They sat staring out across the valley, feet dangling dangerously over the side of the roof. If Mother were to see them they'd be in for an earful, but they knew Mother was either still asleep, in her room writing, or just entering the kitchen to start breakfast... Either way, she wouldn't have noticed Frisk's empty bed yet and they'd be downstairs way before that happened. It was more than enough time to watch the sunlight crest over the side of the mountain in the distance.
Frisk didn't typically get up this early, so this was a real treat they didn't get every day. They sighed out heavily and let their muscles relax. It was just so nice to breathe sometimes... So nice to be alone (as much as they could be).
But then the door leading up to the terrace busted open, and they nearly fell off of the railing they had been sitting on.
"OH! FRISK! YOU'RE ALREADY UP!" They caught themself and twisted their legs back over the ledge safely. Their heart was racing away in their chest as they kept their gaze to the floor.
"P-Papyrus." They stammered as they regained themself. Papyrus had paused as the door clicked shut behind him.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" He asked. "I HAD BEEN SURE THAT SANS' AWFUL WAYS HAD BEEN RUBBING OFF ON YOU! YOU ARE NEVER UP THIS EARLY!" They smiled weakly and peeked up at him from beneath their bangs.
"I'm not turning into a lazybones." They promised him. They stood up more assuredly. "I just wanted to see the sunrise." They turned away from him and looked out over the valley. Papyrus was... unusually quiet behind them and they swallowed, their muscles tense as they gripped the railing they had previously been sitting on.
"I TOO WISHED TO GREET THE SUN!" He said finally, stepping in beside them. "AFTER ALL, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST MAKE SURE EVERYONE FEELS WELCOME! IT IS MY ROLE AS MASCOT AFTER ALL!" They laughed a bit as they continued to stare out.
"Are you and the sun friends now?" They asked.
"I WISH TO BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY!" Their smile lingered sadly.
"I'm sure you're doing a great job..."
"OF COURSE I AM!" He exclaimed. "BUT I DO ADMIT THAT SOMETIMES I AM SURPRISED AT WHAT I FIND!" They frowned and dared to look up at him.
"What do you mean?"
"WELL EVERYTIME I THINK I KNOW ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SUN, THEY SEEM TO FIND A NEW COLOR TO PAINT THE SKY!" He said.
"Oh?" They asked looking back to the brilliant, orange sun that was now inching over the horizon. There was a moment of uneasy silence. "You are happy here on the surface right, Papyrus?"
"OH OF COURSE!" He told them. "AREN'T YOU?" They seem to think a moment.
"Yes." They said finally, but even they couldn't be sure if it was the truth or not. "Sometimes it just seems too hard to believe we're actually here for good, though."
"ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ALRIGHT?" Papyrus asked again. They nodded, but still didn't look up at him. "HUMAN, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, THAT IF THERE IS ANYTHING EVER ON YOUR MIND, I WILL ALWAYS BE FREE TO LISTEN." They smiled, but it was only half genuine... They knew the words were meant for someone else.
If all of them knew what they'd done... If he knew who they really were...
They weren't supposed to be here...
"What are you and Mother making for breakfast?" They asked curiously.
"CINNAMON PANCAKES!" He exclaimed. They closed their eyes and smiled up at him as they laughed lightly.
"Just cinnamon?" They asked.
"OH! OF COURSE NOT JUST ANY CINNAMON PANCAKES, HUMAN!" He wrapped his arm around their shoulders and they couldn't help but cringe as he pulled them close. "MY ULTIMATE, CINNAMON FRIENSHIP PANCAKES!" He paused a bit. "WITH MAPLE SYRUP!" He added. "NYEH HEH!" They shook their head and dared to meet his gaze.
"Of course." They agreed. "How could I have thought otherwise?"
Days came and went... Meeting Papyrus on the roof to watch the sunrise over the mountain had become part of a routine of sorts. And soon they found that... It was the best part of their day. It was so nice to breathe. It was so nice to not be alone (as much as they could be).
They stood leaning up against the rail, nibbling on a bit of chocolate they had pilfered from the fridge. Mother shouldn't notice. And if she did she sure wouldn't blame Frisk.
"HUMAN!" They turned to smile at him in greeting, genuinely happy to see him.
"Good morning, Papyrus!" They called out.
A few days later they noted the chocolate chip pancakes added to their plate. Enthusiastically. Frisk had a pretty good idea as to why, a soft smile on their lips as they dug in.
They sat against the railing, their feet dangling over the edge as they slumped down, resting their chin on metal.
"HUMAN!" They didn't look up at the sound of Papyrus' call. They continued to stare out across the jagged horizon. "HUMAN?" Papyrus' voice was laced with concern as he sat down next to them.
"Remember that little golden flower, Papyrus? Flowey?"
"OH YES! HE AND I WERE GOOD FRIENDS! HE WAS SUCH A GOOD LISTENER. I MISS HIM AT TIMES." They blinked and looked up at him.
"He tried to steal everyone's Souls." They reminded, with an eyebrow raised.
"WELL HE GAVE THEM BACK. AND HE HELPED YOU BREAK THE BARRIER DIDN'T HE? SO HE REALLY WAS ONLY BORROWING." They smiled sadly.
