You still weren't convinced that yesterday was real. It had felt so dreamlike, so far from reality, that you were still having a hard time accepting it. Even as you tried to focus on the schematics for a robot pet that Alphys had charged you with double-checking and fine tuning, your mind kept wandering back and your eyes falling upon the bracelet wrapped around your wrist that Mettaton had insisted on buying for you before you left. It was nothing special, just a thin silver cord with your birthstone in the middle, but Mettaton refused to leave Surface Home without getting anything for you, and, well, it was neat and understated enough. You never really wore jewelry, but you found an especial need to wear this one. You couldn't leave the house without putting it on. It almost called to you.

You checked your phone once more as you had been doing periodically, every ten minutes or so. You were restless, waiting for a text from Mettaton. You had texted him early this morning, hoping that it would get him out of your mind. It didn't. It only focused your mind more on him. You knew he had responsibilities and obligations that were all amplified by his position of significance to the public, but your mind still selfishly began to think that you were the problem. Maybe he hadn't really enjoyed himself as much as he seemed to. Maybe he regretted everything that had happened. Maybe every single moment was agonizing torture to him and he was just such a good actor that you couldn't tell and-

Yeah, you should really put your phone down now and focus on working.

Bzzt!

And the moment you set it down you got a notification. Why the fuck not?!

You picked the device back up hungrily, opening it without reading the notification and expecting to see a text from Mettaton on the screen where you had left it.

You: hey mett, just wanted to say thanks for yesterday. I had a great time! :)

                                                                                                                (Delivered)

There was no new message on that screen, only the one you had sent. If not Mettaton, then who? A part of you felt that it wasn't even worth it to check the message if it wasn't from Mettaton, but you knew that would just be a bit ridiculous. After all, the world didn't stop turning just because you had a little (okay, fairly big) crush. You swiped down your notifications and tapped the most recent one lethargically, barely registering the name. By the time it had loaded, you knew it was from your best friend. You hadn't actually seen her in quite some time, as she lived just across the state line, which was a little too far for you to drive on a regular basis. You had known her for over a decade, though, and you had refused to let such an important friendship die.

Bitch: DUDE WTF HAPPENED LAST NIGHT

Bitch: IM SO CONFUSED YOUD BETTER EXPLAIN IT

You: Tf you mean man

You: I'm confused too pls explain

Bitch: don't pretend you don't know

You: But I don't???

You: And pleas e be quick im sposed to be working

Bitch:kkkkk

Bitch: so would you care to tell me why I see a picture in my insta feed on THE FUCKING METTATONS ACCOUNT with you in it

Bitch: and then later I see you posted the same one

Bitch: n I see that one of the people that liked it

Bitch: IS NONE OTHER THAN METTA-FUCKING-TON

Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. There went all hopes of being discreet about it. At least your account was private and had relatively few followers. Still, the word could get out through someone craving a taste of fame. You glanced down at the desk, feeling your head's desire to violently meet it. You resisted.

You: shit

You: um surprise Mettaton follows me?

Bitch: NOT ONLY THAT

Bitch: BUT I SEE YALL TALKING IN THE COMMENTS

Bitch: AND YOU CALLED HIM BY A NICKNAME???

You: jdfhkjd I wasn't thinking ive gotta delete that

Bitch: what's tHE TEA???

You shouldn't tell her. You knew that it would be the exact opposite of a good decision to tell her what transpired last night. You knew that you should keep it under wraps and say that you faked the comments by making a fan account with a similar name to Mettaton's and keep it a secret that you had posted it in the car on the way back before Mettaton noticed and requested to follow you and that he commented at a red light and to tease him you responded and you were laughing and going back and forth and you wanted it to be yesterday again.  But at the same time, she was your best friend and your thumbs were itching eagerly, anxious to share the news with her. You also knew her well enough to know that she probably had it at least partially figured out. After all, she had been one of the first people you told when you were hired by Alphys. After that, it wouldn't be difficult to let the other pieces fall into place. Even if she hadn't figured out it was a date, she had definitely already worked out that you and Mettaton were hanging out on a level outside the professional workspace.

You figured you might as well tell her. If you couldn't trust your best friend to keep a secret, then who could you trust?

You: okay you cant tell anyone about this its top ssecret

Bitch: lips are sealed hun

You: kk so

You: Mett and I went on a date last night.

