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“Please.”
Papyrus stopped dead in his tracks, hand gripping the doorknob tightly as he considered just walking out the front door and worrying about the ramifications later. But he knew that he couldn't do that to his brother.
“Just—maybe just for today... we could stay home? There's that new show Mettaton released and I know how much you love—”
“People are dying, Sans.” Papyrus' voice was uncharacteristically quiet as he rested his head against the door. “I can't sit and enjoy a show when I know people are going to die without my help.”
“They're going to die either way!” Sans snapped. Papyrus had laid a blanket over him when he noticed him passed out on the couch this morning (as he'd done many times before), but he'd pulled himself into a sitting position, knocking it to the floor. Papyrus winced at his words, but when he turned around to face Sans he was the picture of confidence.
“Brother, I assure you, the Great Papyrus can do anything! Including convincing the human to change their ways.”
He had seen the look Sans met him with many times in the last few months. It felt just as bad this time as it had the first. A tense silence filled the air as his older brother balled and unballed his fists.
“It's never worked before,” He finally offered, staring at the floor.
“I believe if we are persistent—”
“Persistence gets you killed! Every fucking, every time...” Sans pressed his fists to his eye sockets, trying to hold back his sobs and failing. “Please, I can't keep doing this. Please just stay home this one time?”
Before the resets, Sans had made a point of never breaking down in front of his younger brother. He'd been suffering from depression as long as Papyrus could remember, and he'd had bad days. But he hadn't seen his brother cry until they woke up after the first reset. It crushed Papyrus every time.
He stepped away from the door, going to his brother and wrapping him in a tight hug, Sans' head tucked into the crook of his neck as he sobbed. Papyrus rubbed reassuring circles into Sans' back. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't terrified at what was likely to come, but...
“Anyone can be a good person, if they just try.” This only made Sans cling to his brother tighter. Papyrus was trying and failing not to tremble as he pulled the smaller skeleton even closer, reassuring himself that at least for now he was still there.
“They're gonna kill you.”
“And if I kill them, they'll come back again and again until I'm dead anyway.”
“So if it's pointless, and we're all going to die anyway, why can't we just sit this one round out?” Sans pleaded. Papyrus didn't say anything right away. He just held tight to his brother, struggling to find the words to make him understand.
“Because we'd remember, brother,” he said finally. “And I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to remind them every chance I got that they are making a choice, and they can choose to stop if they wish.”
--
Sans didn't say anything for a moment. They stood there holding each other as long as they could. But every second spent here meant another monster falling at the hands of the human, and Sans knew that Papyrus was eager to try and stop them again. Sans wanted to scream at him, wanted to tell Papyrus if he had to watch his brother get cut down mercilessly before his eyes, if he were the one who waited up to see if this time the human had let his brother live, mercy would be much harder.
“You're the best person I've ever known, Papyrus, and I'm so proud of you.” His voice was thick with emotion and he hated it. He hated to make Papyrus feel bad for being so brave.
He really did have the coolest bro.
“Of course you are, Sans, I'm the Great Papyrus!” Papyrus exclaimed, picking up his brother effortlessly and holding him high as he grinned up at him. Sans let out a small, broken laugh, trying to be strong for his little bro. Papyrus set him down and headed for the door again, and this time Sans didn't try to stop him from leaving. He paused in the doorway for a moment, and hope blossomed in Sans' chest cavity.
“I love you very much, Sans. You are a very good brother.” He turned back to offer a shaky smile before he headed out the door.
It was always important to both of them to be honest about their feelings before they parted ways at this point in the reset. They both dreaded each time they said goodbye being the last.
Sans managed to hold it together for a few minutes after Papyrus had left before he collapsed back onto the couch, sobs wracking his chest.