Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zenith “Gray” Rayman: A very emo boy who likes listening to music alone. He has a wolf cut, and he rarely smiles. He’s gay and he’s 15.

Pinki Rayman: A sweet girl and Gray’s big sister. She likes baking and cooking, and she’s good with nails. She has long hair, which she keeps in a braid. She’s an ally and she’s 17.

Ashwhey “Fun Bot” Mecha: A sweet, upbeat, caring, excitable boy who loves hugging his friends. He thinks his real name is cringe. He has short hair and glasses. He’s gay and he’s 14.5.

Mirage “MFC” Mecha: A sassy, pessimistic boy. He likes messing with his siblings, but like his big brother, he thinks his real name is cringe. He’s aro-ace and he’s 13.

Wenda Crowley: A sweet yet sassy girl who cares too much about public opinion. She’s Pinki’s best friend. She has a bob cut. She’s bi and she’s 16.5.

Oren Da Luz: A chill, relaxed guy. He doesn’t have the best grades and he tends to snore through the lessons, but he’s a nice guy. He has a mullet and always wears headphones. He’s bi and he’s 17.

Simon Da Luz: A friendly and excited guy. Unlike his brother, he will not sleep for days on end. He’s five minutes older than Oren. He has very fluffy hair. He’s pan and he’s 17.

Durple Kato: A genderfluid teen who hasn’t come out to their parents. They tend to nap on the bus and cry alone, but they love Simon’s company. They have a pixie cut. They’re pan and they’re 17.5.

Vineria Suzuki: A pretty, kind, peaceful girl with a lot of insecurities, especially about her alopecia. Her wig has shoulder-length hair. She’s omni and she’s 16.

Brud Kuku: A sweet boy, even if his brains aren’t exactly present in this life. He’s still smart enough for school and relationships, so shhhh. He has very fluffy hair. He’s gay and he’s 16.

Sky Kuku: A sweet middle school kid who sometimes pops into the high school when he has days off to bug his big brother. He has short fluffy hair. He’s aro-ace and he’s 14 (the only character who kept their canon age lol).

OWAKCX Grayson: A very anxious, easily scareable boy. He’s prone to screaming and biting, but beyond that, he’s a snugglebug sweetheart. He has long fluffy hair. He’s gay and he’s 16.

Now, the adults:

Clukr Mecha: Fun Bot, MFC, and Rosie’s ‘mom’. He’s an engineer who showed Fun Bot how to hold a wrench before he could sit up. His hair is very short and straighter than him. He’s gay and he’s 32.

Garnold Mecha: Fun Bot, MFC, and Rosie’s dad. Like his husband, he’s an engineer, but instead of teaching his newborn baby to hold a wrench, he built them everything. His hair is very fluffy. He’s gay and he’s 32.

Jevin Kuku: Brud and Sky’s dad. He might be a cultist, but he’s still drinking proudly from his #1 dad mug. He’s FtM. His hair is very fluffy. He’s gay and he’s 46 years old.

Tunner Kuku: Brud and Sky’s papa. He gives the biggest bear hugs. Seriously, he’ll squeeze all your organs out. His hair is long and straight. He’s bi and he’s 46 years old.

Remi Rayman: Jinji, Pinki, and Gray’s mom. She’s the type to make a big deal about everything her kids do, and she pinches their cheeks 24/7. She has long hair. She’s an ally and she’s 47.

Manny Rayman: Jinji, Pinki, and Gray’s dad. He takes pictures of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. He has a framed photo of Gray napping in the kitchen. He has short hair. He’s an ally and he’s 48.

More parents will be added when needed. Now, my OCs that are siblings:

Rosalie “Rosie” Mecha: A smart girl who likes to pull pranks with her best friend, Sky. She has shoulder-length fluffy hair. She’s aro-ace and she’s 12.5.

Jinji Rayman: The only biological child in the Rayman family. She doesn’t care, though, she still likes messing with her little siblings. She has long hair. She’s a lesbian and she’s 19.

More will be added when needed. This thing’s already long and boring.

Chapter Text

Gray’s POV

I was curled up in bed, trying to sleep, when my mom opened the door to my room, turned on my light, and closed the door. She’d learned her lesson from when I started sleeping nude and she saw my manhood. I stared at the light, squinting as I fought the urge to close my eyes and go back to sleep. I sat up, feeling like my body was made of lead weights. God, I was not excited to go back to school, seeing what had happened last time.

“Zenith Gray Rayman, get out of bed before I carry you to the breakfast table, naked or not! I’m respecting your privacy by knocking but asserting my authority as your big sister by coming in anyways!”

Jinji opened my door with a battering ram.

“NO, JINJI-” I protested.

Jinji grabbed me by the legs and swept me over her shoulder.

“PLEASE, LET ME PUT ON PANTS!” I yelled.

“You have undies, it’s fine.” Jinji said.

“PINKI, PLEASE, HELP ME!” I cried.

“Sorry, Gray, but Jinji’s too tall. I can’t reach you.” Pinki said.

“Just give me some pants at least.” I said.

Pinki ran to my room and threw my pants at me. I managed to pull them on just as Jinji dropped me in a chair.

“Time for you to eat. If you don’t eat fast enough, I’ll spoon feed you.” Jinji said.

I ate the food in front of me, but apparently, it wasn’t fast enough, so Jinji started spoon feeding me.

“Sis, Gray’s almost 15. Let him get himself ready.” Pinki said.

“I don’t want him to be late.” Jinji said.

“We have plenty of time.” Pinki assured her.

I swallowed my food before making my way back to my room to put on my hoodie, earrings, socks, and combat boots. I pulled on my cat ear hat and fingerless gloves before going back downstairs and grabbing a glass of juice. I drank it quickly before I grabbed my backpack and sat on the couch. I saw Dad’s scrapbook open on the table, a hospital bracelet glued to the open page. It had my name on it, and while it hurt to see it, it was what it was.

“Hey, Gray, it’s time to head to the bus stop.” Pinki said.

I stood up and followed my big sister to the bus stop.

“By the way, Gray, I have some friends who are coming soon. They’ll sit next to me unless you want me to sit with you.” Pinki said.

“I’ll be fine.” I said.

The bus pulled up, and I walked on behind Pinki, choosing an empty seat near the back. In the seat in front of me, someone with a pixie cut was fast asleep and snoring, and I noticed someone with yellow hair sit next to them and poke them awake. I didn’t care, instead putting on my headphones and listening to my emo music. I spaced out for about ten minutes before we pulled up to the next stop and a boy with short hair and glasses came to my seat.

“Mind if I sit here?” he asked.

“Feel free.” I said, moving my backpack.

This boy was pretty cute, I noted. He had bright blue eyes, and his skin was lightly tanned. It seemed like this was his natural skin tone.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Gray. What about you?” I asked.

“Fun Bot. Well, that’s not my real name, but I don’t like my real name.” he said.

“Gray’s my middle name.” I said.

“Do you know who that person is in front of us?” Fun Bot asked.

“No.” I said.

“They’re snoring pretty loudly.” Fun Bot said.

I noticed the sleepy person had gone back to sleep and was once again snoring away.

“They sure are.” I responded.

I noticed this person had a bubble of snot and drool on their face as they snored away. The boy next to them had a hand on theirs as they slept. Fun Bot and I both giggled as this bubble popped and ended up all over the boy next to the sleeping person.

“Durple, wake up, there’s freshmen laughing at you.” that boy said.

The sleeping person, apparently Durple, opened their eyes and turned to look at us. Fun Bot and I glanced at each other and looked back at Durple, who looked so sleepy and messy that we couldn’t help but keep laughing.

“You two got some nerve to laugh at me.” Durple said sleepily.

“Well, what are you gonna do, snore at us?” Fun Bot said.

“Let’s be fair, Durple, you did look kind of stupid.” the boy said.

“Shut it, Simon.” Durple said.

“Sorry about laughing at you.” I said.

