Really Tempting Me To Draw More Based Off Of This Idea Hehehehe - Tumblr Posts

Can I just say reading this made my day! Goodness I can get silly in the tags but I never knew how much I'd enjoy reading a fic based around being found by Papyrus as a chihuahua, hahahah. Love that this actually provides a fun twist to the situation with being a witch and that makes this much more of a wild ride and joy to read!

Good Girl Needs Kiss

AO3 link for those who prefer to read fics there.

I'm supposed to be taking a break from writing. I was just going to post the Dream&Nightmare brotherly bonding oneshot I had just finished (which will now have to wait until I've finished this nonsense), and take a break. But this post by @a-snowpoff popped up on my dash, and the tags immediately gave me this ridiculous idea for a fic, which demanded to be written. So here we are, with my latest mistake.

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Chapter 1 : A Doggone Disaster

This entire mess started with a simple, innocent wish, as do most of my bad ideas. I just wanted to be able to communicate with animals, so that I could finally have a proper conversation with my black cat familiar, Midnight. Now don’t get me wrong, I could understand Middy about as well as any cat owner could understand their pet, but my little furball and I had a special connection, as a witch and her familiar! We should be closer than your average pet and their owner! I wanted to be able to ask him why he kept leaving dead mice in my slippers, or why he sometimes stared unblinkingly at the ceiling, when there was nothing there besides cobwebs, or why he’d suddenly start yowling in the middle of the night. And, you know, actually receive a proper answer for once. Did he think my slippers were tiny cauldrons he could use? Were the spiders gossiping about me behind my back? Was he chatting up the local ghosts? I had to know!

So, I did the natural thing, and brewed a potion for understanding animals. Simple. But then I wondered about the potency of the spell. How strong was this ability it would grant me? Would I be able to understand all animals, or only some? It would be awful if it was the former. I didn’t want to be able to hear every single creature that creeped and crawled in my lovely little witch’s cottage, after all. And I definitely didn’t want to listen to the animals getting it on in my backyard, especially not those horny foxes, I heard them enough as it was. So then, how to narrow the effect down? And then it hit me. A love-based enchantment! With that, I would be able to tailor the effects of the spell, to only work on those whom I had especially strong feelings for. Genius. What could possibly go wrong?

What I had failed to take into account, however, was one tiny, crucial detail: I was an utter dumbass , who’d never gotten a single spell right on the first try, and whose magical endeavours were more miss than hit. In my defence, most of my screw-ups were entirely fixable, with the consequences being, at worst, a tad... explodey. Nothing I couldn’t work around or reverse. I would be fine , I told myself, surely .

And so, it was with all the confidence of someone who really should know better, that I downed my smoking, puce-coloured concoction, choking down the thick, goopy mixture, while reflexively supressing the urge to gag, and waited, eagerly, for the magic to kick in. It took a couple of seconds, but then, with a * poof* , my world erupted into smoke. It took a while for my coughing to die down, as the smoke cleared away, but eventually I opened my eyes.

Why was everything so big?

Looking around, I noticed how gigantic my home appeared, as if it’d grown a dozen sizes. Wait a minute . A dreadful thought hit me. What if everything around me hadn’t grown , but instead, I’ d shrunk . Fuck. I looked down at myself. Double fuck. What I saw were two fluffy paws. Not hands. Not feet. Paws . Trying to turn around, I stumbled, losing my balance, and fell over, landing in a mass of soft fabric. It took me a little while to realise that those were my official witch robes. I’d become so small, that my clothes no longer fit me. I was completely naked, on top of being much shorter and fluffier than normal. Lovely.

It took a lot of stumbling, shuffling and tripping, but I eventually managed to coordinate all of my limbs enough to make my way over to my floor-length mirror. My jaw dropped at the image which greeted me.

I was a dog.

And not just any dog. A chihuahua . Well, fuck me .

