new thing! found this old idea and its uh. how does one say? fucked? make sure you read the tags (this chapter doesnt really have anything in it but the future ones will fellas). chapters on this will come slow, mostly just because i write this whenever i have time since im working on other projects!
Summary: The Swapfell Underground needs repopulating, the Queen decides petty criminals would perfect for the job. Unfortunately for Papyrus he’s a petty criminal.
A good alternative title would be: ‘Swapfell Papyrus Suffers’.
*
“Papyrus you need to stop,” Sans said, frowning as
Papyrus sat at the kitchen table, putting them at near eye level.
“Stop what?” Papyrus could guess what
he meant. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation and it
wouldn’t be the last.
Sans’ frown deepened as he tapped his
foot and crossed his arms. “Gambling, what do you think I’m talking about?”
Papyrus sighed as he dumped his wallet
out on the table. The gold coins clinked as they landed in a little pile. It
was smaller than Papyrus would’ve liked but better than nothing. “Ya didn’t
have a problem with my gambling before. In fact, ya quite liked it ‘cause of
all this.” He gestured to the pile of gold. All of it he’d won tonight by
playing cards in the back of the local bar that used to belong to Muffet before
she disappeared and was now run by Cupcake, her giant cupcake spider pet. He
still worried about her but no matter how hard he tired he couldn’t find her
but she wasn’t dead, he knew that for a fact; someone like her wouldn’t die
that easily… and Cupcake would know.
“That was before it being illegal actually mattered,” Sans snapped. Ever
since the penultimate human soul needed to break the Barrier had been acquired,
Queen Toriel had decided to be much
stricter about upholding the law and militarizing everything in her
preparations to invade the Surface once the final human soul was obtained and
the Barrier was finally broken. Judging by how long it typically was between
humans falling down here they had years
to prepare, making all this frenzy not worth it and not sustainable.
Land, ho! (And I’d like to apologise in advance for all the puns in this intro)
The ship has sailed back into port (perhaps some other ships will be sailing too), and it’s time for Cash to make another choice. Who will be walking the plank this week? Let’s sea!
🌸🌸🌸🌸💀💀💀💀
By the time Cash
awoke, sunlight was streaming in through his cabin’s porthole. He rolled over,
tugging his duvet up to his chin and shielding his eyes.
The mattress shifted
beside him and he groaned. “no. fuck off, twisted. let me sleep.”
Twist snickered
softly. “Good mornin’ ta ya too, Patches.” When Cash ignored him, he climbed up
onto the bed and knelt over Cash, humming. “Quite the sleepin’ beauty, aren’t
ya?”
“oh, go fuck
yourself,” Cash growled, despite the blush Twist’s words drew from him. “it’s
too early. i am not in the mood to deal with your bullshit.”
“Fine.” Twist
sniffed, leaning back. “But… ya’ve got five eager contestants waitin’ fer ya on
the upper deck.”
Cash pulled his
pillow over his skull. “tell them i’m busy.”
Twist hummed
thoughtfully, lying back against the headboard. “I would just pick one a’ them
myself, but ya’ve got some bones ta hand out, an’ my magic ain’t nearly as
pretty as yers.”
Cash flipped him off,
but rolled out of bed anyway. He stretched with a disgruntled sigh, turning to
regard Twist, who was lying with his legs sprawled. He watched Cash with a
smirk, lifting his brow bones. “don’t do that,” Cash said, giving him a dry
look. “you look like a whore.”
“An’ who says I’m not
one?” Twist asked, folding his arms.
“if i was going to
fuck you, i sure as hell wouldn’t pay you for it,” Cash said, shortly. Twist
tilted his head, grinning, and Cash blushed, suddenly realising the
implications of his words. “shut up—and get out. i need to get dressed.”
“At yer command…
Cap’n.” Twist saluted Cash before leaving, missing the foul gesture Cash shot
him in return.
Cash glanced out the
window as he pulled on his jeans. The sky was clear and the waves were calm,
slapping gently against the boat’s side. He could hear the call of seagulls and
the horns of other ships. When he emerged on the upper deck, he realised why;
they had pulled back into port, their boat tethered to the docks. Cash’s soul
sunk a little. He was going to miss being at sea.
The five remaining
contestants were waiting for him beside the pool. Twist was lounging against
the deck’s railing, and perked up when Cash emerged. “Ready fer the bonin’,
Patches?”
Cash glared at him.
“stop calling it that, you prick.”
“What? Yer givin’
everyone bones. It’s a perfect name.”
Cash fumed silently,
ignoring Twist in favour of surveying the others. He noticed that Edge and
Stretch had taken to standing on opposite ends of the group. Stretch had his
hoodie pulled up and Edge was very rigid, his shoulders tensed. Slim and Papyrus
were side-by-side, and both smiled at Cash as he approached. Razz was… also
smiling. Which was unsettling.
When Cash reached the
group, Twist heaved himself off the railing and came to stand beside Cash. “So,
hope all a’ ya enjoyed the cruise.”
“they’d better have,”
Cash muttered. “it cost a lot of fucking money.”
Twist only chuckled,
patting Cash on the back. “An’ we’re all very grateful ta ya fer treatin’ us.”
He indicated at the others before leaning back against the railing. “Stage is
yers, Patches.”
Cash sighed, flexing
his fingers before summoning the first violet bone. He offered it to Stretch,
who lifted his chin slightly as he took it. He frowned when Cash leaned in,
then blushed hotly when he whispered, “you know, edge told me some pretty interesting
things last night…” Cash drew away and smirked, pleased with the reaction.
Stretch cleared his
throat, his eye-lights flickering across the group. “yes. well. edge always
says some pretty interesting things when he’s drunk.”
Lifting a brow bone,
Cash tilted his head. “does he now?”
“oh fuck off,”
Stretch grumbled, hurrying to Twist’s side.
A little more
confidence-fuelled, Cash crossed the deck to stand before Edge next. He
hesitated a moment, studying his expression. Edge willfully looked away from him,
hard lines of tension in his face. Cash conjured a bone of magic and pressed it
into Edge’s hands, then leaned in, and quietly said, “still down for that
threesome?” as he eyed Stretch.
“Go fuck yourself,”
Edge snapped, sounding tired.
“well, i’m trying,”
Cash replied, giving Edge a sultry look.
“Fine then,” Edge
said crisply, drawing his shoulders up. “Go fuck Razz.”
Cash glanced at Razz,
frowning. “unlikely. but thank you.”
As Edge went to stand
beside Twist (ignoring Stretch in a manner very apparent to everyone present),
Cash summoned a third bone, facing down the three contestants he was less eager
to confront.
He tentatively
presented the bone to Slim, and his chest clenched at the glance Slim exchanged
with Papyrus. He smiled at Cash and stepped close enough that Cash could feel
his breath against his face. “y-you…” Cash swallowed, leaning back. Memories of
the previous night flooded his mind and his cheekbones felt hot.
Slim watched him
curiously for a few seconds, his smile growing wider the longer Cash struggled
with his words. “thank you,” Slim said at last, sparing him. “last night was
lovely.” He left Cash stammering and went to stand next to Twist, who cast him
a knowing look, smirking.
Tearing his eye away,
Cash summoned the final bone for the ceremony. Taking a deep breath, he gave it
to Papyrus. He briefly registered that Razz was still smiling, but ignored him
for the moment. He was trying very hard not to look at Papyrus either. He took
a shaky breath and looked deliberately away. “guess i was sort of… into all
that stuff last night,” he muttered, burying his hands in his pockets and
cursing himself for leaving his lighter at home.
He made a small noise
of surprise when Papyrus leaned in and touched his teeth to his jaw. “I second
that.” He beamed. “Last night was an eye socket-opening experience. Perhaps we
can continue it sometime.”
Cash nodded tightly,
staring at the floor. “right… yeah, uh. definitely.” As Papyrus joined the
rest of the group, Cash turned to Razz. “you’re looking awfully cheerful for
someone who just got eliminated,” he observed, cocking a brow bone.
“Let’s not pretend I
ever stood a chance of winning,” Razz said, crossing his arms. His smile was
still all too smug for Cash’s comfort.
“we all knew it,”
Cash said, somewhat snidely, “i just wasn’t sure you did. your inflated sense
of self can be baffling.”
Razz’s smile slipped
a little, but he quickly eased back into nonchalance. “This coming from a guy
who’s hosting a competition in which he is the prize.”
Cash frowned, but
Twist interrupted the conversation before it could escalate further. “Hey, don’
give ‘im the credit, I’m the host here,” he reminded them, looking affronted.
“An’, uh… I think we should be gettin’ off this boat. The owners ‘re probably
goin’ ta be back from their business trip soon.”
They all stared at
him. “twisted…” Cash pinched his nasal bridge, inhaling deeply. “what the fuck
did you do?”
Twist winked at him.
“If we wait around long enough, ya migh’ find out.”
As it happened, Cash
did not have to find out. They made it back to the manor without running into
any furious wealthy boat owners. Cash made his way straight to the bathroom
when they arrived home. As much as he loved being at sea, the lack of hot water
aboard the boat had been deplorable.
He had just begun to
strip off when he heard his bedroom door opening. He spun, quickly ducking
behind the bed to hide his nudity. “who–twisted! you ever heard of knocking?”
Twist blinked at
Cash, frowning as he scanned him in confusion. “Huh… oh! Yer naked.” Cash gave
him a deadpan look. “Sorry,” Twist said, turning away. “Just wanted ta ask how
yer feelin’.”
Sighing, Cash wrapped
a towel around himself and sat on the bed. “it’s fine,” he said. “nothing you
haven’t seen before… bastard.”
Twist glanced at him,
grinning, before sitting beside him. “So… is it narcissism, or…?”
