Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen

Kinks: None, another story chapter :P

Many thanks to  for the help, xey're help is always greatly appreciated!

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When Noelle awoke, she found that she was incredibly sore. Though it was a good kind of sore, the kind of sore that stuck with someone after a day of hard work. It was also the kind of sore that came with a hearty sense of accomplishment, knowing she’d done a good job.

Her memories of last night were still fresh and she could feel an excited burst of energy crawl up her spine at them, making her shiver with such glee. A part of her still couldn’t believe that last night had actually happened, that she’d gone to a play party and become a piece of art for everyone to see. Yet, the ache in her body told her that this had actually happened and it wasn’t just a mirage.

As she cracked open an eye, she noticed the clock was turned towards her. It was about eight-thirty in the morning. The room was still mostly dark though she could make out a shape in the neighbouring bed as at least one part of the other couple was still asleep.

She carefully pulled herself out of Kris and Susie’s embraces, slipping out from under the covers. Thankfully, her hooves were pretty light as she stepped gently upon the floor. And as she looked back at her partners, she was happy to see that they were both still asleep with Susie accommodating for her absence by instead pulling Kris even tighter against herself. It was honestly kind of adorable watching her treat them like a teddy bear.

Noelle crept towards the door, easing herself out of the room and into the hall. It seemed that she hadn’t woken anyone up, so she let out a sigh of relief as she was now home free.

She dared to make a little noise as she headed down the stairs, moving into the living room and kitchen below. The TV was on down there though reduced to a modest volume, background noise for the sake of background noise.

Asriel was seated at the table with Toriel, the two of them reading their tablets and sipping coffee.

Toriel perked up and offered a warm smile. “Morning Noelle.”

“Morning,” Noelle greeted, letting out a yawn.

She made her way over to a coffee maker, opening the cupboard above it and looking at the various mugs inside. There were two different kinds: floral China and novelty mugs that either mentioned being a parent, had an orange cartoon cat on them, or referenced some exotic place that Toriel had visited in her life.

Noelle decided to grab one that read ‘I hate Mondays’ with the orange cat looking tired with his own mug of coffee in his paw. It was an extremely relatable mood, honestly, as someone else who hated Mondays. She then began to busy herself with preparing a mug of coffee, putting in her preferred amount of cream and sugar.

“How did you two sleep?” Noelle asked.

“Pretty good, though Kris’ snoring woke me up,” Asriel grumbled, shaking his head. “You think I’d be used to that by now.”

Noelle cracked a thin smile in his direction. “You never get used to it,” she snorted. “Trust me.”

Toriel smiled. “I slept like a rock myself. I hardly stay up that late anymore.”

“We were only up until like… midnight, mom,” Asriel teased.

“And most days I need to be up at six in order to be at school on time,” Toriel chided, flashing a thin smile as she wagged an accusatory finger at him. “Some of us don’t have the luxury of sleeping in until seven-thirty, young man.” Though her attention then turned to Noelle. “How about you, dear?”

“Slept like a baby,” Noelle said, taking a seat at the table. She blew upon her mug of coffee before taking a gingerly sip from it. “Didn’t think that party would take so much out of me.”

“Did plenty of dancing?” Asriel asked.

Noelle offered a thin smile. “Something like that.”

“Well, I just hope that you kids had a good time and were safe while doing it,” Toriel said, now turning her gaze towards her tablet. “Did you make sure to keep an eye on your drink?”

Noelle smirked. “I did.”

Technically not a lie since she hadn’t done any drinking. Still, Toriel didn’t need to know the true nature of what that party had been about. It was just easier to play along.

“And you made sure that all of the harder drugs were tested before doing any of them?” Toriel asked.

Asriel coughed on his sip of coffee, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Noelle couldn’t very well blame him as the remark had completely caught her off guard as well, her eyes going as wide as saucers.

“Mom!” Asriel yelped.

“What?” Toriel asked, looking at him. “I was young once and testing kits were far less accessible back then. You kids have no excuses these days.”

“I uh…” Noelle blinked. “We didn’t do any hard drugs?”

“Oh…” Toriel pursed her lips together. “Well, I’m glad you had fun regardless.” There was a tick as she took a sip of her coffee. The pause was so pregnant that it would likely need a C-section in order to be broken. “So, what’s on the agenda today? Planning to see your mother and father?”