It’s not that I hated dogs, per se, but being a self-respecting witch, I obviously preferred cats. I did get on quite well with my local wolf pack, but that was about it. And now I’d managed to turn myself into a dog. No, a chihuahua . Those nasty, yappy little blighters some weird women liked to carry around in their purses and dress up in ridiculous outfits. Why couldn’t I have been a husky, or a German Shepherd, or something a little more dignified, and a little less... this ? Urgh...

A dark shadow fell over me. Startled, I looked up and realised that Midnight had managed to sneak up on me, without my notice.

“You stealthy bugger, this is all your fault!” I told him.

Or at least, I tried to. But all that came out of my mouth were several high-pitched barks. Oh right, I’m a dog now. Midnight tilted his head at me, studying me with the same intense look of curiosity he wore when examining some new toy I’d gotten for him. He sniffed me, his long whiskers tickling my face and making my nose twitch, then meowed at me. I stared at him. No. No, it couldn’t be. I couldn’t have screwed up this badly! He meowed again. Oh. My. Stars .

I howled (literally) in rage, as I realised that, not only had I been transformed into a dog, not only was I a fucking chihuahua of all things, but I still could not understand a single damn thing my cat was saying! All that work, all those ingredients, all this humiliation and inconvenience I was currently suffering! It was all for nothing ! Could this debacle get any worse?!

As if to answer my hypothetical question, and add salt to my proverbial wounds, Midnight turned his back to me and sauntered away, his long, black tail waving in the air, as if to bid me goodbye. Traitor! Don’t abandon me when I’m at my lowest! We’re supposed to be partners! Come back heeeeere! But my heartless bastard of a cat merely leapt through an open window, with all the grace and agility my clumsy, canine body could only dream of, and disappeared from view. I was officially alone.

Well, fine. Fine , then. I didn’t need anyone. I could fix this, on my own. I was a big girl and a competent witch, right? Wrong , my mind whispered, but I promptly shoved that unhelpful thought aside, and focused on trying to find a solution to my current predicament. First things first, what went wrong? As I pondered that question, I thought back to the lessons my mother, a famed sorceress in her own right, had taught me as a child. All spells were inherently tricky, she would say, no matter how simple they seemed, and it was best to never overcomplicate them, as any number of things could affect a spell’s outcome.

So, perhaps some of the ingredients hadn’t reacted the way I’d expected? Was it the eye of newt that was the problem? Or did I put in too much bat saliva? Maybe I should’ve added some extra frogspawn, to stabilise the mixture a bit more? Hmmm... Oh! I suddenly remembered how my mother had advised me to avoid combining different magical mediums, as it was always difficult to predict how they’d interact with each other, even if their normal effects seemed very straightforward. I guess I shouldn’t have added that enchantment to my potion. Oops. To be fair, my mother did it all the time, but then again, she was an experienced witch and master spellcaster, while I was... not. Yet , at least. But someday, I would be! If I ever managed to return to human form, that is.

I sighed, feeling my ears droop and my tail lower to the floor. But I didn’t allow myself to wallow in self-pity for too long, as I soon pulled myself together and shook my head, my entire body following suit. Okay, think . How do I undo the spell? Well, enchantments were generally easier to break than trying to reverse a potion’s effects, every witch knew that, so I should try to figure out how to do that . The enchantment I’d placed on the potion was based on feelings of love. So perhaps it was those same feelings of love which would break the spell? An idea started to form in my mind.

What about true love’s kiss?

That broke most curses, after all, and what was a curse if not a malicious enchantment? And love was the most powerful magic in the world, with a kiss from one’s true love being the single most effective cure to most unwanted spells. I nodded my head decisively, my overlarge ears flapping with the motion. Love got me into this mess, so love would get me out of it! There was only one problem. I didn’t have a true love.

Being a witch was a full-time job, after all, and a mysterious and often dangerous one at that, with many unforeseen consequences. Case in point: me. A dog. The point was, I hadn’t had the chance to get out much and socialise with the general populace, and hadn’t been on many (read: any) dates. So, I would need to find someone to fall in love with me and give me a kiss. I looked down at my very fluffy paws. While being a dog, I mentally added. How the hell was I supposed to get someone to fall for me as a chihuahua?

