Papyrus woke up in his race car bed with his alarm buzzing next to his head. He leaned over and shut it off before collapsing back on his mattress with a heavy sigh. He couldn't believe the day before hadn't been a dream. Things had gotten so awkward after Sans had agreed to date him – so much so he had run off to bed much earlier than he normally would have. For as great as the taller skeleton was, he had no idea how to date someone. Learning the intricacies of romantic entanglements had never been a top priority nor something that even remotely interested him. All Papyrus had ever wanted was to be a royal guard so why would he focus his energy on anything other than that?

Though he supposed things were different now. He would need to learn how to be an exemplary boyfriend for Sans. He wanted to say the last thing he hoped for was to disappoint his brother but that wouldn't be entirely true. A selfish part of him in the back of his mind wished more than anything that all the efforts he made would disillusion him and make this painful situation end. Papyrus admittedly felt terrible for it.

With a burdensome groan, he got out of his bed and slipped into his battle body. He had scheduled a sparring session with Undyne today which would thankfully take him very far away from Sans if only for a little while. Papyrus paused as he slipped on his breast plate. Guilt crept into his bones. He hated how that thought had crossed his mind. It made him miserable to think he would permanently be uncomfortable around his brother from then on because of the romantic feelings he harboured for him. How he wished he could somehow have the power to reset time and stop himself from creating such a foolish misunderstanding.

And yet, there was no point in wishing for the impossible. Papyrus pulled on the rest of his suit and glanced at the scarf he hung on the back of his desk chair. Sans had given it to him as a gift one Gryftmas long ago. It had been a brotherly, innocent thing…hadn't it? It was hard to tell now. Papyrus almost didn't want to put it on and yet he had a charade to maintain. No matter how much he detested it, he would pretend to love Sans romantically because it would make him happy. If he had to choose between going back to normalcy but risking his brother 'going on vacation' permanently or making him happy but remaining in a situation that made him very uneasy, and he did, he would choose the latter every single time. Papyrus only had one brother, after all.

As such, he left his room pulling on the orange scarf around his neck. His steps were heavy and the smile he forced on his face was strained. He hated this but it was okay. It was for Sans and it was worth it. How many things had his brother done and sacrificed for Papyrus's happiness? When he considered the rare race car bed, the figurines, and the scarf among many other gifts, he could only assume a lot. For that reason, it was the least he could do to repay his brother.

I owe it to him. Papyrus told himself as he walked into the kitchen.

He paused at the entrance, surprised to find his brother standing on a chair as he reached for the cupboards. His own presence seemed to have equally startled Sans as he jolted, nearly falling off his perch. Papyrus took a quick step closer, ready to catch him, but he stabilised himself and avoided the fall. Why wasn't Sans sleeping like he normally would on a Monday? It was strange to see him up so early – earlier than Papyrus himself.

"Sans! Be careful!" Papyrus schooled immediately, "And get down from there! Whatever it is you want, I'll get it for you."

"sorry, paps." Sans chuckled and did as he was told, "but i was fine 'til you scared me."

Papyrus rolled his eyes, "Of course you were." He muttered sarcastically, "You shouldn't be standing on chairs, especially ours. They're incredibly wobbly and you'd just fall."

"you weren't up and I was trying to surprise you." Sans shrugged.

The taller skeleton was about to continue nagging him until what he had said dawned on him. He glanced towards his brother sceptically, "You…what?" he mumbled. His eyes then fell upon the items that had been taken out from the refrigerator. Eggs, milk, and butter.

"yeah." Sans insisted and began fidgeting nervously as a blush grew on his face. "i thought: 'hey, papyrus cooks for me all the time so maybe i can return the favour and make him breakfast.' and you were still asleep when i got up so i thought it would make for a pleasant surprise…"

Papyrus felt his cheekbones begin to heat up as well. The sentiment was both kind and sweet but ruined by the fact that Sans had only done so by acting upon his romantic feelings. Odds were he would still be sleeping in his room had the misunderstanding never occurred.

"W-what did you want to make me…?" Papyrus stammered. As far as he was concerned, spaghetti didn't necessitate the use of the items on the table.

Sans flinched and his blush grew. It was like the question daunted him – perhaps he was afraid to be judge by an excellent chef. "um…well…" he mumbled and pulled out a cooking book from seemingly out of nowhere. The hard cover displayed Mettaton's rectangular body. He wore a chef's hat, holding a wooden spoon in one hand and a bowl of flour in the other. "mettaton pancakes. they're made in the shape of mettaton's face. i know you don't eat much of anything that isn't spaghetti, but seeing as you idolize mettaton so much i thought you might like it."

Papyrus took the book from his brother's hands and inspected the page at which it was open. The pancakes seemed interesting and simple enough to make. That being said, Sans had no culinary experience and would undoubtedly struggle. He supposed he ought to help him then. However, just as the taller skeleton was about to impose his help, he was distracted by the way Sans looked. His blue blush had engulfed most of his face but what had caught him off guard was the way he was staring at him. It was like he was expecting something but Papyrus had no idea what. Maybe it was his help? It would be convenient seeing as he was just about to offer it anyway.

