Round 3 Bone Ceremony (previous)

Round 4 Bone Ceremony (next)

Week 4: The Cruise

(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.”

“Hmm…” Edge looked
thoughtful. “Oh hey—Twisted’s here!”

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.

Who will Cash eliminate this week? VOTE HERE.

Round 2 Bone Ceremony (previous)

Round 3 Bone Ceremony (next)

Week 3: Truth or Dare

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.

🌸

🌸

🌸

🌸

🌸

🌸

💀

💀

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.

Who will be eliminated this week?

Vote here!

Round 1 Bone Ceremony (previous)

Round 2 Bone Ceremony (next)

Week 2: The Party

Ever-the-showman, Twist has decided to throw a party to give Cash a chance to mingle with the seven remaining contestants! Alcohol often breeds truth, after all. But the contestants won’t be the only ones drinking…

Will our bachelor completely humiliate himself? Find out below! Warning for alcohol consumption.

Don’t forget to vote for who you want Cash to eliminate this round! The link to the poll will be at the end of the chapter!

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💀

Cash revelled in the
few days of freedom he was granted before the next ‘event’ Twist had planned.
Though the day following the first elimination ceremony had been… uncomfortable,
Cash had managed to push aside his guilt and remorse in favour of treating
himself to some much-needed alone time.

He spent as much time
outside as he could—wandering the gardens, picking oranges from the orchard
below his bedroom window, sitting in the courtyard and reading a few of his old
pirate novels. The peace and quiet was welcome, but more importantly—it allowed
him some time away from the other skeletons.

In addition to Twist’s
non-stop date idea related drivel, he’d been incessantly pestering Cash about
who his ‘favourites’ were so far. Cash had given up on trying to get him to
shut up—and was now just attempting to avoid him entirely.

Today’s chosen spot
was a bench beside the pond, in the shade of an old willow tree whose branches
hung low over the murky blue water. Cash was dozing lightly when he heard the
sound of footsteps. Warily, he cracked open an eye socket. “Heya, Patches!”

“fuck—” Cash flinched
violently away from Twist, startled by his sudden proximity. “don’t—sneak up on me, you asshole!”

Twist only grinned,
dropping onto the bench beside him and slinging an arm over his shoulders. “Yer
jus’ terrible at keepin’ yer eye out,” he said, flicking Cash on the cheekbone.
Cash grumbled, trying to tug himself out of Twist’s grip, but his hold was
firm.

Slumping against
Twist, he gave a relinquishing sigh. “what do you want?” he asked, his voice
dull and tired.

Twist hummed, gazing
at the pond’s still waters. “Jus’ wanted ta spend some time with ya before
tonight,” he said, sounding serene.

Cash glanced up at
him, blinking. “tonight?”

Twist slowly drew his
gaze away from the water, lifting his brow-bones at Cash. “Oh! Right—tonight’s
the party.”

Cash gave him a blank
look, dread creeping into his soul. “… party?”

Twist frowned, making
a considering noise. “Uh. Did I—er, ferget ta tell ya?” Cash glowered. “Huh.
Knew I’d missed someone. Well. Yeah—tonight’s the party! Chance fer ya ta
mingle with the others. Get ‘em drunk an’ honest, y’know?”

Cash took a long
breath of the cool morning air, closing his eye sockets and dipping his head in
a sullen nod. “right. great.”

“Aww, no need ta be so
glum, Patches,” Twist said, giving Cash’s shoulders a soft squeeze. “Yer
allowed ta drink too.”

“believe me,” Cash mumbled,
“if i wasn’t, then i wouldn’t be attending.”

****

Later that evening,
when the sun’s light had faded, and the cool night air was flowing in through
Cash’s bedroom window, Cash lay on his bed, dozing idly. The quiet chirping of
crickets and the occasional low hoots of owls outside were almost enough to
make him forget the dull thump of music downstairs.

Cash’s thoughts were interrupted
by a knock on the door, breaking his brief moment of tranquillity. “come in,”
he called, sleepily. The door creaked open to reveal Twist—dressed in slacks
and a button up shirt with yellow polka dots on it. He was even wearing a
bowtie.

“Patches! Yer awake,”
he said, beaming as he hurried over.

Blearily, Cash hoisted
himself off the bed, stifling a yawn. “yep—h-hey, what are you doing?”

Twist had begun to
slide Cash’s jacket off his shoulders. He looked up, blinking. “Well, ya can’
go down there dressed like this—it’s a party!”

“who cares?” Cash
asked, blandly.

Twist almost looked offended,
his eye going wide, and a tint of magic briefly touching the cracks of left
socket. “Yer the star a’ the night! Ya’ve gotta dress ta impress.”

Cash gave him a dull
look. “i don’t have to—i’m impressive on my own.”

This drew a laugh from
Twist, but he removed Cash’s jacket nonetheless, discarding it on the bed. “Be
tha’ as it may—we’re tryna sell ya ta the rest a’ them. An’ ta do that—we’ve
gotta dress ya fer the part.”

Cash gave up,
resorting to sitting back as Twist picked an outfit for him. Twist rifled
through his closet for a few minutes before emerging holding a smart pair of Cash’s
best designer jeans and a plum coloured shirt. “Purple’s yer colour, y’know,”
he told him as he tossed the garments at him.

“so i’ve been told,”
Cash muttered, examining the clothes. Twist watched him in anticipation,
grinning. Clearing his throat, Cash said, “aren’t you going to, um, turn away?”

For a moment, Twist
looked puzzled. Then realisation seemed to dawn on him, and his eye sockets
widened. “Right! ‘Course.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug, winking. “Can ya
blame me fer wantin’ a peek at—?”

“fuck off,” Cash
snapped, receiving only a throaty chuckle in response.

When Cash had finished
changing, Twist surveyed him, humming in thought. Self-consciously, Cash tugged
at the sleeves of the dress shirt. The colour felt too deep and bright—the type
that attracted attention (which had likely been Twist’s intention, Cash
realised). Twist approached Cash, placing his hands on his arms, and narrowing
his eye sockets as he looked him up and down. “take a picture, it’ll last
longer,” Cash murmured, scowling at the floor.

Twist simply grinned,
before reaching for the cuffs of his sleeves. “Don’ worry, precious—I’ll be
takin’ plenty a’ pictures,” he said, rolling Cash’s sleeves up past his elbows.
Cash blushed, ducking his head. “There—tha’s better. Ya have pretty hands, show
‘em off.”

