#undertonefic

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone, Chapter Eight

Hey, everybody! I think I finally got rid of that illness, and just in time for cooler weather, too! 

Let’s see what the gang is up to, shall we?

Warnings: We’ve got some more light swearing in this chapter.

Obvious disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it, just my own characters. This story is for fun. ^_^

***

Undertone, Chapter Eight

Contrary to what his laid-back attitude would have you believe, Sans was many things. He was a complex Monster with flaws and more emotional strata than any geologist would care to count (and all of the psychologically-damaged baggage that came with it). He could be rather philosophical when the occasion called for it; a really sensitive, deep-thinking sort of guy.

But the only thing Sans was feeling, at the moment, was cold.

To clarify, the cold didn't hurt him. It never had. Skeletons didn't experience pain from extreme temperatures like other people did. That's why he and Papyrus had always dressed the way they had, even back in Snowdin.

But just because it didn't hurt him did not mean that he couldn't feel it. Sans could feel temperatures. In fact, he was so sensitive to them that, at any given moment, he could tell you the temperature outside. Or how hot a bowl of soup is. Or whether or not the thermometer in a freezer was working.

See, out of sheer boredom once, he had trained himself to accurately tell the temperatures of anything he touched. It made for a great bar trick. He'd won a lot of bets at first. Then Grillby caught on to what he was doing and started boiling his free drinks. He stopped hustling after that.

So, not only did Sans know for a fact that he was cold, he also knew exactly how cold.

"Gerson, this water is cold."

"Eh? Of course! That's an important part of the process. You can't jus' skip it."

"It's barely 50 degrees!" He frowned behind his closed sockets. "How is that even possible? It's summer!"

"Wa ha ha! Thanks to the fact that my house is so far from town, I'm not connected to the city water supply! My well is deep and cold. Reminds me of Waterfall."

If Sans could glare at him, he would. But he didn't really like opening his eyes in the water. Getting stuff in his sockets felt...weird.

***

After a few days of running with Papyrus, Sans knew that running wasn't going to solve his problem. Sure, it was a great distraction, and spending more time with his brother was really nice, actually.

But when the run was over and they laid in the ground, panting like the royal guard after chasing an intruder, Rin would spin his thoughts into a whirlpool he couldn't get out of.

Her hair, the sound of her voice, her smile...

"SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

"NOTHING!" Sans sat up with a start.

"WHAT?" Papyrus sat up too and looked at him strangely.

"I mean," he rubbed his bones hans across his face. "About what?"

"THE RUN, OF COURSE! DID IT HELP?"

Sans gave his brother a tired smile. "Yeah. It did. I'm glad I let you drag me out here."

"EXCELLENT! THEN WE WILL RUN EVERY DAY TOGETHER UNTIL YOUR PROBLEM IS GONE!"

"Uh, Paps," Sans started delicately. "I don't think running alone is going to do it."

"OF COURSE NOT, BROTHER! THAT IS WHY WE RUN TOGETHER!"

"No, I mean, I think I should do more that just run whenever I'm upset."

"OH? WHAT ELSE WILL YOU DO?"

"I dunno. I wish there was an old, wise monster who could tell me what I need."

Papyrus tapped his phalanges against his jaw thoughtfully. "HMM. AN OLD ONE?"

He stood up suddenly, in the way he always did when he had an idea."I WILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR WISEMONSTER, BROTHER!"

"Oh, no, Paps. You don't have to-"

"YES, I DO, AND I WILL! FEAR NOT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER FAILS!"

And with that final declaration, Papyrus sped off, apparently in pursuit of the wiseman Sans needed. He shook his head.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

***

Imagine Sans' surprise when Papyrus really did find him a wiseman. Well, at least one old enough to fit the classification.

"Gerson?" Sans blinked up at the mottled olive-green Tortoise.

"Afternoon, Sans!" The Tortoise tipped the edge of his pith helmet to him.

"What are you-" Sans began, then quit when he saw Papyrus bringing up the rear.

"LOOK, BROTHER! I HAVE FOUND YOU A WISEMONSTER!" He put his hands on his hips triumphantly, turning his head up at an angle. If the wind had been blowing his scarf around, he would have looked like a superhero.

"Well, I don't know about that..." Gerson scratched the back of his head bashfully. "But when he wouldn't tell me what your problem was, I figured it had been a while since I'd seen my favorite bone boys, so I came along to see how I could help."

Sans stood up and shook Gerson's hand. For an old guy, he still had one hell of a grip.

"The reason he didn't tell you what my problem was is because he doesn't know what it is." Sans explained.

Papyrus dropped his epic pose to cross his arms and look at Sans in a very annoyed fashion.

"YES. SANS REFUSES TO TRUST ME, HIS OWN BONE AND MARROW, WITH WHATEVER IS BOTHERING HIM." He looked down at the Tortoise, who smiled up at him. "BUT I SUPPOSE IF YOU CAN FIX HIS PROBLEM, THEN IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT IT IS."

He walked over to Sans and drew him into a strong hug. "MY BROTHER DESERVES TO BE HAPPY. THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS."

"I really appreciate the sentiment, bro," Sans fought to say. "But you're about to break me in half."

After Papyrus let him go, promising to make him extra special spaghetti as an apology, Sans stuck a thumb in the direction of the driveway.

"Wanna take a walk?"

"If that's what you'd like."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Sans felt uncomfortable enough to say something."You know, Gerson, you don't have to stick around and do anything if you don't want to. Papyrus overheard me muttering to myself and got it into his head that I needed some wise guru to give me answers."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinon, does it?" Gerson asked.

"I suppose not..."

"Then tell me what's botherin' you, son. Maybe I can help."

***

And so, Sans found himself sitting in Gerson's shower, in lieu of a waterfall.

"Gerson, this isn't helping." Sans grumbled beneath the chilly stream of water.

"Nonsense! Undyne used to swear by the waterfall method!

""But she's a fish."

"Don't let her hear you sayin' that."

Sans huffed a sigh and felt water droplets spray outward with the force of his breath. "And what, exactly, is this supposed to do for me again?"

"Eh? It centers the mind, the body, and the Soul. It brings everythin' into focus. The water clenses you."

"Oh, I'm clean, alright..."

He felt a rough pat on his shoulder. "Give it a little more time. Then, if you still need enlightenment, we'll try somethin' else."

***

The bell by the service window pinged twice to tell her that an order was up.

"Alright! I'll be back in just a minute with your sodas and your IPA, Mr. Snail."

Rin shoved her writing pad into the unoccupied back pocket and hurried to the window to pick up the food. She glanced in at Grillby as he slaved over the grill. He must have heard her, because he looked up and held up two fingers.

"Table twelve?" She asked as she stacked the plates onto a serving tray.

He nodded, although she already knew the answer. They knew that table two was Bun's booth.

"Hey, the Snails just arrived. You might want to prepare for a salt-free order."

He flashed her a thumbs up as she lifted the tray of food. She grinned in response and hauled the Burgs out to table twelve.

***

A week had passed without much of an incident. Sure, there was that one time where Rin had dumped an entire pitcher of beer on Punky (who had left in an indignant huff mumbling something about the metaphor of drowning in mainstream ale, only to come back later and apologize for his behavior). But otherwise, Rin felt kind of proud of her ability as a waitress. She was quick on her feet and tried to emulate the way Grillby handled the room on his own: she never let a drink go empty, and always had a smile for the customers.

She heard the tablet in her apron tinkle, alerting her that Grillby probably needed help in the kitchen. She excused herself and headed to the back of the bar.

Grillby had gone out and bought a second tablet. Now one lived up at the bar so he could talk to the customers seated there, and the other Rin carried with her so that he could talk to her no matter where she was on the floor.

She glanced down at the screen as she approached the swinging kitchen doors.

*Hey, can I borrow you for a minute? I need a second set of hands for the Snails' order.

She didn't pause as she pushed one door open. Rin went straight to the sink and washed her hands.

"Want me to watch the grill?"

Grillby nodded, putting a few more burger patties on at the same time.

The tough part about the Snails is that they had to clean the grill before their order could be cooked on it. Grillby had told her that prepping salt-free food wasn't really an issue; it was just inconvenient to clean the grill in the middle of the dinner rush. But he was a wonderful chef who demanded perfection for his guests, so clean the grill he did.

"You must be doing something right...this is the fourth time they've been here this week!"

Grillby gave her an amused look and passed the spatula to her. Rin slid into his spot as soon as he vacated it, and he headed over to the walk-in fridge for burger supplies.

"I mean it, Grillby. The two little ones don't eat much, but Mr. Mustache can clear a plate of fries by himself! And The green...uh, snail ordered TWO Burgs this time!"

She could hear him crackling with laughter at her inability to name the last snail. The guy wasn't really a snail at all. He looked like a short, bald, green human with a snail shell on his back. Rin was trying to be sensitive, but the longer she looked at the guy, the more she wanted to giggle.

She scolded herself out loud, scolding Grillby in the process. "He is a lovely gentleman who has nothing but nice things to say about this establishment."

He stopped laughing, but she saw when she glanced over her shoulder that he was smiling as he kneaded ground meat with various seasonings.

Rin stuck the spatula under a burger to look at the bottom, then flipped all four on the grill. She most enjoyed the time she spent in the kitchen with him. It was never very long; her main position was put on the barroom floor with the customers. But the radio in the corner was always playing classic rock, and trading places to cook and prep food felt a little like dancing.

Rin was singing along with Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine when a blue light flickered across the walls for a moment.

"Hi, Sans!" She sang in time with the music, waving the spatula in greeting. "Whoooaa, sweet skeleton of mi-iiine!"

His deep chuckle seemed just a little delayed...or was it her imagination?

"Hey, kid. How's the grill?"

"Hot. Oh, and I guess the cooking surface here is warm enough." She flipped the burgers again and turned to find Grillby kneading the burger meat faster than he needed to.

Nothing had happened between them again since she moved in, and Rin was trying to drop little hints that maybe something should.

She giggled and nudged Sans in the ribs with an elbow. He smirked then jabbed his thumb behind him. "Your burgers are burning."

Rin swore and rushed to the grill. "I turn my back for a SECOND-"

"Are the Snails back?" Sans asked.

She was sure Grillby was nodding, but Rin answered too. "Yep."

"What is that, three times now?"

"Four. They were here yesterday." Rin wiped some sweat off her forehead with the back of her wrist. "And not one of these burgers is burnt, Sans."

"That's a relief." Sans must have turned his head, because his words were harder to hear over the sizzling meat. "I'll be out at the bar. I want to say hi to the crew."

Rin heard Grillby wash his hands, then her tablet chimed right before he tapped her shoulder, signaling that he was ready to trade places.

"Okay. These look like they're close to being done."

*Go do a round of refills and then come back. I’ll have these four plated and I'll start to clean the grill.

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute to help."

Rin grabbed a fresh bottle of ketchup and slid it across the bar to Sans. He caught it and sent her fingerguns and a wink as thanks. With a pitcher in each hand, she refilled everyone's drinks in what felt like record time and went back to service window. Grillby loaded the plates up where she could reach them, and she took them out to the customers before heading into the kitchen again.

Grillby was scraping the flat grill with what seemed to be glorified metallic putty knives. He had scraped most of it into the trash. He leaned forward to get all of the grease out of the far corners, arching his back a little to keep his clothes off the grill.

Rin went to stand next to him. She reached out to put a hand on his lower back while inhaling to ask what she could do to help. But before her hand made contact, Grillby moved, putting it squarely in the middle of his left butt cheek.

Rin gasped. Grillby jumped, his flames flared, and stumbled with his knives, lighting up what grease was left on the grill in a bright flash of heat. Smoke filled the area briefly until the exhaust hood vented most of it outside.The Elemental spun to look at her, seeming somewhere between surprised and upset. Rin had backed herself up against the nearest wall, her hands clenched by her mouth in sheer mortification.

Oh god. Oh no. I touched his butt. I grabbed Grillby's butt and started a fire. I almost burned down his bar.

Sans stuck his head in the door, looking concerned. "What in the world was THAT?"

Neither one of them moved. Grillby kept his stormy eyes locked with hers, and Rin felt cemented to the spot.