Noelle bit her lip. “Dad probably but mom… I uh…”

Asriel smirked and leaned back in his chair. “Understandable.”

Noelle sighed and looked down at her coffee. She felt like a bad daughter for not wanting to see her mom but the impending conversation about wanting to change degrees hung over her like a sword. A sabre which arced right above her by a thread and was just ready to fall at any second.

She couldn’t envision a world where that specific conversation went well. There wasn’t an outcome where Carol simply shrugged and gave her daughter the freedom that she desired. A part of her knew that it was just better to rip the Band-Aid off now but another part of her wanted to prolong this blissful ignorance as long as possible.

Carol wasn’t a bad parent. She was just… Well, she was suffocating. Okay, that did sound pretty bad but there was really no kinder way of putting it than that.

“Is there something that you want to talk about?” Toriel asked, having that unique ability to read someone that only a good mother could ever hope to possess.

That being said, it was not a skill that Carol had.

Noelle sighed. “I’m thinking about switching majors.”

Toriel pursed her lips together and nodded at that. “Ah.”

“And I know how much it means to mom that I finish up with my degree in civics,” Noelle added, drumming her fingers against the side of her mug. Today was Monday and boy did she hate them. “And I know she’s going to freak out if I tell her about that.”

“She will,” Toriel agreed.

Noelle winced at that.

Toriel offered a warm smile and lifted a reassuring hand. “But you are also your own person and you should not be burdened with your mother’s decisions just because it would make her happy. I admit that I was also skeptical of my own children’s careers at one point.”

Asriel snorted. “Thanks mom.”

“But they are both doing a fantastic job of proving me wrong,” Toriel grumbled, shooting Asriel a playful glare before looking at Noelle with that same unwavering motherly warmth. “And I’m sure that your own mother will come around in time.”

Noelle frowned. “I don’t see my mom being as understanding as you. She doesn’t really accept a lack of control very well.”

The sword continued to dangle and Noelle could practically feel it arching above her back, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. One little breeze, one tiny remark and it would come hurtling down and plunging into her back. The tension of that was enough to make her shoulders ache even more than they already did.

“Mayor Blizzard is a bit of a bitch,” Asriel grumbled.

Toriel gasped. “Asriel!”

“It’s true,” Noelle grumbled.

Toriel paused and nodded. “I just wanted to ensure that such language was okay with you before I called her one as well.” She smirked. “Is there anything that I could do to help prepare you for this conversation?”

Noelle shook her head. “Not that I can think of.”

“Well at the very least I can get started on breakfast,” Toriel beamed, finishing up with her coffee before standing up. “How do you feel about French toast?”

Noelle couldn’t help but smile. French toast was her favourite and it was nice of Toriel to remember that.

“I love French toast,” she said.

Toriel was about to head for the fridge but paused and changed course towards the entryway at the last second. “Actually, I do have one little thing that I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh yeah?” Noelle asked, perking up.

Toriel soon ducked behind the wall. Though she soon emerged with a familiar collar in her hands.

Noelle went pale and she heard Asriel suck in a breath as if he’d just been punched in the stomach.

“This fell out of Kris’ coat,” Toriel explained, placing it upon the table. “I just didn’t want you kids thinking that I was searching through your pockets or anything.”

Asriel and Noelle both just stared at it before looking at one another. Both of them were equally stricken into silence.

“I will never understand kids and their fashion choices,” Toriel said, shaking her head as she turned back towards the fridge once more. “Is purple the new punk colour or something?”

---

“Dude what the fuck!” Susie cried out, punching Kris in the arm.

Kris winced at the blow and at least had the courtesy to look a little guilty as they rubbed at their arm. “Look, I didn’t even think to empty my pockets before we went to bed last night. I was tired, still tweaked on poppers, and blindsided by everyone asking me to sit down for a late-night cup of tea after getting my shit kicked in for several hours.”

Susie scoffed. “Uh huh… and now your mom knows that we're a bunch of freaks.”

“She doesn’t know we’re freaks,” Kris chided, glaring at her. “What did she say, Noelle?”