Bitch: You went on a date with FUCKING METTATON

Bitch: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME

You: idk I kinda wanted to keep it quiet

You: Like what if rumors started spreading

Bitch: then you'd be famous???

You: jfc I don't want that kind of attention

Bitch: omg omg dude Mettaton is gonna be your sugar daddy

You were about to answer that, but your phone vibrated and a notification was pushed onto your screen. You grinned involuntarily as you read that it was a message from Mettaton. You glanced almost guiltily at the screen of the computer, regretting that you probably weren't going to get any work done for quite some time. You tapped your foot rapidly as you tapped into your conversation with Mettaton.

Mett: I'm glad you feel that way darling. I enjoyed our time immensely :)

You rolled your eyes, despite the fluttering in your chest. You couldn't help but judge the way he texted so formally, even if you were having trouble keeping yourself from bursting at the seams with excitement. You couldn't remember when you started acting so giddily over this, like a school child that just talked to their crush.

Mett: As a matter of fact, I think I'd very much like to repeat the experience.

Mett: The next time I'm free is next Sunday

You: Okay sure

You: sundays good

You: should we do like six?

Mett: That sounds perfect, darling

Mett: Would you like me to pick you up?

You took a moment to think about that. It was definitely helpful that you wouldn't need to waste any gas, but on the other hand, you sort of didn't want all that attention drawn to you by having his flashy car parked on your driveway. In addition, he'd then know your address, and he'd be able to show up at your place whenever he pleased.

You: nah its chill

You: I can dribe myself

Mett: *drive

You: *drive

You: wtf chill mett

Mett: I refuse to chill.

Mett: I'll always be there to fix your typos, sweetie :)

You: k well

You: you'll let me know where we're going ig

Mett: Of course, darling.

Mett: Aw, my break is over :(

Mett: I'll probably see you at the lab later this week, darling

You: I'll keep an eye out

You: see ya

Mett: Til then, lovely

Mett: <3

You grinned at the heart, even if you weren't entirely sure why he added it. You noticed the barrage of notifications coming in from your friend and went back to that conversation with a sigh.

Bitch: if hes your sugar daddy can you help me out a bit too

Bitch: im broke af

Bitch: still living off ramen

Bitch: I wont steal him but if he could slip me a couple thousand I wouldn't complain

Bitch: hello?

Bitch: dude

Bitch: dude

Bitch: duuude come back

Bitch: you actually left me

Bitch: wow you get a taste of fame and suddenly its to hell with me

Bitch: k im going then I have dogs to take care of

You rolled your eyes and laughed in your head but decided that it was probably in your best interest to actually get to work now. And you did. You set to work with surprising vigor, pushing all thoughts of hot robots and nagging best friends and a second date to the back of your mind.

--

The day dragged on. A few hours later, Mettaton told you that you would be going to a restaurant and suggested you dress nicely. The conversation didn't go much farther beyond that, as Alphys came by to discuss your progress, how the date with Mettaton went, and if you had seen the newest episode of Tokyo Ghoul. You also eventually apologized to your friend, relaying to her all the details of the date last night. It seemed promising that the next day would be just as unexceptional as a normal one when you received a stroke of luck as you were about to head out for the day after being kept late by the same project.

"Oh, what a show, Alphys!"

The door banged open as Mettaton strutted in. You sat up abruptly, already halfway out of your chair. You caught yourself before you actually stood and stayed as you were, hoping that he would feel your anticipatory gaze on him.

Mettaton kicked off his boots next to the door and sighed contentedly. "You should have seen the crowd, dar- "He finally noticed you waiting there and grinned, "Darling! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, I just had to stay a little later to finish, uh, wrap some things up," you answered, approaching Mettaton casually.

He grinned, meeting you halfway, his walk suddenly slow and eyes drooping the smallest bit closed. His hips swayed, and he angled his head. "Are you planning on helping me with the check-up again?"

You felt a warmth spread over you, but laughed it off and said, "Nah, I'm heading out now. I'm exhausted."

He shifted his weight to his other leg, pouting down at you, "Oh, come on, darling. Not even a little longer?"

You rolled your eyes, "I'd love to stay and help out, Mett, but I should really be going."

He didn't appear to hear the last part of your statement, as he grinned brightly and grabbed you by the wrist, pulling you to the staircase and yelling up for Alphys. Mettaton had released your wrist and instead slipped his arm over your shoulders by the time she scurried down the stairs, visibly confused.

