Chapter Text
Life can change in an instant. One moment you’re designated to follow a certain path, and in the next, you can find yourself knocked off course by a raging storm. It can leave you feeling winded and unsettled about the now-murky territory you've found yourself thrown into. The road ahead can even be arduous and full of tumultuous forecasts, but if you’re lucky, you'll find that once the sky clears and the wind dies, a new path will open to you. Perhaps one that was even better and more fulfilling than the last.
You had never planned on having any children of your own. It just wasn’t something that you’d put on your bingo card for your life. It wasn't something you desired for yourself, but when a sudden storm came hurtling down your path, resulting in the loss of your older sister and her husband, you found yourself the guardian of one. Daniel, your nine-year-old nephew, became totally dependent on you overnight, but you feel fortunate to have him with you on your journey now. He is a piece of your sister and your brother-in-law. Some, yourself included, would say he's one of the best pieces, and you knew you would always be there for him, no matter what. This was your new path, and you can’t help but believe it’ll be better than the last.
Unfortunately, having a child also means more expenses, so your funds are much tighter than before, but you make it work. You’re committed to this road you've chosen after all. No one said you had to take your nephew in. It was your choice, and one you'd never regret. Daniel is someone you love with your whole heart, and no one could part him from you now. Not even when you end up having a run-in with a certain person who once again threatens to throw you off course, but hopefully, if you’re lucky, it'll be in a good way.
Today, you’re out grocery shopping with your nephew, and with your tight budget, that always makes things interesting. Thankfully, Daniel is the best helper out there when it comes to finding a deal!
“Auntie Mal, I think we got a coupon for this one.”
You glance at the cereal your nephew is currently holding before rifling through your coupons and beaming when you realize he’s correct.
“We do! Good eye, Daniel.” You praise, watching as his pretty blue eyes light up. The one thing Daniel received from his father was his eye colour. Whenever you looked at them, all you saw was your brother-in-law, but when you looked at his face, you saw your sister. Your beloved sister, whom you miss every day.
“It’s my superpower.” Daniel jokes and places the box into the cart. You chuckle and ruffle his hair, making note of how long it’s gotten. He’ll need a haircut soon.
Pulling out a little black book from your purse, you make a note under upcoming expenses that he’ll require a haircut. Blessedly, Daniel hasn’t complained about the length yet, but you can see it’s getting into his eyes a lot. Maybe if you ask nicely, your friend Paxton would be willing to do it for free. You know he’s very busy with owning his own business and co-owning another, but he also really likes Daniel, so he might be willing to make an exception.
With the cereal now acquired, you continue with your shopping. Each aisle, you’d call to Daniel what you’d need, and he’d run to grab it. Sometimes, he’d notice a deal you didn’t and point it out to you. He's become quite the little bargain hunter in the eight months he’s lived with you, the thought making your chest swell with emotion. Is this similar to when a parent is proud of their child for excelling in something they themselves are good at? Right now, all you feel is incredible pride in your nephew.
And yet, as you work your way through the store, you become keenly aware that someone is watching you. No, not just watching. Staring. You mostly see him in your peripheral vision, and at first, you do your best to ignore him. Sometimes creepy men stare, but if you ignore them, they’ll usually go away. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to work this time, and you even eventually end up looking his way. The moment your eyes meet his, he looks away, knowing he’s been caught. Although you’re a little surprised at who has been staring this whole time.
He’s a skeleton monster.
Two years ago, monsters emerged from under Mt. Ebott. At the time, it was huge news, but since they’ve integrated into society, it’s no longer surprising to see one out and about. Still, you’ve never been stared at by one. He’s short, standing at about 5’1” with a round skull that has almost chubby-like cheeks. Bright white lights danced in his sockets, most likely acting as his eyes. They glow beautifully, and if he weren’t a creepy guy staring at you, then you might’ve given him a compliment on them. Instead, you keep that to yourself. He was wearing simple sweatpants, a pullover hoodie and... pink house slippers? Who wears slippers to a grocery store? Regardless, he seemed pretty average aside from the staring... and the slippers.
