The Great Papyrus was many things; an amazing guardsmen (still in training, but he digressed), a brilliant chef, an internet superstar…

However the two titles that he held most dear were being an extraordinary brother and a loyal, thoughtful best friend. And why?

Simple.

While a skeleton as great as him had many friends, even more than he could have ever dreamed of now that everyone lived on the surface, he would never forget that Sans had been by his side from the very beginning. His only family as well as his first and biggest fan, despite how lazy he liked to be and his grating sense of humor, Papyrus wouldn't change a thing about him.

Then there was Frisk, his first human friend and one whom he owed a lot to. Not just because she had destroyed the barrier, but because she had also opened his sockets to things he had never considered before and made him feel like he was on top of the world at a time when he felt like the ground was falling out from under him.

It was because of these reasons and many more that Papyrus took every chance life presented him with to show the two most important people in his life how much he loved and appreciated them.

Which was why today he was going to spend his day off from his part-time job at Cibo Dell'anima, relaxing at the park and enjoying their company. A rare opportunity as Frisk was often kept busy with diplomatic matters that always seemed to demanded her attention well past the average working hours of the embassy. Heck even Sans was getting off his pelvis and working, granted much of it consisted of odd jobs and not exactly what one would call a steady occupation, but it was still impressive for someone so highly unmotivated.

Nevertheless they were finally spending time together and GOSH DARN IT he was going to make it the greatest day either of them had ever had!

~}{~

"Sans!"

"Yeah bro?"

"Have you seen the picnic basket anywhere?" asked Papyrus as he rummaged through the closet under the sink.

"Can't say that I have," called Sans as he absentmindedly flipped through a mix of human and Mettaton based channels.

"Argh, then would you please get off the couch and help me find it?" huffed the taller of the two as he stood in the doorway.

"Ya know Pap I would, but I seem to have a very deep-seated problem at the moment."

"Sans please don't start, besides I told Frisk that we would be picking her up at ten and it's already half past nine!" Papyrus whined as he dragged a boney hand over his face.

"Aw relax bro, even if we're a couple minutes late you know she won't mind," he said sitting up on the couch as he turned to face his brother.

"Completely unacceptable, The Great Papyrus is always on time!" declared the guard in training as he struck his signature pose.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot how punctual you like to be," Sans chuckled.

"No! No more puns Sans just help me look for the basket so we can be on our way," said Papyrus as he stormed back into the kitchen.

"Well, hate to do this to ya pal but I think it's time we part ways," drawled the stout skeleton as he slowly rose from his seat. "I know, I know. This is hard on us both, we had some real good times together and because of that I just want you to know it's not you, it's me," he ended with a hand over his sternum.

The sunken cushion he'd been seating on gave no reply, unmoved by the former sentry's heartfelt confession, "Good to know you took it well."

With a nod of approval he walked up the stairs and into his room. While he'd been honest when he told Pap that he hadn't seen the basket, there was still a solid 50/50 chance it was somewhere in his room. While his brother was a certified neat freak, Sans would be one of the first to admit that he was, well… he was basically a hot mess. Which meant that if something in the house was misplaced or lost it was usually because of him taking it and then dumped it somewhere in his room after he was done with it.

Let's see where would I have… he wondered as he searched his drawers. Then he snapped his fingers as a thought struck him.

"Bingo."

Moving over to his trusty old mattress the comedian crouched over it until he was eye level with where the edge of it met the wall and sure enough he spotted it, a wicker handle just managing to poke itself out from between the tight space.

The bone man laughed as fished out the object, remembering how he'd used it to sneak the annoying dog into the house when they'd first moved to the surface. The scene that had followed had to be one of the funnies things he had ever had the pleasure of seeing in his life.

God I can still see the neighbor's faces when the mutt practically dragged Pap down the street kicking and screaming.

