Terry led Papyrus, still carrying Sans, out of the temple and into the living area tucked away behind it. Sans could see Terry's wispy little tail wagging for the entire trip. He wasn't sure why Terry was so happy, or any of the rest of the priests really, but at the very least Sans didn't have to deal with that yet. He thanked his every lucky star that Papyrus was there and helping him, that he understood.
The priest Papyrus had sent to get the bath ready was waiting for them just outside the door, Sans thinks he recognizes them as one of the priests that came with Ignis, but he couldn't remember their name at the moment. They looked relieved when they saw the group approaching.
"There you are, I was worried something had happened. I got the bath all cleared out and filled with fresh water. There's also a fresh change of clothes, a couple towels, soap, everything you need for a bath." The priest smiled up at them, clearly proud of themself.
Terry patted their arm, "Excellent work."
"YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."
The priest held open the door for them. Papyrus gave a nod before heading in.
"I'm sure the others and I will have much to discuss," Terry said from the doorway. "We'll likely be in the archive or out in the courtyard. When he's ready to talk you can come to us or send someone to fetch us. Enjoy your bath." He gave a friendly wave before leaving.
"And I'll just be out here to keep the others out and in case you need me. Good luck. No wait… have fun. Ah! I mean…" The priest stuttered and looked panicked.
"WE WILL, AND AGAIN: THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU'VE BEEN MOST HELPFUL."
"You're welcome." The priest positively beamed before shutting the door, finally leaving Sans and Papyrus to their privacy.
Papyrus paused just inside the steamy room, Sans realized he'd probably never been in it before. Off to the side were a couple tubs for people who didn't want to or couldn't use the main bath for whatever reason, the opposite wall taken up by a shelf along it and baskets underneath. Sitting prominently in the middle of the shelf were the things the priest had said they'd put in the room for them. Taking up the middle of the room was a round depression cut into the floor, filled with faintly steaming water.
Papyrus strode over to the edge of the pool. "DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?"
Sans nodded, then realized that probably wasn't enough of an answer. "yeah, pretty sure."
"NOT TO WORRY, I'M HERE TO CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL."
"thanks, bro."
Papyrus carefully lowered Sans to the ground, one arm staying at his back for support while the one that had been holding his legs transferred to hold his arm. Sans would have been annoyed at the coddling if it weren't for the way his legs wobbled dangerously. Once he had his legs firmly underneath him, he stepped into the warm water, the robe he had been clinging to dropped in a puddle of bright color next to the pool. Papyrus's support never wavered as Sans lowered himself to sit down. When the water reached his belly he hissed and clung to Papyrus in an attempt to pull himself back out.
"WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S WRONG?"
"sorry, the water's just a bit on the chilly side."
Papyrus glanced down at the water and the steam gently wafting over it. "THEN… WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GET ALL THAT SOOT OFF YOU QUICKLY."
Sans nodded, it wasn't that cold, he had just expected steaming water to be a bit warmer. He settled on the ledge carved into the pool. Once Papyrus was sure he was stable, he ran over to where the things were left. Sans idly watched the soot clinging to him start to float away in the water as he listened to the sounds of fabric shifting and the occasional clang of metal. Then Papyrus was back, a folded towel dropped on the floor next to the pool. Sans glanced up to see most of his brother's armor had been removed, most noticeably the breastplate, his gloves, and his boots. Papyrus was kneeling on the towel, soap in one hand and washcloth in the other. Sans turned back around, leaning against the lip of the pool. He closed his eyes and relaxed as Papyrus started washing him.
The silence was nice. Soothing after the hectic morning Sans had just had. How long had it even been? It felt like hours even if he was pretty sure it hadn't been more than one.
Sans groaned and covered his now clean face with his hands. "holy fuck."
"I'D RATHER NOT HEAR ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE, BROTHER."
"oh my god!"
"WE KNOW EXACTLY WHICH GOD IS YOURS," Papyrus replied cheerfully.
Sans's hands dropped back into the water, he couldn't help laughing at that. It was a bit thin and watery, but it still felt good to laugh.
