It's like night and day
A sense of dread pooled in your stomach on the drive home. It definitely was not going to be fun explaining how you lost a week at work to your boyfriend. He was ‘in between jobs’ and relied on you to make then rent for the not-so-beautiful house the two of you shared. The truth is that Michel was never going to get a job, seeing as it’s been over eight months since he even tried to put in an application, but you stayed hopeful. “Just get in the shower and get to work. If you’re quick, then maybe you won’t have to- “you knew that wasn’t going to work. He was waiting for you on the front steps, cigarette in hand, when you pulled up.
“You’re late,” judging by his tone he was already irritated, “Where have you been?” You flinched as you shut the car door.
“Some stuff happened at work and I had to go to the new guy’s house,” you tried to hold your ground.
“You were at a guy’s house? Are you fucking kidding me ______? So I’ve been here waiting for you all night and you just go fuckin’ around on me?”
“What? No! I just have to train him. It’s part of this program! I have the paperwork right here!” As much as you wanted to be where the neighbors could see you, making a scene was not really your style, so you swiftly brush by him to get inside.
“Fuck your paperwork,” Michel chased behind you, grabbing your arm a little too hard, and yanking you toward him, “You think I don’t know what happens when a girl goes to a guy’s house in the middle of the night? You think I’m stupid _____?” He was using your name as a weapon.
“Stop!” you tried to push away from him, “I don’t have time for this I gotta go to work!”
“Fuck that you’re not going anywhere!” he screamed at you, and that’s when you broke. Michel had won like he did every day. You felt your body go limp and you resigned to call out from the bakery today. Once he saw the life drain from your eyes he dropped your arm to grab a beer from the kitchen. You weren’t going to stop him. If he starts at five in the morning, then he will pass out early too. That would give you enough time to slip out.
Sure enough by eight he was out like a light. The day had been emotionally exhausting, but you built up enough courage to run away. No one could deal with this forever, not as bad as it was. With a small bag of clothes packed, you slipped out the door hoping to never see that ugly house again. A promise to a certain puppy-like skeleton determined your first destination, and you were honestly excited to go over there. The way the two brothers care for each other was refreshing, and just being there would help you relax.
You knocked once, and only once, before the tallest of skeletons swung the door open to greet you, “HELLO HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM READY TO BEGIN OUT TRAINING IN RESTURANTING.” Somehow his yelling didn’t bother you as much as it did the previous night.
“Hey papyrus,” you didn’t notice how strained you voice had sounded, “I’m, uh, ready to start too I guess.” He leads you inside to the familiar couch where Sans was resting before dashing upstairs to grab ‘training supplies’, whatever that meant.
“What’s the matter kid, no fire today?” his one eye socket opened to you, “You were all heated last night,” he chuckled at his own bad joke, taking in your disheveled appearance. “Kid I gotta say, you look like shit.”
“Cool,” tired sarcasm spilled from your swollen lips, “Just what every girl likes to hear after a long day.”
He sat up and gave you a look you couldn’t quite place, “You, uh, alright there?”
“Yeah,” you kept your gaze on the stairs waiting for Papyrus to return.
“You wanna talk about it?” you wanted nothing more than to talk and cry, and have someone treat you the way Sans treated his brother, but the three of you had just met yesterday. It would be weird to just gush about how horrible the world is.
“Nah I’m cool,” Papyrus trotted down the stairs, a box of assorted items that had nothing to do with being a server in tow.
“HUMAN I HAVE GATHERED EVEYTHING WE NEED TO BEGIN OUR TRAINING. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM ALWAYS PREPARED YOU KNOW,” after seeing his bright smile you couldn’t help but mirror it.
“Hey tonight’s not a good night Paps,” the lights in his eyes looked to you then back to his brother, “_____’s not feelin well.”
“OH GOODNESS _____ ARE YOU ALRIGHT? LET ME CHECK YOUR FEVER,” he really is the sweetest person you’ve ever met. You knew he couldn’t feel anything with his gloved hand, but he put it to your forehead anyway. “HMMMM WELL I DON’T THINK YOU ARE GOING TO DIE,” obviously, “BUT I’M GOING TO TREAT YOU ANYWAY,” before you even had a chance to respond, Papyrus gently picked you up into one of his signature hugs. After a few moments you couldn’t hold it in anymore, the tears spilled from your eyes and you shook in his grip. He held you until your sobbing stopped, “FEELING BETTER?” His normally loud voice was lowered enough for you to recognize it as his version of a whisper.
“Yeah Paps, much better.”