[[ Okie dokie guys, this chapter's where I've started trying to put some actual PLOT into play here, so bear with me. I hope it was at least worth the wait, and don't worry, I'm already starting on the next chapter, because it follows up closely with this one. Enjoy! ]]
"THANK YOU, COME AGAIN!" The door to the little coffee and pastry shop closed with the tinkling of a small bell and Papyrus watched as the happy couple walked out into the cool afternoon, paper cups in hand, smiling at each other. That was his favorite part of his work. True, working as a second- er, a seventh hand for Muffet wasn't necessarily his dream job (that was still being a member of the Royal Guard, even though it had long since been disbanded), but he still found quite a bit of his work for the spider monster to be fulfilling. He got to see lots of people every single day! Most of them were monsters, but some of them were humans, too! Sans had told him once he found the job that he needed to be careful, that not all humans were nice...and Papyrus had agreed, despite wanting to tell his older broth out, that he wasn't a baby-bones anymore. 'He just worries, that's all.'
Though...his brother's fears were well founded. He knew that. Even being the ever-optimistic soul he was, he couldn't ignore the news. Talk of murders happening, of humans being left cold without blood, of monsters vanishing with nothing more than a pile of dust in their wake. Human and monster relations had begun to strain against the weight of all the death, and Papyrus knew it was only a matter of time before the thin strand holding things together would snap. But he had faith. He wasn't a religious skeleton by any means, but he believed in the good of people, monster and human alike. He believed, deep within his very soul, that things could get better, and so he didn't trouble himself with too many thoughts of the bad that was happening just outside their little town. Sans worried enough for the both of them, as he always had. The least Papyrus could do was keep himself as a hopeful beacon in the darkness for his brother to turn to.
The little chime of the bell situated over the shop's door pulled him from his thoughts and he shook his skull slightly, giving a bright smile. "WELCOME!" A human woman stood, looking fairly uncertain just inside the doorway. "WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK? WE HAVE THE BEST COFFEE IN ALL OF TAOBH! AND THERE'S A FRESH BATCH OF SPIDER DONUTS!" he said warmly, gesturing a gloved hand to the display case where all of their sweets and pastries were kept. The human glanced at it, then smiled back at him. He didn't miss the small look of disdain that passed over her face, however.
"Though that sounds lovely, I'm afraid I'm on a diet." Papyrus raised a browbone, obviously confused as he allowed his gaze to travel over the human. She was incredibly thin (at least, by 'human standards', he believed), so there was no need for her to diet, he was certain. He was about to tell her as much, but she laughed, the sound light, like the tinkling of a bell. "Do you make just regular coffee?" She ran a hand through her long, platinum blonde tresses, brushing it over her shoulder to fall, razor-straight, behind her. The human made her way toward one of the small cafe's tables, setting her purse and a thick tape-bound folder on the smooth wood surface.
"CERTAINLY! WOULD YOU LIKE DECAF OR REGULAR?" he asked, and as he touched the edges of a ceramic mug, he saw her lips twitch downward slightly, her ice-blue eyes narrowing.
"Ah, actually... I'm sorry, but do you have a human co-worker who could make it for me?" A cold beat of some unpleasant emotion trailed through his soul, but he pushed past it easily, his smile widening.
"NOPE, IT'S JUST ME TODAY! WELL, ME AND MISS MUFFET..." He set the mug down and, feeling a small tickling on the back of his skull, perked up. "OH! AND THE LITTLE ONES, OF COURSE!" As if on que, dozens of tiny spider monsters crawled out from behind cabinets, carrying a menu. The woman drew back, flinching as if the sight of them alone repulsed her, and her laugh was sweeter than any spider donut. 'I never did like artificial sweetener,' Papyrus mused to himself, watching the human grab her purse and retreat toward the door on shaky heels.