In that moment, Cash
wished more than anything that his jeans had pockets.

He only blushed harder
when Twist took his arm, looping it in his own. “I’ll be yer escort fer
tonight, darlin’,” he whispered, leaning a little too close for Cash’s peace of
mind.

When they reached the
main hall downstairs, Cash could hear music and chatter coming from the living
room. He swallowed as Twist pushed open the doors and guided him inside. A fire
was crackling in the hearth, and the steady beat of music playing was coming
from the speakers set up near the window. At the far end of the room, the bar
was being tended by a monster Cash didn’t recognise. He lifted a brow-bone. “a
bit extreme for a party of nine people, don’t you think?”

“Can’ be cuttin’ any
corners when it comes ta somethin’ this important,” Twist said, grinning down
at him. “Well? Aren’t ya gonna socialise with yer guests?”

Cash gave the room a
sour look. On the sofas in the left corner of the room, Red was sitting with
Papyrus and Slim, the three of them deep in conversation. A few seats away from
them, Razz appeared to be making Stretch blush, and at the bar, Edge sat alone.
Sans was nowhere in sight.

“So, who’s it gonna
be?” Twist asked, cocking his head. His eyes wandered to the three skeletons
sitting in the corner, but Cash had already made up his mind.

“think i’m gonna grab
a drink,” he mumbled, before swiftly making his way to the bar. He caught the
other skeletons looking up as he crossed the room. Stretch and Papyrus both
smiled at him, but Cash kept his head ducked.

Edge glanced up as Cash
slid into the seat beside him, his gaze raking the length of Cash’s body. “rum
and lime,” Cash told the bartender, resting his elbows on the bar. He glanced
at Edge, lifting a brow-bone. “see something you like?”

Edge cleared his
throat and quickly glanced away. “You look… decent,” he said gruffly, his
cheekbones heating.

Cash only shrugged
indifferently. “twisted’s pick.”

“He has good taste,”
Edge remarked, shooting a quick glance at Cash. He sniffed. “In clothing, I
mean.”

Cash paused for a
moment, frowning, but Edge made no further comment on the matter. One of the
things Cash enjoyed about Edge’s company, was that he seldom pushed for
conversation. They sat in silence until Cash received his drink—which he
proceeded to down in one go. Edge regarded Cash dubiously, but didn’t remark
when Cash ordered a second.

He held no such
reservations after Cash decided to go for a third however. “If you’re anything
like Stretch and Slim, I’d advise you slow down,” he told Cash, quietly.

Cash sent him a scowl,
extending his middle finger. “i know my limits, asshole.”

Edge appeared
concerned, swirling his own drink anxiously as he watched Cash. “You sound like
Stretch,” he commented, wryly.

“you would know,” Cash
replied, smirking. He silently preened when Edge blushed—noting that he quite
enjoyed seeing the look on the normally stoic monster’s face. He signalled for
another drink before turning in his seat so that he was facing Edge directly.
“you know—you don’t look half bad yourself, edgelord.” He grinned as Edge’s
blush deepened.

Edge made a valiant
attempt at composure however, lifting his brow-bones in nonchalance. “Of course
I don’t,” he said primly. “I have impeccable taste in style.” His eyes
flickered up to Cash, dropping quickly before he said, “And I’m incredibly
attractive.”

Cash smirked, sipping
his… fourth? glass of rum. Concern still lined Edge’s features as he watched
Cash, his eyes hesitating waveringly on his glass. “Maybe you should, um…”

“edgelord. if you tell
me to slow down, it’ just gonna make me wanna defy you.”

Edge shook his head
quickly. “I was going to say—maybe you should go talk to Stretch?” Cash glanced
over his shoulder to find Stretch watching them from across the room. He smiled
as Cash caught his gaze, and Cash felt some of the tension unravel inside him.
Beside him, Razz seemed to be getting a little… friendly. “It looks like he
could use your help,” Edge murmured.

Clambering off his
stool, Cash straightened his shirt. “you know what? i’m going to go talk to
your boyfriend,” he told Edge.

“Excellent idea,” Edge
said dryly, returning his attention to his drink.

Cash placed a hand on
his hip, giving Edge a questioning look. “you’re not going to join me?”

Edge shook his head.
“He’s all yours.” He considered, glancing at Stretch. “And Razz’s.”

Cash scowled, noting
how close Razz was sitting to Stretch. “i’ll go save him,” he said decisively,
finishing the remainder of his drink (it was the fourth one, right? Or… was it
the fifth?) and marching towards where Razz was leaning against Stretch. Razz
looked up as he approached, and his sockets widened briefly.

“Wow.” He blinked,
sitting up straight. “You’re looking…”

“he still looks like
an asshole to me,” Stretch interjected, smirking. Cash rolled his eyes,
dropping onto the couch beside Stretch—and effectively sandwiching him between
himself and Razz. Stretch looked a little flustered, shifting in his seat.

“that’s because i
still am an asshole,” Cash said, and Stretch laughed weakly. Cash glanced over
Stretch’s shoulder at Razz. “though please—feel free to finish your sentence.
i’m in the mood to be flattered.”

Razz simpered, taking
a sip from his glass of red wine. “I’m not sure it’s the type of compliment
you’d utter in polite company.”

Stretch glanced
between them, before leaning closer to Cash. “i think he wants to fuck you,” he
whispered—loud enough for Razz to hear.

Deep purple magic rose
to Razz’s cheekbones, and he frowned, quickly turning away and finishing the
remainder of his drink. “I… think I need a refill,” he muttered, standing
hurriedly and making his way over to the bar.

Stretch turned to Cash
and shrugged. “guess he doesn’t like being called out,” he said simply, sipping
his drink.

“though i suppose you
knew that.” Cash levelled Stretch with a knowing smile, and Stretch grinned.

“you’re welcome.”
Stretch’s cheekbones were slightly flushed—though whether it was the alcohol,
or… something else—Cash couldn’t be sure. He was smiling though, even as he
looked away and dipped his head, taking another sip of his drink.

Across the room, Cash
caught Twist watching them. He was grinning, and gave Cash a quick wink before
turning and leaving the room. Cash’s gaze wandered over to where Papyrus, Slim,
and Red were sitting. Slim glanced up, catching his eye for a moment. He
offered Cash a small smile, before turning back to Papyrus and Red. Cash’s soul
felt light.

