Error's POV hours later

Reaper returns with the three kids in his arms and frowns. Each of them has cuts and bruises or some sort of wound, Shino looking the most shaken up.

"Trouble came looking for them apparently and I know who to confront about this. I'll handle it."He says, setting them down.

Goth picks Shino up and they each sit around me. Shino coos in awe at the sight of the flowers growing from me and Raven is already trying to break the sharp thorns off of me. Goth smiles, looking at me with a deep sense of relief. I smile at them, using my strings to brush their wounds and try to bandage them.

"Why are there thorns? I want to hug you, Papa! You've been gone too long! How can we snuggle now?"Raven asks

"Huh? No hug?"Shino asks

"ThEy aRe g0iNg t0 b3 hErE aS lOnG aS tHe bIg tRoUbLemAkErS wAnT iT To b3."I say, using my strings to wrap them in a hugging comfort instead.

Reaper takes his phone out and frowns, making a call.

"Paps? You there?"He says

He pauses, clenching a fist.

"Why did I find Dad's minions at Nightmare's castle going after the kids?"He asks, sounding furious and low on patience

Oh...So his Gaster did this...Sent trouble...OH. He wanted to get rid of them, just what Reaper wanted to prevent from happening, and just told me.

Another pause.

"Did you tell him about the kids despite my warnings for you not to?"He growls

I see his fists clench and start shaking, his eye shrinking as he heard the answer.

"I have no shame in having them, Paps! I told you why this must be a secret! Not out of shame but their safety! I told you about his threats! The job comes before family for him! And now that he knows, he tried to back up his threat for how I broke the rule that he assigned to me! He didn't send his helpers to greet them and welcome them to the family, Paps! They had to be held back and protected from his minions until I got them out! Now I have four souls to heal!"He snaps, shouting into the phone at this point

He pauses for a moment.

"No indication? I told you multiple times! Next time I warn you about trouble and say to keep something between us, please listen and don't go telling him behind my back! I'll talk to you later!"He says, hanging up

"Papa? Why do you have cracks underneath your thorns? Your bones don't look good and your clothes are ripped."Raven asks

Reaper sits with us and frowns, carefully holding each kid one at a time and trying to heal their wounds. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a first aid kit to do so. Then he tried to bandage me the most he could. The kids fall asleep, snuggling Reaper.

After that, we basically start settling into the home together. Reaper didn't want to risk Fate or Gaster causing trouble for us. It isn't that bad since they enjoyed the new rooms that Reaper set up for them. He even gave me a room to stay in since we certainly aren't at the level to share a bedroom and by extension, a bed together. Especially given my thorns and glitching phobia. Yet this gives Reaper the chance to bond with them more and it's cute to watch. He makes Shino a bib and has her use the high chair or trains Raven how to control his powers and scythe. Then he helps teach Goth in any way possible to help him, reading stories and such. Whatever makes the kids happy.

And being that I'm living with him, I've grown closer to him. There's no way around it when he's frequently trying to help me or care for me. He is often the one trying to trim my thorns when the vines and stems grow too long. Or getting me medicine whenever he sees that my "fever" returned. It's not really a fever, I have caught onto what he means and have determined what it really is. It makes sense given the timing of when it shows up or started showing up. I first got this "golden fever" when I was under the influence of Ink's vials. Specifically his love and happiness ones. But I'm not telling him that I am a blushing mess, so I just go along with it. It's just cold and flue medicine after all.

I love watching him care for the kids. He is adorable and clearly cares deeply for them. He tries to spend the most time and make the best of it before he has to take off to handle some lists. They get longer each week and he has to complete them to avoid attracting suspicions but he always tries to make up for the lost time.

I've adjusted to being around to idiot again to put it simply. And to enjoy it. He's such a dumb dork at times. Like how almost every morning I can expect to hear a thud down the hall when he wakes up. This is because he is stretching his wings and too tired to float, so he sleepily trips and falls when walking towards the kitchen. He trips over his own cloak. It has happened so much yet he brushes it off even when I check on him, yet I have concerns since it happens so close to the staircase. So by now I know to put a safety net on the stairs each night with my strings so that if he trips down the stairs, he gets caught without getting hurt. So far it has a high success rate yet that isn't the only place that this idiot gets into trouble.

I swear sometimes that he's a danger to himself with how clumsy he is. I am often in the kitchen witnessing the trouble he gets into before even reaching the kitchen. I have learned by now to have his coffee ready for his own sake after witnessing him sleepily try to pour the entire jug of hot coffee into his mouth and burning himself too many times as I sip my morning cup of chocolate milk. Worst part is that he'd always go in for another sip as if expecting a different result.

Yeah, don't let him make his own coffee in the morning.

"YoU'rE wOrSe tHaN kiLlEr."I told him once

"Am I really?"He asked after I took the jug from him with coffee stains/burns on his cloak from five failed attempts

"YoU'rE aT lEaSt hIs lEvEl of sTupIdiTy."I said

"Well unlike him, I'm not banned from the kitchen!"He says

"YoU'rE gOinG tO bE aT tH1s rAt3, iDioT."I told him

Yes, he's an idiot. But he is my idiot. Somehow it's so...something about him is so endearing.

I have already reinforced the code of the house with barriers to keep threats out like I did with castle, but this code includes any trouble from Gaster.

Being around Reaper so much has made one thing clear. I have feelings for him and may have already fallen for him...again technically. But I'm not looking to admit this to him. It's not the perfect, enjoyable feeling since it only seems to bring doubt and conflict with it for me. I don't exactly know how to handle it, especially with the few memories of when I was sick nagging me consistently. I was paralyzed and unconscious physically, but my mind was stuck in a loop of seeing the past with him and Geno...How happy he was...We were...Then it'd end with him looking at me and frowning, leaving and I could do nothing. He wouldn't come near me no matter my attempts to reach or call for him. No, he'd walk to Geno and the loop would restart. Yes, it wasn't real but it raises doubts in my mind.

Could we really have the same love as before? Could I really give Reaper the relationship that pleases him? That he deserves? In comparison to the memories as Geno, how good am I for Reaper? Or will things fall apart again? Is this love or just an obligation?

Yet I easily find ways to distract myself from all these thoughts. The negative thoughts, at least. Like waking up to cute moments like I did this morning. It shattered with hearing Shino down the hall complaining or shouting no. I walk down the hall, peeking around the corner as Reaper hushes her as she sits in the high chair.

"Now now, Shino. No whining. Don't give a hard time. Your brother says that you always give him a hard time when it's something good for you. Now, you should take your medicine. It will help you. You don't want to keep crying and wake your dad, do you? He really needs his rest and I promise if you eat this, you'll be rewarded. Okay?"He says

"Hmmm....Ok."She says

"Now say aaaah."He says with a smile.

"Aaaah...."She says

I smile, watching him feed her as his cloak bubbles with hearts. He looks so happy and she starts to enjoy her food too. Then I decide to go back inside my room before I'm noticed.

Yeah, that definitely helps avoid negative thoughts.

TBC