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Kris groaned as they woke up. It had happened, they hated when this happened. They always knew it was gonna happen, but it never prepared them for how it made them feel.
As much as they just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, they knew they needed a shower. Their period always made them feel so gross. They would also need to change their bed sheets too, but they’d get around to that later. They didn't have the energy to do it today.
Rolling out of bed, they wrapped themselves in their blanket then opened their set of draws to find a fresh set of pyjamas. Something to make them feel less gross.
The pants they wanted weren't in the draw. They couldn't think of where else they might have been though. No washing had needed to be done recently and Kris hadn't worn them in a while either so they had to be in here. They started pulling everything out of their draws in an attempt to find the pants they wanted but they just couldn't find them.
They wished they had more clothes of their own. Most of Asriel's hand-me-downs fit them weirdly. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if they were a monster too, but they weren't. They were a human, and there was nothing that could change that.
Eventually they gave up. They grabbed a random pair of pants sitting on the floor and slammed their draw closed, kicking it as they got up for good measure.
At their bedroom door, their mother was standing there, presumably about to wake them up.
“Oh Kris, you are up” she smiled, “There are pancakes in the kitchen, wash up quickly, so that we can get going.”
“Not going to school today”, they mumbled, walking past her.
Toriel sighed, “Kris, we have talked about this, this is not a negotiation. Is someone bothering you again? I thought having a friend was making going to school easier.”
Kris looked back at their mom, sending her a pleading look. They really didn't want to have to get into this today.
"Can you at least try to go?" She asked, stepping back in front of them. "Please, Kris." She gave them that look. The one that always made them feel guilty. They knew she was trying her best, but they wished she was able to see their side of it.
Kris shook their head. There was no way she was going to be able to convince her today.
"You can sit in my classroom if it gets too much." She pleaded. "I have told Ms Alphys you are allowed to do that, she is totally fine with it."
Personally, Kris didn't see the point in going to school if they were just going to sit in their mom's classroom the whole day. They may as well not go at all. There was no way they would be able to explain it to their mom without it escalating into a fight though.
Kris looked up, slowly signing "can't go", then without waiting for a response from her, they pushed past her to get to down the stairs and to the bathroom. They quickly shut and locked the door when they got in.
They threw their pants into a corner of the bathroom. They would definitely stain if they didn't get them into a cold water bucket soon, but they also were not about to leave the bathroom until Toriel was out of the house.
Damn, they actually liked these pants as well. Maybe they should actually start tracking their period.
Kris turned on the shower, not waiting for it to get to a good temperature before they got in. They had to wash everything away. They felt so gross. They sat down, it was always easier that way. They let the water flow over their head for a bit, losing themselves.
They hated this.
There was a knocking on the door, "Kris, come on, we need to get going. Get out of the shower and get dressed you can eat in the car." Toriel called, raising her voice to be heard above the shower.
Kris didn't respond, they weren't going to school today.
They heard their mom walking back into the kitchen, banging around doing things. It was very clear that she was upset with them.
"Kris, hurry up, you are going to make me late!" Toriel yelled after a couple more minutes.
Kris sighed, she was the one making herself late, they weren't going.
They didn't respond.
"Kris, please, I am sorry just…" She trailed off.
They didn't respond.
Kris heard their mother sighing, "I am going to work now, call me if you need anything. I will put the pancakes in the fridge." She relented. "I love you, honey."
They listened as her footsteps got further away until they couldn't hear them anymore. They had been left alone. The house was empty now.
Why did they feel so upset? This is what they had wanted.
Again, they put their head under the flow of the shower, trying to drown out their emotions.
Eventually they decided it was probably time to get out. Standing up slowly as to not get dizzy, they turned off the shower then stepped out wrapping themselves in a towel and sitting on the ground to give their body time to adjust being out of the shower.
They grabbed their phone to scroll a bit, seeing a message from Susie pop up.
Susie: yo you coming to school today?
They thought for a quick moment before deciding to reply. Susie would understand.
Kris: nah, not feeling well
Kris: going back to bed soon
They saw Susie pop up as typing, then disappear a couple times.
Susie: can i come over?
Kris: if u want, spare keys under the doormat
Kris: probably gonna go back to sleep tho
They put their phone on the bathroom counter without waiting for Susie to text back and started rummaging underneath the sink for a packet of pads. Their mom always made sure they were stocked up since she had to go out of town to get them. Like any other human specific thing that they might need. It sucked being the only human in Hometown, not having anything easily accessible at the local convenience store, they got used to it though.
Pulling a fresh pair of pyjamas on and grabbed their phone, then slumped back to their room and crawled back into bed.
