A cheerful bunny with blue tinted fur entered the temple, easily dodging the priests running to and fro. Until he came to a particularly tall and bony one, that is.

"HELLO AND WELCOME TO LORD FIERSOME'S TEMPLE," Papyrus greeted cheerfully as he smoothly stepped in the other's way.

"Oh! Hello!" The bunny greeted just as cheerfully.

"I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE YOU WENT RIGHT PAST ALL THE OTHER PRIESTS, IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH?"

"No… I don't think there is?" The bunny cocked his head at a strange angle as he looked Papyrus up and down.

"bro, he's one of those v.i.p.s i told you about."

"OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE!" Papyrus stepped out of the way. "GO ON AHEAD THEN, BUT BE MINDFUL OF ALL THE PRIESTS, THINGS ARE A LITTLE HECTIC RIGHT NOW."

"Thank you, and have a wonderful day." The bunny waved before heading for the inner temple, priests and petitioners moving out of the way.

Papyrus gave one last wave. "I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN TELL WHO IS OR ISN'T A V.I.P."

Sans shrugged, "maybe it's because i'm gri- fiersome's husband and you're only his brother-in-law?"

"OH! IT'S A GODLY THING?"

"yeah? you haven't noticed?"

"I'M NOT SURE WHAT THERE IS TO NOTICE. WHAT DOES IT EVEN MEAN?"

"it means they're a very important person."

Papyrus had to resist the urge to huff at Sans's unhelpfully true answer. "AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM RECENTLY!" Papyrus turned his head to watch a familiar dog couple weave their way through the crowded hallway.

"the fall equinox is coming up, it's a very busy time for everyone."

"YES, I SUPPOSE THAT'S TRUE. SPEAKING OF, ARE YOU READY?"

"yup, we practiced the ceremony and everything."

"AND YOU'RE STILL AWAKE EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALMOST NOON, I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU!"

"thanks. oh, i suppose if there's nothing else planned i should go do the noon sacrifice."

"I'M SURE THAT WOULD MAKE FIERSOME VERY HAPPY. AND THEN YOU SHOULD GO TO BED, YOU'VE BEEN UP ALL MORNING." And all night before that, Papyrus really was proud of Sans for trying so hard. If he'd known what being married would do for his brother he'd have tried pushing him towards someone ages ago.

"maybe, i'm feeling pretty awake right now. and being up a bit after noon is good too, imagine if i fell asleep right after the equinox ceremony."

"YOU WOULD!" Papyrus was torn between laughing at the mental image and glaring at Sans. Instead his face softened as he walked with Sans into the inner court, nodding to the dog couple as they left. "YOU REALLY AREN'T FEELING TIRED? YOU HAVE THE BABIES TO TAKE CARE OF AND SPOOKINS SAID NAPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEIR HEALTH."

"i really do feel fine, took a nap this morning and everything. i promise you, i don't want anything to happen to these little guys any more than you do." Sans rested his hands over his middle, caressing the quickly growing bump only visible through layers of clothing if you knew to look for it. His face softened into a gentle smile that used to be reserved just for Papyrus when he was still a babybones. Yes, Fiersome was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to Sans.

Papyrus was out in the courtyard happily throwing bones for Firestorm and Brimstone to fetch when Gem came running out to get him.

"Papyrus! You're needed in the inner court."

Papyrus froze, his arm drifting down far enough that Firestorm jumped up and snatched the bone he had been holding. "WHAT HAPPENED? IS EVERYONE OKAY?"

"Oh! Yes, everyone's fine. Sorry. Well… mostly fine. Head priest Fieri is a bit upset, but no one's hurt. It's just that Sans climbed into the Eternal Flame."

Papyrus tilted his head, "HE SHOULD BE ASLEEP RIGHT NOW?"

"He is. He drifted right off once he was in there. Though he interrupted a sacrifice to get in there."

"OH DEAR. FIERI?"

Gem nodded. "Fieri."

"WELL, WE BETTER NOT KEEP HIM WAITING ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY." Papyrus strode to the door, the two fire dogs close on his heels and Gem drifting behind him. He braced himself on the door frame as he quickly brushed any stray dirt or leaves from his front and sides, then kicked it from his boots before heading through the door.

In the inner court Fieri, a citizen, and several priests were all gathered around the Eternal Flame. At a distance, of course, because the Flame had grown to take up half the room. Papyrus could feel the heat from the entrance. He walked right over to Fieri, "SO, SANS FELL ASLEEP INSIDE THE ETERNAL FLAME AGAIN?"