"W-what is it-t M-Mettaton?" She glanced between the two of you, and you could not even begin to imagine what thoughts were going through her mind, although you were fairly certain that it was something to do with her obsessive shipping.

"Well, our favorite human here decided they would love to learn how to properly care for me after one of my shows," Mettaton lied. You choked involuntarily, flinching out of his grasp. Alphys looked on with concern.

"U-um, o-okay. I m-mean, y-you're fine w-with stay-staying later, right-t?"

Funny. It was like the same exact thing that had led you to this situation in the beginning was repeating, except this time Alphys was there. You wanted desperately to leave and be freed from this situation before things became incredibly awkward, but at the same time you were compelled to stay. Mettaton wanted you to. How could you say no when he insisted on his will in front of Alphys and would undoubtedly coax you into it some other way?

"Yeah, long as I get paid overtime," you joked. Alphys didn't seem to get it, so you pointed out to her that it was a joke.

"Oh, heh," Alphys laughed falsely exactly once before abandoning the attempt at acting at ease, "U-Um, so l-let's get to i-it?"

"Marvelous!" Mettaton exclaimed with a bright smile on his face. He caught your eye and gave you a flutter of a wink, pushing back his fringe to ensure that you knew only the one eye had closed. You rolled your eyes exaggeratedly at him as Alphys led you back to the repair room. You ignored the itching urge you had to slap him playfully, figuring you'd better keep your composure so long as your boss was around. It would be slapping time if she stepped out.

You sort of hoped that she would step out.

Mettaton sped up ahead of you as you reached the darkened room, and you heard an audible clang before Alphys flicked on the lights. Mettaton was perched upon the counter, his arm extended behind him, holding him up straight. He had his legs crossed, his other hand resting delicately upon his knee. He grinned at you brilliantly, and you would be lying to say that you didn't feel just the littlest bit weak in the knees.

No! You'd win at his little game here. You refused to let yourself be the victim of this stupid robot. You'd show him that you could dish it out as well as you could take it, even when you were made to be nearly flustered by something as minute as the way he drew his bottom lip between his teeth and raised his eyebrows in questioning at your staring. Even though you could feel your lips itching to be against Mettaton's again when he ran his tongue over them, you refused to lose this little game of his. He'd see what you were capable of, mark your words.

"A-Alright," Alphys began. Mettaton snapped to attention, so obviously surprised that you couldn't keep yourself from snickering. He stuck his tongue out at you. You waited until Alphys wasn't paying attention, which wasn't long, before you flipped him your middle finger. You pretended to ignore his audible gasp and turned to Alphys, paying attention to her instructions dutifully.

"So th-the first th-thing y-y-you do is, u-um, j-just like an external examination. All you really need to do is check and make sure he's not scratched or dented." As Alphys spoke, her stuttering gradually melted away and she seemed to gain a new level of confidence. You had noticed this sort of change in her before, where she begins to talk about something she really cares about and loses her normal shyness. She had done it when you two spoke about whatever current anime you were watching, and you had also heard her slip into it a few times when talking about whatever project she was currently working on.

"Don't worry, darling, I'll let you know if there's anything wrong," Mettaton told you, "Any crime against this fabulous body must be fixed immediately, of course."

"Yeah, you'd probably die of cardiac arrest otherwise," you commented sarcastically before addressing Alphys again, "Should he be standing, Alphys?"

She seemed to ponder a moment before answering, "U-uh, y-yeah. Yeah."

"Alrighty," You turned back to Mettaton, "Well, up you go, metal man." You slapped the counter with your hand like a professional. He glanced at you with a hint of confusion before slipping off. He stumbled on the floor, surprising you. In reaching out for something to steady himself, his hands found a solid hold on your waist. When he smirked down at you, somehow you were less surprised at his convenient lack of balance.

"O-oh, g-gosh, M-mettaton are you, a-are y-you okay?" Alphys reached out towards him in concern.

"I'm fine, darling, just a little drawn. Perhaps my battery is lower than I thought," he dismissed her worries, quickly dropping his hands from your waist. You huffed, knowing that you didn't stand a chance against Mettaton so far. Your eyes sparkled with a sudden idea.

"So, I just go on ahead, right?" You clarified with Alphys. She nodded, watching to make sure you were doing your job correctly (even though this wasn't really in your job description).