Noelle bit her lip. “Well, she said that kids these days have a weird sense of fashion.” Kris smirked but then Noelle drew in a breath. “But…” Kris’ smile slipped. “She also has at least one piece of BDSM erotica on her Kindle. So…”

She let the silence do the speaking for her.

Kris nodded, pursing their lips together. They opened their mouth and seemed like they were about to speak though whatever sentence was going to come forth was turned into nothing more than additional muted silence. They looked like a fish trying to gulp for water while floundering on land.

“I see,” they finally whispered.

Susie shook her head. “Way to go dweeb.”

“Look I’m sure it’s fine,” Kris chided. “Plus, we should really get started on packing for the Dark World. Let’s focus on that instead, okay?”

Susie rolled her eyes. “Yeah sure, change the subject.”

Kris ignored her as they instead reached into their suitcase and pulled out a backpack from inside. It was simple and made of a greyish camouflaged canvas. Noelle believed the design was known as flecktarn and she remembered it being a weird hipster trend from a few years back.

“Right, the Dark World,” Susie grumbled. She also reached into her suitcase and grabbed another backpack, unzipping it. Hers was made of a plain orange material and was pretty simple in design. “Hopefully your mom plays it cool because I do not want to explain BDSM to her.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Kris said, shaking their head. “And if not, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?”

Noelle grabbed her own backpack. It was pink and had a bunch of anime and video game pins stuck to it. It was a relic from the bygone era known as high school. Yet, it was functional. So, why would she get a new one?

Together they started to pack, putting away snack food, books, and spare clothes inside of their bags. Noelle personally didn’t know what to expect from the Dark World. It seemed that each visit was so random and chaotic in nature, utterly different from the last. As such, it was better to just be prepared for every possibility just in case they occurred.

Though she also noticed that Kris and Susie were adding a few risqué items to their backpacks, putting in toys, bondage gear, and yes even that fabled collar that might spark an eventual conversation with Toriel somewhere down the road.

Susie perked up and smirked at Noelle as she slipped a flogger inside. “You know, packing it just in case we need it.”

“I mean, I’m just being horny and I’ve always wanted to see what fucking in the Dark World was like,” Kris teased.

“Have we really never…” Noelle pondered it for a moment, realizing that they had never actually fucked in the Dark World before. “Huh…”

“Right!” Susie beamed.

“Wonder what it’ll be like?” Noelle asked, giving it a serious thought. There was just something oddly interesting about that world. It already had this surreal dreamlike quality to it and then adding something like sex into the mix almost felt like it would be overwhelming in a way.

It wasn’t even a sensation she could hypothetically feel, being something that she knew she’d have to experience to really understand it.

Kris smirked and zipped up their bag. “I guess we’ll find out later today.” They sighed and leaned back against the wall. “I’m just thankful that we actually get to go there for once without having to worry about saving the world or some shit.”

“Hey you don’t know that,” Susie teased. “Shit always gets weird down there. For all we know we’ll have like a hundred fires to put out.”

Kris snorted. “Fair. I guess I’m just glad that I finally get to enjoy that place as myself, you know?”

Noelle and Susie both looked at each other and said nothing to that, simply nodding along to the comment.

“Want to talk about it?” Noelle asked.

Kris scoffed and waved her off. “Nothing that you don’t already know about. Just… It’s pretty rough to reflect on losing nearly a year of my life because some stupid alien parasite decided that it wanted to take a fucking joyride in my body.” They shrugged though their smile soon fell, the edge of their lips quivering with oncoming misery. “Fuck, I hate saying that out loud.”

Noelle didn’t know what to say and Susie was equally at a loss for words. But they did know how to comfort their partner as they both slid up alongside them and leaned against them for support.

Kris sniffled. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Noelle asked, taking their hand and giving it a squeeze. “Stop that.”

Susie nodded. “Apologize and I’ll kick your ass.”

Kris snorted, actually chuckling at that. “Fuck you.”

“Not until we’re in the Dark World,” Susie teased, taking their other hand and squeezing it as well.

“Thank you, guys, for being…” Kris drew in a breath, their voice hitching as they let it out slowly. “You’re too good to me.”

“We’re all equally good to each other,” Noelle said.

Susie nodded. “Three damaged queers looking out for one another.”