I bit my lip, or rather, I tried to, and just ended up baring my teeth in a growl. Well... Maybe it didn’t have to be romantic love? I did specify my platonic love for my cat, when creating the enchantment, so maybe that same, warm, fuzzy adoration for one’s pet would be enough to break the spell? I dearly hoped so. It was either that, or find a zoophile, and I really wasn’t too keen on the latter. So, I needed to find a shmuck- uh, I meant, a kind soul who loved dogs, and who would take one look at my, erm, cute , tiny, fluffy self, and love me enough to kiss me. And then, poof! I’d be back to normal! Easy peasy.

I grinned as best as my doggy mouth would allow me (which probably still just looked like a grimace). What a foolproof plan! All I needed to do was to put it into action. And the best place to find a dog lover, was the dog park. With my tail automatically starting to wag, and consequently shaking my entire body, given how tiny I was, I got to my feet, uh, paws, and made the long, arduous trek to the nearest dog park.

~~~

It took me the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, as I slowly got used to walking on all fours, but eventually I arrived at my destination. The change in my body was more apparent than ever, as a tidal wave of intense and unfamiliar scents assailed my now incredibly sensitive nose. I stood, frozen in place, as my brain went into overdrive trying to process all these new smells. I hadn’t been this overwhelmed since the first time I entered my mother’s study as a child, and discovered all of her mysterious and mystifying arcane instruments, and all of her ancient tomes filled with esoteric knowledge.

As I stared out at the wide expanse of grass in front of me, and all of the people walking and running around, playing with their pooches, I realised that I could still see the same variety of colour as I could as a human. It seemed that I hadn’t acquired dogs’ dichromatic vision along with their keen sense of smell. Thank my guardian stars for small mercies...

Just then, a flash of white bone crossed my field of vision and something in my doggy brain pinged . Before I realised what was happening, I was already running at full speed towards it and, once I was near enough, I launched myself into the air, jaws wide open and closed them around the hard, white osseous matter.

“YOWCH!!!”

I barely had time to process that almost earsplittingly loud exclamation of pain, before gigantic hands came around my body and firmly yanked me off of the bone I’d just bitten into. Those hands then carried me up, up, up into the air and came to a stop in front of a skull. Said skull proceeded to glare at me, in a way human skulls definitely couldn’t , and started talking.

“YOU MALEVOLENT MUTT! I KNOW THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM IRRESISTIBLE. HOWEVER! MY BONES ARE NOT FOR EATING!! SO IN FUTURE, PLEASE DEVOUR ME WITH YOUR EYES! AND NOT WITH YOUR MOUTH!!”

As his abnormally loud voice washed over me, the realisation dawned on me, then, that I’d just bitten a skeleton monster. Like some rabid animal . How utterly mortifying... Without conscious thought, my ears drooped down, flattening themselves against my head, and my tail tucked itself between my legs. I could feel my eyes widening and my body trembling, as the most pathetic, high-pitched whimpers I’d ever heard, escaped my mouth.

The monster’s expression visibly softened, against all laws of skeletal anatomy, and he sighed heavily, despite being a literal skeleton. Monsters were honestly fascinating , maybe I could persuade this one to let me examine him in the future. Once I’d returned to normal, of course. Ignorant of my inner thoughts, the monster lowered me back to the ground, and gently pet my head.

“OH, NEVER MIND, LITTLE ONE,” he smiled brightly at me, the sunshine glinting off of his pearly white teeth. “I FORGIVE YOU! I AM AN UNDERSTANDING SKELETON, AFTER ALL. I’M SURE THAT YOU DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT ME. YOU OBVIOUSLY COULDN’T CONTROL YOUR URGE TO HAVE A TASTE, WHEN PRESENTED WITH SUCH FINE BONES! I UNDERSTAND! BUT PLEASE!! BE A BIT MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE, OKIE DOKIE?”

