Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The six-armed woman walked calmly towards the counter, whilst placing one of her many elbows over its clean, violet surface. She had a playful smile painted on her purple-toned features and was eyeing you in light curiosity. Using two of her multiple hands, she took out a business card from her shirt's pocket, and scribbled some numbers over the blank side of it.

"Here you go, dearie." She spoke, winking with her two left eyes.

You took the business card in your hands and inspected the writings behind it. There was a phone number scribbled over it, with the doodle of a cute, googly-eyed spider at the bottom left corner. You looked up from the card afterwards, noticing Muffet was gazing at you with a somewhat warm, toothy smile, her sharp fangs twinkling lightly with this action due to the harsh sunlight piercing through her shop's windows.

"(Y/N). . . You've been working under my roof for almost a year now, so I want to get to know you better!" The spider lady explained with glee, taking both of your hands in two of hers, whilst the business card fluttered down to the counter, being left abandoned for the current moment. "Would you like to have some tea with me – after we close the shop?"

You pondered over her question for a moment, finding it odd that she was willing to offer one of her employees some tea – without mentioning that they had to pay for it. An amused smile was present over your features, thinking she would eventually say it when you were finished drinking the offered beverage with her.

Not wanting to reject her invitation, however, you nodded your head as her hold over your hands tightened in what appeared to be excitement.

"Great!" She exclaimed, using two of her other hands to clasp them together. "Now. . . let's continue working, then. We've still got a big day ahead of us, (Y/N)!"

She gently let go of your hands and turned her heel shortly after. You observed how she exited her bakery and turned the sign hanging over the door from 'closed' to 'open'. Once finishing with those actions, she poked her head back inside the building, later pointing at some cleaning materials set at a corner nearby with her eyes. Receiving her indirect order, you nodded your head firmly and continued on organizing everything that was kept inside the purple counter's drawers.

You scrubbed, swept, and mopped – as you usually did every single work day, with the difference being you had something entirely new to look forward to after closing up the store. With that happy thought in mind, determination flooded through your veins and the usually slow the pace of your work managed to speed up significantly due to the newfound motivation of the spider lady's invitation.

Chapter Text

Muffet held two tea cups on one pair of her hands; two others were holding onto a kettle and a spoon. She placed the cups over the table and began to pour some peppermint green tea into them afterwards – all this being performed while humming a tune to herself. It was an upbeat tune, its cheery, peppy melody causing for curiosity to spark over you. As she finished pouring the drink, you decided to ask over the name of the song.

"Oh? It's called 'Spider Dance'. It's not a well-known tune, but I do remember it was composed by a ghost. . ." She mumbled deep in thought, tapping a pointer finger against her tea cup, as if trying to remember the composer's name with that action. "Napstablook!" She finished, snapping two her fingers shortly after doing so. "He likes to stay unnoticed, but all the songs I've heard from him have been great. He really has talent for music."

You nodded in response to her words, taking your given cup in your hand and bringing it over to your lips. Expecting to see her do the same, you were surprised to have her staring at you, with her chin resting on two of her hands. Her five eyes locked onto yours, observing your every movement. She seemed to be holding something back, hence why you decided to take the lead on starting a conversation with her.

"Have you always been into baking?"

"Well, actually. . . I've always been interested in becoming a web designer."

"Literally, or. . .?"

"Literally." She giggled, now taking her cup in one hand. "I've crafted all sorts of things with silk, and since there aren't many spider monsters around, people usually gather around to see what I create."

Her slender body perked up slightly, an idea suddenly coming across her mind. She stood up from her chair and ran off towards the bakery's storage room in a somewhat composed haste. You could hear various ruffling noises and thumps emerging from inside, and – after a short period of wait – you saw her return to the table with two rolls of white thread on her hands. She placed them down on the table, and – without saying a word – she took the two ends of each roll of thread. She began to interweave them with a rapid pace, with the design becoming more understandable as moments passed. After a while, you caught on to the shape she was creating. It appeared to be a cupcake-like monster with eight, thin legs and a wide smile.

"Here it is!" She declared, setting the object down right on cue with her words.