“what?”
Twist chuckled,
squeezing his shoulder affectionately. “Can’ help bu’ notice ye’ve only got the
other Paps left…”
“ugh.” Cash shoved
him, scowling. “you want me to give razz a call? tell him to come back?”
“Fuck no. Ya made a
good choice.” Cash hummed in mild indifference, staring at the carpet.
“Seriously though, ya good fer next week?” Twist frowned, surveying Cash. “It’s
gonna be a hard decision.”
Cash frowned,
considering. Twist was right, he realised. With the way things had panned out
on the cruise (via Twist’s own orchestrating, no doubt), Cash’s choice was no
longer limited to himself.
No matter who he
eliminated next, he would be splitting apart a couple.
(I’d like to preface this by apologising for the delay on this chapter. Truthfully, I was feeling a bit burnt out by this project, and it didn’t help that this chapter proved to be… pretty challenging. I got there in the end, though!)
Twist has really gone all-out this week–with the generous spending of Cash’s money, of course. The skeletons have set sail and are enjoying the lap of luxury on their very own private cruise! But–oh no. Is that a storm brewing on the horizon? Or could it just be a group of emotionally (and physically) pent up skeletons who are tired of all the foreplay? Let’s find out!
Mild NSFW
Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll for who you want Cash to eliminate. The link will be at the end of the chapter.
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸💀💀💀
Cash gazed out at the
choppy waves of the open sea, white and foamy in the boat’s wake. The sun was bright
and warm in the clear sky, sparkling off the waves. Resting his elbows against
the boat’s railing, Cash closed his eyes, the wind ruffling his jacket.
“a… cruise?”
“A cruise!” Twist declared, excitement gleaming in
his lit eye socket. “Great, right?”
Cash stared at him dully, before conceding with a
shrug. “guess it’s not so bad.”
“An’ since it’ll be goin’ fer the whole week, we’re
gonna be havin’ the elimination on board as well.”
“… never mind.”
Cash had pushed all
reminders of the impending elimination from his mind, and had taken to
indulging in every luxury the boat had to offer instead. The greatest of those
luxuries, as it happened, was right here, on the edge of the deck. He could
stand here for hours (and had), looking out over the vast ocean. The fresh
scent of salt and the soothing crash of waves against the boat’s sides was
welcome—but more important, was the solitude.
Short-lived solitude,
as it turned out. Cash’s brief moment of peace was interrupted by a pair of
arms wrapping around his waist. “hey, loner,” a soft voice murmured. Cash
recognised Stretch’s smooth drawl, and turned his head as Stretch pressed his
chin against his shoulder. Surprised, Cash regarded him with confusion.
“bit early for
hugging, isn’t it?”
Flushing, Stretch quickly
pulled away. “sorry, they uh… just sent me to ask if you wanted to join us.
we’re swimming.” He offered Cash a small smile, but his eyes were averted, his
cheekbones still glowing.
“right, um…” Cash
shrugged, clearing his throat. “sure.”
Stretch’s smile grew,
and he looped his arm around Cash’s, leading him to the upper deck. Upon
meeting the Tale-verse monsters, Cash had quickly come to realise that they
weren’t very good at keeping their… magic to themselves. And Stretch was no
exception. He was practically glowing with affection. He felt warm, even with
just his arm against Cash. Pleasant, though it was, Cash couldn’t quite
understand it.
When they reached the
upper deck, Cash was greeted by the smell of fruit… and alcohol. “Patches!”
Twist called from the bar, waving excitedly. Cash grimaced, eyeing the empty
margarita glasses beside him.
Edge and Razz were at
the bar with Twist, while Slim and Papyrus were sitting beside each other on
the edge of the pool, their feet dangling in the water. Edge was frowning, his
gaze on Twist, while Razz appeared amused by the bastard’s inebriated state.
Sliding off his stool, Twist jogged over to Cash, grinning broadly. “Ya gonna
join me in the pool?” he asked, his eye-light sparkling.
Cash scowled, drawing
away from Twist’s attempted embrace. “no.”
“you sure about that?”
Stretch whispered, leaning in. “he might find other ways to get you wet if you
don’t.”
Cash stared at
Stretch, trying to discern whether or not the comment had been serious. Stretch
only beamed at him before walking across the deck to stand beside Edge, who
threw an arm over his shoulders. Cash blinked. Stars, they weren’t even being subtle anymore.
Twist enveloped Cash
in his arms, crushing him against his chest. “Please?” he whispered as Cash
grumbled, struggling to pry himself away.
“fuck off, twisted,”
he growled, pointedly ignoring the snickers coming from beside the pool.
Sullenly, Twist
withdrew, crossing his arms. “Fine,” he mumbled, looking disappointed.
Guilt prickled at
Cash, but he stubbornly ignored it. Sighing, he said, “get me a margarita
instead. i can’t let you have all the fun.”
Twist’s features
immediately brightened, and he took Cash’s arm and hurried him towards the bar.
“So, ya havin’ a good time, then?” he asked. “Cruise treatin’ ya well?”
“i certainly hope so,
since it’s my money being thrown into
all of this,” Cash said, sourly.
Twist grinned, giving
his arm a squeeze. “Yer so generous. Givin’ somethin’ back ta the rest a’ us.”
Cash threw him a deadpan look.
They passed the edge
of the pool, and Cash caught Slim’s gaze. He tried to force a smile, but his
chest felt tight, and eye contact felt a little beyond him. He looked back at
Twist just in time to see the mischievous glint in his eye-light. He was given
no time to react before Twist pulled away from him and jumped straight into the
pool—clothes and all. Water splashed across the deck. And across Cash.
“twisted—what the fuck?” he yelped, recoiling in disgust
as the chilly water soaked through his shirt.
Twist glanced at him over
his shoulder, grinning sheepishly. “Ah… sorry ‘bout that. But—th’ water’s nice!
Ya should join me.”
“i’ll join you in hell, you fucking dick!” Cash snapped,
trying, unsuccessfully, to squeeze the water from his wet shirt. Twist offered
him little more than an unrepentant shrug in return before leaning back and
closing his eyes, his jacket splayed out in the water around him as he floated.
Cash was almost
tempted to jump in after him just to slap the stupid bastard.
“Twisted Me,” Papyrus
said from across the pool, giving Twist a look of concern, “I may not be versed
in the conventions of swimming, but I believe you are required to take your
clothes off before you get in the
water.”
At the bar, Stretch
perked up. “we’re taking off our clothes?”
“You’re more than
welcome to,” Edge said, a smile flashing across his face.
“Yes,” Razz said,
casting a smug grin at Stretch from the opposite end of the bar. “Please, be my
guest.” He received a warning look from Edge, which he promptly ignored, his
gaze wandering to Cash. “I’m more than happy to help you get out of that wet
shirt if you like, rich boy.”
“i’m quite capable
of—”
“you could—b-borrow
something of mine.” Everyone looked up as Slim cut in. He was watching Cash
from where he sat beside Papyrus, his cheekbones glowing. “i-i mean… if you
want.” His eyes lingered on Cash for a few seconds before dropping to the water
again. Cash noticed Papyrus giving his fingers a soft squeeze—and he didn’t
miss the faint smile on Slim’s face.
All eyes were on Cash.
Despite the icy breeze through his wet shirt, he suddenly felt very hot. “i…”
“I’d be more than
happy to chaperone,” Razz said smoothly, sliding off his stool. He cast his
brother a deliberate look, successfully flustering Slim further. Briefly, his
gaze flickered to Twist, who was watching him mistrustfully from the pool. His
features eased into a smile when he looked at Cash, eyes wandering over the
length of his body. “What say we get you out of those clothes, sweetheart?” he
murmured, linking arms with Cash, who immediately pulled away.
Tutting, Razz rolled
his eye-lights. “Oh alright, the mutt can hold your hand if that’s what you
really want. You could at least be subtle about it.”
As his cheekbones
heated, Cash heard Slim stifling a cough. He caught him shooting Razz a sharp
look before he lifted his bare feet out of the water and stood, smiling as he
approached Cash. Looking away, Cash mumbled, “we… don’t actually have to—” He
almost yelped when Slim grasped his hand, beaming. “o-okay…”
“come, you must be
getting cold,” Slim said, leading Cash across the deck. Razz followed, and Cash
could just feel his smirk on them.
Casting an irritated
glance at Twist over his shoulder—and earning himself nothing but a grin and a
thumbs-up in response—Cash conceded to allow the two brothers to guide him
below decks.
The walk to Slim’s
room was uncomfortably silent, and all the while, Slim didn’t release Cash’s
hand. Occasionally, Razz would make a noise that implied he was somehow deriving
amusement from Cash’s predicament. Cash threw him a few dark glares, but was
unsuccessful in wiping the smug look off Razz’s face.
When they reached
Slim’s cabin, Slim quickly removed Cash’s jacket and hung it over the back of
his desk chair. “i’ll get you a towel—and some dry clothes!” he said hurriedly,
his eyes darting over Cash’s exposed collarbone and shoulders. Amber touched
his cheekbones and he glanced away.
Razz scoffed, sitting
on the bed and crossing his legs as he surveyed his flustered brother. “Wipe
that drool off your chin, mutt. We have company.”
“sh-shut up,” Slim
mumbled, before hastening from the room. Razz watched him go, a contemptuous
sneer broadening his features.
Cash eyed him
irritably. “you know, you could stand to be nicer to your brother from time to
time.”
“Could I?” Razz asked,
scanning his gloved fingers disinterestedly. He looked up at Cash, a smirk
flickering across his face. “You’re shivering. Why don’t you come sit down?