And with that, he gave me another few gentle pats to my head, causing my tail to instinctually start wagging wildly, shaking my whole body with the force of the motion, and he stood up. As he walked away, I felt compelled to chase after him. Some primal part of me recognised a kind heart when it saw it, and wanted more of this nice stranger’s wonderful head pats. If the skeleton monster, Papyrus as he’d called himself, noticed me, he gave no indication, continuing his march through the park at a brisk pace, and swivelling his skull around as if searching for something or someone.

After what I estimated was about ten minutes of trailing along behind him, I started to slow down, my limbs growing unbearably heavy and my muscles aching, as my exhaustion from the day’s events finally caught up with me. Coming to a halt, I collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily, and watched Papyrus’s form get further and further away from me. Distress gripped my heart. No! Please don’t go! Don’t leave me! I cried out to his retreating back, and sharp, keening wails filled the air in place of words.

Papyrus froze, before swiftly turning around and marching right back to me. Stopping in front of my prone, tired body, he crouched down to caress my fur with long, gentle strokes.

“WHAT’S THE MATTER, FRIEND?” my ears perked up at the name, and at the warm tone of his voice. My tail began to wag, though much more sluggishly than before, and Papyrus smiled down at me. “YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING ME FOR A WHILE NOW. DO YOU WISH TO JOIN ME AND HELP ME SEARCH FOR MY OWN, LOST DOG? HE’S RUN OFF, AGAIN , THAT PERNICIOUS PUP! AND I’M LOOKING FOR HIM. I WOULD APPRECIATE THE COMPANY.”

Yes! I very much would like to join you! I wanted to tell him, but my delighted barks and yips conveyed my meaning well enough. Papyrus seemed to take them for the affirmation that they were, and stood up, looking down at me with a warmth that made my tail wag.

“GOOD GIRL, YOU’RE JUST LOST AREN’T YOU?” he asked me, tone soft and pitying.

He wasn’t wrong, though not in the way he meant it. I weakly tried to stand up, to walk with him once more, but my tired legs could no longer support my body, and I slumped back to the ground. Papyrus frowned down at me, his expression worried.

“OH NO! ARE YOU TIRED, GIRL?”

Without waiting for a response, not that I could really offer one in my state, the tall skeleton picked me up again and tucked me into the crook of the arm not holding a leash. Immediately, I was surrounded by the smell of snow and... spaghetti? It was oddly pleasant, and so comforting, soothing my soul like the greatest calming draught in the world. I snuggled closer into his hold, woofing softly in relief. Satisfied that I was secure and comfortable, Papyrus resumed his search.

From such a high vantage point (goodness, he really was tall, wasn’t he?), I could see far into the distance, though I tried my best not to look down. The height really was dizzying. Being this close to Papyrus, I could hear him grumble to himself.

“I BET THAT MEDDLING CANINE FOUND A STASH OF DOG SLIME TO ROLL AROUND IN!! THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD TIME THIS WEEK! JUST HOW MANY BATHS DO I NEED TO GIVE ONE DOG IN A WEEK…”

He then peered down at me, giving me a considering look. I yipped in his arms, my tongue sticking out as my tail wagged at the attention. Ah crap, these doggy instincts were getting stronger...

“CERTAINLY YOU’D KEEP CLEAN IF I BATHED YOU,” he continued to think aloud.

Well of course I would! Dog slime is not for rolling around in! It’s for adding to witchy brews, to curse someone with the compulsion to chase squirrels and bark at strangers! I huffed at him, offended at the very idea of doing such a thing, and something about my expression or my demeanour must have tickled his funny bone, because he tilted his skull back and laughed.

“NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE YOU WOULD! YOU’RE A GOOD GIRL, AREN’T YOU?”

I am! I barked out, feeling proud of myself, inexplicably. Blessed stars, I really have turned into a dog, haven’t I? Hopefully these canine thoughts don’t get any worse. I prayed that the effects of my botched spell were entirely reversible...

After almost an hour of fruitless searching, Papyrus came to a stop, sighing loudly and slumping his shoulders.

“NYOO HOO HOO... DESPITE MY VERY BEST EFFORTS, I HAVE FAILED TO FIND MY DOG... AND IT IS GETTING LATE. I NEED TO RETURN HOME AND PREPARE DINNER. I CANNOT LET MY BROTHER STARVE, BECAUSE OF MY TARDINESS!! I SHALL RETURN HOME, COOK DINNER, AND THEN RETURN TO CONTINUE MY SEARCH! AND I WON’T STOP LOOKING UNTIL I’VE FOUND THAT DOG! EVEN IF IT TAKES ME ALL NIGHT!!”

Papyrus looked really fired up, sparks of light shining in his dark eye sockets, as he clenched the fist not holding me. Then, he glanced down at me, his brows furrowing fretfully.

“AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, LITTLE LADY?” he asked, as if I could answer him. “DO YOU HAVE A HOME TO RETURN TO? A KIND AND LOVING FAMILY THAT IS MISSING YOU RIGHT NOW?”

At that, I thought back to Midnight, and how he’d left me, all on my own, without so much as a backward glance. I complained aloud. I should’ve gotten a toad, instead, or an owl! Those would be more loyal. Less cuddly, though... I miss my kitty ...

Papyrus must’ve taken my shrill, puppy whines as an admission of loneliness, for he quickly cuddled my body closer to his, running one phalange through my fur and scratching me under my chin. Oh. That felt rather nice, actually. Yes, more of that please .

“IT’S ALRIGHT, TINY MISS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS ,  SHALL BE YOUR FRIEND!! YOU MAY STAY WITH MY BROTHER AND I FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE! I PROMISE TO CARE FOR YOU JUST AS WELL AS I DO WITH MY OTHER DOG! AND MAYBE YOU COULD TEACH HIM A FEW MANNERS ALONG THE WAY...”

I most certainly could! I’m very polite, I’ll have you know, and am very well-mannered! Just ask the bats living in my roof.

Papyrus beamed at my excited barking, taking in my wagging tail with delight, his eye sockets lighting up once more.

“WOWIE!! I HAVE MADE ANOTHER CANINE FRIEND! AND HOPEFULLY ONE WHO WON’T STEAL MY SPECIAL ATTACKS!”

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but I gave him another happy bark anyway. He beamed even harder, letting out another loud “nyeh heh heh”, and took off again, with long, decisive steps, towards the car park. When we arrived, Papyrus came to an abrupt halt in front of a sleek, bright red convertible, where a small, white dog was sitting in the passenger’s seat.

“YOU!! HAVE BEEN HERE!! ALL THIS TIME?!?!”

Papyrus stamped his foot angrily, while the white dog only wagged his tail and gave a few high-pitched yips. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the dog looked almost smug. The dog seemed to take notice of me and leaned forwards eagerly, barking excitedly and wagging his tail harder. Papyrus stopped fuming, then, and held me out towards the other dog, who proceeded to start sniffing me curiously.

“LOOK!! I HAVE FOUND US ANOTHER FRIEND! SHE’LL BE LIVING WITH US FROM NOW ON, SO BE GOOD, OKAY?”

The little white dog barked again, which Papyrus seemed to take as agreement, if his pleased “nyeh heh heh” was anything to go by. He carefully placed me next to the white dog, and rounded the car to take the driver’s seat. As Papyrus started up the car and drove us out of the dog park, my canine companion had clearly decided that I was sufficiently friend-shaped, as he then did his level best to completely cover me in dog slobber. It reminded me of that time a client had asked me to commune with the spirit of her recently deceased wife, who’d then gone on to nearly drown me in ghostly ectoplasm, because I’d misread the incantation, and caused the spirit to believe I was trying to flirt with her, in front of her widow. Ah, good times...

