Saturday (Oops): Winding Down

It's been a great week, but just because something's ending doesn't mean it's sad.

It had been a great party, in Sans's opinion. Papyrus was estatic at all the gifts various friends had gotten him, ranging from an Amiibo for their Smash Bros game to a cookbook filled with various pasta recipes to and entire folder filled with music for all sorts of string instruments and he's still over the moon about all of them.

Sans had gotten him a t-shirt that simply read "Trust me, I'm a doctor" with the word doctor crossed out and "skeleton" replacing it. Papyrus enjoyed it so immensely that he had left and returned a few moments later wearing it.

Games were plenty- Sans chuckled as Papyrus valiantly tried to hit the piñata, eventually getting frustrated with the thing and ripping it open with a well-placed bone attack- and fun was had all around, especially when they broke out Smash Bros. It's a great game with friends, and, as Sans found out, downright hilarious when all of the items were turned on and the fall amount placed on high.

The party had wrapped up after a few hours- as much as everyone loved Papyrus and vice versa, they all wanted to give him something he hasn't had in a while:

A day off.

So everyone filed out, well-wishes and "happy birthdays" falling from their mouths or hands as they left the dual house Sans and Papyrus shared with Toriel and Frisk. Those two were the last to leave. Toriel pulled a pie out of their oven and told Papyrus to let it cool before cutting into it. Frisk arranged their various artworks on their fridge. Sans closed the door after them and turned to their relatively clean house- part of the collective gift was that neither of the skeleton brothers would have to pick up after the party- and turned to face his brother, who was slung lengthwise along the couch.

"Budge up a bit," Sans said, patting Papyrus's legs. The taller skeleton gave a quiet groan, but lifted his legs enough for Sans to scoot underneath them before returning to his position, his tibia and fibula resting on Sans's femurs.

"did you have a good party, bro?"

"It was excellent, brother!" Papyrus was tired- hours of shouting at the top of his lungs was draining- and it showed in his voice.

"got everything you wanted?"

"…"

"paps?"

Papyrus was simply staring at Sans, and Sans could see he wasn't the only one who wasn't getting enough sleep. But there was something else in Papyrus's face- openness, he guessed, or the settling of knowledge.

"Are you happy, Sans?"

"paps this is supposed to be about you-"

"Just…" Papyrus's fatigue showed on his face even more. "Please. Answer. Directly, for once."

Sans knew that his brother knew a lot more than he let on. So, for the first time in a while, he sat and examined himself. Papyrus watched as the lights in Sans's eyes grew dimmer before disappearing altogether, patiently waiting for a response.

Finally, the lights in Sans's eyes came back on and he said, with complete honesty, "Yes."

Papyrus grinned sleepily. "Then yes, brother, I did get everything I wished for." Papyrus turned on his side and fell asleep.

Sans's permanent grin shifted- a small grin born of pure contentedness. He pulled the blanket off of the back of the sofa and got up, moving beside Papyrus and tossing the blanket over them both as his younger brother held him like a teddy bear.

All was well.

(The pie would be eaten tomorrow morning for breakfast, a delicious treat before the skelebros started the week.)