I’ve heard shared body heat does wonders for—”
“i’m good,” Cash said,
flatly. He wandered to the porthole looking out onto the sea. Gentle waves
slapped against the boat’s side, the sway somewhat comforting. Cash sat on the
couch against the wall, drawing his legs up and hugging them to his chest.
“A fan of the sea, I
take it?” Razz observed.
“it’s nice,” Cash
replied, otherwise ignoring the miniscule asshole. He released a dissatisfied
sigh as the sofa shifted beside him. Cash could feel the weight of Razz’s deep
purple eye-lights without looking at him, and angled his body deliberately
away.
“You’re quite
enamoured with my brother, aren’t you?” It was more a comment than a question,
which only annoyed Cash further.
“what’s it to you?” he
asked, blandly.
“I am also a
competitor for your affections, am I not?”
This wrung a genuine
laugh out of Cash. He looked at Razz with furrowed brow-bones. “come on. you
and i both know you’ve never been a serious participant in this.”
“No?” Razz seemed
unfazed by the revelation. “Then why am I still here? Though I suppose I must concede
the point—I’m far above your standards.” He considered briefly. “Unless…”
“no,” Cash said firmly, pushing away Razz’s wandering hand.
Razz smirked. “I
didn’t think so.”
Cash shook his head
and looked away, his eye wandering back to the sea. After a period of silence,
he inhaled wearily. “you’re not lying to me, which is something, i suppose.”
“And what makes you
think anyone else is?” Razz asked.
“have you met me?”
Cash gave him a quizzical look. “not exactly the easiest person to like.”
“You’re preaching to
the choir, darling.”
Cash glanced at Razz,
stunned. His expression bore its typical level of complacency, but there was an
element of understanding beneath it. Somehow, it hadn’t crossed Cash’s mind
that Razz might actually be aware of
how little people liked him. Thus far, he’d simply assumed he didn’t care for
the opinions of others.
“Don’t look at me like
that, rich boy,” Razz said, a hint of irritation to his tone. “I don’t want or
need your sympathy.” Cash raised a brow-bone, taken aback. “My brother likes
you,” Razz stated. “That much is glaringly apparent. But… he likes Papyrus
too.” At this, the corner of Razz’s mouth turned up. “I wonder which of you he
prefers.”
The news—though
unsurprising—stirred Cash into discomfort. He had noticed the small gestures
between Slim and Papyrus, they had been difficult to miss. And while he took no
issue with any sort of relationship they might have—well… it stung.
Stars. He didn’t even deserve Slim. What did it
matter if Papyrus liked him? What did it matter if Slim preferred Papyrus? There
was no competition. Cash wasn’t even a player. He wasn’t worth Slim’s
affections. He was nothing. He was—
“hey, sorry, couldn’t
find the towels.”
Cash’s eye flickered
up as Slim re-entered the room, carrying a plush towel and… a small bundle of his
own clothing. “why don’t you take your shirt off?” he said, placing the clothes
on the sofa’s arm. Immediately realising his words, Slim shook his head. “i—i
only meant—”
“He knows perfectly
well what you mean, mutt, goodness.” Rolling his eyes, Razz stood and crossed
the room. “I’ll leave the two of you to your devices… whatever they may be.” He
winked at Cash before leaving, though Cash was certain the gesture had been
meant to unsettle, not reassure.
Cash curled his arms
around himself after removing his shirt, embarrassed by his partial nudity.
Slim respectfully averted his eyes until Cash had pulled on his shirt. The
fabric almost tingled against Cash’s bones. Draping the towel around Cash’s
shoulders, Slim withdrew. He wrung his hands together in front of him, giving a
small cough before speaking. “so, um, papyrus and i were thinking of… meeting
up later tonight.”
Cash’s soul squeezed
unpleasantly. “oh.”
“would you… like to
join?” Slim looked hopeful, smiling anxiously.
Cash frowned, not
quite understanding. “uh… sure?”
“sweet!” Slim’s smile
brightened. “we’ll, uh—be on the lower deck at around eight. so, uh—yeah! see
you then.”
Without another word,
Slim scurried from the room, leaving Cash bewildered.
****
Cash shivered and
tugged his jacket tighter around his shoulders as he stepped out onto the deck
later that evening. The breeze blowing off the sea was like ice through his
bones. Chill aside though, the night was clear and the moon was bright, its
silver light reflecting off the polished deck. A tranquil picture, even amidst
the nervous rattling of Cash’s bones.
It didn’t take long
for him to find Slim and Papyrus. Side-by-side, they were leaning against the
deck’s railing, speaking in lowered voices. Swallowing thickly, Cash noted how
close they were standing. He remained unmoving in the doorway, a sudden sense of
insecurity creeping up on him. His soul plummeted when he noticed Slim and
Papyrus’ fingers intertwining.
Resolved, her turned
to head back inside.
“Wealthy Me, you’re
here!”
Cash jumped, turning
quickly. “nope. just… off to bed.” He scowled as he accidentally made eye
contact with Slim. “sorry, didn’t mean to intrude…”
“Oh, nonsense!”
Papyrus said, hurrying forward and taking Cash by the elbow. “Why don’t you
join us? We were just naming the stars.”
Slowly, Cash raised a
brow-bone, dubious. “naming… the stars?”
“yeah,” Slim said. He
pointed to the sky when Papyrus guided Cash to his side. “that little gold one
there is honey, and…” He moved his finger a few centimetres across, “that red
one is leather boots.”
Cash relinquished a
snort, shaking his head. “yeah? they fucking too?”
“Don’t be silly,
Wealthy Me,” Papyrus tutted. “Those stars are thousands of lightyears away from
each other.” His expression turned sly. “Lazy Me and Edgy Me, however…”
The three of them
joined each other in laughter, and warmth blossomed in Cash’s chest.
Inadvertently, he shifted closer to the others, his soul flipping when he felt
Slim leaning in. Papyrus smiled at him, glancing back up at the sky. “We
haven’t found one for you, yet…”
“i thought we’d
already named the star of erotic desire?” Slim said.
Cash stared at him,
stunned. There was something endearing about the sheepish grin on Slim’s
face—almost as if he were surprised by his own boldness. Papyrus, on the other
hand, merely scoffed. “Don’t be crass, Small Me!” he scolded. “Wealthy Me
possesses far more worth than simple eroticism.” He scanned the sky briefly,
thinking. “I believe we ought to name the star that represents deep, carnal
passion after him, instead.”
Cash was having
difficulty processing the words being spoken to him—or of him, rather. He
remained rooted to the spot, even as he felt Papyrus’ fingers creeping over his
iliac crest. It suddenly occurred to him that both Slim and Papyrus were
standing incredibly close; Cash was virtually wedged between them, his back to
Papyrus. Slim took a tentative step closer, pressing their chests together.
Cash’s spine prickled with nervous excitement as he laced their fingers
together, lifting Cash’s hand to his teeth and pressing a kiss against his
knuckles. All the while, Papyrus’ fingers crept over Cash’s hips and lower
spine.
“is this what you
want?” Slim whispered, his breath ghosting over Cash’s teeth.
Cash shuddered and
closed his eyes. The night air brushed over his spine as Papyrus lifted his Slim’s shirt further up his spine. A
faint whine escaped between his teeth when he felt Papyrus’ mouth brush his
jaw, and he flinched, embarrassed. “i’m s-sorry,” he stammered, breathless.
“i’m…”
“We’ll stop if you
want us to,” Papyrus murmured, his hands stilling where they rested on Cash’s
hips. Slim held his eye, patiently. Unlike Papyrus, his hands were idle. There
was no shortage of intensity in his expression however, and Cash’s magic had
already taken form in his mouth.
“i—”
Cash was cut off by
the sound of the lower deck’s door slamming open, followed by hushed giggling
and whispers. The three of them turned in time to see Stretch and Edge
stumbling up the steps, Edge half-supporting Stretch. Clearly not noticing that
they were not alone, Edge heaved Stretch towards the edge of the deck, pressing
him against the railing—and kissing him hard.
Cash gaped.
A glance at Slim and
Papyrus revealed similar expressions on their faces. The scene unfurling before
them only grew more heated the longer they stood there, Stretch wrapping his
legs around Edge’s waist as Edge lifted him. Undoubtedly, they were fairly
intoxicated. Cash wondered if they had been drinking since earlier that
afternoon. He cast a weary glance at the dark waters below.
Seeming to have
similar thoughts, Papyrus cleared his throat, immediately drawing the attention
of the two preoccupied skeletons. Edge pulled away from Stretch abruptly,
coughing, and Stretch actually squealed, pressing two hands over his mouth. His
cheekbones were bright and flushed—a mixture of alcohol, embarrassment, and
arousal. “uh.. we weren’t!”
“No, no, nothing at
all,” Edge added, shaking his head hastily. “Nothing happened.”
“nothing!” Stretch
reaffirmed. His eyes flickered to Cash and his expression sunk. “c-cash, ‘m…
sorry.”
Cash waved him off,
far from affronted by Edge and Stretch’s undignified moment. “no apologies
necessary. and hey, by all means—keep going. you were doing pretty well from
where i was standing.”
“I think they’ve had
quite enough fun!” Papyrus interjected quickly, eyeing the edge of the deck, as
if it might tip Edge and Stretch overboard at any second. “Small Me, why don’t
you help me get Lazy Me to bed. Wealthy Me… I’ll leave Edgy Me to you.”
“aww, why do i get two
chaperones?” Stretch whined. He narrowed his eye sockets, clinging to Edge as
the boat swayed slightly. “is this a… propositioning?”
“No one is
propositioning you tonight, I’m afraid,” Papyrus said cheerily, taking Stretch
by the arm. “Well—no one else.” He shot Edge an accusatory glance, to which
Edge responded with an abashed hum of laughter.
