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Leaning against the door frame, Stretch peeked into the room for what felt like the hundredth time since the occupant had been carried, days before, into the room after he had collapsed from exhaustion and grief.
Edge still laid where he was placed, curled in on himself, still clutching that one article of clothing tight against his chest. His boyfriend was in pain, the deepest pain one could imagine. But it wasn’t a wound that could be healed with a touch of green magic, nor an illness that could be fought off with sleep, cool towels and chicken soup.
No, Edge’s injury was soul deep.
All Stretch wanted to do was to take that pain away.
There was not much to be done at this point, just check in on him, change the untouched glass of water for a fresher one, and ask if he needed anything else. The fell monster had refused food, company and any other form of comfort since the first day he came to the swap universe. Just laid there, staring at the wall, unmoving. It was unfortunate that Stretch understood why.
The memory of what he saw that day when he opened his front door was ingrained in memory and haunted his own dreams.
It was just another day, plain with nothing of real significance. He got up, did his sentry gig, punned at his brother, and had a drink at Muffets. He texted Edge sweet nothings throughout the day. Edge responded to the earlier texts, Stretch knew how they made him smile, made getting through the day that much easier. But as the day grew longer, Edge’s response slowed to a still, not that it wasn’t unusual, his love got busy. He understood.
He had sent an invite an hour and half ago for the Fell brothers to come over for tacos, at Blue’s request. Stretch flopped down on the couch, honey bottle in hand, banned from the kitchen for too much punning. With a press of a button, the tv was on, playing the latest NTT special. Stretch took his first gulp of that delicious nectar when he heard it. A rapid, almost desperate sort of knocking at the door. It didn’t line up with any of their alternate’s knocks, especially none of the fell brothers. Maybe one of the snowdin residents needed something.
With a shrug, Stretch rose to his feet and meandered over, scratching an itch at his tailbone before opening the door.
Stretch swore his soul froze over in that moment.
There Edge stood, unnervingly still and looking as if he had trekked through hell and back. Dust coated his armor as he stared blankly at his arms, desperately holding Red’s tattered old jacket.
“E-Edge?” Stretched stuttered, opening the door enough to let the other walk in, who moved as if on auto-pilot. How he wanted to reach out as he walked past, unsure how Edge would react to touch. He closed the door, the only sound in the room coming from the soft click of the lock.
Stretch walked around Edge, trying to gauge the other’s state as his hands hovered hesitantly, wanting to touch, to hold, to comfort the shell shocked skeleton before him. Never in a million years would he think this...
“Papy, Who Was At The… Oh, Hi Edge.” Blue stepped out of the kitchen, mixing bowl in hand.
The honey bottle hit the floor, Stretch quickly grabbed Edge as he crumbled to his knees. A high pitched whine emitting from his shaking frame as Edge folded in on himself. Blue sat the bowl down on the floor before rushing over. Stretch brought Edge in close, tucking his boyfriends head against his shoulder as he began to sob.
Stretch looked up at Blue, sharing a look that spoke volumes of shock and fear, not knowing what to do next. As softly as he has ever managed, Blue placed a hand on Edge’s back and asked, “Edge, What Happened?”
Edge curled into Stretch, allowing his boyfriend to rock him. His voice came up muffled as he spoke against the orange sweatshirt. “In the middle of a fight. He… he took a hit meant for me… I-I saw him… saw him dust. He’s… he’s…” his whine cut him off, a new set of sobs overtaking the Fell monsters.
Blue joined in on holding Edge as he wept dryly, blue tears building in his sockets. Dinner would go unfinished for the night, not that any of them would have an appetite. It felt like an eternity before Edge slumped in his arms, his exhaustion finally took hold.
Blue helped Stretch remove most of Edge’s armor and boots, leaving him in only his undergarments. Stretch carried him upstairs to the guest room, where he could remove the remaining dust coated clothing, running a wet cloth over the exposed bone for any remaining particles. He replaced the clothes with a pair of pajamas, Edge had left at their house incase of impromptu boyfriend sleepovers.