The most shocking part of all of this, though, is that you did actually speak to him before. When you had arrived at the grocery store, you ended up reaching the front door at the same time as him. You’d smiled and gestured toward the sliding doors before saying, “After you!”. Stars, is he a total stalker? Maybe he’s one of those people who think they’re in a relationship with someone just because the other person smiled at them. You seriously hope not. Your life is complicated enough as it is. You don't need a creepy guy following you about on top of that.
“Auntie Mal, the cheese is on sale!”
Blinking, you return your focus to your nephew, who is pointing at one of the fridges nearby. Forgetting the potential creeper, you beam at Daniel and hurry over to see if you can get any good cheese. You’d love to make mac ‘n cheese for Daniel. It’s his favourite, and if you can make his day a little brighter with a favourite meal, then you'll do that for him in a heartbeat. Daniel has been pretty quiet and depressed since his parents died, but understandably so. He's only nine, and now without his parents, the people who he would've seen as his ultimate safety. No one could blame him for being so uncertain over things right now. So, you'll make your nephew all the mac 'n cheese his heart desires if that's what he needs at this particular moment.
Grabbing a couple of blocks of different cheeses, you keep doing your best to avoid the staring skeleton. You continue shopping with your little helper, even though it feels like he's burning a hole through the back of your head. You put on a smile for Daniel the entire time, but this creep is seriously starting to irk you. Just stop it already! You even catch him three more times, and he still doesn’t stop. What is his actual deal? By the time you’ve finished gathering everything you need, you’re thoroughly done. All you want to do is pay for your groceries and leave.
Heading for the cash registers, you stop when you catch sight of the displays of chocolate bars and hesitate. Quickly, you do the mental math and happily realize that you absolutely have enough for Daniel to get a treat. He was so helpful today that he deserves it.
“Hey, Daniel?” You call to your nephew, who has gone a few steps ahead of the cart. He stops and turns to look at you, so you motion to the display, “Do you want to get a chocolate bar?”
His face lights up, and he hurries back to you, “Really?” Daniel asks excitedly. You nod, and he gives you a quick hug that melts your heart. “Thank you, Auntie Mal!”
You let Daniel choose the candy he’d like, and he hands it to you to put into the cart. Now completely finished, you get in line at the checkout, once again aware that you’re being stared at. Great. If Daniel weren’t standing right beside you, that monster would be getting an earful right now. He’s just lucky that you don’t want to chance upsetting your nephew.
Irritated, you swiftly put your groceries and all your coupons on the counter, making sure they are paired with their corresponding items to make it easier for the cashier. It proves effective as you’re able to get everything run through with little difficulty and pay. You're left thoroughly pleased that you stayed on budget, making note of the expense in your little notebook. It even trumps your irritation with Mr. Stares-a-lot. Unfortunately, that doesn't last.
Putting the now bagged groceries back into your cart, you make your escape from the store, hoping that breathing some fresh air will do you some good. Walking outside, you take a deep breath and find you feel a bit better. It’s autumn, and the air is crisp with an earthy undertone due to the multitude of falling leaves. You figure you must be free now. It’s not as if that skeleton can stare at you out here, right?
Wrong.
Reaching your car, you pack everything into the trunk with Daniel’s help, but make sure to hand him his treat before he gets into the backseat. Once you’re sure that he’s safely buckled in, you turn to return your cart to the corral. As you do, you find yourself immediately fuming when you notice that little skeleton is nearby and staring again, only this time there’s another one with him. This one is thankfully not staring. He appeared to be at least a foot taller than the other, making him about 6’1”. He had a longer, more angular skull with smaller sockets. This skeleton was wearing jeans and a lovely cream knit sweater, which he complemented with a red scarf. This taller one seemed to be talking to the shorter one, but the staring skeleton wasn’t even paying attention. He was too busy looking at you.
Feeling your blood begin to boil, you shove your cart into the corral a little more harshly than you’d meant to before storming over to that little skeleton. You’re officially done with this guy and his staring. You don’t care that he’s probably a total creep; you just want him to piss off. The short skeleton’s sockets widen as he realizes you’re coming over toward him. Yeah, you bet he wasn’t expecting that, was he? Upon your approach, the taller one stops talking and turns more toward you with a bright smile. While that’s adorable, you’re too pissed at his friend to care.