You shrugged, playing it off as being resigned to your task as much as you could. In a movement that came so naturally it almost scared you, you began to run your fingers along him, inspecting the surface of his body closely. Mettaton seemed confused at first, but you could almost feel the gradual understanding fall over him. As you started by dragging your fingers up his arm, you glanced up and caught his eye, looking at you with fond amusement. You smirked at him before continuing your oh-so-slow examination of his body, along with your thinly concealed feeling him up. You moved across his chest, only mildly bothered by how strongly you could feel Alphys staring at you and went down down down to the little glass case. You knew how he had reacted to your touch in that area last time, and you were eager to throw him off his game a little. Under a mask of intense concentration, you rubbed your knuckles across the glass in the front. Mettaton flinched almost violently. Making note of the reaction, but pretending to ignore it, you repeated the action, relishing in way you could feel his entire body tensed, trying to avoid reaction.

Just once more, you decided. This time you put the smallest bit of pressure behind your touch, and Mettaton whimpered audibly, so much so that you could see Alphys wince and blush. Under the guise of concern, you straightened up to your full height and tilted your head, putting a sympathetic look on your face and apologizing, "Sorry, Mett, did I hurt you?"

He looked at you almost indignantly before a look of impressive calm came over him and he responded, "Of course not, darling. I'm just fine." For a moment he glared with an intimidating ferocity, and you actually felt a tremor of fear through your spine. Quietly, so that only you could hear, he whispered, "If it's war that you want, lovely..."

Just as quickly as it had come over him, the odd humor passed and he was grinning his signature stage smile once more. You finished checking down his other arm, allowing your fingers to linger on his for a moment longer. It wasn't necessarily part of your teasing. You just wanted to feel the touch of his hand again. His fingers twitched imperceptibly, longing to trap your hand with his.

"Looking good," you told Alphys, tearing yourself from Mettaton with no small effort, "I'm just gonna assume that his legs are fine, because he'd be throwing a tantrum if they weren't."

"I would not!" He protested indignantly, "As a matter of fact, there is a rather hideous defamation that I haven't been complaining about."

"I-I can't s-see a-anything, M-mettat-ton," Alphys piped up. Mettaton seemed appalled at her denial.

"Yes, there is!" He turned back to you, "Look for yourself, darling."

So quickly that you hardly had a chance to recognize what was happening, Mettaton's leg was suddenly on your shoulder, and you nearly collapsed under the sudden weight. You involuntarily let out a sort of "oof" sound, just as Mettaton noticed that you were nearly on the ground.

"Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry," He apologized, dropping his leg from its perch and reached out to you in order to help you stand straight again. Even as he did so, he was laughing, and you could hear Alphys' laugh along with Mettaton's and your own. He rested a supporting arm around your back, and by the time you felt it dropping lower, it was too late. He quickly grabbed a handful of your ass before letting you go again as you yelped. You felt yourself blush violently and looked down. You silently willed the redness away.

"Sweetheart, are you hurt?" Mettaton asked, feigning innocence. Part of you wanted to slap the look off of his face. However, the other part of you was making a pretty strong argument for pulling him in by the neck and kissing him resolutely. You reached a compromise within your mind and took neither course of action.

"Depends," you began to answer, "How much do I get to sue for if I'm hurt?"

"Darling!"

"Mettaton!"

"U-um, should w-we m-m-move on?" Alphys asked, breaking up the situation before it could escalate any farther, although you were not entirely sure what it would escalate to.

"Yeah," you affirmed. You silently began to plot your next move against him. You had to admit, Mettaton had definitely outdone you with that last move he pulled. You internally commended him for how skillfully he had done that.

"O-okay, s-so now y-you're g-gonna ch-check the internal wiring. It's just to make sure that nothing's been fried or needs repairing. He uses quite a lot of energy in his performances, especially when he dances like he did today. So, lemme get a screwdriver and I'll just show you the ropes," Alphys began speaking quickly, and you barely understood a sentence that came out of her mouth.  Deftly and professionally, she began unscrewing the four screws that were in his chest plate. She also felt around the little lip under the plate and slid across the switches that were there as a precautionary measure. Mettaton seated himself back on the counter after she did so, taking the screws from her hand.