The only thing Stretch left was the jacket, not wanting to take the one thing Edge had left of his brother.
Stretch could sympathize, though he pushed the memories of resets aside. This wasn’t about him and those old aches. He just wished there was more he could do to help his boyfriend, to comfort and show that he was there for him. Just wanted to walk in and hold him.
Any attempt from Stretch seemed to gain no response, no indication that it helped or hurt for him to be there. There was just nothing, it was unnerving to see. But not nearly as unnerving as when Blue tried to offer comfort. Edge would shake and whimper, hiding away from Blue. It became clear that being around any skeletons that looked much like Red would draw a negative response. It was enough to where Blue opted to stay over with the Tale brothers for a while, only coming over with food for the two of them, though one portion would always go uneaten.
The news of Red sent a shock wave through their group, condolences were sent and promises to do something to honor their fallen friend, whenever Edge was ready. The energy was gone, a rift had opened and silence filled the void. They were going to really miss the guy.
Stretch exhaled slowly, pushing away from the door jam. Maybe later he’ll try to get Edge to eat something or lay with him for the night, try to give him some ounce of comfort. He began to close the door when he heard it.
“stretch...” his voice was rough with disuse, hesitant and… lowercase? The whisper was lower than he had ever imagined coming from the normally loud, proud, confident skeleton. He felt like ice had stabbed into his soul, freezing him for a moment before taking a step into the room.
“yes?” Stretch’s voice was soft and careful,
“can, can you stay?” That gravelly voice barely carried over had Stretch not been listening closely for it. He closed the door to a crack behind him before moving further into the room, making sure to make noise so Edge would know he was there.
“i can. would you like for me to lay with you?” Stretch said as he approached the bed.
“please” was the only response as Edge curled in further in on himself. Stretch nodded, knowing Edge wouldn’t see it before taking off his sweater and draping it over the back of the desk chair. He crawled onto the bed, laying curled against Edge.
At first Stretch didn’t touch Edge, not sure how much of a connection Edge was seeking. But the grieving monster didn’t say anything, and Stretch’s soul called out for him, to touch him and hold him. Slowly, Stretch reached his hand over, laying it on Edge’s humerus. He was surprised that the bone lacked it’s normal warmth. True, he had never seen Edge cover up while he was in the bed, just always laid in that one spot, unmoving.
Stretch gulped, an unease settled in every bony fiber of his being. He shifted closer, spooning his frame against Edge’s stiff form. Edge didn’t move or react to the movement. Only remained where he was, as if he was a cracked and broken statue. Stretch moved his hand closer toward Edge's, wanting more than anything to thread their fingers together, to connect and give his boyfriend everything he had.
He didn’t know how long they laid there together. This close, Stretch could tell how dull Edge’s magic had become, it’s faint pulse slow and barely noticeable between the joints. He could feel his fear building up as he listened to the Fell monster’s breathing become shallower and softer. Stretch would almost guess he was falling asleep, but a quick peek at his face told otherwise. Edge’s open sockets looked blank from his angle as he stared at the wall, not a crimson eye-light could be caught in the glimpse.
A chill ran through Stretch’s spine at that and all the concern, fear and stress he had been holding back bubbled to the surface. He planted his head between Edge’s flannel covered shoulder blades, trying to push down the feeling. But all his worries had a firm hold on his soul, he had to let it out before they could spiral out of control.
“Edge...” No reply came
“love, i know you are hurting. i know this pain is beyond anything you’ve felt in your life.”
“but i’m scared…”
“i’m scared of losing you…”
“that you’re going to fall down…”
“never to come back…”
“please, precious...”
“please, don’t let this consume you like that…”
“i know it’s selfish of me, but i need you. i can’t stand the idea of losing you.”
“i’m here for you, to support you, to listen when you’re ready.”
“but please, don’t go. don’t fall down.”