“It’s fine. Just don’t do it again.” Durple said.

Fun Bot and I nodded. Then, the bus pulled up to school. I sighed and walked into the building, feeling like throwing up all over the floor. I noticed Fun Bot was going in the same direction, at least, so I knew I could possibly have a friend. Soon, I was sitting in my first hour, and the person assigned to sit at my table was named Ashwhey Mecha. I was terrified of what this person would be like until Fun Bot sat down next to me, glaring at the name tag.

“I hate my real name. It’s so cringey.” Fun Bot sighed.

“I get that. My first name is Zenith.” I said.

“I’m sorry about that. My dad’s bad at naming, and he named both me and my brother after his siblings’ middle names, so that’s why my real name’s Ashwhey.” Fun Bot said.

“Ashwhey’s not too bad, it’s just uncommon. Don’t worry, I’ll still call you Fun Bot.” I said.

“I still don’t like it. Thanks for respecting my boundaries, Gray.” Fun Bot said.

“Don’t mention it.” I responded.

~~~~~~

I had just grabbed my lunch, and Fun Bot was close by me. I ended up sitting at the only empty lunch table I saw, but soon, I saw people sitting near me. I recognized Simon and Durple from the bus, but beyond that, I didn’t recognize anyone until Pinki sat next to me. I decided to ignore the swarm of people, instead turning my attention to my new friend. Fun Bot was the first person I’d ever met besides my siblings who didn’t judge me as soon as they saw me.

“Hey, Pinki, who’s this boy?” a girl with a bob cut asked.

“Well, the emo one is my brother. I don’t know who his friend is, though.” Pinki said.

“I’m Fun Bot.”

“Well, there we have it. Well, it’s good to have some fresh meat at the table. We’ll sacrifice you to OWAKCX later.” the bob cut girl said.

“Wenda, be nice to them.” Pinki said.

I pictured that this OWAKCX was some kind of made up deity or a random tree they had named. Fun Bot seemed to think the same.

“Fun Bot high school now?” I heard a boy with fluffy brown hair say.

“Yep! Nice to see you, Brud.” Fun Bot said.

“Me thought Fun Bot little.” Brud said.

“I’m 14. My siblings are younger than me, though.” Fun Bot said.

Just then, a boy with fluffy hair and noise-canceling headphones sat next to Brud.

“Hello, my OWA!” Brud said.

“H-hi, Brud.” this boy said.

“So this is OWAKCX.” Pinki said.

Fun Bot and I both looked at her, perplexed.

“Hey, OWAKCX, we have some fresh meat for you to have!” Wenda said.

OWAKCX screamed and I covered my ears.

“Can I go jump out that window?” Fun Bot asked.

“No, you’re stuck here. It’s punishment for laughing at me on the bus.” Durple said.

“Durple, you know you look like you got hit with a blunt weapon and started snoring like a jet turbine, of course the freshmen were laughing.” a boy with a mullet and headphones said.

“Oren, why must you be mean to me?” Durple asked.

“Get out of my brother’s pants and I’ll stop bullying you.” this boy, apparently Oren said.

“I can date whoever I want. Your brother just happens to be hot and kind.” Durple said.

“I saw you looking at my sister. Oren, was it?” I said.

“So what?” Oren said.

“Don’t be a hypocrite.” I said.

“I get it. You should see them, though. Simon was basically drinking Durple’s spit all last year.” Oren said.

“That explains why he didn’t care when that bubble popped.” Fun Bot said.

“What are you talking about?” Durple asked.

“You had this giant bubble made of drool and snot on your face, and when it popped, it ended up all over Simon’s face.” Fun Bot said.

Durple’s face flushed.

“That’s disgusting.” Durple said.

“Well, at least you’re not the only person who sleeps looking stupid. Oren sleeps with his mouth wide open and his arms under his head.” Simon said.

“Me sleep like me fall out window.” Brud said.

“According to his brother, he has his tongue out and he sleeps on his stomach, besides his head, with his hands as a pillow.” Fun Bot said.

“Brud’s s-soft.” OWAKCX said softly.

“I sleep like a normal person, on my side, with my body pillow. No it doesn’t have an anime girl on it.” I said.

“It has Sans Undertale on it.” Pinki said.

“How dare you expose me?” I said.

“Also, when I go into your room, every time without fail, you’re drooling a river.” Pinki said.

I rolled my eyes at Pinki before turning my attention back to Fun Bot. Something about his presence made me feel much better about starting my high school career. Soon, we were chatting about something I can’t remember, and I felt so much better. Something about Fun Bot’s smile and the way he talked made me feel good about myself, and I wanted to see it even more. I was lucky to share so many classes with him, but in that moment, I wished we could spend them all together.

Chapter Text

Fun Bot’s POV

I was wrapped in a blanket, trying to take a nap after school. Only two weeks into the school year and I had so much homework. Now that it was done, I was flopped on the couch with my eyes closed. I could almost taste my oncoming slumber, and I was ready for it. I could feel my body sink to a state of near sleep, and I felt my thoughts drift away as I drifted off to sleep. I was quite comfortable, napping on the couch with a plushie.

I admit, I don’t remember much about the nap itself, but I remember dreaming about Gray. I’d met him on the first day of school, and we’d become friends pretty quickly. He was also pretty damn cute, and he’d been one of the few people not to bully me. My family had just moved me to that school for my own safety, so it helped that I had a friend. Soon, I was shaken awake, and while I was annoyed at first, I was surprised to see Gray.

“Hi, Fun Bot. How ya doin’?” Gray said.

“Why are you in my house?” I asked sleepily.

“You gave me your address. I was bored, so I came over here.” Gray said.

“Alright. I was doin’ something important, though.” I said.

“Snoring into a Squishmallow?” Gray responded, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s good for me, Gray!” I whined.

“Yeah, you do need to sleep. You seemed pretty peaceful.” Gray said.

“I should hope I did. That was, like, the best nap I’ve had in ages and you rudely woke me up!” I said.

“I wanted to hang out with you, and a little girl let me in.” Gray said.

“Please excuse me while I commit first degree murder.” I said.

“Sororicide or homocide?” Gray asked.

“Sororicide.” I responded, sitting up.

“Alright, I wanna do that at some point, but my sisters are both taller than me.” Gray said.

“Don’t touch my Squishmallow, by the way.” I said.

“Noted.” Gray said.

I got off the couch and went to go hunt Rosie down. Soon enough, I found her playing Mario Kart with Sky, so I walked up behind her and picked her up by the leg, hanging her upside down.

“Hey, what gives?” Rosie squeaked.

“You let Gray in even though I was napping, and I know you were in the same room when I fell asleep.” I said.

“Not fair, Oni-Chan!” Rosie yelled.

“It was a good nap, too. Next time you try and take an after-school nap, you’ll wake up to centipedes in your hair, you brat.” I said.

“NOOOOO!” Rosie squealed.

“So you have a little sister? I only have older sisters.” Gray said.

“I have a little brother, too. He’s a bit small for his age, but he’s still strong.” I said.

“Where is he?” Gray asked.

“Behind you.” I heard my little brother’s voice before I saw Gray jump at least a foot in the air.

“Jesus Christ, you scared me.” Gray said.

“MFC! I told you to stop scaring my friends!” I yelled.

“What friends? This is the first friend I’ve seen you make since we were in diapers.” MFC said.

“I’m gonna put you in the microwave and turn it on.” I said.

MFC ran as fast as he could, but I was faster, so I picked him up and held him up to the microwave.

“MoOoOoOm! Why am I so shoooort?” MFC screamed.

“Because I’m short.” my mom said from the other room.

“Your brother doesn’t care that you’re threatening to microwave him?” Gray said.

“I’ve dropped him in the deep end of a pool before.” I said.

“Can he swim, at least?” Gray asked.

“No.” I respond.

“I can, you liar!” MFC yelled.

“How old is your brother, anyways?” Gray asked.

“I’m 13.” MFC said.

“And Rosie’s 12. Rosie got our dad’s height.” I said.

“I see. Anyways, where’s your room?” Gray asked.

“This way.” I said, dropping MFC.

Gray followed me, and I made my way into my bedroom, where there was a pile of squishmallows on my bed, which made me remember I needed to grab Dabney from the couch. Once I had quickly grabbed my special fox, I went back into my room, where Gray was still staring at my collection, clearly impressed and surprised. I gently placed Dabney with my other Squishmallows, sitting on my bed and hoping I wouldn't restart my nap with Gray here.

“You have a lot of Squishmallows, Fun Bot.” Gray said.

“Yeah, and I know all their names.” I said.

“Do they come with names?” Gray asked.

“Yep, and I remember them all! My favorite is Dabney.” I said.

“Is that the one you were sleeping with?” Gray asked.

“Yep! Actually, I’m surprised you’re not more weirded out by this.” I said.

“I sleep with a body pillow of Sans from Undertale, so I can’t say much. Speaking of which, why were you napping at 5 PM?” Gray asked.

“I nap around now every day. It helps me, seeing as I have a hard time falling asleep at night. Couch naps come easily, though.” I said.

“If you could, would you keep napping?” Gray asked.

“Yeah, but I’d rather keep hanging with you. Anyways, wanna go to the park?” I asked.

“Sounds like a plan, let’s go.” Gray responded.

Gray and I went to the door, but we were stopped by my dad.