"And you just sort of disconnect the wires and make sure everything's still functional when you plug them back in," She finished her talking with a final, clear instruction. It was about the only thing you understood that she said. She got to work then, and you watched dutifully, thinking that you might just know how to push Mettaton's buttons, or, more accurately, yank his wires. You had seen Alphys cross a few of his wires accidentally in the past, and Mettaton's reactions had been interesting, to say the least.

When she had almost finished, Alphys passed it over to you to handle the last handful. You pulled out the wire that controlled the intonation of his voice, and had a good chuckle when he said, "Hello, beauties and gentle-beauties," in a completely monotone voice. He definitely did not seem too thrilled about that, his expression closely resembling that of an annoyed teenager. The next wire seemed to control the movement of his legs, another that he complained about heartily. Just to spite him, you left it unplugged. You had remembered a specific pair of wires that Alphys had crossed once and planned on using them for your revenge. The next wire you tried rendered him unable to blink. It was sort of creepy to see his eye open and unblinking for so long, so that one was plugged in again quickly. The last wire, and the one that you would need to use, was in control of his finger movement. Deliberately, and with a mischievous grin on your face, you switched the wires.

Immediately, his body began to rapidly vibrate, the sound of metal hitting metal echoing around the room. Mettaton stuttered on an "oh" sound, and you had a sneaking suspicion that you knew what word he was trying to force out. Alphys spoke to you in fear, encouraging you to quickly undo the "mistake." Regretfully, you placed the wired back where they belonged. As soon as the vibrating had stopped, Mettaton called out in an obscene almost moan, "Ohh, fuuuck!"

You had to keep yourself from laughing, even as a warmth spread down to the space between your thighs. Mettaton gave you a knowing look. You shook your head disapprovingly and stepped aside.

"Well, he's all yours Alphy," you said, jokingly wiping your hands together.

Mettaton was quick to intervene, "Actually, darling, I'd rather have you screw me."

You raised your eyebrow in question but resigned yourself to your fate and returned to Mettaton. With impressive speed, you secured the plate back over his chest cavity.

"W-well, that's i-it," Alphys said after you had finished that, "R-really nothing e-else t-to d-d-do."

"Alright then. See you tomorrow, boss," you said, walking out the door. As you picked your bag up from the floor beside your desk and shut down your computer, you could hear Mettaton's voice distantly bidding goodbye to Alphys. By the time you were out the door, Mettaton had caught up to you.

"That was well played, my dear," Mettaton remarked, closing the door behind himself. You glanced behind yourself and exhaled through your nose, continuing your walk down the steps.

"Of course it was," you waited until he was out there, standing beside you, "I won, after all."

Mettaton gave you a skeptical look. "I wasn't aware that we were competing, lovely."

You laughed, "Well, duh, and I beat your ass."

Mettaton stepped closer, an arm slipping round your waist, "I find that doubtful, darling."

You cocked an eyebrow, "Oh really? Care to explain your logic?"

Suddenly you were pushed against the smooth exterior wall of the building. You grunted involuntarily. Mettaton leaned close over you.

"Let's just say," he began, voice low and smooth, seduction rolling from his tongue, "That one of us is going home tonight and staying up far past the time they should so that they can take care of something very... pressing." His thumb moved independently of his hand, nearing your crotch. Your body wanted you to give in, but you resisted.

You pressed your palm against the glass. It was warm. "And I wonder who that's gonna be, Mett." You tapped your nails against it teasingly.

"A-ahhh, are you so su-ohhhh, fuck me."

"Not tonight, Mett," you teased with a Cheshire grin. You slipped out of his arms, calling over your shoulder to him, "See ya Sunday!" You turned around and promptly stumbled, before you regained your composure and continued walking to your car, giggling profusely.

Mettaton still stood outside the lab, staring at the spot you had been before. He felt his heart beating erratically, almost begging him to open the case and hold it. He was what he knew others called breathless. Even though he had no lungs to breathe with, he had ways to simulate it. He had perfected how to act certain ways for his movies and shows and performances, and by now he sometimes breathed more heavily out of habit. This was one of those times, his body pushing air in and out with great effort as he tried to regain his lost composure. He jumped as he heard the door open again.

"M-mettaton? A-are you o-out here?" Alphys timid voice asked into the darkness. He turned abruptly to her, an exhilarated smile on his face and his eyes especially alert.

"There's something special about them, Alphy," he paused before emphasizing, "Something very special."