Kris continued to sniffle and Noelle winced as she felt them shudder a couple more times, a few more fresh tears leaking from their eyes and joining into the mix. Though slowly, their turbulent emotions started to taper off, growing fainter and fainter with each reassuring touch or squeeze from Noelle and Susie.

Noelle wasn’t used to seeing Kris this vulnerable, feeling helpless in her ignorance of what to do. But it seemed that whatever comfort she could provide was of some assistance, slowly drawing them back from the brink.

Until finally, Kris drew in a shuddering breath and thudded their head back against the wall. “I’m good…” They swallowed the lump in their throat. “I’m good now.”

Susie drew away and Noelle did the same, giving Kris a little bit of room to breathe. They didn’t seem perfectly good quite yet but they were definitely getting there. That much was for certain. A weak smile soon formed upon their lips and it was almost enough to make the red rings around their eyes a little less alarming.

It took maybe a minute of slowly breathing before they finally seemed legitimately good. At which point, they grabbed their backpack and threw it on over their shoulder, pushing themself onto their feet. They then looked back at the other two and nodded towards them.

“Come on, we should uh… we should get going,” they said.

Noelle and Susie shared one final concerned look. Though they both nodded along and got to their feet as well, throwing on their own backpacks.

Together the three of them then exited the bedroom.

---

There was one stop they had to make before heading to the school and that was a familiar flower shop at the very edge of downtown. It really hadn’t changed all that much since high school though it had recently gotten a fresh coat of paint and a brand-new sign over the front door which now labeled it as…

Flower Kings Shop

Noelle grinned like an idiot as she went for the front door, taking the lead for once. It had been ages since she’d last seen her dad and she honestly couldn’t wait to get a chance to talk with him. Sure, she made sure to phone him every week but there was still something about in person interactions that hit that much better in comparison.

She pushed through the door and a familiar bell chimed, filling her with an intense sense of nostalgia. As she drew in a breath through her nose, she was hit by the unique smell of at least a dozen different flower species. Each of them was somehow more lovely than the last.

“Well look who finally decided to pay her old man a visit,” a voice teased.

Noelle’s smile grew as she saw her dad behind the counter, beaming at her. He didn’t stay idle for even a moment as he pushed around the counter and lunged towards her on his wheelchair. She giggled as he approached and the two of them threw their arms around one another, holding onto each other tightly.

The bell at the door chimed again and Rudy peered out from around Noelle.

“And you brought the whole gosh darn polycule along with you,” Rudy said, shaking his head. “How are you kids doing?”

Susie offered a small wave. “Hey Mister Dreemurr.”

Kris smirked. “Hope dad hasn’t been working you too hard.”

“Oh, he’s a regular slave driver,” Rudy chided, shaking his head as he offered a rosy laugh. “Susie, would you mind flipping the ‘out for lunch’ sign for me?”

Susie perked up and looked towards the open sign, seeing that there was a second sign underneath it that mentioned something about being out for lunch. So, she flipped it over and then went to lock the front door.

“Asgore!” Rudy called. “Our kids are here!”

There was a moment of silence, though only a moment, as soon a heavy frame came thundering down the stairs. Noelle drew away from her dad just in time to see Asgore come bounding down, somehow looking even taller and twice as jovial as the last time she’d seen him.

“I’m so glad that you decided to come by!” Asgore beamed. “Business has been so dreadfully slow today.”

He opened his arms and turned to Susie, giving her a big bear hug. Then he turned to Noelle and gave her one as well. Kris just kind of stood there awkwardly and smiled instead, offering a small wave. Something which seemed to do Asgore just fine as he nodded to his child.

You are reading story Doe in the Middle at novel35.com

“You came by just in time, I was about to put on the kettle for some tea,” Asgore said.

Rudy smirked and wheeled over to Asgore, settling into place at his side. “They could come by at any time and you’d have the kettle ready.”

“Fair enough,” Asgore said, chuckling.

He rested his hand upon Rudy’s shoulder, gently drumming a single bulky finger against his jacket. The two of them really did look adorable together with Rudy in his jean jacket and khaki pants and Asgore wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater that was a few months too late for the holiday it was meant to represent.