They tried to get back to sleep. It seemed that would be an impossible task when a surge of pain washed over them. They curled into a ball and tried to ignore it. Not wanting to have to get out of bed and go to the kitchen. They didn't even know if they would be able to make it down the stairs. They hated this.
After trying to wait it out for a bit, it seemed apparent that the pain wasn't going to just go away. It never did. They pulled themselves out of bed again, making their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Every step just wishing they could stay in bed.
Their mother had left the hot water bottle and some pain killers out on the table. She must have eventually gotten an idea of what was going on.
She had found that this wasn't just like every other morning. Every other morning, Kris wouldn't have even gotten out of bed.
It was a kind gesture, but Kris hated how obvious it was that it had happened. Even if this was just a motherly scenes thing.
They put the kettle on to boil and filled up a glass of water from the sink to take the painkillers with.
They debated grabbing one of the pancakes their mother had made so they weren't taking them on an empty stomach but couldn't be bothered. After chucking back the pain killers, they sat on the floor while they waited for the kettle. It hurt too much to stand, or do anything, really.
They just wished the kettle would hurry up and finish boiling so they could go back to bed.
From outside they heard someone fumbling with a key in the door. That confused them, it was way too early for their mom to get home.
Looking towards the door, they saw Susie walk in.
"You look like shit" she said bluntly.
Kris just nodded, before looking down again.
"What are you doing down here anyway?" Susie asked, closing the door behind her. "Thought you'd be in bed."
Kris pointed to the hot water bottle on the bench.
"Dude, I'll do that for you, go to bed."
Kris opened their mouth, then closed it, signing, "don't have to."
Susie looked at Kris for a bit, head cocked to one side. She had been trying to learn ASL since becoming friends with Kris for times like this, but she still didn't know much. Noelle had been helping her, but without someone to translate sometimes it got a bit hard for them to communicate with her.
"Don't fully understand what that, but if you're trying to argue with me, you won't win" she muttered.
Kris sighed, knowing this to be true. They slowly stood up and made their way up the stairs.
Shortly after they got back in bed, they heard a shuffling at the door.
"Kris! Can I come in?" Susie called.
Kris opened their mouth to respond, nothing came out.
There was a pause, "Knock on the wall twice if it's okay."
This thought about it for a moment. Why were they embarrassed at Susie seeing them like this? She'd already seen them today.
Eventually, they reached up their hand, knocking on the wall next to their bed twice.
The door handle turned and opened.
Kris looked up as Susie walked in, holding the hot water bottle under her arm and the plate of pancakes Toriel had cooked in her hand.
"You haven't eaten?" She asked.
Although, Kris wasn't sure if that was more of a question or accusation.
She handed them the hot water bottle, watching as they adjusted the way they sat to put it in the right place before handing them the plate as well.
"You should eat." She said.
Kris looked up at her and pointed at her.
"Have I eaten?" She asked, more to clarify if that's what Kris was asking than anything else.
Kris nodded.
Susie looked away, "That's not important", she said.
Kris stared at her.
"Okay fine, I'll eat, but only if you eat too", Susie relented, sitting on Kris' bed next to them. They had to squish close, since Kris only had a single bed. Not that either of them minded, it was more comfortable like this anyway.
Kris picked up a pancake, tearing off a bit to put in their mouth. They didn't have anything on them, but that was fine. Not like they'd want to get syrup in their bed.
Susie also took a pancake, putting the whole thing in her mouth. "I love your mom's food, wish I had someone to cook for me", she said with her mouth full.
Kris looked up at her, "I can bring you stuff", they muttered quietly.
Susie looked at Kris, "You talking now?" she asked.
Kris shrugged, they opened their mouth, then closed it again.
"It's okay man, you don't have to."
Kris nodded, picking up another pancake.
"So, did you catch some weird human thing or something?" Susie asked.
Kris looked away, not responding.
"Do you not want to tell me or not want to talk?" Susie asked.
Kris shrugged, signing a quick 'sorry'.
Susie stared at them, "Hey, I know that one", she said, "You don't need to say that though, I'm not mad."
Kris looked up at her.
"Can I text your mom and ask?"
Kris shook their head, they pointed at the top draw to their dresser. Susie opened it. The only thing that was in the draw as a notepad and pen. Susie took them out and handed it to Kris. They opened it, flicking through old drawings from before…it happened, to where it had turned to a bunch of random words and sentences.
Susie waited patiently.
"Got my period" they wrote.
They just prayed Susie would know what it is, not wanting to have to explain it.
Their mother freaked out when it first happened. She had dragged them to the ER at a human hospital outside of town in a panic. Only to be sat down by a nurse who told Kris and their mom about all the changes that were happening to their body.
The nurse had sounded very bored at this. Even going as far to laugh at them for not knowing what it was when she was at the nurses station and thought they were not looking.
