stains on the bag but he kept his mouth shut. And you welcomed it. At this point, you knew Papyrus's history for greasy joints. And you didn't mind it.

Over time you learned that he wasn't against greasy joints. Heard stories of him fetching his brother from Grillbys. It's no wonder Papyrus was against the food. Sans excessive ordering made the poor skeleton grow tired of the place, and would want something healthy from restaurants. You tried greek food and vegan dishes thanks to him. In a way, both of you influenced your diets.

"Hey paps you were gonna ask me something" Papyrus turned down the music so you could hear him better. 

"SO I WAS GONNA SAY-"

*BEEP*

You placed your phone on silent. You could see it was papy. This could wait. Your brother came first. You looked back at the confused skeleton. Urging your buddy to continue. Paps looked skeptical before continuing. 

"WHAT WAS I GONNA SAY? OH RIGHT SO IT'S CRAZY BUT I FOUND OUT…"

Your phone started to vibrate. With a heavy sigh, you placed it on airplane mode. The car stopped moving as you guys made it back home. And finally, the rain had stopped.

Papyrus signaled for the two to get back home. You let out a sigh of defeat. As you guys went up the stairs you would glance over to paps. If papyrus was annoyed by the interruption he didn't show it. He kept smiling as he signaled for you to open the door. 

"Surprise!!!"

You looked around at the decorations littering the ceiling. At a glance, Frisk had a confetti cannon. As it blasted off you could see the sparks look like stars. Dominos had glow sticks over their tail. As they wagged it would look like a little light show. In giant letters, you read Happy Birthday. Wait. 

"SO I WAS SAYING. I FOUND OUT WE DIDN'T CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY AND WE HAD GIFTS READY FROM LAST YEAR. WE COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER." 

You felt tears well up. You could see frisk handy work. The streamers and the cake were perfect. The strange cannon kept blaring confetti and a mix of something else. Oh right, magic. 

"Wait, so you lied about the homework?"

Frisk looked away guilty. You quickly pulled them in for a hug. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done. You couldn't help but hold them tightly in thanks. In seconds Frisk was pushing away at the hug. Before going limp and surrendering. Papyrus joined in as he lifted the both of us up. 

"You dummies. I love you guys. Oh, I can give you guys your gifts too!" You still had their gifts collecting dust in the closet. In seconds all of you guys were sitting on the floor. Playing one of the movies as you opened gifts. It practically felt like Christmas.

"I LOVE THIS! HOW DID YOU KNOW?" papyrus shrieked as he revealed giant light-up shoes. Finding those took forever as not many companies have size 18 in stock. Papyrus cradled them as they began to light up from the motion. This brought a smile to his face.  

"I'm still shocked you got me canvas and acrylic markers" honestly any art supplies left you giddy. 

Frisk coughed to get our attention. They flashed us their new hats. You and paps had the same idea. Frisk took a liking to them and both of you knew their unique taste. One could be used as a wig. Another one was for storage. It had a hidden compartment to store a few things. But in Frisk's hands, they used it to stack up all their things. To a point you're impressed they could balance all your movies on top of their head.

"This is nothing, try balancing hotdogs"

This brought back old memories of the underground. Frisk would go on and on about their adventures. You've never seen it. But that didn't matter, it made your friends happy to talk about it. You were happy to listen as they told you about their home.

"Remember when Alphy tried to make Undyn a fireproof house." 

"Oh yeah. It took forever to clean that good off of us"

At times like this, you weren't sure what to say. You've never met these monsters but you could at least say you practically knew them. You look back at your phone. Your curiosity got the better of you as you opened notifications and scrolled through. Finding dozens of missing calls and texts. Oh, blue got his phone back nice. But both conversations seemed different. The one that got you worried was Papy s.o.s text.

YouPapy'sk over to the two who were still lost in their stories. In that brief moment, you headed over to your room. Until you knew the door was locked, did you answer the first call that rang?

"Ok, so what's wrong?"

"Finally you pick up! I need your help. I'll be over in 10min to pick you up. Bye "  

And with a click, he hung up. Leaving you confused and a bit worried. Nothing in his voice sounded like the chill monster you saw in the morning. He sounded frightened or nervous.

You wanted to call back but it sounded like a real emergency. Instead, you grabbed a hoodie and packed your bag ready for anything. Not sure what it's all about but maybe Blues hurt and Papy needs help. At this point, he's helped you. It's about time you return the favor.

Geeze, how are you going to break it to the guys about this? 

You walk back to the living room. Both of them were snuggled up in their gift blankets as they chomped down on kettle corn. They took notice of you as you got closer to them. With a tilt of both their heads, you could tell they were confused. They scooted over to make space as you stopped them.

"Guys I gotta step out for a bit. Gonna get some milk for this cake" you pointed at the half-eaten cake. The boys didn't seem fazed. 

"ALRIGHT. DO YOU NEED MY KEYS TO GET THERE?" You signaled that it was close by as you headed out of the apartments. Once you were down you could see Papy waiting by a golf cart. Does he seem to be chewing on a pacifier?

"Nice ride"

"Thanks. Hop on " 

Papy passes you a ring pop. You immediately pop it into your mouth. The candy was silly. At least it eased you a bit. 

In seconds we were on the road. Papy sped through not saying anything as you could only assume the worst. 

O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\O

Next time on 

"How deep is your web of lies!?" ( MC)

"Butt dial?" (papy)

"WAITRESS CAN I GET THE SPECIAL~"

(Surprise guest you will all probably know)(it's red guys)