Heaving a sigh, Sans stepped in front of Grillby and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hey! Grillbz!" He snapped his fingers a couple of times until Grillby looked down at him. "What did you do, try to take a shortcut cleaning the grill and just set the whole thing ablaze?"

For a moment, Grillby just stared down at him with the same expression he'd given to Rin. Then she piped up from across the room.

"No. It's my fault."

Both men turned to look at her. Her hands were still clenched, but she had forced them down by her sides.

"I went to pat him on the back to tell him I was ready to help, and he moved. I-" she swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to touch his butt."

Sans looked like he was fighting to keep a neutral expression. He turned his head to look at Grillby, then Rin, then back again. He patted Grillby on the chest.

"Hang on a minute, pal."

He walked over to stand in front of Rin.

"Okay. Look, the fire is out and there's no damage done. No harm, no foul. But I think there's a valuable lesson to be learned here: don't surprise an Elemental. Unless you're standing outside." Sans wiggled his boney eyebrows at her, prompting a tiny smile to lift her lips.

"And you!" he turned and marched back over to Grillby. "You need to work on your reactions! You can't go setting the building on fire every time a girl grabs your ass."

Grillby's expression changed to one of annoyance and he put his hands on his hips. Rin sputtered and started to laugh, doubled over by the wall. Sans joined with his low chuckling, but she didn't hear Grillby laugh. When she finally looked up, he was massaging one of his temples with a wry grin on his face.

Red and Fish were peeking in through the service window, looking puzzled. "You guys okay?"

Sans waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. They're fine. Rin just figured out that Grillby's hot stuff."

He walked out of the kitchen as Red and Fish laughed, leaving Rin and Grillby alone.

***

So help me, Sans...

Grillby watched the skeleton walk out of the kitchen, exasperated. When he looked over at Rin, she jumped into action.

"I'll get the patties!"

Yes, she startled him. But Sans was right: he needed to get a better handle on how he reacted to surprises. He wasn't used to sharing the kitchen with someone else.

Rin brought the hamburgers over and he motioned for her to put them on the clean grill. As she turned to wash the tray, Grillby reached over and tapped her on the butt.

"Grillby!" She squealed. A peal of giggles followed. "I guess that makes us even, huh?"

He winked at her, then went back to tending the burgers.

***

Later that night, Rin couldn't get the kitchen incident out of her head. Grillby only made contact with her butt for a second, but the touch felt like it had been seared into her brain. Not because it upset her. Far from it.

She fanned herself with one hand. She really wanted to be close to him, to kiss him, but she couldn't do that safely without him using magic to protect them both. How could she take the lead if he always held the key to that gate?

Rin's thoughts were interrupted by an eyelash in her eye.

Ugh...stupid eyelash!

She pulled it out and blinked experimentally. Then an idea struck her like lightning.Rin grabbed the bottle of saline and squirted some in her eye, then knocked on Grillby's door.

"Hey, Grillby? Could you help me for a second?"

He opened the door and her heart nearly stopped. Apparently Grillby only wore boxer-briefs to bed. She could see his muscles highlighted in the same orange that lined his facial features. It was obvious that he worked out.

He rubbed sleep from his eyes and looked down at her expectantly.

"Oh, uh, I had something in my eye. I think I may have gotten it out, but I'm not sure. Would you check for me?"

He nodded and reached out toward her face.

"Wait! I've been leaking tears. You'd better use some magic before you burn yourself."

He laid a hand on her arm and she felt the familiar buzz of his magic wash through her. It was a little stronger than usual. Maybe because he was sleepy?

Grillby held her head in his hands and looked in her eye. After a minute, he shook his head.

"Nothing, huh? In that case..."

Lifting up into her toes, Rin kissed him.

***

It took Grillby a second to register what was happening. He'd been asleep when she knocked on his door and asked for help. When his brain made the connection, he returned the kiss with zeal. Normally he wouldn't be so intense, but here, in his half-awake stupor, all of his usual inhibitions were gone. He kissed her honestly, like he was hungry for her; like he needed her.

And he did want her. Grillby had been burning for her for weeks, but he always restrained himself. He reigned it back because humans didn't become attached to people as quickly as Monsters did. Grillby was falling for Rin, and he fell fast.

And if her kisses were any proof, she felt the same way! She had met his energy with a need of her own.

He was debating whether to pick her up and carry her to the bed or to the couch when a jarring sound shook him entirely awake: the doorbell. 

***

Grillby has a doorbell?!? ARGH, the INTERRUPTIONS! Who could that be at this hour? (I’ll give you one guess. ;P )

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Chapter Seven

Chapter Nine

[acuaticamber06]

Undertale, Chapter Six

Woo! Weekly goal: reached!

We left Sans blushing in the car last week. (And, OHMIGOSH @reptilerach drew out the scene in comic form and I just about DIED. <3<3<3 ) Let's see what trouble they get into this time!

Warnings: More light cursing. (This is becoming a habit. lol)

Obvious Disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it, just my own characters. This story is for fun. ^_^

***

Undertone, Chapter Six

Sans tried to answer Rin's questions about Grillby, but he was more than a little uncomfortable with the honesty of his previous words. Look, you're easy on the eyes, kid. Even my sockets can see that. Heck, if you weren't already taken, I'd- He rolled his eyes at himself internally. You'd what? Sweep her off her feet? Tell her how gorgeous she really is and make her fall for your charms? Have her wrapped around your little phalange with a few well-placed kisses? You're a fool, Sans Skeleton. A dreaming fool. 

He acknowledged the feelings and did his best to let them go. Squashing them down and ignoring them wasn't going to help. He'd probably start obsessing over them, and then he'd have a real problem on his hands.

No matter what, he wouldn't do that to Grillby. The elemental had been an anchor for him through the years, becoming like an older brother to him and being a giver of fatherly advice. Whatever the rest of the Underground thought of Sans, Grillby had always been his reality check, for better or for worse. Now he had to be the reality check for himself. If you ruin what they have, you will be losing your best friend. You will fracture the monster community, and Grillby will withdraw into himself. Worse than that, he might never trust another woman with his heart again. Hell, he might lose faith in every other being on the planet. A car that was rapidly closing the space between them whipped into the left lane and passed them, hitting the gas and squealing the tires as it turned a corner. "Holy crap. Could he have gone any faster?" Rin frowned and raised her voice. "LEARN TO USE YOUR TURN-SIGNAL! Jerk..." "Eh, maybe he was just hungry." Sans shrugged. "Hungry? I don't care if he was starving, that's no excuse-" "You do know what the fastest fast-food is, don't you?" Sans interrupted with a smirk. "...What?" She asked with a grin of her own. "Lamb-Burg-inis!" "Ugh, you're driving me crazy, Sans!" She laughed. "Hey, a fella has to toot his own horn sometimes." Their giggles faded and her face grew a little more serious. "You know, he might just be angry that he's driving a lemon..." His belly laughs were tempered by the realization that splashed over him again like a bucket of cold water. Stop it. It doesn't matter how pretty she is or how much she likes your jokes. It doesn't matter how much you think you like her: you have to let this one go. For Grillby's sake. He lightly punched Rin's arm. "You've got a pretty good pun game, kid. I don't think there's much else I can teach you." "And so the student surpasses the teacher." She took a deep breath and let it out. "You know, Sans, I...keep most people at arm's length. If you're distant from others, they can't hurt you. And thanks to the circumstances, I didn't have any friends when I was growing up." He parked behind the bar and turned to look at Rin. There was a vulnerable honesty in her eyes.

"I'm really glad that you are my first real friend." His heart swelled and he extended his hand to shake hers. "Me too, kid. Me too." After she shook his hand, Sans pulled her under his arm and gave her a solid noogie on the head. Rin protested loudly through her laughter, and he eased off so she could sit up again. "Come on." Sans opened the car door and stepped out. "Let's go see how Grillby's doing. The bar will be open any minute now." Rin hopped out and beat him to the back door of the bar. "I've gotta run downstairs for a second, but I'll be back up in a few, okay?" "Sure." A wall of familiar smells enveloped him as he walked into the kitchen. Rin took a sharp right and practically flew down the stairs to Grillby's apartment. He plodded through the swinging doors to his place at the bar, greeting Grillby with a pat on the back. "Hey, Grillbz. We're back." The elemental lifted one eyebrow in question. "The cleaning crew finished and I paid them." Sans answered. He already knew what the bartender wanted to know. "Rin is downstairs. She said she'd be back up in a minute."

Grillby nodded and went back to polishing a glass. "I, however, would be interested in getting a Burg AND some Fries. My magic is totally gone and I'm starving." Grillby looked up at him, amusement written all over his face. He pointed to the clock on the wall. It read 3:57. "You're kidding." Sans said, exasperated. Grillby's smile grew as he shook his head. "You're really gonna make me wait until the bar officially opens to order my food? After everything I've done for you two today?" Grillby considered the question for a moment, then nodded decidedly. "Grillby, so help me Asgore, if you don't get your burning butt into that kitchen and make me something to eat, I'll-" Sans eyes shifted past the laughing elemental at the swinging doors. What he saw made him go slack-jawed. Rin walked into the room, dressed almost exactly like Grillby. She had black slacks, a white, button-down shirt, and over that was a smart, black vest. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, but one lock strayed down the side of her face. All of those things were very normal, but every piece looked like it had been made to fit her perfectly. He had never seen her in something so clean-cut. She was fully clothed, but somehow her outfit accentuated every beautiful curve on her body. Sans felt his face start to flush blue and he tried not to ogle her. Instead, he trained his eyes on Grillby, waiting for his friend to react. ~~~ Grillby was staring at Sans like the skeleton had lost his damn mind. Whether mute or not, Grillby could never get him to shut up, much less stop him cold in the middle of a sentence. Is he...blushing? When he noticed that Sans' eyes had moved to something over his shoulder, he put the glass down on the bar and turned around. Suddenly, Sans' reaction made a lot more sense. Grillby didn't know where she'd been hiding it, but she had an outfit almost identical to his bartending uniform. Although there were a few...subtle differences. For one thing, she was wearing short sleeves. Her shirt wasn't made to be tucked in, but he actually liked it better that way. It flared out at her hips like a tiny skirt.

As his eyes traveled up to her face, his temperature rose and he felt the flames on his face turn blue. Her shirt also wasn't buttoned to the top. She'd left the first few buttons undone, showing some skin underneath. But she hadn't forgotten the bow; she'd tied a black ribbon around her bare neck. He swallowed hard and tried to smile, inclining his head to her in welcome. She smoothed out her vest and looked up at the men. "Well? What do you think? Is this alright for work?" Grillby nodded a little too enthusiastically, and he heard Sans snort behind him. Laugh while you can, Sans... Rin pulled a small notepad from her pocket and tucked a pencil behind her ear. "Great! I figured we'd draft up something more official for tracking my hours later. Do you mind if I keep track of it in my notebook for the time being?" Grillby shook himself into action and handed her the tablet. *You don't have to start today if you don't want to. Aren't you tired? "Not right now." Rin shrugged. "And I'd like to learn as much as I can about how you do things. I haven't spent as much time here as I would have liked." She looked warmly around the room. "Actually, I wish I'd let myself take you up on your offer from before and just come to hang out. I guess I didn't want to inconvenience you." Grillby couldn't help the smile that peeked through his flustered state of mind. She was adorable. *You are never an inconvenience. Remember that. She read his words and returned his smile with a nod. Holding up a finger, Grillby reached beneath the bar and fished out a clean towel. He tossed it to Rin, and felt a little pride inflate his chest when she tucked the corner into her back pocket the same way he did. *Let's get started, then! Sans will be our guinea pig. I think he's hungry. Why don't you take his order? With a smirk, Rin swayed past Grillby and leaned over the bar directly in front of Sans. She looked up through her eyelashes at him seductively, and when she spoke, her voice was husky and low. "Hey there, stranger. What'll it be?" Sans gaped at her and tried to stammer out a reply when Grillby couldn't take it anymore. He and Rin broke down in a fit of laughter, leaving Sans looking flustered and confused. As soon as he was back in control, Grillby tapped her on the arm and gestured at Sans. "You're right. I'm sorry, Sans." She looked at the skeleton, wiping tears from her eyes. "I was just teasing you. Are you hungry? What can I get for you tonight?" ~~~

