Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You threw yourself onto your bed with the boneless heaviness of someone who had been awake far too long. 

Your skin was still warm and slightly damp from the shower you’d taken the moment you entered your shitty little apartment — a habit you’d formed after countless hospital shifts. Scrub the germs off. 

Strip out of scrubs. Wash the day away before it could cling to you any longer than it already had.

Now you lay in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and underwear, hair dripping against your pillow, breath slowing as exhaustion finally caught up with you.

For a moment, you forced your eyes open, letting them drift lazily around the dim room. 

The thin curtains barely held back the morning light, scattering it across the peeling walls and the cracks in the ceiling. You remembered when this place looked… hopeful. When you’d first moved in fresh out of college, full of plans about the future — internships, career, growing up, becoming someone.

But those fantasies had been chewed up and spat out by reality. Bills. Overtime. Night shifts. Empty cupboards. The kind of bone-deep loneliness no one warns you about.

You stretched, joints popping in a surprisingly satisfying way, then reached for your phone on the nightstand.

8:37 AM.

Too early to be awake. Too late to pretend you could go back to sleep.

You scroll.

Mindless.

Empty

letting the dull glow of the screen soak your eyes. Just as you were telling yourself to put the phone down, an animatic caught your attention. Sans and Papyrus — the title read Funny Bones.

You snorted softly. God, you remembered that one.

You tapped on it, and the familiar art style hit you with a wave of nostalgic warmth. 

You remembered watching it for the first time when you were younger — laughing, awing, replaying it a dozen times because it was sweet in a way only childhood fandom memories could be.

Fifteen years ago.

Twelve years old.

Just discovering Undertale.

You could still picture yourself hunched over your dad’s old computer, eyes glued to the screen as you downloaded the game with all the excitement of finding a secret world. 

You had spent an embarrassingly long time playing it, too — hours upon hours — enough to earn relentless teasing from your older brothers.

And after your first run, which somehow ended neutral, you dove deeper. Tutorials, theories, genocide route, pacifist route — everything. The AUs. The fanart. The music. The ridiculous memes. The fanfics that were… questionably age-appropriate, now that you actually thought about it.

But like everyone, you grew up.

Grew busy.

Grew tired.

Life swallowed the hours you used to spend on things you loved, and the fandom faded into a faint, dusty corner of your mind — a wisp of childhood affection you rarely thought about.

Still… there was one thing you remembered somewhat vividly.

Your own AU.

Centered around Sans and Papyrus — the skeleton brothers — a world you had named Ludicrous, inspired by every fic you had devoured, smutty or otherwise. You had built the entire thing from scratch in your imagination, brick by brick, character by character, world by world.

You remembered the core of it clearly.

A universe where the war between humans and monsters had never ended.

Where humanity’s hunger for power pushed them to strip monsters of their nature, their culture, their land.

In your AU, monsters were beings of mercy and love. Their souls worked like the originals — delicate, powerful, gentle. They lived in harmony with nature, letting trees and vines claim the land and simply moving with the environment instead of reshaping it. They believed every living thing had a soul — even the wind, even the rivers.

Humans, however… didn’t.

Most believed only breathing things had souls — trees, earth, water? Nothing but resources. The few humans who disagreed were silenced, imprisoned, or simply lacked the power to fight back.

The monsters had tried — patiently, desperately — to make humans understand what they were destroying. But patience ended the day the humans killed someone.

Chara.

The adopted child of Toriel and Asgore.

You had written that scene with the dramatic flair of a kid who hadn’t yet learned subtlety — the kingdom shattered by grief and fury, the royal couple torn between despair and the hope that humans could still change. 

But their son, Asriel, was the one who lost all restraint. He was the first to call for war, too consumed by despair to cry, too broken to forgive.

In your AU the war exploded like a wildfire — monsters wielding elemental magic, manipulating the land, turning forests and oceans into weapons. For a while, they won. For a while, it looked like justice would prevail.

But humans adapted.

Learned.

Experimented.

They used monster magic against monsters — captured fragments of it, experimented on children to create artificial mages, brainwashed them into believing monsters were evil. In your notes, you described it as “wrong magic,” the kind that burned the soul instead of feeding it.

And like in original Undertale, the humans eventually won.

Sealing monsters underground with a barrier made by sacrificing their modified souls — dying in the process, broken and hollow. 

With mercy stripped away, they turned to machinery, constructing devices powered by corrupted magic. Purple and black designs inspired by Xtale — but not copied, just influenced.

God, the amount of lore you wrote for an AU you never published.

You shook your head hard, dragging yourself out of that nostalgia spiral. No way you were letting your brain wander deeper into a fandom rabbit hole at eight thirty in the morning.

You pushed yourself up, feet pressing into the soft carpet you’d bought at a garage sale back in college — one of the few nice things you owned.

 You walked to your desk and sat in front of your purple-and-black computer tower, reaching to wake it up so you could finish some work ahead of schedule. Maybe, if you pushed through it now, you could actually have tomorrow off.

But then you saw it.

The Undertale logo.

You froze, hand hovering above the mouse.

You hadn’t seen it in years. Hadn’t even remembered installing it on this computer. The familiar music drifted softly from the speakers as the idle animation played, and something warm — almost painful — stirred in your chest.

Maybe…

Just once.

Just this one time.

You could use a stress reliever.

A quick escape.

A harmless little trip down memory lane.

You clicked.

The title screen glowed warmly at you, like it was greeting an old friend.

You took a slow breath, lips curling into the first real smile of your day.

You selected NEW GAME.

Chapter Text

You load into the game, sinking back into your chair with a long, tired sigh.

It’s been forever since you’ve let yourself just… sit.

No rushing.

No chores.

No responsibilities.

Just you, a screen, and a childhood comfort you never really outgrew.

Honestly?

You preferred doing nothing at all.

Always have.

Always will.

And being the youngest meant your older brothers never let you forget it—

constantly teasing you for being “just like Sans,” lazy and sleepy.

You grin at the thought.

They weren’t wrong.

You still remembered the day you regretted ever introducing them to Undertale.

Because once you got them to play it—

and once they remembered your obsession—

they never let it go.

You’d wanted to talk about Undertale again, reconnect with something that comforted you.

Instead, your brothers dived headfirst into the fandom too.

They dragged you into endless jokes, memes, and AU debates—

and worst of all…

They found your AU.

And the fanart.

And the little stories your friend helped illustrate.

And the crushes—

the ones they teased you for relentlessly.

At least you had people to fangirl with now, even if they were annoying about it.

You stare at the screen, warmth blooming in your chest at the familiar pixel art.

God, you missed this style.

Simple, soft, nostalgic.

Your fingers idly fidget with the keychain hanging from your desk— the one your brother gave you.

You turn it over between your fingers, not even looking,

your attention drifting away from the screen for one second—

And that’s when the game… glitches.

The screen bursts into chaotic color.

Blue.

White.

Red.

Orange.

PURPLE.

All swirling together like someone grabbed the pixels and wrung them out like a towel.

You flinch back, eyes squeezing shut as the brightness stabs at your vision.

The light is too intense, too close.

Pain flashes behind your eyelids.

A gasp rips out of you.

And suddenly you can’t breathe.

Not properly.

Not deeply.

It feels like drowning—

like fog has forced its way into your mouth, flooding down your throat and into your lungs.

A choked moan escapes you as your head spikes with heat.

Not normal heat—

a burning fever, like someone poured fire straight into your skull.

You clutch your head, trembling.

You want to scream.

Your lungs don’t let you.

No oxygen.

No voice.

Just agony.

Your body shakes, coughing violently, like your insides are shutting down and restarting all at once.

Then the heat snaps cold.

So cold your bones ache.

Shivering, you yank your jacket closer—

Wait.

Jacket?

You freeze.

You were wearing pajamas.

Soft, thin, warm-weather pajamas.

Definitely NOT a jacket.

Your eyes fly open—

And the world is wrong.

Snow.

Everywhere.

White, cold, soft flakes drifting lazily around you.

Your stomach drops.

Your shitty apartment is GONE.

Your country doesn’t even GET snow.

Nothing about this makes sense.

You crouch, touching the snow with your fingers—

astonished by how soft, how icy, how real it feels.

Only to jolt back in horror.

Not because of the snow.

But because of your fingers.

Bony.

Skeletal.

Long, smooth phalanges instead of flesh.

You yank your hand back with a scream.

“What the fuck!”

You flex your fingers—

they move.

They bend.

They react.

They’re real.

And the pain from earlier?

Gone.

Like it never happened.

But your mind is still spinning from the memory of it.

Heart pounding (or whatever a skeleton has),

you pat your arms, your chest, your face—

You’re not human anymore.

Your fingers brush something over your mouth.

A mask.

A gas mask?

Your hand drags up your jaw, over the edge of the gas mask, then higher—

and you freeze when your fingertips bump against something firm.

Small.

Curved.

Sharp at the tips.

Horns.

Your breath catches as you touch them again, slower this time, tracing the smooth ridges.

They’re short, almost stubby—like they’re still growing—

but undeniably real.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…” you whisper, voice trembling.

You run your thumb over the base, feeling where it connects to your skull.

They’re part of you.

Not glued on.

Not decorative.

Real.

Your stomach twists.

You don’t know if you should scream, laugh, or pass out.

You freeze.

Then, slowly, your hand drifts back down.

Glasses.

You grasp the frames, hesitating.

What could possibly be worse than turning into a skeleton in under two minutes?

You pull them off—

And the world goes black.

Not dim.

Not blurry.

Pitch.

Black.

No vision at all.

You drop the glasses with a startled gasp, horror slamming into your gut.

“What the hell just happened!?”

Your voice cracks—

fear thick in every word.

Panic claws at you as you start hyperventilating,

blind and freezing and very, very alone.

It takes maybe thirty minutes—

maybe more—

before you calm down enough to crawl through the snow, feeling around frantically.

You need the gas mask.

You need the glasses.

You NEED to see.

Your hands sweep the ground, numb and shaky, until your fingers finally brush the edge of the mask.

Relief crashes through you—

But before you can grab it fully…

A hand touches your shoulder.

You freeze.

Your whole body jerks with instinct you didn’t know you had and you slap the gas mask onto your face in a single practiced motion.

You stumble backward, blind, terrified.

Your breath fogs the mask as you step away, adrenaline pounding.

Footsteps crunch through the snow.

Left.

Closer.

Stopping.

Then moving again—

toward you.

A gust of wind brushes your face.

Someone is standing right in front of you.

Holding something.

You clench your fists.

“Who are you?” you snap, trying to sound brave.

Trying to pretend you have ANY control over this situation.

A power sparks behind you—

a shape, a presence—

a gaster blaster you don’t even realize you summoned.

The figure freezes.

Then—

A deep, seemingly familiar, amused laugh.

“HAVE YOU HIT YOUR HEAD SO HARD THAT YOU CAN’T RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN BROTHER?”

You blink.

Brother?

Something drops into your lap.

You touch it-

glasses.

Your glasses.

You fumble to put them on, hands shaking.

Vision floods back— blurry at first, then sharpening.

And there he is.

Tall.

Scarved.

Skeletal.

Bright.

Looming over you with exasperation and relief mixed together.

Your jaw drops.

“Holy shit— Papyrus!?”

Also what sans looks like my friend drew it

This is the link please check it out!

https://www.tumblr.com/strawberylover/796745426441289728/my-ac-my-friend-drew-it-my-sans-doesnt-have?source=share

Or just search CyberTaleX on Tumblr my account name is StrawberyLover with one R.

Chapter Text

POV Papyrus

Papyrus was in the training room with his mechanic magic metal shooting the targets one by one hitting exactly the vital parts are no unnecessary moves he wiped his sweat from his forehead training for four hours straight take a number on you he sighed in exhaustion

deciding to stop training for now he walked to the locker rooms opening the doors to the empty the very empty locker room he stepped inside the multiple lockers seemed cramped he made his way to his locker opening it revealing what's inside it was very neatly organized clothes folded in containers a cape multiple towels and finally alot of hygiene stuff mostly oil

Taking his towel and a pair of clothes to change into he walked into a shower space and hesitantly his hand went to his one eye were a single holographic visor that only covered one of his eyes are before pulling his hand away quickly casting a spell that wouldn't allow anyone to enter or take a peek and locking the doors for extra security he finally felt safe enough to shower washing till every surface was scrubbed clean then applying oil that will make his bones healthier he put on his clothes a crop top lilac cape and his boots he put his hygiene stuff into the locker again only for his attention to be stolen by a pair of cigarettes 

He gritted his teeth trying to get self control he was trying to stop using cigarettes but it wasn't working rubbing his temples in frustration he sighed giving up and deciding to just stop smoking later if he can stop.. he grabbed the pair of cigarettes lightening one up he leaned on the wall lightly hitting his skull to the wall just enough for it to hurt but not cause an injury

After several minutes of leaning on the wall papyrus used his feet to kick of the wall he was leaning on cape blowing slightly on the movement hold together with his badge he threw the cigarettes into the ground crushing it with his feet until it dissolved into the air reaching out his hand just slightly revealing his gloves a small metallic device is on the center of the glove He spoke "GASTER HAVE I BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANY MISSIONS RIGHT NOW" he said voice loud but calm

Gaster was San's and papyrus's brother who is the royal scientist he created many things but one of them is a communication device planted on anyware on a device sans and papyrus both put their communication device on their gloves they both named their devices when addressing it as Gaster sans suggested it and papyrus just gone along with it 

Gaster also made the glasses sans is wearing after the accident that made Sans blind in both eyelights  permanently gaster worked day and night to make sure sans was able to see making a pair for papyrus though it only for his right eyelight  because he was too effected by the accident only suffering one blind eye from the protection sans gave to him

An AI voice rang out from the device "NO CAPTAIN PAPYRUS WE HAVE NO MISSIONS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK" the ai said Papyrus sighed in disappointment exited to do more work unlike his lazy older brother who would be crying from happiness because of no missions

Thinking of his brother he got reminded that sans wasn't feeling batter he decided to ask the ai a question again "GASTER WERE IS COMIC SANS SERIF'S LOCATION" he said waiting patiently as it locates sans from his tracker "SIR SANS IS CURRENTLY AT THE NORTH SIDE OF SNOWDIN" papyrus nodded as he stretched a pop coming from his bones 

Walking out of the training room he walked out off waterfall his vehicle a floating black motorcycle powered by the users magic he hopped on it controlling his magic to be able to move his motorcycle he drove into the direction were snowdin is he could use a shortcut but he would much rather use his motorcycle which which is actually called Kotor then shortcut anywhere and everywhere like sans

seeing the familiar parking lot Papyrus put his Kotor on a parking spot before retracting his magic from the motorcycle but activating a security feature so it wouldn't be stolen by some idiotic monsters he smelled Sans's scent it was berries and a hint of lavender flowers but it's somehow lighter? he walked fallowing the smell

He was unimpressed when he saw sans laying on the ground touching his gas mask that was on his hands he raised a mythaphorical eyebrow as sans barely took it off unless he was at home and safe but there were times were he took it off in public so papyrus wasn't to suspicious but it worried him he looked distressed scent bitter but he hid his concern

Papyrus touched sanses shoulder only to be shook off when sans hurriedly moved away from him it's quite change papyrus would think sans would've already known it was him based on his scent because hasn't he smelled his scent or seen him only to realize he wasn't wearing his glasses he was probably distressed because of that

he could see sanses body language alert and looking for any signs of danger "Who are you" sans half yelled papyrus could tell he didn't know who he was walking to get San's glasses from the soft snowy ground before walking towards sans dropping it into his hands 

trying to let him know it was him papyrus spoke "HAVE YOU HIT YOUR HEAD SO HARD THAT YOU CANT RECOGNIZE YOUR MALEFICENT RESPONSIBLE BROTHER?" Papyrus said teasing but still worried only to be confused when sans put his glasses on

"Holy shit papyrus!?"

Chapter Text

Sans yoUr POV

You look at papyrus in shock mouth gaping open like a fish out of water you can see papyrus in all his glory but he isn't the original papyrus it's your papyrus the one you created based on a lot of inspiration from the other aus and personal tastes

observing him he looked exactly how you created him the battle body that doesn't really cover his spine just like the original and the cape also the holographic visor interface over his one eye socket identical to the one you wear though it covers only one eye socket just how you and your friend designed the style you obsessively made with your friend

The absurd idea that your in the au that you created popped into your mind crazy as it is you couldn't get it oof your now boney head

but your hurrying thoughts were intrupted by you being picked up by strongs thin hands you yelped in suprise as papyrus picked you up carrying you over on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes remembering you could speak you spoke "p-papyrus!" You yelled half surprised and half embarrassed 

He huffed adjusting you on his shoulders "SANS I HAVE TOLD YOU COUNTLESS TIMES TO STAY AT HOME WERE YOU ARE SAFE AND YOU WERE QUITE SICK THIS IS THE ONE TIME THAT I ALLOW YOU TO BE LAZY AND STAY AT HOME AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT" Papyrus said eyes narrowing mixed of both worry and tiredness as he began walking

Did he just call you sans!?

You let out a suffering groan "oh gods.." you whispered to yourself at this point you couldn't deny that you were actually at an Undertale au that you created and the fact he called you brother earlier didn't help you didn't think that you would be actually sans actually be sans.. The thought this was a dream dissapeared the moment you felt unbearable pain

You shivered thinking of the pain you were in earlier and maybe also because of the cold snow Papyrus sensing your distress talked "DONT WORRY I THE MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS WILL NOT TELL GASTER" he said misunderstanding your distress from just being transported into a different world into being worried that you'll be punished and lectured by Gaster huh..

You finally relaxed just slightly under his hold accepting your fate thinking of what he said earlier Sans was sick huh maybe that was involved with you transmigrating into his body never mind thinking about it was almost probably related to you being in your own creations body

After a few minutes of pondering in your mind papyrus finally stopped walking letting you sit down on some sort of a motorcycle but it's floating you don't remember much for this au it has been quite a while a decade or so..

He took a helmet and put it ontop of your head "I AM NOT RISKING YOU TAKING DAMAGE YOU ARE ONE HP AFTERALL" he said thinking that you would complain not that you were thinking of complaining at this weirdass situation getting on it he started fueling his magic in starting it 

As papyrus started to drive you and him to home sweet home but you couldn't help but think of this au Frisk didn't fall down the hole by accident. There wasn't a single part overground that was not polluted nature was contained in domes to try and preserve nature even though they destroyed it in the past when the war still exited even before the war... But even then it was expensive to even enter these domes to actually breath pure oxygen only people with money could go 

There wasn't enough jobs for everyone the economy was dominated by ais and androids the big companies all started using artificial intelligence to cut the cost of paying actual human being that even the jobs that need actual humans was very populated so there was a large number of humans that was in poverty doing crime to try and live 

Even then humans only survived without oxygen by taking magic from monsters so the people that had no access to oxygen could live it acted as an energy fueler and kept their body function fractioning so people resorted to crime stealing from the rich and buying these tubes of magic injecting it into their blood stream

But most humans didn't actually know that monsters existed after the war the higher ups made sure that they didn't know and those that figured it out who tried to speak to let others know was killed instantly it was a brutal system that was influenced by the more brutal aus

You grimiced feeling bad younger you was certainly very creative. Though even most of the monsters in the underground wasn't aware only high ranking monsters like asgore held a yearly harvesting time to gather magic from each monster underground giving it to the human representative because even if the two species hated eachother they still needed eachother to survive as after the war the monster kinds funds were very low and food was in high demand

snapping out of your thoughts you began actually analyzing your saroundings tall buildings with high tech sarounded you each building relatively close to eachother each of them has a different color because in this world colors has meaning too it signifies what your importance is the darker colors were for high ranking monsters while lighter colors were for lower ranked monsters you looking at yours and papyrus's outfit it's almost all of it is black and purple only your respective holographic visors were different a vibrant blue

You groaned this will be tough living and acting as sans you knew sans's lore but you don't know the specifics after so much time has passed your thoughts were intrupted by the motorcycle like vichle stopping Infront of a two story expensive ass looking house was this their house? You can't remember

Your thoughts was confirmed by papyrus "IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE ARRIVED HOME YOU MUST REST SANS" he said picking you up again on his shoulder this time you tried and acting like sans "oh come on uh paps! You know I have no flu guess i’m flu-less" you said trying to smile

Papyrus looked at you blankly "SANS THAT WAS TERRIBLE"

Chapter Text

You let out a weak chuckle "come-on paps my puns wasn't that bone-awful" you said smiling for real finding his reactions amusing no wonder the real sans kept annoying him. Papyrus looked at you like you murdered the whole underground "I SWEAR TO ASGORE STOP IT OR ELSE YOUR SLEEPING ON THE COUCH" you just grinned at papyrus with a wink he sighed exhasperated taking you off his shoulder he sttled you right Infront oh him looking at you with a stern look "IF YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO TELL THESE STUPID PUNS YOU CAN WALK" he said with an eye roll.. wait how do skeletons even do that!?

Papyrus walked ahead not bothering to look behind him if you'll fallow snapping out of it you rushed forward to fallow after him not trusting yourself to be alone with your thoughts for more then a few minutes. Catching up to papyrus he stopped at the front door you catched your breath this body is has so much less stamina then your used too you didn't even have that much of a better stamina in your past life but it wasn't this bad running for a seconds made you exhausted Papyrus took a glance at you but didn't say anything probably still annoyed at the pun

he opened the door you were then again shocked at how homey and cozy it oddly feels despite the techy feeling everything looks even then there looks like random scraps of metal that was probably bits of a machine just littering around but what shocked you most was the giant robot looking dog much better wording is wolf but he's also abit of a service dog for sans and papyrus It immediately runs towards you rubbing it's head on your skull it's large body easily being able to almost make you tumble down if not Papyrus helping you out by taking the robot dog by its collar "HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU CY YOU CANNOT JUMP SANS HE IS AS WEAK AS A BABYBONES" he said you don't know to feel relieved or insulted

CY sat down ears dropping looking dejected feeling your heart tug or more like your soul tug you sighed petting it's head standing on your tippy toes to reach his head just as CY lowered his head so you can pet him better Papyrus glared at both of you "I SWEAR SANS YOU ARE GETTING SOFT" papyrus said glaring at you both one last time before moving to what you assume is the kitchen you continued to walk after him untill CY gone between your legs raising it's head until your on his back You yelped in suprise as you were suddenly at his back but something told you that this was normal

You tried to get comfy as it was abit uncomfortable since he was all metal and all you tried to stay calm as CY began moving fallowing after papyrus with a bounce at her step you gripped CY's collar trying not to. Only by a few steps you've arrived at the kitchen CY's tail wagging Papyrus glanced at you both "CY TAKE SANS TO THE COUCH I THE MALEFICENT PAPYRUS WILL BE MAKING MY SIGNATURE FOOD COOKIES" he says proudly making you smile reminding you of your own brother your real brothers..

CY walked into the living room just Infront of the couch he lowered himself so you can get off stepping at the softest look carpet you've ever seen you took off your shoes taking one of the slippers beneath the table taking off you jacket as well throwing it at the couch with you before sitting at the couch you've instantly relaxed almost crying because of the comfort and the weirdest most crazy thing happening to you at once a few hours ago you were at your shitty apartment it was bad but it was yours... You were so occupied with your thoughts that you didn't see CY's head tilt finally noticing something strange he sniffed the air only to be distracted by your distressed scent

CY who noticed jumped into the couch with you nuzzling it's metallic head into your skull you yelped in suprise "Ah CY!" You laughed slightly petting his head he's surprisingly warm and kinda soft despite being all metal I smile wanting to nuzzle my head into his head I took of my gas mask it was surprisingly easy to take off only connected by my magic taking it off you can feel the air move between the cracks in my face it was weird and uncomfortable you nuzzled your face into CY's neck "your such a good boy" you said petting his metal head she purred softly tail wagging

You smiled putting the gas mask on the table you knew that you could take it off and be completely safe the gas mask was purely an accessory unlike the holographic glasses you have on right now that made your sans able to see the gas mask was just because you made Sans dislike his cracks that was mostly on his lower part of his face he was very self conscious about it that he began using the gas mask that was made by Gaster for scientific chemistry studies daily getting a few questions from the other monsters but eventually it become the new normal for the monsters

you knew that because you wrote it but you can't remember specific things that you KNOW you remember despite the years of not doing anything with the au There are things wrong with your memory and that wasn't times fault and now that you are at your own au this au has alot of dander so you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to"SA- remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember "SAN-"you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember you need to remember YOU NEED TO REMEMBER YOU NEED TO REMEM- -

"SANS!"

Chapter Text

You looked up eyes blurry bearly able to see sillouatte of a bald person kneeling down at your level and a dog on top of what you assume is a couch your also sitting on a couch you reach under your holographic glasses realizing you've been crying you could feel your tears it felt weird abit oily to the feeling not like tears you normally had not that you cried much...

You heard the sillouatte sigh in relief you wiped your tears away with an offered handkerchief after wiping the tears away you saw the tears it was pure black Able to see the sillouatte now you recognized Papyrus his kneeling figure a first for you he instantly stood up when you recognized him he could see it in your holographic glasses his reliefed expression was immediately stood up dusting dust away from his pants now looking unbothered but you could see that his body language changed it was somehow more then usual he was trying to mimic how his body language worked but it was more stiff then usual his arrogant and confident body language become more nervous and it leaned against you just abit just for you to barely notice

maybe the body language thing was because of being transported into this body You smiled he's actually quite cute and sweet you thought before wiping the last of the tears that was in your face luckily it didn't drip much into your jacket you reached out your hand to give the handkerchief back to him "thanks paps, i guess i was a little out of it… guess that makes me bone-headed huh?" You said with a well meaning grin CY licking your cheek as he stood on the couch.

You could see his body language relax regaining the confident statue he wore earlier but he wasn't totally in it "SANS WHAT DO I TELL YOU ABOUT PUNS IT IS DISGUSTING AND CY DONT STAND IN THE COUCH!" he said scolding you both CY and you looked at eachother smiling "guess for punishment I better help you out in the kitchen huh" Papyrus looked at you thinking for a second before making a decision "ALRIGHT SANS YOU MAY HELP ME WITH THE MAKING OF THE MALEFICENT PAPYRUS'S MOST DELICIOUS COOKIES BUT YOU MUST REST AFTER" he said walking into the kitchen you smiled about to get off the couch to walk to the kitchen before you see CY give you puppy dog eyes that was lighting up with anticipation you smiled shaking your head "okay I'll ride you know I can't resist puppy dog eyes" you said waiting for CY to lower himself then getting ontop of him feeling more safe on his back

then the first time as he walks to the kitchen with me on top of him As we enter the kitchen I was dumbfounded the kitchen was more luxerious then the living room the floors and walls are the same but the marble black countertops really did it and you get it why CY was looking at you with anticipation earlier the countertops are way to high for you to properly help your height was only as tall as papyrus waist as a result the countertops are as tall as you are you will probably need to either climb on top of the countertops to help or stay in CY the whole time the second choice is more preferable and plus papyrus would probably lecture you relentlessly for hours if you climb on top of the countertops

you sigh accepting your fate CY walked Infront of a certain countertop were all the materials are that papyrus probably prepared before you had your breakdown you move slightly feeling slightly awkward for having a breakdown the materials on top are brown and white sugar bowls a saucepan scoops vanilla extract butter two room temperature eggs flour and finally baking soda and salt turning your gaze away from the materials you look at papyrus who is now wearing a KISS THE CHEF apron but the kiss part is crossed out instead it said WORSHIP you snort quietly which was intrupted by papyrus throwing another apron at you observing the apron that papyrus threw at you it said LAZYBONES you let out another snort at the apron papyrus rolled his eyes

Papyrus walked over to the things on the counter picking up the sauce pan "COME ON SANS THERE IS NO TIME FOR THIS" he said putting the sauce pan on low heat over a flat stove which you assumed worked with magic as it's color is lilac which is the color of papyrus magic papyrus instructed you to put 3/4 cups of butter on the saucepan mixing them until it is golden brown then he started putting one cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar on a bowl then he waited for the thing on the sauce pan to turn golden brown and cool down before putting the mixture into the bowl with the brown and white sugar adding one large egg yolk and one whole egg and one table spoon of vanilla

The moment he put the one table spoon of vanilla it finally come to you what he was making it was one of your favorites when you were growing up your grandma made it before she died she told you the recipe but you never had the time or the resources to make it your holographic glasses light up because of your mood in which then papyrus put 1 in 3/4 cups of flour 3/4 baking soda and one teaspoon of salt in which you stepped in and mixed it until just combined papyrus added the two cups of chocolate but when he was prepping the baking shkeet you added an extra 3/4 cup of chocolate then you two rolled them into balls doing the trick were you put extra chocolate on top Yours looked much more wonky then papyrus but you both didn't mind

you put all the balls on top of the baking sheet as papyrus arranged them neatly all while your still on top of CY who ate everything that fell down you almost had a heart attack when he ate chocolate that fell down before you realized he's a robot and probably isn't allergic to chocolate so you felt silly after that papyrus putt the baking sheet with the cookie ball on the fridge you two had to wait for at least 30 minutes the coldness would help the flavor deepen and it would help better the texture as well

you sighed laying on the couch you felt weirdly comfortable her like when you were at your shitty apartment it's probably the effects of being in someone else body now that you were thinking about it maybe the souls have something to do with it you should test it out soon when your alone because it's weird summoning your soul outside of encounters and ahem intimate moments. CY played chasing a robotic mouse around the living room careful to not break anything

papyrus entered the room from the kit hen just finished setting the alarm for how long to leave the cookie ball He sat down on the single couch you looked at him curiously as he held out his hand Infront of his chest the glasses you were wearing shined as a result of your emotions as a holographic holagram appeared on top of the flat circle on papyrus's glove showed the time it's 4:25 pm you looked at your own glove doing the same thing he did you grinned at the discovery you almost forgot that this place had ai there must be so much good movies

your train of thoughts was intrupted by Papyrus annoyed groan you looked at him curiously "what is it paps?" Papyrus sighed answering "ITS CLOSE TO 5 YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEAN SANS" he said with annoyance lacing his voice you tried to rack your useless memories about who's coming undyne maybe but it wouldn't make sense for papyrus to be annoyed that undyne would be coming in your au he's quite close with undyne like most papyrus aus you know your forgetting someone important you tried to rack your head about who's coming playing with CY by throwing a ball sometimes 30 minutes passed quickly when the alarm bleared papyrus got up and went to the kitchen to take out the cookie balls out of the fridge and putting the it on there oven setting an alarm to ring in 11 to 12 minutes then the cookies will finally be ready

You signalled CY to come to you he instantly got it running to you excitedly her robotic tail wagging she lowered herself so that you can hop in settling into CY's back you pointed to the kitchen as a signal to go she bagan walking to the kitchen but just when we arrived at the entry way to the kitchen she stopped you could hear papyrus's voice "I KNOW UNDYNE BUT TO JUST NOT GO HOME WHEN SANS NEEDED HIM HE WAS SICK AS FUCK HE COULD BARELY STAY CONSCIOUS SENDING THAT DAMNED MEDICINE WAS THE BARE MINIMUM TO GIVE YOUR SICK BROTHER ITS LUCKY THAT I KNOW SANS SCENT HES GONE OUT AGAIN DESPITE BEING LAZY HE LIKES GOING OUTSIDE ITS GOOD THAT HES BETTER I WOULD'VE BARGED IN TO THE LAB WERE HE WAS WORKING IF HE DIDNT GO HOME AND CHECK ON SANS HE KNOWS THAT SANS WOULD'VE MADE A FASTER RECOVERY IF HE JUST FUCKING VISITED THAT DAMNED BROTHER OF MINE GASTERS A FUCKING ASSHOLE"

Chapter Text

Your eye lights in your holographic glasses widen gripping CY harder Gaster you finally remember Gaster was the one you created for your au he was morally gray but what papyrus said about Gaster not being able to visit that would contridict your writing if your memory serves you correctly your Gaster would've gone home to see sans regardless of what he was doing because he considered Sans weak.

 even before the accident he would drop everything after the accident Gaster would be even more protective with both of his brothers especially sans who was physically weak compared to the other monsters and humans even his stamina is weak Sans only had one hp like classic sans even when gaster knew about the karma part of sans power he still considered sans weak.

