Hey! So, I've had this idea for a while but when I started drawing... I realized that it would take AAAGES. So, instead... I practiced writing. And, by some miracle, I finished this up in an afternoon.

Anyway, this "The Little Mertaton" thing has some previous entries on my tumblr... checking these first might help in understanding what the frick-frack is going on here? Blog would be inexchangeforyoursoul:

post/138344598467/the-little-mermaid-1989-filed-under-things-that

post/138344663562/my-contribution-to-this-ship-and-an-aftermath-of

post/138930659927/i-felt-like-doing-something-more-with-that-little

Contemplative would have been the word to describe how Mettaton felt while sitting in the back of the ship, patiently awaiting the rising sun, and with it, his impending doom. Thinking about all that had happened and what he was leaving behind… it was just… sad.

Shyren, Alphys, Blooky… the entire family, actually… despite being trouble all his life, he knew they were all going to be distressed. Well, Maddy and Undyne will also be furious for sure- but they didn't seem to be angry at Papyrus, which was a great relief. Both know that despite the smarts, little Mettaton is an idiot and prone to doing dumb things- he is more than ready to take all the blame for this last stunt. It's probably for the best that so few know about the dying part of the deal, there's no time left to go back, anyway.

Blooky's and Maddy's wonderful hair, though… He takes a deep sigh. If there was something that hurt, then it was that they got dragged into this, and to no avail. But, it was fine- they didn't get hurt, the pixie cut even suits them, and the dagger, lying again at the bottom of the sea, was just fine being there.

While the robot is thinking about this, the sky changes colors and the stars fade away one after another. A wry smile appears on his lips- can someone even kill a skeleton with a rusty old blade? How silly. The mere notion of someone willingly wanting to harm him is silly.

Some ruckus from the main deck can be heard meanwhile, including his voice. The smile softens. Then fades. Turns upside down.

He's going to hurt him so much. The last weeks have been awkward, but Papyrus still likes him a lot. He's such a sweet, caring soul, it will certainly shake him to the...

A burst of bitter laughter escapes Mettaton's mouth and he feels the tears welling up while silencing himself with a hand. He got used to living without his voice so much in the past three months, and now that he has it back, it's more of an inconvenience than anything else.

While swallowing sobs, he notices his shadow, cast by the sunshine reflecting from the ship's windows behind his back. Peeking at the bright sky through his veiled vision again, the thinks about how dumb he is, how much smarter it would have been to do this and that differently, how he still wants to say goodbye to his friends and family, wondering if sea foam can feel things, how he thought that he was ready but is still afraid of dying - all while failing to notice the fast footsteps cruising towards his impromptu deathbed as he's trying to keep up his crumbling posture.

He doesn't even know how it happened. The other just, kind of, crashed into him, and grabbed his face. First, the initial thought that someone would be around to see him die was so horrifying and surprising alone that he didn't react at all, then… it was confusing, and just by the time the skeleton stops pressing his teeth against his lips and the shock wears off, he can manage to say something.

"Pa… pyrus…?" he drawls, face still squished lightly between the kneeling man's hands.

"Did…" Papyrus starts in a surprisingly low and gruff voice, "…did it work?"

Mettaton blinks once…. twice… taking the information in, then turns a little towards the sun, feeling its warm rays on his temple.

It was past his time. But he… he is still here, now looking back at the other who's a shaking nervous wreck.

"You are going to be fine, right?" he's asked in a voice so weak, it could break any time; the hands loosen their grip, too, as if the other could go poof from the lightest of touches, "You are not going to die… right?"

Pinpointing what exactly he felt in this very moment would be hard, but if there's something Mettaton knew for certain, then it was that he was relieved, felt safe, was about to open the floodgates, and that he just really, really loved this person in front of him, for everything they are and ever will be.

"No," he squeezes the sentence out before giving into the temptation to throw himself in the skeleton's neck and burst out in tears, "not anymore."

"I'm happy… I tried, then," Papyrus sniffs, returning the hug and squeezing him tight for a bit, then adding "… despite not having any lips."