“not to mention…
you’re not quite as good at handling your liquor as your boyfriend is,” Slim
added, taking a hold of Stretch’s other arm.
“boyfriend?” Stretch
looked scandalised, gasping. “they’re lying, edge, i swear! i’m single!” he
called over his shoulder as Papyrus and Slim guided him downstairs.
“Not for long!” Edge
shouted back as Stretch disappeared below decks, still giggling to himself.
Edge watched him go, a deep, fond smile on his face.
“alright…” Cash said
slowly, carefully placing an arm around Edge’s shoulders to hold him steady.
Edge wobbled slightly, and Cash gripped onto him with his other arm,
manhandling him down the steps. “fuck, edgelord, how much did you have to
drink?”
Edge stared at him for
a decent ten seconds before replying. “I’m not drunk.”
Cash rolled his eye
and pushed the door open, warmth greeting them as they entered the lower corridor.
“alright… which room’s yours?”
Edge sniffed
haughtily. “Maybe you’d know if you visited me more often. Prick.”
Cash sighed, stumbling
as Edge pressed his full weight against him. “edge…”
Sighing, as if
supplying an answer was a great burden to his well-being, Edge said, “Number
seventeen!” He grumbled something inaudible—which Cash deliberately ignored.
The journey to Edge’s
room was a difficult one. Cash didn’t quite possess the physical strength
required to drag an intoxicated skeleton halfway across a reasonably sized
boat. When at last they reached Edge’s door, Cash fumbled to get Edge’s key-card
from his pocket. “Hey! No groping… dick.” Edge gazed up at Cash, humming
thoughtfully as he studied him. “Stretch—likes you, y’know,” he hiccoughed,
leaning bodily into Cash for support. “He told me.”
Cash wasn’t quite sure
how to respond. “… oh.”
“Oh no—it’s fine,”
Edge quickly reassured him. “I don’t mind. You know… he mentioned doing
something…” Edge chuckled, pressing the back of his hand over his mouth. “I
shouldn’t gossip.”
“… right.” Cash frowned,
sliding Edge’s key-card into the lock and nudging the door open with his foot.
He managed to heave Edge onto the bed. Edge flopped onto his back, staring at
the ceiling for a few moments before hoisting himself up.
“Oh alright, alright!”
he said, lifting his hands in surrender. “I’ll tell you.”
“okay…”
“Stretch said he’d let
me and you fuck him at the same time—at the same
time.” Edge stared at Cash expectantly, waiting for him to react.
Cash only sighed. “him
and every other person on this boat, apparently.”
Cash glanced over his shoulder
to see Twist leaning against the doorframe. Cash supposed it was something that
he’d put on a dry set of clothes, but oddly, his feet were bare and wet. “Havin’
fun you two?” he asked, regarding Cash with a very deliberate smirk.
Cash only rolled his
eye-light. “think i’m going to bed,” he told them.
“Aw, no threesome
then?” Edge pouted.
When Cash passed Twist
at the door, Twist leaned down. “’ll take it from here,” he murmured.
“you sure as hell will.”
Twist chuckled,
grasping Cash’s shoulder before he could go. “How was yer evenin’ with Pap ‘n
the Pup?”
Cash blinked—then frowned—then
scowled. “you planned that?” Twist shrugged in concession. “did you plan the
little endeavour with stretch and edge too, then?”
“I… may a’ offered ‘em
both a few extra drinks ta move things along,” he admitted, grinning. “Why? Did
somethin’ happen?”
Cash removed Twist’s
hand from his shoulder and began walking down the corridor. “’night, twisted.”
“Don’ ferget—ceremony’s
tomorrow!” Twist called after him.
Cash scowled at his
feet, vowing to himself never to let Twist plan anything ever again.
Six becomes five… it’s time for the round three elimination!
After a wild night of kisses, cuddles, and a few dirty jokes, Cash must now pick a third contestant to eliminate. But as the competition draws on, the task becomes more and more difficult for our poor bachelor. What will his decision be this time? Let’s find out!
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The morning broke dull
and gloomy, heavy grey clouds hanging in the sky over the gardens. Cash had
little energy to drag himself out of bed. For once, he was thankful for Twist’s
assistance. His constant supply of chatter drowned out the unpleasant reminder
of the day’s upcoming ceremony that plagued Cash’s thoughts. As he pulled on
his jeans, a soft rain began to patter against his bedroom window.
“Nice weather,” Twist
commented, his gaze respectfully averted. Cash offered him little more than a
soft grunt in response. “Ya decent?” Twist asked.
“yep.”
Twist turned, a grin
unfitting of the mood plastered across his face. “Wanna grab some breakfast b’fore
the ceremony?”
“nope,” Cash said,
tying his shoelaces and standing, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Oh. Alrigh’.” Disappointment
briefly flickered across Twist’s features, but it quickly gave way to his
typical bright enthusiasm. “Well, ya’ve got some time ta kill b’fore the bonin’—”
Cash rolled his eye-light, but didn’t interject “—wanna, uh, hang out maybe?”
Cash shrugged. “sure.
guess so.” Delighted, Twist took his arm and led him downstairs. Cash hesitated
when Twist opened the front door, casting a dubious look at the heavy rain that
now fell over the gardens. “i was, uh, kinda hoping we’d be able to stay dry,”
he remarked.
Twist slowly lifted a
brow-bone, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “Since when’ve ya cared abou’
stayin’ dry?” He chuckled as Cash elbowed him roughly. “Alrigh’, alrigh’,” he
conceded. “We’ll take an umbrella.”
“that’s… not quite
what i…”
Twist ignored Cash as
they walked onto the front porch, grabbing an umbrella from the stand. Cash
sighed, shaking his head with a roll of his eye. Twist only beamed, putting the
umbrella up before guiding him onto the soaked lawns.
They didn’t speak,
only the pattering of raindrops above them filling the silence. The air smelled
fresh and clean, a tint of citrus touching it when they reached the orchard. “Hold
this,” Twist said, handing Cash the umbrella before he crouched, picking a
fallen orange off the dirt. He peeled it as they walked, the juices flowing
down his fingers.
“So,” he said, taking
a bite of the entire orange after giving up on trying to peel it properly, “who’ve
ya got yer mind on?” Cash lifted a brow-bone. “Fer the ceremony,” Twist clarified.
“Not jus’… in general.” He shot Cash a wink.
“why do you care?”
Cash asked, nudging a stray orange off the path with the toe of his shoe.
Twist shrugged, wiping
some of the spilt juice off his chin. “Jus’ lookin’ out fer ya.” Cash regarded
him dubiously. “An’… wanna know what ya thought a’ last night? Ya had some…
interestin’ experiences.”
Cash blushed at the
memory of how Stretch had tasted beneath his tongue, and Slim’s fingers
intertwined with his own. He didn’t offer Twist more than a stiff grumble,
keeping his eye downcast. Discarding what remained of his orange, Twist wrapped
an arm loosely around Cash’s shoulders, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of
his skull. “Ya know, some of ‘em ‘re more worthy of ya th’n others,” he
murmured. “I jus’ wanna make sure yer… gettin’ what ya deserve.”
Cash nodded, accepting
the gentle embrace. “don’t worry. i am.”
An hour later, Cash
found himself faced—once again—by a row of the remaining contestants. The
absence of Slim’s usual ruffled jacket was noticeable, and Cash had to suppress
the magic that threatened to colour his cheekbones as he recalled last night’s
events.
He glanced over his
shoulder at Twist, who winked. Inhaling heavily, Cash summoned the first bone,
scanning the group. He took the plunge and approached Slim first, his eyes
downcast as he muttered, “i, um, owe you a hoodie too, i believe.”
Slim blinked as he
took the bone, his cheekbones turning a pale shade of amber. “r-right,” he
stammered, before hurrying to Twist’s side.
Though Cash was
relieved that was out of the way, the next part was no less flustering. Swallowing
down the burn of magic in his throat, he handed the next violet bone to
Stretch. For a few seconds, Stretch didn’t move, his eyes nervous but fixed on
Cash. At last, Cash cleared his throat. “well? what do you want me to do? kiss
you again?”
Blushing brightly,
Stretch scurried to stand beside Twist, who tugged him against his side,
leaning in to whisper, “Shoulda’ said yes,”—loud enough for Cash to hear. Over his
shoulder, Cash threw Twist an unsavoury salute, which was only met with quiet
laughter.
He gave the next bone
to Edge, who looked surprisingly embarrassed. Cash smirked, tilting his head. “thinking
about how good it felt to have my hips—”
“Shut up,” Edge said
sharply, marching past him to stand beside Stretch. He received a deliberate
look from Twist, which he firmly ignored, despite the red glow on his
cheekbones.
Looking over the three
remaining contestants, Cash formed another purple bone. His grip was tight
around it, and he was perhaps a little too forceful when he handed it to Razz,
scowling. Razz took it slowly, holding it delicately between two fingers. The
corner of his mouth turned up as he watched Cash, and he cocked his head. “Why
so glum, precious? You’ve made a wise decision.”
Behind him, Cash could
practically feel the tension coming
off Twist—or perhaps it was the low growl he emitted. Regardless, Razz fell
silent, striding confidently to stand beside his brother. Cash flexed his
fingers until his knuckles cracked, tipping his head back and breathing in to
compose himself.
He summoned the final
bone and turned to Red and Papyrus. The look on Red’s face told Cash that he
already knew what was coming—which didn’t help quash the guilt he felt at giving
the bone to Papyrus. Red’s smile remained lax, but Cash could see the
disappointed slump in his shoulders. Something shrivelled inside him, and he
closed his eyes. “red…”
“hey, relax, pal. flattered
i even made it this far.” He reached up, squeezing Cash’s arm lightly. “it was
good a’ ya ta humour me, y’know.”
