Handplates: When The Walls Crumble (Gaster x Reader)

When the Walls Crumble (One-Shot)

(A/N: For the original comic, click on the link here: http://zarla.deviantart.com/art/In-an-isolated-system-670884628)

"Where is he? He's been late more and more often lately...."

You felt uneasy inside. And judging by the expressions of Alphys and Asgore, they felt similarly. 

This had been lasting for many months now. Asgore would host a meeting with the head scientists of the Underground, and W.D. Gaster always came in 10-15 minutes late. Which was rather strange, because - up until several months ago - Gaster always came in on time. Always. 

On the other hand, when he did come in for the daily meetings, you could not help but notice that something about him was amiss. And the difference in his appearance became more apparent every time you saw him: His glasses were sometimes askew, his lab coat and clothes were wrinkled and disheveled, and dark circles were gradually forming underneath his eye sockets. 

It was unlike him. It was not the Gaster you knew. 

Then again... ever since the monsters had been banished from the Surface and sent into the Underground, he had never really been the same. 

Still, you could not help but worry. All you could do was fumble with your (h/c) hair and put your hands in the pockets of your white lab coat.

"M-Maybe he's, uh.... M-Maybe his alarm clock d-didn't go off?" Alphys guessed while adjusting her glasses. "Or m-maybe he's trying to p-print out the papers for the Core readings...?"

"Maybe," Asgore sighed. "But I'm starting to -"

The door to Alphys' lab suddenly slid open. W.D. Gaster walked inside, cradling his skull with one hand.

"Nnh. I'm here," he groaned, almost yawning in mid-sentence. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I got caught up in something. I should have all the readings you requested...." 

Asgore's eyes suddenly widened. Alphys gasped and put her hands over her mouth. You wondered why they were suddenly shocked upon seeing Gaster again. 

When you turned your gaze over to the Royal Scientist, you froze.

He looked even worse than the last time you had seen him. Not only were the circles under his eye sockets darker, but there were cracks on his face. One rose from the top of his right socket and went over his cranium while the other sunk from the bottom of his left socket and barely touched the corner of his mouth. His glasses were crooked, once again, and his lab coat was different: There were patches of new white fabric on his sleeves and around the front where the buttons were located.

You tightly held onto your books and tried to ignore the sinking feeling you had inside.

Gaster noticed that the three of you were staring at him, and he frowned.

"Is... something wrong?" he asked. 

"D-Doctor Gaster... w-what happened to your face?" Alphys stammered. "I-It's cracked...."

Gaster put a hand to his skull again. "Oh.... Oh, nothing. Just an accident. I don't want to discuss it...."

"And your coat!" Asgore gasped, noticing the patches and stitches.

"Ah - yes, I had to do some repairs. Thankfully, I still had the sewing box the queen...."

Gaster and Asgore fell silent for a brief moment in time. Their expressions darkened slightly.

"... Well, I tried to fix it," Gaster said as he started pulling out the papers from within his black satchel. "Anyways, about the Core - "

"What happened?" Asgore asked.