It had been just about a month since Sans had become their shared lover. Since then, they had had the opportunity to kiss him for the first time and meet his brother. Things couldn't have been going better. They were getting along in the relationship checklist. The next one they wanted to clear was the first date. Edge and Red were sat in their bedroom discussing the activity and the restaurant – there had to be a restaurant, the taller skeleton insisted. Red chuckled and played along, seeing how important it was to his brother. The two had gathered magazines and flyers and had printed out multiple papers each of which contained a restaurant and reviews.
"How about we go mini golfing," Red suggested as he searched through the scattered papers, "And go to this restaurant?"
Edge took the paper and frowned. "Chez Ou La La is high end." He said, shaking his head. "We'll be all sweaty from the activity and the dress code is very strict; I don't think we'd be allowed in."
"What if we inverse the order?" Red proposed.
"Then we'd be mini golfing in clean clothes." Edge clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly. "No, this combination won't do."
"What if we go to, like, an eatery instead of a restaurant?" Red asked, grimacing at all the papers. "From what I can see, all of these places require a specific dress code."
"This is a date with Sans! It has to be perfect!" Edge insisted.
Red laughed at his tone, but his mirth disappeared quickly. Edge noticed it immediately and took a careful glance at his brother. He was starkly different from a few minutes ago; he was hollow and despondent, like his mind had been taken somewhere far away. It was a state of being Edge hardly understood, but was all too familiar with; he had dealt with this side of his brother many times before and knew what to do. Red needed some space to sort himself out.
Edge sighed deeply and began to push himself up from the ground. He carefully stepped around the mess of magazines and papers they had sprawled around to quickly tap Red's shoulder. He intended to inform him that he was going to leave under the pretense of remembering something he had to do for work, but he never got the chance. Before he could bend down to graze his shoulder – before he could even utter a syllable, Sans burst through their door loudly and energetically.
"There you are!" He shouted, reminiscent of the many times Red had done the exact same thing. He glanced at the both of them, settling on Red. Edge knew what was coming but didn't have the chance to stop it before Sans threw himself at his alternate, tackling him onto the ground with a loud guffaw. "How's that for a taste of your own medicine!?"
From there, Edge was forced to just watch a train wreck unfold.
Red whirled around angrily and shoved Sans off of him. "What the fuck was that for?" He hissed, glaring.
Sans frowned, picking himself up. "Geez, don't act like such a baby." He prodded, "It's not like you never do this. Relax."
Edge winced at the final word. That'll do it…
"Relax!?" Red snapped, making Sans jump in surprise. "Why don't you fuck off!? Who the fuck even invited you!?"
And before he could catch a glimpse of Sans's hurt face, Red stormed off, slamming the door as he left. Edge and Sans stewed in a tense silence, almost winded by the other's sudden absence. Long seconds dragged on until the taller skeleton managed to snap himself out of his stupor. He moved to Sans and gently helped him up, upset to find him shaking a little despite the calm and neutral expression he kept.
"Are you okay?" Edge asked softly.
"Yeah…" Sans nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "He didn't shove me too hard…"
"You came in at a bad time…" Edge sighed, rubbing the back of his skull.
"So this is my fault?" Sans frowned.
"No, not at all." Edge assured, "It was just bad luck." He reached for Sans and pulled him into a hug. He looked like he could use it and he was right. Sans sank into him, squeezing back tightly. "You couldn't have known."
"What happened?" Sans asked.
Edge rubbed his back and they swayed a little as he spoke. "We've told you about our home from time to time, haven't we?" Sans nodded in confirmation. "Well, then you know it wasn't the easiest place to handle. Though we're in a safer, better place, we carry scars from our past. Sometimes, the memory and trauma of these scars manifest but the manner in which they do so varies per individual. In the case of my brother, he goes numb. He needs space to think and sort his thoughts. When he finishes, usually after an hour or two, he needs physical affection to anchor him back into reality. Then he's back to normal."
"And I jumped in his thousand-yard stare phase?" Sans clarified.
"Yes, bad luck." Edge reiterated. "You couldn't have known but you do now, so you can help me anchor him back."
Sans nodded and went silent for a moment. "What about you?" He questioned, pulling back.
"What about me?" Edge returned.
"Do you also have…'episodes'?" Sans specified.
Edge chuckled and scooped the other into his arms, holding him close and nuzzling into his chest. "You don't need to worry about me." He assured, "I can handle it."
Sans, unhappy with the answer, took a hold of Edge's face and tilted it towards him to meet his serious expression. "How do I know that?" He demanded.
Edge closed what little distance remained between them with a kiss and smiled as he pulled back. "I'm doing fine right now, aren't I?"
"I…suppose…" Sans begrudgingly conceded.
"Cuddling you is also the best medicine." Edge added with a grin. "I don't think I'm going to put you down any time soon."
Sans smirked and rolled his eyes. "Good." He then plopped himself down, throwing his arms lazily around the taller skeleton's shoulders. "So long as I don't have to walk."
"You'll never walk again if you say that." Edge teased as he carried him out the room.
"Why is that an issue?" Sans replied.
The two made their way into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa. They spent hours cuddling and chatting idly. Every now and again, they would kiss. Sans always seemed to be expecting a make out session, but Edge wasn't his brother. It wasn't his type of thing. With that said, he didn't seem disappointed when he figured out it would never come and given the situation, anything particularly intense would have been out of place. Regardless, it was nice even if it was over far too quickly. But Red needed them.
"I think he should be ready." Edge declared, pushing himself up slowly.
Sans, who had been laying on top of him, gracelessly flopped down, landing on the ground with a hard thud though it didn't seem to have hurt him. "Okay, let's go."
"We're going to knock first." Edge instructed. "When he lets us in, I want you to just walk over to him and hug him. Say nothing even if there's something you want to tell him; just hold him."
Sans nodded. He followed as Edge lead the way up the stairs and to the guest room in which Red had retreated. As he said he would, the taller skeleton knocked gently on the door with the back of his hand. They waited a few seconds until a low mumbled sounded from the other side. It was their cue to enter. He opened the door slowly, revealing the skeleton that was sat on the bed. Red looked absolutely exhausted and worn. When he caught sight of Sans, he looked pained – it was clear he regretted how he had behaved earlier.
"S…Sans…" He stammered.
As much as he did need to apologise, he could always do it some other time. Edge hoped Sans understood that as well and would follow the instructions he had previously given him. Sure enough, the smaller skeleton strutted to Red's side and pulled him into a tight embrace. His expression had been that of surprise and confusion. Then, his eyes watered a little and Edge was sure he would cry, but he didn't. Instead, he sank his face into the other's neck and clutched at him. Edge sighed in relief.
"Sorry…" Red rumbled quietly.
Sans simply nodded and rubbed his back. Seeing that his brother was in good hands, Edge quietly backed out. He made his way to the kitchen, deciding he would prepare a snack for them all once Red was ready to come down. He couldn't stop smiling at himself the entire time; they were truly blessed to have Sans in their lives.