For the rest of the evening, Rin bounced from table to table, taking orders and chatting with customers. She especially liked talking to Big Mouth, a Monster who truly fit his name, who she immediately nicknamed "Biggie" out of fondness. She could have wasted an hour just discussing food with the guy. She also met Red, a Bird who used to communicate for Grillby before he got his new system into place. Rin wondered briefly if she had some kind of telepathic magic, but she promised that no, she couldn't read minds; she was just good at reading people. When Rin reflected on it later, she never remembered actually asking Red that question, so the Bird's response still left her wondering. But it was when the regulars from the royal guard showed up that Rin found her favorite customer. All of the Dogs were wonderful people who asked her as many questions as she asked them. Dogamy and Dogaressa made a cute couple (albeit a little over the top), Lesser Dog acknowledged Rin and then immediately went back to a variant of solitaire that she'd never seen before, and Greater Dog seemed overjoyed when Rin referred to him as "Major." Then she met Doggo. The poor fellow was practically blind. (Rin almost assumed he was totally blind by the way he dressed. She didn't know anybody who wore a bright pink tank top with leopard-print pants.) He explained that he could only see things when they moved, and from that moment on, she swayed slowly from foot to foot so he'd know she was there. She felt bad for judging him based on his clothing choices, so it was to Doggo that she directed her attention throughout the remainder of the night. After setting down one of his refills, he asked her a question that had been burning in her own mind for the bulk of the evening. He held out his arm. "Do you...do you want to touch it?" Rin stopped. "What?" "It is a common reaction in humans. We Dogs look so much like their pet counterparts that the first thing most people want to do is pet us." He held his arm out again. "Go ahead, if you want to." Haltingly, Rin brought her hand up and gently stroked his arm. It certainly wasn't the strangest thing she'd done around a Monster, and she didn't want to insult her favorite customer. "Oh! Oh, wow!" A grin crept across her face. "Your fur is so soft!"

She could hear his tail thumping beneath the table. "Thanks, but that's nothing. It's softest on my ears." Rin lightly touched his ears and was astonished to find that he was right. "So it is!" Rin leaned over to look at him. "You have to tell me. What's your secret?" "Careful, Rin..." Dogaressa spoke behind her hand conspiratorially. "He'll keep you here for the rest of the night if he can. Petting's his favorite activity. Well, next to fetch, anyway." Rin glanced back at Doggo. "Wait, you play fetch?" "Sure I do!" His tail thumped underneath the table again. "Huh. That's...uh, interesting!" "Why?" He quirked his head to the side. "Well, I didn't think Dogs would play fetch. With anyone." "Why not?" His head tilted all the way back to the other side. "I... I guess I thought it would be...demeaning somehow?" She explained delicately, twisting her towel between her fingers.

"Most of us did outgrow the game when we were pups." Dogamy nodded. Doggo folded his arms defiantly. "It's cardio with a purpose, Dogamy. Just like a foot race. There's nothing wrong with that." "Well I think it's great." Rin tousled the fur on Doggo's head and he leaned into the touch with a smile. "We should totally play sometime when I have a day off." She spotted Grillby waving at her from across the bar and excused herself. She might have been imagining it, but Doggo seemed to droop slightly as she walked away. "Are all Monsters this nice? I don't think I've met a rude Monster yet." Rin tucked her towel back into her pocket and leaned against the bar across from Grillby. *For the most part. Nearly every Monster I know is nice in their own way. Even Asgore has a kind heart, despite all that he and Toriel have been through. Rin nodded, trying to look like she understood while desperately digging through memory files to remember what little Monster history she'd been exposed to. I've GOT to get myself a book on the subject. There has to be a book, right?

To her right, Sans cleared his throat. "Heads up, Grillbz. It's a blue moon tonight." Grillby's head snapped up toward the door. Rin followed his gaze to see a beautiful Spider sweep into the room. Her skin was an iridescent lilac, and it sparkled in the low light of the bar. She was wearing a ruby red dress with butterfly sleeves for each of her six arms. Her handbag had a gold-chain strap and matched the black heels on her feet. Grillby moved out from behind the bar to greet her, and Rin could see that her hair was twisted up neatly with a red clip. As she spoke to Grillby, Rin decided that her most striking feature was her eyes. There were five in an arch across her face, and each one blinked in succession from left to right. "We use 'blue moon' as a code for her because she so rarely comes in to the bar while it's open." Sans said in low tones, bringing Rin's attention away from the Spider. "She's been pursuing Grillby ever since we came topside. Recently she's really stepped up her game; changed her look." "Oh?" A twinge of jealousy twisted in her stomach. "Yep. So I guess the 'heads up' is for you, too." Sans took a swig of his drink. "Remember when you asked me about your 'competition' earlier? Well, as far as Muffet is concerned, she's the only one who qualifies." "Did I just hear my name, Sans Skeleton?" Muffet strolled to the bar with three arms looped around one of Grillby's. He looked from Rin to Sans with an expression of defeat. "Indeed you did. Rin, this is Muffet. She owns a bakery up the street from here. Muffet, I'd like you to meet Rin: Grillby's first employee and new roommate." The whole bar seemed to go quiet, and everyone's eyes in the group did something different in that moment. Rin's widened in shock, Grillby's pinched shut with silent regret, Sans' tugged up at the corners in suppressed laughter, and all five of Muffet's narrowed directly at Rin. The look sent a chill down her spine. "Really? How...delightful." Muffet was almost able to remove the derision from her voice. "Muffet makes the best doughnuts you'll ever sink your teeth into." Sans continued. "And her bakery doubles as a tearoom. It's a quiet place; good for reading, if you're into that sort of thing."

The tension was palpable, and Rin couldn't handle it much longer. She offered her hand to the Spider with a smile. "It's lovely to meet you, Muffet." "Ah, yes. Charmed." She shook Rin's hand with the lightest contact. "And this may be Rin's first day on the job, but I can already tell that she will be an invaluable asset to ol' Grillbz here." Muffet's look narrowed further. "Hahaha, Sans!" Rin punched him not-so-lightly in the shoulder. "You're exaggerating. I'm just learning the ropes today." She glared at him beneath her smile with as much Knock it off! as she could muster. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy on her first day in a new community. Sans must have understood, because he deflated a bit and redirected the conversation.

"Hey, it's a little later than we usually see you, Muffet. To what do we owe the honor?" "Oh, nothing in particular! It's just such a nice evening. The stars were practically begging me to take a walk." She leaned back against Grillby's chest and looked up at him with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I'm sure Mr. Domona understands. We are creatures that thrive in the darkness. Nights like these were made for Monsters like us."

Her words hurt Rin more than she cared to admit, so much so that hearing Grillby’s last name for the first time didn’t even phase her. It was one thing to know that she wasn't a Monster like Grillby, but to be reminded of the fact in a not-so-pleasant way by a beautiful Monster made that knife twist in her gut. Even worse, she was a beautiful Monster who wanted Grillby. A chime sounded and Muffet raised one of her left arms to look at her watch. She was looking down when Grillby shot a panicked I didn't ask for this! look at Sans and Rin, holding his hands up where they could be seen. "Oh, my! Look at the time! It's already two AM." She spun on one foot and took Grillby's two hands into her six. "Why don't we take a walk, Grillby? Just you and me and the starlight. Since you have an employee now, she can close up for you." Muffet's eyes narrowed and locked with Rin's. "You don't mind, do you, dearie?" Both Rin and Sans took a breath to protest at the same time, but Grillby beat them to it and slid the tablet in front of Muffet's face, breaking that steely gaze. When Rin let the breath go, it was more of a sigh of relief. "Aw, really? You still have to teach her how?" Muffet turned a boo-boo lip to the fire elemental which, frankly, Rin hadn't know to be physically possible. He nodded vigorously. "I understand." Muffet dropped her head with her many arms from the pleading position they'd been holding. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she walked the fingers on one hand up Grillby's chest towards his face like...well, like a spider. Grillby looked incredibly uncomfortable. "I suppose there will be many more beautiful summer nights to come. Now that you've hired help, maybe your schedule will be a bit more...flexible." Muffet turned and winked at Rin, obviously not caring about subtlety, then glided out the door and into the night.

You could hear a pin drop in the bar. After a moment, Sans broke the silence with a sigh. "And now you've met Muffet. She's less of a person, and more of...an experience." "No kidding." Rin honestly didn't know how to feel after the encounter. However she felt, she was pretty sure it wasn't good. ~~~ As soon as Sans spoke, Grillby went into damage-control mode. It had been a couple of weeks since Muffet's last performance, and it honestly hadn't crossed his mind as something he should warn Rin about. Seeing her downcast expression, Grillby really wished he'd thought of it sooner. He handed her the tablet with an apologetic smile. *Unfortunately, we need to check out the customers and close up for the night. Can we talk about this later? Rin nodded and seemed to bolster herself. "Alright. What should I do first?" ~~~ Sans was the last person to leave, but he kind of did that on purpose. He had called his brother to come and pick him up since his magic was gone. When he saw the headlights of Pap's car pull up to the bar, he got up with a groan. "Welp, there's my ride. I'd introduce you to Papyrus, but I think you've hand enough experiences for one night." He smirked up at Rin as she walked him to the door, but she wasn't really looking at him. She seemed worried.

"Rin." Sans stopped at the door until he got her attention. "I'm sorry if I made the Muffet situation worse than it had to be, but try not to jump to conclusions, alright? Muffet does that enough for all of us." Rin gave him a weak smile. "Okay, Sans. I'll try. Have a good night." He stepped outside and watched her smile fade as soon as she locked the door. Sliding into the passenger's seat, Sans had to admit that he hadn't felt this crummy in a long time. He'd hurt Rin. Sure, in was indirectly, but he'd made her sad. And as soon as that realization had hit him, he'd felt her sadness, too; as if it was his own. And that feeling worried him. No, not just that feeling, but all of them. How long had he really felt this way about Rin? He'd convinced himself that it was a new development, but that wasn't the truth. Sans thought back, trying to pinpoint the moment he began to fall for her. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even hear what his brother was saying at first. "...HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE WOKEN UP BY A RINGTONE THAT SOUNDS LIKE FRENZIED DUCK-QUACKING?!? I ENJOY THE OCCASIONAL PRANK NOW AND THEN, BUT WHEN THAT PRANK CAUSES SOMEONE TO HAVE A NIGHTMARE ABOUT BEING CHASED BY A FLOCK OF ANGRY FOWEL, THAT'S JUST..." It was the moment I saw her sitting at the bar. The day her car broke down. The very beginning.

Sans was really stuck between a rock and a hard place. He'd never been in a situation where he wanted something that he couldn't have; something that he shouldn't have. If Sans had ever wanted anything, he'd just turn on the charm or the magic and make it happen. Grillby is too important to me to interfere. That would break his heart...and Rin is so happy with him...just look at how much it hurt her to think that he'd choose Muffet instead. I can't do that to her. He looked down at his empty hands.

So, that just leaves me. Here. Alone. With these...feelings. "...MORE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW MUCH MAGIC YOU USE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO INCONVENIENCE THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. LIKE YOUR BROTHER, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WHO WAS SOUNDLY ASLEEP WHEN YOU CALLED. REALLY, SANS, IF YOU- SANS? SANS! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?" "'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.'" Sans quoted under his breath. "I'm definitely the tired." "WHAT? SANS, NO ONE'S GOING TO UNDERSTAND YOU IF YOU KEEP MUMBLING LIKE THAT." Sans turned his sockets out to the passing scenery. "Have you ever read The Great Gatsby?" "WHAT'S A 'GATSBY'?" Papyrus stopped at a red light and looked at him incredulously. "Never mind. Hey, Papyrus?" "YES, BROTHER?" "What do you do when you have...a problem?" "A PROBLEM?" "Yeah." His eyes were back down in his lap. "What do you do if you have a problem and a bunch of feelings and you don't know what to do with them?" "WELL- actually, I run." Papyrus only ever lowered his voice when he was being incredibly serious. A humorless laugh crept out of Sans' throat. "So you run away from your problems, huh? I figured you to be the type to meet them head-on." "No, no, that's not what I meant." Papyrus shook his head. "If I have a problem that I can't find a solution for, I use the feelings as fuel. I take all the sadness, or anger, or frustration and push it through my legs while I run. I run until I can't run anymore. Then, if the problem isn't gone just by getting rid of those emotions, I can approach it with a clear head and think about it objectively."