“Fun Bot, did you do your homework?” he asked.

“Yes, Dad. And I did my chores.” I said.

“Alright, where are you going?” my dad asked.

“Out with a friend.” I said.

“No adding or subtracting to the population, got it?” my dad said.

“Got it. Love you, Dad.” I said.

“I love you too, kid. Stay safe, okay?” my dad said.

I nodded, and Gray and I walked to the park. We walked silently for a while, simply enjoying the quiet evening. Soon, we made it to the park, and by that point, I was very sleepy. I rubbed my eyes a bit, hoping to stay awake for a bit longer. Unfortunately, I failed at being fully there, and as soon as I was lying under a tree with Gray, I was out like a light. When I woke up, Gray was playing with my hair and I felt like squealing with joy.

“Did you have a good nap?” Gray asked.

“Yeah.” I said, yawning.

“That’s good. You looked pretty happy, and it looked like you were dreaming.” Gray said.

I rubbed my eyes as I sat up.

“I don’t remember dreaming.” I lied.

I did remember dreaming, but it was about Gray, so I sure as heck wasn’t about to tell him.

“I guess you just forgot your dream when you woke up. That’s normal, honestly.” Gray said.

“How can you tell someone’s dreaming?” I asked.

“If your eyelids are twitching, you’re in REM sleep, which is when dreaming happens.” Gray said.

“Alright, then.” I responded.

“You looked pretty happy when you were sleeping.” Gray said.

“I guess I had nice dreams.” I said.

“Should we go back to your house soon?” Gray asked.

“Alright, if you’re ready.” I said, stretching.

We walked back to my house, talking about compost until we reached my house, where my dad was working on the car and my mom was sitting nearby.

“Hi, Fun bot, Fun Bot’s friend. How are you doing?” my mom asked.

“We’re doing good, Mom.” I said.

“That’s good. What did you do at the park?” my mom asked.

“I napped, and Gray sat next to me.” I said.

“Alright, then, as long as you got some fresh air, kiddo.” my mom said, patting me gently on the head.

Gray and I walked back into my house, and we saw that the TV and Switch were free, so I turned it on and we played Smash Bros until Gray had to go home. Once Gray was gone, I went back to my room to stare at the wall. Soon enough, my mom came into my room, carrying a plate of food. He stopped in his tracks when he saw that I was awake, but he still set the plate on my nightstand. Then, he sat next to me and gently put a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing holed up in your room?” my mom asked.

“Feeling tired and sad, but what else is new?” I said.

“Have you been taking your meds?” my mom asked.

“Yeah, I’m just feeling lonely.” I said.

“Well, you should come eat with the rest of us. It’ll do you good.” my mom said.

I nodded, grabbing my plate and following my mom downstairs. Once I sat at the table, both of my siblings froze. Rosie had her fork halfway to her mouth, and MFC was gaping at me.

“No way.” MFC whispered.

“What?” I said.

“I was starting to think I hallucinated every dinner you spent with us.” Rosie said.

“Hardy-har-har. Shut up, I was feeling depressed.” I said.

“Be nice to each other at the dinner table.” my mom said.

I calmly ate my pizza before a realization hit me.

“Rosalie Goldie Morningstar Kiley Nova Mecha, why are you eating pizza with a fork?” I asked.

“I don’t like getting my hands messy!” Rosie said.

“That’s no excuse, now stop eating the pizza like a psychopath!” I said.

“Loot at MFC before you judge me.” Rosie

I saw that my brother had folded his pizza in half and taken a bite out of the middle.

“Mirage Franklin Cecil Malachite Tobias Mecha, I will disown you.” I said.

“What did I do?” MFC asked.

“You’re eating pizza like a psychopath. Because of how you’re eating that pizza, I’m scared you’ll smother me with my squishmallows when I’m trying to sleep.” I said.

“Be nice to each other at the dinner table!” my mom repeated.

Just then, I noticed how my dad was eating his pizza.

“Dad, not you too! Why are you eating it crust first?” I asked.

“I’m an adult and I can eat my pizza however I want!” my dad said.

My mom glared at my dad and my siblings.

“Remind me why I married you.” my mom said.

“Because I’m hawt~” my dad said.

“You are.” my mom said, leaning over and kissing my dad.

“Eeeeew!” MFC said dramatically.

“Get a room!” Rosie said.

“We did, and that’s why you exist.” my mom said.

“Clukr, maybe you shouldn’t have said that at the dinner table.” my dad said.

“It’s fine, Goldie.” my mom said, making my dad blush.

“B-babe, let’s wait until the kids are asleep.” my dad said.

“And this, kids, is what a decade of marriage looks like.” I said, smiling.

“Why are they so affectionate?” MFC asked.

“I don’t know. Well, they had us, so we should be grateful.” I said.

I finished my pizza as my siblings gagged at our parents. Then, I put my plate in the sink and went back to my room, crawling into my pile of squishmallows. I pulled out my phone, planning on doomscrolling Tumblr until my dad came into my room.

“Fun Bot, we’re gonna be having a movie night, so I thought I’d let you know in case you wanna join in.” my dad said.

“Hey Dad, do you know why I’m tired? I’ve been trying to sleep a lot more lately.” I said.

“Well, you’re growing, kid, and I noticed you’ve started your growth spurt.” my dad said.

“Aw, I don’t wanna grow, being an adult sucks.” I said.

“Well, as long as you wear protection, your adulthood should be fine.” my dad said.

“Do you regret having me?” I asked.

“The only thing I regret is having you so young, but your mom and I love you more than anything, kiddo.” my dad said.

“Do you love me more than MFC and Rosie?” I asked jokingly.

“Now you’re pushing it, kid.” my dad said.

“Dammit.”

Chapter Text

Gray’s POV

I was curled up in my bed, and it was late at night. I had just crawled under the covers, but for some reason, there was a sudden burst of energy that filled my body. All I could think about was Fun Bot. I snuggled up to my body pillow, burying my face onto Sans’s bony pillow chest while I tried to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep refused to come, and I was left lying awake for over two hours before I heard a knock on my door. I checked my phone, seeing it was midnight.

Who on Earth could be knocking on my door at midnight? I thought.

My door opened quietly, revealing Pinki’s face.

“Hey, Gray, are you asleep?” she asked quietly.

I sat up, throwing a pillow at her.

“Why are you coming into my room at midnight?” I asked.

“You seemed quieter than usual at dinner, and I had to wait until we were alone. Jinji would throw me out the window if she saw me try and comfort you. She says that’s her job, and I kinda like not getting thrown out windows.” Pinki said.

“I’m okay, just thinking about something.” I said.

“What are you thinking about? The last time you went quiet on us, I found you with pills in your mouth and cuts all over your arms.” Pinki said.

“Don’t worry, I’m doing much better. I’m thinking about a friend, that’s all.” I said, rubbing my face against the body pillow.

“Oh my God, do you have a cruuuuush~?” Pinki asked.

“Shut up! Get out of my room and let me go to sleep!” I said.

“Alright, then go to sleep. I’ll stand here to make sure you don’t try to kill yourself.” Pinki said, pulling my blanket up to my chin.

I tried closing my eyes to fall asleep, but I kept thinking about Fun Bot. Eventually, I buried my face into Sans’s bony pillow chest and screamed with all the might in my body. Pinki stared at me like I was going insane, so I just flipped her off. I closed my eyes and started slowing down my breathing, hoping Pinki would think I was falling asleep, but she stayed. She ended up closing the door, but she was still sitting on my floor as I failed to fall asleep.

By the time Pinki finally gave up on watching me fall asleep and retreated into her room, it was 1 AM. I kept lying awake, feeling tired from the gay thoughts keeping me awake. I snuggled my body pillow as closely as possible, feeling like falling asleep but too busy thinking about Fun Bot to nod off. I kept thinking my gay thoughts all night, and before I knew it, my mom had turned on my light to rouse me. I groaned, getting up and pulling on my clothes, too tired to do my makeup.

I eventually dragged myself down to the breakfast table, still feeling sleepy as hell. I didn’t even bother to grab myself food, instead sitting next to my dad, who was looking at photo albums from right after I’d been adopted. There was a photo of me holding my dad’s hand, and he was staring at it. Right next to it was an ink footprint, which I assumed was mine from when I was the 18 month old baby they adopted. I barely noticed, still sleepy as hell.

“Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?” my dad asked.

“I couldn’t fall asleep last night.” I said.

“Why not? Are you okay?” my dad asked.

“I was just up all night thinking about someone.” I said.

“Okay, as long as you’re doing okay. Your mom, sisters, and I don’t really wanna lose you.” my dad said.

I yawned unintentionally, rubbing my eye accidentally, which lead to Jinji running into the room picking me up.

“Gray, did you get a good night’s sleep? Be honest, I know when you’re lying!” she said.

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night.” I admitted.

“Do you need to nap on the school bus? I can give you some of my melatonin gummies tonight!” Jinji said.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be able to fall asleep after school.” I said.