“how have you been
then, pirate?” Stretch asked, drawing Cash’s attention away from Slim. “i…
haven’t seen much of you this past week.”

Cash nodded, feeling
guilty. “i—i’m sorry,” he said, awkwardly. In truth, being around Stretch had
been a little difficult after Cash had eliminated his brother. Though Stretch didn’t
seem to be holding it against him, at least. Cash cleared his throat, shifting
in his seat and suddenly wishing he’d been wise enough to order another drink
while he’d still been at the bar.

“you know, um…”
Stretch slowly shifted closer to Cash, their legs brushing against each other.
“razz is kind of a dick, but—well, he wasn’t lying. you do look…” Stretch
trailed off suddenly, as if his spark of confidence had dwindled.

“fuckable?” Cash
suggested, smirking as Stretch blushed hotly. Stretch quickly shook his head,
laughing faintly.

“sorry. that’s not
what i—”

“it’s alright,” Cash
murmured, leaning in. He felt Stretch twitch as he settled his hand on his
femur. Cash closed his eyes, resting his head on Stretch’s shoulder as he
rubbed smooth circles over his leg. “you always smell so nice,” he breathed,
nuzzling against Stretch. “so sweet.” He giggled softly. “like honey.”

Stretch went still
beneath him, but Cash could feel the involuntary warmth emanating from him.
Then—without warning—Stretch jumped up, coughing stiffly. “i’m uh—i’m going to
get another drink!” he declared loudly, his eyes darting away from Cash.
“oh—look, slim’s here! have fun, you two.”

Cash blinked as
Stretch hurried away, his gaze slowly travelling to Slim, who was standing a
few feet away. He rocked back and forth on his feet, his head ducked. “hey…
cash,” he said at length. He glanced over his shoulder at Stretch’s retreating
form. “sorry—was i interrupting—?”

Cash quickly waved him
off, slumping further back into the sofa’s cushions. “nah… think i scared ‘im
off, actually.” He yawned, closing his eyes. “wha’s up?”

“do you… mind if i
sit?”

Cash cracked open a
socket to find Slim watching him awkwardly, a tint of magic colouring his
cheekbones. Cash shrugged. “go for it.”

Slim sat down beside
him—significantly further away than Stretch had been, Cash noted. He regarded
Cash for a moment, his features slowly sinking into a frown. “are you… how many
have you had?” he asked, hesitantly.

Cash levelled him with
a dull look, sinking further into his seat. “don’t worry, precious—i can handle
my rum. i’ve had plenty of practice.” Slim still looked unconvinced, worry
lining his features. Sighing, Cash hoisted himself up, shuffling closer to Slim
and holding his gaze steadily (at least, what he hoped was steadily). “want me
to prove it? fine.” He stood up, lifting his brow-bones at Slim. “i’ll walk a
straight line—just for you, sweetheart.”

Slim’s frown had
softened into something a little more amused. He leaned back and folded his
arms, giving Cash a nod. “go on, then.”

Taking a deep breath,
Cash stared straight ahead, holding his arms out. The room was swaying
slightly, but he ignored it, taking a tentative step forward. Immediately, his
foot caught on… the carpet? He wasn’t certain. But the next moment he was falling,
the floor rushing towards him at an alarming speed.

A strong pair of arms
looped around his waist, holding him steady and pulling him to his feet. Cash
blinked, turning around slowly. “oh. it’s you.”

Razz folded his arms,
a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “You’re an amusing drunk, I’ll
give you that.” Cash swayed on his feet and Razz frowned, quickly catching him
with an arm around his hips. “Why don’t you sit down?” He grinned up at Cash.
“It would be a waste of a pretty face if you stumbled into the fireplace or
something.”

Cash looked at Razz,
narrowing his eye socket. “see? you were almost a nice person for a second
there.”

“I’m not a nice
person,” Razz said, flatly. Cash shrugged in agreement, and allowed Razz to
guide him back into his spot beside Slim—who appeared to be having trouble
stifling his laughter.

“s’not funny,” Cash
grumbled, resting his head in his hands. “i could’ve died.”

This only served to enhance
Slim’s giggles, and he pressed his hand over his mouth while Cash glared at
him. “sorry,” he mumbled. “but…” He glanced over Cash’s shoulder at his
brother. “you are pretty amusing.”

Cash folded his arms
and looked between the two brothers, pouting. “but—i’m still sexy, right?”

This silenced Slim
immediately, but Razz laughed softly, nodding and leaning in. “Profoundly so,”
he whispered—though surprisingly, his voice lacked its usual sultriness, and he
appeared to be keeping his hands to himself (for a change).

Cash narrowed his
sockets, unconvinced. “does that mean you want to fuck me?” he asked, an
element of teasing to his tone.

Razz lifted a
brow-bone, withdrawing. “I’ll wait until you’re sober,” he said, plainly, his
smile fading.

“why?” Cash asked,
watching him closely. He could feel Slim growing tense beside him, but his
focus was on Razz, who looked bemused.

At length, Razz sighed
deeply, his expression turning firm. “I may be an asshole, Cash—but I’m not
that kind of asshole.” Cash was silent, unable to break eye contact with Razz.

Swallowing, he nodded,
finally dropping his gaze. “right… sorry.”

Razz closed his hand
around Cash’s, smirking. “Don’t worry about it, precious.” He dipped his head,
kissing Cash’s knuckles lightly before standing. “I think I’m going to find
myself another drink—when you’re not so inebriated, come and find me and I’ll
gladly take you up on your offer.”

“maybe i will,” Cash
said loudly as Razz walked away, earning him a wink over Razz’s shoulder. He
slid further down on the sofa, humming sleepily. Beside him, Slim was fidgeting
uncomfortably, his shoulders stiff. Cash’s eye wandered up to him, and he
grinned dopily. “you know… you’re kinda sexy too.”

Slim visibly flinched,
startling and turning quickly to stare at Cash. “i—what?”

“yeah…” Cash leaned
in, pressing his face against Slim’s sternum to try and stop his head from
spinning. “hmm, an’ you smell nice—nearly as nice as honey.”

“h-honey?”