Sans was stunned. "That was...very good advice, bro." "OF COURSE IT WAS! Just because I'm your younger brother doesn't mean I haven't seen my share of problems." He paused before he continued. "Are you okay, Sans? You've been a bit...moody lately, and you're drinking a lot more. I'm worried about you." Sans sighed and patted his brother's arm. "I'm alright. I just need to find a way to use these feelings as fuel." "You know, I was planning on going running tomorrow... Would like to come?" Papyrus asked. "You don't have to do it alone." Sans stopped himself before he shot the offer down. Sure, he was lazy. And no, running was NOT his favorite activity in the world. But he'd been ignoring his feelings for Rin longer than he should have. Maybe...maybe it would actually help. "Only if you're prepared to be a Drill Sargent. You know how much I hate exercising." "FEAR NOT, MY BROTHER!" Papyrus' face split into a grin. Sans was a little worried that his jaw would unhinge. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE MOST MOTIVATING DRILL SARGENT YOU HAVE EVER SEEN! WE'LL GET UP AT SIX AM, SHARP, AND EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST OF SPAGHETTI! THEN WE'LL SPEND THIRTY MINUTES DOING WARM-UP CALISTHENICS IN THE DRIVEWAY! ONCE OUR BONES ARE PROPERLY STRETCHED, WE'LL-" Sans rubbed one temple and chuckled to himself. He was regretting it already. But if it helps... He looked up at the stars twinkling in the sky above. They sparkled with every color of the rainbow; it wasn't just one green light blinking in the distance. I want to be the best friend anybody could ask for. To both of them.

***

Rin against the world, Rin against Muffet, and Sans against himself...! We've got aaaaall the conflict in this story, haven't we? Hopefully some of this will begin to resolve soon. Muffet seemed pretty set on fighting for Grillby...

Tune in next week for Chapter Seven!

Chapter Five

Chapter Seven

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone, Chapter Seven

So! Not totally over the illness yet, but I'm getting there.

Grillby has some explaining to do! I wonder how Rin will react?

Warnings: None this time. I think.

Obvious disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it, just my own characters. This story is for fun. ^_^

***

Undertone, Chapter Seven

​There was something off with Rin. Grillby was pretty certain he knew why, but he couldn't fix anything until the bar was cleaned and locked up for the night. So, even though he hated it, he pushed through it.

He showed her how to clean the tables and the seats of the chairs. He showed her how he swept the floor and wiped down the bar top. He explained how the till in the register was split into two different bags (one for the bank, and one to stay in the bar) and then locked in the safe. Since she was busy, he went to clean the kitchen by himself, but at one point he turned to find her mopping the floor by the fry station without being instructed or asked. She had sneaked in so quietly that he never heard her, studied what he was doing, then done the work herself.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he scraped the grill.

She's been so...silent.

When he thought about it, Rin's silence was what seemed so off about her. Being mute, silence had never bothered him. The world was rarely truly silent, and he was used to being left out of conversations simply because he couldn't really participate. But his inability to speak had never stopped Rin from speaking to him. It wasn't like it used to be with Sans, who talked at him before he had a notebook or his tablet system. Rin talked with him, always looking to see his responses, whether they were physical gestures or written out.

And ever since Muffet left, she hasn't said a word.

He gathered all of the cleaning supplies and showed Rin where to put them away while he dumped the mop water down the floor drain in the supply closet. It was the final step in the process, and now Grillby could explain the Muffet situation.

To show her that they were done, Grillby untied his apron and looped it over a hook by the now locked back door. She did the same and he gestured to the stairwell with a smile. Rin nodded and lead the way.

The walk downstairs was as silent as the cleaning had been. Fragments of old memories surfaced, reminding him of the ugly, jealousy-fueled fights he used to endure.

Just as he stepped off the last step, prepared to tap Rin's shoulder so he could start the conversation, she broke the silence.

"I...understand, Grillby."

That pulled him up short. She turned to look at him, her shoulders low.

"Muffet is beautiful. It's no wonder why anyone would like her." She looked down at herself. "Sans may be right, but if there really is competition, I truly can't compete with her."

She didn't yell. She didn't threaten. She didn't accuse him of doing things he hadn't done. His entire explanation vanished for the moment from him mind, and he stepped off the stairs in her direction.

Going on impulse again...what is it about her that makes me do this?

His thoughts didn't slow him down. In one move, he put the tablet on the kitchen counter and swept her up in a hug.

***

At first, Rin stood very still. Her mind wouldn't react. This wasn't what the voice had told her would happen.

You're just a pity case.

He's only letting you stay and work because he feels sorry for you.

It's all temporary.

Muffet is ten times the partner you could ever be to him.

He's going to let you down gently and then you'll have to look for a new place.

After a few seconds, her muscles relaxed and her mind began to think a little clearer.

I jumped to conclusions, didn't I? Again.

Finally, she wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug, squeezing a little harder than she meant to.

"I'm sorry. It's just, when I see a Monster as pretty as Muffet, it's hard not to compare myself to them and see everything I lack."

He let go and handed her the tablet.

*Muffet has been trying to convince me to go out with her for months. I've never been interested. Not even once.

Rin looked up at him, shocked. "Really?"

*Really. Come sit down and I'll tell you the whole story.

***

Once they were both comfortably nestled on the couch with mugs of calming rose hip tea, Grillby looked over at Rin apologetically.

*Are you ready? This could take a while.

"After all that cleaning, my body is very awake." She sipped her tea with a smile. "Weave away, Tale Master."

Nodding, he began.

*Back in the Underground, Muffet had only one purpose: to save the spiders trapped in the ancient ruins.

Grillby could see the questions on her face, so he held up a finger and continued typing.

*The ruins are where the humans fall into the Underground. Snowdin lies between the ruins and the rest of the Underground, and with all that snow and freezing temperatures, the spiders in the ruins couldn't leave. They would freeze to death before they made it out of Snowdin.

*So Muffet spent all of her time cooking and selling her baked goods in order to raise money to rescue the spiders and reunite the clans once more. It was the foremost thing on her mind, and she only ever saw other monsters as potential sponsors for her great expedition. Whenever she wasn't selling doughnuts at exorbitant prices, she spent her time with the spiders. She was their leader, after all.

"Well, you can't say that she wasn't dedicated to her calling." Rin pointed out. "To have that kind of focus and endless zeal for something is a quality that's hard to find. Among humans, anyway."

Grillby nodded in agreement.

*And she probably would have stayed that way down there until she raised enough money to complete her quest. Things changed a lot when the barrier was broken.

"The barrier...that's what was keeping all of the Monsters under Mr. Ebbot, right?"

*Correct. With the barrier down, we were free to leave, which meant that there would be no one left to help Muffet rescue the spiders.

"Oh, dear." Rin frowned. "What did she do?"

*She came to the surface with the rest of us, determined to save them. If she couldn't get money from us, she would get it from the humans.

*When she first began, Muffet baked everything in her kitchen and loaded it into a food cart. Then she would walk that cart to the center of town and sell her wares, pleading her case to anyone passing by.

Rin's eyes widened. "I can't imagine that going very well."

*At first, it didn't. People were afraid of her. They thought she looked strange and they avoided her cart. She was starting to wonder if she should rethink her plan when someone finally approached her. It was a child; a little boy who loved bugs, and he thought she was fascinating. He listened to her problem and begged his mother for a doughnut. He liked her and her wares so much that he started a collection at his school and brought her some money a week later.

"Aw!" Rin smiled. "Kids can be wonderful sometimes."

*I think that's when Muffet began to look at people, Monsters and humans, as more than just wallets full of money.

*Once that child broke the ice, other people bought her doughnuts and her popularity skyrocketed. Soon she needed a brick-and-mortar space to expand her business enough to meet the demand, so she came to me.

"Ah. Did you help her find a store?"

*Yes, although it pained her very much to spend the bulk of her hard-earned funds on the place. It took her several weeks before she finally gave in. I negotiated with the owners to buy the property rather than renting it, and now she is the landlord for two other businesses connected to her building, and she lives in the apartment above them. To this day, her bakery is the one place that humans don't seem to be afraid to visit. I honestly think that her store is the key to integrating ourselves into human society again.

"Wow. And she did all that in a year, too..." Rin pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over her legs. "So did she ever make enough to rescue the spiders?"

*Actually, yes. Around the beginning of the new year, she hired several monsters to drive horse-drawn wagons full of heated crates and lead them back down into the Underground. When they arrived at the ruins, Muffet explained why they had come back to the spiders. Some decided to stay, while others decided to leave with her, and they transported those spiders to Hotland safely.

"I'm glad. She saw her quest through to the end."

*Ah, but that was the problem: with the spiders rescued, Muffet returned to the surface without a purpose. She had a thriving business, employees to help her run it, and a home to live in. She had no goals anymore. Moreover, the spiders had been her constant companions, and they had all decided to stay in the Underground where they could live undisturbed. Muffet felt...lost.

"She was lonely, huh?"

*Back when we first arrived topside, she came to me for a little business advice. She must have taken a liking to me then. Maybe it was because I never judged her for her mission. I'm not sure exactly why, but she asked if we could be friends. I didn't see the harm in it, so I invited her to the bar.

"Huh. Isn’t that what you did to me?" Rin tilted her head at him.

While he was rushing to type, she giggled from behind her mug. "I'm kidding. It was a nice gesture. Did she come?"

Grillby sighed.

*Yes. It was a disaster. Usually, Muffet is a very proper person, and her only social interactions had been with the spiders she loved. So the bar was everything she couldn't stand: people laughing and being loud, alcohol, messy fast food... she hated it. Then Sans happened.

"Uh oh."

*He used his magic to goose her on the butt somehow and she thought it was Fish who did it. She slapped him three times across the gills and made a big scene, calling him all kinds of...unflattering names.

Rin winced. "Three times the arms AND the mouth of a sailor. Yikes."

Grillby chuckled soundlessly.

*Knocked him out cold for a few minutes. Once we got him awake again and Sans owned up to his prank, she was extremely embarrassed. She left in a rush and refused to come back in when the bar was open for a long time.

"I can't say that I blame her."

*That didn't stop her from pursuing me, though. She made excuses to visit in the hours before four o'clock. Honestly, not all of those visits were bad. Sometimes we just talked about the trials of being business owners. She would bring me herbs and tea and show me how to make my own blends. I started serving iced tea upstairs because of her.

"Well, I begrudgingly give credit where it's due. I love your tea blends." Rin sighed.

Grillby smiled then rubbed the bridge of his nose.

*Letting Muffet down gently is proving impossible. She simply can't take a hint. And I don't blame her for it; she just doesn't have to social skills to read people. The worst situations come from when she's been drinking too much wine at home and she comes in at night full of liquid courage. I spend the whole time she's in the bar diffusing her and convincing her to go home.

"And that's where the term 'blue moon' came from?"

He nodded.

*It only happened once every few weeks, so Sans began using that code to warn me that she was coming. I honestly thought she had given up when I hadn't seen her in a couple of months, but apparently I was wrong.

Rin put her empty mug on the coffee table. "She's pursuing you with all the zeal left over after she completed her mission, isn't she?"

Grillby nodded.

*That's what I believe. I think if she had a new goal in her life, she might not be as...zealous in her overtures.

"It could also be that she just genuinely likes you, you know." She shifted a little, a small frown on her lips. "I mean, I can think of a bunch of reasons why you're a good catch."

He snorted.

*I'm just a mute Fire Elemental that runs a bar.

"No, Grillby, you're so much more than that!" Rin sat up and turned to face him. "You're kind to everyone, you make amazing food, you're funny, you're intelligent, you're VERY attractive-"

He started to blush about halfway through her speech, which must have made Rin rethink her words. She blushed a bit herself and eased back into the sofa again.

"You helped pull the Monster community together when they were faced with adversity. You gave them homes and places to work. And the bar is like...a little piece of home that never changes." She smiled over at him sheepishly. "There are many reasons why I...why everyone likes you so much."

Grillby could tell that she was embarrassed by her passionate outburst, but he felt a little bolder after hearing it. Remembering Sans' advice, he decided to "put the ball in her court".