And with the accident having left Sans blind and only available to rely on the holographic glasses Gaster made and Sans was abit weaker then the other Sanses it made Sans a target from enemies as Gaster made quite a lot of enemies and Papyrus's attitude didn't really charm people.

 Sans was more of the lay back sibling who didn't do much but supported in the background and only interfered if neither Papyrus or Gaster needed it though he never needed to interfere because both of them were powerful enough to pertect themselves if necessary and were in high positions Gaster being the royal scientist and Papyrus being the Captain of the royal guard.

Both of them were in the position of power and respect so the monsters respected them but don't misundstand you also made sans the judge like most of the aus but it was kept in tight secretcy that only the king Asgore knew and with a soul contract one that binds a monsters soul to keeping a secret Sans was unable to talk iabout it to anyone so the monsters saw Sans as someone leaching of his brothers but they never talk negativity about him in public spaces afraid that either gaster or papyrus would hear.

So either the story you wrote when you were younger was contridicting itself or papyrus and gaster had a misunderstanding and by gods you hope that it was the latter you would rather they have misunderstanding then have your knowledge of your own story be wrong and endanger your life in the process

You fiddle with your thumps anxiety filling you the holographics glasses eyelights that act as your own droop like your own eyes CY whined sensing your distress alerting papyrus in the process his head snapped back an alert expression on his face looking at the door were you and CY were his face calmed 

He went towards were you were his every step seemed to loud and take forever but your sure it only lasted for a few seconds you tightened your grip on CY papyrus arrived Infront of you. He flicked your forehead you let out an undignified yelp 

"Dumbass"

Chapter Text

Papyrus put both sides of his hands on his hips oddly looking like a stern mom you put your hands on your forehead the pain stinging quickly getting into character as sans you began talking "ow that hurt paps" not exaggerating one bit you truly didn't realize that sans HP would effect you this much a flick on the forehead never hurt so much it was annoying you didn't like pain at all you hoped this won't effect you to much in the future

Papyrus sighed "THATS WHAT YOU GET FOR EVESDROPPING ON MY CONVERSATION WITH UNDYNE SANS" he said with an annoyed expression he rubbed his tenples you grin sheepishly putting your head down "sorry paps I was just gonna check in with you about the cookies but i just heard you on a call with undyne and I couldn't not eyesdrop" papyrus didn't say anything back but you could tell he already forgave you afterall he was never mad in the first placejust annoyed

After awhile of bickering, bad puns and waiting in the kitchen for the cookies to bake fully it was finally ready goey and delicious looking and it exactly looks like your gramdas cookies and she baked you reached out a hand to grab one of the delicious looking cookies

But just before touching othe edges of one of the cookies Papyrus bonked you in the head with a chop you let out a yelp "SANS HOWS MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NO EATING THE MALEFICENT PAPYRUS'S COOKIES BEFORE IT EVEN TOUCHED THE PLATE" Papyrus said with a dissaproving scowl going on a solid 5 minute rant about proper manners and hygiene

While both you and CY keep spacing in and out looking like a puppy that's been rejected cooly. After the rant that seemed like it was gonna be forever papyrus huffed looking at the cookies which are now going cold "WE MUST EAT THE COOKIES BEFORE IT GETS TOO COLD I AM GOING TO GRAB SOME PLATES" he said turning around and walking but stopped and turned in our direction walking towards us he nudged a finger to your direction "NO EATING OR TOUCHING THE COOKIES!" he said before turning around again walking to actually get the plates this time

You and CY both looked at eachother at the same time looking like there planning with just their eyes they seemingly agree on something when papyrus arrived with the plates papyrus looked at you both CY and you two of you were doing the best puppy eyes both of you could muster maybe then he would allow gaster to eat some and maybe use the hands to eat afterall you were used to eating with utensils and your hands you don't know if you added that her

Papyrus looked at you two blankly but you could tell he would agree to almost everything you ask right now afterall you designed him to absolutely love anything cute yes you read that right he loves cute things he even has plenty of plushies in his bed afterall who wouldn't love cute things you have a soft spot for cute things too

Papyrus frozen for a moment the glistening plates still on his thin hands you two have done this multiple times but he allowed you two to do whatever usually when you two do this his resolve wavered Papyrus let out a dramatic sigh that felt like the fourth time today muttering curses under his breath before finally speaking "F-FINE DO WHATEVER YOU TWO WANT JUST MAKE SURE TO NOT CREATE A MESS FOR ME OR GASTER TO CLEAN UP" a orange tint in his face from embarrassment that you two doing the puppy eyes trick actually worked

You cheered in victory with CY you hugged papyrus out of happiness he balanced the plates in one hand you weren't not thinking of your actions when you realize what you were doing you froze only to relax again when you felt papyrus's hands pat your back with one hand you felt warm and safe in his arms you reluctantly pulled away the bones on his face no longer a faint orange blush there replaced by a soft smile that dissapeared the moment you saw it

You smiled back 'he's such tsundere' while you thought silently while he faked cough trying to change the subject "WHAT DO YOU TWO EVEN WANT" papyrus said with a raised eyebrow you smiled cheekily at him "well paps I want to eat the cookies with my hands-" you stopped talking to look at his face for a reaction  

He looked annoyed but resigned you understood why he was abit of s germaphobe you made him a germaphobe because one of your brothers was one as well he was abit annoying but you found wayd to hang out and accommodate it also your Asian so you were used to eating with your hands even thought you still eat with utensils in result you made your au have Asian qualities abit so papyrus was pretty used to it though he doesn't do it

You continued speaking "-And I want you to invite dings tomorrow dinner" he groaned dramatically you "GASTER REALLY? YOU COULD'VE PICKED ANYONE ELSE AND YOU PICKED HIM" he said eye twitching you sigh "c'mon paps are you still salty about him not visiting me when I was sick it's okay I don't mind" 

Papyrus scuffed "YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE FORGIVING HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE A POOR EXCUSE OF A BROTHER HE IS" he said turning his head CY walked over to him with his four paws and nudged his leg slightly whimpering papyrus looked at CY instinctively and petted his head he opened his mouth to speak before sighing "I GUESS I THE MALEFICENT PAPYRUS CAN ALLOW HIM TO COME" you smiled a drop of sweat dripping off your forehead you thought this could confirm your suspicions of if their personalities changed in any way and you don't even know the timeline your in there's a lot of stuff to figure out...

Chapter Text

Papyrus pov:

Papyrus walked outside using the backdoor leaving Sans and CY at the kitchen eating the cookies he walked throught the snowy paths despite the high tech that monsters have discovered and created monsters stayed loyal to nature so most of the underground is still forests with mixes of high tech buildings and road such unique difference 

Papyrus sat down at a swing that was hanging off a large willow tree pondering deeply things or more sans felt different SMELLED different when papyrus found out that Sans was at the noth side of the forest he didn't think much of it because he knew sans liked taking in the scenery despite being deeply sick he was always stubborn

But when he went to find him his scent which is Lavender flowers it was usually heavy and somewhat suffecating when he's distressed but earlier it smelled slighter which was unsusual and his body language changed more alert thinking about it Sans also did look at the house they have lived in for multiple years like it's was the first time he was there and also sans would never forgive gaster THAT easily and he called gaster dings it was the last time he called him dings was before the accident

It was suspicious papyrus sighed kicking his feet to get the swing moving he didn't know what was wrong with him but it felt fake.. papyrus hated it and he didn't know what to do maybe he should tell gaster about this but he would rather dust then ask gaster for help it irritated him it's the first time in a long time he felt helpless

After abit of thinking he decided on what to do he calledt gaster but not ask for help he would just invite him to dinner and if decides to go papyrus was sure he's gonna find things suspicious then he would figure it out he always did papyrus smiles it was the perfect plan and it would save him from gasters.. unique personality in the process

Holding out his hand he ordered "Gaster call the royal scientist" papyrus said out loud the ai answered "order affirmative" the robotic voice answered and after a few seconds gaster responded he could immediately see what gaster was doing as gasters communication device wasn't on his glove it was on top of his cane 

He could see the sterile look the the lab and he shuddered to matter how many times he saw the lab it's still disturbing he couldn't imagine how sans and himself managed to stay there snapping out of his thoughts by Gaster speaking ""Ah papyrus! My little porcy" gaster said voice warm but held a sharper edge at times his smile wide and bright as ever but there's an underlying tiredness in his eyes "is it about little dolly again is he still cracked?" He said Papyrus groaned at the nicknames gaster has used those nicknames since they were born but he used it more after the accident Porcy short of porcelain and dolly it's self explanatory

he forced a steady smile but couldn't hide his glare "NO.. HES BETTER BECAUSE OF THE MEDICIDE YOU GAVE I GUESS" he said pausing before speaking again "HE ASKED ME TO INVITE YOU GO DINNER SO GO IF YOU WANT" gaster giggled the pitch high and irritating to the ears "Dinner huh my dear Porcy you and dolly rarely invite me to things anymore suspicious suspicious~" he said voice playful waving his hand and head right and left at the same time grinning

"I suppose I can make time for my precious little siblings" papyrus rolled his eyes thinking 'you could make time for dinner but can't make time to visit your brother what kind of priorities is this' he thought bitterly "sureee" papyrus said dragging our the e in sure gasters grin widened more "your hiding something from me little porcy but don't worry I'll figure it out" gaster said with a dramatic pout then turned into a gigantic grin turning of the communications connection
Papyrus groaned gripping the rope of the swing reminding himself again and again perfect plan perfect plan...

Because if he doesn't me might just scream

Chapter Text

Gasters POV before the call

The lab shook and pulsed trembling from the sheer power from the machines powered by magic an electric purple light the large mechanic archway like machine flickering violently 

Clank Clank Clank

A cane hits the floor with every single step steady and loud the one who walked liked the sound it's sound absolute commanding it reminded him that the ground was below him but he must pay attention to the problem at hand

"D-Dr Gaster!" Alphys said in panic running towards him sweat dripping her tail high on alert and fear voice crackingand squeaky fingers around a clipboard "it-its failing! The stab-stabilizers the magic It's un-unstable!" Alphys says devastated and in the verge of tears 

"Shhh.." Gaster walked to the archlike machine right side and put his two hands on the glass pod putting his own magic into it to stabilize it by controlling the current magic that was in the machine gasters eyes flashes an electric purple electrical buzzes flying from the machine as alphys watches in awe 

Eventually the purple electrical buzzes calmed to purple lines like silk but gaster kept his hands on it until the silk like lines dissolved into the ground and the flickering stopped only a quiet hum left he finally took his hands off it revealing his tired but large grin on his face

Alphys sighed in overwhelming relief taking in gasps of air "i-i thought it was gonna exp-explode" she said hands untightening his grip on her clipboard and tail lowering "explode" gaster repeated grin widening “Crack shatter splinter such lovely words little Mouse do you know how lovely they are? Mhmhmhhm…” he said as he giggled

Alphys flinched at the giggling fit gaster was throwing "Little mouse a doll isnt a doll until it breaks" he whispered but it sounded so loud eyes gleaming in unhinged love "when it gets fixed it's when it shines the brightest it becomes real"  

Alphys shifted her weight around not sure we're this is going except papyrus and sans clipboard close to her chest wearing a nervous expression "I know breaking and fixing again and again my porcelain treasures reached me well haven't they" his cane hit the floor at each sentence as he circled the machines which is as large as asgore basically 

"One tini tiny dolly turned blind sockets burned black shielding his precious brother stupid selfless perfect little Dolly and one tall porcy with only half of the world left to see one eyes stolen by the fire and one both broken but beautiful but flawed" Gaster let out a piercing laugh that alphys was sure escaped the lab despite it's noise canceling walls 

"But I made them perfect again I took them to my hands and I fixed them! Gave them glass eyes" he spread his arms widely grinning "dolls made whole again no flaw like blindness anymore eithout cracks no gleam without blindness no miracle glass"

Alphys’s claws shook against her clipboard. She forced her voice out small and nervous but steady “That doesn’t make what happened good” the lab seem to freeze as Gasters grin frozed the hum of the machine wavered as gasters eye twitch head tilted to alphys direction too slow 

Then gaster laughed frantic and unhinged "ohh brave little mouse you dare squeak but your right! YOUR RIGHT! IT WASNT GOOD IT WAS HIDEOUS THE UGLIEST ACCIDENT OF ALL" gasters says breathing heavy he slammed his cane of the floor voice toning down "because I wasn't there do you hear me I. Wasn't. There" he says voice trembling at the edges "My dolls broke without me my dear little dolly broke he threw himself into a fire he had no hopes of surviving he only wanted to protect little porcy I come to LATE TO LATE LATE LATE LATE! only shattered eyelights await me"

“I only patched them a craftsman with no masterpiece only scraps I made them see but I did not save them" he stopped speaking only to stabilize his hands he knew was shaking "but what beautiful job I did fixing them visions born from my own hands THEY see because of ME they walk in light because of me broken things need their makers MY dolls need me” 

At the long pause alphys gathered as much courage as she could muster "“…Dr Gaster if you could send yourself back to that day would you?” she said the machine was only to be used to turn back time into when the monsters lost so we could help them and win the war gasters grin widened "oh little mouse that's exactly what I'll do" he pressed his hands onto the glass pod again but he didn't insert any magic

"Yes yes yes back to the war back to that horrid accident I'll remake it my porcelain dolls unbroken my precious siblings unscarred My family whole”

His voice shook "I will not be late again"

Chapter Text

Sans yOur POV

After eating the cookies you headed too San's no your bedroom with CY you leaned against the handrail you cursed yourself silently for making sans have a low stamina as CY keeps close to you guessed it's because of sans low stamina but you didn't know that it's also because of curiosity that has kept CY's interest for so long 

CY sniffed you and did a scan his systems ran the check again smell heat signature voice all the same all correct but his instincts didn’t match the data it you smelled like lavander still but it's different it didn't had that slight burned scent that lingered after the accident even when distressed it didn't have that suffocating feel but when CY did the scan it come out the same as before CY tilted his head in confusion as you reached the second floor

You freezed realizing that you didn't even know San's room you've forgotten it then remembered you left San's gas mask downstairs you sighed dejected wondering if you could bother with going downstairs you turned to CY "Hey CY wonderin' if you can get sa- my gas mask downstairs" you said kicking yourself for making a mistake

CY let out a bark before running downstairs with his four legs you looked at the hallway it had several doors 4 to be exact and it still had stairs leading to the third floor technically fourth floor because of the basement which is gasters home lab you at least remembered what floor San's bedroom is you opened the closest door to you peeking inside you marvel at the sight of so many books you guessed this was the study

But it felt more like a library then a study there were multiple giant bookcases with about three desks one extremely neet a computer with orange highlights and has several drawers for organization the second with just books literally it's just books the third looks like a mess paper littering the carpeted floor

You wondered who's was who though you definitely know which one is papyrus desk you smiled your definitely gonna spend time her you jumped slightly hearing a bark you turn around seeing CY behind you his mouth San's gas mask you petted his head "thanks CY you startled me" you said with a lazy smile

Deciding to wing it you picked a random door next as CY watched you closely opening the door at the other side of the library study door you thanked the gods as you opened the door the smell hit first lavander which had a burnt under smell to it and a tang of medicine mixed in the air warm and heavy like it hasn't been aired out properly in days

You stepped in the room itself was very cluttered a pair of pink slippers sat by the bed clearly wellworn notebooks and books was everywhere stacked together most having bent edges and coffee stains some even having coffee rings you took one from the tallest pile and opening it you froze 

In the margin of the notebook was a doodle of papyrus long limbed smiling with letters above him "the maleficent papyrus" you spoke out loud the words written the words was messy but full of life you swallowed you didn’t write this You didn’t script this at all these were details that belonged to someone who lived here not someone who made the world from afar

Your eyes swept the room again and the more you saw the heavier the guilt sat with you a chipped mug painted with a cheesy “#1 Bro” sat on the nightstand beside a stale glass of water and several crumpled pill packets the faint outline of dust rings suggested they had been replaced over and over again day after day there were also clothes on the floor 

Your eyes moved to the bed the sheets were tangled the blanket pushed half onto the floor it had alot of pillows circled around like a nest with plushies littering around like someone got out of bed in a hurry and didn't bother doing the bed there were also a pile of clothes on top of the bed looking away with a heart full of guilt you looked at the workbench nearby

On the workbench clutter reigned tools scattered in little areas wires coiled scraps of old metal half assembled into shapes that might havebeen toys or weapons or maybe both but tucked between the mess was something startlingly delicate a snow globe of Snowdin the glitter clung stubbornly to the glass it looked old but very taken care of and a soldering kit sat abandoned sat next to it is a purple half dismantled pocket watch

Even though you had written him to be lazy the real Sans hadn’t been idle every surface here bore proof of restless hands tinkering when energy allowed broken gadgets, sketches with messy handwriting doodles that it harder to make sans just a character in a story difficult and odd little trinkets half broken or not that seemed both useless and essential

you moved one of the pillows to sit on the mattress it diped diped low under your weight you sigh chest tightening CY walked towards you placing the gas mask at your feet eyes not scanning the place just you.. You bent down to pet him just behind the ears forcing a small grin “looks like he- i mean i was busy huh? tinkering working on junk guess some things don’t change”

CY tilted his head his scanners confirmed everythingthe scent the voice the heat signature but the patterns in your behavior were inconsistent ysterday you had coughed through every word too weak to rise from bed depending on papyrus to help today you moved differently you looked around as though you were seeing it all for the first 

time even if he didn't understand what happened he knew something was off and papyrus seemed to notice too you took off the rest of your clothes dumping them in a box full of clothes that seemed dirty and changed into purple and black pajamas you layed down your bed thinking of all the things that had happened so far you drifted into sleep

But CY didn’t lie down beside you like he normally would He stayed at the door metal claws pressed against the floor metallic eyes unblinking

Watching

Waiting

Chapter Text

Your POV

The dream started like falling then weightlessness the dark pulsed as it swallowed you whole and then ground not real ground it was like a void no end and no beggining you felt like you were floating but then you saw someone the one you were in the body of

Sans the fucking skeleton 

Not you-wearing-his-skin. Not the shaky act you put on for Papyrus and CY. The original. The one you wrote. His grin was lazy but thin stretched over sockets dim with wear “…took ya long enough,” he muttered floating somehow

Panic took you as you stared at him “You- your Sans you’re real you’re here” you said hands shaking as you stared at him with wide eyes “yeah the original" he swung his legs laziky bones creaking “the one you shoved outta the driver’s seat.” You flinched, guilt deep in chest. “I didn’t mean to—” he cut your off "I know" words softer then you expected

You opened your mouth to speak hesitantly "if you've been her the whole time why now.. why appear now why not before" you said voice small stepping closer “didn’t have the strength kid when you dropped in my soul was already halfway out the door couldn’t hold form couldn’t just talk dreamin’ makes it easier walls are thinner here lets me slip through” he said with an easy going grin

You looked at hims shocked "so you were really sick but how did I ge- get transported into your body" his grin flickered for a moment before he spoke yet again “that wasn’t sickness. that was my soul tryin’ to leave when a soul’s tired enough it just… starts slippin’ papyrus smelled it when he was taking care of me burnt lavender every cough every nap that lasted way too long that it felt like sleep every time i couldn’t lift my head my soul wasn’t weak it was done ready to go” you hands curled in disbilief 

“And when a soul tries to bail” he went on “the body doesn’t stay empty it searches fills the cracks with whatever it can grab in my case? it found you my creator guess it figured ‘hey if anyone can keep this mess goin’ it’s the one who created me'” He tapped his chest were his soul was eye light dim “…but because you showed up, the process changed my soul wanted out yea but it couldn’t just eject itself outta my body with you moving in instead of replacin’ me it latched on now we’re tangled half me half you u can’t leave you can’t just kick me out we’re stuck together”

You felt your heart drop to your stomach "so uh all this time you've just watched?" Sans shrugged "yeah I can't touch things but I can't pick em' up I tested it touched papyrus's shoulder he didn't even noticed he doesn't see me non' of em do except you... Your the only one tuned in" silence stretched as you process the information sans just gave to you coming out with the best question you can ask right now you blurted out

“Papyrus said Gaster didn’t come when you were sick that’s not him the Gaster I wrote he would’ve been there he would’ve dropped everything he was doing to come rushing over so either I wrote this wrong or-” You stopped as you smell a bitter suffocating lavender scent on the whatever you were inhaling right now Sans’s grin broke and for the first time his jaw clenched tight “…don’t,” he said your breath hitches. “…Don’t what?” you said voice nervous "don’t talk like you know him better than me you may have wrote him but you didn't live what I lived for my whole life” His voice cracked teeth bred before he cought himself “i love him alright? always will but i know what he does i know how he works.”

His sockets flickered with tiredness “you wanna know why he didn’t come? wasn’t ‘cause he didn’t care problem was he cared too much him and alphys had been working on the machine but it was unstable screamin’ for attention if he left it even for an hour the whole damn project could’ve blown and that project? it’s the only thing keepin’ him breathin’ his chance to crawl back in time back to the accident, fix what went wrong make sure i never hit the floor from protecting paps” San's voice cracked he looked away sighing "sorry for snapping kid just.. hit a sore spot"

He said before continuing “…he stayed in that lab not ‘cause he didn’t love me but ‘cause he does problem is he loves wrong” You whipered, "so it was all a misunderstanding?” sans nodded "yeahh he just saw that gaster didn't come which he concluded with gaster leaving me to rot and my mind was to fazy to really explain" Sans huffed bitter and soft all at once he stopped floating as he moved slightly closer to you

His tone dropped into something serious as he began talking "and that's were ya gotta be real careful kid" you blinked not understanding before realization kicked in "but he wouldn't hurt you would he?" He rolled his eyes like it was something obvious which was kinda true but you had to ask him

 “course not to him i’m glass one hp away from dusting away he wouldn’t hurt me with a one feet pole even if the world begged him to but you?” he paused letting the suspense hit you before speaking again "you don't have that luxury once he figures out that your not me all hell breaks loose"

Your stomach dropped. “…He but he still wouldn't hurt me right I am still in your body and as you said one hp” sans hummed before he bit out “stop kiddin yourself you asked papyrus to invite m you lit the match gaster doesn’t try to hurt he studies you he probes he pulls apart everything until he understands it thoroughly he calls it love he calls it fixin’ that twisted fucker but you your something he has never seen bfeore and unsolved puzzles drive him off the road so best he doesn't find out"

You opened your mouth—he cut you off “papyrus is suspicious of you way more than he’s lettin’ on he knows my body language as much as I know his every slip of speech, every shift in scent he grew up breathin’ in the way i move and you don’t move like me you don’t talk like me as much as you try too you don’t even smell right lavender yea but… wrong shade he’s watchin’ you,” Sans pressed

“every word every step every time you ‘forget’ somethin i should know papyrus ain’t dumb. he connects dots faster than anyone except gaster” you looked up wondering what you did wrong to the universe to end up like this

"And CY?" Sans bitterly “that mutt? don’t underestimate him looks like a dog acts like a freaking dog but he’s more sensor than pet gaster built him to protect me soul rate temperature change he knows i don’t smell the same he knows somethin’s off maybe not in words but instinct and he won't let that go you know" your voice shook. “Then what do I do?”

Sans stepped in close close enough you swore you could feel his breath "you act you act like me better than you ever have papyrus’ll test you CY’ll sniff at you and gaster? he’ll smile, ask questions tilt his head like a damn weirdo and under it he’ll be dissectin’ you alive” His sockets dimmed “…and if he ever figures it out that your not me?” His grin cracked. “…we’re both dead. just different kinds that's why I'm gonna help as best as I can" he says with a wink

Just then you jolted awake sweat dripping off you as your eyes scatter the room you find him from the corner of the room, unseen by anyone else Sans leaned in the shadow hoodie stuffed hands in his pocket watching

“…pray you’re better at lyin’ then writing creator”

Chapter Text

Your POV

You just layed on the bed for a minute processing the information sans just gave you then you began talking “…Before we even start this I need to know” you said finally, your voice quieter than you meant it to be you sat on the edge of his well our bed now elbows digging into your knees, CY asleep out in the hall. “Why was your soul trying to leave in the first place?" You said confused "you said your soul was tired but why was it tired?"

For a long moment Sans didn’t answer he was just floating seemingly half present his grin stretched thin His holographic glasses flickered dimly as though he was searching for the right words finally his voice broke through the silennt atmosphere “…Kid you ever read the same book so many times the pages start fallin’ apart? That’s what my life’s been resets over and over again Papyrus dies i die sometimes we both make it through the end sometimes neither makes it Chara Frisk doesn’t matter who’s in crontol they hit reset when they don’t like how the story’s goin’ and boom we start again Paps forgets everyone forgets but me? I remember every single detail”

Your chest tightened in pity and guilt "so.. your soul wasn't just done it was done done?" He moved laying on the air “Ya” he said flatly no grin no joke “My soul was tired done bein’ dragged back through the same damned script every failure stacked up ‘til the weight felt like it was cutting me in half when you dropped in I was already slippin’ You didn’t push me outyou just landed right as I was lettin’ go”

Silence stretched anxiety filling u up“...And now I’m stuck pretending to be you move like you act like you, smell like you I’m not you Sans what if I screw up What if I lose myself in the middle of all this?” he studied you silently sympathy flashing in his own holographic eyelights then surprisingly gently he said, “…Creator if you’re scared of losin yourself that means you still know who you are that’s already more than I had left Don’t waste it moping around"

The quiet pressed heavy until you muttered “Great pep talk ten outta ten  very reassuring” That earned a dry chuckle from the skeleton“Pressure makes diamonds or dust Guess we’ll see which way you go huh” you sighed dragging a hand down your face. “…If I’m doing this, I need a name because admittedly I don't remember my own name I don’t even remember who I was before this Just… fragments I can’t keep answering to creator It doesn't suite me"

For once Sans grin wasn't as fake as before as he tilted his skull studying you in silence before murmuring “…Astreous" he whispered you whipped your head at him "what?" Sans repeated louder this time "Astreous means ‘starry one’ Fits, don’t it? You dropped outta your own body and into mine after all ”

You hummed thinking about the name “...Astreous the Greek titan associated with stars planets, and astrology” you whispered, trying it on your tongue the word felt right somehow “okay it's a pretty good name just you and me knowing the name" you smiled for real no lingering anxiety yet “Yeah” His grin softened real this time“Telepathic secret Between halves”

The moment lingered too long the air buzzed like static heavy and dangerous, until Sans cleared his throat and shifted. “…Don’t get sappy on me star boy We got work to do.”

“Right,” you muttered pulse raising so muchthat you ignored the nickname

Session One: Stats

“now onto the lesson First thing’s first. Open your stats screen” sans said stood professionally like a teacher staying still then starting the lesson a board appeared behind him light purple in colour it wrote 'lesson 1 stats' in bold letters “My what.. I don't know how too how the hell did that appear" you said pointing at the board behind him he ignored your question “lucky you have me then focus on your soul call it up should look like a status window numbers labels go ahead" the instructions he said appearing on the board

You hesitated wanting to just make him answer the question before sighing and complying you then shut your eyes and concentrated hard it was like pulling back a curtain Suddenly a glowing screen hovered in front of you stark and clinical

NAME: §∆И§

HP: 1/1  

ATK: Low  

DEF: Low  

LV: 1  

SOUL: €ⱤⱤØⱤ

Your jaw dropped “...i know you've got low stats but these stats are pathetic I've been wondering for ages since I was a kid how the hell do you live like this?" You said not being able to see the glitched parts

Sans glanced at your stats for a second abit of concern on his eyes before he let out a laugh “Welcome to my life star boy one HP wonder nakes dodgin’ attacks more fun though” your brows furrowed “Fun?!” You gawked at him “You’re one sneeze away from death!” he rolled his eyes “Yeah so just don’t sneeze” he deadpannedbgrin sliding back into place

You groaned and rubbed your temples “I’m doomed”

Session Two: Body Language

“Next lesson: body language.” Sans said the words appearing on the board next before he hauled himself upright rolling his shoulders until his whole body fell into that infamous lazy slouch one hand slid into his pocket his grin tilted lopsided sockets half lidded instantly the weight in the room shifted this was Sans the one everyone knew “See that? Effortless not lazy effortless Papyrus memorized every tick of me my laugh my grin, even the way my scent changes when I’m tired you mess up he’ll notice so you gotta wear me down to the bone”

You frowned trying to copy him Shoulders loose grin half-cocked eyes half-shut. You leaned against the wall trying to imitate him “…Too stiff” Sans said flatly “You’re thinkin’ too hard my whole thing’s bein forgettable until I don’t wanna be” he said winking “So how do I not try while trying?” you shot back He smirked amused“Now you’re thinkin’ like me”

You rolled your eyes adjusted yourself again deeper slouch looser grin For a split second Sans’ sockets flickered with something almost unsettled “…Better,” he said at last voice low “Almost dangerous ust don’t smile too wide that’s my tell when shit’s real Astreous” The moment thickened a hint of something else stirring under the surface but then he snapped his fingers breaking the atmosphere you both created “Alright not bad star boy Pap’ll eat it up he wants his brother not perfection"

Session Three: Shortcuts

“Stats body language… now the fun part shortcuts" he said with a wider grin the boards letters was replaced with lesson 3 shortcuts your stomach dropped from excitement you always wanted to teleport the things you can get done without wasting time “tge Teleportation thing you do?”

“Yep my bread and butter everyday trick is don’t force it picture the place step like you’re already there it's pretty simplestar boy try it” You focused hard picturing what you were seeing earlier magic prickled around your chest your soul tugging Then

—you blinked into existence in the kitchen.

“…Shit.” Sans’ voice groaned in your skyll “Nice one star boy overshot You’re supposed to stay in the room, not raid the fridge” he said teleporting to you patting your stomach as it growled you sighed"might as well eat while I'm her" you say opening a cabinet cookies? Gone you and CY devoured them earlier instead you spotted a container of yakisoba steam fogged the lid when you cracked it open the smell hitting instantly. Your mouth wateed

“…This looks incredible” You grabbed the chopsticks next to it and took a bite warm, savory noodles tangled on your tongue You let out an embarrassingly loud moan “Oh my god "his is so good.” you couldn't see it but Sans cheeks were abit pink which dissapeared the moment you said something “…You’re kiddin’ me you can taste it?”