"Fine…" he said slowly, carefully paying attention to Sans to see if he was meeting his unspoken demand. Apparently, he wasn't. "The Great Papyrus will help you in this endeavour. What were you trying to get?"

"the flour and vanilla extract." Sans answered, staring at his pink slippers.

Papyrus easily reached for the requested items and handed them to his brother who placed them with the others on the table.

"What next?"

Sans read the instructions from the cooking book and Papyrus followed them to the letter. He effortlessly mixed the ingredients together and readied the stove on which he began cooking the pancakes. When he poured the batter into the hot pan, it somehow took the shape of a rectangle on its own. It was quite impressive. And though the instructions indicated the cakes only be cooked until they were golden, Papyrus thought they would be more accurate to life if he let them blacken. Surely they wouldn't taste any different.

When they were all ready, he took out two plates and separated the pancakes equally. The skeleton brothers sat at opposite ends of their small table, like they always did, and ate. Papyrus didn't know if it was just him but he felt like they were bathing in awkwardness. Everything seemed incredibly tense for some reason and he wished there was something he could do to make the situation more comfortable. However, not knowing what to do, he opted to take a first bite of the Mettaton pancake. He was surprised to find that he enjoyed it even though it tasted like smoke.

"You know…" Papyrus began, instigating what he hoped was a relaxed conversation, "These aren't as moist as the book said they would be."

"eh, probably just exaggerated it for the prose." Sans shrugged and crunched through his food. "these are really good. though it was to be expected from you."

Papyrus blushed in discomfort at the compliment. Perhaps he had meant the sentiment innocently, but everything Sans now said took a different connotation. He felt like every word that came from his mouth was the product of his romantic feelings. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Either way, he knew he had to get used to it. He supposed he would as well, but it would take time. This was only the beginning of their relationship and it was very new territory to Papyrus. After a few months, he would surely get the hang of it and grow used to what currently unnerved him.

"anyways, i'm going to be out for the day." Sans said, pushing his empty plate to the center of the table.

"Where are you going?" Papyrus asked.

"work." Sans replied.

Work? That was new…especially on a Monday.

"yeah, i'm stationed at the sentry post near the ruins." He elaborated further.

"You need to be extra vigilant there." Papyrus reminded, though he was sure it was needless because Sans probably already knew. "Humans generally come from there."

"don't worry, bro. i'll keep a good eye out for 'em." Sans reassured with a light chuckle.

'Brother'…

They finished their meal and placed the plates in the sink to be washed later. The two then parted ways as they left the house. Again, Sans looked like he was expecting something from Papyrus but the latter had no idea what. Thus, he simply waved at his brother and wished him a good work day before heading for Waterfall. The taller skeleton hated how he all but ran away. Despite their new relationship, this was still Sans and he deserved better – so much better. That very thought added more weight and guilt to Papyrus's shoulders. Why did this brother have to love him like when he could never feel the same way in return? Why couldn't it have been someone – anyone – else? Sans deserved someone good who reciprocated his feelings, not someone who was pretending to.

Papyrus arrived at Undyne's around an hour later. The only reason the walk was so long was because a body of water that was too big to jump severed the most immediate path. Otherwise, it would have easily taken him half the time. Regardless, Undyne was waiting in front of her house with arms crossed above her chest and an excited grin disfiguring her face. She was in a good mood which consequently meant she was going to drill Papyrus harder than usual.

"Papyrus! About time!" She bellowed. "Today feels like a good day to spar, so let's get to it!"

Undyne was aggressive as usual. She flung a multitude of attacks left and right and goaded Papyrus into being more bold and daring with his own. She seemed particularly determined to work up a sweat and push way beyond her limits. However, Papyrus had a hard time keeping up with her. He obviously didn't want to accidentally hurt her and so hesitated to be as violent, but his heart also wasn't into the sparring session. His mind continuously drifted to Sans and how their relationship had changed. He thought about dating and how he had no idea how to go about it. He spent more time with his mind floating elsewhere rather than focusing on his training and it wasn't long until Undyne noticed.

Suddenly, the barrage of magic spears stopped and Undyne shifted out of her fighting stance. She frowned at Papyrus disappointedly and walked towards him, arms resting on her hips. "You're not going to get in the royal guard if you're not on your A game." She stated.

"I'm…I'm sorry." He apologised and slunk his head between his shoulders.

"This isn't like you." She noted, "What's up?"

Papyrus deliberated telling the truth. He didn't like the idea of lying but being honest about this situation was scary. If he told Undyne he was now dating his brother, who knew how she would react? Relationships of the sort were not only uncommon in the Underground, but also frowned upon. He didn't want to lose the friend he had in her not to mention the chance of entering the royal guard. And yet, if anyone could help him figure out his problems, it was definitely Undyne. She was so cool and smart, surely she knew a thing or two about dating.

"I…I'm dating someone." He admitted cautiously. He supposed he could just tell her part of the truth and keep the identity of the person he was dating to himself.

