AN: Just a drabble. Enjoy!
Frost sprawled in delicate patterns across the window that night. With a sleepy arm draped across the sill, Frisk laid their head in the crook of their elbow and watched the snow gently tumble into the thickly lain blanket of snow below. Lazily, with eyes half open, Frisk nuzzled more comfortably into their arm and waited for the bone brothers to return. They knew that Frisk could be left alone for a while, but that didn't mean that they enjoyed it. It was just that this particular day the Skeletons had to attend some Remembrance Day of sorts without Frisk. Even though Frisk was allowed to attend everything that the brothers went to, this particular occasion called for a complete solitary homage.
But Frisk hated sleeping alone. Even though they did so in the ruins, it never meant that it was enjoyable. It was uncomfortable and miserable, to an extent, and always out of necessity rather than want. Honestly, Frisk almost forgot that they hated being alone up until tonight. For every day that they were out of the Underground, Frisk had always stayed with someone for the night. It was comforting even knowing that someone was in the room next door. It wasn't because of the nightmares or the fear of being alone that compelled Frisk to absolutely need someone near; rather it was the absence of noise. There was no joy in the house. No gentle snoring at night; or daytime laughter; nor was there any clanging of dishes or water running to be heard. The absence of peoples' presence was...lonely. The silence hummed loudly in their ears and overwhelmed them to the point of sighing just to hear something else.
Soft Christmas songs were being played on the radios embedded in the lamp posts below. Frisk could only faintly hear it through the glass every now and again.
The heat clicked into life and a new rush of heat began to emanate from the radiator from across the room.
Tick-tick-ticking came to life from the kitchen. Another sound that Frisk tried to hold onto. At least it was loud enough to cut the silence. Right up until the seconds melted into each other and Frisk grew frustrated trying to count them one-by-one.
Heat flushed into Frisk's face and threatened them with sleep that they tried so hard to fight against.
Maybe just a nap...
Fwoomp.
Exhaling deeply, Frisk tried rousing themselves awake. They had to be vigilant. Had to watch for the brothers. Had to see if they'd come back. Rubbing their cheek with the palm of their hand, Frisk let out a mighty yawn and blinked sleepily.
"did i wake you up?"
Somewhere between 'A Carol of Bells' and 'Silent Night,' the Skeleton brothers had returned ever so quietly and sucessfully managed to drape a fuzzy white blanket over them.
"wh'time izzit..."
Frisk's voice croaks, laden with sleep. Fishing for their phone with a sleeping arm, Sans sat behind them and laid his head against their back.
"late."
Sans didn't actually care whether or not Frisk was in bed. They knew that they were more than capable of deciding that themselves. Right now, he was bone tired and wanted to sleep himself. Looking up, chin digging into Frisk's back, Sans looked at the window patterns and grinned.
"reminds me of snowdin."
It was 3am, Frisk noted, shaking the pins and needles out of their arm. It took them a moment to notice what Sans was talking about before sharing a nod of agreement. With the entire weight of the skeleton on their back (which wasn't much, actually), Frisk could tell that he was dying for sleep.
"had fun?"
Frisk shook their head. No, of course not. How could they when there was absolutely no life in the house?
"NOT WITHOUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS. HERE I AM."
Papyrus's voice brought a large grin to Frisk's face. They couldn't help it. There was the life that the house was missing. Two polar-opposite skeleton brothers that made the house feel like a home.
"ARE YOU TWO HAVING A CAMP OUT WITHOUT ME?"
"never. we're just waiting on you, paps."
Sans, as fatigued as he was, was ready at the drop of a hat to include his brother in everything and anything he could. Even if it wasn't something that was actually planned.
Another cheek-hurting smile spread across Frisk's face as Papyrus now sandwiched Sans in between and rested his entire weight on his brother's back.
Of course it was uncomfortable to hold up the weight of two skeletons, but if anything? It was cozy. It was their family. The family they found for themselves Underground and liberated. The family that would be there for them no matter what. The family that always, always brought life to an uncomfortably quiet house and turned it into a home.
"WE PAID OUR RESPECTS TO OUR LONG LOST FRIEND. NOW, IT IS TIME FOR US TO ENJOY THE FRIEND THAT IS HERE. RIGHT, SANS?"
"right, bro."
"WE'RE SORRY WE COULDN'T BRING YOU, TINY HUMAN. RIGHT, SANS?"
"right, bro."
"SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG, TOO. SANS FELL ASLEEP."
"i was tired."
"OUR HUMAN WAS LEFT ALONE. WHAT IF SOMEONE BROKE IN?"
"I would have flirted with them."
Frisk replies as equally as sleepy as Sans. Their cheek presses firmly into their arm that now rested back on the window sill. It takes a full moment for Papyrus to understand that Frisk is joking, but at the same time, worried that they actually weren't.
Sans chortles, though. He knows that Frisk's tugging at Papyrus's funny bone. With a loud 'HMPH,' Papyrus wraps his arms even more tightly around the two of them and pretends to be angry. But only for a moment.
"G'night, Sans. Night, Papyrus."
"night."
"GOODNIGHT, SANS. GOODNIGHT, FRISK."
Frisk would have slept leaning on the windows sill but Sans wouldn't have it. As tired as he was, he managed to yank the tiny child into his arms protectively and rest his chin on their head. Only then, with a contented sigh, did he manage to fall asleep himself.
The snow fell, still, and the music played dimly, but it was the gentle snoring of tired skeletons that Frisk missed the most.