It was a horrible and awkward night. Despite all the notes on Kris' file, the nurse insisted on calling them "she" and "her". They didn't know why at first then realised this wasn't something that happened to all humans. Just another reminder they were different, even to their own species.
Humans seemed to be way more concerned about gender than monsters were they had discovered.
Toriel wasn't the only person that didn't know. They shuddered as they remembered the day everyone else in their class found out what it was after they bled onto their seat.
Noelle, who was the only one who knew prior to that had sat with them in the school bathroom until they calmed down. She also had spare products for them in her locker, even though she herself would never need them. Despite the fact that they had stopped talking by then.
Luckily, Alphys seemed to know what was up and didn't comment on it when the two of them finally re-entered the classroom. There was a fresh chair in their spot as well.
Susie paused for a bit, "Does that hurt?" She asked. "Some of the humans at my old school went to the nurse for it a lot."
Kris breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful they wouldn't have to explain it to Susie. They then wrote out, "Usually. It's different for everyone."
"Is that why you're upset?" Susie asked.
Kris shrugged, then leant their head on Susie's shoulder.
Susie wrapped an arm around them.
"Can I do anything to help?"
"Stay" they signed slowly, although signing was becoming more difficult now they were curled up to Susie.
"Not going anywhere man, school sucks without you."
Kris curled further into Susie, groaning.
Susie took the plate they were holding and put it on the bedside table. "You good?" She asked.
"Hurts" They mumbled.
"Do you need a painkiller?"
Kris shook their head, knowing they couldn't take another one this soon. They hoped Susie would understand what she meant.
Susie squeezed them tighter. She placed a hand on top of the hot water bottle Kris had clutched to their middle. They couldn't directly feel her but they liked it all the same.
Just a couple months ago, Kris wouldn't even imagined wanted to be this close to Susie. Today though, it felt comforting.
"Berdly was being so annoying this morning." Susie started. Sometimes when Kris didn't feel like talking she would pick a random rant to go on to fill the silence. Kris liked it.
"I was just trying to talk to Noelle, I needed a pencil and she always has spares, then here he comes telling me 'you should remember to bring your own pen Susan, or you will never go far in life', angel forbid I just wanted a candy cane scented pencil", she complained.
Kris smiled, Noelle did always have the best pencils. They had multiple in their desk and draws they had 'forgotten' to give back. Noelle never asked for them back either, Kris wasn't sure if she forgot about them or had just accepted that she wasn't going to get them back.
"Then when class started, he insisted on reading all the parts of the text book. Even Ms Alphys looked annoyed, I didn't know it was possible to get a reaction other than nervous out of her. She has been more expressive recently, wonder if it has anything to do with that cop I've been seeing her talk to more recently. She didn't even notice when I left though."
Kris laughed, that sounded like Alphys. They had had her as a teacher for years now. Starting when she was teaching in the middle school classroom, then coincidentally she started teaching the high school class as Kris moved up.
Living in such a small town made school like that though. Kris had had the same classmates for years. They had even been classmates with their brother and had their mother as a teacher at one point.
"I like it when you laugh", Susie said softly. It sounded like she was about to say something else after that but stopped herself.
Kris blushed, burying their face in Susie trying to hide it.
Susie laughed at this, "Don't hide from me, Dreemurr, I know you show emotion sometimes." She joked.
It was quiet for a bit, before Susie sighed, "I just like to see you… not sad." She said.
Kris looked up at Susie, and smiled slightly. They could see that she was smiling too.
"There we go", She said, "So do you want to tell me whats up?"
Kris straightened slightly, grabbing the notepad again. They paused, they didn't know how to explain it.
"How much do you know about periods?" they wrote.
Susie paused, "All I know is you bleed once a month, something to do with being able to have kids" she said, "I learnt human sex ed at my old school, but I didn't pay attention to any of my classes."
Kris nodded, "It only happens to", they paused, not knowing what to write next.
"It only happens to girls", they ended up mumbling quietly.
"But, you're not a girl?" Susie said, but it sounded more like a question than anything else.
Kris shook their head, "I still got the parts", they muttered.
"But you aren't a girl", Susie said, more firmly this time, "So it doesn't only happen to girls."
Kris looked up at her. They weren't sure if she didn't understand what they were saying or she was trying to make them feel better.
"I hate being a human", they said with a sigh.
Susie shrugged, "I don't know, man, I think you're pretty cool."
She smiled at them, Kris didn't smile back.
"I mean it", she said.
Kris didn't respond, Susie sighed, "Have you always been the only human in Hometown?"
Kris nodded.
"Do you know any other humans?" She asked next.
Kris shrugged. When they were younger, their mom had taken them to some social groups in the city near by to try to get them to make friends. It hadn't really worked and they just sat alone the whole time until she eventually gave up.