“Stop fucking staring at me, you total creep!” You seethe and point at the shorter skeleton who’s begun to turn a pretty blue colour in what you assume is a blush, “I don’t know what your goddamn problem is with me, but just quit it! You stared at me the entire time I was in the store, and it was weird! All I did was smile at you at the door! Stay away from me and learn some fucking manners, you creep!” You finish your tirade and turn on your heel to stomp away. Ah, you feel better now that you’ve gotten that off your chest.
However, as you’re storming off, you can still hear the tall one exclaim, “WAIT, SANS, WERE YOU REALLY STARING AT HER? THAT’S SO RUDE! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?”
Thank you! At least the tall one gets it!
Still furious, you jump into the driver’s seat of your car and slam the door with a little more force than necessary. As you start the vehicle, Daniel asks.
“Auntie Mal, did you know those monsters?”
“No, I don’t, buddy. They just… asked a question.” You lie. Daniel hums.
“That was nice of you to answer their question.”
Bless this child. You feel as if all your frustrations melt away in an instant. Daniel always knows how to change your rotten mood into a good one. He’s brought you immeasurable love over the last eight months, and you’d be lost without him. Finally smiling, you put your car into reverse to back out of that space and then into drive to take you both home.
Besides, the farther you get from that skeleton, the better off you’ll be. You never want to see him again.
Unfortunately for you, life’s a bitch.
----
It’s been a little over a week since the staring incident, and you’re at your job. About a month before your sister died, you’d opened a 50s-themed diner with your two business partners. It had been your dream, and you had dumped all of your savings into it. Unfortunately, given the newness of your diner, finances are tight as you pay off debts and keep the place running. Nonetheless, you still manage to keep the lights on and food on the table for Daniel, but you’ve had a few close calls.
Tonight, you’ve got Daniel at the diner with you, as you hadn’t expected to be here, but your best friend and business partner, Paxton, had a sudden emergency at his other business, a hair salon, that required his attention. He’d asked if you’d cover for him, and you didn’t mind, especially since your other business partner is here. He’s a pretty awesome guy, and you liked working with him. Thankfully, you can just bring your nephew with you until his babysitter can come and pick him up. This allows you to keep an eye on Daniel as he does his homework in one of the booths, even if it gets a little busy in here.
You’re wiping off the bar from a small soda spill when a plate of fries is set down in front of you. Blinking, you glance at the person who put them there. It’s your business partner who just so happens to be a monster. He’s tall, maybe 6’4” and made of fire. Literally, his entire body is glowing orange flames. He wore a nice button-up shirt and jeans, with the top button undone. He gazes at you through his slim, square-shaped glasses.
“What table is that going to, Grillby?” You ask, puzzled. All the tables already had their food. Your partner points to your nephew.
“I figured Daniel might be hungry. You said he likes my fries the best.” He responds, his tone soft and warm as it slightly crackles like fire. Grillby’s voice was always so nice to listen to.
“You didn’t have to do that, Grillby.” His thoughtfulness touches you. Grillby is always kind like that, though and honestly, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have a small crush on him. He’s just so kind and handsome, plus, he can seriously cook. He’s the whole package!
Grillby just pats your shoulder in response before returning to the kitchen. Smiling softly, you take the fries over to your nephew, who beams at the sight of the food. Since your sister and brother-in-law’s passing, Daniel has become quite picky with his food and, at times, will refuse to eat at all. However, there are two things he will always eat. One is mac ‘n cheese, and the other is Grillby’s fries. He claims they taste the best, and who are you to refute that? Besides, he’s right. Grillby’s fries are awesome!
Leaving your nephew to his meal, you get back to work. It’s the dinner rush, so you don’t have much time to yourself, but once it’s done, you’re able to sit back and breathe for a while. Unfortunately, just as you go to do so, the unthinkable happens. The door chimes, indicating a new customer. Glancing over from the bar, you freeze at who you see.
It’s that damned staring skeleton!
