It’s close to sundown by the time you finish packing. Faust is waiting at the dining table, chewing on a leftover muffin from work as he waits for you to wrap things up. There's a thin thread of tension present in the kitchen, threatening to break if someone didn't speak up soon.
“Where are we going?” he asks, taking another bite of his snack.
You feel your eyes burn at the sound of his voice. It was unbelievable to you that a seven year old was this determined to moving forward. The day after Jessie broke into your room, you had sat by his side to ask if he needed to talk, yet all you got from him was a smile and a question over your own well-being instead. You wanted to talk with him about that subject again, but you weren't sure how to bring it up anymore without hesitating or without the possibility of scaring Faust out of his determination.
”We’re going to stay at a hotel for now.”
”Mettaton’s hotel?”
Your grip on one of the suitcases freezes when you hear him say that. Frowning, you wonder how good he is at eavesdropping and how far his hearing can go. You had been quieter than normal during the phone call in hopes of making him less suspicious of your conversation.
”No,” you reply, taking hold of your luggage. “I’ll have to talk with him first.”
Your voice breaks when you say that, thoughts becoming overwhelming when you make memory of all the things you’d faced in such a short time. You clear your throat and breathe through your nose, looking up at the ceiling to prevent yourself from shedding any tears. It felt like a monkey paw situation: you couldn’t obtain Faust’s custody without sacrificing something else for it. You still couldn’t bear to think about Sans and the ankle monitor restraining his freedom, nor about Jessie doing the least thing you expected them to do after your time together: break into your home, and do more than just threaten you. If it weren’t for the place you were still residing in, you would’ve called it a day by throwing yourself in bed.
”Now let's get going,” you add, slinging a backpack over your shoulder. Faust helps carry two backpacks while you carry on with both suitcases. “We have to get going before it gets too dark out.”
The words that left your mouth were incomprehensible even to you. The you from a year ago would’ve laughed and felt ashamed at the thought of you being fearful of someone else. You used to work late night shifts and face people -- both monster and human -- no matter their size. That confidence went away after your divorce and disappeared almost entirely during the long time trying to fight for your right of having custody over Faust.
★
Your face drains of life when you see Mettaton waiting for you, his back leaning against a sleek black car. Catching your eye, he waves and winks when you stare for too long.
”Can’t fault you for staring,” he comments, propping a leg over the other once he sits on the hood of his car. “Dear Alphys’s been updating my features since the last time we met.”
He wasn’t lying -- You could say that much by the lustrous shine of his metallic body and how life-like his hair was now. His once pale face now carried a tint of rose on his cheeks, making him look much more lively to your eyes. As if that wasn't enough, his voice was less compressed, and the only thing that gave out at him being a robot was the metallic echo that followed after every pause he gave with his words. You gulp and fumble with the handle of your suitcase, unable to stare at anybody or anything but him.
”What are you waiting for, sweetheart? Sans sent me to give you a ride for a reason.”
“Thank you, but. . .” You sigh, pain crossing your forehead. “I really can’t ask that of you.”
Mettaton smiles at your response, eyebrows furrowed as he props himself up and away from the car. “I did my wrong and was judged fairly for it -- I don’t blame you for doing your job. Maybe we both walked away from each other on a sour note, but there’s no harm in trying to make amends.”
“I still can’t accept this,” you insist, looking away.
“Think of doing it for your son, then,” Mettaton persists, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not safe for you to be picking a random hotel at this hour. Don’t deny him of this opportunity.”
You look down at Faust to see him staring back at you, round eyes almost shining as he waits for you to say something. He seems impatient by how he chooses to stare at you, then at the suitcase, and finally at the car waiting for you. It was surreal to think the monster was looking forward to patching things up between you regardless of how rocky the path was.
“Alright,” you breathe out, passing a hand against the back of your neck. There’s points of tension present all around your shoulders. “Only for a while.”
Satisfied by your response, Mettaton smiles at you and then at Faust. He leaves the car be and approaches Faust’s side, helping him with the luggage. The two start up a conversation almost instantly, the excitement in your son’s voice and expression incomparable to any other. You wondered how he managed to get along with people that easily.
You don’t have much time to think further than that, seeing the two already making their way to the car. Faust is holding onto one backpack while Mettaton helps by carrying the other remaining bag and one of the three suitcases left at the entrance of your home. Left with no other options, you carry the baggage left beside you, propping them up and using the strength of your arms to carry them without needing to use the wheels. Mettaton waits until you make it to the car for him to take your luggage and set it in the trunk. You assure him you can do it on your own, but he insists on lending a hand out to you. Smiling, the robot tells Faust to sit at the back while you work together with him.
“Let’s get to know each other from here, alright?”
You're surprised to see him reach out a hand for you, the other busy keeping the trunk’s hood up as he looks straight at you. The smile on his face eases out your feelings toward the situation, making it a bit easier for you to grab his hand in yours. “Alright,” you reply, shaking hands with the robot. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Mettaton returns your gesture and closes the trunk of the car. He invites you to sit at the front passenger seat and sits down after you, starting the car after he pulls the key from a little slot at his hip meant to imitate a jean’s pockets. The car starts with a roar, much different in comparison to your car -- or at the very least, what was now left of it.
”Buckle up,” he exclaims, grabbing onto the steering wheel. “I’ve got a staff meeting at nine!”
With that, he zooms out of your old home and drives past the highway. How this was any safer for Faust was beyond you, though that thought fades when you see Faust’s excitement and Mettaton’s eyes focused sharply on the road in front of him.
You feel safer after that observation and shake your worries away, excitement of your own rising when the monster lowers the car’s windows to let air hit your face. He does so when he exits the highway, the scent of fresher air and freshly cut grass welcoming your nose. You arrive at the hotel barely half an hour later, the speed of the ride and the mileage of the vehicle shortening the distance by three.
Mettaton parks the car at a parking spot labeled with the word ‘reserved’ and turns the engine off, giving you time to look at your new surroundings from where you stood. “Feel free to look around -- This place is my pride and joy. It’s not easy building up a business from scratch again.” Grinning, he fixes his hair and laughs when he sees Faust doing the same.
”I will,” you speak up, nodding in respect. “Thank you, Mettaton. . . Do you have a last name or title I should call you by?”
“Just Metatton’s fine,” he replies, winking at you. “Though I wouldn’t mind being called ‘handsome’ every now and then.”
A laugh bursts through your mouth at that, but you cover up with a cough and settle for a friendly grin. You look away to see Faust already out of the car and ready to take out the luggage from the trunk. The sight of him looking and acting hopeful makes the situation and every other worry you had going on in your mind a lot easier for you to cope with.
If he was marching forward without faltering, you were going to do the same.
CITEȘTI
Save Point (Sans x Reader)
Fanfiction(Sans × Gender-Neutral! Parent! Reader || Slow Burn) Moving from a backwater town to a city bustling with human and monsterfolk alike, some things begin to change both for the better and the worse. What was left behind comes back to bite at you in t...