~~~

By the time Papyrus parked his car in front of a large, two-story house, the sun had well and truly set. Exiting his car, the skeleton monster reached over and plucked me out of my seat, cradling me in his arms once more, while the white dog chose to make his escape, leaping out of his seat and dashing through the small dog flap installed in the front door. Papyrus paid him no mind, and made his way into his home, kicking open the door with one foot and loudly announcing his arrival.

“SANS!!! I’M HOME!! AND I’VE BROUGHT A NEW FRIEND!!”

A skull, rounder than Papyrus’s, peaked out from the couch, grinning widely at us.

“oh really? heh, good for you, bro,” his voice was lower and deeper than the taller skeleton’s, and his eyelights looked around for a second, before zeroing in on me when Papyrus held me out in front of him.

“I FOUND THIS SWEET, LITTLE LADY AT THE DOG PARK. SHE WAS NICE ENOUGH TO HELP ME LOOK FOR THAT MISCHIEVOUS PUP WHEN HE RAN OFF, SO I’VE OFFERED TO LET HER STAY WITH US, SINCE SHE HAS NOWHERE TO GO.”

I gave a little woof, putting on my best innocent little angel face, but I wasn’t sure how well that translated on my new chihuahua face. I hoped I wasn’t grimacing like some demented gremlin. But Sans’s grin widened and his eye sockets crinkled at the edges, as he stared at Papyrus’s proud smile.

“that sure was kind of ya, pap. you’re so cool,” his tone was sincere and there was genuine affection in both his expression and his voice. It was clear to me that these two (brothers, right?) were very close. Papyrus did his “nyeh heh heh” laugh again, which I had to admit was really starting to grow on me, before lowering me to the floor, giving me one last head pat, then striding off to an adjacent room. Not wanting to be left alone with a stranger, I ran after him, following him into what I could only assume was the kitchen.

What proceeded was the most intense cooking session I’d ever borne witness to. Papyrus was a very passionate individual, that much was abundantly clear, and he seemed to put his all into everything he did, at least when it pertained to cooking. Ingredients were tossed around like he was launching attacks, and he never stayed in one spot for too long, hopping from one place to another, as if he was dancing to a tune only he could hear.

He was definitely enjoying himself, if his loud laughing and gleeful grin were anything to go by, and his enthusiasm was infectious. I couldn’t help cheering him on, in my own doggy way, and he seemed to take it positively, his movements becoming more frenzied as I barked and howled. He even started to add dramatic flourishes whenever possible, and shot me the occasional wink, as I wagged my tail like never before. When I started spinning around, barking madly, no longer able to contain my energy, Papyrus laughed even harder, the sound filling the room and probably the entire house.

The sound of deep, rumbling laughter caught my attention, and I spun around towards it. Sans was leaning against the door frame, bright eyelights taking in the scene with obvious delight.

“you guys seem to be havin’ a lotta fun in here,” his voice was full of amusement at our antics, fondness clear in his expression as he gazed at the two of us. Papyrus turned to face his brother, striking a pose with his hands on his hipbones and his long, red scarf fluttering behind him, despite the lack of a breeze.

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH!! INDEED WE ARE!! I’M GLAD TO HAVE FOUND A FELLOW COOKING ENTHUSIAST!! IT IS SO WONDERFUL TO HAVE SUCH AN APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE FOR ONCE!!”

A beep went off, and Papyrus beamed.

“AND YOU ARE RIGHT ON TIME, BROTHER! DINNER IS READY!”

And in a flurry of movement, Papyrus plated up two heaping helpings of mouthwatering spaghetti. That would explain why both he and his entire house smelled so strongly of the pasta dish. It was plainly obvious that it was a favourite of his. He then set both plates on the table in the nearby dining room, before filling up two small bowls with dog food. When he placed the bowls on the floor, the fluffy white dog seemed to materialise out of thin air, given how suddenly he appeared, and launched himself at the nearest bowl, tucking into the dog food with gusto. Meanwhile, I could only eye the dog food with distaste. That was another thing that hadn’t transferred over to my new form: I didn’t have the same tastes as a real dog.

With only one option left, I pattered over to Papyrus and started pawing at his leg, whimpering as sadly as I could manage. When he looked down at me, I willed my eyes to widen into irresistibly adorable puppy dog eyes (much easier in my current body). Feed me , I tried to convey to him, I’m naught but a poor, hungry little pupper, begging for some scraps . He seemed to get the message, his skull taking on a look of pity.