What the absolute hell is he doing here? Sure, it might be a coincidence, but something inside you is screaming that he’s totally stalking you. The skeleton takes a seat in one of the booths after noticing the sign that tells you to seat yourself, then proceeds to pull a bunch of books from the backpack he has with him. Maybe he’s in school and came to study? You try to rationalize everything, but as you look over at him and hesitate to go serve him, you can see how his eye-lights flicker over to the corner of his sockets toward you.
This motherfucker is still watching you! He’s just trying to be a little more subtle this time, the creep!
Marching forward, you don’t head towards the skeleton and instead make a turn into the kitchen, where you find Grillby. His head turns toward you upon your entrance, and you hiss.
“I think I’m being stalked!”
Your partner raises his brow and leaves what he’s doing to come stand beside you.
“Oh?”
Nodding, you motion toward the restaurant, “Yeah, the guy in booth eight with all the books! He literally stared at me the entire time I grocery shopped a week ago, and now he just happens to come to the diner I co-own? He’s creepy!”
Grillby hums and moves to carefully look out the order window to see who you’re talking about, but the moment he lays eyes on the guy, he snorts.
“That’s just Sans.”
“You know that creeper?” You ask, mouth hanging open a little. Grillby laughs, and your face flushes at the sound.
“Sans would frequent my bar underground. We are well acquainted, some might say we’re friends.”
“Well, I’m not well acquainted, and I’m definitely not his friend! He’s totally stalking me, Grillby!” You whine, making your partner hum again.
“It’s always possible.”
You knew it! This guy is a total stalker!
“Can you go serve him for me?” You try, hoping Grillby will do you a solid, “He makes me super uncomfortable.”
Thankfully, Grillby just nods, and you sigh in relief. Your partner pats you on the shoulder again and then leaves the kitchen. Following close behind, you stay at the bar and watch as Grillby walks over to Sans, who smiles warmly at the fire elemental. Turning your gaze away, you focus on something else, but you can still hear their conversation.
“Have you come to pay your tab?” Grillby asks, not even saying hello. Sans chuckles, his voice apparently quite deep and baritone.
“nah, came to study for my proficiency exam and to get dinner since paps is out.”
You’re assuming this ‘Paps’ was the tall skeleton from before.
“My business partner thinks you’re stalking her.”
You nearly sputter at Grillby just blurting that out, but Sans actually does end up doing so.
“w-what? i’m not stalking anyone!”
That’s exactly what a stalker would say!
“She says you stared at her at the grocery store.” The two monsters go silent, and you’re dying to look over at them but manage to refrain while Grillby suddenly chuckles, “I thought so.” Thought what? Thought what?? “Her name is Mallory, by the way.” No, Grillby, don’t tell the stalker your name!! “Want your usual?”
“yeah,” Sans finally replies, “that’d be great, thanks.”
“Anytime, stalker.” Grillby laughs, and you finally hazard a glance at them to find your partner walking back over, amused, while Sans is bright blue in the face.
Following after Grillby as he goes into the kitchen, you’re annoyed and determined to get some answers. What the hell!
“Grillby!” You squeak, “You can’t just give my stalker my name!”
The fire elemental just seems amused as he moves about the kitchen to make whatever Sans’s usual was.
“You’re fine, Mallory. Sans is harmless unless he asks if he can start a tab.” He suddenly looks unamused and deadpans, “If he does, say no. He never pays it.”
“Okay, forgive me if I don’t believe you because you seem infinitely chuffed over this situation!” You hiss, which just makes Grillby laugh more. This guy, you swear.
“Auntie Mal?”
Hearing Daniel’s voice come from the kitchen entrance, you turn toward the door to find him there with his backpack slung over his shoulders. Looks like his babysitter has arrived, or you’re assuming she has. You put away your annoyance over Sans and smile at him.
“Is Becky here?”
“Yeah, she wants to know what time you’ll be home.” He responds with a shrug.
Figuring it’s easier to just talk to her rather than go through your nephew, you urge him to leave the kitchen and follow. You leave Grillby to his cooking, but you’re not done with him. Not by a long shot. Finding Becky waiting by the door, you smile at her and thank her for picking up Daniel. She tells you that it wasn’t a problem before you let her know what time you’ll be home.
Finishing with Becky, you turn to Daniel and ruffle his hair affectionately.