“don’t leave me…”
“i wish i could just take this all away from you.”
“take away your pain, just rewind time and bring him back.”
“but i can’t…”
“all i can do is hold you.”
“fuck, i feel so useless. i want to give you more than that.”
“please, Edge…”
“i love you.”
Stretch’s hold around Edge tightened as he spoke, his voice shook as he spoke with tears trickling down his scrunched up face. He didn’t know why he felt like he was losing Edge, but maybe, just maybe he could save him. Somehow.
A gloved hand moved to meet his own, the lightest of touch, but it was there. That hand curled around his, a thumb began to trace over his carpels.
Then came a deep rise of the other’s ribs as Edge took a deep shuddering breath.
“it hurts, Stretch. it hurts sooo much.”
Stretch nodded as he pulled Edge closer to him. “i know, love, i know.”
He felt the first movement Edge had made in a long time, allowing the grieving monster to shift and turn around, burrowing his head into Stretch’s chest and began to sob. All Stretch could do was hold him, rocking gently as one hand curled protectively over Edge’s skull and the other rubbing circles on his back, hoping to bring the other comfort.
It would be another two days before Edge finally emerged from the room. Stretch nearly dropped the laundry basket in surprise to see the skeleton up and about, blinking at the hallway light after being in the darkened room for so long.
Crimson eye-lights traced around the hall before landing on Stretch. A breath of silence hung in the air, before Edge broke his stare and glanced away. “I… I think I need a shower.” he spoke, slowly and unsure of his request.
Stretch huffed a small laugh, relief flooding his soul. “sure, let me set these down and i can help you.” He popped in and out of his room and grabbed a freshly washed towel from the basket, still warmed from the dryer. He rushed back out of the room and approached Edge, who hadn’t made a move from that spot.
Gently, Stretch took Edge by the hand and led him to the bathroom, the fell monster following with ease. Once in the bathroom, Stretch diligently went to work warming up the shower and setting the towel over a rack. He turned, finding Edge still dressed.
With a soft smile, Stretch walked over to Edge. “would you like for me to help you undress?”
Gloved hand cupped the side of his jaw, leather soft thumbs caressed over his cheekbones as Edge held him in his hand. Stretch stared back, soul fluttering at the touch. Edge still looked so vulnerable, fragile even, like the smallest breeze could blow him away. He could see those crimson lights scanning over his face. Stretch wondered what he was looking for.
“Thank you. For being there for me.”
Stretch’s soul clenched at Edge’s tone, broken but mending back together. He placed one of his own hands on top of Edge’s and shifted to kiss the heel of his love’s palm. “anytime sweetheart. i’ll always be there for you. i love you.”
Edge leaned forward, his forehead coming to rest on Stretch’s shoulder. “I love you too.” Stretch wrapped his arms around the Fell monster, hugging him close with the sound of the shower running in the background. Edge buried his head in the crook of his neck, taking a deep breath as his arms snaked around Stretch’s torso.
After a moment of standing in the bathroom, holding each other close, Stretch had to reluctantly pull away. “alright, let’s get you into the shower love, before we run out of hot water.
Edge nodded before speaking into his shoulder, “Maybe we can have lunch after?”
Stretch’s soul swelled as he heard that. “sure thing Edgelord.”
It would be another three days before Edge came out of the room while Blue was in the house. He and his brother were in the living room. Blue had brought over a few meals for the two of them but they ended up sitting together on the couch, catching up on the on-goings of Undertale, puzzle calibrations and training. They heard a noise at the stairs that caught their attention, causing both to look over, spotting Edge in a pair of Stretch’s sweatpants and a worn sweater.
Blue stood still, like a mouse in the presence of a cat, trying not to catch the predator's attention but ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. He cleared his throat before speaking gently, as if his voice would crumble Edge into a million pieces. “Well, Hello Edge. It Is Very Nice To See You. How Are You Doing Today?”
