"Alright Alphys darling, how do I look?" Mettaton gave a little twirl, showing off his cute wintry outfit.

"You look fabulous as always, Mettaton," Alphys assured him. He was wearing a pink fuzzy sweater, thick black leggings, and matching pink fuzzy boots with pom-poms on them.

Mettaton struck a pose, sticking out his tongue for good measure. Suddenly, Alphys hugged him tightly. He was stunned.

"Um, Alphys, what are you doing?"

"I love you, Mettaton. You know that, right?" Alphys' voice was muffled in Mettaton's sweater.

Mettaton slowly put his arms around Alphys in return. "Goodness, darling, what's the cause of all this?" he asked. He felt incredibly awkward.

Alphys stepped back, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, it's just… I keep remembering what happened the other day and I want you to know that I'll always be here for you, no matter what. And… I hope you have fun on your date today."

Alphys giggled slightly as she watched Mettaton blush all over again.

"It's not a date!" Mettaton protested. I told you, I'm just doing this as a favor to Papyrus. My God, you and your 'shipping!' It never ends! Get a hold of yourself, Alphys."

Mettaton rolled his eyes dramatically and brushed past Alphys to the door of the lab. His hand resting on the door handle, he turned and called back, "I'll be back in a few hours at most."

"Ok, Mettaton. See you later." Alphys waved.

Mettaton waved back and headed out.

Mettaton may be a good actor, but Alphys had noticed the tiny hint of a smile as he left. Besides, there was no way he would trek all the way to Snowdin for just anyone. She hoped he and Papyrus would have fun together… on their date.

Papyrus was pacing nervously in the living room. Sans watched him from the couch, looking amused.

"Bro, why are you so worked up about this?" Sans asked. "It's not like you have to worry about impressing this toaster or anything."

Papyrus stopped in his tracks, huffing. "I'm not worked up, Sans! There's nothing to be worked up about. I know Mettaton will be very impressed by my expert puzzle-making skills. And he is not a toaster. He is a star, and a good person. You should treat him with more respect, Sans! Especially if he and I start spending more time together."

Sans' eyes widened. "No way."

"No way what?" Papyrus asked irritably.

"You like him. That pompous, egotistical robot. You actually like him!"

"No I don't!" Papyrus screeched. A second later, he collapsed on the couch next to Sans with his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Sans. I didn't mean to yell. You're right. I'm just nervous. I like him a lot, and I'm scared he won't like me too. He's just… so popular. He's amazing and perfect and inspirational and…"

Sans hugged his brother tightly. "Aww, Paps, he would be crazy not to like you. You're the most amazing guy I know! He'd be lucky to have you."

Papyrus looked up in surprise. "But… I thought you hated him?" he whispered.

Sans sighed. "Well, I think he's a self-absorbed little brat, honestly. But I've seen you get so excited for his shows and if he means that much to you, I'll try to get over it. But if he hurts you, I'm gonna give him a bad time."

"Sans! Please don't do that." But Papyrus was smiling. "Thank you, brother."

"Any time, bro."

There was a knock on the door. Papyrus jumped up so fast he almost tripped and fell face-first to the floor, but he caught himself just in time. "That's him!" he gasped.

"Good luck, Paps. He'd better like your puzzles. They're snow good!"

Papyrus groaned, but there was no time for a lecture. He straightened his scarf, grabbed his backpack full of provisions, and opened the door.

The robot and the skeleton walked side by side through Snowdin, heading towards the forest to the west of town.

"Oh my, I can't believe I haven't come to Snowdin before! It's so beautiful," Mettaton enthused, ogling at the decorated tree in the center of town and admiring the snowflakes falling delicately from the sky, collecting on the roofs of the cozy buildings.

"Really?" Papyrus was shocked. "You've never been to Snowdin before? Why is that?"

Mettaton frowned. "Well, it's hard for me to go anywhere without being stormed by crowds of fans. I normally love the spotlight, of course, but sometimes it gets old not being able to have any privacy. When I'm not performing or on tour, I usually just stay holed up in Alphys' lab or my studio, working on my upcoming shows."

"Oh, I see!" Papyrus noticed the unhappy look on Mettaton's face, but he decided not to pry.

The conversation trailed off. They had left Snowdin by now and were walking through the snowy evergreen forest that surrounded the town.

"Hey, come over here!" Papyrus said excitedly. He took Mettaton's hand and led him down a slope to where a burly snowman and sad-looking lump of snow stood in a small enclosure between the trees. The muscular snowman was wearing a red scrap of cloth around its shoulders, while the word "Sans" was scribbled on the adjacent lump in red marker.

"Impressive, right?" Papyrus stood proudly next to the snowman, mimicking its pose by flexing his nonexistent muscles.

Mettaton couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. "Oh Papyrus darling, that snowman is just fabulous! I love it. It looks just like you!"