~~~~~~

I was sitting in my third period, trying my best to focus, but I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours, and I was trying my best not to nod off on my Algebra worksheet. I saw Fun Bot was staring at me from across the room. He’d been concerned about me all day, but I’d hardly noticed. Lunch was in five minutes, so I put my worksheet in the turn-in basket, feeling myself stumble around for a few minutes before I sat back down. Then, the lunch bell rang.

“Gray, what’s going on? You’ve been stumbling around all day, and you’re not wearing makeup.” Fun Bot said.

“I couldn’t sleep last night.” I said.

“We can go outside and you can rest during lunch, I can wake you for fourth hour.” Fun Bot said.

I nodded, too sleepy to argue, before Fun Bot and I went outside and sat under a tree. I laid down, snuggling close to Fun Bot without realizing before I fell asleep. When I woke up, the entire friend group was staring at me. I noticed I was cuddled close to Fun Bot, but I didn’t panic. I knew I tended to be a cuddlebug in my sleep, so I just let go of him. I noticed Fun Bot briefly look upset. He checked the time before putting a firm hand on my shoulder.

“You’ve been asleep for ten minutes. Go back to sleep, we have time. And you, get out of here, Gray didn’t get any sleep last night!” Fun Bot said.

Nobody moved, but I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. When I woke up again, it was to Fun Bot gently shaking me by the shoulder. I opened my eyes, staring at Fun Bot as he showed me the time. Lunch ended two minutes from then, so I sat up, rubbing my eyes. The nap had done me some good, I noted. Everyone was sitting nearby, talking about something stupid until they noticed me sit up. Then, they all stared at me for a moment.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty.” Wenda said.

“Hey, be nice to my brother.” Pinki said.

“Just wondering, how are you two siblings? You look nothing alike.” Simon said.

“We’re both adopted, and we came from different bio parents.” I said.

“Fun Bot me’s cousin.” Brud said.

Everyone, including me, turned towards Fun Bot to see what his response was.

“Well, stepcousin, but yeah. My grandma married his grandpa when we were kids. Also, Brud’s adopted.” Fun Bot said.

“I adopted, Fun Bot tell truth.” Brud said.

“So one of your dads is Brud’s stepuncle?” I said.

“Actually, Mom prefers it if Brud and Sky call it pibling, he tends to prefer gender neutral terms. And I do call both of Brud’s dads uncle even though only Jevin is my mom’s stepbrother.” Fun Bot said.

“True. Me call Garnold Uncle too.” Brud said.

I stood up, stretching as I stood. Then, I grabbed my stuff and started heading towards my next class. I dragged myself through the rest of the day, though it was easier after I took that nap. It was a good nap, I noted, seeing as I got to snuggle with my bestie. By the time school got off, however, the effects had basically worn off and I was sleepy again. I sat on the bus next to Fun Bot, who was drawing some angel demon thing, smiling as he did so.

The moment I walked into my house, Jinji raced over with a bottle of melatonin gummies. I yawned into my sleeve, still feeling tired, so Jinji picked me up bridal style and started up the stairs. I didn’t even fight back as I was carried to bed and had my hoodie taken off. I was thankfully wearing a tank top underneath, but I also had a belt, which I moved to remove. Jinji seemed to be against me doing anything physical, so she stole it from me herself.

“Hey, sis, Gray took a nap during lunch.” Pinki said from the other room.

“Gray, did you eat?” Jinji asked.

I turned away.

“Zenith Gray Rayman, did you eat today?” Jinji asked.

I shook my head.

“Gray! Eat something before you turn into a pile of dust and bones!” Jinji yelled.

“I’m too sleepy to be hungry.” I said.

“I’m getting you a granola bar.” Jinji said.

I didn’t respond, taking off my own clothes while Jinji was distracted. I pulled the blanket up to my chest, closing my eyes. I nodded off for a moment before Jinji returned with the granola bar, which she forced me to eat. I ate it just to make her happy, and once the granola bar was gone, Jinji adjusted my blanket and turned off my light before leaving the room. I wrapped my arms around the Sans body pillow, closing my eyes and falling asleep.

When I woke up, it was already 8 PM, so I stood up, pulled on some shorts and my hoodie, before I went downstairs to see if I could scavenge any food for myself. My entire family was eating silently, but as soon as they saw me, Jinji immediately grabbed me and tried to forcibly take me back to my room. I didn’t fight it at all, but it seemed like Jinji remembered how little I’d eaten that day and she dropped me. I fell flat on my back before I went back downstairs and took half a loaf of bread.

“Gray, did you seriously just take all that bread?” Pinki asked.

“Yep. It’s yummy and I don’t like zoodles.” I said.

I took a bite out of my warm, fresh bread as my siblings stared.

“You’re very, very weird.” Pinki said.

“I know, and it’s your choice that I got adopted into the same family as you.” I said.

Pinki rolled her eyes while I kept eating my yummy bread.

“Gray, do you think you can eat that much bread?” Jinji asked.

“Yes.” I said before I scarfed it down right in front of her.

“Gray, why were you sleeping for four hours?” my mom asked.

“I didn’t sleep last night.” I said bluntly.

“You need to get back up to bed, young man!” my dad yelled.

“Fine.” I said, obeying without contest.

I went into my room and crawled under the covers, and my mom followed me.

“Why didn’t you sleep last night?” she asked gently.

