Blue woke up with a groan. His arm hurt like nobody's business. The crack on his scapula was the worst of it. He'd gone to sleep on his side, but at some point he must have rolled over. He really should see about finding some healing food to eat, or at least find some painkillers. Then he could block it out.
The smaller skeleton sat up and looked around the room. Only one bed, double wide, graced the room. There was also only one window in the right wall. It was lots of little panes in an iron framework with holes too small for anything to fit through. The door that led to the staircase was in the corner of the room nearest the window. Another door opposite the window led to a closet. It was bare. The walls themselves were panelled in some kind of wood, oak or pine maybe, that had been stained dark and almost red. There had to be insulation behind them, because Blue hadn't felt the cold at all.
The floor, too, was dark stained wood. It was a slightly lighter color. The planks were narrower. Rugs were scattered here and there. Most were water-stained fake fur, probably salvaged from the dump. One of these rugs held Blue's brother.
Stretch was curled up under a towel. He looked sad, curled up on the floor like that. It reminded Blue of a time long gone, when Stretch had slept on whatever scraps of cloth Blue had managed to scavenge that day. They were always wet, and it was never enough to fully cover Stretch. The only reason Blue didn't feel guilty about that was that he'd been sleeping without any coverings, keeping guard against whatever might try to take his brother away from him.
Blue let himself relax. No one was going to hurt Stretch again, not if Blue could help it. Broken bones or no broken bones, Blue was tough enough to take on anyone. Or at least, he thought he could. He might not win, but he could drag the fight out long enough for Stretch to escape.
Blue flung back the covers with his good hand and started scooting over towards Stretch. He needed his brother right now. Stretch was calm. He was a rock in stormy seas. Blue might occasionally bash himself on it a little too hard, but that was his fault, not Stretch's. It was never Stretch's fault. Blue just had a hard time remembering all the triggers that set his brother off. Triggers like someone holding his bad shoulder.
Blue was standing just next to his brother when Stretch's eyes blinked open. His brother rubbed his sockets, looked around, and fixated on his brother. He blushed as he eyed his naked ribs, then choked on a swear word when he saw the bandage.
"blue? are you...are you okay?" Stretch said, his voice small.
Blue nodded as he kneeled down.
"JUST A BREAK, STRETCH. I'LL BE HEALED UP IN A FEW WEEKS."
Stretch gulped and looked away. He mumbled, "good. that's...good. why didn't alphys just heal it?"
Blue felt so disappointed in his brother. Then again, he'd never been that quick to wake up in the morning.
"SHE DIDN'T DO IT, STRETCH. YOU DID."
Stretch's face was a mask of guilt. His eye lights slid away from Blue's and his skull retreated into his shoulders. He muttered, "i'm sorry i hurt you. i'm so, so sorry. who bandaged you up?"
Blue sighed. He'd really hoped his brother would have been better than this. He said, "DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM LAST NIGHT AT ALL?"
"i…" Stretch hesitated. His eye lights flickered as he tried to muster up any kind of a memory. He said slowly, "...we were fighting. you told alphys about us dating. why would you do that? it's illeg-"
"-STRETCH. STAY ON TOPIC," Blue said simply.
Stretch scowled at him and said, "don't interrupt me."
Blue sucked in a breath and let out. He was better than this. He had to be better than this. He said, slowly, "I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING YOU, STRETCH. CAN YOU PLEASE MOVE PAST OUR FIGHT TO THE REST OF LAST NIGHT?"
Stretch's face scrunched up, but he did it. He continued his narrative.
"i...went down to the basement to work on the machine. you followed me. we were still fighting. i- you grabbed my bad shoulder. you know, the one he...yeah. i don't really remember much after that? something about the machine...oh gods. it worked! the machine, it actually worked! we landed out by my station, only it wasn't my station, it was the other guy's station. he looked a lot like me. looks like me. and he took us back to his house, and...his name is edge, isn't it?"
Blue nodded and said, "YES, BROTHER. HIS NAME IS EDGE. HE HELPED ME BANDAGE MY ARM AND LEFT TO GET FOOD. I LEFT YOU DOWNSTAIRS, BUT YOU MUST HAVE COME UP AT SOME POINT. DID YOU EAT ANYTHING BEFORE YOU DID?"
Stretch looked slightly less guilty than he had before.
"yeah, i was feeling pretty worked up, so i had one of my special brownies. i got super hungry like always, so i ate a couple of containers of lasagna from the fridge. maybe more."
Blue scowled at his brother and said, "STRETCH! THAT'S RUDE - WHAT IF HE HAD BEEN SAVING THEM FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION? YOU DON'T JUST EAT SOMEONE ELSE'S FOOD!"
Stretch shrugged. He said, "dunno, bro. the whole fridge was packed tight with lasagna. i barely even made a dent."
