A/N: Sorry for always forgetting to update here, if you want faster updates, better find this story on Ao3.

"you two...know each other?"

"hell yeah we do!"

"UNFORTUNATELY!"

"h-huh?" Red was confused. He stepped aside and looked back and forth between them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE MY BROTHER TOO?"

"too? what are you-" the short skeleton tried to get answers but got rudely interrupted.

"your brother!? well that explains a lot! you freak, did you do the same things you almost did to my bro to him?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ALL I DID WAS BE NICE TO HIM, JERK!"

"sure, as if i didn't notice the way you were touching him!"

"HMPH, SO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE FOLLOWING US! AND YOU CALL ME A FREAK!"

"i just wanted to make sure that an asshole like you wouldn't ruin him!"

"RUIN HIM? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"

And that's when Sans finally understood what was happening. No. Fucking. Way. Why didn't he figure that out earlier?

"BESIDES, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT BULLSHIT ABOUT HIS INNOCENCE? HMPH, THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR THINKING THAT YOU'RE AT LEAST SMART. HE'S AS OLD AS ME, DO YOU REALIZE THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT HE IS...'PURE'? NO WAY THAT HE HASN'T HEARD OR SEEN ANYTHING? YOU MIGHT HAVE NOT TALKED WITH HIM ABOUT IT, AFTER ALL, YOU ARE A COWARD. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S CLUELESS."

"how dare you speak about him like that, you barely know anything about him!" Red didn't think that he'd live so long to hear the usually laid-back skeleton's voice raise. He felt his mutt lean it's head into his shoulder, probably trying to show its support and heard the other snow-white puppy whimper.

"OR MAYBE YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH!"

"so? did you expect me to leave him in your hands? sure, he might know a thing or two, but it would be irresponsible to let him stay with you. i don't want him to become a pet of yours. i don't want him to get anxious just by the thought of you. i don't want him to hurt himself and-"

"DO. NOT. INVOLVE MY BROTHER IN THIS!" Fell warned when he saw Sans' eye sockets dim and his body tense up.

"what, did you feel bad because you know that you're not treating him right?" Stretch didn't mean to say it. He really didn't. But he did. He was tired of the way Red was trying to hide certain details. He knew that he was being too straightforward but at the same time, he wanted to make the other him feel at least a bit bad about it.

Silence fell over for a moment. And then they began again. Throwing arguments at each other, like some stray dogs fighting over a piece of meat. You might think that Red was used to hearing such things, back in his universe, those were daily. But no, there was no getting used to them. They just made him remember everything. And on top of that, he could feel the lingering gazes of the people passing by, which made him even more anxious, even if they weren't many. He was also angry at Papyrus. Both of them. At Fell for lecturing the other about how he looks after his brother, and at Stretch for using him as an example for the consequences that followed after living so long with the edgier skeleton. He already knew that he was pathetic and that he couldn't deny what he was. He didn't need a reminder. He wasn't even listening anymore. There was just no point in listening to their empty threats. That was until someone grabbed his right arm rather gently, considering the situation, and pulled his sweater's sleeve up. Then the real panic settled in. Shit. Everyone was going to see. He was half expecting it to be Boss that pulled him so suddenly, but it wasn't him. And all he could hear was a brief pause of silence and "he might try to hide it but-" No. He didn't want to hear. So he didn't pay attention. But how could he not? He tried to break free but the attempt was half-hearted, his body starting to shiver. Before he could think about it much, he was pulled by, probably, his brother in a somehow protective grip. He couldn't make much sense of the two's words, but he could easily tell that they were still fighting, judging by the little things he could understand. "collar". "pet". "self-harm". Those words were almost covered by some barks of his dog but he still heard them clearly.
That's it.

"s t o p." he said firmly, his eye sockets empty like the void, voice almost commanding. "stop talking about me like i'm not even here!". He yanked his hand out of the now weakened grip and started walking away, his pet following him silently.

"SANS, WAIT!" he heard heavy footsteps behind him.

"fuck off, papyrus."he warned, not even bothering to turn around. He usually wouldn't even dare to think about being so sassy around his brother, but right now, he didn't feel like being under the pressure of his own morals. Putting a hand over the dog's head, he called his magic and disappeared in an instant, teleporting to his own room. He locked the door, even though he knew that Boss could easily kick it down if he wanted to. But he wouldn't. Not at a time like this.

It seemed like a great time for a nap. Turning off the lights, he climbed on his bed, patting the empty place next to him softly, calling the dog to take a seat there. The mutt immediately jumped on the bed while its owner made himself comfortable under the covers. It snuggled into Sans, laying on him, trying to soothe him with its soft fur. It almost covered his whole body, keeping him extra warm. The skeleton couldn't help falling fast asleep.