“I was thinking about a crush.” I said.

“Alright. Can you tell me about her?” my mom asked.

I’d forgotten I hadn’t come out to my parents yet.

“Actually, Mom, I’m gay.” I said.

“Oh. Thanks for telling me, honey.” my mom said.

“It’s fine.” I said.

“Well, can you tell me about him?” my mom asked.

“Where do I even begin?” I asked.

“Start with his name.” my mom said.

“Well, his name is Fun Bot.” I said.

“Who in their right mind would look at their newborn baby boy and name him Fun Bot?” my mom asked.

“It’s just a nickname, his real name is Ashwhey, he just doesn’t like being called by his real name.” I said.

“So he’s kinda like you?” my mom said.

“Yeah. His parents are mechanics, and his mom is Dr. Mecha, that CEO.” I said.

“I see. What does he like?” my mom asked.

“He’s super into drawing and Gacha Life videos. He likes making OCs as well.” I said.

“What’s an OC?” my mom asked.

“So an OC is an original character, and Fun Bot’s favorite OC is named Atari and he’s half demon half angel.” I said.

“That sounds interesting. Well, don’t let me keep you up any longer. Just head to sleep soon, okay, sweetheart?” my mom said.

I nodded, pulling off my tank top. My mom left quietly, so I pulled off my shorts and fell fast asleep with my head in Sans’s bony pillow chest.

~~~~~~

I was sitting next to Fun Bot while he was yapping about his OC’s lore when Wenda approached us with her phone out.

“Hey, freshmen, do either of you have crushes?” she asked.

“Wenda, what is this?” I asked.

“It’s a challenge to ask as many people a different question as possible. Could you answer?” Wenda asked.

“Y-yeah, I have a crush.” I said.

“Well, could you tell us who it is?” Wenda asked.

“No.” I said, hoping I wasn’t blushing.

“You’re no fun, Gray. Fun Bot, how about you?” Wenda asked.

“I have a crush, but I’m not telling you who it is.” Fun Bot said.

“You’re both no fun, you idiots. Well, I’m off to harass your sister.” Wenda said.

“She likes you more than I do.” I said.

Wenda rolled her eyes and walked off.

“Hey, Gray, j-just wondering, can I tell you something?” Fun Bot asked.

“Of course.” I said.

“I said I have a crush, and I do, but I just wanna tell you, I’m scared of going into a relationship. My ex was kind of...bad...he slammed my head into the wall, he degraded me, he was overall cruel, and I’m scared it’ll happen again.” Fun Bot said.

“It’s alright, Fun Bot. If your next partner’s that bad, you can be sure I’ll beat the crap out of them.” I said, offering him a smile.

“Thanks, Gray. That means a lot.” Fun Bot said, blushing a little.

I tried not to confess my big fat crush then and there.

“I’ll always be here for you. You’re my best friend.” I said.

Fun Bot smiled softly at me.

“Hey, you two should kiss!”

Fun Bot and I turned around to see Simon standing on the roof before Durple smacked the back of his head.

“We’re just friends.” I said, hoping my face didn’t look as hot as it felt.

“Y-yeah, just friends.” Fun Bot said, blushing profusely.

“Alright, time to kidnap you.” Simon said, repelling off the building with Durple following closely.

“Wait, what?” I said.

Simon picked me up while Durple picked Fun Bot up.

“What’s going on?” Fun Bot asked.

“It’s standard procedure to throw you into the river as a full indoctrination into the friend group.” Durple said.

“I can’t swim!” Fun Bot squealed.

“Well, we always wait until the time of year when you can wade across the deep end of the river.” Durple said.

“You sound different today, Durple.” I noted.

“Yeah, I’m talking in my normal voice today because it hurts my throat if I change my voice too often.” Durple said.

“Do you notice that my leg is right between your chesticles?” Fun Bot asked.

“Yeah and I don’t care.” Durple said.

“Just curious, Durple, but what are your pronouns?” Fun Bot asked.

“She/they/he/it.” Durple said before yeeting Fun Bot into the river.

I didn’t have any time to react before Simon yeeted me into the river with him.

“You’re mean.” I said.

“Not as mean as Wenda. If she’d gotten to you before us, you would’ve been thrown into the muddiest water.” Simon said.

“This is my favorite hoodie, and now it’s ruined.” I said.

I was picked up by the armpits and held away from Simon’s body while Durple did the same with Fun Bot. We were carried back to school, where I was dumped unceremoniously onto Pinki’s lap, and Fun bot on the ground. Pinki immediately hugged me close to her chest, and I went limp. The water was cold, and it made me sleepy. Eventually, I fell asleep in my big sister’s arms, completely ragdolled. She woke me up almost immediately, but my brief nap was fun.

“Why do we have to dump the freshmen in the river, anyways?” Pinki asked.

“The aesthetic, girl!” Wenda said.

I glanced up, noticing Fun Bot was sleeping before my exhaustion pulled me under again. However, Pinki shook me awake again.

“Stop falling asleep!” Pinki said.

“Fun Bot’s sleeping.” I said.

Pinki tossed me unceremoniously onto the ground before she kicked Fun Bot awake. I fell asleep as soon as I was alone, although Pinki kicked me awake.

“You two, stay awake! It’s not good for you to fall asleep if you’re cold! You could get hypothermia!” Pinki said.

I pulled off my hoodie even though it was November.

“You need to stay warm! Put that back on!” Pinki said.

“It’s too wet for it to do me any good.” I said.

“Let’s get you two inside, where there’s heat.” Pinki said, grabbing both me and Fun Bot by the hands.

We followed Pinki inside, and I immediately flopped down next to the heater and Fun Bot flopped on top of me. We both ended up falling deeply asleep next to that heater. Pinki eventually woke us up, and we went to class, still sopping wet and hoping the teacher didn’t ask questions. We both slept through our last few classes, cold and wet and too tired to fight slumber. I found that even though my clothes eventually dried off, I was still very, very sleepy, and it appeared Fun Bot felt the same.

Chapter Text

Fun Bot’s POV (next chapter will be Durple’s I’ll stop being autistic over them I swear-)

I was curled up under my pile of Squishmallows, about to fall asleep for the night when my mom came in carrying something I couldn’t see. I closed my eyes and feigned sleep, wondering if I should fake snore before I remembered that I only snored if I was in a light sleep. My mom seemed to be fooled, based on the fact that he only pulled my blanket up to my chest and kissed me on the forehead. Then, he sat on my bed like he often did.

“I found your Squishmallow in a hidden crook of the house.” my mom said, pushing my hair out of my face.

I kept faking sleep.

“I guess it’s good that you’re asleep. You’re a growing boy, kiddo. I hope you get over that cold in time for school tomorrow.” my mom said, kissing me on the forehead before silently leaving.

Once my mom was gone, I grabbed Caylee and kept thinking about Gray. God, if only I could fall asleep, then I could dream about him. I snuggled up to all of the squishmallows, yawning softly. Soon, the pile swallowed me up, right as my mom came back with a bottle of cough syrup and a few cough drops. I could barely see it out of my fluffy mountain, especially with my glasses in the bathroom. My mom seemed to be in a playful mood as it sat next to me.

“I wonder where Fun Bot’s gone.” my mom said softly.

“Moooooom, I’m 14.” I groaned.

“So the zombie lives. You seemed pretty out when I brought your squishmallow back.” my mom said.

I yawned unintentionally.

“Don’t worry, kiddo, you just need to drink your cough syrup and then you’ll be able to go back to sleep.” my mom said.

I took the cough syrup, noting that my mom had already poured it into the tiny cup, so I downed it in one go, trying not to gag at the taste.

“I know it’s gross. Last time I got sick, your dad had to hold me down and force me to drink it.” my mom said, kissing me on the forehead.

“That’s cause you’re a drama queen.” I said sleepily before I drifted off.

My mom accidentally woke me up almost immediately by putting his hand on my head.

“What are you doing?” I mumbled.

“I’m checking to make sure you’re not running a temperature.” my mom said.

“Thanks, Mom.” I said softly.

“Sleep well, kid.” my mom said, leaving quietly.

I fell fast asleep as soon as my mom was gone. When I woke up, I found that it was already 10 AM, but there was a note on my bed. Reading it to the best of my glasses-free abilities, it read ‘Checked your temperature, you were 100 degrees, stay home today. Take some medicine and go back to sleep. Love, Mom’. I put the note down before dragging myself downstairs, coughing a bit. My dad was still downstairs, although it seemed he was about to leave.