"ARE YOU READY TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW?"
"thought you didn't want to hear about my love life?" Sans couldn't help teasing back, a genuine grin spreading across his face.
Papyrus sighed, "I'M GLAD YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, SANS, BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU. IS THIS," Papyrus motioned over Sans, "REALLY WHAT YOU WANT?"
"i mean, i guess? it's all happening a bit fast, i haven't really had a chance to stop and think yet."
"WHAT HAPPENED TO WAITING FOR GRILLBY?"
"oh, right, you don't know about that yet. lord fiersome is grillby."
The washcloth fell into the water. Sans grabbed it and held it back up for Papyrus, water dripping off it and splattering both the towel he was kneeling on as well as his pants.
"HE'S WHAT?!"
"turns out grillby is just a disguise he'd put on to interact with us mortals. so uh… it's all good. no waiting necessary." Sans jiggled his free hand in a bit of showmanship, the other one still holding the soggy cloth up for Papyrus. He turned around when he heard a wet clack, finding Papyrus's face buried firmly in a still dripping palm. "you okay there, bro?"
"I'M FINE, JUST FINE." He snatched the wash cloth and dipped it back in the water before wringing it out and applying more soap. "I SUPPOSE THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WERE CHOSEN."
"wow, nice to know you think so highly of me."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I…" Papyrus took a deep breath. "I'M SORRY, BROTHER, THAT WASN'T A VERY NICE THING TO SAY."
"it's okay, really. i get it. neither of us expected to get that arrow over the door."
"YES! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I MEANT! BUT ALSO THIS CONVERSATION IS GOING OFF IN THE WRONG DIRECTION BECAUSE IT'S ALSO NOT WHAT I MEANT AT ALL. EVEN IF THE THINGS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE ALSO IMPORTANT. SO SANS, TELL ME IN ALL HONESTY AND CONFIDENCE, IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?"
"he didn't force me, if that's what you're asking."
"THAT'S A HUGE RELIEF." Papyrus pulled Sans into an awkward hug, Sans pat the arm over his shoulders soothingly.
"sorry to make you worry."
"THAT IS ALRIGHT, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE ME WORRY. IT'S JUST THAT YOU NEVER SEEMED REALLY INTERESTED IN STARTING A FAMILY BEFORE NOW, YOU NEVER ONCE TALKED ABOUT HAVING CHILDREN." Papyrus went back to gently scrubbing away the soot as he spoke.
"yeah, i guess i never really did, huh? it's not like i never thought about it, it's just that until recently i didn't really have the luxury to think about anything beyond what was going on. get a roof over us, keep it there, food, clothes, jobs, get us stable, make sure we got a good rep this time…" Sans sighed, he felt exhausted just thinking about what that time had been like.
"AND NOW WE HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS."
"yup, and i was starting to really get to know grillby, or i guess i should call him lord fiersome."
"IF HE'S YOUR HUSBAND DO YOU REALLY NEED TO KEEP CALLING HIM LORD?"
"huh… guess not." Sans shrugged. "i was just starting to really think about all those mushy, romantic, family things, and then there was that kiss you walked in on." He shot a glare up at Papyrus, who didn't have the grace to look the least bit ashamed. "and then i worried i was getting way ahead of myself when i didn't see him again. and then the whole sacrifice thing happened and just… here we are."
"HERE WE ARE INDEED." Papyrus paused to look around the room, so vastly different than the public baths they would sometimes visit. "BUT ARE YOU REALLY OKAY? YOU WERE VERY UPSET WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED."
"i think it's like you said, that i was overwhelmed. i barely had a chance to even wake up and remember what happened last night before the entire temple was crowding around me asking questions and then this midwife shows up outta nowhere and says they're triplets and i hadn't even thought anything about kids at all up until that point and… it's just a lot to swallow."
Papyrus snorted loudly. It took Sans a moment to realize just why Papyrus was laughing, then he burst into laughter himself.