*I don't know about the hero part, but I think I want to hear more about the first bit.

He lifted his eyebrows and gave her a knowing smirk, delighting in the darker tone her cheeks took on.

"Wh- what?" Rin shifted until she was sitting with both feet on the floor. She looked like she was ready to bolt.

*The first part. Do you really think I'm...attractive?

***

When she looked up from the tablet, Grillby was suddenly much closer than he had been before. His nose was only inches from hers, and he was staring at her intently. Her stomach did a flip and she tried to control her voice as she spoke.

"I, uh...yes. Yes, I do think you're handsome."

*How?

Grillby had turned on his front facing camera to inspect his face.

*I think I might be out of touch with what humans find physically attractive these days. I always thought women favored men with facial hair. I can't grow a beard.

"No, not necessarily." She corrected him. "And besides, a beard isn't the only thing we look for in terms of beauty. You have...uh, other qualities that make you attractive."

He blinked over at her, and Rin could see some genuine curiosity in his eyes.

*Like what?

Rin felt like her throat wasn't working properly.

"Hm?" She squeaked.

*I've been staring at this face all my life. I don't see what you see. Would you show me?

He scooted right next to her and turned on his camera again, waiting for her to say something.

"Um, well, there's-"

He shook his head.

*Show me. I won't burn you.

Rin swallowed hard as he flipped back to his camera once more.

He's already kissed you once! Calm down.

She took a deep breath and lifted her hand.

"Okay, well, I think you have a nice jawline." She lightly traced the edge of his jaw. "It's not sharp, but it's well defined. Strong."

She hesitated and he lifted an eyebrow at her.

That's not the only thing. He’s a good looking guy! Tell him more.

"There's, uh, also your eyebrows..." She traced one, half expecting to feel some hair. The flames warmed her finger. "They look like they're well-groomed. Do you have to do anything to make them look this way?"

He shook his head slightly. She pursed her lips.

"Then you're lucky. Your body has given you perfect eyebrows and you don't even have to work at it."

He smiled, and she did too. Then she continued before her confidence gave out.

"I really like how all of your features are highlighted in a lighter shade of orange. You've got everything a human has under those flames." She turned her body a little more to look at him.

"And your eyes...I love your eyes."

Alarm bells went off in her head.

ABORT! ABORT! TOO HONEST! TOO HEAVY! MAKE A JOKE! DISTRACT! ABORT!

Grillby seemed just as surprised by her words as she was herself.

*My...eyes? No one's ever mentioned my eyes.

Rin couldn't come up with a good segue into a joke, so naturally she just dug the hole deeper.

"I, uh, well, it's just that they start as a darker orange at the center and get lighter you go out toward the edges of your eyes." She fumbled over her words. "I really like them."

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! WE HIT THE TRUTH-BERG! WE'RE SINKING! S.O.S! S.O.S!

Rin fell silent. She didn't think she could continue after that last declaration.

*I love your eyes, too.

Her heart skipped a beat.

*I think they're amazing. I never know exactly what I'll see until I look. They shift all the time, just like me.

His eye flicked up from studying his arm and met hers. Rin felt herself falling into those orange pools of light as he held her gaze. When the alarm bells in her head finally became louder than her pounding pulse, she remembered to breathe and spoke.

"I also like your floaty candle-hair."

The color drained from her face. Rin couldn't stop the cringe that followed her statement.

SHE'S FLATLINING! WE'RE LOSING HER! GET THE DEFIBRILLATOR!

From behind her eyelids, she heard a strange hissing noise. Rin cracked open one eye to find Grillby nearly doubled over in laughter. Light orange tears leaked out of his eye and rolled down his cheek. All at once, every ounce of tension that had built up from her panic surged out of her in a stream of giggles, mixing with Grillby's hisses and crackles.

*Floaty candle-hair?

"I'm sorry!" She laughed. "I couldn't think of a better way to describe it!"

*It's perfect. Just like you.

The blush on her face flared again, and Rin felt it spread up her ears.

*Anyway, it's late. I'm going to get ready for bed.

Grillby stood up and offered her a hand to help her stand, too. She slipped her hand into his palm and he pulled her up, MUCH faster than she'd expected. She squeaked as she fairly flew off the couch, and he moved to catch her.

Rin landed rather awkwardly in his arms, grabbing fistfuls of his shirtsleeves in an effort to steady herself. When she managed to get her feet back under her, she giggled breathlessly and looked up at him.

Grillby's eyebrows were drawn together with concern, but he smiled down at her and mouthed the words I'm sorry.

"It's alright."

He flipped his phone around so she could see what he'd written.

*No, I mean it. For everything. The mess with your mom, moving on short notice, running you ragged on the first day of your new job, Muffet... These past few days have been rough. I'm sorry.

"I'm not." She took a step back and took her hair out of its pony tail. It was a bit messed up anyway. She shook it down and tucked it behind each ear as she spoke.

"Yeah, the situation with Karin is...bad. But it's not new. I've been dealing with her my whole life. As far as moving out is concerned, I feel safer here than I have in any apartment I've ever rented." She raked a hand through her hair a couple of times to smooth it out, focusing her eyes back on his face. "And you didn't run me ragged; I had a lot of fun tonight just getting to know everyone! The families that came in at dinner time were lovely and the regulars were hysterical. They were wonderful to me."

She folded her arms against her stomach, sort of crossing them and pulling them close to her body.

"And Muffet was an eye-opener, for sure, but now that you've told me her story...it's hard to stay upset with her. Especially knowing that she was probably drunk."

*I'm glad you feel that way. Muffet's not a bad person. And I will make time to go and talk to her. I have to make it clear that there's someone else I'm interested in.

A warmth spread through her as she looked up and saw Grillby's subtle smile. The corners of his eyes crinkled up affectionately and his mouth pulled into a gentle curve. She was starting to think that it was an expression he saved just for her.

And she loved that.

***

They spent the next few minutes getting ready for bed. They traded off using the bathroom, and Rin went second so the water wouldn't bother him. He'd explained earlier that he made every faucet he used safe, but the shower was something he didn't need nearly as often.

After her shower, Rin came out to find all but one of the lights in the living room turned off. The light in Grillby's room was on, and as she stepped over to it, she could see him sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone.

"Thanks for leaving the light on for me." She toweled her damp hair while she walked.

He inclined his head with a soft smile. Her smile.

"Well, I think I'll hit the hay. See you in the morning."

Grillby nodded and mouthed the word Goodnight.

Rin started to walk away, then stopped.

"And Grillby?" She paused.

She was out of his line of sight, but she knew he was listening, so she kept going.

"I think my favorite feature of all is your heart."

Rin turned out the light and went into her room, shutting the door behind her. 

***

AUGH! ATTACK OF THE EXPOSITION MONSTER!   \____( ‘<

...That looks more like a hungry lizard...

Anywho, that’s it for this week, and the end of the move-in arch. On to the next one: Muffet. Stay tuned!

Chapter Six

Chapter Eight

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone

Hey, everyone! Welcome to my first shot at writing a fanfic for Undertale! Please bear with me as I go on this journey- I’m still kind of new to this fandom. I don’t know how to classify the story yet. As it revolves around a human girl and Grillby in the time after they come out from under the mountain, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t count as an AU. 

If you’ve stopped by to read this: Thank you! Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome. And give it a chance- the first two chapters have a lot of backstory to cover. I promise things will pick up after that.

The only warnings I have so far are for some light cursing. If anything worse comes along, I’ll put a note in at the beginning. Obvious disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it.  

***

Undertone

Chapter one, Part one

​The car lurched. Rin turned her head to look at the driver. Her eyes narrowed.

"Jenna..." Her voice had a warning lilt to it.

"What? I'm sure it's noth-" Jenna tried to dismiss when the SUV suddenly shuddered to a stop. She pumped the gas a few times and it lurched forward again, only to shudder and die once more.

Rin leaned over with an exasperated sigh to look at the gauges on the console. "You're out of gas? How- When was the last time you went to a gas station?"

"Oh. So THAT'S what Daddy meant by 'fill her up'. I thought he wanted me to take you to lunch." Jenna shrugged, flipping her pink hair over her shoulder.

Rin's palm involuntarily made contact with her face. "Jenna. If I miss this interview, I'm going to kill you."

"What's the big deal with this interview, anyway?" Jenna popped her gum, an annoyed look on her face.

Rin gaped at her incredulously. "You FRAMED ME for STEALING, got me FIRED, and you OWE ME. THAT'S the BIG DEAL."

"Taking lip gloss in hardly stealing."

"Jenna, It wouldn't have mattered if you took lip gloss or the entire electronics wall: stealing is stealing." Rin's voice grew with each passing second. "And planting it on me to try to get out of it cost me my only source of income!"

"Hey! I panicked-"

"Is that why you left the one lip gloss in your pocket?" Rin hissed through gritted teeth. "Or did you do that on purpose so you would have an excuse to point fingers at me?"

"FINE. I get it. I'll call Daddy and have him come get us." Jenna pulled out her phone, agitated. "Don't worry. You'll get to the interview, you'll get your stupid job, and then we'll never have to see each other again."

Rin flexed her jaw but fell silent.

As long as you hold up your end of the bargain.

~~~

It was a slow Tuesday night at the pharmacy when it happened. Rin was doing her best not to fall asleep while she restocked the makeup aisle. One look at the mirrors on the walls showed that she was the only person on the sales floor.

Most nights were quiet like this ever since the monsters emerged from Mt. Ebbot. Macall was such a conservative city, and there were many people who would not tolerate change of any kind, much less an entirely new race of beings who were given rights equal to the rest of the citizenry. Those people who could afford to move away did so, whether it was to the other side of town or another town altogether. Businesses vacated the area around the base of the mountain in droves as well, leaving her pharmacy on the new edge of town and the bustling city center empty. Thanks to their location, they served an even mix of humans and monsters.

She glanced back up at the mirrors hopefully, pushing a lock of black hair behind her ear.

Maybe no one else will come in tonight. Cleanup will be a snap.

As if on cue, a group of human girls walked through the doors, laughing and being loud.

Rin rolled her eyes and kept stacking foundation on the display. It didn't really matter to her whether the customers were humans or monsters; they all had an equal opportunity to pester her right before closing time.

Great.

The girls strolled around the store, chatting endlessly. It wasn't hard to keep track of them, even without the mirrors. They were obnoxious. They didn't seem to be shopping for anything in particular, so it didn't take them long to make their way to the makeup aisle.

Rin sighed, bracing herself for some forced social interaction. If working in retail had taught her anything, it was that most people were flaming piles of garbage.

Oh, wait, there aren't any monsters that look like piles of trash, are there?

She made a mental note to do some research on the subject. She didn't want to insult anybody.

The girls entered her aisle and Rin gave them a broad smile. They ignored her, making little sounds of disdain. 

It didn’t take more than a glance to know immediately who the ringleader was. She wore sky-high wedge sandals, expensive name-brand clothes, and her hair was pastel pink. The other girls were nicely dressed, but no one even came close to her class.

As they picked up and compared makeup, talking about the pros and cons of different brands, the leader voiced her opinion about each item. She never said a single positive thing, no matter what her friends discussed. It was like watching a snobby medieval princess interact with with her ladies-in-waiting.

"Well, not all of us are loaded like you, Jenna." One girl grumbled. "We have to settle for the cheap stuff."

A hush fell over the group. Rin wasn't a part of the conversation, but even she could feel the tension rise. She turned and pretended to be busy fishing things out of a box.

After a moment, she heard the leader, Jenna, clear her throat. "Which one did you want, Chloe?" She asked.

Rin watched the girl who must have been Chloe out of the corner of her eye. She looked at the shelf and picked up a plum-colored lip gloss, handing it to Jenna.

"This shade makes me want to vom. Which was your favorite, Elise?"

One by one, each of the girls picked up their favorite shade of lip gloss and handed them to the Jenna, who pointed out the flaws in their choices. It didn't take long for her to have a fistful of disappointments in her hand.

"All of these are absolute trash." She declared, raising her voice slightly. "I wouldn't pay a single cent for any of them, and neither should you." Then, with the fluidity of a seasoned professional, the girl turned away from Rin and shoved all of the tubes into her pocket.

Rin smiled to herself.

Gotcha, princess. The cameras might be broken on this side of the store, but you are so going down.

She gave the gaggle a few minutes to move on to the next aisle before heading to the manager's office.

"James!" She opened the door to a tired, middle-aged man. "I just saw a girl steal some makeup."

"Cosmetics?" He glanced at the security feeds. The one over the makeup aisle was black. "Damn. Are you sure she did?"

"Positive." Rin nodded. "There are six tubes of lip gloss in her jacket pocket."

James nodded. "Get to the checkout. I'll meet you there."

Rin closed the door and jogged toward the front of the store. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Catching shoplifters red-handed came with a certain...thrill.

A few minutes later, the group of girls made their way over to the register. In her head, Rin counted them.

One, two, three, four, five- hey, weren't there six of them?

"I found the Twinkies!" Came a voice from behind Rin and something bumped into her hip.

"Oops!" The sixth girl said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sorry. I didn't see you there."

She went around the counter and joined the group. "Here, Jenna. Do we want anything else?"

The door chimed as someone entered. It was a fire elemental, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt. Rin had never seen a man of fire before and she was fascinated, but she didn't have much time to dwell on him.

James came around the corner and approached the princess with an air of authority. "I need you to empty your pockets, miss."

"Excuse me?" The girl looked offended.

"You can drop the act." Rin said flatly. "I saw you put lip gloss in your pocket."

"This is insane!" The princess scrunched her face and tried to work up some tears. "First you're rude to me and my friends, and now you accuse me of stealing?" She looked at the manager. "How can you employ people like this?"

James shifted uncomfortably but motioned to her pockets again. "If there's nothing there, then you have nothing to hide."

She wiped the non-existent tears from her eyes and sighed. "Of course. I'd be happy to-"

She pulled her hands from her jacket. For a heartbeat, the girl stared down at the single tube of lip gloss in her fingers.

Just one? Where did the other-?

"How. Dare. You." She put down the tube and slapped her hands on the counter. "Did you crawl up from under the mountain like the rest of them? Because you are a monster!"

Rin flinched, and she saw the fire elemental's head whip around at the comment. Briefly, they made eye contact. She hoped that he could read the apology she was silently sending him.

"What are you-?"

"You planted this on me!" The princess shrieked. "You probably did it to distract the manager so you could steal from the store! I bet your pockets are full of makeup."

"That's ridiculous." Rin patted her work vest to prove that-

A lump clinked in her pocket.

"See?!? I told you!" Jenna pointed at Rin, looking at the manger. "Empty her pockets and tell me I'm wrong!"

"Rin?" Her manager seemed genuinely confused. "What's in your pocket?"

Slowly, Rin pulled out the missing five lip glosses and set them on the counter.

How? How did she-?

She sucked in a breath.

The girl who hip-checked me! She must have slipped them in my pocket at the same time!

She looked up at her manager pleadingly. "James, this isn't what it looks like."

He crossed his arms. "Wait for me in the manager's office."

Panic began to rise in her throat. "But, I didn't-!"

"Now, Rin."

Deflated, she moved out from behind the counter and down the main aisle toward the office. As she passed the fire elemental, she caught a glance from his direction.

Was that...pity? Or disgust?