“HAS THE DELECTABLE SMELL OF MY SPAGHETTI ROBBED YOU OF YOUR APPETITE FOR LESSER FOODS?” at my answering * bork! *, he nodded his skull gravely. “IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. I SHOULD HAVE PREDICTED THIS! I’M SORRY, MY LITTLE LADY, FOR NOT NOTICING SOONER! HERE!! TAKE MY PLATE! THERE’S PLENTY LEFT, SO EAT ALL YOU LIKE! AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME. I SHALL GET MYSELF ANOTHER PLATE!”

He deposited his plate in front of me, and I wasted no time in digging in. Despite the show he’d made of cooking it, and all of his exaggerated actions, the spaghetti was surprisingly delicious. Papyrus clearly knew what he was doing in the kitchen and was a more masterful chef than he initially seemed. I resolved to have more faith in him in the future, he definitely deserved it.

When we’d all finished eating (my portion of dog food having been devoured by the other dog, much to Papyrus’s dismay), Sans retired to his bedroom, bidding his brother goodnight and yawning widely, while the white dog curled up in his basket in the living room. Papyrus made me a little nest of blankets and pillows, promising to get me my own dog bed in the morning. With one last, full body pet and a few extra ear scritches, he too retreated to his bedroom on the upper floor, turning off all the lights as he went.

With the room now plunged into total darkness, I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible within my temporary bed, and closed my eyes. Today had taken many, very unexpected turns, but for every dark cloud, there was a silver lining, and mine was meeting Papyrus. I’d known him less than a day, but he’d already found his way into my heart and had built himself a permanent home there, I was sure of it. He was so kind to me, despite the less-than-ideal way I’d introduced myself, and had a high-spirited magnetism that I couldn’t take my eyes off. Something about him drew me inexorably to him, and being a witch, I knew not to ignore fate when she showed her hand so clearly. This skeleton monster was the one who would break my spell and return me to my true form, I was certain of that.

As sleep was beginning to claim me, a sudden sound snapped me right back to full consciousness. Now fully alert, I scanned my surroundings for the source of the noise, and spied two yellow, luminescent eyes by the open window, glowing like floating lanterns in the darkness. I almost yelped in alarm, before I realised that I recognised those eyes. Midnight! You’ve come back to me!

I shot up and ran towards him, as he silently alighted on the floor. The black cat gave me a few sniffs, before bumping his nose against mine in greeting, blinking slowly at me. If my eyes could tear up, they would’ve, given how relieved I was at being reunited with my beloved familiar. Things really were looking up, after all!

But then the white dog apparently noticed our new visitor, and trotted over. The two animals seemed to take an instant liking to each other, sniffing each other thoroughly and circling each other like two excited children playing together. The two then pranced off, beginning an impromptu game of tag and proceeding to completely ignore my presence.

I stared in disbelief at my traitorous familiar, who had once again abandoned me, to go play with a stupid dog . I growled at him. You asshole! How dare you forsake me! Again! See if I give you any more catnip from now on! I swore that, as soon as I returned to human form, the first thing I would do was use a laser pointer to make that jerk run head-first into a wall...

Eventually, the racket from the animals’ playtime, and my aggrieved wails, woke up Papyrus, who stomped down the stairs, turning the lights on, and glaring at us with his arms crossed.

“COME NOW, I KNOW WE’VE ALL HAD AN EXCITING DAY, BUT-” he cut himself off as he spotted the black cat amongst us. Blinking, he approached the intruder and knelt down beside him. “OH HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO SCENIC OUR HOUSE! I’M NOT USED TO HAVING VISITORS OVER AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT, BUT YOU SEEM TO BE A FRIEND OF MY ANNOYING DOG, SO YOU’RE VERY WELCOME HERE, OF COURSE!”

I whined my complaint at the fact that Midnight was supposed to be my friend, not the dog’s. Papyrus reached out towards my cat and picked him up, scrutinising him carefully. He peered closely at Midnight’s collar and squinted his eye sockets at the tag.

