Chapter Text
Chapter 6
~*~
Working behind the bar wasn’t your normal bit, though the bartender for the day had called out so it was what it was since you were the only other one in the whole place that had any experience with tending bar. A positive of working the bar was the tips, while you had to deal with more drunks in a one on one position, the tips were far better than working the tables. That was one thing that made it worth it for you, though watching Blue saunter into the place was another bonus. The chipper skeleton seemed a bit down and lost, though your co-worker knew the two of you lived together and guided the poor guy over for you to take care of him.
Greeting Blue with a sunny smile, you take his drink order even if a small part of you wonders what got to him so much that he was asking for something that strong this early in the day. Sure, it was almost five in the evening, but you can’t even remember Blue really drinking. Let alone drinking something so strong, AMF are not for everyone and normally only something you see from those wanting to forget how much booze was in them while getting as fucked up as possible as quickly as they can. Or in the case of your own younger days, enjoying the sweet flavor, sometimes having a higher alcohol tolerance was a curse.
“So bluebell, what’s got you wanting to get toasted tonight?” Leaning against your side of the bar after handing Blue his drink, you idly use a rag to run over the bar top as there’s a bit of a lull in the number of drinks you need to make.
“Sigh, I wish I could tell you all of it.” Raising a brow at Blue literally saying sigh, you push back the small bit of amusement as a bit more worry enters your mind. You knew that his family were being sort of pests when it came to figuring out where Blue and Stretch had moved, though you didn’t think that was getting to him all that much.
“Well, it’s sort of slow right now if you want to chat. I can take a break and we can sit at one of the tables if you want?” A shake of Blue’s head had you nodding, understanding that he might not want to talk about what was bothering him at the moment.
“No, though if you could distract me?” Giggling, you nod as you pass off another drink to one of the servers to take to her table. Humming in thought, you try and think of something to cheer up your skeleton roommate, your mind finally latching onto something that you know might help him.
“So you know how you mentioned that you were looking for a better job? Well get this, one of the guys in the kitchen got himself fired for coming to work too high to function, we could really use the extra help if you’re still looking.” Offering an encouraging smile, you watch as Blue first perks up before slumping in his seat again with a shake of his skull.
“I’d love to help, but… well…” Gesturing for you to move closer, Blue leans over the bar to whisper in your ear. “I don’t have all the stuff I need to get a proper paying job, it’s why I keep getting shut down.” Blinking at Blue’s revelation, you think over the issue for a moment. Sure, you knew that some monsters still had issues with getting papers for working on the surface, but your boss wasn’t some racist shit that wouldn’t pay a hard worker what they were worth. You were pretty sure the dish boy was some prepubescent refugee from across the boarder, not that you were going to tell on the guy for trying to make a living.
“Britt, can you take over the bar for a few?” Calling out to one of your co-workers, you get a nod as she moves to take your place. You slipping out from behind the bar as Blue gives you a confused look, a squeak leaving him as you grab his wrist to drag him back to the office were your boss should be at this time. That was if he even bothered to stick around today, fucker liked to take off early whenever he got the chance to.
~*~
Honestly, Blue wasn’t even sure why he told Audrey about his employment issues, it could lead to her asking why he didn’t have the paperwork needed to work. Or worse, she could ask how the hell he and Stretch were paying their rent, not like she seemed to care about that so much. Having her call over one of her colleagues before rushing him to the back, Blue isn’t even sure how to process what was going on. Audrey stopping in front of a door marked office, she knocks two times before just opening the door. A larger man with a mustache sits behind a big desk, his head lulled back as a rather loud snore leaves the guy and Blue raises a brow bone in question.
“Hey, boss man, wake up and meet our new prep guy.” Blinking, Blue can’t have heard Audrey right. There was no way in hell she was bossing around her boss like that, though Blue had to admit the confidence she had going on was hot as fuck. A snort leaving the snoozing man as he shoots up to sitting straighter, locking deep brown eyes on Audrey with a question in their depths.
“What? What’s this about a new prep guy?” Giggling, Audrey waves at Blue, indicating him to the man behind the desk. Honestly, Blue was feeling sort of nervous and out of sorts, not having proper paperwork had him sure that he wasn’t going to last if the guy even gave him a chance.
“Since John got the sack for coming to work stoned, I figured you could give my friend here a shot. Blue’s a hard worker and has a lot of energy so I’m sure he can keep up, though… there is a small issues with his papers. You know how the government’s been about getting monsters their papers, so… think we can help him out a bit?” Giving her boss a puppy dog look that Blue didn’t even know Audrey was capable of, she waits as the man looks between her and Blue.
“Fine, but your on the hook if someone questions his status since you’re the one referring him. When can the kid start?” Blinking, Blue looks between Audrey and the man… his new boss? That… that was not what Blue expected from stopping in here to get a drink, though he couldn’t help the spark of joy going through his soul at finally landing a job.
“Any time you want sir, is there anything I need to fill out to make this as legal as possible? I know that me not having all my papers in order isn’t the best situation for you.” Shaking his head, the man waves off Blue’s concern with a twitch of a smile under that rather impressive mustache.