“Yeah?” you mumbled confused around another mouthful “…Dammit" he groaned holographic eyes flickering hot “I can taste it too you’re eatin’ my food star boy my yakisoba when I can’t even touch it ”you smirked slurping a noodle just to spite his ass “Guess there are perks to being me" you said and stuck out your tongue at him

“Perks my ass” he muttered but you could feel the smile tugging in his voice “…You’re lucky I like your ass already” you froze as noodles slip your chopsticks pulse skipping a faint light lavender blush on your face the words buzzed in your chest until you forced a laugh “Lucky huh? I’ll try not to abuse the privilege” you said with a grin “..Do that" he said softer now then his tone sharpened again all business “But don’t think we’re done Shortcuts are survival and magic’s next If you screw that up it won’t be noodles spillin’t’ll be your soul”

The warning sat between you heavy, but beneath it hummed something else a thread pulled taut danger trust, maybe something more you shoved it down before it could surface “Got it” you said steadying your breath “I’ll learn Just… don’t give up on me just yet alright?” for a second you swore you felt warmth through the tether between you then Sans’ voice cut in dry as ever

“…Don’t make me regret namin’ you star boy

Chapter Text

You were still licking the lingering taste of yakisoba from your teeth when the curtain separating the living rooom and the kitchen flew open from the sheer force “SANS!” Papyrus’s voice cracked across the kitchen like a wrecking ball you jerkedletting out a small surprised noise as your chopsticks flew from your hands clattering into the empty container of noodles just thick liquid left but steam still curled from it a dead giveaway.

“ohhh, busted” Sans said grinning like a cheshire cat from somewhere behind your ribs laughter tickling at your skull annoyingly “ya lasted what ten minutes without gettin’ caught? new record star boy” you hissed under your breath "Shut up,” whispering enough so that papyrus couldn't hear. Papyrus’s boots thudded against the floor as he stormed in scarf flaring as though he had an audience cheering him on his sockets swept the room with precision gaze landing squarely on you “SANS WHAT WERE YOU JUST DOING?!”

Your mind blanked. You still had yakisoba broth on your lips. The whole kitchen smelled like soy sauce and ginger There was no way you could— “I uh…” you fumbled to make up an answer “Practicing… puns?” Papyrus froze his sockets narrowed dangerously his whole expression sharpening like a blade “PUNS” he said eyeing you up and down eyes landing on the container before he rolled his eyes 

“the baddest excuse of the century ladies and gentlemen” Sans said wheezing in your head shoulders shaking as he phased half his skull through the cabinet door just to grin mockingly at you upside down it's crazy how he could turn serious one moment to being annoying as hell you forced your lips into a week grin “Yeah you know me” Papyrus’s glare softened though only slightly “I TOLERATE YOUR PUNS BUT ONLY BECAUSE I AM A FORGIVING BROTHER HOWEVER, YOU ARE… DIFFERENT YOUR SCENT YOUR STANCE HMM” He said playing along before sniffed the air sockets narrowing he looked away he looked away

You wanted to but your lip but remembered you didn't have lips “relax” Sans whispered voice low and calm “he’s sniffin’ but he ain’t sure yet remember just try your very very very best” papyrus looked at you again “I’m fine” you said quickly, too quickly. “my scents this way cus of the sickness just tired” you hoped he'll buy it Papyrus hummed not convinced but turned away yet again “…VERY WELL. IN THAT CASE, WE SHALL PROCEED WITH TONIGHT’S IMPORTANT TASK.”

You blinked a little confused “Important… task?” Papyrus slammed a can of pumpkin purée on the counter with a loud thud that made you flinch “COOKING SANS WE ARE TO MAKING A GRAND FEAST” papyrus said hands on his waist “ohhhh yes” Sans chuckled darkly glad that he doesn't have to do a single thing he floated lazily into view with his spine curled upside down like a cat stretching “time for hell’s kitchen star boy”

Your stomach dropped you didn't mind helping making cookies but a whole feast you haven't done that since you were at collage! “We’re… what?” you managed to muster out Papyrus was already pulling flour and sugar from the cupboard “I THE GREAT PAPYRUS AM A MASTER OF SWEETS! HOWEVER SAVORY FOODS ARE AH… LESS PERFECT BUT WITH YOUR HELP WE SHALL COOK DELICACIES!" Sans whisled his elbow resting on his thigh “translation” Sans teased drifting through the wall to reappear beside you “you’re about to suffer”

Papyrus spun, thrusting a mixing bowl into your arms “BEGIN STIRRING NOW!” You stared at the counter then at your hands “..Papyrus remember I can’t even reach the counter like this” papyrus rolled his eyelights “THEN USE THE DOG” CY barked loudly as he heard his name running up to you bouncing up with wagging tail as if summoned 

You almost groaned you did this yesterday but it seemed like sleeping reseted it sans being her didn't help your nerves as you sighed you glanced at Sans who just grinned “mount up cowboy” Sans purred in your head “This is emberassing” you muttered climbing onto CY’s back with a graceless scramble just like you did yesterday the dog huffed happily standing tall so you could perch just high enough to reach the countersink 

“nah it’s adorable,” Sans said voice warm “look at you my noble knight ridin’ his loyal steed” He said as knight armor appeared same color as before that only you and sans could see you wondered if this is an ability he gained after we'll becoming somewhat of a ghost because you didn't remember making an ability like this Sans flipped upside down midair floating near the ceiling, smirking like he owned the place you snapped out of your thoughts “majestic”

Papyrus didn’t question it That was the suspicious part be only nodded sharply thinking his sockets lingered on you a moment too long noticing things he didn't yesterday now that he knew to look and observe “…VERY WELL WE SHALL BE MAKING PUMPKIN PIE FIRST” Papyrus said taking out the aprons that you wore yesterday you put it on and stirred the mixture obediently papyrus gave you while Papyrus himself added pumpkin purée sugar cream and a flurry of spices the smell hit immediately warm cinnamon nutmeg clove the pleasing aroma roamed around the room your stomach growled despite eating earlier

Sans drifted closer to you tilting his head to peer into the bowl papyrus looked over at the bowl taking a finger to dip it he licked his finger before humming “YES GOOD CONSISTENCY YOU’RE IMPROVING BROTHER” Sans hovered lazily just above the bowl peering in upside down “you’re really stirrin’ things up, huh star boy?” you groaned muttering “Shut up” Sans just giggled GIGGLED "aw don’t be like that i’m only here to pie you with affection” you groaned silently “Do you ever stop?” you muttered annoyed and flustered “not when you blush that easy” Sans teased after abit the pie went into the oven and the smell only grew stronger sweeter richer When it came out golden and steaming

 Papyrus’s sockets glowed with triumph “BEHOLD PERFECTION!” you cut a slice biting carefully the filling was velvety smooth the crust flaky you groaned softly “Papyrus… this is incredible” Papyrus puffed up proudly. “NATURALLY I AM A MASTER.” Sans hovered over your shoulder eye lights flickering “my bro's cookings delicious ain't it" he said smiling smugly but you smirked just to spite him taking another exaggeratedly slow bite making sure to savor the bite with an exaggerated hum “Mmm Best pie I’ve ever had too bad you can’t get the texture huh” Sans’ holographic eyelights flickered faintly pink he muttered low almost sulky “keep it up star boy i’ll haunt your ass forever”your cheeks burned hard but you forced a grin “Already haunting me remember?”

Papyrus glanced over one brow ridge twitching at your strange reaction but said nothing but instead Papyrus clapped his hands together dragging your attention back to him “ENOUGH DESSERT NOW WE MUST MAKE DINNER”

Your blood ran ice cold you remembered annoyingly well that you made papyrus absolutely bad at normal cuisines as Papyrus pulled noodles from the pantry Pasta then stacked tomatoes for lasagna then chicken thighs he was relentless dragging you through dish after dish the pie turned out delicious—sweet fluffy actually edible but the savory dishes? Disaster so you begged papyrus to make muffins aswell which he obliged after you begged with puppy eyes

 now back to the savory dishes the pasta absolutely drowned in salt sauce runny and pale dumped in what you could only describe as an avalanche of salt you swore to god the shaker was empty when he finally stopped the lasagna was layered beautifully but again poured salt with reckless abandon it also tasted like soaked cardboard the chicken dish followed seasoned like a salt mine explosion you felt your arteries hardening just by smelling it meanwhile the pumpkin pie sat on the counter like the only safe haven in a culinary warzone

Papyrus presented each plate proudly “TASTE IT SANS!” you obeyed reluctantly wondering if you'll die of hypertension before being found out CY shifted beneath you so you wouldn’t topple over you took a spoon with trembling hands as you take a small portion of the poor excuse of a thing called lasagna you took a bite it was agony salt scorching your tongue your throat crying desperately for water “Mmm… so good” you lied through your teeth forcing a grin

Sans wheezed with laughter clutching his ribs midair he was used to papyrus terrible cooking he gained a tolerance for it but he guessed the tolerance didn't pass down to Astreous “holy crap you’re dyin’ in 4k i can basically feel your soul cryin’ star boy” You clenched your jaw as you drank water given to you by papyrus wanting the taste lasagna of it to just go away “I hate you” you said as he floated just near your ear “nah you love me” He leaned closer voice dipping low almost intimate “besides… you look good sufferin’ in my kitchen” you nearly choked on the remaining chunks of lasagna and water still in your mouth but recovered

Papyrus tilted his head at your flustered expression, suspicion clear in the narrowing of his sockets. “…YOU ARE BEHAVING STRANGELY AGAIN AND YOUR BALANCE ON CY IS… ODD HAVE YOU NOT BEEN FEELING WELL IS THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF YOUR ILLNESS STILL THERE?” your heart skippeda beat that you gave sans a nasty side eye which just made Sans grin you swallowed fast “Just… out of practice” Papyrus studied you silent for too long then finally hummed letting it go “…VERY WELL” his eyes lingered heavy and sharp even as he turned back to douse the tacos in more salt

By the time the counters were covered one side stacked with heavenly sweets that tased absolutely delicious you and sans could vouch the other cursed with inedible salt bombs that made you feel like you were half-dead stomach full of things no one should endure Sans floated lazily through it all occasionally phasing through the fridge door to lean inside eye lights glowing faintly as he muttered puns only you could hear “star boy you’re lookin’ stuffed like a turkey” You glared cheeks pink for what felt like the hundred time this day“One more pun and I’m the one haunting you”

“already haunts of affection between us,” he shot back smug you wanted to strangle him and maybe shake him but mostly strangle him but Papyrus spoke and wiped his hands dramatically phone in hand before you could try and strangle Sans “IT IS DECIDED WE SHALL INVITE FRIENDS TO SHARE THIS FEAST UNDYNE AND ALPHYS WILL JOIN US” you felt your heart nearly jump out of your chest “What?!” Papyrus nodded firmly “YES NOTHING BUILDS FRIENDSHIP LIKE DELICIOUS FOOD THEY SHALL ARRIVE HER SHORTLY”

Sans hummed darkly but you can tell that he wasn't to happy with this more people means more chances of being found out more chances of screwing up you barely had time to panic before the knock rattled the door Papyrus bolted to answer scarf trailing behind him Undyne stood there armor glinting grin sharp enough to cut “YO PAPYRUS! You better have cooked something insane!” beside her Alphys fiddled nervously with her glasses, cheeks glowing “I-I just… hope I’m not intruding—”Undyne slung an arm around her shoulders intimately “Intruding? Nah! I’m glad you came Al!” Alphys squeaked face so crimson that you wondered if he was okay “U-UNDYNE!!” Papyrus’s sockets lit up like sparklers “PERFECT FRIENDSHIP FOOD, AND PERHAPS… OTHER DEVELOPMENTS!” You choked on air, coughing hard.

Sans’ laughter echoed in your skull grinning like a maniac “oh man this is starting to look like a sitcom and Ive got the best sit in the house the front seat you clenched your jaw cheeks burning from the memories of him teasing you your eyes lit up with an idea you grinned “Careful Sans you keep running your mouth I might just flirt back” the spirit froze midair for the first time Sans was silent sockets wide faint pink burning his cheekbones which you wondered if you looked like this to him because then you had to agree he certainly looked good 

“… touché star boy,” he finally murmured, voice low warm.“…touché” and as Papyrus ushered Undyne and Alphys inside you sat on CY’s back pumpkin pie balanced in your hands salted pasta piled like punishment nearby and for the first time in a long time amid chaos suspicion and disaster you almost felt like you belonged but still the looking threat that is being found out was still there

Chapter Text

The dining room was a soft glow of candlelight when you and Papyrus began setting the table the silverware gleamed black and white sleek and polished every edge catching the faint shimmer of the light along the edges of the plates and bowls delicate outlines traced in slick purple curved into blossoms wisteria, violets, lavender it wasn’t just decoration it was intent afterall their whole family had flowers WRITTEN in their scents plus these were personally created and Papyrus had insisted on it because if this was to be a feast it had to mean something

Papyrus fussed with the positioning, his tall frame bent in concentration “NO NO SANS THE SPOON SHOULD CATCH THE LIGHT THIS WAY! OTHERWISE THE WHOLE PATTERN LOSES ITS SYMMETRY!” You tilted the utensil a fraction to the left biting back a laugh “Papyrus I don’t think anyone’s gonna notice the angle of the spoon” papyrus narrowed his eyes “I NOTICE!” he barked then paused puffing his chest with a calmer smile “AND BESIDES… IF WE DON’T PRESENT IT PERFECTLY THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL THAT COOKING?” he said before continuing to instruct you yet again

“PLACE THE FORKS ON THE LEFT!” Papyrus instructed strictly while balancing three plates at once like it was the most natural thing in the world which to him probably was “NO THE OTHER LEFT! YES EXACTLY THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR MOST GLORIOUS DINNER YET!” you smiled amused adjusting the knives until their purple sheen caught the light just right Every placement felt deliberate even ritualistic the flowers felt like it weren’t just etched into the ceramic because it felt like it was blooming under your skeletal hands

Papyrus held the plates that hold the food with the kind of confidence only he could muster spine straight as though he were unveiling some grand royal feast rather than plates teetering between perfection and disaster sweet scents of pumpkin pie and muffins drifted warmly rich and inviting but the savory dishes… the pasta chicken and lasagna all carried the unmistakable sting of salt that clawed at your nose the second steam curled upward

You sat stiff at the table trying not to think about the mountain of food in front of you as sans stared blankly at the wall upside down a slight lavender blush on his face meanwhile CY rested on the floor beside your chair tail flicking idly metal gaze sweeping across the room with calm unblinking patience Papyrus stood next to you hands planted firmly at his hips like a demanding mother his expression stubbornly triumphant “DINNER… IS… SERVED!” he declared his voice echoing across the walls

You forced a week smile “Looks… amazing” Sans’ voice muttered in your head lazy but sharp "amazing’s one word for it star boy other word’s homicide" You bit back a laugh that was very tempting but instead covered it with a cough as you nodded the air hummed warm with effort and despite the tension of it all threading beneath your ribs you felt… proud Papyrus eyed at you and smiled truly for just a moment then snapped his attention elsewhere at the food probably A chuckle drifted low through your chest. Sans unseen to Papyrus was floating lazily just above the chairs now he flipped upside down skull cradled in one hand socket-light dim with something too soft to match his voice “…heh. look at you two. real domestic.” you smiled and hummed agreeing softly

“NOW SIT PROPERLY SANS THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DINNER” Right on cue the door creaked open the sound of Undyne’s boots shook the floorboards her sharp grin flashing as soon as she smelled food Alphys followed at her side fidgeting with her sleeves glasses slipping low on her snout “SMELL THAT AL? THIS IS GONNA BE KILLER!” Undyne slammed into her seat with a wide grin behind her Alphys shuffled in, tail twitching nervously “O-oh, uh… hi… Papyrus, S-Sans…” She trailed off quickly, ducking her head as her glasses slipped down her snout sitting down besides Undyne looking at the food undyne couldn't help but make a comment "Papyrus This Is Awesome Man!"

Papyrus puffed up proudly “OF COURSE A CHEF NEVER FAILS HIS GUESTS GO ON EAT! I AM WAITING FOR YOUR REACTION" Undyne wasted no time piling her plate with the savory dishes salt bombs stacked high. She bit into one salt crystals crunching audibly and grinned wide as though it were the finest delicacy in the Underground “This THIS IS GENIUS ACTUAL WAR FOOD I’D SERVE THIS TO A WHOLE ARMY” she bellowed giving Papyrus a hearty thumbs-up a grin on her face Papyrus swelled with pride chest puffing, arms stretched “OF COURSE! I KNEW MY CULINARY ARTISTRY WOULD BE APPRECIATED!”

Alphys meanwhile winced trying discreetly to push one of the salt bombs aside then snatched up a muffin instead her cheeks flushed whenever Undyne spoke and she coughed quietly into her hand when she later ate one of the savory dishes salt’s sharp tang burned her tongue Still she kept her smile small but steady eyes flicking toward Undyne like a compass needle caught in her pull though Undyne remained blissfully unaware

You however were not so lucky Papyrus handed you a plate stacked half with sweets half with salt bombs his gaze pointed and almost sharp you tried to school your expression chewing through a salt brick while sneaking muffins in between “…pfft.” Sans’s voice slipped into your head like static “careful star boy don’t choke would be a hell of a way to die at the dinner table at least let me snag a bite before ya kick it” Sans smirked, clearly savoring the sight of you flustered. His earlier awkwardness — the faint stiffness in his movements, the way his sockets had darted away whenever your eyes lingered too long after your little slip of flirtation — was slowly melting away. He was in his element now teasing you mercilessly, each word dipped in that lazy drawl that somehow hit sharper than any blade. you muttered under your breath “If I die it’s on you” he giggled “nah if ya die it’s ‘cause you can’t handle the family secret recipe salt” His tone tilted teasing, faintly edged with something warmer. “…but hey look cute sufferin’ though” You nearly choked on your muffin glaring at sans sharply even after sans teased you so much it still hit hard you tried giving the salty food to CY but he only looked at you with betrayel 

The delicious delicious muffin perfectly hit you relief flooded you for a moment but then Papyrus’ eyes darted to you expectantly and you had no choice but to shovel some lasagna onto your fork the salt hit your tongue like a tidal wave burning down your throat as you fought to swallow "easy there"  Sans murmured amused you glared down at your plate cheeks burning muttering with the intent of not wanting sans to hear "I liked it better with you flustered" sans leaned towards you face close to yours "aww star boy don’t give me that look you’ll make me blush oh wait—too late you already made me blush!" You coughed covering it quickly Papyrus’ gaze lingered again sharp heavy you forced a smile pretending to enjoy another bite of salted pasta though your stomach turned while sans observed his signature smile still on his face 

Alphys nervous and distracted muttered something under her breath when you almost gagged on a salty bite. “Y-you don’t… have to force it y’know…” she whispered then instantly winced as if realizing she’d spoken too loud Papyrus’ head snapped toward her, but before he could say anything Undyne slapped her back hard enough to almost knock her out of her chair “ARE YOU KIDDING? LOOK AT ‘EM! THEY’RE LOVING IT AL!” she shouted, misinterpreting everything Alphys went scarlet stammering incoherently while Undyne reached for more food you tried to hide your laughter behind a sip of water

Undyne oblivious, leaned back in her chair with a laugh. “You’ve Outdone Yourself Papyrus This Is The Kind Of meal That Makes Warriors STRONG!” She shoved another piece of the salty chiken into her mouth crunching through salt like it was nothing Alphys smiled weakly voice squeaky “Y-y-yeah… really s-strong…” She took another muffin bite to disguise the way her throat bobbed the table was loud with chatter, the clatter of the fancy utensils Undyne’s booming laughter but underneath it tension simmered in your chest Sans’ voice drifted dryly through the tether amused but sharp every so often muttering something that made your pulse jump

then the door creaked again the air shifted instantly cold and heavy the silence suffocating then a cane tapped against the floor Clank Clank Clank Steady absolute the sound filled the silence that fell across the table every strike a reminder of who was coming closer Papyrus froze mid gesture his proud smile faltering Undyne straightened her hand twitching toward her spear though she didn’t summon it Alphys shrank into her seat her claws digging into the fabric of her clothes and then he appeared

The one they called brother the one one who called them broken that needed fixing the one who called them dolls fucking gaster

"Ahhh..” gaster drawled voice warm but sharpened at the edges smile wide. “How lovely my little Porcy and Dolly set up a little dinner party little dolls gathered around the table” His gaze swept over the table, lingering on Papyrus, and he tapped his cane once against the floor “So diligent. So stubborn always fussing over Dolly always fussing over everyone else broken porcelain with such motherly cracks” Papyrus’ jaw and skeletal hands tightening “WE MAY HAVE INVITED YOU BUT WE CAN MAKE YOU LEAVE AS WELL SIT DOWN.. gaster" papyrus said voice low at the end

Gaster’s grin widened further head tilting like a doll’s too far off its hinge Gaster giggled high-pitched and grating tilting his head as if mocking “dinner yes, yes. such fragile little rituals break bread break bones break… promises.” His cane tapped against the floor as he circled the table “but ohhh, the sweets the sweets my little dolls know I cannot resist” he slid into the head seat with practiced grace ignoring Undyne’s tight glare and Alphys’ nervous shifting his eyes—bright, unhinged, loving—settled heavily on Papyrus. “You shine even brighter when you fuss. You know that don’t you? A porcelain doll polished smooth my dear Porcy” 

Papyrus glared openly  “EAT. OR DON’T. I DON’T CARE”  Gaster giggled, the pitch sharp enough to dig under your skin “Ohhh but you do you always do Don’t glare Porcy It makes you look so fragile So very breakable” but still he reached for the pumpkin pie with long deliberate fingers, cutting himself a slice with unsettling precision Undyne bristled when his gaze slid right past her without acknowledgment her teeth gritting Alphys sat stiff eyes wide but unsurprised her tail twitching nervously beneath her chair

And you — you felt the shift beside you Sans was no longer floating unseen by the others, directly between you and Gaster his form was taut magic gathering in his hands eyelights sharp and focused in a way that made your chest seize his grin was gone he was silent but the protective stance was clear he would not let Gaster get closer even if it wasn't possible he was gonna protect you and papyrus if gaster tried anything he didn't care that it was most likely possible he would rather die then not try to protect you and papyrus You were the only one who could see it and Gaster… noticed you noticing you shifted uncomfortably in your seat trying to look anywhere else but then his gaze turned direct unnervingly direct Straight to you

“And Dolly.” His voice softened but it wasn’t kind “My little Dolly “my poor dolly,” he crooned voice dripping affection and mockery all at once “always broken, always stitched together and so so quiet tonight Hmmm” He tilted his head smile twitching at the edges “How curious tell me, tell me… what was it you promised me the night porcy was born?” The question landed like a stone in your gut because you remembered your throat tightened Sans’ voice snapped sharp in your chest don’t move don’t speak keep still his holographic eyes seem to beg you but you still spoke seemingly not able to control yourself 

“That I'd never leave you alone”

You remembered that promise the one you made sans break Papyrus’ eyes darted to you sharp with confusion Undyne’s fork froze halfway to her mouth Alphys’ glasses slipped down her nose wide eyes staring “you shouldn’t have answered that,” he hissed voice low and frantic unheard by the others “you know you shouldn’t have-” and Gaster’s grin oh it stretched stretched wide sharp and triumphant eyes glowing with electric gleam “Ahhh so quick so perfect” His voice dropped low and electric “Too quick Dolly”

Sans’ voice slammed in your head, panicked sharp. you weren’t supposed to answer that! the tether between your connection with sans burned hot panic crackling through it but Gaster wasn't oh no his head tilted further cane tapping against the floor “One more Dolly just one more.” The words rolled like silk over knives. “When did I last hear you call me ‘Dings’?” Your breath caught Sans’ magic flared brighter desperation leaking through his every movement his tether to your soul tightening painfully as if begging you not to speak again but he knew you would speak afterall he knew what was happening all to well meanwhile Papyrus’s hand clenched on the table his confusion warring with unease. Undyne’s jaw worked furiously biting back words her eye darting between everyone tension ready to snap. Alphys trembled her claws white-knuckled around her fork her gaze darting from Gaster to Sans you as though she felt the weight of something there even if she couldn’t see it and she knew everyone else also felt it

The room was silent

Waiting

And Gaster’s grin was endless

Your chest tightened 

“Before the accident.”

The table’s silence was suffocating Papyrus stared at you suspicion written sharp across his face his jaws parted but no words came Gaster’s grin split into a laugh high and piercing unhinged and full of love twisted into something frightening he slapped his cane against the floor voice ringing. “Ohhh, my Dolly! My perfect broken doll you crack so beautifully” His giggling swelled sharp and jagged Sans’ voice ripped through your chest no longer playful no longer lazy don’t move don’t breathe try and resist His hands  tightened protective Gaster leaned back slowly laughter trickling into soft humming eyes fixed on you and Papyrus both “What pretty dolls you make, my Porcy and Dolly so fragile so very, very fragile”

The air was razor-thin, suffocating with the weight of it Undyne’s hands curled into fists, her eye blazing with restrained fury. Alphys shrank into herself, trembling silently But Gaster’s eyelights bright and unblinking never left you

Chapter Text

you answered his question but yet has the scrape of silverware escaped the ring of your ears long after you pushed back from the table

you’d thoght maybe just maybe the meal could recover that answering his question would be enough to cut the tension and finally make Gaster satisfied but no the tension was still high the air growing brittle sharp with the static hum of tension Gasters presence sits like frost on glass opaque and inescapable every shadow bending around him He leans back in his chair fingers steepled empty eyesockets glimmering with a grin that never reaches his eyes

you were shaking but not enough for them to see Only Sans could see it no feel it because his soul was tethered to yours He hovered unseen by the others treated like a wisp of wind his presence a heat at the back of your ribs voice pressed sharp in your skull 'don’t even think about it star boy not here not now' he said staring at you with piercing eyes

but you were already standingyour chair scraped back the sound like bone dragged against stone every eye snapped to you almost instantly the words left before you could catch them Papyrus’ sockets narrowed suspicion slicing through his usual warmth “outside with him” his voice dropped low jagged more edge then earlier “don’t this is” He broke off jaw clenching He looked at you like he didn’t recognize you for a second he stopped speaking and just tightened his skeletal hands

Undyne leaned forward in her chair her grin dimmed into something wary “you serious out there with him” She jerked her chin toward Gaster her single eye blazing “bad idea bad warrior idea” Alphys shifted claws fumbling against her glass She didn’t drink—only pressed the rim to her lips as though it might shield her from what was happening She put her glass down at the table claws tight against her lap “m-maybe its safer inside” Her voice cracked and she bit it down fast eyes darting nervously between you and Gaster but you didn’t sit back down your pulse thundered

your legs moved anyway standing in front of the door leading to the backyard Gaster laughed high and jagged “ahhh Dolly wants privacy so very bold” He tilted his head too far grin slicing wide “such delicate little courage you know i can’t resist such a request Dolly” he said as he stood up "you’ve lost it" Sans muttered in your head voice tight humor stretched thin into a blade "absolutely lost it we’re takin’ him outside like we’re about to share a cigarette or somethin’ spoiler he’s the one who lights the fire" You ignored him trying not to look at him as you forced your stance stead as best as you could

Papyrus’ hand slammed down on the table the crack echoing “this is stupid don’t” His jaw tightened sockets darting between you and Gaster He looked betrayed “don’t trust him” for a second you thought he might physically stop you for a second you wished he would but Gaster already had his cane on his hands head tilting too far grin stretched too wide “outside then” he purred “just like old times”

as you stepped into the snowy surface of the backyard you thought of how pretty it is but you couldn't ponder on its beauty you had a problem to focus on though night air outside was colder than it had any right to be the backyard stretched wide beautiful shadows curling at the edges of the fence the grass whispering underfoot you stopped near the center the candlelight glow from inside leaking faint through the windows behind you Gaster followed his steps unhurried precise He looked like he belonged to the shadows stitched together from the fractures between them you weren’t alone though

Sans was there

never seen by other except you your hands wouldn’t stop shaking you shoved them into your pockets like that could hide it Sans drifted close unseen by Gaster his voice sharp and low in your chest "brilliant move Astreous just brilliant let’s walk the mad scientist into the dark where no one can hear us scream love it ten outta ten" he said sarcastically shut up you thought back but your chest eased up at his sarcastic remarks it was comforting before you can say anything Sans spoke yet again "this is a mistake every horror story starts with “let’s step outside” his tone laced with sarcasm should i start narratin’ “and then the brave idiot led the monster into the dark”

“shut up” you muttered under your breath

Gaster made the move first laughing into the air it wasn’t loud but it filled the space like smoke curling into your ears your lungs "ah such boldness dragging me into the dark Dolly just like old times” He tilted his head grin thin and sharp “the promise you said you would never leave me alone” the words struck like a blade twisting beneath your ribsbut you didn't know exactly why you didnt flinch—at least you tried your hardest not to He continued to speak “my dear little Dolly left me distancing himself you left me alone Sans what a promise"

you knew that Sans broke the promise because you made him break the promise as part of your au but it didn't help at all the words landed like a blade across bone but Sans’ voice tore back sharp and furious through the tether "distanced yeah abandoned nah asshole you smothered every inch of me with your obsessions i stepped back so i could breathe without suffocating survival ain’t betrayal no matter how you twist it"

you look down wondering if you should say the words on your mind you sighed deeply then you did it—you let the words fall heavy and shaking “i’m not Sans” the night cracked open Gaster went still His cane pressed deep into the soil fingers tightening until the wood groaned His smile did not move—but his eyes burned brighter trembling at the edges of composure “what” he whispered voice sharp as glass you flinch at his tone but continued

“i’m not Sans” you repeated louder this time though your chest squeezed so tight you thought you’d choke “he’s still here watching but i’m not him” the air seemed to shatter Gaster stepped forward cane stabbing into the dirt with each strike

the garden holds its breath

for a heartbeat there’s nothing—then Gaster shatters

The grin twists teeth bared too wide His eyes blaze white with static flickering like a broken lantern His hand clenches the cane so hard it rattles against the stone path the sweetness in his voice burns away leaving something ragged raw “not Sans” his tone drops low and shaking “not my doll” you flinch back instinctively the air thickens pressing heavy against your lungs His steps lurch forward sharp unsteady “who are you then who dares to wear his seams—his smile—his bones who dares to pretend to be mine” your chest locks panic surging the tether thrums hot burning under your ribs

then Sans moves

Lavender fire flares from his translucent hands not yours and arcs into a barrier that snaps up between you and Gaster the ground vibrates with the force of it grass bending petals scattering the backlash hits you like a punch to the ribs you choke gasping your body not meant to channel this much at once especially when the main controller of the body doesn't even know how to do magic but you thoughts was snapped back into reality through the haze Sans’s voice rips raw and furious no longer just in your head but crackling through the night air

“back off”

Gaster stared His sockets widened his mouth twisting smile breaking into something rawer His gaze not fear but in something perilously close to grief The static light gutters and surges His grin shakes breaking at the edges “Dolly” the word sounds cracked “you’re still here” Sans looked at him he looked conflicted but he decided to speak voice glitching “nah not quite think of me as the echo you couldn’t erase the crack you couldn’t glue shut y’know old bones you never were good at letting go”

Gaster flinched at the nickname jaw locking tight His hands shook against the cane “stop stop hiding behind this shell Dolly show yourself if you’re still there show me” Sans’s magic surged hot through your veins but you could feel his magic somehow asking you for permission you nodded your hands lifted on instinct glowing faintly lavender and white flickering in and out a thin silhouette shimmered in the night air just beside you—Sans’s outline faint strained but visible His eye-lights blazed sharp pinned on Gaster

The effort the strain from him appearing just with an outline made you stagger knees nearly buckling “Sans” you feel his gaze lock on to you softer "don’t worry star i got this” His voice was rougher now edges frayed from the strain “just hate lettin’ him think he won somethin'" the outline of Sans shimmered like a candle about to snuff itself out His magic burned bright for a moment then flickered weakly his frame glitching in and out against the night air you could feel how much it cost him — every shred of willpower he pressed through the tether dragged across your ribs like barbed wire your knees wanted to buckle again but you forced them straight if you crumbled now Gaster would tear right through you