“Be good for Becky, alright?”
He shooed your hand away, “I will. I love you, Auntie Mal.”
You soften and bring him in for a quick hug, “I love you, too, Daniel.”
After the loss of his parents, Daniel always parted from you by telling you that he loved you. It’s obvious that he does this because he wants to make sure that the last thing he said to you is one of love in case the unthinkable happens. Knowing he probably thinks of things like that now breaks your heart, but you don’t discourage this action, especially since it helps him feel better.
Letting him go, you wave him off with Becky and return to work. Going around to each of your tables, you check to make sure everyone is doing alright, then hurry to help those who have requested refills, dessert, or the bill. Once you’re satisfied that everyone is just fine, you finally go back to the kitchen. Entering, you find Grillby about to leave, but upon seeing you, he holds out the tray carrying someone’s order. You take it and glance at the ticket to see that it belongs to booth eight. That’s where Sans is sitting.
“I thought you were serving Sans?” You ask in alarm.
“Sans is harmless, Mallory.” He pats your shoulder, his hand warm and comforting, “You’ll be alright, I promise. I wouldn’t let anyone I thought might be a danger to you or Daniel into this building.”
Your hackles lower ever so slightly, but you’re still on edge.
“...If he acts weird, I’m blaming you.”
Sighing, you turn on your heel, tray in hand and march back out to the dining room. Wanting to run the entire time, you stomp down on that impulse and stride over to Sans’s table. He notices your approach right away, his sockets widening slightly. You hope he’s nervous, the creep. Stopping at his booth, you place the burger and fries, along with what looks to be soda, onto the table in front of him.
“Can I get you anything else?” You inquire on autopilot, but your tone is scathing.
Sans just shakes his head, his cheeks dusting a light blue. Figuring that’s as good as it gets, you tell him to enjoy, then go to leave, only for Sans to find his voice and actually speak, startling you.
“you have a pretty name.”
Freezing, you turn and look at him to see that he’s staring at his food. His gaze is nowhere near you, and for some reason, that helps you relax a bit, but you’re still being cautious. Yes, while it’s always nice to hear that you have a lovely name, coming from him, it just sounds freaky. However, your mother did teach you manners.
“Thanks… stalker.”
Okay, she sort of taught you.
Sans’s eye-lights whirl toward you as he hurries out, “i’m not stalking you, i swear! i didn’t even know you worked here.”
“I don’t just work here, I co-own this place. It’s literally called Grillby & Mal’s. Who do you think the Mal is?” You point to yourself as you say this.
“to be fair, i didn’t know your name until grillby told me so…” He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck, “i’m really not stalking you.”
Why do you find yourself leaning toward this being a weird coincidence? Can it really just be a misunderstanding?
“So, what was the grocery store then? Why did you keep staring at me?”
“i’ll be honest, i just… i didn’t realize i was staring, i was in my head and…” He sighs, looking at his food again, “i’m sorry about that. i get why i freaked you out.”
He should be sorry about that. It was wildly frustrating!
“Well… at least you know how to apologize.” You mutter, watching as Sans’s gaze once again moves to you. Searching his face, you find nothing other than him almost begging for another chance with the way he’s looking at you. How do you know you’re going to regret this? Sighing loudly through your nose, you hold up two fingers, “Fine, you’re on strike two, potential stalker. Don’t get to three and we’ll be cool.”
He chuckles, and you find you like the way it sounds. It’s warm and deep, as if coming from his belly, showing the true joy he’s taking in this moment.
“i’ll try not to and uh… i’m sans by the way.”
“I know.” You nod toward him and eye the books he’s got at his table, “What’re those for?” Hey, if he can potentially stalk you, then you can be nosy. Sans glances at the books quickly, then back to you.
“proficiency exam. tryin’ to get my ph.d reinstated.”
Whoa, this guy has a Ph.D? Really?
“What’s your degree in?” You find yourself asking, which seems to make Sans pretty happy for some reason; his smile widens even further, his eye-lights sparkling. Why does he care if you’re curious?
“astrophysics, it’s-”
“A branch of astronomy that focuses on the physical nature of stars and other celestial bodies, among other things.” You cut him off, “I know what astrophysics is.”