~~~Note: they have the kind of thermometer that can take temperatures off of your cheek, which is how Clukr took Fun Bot’s temperature when he was asleep~~~

“Hey, kid, how are you feeling?” my dad asked.

“Still sick.” I said.

“Well, I can get you your medicine.” my dad said, ruffling my hair.

I sat on the couch as my dad brought out the NiQuil.

“Dad, it’s 10 AM.” I said.

“Well, we’re out of DayQuil, and I’ll buy you some more today. Well, you’ll mostly be lying around today, so I guess you can take a nap.” my dad said.

I nodded, taking the medicine and heading back up to my room, where I fell asleep in only a few minutes. When I woke up again, it was noon and my dad had left. I sighed and made myself a bowl of cereal, eating it while I felt grateful not to be nauseous. Soon, my dad got back with the DayQuill.

“Hey, kid, did you have a nice nap?” my dad asked.

I nodded before I kept eating. I noticed I was still feeling sleepy, so once I finished my frosted flakes, I went onto the couch.

“Do you wanna keep napping, kid?” my dad asked.

“Maybe. I don’t think the NiQuill’s worn off.” I yawned.

“Let’s get you to bed, then we’ll check your temperature. After that, you can keep napping, okay?” my dad said.

“Alright, Dad.” I yawned as he picked me up.

My dad put me in my bed and tucked me in before grabbing the thermometer and taking my temperature.

“99. You’re going down. Hope you sleep well, kid.” my dad said, ruffling my hair.

I nodded, and my dad left after kissing me on the forehead. I took a nap, and when I woke up, my mom was in my room, pressing the thermometer to my face.

“You’re still a bit sick, kiddo, but you’re well enough I can let your friend in here.” my mom said, clearly not realizing I’d woken up.

He left, so I rolled over and closed my eyes again, but moments later, Gray came in, pleasantly surprising me.

“Hey, Fun Bot, are you awake?” Gray asked.

“Yeah, just woke up.” I said.

“Cool.” Gray said, sitting on my bed.

I turned around to look at him, and he seemed shocked I moved.

“Should I unbury myself?” I asked.

“Yeah, free yourself from Mount Squishmallow.” Gray said.

I sat up and climbed out of my bed.

“Are you seriously wearing a hoodie, some shorts, and kitty socks to bed?” Gray asked.

“Yeah, it’s comfy and warm.” I said.

“Well, your parents said they were gonna be watching some home movies downstairs.” Gray said.

“I can grab Exploding Kittens and we can play.” I said.

“I’ll follow you.” Gray said.

We walked downstairs, and my parents were watching a video about me when I was a newborn, and my mom was also in that video, passed out.

“Hey, you two. How are you feeling, Fun Bot? Did you sleep well?” my dad said.

“What are you watching?” I asked.

“It’s the video I took right after your mom gave birth. At least one of you was sleeping.” my dad said.

“Hey, I didn’t get Mom’s insomnia.” I said.

“Well, you were wide awake, see?” my dad said.

“To be fair, I wasn’t the one who just gave birth.” I said before I went into the game closet.

I grabbed Exploding Kittens before heading back up to my room with Gray, who seemed to have found my baby video entertaining.

“I keep forgetting your real name’s not Fun Bot, so I was confused when they called you ‘Ash’ in that video.” Gray said.

“Yeah, they called me Ash before I started going by Fun Bot.” I said.

Gray nodded.

“Now, can you show me how to play this game? My overprotective sisters think it’s too violent and depressing for me. They can’t help but see me as that sad, scared middle schooler.” Gray said.

“You’re definitely just an emo now. Well, let me explain the rules.” I said.

My hand brushed against Gray as I opened the rules. I tried not to think gay thoughts as I explained the rules.

~~~~~~

I was sitting next to Gray underneath a tree, watching the birds migrating for the winter. I was feeling calm as the last of the leaves fell. In fact, I felt good enough to finally tell Gray exactly how I felt about him, and I prayed that this wouldn’t ruin our friendship if he didn’t feel the same. Gray was dozing, I noticed, so I debated waking him up to confess, but I wasn’t sure if I could do that. Thankfully, Gray started opening his eyes not long after, though my confidence instantly melted.

“Hey, Gray?” I said.

“Mmm?”

“Nevermind. You can go back to sleep.”

“Mmm.”

Gray closed his eyes and fell back asleep, leaving me to question why I’d done that.

~~~~~~

“So, are you coming on our big trip?”

“What’s that?” I asked.

I had been sitting at the table with my lunch, feeling sad that Gray had a cold. Now, Wenda had mentioned a trip that I hadn’t known about.

“Every year, during Thanksgiving break, my family takes us to the same spot. The last few years, Gray’s been in and out of the hospital, but this year, he can finally come. They always let me bring the entire friend group, and they’ll probably be glad to know that all of Gray’s friends are also my friends.” Pinki said.

“I’ll have to ask my parents if I can come. Can you give me some information to give my mom?” I asked.

“Of course. Do you have a pen?” Pinki asked, grabbing a blank paper.

I passed her my pen, and she wrote all the information.

“If I need a ride, can I get one?” I asked.

“Yep! Just call or text me or Gray, and we’ll pick you up.” Pinki said.

I nodded.

“Thanks, Pinki.”

“Don’t mention it!” Pinki said, smiling.

~~~~~~

“So there’s a trip with your friends?” my mom said, looking at the paper.

“Yep. Can I go?” I asked.

“I suppose, but I’m giving you some rules.” my mom said.

“Are they like Dad’s rules?” I asked.

“What are your dad’s rules?” my mom asked.

“No adding or subtracting to the population, stay out of the hospital, newspaper, jail, and body bags, and don’t do drugs.” I said.

“Yep, those are fair rules. I do have one more: don’t get kidnapped.” my mom said.

“Okay, Mom. Will I need a ride?” I asked.

“If you can get one of your friends to bring you, that’d be best.” my mom said.

“Okay, Mom. One of my friends offered to bring me.” I said.

My mom nodded, and I ran upstairs to text Pinki about how I was allowed to come, but I’d need a ride. She texted back that her family would stop at my house to pick me up and to pack my bag.

~~~~~~

I was waiting for Pinki and Gray’s family to arrive, sitting on my lawn at 6 AM, when a white van pulled up and Pinki jumped out. She grabbed my bag, stuffed it in the trunk, and lead me to my seat. I noticed Gray was dozing off with his face against the window and drool leaking down it, but when I shut the car door, he jolted awake and looked at me in shock as I buckled my seatbelt. He rubbed his eyes, clearly tired, as he stared at me in shock.

“You’re coming?” he said.

“Yep! Pinki invited me!” I said, smiling widely.

“Pinki, you know you’re my favorite sister now, right?” Gray said.

“And what am I, chopped liver?” a mysterious girl with long hair said.

“Yep. Should’ve thought about that before you carried me out of my room in my tightie whities and t-shirt.” Gray said.

“It’s not my fault you were taking forever to get out of your room.” this same girl said.

“Well, Jinji, I was about to pull on my pants, but you rudely snatched me up like a harpy.” Gray said.

“By the way, who’s this?” the girl asked.

“This is Fun Bot, my best friend.” Gray said.

“What even is that name?” the girl said.

“It’s a nickname, I don’t like my real name.” I said.