"I see... Then I'm afraid I'll have to go elsewhere. Sorry to trouble you!" With those words and another sickly sweet smile, she turned on her too-tall heel and strode out of the shop. A sigh slipped from between the skeleton's teeth as he glanced down at the little spiders who, upon seeing the human flee, looked up at him, sadness glittering in their eight teeny eyes. He smiled and bent down to take the menu from them gently, setting it back in its proper place with the others.
"DO NOT FRET, LITTLE ONES. AS SHE SAID, SHE WAS MERELY ON A DIET! SHE WAS NOT FRIGHTENED!" This seemed to cheer the tiny arachnid monsters up just a bit, because they gave a high, collective 'kree' before skittering off in the direction of the kitchen, where Muffet was humming away while she made a fresh batch of spider donuts. Once they were gone, Papyrus glanced out over the shop, something catching his eye(socket). "OH NO! THE HUMAN FORGOT HER FOLDER!" He grabbed it and crossed the shop in a few short strides, pushing the door open and stepping out amongst the throngs of people. He looked, but the human was nowhere to be seen. "SHE WILL SURELY COME BACK FOR IT. I'LL JUST KEEP IT BEHIND THE COUNTER-" Turning and walking back into the store, he stumbled as a single little spider, the tiniest of Muffet's 'little ones' stood behind him, a scrap of paper held out for him. He side-stepped and managed to catch himself before he fell, but the folder slipped from between his gloved fingers, falling to the ground. The tape holding it shut tore easily, sending papers scattering across the floor. Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief, stooping down to pick up the tiny arachnid. "YOU MUST MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN! I NEARLY STEPPED ON YOU, SPRINKLE!" he scolded gently, though it was hardly a scolding when the nickname made the spider squeak softly and his face broke out into a grin. "NYEH HEH HEH! YOU NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL, ALRIGHT?" He extended a single gloved fingertip and gently pet the spider on the head, listening to it purr and chirp softly as it nuzzled up against the touch. He carefully set the arachnid down on the counter and it scurried off to join the others, he assumed, as he turned to the mess of papers on the floor now with a sigh.
"OH WELL. NOW TO GET THIS CLEANED UP!" Stooping down, Papyrus carefully began picking up the pieces of paper, trying to keep his eyesockets from trailing too long across them. It wasn't his and, thus, not any business of his to read! He gently set them back in the folder, humming softly to himself, when a familiar image caught his eye. 'It is my dear human friends!' Smiling, he carefully grabbed the photograph to look at it more closely. It looked like it was taken at the school, with Frisk making funny faces at a group of monster children (Monster Kid among them, which made Papyrus grin wider) and, behind them all, was Lena, arms wrapped around her stomach as she apparently laughed in what looked like delight. Frisk was one of the best at making faces, Papyrus had to admit. 'Maybe that woman was a friend of the human Lena's!' He set it in the folder and continued to clean up, only to come across another photo. This one was a bit more obscure, taken through a window, from the looks of it. Lena was sitting at her desk looking at papers, probably grading them, and her tongue was sticking out from the corner of her mouth, her eyebrows furrowed in avid concentration. Then another, of Lena's SUV. And one of her license plates. Frowning slightly, Papyrus set them neatly into a pile. 'How strange...' The final photograph was of her and his brother, Sans, holding hands and walking down one of Taobh's main streets. 'Probably from Grillby's...' he deduced, recognizing the background. Despite the fact that he very rarely actually went to Grillby's, he knew the location well enough. Only natural for him to know his brother's favorite places! He was the best of brothers.
The papers were all black and white print, very plain looking, but a few of the bolded words caught his attention, and, despite his effort to not read something that wasn't his, he couldn't help but notice them.