~~~

Waiting in the office felt like an eternity. She had been nothing but a model employee since she started working there, and she was hoping that James would listen to reason.

She thought about the fire elemental and cringed.

He probably thinks I'm just another terrible human being.

She rubbed her eyes. Rin understood what it felt like to be unwelcome. A child of the system, she had been shuffled from house to house where the adults only cared about the paycheck she brought with her.

Her father had abandoned the family when she was very young. To her mother’s credit, she really did try to be the best mom she could be in that situation. And for a while, they had a happy life. But Rin couldn’t fill the hole that her father had left in her mother’s heart. She started dating again, and, unfortunately, none of them were very good people. They took advantage of her mom and their home. Encouraged by her boyfriends, she turned to drugs to cope.

Things spiraled out of control rather quickly after that. Abusing prescription pain meds eventually led her mom to harder drugs like heroin. Rin would come home from school and have to take care of her mom. Sometimes she was just passed out on the couch, and Rin would cover her up with a blanket; other times, Rin would have to defend herself when she was belligerent and angry. Rin hid the damage pretty well, but her teacher reported her bruises to Child Protective Services, and it didn’t take long for CPS to remove her from the home.

Her mother followed Rin from house to house. She would beg the foster parents for time with her daughter, only to steal things to pawn for money to pay for her next fix. Her foster parents would blame Rin for the missing items and dump her back with CPS to be placed in a new home. It was a vicious cycle.

Ten years later, she finally became an adult and worked hard to live on her own. She had managed to scrape by for two years, moving to a new apartment whenever her mom figured out where she was staying. Rin didn’t really have any friends, and people looked down on her when they found out her story.

She liked to think that she’d grown thick-skinned over time, but seeing the nut jobs from town treat the monsters in the same way upset her. 

She really wanted monsters to trust her. Or, at least for them to know that they could trust her; that she was one person in the human population who didn't want to run them out of town. She sighed and leaned back in the chair.

Well. You're doing a bang-up job of that, aren't you? Criminals are veeeery trustworthy.

When James finally returned, Rin knew she was doomed. It was written all over his face. In the end, he agreed not to press charges as long as she quit her job on the spot. Nothing she said seemed to getting through to him, so she took the deal and left.

It was dark outside when she went through the doors. The fury she had suppressed throughout the ordeal had long since fizzled out, but she scanned the parking lot for the brat anyway. Of course, the lot was empty.

Figures.

With a sigh, she turned her feet in the direction of home. The apartment complex was a little under ten blocks from the pharmacy, which was the closest job she'd had to her place since her bike was stolen the year before. That's why scoring a position there had been such a blessing. Now her thoughts spun in circles.

Where will I find another job? How will I get there? I have enough money for next month's rent, but how will I buy food?

Her feet knew the way well, so Rin didn't have to pay much attention to her surroundings. They hadn't changed in the past few months anyway. There were a couple of fast food joints, darkened store-fronts (many of which were empty), and a park with an ice cream shop right next door.

It was as she was passing the ice cream place that a sound shook her from her reverie: a laugh.

Her laugh.

She felt anger sweep her body from her head to her toes and she charged up the hill to the picnic tables. There she was: the princess, surrounded by her friends and enjoying an ice cream cone.

"You are going to pay for what you've done." Rin growled, marching up to her.

The momentary surprise on the girl's face passed quickly and she put on an innocent look. "I don't know what you mean. I just can't understand why someone would do something so awful to a complete stranger."

Her friends tittered as a wicked smile spread across her face.

"You cost me my job!" Rin practically yelled.

The girl stood, tossing what ice cream she had left into the nearest trash can. "Your job is not my problem." She took a few steps toward Rin. "My name is Jenna Brighton. My grandfather owns that pharmacy. You're lucky that I don't call the cops on you."

"Listen here, you evil bi-"

"Ah ah ah! Language! There are children around!" Jenna tsked and dropped a crumpled ball at her feet. "Here's five dollars. Buy yourself something sweet to balance out all the crazy in your system. You obviously need it."

Laughing, she motioned to her friends and they started down the hill toward her car.

"Well MY name is Rin Locklear!" Rin shouted after them. "And I'm going to tell every local business what you've done. I'll plaster your face on posters and warn every shop in the area. You won't be able to walk into a single store once I'm through!"

But the girls just laughed and flipped her off as they drove out into the night.

Rin was stunned. Sure, she'd been picked on in school, but no one had ever treated her so cruelly for no reason at all. She retrieved the money and sat down on the nearest bench. As she unfolded the bill, she noticed that there was a lipstick kiss on one end...made with plum-colored lip gloss.

The tears came unbidden, and the harder she tried to stop them, the faster they streamed down her face.

What am I going to do?

***

There we go! Stay tuned for part two! Let me know what you think!

Chapter One, Part Two

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone update delayed

Guys, I've been sick this week. I've basically done a lot of sleeping. Unfortunately, that means I haven't finished chapter four. As soon as I'm feeling better, I'll get back into it. Until then, I think I'll go back to sleep.

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone, Chapter Eleven

Hey, everybody! Here’s the next installment! It’s currently 2 AM here, so I’ll add tags and links and whatnot sometime tomorrow. I’m too tired to do anything else.

Warnings: None

Obvious disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it, just my own characters. This story is for fun. ^_^

***

Rin’s embarrassment was easy to see as she rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Grillby chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

Hot washboard?

There was apparently a disconnect between her mouth and her brain when she was sleepy. He’d have to remember that later.

As adorable as she was when she was flustered, Grillby knew her choice of words had made her uncomfortable. He wanted to reassure her; Rin didn’t need to walk on eggshells around him.

He threw on some casual clothes and returned to the kitchen, pulling ingredients out of the cabinets. It had been a while since he’d made them, but he knew the recipe by heart. Flour, sugar, vanilla, and butter all came together in his teal mixing bowl with remarkable speed. Grillby was as fast as he was precise, and he was proud of that.

After adding blueberries and a few other ingredients, he spooned the mixture out of the bowl and into the muffin tin. He put the bowl in the sink and whisked together raw sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in another. Then, taking a healthy pinch in his fingers, he hovered over the first muffin. He gently pushed a little stream of magic into his hand and began sprinkling the sugar mixture. It fell, sparkling with a hint of purple onto his target.

He blinked, surprised at himself. He hadn’t pushed that hard, but his magic was still visible? He shook his head and grabbed some more sugar, throttling back on his magic until he couldn’t see it anymore. He wasn’t trying to craft a magic item, just give the treats a little extra boost.

He smiled as he slipped the tin into the oven, imagining the happiness they would bring to Rin’s face.

It’s lucky that Muffet taught me how to-

Grillby stopped mid-thought, bracing himself against the counter. A single thought about Muffet had reminded him about the bar and the rumors and the-

A frustrated groan would have echoed through the kitchen if he could have produced it. An agitated hiss was all he could muster, which wasn’t a bad backup reaction at the moment. He glanced around the room ruefully. What was supposed to be a home was now a prison. It was as if a poison had seeped into the floorboards and was slowly suffocating them.

He’d asked Rin to be his girlfriend, and she had accepted. He’d been so excited to get closer to her; to get to know her better. But the drama had forced them to go above and beyond dealing with the patrons at the bar. By the end of the night, they were both too exhausted to do anything but pass out. And some of the people from the dinner crowd had been so hostile that on the days they had off, they just stayed in, either sleeping or spending time alone. Neither one of them wanted to brave going out in public.

What should I do?

He had to admit it: he felt terrible about banning the spider. But making up with Muffet was out of the question. He was going to stand his ground, no matter what his subconscious was saying.

Needing advice, he’d sent plenty of texts to Sans, but the skeleton wasn’t sending back much other than one-word replies. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit a dry spell with Sans; they’d been friends for a long time, and Grillby knew how moody the skeleton could be. He’d be back when he was ready. Grillby just wished that Sans was ready now.

His hand moved to pull his phone out of his pocket, but he hesitated. He’d sent Sans a text earlier, and he hadn’t replied. What was the point of checking when he knew he wasn’t getting a response? He drew his hand up and crossed his arms instead, turning and leaning back against the counter.

Hmm. Let’s see. What would Sans tell me if he was here? Well, he’d probably start by telling me that I’m overthinking the situation. He always says that.

Grillby smiled a little at the thought.

Alright, so I’m overthinking it. What should I do, then?

“Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

The familiar voice sounded in his head as if the skeleton was standing in the kitchen next to him.

Just keep doing what I’m doing? Just keep doing what I’m...

Grillby’s eyes drifted down towards the oven. The muffins were rising and expanding. It wouldn’t be long until they were done.

A thought flashed through his mind along with his sister’s smiling face.

Of course! That’s perfect. I hope I have what I need...

Grillby turned and dug through the small pantry, looking in different jars that sat on the floor inside.

Empty. I guess I have to go shopping.

The timer by the oven began to ring, and Grillby emerged from the pantry. He opened the oven and hooked two fingers through the wire rack and pulled it towards him so that he could reach the muffins. Setting them on the stovetop to cool, he retrieved a pen and a few pieces of paper. He jotted down the list of what he needed, then looked curiously in the direction of the bathroom. He could hear Rin humming over the sound of the shower, but he wondered what was taking her so long.