You observed it carefully, amazed by her ability to create a sculpture made entirely out of rolled-up silk. The spider monster looked almost as identical as the guard she had watching over the outside of her bakery's door, and the detail she'd exerted into the piece made it look surprisingly life-like. A worried look dominated her features when seeing you take a long time to respond. Her thin eyebrows furrowed in what you labeled as dubiousness, though she soon shook her worries away when witnessing your smile.

"That's amazing!" You exclaimed, the tea cup in your hold being slammed over the table in a vainly-contained excitement.

Muffet's previously tense composure relaxed the moment she smiled back at you and sat back down on the shared table. She took the lukewarm cup of tea and directed it to her mouth, taking a long sip out of the drink to avoid it from losing any more heat. After taking a few more gulps, she placed the cup back on its place, wanting to carry on with the small talk you were both previously experiencing.

"What about you, dearie? Isn't there another job you wish you could have right now?"

"I'm pretty happy with this job." You admitted, a light smile tugging at your lips. "But, If I were to choose. . . I'd like to work on the (career) field."

A low, thoughtful hum emanated from her vocal chords. She remained quiet for a moment, thinking over your response. "Why don't we research together, then? I'm sure we can start somewhere!"

A mischievous smile crept over your face, having come up with a teasing question. "Is that a way for you to say you don't want me working here anymore?"

Catching on to your playful demeanor, Muffet returned the smile, her fangs coming off more threatening than intended to. "Perhaps, it is."

She served herself another quick gulp of her tea and took a stand from the chair. With slow steps, she began to walk towards you, and – soon after – she placed a hand over the top of your head. Her fingers brushed down until the end of your hairdo, and she flicked a strand away afterwards.

"And perhaps, it isn't."

Dumbfounded over her actions, you could only gaze at her five eyes. You weren't sure over how to respond to her actions, leading you to back away from her closeness in uncertainty.

She soon backed away as well; she returned to sitting down on her chair in order to have another serving of tea. During the rest of your time spent with her, your mind could only make vague assumptions over the meaning of her previous words and actions.

What had been a short and playful banter soon became a matter for you to over-think about.

Chapter Text

You walked briskly along the path leading to your work place, your steps occasionally coming to a halt whenever a trio of slow, carefree people blocked the sidewalk or whenever a worker from a shop nearby stopped you in order to hand you a promotional flyer or a bribing sample of their products.

Though you weren't exactly obliged to be in a haste – as you were, in fact, ten minutes early on your quotidian walk – you still wanted to hurry today.

After your recent conversation with Muffet, you were left with a sense of determination and duty, hence why you desired to be especially on-time today. In response to her kindness and attentiveness from before, you wanted to work twice as hard for her today, in hopes to show your gratitude towards her actions.

Sighing in relief at the sight of her shop, you took in a deep breath and prepared yourself to enter the premises.

Cautiously pushing open the main door leading to the bakery, you were surprised to see Muffet busy chatting away with what you could only assume was someone belonging to a higher status than that of your everyday, middle-class folk.

A goat woman was standing behind the ordering counter, the sleek fabric of her indigo sundress being almost a blinding bright to your eyes with the artificial lighting courtesy of bakery's industrial ceiling lights and the early morning sunlight pouring through the thinly-curtained windows. Her way of speech was eloquent and precise, giving off a sense of authority, yet still having a hint of warmth behind her chosen tone.

At the loud sound of the door's decorative bells chiming in alert to your entrance, both monster women turned to look towards your direction, the goat being the first one to speak up.

"I assume you must be miss (Y/N), correct?" She inquired, an amicable smile taking over as she began to walk closer to you.

Confounded at the sight of having her approach your side first instead of it being the other way around, you took a few, purposeful steps forward yourself, stopping once being an arm's length away from her.

"Yes, I am." You nodded, your eyes now following the hand she'd extended in front of you, remaining in patient wait for you to take it.

"I am Toriel, former caretaker of the Underground's ruins and currently in charge of the first elementary school founded by monsters." She introduced herself the moment you took her fuzzy hand in your (tone) one. "I was recently informed by miss Muffet that you are looking to acquire a job in the (preferred) field, and I wish to help you out."