“How was the trip down here?” Asgore asked.

Kris smirked. “Slower than it needed to be.”

“I heard,” Asgore teased. “Your brother came by yesterday.”

“Didn’t even go ten over the limit,” Rudy chided, shaking his head in disbelief. “That kid was always too good.”

Asgore nodded. “I certainly didn’t teach him that.”

Kris snorted at the comment.

Susie and Noelle drifted around the room, giving everyone a little more space. Noelle’s attention went to a small box behind the counter which was lit by UV lights. Inside of it were various kinds of herbs and spices.

“How’s business?” Susie asked.

Asgore chuckled. “A lot better now that I have Rudy around to help me manage my finances.”

“Manage his finances, he says.” Rudy scoffed. “The only thing that I’m managing is making sure that he doesn’t give away any more free samples.” He smirked and winked at them. “Oh, and I got us a license to grow pot and mushrooms which has helped business more than a little.”

“Still getting used to fungi,” Asgore chided. There was a click from above the room and he immediately perked up, looking towards the stairs before glancing at everyone else in the room. “Has anyone’s tea drinking habits changed since we’ve last seen each other?”

“Nope,” Susie said.

Noelle shook her head.

Kris smirked. “Same as always.”

Asgore nodded and then made his way towards the stairs, lumbering up them slowly. This left the polycule alone with Rudy.

“So, how’s school going?” Rudy asked, looking first at Noelle and then Kris.

Noelle bit her lip, not sure how to respond.

Thankfully, Kris had an answer ready to buy her some time. “Acing most of my art classes and doing alright in all the non-art courses that I’m forced to take.” They smirked. “Recently I had a pretty good group for an animation project. We put a pretty sick video together. It was all Avant Garde and experimental and whatnot.”

“Ah, I remember group projects,” Rudy grumbled, shaking his head. “Either they sucked or they really sucked. Glad you didn’t get stuck with a pair of slackers who made you do all of the work. I had that happen more than once.” He then looked at Noelle. “What about you? How are all those poli sci courses going?”

Noelle sighed. “They’re uh… they’re going.”

“That’s a very reassuring answer,” Rudy teased, rolling his eyes before smirking at her. “Come on, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on, dear.”

Noelle bit her lip, balancing on the edge for a moment, unsure of how to put this. It wasn’t an easy thing to talk about. It was almost impossible to reflect on how the last few years of her life had just been wasted on a degree that she didn’t really want. It wasn’t easy to admit that she’d made a mistake and was now getting cold feet because of it.

But then she realized who she was talking to. This was her dad, not her mom. If anyone would understand, it’d be him.

“I don’t know if I want to finish with my civics degree,” Noelle admitted. “I was thinking of switching majors.”

Rudy took in this information, processing it in only a second before flashing such a reassuring smile in her direction. “Hell yeah, what do you think you want to get into instead?”

Noelle blinked. She should’ve expected that answer from him but it still felt so weird to not get questioned by a parent. Sure, dad had gotten a lot better now that mom wasn’t in the picture but she still remembered him as the good cop.

Kinder but… well… still a cop when it came down to it.

“It turns out that I really like writing,” Noelle admitted as she rubbed at her arm. “I was thinking that I would maybe get into creative writing.”

“Ah, has Kris turned you into another artist?” Rudy teased, glancing at Kris before wagging a finger in their direction. “Are you being a bad influence on my daughter?”

Kris smirked. “Oh please, you should know by now that she’d never listen to a bad influence like me.”

Susie smirked. “Noelle decided this all on her own.” She leaned back against one of the storefront’s walls and folded her arms in front of her chest. “And your daughter is pretty freaking good at writing.”

Noelle continued to rub at her arm, failing to look at her father. She didn’t know why she felt this way but a nagging part of her just held onto the idea that she was letting him down in some invisible way. She’d dedicated her entire life towards going into civics and becoming involved in city politics and now… Well, that was all just going down the drain.

“You’re not mad?” Noelle asked.

Rudy scoffed. “Of course not, hun, just make sure to let your old man know when you publish your first book because I’m sure as shit getting myself a copy.” He then paused and pondered something for a moment. “Actually…”

Noelle swallowed a lump in her throat. “Actually?”