"Leannán O'Brennike" ... "skeletons" ... "inter-species relationship" ... "Human Pride" ... "corrective measures" ... "NAME"
Frowning, he glanced around the shop nervously for only a moment before he read more closely. "... 'IT IS WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT THAT WE REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE OF NAME' ...THAT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE. WHAT ON EARTH DOES 'NAME' MEAN?" He set the paper he'd been reading into the folder along with the rest, standing and walking across the little shop to set the folder back on the table. Pausing, however, he blinked his sockets slowly as his mind worked over everything he'd just seen. Whatever this folder was for, whatever these papers were meant for, it had something to do with his friend. ...Surely being a bit meddlesome because of that wouldn't be too awful, right? Before he even had the chance to come to a conclusion himself, the swinging doors to the back room and kitchen burst open and, standing there with one pair of arms situated with hands on her hips and the other two sets of arms crossed firmly over her frilly blouse, there stood Muffet. Her eyes were all narrowed as she scanned the room then, flitting back to Papyrus, she smiled.
"Dearie, were you taking a break? You know that time is money, don't you?" she asked, her voice light and lyrical, but the tone lying just underneath it still sent a small shudder down the skeleton's spine.
"YES! I MEAN, NO, I WAS NOT TAKING A BREAK. A CUSTOMER FORGOT SOMETHING AND-" She strode around the counter and across the room, uncrossing her top-most set of arms and easily plucking the file from between his gloved hands.
"The dear little ones told me all about it," she cooed, lifting her free hand to his skull, where he felt a small skittering as a tiny spider climbed from him onto her extended fingers. "It is quite troublesome news, I must admit. Who did you say left this here? Someone you know?"
"NO, I AM AFRAID I DO NOT KNOW THEM... BUT THEY SEEM TO KNOW MY FRIEND. I DON'T KNOW WHY." Her eyes narrowed at this, but her smile stayed firmly in place.
"I see... Well, fear not, Dearie. I'll keep several eyes open for anything strange! Ahuhu~" She giggled, raising a hand to her mouth in a very ladylike manner to try and conceal it, holding the folder tightly to her chest. "I'll also be holding onto this. I feel as though it's important that it doesn't get returned." Papyrus frowned slightly, raising a hand to rub at the back of his skull. Seeing his unease, she smiled up at him brightly, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry! If any trouble were to come of it, I will take the blame. Besides, if the customer were to come back, then it's better if someone who is here at all times holds it...right?" She was a convincing spideress, so, with a small sigh, Papyrus nodded. "Good! Now, off you go! Your shift is nearly over, but you're free to leave a bit early today."
"WH-WHAT? ARE YOU SURE, MISS MUFFET?" She simply laughed and waved him off. He slipped off his apron and draped it across the counter, and his gloved hand was on the door when her voice stopped him.
"Do take care heading home tonight, dearie." Raising a browbone at her, he nodded and pushed the door open, stepping out into the cool evening air. A shiver ran through his soul that had little to do with the air. He had things to talk about with Sans when he got home.
The final shift of the day always seemed to drag on the longest. Sans glanced up from his phone, eyelights flickering up toward the clock to check the time for what felt like the hundredth time since his break. The dinner rush was over, not that many people really bothered to stop by and get hot dogs on their way home from work, but there were enough customers that his tip jar had gotten half-full during the one hour long 'busy period'. 'Won't be too big a deal if I cut out early today...' There hadn't been a single customer within the last half hour, leaving him sitting, spamming his brother on Undernet with anonymous messages full of puns and shitty jokes. It brought a smile to his face whenever he would get a message in return, whether it was random keyboard-spamming or something actually coherent. Find joy in the little things, right?
After waiting another five minutes he shoved his phone into the pocket of his basketball shorts and got up from his stool placed conveniently behind his hotdog stand. He pulled the cart by its wheels and walked it the short distance to the tiny storage shack behind the Nice Cream parlor. He was able to work out a deal with the aqua-furred rabbit who ran the joint, since he had a part-time job there, so he had free storage for the cart and a fridge to keep the hot dogs and condiments. All of it free of charge, too. He wasn't terribly fond of the rabbit monster (they always came off as too cheery for his tastes), but he respected someone who could help out a pal. He looped the heavy chain through the handles of the thin steel doors before he clipped on the heavy padlock, giving the dial a few thoughtless twists before letting it fall with a small 'clank'.