"R– Really, ma'am?" You inquired, staring at her with wide eyes and a shocked frown, disbelief being the main emotion to swell up inside you. "But, this all so sudden! I mean. . . I was telling my boss about this just a while ago!"

"Oh, dear. . ." Toriel giggled lightly at your words, covering her mouth so as to cover up the noise that'd unintentionally escaped her lips. "Miss Muffet must be quite fond of you, then!"

"I just want the best for my employees." Muffet chimed in on the conversation, taking firm and confident strides towards you and Toriel, then stopping once standing next to you. "This here employee's been a loyal one, too." She politely directed towards Toriel, with a pair of her hands placed neatly over your left shoulder, and afterwards looking straight at your eyes with her five, deep raven ones. "It's only natural that I would do this, dearie. . . Take it as my way of giving you a raise, if don't feel comfortable with this."

You maintained hesitant, visual contact with her, thinking over both her and Toriel's words and offers.

After breaking away from her gaze and thinking the matter through for a brief, though lasting and tense minute, you heaved out a soft breath, reluctance being the cause of your sigh.

"Alright. . ." You muttered, now focusing on Toriel's presence. "What's the idea you have in mind, ma'am?"

At the sound of that question, you could see the goat lady's face gleam in delight. Her hands clasped together in excitement, and she found herself placing her hands over your shoulders and giving you a small, half-twirl across the bakery's tiled floor.

"Oh, how wonderful! I cannot wait to tell you what I have in mind – I believe you will be most pleased to hear all the potential, positive outcomes your future could have!"

Her hands eventually found themselves behind your back, these pulling you into a composed, though affectionate hug.

"Pardon my giddiness. It. . . It has been so long since I have acquired an opportunity to educate outside of grade schools!"

"Eh? So, does that mean –"

"You'll be having her as your mentor, dearie." Muffet interrupted, her tone merry and somewhat prideful as she gave you an encouraging smile. "She and Grillby were the ones who helped me set up this bakery, after all."

Dumbfounded over this new discovery, you stood still in the middle of the momentarily silent premises, your eyes blank and your lips slightly parted as you tried to take in the overwhelming amount of kindness that seemed to ooze from them both.

"Thank you. . ." You spoke, your voice low and uncertain. "Thank you both – for giving me this opportunity. I'll be giving it my all!" You then continued, your tone now more confident and audible as excitement and hope surged within your chest.

Chapter Text

Not-so-ready to start another day of work, or rather not-so-ready to meet up with your boss again, your hand hovered over the doorknob, your noticeable and persistent hesitancy being the cause for you standing in front of the bakery's closed door for a full two minutes in silence.

Though you appreciated what Muffet had done for you last week, you were still reluctant to the idea of having her and Toriel help you out as much as they already had. For that reason in particular, you were somewhat worried over the possibility of having her surface that topic during today's work shift. You wanted to avoid that as much as it were possible.

Shaking your head lightly to dismiss those thoughts, you breathed in and heaved out a long, heavy breath before gaining determination to pass through that door and give a start to today's work shift.

As you finally turned the knob around and pushed open the door, you found yourself taken aback by the overwhelmingly appetizing, hunger-inducing scent that emanated from the inside of the bakery. You sniffed around discreetly as you took off your winter jacket and walked over to the employees' lounge, where the scent only managed to become more prominent and tempting to your nostrils.

From better inspection and sniffing around, you realized the smell was coming from the kitchen, which was located a few feet away from the room you were currently standing in. You decided to put away your jacket and other belongings there before heading towards the possible location of the smell, wanting to see what was the reason for it and who was the person behind it.

You quickly left the lounge and walked to the kitchen in an adventurous haste, pushing open the door the moment it stood an arm's length away from you.

"Just add a bit more sugar there!" Muffet's voice was the first thing to be heard as you stepped foot into the room.

"And turn up the heat!" Another unknown, rougher voice followed after hers.

"No, no, no. Now that's something you shouldn't do!" The spider lady countered.

Walking further into the kitchen, your eyes came across one familiar figure and two unfamiliar ones.