Cash’s soul plummeted,
and he shook his head profusely. “n-no. i wasn’t…”
“besides…” Red glanced
up at Papyrus, who was looking at him sympathetically. “yer not really my type,”
he said, turning back to Cash. He considered for a moment, his gaze wandering
over Cash before he shrugged. “eh, well. not completely.”
“thanks for, um…” Cash
frowned, staring at the marble floor. “tolerating me.”
“ya sell yerself short,
pal,” Red said. “it was fun.” His eye flickered over Cash’s shoulder to Razz,
sockets narrowing briefly before his casual smile returned. “pick a good one,
bud.”
Cash was silent,
simply nodding. He turned when he felt Twist’s hand on his shoulder. Offering
him a small smile, Twist nodded in the direction of the stairs. Sighing, Cash followed
him without a word, trying not to listen to the words of consolation Papyrus
and Edge were whispering to Red.
When they reached Cash’s
room, Twist sat them down on the bed, watching Cash as his shoulders sank. He pulled
him into a one-armed embrace, holding him steady. “’S alright, Patches,” he
murmured. “I know this is hard.”
“He’s fine,” Twist
said, unconcerned. “What I wanna know is—why didn’ ya eliminate Razz? He ain’t
exactly… well, he’s a piece a’ shit.”
Cash shook his head,
wearily resting his head on Twist’s shoulder. “he’s the only one who doesn’t…”
“Treat ya like an
actual person?” Twist suggested, dryly.
“he’s honest with me,”
Cash said. “the others… they’re all…”
“Nice?” Twist sighed,
drawing away for a moment so he could look Cash in the eye. “Patches, have ya
considered tha’ maybe they actually like ya?”
Cash stared at him,
deadpan, before rolling his eye-light. “hilarious, twisted.” Twist frowned, but
drew him back into his arms, patting his back soothingly.
“Yer worth more than
ya realise,” he said, quietly. “Do me a favour, Patches, an’ remember that.”
Twist’s plans grow more masterful by the week. This time, he’s prepared a little game of truth or dare to spice things up! But will things get a little too hot for our bachelor to handle? Let’s see how long he lasts…
Warning: this chapter is mildly NSFW (nothing explicit)
Don’t forget to vote for who you want Cash to eliminate in this week’s poll! The link will be at the end of the chapter.
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Cash pushed open the
front door slowly, silently cringing as it made a loud creak. He closed it swiftly
behind him, quickly glancing around before he crept across the entrance hall
towards the stairs. The sound of footsteps coming from the living room startled
him, and he raced up the remainder of the stairs to his room without looking
back, slamming his door behind him.
He let go of the
breath he’d been holding once he’d reached the safety of his bedroom. He had
been avoiding Twist all week—but the asshole had been getting crafty, springing
up in all sorts of places when Cash was least expecting him. His eagerness for
Cash to get involved in the planning of this week’s ‘event’ was somehow greater
than it had been in previous weeks.
Cash still didn’t know
what Twist had planned—nor did he want to know until the last possible minute.
He’d decided that he’d rather live in blissful ignorance than in dread. He
glanced out his bedroom window; the sun was setting on the horizon, the
foreboding night quickly creeping up on him. More than inclined to delay the
evening’s events, Cash kicked off his shoes and draped his jacket over the foot
of his bed before heading into the bathroom.
Once he’d stripped, he
turned on the shower, turning the heat to full. Before climbing in, he removed
the patch over his eye, avoiding his reflection in the mirror. He sighed as the
piping hot water scorched his bones, washing away the day’s tensions. Tipping
his head back, he allowed water to trickle into his eye sockets, shivering as
the droplets ran over the jagged edges of his broken socket. His hand
reflexively curled into a fist.
Cash tilted his head
forward to drain the water from his skull. He opened his eyes again and yelped.
“Heya, Patches,” Twist greeted him cheerfully.
“twisted—” Cash
couldn’t even find the words to chastise Twist. He grabbed a hold of the shower
curtain and wrapped it around himself, as well as pressing the palm of his hand
over his cracked eye socket. “get the fuck out, you asshole!” he cried, his
voice rising to an undignified pitch.
Twist, who was
hovering just outside of the shower’s curtains, grinned brightly. “An hour
until tonight’s event—excited?”
“no,” Cash hissed, drawing the curtain tighter around himself. “what
the fuck are you doing here?”
Twist’s smile faltered
a little, and he blinked. “I… came ta discuss the truth or dare with ya,” he
said, slowly, as if it were obvious.
Cash scraped his
fingers over his forehead, his hand still plastered over his broken socket. “truth
or—? no, i mean—here. in my fucking
bathroom?”
Twist narrowed his eye
sockets for a moment, considering hard. “Oh! Right,” he said at last, looking
sheepish. “Fergot yer not really a fan a’ bein’ seen bare-boned—I’ll grab a
towel fer ya.”
“twisted, no—that’s
not…” Cash trailed off as Twist reached for the towel rack, turning his head
away and placing his hand over his eyes as he handed Cash the towel.
“Lookin’ away. Tell me
when yer decent.”
Cash regarded the
towel impassively for a moment, before sighing and relinquishing. “no peeking.
dick.” After clambering awkwardly from the shower, Cash quickly patted himself
dry and pulled on his jeans and tank top. “decent,” he muttered, pulling the
patch back over his eye socket. He turned to find Twist beaming at him, and
scowled, averting his gaze. “so… truth or dare? sounds fantastic,” Cash said,
sardonically.
“Isn’ it?” Twist said
brightly, looping his arm around Cash’s and leading him back into the bedroom.
“Wrote the questions myself too! Think you’ll enjoy ‘em.” He winked as they sat
on the edge of the bed, but Cash only returned it with a dry look.
“somehow, i don’t
think you and i have the same definition of ‘enjoy’.”
****
About an hour after
being ambushed in the shower by Twist, Cash reluctantly trudged downstairs to
the living room—as per Twist’s instructions. He found the six remaining
skeletons (and Twist) waiting for him beside the fire, where three sofas had
been pushed together to form a half-circle.
Twist, who was sitting
on one of the sofas alone, glanced up when Cash entered, a grin immediately
breaking across his features. “Patches, heya! Saved a seat fer ya.”
As Cash approached, he
noticed that three bowls containing strips of paper had been placed on the
table in front of the sofas. He narrowed his sockets as he sat down, regarding
Twist suspiciously. “what’s all this?” he asked, indicating the bowls.
“Ah—that’d be the
truths an’ dares.”
“right…” Cash said
slowly, his frown deepening. “but—why are there three bowls?” Cash caught a few
of the skeletons exchanging amused glances, and his frustration began to grow.
“twisted… what the fuck is this?”
Twist grinned
innocently, throwing an arm around Cash’s shoulders and leaning forward, as if
he were about to impart some exciting news to the other skeletons. “Allow me ta
explain, Patches. We’ll be playin’ truth or dare—y’know how the game works,
don’t ya?”
“obviously,” Cash said
dully. “we ask each other embarrassing truths or dare each other to do dumb
shit.”
“Only this time,”
Twist said, “there’s a twist!”
“there’s always a
twist, isn’t there?” Cash said, sighing tediously.
“Hey—‘course there is.
I’m the host.” Twist winked, giving Cash’s shoulders a squeeze. Cash rolled his
eyes, resting his face in his hands. “It’ll be a lot like normal truth or
dare,” Twist went on, “only this time—all truths an’ dares involve ya—in one
way or another.”
Cash felt his spirits
plummeting, his soul filling with dread. “twisted… you’re not serious, are
you?”
Twist laughed quietly,
patting Cash on the back. “Don’ worry, Patches—I wrote ‘em all myself.”
“you realise that’s
even less comforting, don’t you?”
Red and Stretch
appeared to be having a very difficult time stifling their laughter, and Cash
pinned them both with a cold stare. Twist appeared unconcerned by both their
amusement and Cash’s disgruntlement. “Ya’ve gotta pick a dare from the blue
bowl, an’ a name from the red bowl—if necessary,” he explained. “Green bowl’s
fer everyone else, since all their truths an’ dares are gonna be fer you.” He
beamed, clearly proud of his system. Cash might have found it endearing were he
not the victim of Twist’s antics.
“Alrigh’!” Twist said
decisively, clapping his hands together and surveying the group. “Who wants ta
go first?” He looked at Cash. “Care ta do the honours, Patches?”
Cash stared at him,
deadpan. “i would literally rather stick my hand in the fire.”
For a split second,
Cash thought his words might have actually cut a little deeper than he’d
intended. But Twist only grinned, knuckling the crown of Cash’s skull. “’Course
ya would. Always knew ya were a kinky bastard.” He looked back at the rest of
the skeletons before Cash could scowl at him. “Anyone else?”
The group remained
silent for a few seconds, a couple of them averting their gazes. Papyrus cast a
quick glance at the others before speaking up. “I will!” he volunteered, his
smile bright.
“There we go!” Twist
said. “Tha’s the kinda enthusiasm I’m lookin’ fer. Go ahead, Pap.”
Leaning forward,
Papyrus reached into the green bowl and drew out a piece of paper. His face
slowly broke into a smile as he read. Cash cringed internally when Papyrus’
gaze flickered to him. “My dare is to make Wealthy Me blush,” he announced.
There was something almost devious beneath his smile as he glanced at Cash.
“you wrote these?”
Cash murmured to Twist, who simply offered him a shrug.
“Couldn’ resist the
opportunity ta see that sweet magic a’ yers, Patches,” Twist supplied, winking.
Cash was already having a hard time suppressing the heat on his cheekbones.
Papyrus rose from his
seat, joining Cash on his own sofa and placing an arm around his shoulders.