Stretch could see the micro-emotions filtering through Edge’s face, the subtle shrinkage of eye-lights and twitch of a grimace. Regardless of how he felt, Edge simply nodded to Blue. “I’m doing better.”
Blue ever so sweetly smiled in response, “That Is Good To Hear. We’ve Been Watching Over Your Cat For You. Doomfanger Has Been A Delight.” Edge only nodded in response. Stretch could see from the couch how hard the Fell monster’s grip on the banister was, he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left an impression in it afterwards. “We’ll It Was Nice To Catch Up, But I Should Be On My Way. I Hope You Two Enjoy...”
“Blue...” Stretch noticed the slight hesitance in Edge’s voice, the little bit of a waver as his love visibly collected himself.
Blue stopped mid step, tilting his head inquisitively. “Yes Edge?”
They waited patiently as Edge mulled over the next choice of words, his eye-lights dancing anywhere other than Blue’s face as his mouth worked over what he was going to say. Finally Edge glanced over at Blue and the words slipped out. “May I request a hug from you?”
Blue beamed a bright smile at the taller skeleton. “Of Course You Can.” Stretch watched as Blue approached Edge, who knelt down to Blue’s level, allowing the shorter skeleton to wrap his arms around his torso. At first Edge was stiff, appearing unsure about the contact. His arms rigidly began to fold around the smaller frame that embraced him. But Blue would remain patient, snuggling closer as Edge pulled him in.
Slowly Edge began to relax into the hug, sockets sliding closed as he tucked his head into Blue’s shoulder. Blue’s hands caressed over the sweater as he glanced back at Stretch with the same smile one would have when gaining a feral cat’s approval for a cuddle. Ecstatic while cautious not to scare them away. Blue mouthed the words ‘he’s hugging me’ at Stretch, who returned with a lazy thumbs up.
The first sob startled Blue, forcing him to look back at the fell monster. Edge’s grip tightened as he buried his face further into his bandanna. Stretch could see Edge’s shoulders shake, prompting him to get up and approach the two. Blue jaw trembled as he hugged Edge with enough strength to crush ribs.
Stretch maneuvered around them to sit on the bottom stair, wrapping his arms around the two and placed a kiss on the back of Edge’s skull. He could hear Blue coax Edge as tears lined his sockets, “It’s Ok, Edge, Just Let it Out. It’s Ok.”
Later that night, Edge would wake from a new set of new nightmares, startling Stretch awake in his panic before being pulled into a tight hug with apologies raining down on him. Edge wouldn’t calm down until he confirmed that Blue and Comic were alive with a late night call to both monster, waking them in the late hours. Neither minded once they heard what had happened.
Before, the nightmares only featured Red, his brother asking ‘why he didn’t protect him’ ‘why did he have to take that hit.’ As Edge curled tightly against Stretch’s chest, recalling how the scene shifted from Red’s death to the death of both Blue and Comic. Their haunting voices asking him ‘if he couldn’t save Red, how did he expect to save them?”
These dreams repeated for the next week before beginning to fade to fewer occurrences, both Blue and Comic dismissed any worry of lost sleep when calls became necessary to calm Edge down. Regardless of the nightmares, Edge continued to move forward, no longer hiding himself away in the spare room and slowly growing more comfortable being around both the other Sanses. Edge would seek Stretch when things became too much. And Stretch didn’t mind dropping everything to tend to his precious’s broken heart.
It has been a month since Edge’s arrival to the Swap household, holding Red’s dust covered jacket in his arms. The skeletal gang had finally gathered in what would be a celebration of Red’s life, as none of them felt Red would have wanted a gloomy and boring wake. Everyone had gathered around the living room, food piled high on the coffee table with one of Red’s favorite movies playing in the background.
Everyone shared their wild stories of Red, laughing merrily while raising their glasses in cheer to the life that was once was Red. Edge sat curled against Stretch, who slung a comforting arm over the Fell monster’s shoulders. Stretch was proud of Edge, of how far he had come since the day he knocked on his door. A sullen joy filled the air, surely the stories were all in good spirits but they all knew one thing. The goblin of the group would surely be missed.