Undyne blinked dumbly, evidently surprised by the confession. "Oh wow…really?" she asked incredulously.

Papyrus nodded, "But…I've never dated someone before." He added, "And I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Undyne nodded and hummed pensively. "I thought that was a weird thing to be upset about." She muttered to herself and sat down as she thought on what type of help she might offer, beckoning Papyrus with a few rapid taps on the soil to follow suit himself. He sat down and crossed his legs, waiting for his fish-friend to shower him with her wisdom. "Well, crap." She finally resumed, "Good on you, Papyrus! I thought you were too innocent to be interested in that sort of thing, but look at you proving me wrong!"

Papyrus gave a half-hearted chuckle, "Heh…yeah."

"So I get that this must be stressing you out," She acknowledged, "I wouldn't feel comfortable either in your shoes. But I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to be offering advice."

"What? Really?" Papyrus asked disappointedly.

"Yeah! I've got no time for love!" Undyne barked dynamically, "Who knows when the next human's going to come parading in the Underground? I've got to keep training and get a crapton stronger to take 'em out! I'll get all the babes once we're free!"

Papyrus had no doubt that that would effectively be the case. "Oh…"

"But hey," Undyne unexpectedly continued, "You're my friend and I still want to help out. There's a book I borrowed one time from the library in Snowdin. It's called 'The idiot's Guide to Dating and Other Romantic Stuff'."

"Why did you borrow that book?" Papyrus inquired.

Undyne flinched and blushed, "N-none of your business!" she retorted nervously, "Anyways, I tried reading it but it was too wordy for me! You should give it a go instead. I'm sure it'll be super useful."

"Thanks, Undyne." Papyrus said. He was thankful for having as great of a friend as her.

"No problem," she grinned, "One thing I can tell you though, is that handholding is a big deal! When you're out and about, remember to always hold their hand!"

Papyrus grimaced, "…Why?"

Undyne shrugged, "Who knows? I read it in the book. You'll probably find the answer there." Then she stood up and extended her hand to Papyrus, "Now that that's settled, do you want to carry on with your training? Hint: the right answer is 'yes'."

The taller skeleton took her hand and allowed himself to be lifted back to his feet. "Yes." He smiled.

"Good." She affirmed, "And don't think I didn't pick up on how you didn't tell me who you were dating! I'd like to meet them someday."

His smile fell a bit. "I'll introduce you eventually." He answered and Undyne seemed satisfied with that.

Without wasting another moment, they got back to training. The weight that had previously halted their sparring was still present but just a bit lighter, and it consequently wasn't as distracting. He now knew where he had to go to make his charade more convincing for Sans and that was very relieving. Sans's happiness was all that mattered to him at this point. Perhaps he wouldn't even have to talk about his mental health if he kept his sham going.

They finished sparring a few hours later. Neither had notice the time pass and so had finished much later than intended. However, Undyne deemed it appropriate considering the time they had wasted talking about Papyrus's dating issues. She waved him off, offering him a few tips to improve his fighting and reminding him to fetch the dating manual from the library. He nodded and thanked her again before leaving.

A heavy pit began building in Papyrus's stomach area as he left Waterfall. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to pretend to love Sans like that. Was that so wrong of him? If it wasn't, it sure felt like it. The taller skeleton didn't like the feeling that inhabited him now. He didn't want to feel horrible whenever he saw Sans because he still loved him, but in a different way. Maybe he could trick himself into thinking he loved his brother romantically? It would take some time, but he was positive he would eventually come to believe it and the feelings he hated about himself would then leave.

"hey, pap." Sans said, promptly jolting Papyrus out of his thoughts with a yelp.

He stumbled back a few steps and stared at the smaller skeleton in front of him in bewilderment. "Sans? What are you doing here?" He asked. He was still in Waterfall, considerably far away from home.

"you finished late," He answered kicking a small rock into a nearby creek, "after a while I thought you might be on your way home so I decided to meet you half way but…" he chuckled lightly, his cheeks taking a light shade of blue, "i guess you finished way later than i expected so it's a little more than half way now."

"Oh, well, you didn't have to." Papyrus said. He wished Sans hadn't. He wished he could have had more time to himself.

"it's fine." Sans shrugged, "what was i going to do? cook supper?"

"Point taken." Papyrus conceded, "Thank you. It was very sweet of you to want to walk me home."

Sans's blush spread abruptly. He looked away shyly and shoved his hands in his sweater pockets nervously, "i-it's no big deal." He muttered.

With that, they began walking back. The initial part of the walk was strangely tense. Papyrus noticed from the corner of his eyes how Sans continuously peeked at him all the while pretending not to. Again, his brother was giving off the impression that he either wanted or expected something from him. Papyrus was as puzzled as ever until he remembered what Undyne had told him earlier. He glanced down and gently fished out Sans's hand from his pocket to hold it in his for the rest of their walk. Sans's entire face turned blue from his blush and he began perspiring a bit. But despite his reaction, Papyrus could see that the action had made him very happy.

I love Sans. He told himself.