Cash pointed in the
general direction of the bar. “edgelord’s boyfriend,” he clarified, snickering
against Slim’s chest. He could feel Slim’s chest rising and falling rapidly,
and he could sense the pleasant heat of his magic when he was this close. “can
i sleep here?” he whispered, entwining his fingers in Slim’s shirt.

Slim was speechless.
Cash glanced up, grinning when Slim opened his mouth to talk—before shutting it
abruptly, his cheekbones glowing brightly.

“Wealthy Me—Small Me!”

Cash drew away,
looking up to see Papyrus and Red approaching. They sat on the sofa across from
himself and Slim, placing three small shot glasses on the coffee table. Cash
eyed them curiously.

Red was holding a
clear vodka bottle. “proposition fer ya,” he said, leaning forward and placing
the bottle heavily on the table. “three shots a’ vodka—or three minutes in the
closet with paps.”

“Red! That was not our
deal!” Papyrus levelled Red with a firm stare as he chuckled, giving a wave of
his hand.

“aw, c’mon paps—look
at ‘im. how could ya resist a face like that?”

Cash beamed at Papyrus—but
he still appeared unconvinced. “Our deal was—if
Wealthy Me could finish three shots of vodka, he would—”

“but what if i wanna spend three minutes in the closet
with you, paps?” They all turned to Cash—Papyrus looked bewildered, while Red only
seemed intrigued. To his left, Cash could feel Slim watching him suspiciously.
Rising to his feet—and catching onto Slim when he wobbled a little—Cash
stumbled over to Papyrus and Red, wedging himself between them on the sofa. He
turned to Papyrus, leaning in and cupping his face with both his hands. “you
are very, uh…” He paused, trying to conjure the right word. “pa-perfect,” he
decided, pleased with himself.

Papyrus looked
dubious, gently prying him off. “I am flattered, Wealthy Me, but I’m afraid
those are not terms I can agree to.”

Cash slouched into the
sofa’s cushions and folded his arms, pouting. “why not?”

Papyrus cleared his
throat, giving Red a deliberate look. “Well—Red was part of the bargain too!
Don’t you think you ought to offer him your affections as well?”

Languidly, Cash turned
his head to look at Red, whose cheeks were glowing. “uh—that’s alright, pap,”
Red said quickly, looking strained. “spare ‘im a little grief, why don’t ya?”

“no…” Cash hummed,
shuffling across the cushions and placing a hand on Red’s arm to balance
himself. He examined him from head to toe, before nodding decisively. “i want
you too.” He giggled to himself as Red blushed deeper, glancing over his
shoulder at Papyrus. “both of you! i want both.”

“ya need ta take the
shots first,” Red reminded Cash as he slumped forward, burying his head against
Red’s chest.

“can i just… have a
nap first?” Cash mumbled against Red’s shirt. “just here.”

“Nope!” Papyrus said,
pulling him off Red. He caught him as he slumped, holding him steady. “Shots
first.”

Cash eyed the three
glasses on the table, frowning. “they’re empty.” Somewhere in the background,
he thought he could hear snickering.

“gimme a chance,
kiddo,” Red said, clambering off the sofa. Cash watched as he filled the small
glasses. On the other side of the table, Slim was observing him with a look of
concern.

“why so glum, puppy?”
Cash asked. “it’s a party!”

Slim’s frown deepened,
and he shook his head. “don’t you think he’s had enough?” he asked quietly, glancing
between Papyrus and Red

Papyrus and Red looked
at each other for a few seconds, before simultaneously shaking their heads. “Nope!”
Papyrus said. “Keep pouring, Red.”

“it’s fer science,”
Red told Slim, winking. “we’re gonna test ta see if he can recite the alphabet
from h-to-o once he’s done. go ahead, bud,” he added once he’d finished pouring,
glancing at Cash.

Cash leaned forward,
Papyrus holding his shoulders to keep him balanced. He lifted the first glass
and tipped it back—though his magic was a little less than stable, and some of
the liquid dribbled down his chin when his tongue took a few extra seconds to
form. He laughed, sliding onto the floor and leaning against the table. “huh.
tastes like… nothing.” He frowned, licking the remainder of the vodka off his
chin. “i think there’s something wrong with me. my taste buds are gone!” He
turned frantically to look at Papyrus and Red.

Red had his face
buried in his elbow, harsh laughter shaking his chest. Papyrus was a little
more composed, but his grin was significantly broader than usual. “Perhaps you
should have another!” he said. “Just to make sure.”

Cash nodded, turning back
to the remaining two glasses. His gaze fell on Slim, who had his teeth pressed
together, as if trying to stifle his laughter. “why do you enjoy seeing me
suffer, pup?” Cash asked sulkily.

Slim blushed slightly,
shaking his head. “it’s… sweet.”

Cash couldn’t quite
comprehend what Slim was trying to say, so he reached for the second glass. But
he was stopped as someone’s hand closed around his wrist. “hey…” He glanced up,
blinking the flashing dots from his eye to try and make out who it was.

“Alrigh’, you two, ya’ve
had yer fun,” Twist said, pinning Red and Papyrus with a cold glare as he
helped hoist Cash to his feet. “Dihydrogen monoxide is no laughin’ matter.” Cash
stumbled, and Twist held him against his side. “C’mon, sweethear’—I think it’s
time fer bed… Sans?”

Cash blinked, dazed as
a second pair of arms wrapped around his torso, keeping him upright. “heya,
pal,” Sans murmured. “let’s get you upstairs, yeah?”

“where have you been?” Cash admonished, glaring at
Sans—who was wavering slightly. In fact, the entire room seemed a little
distorted.

“Sans!” Papyrus
groaned. “We’re just trying to keep our friend hydrated. Why must you rain on
our parade?”

Sans chuckled quietly,
adjusting his hold on Cash, who was having trouble remaining on his feet. “dunno
what to tell you, paps—dihydrogen monoxide is a dangerous substance.”

Still leaning against
Sans, Cash stared at Papyrus, his eyes going wide. “did you poison me?” he gasped.
To his confoundment, they all started snickering. “pa—papyrus? am i going to
die?” he reiterated, suddenly panicking.

Quickly gathering
himself, Papyrus shook his head. “I can assure you, Wealthy Me—I myself
consumed dihydrogen monoxide just this morning. And look at me! I’m completely
fine.”