“No worries with that, you wouldn’t be the first worker I’ve helped out who didn’t have all their I’s dotted and t’s crossed. Since I’m going to guess you’ve had a drink, I’m going to say you can officially start tomorrow, though Rey here can give you a rundown of our rules while you relax at the bar. Just don’t go distracting her though, she’s my best worker and I’m not about to suffer her getting sloppy ‘cause you’re hanging out.” Winking, the man, Blue’s new boss, waves him and Audrey out of the small office as a stunned feeling flows over him.
“This calls for a bit of a celebration bluebell, you up for another drink while I run over the do’s and don’t’s of working here?” Nodding, Blue hops back onto the bar stool that Audrey had dragged him out of as she waves off the other worker while taking her place behind the bar again.
~*~
Even though landing the job as a prep cook seemed to cheer Blue up, you could tell there were still things on his mind as you mixed him the third drink of the evening. You weren’t going to press, though you did worry for the short skeleton and what was weighing him down. You knew booze wasn’t an answer, at best it just numbed the mind for a bit and let people relax. At worse… you didn’t like to think about the darker sides of the liquid that so many turned to as a bandage for the hurts that life left on their souls. Deciding to gently probe, you lean against the bar with a smile on your face and a joking tone in your voice.
“So bluebell, your family still giving you issues about where you live now?” Blinking, Blue looks at your face a bit fuzzy around the edges before shaking his head, changing it to a bit of a nod at the end.
“Most of them have given up on figuring out where I live, though a few are still pestering me to figure it out. Honestly, I’m… I… never mind.” Sighing, Blue slumps in his seat a bit as you raise a brow at him in question.
“No, come on, you know you can talk to me bluebell. I’m not going to judge you based on your family or whatever’s going on.” Leaning further over the bar, you offer Blue a reassuring smile as you reach out before pulling back. While you had gotten friendly enough for some casual touches, you honestly didn’t want to push thing since you were at work.
“Can’t tell you, if I do… sorry.” Blinking, you scrunch your face up in confusion as you lean to get a better view of Blue’s eye lights, his face turned down towards the smooth surface of the bar.
“I’m not going to force you to talk Blue, just know that I’m willing to listen and that I’m not going to judge you.” Taking a deep breath, you reach out and give his hand a quick squeeze before you’re called away to tend to another customer. It wasn’t the best to try and have a heart to heart at the bar, though you could still tell something was bothering the normally sunny dispositioned skeleton.
~*~
While Blue wouldn’t say he was drunk, he could feel the alcohol buzzing through his magic in a pleasant way. That didn’t mean he was going to slip and drop the secret that Sans insisted that they all keep, even if he really wanted to confide in Audrey about that bit of stress on his shoulders. It was hard, Blue wanted to tell her, he really did. That didn’t mean he should, what if… well no, Blue was getting more and more sure that Sans was never going to get any of them back to their own universes. That didn’t mean that he needed to go blabbing about how he and the others got here, that it was his place to tell that secret.
That didn’t stop it from hurting, having to hold himself back when he couldn’t be honest with Audrey about his “family” and why they were the way they were. Even explaining to her that the reason Red and Edge were so… edgy, was due to the type of universe they come from. Blue wanted to believe that he wouldn’t have ended up like Black if his own universe had been darker, that he could never be as lazy as Sans… though the proof was in front of him every day back at the lodge. At least living in Audrey’s basement apartment gave him the chance to pretend that he and Stretch were on their own surface, that they hadn’t been sucked into a strange new universe.
“Okay, so we got a lull and I’m good to take a proper break bluebell, you up for a tour of the kitchen to see where you’re going to be working tomorrow?” Tossing the rag on her shoulder onto the back counter, Audrey pulled Blue from his spiraling thoughts. The distraction a welcome one that has him hopping off the stool at the bar to follow her as she led him back through the door to the back again.
“Sounds like a plan, lead the way maiden.” A smile spread over Blue’s face as he saw a cute pink spread over Audrey’s cheeks, following behind her as she led him into the kitchen in the back of the bar. It wasn’t the most impressive kitchen, memories of Napstaton’s shows back in his own underground playing through his skull. Though it was clean and well organized, a couple of humans buzzing around as they made food and one smaller human rushing about near a big machine that billowed out steam when opened to reveal sparkling clean dishes.
“So this is where the magic happens, your main job is going to be chopping things up and getting things ready for the rest of the cooks to make the food we pretty ladies take out to the nice customers. Sure, they might have you step up to do more than chopping and the like, but most of your job is going to be getting things ready. Joey here is the head honcho back here, he is your god and anything he tells you is gospel when it comes to the kitchen. Do what he tells you to do and do it well and he will teach you anything you don’t know already, maybe one day you can get promoted onto the line and actually do some of the cooking if you keep the old man happy.” Giggling, Audrey dragged Blue over to… the guy was almost a fleshy version of Blue’s brother, though he had long hair and more ink on his skin that Blue even thought was possible.
“Hey kid, nice to meet ya. So yer the new guy replacing John? Ever work in a kitchen before?” Smearing his hands on the messy apron over his waist, Joey held out his right hand for Blue to shake as Blue couldn’t help but see the similarities between Joey and the lazier skeletons.
“That’s be sir, I start tomorrow.” Taking Joey’s hand, Blue offers his best sunny smile while fighting to keep his focus through the drinks he had at the bar.