HT Papyrus x Reader
Part of a fic swap deal with @tyranttortoise who requested some romancing of the boney broken babe. Fyi, don’t feel pressure to make my request this long, for some reason this prompt just really inspired me and I had a long car ride in which to develop itX]
Pairing: Horrortale Papyrus x Reader (Pap’s perspective)
TW: cannabalism mention, gore mention, slight blood....its Horrortale guys
Word count: 3294
Today is a good day.
Today is a good, very good day.
Today the human is coming over to have a very cool date.
Perhaps I should not call them “the human”? After all, we are Above now. And there are many many humans. Not like before, when we were lucky to get one. But they do not seem to mind, and it is a hard habit to break.
They do not seem to mind much. It is very refreshing, because so many humans do seem to mind. We frighten them.
Perhaps they should be. There were not many of us that made it to the Surface, and those that did are having a very hard time adjusting. Even though there is plenty of food, it is hard to forget being hungry for so long.
It is hard to look at a human and not want to eat. It is hard not to try and attack them, even though it is no longer necessary.
It is sometimes too hard. Sometimes there is an attack again, and it makes the humans more afraid than ever. And it is terrible, but you cannot be too harsh on the monster.
It is hard to remember. Hard to forget.
Not for me, of course. I am, after all, the very astute and clever Papyrus. It was very easy for me! I was very ready to add to my vast hordes of admirers among the Surface!
But....sometimes I still get confused. Sometimes I still wander back under the mountain, and I go home, looking for everyone, and wondering why I am so alone down here. Sans does too, more often. But I think he likes being down there more anyways. He says it is easier. Simpler.
It was when I was looking for him that I met y/n. They were exploring, curious about this former home of monsters. They were examining one of my old puzzles with interest. They seemed startled when I called out to them, but I introduced myself as the maker of that masterful jape they were studying, and began to explain to them the solution. Normally, of course, I would never cheat them of the great fun of trying to solve it, but I did not want the human hurt. I never want to hurt any more humans.
They seemed to be interested in seeing more, so I led them around and showed them more of my puzzles. They did not seem afraid of me, despite my intimidating stature. They looked curiously at the stains on my teeth, but did not say anything. They were very very friendly.
We met several times under the mountain after that, and slowly became the best of friends. They reminded me of another human. Not Aliza, they were very different from her. But another one.... whose name and face I could not place.... but then my brain is far too jumbled of late. Too many friendly concussions from Undyne.
They came over more and more often. They seemed fairly accepting of us monsters. Even Sans seemed to like them, although it is getting harder and harder these days to tell what Sans is thinking. But he has not tried to attack them yet, which is a very good sign.
Today, however, we are trying something new. I had shown them one of my old dating manuals, and they said that they would be interested in trying one with me. So we are going on a picnic!
They show up with a basket with two sodas, some chips, and a small cake. I present them with a container of my famous spaghetti, which they gratefully accept. It is, of course, my non-special variety (though I am still trying to get rid of those leftovers).
They lead me to a spot in the forest. I can see a park in the distance, though we do not go too close. I have found that humans with children are especially nervous around me. Clearly worried their children will feel disheartened in the presence of so much greatness. One day they will realize that the Great Papyrus is also a great mentor! For the now, though, we give them space.
I flip through my dating manual’s pages. “OOH! THERE’S A SPECIAL SECTION ON DATES IN NATURE.”
“Fire away.” The human says, smiling as they swing the basket by their side.
I squint at the pages, pulling them close to my face. “WHEN WANDERING THROUGH THE WOODS WITH YOUR BELOVED, IT IS CONSIDERED ROMANTIC TO ‘SWEEP THEM OFF THEIR FEET’, AND CARRY THEM OVER THE FOREST FLOOR!” I smile. “THAT DOES SEEM VERY ROMANTIC!”
“Welp, hold this.” They hand me the picnic basket. I take it, confused. What could the human...? Suddenly they are standing by me, one hand supporting my back while the other moves to sweep my legs off the ground. I beam, but have some misgivings.
“ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU CAN-”
“I got this.” They say, and they pick me up, their face red and straining. They start taking a few steps forward before they must set me down.