Cash could feel the eyes of the other skeletons on him, but Papyrus brushed a
finger beneath his chin, tilting his face so that their gazes met. It occurred
to Cash how close they were sitting, and for a moment, he thought Papyrus was
going to kiss him.
But instead, he smiled
gently, and said, “Cash. I know how this must feel for you. Being the centre of
attention is not something Sans enjoys either. But I think you’re doing a great
job. And though I cannot speak for my fellow competitors, I am very much
enjoying your company. I can easily say that I consider you one of my greatest
friends. Making you smile is quickly becoming one of my favourite hobbies—and
if I get to see you laugh, my day is made! And I have yet to meet someone who
looks quite as pretty as you do in the colour purple.”
Papyrus beamed,
looping his arm around Cash’s waist and tugging him into an embrace. “You’re
doing so well, Wealthy Me,” he whispered against Cash’s acoustic meatus. “I
have the utmost faith that you will get through this.” Papyrus held him there
for a few seconds. Cash was still in his arms, stunned. He knew his face must
be quite the picture, but that was hardly at the forefront of his mind.
When Papyrus drew
away, Cash had to stop himself from clinging onto him. He drew in on himself,
slouching and folding his arms. His face burned.
“Nice goin’, Paps,”
Twist said with a grin, as Papyrus took his seat. “Yer up next, Patches.”
Glumly, Cash mustered
the will to reach for the two bowls. He scowled at the name on the first piece
of paper. “razz…” Razz perked up, a smile twitching at the corners of his
mouth. “and i have to…” Cash blinked at the piece of paper, frowning.
“What does it say?”
Razz asked, eagerly.
“suck his—?” Cash shook
his head. “twisted, i am not doing this,”
he hissed.
Twist glanced at the
words on the paper, his eye sockets going wide. “Ah—woops.” He quickly snatched
it out of Cash’s hands, scrunching it up and discarding it. “Tha’ must’ve
gotten mixed in from the one’s I had ta scrap.” He grinned sheepishly,
scratching the back of his skull. “Well—go on, pick another one.” Razz slumped,
looking disappointed.
Cash drew another
piece of paper from the bowl, his eye socket narrowing as he read it. “sit on his
lap… how is this any better?”
Razz looked somewhat
contended with the new dare, leaning back and stretching his legs. “Well, come
on then, precious,” he said, smirking. “I’ll do my best to keep my hands to
myself—promise.”
Cash looked at Twist,
exasperated. “how many rounds do i have to do this for?” he asked, wearily.
“We’ll make it three,”
Twist said, his eye-light flickering to Razz with thinly-veiled distaste. He
leaned in as Cash reluctantly stood up. “Take it easy, Patches—it was s’posed
ta be five initially.” Cash shuddered, walking over to Razz, who was sitting on
the sofa with Edge and Stretch.
He smiled amicably at
Cash as he lowered himself onto his lap. “Don’t let this give you any ideas,”
Razz whispered, leaning in. “I intend to take you out to dinner at least before
we engage in any proper intimacy.”
Cash snorted, shaking
his head. “you obviously don’t know me very well then. i don’t have time for small-talk when it comes to fucking.”
This silenced Razz, much to Cash’s relief. And thankfully, his hands did remain
off Cash—for the moment, at least.
It was Slim’s turn to
pick the next truth or dare. His cheekbones slowly turned amber as he read, and
he cleared his throat before speaking. “i-it’s… truth.” His eyes flickered to
Cash, but he dropped his gaze almost immediately, his blush deepening. “would
you still be competing for cash’s affections if there was no money involved?”
Cash went still,
unable to draw his gaze away from Slim, who was looking very put on the spot.
“w-well…” Slim squeezed his eye sockets shut for a few moments, avoiding Cash’s
gaze when he opened them. “yes,” he murmured, his voice very small.
Silence hung heavily
over the group, Slim growing more and more fidgety by the second. Cash caught
Papyrus giving his hand a gentle squeeze, which seemed to relax Slim
considerably. Cash quickly looked at Twist, clearing his throat. “uh, my turn
again, right?”
Twist blinked, looking
away from Slim and nodding. “Uh, yep!” He handed Cash the first bowl, and Cash
drew out a truth.
“who do i find most
attractive?” Cash surveyed the group for all of two seconds before saying,
“edgelord,” and leaning back against Razz. There were general nods of agreement
around the circle, while Edge sat still, blushing furiously.
Cash felt Razz’s
fingers moving over his iliac crests as he leaned forward, tugging Cash a
little further back in his lap. “You know…” he murmured, too quiet for anyone
but Cash to hear. “I would be inclined to agree, but…” Cash’s breath hitched as
Razz’s fingers caught on the vertebrae at the base of his spine. “Well. Your
body speaks for itself.”
To his right, Cash
caught Stretch regarding him with upraised brow-bones. He simply shook his
head, sighing deeply and leaning back into Razz. He had his arms wrapped around
Cash’s waist now, but his hands remained un-wandering. “flattered,” Cash
whispered, “but edgelord still wins.” Beside him, Stretch gave a nod of
agreement.
Red was up next. “pick
a third person ta join ya in yer threesome with cash,” he read. Looking over
the group, he shrugged. “aw, c’mon, that’s an easy one—twisted.” He shot Twist
a wink. “crazy bastard like you’s gotta have a few tricks up ‘is sleeve… or up
somethin’ at least.”
Twist snorted and
grinned, folding his arms. “Aw, ‘m flattered, Cherry—but I ain’t one a’ the
options.” His eye-light darted to Cash, who could feel his cheekbones heating
again. “Pity.”
Red hummed,
considering. “huh. disappointin’. then i guess…” He glanced between Slim and
Papyrus, narrowing his eye sockets thoughtfully. “paps,” he said at last. When
Papyrus preened, he supplied, “seems like he knows his way around a pair a’
bones.”
“I can assure you,
Cherry—I most certainly do!” Papyrus said, proudly. Red blushed, quickly
looking away.
Cash felt Razz lean in
and murmur, “It seems our time together has come to an end.” He carefully
shifted Cash off his lap, smiling up at him. “Do come again.”
Cash threw an
unsavoury gesture in his direction as he re-joined Twist. “those pants are
looking a little tight, asshole,” he retorted. Razz’s eye sockets widened, and
he glanced down at his crotch. His expression turned dull as he looked back up
at Cash, who pressed his teeth together to stop himself from snickering.
“Highly amusing,
twat,” Razz bit out, folding his arms.
Cash merely shrugged,
reaching for another piece of paper. He frowned as he read it. “are you a
virgin…?” He gave Twist an apathetic look. “really, twisted?”
Twist threw his hands
up. “Hey—ya never know!”
“it’s me,” Cash said
dryly. “you do know.”
Realisation slowly
dawned on Twist, his amusement giving way to remorse. “Ah… sorry, Patches. I
wasn’ thinkin’ about—” He caught himself, shaking his head. “Well, the
question’s got a second part.”
“if you were a virgin…
who would you…?” He trailed off, swallowing. An uncomfortable silence fell over
the group, and Cash began to fidget, scratching at his eye socket beneath his
patch. At last, he relinquished a sigh, muttering, “… razz.”
He dared a glance up
at the others. They were all looking bewildered—Razz more than anyone. “Are you
serious?” he asked, his tone lacking any of its usual smugness.
“you heard me,” Cash
replied, stiffly. Razz only stared—strangely, he seemed displeased by the
revelation. “right—edgelord’s next,” Cash said, leaning back and folding his
arms with a scowl.
Edge watched him for a
few moments, his expression laced with concern. Retrieving a piece of paper
from the green bowl, he read, “Would you prefer to dom or sub for Cash?” He
remained placid, humming and clasping his hands. “Dom. Certainly.”
Beside him, Stretch
snickered softly. “of course you’d prefer to dom—because you’re such a dick.”
Edge turned to give
Stretch a cool look. “Who said I would be using my dick?”
Stretch’s smile
faltered, and his cheekbones heated. Swallowing, he dipped his head, while a
small smirk tugged at Edge’s features. Cash smiled to himself as he watched
Edge. “Definitely the most attractive,” Twist whispered, leaning in.
After reading his next
question, Cash gave Twist a bland look. “oral—giving or receiving?” he read. “receiving.
obviously.”
Stretch hummed,
watching him with a sultry expression. “you and i would make a great team,” he
said, his tongue darting over his teeth.
Cash lifted a
brow-bone. “well, it’s your turn now. let’s see.”
Grinning, Stretch
reached for a piece of paper. As soon as he started reading it however, his
smile faded, his cheekbones glowing. Sockets wide, he looked up at Twist.
“this—i-is this real?”
“If it involves
anythin’ below the belt—then no,” Twist said. “Otherwise…”
“What does it say?”
Edge asked curiously, leaning over Stretch to try and get a look. “Ah.” He
smiled, nodding. “This should be entertaining.”
Cash frowned. “what
does it say?”
Stretch pressed his
teeth together, looking anxious. “it—um… we have to m-make out for a minute…”
His voice trailed off to a whisper on the last few words, and he blushed
furiously.
“oh.” Cash blinked,
surprised. “well—okay then.” He stood and approached Stretch, who gave a small
squeak as Cash straddled him, placing his hands on his shoulders. “you alright
with this?” he asked, lifting a brow-bone. Seeming a little lost for words, Stretch
just nodded, his face still burning.
“I know I am,” Razz
said from beside them, leaning back and crossing his legs.
“I’ll time,” Twist
said, his voice growing sharp as he looked at Razz.
Shooting Twist a quick
thumbs-up, Cash leaned in and touched his teeth against Stretch’s. At first,
Stretch tensed, a small noise of surprise leaving him. But when Cash moved his
hand to cup his jaw gently, he began to relax beneath him, sighing softly. Cash
slipped his tongue into Stretch’s mouth, and the sweet scent of his honeyed
magic immediately flooded his senses. Stretch met his tongue and their kiss
deepened, Cash moaning gently against him.