"Gah!" Fieri jumped, then glared up at Papyrus. "Don't sneak up on my like that!"

"I ASSURE YOU, THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION AT ALL!"

Firestorm and Brimstone had propped their front paws on the rim of the urn holding the Eternal Flame, tails wagging slowly as they sniffed the inside.

"Well just… don't do it again." Fieri crossed his arms and turned his attention back to the Eternal Flame. "Please," he added quietly, scowl still firmly in place "And could you please get your brother out? None of the rest of us can get close."

"WE'LL SEE," Papyrus said carefully before approaching the bonfire. The flames reluctantly shrank as he stepped forward, several priests sighed in relief as the heat died down with the flames. Papyrus looked inside the urn to see Sans curled up on his side, breathing softly, face utterly relaxed, even drooling a little. He was wearing the night shirt Papyrus had helped him change into, over that was his old, threadbare, stained house robe, it was missing its belt and lay only half over his legs, there was one slipper on his foot, the other lay abandoned at the base of the Eternal Flame. Brimstone and Firestorm both hopped into the urn, curling around Sans like Papyrus usually left them every afternoon when he put Sans to bed. He tilted his head back and forth as he took in the situation, then turned back to face Fieri and the others. "ARE YOU SURE MOVING HIM IS A GOOD IDEA? IT SEEMS LORD FIERSOME WANTS HIM LEFT ALONE."

"That… is a good point," Fieri conceded. "But there are still petitioners with requests and sacrifices to make."

"WELL, HAVE YOU TRIED JUST GOING ON LIKE NORMAL?"

"Just… going on like normal? With Sans asleep inside the Eternal Flame?"

"YES! JUST… JUST PRETEND HE'S NOT EVEN THERE." Papyrus stepped away from the Eternal Flame, it flared up again before settling down to its normal state. "GO ON, GET BACK OVER BY THE ALTAR AND JUST KEEP DOING," Papyrus waved his hands vaguely, "YOUR THING." As an afterthought he quickly bent down to scoop up the wayward slipper and placed it next to Sans.

The priests all moved out of the way and off to the side, Fieri took his place back beside the altar, the petitioner cautiously moved to stand in front of it. "May Lord Fiersome grant this monster's request," Fieri more asked than intoned.

A spark flew off the Eternal Flame and lit into a small flame over the petitioner's sacrifice, a bolt of undyed fabric Papyrus was sure would be useful for something.

"THERE, SEE? ALL THIS FUSS OVER SOMETHING SO SMALL. AND THE NEXT TIME LORD FIERSOME IS KEEPING YOU FROM DOING SOMETHING, MAYBE DON'T DO THAT SOMETHING." Papyrus smiled brightly, happy to have helped Fieri learn something new today. You were supposed to learn at least one new thing every day, after all!

"I shall take your advice into consideration." Fieri drew himself up stiff and tall. Papyrus didn't mind, he knew that Fieri was just a very formal monster and that was his way of saying 'thank you' for helping him learn something new. With a shallow nod Fieri sent the petitioner on their way.

"WELL, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT YOU NEED ME FOR, I'LL JUST BE ON MY WAY THEN."

"Yes, thank you for coming so quickly. And for not tracking mud in this time."

Papyrus grinned broadly, his eye sockets sparkling with glee at the praise. "YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME!"

Sans came back to consciousness slowly, fighting it the whole way. He wasn't ready to wake up quite yet, he was warm, he was comfortable, and there was someone gently petting his skull. Alas, he couldn't fight the wakefulness any longer and finally opened his eyes. There was Grillby, perched on the edge of the urn as he stroked Sans's skull.

"well ain't you just a sight for sore eye sockets?"

Grillby grinned broadly. "… Good evening, dearest. Did you sleep well?"

Sans yawned and shifted to sit up. Firestorm and Brimstone perked up from where they had been laying, tails gently wagging. "yeah, best night's sleep i've had since our wedding night." He added in a brow waggle just to see that smile on Grillby's face.

"… I'm glad." He leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on Sans's teeth. "… But somehow I don't believe you, the sun is only just setting."

Sans shrugged before gently tugging Grillby's robe, silently asking him to come closer.

"… If you're still tired you should go back to sleep."

"i'm not though, really, couldn't sleep now if i wanted to. more interested in getting my hello kiss." He tugged Grillby's robe a bit more insistently.

Grillby obligingly slid down and gathered Sans into his arms for a kiss. A nice, long, heated kiss. "… Will that do?"

"eh, it's a start."