“.... I CAN-”
“No, no, I got it, dude.” They lift me up again. They get a little further this time, but are clearly struggling.
This will not do. I push myself to my feet and pick them up. They seem startled and little embarrassed.
“Come on, Paps, I can do it!”
“I APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS.” I assure them. “BUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALSO A GREAT CARRIER OF HUMANS, SO FEEL FREE TO RELAX IN MY STRONG AND MASCULINE ARMS.”
They laugh and lean against my rib cage. “Alright, alright.”
We walk on until we reach a clearing we deem suitable, and I set them carefully on their feet.
“Alright, I’ll admit it.” They say, standing on the tips of their toes and reaching up to pat my shoulder. “That was some stellar human carrying.”
“THANK YOU, I’VE HAD LOTS OF PRACTICE!” I decide not to mention that most of those humans were not moving, and those that were were not usually as happy to be in my arms.
“I don’t doubt it.” They start spreading the blanket on the spot. “Mind unpacking?”
“OF COURSE!” I say, unpacking the spread. A bit of a drool leaks between my teeth at the sight of food. Most uncouth. I wipe it away and remind myself to behave.
The human looks around, hands planted firmly on their hips. “Yeah, gotta admit, this is a prime spot for a picnic.”
“INDEED! THE SUNLIGHT LOOKS VERY PRETTY, MUCH LIKE Y- “I smack my forehead. Foolish, foolish Papyrus. “FORGIVE ME, THE COMPLIMENTS SEGMENT IS MEANT TO COME AFTER WE PARTAKE OF THE FOOD.”
They grin as they sit down beside me. “It’s okay, Pap, I don’t mind. And you look very dashing in this light.”
I feel a faint blush creeping up to my cheekbones. “O-OF COURSE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS MOST FLATTERED BY A NATURAL LIGHT!”
They laugh.
We begin to eat. As usual I clear my plate much faster than them. An old habit. After all, one can’t have their food running away before it is finished! I try not to look too hungrily at their plate. That would be most impolite, and I am sure I’ve had…. had….
So hungry….
They seem to notice my look, though. A fork is held near my face and they smile. “Here. Have a bite.”
“N-NO, I AM FINE.”
“Come onnnn….” They waggle the utensil in a manner that I believe is meant to seduce me to try it. “You look famished, and I’ve got plenty.”
Hesitantly, I take a bite. “THANK YOU, HUMAN.” I say.
“Don’t mention it.”
We continue like this, them feeding me bits from their plate. It is…. nice. It is nice to fed like this, so kindly and gently. I must be careful and remind myself not to bite their hand as well, but still, it is very enjoyable.
After eating we decide to explore the clearing a bit. They start picking flowers (unfortunately foiling my plan to surprise them with a bouquet. Well, no matter. I would not know which of these plants was poisonous to humans anyways, and there is still a final surprise I have in mind….).
I stumble across various forms of wild-life. Most flee when they see me, although a few squirrels stare at me curiously. I cannot reach them, tall as I am. Possibly for the best. Squirrels hold up even less than humans to the hugs of the Great Papyrus. A very great shame.
Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me, and I whirl around to see the human, holding something behind their backs.
“Darn, was trying to sneak up on you.”
“NATURALLY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE MY KEEN SENSES. “I tilt my head curiously to see what is clasped behind them. “BUT WHY WERE YOU TRYING?”
They grin. “Close your eyes.”
I do so immediately.
They walk closer, and I can hear them jumping. High and higher, up and down. Finally, they sigh in frustration. “You’re gonna have to kneel down too, big guy.”
I smile and do so, my bones cracking slightly as I plant my knees firmly on the ground. There is a pressure on my skull, and something leafy and slightly damp is left there.
“Alright, you can open them.”
I open my eyes, and they are smiling widely. “Perfect!”
I reach onto my head and pull off what they put there. It is a beautifully crafted flower crown, made of the large blue and small orange flowers I had spotted them picking earlier.
I stare in awe, first at the crown, then at them. “DID YOU MAKE THIS, HUMAN?!”