“You have to promise me that you’ll sign my copy when it comes out,” Rudy dictated, nodding assuredly. “Make sure to sign it and then you have my uh… blessing? Yeah, blessing to become a writer.”

Noelle snickered. “Sure thing, dad. T-thanks for not freaking out about this.”

“Freaking out!” Rudy barked, shaking his head in utter disbelief. “I’m just glad to see my little girl is thriving.”

Susie came over and placed a hand on Noelle’s shoulder, giving it a firm pat. “See, knew it would work out.”

Rudy smirked. “Have you told your mother about this yet?”

Noelle winced and once more her gaze fell away, going to the floor. She rubbed at her arm again and was only kept from spiraling by Susie’s comforting presence.

“N-not yet,” she admitted.

Rudy nodded. “Not going to be an easy conversation to have. Would you like me to break the news to her?”

Noelle sighed. “Nah, I… I can do it.”

“Alright, sugarplum, but just remember that you’re an adult now,” Rudy said, suddenly getting kind of serious. At least, serious compared to what he was normally like. “So, don’t let her push you around. If she goes too far just remember that you have your partners, me, and Asgore behind you. Plus, probably a whole lot of other people…” He snorted. “Your mother is kind of good at making enemies.”

Noelle nodded meekly.

Kris also came over and bumped into Noelle, ensuring that they made their presence known as well. Noelle was thankful for them and Susie, their comforting auras honestly being the only thing that was stopping her from slipping.

“You got this babe,” Kris whispered.

Noelle tried to offer a smile but it was difficult when it felt so utterly forced. “Just need to convince my mother that I’m not ruining my life. That should be easy, right?”

Susie snorted.

Thankfully, she was saved from having this conversation as there was movement coming down the stairs. Soon, Asgore emerged, holding a tray with various tea cups and a plate of biscuits upon it. He placed it down upon the countertop and picked up a cup, offering it to Rudy.

“Have I missed anything?” Asgore asked.

Rudy smiled and took the cup from him before blowing upon it. “My little girl is thinking about switching degrees and making it big as a writer.”

Asgore nodded and offered her a warm smile. “Please let us know when your first books come out.” He then pondered something before snapping his fingers. “And please do sign my copy because I’m always a fan of first editions.”

Noelle snickered. “Will do.”

“So have you two seen anyone else in town?” Asgore asked.

Kris shrugged. “Besides for mom and Asriel, we ran into Catti yesterday. She invited us out to a party last night.”

“Yesterday?” Asgore asked, cocking a brow. “That’s funny, isn’t she usually attending…”

Rudy loudly cleared his throat.

Susie sucked in a breath, Kris stiffened, and Noelle took a second to figure out what exactly…

Oh…

It was like getting hit by a runaway truck as her brain immediately sparked, short-circuiting at the implications of Asgore’s statement.

Though thankfully Rudy’s smile saved her from having to go down that specific line of thinking.

“Catti’s a good girl. Though I wish she was still working at QCs. She was the best damn server that they ever had,” Rudy teased.

Asgore snorted. “You only say that because she gave you free fries after the divorce.”

“My reasons are mine and mine alone,” Rudy retorted, shaking his head as he looked back at the kids. “Any plans for the rest of your day? I know me and Asgore were planning to do some cooking tonight and we’d love to have you over for dinner.”

Susie grinned. “I’d love to.”

Kris shrugged. “I’m game.”

“Yeah, dinner would be really nice,” Noelle said before remembering the other question they’d been asked. “And we’re planning to go to the school after this.”

“Feeling a little nostalgic?” Asgore asked, winking at her.

Noelle chuckled. “Kind of, yeah.”

She went over and grabbed a cup of tea, noticing that each of the cups on the tray was drastically different from the others with a mismatch of chipped China and novelty mugs on display. It made her smile as it was honestly pretty fitting for Rudy and Asgore.

Noelle selected a chipped China cup, blowing upon it before taking a sip.

“So anyways, give us all of the news from the big city!” Rudy chided. “What’s been going on in your lives?”

---

The school hadn’t changed much since Noelle had graduated, still being the same sturdy brickwork structure as before. Really, the only thing that was different about the place nowadays was a new sign out front with an electronic message board that talked about report cards, spring break, and upcoming sports matches with other small-town teams.