Papyrus was surely off work already, and Lena would already be at home waiting for him. Dinner would probably already be over, but she'd be waiting up for him, ready with a plate of leftovers ready to warm up like she always was. Since when had he grown so used to this? When did the pleasantries of a domestic life actually start to feel, dare he say, normal? A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he turned and began his leisurely stroll through the narrow alleyway toward the sidewalk.
"Hey, check it out!" A nasally-sounding voice cut through the quiet murmur of noise from his surroundings, of vehicles driving by on the main road and conversation of people as they strolled down the sidewalk on their merry way. Sans glanced around the corner and saw a group of humans standing over a familiar-looking cat monster.
"Listen, little buddy, I don't want any trouble...but if I don't book it, my boss'll have my hide," the feline grumbled out in a flat tone, marred by the slightest bit of nervousness. The humans, three males, from what Sans could tell, all laughed, stepping closer to the monster, who instinctively backed up a few paces.
"'Little buddy'...? Hey, it's not very polite to say somethin' like that to a stranger." The 'leader' of the little pack, a bronze-skinned bleach blond with short gelled hair, reached a hand out and grabbed Burgerpants' shoulder, shoving him until the monster's back hit the brick wall behind him. His pointed ears flattened against his skull and the fur along his arms and back raised anxiously, tail puffing up as his hair stood on end. The blond human barked a laugh, giving another shove so the feline's shoulder ground against the brick. "Hey, look's like we've got a real pussy on our hands!" The other two cackled along with him, and Sans decided that he had seen enough. Sockets sliding closed, he fell through emptiness for a second before appearing behind the group of humans, the smell of ozone and a faint energy charging the air
"Hey guys, c'mon, can't you cat the guy a break?" Startled, the three men whirled around to look at Sans, their eyes narrowing.
"Buzz off, this has nothin' to do with you, freak," one of the other humans spat, nose wrinkling as if looking at him left a foul taste in his mouth. Sans shrugged his shoulders slightly, a lazy grin spreading across his face as he stepped closer. They stepped back, much like how Burgerpants had when they'd approached him.
"Hate to bee that kinda guy, but I can't just buzz off. You're keepin' my pal here from gettin' to work, so if you could just let him go-"
"Fuck off, demon!" The quieter of the three humans spat at him, the wetness splattering across the skeleton's cheek, and he flinched. Behind them Burgerpants began to tremble, eyes wide as saucers as he slowly began to edge away from them, his uniform shirt scratching quietly against the rough brick. Sans' eyesockets were empty, devoid of any light, and his smile was stretched so wide that his cheekbones burned from the strain.
"Now, see..." he drawled, his voice light and playful despite the thick tension in the air, and he raised an arm to wipe away the offending spit with his sleeve. "I'm not a violent guy. 'm pretty laid-back, prefer to just settle things peacefully..." The feline monster broke away from the alley and bolted, his feet slapping noisily against the pavement until, after a few seconds, he was out of sight. 'Good, he's in the clear. Now I can just-' Before he could even finish his thought, his magic was responding on its own, and he ducked out of the way just as a fist flew past his left temple.
"You let him get away!"
"Fuck, what're we gonna do?! If we come back without that cat freak, we're dead!"
"Shut up!" the blond barked out, sending Sans a narrow-eyed glare. "You two go find him. I'll take care of this monster." Sans snorted. It was always so funny when people called them that simply because of how unoriginal it was. He'd heard more creative insults from children. The other two looked at eachother for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not to obey. "Now!" They flinched and quickly left the alley, running off in the same direction Burgerpants had gone in.
"Ya really don't wanna do this, bucko," the skeleton drawled, hands shoving deeply into his pockets. The human forced out a harsh laugh and stepped closer, shoulders squared. When Sans didn't step back as he'd been expected to, the blond scowled, hand reaching to his hip. It didn't take much for Sans to be able to tell what was going to happen. Even without a nose, he could smell the intent on this human from miles away. 'LV of 15. Bad soul.' It wasn't his domain to cast judgment any longer, but he still found himself slipping back into those same habits, the same thoughts.