He glanced at the clock and sighed through a smile. He wouldn’t be around to see her reaction to the muffins.

Grillby put a plate on the table and chose the first muffin in the pan. He set it in the middle of the plate, turning it one way, then another, until he was convinced that the prettiest side would face her bedroom door.

After jotting a quick note, he set it next to the plate. Then he grabbed his wallet and his keys and headed upstairs to put his plan into action.

***

Sans felt the last of his regular energy begin to drain and he slowed, panting a bit. He’d found himself in a nice little park on the edge of monster territory. Even though it was the middle of the day, it was totally vacant of other people. He was actually pretty pleased about that bit. He didn’t feel like being the object of anyone’s curiosity.

For once.

He wandered over a small hill to the edge of the man made pond that was the focal point of the park. There was a pebbled beach around three sides of it, with a concrete “pier” on the opposite side from where he stood. At first he thought that there weren’t any waterfowl to be seen, which was always a huge letdown for him. He’d never admit it, but a pond without ducks was like a night without ketchup. He finally spotted three ducks dozing in the shade of a nearby bush, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He couldn’t blame them for staying in the shade. The air hung heavy and low against the ground, almost as if the moisture in it was a physical weight. The sun beat down from overhead, adding to the pressure. Even the dragonflies did very little, hopping from leaf to leaf in the cattails near the water’s edge.

No, Sans wasn’t as affected by the heat as everyone else, but it was the kind of lazy afternoon where he could definitely get into the spirit of things. He could be napping by this tranquil little pond, surrounded by the trees and birdsong, but all he could feel was anger.

He plopped down on the beach and picked up a handful of rocks, throwing them one by one into the water. After watching a few sink, he put a little magic into it and skipped them across the surface of the pond. Of course, with the added magic they just skipped all the way across, settling on the farthest beach. It sucked the fun right out of the activity. Grinding his teeth together, he put more power and weight behind each stone, hurtling them through the water with incredible speed.

Who does he think he is?!? He isn’t in my head. He doesn’t know anything!

Suddenly, a huge mass broke the surface of the water. Whatever it was moving too fast for him to identify, and it leapt clear of the pond. The blur rose into the air, surrounded by sparkling water droplets, and landed heavily on the beach in front of him, scattering pebbles in every direction.

Magic had already been coursing through his body, and he upped the wattage in a panic, summoning several large bones around him in the process.

“Ouch! That really hurt, you- whoa, stand down, Sans!” The captain of the Royal Guard held up her hands in a show of peace. “I like a challenge as much as the next girl, but I’m not out to hurt anybody!”

Sans let out the breath he was holding and felt the bones disappear as he did so. He let his magic fade to the quiet thrum he was used to feeling and brought a hand to his chest.

“Jeez, Undyne. When did you become a flying fish?”

The captain threw her head back and laughed, slapping her knee.

“Did I scare ya, you old bag of bones? Well it’s no less than you deserve. You put one helluva spin on those stones.” She rubbed a spot on her upper arm absentmindedly.

Calm once more, Sans finally got a good look at his surprise opponent. The tall Fish’s blue scales gleamed in the afternoon sun, looking almost iridescent from the water. She was wearing a black, one piece swimsuit that looked like it had been made for speed swimmers. Her usual eyepatch was missing, although her bright red hair was currently plastered to her face where it normally sat, so the effect (while softer) was the same.

“What are you doing out here, Undyne? Just a casual swim?” He asked, holding one hand up to shade his eyes.

“Nah. I was cleaning.” Undyne pulled on the rope in her hand that he hadn’t noticed before, hauling a large mesh bag full of trash out of the pond. “I don’t think people realize how much garbage can end up in the water. The rest of the park could look totally clean and they would never know.”

She dropped the bag on the beach and glanced back at him. “What about you? Why did you put so much power behind those rocks?”

“What, you’ve never heard of shooting fish in a barrel?” Undyne’s eyebrows narrowed into a scowl at him and Sans shook his head. “Yeah...That was a terrible joke. Forget I said it.”

“Something must really be bothering you if THE Sans Skeleton is off his pun-game.” Undyne took a seat next to him and leaned back onto her elbows. “What’s up?”

Sans felt his eyes lift upward. “The sky...the clouds...the birds, unless you count the ducks sweating it out under a bush over there-“

Undyne rolled toward him and fixed her good eye on him. “Hey, I get it. Talking about feelings isn’t easy. My gut reaction is to fight with the nearest dummy I can pick a fight with. But the second most important thing I ever learned from Alphys is that communication is key. It really helps to say what’s bugging you out loud.”

“The second thing?” Sans quirked a boney eyebrow at her. “What was the first?”

“That cosplay isn’t just for conventions.” She grinned.

Sans put his head in his hands with a groan. “I’m sorry I asked.”

Undyne chuckled, then fell quiet. “But really, Sans, talk it out. I’m all ears.”

A moment passed between them. Sans struggled internally with whether or not he wanted to voice his frustrations aloud. When he wasn’t immediately forthcoming, Undyne rolled back onto her elbows and stared out at the water.

“Al and I went to dinner at Tori’s last night.” Her voice was subdued. “Ever since things picked up with Al’s collaboration with the humans, we don’t get to visit as often as we like and...the kid misses you, Sans.”

His head whipped around to look at her, but he winced internally. “What?”

“They asked if we’d seen you, or if we knew why you wouldn’t answer your phone. After dinner, Toriel said that Frisk has been depressed ever since you started skipping dinner with them. You’re all they ever talk about now, and you know how little they talk in the first place.”

Guilt gripped Sans’ soul like a vise.

“Frisk was the one who brought us all together. Frisk took us from coworkers and friends and made us a family. I might never have fallen for Alphys if it wasn’t for them. And I might never have gotten to know you better.” She tilted her head back to look at the sky. “We’re all worried about you, Sans. Even your brother mentioned it.”

Papyrus...

“I...don’t know if I can.” He murmured.

There was so much floating around in his mind. He thought he knew what the problem was. He thought he knew why he was so angry. But it was like trying to identify a single instrument in a chaotic orchestra. And the more time passed, the harder it was to hear that sound.

He heard Undyne sigh next to him.

“Give me your phone.”

“Huh?”

“Your phone.” She sat up and held out her hand. “I’d use mine, but I left it in the car.”

Fumbling through his pockets, Sans pulled out his phone and placed it on her waiting palm.

“Thanks.” She tapped the screen furiously for a moment and handed it back to him. “There.”

“What’s this?” He asked, glancing at the screen.

“Alphys’ number.”

His eyes bounced back up to hers. “But I already-“

Undyne shook her head. “No no, her work number.”

“What?”

“Alphys isn’t just trained in science and technology. She’s also had extensive experience In psychiatry. She’s a genius, really.”

“Oh, good. You want me to see a shrink.” He scoffed.

“If I can’t help you, you should talk to someone who can. Psychiatrists are trained to help people with their minds, and who would know a Monster’s mind better than another Monster? And everything is strictly confidential.”

Sans stared down at his phone. “You sound like you’ve practiced this sales pitch before.”

“No, I sound like someone who’s been in your shoes before.” Undyne stood up abruptly and Sans couldn’t see the expression on her face. She turned toward the parking lot and paused.

“Think about it, Sans. Consider it. If not for me or yourself, then for Frisk. They really miss you.”

Before he could think of anything to say, she threw the mesh bag of trash over her shoulder and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

***

What’s up Grillby’s sleeve this time? And Sans has a tough decision to make.

For anyone who’s still reading this story, thank you for your patience. Life has been a mess and...well, it affected everything.

Thank you for reading. Comments are welcome if you have thoughts about the story!

Chapter Ten

[acuaticamber06]

This, ladies and gentlepeople, is Echo Flower tea. This will be making an appearance in Undertone. I was inspired by my own blooming tea set. (Supposed to be in a double-wall glass tea mug. I eyeballed a lot of this one. Didn’t aim for perfect symmetry.)

[acuaticamber06]

Undertone, Chapter Ten

Holy Hotpockets! What’s this? A NEW CHAPTER OF UNDERTONE?!?!?

Yes, that’s right! Rub your eyes no longer; they are not lying to you. The unplanned hiatus happened for a lot of reasons (more on that later), but let’s cut to the chase!

We left Rin and Grillby recovering from Muffet’s drunken intrusion. Let’s see what happens next!

Warnings: HOT GUY ALERT!!! lol, no warnings this time.

Obvious disclaimer: I don’t own Undertale or any of the characters in it, just my own characters. This story is for fun. ^_^

***

Undertone, Chapter Ten

The normally pleasant alarm chime coming from her phone felt like a thousand needles stabbing into Muffet’s head. She rolled over quickly to turn it off and immediately regretted her decision. Her stomach lurched.

“Ohhhhhh...”

She stilled and waited until the worst of the nausea had passed before gently reaching over and tapping her phone screen. Muffet vigorously blinked all of her eyes but only managed to pull one of them halfway open, watering in the light.

Beautiful sunshine was pouring through her bay window and it’s lace curtains. It refracted through a trio of forest green bottles of wine that were sitting on the kitchen table, casting shades of green and red on the carpet.

She gagged and shut her eye. The mere thought of alcohol made her sick.

Prying it open again, Muffet put a couple of arms underneath her and tried to sit up. It was a slow process. Every move she made triggered a new wave of nausea, and she was quite fond of her couch; she didn’t want to vomit all over the pretty floral fabric.

Easy...easy...slowly...

When she finally got to an upright position, she closed her eye and breathed deeply. Her head was swimming and she had a splitting headache.

I can’t work like this.

With her phone within easy reach now that she was up, Muffet didn’t have to move more than an arm to bring it up to her face. She pressed and held the button on the side.

“Call Bakery Main Line.” She croaked.

“Calling Bakery Main Line.” The phone echoed back. After two rings precisely, a voice came on the line.

“Muffet’s bakery and tearoom! This is Iris. How may I serve you today?”

“Iris, dearie, this is Muffet.”

“Oh!” The purple bunny sounded startled. “Yes, Miss? How can I help you?”

“I’m afraid I’m too ill to come downstairs today.”

“I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. It will be no problem, though! I can bring updates upstairs every two hours so you can run the numbers from the comfort of-“

“No, no, that won’t be necessary.” Muffet struggled to keep down what she hoped was a burp.

“No? I don’t mind doing it.”

“Iris, you were a competent businessbunny long before you began working for me. You’re my operations manager, and it’s high time I started acting like it. I trust you to handle the shop whether I’m present or absent.”

“I...really appreciate that, Miss. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.” Muffet smiled despite her pain.

“And for what it’s worth, I think you’re a wonderful, caring person. You run the most successful business on this side of town, and nothing will ever tarnish its reputation.”

Muffet winced, but didn’t let it affect her voice.

“Thank you, dearie. I will speak with you tomorrow.”

As they said their goodbyes, her stomach lurched again. Muffet dropped the phone and ran to her bathroom, violently rejecting everything in her system.

They know.

It hadn’t even been seven hours since Grillby had banned her from the bar, and every monster in town already knew what happened.

She heaved again and again, tears welling in her eyes. Whether it was from the vomiting or embarrassment, she wasn’t sure. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered anymore. She couldn’t show her face in public, and she quickly came to terms with staying inside forever.

Muffet sat back on her knees and wiped the tears from her face.

But I am NEVER drinking again.

***

"Shhhh!" Nyela held him close, covering his mouth with her hand. She let go after a moment. "We must be as silent as little mice."

It was stifling beneath the blanket. His heart pounded and his breath came in frightened gasps.

"Mother..." he whimpered.

"She will return for us soon." Nyela whispered in his ear.

Yells and metallic clangs echoed across the camp. Feet stampeded past their hiding place in the bushes, and he trembled uncontrollably. Soon, he could hear the warning cries of other monsters.

"Fire! Fire! The tents are burning!"

He wrapped his arms around his sister, clinging to her as tightly as he could. More heavy footsteps passed them and he squeezed his eyes shut.

A harsh voice rose above the din.

"Rout them out! Leave no stone unturned!"

"Nyela..." Tears began to slide out of the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly, the blanket was ripped away. His eyes raced upward and met the gaze of the most terrifying human he'd ever seen.