Gaster’s sockets were locked on the faint silhouette His grin faltered teeth grinding faintly against themselves in the stillness His cane rattled as he clenched it harder fingers twitching with the urge to lunge forward you expected fury you braced for it — but what came first wasn’t rage it was heartbreak “Dolly” his voice cracked on the name all jagged edges and trembling static He staggered a half-step closer the snow crunching loud beneath his shoes His head tilted in that strange too-far way sockets burning like lanterns sputtering in a storm “still here i knew it i knew you wouldn’t abandon me again” your chest dragging Sans’s fire hotter His outline steadied just barely a fresh surge of power crackling against the barrier between you and Gaster

“tch ‘course i’m still here Doc” Sans rasped his tone jagged sarcastic but not without a weight of bitterness “don’t give yourself credit like you summoned me back with your whining i don’t work like that” His eye-lights flickered brighter steadying on Gaster like a blade point “and i didn’t abandon you i just stopped lettin’ you choke me out every damn second” the words slapped the air like gunfire you felt them through the tether — sharp biting heavy with things you didn’t fully understand but could feel all the same Gaster’s sockets narrowed the cracks around his smile deepened His head jerked twitch-like as if he could shake Sans’s words loose before they stuck “liar” he hissed “you pulled away you left me you you left me to rot to break you swore a promise Dolly never to leave me alone and what did you do you turned your back the moment it became inconvenient”

Your stomach dropped and you looked at Sans nervously Sans didn’t flinch though his outline blurred again lavender colored fire trembling under the strain He let out a laugh — low broken at the edges but still full of that jagged bite “heh you hear yourself ‘never leave you alone’ you treat me like some toy you can lock in a glass case and polish when you feel lonely i wasn’t your doll Doc i was your brother and brothers they need space they need room but you never gave me that did ya nah you clung so tight i thought my bones would snap” your heart thudded in your ears the way Sans spoke — sharp bitter full of jagged affection twisted into anger it sounded like truth too real to be anything but

Gaster’s grin cracked wider trembling now His laugh came out warped like something broken rattling against itself “space space distance you abandoned me in the dark that was not space Dolly that was betrayal you don’t get to dress it up with pretty words” you couldn’t hold back anymore “he didn’t betray you” the words tore out of you before you could stop them louder than you expected your voice shaking but cutting through the heavy night air “you can twist it however you want but Sans didn’t betray you he did what he had to do to survive you and maybe maybe to survive himself” the silence that followed was suffocating

Gaster’s head snapped toward you His sockets blazed brighter mouth twitching into something that wasn’t quite a grin anymore “ah so that’s what you are the little parasite tucked into his seams whispering poison explaining him away making excuses for him” He took a step closer cane stabbing into the snow with each stride “tell me Doll-that-isn’t-Doll do you really believe you can wear him without breaking do you really think you can understand the promises you’ve tangled yourself in”

Sans flared hot lavender fire snapping across your veins like lightning The barrier surged brighter forcing Gaster back a fraction his voice sliced through louder crueler “quit talkin’ like you own me i’m not yours and i sure as hell ain’t your doll stop tryin’ to twist every crack into proof of your little fairytales” the strain that was there since earlier finally hit you hard your lungs seized your knees finally buckling despite your stubbornness you hit the snow breath knocked from your chest as the tether burned like hot wire threaded through your ribs “shit” Sans’s voice broke sharp you felt him strain harder his outline snapping bright against the night before it dimmed again “kid-hey stay with me c’mon” Gaster froze caught between you and the outline for a moment his sockets trembled — grief flickering again in the cracks of his smile then it hardened “this isn’t you Dolly” he rasped voice brittle and raw “you wouldn’t hide you wouldn’t need someone else to hold you upright”

“nah” Sans muttered his voice glitching at the edges but still laced with his crooked humor “maybe i just finally got tired of holdin’ myself upright while you kept knockin’ me down Old Bones and i don't need you not now and never onward” His jaw clenched tight and for a heartbeat you swore you saw wetness impossible wrong — gather at the corners of his sockets He turned his face away too fast shoulders jerking

You dragged in a breath forcing your voice through the weight crushing your chest “you are wrong though he didn’t leave you he’s still here he’s right here he wouldn't just leave” the outline beside you flickered faintly but Sans forced it steady long enough to glance down at you his grin tired but sharp “told ya Astreous i don’t leave not even when i should” that broke something in the silence Gaster’s cane rattled against the ground his hand trembling so hard the wood cracked faintly His smile was gone now only a jagged trembling grimace left behind

“if you’re here” he whispered voice shaking like glass about to shatter “then why why can’t you come back to your body” Sans didn’t answer immediately His magic guttered low faint his outline nearly invisible again finally he spoke voice quiet sharp almost too soft to be heard “because some things once they break they don’t fit back the same no matter how hard you shove the pieces” the backyard seemed to close in around you shadows swallowing the edges of the fence the cold bit into your lungs you realized you were still on your knees trembling snow melting damp into your clothes

But you weren’t alone

Sans was still there

The silence that followed pressed heavy against the night the flowers shivered in the breeze their scent sharp in your lungs Gaster stood trembling staring at you both like he didn’t know whether to scream or shatter and you you just stood there on your knees tired your heart pounding words caught in your throat as Sans’s lavender like magic dimmed but did not fade He was still here He wasn’t leaving you alone on this Sans spoke with a soft tone to you “still here star don’t let him shake you” Gaster leans closer sockets glowing faint His grin curls sharp again though you can still see the crack in it while Sans glares at him a warning you recognized it as

“you don’t belong here” Gaster says staring at you

Your voice is ragged when it comes but still you managed to make a comeback albit a small comeback “and everything feels wrong when you’re here” he laughs too soft too brittle

And yet he doesn’t touch you to hurt again

Not tonight

Chapter Text

The snow was too unbearably loud

Every crunch under your shoes every whisper of ice breaking it all swelled into a drumbeat inside your head you couldn’t catch your breath your chest felt like it was caving in and burning out all at once but you still held the tether tight refusing to let go Sans’s outline flickered at your side translucent his shape stuttering in and out of the world like a flame trying to cling to its wick you could see him—more importantly Gaster could see him

The problem was you were the one holding him there

Your body your soul wasn’t built for this not for channeling his magic not for splitting the weight of two souls balanced precariously in one frame and it burned you from the inside out your hands shook no matter how hard you pressed them into your pockets and your throat felt raw from breaths that came too shallow too quick but you couldn’t stop because if you did Gaster would think Sans wasn’t there that he’d been erased abandoned stolen and that wasn’t true

“you’re burning out star boy” Sans’s voice cracked across the tether sharp with anger but fraying at the edges with something closer to panic his eye-lights seared against the night pinned on you the tether in your ribs seared hot Sans flared in answer the faint fire of him stuttering he leaned toward you outline rippling and his voice cracked sharp inside your chest you staggered caught yourself halfway only to crumple again the earth tilted like a shipwreck under you breath tore sharp ragged the thrum of your soul went uneven the edges fraying like torn fabric

“you’re killin’ yourself star boy drop it now” you shook your head stubbornly or maybe your body shook for you—you weren’t sure anymore “not—can’t he’ll think he won” Sans swore low electricity buzzing through the tether his outline flickered harder one knee bending as though he might vanish outright “dammit dammit listen to me—this ain’t proof worth dyin’ for”

Behind you Gaster tilted his head that grin too wide cane planted into the snow like a conductor waiting for the orchestra to breathe his sockets glimmered faint with that eerie static glow studying you like you were nothing more than an equation left unsolved you both ignored him but the heat surged beneath your skin fever pounding your vision streaking Sans’s voice snapped across the tether sharper than usual no room for jokes his sockets burned into you eye-lights raw with worry “drop it i mean it this isn’t worth it”

You shook your head jaw set you were DETERMIND

When your outline staggered—when your vision doubled and his flickering form nearly vanished—Sans snapped his magic flared unbidden bleeding lavender light into your trembling hands stabilizing his shape just enough to hold it scorched you left your skin fever-hot your chest aching like a cracked bell“he’s unraveling” his tone was silk but there was iron under it “you tethered him to flesh not built to carry him such recklessness” he drifted closer too close his shadow drowning yours “shall i watch you die dolly or shall i—”

“that’s it” Sans hissed his tone no longer a whisper in your ribs but sharp cutting demanding through clenched teeth “doc—old bones fix him now” he said voice a command Gaster’s grin faltered his cane slipped half an inch in the snow sockets flickering at the sound of Sans’s voice raw and commanding it reminded him of that man he blinked once and for a fleeting moment the sharpness in his face cracked with something almost human—something dangerously close to need “you…” his voice caught uneven shaking “you’re asking me”

“don’t make me repeat myself” Sans’s outline flared brighter though you could feel the strain ripping him thinner “no excuses no stalling you fix him now” Gasters eyes was softer now “…dolly” he murmured voice trembling between reverence and ache “so you do still need me”

“don’t flatter yourself” Sans spat outline jittering with the strain “this is not about us but about him” his gaze cut at you then back at Gaster “and if you’re half the genius you claim you’ll quit gloating and talking and start fixing before i do something real stupid” the word stupid tasted strange on Sans—it wasn’t lazy it was a threat Gaster’s fingers flexed along his cane he chuckled low broken too warm around the edges “ah demanding just like old times very well little star-doll i will not let you shatter” his gaze dropped on you that grin sharpening again “but for me to mend you… i must see" it took you a moment to understand then your stomach dropped your soul

The tether thrashed under your ribs heat blooming sharp Sans’s fury detonated instantly his voice snapped across you like a whip so cold it made your fever burn hotter “no” Gaster only tilted his head grin stretching static crackling faintly at his sockets “Sans don’t be crude you know as well as i do—i cannot heal blind the boy is already cracking you want him to survive this don’t you or… do you prefer he rot for your pride”

“you smug—” Sans’s voice caught teeth grit so hard you felt it echo in your chest “i said no” Sans’s tone sharpened like steel rare anger vibrating through every word “you don’t touch that not him not us” his outline flared dangerously bright then flickered thinning again under the strain his gaze cut to you eye-light burning desperate “Astreous don’t you dare do you hear me that’s not for him not him” you swallowed throat dry he was right you knew what it meant your soul no yours and Sans’s fused together showing the soul wasn’t casual monsters didn’t bare their souls unless bound by vows intimacy deeper than blood it was sacred dangerous final

But your body was failing you could feel the fever burning you alive your bones aching like they were splintering from within your vision tunneling in and out and through it all Sans was frsying his voice raw with a helplessness you hadn’t heard before “starlight” he muttered softer now like the fight drained out of him for a breath he kneeled next to your trying to ymtouch your hand basically his “please don’t give him that not him not old bones you don’t get how deep it cuts i can take the burn i’ll hold you together just… don’t” but you couldn’t you couldn’t keep him visible like this without tearing yourself apart and if you burned out completely you’d take him with you

You swayed breath jagged your lips trembled "but what what if you dissapear completely if i let you go" yous said even if you and Sans didn't have alot of time to be together you enjoyed your time with him immensely and it felt like you and him didn't have alot of time to be together you enjoyed your time with him immensely and it felt like you and him didn't just meet very recently but like you've known him a long time Sans snapped you out of your thoughts “starlight” his outline snapped bright for a second then flickered violently his sockets locked on yours desperate “starlight please i mean it” but your chest felt like it was splintering apart tether unraveling you couldn’t… you couldn’t keep him steady anymore and you didn't want to risk losing him again your voice cracked out before you could stop it

“do it”

“move" Gaster ordered ordered finally kneeling beside you his skeletal hands hovered above your chest not quite touching he was close enough that you could feel the weight of his magic pressing down probing peeling back layers of you like an autopsy you closed your eyes drew what scraps of courage you had left and let the tether loosen light spilled through your chest too bright too raw illuminating the snow in a halo

your soul

but not just yours

it pulsed with his too—the fracture and seam of Sans bound with your own fused by accident or fate the fused soul half Sans and half you flickering in your chest twin notes in one aching chord it flickered fever-bright trembling the colors bending your soul Sans recognize the colors the traits of your soul the purple preserverance with the secondary trait as kindness Sans almost laughed it oddly fitted you but there was also something else a second half of your soul was white threads of lavender like strings sparking across it like veinslike a star on the verge of collapse its light was cracked its edges raw and bleeding

Gaster inhaled sharp and reverent sockets dilating like a starving man shown a feast “ahh… magnificent” his voice cracked with hunger with ache “so that’s where you’ve been hiding dolly in the seams of another” Sans surged fury thrumming hot “shut your mouth” his voice blistered with venom but his hand—his translucent hand—faltered curling like he wanted to shield you but couldn’t touch his eye-lights snapped to you searing desperate “starlight don’t look at him don’t let him inside further”

but Gaster was already moving his free hand lifting fingers curling like hooks light gathering around them healing magic—gold sterile surgical—flared against the night it wrapped around your soul like wires sharp and invasive peeling at the cracks Sans had been holding together you gasped the sensation blinding not pain—something deeper like he’d reached past your skin past your bones into the seam where you and Sans were tied together Sans roared so loud you felt it echo magic thrashing “get out—”

"dolly” Gaster murmured his grin razor-thin sockets bright with static “this is not for you this is for the boy you’ve bled dry for the cracks you let spread be still and let me fix what you couldn’t” but his hands trembled not from strain from the way Sans’s demand still echoed in the night because that was the proof he’d wanted all along—that Sans still needed him meanwhile you clutched at your chest breaths shallow fever wracking you through the haze you caught fragments—Sans’s fury Gaster’s fixation your own heart thrumming too fast the healing seared through you patching cracks cooling fever steadying what had been left to splinter but it was too much too invasive too close when Gaster finally drew back the glow from his hands fading your chest sagged with a half-breath of relief the fever hadn’t vanished but it loosened no longer crushing your ribs

you collapsed gasping half-conscious the last thing you felt before the dark pulled you under was Sans’s voice furious and broken at once tearing through the tether—“star—stay with me don’t you let him take this from you stay” your eyelids sank heavy you wanted to smile to tell him you were fine but your throat caught on a cough that dragged fire through your lungs Gaster’s shadow loomed behind him watching his sockets gleamed with unreadable intent—part triumph part bitterness part something frighteningly close to longing “he will recover” he said simply as if nothing had happened “my work holds but scars remain as they always do” his grin cracked wider “souls never heal quite the same”

Sans whipped around his outline flickering jagged “get away from him” he said and for once Gaster complied taking his cane and stepping two steps away his gaze heavy Sans held our soul delicately softly pushing it to your chest it complied slipping back into position and last thing you remember before you fully fell asleep was him kissing yo-his no uour horns slightly muttering "Astreous i got you always”

Chapter Text

You don’t wake you fall

It isn’t sleep not in the way you understand it no gentle slipping beneath blankets of darkness no quiet surrender it feels instead like you’ve been dragged under your ribs snapped open by invisible hands something cold pulling you headfirst into the marrow of sans’s memory into a place you shouldn’t be a place that isn’t yours and yet you’re tethered you’re there whether you want it or not

The dream began like a slow drift through water thick and heavy vision warped by ripples that would not stay still the Creator blinked into being not in their body not in sans’s but something halfway between a tether stretched across time and memory inbisible chains pulling them where they had no power to resist they knew it was a dream but it wasn’t theirs it breathed with sans’s pulse it shook with his buried memories and it carried the taste of ash of iron of grief but beneath deeper drone that seems to vibrate in the back of your teeth in the soft cartilage of your ears it’s the sound of the lab before anything else appears sterile constant clinical but beneath it something alive something fraying

When the world clears you find yourself in a corridor metal walls slick with condensation light buzzing too harsh overhead you whisper but the sound dies in your throat never reaching the walls you try again louder calling out sans’s name papyrus’s anyone’s but nothing stirs the dream does not hear you

The lab does stirs around you lights flickering walls expanding and contracting like lungs straining too hard doors line the hall their seals hissing faintly as though alive you move forward though you’re not sure if it’s you choosing or the memory dragging you along the air grows thicker with every step heavy with ozone that sharp tang of electricity stretched thin at the far end the hum breaks shouts the first sound with shape you turn and the scene tears open around you are in a corridor

You know it instantly though you’ve never stood here awake tall ceilings pipes bending like ribs overhead glass panels running along the walls filled with glow magic suspended in solutions experiments gaster had been conducting in secrecy it’s the kind of place that feels both infinite and suffocating at once you see and an outline and you tried to speak but the sound caught and fell silent before reaching the air you aren't meant to intervene you were here only to watch

And then the voices came

“Bro hurry up you’re slow even when you’re awake”

It was light cheerful sharp at the edges with the kind of energy sans had long since buried under his lazy drawl the Creator turned and there he was sans but not the sans they knew smaller not yet hunched under exhaustion eyes wide with mischief and an earnest spark that glowed from the little pinpricks of lavender purple in his eyelights socketsone you've never seen because it was burned off him to early to fast he ran feet light bones clattering faintly with each bound as though his whole body thrummed with too much energy to contain

Trailing just behind long scarf dragging a little too low was papyrus but not the papyrus of the present either this one was quieter voice lower not booming with the unshakable confidence the Creator had always heard instead his words were softer hesitant yet still warm “sans wait you always run ahead brother if something happens—”

Sans laughed the sound bubbling and bright “nothing’s gonna happen paps g’s got it he always does you’ll see—this is history we’re gonna be the first to watch it happen” grin broad eyes burning bright with so much life amthat your soul ached for him and then as you turned the corner with them you saw him

W. D. Fucking Gaster

Tall steady his white coat sharp against the dim stone his movements clipped and exact his hands were folded behind his back at first but even without moving he seemed to command the space the air bending to his presence his sockets flickered toward his younger brothers as they caught up his voice low calm and firm “you’re late” sans grinned wider undeterred “not by much besides we didn’t wanna miss the fun part” papyrus dipped his head faintly almost bowing “sorry, gaster we hurried”

Gaster exhaled through something almost like amusement barely there “just stay close the equations are precise the energy unstable if you cannot assist then observe if you cannot observe then at least stay out of the way" it wasn’t cruel it was… cold in the way of a scientist iifficient deliberate but the Creator felt the heat of sans’s chest swell as if those words even clipped and measured were enough to ignite something inside him

“You’re sure this’ll work right” his grin is wide but it’s nerves laced with belief he looks up at gaster like a younger sibling trying to sound casual but every line of him is taut with expectation “’cause if anyone can bust through that barrier it’s you doc i mean—you’ve got it all figured out you always do”

That word — always — lands like a prayer

Gaster’s sockets turn to him steady expression unreadable but not unkind “it will work” he ssys calm and clipped the way one states a fact not a hope his voice carries the weight of certainty and sans absorbs it like sunlight “every calculation has been checked every variable accounted for what remains is to prove it in practice” papyrus shifts folding his hands together voice quiet but earnest “brother… are you sure it’s safe there’s so much fire in the conduits so much heat” his gaze drifts toward the core’s inner chambers where molten energy pulses like liquid light “it feels… dangerous”

Papyrus shifts folding his hands together voice quiet but earnest “brother… are you sure it’s safe there’s so much fire in the conduits so much heat” his gaze drifts toward the core’s inner chambers where molten energy pulses like liquid light “it feels… dangerous” sans elbows him lightly grinning “c’mon bro it’s gaster you think he’d let us near it if it wasn’t fine he’s got it locked down” then he looks back at gaster eye-lights gleaming “right”

And gaster — oh he doesn’t waver “it is under control”

The words hang in the air a verdict none of them question not sans who beams with unshakable belief not papyrus who swallows his doubt out of loyalty and not you though you want to scream that it isn’t true you open your mouth but nothing leaves your throat not sound not warning you are mute here a ghost chained to the scene

“You’re the coolest y’know that like nobody else could pull this off you’re gonna fix everything finally” that hope hung in the air it was heavy almost choking you could feel it—it was more than admiration it was belief the belief of a child who had never seen gaster falter who thought his brother’s word was absolute gaster didn’t look back didn’t acknowledge but his shoulders shifted subtly as though the words had landed deeper than he let on

Then the machine awakens

At first it is a hum then a roar light floods the chamber pouring through cracks in the steel like molten rivers the air thickens with fire the kind that steals breath before you can gasp sans leans forward dazzled “holy—look at it papyrus look he’s doin’ it i knew it—i knew it gaster you’re amazing—” the light intensifies pipes groan steel glows faintly red the air thickens sulfur and ash creeping into every breath the hum shifts into a tremor a warning dressed in rhythm the platform vibrates beneath their feet

Then the anticipation breaks

The core erupts in an explosion of fire light tears the chamber apart in a single roar flame and molten air ripping outward the railing sears hot beneath sans’s grip the platform shakes as though the world itself will collapse

And gaster—

—Moves first for himself

A barrier blooms tight around his frame perfect and impenetrable fire slamming against it and rolling off his hands jerk toward the core’s controls desperate frantic his mind clawing to stabilize equations to fix it to save the machine his mind claws at the problem the only thing on his kinds are control equation perfection his brothers do not exist in that instant

He does not see them

But sans does

 The fire crashes toward them like a tidal wave and in that heartbeat sans doesn’t think he throws himself in front of papyrus shoving his brother back sprrading his arms wide his small frame braced against the impossible storm the blast hits heat sears through him fire clawing over his skull his sockets explode with light nerves screaming as vision vanishes into white-hot agony the blaze burns through both eyes consuming them utterly leaving nothing but blinding pain his jaw cracks the lower half of his face charred black bone crumbling under the fire his grin that eternal grin is scorched away in an instant

He screams the sound is raw jagged animal — fire scraping down smoke filling him papyrus screams too clutchibg sans body but his brother’s body shields him flame slices across one side of his face glass shattering into his socket his right eye burns away in an instant leaving darkness but the rest of him is spared by sans’s frame blocking the worst of it

The smell is unbearable — burning bone seared marrow smoke thick enough to drown in by the time gaster’s shield finally flares outward — pushing back the inferno cutting off the blast — the damage is done the fire recoiling the lab is still aflame wires dripping molten walls melting the core collapsing into itself with a shriek of tortured metal but the children are already on the ground broken sans lies twisted his sockets hollow and dark his jaw blackened beyond recognition his chest heaving with shallow breaths papyrus clings to him hands pressed to his ruined face his single remaining eye wide with tror of what just happened

And gaster—

—Stands untouched

His coat is scorched yes but his bones are unmarked he looks almost pristine in the ruin for one horrible instant his sockets flick back to the core to the failing machine fingers twitching with the urge to save it to salvage it to erase this failure then he hears them sans’s voice broken rasping through a throat filled with ash “p-papyrus… y-you okay…?” papyrus sobs clutching his brother “it hurts i can’t see out of one eye brother—brother please—”

And finally finally gaster moves to them

He drags them from the platform his shields flaring bright carrying them out of the collapsing chamber sans trembles in his arms sockets blackened empty papyrus buries his face against him sobbing blood and ash staining gaster’s coat he sets them down hands shaking for the first time he stares at them at the ruin of them and at the truth that claws into his skull like a knife

He had protected himself first

And the machine

And only then — too late — them

His voice breaks jagged desperate “stay with me please stay with me”

Sans coughs choking his sockets empty but still searching his voice comes ragged near incoherent “y-you’ll fix it… right…? you always… fix it…” papyrus whimpers clutching his ruined socket “i can’t see… i can’t see in one eye brother…” and gaster whole unscarred untouched whispers the vow that will shackle him forever “i will fix this i swear it” but the vow is too late the dream does not end with fire it stretches bleeds into days months years time flickers and folds

The first days after the fire were agony stretched into endless hours sans lay in the dark but the darkness wasn’t the kind that lifted when he opened his eyes it was permanent suffocating the kind that pressed down until he felt swallowed whole every time he woke the pain reminded him he was still alive his face ached like molten metal had been poured over it the left side of his jaw stiff with burns that made speaking difficult his sockets sealed in heat-scars that throbbed whenever he tried to move he felt charred ruined a skeleton of a skeleton

Papyrus was there always there his little brother hands trembling as he tried to spoon broth into sans’s mouth whispering encouragements even when his own voice broke papyrus’s hands weren’t steady not like gaster’s clinical grip—no papyrus dropped spoons fumbled with bandages soaked the sheets trying to wring out cloths for sans’s burns but he kept going he had to you watched sans lie still for what felt like forever

Papyrus at his side trying to keep him fed he brought broth clumsy spoonfuls that dribbled down sans’s jaw sometimes when sans wanted to eat by himself he missed his mouth completely hand shaking in the air spoon clattering to the floor and every time papyrus picked it up cleaned it tried again his voice too bright too loud the edges of panic hidden behind forced cheer “see brother it’s—it’s fine look you’re getting better just one more spoonful you can do it” 

And sans would mutter something low bitter half a joke that sounded like it hurt to say “yeah ‘m a real champ blind champ pap guess that makes me unbeatable right” the laugh that followed was sharp ugly filled with a hurt that cut both ways you could see papyrus flinch but he laughed anyway forcing it swallowing his tears and giving back the only mask he could build “y-yeah unbeatable that’s you sans”

But when sans slept papyrus broke he would curl up in the chair by the bed hands pressed to his face shoulders shaking silently muffled sobs escaping only when he thought sans couldn’t hear you wanted to hold him wanted to say anything—but the dream kept you locked behind glass watching them crack under the weight of something they couldn’t carry

Sans heard him cry sometimes not sobbing not outright—papyrus thought he was being quiet muffling it into the crook of his elbow but sans could always tell he would turn his head toward the sound lips tugging in something like a smile muttering “it’s fine bro i’m fine” but his voice was shredded broken by burns the words slurred the Creator lingered like a ghost on the edge of it all watching the scenes unravel but unable to touch unable to make their voice heard they saw papyrus’s exhaustion the way his bones shook from sleepless nights and guilt he never spoke aloud you the Creator wanted to scream at him to tell him he wasn’t alone that sans didn’t think of him as weak or failing that sans just needed his brother—not perfection but their words fell silent like whispers lost to static

Sans couldn’t see papyrus’s breaking mask but he could hear it being built brick by brick at first papyrus’s voice cracked constantly pleading for sans to eat to sit up to keep fighting but as days bled into weeks something hardened his tone became louder brighter painted in strokes of confidence “i the great papyrus will not allow this keep you down” he would declare his voice booming like the papyrus sans would later come to know but here in this fragile aftermath sans could hear the quiver underneath the edges of dssperation

One night sans stirred awake to the sound of papyrus whispering—his voice low thin broken in a way sans never forgot “i can’t… i can’t do this sans… i don’t know how you’re supposed to take care of me you’re supposed to…” the words dissolved into choked sobs sans reached out fumbling until his hand brushed papyrus’s shoulder he rasped “’s alright paps i gotcha you’re not alone”

But that was the cruelest part papyrus was alone gaster buried himself in the lab refusing to meet their eyes obsessing over blueprints for holographic glasses prototypes stacked in uneven piles on his desk when he did surface his words were clipped clinical “the nerve scarring is severe recovery will be partial at best i’ll fix this.. dolly” then he was gone again shutting the door on their grief sans waited at first you could see it in him—every time papyrus said gaster was working that he’d be back soon sans’s head would lift that tiny spark of faith lighting his chest he believed he believed in the big brother who was brilliant unshakable the one he had idolized so fiercely that even his own bones had seemed smaller next to him and when the door did not open when the days passed that spark dimmed slowly terribly it dimmed

Days became months sans learned to walk in darkness stumbling through the house guided by papyrus’s hands and papyrus’s strained patience he burned his fingers on pots tripped over furniture cursed under his breath with a bitterness papyrus tried desperately to laugh away “well at least you can still hear how cool i sound” papyrus would blurt out too loud too forced sans would smirk letting him have the illusion because he knew—he knew—papyrus was drowning under the weight of pretending

The mask papyrus wore grew heavier at first it slipped often revealing the terrified child underneath but soon he wore it like armor convincing everyone—even himself—that he was strong enough to shoulder sans’s pain except the Creator saw the cracks they saw the late nights where papyrus sat by sans’s bedside trembling hands clutching his knees whispering apologies to the brother who couldn’t see his tears

The mask came later the mask forged for sans to keep the burns on his face charcoal black across his jaw melted lines carved deep hidden when the mask was first placed over his face sans laughed hollowly the sound echoing strange through the filter “hah how do i look scary maybe i’ll finally get some respect huh” his voice was thinner emptier muffled behind the plastic and steel papyrus said he looked strong like a warrior he said it so firmly you almost believed him but you saw sans’s hands clench tight in his lap the way his jaw twitched beneath the straps you saw the way he didn’t look at papyrus when he muttered “feels like hidin’”

Papyrus’s voice lifted louder brighter desperate “no it’s—it’s not hiding sans you look so cool you’re still my brother the best brother the coolest” he smiled too wide too hard his sockets gleaming with unshed tears that he would not let fall that was the first night you saw him practice it—his mask the smug grin the overconfident tone he told sans a ridiculous story about how he’d challenge undyne one day beat her with nothing but his spaghetti and you could hear the way his voice cracked at the edges of laughter sans chuckled faintly and papyrus’s smile held even as he broke inside

Time kept crawling the dream showed you weeks like pages torn and scattered sans fumbling in the dark refusing to accept papyrus’s hand crashing into walls until he was bloodied cursing kicking furniture he hated being helpless he hated needing someone to guide him he hated the way silence filled the spaces where gaster should have been sometimes he called for him—low soft when he thought papyrus was asleep “gaster… hey doc… you’re still… still workin’ on it right i know you are you’ll fix this you always fix things” his voice broke then quiet as ash “...you’ll come back for me right”

But the door stayed closed gaster worked in silence buried in machines and equations as if repairing his invention mattered more than repairing his family and slowly sans’s faith cracked you saw the way he stopped waiting at the door stopped asking when gaster would come you saw the way his jokes grew sharper crueler turned inward like knives papyrus kept laughing louder brighter trying to fill the hollow space but it was never enough

A year passed the dream showed you a table covered in dust meals eaten in silence laughter forced sans sat there with his mask his jokes his emptiness and papyrus sat opposite his own mask polished brighter each day and then the door opened gaster entered with something in his hands—sleek perfect gleaming glasses that shimmered faintly with light holographic lenses a miracle he presented them like salvation “here” he said calm collected the frost in his voice pride “these will restore your sight” 

Sans lifted his head for a heartbeat you saw the spark of the boy who had idolized his brother who had waited every day for this moment he put them on the room shifted light filtering in faintly through the lenses shadows forming shapes he could see again—not perfectly not like before but enough enough to move without stumbling enough to live he laughed once short bitter “thanks doc guess you pulled through huh”

But you felt it you felt the hollow beneath it the year of waiting the year of silence—it had already carved too deep the faith was gone the boy who had looked up at gaster with awe was gone and though sans wore the glasses though he nodded his thanks the words he didn’t say screamed louder: you were too late what he needed was never glass it was never sight it was never light it was you it was papyrus it was a brother who had already turned away

And you the Creator the witness could do nothing but watch watch the masks harden watch the distance grow watch as a family cracked burned and rebuilt itself into something sharp and hollow you tried to speak tried to cry tried to scream their names but the dream swallowed your voice whole and all that remained was the echo of fire the hiss of smoke and the silence of a boy who had stopped believing and you felt unbearable guilt for making this au

Chapter Text

The room flickered with the dim pulse of magic The fever had been building all day threading through the bones of the body the Creator shared with Sans By the time night came the air was thick a slow shimmering heat that made even the shadows feel alive