“water you talking
about, bro?” Sans asked, frowning. “you’re looking a bit pale.”

Cash looked between
them suspiciously, but they only grinned at him. Tired, he leaned back into
Sans’ arms, causing him to stumble slightly. “just… take me to bed, assholes.”

“If ya say so,
Patches,” Twist murmured, helping Sans escort him across the room. Cash could
feel the amused stares of the other skeletons on him as they walked, but he
hardly had the inclination to care. He leaned into Sans, his eye sockets
fluttering closed as he was half-dragged across the main hall.

“stairs,” Sans
whispered to him, and Cash groaned softly, coming to a halt. He slumped against
Twist, who chuckled.

“Alrigh’, Patches,
here we go.” Cash gave a faint squeak of surprise as Twist lifted him into his
arms, carrying him up the stairs as Sans trailed behind them. Cash clung to
Twist, his head falling against his shoulder as drowsiness slowly began to take
over.

“fun night?” Sans
asked him. Cash hummed in response, shrugging, and Sans laughed. “seemed like
you were having a good time when i arrived.”

“where were you?” Cash
asked, his voice heavy and groggy. “didn’t see you.”

“eh…” Sans looked a
bit awkward, scratching the back of his skull. “parties aren’t really my thing.
sorry, bud.”

“s’okay,” Cash
mumbled, his eyes falling closed again.

“I managed ta track ‘im
down eventually,” Twist said as he pushed open Cash’s bedroom door. “He
promised to help clean up in case ya couldn’ stomach all that rum.”

“don’t remember
agreeing to that,” Sans said darkly, but Twist only snickered. He lay Cash
carefully on the bed, tucking a pillow beneath his head as Sans pulled his
shoes off and placed a blanket over him. Cash vaguely noticed the mattress
shifting as Sans sat down beside him.

“i’m, uh, really sorry
i couldn’t make it,” Sans said, his voice quiet. “looks like it was a wild
night.”

Cash tried to shake
his head, but he wasn’t quite sure if he managed it. Everything was spinning. “thanks
for… helping me. i like my bed.”

Sans chuckled, patting
his shoulder. “you and me both, bud.” Surveying Cash for a few moments, he
asked, “you gonna be okay?” Cash only hummed softly in response, already succumbing
to sleep. He felt Sans give his arm a gentle squeeze. “take care of yourself,
pal,” he murmured, before standing and heading for the door.

“We’ll see ya
tomorrow, Patches,” Twist called. “Ceremony’s at noon.”

Groaning, Cash buried his
face in his pillow, praying for the sweet release of sleep.

Who will Cash eliminate this round?

Vote here to have your say!

Introductions (previous)

Round 1 Bone Ceremony (next)

Week 1: Group Dates

Our esteemed bachelor is faced with the daunting task of going on multiple dates with the eight contestants. Fortunately for Cash, Twist has paired the contestants off to make things… a little less exhausting for our poor socially awkward boy.

But are some of the pairings a little too much for Cash to handle? Find out below!

Don’t forget to vote for who you want to be eliminated this round! The link will be at the end of the chapter and the poll will be open for a few days. Results of the poll will be announced at the end of the week with the first Bone Ceremony (not as sexy as it sounds).

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“So… yer schedule fer
today—ah, ya got Blue an’ Red up first, then later yer havin’ dinner with Pap
an’—hey, why so glum, Patches?”

Cash leaned back in
his armchair, pressing his fingers against his nasal bridge and sighing deeply.
“forgive me for bearing little enthusiasm for the notion of being auctioned off
like this.”

Twist smiled solemnly,
looking up from his clipboard and patting Cash’s shoulder affectionately. “Aw,
sweethear’, no one’s forcin’ ya ta do this. Yer the boss here—ya wanna call it
off, jus’ say the word.”

Cash gazed at the
burning logs in the hearth before him, the flames sparking and crackling.
Closing his eye, he inhaled deeply, the warm smoky scent soothing him. “no,” he
said at last. “just… who’s the dinner with?”

Twist grinned, turning
back to his clipboard. “Paps—an’ the Razzberry.”

Cash clenched his teeth,
and nodded stiffly, taking another deep breath. “right. great. fantastic.”

“An’ tomorrow mornin’
ya have Stretch an’ Edge fer breakfast,” Twist added, meeting Cash’s eye with a
smirk. “Delicious combo in my opinion.”

Cash blinked, lifting
a brow-bone. “stretch and edge? is that wise?”

Twist shrugged.
“Nah—but i’s entertainin’.”

“for whom?” Cash
muttered beneath his breath, slumping further into his armchair and leaning his
forehead against the palm of his hand.

“Slim an’ Sans fer
dinner after tha’—figured I’d let ya off easy fer the last one.” Twist knuckled
the crown of Cash’s skull, climbing off the chair’s arm. “Don’ worry,
love—you’ll knock ‘em dead.”

Cash rolled his eye,
folding his arms in contempt. “if they don’t knock me dead first.”

****

Red was the first to
arrive at Cash’s bedroom door the next morning. Surprisingly, he appeared to
have dressed for the occasion—well, inasmuch as one could expect from him. He’d
discarded his normal shorts for a pair of smart jeans, and his jacket looked as
if it might have been washed.

“heya, stash,” Red
said, giving Cash a mock-salute. “lookin’ fine.”

Cash could only nod in
response, swallowing down the nerves building in his chest. He shoved his hands
in his pockets and stared at the floor while they waited for Blue. Red seemed
unperturbed by Cash’s unresponsiveness, leaning against the doorframe and
watching him casually. After a few minutes of silence, he reached into his
pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “smoke?” he asked, offering the box
to Cash.

Cash regarded the
brand with thinly veiled contempt, but accepted the offer nonetheless. He was
feeling rather jittery, after all. Red grinned at him as he lit his cigarette,
his gaze wandering over Cash—perhaps in a more curious than sultry manner. “not
really up ta scratch fer ya, are they?” he asked, taking a long drag and
breathing smoke from his nasal aperture.

“they’re fine,” Cash
muttered, inhaling the smoke and allowing it to curl in his ribcage. He tipped
his head back and let it flow between his teeth. Already, the unsteady hum of
his magic seemed to have settled.

