Valentine's Day '18

It was another formal event forced upon Toriel and Asgore, though this time it was one where pleasure far outweighed business. The two were invited to a masquerade ball, a blast from the past, but one they could hardly reject. They had fond memories of way back when on the surface when the human royalty would invite them and the other monster nobility to their extravagant manors for a night of festivities; dancing, music and many feasts. In these modern times the formality was all but gone, as the invitation was left rather open, though the lavish excess of the human’s household still held strong.

Compared to both of the Dreemurrs’ humble abodes, this house was a palace, larger even than the underground castle of New Home; thousands upon thousands of square feet showing off the wealth of whoever owned it. A giant ball room encompassed most of the party, though the fine furniture and curtains filled it thoroughly, everything painstakingly neat and in its proper place. Ludicrous amounts of help were weaving among the crowd in their bright red vests, each with their own little mask to keep in tune with the theme of the party. Countless many doors led to countless many rooms, and the swinging doors to the kitchen were constantly being open and shut as more and more food was rushed out. It wasn’t as uptight or annoyingly formal as the two were used to, but it was not a far cry either.

Not that the goats could say they hated it. The masquerade allowed them to get out of the house together and not have to worry about being spotted. While they were trying to keep their outings rather secretive together, the attention they received from other people was reason enough to stay inside. Their fellow monsters were never the issue, they were used to Asgore’s friendliness and saw him as an equal despite his royal past; but humans sometimes paid an uncomfortable amount of attention to them. It wasn’t nearly as bad for Toriel, as she was much more behind the scenes than Asgore was, but for the old king it was almost relentless. Despite his usually vast reserves of patience and eagerness for a good conversation, the tenacity and rudeness that some humans possessed could sour even his mood.

Above all, their masks also made it easier for them to converse and enjoy a night out and not have their relationship being laid bare and scrutinised by the public. Asgore always stuck out, with his seven foot stature and burly physique, and his ridiculously tall horns and golden mane, but Toriel was much easier to hide, especially with a mask. For all anyone at the party knew, she was just a guest Asgore had brought along, a long lost relative or just a friend. The two old monarchs didn’t dare go out for dinners or movies in public, as that would raise suspicion. The ‘tension’ between the two was almost universally known among monsters, and they wished they could come out as King and Queen again, but it didn’t feel like the time was right. Though they felt that their love was nearly fully rekindled, they didn’t want the pressure that would come from tabloid gossip, or to dash people’s hopes if something were to happen. It wasn’t all bad, the sneaking around and stolen kisses. In fact it was almost fun. There was enjoyment that came from the secrecy and risk, each date or night spent together feeling like an accomplishment, and if Toriel or Asgore were suddenly missing from their post at school it wouldn’t raise suspicion as to where they could be. It would be nice to finally come out and fully live together again, and let Frisk have a mom and dad, but they were worried about letting people down for now.

Though they didn’t dare risk dancing together, it was nice to just talk and enjoy one another’s company. Out of all the things Asgore missed about his wife, being able to just talk to her for hours on end and not get tired of the conversation was what he missed most. Spending countless amounts of time doing nothing with her and not a second felt wasted. It was amazing. Above everything else, she was his best friend in the entire world, and he was so, so happy to finally have her back. And happily, the feeling wasn’t one sided. Despite her past grievances, it was nice for Toriel to finally have her Fluffybuns back. He had the amazing ability to make her smile, even when she was in the worst of moods. Hearing him laugh made her soul skip a beat, and she couldn’t help but join in. The two were sickly sweet together, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Asgore snagged two appetizers from a nearby butler with a quick ‘Thank you’, offering one to his queen. She was wearing an owl mask with her dress and gown, though the short beak resting on her snout gave it a slightly weird look. Asgore was donning a lion mask which teetered dangerously on his nose.

“Why, thank you,” she said as she took a nibble. The food here was scrumptious, every little h’orderve bursting with wonderful flavor. “It is nice to be at a party together again. I was afraid we would have to hide on the couch for the rest of our days.”

“I don’t see how that is much of an issue,” he joked, grinning with a cheeky look in his eyes. “I quite like your couch.”

She giggled. “That is true. ‘Hoo’ would have thought?” It was her turn to smirk.

“It doesn’t hurt my ‘pride’ to keep you a secret.” His smile widened in a short laugh as she snorted at his joke, her chuckles coming freely from her muzzle. Asgore knew that she would love that pun.

“Oh, that was a good one, Gorey.” She covered her mouth as the last of her laughs came. “Sans might have some competition.”

“I’d be ‘lion’ if I said I wasn’t practicing.” Another cheeky grin. “And I have to say, that little snort is really cute.”