"Shut the fuck up, freak." Without missing a beat, Sans tilted his skull upward slightly, so he was looking at the human's face. His sockets were still dark, empty.
"So what sorta beef do a few human punks have with a dork like Burgerpants? Does he owe you money, or what?"
"None of your fucking business!" Sans dodged to the side easily as the blond's fist came flying past his skull. He reached a bony hand up and roughly grabbed his wrist, wrenching it around so it twisted painfully. The human gave out a small pained shout as Sans inspected his fist. There, in fresh black ink across his knuckles, was a tattoo, still fresh, the skin red and puffy.
"So tell me, bub...What's the 'NAME' of your game here?" He released his hold on the human just as he tried to wrench himself back, leaving him stumbling backwards and falling onto his ass on the filthy ground. "You're a pretty shitty person, aren't ya? Ya got enough LOVE... I bet yer hands are covered in blood 'n dust."
"I'm not about to let some skeleton tell me what kind of person I am. You filthy monster. All of you!" The human got to his feet and reached a hand back to a small leather pouch fastened tightly on the back of his belt. "You ought to go right the fuck back where you filthy freaks came from! The world's turned to shit ever since you all showed up. You and that traitorous brat!" Sans browbone twitched the faintest bit at this, his smile falling into more of a grimace.
"Nah, nah... See, here's what I think," the skeletal monster said flatly, eyesockets falling closed as he moved to lean against the wall. "You humans are just lookin' for a new thing to hate. You always are." A humorless snort, and he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, ya even hate amongst yer own kind, and fer what? Lookin' different? Soundin' different? Lovin' different people?"
"Shut up, shut up! Don't talk like all you monsters are innocent! One of you demons killed my sister!" the human bellowed, and Sans' eyes opened, the lights returned, though no more than dim pricks of light. He looked over the human, who was trembling where he stood with poorly concealed rage, teeth grinding together so loudly that it made Sans want to cringe. "Sh-she was just a pile of ash, laying in some dirty alley... She never hurt anyone... ...So now," he ground out, flipping the thick leather pouch open, "I'm gonna send you bastards back to hell where you belong! Now DIE." He grasped a short hilt and, with a flash of silver, Sans found a knife sticking right where he skull had been, between the bricks. Wedged in the mortar was a worn dagger, the edges covered in a gruesome mix of blood and dust, congealed and solidified to the blade. Sans quickly put space between himself and the human, moving back toward the rear of the Nice Cream shop, away from the main road. He didn't want any innocent bystanders to get dragged into this, even if he, himself, technically was one.
"Hey, buddy, it's knife that you wanna get close to me, but uh... I have a thing about personal space, y'know?" He forced a humorless chuckle, but it died as an eerily child-like giggle filled the alleyway.
Then he felt it.
An abyss, much like the Void. It was dark, darker, yet darker still, darker than anything he had ever seen in his entire lifetime, over the multitude of timelines. He tried to pinpoint it, to locate it, but found himself unable to find the newcomer that had joined their little alleyway brawl. ...Though, it was difficult to find someone who was already there.
The sound of metal against mortar grated upon the air, and Sans watched as the human pulled the dagger from between the bricks, watched the small flecks of dried blood and dust get scratched off and fall to the ground. 'A bad soul...' It was then that he realized where the darkness was coming from. There, hidden just behind the human's soul, was something else. A second soul. He jerked his left hand out of his pocket and magic flared to life in his left eyesocket, a faint glow encasing his hand as he summoned forth the human's soul. A burst of sickly yellow light cast itself over the brick walls and trash-littered ground, and he couldn't help but feel the irony of it. A soul of Justice. But from the way the yellow faded out to a disgusting gray in places told him that it had fallen far. At one point, perhaps, it might've been a mighty soul with a solar-quality glow, but now...something had tainted it.
Or, perhaps more accurately, someone.