Shaking his head to get rid of the remaining giggles and with the basket under his arm the skeleton left his room. Feeling too lazy to walk all the way downstairs he used one of his many shortcuts to appear in the kitchen's threshold, right in front of his brother just as he was about to rush up to the second floor himself.

"Sans!" shouted the taller man, flailing his arms as he tried to regain his balance after his sudden stop.

"Sup bro, thinking about taking a trip?"

"No I was just on my way to… Oh you did it again!" he fumed.

"Hehehe I guess I can't help falling into my old habits."

"Brother that is thrice you've decided to ruin this perfect day with your terrible puns and it hasn't even started yet!" raising three boney digits for emphasis.

"I know bro, so as a peace offering I brought you this" said Sans as he presented his prize.

"You found it!" exclaimed Papyrus. The lights in is sockets aglow with joy as he took the basket and raced around the room, a virtual blur as he packed everything he thought they'd need into it.

"And done!" he said once the blanket was safely tucked away. "Now quickly brother, TO THE CAR!"

~}{~

Meanwhile in a quaint little home ten minutes away, a young human woman was just finishing up the last of the dishes from breakfast. While normally awake much earlier Frisk figured that after all the work she had put in for the past few months she deserved a bit of extra rest. After all, she didn't want to work herself to the bone.

Haha, I think Sans is rubbing off on me.

Drying her hands on a dishtowel she took a minute to breath in the quiet, Toriel had already left for the day, most likely in the middle of a lesson. No doubt with Asgore trimming the hedges outside the window and stealing glances at her every so often. While Frisk loved her adoptive mother and father greatly and adored spending time with them she still treasured these silent moments, so rare in her chaotic and loud world. There was just something about these periods of stillness and solitude that made her feel at peace.

"Knock Knock," said a familiar voice following the rapping of knuckles on the front door.

Eh, the quiet was making me feel a little lonely anyway.

"Come in," the young woman responded cheerfully.

"Aw come on kid you know how this goes."

"Sans what did we just finish discussing? I said NO jokes!"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Paps on this one Sans," she said as she opened the door to let them in.

"Thank you Frisk, see brother at least someone—"

"I wouldn't be able to handle them."

"BETRAYAL! SANS WHY MUST YOU CORRUPT MY FRIENDS?"

"Hehehe… nice one kiddo, never expected ya ta beat me to the punch like that," Sans laughed, winking his left eye at her.

"I'm glad you approve, for a minute there I was afraid it was too wooden," replied the girl as she knocked on the door.

"You kidding me, I adored it!"

"CAN SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME NOT GET A BREAK FROM THIS ASSULT ON MY EARS FOR ONE DAY?" Papyrus wailed into the sky as he dramatically fell to his knees and slammed his fists on the porch.

And I wanted everything to be perfect. The sheer frustration enough to cause the beginning of orange tears to form in the corners of his eye sockets, though the tall skeleton tried his darnedest to keep them from falling as he stared at the welcome mat between his fists.

Then a pair of jean-clad legs entered his line of sight and knelt before him.

"Oh Papy I'm sorry, this is as much your day as it is ours," the woman apologized as she laid a gentle hand on his skull. "I promise, no more puns."

Hearing the sincerity of her words the guard raised his head to look her in the eye, "Do you mean it?" His tone hopeful as the white lights that he used to see had grown so wide that the only thing to distinguish them from the rest of his skull was a thin ring of black and the remnants of liquid magic beneath them.

"Cross my heart," she told him as she used her left hand to perform the gesture.

This caused a huge smile to break out across the bone man's face as he lunged forward and wrapped the human in tight hug. "Oh thank you Frisk, I knew I could always count on you," sadness forgotten as he nuzzled their heads together before shooting his brother a light glare. "Unlike some people."

"I'm sorry too Paps," Sans admitted sheepishly. "I know puns aren't your thing and seeing ya get this upset over it… I'll try to be on my best behavior, alright?"