“Oh shush,” she smiled back, “At least I don’t snore like you do.”

“You love my snores!” He protested, which Toriel giggled at, “And don’t pretend that you don’t as well.”

“I would never!” She gasped with mock offense.

He sniffed. “Of course you wouldn’t”

Before they could continue, a sudden voice interjected into their conversation. “Excuse me, but are you Mr. Asgore Dreemurr?”

The king swung around towards the source of the interruption, finding a human woman behind him, a fox mask covering her eyes and nose. “Howdy! That would be me. What can I do for you?”

Toriel stepped away as the woman began to speak again. She hadn’t been seen by the woman and she would rather keep it that way. The mask could hide her face, but her snout and horns were still rather conspicuous to anyone who was paying attention. “Hello! I’m Shasta Peterson, I work with the government here as part of the Human Monster Integration Program.”

“Oh really!” Asgore said excitedly, “That is quite the job you have. I’m amazed I have never met you before.”

She laughed, “I know, right? When you and your people came to the surface I couldn’t help but want to help. Monsters are so interesting.”

“I could say the same about humans,” he joked, “The ones around nowadays are much different than the ones I’m used to.”

“Oh I bet.”

The two talked as Toriel stayed a fair distance away, but she still kept an ear on the two. She knew that eavesdropping was a bad habit to have, but her ears were trained to find individual voices in a noisy room. She felt uneasy about Shasta. The human looked nice enough, tall, skinny, with wavy, blonde bobbed hair, and her voice was nice to listen to. But that’s exactly what worried her. There were many points when she was still keeping Asgore estranged as possible when she would notice human women fawning over him, and she felt a small flame start in her belly every time. They would fake being ‘Monster Rights Activists’ in hopes of making a good impression, and Asgore would be none the wiser. Despite her contempt for him then, jealousy still reared its head no matter how much she didn’t want it to. Though, this woman hadn’t tried anything so far besides just innocent conversation. Toriel looked down at her hands, smoke curling from her fingertips. She shook her head and closed her fists. Was she being paranoid? Maybe the woman was just honestly interested in monsterkind and how they work.

The next words took Toriel from her thoughts. “So, I have a little question for you, Mr. Dreemurr.”

“Oh, just call me Asgore,” he said with a small laugh, “I’m not one for formality.”

“Well, Asgore,” she said, “are you still single?”

Everything in Asgore’s head stopped. His mouth was left hanging open at her forwardness, not quite sure what to say.

“Oh goodness.” She looked apologetically at his reaction. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean…”

Asgore recovered from his shock, letting out a shaky laugh and scratching at the back of his neck. “No, no, it’s fine. That was just a bit… sudden.” He could feel his cheeks burning up. “As for your question… It’s- erm, complicated?”

“In my experience, that’s just another way of saying yes.” She had a predatory grin that made Asgore a little nervous. Toriel was turning around, ready to fight for the claim of her husband.

“I-I suppose you’re correct,” he stammered, “but-”

She cut him off and took his hand, leading him through the ballroom. The king looked at Toriel, but she was in hot pursuit. He shook his head, his eyes begging her not to make a scene. She stopped, the tips of her fingers burning hot as smoke smoldered from her claws. She had never felt like this before, jealousy fire red in her stomach far worse than she had ever experienced. She still followed them as Asgore was led towards a spare room, the king trying to protest but his complaints fell on deaf ears. He wished he wasn’t so much of a push over.

The door clicked shut and locked behind the two as they entered, Toriel stuck outside. She knew that she didn’t want to make a scene or cause suspicion, but she couldn’t help it. She could melt the lock, or even break down the door if she wanted to, but she sighed dejectedly. She finally had Asgore back, she wasn’t going to lose him now. She kept an ear pressed to the door.

Toriel heard Shasta’s voice first. “I’ve heard what happened between you and your wife, that must be awful.”

“I-I mean I suppose so,” Asgore stuttered. He was never good at lying, especially when flustered. Toriel was ready to bust this door down if she wasn’t worried about Asgore and her secret. ”But I’ve gotten used to it!”

“But you have to be so lonely,” she said in return, “I couldn’t imagine being in your shoes.”

Toriel could hear the discomfort in Asgore’s voice “That’s true, but-”

“But what?” Shasta was growing apprehensive. Toriel’s fist started to glow red, ready to melt the lock and burst down the hinges

“But,” he sighed, “What’s happening between my wife and I is truly complicated.”

The room stilled, Shasta obviously stopping her offensive. Toriel pressed herself closer against the door.