Both Cash and Red’s
gazes were drawn by the sound of boots echoing off the marble floors. They
looked up to see Blue walking towards them, his shoulders drawn up proudly, and
a broad smile plastered across his face. Cash noticed the expression falter as
his eyes landed on their cigarettes, but he composed himself quickly. “Cash,”
he greeted, smiling brightly as he reached them. “Red,” he added, with a
cursory nod in Red’s direction. “I apologise for keeping you waiting.”

“no big, kid,” Red
said, his eyes not leaving Cash. “we were just chattin’.”

“Were you now?” Blue’s
gaze wandered briefly to Red, before returning to settle on Cash. “Well, you’re
looking lovely, Cash. Purple really is your colour!” He reached a hand up, as
if to place it on Cash’s arm—before quickly letting it drop, reconsidering.
Cash was more than relieved.

Red sniffed, pressing
his cigarette out against the doorframe and dropping the remnants into his
pocket. “ready ta head out?” he asked Cash.

“Oh, actually—I have
something to give to you, Cash,” Blue said, beaming.

Cash blinked, taken
aback. “oh, uh…” Reaching into his inventory, Blue produced a single violet
flower, the petals long and thin. Cash felt himself flushing as Blue handed it
to him. “it’s… a flower,” he remarked.

“An iris!” Blue told
him, proudly. “It has a number of significant meanings—though in this case, I’m
giving it to you as a gift of admiration.”

Flustered, Cash
swallowed, taking the flower and staring at it as if it were a very complicated
puzzle. “a-admiration for what?”

Blue faltered, and
Cash caught Red scoffing out of the corner of his eye socket. “W-well,” Blue
said, pausing for a moment, “I suppose I do admire your… candour.” Red appeared
to be having a lot of difficulty hiding his snickers, but Blue’s smile was
fierce. “And of course—your durability!”

“my… durability?” Cash
asked, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth as Blue’s eyes widened
with realisation.

“I—I mean
your—emotional durability! Not… not physical…” He trailed off, his cheekbones
glowing. “Shall we go, then?” he asked, a little forcefully.

“sure ya don’ have any
other admirations ya’d like ta share abou’ cash’s physicality?” Red asked, his
grin wide. “aren’t ya gonna ask him what his stamina’s like?”

“No! That isn’t
necessary,” Blue said, smiling pleasantly, and quickly looping his arm around
Cash’s. He was flushing so brightly, Cash felt a little more at ease about his
own nerves—or perhaps it was the lingering effects of the cigarette smoke.
Either way, his doubts about this first date had been adequately lessened.

Their brunch passed
smoothly—though Red seemed intent on bringing up Blue’s accidental slip-up
every ten or so minutes. Cash didn’t mind though. It took some of the attention
off him, and allowed him to lie back and listen to them bickering
good-naturedly while he ate.

Blue seemed fairly
insistent on showering him with praise—some of which Cash wasn’t entirely
inclined to believe. Especially when he started gushing about Cash’s
generosity. His bright demeanour was oddly relaxing however—Cash was more than
content to let him do most of the talking.

Red was a little more
reserved, only chipping in to contribute the occasional pun (or to ask Blue
what he thought of Cash’s sex-drive). He also seemed to be having a hard time
actually looking Cash in the eye—every time their gazes met, he would quickly
look away, sometimes clearing his throat or wringing his hands together.

When they departed at
the end of the ‘date’, Red fist-bumped him—and Blue touched his teeth to the
back of Cash’s hand in a light kiss. Cash was left so flustered, he almost
forgot that he was meant to be meeting Papyrus and Razz for their dinner-date
in a few hours.

Once again, a heavy
pit of dread settled in his soul.

****

“Wealthy Me!”

Cash flinched as
Papyrus leaned in—but instead of the expected hug, he touched his teeth to
Cash’s cheekbone in a light kiss. Cash had to remind himself not to gape as
Papyrus drew away. “Ah, I can always appreciate a Papyrus who dresses well,”
Papyrus said, beaming as he glanced over Cash.

“As can I.” They
looked up to see Razz approaching. He was smiling; Cash found the expression… a
little unsettling. He hummed as he reached them, regarding Cash appreciatively.
“Well, don’t you look dashing, love—that shade of plum suits you.” He
considered for a moment, his eye sockets narrowed. “Though I daresay—I would
far prefer to see you without all those layers on.”

“Razzberry!” Papyrus
scolded. “That is no way to speak to someone before the date has even begun.”
He leaned in, lowering his voice so that only Cash could hear him. “We ought to
save that for dessert~”

Cash’s face burned
under the combined attentions of both Razz and Papyrus, and he stammered
slightly, trying to scramble for a response. Chuckling softly, Razz took his
arm, smoothing his fingers over the back of Cash’s hand. “I’m not sure you’re
quite equipped to take care of someone so deliciously impeccable, Papyrus,” he
said coolly, smirking at Papyrus.

Papyrus sniffed
primly, taking Cash’s free hand and clasping it between both of his own. “I can’t
imagine someone of Cash’s taste would lower
his standards to your extent, Razzberry,” he quipped.

Razz’s face twitched,
but he collected himself, drawing his shoulders up. “I suppose we’ll have to
let him decide for himself who possesses the finesse required to satisfy him.”
He turned to Cash, his face melting into a salacious smile. “I’m sure we can trust
that you’ll come to the right decision, precious.”

“I’m sure we can,”
Papyrus said, squeezing Cash’s arm a little tighter.

Caught between them,
Cash could only nod, squeezing his eye sockets shut for a moment to regather
his composure. “right, um… could we maybe just have dinner first?” He tugged
his arms out of their grips, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Papyrus blinked,
quickly clearing his throat and drawing away. “Of course—my apologies, Wealthy
Me. It was not my intention to bring you any discomfort.”

Cash waved him off.
“i’m sure.” He shot Razz a frown, his sockets narrowed. “can’t say i’ve ever
trusted your intentions though, short-stack.”

Razz laughed softly,
though a trace of irritation tainted the sound. “So, you’re not just a pretty
face then, beanpole?” He hummed thoughtfully, leaning in. Cash’s breath caught
as Razz’s fingers grazed the base of his spine. “I’m sure there are other
pretty things about you too~”

“l-let’s head out,”
Cash rasped, swallowing back the magic settling in his mandible. He was
grateful when Papyrus smiled at him gently—the expression was a welcome balm to
the feeling of Razz’s arm around his waist (though Cash couldn’t deny the small
part of him that flickered with excitement when Razz’s fingers crept over his
iliac crest).

