#void city

“so that's about it then,” Sherlock leaned against his desk and smiled, looking into the crowd of students sitting patiently, “i hope you all have a Merry Gyftmas and i will be seeing some of you in physics 202 in the new year.  if you need to get a hold of me for any reason this holiday season you can email me, but remember i will not be checking my email box from December twenty-fourth to January second.”   He noticed students looking at the clock, no doubt they were antsy and eager to get their break started, “okay you can be dismissed early!  everyone go be with your families, that’s my holiday plan.”

The room was suddenly filled with loud chatter and the sounds of young adults shoving books and laptops into their backpacks.  Friends huddling around each other discussing their plans for the holiday break.  A few students groaned, completely defeated after their grades came back less than stellar.  Sherlock was a hard professor to deal with, he didn’t give in to temptations or bribes.  One was actually expected to listen and do the work.  He was surprised that this concept was lost on at least half of his students.  He sighed, retreating to his office, dodging students clustering together in every walkway and through the halls.  Sherlock hunted around for his coat and briefcase, the skies grey and snow steadily falling outside.  He had three and a half whole weeks to do nothing but spend time at home.  How glorious.  He would ask Papple for help with holiday baking, maybe go spend time bothering Sansei and Vanille at their respective workplaces, he could lounge and catch up on things he wanted to watch on Netflix or even go skating at the park.  The possibilities were endless.  He tied his blue striped scarf around his neck and headed out of the physics building, passing colleges he really didn’t want to have small-talk with.  He would be home early today, and he could feasibly have dinner ready for everyone when they got home.

Sherlock’s dreams of a quick return home, however, were crushed when he got to the train station.  A derailment.  He didn’t care to sit in the cold station for who knows how long.  A walk through the city wouldn’t hurt him, it was only roughly an hour away.  H could take a detour through the shopping district. It was beautiful this time of year, shops and street lamps adorned with lights and garland.  Parents and children dashed around getting their Gyftmas shopping done.  He spotted a familiar auburn fox girl, her face pressed up against the window of a jewellery store.

“kaze!” he called out, her ears twitched and she looked in his direction.

“Eyyyy here comes dat opal boi,” Kaze was a dirty memer like Vanille, Sherlock could only sigh, “where's the cutie brigade?”

“they’re both at work, i just got off,” he paused and made a face while Kaze giggled,”how are you an adult?”

“Okay okay fuck,” she grinned, bundle of three tails swishing happily behind her, “you hype for the big Gyftmas party?”

“of course,” Sherlock nodded, his eyes almost sparkling, “i am excited to meet new people.”

“I'm curious as fuck to meet Lycoris’ boyfriend,” Kaze bent down to pick up her shopping bags from the ground, “I don’t know the swap boys, I think the swapfell boys are coming too?”

“i don’t know any of them either,” Sherlock shrugged, “so it’s going to be interesting.”

“Yee,” Kaze nodded.

“sooooo,” Sherlock grinned and pointed at the bags in her hand, “presents for big red’s brother?”

She scoffed, “I had that all that shopping shit done in November boy, these are decorations for the house.”

“do you think he's getting you something special?” despite being terrified of the tall skeleton, Sherlock found himself strangely invested.  He couldn't understand why such a grouchy man seemed so enamoured with the mostly silly Kaze.

“I'm honestly not expecting anything,” Kaze sighed, yet, she smiled softly, “I'd be happy if he pounds me raw in front of the fireplace to Nat King Cole .”

Sherlock groaned, hand moving to cover his face, “i really didn't need to hear that.”

“Sure you did,” Kaze began to giggle so hard she snorted, “so whatcha getting for your babes?”

Sherlock crossed his arms, “i have an idea but i'm not telling.”

Kaze pouted, “awww why nawwwwtt.”

“you aren't the most tight lipped person,” Sherlock narrowed his eyesockets.  Kaze had accidentally ruined many a surprise.

“Heeeeyyy~ that was one time!” The pouting intensified.

“that will not work on me,” he chuckled, “does it work on papyrus?”

“Yes, actually,” she posed triumphantly, “aight speaking of, I gotta get back and decorate before Pap gets back, seeya fam.”

The fox gave him a quick hug before setting off the the other direction, he lingered for a moment.  This was technically his first holiday here.  He unfortunately had no memories of Gyftmas in years before.  Did he have a family to spend it with?  Did he have family traditions?  They were lost now, the memories becoming more and more fuzzy and scarce as the months flew by.  Perhaps soon he would forget the worst lingering memories and replace it with the warmth and love Sansei and Vanille made him feel.   In the distance he spotted a Toriel and her child ringing a bell.  They were asking everyone who passed by for donations for the orphanages that kept the human and monster children fed and safe.  He approached with a polite smile and tossed a roll of fifty G he had sitting in his pocket into the black collection pot beside them.  The goat woman thanked him over and over for his generous donation and handed him several handfuls of miniature candy canes from her bag, enough to fill one of his coat pockets to capacity.  Someone at home would definitely eat these, or he could use them in some cookies.

Sherlock continued to leisurely stroll up and down the shopping district.  Eyeing the jewellery store Kaze had had her face glued to earlier.  If he had a stomach it would have been filled to the brim with butterflies.  He had decided he wanted to get matching rings for himself, Sansei and Vanille.   Not for any kind of proposal, Sansei and Vanille were already married to each other.  He knew full well he was loved, but he was a third party.  No, this was more a symbolic gesture.  His irrational fear was rejection of the gift, what if they thought it to be something unnecessary?  He paced back and forth for a moment, weighing the pros and cons.  Trying to consider all the possible outcomes and how he’d handle them.  He exhaled, building up the nerve.  If he didn’t try he would never know, he never was good at doing things impulsively and often missed the forest for the trees.  He reached out for the handle to the shop.  His anxiety completely missing that it was a push door not a pull door and for a moment, he made a fool of himself.