The room which was were the skeletons were glowed soft the colors dancing over the scattered notes and medical tools that Alphys had dropped off not knowing the truth To her Sans was just sick She didn’t know he was halfway gone CY sat at the foot of the bed its body a sculpture of steel and warmth Its sensors blinked in a steady rhythm every pulse echoing faintly in Sans’s chest The robot dog’s tail tapped once against the wood Tap Tap Then stopped as though afraid to break the air

Sansvhovered near your bedside his flickering outline faint against the candlelight His bones glowed dim almost translucent Sometimes the light caught the cracks along his jaw painting them silverwhite His gas mask sat on the table untouched There was no reason to wear it here the air was still heavy thick with the smell of incense and melting wax Papyrus almost smiled too almost “YOU’RE FLICKERING AGAIN” he said his voice too steady for the tremor in his bones “GASTER SAID YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MOVING THAT MUCH” but of papyrus and sans knew that both of them won't be fallowing gasters orders anytime soon sans just shrugged It was half a gesture more a shimmer of light than motion “yeah well doc’s not here is he? someone’s gotta keep an eye on ‘em” he said turning his gaze on you again

You Astrous lay motionless the fever made your skin glisten with a light purple sweat each droplet of sweat glowing like spilled stars Magic pooled along your collarbones shimmering softly You breathed shallowly chest rising and falling in weak rhythm The tether between you and Sans throbbed faint pulsing in time with both your souls

The bed creaked when the Creator turned sweat beading along their brow The fever it was the kind of fever that rippled between body and soul Sans he hated not being able to touch to help so Sans just watched his sockets dark and tired His voice when it came sounded like gravel dragged through wind “Pap” He didn’t look up “They’re burnin’ up again”

Papyrus stood nearby his battle body gone instead wearing a soft lavander sweater that reminded sans of the papyrus in the paast his mask of calm welded to his voice even as it strained He kept glancing toward Sans’s outline then back to Astroisand then away like if he stopped looking he could stop worrying “I KNOW” The words came out sharper than he meant and he immediately flinched His fingers curled against his ribs his head bowing low “I know” he said again quieter “THEY KEEP FLUCTUATING I—I’VE TRIED HEALING BUT IT DOESN’T STAY”

“‘cause it ain’t the spell” Sans murmured “It’s the tether” Papyrus turned his cape catching the faint light The colors shimmered red and orange like embers trapped in cloth “THE TETHER”

“yeah” Sans’s outline flickered fading halfway before returning “our soul are combined sure but it sure as hell ain't steady it's still stabilizing and with that stunt star did to make me at least a little visible the tethers gone haywire" Papyrus didn’t answer He stared at the floor jaw trembling There were no right words to say The only sound came from CY who shifted its metal paws and lowered its head closer to Astreous'sbhand sensors humming faintly

“Pap” Sans said quietly the words barely disturbing the hum “You’re doin’ good You’re doin’ what I can’t” he said trying to change the subject and say what he's been thinking for some time Papyrus shook his head too fast his scarf trembling with the motion His laugh cracked halfway through “NO NO I—YOU’RE—YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE SAYING THAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING TERRIBLE JOKES RIGHT NOW OR SNORING OR— OR JUST” Silence Just the low static hum of CY’s tail thumping once against the wall He trailed off His throat ached He tried again

“JUST BE HERE”

The air rippled faintly beside him A soft hum like static caught in the walls and then a flicker of light formed

“’m here bro”

Papyrus turned his head away from Sans as sans floated a little closer to you his outline pulsing faintly with lavender light He looked down at the Creator’s face observing just to get stuff out of his mind right now that magic pooling at the corners of their lashes like light made liquid “They’re fightin’” Sans said softly deciding to speak again “Star’s tough Stronger than me probably Just… need a little time” Papyrus jaw tightened turning his skull at sans but he forced his smile back into place fragile as porcelain “TIME YES TIME FIXES EVERYTHING” He said it like a mantra like saying it enough times would make it true even though both of them knew that time never fixed anything at least not for their case

The clock ticked The candles burned low Hours blurred

Papyrus kept tending to the Creator dabbing sweat from your forehead with a soft towel adjusting the blankets when your temperature spiked again CY stayed close sensors dimming and brightening with every shift of your heartbeat Sans hovered near the edge of the light fading in and out a ghost orbiting what he could no longer touch papyrus moved with purpose neat precise almost mechanical as if following a list no one else could see CY’s sensors whirred softly when the Creator’s temperature spiked its tail lifting to tap the nightstand twice alerting Papyrus

Sans hovered at the bedside He hated this watching unable to help The tether buzzed faintly through him each beat of the Creator’s soul echoing in the room When they twitched he felt it When their breath stuttered he felt it And when the fever flared that too burned through his ribs like wildfire just like what is happening now the pulse grew erratic when your fever peaked Each throb sent a shock through Sans’s bones It felt like drowning and breathing at once but he knew it worse for you much worse he might be able to feel what is going on but it's numbed alot for him

He hated how helpless it made him

“they’re not supposed to carry this” Sans muttered “it ain’t their fight” he mumbled to himself tightening his skeletal hands but papyrus heard “STOP” Papyrus cut in before the words could finish His voice cracked sharp almost desperate He turned away immediately grabbing the counter like it might anchor him “JUST STOP YOU ALWAYS—YOU ALWAYS TRY TO TAKE BLAME FOR EVERYTHING LIKE—LIKE YOU’RE SOME KIND OF MARTYR” sans flinched from the callout but looked away and like a caword he changed thebsubject

“Pap” Sans murmured after a while his voice barely higher then before “how’s the temp?” Papyrus if he had lips would've pursed his lip but no he just begrudgingly just pressed a hand over your forehead the tips of his fingers glowing faintly “HOT TOO HOT IT’S LIKE THEIR MAGIC IS TRYING TO BOIL OUT OF THEM”

“yeah feels like that on my end too” Papyrus’s head snapped up looking at sans with piercing eyelights from his one eye “WHAT DO YOU MEAN—YOUR END?” Sans’s grin flickered tired “tether goes both ways bro if they hurt i feel it not all of it just… numbed” He shrugged or tried to The motion came out glitchy disjointed “guess that’s the price of playin’ lifeline”

Papyrus stopped midmotion the cloth dripping into the basin His back stiffened “YOU DIDN’T GIVE THEM A CHOICE” His tone wasn’t cruel but it was sharp and tired “yeah” Sans admitted “guess not” Papyrus froze his shoulders tightening “YOU SAY THAT LIKE YOU HAD A CHOICE”

“who said i didn’t?” The words were quiet not sharp not defensive just flat Papyrus’s breath hitched His hands clenched into fists “SANS” Sans looked away glitching slightly“nah” Sans interrupted gently “don’t pap not now just—watch them they need you more” Papyrus wanted to scream Wanted to grab his brother and shake him but he couldn’t His fingers would only pass through air

Papyrus looked at him no smile on his skull he looked older when he wasn’t smiling papyrus decided to look on another topic that was hanging “DO YOU THINK I DON’T NOTICE BROTHER?” he said quietly voice trembling at the edges “EVERY RESET EVERY TIME YOU FADE—YOU TELL ME AND I CAN’T REMEMBER BUT I KNOW I KNOW YOU COME BACK MORE GHOST THAN BEFORE” Sans didn’t answer right away His outline flickered blue static chasing the edges of his form

“you don’t forget it pap” he said finally “you just hold it different like muscle memory deep down "Papyrus laughed weakly “DEEP DOWN DOESN’T HELP WHEN I CAN’T EVEN HUG YOU” That stopped everything and the air felt so still too still Papyrus turned away again shoulders trembling “YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH IT HURTS TO SEE YOU FADE AND STILL HAVE TO PRETEND THAT IT’S FINE” His voice cracked halfway through breaking down into something rawer “I—I TELL MYSELF NOT TO WORRY I TELL MYSELF THAT YOU’RE OKAY BUT YOU’RE not” Sans drifted closer until the edge of his flickering form almost touched Papyrus’s sleeve He lifted his hand a trembling translucent echo of a gesture and let it hover over his brother’s shoulder

“Pap” he whispered “you’ve done more than anyone could i ain’t ever said it enough but—thanks for stayin’” Papyrus didn’t look back He couldn’t “STOP TALKING LIKE THAT LIKE—LIKE YOU’RE ABOUT TO—”

“dust?” Sans supplied with a small crooked grin “nah ain’t goin’ anywhere not while they’re still breathin’” He looked back at you Astrous whose magic The fever had climbed again The light spilling from your skin was brighter now flickering purple then white It painted the walls in shifting colors For a moment it was almost beautiful

And then the light flared

The air cracked

CY’s sensors spiked red instantly Its mechanical tail lashed once a warning “MAGIC SURGE DETECTED” it announced in a low monotone Papyrus staggered back hand shielding his sockets “WHAT—WHAT’S HAPPENING?” Sans winced his own body flickering violently “tether” he said through clenched teeth “trying to fix somethin’ inside the link” Your body jerked once a sharp inhale like lightning The light under your skin pulsed in rhythm with Sans’s flickering form For one blinding second you both burned

Then stillness

The magic dimmed

Papyrus was already on his knees beside the bed trembling reaching for you even though his hands couldn’t quite touch you as though he were afraid to touch and afraid not to CY whined softly pressing its head against the side of the bedframe Sans’s outline was dim barely visible now His sockets flickered faintly glowing through the haze Papyrus finally spoke voice cracking “SANS… WHAT HAPPENED?” Sans took a long breath It was shaky thin “they tried to stabilize it burn out the excess guess i underestimated ‘em” Papyrus’s jaw tightened “YOU UNDERESTIMATED THEM?”

“yeah” Sans said his grin weak “told ya star’s stronger than me” Papyrus laughed but it wasn’t really a laugh It was broken brittle “YOU KEEP SAYING THAT LIKE YOU’RE PROUD OF IT”

“maybe i am”

That quiet admission made Papyrus’s bones ache He sank back onto the chair staring at the floor CY moved closer its metallic head resting gently against his knee The warmth of the machine hummed through his leg grounding constant “what if it’s permanent” Papyrus whispered suddenly Sans tilted his head “huh?”

“THE MERGE” Papyrus said “WHAT IF IT NEVER UNDOES ITSELF?” Sans floated in silence the question sinking in deep His sockets dimmed a little “then… guess we make it work” Papyrus turned then finally facing him his expression torn open between disbelief and sorrow “MAKE IT WORK?”

“yeah” Sans’s grin was small tired but real “ain’t the first time i’ve been stuck with bad odds” Papyrus wanted to argue wanted to shout to do something but the words stuck in his throat He stared at Sans at the outline that flickered faintly at the faint hum of the Creator’s breathing behind him The mix of sounds mechanical magical built a rhythm that filled the silence neither of them could break “you think Alphys could fix it?” Papyrus asked after a while Sans chuckled “heh you mean tell her i’m halfhaunting someone’s body? she’d shortcircuit” he said floating around the room Papyrus’s shoulders sagged “IT WOULD BE NICE TO HOPE SHE COULD”

“hope’s good” Sans said softly “we need that” He drifted lower near the Creator’s hand For a second he almost forgot almost reached out His phalanges passed through the skin like mist The contact never came Still he left his hand there hovering just an inch above pretending “you’re doin’ good star” he whispered “keep hangin’ in there” The air in the room shifted faintly the candles flickered responding to the magic that pulsed from the Creator’s body The fever wasn’t gone But it was easing

Hours slipped past in that dim golden quiet

Papyrus sat down eventually exhaustion catching up to him His head tilted resting against the chair the towel still clutched in his hand CY adjusted automatically pressing its cool metal head against Papyrus’s knee Its tail thumped once slow steady

Sans stayed awake He always did

Sans hovered beside the bed quiet Watching He didn’t need sleep anymore Didn’t even know if he could But the exhaustion wasn’t in his bones He watched the slow rhythm of breathing in out In out The flicker of soullight beneath the Creator’s sternum The reflection of it dancing across the candles

He whispered into the quiet voice rough “y’know… i used to think i could handle it all resets timelines the whole mess but this… this is new” His grin flickered fragile “never thought i’d be stuck sharing bones with someone who actually gives a damn especially with my goddamn creator” he always imagined beating the crap out of the god who created this sick fucking world if there was even a god but now that he actually met him he felt numb he sigh lowering his gaze

He laughed softly to himself It wasn’t a bitter laugh just tired “you probably can’t even hear me huh?” But part of him hoped you could He turned his head toward Papyrus His brother’s mask had fallen in sleep The everpresent smile was gone now leaving behind the raw shape of who he used to be soft unguarded so young It hurt to look at

Sans felt something tighten inside his chest something that wasn’t exactly sadness but close enough to burn Papyrus wasn’t strong because he didn’t feel fear He was strong because he carried it every time without anyone to help him hold it “you don’t have to do that forever paps” Sans whispered “i’m still here”

The lights flickered the shadows softened and the world went still again He could almost pretend almost believe that the quiet meant safety That maybe this time things wouldn’t fall apart He looked at Astreous again their expression calmer now lips parted slightly the faint glow of magic pulsing through their veins “hey” he said softly “you did good too don’t let the bad dreams win” For a moment he thought or maybe imagined that their fingers twitched in answer but dissapeared the moment he saw it sans frowned "now hallucinations fuck nah"

Morning came slow

Papyrus woke with a start CY whirring softly beside him The towel slipped from his lap He looked around fast then saw the faint shimmer of Sans still beside the bed Relief softened his expression “MORNING” he said quietly Sans nodded “morning bro” Papyrus’s sockets darted toward you “THEY LOOK BETTER” Sans let out a broken hum as he nodded slightly “yeah fever’s lower magic’s… steady” Papyrus’s hands clenched against his knees He wanted to reach out but didn’t “THEN IT’S WORKING” Sans smiled slightly “guess so”

A long pause Then Papyrus said more softly “YOU STILL BLAME YOURSELF DON’T YOU?” Sans didn’t answer immediately His eyelights dimmed “nah” he said after a long moment “not just me this world’s got a way of breakin’ everyone in some way i just… got lucky i broke first” Papyrus looked at sans hard “THAT’S NOT- THAT’S NOT LUCK” Sans shrugged “depends how you look at it” The words came out half a joke half truth Papyrus stood up then pushing the chair back He took a shaky breath and said “I’M MAKING SOMETHING TO EAT FOR WHEN THEY WAKE UP”

“yeah” Sans smiled faintly “good idea” He watched Papyrus leave CY padding after him tail wagging softly The moment the door closed Sans turned back to you The morning light filtered through the curtains painting gold over the floor Dust motes drifted like sparks of magic

Your eyes fluttered once

Just once

Sans froze every flicker in his form halting midmotion The tether pulsed hard one strong beat that lit up both your chests at once “star?” he whispered No answer But your lips moved barely A faint sound too soft to catch It was enough Sans smiled For the first time in what felt like centuries it wasn’t tired “i knew we’d get through this one too” He hovered closer the light around him flickering brighter for just a second His bones shimmered faintly in the sunlight and even if he couldn’t touch you he still reached out like it mattered Like pretending was enough Outside the door Papyrus’s voice carried faintly “BREAKFAST IS READY!” CY barked once metal tail thumping the floor

And for that fragile moment the house didn’t feel so heavy anymore The air felt lighter alive again full of the kind of hope that didn’t demand proof only beliefSans looked down at you one more time “ya better come back soon starlight" The light pulsed once between you soft warm steady yhe house the fragile patchwork home they’d built out of broken bones and burnt timelines held its breath then exhaled.

And in that exhale, there was something that felt a little like hope

Also what sans looks like my friend drew it

This is the link please check it out! 

https://www.tumblr.com/strawberylover/796745426441289728/my-ac-my-friend-drew-it-my-sans-doesnt-have?source=share

Or just search CyberTaleX on Tumblr 

Chapter Text

You wake again to soft light and the smell of disinfectant 

The room is the same, but not the same — warm now, humming faintly with quiet energy. A low breeze hums through the vents, brushing against your skin. You can almost taste the air, sweetened by magic and disinfectant full of something living and old. You’re still weak. Your body feels like it’s half there, half dissolving into the sheets. But you’re breathing. The hollow in your chest where your magic had burned raw feels patched together — barely, but enough.

And when you open your eyes, you see him.

Sans sits beside your bed, faintly translucent, elbows on his knees and sockets dim but open. His head is bowed, his jacket looks the same the usual grin missing. His outline flickers softly, like a candle caught in wind. Everything looks too real, too vivid. You blink, and the light ripples, like someone had painted the air itself. He doesn’t notice you’re awake right away. He’s whispering something under his breath, almost like a mantra — you only catch the end of it.

“…just hang in there, star.”

Your throat tries to move, but no sound comes. A dry croak, a shimmer of magic against your tongue. You blink instead, and the small motion draws his gaze like gravity. His sockets brighten, soft and sharp all at once.

“hey,” he says — just one word, but it cracks in the middle. “hey, you’re— you’re up.”

The relief in his voice isn’t loud, but it’s heavy, like something he’s been carrying too long. He rubs at his face, even though his hand passes right through his cheek. “heh. you always gotta make things dramatic, huh?” You want to smile, but your face doesn’t move. The magic tether between you hums faintly, almost like it’s acknowledging him for you.

“easy,” he murmurs quickly. “don’t try talkin’. you- our soul’s still stabilizin’. body’s got some catchin’ up to do.” You breathe shallowly, your chest rising under the thin sheet. His outline flickers again — a small glitch of static rippling through his form. He notices you watching and laughs under his breath. “yeah, that. don’t worry, nothin’ to panic about just… y’know side effect of not really bein’ alive anymore.”

He says it casually, like he’s talking about the weather. But the quiet ache beneath it is unmistakable. Before you can even think to respond, CY stirs from the corner. The metallic canine lifts its head, ears twitching, sensors scanning the air. A low chime hums through the room, and the soft glow in its chest brightens.

“go on,” Sans says, glancing toward the door. “tell paps they’re awake.” CY’s tail gives one metallic thump at the floor before scarring off out of the room, claws clicking faintly on the tile. You and Sans sit in silence for a while. He doesn’t stop watching you. You realize, distantly, that this is what exhaustion looks like on him — not the lazy shrug and half-grin he wears for everyone else, but something quieter. Hollowed. His bones flicker in and out of view, and every pulse of his magic looks like it takes effort to maintain.

He sighs finally. “you were gone for awhile didn’t think you’d wake up, honestly. pap’s been— well. you’ll see.”

As if on cue, a voice booms down the hall.

“CY SAID THEY’RE AWAKE?!”

Papyrus bursts into the doorway like sunlight, his armor gleaming — but not from training, not this time. He’s dressed in ceremonial white and gold and violet the uniform of the Royal Guard’s Captain, trimmed in faint lines of violet purple energy that pulse faintly with his magic. His gloves are spotless, his cape folded with precision, though his expression betrays all the composure his uniform tries to lend him.

“CAPTAIN PAPYRUS REPORTING—WAIT—” you can see him falter as he looks at you awake “YOU’RE—! YOU’RE—OH STARS ABOVE—YOU’RE AWAKE!” he shouts, tripping halfway across the room, catching himself on the wall, then straightening with theatrical grace. “OF COURSE YOU’RE AWAKE, I KNEW YOU WOULD BE! I—UH—EXCUSE ME, I NEED TO—TO—SOMETHING!”

“breathe,” Sans says flatly amusement flickering 

Papyrus inhales loudly through his teeth, then exhales. “YES! BREATHING EXCUSE ME AS I DO THIS" You manage a small blink, which he seems to take as a sign of approval.

Sans’s grin appears faintly, crooked and tired. “good to see you, cap’n.”

Papyrus’s gaze softens, though his hands fidget slightly. His stance is formal, but his bones tremble faintly — a habit Sans knows too well. The way his brother hides nerves behind posture he says something voice gentler now. “I’VE BEEN—ah, i mean, i’ve been worried, brother.” 

“yeah,” Sans murmurs. “me too.” There’s a quiet hum, a knock at the door — soft but deliberate. Before Sans can reply, CY gives a low beep — a different tone this time, higher, more urgent. Its sensors flare toward the hallway, and seconds later, soft light spills across the doorway. Papyrus straightens instantly, magic stiffening his spine. “THEYRE HERE.”

Toriel enters like moonlight come to life.

And the light changes.

It isn’t harsh — it’s like sunlight through stained glass, refracted into green and gold and violet. The scent of earth and ozone fills the room, followed by something faintly sweet — butterscotch, warm and nostalgic.

Toriel steps inside.

Her robe is a work of contradictions — cyberpunk woven with nature’s pulse. Her outer coat shimmers like living bark, dark auburn streaked with bioluminescent patterns that crawl and fade like moss beneath circuitry. Her sleeves end in soft petals of cloth, embroidered with fractal patterns that seem to breathe. Beneath, glimpses of silver armor — sleek, organic, grown rather than forged. Her crown is a circlet of crystal and steel, the gem at its center glowing faintly with amber light

She’s holding a tray.

And behind her — almost invisible in her shadow — walks a small figure in a pressed tuxedo, a neat bow tie at their throat, their golden-brown hair tied back with precision. Their steps are too measured, too deliberate for a child’s.

Frisk.

They hold the edges of the tray steady, gaze fixed straight ahead. They don’t speak, don’t smile, don’t even blink until Toriel stops by your bed.

“Ah, “Good evening, Captain Papyrus,” Toriel says, her tone soft but regal. “And… dear Sans.” Toriel says softly before continuing “They are awake.” Her gaze lingers on Sans’s outline — and for a moment, the light in her eyes flickers she does not ask why his form looks that way. She doesn’t pry afterall their relationship was built on not prying so even if she's highly curious he wouldn't pry he may tell it to her instead 

She gestures, and Frisk steps forward, holding the pie with both hands. They move silently to the table and place it down, and bow butterscotch pie glows faintly under the soft lights. Its crust gleams gold, its scent comforting and nostalgic 

Thank you, my child,” Toriel murmurs.

Frisk only nods once. Their expression doesn’t change.

 So she offers a small, warm smile. “I heard there has been… difficulty. I thought a taste of comfort might ease some burdens.” The smell of the pie fills the room, rich and golden. Papyrus bows so deeply that his helm nearly scrapes the floor. “QUEEN TORIEL! WHAT AN—AN HONOR! WE—WE ARE DEEPLY—” he pauses, glancing at Sans, then you. “—DEEPLY THANKFUL FOR YOUR VISIT!” Toriel chuckles softly. “Rise, Captain. You have earned enough honor for a dozen lifetimes.”

Sans doesn’t move for a long moment. His outline flickers, jaw tightening slightly “heh. thanks, queenie. smells… like old times.”

Toriel tilts her head, her expression softening. “Do you still find the scent unpleasant, my child?” Sans hums “nah,” Sans mutters, faintly amused. “just nostalgic. kinda… hurts, y’know?”

“Pain often hides in comfort,” Toriel says gently. “But comfort remains, all the same.” Silence falls for a few seconds. The hum of the monitors. The faint static buzz of Sans’s outline. You shift, the motion barely visible, but enough to make CY twitch — its sensors whirring. Sans’s gaze snaps back to you, relief cutting through the fatigue that clings to him. “hey, easy. don’t overdo it,” he says, floating a little closer. “we’re right here, okay? pap’s here, tori’s here. even the brat’s here.”

Frisk flinches at that. Barely — but Sans notices. He doesn’t push evenToriel doesn’t notice. Her focus is on you.

“How are you feeling, little one?” she asks softly. “Your magic isn't flactuating. That is a good sign.” You try to move your mouth to greet to goat mama but the effort burns. A sound—half breath, half hum—escapes you, but not much else. Toriel places a gentle hand near your shoulder, not quite touching. “Do not strain yourself. Healing takes time. The body remembers what the soul forgets.” Papyrus nods sagely, as though he fully understands. “YES. EXACTLY. WELL PUT.”

CY sits obediently by the door, tail motionless, sensors dimming to low-blue standby. Toriel straightens and looks at Sans. “Sans you look quite weary.”

“heh. understatement of the freaking century right her” he says, voice rougher than before. “Are you sleeping at all?” Toriel say frowning slightly. Sans shrugs “nah. not really a thing i do anymore.”

Toriel hums quietly. “Still, even a spirit needs rest. One cannot hold together what the universe has frayed.” Frisk, behind her, folds their hands behind their back. They glance at Sans once — quick, small — and look away just as fast. But it’s enough. Sans’s sockets narrow.

The air between them tightens.

Papyrus clears his throat to attempt to clear the air “UM! QUEEN TORIEL, IF I MAY—WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA? I HAVE—PREPARED SOME EARLIER IN HONOR OF YOUR ARRIVAL!” Toriel’s smile warms further. “That would be lovely, dear Papyrus.”

He beams — genuinely beams — and rushes out with CY trailing beside him, tail wagging with quiet metallic clanks.

That leaves only Sans, Toriel, Frisk, and you.

Toriel steps closer, her cloak whispering against the floor. She studies you for a long moment — not unkindly, but deeply. The way her gaze flickers, the faint narrowing of her eyes as she seems to read the glow beneath your skin. Toriel’s brow furrows faintly. “Your magic is tangled with theirs.”

“yeah,” Sans says softly. “not by choice. more like… necessity. kinda saved my soul from dustin’ completely.” Frisk’s eyes flick toward him at that. Their hands tighten at their sides yet Sans says nothing Toriel looks between the two of you, then back at Sans. “I see. Then they are… bound?”

Sans shrugs weakly. “’s one word for it.” The Queen nods slowly, her expression unreadable. “Then I will not interfere. Only… guide, if asked.” You try to mouth words — something like thank you — but only breath escapes. Toriel seems to understand anyway. She places a gloved hand near your shoulder, though not touching, as if aware of how fragile the magic connecting you all really is. “Rest, dear one,” she says softly. “Even roots torn from soil can grow again, given time.”

Sans lets out a quiet breath. “heh. poetic as ever.” Toriel’s gaze slides to him again, gentle but sharp. “And you, Sans… must learn to let others help.”

“yeah, yeah,” he mutters beggining to float like he did before with you, rubbing at the faint outline of his temple. “i’m tryin’.”

“Try harder.”

He huffs, but there’s no real fight in him. Frisk steps forward again, kneeling briefly beside your bed. Their gaze meets yours and for a heartbeat, the air stills. Their eyes are darker than you remember not cruel, not hollow, just older. They mouth something. You think it might be sorry. Before Sans can comment, Papyrus returns — teacups rattling slightly on a tray, CY trotting proudly at his side.

“THE TEA IS READY! OH! I ALSO BROUGHT EXTRA PIECES OF PIE—JUST IN CASE, QUEEN TORIEL!”

“Thank you, Captain,” Toriel says warmly, taking a cup. “Your hospitality does your title justice.” Papyrus beams, practically glowing. You can feel the warmth of the room grow — the sound of tea being poured, the hum of CY’s sensors softening. Frisk quietly hands Toriel her cup, their movements graceful and practiced. Sans, meanwhile, watches from the corner — shoulders easing just a little.

He looks at you again — that faint smile returning. “see? told ya we’d get through this one too.” The light from Toriel’s gem reflects off his outline, giving him a halo-like shimmer. You can’t speak — but something inside you, where his soul meets yours, hums in quiet response.

Papyrus starts talking again, proud and animated, recounting the day’s events in the Royal Guard. Toriel listens with patient fondness. Frisk silently cleans the table after them, every motion careful. CY curls near your bed, eyes dimming to a soft amber glow as it watches over you all. Sans stays near. Close enough that his flicker casts faint warmth over your skeletal hand.

His hand hovers again — can’t touch — but it doesn’t matter. The glow between you both brightens anyway.

Papyrus is dozing off in his chair. CY’s hum syncs with the soft rhythm of your breathing. Frisk sits by the door, head bowed, a silent guard. Toriel’s cloak glows faintly in the low light, like the heart of a forest beneath neon skies.

And in all of it — the warmth, the ache, the exhaustion — you feel something deeper spark to life.

Hope.

Not loud. Not blinding. Just steady.

____

With all taking a nap except toriel himself and frisk he looks at frisk guarding the door 

“nice tux,” Sans says finally, voice flat. “guess we’ve both changed jobs, huh?” Frisk doesn’t answer. They only bow slightly — the movement mechanical, practiced, perfectly polite.

“Frisk helps me with deliveries now,” Toriel explains fondly. “They are very diligent. They make sure I do not lose track of time.”

“right,” Sans says, the faintest edge under his tone. “time. kinda their specialty.” Toriel tilts her head "you two know eachother?"

“something like that,” Sans mutters. “ain’t that right, kid?” Frisk’s hands tighten minutely. Their voice, when it finally comes, is quiet, flat, barely human in cadence.

“We’ve… met.” their voice is quiet as a whisper voice abit raspy from no usage

Though the silence that follows feels heavy enough to crush.

Toriel, oblivious to the weight beneath the words, folds her hands neatly. “Good. Then there is familiarity between you. That will make visits easier.”

“yeah,” Sans says. “real cozy.”

---

 a few hours Later

Toriel moves closer to you again, checking your temperature, her magic brushing over your aura in soft waves. “You are stabilizing. That is good. In time, your voice will return.” You blink faintly, trying to nod. “Papyrus,” she says gently, “keep a close eye on them tonight. Their soul is still mending.”

“OF COURSE!” he declares proudly. “I, THE MALEFICENT CAPTAIN PAPYRUS SHALL GUARD THEM WITH MY VERY LIFE!” Toriel smiles. “I know you will.” She turns to leave, her vines shimmering faintly as she walks. Frisk follows — silent, precise — but stops just at the doorway. They glance back once, and for a second, the mask cracks. There’s something in their eyes — something that looks like guilt.

Then they bow slightly and disappear down the hall behind her.

---

The air feels heavier once they’re gone.

Papyrus exhales loudly. “SHE IS SO… CALM,” he says, collapsing into the chair beside your bed. “I FEEL LIKE A CLUMSY OAF EVERY TIME SHE VISITS.”

“you? nah,” Sans says. “you’re perfect. wouldn’t change a thing.”

Papyrus rolls his one eyelit “REALLY?”

Sans smirks faintly. “really.”

There’s a pause, quiet except for the hum of CY’s sensors. Papyrus glances at you, then at his brother. “SANS WAS THAT WAS THAT REALLY FRISK? THE HUMAN?”

“yeah.”

Papyrus frowns thinking. “THEY SEEM… DIFFERENT.”

“yeah.”

“DO YOU THINK THEY’RE—”

“no,” Sans interrupts gently. “they’re not. not like before.”

---

Later, long after Toriel and Frisk are gone, and Papyrus is asleep, you open your eyes again.

Sans is still there — barely visible, slumped near the bedside, his outline flickering like static snow. His magic hums weakly in your chest through the tether, your souls syncing for a brief, fragile moment.

It’s enough.

You exhale, a faint breath escaping your throat — and for the first time since you woke, a whisper forms, soft and raw.

“…hey.”

It’s not much. But it’s a start.

Sans’s head lifts slowly, and his grin returns — small, weary, but real.

“hey yourself, star boy”

And in that fragile, quiet space between exhaustion and dawn — between all the broken pieces and what’s still holding on — something inside the house feels alive again.

Not perfect. Not whole.

But alive.

And still hoping.

Chapter Text

Somewhere far away—

in the place where creation began and where it sometimes ends—

there was only white.

Not the kind of white that blinds, but the kind that swallows. Endless, depthless, an infinity that could stretch in every direction without ever reaching a wall. There was no sound here except the faint hum of existence itself, the gentle buzz of everything that could be waiting for someone to draw it into shape.

And someone always did.

