Protect One Another - US!Papyrus x Reader

Chapter 7/24 -- It's Tense in Here Isn't it?

"It's ok kiddo. I get it," Papyrus reassured her. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You've only talked to her twice now, and that's with being here for only about, what, six days? About a week?"

She nodded her head slowly, wracking her brain for anything to change the subject. "Soo...how're you and Sans doing?" she asked. Papyrus smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Sans is a handful as always. He claims to be responsible, and in a way he is, but he...it's not that important, I guess." Papyrus trailed off, turning his gaze to the jukebox in the corner of the room. It looked very old and broken.

"Did something happen to him? Is he ok?" Y/n pried, worried now. Her thoughts shot to Flowey and what he could've done to Sans. What if he had been attacking him?

"He's...come home a few times beaten up. He won't tell me who's responsible though. He bottles it up and has me worried." Y/n looked down, her paranoia spiking as her thoughts ran rampant in her head. What if it is Flowey? What if he's hurting Sans because I'm close with him, or to get me back, or...what...I just... I hope it's not him, I hope Sans is ok, I want him to be ok. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me.

She was pulled from her terrified trance by Muffet's return with their orders. "Here you are dearies. Enjoy~" She said, skating off to the back again. Y/n let out a sigh of relief as she sipped the icy drink.

"Now that we have the small talk over with." The girl turned her attention to the tall skeleton as he spoke. He played with the cap of his honey bottle, staring at it intently before turning to her with a curious expression on his face. "Did you hear any noise last night?"

I thought we were far away from town. How did he hear anything? "I mean I hear noise every night. The peepers, various people chatting on the streets-"

"Not that kind of noise," he corrected, a thin layer of annoyance in his tone. "There was a lot of cracking...and a few screams towards midnight. Someone was fighting and I know it." He looked her dead in the eyes. She noticed a tiny orange wisp flickering in his right eye socket.

"I was asleep..." she started, her voice cracking slightly. "But I did... hear the screams, toward midnight." She stared at her sweet tea. I heard them loud and clear. Papyrus didn't press further, instead falling into his own train of thought.

Y/n started to shake slightly as the feelings and events of the previous night bombarded her memory. Papyrus noticed and reached out to touch her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I was too harsh, a-are you ok kiddo...?" he asked softly. She flinched at his cold touch and looked to his hand, then to his surprised face.

"So-sorry, wasn't expecting it. You just- surprised me..." she said, straightening up and avoiding his gaze.

"You're fine, I'm sorry. But are you ok?" he asked. She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Do have haphephobia or something?"

"Haphe-what?"

"Haphephobia," he clarified. "The fear of being touched. It's pretty rare, but ya never know. Just curious."

"Oh. No, I don't have that..." The conversation came to a slow end, both falling into a thoughtful silence.

A few minutes passed by before Papyrus got up from his leather stool. "I gotta go, it's getting late, and Sans expects me at my station right now," Papyrus said. "See ya later kid."

Y/n nodded and waved good-bye to her friend. She noticed Muffet skating by and saw her grab Papyrus's hoodie by the back (she couldn't reach his hood lol) and pull him down. "Papyrus. You're forgetting to pay again darling," she said sternly, a smile still upon her lips.