A tall skeleton clad in brightly-coloured clothing was standing in front of one of the industrial stoves set next to the fridge, his slender though surprisingly fit body frame sandwiched between your boss and a blue-skinned monster with bright, crimson hair tied up into a high ponytail, their muscular figure closing matching – perhaps, even surpassing – his own height.

"Oh, (Y/N) – You're here!" Muffet spoke, once having caught sight of you. "I was about to call you to tell you the news, but since you're already here. . ." She trailed off for a moment before gesturing with four of her hands at the two strangers. "We're hiring more staff!"

Her words caught you off guard – quite just like how the new scent had. After firing two humans and a monster for lack of dedication and loyalty to their jobs, Muffet hadn't had the chance to find nor hire any other staff besides you on weekdays and a friendly bunny monster on weekends. With you working for her four days a week and the rabbit three, she was left in a tough and anxiety-provoking bind whenever either one of you missed a day of work.

"Just so you know, that doesn't mean I'm firing you, dearie." Her warm, amused giggle snapped you out of your reverie, and you found yourself jolting at those words. "That just means we get an extra employee on weekdays – and another one on weekends too!"

"Oh – That's not it!" You corrected, not wanting her to think you were displeased at the brand new arrival staff and the decisions she had taken. "I'm just. . ." You then trailed off, trying to find the right words for your thoughts.

Silence lasted for a brief period of time, until you were finally able to smile and direct your genial gaze towards her.

"I'm just. . . happy for you." You confessed, directing one of your most honest smiles at her as you offered her your most encouraging words.

You could see how her eyes glistened in surprise at your words, and how she carried one of her hands over her fanged mouth to cover up what you could identify as a tiny and bashful smile. "Well. . . Thank you, (Y/N)." She spoke, her usually confident tone quiet, yet jovial. "Now. . . Let me introduce you to our new employees!"

With that, Muffet took you by the hand and immediately hurried you over towards the brand new pair of employees standing by the lit stove. You introduced yourself to them with a broad and welcoming grin, your hand politely letting go of your boss's and later being extended at their direction to offer them each a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you both." You greeted after a small session of introductions, exchanges, and personal storytellings, making a mental note to distinguish between who was 'Papyrus' and who was 'Undyne' in hopes to remember them as quickly as it were possible. "I look forward to working with you!"

Chapter Text

"Laugh today, cry tomorrow."

That quote seemed to apply to you today.

You had arrived ten minutes early in front of Muffet's shop, as per usual, yet something felt different the moment you stepped foot inside the building.

It was quiet — eerily quiet, and you were certain you could hear your own breathing.

It was cold — too cold. The type of cold that could only be achieved when lowering the AC to 40° Farenheit.

It seemed someone had tampered with the air conditioning and messed with the radio constantly playing tunes for the customers' hearing pleasure.

Muffet never liked tampering with either of those two things, as she always stated the items could break and that it would require unnecessary and avoidable repairing costs.

Pocketing for your pepper spray to make sure it was reachable and fishing out a pocket knife, you held the sharp object firmly in your hand, making sure to make your footsteps as quiet as it were possible while you investigated the strange scene. You walked slowly and cautiously, stopping in front of the employees' lounge, where Muffet would usually be at before opening up for business.

Hallway through opening the door, your blood ran cold.

Splatters of a red and viscous substance could be seen smeared on the walls of the lounge, and a thick layer of dust covered the furniture Muffet was usually so onset on maintaining spick and span.

"Muffet. . ." You found yourself muttering her name without being able to control it. Your heart beat wildly against your chest, and you were beginning to imagine the most gruesome and grotesque scenarios.

"Dearie?" The sound of her voice ignited hope within your chest, and you found yourself scanning the room from nook to cranny with disoriented eyes.

"Muffet!" You called out, squeezing the knife harder against your skin. "Muffet — Where are you?!"

"I'm. . . I'm at the bathroom, dearie." You could hear a sniffle and the sound of her hiccuping moments after. "I can't see. . . I can't see anything, and I can't get up."