They nod.
“FOR ME?!”
They laugh. “Of course, ya doofus.”
I pull out my phone and turn the camera to face me as I place the crown back on, and examine myself carefully, gasping at the sight.
Stunning! Beautiful! Perfect! And the flower crown is lovely as well!
I pick the human up and swing them around. “I LOVE IT!”
They laugh harder, wrapping their arms tightly around me. “I’m glad.”
I hold them a little distant from me and smile knowingly. “OF COURSE, I HOPE YOU DID NOT HOPE TO WIN THAT EASILY!”
They raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Win?”
I shake my head. The human, kind as they are, is a very poor strategist and japer. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT BE OUTDONE IN DATING POWER!” I tuck them under my arm and walk towards the meadow. “I WILL CRAFT A CROWN TO EQUAL THIS ONE, WONDERFUL AS IT IS!”
They are a bit startled by the position change. “It’s not really a compe…” They shake their head and smile. “You know what, let’s do this. Let’s see how the Great Papyrus does at flower crowns.”
I select a wide range of flowers, choosing some that resemble the human’s eyes. They must direct me a bit on weaving, and I am ashamed to see that my claws appear to be shredding the petals, but in the end, I turn out something satisfactory to my standards.
“Looks good.” They say, examining it. “Let’s try it on.”
I shake my head. “NOT JUST YET!”
“Um….”
I get down on my knee. My bones rattle somewhat and it is difficult to balance my limbs like this, but I refuse to break form. “HUMAN! YOUR BEAUTY, WHILE OF COURSE IMMENSE, I HAVE OBSERVED WOULD BE EVEN MORE IMPROVED WITH THE ADDITION OF THIS CROWN. PLEASE ACCEPT THIS GIFT AS A TRIBUTE OF MY AFFECTIONS!”
Their smile becomes wider, and they bow their head (oh that neck, that pretty, soft neck that looks like so delectable a cut….). “I readily accept.” They take the crown from my hands and place it on their head. It suits them well, and I feel a thrill of pride. “Now come here.” They pull out their phone and start positioning their phone for a selfie. “This is going on my Instagram.
I walk over. I have to stay kneeling in order to get into the frame, but any effort that gets the Great Papyrus in a picture is worth it. Just before they snap the picture I realize my tooth is sticking out at an odd angle and carefully poke it back into place. My smile must always be camera ready!
We spend a few hours talking. I tell them stories of my exploits. All of them before the SOULs disappeared. Of course, I cannot speak to their accuracy, everything is a massive jumble, a tangle finer than any pile of noodles, but I say what I can remember and they help me fill in the rest. They tell me a few stories from their childhood. Most of their life they dismiss as “boring” but it is very fascinating to me. Their experience is so varied compared to my own, so full of new places and people, so few of whom end up in other people’s stomachs!
We take a walk around the forest. They occasionally veer off the path and bring me back a small gift, explaining what it is if I am confused and handing it to me. I place them all in my pockets or under my very cool hat. I bring them some flowers and stones I find as well. Also a small bird skull. They seem a little off-put by my lecture of how you can tell how the meat has been stripped off the bones by the marks, but I am certain that is just processing information. After all, I am a very informed skeleton, and not all minds are prepared to handle that much knowledge at once!
Slowly, the sun sinks in the sky. It is always a mournful time. The sun is one of my favorite parts of the Surface, and it is most disappointing how often it feels the need to go to sleep. It is almost as lazy as my brother!
Still, the sunset is always a beautiful sight. I much prefer sunrise, but seeing the sky lit up with so many gorgeous colors is always exhilarating. I watch with breath held.
The human watches too, looking happy and content. As the sky fades from blue to cobalt to navy to black, they sigh. “Getting late. We should probably head back.”
“N-NOT JUST YET.” They raise an eyebrow. I feel uncharacteristically shy. Still, I buck myself up and lead them back to the blanket. I pull a flashlight from the basket and position it so it lights up the clearing. I then pull my phone out, select the playlist I arranged especially, and turn up the volume to full. The phone lies on the blanket, playing music with all the power in its tiny speakers. I turn back to the human and hold out my hand. “HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH TO FINISH OFF THIS DATE BY DANCING WITH YOU. THAT IS,” I correct myself. “IF YOU WOULD LIKE.”