Grillby chuckled, one hand gently stroking the side of Sans's face before leaning down to kiss Sans again. After they pulled apart a second time, Grillby rearranged them so he was leaning against the urn's shallow walls, Sans across his lap and pulled close to his broad chest. Firestorm and Brimstone both got up and circled the pair before laying down snuggled up on either side of them. Sans hummed happily and took a moment to relish his husband's presence.

"… So what happened? I thought the bed was comfortable."

"it is! or i thought it was. i dunno… i just couldn't seem to fall asleep. it was… it wasn't uncomfortable."

"… That fills me with so much confidence."

"and i was cold? i think? i had a pile of blankets on and everything, but they didn't seem to help. almost went for the fireplace, but then i remembered how comfortable this thing is and came here."

"… Where were Fire and Brim?"

The two dogs perked up their heads at their names.

"think they were outside with papyrus."

"… And the fireplace didn't seem warm enough?"

"huh… now that you mention it i think that's why i came all the way out here. it almost looked tempting, but it also didn't?"

"… I think it was less you being uncomfortable and more the babies being uncomfortable." The hand that had found its way to Sans's belly, as one of Grillby's hands inevitably did, began caressing over it.

"the kids were cold?"

Grillby nodded, then paused for a moment before shaking his head. "… Not quite, they are demigods, I think only divine flames would do. You've been sleeping with my war hounds until now, right?"

"yeah, they snuggle right up to me."

"… They've been keeping the babies warm."

"but the kids're made of fire, how can fire even get cold?"

Grillby chuckled and kissed the crown of Sans's head before continuing. "… Small or weak flames can be snuffed out if it's cold enough, they can't make enough heat to keep themselves going."

"and you can't get much smaller or weaker than not even born yet."

"… Exactly."

Sans pressed all the closer to Grillby. "well shit, should i be wearing more layers during the day? or shove one of the fire sprites down my shirt?"

Grillby burst into loud laughter, hugging Sans close as he tried to speak through it. "… N-no, ha ha hah! You d-don't ne-heed to go tha-" a gasp, a wheeze, "that heh heh that far." He dropped his head onto Sans's shoulder to ride out the rest of the laughter.

Sans pouted. Or tried to, it was hard to be appropriately miffed when Grillby had such a warm laugh that tinged his flames in pale yellow and white and lit up the whole room. "i'm just trying to take the best care possible of our kids," he said as a smile tugged at the corners of his displeased grin.

"… You are, you are… you're doing just fine. You don't feel cold during the day, do you?"

"i don't think so? never really felt cold before, you gotta have skin for that."

"… If you're not uncomfortable then don't worry about it.

"alright, i trust you."

"… And why not just start sleeping here? If this is where you're most comfortable then this is where you should sleep."

"yeah, this thing's surprisingly comfy."

"… And it was rather nice having you so near all afternoon."

"it was really nice." Sans settled more comfortably into Grillby's embrace.

"… It's too bad you didn't get to see Char's face."

Sans snorted. "bet it was hilarious."

"… Very. He was just so shocked and appalled, and when he realized there was nothing he could do about it…" Grillby trailed off into warm chuckles.

"too bad i missed it, but i'm sure i'll get to see plenty more in the morning."

"… He'll likely have something to say," Grillby agreed. The pair drifted off into companionable silence.

Sans began fidgeting. "so that was my day, how was yours?"

"… Excellent, there was a very special noon sacrifice today."

"oh?" Sans waggled his brows again.

"… Yes, Bonnie had a roast suckling pig prepared, it was delicious."

"you tease!"

"… Are you jealous?" Grillby leaned down to whisper against Sans's acoustic meatus, "… Don't be, every sacrifice you give me is far better."

Sans couldn't help the blush that spread across is face. "really?"

"… Very much so. No matter what the sacrifice is, every one you lead is just… better."

"must be the whole bridegroom thing."

"… Probably. But I like to think it's just because you love me."

Sans pretended to gasp in surprise, "how did you know?"

Rather than answer, Grillby just pulled Sans into another kiss.

AN: Fun fact: heat is actually one of the necessary ingredients for a fire, most are just able to keep themselves warm so the fuel and/or oxygen is more of a worry. I once saw a video of a super cooled copper coil being used to put out an otherwise stable flame in a laboratory setting, it was pretty cool (heeeee). Wish I could find it to share.

So just imagine this: you're going to the temple to make a sacrifice, you get inside and you're up to the altar and it's all super fancy and impressive! And then you hear snoring. The priest tells you to just ignore it. XD