Blue turned towards Edge, swallowing down a deviled egg and hesitated before asking a question that seemed to be on his mind for quite some time. “Edge, Do You Plan On Returning To Underfell? I Mean, It’s Been A Pleasure Having You With Us, And Neither Stretch Or I Mind Having You Staying With Us For As Long As You Need Or Want. We’d Even Be Happy If You Decided To Stay If That Was Your Choice. I Was Just Curious On What You Wanted To Do.”
Stretch could feel Edge stiffen at the question before he took a deep and long breath. Every eye in the house was on Edge. Aside from the movie being played in the background, the room had fallen silent. Edge leaned forward, placing his drink down on the coaster on the coffee table. He leaned back into Stretch’s arm, which pulled the fell monster into a hug.
“I…” Edge paused, seeming to mull over his answer, “I don’t think I will return.” He raised his right hand over to Stretch’s crossed arms, resting it over his left elbow, giving it a light squeeze. Stretch squeezed him back, nuzzling into his neck. “I don’t think there’s anything more I can do over there. There’s too many…” Stretch felt the heavy sign Edge released. He knew Edge was just going to leave that sentence as is.
Blue nodded, “Well, We Welcome You To Stay In Our Home, Edge.”
“WE SUPPORT YOU, EDGY-ME. NO MATTER THE PATH YOU SO CHOOSE.” Rus piped up, clapping his hand over Edge’s knee as a sign of solidarity.
Comic raised his glass, nodding towards Edge “ditto, what they said.”
Edge nodded at his friends, “Thank you, everyone.” His voice was unusually soft but appreciative. A series of beeps sounded from the kitchen, catching Edge’s attention. “Oh, my cream puff.” Edge patted Stretch’s elbow to signal he needed to let go. Stretch planted a kiss behind that pointy cheek bone of his boyfriends before letting him up.
“Brat.” Edge gently chastised before raising to his feet. “Now if you excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Stretch watched as he walked towards the kitchen, disappearing behind the swinging door.
The tension in the room seemed to relax as chatter filled the air once more. Blue offered Stretch an apologetic look. Stretch shrugged back at him, worried for Edge, but knew he was getting better. In the end, it would be Edge’s decision and Stretch would support him if he changed his mind.
No one expected the familiar sound of a shortcut entering the room, followed by the faint smell of the void. Stretch and Comic made eye contact, neither of them had moved from their spots, and to their knowledge they were the only ones left who could…
“hey assholes, throwin’ a party without invitin’ me.” Said a familiar gruff voice. “any of ya jerks seen the Boss?”
The sound of chairs screeching against the floor, bodies shifting in their seats as every skeleton turned to face the source of the voice of the person they thought they lost. Every eye socket froze on Red as he picked at his gold tooth, standing in front of the door, not looking any different from what any of them last remembered, sans (heh) his famed fluffy jacket.
Not a single monster moved, as if any action made would cause the possible mass hallucination to fade away. Stretch began to wonder what was in the cookies.
Red’s toothy grin began to melt into an uncomfortable grump when no one spoke up, glaring as if that would reanimate the skeletal crew. His ruby red eye-light scanned each individual shocked face, as he wondered if skulls could actually go pale. “heh, whats wrong wit ya idiots? It's like yer seein’ a ghost or somethin’?”
The spell was broken when a clatter of dishes and food hitting the floor caused the entire room to jump. Edge stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, sockets wide with pin pricked eye-lights, staring right at Red. Edge’s jaw dropped, moving in an attempt to say something, before sputtering out. “R...rr… RED?
Red turned easily towards Edge, a sheepish grin returning to his face. “hey, Boss, sorry ta keep ya waiting. you’ll never guess what happened.”