"Well it's not a guarantee, but I suppose it's the best I'll get out of you," Papyrus sighed as he lifted himself and Frisk from the floor. "Now that that is settled are we ready for the GREATEST DAY EVER?"

"You bet!"

"Sure am bro."

"THEN LET US BE ON OUR WAY," he declared taking both sibling and friend under each arm and sprinted to the car.

"Wait Pap I forgot my shoes!"

~}{~

The drive to the park was pleasant, just the three of them listening to the radio with the top down while exchanging a bit of small talk as the spring breeze blew through their… well her hair. As promised Sans was trying his best to refrain from participating in his favorite brand of humor and more than once did Frisk notice how he would cut himself off in the middle of a sentence before back tracking.

It was honestly the sweetest thing to see him not do his favorite thing just to make Papyrus happy.

Some twenty minutes later brought them to the entrance of Forest Park, an area of government land roped off from the rest of the forest that separated Mt. Ebott from the human city. A year after monster kind had been released and a few of the initial fears concerning the presence of them and their magic had been put to ease, the city council had designated this piece of property as a public space for both races to come together as a sign of good will. One of the higher points in the struggle to bring peace and equality among their people, she might add.

Just looking at the sign above the gate caused Frisk to shake her head in amusement, Good Lord I wish someone had told them how much Asgore sucks at naming things.

Without another thought she climbed out of the back seat, releasing a content hum from the back of her throat as she felt the sun's warmth on her skin. In light of the pleasant weather she'd chosen to don a comfortable t-shirt in her favorite shade of baby blue, the loose fitting fabric doing well to outline and compliment her lithe form without clinging to it.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun, hurry Frisk or we'll miss getting that spot by the lake!" said Papyrus as he grabbed the basket from the backseat.

"You go on ahead and find that spot Pap, with your speed I'm sure you'll get to it before anyone else." she called after him.

"Nyeheheh, you're so right human. Worry not for I will have everything set up by the time you get there," he replied as he hastily made his way inside.

"So how are ya holding up funny bones?" asked the girl as her second companion came to stand at her side. He chuckled.

"Tibia honest I don't think I'll be able to keep this up."

"Aw don't sound so brittle, the Sans I know never lets anything get under his skin."

"Heh thanks kid, but we still got a whole day ahead of us."

"Yeah I'd say you're boned," she smirked at him.

The bone man rolled his white pupils in mock annoyance, "Gee thanks for the vote of confidence there."

"That is if you let Papy hear you," sang Frisk as she began to follow the path that lead to the lake at the center of the park.

"You sneaky little minx," he laughed, before falling in step with her.

"Well I do work in politics."

~}{~

"There you two are. I was beginning to think you had gotten lost and required my greatness to come and escort you here," the taller skeleton scolded.

Just as he'd promised, the pair had arrived to find the blanket neatly spread across the grass, under the protective canopy of an oak tree that stood a good distance from the lakefront, the basket of food nestled among its roots with three plates laid out and waiting to be filled.

"Sorry about that Papy, I guess we just got caught up in all this beautiful scenery," said Frisk. Her smile bright as she took her place facing the water.

"She's right bro I mean look at all this, ya can't tell me seeing this doesn't make ya wanna stop and enjoy it," Sans added as he plopped down next to the plate closest to the trunk.

"Hmm very well, as it is a beautiful day complimented by the glorious aesthetics of nature, I The Great Papyrus will forgive this slight faux pas."

"Your too kind bro."

"Well of course, benevolence is one of the many things I am known for." His boney hands on his hips, chest puffed and head held high as he boasted, before elegantly lowering himself into the last open spot.

"That you are Pap, love the outfit by the way." To which she finished by sending him a flirty wink and two finger guns pointed in his direction for good measure.

Like a charm they had the desired effect, the genuine compliment bringing out a delightful splash of honey gold across his cheekbones as well a flustered smile to break out across his face.