A splash of color broke the stillness—like spilled paint bleeding across a blank page. Hues of gold and cyan spread into the void, and in the middle of the chaos sat a skeleton, legs crossed, brush balanced on his knees. Paint dripped from the end of it in rhythmic little drops, each one birthing a brief flicker of life—a bird, a star, a floating island—before fading again into nothing.

He hummed to himself, tone light, tuneless, happy for no reason except that silence made him uncomfortable. “Okay, so... maybe a little more green. Or... blue. Wait, no—was I using blue already?” His brow furrowed, tongue poking out between his teeth as he stared at the shimmering globe before him—a swirling sphere of parchment sheets that folded and unfolded like breathing paper.

“Oh no,” he mumbled, panic blooming faintly in his voice. “Was I supposed to be doing something important? I swear I was—”

“watching,” came a voice behind him. Glitchy. Layered. Familiar.

Ink startled so hard his brush almost flew out of his hand. “Ah! Error! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Error, standing half-phased through the air like a bad render, smirked. His body was a mess of glitches and black strings, each one writhing and twitching in a slow pulse. His eyes glowed faint red behind the static. “i didn’t sneak. you just don’t pay attention.”

“I was paying attention!” Ink insisted, crossing his arms—then froze. “...to what again?”

Error chuckled, the sound static-heavy. “that’s what i thought.”

Ink huffed. “Well, maybe I just have selective attention. For important things.”

“oh yeah?” Error said, drifting closer until he hovered just beside him. “what’s so important about staring at a floating paper ball for six hours?”

“It’s not a paper ball!” Ink protested. “It’s the Doodle Sphere! A whole world, silly! And we’re watching something very important.”

Error glanced down at it. The surface rippled like a film reel, faint figures flickering into view—shadows of a world built from magic and dust and story. Familiar outlines formed and vanished: a small skeleton with his grin half-hidden behind exhaustion; a taller one in armor; a soft light of a soul resting near them.

Ink turned back toward the orb, his expression shifting from pout to quiet awe. “Them.” Error leaned an elbow on nothing. “oh. that world.”

Ink nodded quickly. “Yeah! That one! The one with the Creator!” Error floated closer, his glitching eyes narrowing. “that mess. didn’t think you’d still be obsessing over it.”

“I’m studying it!” Ink said, indignant. “There’s a difference.” Error leaned over his shoulder. “it’s creepy, that’s what it is. a Creator, inside their own world? that’s not supposed to happen.”

Ink’s voice softened. “It’s rare.”

“rare?” Error snorted. “try impossible.” Ink traced his brush in the air, leaving a faint line of color. “And yet, here they are. The Creator of creation, living inside their own story.”

Error’s strings tightened. “you think that’s poetic. i think that’s stupid.”

Ink didn’t argue—he just stared deeper into the sphere, eyes wide and childlike. “It’s beautiful,” he whispered. “They were supposed to just watch, write, create! But they got pulled in and now they’re bound to him.”

“the skeleton,” Error said, flatly.

Ink nodded. “Sans.” Error’s smirk faded slightly. “the one whose soul’s already falling apart.”

“Yeah.” Ink’s tone dimmed, a flicker of guilt threading through it. “He was supposed to dust after the last reset. But he didn’t. His soul reached out. Found them. Tethered itself to the Creator’s soul instead.”

“and that’s good?” Error asked, skeptical. Ink hesitated. “It’s... complicated.”

Error crossed his arms. “that’s code for ‘i screwed up something again,’ huh?”

“Hey!” Ink frowned. “I didn’t make them bond! Souls do that sometimes—when they’re too tired, too lonely. He just... didn’t want to die alone.” Error’s glitching hand clenched, static flaring in the air. “you’re telling me a skeleton’s soul latched onto a being made of pure story because it was lonely?” Ink looked down. “Because it recognized them.”

Error blinked. “what?”

“Because he felt them,” Ink said softly. “Even before it happened. Every time the Creator reset the world—every loop, every failure, every death—he felt their presence. He didn’t know it was them. But deep down, his soul did. It remembered.”

Error stared, unreadable. “...that’s not romantic, that’s tragic.” Ink’s smile faltered. “It’s both.”

Error huffed. “figures you’d think tragedy’s pretty.”

“I think it’s honest.” Ink looked down again. “They’re connected now. If the Creator’s weak, he fades. If he fades, they break. It’s a tether, but also a prison.” Error’s laugh was low, but without humor. “a soulmate bond. how poetic. how pathetic.”

Ink frowned. “Don’t call it pathetic.”

“why not? you said it yourself—they’re killing each other slowly. one can’t live without the other, one can’t die with them. that’s not love, that’s codependence.” Ink’s hand tightened around his brush. “You don’t understand.”

“i understand fine,” Error said, tone sharp. “it’s like every other world you paint—sweet, tragic, doomed.” Ink’s tone wavered. “It’s not doomed.”

“sure,” Error said, voice dripping sarcasm. “and i’m not a walking 404.” Ink glared at him. “They care about each other! You can feel it, even from here. That connection—it’s not just story, it’s real.”

Error tilted his head, watching the small movements in the sphere. “...and you’re acting like that’s a good thing.”

“It’s interesting!” Ink said forgetting, bouncing a little where he sat. “Creators aren’t supposed to exist inside creation, right? They’re supposed to stay above it. But this one—this one’s there. They’re alive, breathing, sleeping in that same house, eating that same pie—” Error interrupted, voice dry. “and breaking half the laws of existence while they’re at it.”

Ink smiled sheepishly. “Heh. Maybe. But think about it—when was the last time something new happened? It’s been centuries of the same loops, the same resets, the same heartbreaks.” He waved his brush, flicking droplets of paint that blossomed into colors before fading. “Now everything’s... different.”

Error crossed his arms, strings twitching. “different doesn’t always mean better.”

“I didn’t say better.” Ink’s tone softened. “Just... different.” They fell quiet for a bit, the hum of the void filling the silence. The Doodle Sphere shimmered below, light from its surface reflecting in Ink’s eyes.

Error finally spoke, voice lower. “you look tired.”

“I’m fine!” Ink said instantly, too fast. “Totally fine! I just... ran out of my ‘happiness’ vial again.” He fished through his pouch, pulling out a small bottle filled with gold liquid, uncorking it, and taking a swig. His pupils flared faintly. “Okay. There! Better!” Error rolled his eyes. “you and your emotional juice boxes.”

“They’re art supplies, thank you very much,” Ink sniffed. “And besides, you’d be cranky too if your entire personality was powered by borrowed feelings.”

“oh, i am cranky,” Error said. “i just don’t need to chug glitter to prove it.” Ink laughed, but it was short-lived. His attention snapped back to the Doodle Sphere, face turning thoughtful. “Error do you think they'll last?” 

Error tilted his skull. “nothing real lasts here.”

Ink’s voice cracked. “Then maybe I’ll make it last.”

Error’s glitches flared, his static rattling the space between them. “and there it is. the god complex again.”

“I’m not playing god!” Ink shouted, slamming his brush down—colors exploded around them, vibrant and wild, forming constellations and melting stars. “I’m trying to protect something pure for once!” Error flinched at the force of it, then sighed, tone dropping to something almost tired. “so you did meddle.”

Ink’s silence answered for him. Error floated closer, his grin gone. “what’d you do this time?”

Ink hesitated, then said softly, “I numbed him.”

Error blinked. “you what?”

Ink didn’t look up. “I muted the part of him that would hate them,” Ink murmured. “If he ever realized who they were—what they did—he would’ve turned on them. He would’ve shattered the tether, and that would’ve killed him.”

Error’s grin faltered. “you’re joking.”

“No joke.” Ink’s brush twirled nervously in his fingers. “If he remembered everything—if he really understood that they were the one who wrote his pain—he would’ve turned on them. Maybe even destroyed the tether connecting them. That would’ve killed him.” Error’s laughter was sharp, painful. “so you erased his pain. again.”

Ink’s colors flickered, dimming. “I saved him.”

“you erased him,” Error said. “you took away the part that made him him.”

Ink’s hands trembled. “You don’t get it! If he had remembered, he would’ve destroyed everything! His grief, his rage—he couldn’t survive it.”

Error’s glitching strings coiled tighter. “and instead of letting him choose, you chose for him.”

Ink’s colors dimmed. “You think I don’t know that?!” His voice cracked, and a drop of paint hit the floor, spreading gold ripples. “But I couldn’t let him hate them. Not when the Creator’s already dying inside their own body. Not when he’d kill himself trying to fix it!” Error’s laugh was bitter. “you always do this. interfere, ‘for their own good.’ do you ever stop to think that maybe mortals don’t need your help?”

Ink finally looked up, eyes shining with streaks of blue and green. “I have to help them! If I don’t—who will?!” He jabbed his brush toward the sphere. “You destroy things! You erase them! At least I try to save them!”

“and look how well that turns out,” Error said quietly.

Ink’s shoulders sagged. “...You’re mean.”

“you’re reckless.”

“and you’re a hypocrite!” Ink snapped, glaring at him. “You say I meddle, but you watch every world too. You could end them in seconds—but you don’t. You never do.”

Error’s grin twitched. “someone has to make sure you don’t drown in your own paint.”

Ink’s face softened a little. “...You do care.”

“shut up,” Error said immediately.

“You totally care.”

“nope.”

“You do!”

Silence passes until some speaks again

Ink looked away. “He’s smiling again.”

Error snorted. “because he’s numbed.”

“Because he’s alive,” Ink shot back.

“barely.”

Ink pouted, crossing his arms. “you’re mean.”

“i’m right.”

“you’re still mean!”

“and you’re still a disaster,” Error said, leaning closer, grin widening. “so tell me—what happens when your little project figures it out? when sans remembers everything?”

Ink’s grin faltered. “…He won’t.”

“you’re sure about that?”

“No,” Ink admitted, shoulders slumping. “but I want him to have something good. Even if it’s somewhat fake.”

Error stared at him for a moment, the static around his frame dimming slightly. “that’s messed up.”

Ink looked up, eyes wide. “you mean messed up like... you messed up messed up, or messed up like, artistic tragedy messed up?”

Error snorted. “both.”

“oh good!” Ink smiled again. “I like both.”

“of course you do.”

Ink swirled the paintbrush through the air, trails of light forming small floating doodles—a star, a heart, a messy stick figure that looked suspiciously like Error.

Error reached out and snapped his fingers; the doodle exploded into static. “don’t draw me.”

“aww, but you’re my favorite subject!”

“that’s depressing.”

They both fell silent. For a long while, only the faint hum of the Anti-Void filled the air. Below, the sphere glimmered faintly—inside, two lights pulsed together. A soul of lavander purple and a soul a mix of green and purple

Error stared at it, voice low. “you think they’re soulmates?”

Ink smiled weakly. “In a way. Not by choice. Not by destiny. Just... by accident.”

“most soulmates are accidents,” Error said. “that’s what makes them interesting.”

“They’re more than that,” Ink said softly. “They mirror each other. The Creator made him, but he’s the reason they’re still sane. They’re pieces of the same story, trying to hold each other together.”

Error tilted his head, static softer now. “and when one breaks?”

Ink’s eyes flickered with faint, watery light. “Then the other will, too.”

Error sighed, glitching shoulders slumping. “romance. tragedy. same difference.” Ink laughed quietly, though it sounded more like a sob. “Maybe that’s all any story is.”

“and here i thought you were supposed to be the cheerful one.”

Ink smiled tiredly. “I fake it better.”

Error eyed him for a long moment before muttering, “you’re bleeding paint.”

Ink looked down; color was dripping from his wrist, little golden drops staining the white beneath. “Oops.”

Error rolled his eyes and tossed him a cloth made of glitching code. “you’re a mess.”

“I’m your mess,” Ink said brightly.

“unfortunately.”

you’re so annoying.”

“I know!” Ink said cheerfully.

They sat in silence again, the void humming softly. Below them, in the Doodle Sphere, the faint glow of two souls intertwined—blue and gold threads slowly weaving tighter.

"it’s ironic, isn’t it?” Ink murmured. “He loves the one who made him suffer. The one who wrote his pain.”

“story of every world,” Error said. “mortals always love their makers. then hate them. then try to be them.”

Ink sighed. “maybe this time it’ll be different.”

“it never is.”

“I can hope.”

“hope’s not real,” Error said, strings coiling lazily. “it’s just something you paint on the walls to make the cracks look better.”

Ink smiled faintly. “You sound like you’ve been thinking about that for a while.”

“i think a lot when you’re not talking.”

“oh, so never!” Ink beamed.

Error groaned. 

They lapsed back into silence. Below, in the Doodle Sphere, two souls pulsed again—this time slower, steadier. Their colors tangled. Not fighting. Not fusing. Just existing together, against all odds.

Error’s gaze lingered. “...you think they’ll make it?”

Ink’s voice was quiet. “No. But I want them to.”

Error snorted softly. “you and your hope.”

“Someone’s got to have it.”

Error’s grin twitched. “fine. but when this all blows up, don’t say i didn’t warn you.”

Ink’s brush spun idly. “When it blows up... maybe we’ll get something beautiful out of the debris.”

Error sighed. “you’re impossible.”

“I’m creative.”

“you’re a fool.”

“I’m an artist.”

“you’re so annoying.”

“I know!” Ink said cheerfully.

They sat in silence again, the void humming softly. Below them, in the Doodle Sphere, the faint glow of two souls intertwined—blue and gold threads slowly weaving tighter.

“they’re getting closer,” Ink said quietly.

“the skeleton and the creator?”

“yeah. They’re... blending. Their magic’s syncing more every day.” Ink stared down with a strange mix of awe and worry. “It’s kind of beautiful. Kind of terrifying, too.”

Error tilted his head. “romance. cute. disgusting.”

Ink leaned forward, eyes soft again. “Hey, Error... Do you think the Creator knows?”

“knows what?”

“That I numbed him. That I tampered with their world. That I—”

“no,” Error interrupted flatly. “if they did, you’d already be gone.”

Ink’s smile faltered. “...Yeah. Probably.”

“you’re lucky they haven’t looked up yet,” Error continued. “if the Creator ever sees you, it’s over. for all of us.”

Ink fiddled with his brush. “They’re... different. Not like the others. They feel... Different”

Error sighed. “and when this blows up? when your fancy machine malfunctions? what then?”

“It’s not my machine!” Ink protested.

“you inspired the blueprints.”

“I didn’t tell Gaster to build it!”

“you told him how.”

Ink blinked. “…Okay, yeah, maybe I did.”

“you can’t help yourself.”

“I can help myself!”

“no, you literally can’t.”

Ink opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking hard. “okay yeah, that tracks.”

Error sighed, though there was something like amusement behind the static. “you know when this blows, it’s gonna drag their world through another, right?”

“I know.” Ink looked down at the Doodle Sphere. “Two machines. Two timelines. One big, messy, magical explosion. It’ll... shuffle things around.”

“shuffle things,” Error repeated. “that’s your nice way of saying ‘everyone’s screwed.’”

“hey, sometimes art requires chaos.”

“and sometimes chaos requires duct tape.”

Ink blinked. “we have duct tape?”

Error smirked. “no.”

“aw.”

Silence again. White all around.

Then Ink said softly, “Do you think it’s wrong? What I did?”

“obviously,” Error said. “but also kinda funny.”

“you’re the worst.”

“takes one to know one.”

Ink snickered. “we’re a mess.”

“we’re balance.”

“yeah,” Ink said, smiling faintly. “you destroy, I create. yin, yang, boom.”

Error rolled his eyes. “you sound like you rehearsed that.”

“I did! three times!” Ink said proudly

They stared down at the Doodle Sphere again. The light pulsed once—gold and blue flickering in sync. “and you’re just gonna let it happen?”

Ink smiled softly. “Creation needs destruction. You said that yourself.”

Error’s grin twitched. “don’t use my words against me.”

“I always do.” Ink chuckled, and for a while, they just sat there—creation and destruction, watching the small flickering world below. The faint heartbeat of two souls merged, struggling but still shining.

“hey, error?”

“yeah?”

“...do you think they’ll make it be honest..” Error didn’t answer right away. His glitching slowed, static dimming to a low buzz. Then he said, “maybe. depends how good your story is.”

Ink grinned, small but genuine. “then it’s gonna be amazing.”

Error snorted. “yeah, yeah. try not to ruin it this time.”

Ink leaned back, stretching in midair. “no promises.”

Error sighed, shaking his head—but a tiny, crooked smile tugged at his jaw then gave a short, glitched laugh. “you’re a disaster.”

Ink smiled. “and you’re my favorite one.”

“ugh. gross.”

“you like me,” Ink sang under his breath.

Error flicked a string, smacking him lightly on the head. “shut up, paint freak.”

Ink grinned, rubbing the spot. “love you too, glitch-face.”

The Doodle Sphere below them pulsed—once, twice—light flaring like a heartbeat.

Error tilted his skull. “it’s starting.”

Ink nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

“the malfunction?”

“the collapse.”

“good,” Error said, grin widening. “i was getting bored.”

Ink laughed soft

ly, though there was worry behind it. “Then don’t blink. You might miss the part where everything changes.”

Error smirked. “you always say that before the end.”

“And you always show up anyway,” Ink replied. 

The void trembled. The world below cracked open with a sound like tearing paper.

And above it all, surrounded by endless white, two forces—Creation and Destruction—watched as the story began to unravel.

Please checkout my new fanfic! It's called

The Dawnstar Crown

It's a sans x oc it's kinda a crack treated seriously situation it's also culty it's slowburn childhood friends type of things check it out!

Chapter Text

Morning

morning came quiet—too quiet, like the house was holding its breath. Dust motes floated lazily through the soft morning light that spilled from the half-drawn curtains. You’d been awake for an hour, eyes fixed on the ceiling, listening to the faint, uneven hum of Gaster’s equipment somewhere beyond the walls he's visited to check up he says.

Your body still felt heavy—legs trembling, arms sluggish. Two weeks in a coma hadn’t been kind. Every movement pulled like your muscles were made of half-melted wax. The door creaked open with a mechanical whir.

“good morning, Star,” came Sans’s voice—light, lazy, and pretending not to care. “if you can call it that. you’ve been out long enough to grow a beard. well, if you had skin.”

You blinked, slow. Sans stood at the foot of your bed, hands tucked in his hoodie pocket. He looked almost solid now—less flickering than before—but the faint shimmer around his outline still betrayed the truth. He wasn’t fully there.

Papyrus followed behind him, posture perfect despite the faint slump in his shoulders. His armor caught the sunlight like it was trying too hard to shine.

“BROTHER, THAT’S NOT HOW ONE GREETS SOMEONE WHO’S JUST RECOVERING!” he scolded, then softened immediately, glancing at you. “HOW ARE YOU FEELING? DOES ANYTHING HURT?”

You tried to answer, but your voice came out broken, a rasp. Sans held up a hand, shaking his head. “easy, star boy,” he said—his soft but tired “don’t strain yourself doc... says we gotta take this slow.”

As he was about to speak again he was intrupted by the sound of gasters cane

Gaster doesn’t look tired, but he does look sharpened.

His coat is immaculate; his gloves spotless. The only sign of exhaustion is the faint tremor in his hand when he adjusts his glasses — so faint you’d miss it if you didn’t already know how to look for cracks. He glances from you to the bed, then to Papyrus, who stands by the window, fiddling with the edge of the curtain.

Finally, his gaze settles on Sans.

“Porcy,” he says softly, voice all sugar and glass but still held that underlined sharoness, “how’s the pain?”

The nickname lands like a blade. You feel it through the tether — Sans flinches slighty that it's barely noticable. Papyrus’s hands tighten around the curtain, the fabric twisting in his grip.

Gaster notices. Of course he does. He always notices. But he doesn’t correct himself. He never does.

And you felt the guilt knotting deep in your chest. You’d written this—this fractured family, this grief that hung like fog. The ache in their voices was your fault, every line of it. You’d given them tragedy like it was a gift.

You watched as Sans rolled his eye lights, leaning lazily against the wall—except he didn’t touch it, just phased through slightly, the shimmer of distortion curling where his bones met the surface. “Fine,” Sans mutters through you, his voice scratchy, warped by the strain of sharing a throat. The syllable comes out half-glitched. “Just peachy, Doc.”

Gaster hums, as if that were a perfectly acceptable answer. He crosses the room, his movements smooth, deliberate. When he stops at the bedside, the air feels colder. “yeah, let’s get this show on the road,” Sans said, voice thin. “the sooner we start, the sooner Astreous here can stop starin’ at me like i’m a screensaver.” he says with a grin

Papyrus shot him a sharp look that looked way to much like gasters own. “BROTHER!”

“what? i’m helping. motivation’s important.” He grinned, though it didn’t reach his sockets. “gotta hand it to ya, doc, i never thought i’d see the day when you’d be the one making them stand.”

You don’t want to look at him, but you can’t help it. He’s magnetic in that terrifying way—his attention like a blade’s edge, cutting too clean, too precise.

He doesn’t touch you. Not yet. He only studies your posture, the way your hands tremble slightly as you brace against the sheets. “bone function remains inconsistent,” he murmurs, half to himself. “Residual strain from last night’s feedback loop. We’ll start slow.”

You nod — because that’s what you’re supposed to do — but guilt curls in your chest anyway, hot and unbearable. I did this, you think. I wrote this. I made him like this. You’d given him the mind that never stops calculating, the eyes that see too much, the obsession that devours every ounce of warmth it touches.

You’d made him brilliant — and lonely.

You’d made them all broken.

You were snapped out of it by the hum of magic on your bones the energy that had kept Sans visible, that now worked to steady your nerves.

But then gaster spoke

“Porcy,” he says next, turning to Papyrus. It’s softer this time, almost fond. But it still hits like a sharp bruise reopening.

Papyrus freezes mid-movement.

“DONT CALL ME THAT” he says — too fast, too sharp a bite in his voice then adds, quieter, “Please.”

For a moment, something almost nevermind.. on Gaster’s face. Then it’s gone, replaced by that same sharp unreadable smile. “Old habits,” he says lightly. “You'll always forgive me won't you" he says more the sentence feeling for like a command then a question 

Papyrus doesn’t answer.

The silence that follows is brittle. Even the hum of systems seems to shrink away from it. You want to say something — anything — but your throat closes up. You don’t belong in this history, but you made it. Every fracture, every jagged word, every scar in the spaces between them is yours. And you can’t unwrite it.

“Let’s start again,” Gaster says finally. His tone is calm again, measured. “Porcy, we’ll start with fine motor coordination.”

He sits beside you, his gloved hand hovering inches from your skeletal knee. It’s not a healer’s touch — it’s a scientist’s. Detached, deliberate.

“Flex your phalanges,” he instructs. “One at a time.”

You do. Slowly. Painfully. The bones move, but not smoothly. They twitch, jerk, stutter like a puppet with tangled strings. The motion sends a spark of ache through the tether; Sans’s voice grumbles inside your skull.

“Feels like he’s tryin’ to wind up a watch that’s already cracked.”

Gaster’s sockets flicker at the edges — amusement? irritation? maybe both. “Progress,” he says simply, as if the word alone can smooth over the rawness in the air. “Again.”

The exercise continues in silence. He corrects your posture with a firm hand, guiding each motion, his fingers ghosting against the bone. You wonder if he knows how intimate that contact feels — how invasive — or if he simply doesn’t care. Maybe this is his way of apologizing: precision instead of affection.

Papyrus moves closer eventually, crouching beside the bed. He doesn’t look at Gaster. His gaze stays on your hands, on the way they tremble. “Here,” he murmurs, reaching to steady your wrist. “Like this.”

Gaster watches. He doesn’t interfere. But you can feel his attention—an invisible weight pressing against the room, sharp and calculating.

When your hand finally obeys, flexing without spasm, Gaster makes a small noise of approval. “Better,” he says. “Now stand.”

Papyrus stood behind you, careful but uncertain, while Sans stood to your left, pretending to supervise. “alright, kid. let’s see if you can take a stand for once,” Sans quipped. “don’t worry—if you fall, i’ll probably phase right through tryin’ to

You let out a breathy laugh. It hurt. It also helped.

You hesitate. The floor feels too far away now. CY steps forward wordlessly, lowering themself. You grab their metallic body as assistance

Their metallic skin is mechanical and cold but comforting nonetheless. Your feet touch the ground, unsteady but real. Your knees threaten to give out. Gaster doesn’t move to catch you. Papyrus does.

The first movement was agony—your body refusing to obey, muscles locking and trembling. You leaned forward, hands gripping the sheets. Papyrus’s hand hovered just above your shoulder, never touching. Sans’s gaze lingered, unreadable. “you’re doin’ great,” Sans muttered, voice quieter now. “better than i did, first time i tried walkin’ again.”

Papyrus turned sharply to look at him. “BROTHER—”

“what? it’s true.” He chuckled softly, then added, “course, i didn’t have the advantage of being powered by guilt and determination.”

That stung—because it was true. You were guilty. Every breath you took reminded you that their pain existed because you’d made it that way. You managed a single shaky step. Then another. Papyrus caught his breath, a hint of something like pride flickering behind the worry. “YOU’RE DOING IT!”

Sans grinned, lazy but warm this time. “heh. told ya, paps. they’ve got legs. knew it was only a matter of time.”

“BROTHER, THAT WAS NOT EVEN A GOOD PUN!”

“oh, c’mon. i’m just tryin’ to stand up for them.” Papyrus groaned, dramatic. You almost smiled. His arms wrap around your shoulders, holding you upright. “got you,” he mutters under his breath, the faintest tremor in his voice. “It’s okay.... Brother” The word brother burns. You’re not him, not really. And he knows that but for now, you let it be.

Then Gaster spoke.

“Porcy. Dolly. Take a break.”

The warmth in his tone faltered—more command than suggestion. His gaze lingered on you, studying the tremor in your hands. The room fell quiet again, only the hum of the equipment and the faint rasp of your breathing filling the air.

You looked at Sans—his tired grin, his dim lights, his body half-transparent but still holding itself like he belonged here. You looked at Papyrus you tried to be loon pretending not to flinch at every reminder of the past you saw when you were at a coma. And Gaster—smiling that calm, brittle smile like a man who knew the universe was balancing on a wire he’d built himself.

You’d written all this once. Now you were living it. And for what felt like a ton, you wished you hadn’t given them tragedy at all.

Gaster adjusts his gloves again, pretending he doesn’t notice the way both his sons are shaking.

“Good,” he says finally. “Excellent work, both of you. Rest a moment.”

You sink back onto the bed. Papyrus exhales shakily, half-kneeling at your side. His hands linger like he doesn’t want to let go. Gaster steps back, and the moment his shadow moves away, the air feels lighter.

You think maybe that’s the worst part — how much easier it is to breathe when he’s not near.

You made him that way too.

---

Afterward, after the break he sits in the corner, taking notes on a clipboard. Papyrus and CY exchange quiet looks over your head. Sans hums low in your chest, tired but alive you think maybe things could hold.

But then Gaster speaks again, his tone deceptively casual and sharp you hate it. “You’re improving quickly, hm Astreous is it?. I suppose even damaged instruments can produce music, if tuned correctly.”

You feel Sans’s fury through the tether like a blade unsheathed. The laugh that slips out of you isn’t yours. “Guess you’d know all about breakin’ things to see how they work,” Sans mutters.

Gaster stills. For one heartbeat, the mask cracks — just enough for you to see the ghost of something you can't name underneath. Then he smiles again. “And you’d know all about running from the messes you make.”

Papyrus’s hand slams down on the bed rail. “STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU” His voice shakes. “Just—stop.”

The silence that follows is unbearable.

Gaster looks away first. He sets his pen down carefully, the metal clicking against the clipboard like a period at the end of an unspoken sentence. “I have work to attend to.” He says grin sharp as if nothing has even happened he turns toward the door, cane tapping faintly against the floor. At the threshold, he pauses. Doesn’t look back — just says, too quietly for anyone but you to hear:

“Dolly. Porcy. how I miss when you didn’t flinch.” And then he’s gone.

Papyrus sits down heavily beside you, burying his face in his hands. CY sets a hand on his shoulder. You just sit there, staring at your trembling hands, guilt thick in your throat.

You did this.

You made them love a man who calls obsession love.

You made them call it family.

Through the tether, Sans’s voice stirs again, hoarse but still carrying that faint edge of humor. “Star boy,” he murmurs. “Don’t cry, yeah? This is just how he is. Has been. Will be.”

Your voice cracks when you answer. “I wrote him this way.”

He paused for a second you swear you see him falter “…Then write him better next time,” Sans says quietly There’s no venom in it. Only exhaustion. Only a strange, tired kind of hope. You nod — once, slowly — and lie back against the pillow.

Papyrus stays there, silent, watching the door that Gaster disappeared through. CY keeps their hum low, a steady heartbeat for a house that shouldn’t still stand. And in the quiet, for the first time, you let yourself promise i—

not to Sans, not to Papyrus, but to yourself.

You’ll fix this.

Even if it breaks you to do it.

Chapter Text

Morning seeped through the half-drawn curtains, soft and pale, but somehow heavier than the usual light. The bedroom felt like a fragile bubble, every sound magnified—the faint creak of the bedframe, the soft hum of the house’s systems, the low rhythmic tap of CY’s metallic paw on the floor.

 You shifted in Sans’s body, the tether thrumming faintly in your chest, a reminder that every movement you made was not just you, but a chorus of all of them inside.

“Alright,” you muttered through Sans’s voice, voice scratchy and tethered. “One step at a time. You can do this.”

Sans’s dry tone echoed in your mind. “Heh… careful. Don’t fall flat on your face… though you’d make one heck of a pancake.”

Your legs were uncooperative, trembling like thin strings under too much weight. Arms felt heavy, sluggish, as though you were trying to move through water made of lead. Every small motion burned like a reminder: 

You groaned but forced another step, the floor cold under your trembling feet. The bones refused to cooperate at first, jerking and spasming like tangled strings. CY pressed gently against your hip to help stabilize, and you gritted your teeth, refusing to let yourself wobble.

“I… I have to fix this,” you muttered under your breath silently. “I wrote them this… I caused this… I have to make it right.”

you had done this. You had written this—written tragedy into existence—and now, even two days after waking, the weight of it pressed down with every pulse of muscle.

The tether buzzed with Sans’s response, half exhaustion, half amusement. “Heh… well, star boy, you did write the ultimate tragedy… but now you’re trying the redemption arc, huh? Not bad.”

You flinched slightly, guilt twisting sharp in your chest. Every sarcastic quip reminded you of how tired they all were, how much they had already suffered. And yet… you couldn’t stop. You had to try.

the low rhythmic tap of CY’s metallic paw on the floor CY nudged your shin lightly, tail flicking. It was a small gesture, but comforting in its insistence. You exhaled slowly through Sans’s body, voice grating but familiar.

“Alright… Star boy,” Sans muttered lazily, tethered voice rough. “Gotta… get up eventually. Can’t let the dog have all the fun.”

CY barked softly, as if to agree, and circled closer to your side. You swallowed hard, feeling the tether buzz against your ribs. One step, you told yourself. One step at a time.

The floor seemed impossibly far away. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, the muscles in your thighs screaming in protest.

 Each movement sent jolts up through Sans’s body, a painful reminder of how fragile everything was. You gritted your teeth. You had to do this. You had to fix what you had made.

And then your eyes landed on it: the foil-wrapped butterscotch pie that papyrus probably left for you. A small, mundane comfort in the middle of all this chaos. You reached for a piece, breaking it off with fingers that still shook, and took a cautious bite. Sweetness filled your tongue, warm and soothing, and for a heartbeat, the ache in your chest loosened.

