Sans doesn't even know why he was there, but there he was. Papyrus stood confidently as the human approached warily. Sans' soul quivered at the sight of her. She had a cut above her left eye that looked like it might still have been bleeding, ever so slightly. Part of him- the part that he had done his best to destroy less the cruel world around him destroyed him- wanted to go to her, to ease what little pain the small wound may be causing.
God, he hated himself.
"HALT, HUMAN!" Papyrus called. She stopped dead in her tracks. "COMMON COURTESY STATES THAT I MUST EXPLAIN HOW THIS BRILLIANT PUZZLE THAT I, THE TERRIBLE AND MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS HAVE BUILT."
Papyrus motioned towards the patch of ground before them. It was in a perfect square with no ice or snow.
"TO BEGIN WITH, HERE WE HAVE ONE OF MY EASIER PUZZLES. BEFORE YOU LAYS A MAZE MADE WITH INVISIBLE, ELECTRIC FENCING. EVE NONE TOUCH IS FATAL! IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH, YOU MAY CONTINUE TO ONE OF MY MORE CHALLENGING PUZZLES."
"EASY? HOW IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE EASY, YOU ASSHOLE!" the flower yelled. "If this is easy, I don't want to know what comes next!"
The human looked so terrified. Sans did his best to hide his sympathy. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to start suspecting something. However, the look of terror did stay long. She blinked and tilted her head. She looked like she was considered something. She gulped as she seemed to come to a decision and took a step forward… then to the right. Papyrus seemed to be in shock when, instead of walked through the maze she walked around the square clearing.
She came to stand a few feet before them, on the other side of the maze.
"THAT… THAT'S…"
Sans couldn't help himself. He burst out in laughter. Papyrus glared at him than at the human. He harrumphed and turned to leave without another word. The human looked a little worried, but the flower just smirked smugly.
"I gotta say…" Sans finally managed as he caught his breath. "...that was one way… to think… 'out of the box'! If you keep this up, you shouldn't have a problem finding your way 'around' the underground!"
She began to giggle.
It was a soft, gentle sound that made him feel… weird. He felt light and breathless- and not just front laughing so hard. He tried to think of something else- anything else- that he could say to make her make the sound again, but his mind had gone blank. God, what was she doing to him?
"Well uh… I'd better get going. Paps is gonna be sooo pissed! Man, you are about to have a real good time!"
Shit. Now she looks scared again. Maybe that's for the best. It's kill or be killed. The sooner she gets used to it, the better. If she wants to survive, she needs to give in.
The thought made him nauseous. What if she really did give in? What if she tainted her hands with dust?
What if this world erased her smile?