Anatomy is Weird
"hey, kid?"
You turned away from Papyrus, who was running a few of the boxes into the kitchen. You couldn't wait until the moving van got here with all of your furniture. You faced the smaller skeleton, and wondered who was the older brother, if they were even brothers. Were they related at all?
"sorry about Paps spookin' you earlier, guess we weren't expecting someone when the doors opened. And definitely not a..." His words drifted off, gesturing to you. A human. He meant a human. In his defense, you weren't expecting to face monsters anytime soon, either. But why would he not expect a human?
"No, no, you didn't scare me that bad!" You tired to laugh it off, smiling at Sans. "I wasn't expecting anyone either."
He nodded, still seeming to take you in. "so, what is someone like you doing here?" His voice was even lower, more hushed.
You didn't expect the words to hurt as much as they did. You tried to keep your calm. "What do you mean, 'someone like me'?"
The skeleton raised his- wait, how can a skeleton raise his eyebrows? He doesn't even have any! "this is practically a monster complex. I mean, at least until you. humans don't particularly like to live around... our kind."
This made sense, you guessed. You've heard that many people don't like the monsters, but you didn't think that there reasons were very valid. And when they did have a fair point, there wasn't much proof to back it up. How can you prove that an entire race of people are "homicidal freaks?"
"Well, um," you stuttered again, seeing papyrus come back in out of the corner of your eye. "Guess that explains why the landlord was so surprised to hear I was interested, then." You both nodded, your phone buzzing loudly in your pocket. You tried to ignore it, but Sans was staring, the white pinpricks of his eyes focused on the source of the noise. After a few moments you slipped the phone out of your pocket. It was a text from the moving agency- they were dropping off your furniture. DROPPING IT OFF. Your face moved from confusion to something that resembled anger, and then to panic. How the hell were you supposed to carry a couch up the stairs? Or your bed? Or the tv? Your panic started to transform into anger again. What was the problem? What kind of scheduling error could have happened? This was ridiculous!
"WHAT IS TROUBLING YOU, HUMAN?" The taller skeleton asked, concern washing over his face again. You weren't sure why, but you hated him looking like that.
You let out a deep sigh, staring at your phone. "Apparently," you started, the annoyance clear in your voice, "The people who were supposed to be helping me move in all of the furniture today don't have the time. They're dropping all of it off now, and there's no way I can carry all of that by myself. I-"
"NONSENSE, HUMAN! I SHALL HELP YOU!"
You looked at Papyrus, shocked. You hadn't even known him for five minutes, and yet he was offering to help you with something that would surely take several hours.
"N-no, really, it's okay. I'm sure I can-"
" I REALLY MUST INSIST." The skeleton interrupted you again, now looking very stern. "BESIDES," he paused to strike a pose. He flexed biceps that didn't exist, grinning at you. "YOUR FURNITURE IS NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" And with that, he took off out the door.
It took you a minute to register what was going on, but you soon sped off after him. You knew there was no way to catch him if you took the stairs, so you prayed that the elevator was fast enough. You were almost as fast to get down stairs, but it only took you calling out his name to stop the long-legged skeleton in his tracks. You ran to him, resting a hand on his arm. You would have went for his shoulder, but he must of had a good foot and a half in height on you.
"Papyrus, wait. Really, it's okay. You don't have to help me just because-" he stopped you again, his smile seeming even bigger than before.
"HUMAN, IF I DID NOT WANT TO HELP, I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE OFFER. FRIENDS HELP THEIR FRIENDS!"
You felt your cheeks turn a bit pink. He already thought of you as his friend? "We're friends?" Your voice was barely audible.
"WHY, OF COURSE! HOW COULD THE GREAT PAPYRUS NOT BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE WHO CLEARLY SHARES THE SAME LOVE FOR COOKING?" His face drooped suddenly, "U-UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT TO..."
That was it. You were totally blushing. You knew you had bought a lot of things to use in your kitchen- heck, you didn't even know how to use some of them. The fact that he had noticed made you want to wrap the skeleton in a hug, but you held back. "I would love to be your friend, Papyrus."
The skeleton nodded, then looked to the doors. The men were already setting down your things- just from here you could see the parts to your bed, the TV, and some boxes that were too large to fit in your car with you. You smiled at Papyrus, and you didn't feel nearly as scared as you had been earlier.
"Oh, by the way," you spoke to the skeleton, heading for the doors with him at your side, "My name is ______. You don't have to call me 'Human.'"
The skeleton seemed to ignore your introduction, instead opening the door for you, letting you step into the hot summer air first. It was late June, and you started to wonder why you had decided to move now. Then again, you didn't think that you would have been the one exerting all of this energy.
You smiled to the two men unloading the truck, even if you were a little more than peeved. "Thank you guys so much for bringing my stuff all the way down here. I know how long that drive is-" you were cut off from your attempt at small talk when one of the men let out a small grunt. He was smaller than the other man, and much hairier, too.
He looked from you to Papyrus, seeming disgusted as he turned to his coworker. "Told you." Was all he said. Before you could ask what was up, they threw your couch out of the van a bit more roughly than you would have liked. The two men quickly drove off, as if they couldn't wait to get the hell out of dodge.
You shook it off, looking back at your new friend. The skeleton looked incredibly uncomfortable, watching after the van nervously.
"Ready to get moving?" You asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
When he faced you, his expression softened. How bone could soften, you had no idea. "WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE FIRST, HUMAN?" The skeleton asked, looking at all of the objects on the sidewalk. The men couldn't even be bothered to bring them inside the doors.