Upon hearing this, the emotionally exhausted Mettaton did not know whether to cry or laugh anymore- so he just did both.

"Nyeh heh… it's nice to see your smile again." Papyrus noted, slowly pulling away and taking the other's hands instead, watching him intently in the meanwhile. It took a few minutes, but he waited for the robot to calm down before continuing: "When… I heard that the deal struck with the lady would resort in your death in a matter of minutes, if not seconds… I, the great Papyrus…" he heaved a sigh and looked away nervously for a second, "as embarrassing it is to say this, I… I was never so scared in my entire life."

The other's heart fell, if that was possible, as he himself wasn't sure how low or high it was in the first place- never had he felt so much like garbage before, though. That was a fact.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, then paused, thinking about how to put his thoughts into words while looking at their hands carefully clinging to the other "I… I really did not want to pressure you with something along the lines of… 'Hey, I need you to kiss me, or else I'm gonna die'… Since you didn't seem to want to do it at all. I… actually was thinking about the possibility that this 'not having lips' thing may actually be… an issue, too. And then, either way… today would just have been… even more terrible… than anticipated." He took another pause, contemplating the situation: "But… it seems like the catfish is out of the bag anyway? And…" a small smile and faint blush appeared on his face, eyes meeting those of Papyrus again "that skeleton kisses are valid."

"But of course! Skeleton kisses are the most valid kisses of all! ESPECIALLY THOSE DELIVERED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NYEH HEH HEH!" Mettaton couldn't help but smile wide upon the other swinging back to his usual peppy side.

"I must confess, though…" Papyrus continued after a moment with halved enthusiasm, earning a puzzled expression from the robot "that I… I may be still a little confused as to… what I feel exactly?" A quick glance to the side, another stop. "… Towards you, I mean." Oh. … Or… not oh? "Still… if there's one thing I'm certain in, it's that you are really important to me and… I don't want to lose you." He squeezed the other's hands a little. At first, Mettaton thought he was just too tired to react. But a second later, he exhaled and closed his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips again.

"Papyrus…"

Hearing the other calling him by name without the unfortunate face squishing felt funny…. and nice. And calming. But god, was he still nervous right now. "Yes?"

"You… do know that just any kiss wouldn't have done the trick, right?" He was fondly watching the way their fingers intertwined now while waiting for the answer.

The skeleton was somewhat confused. Not just any kiss? What kinds of kisses were there…? Kisses on the hand, nose, cheek, temple, mouth… some kiss the neck and feet… Then there were kisses for parents and siblings, kisses for the teachers, kisses for your best friend, kisses for royalty, and those for the person you like… You could kiss anyone and pretty much anywhere- what kind of kiss did he go for? It's been just a couple of minutes, but he swears he cannot remember… he kissed on the lips… he was hurting really bad before things were alright, he felt like dying himself… and was so happy when he found him still sitting here… he… he wanted to save him, so much. Wanted to fulfill that contract. What kind of kiss does it have to be… to break a terrible curse?

His eyes lit up: but of course! "It had to be the fairy tale stuff!"

A tiny nod. "The fairy tale stuff."

"… Wowie." His voice was at a whisper again. "That's, like… true love." Having said that, his face flushed deep orange and, with no better idea, he looked at their hands, too.

"Hey." Mettaton broke the silence after a while. Papyrus raised his head a little to show he was listening, but both kept their eyes low. "It's fine if you need time to sort your feelings out, you know? I've learned to be patient and to accept when things don't go as planned. If you like me, that's fine, if you don't… well, toodles. Either way… I won't be going anywhere. … not anymore, at least."

"… METTATON."

"Hm?"

"YOU COULD BE A RECTANGLE WITH 20 LEGS, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD STILL LIKE YOU."

There was a perfect pause for comical effect before Mettaton burst into laughter and did not stop until tears were running down his face; "You have NO idea how happy that line just made me!" he cried before running out of breath.

Papyrus pulled his hands away and started to sign something.

Can I hug you?

The robot flashed a bright smile which the other could only compare to the earliest rays of sunshine that were surrounding them, and answered likewise:

Whenever and wherever you want, darling.