Work Text:
"LOVE YOURSELF! I LOVE YOU!"
"huh? oh. um. i love you too."
"HM? OH! NO, IT'S WHAT THE NICE CREAM SAYS"
"oh."
Two skeletons were sitting in darkness of the cave, back to back, leaning on one another. The soft lights of blue Echo Flowers made their figures corners visible, the yellow lights dancing on their bodies when glowing fierfly would past them, slowly, lazily. Third light was on the roof of this cave, bioluminescent algae covered stones that everyone seemed to like to call stars and just like humans under real starry sky, they would sometimes whisper their sacred wishes to them. Usually about going to surface or finding eternal love or achieving ultimate happiness. Neither of the two skeletons seated on ground were voicing if they had any of such wishes. Last of all the lights shining in the room were pair of white pupils, half lid and standing still, gaze locked in the black water licking the shore near by.
"IT'S TRUE THOUGH!" the taller figure said, shifting his head to the side, his eye sockets still locked on the ice cream stick in his hand.
"heh. i know.. thanks." said the shorter one in much more quieter tone than he had intended to.
Silence fell between them again. It was so quiet and remote whimpers and muffled sounds were repeated by the surrounding flowers. It was not comforting at all but they were there to listen them. They were only sounds they could find comforting as there was no one else that eager to walk around anymore. In some sad manner, it reminded them about lively and chatty neighborhood of Snowdin. Neither was interested to actually listen what they were saying. It almost seemed wrong now.
They were gone.
Almost all of them.
The old woman behind the Ruins door never came back to practice knock knock jokes with Sans. Undyne didn't answer when Papyrus called her nor did she open her door even if the young skeleton would wait behind her door two days, ready to accept his cooking lessons as usual. Hotlands were always distasteful in puzzle lovers opinion but both of them knew there was a lab there and they had visited it, several times in fact. It was empty and the elevator didn't heed Sans' attempts to call it up. Papyrus didn't know what was there but he didn't really want to know so he never asked and Sans never told. Muffets bakery was closed and the spiders refused to speak about it when they asked where the spider lady was. Mettaton had stopped airing his shows and no one was taking his place in TV. It was only static now. King was gone too along with souls of six humans and all hope of monsters with it. Few of the monsters that were still around were cowering in their homes or refused to leave their loved ones in favor of trying to start from the beginning, building Underground anew. It was likely they didn't want to try anymore. Papyrus wanted. And Sans had told him that all of the others were in vocation somewhere really really nice. Papyrus had been disappointed that they were left behind. Sans didn't tell him where they had gone exactly but where ever it was it had to be a nice place, because they stayed there so long. Papyrus hoped they would come back soon to help with the renewal. He missed them.
They had spend most of their days in Snowdin before Papyrus claimed the throne, trying to find whoever was still there and to see how much food there was left to salvage from empty shops. Papyrus had absolutely refused to take anything from the shops without paying and scolded Sans refreshingly enthusiastic for ever even thinking about stealing. Sans had called it borrowing. Papyrus didn't accept that as an excuse. Even if the shop owner would be in vocation they would be devastated when they would come back in home and see that they had been robbed. Sans had only smiled at him softly before putting some gold on the table. And every time they needed something they would go in and pay, till to this very day. The gold piled at the counter had grown to cover half of the said table top.
"The kid called yesterday."
"ARE THEY COMING FOR A VISIT?"
"no."
There was a silent pause when the taller skeleton shifted his weight again and placed his hands down on the ground next to himself.
"THEN WHAT WAS IT?"
"reset."
"OH.."
Silence returned, now louder. Many didn't seem to believe Papyrus was actually highly intellectual and knew more than he let on. It was usually his bubbly personality and believe in everyone's goodness that seemed to shine brightest and burn to everyone's minds first. Most would treat the younger brother as if he was still a babe, a trait Sans was also guilty of showing. Just like when he refused to allow his brother learn the truth of everyone's disappearances. How long could he keep the farce up? Probably not much longer if Papyrus didn't already know. Papyrus didn't tell him if he did know.
Both of them were aware of the timelines and normality. They knew that the kid was the cause and was making their timeline jump in unexpected way, made the child look like they knew
everything there is to know about Underground and everyone in it. It was lightly unnerving.. but if their timeline was actually doing full on loops it was possible. And they were guessing it was exactly that. There was no other explanation why the human would otherwise move with such confident and act like all the answers were before them. It was even more curious when they were thinking back on the time when the human confronted Papyrus in the Snowdin mist. They had not killed him but continued their way, never looking back and everything became so much more silent the longer the human walked on. Sans never told his sibling what happened after that. Papyrus never asked.