They stare at my outstretched hand, and for a moment their cheeks seem to be turning a red color. A blush. Instead of magic, their bodies express embarrassment by sending their tasty blood into their cheeks. Most peculiar, and yet fascinating!
The human smiles, and puts their hand in mine. The soft flesh, so willingly given, feels good against my bones. “I’d love to dance with you.”
I smile and pull them closer, beginning a slow waltz.
They are, quite frankly, no expert in dancing, but I myself am a bit rusty. I learned how to dance from Undyne, but….needless to say we had not practiced in a while. Still, it is gentle and nice, the human smiling and giggling whenever I dip them. I consider scolding them for their light-heartedness about this very serious romantic gesture, but decide to leave it be. It is a pleasant sound, anyways. They try to dip me a few times, and are actually somewhat successful. I beam at them.
The height difference leads to some difficulty. In the end, I let them stand on my toes. The pressure is not as bad as I expected, and they seem happy with the arrangement, leaning against my chest.
“ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD DATE?” I ask.
“Its been perfect.” They look up, eyes shining. “And I know just how I want it to end.”
I raise my browbones expectantly. Possibly another dance? Dessert somewhere?
They lean in close, eyes closed, and press their lips against my teeth.
I start, but make no move to pull back. My…..my first kiss! It does not feel how I expected, but it feels very nice. Their lips are so soft….and they are so warm, and close, and kind…..and they smell good…..and their taste…..oh stars, their taste….
So hungry….
My mind goes black and only awakens when I hear them cry out in pain. It is like I open my eyes, and when I do, they have pulled away and are pressing their fingers to their lip. When they pull them away, there is a small smear of red.
“WHA-….I…..” There is a familiar taste on my teeth, and I wipe my phalanges across them. When I pull them away, they are stained in blood.
“OH NO!”
“Paps, its okay,” the human says, rubbing lightly at the wound. “Its not a big deal.”
“IT IS A BIG DEAL!” How could I?! I thought I had control of that moment, thought I would be fine, but the taste….it had thrown me back into the days of hunger, and I had hurt them! “I’M SORRY, I’M SO SO SORRY, HUMAN!” What if it happened again? What if I kept biting them? What if I…..no, I was convinced I would never lose control enough to….but what if they left? What if I lost the first real friend I had made up here?! I kept repeating my apologies over and over.
“PAPS!” They yell, silencing my stream of regret. “Its okay, seriously. See?” They part their lips to show me the wound. “Its just a little cut. Not a big deal at all.”
I look closely. While I think they may be understating how much it hurts to preserve my feelings, it is indeed smaller than I originally thought.
“BUT I-“
“Its okay.” They repeat. They put a hand to the side of my face, and though I’m still frightened their touch is peculiarly calming. “I know it was an accident. Plenty of people bite their partner’s lips on purpose anyway. I just have to know….is it because you were hungry again?”
I look away, and consider lying, but in the end I say “YES.”
A look of concern (and a bit of fear, I note sadly) flits across their facie. “Alright. Alright, its okay, Paps…..it has to be hard to forget that kind of thing. But its not your fault. I know you would never hurt me on purpose. Okay?”
I nod. “OKAY.” I wouldn’t. I would never hurt them on purpose. I wouldn’t
I wouldn’t.
Would I….so hungry….
They smile. “We’ll just do cheek kisses in the future, okay? Until you’re ready.”
“THAT….THAT SOUNDS VERY NICE.”
“I’m glad.” They let go of me. “Alright, nice as that dance was, I think its time we got home.”
I agree (Sans tends to worry when I am out too late, and Sans’ worry is not something I would wish upon this human) and yet I cannot help but feel a twinge of regret as they begin packing up the remains of the picnic.
“HUMAN?”
They turn around to look at me. “Yes?”
“COULD…..COULD WE TRY THAT CHEEK KISS NOW?”
Today is a good day.