He blinks in surprise, “huh, usually i have to explain it, heh, kinda nice to not have to.”
“My brother-in-law was an astrophysicist at the University.” You explain. Why are you telling him all of this? He’s a potential stalker! Well, he does know your name now, so you suppose he could find this all out by a quick deep dive on the internet if he wanted to.
“...was?” Sans tilts his skull. He’s observant, you’ll give him that. You nod.
“Yeah, he died eight months ago in an accident.”
“i’m sorry to hear that.” He murmurs, and he does actually seem to empathize with your loss. However, you don’t mention your sister and how devastating it was to lose her.
“Thanks.” You reply, then gesture toward his food, slowly getting cold on the table, “Enjoy your meal.”
Sans nods, and you just know he’s watching you as you leave, but this time it doesn’t seem to bother you as much. Progress? Maybe. He still feels like he might be stalking you, after all. Continuing about your evening, you end up checking on Sans a few more times, even refilling that soda of his a few times, since he stays so late. The guy stays all the way until you close, even though he’d paid for his meal ages ago. He’s so deep into his books and studies that you don’t have the heart to disturb him, not until you absolutely have to.
Walking over to his table, you knock on it to gain his attention. He blinks and looks at you. Motioning toward the door, you explain.
“Me and Grillby are done cleaning up. It’s time to go.”
He pulls out his phone and checks the time, making a shocked noise at how late it is.
“aw jeez, i didn’t realize it had gotten so late. paps is gonna be worried.”
“Better not keep him waiting then.” You urge then wait for him to pack up his belongings, which doesn’t take him too long.
Grillby hung back the entire time, but once Sans finishes, he starts flicking off lights alongside you before heading outside with the skeleton monster. The two friends stand off to the side and converse quietly while you lock the door. Finishing that, you pocket your keys and call out as you start walking.
“Catch you later, Grillby!”
The fire elemental looks your way, “Do you want me to walk you, Mallory?”
You shake your head, feeling your cheeks heating up from his thoughtful offer, “No, I’m okay! See you later!”
“Stay safe.”
Smiling, you turn and continue your walk home. You live somewhat close to the diner, so you don’t see much of a point in wasting gas to get there and back each day. So, you usually walk. Tonight, though, you almost wish you had driven. Walking only a couple of steps, you hear as Sans and Grillby say their goodbyes, but then you hear the definite sound of someone’s footsteps behind you.
Is… is Sans following you?
Hazarding a glance over your shoulder, you indeed find the short skeleton there, but his gaze is on his feet, not you. Starting to feel a little freaked out, you quicken your pace. You knew it! Harmless, your ass! Grilby had some serious explaining to do, and stars, he totally knows your name and about your brother-in-law now! You’re so screwed! Why did you trust that he was safe to be around? What about Daniel? What if he tries to hurt him? Fear clouds your mind as your breathing quickens in your state of fright. This is a clear strike three! Sans is 100% confirmed to be a stalker!
You hope and pray that at any moment he’ll turn and go in a different direction, but that never happens. The closer you get to your apartment, the more scared you become until finally you reach the front of your building, where you whirl on him. He startles, his gaze moving from his feet to you, sockets wide.
“Not stalking me, my ass! Stop following me, you creep!”
Sans turning blue again, fumbles a bit until finally sheepishly points to your apartment building, “i-i’m not, i live here.”
You blink, your mind going totally blank. Standing straight, your hackles lowering completely, your mouth opens and shuts a bit, unsure of how to respond. This is his building. Are you serious? You can’t believe this is happening. How had you gotten it so wrong? Now you’re the one staring, as you and Sans just look at one another for a comically long time before finally managing to point at the building too.
“I live here.” You weakly reply.
Now, he looks just as stunned as you are and just makes a sort of soft huh, before saying.
“apartment 18.”
No. Way.
“Apartment 17.”
His mouth is the one that’s now parted in shock, and you don’t blame him for feeling that way. You’re not doing so good yourself after all. You’re definitely feeling some particular type of way after this revelation.
After all, it’s not every day that you find out your potential stalker lives across the hallway from you.