A second heart-shape floated ominously from behind the first, black as pitch. It seemed to absorb the light from the surrounding area, making everything look dark, overcast, hopeless. Before he could question what it was, the souls were pulled back into the human's body, and he had to sidestep another attack. This one, however, was far more coordinated, and the knife nicked the sleeve of his hoodie. He breathed a curse as he watched his attacker spin, almost gracefully, and go for another stab, and another, and another. The blade was just in front of his eyesocket, ready to gouge deep into the bone, and his magic flared protectively. He seemed to blip out of existence for a moment, only to appear just behind the human. The giggling continued, and the human doubled over, arms wrapping around their stomach in their mirth.
"Ahh...you always were a wily one, smiley trashbag."
It felt as if a lightning bolt had struck his very soul, his magic bubbling anxiously within his bones and his sockets widened. "...no." They continued to laugh and Sans' eyesocket flared brightly, hand raised as he prepared to attack.
"You'll attack me? A human? My, my, how would everyone else see this situation...?" they mused, voice bordering on joyous as they spun the blade between their fingers. "You kill this human, and then I'll possess another...or perhaps I'll choose a monster next time. Maybe another skeleton!" Sans flinched visibly, his mouth turning down into a scowl, sockets narrowing. The human's now crimson eyes narrowed to mere slits, the smile on their face far too sharp to be natural. "Or maybe I will choose a human after all..."
"You stay the hell away from them."
"Or you'll what? Hmmmm? You're powerless, and you know it!" They gave a bubbly giggle and took a slow step closer, raising the knife to run their tongue across. Sans watched as the dust and blood got licked away and, if he had a stomach, he's certain it would've emptied itself. "Just give up. You did before and, don't you remember? It was so much easier~!"
"Why are you doing this...? What the fuck do you want?!"
"What I want...?" They tapped a finger to their chin in thought, and Sans felt rage boil within his bones at the mere thought that there wasn't a reason at all. "I just want to destroy everything. Is that too much to ask?" Their smiling expression fell, and then sent him a glare that felt jagged, he could feel his soul shuddering. "Humans are wretched creatures. And monsters are betrayers. All of you deserve to die. It's as simple as that." The dagger was thrust forward again, only this time Sans didn't move. It grazed his cheekbone, and he flinched as he felt the bone crack slightly under the force. A worn, blunt knife could only do so much.
"Yer kinda fucked up, aren't ya, brat?" Sans stepped out of the way as the human whirled, ready for another attack. They were moving far too fast, faster than humanly possible, the power of the black soul granting them abilities they didn't have otherwise. He ducked and weaved out of the way, avoiding the blunt attacks. The sound of voices coming from the alleyway distracted him, though, as he turned to try and tell them to run. A sharp pain blossomed from his forearm, and he jerked his arm back to see bright blue marrow seeping out of the cracks and fissures in the bone of his radius. "Shit-" He lost his footing, slippers catching on the edge of a dumpster, and he was unable to catch himself before he fell, bashing the back of his skull against the hard ground. The dagger was thrust in his face, hovering just inches away from his glowing eyesocket, and the human gave a pleased chuckle.
"Do you remember this feeling? The feeling of when you're about to die?" Sans chest froze, holding his breath as he tried to think of something, anything he could do. The cold feeling of dread that settled over his bones mingled well with the pain, and he found himself thinking far back to other times when he had died.
...Only, he hadn't, had he? He was still here, despite everything else, despite all of the hurdles and hardships. He was still here.
'I wonder if she's got dinner waitin' for me...' That lone thought, strange though it was in timing, crossed his mind, and he felt his soul clench painfully in his chest. He didn't want to die, not here, not now. For the first time in...stars, in so long, he had something that made him want to keep going. Something that made him want to actually live, not just survive, to look forward to the future.
Hope.
A soft white glow encased his soul, peeking through the openings in his ribs, and the human's already narrowed eyes closed, an expression of disgust passing over their face.