“Well, my name is Jinji. Nice to meet you, Fun Bot.” she said.

“Same here. Are you Gray’s sister?” I asked.

“Yep! I’m his big sister! He used to love me more than anything, but now, he gets annoyed when I stand next to him for more than twenty minutes.” Jinji said.

Gray seemed to be drifting off, so I decided to do the same. It was only 6 AM, after all, so there was no reason for me to stay awake. I closed my eyes, and somehow, I was out in minutes. When I woke up, we were in front of a house I didn’t recognize, and Simon was climbing into the car, and Oren was already buckled into the seat next to Pinki. Simon sat in the seat in front of me, but when he saw me, he smiled at me. It was then I realized I was in the middle seat and there was one empty seat next to me.

“Are you picking anyone else up?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’re picking up Durple.” Pinki said.

“So is everyone in the backseat gonna be sleeping the whole way there?” Simon asked.

“Maybe.” I said, yawning.

I noticed Gray was drooling on the window again.

“I might be awake for most of this. Car rides don’t usually make me sleepy.” I said.

“Is that so?” Oren said.

“Yeah, I’m usually wide awake on car rides.” I said, rubbing my eyes.

But I fell deeply asleep before anyone could respond, and by the time I woke up, Durple was getting in while a man was standing behind them.

“You know, honey, I can drive you sometime.” the man said.

“It’s fine, Dad.” Durple said, sliding in next to me.

“Love you, princess.” the man said.

“See ya, dad.” Durple said.

The man left, closing the door. Durple buckled their seatbelt, but not before kissing Simon on the forehead.

“Why don’t you want your dad to take you? If you’re okay with answering.” I asked.

“I haven’t come out to him yet because I’m scared of how he’ll react to his sweet little princess being genderfluid. Our relationship is easier if I just don’t interact as much as possible.” Durple said.

“I see. Is that why you’re always sleeping?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Durple yawned.

I nodded before I fell back asleep, leaning back as to avoid leaning on Gray or Durple. Soon, it was 9 AM and we were about a fourth of the way there. I woke up, yawning more loudly than I would have liked, and Simon and Pinki both turned to look at me.

“Hey, Fun Bot, did you sleep well?” Pinki asked.

I nodded.

“Good for you. Looks like Gray and Durple are still out, though.” Pinki said.

Durple had a snot bubble on their face that was getting bigger and smaller with each snore. Gray, meanwhile, was still drooling on the window. I stretched my whole body to the best of my ability, noticing that the car was pulling into a McDonald’s.

“Hey, Pinki, can you wake your brother?” the driver, probably Gray’s dad, said.

“Don’t worry, my sweet SIL, I’ve got a tool.” Simon said.

I watched Simon grab two pans from his bag.

“Can you give me a warning so that I can-”

Simon banged the pots together, and both Gray and Durple shot awake. I covered my ears in discomfort until Gray put a hand on my shoulder.

“What’s going on?” Gray asked, clearly still sleepy.

“Dude! Come on! I was trying to listen to my music!” Oren said.

I’d forgotten he was even in the car.

“What does everyone want?” the driver asked.

“Chicken nuggets. With ranch and root beer.” I said shamelessly.

“I’d also like chicken nuggets. I want the barbeque sauce and a coke, though.” Gray said.

“Big Mac. Fanta.” Durple said.

“It’s nine AM. Why do you want this stuff at nine AM?” Pinki asked.

“The hospital frisbee pancakes ruined most breakfast food for me.” Gray said.

“I want nuggies.” I said.

“Because Big Mac.” Durple said.

“You guys are weird.” Pinki said.