You shifted to a small stool at the edge of the bed, testing your balance as CY nudged you forward. One shaky step, then another, then a small, triumphant wobble. Sans hummed low in the tether, voice laced with humor.

“Heh… look at you… using your legs… who knew Star Boy had legs under all that guilt?”

CY wagged their tail against your leg, almost as if urging you to keep going. You ate another bite, willing yourself to feel a little grounded, a little stronger.

You swung your feet down again, ready to stand. The floor was cold under Sans’s feet, uneven and terrifying. You planted them cautiously, trembling. Step by step, the muscles obeyed, jerky and stubborn. Your stomach twisted with guilt. 

Every wobble reminded you: you had made them live through this, made them suffer for the sake of a story. You had written them tragedy, and now you had to face it in the flesh.

Sans’s voice whispered through the tether, laced with exhaustion but still playful. “Careful, star boy… don’t overdo it… you’ll turn into a real limp-kin if you’re not careful,” he muttered.

You groaned at the pun, but it spurred you forward. You had to make them proud. You had to make them safe.

You have to fix this.

CY barked again, brushing against your side, steady and reassuring.

A sharp knock on the door made you flinch, and then Papyrus appeared. Arms crossed, shoulders stiff. “BROTHER!” His voice cracked somewhere between concern and exasperation. “I HEARD SOMETHING… ARE YOU—STANDING? ESPECIALLY ALONE”

You gave a small nod, legs trembling beneath you. Papyrus didn’t move closer at first. He just stood there, posture rigid, eyes bright with worry. “BRO- ASTREOUS… DON’T FALL. I’M SERIOUS. IF YOU TIP—IF YOU—” He swallowed, then you spoke 

“I… I’m not alone,” you said, nodding toward CY, who wagged their tail in reassurance.

Papyrus’s eyes softened slightly, but his posture remained stubborn. “ASTREOUS… don’t test me. I am watching. EVERY STEP. ONE WRONG MOVE—” He swallowed, then exhaled sharply. “…I… I Want You Safe.”

You forced a smile, wobbling as you tried to stand more upright. Sans’s voice muttered in the tether, “Heh… the little skeleton’s protective streak… cute. Just… keep your balance before he faints from worry.”

CY nudged your leg forward, encouraging the next step. You shifted your weight slowly, deliberately, muscles quivering but cooperating. One step. Two steps. A tremor. A pause. A deep, shaky breath. And then… forward again.

"Watch your step, star boy… literal edition.” Sans whispered.

He didn’t scold. Not yet. He stayed back, close enough to be supportive, far enough not to crowd. “BROTHER… YOU’RE DOING IT. I CAN SEE IT. BUT—” He paused, swallowing hard.

 “…DON’T RUSH. I… Don’t Want To See You Hurt.”

Step by agonizing step, you moved across the room, CY pacing beside you, Sans quipping quietly with every tremor of your legs, Papyrus hovering like a sentinel who didn’t want to admit he was proud.

You paused, taking a breath, legs shaking under you. Sweat pricked your brow. The room felt too small for all the tension—the weight of guilt pressing on your chest, Sans’s tethered voice gently ribbing you, Papyrus’s nervous gaze, CY’s patient presence.

“You’re… moving slow enough to annoy a snail,” Sans muttered, tired but teasing. “Kinda impressive… in a tragic sorta way.”

You forced a laugh, uneven and shaky, and Papyrus’s shoulders tensed at the sound. “BROTHER—” he began, then stopped, swallowing, eyes softening. “…I… Okay. I’m Just… Glad You’re… Moving.”

CY nudged your hip again, steadying you. “Step. Step,” you muttered aloud through Sans’s voice, feeling the tether hum with shared determination.

Finally, you reached the small table. Your legs buckled slightly, and CY pressed a reassuring shoulder against you. Sans’s grin flickered faintly in your mind. “Heh… see? Legs work. Who knew guilt could be so… motivating?”

Papyrus let out a frustrated groan, but it was soft, almost affectionate. “BROTHER, THAT IS NOT FUNNY! But… Uh… Good Job… Astreous” He reached out, not touching, just close enough to remind you he was there.

Determination flared in your chest. You had made them suffer. You had watched them flinch at names, at memories, at habits. You had written tragedy into their veins. But now… now you were going to write them a chance at healing. One shaky step at a time.

You shifted toward the small exercise mat at the edge of the room. CY followed, tail wagging gently. Sans whispered sarcastically, “Step by step… star boy’s got legs… and a stubborn little brother.”

Papyrus snorted, jaw tight, arms crossed again. “BROTHER, I AM NOT STUBBORN—” he broke off, exhaling sharply. “…But Yes, You’ve Got Legs. Don’t Test Me. Keep Going.” 

You see a small exercise mat you walked towards it step by agonizing step

Every movement sent jolts of pain through your legs. Every tremor was a reminder of the cost of your story, every win a faint spark of redemption. You had no idea if you could fully fix it—but you would try. Every step, every wobble, every tiny victory was a promise: that you would fight for them, even if it broke you, even if you didn’t know how.

Sans murmured lazily, humor threading through exhaustion: “Heh… don’t worry, star boy… we’ll get there… eventually. Pain… puns… and all.”

Papyrus groaned at the pun, shaking his head, but you caught the flicker of amusement behind his worry. CY nudged your leg once more, and you took another trembling step, determined to see this through.

You lowered yourself carefully onto the small exercise mat, CY sitting at your side, tail flicking with quiet encouragement. Your hands hovered over the surface, fingers trembling, protesting their obedience. This was the first real hand and finger exercise since waking—one of Gaster’s precise brief examination of your condition

“Alright… flex your phalanges,” Sans muttered through the tether, voice dry and pun-laden. “One at a time, star boy. Don’t make me skele-fail you.”

You gritted your teeth and flexed a finger. Then another. The motions were jerky, inconsistent. Every small twitch sent sparks of pain up the tether.

“Lookin’… not bad,” Sans commented, sarcastic but warm, “though I’ve seen more coordinated spaghetti than that little pinky.”

CY nudged your hand, pressing gently to encourage smoother movement. You swallowed, sweat prickling your brow, guilt pressing down. You had written them this fragile, these broken muscles, these tethered aches. And yet… here you were, forcing yourself to try, to fix, to redeem.

 You miss your original body so much...

CY nudged your side gently, tail flicking, as if sensing the tension in the tether. Every movement was exhausting, but it wasn’t just your muscles screaming—it was the ghost of what you’d lost.

 Your body, your real one, lying somewhere distant in memory, felt heavy in your mind. You missed the weight of your own limbs, the sensation of your fingers curling naturally around objects. The tether hummed, reminding you that this borrowed body carried more than just your determination.

Sans’s voice cut lazily through your chest. “Heh… careful there, star boy… almost like you miss… what’s missing, huh?”

You flinched at the truth in his tone. “Yeah,” you muttered through his voice. “I… I miss me. I miss my hands that actually belonged to me… my feet that I could trust… my skin, my hair,”

Papyrus crouched beside you, stubborn posture unyielding, arms folded tight. “…BROTHER… WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?” His voice was sharp but quivered at the edges, betraying worry. “…YOU’RE… MISSING SOMETHING. SOMETHING IMPORTANT. BUT… YOU’RE STILL HERE… TRYING.”

CY nudged you again, pressing its warm, metallic body against your side. Your stomach twisted, the ache of memory stabbing sharper than any muscle cramp.

 You’d lost them all—your real family, the brothers you could barely touch anymore, and now… you were here, tethered to Sans, trying to repair what your imagination had broken in reality.

“Yeah,” Sans muttered dryly, his voice scratchy, tethered. “Missing the old… the familiar… I get it. But… heh… gotta work with the model you got, right?”

You swallowed, jaw tight, flexing your fingers slowly. The small motions were excruciating, but you gritted your teeth.

 “…I have to. I have to fix this. For them… for all of them.”

Papyrus’s eyes softened despite his stubborn glare. "ASTREOUS… I… UNDERSTAND. BUT… YOU’RE HERE. YOU… YOU ARE TRYING. AND THAT… IS WHAT MATTERS.”

Every finger movement, every flex, every rotation was a battle against fatigue, against grief, against the hollow sense of absence you felt for your real self. CY pressed against your wrist gently, stabilizing, nudging, reminding you that even borrowed bodies could still make progress.

Sans hummed low, sarcasm threading through exhaustion: “Heh… gotta admire it, star boy… lost your own body, lost your old world… still manages finger gymnastics like a champ. Tragic… but kinda inspiring.”

You swallowed, voice shaky, tethered through his mouth. “…I… I just wish… I had them. I wish I was… me again. I wish my real brothers were here.”

Papyrus shifted, shoulders stiffening, jaw tight. “BROTHER… I… WE ARE HERE… SORT OF. BUT… I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. AND… YOU’RE STILL FIGHTING. THAT… COUNTS.”

CY nudged you forward, brushing against your side like a silent cheerleader. You exhaled shakily, setting your jaw, determination flaring. “…Then I’ll keep going. For them… for me… for all of us.”

Sans muttered through the tether, voice thick but still sarcastic: “Heh… just don’t overdo it… star boy… can’t exactly call the old body back yet but… you can make this one behave. Mostly.”

Papyrus huffed, arms crossed tightly. “BROTHER… STOP LETTING HIM TEASE YOU… BUT… FOCUS. ONE MOVE AT A TIME. REMEMBER… YOU’RE TRYING. I AM WATCHING.”

You nodded, trembling fingers flexing again, CY pressing lightly to stabilize, Papyrus’s gaze sharp and unyielding, and Sans’s tired, sarcastic quips threading through the tether like brittle encouragement. 

The weight of absence, of longing, of all the fractured pieces of your past life pressed on your chest—but determination, raw and jagged, overpowered the sorrow, one shaky step and one trembling finger at a time.

Papyrus leaned against the bedframe, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed. “ASTREOUS… MOVE SLOWLY! CAREFULLY! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO STRAIN YOUR BONES—WAIT—THAT’S YOUR HANDS!” He exhaled sharply, jaw tight. 

You flexed another finger. Another. CY pawed at your wrist gently. The tether buzzed faintly. Sans whispered, “Heh… flexin’ fingers, flexin’ guilt… all in a day’s work, huh, star boy?”

You lower your gaze his comments.. it kinda hurts “I… I can’t mess up,” you whispered, voice trembling. “I… I have to do this... For them.” your last sentences were quiet not letting sans or anyone hear them but you can see sans look away not letting you see his expression.

The exercises continued. Sometimes your hand spasmed, sometimes a finger refused to cooperate. Each setback sent guilt stabbing sharper into your chest. But every small success—a finger fully flexed, a wrist turned smoothly, a grip that didn’t tremble—sparked tiny flickers of hope.

You exhaled shakily, sweat prickling your brow, guilt twisting tightly in your chest. Step by step, finger by finger, movement by movement—you were clawing back the physical control you’d lost. And through it all, Papyrus’s stubborn, royal-captain-like presence kept you anchored.

Finally, after more trembling exercises, hand stretches, and wrist rotations, you rose again, legs shaking, wobbling dangerously. CY brushed against your side.

“Heh… look at that,” Sans muttered. “Star boy’s fingers are actually cooperating… at least as much as a sick skeleton would.”

CY nudged your other hand, tail wagging. You forced yourself to stretch, to flex, to move, letting the tether guide your concentration. Papyrus grunted with every motion, biting back a comment, clearly torn between worry and pride.

You exhaled shakily, moving to the next step wrist rotations and forearm flexes. Each small motion was a battle, your body refusing to fully obey. Pain, guilt, and exhaustion mingled, but determination pushed you forward.

“Slowly, star boy… or I swear I’ll call this pain-palooza,” Sans whispered, tether buzzing.

“Stop… punning,” you muttered under your breath, despite the corner of your lips twitching upward you hate and love his puns.

Papyrus groaned loudly, exasperated but soft behind his words. “BROTHER, THAT IS NOT HELPING! BUT… UH… YOU’RE DOING IT. KEEP MOVING.”

After a few more rounds of hand exercises, you forced yourself to stand again, legs trembling under the renewed strain. CY pressed gently against your hip, a quiet, steadfast anchor. Papyrus remained nearby, stubborn and upright, watching every shift, his jaw tight with anxious pride and worry.

“Balance,” you whispered, voice raw. “Focus… don’t fall.”

Sans hummed low in your chest. “Heh… balance… like life, huh? Awkward, messy, but with a little luck, no bones broken—mostly.” he says floating above the stair steps.

Step by step, you moved across the room again, wobbling but holding. CY nudged your side to encourage, tail brushing against your leg. Papyrus muttered, sharp but caring “ASTREOUS… SLOW! ONE STEP AT A TIME!"

A tiny misstep made your heart leap in your chest. CY pressed firmly against your hip to stabilize you. “Almost fell,” you muttered, sweat prickling your brow.

Sans’s voice quipped lazily, even with exhaustion, “Heh… star boy almost made the floor his best friend… but nah. Gotta keep the dramatic tension alive, huh?”

You smiled faintly, shaky but determined, and pushed forward. Every tremor of your legs, every spasm of your fingers, reminded you: this was your fault. You had written their suffering. You had built these fractures. And yet, each shaky victory now was yours to claim as a step toward redemption.

Papyrus exhaled sharply, jaw tight. “BROTHER… DON’T… DARE… STOP. I—uh… I Mean, Keep Going. Keep Moving. EVERY STEP… I… I CAN SEE IT. GOOD.”

You edged toward the bedroom door, each movement slow, deliberate. CY stayed at your side, tail brushing your shin in encouragement. Sans’s voice muttered under the tether, pun-laden as always: “Heh… star boy’s walking… it’s almost like he’s on the right track—get it? Track?”

Papyrus groaned. “BROTHER, STOP. THAT IS TERRIBLE. BUT… GOOD JOB ASTREOUS”

Finally, after what felt like hours, you made it to the staircase. The room seemed impossibly high above the floor below. You felt your stomach twist, fear rising with every shaky breath. CY nudged you forward gently.

Step by step, you descended. Trembling. Sweat prickling. The tether thrumming faintly. Sans whispered, “Heh… careful, star boy… gravity’s a jerk… always been one.”

Papyrus muttered, softly but sharp, “BROTHER… STAY FOCUSED! ONE STEP… PLEASE.”

You almost lost balance, foot slipping slightly. CY pressed firmly, tail sweeping against your leg for stability. You caught yourself, heart hammering, gripping the railing lightly with one hand.

Sans’s voice hummed in your chest. “Heh… see? I knew you had it in you…"

Papyrus exhaled sharply, shoulders tense. “…I… okay. You’re… still upright. Good. Good job.”

Finally, you reached the last step. The floor of the first landing beneath your feet felt solid and real. You exhaled shakily, legs trembling but steady. CY wagged their tail, brushing against your leg, happy but gentle.

You had made it downstairs. Almost tripped. Almost failed. But you had made it.

Sans whispered softly, humor threading even exhaustion: “Heh… see? Star boy walks… one almost-tripped step at a time.”

Papyrus muttered, softly, half-proud, half-exasperated, “…BROTHER… Don’t Scare Me Like That… But… Good Job.”

And for the first time in two days, you let yourself feel the tiniest spark of hope amidst the guilt maybe, you could figure out how to fix this..

You miss your family.

So much..

Chapter Text

There were four of them.

The oldest, Avery nineteen, already in college, the calm one. A perfect shirt, perfect posture, perfect poker face. If the house burned down, he’d probably walk through the smoke holding everyone’s backpacks.

Then there was the middle pair —

Noah, sixteen, germaphobe with standards, who wiped down doorknobs like they’d personally offended him but still brewed hot chocolate for whoever was up late.

And Eli, fourteen — fast-talking, quick to laugh, quick to threaten, energy like a live wire. Think Papyrus, if Papyrus found sarcasm and caffeine at the same time.

And then there was the youngest — you.at twelve Quiet, distracted, always drawing instead of sleeping. Sketchbooks full of strange worlds and even stranger skeletons.

 A Saturday That Stuck

The kitchen table was cluttered with pencils, eraser crumbs, and one very judgmental mug of cold coffee. You were sketching again — long limbs, glowing eyes, smiles that didn’t reach the sockets.

Eli leaned over your shoulder, grinning like a cat who’d found a secret.

“Why’re they skeletons? You got some weird fixation or what?”

You didn’t look up.

“It’s easier. No skin, no hair to mess up.”

“Creepy,” Eli said, but his tone was soft. He drew a silly smiley face on the page next to yours. “See? Now he’s happy.”

Across the room, Noah groaned.

“Don’t touch the art with your hands, Eli. I doesn’t disinfect those. You’re contaminating the masterpiece.”

“You realize pencils don’t carry germs, right?” you muttered.

“Not when I’m done sterilizing them, they don’t.” Noah smiled sweetly — the kind of smile that meant, I’m disinfecting your soul next.

Avery looked up from his laptop, voice steady. “You three argue like you’re auditioning for a sitcom.”

 “We are,” Eli said instantly. “It’s called The Dysfunctionals. Starring Germs, Goth, and Guy Who Files Taxes.”

Avery raised a brow.

“I’m not that old.” Avery said calm

“You pay for utilities, don’t you?” Eli shot back.

“…Fair.” Avery went back to typing.

It went on like that for hours — small jabs, laughter, the sound of chair legs scraping the floor.

Noah wiped things that didn’t need cleaning. Eli hummed too loud. Avery pretended he wasn’t smiling. You kept sketching, pretending not to listen, but your pencil line shook a little from laughing too much.

For once, the world was loud in a good way.

Ages at the time of memory:

Avery — 19 

You — 12

Noah — 16 

Eli — 14 

Voice mails after you dissapeared 

Avery – calm, gentlemanly lawyer; formal, composed, the eldest.

Noah – germaphobic lab tech sharp, anxious, methodical.

Eli – sarcastic, Papyrus-like game designer; hides fear with humor.

[Voicemail 2 — 3:41 p.m.]

Eli:

Alright, genius, you win.

You’ve officially freaked everyone out.

Your car’s still here, your shoes are by the door, and your keys are on the table.

What, did you just evaporate?

If this is one of your “mystery nurse disappears into another world” writing ideas—yeah, congratulations, it worked. You’ve terrified Noah and Vee.

Call back.

Or I’m changing your Netflix password out of spite.

[Voicemail 3 — 7:22 p.m.]

Avery:

This is my third message.

The police said they’ll file a missing person report after forty-eight hours, but I don’t intend to wait that long.

Most of everything in your apartment is… untouched.

It looks like you just got up and left.

Please, wherever you are—call us.

[Voicemail 4 — 2 days later, 10:55 p.m.]

Eli:

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

Noah's been cleaning your apartment nonstop, and Avery’s pretending not to panic—which, by the way, he’s terrible at.

You’d probably laugh if you saw us right now.

If you’re hiding somewhere, just… I don’t know, send a text. A stupid emoji. Anything.

It’s way too quiet without you.

[Voicemail 5 — 3 days later, 8:12 a.m.]

Noah:

I found your old notebook.

The one with your Undertale doodles and those AU notes. “CybertaleX,” right? That was the name.

You always said it was your comfort world when you were younger twelve if I'm right.

There’s a page with sketches of the skeleton brothers—Papyrus and Sans—and little notes about how their world worked.

You even wrote: “They deserved better.”

I don’t know why, but that line… really hurts now.

Please come home.

[Voicemail 6 — 4 days later, 11:47 p.m.]

Avery:

The officers followed up.

They said there was no sign of forced entry, no struggle.

Your computer was still on when they checked.

There was a game window open.

They didn’t recognize it, but… it had Undertale in the title.

I thought if you were her you'd wanna know afterall it was your favorite game.

[Voicemail 7 — 6 days later, 2:19 a.m.]

Eli:

Hey.

Remember when we used to stay up late and you’d talk about those worlds you made?

You said they helped you breathe when life got too heavy.

I used to joke about them

…Guess I should’ve shut my mouth, huh?

Noah's convinced you’re coming back. Avery’s… trying to believe it.

And me?

I just miss hearing your dumb laugh.

[Voicemail 8 — 1 week later, 9:00 a.m.]

Noah:

I’ve been watering your plants.

It… didn’t make it.

I thought maybe if I kept your place exactly how you left it, you’d walk in and everything would just—click back into place.

You’d roll your eyes at me and tell me to stop being so paranoid.

I’d give anything to hear that again.

[Voicemail 9 — 2 weeks later, 11:11 p.m.]

Avery:

The tea’s cold again.

I pour one for you every night.

Habit, I suppose.

Eli jokes that it’s pointless, but Noah sits across from the empty chair anyway.

You used to say your apartment felt too small when we were all together.

Now it’s too big without you.

[Voicemail 10 — Unknown date / corrupted timestamp]

Noah (distorted):

Hey…

If you can hear this—

Don’t forget us, okay?

You don’t have to stay wherever you are.

Just please come back to me come back to us..

I miss you.

(static)

Chapter Text

Hey everyone!

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about where this story is headed, and I wanted to be honest with you before moving forward. Right now, I’m torn between two ideas — either discontinuing this version of the fanfic or shifting the premise into something that fits better with how the world and characters have developed so far.

Originally, the concept centered on the machine malfunctioning and sending everyone into a merged universe — one place where all the Sanses and Papyruses from different AU's coexist.

But I’m starting to feel like that setup might be limiting and boring for me.

What I’m considering now is keeping the machine as a core element but changing its function — instead of bringing everyone together into one place, it would transport the MC and Papyrus to different AU worlds one by one.

Each AU would have its own rules, tone, and emotional focus, letting the story explore them more deeply instead of juggling too many versions at once.

That means the narrative could evolve into something more episodic and emotional — almost like traveling through the multiverse, AU by AU, with the goal of fixing what’s broken (in both worlds and relationships) before moving on.

I’m still deciding which direction feels right — keeping this version or starting anew with that concept.

Either way, thank you for sticking around and reading so far. Your support means a lot, and I want to make sure wherever this story goes next, it’s something worth your time and heart. 

— [Your author ^^]

Chapter Text

Two weeks.

That’s how long it had been since you woke up inside Sans’s body — since the tether had fused your soul with his and left you both half-whole, half-broken.

You weren’t okay, not really, but you were standing. Walking, moving, eating again. The sharp pain had faded into a dull, constant ache that flared whenever you pushed too far. You’d started to think maybe things were settling.

The mansion had settled into its uneasy quiet. Papyrus made sure you rested; CY guarded the door like it expected the floor to open up again. And your Sans — the one tethered to your soul — stayed close, unseen but ever-present. Sometimes you felt him pacing in your thoughts, anxious in a way he wouldn’t admit out loud.

“You’re walkin’ again,” he’d said a few days ago, a faint smirk in his voice. “Guess I don’t gotta carry you everywhere anymore. My back thanks you.”

You’d snorted. “You’re basically a ghost, Sans. You don’t even have a back and you can't even carry me!”

Sans shrugged as he floated around the room. “Yeah, well. It’s the thought that counts.”

That was before Papyrus brought the letter.

“BROTHER—ER—ASTREOUS!!” he had said, closing the door behind him voice too loud, too bright to be genuine. “G-GASTER REQUESTS YOUR PRESENCE IN THE LAB. IMMEDIATELY.”

You froze. “...He what?”

“Yup,” Sans muttered faintly in the back of your mind, voice dry but laced with unsettling unease. “Guess the ol’ man finally remembered we exist.”

You tried to smile, but your stomach twisted. Gaster hadn’t spoken to you directly since the accident — not even once. You weren’t sure whether he blamed you… or was planning something.

Either way, you couldn’t refuse.

Maybe it could fix everything..

The lab wasn’t far, but it always felt far. Buried deep beneath the surface, where the air vibrated faintly with old magic and the walls hummed like a living thing. Alphys had moved part of her research team here, working with Gaster. It wasn’t abandoned. Gaster had repaired it himself, sealing off the unstable corridors, reinforcing the rooms that once held wreckage and screams. 

Now, the lab was spotless. Cold. Almost sterile. 

It reminded you of someone...

“Yeah, that’s not ominous at all,” Sans muttered dryly as he looked around the too familiar corridors.

Shaking your head you followed Papyrus down the long metal hallway, CY padding quietly beside you. Your bones ached faintly, the tether humming weakly in your chest. The faint buzz of electricity grew louder as you approached the main chamber. 

Inside, Gaster was already waiting.

He looked up as you entered, black eyes glinting through the dim. His hands clasped behind his back, voice measured. Looking sharp as ever “Ah. You’re here. Dolly, Porcy” he said with a sickening smile that made you want to glare at him or throw up.

“And thrilled, clearly,” Sans muttered in your mind. He was invisible he learned how to make only people he wants to see him from the days of boredom.

You forced a smile. “You wanted to see us?”

“Yes.” He turned toward the glowing machinery dominating the room — a large machine frame etched with runes that pulsed faintly. “I’ve been rebuilding the temporal displacement array. This machine — this one — will not fail as the last did.” he said with a sharp glint in his eyes.

Papyrus blinked. “TEMPORAL—WAIT, YOU MEAN TIME TRAVEL?”

“Precisely,” Gaster said, voice almost reverent. “If we can return to the height of the human-monster war… if we can alter the course of history itself… perhaps we can save what was lost.”

You felt your stomach twist. “You want to change the past?” you know what the machine is about but you've never written that it worked.

“Correct. And for that, I need a stable source of soul energy powerful enough to interact with the timeline safely.”

You didn’t like the way his gaze landed on you. Cold. Calculating. Sharp.

“Called it,” Sans whispered inside your head. “He’s using you.”

Papyrus shifted uneasily beside you. “GASTER… ARE YOU SURE THAT’S SAFE? THE MACHINE… IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE USED YET—”

Gaster didn’t even look at him. “Safety requires progress, my dear porcy. Progress requires risk.”

The machine’s hum deepened — alive, aware. You could feel the air vibrating around it, tinged with the scent of ozone and something old.

“He’s lying,” Sans said quietly. “That thing’s not for the war...” he says skeletal hands clenched tightly as he flickers.

You swallowed looking at sans briefly. “You said this was for the war. To help the monsters.”

Gaster smiled sharply a glint in his eyes. “Of course it is. I only need a short test. Nothing more.”

Papyrus frowned, stepping forward. “THEN TEST IT ON ME INSTEAD!” he says arm Infront of you protectively. As Sans watches staring right at gaster.

“No. Porcy” Gaster’s tone sharpened more like glass. “It must be them.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. You felt Sans’s magic flare faintly through the tether — anxious, defensive.

“You don’t have to do this,” Sans hissed in your mind. “He’s not telling us everything."

You exhaled slowly. “It’s fine. Just a test, right?” you were suspicious sure but you at least wanted to change things that YOU wrote.

“Don’t—”

But before Sans could finish, Gaster was already moving.

You stood in the center of it all, the machine humming louder, the runes around your feet lighting up one by one. The air pulsed heavy, alive, thick with static. You could feel the tether strain — Sans’s magic rising, resisting.

“Hold still,” Gaster instructed. His hands moved across the console with practiced precision that almost felt to eager. “Once synchronized, the machine will harmonize with your combined soul frequencies.”

The hum deepened. The lights brightened.

Then something shifted.

The tether inside your chest spasmed, sending a bolt of pain through your ribs. You gasped, stumbling. CY barked sharply, claws scraping the metal.

“Gaster—!” you choked through San's voice. “It’s not stable—”

“Don’t move!” he snapped, eyes locked tightly on the readings. “Just a moment longer!”

Papyrus took a step forward panic evident on his eyes. “GASTER, PLEASE PLEASE STOP—IT’S OVERLOADING!”

The machine screamed.

Light exploded through the chamber — white, blue, violet — slamming into you like a wave. The air bent, twisted, tore.

“NOT AGAIN—” Sans shouted, his voice cracking through the tether.

The static roared in your ears. The smell of burning metal filled the room. Papyrus lunged forward, reaching for you — and froze, the light washing over his skull.

You saw his expression twist in panic — the same raw, helpless terror from the last time. 

“BROTHER—NOT AGAIN—PLEASE—!”

“PAP—!” Sans’s voice cracked in your chest. “Move! MOVE!”

The machine overloaded — runes flashing out of sequence. You saw Gaster at the console, still typing furiously, face blank and unreadable. He wasn’t stopping it. He was watching.

Your vision fractured — images flickering: the void, broken timelines, static like screams.

“ASTREOUS STAY WITH ME!” Sans shouted.

The last thing you saw was Papyrus grabbing your arm, CY leaping toward you, and Gaster’s silhouette turning away just as the light consumed all of you.

And then—

Nothing.

Only the echo of Sans’s voice, raw and distant. And full of panic

“Not again… please, not again…”

Chapter Text

At first, there’s only sound.

A low hum.

The whisper of fabric.

A heartbeat that isn’t yours.

You drift weightless between dreams and waking — until the world slams back into you.

Your skull aches. Every thought moves like it’s dragging through syrup. The air feels thick, like you’re breathing through fog. 

You claw at the sheets, at your face, searching for the familiar weight that should be resting on the bridge of your nose. They’re not there. Your fingers meet bare bone and nothing else.

Not light.

Not dark.

Just nothing.

You try again to find something. The same blank, colorless void.

Then realization hits you like a blow.

The glasses.

Gone.

Your chest constricts. The glasses weren’t just tech. They were your eyes—your link to your sight. Without them, you’re cut off from almost everything.

“No—no no no—” Your voice trembles in Sans’s lower register, broken by panic. “Where are they—where—”

You throw the blanket aside, fingers scraping against wood, metal, something soft. You find no lenses, no frame, just emptiness—and then a faint metallic whine.

“...CY?” you whisper.

The sound repeats—a mechanical whirr, a soft chirp. A cold, metal nose nudges against your wrist. The little robot’s servos click anxiously, tail motor flicking with rapid, uneven beats.

“Good boy…” You exhale shakily. “I’m here. It’s okay. Stay close.”

But it’s not okay. Not even close.

But even the familiar vibration of his frame can’t stop the rising tremor in your chest. You can’t see. 

“Sans… Papyrus? Papyrus!”

A startled rustle, the thump of feet on wood.

“ASTREOUS!? WHAT’S WRONG!?”

Your voice cracks. “I—I can’t see! The glasses—they’re gone!”

Papyrus’s footsteps thunder across the room, quick and loud. “WHAT!? YOU’RE—YOU’RE BLIND!?”

“Not blind—it’s—without them I can’t—” You choke. “They weren’t just glasses, Paps! They let me see the world—they let Sans see too!”

The panic builds in waves. The hum of the world you usually hear beneath everything — the rhythm of magic and colors but now it’s gone. The world is blank. Silent. Your chest feels tight, your breathing fasten and shallow. Without the glasses, you can’t even see Sans — can’t feel the data layer that usually hums faintly under your vision. You’re cut off from everything: the magic around you, the energy signatures, the flicker of souls.

It’s like being shoved into a void.

“hey—hey, calm down,” Sans’s voice murmurs faintly in your mind. The sound is tinny, broken by static, like a radio caught between stations. “breathe, Starboy . i’m right here.”

You press a trembling hand against your ribs. “Sans…?”

“yeah. i can feel your panic. slow down. in—out—yeah, like that.”

“I can hear you fine. it’s just—uh—our link’s fried. something’s messing with our half of the soul connection. your side’s… buzzing like crazy.”

“I can’t see anything—”

“yeah, no kidding. those fancy glasses of ours must’ve been broken by something. or got moved. or—uh—stolen? maybe they got taken when we got transported to where the fuck knows were.”

There’s a pause. You can almost hear him frowning.

“but… now that I'm thinking about it  where the hell are we? it’s warm. not the lab. and the magic here—it doesn’t feel right it feels kind of fake...”