"I won't kill you yet, don't worry. I'll make sure you see your human bled out at your feet before that happens," they practically sang, eyes glowing more fiercely and casting a blood-colored glow. "Until then, try and remember the advice I gave you." They flipped the knife around their fingers until it was pointed toward the ground, and they grabbed the hilt tightly with both hands. "See you soon, smiley trashbag." The knife plunged downward into the human's gut, piercing the skin and muscle and tissue, and Sans watched as a rivulet of deep ruby-colored blood soaked through their shirt, dripping downward.
He opened a doorway beneath him and fell through the familiar emptiness that the Void had to offer.
It had taken him a good long while before he could calm down his raging magic. His soul finally ceased its frantic beating against the inside of his ribs, and as he opened his eyes to glance around the Void, he was startled to find a giant canine-like skull floating before him. It reached out to nuzzle its bony snout against his ribs and he couldn't help but huff a laugh, raising a hand to pet its muzzle. Then, just like that, it floated off again, leaving him alone in the darkness. Had it sensed his turmoil and come to watch over him...? They were sentient enough, it wasn't impossible. Still, the mere thought that something of his design could be trying to look out for him left a foul taste in his mouth.
Time flowed differently from within the Void, and he could never tell how long it had been in the 'outside'. He'd spent hours there, within the vast yet strangely comforting darkness, and the lack of control over his magic when he'd first arrived made it even more difficult to tell. 'Here's to hopin' it wasn't too long...' He drew in a breath and closed his eyes, the sensation of falling overcoming him before, after a second, he felt solid ground beneath his feet. Standing there, outside of his apartment door, he could hear his brother talking animatedly from inside, and a small tired smile made its way onto his face. They were here, and they were safe. Breathing out a heavy sigh, he raised his hand to rest on the doorknob, only for it to pull away from him suddenly as the door swung inward.
"I WILL BE BACK IN A MO- HUH?" Papyrus stood in the doorway, filling it up with his towering frame and blocking most of the light inside from filtering out onto the front step. "OH, SANS! THERE YOU ARE!" he said brightly with a smile. "WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN, LAZYBON-" His voice died suddenly, and Sans braced himself for the questioning as he gently shouldered past him into the living room. The television had what looked like a children's movie paused on the screen, and Sans could smell popcorn in the warm apartment air. A sharp but quiet inhale alerted him that Lena was sitting on the couch, just to his right, and he turned his head slightly so he could see her.
"Hey, sorry. Had to sell a few extra 'dogs and..." he trailed off as he caught sight of Papyrus' expression, browbones furrowed together in concern and disappointment. He hated lying to his brother, but it was for his own good...at least, that's what he told himself. The taller skeleton closed the front door and knelt down on one knee so he was closer to Sans' height, raising a gloved hand to brush against his forearm. The magical marrow had already begun to harden within the fissures in the bone, trying to close them up. With a sigh he pulled off his glove with his teeth and rested his hand on it, a faint green glow encasing it as he used his healing magics.
"What happened?!" The human shoved the bowl of popcorn aside and got to her feet, leaning down and grabbing onto his hoodie sleeve. Her face was drawn into concern and her soul fluttered nervously, fearfully in her chest. He shrugged the shoulder in the sleeve she held, turning his face a bit further into the fur-lining of his hood in an attempt to hide the cracks on his face. Luck was not on his side, however, because she reached out and tucked a hand carefully under his chin, her other hand pulling away at the hood so she could inspect the damage more closely. There was a deeper crack just at the edge of his jaw that split and fractured into dozens of smaller, thinner cracks. They created a web of tiny fissures that spread from his jawline to his cheekbone, just an inch short of his eyesocket. He counted his lucky stars that it was on the right side of his face. Even if it had spread to his socket, then, at least his vision wouldn't have been effected. Hard to lose vision in an already blind eye.