"Borrowed..." They repeated, a hand against their chest. But as they turned back towards the horizon, their smile disappeared. "But you'd help if we brought him home with us, right?" They asked tensely. "You'd..." They trailed off and their head lowered sadly into their arms.
"HUMAN?!" He could only rub their back in comfort as they cried.
A few days later Papyrus bounded onto the roof as usual.
"HUMAN! FLOWER FRIEND FLOWEY."
"Uugh. It's too early for this." The flower complained. Frisk was smiling and laughed lightly as they closed their soft, brown eyes.
"I don't fully disagree." They admitted. Papyrus was unusually quiet for a moment before giving the two of them his usual charm. After all, he was the great Papyrus and wasn't phased by much.
"FRISK! FLOWEY!"
Papyrus wasn't phased by much. But as the days continued to go by… He could not deny that he was starting to grow... concerned.
Being concerned for his friends was one of his specialties.
And so was being relieved when they were all right.
There they were back in their spot on the roof, their feet dangling over the side as they offered him a smile.
"Good morning, Papyrus..."
"OH! YOU'RE BACK! I WAS GETTING SO WORRIED!" Papyrus exclaimed.
Their smile shifted into pure horror, and Papyrus immediately realized his mistake. He felt frantic as he reopened his mouth, his mind racing for a way to save the situation. He knew they didn't want him to know! He had specificaly kept quiet for them. He'd always hoped that one day they'd open up to him on their own, and he'd tried to be the greatest friend to them he could be, as much as the situation had allowed.
They were Frisk's friend! They were his!
And now when he knew that they were already upset about something, he had opened his mouth and had ruined even that. But he could save it, he was great at saving things.
"I WAS SURE SANS' HABITS HAD FINALLY TAKEN YOU FOR REAL!"
Nevermind. He was a horrible liar... It was one of the few things he was truly not great at. And he could see on their face that it was too late. But maybe, it was for the best.
Sans never seemed to open up on his own either, after all...
But their face was darkened as they turned partially away from him, their head lowered as their shoulders hunched in. Papyrus did not like that very much.
"H-How long have you known I wasn't Frisk?"
"SINCE THE FIRST DAY WE MET UP HERE." He admitted. They were grimacing, but they still won't look at him.
"Is it really that obvious?" They whispered.
"WELL... I AM VERY PERCEPTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE THINGS." They don't seem assured.
"Don't tell anyone I'm here. Especially Flowey. And Sans! Or Mother… Just… Everyone. Please, Papyrus!" Papyrus paused in surprise.
"FOR HOW LONG?"
"For forever."
There was a moment of silence after their too quick of a reply.
"I don't want to… I... Just don't, please..." They looked up at him, and he hated the tears in their red eyes too. "It's just best for everyone that they don't know I'm here. I can't... I can't hurt them then." They lowered their head again, a hand raising to their face. "Damn it." They whispered.
"H-HUMAN?"
"I really messed this up. I should have known better. I should have never came up here to begin with." They lowered their hand and kept looking out towards the sun. "I really wish you didn't know the truth, Papyrus..."
"BUT WHY?" Papyrus exclaimed, sitting down next to them in his usual spot. They just lowered their head farther. "I KNOW THAT YOU REALLY DON'T WANT ME TO KNOW, BUT I CANNOT SAY I UNDERSTAND IT, NOR COULD I ASK BEFORE, BUT WHY? WHY WOULD ANYONE NOT WANT THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO BE THEIR FRIEND?"
They turned thier head towards him, their lips pressed together thinly.
Why? Because they didn't deserve it. They didn't deserve to be his friend. They didn't deserve to be there... They didn't deserve... the sun.
Papyrus... They had thought he was so forgettable. But their nightmares said otherwise.
They put their head down on the railing.
"I... I do want to be your friend, Papyrus. But please, Papyrus... Please just promise not to tell." They whispered. They could tell he was uncomfortable beside them, they could practically feel him squirming.
"ALL... ALL RIGHT." He agreed reluctantly. They knew he felt like he was somehow doing wrong even though he was doing what they wanted. "BUT NOW THAT YOU KNOW I KNOW, CAN I PLEASE KNOW YOUR NAME, HUMAN?" They were tense against the railing for a moment, but then they lifted their head and shook it.
"No... It's safer if you don't know. It's best if you just keep referring to me as 'Human'." But their expression was weird when they say that last part, as if they weren't sure it's true. "And besides... if you don't know my name, then you aren't technically lying. It's better for you."
"BUT... I WISH TO KNOW THE NAME OF MY FRIEND!" He was not pouting, no, the Great Papyrus didn't pout. But if it got The Human to smile like that then maybe he could afford to. Just a bit.
"Maybe one day..." They promised.
Papyrus watched the smile linger as they looked out towards the sun. And he looked out to the horizon too. A new day. A new start. This time with both parties knowing the truth. And they didn't have to pretend to be Frisk... He didn't have to hold back. He wanted to know every aspect of them if he could... But he also knew that was impossible. They would certainly always find a way to colour him surprised.
The Human took in a deep breath as they closed their eyes.
It was so nice to breathe. It was so nice to not have to pretend. So nice to not be alone...
Even if they didn't really deserve it.