"Let's start light, maybe? Just some of the boxes- we can work together on the heavier stuff later." You suggested to him.
The two of you soon began filling your arms with boxes and the occasional smaller piece of furniture, running up the stairs together. You weren't nearly as fast as he was, and by the time you had taken two trips the skeleton was ready for a fourth. You occasionally saw Sans, but he didn't seem to be doing much of anything. After you had gotten all of the smaller objects out of the way, you were ready to grab your mattress, deciding the bed frame and couch could go last. Papyrus led the way, and you were careful to instruct him up the stairs, making sure he didn't trip. When you got through the door of your apartment, you were both surprised to see Sans. And your couch. And your couch underneath Sans. You looked at him in bewilderment.
"How the heck-" you started, your mouth hanging agape.
The smaller skeleton looked at you with a lazy gaze, his same grin plastered on his face. Was it always like that? "Magic." He stated simply, shrugging.
You wished, since you had technically just experienced magic for the first time, that you could have at least watched it happen. You were shaken from your confusion by Papyrus, who was dragging you along, down the hallway and into your bedroom. You managed to tear your eyes away from Sans, trying to focus on not smashing your fingers while going through the doorway instead. The trip with your bed frame was much easier, and by the time you had gotten back upstairs Sans had managed to wire up your small TV. You quickly plopped down next to him, trying to figure out what he was watching before realizing that he was really just channel surfing. The taller brother stood beside you two, hands on his hips- or, well, hip bones.
"SANS, YOU LAZYBONES! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE OVER OTHER PEOPLES COUCHES! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN."
A small laugh erupted from your throat as you looked between the two brothers. You knew they were brothers, as you had heard Sans call Papyrus "bro" several times now. They both gave you a look of confusion- okay, well, Papyrus looked confused. Sans looked more amused than anything.
You decided to voice your thoughts. "He's not taking it over Papyrus, he's barely taking up any roo-" before you could finish your sentence, Sans stretched out across the couch, laying his legs over you, a smug grin on his face. This only made you laugh harder. "You numbskull, I'm trying to stick up for you!" You hadn't really meant to make the pun, it just kind of... Slipped out. You didn't even register it until Papyrus had groaned loudly and Sans' eyes had seemed to light up.
"SANS," the younger brother sounded exasperated, "STOP RUINING MY FRIENDS! SHE HASN'T EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS, AND YOU'RE ALREADY RUBBING OFF ONTO HER!"
"aw, c'mom paps. I thought it was pretty humerus." The shorter skeleton seemed to wiggled his eyebrows at you. If you kept questioning the anatomy behind that, you were surely going to go insane.
Instead, you just rolled your eyes at him. "Sans, really. That was cheap. And can you get your legs off of me already? They're heavier than they look, and my legs are starting to fall asleep." You nudged his legs for emphasis, but the skeleton seemed content with the position. Accepting your fate, you leaned back against the couch, sinking in to the familiar tan material.
Papyrus calmed down, but soon pulled out his phone, typing away before letting out a loud gasp. You looked up at him, and away from Sans' legs. There was something that you found so fascinating about the way his bones curved here and there, the way they seemed a bit scratched in one place or another. You tore your thoughts away from Sans. That all seemed pretty... You weren't sure what the word was, but you figured that you shouldn't be staring.
"BROTHER! IT IS GETTING LATE. WE MUST RETURN HOME SO I MAY PREPARE DINNER!" Papyrus pulled his brother off of you with ease, and there was a sudden aching in your legs, as if they just now realized the weight they had been under. Your new friend was nearly out the door before he turned around to face you again. "HUMAN! I ALMOST FORGOT! I DID NOT SEE ANY FOOD ITEMS WHILE UNPACKING TODAY- ARE YOU NOT REQUIRING NOURISHMENT?"
You opened your mouth to tell him just hadn't gone shopping yet, but a yawn escaped you instead. How had you not realized how tired you were? "Actually, Papyrus, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm totally wiped out. But thank you so much for helping me out today."
You stood to see them out, but by the time your legs had managed to lift you up, you were in the tall skeleton's arms. He hugged on to you tightly, lifting you off of the ground and swinging you around, making sure you didn't hit any of your furniture. Your head was spinning by the time he finally set you down, and the skeleton quickly asked to exchange numbers. You didn't really see why it was so important, considering that you lived right next to each other, but of course you accepted. You handed him your phone, and he gave you his in return. It was much different from any phone that you had ever seen, but you chalked it up to being monster technology. You almost saved your number as "HUMAN," but quickly put in your real name instead. After you traded phones back, and he hugged you once more, you turned to ask Sans if he wanted your number as well, but thought twice, simply pocketing your phone instead.
The two brothers were soon out the door, and you were left alone. You suddenly realized how empty your apartment was. Sure, there were boxes and some furniture now, but there was no life to it yet. You made a mental note to buy some posters or paintings or something as you headed to your bedroom. You realized that maybe a mattress on the ground might not be the best situation, and your exhausted brain decided that the couch would be better. You grabbed a fluffy blue blanket, your favorite, from a pile you had stacked in the corner, and quickly sorted through a small bag for your phone charger. When you flopped back onto the couch, it was oddly warm. You could have sworn you smelled something ketchupy, but shrug it off as you plugged in your phone. Soon you were snuggled into familiar caress of your blanket, and you drifted off to sleep.