Surprisingly, the
evening passed smoothly. Well. As smoothly as one might expect with Razz
present. Though he behaved himself for the most part, his fingers would often
creep over Cash’s femur or brush across his ribs or spine. And he seemed completely
aware of the effect the ministrations were having on Cash, his smile smug but
enticing. For the most part however, he didn’t cross any boundaries.

Papyrus—while not
quite as forward as Razz—was fairly flirtatious himself. His compliments were a
lot gentler however, and his smiles were sweet enough to leave Cash with a
pleasant tingle in his chest. He listened intently to Cash whenever he spoke,
and when Razz’s mouth turned a little sour, he would quickly change the subject
to something more agreeable.

At the end of the
night, Papyrus hugged Cash tightly—and strangely, it felt nice. Razz was a
little less reserved, kissing Cash’s cheek delicately, while allowing his hands
to wonder over his spine and ribs. Cash shivered beneath the touch (and it
wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling).

When he finally made
it to bed, his magic was more than a little stirred. Whether it was a result of
Papyrus’ open kindness, or Razz’s unadulterated flirting—Cash couldn’t be entirely
certain.

****

When Cash emerged from
his room the next morning, Stretch and Edge were waiting for him on the landing
above the stairs. They were speaking in hushed voices, but glanced up when he
appeared. Stretch’s face broke out into a smile. “morning, patches.”

Cash blinked,
surprised (and a little suspicious) at Stretch’s use of Twist’s nickname for
him. But he nodded in response. “stretch—edgelord.” Edge offered him a
courteous tilt of his head, his features stiffly neutral.

Cash swallowed,
glancing between them. In truth, this was probably the date he’d been the most
doubtful of. It was common knowledge among the skeletons that Stretch and Edge
shared… a special sort of bond (though neither of them would ever admit to such
a thing). Amidst their banter was a hidden spark, and Cash couldn’t help but
feel that he was intruding upon something very personal.

His misgivings were
almost immediately dispelled however, when Stretch approached him and took his
hand. His smile was unwaveringly sweet, and the glow of magic on his cheekbones
revealed a trace of his own nervousness. The knowledge that he wasn’t the only
one with doubts calmed Cash considerably. He allowed Stretch to link their
fingers together, going so far as to return Stretch’s gentle squeeze of
reassurance.

Edge… was a somewhat
different matter. He hesitated before approaching them, and glanced down at
Cash’s hand with uncertainty. His eyes darted to Stretch—almost as if on
instinct. “don’t worry, edgelord—i’m sure he washed his hands this morning,”
Stretch teased, smirking at Edge.

Edge narrowed his eye
sockets at Stretch dully, before watching Cash carefully. “Do you mind if I…”
He cleared his throat, looking flustered.

“go for it, edgelord,”
Cash said, amused by Edge’s awkwardness. “i promise not to get too handsy with
you.”

With a put-upon sigh,
Edge rolled his eyes and took Cash’s hand. “I can assure you, if you do—you’ll
be leaving with fewer fingers than you arrived with,” he warned, though the
threat was fairly lacklustre.

Stretch glanced at
Edge as the descended the stairs, lifting a brow-bone. “well, it would be a shame
to waste such talented fingers…” Bringing Cash’s hand to his teeth, he kissed
it lightly.

Cash regarded him
evenly, then carefully pried his hand from Stretch’s grasp, cupping his jaw
instead. “impress me, and i might even let you sample them,” he purred. A light
dusting of gold coloured Stretch’s cheekbones. He quickly ducked his head and
shoved his hands in his pockets, but Cash caught a glimpse of a small grin
slowly spreading across his face.

“If you two want to
fuck after the first date—by all means, be my guest. Just don’t include me,”
Edge said, crisply.

Stretch tilted his
head. “are you sure you don’t want us to extend the invitation?” he questioned,
his smile widening as Edge flushed lightly.

“Positive,” Edge
muttered, releasing Cash’s hand and turning away. Cash didn’t miss the faint glow
of red on his face.

“don’t worry, edgelord—there
will be no fucking after the first date,” he said, holding Stretch with a firm
stare.

Stretch seemed
undeterred, leaning in to whisper, “during, then?”

Cash rolled his eye,
but conceded a small smile.

Twist had booked them
into a quaint breakfast parlour overlooking the gardens of Cash’s estate. When
they arrived, Cash was surprised by how close Edge and Stretch sat to him—he
was practically wedged between them. Neither of them acknowledged the fact
however, very studiously observing their menus.

Flustered, Cash tried
to focus on what to order, but found himself constantly distracted by the
gentle brush of Stretch’s fingers over his hand, and the way Edge would
occasionally nudge against him with his shoulder. While Cash was certain Stretch
was more than aware of what he was doing—he wasn’t entirely sure Edge’s
movements were intentional.

It was only when
Stretch leaned in close to whisper, “you look very pretty when you blush,”
against Cash’s acoustic meatus, that Edge’s gaze snapped up.

“Oh stop flirting and
pay attention to the date, you two,” he chided. Stretch snorted, and Cash
caught sight of the corners of Edge’s mouth twitching upward, his eyes
flickering to Stretch.

There was no chance
they hadn’t planned this, Cash decided.

When they parted ways,
Stretch hugged Cash gently. His soft scent flooded Cash’s senses, and Cash
found himself involuntarily leaning into his arms. Edge held back, looking a
little stiff. But his rare smile was enough to illicit a pleasant glow on
Cash’s cheekbones. He returned to his quarters with a warm feeling in his
chest, and a tingle of elation in his bones.

****

“hey, pal, why so
tense?” Sans asked, eyeing Cash.

Cash swallowed
thickly, wringing his hands together. “i’m not tense,” he said, a little
sharply. Sans regarded him dubiously and he sighed in concession. “i’m just…
feeling kinda worn out.”

Sans grinned, lifting
a brow-bone. “yeah? so who was it? my cash is on the edgelord—” He broke off,
stifling a snort in his sleeve. “heh. sorry. bad joke.”

Cash surveyed him
dryly, folding his arms. “you mistake me for someone without dignity,” he said,
tersely.

“ain’t nothing
undignified about putting out on the first date,” Sans told him. “though tibia
honest—” Cash rolled his eye-light “—you don’t really seem the type. so what’s
eating you—if not edge?”

