The light in the room was dim, the only source of it being the flickering of the TV which was occasionally changing scenes. Stretch was lying on the couch on his back, his length taking over all of it, Red, whose skull he was rubbing, somehow ending up on his chest, relaxing. They were both quiet, lost in their thoughts and not really paying attention to Napstaton's show. That was, until the taller skeleton spoke.

'hey red..?' he mumbled. He could hear the other's deep breaths but he was surely awake, judging by the little shakes he let from time to time.

'yeah?' Red asked in a low tone, too tired to care. After a brief pause of silence, he decided to slowly lift his head and rested his chin on the soft hoodie under it. The look on Stretch's face. He knew that look. He began to nervously squirm, but the hand on the top of his skull continued its ministrations, easing the tension.

'what is your biggest fear?' Papyrus finally questioned, making a mental note of Red's reaction. He was taken aback.

'uh...you know that i'm not afraid of a-anything, in my univer-'

'no Red, we are not in that hellhole anymore, and there's no need to act tough when you're safe now.'

The short skeleton wanted to use this last sentence to change the subject or turn it into a joke but he sighed in defeat when he saw Pap's expecting expression.

'w-well…' Oh no, he's getting anxious again. 'you know i'm not used to this sappy shit and...ugh this just sounds so fucking weird coming from me. promise that you won't use it against me?'

'oh come on, of course i wouldn't, what do you take me for? you know me better than that.' Stretch said, and he was honest. This was one of the rare moments when the other actually opened up and he wasn't just going to take advantage of that.

After shifting a bit, Red managed to say. 'okay then, here goes nothing. the truth is…' the smaller figure averted his eyes and started fidgeting and playing with the fabric of the soft hoodie in front of him. 'i'm scared of being left alone...and by that, i don't mean alone in a room or any place in general but...' he paused to take a glance of the other skeleton 's face, his gaze meeting gentle and understanding eyes. He took another breath. 'alone in my soul. afraid that someday, everyone's going to leave me, my friends, my..heh, family and…' He was on the verge of crying and Papyrus decided to take action. He stood into a sitting position, taking Red with him into his lap and wrapping his arms around the shaking mess in a protective embrace, waiting for him to finish. And he did.

'...and especially you, Paps.' It was so unusual for him to call the taller one by his name. Red let his tears run down his cheekbones freely, almost collapsing on the other, his hands clenching and unclenching tightly on Stretch's hoodie and burying his face into it, feeling the other rubbing his back trying to calm him down. 'just the thought of it makes me sick. i'm so pathetic.' he said, returning the hug.

'oh red, don't say that. believe me or not, you're the best thing that has happened to me. so please don't cry. it's okay to be scared, that's normal. and i promise, i'll make sure you never get lonely again. you know, i've never really thought about it but it seems that my fear is losing you too.' He didn't even bother to think about it, he knew he wouldn't be able to take that. He pushed lightly Red to meet his flushed face, not sure if it was from the tears or embarrassment. Papyrus lifted one of his hands to the other's cheekbones, wiping the traces left after the crying with his phalanges and then caressing his skull, kissing his forehead and hugging him again, trying to comfort him. After some time, the sobs and shakes were reduced, only to leave a still-panting skeleton in his lap, cuddling into him. He heard a sigh.

'thank you so much, Stretch. it feels like a burden was lifted off my shoulders.'

'always here for you, buddy.' the taller one said, finally managing to smile. 'so, are we skele-done with the sad stuff? because I plan on taking my fun."

Red let a hoarse chuckle at the bad pun but then looked up, confused, seeing the other's smirk.

'what do you—' he twitched and gasped as he felt something lightly touch his ribs. 'no, no, y-you're not gonna—w-wait no, ahahaha, ha, no, please don't—' the touches became more frequent, tickling him with no mercy. He started laughing , Papyrus joining him.

'what is it, am I tickling your funny bone?' He was happy that the gloomy atmosphere was now gone, only laughter filling the room.

'shit, p-please papyrus, stop' the short skeleton pleaded, trying not to kick around, this time happy tears pooling under his eye sockets.

'not until you accept defeat.'

'n-no way!' he clenched his eyes when the tickling became more insistently. 'ugh, okay okay,hah, i give up, j-just stop.'

'aww, that was too fast.' Stretch tried sounding disappointed, though he failed. He picked Red, who was still panting, high up and let himself fall onto the couch heavily, hugging the other tightly and nuzzling into the fur of the black jacket.

'you really know how to tire a lazy-bones like me.' the victim complained.

'but that was fun, you know it.'

'for you, it may have been, but i was spitting my guts out here, dumbass.' Red chuckled again, and returned the embrace, sighing. 'i love you, shithead.'

'heh, love ya too, red.'