Fell and Stretch were standing in place, stunned by the short skeleton's sudden anger. The edgier monster's hand was still hanging in the air, supposed to be reaching out for Sans. A wave of realization and guilt hit them. Fell felt regret crawl on his back. After all of the progress he'd made with getting his and Sans' relationship on a more stable level, a single loss of control over his emotions, a stupid argument with a monster he barely knew ruined all those months of hard work to rebuild what he had almost destroyed. He sighed and let his hand go slack as he turned around, expecting to meet his alternate self's glare or at least gaze. But he didn't. Stretch was staring down at the ground with a frown, his phalanges clenched into fists.

"fuck...man, i really fucked up badly, didn't i?" he murmured and Fell wasn't sure if the question was directed towards him or if he was just asking himself, but he decided to answer.

"YOU...SURE DID." he spat and continued before the other had a chance to say something. "AND SO DID I. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD FEEL LESS AT FAULT." When he got no answer, he decided that it might be time to check on Sans. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY NOW." That might have been a little too cruel, but not for his standards. So with that, he headed to the exit, leaving the other Papyrus stay there alone with his pet.

Fell sighed as he stepped in his and Sans' shared house. He took off his shoes and headed straight for his brother's bedroom, only to find its door locked. With another sigh, he dove into his jacket's pocket to take out a spare key the other never knew of. What? He was tired of paying for new doors! He unlocked the door and it creaked softly as he walked in, his eyes trying to adjust to the dim lighting. He caught a sign of movement coming from the bed and heard that familiar menacing growl.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him." he said quietly and stepped forward. Upon a closer observation, he saw his brother snuggled into the blanket, his so called 'mut' laying on top of him, keeping him warm. He couldn't recall the last time he saw his brother snap like that, so he was relieved to see him resting.

"At least you seem to know how to treat him right. Maybe it wasn't a mistake to take you in." he whispered, petting the dog. He slightly readjusted the covers before turning around to leave the room.

Blue was enjoying his weekend, trying out a new recipe for tacos. It's not like he didn't enjoy his job, not at all! It just felt so weird, not having to patrol around and all. But he also loved spending his time in his own kitchen. He was so concentrated in his work that he almost jumped when he heard the familiar 'pop' of his brother's magic. He was finally home. About time! It was getting late, even for his brother. Who knew how dangerous it was when it became dark on the surface! He quickly wiped his hands and dashed out of the room, seeing Papyrus put Snowflake down on the ground, his shoes already off, only socks covering his feet.

"PAPY!" Sans yelled excitedly and jumped on his brother, hugging and clinging to him like he might've never seen him if he didn't return. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, YOU KNOW THAT I HATE IT WHEN YOU STAY OUT SO LATE! AT LEAST WARN ME NEXT TIME!"

"yeah, blue, sorry, i was just...thinking..." Papyrus answered, a smile appearing on his face that somehow didn't fit as it usually did.

"THINKING? WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE OUT WITH RED?"
At the mention of the other short skeleton, his brother's smile visibly fell down into a neutral expression.

"y-yeah, sort of. i just stayed a bit after he uh...left." Blue knew that face. Papyrus was avoiding his gaze and wasn't telling the truth.

"DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?"

"nah bro, i'm just really tired, the dogs wanted to play a bit and you know that i don't have that much stamina. speaking of." he changed the topic like he always did but Blue decided to play along since Papy probably didn't want to talk about what happened yet. But he knew that he would, Sans just had to be patient. "...ue? blue? i was saying, could you wash my hoodie? the dogs didn't stop jumping on me and their paws were probably muddy. it got really dirty, but i know that that wouldn't stop you." the shorter skeleton only nodded. "cool. i'll be up in my room...sleeping. don't call me for dinner though, i'm not hungry. c'mon lil' snowflake." With a last beckon, the white puppy followed Papyrus and soon the click of the door could be heard but Blue didn't move from his spot. He only half-listened to his brother, trying to figure out what was wrong just by looking at the other's expression, but he failed. Guess that was the part where the taller monster was better than him. He got a little sad that he wouldn't be able to let Papyrus taste his new kind of tacos. The tacos!

"OH NO!" he returned to the kitchen, greeted by the smell of burnt taco shells. Great.

Things were getting weird. The next morning he woke up, only to find Papyrus sleeping on the cоuch. When Blue asked him why he was there, he simply said "couldn't sleep well" and took his usual seat, waiting for his breakfast, which he barely touched. He looked tired and definitely not like someone who slept well, if at all. Sans tried to talk to him, and when the taller skeleton finally agreed to tell him, he just told him that he offended a friend. It was Red, that much was obvious to Blue, since Papy probably spent his whole day out with him. His brother seemed to get very attached to the other, but he was ridiculous! Why was he moping when he could do something about it!? Honestly, sometimes he couldn't believe that Papyrus was older than him. But when he suggested him to go apologize, Papyrus refused, saying that Red probably doesn't want to see him right now. Such nonsense.