“OH! SO YOUR NAME IS MIDNIGHT! WELL THEN, MR. MIDNIGHT, YOU’RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO STAY HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE! ANY FRIEND OF MY PET’S IS A FRIEND OF MINE!”

I grumbled to myself, as Papyrus put my cat back down, and barked angrily when Middy once more ignored me in favour of pouncing on that white dog, tackling him to the floor and proceeding to wrestle with him. Papyrus beamed at their playful tussle, but I turned away, padding over to the corner of the room, facing the wall, and started howling my misery for all the world to hear. I was distraught , and godamitall I was gonna express that!

I abruptly stopped crying when I was lifted unceremoniously into the air, and pressed into hard bones. It took me a moment to realise what had happened, but once I’d processed the fact that Papyrus was hugging me, I calmed down against my will. The tall skeleton’s embrace was tight enough that I could feel his attempt to comfort me, but he didn’t squeeze me so tightly that it hurt. Papyrus had always made sure to never hurt me, no matter what.

“AWWW... POOR GIRL... YOU MUST HAVE FELT SO LONELY, SEEING THE OTHER TWO PLAYING TOGETHER, WITHOUT YOU,” his voice was softer than I thought it capable of, and it helped soothed the sting I felt at my familiar preferring another’s company over mine. “BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU THREE CAN’T STILL ALL BE FRIENDS! IT’S ALWAYS MORE FUN TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS!”

But something in my expression must have clued him in to how little his words appeased me. He sighed, then offered me a gentle, reassuring smile.

“IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM, THEN THAT’S OKAY TOO!! NOT EVERYONE CAN OR SHOULD BE FRIENDS, AND YOU SHOULD NEVER FORCE YOURSELF TO LIKE SOMEONE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!!” then his expression brightened. “AND NO MATTER WHAT, I’LL ALWAYS BE YOUR GOOD FRIEND!! YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO BE THE VERY BESTEST OF BEST FRIENDS!! AND THE VERY COOLEST OF COOL DUDES!! NYEH HEH HEH!!”

I couldn’t have stopped my tail from wagging if my life depended on it. This guy never failed to lift my spirits. At my joyful yipping and yapping, Papyrus pet my head, and then, instead of putting me back down, he carried me in his arms up the stairs, flicking off the lights, and entered the first room we came across.

My eyes could barely make anything out in the darkness, but as we came closer, I could see that his bed was shaped like a racing car. It felt incredibly fitting. Papyrus lied down on his bed, placing me on his sternum, and lifted his blanket up to cover us up to my neck. With both of us tucked into his bed, the monster rested one large, skeletal hand on my back, and I relaxed under its comforting weight.

“MY MISCHIEVOUS DOG SOMETIMES SNEAKS INTO MY BED WHILE I’M RESTING, NO MATTER HOW OFTEN I SHOO HIM OUT. HIS PAWS ARE SO COLD! IT’S AWFUL!!” his frown softened into a smile as the hand on my back started stroking me, up and down, very gently. “BUT NOT YOU. YOU’RE VERY WARM, AREN’T YOU? SOFT AND WARM AND CUDDLY. MY GOOD GIRL.”

As his sweet words of praise drifted into my ears, I closed my tired eyes and snuggled closer to Papyrus. Below me, I could feel a gentle thrumming, soft pulses of warmth and magic, which made something in my chest, something my witch training had taught me was my soul, answer back with its own light humming. It was these tender feelings which followed me into my dreams that night.

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This was supposed to be a oneshot, but it expanded without my consent, and I've had to concede to making it a twoshot. I pray it doesn't grow any more than that, because I really don't want to make this any longer than it needs to be. It's just supposed to be a short, silly, occasionally sweet, fic. Not some massive project I don't have the energy for. Next (and hopefully last) chapter should be out within a week, unless real life screws me over (again), and then I'm going to hibernate for a while and not even think about writing for the next few centuries. I can't wait （；´д｀）ゞ