They wanted to not be different, not hang around other people who were also different. It didn't seem to bother the others though, but maybe that was just due to none of them being the only one of their species in their town.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.
Kris shook their head. There wasn't really anything to talk about. It wasn't the sort of thing that would be made better by talking it out.
They burrowed down into their blankets, resting their head on Susie lap.
Susie started to gently pet their hair, combing her fingers through their fringe. Just like their mother used to do on the bad nights.
They let a soft sob leave their mouth, then realising they were crying in front of Susie they tried to muffle it.
"Hey, hey, none of that. You're allowed to cry", Susie said softly, softer than Kris was used to hearing her.
With that Kris let themselves cry, they didn't even really know what they were crying about anymore.
Susie held them through all of it, she didn't say anything but just having her there helped.
"Thanks for staying with me", Kris mumbled eventually.
"Like I said, school sucks without you, dude", Susie said in response. "I don't wanna be anywhere else."
Kris nodded, not that Susie would be able to see them, but she could feel their head move.
"M'room's a mess", Kris muttered.
Susie laughed, "I don't care. There's a reason you haven't seen my room, dumbass. You'd probably get lost."
Kris smiled, "Azzy used to get annoyed at me for leaving my things out" they said.
"You guys are siblings, like I wouldn't know, but aren't you sorta just programmed to get annoyed at each other."
Kris laughed, "Yeah basically", they said softly.
They started to try to sit up. Despite the persistent cramps, having Susie there made them feel a bit better.
"You miss him, don't you?" She said.
Kris sniffed but didn't respond. They hated how emotional they got on their period.
Susie's expression softened, you could almost see concern in her face. "Sorry, is that like a period thing? Getting emotional."
Kris turned away, but nodded. They were grateful that Susie was being so good about it, but they hated how much attention was being brought to it.
"He seems cool, Asriel, I mean", she said, "You'll have to introduce us when he comes down here."
Kris nodded, although 'cool' wasn't really a word they would use to describe their brother. They were glad that she wanted to get to know him. They'd already told Asriel all about Susie and he seemed eager to meet her too, but she didn't need to know that.
Susie smiled, "Anything you wanna do?" she asked. "Unless you're cool just sitting here."
Kris shrugged, then signed out "laptop". They knew Susie would figure out what it meant.
Susie nodded, she manoeuvred her body in an odd way. Leaning off the bed to reach underneath it where Kris kept their laptop.
She opened the laptop then grabbed Kris' hand, holding their finger over the touch ID scanner to sign in. "Anything particular you wanna watch?" she asked.
Kris reached over, opening a web browser quickly typing something in so Susie couldn't see what they were writing. They clicked on a video as quickly they typed the search.
A horrible Dragon Blazers parody of Bad Romance started to play out.
Susie groaned, "Kris, you idiot! Put something proper on." she complained, shoving them lightly.
Kris grinned up at her.
Susie sighed, turning off the parody and putting on an actual show. "Glad you're starting to feel better though", she said.
She wrapped her arm around them, smiling as they nuzzled against her. "You comfy?" She asked, ruffling their hair.
Kris turned their head slightly to bite her arm.
Susie flicked them on the side of the head, "Dude, you gotta try harder than that if you even wanna come close to breaking the skin." she teased.
Kris just grabbed her hand and started gnawing on it as they watched the show.
"Okay dumbass, get your daily enrichment", Susie smiled, "As long as you let me drink your shampoo later."
Kris couldn't quite tell if the last bit was a joke or not. They should probably tell their mom to pick more up next time she went to the shops.
Eventually they both calmed down enough to watch the show in quiet. Kris half asleep on Susie, Susie absentmindedly stroking Kris' hair.
A few episodes in, Kris got up to use the bathroom. When the returned to the bedroom they found that Susie had refilled their hot water bottle. Neither of them mentioned this.
"You should probably go", Kris signed after a while. "Before mom comes home and see's you skipping."
Susie paused for a moment, "Sorry, I didn't catch that." she said.
Kris felt around the bed, trying to find their notebook. Susie grabbed it from their bedside table and handed it to them. "You okay?" she asked.
Kris nodded, grabbing the notebook and writing down what they were trying to tell Susie.
Susie frowned slightly, "Yeah, I guess you're right." she said, getting up and pulling her jacket back on. "Can I come back like 'after school?'" she asked.
Kris didn't respond. It's not like they didn't want to hang around Susie more, they were just tired.
"Unless, you need to be alone for a bit." Susie said softly.
Kris nodded, signing a quick "sorry" as they watched Susie put her shoes back on.
Susie smiled, "Don't apologise for that, I get it. See you tomorrow?"
Kris nodded again, smiling now, "Tomorrow." they signed.