On instinct, he began
to grind his hips against Stretch’s, which drew a startled whine from Stretch.
Somewhere behind him, Cash heard someone murmuring, “holy shit.” He presumed it
was Red. The room was still with silence, but for the soft sounds of his kiss
with Stretch.
Twist cleared his
throat. “Time.”
Stretch was clinging
to Cash tightly, which only encouraged him to press his tongue deeper. He heard
Twist give another cough—which he resolutely ignored. Beneath him, Stretch’s
breathing was growing heavy. He moved his hand to Stretch’s iliac crest and
began stroking smooth circles over the bone, drawing a very inappropriate noise
from Stretch.
“Hey—assholes, time’s
up,” Twist called, firmly. “Break it up—or get a room.”
Finally, Cash pulled
away, grinning down at a very flustered Stretch. “maybe we will,” he said with
a wink, climbing off Stretch and returning to his seat beside Twist. Stretch
lifted his knees to his chest and dipped his head, his face burning. Edge was
watching him with a mixture of amusement and… something a little more reserved.
Cash reached for his
next question. “which two people would you most like to watch get it on with
each other?” He glanced up at Twist, lifting a brow-bone, and receiving only a
shrug in return. Feeling confident after his kiss with Stretch, Cash looked to
Slim. “pup,” he said decisively, “and…” His gaze wandered the group. “and pap.”
“Looks like yer the
pick a’ the night fer threesomes,” Twist said to Papyrus, impressed.
“I’d expect nothing
less,” Papyrus said, seeming pleased. Beside him, Slim was shrinking into his
jacket, his cheekbones almost as bright as Stretch’s.
Razz picked the next
dare, smirking as he read it aloud. “Remove an article of clothing—and whatever
you remove, Cash has to remove too.” Meeting Cash’s eye, Razz reached for his
belt and began to undo the buckle.
“Hey—nothin’ below the
belt,” Twist reminded him, sharply.
Snickering, Razz
refastened his pants and instead shrugged off the leather jacket he was
wearing. Cash lifted a brow-bone. “why?” he asked, dubious.
Razz cocked his head.
“Those long sleeves are hiding your pretty hands,” he said, flexing his own
fingers for emphasis. “Can you blame me?”
Sighing, Cash removed
his jacket, wrapping his arms around himself now that he had nothing but his
tank top keeping his upper half covered. Razz’s eyes raked over him, but Cash
refused to break eye-contact. “these pretty hands have killed monsters too, you
know,” he growled.
Razz merely shrugged,
leaning back. “Among other things.”
Cash retrieved his
next question quickly, picking a name to go with it. “do an impression of…
edge.” He regarded Edge with a tilt of his head. “well… i already made out with
stretch, didn’t i?”
Red released a loud
snort, which he failed to cover up with a cough. Edge and Stretch both looked
indignant, spluttering their protests. “hey! if you really wanted to do an
impression of the edgelord, you’d start shoving sticks up your ass,” Stretch
said, earning him a smack on the arm from Edge.
“we really don’t need
to know what you two get up to in the bedroom,” Cash said, earning him more
outrage from the other two skeletons.
“As if I’d let someone
so undignified anywhere near my ass,” Edge said pompously, shooting Stretch a
glare.
“well—technically, i’m
always near your ass,” Stretch said, “since you’re such an asshole.”
As they bickered,
Papyrus reached for his next question. A smile crossed his face and he looked
up at Cash. “It appears I am required to kiss you in a place that is not your
mouth.”
Cash froze, his cheekbones
growing hot. “w-what?” He swallowed as Papyrus approached him, moving to
straddle him—just as he’d done with Stretch not five minutes ago.
“It’s alright, Wealthy
Me,” Papyrus whispered, leaning in and pressing his teeth against Cash’s
exposed collarbone. “Relax.”
Doing his best to
ignore the stares of the other six skeletons, Cash took a shuddering breath,
leaning back as Papyrus began to nip at his clavicle. He let out a small gasp
of surprise when he felt Papyrus’ tongue trail over the bone, muttering a curse
and letting his eye socket fall closed.
When Papyrus withdrew,
his eyes were bright. “I hope that was satisfactory?” he questioned, as if
awaiting feedback. Cash couldn’t supply anything further than a small nod, his
magic churning excitedly through his bones.
His hands shook a
little as he picked his next question from the bowl. “i—i have to switch
clothes with someone…” He chose a name, swallowing as he read it. “s-slim.” Out
of the corner of his socket, he could see Twist grinning—clearly very satisfied
with the outcome of this particular dare.
“Jus’ the jackets is
fine,” he said, leaning back and observing both Slim and Cash with mild
delight.
Fidgeting, Slim rose
to his feet and shrugged off his jacket, handing it to Cash. Cash had to
suppress the urge to press his face into the ruffle and breath in the smell
after putting it on. He looked up to find Slim wearing his jacket, and swallowed
back the magic pooling in his mouth. Hurriedly, Slim returned to his seat,
tugging the sleeves of Cash’s jacket further over his wrists as he reached for
his next question.
If Slim’s cheekbones
had been warm before—they were all but aflame now. He glanced at Cash, but
almost immediately dropped his gaze, murmuring, “we have to… c-cuddle for three
rounds.”
Cash felt his face
growing hot, and he nodded stiffly, trying to salvage what little dignity he
had remaining. “seems reasonable,” he said, his voice tight. He tried to ignore
the looks he was receiving from the other skeletons—particularly Twist’s ecstatic
grin.
Standing slowly, Slim
approached Cash once again, dropping onto the sofa beside him. Twist regarded
them, his eye socket narrowing. “Arms ‘round each other,” he instructed,
firmly. Cash shot him a scathing glare, before awkwardly shuffling closer to
Slim.
His soul began to race
as he rested his arm over Slim’s shoulders, and his breath hitched when he felt
Slim’s arm settling across his hips. Subconsciously, he leaned into the touch.
Twist retrieved the
bowl for his next question, which Cash read with trembling fingers. “h-have you
ever dreamed about anyone in the room?” He nodded, trying to regather his
composure. “yeah, ‘course—edgelord. every night. sprained my wrist several
times because of it.”
Edge rolled his eyes.
“You’re not half as amusing as you think you are.”
Red cleared his throat
loudly, leaning forward to retrieve his next question. “on that note—i get ta
do somethin’ ta ya while yer blindfolded.”
Cash frowned, glancing
at Twist, who was watching him closely. “You okay with this, Patches?” he
asked, an unusually serious note to his voice.
Cash paused, looking
at Red, who was standing patiently beside the sofa. He felt Slim shifting
against him, his arm growing a little tighter around his waist. Something
unknotted in his chest, and he took a deep breath before nodding. “yeah,” he
said. “yeah, i’m good.”
Red nodded and came to
stand before him. Twist handed Red the blindfold (Cash really hoped it wasn’t
something he kept on hand on a regular basis) and he leaned forward, wrapping
it over Cash’s eye. As the world went dark around him, Cash felt some of his
nerves rearising. He tensed as Red knelt between his knees, his soul thumping
in anticipation. Cash suddenly felt grateful for Slim’s presence. It was
reassuring having someone else’s touch to keep him grounded.
Red’s hands wandered
down his arms, settling over his fingers. He removed one of his hands from
Cash’s, and a few seconds later, Cash felt a pair of fingers curling around his
own. He frowned, but didn’t object—until Red removed the blindfold. It took him
a moment to register why Slim was looking so flustered, but when he looked
down, he felt his soul skip a beat. “red, you—”
Red was grinning,
looking very pleased with himself. “somethin’ the matter, kiddo?”
Yanking his hand out
of Slim’s, Cash reached for the blue bowl, blushing furiously. “next fucking
question,” he snapped as Red dropped back into his seat, chuckling. “looks like
i’m grinding against the edgelord for thirty seconds,” he huffed, standing up
and marching over to Edge without reservation.
Edge looked a little
taken aback, blinking up at Cash as he moved to straddle him. “And here I
thought you were all talk,” he said—his tone snarky despite the light dusting
of crimson on his cheekbones. He curled his hands around Cash’s hips as Cash
began to rock them back and forth—perhaps with a little more vigour than was
necessary.
Cash shot a snide
glance over his shoulder at Red as he moved, satisfied to see that Red was no
longer smiling. He pressed himself closer to Edge, leaning against his chest as
he ground their hips together. Edge grunted softly, and Cash could sense the
buzz of magic in the air around him.
When he withdrew, Edge
was looking significantly flustered, avoiding Cash’s gaze. Cash noticed Stretch
giving Edge a very deliberate look, receiving a flip of Edge’s finger in
return.
Cash felt himself
slump a little when he saw that Slim had returned to his seat. His eyes were
lowered, and he had his knees drawn to his chest. Papyrus was squeezing one of
his hands.
Guilt burning in his
chest, Cash sat back down beside Twist, who glanced over him, as if trying to
gauge him. “Hey, precious, ya feelin’ okay?” he asked, placing a hand on Cash’s
knee.
“brilliant,” Cash
muttered tersely.
Frowning, Twist gave Cash
a gentle squeeze. “I think it’s time fer bed,” he said quietly, before standing
up. “Well—that’s all we’ve time fer tonight, folks!” he announced. “Patches an’
I’ll see ya all tomorrow mornin’ fer the next Bone Ceremony.”
Crouching down, Twist
scooped Cash into his arms—despite his yelp of protest. “twisted, what the fuck
are you—”
“Gettin’ ya ta bed,
Patches,” Twist said, beaming as he carried Cash from the room. Cash blushed
furiously at the sound of the snickers that followed them. He slumped into
Twist’s arms, conceding.
