Chapter Text
Papyrus worked for several days, calibrating (and re-calibrating) puzzles. Only his best for a potential human! No, not potential...one will come. And he will capture them valiantly! He felt it...in his bones.
NYEH HEH...HEH!
Sans, on the other hand, was also working hard - just in the most effortless way possible. he always found a way to benefit himself (and his brother, of course), but he appeared lazy, even though he actually wasn't. Very few knew how he did it.
Sans admitted to himself that he was starting to worry about Papyrus. He's always worked hard to catch a human, because he would become a Royal Guardsman. He claimed he wanted to do it for popularity and admiration, but Sans knew he really just wanted friends. It was baffling how such a sociable monster could, well, be lacking companions.
Recently, however, Papyrus has been working even harder. The tall skeleton was a cheerful and very energetic guy, but he was starting to slow down a little. His expressions and body language started looking slightly more placid. It would be imperceptible to someone he hasn't spent his life with - Sans was that somebody.
Papyrus walked towards the home he and his brother shared. There were citizens strolling, that bear monster always talking about politics, and...Ugh, Grillby's. He had no problem with the owner of the establishment, he was quite friendly - but the food was horrid! Are the monsters in there even aware of how unsanitary it is?!
He reached the door, and entered. ...SINCE WHEN WAS OUR HOUSE SO FAR AWAY? He thought. Oh well.
"hey, bro." Sans greeted, finished with his shift(s) for the day. Although it was a little hard to tell time Underground, it was around late evening. ...Wow.
"HELLO, SANS."
"how are your puzzles goin'?"
"GREAT...BUT, WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT?"
The small skeleton chuckled a little at that, despite still being rather apprehensive. He winked, saying, "nothing but greatness." Then his expression sobered - as sober as someone with a permanent smile could get.
"...do you want me to handle dinner tonight?"
"WHY? I'M CAPABLE." I...I THINK I AM, ANYWAY. THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT BACK DOWN!
"i'm just feeling less lazy today. it's my turn anyway, isn't it?"
For a moment, Papyrus looked uncertain. He admitted to himself that he felt just a little tired. The walk from Snowdin Forest to the house was rather arduous. And, okay, maybe it would be better for Sans to make dinner, but he didn't want to make that fact blatant - unfortunately, subtlety wasn't really his thing.
The tall skeleton looked nowhere in particular, anywhere but his brother, and said, "...ALRIGHT." SO MUCH FOR NOT BACKING DOWN!
The two skeletons sat at the couch, eating the dinner that Sans made - ham sandwiches. They were simple, but that wasn't much of a surprise. Papyrus didn't seem to notice that his brother was repeatedly glancing at him. Either Sans was really good at being discreet, or the tall skeleton was a bit zoned out. It was both.
"so, uh, how are the sandwiches?
It took Papyrus about 3 seconds to mumble a reply, "FINE."
Sans looked up, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder pad. "hey, are you ok? you haven't scolded me for a single thing today." He disliked his own joke. He only let out a snicker of concern.
"F-FINE, SANS."
"...i'll be right back, alright? sit tight." He walked into the other room, so as not to be seen blip! - ing out of the house to who knows where. He was probably asking for the Canine Unit to fill in Papyrus's shift. He knew the tall skeleton was tired even though he denied it.
When he returned, about 30 minutes later, his brother was right where he left him. Except for the fact that he was asleep. Papyrus's knees were pulled up to his ribs, and his eye sockets were closed, fluttering every so often. He, like Sans, also had an almost-permanent smile - but he had a mildly genuine one now. At least he looked a little more peaceful now. The small skeleton would consider it almost cute, if the cause of the pose wasn't his little bro's pain. Sans smiled sadly - the smiling part was self-explanatory, but you could tell he was also a little sad because his eye lights were wavering.
Sans put his hand on top of his brother's, and yet again blip! - ed into Papyrus's bedroom. He chose to do that because his low HP restricted him from carrying his tall little brother. Then there would be two injured skeletons - one being himself.
He put Papyrus was on his race car bed - thank god his trajectory wasn't off. He turned the light off and was about to leave, when he felt a hand very clumsily be put on his clavicle. Papyrus did that. It was either an unconscious movement, or...
the shortcut woke him up a little. What that skeleton needed was anything but to be woken up. Sans felt the hand's grip tighten - it was still weak, but it was harder. He got it now.
"bro? can ya hear me?" No response, but the hand was still there.
Sans gingerly pushed Papyrus's arm off of his shoulder. He leaned in a little closer into the bed. "do you want me to stay with you?" Sans felt like he was being hugged. ...So it was a yes, then.
Papyrus somehow managed to curl his slightly longer limbs into a hug, and his skull was resting in the crook of his older brother's neck. This felt a bit awkward, and was a little too close for comfort, but the small skeleton put up with it.
Sans definitely wasn't the most touchy-feely guy in the Underground. He could dish out praise like a chef would his masterpieces, but when someone else was affectionate towards him, he had trouble figuring out how to react. He rubbed his phalanges on the top of Papyrus's head, caressing it.
"you did good, pap. ya did good."