I smiled at Pinki widely, nodding. Then, I spaced out until I got my nuggies and ranch, and once my food was gone, I was down for the count for the rest of the 12 hour drive. I later found out that Gray and Durple were similarly unconscious for just as long.

~~~~~~

We were at the hotel, and I was following them to the rooms. It was getting later, so we were mostly just planning on staying there for dinner and going to sleep. I counted the rooms, and there were four rooms with two beds each. I noticed literally everybody pick a bed with their partner until there was one room left, and only Wenda, Vineria, Gray, and I were left. Immediately, Wenda grabbed Vineria by the arm, shocking her clearly.

“Come on, Vinny, I can set up a pillow barrier and we can share! I bet you don’t wanna share with some freshman boys anyways.” Wenda said.

“I guess we’re sharing a bed, huh?” Gray said.

“I can sleep on the floor.” I offered.

“You’ll take it back the second you lay on these things.” Gray said.

I laid on the bed, and it was amazingly comfortable.

“You’re right. Should we make a pillow barrier?” I asked.

“Nah, I’ll have my body pillow. Are you okay if I sleep in my undies?” Gray asked.

“Yeah, I sleep in shorts and socks, I really only sleep in a hoodie if I’m sick. I do have a tank top that I sleep in, though, so at least I’ll only see your nipples and you won’t see mine.” I said.

Gray nodded, and I pulled my sleepwear out of my bag and went into the bathroom, changing into it, though I kept my glasses. When I came out, Vineria immediately started staring at my kitty socks. They were different than the ones Gray had seen me in, instead having paw pads on the bottom.

“Wow. Nice socks, Fun Bot.” Vineria said.

“Thanks, Vineria.” I said.

“You can call me Vinny, I don’t care.” Vineria said.

“Okay, Vinny.” I said.

I sat on the bed next to Gray, putting Caylee, Dabney, and Emmie on my side of the bed. I knew I couldn’t bring all of them, so I brought my favorites. Just then, the woman who had been in the passenger seat came into the room.

“We’ve got pizza and a movie in mine and Manny, and Jinji and Kay’s, room, so you should come join us.” she said.

“K, Mom.” Gray said.

“Got it, Mrs. Rayman.” Wenda said.

“Yes, Ma’am.” I said.

Vineria just nodded.

“Follow me.” the lady, apparently Gray’s mom, said.

All of us followed her to her room, where everybody else already was.

“Fun Bot ready for sleep?” Brud said.

“I’m just in my sleep clothes. My other ones were sweaty.” I said.

“Of course you’re not ready for sleep, you were snoring most of the way here, and if you weren’t snoring, you were mostly still asleep.” Pinki said.

I noticed Pinki was in Oren’s lap with her head in the crook of his neck. Oren was playing with her hair, smiling softly.

“Fun Bot come to me!” Brud called.

I obeyed, noticing Brud was sloppily kissing OWAKCX.

“Fun Bot nap well in car?” Brud asked.

“I did, thanks.” I said.

“Good! Me love cousin.” Brud said.

“Love you too, Brud.” I said.

Gray sat next to me after a moment.

“B-Brud? Y-you’re g-gonna give m-me a hickey.” OWAKCX said.

“Me kiss my OWA.” Brud said before continuing to love on OWAKCX.

OWAKCX just let Brud love on him at that point. Soon, the movie started, and it was Home Alone. By the time we’d gotten to the point where Kevin was left home alone, Brud and OWAKCX were both flopped on the ground, snoring up a storm. It wasn’t too hard for me to ignore it, at least. Gray seemed to be completely focused on the movie, however. I didn’t know why we were watching Christmas movies before Thanksgiving, but it was fine.

I watched the movie and ate my pizza happily, noticing that Gray was thankfully eating his pizza like a normal person, which made my Italian heart happy. I woke up Brud and OWAKCX for their pizza, but as soon as they’d eaten it, they were sleeping again. I kept watching the movie as Gray ate his pizza slowly. I glanced around the room, seeing Pinki give Oren a pepperoni from her own pizza, and I felt painfully single in that moment. However, soon, the movie was finished and it was 9 PM.

“Alright, guys, it’s time to head back to your rooms. You can do whatever you want until 10, then it’s lights out.” Gray’s dad said.

I stood up, going to the room with Gray, Wenda, and Vineria, who was rubbing her eyes.

“Wanna watch some cartoons until we pass out?” Wenda asked.

“Sounds great.” Vineria said.

“What cartoons will we watch?” I asked.

“I brought the disk for season one of the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and my CD player.” Wenda said.

I nodded as we headed into the room, and Wenda grabbed everything as I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. The first episode started playing right as I returned and grabbed Dabney. Vineria was fast asleep by episode 3, so Wenda made sure she was comfortable. Soon, the clock struck ten, so we put the cartoons away and went to bed. I watched Gray strip down to his underwear before grabbing his body pillow off the floor and falling fast asleep.

“Hey, psst, you two, are either of you awake?” Wenda whispered after 20 minutes.

“I am, Gray isn’t.” I whispered back.

“Want a donut?” Wenda asked.

“Why?” I asked.

“I have an extra and I wanted to see if you wanted it.” Wenda said.

“Does it have peanut butter?” I asked.

“No.”

“Give it to me.”

Wenda passed me the donut, and I ate it before going to brush my teeth again. By the time I returned, she had finally dozed off. I climbed back into bed silently, staring at the ceiling as I tried not to think about the fact that Gray was fast asleep right next to me. I shifted to lay on my side, but I was either staring at the girls or at Sans’s bony pillow chest. I decided to stare at Sans’s bony pillow chest rather than the girls. I was unsure as to why Gray wasn’t facing Sans.

Soon, it was 11 PM, and while Gray’s mom briefly came in, the only thing she did was leave a few gummies next to me once she noticed I was awake. I decided to eat them, feeling there would be no harm in doing so. I didn’t feel like getting up again, so I just curled up around my squishmallows and started to nod off. However, I was suddenly jolted awake when Gray rolled over and ended up putting his back against my chest.

Oh God oh God oh God OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD-

I tried to go back to sleep while hiding my gay panic, which was thankfully helped by the fact that I was getting sleepier by the moment. I eventually fell deeply asleep, somehow cuddling Gray and not knowing until after I woke up. Either that, or my unconscious brain decided to cuddle the warm thing. Either way, when I woke up, I was somehow spooning Gray. Immediately, I released him and shoved myself far away, falling off the bed in the process and waking everybody up.

“Dude, I was having the best dream ever!” Wenda groaned.

“Sorry. Ow.” I said.

“What time is it?” Gray mumbled.

“Looks like it’s 5 AM.” Vineria said.

“I’m going back to sleep.” Gray said.

“Sounds like a plan.” Wenda agreed.

“See ya in the morning.” I said, standing up.

I climbed back into the bed, curling back up under the blanket and falling asleep almost instantly. When I woke up again, it was 8 AM and the three I was sharing a room with were still sleeping. I turned on the TV to mindlessly watch the news, ready to nod back off if I could.

“Mmm...”

I turned to look at Gray, who was waking up.

“Morning.” I said.

“Hi, FB.” Gray said sleepily.

“What’s with that nickname?” I asked.

“I just think it suits you.” Gray mumbled.

“If you say so.” I said.

Gray sat up, yawning loudly.

“How did you sleep?” I asked.

“I slept well, how about you?” Gray said.

“I slept well, too.” I said.

“Wanna go for a walk?” Gray asked.

“I need to shower and change first.” I said.

“Well, I need to get dressed, anyways, so, go ahead and shower.” Gray said.

I went and showered, and once I was showered and dressed, I went up to Gray, who was already dressed in full emo attire. Then, I put on shoes and socks, and we were off. I noticed everyone else still had their do not disturb signs on, and sometimes, I could hear a light snore come from one of their rooms if I listened carefully. I didn’t pay it any mind. Even though it was already 8 AM, I wasn’t expecting too many people to be up for a vacation.

“There’s a special place I went to all the time in elementary school. I couldn’t go there really when I was in and out of the hospital.” Gray said.

“Well, we can go there now.” I said.

Gray nodded, grabbing my hand and leading me to a secluded place in the woods. I noticed there was a tree with a little wood platform on it. Gray climbed up the tree and onto the platform, helping me up as well.

“I made this with my dad when I was 10. For a few pieces of wood, they’re pretty sturdy.” Gray said.

“It’s surprisingly comfortable. Did you get permission to build this here?” I asked.

“Yep! My dad’s good friends with the guy who owns these woods, and he said he was okay with it.” Gray said.

I nodded, then I laid down. I came to the decision that this was the best time to tell Gray what I’d been meaning to tell him in that moment.

“Can I tell you something?” I asked.

“Sure, what is it?” Gray said.

I took a deep breath.

“I like you. And I mean, like like you.” I said.

Gray’s face instantly went red as a cherry.

“O-oh. Uuh, I actually like you the same way?” Gray said, clearly flustered.

“You don’t need to lie to protect my feelings, just promise that this won’t destroy our friendship.” I said.

“I genuinely feel the same way, Fun Bot, and I’m not lying.” Gray said.

“Really?” I said.

“Really.” Gray smiled.

“Do you wanna try...”

“Yes.”

I pulled Gray into my arms, and he grabbed my hand. He rubbed the back of it, and I leaned into his touch. Soon, I buried my head into the crook of his neck, and he started playing with my hair. I kissed him on the cheek, hoping I wouldn’t push his boundaries. Gray froze for a moment before he kissed me back. He had a kind of smile I hadn’t ever seen before on him, and I smiled back. I closed my eyes, rubbing my face against his.

“Should we go back to the hotel?” Gray asked.

“I’m fine with that.” I said.

We both climbed down the tree and went back into our hotel room, where everyone was still at least in bed. I noticed Vineria was awake and doomscrolling YouTube shorts while clearly half asleep. I kicked off my shoes before flopping down on the bed. Gray flopped down next to me, and I cautiously pulled him closer to me and turned on the TV to some kid’s cartoons. Soon enough, I grabbed my phone and started scrolling Tumblr, and Gray was looking at my screen.

“By the way, where were you two?” Vineria asked.

“We were on a walk.” I said.

“Why are you two being so cuddly all of a sudden?” Vineria asked.

“We’re not, you’re hallucinating.” Gray said, snuggling closer to me.

“You two are weird.” Vineria said.

I put my head in Gray’s chest and he rubbed my back. Just then, Pinki came in.

“It’s almost 9 AM, guys, wake up!” Pinki said.

“The only person in here still asleep is Wenda.” Vineria said.

Wenda was indeed still asleep, snoring softly and occasionally blowing her hair off her face in her sleep.

“Oh. Wait a moment, why are you two cuddling?” Pinki asked.

“You’re hallucinating, sis.” Gray said.

“We’re a figment of your imagination~” I said.

“I’m just gonna wake up Wenda.” Pinki said.

Pinki shook Wenda by the shoulder, and she opened her eyes sleepily.

“Morning, Wenda.” Pinki said.

“Morning. Why’d ya wake me?” Wenda asked.

“It’s 9 AM.” Pinki said.

It was then that Wenda looked at Gray and I.

“Are you two cuddling?” Wenda yawned.

“Nope, you’re hallucinating.” I said.

“We’re actually on opposite sides of the the room.” Gray said.

I rubbed my face against Gray, smiling happily at him. Gray put his hand on my cheek and rubbed it in return.

“You two are totally cuddling.” Pinki said.

“Nope, like Gray said, we’re on opposite sides of the room.” I said.

I kissed Gray’s fingers as he put them by my face, and he blushed and kissed my forehead in return.

“What are you two even doing?” Pinki asked.

“Hanging out like bros.” I said, grinning like a maniac.

“Don’t you do this with Wenda and Vineria?” Gray asked.

“I do that kind of thing with Oren because he’s my boyfriend, but not Wenda or Vineria!” Pinki exclaimed.

Gray and I were both grinning like the cheshire cat at her.

“You two are weirdos. We’re going out to the diner for breakfast in 20, so be ready.” Pinki said.

I nodded, still snuggled up to Gray. We cuddled for a full 10 minutes more before going down for breakfast.