When they reached
Cash’s room, Twist nudged open the door with his foot, and placed Cash
carefully on the bed. He remained where he was for a moment, observing Cash
with a faint smile. “what? you wanna read me a bedtime story or something?”
Cash asked, scowling.
Twist grinned. “Why?
You want me to?”
Cash only rolled his
eyes. Chuckling, Twist leaned down and pressed his teeth to the crown of Cash’s
skull. “’Night, sweethear’. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”
“yeah,” Cash mumbled,
tugging off his shoes.
Twist paused by the
door. “Got anyone in mind fer the ceremony?” he asked, quietly.
Cash shrugged,
grimacing. “dunno. i’ll figure it out, i guess.”
Twist smiled, nodding.
“Gets tougher as the rounds go by.” He watched Cash for a few moments before
shrugging and opening the door. “Love ya, Patches.”
“hm.”
It was only when Twist
had left that Cash realised he was still wearing Slim’s jacket. With no further
resolve to hold himself back, he pressed his face into the ruff and breathed in.
Sleep came a little more easily that night.
Another week gone… and another skeleton gone. It’s time for the second elimination, folks!
Groggy and hungover, Cash is faced with the task of picking a second contestant to dismiss from the competition. Who will he pick this time? And will his sluggish cognitive state alter his decision? Let’s take a look!
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Cash squeezed his eye
sockets closed as sunlight pierced through his half-conscious haze. Groaning,
he rolled over in bed, pulling his duvet over his head and trying to cling to
the last shreds of sleep. It was only when something heavy dropped onto the
mattress beside him that he realised he wasn’t alone.
“Mornin’ sunshine,”
Twist sang brightly, gently trying to tug the duvet away from Cash’s face.
“Well—barely mornin’. Only abou’ half an hour left of it.” He chuckled as Cash
resisted, holding the duvet firmly over his head. “C’mon, sweethear’—ceremony’s
startin’ soon.”
“have it without me,”
Cash mumbled into his pillow. Twist’s laughter seemed to press against the
walls of his skull, making it throb. “and shut up while you’re at it.”
He tried to struggle
as Twist wrapped his arms around his blanketed frame, squeezing him tightly. He
then proceeded to half-lift, half-drag him off the bed and discard him in a
heap on the floor. Cash grunted as he landed with a thump, his heavy head
protesting at the unexpected jolt. “Can’ have it without ya,” Twist said,
pulling the duvet away to expose Cash’s crumpled form. “Yer our guest a’
honour.”
Cash curled up on the
carpet, making a disgruntled noise of disagreement. “you could honour me by
letting me sleep.”
Crouching down beside
him, Twist met his eye, grinning. “Now where’s th’ fun in tha’? Up ya get,
Patches. Ya’ve got seven eager contestants waitin’ fer ya downstairs.”
It took a little more
prodding and coaxing, but eventually, Twist managed to get Cash up and dressed
and (more or less) ready for the ceremony. Cash didn’t protest when Twist offered
him his arm, using him as a crutch as he allowed himself to be dragged downstairs.
His headache only
amplified when he saw the seven remaining skeletons waiting for him at the foot
of the stairs in the entrance hall. Just as they had been last week, they stood
in a row, eagerly awaiting his decision. Cash scowled at the floor, burying his
hands in his pockets and leaning against Twist. “we can’t just… delay this
until tomorrow?” he murmured.
Twist almost looked
affronted, holding Cash at arm’s length and giving him a serious look.
“Absolutely not, Patches,” he said, firmly. “We’ve got a strict schedule ta
stick ta—no time fer dilly-dallying.” He cast a glance at the other skeletons,
before shooting Cash a wink. “’Least—not a’ that kind.”
“ugh.” Cash gave Twist
a one-armed shove and extracted himself from his grasp, turning reluctantly to
face the others. There were a couple whose gazes he couldn’t even meet—and a
few others who appeared more than a little amused by his current state.
Sighing, he shakily summoned his first violet bone.
It was difficult
deciding who he’d least humiliated himself in front of the previous night—but
eventually, Cash settled on Edge. Handing him the bone, he muttered, “next time
you see me trying to drink more than i can handle—for the love of god, stop me,
will you?”
Edge took the bone
slowly, nodding. “I’ll take the suggestion under advisement,” he said smoothly,
before joining Twist.
Scowling over his
shoulder at him, Cash summoned a second bone and gave it to Razz. “thank you
for saving my life,” he said, smirking as Razz lifted a brow-bone.
For a few seconds,
Razz watched him closely, as if searching for a trick. But his expression
quickly melted into the usual smug smile Cash was starting to grow accustomed
to. He took the bone from Cash and leaned in. “Well, now that you’re sober,
perhaps we could…?”
Cash scoffed and
rolled his eyes. “five minutes, razz—go five minutes without being an asshole,
and maybe i’ll consider it.”
Razz’s smile grew, and
his fingertips graced Cash’s hip. “Be careful—one of these days, I just might.”
“think i’m safe,” Cash
said, derisively.
“Hey, this is the Bone
Ceremony—not the Bonin’ Ceremony,”
Twist called from behind them. “Take yer victory an’ leave, short asshole.” Razz
shot Cash a final grin before joining Edge at Twist’s side. Twist glanced at
him, unimpressed.
Cash turned to Stretch
next—whose cheekbones immediately lit up with magic as Cash handed him a
summoned bone. “sorry for, um…” Cash trailed off, ducking his head as his own
face began to glow. “well—y’know.”
Stretch smiled weakly,
looking flustered. “no harm done,” he said, his tone light—if not a little
forced. “i always appreciate hearing how nice i smell.”
Cash grunted, his eye
fixed on the floor, and his cheekbones only growing brighter. “yeah. anytime,
asshole,” he said, dryly. Stretch beamed at him, squeezing his shoulder affectionately
before going to stand beside Twist.
Cash surveyed the
remaining contestants. It was becoming more and more difficult to decide who he
had the gall to face. Deliberating for a few seconds over whether or not Twist
would be able to catch him if he teleported far enough (he decided that—yes, he
most definitely would), Cash walked over to Slim. He formed a purple bone and held
it out. “i suppose i owe you one too,” he sniffed, keeping his gaze lowered, “since
i vaguely recall complimenting you on your scent as well.”
Slim blushed, but he
was grinning, clearly having difficulty suppressing his laughter. “i believe
the word ‘sexy’ may have been mentioned at some point too,” he whispered,
leaning close.
Cash drew away abruptly,
blinking in surprise. Slim’s blush had darkened immensely, but there was
something mischievous glinting in his eyes. Clearing his throat, Cash nodded, folding
his arms and ducking his head. “yes. well. i was rather intoxicated, as you may
remember.”
Slim’s smile faltered
ever so slightly. “right… yeah,” he said softly, giving a quick nod. He watched
Cash for a few seconds, looking almost hopeful. But when Cash kept his gaze
averted, he hurried to join Twist and the others.
A nervous pit churning
in his chest, Cash summoned the final two bones and approached the three
remaining skeletons. He turned to Red first, sighing. “you know, i should’ve known
you would be a manipulative asshole…” He looked at Papyrus. “but you?” He shook his head. “i expected
better of you.”
Papyrus looked
sheepish, but there was a knowing glint in his eye. “You just never know who
you can trust,” he said in mock-despair, placing his hands on his hips and
shaking his head. He leaned in then, whispering, “You are aware that it was
water, aren’t you, Wealthy Me? Neither Red nor I would ever knowingly poison a
good friend such as yourself.”
Despite his heavy
skull and pounding headache, Cash snickered, nodding. “i figured it out
eventually,” he said quietly, and Papyrus’ expression relaxed with relief. “still.
i don’t appreciate your trickery.”
Red chuckled
throatily, offering Cash a one-shouldered shrug. “what can i say, bud? yer a
pretty hilarious drunk. couldn’ resist the temptation ta rehydrate ya.” He
winked, and Cash snorted, shaking his head.
“next time,” he said,
handing them each a bone, “i might not be so hilarious.” He pinned them with a
dark look—Red cringed slightly, while Papyrus only beamed innocently. As they made
their way to Twist’s side, Cash finally turned to Sans, his smile fading. “i…”
He shook his head, sighing. “i’m sorry.”
Utterly unfazed, Sans
shrugged. “eh, no harm, kiddo. someone had to go.” Pressing his teeth together,
Cash nodded, though his chest still twinged with guilt. Seeming to sense this,
Sans leaned in. “hey—seriously, bud. i don’t mind. nothing against you, but…”
Cash glanced up,
lifting a brow-bone. Sans was certainly taking the rejection a lot better than
Blue had. If anything, he looked relieved. Smiling, Cash nodded. “thanks. i,
uh, appreciate you putting up with…” He indicated vaguely “… all this.”
Sans chuckled. “heh.
wasn’t so bad.” He glanced over Cash’s shoulder before leaning in to murmur, “just…
do me a favour and pick someone who deserves you, got it?”
Cash considered for a
moment, frowning as he drew away. Sans’ permanent smile wasn’t as relaxed as
normal, something more serious beneath it. Swallowing, Cash nodded, and the
casualness returned to Sans’ expression.
Cash turned to face
the rest of the group, shoving his hands in his pockets and slumping slightly. “think
i’m gonna go nap until the next ceremony,” he mumbled, heading for the stairs.
“Ya sure ya don’ wanna
help me prepare fer the next event?” Twist called as Cash made for his room. “I
think ya might actually wanna—”
Cash slammed his
bedroom door behind him, cutting off the rest of whatever Twist had been going
to say. Later, he told himself. Later he could fret over Twist’s maniacal
schemes. For now—his bed beckoned.
Dragon Blog 