"D — Don't worry!" You cried out, hurrying over to the employees' bathroom as your hand began to tremble and sweat in nervousness. "I'll get you out of there! Whoever did this to you — I'll be sure to drag them into court!"

Much to your luck and surprise, the door opened without you having to fumble much with it.

"(Y/N)!" She called out.

You inspected the room, wanting desperately to see where she was.

Unlike the employees' lounge, the bathroom was tidy, and there weren't any signs of struggle nor the red substance smeared over the walls. Everything seemed normal, yet her constant calling of your name made you remind yourself of the perilous situation she could possibly be in.

"I'm behind the shower curtains!" You could hear her shout again, her tone happier and hopeful. "I. . . I slipped when I was filling a water bucket, and the shower pole fell on top of me."

"What?" You blurted, processing the words before taking another step forward into the bathroom.

You hurried over to the shower, fumbling with the curtains as you knelt down on the floor, coming face-to-face with Muffet's fallen and injured state.

"So. . ." You began, pushing away the shower pole as you held Muffet by her hips, encircling your arms around her as you tried to lift her back to her feet. "You. . . You weren't mugged?"

"Mugged?" A soft giggle erupted from her vocal chords, her breath fanning the back of your neck as her head rested securely over your shoulder. "No. . . It's all actually pretty silly."

"Wh — What happened to you, then?"

"Well, you see. . ." She trailed off for a moment, tightening her hold over you as you began to walk out of the bathroom. "I was trying out a new recipe at the lounge — I though I'd give mixology a try, so I bought a kit and sat down to begin practicing. I was mixing all sorts of flavors and sweeteners, when all of a sudden. . . The drink exploded!"

"How's that even possible?" You let out a chuckle, finding her narrative amusing despite the scare she gave you moments before you found her lying on the bathroom floor.

"I asked myself the same thing!" She exclaimed.

Noticing her unusually bubbly mood, you raised an eyebrow, getting closer to her face in order to sniff her breath for any signs of alcohol consumption.

"Have you been drinking?" You questioned, now letting her down on her feet as you settled her down on a cleaner part of the sofa — the part that hadn't been stained with the exploding drink.

"No. . ." She replied. ”But, I might've given the mixes a try."

"That still counts as drinking." You laughed again, settling down next to her side as you inspected her eyes for any damage. "But, anyway, we'll talk about that later. . . I just wanna ask you one more thing."

"Yes, dearie?"

"How did you hurt your eyesight? It. . . It doesn't look like you spilled any of that drink over your eyes. They look fine, but. . . Your vision isn't focused."

"Oh, that. . ." The spider lady mumbled, placing a hand over her top eye as her hand twitched in response to the eye's injury. "I think the fumes of that drink might've had to do something with that. After the explosion, my eyes started to itch, and when I was filling a bucket at the bathroom to clean up the mess. . . Everything went dark!"

"A fuming and exploding drink?!" Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, and you found yourself placing your hands over her shoulders, despite her not being able to focus on you at the time being. "Just what kind of mixes were you trying out?"

"Well. . ." She sighed, finding reluctance in admitting her truths. "I think I might've taken the kit's 'Flavor Explosion' motto a bit too literally?" 

She took a pause, a sheepish and mousy smile spreading across her face.

"I didn't see it fizzing like it said in the recipe, so I figured some baking soda might do the trick."

Chapter Text

Midway through your habitual walk towards Muffet’s bakery, your feet came to a halt at the sight of a group of humans and monsters gathered up next to a fountain near the town’s plaza. You could hear the incessant bickering and arguments between various people as well as the noise of a dog barking in a protective manner.

Curious to know the reasons behind the ruckus, you took a detour to the fountain, hoping these few minutes wouldn’t affect your usual work routine too badly.

You stopped once reaching the back of the crowd, wanting though being unable to catch a peek of the people having a disagreement.

“For the last time, stay back! You’re just making this worse!”

“Yes — it is most prudent if you would kindly leave us at peace. We will take care of healing his injuries, but we require that you let us take our leave and allow this man to be free.”

Your quizzical expression turned into one of surprise as you recognized to whom those voices belonged to.