Cash was quiet for a
moment, staring idly at the floor. Then, with a tired sigh, he tipped his head
back, closing his eye. “dating isn’t really my forte,” he admitted. “i’d rather
let you all fuck me and give the money to whoever lasts the longest.”

Sans snickered. “sure
there are some us who’d find that agreeable.” He looked over Cash’s shoulder,
and his smile softened. “think you might find that others are worth the
trouble.”

Cash followed his
gaze, and his soul fluttered as he saw Slim approaching. Slim smiled as his
eyes found Cash, and he dipped his head, a pale amber flush rising to his
cheekbones. “hey,” he murmured.

“sup, bud?” Sans said,
grinning. “you’re looking nice.”

Slim blushed harder,
stammering his thanks. His eyes wandered to Cash, but dropped quickly when he
saw that Cash was watching him. Cash caught Sans eyeing him deliberately, and
he quickly cleared his throat. “uh. yeah. very nice.” He hurriedly averted his
gaze, burying his hands in his pockets and allowing his shoulders to slump.

“th-thank you,” Slim
said, softly. Cash’s soul gave a pleasant clench, and a glimmer of a smile
tugged at his mouth.

“you boneheads ready
to skeledaddle?” Sans asked. Slim nodded, his eyes darting to Cash, who quickly
heaved himself from the doorframe.

“yeah. let’s head
out,” he said, his voice tight with nerves. He was surprised when Sans linked
their arms, grinning up at him casually. Cash narrowed his eye socket
suspiciously, and Sans’ gaze flickered to Slim before returning to Cash,
brow-bones lifted. Cash glanced at Slim, clearing his throat. “do you, um…?” He
held out his hand, fingers trembling.

Slim regarded it,
blinking. “oh, i…w-what?” He looked flustered, clasping his hands in front of
him and twisting them together.

“he wants to know if
you wanna hold his hand,” Sans stated loudly. Cash gave him a sharp look, magic
rising to his cheekbones. He quickly turned back to Slim, who was looking
extremely awkward, his eye sockets squeezed shut and his cheekbones all but
alight.

“you—don’t have to,”
Cash said quickly.

“do you… want me to?”
Slim asked carefully.

Cash gawked, his words
sticking in his throat. “w-well. i—i, uh…”

Leaning across Cash to
regard Slim, Sans whispered, “he does.”

Frustrated, Cash
yanked his arm from Sans’ grip, earning him a broad grin. “s-sorry,” he
stammered, looking at Slim. “it’s—it’s a juvenile tradition. there’s no need
to—” A small noise of surprise escaped him as Slim linked their hands together.

“it’s… not so bad,”
Slim whispered, something a little mischievous dancing in his eyes. Seeming to
realise himself, he quickly averted his gaze.

Cash felt frozen, his
soul thumping furiously in his ribcage. Seeing Sans’ thinly veiled look of
amusement, he quickly composed himself, drawing his shoulders up. “right. if
that’s what you want then… i won’t stop you.” Decisively, he took a hold of
Sans’ hand and guided them towards the stairs. “let’s just… get this over
with.”

Cash ignored the
twinge of guilt he felt as Slim’s smile faded.

The date passed
without hitch—and it occurred to Cash that Twist had been a lot more strategic
with his pairings than Cash had originally considered. Slim wasn’t particularly
talkative—and Cash could make no claim to being an expert conversationalist
himself—but Sans easily filled the silence with idle banter and the odd pun.

Cash was grateful for
the distraction. He seemed to be having a significant amount of difficulty
looking at Slim directly—talking was virtually impossible. A few times, he
caught Slim looking at him. But as soon as their gazes met, Slim would
hurriedly duck his head.

When their date drew
to a close, Cash couldn’t decide whether to be disappointed or relieved. While
spending time with Sans and Slim was… not unpleasant—he wasn’t confident in his
ability to withstand his own anxieties much longer.

Sans shot Cash a
departing grin and nod outside his room, before leaving him alone with Slim.
For a few seconds, silence ticked between them. Cash could feel his soul
pumping erratically. He was grateful when Slim broke the silence by saying,
“thanks, cash. that—it was… nice.”

Cash willed himself to
suppress the blush that threatened to colour his cheekbones, offering Slim a
tight nod. “yeah. it’s—it’s fine.” He sniffed, straightening his jacket.
“well—goodnight,” he said hastily, hurrying into his room before Slim could
respond.

Leaning against the
door, he exhaled. His mind felt static with nerves and excitement. He was
proud, at least, that he’d managed to get through the first week’s dates.
Dropping back onto his soft mattress, he closed his eye socket, inhaling
slowly.

His brief, peaceful
daze was broken by the sudden, insistent buzzing of his phone. He clenched his
teeth as he saw who the caller was, answering with a huff. “what is it,
twisted?”

“Patches! How was th’
last date? Ya have fun with the Pup?”

Sighing, Cash sat up,
propping himself up against the headboard. “sans and slim were both adequate
companions,” he said monotonously. He ignored Twist’s soft snickers.

“I’m sure. So, ya
ready ta make yer first decision?”

Cash stiffened. “you
mean…?”

“Gotta pick someone ta
eliminate,” Twist told him. “Got anyone in mind?”

“i…” Cash considered,
his brow creasing.

“Sleep on it.
Ceremony’s tomorrow.” Twist was silent for a moment. Then—“Any definitely
stayin’?”

Cash pinched his nasal
bridge, slumping against his bed’s comfy cushions. “can you let me sleep,
twisted? i’m tired.”

“Aw, Patches—c’mon.
Jus’ between us—who’d ya like the most? Any a’ them boyfrien’ material? Any a’
them bedr—”

Cash hung up, dropping
his phone on the bed beside him and letting his eye socket drift closed. Though
at first he’d assumed this would be the easy part—the prospect of eliminating
someone now seemed rather daunting now. The dates had been… tolerable. Perhaps
even pleasant—which was something he hadn’t been anticipating. It had been nice
to feel… wanted.

He quickly reminded
himself that the only reason he was wanted was because of the reward that
accompanied spending time with him.

Still. It had been
nice. Cash was almost reluctant to let any of them go.

Almost. He did have
someone in mind…

It’s time to cast your votes!

Click here to pick who Cash eliminates in the first round.