Papyrus was slightly confused by Mettaton's laughing. He was trying to impress the robot, after all. But it seemed to have worked anyway.

"Thank you, Mettaton! It is quite the work of art, isn't it? Just, um, ignore this lump of snow next to it. Sans was too lazy to build a proper snowman, as usual." Papyrus sighed.

"What lump?" Mettaton asked innocently, looking left and right as if he didn't know what Papyrus was talking about.

Papyrus smiled widely. "Nyeheheh, thank you, Mettaton." He gazed up towards the flakes fluttering down from the fluffy gray clouds above.

"This place is very peaceful, isn't it? How about we stay here for now? I'll show you my puzzles in a little bit. I brought some hot chocolate for us!"

"Oooh, really? That sounds perfect!" Mettaton replied enthusiastically. He wouldn't admit it to Papyrus, but even with his thick and fluffy sweater, he was still a little cold.

"Just a moment!" Papyrus opened his backpack and took out the three blankets he had packed, as well as two thermoses. "I, um, thought you might get a bit cold, so I brought extra blankets just in case. Although I must say, your sweater looks very cozy. Anyway, here you go!"

Papyrus gave Mettaton one of the rolled-up blankets, and the robot smiled. "Thank you, darling! That was sweet of you."

Mettaton wrapped the blanket around his shoulders as Papyrus spread another of the blankets over the snow-covered ground, sat down, and patted the ground next to him. Mettaton sat gracefully beside him, careful not to smush the pom-poms on his boots.

The skeleton handed Mettaton one of the thermoses. He unscrewed the cap and gasped in delight. "Oh, it smells amazing!"

"Of course! I make the best hot chocolate!" Papyrus exclaimed. He unscrewed his own thermos and took a gulp of the hot drink. Mettaton did the same.

"It's delicious!"

"Nyeh, I'm very glad you like it." Papyrus beamed. "So, Mettaton, what made you want to start performing in the first place? I mean, you're so talented, and so passionate too! I always love your shows. But what inspired you?"

Mettaton was silent for a moment as Papyrus continued musing. "Hmm, well, maybe that's a silly question. After all, Alphys made you, right? So it's probably in your design to love performing!"

Papyrus must have said the wrong thing. Mettaton bit his lip and looked away, an unreadable expression on his face. He still wouldn't say anything.

The skeleton started to panic. "Oh no, I'm sorry, Mettaton! That was so rude of me… I didn't mean to pry, I promise. You don't need to tell me anything about that. Please don't be upset."

But a small smile was emerging on the robot's face. "Thank you, Papyrus. It's alright. I just… find it difficult to talk about my past, that's all."

Papyrus sighed in relief. "Of course, I understand, Mettaton. I want you to be comfortable around me, so take as much time as you need. It's the least I can do, after you agreed to try out my puzzles! I'm very grateful."

Mettaton was staring intensely at him, not saying anything again. Papyrus wasn't sure what to do. "Um…"

"You're so nice, Papyrus," said Mettaton suddenly. "You're so thoughtful. I really like that about you."

Papyrus felt his face flush. "Nyeh… heheh… t-thank you, Mettaton. But really, you deserve the best…"

His words trailed off. Mettaton's face seemed a lot closer than before. He could smell the faint scent of strawberries and cream. It must be the robot's perfume.

As if in slow motion, Mettaton removed one of his white gloves and gently placed his hand on the side of the skeleton's face. Papyrus felt cold metal brush against his cheekbone. He held his breath as he stared into the robot's one bright pink eye, which was misted over in something like wonder as he stared, unblinking, back at the skeleton. His eyes drifted lower to Mettaton's lips…

"Why are you so nice to me?"

The spell was broken. Papyrus blinked in confusion as Mettaton jerked his hand back, his expression hardening.

"M-Mettaton? What do you mean?" Papyrus was still a little disoriented.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Mettaton repeated. "I don't… I can't… You shouldn't…"

For once, the smooth-talking robot seemed lost for words. His fists were clenched and he seemed to be trying very hard to control himself.

Papyrus had no idea what was happening. "Mettaton, what's wrong? Let me…" He shifted closer slightly, intending to comfort the robot, but Mettaton flinched and stood up suddenly.

"No! Stop that! You stay away from me! Do you hear me? Whatever you're doing, stop it! Just… go away!"

The robot was shouting at this point, backing away from the skeleton and dropping the blanket from around his shoulders. He stepped on it as he continued walking backward, trampling it into the snow.

Papyrus stood up, shocked and hurt. "Mettaton…"

"No, stop it! I… I have to go."

Mettaton refused to meet Papyrus' eyes, his head down and arms crossed. Papyrus watched as the robot turned and walked quickly away from him, back in the direction of Snowdin, not looking back.

Papyrus stood there, staring at the overturned thermos and the blanket Mettaton had dropped in the snow.