The familiarity of those voices made you push through the crowd, with you murmuring a few apologies whenever you accidentally bumped with someone’s arm or shoulder. It took you a while to get through the mass, though you eventually made your way through with the help of patience and determination.

Finally in front of the main cause of the disturbance, you witnessed Muffet and Toriel standing in front of a trio — one monster and two humans. Each person belonging to the small group glared at the pair of monsters with intensity, each time inching closer.

Behind Muffet and Toriel stood a tiny dog with fur as white as snow and tail moving faster than a colony of disturbed ants. The little one barked restlessly at the humans approaching him and — through better observation — you noticed the canine had a purpose for his endless barking.

He was standing guard for a trembling human and a tall, barely conscious monster closely resembling a humanoid figure, the difference being that their head had the shape of an extinguished fire match. The terrified human was holding onto the monster, not wanting for them to fall into the fountain’s waters.

At that point, you began to comprehend with more clarity what was happening.

It appeared both the goat and spider lady as well as the dog were protecting the injured monster and the human next to them. Though you were still uninformed about the definitive reasons behind it all, you decided their disagreement was turning too heated for you to stand by without so much as uttering a word to intervene.

“Please, stop!” You yelled out, drawing the attention of both them and the massive crowd surrounding you. “Whatever you may be arguing about. . . You still have an injured person at risk! It’s better if you would discuss this after you give him some medical attendance.”

“We’re not leaving until that guy gets sent to the cops!” One of the people from the opposing trio exclaimed, pointing at the human holding onto the wounded monster.

In response to those words, Toriel looked back at the injured one and inspected them with scrutiny, her face contorting with warmth as she saw the monster nod at her with the little strength they had.

Letting out a soft sigh, she then proceeded to speak up. “This young man did not push him with malicious intentions.” She began her speech, taking a step forward as if to challenge the people from doing the very same as her. “Grillby himself does not wish to give up until you leave the man alone and agree to not send him to the police.”

“I don’t believe it.” One of the people insisted, eyebrows knitting together with impatience. “I get it that Grillby doesn’t want to, but I don’t buy that guy’s apologies! He pushed him into the fountain on purpose — Nothing that you say now will change my mind!”

Letting out a groan in frustration, you hurried over to the injured monster as you set him down on the ground with the help of the accused man. You were careful not to hurt him further as you took his extinguished face in your hands and inspected it.

“I’ll try to heal you the best way I can. . .” You spoke up, smiling in encouragement. “But you have to promise you’ll go to a hospital after this. Deal?”

You could see him nod as a reply to your offer, what was left of his usually flaming hand being placed over your shoulder as thank you for your assistance.

Taking account of his actions, you widened your smile as you began to retrieve some items out of your messenger back, these being a lighter, some cigarettes, and a piece of cloth.

“Stay still, now. . .” You ordered, unfolding the piece of cloth as you began to press it against his body, drying him out as carefully as it was possible so as to not hurt him any further. “You’ll be back to your normal self anytime soon!”

- - - - - - - - - -

After a few intensive minutes of dealing with the fire monster’s injury, the argument Toriel, Muffet, and the dog were having with the trio began to cease. The discussion was leveling down and — eventually — they both settled on an agreement; one less brusque as sending the man to prison yet one more strict rather than allowing him run free after the incident.

Summarizing their lengthy discussion, both groups decided on taking the man to an orientation made for humans and monsters to understand one another — including both their differences and similarities. Said orientation had been established and run with ever since humans began to notice just how little they knew about the monsters and viceversa. That decision had been convincing enough for both groups, and it permitted them to break away from their argument in peace.

Now that you’d finished with healing Grillby to the best of your abilities and everyone had settled down, your companions helped you with carrying the wounded monster over to the nearest hospital.

Once inside, the flamed monster gave you a weak hug before being taken for treatment, thus leaving you alone with Toriel, Muffet, and the dog.

“Woof!” The canine exclaimed, jumping up as he aiming to claw at your legs with his tiny paws.

In response, you gave him a gentle pat on the head, seeing his tail shake faster than a horde of Temmies the more you continued petting him.

It seemed he was thanking you for assisting Grillby with his injuries.