“Yes, she and I are separated, and yes it is awfully lonely without her, but I can’t date you.”

“Why’s that?”

Toriel could hear Asgore sigh. He was always emotional, and she could even imagine his slumped posture that he had whenever his mood really sank. “I still love her. I love her with all my heart and there’s nothing I can do to stop that. Any time I see her or think of her all I can think of is the family I used to have and how happy I was back then. If I were to just ignore that, what kind of husband would I be?

“It may be a fool’s errand, but I’m hoping for the day that she takes me back. And as much as I would love to let go and be with someone else, I just can’t. I’ve always hoped that true love waits, even when it’s obvious that that won’t happen for a while. She may not love me back, but I want to remain faithful to her. If that means I’m alone for the rest of my life, so be it.” He looked up at the human, who looked sadly down at him, and smiled.

“You aren’t stuck like I am. I know I may look like some sort of ‘perfect husband’ but there are other, better people out there. You are a fine woman, strong willed. I doubt you couldn’t find someone even better than I.”

She sniffled, guilt evident on her face. “I-… I’m sorry-”

He stood up and shushed her with a soft hug. “There’s no need for apologies. It’s no worry, really,” he said with a smile, releasing her from the embrace, holding onto her shoulders reassuringly. “You had no idea and wanted to help out a lonely old soul like me. I appreciate that.”

She wiped an eye. “But, I didn’t listen…”

Asgore sniffed, laughing quietly, “Yes, but we all do that. What do you think caused me and my wife to become separated?” He sat back on the bed. “Now go on, there’s still a ball going now, isn’t there?” Shasta apologized again and left the room hurriedly, the door closing with a silent click. Asgore sighed, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked at the door with a bemused grin. “She’s gone now, Tori. You can come in.”

The door opened quietly, Toriel squeezing in and shutting it behind her. Her face looked apologetic, guilty, but with the glimpse of a smile. “It was that obvious I was eavesdropping?”

“I would be surprised if you weren’t,” he chuckled, “You had fire in your eyes as you pursued us across the dancefloor.”

She grinned uneasily, still not letting herself off the hook. “That is true. I admit my eyes were starting to turn green.” She walked over and sat down next to him on the bed, leaning against him.

Asgore grinned. “I’m glad that they did! Shows you still care about me.”

“I would not go that far…” she jested with a smirk, nudging him.

“Of course, of course.” Asgore laughed, which made Toriel smile. “What was I thinking?” They sat together, Toriel resting her head in the crook of his neck. What he said was still swirling around in her brain.

She broke the short silence. “That was very sweet, what you said to her.”

“Well it was the truth,” he said back, his smile faltering for a second. “You know how bad I am at lying.”

“Yes, yes,” she said, “That is true, but that doesn’t change what I said.” He looked over at her, and she was smiling. “But what you said about… us, it really shows how much you care.”

“Well I suppose,” he mused, “It’s hard not to care when you love something.”

“I know.” she looked down at her hands, not helping but feeling guilty. “I just wish I could have been a better wife… back then, you know?”

Asgore looked at her, his eyes somber as they stared into hers. “You know I will not let you beat yourself up over that, you had every right to be upset.”

“Doesn’t change that I could have been there at least to help.”

They sat in solemn silence, ruminating about the past as they leaned against one another, their heads bowed as they looked at anything but one another. It wasn’t a fun subject, but it was always in the back of their heads, constantly gnawing away. The awful question of ‘why?’ hung on their tongues and in their minds, though they both knew that they shouldn’t say it.

Toriel finally looked up from her hands at Asgore’s expression. It was the same one he always wore whenever diplomatic meetings or political events went awry; the king too focused on thinking to act. She chuckled quietly. He really was the old Gorey she used to know all those years ago.

She kissed his cheek, causing him to jump from his thoughts. She smiled at his confused look, giggling again. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t help each other now.”

Asgore’s somberness melted as a smile appeared on his face, his eyes brightening up again. “I guess so.” He wrapped his arm around her again, pulling her close. “Thank you for taking this poor, sappy old goat back, Tori.”

“You need as much help as you can get, Dreemurr,” she teased, prodding him, “and you don’t need to thank me. It’s what wives are for.”

Once again, they sat in stilled quietness, though this time by choice. Contented smiles hung from their maws as they heard the muffled sounds of merrymaking outside of the room.

“Frisk is out of the house until the end of the night, you know,” Toriel spoke up, “And that bottle of wine we didn’t finish is still waiting to be drunk. We could go back and…”

“Watch movies under the covers?” Asgore suggested with a grin.

Toriel giggled and shook her head at her husband. “I could not have said it better myself.”