Almost as quick as a shortcut, Edge fell to his knees in front of Red, pulling him into a desperate hug, ribs shaking as he hid his face into his brother’s red sweater. Red looked down at his younger brother, surprised, not expecting the reaction he was getting. His hands twitched behind Edge’s back, unsure what to do with them as his ribs were nearly crushed in his brother’s hold.
“what... what’s goin’ on?” Red asked bewildered. As if something clicked in his mind he added suddenly, “how long have I been gone?”
“CHERRY, YOU… WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD. EDGE SAW YOU DUST.” Rus stood up from his chair, wringing his hands together. “YOU’VE BEEN GONE FOR A MONTH.”
“What?” Red said in disbelief, it was his turn to be shocked. “no... i…. i was stuck in ta void from a botched shortcut. i dusted the monster that came after Edge, lost mah jacket doin’ so.” He looked down at Edge then back at the group, all having either stood or shifted to get a better view. “seriously? a month? thought it was a few hours… a day at most.”
A sob broke out from Edge, pulling Red’s attention back to the monster with his arms still wrapped around his torso. “fuckin’ shit.” Red finally wrapped his arms around Edge, pulling him the millimeter closer to his body. As guilt and realization took hold, Red rested his skull on Edge’s shoulder. “i’m sorry bro. i’m so sorry.” His fist clenched at Edge’s shirt while the younger brother sobbed harder. “if i had gotten out any sooner… fuck.”
Stretch glanced away after a moment, feeling wrong for watching the two proud fell monsters openly showing vulnerability in front of them. Glancing around the group, Stretch watched as Rus slowly sat back down, also facing away to give the brothers a bit of privacy. Comic was staring hard at his bottle of ketchup, turning it around and around in his hand, as if it held all the answers to the universe. Blue continued to watch, tears falling from his sockets with his hand pressed against his mouth.
Stretch reached down and scooped his brother up into his arms, squeezed him in a tight hug. He ran his hand in circles along Blue’s back, letting him release his emotions into his orange hoodie.
Past the shock of Red being alive, there was relief, but even with that relief Stretch’s soul clenched. He could barely imagine what Edge was going through at the moment. This whole thing with his brother, the one he’s been grieving over for the last month, was alive and well. It must be tearing him up. Like a wound that's healing over being ripped right open. Hopefully it’ll heal better.
There was a pop of a shortcut, and the sound of scrambling coming from the guest room, possibly to get to a trash receptacle, and a shaky yet familiar raspy curse “ASSHOLE!”
Tension melted away, Stretch huffed out a laugh. Even after all that, all they’ve been through, certain things never change. They understood Red’s need for privacy, to take care of his brother in his own special way.
Blue sat up in his lap, rubbing at his sockets. He looked towards the dropped dishes and gasped. “The Cream Puffs! Oh My, What A Waste. Rus, Would You Mind Helping Me Clean This Up.”
“NOT AT ALL.” Rus sprung to his feet with enthusiasm, “WE MIGHT AS WELL PUT THE REST OF THIS AWAY. I BELIEVE WE’LL HAVE TO POSTPONE THIS PARTY.”
With a nod, Blue hopped off of Stretch’s lap and joined Rus to clean up the mess and party snacks.
Before the Tale monster could disappear into the kitchen, Stretch turned towards him and asked. “Rus, did you know that would happen?”
Rus paused, tilting his head as he contemplated the question in depths. “NO, I BELIEVE I WAS JUST AS SURPRISED AS YOU ALL.” He smiled before pushing through the door.
Stretch laid back in his seat, glancing up at Comic and finding the other had fallen asleep. Probably to escape any duties their brother’s would come up with for them to help, or to escape dealing with his feelings in the sudden change of events. Wasn’t a terrible idea, but Stretch had some excess... ‘energy’ to burn, might as well do something about it.
Stretch got up from his seat, stretching (heh) out all the kinks in his joints from the evening. He picked up the platter of sandwiches, taking a deep breath. Tonight he was sure that Edge wouldn’t need him, to comfort him, to hold him. He has what he needed most during the past month, his brother.