“You did wonderfully, miss (Y/N)! I believe Grillby will be back in shape sooner than we might think, thanks to your assistance.”

“Yeah. . . Thanks for helping us out, dearie.” Muffet’s voice chimed in, though you noticed something was off about her voice. In contrast to her usually confident tone, she trailed off at the beginning of her sentence and her words were coming off a bit slurred, making you wonder if she’d been messing with mixology again.

However, as you looked up from petting the dog to face with her gaze, you noticed how Muffet had four of arms wrapped around herself and how her sharp teeth were clenched lightly. You witnessed how Toriel questioned her over her well-being, only to have her neglect the offer by saying she was fine.

“Muffet. . . Could you come with me outside for a moment?” You spoke up, having a slight idea as to what was bothering her.

With a less than energetic nod, she followed behind until you both exited the hospital’s frosty climate, leaving Toriel and the dog to themselves as you both sat down on some waiting chairs set close to the premises.

Though the current temperature was warmer and the cold of the hospital was wearing out, Muffet still seemed to have her mind somewhere else.

“Hey.” You called out for her, making her face with your eyes. “You don’t have to feel obligated to answer, but. . . Why are you trying to endure the cold so much? You looked like you were going to freeze over back there, and the same happened when you got drunk last week. Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, (Y/N), it’s not the cold!” Muffet insisted, giggling at your assumption as her posture began to loosen up.” I’ve been meaning to endure the cold for my new employees — it seems both Papyrus and Undyne used to live on a snowy climate, so I want to make their workplace better for them! I was messing around with the air con last week, and I accidentally lowered it too much, but then I figured they would like it better at that temperature! They’re good and dedicated employees, so I want to make them feel at home, you know?”

The spider lady took a pause as she leaned closer to you, her head resting on your shoulder as one of her arms snaked around your waist.

She let the touch and the quietude linger for a while before speaking up again. “But if you’re worried by how I looked back there. . . I was just worried about Grillby. We’ve known each other for some time — since I hired the new employees, I believe.” A pause. “I guess. . . I guess seeing him like that made me realize how easily monsters lives can end here at the Surface.”

Not wanting to interrupt her moment of unwinding, you chose to remain quiet, resorting only to nodding and changing your expression every once in a while to let her know you were listening.

As you listened, you brought the arm hugging your waist closer to you, allowing her to lean more against you. She closed her eyes whilst she continued her last sentences that composed her thoughts, her five eyes closing in unison as her breaths leveled and her head nuzzled against your neck.

“Thank you for worrying, (Y/N).” She mumbled, her mind now hazy with the tiredness caused by unwinding. “And thank you for listening — I’m glad to have you as one of my employees.”

A pause.

“It’s good to have you by my side.”

Chapter Text

You balanced the tray in one hand, careful not to spill any of the drinks as you walked over to where Grillby, Annoying Dog, and Muffet’s spider-cupcake pet were sitting at. 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” You questioned towards Grillby, he being the only one of the three to order an alcoholic beverage and nothing else. 

In response, Grillby shook his head, little sparks of flames fluttering around you and the others.

You were surprised — to say the least — to see someone made out of flames order something flammable to drink. Despite him assuring you he could control his powers, you still remained a bit skeptical towards handing it to him, the memory of him being at the hospital returning to you.

“Here you go, guys.” You spoke after debating with your thoughts for a moment, setting down one bowl of kibble and one of milk for the dog, a large bunch of colourful spider treats for the cupcake monster, and the beverage for Grillby. “Ring the bell on the counter if you need anything else.”

You waved at them before heading off to meet with the others at the employee’s lounge, ready to face with a situation Muffet had been reluctant of dealing with.

Reaching the front of the door, you turned the doorknob around and entered the room, being greeted by Papyrus’s booming voice and Undyne’s rough voice responding to him.

“Are you sure it isn’t cap instead of cup?” Undyne spoke, arching an eyebrow as she stood facing him. “That kinda sounds like too much vanilla to me.”

The skeleton chose to review the recipe in his hands before replying to her question. He read it over various times until he was able to come up with a solid answer. “You are right, Undyne — It seems I have mistaken the ‘a’ for a ‘u’!”