“Oh, hell yeah, we’re playing the Maritime Bay Whalers next week,” Susie said, grinning as she fist-pumped. “We used to kick their fucking asses.”

Kris snorted. “I wouldn’t call barely winning in overtime kicking their asses babe.”

“That’s because you weren’t on the team,” Susie chided.

Kris snorted. “Neither were you!”

“I was the mascot!” Susie growled, glaring at Kris.

Kris was silent and could only smirk in response as they gave their eyes a very pronounced roll.

“I should bite your face off,” Susie grumbled, kicking at the sidewalk as she made her way towards the front door. “You’re lucky that you’re so submissive and breedable, human, or else I wouldn’t put up with you.”

Kris snorted. “Submissive, huh?”

Noelle snickered. “I don’t know, you are pretty submissive, babe.”

“Permission to put Noelle in her place?” Kris asked, now glaring at Noelle.

This only made Noelle snicker into the back of her hand.

“Save it for the Dark World,” Susie chided.

It was honestly a little weird being at school during the holidays with not a single kid being seen even though this would normally be the height of their lunch break. Still, as the three of them approached the front door, they discovered that it wasn’t locked.

Kris pushed inside and held the door open for Noelle but quickly drew their hand away before Susie could slip in. Not that this slowed Susie in the slightest as she pushed through the door anyways. Though this little act did result in the two of them glaring at each other. Still, it clearly wasn’t heated as Kris soon stuck out their tongue at her.

“Wonder if anyone is even working this week?” Noelle asked.

She looked around, utterly intrigued by just how empty this place was. It was otherworldly without students, having this weird liminal vibe to it.

“Are we in the backrooms?” Kris asked, obviously feeling it as well.

The three of them walked away from the front door, going down a familiar hall and heading for an equally familiar supply closet at the very back.

Though as they neared it, they heard a voice. It was alone and talking to someone on what was likely a phone. The conversation was muted and hushed, the voices barely louder than a murmuring whisper.

Noelle peered around the corner and saw that it was Alphys.

“Love you too, bye,” Alphys said before hanging up. She then perked up and looked over. “Oh! Hey, Noelle.”

She seemed a little taken aback and this tripled as Kris and Susie came around the corner as well.

“What are you three doing here?” Alphys asked.

Susie shrugged and looked off to the side. “Feeling nostalgic and looking for something to do until dinner time. Thought we’d check out our old stomping grounds.”

Kris nodded and stuck their hands into their pockets.

Alphys chuckled. “Fair enough.” She looked around but it seemed that it was only the four of them in the hall right now. “Did you three have fun at the party last night?”

Kris chuckled. “Tons.”

Susie nodded in agreement.

“Probably one of the best nights I’ve had in a good long while,” Noelle said, rubbing at her arm. “Catti and Undyne were a pretty good team.” She then perked up. “Did you have fun?”

“I always do,” Alphys said, shaking her head. “But I guess we shouldn’t really talk about this too much in public. There are still a few janitors and teachers working this week and I have no idea if they’re lingering nearby.” She sighed. “Spring break is nice but man do I hate making lesson plans.”

“Well, we won’t keep you waiting,” Kris said.

Susie nodded. “Have yourself a good day, Misses Alphys.”

Alphys laughed at that. “Please, drop the Misses, we went through too much last night for a formality like that.” She then smirked and winked at her. “Plus, we have only known each other since you three were eighteen, remember? I only make my students call me misses.”

Susie chuckled. “Fair enough.”

Alphys waved and went in the direction of her classroom. Meanwhile, the three of them remained in place as they waved back at her.

“This is still surreal,” Susie murmured.

Noelle nodded.

Once Alphys was gone, the three of them then drew away and made their way toward the door at the end of the hall. For most people, it was just a simple supply closet. When most people opened this door, that was exactly what was on the other side.

For a lucky few, however, there was something else waiting within. And it just so happened that all three of them were members of that group of a lucky few.

“Ready?” Susie asked, looking first at Noelle and then at Kris.

“Ready,” the two of them agreed in unison, nodding to her request.

There was a brief delay, a pause, a moment to brace themselves.

And then, just like that, they leapt through the breach.

---

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