Instead of his beloved battle body, the ever-exuberant skeleton was dressed in a pumpkin colored shirt, the selves rolled halfway up his humeri and the bottom tucked into a pair of grey pants, the legs of which had also been rolled halfway up his tibia and loafers of the same color.

"Thank you," he answered bashfully twiddling his phalanges together. "It's not as cool as my battle body, but I thought since today was the first time in awhile we get to hang out together… I thought I would try something a little different."

"Well no matter what you wear you'll always look cool to us. Right Sans?"

"I'll drink to that." Lifting a large bottle of ketchup over his head in triumph before flipping the cap off with his thumb and taking a hearty swig. Apparently the comedian had decided that the shift of attention in the conversation made for the most opportune of moments to start rifling through the basket. It was by pure chance that he just so happened to find what he was searching for when the young woman brought her focus back to him.

"Really brother, this early in the morning? And without first having a taste of the expertly crafted lunch I made us!"

The rest of the morning and early afternoon went by in a similar fashion with the three of them catching up on what they had been up to.

Frisk informed them that the embassy had just submitted a new bill that would both recognize monster marriages in a court of law and legalize any union between a monster and human couple wishing to tie the knot.

An incredible step forward if it was approved on the first submission, and a definite plus for certain members of the embassy that the girl had a sneaking suspicion were involved in some such relationships.

"Brenda can try and deny it all she wants but I know she has the hots for Grillby's cousin Aidan. And Pap before you say anything I want you to know that was totally unintentional." Though that didn't stop her and his snickering brother from exchanging a fist bump when he wasn't looking.

Sans had let them know that on top of his hot dog stand doing exceptionally well, he'd been asked by Alphys to help with a few of her latest projects. In fact a few of her investors had been so impressed they had actual made some offers for him join their research teams.

"I mean all I did was make a few corrections to some of the equations and give some suggestions about the designs. What ya should really be stoked about is how much buzz my hot dog business is getting. I mean damn you humans really like cute things because I'm practically sold out within the first three hours every time I open up shop."

And of course Papyrus raved about how wonderfully things were going at the modest little Italian restaurant he'd fallen in love with from the moment he'd found it.

"Mr. Robustelli said I'm the best waiter they've ever had! Not only is he pleased with how well I interact with the customers and how fast I get the orders out without breaking anything, but he also says that just my being there has encouraged so much new business from other monsters in the area!"

"What I tell ya Pap, you're so cool anybody would be crazy not to wanna see ya in action," said Sans as took a bit out of his ketchup coated hot dog.

"And the best part is that Mrs. Robustelli has decided to take me under her wing and teach me the finer points of traditional Italian cuisine! It's nowhere near as intense as how Undyne has taught me to cook, but she assures me that when it comes to food, humans prefer to show their passions in a far gentler way."

"That's great to hear Papyrus," Frisk beamed as she ate another bite of her spaghetti.

"Isn't it? When I told her what I would be doing today she was kind enough to help me prepare this batch of spaghetti just for the occasion."

"And the work really shows Paps, I think this is your best batch yet."

Indeed it was, for in place of the crunchy, undercooked and nearly impossible to stomach concoction that he was so infamously known for, was a delectable little dish of warm pasta coated in a zesty tomato sauce.

Sweet baby Jesus, that Mrs. Robustelli is a miracle worker.

"I think so as well," he agreed, happily digging into his own portion.

~}{~

Sometime after lunch the smaller skeleton brother fell to the angelic song of sleep, the combination of a full stomach and the tranquility of their surroundings lulling him into a peaceful snooze.

For once feeling that his brother had earned the chance to do nothing without a reprimanding, Papyrus suggested that he and Frisk use the opportunity to work off some of the energy from their delicious meal with a nice walk around the lake.

"Ah the weather has just been gorgeous lately," the young woman sighed, stretching her arms above her head in a grand gesture.