Whilst the two continued on discussing the recipe, your eyes caught sight of Muffet standing on a far end of the room, her many hands creating a scarf-like pattern with her silk as she tried to lessen the stress over the matter you were both to discuss today with the skeleton and the fish lady.

You walked over to her side, calling out her name once to capture her attention.

Once she looked up to meet with your gaze, you spoke up. “Do you want to ask them about this now? I can help you out if you’re feeling too anxious.”

Her shoulders tensed before answering.

“Yes. . . Let’s do this now — I won’t get anywhere like this!”

Afterwards, she set the scarf she’d been working on the coffee table nearby, taking your hand in one of hers as she began to walk with you to where her new employees were standing at.

She stopped once being an arm’s length away from the two, carefully letting go of your hand as she prepared herself to speak up. “I. . . I would to ask something of the two you — It may seem silly, but I believe it’s still important enough to discuss it.”

Both the skeleton and the fish lady averted their eyes from the recipe to meet with her, Papyrus waiting with a smile over his skull and Undyne’s eye widening in curiosity. 

You noticed how Muffet tensed up again and how she tried to lessen those feelings by balling one of her hands into a fist.

Wanting to provide her with some support, you placed a hand over her shoulder, in hopes to reassure her that you would be by her side.

It took her a moment, yet she eventually found herself determined enough to voice out her thoughts. 

“I was wondering if either one of you would mind if the AC stays at room temperature?” She inquired. “I was told you guys came from Snowdin, so I worried the usual temperature might’ve been too high.”

Brief silence followed after her question as Undyne arched an eyebrow, finding it to be strange for her boss to form a reunion for such a simple question as that.

“I actually don’t like the cold, so I don’t mind if it stays at room temperature.” The fish lady replied.

“And I do not mind it either, miss Muffet!” Papyrus added. “Choose what is best for you and your human friend!”

You could hear how a soft sigh left the spider lady’s lips and — once you looked towards her side — you could see how a ghost of a smile appeared over her face.

Unlike the day she’d confessed to you the reasons for her making the temperature as low as she had, she now seemed calm. You soon saw how she clasped two of her hands together, the previously faint smile turning into a bright, free, and warm one. 

“Alright!” She declared. “Thank you for answering my question. . . I’m afraid that’s all the reunion was for, but. . .” She trailed off. “Would you guys like to make me and (Y/N) some company at the tables? It’s a slow day, and we’re planning on inviting our friends to share some food and stories together.”

Her two employees looked at each other, both smiling at each other as Undyne proceeded to accept the invitation.

“You’re a pretty cool boss.” Undyne complimented as the four of you began to make your way back to where Grillby and the others were sitting at.

“Thank you. . .” She muttered, her five eyes drifting away from you and the others while she tried to hide her sheepish smile.

The pair where the first ones to exit the premises, whereas you were left alone with your boss, steps away from leaving the employee's lounge.

She stared at you, and you did the same.

Quietude followed after, allowing to hear your own breathing as well as Muffet's. An odd tension seemed to be surfacing between you, yet you weren't quite sure of the reasons why.

Before you could so much as say something to break the silence, she took one decisive step closer towards you, gaze flickering to your left cheek.

Having to stand slightly in her tiptoes to match with your height, she almost tripped over her own feet, though she was promptly able to recover by placing two of her hands over both your shoulders.

She leaned in carefully, giving you time to consent over her proximity. Once you did, her face stood inches away from yours and her lips hovered over your cheek.

Seconds later, she gave you a gentle peck on the cheek, retreating in a rather hesitant manner afterwards.

You, on the other hand, were left speechless and perplexed from her touch, the warm feeling lingering over your entire face and the back of your neck.

"What do you say we have some tea after the party's over?" She asked. "It'll be my treat."

Your sole response to her words was an absentminded nod followed by a mumbled "sure", seeing as you were still recovering from her previous actions.

Happy to receive that response, the spider lady took your hand again and led you towards the gathering, smile never fading from her face as she arrived in front of the others happily chattering among themselves.