"RUN!" Nyela screamed, pulling him to his feet. They dashed off into the forest away from the camp. Branches snagged at his clothing as he stumbled along with her.

"Halt, Monster!" The human crashed into the forest after them.

Around a tree. Over a root. Under a branch. Through a bush. No matter where they went, the human thundered behind them, growing ever closer.

He was halfway over a large stone when Nyela was yanked away from his grasp with a screech. He fell backward to the ground, looking around for his sister.

The human had her by the arm, holding her in place as she struggled against his grip.

"No!" She cried. "Please, leave us be!"

The human hauled her aside and reached down to capture the other frightened elemental at his feet.

"NO!"

Nyela's flames shot upward around the soldier's hand and he dropped her. He cursed and put out the fire that had traveled up his sleeve. Turning, she stood in front of him with her arms extended to her sides, her body positively molten with fire.

"Run!" She yelled.

He couldn't move. He was frozen to the spot.

"Bibi!" She glanced over her shoulder. "Go! Go now!"

The human reached for a canteen that was strapped across his chest. "Miserable wretch! I'll teach you to burn me!"

Time seemed to slow down as the man uncorked the vessel and dumped it over Nyela's head.

"GO!!!"

It was more than a command. The word hung in the air as she pulled it out, writhing into a bloodcurdling scream. Steam and dust rose upward with the noise.

He sprang up and clambered over the stone, running as if he were the very wind. He didn't stop when he rolled his ankle on a jagged rock. He didn't stop when a bramble bush ripped at his skin. He didn't stop when her screams guttered out like a drowning candlewick.

A root caught his foot and he tripped, striking his head on the trunk of a tree. In an instant, everything went black.

***

Grillby sat up, screaming. Without vocal cords, the air only whooshed from his lungs with a weak hiss.

As the room came into focus, he remembered where he was and fought to stop hyperventilating. He put his head in his hands.

Nyela...

Grillby couldn't remember exactly what he'd been dreaming about, but it was not a good dream and he knew his sister had been involved.

He knew from past experience that if he dreamed about Nyela, then his subconscious was trying to tell him something. He liked to imagine it was because he’d done something that she wouldn’t approve of.

Grillby sighed. It was the third time he'd woken up this way in as many days. And he knew why his subconscious was upset.

Muffet.

It had taken less than a day for word to get around that Grillby had banned someone from the bar. By the time they opened, the regulars were asking about it. By the end of the dinner rush, he was getting nasty looks.

"Yeah, Muffet was a weird drunk, but banned?"

"He didn't have to do that. She didn't hurt anyone."

"I heard that he didn't ban her, but Rin did."

"You know they're dating now, right?"

"What? Really?"

Work was distracting at best. Rin, to her credit, had done pretty well letting the comments roll off her shoulders. They hadn’t really talked about it since the night it happened, but it was weighing on her. Grillby could tell.

I guess it’s weighing on me, too.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, he threw the covers aside and got out of bed. He grabbed his towel from the hook over the back of the door and headed for the bathroom.

Grillby didn’t take showers. At least, he didn’t take them often. It wasn’t that he couldn’t; once he’d put a spell on the water coming out of the shower head, it was as safe as the liquids he drank every day. And every once in a while, he really did need to get in and soap up. But it wasn’t a part of his daily routine.

Normally he cleaned his body at night. It made sense to him: after a long day in the bar, he scrubbed off the grime of the alcohol and the food before bed. It helped him sleep better. But the night before he’d fallen into his bed, totally exhausted. He hadn’t even bothered to brush his teeth.

After locking the bathroom door, Grillby fished out his jar from beneath the sink. Then he stepped into the shower, not bothering to pull the curtain closed.

Fire elementals had developed the magic to protect themselves from water early on in their history. It was a necessity for living in general, never mind living alongside other creatures. They needed to drink water to exist. But their bodies did not need water to be clean.

Grillby’s body produced oils that continually burned and helped maintain his flames. Unassisted, those oils would leave a residue behind that was sticky and unpleasant. To help keep his skin soft and clean, he coated himself in sunflower oil. With the absurdly high smoke point of 440 degrees Fahrenheit and nice scent, it had won the race against palm oil several years ago.

He scooped out some oil with his hands and began working it into this skin along his arms and chest. He’d experimented with mixing essential oils in with the carrier oil once, but they burned up so quickly that there was no point in trying. He’d gotten smart and used cologne on his shirts instead.

Grillby spread the oil downwards along his stomach and around his hips, trying to remember his dream.

Why can’t I ever remember?

Dreaming about Nyela was bittersweet for him. He had been so close to his sister before she was lost in the war. It bothered him that he didn’t know exactly how his family had died, but at the time the adults said he was too young to understand. As he grew, he’d never been brave enough to ask.

After rubbing down his legs, he stood upright and tried to reach his back. He stretched, only able to reach a small portion. Even after working out, Grillby didn’t have the flexibility to reach his entire back on his own.

Hmm. I wonder if Rin would-

He felt a blush hint across his cheeks and he shook the thought away. He wasn’t about to ask her to do that. Yet, anyway.

Grillby stepped out of the tub and patted himself down with a towel. He flipped the shower on to its hottest setting and let it rinse the excess oil down the drain. He was pretty sure that Rin was still asleep at this point, anyway. He’d made an effort to be quiet as long as she was asleep. Not that quiet was particularly hard for him in the first place, but he wanted this space to be peaceful for her. Especially with the Muffet situation hanging over their heads.

He unconsciously reached out for his shorts and patted the bare countertop. The shorts weren’t there.

Huh. Must have left them in my room.

With a shrug, he turned off the water. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the door, heading back to his room. His eyes were on the floor, just in case he’d dropped the shorts on his way in. As he was passing Rin’s door, it opened.

***

​Rin blinked at the sight beyond her door. Grillby was standing in the living room in a towel. That was it. He was holding it closed on his left hip, but the it didn’t quite wrap all the way around him. There was a gap that angled down and inward along his thigh. His eyes were on the floor at first, but soon they traveled upwards to meet hers. Blue flames tinted his cheeks.

Immediately, Rin felt bad for Grillby. She had invaded his home, caused conflict in his business, and now she’d embarrassed him. Frantically, she tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation.

“Well! Good morning to me!” She grinned at him, rubbing one eye.

The blue tint fairly exploded across his face, all the way out to his ears.

Rin yawned widely, but her blush was just as bad. She was freaking out internally.

Oh, god! Why did I say that?!? What’s wrong with me?!? How in the world would that help anything?!?

When she opened her eyes, Grillby had closed the space between them and was leaning against the door frame with his free arm up and over his shoulder in a not-so-subtle flex of his chest and abs. He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Despite her now racing heartbeat, Rin giggled. “You’re preaching to the choir, Mr. Model. If you want to work for Calvin Klein, go show them your hot washboard.”

Grillby looked surprised at the comment. Rin barreled forward before she dwelled on it too long. “Anyway, I’m going to hop in the shower now that you’re done. But don’t expect any fashion shows afterwards!”

She rushed into the bathroom and shut the door. She buried her face in her robe and silently screamed.

Hot washboard?!? HOT WASHBOARD?!? I meant temperature-hot but it didn’t come out that way... And why didn’t I add the “abs” part?!? GAH I’m so awkward! And implying that he should be an underwear model?!?

She lifted her face a bit and grinned to herself. He was pretty toned.

Who am I kidding? He’s downright gorgeous.

Rin turned on the water and shed her clothes. She looked down at her body and examined it.

I’m so...soft in comparison.

She poked at her hips and her tummy. Toning her muscles wasn’t something she’d ever been worried about until that moment.

Maybe I should work out a bit, now that we’re a thing.

Yes, she and Grillby were now officially dating, but neither one of them had had a chance to explore the change in their relationship in the week since the night Muffet had come to the back door. They had been so wrapped up in controlling the rumors that had run rampant through the monster community. Every day in the bar felt like an uphill battle.

She stepped into the tub and stood still, letting the water flow over her.

The bar...

What had once given her joy now sucked the energy right out of her. The regulars weren’t such a problem, although Red was rather loud with her opinions when she was drunk. They understood, and they were around often enough to listen to the whole story and see reason. It was the dinner crowd that gave Rin a hard time. Different families came every day, and all of them had their own opinions on the matter. They were in the bar for such a short period of time that all Rin could do was smile sweetly and switch topics whenever it came up.

She suddenly grabbed the shampoo bottle and dumped a large quantity into her hand.

Screw them. Screw work. Screw that entire mess of a situation.

Rin plopped the golden liquid on top of her head.

I’m not going to let any of that get to me.

She began scrubbing her hair as if she’d spent time swimming through an oil spill.

Nothing matters right now except me and my shampooed head.

She hummed as she washed, taking her time to exfoliate every pore she could reach. Her shower took a lot longer than usual, but it was worth it. Rin felt like a different person once she stepped out of the tub.

She continued to hum as she slipped on her robe and twisted her hair up into the towel. It was when her hand touched the doorknob that she hesitated. Grillby was probably waiting for her on the other side. The nerves in her stomach twisted slightly, but she opened the door anyway.

The smells of baked goods enticed her away from the bathroom. Peeking around the corner, she saw nothing out of place. Everything was quiet and she could see little dust motes floating through the sunshine that refracted through the cut glass windows. Silently, Rin drifted to her room to get dressed.

When she appeared again, she was still alone.

“Grillby?”

She hadn’t expected an answer, per se, but he had a way of tapping on surfaces or knocking on walls to alert her of his presence.

Mildly confused by the combination of good smells and lack of her boyfriend, Rin followed her nose to the kitchen, where she found a muffin on a plate and a note with her name on it.

Rin,

Had to step out for a few groceries. I baked these while you were in the shower. Then I washed the dishes on my “hot washboard”. ;)

I’ll be back soon.

-Grillby

Rin felt like giggling and hitting herself in the face at the same time. Her gut told her that he wouldn’t let her forget about her remark for a while.

She sighed and sat down to enjoy her muffin. It was a beautiful little thing, all coated in raw sugar and cinnamon. The sugar topping crunched in her ears as she chewed. For a moment, she had nearly convinced herself that she wasn’t thinking about anything but the blueberry muffin in her mouth. Then she snorted.

Hot. 

Washboard.

She put her head on the table in defeat and, for a time, her world was nothing but laughter, blushing, and blueberries.

***

Alright! Chapter Ten is officially in the wheelhouse. And in the middle of the week, too! (Yeah, I could have held onto it for four more days and worked on Chapter Eleven...but I was just too excited!) Honestly, I never thought I’d get this far. But that’s Undertale for ya. It runs away with your imagination.

Whoa! New characters! The purple bunny from the shop in Snowdin is working at Muffet’s. I did a little research and I didn’t see a name attached to her, so I decided to give her the name of a purple flower. Lilac seemed too obvious, so I went with Iris. They remind me a bit of her hat, anyway. And more details about Grillby’s childhood! He had a sister named Nyela. (You’ll find out more about her later.) And I bet you’ve never thought about a fire elemental’s daily hygienic routine. Well, now you have! Yes, he uses cologne. (What does it smell like? You’ll just have to wait and see. ;D)

Guys...I’ve put so much thought into this story’s background, it’s ridiculous. You should see the notes document I have on my phone. There are so many details. SO. MANY.

As for the hiatus: for anyone who’s interested, a LOT of things happened all at once. I got sick, family issues came up, then family visited twice, I’ve been trying to get a new job, and the end of the semester came rushing at us and all of a sudden I was performing linguistic analysis at the PhD level and proof-reading 20-30 page papers for my husband. Add all that to a bad case of writer’s block and BAM! My well of creativity nearly dried up.

On the bright side, the semester is now over. All of his work has been submitted, and he can relax for a few weeks, which means that I can now relax for a bit. I’m still missing a few pieces of paperwork for the new job, but most of it is done. The rest is kind of out of my hands. The family issues seem to be resolved...or at least paused for the holidays. And I’m FINALLY over this damn cold! (I think. I hope. *knocks on wood* PLEASE be over it!!!)

Anywho, I hope everyone is having a good week! No promises on getting Chapter Eleven up by Sunday, but I will be working on it through the rest of the week. Stay tuned!

(PS: IT’S SNOWING!!!! YAAAAAAY!!!!)

Chapter Nine