"STILL," Blue huffed, "IT'S VERY POOR ETIQUETTE."
"yeah, well...actually, i'm kinda hungry now," Stretch said thoughtfully.
Blue narrowed his eye lights at his brother and said, "YOU ARE NOT EATING ANY MORE OF HIS LASAGNA WITHOUT ASKING!"
Stretch got to his feet like a baby giraffe standing up for the first time. He dusted off his hoodie, dropped the towel on the rug, and started towards the door.
Blue, disgusted, picked the towel up and took it over to the laundry hamper near the door. Then he ran to his brother and leaned his full weight into keeping Stretch from getting through that doorway. It didn't slow Stretch down in the slightest.
He pushed Blue out of the room and down the hall, smiling all the while. Blue huffed and tried to push back, but the corner of his mouth was fighting not to turn up. Moments like these made them remember what it was like to be brothers. Stretch was forever doing silly things to try and make his brother laugh, and Blue was constantly trying to keep his brother from doing things that were too dangerous or rude. It was what siblings do.
Only when they reached the top of the stairs did Stretch stop. Blue quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw the two heaping plates laid out on the table below. Some kind of jar sat between them. A candle maybe?
"is that for us?" Stretch asked incredulously.
Blue frowned. He let up on the pressure he was putting on Stretch by standing up straight. He was a bit more than two-thirds of Stretch's height. Stretch would have been 6'2" if he wasn't slouching. Blue was 4'5".
"I DON'T KNOW. IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS. AND," Blue quickly scanned the lower floor, "I DON'T SEE OUR HOST."
Stretch planted both of his hands on Blue's shoulder. He liked to pretend he was taller than he was and lean on his brother to see. This time, though, he remembered Blue's broken bones and lifted his hands off before he'd put any weight on them. He just stood on his tiptoes to peer over Blue instead.
"is that a note underneath the jam jar?" Stretch asked.
Blue rolled his eyes. "DO YOU SEE MY GLASSES ON ME? NO? SO I CAN'T SEE THAT WELL. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS A JAM JAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOME KIND OF CANDLE, LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE."
Stretch walked around him and started down the stairs. "nope, definitely a jam jar. some kind of red berry, can't tell from here. the plates have bacon and toast on them."
"I CAN SEE THAT. I'M NOT BLIND, JUST HALF-BLIND," Blue said.
Stretch chuckled as he walked over to the table. "you know, it has been a while since you've had your eyes tested. when we get home, you should go in. heck, i'll come in with you. please?"
Blue shook his head. "MY VISION IS FINE AS IT IS, AND YOURS IS BETTER."
Stretch pulled out the note from underneath the strawberry jam jar and read it out loud. "blue and stretch. i could not wait longer for you this morning; i pulled first shift. the food i left on the table is for you. if you are still hungry afterward, eat some of the lasagna in the fridge. i have left the basement key under the mat by the front door. i will be out very late tonight. you can go ahead and eat without me. stay safe, edge."
"THAT'S AN ODD SIGN OFF. STAY SAFE. I SUPPOSE IT MAKES SENSE IN A WORLD LIKE THIS, BUT IT'S...ODD."
Stretch shrugged. "different universe, different greetings. or phrasings, i guess. can we go eat?"
Blue sighed. Stretch was always thinking with his stomach. He ate so much it made Blue wince. He'd even competed in eating contests before. He'd never won, but he'd gotten in second place three times.
"YES, STRETCH, WE CAN EAT. BUT WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST!"
Stretch amiably walked into the kitchen. Blue heard the sink start running. Then Stretch said, "uh, bro? i don't think you want me washing my hands with this."
Blue hurried into the kitchen, ready to scold his brother for trying to get out of washing his hands. Then he saw the water. He was used to water coming out of the sink clear and clean. This was not the case. The water was grey-ish brown. It had to be full of dirt, Blue decided. He knew his father had been the one to invent the water filters for the Underground. Had that not happened here? He'd have to ask Edge about what his father had done before the accident. In the meantime, he would look around the house for the parts he needed to build the water filter.
"I GUESS, SINCE THE WATER IS SO DIRTY, THAT WE CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT WASHING OUR HANDS JUST THIS ONCE. BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE ONE OF DAD'S WATER FILTERS BEFORE LUNCHTIME!"
Stretch looked uncertain. "you sure you want to do that? we won't be here that long once i get my hands on the machine."
Blue sat down at the far side of the table and gave his brother an angry look.
"DAD WOULD BE SO DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU."
Stretch sat down and hung his head. He apologized, "sorry, bro. i know you and him liked to help people. just come down to the basement if you need any help."
Blue reached over and unscrewed the cap off the jam jar. Then he began spreading it on the piece of toast. "GOOD. NOW THAT THAT'S SETTLED, LET'S EAT."