"You're certainly right Frisk, and while The Great Papyrus has come to appreciate all kinds of surface weather, I must admit that warm sunny days have become my favorite." His happy expression almost as bright as the sun.

"Speaking of warm look, isn't that the nice cream guy?"

Following the direction of her finger his socket were indeed met by the sight of a familiar face. They had never interacted much, merely partaking in the standard exchange between customer and merchant. However despite this, the guard in training could recall a number of times when he'd been feeling a little less than great and an encouraging message from a simple nice cream wrapper had been just the thing to lift his spirits. So it was with an excited grin that Papyrus grabbed Frisk's hand and made a beeline for the bunny with the cyan fur standing next to a cart of sweet, frozen goodness.

"Well if it isn't the Ambassador herself, and one of the skeleton brothers too! It's an honor to have you visit my stand," his tone just as cheery as ever.

"That's so sweet of you to say," the girl blushed softly. Contrary to popular belief the young Miss Dreemurr was easily flustered by praise and sweet words. Not something one would suspect of the girl that was known by all as a terrible flirt, yet no matter whom it was from be they monster or human, if the sentiment was sincere, that's all it would take to turn everyone's beloved ambassador into an awkward school girl.

"All a part of the job Miss," giving her wink. "Could I interest either of you in a nice cream on this fine day?"

"You certainly may my good man, two nice creams please," said the skeleton.

"Coming right up."

Waving goodbye to the friendly rabbit the two decided it was time to return to Sans, though there was no doubt between them that he would still be unconscious and sprawled out at the base of the tree by the time they got back. As such they saw no reason to hurry and would enjoy their delicious treats at their own leisure.

"Oh man I must be working harder than I thought, I can't even remember the last time I had a nice cream," Frisk moaned as she savored the saccharine taste.

"For shame dear human friend," chided Papyrus with a shake of his head. "While it is important to give it your all in everything you do, that is never an excuse to deny yourself things you enjoy. Why what would life be if we didn't take even a little bit of time to have fun?"

"Haha you're right again Papy, I should learn to treat myself more often." She smiled at him before turning back to her snack, just in time to watch the remainder of it fall from the stick and onto the dirt beneath their feet.

"Ah damn it and I really wanted to finish that," pouted Frisk. Her cheeks puffing up like a squirrel's as she sent a glare at the offending glob that dared to betray her sweet tooth by succumbing to the will of gravity.

"Look gloomy no longer friend, for you may have the rest of mine." His expression full of amusement as he presenting her with his own popsicle that was only halfway consumed.

"Oh Papy that's very sweet of you but it's fine, really if anything I can always go back for another one later." Her blush returning, this time much stronger at such a gentlemanly thing to do.

Then again why am I surprised? This is Papyrus after all.

"I insist."

She would have protest the offer further, not wanting to appear as a selfish gluten, but the look he was giving her was one she knew well. It was a look of determination, and if Frisk knew one thing it was that Papyrus was a very determined monster. Seeing no way to talk him out of it she accepted his kind offer with a weary hand. "Are you sure you don't want it?"

Her shy question prompting the tall bone man to chuckle, "Completely." The grin on his face now even larger as he watched her take a bite.

"Aww well aren't you two just the most precious sight," said a voice to their right.

A woman dressed in a yellow sundress, her mousy brown locks tied in a cute low ponytail over her right shoulder. Her emerald orbs sparkling in the light as she observed the pair. Being the ever-social person that he was, it was Papyrus that spoke first.

"Why thank you for the kind words Miss. Human."

"Not at all dear I'm just telling you the truth, I think it's wonderful how humans and monsters are able to come together like this."

"That's such a wonderful thing to hear," Frisked added. "Despite how much progress we've been making to bring the two together, there are still some people out there that think otherwise."

"Don't we all know it," her voice going a tad reserved before slipping back to its upbeat tone, "So how long have you two been together?"

The pair blinked, "Excuse me?"