"PITY. IT WOULD MEAN EVERYONE'S VOCATION WILL BE OVER."
"tell me 'bout it."
"SANS."
"ye?"
"NEXT TIME.. CAN WE GO IN VOCATION TOO?"
"uh.. sure, why not."
Sans sighed heavily. But it was that moment that a fear banged to his soul and a cold shiver ran trough his spine. If the kid could do anything and if indeed they were restarting their timeline over and over, again and again.. it was likely they were experimenting on what they could change. Seeing what kind of outcomes they could make happen.. and this was just one of those experiments. This was not the worst possible ending Sans could think of, he had his brother after all.. but he wasn't sure that it would be the case next time kid would reach the end of Underground. This realization made his promise for vocation seem much more ironic than it needed to be. It was worsened as the kid had insisted that he would make his piece with his world before said reset. Foreshadowing for the future? Or pity? No.. not that one. But Sans believed their word. There was too much evidence not to. Why they chose to tell him didn't matter. Non that was happening right now did. It would be gone. He and his brother along with this nice little moment. He didn't want to think about it anymore, fear and sorrow weighting in older skeletons mind when he came to a decision. It was going to be the end anyway and everything there was and will be in the next half an hour will be gone and forgotten. Surely he could allow himself this one selfish moment.
So it happened that he lifted his hands from his lap, pulled his mittens off and reached his left hand to his side where it was place on ground, right next to Papyrus'. Hi stretched his little fingers out to place it on his little brothers finger. He was mildly surprised his brother was not wearing his red gloves. Possibly so he would not mess them up on the Nice Cream. That made sense.
"hay pap."
"YES?"
"i love ya."
"I KNOW. I LOVE YOU TOO. NOW AND IN THE NEXT TIMELINE TOO, I'M SURE."
"cute."
"IT'S NOT CUTE, IT'S THE TRUTH."
Sans chuckled but also meant what he had said. How he adored his little brother, he was the light of his life dimming all that this cave could muster and he was the motivation to go on. No matter what happened, he always thought he could do it for his brother if it meant he would keep seeing that smiling face, oh so beautiful, so innocent looking. Papyrus was the embodiment of all that was good in this world and the one above them. He loved his brother so much it was unhealthy in so many levels. Unhealthy and wrong but so very right. But right now, for this fleeting moment it didn't matter. It was going to be gone soon. His eyes closed.
He maneuvered his hand slightly so that more of his fingers would raise on top the larger hand and to his surprise Papyrus didn't pull away. Instead he moved his own hand to better fit under the smaller one. They shared no words as their fingers one by one shyly laced together. Sans was content. So was Papyrus.
Papyrus had mulled the information of their imminent execution in his mind. At least it felt like one. Just.. suddenly stopping to exist because one person willed it. No one would know they ever were and felt. They would wake up in a new timeline and go on with their lives and whatever it wold bring forth.. But this version of them, with these memories and experiences were going to be gone forever. Dissolved in the streams of time. He found it similar to death and could not stop a shudder. But with that thought he too also came to understand their moment was one of a kind and whatever would happen would forever be forgotten and forgiven. So even if he would manege to make his brother mad.. it wouldn't last that long nor the regret that would dwell up from it. If he would not say anything.. he would dwell in that regret anyway. Regret he had never or would never be able to say anything. He hardened his resolve. He can do it!
"WANT TO HEAR A SECRET?"
"uh. didn't know you had one."
"OH PLEASE, LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY!"
"ouch. well you got me there bro."
"I'M BEING SERIOUS!"
"sorry sorry. so, what is it?"
"SOMETIMES I WONDER.." his voice became unsure, his resolve hardened crumbled to his feet but he continued "..IF WE COULD HAVE DATED."
"......"
"S-SANS?"
"......" Papyrus could hear his brother draw a shaky inhale.
"I- IT'S OK SANS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS-"
"i would have liked that.."
For a moment it was once again dead quiet. Neither moved, still back against the other, basking in feeling of mutual acceptance. Sadly, now that they knew they could have acted on their subdued dreams it was already too late to do anything about them. The world was cruel and time seemed to be running unfairly fast.
"SANS.."
"ye?"
"Don't let go..." came a soft whisper.
"...never.." the other replied, squeezing the hand on his own harder.
Then they were gone for no one to remember.
It was as if they never were.