The store was brightly lit, deep crimson carpets and fancy glass cabinets.  Soft jazzy music played through wall mounted speakers.  It was busy with customers, each being helped by exhausted looking attendants.  Sherlock did his best to stay out of anyone’s way as she scanned the displays.  Necklaces, brooches, earrings.  He understood why Kaze had been so enamoured with the store, due to the season it was filled with snowflake shaped jewellery.  He noticed she always wore a snowflake necklace year round.  It must mean something to her.  Sherlock sighed, he had to focus, soon he found the rows of rings.  He didn’t want something too flashy or gaudy.  Simplistic and elegant.  Nothing too gendered either. After a few minutes of searching, something caught his eye.  A not quite matte finish of white gold and three lovely inlaid stones that appeared to be customizable.  The information card beneath it called it a ‘trinity ring’ how… oddly convenient.  He pondered the stones he could get put in it.  Something for all of them.  Aquamarine for Sansei, it was a lighter stone but a lovely blue that was close to the colour of their magic.  Blue Topaz for Vanille, it was a darker blue that matched his eyes.  For himself he decided on a light pink tourmaline, sadly opal was not an option and he wasn’t about to break off a rib to give the jeweler something to use.  Besides, it would turn to opaline dust anyway.  He contemplated it for a moment, but eventually decided maiming himself for love was unnecessary.

A ferret monster in a sharp black skirt and blazer combo cleared her throat, “can I help you sir?”

“oh uh, yes,” Sherlock had been so lost in thought her voice startled him, “i’d like to place an order for three rings.”

The light of the day had faded, giving way to a cloudy night and soft fluffy snowfall.   Papyrus had been out most of the afternoon.  The King had ordered him to assist in training some of the dog police that would soon help keep the peace in the city.  The city was relatively crime free, the odd bar fight sometimes needed intervention.   He had been paired with an infuriatingly soft Undyne, how was that woman the captain of the guard in her world?  Outrageous. He noticed immediately a festive wreath hung on his door.  The fox girl had been left alone in his house all day.  He could only imagine what she had done with her endless amount of free time.

He was greeted by soft candlelight and the scent of pine.  Strings of lights and evergreen garland on door frames and a large ebony tree adorned with silver and red blown glass ornaments and warm white lights.  Underneath were the presents they had wrapped earlier, well that he had wrapped.  Kaze was woefully terrible at wrapping presents.  A few poorly wrapped gifts caught his eye, those were new.  Before he could inspect further he heard a rustling in the kitchen.

He watched her from the archway for a moment, she didn’t seem to notice him.  She was hard at work, walking across the counter tops pinning strings of star shaped icicle lights just above the top cupboards.  A box of tacks tucked in her bosom, she was halfway done but rapidly running out of counter to walk on.

“WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU DOING?” Papyrus should've assumed his great commanding voice would startle her, had he not had amazing reflexes to catch her she would have fallen and been severely hurt.

“I’m fuckin hanging lights,” her heart still beating fast, still started that she had almost fell, “you could have killed me!”

“YOU ARE FINE,” he couldn’t help but laugh at her attempts to be angry.  Such a soft thing she was.

“Please help me finish the rest, I am out of stuff to walk on,” she smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes.  He groaned, he wasn’t weak.  No that wasn’t it at all, she would just make a mess and hurt herself if he left her to her own devices.  He effortlessly picked her up and set her on his shoulders.

“DON’T YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PLACE TO FILL WITH USELESS TRINKETS,” Papyrus scoffed, as he grabbed onto her hips to steady her.

“I…” she began but grew silent.  

Shit.  He felt her presence shrink, his superior perceptive abilities noticed when she was genuinely upset she would become silent and attempt to take up as little space as possible.  Her bushy tail that had been happily swaying stilled.

“I don’t want to be alone,” her voice almost too quiet to hear, “for the holidays.”

Papyrus sighed, he needed to perk her back up, “YOU DO HAVE GOOD TASTE IN TRINKETS, I AM SIMPLY THE BEST INFLUENCE,” gently he squeezed her curves, eliciting a giggle from her lips.

“Obviously,” she grinned and continued to pin lights until the entire perimeter of the kitchen was covered.   When she finished, he set her down gently, allowing her to turn off the main lights and plug in the gyftmas lights.  The dark kitchen suddenly illuminated with tiny bright white stars.  He had to admit to himself this wasn’t an awful idea, it was interesting.  He felt her dash to the kitchen’s archway.  Gazing at her curiously, she just stood there grinning and pointing upwards.

“WHAT NOW?” he followed her finger to see… a plant? “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?”

“Mistletoe,” her face flushed red, “you have to kiss me when I’m standing under it!”

“NO,” he growled, she always wanted kisses.

“It’s law, you have to,” She crossed her arms.

“I SAID NO,” he couldn’t give in again, not that he gave in before ever.

“Just one?” she pleaded, for some reason this seemed to mean a lot to her, “I’ll take it down right after!”

Papyrus pinched his nasal bone in irritation, fuck this girl in every possible way, “FINE, YOU GET ONE.”

She giggled and grabbed him by the hands, pulling him under the arch.  He didn’t look at her in an attempt to hide his obvious embarrassment, a dusting of blush on his cheekbones sold him out.  He knelt down for her, immediately her arms were looped around his neck.  She pulled herself closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his teeth, and then another and another.

He growled and pulled back, “FUCK I SAID ONE!”

She bit her lip mischievously, “oops.”