His voice drifts as he thinks aloud, tone shifting from confusion to calculation. “wait, maybe we were teleported? or displaced? no… that shouldn’t be possible. not without gaster’s—”

He stops himself. The silence that follows is sharp.

Your stomach tightens. “Sans are you okay?”

“yeah. just thinking.”

He tries again, his voice uncertain. “maybe the machine didn’t explode. maybe it… folded space? like… split something. or duplicated us?” He laughs nervously. “hah. listen to me—talkin’ nonsense already.”

You can feel the strain through your soul link — the way his mind loops between logic and fear.

Then, almost to himself: “also, where’s my mask?”

You reach instinctively toward your chest for the strap that always rests there. Gone.

“oh great,” Sans mutters. “first the glasses, now the mask. perfect.” he says sarcastically 

“Sans?”

“that thing’s not just decoration, star it hides those disgusting things.”

You know what he means. The cracks. The fractures spiderwebbing across the right side of his face mixed with the burned bone of the skull—visible only when the mask comes off.

And if you remember YOU made Sans deeply insecure about them...

The air grows colder around you. As guilt seeps in.

You take a shaky breath. The air tastes faintly sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon. There’s a sound in the background — someone running down the hall, calling for someone else.

Papyrus must’ve gone to get help.

Your hands curl into the blanket. You try to focus on the other senses the softness of the quilt, the faint creak of wood under your bed, the warmth that feels like it shouldn’t exist.

CY whirs again and presses against your shoulder, its optic light flickering from amber to pale blue. Its sensors sweep the room, scanning patterns invisible to your eyes.

Then memory strikes like lightning.

The humming machine.

The surge of violet light.

Papyrus shouting your name.

Gaster’s silhouette—calm, still—as the world collapsed.

Your breath catches. “Gaster… the machine…”

“yeah…” Sans’s tone darkens. “whatever it did, it didn’t kill us.”

“—aster…” you breathe, voice cracking in Sans’s low rasp.you want to say something more but your voice cracks up you want to cry but just put your skull between your legs.

You whisper managing not to cry yourself to sleep until at least to get answers, “Where are we, Sans?”

“somewhere weird. i can sense magic around us — warm, soft, not aggressive. not like home.” you could barely hear Sans as he says something barely audible but you could gather the words "fake auras" and "suspicious"

He hesitates. “kid, this doesn’t feel like home.”

Before you can answer, the door bursts open.

“OH GOOD, YOU’RE AWAKE!!”

You jolt so hard you nearly tumble off the bed. CY growls, claws scraping wood.

“WH—WHO’S THERE!?” you demand, the panic falling over you like a tidal wave.

“OH! SORRY! I’M SANS!”

You freeze.

“wait—what—what—what,” your Sans stammers inside your mind. “why does he look like me but—shorter? and—oh Asgore—why’s he so cheerful?”

You freeze. “...What?” you say repeating the words Sans said unconsciously.

“YEAH! I FOUND YOU AND YOUR BROTHER IN THE SNOW LAST NIGHT! YOU LOOKED PRETTY BEAT UP, SO I BROUGHT YOU HOME!”

You fumble for Papyrus. “Bro—? Is that—?”

Papyrus stammers from nearby. “I—IT’S TRUE! THIS STRANGE SKELETON FOUND US! HE SAID HIS NAME IS SANS!”

Your Sans’s disbelief is almost physical. “wait wait wait—he said his name’s sans? but i’m—uh—me? how—what—”

“...I TOOK YOUR GLASSES OFF!” the stranger adds cheerfully. “THEY WERE FLASHING AND MAKING NOISES! I DIDN’T WANT THEM TO HURT YOU!”

Your heart stops. “You what?”

“THEY’RE RIGHT HERE!”

A small shape presses something into your hands. Your fingers close instantly around cold glass and fractured metal. Familiar hum. The rhythm of your own heartbeat.

Something is pressed into your hands. You clutch it instantly — the familiar smooth surface, cracked at one edge. Relief surges through you so fast you almost cry.

“Thank you,” you whisper hoarsely. “Thank you, thank you—”

“star,” Sans murmurs sharply. “hold up. don’t just put them on yet. i’m gettin’ bad feedback—something’s fried.”

Still, you can’t stand the darkness any longer. You slide them carefully back over your sockets.

For a moment, nothing happens.

The world flickers into existence — not all at once, but in shards. Like broken film struggling to restart.

Blurred color. Then light. Then form.

A room. Blue walls. Pine floors. A faint scent of cinnamon and pine sap.

And standing there—

A skeleton. Small, bright-eyed, wrapped in a sky-blue hoodie and a fluttering scarf that catches the light, smiling so wide it almost hurts to look at, his eyes bright, and you can see something his soul? signature glows pure and kind. But it feels somewhat fake..

He looks exactly like Sans.

And not at all like him.

And you recognize him instantly.

Underswap Sans.

The one fans used to call Blue.

“I KEPT THEM SAFE!” he says proudly. “AND I CLEANED YOUR MASK TOO—THOUGH IT SMELLED KIND OF FUNNY!”

He beams at you, proud of himself. “SEE! I KEPT IT SAFE! AND I CLEANED YOUR MASK TOO—THOUGH IT SMELLED KIND OF FUNNY!”

Your stomach drops. “My—what?”

Blue holds it up—Sans’s gas mask—dangling it by one strap. It’s spotless, almost shining.

Your voice comes out as a whisper. “Our… mask…”

“yeah, that’s mine,” Sans mutters through you. His tone is sharp, uneasy. “why does he have it?”

You can feel Sans’s anxiety spike through the tether.

“Put that down!” you bark, too sharply. Blue startles, nearly dropping it.

Blue’s grin doesn’t falter as he catches himself. “I JUST WANTED TO HELP!”

Papyrus quickly intercepts, taking the mask carefully. “I’LL—HOLD ONTO IT,” he says awkwardly, glancing between you and the other skeleton

Blue blinks. “OH! SORRY! I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A COSPLAY THING!”

You exhale, shaking slightly. “No. It’s—important.”

He’s too cheerful. Too glowing. His soul hums at a frequency you can see through the glasses—radiant, symmetrical, too perfect.

“this guy’s wrong,” Sans mutters. “he smiles like he’s programmed to.”

Then another voice from the hall—low, even, and grounding.

“Sans, please. You’re shouting again. Give them space.”

A taller skeleton enters. Calm eyes, an orange scarf, posture straight but not rigid. His sockets study you the way scientists study a specimen.

Underswap Papyrus. Rus.

You stare, stunned

“Sorry, Papyrus!” Blue chirps not bothering to look at him. “I’M JUST EXCITED! THEY’RE AWAKE!”

Papyrus — their Papyrus — nods once, gaze shifting from you to your own Papyrus and back again. His expression sharpens.

Rus’s gaze moves from you to your Papyrus, then back again. His tone is cautious, almost reverent. “There aren’t any other skeletons in the Underground.”

The silence stretches.

Papyrus fumbles. “T-THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT! THERE’S—THERE’S US—AND—” He stops. Doesn’t say Gaster’s name.

The smaller skeleton— the other Snas — frowns slightly, stepping closer. “...You Look Like Me,” he says softly but there's a hint of sharpness that reminds you of gaster, as if realizing it for the first time. “Kinda Spooky.”

Sans’s voice in your mind lowers to a whisper. “kid… are we lookin’ at… versions? like copies? time doubles?”

You don’t answer. You can’t.

“that’s… bad,” your Sans murmurs, tone shifting. “real bad.”

The room feels smaller now. The colors too bright. The air hums wrong — like a looped song playing slightly off key.

Papyrus whispers to you, "ASTREOUS, ARE WE—IN—”

“I don’t know,” you murmur.

Blue claps his hands suddenly. “WOW! YOU’RE LIKE—US! BUT DIFFERENT! OH, THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!”

Sans groans. “oh great. he’s cheerful me great,” your Sans mutters. “this one’s got enthusiasm levels at nuclear kill me now"

Rus steps closer, voice calm but suspicious. “You both should rest. You’re in no condition to travel. And… whatever happened to you—it left traces. Magic traces I don’t recognize.”

“WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE?” your Papyrus asks, trying to steady his voice.

“SNOWDIN, OF COURSE!” the little Sans chirps he says but you can see something... Different in his eyes “YOU'RE IN MY HOUSE! YOU’RE SAFE NOW!”

“Safe…” you echo, your gaze flicking to the cracks still distorting the air. The glasses hum faintly, fighting interference. “Yeah. Sure.”

Papyrus stiffens. “WE’RE FINE! JUST… A LITTLE LOST!”

Blue tilts his head, his grin returning to full brightness. “THEN WE’LL HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK!”

“WE’RE FINE!” your Papyrus insists, his usual bravado cracking at the edges. “JUST—A BIT CONFUSED, IS ALL!”

“Confused?” the smaller Sans tilts his head. “About what?”

You force a shaky smile. “About… everything.”

“yeah,” your Sans says quietly in your chest. “Astreous looks like the ride’s just getting started.”

The word safe passes between his teeth like sugar and static.

After they leave, the silence feels enormous.

Papyrus sits down heavily beside you. CY hops onto the bed, curling tight against your arm. Its optic light pulses slowly—orange, then dim blue.

Papyrus sets the gas mask beside you carefully. “BROTHER…” he begins.

“I know,” you whisper. “I know.”

“you okay?” Sans murmurs.

“No,” you say softly. “But I will be.”

The glasses flicker again. Lines of static crawl along the edges of the room. Walls pulse faintly with code.

Sans exhales through you. “none of this lines up. two skeletons with our names? a perfect snowdin? no gaster readings? ..Astreous i think we’re inside someone else’s copy.”

You touch the glass lenses you don't know if you should tell him or not.. "Im not sure.."

You look toward the window. Golden light pours through, too warm, too perfect. Every beam of it feels like a lie.

“I mean,” you whisper, “this world we’re not supposed to see.”

Outside, everything glows like a painting that forgot how to dry.

“hey, Astreous,” Sans murmurs, cautiousness and suspicion evident in his voice. “look up.”

You tilt your head. Through the flicker of your half-broken holographic glasses, you see the ceiling: faint spiderweb cracks spreading across it, pulsing faintly in rhythm with your soul.

You and Sans breathe in unison.

This world looks peaceful. Safe. But

The world itself is glitching.

Chapter Text

The cottage is quiet.

Evening light seeps through the curtains in thin gold threads, staining the wooden walls in soft warmth that feels almost unreal. Somewhere outside, wind brushes against pine branches, and the faint smell of snow drifts in from the forest beyond. It’s peaceful — too peaceful.

You sit on the edge of the bed, your fingers tracing the cracks in your glasses. CY hums faintly on the floor beside you, its tail flicking in lazy arcs, metal paws clinking softly against the boards. Its optic light glows pale blue — calm, but restless underneath.

Papyrus sits near the window, elbows on his knees, staring out into the too-perfect sky. His scarf, torn in one corner, drapes limp over his shoulder. The silence stretches long enough that the ticking of the wall clock becomes unbearable.

“i hate this,” Sans mutters quietly.

You blink. “What?”

He’s sitting in your head, his voice still slightly distorted through the soul-link, static crawling along the edges of each word. “this. the quiet. the stillness. it’s not… right.”

You rub your temple lightly. “Yeah. Feels like the air’s holding its breath.”

Papyrus glances over. “MAYBE… THAT’S JUST BECAUSE WE’RE NERVOUS,” he says, his usual booming voice softened to something almost gentle. “AFTER ALL, WE’RE IN A STRANGE PLACE. WITH STRANGE PEOPLE WE DONT KNOW. AND A VERY STRANGE OTHER ‘US.’”

He tries to smile, but it falters halfway. “...THEY SEEM NICE, THOUGH.”

You don’t answer.

CY lets out a soft chirrup, pressing its cold nose against your knee. The gesture makes you exhale — a half-laugh, half-sigh. You reach down and scratch the top of its metal head.

“Yeah, bud. I know. I should probably tell them.”

Sans hums low in your mind looking down at you from your skull. “tell us what, star?”

You swallow. The words feel heavy, like swallowing a stone.

“Something I probably should’ve said a long time ago.”

Papyrus looks over, curious. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”

You stand — slow, unsteady — and cross to the small table near the center of the room. The glasses hum faintly as you adjust them; the holographic layer flickers, struggling to stabilize. The air wavers faintly with invisible static — like reality trying to listen in.

You take a deep breath.

“Sans. Papyrus. There’s something you need to understand about… where we are. And maybe… what you are.”

Sans chuckles dryly, though it sounds strained. “heh. sounds dramatic already.”

Papyrus tries elbows him but passed right through him. “LET THEM SPEAK, BROTHER.”

CY hops onto the table, its tail stilling. Its optic flickers from blue to orange — attentive mode.

You press your palms flat against the table nervousness and guilt radiating off you. “What if I told you… this world isn’t the only one? That there are others. A lot of others.”

Papyrus tilts his head. “...LIKE OTHER UNDERGROUNDS?”

“Not exactly,” you say softly, nervously. “Other versions.”

Sans looked slightly serious while looking at you. “versions? like… what, copies like those strangers?”

“Not copies exactly,” you correct. “Alternate Universes.... Um People call them ‘AUs.’ They’re… branches. Realities that split off from choices, or emotions, or even ideas. Each one different. Some darker. Some kinder. Some where everything you know is reversed.”

Papyrus frowns, puzzled. “REVERSED? YOU MEAN, LIKE… I’M THE ONE WHO MAKES THE BAD JOKES?”

That earns a laugh — small, but real — even from Sans. “oh man. that’d be a sight.”

You manage a faint smile. “Yeah. In one world, that’s exactly true. You — Papyrus — are the pun loving lazy skeleton. And Sans is… cheerful. Kind. He loves and hates puns, helps everyone he meets. That’s who we met earlier.”

Papyrus’s eyes widen. “THE BLUE ONE?”

You nod. “He’s from something called Underswap. It’s your world — but flipped. Roles, personalities, even magic. All turned upside down.”

Sans goes quiet. You can feel his mind whirring, his thoughts tripping over themselves.

“you’re saying,” he starts slowly, “there are… copies of us. out there. living their own lives. in different versions of reality.”

“Yes,” you say softly. “They all started from one place — from the original. From the core story. But every time someone imagined something different… every time someone changed a piece of that story… a new world was born.”

Papyrus leans forward, eyes wide with a childlike mixture of wonder and fear. “SO YOU’RE SAYING… WE’RE… STORIES?”

You hesitate.

CY chirps — a sad, mechanical trill.

“Not just stories,” you whisper. “But maybe that’s how it started. Someone… somewhere… told your story. And it grew. It became more than just words. It became worlds.”

Sans’s voice cuts through, sharp and hoarse. “wait. are you tellin’ me there's more creator made other us? like… we’re characters in some… movie or game?”

You look down guilt gathering in your soul. “Th-That’s one way to put it.”

“so all this—” he gestures vaguely, and through the soul-link you feel him motion to everything — “—the resets, the timelines, all the pain, all the loss—was yo- someone’s idea of a story?” he says looking directly at you.

You avoid his gaze.

“Not on purpose,” you say quickly guilt eating at you. “Not all of it. Some stories… just get written wrong.”

Papyrus looks between you, his expression cracking. “BUT… WE HAVE MEMORIES. FEELINGS. CHOICES. THAT CAN’T JUST BE—”

“They’re real,” you insist looking at him earnestly. “You’re real. Even if someone started the story, you became real when you felt. When you changed things. When you broke free from what was written.”

The silence after that is deafening.

Sans laughs — a low, shaking sound that isn’t humor. “heh. real comforting, that.”

“Sans…”

He cuts you off, voice rising. “no, seriously. that’s great news, Astreous guess i don’t gotta worry about reality anymore, huh? if i get too depressed, maybe YOU the creator will just—rewrite me cheerful.”

“Sans—”

Papyrus stands up abruptly. “BROTHER, STOP IT!”

“why?” Sans snaps. “don’t you get it, pap? we’re—what—fiction? dolls? mistakes that got too self-aware?”

“YOU’RE NOT A MISTAKE!” Papyrus’s voice trembles. “YOU’RE ARE MY BROTHER!”

The room goes still. CY flinches, its optic dimming to a soft amber.

You whisper hands clenched at your lap, “You-you're not glitches. You’re possibilities.” you say nervously

Papyrus exhales shakily and sits again, head in his hands. “POSSIBILITIES,” he repeats quietly. “...LIKE BRANCHES ON A TREE.”

“Exactly.”

Sans floated up putting his leg on one of the other, he may have known your were the creator of the universe but he didn't know that he was only a possibility a worthless little fish in a large pond of possibilities or branches..

Sans is quiet for a long time. When he speaks again, his voice is barely a whisper. “how long have you known?”

You hesitate. “Since before I met you.”

Papyrus looks up sharply. “YOU—YOU KNEW?”

“I-I didn’t think it would matter,” you say looking down guilty. “Until now. Until the machine broke reality.”

CY’s tail flicks nervously, tapping the table. Its optics flash red for a moment.

Sans exhales. “so… that machine didn’t just zap us somewhere random.”

“No,” you whisper. “It sent us into one of the other branches.”

CY lets out a soft beep in agreement — confirmation tone.

You continue, slowly, gently. “And this one—the one we’re in—it’s Underswap. That’s why everything feels too bright, too safe. That’s why the air hums wrong. Because this world was built to be happy. To stay perfect.”

“to stay fake,” Sans mutters.

You nod. “And the cracks we saw on the ceiling i think it's trying to hold itself together bu-but that's only a guess"

Papyrus stands again, pacing. “SO… HOW DO WE FIX IT?”

You exhale. “I don’t know yet. But I think the only one who can stabilize the rift is—”

“the creator,” Sans finishes quietly. “yeah. figures.”

The name creator hangs in the air like a shadow.

Papyrus glances toward the door — the one leading to Blue and Rus’s part of the house. “DO YOU THINK THEY KNOW?”

“No,” you say quickly. “And we’re not telling them. Not yet. I don’t trust them.”

“BUT THEY SEEM NICE—” Papyrus starts.

“Too nice,” you cut in. “Perfect nice. It feels rehearsed. Like… they’re stuck in character.”

CY lets out a low hum of agreement.

Sans snorts. “heh. great. fake world, fake smiles. we really hit the jackpot, huh?”

You sit down again, tired. “I just needed you to know the truth. Because soon… we’re going to need to decide what to do about it.”

Papyrus fidgets slightly and Sans expression soften. “I DON’T WANT TO HURT THEM.”

“I know,” you say softly. “But if we don’t fix this, this world might collapse or somethin— and take us with it.”

Sans is quiet again for a while. Then, finally: “so these AUs… they’re all different, huh?”

“Yeah. All kinds. Some full of kindness. Some full of blood.”

He hums. “and people made them. for fun?”

“Sometimes. Sometimes out of love. Sometimes out of loneliness.”

Papyrus glances at you. “...LIKE YOU.”

You blink. “What?”

He smiles sadly. “YOU MADE WORLDS TOO, DIDN’T YOU?”

You look away from him guilty lowering your gaze. “yeah.” you said voice soft as a whisper.

The air hums faintly. CY nudges your wrist, optic flickering.

You whisper, “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

Sans sighs. “yeah. but maybe a universe let's land in a universe where i actually get a vacation.”

Papyrus chuckles weakly. “AND I’LL MAKE SURE IT’S ONE WHERE YOU EAT VEGETABLES.”

The laughter fades quickly, replaced by the steady hum of the glitching air.

Outside, the snow starts to fall — too even, too symmetrical.

CY tilts its head toward the window, lets out a low whirr, and whispers a tone only you can hear: a soft, sad warning chime.

And though you don't see it a ripple of static teared through the horizon.

Chapter Text

Snow drifts down in slow spirals, every flake the same shape — crystalline, symmetrical, repeating in an endless dance. It should be beautiful. 

It is beautiful. But after the talk in the bedroom, the stillness feels almost like mockery.

You’re still at the table, the warmth of the wood seeping into your palms.

 Papyrus sits beside you, posture too straight for comfort, his eyes darting occasionally toward the door that separates your room from theirs — Blue and Rus’s half of the cottage.

 CY hums at your feet, its optic flickering from blue to gold in erratic pulses.

 Your glasses buzz faintly, thin static crawling along the edges of your vision like distant lightning.

And Sans —

Sans floats near the wall, half in shadow, his form faintly outlined in blue haze.

 He hasn’t spoken much since last night. The faint static of the soul-link flickers and stutters occasionally — soft, unstable.

He’s there, but not completely here.

You catch him staring at his hands sometimes, like he’s trying to convince himself they’re real.

 Papyrus breaks the silence first. “IT’S STILL SNOWING,” he says softly. “JUST LIKE LAST NIGHT.”

You hum in response, too tired to answer properly.

Sans finally mutters, voice low and tired. “guess the world didn’t get the memo.”

He sounds dry, but not in the usual way — less sarcastic, more resigned. You look over at him. He doesn’t meet your eyes.

Before you can say anything, the door creaks open.

“HOWDY, GUESTS!” Blue’s voice slices through the quiet like sunlight. Too cheerful. Too bright. 

He steps in with his ever-present smile, his scarf bouncing lightly as he walks.

 Rus follows behind, a mug in one hand, posture loose and lazy, but his eyes scan the room with a predator’s patience.

The smell of sugar and cocoa fills the air.

Blue sets down a tray — two steaming mugs and a plate of something that looks like cinnamon biscuits but too perfectly arranged, not a crumb out of place.

Papyrus stands awkwardly. “OH—UM—THANK YOU! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT!”

Blue chuckles, waving a hand. “NONSENSE!! GUESTS DESERVE KINDNESS, DON'T THEY?” His smile deepens.

 “YOU BOTH LOOK SO SERIOUS!” he coos. “WE CAN'T HAVE THAT CAN WE! SO HOW ANOUT SOMETHING FUN SOMETHING PERSONAL!”

Papyrus tilts his head. “PERSONAL?”

“NICKNAMES!” Blue claps his hands, eyes gleaming. “EVERY FRIEND DESERVES ONE, DON'T YOU THINK? IT HELPS MAKE THIS PLACE FEEL LIKE HOME.”

The word home sounds wrong in his mouth.

He lifts Papyrus’s scarf with two delicate fingers, examining its fabric like a jeweler appraising a gem.

“YOU'RE FAST. HOPEFUL. SHARP. LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS HEADED SOMEWHERE.”

He lets the scarf fall back into place and steps back with a satisfied little sigh.

“SO I THINK I’ll CALL YOU… COMET!”

Papyrus freezes.

Rus snorts. “Yeah. That fits. He does got that ‘zooming across the sky about to cause a minor apocalypse’ vibe.”

“comet, huh. wonder what he’d call me—oh wait, he can’t see me.” Sans muttered.

Papyrus looks between them, unsure whether to be flattered or alarmed.

Your Sans mutters behind you, voice low and edged with protective irritation.

“but he sounds like he’s labelin’ property.”

You keep your expression composed.

Papyrus clears his throat awkwardly. Ignoring Sans comment. “UHM… THANK YOU? I THINK?”

“OH, DON'T YOU SOUND SO WORRIED,” Blue laughs lightly, as if the air is made of glass. “NAMES ARE GIFTS. THEY HELP THINGS STAY IN PLACE!”

That makes your skin crawl.

Blue’s smile slides to you next.

“AND YOU,” he says, voice dripping with pleasant intention, “WE SHOULD GIVE YOU SOMETHING TOO, SHOULDN'T WE? YOU'VE GOT THE KIND OF ENERGY THAT BEGS FOR A TITLE.”

You feel Sans stiffen — even though no one else does.

Your fingers tighten in your lap.

A drop of static flickers across the windowpane. Snow glitches, repeating a single falling flake.

Before you can open your mouth, Papyrus blurts.

“THEY ALREADY HAVE ONE THATS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS.”

Everyone stops.

Blue blinks once. Slowly.

Rus’s eyes flick up with interest.

Your chest tightens — Papyrus rarely cuts people off. And certainly not like that.

Papyrus pushes on, firm and sharp, hands clenched.

“THEIR NAME IS ASTREOUS. THEY DON’T NEED A NICKNAME.”

Blue repeats it softly.

“Astreous…”

The syllables roll off his tongue like unfamiliar wine. His eyes sharpen, like he’s trying to place the shape of it in his memory — but can’t. Like the name itself doesn’t match the script.

Then he smiles. 

Perfectly.

Blue blinks. “ASTREOUS?” He repeats the name slowly, testing the syllables like they’re foreign on his tongue. Then that perfect smile returns. “SO BEAUTIFUL. FITTING. THEN I WON'T DARE RENAME A STAR.”

Rus lets out a quiet whistle. “Heh. Poetic much, Blue?”

Blue’s eyes narrow a fraction, but the smile doesn’t slip. “I’M JUST BEING POLITE.”

Your heartbeat stutters.

Your Sans, unseen and flickering, mutters.

“creepy.”

Papyrus laughs uneasily. 

You keep your expression neutral, skeletal hands remaining folded tight in your lap. Blue’s smile lingers on you.

You thank him quietly, but the words feel strange in your mouth. The air seems heavier somehow, pressing at the edges of your skull. 

You glance toward the window again — the snow hasn’t stopped. It hasn’t changed. Every flake still the same pattern, falling in the same rhythm. You swallow.

Rus notices your stare. “Pretty, ain’t it?” he says lazily.

 “Snow that never stops. Like livin’ inside a snow globe. All safe, all quiet.”

CY’s tail gives a small metallic flick — the sound cutting sharply through the warmth of his words.

Sans floats a little higher, one eyelight faintly glowing. “safe and quiet, huh. sounds more like a-....” he cuts himself off.

Rus smirks at you and papyrus well comet now... You should ask papyrus what he likes better. 

“No surprises. No mess. No pain. Ain’t that paradise?”

You look up at him. “um.. it kinda sounds like a loop.”

Blue tilts his head, pretending not to understand. “A LOOP? OH, YOU MEAN ROUTINE! YES, I SUPPOSE THAT'S A NICE WAY TO THINK OF IT.”

“yeah,” you say.

 “nice.” Sans says at the same time, voice low, 

He doesn’t smile.

Papyrus moves closer to the window. “IT’S BEAUTIFUL, AT LEAST. LIKE A PAINTING.”

Rus joins him, hands clasped behind his back. “Exactly. It’s perfect. Why would anyone want to change something perfect?”

His reflection in the glass doesn’t move when he does.

Blue shoots him a warning look, then turns back to you with that practiced warmth. “IGNORE HIM. HE'S ALWAYS TRYING TO SOUND MYSTERIOUS.”

“I heard that,” Rus mutters, sipping his drink that you didn'tnotice.

The tension is subtle, but there — like static under a song. 

You try to smile, but the guilt inside you twists, cold and sour. 

You contributed to this, didn’t you? Or something like it. The concept, the framework, the possibility. And now you’re standing inside a version of that thought, watching it pretend to be alive.

Sans whispers in your head again.

Sans laughs softly. “yeah. like snow—pretty, cold, and quiet when it’s burying you.”

You flinch involuntarily. 

Papyrus glances at you, concern soft but firm in his eyes, but doesn’t comment. He can feel and see Sans too.

Blue sits across from you, folding his hands he's done that quite abit maybe it's a habit you thought to youself. 

“SO,” Blue begins begins cheerfully, “TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORLD. WHAT'S IT LIKE? SNOWDIN THERE TOO? FRIENDS? FAMILY?”

You hesitate. The words tangle in your throat.

Papyrus steps in again, polite but guarded. “IT’S… DIFFERENT. OUR WORLD ISN’T QUITE AS BRIGHT.”

“AH,” Blue says lightly. “WELL, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE. MAYBE IF PEOPLE JUST SMILED MORE—”

Rus cuts him off. “Blue, don’t start preachin’ again.”

Blue’s jaw tightens for half a second — too quick for anyone else to notice, but you do. His smile snaps back in place. “I’M NOT PREACHING. I’M HELPING. THATS WHAT THIS WORLD IS FOR, RIGHT? HELPING.”

The room goes quiet at that.

Even CY stills, optic flickering uncertainly.

You look at Blue, then at Rus. “What do you mean, ‘what this world is for’?”

Blue laughs softly, eyes closed. “OH, NOTHING BAD, PROMISE! IT'S JUST… THIS WORLD'S MADE TO KEEP PEOPLE HAPPY. TO FIX WHAT'S BROKEN.” He opens his eyes again, the blue light in them too bright, too steady. “NOBODY GETS HURT HERE. NOBODY HAS TO SUFFER.”

Sans mutters, voice sharp.

“sounds like a prison with good lighting.”

The words echo faintly in your head, but you can’t repeat them. Instead, you ask quietly, “And what happens when someone isn’t happy?”

Blue’s smile never falters. “THEY GET BETTER!”

Something in your spine prickles. “And if they don’t?”

“THEN,” he says simply, “THEY STOP EXISTING.”

The room seems to glitch — just once. A flicker, a blink, a brief distortion of light where Blue’s outline wavers like rippled glass. It passes as fast as it comes. He doesn’t notice.

Papyrus stands slowly. “THAT’S… KIND OF A SCARY WAY TO LIVE.”

Rus shrugs. “You get used to it.”

CY emits a nervous whine, mechanical tail flicking yet again.

Your heart beats too fast. Sans’s presence leans closer, cold but steady — grounding you through the link.

“breathe, star,” he murmurs. “don’t let them see.”

You do. You force a small smile. “That’s… interesting,” you say weakly. “A world that keeps people happy. Must be nice.”

Rus nods. “It is. You’ll see. Soon enough.”

Blue stands, straightening his scarf, eyes briefly glancing toward the window. “THE SNOW'S THICKENING. IT'S GETTING LATE. YOU SHOULD REST — TOMORROW, I WILL SHOW YOU AROUND THE HOUSE.”

Papyrus forces a grin. “THAT SOUNDS… GREAT.”

Blue beams, then takes the tray again. Rus lingers a moment longer, mug in hand, eyes on you.

“Y’know,” he drawls, “you seen like someone who’s seen a lot of things.”

You freeze.

Rus smirks. “Just an observation. G’night, Comet. Astreous.”

They leave, door clicking softly behind them.

Silence crashes in like a wave.

Papyrus sits down hard, rubbing at his skull. “THAT WAS… EXHAUSTING.”

You exhale. “Yeah.”

Sans hums in your head. “he’s right, though.. you do seem like that.”

You close your eyes, leaning back in the chair. “Maybe. I just… know too much.”

Papyrus looks over, his expression soft. “YOU’RE STILL OUR FRIEND,” he says firmly. “NO MATTER WHAT YOU KNOW.”

That softens your heart.

But.

Friend?

Not-

No.

Nevermind.

You deserve this.

You whisper, “Thanks, Pap.”

He smiles faintly. “AND YOU DON’T NEED A NICKNAME,” he adds, almost shy. “YOU’RE ASTREOUS. THAT’S ENOUGH.”

Sans’s tone softens too, just a hint.

“guess comet’s not bad, though. fits him.”

Papyrus blinks not getting what Sans said. “Hm?”

You nod, a small smile ghosting on your face. “He said it fits you.”

Papyrus chuckles, rubbing the back of his skull. “WELL… THEN I GUESS IT DOES.”

The clock ticks. Outside, the snow keeps falling — flawless, endless, repeating.

In the silence, CY’s optic flickers red once — a single pulse, like a heartbeat out of sync — and your glasses hum faintly, registering another anomaly in the air.

Somewhere deep beneath that perfect white world, the cracks are widening.

And for the first time, you realize maybe Blue wasn’t lying.

Maybe this world does keep people happy.