"THAT'S ENOUGH DIRTY JOKES OUT OF YOU, WE'RE HERE TO GET CLEAN!" He kept laughing though, which did nothing to make Sans want to stop teasing him.
"i know it's a lot to handle, but i think i've already proven i can take it. after all, i'm already in the perfect position to do it."
"STOP. STOP. STOP! ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!"
"you're laughing."
"ONLY BECAUSE I'M HAPPY YOU'RE FEELING BETTER ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR USUAL HORRIBLE JOKES."
"yeah… thanks."
"YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME." They fell back into silence as Papyrus finally deemed Sans's ribs clean enough and moved on to gently run the washcloth over his pseudo-flesh. Sans shuddered, the sensation still new and weird. "SO… TRIPLETS."
"yup."
"THAT IS A LOT OF BABIES TO HAVE ALL AT ONCE."
"yeah, i know." Sans rubbed his forehead, he'd spent the morning bouncing between trying not to think about it at all and stressing over what it would be like to be pregnant with triplets, to have to give birth to triplets, to have to take care of triplets. Papyrus was a nice reminder that he wouldn't have to do this all alone, at least. "but i figure it's a one and done kind of deal this way. three kids is plenty, who needs more than that? not me. just pop these three out and then i don't have to worry about being pregnant ever again." He hoped.
"OH, THAT IS A GOOD POINT." Papyrus sounded as if he wasn't quite sure how much he believed that. "YOU WOULD TAKE THE LAZIEST ROUTE POSSIBLE."
"it's not like i planned this."
"I DON'T THINK ANYONE PLANS ON TRIPLETS."
"yeah, guess not." Sans wasn't sure what to say after that, so he let them lapse back into silence.
Papyrus hummed to himself. "I'M NOT SURE HOW TO GET AT YOUR LEGS WITHOUT GETTING IN THE WATER MYSELF."
"huh? oh, that. just gimme the washcloth, i'm not a boat yet so i can still reach them just fine."
Papyrus handed over the washcloth. "WITH TRIPLETS YOU'RE GOING TO BE A WHOLE BATTLE SHIP."
"yeah," Sans agreed as he quickly scrubbed his legs, his flexibility was already getting hindered by just having a belly to work around. "probably gonna get put on bed rest by the end of it."
"ANOTHER EXCUSE FOR YOU TO LOUNGE AROUND IN BED." Papyrus tsk'd in disgust.
"this meet your standards?" Sans held up a leg, his foot barely above the surface of the water.
"IT'LL DO."
Sans handed over the washcloth, which Papyrus wrung out. Then he stood up and picked up the now soggy towel he'd been kneeling on. "YOU JUST STAY THERE A MOMENT, I'LL GO GET YOU A TOWEL AND THEN WE'LL PULL YOU OUT."
"sounds like a plan." While he waited for Papyrus, Sans stared down at his belly, distorted by the rippling of the water's surface. He hesitantly rested a hand against it, the heat emanating from it soothing. This was really happening, he was going to be a dad, his tiny family was growing. Both figuratively and literally growing inside him right then. He gently ran his thumb over the sensitive pseudo-flesh.
"SANS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
Sans looked up at his brother, a gentle smile spread over his face. "yeah, i'm fine."
"YOU'RE CRYING." Papyrus reached down and gently cupped Sans's face with one hand, his thumb wiped at the corner of Sans's eye.
"huh, i am?" Sans reached up to feel his eyes, but the water from the bath made it impossible to tell if he was crying or not. "heh, guess i'm still feeling pretty overwhelmed. but it's okay, they're happy tears. promise."
AN: Finally. FINALLY! I got to use the joke I'd been chomping at the bit for since I started on this series. Holy [expletive] jokes! I do want to keep this fic T rated though, so there might be a lot of winks and nudges and jokes, but we're not going to get more explicit than that. Alas, I've used up my one F-word for this fic. T_T
Also sorry about the brief foray into discussing non-con, I wanted to confirm for both you guys and Papy that there isn't any, Sans is a-okay with this. He just needs to get a little used to the idea first. Goodness, he really wasn't thinking ahead last night. XD