"Human, please allow me to heal him." Papyrus' voice was level, obviously controlled; Sans could tell from the way the others' fingertips shook as he brushed them against the cracks, judging the damage before setting to work mending them. Lena stepped back, wringing her hands as she glanced between the two skeletons. She was appalled by the lack of reaction the younger one had, though she made sure to keep it from her face.
"Sans, what happened? You're nearly two hours late! Why are you hurt?" Once Papyrus was done and stood, Sans raised a hand to run a finger along the cracks on his forearm. They were tender, and the touch brought a fresh well of pain, but the cracks had filled in and were a faint green in color. It would probably take him a week before they faded completely. He noted with a frown that the bone had nearly cracked in two, and that it was only a quarter inch of bone that had remained unbroken. "Sans!" He jumped slightly as the human grabbed his uninjured arm and he raised his dim eyelights to meet her eyes. It hurt how desperate they looked, imploring, begging, beseeching.
He shrugged his shoulders as lazily as he could manage with how tense he still felt, "'s no big deal."
"It's no- ...no big deal? What do you mean, 'It's no big deal'? You're...you're hurt-"
"And Paps healed me. I'm fine." She frowned, her brows furrowing as she tightened her hold on him.
"No, you're not fine. What happened?" He gently shook his arm out of her grasp and shuffled into the kitchen, ducking in the fridge to grasp the bottle of ketchup resting just inside the door. "Why won't you talk to me?" she asked, her voice holding just the smallest amount of hurt, and Sans felt his soul shudder in response. He flicked the cap off and squeezed a hefty amount of ketchup into his mouth.
"Because there's nothin' to talk about."
"How can you say that? You came in with your bones broken-"
"They were only cracked-"
"-and you're acting like nothing happened!"
"Because it's no big deal. Just drop it," he said flatly, setting the bottle back in the fridge and closing the door a bit more forcefully than he needed to. He didn't want to talk about this with her, didn't want her involved. Why couldn't she just drop it? He walked back out into the living room, hoping she'd leave it alone, but he could hear her perfectly in-step right behind him.
"I can't just drop it!" Her voice was raising slightly, her cheeks tinting a faint red as she started to get worked up. "Sans, if it were me, you'd be demanding I tell you everything!" He tensed slightly, pausing in his steps, and she took the opportunity to reach out and grab his sleeve again.
"It's not the same. Just leave it alone, Lena."
"How is it not the same?" she asked pointedly, and he huffed out a breath in frustration. "I got that letter and you demanded to know! I got a scratch from a student and you demanded to know! If Pappy gets hurt, you demand to know! Why are we not allowed to know what's wrong?!"
"It's got nothin' to fuckin' do with you!" Papyrus stood to the side, hands outstretched as if he wanted to do something, say something, but he didn't know what. He watched as the two began to argue, voices being raised, and he was nothing short of shocked to hear his brother actually yell.
"How does it have nothing to do with me?! Someone I love is hurt, I want to help!"
"Yeah, well, you can't! You have no place in this and you proddin' at me is just pissin' me off! Butt out!" The human flinched slightly, verdant eyes widening slightly before they narrowed, tears gathering at their corners. Frustrated and not wanting to feel guilty, he turned on his heel and stormed to the front door, ripping it open. "'m goin' to Grillby's." With that, the door slammed shut behind him, and he cut a doorway in front of him. He stepped through and it sprung closed behind him just as he heard the front door open, a voice calling out to him but, with the angry buzzing of magic in his skull, he couldn't tell whose it was.
Now alone in the emptiness once again, he pressed the heels of his bony palms to his eyesockets and growled. "Fuck."
[[ Hope you all enjoyed it! And I really do hope it was worth the wait. I've been struggling a bit more lately with writing (block? something? idfk man) and I'm gonna try hard to get back to my usual update frequency. Maybe getting on an actual schedule would help... ;w; Be sure to comment if you enjoyed it, and you can check it out on Tumblr! (life-sans-sin)
ALSO! Be sure to check out my drabbles collection! It's tied to this fic, and I already have a couple requests I've filled and written (one of them is NSFW) but anyway... Love you guys! ]]