The worst of all is that Papyrus didn't move from his bed after 'breakfast'. Blue was used to him lazing around but that wasn't the point. His brother was sad and he couldn't do anything about it! He didn't even know Red, so he couldn't just go and talk with him. And what was so curious about the whole event was that Papyrus was one of those people who you couldn't not like. He couldn't think of a reason for them to fight.

Right now, he was at the park where the taller skeleton usually walked their pet. He was sitting in the corner of a wooden bench, leaning his hands on his knees and staring down at the hard-working ants between his feet like that was the best thing he's seen in his life. He was still worried about Papy but he couldn't leave Snowflake at home without its usual walk unless he wanted to clean after it again.

Instead of playing with the dog, he let it rest in his lap, not really in the mood for anything else. He was kind of sad that he failed to cheer Papy up. The other always found a way to cheer him up when he's upset. But Papyrus was just being so stubborn, how could he help him! He wouldn't tell him anything!

He felt someone sit down beside him, but didn't pay too much attention. It was probably one of those nosy older humans that always asked him random things whenever they felt like it.

"Hello, why are you so down?" he hears a deep voice, too distracted to realize that he knew who it belonged to.

"Hello to you too, stranger." he sighed, not bothering to look up.

"Nyeh, is that how you greet an old friend?"
This got Blue's attention and he slowly lifted his gaze from the ground, a tiny gasp escaping him when he saw a tall skeleton sitting beside him.

"FELL!" A wide grin appeared on his face, probably for the first time today. He quickly hugged him as a greeting and then realized something. "OH NO, YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE! WHAT IF PAPY SEES YOU!"

"HMPH, I DON'T THINK THAT HE'S GOING TO LEAVE HIS HOUSE SOON AFTER WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. I KNOW MY BROTHER WOULDN'T. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE UPSET, RIGHT? FIRST MY BROTHER, NOW YOU..." Fell's voice was once again his usual loud one.

"W-WAIT, WAIT! WHAT..?" Blue tilted his head in confusion.

"I UH...WE GOT INTO A FIGHT YESTERDAY, WHEN I SAW HIM WITH MY BROTHER. I GUESS I WAS BEING TOO MEAN AND THAT IT WAS ME WHO STARTED ALL THAT MESS BUT HE DESERVES THE MOST CREDIT FOR MAKING MY BROTHER ANGRY!"

"Mweh, too much information! Wasn't Papy sad about Red? Oh wait, no, so you have a brother? Is that Red? I...don't get it."

"DIDN'T HE AT LEAST TELL YOU AS MUCH? OF COURSE THAT HE DIDN'T. YES, MY BROTHER IS THIS SO CALLED 'RED'.

"OH...BUT WHAT DID HE DO? HE'S NOT A MONSTER THAT WOULD HURT SOMEBODY ON PURPOSE! And he seemed really mad at himself for whatever he did... I'M SURE THAT HE DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

"THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE HIS ACTIONS! WHY DIDN'T HE APOLOGIZE THEN?"

"I ASKED HIM TOO, BUT HE TOLD ME THAT RED PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO SEE HIM."

"WELL, HE'S PROBABLY RIGHT. HE TRIES TO STAY AWAY FROM ME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TOO. AND THAT STUPID MUTT, THINKING THAT I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MY OWN BROTHER. IT REFUSED TO GO OUT AND STAYED IN, AS IF TO PROTECT RED FROM ME."
At least that got a chuckle out of Sans, making Fell smile. A comfortable silence fell over them, until...

"SAY FELL, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGE IN RED SINCE HE STARTED THOSE DAILY WALKS WITH PAPY?" Blue asked, a grin on his face.

"HMM, WELL, BLUE, I CERTAINLY HAVE. HIS MOOD SEEMS TO BE WAY BETTER, HE ACTUALLY PUTS HIS CLOTHES ON TIME IN THE LAUNDRY AND HE DOESN'T MIND GOING OUT JUST FOR A CASUAL WALK. ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPLY SOMETHING HERE?" Fell seemed to get his point immediately and smirked.

"IT'S JUST THAT, COINCIDENTALLY, PAPY DOES THAT TOO." the short skeleton stated. "DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD..."

"PAPY, I'M BACK!" Blue greeted, not even fully in the house.

"hey blue, what's up?" Papyrus asked from the couch, staring blankly at the TV. His expression hadn't changed much but Blue knew how to fix it.

"OH! NOTHING MUCH, I JUST BROUGHT SOME FRIENDS ALONG!"

Papyrus hummed in understanding and stood up to say hi, expecting to see Alphys and Undyne at the door, already planning how to excuse himself and go back to his room.

What he wasn't expecting was two dark figures standing at the doorway. The taller one was looking away with his hands crossed on his chest and the short one staring holes into him. He blinked, not daring to move.

"COULD YOU STEP ASIDE SO WE COULD COME IN? OR ARE YOU GOING TO SEND US BACK?"